Episodes

  • You can't out think burnout

    You can't out think burnout
    Sep 22 2025
    I pressed pause on the “scheduled” episode to unpack the real reason I enrolled in yoga teacher training while running SSN, advising execs, and raising two kids. Spoiler: I couldn’t out-think my way out of burnout. I had to re-learn how to feel. In this bonus, I connect the dots between newsroom conditioning, disembodiment, and the strategic clarity that arrived the minute I got back in my body. Less grind. More presence. Better decisions. More money. Better sleep. Yes, really.

    What you’ll learn:
    • The link between disembodiment and reactive, unsustainable strategy
    • How “thinking about how you feel” is a red flag (and what to do instead)
    • Why yoga teacher training became a leadership tool—not a fitness goal
    • The six-month stillness that changed my business model and my stress baseline
    • Practical reflection prompts to lead from presence instead of pressure


    Your Next Steps:
    • Work with Me: https://www.erintrafford.com/link-in-bio
    • Grab the Story & Somatics Private Audio Vault: https://erintrafford.com/story-and-somatics
    • Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.erintrafford
    • Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintrafford/
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    30 mins
  • Map Your Urgency, Fix Your Sales

    Map Your Urgency, Fix Your Sales
    Sep 15 2025
    In this solo episode, I unpack the Urgency Spectrum—high, moderate, and low—and why your content and cadence must match where a buyer actually is right now. You’ll learn how to stop pouring energy into convincing, how to move from funnel thinking to an orbital sales model, and how your solar plexus (confidence, personal power) influences both your message and your revenue. I share hard-won lessons from our multi-six-figure production company and why a six-figure sale won’t save your cash flow if it takes nine months to land. We get practical about mapping high-urgency buyers for cash flow, nurturing long-tail buyers without burning out, and building a communications rhythm that respects seasonality and movement in your market.

    What You’ll Learn
    • How to spot high, moderate, and low urgency (and why each needs a different cadence)
    • The orbit model vs. funnels—and why pipeline near the “bottom” can still evaporate
    • How to stack sales cycles so cash flow doesn’t die while big deals mature
    • Why your message stays the same while buyers move closer to you
    • The somatic side: strengthening your solar plexus so you stop chasing and convincing
    • Practical ways to nurture Pluto without spending Mercury energy
    • Why a six-figure sale won’t fix a short-term cash crunch if the cycle is too long
    • The #1 energetic tell you’re marketing from convincing (and what to do instead)


    Your Next Steps:
    • Work with Me: https://www.erintrafford.com/link-in-bio
    • Grab the Story & Somatics Private Audio Vault: https://erintrafford.com/story-and-somatics
    • Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.erintrafford
    • Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintrafford/
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    27 mins
  • Who really needs you right now?

    Who really needs you right now?
    Sep 11 2025
    In this episode, I’m cutting straight to the jugular: audience precision. I walk you through how “reach” without resonance wastes time, money, and momentum — and why the real move is choosing the one group that needs you right now. We’ll dismantle the “myth of everyone,” recalibrate how you position yourself in the present (no future-self cosplay), and then, yes, we’re going there — to your throat chakra. Because when you try to say it all at once, your voice gets tight, your copy bloats, and your sales stall.

    What you’ll learn:
    • Why “reach” without resonance is an expensive vanity metric
    • The “myth of everyone” and how it dilutes clarity and cashflow
    • How to choose one “right-now” audience (without forever niching)
    • The teacher test: are you speaking like K-12 or Calculus 401?
    • How precision creates momentum (hello, arrow vs. Super Soaker analogy)
    • Embodied comms: what a tight or overactive throat is trying to tell you
    • Simple somatic care for your voice (castor-oil wrap FTW)
    • Three journaling prompts to set your message on rails today




    Your Next Steps:
    • Work with Me: https://www.erintrafford.com/link-in-bio
    • Grab the Story & Somatics Private Audio Vault: https://erintrafford.com/story-and-somatics
    • Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.erintrafford
    • Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintrafford/
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Why 'just show up' isn't working

    Why 'just show up' isn't working
    Sep 10 2025
    If “be consistent and just show up” has ever made you feel like a failure—or a content robot—this one’s for you. I’m pulling the plug on the consistency myth and replacing it with a framework that actually moves your message forward.

    What you’ll learn:
    • How to spot the consistency trap (and why “just show up” isn’t a strategy)
    • The Four Verbs framework: Clarify → Realign → (stop mindless) React → Reset
    • The difference between commitment and consistency (and why one unlocks the other)
    • A simple test to see if you’re reacting to algorithms/expectations instead of leading your narrative
    • Where this shows up in your body: the sacral chakra and the joy/pep-in-your-step check
    • Why batching is brilliant only after you’re clear and aligned
    • A compassionate path to get back on track without shaming yourself


    Your Next Steps:
    • Work with Me: https://www.erintrafford.com/link-in-bio
    • Grab the Story & Somatics Private Audio Vault: https://erintrafford.com/story-and-somatics
    • Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.erintrafford
    • Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintrafford/
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Why your message feels scattered

    Why your message feels scattered
    Sep 10 2025
    Let me be blunt: your message doesn’t feel scattered because you need more content. It feels scattered because it isn’t grounded. Today, I’m spilling the tea on the five friction points that make smart leaders sound fuzzy—and how to reset your message at the root so it finally lands.

    What you’ll learn:
    • Why “more content” multiplies confusion when your foundation is shaky
    • The 5 friction points: Alignment, Audience, Confidence, Focus, Control
    • How to spot “polished but hollow” messaging (and fix it)
    • Why “everyone” is not your audience (and how to pick who’s first)
    • The sneaky confidence trap when you don’t fully believe your own story
    • Dilution vs. discipline: pulling one clear thread across channels
    • Regaining narrative control when your story changes with the room
    • The Root Center connection: grounding your message in safety and truth
    Mentioned in this episode (no sponsors, just useful bits):
    • The Messaging Friction Audit (framework): Alignment, Audience, Confidence, Focus, Control
    • Root Center basics: grounding safety, worth, and message stability


    Your Next Steps:
    • Work with Me: https://www.erintrafford.com/link-in-bio
    • Grab the Story & Somatics Private Audio Vault: https://erintrafford.com/story-and-somatics
    • Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.erintrafford
    • Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintrafford/
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Welcome to The Narrative Advantage

    Welcome to The Narrative Advantage
    Sep 10 2025
    Welcome to The Narrative Advantage — the place where we ditch quick-fix marketing formulas and build messages that actually move people to act. In this kickoff, I’m spilling the tea on why I’m relaunching this show now, how my 20+ years in journalism and brand storytelling collide with somatics, and what you can expect over the next few bingeable episodes.

    I share my path from teen radio host to creator-era business owner to building Story Studio Network — and why I’m bringing it all back to narrative, resonance, and being complete in a noisy, AI-saturated world.

    What you’ll learn:
    • Why “complete leadership” (strategy + somatics) is your unfair advantage
    • The difference between message friction vs. content problems
    • How I scaled Story Studio Network by applying a newsroom narrative arc
    • Why foundations outlast tactics (RIP, 2022 SEO playbooks)
    • The core promise of this show: clarity, resonance, repeatable frameworks
    • What’s coming next: diagnosing friction, making sales with story, and building momentum engines


    Your Next Steps:
    • Work with Me: https://www.erintrafford.com/link-in-bio
    • Grab the Story & Somatics Private Audio Vault: https://erintrafford.com/story-and-somatics
    • Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.erintrafford
    • Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintrafford/
    Show More Show Less
    19 mins