Building It Online Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mike Sebastian & Brice Gump
Hear the stories of entrepreneurs building businesses online so that you can learn from their experience and accelerate your own business growth. Hosted by Brice & Mike's with a combined 18+ years of experience building businesses online.
Today, Mike talks about small businesses selling their products on Amazon and the pros and cons that come with this as well as the steps to take to maximize the use of the Amazon platform while not being completely reliant on it.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Many business owners often don't consider that through Amazon, you only get the sale, not the customer.
- Amazon commonly creates a white labeled version of other products, putting their product on page one and pushing other businesses several pages down.
- Use Amazon to gain customers, not just sales. Include something that brings people back to your store instead of Amazon.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
For today's episode, we talk with Joseph Wilkins, the Founder of FunnySalesVideos. Joseph describes his journey into running a successful business as well as the production steps he takes to create funny videos that go viral.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Joseph explains that humor in advertising campaigns resonates so well because they are ran on entertainment-based platforms like Facebook.
- The first step for creating a funny video is to figure out who your customer is, why they are buying or not buying your product, and the deeper reason they want to buy your product. Never try to create a video blindly.
- Having a good editor is a critical part of creating a successful video.
Be sure to follow Joseph online at FunnySalesVideos, LinkedIn, Facebook,
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Today, Brice tells us about his L.O.S framework and how it can help you run successful ad campaigns for your online courses or info products.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- The primary goal of the launch phase of running ads isn't to make money. It's to learn and find out what sticks.
- Skipping the optimization step when running ads leads to a break and things stop working.
- Wanting to keep costs low is often what prevents business from scaling. Brice shares a formula to figure out what your average target cost is to acquire a customer.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
In today's episode of Brice's mini-series, Brice shares some specific tips on how to create ads that convert like crazy.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- The biggest thing when it comes to creating ads is your hooks and angles.
- It's important to understand your avatar before you begin writing your ad.
- Having a clear call to action and telling people what exactly to do next is extremely beneficial.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Designing an offer is incredibly important, but once you have your offer dialed in, how do you set up a strategy to get eyes on that offer? In this episode of Brice's mini-series, he explains what to do next.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Low ticket funnels are a way to bring people in the door, but they not bring in money.
- Brice explains why he puts a full funnel ad strategy in place and why you can't depend on one ad to do all of the work.
- Finding out the roadblocks that customers experience can become different ads and angles to use
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Kicking off a new mini-series, Brice shares his knowledge on info products and the steps to take to design an offer to get people to want to buy what you're selling.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Rather than immediately running ads, designing an offer which is different and will make your product stand out is the best place to start.
- Positioning your product upfront and communicating that to your customers is extremely valuable.
- Risk reversal is very easy to include and is a necessary part of your offer.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
For today's episode of Mike's Magical Ecomm Marketing Mini-Series Method, Mike explains how a simple change made his store an extra $27,000.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Using an app which enables pre and post-purchase upsells is a simple move which can yield drastic results.
- Post-purchase upsells have often required the buyer to go back and fill out their credit card information again, which led to a significant amount of drop-offs. One-click upsells have a much higher success rate.
- Almost any online store can benefit from using Zipify's OneClickUpsell or a similar app.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
In today's episode of Mike's Magical Marketing Ecomm Mastery Mini-Series, Mike explains the importance of creating fans and bringing customers back as well as how to do this.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Many Ecomm store owners feel that the best way to create revenue is to create more products, however, this is not always the case. It's very important to reengage existing customers.
- Story-based marketing is an effective way to get customers to connect with your brand.
- People relate to stories, but creating a brand story can't be forced. Creating a brand story can revolutionize your company internally as well as externally.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
In today's episode of Mike's Ecomm Mastery Mini-Series, Mike explains why it's necessary to have more than the default product page to have a successful ecommerce store.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Store Platforms such as Shopify don't leave enough room to provide a compelling argument for your product.
- Having a long form sales page is an efficient way to provide more compelling reasons for an individual to buy your product.
- Platforms that allow you to create landing pages such as Unbounce can redirect traffic back to Shopify or another store platform.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
To kick off Mike's Ecomm Mastery Mini-series, Mike talks about the importance of choosing the right store platform when starting an ecommerce store and what some of the differences are between these platforms.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Turning an idea into an ecommerce store is a difficult task. Fortunately, there are a lot of platform options for housing your store.
- Mike explains from his experience why he thinks Shopify is the best store platform
- A big part of the importance of using a platform is the research and workload that they relieve you from when running an ecommerce store.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
In this episode, we interview Jonathon Hensely. Jonathon is the CEO and Co-founder of Emerge, a digital product consultancy. He shares his background with us as well as a vast amount of knowledge on how to setup a business with strategy and digital products.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Jonathon explains the importance of building a strategy first. More important than the idea is the insight into the problem you are solving.
- Alignment is the most important leadership skill. Jonathon goes in depth on alignment and how he views it in four levels.
- What is empathy mapping, and is it important?
Be sure to follow Jonathon online at Emerge, LinkedIn
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Businesses face change. Those that can adapt, succeed. Those that cannot oftentimes fail.
Brice and Mike discuss the effects of large change in business and specifically relate it to Apple's iOS14 update and the detrimental effect on Facebook ads.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- iOS14 provides users with more privacy by giving them the option to opt-in or out of being tracked, which will change the way advertising technology works.
- Larger companies are less worried about these changes than companies who are solely dependent on Facebook ads.
- Platform diversity is becoming increasingly important due to the frequently changing nature of the industry.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Is it more stressful to start a company by bootstrapping or venture funding? In this episode, we interview Joseph Fung, founder of five different companies. Joseph shares his experience and highlights the pros and cons of bootstrapping vs. venture funding.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Joseph explains from his experience the difference in point of view of the consequences of using other people's money in a venture backed company and how the influence from other investors affects your decisions versus starting up a bootstrapped company.
- A venture backed company faces different stressors than a bootstrap. it's more difficult for a bootstrapped company to fail significantly whereas when venture backed companies start to fail, they tend to fail very quickly.
- Is starting up a VC backed company something that someone new to business can do, or do you need experience with previous startup companies?
- What is a B Corp, and can they help make the world a better place?
Be sure to follow Joseph online at Joseph Fung, LinkedIn, Kiite Facebook, Twitter
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Today we are joined by Jeroen Corthout, co-founder of Salesflare, a small business CRM. Jeroen walks us through the origin of this software and how he was able to turn it into a business.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Jeroen explains how he was frustrated with the limitations of available CRM's and how he became involved with creating a new one.
- A.I. and automation are becoming useful features of CRM's.
- Getting sufficient sleep and planning for the day cannot be understated when trying to grow a business.
Be sure to follow Jeroen online at Salesflare, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
In this episode, we interview Dan Englander, Founder and CEO of Sales Schema, a sales agency focused on helping marketing agencies. Dan tells us a bit about his background and shares his story on how he came to start his company.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Dan explains how he was able to stair-step his way into transitioning out of the 9-5 routine into starting and running his own company.
- Hear how Dan helps agencies get results by highlighting their commonalities with decision makers they are targeting rather than simply trying to sell the agency.
- The future of digital agencies will likely include more outsourcing as opposed to having everything done by in-house employees.
Be sure to follow Dan Englander online at Linkedin, Facebook, Sales Schema website
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
It's a new year and the world of online business is transitioning. Brice and Mike discuss some of their predictions for the new year and the changes they may bring to the online business world.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Brice and Mike offer predictions for the changing data world
- How will privacy changes impact marketing and analytics?
- Reevaluating psychological triggers and your avatar
- What is Starlink, and will it provide internet for the rest of the world?
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Major Impact Media
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Outside ROI
How do you plan for a whole new year? This episode is about the big principles in new year planning as well as some specific, technical bits of how it's organized and executed.
So if you want to know how and why we take out the dedicated time to map these things out, strategize, and review/refine the vision -take note!
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- The new year's plan should start with a conscious review of the last year.
- Get into the strategic role where you are guiding the business rather than just letting the business take you where it may.
- What makes a good goal, how to make good goals, and how to execute on them as an individual and a business.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
At the end of the year here, we're talking about what's changed for business and what's to come. It would appear to be what everyone expected, but accelerated. Namely, an explosion of opportunity in freelance work.
So - what's necessary to make a living freelancing? Why's it so great that even big corporations are taking advantage of a more freelance model? All this, and other thoughts on what the future holds for business owners/freelance workers.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are:
- Freelance isn't just the opportunity of employment, it's also the opportunity of having something to sell, thanks to the internet.
- You can bet on freelance work expanding as we grow more online and interconnected.
- Keep an eye out for opportunity everywhere. A single innovation or event can create entirely new industries.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
How can you build an ethical company right from the start, and let an examined philosophy affect everything you do? Today we're talking about how you can run a business for something more than just profit.
Obviously if you don't have money you don't have a business, but how we can really provide value to the world, beginning with our employees, is what's going to matter in the end.
Some of our favorite topics in this one include:
- When to make the more expensive decision
- How to think and act more ethically in general
- What kinds of decisions can we make on our employees behalf that they may never be aware of, but will benefit from regardless?
Today we talked a bit about the value of philosophy and stoicism. A couple places to start include Meditations by Marcus Aurelius or this great audio series The Tao of Seneca.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Every businessperson knows the importance of content marketing strategies. Without them, your business will not be able to be as effective as it could be.
Veronica Sagastume has been doing this for a long time so today we are lucky enough to take a slice of knowledge from her.
From CFO to Content Marketing Strategist Veronica talks about her home life along with her beginnings and how she got to where she's at today.
What will you learn in this episode?
- The process of trial and error in marketing.
- The importance of meeting online vs in person.
- How to organize in a way that makes you productive
- How to relay to people to see you as a problem solver to the problem they have.
The Book mentioned in this episode is called "Atomic Habbits" and "Blue Ocean Shift".
Be sure to follow Veronica on Facebook, Linkedin, look at her Website, and her Twitter.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
What foundation is your business built on? Tony Guarmaccia helps identify this with both small and large companies.
Tony spent years in the corporate world learning what big businesses do to sustain their growth.
And today he brings that experience to small businesses and helps them understand the fundamentals you need in place to grow your business no matter what crazy thing is going in the world.
What will you learn in this episode?
- How to apply large company strategies to small businesses.
- What the flywheel effect is and how you can use it to exponentially grow your business
- The 6 factors of the Results Loop
- What to focus on in your business if you want to make sure you can grow in any market
The Book mentioned in this episode is called "Good to Great".
Be sure to follow Tony on Facebook, Linkedin, look at his Website, and check out Small Step Manifesto.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Webinars are an incredible tool to grow your company when you can get it right.
Today we're going to break down how it's possible.
We also cover how important it is to pay attention to how long your webinar is as well as other factors that play into how it affects your audience.
What will you learn in this episode?
- How to use webinars to scale businesses with paid ads
- The differences between live and prerecorded
- How to use a webinar correctly
- Why it's better to get better at what you're doing rather than making more things
The software for making webinars (Easywebinar.com) in this episode can be found here.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Navigating the Curvy Line that Is Your Career is not an easy task. Thankfully Tim Fitzpatrick explains the best way to accomplish this for the success of your company.
We talk about maintaining the career you want to keep today.
Listening to Tim, will help you make good business a second nature to you.
We also cover the role of choosing what to focus on and how to go about focusing on that task to achieve greatness.
What will you learn?
- Forming relationships with customers.
- Offer different services.
- See things as a long term thing.
- Provide services for people looking for that.
Be sure to follow Tim online on LinkedIn. The book for this episode is Essentialism.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Crafting a life you love by using relationship marketing is very hard. Today we have Annelise Worn on to explain how - she explains more of the most rewarding (and valuable) components of building a successful business.
We talk about personal vs business life, and how to successfully balance the two.
If you listen to Annelise, you'll find some important aspects and qualities you can easily integrate in your own business. Success is on the way!
We also cover the role of family, struggle, and family life and how to please a client with rewards.
What will you learn?
- A better approach for gaining clients.
- Losing clients isn't the worst thing.
- How to balance your attention.
- The importance of Digital Marketing.
Be sure to follow Annelise online at Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tradiewives and her Facebook Page.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Running a rapidly growing startup is hard. That's why we have Matt Gillis on - he explains two of the most rewarding (and valuable) components of building a successful business.
We talk about what the day to day is like for someone like him, who's integrated teams of over 200+ globally, grown, and sold businesses. Having the right people around you is so critical!
If you can nail just a couple of the key aspects of Matt's philosophy, you'll find that the rest works itself out. You'll find a way to be successful if you've got the right team.
We also cover the role of mentors, comfort zones, sleep, dealing with the inevitable hardships of building a business, and growing constantly from that bumpy ride.
What will you learn?
- The BEST way to get experience as an entrepreneur
- How to evaluate all the opportunities that come to you as an entrepreneur so you know the best ones to go after
- Where to put your attention day-to-day as the CEO of a rapidly growing startup
- How to get A-players to WANT to work for your company.
Be sure to follow Matt online at Clean.io, LinkedIn, and the Clean.io Facebook Page. While you're at it, you can check out the book recommendation from this episode, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
If you're like us, you've probably found that most things you do in business bleed over into your personal life. Challenges, lessons, goals, and more.
Today, we're talking about the importance of a clearly defined "north star" - what's your big goal that you can focus everything around?
We've seen this in so many companies now: too many missions, too many goals. In the end, you can't get things done, and when you do, it's not done as well as it could be if you had a singular mission.
It's not uncommon to work hard, for a long time, to get the opportunities you're looking for. Very quickly, however, the tables turn and you now have to be the one saying no, and turning down an opportunity.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- "If I say no to this, there is something else around the corner"
- Be very intentional in how you build your business by being selective of opportunities you accept
- Reduce the number of things you're doing so you can do fewer things better and work on projects you really want to
We spoke today of the book Essentialism, which is very relevant to this discussion. Here's a link.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Brice is launching a brand new business!
Having done this once before, he's sharing what's different the second time around having the skills and experience of running a successful business now.
Hearing him talk about his strategy as he built this business was fascinating and he really goes into the details for us!
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Why service-based businesses are great for cash flow, and how to use that to build larger businesses that you can sell.
- How to find the right partner to start a new business
- What to focus on if you want to launch a new business the right way
The business will be officially launched in the next couple weeks, if you want to hear about it when it happens then you can use the link below to stay informed in the BIOP Facebook group! We're in there answering questions so say hi!
