Today's Business Leaders with Gabe Arnold: Recent Episodes
Gabe Arnold
Don't get stuck with analysis paralysis, instead tune into Today's Business Leaders (TBL) for actionable advice from entrepreneurs around the world.
What does it take to lead a business that creates real impact while growing sustainably?
In this episode of Today's Business Leaders, Monika Alvarez sits down with Michael Jacobson, CEO of French Florist.
Trusted by top brands like Dior, BMW, NFL, and more, Michael shares how he transformed a family business into a thriving company driven by passion, purpose, and customer connection.
Tune in to learn how he hires smart, leverages failure as a growth tool, and differentiates his brand through authenticity, emotion, and trust.
📌 Learn More About French Florist: https://www.frenchflorist.com/
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00:00 Introduction
01:33 Michael’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Discovering his purpose and passion
06:54 Acquiring French Florist: Lessons from experts and early learning
11:40 Leading the Team: Hiring people smarter than you to drive growth
15:14 Learning From Failure: Using mistakes to grow and innovate
16:45 Staying Connected to Vision: Defining company culture and long-term goals
21:35 Brand Differentiation: Passion, authenticity, and customer trust as growth drivers
26:06 Michael’s Advice for CEOs: Creating real value, recognizing team contributions, and taking calculated risks
28:53 Where to Find Michael & French Florist
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How do you leverage AI without losing your unique perspective?
In this episode, Gabe sits down with Donovan Rittenbach: entrepreneur, copywriting expert, author, speaker, and AI marketing specialist. Donovan breaks down how co-thinking with AI can transform your sales, strategy, and business efficiency.
From creating AI tools that emulate the world’s top copywriters to using AI for research and offer positioning, Donovan explains how to use technology as a partner—not a replacement.
Learn how to save time, make smarter decisions, and amplify your human creativity in any business.
📌 Check out Donovan’s book: https://donovanrittenbach.com/prompt-virtuoso-secret-techniques-to-amplify-your-intelligence-and-not-get-hacked-by-ai-2/
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0:00 Introduction
2:00 Donovan’s Entrepreneurial Journey & Background in Sales Copywriting
6:42 Key Insights on AI: Your Perspective Shapes the Output & Raises the Bar
13:00 Thinking Divergently With AI: Why Unique Input Matters
14:58 Introducing Donovan’s AI Tool for Sales Optimization
21:00 Real-World Applications: Research and Offer Positioning
34:43 Sample Outputs: Managing Volume & Quality Without Overwhelm
45:00 The Skill of Asking Good Questions & Thinking With AI: Lessons From Donovan’s Books
53:57 Rethinking Time: Save Hours and Optimize Project Management
55:42 Where to Find Donovan
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What does it take to build a business (and a life) that actually makes a difference?
In this episode of Today's Business Leaders, Gabe Arnold sits down with long-time entrepreneur Jim Burgoon. Jim shares lessons from his journey through early entrepreneurship, personal setbacks, and the hardest year of his life—ultimately leading him to his true calling: helping others become the best version of themselves.
Today, Jim runs “Lead With Jim,” a faith-based creative strategy business where he helps creators move from idea to execution—whether it’s launching a podcast, building a platform, or creating their own impact-driven projects.
Tune in as he dives into authentic leadership, people development, and why impact should always come before income.
📌 Connect With Jim: https://leadwithjim.com/
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0:00 Introduction to Today’s Episode
1:35 How Jim Discovered Entrepreneurship
5:00 Life Detours and Lessons Learned Along the Way
12:43 Finding His Niche in People Development
16:26 Lessons on Avoiding Overwhelm and Spreading Yourself Too Thin
28:16 Aligning with Your Purpose and Shifting Your Goals
30:00 Why Impact Comes Before Dollars in Business
32:00 Surrounding Yourself with the Right People: Practical Steps
35:35 How to Show Up Authentically as a Leader
37:16 Where to Find Jim
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How do you turn passion into a brand that not only sells, but resonates deeply with your audience?
In this episode of Today's Business Leaders, Monika sits down with Louis Joseph, CEO of Alps & Meters, a luxury alpine sportswear brand. Louis shares how he transformed his love for skiing into a thriving business, and the strategies he’s used to build a profitable, emotionally resonant brand.
From leveraging nostalgia to motivate customers to building a team that can execute a bold vision, Louis reveals the mindset and practical steps every entrepreneur can learn from.
Tune in to learn why networking, grit, and resilience are key to turning challenges into accomplishments!
📌 Learn More About Alps & Meters: https://www.alpsandmeters.com/
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0:00 Welcome & Episode Overview
2:03 Meet Louis Joseph: Turning Passion into a Luxury Brand
3:00 Louis’s Early Entrepreneurial Journey & First Lessons
6:33 What Inspired Alps & Meters
10:45 Strategic Planning & Risk-Taking: Intentional Growth Moves
13:19 Building a Team That Amplifies Your Vision
16:13 Motivating Your Team & Leading with Stamina and Grit, Despite Challenges
23:30 Louis’s Key Advice for Early Entrepreneurs
27:25 Where to Find Alps & Meters
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What does it take to turn a simple idea into a thriving business that customers absolutely love?
In this episode of Today's Business Leaders, Monika sits down with Jen, cofounder of Zippy Paws, a leading dog and cat toy and accessories company.
Jen reveals how she spotted gaps in her industry and designed products from a customer-first perspective. She shares why keeping your team small and your processes simple can actually accelerate growth, how to delegate effectively, and why trusting your gut while staying true to your values is essential for building a sustainable, successful business.
Tune in for practical insights and actionable lessons you can apply to your own entrepreneurial journey!
