On today’s episode I am super excited to introduce you to an Amazing woman who is smashing it in a traditionally male dominated industry, SEO! Kerri Bennett is the founder of Digital Agency, Yellow Door Digital.  She is a Digital marketing expert and prides herself on really understanding and growing her clients. A breath of fresh air to the often over complicated world of ranking on the first page of the world's most frequented website, Google.  Hear her story as a serial founder and how she has navigated the ups and downs to have successful business in 2021.

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Did you know she has co-founded several businesses and is based in arguably Australia's best regional city, Geelong! One of her first endeavours was the The Itty Bitty Book Van. It was a unique, custom fitted 1950s caravan designed to provide enchanting and memorable picture book and childrens' picture book author experiences for children aged 0-10.

Travelling throughout Victoria, the book van attended schools, kindergartens, childcare centres and family focussed community events, spreading book joy with story-time, reading activities and wall to wall shelves of picture books to browse. There was a deliberate focus on Australian Authors. We were proud to host many Australian Authors in the van.

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Kerri prides herself on being straight-talking and never speaking Geek, not to her clients anyway. She isa Shopify genius and has worked wonders for businesses of all sizes.

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Some fun facts about Kerri:

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She is an SEO expert.

She knows her way around Shopify.

She is the proud wife and mother of 2 beautiful kids.

She is a master of time efficiency.

She believes there is no such thing asa stupid question.

She believes in having chemistry with your clients.

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Watch on YouTube here

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Listen as a podcast here

Check out the full transcript of this episode here:

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Brandon Burns  0:08  
Well, hi there, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of our brand new show. She knows now today I've got a really exciting guest on the show, I'm actually really came to pick a Brian because there's a lot of things that she does, you know, day to day that our listeners are gonna take a lot of value from especially now that we're living in a virtual environment, and digital times where you know, marketing ourselves and our businesses online has never been more competitive. So I'm gonna tell you a little bit about her background. And then I'm going to introduce her. So she's a proud member of the type one foundation here in July, which I just think is awesome. She's also been the founder and owner of EBD book fan. And for the last three or so years, she's been the founder of yellow door digital right here in July. So she traverses over things like SEO, AdWords, social media, web design, the whole gamut of digital, I'd love to introduce to you all, Carrie Bennett. How are you?

Kerri Bennett  1:06  
Hi, Brandon. Hi, everyone. Great to have you on the show. How are you travelling in lockdown? Again, I like everybody just juggling multiple things and trying to work out what number we're up to now.

Brandon Burns  1:18  
I know, I know, it's born to a degree, we had a little bit of a pregame gelang. But then sure enough for Locke straight back down. So challenges around everywhere, but I'm very keen actually to oshu at the head, given the times we're in, right. And people are sort of doing even more online has a business like yours being impacted, you know, from a positive, negative or on all the same manner. Given that you you do digital marketing?

Kerri Bennett  1:48  
Yeah, good question. And, you know, when we first went into lockdown, we had lots of people panicked, and you know, really going right, and it's going on and happen now. So we had an influx of work, but it wasn't necessarily work that was well thought out or well planned. So it was great to be able to help some people but also help them maybe calm down and try and work out a plan forward. And so I think now we've come through locked down a little bit more or at different lockdowns, people have started to see their customers transitioning to online and how they can kind of grab that as well. So they seem to have an element of calm, they're still you know, people sort of taking some notes and going okay, what do I need to do next? What do I do next, but people that have taken the lead that ecommerce is serious, it's not just, it's not just a thing that I might think about anymore. It's something I need to do for my business. I've been really fortunate that I can a work from home when I need to with my kids, but also help businesses out and transition to that online sort of platform if they hadn't already, or scale up if they kind of gotten there, but hadn't really done too much.

Brandon Burns  2:49  
Yeah, absolutely. So have you found that people now being in this type of environment, have developed more of an appetite to educate themselves on how to understand their digital marketing and elements of their business more, or they just way more distracted by pressing issues, and they just need someone like you, a partner like you to just take care of it for them.

