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  • 40 Changed the Way I Think About Visibility, Success & Starting Over

    40 Changed the Way I Think About Visibility, Success & Starting Over
    2026/09/25
    What if turning 40 isn't about having everything figured out—but finally having enough experience to build what you actually want? In this special 40th birthday episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames reflects on entrepreneurship, reinvention, visibility, relationships, community, success, and what it really means to start over. After years of building businesses, creating content, podcasting, speaking, working with brands and clients, experiencing setbacks, pivoting, and rebuilding, Michelle is entering her 40s with a completely different definition of success. This isn't a "40 lessons at 40" episode. It's a conversation about becoming. Michelle shares the biggest lessons she's carrying into this next decade and why she believes your experience, relationships, reputation, and body of work become some of your greatest assets as you evolve. If you're rebuilding your business, reinventing yourself, questioning what's next, or wondering whether it's too late to change directions, this episode is for you. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why you're allowed to become someone newWhy starting over doesn't mean starting from zeroHow years of experience create valuable pattern recognitionWhy visibility is a doorway—not the final destinationHow to turn visibility into relationships, opportunities, and revenueWhy relationships can become more valuable than follower countHow to stop building your business around being understood by everyoneWhy your real life, interests, expertise, and experiences can work together inside your brandWhy results and case studies matter when positioning yourself as an expertWhat Michelle has learned from helping local businesses turn visibility into real-world customer activityWhy sometimes you need to build the room you've been waiting to enterHow Michelle is approaching Connected & Paid and Connected & Paid LiveWhy age and experience can become business advantagesWhy experts are still allowed to evolve, learn, and ask for helpHow to stop constantly proving yourselfWhy Michelle is prioritizing visibility, relationships, community, and opportunity in her next decadeHow to build a business that supports the life you actually want Starting Over Doesn't Mean Starting From Zero One of the biggest lessons Michelle is carrying into 40 is that rebuilding doesn't erase everything that came before it. When you start again, you bring your: Experience. Relationships. Skills. Reputation. Body of work. Mistakes. Data. Stories. Results. And pattern recognition. You aren't necessarily beginning at zero. You're beginning again with experience. That distinction can completely change how you approach a season of reinvention. Visibility Isn't the Goal Michelle has spent years teaching visibility, but her philosophy around visibility has evolved. Getting seen isn't enough. Going viral isn't enough. Growing followers isn't enough. The bigger question is: What happens because people saw you? Did someone join your email list? Book a call? Invite you to speak? Discover your business? Become a customer? Attend your event? Refer you? Offer a partnership? Visibility creates the opportunity to be discovered. Your ecosystem determines where that attention goes next. Relationships Over Followers One conversation can create an introduction. One introduction can create an opportunity. One room can create a relationship. One relationship can eventually create a client, collaboration, referral, speaking engagement, media opportunity, or partnership. That's why Michelle is entering this decade thinking differently about networking and community. Instead of walking into every room asking, "Who can buy from me?" she's focused on deeper questions: Who should I know? Who should know me? Who can I help? Who should meet each other? What could we build together? Because some opportunities aren't hiding inside another social media strategy. They're hiding inside relationships you haven't built yet. Build the Room You Wish Existed Michelle also shares why she's building Connected & Paid Live and creating spaces for women who are building, reinventing, looking for meaningful connections, and ready for bigger opportunities. Sometimes you're waiting for an invitation into a room you're actually supposed to create. Start the podcast. Host the dinner. Create the community. Build the offer. Plan the event. Make the introduction. Create what you wish existed. Your Age Can Be an Asset Turning 40 isn't making Michelle feel like time is running out. It's making her more intentional about how she uses her time. Experience brings context. Discernment. Relationships. Stories. Receipts. Pattern recognition. And a clearer understanding of what you actually want. Whether you're 30, 40, 50, 60, or beyond, reinvention doesn't have an expiration date. Stop Trying to Prove Yourself There's a difference between communicating your authority and constantly trying to convince people you're worthy. You can be an expert and still be evolving....
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    26 分
  • You Don’t Need More Visibility. You Need Somewhere for It to Go