📌 Learn More About Zippy Paws: https://zippypaws.com/
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00:00 Introduction
01:37 Jen’s Entrepreneurial Journey
05:52 Filling Industry Gaps: Creating What Customers Truly Want
10:26 Lessons in Scaling: Simplicity, Nimble Teams, and Effective Processes
17:20 Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Your Business
20:45 Vision for Zippy Paws: Future Projects & Expansion
25:00 Where to Find Jen & Zippy Paws
26:17 Jen’s Final Advice: Trusting Your Gut & Staying True to Your Values
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Most businesses fail not because of a lack of effort, but because they’re trapped working in their business instead of on it.
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Monika Alvarez sits down with Archie Heinl, founder and president of Double A Solutions. They uncover the strategies, systems, and automations that give business owners their most valuable asset back: time.
Tune in as Monika and Archie explore:
✅ The story behind Double A Solutions and its mission to build custom solutions businesses actually need to scale
✅ Why getting your time back is the ultimate growth strategy
✅ How to structure teams, scale effectively, and embrace technology (including AI)
✅ Lessons for new entrepreneurs: being comfortable with risk, persistence, and finding the right mentors
📌 Learn More About Double A Solutions: https://www.doubleasolutions.net/
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00:00 Introduction
01:16 Archie’s Background: From Sports to Programming to Business
04:41 How Double A Solutions Was Born: Creating Customizable, Scalable Software
11:16 Key Lessons on Building a Strong Business Foundation
13:31 Growing the Right Way: Teams, Mentors, and Smart Moves
15:44 Automating Processes to Free Time and Scale Faster
19:20 Staying Ahead with Technology and AI
22:00 How to Stay Focused on Your Goals and The Impact You Want to Make
24:50 Advice for New Entrepreneurs: Take Risks and Keep Going
26:22 Where to Connect with Archie
28:58 Marketing in Action
30:22 Final Thoughts: Confidence, Resilience, and Growth
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Scaling your business isn’t just about effort—it’s about owning the systems that generate growth.
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe Arnold sits down with Peter Roth, CEO and Senior Marketing Director of Scalify, to discuss why owning your marketing and lead generation is the ultimate competitive advantage.
Peter shares insights from building and running call centers, specializing in outbound lead generation, and leveraging "old school" marketing channels that most businesses are ignoring.
Whether you’re looking to scale rapidly, differentiate your business, or control your customer pipeline, this episode is packed with actionable lessons for leaders who want to take marketing into their own hands.
📌 Learn More About Scalify: https://www.scalifyco.com/
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00:00 - Introduction
02:06 Peter’s Entrepreneurial Beginning & Background
07:26 Early Lessons in Entrepreneurship & Pain Tolerance
13:37 From Tough Starts to Stability & Peter’s “Right Place, Right Time” Experience
18:45 Scalify Today: Specialization & Owning Your Lead Gen
27:58 Strategic Considerations for Building Your Own Call Center
35:00 Potential Pitfalls of Owning a Call Center
37:48 Best Benchmarks & Outcomes of Call Center Operations
42:15 Leveraging Old School Marketing Opportunities
43:00 When a Call Center Is Your Strategic Friend
46:22 Final Thoughts & How to Find Peter
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We all dream of doing work that we love—here’s how to actually make it happen.
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Monika Alvarez sits down with David Wolf, founder of Audivita, a content production company that thrives on passion, belief, and culture.
David shares how these core values shaped his business success, leadership approach, and team dynamics—all while overcoming challenges and imposter syndrome.
From building a self-motivated team to creating a lasting impact, this episode is packed with powerful lessons every leader can apply for continuous growth in their business.
📌 Learn More About Audivita: https://audivita.com/
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00:00 - Introduction
01:35 David’s Journey: From Entrepreneurial Spirit to Building Audivita
04:50 How Passion Fuels Success: Doing What You Love
07:35 The Importance of Belief Before Ability in Leadership
13:00 Challenges vs. Opportunities: Shifting Mindset
14:43 Creating Impact: How David's Work Affects People’s Lives
17:35 Overcoming Mistakes and Seizing Opportunities
22:48 Building a Motivated Team and Core Company Culture
25:13 What is Audivita and How to Get In Touch
27:47 Why Long-Term Thinking is Key to Business Success
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The biggest bottleneck in your business isn’t your sales funnel—it’s your leadership.
In this episode, Gabe Arnold sits down with Monika Alvarez, an entrepreneur and growth consultant at Business Marketing Engine, to discuss the strategic mindset shift that took her from a six-figure salary to her first six-figure launch.
Tune in as Monika and Gabe unpack:
- Why investing in your own skills and mindset is the highest-ROI marketing move you’ll make
- The surprising ripple effect personal growth has on every marketing investment that comes next
- Tangible lessons for leaders looking to break through their next bottleneck
📌 Work with Business Marketing Engine: https://meetmonika.businessmarketingengine.com/
📌 Connect with Monika on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-alvarez-business-coach
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00:00 Monika's Journey from Corporate to Entrepreneur
04:23 The Importance of a Sales Mindset
07:54 The Big Launch: Strategies for Success
09:47 How a Mentor Shattered Limiting Beliefs
12:31 The Anatomy of a 6-Figure Launch
17:09 The Connection Between Leadership and Strategic Growth
20:55 How Self-Leadership Impacts Business Results
22:14 Attracting the Right Team and Culture
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Get The Guide To Generating Your Own 7-Figure Sales Funnel: https://7figuremarketing.businessmarketingengine.com/
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While digital shifts and AI constantly redefine the landscape, the most resilient growth strategies are built on timeless principles that foster trust, connection, and predictable success.
In this episode, Gabe sits down with Barry Kleiman, author of "The Playground Principles," to uncover foundational lessons—learned on the asphalt—that are essential for any leader building an appreciating asset in today's dynamic market.
📌 Get "The Playground Principles" by Barry Kleiman on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFRQD3LJ?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin
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00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Connection
01:28 The Genesis of The Playground Principles
07:30 The Importance of Connection in Business
14:21 Navigating Technology and Human Connection
18:28 The Playground Principles: Core Tenets
21:30 Key Stories and Principles from the Book
30:01 The Value of Failure and Growth
32:24 Building Trust in Relationships
34:50 Playground Principles: Life Lessons from Sports
37:14 Timeless Principles for Success
39:54 The Importance of Consistency and Commitment
46:00 Coaching: Finding the Right Approach
55:14 Listening and Understanding in Coaching
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Get The Guide To Generating Your Own 7-Figure Sales Funnel: https://7figuremarketing.businessmarketingengine.com/
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Why do entrepreneurs, despite their bias for action, often sabotage their own marketing success?
In this episode, Gabe sits down with Russell Lundstrom, founder of the “Marchitect”, whose $50,000 marketing mistake taught him to abandon the 'ready, fire, aim' mindset for an architect-level approach that connects your company’s vision with a system that actually drives growth.
📌 Book Your Complimentary Architectural Assessment: https://marketingplanformula.com/
📌 Connect with Russell on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@marketingplanformula
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00:00 Introduction to Russell’s Entrepreneurship Journey
08:09 The Role of a Marketing Architect
14:42 Understanding Entrepreneurial Psychology
25:18 Fundamental Principles of Marketing
30:59 The Master Marketing Equation
37:19 Targeting Your Ideal Customer
42:20 The Importance of Vision in Business
47:23 Discovering the Right Message
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Get The Guide To Generating Your Own 7-Figure Sales Funnel: https://7figuremarketing.businessmarketingengine.com/
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The secret to business growth lies in recognizing unique patterns, not trends.
In this episode, Gabe Arnold sits down with Patricia Michell Mayo, an expert in business systems and unlocking entrepreneurial potential, to reveal how to pinpoint your unique entrepreneurial genius, amplify your impact, and skyrocket your bottom line.
📌 Connect with Patricia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AweSumBrains/
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00:00 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Personal Journeys
05:31 Cultural Identity and Its Impact on Personal Growth
15:07 The Importance of Systems in Business
20:15 Transformative Experiences in Social Media and Business Growth
29:55 Finding Your Unique Genius
35:15 Identifying Subtle Patterns for Success
40:41 Creating Awe and Celebrating Victories
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Get The Guide To Generating Your Own 7-Figure Sales Funnel: https://7figuremarketing.businessmarketingengine.com/
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If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like & subscribe for more insights from today’s top business leaders!
Why Most YouTube Ads Fail — And How Smart Business Owners Fix It with One Simple Shift
In this episode, Gabe Arnold sits down with Aleric Heck, YouTube ads expert and CEO of AdOutreach, to uncover the biggest mistake business owners make with YouTube advertising — and how providing real value can dramatically increase leads and sales.
➡️ Get the guide to attracting premium clients without relying on Facebook or Google ads: https://adoutreach.com/gift/
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📌 Connect with Aleric
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlericHeckYT
About Aleric: https://adoutreach.com/about-us/
Work with Aleric: https://adoutreach.com/apply-adroll/
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00:00 The Biggest Mistake in YouTube Ads
02:58 Aleric's Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
06:01 The Evolution of Aleric's YouTube Channel
08:50 Navigating 6-Figure Opportunities and Decisions
11:56 Building a Business While in College
23:56 Building an Entrepreneurial Foundation
34:19 Scaling and Leadership Lessons
41:56 Empowering Business Owners through Education
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Get The Guide To Generating Your Own 7-Figure Sales Funnel: https://7figuremarketing.businessmarketingengine.com/
Subscribe To Our Marketing Newsletter: https://marketersblueprint.businessmarketingengine.com/
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digitalmarketing #marketing #marketingpodcast #entrepreneurship #smallbusiness #howto #contentmarketing #youtube #youtubeads #salesgrowth #offer
If you're a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brand owner struggling with cash flow, profit margins, or growing your brand without breaking the bank, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
In this episode of Today's Business Leaders, Gabe Arnold sits down with Jarrod Sousa, founder of DTC Wealth, to expose the biggest financial mistakes killing DTC brands—and how to fix them before it’s too late.
Plus, If you're a Shopify brand owner trying to scale from $1M to $50M+, this episode will change the way you see your numbers forever.
🎙️ What You’ll Learn:
🚀 The #1 Reason Most eCom Brands Struggle with Cash Flow (And how to fix it NOW)
💡 The Financial Formula for Scaling a DTC Brand to 8-Figures
🔎 The Most Important Metric You’re Not Tracking (But Should Be!)
⚠️ Why Your Profit Margins Are Lying to You – The CFO Breakdown
📈 The Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Rule That Can Make or Break You
If you're tired of guessing your way through eCommerce finance, this episode is your wake-up call.
Jarrod reveals real strategies used by multi-8-figure brands to increase profitability, scale with confidence, and stop stressing about cash flow.
Connect with Jarrod Sousa & DTC Wealth:
🌐 Website: DTCWealth.com
📘 Facebook: Jarrod Sousa
💼 LinkedIn: Jarrod Sousa
📸 Instagram: @jarrod_souza
🎥 YouTube: DTC Wealth
🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, hit LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for more insights from today’s top business leaders!
"The only way to succeed is to suck long enough to stop sucking." - Nathan Brooks
In this episode of Today's Business Leaders, Gabe Arnold sits down with Nathan Brooks, a powerhouse entrepreneur, author, and real estate mogul.
Nathan's journey from mowing lawns at age 6 to leading multi-8-figure businesses is nothing short of inspiring.
With an unfiltered and honest take, Gabe and Nathan break down what it really means to succeed in entrepreneurship—beyond the fluff and get-rich-quick myths.
🎙️ What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✨ The Truth About Entrepreneurship: Why it's NOT easy, but worth it.
💡 Key Skills for Entrepreneurs: Nathan shares his framework of 125 entrepreneurial skills every leader must master.
📚 The Power of Leadership and Culture: How Nathan built a team that stands by him even in tough times.
📈 Consistency is Key: How showing up daily on social media builds a brand that lasts.
✍️ The CEO as a Copywriter: Why mastering copywriting can unlock exponential business growth.
👨👩👧👦 Parenting and Business: Teaching kids to become creators instead of consumers.
📚 Grab Nathan's book, The No Quitters Guide to Crushing Real Estate Investing and Building an Extraordinary Life, and get a firsthand look at how he overcame obstacles to crush it in real estate and life!
🔗 Connect with Nathan Brooks:
📘 Get the Book:The No Quitters Guide to Crushing Real Estate Investing and Building an Extraordinary Life.
📸 Instagram: Nathan Brooks REI
💼 LinkedIn: Nathan Brooks
"The problem with most marketers online is they act like a horny teenager on prom night.” - Mark Mawhinney
In today’s episode, long-time friends Gabe and Mark provide an unfiltered look into the world of online entrepreneurship. Mark shares his journey, from building successful Facebook groups to navigating the pitfalls and truths of online business.
They discuss everything from the deceptive practices often seen online to the importance of consistency and integrity in growing a real business.
Mark reveals his approach to curating a successful Facebook group and shares wisdom from his personal experiences, including the rise and fall of his past business ventures.
Tune in to uncover valuable insights and realistic advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. If you want to learn more about Mark and his work, check out the links below!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcmawhinney/?hl=en
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcmawhinney/?originalSubdomain=ca
The Coaching Jungle: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCoachingJungle
Natural Born Coaches: https://www.naturalborncoaches.com/
“Create something that's more rich than just text and pictures.” - Todd Giannattasio
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Todd Giannattasio, founder of Tresnic Media, shares his journey from building websites in high school to running a successful digital marketing agency.
Todd dives into the importance of creating helpful, humanized content with digital leverage to attract and serve your audience authentically. From discussing the evolution of digital media, managing entrepreneurial distractions, and leveraging AI technologies, Todd brings a wealth of experience and insights.
He also shares his core principles that help guide his business decisions and client interactions. Tune in to explore how you can build consistent, value-driven content strategies that stand the test of time.
If you want to learn more about Todd Giannattasio and his work, check out the links below!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itstoddg/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddgiannattasio
Tresnic Media: https://tresnicmedia.com/todd-giannattasio/
“You get a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. If you haven’t, you probably have not gotten any real experience.” - Doug Beaver
Leadership is one of the most sought-after qualities in the business world, yet one of the most elusive skills to master.
Many aspiring leaders spend years studying what it takes to become successful leaders.
But sometimes, the best lessons come from those who have experienced them firsthand.
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Doug Beaver, an accomplished business leader, shares his insights and wisdom on navigating the path to becoming a strong and effective leader.
From leading youth groups to leading in the corporate world, this episode provides valuable lessons for individuals at any stage of their leadership journey.
Plus, Doug shares his top principles for effective leadership and how to cultivate these skills in yourself and your team.
Tune in now!
If you need support on your own leadership journey, let’s chat. We would love to help you develop the skills and qualities needed to become a successful leader in your industry.
https://businessmarketingengine.com/contact-us/
“We believe that creating real human connections online builds long lasting relationships, clients and brand advocates that last a lifetime. " - Joshua B. Lee
Automation and AI have served as a game-changing force for businesses worldwide.
But while these technologies offer incredible efficiency tools, they can also distance us from the customers we're trying to reach.
According to Joshua Lee, the "Dopamine Dealer of LinkedIn," human algorithm is key to building relationships and standing out in a world of automation.
In this episode, Joshua shares his experience with ditching cold calls and emails to create authentic connections- driving his ideal customers directly to his doorstep.
Want to learn how you can do the same? Tune in to hear Joshua's insights to humanize your brand in the age of AI.
Plus- get inside tips on leveraging LinkedIn for effective business growth.
Connect with Joshua and learn more about his success by checking out the links below!
Website: http://www.standoutauthority.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshualeeofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuabyronlee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoshuablee/
Check out our past podcast episode with Joshua here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCNNonLY6E
“It was a little more exciting to me than what color nail polish I should have on and talking about boys.”
When it comes to marketing- it’s easy to get caught up in sales figures and ROI. But for Theresa Pantanella, the owner of an all-female marketing agency, branding and storytelling are just as important.
In this episode, Theresa breaks down her entrepreneurial journey, from starting her first business in her early twenties to becoming a successful direct response marketer.
Sharing her top secrets for branding success, Theresa emphasizes the importance of showcasing who you are and what you stand for as a business leader…
And how her love for storytelling has shaped her marketing strategies and helped her stand out in a crowded industry.
Learn more about Theresa and her success by checking out the links below!
Website: https://rightawayleads.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Theresa.Superwoman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-theresa-pantanella
P.S. If you want to learn more about how to boost your business using branding, join our next live marketing workshop.
Link: https://bmecrew.tv/
“People have it backward- they think it’s going to get in the way of connection.”
The topic of AI is nothing short of controversial in today’s business landscape.
But when it comes to Chat GPT, Kole Whitty is living proof that this technology is most certainly a force for good.
In this episode, Kole breaks down how she has used Chat GPT to fuel her business growth and the growth of her clients.
From explaining how she’s used AI to connect people to their past loved ones to sharing how she’s harnessed technology to accelerate her own success, Kole dives into the power of Chat GPT and how you can use it, too.
If you’ve ever used AI in your business, or if you’re just getting started with Chat GPT, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Learn more about Kole and her success by checking out the links below!
Website: https://www.condorcoach.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/physikole
P.S. If you want to learn how to use AI to power your business, join our free live marketing workshop, hosted every Wednesday at 8:00 pm EST!
Link: https://my.demio.com/ref/6Vuf2xzwW3phVjBA
“I am just as excited for someone to truly tell me no as I am for them to truly tell me yes.”
If you’re tired of the old-school, pushy sales tactics that leave both you and your customers feeling uncomfortable, you NEED to hear about conscious sales- a new approach to selling based on authenticity, connection, and mutual respect.
In this episode, we sit down with Oliver Wolf, a lifelong entrepreneur and co-founder of Beyond the Peak, a company that is leading the charge in conscious sales.
Oliver shares his entrepreneurial journey and the inspiration behind Beyond the Peak. He also explains the principles of conscious sales and shares practical insights, real-life stories, and actionable tips for entrepreneurs and sales professionals alike.
If you're ready to explore the next era of sales, where transparency and meaningful relationships drive success, then this episode is a must-listen.
Learn more about Oliver’s success and conscious sales by checking out the links below!
Website: https://www.beyondthepeak.co/
P.S. If you want to learn how to create more impactful engagements with prospects and customers, join our free live marketing workshop, hosted every Wednesday at 8:00 pm EST!
Link: https://my.demio.com/ref/6Vuf2xzwW3phVjBA
“It’s been a dance of merging our gifts together and making it really impactful for our clients”
Meet Holly and Chad Ockstadt, co-founders of Quantum Impact, a coaching and consulting firm that helps business leaders and entrepreneurs develop the skills and strategies they need to build their companies and reach success.
In this episode, the duo shares their story of how they came together to create Quantum Impact and the unique partnership they’ve built throughout their business.
They also share insight into their different roles and how they complement each other in the areas of business development, alignment and problem-solving.
From therapy sessions to 3:00 a.m. ideas, this is an episode you don't want to miss!
Tune in now to listen to the inspiring story of Quantum Impact and gain insight into how two entrepreneurs (and life partners) can work together to reach success.
TodaysBusinessLeaders #Entrepreneur #QuantumImpact
Want to learn more about Holly and Chad Ockstadt’s story and business success? Visit the links below!
Website: https://www.quantumimpactcoaching.com/home-page32516766
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ondemanders
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ChadandHollyOckstadt
“My wife asked, ‘Why don’t you fix everything that people hate about networking and literally change how the world networks? Seven days later we launched Success Champion.’”
Meet Donnie Boivin and Kevin Snow, co founders of the revolutionary networking group, Success Champion Networking. Together, these polar opposite friends are making a lasting impact in the world of networking by providing a unique platform for professionals to meet and connect.
In this episode, the duo shares their story of how they developed Success Champion from a simple idea to the international phenomenon it is today. They additionally discuss the role of mental health in business, their biggest challenges and how to foster healthy partnerships in the business world.
From therapy sessions to 3:00 a.m. ideas, this is an episode you don't want to miss!
Tune in now to listen to the inspiring story of how two friends from different worlds found the courage to create a positive impact around the world.
TodaysBusinessLeaders #Entrepreneur #SuccessChampion
Do you want to learn more about how Success Champion Networking drives success? Visit the links below!
Facebook: Success Champions (Where Badass Business Owners Network)
Podcast: Growth Mode
Website: Success Champion Networking
“I saw some exotic cars and some big houses and I thought, I want that.”
Meet Robin Westerlund. Robin is an incredibly motivated entrepreneur who specializes in helping people get better sleep. For the past four years, he has been working hard to build his business and create a life he loves.
In today’s episode, Robin shares his journey from selling cookies at 13 to becoming a successful entrepreneur. He talks about how he followed his passions and took risks to create the career he wanted — and how that same motivation has made him successful today.
As you might have guessed, he also discusses how to sleep better!
Watch now to listen to Robin’s entrepreneurial journey and get his easy-to-implement tips for getting the rest you need.
TodaysBusinessLeaders #Entrepreneur #RobinWesterlund
Do you want to learn more about how Robin transforms the lives of his clients? You can find out more about his work on all your favorite platforms.
Check them out now!
Robin’s Facebook
Robin’s Instagram
Robin’s LinkedIn
“It was like fitting a square peg into a round hole.”
Meet Aaron Antillon. He is a remarkably skilled man with a choppy entrepreneurial journey and a certified DISC Master Trainer and Coach, who has delivered well over 1,500 paid presentations to corporations, professional associations and non-profit organizations, empowering them with foundational and critical skills.
In today’s episode, Aaron shares how he used ONE master certification to build a multiple six-figure training and coaching business in just 18 months, plus so much more. For any entrepreneur that feels boxed in by large corporations and a strict 9 to 5, this episode is the perfect one for you.
Watch now so that you can listen to Aaron’s entrepreneurial journey.
TodaysBusinessLeaders #Entrepreneur #AaronAntillon
Do you want to learn more about what Aaron Antillon has going on in the entrepreneurial world right now? You can find everything there is to know on his website and personal LinkedIn page!
Check both of them out now:
Website: https://legacyleadership.academy/
Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronantillon/
From magician to entrepreneur…
Meet Tom Gaddis. Tom is a super unique man and an entrepreneurial genius, whether he wants to admit it or not. Now, he helps everyday people follow their entrepreneurial passions and become successful without stumbling as much as he did.
In today’s episode, Tom shares a lot of fascinating history about his life and unique entrepreneurial journey, ranging from his time at Olive Garden to a magic-themed restaurant, plus much more. In the process, he not only tells us about what he did but also why, which can help many young entrepreneurs his reasons.
He also discusses how to build a remote business!
Watch this episode now. From magic, Olive Garden and effective marketing strategies, it’s a wild ride that you can’t miss.
Podcast #TodaysBusinessLeaders #TomGaddis
Don’t worry. You can always learn more about Tom Gaddis’s exciting world by checking out his websites linked below!
https://tomgaddis.com/
https://remotemillionaires.com/
https://offlinesharks.com/
Check them out!
