Enjoy this episode & transcript below where Kimberly Spencer, Master NLP Mindset & Communications Coach and CEO of Communication Queens, interviews Optimal Health Coach, Podcaster, and Business Consultant, Jenn Trepeck.

What if your podcast could become your best marketing strategy — and your movement? 🎙️ In this episode, Kimberly Spencer chats with Jenn Trepeck, creator of Salad with a Side of Fries, on building a brand that converts through authenticity, boundaries, and storytelling. A must-listen for any Queen ready to amplify her voice and visibility.

FYI Transcripts may contain a few typos. With many episodes lasting 30-minutes, it can be difficult to catch minor errors. Enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Castbox, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform.

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Kimberly Spencer (00:00)

Jenn with Salad with a Side of Fries. Welcome to the Communication Queen podcast.

 

Jenn Trepeck (00:08)

Thank you, thank you. I'm so excited to be here.

 

Kimberly Spencer (00:11)

I'm so excited to have you, because I saw you at Podcast Movement last year in March talking about pitching. And then we received one of your extraordinary pitches to be on the show. And I was like, hell, yes.

 

Jenn Trepeck (00:27)

Well, it's so funny because when you said something, I was like, man. Like, I, that whole talk was about DIY PR, right? Do it yourself, earned media, paid media, right? And this is what you do. So now, you know, I was like, my God, did we do all the things? Did we say all the right things?

 

Kimberly Spencer (00:46)

You totally did. Nailed the pitch, nailed the takeaways. It was great. And you totally practiced what you preach.

 

Jenn Trepeck (00:54)

Well, thank you. That is one of the things I pride myself on for sure.

 

Kimberly Spencer (00:59)

Now you've had Salad with a Side of Fries for several years now and you're a top top podcaster. like you're you're doing extraordinary. What has having a podcast at that level done for you? And was it always the goal for it to grow to being a top ranked podcast?

 

Jenn Trepeck (01:07)

Thank you.

 

Yeah. So first of all, the show was called Salad with a Side of Fries. The show really launched August of 2019. So we're coming up on five years. So I had built my health coaching practice on the

 

side of working full time.

 

And I knew I was leaving my full-time job, and I'd gotten into listening to podcasts. And I remember being like, I could do this. So I did. But it was me in my apartment with a microphone and this idea. Now, I did have somebody teach me how to do this, because I had started doing the whole, like, I'm going to figure it out on YouTube thing. And then I realized very quickly that I could spend till the end of time trying to figure out what microphone I'm supposed to buy.

 

Right. So I was like, this is not how I roll. We're going to get this done. So I hired someone to teach me what to do. so literally launched the show in a matter of a couple of weeks. And at first, it was more a function of that. I didn't know what to do with free time. Like I was used to having a full time job and my health coaching practice. And I was like, we'll see what happens. And I had been health coaching since

 

like late 2007. So the branding of my health coaching stuff versus the branding of the podcast were really from like two different eras. And so when the branding of the show really was memorable for people and took hold, I ended up rebranding everything into the podcast, which was never the intention at the start.

 

But as many serial entrepreneurs do, right, like we own 35 URLs, right? So I always knew that like

 

I call it internet real estate.

 

Exactly. And so I had owned a few. Salad with a Side of Fries was not one of them, but I had owned a few knowing that like there was other branding out there that fit with me. And so it wasn't a total surprise to rebrand everything under the podcast, but

 

It wasn't the intention when I started. And even in developing the show, I started to realize that it could fit into all the rest of the work that I do with clients. And so if we think about sort of that proverbial marketing funnel, right? For me, Salad with a Side of Fries is the top of that funnel.

 

Right. The bottom of that funnel is working with me as their health coach. Whether it's one on one or, you know, small group cohort coaching. But so the podcast became the top of this funnel. And then even. And we can talk about this, but like in time, I added a podcast membership. So, you know, small dollar amount on a monthly basis to get a little bit more. Right. And then that.