    You Don’t Need More Visibility. You Need Somewhere for It to Go
    2026/09/14
    Everybody wants more visibility—more followers, more views, more reach, and more people discovering their business. But what happens after they find you? In this episode of Social Media Decoded, visibility strategist and Thames Media Solutions founder Michelle Thames challenges entrepreneurs to stop thinking only about getting more attention and start thinking about where that attention is going. Because visibility without a next step is just attention. If 10,000 new people discovered your business today, would they know what to do next? Could they join your email list? Book a strategy call? Join your membership? Attend your event? Buy your product? Start a conversation? Or would they simply consume your content and keep scrolling? Michelle breaks down how to build a visibility ecosystem that turns attention into relationships, opportunities, community, and revenue. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why more visibility isn't always the solution to your marketing problemThe difference between attention and intentional visibilityWhy going viral doesn't automatically create revenueWhat should happen after someone discovers your contentWhy every business needs a clear destination for its visibilityHow to choose the right call to action based on your contentWhy your email list, events, membership, products, services, and conversations should work togetherHow to build a customer journey instead of collecting followersWhy content should be the entrance to your ecosystem—not the entire strategyHow Michelle is applying this strategy while building Connected & Paid and Connected & Paid LiveWhy in-person events can deepen relationships that started onlineHow community can become part of your business growth strategyWhy proximity, introductions, conversations, and relationships matter in an AI-driven worldHow to connect social media, email, podcasting, events, offers, and communityWhy follower count doesn't necessarily equal business strengthThe five questions to ask when auditing your visibility ecosystem Visibility Without a Next Step Is Just Attention A Reel can get 20,000 views. A post can go viral. A speaking engagement can put you in front of hundreds of people. But if those people don't know where to go next, much of that attention disappears. Visibility creates the opportunity. Strategy builds the bridge. Instead of only asking, “How can I get more people to see me?” Michelle encourages entrepreneurs to ask: “What do I want people to do after they see me?” That's where visibility starts becoming a business strategy. You Need a Destination Your destination doesn't have to be the same for every piece of content. Depending on your business, the next step could be: Joining your email listBooking a strategy callEntering your membershipRegistering for an eventPurchasing a productListening to your podcastStarting a conversation The goal isn't to give your audience ten different calls to action at once. It's to create a logical next step based on where they are in the relationship with you. Content Gets Attention. Your Ecosystem Does the Rest. Your social media shouldn't exist separately from your email. Your email shouldn't exist separately from your offers. Your podcast shouldn't exist separately from your events. Your events shouldn't exist separately from your community. Instead, think about the journey: Content → Conversation → Relationship → Community → Opportunity → Revenue Someone might discover you through a Reel. That Reel could lead them to your podcast. Your podcast could lead them to your email list. Your email could invite them to an event. The event could create a relationship. That relationship could eventually lead to a client, collaboration, referral, partnership, or another opportunity you couldn't have predicted. That's an ecosystem. Building Connected & Paid Live Michelle also takes listeners behind the scenes of how she's thinking about Connected & Paid Live. Rather than simply trying to sell event tickets, she's intentionally building a room where women can create relationships, make introductions, have meaningful conversations, and discover new opportunities. From speaker announcements to preview calls, podcast episodes, community conversations, and event content, each piece is designed to help people understand the vision behind the room and decide whether they want to become part of it. Because sometimes the most valuable thing that happens at an event isn't what happens on the stage. It's meeting the person sitting next to you. Your 5-Question Visibility Audit Ask yourself: 1. Where are people discovering me? Social media? Search? Referrals? Speaking? Podcasting? Networking? Events? 2. What do I want them to do next? Choose a primary next step instead of sending people in ten different directions. 3. Is the next step obvious? Could someone discovering you for the first time figure it out quickly? 4. What happens after they take that step? How are you nurturing the ...
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    17 分
  • What We Did in 30 Days to Increase Visibility for a Local Business: Honey Bee Gardens Case Study

