Behind The Mic: It Has To Be Me with Tess Masters

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Hello. Hello. Amplify you family. Michelle Abraham, you're you're host, I'm your host. Yes, I am your host. I am here today with my friend Tess Masters. Tess, how you doing today?

Oh, I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me.

You're so welcome. Well, today we're diving into a behind the mic interview, because Brandon and I and the amplify you team has had the pleasure and honor of helping Tess launch her podcast into this world in the last few months, you're about 15 episodes in, and what is and and have a show what I consider to be one of the best podcasts I've ever listened To, and I'm being serious Out of the 1000s of episodes. Oh too it's so good, so so happy. Yes,

High praise coming. Thank you. I typed that into my heart. Oh my goodness,

You're welcome, and it sucked me in right from episode one. And I've really enjoyed listening to it. And one of the things I think that really you are a masterful at, is storytelling, and your episodes are long considered, considering what most podcasts do these days. And I was not not being like, when's this thing gonna end like, ever? Like it's so sucked into the stories and so interested in the topics and the what your whole show is about, too is very resonates very deeply with me. So Tessa show is called, it has to be me. And it really is something that come is popping up like since in the last few months, I have seen it everywhere in my life, in my business, in everywhere, in situations and decisions. And it's funny, I remember bridge and I questioned you on the name of it. Does it is this? How tight tight are you to this word? It has to be me. And I'm so glad you fought for it. So tell us, what does it has to be me mean to you? Yeah, but

You know, thank you for questioning me on it, because that, though, that call with you was really life changing for me in so many ways, because question you about things, it's a real opportunity for you to get really clear about what you think about something and what your messaging is, and is there another way of doing it, or another way of saying it, and it helps you to look at things from a lot of different angles and perspectives. So it was a really important part of the process. But I really was sure in my gut that it was it has to be me. Because whenever I think about making, you know, really big decisions and pivotal moments in my life where I take action on something, it always comes down to that phrase, it has to be me. I want to do this, and I am the person to do it. It has to be me to do this, and then you just go for it. There is no fear and doubt, boom, off you go. Or even if there is fear and doubt you you take action anyway, despite it. And so it really resonated with me. And when you know it really came to me through the office hours in my skinny 60 community, and I have these open office hours every week, and people get really raw and honest and real. And I would use that phrase quite a lot, you know, just say to yourself, it has to be me. Go for this, you know, make this choice, put yourself first, or whatever it is, right? And sometimes it's it does not have to be me. I don't want to do this anymore. It has to be me to leave that relationship, or leave that job, or go and do something else. And really we're making it has to be me choices all day, every day. It has to be me to get out of bed, has to be me to apologize to that person. Has to be me to take responsibility. It has to be me to apply for that job. Has to be me to go to that party, or whatever it might be, right? And all of those little micro, it has to be me moments are preparing us for those really big it has to be me moments. And so I think of life in a series of it has to be me moments, and just getting a lot better at listening to my intuition and those little whispers that go it has to be me, you know, yeah. And so that's what I'm interested in, is just diving inside people's stories, and there it has to be me moments and how they're making those choices and taking action on the things they're dreaming about. And so it's just been so exciting. I love the story, and I just love getting inside other people's stories and celebrating that. And hopefully the listeners will be able to steal some of the strategies. Of of the guests to go after there, it has to be me moments.

Oh my gosh. You've had some incredible guests, and some that I've had the pleasure of getting to know, to Dr Michelle Robbins and Cheryl Flynn, like so many good ones. So

I know I just, I'm sending everyone to amplify.

Thank you. And Mia Moran, one of our one of our clients too, who we have mutual connection with, who is how we found you, how you found us.

Well, Mia, Mia, thank you, Mia,

We love you Mia, and love you so good. And now this might be an unfair question to ask, is there a particular episode that you've done where you've just been like, that was mic dropping.

Oh, goodness,

There's somebody. There's

Pick a favorite child. Can you pick a favorite child? Right?