 

created the next tier of the funnel. And so it really helped to flesh out my practice in a way that I didn't even realize I wanted based on what my practice, because it really all worked on referral. And so having that quote unquote, like marketing funnel almost wasn't as necessary for years. But having the podcast created a way to build it out effortlessly.

 

Kimberly Spencer (04:38)

And that's the thing that I've noticed with podcast guesting specifically, when anybody applies for our agency, if they have that word of mouth referrals are their number one source of lead generation, I'm like podcast guesting is gonna work for you great. yes. Whether it's choosing to have your own podcast eventually, or you've had your own podcast, or you don't even want your own podcast, but you want to guest because podcasts grow by word of mouth. And so those who do really well with word of mouth advertising, like that's...

 

That's your secret sauces with the podcast.

 

Jenn Trepeck (05:09)

Absolutely. as you know, podcast guesting is a fundamental piece of my own growth strategy, not just for my practice, but also, frankly, primarily for the show. And it's fundamental to even the in-person offline business growth that we do, because every podcast interview turns into content we can use. The better we get.

 

and answering those questions and giving those sound bites at communicating everything we do very succinctly. And in a way where somebody says, yes, that's me, I identify and I'm in on that. Right, it helps us in our networking. And the other thing that I do is in my networking for my business and all these other things, I also tell people how to use my podcast to refer me.

 

So I tell them, listen to an episode, send it to someone you think of and say, heard this and thought of you. By the way, I know her if you want an introduction, especially with what I do in the health coaching space, you're not going to. And for people listening, my specialty is weight management. I also do a lot in metabolic health and cardiovascular health and blood sugar balance. But for the most part, you're not going to walk up to someone and be like, you know what you need?

 

You need to lose a few and here's the person to call. Right? So the podcast becomes the simplest, easiest way to respond to someone when you're out to dinner and they're complaining they tried on seven things to get up, you know, before they could get out of the house or what? It's like heard this and thought of you, by the way, I know her if you want an introduction. And that phrase, by the way,

 

works for every single thing that any of us do.

 

Kimberly Spencer (07:02)

100%. And that's also, it positions people in the space of the go-giver and where they're giving something of value upfront beforehand, before ever you actually have that touch point with the person who could be a potential prospect, sale, et cetera. Like it allows you to have that value and especially with how much value you deliver on your podcast, like.

 

between the recipes and the quality of the guests that you have, like there is epic amounts of value in each episode. And I'm curious, when you started leveraging your podcast as a referral tool, did you have a strategy or templates behind how you used it to refer you beyond that script? Like,

 

Say for example, like somebody was struggling with like metabolic health or cardio, you had like, here's your list of five podcast episodes or the top three that would be the best ones for people struggling with that.

 

Jenn Trepeck (08:00)

Yeah, in time, I've created and I end up promoting this more on social media than using it in that networking piece, but created even playlists of my own episode. Right. So here's. Top five to start with on this piece, you know, or depending on what somebody is struggling with. So it becomes another marketing tool to do that.

 

But my objective, and when I close someone, it's really a function of that conversation and that rapport. So what happens when they start with listening to an episode, they don't even need three or five. If they do, they will on their own keep listening and keep clicking. But the truth is what's happened is that it's shortened the sales cycle.

 

Because by the time they call me, if they've listened, they already know they wanna work with me. I'm now just getting to know them, but they know me. They've already made a decision. And so you almost like, yes, I've created those playlists, but it's almost unnecessary because they've already made a decision based on listening that they wanna work with me or you.

 

And then it's just the details and it's really more about us now getting to know them and giving the logistics and the fine print of how this works.

 

Kimberly Spencer (09:33)

Yeah, yeah, that's what I've totally noticed with having a podcast for nearly about the same amount of time is that the clients who don't enroll immediately or people who are on the fence or in that interested place, they immediately start listening to the podcast. And so you get in their head, you get in their ear, like you just, start to see how you think and it builds an intimacy relationship in their mind, which is really powerful. mean, I've had

 

conversations with people who have turned into clients, where initially as soon as we get on the call, like they start crying. And I'm like, what happened? And it's like, it's amazing. And it's just like, I just so related to this episode and it's so great to meet you in person. And I'm like, I never had anyone fangirl over me the first time it really threw me.

