Episode 6 - bonus
The truth about this launch… and it changed everything
What happens when the thing you’ve done a hundred times… suddenly stops working?
When your plan makes perfect sense, but you can’t move forward with it?
That’s what this final episode of the Launch Style Stories series is all about. I’m pulling back the curtain—not on someone else’s launch, but on mine. This is the one that took the longest. The one that broke things open. The one that recalibrated everything about how I coach, launch, and lead.
Spoiler: It wasn’t burnout. It wasn’t strategy. It wasn’t missing momentum. It was something deeper—and when I hit that wall, it changed everything.
This episode is both a closing chapter for this series and an opening into what’s now possible—because if you’ve ever felt like the traditional ways of launching are boxing you in, this is for you. I’m walking you through the moments that brought me to a halt, the real story behind this program, and how launch style isn’t just about what you do—it’s about how you move through the world.
We’re closing the loop on this series by going full-circle—right back to the heart of what Your Launch Style™ is really all about.
Here’s what I’m sharing in this episode:
[02:00] What made this launch so different (and why it took so long)
[04:59] The moment I hit the "truth wall"
[07:30] What I asked my community that helped unlock everything
[08:49] The real problem with most launch methods
[10:48] The four core elements that make up your unique launch style
[11:36] A fashion metaphor to help you finally understand strategy vs. tactics
[14:33] The truth about funnels vs. launches (and why most people get it wrong)
[17:00] The “meta moment” of launching a launch program while evolving your own launch style
Resources Mentioned:
Your Launch Style program: https://www.traciepatterson.com/yls
YLS Live Event: https://www.traciepatterson.com/yls-live-event
Listen to the full series: https://www.traciepatterson.com/launch-style-stories
🎧 Binge the series or come to the live event, but whatever you do—don’t try to force a strategy that doesn’t fit you anymore.
CREDITS
Music: ColourfulSounds
Podcast Editor: Maia McLachlan
Transcript
..., tracie: and your listening to
digital business, your way.
2
:Welcome to our special limited series.
3
:Launch style stories.
4
:In this series, we're diving deep into
the true stories behind launching what
5
:it's like to find your way, the hard way.
6
:And what happens when you finally
discover a launch style that fits.
7
:You'll hear from entrepreneurs who've been
through well, some miserable experiences.
8
:Those who are still figuring it out.
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:And those who found their groove and
finally feel like they're thriving.
10
:Because launching isn't one size fits all
and there's not only one way to do it.
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:And I believe it doesn't have to
feel like denying yourself to make
12
:money or just feel exhausting and
something that you have to get through.
13
:This series is all about exploring what
works, what doesn't And how you can
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:cut through the guesswork quicker to
find your way and your style sooner.
15
:So settle in because these stories
might just change the way you look
16
:at launching and your business.
17
:Hello.
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:Hello everyone, and well welcome back
to, a bit of a different episode.
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:It's, it's a, a more intimate
episode of launch style Stories.
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:'cause you see this one, it's,
it's not just a look behind
21
:the curtain, it's a moment.
22
:That really the curtain came down.
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:'cause throughout this series
we've talked with guests, coached
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:through roadblocks and shared what
it really looks like to launch in
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:a way that aligns with who you are.
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:But something has happened
during all of this creation and
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:preparation of your launch style.
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:And something has really like
clicked and changed in me.
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:So for this episode, I wanted to tell
you about the launch that took longer
30
:than any other I've ever done and why.
31
:At this point, I'm glad it did
because what unfolded became
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:more than a strategy shift.
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:It became a recalibration of how I
coach, how I lead, and how I see what's
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:possible for you and for this industry.
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:Yeah, Because I've really been
experimenting with this container and how
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:to bring the work from one-on-one that
I've done for years into group, and I've
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:been kind of playing with this for, I
don't know, probably over, over a year.
38
:Letting it breathe, talking it
through with others, working it out,
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:you know, just kind of tinkering
with all the pieces, right?
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:That's, that's part of my process.
41
:That's part of who I am.
42
:Some things go real quick, especially
teachings, other things like containers.
43
:Um, I just kinda let 'em percolate
and, and I pull these little pieces
44
:together and just kind of let 'em play.
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:But once it comes together.
46
:Right.
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:Once, once all that happens and after
life gets done interrupting and,
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:you know, do doing its ing once.
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:All that's sorted.
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:Oh, it's, it's go time and.
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:Things move lightning quick.
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:Right?
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:That's, that's the beauty of launch.
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:It's like, you know how to do it, you move
through it, you have these ways that you
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:enjoy and, or maybe you don't enjoy 'em.
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:Maybe they're just the ways that you
know how to do it and how to, kind
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:of be quote unquote successful.
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:Right.
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:So you, you go for it with, with
your timetables and, and off you pop.
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:Yeah.
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:And as I was doing it for this one.
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:It's, it's when I met my,
my old frenemy frustration.
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:Yes, frustration came a knocking
because the days turned to weeks.
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:That turned to months.
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:They ticked on as things just fell
apart, reschedules with, with guests
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:and with people that were, you know,
joining in and, and being a part of it.
67
:Right.
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:And in my own schedules and just things
that, that were kind of just collapsing,
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:, all, all around and all of this kind of.
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:Uh, broke apart and then came
back together, and then moved
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:around and, and then finally
everything was back on track again.
72
:And it was like, okay, just
some hiccups, just some bumps,
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:just some more life, being life.
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:And here we go again, right
back on track and I hit a wall.
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:Not a burnout wall, not an
overbooked calendar kind of wall.
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:More like, how do I say?
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:I don't know, like maybe a, a truth wall.
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:I, I'm not quite sure how
to label it, but, whew.
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:It was, it was a big and mighty wall.
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:I had this like, incredible body of
work that I'd been developing and
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:had, you know, created this, this.
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:Great container.
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:The bones of this group program that I'm
bringing, everybody, I'm excited about it.
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:The people are rallying around
it, and those that I'm talking to
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:about it are so excited and they're
like, oh my God, I can't wait.
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:You know, when, when is this coming at?
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:I'm so, yes, you know what?
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:Wherever you need me, I'm here.
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:I'm here.
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:Right.
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:There's all this kind of energy
moving, there's all this kind of fun
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:part, and yet, in the back end, every
time I sat down to move forward.
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:Something just kind of cracked.
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:You know, all of this was supposed to have
come out in January, and that's whenever
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:all the reschedule started and all the
days and all the weeks and all the time.
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:kept just like ticking by.
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:And, you know, some of it, of course,
I, I don't control, but that, that
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:was when I was like, you know what?
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:I'm just gonna have to release time.
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:I'm just gonna have to let this play out.
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:How it plays out.
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:Because the, the messaging,
the messaging felt fine.
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:The strategy, it was sound,
the structure was, was strong.
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:Right.
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:You know, the, the container
had cracked that code.
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:And after these things started to
smooth out and it was supposed to
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:be, you know, back, back on these
tracks again, that was when it was me.
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:I was frozen and I found myself sending
a voice note to a friend and just
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:being like, can you give me a pep talk?
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:I, I'm frozen.
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:My brain is firing, but
my feet aren't moving.
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:Right.
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:You know, have you been in that, in that
moment when it's like, I'm mentally, I'm
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:excited, but my body's not going anywhere.
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:That disconnect, you know?
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:' cause everything felt too big,
like I couldn't hold it anymore.
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:And that tension between knowing how
important this work is and actually
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:producing it, it was just too much.
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:We talked it out and I re-grounded
my central nervous system, and I
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:expanded into like a new level,
a new layer of safety around it.
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:But as I was giving that space to,
to settle into that, I, I, you know,
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:reached out again because voice is one
of the ways that I connect with people.
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:And I, I started to ask this question.
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:What's been the hardest
part of launching for you?
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:And reconnecting back to those
roots and hearing from you.
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:And I'll share what
some of you had to say.
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:Finding the energy, getting visibility
beyond my current audience, trying
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:to follow all the coaching roles, but
hating them, putting the pieces together,
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:the idea's there, but, uh, feel scary.
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:I never feel like I can
stay in my brilliance.
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:I feel smothered.
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:In reading those replies, I saw
pieces of myself and I saw you too.
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:' cause the truth is you can have
experience, strategy, past success
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:and still feel like none of
the current models fit anymore.
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:Right.
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:Because, you know, launching it's,
it's not the enemy, but the way
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:that we're commonly taught to do it.
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:Well that's where the problem is,
We're given high energy challenges and
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:funnels and launch formulas and these
rigid phases we're told to pick a side.
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:Right, to follow models.
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:Exactly.
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:If we want to succeed.
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:Everything feels so do or die.
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:And of course, like we're to
blame if it all goes wrong.
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:Like it's not more dynamic than that.
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:And like there's not so many moving parts.
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:There's no nuance, no
customization, there's no you.
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:But what if there was.
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:You know what, what if there were more
options in another way, like having
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:a structure that actually evolves with
you versus a strategy that boxes you in.
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:Right?
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:And, and that's what
I'd created for others.