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Anne Stefanyk is the CEO and founder of Kanopi studios, which she started in 2013. The company is totally remote, building beautiful websites for clients looking to make a positive impact on the world.
Anne goes over the anatomy of what makes an effective website, and her philosophy about making one that lasts (you need to keep working on it!). She also walks us through some of the awesome apps that her team uses to maintain a positive digital work environment and overcome Zoom fatigue.
There's a lot of good stuff here. Some topics we go into include:
- How to make a great website by putting users' needs first
- Finding clarity in continuous conversation with clients
- Cultivating a remote work culture with the help of apps
- Some of Anne's journey building an online business
Be sure to follow Anne online at Kanopi.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, or email Anne@kanopi.com
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
This is really an episode about communication. If you're not keeping in touch with your clients beyond the raw data reporting, how can they know that you really care about them? Often, making sure they know you care is going to be more valuable than any number.
So today, we're talking about how to be clear, effective, honest, and proactive with clients in a way that will have them trust you, respecting you, and continuing to work with you because they value you.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- The first month is important. Make enough calls that they know you're responsive and you're getting a clear idea of what metrics/goals matter to them.
- Sometimes results might be less important than just knowing that someone cares about the account.
- Set clear expectations of what the next X days will look like. "Under-promise and over-deliver"
- Be good at delivering the actual numbers. Accurate reporting is so important!
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
It's easy to get caught up in tasks, messages, and the day to day routine of running your business. It's important to remember to make time for actual, high-level thinking! This is where you can really strategize about your company (and life) as a whole.
How is it running?
Where is it going?
Do I like my clients?
How should I be spending my time?
Some of the most important decisions, insights, and realizations are known to take place when you actually take a step back and go deep.
Some key notes from this episode are here:
- Schedule yourself thinking time and then protect that time
- Thinking deeply and broadly allows you to build with intention
- Setting up recurring questions for yourself can aid the process
- Utilize your project management software for reminders and as a thinking aid
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
There are 5 components by which you can segment your audience: Demographic, Firmographic, Geographic, Psycho-graphic, and Behavioral. Eric Beer walks us through how he segments his audiences and powerful ways to use surveys.
Eric has been in digital marketing for over 17 years, starting his company, Universal Marketing Partners in 2008. As the title suggests, he grew it to over $100 million in revenue. Since then he's worked on his podcast and a slew of other educational resources for marketers.
Eric and Mike could have talked for hours because he has a lot of insight to share. Some key points he brought up are:
- Creating leads and having a database not only makes your company valuable, but it gives you the power to own your media.
- Sell to different people differently; segmentation surveys are ideal for this. Track every answer.
- How to think about arbitraging traffic in a self-liquidating funnel while building your list, which is kind of the name of the game.
Be sure to follow Eric online at EricBeer.com, univmp.com, LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, SurveyDetective.io or @ericbeerofficial on Instagram. You can also check out his podcast, Performance Marketer Podcast.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Simon Severino created Strategy Sprints after 15 years of global consulting, helping people grow their businesses and as the title says, doubling their revenue in 90 days.
As a consultant, he would fly around and ask people: Who are you? What are your strengths? How do we get there? And more questions of the sort.
Then the Internet happened.
Flying all over the world became unnecessary and too time-consuming. With the Internet, when a client has a problem they may have to wait three weeks for a workshop that lasts all day, or days. The approach worked for Simon but wasn't ideal for his clients.
Fast forward 3 1/2 years later and Simon is at the helm of a global team. Simon has so much to offer in this conversation for anyone operating an online business.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Helping business owners "get out of the weeds" so that they can stop doing all of the work themselves is often the first step
- The order in which Simon decided to delegate different responsibilities, including the very thing which made him "excellent" when he delegated his own position
- When you don't have to pay for an office, you can afford to fly your team out to a location and have a good time
Be sure to follow Simon Severino online at strategysprints.com, Linkedin, and Facebook
Simon is offering a free 45 minutes bottleneck analysis for the first 30 listeners who visit strategysprints.com/sales.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
The numbers that make your business move may well be the most important thing to understand in your business today.
This doesn't have to be complicated or intimidating, but is something business owners must understand.
When Brice & Mike started their businesses, neither of them was fond of numbers, or even particularly good with them.
If spreadsheets intimidate you you can always use some other means to get the kind of information you need. Brice uses Google Sheets, which he updates manually but Mike uses Quickbooks which can make up all kinds of reports.
Whatever the best case for you, it's something you need to keep a great understanding of.
Some of the clients that both Brice & Mike have worked with launched massive campaigns when halfway through, they realized that there was no money left to pay off their credit card.
Guess why?
They weren't keeping track of their numbers.
When going into a business and looking for ways to improve it, you can start with finances and see where everything is going and where to make changes. This can be true of personal finance, of your business, of media buying, and of so many other aspects of online business.
Some topics we cover include:
- Automated tracking vs manually copy and pasting numbers from your bank
- Simple steps to build confidence with tracking and knowing your finances
- The process we use to track income, expenses, and cash in the bank
- Great books on tracking your numbers to set yourself up for success
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Today we're discussing business under volatile market conditions. More specifically about the current roller-coaster conditions with Coronavirus, the 2020 Presidential election, the #BLM movement, and more.
Clients' needs are changing faster than the news headlines right now. Try to keep up!
We talk about how to prepare for hard times, how to approach problems that are out of your control, and how to be proactive about such problems clients.
News is coming fast and hard lately so it's more important than ever to keep an ear to the ground and pay attention to changing trends both in the broad social sphere and in the technical aspects of marketing platforms.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- People need honest, proactive answers
- Address potential problems in advance
- Keep in mind the nature of a person's overall newsfeed, not just your ads
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Douglas Levin has one of the most unique entries into online work that we've heard so far.
His story is really great because he walks us through each step of his process from making $18,000 per year as a musician to owning a private label brand.
His first area of online work is selling stuff from his closet on Amazon.
Shortly after that, he started to resell products from Walmart, even going on multi-day excursions wherein he stockpiles these products to resell at great margins. Eventually, he finds this to be too unstable and starts to make more exclusive deals with manufacturers.
His first exclusive deal, selling an energy drink, is great until a $25,000 mistake (listen to hear what it is).
That brings him to private label, where he is now, and where he's enjoying himself the most.
Some of my big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Arbitrage has some great advantages like high margins, but it comes at a risk that wholesale doesn't.
- Wholesale is predictable which is great but it's not your product, which means there's no brand that you can eventually sell.
- Building a community takes longer but helps ensure demand for your product.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Johnathan has built more businesses than most people work for in their lives. From a physical security operation to digital marketing and content writing services company, he brings a wealth of expertise.
What's most valuable is hearing the reasons why he started each business and why, such as in the case of the security business, he moved on.
Rather than pushing his agenda on the market and making people want what he had to offer, he identified something that the market is lacking so he could fulfill it.
Often times it was as simple as asking people on a Facebook forum.
Not only are these stories funny, but they're useful.
Today, Jon has built a large international team and he's been building businesses for over 10 years now.
Some of the biggest takeaways from this episode are here:
- Jon's philosophy of building a customer base and reputation before using any capital
- When you start something with a partner, get the paperwork set up at the beginning
- Spending money on a good dev company will be less expensive in the long run
- "Get told no a hundred times and then adjust your message until someone says yes."
Be sure to follow Jonathan online at i2w.uk, LinkedIn, Facebook, and SeoButler.com.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Like many of us, Tyler Gillespie was hooked once he discovered the joy of remote, online work.
Tyler dove in headfirst and moved to Costa Rica selling vacation rentals online (while he lived in one himself) and this officially kicked off working while traveling abroad.
Since working inside the rental industry didn't lend itself to remote work as well as he'd of liked, Tyler shifted into freelance work. From there he was able to find clients, outsource work, and eventually build a proper team that became his marketing agency, Gingerbread Marketing.
As the company was able to automate and standardize more processes, while shifting into more of a niche category, content creation, Gingerbread Marketing became Content Pros.
That standardization and automation was productization, and it allowed Tyler to work very few hours since the business practically ran itself.
This makes for a valuable, sellable business and Tyler walks us through it all.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are here:
- Remote work makes traveling abroad an option which leads to many great opportunities
- The journey from freelancer to running an agency to selling and then consulting
- How to make a service scale-able where revenue is consistent
- A powerful morning routine called "SAVERS"
Be sure to follow Tyler online at ProductizeMyService.com, LinkedIn, and The Facebook Productize Community
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
"Here's my product, please buy it" doesn't work, yet so many people still try to run their ads that way.
Telling stories can get people engaged with your content and form a place of emotion. So today, we're talking about selling with stories.
Your business already has a story, whether you know it or not.
Telling it well is just a matter of going back and seeing which parts resonate the most with people.
Russell Brunson sums it up into three words, "Hook, story, offer." Get their attention so they aren't still scrolling. Tell a story they can relate to. Make an offer. This episode goes into case studies, examples, and ways to implement this into any business.
Some topics we cover include:
- Playing to the identity of the people you are serving
- Selling a lifestyle vs selling a product
- A simple framework for selling by using stories
- How the internet and the nature of marketing has changed advertising
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Larry Ludwig is a marketing pro with an impressive track record. He's built websites for companies like GM, Comedy Central, JPMorgan, Chase, and LensCrafters, just to name a few.
Now he consults with business owners and bloggers helping them to get higher quality traffic and optimize ways of monetizing it.
He explains (quite convincingly) why “every business should do affiliate marketing at some level,” and goes into the details on how he thinks about setup, tracking, and optimization.
Larry's been building websites and helping businesses since 1994 and his accrued expertise is clear.
From SEO to tracking and even finding partners to do business with, I think you'll find value here as he takes us through the wondrous world of affiliate marketing.
Some of the key takeaways from this episode are:
- Affiliate marketing is easy to sell since the business you're selling to only has to pay when they make money
- The quality of traffic (or intent of visitors) is important and is rewarded by Google's algorithms
- You can make money simply by recommending products that compliment your own
- If the offer you're presenting matches your audience you will find much more success in affiliate marketing
Be sure to follow Larry online at www.larryludwig.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, and @lludwig on Twitter. You can even text "larrypodcast" to 31996 for seven tips to avoid in affiliate marketing.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Jarod Spiewak is a talented SEO agency owner with a mountain of insight on how he runs and hires for his agency. This episode is great for anyone interested in understanding the mind of an agency owner.
His interest in writing led him to discover Search Engine Optimization (SEO). All of his clients were looking for SEO prioritized content and eventually he was tasked with writing an article on how to do SEO.
That led to a revelation that he could take on clients of his own and that is when he decided to build Blue Dog Media.
In this interview, Jarod goes deep on his hiring process with us - what does he look for, how does he filter for good prospects, where is he looking, etc. He also takes us through the hilarious yet tragic story of investing in an expensive downtown office when it wasn't necessary.
Some of our big takeaways of this episode are:
- Thinking about how a client may or may not fit in with your process can be more useful than being super-niche.
- You don't need that many clients to make good money. Find out how much money you want to make and realize you may not need a ton of clients to achieve it.
- When hiring, consider asking about the content a person takes in on their own time. It's very useful to have someone who loves to learn.
- Years of experience doesn't necessarily indicate a person's mindset which can be their most valuable quality.
Be sure to follow Jason Spiewak online at https://teambluedog.com/, and Facebook.Other books and podcasts mentioned in the episode can be found here:
- Profit First - See Amazon link here and BIOP interview with the author here
- Anything by Simon Sinek
- Find Your Why
- Leaders Eat Last
- Pitch Anything
- Rework
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Brice & Mike break down their approach to platform-agnostic marketing, despite being heavy Google and Facebook advertisers themselves.
They explain that "the platform" is a vehicle to get your message to people so that it reaches the correct audience in as simple a version as possible.
The value here is in an advertiser's ability to convert money into customers through marketing techniques and human psychology. Knowing how to find an audience and speak to them effectively will continue serving you for years to come, regardless of what platform you're advertising on.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Learning marketing fundamentally as well as the psychology behind it and the audience you're targeting will help expand your message across platforms
- Marketing is one profession you can expect to see persist in the future
- Understand the psychological triggers that your ad is aiming to touch on
- Most of your work should be audience/market research, not on button-pushing
- Start from a place of understanding your customer and build your entire structure around a deep awareness of their needs.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
You may have noticed that checking email throughout the day is a surefire way to disrupt deep focus and divide attention. Not to mention these emails are frequently reactive, low-value work.
Claire Giovino has built a unique solution to this problem, and named it InboxDone.
In this business, you get a dedicated inbox manager that act as your personal email secretary. Her team of inbox managers currently manage 3000+ emails a day!
In this episode, Claire walks us through her business lifecycle as she went from managing inboxes herself to hiring a team around the world to replicate the process. She also paints a picture of how having a well-managed inbox can save time, money, and sanity.
Some big takeaways of this episode are:
- Proposing a solution for every question you ask in your organization as a framework for quick, effective communication
- Having your inbox managed gives you back around 13 hrs of your week (for most business owners)
- Our decision making power is limited - not to be wasted on mundane, tedious email
- Not checking email oftentimes improves sales for businesses
Be sure to follow Claire online at InboxDone.com, or on Linkedin. Or, book a call with Claire at InboxDone.com/Discovery
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Dominic Wells is a Content Website Investor.
When Dominic and Mike first spoke, Mike had no idea what a Content Website Investor was.
After years of teaching English in Taiwan, Dominic realized that he did not want to leave the country, but also did not want to teach English forever. He decided to try his hand at making money online through affiliate marketing websites.
Dominic quickly realized that the industry was selling a sub-par product and needed something better. Those websites led to his first real business: Human Proof Designs, which builds high-quality done-for-you affiliate websites.
After he started helping people with their starter sites, he opened up more services and built a team of more than 300 contractors to help people with a wide variety of their online business needs.
He then started Onfolio, his current company.
Onfolio helps people buy a business, or a portfolio of businesses, as an investment. They then run the business for you, benefiting from the growth of each one that you own. Sort of like investing in online real estate, except your "house" in this case is a company.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode are:
- "We overestimate the value of a year and underestimate the value of 10"
- Investing in businesses aren't as secure as real estate, but they're oftentimes cheaper with higher gains
- Remote work is good for finding talented people since you aren't limited to local talent
- Don't give up on a website too early. Getting from the bottom of page one on Google to the top can mean everything in terms of traffic.
Be sure to follow Dominic online at his website Onfolio.co, his LinkedIn profile, or email him directly at dom@onfolio.co.
You can also check out his old company Humanproofdesigns.com, here.
Have questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
You might know Mike Michalowicz from one of his books like Profit First, Clockwork, or The Pumpkin Plan.Mike never dreamed of being an entrepreneur. But when he couldn't get a good job after college he started his own business and fell in love with the process.
Before 35 he had built and sold two multimillion dollar businesses.
But on his third business he got too cocky and lost everything!(except his family... thank God!)
Mike went back to the drawing board to really understand the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and growing a successful business.
Everything he has learned over decades of growing multiple companies has lead him to becoming a best selling author creating impactful books about simple, effective processes for getting consistent results.
Today Mike spends his days running multiple businesses that focus around helping entrepreneurs find success in today's constantly evolving environment.
Mike is truly a master of his craft and dropped a ton of wisdom in this interview for you.
Here are some of the gold nuggets waiting you on this episode:
- Shifting your mindset from "operator" to "shareholder" so you make a more significant impact.
- Scheduling a 4-week vacation NOW to force you to build systems so your business can operate without you.
- What to look for in new hires and what to avoid when building your team
- How to avoid overwhelm by breaking down priorities
- When is the right point to transition from the operator to the owner of your business.
Be sure to follow Mike online at mikemichalowicz.com, Linkedin, and Facebook.
And be sure to grab Mike's newest book Fix this Next on Amazon here.
Got questions?
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
In this episode, Mike hosts Joe Trodden from Mindset Experts.
After going to law school, Joe was tired of the mundane routine happening day after day and decided that he wanted to be involved in something that created massive change.
He decided that the psychology driving people to do things was the way forward.
Today, he owns Mindset Experts and works with companies that are past the startup stage and looking to shift their mindset and scale their company. This takes big change and big adjustments within their company and is where Joe thrives.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode include the following:
- Taking the wrong path will often lead you to the right path
- Your mindset will change a few times throughout your entrepreneurial journey
- Each person operates very differently & has unique skills/triggers
- How Myers Briggs fits into your business and when
- How having a vision is great, but creating the steps to get there is better
Be sure to follow Joe online at josephtrodden.com or on LinkedIn.
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Christian Martin has gone through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship just like everyone else. After trying over 30 different business models he finally found the one that worked for him.
Today he is the Owner and CEO at DigitalNomad.com, a multi-million dollar training company that teaches students how to gain the skills they need to Work from Anywhere.
Christian is a wicked smart guy and he was kind enough to share with us how he went from bouncing between business ideas to scaling up to doing millions in revenue.
Some of the big takeaways of this episode
- The one question that Christian asked himself to find his ideal customer
- The non-marketing skills he learned to increase conversion rates
- How he built a webinar that runs on autopilot and sells while he's sleeping
- What the future of the information product industry looks like
Be sure to follow Christian online at digitalnomad.com
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Jeremy Harbour has had an incredible career buying and selling businesses over 100 businesses and taking a few public.
While most entrepreneurs our out there creating new start ups and running the marathon to get their business from zero to one, Jeremy figured out that he can show up for the last 10 minutes of the race, buy the business from the owner and still get the same trophy at the finish line (the big check at the end).
In this episode Jeremy gives us some amazing insight into the world of mergers and acquisitions and how you can reposition yourself as a shareholder of a company to create real wealth without getting stuck in the day-to-day operations of running a business.
He shares insights with us on:
- How to shift from a "business owner value" mindset to a "shareholder mindset"
- What the day-to-day life of a shareholder looks like (without being stuck in the operations of the business)
- What are the qualifications you should be looking for when buying your first business
- How to transition from business owner to investor/shareholder
There is a ton of takeaways to really open your mind about what's possible when you start to think different about creating wealth and freedom from businesses.
Be sure to follow Jeremy Harbour online:
Habour Club Events
Habour Club USA
Twitter
YouTube
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
On this podcast, we talk a lot about paid advertising but not much about the organic side of social media.
That is specifically why we brought in Kayla from Goldenbird Marketing. Her bread and butter is Organic Social Media Marketing.
Kayla started freelancing with some small accounts she connected with at a local gym after attending Social Media Club Los Angeles. Quickly thereafter, she landed an account with Papa Johns & some other big names.
In this episode, she explains how she made the jump from moonlighting into full-time working for her business.
Kayla also breaks down so many incredible points in our conversation, including the following:
- How working from home affects your mentality
- Why she started her second company, Glazed Skincare
- How she stays up to date with the latest trends and technology
- Learn her daily routine as a business owner and as a social media manager
- Where new companies should start with organic social media
- The quality of images that you need for great social media posts
Connect with Goldenbird Marketing on their website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have or what you'd like to see in future episodes.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Coronavirus.
Are you sick of hearing about it yet?
We are. Yet, it unfortunately sounds like it's going to be around for a little while.
Brice and Mike believe that anytime there is chaos in the world, there is a tremendous amount of opportunity for entrepreneurs.
This opportunity is not the slimy, price gouging that some people are doing. It's more centered around the change the people are going through in their lives with remote work, and what their needs are in setting all of this up.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Which businesses we work with that are thriving and which are failing, and why
- How some businesses we work with are adapting to stay afloat
- What you can do to stay afloat if you're building your business online
- How you can maximize the goodwill of your future customers today
- What business should double-down on ads while they're cheap (right now)
- And tons more!
Get inside info in the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know any questions you have.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Leon Hendrix is an entrepreneur from Germany who was able to build and sell an Amazon FBA business.
He got started with Amazon FBA looking for the freedom that comes with running an online business and sold it a short 18 months after his first online sale.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- How you can learn everything you need for free from online resources
- The kind of capital you need to build an Amazon FBA business
- What the real margins of an ecommerce business
- The personal development journey that comes with building and selling an online business
- How to spot the fakes if your looking for a mentor or coach
And a bunch more.
BE SURE to check out Leon's hilarious YouTube channel here and connect with him there.
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Kelly Glover is a high-energy entrepreneur that started her own talent booking agency with one client and a great work ethic.
She started a remote-company booking talent for podcasts who now has clients across the world.
In this episode, you'll hear how Kelly took the courage to start her own talent agency after years of building 6-figure podcasts for some of the biggest names in the industry.
Some of the topics covered can be seen here:
- The thought process she had when leaving her job to start Talent Squad
- How she got her first client
- How she manages a remote team
- How to structure your company to fit YOU
- Scaling, and how it's not for everyone
- Important tips on how to maximize your efficiency as a new business owner
If you're an expert in your field and thinking about starting a company, then you'll love this episode.
Connect with Kelly Glover from Talent Squad on her Facebook page, her Instagram or on her website.
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Have you ever thought about crowdfunding to validate your idea?
Erik and 2 of his friends did just that, not once, but three times within their company.
He is one of 3 co-founders at Redshift Sports, which provides innovative cycling products to amateur and competitive athletes.
Erik's background in mechanical engineering, prior work history & travel set him up perfectly for business ownership.
