In WyzeCast™ Season 2, Episode 18, we are thrilled to host Michelle Faust, the visionary founder of Lemonade Legend. Michelle has created a unique platform through her company, offering both print and media exposure via anthologies, digital magazines, a publishing house, podcasts, virtual stages, and streaming TV shows. Her mission is to amplify the voices of individuals who have turned life’s lemons into opportunities for growth and success.

Join us as Michelle shares her passion for storytelling as a powerful tool for healing, growth, and impact. Having navigated her own transformative journey, Michelle understands the profound effects of sharing stories and aims to create a safe space where individuals can leap out of fear, build confidence, find self-love, and experience both personal and professional growth. In this episode, we explore the art of “Dancing with Lemons” and discover how stories of resilience can inspire others to stand in their strength.

Watch on YouTube – Premieres December 14th, 10 AM ET

Listen on Spotify – Premieres November 22nd, 8 PM ET

Melanie McSally
Welcome to another episode of WyzeCast™, the show that elevates the voices, shines the light, showcases the gifts of our heart-centered guests, and amplifies the positive differences they are making in the world.

Listeners, I am excited for today’s guest. She is the founder of Lemonade Legend, a company offering both print and media exposure through her anthology series, digital magazines, a publishing house, podcast, virtual stages, and streaming TV shows.

Her mission is to give people a voice, share their stories, and elevate them above the conventional noise. There is power and healing in storytelling. Her platforms celebrate the voice of individuals who have tackled lemons and created unique versions of lemonade opportunities. She is passionate because of her own story and has witnessed the healing, growth, and impact that happens with sharing stories. It’s an opportunity to give back by inspiring others to stand in their strength and join a community of sharing in a safe place. For most people, this is where they can leap out of their fear, build confidence, and find self-love. Personal growth generally leads to professional growth as well. She wants people to succeed for all the right reasons.

My name is Melanie McSally, your host for today’s episode, and without further adieu, I would like to give a warm welcome to the sweet, the talented, and the inspirational, Michelle Faust. Michelle, welcome.

Michelle Faust
Thank you, Melanie, thank you so much. I appreciate being here. And it’s always so great to see your smiling face.

Melanie McSally
Well, the pleasure is all mine. So, can you explain the phrase you use, Dancing with Lemons?

Michelle Faust
Yes, I can, and thank you for asking that. That was my last title that I used, Dancing with Lemons and now I tend to use it a lot because of this whole journey that I have been on. It really started with just a simple lemon-to-lemonade story. When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. I feel like I’ve taken it just a little bit farther. It’s not just about making the lemonade. It’s more, for me, about facing those lemons head-on. I’m dancing with them and taking the lead. And taking those lemons where I want them to go. So it’s not as simple as adding a little sugar and making the lemonade. It’s really about taking control where you can because some things are out of our control. But, certainly, take the lead in your life because we’re all going to get lemons. Let’s face it. And, it’s not going to happen once; it’s gonna happen many times. Sometimes, bucket fulls.

Melanie McSally: It’s raining lemons

Michelle Faust: That’s how we dance with our lemons.

Melanie McSally
That’s awesome. So, I love this because we’ve been friends for a while we’ve worked together for a while now. And you’ve done a great job at taking people’s tribulations and turning them into triumphs so that others can feel inspired and they can be motivated. And then for the sharer of the story, it helps them connect even more with their audience and grow their business. Yeah?

Melanie McSally
Yeah, totally. And you know, to be able to show up as the best version of ourselves in our business, we have to become the best version of ourselves, and the only way to do that is to dive inside and see; to learn all the different facets of ourselves and to love them all, and be able to grow past the ones, or release the ones that are holding us back. So, is this where The Lemonade Stand came from?

Michelle Faust
Absolutely. Yeah, I had my own, call it, burning desire to tell my story. Of course, we have many stories. I have many stories. But most of us have one kind of foundational story that really makes us who we are and gives us our purpose or our why. My story comes from the fact that I was born with severe hearing loss. Yes, I tried hearing aids. I tried all kinds of things throughout my life, and I was just able to do better by learning how to communicate alternatively. So, I read lips, and I read body language. I developed this sixth sense of awareness, and it became better for me than trying to go the hearing aid route. So anyway, in spite of all of that, I succeeded in ways that many people, my hearing doctor, was right there at the top saying, I don’t know how you do what you do. I don’t know how I did it either, to be honest, Melanie. I really don’t. I just worked hard. I was just determined. I didn’t want to set myself aside as somebody who couldn’t do it. I wanted to fulfill my goals and my dreams, so I just figured it out. And at some point, well, I know exactly when the point was, but it was a few years back, when I was no longer in the corporate world I was in. I just realized that if I could do what I could do, anybody could do it. I mean, that’s how low my self-esteem was. If I can do it, anybody can do it. And that’s kind of a sad statement. But yeah, I was also, at the same time, very proud. So, I just want to share that. I wanted to share that with people who maybe felt similar or had a similar story. And then they didn’t know how. So, I just decided to do my own anthology and put my own chapter in it. And just find other people who are willing to do that. People do a lot of self-publishing, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. It doesn’t come without a cost, and I couldn’t afford to do it, so I spread the cost around with 18 other women who didn’t even know me. They kind of just came. They fell in my lap. It’s amazing that the 19 of us created a bond, had an experience, and created this book that is beautiful. I saw and witnessed not only my own healing but their healing as well. It was probably the most powerful thing I’ve ever done in my life.