Kerri Bennett  3:12  
Now, that's a bit of both. And you have got those people that the customers, they want to still shop with those stores, and I think they've been for the smaller ecommerce stores, people are going alright, well, I don't necessarily want to shop at officeworks, or some of the big brand stores, I'm happy to buy local or buy for those people that I know are going to do a happy dance when when the little cha ching comes through that someone's bought from my store. So having a presence online and having a nice usability sort of through that site is something that's become important to people, people starting to understand that they can make some money and they can service their customers. Even if you've had bricks and mortar store and you've got a lovely store and you you're happy in that retail environment, they're working out how they can transition that still have that same sort of level of contact and customer service with their clients through their email channels, or through special little notes when they send things out. Even follow up emails and things like that. So

Brandon Burns  4:06  
so if you had to sort of bottle down the one key thing that yellow door does that, you know, you're untouchable on you just the absolute best. It's your secret sauce, you know, where you hang your head and say this is where we just we can't be beaten.

Kerri Bennett  4:23  
That's a pretty strong statement. I did a lot of work in the SEO space, and particularly for ecommerce stores even further than that on the Shopify platform. So I wouldn't say that I'm touchable in that space. But I do spend a lot of time in that space and working with a lot of female owned businesses. So I guess in that space, that's where I hang out the most but the untouchable, there's lots of business out there that kind of do that stuff, but I spend a lot of time in it. And I love it and I keep learning about it all the time. So it's my happy place.

Brandon Burns  4:53  
So you mentioned SEO and look, you know I've spent time in my career selling as CEO, and, you know, I'm sure it's changed a little bit, but I do recall that particular service and industry being, you know, predominantly male, skewed. How have you navigated that? And has it become a bit of a point of difference or a breath of fresh air to some clients? Being able to access a guru like you? That's that's not not a man, you know?

Kerri Bennett  5:24  
Yeah, well, it is that, you know, that area of digital marketing that seems to have more males than females, when digital marketing has lots of great females in it. And I would even say, maybe more females than males. But in this area of digital marketing, called SEO or search engine optimization, the skew sent tends to be male. And I've always loved SEO, and somebody that worked in inside businesses as their digital producers and their marketing managers, SEO was always kind of part of my job wasn't my full job. And I just kind of liked it a lot. And so it's kind of got that technical element that feeds that, that need that I have, and then also such a practical element that, you know, you do this, and this should happen. So it's kind of a bit scientific. And I think that's why it skews male, because it's kind of right up there with it, and the science II type of things, because because of the way it works, I think that's why it skews male. And you know, there's 100 people in an SEO kind of conference, probably 10 of them would be female. So yes, it definitely, in my experience skews male. And I think females, and particularly what I try and bring to the table is being very transparent. When SEOs had a really bad name of being you know, a bit black magic, I can't tell you what I'm going to do. Because it's all very secret sauce and that type of stuff. And I'm, you know, I'm an oversharer. And just by nature, so I want to teach people and i'd love SEO. So I want to tell people how it's all happening and work. And I think my clients really appreciate that transparency in especially in a field where they don't necessarily understand it's I think there's room for lots of females to be involved in SEO, because just the nature of communication is strong. And that that sharing of information we don't pay do we haven't got egos. I mean, some of us have, of course, and some males are definitely good at communicating as well, as I'm generalising. But yeah, I found that the lack of ego and then willing to share information and not and raise each other up stronger in that sort of female cohort. So So I just want

Brandon Burns  7:23  
to I just want to ask about SEO there. Because obviously, in my experience, you know, I know things like search engine optimization, is what SEO stands for. And it's, it's the area on Google where they're not paid ads. And there seems to be an element of having to create articles and content on your website that's relevant to your business and your services, then also some form of linking with with other websites that are credible. But if you had to maybe say one thing about SEO for a business that you've noticed is really important right now, as opposed to maybe 1224 months ago, has there been some kind of shift or something that you've noticed is really important for businesses they might not quite be aware of?

Kerri Bennett  8:11  
I think maybe it's a shift in thinking that, you know, before we're trying to beat Google as an algorithm, you know, there's lots to talk about, how can we get better? How can we get better, Google's a product as well, and where Google's customers, when we type in, you know, buy the shoes or buy the TV or buy the was trying to buy something from Bunnings this morning, for Father's Day, probably. It's not about trying to beat Google, it's trying to help Google understand what your product is. And let Google know that you've got a really good piece of content here or the right piece of content to match what the user is, this query is Google is only getting smarter, you know, endless resources, you know, the AI kind of coming through and the understanding about what a searcher is looking for sometimes Google understand what we're searching for better than we do. And that's all about the intent that we're trying to type in there. Google's got some intelligence around that. So it's not about beating out Google anymore. It's trying to give Google all the tools to say, This is what our content is about. And when someone searches for that, this is a really good match. Here you go. He's our content. So it's not about beating Google. It's about appealing to Google when you have the right content.

Brandon Burns  9:20  
Yeah, I love that. Yeah, considering where you know, in this lockdown, and people's routines have been thrown completely out of whack. I know you're telling me you're fine. You're navigating homeschooling as well. And it's a challenge to say the least. But one I reckon someone like you would be up for because you'd be pretty time efficient with the type of business you run and managing multiple clients. But if he had to break down for me, maybe what a typical day in the life can look like for you. Yeah, maybe share with the listeners and viewers. what that looks like.

Kerri Bennett  9:52  
Sometimes it looks like an absolute mess, to be honest. On a good day, let's pretend it's a really good day. I've got two school aged children. They're both primary school. Like lots of moms, I've taken on the, I guess the caring duties, responsibilities at home, as well as managing a business and my business is full time. So that's challenging in itself. But I went into business to be able to spend that time with my kids and to be to pick them up from school. So that means, you know, there's compromises in there somewhere. So it's getting up and getting the kids ready and getting them off to school. And then, you know, you have to have really planned diaries and times and blocked out times that you're going to get stuff done now of uncoding, and your website, or, you know, doing some ad hoc coding, I can't really be interrupted by school pickup, so I have to plan when I'm going to be doing that. So, you know, it's pretty much about using the time that I have, without the kids being there, to do those hard tasks. And you know, I do sometimes switch on at night, I am really getting better at it, you know, I'm not, I'm not a perfect model of how business should work, I've definitely been known to click on at night by trying not to because it's not great for our well being. Yeah, sometimes if I need to get something done, and I need distraction free, and I haven't had that time, then that's when it has to happen. So

Brandon Burns  11:05  
there's something about getting work done, when you know, everyone's kind of clocked off that also from a credit perspective, I've read a lot about people whose brains actually can be more creative. Have an evening or later. It's crazy. Yeah, it works, but sometimes really, hyper productive time.

Kerri Bennett  11:24  
Yeah, and it's not ideal to work till you know, quite late in the evening, I get that. But sometimes it's what has to happen. And I have to have zones of genius that I'm really discovering about myself as well. And if I'm driving in the car, I have the most amazing ideas sometimes in the most amazing clarity. And I think sometimes that's because I'm not at my computer, I'm not answering my phone, I'm not looking at anything, I'm just driving, and I can listen to a podcast, my kids can't really get him to do anything, because I'm busy doing the driving. So my mind is actually free to just sort of wander because I'm concentrating on the road as well. But I find that I sort of have some clarity when I'm driving. Unfortunately, I can't drive past five days at the moment. So you know, a couple laps around the block trying to find my clarity, it's quite quite hilarious.

Brandon Burns  12:05  
Well, you've kind of answered a little bit of this text question around talking about how, in most elements of digital marketing, it's more skewed towards females. But what I wanted to ask was, have you found any gender specific challenges that you've had to face, not just in digital, but also just starting a business and navigating and running a business?

Kerri Bennett  12:27  
I think, for me, personally, there's been a bit of confidence, that was challenging when you're in an area where you do turn up to those things that and it's not like me, necessarily the turn up to a big event, it's, I have to really push myself to do that. And then finding that you're only one of five females in a room of 100, it can be quite daunting, and to actually know that, what you've got to say, and whatever is relevant. So it's taken a long time to kind of push myself out there. And as I'm getting older and been in the industry a bit longer, I found it really important to turn up to be present at those events to help the numbers because if I'm not there, then that's only four people in the room that are female, you know, talking about this, so sort of at least paving the way to go, there's a place for females in this, even if I'm not feeling the most confident that day, it's going you know, what I've got to offer is relevant. And I think, you know, men, and the males in the room definitely have a lot to offer in that SEO space as well. But sort of both of us coming together can really solve a problem really well. So being present in the room has been a challenge I've had to really push myself into. And knowing that I've got some experience behind me now showing those who consider SEO as a career path. And they're female. It's like, yes, there are others there too. There's someone to have that glass of wine with and talk SEO with. And we're growing in the room, you know, we will we will be more in number I think going forward.

Brandon Burns  13:50  
Yeah, excellent. Um, who were your role models growing up? And who were some females doing amazing things when you were growing up that you really admired or, you know, look, look toward they could be sports people, they could be actors, they could be just people anonymous to us every year? Who was some of those people?

Kerri Bennett  14:12  
Yeah, well, you know, you sort of sent this question through actually, to me, and I hadn't a big thing about it. And you know, I sort of was in my primary school years in the 80s. You want to do the numbers of my age there. But I didn't, I didn't necessarily have a lot I was I was in the sport I sort of still am. And not necessarily female centric. But as your gaze is my hero is still pretty much used actually have good insight. But you know, even Michelle teams, that kind of level as well, you know, I loved that type of stuff, but not very well. But my dad has always taken on female centric roles in the house, not by design by practicality, right? So growing up in my household, there wasn't these defined roles, that as an adult, we go, Oh, you know, there's lots of females during this particular role. So I think, just from growing up, I didn't have these defined men and women roles and our dad would cook for cake. On the weekend for our school lunches, and it was, like I said, not by design, but practicality. My mum worked, my dad worked. There was a lot of equality in my house looking back, I didn't say that time. But looking back on it, I never was shoved into kind of those, those little boxes and thinking about that. So in a way, my dad has been a bit of a role model in dying, you know, do whatever is necessary, and you fit in wherever you can, and whatever you enjoy doing and what what makes things work. So I did definitely had those role models, but they weren't necessarily the female role models. I think now, we've got so many amazing young women who are charging forward I mean, even Michelle Payne, you know, things like that way, you've got these amazing role models that our kids today, even Julia, Gilad, first female prime minister was sort of became the Prime Minister when my son was born. But this is a great moment in time that we've actually stepped forward. And that's happened for us. So, you know, there's those types of things that I think today, there's lots more female role models, not that they weren't back then. But I didn't particularly. I couldn't think of one I guess, Brandon is what I'm saying that I particularly look towards.

Brandon Burns  16:09  
That's good. I'm, so want to ask you right now that you've been the business owner, the startup of the business a couple of times. And you've also ventured into a space, that's, I would probably say it's highly competitive. It's flooded with providers, but not all are fantastic and good. Are there a couple of key things that you'd like to see change, or maybe you'd like to try and change? Now, whether it's to do with the barrier, or the ease at which it was, you're able to start your own business, or maybe around how people can define finding the right partner digitally, because, you know, I've personally, I've had experiences where I've chosen someone who looked great on paper, and we started and then the relationship just turned to crap. And it's like, I remember thinking to myself, I just wish I could have known how to better size a provider up, you know, but you tell me,

Kerri Bennett  17:04  
yeah, I think, knowing that, it's okay to continue to ask those questions and not know, you know, the internet provider, so many answers, and we can do our own research. But sometimes, you know, I've been in that I've been the digital marketing person in a company and had to talk to the experts and feeling like, I couldn't ask that question, because I should already know that. And I'd really like to just say it's okay to ask all those questions, those on those experts to be able to break that down for you, and really communicate that well with people. So I think just asking that question, and really understanding what it is you need. And part of what you need is to know what's happening for you don't go blindly paying over your money, and not know what's happening, feel empowered by you making a decision. And so that's why I guess I'm so transparent, and feel that there's a place for business like yellow door digital in the world, because I tried to be really transparent and make people not feel like it's a silly question. Come on the journey, learn as much as you want, but learn as much as you're comfortable to know to then move forward.

Brandon Burns  18:07  
Yeah, excellent. So I've often talked to people about an Elan Musk, I'm not sure if you've seen he does a post online about why people go to baby showers and how when someone says they're going to start a business we should all have business share was where we all go on, take gifts and give people great advice. Let's imagine that you're going to one now, with the experience you've got now what's probably that one key thing you're taking to impart on the new business owner?

