Expert Edge Podcast

You're booked solid. All the creative projects you wanted. All the clients saying yes. Your portfolio is overflowing.
But you're exhausted. Overworked. The money isn't matching the hustle. And you're wondering if building a bigger creative business means becoming a manager of people you don't want to manage.
In this episode of The Expert Edge, I sit down with Laura Higgins, who went from struggling with pricing and positioning to building a multi-seven-figure creative business. More importantly, she did it without losing the freedom, fun, or creativity that makes the work worth doing.
Here's what most creatives don't realize: being good at your craft isn't enough. A photographer can take stunning photos. A designer can create beautiful work. An agency owner can deliver incredible results. But when it comes to pricing, selling, marketing, and building systems? Most creatives freeze.
We talk about how Laura got the "niche slap" early on, shifted her entire positioning, and built a tiered system that serves creatives at every stage-from beginners to six-figure earners making $150K/month.
What you'll learn:
→ Get the niche slap - Why serving everyone means helping no one (and how narrowing down changes everything)
→ Solve for what they don't want - Why negative positioning attracts better clients than positive promises
→ Build a tiered approach - How to serve different avatars at different revenue stages with different offers
→ Promise identity, not income - Why shifting from "make $30K/month" to "become this version of yourself" keeps clients longer
→ The creative business problem - Why photographers, designers, and agencies stay booked but broke
→ How to position yourself as the expert in the creative space
→ The benchmark that works (and why it matters for your pricing)
Real insights from the episode:
Laura's journey from starting a creative business at 23 with no idea how to sell
The moment Colin told her "you're serving too many people" (the niche slap)
How she started with a $9 product (Fully Booked) to filter for the right people
Why her original promise of "$5K to $30K/month" had people leaving when they hit $30K
How shifting to a $10K/month benchmark changed her entire business
The difference between marketing to income vs identity
Why some clients want $30K/month with 20 hours of work, others want $150K/month with a small team
How creatives lose their creativity when they scale (and how to prevent it)
The role of messaging when different people have different goals
Why "what they don't want" matters more than "what they do want"
Connect with Laura on Instagram @laurahiggins (it's aura, not laura, because she's Australian). DM her, tell her you listened to The Expert Edge. She's crushing it in the creative space and if you're a photographer, designer, web designer, or agency owner looking to scale without losing your mind, check out her work. She also has a podcast called My Business Playbook if you want more from her every week.
Join us at Sell From Stage Live in-person event September 18th and 19th in Huntington Beach, California
Register here: https://training.colinboyd.co/ssa-live-event
Interested in Elite?
If you're interested in finding out more information about our Elite Coaching Program, make sure to DM me the word "ELITE" on Instagram, and I'd love to have a chat. https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd
Discover how to authentically connect with your audience & fill your programs with a Conversion Story - Version 2.0 (AI Edition) is now available.
https://www.conversionstoryformula.com
Hit the "Follow" button so you don't miss an episode!
Love this podcast? Write a review and give it a 5-star rating! 
For all the show notes and links:
https://www.expertedgepodcast.com/blog/episode336
Connect with Colin on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd/

I've run close to a thousand workshop days over 17 years.
And if there's one thing I know: it doesn't take thousands of people to change your business. Ten people in a room? Game changing.
In this episode of The Expert Edge, I break down the five execution ideas that separate successful in-person workshops from expensive flops. This is Part 2 of the in-person workshop formula—the strategy was Part 1, this is how to actually run them.
Get these five ideas right and people walk out with finished products, deeper connections, and they'll be begging to buy your next offer. Get them wrong and you'll have an expensive gathering with no results.
What you'll learn:
→ Go from warm to cold in your marketing - Why starting with your warmest audience gets butts in seats
→ Focus on finishing - Why people want to leave with a finished product, not notes
→ Set up expectations with pre-framing - How 20-30 minutes of framing changes the entire engagement level
→ Fill out boxes to break down complexity - How to turn complex concepts into simple fillable templates people actually complete
→ Design the room for discussion - Why roundtables convert better than U-shapes or classroom setups
→ The psychology of immersion - Why two days in a room changes more than months of online content
→ How to structure activities that actually stick - Breaking the complex into simple, fillable boxes
→ Why AI-generated content overwhelms people (and how to fix it)
→ The role of logistics in transformation - How room setup determines engagement level
Real insights from the episode:
Why I don't try to fill rooms with cold traffic (warm is where the magic happens)

