Cutting Chai Stories

Welcome to the final episode of Season 4! Have some writing prompts to tide you over till Season 5, --including one for Halloween --another one for Diwali (or whatever other festival speaks to you) --plus the writing prompt that keeps on giving You'll want to grab a pen and paper before you dive in! If you liked these prompts but want more guidance and accountability to turn them into marketing content, sign up for my storytelling and marketing workshop on Oct 28th, where you'll actually do some writing during the session and leave with solid drafts to use right away: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself-2/ (Seats are limited, because it'll be an intimate session, so don't wait on this) And while I look forward to seeing you back here for Season 5, in the meantime, you can keep in touch for more writing goodness like this on my email list, subscription to which is totally free, and which doesn't take a seasonal hiatus like this show. Sign up to get my twice-weekly email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox, here: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

In today's episode, listen in on a clip of a coaching call with Judy Pavone, who came to me with this question: "I have a really hard time talking about myself, and explaining what I do, and figuring out how much to share of myself that doesn't overwhelm people, and make them think -- 'What? Why do I need to know this?''" She wasn't happy with her About Me page on her website, so we worked on it in real time. Listen in for the original, and what we did to transform it. And if you're not happy with your About Me page, here are a few things to keep in mind from this episode that might help: 1) Start with a story. Stories captivate our attention. When we listen to an engaging story, we stop daydreaming and thinking about our grocery list, and instead we are transported to that moment in time that the story is happening. So start with a story. 2) Set the scene. Imagine you're an illustrator for a children's book. Or the videographer of a film. What are you pointing your camera at? What do you draw on the page? Tell us. 3) Try to show, not tell. Telling is important too, but from what I see, most people do too much of telling and not enough telling. Give us an example.  4) Edit edit edit. What you wrote down is just the first draft. Now it's time to make it better. 5) Try to play with the order of your sentences, or words. Or the order in which you're presenting information. What would happen if you started at the end? ---- Before you go -- I wanted to tell you about Un-Bore Yourself 2. It's a workshop I'm holding on Friday, October 28th, and it's going to be AWESOME.  It's all about storytelling and how to use in your marketing. We're going to first have a masterclass in how to tell a story, all the elements you need for an engaging story, how to turn a boring story interesting, AND, most importantly, how to use it in your marketing.  Stories are the best way to supercharge your marketing -- you JUST saw it in action on Judy's About page.  But most of us aren't using stories in our marketing, or we're using stories that aren't relevant, or our stories are simply boring.  So in Un-Bore Yourself 2, we're going to cover 3 strategies to link UNRELATED stories to your marketing, and best of all, just like in the call with Judy, we're going to do some actual WRITING during the workshop so you'll leave with some content you can start to put out there. It's 3 hours, it's on Zoom, and it's from 10 am to 1 p.m. Eastern Time on October 28th. Sign up here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself-2/ ---- More about Judy: Judy Pavone spent many years serving as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist. Her greatest passion is bringing children's literature to life, joyfully engaging kids and their families while creating life-long learners. Follow her on Instagram @creatingajoyfulreader.

You may not know it, but there's a story gremlin sitting inside us, choking us when we try to turn a story into the dreaded "M" word: MARKETING. We are all perfectly adequate, even competent or dare I say thrilling storytellers when it comes to talking about what just happened to us in swim class. But when we need to WRITE, as opposed to TALK; or when our stories need to have a PURPOSE that's linked to our business, well, that's when the story gremlin strikes and our riveting anecdotes turn dry like charred toast. Then what comes out the other end are—  >> Stories that are irrelevant to your marketing purpose and therefore unconvincing or unsuccessful >> Stories that don't really go anywhere >> Stories that don't really FEEL like stories at all In today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I take you through the three elements of storytelling that'll help you dissolve the gremlin choking your stories, and show you some practical examples of how to use those elements to tell a compelling story. PLUS how to turn a boring, everyday occurrence into an interesting story for marketing purposes. MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: Season 4 Episode 3: But Jayati, what do I write ABOUT?? -- for a storytelling based email that turns a boring anecdote into a relevant, interesting missive to the list. AND the Friday 28th workshop, Un-Bore Yourself: A 3-hour workshop on storytelling and generating endless marketing Sign up here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

In this clip of a coaching call with Erica, she talks about the lingering effects of someone at a long-ago job telling her that she wasn't a good writer. What do you do when you can't get negative feedback like that out of your head? I offer her two practical suggestions for how to deal with this kind of comment. PLUS, this Saturday, Oct 1, I'm holding a Zoom workshop called https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/ (Un-Bore Yourself). It's all about finding new joy in your existing marketing, finding new and fresh and FUN ways to talk about your core message.   If you're a yoga coach that works with the senior crowd, maybe YOUR core message that you need your audience to understand is that yoga isn't just for the young and fit and that they can sign up for yoga with you and they won't sustain injuries or be made to feel bad for all the asanas they can't do.   If you're a vegan caterer, maybe your core message is that vegan food doesn't mean bad-tasting food. (As a temporary vegan I can attest to that, by the way!).   And when you have a core message you're gonna need to repeat it again and again so that your audience absorbs what you have to say. But when you're saying the same thing on repeat it can get boring, and that's where https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/ (Un-Bore Yourself) comes in.   In the workshop, we'll fall back in love with our own core message and discover new ways of talking about it that feel fresh and fun to us—and to our audience!   It's at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, it's on Zoom, and it costs $25. Sign up for Un-Bore Yourself here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

Do you ever feel like you create so much content but you still struggle to populate all the platforms you're on?   Like you have ideas pouring out of your brain like water but somehow you still run short?   Like when you sit down to write a social media post or an email to your list, it feels as dry as my skin in winter?   I sometimes feel like that, and when I do, I sit myself down and think: Am I using the Swiss Army Knife of content? What can I borrow from over here and put in over there? So if the Swiss Army Knife in my analogy is ALL of your content, then the different tools that come out of it are the different ways your content can be formatted and chopped up and expanded and shared.   In today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I take you through three real-life examples of how to repurpose your content like a pro. In one, I start with a longform piece of content (an episode of this podcast, actually), and show you how to chop it up for use on social media and email. In another I show how to start with a 60-second Reel and deepen it to a longer piece of content. Once you start looking at your own content this way, you'll find it easier to be more consistent, to get your audience's attention, and will have a TON more ideas for content because nothing goes to waste. Also, I want to make sure you know about https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/ (my new workshop, Un-Bore Yourself), which is all about how to rediscover the magic and passion behind your core message. You know when you get bored of saying the same thing over and over? Like you know you've said it so many times you yourself start yawning when you need to say it again? When you're worried your subscribers will hit unsubscribe coz THEY'RE so bored of you saying the same thing over and over again?   Well, your core message is your core message for a reason. It's important. It forms the backbone of what you do. Your potential customers NEED to understand this so they can take the next step. So you can't stop saying it. But you CAN stop being bored by it. Because the way that it DOESN'T turn your audience off is when YOU are so irresistibly in LOVE with your message that your enthusiasm shines right through.   And this workshop I'm hosting is gonna do just that. It's gonna help you re-discover the deliciousness of your OWN message.   It's called Un-Bore Yourself, it's on Saturday, October 1st, one and a half hours on Zoom and it's just $25, which means you have NO excuse to not fall back in love with your own message. SIGN UP HERE: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

