Lessons
Class Introduction
08:38 2The Importance of a Good Bio
05:25 3How to Interview Yourself Like a Top Journalist
05:47 4Adding Personality Into Your Bio
12:27 5Echoing Your Client's Language in Your Bio
08:58 6Creating Your Bio-Thesaurus
03:44 7Creating a First Draft & Intro
21:51 8Writing a Compelling Byline
04:36Lesson Info
Class Introduction
Everybody needs a bio, but we're gonna talk about multiple bios that you need. And the good thing is you'll all be able to walk away from this class with atleast a structured a template you can take with you. Easily plug and play and be able to write all the bios that you need and it will be a breeze. So this is what we're gonna go over in this class. First we're gonna talk about how to interview yourself. Like a top journalist sounds kinda weird like interviewing ourselves but it totally works. So we need to channel that like Barbara Walters and get all of the good information out. Then we're gonna be striking a balance between buttoned up and professional. I hear this so much that people are like it doesn't sound professional enough right. But we're all professionals and that's just what we are and how we are personally. How we show up at a coffee date or wherever we are. Should be exactly the way that we show up in our business. Right we don't wanna play two different roles in our l...
ives that makes things no fun. So you are wonderful as you are and you are also professionals. So we're gonna go up, talk about how to do that. But also just realize that we're striking that excuse from today that it doesn't sound professional enough. Because we're all professionals which means that it sounds professional. So then we're gonna echo our client's language in our bio. So this is really important. Our bio's are about us of course because they're bio's. But there are also circumstances or instances when we really wanna capture how we serve people. And we use our client's language in order to do that. So that it will connect emotionally to them. Then we're gonna create your bio thesaurus so this is a really fun document that you'll be using and adding to constantly. And you can use the same bio thesaurus for all types of copying content in your business so it will not go to waste. And then we're gonna talk about how to crank out a great first draft. So first draft are what they are they're first drafts. No one writes a perfect first draft let me just throw that out there. I'm a professional writer all my first drafts are terrible as they are supposed to be. Often times we edit ourselves in the first draft 'cause we're so afraid of how crappy everything is sounding that we're writing down. But then we edit out all the good stuff too. So first drafts are first drafts don't stress about those. Then we're gonna dig into the actual bio's that we are creating in this class. So first one is the 25-word intro. Really what this is, is your elevator pitch or speech. Right there's 8 million names for that but essentially it's when you're at a party or anywhere and somebody says what do you do. What do you say this is often the one thing that everyone clams out, they stammer on, they run, make an excuse to go to the bathroom. Right it's like a terrifying moment where no one knows how to communicate this information in a way that's gonna get people excited. So we're gonna take care of that today. We're even gonna do a couple of them live and so we could see how easy this is. So then we're gonna write a compelling byline. So a byline is just another type of bio it's typically when you're doing something externally. So maybe you get press coverage somewhere being featured in an article, in a podcast, you're speaking somewhere and then someone needs to ready your bio as Drew did for me. Out loud so you want to give them something to work with. Right so they're not just like, "Oh I don't know who she is. "I don't know what she does I think "she wrote a Lifetime movie, I don't know." So then you're gonna nail your 150 word story so this is a bit of an extended bio. There are definitely circumstances where other people will ask you for this. They don't want a short little byline like something very quick like Drew did. They need something with a little more meat, a little more juice right. So we're gonna have that ready in case someone asks you for it and then we're gonna go into the about page. This is the page on your website, you may not call it the about page you might call it something else. But it's essentially that page on your website that sums up who you are some of you might have refer to it as company bio or something like that. But we are gonna talk about why we don't wanna do that. And why we wanna have an actual about page instead. And then we're gonna put it all together. Alright and so essentially in this class you will learn to write business bio's that connect and convert. So it's about connecting to your client's or whoever intended audience is for your bio. And then converting them to do something that you want them to do. Whether that is to hire you for something, to sell something, to land a job, whatever that is. Whatever that conversion is that you want. And then I mention this but your also going to get some templates. I love these templates I did them in a way that makes it really easy. And what I will say is we're gonna go through lots of different tips for bio's today. If you are feeling at all overwhelmed just take the template and fill it in. Don't worry about fixing anything, they're your templates to use don't worry about it just use them right. You can always change things later it's about getting it on the page and the templates are good enough. They're easy to fill in and that you'll be able to rock it out and at least have a working draft something going. So that's what I'm intend for them you can always shift, change, sparkle, whatever you wanna do to these. But if you are struggling just know the template is there for you don't feel that you have to take my template and then fix it somehow. And change it 'cause you don't wanna use my template 'cause you're afraid I'm gonna get mad. That's not the case these templates are for you. There for you to use. So this class is for you if you feel braggy when you talk about your accomplishments. I think we've all felt this way at some point. It's really hard to talk about ourselves right. Particularly like talk about things that we've done well. Because there's kind of no good way to say it. It always feels awkward where I even cringe like when Drew was saying it's like award-winning or whatever. And I'm just like really? But it is interesting like it's hard to say those things about yourself, it's sometimes to hear them. And so this class is for you when we need to get over that hurdle because at the end of the day we have to talk about our accomplishments in our bio's. That's what they're for. Also if you hate writing especially about yourself. So if you're one of those people that writing is not your thing and you're like oh. But now it's writing about you and this makes it doubly horrible then this class is for you. And then if everything you write sounds boring and monotone oh goodness especially for bio's. We really get in that mode of oh God it's gotta sound professional right, it's gotta sound a certain way for people to take us seriously right. We all get into that mode and so we're gonna break that today that is gonna be gone. And then when people ask you what do you do you clam up. So we talked about that a little bit earlier. I don't know anybody that doesn't clam up on that of if they don't clam up they just rattle on and on. And they're gonna like this and then the person excuses themselves to go get shrimp or whatever. So like this happens to everyone none of us are immune to it so we're gonna try and fix that today. Alright so a little bit about me as you've heard earlier I'm a business strategist and I'm a professional screenwriter. I write Lifetime movies so I'm a standing, living, breathing guilty pleasure if you've ever watched them you'll know exactly what I mean. 'Cause they are the ultimate guilty pleasure. I live in Los Angeles but I am a Jersey girl originally. You may hear a bit of a slight accent particularly if I get pissy or mad or I won't get mad at you guys but if I'm heated about something then it really comes out. So if you're like who is this woman she wasn't speaking like that a few minutes ago that's why. I love teaching you guys how to write using professional screenwriting techniques. Alright so the bio is one of the most important pieces copy of that you will ever write. That sounds a little intimidating but I promise it won't be by the end of this class.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Victoria
Short, sweet and simply amazing! Melissa has such great energy, conveys her messages across with the right amount of information mixed with animation and humour, and provides helpful best practice templates for you to put what you've learnt into use right away. Highly recommended.
Margaret Lovell
I find the tips in this class helpful because while I'm a good writer, I hate writing about myself. Melissa's template is perfect for someone like me. I recommend this course.
Bettina Palazzo
What a life saver! I got so much inspiration and fun practical help our of this course, when I was stuck on writing a bio that would make me feel confident.