From magician to entrepreneur…
Meet Tom Gaddis. Tom is a super unique man and an entrepreneurial genius, whether he wants to admit it or not. Now, he helps everyday people follow their entrepreneurial passions and become successful without stumbling as much as he did.
In today’s episode, Tom shares a lot of fascinating history about his life and unique entrepreneurial journey, ranging from his time at Olive Garden to a magic-themed restaurant, plus much more. In the process, he not only tells us about what he did but also why, which can help many young entrepreneurs his reasons.
He also discusses how to build a remote business!
Watch this episode now. From magic, Olive Garden and effective marketing strategies, it’s a wild ride that you can’t miss.
Podcast #TodaysBusinessLeaders #TomGaddis
Don’t worry. You can always learn more about Tom Gaddis’s exciting world by checking out his websites linked below!
https://tomgaddis.com/
https://remotemillionaires.com/
https://offlinesharks.com/
Check them out!
“It was like fitting a square peg into a round hole.”
Meet Aaron Antillon. He is a remarkably skilled man with a choppy entrepreneurial journey and a certified DISC Master Trainer and Coach, who has delivered well over 1,500 paid presentations to corporations, professional associations and non-profit organizations, empowering them with foundational and critical skills.
In today’s episode, Aaron shares how he used ONE master certification to build a multiple six-figure training and coaching business in just 18 months, plus so much more. For any entrepreneur that feels boxed in by large corporations and a strict 9 to 5, this episode is the perfect one for you.
Watch now so that you can listen to Aaron’s entrepreneurial journey.
TodaysBusinessLeaders #Entrepreneur #AaronAntillon
Do you want to learn more about what Aaron Antillon has going on in the entrepreneurial world right now? You can find everything there is to know on his website and personal LinkedIn page!
Check both of them out now:
Website: https://legacyleadership.academy/
Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronantillon/
“If you want to be rich, don’t start a coffee shop.”
We have a special guest on today’s podcast, Brandon Neely from Wealth Wisdom Financial Partners— a very passionate individual focused on educating entrepreneurs on their finances to help them avoid creating poverty for themselves.
In this episode, he shares a dramatic story of how his coffee shop was practically left in ruins after a freak 30-minute storm during a roof replacement. Plus, he tells us how he bounced back and so much more.
This is a can’t-miss episode. Click play now.
Entrepreneurs #BusinessLeaders #TodaysBusinessLeaders
Catch up with Brandon Neely on social media and check out his website if you want to learn more about how he empowers his fellow entrepreneurs.
Website: https://www.wealthwisdomfp.com/
Social media: https://www.instagram.com/wealthwisdomfp/
We’re switching things up on this episode of Today’s Business Leaders with TWO guests for the first time ever. We are meeting with both of the Luis brothers–yes real brothers! Their brand story began long before most of ours- as they weren’t even out of diapers when this business partnership sparked. It may have been long ago, but one thing about Luis & Luis remained true throughout, their passion and drive to build something big.
When completing college, trying to start their own vinyl sticker and t-shirt business didn’t lead them to the success they were after, they began saying yes to any and all opportunities out there that they thought might be their next ticket to creating a successful business. As we always say at BME, we can’t expect exceptional creative output to happen without some extent of creative input.
This notion rang true for the brothers as they saw an advertisement from a reputable brand, who’s known for its controversial marketing tactics. This marketer gave them a true direction for where they wanted to take their entrepreneurial efforts– the digital marketing world. That may seem ambiguous to us, but to Luis & Luis, this was the start of something great. Many entrepreneurs are unsure of what they’re even doing when they start out–we just know that we want to do something great.
Developing their skills to navigate the online world and social media, and saying yes to every opportunity that comes to light. They gave every opportunity their best shot but had trouble with the systems and processes in doing so, successfully. Trial and error and gaining experience as fast as possible is something that takes many entrepreneurs to the next level of success. Trying, failing and learning from that failure becomes an asset to the mosaic of experience of becoming an entrepreneur.
Starting your own business comes with a lot of similar challenges, or at least similar patterns of choices us entrepreneurs make. Challenges and cycles of success seem to be familiar to the BIZBROS. This process was no stranger to Luis & Luis, once again. It became apparent that the statistic that most businesses only last about five years throughout their challenges during the pandemic. But knowing what they know now, they reflect on things they wished they’d have done differently. Pulling on team members and focusing on strategy and backside logistics as their lessons from these cycles and failures has resurrected their business to the success it has today.
Continue to reflect on what’s working and what’s not in bringing that revenue. Even looking at vanity or business metrics can give you both the boost to beat imposter syndrome; however, it can also be misleading to how successful it really is. You may only get 100 views on your show, but it could still very well be bringing in revenue that you don't see on the surface.
The BIZBROSCO ends on how their focus on content has driven bountiful success in their business. They say focusing on providing content marketing to the digital world relies on relationships. Products, processes and personalities are what they look for in their own business and with the clients that they help. Putting in the time and effort, resilience to failures, learning from those failures, showing up for your business and surrounding yourself with a great support team are their ultimate tips for success.
We are here with Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe Arnold and Adrianne Meldrum, to discuss how we can make a difference with our children’s education and life by multi-sensory learning of math. – Where the kids will actually enjoy it! Could you imagine…enjoy math? Think of the possibilities that will open for them! Coming from a line of visionaries like her father, Adrianne wasn’t sure of following her own into the business world. This uncertainty continued even after she made efforts to promote her business ideas about this new way of teaching math to children.
Their dear friend, Alex Charfen, has inspired Adrianne’s enthusiasm for becoming the entrepreneur she was meant to be, to bring the world a new and improved way of educating our children on mathematics — the universal language! Gabe shares his comparable story of hitting a turning point in his entrepreneurship after hearing Alex speak at one of his seminars and truly adopting his ideals moving forward. For both Adrianne and Gabe, these experiences have left them accepting of their own missions and companies as a part of their identities, of their existence in order to have become so successful.
Adrianne went into more detail about her mission to bring sensory learning to mathematics to schools all over the world. It is an approach that can be adopted no matter what institution or level you are at, what recourses one uses, etc. It has been shown over many studies that we as humans use all of the senses in our bodies when we learn something. Think about all of the times you remember sounds or smells or feelings that you have had when recollecting a memory — the same goes for learning and recalling math too, or any subject for that matter. She went into some specifics that could help you and your family understand and learn in a way that works better for you as an individual. Check out our episode to find out more! – You nor your brain will regret it.
Here are some resources Adrianne and Gabe want to give you for free:
Books About Multisensory Math:
Mathematics for Dyslexics and Dyscalculics - Steve Chinn
Dyscalculia Solution - Ronit Bird
Troubles with Maths - Steve Chinnhttps
Books About Brain Wiring:
Insight into a Bright Mind - Nicole Tetreault
Wired to Create - Scott Barry Kaufman
If you want the DIY route for math help using methods we think are friendly, check them out here: https://madeformath.com/math-curriculums-homeschool/
Join Gabe and Siavash Fashi on this special episode of Today’s Business Leaders. Fair warning, though– this episode is especially heart-wrenching. Siavash opens up for BME and tells the tales of his nearly unspeakable upbringing. Fashi talks about being a small child underestimated by his peers at the time, which seemed like the least of his worries growing up in a warzone. Being the only one in his home in Iran to attend university, Saiavash talks about having to hide his religion and beliefs to ensure his attendance would be permitted, knowing this would be the only way for him to make something of himself for his family.
Finding inspiration in Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding gave Siavash something to work towards. Although he had to sneak around to attain this goal, he managed to do so with very few resources. Bodybuilding kept him centered during his time of travel, helping him overcome the racism and identity crises that he and his friends were going through during their emigration.
As if his troubles weren’t enough, Fashi briefly opens up about being diagnosed with cancer and the struggles that come with it. He also discusses being wrongfully imprisoned and left with little hope of freedom.
He has managed to turn every adversity into an advantage. Join us to hear one of the most inspirational stories Gabe and his company has ever shed light on– they will shed light on why sticking through the most difficult times in your life pays off.
Learn more at https://businessmarketingengine.com/ and don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe!
Websites:
https://www.sixpaxgym.com/misc-25733006
https://www.facebook.com/SixPaxGym
Today’s guest, Jacob Blanchard, is an entrepreneur, a consultant and a problem solver.
The first major problem Jake solved was earning a scholarship so he could stay in college. He earned the scholarship through the business school, so he switched his major from English to supply chain management, which he hoped to use working in international logistics.
As a senior, Jake completed an unpaid internship at a hospital. He was dedicated to getting a job, so he continued to show up every day as if he were an employee. The hospital, impressed with both his commitment and his stellar work performance, decided to offer him paid work. The only funds they had available were from their discretionary consultancy budget, so they hired him as an independent consultant whose job was “Problem Solver.” This eclectic role allowed him to touch many aspects of the business, providing valuable experience that allowed Jake to start his own consulting firm, Delta Perspective.
A mentor of Jake’s later helped him frame and distill this experience into actionable advice: If you are in a commoditized environment, then seek specialty in that environment. If you are in a specialized environment, then commoditize your specialization.
His education was a commodity, and the consulting work at the hospital was a specialty, which he was later able to commoditize via his own firm. Now, after 15 years of working for himself and as a lead consultant for another firm, he has the confidence and expertise to sell exceptional consulting services to a variety of clients over and over.
Establishing Entrepreneurial Intention
Jake believes that changing his mindset three years ago allowed his business to take off. Previously, he had the mindset of an employee: he would land a client and think of them as his care-taker, rather than focusing on growth for his firm through business development and marketing.
Employees punch the clock for pay, while entrepreneurs have growth-oriented mindsets, so Jake changed his intention to grow and scale his business. Entrepreneurs must enjoy the journey, having fun with what they do, or they’ll end up “punching the clock.” Those who fall into this trap grow to resent their own business, as many employees begrudge their employers.
In 2019, when Jake changed his mindset in this way, his firm took off.
Obsessed with Over-Processing
From Jake’s perspective, project managers tend to over-process because they fear stepping into the role of strategic advisor. Jake sees project management as the tactical execution of strategic projects and program management as the strategic mission of an organization. Companies struggle to bridge the two, which means they tend to get caught up in a cycle where projects are executed without intentional analysis of how they fit into the long-term strategic plan.
As a consultant, Jake holds a mirror to a company. He doesn’t tell them what they don’t know. Instead, he listens, re-organize, and re-prioritize what he’s heard. Jake asks the right questions, which are often tough ones, and his years of experience allow him to design strategic missions to implement. His goal is to hire himself out of the role so the company can continue to grow after the contract completes.
Looking Forward
Jake loves the problem-solving work of a consultant, but he also wants his firm to continue to scale and grow. These two desires are often in conflict with one another, so Jake hopes to feel content stepping back from the day-to-day work and step up to a growth-seeking role, where he can learn to solve problems through other people rather than solving them himself.
His other goals include earning his black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and continuing to host his podcast, Jake Blanchard Podcast.
Today’s guest on the “Today’s Business Leaders” podcast is Meredith Bell, an author, podcast host and the president and co-founder of Performance Support Systems, Inc. She’s here today to speak with us about her passion: affecting lasting and meaningful change for her clients through improved communication skills and teamwork.
Finding the Freedom to Call the Shots
Meredith is an accidental entrepreneur. She began working in education as a teacher but grew bored with the routine after several years. From there, she earned a master’s degree and began working on the administrative side of education.
