In Episode 45 of the Wealth On Any Income Podcast Rennie is joined by Krista Giannik - Writer, PR professional, and Story Consultant. Krista uncovers untold mission moments that share the true impact of a company or an organization on real people.
In Episode 45 of the Wealth On Any Income Podcast Rennie is joined by Krista Giannik - Writer, PR professional, and Story Consultant. Krista uncovers untold mission moments that share the true impact of a company or an organization on real people.
From blogs to bios, e-books to e-courses, feature articles and more, Krista shares her clients’ knowledge and stories with purpose. She also inspires audiences with her own personal journey as a skier, who happens to be blind.
In this episode Rennie and Krista cover:
About Krista Giannik
Writer, PR professional, and Story consultant. Krista uncovers untold mission moments that share the true impact of a company or an organization on real people.
Krista approaches all professional writing with the curiosity, conciseness, and creativity of a journalist. Her diverse writing experience includes press releases, feature articles, newsletters, business bios, brochures, and more.
Several local papers have also printed her work, including the four papers of L&M Publications, a hospitality industry trade journal called Hotel Interactive, and Times Beacon Record Newspapers.
Krista is a member of the Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI), the Long Island Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFPLI), and a wonderful Long Island networking group called Adrian’s Network.
Contact Krista at https://wisewordsthatmatter.com or on her weekly Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/WiseWordsThatMatter
You can get her 7 Budget-Eating Marketing and PR Mistakes to Avoid at wisewordsthatmatter.com.
If you'd like to know how books, movies, and society programs you to be poor, and what the cure is. Visit wealthonanyincome.com/tedx. You'll hear Rennie's TEDx talk and can request a free 27-page Roadmap to Complete Financial Choice™ and receive a weekly email with tips, techniques, or inspiration around your business or money.
Rennie’s Books and Programs
https://wealthonanyincome.com/books/
Rennie’s 9 Days to Financial Freedom program:
https://wealthonanyincome.com/programs
Connect with Rennie
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WealthOnAnyIncome.com
RennieGabriel.com
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Rennie Gabriel 00:10
Hi, folks, welcome to Episode 45 of the Wealth On Any Income Podcast. This is where we talk about money, tips, techniques, attitudes, information, and provide inspiration. In past episodes, we spoke about how to build an income and expense report, how to measure the level of pleasure based on where you spend your money, how to track your money in 5 - 10 seconds and what to look for on a net worth statement to see how close you are to Complete Financial Choice™. Well, today we have a very special guest, Krista Giannak. And Krista is a writer, public relations professional, and story consultant. She uncovers untold mission moments that share the true impact of a company or an organization on real people. From blogs, to bios, ebooks to ecourses, feature articles and more, Krista shares her client’s knowledge and stories with purpose. And as you know, I've got a course called, Wealth with Purpose. She also inspires audiences with their own personal journey as a skier. Oh, I forgot to mention she happens to be blind. Krista, welcome to the Wealth On Any Income Podcast.
Krista Giannak 01:30
Thank you so much.
Rennie Gabriel 01:32
Well, let's get right to some questions.
Krista Giannak 01:35
Sure.
Rennie Gabriel 01:36
Other than in your bio, tell me why you do what you do.
Krista Giannak 01:43
Ever since I was a kid, I've always had a story in my head, and I've always loved sharing knowledge. Or, I've always loved to learn new things. Even now, I learn something every day. I've been having loads of fun on Clubhouse lately. Speaking to scientists, and tech enthusiasts and all kinds of interesting people. That's what I love to do best. I love to have engaging conversations, and learn about what people have to offer, especially if they're innovating or making a difference in other people's lives or business. It's kind of ironic that I've been telling other people's stories for years, and yet, I haven't always told my own story. And the skiing angle actually helped me to tell my story from a strengths-based perspective. And I love to help clients do the same.
Rennie Gabriel 02:45
Well, we're going to - well, I'm going to ask you a little bit about that. But because one of the purposes behind the work I do is to support people to grow their wealth, so they can become philanthropic, is there any particular charity that you support?
Krista Giannak 03:05
Absolutely. We have a local charity here, and you probably have one where you live to, because it's tied to the independent living movement. And the independent living movement is all about asserting how people with disabilities have the same rights, and the same needs and the same desires as their non-disabled peers. So, we have Suffolk Independent Living Organization. I'm actually on their board. And so SILO offers information and referral, peer counseling, and other services, advocacy and lots of support - moral support, and otherwise - to help people with disabilities find the tools they need for independence and success. Because let's face it, we're all interdependent, aren't we?
Rennie Gabriel 03:59
Yes. In reality we are. And when we're done, let me have you send an email to me with a link to that organization that I can also add in the show notes, please.
Krista Giannak 04:12
Absolutely. It's siloinc.org. And I'll certainly send you that link.
Rennie Gabriel 04:18
siloinc.org. Okay. And in terms of the work that you do, who are your target clients?
Krista Giannak 04:26
My target clients are really speakers, thought leaders, and business owners who are making a difference. I love working with non-profits as well. I found a lot of the ones that I've met, haven't had so much of a budget - I wish that they did. And I'd love to work with more non-profits who can think a little bit outside the box in terms of what they do with their advertising budgets. And think about whether they want to tell their stories and revamp their websites and really look at the content that they're writing to see that it's relatable to their audience. Because if it's not entirely relatable, if people are confused when they're giving them the non-profit a call, or if they're not calling, that may be a reason to come and see me about your story.
Rennie Gabriel 05:25
Makes perfect sense. All right, let's talk a little bit. Now I know that you've been blind since birth. So let me ask you, what would you say your biggest fear is whether it's personal or in business?
Krista Giannak 05:40
That's a tough one, because I have a lot of fears. I've had a lot of fears in general. Some of them I've gotten to overcome. I think my biggest fear is hurting someone else or being hurt myself. And that's kind of one that I don't know, necessarily goes away.
Rennie Gabriel 06:03
Now, when you say hurting someone else, you're talking emotionally?
Krista Giannak 06:06
Yeah, like doing the wrong thing- doing something that could hurt someone. So sometimes we say the wrong things, or sometimes we do things that don't always have the best outcome. Sometimes you have unintended consequences. You mean well, but sometimes people don't always take it the right way. And just in general, or sometimes we make decisions that affect other people in negative ways and we don't even realize it. So I would say that is and or even . . . I'm in martial arts, and we do some moves. And yeah, I do sometimes come up against that fear in a real way.
Rennie Gabriel 06:54
Yes. Where it can be physical.
Krista Giannak 06:57
Yeah, absolutely. I think some fears are actually healthy to some extent, as long as they're not taking over our lives. On the other hand, some fears are really worth overcoming. When I was a kid, I was really terrified of walking around my block alone. And some people when I tell them this story, they blame it on the blindness. So of course, I tell them that I have friends who are blind, who are absolutely not afraid of doing this and who weren't. This is not so much about blindness. And in fact, the thoughts in my head when I was afraid, weren't even about the blindness. It was ridiculous stuff like, ‘Oh, what if I get kidnapped?’ You know, because I read about somebody getting kidnapped. Or ‘what if the driver doesn't see me?’ It's broad daylight. They can see me. Or ‘what if I get lost?’ I know my way. I've been walking here. So, I had a travel-training instructor and I was able to walk with her. And one day, we decided it was time for me to face this fear. She had her car down in the of the middle of the block, and she drove away. And there I was, I was really scared. I had all these thoughts in my head, my heart was pounding. And I started running and breathing hard, and all of that and crying and everything. And I was drained at the end of it. And yet there was a positive that came from that. Which was that despite the fact that I was terrified, I made it. I did it. And I would do it again, and again, and again, until I stopped having that reaction. Because I really didn't have that big of a reaction the second time. Because the reward at the end, the fact that I had done it, the fact that I could be proud of myself for facing a fear, for me anyway, that overrode all these scary feelings.
Rennie Gabriel 09:06
How old were you when this first happened?
Krista Giannak 09:09
Too old. I was a kid, but I was too old.
Rennie Gabriel 09:14
Would you say less than 20?
Krista Giannak 09:16
Yeah, yeah, I was a kid. Yeah, I was like . . .
Rennie Gabriel 09:18
Between 10 and 20?
Krista Giannak 09:20
Yeah, something like that. I was like, 12 or 13.
Rennie Gabriel 09:22
Okay.
Krista Giannak 09:23
Old.
Rennie Gabriel 09:24
Alright, I get it.
Krista Giannak 09:26
Yeah, I mean, now that the fun side of that was the fear of skiing. And I faced that by doing small steps and doing my research and talking to the people that I needed to talk to so that I could understand that there's a method behind the madness of blind skiing.
Rennie Gabriel 09:44
Yes, because you weren't the first one.
Krista Giannak 09:48
Exactly, exactly. I wasn't the one inventing the wheel and, and neither were they. They were building on top of a history of blind skiers.
Rennie Gabriel 09:59
Got it. All right. Well, it sounds like one of your biggest insights or maybe not an insight, but one of the biggest advantages from that fear or rather, overcoming that fear of not walking out by yourself, is the fact that there are other things you can conquer as well. If you can conquer that one, there's more.
Krista Giannak 10:21
I would say the biggest insight is when you think something's impossible, because believe me when I was skiing, or rather, before I was skiing, before I found out about the ski program for the blind - I didn't think that was something that was possible, especially for me clumsy, klutzy Krista - so when you think something's impossible, maybe it's worth finding somebody who's already done it, because they just might be out there. That was a major insight from this, is that sometimes they come to me, and I discover that they're out there. And other times, I have to go after them. I have to find them, pick up the phone, go out there. So right now, I have a dream that I want to be doing more journalism, especially science journalism. So, I'm out there looking for people who've already done it, finding out how they've done it, finding out how to pitch, finding out how to get stories, trying, failing, trying - all of that.
