Welcome, I'm Angela Bryant and you're listening to The Angel Rated Show where we have inspiring conversations with people behind the products and services most often used by online business owners. On the show, you'll hear how their personal beliefs and values have influenced their businesses. If you're an online entrepreneur, he wants to know about the integrity and impact of the businesses you're buying from, then this is the show for you. Hello, and welcome to this first episode of The Angel Rated Show. I'm Angela Bryant, the host of the show, and I'm here to introduce you to Angel rated, and to tell you more about what you can expect on the show. But first, let me take you back a few years. It's early 2017, and my husband and I have taken some time out, and are traveling around New Zealand. At that point, I'd had my own business for over eight years, and had spent the previous four years building an online business. What happened next, can only be described as a divine download and that's not something I say lightly, or frankly could ever have imagined myself saying. While we'd been away, I'd been thinking a lot about a number of issues with creating an online business that struck me as either a waste of time or money, or that were downright unfair and wrong. Firstly, all I ever seem to see in the feeds of online business Facebook groups were people asking for recommendations. Can anyone tell me which is the best social media scheduling tool, the simplest email management system, the cheapest Facebook ads guru or the easiest website design course. Lovely people shared info about what tool, course or person they used and gave their opinions on its various pros and cons. Often repeating the same advice, over and over again on different, but very similar posts. Some posted affiliate links promoting a specific product that could earn the money. Others suggested their own offerings or services, or were tagged by loyal clients or friends. It was all very hit and miss, and really just depended on who had seen the original post. Rarely did the discussion result in the complete list of options or provide any information on whether the suggestions made were a great fit for the original poster's situation. Linked to this, it often felt like only the biggest names were getting mentioned when there were dozens of other options available that may have been higher quality lower cost, or better suited to the potential client. Secondly, there were constant rumours flying around my corner of the internet about various online business coaches who were charging a small fortune, and then not delivering what they had promised. It was often hard to know who or what to believe, especially if you were only hearing from a vocal minority. And day in, day out, I was using review sites to check out where we should be eating that evening, where we should be staying the following night, which tour operators had the best reputation and what activities we should do in each town. Then one night, it came to me. Why wasn't there a user review site, focused on the products most frequently used or created by online business owners? Where was the TripAdvisor or Yelp equivalent for online business and personal development products? This was exactly what I had wanted when I was starting out, a single trustworthy site to get independent information and reviews on all the products, all in one place. And having now talked to many other people, I know that it is exactly what they are looking for too. But it wasn't just the idea that hit me. It was the entire solution. I could immediately picture the databases, how it would all work, what it would look like, and the support it could offer, the potential to provide a valuable service to both the community and to the business owners themselves. Angel rated launched in November 2019, and I'm excited to be building it into the essential tool I know it can be. And if you're interested in where the name came from. It fits with my name. I'm often called Angel rather than Angela, especially in emails. And with the name of my travel blog. But far more importantly, it describes the amazing community of angels who contribute to the site and share their experiences, in order to guide and support the personal and business growth of others. So what exactly is Angel Rated? Angel Rated is an independent directory and user review site focused on the products most frequently used, or created, by online business owners. It is free to use, and as well as tools and platforms, it includes courses, done-for-you services, experts, coaches, communities, and much more. Users can search for products by name, or by the topic or type of product or service they are interested in. They are provided with clear information about the product, along with independent ratings and reviews, written by members of the community. If they are interested in learning more, or making a purchase, they can go directly to the website. Reviewers are encouraged to share their experiences and provide feedback on the products they've used. And businesses are given the opportunity to add new products and to respond to and download reviews. Angel Rated is great in terms of giving you factual information about the products and services on offer, along with ratings and reviews from customers. But if you're anything like me, then you might want to know more about the person, or the business behind the products listed. Whenever I buy anything, I always try to make a conscious choice about where I'm spending my money. Where possible, I like to use my buying power to support businesses whose values I share, and whose products align with my personal beliefs and ethics. And it's no different with online business products and services here I want to understand more about who founded the business, what their mission or purpose is, why they do what they do and what the ethos of their businesses. I love knowing my money is going to someone who uses their business to fight injustice, to tackle the biggest issues of our time, or to give back in some way. So, I decided to launch The Angel Rated Show. The intention is to have inspiring conversations with the people behind the products and services most often used by online business owners. I'll be interviewing the founders who have created the courses, built the tools, or who offer the coaching, expertise and communities that are listed on Angel Rated. On the show, you'll hear how their personal beliefs and values have influenced their businesses, so that you can learn more about the integrity and impact of the businesses you're buying from. But it's not just the podcast. Each episode will also be available as a video and the audio interview will also appear on Angel Rated right alongside the products and services offered by that business. So, as well as being able to read information about the products, along with reviews written by clients, you'll also be able to listen to a conversation with the person behind the business so that you can learn more about them, and what drives them. Hopefully this will give you a more rounded view of whether this is a person you want to be working with, or a business you want to support. The show is launching on Wednesday the 22nd of July, so do subscribe to be the first to hear the initial interviews. I have some amazing guests lined up and can't wait to share their stories with you. In the meantime, do let everyone know to look out for The Angel Rated Show. This is the show for all online business owners who want to know about the integrity and impact of the businesses they're buying from. You can find Angel Rated at angelrated.com, and on all of the main social media platforms at AngelRatedHQ. I'd love to connect with you, so do like, follow and comment, or drop me a line via the website. To find any of the upcoming podcast episodes from The Angel Rated Show, go to angelrated.com slash podcast. The Angel Rated Show is brought to you by Angel Rated; the independent directory and review site for all the products, courses and services used by online business owners. It's the best place to find the perfect product for the next stage of your business or personal growth. Learn more and list your business free of charge at angelrated.com.