The Bonjoro approach to personal outreach (and why it works)

How to design activities with five fillable boxes (story mapping example)

The pre-framing that makes everyone feel like friends immediately

Why finish-focused workshops convert better than content-dump workshops

The mini U-shaped roundtable setup that beats all other configurations

How to handle people facing backward in roundtables (without awkwardness)

Why one big influencer was SMSing old clients to fill their event

The immersion principle from Anthony Robbins (and why it works)

How to set expectations so people show up ready to engage

The difference between knowledge and knowing (and why it matters)

 
Join us at Sell From Stage Live in-person event September 18th and 19th in Huntington Beach, California
Register here: https://training.colinboyd.co/ssa-live-event
Interested in Elite?
If you're interested in finding out more information about our Elite Coaching Program, make sure to DM me the word "ELITE" on Instagram, and I'd love to have a chat. https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd
Discover how to authentically connect with your audience & fill your programs with a Conversion Story - Version 2.0 (AI Edition) is now available.
https://www.conversionstoryformula.com
Hit the "Follow" button so you don't miss an episode!
Love this podcast? Write a review and give it a 5-star rating! 
For all the show notes and links:
https://www.expertedgepodcast.com/blog/episode335
Connect with Colin on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd/

Online events tend to convert weak. Connection feels distant. People disappear after the training.
Then you run an in-person workshop. Same content. Same you. And something magic happens.
In this episode of The Expert Edge, I break down the in-person workshop formula that separates six-figure coaches from seven-figure coaches. This is Part 1 of a deep dive into the most powerful tool for scaling your business in 2026.
One of my Elite clients went from $15K-$20K a month to $90K a month. After Sell from Stage Live, she told me "I never would have created this without your program." That conversation wouldn't have meant the same in a Zoom call.
Here's what most people don't realize: in an AI world where information is everywhere, real human connection is becoming increasingly rare and increasingly valuable. In-person workshops create that connection. They build community. They increase enrollment. They create stickiness so clients stay longer.
What you'll learn:
→ The 5 big reasons in-person events work (and why online can't compete)
→ Results - Information becomes implementation when people are in the room
→ Ascension - The magnetic pull of being physically present with the leader
→ Proof - Real footage of you on stage becomes your best marketing asset in an AI world
→ Community - Peer bonds that can't be created online
→ Stickiness - How in-person events keep clients longer and more committed
→ The three types of workshops - Implementation events, signature live events, intimate intensives
Real insights from the episode:
Why I spent $50K at a free event (the power of in-person)

The client transformation story: $15K to $90K through community and connection

How in-person creates proof through real footage (critical in the AI age)

Why online community can't replace physical proximity

The three event types explained (and which one to run first)

Why cutoff dates and early-bird bonuses drive registration

The follow-up sequence that keeps momentum after the event

Join us at Sell From Stage Live in-person event September 18th and 19th in Huntington Beach, California
Register here: https://training.colinboyd.co/ssa-live-event
Interested in Elite?
If you're interested in finding out more information about our Elite Coaching Program, make sure to DM me the word "ELITE" on Instagram, and I'd love to have a chat. https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd
Discover how to authentically connect with your audience & fill your programs with a Conversion Story - Version 2.0 (AI Edition) is now available.
https://www.conversionstoryformula.com
Hit the "Follow" button so you don't miss an episode!
Love this podcast? Write a review and give it a 5-star rating! 
For all the show notes and links:
https://www.expertedgepodcast.com/blog/episode334
Connect with Colin on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd/

In Part 2 of our conversation series, we dive even deeper into the art of connecting with others and turning casual conversations into meaningful, lasting relationships. If you've ever felt like you're stuck in "small talk" and can't quite break through to real connections, you're not alone. But the good news is-there's a simple shift you can make that will change everything.
In this episode, I walk you through the next level of conversation mastery:
How to instantly read the room and adjust your approach to create rapport quickly.