Your favorite? Oldest one, your favorite youngest one, your favorite middle wife?

Oh, look, they've all been so incredible. I mean, that's why I think the pre interview is so important for me, and why it's a non negotiable is really getting to know somebody before the interview and really framing the scope of our conversation and how I'm going to back into their story in order to really dive into those, those bits of their story that I think are so spectacular, you know, that can really shine a light on how other people can go after there, it has to be me moment. So they're all very, very different, as you know, because you've been so supportive and wonderful listening to them. One of the episodes that stand out for me, even though they're all beautiful, is the Alex gransberry episode. I'm the CEO of dream farm. He's a fellow Australian. That's not the reason why I'm picking up but his philosophy about sucking the marrow out of life and going for every single opportunity and trying absolutely everything that your heart leads you to, and there is a solution for everything that there is no it can't be done. You just haven't found the answer yet. So that was really the message of that, and it resonated really deeply with me, because my default position sometimes is to see things that are not within my control as obstacles instead of opportunities, they're not problems, they're just puzzles, and I just haven't solved them yet, but I get another opportunity to do it today, you know? Yeah, and that really resonated with me on a personal little bit. There's so many nuggets, you know, I close every episode with with the same question, and the questions are the answers are all different, and they're all incredible. You know what? I mean, gotta go. I mean,

You have to create a book from every person, book all by itself, if I follow those answers at the very end. So the way you masterfully construct the episode is a bit different. And I think it comes down to the preparation you do before the episode. So what do you do to really get into that story? You have the pre calls, or anything else that you do to really, because you have to, like, really, really go in a way that's like, feels like it's been storyboarded, yeah? Even though it hasn't, I'm sure it's just that, yeah,

I will storyboard Yeah, yeah, no, that's really interesting, that you're saying that to me like that, because I do like to storyboard, right? Like I do storyboard in my business, for sure, and I, you know, as having been a consultant for other businesses, I'm a big storyboarder, so it's really great that you're saying that it's really resonating with me. I storyboard it in my head, in the sense that I will so, so I will never get on a call with anybody, even if it's just an exploratory call, without researching them and knowing about their story. And so I'm a big researchers, and I do all the research myself. And so I I know that any smart entrepreneur controls what's on the top two pages of Google. So I'm always interested in what's page what's on page three, page six, page seven, about what they don't control that I'm going to learn about them, right? So I will obviously go to the Wikipedia page, the website, watch videos, maybe listen to a couple of other interviews, that kind of stuff, right? And then once I've so I've got a little bit of a sense. And then in the pre interview, I'm interested in what I don't know about them, what's not on the internet, what's just in their heart, you know, and what's in their head. And that's what I'm interested in in the pre interview. And then I'll do a mixture of those kind of things. And then to prepare for the interview, I will watch some other interviews. I will read, read their books, purchase the course. I'll get inside of it a little bit like I'll get very, very prepared and immerse myself in their world, so that we can really meet in a place of familiarity, where then we can go deeper in the interview. And then this might be a little bit Woo, woo, but I do get downloads when I'm talking to people. So. So my intuition kicks in, and I can hear some things, and I'm just called to ask questions about things. And so there's little threads of information, like when somebody says something to me, I'll just keep pulling on the thread. And that's why the pre interview is also really important. It's just to set a very safe container where people feel that they can reveal themselves. So I will always ask the first question is, is there anything that's off the table? But I can't ask you that you do not want to publicly talk about. I want to respect those boundaries. And you know, sometimes people will say a few things, and most often they'll go, no, because I'm going to go there. And so, you know, I don't want to get into a situation where I'm, I've, you know, someone feels compromised, or they don't go safe, you know, holding space with me so that that's a big part of the preparation. And then on the day, in the moment, it's kind of like acting, right? My preparation as an actor kind of kicks in here, where you've got all the research, you've learned, all the lines, you've got it all in your body, and then it's all intuition and gut. I don't go off notes or anything. I just sort of have the conversation. I kind of know in my head, you know, the kinds of questions I might want to ask them, and sort of the points of there it has to be me, you know, those, those key it has to be me moments I want to ask about. But then they might say something to me where I'm like, Whoa. I wasn't expecting them to say that. I can't, not pull on that thread, yes, and, you know, yeah. And then I will always bring it back to making sure that we celebrate what they're doing and making sure that people know where to find them. And, you know, always ask them, you know, what is it that you want people to know about right now? You know? So I'll always have that in the back of my mind, so that we'll, we'll circle back around to that at the end. But yet, as you would know, because you've been doing it a lot longer than me, you know, it's an art interviewing people, and it's a skill that I'm still honing, you know, so, and then the other part of my preparation is I listen to every episode twice after I finish the episode, so before I do the intro and outro, I will listen to it twice, and I'll pull out All of the key moments, and I'll also just be listening for things that I can do better, you know, for next time. So I'm very much in the learning phase. But it's, it's just, it's, it's really fun, enjoyable.

