Empire Secrets:The 3-Part Trust Ecosystem I’m Building Right Now

Your work is incredible. You know it. Your clients know it.

But somehow, cold people still need a whole journey before they feel it.

The annoying and painful gap between how good you actually are and how fast people trust you online... is really what this episode is about.

A lot has shifted over here.

Brand Video Accelerator is officially sunsetted. It worked (beautifully!) but is even better now that it's evolved (my new program is called Presold Clients™).

In this Empire Diaries episode, I'm sharing the full evolution: what Brand Video Accelerator was and what it became, and why Presold Clients™ is the system I was always building toward: the human connection and trust-based way to help coaches get dream clients arriving already sold, already trusting, already asking logistics questions instead of needing to be objection handled for 5 hours. 

I also tell the client story that made me tear up again just thinking about it. He showed his Human Connection Video to three people. Two grown men cried. That's not a testimonial. That's proof of what the right story, told the right way, actually does to people.

Inside this episode:

• The real reason BVA sunsetted (and why it was the right call)
• Why "brand video" had to go — and what Human Connection Video actually means
• The 3 C's of the Presold Clients ecosystem
• How belief-shifting content + retargeting collapse the sales cycle
• The 3 engines I'm building: long-form content, my Miracle Hour (kudos to Kelly Roach), and an upcoming Human Connection Video workshop

New era. Fewer moving parts. More trust assets that actually do the heavy lifting.

Want more info on Presold Clients™? DM me PRESOLD on Instagram and my automation will get you everything, what's included and pricing, all of it: https://instagram.com/brandmagnetic 

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@brandmagnetic 

If we haven't yet - let's connect on Instagram! Find me at http://instagram.com/brandmagnetic