 

Jenn Trepeck (10:20)

Well, the best, so even beyond the fan girls, I love the haters. When I get the people on social media or wherever who take time out of their day to send or say something nasty, I'm like, my God, like they think I'm worth wasting their time on.

 

Kimberly Spencer (10:43)

I think the same thing too when it comes to haters. Okay, I'm alone.

 

Jenn Trepeck (10:46)

about a of

 

right? No. It's one of those things where like, first of all, you're spending a lot of effort and energy in the fuming that is coming from whatever is happening. But it's one of those where it's like, wait, I'm getting out there to people to a point where it has reached people who I'm not a fit for, right?

 

There's something to that. And frankly, everything we're talking about is about visibility, right? And learning to be comfortable with that visibility.

 

Kimberly Spencer (11:20)

How do you get comfortable with it?

 

Jenn Trepeck (11:22)

Yeah, well. So a lot of my work comes from my own story. I call it a saga because I feel like the word journey like doesn't do it justice. And so for years in my practice with clients like they knew my story, but I didn't publicly talk about it. I didn't talk about it on social media. I really didn't build my health coaching practice with social media at all.

 

And so when it came to the podcast, was like, I now have to, if I want this show to grow, if I want this to be something, I have to create a social media presence for this brand and who I am as a health coach, not just who I was in my personal life. And then my clients knew this other side of me. And so,

 

in the beginning, it was really just in various podcast episodes, I would share pieces of my story. And in guesting on other people's podcasts, I shared my story and more and more people started to hear it. And so I just got more and more comfortable with people in my life knowing that other piece that I had maybe, you know, sort of

 

Bury is the wrong word, but just compartmentalized and shared when it was relevant versus with everyone.

 

And so it was a piece of kind of ripping the bandaid off, but also realizing that a podcast and the visibility and what we're creating in that is so much bigger than me and whatever makes me a little bit uncomfortable. And the feedback that I was getting from listeners as the show was growing also helped encourage me to share more.

 

Kimberly Spencer (13:09)

That's, mean, the Sharing your story piece is so relevant. And I learned this early, early, early on in my first business at 19 years old teaching Pilates. And when I found that I could just convert more people into training with me by just being really honest and transparent about my eating disorder, my struggles with weight, my struggles with like, I'd never found anything that I'd really enjoyed.

 

Exercise used to be an exercise-induced asthmatic, and then I found Pilates. And that was something that I taught and had a studio for a decade. like that piece, I had so many clients come to me because they would be vacillating between me or some other coach who'd been doing personal training for life and never had a problem with their weight. And they would choose me because of my story.

 

And I found that to be consistently true is that people have, the story is such a differentiator in that final buying piece of the decision.

 

Jenn Trepeck (14:11)

Right, 100%. And that's why every time I have a guest on my show, and for a lot of my guests, their story leads into their work and the topic of whatever we're going to talk about. But I always start with, tell us your story. Like, how did you end up here? You know, and that's really too, for me, and I think it's more than just the wellness space.

 

that that's connected.

 

but it helps bring people with you. And as I'm working with other people to become health coaches, you know, lot of people can get really uncomfortable saying, well, I'm not there. I'm not at quote unquote goal or whatever that is. And the truth is there is so much value in someone being able to see themselves in you that they don't need the person who can't relate. They want

 

him see that by seeing you, they see what's possible for them.

 

Kimberly Spencer (15:10)

Yeah.

 

That's 100 % what my TED Talk was on.

 

Jenn Trepeck (15:13)

Yes, exactly.

 

Kimberly Spencer (15:14)

TED Talk right there. Your story has the power to really show. So tell us your story. Like what unlocked this desire to serve people in the health space with your saga?

 

Jenn Trepeck (15:30)

Yeah.

 

Right. So it started with my saga. I grew up a dancer. I was like the skinny one. And I never had a quote unquote issue until between high school and college. So when I started to gain weight, I was like, OK, well, I know what to do because I watched everybody do this my whole life.

 

And I did every diet under the sun, like gaining and losing, like living on that roller coaster. And I went to University of Michigan, graduated, moved to New York. It was kind of fall after I graduated, working full time in a marketing agency, and our family was planning our annual family vacation.

 

and I had to go into the computer system to request the time off. And it hit me like an anvil that I was requesting permission for access to my own time.

 

And I was like, okay, I don't know what I'm going to do. I just know I'm not going to work for somebody else for the rest of my life.

 

And I went out looking for things to do in my spare time with the intention of just taking that money and investing it.

 

Things that I found to do either logistically weren't feasible or sounded miserable or whatever it was. But in that process, I learned about the curriculum that I based my practice on. And at first, I heard about it and I was like, no, no, no, no. I don't need your thing, right? I knew everything. I had all the answers. It was the crazy roller coaster, but I didn't need whatever they had, right? I heard people who were following this approach and two things struck me.

 

One was that all these people were keeping the weight off.

 

And the second thing was this woman, I have no idea who she is. say this every time I say the story, if you are out there, please tell me this was you. So hearing this story, she removed like 150 pounds and it kept it off. And I'm staring at her and I can't see where 10 pounds could have been on this woman's body.

 

And literally everything she said after that, I didn't hear because I'm stuck in my own head of like, I can't see where 10 pounds could have been on this woman's body. She's telling me the equivalent of another human was attached to her. You know, and I like can't wrap my head around it. And I have this moment with myself that was like, Jennifer, they know something you don't know because with everything you know, that doesn't make any sense. And so I worked with a coach.

 

followed the curriculum, completely changed my life. Like the only thing that allowed me to say I'd kick my food issues.

 

And I was like, everybody deserves this information. Like it felt like to me, the nutrition education, we're all supposed to know and no one ever taught us. And then I was like, well, why isn't this what we learned? And where did all of that stuff come from? And I became a health coach and an insatiable student. And I read every book and went to every seminar and workshop I could get my hands on. And...

 

started working with clients outside of my full-time job because I believe that everybody fundamentally deserves this information. It is fundamentally human, and yet we're all expected to know it. But what we were taught is not based on biology or anatomy or health. It was all based on economics.

 

Yeah. So it was just this mission that was coming from inside of me. So I built this practice on the Side for 12 years. And then I was leaving my full time job and truth be told, I was potentially even going to start a podcast about completely other things. And then it was like, well, kind of makes more sense if it all fits together. You know, and.

 

It really is like the mission of everything I do is about changing the state of healthcare and empowering people to reclaim control of their health. And that's what the show is. That's what Salad with a Side of Fries is. It is health and balance and living your life and enjoying life and having your health too. Not eat things that are only green and live in a bubble.

 

Kimberly Spencer (19:33)

Yes,

 

yes, 100%. And I love that. And the other thing that I love that you mentioned is that you're an insatiable student. And one of the things having listened to your podcast and like devoured it, it was delicious. I love your recipes, by the way. And the fact that you give recipes, I think that that's just brilliant. I told my husband who's got a cooking show, like, you should model this. Like just have a recipe in your podcast. So he has a podcast. And I was like,

 

But one of the things that's constant feedback that I saw in all of your reviews as well was that you are very well researched. And having spoken and been on lots of podcasts, the more the higher up in the rankings that you go and the larger your podcast becomes, and quite frankly, after you get past 150, 200 episodes, like there's only so many times that you can hear someone's story versus.

 

There comes a point where you actually want someone who's a master of their craft. And so what role has mastery played in not only your profession, but in who you source as guests?

 

Jenn Trepeck (20:34)

It's a great question. There's a great book called The Death of Expertise.

 

And if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

 

And essentially what it's saying is that we don't want to hear from experts anymore.

 

We want to hear from real people.

 

So with anyone who's a guest on my show, I do a pre-interview. And I ask them questions. And I basically do an interview that's not recorded because I want to know a couple of things. Number one, can they communicate in an audio-only format? I think everybody learned from Clubhouse during the pandemic. That's not so easy. So I want to make sure that they can communicate in audio-only.

 

that they are compelling. So by the way, I do that pre-interview as a phone call for a reason.

 

The second piece that I'm looking for is also how do they answer questions? Are they able to take something? And this is one of the things that I work really hard to be able to do, but I also think it's one of my superpowers is to take something that's of complicated and then convey it in a way that we can all understand it, where it's tangible and actionable. So that's another piece is

 

Are they talking in sort of like, and I love a good sound bite, but with that, are they talking in these like trite phrases or are they actually able to give something tangible and actionable? Because one of my pet peeves in the wellness podcast space was that people would for 45 minutes, tell me what they were gonna tell me. And then we get to the end of the episode and they're like, so pay me and I'll give you the actual answer.

 

Right. Yeah. Right. So crazy. Yeah. So I'm big on making sure that in listening, somebody has value that they can take action on, because I believe if you give all of that for free, people will connect the dots and say, well, wait a minute. What do I get when it's not free?

 

So with my own expertise and my own learning, it's about how do we turn this into something that is relatable, tangible, actionable, that we can all understand? Like there are some very complicated things that happen in the body, right? How can we explain it in a way where, you know, my nephew could actually understand what we're saying. Whether or not he cares is different, but he could understand it, right?

 

And then the same thing with the people that I interview, it's, you know, can we make sure that we are providing real value, that you can communicate this, that we're not gonna end up with the same conversation as you have on every other show and or that it's not the same conversation that my listeners have heard. And yet, I also believe that giving someone this platform

 

that I've built, that you've built, right? When you have a show and you've created this community and this platform, offering that to someone is not just a gift, but an inherent endorsement. And so there are some very, very, very big names that have reached out to me to be guests on the show that I have said no to because I fundamentally disagree with their approach or the product that they're trying to sell.

 

And if I can't stand behind it.

 

I can't give that platform.

 

Kimberly Spencer (23:54)

such a valuable nugget right there because of that inherent endorsement. And that's one of the reason guys like why podcast guesting is so valuable. When you go on, are naturally by proximity positioned as the expert.

 

As somebody and The podcaster is therefore endorsing your expertise and what it is that you do and that's why it is something to be valued and respected and also understood that if the values don't match, then that's why it's a no and that's okay. like.

 

Jenn Trepeck (24:34)

And by that token too, like if we don't vibe, their audience isn't gonna vibe with me either.

 

Kimberly Spencer (24:41)

same.

 

Jenn Trepeck (24:43)

Right? Like I have also been on some shows that I've been quote unquote interviewed, but barely said 10 words in the entire half hour.

 

And so there are some people who then come into my sort of universe from that.

 

But it also allows us to say, like, if we don't vibe and the listeners are showing up for that vibe, then, like, I don't think they're going to enjoy what I'm throwing out there. And that's OK. Mm-hmm.

 

Kimberly Spencer (25:17)

Now, what is the difference between not vibing and having a somewhat differing, perhaps polarizing perspective, not polarizing for the sake of like just creating disruption, but a different perspective that you allow for educational debate questioning on? Because I know that I've gone on podcasts, especially for high achieving business owners. I've said things like productivity is intimately tied with courage.

 

And sometimes the greatest thing that you can do for your high performing business is take a nap. And that takes a lot of courage to take a nap when you're so used to being the doer. And I've had podcasters go like, wait, what? And I'm like, there's the polarizing perspective, take a nap. Versus the, know, obviously vehement.

 

polarizing, you know, opposite ends of the spectrum, where I do think there is value to showing how that conversation could be had. It's not necessarily on your podcast, but I do know of other podcasts that do value having a conversation of Socratic dialogue and differing opinions. ⁓ How do you make that delineation?

 

Jenn Trepeck (26:20)

1000%.

 

There's sort of a few pieces to that. When I am interviewed on somebody else's podcast and they sort of disagree with something I'm sharing, I'm happy to have that healthy debate or conversation. I have created my show such that people aren't showing up to me for that.

 

And so I put it in the category of delivering for my audience what they're expecting and what they're looking for. If it is going to be a conversation where we don't necessarily agree and we are coming at this from different sides of the equation, then I'm gonna preface it with that. I'm going to title it as such so that people know what to expect. But...

 

I believe that's not what people show up to my show for. And...

 

in designing Salad with a Side of Fries to be what it is. One of the things that was really important to me is that it not feed into.

 

all of these same 85 conflicting opinions in wellness that leaves people confused. And so I am fundamentally, if an episode is not clearing up confusion, but creating it, it doesn't belong in my show.

 

There are other shows, even things that I listen to, where they're having more of a debate or they are sort of in a dialogue around something. I love to go on those shows because I want to have those conversations. I've just created the platform and the space that's not that.

 

Kimberly Spencer (27:51)

that that's so necessary to understand the brand that you built and like what the brand that you've built stands for who you're for and especially since you're you're so clear on your brand and your audience and how you're serving your audience and if your audience is already coming to you confused with 85 different things that they need to do to stay healthy and keep the weight off and yet they still want to like enjoy life then that's the audience that you're you're

 

mission then is to then simplify it for that rather than it being like let's overcome complexify it. You know, let's make up a word here. Right. So that we can have that debate or I can get this great guest on or who has a huge reach.

 

Jenn Trepeck (28:33)

Exactly. And listen, like, I'd love to go on, Rogan. I want to debate that. Right. Like, let's talk about all the things that you preach. Right. Can we at least fundamentally agree that you are not every person on this planet? And what works for you is maybe not the best choice for Joe Schmo and middle America. Mm You know, like, I want to go have those conversations with Rogan. I just want to do it on his platform, not mine.

 

Kimberly Spencer (28:55)

And I love that you understand that. like, that's, mean, that's, It's no surprise to me as to why Salad with a Side of Fries is so successful. It's because you understand those brand branding boundaries. And I think what I've seen more often from female podcast hosts than male podcast hosts. And this is just in my experience is that female podcast hosts don't necessarily always have the clarity on boundaries because they want to please and say yes to whoever they have on their podcast. I have seen it with a few men, but

 

I like I can definitely say that I have been there where I was like, just yeah, sure. Okay, sure. You can come on my podcast. And then I'm like, no, that episode is not really a fit for my audience. ⁓

 

Jenn Trepeck (29:35)

And

 

I mean, I'm a stickler even for the words people use. So this is where like I have to go. Like my list, if somebody like I don't call things right or wrong, I don't call things good or bad. I don't tell people what they should do. I think I like actively avoid all of those words. And so there are a lot of guests who use that language. So I control myself in so far as.

 

Well, I wouldn't say it that way. Right. Like I don't necessarily call everybody out on that. I also have to pick my battles of the things that, you know, are my content in the way I approach things versus just the language they're using to communicating in order to communicate the piece, you know, that they're here to talk about. So that also makes the argument not every episode I have as an interview.

 

So half of my episodes are interviews, half of the episodes are what I call my content, where I still have somebody join me. It's typically a friend or a client or somebody, so that it's a dialogue and it's not just me yammering on. But that's where I get to share, here's the language I use and here's why I'm so specific about the language that we use. And I can address all of those things in other episodes.

 

Kimberly Spencer (30:52)

And I love that you're specific about the language, because I too don't use the words good or bad or right or wrong when it comes to food. Yeah, that's so important, because food has no morality. just, is what it is. It's fuel. But I your specificity of being clear on who you're speaking to so that they are receiving the message without the side of shame.

 

Jenn Trepeck (31:18)

Yes, love that, yeah, 100%.

 

Kimberly Spencer (31:22)

When did, Were you always this clear on who your audience was gonna be in the building of the brand of Salad with a Side of Fries or how has the brand evolved as you've come to grow and know your audience?

 

Jenn Trepeck (31:33)

In the description of my show that I wrote, day zero, right, and thinking through it, part of the premise of the show is clearing up misinformation, bad science and marketing and wellness. So I was always 100 % clear that this is about like clearing the fog, helping people move forward rather than having like that shiny object syndrome

 

of following everything and yet following nothing by extension.

 

I think as I'm thinking back, I've always had that like, this isn't a fit. Like when even in the first year of the show, people would try to suggest a guest and I would be like, hey, happy to have a conversation. And I remember a couple, like one was a comedian who happened to lose weight and it was like, cool, congrats. I'm thrilled for you. And this isn't who I'm looking to feature. Yeah. Or,

 

I get a lot of people who just wanna share their story.

 

of whatever they've done. And I was very clear from the beginning, not this show, because I had spent time listening to other shows in this category. And I wanted to remove the things that frustrated me about shows in this category and add things that I enjoyed from the podcast that I listened to. And so I was clear about what I wanted to create. I think I have gotten better over the years.

 

Kimberly Spencer (32:57)

Yeah, think that you get very clear very quick. As like for me, my big cue, especially with our Crown Yourself podcast, which is a top ranking podcast, I'm like, no, if you say you're into empowering women, but don't have any stats to back it up, not a fit. Like I'm good for you for empowering women, but like you have to have like data from a business or from something that you've done in philanthropy or whatever.

 

that shows that you've actually done the empowerment of women, not that you just stand for empowering women.

 

And it's, it's those delineations come with time. Can you walk me through how you shaped the brand and how the brand has evolved and how you have evolved as your brand has evolved as a business owner.

 

Jenn Trepeck (33:49)

Loaded question. So.

 

with a Side of Fries - The name of the podcast is where it started. Because it's literally what I eat all the time, you know, at one point I was going to call it French Fries and cookie dough, because those are two foods that I will never give up. And it was like, but that doesn't really tell people what they're going to get when they listen, you know. So. Salad with a Side of Fries.

 

is the approach, right? It says it all in there. Like when people ask me, what's the show about? I'm like, well, it's called Salad with a Side of Fries. You tell me first and then I'll say, right? Nine out of 10 know exactly what it is. So there was a piece of that where it was clear from the jump.

 

And then the part that has evolved is more about my conviction in that brand and how I show up as that brand.

 

Like now I sort of joke that like if I say Salad with a Side of Fries and somebody has never ordered that, I'm pretty sure we're not gonna vibe. Like if that doesn't make sense to you, that tells me enough of like, okay, we're gonna go down a different road in the conversation. Yeah. You know? So I think it's more that,

 

The brand has always been what it is. And I have grown in the conviction of what it is and standing in that in every aspect of my business. you know, like the Salad with a Side of Fries Instagram is, you know, taking off a wet sports bra counts as a workout. Like that is Salad with a Side of Fries, right? I'm very much in the.

 

education, edutainment space, as I call it. know, Salad with a Side of Fries is a little snarky, you know? Taking those liberties comes with time. And as people get to know what it's all about and that comes from consistency and consistency and consistency in the longevity.

 

Kimberly Spencer (35:50)

You said two of my favorite words that most business owners don't think. Like most business owners, know what, you know, they have the idea. you know, I think of a business, like starting a business is kind of like having your first love, like, right? Like you think of it kind of for the long-term, but not necessarily with the first love. Are you thinking through all the logistics of the long-term?

 

Do we value the same thing? This is like, who's gonna cook? But what you said with consistency, the consistency of showing up for the brand and allowing the brand to show up as it is and then like that allowing the deepening of the conviction and then the longevity of it, of just knowing that this is a relationship that you're gonna be in, not just with your brand, but with your audience who are really the ambassadors of your brand that you're gonna have that.

 

longevity and a long term relationship with them. And thus the relationship of with that audience that are your loyal fans, like that's more important than any big guests. And I've seen that consistently with top podcasters when they, are more loyal to their audience and their audience's needs than having some big fancy guests come on because they think it's going to be cool or good for their brand.

 

Jenn Trepeck (37:05)

also  in launching merch and doing all these things like I made myself a couple of T-shirts to wear at podcast conferences because. I've never been one for merch until podcast conferences where I was like, everybody is wearing stuff at their own show. I think I need it. So I made myself a couple of shirts and people were like, shirts?

 

And I was like, you guys want this? Like I was shocked. I was like, really? So then created merch. Like I have a lot of what we've added on.

 

has been driven by the response of throwing noodles at the wall in little ways that weren't giant grand commitments.

 

Kimberly Spencer (37:48)

And I think that that's such a great strategy, because sometimes people get down on themselves, and I have a few clients who've done this, for throwing the noodles at the wall. And I'm like, no, throw them. Really, truly see what sticks, but don't throw the whole bowl of spaghetti. Like toss one. Toss a couple. And just see what really lands. And I love that you threw the noodles, but they weren't big.

 

They weren't like a massive commitment of time, energy, resources. It's just like, let's test it, see how it goes.

 

Jenn Trepeck (38:19)

Right. And I think some of that is also in how you choose to execute, right? Like I was very clear, I'm not buying inventory. I'm not guessing people's sizes. I need a partner who can print on demand. So there's a little bit of thinking through the execution of all of those things so that it makes sense. Mm-hmm.

 

Kimberly Spencer (38:40)

Yeah, yeah. that it serves its purpose, but it also doesn't do you a disservice in taking time away as a business owner of multiple businesses. Jenn, I have loved our conversation. I always love to ask, what did you love about our conversation?

 

Jenn Trepeck (38:57)

First of all, I appreciate the questions that you ask, but also these moments that force us to pause and think back on what we've created and what we've done are not the moments that most of us cultivate on our own.

 

as business owners, as entrepreneurs, we go. We are full steam ahead. We are onto the next. And what I love about this conversation is that it forces the pause to reflect and think through and strategize because I fully believe that those who live at a world-class level learn from other people's mistakes and successes to shorten their own learning curve.

 

And so that's what you're creating and it forces us to pause and think through and even acknowledge the things that we've all done that we don't necessarily reflect on because we're always onto the next. So thank you.

 

Kimberly Spencer (39:50)

You're very welcome. And I am so appreciative that you took the time to reflect on the extraordinary brand that you've built with Salad with a Side of Fries and to walk us through the journey. I think that that's so powerful. And thank you so much. Jenn, how do we follow you? How do we work with you?

 

Jenn Trepeck (40:09)

Yeah, thank you, thank you. All social media, am at Jenn Trepeck J-E-N-N-T-R-E-P-E-C-K. Website is asaladwithasidafries.com. Pick your platform, send a message. Truly my favorite thing, 1,000 % is hearing from you. So seriously, send a message. It might take me a minute, but I promise I will reply. And let me know what resonated, what did you agree with, what did you not agree with? Like, let's have that conversation too. So please reach out.

 

Kimberly Spencer (40:38)

Oh, I love that, Jenn. And I love that you are down to have the conversations. And that's something that I just think is a testament to being a podcaster is like, we like having the conversations.

 

Jenn Trepeck (40:51)

Talking is our media, right? I have thought about a million blogs that I've never started because talking is my medium.

 

Kimberly Spencer (40:58)

Yep. Yep. Well, go listen and subscribe to Salad with a Side of Fries. Definitely if you are looking into weight management and you want to know how you can eat your Salad with a Side of Fries, which I do do on the weekends, especially with my kids. It is a game changer. Fries are delicious. And so I encourage you to listen. She is so well researched with this podcast. It is it is the guester top notch.

 

And it is an epic podcast for you to listen to and also learn from when you listen on how to build the wellness brand that Jenn has built with Salad with a Side of Fries. So with that, as always stand out and let your voice be heard.

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Ranked No.55 in the United States by Apple Podcasts for Marketing, within just one week of launching, and over 33,000 downloads in the first 5 months, the Communication Queen Podcast with Kimberly Spencer is on the fasttrack to becoming an industry GAMECHANGER, in supporting listeners to tell better stories, enhance their communication skills, and learn how to leverage getting booked on podcasts to grow their business.

From interviews with Top 100 Podcasters, to providing real-life storytelling coaching, and communication #quickies of bite-sized communication tips that you can start leveraging right away, to increase your authority and influence in your niche, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to level up their storytelling skills to serve + sell more in their business. To listen to any of our past episodes for free, check out this page.