Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: How To Show Up As The Most CONFIDENT Version Of Yourself with Kim Rittberg Digital Video Expert & Content Strategist
Tue, 25 Feb 2025
In This Episode You Will Learn About: EMBRACE a life of authenticity How to be your BEST self on camera Developing your brand messaging The M.E.S.S.Y framework Resources: Website: www.kimrittberg.com Join Raise Your Revenue With Video! Listen to Mom’s Exit Interview Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: @Kim Rittberg Instagram: @kimrittberg Youtube: @kimrittbergcontent Get 50% off your first box plus free shipping at factormeals.com/confidence50off with code confidence50off. Get 10% off your first Mitopure order at timeline.com/CONFIDENCE. Download the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning at NetSuite.com/MONAHAN Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code CONFIDENCE to get UP TO $300 off today. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/monahan Cancel unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster at RocketMoney.com/CONFIDENCE. Call my digital clone at 201-897-2553! Visit heathermonahan.com Reach out to me on Instagram & LinkedIn Sign up for my mailing list: heathermonahan.com/mailing-list/ Overcome Your Villains is Available NOW! Order here: https://overcomeyourvillains.com If you haven't yet, get my first book, Confidence Creator Show Notes: Being the most confident version of yourself is the BEST way to succeed in business! No matter who you are, it’s normal to feel nervous when it’s time to sell yourself and get in front of the camera. Taking the leap of faith to start filming video content will help you connect with your audience and GROW your business! Video strategist and award winning content expert, Kim Rittberg, is here to help us perfect our brand’s messaging and share our stories with confidence! It’s time to STOP worrying about how you might look or sound and just START today.
Chapter 1: Why is authenticity crucial for business success?
Nowadays, it's all about being authentic. And so I think that professionals just have to be themselves. And I really like, I'm the biggest cheerleader who's never been a cheerleader in high school. I really am such a cheerleader. I believe so strongly that everyone can put themselves out there and can use that to grow their business because you don't need to be perfect.
Like you really don't, you don't need to be anchor. You just need to be yourself and the most confident version of yourself. Because if you believe in what you're talking about and you're knowledgeable, you're teaching people. You're educating people. And if you're funny, then you're entertaining them.
Come on this journey with me. Each week when you join me, we are going to chase down our goals, overcome adversity and set you up for a better tomorrow.
I'm ready for my closeup.
Tell me, have you been enjoying these new bonus confidence classics episodes we've been dropping on you every week? We've literally hundreds of episodes for you to listen to. So these bonuses are a great way to help you find the ones you may have already missed. I hope you love this one as much as I do. I'm so excited for you to meet Kim Rittberg today.
She's an award-winning content strategy expert in TV, digital, video, and audio. She's been featured in Business Insider and spent 15 years as a media executive at Netflix, People Magazine, TV news and launching the first ever video unit for Us Weekly. I love Us Weekly.
Kim has been a speaker and instructor at Penn, Syracuse University and General Assembly and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School. Through her company, Kim helps brands and professionals be better on camera and make unforgettable content to grow their business.
She also hosts Mom's Exit Interview Podcast, which I was just on, after deciding to quit corporate to run her own business after working in the hospital while giving birth to her second child. And the podcast helps women craft careers that work for them instead of the other way around, even when it seems terrifying. Kim, thank you so much for being here today. Thank you so much for having me.
First of all, tell us a story. How were you working when you were giving birth? Like, what is that whole nightmare? What happened?
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Chapter 2: How did Kim Rittberg transition to entrepreneurship?
It was a whole nightmare. That's exactly true. So I had been working in media for 15 years and I had the opportunity, like seriously dream job. I've been in TV news for 10 years. I switched into digital and I got to run the Us Weekly video unit and not just run it, but like build a business inside a business. And it was everything I wanted. Like I'm really like very ambitious.
I love like building something and I loved running a team and it was such a dream come true. So I was leading a 17 person team. I had my first baby there. I joke, I had two babies, baby Lily and baby Us Weekly. And a very amazing unit full of great creative people. But when I was pregnant with my second, we were getting acquired.
And typical messy acquisition, everyone's getting fired or laid off or quitting or whatever. I wasn't laid off. None of my team was fired or anything. Actually, the new people said, we love the video unit so much. It's a big part of the reason we bought it. I'm like, oh, well, this is my reward. Like everyone on my team is quitting.
All of my peer executives were laid off and I had to build everything I had just built over the last two and a half years while nursing a newborn again, all from scratch. And I just, I was just, I realized this is just not what I wanted. Like, I just felt like this caricature of myself. I'm in the hospital, in the labor and delivery room, getting fluids, you know, the IVs.
And I'm on my phone saying, okay, Okay, if John doesn't want the job, then you should offer it to Eliza. And then if Eliza can't have... And for this job, look at this person. And I'm like, what am I doing? I felt like such a caricature of myself. I'm actually a whole, well-rounded, normal person who doesn't do that. And I just... Everything felt out of whack.
And I decided that day, I need to figure out a different way where I can bring my skills and my experience to the working world, but in a way where I just have more control. I want to be fulfilled professionally, absolutely. But I also want to be present with my children. And I have little kids. And for as long as they want me around, I want to be there a little bit more.
So that's when you decided, you decided that day that you were out? I decided that day that something was off. But just like real world, it's messy. I took two more years and two more jobs to launch my business. So, you know, I come from media. The soundbite is like, I was in the hospital and then I launched my business and now it's so successful. No way.
I earned like a few thousand dollars freelancing in that area. I thought I would launch my business. And then I was a little bit stressed out. Like, how am I really going to make this be a full-time career, a full-time salary, a full-time income? And so I took two other jobs. I worked at PopSugar as a vice president of branded content. And then I worked at Netflix in marketing.
And I loved those experiences. I valued them. But I 100% knew I wanted to work for myself at that point. It just... And I really had that clarity of I want to take all the things that I've learned and help people. And I do feel like I learned all of this from media and also branded content. So I'd work with Target and Essie and Kia and AT&T.
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Chapter 3: What are the challenges and strategies for video content creation?
I told a few people that I was looking for clients or projects. I made sure to say I'm not looking for full-time work. And I launched my business. And so my business, I help businesses and professionals be better on camera and make amazing content to grow their revenue and their client base. And it's been amazing. But I definitely had that at the beginning. My confidence was all over the place.
I'd have a great project and then I'd be like, no one's ever going to hire me again. But of course, if you're doing good work and you're meeting people and you're networking, you will get clients again. Your business will keep growing. And I'm on year three and every year is better than the last.
I'm so happy for you. I'm so happy that you finally made that leap. All right. So let's get into I love this topic about the importance of video content, how to become confident on video, how to shine on video and how to create content for businesses with video. Because so many companies that I consult with, I'm on the board of a company that doesn't create video content. Right.
But then I even look at myself, Kim, and you and I were talking about this off air. I can get up on the biggest stage in the world and I'm like, wind me up and let me go. But the minute I'm sitting at my house alone and thinking, okay, I guess I should probably create video content. I'm sitting with the phone. Then I get frustrated. I'm like, what am I even going to talk about? Forget it. No.
And I put it down and I don't do it. So what is this whole, why are people afraid or resistant or like, what, what is this stuff point with video content?
So you raise the best point. As soon as you put a camera or an iPhone in someone's face and you turn that little red or green button on, it steals your soul. Instantly, everyone's insecurities, self-doubt, just feeling like you're not interesting comes out. So I've worked with executives, CEOs, Congress people. Everyone is like, I don't know what to say. Like, I'm not interesting.
Why should I talk? I'm like, of course you are. Like, you're so smart. You're so established. So the first thing is everyone feels this way. I think the level setting is super, super important because it doesn't matter who you are, what your background is, like, you know, your job. Everyone feels self-conscious on camera.
So I think understanding that helps them to the next stage, figuring out why are you putting yourself on camera? Once you really identify that this is a business goal, I think it's a lot easier to say, okay, maybe I don't feel that comfortable. Maybe I'm not really sure why I'm filming an Instagram story in my bagel store.
But I understand this in some way is helping people connect to me, is putting myself out there to grow my business. So I think... Number one, everyone's self-conscious. Number two, that is just so important to understand that you need to remember it's a business goal. Otherwise, if you're trying to be an influencer, that's a different thing.
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Chapter 4: How can businesses effectively use video without being salesy?
So around the messaging, because this is super interesting to me, I always figured, and I don't know, I figured just like ad lib, turn the camera on and just talk, right? I never thought about like be strategic, Heather, and have a plan. However, now that I'm thinking about it, I sat down with a friend of mine and she had written out all these questions.
She was off camera and she was asking the question. It was so easy to create the content that day because it was very much planned and she knew what the goals were and what questions she was asking me. So it was very easy for me to answer. When you are working with a person or a brand, how do you guide them around that messaging strategy?
So messaging is the most important thing before you even lift a camera or take your phone out. So at the very core of it, you have to know what you're offering people and you have to know who you are as a brand or as a professional. Once you have that, you write down your message. I generally recommend for people to slash 30%, okay? Because you want a really succinct and high energy message.
The more words slows it down, slows down the energy. So my number one thing is you write down, I'm Kim Ritberg. I'm an award-winning content expert. I spent 15 years in national media and now I help professionals and brands be better on camera and grow their business with content. Every time I try to say, okay, can I take out one or two words? You try to get it tighter and tighter. So
That messaging is really, really important. So that's one of the things. And then I do, I think the elevator pitch that I teach people also comes into point for messaging. When we think about messaging, it could be for brands, it could be for professionals. Messaging is also selling yourself, right?
So if you're doing an elevator pitch, you have 30 seconds probably to sell yourself and no more than that, truly. And I think about that message is A, B, C. A, you get your accolades right at the front. You tell somebody, if you have your Harvard MBA, you put that right in the front. Business.
Your business background or anything like that that relates to the thing that you're talking about or selling. And then C, creative. Any fun spin that makes you you. If you travel the world for a year, if you're an Olympic lacrosse player, just something fun that's personal that cracks open a way to talk to you. So...
That elevator pitch message can be applied to a lot of different things, but I think that's the way. And the reason I created this framework, when I worked in media, I sat on these panels with hundreds of people pitching me. And I got pitched all the time just because I was a TV producer. And people come up and they'd say, oh, I'm a dentist. I do this and that. I love kids.
And then I would be like, You went to Oxford or like you invented the type of enamel for teeth that is used all over. Whatever that accolade is, that should be the first thing you're saying because that's really selling me in on you. Because when you're trying to get on media or trying to get press, that journalist or producer, they have to love you, but they have to sell you to their boss too.
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Chapter 5: What is the M.E.S.S.Y framework for content strategy?
But within there, I also did hour-long content. So I really understand how to tell a story short to long. And then I switched into podcasts as well. So now I'm sort of like a Jane of all trades. One of the things that I find for all of these things that I help brands apply to it is we talked about this before about the message.
When you're starting to do content, you get your message, make sure it's not too complicated. So all of these things that you never will see a media outlet tell a story that's about like 20 different people all around the world doing something. It's always like there's three central people or there's, you know, one couple and this other couple and they're intertwined.
Like it's not too complicated because people don't like something that's so complicated. So when I teach people, I have this like, I'm auditioning a new framework called the messy framework, right? I'm auditioning with you, Heather. So M, your message. Not too complicated. Tell your granny. Go call your granny. Explain what you're about to do. Explain the message you're about to do.
Read her your script. If she doesn't understand it, that's not your message, okay? Keep boiling it down. Boil it down until your seven-year-old cousin and your granny can both understand it. Then you have a great message. So that's something from Netflix to Us Weekly to cable news, the message, super simple. You're on camera. This is more like for professionals being on camera.
A lot of professionals don't want to be on camera, but you have to be. I think there was this trend for a little while that I saw in digital video where it's a lot of content and words, but not a lot of sound. And if you still see it a little bit, but not as much, people really like connecting with faces. They really like seeing people and getting to know you.
So I'm all a fan of an inspirational quote, but putting yourself on camera is really the way to go. And so I think you're seeing that as a trend back to that. You're seeing that really everywhere. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, people putting themselves on video because... That's how you build connection. That's how you get to know people.
So putting a moving quote on a screen, it's just never going to build that connection in that same way that a person will. Oh my God, this thing, as I said, this is a messy plan, right? M-E-S-S-Y, message, E, easy to understand. That's the E-S, strategy plan. You need a strategy. So every one of these places, you would never just turn on a camera and be like, guess what? We're recording.
You know why? That's a huge waste of money. It's a huge waste of money. So every time you're recording something, you don't have a script or you don't have a plan, you're wasting your time, you're wasting your money. If you hired a camera person or an editor, you're wasting everybody's time and money. So you really have to come in there with a strategy. And so that's for every single place.
And it's interesting. Now that I work more with professionals or brands, they sometimes feel more time-starved or perhaps budget-starved. But so does everyone. I was running a 17-person team at Us Weekly. I had to say no to plenty of great ideas. So plenty of celebrities would pitch Us Weekly to do a video and I would say no because you're always going to run out of time and money.
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Chapter 6: How can brands build a connection without direct selling?
Oh, well, you should tell me he's wrong and that Kim said so. I really do think that when you talk about someone who started a company, right? That person must be really passionate about digital marketing that they started a company. So I think that to hide that person away and lock them in a little tower and not put them on video is doing a disservice to the company, but also to the clients.
Because clients can feel that energy. The person who's most connected, who's most lit up about the message should absolutely be on camera because that is going to build that relationship to say, oh, not only are we an expert, we're going to do X, Y, and Z for you. But like, I love talking about this. I love doing this. If you work with us, we're going to... Make your business skyrocket it.
And I think that it really does a disservice. And I think, again, we talked earlier about being on camera and everyone hates how they look, hates how they sound. Everyone feels that way. But at the end of the day, you're doing it for your business. And I do think it needs to be a business goal. And...
Sometimes to help unlock some of the professionals I've worked with, I've said, well, what are the things you love? Why don't we sit down and film a YouTube series only about those things? Like, let's do a little YouTube playlist about just these five topics that you love.
And then let's see, you know, because I think it is hard to push people to be like, get on a panel and get on and do this and do that. But like, let's start with the thing that lights you up and just see where that goes. Yeah. Yeah, I'm a huge advocate. I just think it's really, really important. I feel like you put me somewhere, I'm like, I'll talk all day. I love this.
And I really believe, I also believe everyone can be great on camera because I think we're in such an amazing and lucky time when I was in my 20s. Of course, I'm still in my 20s, as you can tell by my voice. I'm just kidding. Obviously not in my 20s. So in my 20s, I started in journalism. And It was sort of that era where no one on TV was sort of a regular person.
It was like everyone was a gorgeous woman who came from a pageant. And then maybe there were men in suits. But for women, it was a lot of pressure to really look perfect and be perfect and speak with the perfect diction from the middle of the country. It's not like that anymore. So nowadays it's all about being authentic. And so I think that professionals just have to be themselves.
And I really like, I'm the biggest cheerleader who's never been a cheerleader in high school. I really am such a cheerleader. I believe so strongly that everyone can put themselves out there and can use that to grow their business because you don't need to be perfect. Like you really don't, you don't need to be anchor. You just need to be yourself and and the most confident version of yourself.
Because if you believe in what you're talking about and you're knowledgeable, you're teaching people. You're educating people. And if you're funny, then you're entertaining them. But I just think it's really, really important. And I do, I just love like unlocking that for people. I'm like, look how good you are. Oh my God, you're so much better than you were two weeks ago.
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