Yeah, it seems like you have fun with it, and you also are able to go deeper with people. And they feel like that. There's so many surface level conversations out there on podcasts these days that there's not a lot that can get to the deeper stuff. And I think that pre, the pre interview, helps get out of the surface stuff, because you talked about it already and now into, like, some stuff that's a little juicier and a little bit more life changing for the listeners, which is really, really do the goods. Totally. The

Only thing I'll say about the pre interview, though, is that you've got to make sure that you don't schedule it on the same day or too close to the actual interview, because what can happen is you forget what you've talked about, and you start referring to things you talked about in the pre interview, and then the listener has no idea what you're talking about. So that is something that I've learned not to do, you know, particularly for people that have really good memories, you know. But then if you do it, you know, within a few days, or ideally a week, you sort of forget about it, you know. And then you, you know, you come fresh. So yet, you know, I going back to what you were saying about the surface level of different interviews. You know, I'm a bit of a rogue so when someone gives me a one sheet of standard questions for them. Yeah, never ask them those questions. Like, I'm like, That's what everybody else is asking you, you know? Like, I I want to be doing something different, and I want to learn things I'm not going to learn about you from those other interviews. So, yeah, I kind of almost deliberately don't use one sheets, you know. Yeah,

Absolutely. I think it was Tom bill you, where he, like, does such a good job introducing the person that they've got nothing left to like say that is, they have no choice except for to go deeper because they rhyme right? Yeah, that's a good strategy. Yeah, it's

A good strategy. I might deal with it at that strategy, yeah, that's a good one. That's

A really good one. So now podcasting, as far as like you, so I didn't even tell our listeners or anything about your business, and we talked a little bit about how you have the skinny 60 program. You also have the decadent detox. These are health programs that Tess runs with, had 30,000 people in them, and she runs them with dietitians a couple times a year. And then you also have got four books that have been or three books that have been published by Penguin Random House, the blender. Girl, Blender. Girl, smoothie, the perfect blend. And all your recipes at the blender. Girl.com, and you've been in tons of media and tons you are a person of influence. So how does that adding a podcast come into that. And how do you like, how do you vision the podcast intertwining with all of those things that you're doing that are you that you need? You know,

I love this because it really is the culmination of all of my talents. You know, I. Get to use all of the skills that I have in this podcast, you know. So as an actor and a presenter, you know, I've been a facilitator, I've been a speaker, I've moderated panels, I've spoken in front of 1000s of people, you know. And so I'm very comfortable in that arena, but I love that it's not about me. I love that it's about celebrating others. And that's a really big part of my personal, you know, mandate as a human and certainly as a coach, it's not about me, it's about the people in the program. So, you know, as a coach and as a mentor, you know, I get to put that hat on as well and share some of that in the podcast. We talk about health and nutrition a lot, not always, not every episode is about that. So I get to dive into that world and show you know and use those skills there. And really, at the end of the day, everything that I do is about listening. And when you're interviewing other people, you have to be listening, listening to all the cues, not just what they're saying, but their body language. And, you know, the white space between you what's not being said. And that's a skill that I got from acting as well. You know, it's not just about the what the lines. It's about the space between two people. So I feel like, you know, I've always wanted to do a podcast, but I was so busy with my writing my books and developing recipes and working with brands and consulting with brands, and being on international tours and speaking all over the world, all these different things. I mean, I was very busy with other things, so I just literally didn't have the time to do it, even though I really wanted to do it. But I actually think that this is the right time to do it. You know, when you decide to do it as the right time, I guess. Yeah, anything, right? But I'm not sure if I would have honed some of these skills that are really serving me right now with this particular podcast, if I had have done it five years ago, you know. So I'm grateful for the timing of this. But yeah, it's the other thing too, just from a from a strategy perspective, as an entrepreneur, I'm a content creator. That's my strength. I'm not a Marketing Pro. Marketing doesn't come and selling doesn't come naturally to me. It's not my comfort zone. And so everything that I created was built for warm and hot traffic. So I either people discovered me, you know, through my books with Penguin Random House on my tour, met me at William Sonova when I did a national tour with them, you know, saw me on a TV show. Or, you know, saw me in the LA Times or whatever it might be, or they met me through somebody else or whatever, right? I have never run a Facebook ad to my business. I've never done any of that sort of stuff, right? So sales pages and all that kind of stuff was just really foreign to me, and I was really bad at it, you know. And they, and they really helped me see, you know, the head of branding at Random House really helped me see, oh, you turn fans into brand evangelists, so you're able to turn a cold lead into a hot lead in a matter of seconds. And so that was an interesting bit of information for me, that I had to take ownership of that. And the podcast, you know, you taught me this, you know, it can turn cold leads into warm leads into hot leads, very, very quickly by bringing them into your world, inviting them. And there's nothing sexier than having someone's voice and someone's being in your in your ears, you know, while you're living the rest of your life, right? I mean, I certainly love listening to podcasts and being inside of a story. It's very it's really lovely. It's very inviting, and it really enlivens something in me. It's a very effective tool for building community, and so I really see the value of that. So it really pulls people into my community in a really beautiful and really gentle way, where not only are they learning about me and warming up to me, but they're they're discovering all these beautiful people and learning all of these skills that they can then apply in their lives. So it kind of is just this, you know, satisfies all of these different things all at once, you know, and it's joyful and fun. It's like a passion project, really,

Yeah, feel like, feel like, it's kind of like the next evolution too of you personally, like your personal mission from the blender girl almost feels too small for the podcast, or it has to be me, is a much more universal kind of feeling to it, which I think is absolutely amazing. And I think that that's like, like you said five years ago, would have been different. Now it's you've got that behind you. So it's kind of an interesting, different way of bringing, bringing your personal mission, I think, to the world in a in a bigger

Yeah, you're, you are absolutely right, Michelle, as you are. And when we spoke, you know, on that strategy call, you know, we really talked about this. And you know, as I, as I expand my brand, and. What I want to do in the world, and the message that I want to share with the world, it's bigger than food, it's bigger than lifestyle, it's bigger than health. It is about claiming all the parts of yourself. I mean, it starts with health. If we're not healthy, everything shuts down, you know, and we we're not living in a body that can keep up with our dreams. But it just, you're right. It has to be me is, it has to be me in every part of my life, you know, and so being able to use my voice and and shine a light on other people's voices and celebrate how they're showing up and helping people step into there it has to be me moments is, it's a privilege to be able to do that with this podcast

I love to and amplify you, family. If you're listening to this podcast, take a note of how Tess speaks too, because I think your voice is so easy to listen to. I've been enjoying having you in my earbuds in my head for the last few weeks, and it's like just that. I know you have a background in presenting and acting and everything, but I just love the way that you you you are interesting to listen to, not just the words, but the way that you are carrying yourself on the interview. So I think that's a really powerful skill that you probably don't even know that you're using, but it's very clear comes across.

So thank you for saying that. We all hate listening to our that's for sure. You know, I go, oh gosh, why did I say that? Oh gosh, I sound so abrasive. Oh good, goodness. Why did I squeal like that? You know? And after a while, you just sort of got to let go of it and just go, I've just all, all you've got to do is just show up as you totally that's your voice, you know, like, Yes, I'm a voice actor. Yes, I'm used to being in front of the microphone. Yes, I've been the voice of huge brands and all the rest of it, and video games and all the rest of it. But with the podcast, it's interesting that you're bringing this up. It's just me, and when you're used to putting on different voices and different ethnics and playing different characters and hiding, you know, in in another world, you know, and inhabiting another world, when you've got to show up as you it's pretty raw. You got to be vulnerable. You got to be present. You got to you're really sharp with courage and allow yourself to be seen while you are wanting to see others. And I think for me, that's the balance with podcasting. And I think for me when I'm listening, that's, they're the kind of podcast I respond to, right where someone is really listening and responding, and there's a real dialog happening, you know, where we're discovering the juiciness of the white space between us and what we can delve into together. There's not an agenda or, you know, to me, that's what's interesting. It's also terrifying, because I'm going to decide before I hit record. I don't actually know where this really is going completely, you know what I mean? And that's really scary, because I may say something I, you know, may may not have wanted to say, but at the end of the day, it's what what I felt like saying, and what the other person felt like saying. And so how can that be wrong? You know,

I always feel like it's like a painter that's got, like a canvas, and you press record, and you don't know what's gonna happen on that Canvas, but the end of totally episode, there it is. And it's funny, totally,

Yeah, I mean, and sometimes you sort of go, Oh, I wish I had to put a bit more of a red there. Why did I do that? Why didn't I decide to pick paper shop at that point, you know? I mean, I'm certainly feeling all of those things as I learn with this for sure.

That's why I never listened back to my I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't put that judgment back on myself if I don't. Just kidding, yeah, I think there's definitely a balance between wishing all the things that you could have done differently and just going like it was, but it was beautiful when we did it, yep, and that was, that's the way we go. So, I mean, it's been certainly great listening to you over interviewing people. It feels like you're in the from a listener's perspective, we feel like we're sitting at the coffee table and listening into your conversation, which I think is exactly where you want a listener to be, so you feel like you're having that promise thing even dropping on a conversation that's super juicy, good.

Thank you. That's, that's what we're going for. Like, I want someone to feel like they're curled up with us and they're just sitting right there with us. So thank you for saying that. Because it's definitely, definitely what I would like, like a day.

Yeah. So Tess, any last words of wisdom before I let you go. I know you're so busy and you're heading back to the US and got a million things on the go, and I appreciate you taking the time to spend with us today. Any last words of wisdom for our listeners who are maybe like sitting on the couch at home thinking about podcasting. Haven't quite jumped into it yet. What do you say to them?

Listen to your heart, and if doing it speaks to you, go for it. What is the worst thing that's going to happen? You're going to learn, right? I love that Nelson Mandela quote, I never lose. I either win or I learn. And I would rather know. Oh, whether I wanted to do it or not, rather than be wondering whether I could have done it and whether I would have enjoyed it. So go with your it has to be me

So good. And in the meantime, go check out Tessa's podcast. It has to be me, and follow her over on the blender girl.com, too. You'll see all the fun things she's up to, blending her life, recipes in the blender. Love it so much. Thank you so much. Tess for being with us today and have a fabulous week everybody.

Amplifyou : Thank you family for joining us on this adventure. If you're ready to be heard, head over to my podcast coach.com where you'll find out all the tools and tips you'll need to launch your podcast today. If you have a show already and you need some help managing it, please head over to manage my podcast.com. And the amplify you team would be happy to help you manage your podcast. Please also head over to iTunes like subscribe or review our show so we can spread this message and until next time, be your own unique genius. You.