When Life Falls Apart: How Nicole Trick Steinbach Kept Her Business Running with Compelling Messaging
The Advice to “Drop Her Niche” Hurt Her Business
Nicole Trick Steinbach is the International Bravery Coach. A former tech executive who's worked in over 25 countries, Nicole coaches women in technology to build brave careers so they can stress less, work less, and earn more.
But Nicole's marketing journey began with approaches that completely contradicted her personality and values.
- Mass marketing mindset: With a background in PR for Heinz and tech companies, Nicole initially approached marketing through a mass-market lens that felt unnatural and ineffective.
- Platform pressure: Nicole was told she needed to be on Instagram (which triggered her disordered eating), create YouTube content (which she hated so much she deleted it all), and write sales emails (which felt completely inauthentic to her).
- Misguided advice: After repeatedly being told to “drop the women in tech thing,” Nicole followed advice to niche up rather than down, leaving her confused about who she was talking to and what she was really offering.
- Value misalignment: As someone who thrives on intimate, one-on-one connections, Nicole found herself attempting marketing tactics designed for mass broadcasting that went against her core values.
Nicole shared. “I cannot, for the life of me, write a salesy structured ‘buy my stuff' email because that's not intimate. That's not who I am.”
The result? Marketing that wasn't just ineffective—it was actively draining her energy and making her doubt her business direction.
“I know that I'm extraordinary at what I do. And because I have messaging, because I have my packages, because I have my pricing, I can keep moving forward in confidence in one area of my life.”
The Expert Up Club Supported Nicole to Find Marketing That Worked
The turning point came when Nicole discovered approaches that honored both her audience (women in tech) and her value of intimacy during her time in The Expert Up Club.
- Leaning into intimacy: Nicole started a podcast in December 2020 as an act of service, recognizing that the number one word for women in tech is “lonely.” The podcast allowed her to create intimate connections through conversation.
- Dialing in her messaging: Through the Expert Up Club's minimum viable messaging sprints, Nicole clarified who she was speaking to, what her core message was, and how to communicate her value.
- Simplifying her approach: Rather than trying to be everywhere, Nicole focused on platforms and approaches that felt natural to her, particularly LinkedIn, where she was already comfortable having private conversations.
- Saving time and energy: Nicole's refined messaging dramatically cut down her content creation time. “I can make podcast episodes that went from multiple hours of preparation to like 90 minutes. And it's done.”
- Finding her community: Instead of following advice from coaches who didn't understand her business, Nicole connected with fellow experts who shared her values and supported her approach.
Messaging as a Lifeline When Life Falls Apart
The true test of Nicole's new marketing approach came during a personal crisis. When a beloved family member experienced a significant health crisis, Nicole suddenly found herself spending 40+ hours weekly as a caregiver, with just 4 hours a day available for her business.
Despite this enormous challenge, Nicole's business continued to thrive because:
- Clear messaging created confidence: “I know that I'm extraordinary at what I do. And because I have messaging, because I have my packages, because I have my pricing, I can keep moving forward in confidence in one area of my life.”
- Efficient content creation: With her messaging dialed in, Nicole could continue creating podcast episodes in just 90 minutes without the cognitive load of creation.
- Strategic focus: Nicole prioritized existing clients and maintaining her podcast, while saying no to new opportunities that would stretch her too thin.
- Business as stability: When everything else in life felt uncertain, Nicole's business became her rock. “I feel insecure in every single part of my life except for my career.”
- Space for what matters: By eliminating marketing activities that drained her energy, Nicole had more emotional capacity to be present for her family member.
“Having children doesn't mean you can't run your business,” Nicole concludes. “Being a caregiver is a wonderful reason to run your own business.”
The powerful lesson here is that when your messaging is aligned with your values and expertise, your business doesn't have to collapse when life gets hard. Instead, it can become the foundation that supports you through personal crises.
Ready to create marketing that works for your life, not against it? Join the Expert Up Club and get the clarity you need to market effectively—even when life is falling apart around you.