Rennie Gabriel 11:28
Perfect. I mean, that is so in alignment with what we talk about on the show, because my background is having gone broke. And that was my greatest fear is that if that happened, I wouldn't be able to rebuild. And I was very fortunate to have gone broke the first time around age 30 and did rebuild. And subsequently went broke from a business failure, two divorces, and at this point in life, it's not an issue at all. So the failure can bring a lot of strength, or overcoming that fear can bring a lot of strength.
Krista Giannak 12:07
Yeah, I don't always think of things as failures. Although, I mean, if I did something in particular, and I'm not trying that something again, that I might say, ‘Oh, that was a failure’, or like a component failure. People use that word instead of malfunction. But a lot of times a failure is just either something that ended - so it might have been a success for a while, and then it ended - or something that needs to be re-tried. Or explored in a different way. At least that's how I look at failure.
Rennie Gabriel 12:41
Yeah, it can always be a learning experience. Well, let me ask you this, regarding the work that you do, what are the common mistakes that people might make regarding PR, or trying to tell their own stories? And do you have an example?
Krista Giannak 12:56
Sure. So along the lines of the story, since we've been talking about that, one common mistake is one that I made not telling their stories. A lot of people have stories, and they're great people, and they're authentic, and yet they don't know how to approach it. Especially... sometimes we - you know the shoemaker who has broken shoes?
Rennie Gabriel 13:22
Yes.
Krista Giannak 13:23
There's a bit of that sometimes, in that we all need, even a professional, we all need an outsider's perspective once in a while when it comes to our own personal lives, our own personal brand. People look to me for that outsider's perspective and I'm more capable of doing it because I look to others. I had mentors, I took those steps and found those turning points in my life. And I learned how to share the stories from a position of strength, from a position of overcoming. I usually don't do what I did today on your podcast and talk about current fears and struggles and that sort of thing, because as a general rule, I look to tell my story, from what have I overcome? What was my struggle before? How did I do it, potentially? And how does it help others? Sometimes current struggles can help because we can advocate, we can relate to others, they make us more human. And other times if people don't relate or if we sort of share things too early in a relationship - whether that's a friendship or business - sometimes it's not always what we intend.
Rennie Gabriel 14:53
That makes sense. And I ask these questions because most people who know my story, know that there was a time that I was so broke, I had to collect soda bottles and cans to get the refund money so I could buy groceries for my family. So when people talk about, Well, yeah, you have so much money now. What do you care? Yeah, I also know what it's like to be completely flat broke. And I think that what you're talking about is being relatable.
Krista Giannak 15:30
Yeah, and I know what it's like to hide from your story.
Rennie Gabriel 15:34
Yes.
Krista Giannak 15:35
I know what it's like to say, well, blindness isn't a strength. I don't want to walk into the room with the cane, maybe I shouldn't network. Or, well, I don't want to mention the blindness, because well, they can see it and I want them to focus on my professionalism, who I am as a person and as a professional. I wanted to be authentic and honest. And yet, I didn't want to . . . I was concerned that if I told too many of my own stories, or if I focused ever on the blindness, that that would become my life. That would become who I am. And the other thing that I learned too, much to my chagrin, is that people are going to tell stories about you anyway. People are going to kind of . . . I mean sometimes it's just people just like, 'Oh, wow, she showed up at the meeting. She took the bus. That's amazing. She's blind.' So I might as well try to attempt to control the stories that they're going to tell about a characteristic that maybe could be seen as a weakness, or about a disability. So if there is something that's out there, I might as well tell a fun and empowering story about how I faced fears just like everyone else faces fears. I might as well tell a fun story about the the rustling of the snow and the fall line under my feet. And those little itty-bitty steps of just traveling to Vermont, putting on the boots, not even getting up onto the lift yet, just walking in the ski boots, getting used to them, putting on the skis. And even before all of that just picking up the phone. Sometimes the phone weighs 20 pounds.
Rennie Gabriel 17:35
Yeah. There's such a fear of reaching out to people, especially those who are in sales and have to make cold calls and the phone could weigh 100 pounds. And you're absolutely right. It's those little things that add up to overcoming bigger things. Well, okay, we're coming to a close, so I want to let people know how they can reach you. So I will put it in the show notes. But what's the best way for people to reach you?
Krista Giannak 18:05
You can get my Seven Budget-Eating Marketing and PR Mistakes to Avoid, and that's at wisewordsthatmatter.com. And if you want to hear more of me, my inspiration, education for businesses, and organizations who want to get noticed now and have better stories, you can go to my weekly Facebook Live, which is at Wise Words that Matter as well on Facebook.
Rennie Gabriel 18:34
I'll add that to the show notes as well. And bottom line, Krista, I want to thank you for being on the show. And to my listeners, thank you for tuning in. You can listen to the Wealth On Any Income Podcast on your favorite platform. And please rate, review and subscribe. If you'd like to know how books, movies and society programs you to be poor, and what the cure is, then log on to wealthonanyincome.com/TEDx. You'll hear my TEDx talk and can request a free 27-page Roadmap to Complete Financial Choice™ and receive a weekly email with tips, techniques, or inspiration around your business or money. Again, that's wealthonanyincome.com/TEDx. Until next week, be prosperous. Bye bye for now.