From Fired to 6 Figures: Michelle Thames on Personal Branding, AI, and Digital Product Hustle
Tue Jul 08 2025
In this episode of The Long Game, host Elijah Wood talks with Michelle Thames—digital marketing strategist, podcast host, influencer, and former healthcare worker turned full-time entrepreneur.
After getting fired from her 9-to-5, Michelle turned her natural hair blog into a personal brand that built a massive following and launched a career. Today, she runs a boutique marketing agency, teaches multi-passionate women entrepreneurs, and builds digital products that sell in her sleep.
We explore how Michelle uses AI tools like ChatGPT to plan entire marketing campaigns, launch events, and organize her content calendar. We also break down what clarity in your personal brand really looks like, why simple content wins, and how to balance multiple income streams without burning out.
🎯 What You’ll Learn:
How Michelle grew an Instagram following to 500K without a marketing degree
Why your content doesn’t need a production team—just a smartphone
How to build a personal brand around your life and interests
Michelle’s tech stack: ClickUp, ChatGPT, Circle, and more
A playbook for launching digital products and making them sell
The importance of visibility, clarity, and long-term strategy in marketing
How to think about AI as your business assistant, not your replacement
🎙️ “People will pay thousands just for your thoughts. You just need to package them right.” – Michelle Thames
Whether you're a solopreneur, content creator, or scaling your agency, this episode is full of real talk and actionable strategy.
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In this episode of The Long Game, host Elijah Wood talks with Michelle Thames—digital marketing strategist, podcast host, influencer, and former healthcare worker turned full-time entrepreneur. After getting fired from her 9-to-5, Michelle turned her natural hair blog into a personal brand that built a massive following and launched a career. Today, she runs a boutique marketing agency, teaches multi-passionate women entrepreneurs, and builds digital products that sell in her sleep. We explore how Michelle uses AI tools like ChatGPT to plan entire marketing campaigns, launch events, and organize her content calendar. We also break down what clarity in your personal brand really looks like, why simple content wins, and how to balance multiple income streams without burning out. 🎯 What You’ll Learn: How Michelle grew an Instagram following to 500K without a marketing degree Why your content doesn’t need a production team—just a smartphone How to build a personal brand around your life and interests Michelle’s tech stack: ClickUp, ChatGPT, Circle, and more A playbook for launching digital products and making them sell The importance of visibility, clarity, and long-term strategy in marketing How to think about AI as your business assistant, not your replacement 🎙️ “People will pay thousands just for your thoughts. You just need to package them right.” – Michelle Thames Whether you're a solopreneur, content creator, or scaling your agency, this episode is full of real talk and actionable strategy.