Transcript

0:00

Hey everyone, welcome back to Empire Secrets. I'm your host, Mariana Henninger, and this is the podcast for coaches who do incredible work, where I share ninja digital marketing strategies that will help you build human connection in the age of AI, accelerate trust, and scale your business without burning out, without posting a million pieces of content hoping your ideal client sees it before it disappears, and you know you can't get your magic across in 15 seconds anyway. So I wanted to do another Empire Secrets episode because it's been a little while since I've done one. There's a lot to update on. One of the things are ways that I've upgraded my systems in my business. I am now using Descript to record this episode. I'm giving it a trial run and one of the themes that I have worked with my clients is what are the ways that you are making small upgrades in your business every single week that move the needle for you? So for me, it's been spending time making my background look better, making my camera setup look better, my lighting look better. I'm not really happy with this mic arm. I do have another one that's way more discreet, so I have to figure out a way to install it so it moves out of the way very quickly. Just finding ways to improve the perception and the impression that people have of you when they land on you for the first time. One of the things that we work together inside of my new program, Presold Clients, is what I call a trust audit. A trust audit is basically understanding how your ideal client sees you for the first time when they meet you online. So when they come across your website or your name on a comment somewhere on social media, and they're doing some investigating. They're basically figuring out whether you're worth paying attention to, whether you're worth trusting. And they're looking at all of these signals from your branding, yes. But also more importantly, how are you actually showing up? Are you creating a human connection with them? Are you activating their trust triggers? Are you making them feel that you get them, you care about them, you've got them, and that you vibe, your personalities align? So all of these things that we make sure that these are being communicated, that your ideal person, your ideal client actually feels these things when they meet you. Upgrading what you look like and what, how you sound is definitely a part of that. So I wanted to share with you guys what I've been working on. This year has been really, really interesting for me. We're almost at the middle mark of the year, so it's a great time to kind of look back and see what's happened in the first six months. And if you're interested in the BTS, this is what this episode is all about. I'm less teaching in this episode and more showing you what's working for me, how I'm building my business, how I'm thinking about, what the market is reacting to, and how the market is buying right now. What are my learnings and what are my plans? So to really take a step back and look at the first two quarters of the year for me, the biggest thing that's happened was I ran what was basically the last cohort of the brand video accelerator in its current format. And in fact, like, that program has officially sunsetted. And the reason for that is because I knew I wanted to bring something deeper and more complete to the marketplace. And I have spent, you know, since the beginning of my business for three and a half years, basically, a single program with a single end goal, and once we had crossed the finish line and created your brand video, you were basically done. And I showed you how to use that in your funnels and in your universe and your systems and your website and your socials and your welcome sequence and your, pitches and all of that. And that was basically the extent of the work that we did together. So I knew I needed to create sort of the evolution of that and what is the next step? What is the thing that I can help people build the trust ecosystem where this video lived? So I came into 2026 knowing that I wanted to not only restructure my offer, but kind of reposition it as well. I knew I needed to look at it in a fresh, new way. I knew that for the value that I had, I wasn't bringing in the amount of sales that made sense. And it's okay. I have built a program that's tried and true, but now it's time to take it to the next level and to go even further. And so I was very lucky because I started working with a coach that I really respect and really love, I have to say. Which is a funny word to use with him because he's not very, he's not very touchy-feely. But he's very, like, data-driven, no BS. There's not that much emotion involved. Uh, but he was exactly the person that I needed at the time when I knew I was ready to make these changes. And the beautiful thing was that I learned so much about how I wanna coach my clients as well. So not only did he help me see this new chapter of my business, but he helped me see what an amazing coach can be, and I realized, like, I've been a great coach, but I am not using some of the systems and the approaches that he used, which I thought were really, really excellent. So I'll get to that maybe in a different episode. And so the big, the big changes have been again, redeveloping my program into something bigger, but the brand video is no longer the brand video. It's now called The Human Connection Video, which is such a fantastic name. It really was like a home run name for me when I... Honestly, it was my coach that gave me this name, and I was like, "This is brilliant. This is exactly what this does." And it speaks to the zeitgeist right now. It speaks to how so many coaches are taking the lazy path, if you will, and thinking that they're doing the right thing by automating all of their lead nurture and even lead gen systems, and really putting AI in front of their market versus showing up themselves, and thinking that they're being smart by doing that. And to me, it has created this incredible backdrop of grayness, where if you know how to stand out, a backdrop of grayness makes your job even easier. And what I'm doing is going against that. It's my manifesto. It's my true belief that people do business with people, and in order to accelerate trust, the trust that's really broken right now, we have to create human connection first. And so doubling down on human connection, using this asset that is so incredible, this two to three-minute video that really captures your story, your drive, your personality, your missions, your values in a single video. There's no call to action at the end. There's no, "You must buy this now." Right? There's no click here. It's literally human connection at the most basic, fundamental level of trust. And so that is now the rebrand of this asset. And the program has now, you know, gone from Brand Video Accelerator to my baby, which I love so much, called Presold Clients. So the idea of Presold Clients is the idea that we are going from working longer hours, working harder, chasing, and Hustling to get clients and to close them on sales calls and to learn how to objection handle the crap out of them, to creating a system whereby that is being done in their territory. So what I mean by that is instead of going out there and calling people into your world through like a sales call or even a sales event, what we're doing is creating all of the trust assets that will shift their beliefs and tell the right stories to do that, and putting that in front of our audience. So the entire ecosystem is basically built on three C's. So the first one is connection. So we kind of cover that with the human connection video with the trust audit. This idea that when you know who your dreamiest client is on a very deep level, and your dreamiest client, by the way, is somebody that got amazing results working with you, who you loved working with, who did the work, who you'd work with them for free, and you'd hang out with them for free. That's your dreamiest client, right? And naming them, like who was the exact person that actually fulfilled that role for you? The second thing is, understanding how you mean to them, meaning what are the spices and flavors of your personality and approach and POV that most resonate with that person, and then encapsulating all of that into a human connection video. So really fixing that top of funnel first. Fixing how people are coming in first and foremost, and what is the connection that we're creating as soon as they come in. The second part of the system is the second C, which is conviction. So this is where understanding which beliefs need to be shifted and which stories we're gonna use to shift those beliefs, and then creating the trust assets that shift those beliefs. This is where we are building the... essentially the building blocks of our trust ecosystem. These are the bricks that are going to be laid on top of each other to build the actual house. In essence, they're pieces of content, but they are incredibly intentional about what they do. They're not just volume for the sake of volume, visibility for the sake of visibility, content for the sake of content because somebody told you you needed