How to Make Your Audience Obsessed with Your Work (Taylor Style)

What Creatives Can Learn from the Billion-Dollar Taylor Swift Brand

Studio Notes

1. Updates: What’s going on with my different ventures…

   1. From Podcast: Listen to Tuesday’s podcast with the incredible Adam Trest.

   2. My Easel: I’ve been deep in commission world. Here are a few of my favorite recent pieces: one, two and three (this one is available). Interested in a commission? Order one here.

   3. Live Q&A: We just rounded out our June live Q&A series. You can access the replays here: one, two, three, and four.

2. A Workshop I’d Recommend: If you want help with your finances, you have to take this workshop with my friend Alisha.

3. What I’m Reading: I️ jut finished this book and loved the writing and character depth. I️ got an insane amount of messages from all of you who loved it too!

4. What I’m Listening to: This podcast about storytelling and how to use it in your email marketing (& more!)

5. What I’m Into:

   1. Zara’s collection right now, but mainly this top I️ just bought.

   2. Pepper Home’s new furniture line

   3. This Laftco candle that was a wedding gift

   4. My go-to sneaker (my red ones are sold out :( )

   5. This solution for packing peanuts/using too much packing paper

This Substack contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase—thank you for your support!

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Happy Thursday everyone.

I️ struggled to title this post because, let’s be honest, the name Taylor Swift carries a lot of baggage—mostly good, but enough to instantly shape your expectations. I️ didn’t want you to guess what this was about before even reading it.

No, I️’m not a Swiftie (though shoutout if you are—she’s wildly talented). What I️ am is a marketing-obsessed creative who can’t help but be blown away by how this one woman has managed to shift genres, sell out back-to-back stadium tours, date one of the most recognizable (thanks to her) NFL players, build a billion-dollar brand, go toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful people in entertainment—and somehow still feel relatable. Still feel loved. Still feel like one of us.

You already know all of this. Because Taylor Swift has managed to touch every single one of our lives. That’s how big her presence is.

So why am I️ bringing her up?

Because she has something that most people—most artists, most entrepreneurs, most creatives—don’t. And if we want to build businesses that are both fulfilling and profitable, we need to study what she’s doing.

I’m not saying you need to start outing your bad relationships or worse, become a Chiefs fan (no offense Kansas City readers). But if you want to:

• Create what you want when you want (she jumped from Fearless Taylor to Reputation Taylor and kept the same audience),

• Build an audience that hangs on your every word (people were fighting for Era’s tickets and grown women were exchanging friendship bracelets) ,

• Feel supported even when you're repeating ideas or returning to old work (she literally released work that she already created)...

Then it's time to steal a little from the Swift playbook.

Let’s break down her secret sauce—and how you can use it to grow your own creative business.

Let me break it down—there are three main things Taylor has done (that you can do too) that make her irresistible to her ideal audience (and a very large one at that).

1. She Creates a Point of Connection

Let’s start with what most people call relatability. I️ prefer to call it a point of connection, because not every brand needs to be bestie-level relatable. Some need to be aspirational. And here’s the key: whether you’re going for “girl next door” or “elevated lifestyle icon,” you have to connect your brand to what your audience wants for themselves.

Example: The Aspiration Effect

Think about Martha Stewart (old school) or Ballerina Farm (new age). Am I on a working farm hand-milking cows while my free-range children frolic in the pasture? No. Is that my dream life? Still no.
But do I watch her content and kind of want to buy her bread-making materials? Yep. Because it gets me one step closer to that aesthetic, even if it’s just in my kitchen on a Saturday morning.

Example: The Relatability Effect

Jennifer Garner. She gives off total “best friend” energy. Watch any video of her baking or goofing off and tell me you wouldn’t want to hang out with her. I️ personally love her Pretend Cooking Show Videos.

Taylor’s Genius

So how is Taylor relatable? I️ hope you can figure this one out. She’s a literal billionaire and still somehow feels like the girl next door. Like… sorry, does this not look like a photo from your best friend’s wedding?

taylorswift.updates13

A post shared by @taylorswift.updates13

Also loved that she was just out wearing one of my favorite brands, Hunter Bell. See she’s just like us! ;)

She literally grew up with her audience and made that her connection point. It took her being open, sometimes vulnerable, and honestly not the hot/cool/rich/stylish girl that most young girls couldn’t relate to.

Enjoying this? Then I️ bet you’ll love our monthly live Q&A calls. The next one is July 18th at 12pm est for paid subs.

Here’s my story:
I️ was obsessed with Taylor in middle school. The Fearless album dropped on November 11th, 2008—one day after my 13th birthday (Taylor-coded much?). I️ remember sitting in Turner Gym listening on my friend’s brand-new iPod Touch. “You Belong With Me”? That was me. Crushing on a boy I tutored in math. (Turns out I️ was a terrible tutor and that added time together led to us slow dancing to “Love Story” in that same gymnasium three months later. PSA “Love Story” is NOT a song to slow dance too — still embarrassed thinking about it. )

Fast forward ten years: I️ went through a rough breakup and called a friend. Her advice? “You need Taylor Swift and a good cry until I️ can make it to your house” Talk about a good friend. Turns out, she was in my wedding years later (not to that guy, of course).

Moral of my cringey stories: Taylor was relatable—so relatable that she made both my budding and crumbling relationships feel seen.

Your Turn: Think about your point of connection.
For me, it’s showing up as myself, letting my personality shine, laughing at my own ridiculousness, sharing my dog, and just being real. People appreciate it. (I️ think you do, right?) Comment yours below!

I️ bet you’re thinking, so what are part two and three because a lot of people are relatable, but they don’t have Taylor’s level of fame. Just keep reading…