In today's episode, I interview podcast marketer and Star Wars fan Jeremy Enns, whose email newsletter, Creative Wayfinding, is one of the few I read religiously every week. We go in-depth into the particular format he landed on, an Easter Egg hidden in there, why he'd do it for no money at all, and what a newbie email marketer can do when they're just launching out. Some quotes from the interview: "I always welcome new subscribers to the newsletter every week. People want to be..they want to follow something that is popular." "One of the things I remember hearing around audience growth and engagement is…reward the behavior you want more of, essentially." "We don't have to have such high bars for ideas, they don't have to be some fully formed thing."  "Even when you don't have an idea, or your idea is, I don't have anything to write about, you sit down to write and suddenly something interesting can come from it. " “You *think* you don't have anything to write about, you start writing anyway and you'll land on something that comes out and you're like, oh, that's kind of an interesting thought. Your brain realizes sooner or later, oh, we're doing this, I better come up with ideas." “It's way easier to stand out by being different than being better.” "When you have something that is actually unique and original, the language doesn't necessarily exist to describe it well." More about Jeremy: Jeremy Enns is the founder of Podcast Marketing Academy, the only growth-focused podcast education platform for experienced creators, brands, and marketers looking to build long-term, sustainable audience growth systems. He loves any sport that involves a frisbee, used to co-host an explicit-rated ice cream podcast, once bicycled across Europe, and will always look back on the day he finally saved up enough money to buy the Millennium Falcon Lego set as one of his proudest achievements. Connect with Jeremy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamjeremyenns (https://twitter.com/iamjeremyenns)  Sign up for his Creative Wayfinding newsletter: http://jeremyenns.com/newsletter (http://jeremyenns.com/newsletter) Check out his podcast marketing course: http://podcastmarketingacademy.com/ (http://podcastmarketingacademy.com/)  ALSO, I'm THRILLED to announce the "Un-Bore Yourself" workshop, where you'll fall back in love with your core messaging and ditch the boring and blah language you've gotten used to, to describe what you do. I know, I know. You've said it a million times before, no WONDER you're bored to tears by your own message! (Also no wonder then that your LISTENERS are ALSO bored to tears by what you say!) Rediscover your own passion and conviction in your messaging at Un-Bore Yourself, where we'll recall what we love about it, why we chose that messaging to begin with, and all the different ways you can say the same thing and NOT bore yourself (or your audience) while doing it. It's from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST on Zoom, on Saturday, Oct 1st, and it's $25. Register for Un-Bore Yourself here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

We're doing something new today: going behind the scenes of a coaching call I did with my client Delphine to eliminate some of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make when they're naming their thing. In this clip, you'll hear my top 2 questions for refining your language and punching it up so that your clients know from a mile away that you're speaking just to them, and all the flutters and jitters that come along with these edits. If you liked this episode, do review it, write to me and tell me what you thought, so that I can bring you more like this in the future. If you want to join my email list, where I share my best offers and giveaways (like this one), you can do that at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe More about Delphine: Delphine is a psychotherapist and intuitive guide.  She helps soulful women to alchemise fear and self-doubt into deeper self-trust, so they can share their inner wisdom and magic with the world, while enjoying flourishing lives, work and relationships. The one-to-one programme we discuss in this episode: https://embodymytruth.com/services/private-sessions/ (https://embodymytruth.com/services/private-sessions/) Join Delphine's 'Inner Oracle Sanctuary' free FB Group and keep updated on monthly women's circles:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/InnerOracleSanctuary (https://www.facebook.com/groups/InnerOracleSanctuary) Connect with Delphine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embody_my_truth__delphine (https://www.instagram.com/embody_my_truth__delphine)

When I speak, when I write, and I'm writing for MYSELF and for Cutting Chai Stories, I write how I speak, and how I speak is peppered with desi slang.   Just the word desi, for instance, which I just used. It means someone who comes from the des, or desh, which in this case means India. So I *could* have said Indian slang, but that's not the way I speak, and it's not the way I think.   Those of us who come from non-English speaking countries and cultures that are not the ones we live in, well, we have our own words and our own ways of saying things. I talked about this a little bit in the last episode, when we were talking about words that don't have exact translations in English, coz they are closely connected to the CULTURE or lifestyle or worldview of the people who speak that language.   Personally, I do this unconsciously. I use the word “desi” in my speech a lot to talk about Indians and so that's the word that comes to mind. But I also do this CONSCIOUSLY. Because I am not apologizing for who I am and the way I speak and if this means that you have to figure it out as you go along, that's fine by me. Sometimes I'll explain what I'm saying, and sometimes I won't, and sometimes I know that you'll understand from the context, but what I WON'T do is erase myself and my speech patterns, SHRINK my vocabulary, to fit your understanding. I'd rather EXPAND your language than shrink my own. And now I'm speaking to all of you who live and work and communicate in a country and language and culture that's not your own—your language, your customs, your knowledge, they are PART of you and they ENRICH the culture you currently inhabit.   And if you were ever told or admonished to use the PROPER English word—thank god I wasn't, or if I was, it didn't make an impression on me—and had to learn to use a word that didn't feel RIGHT to you, well, this is my permission slip to you to let that go. If YOU have a word or a phrase that comes from your culture or language that you don't use when you're speaking to English speakers, would you write me and tell me what it is and what it means? I'm collecting a list of them and if there are enough of them I might share them later. You can write to me at Jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com.

Finding new ways of describing things is ESSENTIAL, especially for a service provider or a coach or course creator who has absorbed years of learning, integrated that learning with her own experience and perspective, and condensed it to impart to her students. Back in my early 20s, I would not have understood the need to name a particular framework or methodology. I can't say for sure, but I might have thought it was unnecessary or EXTRA.   But now I understand that without the words to REFER to what you're talking about, you can create confusion and a LOT more.   For example, if you're Inuit, and you need a way to explain to your friend the conditions of the snow outside the village, if you simply do NOT have a word for it that BOTH you AND your friend understand, your friend might go out and be unprepared for what she might find, and that really MIGHT be a matter of life and death.   For the rest of us, maybe it's not DANGEROUS to not have the words, but it hampers our ability to communicate. Here's another example of this. If you speak multiple languages, sometimes don't you find that you have a word for something in one language that simply doesn't exist in another? As feminist theorist and coach Kelly Diels says, naming something is SUPER POWERFUL. Diels explained this really well in an email to her list. She wrote, and I'm quoting that email here,   “In transformative traditions -- movements, feminism, academia -- we name things.   We use language and even invent words and portmanteaus to make what was invisible, visible.” Learn more about Kelly Diels here: https://www.kellydiels.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, if you learned something from it or even had a good chuckle, won't you leave the podcast a review? It helps other listeners like you discover Cutting Chai Stories and it helps ME to know what you found helpful, what you enjoyed, and what you'd like more of.

