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Tara Lassiter

Secrets your mentor never told you...

Published about 1 year ago • 3 min read

Seven-year-old Wylee was soooo excited for his party, Reader.

He helped pick the cake. Chose superhero plates. Sent out invitations to every single kid in his class.

He waited by the door with blue balloons swaying above the mailbox and eyes scanning for the first sign of visitors.

But no one came.

Not even one classmate showed up.

Seeing her baby in pain, his mom made a post on a local Facebook group where she explained the situation and asked if anyone would be willing to "come make her son's day.”

She added a photo. I noticed his brave little smile, shoulders slightly slumped, and a half-eaten cupcake on the table.

My heart cracked open because when I read his story, I’ve thrown that party before, too.

Not for my birthday, but for my business.

I’ve polished my LinkedIn profile, rebranded my offers, and posted content like clockwork. I’ve splurged on the Showit template, tweaked the copy, and posed for the brand photos. I showed up, sparkly and hopeful, ready for momentum to walk through the door.

And sometimes?

Nothing.

No leads. No interest. No aligned clients.

Just a quiet inbox and the creeping doubt that maybe, somehow, I’m still doing it wrong.

This is the part no one tells you when you invest in a $25K mastermind or when you spring for that $6k LinkedIn lead gen course I keep hearing about every week on calls.

You (might) get hot seat coaching. Community. Encouragement.
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You might leave with a perfectly polished brand and feel like you finally *look* like the expert you are, poised to impress your family and friends.
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You may brush shoulders with the biggest names in the industry. Heck, they might even learn your name and become a mentor or friend.
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But what you might not get is the one thing that turns visibility into revenue: a sales system.

Not a funnel. Not a launch plan. Not another “content is king” sermon.

I’m talking about a simple, sustainable way to connect your message to the right people and invite them into a sales conversation that actually converts.

Because strategy without sales is a party with no guests.

And when you’re disillusioned, when you’ve followed every expert, downloaded every template, implemented every framework and still feel stuck, it’s easy to think the problem is you.

It’s not.

You’re not broken. You’re just missing the bridge.

The good news? That bridge can be built. Quietly. Kindly. Without burning out your energy or bulldozing your values.

A real sales system has three parts. And if you’re missing even one, you’ll stay stuck in that painful party-with-no-guests feeling:

1. Contenders

You need fresh eyes on your business regularly, people who could collaborate with you on a LinkedIn Live, invite you on a podcast, do a list swap, or simply cheer you on from the comments section.

Some contenders might quietly become clients. Some might refer clients. Some might just remind you that you’re not alone.

If your business isn’t bringing in new contenders, it’s not standing still. It’s shrinking.

2. Conversations

Real ones. Not just “likes” and vague encouragement. I’m talking about the connective tissue of growth: calls, DMs, and voice notes.

Or maybe it’s a podcast series that strikes a chord and makes someone feel seen, or that speaking gig you turned into a digital product that primes potential clients before calls so they arrive feeling like they already know you.

Conversations with contenders turn reach into resonance and resonance into revenue. They’re not just nice to have. They’re the research behind your next offer, the fire behind your next post, and the feedback loop most masterminds forget.

3. Commerce

There are influencers with millions of followers who can’t sell out a $10 T-shirt.

There are Facebook groups with 80,000+ members (ask me how I know) that still haven’t figured out how to generate revenue.

Because brand ≠ business.

If you’re not building with the end product in mind, your efforts can’t pay you back. Commerce needs to be baked into your ecosystem, not just bolted on when it’s time to launch.

I could call this the Three Cs: Contenders, Conversations, and Commerce. (Cart? Conversions? We’re still workshopping the last one.)

But the point is: this is the real sales system. The one that makes all your other efforts actually work.

This is the thing your (five-figure!) mastermind didn’t teach you.

This is what takes your business from a beautifully branded hobby to a revenue-generating machine that supports the life you deserve.

If you’ve ever felt like Wylee, like you threw your heart into something and still ended up waiting by the door, come sit with me.

We’ll bake a new cake. We’ll write the invitations together. And this time, the right people will show up.

Because sales isn’t magic.

It’s a skill.

And you deserve to learn it.

P.S. Special thanks to Charlotte Davies for inspiring this week's content. Great minds make me think we think alike.

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Tara Lassiter

The Lede

Most women aren’t afraid of selling, they’re afraid of sounding like someone they’re not. In each weekly episode of The Lede, I help founders stop hiding behind content and start conversations that lead to clients, collaborations, and confidence (without the cringe), because let’s be real: “Just post valuable content” is not a business development strategy. In my corner of the internet, you’ll find story-led sales strategy, spicy takes on what actually works, and DM-friendly messaging that helps you build a pipeline you’re proud of, one real conversation at a time.

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