    What We Did in 30 Days to Increase Visibility for a Local Business: Honey Bee Gardens Case Study
    2026/09/08
    What happens when a local business stops simply posting on social media and starts using a real visibility strategy? In this episode of Social Media Decoded, visibility strategist and Thames Media Solutions founder Michelle Thames takes listeners behind the scenes of a real local marketing case study with Honey Bee Gardens in Downers Grove, Illinois. In roughly 30 days, Michelle and her team helped the farm create a more strategic approach to social media, storytelling, email marketing, calls to action, community marketing, automation, and customer follow-up. And the results started showing up beyond likes and followers. The farm reported 180 new customers from social media in one week, Farm-to-Table Dinner registrations grew from approximately 20 to 67, and one promotional Reel generated 800+ comments. But this episode isn't about chasing viral numbers. It's about turning visibility into action. Michelle breaks down the exact strategy behind the results—and the lessons any local business owner can use to make their marketing work harder. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why posting consistently is not the same as having a marketing strategyHow to identify a visibility problem inside a local businessWhy businesses should market experiences instead of constantly marketing themselvesHow storytelling creates curiosity and gives customers a reason to visitWhy clarity is essential for converting social media followers into customersHow Honey Bee Gardens' Farm-to-Table Dinner grew from approximately 20 registrations to 67What Michelle's team learned from a Reel that generated more than 800 commentsHow automation helped turn social media interest into a clear path to registrationWhy engagement means very little without a next stepHow Honey Bee Gardens reported 180 new customers coming from social media in one weekHow strategic marketing helped rebuild momentum despite weather-related cancellationsWhy local businesses need multiple marketing touchpoints instead of relying solely on InstagramHow email, Facebook, social media, websites, events, automation, and word of mouth work togetherWhy every piece of content needs a specific jobHow to use data to adjust your content strategy in real timeWhy a strong customer experience has to exist before marketing can amplify itThe difference between a social media problem and a visibility-system problem The Honey Bee Gardens Results When Thames Media Solutions began working with Honey Bee Gardens around July 27, one of the immediate goals was increasing awareness and driving more people to the farm's experiences. One major focus was the Farm-to-Table Dinner. At the beginning of the partnership, approximately 20 people were registered. That number grew to approximately 67 registrations. Content surrounding the dinner also generated significant interest, including one Reel that received 800+ comments. Instead of allowing that engagement to stop at the comment section, Michelle created an automated follow-up process through Meta's business tools so interested people could receive the registration link. The strategy connected: Content → Interest → CTA → Follow-Up → Link → Opportunity to Convert The farm also reported 180 new customers attributed to social media during one week, based on asking visitors how they discovered the farm. During the broader campaign period, website sessions also surpassed 8,300, representing an increase of approximately 160% compared with the previous period. Michelle explains why these numbers should not all be attributed to one Reel or one marketing channel. Social media, email, existing customers, word of mouth, the farm's reputation, repeated promotion, and other touchpoints all worked together. That's exactly why businesses need a marketing ecosystem. Stop Selling the Business. Start Selling the Experience. One of the biggest changes was shifting the messaging away from simply telling people to "visit the farm." Instead, the strategy answered the question: Why should someone come? Family activities. Adult experiences. Farm-to-Table dining. Flowers. Seasonal activities. Weekend outings. Homeschool experiences. Local events. The business wasn't simply selling access to a farm. It was showing potential customers: "Here's what your Saturday could look like." That shift makes marketing more relevant to the customer's actual life. The Visibility System Michelle shares a six-part framework local businesses can use to evaluate their marketing: 1. Discovery: Can the right people find you? 2. Curiosity: Does your content make them care? 3. Clarity: Do they understand what you're offering? 4. Action: Do they know what to do next? 5. Follow-Up: What happens after someone shows interest? 6. Retention: How are you getting customers to return? You don't necessarily need 100 more posts. You need these six pieces working together. Content Needs a Job Before creating your next Reel, Facebook post, email, or video, ask: What is this content supposed to ...
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    24 分
  • I’m Not Doing More in September. I’m Making My Visibility Work Harder

    I’m Not Doing More in September. I’m Making My Visibility Work Harder
    2026/08/31

    What if growing your business doesn’t require creating more content, launching another offer, or spending even more time on social media?

