Lots of room to grow in the podcasting arena.
Get started.
Make it your own.
Bring your own personality.
The military (Army) taught him discipline. "We get more done before 8 am than most people do all day." That has served him well in his business career.
The stage keeps getting bigger and the spotlight gets brighter.
"Mo Money, Mo Problems" from Notorious B.I.G.
Sept 22, 2012, was his first podcast.
Now he gets downloaded over 500,000 times per month. iTunes put him on their homepage for 14 days when he got to his 300th episode! Featured in Time Magazine last Friday and Inc Magazine.
Doing a daily podcast was his "Ah, Ha moment." He was in real estate driving around San Diego and was running out of podcasts to listen to so he decided to interview entrepreneurs and offer those interviews on a daily basis.
Schedule Once app - syncs with every calendar.
Hit his tipping point about 3-4 months ago and now he gets plenty of good people to interview. He's booked into December (2+ months.)
He started with a mentor - Jaime Tardy, Eventual Millionaire.
Then he joined a mastermind to interact and engage with other entrepreneurs. He joined Cliff Ravenscraft's program for a year.
A great place to start is "Podcast Launch: A complete guide to launching your Podcast with 15 Video Tutorials!: How to create, launch, grow & monetize a Podcast," John's book he wrote and is on Amazon for just $5 - "From Step 1 to Done."
The transition was not easy or immediate but he did have a nest egg when he left real estate to launch Entrepreneur on Fire.
He created a ton of professional content and for the first 6 months, there was not a lot of income. He was focused on building the audience. Sponsors began coming in. He then created a mastermind to begin to monetize his efforts.
John had no real timeline. He just focused on creating good content and building his audience.
Q4/2013 is shaping up to be his best quarter ever with projections of $30,000 per month in sponsorship income alone.
Launched with 40 interviews "in the bank."
Batches his activities. "Email is put on the back burner on Monday's."
F.O.C.U.S. - Follow One Course Until Success
Parting words of wisdom.
"Keep listening to Wes...and just start. Begin to master your craft, even if it's just 30 minutes a day to help you become that skilled entrepreneur."
From a career as a chemist for 10 years and a professional volleyball player to a professional speaker, author, trainer, and consultant on customer service, Barbara Khozam lets her hair down and gives us great insight into how to follow your dreams and build a business on a solid foundation.
Barbara lived below her means, which gave her the freedom to quit her job when things didn't go the way she was promised. That type of freedom is priceless.
She found out cold-calling with a chemistry background wasn't the right mixture for her! :-)
Her training and competitive nature as a professional athlete prepared her well for her career as an entrepreneur and consultant.
Now she speaks on the importance of recognition for staff and it was the lack of recognition that drove her away from her corporate job.
To learn more about Barbara and her services visit her site at BarbaraKhozam.com.
Chad is a lifelong entrepreneur that is getting things done. He's not worried about the government shutdown, slowdown, slimdown, or lowdown.
A former loan originator he now helps people improve their credit via Credit Repair Resources.
When Chad got started with me he "wrote a ton of content."
He sat down on a Saturday and mapped out his entire process on a whiteboard.
Once that was clear in his mind he began writing emails for each follow-up sequence in his sales marketing automation pipeline.
Then he got a little more advanced by including some "If/Then" intelligence into his Keap CRM to send relevant, timely emails to his clients and prospects.
He now has 16 different sequences with about 160 different emails and he's adding new programs, beefing up his API to get more out of his sales and marketing system and the future is bright.
To get to the next level he is pulling the system apart again to look at metrics and reporting to get the most out of everything he has.
He's on his third iteration on his site and people are loving it. Now he's digging deeper to ensure his site is not only pretty but that it generates leads from the visitors that turn into contacts that turn into happy clients.
As he began adding squeeze pages and landing pages on his site with clear offers he immediately began seeing an increase in leads.
He built his business on a strong foundation of referrals. Once he got Infusionsoft he began advertising to expand his reach nationally and to expand his company. He is now "extremely optimistic" about what he can do in the next year.