In real life, it's considered kinda sh*tty to ghost someone. But on social media, there are some times when it's ok to ghost people who comment on your stuff. When? Why? And some examples of actual comments I have ignored, and who I look to for examples of responding to people on the internet with hateful opinions. In this episode, I mention: Alok V Menon on Instagram @alokvmenon My 30-minute Zoom coaching sessions aka chai play dates, where I coach you on anything copy or marketing-related (for free). I have two spots left; to apply, email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com. If you're not on my email list, you probably missed the email on Monday about musical jam sessions and how they relate to running your business (it was a good one). Don't miss the next one! Sign up at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe, and I'll send you a free mini course on getting your audience to see you the relatable human behind the business. See you in your inbox!

Here's the link to the Thomas Moore poem, Spring and Autumn, that I read out in the beginning of this episode: https://internetpoem.com/thomas-moore/spring-and-autumn-poem/ What if we took this idea of seasons and applied it to our content, our creativity? There are times when ideas flow like crazy, like the monsoon deluge of rain in my hometown of Mumbai. And there are other times when everything dries up, like in winter, and what the *heck* are you going to post or write then? The tap of inspiration has been firmly turned off, but your business still has to run. In this episode, I give you five things to try when you're in the winter season of YOUR creativity, plus one thing you can do to PREPARE for winter. And if you enjoy this episode, would it be impossible for you to leave a review for Cutting Chai Stories on the app of your choice? It tells me what you like about the show and helps new listeners to find it. Thank you so much for your time!

If you've heard of Gary Chapman's concept of five love languages -- the way we express and receive love -- then you know that frequently two people in a relationship clash because they speak DIFFERENT love languages. Well, what if we took that concept and applied it to copy? Imagine the way you communicate most easily, totally naturally, no stress involved. Is that actually the way you express yourself in your marketing and your copy? What would happen if you doubled down on your copy love language? In this episode, how to find your copy love language, lean into it, and what to do when your audience speaks a different copy love language than you. Also, I have a FABULOUS offer going on right now. I have 9 spots for FREE coaching sessions via Zoom, 30 minutes each, to give away. You can ask me anything about copy and I'll do my best to help -- no strings, no agenda. If you want one of those spots, email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com; it's first-come, first-served. And if you want ME speaking MY primary copy love language, where I'm most at ease, subscribe to my email list, Chai in my Inbox, at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

Ever filled out a Mad Libs template? Those are FUN-NY. Put an adjective here, a common noun there, and when you read it back to the group, everything's all jumbled up in the most hilarious way. That's pretty much the only place I think templates are a good thing. (Ok, that, and Wordpress blog themes.) When it comes to marketing and your copy, they fall FIRMLY in the buzzkill category. That's because words are oh-so-important at conveying your meaning and building a relationship with your audience. And borrowing someone else's words, no matter how pretty, never works in the long run. Kinda like jamming your feet into the wrong shoes and only realizing *after* hobbling away that they're a half size too small. A step up from templates are guides and frameworks. They offer you more wiggle room to experiment, to inject some personality into the words, and make them your own. The other big plus? They offer you a solid foundation to get started, so you don't have to start from scratch every time. Personally, I love writing prompts too (so much so that I give you two of them in the episode, just for fun!) -- they spark new ideas in me directly from the prompt, but also giving me tangential ideas to turn into new stories. And if you're truly confident, you can be a juggler of words, putting them together in any order. (This is rare though, so don't worry if you're not at this point.) Finally, a promotion I'm running: If you have a website or landing page that you'd like MY expert eyes on, I'm doing FOUR reviews of 4 webpages for FREE. How it works is, you email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com with the URL you'd like me to review, and any comments you have on what you're wanting feedback on in particular, if anything. I'll take a look, and review four entries and make videos of my suggestions. You get to keep the videos for life, and I get to use them on my podcast and other places. That's it! No strings, no payment, no obligations. And if you DO use templates, email me and let me know what you use them for and what you think about them -- I love hearing from my listeners!

In today's episode, I speak with Catherine Stagg-Macey, an executive coach and mojo wing woman for mid-career professionals ready to reclaim their spark in their career. She's spent 20 years in a corporate career wondering if there was a more fulfilling chapter. Her own journey to find work that was meaningful has formed the basis for the work she now does with others. Here are a few choice quotes from our conversation: I have a principle of never outsourcing stuff I don't know. And this goes back to my consulting—we would tell our clients the same thing. Don't outsource a problem, don't outsource something that you don't understand how it works. Because then you're never gonna know, whether what you get back, is of any good, or have any value, right? I'm still learning how I think when I write. I'm still finding my own voice, and I find, having to write the weekly email letter, having to write the sales page, forces me, in a good way, to kind of go, well, what ARE the pain points I'm trying to address, who IS the person I'm trying to talk to, who IS the ideal client that I have in mind.   You know, you've asked me some great questions that I couldn't answer, around my ideal client. But it's only through copy, I think you can create content and create a program without being that clear, but I think doing your own copy helps you, forces you to be VERY clear on that, which I think is GREAT. Whatever kind of copywriting support you get, I think you need someone else to look at the copy. Because there is so much, and after a while you're like, I can't think of another email to write, I can't think of another story. Do I have to say the benefits again, or the outcomes AGAIN. And your copywriter or freelancing buddy is going to say YES, or NO. If you're going to embrace your copywriter side, as an entrepreneur or a small business owner, I think you have to face your stories and assumptions you have about yourself as a storyteller. Like…who's going to be interested in my story? Does it matter? How do I make a story about learning to do pottery link to my career rut course? How do I make that bridge? And not sound totally naf. Copywriting is not about being “correct,” it's an invitation into a relationship, it's an invitation into connecting through a story, to be human with each other. Connect with Catherine: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staggmacey/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/staggmacey/) On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staggmacey/ (https://www.instagram.com/staggmacey/) Visit her website: https://www.conversationsattheedge.co.uk/ (https://www.conversationsattheedge.co.uk) Find out your leadership style: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/6011b3a9b2b16d001691e67d (https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/6011b3a9b2b16d001691e67d) Read her blog post about writing Out of Office emails: https://www.conversationsattheedge.co.uk/blog/out-of-office (https://www.conversationsattheedge.co.uk/blog/out-of-office)  

You believe in what you sell with a PASSION. But you can't see why your prospective clients don't seem convinced. That's because there's a difference between telling them about something and taking them along for the ride so they can see for themselves. And in today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I show you how writing with your 5 senses can immerse your readers in the moment with you -- for creative writing, for pulling together an ideal client avatar, and for writing a product description. For each scenario, I show you how regular writing, the kind of writing you're used to seeing everywhere (and used to IGNORING, too, just like your clients ignore YOUR marketing) compares with writing that invokes the 5 senses. (And, bonus, does that whole show, not tell, bit.) And yes, I give you a bit of homework that involves taking off your clothes to write better, more compelling copy (not sleazy at ALL, get your mind out of the gutter!). Best of all, I put together a Google Doc for you with all that lovely text for those three examples so you can compare them side-by-side AND get a behind-the-scenes look at WHY I chose those words, those phrases, and what effect they can have on the reader (aka you). Make a copy of this free resource now so that you can put this technique into action and start putting better marketing and copy into the world (which sorely needs it). Get your copy of this resource here so you can start writing the most convincing copy of your life: shorturl.at/cgPQ5 If you're unfamiliar with the "show, don't tell" dictum, I cover it in greater detail in Season 2 Episode 17 of Cutting Chai Stories, so back and listen to that. And finally, if you weren't totally bored by this, if you didn't find it a waste of your time, would you consider leaving a review for the show? It helps others like you to find Cutting Chai Stories, and it would personally mean a great deal to me. Thank you!

Welcome to the third and final installation of the mini series on what to prep before you write a SINGLE word of copy. This series is ESPECIALLY important for sales pages, so if you're planning to launch a course or group program or a new product, listen up. Over the past two episodes, we covered two other elements to prep before you start to write your copy, and those were Voice of Customer and Core Transformation. Today we're going to talk about benefits versus features. Chances are that if you've been in the online business space for more than a minute, you've heard people say, talk about the benefits of your product, not the features. But what does that MEAN????? Well I like to think of features as the NOUNS. So, if you're selling an online course with live coaching calls and a 300-page workbook, the FEATURES might include: --8 weeks of prerecorded calls that can be consumed in video, audio or transcript format --Starts September 1, new videos released every week --You have lifetime access, so you can watch at your own pace --Live calls every Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern in our private Facebook group --Each participant will be mailed a 300-page workbook in physical and e-book format, which contains all the exercises and resources you'll need to follow along --Price, refund policy, size of cohort if that's relevant, length of videos, length of coaching calls, etc So that's all the important information that you'll need to know. Coz if you're never available on Sundays at 2 p.m. and the live coaching is crucial to the success of the course, maybe you won't purchase it this round. Or if you're in a different time zone and want to know if they'll be recorded so you can watch them at a time that's more convenient to you, this list of features will be important to answer your questions. So they're pretty vital to know, right? The list of features? So why is everyone pooh-poohing them all the time? What's WRONG with listing all the features? The short answer is—nothing. We want and NEED to know the nitty-gritties to help us make a decision. But whether the calls are held at 2 p.m. Eastern or 2 p.m. Pacific is not the make-or-break factor when you're just encountering this program. First you wanna know if this can help you with the particular problem you're having. And the timing and length of the calls isn't going to tell you that. For that, you need the benefits. Listen to the episode to understand the difference between benefits and features, with real-life and made-up examples for services and products. PLUS how to supercharge your benefits so that potential clients can see that your offer is exactly right for them. Also mentioned in the show are Cathy Heller and her podcast, Don't Keep Your Day Job, as well as Harry Dry's website marketingexamples.com. Both are invaluable sources of information for me, I highly recommend you check them out. Finally, the content of this mini series on what to prep before writing a single word of copy (ESPECIALLY your sales or landing page) came about as a result of a question by an email subscriber. I take conversations with my subscribers seriously and respond to each one. Want input into subsequent episodes? Have a question you haven't seen answered anywhere else or that you want my take on? Sign up for Chai in my Inbox at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe and then hit reply to any of my emails to say hello!

If you're just joining in, this is the second episode in a three-part mini series answering the question: What do I need to prep BEFORE I write a single word of copy? Last week's episode on Voice of Customer was the first; if you missed it, you can catch up here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s4-ep-5-what-to-prep-before-writing-a-single-word-hint-voc/id1504011822?i=1000565705402 Today we're talking about nailing our core transformations. Your product or service may have several benefits and even more features, but what's the ONE change that your customers will experience when they buy it? Listen for two examples of a product and a service, plus three exercises that'll take you through crafting a brand transformation of your own. There's one more episode to go in this mini series; subscribe so you don't miss it! And if you liked it, if you found it useful, come hang out with me in my email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox. I send it out twice a week, with copy inspiration, writing tips, and funny stories from my life. You can sign up through this link to get a free checklist of the 12 things to do before you send your next email: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/12emailcomponents

There are a BUNCH of ducks you need to have in a row before you can start writing your copy (if you want it to be successful, that is). The list is too long to cover in its entirety in one episode, so this is the first of a short series about what to prep before writing your very first word. Today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora focuses on "Voice of Customer." What is it? Why is it important? And how do you as a fledgling marketer figure out what the voice of YOUR customer (even before you have a single one). Thank you Yana, Angela, and The Cupcake Carriage for asking me this question and sparking the idea for this episode! If you want to see real-life examples of marketing in the wild, hear zany stories from my life and the business and copy lessons I draw from them, and generally be in touch more often, sign up for my twice-a-week email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox. No spam, easy unsubscribe, and a shot of my signature masala every Monday and Thursday. Subscribe here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subcribe

In the very first guest interview of this season, I speak to pre- and post-partum fitness coach Reena Parekh, who is killing it on Instagram. She doesn't think of herself as a writer, she doesn't use templates, and she abandoned the "rules" ages ago. How does she do it? Key takeaways of this episode: Have a purpose. Reconnect with who you're doing this FOR. Representation matters. When you become human, you become more relatable to people. It's all interconnected; our businesses are political. You have to be willing to have hard conversations, because when you're putting yourself out there, you're opening the door. Even the best creators take a break. Writing is a skill. The more you share what feels right to you, the more it will resonate with people. Best aha moments: “I had this pivotal moment when I was going through my feed, and I realized everybody I followed was a young fitness professional who was white, thin, able-bodied…they all had that kind of similar lifestyle—it looked nothing like mine.” “That was when I realized I had to diversify my feed. I had to find more people that looked like me, that kind of lived a life that I lived, aligned with my values and my beliefs – that's when I started talking about why representation matters.” “When we start sounding like everybody else, and talking about the same things as everybody else, you just become part of the noise.” “The more that I started to share what felt right to me, that aligned with who I am and my values and my beliefs, the easier the words flow. And the more I find that resonates with others.” “We have to know what we're putting out there, WHY are we doing it, what is the purpose, what is the impact that you wanna make, how do you wanna use your voice on social media? We have been given platforms to use our voices—that is a gift.” About Reena: Reena Parekh is a business owner, pre- and postpartum fitness specialist, speaker and mental health advocate. She is a proponent of change in this space, encouraging her clients and community to embrace their bodies and pushback against postpartum bounce back culture.   Connect with Reena: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/itsreenaparekh (www.instagram.com/itsreenaparekh) Baby2Barbell™️ Core + Pelvic Floor Basics: https://www.reenaparekh.com/b2blevel1 (https://www.reenaparekh.com/b2blevel1) Free Resources: https://www.reenaparekh.com/free-resources (https://www.reenaparekh.com/free-resources)

If you're stumped at the thought of using stories in your marketing, and what's holding you back is the thought that you have nothing exciting enough, nothing worthy enough of sharing, well, I'm about to banish that thought by reading you an email about the most boring thing I could imagine, to the most boring outcome. Listen to this episode for a demonstration of how to use stories in your marketing -- and, this is key -- make them RELEVANT and INTERESTING to your audience. Subscribe so you never miss an episode! And if you listen to this and think, I need more of this in my life, I am taking 1:1 clients for copy coaching, and storytelling is a HUGE part of the work. To see if we're a good fit, email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com.

