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The Narrative Advantage
Erin Trafford
41 episodes
17 hours ago
The Narrative Advantage Podcast is where ambitious entrepreneurs and leaders learn how to unlock the real power of their story — so they can sell with resonance, lead with confidence, and build businesses that align with their purpose.

Hosted by Erin Trafford — trusted communications strategist, media veteran, CEO of Story Studio Network and creator of The Narrative Advantage Method — each episode blends sharp storytelling strategy with embodied practices that help you feel safe, confident, and magnetic in your message.

More than tactics, this is about building the clarity and narrative advantage that sustains your business—and your energy—for the long run.
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Entrepreneurship
Education,
Business,
Marketing,
Self-Improvement
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All content for The Narrative Advantage is the property of Erin Trafford and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The Narrative Advantage Podcast is where ambitious entrepreneurs and leaders learn how to unlock the real power of their story — so they can sell with resonance, lead with confidence, and build businesses that align with their purpose.

Hosted by Erin Trafford — trusted communications strategist, media veteran, CEO of Story Studio Network and creator of The Narrative Advantage Method — each episode blends sharp storytelling strategy with embodied practices that help you feel safe, confident, and magnetic in your message.

More than tactics, this is about building the clarity and narrative advantage that sustains your business—and your energy—for the long run.
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Education,
Business,
Marketing,
Self-Improvement
Episodes (20/41)
The Narrative Advantage
Why Your 2026 Launch Strategy Should Start Now
This is the last episode of 2025, and we're going out with something practical: how to actually integrate communications into your strategic planning for 2026—not as a bolt-on, but as something built-in from the start. If you've ever scrambled two weeks before a launch wondering why nothing is landing, or if your marketing team feels constantly behind and under pressure, this episode is for you. We're breaking down:
  • Why treating communications as downstream creates misalignment, wasted energy, and trust erosion
  • The hidden costs of leaving marketing out of strategic decisions
  • How to plan your 2026 launch periods with a communications flywheel (not a funnel)
  • The simple shift that makes launches feel like invitations instead of surprises
  • What it looks like when your marketing is integrated into planning from the beginning
This episode pairs with the Conversion Shift blog series (all five parts are live at erinTrafford.com)—I recommend reading Articles 4 and 5 before you start planning for next year.

Your Next Steps:
  • Book your Communications Clarity to Conversion Diagnostic www.erintrafford.com/comms-diagnostic
  • 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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
17 hours ago
23 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
When "Women Supporting Women" Becomes Toxic: The Hidden Costs of Community
The "women supporting women" movement started with genuine intention—lifting each other up, creating community, and dismantling systemic barriers. But somewhere along the way, it got twisted into something that can actually damage the very people it's meant to help. In this episode, I break down the five ways this dynamic breaks down in business—and why so many coaches, consultants, and entrepreneurs are burning out trying to "support" each other. What We Cover: The Five Breaking Points:
  • Emotional labor disguised as support (and why holding space became carrying everyone's feelings)
  • Boundary collapse that makes saying "no" feel like betrayal
  • Over-identification and "coaching down" that erases individual context
  • Unspoken expectations that create performative collaboration
  • Validation masquerading as support (the most insidious problem)
What Actually Works:
  • Setting clear boundaries around time, finances, and accessibility
  • Transparent communication without the highlight reel
  • Collaborative clarity that defines expectations upfront
  • Skill sharing instead of saviorism
  • Creating offerings without creating obligations
The Shift for 2026: Moving from "I need to save you" to "here's what I'm offering—take what serves you and make it your own." Announcements:
  • Breathe Plan Thrive Workshop (January 2026, Eastern Passage/Cow Bay, NS): A day-long somatic finance workshop with financial coach Danielle Abbott. Early bird $95 CAD until December 15—already halfway sold out (email or IG DM for registration)
  • Season Break: This is the second-to-last episode of 2024. Taking a holiday break and returning in January with fresh content
  • The Conversion Shift Blog Series: Five-part series on conversion continues at erintraffford.com


Your Next Steps:
  • Book your Communications Clarity to Conversion Diagnostic www.erintrafford.com/comms-diagnostic
  • 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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 week ago
29 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
Why Business Feels Exhausting right now
If you've been feeling like you're pushing water uphill with your marketing—you're not imagining it. Something fundamental has shifted, and the old funnel-driven, transaction-focused approach is exhausting both you and your audience.

In this episode, I break down why the energy of traditional sales funnels feels so depleting right now, and introduce you to a completely different way of thinking about how your content, offers, and sales can flow: the flywheel economy.

What You'll Learn: The real problem isn't your funnel tactics—it's the pressurized energy behind them. We've been treating people like transactions instead of, well, people. And after everything the world has gone through in the last 18 months, nobody wants that anymore. I walk you through the chocolate fountain analogy (yes, really—and it's delicious), explain why the flywheel approach builds relationships at scale instead of forcing transactions, and share why your offer clarity matters more than ever in this new paradigm.

Key Topics:
  • Why "pushing water uphill" perfectly describes what so many founders are experiencing right now
  • The exhausting energy of traditional funnels—and why it's not working anymore
  • What a content flywheel actually looks like (think: chocolate fountains and infinity symbols)
  • How the flywheel invites people in at their own speed versus forcing them down a prescribed path
  • Why your offer needs to be rock solid in a flywheel economy
  • The relationship economy vs. the transaction economy


Your Next Steps:
  • Book your Communications Clarity to Conversion Diagnostic www.erintrafford.com/comms-diagnostic
  • 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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
2 weeks ago
21 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The $50,000 Mistake: Why You Keep Spending on Tactics Instead of Strategy
Have you ever looked at your business expenses and thought, "Why did I spend that?" New website. Fresh copy. Brand refresh. Social media manager. Ads strategist. Before you know it, you're $50,000 deep—and still not seeing results. Here's the uncomfortable truth: you're not buying bad services. You're buying hope that execution will solve what only decision-making can fix. In this episode, I break down what I call "the tactical shopping spree"—the pattern of spending on tactics to avoid sitting with three critical strategic decisions:
  • Who do you serve?
  • What are you known for?
  • What are you saying NO to?
IN THIS EPISODE:
  • Why smart founders keep making this expensive mistake (especially now)
  • The hidden costs beyond the actual money (lost time, credibility leaks, team morale)
  • Why you can't copywrite your way out of strategic confusion
  • My personal confession: how indecision cost me a year of traction
  • The four steps to stop the bleeding and get clear
  • Why this compounds in 2026 (and what to do about it NOW)


Your Next Steps:
  • Book your Communications Clarity to Conversion Diagnostic www.erintrafford.com/comms-diagnostic
  • 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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
3 weeks ago
30 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Email List I'm Embarrassed About (And How I'm Fixing It)
Ever feel blocked about your email list? Yeah, me too. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on something I've been avoiding—my email strategy (or lack thereof). This is building in public at its finest. No polished plan, no "6 steps to success." Just me, a rainy Monday morning, and a complete rethink of how I'm approaching my consultancy marketing for 2026. What You'll Hear: I walk through my actual planning process in real-time, including:
  • Why I'm finally admitting I'll never send weekly emails (and why that's okay)
  • How I'm turning thought leadership into email series instead of one-offs
  • The "that to what" framework for warming up your audience
  • Why consistency is about energy, not calendars
  • How I'm weaving together email, podcast, YouTube, and LinkedIn into one cohesive engine
  • The prompt I used with Claude AI to generate six email series ideas
  • My backwards and forwards planning method for content launches
  • Why creating content and promoting it are two completely separate jobs (and both matter)
Key Frameworks Mentioned:
  • The "That to What" promotion strategy
  • Email series as lead magnets (3-5 emails per series)
  • The Small Bites approach for YouTube (7-10 minute videos solving specific problems)
  • EAT optimization (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)