Melanie McSally
So cool. And I know you say that it came from a low place of self-esteem, but honestly, not everybody can do what you do professionally or personally. Maybe everybody can overcome their own challenges and that’s what you’re helping them with, but I wouldn’t say everybody can write the way you write and publish the way you publish it. So it may feel like it came from a place of low self-esteem, but it definitely is not because of the quality of your work, and the power of the words that you help people string together is really impactful. Personally helping them through their own transformation, but also professionally helping them connect with their clients and level up their business. So you’ve done three of these now. What’s your next project? Is it another one?

Michelle Faust
Yeah, and I have to tell you when I did the first one, I kind of thought it was a one-and-done until I had a couple of women say I want to be in your next one. I said, Oh, my next one. Okay. So, the next one happened, and then the third one kind of happened in the same way. With that one, an individual in Illinois, we connected when I happened to be there. She said, Yeah, I want to be in your next book. I thought, I don’t know if I can do a third, but then we did, and it was all because of that one author who said, I want my story out there. So, I kind of took a step back after number three to assess, what do I really want to do? Well, number four is coming out. However, I will say I’m going to try something just a little bit different. Because all the other stories that people have shared in their chapters run the gamut, but they’re primarily personal stories. This time, because I’ve seen what a powerful marketing research tool this book can be, I want the lemons to lemonade entrepreneurial story. And you know you can’t be an entrepreneur without having that story. You just can’t. It’s not that easy. We don’t just decide one day that we’re going to get rid of the paycheck and step out. It’s all gonna be great. I felt like those lemonade stories would really be impactful for people starting their own businesses to understand it isn’t easy, but you can get past it. There are things you can do. There is support you can get. So I wanted to do it for that reason, but also because the book’s success is all about co-promoting and really having a common goal from a marketing standpoint, and I felt like if everybody had that entrepreneurial spirit and know-how, we could make this fourth book something amazing. So that’s what I’m looking for. I mean, I want a little backstory, I want a little back story of, like, I would put my hearing in there if I was talking about my entrepreneurial journey because that back door is my why; it really is our purpose and our mission. So I’ve got just a couple of authors on board. I just started this, and I’m looking for no more than 12. I’ve done more authors than that, but this time, I want to cap it at 12 because I really want to give enough space in each chapter for people to really have a good, robust, and meaningful story.

Melanie McSally
I love a good theme because it gives people a really clear context of, Why do I? Why this? Why is this for me? So, if you’re an entrepreneur and you have yet to tell your story in print to the world, then what a great place to do it because you can not 10x, but you can 12x, your exposure since there are 11 other authors in this book all promoting. So when they’re promoting, and the book gets in somebody’s hands, people aren’t just going to read that one chapter, they’re going to read the whole book, so then you’ve gotten that exposure, as well. Why do you think it’s so important for people to share their stories, especially in business? Because we know a lot of people in the business world are like, business is business, it’s not personal. So why do you feel like it’s important to share your story?

Michelle Faust
It’s incredibly important, especially in today’s world. Once upon a time, I do believe we wanted to project this image. By we, I mean we, the people. We wanted to be in the black suit and the fancy high-heeled shoes for us ladies. We wanted this image projected that caused us to suppress everything else within. That’s in the past. We are a world that is hurting. We want to know that we’re not alone. The misery loves company kind of thing, but it doesn’t have to be misery; it can be rejoicing in, yeah, we’re all hurting, but we’re all in this together. Particularly if you’re in a space that is pretty crowded, like coaching, real estate, and all kinds of all kinds of traditions where people are choosing you more because of who you are.

If you are somebody who has the path, a story, an expertise in an area, then that client is more likely, if that resonates with them, they’re more likely to choose you, not somebody else, just because they have X amount of home sales or they coached thousands of clients. They’re not looking for the numbers, for instance. They’re looking for you. They’re looking for the person who they know is going to resonate with them. So it just makes a person more real, more likable, more trustworthy.

Melanie McSally
Yeah, I can totally relate to this because I come from a prestigious background, and so we always had to have a certain appearance and a certain demeanor. You never showcased your insecurities. You were always confident and bold and gave the best version of yourself. Then, when I entered the entrepreneurial world, I continued that, and I wasn’t getting much conversion; people weren’t relating to me. I speak about technology and so when people are listening to talks about technology, I mean, there’s a dime a dozen of us, right? It’s, it’s even more so now. Now, everybody thinks that they can do their own technology. But even back then, I was like, okay, I can choose ABC all the way through the alphabet. And we were all at the same event. We were all in front of the same people. And so it wasn’t until I showcased my ability to translate Tech Talk into human speak and make technology accessible to people by showing them that I’m a real human being and showing people that they can make technology human and not so cold and bombastic, that that’s when people started working with me, because now I was relatable, and I made it easy for them. And so I can totally relate to what you’re talking about.

Michelle Faust
And I’ll share a little story with you. And I knew you for years before I hired you to my work because you did portray such an image of expertise and education. And I thought, oh, my gosh, I can’t afford her. I never even asked you.

Melanie McSally
I remember the first time you asked me what my pricing was, and I told you, and you’re like, I can afford that.

Michelle Faust
I’d been to so many people who disappointed me, and I wasn’t able to work with them. You already knew what I did, so you had that insight too that others didn’t, and yes, I’ll never forget that I said that I can’t afford you. So anyway, you’re right. Sometimes images can work against us, like in that kind of situation. So, do you need a chapter in a book? Maybe not. But you do need to be real and honest. And you need to put yourself out there and not be afraid to be the real you. And hey, if you want to put a chapter in a book, all the better.

Melanie McSally
I mean, a chapter in a book is a good way. First, you need to know who you’re targeting. You need to know who are the people. So, if I turned our interactions back upon myself and took ownership of what you were feeling, then I would say, okay, my ideal client is not a technologist. They’re brand new to entrepreneurship, so they don’t really have a huge budget, and so how am I going to make myself relatable to that target audience? Because if you are seeing me as inaccessible, then I am inaccessible. When you know who your target audience is and you know how to share in a way that’s relatable to them, then you can choose the stories from your background that are going to resonate most and draw them into you. We all have so much experience in life and so many stories, and probably multiple, that got us into entrepreneurship and help you choose the right one and express them in such a way that it’s beneficial, it’s a win-win, it’s beneficial to you and to your ideal client.

Michelle Faust
You’re right about that, and I’m glad you brought that up, Melanie because there are some people who, when I talked about sharing your story, they think I’m referring to something like they were raped, they were abused, or they go through to the dramatic. Unfortunately, that oftentimes is their story or the situation. But not everybody has that kind of background, but they still have a story. That’s what I try to get across. It’s how we grow up. The experiences that we have that make us who we are. Not only that, it continues throughout our life.

I’ve put a chapter in every single book. It’s not the same chapter. It’s not the same story. Because things happen. The first book was about my hearing loss because it is a big part of who I am. But then the second- I’m not going to tell you all about it; you’ll have to get the book to read it- but I spent five days in jail in New Orleans, in lockdown, and I wasn’t guilty of anything. But I still had to go through that. It was an experience. It taught me what it was like not to have a voice because I tell you, when you’re in jail, you have no voice. Then the third story was about my husband. He had been through a year plus of medical hell, and I had to be his caretaker. It taught me things about me and about love. About so many things in life, the unexpected, all of that. You see, stories come that happened to us. They teach us all along the way.

Melanie McSally
Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, the story that got me into business is not the same story that kept me in business. So whether you’re brand new to business and you want to share the story of how you got here, or you’ve been in business for a while, and you either want to share the story of why am I still here, or maybe you want to share the story of what you’ve had to overcome to reach the next level, and next level, and next level. There’s a story that you might want to share, regardless of where you are in business. Even if you don’t think you have a good story in you, I promise you that you do. So, Michelle runs a writer’s workshop. So if you have any questions or if you’re curious to find out if you have a good story or not, which you do, I’m just going to tell you, you do. You can attend this Writer’s Workshop to learn more about being a contributing author to the lemonade stand book. If you don’t have a book yet, a chapter, if you’re looking to become the authoritative figure in your space to stand out from the rest, to share yourself to give your people more reason to work with you, then I highly suggest that you take Michelle up on this offer. The workshop is free, and you can use it to learn more. It’s free, right? I just want to make sure.

Michelle Faust
Yes, it’s free. Yeah, absolutely. It will turn into a paid course at some point in time, but right now, take advantage of it being free. And we go through all kinds of things about writing. Honestly, everybody can improve their writing, even if it’s your emails or the content that you put out every day. Just a few foundational tips on writing, you’re going to improve your writing exponentially.

Melanie McSally
Okay, we didn’t prepare this, but I have a controversial question for you. Because, I feel like, it’s going to be on the minds of at least a few listeners and so I feel like we should tackle it. What are your thoughts? I can give my own as well. What are your thoughts on using AI to write your chapter?

Michelle Faust
Ahh. This is becoming, yes, it’s kind of invading my world in a very positive and negative way. I think there’s a place for it, but it shouldn’t replace you, the person. Sometimes, I think if you’re using it as a kind of push, maybe you’re stuck, then, okay, if that helps you to generate the thought process and the flow, but then you got to break it down, and you got to make it you. Because my fear is that someday we’re all going to be some sort of version of a Stepford-Wife. I don’t want that. I like people. I like real and so sure dabble with it. It’s there. We can’t make it go away, so we might as well figure out the best way to use it, but please, I would beg anyone out there who wants to be called an author, don’t replace your writing with it.

Melanie McSally
Great advice. Okay, so I’m gonna give my technology side advice. Okay, so I have seen the same thing done both ways: somebody writes it personally, and they have AI write it. And I can always tell the difference. I can tell the difference from writing, I can tell the difference from commercials, I can tell the difference from social media content. Now, I have an insider view. I’ve been doing AI since the early 90s. So, I do have that insider perspective. However, keep in mind you all have talked with your friends about something and seen the scroll on your Facebook or Google about that very thing that you just talked about, and you’re wondering how it ended up there. For example, I talked about red shoes, and now my Facebook is covered with red shoes. And AI stores every question that you ask it because the whole premise behind artificial intelligence is that it’s artificial learning. It’s learning, so you ask it a question, it answers you, you ask it a clarifying question, and it then learns that it didn’t give you the answer you wanted, so it is storing all of this information. This means when somebody else asks the same question, they’re going to get a similar, if not the same, answer, which means there could end up being two different people wearing the same red shoes. We women don’t like this. Not only do you want to, I mean, certainly, you can use it to get out of writer’s block. You can use it for ideas. I like to use it for prompts. Give me some chapter prompts, and then I can write my story based on those chapter prompts. Or, give me the first paragraph, and then I can change it and expand it. So you can do that, but whatever you have, make sure you customize it to your own tone, gear it towards your own target audience, and make it personal to you.

Remember, this is your story, and only you can tell that story. Unless your entire life is on the internet, then AI is not going to be able to find your personal story and give it back to you in a literary way. So, you want to personalize it. You don’t want to sound like a robot in your business. Therefore, you definitely don’t want to sound like a robot in your story. You don’t want to have the same story as somebody else. Then it will become obvious that you didn’t write it, and just remember whatever you’re putting into the engine is being stored for later use. So, be mindful of that because it’s tied to your login, too, so it is learning about you as you ask all of these questions.

Michelle Faust
You’re scaring me a little bit. I’m with you one hundred percent, and your knowledge of it and your understanding of it is somewhat greater than mine, but I still feel like we’re still saying the same thing. Your writing has to have a heart, and AI doesn’t have a heart.

Melanie McSally
That’s true computers do not have a beating heart. Well, awesome. Michelle. It has been such a delight and pleasure having you here today and listening to your wisdom as you share your own story. Again, listeners, I highly suggest that you take Michelle up on her Writers Workshop. There are only nine slots left in The Lemonade Stand book 4th edition. That’s the entrepreneurial edition. As Michelle said, it is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there, and she has thrown in some cool bonuses that she can tell you about in the next writer’s workshop, which is the easiest way to learn more about the project, how you can become a contributing author, as well as pick up on some tips to improve your writing in the process should you need it. Click here to learn more and sign up. Once again, thank you, Michelle, for being here. Listeners, I forgot to mention this earlier, but Michelle is joining us from Panama. Michelle, thank you once again for being here. It has been an honor having you as a guest on WyzeCast™.

Michelle Faust
Thank you so much, Melanie, for having me. It’s always a delight. I appreciate it.

Melanie McSally
I want to thank our listeners for tuning in. If you like what you’ve heard here today, please do like, share, and comment. We are trying to get WyzeTribe™ to be a hot new release. So if you feel inspired, if you feel moved, if you feel called, if we earned it, please do like, share, and comment. It is free for you to do so and really helps the podcast grow. And we really do love your engagement.

This was another episode of WyzeCast™, the show that elevates the voices, shines the light, showcases the gifts of our heart-centered guests, and amplifies the positive difference they’re making in the world.

If you want to learn more about WyzeCast™, you can visit our wyzecast.com. We dropped ten episodes every month on the 21st, so you can binge-watch or spread them out over the month. Whatever suits your mood and lifestyle.

Once again, my name is Melanie. It has been my pleasure being your host today. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching, thank you for your engagement, and I invite you to come back and join me once again for our next episode of WyzeCast™.