    In this episode of Social Media Decoded, marketing strategist and entrepreneur Michelle Thames shares why she’s approaching September differently. Instead of doing more, she’s focusing on making the visibility, content, relationships, and platforms she has already built work harder.

    After years of building her personal brand, podcast, email list, local visibility, speaking opportunities, partnerships, events, and community, Michelle is shifting from constant creation to leverage.

    She breaks down what has actually moved her business forward—and why relationships, follow-up, community, strategic partnerships, and a connected visibility ecosystem often create more opportunities than simply posting more.

    If you're an entrepreneur who feels like you're constantly creating but not getting enough business from your visibility, this episode will help you rethink your strategy.

    In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
    • Why doing more isn't always the answer to business growth
    • The difference between being busy and building momentum
    • What has actually created opportunities in Michelle's business
    • Why relationships are an essential part of a visibility strategy
    • How Michelle is batching her podcast and content to create more freedom
    • How to repurpose one idea across multiple marketing channels
    • Why email marketing needs to do more than promote your offers
    • How to turn podcasting into a larger authority-building strategy
    • Why speaking opportunities need a clear next step
    • How strategic partnerships can expand your reach faster than building alone
    • Why Michelle is investing more deeply in community
    • How to create a visibility ecosystem that connects your content, email, podcast, events, offers, and relationships
    • Why entrepreneurs should focus on leverage instead of constantly adding more
    The September Shift: From More to Leverage Michelle's focus for September is simple:

    Stop automatically adding more. Start leveraging what already works.

    That means batching content instead of reinventing it every day.

    Nurturing an existing email list instead of only chasing new followers.

    Following up with relationships instead of constantly looking for new contacts.

    Turning podcast episodes into emails, social media content, speaking points, and community conversations.

    Being more selective about events, collaborations, and speaking opportunities.

    And creating a business that doesn't require the founder to be online every minute for the business to keep growing.

    Because sometimes growth isn't addition.

    Sometimes growth is leverage.

    Join the Conversation Michelle wants to hear from you.

    If you're listening on Spotify, finish this sentence in the episode comments:

    “In September, I'm no longer __________.”

    What are you simplifying, eliminating, or refusing to force in your business?

    If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, leave a review and share your answer there.

    Join Connected & Paid If you're ready to become more intentional about your visibility, relationships, implementation, and business growth without trying to figure everything out alone, join Michelle inside Connected & Paid.

    Connected & Paid is a community for ambitious women who want to become more visible, build meaningful relationships, create opportunities, and turn their expertise into a business that works.

    DM Michelle the word CONNECTED to learn more.

    Key Takeaway You may not need another platform.

    You may not need another offer.

    You may not need more content.

    You may not even need more followers.

    You may need to make what you've already built work harder.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    19 分
  • Stop Creating From Scratch: How to Build Visibility Without Burning Out with Katelyn Rhoades