You CANNOT write great copy without this one ingredient. If you try, you'll sound indistinguishable from the crowds of your competitors. What is it and how do you inject it into your marketing to elevate your copy? Listen to Season 4 Episode 2 of Cutting Chai Stories: Write Copy that Feels Good for the answer. Subscribe so you never miss another episode. If you already subscribe, thank you! Sign up at www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe to get my email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox, so you can —learn how to use storytelling to sell your products and services —know when a new episode of Cutting Chai Stories comes out & —be delighted by weird stories from my real life and thebusiness lessons I learned from them

So let's talk about it. What do you think the word “COPY” means? Because it's hard to write copy when we're unclear about where we're standing. Copywriting ≠ copyrighting Copywriting ≠ journalism Copywriting ≠ content Coz we can't begin to start writing copy (let alone kickass, make-you-sit-up-and-pee-your-pants copy) if we don't know what the heck it is -- and what it isn't. In the kickoff episode of Season 4, a primer for you on what copy is, what it isn't, and examples of where to find it. Think of it as Step Zero on your journey to better copy. If you liked this episode, subscribe so you don't miss another episode.

Season 4 trailer: Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories!   I'm your host Jayati Vora, and I'm a recovering journalist turned copy coach.   I got my writing and editing chops during my decade and a half of being an editor in two different countries.   And built on that foundation with a WHOLE lot of ethical marketing and copywriting techniques.   So that YOU, the online business owner, can get the benefit of all those skills in this concrete, practical, bite-sized podcast,   Now renamed Cutting Chai Stories: Write Copy That Feels Good.   Who's this podcast for?   It's for business owners who are looking to upgrade their copy—their website copy, their email marketing, their social media presence, heck, even the way they're introduced in podcast interviews!   Cutting Chai Stories: Write Copy that Feels Good is conversational, comes with a shot of masala, and is as much about creativity and bringing that energy and personality that is yours alone, as it is about frameworks and case studies.   There are no fill-in-the-blanks templates here.   There ARE, however, interviews with business owners who have learned to harness the power of copy for themselves—business owners just like you, course providers, coaches, service-based businesses run by entrepreneurs who didn't graduate with a degree in writing but EARNED their writing stripes over the years.   If YOU are a business owner like that and want to be featured on Cutting Chai Stories, send me a DM on Instagram.   New episodes drop on Thursdays. The next season is about to launch next week, but if you can't wait that long, you can visit www.cuttingchaistories.com/podcast to binge on the last season, OR subscribe to my email list at www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe, and I'll send you my mini course on how to get more engagement from your audience using your copy. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode, and I'll see you back here next Thursday!    

Welcome back to the fourth and final episode of this fiction mini-series by Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, which features two fractured fairytales. A fractured fairytale is a retelling of a story with some important parts changed, like the setting, or the reversal of the hero and villain.   In today's episode, authors and voice actors Kimaya Desai and Anika Gursahani integrated real historical characters into their fractured fairytales of Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. This mini series is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them. If you enjoy it, please do share it with the children in your life.  We'll get back to the copywriting tips in Season 4, coming SOOOONNN!

Welcome back to the third episode of this fiction mini-series by Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, all about objects that come to life and surprise a podcaster trying to record an episode about traveling to Paris! This series is written and performed mostly by children: Samika Kapadia, Samaira Parikh, and Riaana Bajaj. This mini series is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them. If you enjoy it, please do share it with the children in your life. We'll get back to the copywriting tips in Season 4!

Welcome back to the second episode of this fiction mini-series by Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, all about children who discover magical portals inside their closets and go on an adventure in fictional and real story books! This series is written and performed mostly by children, who also star in their own stories. Our heroes are Amay Maller, Aanya Somani, Sejal Bansal, and Samyra Chaudhary. Additional voice talents include Jack Berengarten, Agastya Patel, and Suraj Andra. All the children, including Aadhya Guruprasad, helped make several of the sound effects. This mini series is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them. If you enjoy it, please do share it with the children in your life. We'll get back to the copywriting tips in Season 4!

Yes, this is Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, but this, the very first of a four-part fiction mini series written and performed mostly by children, is not about copywriting. In this episode, a meteor lands on earth and a cave full of mythical creatures is revealed. Our heroes, Agastya Patel, Jack Berengarten, Aadhya Guruprasad, and Suraj Andra, each star in their own episodes. Additional voice talents include: Aanya Somani, Sejal Bansal, and Amay Maller. This episode is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them, including some of the sound effects. If you enjoyed it, please do share it with other children.

In this break between seasons, stay tuned for a mini-series by my students, ages 7-12, of fictional narratives written and voiced by them.

For all those times you have to send an email to your list or post on social media, but you don't know what to say... you'll want to take notes for this one. In it, I cover 3 prompts each for if you're planning a launch; if you're announcing a sale (hello, holidays!); if you're writing a welcome email; or if nothing much is going on and you're fresh out of ideas. Also, this is the last episode of Season 3, but not to worry, I have some bonus episodes coming your way to tide you over. They're performed by the little humans taking my creative writing + podcasting class, and are fictional narratives that feature storybook portals, mythical creatures, objects coming to life, and fractured fairy tales. So if you like the Wright Brothers and want to see an alternate ending to Cinderella, stay tuned! Finally, you may have noticed I've been playing with the description to this show every now and then in Season 3, and I came up with something new again. Here it is, and if you like it, or hate it, would you drop me a line and let me know? I'd love to know why you keep tuning in to Cutting Chai Stories, what has you coming back, and what you find here that you don't find anywhere else. Here's the reworked intro: Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the delicious and bite-sized copywriting podcast full of writing tips for business owners who want to elevate their copy and attract more customers. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and I'm here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and attract your dream customers using ethical marketing tactics and getting your masala on. ------ In the meantime, if you want to stay in touch and get more writing goodness like this, subscribe to my email newsletter at cuttingchaistories.com SLASH subscribe. I send out emails twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, and bring more writing prompts, writing tips, and funny stories from my life and the business lessons I draw from them. Come hang out!

Let's talk about mediocrity. What do you do when creativity takes a hiatus, when every single word you write seems trite, when your music is lame, when your art is uninspired? How do you coax your creativity out of hiding? Creativity ebbs and flows. And as creators, we feel the need to share our creations with the world. How do you live with creations that aren't your best work, and ship your work anyway? Listen to this episode for my top tips on how to trigger your creativity and how to keep up with it when it's uncorked. And if you liked this, and want more writing tips like this, plus a free four-video mini tutorial on how to uplevel your writing right away, subscribe to my email newsletter at: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives solopreneurs concrete and practical copywriting tips in just 15 minutes or less -- most of the time. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I'm in the hotseat, because this episode contains an interview with me by Lizzy Tanguay of the talk.write.done. podcast. Listen here for our conversation, which covers >> the stylistic elements of emails >> candy versus broccoli in your email marketing >> your next step when you make mistakes >> juicy stories for your emails and how to find them >> the perfect length for your emails (1,872 words) >> the Netflix show we both binged recently If you'd like that free download on the 12 elements every robust email should have, you can grab it here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/12emailcomponents/ More about Lizzy Tanguay and how you can connect with her: Dr Lizzy Tanguay brings her 20 years of writing, language and applied linguistics experience to help coaches, consultants and academics get writing done and share their expertise with the world. Her approach combines mindset, message and craft to motivate and inspire tomorrow's thought leaders to their next level of achievement. As well as running her own writing consultancy, Lizzy is Coordinator for Postgraduate Research Provision at Swansea University's Centre for Academic Success, and she's taught and researched at universities in the UK and Europe. Lizzy currently works with writers both privately and in group sessions. You can find out about her latest offers at www.lizzytanguay.com. Listen to Lizzy's writing podcast for coaches here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bVtmTYKz88tjlcDXNbX4d Download Lizzy's free pdf on blog post titles to engage here: https://mailchi.mp/ddabfcb89bc2/blogposts