Kerri Bennett  18:39  
Oh, good one. Okay. So after the party, someone starting their business, which I think is a great idea, to be honest, to celebrate, you know, that first day we do say, often on social sphere before us in business, and I have the balloons, but yeah, day one, we're not necessarily celebrating that. And I think I'd like to take a bucket of confidence in a bucket of time for them, that would be great. I actually had a friend who was inside a business and she's going I should go out on my own I should do it. And, and she just didn't do it for about two years. She ended up taking the plunge, it was all about confidence and not knowing whether she was gonna get a client and I was the same four years ago and I gotta use the phone gonna ring Am I going to get someone and I do remember the first time that rang and it wasn't even the right client for me, they kind of want to print marketing and you know, 360 degree marketing. And I was like, hey, that's actually not what I do. So really understanding I guess what she is and what you're good at having the confidence to tell people and knowing the phone will ring so that friend who two years ago she's now out on her own as a freelancer as well and booked out. And that happened within 12 months so the phone will ring have confidence back yourself and know what it is you do like that real targeted niche, which is a terrible word. When you go into business for the first time. I did as well as like, I do digital marketing. I've got definitely got skills in Google ads and Facebook and socials. But particularly what I like to focus on I'm interested in I want to stay intentionally small Can you know manage the kids and do that I don't want to manage too many people. So intentionally small means I can't do all the things and do them all equally well. So I'm sort of forced to niche down. Never had to done that. So no, I think I would have had a lot more clarity sooner so that that new person going into business now, what is it you actually want to do? What is your life look like? You know, what does success mean to you? Is it big buckets of cash? Or is it actually having that life balance and being able to go to the kids assemblies, when we're allowed to go to a kid's assembly, I guess, but what does success mean, and so many people put, I think, success down to $1 figure. But for me, that's not what success is at all. It's about doing something I really love and enjoy working with great clients, helping them discover whatever it is they need to do. So there's lots of different things that equal Success to me. And it isn't necessarily a number that sits in the bank or comes in through the invoices. Excellent. So my answer to a really simple question, probably Brandon, sorry about that.

Brandon Burns  21:00  
No, no, I'm gonna put an order in on your Shopify store for a bucket of confidence and a bucket of time. freely available. So, I mean, you've mentioned a couple of key things there, which I think are really key. So deliberately, small, and forcing yourself even more to do the stuff you really love. And being able to say no, through that process, I'm assuming that you become better and better at time efficiency, could you share with us maybe one or two techniques that you use in your day, to make it more time efficient or less distracted?

Kerri Bennett  21:37  
Yeah, and this is a work in progress brand, and as well, but you know, I initially was spending a fair bit of time with new clients who, for whatever reason, may not become my client, so it wasn't a good fit. So at the start of the year, I implemented that only on Wednesday afternoons, I take new business calls. And that's what I do between 12 and school pick up done is take new business calls, and you know, gets booked out each week, generally. So I sit there and I do those calls. And I'm happy to dedicate time to those people who may or may not become clients, it's a conversation, it's only 15 minutes to work out, we're a good fit for each other. Because just as they might not be a good fit for my business, you know, I might not be a good fit for them either. So I found that blocking that time off means I can concentrate on the clients who are paying me money without distraction of new clients. It's sort of bringing it any time of the day. So I found that really helpful. So that's one in particular, I guess, and the other one that I just want

Brandon Burns  22:32  
to interrupt when you say make time for new business calls. So let's dive a bit deeper. Are you using like calendly, or a calendar automation tool where people can hardly book that time? Are you? Are you ringing people cold? Or what's the deal?

Kerri Bennett  22:48  
Yeah, no, they book the time. So they may come from my contact form. And we sort of say, hey, book a time over here. And they go in and put the time. We did have an interesting one this week where she was in New York. And so we had to work out what's the time difference, and it didn't pretty much well for three. So I did actually extend it out and do a 10am call this this week. So that she Yeah, she was in the States. So she was in New York. So I had to be I think it was eight o'clock at the time, she was drinking bourbon, and I was drinking coffee, it was kind of an interesting little mix. Surely there's some kind of cocktail? I don't know, maybe.

Brandon Burns  23:22  
So you've got a son, you've got a daughter? Um, you know, how would you like to see the world change for your daughter, in particular, with regards to you she was to take the leap and jump into businesses. So what would you like to see, you know, change in a positive way to make it even more inclusive for her?

Kerri Bennett  23:46  
Yeah, so me and my husband both actually work for ourselves. So I think they're surrounded by you know, that traitor? Yes, you can be your own boss, and whatever. Like I was mentioning before, I hope that they, they probably see me working too much at home, which I really were stuck doing at the moment. And I don't like that, because I want I would like to show them more that, you know, success has more balance than probably it does at the moment. But you know, this is the life we're living at the moment. We're doing lots from home. And we're juggling lots of different things. But growing up, and I talked about my dad earlier, and my mom, they both worked really hard. They worked for other people, but had lots of creative ideas, both of them, not necessarily risk takers. And I'm not necessarily a risk taker, either my husband off the charts risk taker, which is probably why I've ended up in my own business. So somewhere in the middle being having the confidence to take that risk, whereas my parents necessarily didn't take that risk, but had lots of entrepreneurial ideas, and just didn't move it to the next level. So I think, you know, having that confidence to have an idea and give it a go and know what's the worst that can happen. And my first business on my own was the itty bitty book Bell, as you mentioned before, and it was just an idea that I had when I was pregnant with my second child knowing it's going to be difficult to go back into the corporate world. And I just didn't want it to not exist. I was like, hey, let's just give it a go. And being the risk averse, I probably wouldn't have done it, my husband, but I was just like, what can happen here? And I thought I don't want to be that person in 20 years time say, I had a great idea once that I did nothing about I guess it's like have a go, What? What's the risk? And what's the risk of not doing it? So I guess for my kids, I hope that they go forward with confidence that everything will be okay at the end, if you need to give it a try.

Brandon Burns  25:29  
I love that you've always taken the words out of my mouth for my next question. So maybe you just need to rejigger slightly what your answer is? Or maybe there's several, but I'd love to hear from you. What I what is or are your biggest fears?

Kerri Bennett  25:44  
Yeah, okay. You know, as a parent, there's lots of fears, you know, your parents to this, I really feel that in a person living in a COVID environment, there's lots of fears. From a business perspective, there's lots of fields as well, that that that work creep creeps too much into our home lives. And yeah, like you said, I've almost answered it from before. But yeah, that having that difference when we can work from anywhere, you know, you know, might be at our own funerals, and people still bugging us to do something that's kind of impossible to die these days without getting a text message, I think. So. really understanding that work life balance and really turning off. I think it's something that I find difficult, I think a lot of other people find difficult as well. And I hope that our kids just don't think that that's how life is that you know, you just work 24 seven, and you work from home, your work from wherever our home lives should be really protected. And I think at the moment, we're challenged on that, because we're doing so much from the home.

Brandon Burns  26:41  
Yeah, absolutely. Um, what is this secret talent that you have? No one knows. Sure. This one, and it doesn't matter how unique or nice you use? The What's that one secret talent?

Kerri Bennett  26:55  
I nearly gave it away before actually, I think. And I could back a caravan like nobody's business. So you know, if you've got a big caravan, we've got a ski boat too. Is that even even a backup about? You know, I'm your girl? Yeah, yeah. So backing over the years during necessity, not through wanting to do it. It's just, you know, get out of there. I had to get it done. I can make it parallel to Toronto, and I like that. About the parallel part that might be challenging.

Brandon Burns  27:31  
For our audience listening, right. Um, I always like to ask this question, because we're on a podcast right now. And you're a digital marketer. And you're right up to Steve, this stuff. Can you maybe name for me? If you are a podcast listener, one or two particular ones that you listen to that you just love, but then also an example of someone in your space? That's using the element of having a podcast to assist them in their business?

Kerri Bennett  28:01  
Yeah, yeah, good question. I listen to stacks of podcasts, I probably listen to three a week. I don't know if that stacks actually, given the time I have listened to I feel stacks. And you know what, I find it sometimes hard to listen to business podcasts, because we're doing so much during the day. And I just need to switch off from that. So there's a lady called Zoe Marshall, and she runs on something called the deep. I'm not sure if you've heard of that. And it's deep stories connecting with humans. It's totally not related to digital at all. But I find it just takes you to toe and some of the stories. There's actually a jilong girl who's been on it, and she introduced me to the podcasts. That's why I first learned about it. So yeah, I find the deep really confronting in some, some circumstances. But it also takes me to somebody else's circumstances life and living in someone else's shoes. So I really enjoy that. But I do listen to podcasts as well from other generally female business owners katoen runs the SE, se Shopify. The recipe for SEO success. And so obviously, SEO podcasts are something that are high on my agenda. And I do listen to a lot of Shopify podcasts as well. So I don't know, take your pick. There's a fair few that.

Brandon Burns  29:15  
I love that. what's what's the advice you wouldn't give to your younger self? The advice I wouldn't give? Well, I asked this one because I hope that maybe you can think of at the time when you maybe got some advice that maybe even was considered quite acceptable and everyone was on board with and at the time, you kind of have braved yourself internally and said, You know what, that just does not sit well with me. I'm just gonna deflect that one.

Kerri Bennett  29:45  
Yeah, okay. Advice for him. You know, when we go against our gut, I think we make really bad decisions. And so I think, not going with your gut. I don't know if this is answering your question, but you For the last four years, I've thought about presenting at the Small Business festival. I didn't do it one year, I spoke to someone who pretty much said you can't do it. And I felt like I could. But I was wanting somebody else to lift me up and give me the confidence I didn't didn't deliver in that particular circumstance. I ended up doing it this year. And my gut told me, I know this stuff, I can do it and the presentation was great. So I guess going with your gut, and maybe not relying on somebody else to lift you up. Could be could be some advice. But that's not not what to do, I guess not listened to negativity from others? Is that a good way to wrap that up? That

Brandon Burns  30:37  
I mean, it's, it's, it makes sense. But it's just, it's because, you know, sometimes we can really get, you know, an example of a time when but maybe what I'd countered that with is, let's hear now the the piece of advice that you definitely like 100% would give to younger self,

Kerri Bennett  30:57  
to my younger self. Yeah, so I've come through in this discussion of a bit, you know, struggling with confidence and imposter syndrome, which is, which is a thing. So I guess, do what I would give to my younger self, and I kind of repeat it to myself now, just keep doing what you love, and things will work out. Because, you know, they say that thing, you'll never work a day in your life, if you're doing what you love and that type of stuff. I really believe that to be true. I really do love SEO, I do love helping other businesses shine and get more traffic to their sites. And so if there was no money in this tomorrow, I'd probably still be dabbling in it and doing stuff. And so for me, this is a joke, and it is whatever, but I can't imagine doing anything else. So I think you've got to find what your what fills your cup, and just do that. So I would say that to my younger self, just keep doing you know, I actually went to uni and did economics, believe it or not for for one year, and definitely not for me. And because when I went to uni, digital marketing was never that big. It wasn't even invented yet. So I didn't know what was going to fill my cup until it was invented a bit later on. So is there a particular quote that you live and die by? Oh, not protect. There's lots of quotes and you know, I don't have one that's come to mind. Thanks for putting on the spot with that. You know, the dads like no one's watching. I keep trying to remind myself of that. Only because I'm not someone that would dead when no one's watching. So, you know, I would I would think about what other people think of what's happening. And I really have to push that away and just do stuff. So that's the one that came to mind when you said it. But it's not one that's sticking on my wall. That'll be in quotes person to be honest, I enjoy a quote. But I'm not someone that lives and dies by magic hanging on my wall. I have lots of them.

Brandon Burns  32:42  
Yeah, I love it. Well, Gary, Ben from your yellow door digital, you've been awesome. I want to give you the opportunity to share with us how can we engage, collaborate and move forward with you from this? How do we find you get in touch and and and do something with you?

Kerri Bennett  32:59  
Yeah, well, I'm on Instagram a little bit and Facebook as well as yellow George digital. The website is yellow digital.com.au you can have 15 minutes with me on a Wednesday afternoon. to chat Yeah, that's it Wednesday afternoons unless you're in a city and then we can maybe make a 10am on on a Wednesday morning if that works. Yeah, so that so yeah, check the website, send me an email or hit me up in in the social spaces.

Brandon Burns  33:25  
Love it. Carrie, thanks for your time. Can't wait to do it in person. Hopefully Fingers crossed sometime soon.

Kerri Bennett  33:31  
Yeah, that'd be great bread. I appreciate you having me on and to hit me with some of the deep questions like we think about stuff on a Friday afternoon.

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