    Stop Creating From Scratch: How to Build Visibility Without Burning Out with Katelyn Rhoades
    2026/08/30
    What if growing your business online didn’t require creating brand-new content every single day? In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames sits down with creator, educator, agency owner, and Call Her Creator podcast host Katelyn Rhoades for a real conversation about visibility, content systems, creator confidence, and building a business that doesn’t depend on one platform or one income stream. Katelyn shares how she went from working a traditional marketing job to building an online audience, launching a social media agency, growing a podcast, creating digital products, landing brand partnerships, and developing her Visibility Vault. But the biggest lesson? You don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel to stay visible. Michelle and Katelyn break down how repeatable content frameworks, recognizable branding, strategic repurposing, strong hooks, carousels, email marketing, and documenting your real life can help you become memorable without burning yourself out trying to create something new every day. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: How Katelyn used social media visibility to leave her job and build her own businessWhy consistently showing up online can create opportunities you never expectedHow to stop putting pressure on yourself to create completely new content every dayWhy content frameworks and repeatable templates can actually make you more creativeHow recognizable branding helps people remember your contentWhy your best-performing content should be repurposed instead of abandonedHow Katelyn reviews 30-, 60-, and 90-day content performance to decide what to create nextWhy people probably didn’t see your content the first time you posted itHow to use carousels strategically with stronger hooks, value, and calls to actionWhy documenting your real life can sometimes connect better than highly polished contentHow visibility helped Katelyn land opportunities including Forbes, podcast sponsorships, speaking, and brand workWhy being good at what you do isn’t enough if nobody knows you existHow showing up online can strengthen your confidence as an entrepreneurWhy follower count shouldn’t determine whether you start pitching yourself or sharing your expertiseHow email can create deeper relationships when you stop treating every message like a marketing campaignWhy entrepreneurs should build multiple streams of incomeHow Katelyn currently monetizes through agency services, creator partnerships, podcasting, digital products, memberships, and the Visibility VaultWhy building an email list, podcast, or other owned audience matters if social media disappearsHow authenticity will become even more valuable as AI-generated content becomes more common Stop Reinventing the Wheel One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is that consistency doesn’t mean creating something completely different every day. Look at what’s already working. Repurpose it. Turn it into a series. Update the hook. Change the example. Use the same framework again. Your audience probably hasn’t seen everything you’ve already created—and recognizable content can actually strengthen your personal brand. The goal isn’t to constantly surprise people with a completely different version of yourself. The goal is to become recognizable enough that people know your content before they even see your name. Visibility Creates Opportunities Katelyn’s story is proof that visibility can open doors you couldn’t have planned for. Her decision to consistently share what she knew online ultimately helped create opportunities including growing a large audience, launching an agency, starting a podcast, landing media exposure, working with brands, speaking, and creating multiple revenue streams. Michelle and Katelyn also discuss an important truth for anyone who has been hiding: Someone with less experience or expertise may be receiving opportunities simply because they are willing to consistently show people what they know. You don’t want to become your industry’s best-kept secret. Build Beyond Social Media Instagram may be an important visibility tool, but it shouldn’t be your entire business. This episode also explores why creators and entrepreneurs should build an ecosystem that includes channels such as: Social mediaEmailPodcastingYouTubePRDigital productsServicesBrand partnershipsCommunity The more ways people can discover, learn from, and stay connected to you, the less dependent your business becomes on any single algorithm. About Katelyn Rhoades Katelyn Rhoades is a creator, educator, entrepreneur, social media agency owner, and host of the Call Her Creator podcast. She also created the Visibility Vault, a collection of tried-and-tested Canva templates, captions, and plug-and-play resources designed to help creators stay visible without starting from scratch every time they post. Her approach combines content strategy, visibility systems, confidence, authenticity, and practical tools that help ...
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    38 分
  • Visibility Without a Strategy Won’t Pay You

    Visibility Without a Strategy Won’t Pay You
    2026/08/25
    Getting more views, followers, and attention on social media does not automatically mean you’re building a profitable business. In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames breaks down the four stages of visibility every entrepreneur, creator, and personal brand needs to understand: Being seen. Being known. Being trusted. Being paid. Michelle shares what she has learned firsthand after generating millions of views, creating local content that has reached hundreds of thousands of people, attracting brand opportunities, and watching her content open doors for both her business and the businesses she features. The biggest lesson? A viral video is not a business strategy. It’s an attention event. If your visibility doesn’t lead people somewhere, you may be getting attention without creating revenue. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why more followers may not be the solution to your business growth problemThe difference between being seen and actually becoming knownHow positioning helps people associate your name with a specific problem, solution, or expertiseWhy constantly posting random content can actually confuse your audienceHow to build trust through consistency, case studies, stories, results, and showing how you thinkWhy your audience needs proof before they are ready to buyHow to turn social media visibility into clients, partnerships, speaking opportunities, and revenueWhy every piece of attention needs a clear destinationHow to create a visibility ecosystem using social media, podcasts, email marketing, events, offers, and communityThe four questions you should ask when auditing your current personal brand and content strategy Michelle also shares how her recent return to content creation has helped her rethink her own business ecosystem and why the ultimate goal is not simply going viral. The goal is becoming known by the right people, trusted for the right thing, and paid for the value you provide. The 4 Stages of Visibility 1. Seen: People discover you. 2. Known: People begin associating you with a specific topic, solution, or expertise. 3. Trusted: Your content, experience, results, stories, and consistency give people a reason to believe you can help them. 4. Paid: Your visibility leads to a clear offer, opportunity, client, partnership, product, service, event, or community. If people are watching your content but you’re struggling to turn that attention into business, this episode will help you identify exactly where the disconnect may be. Join Connected & Paid Connected & Paid is where Michelle is helping women actually build this muscle. Inside the community, women entrepreneurs and professionals are learning how to become more visible, strengthen their positioning, build strategic relationships, create opportunities, follow up, make the ask, and ultimately turn visibility into revenue. If you’ve been thinking: “People are watching me, but I’m not making enough money.” or “I know I’m good at what I do, but I’m not known for it yet.” Connected & Paid was created to help you bridge that gap. Check the links in the show notes to learn more about Connected & Paid and connect with Michelle before joining. Your Visibility Audit After listening, ask yourself: Can people see me? Do people know me for something specific? Have I given people enough evidence to trust me? Is there an obvious way for people to pay me? Because visibility without a next step is just attention. Share This Episode Know an entrepreneur who keeps saying, “I just need more followers”? Send them this episode. You may not need a bigger audience. You may need a better strategy for moving the audience you already have from: Seen → Known → Trusted → Paid. If you’re listening on Spotify, answer the episode question: Which stage are you in right now: seen, known, trusted, or paid? And if the episode helped you, share it to your Instagram Stories, tag Michelle, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. About Social Media Decoded Social Media Decoded helps entrepreneurs, creators, and business owners understand what it actually takes to build visibility, grow a recognizable brand, create meaningful relationships, and turn their online presence into business opportunities. Hosted by marketing and visibility strategist Michelle Thames, the show goes beyond simply posting on social media and explores the strategy behind becoming known, trusted, connected, and paid. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    16 分
  • I Lost Clients, Went Back to Creating Content, and Rebuilt My Business

    I Lost Clients, Went Back to Creating Content, and Rebuilt My Business
    2026/08/19

    What happens when business slows down, clients leave, and you have to figure out how to become visible again?

    In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames shares the real story behind her recent business rebuild, her return to content creation, and the visibility strategy that helped create more than 2.1 million video views in roughly 90 days.

    Michelle breaks down how going back to being a creator changed everything—from local viral content and increased brand visibility to paid partnerships, sponsorship conversations, brand deals, travel opportunities, and new business opportunities.

    This is not an episode about chasing virality.

    It is about learning how to become known.

    Michelle shares what she learned from losing clients, rebuilding her business, creating content without constantly selling, and using social media visibility to create real-world opportunities.

    In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
    • Why disappearing during a slow business season can hurt your growth
    • How Michelle generated 2.1M+ video views through organic content
    • Why shares and saves can matter more than vanity metrics
    • How local content helped create brand deals and paid opportunities
    • Why every piece of content does not need to sell an offer
    • The difference between going viral and becoming known
    • How strong positioning turns visibility into business opportunities
    • Why your existing skills may be the key to your next business chapter
    • How to use social media content to create leverage when pitching brands
    • What to do when you are rebuilding your business and questioning your next move
    Key Takeaway The strategy is not going viral. The strategy is becoming known.