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora and this isn't a true episode. It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., which is a pretty major holiday, and I'm taking advantage of the four-day weekend to travel, BUUUUUUT I didn't want to leave you hanging. So here's a writing prompt for you. Take either the word "Thanksgiving" or "November," and make a poem out of all the words you can think of from rearranging the letters. Here's what I wrote from the word "November": Never more. Never ever. No bone nor robe Nor mob or ember Bore reve or roe In November. *reve is a French word meaning "dream" **And ok, fine, I cheated by using the word "in" so you get a pass of one word, too. Now it's YOUR turn! And a PSA: Next week, on Nov 30, Dec 1 & 2, I'm teaching a LIVE workshop over Zoom called Masala Sales Emails. In it, I teach business owners who have an email list they haven't been ignoring how to write a sales email sequence for their next launch, whether it's for a product, a course or a program. You'll learn what goes into an effective sales email sequence, what to write, how to write it, and in what order to write it. You'll actually get all 5 emails written, in the workshops themselves as well as in an additional 2-3 hours at home. And, best of all, you'll get MY EYES on YOUR DRAFTS on Day 3. Three days, ~6 hours, and you leave with 5 solid sales emails in your pocket. Pretty neat, huh? For more information and to sign up, please visit: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/masala-sales-emails/ And if this doesn't seem right for you, but you have a friend who's an entrepreneur who might benefit from it, won't you share this with them?

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where we are continuing with this theme of preparing for a successful launch of a product, a course, a program. I'm your host Jayati Vora and last week we talked about a free and fun strategy to suss our market interest in an idea before you invest time and resources in putting something together that your audience doesn't want. This week we're talking about three things you need to do BEFORE you start writing your sales email sequence. The beauty of selling over email is that you don't need fancy tech skills or a website, even. All you need is an email list that's been hearing from you consistently, and a series of well thought-out emails that prime the pump for you to sell your thing. In this episode, I cover three things you'll need to know before you start writing those emails, but if you want more help, I'm holding a 3-day workshop at the end of the month over Zoom, in which I will: 1. Go over the contents of a 5-email sales sequence 2. Have everyone write the damn emails, so you have concrete drafts 3. Give you feedback on your drafts on day 3 so you're hitting send with confidence To learn more about the workshop, called Masala Sales Emails, visit: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/masala-sales-emails/ And if you have a bestie who's a business owner who might benefit from this, would you do me a solid and send this to them? Thanks in advance!

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the ONLY podcast that gives business owners PRACTICAL, hands-on writing advice, with examples, in only 15 minutes or less. If you're paralyzed by fear that you won't sound professional, if you don't know what to say and how to say it, if you have an email list you don't use enough or a social media account that isn't getting the engagement you want, you're in the right place, because I can help you with that. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I want to talk about how to build success into your new launch or offer. Which means, I'm gonna be talking about what you do BEFORE you craft your offer or program, before you devise emails to sell it, before you create a landing page on your website. I got this idea from Miles Hanson, who did something similar on his Instagram feed, he's @milestones_co. And I think *HE* got the idea from @thelizwilcox. You'll want to take notes for this one, it's SUPER practical. So what it was, was a series of 11 Instagram story slides that was designed to do in seconds what it usually takes market research calls or surveys MUCH longer—AND it had a better response rate, because it was EASY, and it was FUN. So it's FREE, it gives you AWESOME engagement, and it helps you shape your current offer PLUS gives you ideas for what you want to offer next. Listen to the episode for a detailed walk-through of the strategy, plus pitfalls to watch out for. ANNNNNDDDD if you want the actual slides I used that produced all this engagement, it's available to email subscribers as a PDF guide, with my notes coaching you on how to replicate this strategy for yourself. (Note: You do not *need* the PDF guide, but if you're a visual learner like I am, they'll be super helpful.) To get the slides for yourself, just subscribe to my mailing list at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe and check the entrepreneur box. Then hit reply to the welcome email and ask me for them! That's it!

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast to give business owners without copywriting experience practical, hands-on writing advice, with examples, to uplevel your copy right away. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today we're talking about how to inject more fun into your marketing. Because someone having fun is the most attractive thing, ever. Listen for five ideas to kickstart your fun marketing plan! And if you found this episode useful, I have an email newsletter you might enjoy. It's called Chai in your Inbox, and I send emails twice a week with copywriting advice, writing prompts for your business, and new podcast episodes. Plus, strange stories from my life and the business lessons I learned from them! Sign up here: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe And if you check the "entrepreneur" box, you'll ALSO get a free mini course on how to connect with your customer in your business.

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the ONLY podcast that gives you PRACTICAL, HANDS-ON advice, WITH examples, to elevate your copy so that it reflects your brand, reflects YOU, and feels like a natural extension of your personality. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today we are talking about the second subject line you may not know about. But first, a note about my November-December creative writing classes for kids, that begin Nov 2. I'll be teaching how to write for podcasts, and at the end of this special, 6-week session, we'll be recording the kids' stories to be PUBLISHED as a special episode of Cutting Chai Stories. If you have kids or have friends with kids who might be interested, please go to www.cuttingchaistories.com/shop and pick the appropriate age group to sign up. Back to our topic: email subject lines. In today's episode, I cover preview text, which is the line that shows up in your inbox AFTER the subject line. If you don't set it, your email service provider will pull it for you from the first sentence of your email, which is such a waste. In today's episode, I show you examples of preview lines, good ones, bad ones, and different kinds of ones. And if you want the email I sent out last week—the free gift that was ONLY for subscribers—sign up to my email list and ask me to send it to you. You can subscribe at cuttingchaistories DOT com SLASH subscribe. Don't forget to check the “entrepreneur” box when you sign up!

I'm re-releasing this 2020 episode featuring an awesomely spooky story by my student Hansika Shankar because 1) I'm trying to plan a session of creative writing for kids that's centered around writing for podcasts that will -- get this -- actually involve the kids narrating their stories themselves, to be recorded by them and edited and published by me, IF there's enough interest. If you're a parent with a child between the ages of 7 and 11 who might be interested in this, please fill out my 2-minute survey now. 2) I had no brilliant ideas for this week and I didn't want to disappoint you by not publishing anything and I didn't want to publish something bad So, please enjoy this bite-sized replay all about sound words, or, if you want to sound fancy: onomatopoeias. Listen to the spooky story my 9-year-old student from Texas, Hansika Shankar, wrote, and learn how she used sound words to chilling effect.

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives grossed out business owners concrete and ETHICAL copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing RIGHT AWAY. In episodes of just 15 minutes or less. Today I want to talk to you about ethics in marketing, because let's face it, the online business world is FULL of sleazy marketing tactics. But it doesn't have to be. You can learn the triggers that marketers use to make you buy their product, and follow other ethical marketers so you see a different way of running your business. Here are the ethical marketers I follow: 1. Cathy Heller (Instagram @cathy.heller) 2. Tarzan Kay (Instagram @tarzan_kay) 3. Maggie Patterson's podcast, “The B.S.-Free Service Business” And I make a pledge to you to be ethical in my marketing. Link to study about supermarkets' use of soothing music and its connection with how much shoppers spend in their store: http://freakonomics.com/media/Using%20Background%20Music%20to%20Affect%20the%20Behavior%20of%20Supermarket%20Shoppers.pdf

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and I'm here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you're about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice. We're at roughly the halfway mark of Season 3 and so far it's been JAM packed with practical writing exercises and prompts and tips, and I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like I already have too much information being thrown at me, and at some point I have to take a step back and absorb what I've learned, and budget in some time to put it into action and apply it to my business, otherwise it's just run-off. It's time wasted. So I thought, instead of peppering you with more learning, and therefore more homework to USE that learning, I'm going to share with you the things I use to keep my business going. For my podcast: 1. The Samson Q2U mic, purchased for less than $100 2. The free software Audacity to record and edit my shows 3. Zencastr, also free, to record interviews 4. Anchor, a free podcast distribution platform 5. Quicktime Player, free for Mac users, to edit clips for social media 6. The free tier of Headliner, to create audiograms for social media For my email marketing: 1. The paid tier of MailChimp (roughly $15/month), though until a few months ago I used the free version. 2. The services of a virtual assistant to help with email sends For my social media: 1. The free version of Canva to create my Instagram posts 2. The free version of Taplink to create a landing page of links for my Instagram bio For my website: 1. Paid for my domain name, cuttingchaistories.com 2. Paid for website hosting 3. Pay for a few Wordpress plugins 4. Paid for a Wordpress developer 5. Paid for a logo There you have it! I hope the list was useful. Notice how many of the resources I use are free or have free versions. Before I go — This podcast is run on grit and passion, and I show up every week during the season to give you practical ways to uplevel your content and improve your marketing. It would mean SO much to me if you check out the newsletter that goes with it at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe. I email you twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with more marketing advice, writing prompts for your business, and storytelling emails that show you how to sell with story. It would mean the world to me if you signed up. If you check the “entrepreneur” box at sign-up , I'll also send you a FREE mini course on how connect with your customers through your copy. Thank you for tuning in, and until I see you next Thursday, tell me: Is there an app or a service that you can't live without in your business that I DIDN'T mention? DM me on Instagram @jayativora and tell me!

In marketing they call it a hook. In school I called it “in medias res.” In journalism they call it a lede. It's all the same thing and in today's episode I wanna talk about why using it can significantly increase your readership. Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and I'm here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you're about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice. In this episode I show you WHY you need to write a hook, and what it is, exactly, with examples. Stay tuned till the end for a guided writing prompt of how to write a compelling hook for YOUR content. This podcast is run on grit and passion, and I show up every week during the season to give you practical ways to uplevel your content and improve your marketing. It would mean SO much to me if you check out the newsletter that goes with it at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe. I email you twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with more marketing advice, writing prompts for your business, and storytelling emails that show you how to sell with story. It would mean the world to me if you signed up. If you check the “entrepreneur” box at sign-up , I'll also send you a FREE mini course on how to write better copy. See you next Thursday!

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and I'm here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you're about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice. Today I want to talk to you about how to let your personality shine through in your emails—the antidote to sounding like a robot. Sometimes we have had the personality beaten out of our writing in our jobs. Maybe we pepper our sentences with jargon and buzzwords without even realizing it. Maybe we were trained in writing in college, where passive tense ruled and sentences were unnecessarily complex. Neither of those help you sound like yourself, help you sound conversational, help you connect with your readers. Listen to the episode for 5 ways to NOT sound like a robot when you write. Thanks to Vibha for the question that spurred this episode! Resources: If you want help on how to *format* your copy for maximum effectiveness, check out my guide on formatting tips here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/formattingtips

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the podcast that shows entrepreneurs how to uplevel their email marketing, social media, and website copy with practical tips and concrete examples from your host, Jayati Vora. This episode is dedicated to Laura and Oswald, who told me they missed the creative writing focus of the earlier seasons, and especially to the idea that sometimes, to be creative in business, you have to step AWAY from business. So thank you, Laura, for inspiring this episode, and here are three big ways you can recharge your creative batteries -- and bring all that creative energy back to your business! Stay tuned to the end for my announcement of the winner of the giveaway challenge, and thanks to all of you who responded to my request for feedback about the show. If you haven't responded yet and would like to, please DM me on IG @jayativora to let me know: 1. Why you listen to Cutting Chai Stories and what you get here that you don't get anywhere else 2. What you want to see more of in coming episodes 3. Anything you'd like to see less of This is your chance to have a voice in what I cover in the upcoming season, so don't hesitate to reach out, I *love* hearing from you! Here are my favorite three songs without lyrics to dance to when I need to move my body: 1. Por Una Cabeza, by The Tango Project 2. Tango to Evora by Loreena McKennitt 3. Tango, Que Misterio by Tango Jointz, Ricardo Ricardito Reveira

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and before we get into our topic for today, I wanted to ask you a question. Why do you listen to Cutting Chai Stories? I'm really asking you. What do you get out of this show that you don't get anywhere else? What do you like about it? This information is really going to help me plan out the rest of this season, so if you like what I've been doing, please write to me and tell me. If you DON'T like what I've been doing and you want something different, please write to me and tell me. This is your chance to have some input in the content, to make this more of a conversation than a lecture, and I want to make sure you want what I'm serving up every week. So please please write to me, I'm at jayati@cuttingchaistories.com And if you write me back by Sunday, September 12th, you'll be entered to win a little something in a giveaway I have planned. (If you're reading this after the 12th, please still write me back, I will be immensely grateful.) Back to our show topic today -- does size really matter? And the answer is, when it comes to email marketing, it absolutely can. Our audience has different kinds of readers: ones who like storytelling (like me), ones who want your email to get straight to the point, and ones who just want to be wooed. And different kinds of emails appeal to different kinds of readers. Listen to the full episode for a guide to writing for your entire audience, not just the ones most like you.