Learning about new marketing terms and techniques like retargeting and since he's not afraid to try new things he is fired up with the potential.
He has shifted his daily duties from 10% marketing to 75% of his time is spent on marketing his business.
He does not have an open-door policy. "No 'got-a-minutes?'"
Look outside your industry to find great analogies to grow on your own.
Don't stop what you're doing until you're sure you have a viable model before you jump ship into the entrepreneurial world.
"It takes 25 years to be an overnight sensation."
In October of 2012, I penned this post, Overcoming Holiday Objections.
Since Halloween is now a big holiday, it's a good time to start preparing for the stalls and put-offs you're about to receive from your biggest prospects and clients.
In this podcast, I review the post from above and add additional commentary to help you enjoy selling during the fourth quarter of the year.
Greg Head, CMO of Keap CRM, has been in the business software / CRM space for 25 years. With tremendous experience at ACT!, SalesLogix, and now Keap, Greg has unique insight into what makes entrepreneurs tick and how they can and should be using sales and marketing technology to grow their sales in the years to come.
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.
Jen's husband used to tell her "You're not pretty enough" to justify why he was having an affair.
Jen is an author, a consultant, and a storyteller who began telling this story to deal with the situation and it resonated with listeners.
Lots of people have personal stories and personal stories but not everyone is capable of turning things around to turn lemons into lemonade.
It's not always easy to see things through to conclusion but it has given her new life.
In her book, she looks at and answers what she really learned from this experience.
The key for any entrepreneur is to recognize a need and then ask if you can fill it well.
Bill Gates discussed the opportunity of luck.
She now has sponsors approaching her.
The book is another line of revenue along with speaking fees and possibly merchandising so things are opening up for Jen.
The secret for her is to never "sell out the community," which is why she has avoided advertising on her site.
People then found her by doing Google searches on phrases such as "Am I pretty enough" and she realized there was not enough good news and good advice for those seeking answers to those types of questions.
Jen began storytelling a decade after she went through her personal ordeal and it then took another couple of years to pull it all together into a website, a speaking tour, and book. Determination was the key to her success, as is true for most entrepreneurs.
Learn more about Jennifer Tress at her site, YoureNotPrettyEnough.com.
David is the father of 6—four girls and two boys like myself (I passed him up with baby Ava born in April 2014)—and is a technologist, entrepreneur, and father that is living his faith as he grows a 650+ person company.
David graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville. His mission is to be "in the world but not of the world."
He got his start in consulting, particularly around software and building websites for his first client. He had a great mentor at his first company that mentored him in both business and his Christian faith.
"If you love what you're doing it's a lot easier to be successful at it." He loved software but then he realized he really loved software that makes a big impact.
In 2006 he shifted from consulting and struck out on his own. He started 3 Pillar Global as an independent consultant. He wanted to choose his teams and the projects he took on.
By being convicted of what he believed the growth just happened. One day, about 6 months into this he realized "Oh my goodness, I have six employees working for me."
In stepping back and pursuing his passion and respecting individuals his business took off.
Leading people when in college and learning how to integrate his faith into his business was instrumental in helping him build his business and achieve such great success in the secular world.
David had three kids with #4 on the way when he launched out on his own. He was fortunate in that his company was acquired by a venture-backed firm that made his transition into his own enterprise somewhat easy. The investors, with their profit-focus, ripped apart his company and he was "convicted" that he couldn't remain an employee there. It "pushed him out the door."
So his choice was to "take control of his career" or find another job. About six months after the acquisition he was on vacation with his wife and his wife's family and his brother-in-law told a story of his regret in not investing in an opportunity years ago and David knew he did not want to live with regret.
David also had a great history and great contacts.
He had also been very open in the open-source community with speaking and development so he had a bit of a name in the field.
When he put some feelers out he landed a 6-month contract to ease his transition onto his own. He also secured a $40,000 line of credit while still employed to serve as a cushion with a goal of paying it back within 12 months and he did it.
"If I had to think about it more" he might not have done it.
He had to make a deliberate decision to either be a coder or run and build a business. Then he realized he loved "making something out of nothing" more than just coding.
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Then he asked, "why have we grown without even trying?"
It was his culture and the void in the market that he recognized and was able to fill.
"Software is your brand." It's how your clients interact with you. It's more important than ever. Look at how Nike is interacting with their Fuel and other tools.
David wants his company to be synonymous with growth and quality. He wants to be the most respected software company in the world.
To have the job you want you must know what you're passionate about and what you want to do and the culture you want to be in. There is a difference between small, large, and mid-market companies.
Be stubborn in your vision but humble in your quest for knowledge. Entrepreneurs must be confident in ignoring the naysayers but listen to those that have your interest at heart and have the skills to help you.
Sign up for David's newsletter and be eligible to win his monthly digital drawing. David runs his own WordPress blog with Michael Hyatt's Get Noticed Theme and uses iStock for his images.
Learn more about David DeWolf at his blog, David Dewolf.com and his company, 3 Pillar Global.
Trent and I are brothers from another mother. We're both 43. Our wives are pregnant. We both spent time in the Air Force then jumped into commissioned sales. We both sold direct to consumers, sold retail, sold financial services and high tech.
In 2001 Trent started his own business that sold technology services to small businesses as a virtual IT company. He cold-called his way to $800,000 in sales then referrals kicked in and shot his business up to $2,000,000 in annual revenue.
A key insight for Trent was selling a service that was consumed and purchased on a monthly basis. It creates a type of annuity for your stability and sanity.
He was a "Profit 100" fastest-growing company in Canada for a couple of years. He and his partner had different visions so they sold the company and Trent went into semi-retirement for a few years.
Trent met his wife while surfing and she was rather savvy in digital marketing so he has now jumped into his new business, Bright Ideas.
Trent's diverse career spans from the need to have big challenges. (And I can attest to that as well.) He and I were thrown into the deep end of the pool (with a phone and the White Pages) and forced to sell or die.
As a child, Trent grew up on welfare in a cheap apartment with crappy furniture and fighting spouses. He came to "equate poverty with violence," which lit a fire under him to succeed.
He did not go to college so for Trent, "the way to wealth was to be a salesman."
Trent didn't know how to do the stuff he sold but he knew how to make cold calls and qualify and overcome objections and get the order. He knew how to be a Rainmaker.
Growing up poor makes you hungry.
"You can literally alter the path of the rest of your life if you're willing to do something most people are too chickenshit to do."
Great marketers come from great sales careers.
To get started today, leverage social media. Follow people you want to network and do business with. Retweet their content. Mention them. Comment on their blog. (Get a V.A. to do this for you for $3.50/hr.) Within a week or so they'll notice you and you can begin a real dialogue with them to form a real relationship.
Videos and podcasts are great ways to build engagement with prospects and people of influence. Then Tweet "@" them and get noticed.
The big downside to making cold calls vs. creating content is that content is an asset that can last forever and can be leveraged for multiple sales.
Follow a strategy of content creation that supports the outbound efforts.
"How to start a business with no money."
It's a mindset.
The conversations that happen because you are in business will take you to the gold. But you have to start, don't just sit around and read and watch and listen, waiting for the perfect idea.
"Version 1 is better than Version None."
"You need to be sales and marketing focused if you are going to be successful."
Trent recommends "The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field" by Mike Michalowicz.
Trent wrote his first book in 10 days. (Now get busy.)
The goal is to create a funnel that is so good that you can increase your paid advertising and still turn a solid profit.
Trent used to invest $20,000 per year to be in high-level Masterminds so he took what he learned there to start his own Mastermind Elite.
His new book will be out on Dec 12, 2013. You can check it out at BrightIdeas.co/book.
Learn more about Trent Dyrsmid at his blog.
10+ years as an entrepreneur.
Started his first business selling used textbooks online before eCommerce was "cool."
Sold that business after college then realized he loved marketing and helping entrepreneurs and being mobile at the same time with no inventory. (He had a large room in a house he rented when running his textbook business.)
Now ConvertWithContent.com is his main business now.
The primary idea of Convert With Content marketing is to provide value to your prospects and customers in as many different types of media as possible. Lifetime customer value is key.
Businesses must attract lifetime clients to succeed, so we help people understand how to attract clients along the entire life cycle and sales cycle.
You're doing "convert with content" style marketing when your marketing doesn't feel like marketing.
You need to find the core message behind what you do as a business. “What is it I’m really solving? What is the core issue?”
People come to me and what they really want is attached to something much deeper, such as freedom and a successful business is what gives them that freedom.
Start there.
Whatever you’re selling, people don’t buy the drill, they buy the hole in the wall. That “hole in the wall” is usually about 3-7 “why’s” deep.
Jason's core competency is web marketing.
People need training and help so they are creating new programs that are affordable that they can do it themselves if they don't have the budget to retain Jason Clegg and his team.
They have an 8-page printed newsletter they send every month.
“The 7 Massive Mistakes In Website Marketing” is available at JasonClegg.com.
Too many people treat their websites like slot machines to “work the system” or “beat Google.”
Jason “loathes the SEO industry” because they prey on the small business owner. Most of the old-school strategies from 5 or 10 years ago are now hurting business owners today.
There is no formula for SEO growth without adding value.
Create content. Create assets in your marketing content.
He has a great relationship with a printing company that prints his newsletter for free in return for some extra service work they do.
Find the GE Spot - Good Enough!
Be careful who you share your content with before you send it. Remember that the person you’re showing it to is probably not your target market and may not have any context for what you’re selling.
Always be authentic in your marketing.
Learn more about Jason Clegg at his blog, ConvertWithContent.com.
I met Adam on Twitter when he followed me and I noticed he had over 271,000 Twitter followers.
From Alabama then lived in Georgia and now lives in Northern Colorado.
Has a team of writers that write on leadership. Working on his first book on leadership.
His friend, Drew Dudley, and he believes that leadership and servant leadership is for everyone, not just the top 1%.
He has been on Twitter a long time, since almost the beginning. That has been a big source of his traffic and followers.
Adam's involvement in the church has formed who he is and he does a lot in the Christian space.
Monetizing his business has been a "work in progress." His goal is to be a full-time writer. He still does counseling with churches and his lessons apply to businesses and leadership teams.
He brought in other writers from followers of his own blog to help contribute. It took him six months to find great writers, but he had the idea right away.
It frees him up to work on bigger and better things, and his readers help see different perspectives. Having new content also helps him with SEO. Ultimately, this model has been more about freedom than anything else.
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His relationship writer, Jackie Bledsoe, Jr, is a regular contributor to Huffington Post. Leo J. Lampinen is former military and writes on Leadership. Courtney Gordner is his Social Media writer.
Julia Winston writes on Communication, Daniel Kosmala is the Focus/Time Management writer and Vincent Russell ties it all up on Sundays with his articles on Creativity.
Everyone commits to posting their articles one week early so Adam can edit them—everyone needs an editor—and they have stuck to it.
His traffic has doubled every month for the 2-3 months since implementing this format.
Go make a lot of things happen. Showing up is a big part of success.
Use social media to be social. Come back to the basics in realizing that relationships are important.
Character does matter.
Keep going. Don't give up. Things can turn around tomorrow. Show up. Build a team, a tribe, find your niche and learn what your audience wants to hear from you, and stick to it. Find your voice.
To be a leader, you must have followers.
We all are guilty of chasing shiny objects, but you can't keep meandering and wandering. Dig your well deep.
There are riches in niches.
You need to have confidence in yourself. It all starts with you.
Adam prefers face-to-face accountability in his networking groups. He belongs to a faith-based men's group at his church and it is free to join and attend.
Nobody succeeds alone. Maybe you can, but it will take you much longer than if you leverage the time, experience, and expertise of others.
When you surround yourself with others you respect, it's going to be a beneficial experience.
You can't compartmentalize your life. Your marriage spills over into business into your faith.
Be great at life!
Be present when your family is awake.
If you need a group like this but it doesn't exist where you are, that's your calling to start that group!
Learn more about Adam Smith at his blog, ASmithBlog.com.
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.