Tea Time with Cassia Marina

Have you ever wondered how to write and publish your own book, but as a Caribbean person, whether living in the Caribbean, USA, Canada or the UK, etc you weren’t sure where to start in a way that reaches the entire diaspora effectively?

In this episode of Tea Time with Cassia Marina, your Host Cassia Marina is joined by Abigail Johnson, a National Scholar and Princeton University graduate, as they delve into a fascinating discussion about education, entrepreneurship, and making a difference in the lives of others.

Abigail shares her inspiring journey, starting with her background and the motivations that led her to establish her own business. From her early focus on tutoring to her transition into admissions consulting, Abigail provides valuable insights into the world of education and mentorship.

Throughout the episode, listeners gain valuable insights into Abigail's beliefs in expansive opportunities for growth and her vision for revamping the education system. She emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, curiosity, and fostering a culture of learning and integrity.

As the conversation unfolds, Abigail reflects on the joys and challenges of entrepreneurship, sharing her experiences of running her own business and the satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of her clients. From the importance of having a website to navigating social media etiquette, Abigail offers practical advice and lessons learned from her entrepreneurial journey.

Join Cassia Marina and Abigail Johnson as they explore the transformative power of education, the rewards of entrepreneurship, and the importance of pursuing your passions with dedication and integrity.

Connect with Abigail Johnson

Happy Black History Month!

In this episode of TeaTime, join your host Cassia Marina for an enlightening discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the online space as she sits down with guest expert Tay Francis.

While it wasn't planned to line up with Black History Month, it's the perfect month to touch on the following topic. It's time to address the elephant in the room...

From navigating systemic barriers to challenging the conditioning of white supremacy, Tay provides invaluable insights into the unique challenges faced by Caribbean entrepreneurs in the digital realm.

Delve into topics such as the perception of the Caribbean, fair compensation, and the importance of allies and sponsors in fostering a more inclusive online environment.

Get ready to gain new perspectives and actionable strategies for success in the ever-evolving world of online entrepreneurship.

00:00 Intro & Background

02:57 Challenges Faced by Caribbean Entrepreneurs in the Online Space

26:47 The Conditioning of White Supremacy

13:30 The Perception of the Caribbean as ONLY a Tourist Destination

26:44 The Conditioning of White Supremacy, Imperialism, Colonialism and Discrimination

39:10 Exclusion and Misunderstanding in DEI Discussions

41:15 The Need for Unity

45:43 Fair Compensation and Valuing Services

55:13 Mindset Shift for Success in the Online World

1:16:28 The Importance of Allies and Sponsors

1:23:54 Wrapping Up

1:25:38 Last words of advice from Tay Francis

Connect with Tay Francis

In this episode I mention starting my first online business an eCommerce website in 2019, but it’s important to correct that. It was actually started in 2012.

In this special episode of Tea Time with Cassia, Cassia your host invites you into her post-Christmas reflections. She shares the behind-the-scene tales of navigating motherhood's realness, the hustle of Q4, and the exciting developments on the horizon for Teatime.

Episode Highlights:

• Festive Greetings and Delays: Cassia extends warm Christmas wishes and unveils the reasons behind the delayed greetings.
• Juggling Motherhood and Q4: Join Cassia as she reflects on the challenges and joys of being a present mother during the holiday season while managing the hustle of Q4.

Teatime's Evolution:

• Prioritizing amidst Tinsel: Discover why prioritizing during the holiday season is crucial and how it led to a temporary pause on Teatime events.
• Teatime's Vision Expansion: Cassia teases the exciting expansion of Teatime's vision. Stay updated by subscribing to the email list – find the link in the show notes!

What's Coming Next:

This episode is a delightful warm-up for Cassia's upcoming year-end message, where she promises to share profound lessons and insights from the past year.

Subscribe, sip your favorite tea, and get ready for the journey!

Links Mentioned:

In this new exciting episode of Tea Time with me your host Cassia Marina, join me as I dive deep into the world of graphic design tools and marketing updates.

As a brand strategist and web designer, content creator and graphic designer...I know the importance of choosing the right software, and today, I'm going to share my thoughts on the age-old battle: Canva versus Adobe.

We'll explore the strengths and weaknesses of these two giants in the design industry. Canva, known for its user-friendly interface and a plethora of templates, has been a game-changer for many businesses and individuals. On the other hand, Adobe, with its powerful creative suite, offers a different level of sophistication. Which one is right for your needs? I'll help you answer that question.

But that's not all!

Stick around until the end of the episode, where I have an exciting bonus for you. I'll unveil the latest news updates from Zoom and Canva that are set to revolutionize your workflow. Zoom introduces "Meeting Summary with AI Companion," a feature designed to make your meetings more efficient and productive.

And Canva has something magical in store - "Magic Studio™," where you can access all the power of AI in one place. This innovative feature is a game-changer for graphic designers and content creators, and I'll tell you exactly why.

Let's Stay Connected:

In this episode, we're diving headfirst into the world of investing in your business, your dreams deserve it. Think about the excitement of getting a new MacBook, iPhone, or even that much-needed office air conditioner. Now, imagine channeling that same enthusiasm and planning into your business for the rest of 2023 and beyond.

Join me, your host of The TeaTime Podcast and the creative mind behind From Basic to Branded Consultancy, as we explore the captivating parallels between personal purchases and strategic business investments.

Discover why treating your business investments like personal buys can lead to long-term success. We'll guide you through identifying key investments, creating a rock-solid plan of action, and mastering the financial considerations that ensure your investments are poised to grow your business.

Resources Mentioned:

Yes, you're seeing right, new podcast artwork! It's about time don't ya think as we gear up for fresh new episodes coming this fall. In this episode you can expect to hear the best advice you can get on figuring out your next moves. Not your typical business advice but the best around.

Let's Stay Connected:

Hey ya'll, I am back from my podcast hiatus for a bit for a popup podcast series, I estimate this popup may be no longer than 7 episodes, else that won’t be a pop up but a full on season. haha

Here are the resources promised in today’s episode below:

STOP! Do not run another Instagram or Facebook Ad until you listen to this!

After having a conversation with a business owner, I realized and observed a recurring problem. In this episode I identify the problem and you will soon realize if you are doing this too and what you need to do to fix that.

This episode is also for everyone who is tired of Instagram and Adam Moserri, but the thing is these platform won't stop changing, so it's Instagram today and another tomorrow, but there is one thing that will always remain relevant when marketing your business.

Join the Client Waitlist

There are a few last minute spots for Nov 2022

In this episode Cassia opens up and shares a bit more on her spirituality and unconventional aspects that help her stay grounded in business. You asked for resources on the topics mentioned below, so here you go! It was a pleasure for Cassia to put this list together for you and she will continue to share more resources as they come.

Manifestation Links

1. Manifestation Babe Podcast

In this podcast Cassia opens up and shares about the evolution of her personal brand and business ventures by extension.

In this episode we are changing gears a bit with:

5 Things You Need To Know Before Hiring A Brand & Website Designer

1. Understand your desired timeline and how it works
2. Understand what you are looking for visually, aesthetic or style
3. Decide who will write the copy (a copywriter or yourself)
4. Prepare to provide professional images (stock images or brand photos)
5. Set aside a budget in advance

Join the Client Waitlist

This episode I get transparent and vulnerable around my challenges with depression and entrepreneurship. To be clear this episode is not make you feel sorry for me but to create awareness and hopefully normalize the conversation around mental health issues.

I touch on things like:

• The undertones of mental health themes in my own content
• stats around mental health and being a business owner
• I hope you have a better understanding of the risk of mental health as you either start business or be in business for years
• understand that it’s nothing to be ashamed about but rather be aware of so you can manage it
• how much having a support system is (friends and family yes, but sometimes you simple need therapy, even on the good days, therapy keeps you thriving)
• therapy is not magic, it's literally no different than going to visit the doctor, it truly does help you feel better, sometimes it's immediate, sometimes it hurts but physical pain is no more important than the pain we cannot see
• why did I start, how was the first session and what was the journey like since

In Day 5 of this IG LIVE Bootcamp, we went over some bonus features as it relates to IG LIVE features, some of these were:

• Choosing a format for your your LIVE event
• Why recurring events are necessary for building trust
• Settings you need to be aware of
• When and why you should do collaborative LIVE videos, in the form of interviews, panel discussions, etc

Join the Client Waitlist

Tips for a LIVE that runs smoothly

In Day 4 of this IG LIVE Bootcamp, we went over:

• 🔥 Instagram’s tools/ features that help you promote the live using their built in scheduling tool
• 🔥 Features to help you have a successful live
• 🔥 How to ensure you don’t get bumped off your live video

👉🏽👉🏽 Join me back here on this podcast for Day 5:

Where we get into planning and strategizing for hosting your LIVE.

P.S. Interested in working together?

Day 3: How to Prepare for Your LIVE video event

In today’s video we covered:

• three tips to help you prepare for your LIVE video event
• shared an example of the most basic thing people are doing on LIVE video as content and raking in hundreds of views and you won’t even guess what it is!
• using branded templates in your live for a deeper level of brand building that converts to trust
• 
  

BONUS TIP: I mentioned two aspects to presenting a high quality live experience.

👉🏽👉🏽 Join me back here on this podcast for Day 4:

Where we get into tips you need to remember on the day of your LIVE video stream.

P.S. Interested in working together?

Grow Your Brand Series Day 2

In Day 2 of this IG LIVE Bootcamp, we went over:

🔥 My own mindset struggles with doing LIVE video

🔥 I share how I overcame each one how you can too if you have the same struggles

🔥 Additional Mindset Tips & Strategies you can use

Then when you are done listening…

👉🏽👉🏽 Join me back here on this podcast for Day 3:

Where we get into planning and strategizing for hosting your LIVE

P.S. Interested in working together?

5 DAY LIVE BOOTCAMP: Using Live Video to Grow Your Brand

In Day 1 of this IG LIVE Bootcamp, we kick things off with:
🔥 ReIntroduction of Cassia Marina and some other updates

🔥 How I used LIVE video to build awareness, establish my authority and build my reputation, business and brand
🔥 How LIVE video has changed since 2016/17 and how much tools and features are now available in LIVE video
🔥 I discuss how these platforms WANT you to host LIVE events by going LIVE
🔥 I discuss WHY live video still has a place in a short-form video content space

🔥 How LIVE video is great way to sell your services

👉🏽👉🏽 Join me back here on this podcast for Day 2:
Let’s get into mindset blocks holding you back from going live.

P.S. Interested in working together?

In this episode I dive into the interesting journey of business lessons learned in 2021. I happy to say though it feels great to have come out on the other side because I am so much more better for my business because of these lessons and as such the business. Some of these items were weighing down my business and now the business is much more lighter for it.

My hope is that this episode is relatable and helps you too as I now many business owners do not want to admit that they have had challenges in these areas themselves.

Things you need to know:

Interested in working together?

In this episode I break down my year in business. It's definitely not your typical year in review, at least I don't think so. It's not filled with income sheets month by month and all that stuff but more from a personal perspective.

I touch on things like burnout, pandemic grief to hopping on a plane to go live my best life, etc to getting good poisoning and a whole roller coaster ride of things.

Things you need to know:

Interested in working together?

It was about time to bring some balance. 

I was inspired by two Instagram posts and I believe this is the way we need to use IG again. Somewhere along the line things became crazy and we need to restore the balance of building genuine relationships and authentic messaging.

On this episode of Tea Time the Podcast I share with you:

- the toxicity of the online space and how to protect your energy

- building a business that aligns with your personal goals so you can build a business you love and one that supports your life

- where you can get business journal prompts to help you stay on course

Get you copy of the Basic to Branded Workbook

Listen...if you thought ghosting only happened in your personal relationships, think again. 

When a client expresses interest in working with you, gets on a discovery/consultation call, raves about how great you are then its crickets after...you've been ghosted. 

I have been ghosted many a times and it is high time we address this 'ish. It is NOT cool. Now I have done it in the past and I am sure you have to be it really isn't right. 

Whatever the reason we choose not to work with someone nothing is wrong with sending an email stating this. This does not have to be long winded email giving your whole life history but a simple, "unfortunately I have decided to go another route but thank you for your time" is sufficient. 

On this episode of Tea Time the Podcast I share with you:

 - what it means to be ghosted 

 - possible reasons why you may get ghosted 

 - how to make peace with the fact that you have been ghosted  

Connect with Cassia Marina:

How many of you guys are on TikTok? 

How many of you have seen the countless morning routines that the users show? 

How any of you watch and wonder how they make it look so easy? 

Well I am here to tell you it is not as hard as it looks. Your morning routine is just that...YOURS! 

Not mine, not the neighbours' but YOURS! 

I too have a morning routine that has changed with time and I am sure will change again with time and circumstances. The one thing you must know about a morning routine is that it must have an activity or activities that fill you up and make you feel good about the day ahead. 

On this episode of Tea Time I share with you: 

 - my morning routine and what I do to ensure that my I am filled to start my day. 

 - how and why it has changed over time 

 - the activity or activities you can engage in to start a morning routine

Connect with Cassia Marina:

Have you ever been given the opportunity to job shadow someone? 

On this episode of Tea Time the Podcast we chat with Mrs. Stephanie Rubio of SoVerve Marketing about how she was able to have a healthy stream of income during a pandemic and without being a slave to social media.

So...how did she do it? Two straightforward and simple strategies were implemented and she spills all the tea. One of them is so easy to implement and something we commonly overlooked when marketing our businesses.

We also introduced a Hot Seat question which was: "Can a business owner make money outside of the island/country?" The answer is....listen to the podcast to find out!

Connect with Stephanie Rubio:

So time to spill ALL the tea about the latest Instagram announcement/ update...sigh. 

By now you may or may not have heard that Instagram is no longer a photo sharing app. Now to be honest, Instagram is annoying (a huge understatement) to say to say the least and I am certain others share the same sentiment. 

People are either freaking out, pissed, and others excited for the new opportunity that awaits. In my IG Stories you guys were 50/50 when it came to voting for Adapting VS Losing Focus...

It's a bit of both in my opinion.

There is a fine line between evolution and being obsessed with the competition.

I have no problem with evolution but when you are constantly rolling out new features that many countries don't have access too, is super frustrating.

How are you going to continue to focus on new features and areas that many people don't have access too? You want us to do more of "this" but don't give "this" to us, should we assume this app is no longer for certain regions?

So instead of competing with TikTok, you're essentially sending many regions over to TikTok.

However I believe you can still have success on this app just that if you don't have certain features you have to get even more creative than those who do.

Click play on this podcast episode to listen in on how you can still navigate Instagram and find success within in the app along with the brand lessons and takeaways for your own business.

Connect with Cassia Marina:

Do you know Trinidad and Tobago has been in LOCKDOWN for approximately 16 months? Yes 16 months! Now you are probably wondering what madness is she saying...lol, but think about it. We have been in LOCKDOWN for 16 months just different levels of it. 

Even if you are not in a country experiencing a lockdown or severe restrictions. The point is how do we deal with grief in our business or in our personal lives and still show up to push the needle forward in our businesses.

More people than not are putting on a brave face amidst adversity and like you many people are dealing with anxiety, depression, riddled with fear, etc and you are simply not alone in this. This episode explores the grief we must come to terms with at times in our business. Grief is not only something you experiencing with the passing of a loved one. Grief happens when we are experiencing or experienced some sort of loss and we have been losing many things at this time.

On this episode we talk with Lesley Bradshaw, Personal Empowerment & Mindset Coach about:

• how the lockdown is affecting her and others
• how she has managed to cope during the lockdown 
• tips on how others can cope during this time
• even how I myself was affected
• how I coped and my share my own tips

Connect with Lesley Bradshaw:

We often over-glamorize Entrepreneurship. We hear about all the lovely things that comes along with it. We also hear about the not so lovely things such as not hitting your financial and other goals. We seldom hear about not being able to meet the client's expectations. 