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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
4 weeks ago
32 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
3 Signs Your Nervous System Is Sabotaging Your Business
You're not lazy. You're not undisciplined. Your nervous system is running the show—and it's keeping you stuck. In this episode, I'm breaking down three specific signs that your nervous system is sabotaging your business growth: sitting in waiting mode instead of taking action, obsessing over details that keep you hidden, and making reactive business decisions that don't align with your vision. I'm getting real about my own experiences with each of these—including a very recent panic decision I almost made that would've cost my team a month of work for zero strategic gain. In This Episode:
  • Why entrepreneurs are especially vulnerable to nervous system dysregulation
  • The difference between strategic pause and freeze response
  • How perfectionism is actually a nervous system protection mechanism
  • Why you're spending hours on your website instead of reaching out to clients
  • The sneaky way "productivity" keeps you invisible
  • How to recognize when you're making decisions from panic vs. strategy
  • Practical tools to regulate before you execute


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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
27 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
Why YouTube Is Actually a Coast FIRE Strategy + My First 30 Days (The Real Numbers)
Most people think going all-in on YouTube is about becoming an influencer. It's not. This is a Coast FIRE strategy disguised as a content play. In this episode, I break down why YouTube isn't just a content platform—it's a financial one. I'm documenting my journey from negative $3,200 (gear investment) to $2,000/month in semi-passive income that I can route directly to our mortgage, shaving five years off our Coast FIRE timeline. In this episode:
  • Why every Coast FIRE resource assumes you have a salary (and what founders need to do differently)
  • The math behind using YouTube to accelerate mortgage payoff
  • Why YouTube is the only platform where content actually compounds
  • The real numbers from my first 30 days: what I spent, what I filmed, what worked, what flopped
  • The five skills you're learning simultaneously (and why that's what makes it hard)
  • How I'm treating this like a business experiment, not a creative outlet
The raw truth: I'm at 99 subscribers. My thumbnails are embarrassingly bad. But I'm tracking every metric and sharing the journey—because no one else is showing this path for founders in their 40s building toward Coast FIRE without a traditional salary.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
31 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
Falling Forward and Catching Yourself - Transmission Series Day 26
This episode is about what happens when you achieve the goal you set out to accomplish and suddenly realize you're ready for what's next. Erin breaks down the three phases of the Transmission series using a running metaphor that will make you see content creation (and life) completely differently. She shares why she's pivoting to weekly deep dives on the podcast, going all-in on YouTube, and what it means to lead by showing people it's okay to do hard things—as long as you do them with a different mentality. If you've ever wondered when to end something good to make space for something better, this is your answer.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
24 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
What Happens When You Admit You Don't Know - Transmission Series Day 25
It's the final Saturday of the Transmission series, and Erin comes to the mic with absolutely no plan—just a week full of processing, trepidation, and a growing realization that she's standing at a crossroads. This episode is about what happens when you're 43, running a business, raising kids, and you realize you need to go back to having a beginner's mind. Erin shares her decision to go all-in on YouTube (despite the fear of falling on her face), what's changing about the podcast and her content strategy, and why the version of her who started a website at 30 knew something she's having to relearn now. If you've ever felt like you're too late to start something new, or like you need permission to not have it all figured out, this one's for you. IN THIS EPISODE, ERIN TALKS ABOUT: The Crossroads Moment
  • Why her coach called her out: "You're at a crossroads, and this series has heightened your awareness of it"
  • The realization that she's been slowing down for a full year, not just recent months
  • How her energy, tolerance, and capacity have shifted from age 30 to 43
Embracing Beginner's Mind
  • The decision to learn YouTube from scratch, knowing she'll likely have zero results for 6 months
  • What she learned from her 30-year-old self who started a website with no attachment to outcomes
  • The power of asking "let me see if I can do this" instead of "what will I get from this?"
The YouTube Experiment
  • Why she's moving her Instagram Stories brilliance to YouTube (so it doesn't disappear in 24 hours)
  • The modest setup: $250 for a wireless mic and phone gimbal, filming in the car and on dog walks
  • Her specific goal: track how long it takes to grow YouTube to $2,000/month to accelerate mortgage payoff
The Millennial Money Reality
  • How millennials got hit by the 2008 financial crisis entering the job market
  • Why so many are only now waking up to better financial strategies (unless you came from money or were extremely disciplined)
  • The conscious decisions she and her family made in the last 5 years that changed everything
What's Next: The Slow Freedom Project
  • The podcast will shift to 1-2x/week, longer episodes focused on business and communications strategy
  • YouTube will be the home for Coast FIRE conversations, vlog-style processing, and real-time documentation
  • How she's restructuring content to be sustainable, not a rat race


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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
18 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Pricing Paradox - Why Lower Ticket offers are harder to sell - Transmission Series Day 24
In this raw Day 24 update, I break down:

The two types of objections I'm getting (energetic hesitation + money blocks)
Why I've been afraid to directly tie embodied work to financial abundance
How the "journalism wall" kept me from naming what this work actually does
Why building somatic capacity IS building wealth (not an adjacent outcome)
What happens when you attract people who want healing but can't connect it to revenue
Why creative businesses (especially women) undercharge for transformational work
What I'm changing: getting direct about the financial pathway 

The pricing paradox is real: sometimes your most affordable offer is your hardest sell. Not because of the price—because of the clarity gap.

If this resonates, the Embodied Visibility Lab still has space. 10 weeks, group mentorship, designed to help you embody your visibility and build capacity for expansion. DM me if you're ready.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
17 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
Is AI coming for my job? - Transmission Series Day 23
I've been watching AI eat my industry alive, one bite at a time. Most strategists are either pretending it's not happening or secretly panicking.

Here's what I'm seeing instead: a clear line between what AI can handle (and should) and where the real moat is for consultants, creators, and anyone who makes things with their brain.

In this episode, I break down:

- The three things that create your moat: judgment under ambiguity, somatic awareness, and taste
- Why letting AI handle execution actually strengthened my business (and doubled my profit margins)
- What I eliminated from my workflow—including an entire expensive team member
- The real risk: mediocre strategists scaling mediocrity faster
- Why your value isn't in typing—it's in the layer above (or below) typing

Plus: a transparent update on the Embodied Visibility Lab enrollment and what happens when something you launch doesn't go the way you expected.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
19 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
[ANNOUNCEMENT] What is Slow Freedom? - Transmission Series Day 22
After 22 days of daily transmissions, the fog has lifted. I'm announcing a major shift for this channel and podcast—one that's been emerging in real-time as I've built in public. This episode is about what I'm calling Slow Freedom: building something financially viable and meaningful without fragmenting yourself in the process. It's the third path between staying small and burning out chasing algorithms. What you'll hear:
  • Why I'm shifting from daily content to strategic cadence (2 pods/week, 3-4 YouTubes/week starting November)
  • The three pillars of Slow Freedom: Coast FIRE for founders, operational structure for freedom, and nervous system capacity
  • How my family is building toward Coast FIRE and why this conversation is missing for business owners
  • What's coming next: real numbers, real failures, true behind-the-scenes
  • Why holding onto money is actually a nervous system issue
The Shift: Starting November 3rd, this becomes a show about building sustainable wealth and freedom as a business owner—financial strategy, operational excellence, and somatic capacity working together. If you've been following the transmission series, thank you. Your attention made this clarity possible. Now let's build something different together.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
17 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
How to Explain Complex Work Without Dumbing It Down - Transmission Series Day 21
Walking the tightrope between being too technical and overly simplistic is one of the hardest challenges for sophisticated service providers. In this transmission, I share how to communicate complex expertise in accessible ways without eroding your credibility or losing deals. In this episode:
  • Why "it depends" is a valid answer (and how to work with it)
  • The expensive consequences of positioning yourself incorrectly
  • How I pivoted Story Studio Network's messaging and attracted better-fit clients
  • The difference between simplifying language vs. dumbing down your value
  • Why specificity beats simplicity every time
  • Leading with problems instead of solutions
  • Finding the human story in technical work


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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
23 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
Stop Pumping Out 100 AI Clips (Do This Instead) - Transmission Series Day 20
You've seen the pitch: "Sit down for an hour, answer questions, and we'll pump out 100 pieces of content for you." It doesn't work. And I'm going to tell you why. I spent 20 years as a broadcast journalist. I now run Story Studio Network. I know what compelling content looks like. The problem with "100 clips from 1 hour": There's no intentionality. You're creating NOISE, not communication. The intentionality is in sitting down for the hour. But you lose connection with the 75 pieces of output because you're outsourcing that to AI or a VA. You're not thinking about what each piece is trying to communicate. You're just... filling channels. The newsroom approach is the opposite: Intentionality in EVERY piece. Not just the input—the output. Because newsrooms don't create one story and chop it 100 ways. They create multiple distinct stories, each with purpose. What this episode covers:
  • Why role-based processes beat content-based processes
  • The 4 problems killing your corporate comms
  • The 5 newsroom roles you need (Assignment Editor, Reporter, Producer, Anchor, Director)
  • Why your CEO should be the anchor, not the entire newsroom
  • How Story Studio Network runs the same process for every project
  • The "say it three ways" technique (better than 100 AI clips)
The shift: Stop asking your CEO to sit for an hour and blather. Start building a TEAM with clear roles who create intentional content. That's how you build real thought leadership.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
28 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
How I Sold My Blog for Six Figures (The Process No One Tells You) - Transmission Series Day 19
In 2021, I sold my lifestyle blog for six figures USD. But nobody talks about the actual PROCESS. The timeline. The mistakes. The things that almost killed the deal. Today I'm walking you through exactly how it happened—from start to finish. What we cover:
  • What I was actually selling (multi-six figures revenue, 200K-300K monthly page views, 10K+ email list)
  • Multiple income streams: display ads ($5K/month passive), sponsored content, affiliate marketing, brand consulting
  • What made it sellable vs. what made it complicated (personal brand trap)
  • Why I decided to sell (burnout + strategic timing + sensing AI was coming)
  • The 6-8 month process of "sanitizing" the website (removing myself and my kids from 800+ articles)
  • How website valuations work (multiples of MONTHLY profit, not annual)
  • Why I took it off the market (lowball offers)
  • The private sale to a US investment firm
  • The 16-month payment plan (lease-to-buy structure)
  • What I'd do completely differently now
  • The owner's trap: building a business too reliant on YOU
Key lesson: In 5 years, if someone said "I want to buy your business," could you hand them the keys? Or how hard would it be operationally?

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
29 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
Being Seen versus Being Visible - The Visibility Paradox - Transmission Series Day 18
I spent 20 years visible as a journalist. On TV, on radio, recognized everywhere. But I wasn't SEEN. Not really. I was protected by my role. I had a script, a title, professional distance. I held space for other people's stories—I never had to tell my own. And then I left. And I tried to build businesses that required me to show up as myself. Not as "journalist" or "blogger" or any role. Just me. My thoughts. My perspective. And I had no idea how to do that. In this episode:
  • The protection of professional roles (and what happens when you lose it)
  • Why I was trained to separate myself from what I expressed
  • The freeze that happened when someone asked "what do you think?"
  • Getting kicked out of blogging communities after my success
  • Fear of being mediocre in a new field
  • Fear of being authentic (what if I'm just a ball of nerves?)
  • Separating visibility from performance
  • Redefining "being seen" as witnessing, not judgment
  • Why the transmission series is teaching me more than 20 years in mainstream media
  • The vulnerable kind of visibility
Real talk: Being known for your work is totally different than being known for who you are. One is way more valuable than the other. Card pull + practice at the end. Day 18 of the Transmission Series. Tomorrow: Part 2—selling my business.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
18 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Unsexy Truth about Profit you might be missing - Transmission Series Day 17
I spent an hour scrolling this morning instead of recording this episode. And what got me to finally sit down was asking: How is this profiting me? How is this wasting time impacting my business? It's not. It was eroding my profitability. And that's what I want to talk about today. The unsexy truth about profit that most coaches won't teach you. In this episode:
  • Why I almost didn't record today (the transmission series is getting HARD)
  • Revenue vs. profit: what's actually left after expenses, salary, and taxes
  • The Profit First trap for creative businesses (5% isn't enough)
  • My financial planner's wake-up call: you need 20-25% profit margins
  • How I restructured two businesses to work 3 days/week profitably
  • Why Story Studio Network went from 30 productions/year goal to 4-6 (and makes more)
  • The debt recovery coach with $3 to her name teaching people about money (the red flag)
  • Performative spending vs. vision-based freedom
  • How to actually think about pricing (margin first, not price first)
Real talk: If you're making under $250K/year and only taking 5% profit while paying yourself 50% of revenue, you're not building the freedom future you think you are. The practice: Get comfortable with your numbers. Revenue, profit, margins. Know them. You can't make good decisions without them. Day 17 of the Transmission Series. We're past halfway and this is getting challenging.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
27 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Energy Difference Between Instagram and LinkedIn (And Why It Matters) - Transmission Series Day 16
LinkedIn is not Instagram with a suit on. The platforms serve different purposes, attract different people, and require completely different energies. Instagram: identity, aspiration, escape LinkedIn: competence, credibility, learning When you bring Instagram energy to LinkedIn—the guru-follower dynamic, the performative vulnerability, the personal brand influencer content—it doesn't land the same way. What I cover in this episode:
  • Why I focus my business energy on LinkedIn (4K professional connections)
  • The fundamental platform difference (and what each audience wants)
  • Instagram tactics that backfire on LinkedIn
  • Why engagement bait doesn't work (and what the algorithm actually rewards)
  • The financial planner who got destroyed in the comments for posting clickbait
  • How to demonstrate expertise without bragging
  • Writing for peers vs. followers (the crucial tone shift)
  • Why showing your work matters more than showing your wins
  • Comment section strategy (thoughtful engagement vs. performative support)
  • The relationship-building difference: LinkedIn conversations vs. Instagram DM pitches
The mindset shift: Instagram: speaking down to an audience you want to buy from you LinkedIn: speaking across to peers who can uplift and collaborate with you Your practice: Audit your last few LinkedIn posts. Are you demonstrating competence or performing personality?

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
26 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Story That's Limiting Your Business (And How to Evolve It) - Transmission Series Day 15
We're officially halfway through the Transmission Series! And today I need to talk about something that's been sitting with me as I've restructured my business over the last year. The story you tell about yourself can become your prison. For years, I introduced myself as "former news anchor turned entrepreneur." That story served me—until it didn't. Until it started attracting the wrong clients and repelling the right ones. What we cover:
  • The narrative fallacy: how we create coherent stories that feel true but limit us
  • Three ways this shows up: origin story, identity story, expertise story
  • My own story evolution (and why "former news anchor" stopped working)
  • How Story Studio Network clients were conflating what we do with earned media
  • Why changing your story feels like lying (but isn't)
  • The pivot you can't make because you're stuck in your origin narrative
  • Why your story is sticky (and how to let it evolve)
  • The devotional: audit your current story and ask if it still serves you
Update on the Embodied Visibility Lab: 10-week program starting November 24th, less than $2,000 CAD Email: team@erintrafford.com or DM on Instagram @itserintrafford

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
24 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Guru Trap: When Spiritual Bypassing Meets Business Coaching - Transmission Series Day 14
The embodiment world has a shadow. And someone needs to say it out loud. In this episode, I call out spiritual bypassing dressed up as business coaching—and why "good vibes only" culture is actually toxic positivity that keeps you stuck. What we cover:
  • Four phrases that signal spiritual bypassing ("you're in a low vibration," "just trust the universe," "if you're burned out, you're not aligned," "good vibes only")
  • The difference between holding space for struggle vs. performative positivity
  • Why "manifesting more revenue" without strategy is terrible advice
  • The guru complex: cryptic wisdom that sounds profound but means nothing
  • How to discern between real mentoring and manipulation
  • Questions to ask before hiring a business coach
  • What the Embodied Visibility Lab actually is (and isn't)
Referenced: The Embodied Visibility Lab experiment - email team@erintrafford.com This is Day 14 of the 31-day Transmission Series. Almost halfway through. Warning: This one might tick some people off. Good.

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/
  • Find Erin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZBA8F_znMYzT4pjtWCbhA
Show more...
1 month ago
24 minutes

The Narrative Advantage
The Narrative Advantage Podcast is where ambitious entrepreneurs and leaders learn how to unlock the real power of their story — so they can sell with resonance, lead with confidence, and build businesses that align with their purpose.

Hosted by Erin Trafford — trusted communications strategist, media veteran, CEO of Story Studio Network and creator of The Narrative Advantage Method — each episode blends sharp storytelling strategy with embodied practices that help you feel safe, confident, and magnetic in your message.

More than tactics, this is about building the clarity and narrative advantage that sustains your business—and your energy—for the long run.