The power of asking the right questions to guide conversations toward genuine connection.

Why being intentional with your words (and silence) can dramatically improve your impact.

Whether you're at a networking event, a business meeting, or just trying to connect with people on a deeper level, these strategies will make your conversations more fluid, meaningful, and, yes-less awkward.
If you want to stop feeling like a deer in headlights when talking to strangers, this episode is for you. Let's take your conversation skills from awkward to amazing!
I'm hosting the first in person event I've held in 6 years - September 18th and 19th. Less than 2 months away. You have to be a sell from stage academy student to attend so make sure you sign up here: https://training.colinboyd.co/ssa-live-event

You'll walk away with: 
✔  Confident mindset   - Master and practice simple mindset strategies to feel confident every time you speak
✔  Live presentation building  - You'll craft your done-in-the-room presentation so that your content connects and converts every time.
✔  Story creation & delivery - Refine, deliver, and receive feedback on your signature story.
✔  Stage craft mastery -  up-level your stage delivery and presence.
✔  Get more stages - Create a strategy to get yourself on more stages than ever before.
✔  Personal feedback - Get real feedback so that you feel clear and excited about your delivery.
Discover how to authentically connect with your audience & fill your programs with a Conversion Story.
https://www.conversionstoryformula.com
Hit the "Follow" button so you don't miss an episode!
Love this podcast? Write a review and give it a 5-star rating! 
For all the show notes and links:
https://www.expertedgepodcast.com/blog/episode333
Connect with Colin on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd/
Get Colin's favorite ALL-IN-ONE Course, Content and Email System: Optima Funnels
https://colinboyd.co/optima

So many struggle with something that has the power to change everything-conversation. The fear of rejection. The worry of not belonging. That awkward moment when you don't know what to say next. We've all been there. But here's the truth: Your ability to make genuine connections will impact your success more than any marketing tactic ever will.
In this episode, I break down three simple but powerful strategies to help you engage in conversations with confidence, ease, and real impact:
- How your body language shapes the way people perceive you before you even say a word.
- A subtle shift that creates deeper, more natural connections.
- The key to guiding conversations effortlessly, so they feel engaged instead of forced.
If networking, small talk, or meeting new people has ever felt intimidating, this episode is for you. Let's make conversations feel natural - and even enjoyable.
—---------------------
I'm hosting the first in person event I've held in 6 years - September 18th and 19th. Less than 2 months away. You have to be a sell from stage academy student to attend so make sure you sign up here: https://training.colinboyd.co/ssa-live-event

You'll walk away with: 
✔  Confident mindset   - Master and practice simple mindset strategies to feel confident every time you speak
✔  Live presentation building  - You'll craft your done-in-the-room presentation so that your content connects and converts every time.
✔  Story creation & delivery - Refine, deliver, and receive feedback on your signature story.
✔  Stage craft mastery -  up-level your stage delivery and presence.
✔  Get more stages - Create a strategy to get yourself on more stages than ever before.
✔  Personal feedback - Get real feedback so that you feel clear and excited about your delivery.
 
Discover how to authentically connect with your audience & fill your programs with a Conversion Story.
https://www.conversionstoryformula.com
Hit the "Follow" button so you don't miss an episode!
Love this podcast? Write a review and give it a 5-star rating! 
For all the show notes and links:
https://www.expertedgepodcast.com/blog/episode332
Connect with Colin on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd/