INTERVIEW: CHLOE WESTON from TRAUMA CONSCIOUS DIGITAL MARKETING

Back in May 2023, I had a virtual cuppa with Chloe Weston of Trauma Conscious Digital Marketing who is a holistic digital marketing strategist for trauma-informed and trauma-focused entrepreneurs and business owners.

Chloe and I share similarities in how we have moved through our marketing business journeys. We’re also attracted to the gentler, more spacious but no less effective possibilities of marketing that are on the rise.

In this conversation I was interested in how Chloe gained clarity on her niche, the challenges that face trauma-focused or trauma-impacted business owners and entrepreneurs and a piece of advice for those who feel overwhelmed with their marketing.

Tell us a bit about how you came into your digital marketing niche.

Chloe: I started out doing conscious business owners that was my niche originally and I was a copywriter before that doing for conscious business owners.

But it wasn't until I joined a digital marketing strategist group for copywriters that my mentor helped me basically work out what my niche was, through talking about my experience through the clients that I attracted.

And she saw it for me, which is really helpful because sometimes it's hard to see it for yourself.

Clarity is something we both help our clients with but what was the feeling that came with that same clarity for yourself?

Chloe: It's often something that you already know that you are and it doesn't seem very interesting, because it's so familiar to you.

For me, it's like a second arm, that passion for trauma-informed practice, it's who I am, researching that stuff constantly.

So when my marketing mentor said it, I went: Oh my God – of course, it is!

I laughed out loud when she said it to me. How did I not think of that? Because literally, my whole life has been leading to that, so you know, it's really interesting.

It's a thread that just weaves through everything I do.

You started off with copywriting and expanded into conscious marketing – I’m interested to know how you approach marketing consciously in a space where marketing has historically been very sales-driven, tactically driven, and has a reputation for being manipulative.

Chloe: I'm finding the gap is quite large between someone that's an intuitive person or a conscious person or an aware person to connect the marketing strategy sometimes.

Because I do work especially with trauma-focused entrepreneurs, they have so many more challenges than the everyday person.

So a marketing strategy that would work for a general day-to-day person, that same strategy doesn't really fit – it can't fit, because it's not going to be linear. For trauma-focused entrepreneurs, the journey is going to be wavier because we have so many things that we're dealing with in any moment.

And there's no foundation to leap off or structure or framework. So they’re kind of just trying to work it out as they go along which can be very difficult.

Marketing consciously, it’s a lot more challenging than, say, a financial advisor, or a recruiter. They've already got systems and structures, a path of what their marketing could look like plus they're getting paid. It's not as straightforward for someone that's a solo-conscious entrepreneur.

Some of the clients that we’ve both had are selling something that's sometimes intangible and experiential. Often not considered a necessity by a lot of people even though things like creativity and healing are necessary.

How do you work with these types of clients when you’re guiding their marketing strategy?

Chloe: I actually spoke to a lady the other day, and because I've done this type of work personally, I can understand I can kind of work it out, based on what she's saying.

But, for example, the words that she's saying are not clear, if that makes sense. She's talking about space and energy and they're very abstract concepts to most people. So to be able to communicate what she actually does makes her marketing quite difficult.

And because of my copywriting experience, I can take that and then transform it into something for her audience to receive. And that is honestly because I've done both the psychological and spiritual path. I've done all sorts of stuff in the alternative health space so I've got all the different lingo and know what she’s trying to communicate. So it's easier for me to put it into words because of my own lived experience.

I think that's where a lot of trauma-focused entrepreneurs struggle. They've had copywriters, or social media managers before and it's not working. Because the Social Media Manager has no idea what the fuck they're talking about, basically.

By extension, their audiences probably have no idea.

Chloe: Yeah.

So what are the steps that you take in terms of holding space for your clients, particularly the trauma-impacted or the trauma-focused entrepreneurs?

Chloe: I’m always asking, What's going to show up today?

It’s really being revealed to me how if something in another area of their life is not working, their business isn't going to work, because it’s all interconnected. Boundaries and compartmentalisation can be hard so things beyond their business can have an onflow impact.

So I have to be more flexible with my clients. My strategy is to be patient and have flexibility with their lifestyle, and things that come up in their life. Because I know what it’s like and I know what kind of support they need from me.

That’s where the structure of a marketing strategy is really helpful – it’s a blueprint we can return to that keeps us anchored and grounded even when shit hits the fan in other areas.

Do you have any advice for trauma-focused or trauma-impacted entrepreneurs who are struggling with their marketing right now but maybe not ready to work with you?

Chloe: It's always the same thing of focusing on one person that you want to serve.

Being clear about, really, what your purpose is.

You can help a million other people and people come to you, because they say, ‘Oh, I have a problem’ and you know you can help them.

But who do you want to help? Who do you love helping? What do you like doing?

Because that's where the fuel comes from.

And that's where the clarity comes from and you need to have that clarity before we start doing anything.

And finally, are you reading anything interesting, listening to a podcast or watching anything that you’d like to share?

Chloe: I would recommend Amir Zoghi’s ACE Podcast. He’s based in Sydney and his podcast talks about authentic, conscious entrepreneurship. I’ve been following him for the last 7 years and I haven’t found anyone else that resonates as well as he does that’s still accessible – it’s not super spiritual but grounded in the idea of truth for each of us as individuals.

You can connect with Chloe here:

LinkedIn Business Page | LinkedIn Profile | TikTok | Website