Show Notes
Seth Werkheiser is a writer, musician, a "wizardly guide to platform independence" and the founder of the Social Media Escape Club. I met Seth for the very first time whilst creating this episode! We talk about escaping social media without a rigid detox plan, why a newsletter beats a feed, the "work-work balance" almost nobody admits to, and why community - not content - might be the actual antidote to burnout. We also cover: Seth's path from third-generation musician to music blogger (2001) to AOL Music editor to email marketer for record labels and a music publicist - and how that same "help creative people get seen" mission has never really changed
The birth of Social Media Escape Club - starting life in 2021 as Heavy Metal Email, aimed at getting heavy metal bands back on email lists, before Seth realised the message applied to artists, photographers and designers of every kind
Why Seth isn't anti-internet or even anti-social-media, but anti the time, attention and life energy we hand over to platforms that "don't give a crap about us"
Vanity metrics and the seven-thousand-versus-seventy-thousand conversation - why Seth would rather have two people reply to a newsletter than twenty people like a post
The difference between Substack and social media, and why Seth doesn't rely on "likes" as a sign anyone's listening (they're probably reading it on the loo, and that's fine)
Meeting people at the right level of the Journey of Consciousness - why "escape" and "break up" are strong, problem-aware words for people who don't yet know there's another way, even though Seth's actual approach once you arrive is gentle, non-prescriptive and led by the group
The "Work/Work balance" - Seth still works in email marketing for record labels and does admin for a music publicist alongside running Social Media Escape Club, and why having more than one income stream is normal, not a failure, for almost everyone doing meaningful work
Community as the antidote to isolation - why so much of Seth's best work (a music blog, a metal trivia newsletter, weekly Zoom calls) has never been a solo endeavour
Boundaries, energy and privilege - both Seth and Frances talk candidly about the time, money and confidence it takes to build a sustainable creative business, and why "how's business going?" rarely has one simple answer
The story of Seth's bike trip out of Brooklyn - working remotely for AOL Music from the road for eight months, and what it taught him about diving in rather than waiting for the perfect framework
Keeping in touch with people you love without relying on platforms you don't own - a practical nudge to keep a simple backup list of phone numbers and email addresses, just in case
About Social Media Escape Club Social Media Escape Club is a membership community where creative and artistic people gather for weekly (sometimes three or four times a week) themed Zoom calls and virtual co-working sessions. There's no guru, no fixed programme and no detox plan - just a space for people to talk honestly about what's working, what isn't, and how to be seen without burning out. Connect with Seth via his website: socialmediaescape.club. He deliberately keeps no social media profiles - the website is the one place to find him. Mentioned in this episode Social Media Escape Club (formerly Heavy Metal Email)
Substack
Seth's Blog by Seth Godin
The BBB Reflection & Confidence weekly space
Membership of the Better Bolder Braver community includes the Coach's Marketing Journey course - the only dual-accredited course (AC, up to 32 CPD hours; ICF, 10 CCE hours) dedicated to ethical marketing for life and executive coaches - plus bi-weekly check-in sessions, the weekly Reflection & Confidence space, 50+ Tools & Techniques recordings, the Book Club and a warm crowd of fellow people-helpers. Find everything at betterbolderbraver.com
More from Better Bolder Braver
What happens when we rethink coaching and marketing through a neurodivergent lens?
What if better coaching, and better marketing, came from doing less?
In this episode, I get to profile one fabulous member of the Better Bolder Braver community, Simon Hill. Simon is a coach, facilitator and consultant who works with people-helpers of a particular kind - leaders in charities and social purpose organisations - and he's been part of our community for two years now, most recently taking the reins as chair of our book club. We talk about what actually happens in a community like ours - how the thinking and feelings associated with marketing are slowly absorbed (after the eleventh time, or in Simon's case, the fifteenth), and how marketing starts to feel more human and less daunting. We cover the five P's of Positioning, the power of kindness at work, why good contracting is quietly brilliant marketing, and Simon's beloved concept of entering every conversation without Memory, Understanding or Desire - or as he calls it, “MUD”. There's humour, there's parenting, there's talk of doodling, and there's a couple of very good book recommendations.
What if your best marketing move wasn't saying more - but asking better questions? In this episode, I'm joined by Rob Lawrence: seasoned podcast producer, experienced coach, and - I'll be honest - one of my marketing heroes. Rob is also, rather wonderfully, the reason Better Bolder Braver exists at all. It was his generosity in inviting me onto the Association for Coaching podcast that kicked the whole thing off. Together we explore one of the most liberating ideas in good, ethical marketing: that coaches are already equipped with one of the most powerful marketing tools there is. They just might not have recognised it yet. What we talk about Why asking questions often generates more engagement than sharing expertise - on LinkedIn, in podcasts, and in life How "holding the space" in marketing creates the same trust and intimacy as a coaching relationship The connection between self-awareness in coaching and self-awareness in marketing Why you don't need to say something new every week - and why saying the same five things, creatively, is actually the goal How questions can move your ideal clients through the Journey of Consciousness - from "I didn't know I had a problem" to "I'm ready to work with you" The difference between posting publicly and taking conversations offline - and why Rob's quieter LinkedIn strategy works beautifully Rob's 10-year weekly mastermind with his Australian counterpart Steve Palfreyman - and why he calls it his single biggest business secret How to translate your best coaching questions directly into your marketing
In this episode, I spoke with Dawn Mullen, coach, psychology student and researcher, about the wellbeing of coaches. We explored some of the pressures coaches face, from the emotional demands of the work itself to the realities of marketing, visibility and running a business. It was a thoughtful conversation about boundaries, self-awareness, reflection, support, and what it takes to build a coaching practice that is both sustainable and humane.