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:But now, during this time, I was actually
living and experiencing it in real time.
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:During this launch, I was
experiencing the evolution of
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:my style changing in real time.
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:While I was actively launching,
it became even more like meta
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:than it already was, right?
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:I was already launching a launch program,
but now my launch style was evolving
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:while I was talking about launch styles.
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:So yeah, it, it, it became fun.
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:It became fun, right.
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:But one of the most common things that I,
I hear when coaching and even, you know,
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:when talking to all of you through this is
my launch performed great, but we didn't
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:hit this, but we had good results here.
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:But.
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:That, but that's the
duality of you and God.
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:Does that speak volumes?
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:' cause every profitable, sustainable
launch, it has core elements.
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:That have to work together.
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:And this is true across industry,
businesses, sizes, seasons of your life.
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:You know, from my consulting to my
current coaching to, to all of these,
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:these are the the four elements that
I have identified and pulled together
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:that has to fit your sales type, your
marketing platforms, your community
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:base, and your personal energy season.
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:' cause when these four sync up.
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:Launching doesn't feel like friction.
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:You're not fighting yourself anymore.
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:You're moving with not against, right?
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:And that's when the launch becomes
that growth engine that you're
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:dreaming of, that it's supposed
to be, versus an energetic drain.
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:And those buts, they leave your sentences.
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:There's a wholeness and what you
want to experiment with or to
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:tweak and change for the next one.
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:That brings on a whole new elevation
and energy without any desperation,
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:and it becomes so beautiful.
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:Right, and we can dig into this
a little bit more if I share.
187
:Probably like, like a metaphor
that you can kind of play with.
188
:Okay.
189
:Because, you know, launching it,
it's just another name for promotion.
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:Yeah.
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:You, you've heard me say that a
thousand times 'cause I, you know, I
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:really like to break free from a lot
of this jargon that gets thrown around.
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:And just like anything else, it's
made up of strategies and tactics.
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:Right.
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:So if you think of launching like
fashion, since we're talking about style,
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:might as well think of it like fashion.
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:Your strategy is your overall style.
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:Are you classic?
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:Are you edgy?
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:Are you boho?
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:Are you minimalist?
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:But your tactics, well, those are your
options to play with inside of your style.
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:Your jewelry, your shoes, your
jackets, your makeup, right?
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:So no matter the fashion strategy,
you have options to play with.
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:Yeah, same way.
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:No matter the launch style, you have
options to play with reels, webinars,
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:challenges, podcasts, emails, sales pages.
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:Right, but the one that you choose
or how you actually deliver it?
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:Well, that depends on
your strategic style.
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:Just like how an edgy jacket
doesn't look like a boho jacket,
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:but they both have a purpose.
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:They're both available.
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:They both bring structure
and they both add flare.
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:You pick what works with your style
and you get to mix and match them.
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:The vibe is always yours, right?
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:That's what your launch style does.
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:That's what this program is all about,
and that's what I was living in this
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:moment, on this day-to-day evolution.
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:I was, I was playing with my mixes
and matches and seeing what actually
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:started to fit me as I was evolving
while going through the process.
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:It doesn't limit choices.
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:It actually starts to make them easier.
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:So instead of wondering,
should I be doing a webinar?
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:Should I be doing reels?
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:Do I need challenges?
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:Do I need DM strategy?
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:Should I write 24 emails
or, or host summits?
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:You know what supports your style, which
makes your tactical decisions faster?
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:And of course then you get to
build that momentum and you get to
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:pick the tools that work for you.
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:Yeah.
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:Just like accessorizing with intention
and creating cohesion, you get to stop
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:copying somebody else's outfit and start
designing what makes you feel powerful.
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:Right.
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:You know, and here's another piece of
it that, commonly gets kind of misplaced
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:or, or I wouldn't even say that.
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:It's like a different nuance.
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:It's more like, like another piece of like
jargon busting that we can go ahead and
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:do while, while we're talking about it.
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:Because the same way I was saying,
you know, like we, we have these
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:different challenges, these different
funnels, these different formulas and
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:all this kind of stuff to play with.
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:That's another important part to,
um, kind of call out while, , while
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:we're talking about these, these
strategies and these tactics.
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:Yeah.
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:Because a launch is not
the same thing as a funnel.
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:Okay.
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:And I think this misconception comes
from people who are supposed to
249
:be the authorities, not taking the
time to explain it properly, mixed
250
:with the double use of the term.
251
:Yeah, because you have a funnel
and then you have funneling, right?
252
:The, the beauty of the English language.
253
:So there, there's kind of this,
double duty that these words do.
254
:Uh, that, creates this, this
confusion whenever people are just
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:kind of throwing words around and
not taking the time to make sure
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:that everybody's on the same page.
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:Yeah.
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:So I'm gonna take the time to make
sure that we're on the same page.
259
:All right.
260
:So here's a little bit
of a jargon busting.
261
:A launch is not the
same as a funnel, okay?
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:Funnels are built for the
people already in your world.
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:Whereas a launch is both for
new people, as in you're trying
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:to attract them, you're trying
to bring them in to your world.
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:Yeah.
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:As well as the people
already in your world.
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:Okay.
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:Because launching is lead gen plus
marketing and sales all in one.
269
:Right?
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:It's that beautiful dance of
everything coming together.
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:For the purpose of showing
off your offer, right?
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:Of letting people see your offer
and be like, Ooh, that one's for me.
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:Everything from brand new people
coming into your world and seeing it
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:being spotlighted to the people who
have been with you for however long
275
:they've hung out in your email list
and your audiences and all the places,
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:and being like, Ooh, I love this idea.
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:Let's jump in that one.
278
:Okay.
279
:But if your strategy.
280
:The tactics you're using isn't
aligned with this, and you are
281
:inadvertently mixing up when
to use what it won't deliver.
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:Okay.
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:Now, as far as the duality of the
word funnel and funneling, once
284
:someone opts in to hear about a
program, they enter the funnel.
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:Right to receive an email sequence
because they are now a part of the
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:community, because they entered
your world through the lead
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:generation efforts of your launch.
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:Yeah, so the launch attracted them.
289
:They opted in, and now they are getting
funneled through all of the different
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:sequences and getting the invites and
moving through all the different parts.
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:Okay.
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:But otherwise, a funnel is what
helps people move from offer to
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:offer that is right for them inside.
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:Of your world versus a launch, which
is like, Hey everybody, I've got this
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:saying and it's out here because it's
a big promotion for something, right?
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:Versus moving people sequentially
from one thing to the other.
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:So whenever you're thinking about, am
I promoting something or am I helping
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:specific people move strategically
from one offer to the other?
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:Then think, oh, I'm launching
versus I'm funneling.
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:All right, so that's that little piece
of, of jargon break there in the middle
301
:of it because that, that is something
that comes up, uh, probably as much
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:as, as the sentences that I hear.
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:Well, my launch was great, but, or we hit
our revenue, but I never saw my family,
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:or we actually didn't hit our revenue.
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:But I actually enjoyed all
of these pieces, right?
306
:Those are those little elements and, and
all of this, all, all of these things I've
307
:shared and getting to try this on myself
and, and moving through and changing
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:my style while I was live in a launch.
309
:This is exactly why I created.
310
:Your launch style on this larger group
scale in order to help more than just
311
:people on a one-on-one basis, right?
312
:Because it's not to teach yet another
launching plan out there, and it's
313
:never to force my way onto anybody, but
it's to help you build a system that
314
:fits you now and grows with you later.
315
:Right.
316
:It's to handle all of those worries that
we've heard over the last two years.
317
:Plus, I don't know what works anymore.
318
:I've had success, but I still
don't feel good about it.
319
:I won a launch, but I hate
the way I'm supposed to do it.
320
:Last year was not like the years before.
321
:Mm-hmm.
322
:How many times have you heard that one
in conversations is you are not broken.
323
:You just hadn't been given
a model that moves with you.
324
:So I built it.
325
:Yeah.
326
:It took longer than I expected, but
I also meant I got to live it, right?
327
:Because that delay has
made the whole thing.
328
:More honest, more aligned, more
sustainable, and, um, I don't know,
329
:more, more fun to talk about in, in
interviews and conversations when, you
330
:know, you tell people that, um, this
launch has actually taken months and I
331
:don't mind, and I started this process
last year and people were like, what?
332
:You know, because it, it's, it's
not a copy and paste formula and,
333
:and the, the container's not either.
334
:Right, so your launch style, it's, it's
a five week container that it's built
335
:around clarity on your actual style.
336
:It's built on a strategy to match your
season, your energy, and your audience
337
:that you can reuse over and over again.
338
:Right, that you get to recreate
as you need to, including in
339
:the moment like I had to do.
340
:And it's a support system with coaching
with me and all the resources I've
341
:built in including a custom AI model
and a launch swap system to help you
342
:bring it all to life when you need it.
343
:' cause it exists because we need
it to exist because we're tired
344
:of pretending and squeezing into
someone else's version of success.
