Ina Coveney
Hey friend, welcome back to the Pro Organizers Coach podcast and YouTube channel.

Samantha Brown
I'm so excited for today's episode. Today, I have Ina Coveney, and she has her own podcast, which we are so excited to talk about and get into because what she does is actually super helpful for you.

Ina Coveney
And we're going to get so into it.

Samantha Brown
So, the topic for today is branding, which I know a lot of us kind of get in that place of like, "Oh, branding. What is it? How does it work?" Ina actually helps coaches brand, but she helps them brand with small audiences, which is how it is so helpful for you because, let's face it, as organizers, most of us have smaller audiences.

Ina Coveney
Right.

Samantha Brown
So we need to know how to turn those into paying clients. Thank you so much, Ina, for being on the show.

Ina Coveney
You just described that so beautifully. Thank you. Transcribe that and steal it because you just did a great job. Thank you so much for having me, Samantha.

Samantha Brown
So, so excited to be here and talk all things branding.

Ina Coveney
I love it.

Samantha Brown
Ina is a business coach and the host of the Superhumans podcast, which I love the name, by the way. She delves into the minds of the super successful, sharing lessons and ideas that help us all chase and achieve our wildest dreams. Ina helps business owners create a magnetic brand online by monetizing a small audience first, which I love because I actually did a few episodes a little while back about magnetic content. This idea of magnetic content—I love it because it does exactly that. It’s branding, and it’s content, but it’s pulling your people to you versus chasing and hustling.

Ina Coveney
Yes.

Samantha Brown
That hustle mentality—it’s about doing the right things so your people will find you. I love that you are niched into that. It’s so good, especially for my audience.

Ina Coveney
Yes.

Samantha Brown
So tell us a little bit about your podcast, who you are, what you do in your words, and then we’ll dive into the topic.

Ina Coveney
Thank you so much for the opportunity and that great introduction. I feel like everybody needs to understand why we talk about small audiences. So, I’m a marketing strategist. What I help people do is get into this whole marketing world—email marketing, putting themselves out there online, creating a brand that people recognize, trust, and like.
I came into the online marketing world thinking, "I’m just going to create a course and sell it to massive success overnight, and then I’ll reap the rewards forever, in my sleep, living life on a paid vacation." Those were the expectations—it’s crazy, but those were the expectations I had when I came to the online world.

Samantha Brown
Right.

Ina Coveney
It took me a little while—at least two years—to really figure out that growing my audience, number one, is a lot harder than other people make it look. Number two, I realized I had crossed the six-figure mark in revenue in my business within those two years, and I hadn’t even acknowledged it.

Samantha Brown
Wow.

Ina Coveney
Because I kept thinking the only measure of success online is having a large audience. At the time I made it to the six-figure mark, I had probably 700 followers on Instagram, maybe 300 people on my mailing list, and about 100 in my Facebook group. So, I still felt like a complete fraud, like a failure.
Then I looked at the numbers, and I realized all of this came to a head when I was paying this really high-ticket coach. By the way, this is not a dig on that coach. I think there are prices for everybody out there—small prices and big prices. I was paying a big price. At the end of our engagement, I didn’t make the kind of money I thought I would by working with them. I didn’t even have the money to pay them for the final installment.

Samantha Brown
Oh, no!

Ina Coveney
Don’t worry—I made them whole. It wasn’t their fault. I got so mad, though, when I looked at my finances. I was like, "How is it possible that I made over $100,000 in my business, but I didn’t get to keep any of it? And I was pouring it into trying to grow an audience that wasn’t growing, when in reality, I had already figured out how to make money?"

Samantha Brown
That’s powerful.

Ina Coveney
That’s when I completely switched my brand, my messaging, my everything. I said, "I need to help everybody understand that you can get clients first." That is the first thing you should be doing—not focusing on the numbers.

Samantha Brown
Right.

Ina Coveney
I’m so glad we get to talk because I feel like you are talking to my people. People who have small audiences and are beating themselves up over it, thinking, "If I’m going to be online, I should be growing my audience, but I only have 200 followers."

Samantha Brown
Yeah.

Ina Coveney
That’s okay because you have a local business. Chances are, you’re not going to be growing an account to 5 million followers if you are getting clients locally.

Samantha Brown
Right.

Ina Coveney
If you don’t have your sights on creating a course or doing something more global, what is a big audience going to do for you? Probably not much.

Samantha Brown
Yes.

Ina Coveney
So, as an organizer, if you’re looking for local clients, we’re going to dive into how you can use the online space so that your local business can thrive. It has nothing to do with growing the audience to big numbers. I hope that explains a little bit of where I’m coming from and where my passion comes from.

Samantha Brown
Oh, yeah. I love that. That’s why I wanted to have you on! It’s exactly that. Anytime I do an episode or in my group coaching community, I make sure I’m authentic. I say, "Here are the struggles I’m dealing with." I tell them, "Hey, I’ve been doing this podcast for two years, I’m 100 episodes in, and I’m still not making money off of it because the money goes right back into editing, strategy, and everything else."

Samantha Brown
I think a lot of times people have this mindset of, “Oh, well, they have this platform, or they have this podcast, or they have this whatever, so they must be making so much money, and they must have so many downloads.”
And the thing I love about what you’re saying is that you don’t have to have those things to be successful.

Ina Coveney
Exactly!

Samantha Brown
I’ve been organizing in people’s homes for, what, four or five years now? My Facebook following—I don’t even know the numbers, that’s how much I care about them—is maybe at 900. My actual Facebook business page for my organizing business has under 300 people. But I stay constantly booked.

Ina Coveney
That’s amazing.

Samantha Brown
Every single day I’m working with clients. I’m always at least two to three weeks out on my bookings, and my business is thriving financially with a teeny tiny audience.

Ina Coveney
Yes!

Samantha Brown
It’s because I’ve been strategic about my brand—knowing who I’m talking to, how I’m talking to them, and what my mission in life is to help them.

Ina Coveney
I love that so much.

Samantha Brown
When you get aligned inside of yourself and know those things, it’s magnetic. Your people will find you.

Ina Coveney
Exactly.

Samantha Brown
So what would you say is your first tip for branding?

Ina Coveney
This is something I’ve learned from my experience. I started my journey in online marketing by making websites. I was a corporate person—I was a software project manager for big multinational companies. That’s my background.

Samantha Brown
Wow.

Ina Coveney
I always felt like I needed to do something else with my life, so I started making websites for small businesses on the side. At first, I didn’t even realize online marketing was a thing—that came later. But through developing other people’s online presence, I realized, "Anybody can do this."
Anybody can look really good online. There are a few tips and tricks you can use to look like you’re making a million bucks, and it has nothing to do with money. It’s about perception. Do people trust you? Do they know you know what you’re talking about? Are you portraying that image?

Samantha Brown
That’s such a good point.

Ina Coveney
So, when I started my podcast, people asked me all the time, “How much money do you make with your podcast? Are you really getting an ROI?” I’m like, “It’s not about that. Forget about the sponsors. Forget about making money with every episode.”
The fact that I’m here talking to Samantha Brown, who has credibility, elevates me in the eyes of her audience.

Samantha Brown
Exactly.

Ina Coveney
So my first tip is to realize that you can look professional online. If you’re using your Instagram account, for example, take a step back and self-audit. Does it look professional?
If your username is something like "KittensForever101," it’s time to reconsider that. Is it clear from your profile who you are and what you do?

Samantha Brown
That’s such a great point.

Ina Coveney
If you’re posting constantly about your dog, your kids, or what you had for lunch, that’s fine—but that’s more of a lifestyle blog. If you want to build credibility, save those posts for your Instagram Stories. Your feed should reflect a professional, credible brand.

Samantha Brown
Absolutely.

Ina Coveney
Step one is self-audit. Look at your account and ask yourself, “Does this look credible? Does it reflect my expertise?”

Samantha Brown
I love that. I feel like professional organizers fall into two camps. One camp posts personal content but doesn’t want to show their face. The other camp tries to be so professional that their content doesn’t feel authentic to who they are or their community.

Ina Coveney
That makes total sense. As an organizer, you’re going into people’s homes—their most sacred, private spaces. If I’m going to hire you, I need to feel like I know who you are.

Samantha Brown
Exactly.

Ina Coveney
Showing your face is so important. What do you think is the biggest obstacle for organizers to show their face? Is it privacy concerns, shyness, or something else?

Samantha Brown
Honestly, I think it’s imposter syndrome. A lot of organizers don’t feel professional enough or think, “Who am I to put myself out there?”

Ina Coveney
That’s such a common feeling. But here’s the thing: when you show your face, people connect with the real you. It’s not about looking perfect or professional—it’s about being authentic.
With that authenticity, you’ll attract the right people, but you’ll also repel others. And that’s okay.

Samantha Brown
Yes!

Ina Coveney
The people who like you will stay, and those who don’t will leave. That’s just part of business. You’re not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, and that’s okay.

Samantha Brown
Exactly.

Ina Coveney
By not showing your face, you’re robbing people of the chance to connect with you.

Samantha Brown
That’s such a great message.

Ina Coveney
I know how hard it is to face rejection—I still feel it when someone unsubscribes from my email list. But I’ve learned to see it as a positive thing. It means those people weren’t my audience, and now I have space for the ones who are.

Samantha Brown
I love that perspective.

Ina Coveney
So, tip one: audit your account and make sure it reflects who you are in a professional way.

Samantha Brown
Yes, I love it.

Ina Coveney
Tip two: build credibility online without worrying about audience size. There’s a huge difference between showing up to grow an audience and showing up to get clients.

Samantha Brown
Absolutely.

Ina Coveney
Focus on visibility. Get featured on podcasts, attend conferences, or lead workshops. Those opportunities build credibility and lead to clients.

Samantha Brown
That’s so true.

Ina Coveney
Tip three: play the long game. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Longevity is an asset. Stay consistent, even during slow times.

Samantha Brown
I completely agree.

Ina Coveney
And finally, a bonus tip: use social media strategically. Schedule posts, even when life gets busy. Stay visible, even if you need to take a break.

Samantha Brown
Such great advice.

Ina Coveney
Thank you so much, Samantha. This has been such a great conversation.

Samantha Brown
It really has. Thank you so much for being here, Ina.

Ina Coveney
Thank you for having me!

Samantha Brown
And thank you to everyone listening. We’ll catch you in the next episode!

Ina Coveney
Bye, everyone!

Samantha Brown
Bye!