Obligatory warning, folks, today's episode has a little more, ahem, masala than usual. So if the kiddos are listening, you might want to save this one for later. Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short and full of spice, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I'd like to deconstruct an email for you--the first of a series of emails inviting readers to a webinar about having mindblowing orgasms and pleasure. It's by the trauma-informed holistic sex coach Roshni, who has kindly shared her email with us so that I can break it down and show you the different pieces and how they go together. The next time you're writing a sales email, see if you touch on the points mentioned here--but most of all, make sure that you have the right *energy* when you sit down to write. Roshni is a trauma-informed holistic sex coach who helps women/womxn claim their sexual pleasure, power and wildness. She is a Certified Sex, Love and Relationships coach, a Certified Male Sexuality coach and a Certified Jade Egg coach. You can get her free 'Wild and Pleasured' weekly email newsletter, jam-packed with tips to increase your sexual pleasure, power and freedom, and special gifts that she only shares with her email subscribers, here: https://www.roshni.live/home/#point-to-newsletter-optin

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short, and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I want to talk to you about flipping the writing process backwards when you are writing an email (or social media post, or blog post, or maybe even podcast script) to your list. Most of the time, we start with the CTA or call-to-action, which is the action we want our readers to take after reading our email. But when you don't have a major launch or announcement, when you're out of ideas for what to write, you can start writing backwards. Instead of starting from the reason you're writing the email, and then ending with a subject line, you can start with the subject line, and let the CTA come organically. In this episode, I take you through how to do it, step-by-step, and show you an example of how I did it, with the email and CTA that resulted. Be sure to listen to the whole episode for ideas for where to get inspiration for your subject lines. Hopefully this has helped you come up with email content ideas. But if you're tired of all the things you have to do and just want someone else to take care of the heavy lifting for you, I can help. You can sign up for Million-Dollar Emails: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/milliondollaremails Where I'll send you *5 gold writing prompts a month *with questions designed to elicit a personalized story from your life or biz *that lead to a variety of CTAS *PLUS the icing on the cake, 2 LIVE editing calls with me each month where you'll get my eyes on YOUR copy. It's a steal, it's like having an editor in your pocket. And it's $75/month, cancel anytime, or $750 for the year (that's TWO whole months free), with no refunds. PLUS if you subscribe now, you get one month free. What are you waiting for? Subscribe here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/milliondollaremails

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora and this is the second part of a two-part episode on how to write so your audience will read. In part 1, which came out two weeks ago, I covered four ways to *write* to ensure your readers get the important information you're dishing up. If you haven't listened to that one yet, hit pause and go listen to part 1 first. This week, I'm covering a whole laundry list of ways to *format* your writing so you snag your readers' attention and they don't tune out when you want them to tune in. I used to think that formatting wasn't very important — and it's true, a pretty-looking post can't compensate for crappy copy. But ignoring the formatting and presentation does your copy, and your reader, a giant disservice. It's like writing a fiery speech and mumbling it to yourself in a corner. Formatting your online copy so that readers find it easy and attractive to read will GREATLY increase the number of people who stick around to read it. Listen to the episode for all the tips. I also made a checklist of these tips for you that you can grab at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/formattingtips/

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host, Jayati Vora, and today I want to show you how to write so that people who don't like to read will be enticed to read what YOU write. This is part one of a two-part episode on this subject, so make sure you tune in next week for the second half. There's no trickery involved in getting people to read what you write, just 4 simple writing tips that ensure that readers won't miss the crucial bits of information you want to convey—and that *everyone* absorbs the information more readily. 1. Put the important bits up top and down low. 2. Vary the lengths of your sentences 3. Use ellipses in different ways, but intentionally. 4. Make your paragraphs short. For more detail on each of these, including examples to see them in action, listen to the full episode. If you liked this episode, would you leave a review for Cutting Chai Stories on Apple Podcasts? And have you subscribed to the show yet? It's free of cost, and will make sure you never miss an episode.

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today I want to talk to you about writing better headlines. Here's what we cover in this episode: Brainstorm 30 headlines. Sometimes quality comes from quantity. 7 things NOT to do: 1. Don't be boring. 2. Don't be overly clever. 3. Don't use too much jargon. 4. Don't use headlines that give away everything. 5. Don't pull a bait and switch. 6. Don't use cliches. 7. And don't overpromise and underdeliver. 8 things to do to write better headlines: 1. Use verbs. 2. Use questions. 3. Open a curiosity loop with statements. 4. Use quotes. 5. Be descriptive. 6. Use lists and numbers. 7. Be controversial. 8. And finally, answer the question—what's in it for the reader? If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend and tag me on IG @jayativora and I'll repost. Let's grow the community!

What is the rule of one and why is it so important for writing effective content that converts? What are all the ways in which it apply to your copy? (Hint: There's more than one.) These questions and more, answered on this episode of Cutting Chai Stories. Here's the revamped page where you can sign up for my email newsletter: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe As promised, here's the final email I sent out to my list, after I followed the rule of one. Subject line: What are you WAITING for, Jayati? I was using my bluetooth-enabled, ergonomic mouse when suddenly it stopped in its tracks and refused to obey my commands. Was this the A.I. rebellion the sci-fi movies warned me about? (I won't lie, this is a possibility that runs through my head every time my husband talks about smart home systems and every time Siri chimes in with her opinion on my conversation. SHUDDER.) A beat later, it caught up with my movements. As though I had accidentally pressed the pause button and then released it from paralysis. It kept happening and I kept snarling in frustration. Now it's a full 24 hours later; my Duracell batteries have arrived. And yet they lie unopened in the kitchen drawer while my ergonomic mouse hitches and stutters and I jerk my hand around in the Internet-age equivalent of kicking the television set. Why do we DO this? Because when something isn't all the way broken, when the system still kinda works, we delay fixing it. But when it's BROKEN broken, when we cannot do our jobs without it, we get fixin' lickety-split. Like the copy you've been using for your biz that isn't functioning at max capacity. You've got something, sure. You followed a template or downloaded a swipe file and wrote your version of an elevator pitch in seven words or less. You send emails with personalized first names and include a call to action in every one. Your biz writing isn't BROKEN broken, but it's limping along and breaking down, just like my stuttering mouse. And while you think you're being *responsible* by sticking with it as long as you can, saving money by getting as much juice as possible from the flickering batteries, you are losing BIG. Because it's costing you mucho dinero in terms of lost clients, lost time, lost income, lost MORALE. It's time to replace those batteries. It's time to replace that limping story. It's a simple decision, and it's in your hands: What are you willing to live with? When you've decided you need to put your emails, your website copy, your bio page out of its misery, call me in. I'm the Million-Dollar Story Boss and I will help you rewrite that tired old story that doesn't work for you anymore. We'll do a copy audit and chuck out the broken bits. We'll dig deep into your life and story to excavate the juiciest morsels that you've been hiding from your audience. And we'll do a story makeover so that everything you put out -- written words, spoken words, videos, EVERYTHING -- carries your energetic signature. No byline necessary. In two minutes though. AFTER I go switch out the batteries in my dang mouse. Jayati P.S. When you're ready to upgrade, book a call with me: https://calendly.com/jayativora/story-mini-makeover?month=2021-07. And I'll know my new batteries are working ⚡⚡⚡ just as they should.

Welcome back to the very first episode of Season 3 of Cutting Chai Stories, where the writing is short and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. Today's episode, dedicated to my husband, is all about gratitude. We cover two techniques that are best used sparingly -- repetition and alliteration -- and a third that almost always takes your writing to the next level. For the month of July, Cutting Chai Stories is also a featured podcast on Spotify India's Amplifiher, where you can discover content produced by and for women. If you like this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Season 3 launches verrrry soon! Listen here for a Cutting Chai Stories win (discover new content here) and for what I have in store for you with the next season. Thanks for listening!