He started with very clear expectations that, like most entrepreneurs, did not take him exactly where he thought they would. In this interview, he explains how he shifted his views & strategy to refocus on Redshift.
Redshift now has offices on the east and west coast of the United States and delivers high-quality products all over the world.
Erik breaks down so many incredible points in our conversation, including the following:
- Why not being an expert in your business can be beneficial
- Transitioning from one company to another
- Starting a company during a recession
- How finding land mines (like real land mines) prepared Erik for Redshift
- How data is the most valuable asset from any advertising campaign
- How PR is the best marketing, but difficult to obtain
- How having an online-first mentality worked for Redshift
Connect with Redshift Sports on their website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram.
Join the Building It Online Facebook group and let us know what questions you have.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Today we interview Suzanne Siemens, the co-founder of Lunapads.
Suzanne a trained CPA and graduate from the Sauder School of Business.
In 2000, she left her corporate career to join forces with Madeleine Shaw to co-found Lunapads, a socially innovative company that specializes in manufacturing healthy and sustainable alternatives to disposable feminine hygiene products and selling them online at lunapasds.com since 1998! In 2017, Suzanne and Madeleine received Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Social Entrepreneurship for their business success and leadership in providing menstrual products to girls and women globally and locally.
She has a very unique story in that Lunapads was founded at the same time the Internet began to take off. She was not able to simply "Google it" when she came across questions about her business like all of us can do today.
As the Internet grew in popularity, it saved her company. Selling B2C on the Internet became much more profitable than selling B2B to retailers.
Today Lunapads is a global ecommerce company, supporting people across the world that has a wealth of knowledge from their 20-year business history.
In this episode you will hear the following:
- How small companies sold products before the Internet
- How one company pivoted TO the Internet
- Why having extra capital is crucial to running a company
- The importance of knowing your specific target customer
- Why you should always listen to your outliers
- What advertising platforms work best for Lunapads
- Why you should claim (or reclaim) your brand on Amazon
Suzanne gives us so much knowledge, it's hard to pick it all up at one time. You will for sure leave with a better understanding of business and how to sustain & adapt to an ever-changing world.
Visit Lunapads on their website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
If you have ever run or are worked inside a service based business you know what kind of madness can happen inside.
The constant work hustle of managing you business the service you provide for clients can keep you running in circles if you don't structure it correctly.
In today's interview we got to sit down with Tommy Joiner, an entrepreneur who was able to sell his service based business (what an accomplishment!).
Tommy breaks down some of his biggest lessons on the road to selling his business like:
- Why it's insanely valuable to learn how to sell first
- The value of recurring revenue in your business
- A framework for what it takes to sell a service based business based on what investors are looking for.
If you've ever thought about selling a business, or if you run a service based business this episode is full of gold nuggets.
Tommy is big on social media so you can connect with him on Facebook or Instagram.
Connect with Brice and Mike here:
Brice @ Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Mike @ Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Today we have an incredible interview for you!
Mercer is one of the most sought after measurement marketing experts today.
And it's been quite the journey to become one of the top experts out there.
In this interview Mercer shares with us how he learned to listen to the market to be able to grow his business to where it is today.
You'll also learn:
- How to listen to the market to get validation and find out if your business is getting a high five or a slap in the face
- How Mercer expanded his income from service based "done-for-you" agency to an information publisher using a system of positive constraints
- A framework to understand what numbers you need to know in order to grow your business
- How to become comfortable with the most important metrics in your business
You can get the freebies that Mercer is giving out to listeners here:
http://measurementmarketing.io/builditonline
Contact Mercer at his website here.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
Should you spend your time working on the execution of tasks in your company, or hire someone to do it for you?
Answering this is difficult!
As with everything, it depends on a few things that we discuss in this episode.
We use basic framework to get 90% of the answer to this question and then use the overall feeling to finalize that answer.
A few things we consider in this episode to determine if you should do the work or hire it out in this episode are:
- What is the cost of hiring it out?
- Does it cost more or less what you can earn in an hour?
- Do you need to understand the work involved in doing it yourself?
- Can you easily explain to someone else how to do it?
- Is there something else that you can outsource for cheaper?
With this framework you will be able to make your time more efficient and more valuable so you can focus on the real work that levels up your business.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
Hiring is hard. Hiring a marketing agency is even harder.
The partnership that you form when hiring someone (or some team) to manage all of your public-facing advertisements is VERY IMPORTANT. You must make sure that the expectations you set are accurate & specific.
Brice and Mike have both worked with clients that were perfect matches, as well as those that were not. It's much better for all parties involved to learn whether or not the partnership will be a good fit before signing an agreement together.
Some of the items we discuss in this episode are:
- How to find someone with experience with your specific needs so that you make the right hire
- Making sure you end up with the right person working on your business and not a newbie at an agency
- Creating a shared vision of where your agency relationship is taking your business
- Why it's SO IMPORTANT that you own your data and all the work you and your agency do together
- Creating crystal-clear expectations to make sure your agency relationship is a smooth sailing experience
- What role you the business owner plays in the relationship between you and your agency
By the end of the episode you will know what to expect when hiring a agency for your business and how to make sure you find a great agency to work with (not a crappy one!)
Take what we pack into this episode and make it your own to eliminate some headaches in your future.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
A New Year is among us and we could not be more excited!
This is the time to reflect on your accomplishments from the last year, as well as set new goals to push you forward in the year to come!
In this episode, you will learn the following:
- What we do at the end of one year to reflect on our goals and accomplishments
- Financial tasks that every business owner needs to make sure they complete before a certain date
- How to organize this process so that it gets more efficient every year
- How to make great goals that stretch you and grow your business!
By the end of this episode you will have the roadmap that Brice & Mike use so that you can take it and make it your own in your business.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
If you're a business owner you've got to be outgoing, right?
Or if you're even thinking about networking, then you must be an extrovert, right?
FALSE!
Both Brice and Mike consider themselves introverts yet still have found ways to harness the value of networking events in growing their businesses.
If you're like most of the world and completely freeze up at the very thought of talking with strangers in a crowded room, then listen in. This episode will tell you some of the best tips that we've come across in to maximize the value of networking while minimizing the toll it takes on your stress level.
We'll share some personal stories about networking events that we've been to, as well as how our small efforts quickly began compounding on themselves to eliminate the fear of attending these events at all.
In today's episode you'll hear the following:
- What to do at your first networking event
- How to figure out and set realistic goals for yourself when at events
- When to quit a networking event
- The step-by-step processes that we used in attending networking events
Our goal in this episode is that you will learn a few tips and then feel less intimidated when attending networking events in 2020!
Connect with Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
If you do work on a computer, ever in your business, then this episode will help you.
Here Brice & Mike share 7 online efficiency secrets and explain how reducing even 1 or 2 clicks each day can speed up your day and make you more productive.
They also discuss the long-term benefits of investing your time into automation platforms to take "future work" away from you, freeing up time for you to do other, more important tasks.
The 7 tips discussed are here:
- Optimize your browser with bookmarks
- Use different profiles for different things
- Get browser extensions to speed up or stop pages from loading for CPU speed
- Procrastinate constructively
- Eliminate notifications
- Use Zapier to automate all routine online tasks that you have
- Sync your phone and your computer
Our goal in this episode is to give you the best tips that we've found to reduce our repetitive workload and increase the efficiency that we have running our businesses.
See all the links mentioned in the show below:
- An interview with the CEO of Zapier
- How to sync Google devices
- How to sync Apple devices
- How to sync Microsoft devices
- Learn Google Sheets
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
Calvin Aldren is the co-founder of Phoenix SEO Lab, a client based SEO company that services over 46 clients to date.
Coming from a background in sales, Calvin and his partner Austin were able to learn SEO in their own time, get started, and grow that into the successful marketing agency they run today.
In this episode we talk about:
- How you have access to everything you need to get started from a smart phone and a computer and why starting is the name of the game
- Why sales is the most important aspect of your start up
- How having a partner can help you grow your business 5x faster
- They types of value you can create for your clients that will help keep them around and make them stay with you longer
Get in touch with Calvin at phoenixseolab.com.
Contact Brice online at majorimpactmedia.com.
Get in touch with Mike on Facebook or online at outsideroi.co.
Getting your business to $10,000 per month in revenue is a huge milestone for any entrepreneur.
It takes a lot of work to get there, but once you get your business five-figure per month you have a lot of traction to take your business to the next level.
In this episode, Mike & Brice share their experience growing their online businesses past this huge milestone and talk about some of their biggest lessons along that path.
Check out this episode to find out what you can take away to get your own business to five figures per month.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
How important is timing when launching a new company?
It used to be that everyone said, "Location, location, location." However, it's now entirely possible for a business to add & remove locations without any interruption to its day-to-day workflow.
Combine that with the importance of disrupting existing markets, and it could be possible that timing is now more important than the location of some businesses.
This episode showcases the importance of timing with Toni Desrosiers, the founder of Abeego and the inventor of beeswax food wrap. While rapidly gaining popularity today, there was no conversation around beeswax food wrap 10 years ago when it was invented. This created a handful of struggles for the company, a lot of which are discussed here.
In 2008 there was a global recession & almost no conversation surrounding the effect of plastic trashing our environment. Despite the struggles, and motivated with a desire to KEEP FOOD ALIVE, Toni set out with a desire to change the industry. A little under a decade after starting, she is doing just that.
Hear Toni's story that starts with a lemonade stands & a simple lawn care service and continues today with a global beeswax food brand that is changing the impact of food waste, extending the life of your food, and consequently disrupting the plastics industry.
In today's episode we'll cover a variety of topics, including the following:
- The importance of timing when inventing a new product
- Starting a company with just one credit card
- Operating a business during a recession
- Trend watching and how it can give you hope
- How having the right mentors changes everything
- The stress of laying off your staff at Christmas time
- Misconceptions faced at launch and how to overcome them
Our goal in this episode is that you will hear about Toni's experience & expertise and find motivation, research your industry, and push through some of the more difficult times that you're sure to face along your entrepreneurship journey.
Show notes:
Toni's favorite book is Start With Why by Simon Sinek.
Connect with Toni Desrosiers & Abeego here:
Abeego - Website, Instagram, Facebook
Connect with Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
When you begin running an online business, all you need to know for finances is that you're earning more money than you're spending, right?
Maybe to start, but not to grow...
Both Brice & Mike used to think this as well but quickly realized that having a more complete understanding of these 5 critical business metrics gives you a lot of power and stability in how your business operates.
In this episode, Brice & Mike will cover the following:
- The concept of saving more vs. spending more
- How important is profitability
- What is revenue
- Expenses & liabilities
- Cash flow
- Customer lifetime value
- Tracking metrics for maximum use
Our goal in this episode is to give you a head start on starting your online business, but accurately tracking 5 key metrics that will enable your business to run longer and more stable than some of your competitors.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
Hiring is one of the simplest parts running any business....right?
NOT A CHANCE!
Hiring and management are without a doubt, two of the hardest things you will try and do in any business.
It gets even more complicated when you take out the human element with a virtual workforce.
Our interview guest today is Mads Singers, a management expert, and consultant for online business owners. He currently runs three businesses and has been studying management since he was 18 years old.
Today he will share with us, how he appropriately manages and maximizes the efficiency of his staff.
His consulting work entails coaching people in large organizations such as Shell and Coca-Cola how to be more effective managers in order to scale their businesses to new levels.
He talks through the following topics, bringing years of insight and training behind each of them:
- Recruiting the right people
- Building a framework for connecting with your team
- Scaling your business with the right people
- The #1 skill you can learn to help you grow your business to new heights
- The importance of having something profitable to start with
- The 10/10/10 method
- The maximum number of people that you should be managing at any given time
- And how to actually start working ON your business instead of IN it
Our goal in this episode is to share expertise around one of the hardest business skills to master -- that of human psychology and management -- so that you can work more efficiently and grow.
Find the Mads Singers here:
Mads Singers - Website, Facebook, Twitter
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Today we go deep into the marketing side of things.
In this episode, we dive into various marketing channels that Brice & Mike have used in their prior work experience and will explain how they implemented those channels for their clients across the world.
First and foremost, it's important to understand that no two businesses are the same, and therefore no two businesses will use the marketing channels discussed here the same. We often say that it's important for each company to fall in love with a few different marketing channels that work for its needs.
Within each of the channels that we talk about, we make some observations about each platform that are important to keep in mind as you test them.
In this episode you will learn the difference between the following:
- Dynamic vs. static flows
- Interruption marketing vs. intent-based marketing
- Terms such as ROI, conversion rate, etc.
- A little about Facebook ads
- A little about Google ads
- A little about email marketing
- A little about print ads
- And much, much more
Our goal in this episode is to explain the general use of various marketing channels to bring some clarity to a very overwhelming issue in running a business.
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media (Brice) - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI (Mike) - Facebook, Website
Almost no businesses "just appear overnight" and most have a significant back story about how they got where they are today.
Larissa Miller, the founder of PI Yoga Pants, has just that type of story.
She had the idea to make a pair of more comfortable yoga pants in 2016 while traveling through Bali. The following day she found a seamstress through a conversation with a taxi driver, and has since dedicated 100% of herself to turning that idea into a global clothing brand that makes comfortable clothing for women of all shapes and sizes.
In this interview she discusses the experiences that she's had on her journey to turn a $500 investment into a 4,000 piece quarterly order by having a vision appropriately following that vision as the business grows.
As if that wasn't enough, she also donates a percentage of all her orders to Set Turtle conservation and donates her time restoring the reef while she's there.
In this episode you'll hear some of the mindset shifts that you must make as a growing entrepreneur in order to transition from your "cool idea" to a profitable, global brand.
We'll cover the following as you listen:
- Where the idea of PI Yoga Pants began
- How setting a goal, and dedicating 100% of yourself to a project
- The fears that most new business owners have when first starting
- The power of simple conversations and connections
Our goal in this episode is to explain the back story behind PI Yoga Pants to give you inspiration in your own business.
Find PI Yoga Pants here:
PI Yoga Pants - Website, Instagram, Facebook
Get 15% off your order with code: BUILDINGITONLINE
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
So, you have a great idea...
Step #1 is to buy a domain, claim your Facebook page, copyright your business name, buckle down to develop the project, and then change your idea two weeks later when a better version of it comes to mind, right?
WRONG!
So many people with have incredible ideas follow this model and never get past the first phase of building them since they don't truly commit to turning their idea into a reality.
In this episode, Brice & Mike talk about the "stick-with-it-ness" (or "grit") that it takes to turn any idea into reality.
To build a truly successful business takes a lot of work, regardless of what it is that you're working on.
Tune in to hear a few examples of people that we have worked with on both ends of the "stick-with-it-ness" spectrum.
Our goal in this episode is to show you how you can grow almost any business with a specific level of dedication
Host Contact Info
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
If you were told by all of your known competitors, that running 'this type of company' virtually is not possible, would you still try?
Most would not. And therefore, they've lost from the start.
Sophia Bera is different for exactly that. She heard, "That's impossible..." countless times before she changed who she was talking to and set out to prove the world wrong.
In this episode, we sit down with Sophia Bera of Gen Y Planning to hear about work-life balance, operating with intent, and how shaking up age-old industry norms is sometimes the best thing you can do with your time!
Sophia got started in financial planning with the idea of being able to help young people make smart decisions with their money for their future.
But she wasn't excited about working at a traditional brokerage and the old school model of how things were done, so she decided to build her company a bit differently.
Today she has more than 100 clients and multiple team members that help her deliver amazing financial support to millennials.
Her business is also fully remote so she's been able to grow it from her home base in Austin, TX and while she is traveling abroad.
Tune in to hear advice like the following:
- What to look for in a mentor
- The right way to fail in business
- How to transition from a solo entrepreneur to leading a team of people that deliver your service
- Why recurring revenue is your best friend in business and how Sophia created it with packages that are easy to say yes to
- How to stop living life for your 2 weeks of paid vacation and create a business that supports the life of your dreams
Here are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast:
Sophia's podcast choice: Tropical MBA
Sophia's book choice: The Tribe of Mentors
Our goal in this episode is to show you how you can grow a business, hire a team, and travel across the globe all at the same time.
Sophia's Contact Info:
Gen Y Planning - Website, Facebook, LinkedIn
Host Contact Info
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Dan & Brandon are not your ordinary fitness coaches.
As the founders of The Jump Rope Dudes, these two started a small YouTube channel that has blown up into a huge community and more than 500,000 dedicated YouTube subscribers with hundreds of videos and workouts online.
In this episode, you'll hear how the Jump Rope Dudes met and how their combined passions formed a perfect partnership.
Their relentless dedication to creating great content-enabled them to build a huge engaged audience that has rocketed them into some of the leads of the online jump rope fitness space.
Today they have a lean team and a simple business model that enables them to travel all over the world sharing their passion and their energy with others while making a lifelong positive imprint in the lives of their members.
In this episode, we'll discuss the following:
- Why content is so important
- How relentless consistency pays off
- How to start monetizing your passion
Our goal in this episode is to show you how you can take an idea that you're passionate about, commit to it, and turn it into a profitable business, through the Jump Rope Dudes story.
Find the Jump Rope Dudes here:
Jump Rope Dudes - YouTube, Website, Instagram
Contact Brice & Mike here:
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Would you ever think that being fired for eating a granola bar, sleeping behind a 7-11 with no money to your name, and having to bike 2 hours to work each day could lead to a 7+ figure income and owning three businesses?
Having the awareness to pick yourself up and make the best of every situation you're presented is one of the most powerful skillsets anyone can posses.
Daniel Dayette from AnswersWanted.com is the definition of someone picking themselves up from nothing and has a story that everyone should hear.
In this episode we expand on Episode 5, Entrepreneurship As A Path to Personal Development with Daniels motivational story.
Currently, he is the owner of three companies that operate in the US & Canada, but if you met him in person you'd never guess what he went through to get here.
Our goal in this episode, is for you to find motivation from an unlikely success story that so many can relate to!
Guest Contact Info
Daniel Dayette - info@answerswanted.com
Answers Wanted website - https://www.answerswanted.com/
Host Contact Info
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
So you have a great business idea...
The first thing you do is go out and start making it, right?
Wrong!
The majority of entrepreneurs that I have met have done just that. They come up with the idea (the hardest part), then get excited and immediately go into designing the product/service (the fun part).
That path feels so good because while they are making the product, they're day-dreaming about how many people are going to love it, how much it's going to transform the lives of everyone that uses it, and how much money the owner is going to make while selling it.
Sounds dreamy, right?
It would be if that worked.
More often than not, the original idea that any entrepreneur comes up with, is not the idea that winds up making their business successful.
This episode will go into some real-world examples that we (Brice & Mike) have seen through our work in building businesses online.
Listen as we tell the story of two different businesses that went about their business research the right way!
Our goal in this episode is for you to learn some specific things you can do with your idea to validate against a market and give you a major head start whenever you decide to dive into ads!
Contact Us
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Would you believe me if I told you that starting a business was the best thing I've ever done on my journey into personal development?
What about if that happened on accident?
What if I told you that I was now slightly addicted to finding the limits of this journey to see how far it goes?
Well that's exactly what happened. Both of us (Brice & Mike) have fallen into our own wildly exciting personal development journeys that were sparked by decision making from owning businesses.
Listen as we tell the story of how entrepreneurship led us on our path to personal development!
Our goal in this episode, is for you to hear one of the most exciting and not-so-directly related benefits to owning a business. It makes everything in your life better, if you allow it to do so!
Contact Us
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Interested in setting up an online business?
Great!
Setting up a business online is easier than it's ever been, however there is no clear rule book on how to do it since there are so many variables while creating it.
To make matters worse, there are not many (if any) warnings that tell you you've done something wrong until you start to get fined.
In this episode, we'll discuss how we setup each of our businesses and what we learned along our bumpy path.
You'll hear our stories about the following (not legal advice):
- The difference between Sole Proprietorships, LLCs, S Corporations, C Corporations, & B Corporations and what each means to you
- The separation and flow of money from your business to your personal bank accounts in each structure
- The difference that your person and your business have in the eyes of the law in each structure
We'll also share the incredible resource that is https://www.llcuniversity.com/ with you.
Our goal in this episode is to bring the complicated business knowledge that lives online into a personal story so that it's more relatable. After this episode you should be able to read about setting up your style of business, in your state, and have a more clear understanding about what the legal terms are referring to.
Contact Us
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
Ever wonder how some people get so much more done in their day than everyone else?
Or how successful people seem to always be on the move and still get everything done?
When we (Brice & Mike) started our online businesses we did too.
Then, independently, we realized that there are trends among the most efficient and successful people that are reproducible.
Listen as we each list out 5 of the routines that we use throughout the day to make sure that we are successful for the remainder of the day.
Our goal in this episode, is for you to learn from our stories to hear how we manage our time, our bodies, our diet, and our businesses to be as productive as possible.
Contact Us
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website
What is a SuperPAC?
More importantly, what does that have to do with running an online business?
Back in January 2019 Mike was asking himself the same thing.
Now 8 months later he's co-owner of one.
And he's using it to make a positive impact in the world while running it completely remote.
Listen as Brice asks Mike how he operates an online SuperPAC as one of his businesses.
Our goal in this episode is to educate you about one of the many available business models that you can run completely online while also explaining the intricacies of a rare business type.
Contact Us
Major Impact Media - Facebook, Website
Outside ROI - Facebook, Website