On this episode of Tea Time the Podcast we give share with you a real life scenario that happened to us and how we managed to overcome. 

We talk about:

• What to do when it all goes wrong
• How to preserve your mental health when you have tried everything 

You may or may not have heard the name Avalon Gomez...well whether you have or haven’t you want to listen to this episode. When I tell you she brings the tea and it’s streamy. 

On this episode we talk about:

• Who is Avalon Gomez
• How her name was built
• Why she is so multifaceted
• Women Empowerment
  

...And she has a surprise in store but you have to listen to find out more.

Connect with Avalon Gomez:

You need to have a physical product to make money! FALSE! 

You need to have 10,000 followers to make money on Instagram! FALSE again.

On this episode of Tea Time the Podcast we chat with Ms Krista Forbes, a Digital Sales Strategist about how like her, you can monetize your digital products with as little as 1000 followers.

On this episode we talk about:

• Benefits of creating a digital product
• Tools used in creating a digital product
• Tips and Tricks to selling on Instagram
• How to reach an international audience
  

Connect with Krista Forbes:

We are at Episode 50 of the podcast, what a milestone. It took a lot of consistency to make it past years of podcasting to reach episode 50. And as such it was only fitting to talk a little bit about what consistency is and it's not what typically hear in the online business space. 

Connect with Cassia Marina:

So we continue this week on the taboo topic of Mental Health and entrepreneurship with Professional Therapist and Coach, Neola Zama.

On this episode we talk about:

• Ways in which creatives could detach from work
• How to deal with rejection
• How to know if you are a workaholic
• How to measure your mental health
• The Pillars of Mental Health
  

Connect with Neola Zama:

The words Mental Health is such a taboo topic. We don’t like talking about it, we don’t take it seriously but guess what….it is just as serious as Covid-19. Ok, maybe not as serious but definitely something we should pay close attention to. On today’s Tea Time we talk with Professional Therapist and Coach, Neola Zama.

We talk about:

• Mental health as it relates to creative entrepreneurs
  
• The importance of having boundaries
  
• What are Internal boundaries and why you need to tackle that first
  

Resources Mentioned:

So I’m just going to come out and say it...you need to get your ‘ish together. 

No more guessing. 

No more “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure”. It’s 2021 and in this episode I walk you through how I created my simple 5-step framework. 

People want to utilize the skills of experts...of people they know, like and trust...won’t you?  In order to gain this know like and trust you have to stamp your authority, show up as the expert and do not have people second guessing you. How do you do this? Listen to this episode to find out.

Ready to work with me 1:1?

A goal not written is merely a wish. In this episode I share with you my visions, plans and goals for 2021. 2020 was a good year in business, I started a coaching program where I was able to be around like minded women which really helped me personally and businesswise.

Now 2021 is here and it’s time to really be the boss b$%#h that I am. No more taking orders. No more playing small. No more fear. I have set my income goals and how I am going to achieve them. Listen to find out how you can too.

Resources Mentioned:

In this episode I share with you what my 2020 looked like. It was the year that everyone could not wait to end. 

Covid just came out of nowhere and forced us to pivot, adjust, stay inside and operate virtually. Although it is a dreadful disease I was happy that I was able to take a step back, reflect and do what I loved which was working ON my business. 

I was able to launch something truly amazing which I am sure you would love to hear about. So click play and listen to what the heck Covid-19 did to me in 2020.

We’re back. Season 4 Episode 1. Yes we haven’t gone anywhere. In this episode we reintroduce our seasoned listeners to Tea Time and welcome our new listeners. We kick things off for 2021 with a bit of a back story of where it all began.

Previously on Tea Time...

Previously on the last episode I mentioned this is going to be the finale episode and hinted at an announcement I needed to share with you all. Well that's if you listened all the way to the end. 