345
:You know, I, and, and if you're
listening right now and you're thinking,
346
:oh, I, I should be further along.
347
:I wanna launch, but it's too much.
348
:I don't even know where to start.
349
:I, I can't start all over again.
350
:I've come too far.
351
:I don't like doing it this way,
but, but I just don't have the
352
:energy to try it all over again.
353
:Right.
354
:It's not that you're doing it wrong.
355
:It's just that you haven't met your
style yet, and instead of trying to force
356
:yourself into someone else's blueprint
yet again and feeling off yet again,
357
:why don't you come over and let's define
your own where everything clicks, so you
358
:know what kind of support to hire, what
kind of programs to join, what kind of
359
:coaches to work with so you know which
of your offers need what kind of sales.
360
:Mechanisms so you can stop throwing
spaghetti at the wall and crying your
361
:way through it to stop burning out
and ghosting your own launch halfway
362
:through, and to stop judging yourself
for not doing it like they did or for
363
:not doing whatever the algorithm or
latest trend told you to do, because
364
:you just want things to work right.
365
:So you finally feel like you
are leading your way, and isn't
366
:that why you have your business?
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:So here's what we're doing next.
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:Launch Without Limits is the
first step to creating your launch
369
:style, and it's live April 8th.
370
:It's a workshop session with me and
we're going to explore all the styles,
371
:including the hybrids, which is what I am.
372
:Which is why you see a mix of podcasts.
373
:It's why you see a mix
of workshop live session.
374
:It's why you see a mix of, um, email
sequences and affiliates and, um.
375
:Gosh, what else do I
have going on with it?
376
:It, it's, well, there will be recordings.
377
:You know, like I, I pull a lot of
different elements together because I am
378
:a hybrid and, you know, maybe you are too.
379
:Who knows, right?
380
:That that's the beauty of it.
381
:There are.
382
:Lots and lots of styles that you
can be, and you get to mix and match
383
:them, and we're gonna break down how
the style that actually fits you.
384
:How does that affect your revenue?
385
:How does that affect your sustainability
and your current season of life, right?
386
:Because the season of life you're
in now, it's not necessarily the
387
:same one that you were in before
or that you're going to be in.
388
:So these things need to change with you.
389
:It needs to be dynamic.
390
:In order to be supportive and
in order to be sustainable.
391
:And we're gonna walk more in depth
through those four elements that we
392
:need in order to get that click right,
plus the beauty of those little hidden
393
:saboteurs that can derail us or they
can make everything go so much smoother.
394
:And I'm gonna explain those and I'm going
to give you the tips that will, Really
395
:just make it all like click into place.
396
:So the same coaching that I gave
myself and the same things that
397
:I walked through with my friend.
398
:I'm sharing with all of you.
399
:And yeah, of course I will tell you more
about the your launch style program and
400
:how to get your hands on that custom
AI model and the launch swap system.
401
:But most importantly, you're gonna leave
with clarity on what could work for you.
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:Right, and how to stop chasing
strategies that never fit to begin with.
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:'cause this, this isn't just
about promotion and launching.
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:It's about building a business
that finally reflects who you are,
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:that shows your values, that shows
off your offers, that gives you a
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:place to create from and make that
impact that you are yearning for.
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:So, yeah, this launch took
longer, but I'm, thankful it did.
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:It might not have been in February,
but I am now because it gave me
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:this space to evolve, to listen, to
share this message with you, right.
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:I wanna offer that space to you.
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:So join me at Launch Without Limits.
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:Let's build your next chapter
Your way with your energy, your
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:rhythm, your voice, your style.
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:You don't need another template, you need
a reusable process that feels like home.
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:So let's build it together.
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:Tracie patterson.com,
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:YLS, and as always, all the
details are in the show notes.
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:I cannot wait to see you there.
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:Thank you for listening.
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:Thank you for launching
differently and until next
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:time, be well and have some fun.
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:Thank you for Thank you for joining me
on this episode of Launch Style Stories,
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:and I hope it sparked something for you.
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:If you've been listening and thinking,
oh, I need to find my way to launch
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:without burning out second guessing
or forcing myself into someone else's
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:formula, well, that's exactly what
your launch style is here to help with.
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:Inside the program, we cut the trial
and error and help you create a launch
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:approach that fits your strengths,
your business, and your energy.
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:So selling never feels like
an uphill battle again.
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:Head to Tracie Patterson.
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:com slash YLS to learn more and join us.
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:And if you loved this series.
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:Let me know, share your biggest
takeaway, DM me, or leave a review.
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:It helps more business owners
like you find the show.
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:I'll see you inside your launch style