to produce that content. Once we create that, then we go into the third phase, which is continuity. So how do we get these pieces in front of our audience without being beholden to the algorithm? Without having to wait and see whether the algorithm is gonna show our content to the right people? How do we make sure that the right people see it, whether or not they happen to see it naturally? So basically what we're doing is running retargeting ads to the warmest people in our audience with these belief-shifting assets. And so these three parts of the ecosystem are now what I'm helping clients with, and right now we have a founding member cohort that's so amazing. I'm working hands-on with every single client the clients in there have basically created their human connection video already and are moving on to the next phases of the ecosystem. And it is so amazing to already see the results Of, all this work that we're doing together where they're landing clients that they hadn't landed before. They know exactly how to speak to them. They know exactly which words to use. They know what beliefs and objections they need to be handling even before the client reaches out to them. So the whole point is that you are building the sales system whereby your perfect client is coming to you already raising their hand, already saying, "I need to know more about your offer, but I'm already sold. I already know I want in. I just need to know a few details and where to sign. Where do I click? Where do I put my credit card in?" And that is the whole beauty of pre-sold clients, whereby instead of posting content hoping it sticks, hoping your ideal person sees it. Instead of, playing the algorithm game, instead of waiting to get them on a phone call to then handle all their objections and, and close them by force, which you obviously should never do. Instead of doing all of that, we are creating the system whereby on autopilot they are seeing the right things that they need to see, hear, believe in order to be ready to buy from us. So they trust us with the human connection and trust that we've built top of funnel, and then any other objection that they might have towards joining our program is handled through the trust ecosystem. And so in a nutshell, that's the program. So what I've been building is literally the back end of all of that for myself, not only the curriculum, but also my own automations and system whereby people can come into my world on autopilot. So what that looks like for me is basically a VSL that's top of funnel. So I have a video that explains everything and makes an invitation, like if you want to learn more about how we do this for clients essentially DM me the word PRESOLD on Instagram. So that's how I have it set up right now, where in order to even view what this program is about and how much it costs and what's involved, you have to be qualified. And the qualification is honestly just kind of minimal on the revenue side. I did not wanna put, like, a really high revenue qualification, but I do wanna work with clients who have established businesses. This is not a beginner program, people who have gotten client results, who are great at what they do, and who don't need a ton of hand-holding. Not because I can't do it for them, but honestly because I don't want to. I think the best results are not when you hand-hold people. The best results are when you get people who are ready to do the work and who need instruction and support, not hand-holding. And so it kind of filters for those things, and once they pass through the filter of the process, then they are then taken to the offer doc, which explains how everything runs, what it looks like on the inside. Here are some more testimonials. If you have any questions, you can DM me, and there's no setters or closers in my DMs. It's just me. And finally, they can then apply to join the program. So that is how I have it set up right now for pre-sold clients. I'm really happy about it. I'm really feel good about how it's set up and the people that I'm bringing into the world. In addition to having set that up, there are kind of a few, um, engines that are running to bring people into this ecosystem. So the first engine is obviously content still. So it's still organic content without it being a million pieces. So for me, what that looks like is one long-form piece on YouTube. So if you haven't connected with me on YouTube, go ahead and do that. I'll leave a link in the description below. The second way that I'm doing this is I'm implementing... I'm really curious and interested in something that, Kelly Roach has been talking about a lot, and she created called The Miracle Hour, which is, in essence, it's a follow-up sales system, which is so valuable. Like, for me, there's something really different between chasing people and also doing due diligence and showing them that you care, that you're paying attention to them, that they're valuable, that they are somebody who's not just a number in your system. They're actually a person who you could be a great help with. What I'm doing is taking the Miracle Hour and implementing my own sort of twist to it, my own processes. I'm using AI to help me make sure I'm on top of everyone that needs to be followed up with. And then I'm not only implementing this in my own business, but bringing it to my clients as well. So first engine is long-form content once a week. The second engine is my version of Kelly Roach's Miracle Hour. And the third thing, so I haven't gotten there yet, but this is kind of a cool thing that I am really thinking about and experimenting with, which is using the human connection video as a trust-building entry point into my world. Meaning I can build trust with you over my content, but what if you got to experience what it's like for me to teach and for me to show you things and for you to really be immersed in my world without having to commit yet to the bigger program Presold clients? What I'm experimenting with is this idea that I can break off the human connection video and create it as a, two-hour workshop whereby I am showing you how everything works, and then I'm showing you how to create your own human connection video in obviously like a very, a much smaller scale than we were doing it inside the program over three months. But you would have all the tools that you need. You would have the whole roadmap, and I would likely have as an upsell the AI bots that can help you write your script and write your shot list and ultimately bring this home. This would be an awesome way for people to come into my world and see what it's like to be taught by me, see how I, interact and how I teach and how, what my philosophy is, and just really get an immersion inside of my world as a buyer, where you literally have everything you need. Like, I'm blowing it out of the water for the price point, and it would be a way to come into my world that's an absolute no-brainer, that is, really affordable and really would knock your socks off. So that is phase three of the three engines that I'm running to get people warmed up into my world. And so that was a big update in regards to where I am right now. Like, we are light years away from where I was in January of this year. Um, I ran a launch and we Finished the cohort basically, I can't even remember when. Oh my gosh, I think it was in May. And we've got the human connection videos that are being edited right now and being delivered and being used by my clients already in their launches and in their, in all of their work. In fact, I heard from a client really recently that he showed his human connection video to three clients, and two of them cried. Grown men are not the demo that would normally get really emotional to the point of crying, and yet that is the really emotional bond and connection that was formed, and the impact that this video had. So it is truly an incredibly powerful tool, and I'm so glad that it now has an even, bigger ecosystem to live inside of. So I'm gonna wrap it up here in terms of updating you on where I'm at and how things are going. I'm so excited that it's summer. Uh, I get to go to the beach a lot. I get to spend more time with my kiddo and my husband. Just really looking forward to a fantastic second half of the year. I'm so freaking excited. I have some big milestones to reach between now and December 31st, and I'll keep you updated throughout with, Empire Secrets episodes. But for now, my reminder is go follow me on YouTube if you haven't yet. I am dropping every week a training and if you wanna learn more about Presold clients, you can DM me PRESOLD on Instagram, and you will be walked through that automation that will basically, get you to the next step. So I would love to hear from you, and if I haven't yet, just after you DM me PRESOLD on Instagram, share your story with me. What are you working on right now? What is, something that's holding you back or something that you would like me to cover on a future episode of Empire Secrets or maybe a guest that you would love for me to have? I love your suggestions. I love seeing the downloads every week. It really warms my heart. And, I hope you have a fantastic rest of your week. Bye for now.