    When people understand who you are, what you do, and what you should be known for, visibility can lead to referrals, brand partnerships, clients, speaking opportunities, collaborations, and revenue.

    Mentioned in This Episode Michelle shares recent social media results including:
    • 2.1M+ video views
    • 28K+ shares
    • 17K+ saves
    • Multiple videos reaching more than 100K views
    • Paid brand and business collaborations
    • Sponsorship opportunities
    • Travel and hospitality partnerships
    • Increased local visibility and recognition
    Your Visibility Homework Ask yourself:

    What do I want people to know me for?

    Then look at your content and ask whether your current social media presence reinforces that message.

    If not, that may be the visibility gap holding your brand back.

    Work With Michelle If you are posting consistently but your social media presence is not creating opportunities, Michelle’s Visibility Audit can help you identify what is unclear, what is hurting your positioning, and where you should focus next.

    Find the Visibility Audit and additional resources in the links associated with this episode.

    Connect With Michelle Follow Michelle Thames for more on:

    Social media marketing
    Content creation
    Personal branding
    Visibility strategy
    Brand partnerships
    Entrepreneurship
    Local marketing
    Creator strategy
    Building a recognizable brand

    Subscribe to Social Media Decoded on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss an episode.

    If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with an entrepreneur who is rebuilding, pivoting, or ready to become more visible.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    23 分
  • Why My Hidden Gem Videos Actually Work (It’s Not the Food)

    Why My Hidden Gem Videos Actually Work (It’s Not the Food)
    2026/08/10

    Why do some local business videos generate thousands of views, shares, comments, and real customers while others barely get noticed?

    In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames breaks down the strategy behind her viral Hidden Gem videos and explains why their success has very little to do with food. From storytelling and curiosity to local pride, community sharing, strong hooks, and audience trust, Michelle reveals what actually makes people stop scrolling, pay attention, and take action.

    More importantly, this episode isn't just for restaurants or local businesses. Michelle explains how entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, creators, and service providers can use the same principles to build authority and become known for their expertise.

    Because going viral isn't the strategy.

    Becoming known is.

    In This Episode, You'll Learn:
    • Why curiosity is one of the most powerful tools in content marketing
    • How Michelle creates hooks that make people stop scrolling
    • Why storytelling works better than constantly promoting your business
    • How local pride helps content generate organic shares and conversations
    • Why the business owner—not the creator—should be the hero of the story
    • How years of audience trust impact content performance
    • The difference between getting views and generating real customer action
    • How to turn one piece of content into part of a larger visibility ecosystem
    • Why documenting your expertise builds more authority than simply calling yourself an expert
    • How women entrepreneurs over 40 can turn their experience into a visibility advantage
    • Michelle's five-part content framework: Curiosity, Story, Value, Emotion, and Action
    The Bigger Visibility Lesson

    You don't need everyone on the internet to know your name.

    You need the right people to know exactly what to call you for.

    Instead of constantly asking, "What should I post today?" start asking:

    What do I want to become known for?

    Then create content that provides evidence of your expertise.

    Join the Conversation

    Michelle wants to hear from you.

    If you're listening on Spotify, leave a comment answering:

    What do YOU want to become known for?

    If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, leave a review and answer the same question. Your response may even inspire a future episode of Social Media Decoded.

    Ready for Your Visibility Breakthrough?

    If you're great at what you do but feel like not enough of the right people know about you, Michelle's Visibility Breakthrough Session is designed to help you change that.

    Together, you'll look at your positioning, expertise, content, current visibility, and opportunities to determine how you can become more recognizable to the people who matter to your business.

    Send Michelle a DM with the word BREAKTHROUGH to learn more.

    Key Takeaway

    Stop saying you're an expert. Start creating evidence.

    The goal isn't simply to make viral content. The goal is to consistently create content that builds trust, demonstrates your expertise, strengthens relationships, and makes you unforgettable.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    17 分