Vanessa - Magnetic Storytelling

02/26/2025

You can turn anything into a social media story.
But that doesn't mean you always 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥.

Vulnerability is a powerful tool in storytelling, building trust, connection, and relatability.
But “being real” without firm boundaries can cross into oversharing WAY too quickly.

We've all read posts that make us think, "TMI!" or "Way to capitalize on your sick child's life for likes." Gross.

Vulnerability doesn't have to mean emotional exposure.

And boy, have I done my share of exposing myself...er... so to speak!

The worst instance was deciding to blog about a miscarriage two days after having it.

(You will not find that post on the internet because I deleted it 24 hours after my partner gently suggested it was probably too soon to share the story when I was still healing from it).

Yes, it's possible to overshare and regret it. But you don't have to let that stop you from sharing at all.

These are the questions I ask myself before every post:

→ Am I sharing from a place of reflection, or does this still feel raw?
→ Will my audience gain insight, or am I looking for validation?
→ Will I feel empowered by sharing this or regret it later?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of oversharing, especially with the pressure to “be real” or “authentic” from all social media strategists.

Sharing parts of your story doesn’t mean offering every piece of yourself.
The trick is learning where your boundaries are and protecting them fiercely.

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I teach magnetic social media storytelling to five-figure solopreneurs ready to stop feeling invisible online and start making sales.
Let's hang out 💅 Follow and DM 👉 Vanessa McGowan

🔔 FREE Resource: Magnetic Storytelling for Solopreneurs, a 20-page PDF with seven unique story templates designed to help you craft compelling social media posts that build trust, engage your audience, and drive sales.
Comment or DM me for the link 🦄

02/23/2025

I wasn’t supposed to be here.

Not in business.
Not in marketing.
Not coaching other women in business.

During my first decade in the music industry, the only ‘marketing strategy’ I knew was playing a killer show and hoping someone important was in the crowd. Which (I'm sure you'll be surprised to learn) is a terrible business plan!

Ten years ago, I started telling stories.

Stories about terrible gigs, notable recording projects, crazy tour stories, shop renovations, clothing-buying conventions, and my double life as a touring musician and small business owner.

I learned how to tell my story to connect with people, build an audience of loyal supporters, create narratives out of everything and nothing (hello, wildly successful posts about applying UV protection to windows!), and turn my experiences into sales.

Fast forward a few years, and I've built an e-commerce brand that is on track to hit two million dollars and have already spent five years coaching solopreneurs to market themselves confidently.

And it wasn’t luck. It was believing I had something worthwhile to share, dedicating myself to learning and growing, and understanding how to share my story in a way that attracted the right people.

If you think you don't have a story to tell, I promise you do.

You just need to bridge the gap between your experiences and sales, and you do that with storytelling.

That’s why I created Magnetic Storytelling For Beginners, a free guide with seven templates that explain how to turn your experiences into stories for social media that build trust and attract clients. With a bonus section on vulnerability vs. oversharing.

I put the first three in the carousel, download the free guide at the attached link.

P.S. This post uses one of the templates... woahhh, meta! 🤠
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I teach magnetic social media storytelling to five-figure solopreneurs eady to stop feeling invisible online and start making sales.
Let's hang out 💅 Follow and DM 👉 Vanessa

Struggling to market yourself without feeling awkward or salesy? Magnetic Storytelling for Beginners: 7 Story Templates to Help You Connect Deeper and Sell More is your step-by-step guide to crafting compelling social media posts that build trust, spark engagement, and turn readers into clients.This...

11/02/2024

What if you could make extra money every month… while focusing on the work you truly love to create?

Passive income for creative entrepreneurs sounds like a dream, but it’s totally achievable with the right approach.

Check out these ideas for low-ticket items you can sell now, without spending a lot of time, and make more money!

Think of it as a way to let your creativity work for you, while your art supports the life you want ⚡️

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I’m Vanessa - follow me for creativity coaching with bestie energy 😘 I cut through the BS to help creative women conquer self-doubt and unleash their creative power

       

10/29/2024

You don’t have to do this alone.

Here are five unexpected places to find other creative women and build your fearless support network!

10/29/2024

Is your self-doubt healthy or harmful?

Self-doubt can be a beneficial force in creative growth, especially when it keeps us grounded and open to learning. Rather than allowing arrogance to take over, a little self-doubt helps us stay humble and receptive to new ideas.

Harmful self-doubt, however, keeps us stuck, paralyzed by fear of failure, and convinced we’re “not enough,” holding us back from pursuing our true potential.

If you’re struggling to tell which form of doubt you’re dealing with, try asking yourself these five questions:

“Is this doubt pushing me to improve, or is it paralyzing me?”
Healthy self-doubt can encourage refinement, while harmful doubt keeps you from taking any steps forward.

“Am I doubting my abilities, or am I worried about others’ opinions?”
Doubt rooted in fear of judgment often doesn’t reflect your actual potential or skills—it’s about external pressures.

“Is this feeling motivating me to learn and grow, or to stay small and safe?”
Constructive doubt can inspire learning, but if it makes you shrink or hide, it may be holding you back.

“Am I afraid of making mistakes, or of being ‘not enough’?”
Fear of mistakes is a natural part of growth, but feeling inherently “not enough” can be a signal of deeper, limiting self-beliefs.

“Do I feel empowered to keep trying, or am I looking for reasons to give up?”
Healthy self-doubt leaves room for persistence; harmful self-doubt convinces you it’s better not to try at all.

These questions can help you separate the self-doubt that pushes you to grow from the kind that keeps you from reaching your potential.

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Follow me for creativity coaching with bestie energy 😘 I cut through the BS to help creative women conquer self-doubt and unleash their creative power.

08/29/2022

Always with the 🍑 shot 🤣

The Long Road Festival, Leicestershire UK 🇬🇧

08/24/2022

Artists: would you be ready if someone offered you a headline set tomorrow night?

Session players: is your rig ready to jump in a van tonight if someone needed you to sub for a weekend run?

Songwriters: do you have ideas to bring to a co-write if someone called you to write today?

Most of the biggest opportunities you will get as a musician will be very last minute, especially when you're first starting out.

Usually, you get the chance to step up a level because someone else gets sick, or they bow out because they get an opportunity to step up another level themselves.

And stepping up a level is AWESOME and can really help kickstart the next stage of your career, but it can also feel like jumping into a fire and be incredibly stressful, especially if you’ve been in chill mode and feel a bit out of shape at the time.

In this piece we look at how artists, session players, and songwriters can prepare for the big break you don't even know is coming yet!

Preparing for your next big break

08/22/2022

Join Cassie Roma and me for Patronize Me: a 2-part FREE workshop series all about creating a killer fan funding profile to financially support your music life.

You can’t pay the rent with your follower count… but you CAN turn those followers into fans who are jumping over themselves to financially support you and your music!

Monetizing your fanbase just takes a little time and creative thinking - something you’re already great at.

In this two-part interactive workshop series we’ll help you:

- Choose your ideal platform
- Create tiers that suit your style of creativity
- Build out promotion pillars for each tier to grow your patrons
- Overcome insecurities and misnomers about asking for support

The fact is, music and the arts have been supported by music lovers for centuries.

There are people out there who adore you and your music and want to support you, you just need to give them the opportunity.

Register now:

https://www.rechordplayer.com/workshops

08/20/2022

Giving yourself a break is not a luxury.

It’s essential for staying healthy in body and mind, and if you don’t take one regularly your body will take one for you at a FAR less convenient time (like the day before an important gig or big tour!).

Take a break to recharge, reset and fill up your inspiration cup 💙