The finale episode is here, so if you're curious, head on over to this week's episode and click play.

Download your copy of The Complete Brand System Playbook:

In today's episode I cover some major pitfalls and misconceptions when it comes to creating content for your business. Even if you are working with a professional for your social media and website it is not a passive experience and YOU have to show up for YOUR business.

At the end of the day no one will know your industry, your profession and most importantly you business like YOU. 

If you need help implementing and showing up for your business and you want to spend the day with me to sit down with you get things done and implemented, from brand strategy, to planning content out for up to 90 days and website content then head on over to the link below, grab the Complete Brand System Playbook and then on page 16 click APPLY.

Download your copy of The Complete Brand System Playbook: 

As a follow up to my last episode, it was only fair to share a few things I don't like about the pandemic so as to bring a bit of balance to the conversation. There is a such thing as toxic positivity so balance is needed so as to allow everyone to feel heard in their circumstance and experience of the pandemic.

I hope you appreciate this little series and two part episode that while is not quite on the topic of business tips but more a holistic approach to our lives today, as entrepreneurs, mompreneurs, people who are professionals working from home, etc. 

This episode I recorded from my car and I must say the sounds quality was not so bad, do I dare say it's better than some of the episodes that were done in the home office where there all these random noises and unplanned noises from rain and other things outside of my control.

Maybe I should ditch my office and record from my car from now on, what do you think? haha

Connect with Cassia Marina:

Email: cassia@cassimarina.me

In this episode I reflect on these past few months experiencing a life during a pandemic that requires us to social distance and while most definitely this is a very serious matter and changes our lives as we know there are a couple silver linings that I am sure if you were honest with yourself and reflected you might find some things you might like too, and if not I completely understand, I do plan on following up this episode with the things I don't know like about the pandemic but I thought it was time to highlight some of the positives and the silver lining in all of the chaos. 

Please remember while there are things that I like, it is not to make light of the situation, and please wear your mask, sanitize and social distance as much humanly possible. Stay safe.

Connect with Cassia Marina:

Email: cassia@cassimarina.me

In this week's episode I share some real tea on how I can't help you. If you're curious to learn and wondering "Cassia what do you mean you can't help me?" Well click play and find out what I am dishing up for tea tuh-day! Come with an open mind because we are doing some mindset shifts to help empower to make a decision to go from stuck to unstuck in your business because...well click play to find out.

Connect with Cassia Marina:

On this week's episode of Tea Time | The Podcast with Cassia Marina, I am joined by the lovely and fellow sassy girl boss Jhalisa John. I invited her finally onto my podcast for the first time to talk all about selling on social media, content creation and how to really do content creation and social media the right way. No for real, a lot of what you find on the internet about content creation and social media is really surface level and a lot of fluff and Jhalisa is so super talented at what she does. Social media and content creation is simply not just about posting!

We also connect the dots and differentiate how what we do is both different yet connected and how both our areas of expertise is a compliment to each other and if how what you should be doing it working on both aspects of your business to create a brand on these internet streets smarter and more strategically.

Connect with Jhalisa John:

In this episode I sit down with Akilah Phillip of Let's Talk Intellectual Property to discuss a few things in relation to the importance of trademarking especially in the online space where digital assets seem somewhat intangible. With intangible items the lines seem so blurred with regards to ownership. We see it everyday in copycats in so many spaces and areas especially online, especially digital products, ideas, creations, inventions, etc. It's why we have intellectual property law and for good reason.

If you are familiar with me and my brand you will know that I actively use the term branding queen in the past but not so much in recent times, in this episode I share all on what really went down.

Here are some of the things covered in this episode:

- online brand protection of intellectual property especially brand identity and digital assets

- why you should register a trademark for your brand name and symbol

- how to protect your brand name online even if you can't afford to do it officially yet

- the importance of trademark categories and different classifications

- why I stepped back from the term "the branding queen"

- how your domain is a brand asset and a form of trademark protection

and how you can actually be paid well for domain ownership, maybe even get rich

Connect with Akilah: