The Struggle Isn't Real Podcast - Codie Sanchez: Recent Episodes
Codie Sanchez
Are you ready to go on an adventure? Let’s journey to find what fuels you and how to actually pursue it on The Struggle Isn’t Real Podcast. Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Investor - Codie Sanchez takes you on a weekly journey asking questions of elite achievers, strivers and doers that would be wildly inappropriate at a dinner party. Our goal each week is to remind ourselves that you were not put here to live an ordinary life, you were meant for something more. So we learn from those who have built before us how to reach for our extraordinary. Find out more on www.codiesanchez.com. Were you put here to live an ordinary life? To be common? My answer is unequivocally, NO. You were meant to follow your adventure.
COVID-19 has been dubbed the Great Accelerator, accelerating trends already existing in the world around us.
28 Side Hustles/Passive Income Sources That Will Blow Your Mind
How do you win a Nobel prize? Know what to ignore.
Cannabis Companies Tool Kit
If there is an industry that has more dichotomy wrapped around it, haven’t seen it yet. On one hand you have a generational wealth creation opportunity, massive pent up demand, a plant with thousands of use cases, an industry on the brink of breakout that is ripe for entrepreneurship and investment. Yet, on the other hand you have massive constantly changing regulation, burdensome tax regimes, restricted sales and marketing channels, no institutional capital, no easy banking solutions, a global pandemic, and oh by the way sometimes it’s legal, sometimes it’s not.
I Used To Pry Out Stories For A Living...
A side tangent on journalism today & why during this time of hypothetical pause it's worth asking - what stories are you telling yourself AND which ones are you listening to. (This is from my weekly Contrarian Thinking Blog Series - signup here.)
I HATE not being able to answer all your questions on how to get into cannabis. So I wrote a a guide for all of you who want to invest, get a job, a board seat, start a company, selling services into or otherwise get in the cannabis game.
What if I was to tell you the single biggest determinant of your success, is your skill at questioning?
It's not IQ, not education, not wealth, it's as Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am.”
The World Is Ending...
So we better stock up on toilet paper and sell all our stocks, right?
What a bizarre turn of events this week has lead to in the global markets.
Don't Have A Million, But Want to Invest in Cannabis?Here's my take on it.
From an excerpt with Green Entrepreneur (full article here).
Job Hunting Is The WORST…Isn’t it? It is a self-confidence crushing endeavor… like worse than Tinder dating.
It’s tough to ask for what you want — but if you never ask, you’ll never receive.
As an entrepreneur, business builder and corporate ladder climber, I’ve had to get comfortable asking for what I want. It’s rarely given. The tough part is, as humans, we are typically uncomfortable not only in asking for what we want, but also how we ask for what we want. If I had a dime for every time I have been called aggressive, crazy, intense (or worse), I would have a lot of dimes. But I think about my personal motto: Always always ask for what you want, you just may get it.
So, here's what I would do if I was talking to my loved ones about getting out and moving on up that corporate ladder.... (Honestly - if you're not military you need to read this too).
Transitioning from the military to civilian life IS tough. The two worlds have minimal overlap. As both a hirer of vets and a family member of one, I’ve seen it go incredibly well, with transitioning service members landing high six figure jobs that double their military income, in the field of their choice...
BUT I’ve also watched former soldiers, sailors, and airmen be taken advantage of and miss out on much opportunity.
Inside each of us is the seed of an idea just waiting for us to water it.
You have such an idea in you — that business or startup that the world must experience. You’ve mocked out the plans, come up with the name, branding and website. Everyone loves it. But do you know how to fund it? It turns out seed watering isn’t cheap.
When people find out what I do, often the first thing they say is, “How did you find a job that allows you to travel the world and do what you want?” Then they say, “You’re so lucky.”
I answer, "Yes I am." That said, my answer is always the same: “I didn’t find the job, I created it.”
Remember when business retreats used to mean holing up in a Marriott or going on a corporate outing? I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Those days are over. Millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, and they aren't satisfied with the status quo of older generations. With fast and affordable travel and a globalized economy, today's workforce is interested in experiences and adventures, not cocktails in the hotel lobby.
It’s not what you know; it’s who you know. It’s a platitude, but it's true. Our world is about who can we connect with to sell, influence or build with. Thus, when your moment comes, when you finally have the email address of (insert celebrity, influencer, business leader), you grin like a Cheshire cat. Now is your chance to secure your dream job, opportunity, interview and riches. One small step away from them, one giant leap for everyday humans everywhere.
On April 21, 2016, while running along Lake Michigan after having one of those days, in between the sweat and a tear or two, I decided that I had a voice and I wanted to use it. I wanted to stand on stage and move people with my words.
"I decided I wanted to speak publicly, often and powerfully. This was a new feeling for me. They say public speaking is a bigger fear than death for most people"
A conversation with the Legendary Indiana Jones of Finance. Best selling author, hedge fund investor, globe trotter (and a bit of my personal hero), Jim Rogers.
On this podcast Neeta and I get personal with it. You see she, like so many of us, had to go through real trial to achieve greatness. She talks about her first marriage to an abusive spouse, to living in her car, to leaving it all behind...
Real talk. I haven’t laughed this hard or wanted to steal so many one liners on the podcast before. I really shouldn’t be surprised because my guest is Sam Parr, CEO & Founder of TheHustle.co. Sam is just about as quirky, funny and strangely poignant as his site and newsletter....
So the real goal is: Portuguese Fluent (B2 level proficiency) in three months. If you think I'm crazy, you might be right. But I also am impatient and have used this same strategy with Spanish and shared it with dozens of others who have used it to gain fluency without the pain of highschool Spanish re-runs.
I have a belief that if you follow your adventure while traveling, you’ll find yourself and perhaps, make money while you do it. That's why I partnered with PrAna to dig deeper into consciously consuming around this beautiful world of ours (see me sporting all their lovely threads!). You see, I’m an Adventure Capitalist at heart. What is that? It’s that roaming soul who follows their adventure to create an opportunity for themselves and others. It’s the explorer who looks at the world around them and is brimming with questions. It’s the human that when they see opportunity, they seize it. I first discovered it with Jim Rogers book of the same name.
Just a short few years ago Nathan Chan (@foundr) was a young 20 something fixing computers in the IT department in corporate cubicle land. Then something happened that made him say never again. A moment, and a collection of moments compounded, changed everything. Now Nathan is the CEO and Founder of the aptly named Foundr online magazine, he’s amassed millions of listeners and followers, built a business with revenues above 7 figures and as you can imagine, probably now has a dude to fix his computers.
So what’s Foundr and what’s the big deal about that? Well, as we were recording this podcast Nathan had just returned from interviewing Tony Robbins in NY. That’s kind of a like a typical Tuesday for Nathan. He’s a humble sort of bloke, so I’m sure he’s reading this and eye rolling at my pontification, however you guys tell me what you think. His first interview was with Sir Richard Branson and the cover of his magazines has been graced by names like Arianna Huffington, Gary Vaynerchuck, Marie Forleo, Daymond John, Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss just to name a few. So let’s just say he plays with some big fish.
Cool for Nathan, but how is that useful for you? On this podcast Nathan gave me the green light to ask him some questions he’d never been asked before. We dig into the moments he, just like all of us, was told NO. That he wasn’t enough, that he couldn’t, that it wasn’t impossible but for him it was. We talk about how he overcame those moments. He gives us his recipe for how to get in front of big names and absolutely what NOT to do when reaching out to just about anyone. Some of my favorite moments are at the very end where we get into where he would escape if convicted of a hideous crime, and his biggest mistakes.
I hope you have a nice adult beverage, snuggled up somewhere and ready to listen to our conversation ripe with questions not appropriate for the dinner table.
Cheers you Animals, Codie
Whether you are in college, high-school, in corporate America or a freelance consultant, these days you can create your own website for less than $20 and in less than 24 hours.
Let's Talk About Getting Paid People Written by Codie Sanchez Baker Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
Where to begin.. First with a mental reframe... negotiating like a girl isn't solely about what you can do for yourself. It isn't a selfish act. It isn't just for the hard core aggressive types in this world. It is a necessity to get ahead and to grow as a professional. And if you are the giving type, I’ll simply say, when one rises we all rise. Focus on you and those you lead or influence. Help those around you increase their skills, ask your partner for help and use these below strategies to negotiate not only your pay but importantly your next promotion, your next business deal or even your next convo with the family.
Know this, if you don't ask for it, you probably will not receive it. And, hey - worst case, they say No. We eat No's for breakfast.
So my friend, let's earn you your seat at the table.
“Focus on you and those you lead or influence”
HERE’S THE HOW:As an entrepreneur, business builder, corporate ladder climber I’ve had to get comfortable asking for what I want, otherwise it’s rarely given. The tough part is as women typically, we not only are uncomfortable asking for what we want, but we also must be cautious in how we ask. If I had a dime for every time I have been called aggressive, crazy, intense, or worse (but we’ll leave those out), I would have a heck of a lot of dimes. So every so often I think about my personal motto:
1) Always ask for what you want, always.* You will hands down never get what you don’t ask for. This is especially true for women and minorities. There is much research that proves that we don’t negotiate enough.
2) Assume you just might get it.* When you remove the fear from your ask, you are more thoughtful, you consider how to make it a win-win, and you are less emotional. All critical if you are going to be bellying up to the proverbial bar.
So the question becomes the how...
If you want a promotion, more money, a new client, how do you get it? And why do we HAVE to negotiate for what we want? FIRST WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO NEGOTIATE:REASON ONE:If we just look at salaries, it’s imperative. Linda Babcock did a study for her book Women Don’t Ask, she found that about 7% of women attempted to negotiate, while 57% of men did. That could help explain part of the wage gap. Now you might say ok so we don’t negotiate as much on average but what are the effects of that? Let’s talk numbers:
Example: Imagine two people were offered a $100,000 salary, and one negotiated an extra $7,000 and one didn’t. What is the cost for the one that got $100,000 vs the one who got $107,000? Many would say $7,000. Codie, I’m not an idiot. But that is wrong. Due to compounding, if nothing else changed and both the person who negotiated higher, and the one who didn’t, got the same raises and promotions throughout their career, something astounding happens. Thirty-five years later – the person who didn’t negotiate would have to work 8 years more to have as much at retirement as the one that did negotiate that initial $7,000.
Now, the question is: $7,000 may not be worth the risk, but how about eight years of your life?
REASON TWO: The average wage growth in the US over the last 5 years is around – 2-2.5%. That won’t even cover your rent increase. If you don’t ask for more you almost certainly won’t achieve the financial success you want.
Have I convinced you to don your little negotiating cap?
MY TOP TEN TRICKS to NEGOTIATE LIKE A GIRL:(Aka ask for what you want... and get it).
- Always ask- Nothing beats practice. Start small, negotiate with friends and family first. Then negotiate with a client, then go toe-to-toe with the boss. But with love and numbers backing you. Always.
2. Don’t come in committed to outcome- Come with options not outcomes. Instead of saying I want X amount, consider flex work, more vacation, an assistant, a virtual assistant – get creative with your asks and make sure you earned it, and there is a mutual benefit.
3. Explain why you deserve it and know what you are asking for- Never come and just say, “I want more money.” This rubs me the wrong way when done to me. I immediately calculate the percentage change they are asking for and say, “What are you doing to earn 35% more money?” Rarely do they have an answer and they didn’t even realize they were asking for such a big % increase. Thus, back it up with facts and numbers. Say, “I did x and y and z and my plan for the coming 6-12 months is to accomplish this and that. Given that, I think the work I am doing is worth more than I am currently making. Thus, I wanted to talk to you about a pay raise?” Then shut up. They may be telling you you’re about to get one higher than your ask.
4. No emotions or needs (needy ain't cute)- I don’t care that you can’t afford X, or feel like you want to make Y. Make it about what you have earned, not what you want. Be proud of never accepting a cent you didn’t earn.
5. Put yourself in your bosses (or counterparties) shoes- What are their goals and how can you align? Everyone wants more money and if you’ve ever been asked for a raise by an employee you’d know that there is only so much money to go around. How can you put yourself on the other side of the table?
6. Best book on negotiation 1. The art of war is an uncomfortable classic – it shows you the non-politically correct ways of power but knowledge is power so it is worth reading. Even if you don’t want to use these strategies (I mean they list Genghis Khan so you can imagine the strategies he used – yikes!), you will recognize when they are being used on you. Aka, you won’t get murdered in a negotiation.
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Be likeable.. Sounds simple, huh?- I can’t emphasis this enough, making your “opponent” like you and want to give you what you want, is worth its weight in gold. That means smile, cajole, apply to their better instincts, state the benefits to them. My go to line is this… “You can’t blame a girl for asking can ya? What kind of employee/sales person/business person would I be if I ask for the business?” BIG HUGE ENDEARING SMILE following.
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Ask for more than what you want..
Henry Kissinger the ultimate negotiator said,“Effectiveness at the conference table depends upon overstating one’s demands.” First because the universe just may give it to you, and then because there will be flexibility on the downside.
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Get them to say their position first
For example, if you are negotiating a salary or package with a new gig and the person asks you for what you make currently, you don’t need to answer. You can say, “'Well I'm flexible depending on how you structure compensation for the growth potential and the right company fit long term. Would you be willing to share the rough salary range you have in mind for this position?”
If they push again and ask what you make you can say, “Charles this is really not something I give out broadly… kinda like a woman never tells her age (wink wink smile), why don’t you tell me what your range is and I’ll let you know if that fits my range.”
Confidence is everything.- The main point is don’t just shout out the $ amount you could be too low or too high. Prep for this question and know what this position is roughly worth.
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Reluctant seller/buyer - Remember the one who wants it less almost always wins. So even if you want this new job/client/raise so badly you would sell out your mother, you need to pretend you don’t.
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Let me give you an example, say you have a job offer you’re dying to take, you hate your current job and are about to quite anyways and make $0. Here honesty is not the best policy. Reframe your mindset, they must negotiate to get the best deal for their company and you must negotiate the best for you, so for now, no transparency.
- You can say, “I’m really happy in my current role and growing immensely. I’m always open to the right opportunity at the right company but I’m not actively looking.” Why? Remember playing hard to get with a dude? It’s the same thing, it increases your perceived value, and makes them want you more.
Want some tips to be unforgettable?, click here
BONUS TIDBIT: After I ask for what I want, I watch the others reaction. If they give in easily, I say nothing but thank you and remember that next time I better go higher. If they flinch, look uncomfortable or get angry I wait for them to speak and then I say with a big huge smile my favorite line again, “Can’t blame a girl for asking can ya? Seems we never get what we don’t ask for?” SMILE.
Can’t blame us at all.Happy negotiating, Love you Animals!Codie
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Have you heard the word influencer more and more? Have you heard about the growing demographics in the Latino space? Do you keep hearing about the power of bloggers both for brands to leverage and for people to get $$ to post on social media about whatever tickles their little fancy? Well if any of that interests you, amigo you are in luck. This episode with CEO & Founder of WeAllGrow Latina Network, Ana Flores is all about how influencer marketing works, how she built a company around it, and what is shaking in the world of Latina’s and Latino entrepreneurs.
Her name is Mary & Her Motto is: Eat, Play, Crush (You are going to like her, and her stories even more).
Have you ever sat across from someone and just instantly known you wanted to dive deeper into the conversation. The other person literally had you hanging on every word. That was my experience the first time I met Tim Dyer and actually his brother, business partner, and twin Dave Dyer as well. Tim is the Chief Storyteller and Co-Founder of Manifesto Agency. Tim is my favorite kind of human, a status quo disrupter. He’s built his life around the power of the word, to not only sway someone, but to sway someone towards real purpose and meaning. On this podcast, you’ll see why Manifesto is on the Inc 500’s fastest growing business list, and how these two guys who started their business with no money, no clients and in a coffee shop, created the #7 fastest growing ad company in the game. If you are searching for how to define your brand, business, or self, how to tell a story and get heard, or how to build something that matters, this is the podcast for you.
Not Conforming Is What Makes You Unforgettable:Sometimes, the things that are a part of you are what make you unforgettable. Just so we are clear. I'm a Spaniard. We like four letter words (or in this case 5 letter words). Fun fact, in Spain you'll note tv commercials for mothers cough syrup where the women says essentially Fck I have a cold, then turns to her kids and the screen and smiles as she takes Dayquil. Swear. I cuss because one I like it, two I think there is power when used unexpectedly to shake people out of the norm, and three, because it keeps me from trying to please everyone and fit in a box*. It makes me be unapologetic and show up fully. Do I use them in investment meetings or with clients? Nah. But in just about every other occasion, absolutely.
If there is one thing I'm proud of, it's that what you see is largely what you get. I try to never lie, never hide, never fake it, because it's just easier to remember being straight up. But MAN that's taken me a while. Because if you are reading this there is a battle waging between what you want to do, should do, could do and actually do. And who you want to be, should be, could be and actually are. The goal of this week's Monday Slay, is making you step into uncomfortability so you can GROW. Why? Why not just conform?
Because then you are forgettable. You will never be remembered, you will never achieve great things.
“If you don’t piss some people off you will not even be an asterisk in the lowliest of history books. Does that sound like the kind of life you want? ”
Five quick ways to be memorably you: We don't remember the suits, we remember the turtle neck wearing weirdos. So grab your turtleneck. 1) Social pressure - Answer this question: What is something you believe deeply, truly, wholeheartedly that most people would disagree with you on? Now post that on your Instagram. More controversial the better. (Here's mine --> Click here).
2) Reach out - Send a DM, tweet, email and otherwise try to stalk down one person you secretly respect for their giving zero F's attitude. Ask them one question... When they get inundated by negativity, backlash or haters how do they find the strength to continue regardless of the pushback?
3) Follow someone who does things that make even you uncomfortable --> Ashley Longshore, Gary Vee...
4) Say No - A big thing. This week. Say No to going to see your in-laws because you don't want to, to an assignment you think doesn't make sense, to a guy who wants to talk to you, to your mother who wants to talk to you. Before you answer, pause and ask yourself do I WANT to do this, if not. Say No. Don't say why. Just say No. Powerful.
5) MAJOR KEY 'People hate you for one of three reasons. They hate themselves, they want to be you, or they see you as a threat.'
“People hate you for one of three reasons. They hate themselves, they want to be you, or they see you as a threat.”
Internalize that. So if you are liked all the time, what does that say?
Be The Person They Always Remember...**This is a special edition post of my Monday Slay newsletter where each week I send 5 tips to help you slay the week, the month and well - life. If you want to get it weekly click here!
Love you animals,Codie -- Say hey @codiesanchezTHIS WEEK I GAVE YOU MY EXACT guide for HOW TO SLAY INSTAGRAM. #Yourewelcome ---> https://www.codiesanchez.com/blog/instagram-marketing-plan
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So You Want To Be Instagram Famous?Or maybe you just want more sales on the IG, or maybe you're just really into posting quotes and you think the world NEEDs to see your latest cat video. No shame on your game. I'm a quantitative minded human, no doubt. So when I listen to most Instagram marketing explanations of how people grew their following and there isn't a recipe. I am TICKED. I know you just kind of "fell" into your 300,000 followers but that is not that helpful or repeatable. So I compiled all the tactics I've used, that I borrowed from some of the top Instagram accounts, accelerators, app companies like SumoMe, and then just experimented with myself. My gift to all of you.
1-2 -3 INSTAFAME
Goals* Build following from 0-10000 in 4 months * Build massive email list with Instagram (5k+) * Drive massive traffic back to CSB’s website
So what exactly is this? This is a quant-based marketing plan that was responsible for taking CSB’s Instagram following of under 1000 to 15000 in less than 4 months without a team and with a spend of less than $200. If spend was higher we could 10x this. Also - I get lazy, forget to upload pictures, actually feel SM is a bit of a time suck and otherwise was a stubborn mule in the implementation of this. So if you are slightly less stubborn than a four legged cousin or a horse you will probably crush these numbers! Just saying.
Why do I care about Instagram follower count?Because Instagram is an international distribution platform (IN YOUR HAND FOR FREE).Let’s put it this way: It is one of the few ways you can create distribution for almost zero dollars spent. Then as you add more followers that mean more feeds my posts end up in, thus the more eyes on my website, content, and products. It's called leverage. If you use it for your personal brand, your business, h*ll your dog, you'll at least get "free" stuff out of it. Or Fido will. However, WARNING: it is actually time consuming and hard, so don't expect a two week turnaround. People hate on bloggers all the time, I've had my moments too, but let me tell you I work with a lot of them and it is insane the amount of behind the scenes grind. So gird your loins.
Here are the 5 questions that team CSB used to build traffic through Instagram:1. Why is Instagram marketing important for my business? 2. How did I make my Instagram become a Traffic Generating Machine? 3. How did I grow our Instagram following rapidly? 4. How Do I Drive Traffic Back to CSB Website? 5. How did I create an automated traffic machine by converting our followers?
Question 1: Why is Instagram marketing important for my business?Twenty eight percent of internet users use Instagram. There are 400,000,000 Instagram monthly users and they are one of the most engaged audiences in social media.
We all know that visual content works, because it collects 40x more social shares than any other form of content.
And Instagram is almost 100% visual content.Given that over a quarter of the internet using Instagram, it is totally possible that my audiences are spending time on this social platform.
However, not every audience is on Instagram.There are 55% of 18-29 year olds actively use Instagram, only 11% of the 50-64 age group use it. And the 65+ group is only 4%.
This means that if my target audience is under the age of 50, then I reach a large portion of them through Instagram. If they are over 50? I then focus your marketing efforts on Facebook. Tweet me @codie_sanchez if you want to see my Facebook growth plan.
Instagram Marketing also depends on the type of business I run. For example:
- If I was a food blogger, chances are my audience – the people who loves food porn – is on Instagram.
- If I was a clothing eCommerce store owner, my audience is on Instagram (people want to see the products they buy).
- If I was a personal trainer – my audience is on Instagram (waiting for the images of me to motivate them).
Consultants, bloggers, virtual assistants, business owners, coaches, and so forth lend themselves to Instagram riches.
So where do I fall? Well I'm a podcaster, blogger, inspirer, motivational speaker, investor, and entrepreneur. Is my audience on Instagram? Yes. I get to engage screen to screen with people who turn to me for my "influence." Aka the hot term is influencer.
Question 2: How did I Make my Instagram Actually Make Me $First, it is very important to create a plan and constantly track the progress.Here is my downloadable metric tracking sheet.
I set a goal, and then work backward from that goal. You’ll see we include everything in here from Hashtags and their usage, tech tools, assumptions on growth, the day to day postings to achieve this and conversion rates to the website. Fancy terms for making sure this actually turns into $$. Otherwise what are we doing really?
Here are some guidelines:
Time frame: 90 days. Anything past 90 days is hard to quantify and map out.
Tracking: Weekly.
Growth rate: I think you can expect healthy growth rate of somewhere between 10% to 40%. CSB has a weekly traffic growth of 37% and weekly follower growth of 40%.
Follower count: Create a follower goal for yourself.
Instagram growth is exponential rather than linear. This means that it is far easier to go from 10,000 followers to 12,000 followers than it is to go from 0 followers to 2,000 followers. So smile, breathe, and go slowly.
Second, get the perfect Instagram username.The username is our personal brand. There are two ways to do it.
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Use your name (or a like identifier) on Instagram
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Use your brand’s name if your brand is more identifiable than your name.
CSB uses codiesanchez because my brand: Codie Sanchez is also my name. Bet that one blew your mind. ;)
Third, nail down the perfect bio.Your bio is the only place you can add a link. Utilize it. (I prefer a lead page to be linked so I can also grow my email list from a company like www.sumome.com or www.leadpages.com).
The perfect Instagram bio has the following elements:
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A short, punchy description of what you do.
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An identifier of who you do it for. And why it is so rad.
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A strong all to action. Aka make a $100k in your footed pj's --> click here.
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Emojis. I love Emojis. And there is evidence they catch the eye. It's science.
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A strong, trackable bio link.
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Bonus: Social proof.
Fourth, track your Instagram trafficSo how did I track our Instagram traffic when Instagram does not let me track it? (Actually now they do, you can convert your page to a business page on IG and they give you reporting).
Step 1: Set Up a UTM Source Code.
What is a UTM source code? It is a bunch of text you put at the end of your URL to see where your traffic is coming from. And it's super easy.
For example, CSB’s URL is https://codiesanchez.com
If I wanted to track how much traffic is coming from Instagram, I simply add:
https://codiesanchez.com?src=instagram.
Step 2: Shorten your trackable link with a URL shortener.
Why? Because Instagram bio only allows 150 characters.
Here are a few that do the trick:
- Pretty Link - highly recommend. Because it's pretty, aka not a bunch of letters like codiesanchez/asldaoenun52.23
- Bit.ly
- Clkim
Step 3: Monitor Your Instagram Traffic in Google Analytics.
You won’t see it in your Audience Overview. You have to do a bit of digging - but don’t worry, it’s not too complicated.
First, open up Google Analytics. Then, on the left under the Reporting tab, press Behavior.
Under Behavior, expand Site Content, and then click on Landing Pages:
From there, you can search "Instagram" or any identifier you used in your UTM codes:
Then, you’ll be able to see the traffic from Instagram in your Google Analytics dashboard.
Step 4: Monitor Your Instagram Influence with Klear
The Oracle at Delphi said the most important thing one can do is Know Thyself. That is true in Instagram and social media as well. After all it is just a different way to communicate. So I use Klear to track my influence level. (There are quite a few more of these now, just google influencer marketing platforms). What get's measured gets managed, said Peter Drucker so manage that ish.
Question 3: How did I grow my Instagram following?Here are the 5 free strategies I found:Strategy 1: Share for Shares.
This is when you identify similar accounts that reach the audience you want to reach (and vice versa) and you both post a Call to Action post to follow the other account and they do the same. It's a great way to cross-pollinate accounts. I typically just DM them and ask if they want to do a S4S and off to the races. (If you want our step by step process for finding people and pinging them... tell me on twitter @codie_sanchez or IG on @codiesanchez and we'll create it)>
Strategy 2: Follow/Unfollow
This just works. I utilize the tool Instagress for this as it can be a time waster. You simply setup parameters and then the bot follows, comments and unfollows people for you based on similar or targeted accounts. I know, this feels kind of spammy. BUT You have to think about it this way, if your mission is to get your content in front of the broadest reach because you believe it is going to help people immensely than this is simply a tool to do that. Also - don't believe the people that say, oh I my 300k followers they just came and I like totally I dunno didn't even try it must because I am awesome. Lies.
Strategy 3: Using relevant hashtags.
I like doing my hashtags in the 2nd comment so that the hashtags won't distract my readers. Also I keep these in my notes on my iphone and simply copy and paste them each time. Use four bullets dropped down (like below) this hides your comment so it looks like this [...] as opposed to seeing 50 hashtags. DOWNLOAD my guide to see how I pick hashtags, crucial.
Strategy 4: Be strategic in your posting with a calendar.
How you do this is through using a tool like Later. It is used by over 600,000 of the largest instagram users to schedule and plan their content. With those you can pre-plan your layouts and actually see what your feed looks like with their tools. You can also be sure to capitalize on holidays, events and world news by planning your posts in advance. This allows you to operate from a place of thoughtfulness when writing and pepper in spur of the moment posts. FULL DISCLOSURE: I suck at this. I'm working on it.
Strategy 5: Leverage Larger Followings
Every time I buy a product I love, meet a human I love, am at a hotel I love, h*ll anytime I love anything I give it virtual love on my instagram. Often times these brands and people will share your love with their followers. Thus tag brands constantly, create a tribe of things and people you love and watch what happens when they repost you.
Here’s how to do it organically:1. Engage with the users you are already following. Like the posts in your feed, leave a comment on something you like, and message the people who resonate with you. (Or better yet outsource a member of your team or use PeoplePerHour to find people in other countries at lower prices).
2. Engage with users who are following your “competition”. Simple visit your competition’s followers’ accounts, and leave a comment on their posts. This will help your new audiences know about you.
IF you don’t know who your competition is and how you stack up use FanPage Karma it will compare your competition across Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. You can use it to push reports to you weekly and send alerts.
3. Engage with the people who use relevant hashtags. Look up hashtags that are relevant to your industry and engage with the posts that are under that hashtags. Ultimately this is just another way to have a conversation. No one likes getting spoken AT they want to be heard too, so apply that to your instagram convos.
BONUS: The 3 Paid Ways of Getting More Followers:Strategy 1: Pay for big accounts to shout you out.
Yes. S4S is a free way to get more followers, if you work with accounts around a similar size as yours to make it far. But if you wanted to work with accounts that are much larger than yours, you can get them to shout you out.
This is where you pay authoritative accounts in my industry to perform a “shoutout” (expect about $5-$75+ depending on the size of the account and the volume of shoutouts you pay for). I've had mixed experience with this, it can help a lot in the beginning but experiment with it before you shell out major cash.
Strategy 2: Pay for Larger Accounts to Post a Screenshot of your account.
This is an even more effective way to get more followers because there is no mistaking these posts – the sole purpose of them is to drive followers to your account.
Expect to pay anywhere from $40 -$150 per screenshot to see 50-250 new followers or more.
Strategy 3: Pay for Ads
What I like about this option is it is one of the very few ways you can get people to follow you AND to go to your website. It is important you understand how to determine your target audience here but there is only one way to learn, Do. So go try it.
Question 4: How Do I Drive Traffic Back to My Website?With Instagram, there are simply two things I did to drive traffic back to CSB website.
1. My Bio Link
2. Call to Action Posts.
Here’s how I do it:
With my bio link, I update the link with every new blog post.
With my call to action post, I talk about my blog post every time it goes live.
Question 5: How do I convert our followers to create an automated traffic machine?Let’s face this: Traffic is useless if it doesn’t convert.
I don’t want our followers to visit my website once and then leave, because, there is a high chance that they won’t come back. I want my email list to grow substantially through Instagram. So, here is how I convert that traffic to grow our email list and therefore our income:
Step 1: Give my Instagram visitors an offer they can't refuse (like that Godfather reference??).
Dozens of websites are vying for their attention every day, and almost all of them are asking for their email addresses. Therefore, I need to set myself apart. So I offer them a content that they could hardly resist.
Those are:
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Entrepreneur books
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Apps and tools that everyone needs
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Monday Slay – Our 5 tips to conquer the week
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Weekly ways to do more in less time
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And lots of added snark.
Step 2: Create Opt-In Opportunities Specific To Your Instagram Followers.This is where Welcome Mat comes from.
Essentially it scrolls down from the top as a LARGE call to action, sort of like your welcome mat at your day draws in your guests eyes. So too does this virtual version. Because Instagram is a visual platform, we decided to use a Mat with a visual component, rather than a template with a black background.
Also, instead of using a generic image, I use the image of the offer I am giving away when you click the link to purchase. See the example live here.
Click here to learn more about the Welcome Mat we use.
So my friends... if you didn't know before, now you know. I'd love to hear your stories on what works and doesn't for you. I'm not pro-scriptive, I'm into personally-scriptive. That is, find the prescription that works for you.
Love you animals,
Codie
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You just might get it...(Repost from My article in Business Collective)
Meet Codie Sanchez Baker, Entrepreneur, Investor and Speaker at CSB LLC
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want – the more no’s you get, the closer you are to a yes.International investment head, speaker, writer, entrepreneur & investor. Head of Latin American Investments for First Trust. CEO & Founder of CSB LLC. Follow her @codie_sanchez.
Who is your hero? (In business, life, or both.)I’m a bit of a renegade at heart so I have always been a Christopher Hitchens fan (author of “Letters to A Young Contrarian”). Less because of his actual viewpoints, many of which I disagree with, but because it is such an uncomfortable position to go against the grain and he does it for a living. Every time I find myself moving with the crowd, I make myself pause and rethink my situation. I credit this practice to reading that book at a very young age. It has led me to ask the question, “How would I do it if it were easy?” Importantly, it has also taught me to hold my internal standard in everything I do, regardless of whether it is convenient or not. The old adage “If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything” rings true for me.
What’s the single best piece of business advice (unorthodox tips welcome!) that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?Always ask for what you want; the worst that anyone can do is say no. Asking questions, knowing what you want and pushing through the fear to ask for it has been at the center of my growth. As I continue to refine my questions, I get more of what I want. And the cycle repeats.
Surprisingly, I often learn more from the no’s than the yes’s. I think most things in life are a number’s game, so I try to collect no’s like people collect medals. Every no gets you closer to someone who will say yes. The only caveat I’ll make here is that I try to give something in every encounter I have. If all you do is ask for things from other people, you are not aligning your karma very well. So you should always ask for what you want while keeping in mind what you can do for the other person. How can you create a virtuous circle with your asks where everyone wins?
What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?My biggest mistake was thinking I had to do what everyone else was doing, that I had to fit into a box. For some reason, we’ve all agreed to the social construct of a 9-to-5 job. Why? I have no idea. Many of us do “our time” in an office building replete with padded cubicle walls and hot air balloon posters of a multi-cultural team. How bizarre when you think about it.
This idea of a 9-to-5 workday was first proposed in 1810 by the labor party. So we haven’t found a better way in 200 years? Even Henry Ford lessened his producers’ work from 12-14 hours to 8 because it increased productivity. So whatever your path, you’ve unknowingly agreed to this construct. But are you paid specifically to be present at your desk from 9 to 5? Is your job title “On Location for 8 Hours Associate”? I doubt it. Your job is related to what you do, not how long it takes you to do it.
If my team can do in four hours what other teams do in eight, all the better. The rest of the time should be theirs to grow, engage and become better humans. To go far, understand that just because everyone does it, it doesn’t mean it’s right. And you will go far much sooner than I did.
Read my article here -> I Threw Away All My Suits & Found My Corporate Stride
What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?My home is more often than not an airport or a hotel, so a set structure is challenging for me. Here’s my daily drill for when I’m not traveling:
Up at 6 a.m. every morning, I start with a cup of Pinon coffee and coconut oil that I take outside to meditate for 10 minutes and spend two minutes wrapped up in gratitude for all I have. Fully refreshed, I use the first two hours of the day for “deep work.” This means the strategic work that I have to think through, not responding to emails or calls. Then I do one or two things I REALLY do not want to do, i.e. a cold call, a difficult task, etc. so that it doesn’t hang over me all day. With my day kicked off the right way, I hop into the rest of the day.
As Peter Drucker said, “What gets measured gets managed.” I use an app called Way of Life to track how frequently I keep my morning routine. Over the past nine months, it turns out I follow this routine about 57% of the time. Next year I’d really like to up that percentage.
What’s your best financial/cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?I talk my people through how to save up front and get as much as possible for free or trade. With this lack of pressure due to debt, we can take a two-step validation process through sales. First, tackle how to mine your current clients, or the people you already know, and use them as a testing ground. Secondly, and only after you have mined your personal network for real sales with dollars committed, you can go after strangers. A cold call is always harder than a warm lead. Once you have an understanding of the demand for your product, you can start spending, but it is always easier to spend more and then go back and try to save or cut costs you shouldn’t have made in the first place.
Quick: What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?Take out your iPhone right now and set a reminder for every morning that says, “Is this necessary?” or “Am I being productive or just busy?” Focusing on the wrong tasks can murder your business and career. It’s not about being the most efficient person; it’s being the most effective. Instead of focusing only on the things in front of you, strategically cut out everything that isn’t necessary and you’ll be amazed by what happens. Get really comfortable with those two questions and using the word “no.” When you are asked to do something, make sure it aligns with your goals and is the BEST way you can be spending your time, not just a GOOD way.
Most entrepreneurs are type-A personalities who absolutely love a good to-do list and feeling like they accomplished a lot at the end of the day. The problem with that is you can accomplish a ton of stuff that absolutely doesn’t matter. It can be very painful to go through this process of simplification and even more painful to stick to it, but if you can, momentum will build and the big wins will drown out all of the small incremental wins you would have had with the wrong focus.
“Most entrepreneurs are type-A personalities who absolutely love a good to-do list and feeling like they accomplished a lot at the end of the day.”
What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?My definition of success is getting paid what I want, to do what I want, where I want, how I want and with the people I want. Pretty tall order, huh? But in truth that is my definition of success. It is not having $100 million in cash, or a NYT bestseller, or 50 million followers, or monuments, or power, or a Fortune 500 company, or $1 billion in company revenue. It is simply having the freedom to surround myself with the people, activities, setting and type of work that feeds my soul and allows me to give back through my unique skill set. My business is simply a mechanism to achieve those things and leave a footprint for those I can help through the skills I believe were uniquely bestowed on me.
“Success is simply having the freedom to surround myself with the people, activities, setting and type of work that feeds my soul and allows me to give back through my unique skill set.”
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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soyoucangetitMy favorite homo-sapiens,For those of you that aren't signed up for my Monday Slay Newsletter.. Here is a sample edition!his is my rant edition.. 5 bullets, no apps, all gold.
It hurts my heart, like literally makes it feel constricted in my chest. Do you know that feeling of tightness? What hurts me? Watching people I love, hell and people I don't know, meander unhappily through life. It is the norm not the exception. So many of us have every opportunity but for some reason stuff just doesn't seem to go out way, we don't get what we want, we're unhappy, and we eventually just settle into it. Wtf. So let's pretend you already know what you want (start small). A new job, more money, a crazy kinda love, or just a new car. How to get it? First - always always always always ask for what you want. BUT that is not enough it's in how you ask.
Here's my secret to usually getting what I want or even better what I need. Give First Before I ever ask for something, I give. I abide by the 10x principle. I attempt to give 10x the value of anything I take. How to apply? Play the long game. Your next meeting/email with your husband, boss, potential employer bring something to them. Aka instead of... I'd like you to hire me email, do a little research on them and their company or an opportunity. If you want a gig at a salon, research their kind of ideal customer, put together a plan on how you are going to go after hipsters, with tattoos, between ages of 25-35 by partnering with a local tattoo shop in a hip neighborhood with a referral program, as well as through customer before and after client pics with mustache cutouts and props like you see at weddings, that you'll tag on your blog and Facebook with your hysterical sense of humor. You're giving the salon a solution to a growth problem. How many others do that? NONE. I'd hire that hair stylist.
“Before I ever ask for something, I give. I abide by the 10x principle. I attempt to give 10x the value of anything I take.”
Specific Asks I'm not a big deal at all, and Even I get about 3-5 emails a day asking for help. Which I love. But if your email says, can you help me be successful, can you mentor me, can you teach me how you got to where you are. I'm calling you out. Why? It is SO not specific and all of our time is limited. Ask me instead something like, "I'm a writer I want to get published, where would you start?"
I have no idea what it means to be a mentor except to do your thinking for you. You could say I'd love to meet for coffee for 20min to get your opinion on how to better build my personal brand. I might still say no if you haven't given me something first. So better yet, come to me with an idea on how you can help me, that's how you actually get a mentor.
“Ask me instead, I’m a writer I want to get published, where would you start? I have no idea what it means to be a mentor except to do your thinking for you. ”
Get CuriousI have this magical tool that is so powerful it can do almost anything for you with one click.
Want me to share? It's called Google. (Hehe sarcasm apparent?) Before your meeting, google it. I just turned down two people who want to work on my team, why? I told them to come to me with a proposal on why I should hire them and they went to one of my team members to ask them for all the answers. Lazy and stupid. Of course, my employee is going to tell me. Surprise me with your intel, try to show me you actually want to work, don't just bother me or the person you want something from with "hey just checking in." Uh ok. Thanks? Instead send them intel they might not have. Prove your worth not your ability to pester.
“ Surprise me with your intel, try to show me you actually want to work, don’t just bother me or the person you want something from with “hey just checking in.””
Meet 1 New Person A Week
Colton (are you reading?). Nothing like calling out your bro via email. I challenged him to try to schedule a meeting with one interesting random person a week. That's how I met Gloria Estefan, the President of Spain, was on Tv for Telemundo & People, hung w/ Wimhoff and Orlando Jones, more CEOs than I can name and the list goes on. I'm not special just process oriented.
Be BriefFinally - when opportunity strikes be the first to end the convo. Always. It's like a hot chick at the bar, leave her wanting more.
Love you animals,
Codie
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Say Ciao To Boring Pie Charts..& Hello to Auto PowerPointsWritten by Codie Sanchez Baker
““Make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them.””
— Seth Godin
As you all know I love nothing more than a super actionable breakdown from an expert in their space, not to mention I like telling the future. Well Tom Jamieson Co-founder of Slidebot kind of does just that. Slidebot is AI for powerpoints. Just imagine NEVER having to put together a powerpoint again (I kid you not I am using it right now). You see, Tom and his brother Ned have seen their fair share of presentations, think in the tens of thousands. #deathbypowerpoint
“There are 20 million powerpoint presentations created a day, I beat 19.9 million of them are awful. ”
— Tom Jamieson
So if you are looking to perfect your pitch, want to nail your next presentation or have your eye on a Ted Talk this bad boy is for you. Since I'm told most people fear #1 public speaking and #2 death.. this will be a great fear conquering activity for you.
Three Key Takeaways:- Pictures of eyes correlate to higher retention rates
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People remember visual content 65% better than verbal content
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Facts are 20x more likely to be remembered if they are part of a story
Some of our mutual favorite powerpoint presentations nailed: Brene Brown
Amy Cuddy
If you just want to hear his prediction that blew my mind fast forward to the end. Mind blown.
So my dears without further ado - I hope you dig this episode with Tom Jamieson of Slidebot!
www.slidebot.io
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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30 Day Conscious Consumer Challenge#Consume4ChangeWritten by Codie Sanchez
How to Turn Protest into ProgressPut Your Plastic Where Your Purpose Is
All around the world we see protest, signs held aloft, voices raised, and people telling us what they stand against, but not always showing us what they stand for. Believe me I get it ...
This is me 15 years ago organizing a rally at my school. I had a rallying cry, I called the local radio station for coverage and I held a reconciliation council with our principal, after orchestrating a walkout. My poor mother and her gray hairs. I know there is extreme power in standing outside the crowd and speaking your truth.
So, this week as I watched millions of humans march across the world, I got goosebumps. I felt sad to miss seeing the signs held aloft. I went back and watched MLK’s I Have A Dream Speech and the thousands marching in solidarity for the same foundational idea so many years ago. American pride exuded from my very pores. Then this week we've all been inundated with social media commentary on both sides of the aisle.
But the problem is.. Regardless of what issues you stand behind, I believe we need more than protest.. we need progress, and I'm not sure we are getting it.
“I believe we need more than protest.. we need progress, and I’m not sure we are getting it.”
Look at the Occupy Wall Street movement, as a member of Wall Street who worked at Goldman Sachs during the crisis, I can say with some confidence that they did not truly achieve their goals. I recall them picketing outside our office in 2008. I remember looking down on them from stories above as my colleagues watched for a moment before going back to work. Whether right or wrong, they held our attention for an instant… but ultimately they were outside the building, they didn’t have a seat at our table.
Flash forward to today.. Where are those that camped across the world against the 1%? Are they working at a bank perhaps? Maybe not, but I'd wager they are banking at one.
Now their fight wasn’t mine but I see a cycle of progress-less protest repeating, and my next logical question is where will the millions who wore pink hats this week be in a year?
Obviously, pink adorned celebrity statement didn't influence an election. I doubt their protests (however eloquently re-tweetable) will influence our government. However much I love their music and art, we don’t follow their opinions for our electoral decisions. We humans don’t really like to be told what to do, by anyone. Ask your rebellious teenage children.
So whether you are a champion for women, veterans, gun rights, how do you actually enact change?I would argue not with protest, but through the power of your purse and your paycheck. It starts with one simple question, whose kingdom are you building?
“I would argue not with protest, but through the power of your purse and your paycheck. It starts with one simple question, whose kingdom are you building? ”
Government is Powerful but Enterprise is more Powerful. Whether you are a housewife, student, employee, or executive, you can affect massive change by targeting the lifeblood of capitalism, democracy, America and power... money.
Companies are what back candidates, companies are what allow candidates self-funding to propel to positions of power. The truth is that government is powerful but enterprise is more powerful.Cut off cashflow, redirect revenue, align assets and the power shifts. Media, social media or otherwise, is not the way. Money is the way. But how do you do so?
The average American spends $55k a year. What if we redirected IT? US CONSUMERS BUYING POWER IS $11 TRILLION * Women drive 70-80% of consumer purchases * Women in the US have $8-9 trillion of annual household buying power * Women represent 47% of the US labor force * Latinos represent $1.7 trillion of annual buying power * Latinas are the fastest growing entrepreneurial group * Latinos are 17% of the US population * Millennials have $600 billion of buying power *** * 50% of millennials want to start a company in the next 5 years
I would propose three steps to progress. Step 1: Tell Me What You Are FOR Not AGAINSTThis isn’t just for the pink hatted, this is for the military supporters, this is for the gay rights supporters, this for the women’s rights or the pro-life right supporters. My opinion is worth no more than yours in the issue you choose, but you must decide what you stand for.
What will you support?
Step 2: Whose Kingdom Are You Building?
“You by working for your company are helping to build that kingdom, make sure you believe in what you are building. Your life force is going into it, is there any more powerful force?”
Now you must ask yourself a tough question. Whose kingdom are you building? If you are willing to post on social media, to hold signs, to raise your voice in debate, are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?
We as Americans work 34.4 hours on average a week, or 1720 hours week. We are the most productive nation in the world. So when you look at the company you work for, what values do they hold? AND are they aligned with yours? Are you working for a company that sells sugar laden products when you fight for healthy eating? Or for a manager that doesn’t promote women but you are a man with daughters? Or are you an adaptive and your company won’t invest in accessible workplaces? If so, what are you willing to do about it? Whether it is quitting, pushing for change, hiring more diverse members or raising your voice, will you speak the language of power? Money.
You by working for your company are helping to build that kingdom, make sure you believe in what you are building. Your life force is going into it, is there any more powerful force?
Step 3: The Power of The Purse
“What if you decided to become conscious of where you bought? What if instead of lobbying/posting you put your trillions of spending power to work? ”
What does every company need to survive? Customers. You are the most important aspect of every company. Without users, customers, clients, they crumble. So what if you decided to become conscious of where you bought? What if instead of lobbying only you put your trillions of spending power to work? When you go to buy a coffee, which company do you go to? When you buy clothing do you buy them from an international fast fashion company or do you buy them from a made in the US company who supports veterans? What about when you invest your money, can you do it at a women owned firm? How about your car? That’s a big purchase. Who is your realtor? Just the best, or the best with purpose? What if instead of thinking of just the cost of the price tag we thought of the cost to our society.
That’s where my challenge comes in….TAKE ACTION: 30 Day Conscious Consumer ChallengeFor 30 days, can you be conscious about everything you buy. I’m going to. For the next 30 days I will try to only buy from the below types of companies. When I fail, I will be conscious of it, and I will document it...
For me I will support:* Founders I know and believe in (Support my trusted humans first) * Small businesses (Support local and non-franchise first) * Minority owned businesses w/ an emphasis on Latino’s, women and veterans * Purpose driven companies. (Support businesses that believe in more than profits)
Before you say well that would be easy..
Think about it, airlines, hotels, gas, cars, insurance, apps on our phone, technology, food, restaurants, gifts, flowers, clothes. The average American spends $55k a year. How much more is that than you could ever donate to a political cause?
“The average American spends $55k a year. How much more is that than you could ever donate to a political cause?”
If you want to join the movement of 30 Day Conscious Consumer Challenge, CLICK HERE to subscribe to updates and comment below your name and the causes you stand for. We'll be building a list of where we buy and the stories of others who are joining the movement. Also tweet or tag us on instagram (@codiesanchez) twitter (@codie_sanchez) with #Consume4Change.
PROGRESS NOT ONLY PROTESTLove you animals,
Codie
Sources:
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/bridgetbrennan/2015/01/21/top-10-things-everyone-should-know-about-women-consumers/
**http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/buying-power-women-us
*** https://www.statista.com/statistics/251438/hispanics-buying-power-in-the-us/
**** https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-who-are-millennial-shoppers-what-do-they-really-want-retail
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Sick and Tired of Cold-calls and Emails Gone Unanswered? WHEW, THEN THIS PODCAST W/ KIM ORLESKY - AUTHOR, SALES SAVANT & BAD A$$ CHICKS IS FOR YOU! As a saleswoman at heart, having @KimOrlesky on my podcast, the ultimate saleswoman, who has been able to land names on her podcast like Grant Cardone, Guy Kawasaki, Nathan Chan was like unleashing a nerdy teenager at a Comic festival. Kim has made a living out of teaching others, particularly entrepreneurs, how to take their ideas and turn it into actual cash flow. You see the funny thing that most business people realize after they get out of marketing classes and into the game of marketing, is that nothing really sells itself. As I've said before if you build it, they will not come. You have to go find them and drag them in despite themselves. Consumers are drowning in a sea of choice and confusion. As a salesperson or a business owner, understanding how to create a sales pipeline, which CRM (client relationship management) software is best, how to define the right prospects, how to create a sales funnel, or when to take No as a No and walk away, is akin to finding the holy grail.
You Have A Story, You Have A Purpose, Let's Share It...By Codie Sanchez Baker
How to let the moments that created you drive you forward...Write Your Story Now.. 5 Steps to Aligning Your Life --> http://bit.ly/codiesanchez
I remember the moment it all changed for me, when I realized that life is too short to live small and that we each have a unique skill we were meant to share with the world.
“Life is too short to live small.”
It's scary to share who you are, why you do what you do, and add in those moments you aren't so proud of, but that shaped you. There's a unique blend of not wanting to be ego driven in declaring yourself and also wanting to hold yourself accountable to holding your standard high by doing just that, declaring yourself.
There is also the real acknowledgement that am I at the top of the summit? Hll no! Am I saying I'm something great and amazing, ummm negative. What I am saying is that I wouldn't switch my life for any other, and I'm dmn curious to see where it leads. The beauty of that is, I'm nothing special but I'm living a life that I love. Are there problems? YES! But when it comes to business, my journey to weave together passion + profits + purpose, I'm a pretty happy camper. The beauty is, if I can do any of this, I don't know a human that cannot.
“The beauty is, if I can do any of this, I don’t know a human that cannot.”
I remember my moment… before any of my money, success, travel or titles.. I was a journalist. I traveled in Mexico, writing about the brutal mutilation of women in Juarez, to narcos in Tijuana, to rape centers in Agua Prieta. It was heavy stuff to see as a 20 year old, and the last story I wrote changed my life. From there, I realized I can't live a common life no matter how humble my beginnings.
You see my secret is, I’m nothing special.
“You see my secret is, I’m nothing special.”
I’m a public school kid, before I went to Georgetown and Goldman Sachs, before I ran a multi-million dollar company, before I was an investor closing my first big deal, and before I traveled the world speaking and consulting at age 30, I didn’t come from money. My father is from immigrants and didn’t go to college, and my mom is a 30-year special education teacher. I had to think long and hard about how you make change without power. I've spent the last years like the investigative journalist I was, documenting every step of my climb through Corporate America and Finance. I’ve interviewed hundreds of execs, psychologists, leaders, and change makers, seeking out those at the highest pinnacles to learn their ways. Now I share with you because, my why is to bring more humans like you, who want to make an impact, into the epi-centers of power, and money.
Here's my story.. I'm curious to hear yours.. I'm curious to start talking about moments. The moments that defined your life, that led you to drive more. What was your MOMENT? And did you follow it?
“What was your MOMENT? And did you follow it?”
Write Your Story Now.. 5 Steps to Aligning Your Life --> http://bit.ly/codiesanchez
Love you animals,
Codie Sanchez
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My FAVORITE Foodie City...
Picturing..
TACOS, CHILAQUILES, ENCHILADAS OH MY
THIS IS MY POST SAYING, GO DO BUSINESS IN MEXICO.
Find an excuse to get to know the culture, the people and the food. And do it quick.
I have a love affair with Mexico City... (otherwise known as DF) but don't tell my man. It's just between the warm and welcoming people, the incredible museums, amazing shopping and the to-die-for food, it's a hidden gem of a city. And, because I'm in finance, with the peso devaluation vs the dollar and the American mentality of it being dangerous it's hugely undervalued IMHO.
But I'll be honest I don't mind it staying hidden so I get to explore it all for a STEAL!
Leave comments and tell me if you want more particulars and I'll hammer out a hotel/activity guide too but only if you beautiful souls want it!
I've played and worked in Latin America for almost ten years now and somehow walking the streets of Polanco, La Condesa, Roma, it always brings me home. I've included below some of my favorite spots of all time to nosh on lovely edibles while in the city. Since I'm usually there for work I included a lot of upscale places because come on guys, you've eaten so many tacos I literally just can't handle it.
Let me just say that Chilaquiles for breakfast is a need not a want. Pair it with a concha and you can call and thank me, or better yet bring me back a Concha and I'll love you forever.
“Let me just say that Chilaquiles for breakfast is a need not a want. ”
Enjoy eating your way through this city.... oohhhhh you are in for a treat!
UN ABRAZO FUERTE!
Codie
BosquesMeans trees or forest in Spanish. It's the cool part of town that runs in the middle filled with, you guessed it, trees. These are two of my favorites there. You may or may not get to this part of town, if not don't stress, the next spot is the do or die.
Savannah - $$$$ - Calle Bosque de Duraznos 39, Mexico City 11700, Mexico +52 55 5442 8235. International. Impeccable. Ample carte of wines. Cozy. Elegant. BYOB available.
Puntarena -$$$$ - Vasca de Quiroga 3800 | Centro Santa Fe, Mexico City 05348, Mexico +52 55 2167 8402. Seafood. Fresh gourmet-style cuisine. Staff speaks English.
Condesa/RomaIf I lived in Mexico City it would be this part of town, no doubt. It reminds me of the best parts of Brooklyn and Soho all wrapped into one deliciously old-world present. No high rises are allowed, the streets are lined with bars and restaurants and the people are just way too d*mn hip. Bohemian hipster paradise, no doubt about it.
Pendulo Library & Cafe - Listed as one of the best libraries in the world I secretly love their cafecitos and people watching.
Dulcinea - $$-$$$ - Calle Tabasco 46 | Roma Norte, Mexico City 06700, Mexico +52 55 9688 6595. Contemporary. Relaxed and stylish. Cocktails are very original.
Mercado Roma - Calling all Hipsters. This is your homeland. The hipster version of a market with the best of the best vendors, seating areas and alcoves. The vibe is perfection.
You have a waxed moustache and talk in the theoretical? Mercado Roma is for you and your suspenders my friend.
“Calling all Hipsters. This is your homeland. The hipster version of a market with the best of the best vendors, seating areas, and alcoves. The vibe is perfection.”
Blanco Colima - $$$$ -Calle Colima 168 | Roma Norte, Mexico City 06700, Mexico +52 55 5511 7527. International, Contemporary, Vegan Friendly. Savory dishes. Famous for Carajillo, Foi Grass.
Cedron $$-$$$ -Avenida Mazatlan 24, Condesa | Esquina Juan de la Barrera, Mexico City 06140, Mexico +52 55 2155 6403. Mediterranean, European, Contemporary. First class. Outstanding ambience. Cozy and gorgeous. Artisan & healthy (You add your own salt).
Mero Toro - $$$$ - 204 Amsterdam Ave. | Colonia Condesa, Mexico City, Mexico. Mexican, Latin, Seafood. Chic and cool. Staff speaks English. Top quality.
La Taba - $$-$$$- Av. Insurgentes Sur No. 1605 I-11, Col, San Jose Insurgentes, Mexico City, Mexico. Argentinean. Melt-in-your-mouth prime rib. Known for its beef fondue.
“Have you really lived if you haven’t had a Mezcal in Mexico City?”
Huset -$$-$$$ -Colima #256, Mexico City 06700, Mexico +52 55 5511 6767. Barbecue, Grill. 100% Wood-fired-oven cooked meals. Avocado pizza is a favorite. Unique cocktails.
Mia Domenicca - $$ - $$$ - Calle Durango 279, Mexico City 06700. Mediterranean. Suitable atmosphere to conduct business. Italian inspired dishes with a Mexican pizzaz.
Rosetta - $$$$ -Calle Colima 166 | Del. Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City 06700, Mexico +52 55 5533 7804. Italian. Vegan Option.
¡Viva México!
PolancoPolance is like your stylish, European influenced neighbor, who has been to Spain but loves France and can dance salsa. Well, I don't have neighbors like that but if I did I would nickname them Polanco. It's the poshest part of the city and one of my favorite parts to stroll in.
Bistró Chapultepec - $$ - $$$ - Calle Lago Mayor S/N - 1era Sec. Chapultepec. Mexican. Short seating waiting period. Relaxed atmosphere. Great lakeview.
Bistro Chapultepec... Ok so you'll butcher the name but the views are worth the embarrasment.
Biko - $$$$ - Presidente Mazarik 407 Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico. Spanish/Mexican. Elegant. Contemporary. Stylish.
Dulce Patria -They are super fancy here but if you are feeling fancy, looking fancy and looking for other fancy folk, this is your crew. $$$$ - Anatole France 100 | Col. Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico. Mexican/Latin. Artisan cuisine. Famous for Nogada Stuffed Poblano Peppers. Fantastic and delicate.
“They are super fancy here but if you are feeling fancy, looking fancy and looking for other fancy folk, this is your crew.”
La Buena Barra - Gin is big in Mexico, I don't know why that is not my drink of choice but this place makes it tasty. Also - eat on the roof. You're welcome. $$$$ -Calle Aristoteles 124 Piso 3, Mexico City 11550, Mexico. Mexican/Latin. Everyone’s Gin Cart rave. Roof garden.
Prosecco Polanco - Plus guess what drink here is awesome, yup, the bubbly. $$ - $$$ -Calle Virgilio 7 | Polanco III Sección, Mexico City 11540, Mexico. Italian. Cozy & contemporary. Exotic flavors.
Pujol - IF YOU HAVE ONE SPLURGE THIS IS IT. I mean have you seen his Chef's Table episode. He's not a chef, he's an artist. The food shows it. You will not regret the price point, queridos. $$$$- Tennyson 133 | Polanco, Mexico City 11560, Mexico. Mexican/Latin/ Fusion. Internationally renowned Chef Enrique Olvera. One of the world’s best restaurants. Book at least within two months in advance.
“IF YOU HAVE ONE SPLURGE THIS IS IT. I mean have you seen his Chef’s Table episode? He’s not a chef, he’s an artist. Run, don’t walk there.”
Quintonil - Another place that gets me salivating like a dog on a bone. $$$$- Newton 55 | Polanco, Mexico City 11560, Mexico. Mexican/Latin. Not your average restaurant experience. An explosion of flavors.
Sylvestre - I love the feel of this place, food is amazing but the restaurant itself is a slice of bohemian heaven. $$$$ - Calle Anatole France 74, Mexico City 11550, Mexico. International. Amazing ambience. The staff is extremely attentive.
ReformaThis is the main drag of the city, think of it like the artery to the heart. It's where all the commerce is, all the protests are, and leads straight to the Zocalo where the Presidential Palace is. If you are in Mexico for work, this is where I stay. Also - great running paths up and down it.
J&G Grill - This is my home away from home in Mexico City. It's in the St. Regis so if you aren't looking for a chain this is not your jam, but I sit here and work for hours. $$$$ -Paseo de la Reforma 439 Hotel The St. Regis, Mexico City, Mexico. Top notch service. Famous for Avocado Pizza.
Cantina La Piedra - They get a little wild here, and I like it. But in a classy way, because I'm a lady. $$-$$$ -Calle Aristoteles Esq. Masaryk 124 | Esquina Masaryk, Mexico City 11550, Mexico. Mexican Bar/Pub. Excellent service and very (ahem) lively atmosphere.
“They get a little wild here, and I like it. But in a classy way, because I’m a lady. ”
Contramar - Did anyone say ceviche. Oh no, my mouth was full of it, so I didn't say it, I just ate it all. $$ -$$$ -Calle Durango 200, Mexico City 06700, Mexico. Mexican/Seafood. Relaxed and informal atmosphere. Nouvelle seafood cuisine.
San AngelYou probably are not going to find yourself in the south of the city (unless you go to a bullfight or soccer match, but if you do this is my go to spot there. Multi-layered, feels like a modern jungle inspired open air mansion.
SUD 777 -$$$$ -Avenida de La Luz 777, Mexico City 01900, Mexico. Mexican/International. Great atmosphere, gourmet cuisine, perfect wine pairing, fantastic sites all in one place.
SUD777, doesn't suck huh?
All in all my friends, my goal here is that you step outside the taco joints and taste a little more of the metropolitan Mexico. You will be surprised at what you find.
Adelante,
Codie
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Written by Codie Sanchez
“...She saw children being sold into slavery in Cambodia and she said enough...”
It all started with a little girl named Nomi. This little girl had been through things one can hardly imagine halfway across the world. Thankfully she met Diana Mao and Diana instead of continuing on her lucrative and successful track as a consultant became the President and Co-Founder of Nomi Network. She saw children being sold into slavery in Cambodia and she said enough. What does that mean? Well Diana is a modern day gladiator. She’s an abolitionist whose mission is to ensure the complete end of human trafficking in her lifetime. This small of frame, but not of mind, human rights champion and I talk about:
- The moment her life changed
- How she manages international teams across multiple countries
- All while contributing to Reuters, HuffPost
- Also being a Presidential Leadership Scholar
- How to create a non-profit in a way that makes an impact and is sustainable.
- What makes a successful partnership
- How to handle international crises.
Her story is the kind that gives you chills. AND inspires you to do more.
“She’s an abolitionist whose mission is to ensure the complete end of human trafficking in her lifetime. ”
I dare you to read their origin story and not be inspired…“Nomi Network’s namesake is an eight-year-old survivor of sex trafficking who now lives in a supportive partner shelter in Cambodia. Co-founders Diana Mao and Alissa Moore first met Nomi on a visit in 2008. As a child living in a rural village, Nomi was sexually abused by multiple perpetrators and was treated worse than an animal. She has physical scars, but also emotional scars from her abuse which will pose major challenges to her living independently and reintegrate back into society. Nevertheless, Nomi has grown into a beautiful young woman, with a warmth that’s contagious and a generous heart. It was through her friendship and resilience that we realized that she did not have to be defined by her past, but that she could be defined by her future. Nomi Network exists so that survivors will be able to say with confidence, know me, know my story, know my success.”
“Nomi Network exists so that survivors will be able to say with confidence, know me, know my story, know my success.”
So if you are searching for meaning, impact, a life to help or a change to make this is the episode for you.So without further ado please enjoy my conversation with Diana Mao.
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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To MBA or Not to MBA: That Is The QuestionBy Codie Sanchez Baker
Do you know as Millennials we are the most educated generation? There are about 75 million of us, and 63% have a Bachelor's degree.* That's 47 million people with college degrees. That means in the US we have more millennials with college degrees, than we do people below the poverty line (43 million in US live below that line). Pretty cool progress, huh? Contrast that with this stat, 51% of Millennials say they want to own a business in the next 5 years. Sooo a cool 38 million more business owners coming our way. Are you one of those?
“In the US we have more millennials with college degrees, than we do people below the poverty line.”
If you are, you may be asking what my friend Reza asked me. He is a successful OR doctor and wants to open up an Urgent Care and provide better healthcare in Hawaii. He's just one of the good guys. But he was pretty honest in saying he'd never studied business. So his question, "Should I go get an MBA to learn business before launching?" My initial response was pretty intense and immediate, but then I held back and I said to myself, let's take a poll. Little experiment, shall we? So I sent this text out to my most respected business owners, major titans in their industries, successful leaders, Private Equity managers, and Venture Capital professionals. My bottom-line entry point was I only asked people who have multi-million revenue businesses or make over a million a year. I know everyone has an opinion but I'm only interested in the ones that have killed it.
Here's what the killers have to say:Out of the business people I asked, want to be blown away on one stat in particular? Only one of them said they think business school is worth it, instead of getting the experience through actually building businesses. (Now I caveat that with I have multiple friends who said business school is a a yes too via a Facebook post here so see the flip side of the coin).
“Only one of them said they think business school is worth it, instead of getting the experience through actually building businesses. ”
Zee Ali - Bootstrapping expert & Entrepreneur Founder, CEO of http://theZeeGroup.com which is a 1M+ in revenue, product based marketing agency. Founder of http://theZeeAli.com , and it all started with $800 in college.
Ryan Egan - founder & clothing EntrepreneurPresident & Co-Founder of SLC Activewear a wholesale clothing distribution business she co-founded in 2012.
Rene Rodriguez - Online Education guruRené has been an entrepreneur for nearly two decades, having built three multi-million dollar businesses. He's an investor, CEO of a media company and an investment fund, speaker, writer, philanthropist, and cancer survivor.
Patrick Barnhill - InC 5000 Fastest growing Biz FounderPatrick Barnhill is the founder and co-owner of Specialist ID, Inc, a leading brand/distributor of photo ID badge accessories. Specialist ID was named the #8 fastest growing company in Miami and #1,686 on the INC 5000 in 2015.
Wendee Saunders - Telecom, energy & Franchise mavenWendee has her hands in multiple pots, she's part of the opening up of telecom in Mexico, has real estate holdings, runs franchises in the sweets department and helps other entrepreneurs achieve financial freedom through business.
Brian Gallary - International investment business builder Heads Business Consulting Group at First Trust, Formerly ran and built some of the largest asset managers domestic and international businesses.
Nely Galan - Former President of Telemundo, Media Tycoon, Former Trump Apprentice
Patrick Daniel - Harvard grad, author, tech entrepreneurA Serial Entrepreneur who graduated from Harvard, and LSE, has a blog, written a book, created an online community called Junto, studied method acting, and is one of those beautiful brains I love to run ideas by.
David Bocchi - Head of Investment Bank before 30Head of Aegis Investment Banking Division.
IF YOU ARE SAYING BUT COME ON, I WANT AN MBA:OK HERE'S HOW I WOULD DO IT.But first... Do you know that if you dropped in a human from a hundred years ago to today, they would not recognize just about anything we do. From transportation, to communication, to infrastructure, it has all evolved at lightspeed pace. BUT, place that same person in a classroom today and in a classroom 100 years ago and guess what? Sh*t looks just about the same. Teacher lecturing up at the front, some sort of screen to write or project on, and students sitting like children around the campfire in front of said teacher. That model is just BEGGING to be turned on it's head. So ya, I'm with the doubters. I'm with the renegades who say if you are going to educate us Universities you better have teachers that have actually built something besides a research paper none of us want to read. I've been lucky to go to one I found huge value in (Georgetown) and partner with another SMU, who both have entrepreneurs as a major part of the equation but most schools, well they just don't.
“I’m with the renegades who say if you are going to educate us, universities, you better have teachers that have actually built something besides a research paper none of us want to read. ”
Now before you start yelling at me as a hypocritical blasphemer of education... think about the actual cost of an MBA. "$80,000 for tuition, $40,000 boarding and books, $20,000 peripheral expenditures brings the total MBA cost to around $140,000, while the lost income brings the tab to a whopping $260,000." according to Investopedia.
That isn't any chump change. Considering only about 8-10% of individuals in the US make over $100k a year. That's about 32 million people. So you need to be in the top 10% to even start making up for the cost of an MBA.
“Considering only about 8-10% of individuals in the US make over $100k a year. That’s about 32 million people. So you need to be in the top 10% to make up for the cost of an MBA. ”
here's what you need to ask yourself before packing your backpack:Why are you doing it?If you are doing it to build a better business, I'd say you are doing it wrong. It's not that I don't believe in the power of an MBA or advanced degree, I LOVE to learn. I love being around people who are learning. I LOVE college campuses. I think if you can afford it and you are going in order to pursue learning, engage with interesting humans and say that you have a degree from XYZ on your resume than you should absolutely go to school. However, people, hermanos, amigos, do you think if you had $260,000.00 to spend on your startup and learning how to build a business by doing it, you might learn more than if you spent $260,000.00 learning business theory? People learn best by doing, not reading about doing. Think about if you read a million books on basketball, would you be Michael Jordan when you eventually picked up the basketball? Nah, sorry. You'd know all the technicalities of playing basketball while you shot airballs just like yours truly.
“If you read a million books on basketball, would you be Michael Jordan when you eventually picked up the ball? Nah, sorry. You’d know all the technicalities of playing basketball, while you shot airballs just like yours truly. ”
Can you offset the costs with money from your employer or the government?If you can go for almost nothing through grants, scholarships, your corporation paying for it while you work (as I did), then I think it's a no brainer. The time, in my opinion, to go to business school is while you are working a 9 to 5. You can learn, on your company's dime, still make money and give back to your company by applying those theories. They benefit because you stay longer and you benefit by learning. Want to hear more about getting it for free?... Get my guide here.
Does your industry necessitate it? If you are in an industry like mine, finance, where your degree is a door opener and almost a requisite, then an MBA may be a no brainer. If you plan on working in the corporate realm, it's also probably worth it. MBA's have the highest earning potential on average of any group and the lowest unemployment. *However let me be crystal clear, if you are an entrepreneur, it's not only not necessary, it's you listening to your ego. You want to be able to say I went here and thus I am smart, educated, and worth it. I get it, I want that too. But here's the rub, that won't help your business succeed. #toughlove
Can you get into an Ivy League?If you can get into an Ivy or a near Ivy, your network and your resume will make it worth it. Having Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Columbia, etc just open doors. Whether it opens VC doors, funding doors, networking doors, that in of itself will make life easier for you, just as being born with a trust fund does. Not fair, and doesn't necessarily mean you are going to succeed, it's just an instant respect factor.
Who are your teachers? Less than where your school sits on the ranking list, ask them who is going to be teaching you. What are their backgrounds? Are they all academic? Have they built anything before? Which graduates of theirs have built businesses and can you speak to them? Interview these schools just like you would a new hire.
“Interview these schools just like you would a new hire.”
Because in fact for $260,000 you are hiring perhaps your most expensive new hire to date.
Happy Learning,
Codie Sanchez
Sources:
- http://millennialbranding.com/case-studies/payscale-com-study/
**http://www.gallup.com/poll/15832/majority-americans-want-start-own-business.aspx
***http://www.onlinembareport.com/articles/value-mba-then-and-now
Written by Codie Sanchez
Kumar AroraCleveland Hustles w/ HeartTV Star, Angel Investor, Fashion Mogul and Entrepreneur Dishes His StoryIf you’ve watched Lebron James, TV show Cleveland Hustles, if you are a fashion or streetwear savant, or if you play in the realm of angel investing then you probably know my friend, Kumar Arora. If you don’t know him I loved this quote from Inside business magazine on him, “Kumar Arora is cool..” They have a point. He hosts parties at hidden gems through his Black Rose Entertainment. He is a co-owner of the popular streetwear brand Ilthy, and also owns Sunglass brand Rogue eyewear which really lives up to it’s name and is doing some pioneering work with stone glasses.
So if you see Kumar today, with companies that have millions in revenue a year, launching new products constantly, on TV and sites like Inc and Inside Biz, you might not realize that he’s had to grind just like all of us. Some of my favorite parts of this interview are him talking about how he (like many of us in 2008) couldn’t find a gig and so his counselor told him to go make one. And he made multiple.
How he analyzes a company in a way I’ve never heard any other investor contemplate, how he sets small goals which snowball into large ones, and how he systematically created his own empire based solely on the things and people he loves. Also pay attention to the part on the question he always asks in meetings, and the best way he’s ever been pitched for anything. If you are looking for seed money, a mentor, or just how to get more of what you want there are some nuggets here.
Get your popcorn ready.. and your notebook and pen out, or get with the 21st century and open your evernote file, because this guy spits some sage wisdom at us.
Some of the questions we dug into:Your origin story…. What made you the man you are today, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, founder with companies that rev over $8mm annually, in numerous startups tv star on Cleveland hustles?
When did you decide you wanted to build a company as opposed to be a part of a company?
What drive keeps you going when you are burning the candle on both ends flying back and forth from LA to Cleveland, grinding on your businesses and your brand?
I’ve been struggling lately with the balance of promotion vs. creation? What do you do to balance the two?
What is the one thing you believe wholeheartedly that almost no one agrees with you on?
What are you most excited about that you are working on currently? (Spoiler alert it's a kickstarter campaign for epic sunglasses!).
Hope you enjoy our chat below as much as I did!!
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
You Don't Need A Loan, You Don't Need to Crowdfund, Here's What You Do Need...What has had the biggest impact on my personal growth? Was it an Ivy league MBA? Was it a promotion? Was it a mentor/sponsorship? No, it was starting my own business. Don’t believe me? Let’s talk about why to start a side business, why you should, and why I am NOT telling you to quit your day job now, or maybe ever.
When you have a window open and you open another one, do you have to shut the first? No. You open another window to increase your airflow. Think of your side business like creating a wind tunnel that flows opportunities to you and your business.
I used to get asked all the time, “How do I travel so much for my corporate job, as I head an investment distribution team in Latin America?” Then I got asked, “Why would I start ThreadsRefined while doing said high-intensity job?” Now I get complete bafflement with, “Why am I crazy enough to start a podcast, blog and business centered on helping others lifestyle design while doing all the above?” Then of course after those three questions comes the doozy, “So are you going to quit your investment business and focus on the others?” To make sure I don’t have a bunch of you running out and quitting let’s start with why to do it on the side, then we’ll get into how it helps your current job.
Let's draw a parallel. I work out a lot. I started off doing lots of HIIT classes, then ran, then weight lifted, then yoga, then crossfit and finally boxing. I’m certainly no fitness model by a LONG stretch (my friend Amy is if you want to see a real BABE join her 100k followers @fitamysuzanne), but I can safely say I am in the best shape of my life and feel better than I ever have. So which method got me there? Here’s the secret, all of them. I do weightlifting 2-3 times a week, every Wednesday I box, I run 2 times a week, and I do yoga once a week. Why don’t I pick just one? With the change in workouts, I keep my body on its toes, I don’t get bored, and each activity I do serves a different purpose. Yoga is for my mental sanity, as well as long, lean and flexible muscles. Weight lifting is also a type of meditation for me, as well as strengthens me so my lower back never hurts on long flights, and I am down to 10% body fat. Boxing is a finger blast, plus incredible cardio and endurance training. Not to mention I firmly believe we all need to hit something every once in a while. What does this have to do with starting a side business while working?
“Not to mention I firmly believe we all need to hit something every once in a while. ”
Well, as I add new routines to my workout regime does that mean I quit the former? No. The point is to use what you do with your life to become a better version of yourself every single day. The goal in everything I do is to stretch myself, make myself feel uncomfortable, be the least in the room, lest my ego get me thinking that I know it all and get complacent. My business as a life and as business hacking strategist at CodieSanchez.com insures that I don’t stagnate in my investment position. ThreadsRefined teaches me how to tell a visual story through clothes and allows me to play, since regulators don’t like much story telling or playtime when it comes to investment marketing. That's the reason why I don’t ever talk about anything related to finance or investing on this site. Suzie Orman I am not.
“The goal in everything I do is to stretch myself, make myself feel uncomfortable, be the least in the room, lest my ego get me thinking that I know it all and get complacent. ”
So how does this relate to you?Let me give you an example of how you starting a completely unrelated side venture can help what you are working on currently, not to mention stimulate you mentally, make you more productive and a sought after dinner guest...
I just got off a phone call with the CIO of a rather large international investment company in Latin America. This guy literally never ever EVER picks up his phone and he told me he gets calls and emails from over 100 solicitors a day. Want to know why we talked for 45 minutes? Even better, want to know why he purposefully picked up his phone and called me, when I am the salesperson and it should be the other way around? Through The Struggle Isn’t Real podcast, I started using a service called Calendly, which helps you schedule your day without the back and forth pain associated with meeting scheduling. (Click here to register for my newsletter where I give these types of ideas). I mentioned it to him in an email back and forth we were having. Then ring ring. I spent 45 minutes explaining it to him and then he requested his secretary jump on for a quick tutorial in how to use it, how to implement it, and a few other life hacks that are going to save him mountains of time. At the end, wouldn’t you know I got a meeting request from him using Calendly? Do you think that guy is going to take my next call? H*ll yes. Do you think he is going to consider me instead of those other 100 solicitors? If it is true that we do business with people we like, and I would add those that are interesting and useful, I’ve just gained a client for life.
“If it is true that we do business with people we like, and I would add those that are interesting and useful, I’ve just gained a client for life.”
So if you are currently working in a 9-5, consider turning your passion, your hobby, something you are curious about, into a side gig. Here’s one way to start. One of my favorite mentors in business is Stacey Duran, she went from hedge fund sales in private jets around the world at 25, to hiking Kilimanjaro, to launching a non-profit that is supported by some of the biggest investors in the WORLD. She said to me when I launched ThreadsRefined, “You won’t even believe the things that are going to happen to you and for you with this. Just you wait.” And she my friends, was right.
So start now, don’t wait.
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here, I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez
Jason Richardson… (all social links are here)Secrets from the Psychologist to Professional Athletes & OlympiansHow to Find Fulfillment, Happiness, and Peace. Aka How Do We Win at Life?To make it to the peak of any sport (and isn’t that what life is?) most athletes will tell you the athletic ability is just the foundation, the real difference is mental fortitude or how strong your mind is. It makes sense. As did you know, we are actually more likely to die in a car accident (1 in 113) than make it as a professional football player even as a kid who plays in high school or college (1 in 325 college students make it or 1 in 1,010 high school players). To beat those kind of odds you must have a different mental gear I figured. So I tracked down the man who gets in the heads of the highest performing among us, professional athletes and Olympians, Dr. Jason Richardson.
I am fascinated with the mind and the power it has over each of us and humanity collectively. So when I came across World Champion BMX biker, professional speaker and psychologist to champions Dr Jason Richardson, I interrogated him in my typical reformed journalist manner. Jason specializes in human behavior and specifically how to train your brain like an athlete trains his or her body. I love the idea that we could actually control our actions and thought patterns through better understanding our own cognition. So in this episode we dive into Jason’s book, Gold Metal Mindset, what the biggest mistakes are people make when they try to change their habits, how he overcomes anxiety and recalibrates his mind, and the lessons he’s imparting upon hundreds of clients and listeners so that they can go become world class in their own right. I hope you enjoy this episode, consider it a free chat with your very own award winning psychologist, as much as I enjoyed interviewing him.
“I love the idea that we could actually control our actions and thought patterns through better understanding our own cognition”
“There are a million tactics but if you don’t plug your DNA into whatever it is you do, the tactics won’t work.”
Favorite quotes:“Humans are an interesting bunch. We’re messy at best. Beautiful, but messy.”
His mantra: “The more I do, the more I can do.”
“Your primal brain is designed for one function. To protect you.”
“There are a million tactics but if you don’t plug your DNA into whatever it is you do, the tactics won’t work.”
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? But hen making it profitable, --> Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez
By Codie Sanchez, Entrepreneur & Speaker (www.codiesanchez.com)
Twitter: @codie_sanchez Instagram: @codiesanchez Facebook @Codie Sanchez Baker
Why Build It When You Can Borrow It?It’s a noisy and crowded world. But you have an idea that is going to break through. You’re a creative, an inspirer, a doer on a mission to share your why with the world. You have the website, you obviously have the skills, your mom LOVES the ideas and your business cards are on point. The only problem? You open the doors, send out your mass mailing announcement and… crickets. All the people who said they loved your idea just may love it, but not enough to pay for it. At least not right now they tell you; later, soon, they promise. You aren’t alone. For anyone that has started a business believe me, we understand. There are no overnight successes and for most people talk is cheap. So how do we get our elusive minx of paying clients to come knocking on our doorstep? Because the thing is if you are a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, you know that you do in fact have to sell if you want your creative hobby to become profitable.
“You have the website, you obviously have the skills, your mom LOVES the ideas and your business cards are on point. The only problem? You open the doors, send out your mass mailing announcement and… crickets. ”
Well we can do it the old-fashioned way, but I don’t meet many humans who love making cold calls, sending mailers, pushing email campaigns and all around hard core selling. That is one way to grow. So is there another way?
Maybe. That is why I partnered with Verlocal (check out my interview with a Verlocal Insider here). I believe in leverage. Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” So you have the option of venturing out in the world and self-creating website traffic, mastering SEO, posting like crazy on social media, or you can use someone else who has already created traffic and eyeballs to their website as your lever. I like option 2. Let’s talk Verlocal numbers: Facebook – 50,000+ likes, Twitter: 2,000+ followers, Wesbite Traffic – Thousands of unique monthly viewers. How does that compare to your brand? It’s pretty tough to grow to that, so why not leverage what is built already?
“You have the option of venturing out in the world and self-creating website traffic, mastering SEO, posting like crazy on social media, or you can use someone else who has already created traffic and eyeballs to their website as your lever.”
I’m giving you five steps to leveraging a platform like Verlocal to: Show. You. The. Money. Start Here: 1) Story TellNow with Verlocal you have an audience. You are on a platform with views and people actively looking to purchase what you offer. The only hiccup is there are hundreds of others. So you need to look different. You need to pique interest. That is where the art of storytelling comes in. People buy things less because they have a need, and more because they have a want. They want to feel something, learn something, be something. Make them feel and you will make them buy. That means, you need visuals that feel intimate (no stock photos!), that draw them in and capture your why. Start there. Then make sure the sentiment in those photos translates to your blog/website/social media. People connect with people not brands, so show them you and the humans who are your clients. See how I do this below.. I talk about building businesses on my platform but I’m also a human. How boring if I just showed spreadsheets?! I interweave who I am into my content. Try it.
My Twitter Storytelling: @codie_sanchez
My Instagram Storytelling: @codiesanchez
2) TestimonialsWe are social creatures. We go to restaurants that our friends recommend us, we see movies (or don’t see them) based on what others say, and we buy services because someone referred us. Mark Zuckerberg said a trusted referral is the holy grail of advertising. He was right. So make sure on your website and your Verlocal site you have endorsements, testimonials, happy customers who can do the bragging for you. Also – three rules to live by; be brief, be good and don’t be boring. Check out my testimonial examples. Think interesting soundbites.
“Mark Zuckerberg said a trusted referral is the holy grail of advertising. He was right. ”
My endorsements page: www.codiesanchez.com
3) Give ValueIt’s the eternal law, give before you receive and you shall receive tenfold in return. Trust it. I have no data to prove it except that my life seems to be infinitely richer and success infinitely closer when I give. Thus, I keep a rule of thumb. I try to provide 10x the value for anything I ask for. I never tit for tat. If I am asking someone to pay $100 for something I try to give them something worth $1000. I give value in two ways:
Giveaways: First, I never do a giveaway worth less than $200, I strive to have the giveaway be worth more than $1000 and I am cautious about what I give away. An ipad is cool, but what is the story there. Second, I tie the giveaway to a very small ask that is not monetary, aka an email subscription or a follow. You are looking for touchpoints not immediate sales. Here’s how I setup my giveaways… (Get $200 to Verlocal free.. click here)
Freemiums:These are downloadable guides on subjects that would be useful for my readers. These serve two purposes; first they give me email addresses for my newsletter and second they allow me to send them when someone asks me a question about how I do something. Instead of repeating myself continuously I can direct them to a pre-made resource that has a step by step process. Time is money too. For the customers they give inside information that is relevant. It’s free mental goods.
Sometimes the most impactful things are the simplest. Four steps to cashflow with Verlocal.Want more? Give me a shout…
Codie
www.codiesanchez.com
Twitter: @codie_sanchez
Instagram: @codiesanchez
Facebook @Codie Sanchez Baker
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez
Ask a Millionaire: Q&A on Hitting Seven Figures with Shawn Thomas of @AskaMillionaireLet’s say you want to be a millionaire. So you google search, “how to become a millionaire?” and this guy’s face pops up. This is Shawn Thomas of (@askamillionaire or @askshawnthomas). And I bet you can guess what he’s achieved, and how many zeros’ come with it.
“Doubters Don’t Pay Your Bills. So Don’t Pay Them With Your Attention.”
To be honest, the millionaire status wasn’t as interesting to me, although I suppose it does mean he is in the global 1%. What was interesting is that he is now building a business on how to teach others to accomplish the same thing, financial freedom. And people are eating it up. In fact, he has amassed millions (there's that word again) of followers because humans want to know how to achieve the elusive 7-figure-dream. But the best part is that Shawn has one of my favorite characteristics, he’s not that nice. (Sorry, Shawn but don’t worry I’m not that nice either). What does that mean? It means that in this breakdown he is the type of human that actually tells you what it will take to achieve a high level of financial success, he doesn’t sugar coat it and he just might help you get there as opposed to most coaches that tell you if you “visualize it enough” or if you “believe in yourself," that you will wiggle your magic fingers and make it happen.
So Shawn and I dive into where most people mess up, how you can achieve financial success 10x as fast, the future of building social media followings, and he even goes into my favorite realm of what happens when you achieve it all, and still have that little hole inside of you. From playing for the circus, to signing a record deal, to going $100k in debt this guy epitomizes what it means to climb and share not just your highlight reel. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Shawn Thomas as much as I did…
My Favorite Lines: On how to grow a big following: “Just start, most people don’t do even that.” * The question he gets asked the most: “How do I find success?”* * How he defines success:
“Balance of 7 areas of my life: Spiritual, Health, Bank Account, Friends, Love, Family, and Business.”
More From Shawn Thomas:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHpuMk7H7Lg&feature=youtu.be
http://grantcardonetv.com/video/powerplayers/shawn-thomas/
https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/01/angel-investor-shawn-thomas-periscope-engagement.html
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here, I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
Here is How You Tell ItToday I went to a charity event in Dallas. Now typically how these things go are like this: lots of beautiful women, beautifully dressed, buying beautiful things, on behalf of a charity. All good, right? A bit surface level, but if at the end of the day we are helping a worthwhile cause I am all for it. Today though I went deep, my heart hurt a bit. Why? Well – I typically don’t ask women what they do at these events, because many of them work inside the home and thus they seem to feel awkward when I ask that question. To me, you are not what you do for a living but I can understand the sentiment. So I ask the question, tell me your story? This is more interesting regardless. I love stories. We as humans are fascinated by them, we get pulled into campfires, books, movies, conversations, due to our thirst for an intriguing story.
Click Here to Download My Quick Reference Guide for Telling a Compelling StoryAfter all we’ve each been on earth for decades, we all have some type of story, don’t we? I asked this question to a woman at the party and her response was, “I don’t have a story.” I was a bit dumbfounded. Of course you do. We all have a story. It begins at birth, sometimes the thread goes further back even before, and hopefully if we’ve made an impact, it continues after we are no longer here to tell it ourselves. So how could someone not have a story? Maybe the question is, why do we not know how to answer this question? It is the oldest form of communication our words, our stories. So how do we tell our stories in a better way? Whether it is our story at a cocktail party, our company’s story, or our story to snare the hot dude/chick.
“We all have a story. It begins at birth, sometimes the thread goes further back even before, and hopefully if we’ve made an impact, it continues after we are no longer here to tell it ourselves.”
Knowing how to speak with conviction and eloquence, slowly drawing in your listener like a spider winding in its web, is a singular power. You literally ensnare people. Haven’t you felt that pull before? When the person you are speaking to grabs your heart by the strings and reels you in to them. I’ve felt it. It’s what moves humans to achieve extraordinary things or terrifying things. The greatest among us know how to grasp you tightly with their words. I started to ponder, how do you tell a compelling story? Here is my story… on how to tell your story.
1) Be good, be brief, be goneHave you ever been cornered at a party with long winded Larry? You know him. He loves to talk about his kid’s soccer game or even better, his golf match where he par’d 9 because he used the iron instead of the wedge or whatever the fck golfers say. Seriously you want to lose my interest immediately, start re-telling me about your round. Unless your Tiger Woods and the round ends with your wife chasing you with a 9 iron. I. DO. NOT. CARE. Ok but here is the point. Be aware of the human you are speaking to. See if they seem interested and watch for body language. Then try to leave them with a little something. Don’t give them the whole story, snare them along.* That is what it means to be good, be brief and be GONE.
2) Words Are Like Paint - There Are Infinite Colors So Mix It UpLet me give you an example. When you meet someone there are hundreds of ways to express your happiness at crossing paths:
-
“So happy to meet you.” (BLAH)
-
“What a pleasure to sit here with you today.”
-
“I am just tickled to get to shake your hand in person today.” (Try not to smile while saying that one)
-
“Absolutely enchanted to know you.”
-
“My friend, how lovely to meet you.”
In Spanish we say Encantado/a, it means absolutely enchanted. Everything in the Spanish language is meant to bring you close. To love on you a little bit through words, platonically. Think about your words in that way. Consider it a mind game. Instead of starting a presentation with, “My name is Codie Sanchez, thank you for having me today.” Don’t be cheesy, be you, but have fun with it.
-
“My friends, what a pleasure looking out at all your beautiful faces this morning.”
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“Hello all you good looking humans, can I just tell you how excited I am to share this day with you.” Wink Wink.
Your challenge today: Try to introduce yourself to someone in 3 or 4 ways that you never usually would or open up your next meeting in a way that would surprise the rest of your team. See them snap out of their normal route. I dare ya.
“Your challenge today: Try to introduce yourself to someone in 3 or 4 ways that you never usually would or open up your next meeting in a way that would surprise the rest of your team. See them snap out of their normal route. I dare ya. ”
LIKE THIS ARTICLE? GET MORE LIKE THIS - DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX.3) You Are A Person: So Be PersonalI’m in finance, do you even want to know the number of Powerpoint’s I’ve seen in my day? It would astound you. It horrifies me. I’ve seen more pivot charts then Brady’s seen snaps (ooooohhhh football reference, I’m feeling it today!). The thing is people don’t remember what you’ve told them, they remember how you made them feel. Even when we talking money, baby. So weave in your humanity. Even when talking about finance or investments we can talk like this:
“Close your eyes, picture the day you retire, the day you get to take that trip around the country you’ve been planning, the day Europe beckons, the day you never have to put on a tie again. Picture yourself signing on the dotted line for that beach house, your grandkids playing along the beach while you sit in your chair watching the sun go down with a big smile on your face. Waves lapping in the background. That is what happens when you save. Decisions made today to invest, plan and create goals that you stick to means a tomorrow you’ve dreamed about.”
Think they’ll remember that instead of saying,
“If you invest and start saving now we are confident we can maximize your risk/return profile to reach retirement On average our clients receive x return over time due to compounding and downside protection. We aspire to align your risks to your needs, in order to achieve your family’s goals for retirement and life planning.” Dear lord, did you fall asleep too? Remember you are a person, get personal.
4) Catch Them Up FrontWhether it is your opening line, your headline, or your punchline, get a line with some KICK. Here’s an example….
Which headline is better (these are both real BTW):
A. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.4% in October
B. Watch Out: Prices Are Creeping Back Up Again
B, right? It makes them want to open the article. That word creeping has a negative connotation, like a little creepy crawly insect sneaking up on you. You want to know how close it is? When you say CPI, you sound smart but uninteresting. That is often our biggest problem we want to project our intellect and we end up sounding like a robot.
Moral of the story – don’t be a damn robot. You are a human. You have a story. You are interesting. So share it.
XOXO,
Codie
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
With Nasty Gal declaring Chapter 11 Bankruptcy this week, it made me realize how the shiny bow is often on the gnarliest of presents. Don't let the veneer fool you, starting a business ain't for sissies.
“Don’t let the veneer fool you, starting a business ain’t for sissies. ”
People, I dig this episode a lot because I love nothing more than a super actionable breakdown from an expert in their space. This is the episode for you if you want to build a distribution company OR a fashion/apparel/graphic tee company. You all actually requested this one, so that is extra fun.
And it makes sense right, I mean haven't you ever had a quote and thought GOD I should make this into a t-shirt. Well here's how to do it.. and we are assuming you know all the normal business portions we focus on the nitty gritty of clothing. I know Sophia Amoroso is all the rage, graphic tees are selling like hot cakes (I’m probably the largest purchaser), and boutique brands are popping up more frequently than election memes so there has to be something here.
But the questions are: How do you in fact build a fashion or t-shirt company? (without going broke)
What the heck is screen printing ?
When does it make sense to start your own company , how do you do it on the cheap?
What is the biggest surprise, and what kills dreams of beautiful graphic tees faster than anything?
We answer all these and more!
For the first 10 minutes we dive into how to build any company (and not hire shitty people in particular). The rest of it we get down and dirty into the not so fancy side of fashion.
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“There is more noise than you can imagine in clothing, it’s a crowded industry. If you don’t know your differentiator. You are in trouble.”
— Ryan Egan
Well without further ado I have on for you Ryan Egan @slcactivewear , the T-shirt & Apparel Queen. Ryan is founder of SLC activewear and comes from a long line of apparel distributors. I can vouch for the fact that she literally can tell what brand you're wearing without looking at your label. Superpowers.
Honestly, if you are looking to start a clothing company make sure you listen from 15 minutes in, it will save you a world of headache. P.S. Thought to live by... "There is more noise than you can imagine in clothing, it's a crowded industry. If you don't know your differentiator. You are in trouble." - Ryan Egan
XOXO,
Codie
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Baker
Lessons from a Financier: How He’s Closed Million to Billion deals from Ireland to Saudi ArabiaAdam Sadiq - Managing Partner New World Capital AdvisorsToday is a fun one. If you are interested in angel investing, startups, entrepreneurship, investments, closing big huge deals, then this is the dude for you. Adam Sadiq is Managing Partner of International private placement firm New World Capital Advisors. Which means that he goes around Europe, the Middle East and Asia and finds investment opportunities for the big boys from Private equity, to hedge funds, to real estate. Adam and I go way back to our days together at one of the world’s largest asset managers. I was heading up Latin America and Adam in Europe and the Middle East. I brought Adam on to talk to us about everything from how we sell, how to close big deals, how to get into investments and finance, how to climb the corporate ladder and how to transition from corporate America to building your own company. Below are some of my favorite quotes from Adam (by the way how much do you guys love his accent!).
Noteworthy soundbites:On Youth and Inexperience: “Sometimes being 23 and knowing nothing is the best part. I like to open doors through naivety and use ignorance to find success.”
On Taking the Initiative: How he closed his first deal by buying his own plane ticket and asking for forgiveness later. “I knew if I asked permission I wouldn’t get the answer I was looking for, so I didn’t ask.”
“If I had followed the internal process I would have never closed my first $100 million dollar deal.”
Go to Markets with Dislocation: “If you are operating in conventional markets like Europe, the UK, the US, business is very systematic. If you follow the process you’ll get a share of the pie. If you start moving to emerging markets it is a different story, it is based on relationships and visibility.” I love this one working in emerging markets is a game changer.
“Many relationships come to you by chance, but what you do with that relationship as a next step is what changes it all. Ultimately it can change your life.”
— Adam Sadiq
Being Different: “My standpoint is to be against the grain of commoditization. I try to be ahead of the market and whenever everyone is doing one thing I try to go the other way.”
“You need to think about being niche. Not being everything to everyone.”
So without further ado I hope you enjoy this conversation with Adam Sadiq.
Ciao,
Codie Sanchez
Find Adam Sadiq Here:
Twitter: @Adam_Sadiq
IG @adamsadiq
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
From Speaking No English...To Playing for the Patriots...To Becoming A Finance Exec...Lessons On Pivoting, Fear Conquering & Life Defining.Imagine you come to US, speaking no English, find out the futbol is actually football, and somehow still find your way to the highest levels of the game, the NFL. That's the story we are telling today. About how to achieve whatever it is your little heart so desires and continue to redefine yourself as life throws you wide passes (wow did I just use football terminology #winning). Paul Francisco Twitter: (@paul_francisco) is going to tell us his story.. and you are going to love the strategies he employs.. Let me paint the picture...
Set the scene, I’m at the Gaylord Texas for an ALPFA convention, picture if Disneyland were an indoor hotel on steroids and filled with Latinos. I’m at a little cantina chatting with Paul about how our stories have evolved since I left the company where he heads diversity and inclusion. As we walk past the innumerable tables and groups of people, I get a glimpse of why Paul is such a special dude. I'm with the proverbial mayor. He stops to shake hands, give hugs, dar besos and congratulate on others successes. I know literally no one, but Paul seems to have that inherent quality of making all 3000 attendees feel they are his gente, his people. That is Paul, 6'3, former Patriots NFL player, current finance exec, from Honduras, standing in a power suit, not bad to look at, and always sporting a big huge smile. The difference between Paul and the myriad other successful individuals I chat with, is that Paul really is about his gente. It almost makes sense that he’s dedicated his life post-football to diversity and inclusion. He was the only black kid in his town in Honduras, who gave away his rather large shoes to another kid that needed them more. He’s the kind of guy that reveals how the day he realized he’d never play in the NFL spotlight again post injury, he pulled over, had a good cry and then re-dedicated his life to the next step. He now fights to insure people of color, women, those with disabilities, and LGBTs, all have shoes to wear in corporate America and their chance at the spotlight. He applies the tenacity that brought him to college on a scholarship from Honduras, to the NFL playing for the Pats under Belichick, Shula (@donshula), to working for one of the world’s largest asset managers on promoting opportunities for people like you and me.
On this episode Paul tells his story, he breaks down how he found his why, the incredibly insightful strategies he uses to overcome obstacles, how he gets mentors, how he uses fear to focus and the way to pivot when necessary. Listen in for a look at how to continually re-define your life, beat expectations, and why diversity is a lifeblood we should all be seeking in our companies, communities and tribes.
These gems jumped out at me:
- His mantra: 5 P’s – Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
- When you get to the NFL everyone physically is at more or less the same level, the difference between a good athlete and a great professional athlete is mental. The game is 80% mental and 20% physical.
- On Visualization – When you get to the end zone you have to have lived it or imagine it. 1000 times I’d picture getting a touchdown and what it would feel like so that when I eventually had the opportunity I would have been there before.
- Thoughts on finding mentors – I’ve never gone to someone and asked them to be my mentor. It’s more that I think of myself as Paul Francisco Inc. So I surround myself with people that can be my advisors, my corporate board, if you will.
- “It's never as bad or as good as it seem to be.”
- "If you can’t bring your whole self to your company it’s probably not the right place for you."
- "Fear keeps me alive. I have a fear of failure so my combat mechanism is whenever I feel fear I focus."
- "Tough situations don’t last. Tough people do."
Find Paul Francisco Here:
Twitter: Paul_francisco
IG @price8188
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
And Then you Get to Work Less, Sweet, Right?
There is an epidemic. I'm serious. It's called the 8 hour work day and the fact that we waste 60% of our day at work, not actually in fact working. Don't believe me?
Between excessive email (which actually makes you lose IQ points, 10 to be exact, by fielding constant email), unproductive meetings (which cost US companies $37 billion in salary cost) and distractions at work (80% of which are considered trivial), we work more and get less done. Imagine if you could get back 24 working hours each week. Let's try to make a dent in it.**(Sources below)
It's So Easy No One Does lt - I'm going to be snarky for a minute, if you can't deal scroll on. Start here: Don't check your email 36 times an hour (the average person does). Let's begin there. But seriously, if you work with me you'll note, I typically respond to email 3x a day. My teams all have my cell if it needs immediate response they text me, otherwise I'll respond in AM, lunch, and PM. I batch the rest of the day in time-blocked hours. Three to be exact - Client Touches, Deep Work, Administrative. Go to blog for more specifics.
WANT MORE TIME SAVING TIPS AND TOOLS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX? CLICK HERE.Willpower enabler - Just like not buying junk food for the house I try to toss distractions. I use clearlock, it locks your phone from all tantalizing apps for 10 min to 3 hours. Also probably good for you single peeps so you don't make any embarrassing wine infused texts #multitasking. Only way to reopen is hard reboot.
Set Deadlines- Focus Booster is one of my FAVS. It lets you power through tasks with set deadlines using the Pomodoro Technique (which is well researched, it's like science guys). You work on one task for 25 uninterrupted minutes, then take five, and on you go.
Quote I am ruminating on, “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.” - Carl Sandburg
Say No- It's the things we don't do that make all the difference. People always want to talk on the phone. Can I call? Call me when you get a sec? Can we chat? Honestly - when the calls are internal, personal or not from clients, I say no. Script, "Shoot, about to get on a flight, then a ton of meetings. I want to make sure I help, what can I do for ya? Or what did you want to chat about?" Inevitably, they tell me. And 99.999% of the time it REALLY did not warrant a call. Remember the goal is to help the person, not to give them control of your schedule. If you let people waste your time they will even if they don't mean to, hard but true.
“PS I also never answer unknown numbers and rarely answer direct calls unless from clients.”
PS I also never answer unknown numbers and rarely answer direct calls unless from clients. I listen to VM or get email, then respond. I'm not big time, or a jerk, I just truly do not know how to get all I want to get done otherwise.
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Codie
P.S. — This week on the podcast I answer one of your emails with the 10 questions I wish I knew when I was starting my businesses.
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SOURCES:
Email Usage/Penetrations • EmailStatCounter
A Pace Not Dictated by Electrons • University of California
Disruption and Recovery of Computing Tasks • Microsoft Research
'Infomania' worse than marijuana • BBC News
Meetings in America • Verizon Business
State of Meetings Today • EffectiveMeetings
Why & How Your Employees are Wasting Time at Work • Salary.com
Time Management Statistics • Key Organization Systyems
Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: Business & Career Building
Letters to My Younger Self.. These 5 things Change It AllIf I could go back and tell my younger self the answers to these five questions, what would I say? What would I tell others who are starting their climb in work and in life? What did I wish I knew when I first started in business? Well I'll tell you just that on this episode. This one is kind of interesting, I have gotten tons of emails from all of you asking me varying questions on how to grow your business, work ideas, how to get a promotion, negotiate a deal and even tips on meditating (still working on this one!).
One email jumped out at me from 17 year old Sarah, asking these below questions. Honestly, she's already ahead of the game at 17 by even thinking of these questions but then I realized maybe we all should be asking ourselves these very same things. I hope you enjoy a brief conversation taking a step back in time.
“Life is about moments. The moment you find your passion, the moment you decide to follow it and the moment you realize you can actually make money doing it.”
— Codie Sanchez
- If you could give your 17-year-old self any advice, what would it be?
- What were your biggest goals and dreams when you were 17? 20?
- What is your viewpoint on a traditional college education vs. real world experience? How valuable is a college degree in your eyes?
- What book has had the most positive influence on your life?
- Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?
- 2-3 biggest tips for killing self doubt and gaining self confidence?
- I am a naturally very optimistic and positive person, Consequently, I smile A LOT. In business, smiling is often a disadvantage when overused. What are your biggest tips on controlling smiling/ to use it as an advantage? (This question made me smile!)
- How do you maximize your day?
- Biggest tips for building wealth?
Ciao,
Codie Sanchez
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
“If you find yourself doing what everyone else is doing, you might want to take a pause.”
How To Market (aka Sell) Like A ProYou have product, you want to sell said product, but you need to get your incredible product noticed in order to sell it. That's marketing 101, right? Here’s the problem, marketing is crowded, noisy and confusing. So how do you quiet the noise and trumpet your ideas like a supersonic blast? How do your blog posts and paid endorsements not drown in the sea of sameness? We are going to talk about one marketing industry vet's ideas for how to jumpstart marketing right off the OR table.
We’re going to talk about if traditional marketing is dead and social marketing has won the game? We are going to talk about where to spend your hard earned money? How do you use the right channels and why? And the man leading us today has a killer perspective as a long time traditional marketing content specialist. Jim Knapp (@jim_knapp) is a media man… 45 minutes with him is like a shot of marketing adrenaline straight to the heart. Jim leads marketing business development for Bonneville Phoenix, KTAR and Arizona Sports, he’s spent thirty years crafting the pitches of companies who want to touch us all through the airwaves.
Why do I have him on here instead of some blonde 20 something blogger talking about shoppable links and S4S? Well hll I’ll probably have one of those on here too BUT I firmly believe that when everyone is crowding one space you need to think long and hard about why you two are pushing through the crowds, remember; what if it was easy?*
Here are some of the questions Jim answers: Get excited. 1. What are most people doing wrong with social media and traditional marketing? 2. Talk to me about the differences between the two? 3. Who is doing traditional media really well? Who is combining the two well? 4. How do you judge returns and reach? 5. For someone who is building a business or brand what advice do you have for them in how to engage in marketing? 6. When do ads make sense, where and what are the keys to doing this right? 7. How do you narrow down your audience (the mad men story) 8. What are the biggest mistakes happening in marketing right now? 9. What is the one thing any person looking to sell something should do now?
Hope you enjoy! Ciao!
Codie Sanchez
Stream and subscribe on iTunes click here.
Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
On being you and still being a bdss business person.One crop-top wearing exec’s take.Be you. Be authentic. Be real. Just be yourself. Sounds so easy, huh? Not for me it wasn’t, and sometimes still isn’t. It’s honestly taken some serious self-reflection and ball bracing to figure out. I used to wear suits nonstop. I cut my hair short to fit into corporate America. I played it safe because my intensity can, and does. make people uncomfortable. So I toned it down. I tried to dress to not show my female form. I replaced stilettos with flats, because you can't be sexy and smart, can you? I still struggle with this.
Can you be a serious business person, executive, or entrepreneur and not play the role? I decided I would try. Why? If you do what the average person does, you will be as the average person is.
Average is not something I strive for, do any of us?
I became more successful, I got better clients, bigger accounts, more employees, and more opportunities.Thus, for me the easiest things to alter first were external. I like crop tops so I wear them. I work-out and am proud of my albeit imperfect but perfectly "me" body, so I wear form fitting dresses. My hair is often too long, I love my words four lettered and my cars fast. As a cautious toddler dips his foot in the pool to test the temperature, I brought in each one of these “Codie-ism’s,” one by one.
I recall thinking, oh dear sweet baby Jesus, I am going to get fired, or lose clients, or lose respect, or get called out in front of everyone like those naked public speaking nightmares. Let the cold sweats begin. Then as time passed, nothing happened. In fact, I became more successful, I got better clients, bigger accounts, more employees, and more opportunities. So I said alright little toddler Codie, jump in that d*mn pool. And jump I did. I jumped into letting some of my internal weirdness and realness out.
I'm god awful at details so I outsource everything I can. I have zero patience with politics and rarely hold back. I travel almost constantly and mix business and pleasure publically. I work every single day of the week, even on vacation, and I f*cking love it.
These internal changes are harder because they are the core of who we are. We aren’t what we wear, or what we drive, but we are that thing inside of us that speaks, acts and does. I realized that if I want to find this thing called happiness, I would, in fact, have to figure out who I was, and then live as that person wholly and unabashedly. Step by small step.
“My hair is often too long, I love my words four lettered and my cars fast. ”
My take is that people today are craving what's real. Why do you think that Instagram stories, Snapchat, Facebook Live, and Periscope are all the rage? They are unedited, raw, instantaneous and you can’t pretend to be in a bikini on a yacht when in fact you are sitting in your cubicle in sweatpants. We want the whole person, the highs and the lows. Well – we want mostly the highs, no one likes negativity, but above all else we want to see that the people we engage in are human. Flawed but extraordinary. The problem is that corporations, society, and family, inherently don't like risk. They want to protect us and them.
However, being real means showing your scars. That is risky. Here’s the thing, we can't actually be anyone but the human we are and it turns out people just might like you even more that way.
So why not let our little freak flag fly and say f*ck it? Seems to me that's the only way to live. I'm working on it... What about you?
XOXO,
Codie Sanchez
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Written by Codie Sanchez
Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
The Essentials You Can Read in Under 3 MinutesWe are a mobile generation, aren’t we? From shared offices, to WiFi 30,000 feet in the air, to 60% of our population in the US participating in freelance work according to Fast Company, the 9 to 5 job just may be dead. While I am astounded by all we can do from outside the “office,” if I’ve learned one thing traveling almost weekly for years now it is, if you can’t handle surprises the wandering life may not be for you. That being said, once you get used to a dash of the unexpected, I challenge you to ever go back to cube life. I haven’t met one flyer who has returned to flightless mode yet. So fair warning if you choose the blue pill, the pill of perpetual freedom, exploration and an absurd amount of passport stamps, there is just no going back. You with me?
Then the question is how do people like myself run an international multi-million dollar investment business, a startup, keep that stubborn waist line under control, have a semblance of a social life, and manage to keep my saint of a spouse around?Because here is the thing, I travel non-stop and I’ve camped before but hostels are just not my jam. I want kids, a whip and a house too. Which means that I want cash flow, abs yo AND continuous flight cabin glow.In this column we are going to get up close, personal, non pc, and specific, about how to make travel, work and your life intertwine in a way that feels so natural it’s like a second Neutrogena soft skin.
Since the devil is always in the details, lets wrangle those little demons. Over the ensuing posts we are going to build up to the peak, the Everest if you will, which is how to get a job that pays you to travel the world and fulfill your inner wanderlust.
We’ll start with how to make you look like a Platinum pro on your next business trip, we’ll hit on how to ask your boss for a remote trial in your gig (stop saying that’s impossible for your situation, give me a chance to prove you wrong), and we’ll touch on how to setup side freelance opportunities while you are still depositing that paycheck.
Baby steps before we Neil Armstrong it all the way to the moon. Today we’re talking the tools of the travel trade, because what is a craftsman without his tools?
The travel goods. What I never leave home without:1) My four-wheeled Tumi bag, which will save your shoulder and sanity. Also – never buy full priced, they are overpriced. They have sales on gilt, Ruelala, Nordstrom’s or at Last Chance constantly. Oh and for the love of all that is holy and sacred in this beautiful world, do not check bags. We are the carry on crew, ain’t nobody got time to wait for luggage.
2) Some form of a wireless charger, I use a Mophie which doubles as a cover for your phone as well as a free handheld multi-pronged charger. Let the amateurs fight over the one airport plug while you maneuver your Tumi like a race car driver through the sea of over-burdened plebs with a latte in hand.
3) Bose sound canceling headphones, and NOT the giant ear covering ones. My motto is think like a bird, be light, be aerodynamic, be as weightless as possible. Which means go for the inner ear buds that weight nothing and happily zzzz away while the baby next to you is doing her best impression of a horror flick scream.
4) A bag/purse/briefcase with a handle to attach it to your rolling carry-on. For a long time I fought this, I had my love for designer bags to contend with. I finally opted for a briefcase from Louis Vuitton (I know, I know) but I love it. I’ve had it for 3 years, stuff it to the brim, spill water in it not infrequently, and not a scratch on it. If you are traveling for business you need to be able to be on a call while wheeling your suitcase, ordering an Uber, and not worrying about if your bag is going to spill all over Terminal 3.
5) Last item, a Belkin keyboard for your iPad. This essentially negates the need for a laptop for me. It is wireless, charges every 3-4 months and doubles as a stand. I get overly excited just thinking about all the multi-tasking happening at one time with this bad boy.
Alright my little migrating chickadees, we start with the small things. Small little details to get you excited about your next trip because the devil truly is in the details. Next time we run with that excitement you’ll get from being locked and loaded, all the way to getting paid to pack up and go!
Get moving, standing still is a sure way to decay. See Here how one of my podcasters traveled for a year and used VRBO to ensure she never paid rent!
Ciao,Codie
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
Talking Latino-Owned Businesses and How to Leverage Your Network…In partnership with Chase, I spent the day in Houston speaking with hundreds of Latino business owners and professionals about the hurdles to self-starting, funding, and all around bringing in the business. That is the American dream, right? That si se puede (yes you can), be Self Made. Which happened to be the book title of as my interview subject Nely Galan (see interview here). This former Trump Apprentice, Emmy winner, President of Telemundo, author, media mogul and self-made Latina, was honest and transparent about the challenges that faced her and how she overcame them in business. If you are like me, banking, and funding is one of the most intimidating parts of business (I like these tools from Chase). We have so many ways to finance but, while you are busy working on how to bring in sales and the infrastructure of your business, it’s difficult to focus on the monetary side.
When I first started my business, ThreadsRefined, I had access to quite a bit of capital to debt mechanisms and leverage, but I chose to use a business credit card. Full disclosure, I do bank at Chase, as I only talk about items I’ve used personally. The most frequent card I’ve seen used from them is Chase Ink, click here for more on the rewards system. I’m pretty much a rewards junkie, I mean who doesn’t like free stuff?
So why did I finance that way? First, if I personally am not prepared to put my own money in my business, why should anyone else? OPM (other people’s money) is a beautifully capitalistic thing, but I like skin in the game. Don’t kid yourself if you get OPM first and fail, your reputation is seriously sullied. Free capital is never free. Second, I believe in business the reason most businesses don’t survive is that they over lever themselves, aka spend, spend, spend. They get too much capital, they pay too much instead of doing trade for items or negotiating, they don’t bootstrap, and the small costs pile up like papers in an abandoned driveway. For me to test my business I wanted to keep a keen eye to costs (aka have to pay them off each month). However, it’s important to separate your business expenses from your personal. Which is why I wanted a business credit card like Chase Ink.
“OPM (other people’s money) is a beautifully capitalistic thing, but I like skin in the game. Don’t kid yourself if you get OPM first and fail, your reputation is seriously sullied. Free capital is never free. ”
Once we understand the funding side, the question then becomes which provider. When I am analyzing any vendor I like to think about it like a life partnership. This is someone I want to travel through time with. I want them vested in my business, I want to grow with them. I don’t want to re-learn processes and hop around for the lowest cost provider. Sometimes you get what you pay for. It all eventually goes back to the humans you engage with, even when you are choosing large providers. I loved this example. Nely Galan when she was building up her business (as the creator of the show the Swan), needed capital and to professionalize the financial side of her business. So she strutted (she does definitely strut like us Latina’s do), into her bank and looked around for someone who looked like her. She found herself a fellow Latina and now says, “A Latina banker changed everything in my business.” She’s right.
At the end of the day I have two philosophies in business;
1) Cash is king - without it you are a charity not a business
2) Networks = your net worth.
So you need some rock stars in your tribe, your own personal business board if you will.
I consider my rock stars in my tribe; my attorney, my accountant, my banker, my assistant, and my executive board. I certainly wasn’t alone among the panelists when they spoke about their tribe, check out an interview here and here with two Chase Ink users, CEO’s, and fellow change makers talking about the importance of their network. At the end of the day, keep it simple. Start with as small initial investment as you can, surround yourself with the best humans you can and focus on the cash flow.
Also – let your voice be heard! Use #ChaseNegocios for their answers and give them a follow at the sites below.
CHECK THEM OUT HERE:
www.facebook.com/chase
www.twitter.com/chaseforbiz
www.instagram.com/chase
Adelante,
Codie Sanchez
Stream and subscribe to my podcast on iTunes click here.
Want to hear a podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on How To Follow Your Passion. Here with another business entrepreneur about how to take what fuels you and make money doing it.
WHY SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, NOT THE MAGIC ANSWER TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS Social networking is all the rage. It is how brands judge payments, it is how some of us determine reach and importance of a person or a brand. But here is my problem with it: Social networks are all about quantity, not quality. The question becomes, would you rather be known by the guy on the street corner, your barista, the other bloggers, or would you rather be known by thought leaders, CEO's, power players and people who are in the world making a BIG impact? My CEO from my company always says, "Let's get rich quietly," or "Rich not famous." I think he's on to something. I question my patience and civility if everywhere I went someone was commenting one way or the other, and fame is not something I seek. But being known by the right crowds, very admittedly, is. The problem if you are focusing all your efforts on social media networks is three-fold. One: You are trying to attract as many humans as possible to you and largely are unconcerned about who is at the other end as long as the likes, follows, and re-tweets add up.
Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
“If it’s not profitable it is not sustainable.”
How To Catch the Big Fish...There are two ways to sell anything in life 1) whale hunting 2) daily casting. Most people spend their lives doing the latter. Why? Because hunting big fish is scary. What happens if you don't catch it? Am I going to starve? It seems so much safer to play in the shallows and go after the small fish. The problem is that the fishing is best where the fewest go. Thus this interview is about how to fish in the depths in order to turn the strategic work you are doing into major cash flow. Listen in for this specific actionable plan with Latina Bloggers Connect.
Stream and subscribe on iTunes click here.
Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Getting Over Fear to Take the Next Step. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
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Blog: Think & Invest Like a Contrarian RSS
August 25, 2016
Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
CHOOSING PARTNERS TO GO THROUGH TIME WITH IS CRITICAL FOR NEW BUSINESS OWNERS. SO I'M THRILLED TO PARTNER WITH CHASE INK TO HELP LATINOS DO JUST THAT.In partnership with Chase Ink, I’ll be going live from the Connecting Minds Conference – a partnership between Chase Ink and the Houston Chamber of Conference - on August 29th at 11:30am CT (make sure to tune in on all my SM) to talk about strategic partnerships in your business.
So what is this partnership all about? Well, they say we stand on the shoulders of giants. I think we stand on the shoulders of small business owners. The backbone of American innovation is made up of the millions of YOU, innovators, entrepreneurs and risk takers. You are the lifeblood. Then I ruminate on this statistic. In the last year 86% of new businesses were created by mi gente, Latinos. That’s $1.4 trillion that fellow Sanchez’s are putting into our economy. #adelante. The tough truth, however, is that one-in-three businesses doesn’t make it past the first year. What to do about it? Well, I believe that is largely due to the lack of professional networks had by business owners and the difficulty they have in accessing capital. So I am particularly excited to partner with Chase Ink and head down to the Connecting Minds event.
“Your network determines your net-worth.”
Think of Chase Ink as a business tool that can help build small businesses through access to broad business services through Chase for Business. From Chase Ink credit cards (which allow small business owners to use points in a way to seriously drive their bottom line), to the resources they have for business owners and Latinos, there are some pretty cool stories. Like one barber, Rich Mendoza of Filthy Rich Barbershop (love that name!), who used his 60,000 Chase Ink points to throw up a huge topiary mustache on the store front, to reel in more mustache-primping man clients. While, David and Emily Ojobaro of Squeezed Online turned their 60,000 Chase Ink points into a pop up DIY juice bar. Sounds lovely!
I’m ready to hear more about what else they have going on. We’re going to put our proverbial money where our mouths are and take some action. We’ll be speaking with Nely Galan, media-mogul, Emmy winner, entrepreneur and author of Self Made, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and business owners around the area about building up your business network. The truth is, we all rise by lifting others. So if you are a business owner, a Latino, a curious potential entrepreneur, I want to hear from you and I want to chat with Chase Ink and everyone at the conference about your N-E-E-D-S.
Other Connecting Minds panelists include:
· Lupe Murillo – CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
· Cesar Guerra – Chase Business Bankin
“How do you as a small business make yourselves part of the small % who thrive and survive?”
What do you want to hear about? What has been your experience with building a professional network? I want to bring back some answers and solutions for you. What do you want to know about building businesses, growing your relationship base,/ and accessing capital for your business?
Comment below and I will have the experts answer your questions. Or tell me on Instagram @codiesanchez or Twitter @codie_sanchez.
Also – let your voice be heard! Use #ChaseNegocios for their answers and give them a follow at the sites below. Lets show them what happens when small businesses and Latino-owned businesses come together.
CHECK EM OUT HERE:
www.facebook.com/chase
www.twitter.com/chaseforbiz
www.instagram.com/chase
Adelante,
Codie Sanchez
Stream and subscribe to my podcast on iTunes click here.
Want to hear a podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want, and then executing.
I Think You Should Question Everything - Especially Me
Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
Interviewed by Wendi McGowan of Wendistry
“I think in life we all were put here to figure out what exactly our unique talents are and then spend every ounce of ourselves in sharing them with the world. ”
— Codie Sanchez
Questions: 1. What do you do? As Marie Forleo says, I'm a multi-passionate entrepreneur. What does that mean? I head a fashion styling company called ThreadsRefined, which is sort of like having your own personal celebrity stylist or Rachel Zoe on speed dial. We link top fashion experts with people like me, who hate shopping. I head an investment sales group in Latin America selling investments to large institutions and finally, my biggest passion of late, I write, podcast, blog and speak on all things life hacking, business building and lifestyle design right here.
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What led you do to what you do? I think in life we all were put here to figure out what exactly our unique talents are and then spend every ounce of ourselves in sharing them with the world. Life to me is an opportunity to voraciously learn, grow and then help others do the same, it's part of the responsibility we get for each day we are allowed to keep breathing. So my life has been in search of my why; from building an international finance business, to a fashion styling company, to traveling the world while doing it, to now helping share what I've learned.
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What is, if you have one, your daily routine? I'm a sucker for a process. I wake up in the morning at 6:00 each morning, start with meditation outside for 10 minutes using the Calm app (mosquitos be damned), drink a cup of coffee with coconut oil in it, and then dive into a quick 5 minute journal post followed by 3 hours of deep work. After that I let the day take me from meeting to meeting and email to email but after my strategic work is done.
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Tell us about your latest project.My current passion project is really www.codiesanchez.com and a little pen to paper I am putting on why the struggle isn't in fact real. What keeps astounding me is when people say things like, that's life, it's a grind, the struggle is real; I think just the opposite. My first question is always, what if it was easy? Then I go from there. I try not to overcomplicate things, to leverage those who know more than I do and to question the status quo. Doing that has led to some pretty incredible adventures for me from hiking Patagonia, Machu Picchu, surfing in Puerto Escondido, visiting Ankgor Wat and the great wall to learning archery and getting an MBA from Georgetown all while working.
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What’s next on the horizon?My podcast, The Struggle Isn't Real, is live on iTunes, and Stitcher soon which I'm thrilled about. It is about forgetting everything you've been told is possible, redefining the 9-5, and taking advantage of the entrepreneurs and innovators who have come before you.
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What advice do you have for people aspiring to do what you do?
Ask for what you want. Always. Full period, stop. You'll be surprised what happens.
Proustian Questionnaire: - Your favorite virtue. Persistance.
Your favorite vice. Selfishness.
Your favorite occupation. Curious cats of all kinds.
Your favorite pastime. Running or skateboarding while listening to a podcast (or really ridiculous gangster rap).
Your chief characteristic. Relentlessly and unabashedly curious.
Your idea of happiness. Me, beachside, sunset, stimulating conversation, on top of a surfboard after a full day mentally and physically.
Your favorite name. I love Joaquin, it's my grandfathers name. - If not you, who would you be? Honestly, I'm living the life I want to be living. It's far from perfect but I am really curious to see where it leads.
What's in your handbag? Too much crap. But my favorite items are a mophie phone charger, wireless head phones and I'm lost without my ipad.
What is your present state of mind? It's Sunday, I'm watching the sun set, thinking about life while answering all these questions, drinking a delicious Malbec. I'm pretty d*mn chill.
Your favorite motto. Money isn't the ultimate goal. The goal is freedom. To work on what you want, when you want and where you want, with whom you want.
How do you Adorn Differently? Heading a fashion company this is something I put some thought into. I love supporting boutiques and local Dallas stores first of all and that certainly includes Wendistry. I love wearing brands that mean something, from people that align with my values. Everything I put on says something about me and how I live, I like that message to be thoughtful and strategic.
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Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
You Don't Need A Loan, You Don't Need to Crowdfund, Here's What You Do Need...
CEO of ThreadsRefined Codie Sanchez Baker and CEO of Art of Style Ashley Boucher talk how to build your empire one greenback at a time.
“I built my business by working and saving then doing my website, working and saving and then buying business cards. It was step by step. ”
— Ashley Boucher - Art of Style
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Like a story right out of the pages of Eat, Pray, Love or Under the Tuscan Sun, Christina’s story is one we’ve all played out in our minds. What if we just quit our jobs, sold it all, and traveled the world? What if we did that thing that calls to us like a siren song? Christina Fabritz CEO & Founder of Flyburds, perpetual wander luster, reformed corporate exec, and 30 something, did just that. My favorite part of this interview is how relatable her story is for us all. From her Office Space like moment of almost losing it in her last company’s break room, to her wondering if she could do it, to the fact that it wasn’t some gut wrenching wake up call that hit her, it was a dirty coffee pot. This millennial version of Cheryl Strayhand shares what she does when fear tries to paralyze her, how she managed to fund her trip of more than 365 days, how she hasn’t paid rent in over a year, to the tools that changed the way she traveled. I hope you enjoy this authentic, soul searching interview from someone just like me and you, who forfeited the white picket fence and chose to take flight.
Here is your Monday Slay, 5 tips for making this week a game changer.
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.””
— Tony Robbins
Scheduling is a b*tch isn't it? Calendly makes life a little easier. Simply sign up (it's free). It links to your calendar and you can send anyone you are meeting with your availability, set auto reminders, notifications etc. Don't underestimate the time we lose emailing back and forth scheduling.
Multiply your Client/Subscriber List- LeadPages, think if you could mass text your clients an auto signup button, buy more hours button, or join our email list button all to their phone. Then when they click it sends them to an epic landing page. Boom baby, that is Leadpages.
What I'm Reading - Oldie but a goodie, "Awaken the Giant Within," by Tony Robbins. He is the master of interventions and life changes. Read it bit by bit like a workbook, and see what happens.
Quote I am ruminating on, "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." - Tony Robbins.
Best Money I've Spent - The wireless mouse, if you use a laptop, or travel often this will save you mountains of time and is a steal at $7.99.
What do you think of Monday Slay? If you dig it please forward to a friend to sign up!
I'd love to hear what you want more of, shout out to me on twitter @codie_sanchez.
Thank you for going on this journey with me!
Codie
P.S. — Don't know where to start, but know you want to change something? In this post, I talk about how to become an expert in anything with small, easy steps to start you on your path.
P.S.S. - There are no sponsorships for any items I recommend, and I only ever recommend something I use. Instead of sales stuff, just great stuff.
Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny!
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““Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” ”
— Tony Robbins
Inspiration: Check out Avicii's new album, Stories, what a pioneer. He blends music from Zac Brown Band, Coldplay, and Wyclef John, all to amazing beats. The songs are perfect for running, background work music, or if you are like me, living room dance parties. He is a great example of another human who is not one dimensional. His industry says you are dance music only, Avicii says no, I am all music.
Favorite App- Way of Life. If you believe, like I do, that life is the small things repeated, this app may actually change your life. Too much? I don't know. It is the ultimate daily habit builder. Want to work out every day? Read nightly? Learn Spanish? Track it in the app with great graphics, trends, %'s and statistics. After 21 days see the magic happen.
What I'm Reading - Everything I can on Pokemon Go. Anything that can become the #1 app on iTunes 1 week after launching is worth understanding. I've been researching VR and AR pretty consistently and believe with AI it is going to change our world.
Quote I am ruminating on, "Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back, by becoming more." - Tony Robbins.
Find Me In - NYC this week. I'm doing SoulCycle . Have you tried it? It's like a motivational face kick. Then I'll be gaining it all back by eating at Sushi of Gari. Haven't been? Go to the sushi bar - you're welcome in advance. What recs do you have for me?
What do you think of Monday Slay? If you dig it, please forward to a friend to sign up!
I'd love to hear what you want more of, shout out to me on twitter @codie_sanchez.
Thank you for reading, our tribe is growing my friends!
Codie
P.S. — Check out my new video (scroll to the bottom here) did you know 163 million americans admit to not liking their jobs? How can we have so much freedom but hate what we spend the most time on?
P.S.S. - A little FYI, none of the items I mention are sponsored and I only ever recommend something I use. No sales stuff, just great stuff.
Forget everything you've been told is possible, redefine the 9-5, and take advantage of all the mistakes others have made before you. On The Struggle Isn’t Real, Codie Sanchez Baker interviews entrepreneurs, innovators and renegades to get their tactics and tricks for maximizing your life. Each interview will leave you with actionable ways to go out and make your mark. For more at: www.codiesanchez.com