She quickly discovered that bureaucracy and politics were not her cup of tea, leaving her wondering what to do next. She still wanted to work with people and help them learn, but education wasn’t the right field in which to do so. She began working as a trainer and consultant and hasn’t looked back. Instead, she has moved forward.
Meredith and her long-time business partners Dennis E. Coates and Paula Schlauch have been working together for 30 years to help individuals develop the skills they need to achieve higher performance levels.
The Relational Side of Business
Business transactions come and go, but relationships last. Making sure those relationships are positive and productive is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your business. While it can be challenging to change your communication habits, Meredith has some advice to help you get started.
First and foremost, strive to be an active and empathetic listener. If listening isn’t a skill you are used to practicing, it can be difficult to begin doing so. The results are well worth it as you learn to set your ego aside and really hear what the people you interact with are saying.
The other crucial communication habit to develop is a willingness to apologize. As much as we might like to be, none of us are perfect, and we will make mistakes. That’s okay. Mistakes are part of learning, but they can hurt other people. When that happens, a sincere apology can go a long way toward repairing damaged relationships.
Apologizing is particularly important for leaders. When you apologize, you set an example for your employees and everyone else in your life. You’re creating an environment in which people feel comfortable communicating openly and honestly about their mistakes and feelings, which is invaluable for growing and succeeding, both as a team and a company as a whole.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can connect with Meredith via LinkedIn or check out the Performance Support Systems, Inc. website. The website contains tons of great resources, including links to books by Meredith and Dennis and Meredith’s “Strong for Performance” podcast.
Today’s guest, Shannon Graham, realized he was an entrepreneur since his early teens. When he was in school, he would take the one-cent CDs from the Columbia House catalog and upsell them to his friends and classmates to make a profit. This was his very first taste of being a business owner, and he knew it was for him.
Graham began his coaching career in his early 20s while working a full-time job. It did not take long for him to start making more income from his coaching business than his full-time career. By that point, he quit his nine to five to work full time for himself and has never looked back.
He now works with ultra-high net worth individuals who have gone through the ultimate failure (losing their purpose and not achieving their fulfillment) through his million-dollar program — Second Summit.
His goal is to bring together the 98 percent and the 2 percent to create a better world and bring civilization to Tier One — a civilization that can utilize all the natural energy resources on a planet. But before that can happen, he helps individuals realize their full potential.
Can money buy happiness?
Contrary to the popular belief that money cannot buy happiness, Graham explains that it 100 percent can. “Happiness is not a core state of being.” Just like sadness, it comes and goes. People confuse happiness and fulfillment. They believe that to truly be content with their lives, they have to be happy. However, as human beings, you cannot be happy all day every day.
How can you reach fulfillment?
The one thing in life that everyone is trying to achieve (even if they do not know it) is fulfillment. Fulfillment is how we feel about ourselves. Many people think that money can make you feel fulfilled. However, you can be poor and still feel fulfilled, and you can be wealthy and never feel fulfilled. While making money is a science, fulfillment is an art. There is “no clear blueprint” on how you can get it and where you can find it.
An issue that Graham comes across from these ultra net worth individuals is that while they were making a way to earn money, they sacrificed their fulfillment. This sacrifice then drags them down. But Graham is here to help turn things around.
If you like what Shannon Graham is all about or what he teaches, then check out his website for more information. Or, you can always contact him personally through Facebook.
Ensuring a good experience for everyone involved in a partnership is an underrated aspect of business relationships, but it’s one of the most essential for long-term success. Maximum Response Marketing’s Kevin Thompson is here with us today to explain how he creates and keeps connections.
Kevin’s Path to Profit
Kevin has known that he wanted to be an entrepreneur since he was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America while in high school, but getting there took time and a lot of hard work. After four years in the army and seven as a commercial fisherman, Kevin finally had the funds to start his own cleaning and restoration business in 1997.
His first year in business was miserable. He worked 12 to 14 hour days without generating a profiting or attracting the customers he wanted to work for. All of that changed when he came across an advertisement for Joe Polish’s marketing materials in a trade magazine.
Becoming familiar with Joe’s work and then Joe himself changed everything for Kevin. He went from scrubbing engine grease out of apartment carpets for next to nothing, to working in upscale homes and making the kind of money he imagined when he first went into business.
Making Connections
With so much money on the line and a high risk of failure, business relationships are often fraught. It can be challenging to build lasting connections founded on trust. Despite this, Kevin has succeeded so thoroughly that he has earned the nickname Kevin the Connector.
What’s Kevin’s Secret to Success?
It’s not complicated. Go back to the basics when it comes to relationships. Before anything else, treat others the way you want to be treated. What’s true and effective on the playgrounds of elementary schools everywhere remains so in multi-million dollar partnerships.
You want your partners to walk away from a venture having been wowed and wanting to recommend working with you to their entire network. That way, their network becomes yours. One chance connection blossoms into many. The process continues as your business grows.
Kevin is no stranger to hard work. Since 2007, he has been part of 452 joint venture projects across a range of industries. By doing so, he and his partners have earned more than $16 million. If that sounds like a connection you want to make, you can contact Kevin via email at kevin@maximum-response.com or find him on LinkedIn.
When a prospect tells you, “I have a marketing problem”, the real problem typically lies in his or her relationships. How can you solve your prospects’ problems without communicating with them? Today’s guest, George Bryant has relationship building at the top of his priority list.
From Paper Routes to Digital MarketingGeorge, like many serial entrepreneurs, started his journey at a young age. Having a tumultuous childhood, he knew that to get what he wanted, he had to go out and get it himself. At nine years old, he had three paper routes to earn money. By 13, he had a job at an ice-skating rink. He didn’t realize until much later that he’d been an entrepreneur his whole life.
After 12 years in the Marine Corps, George was struggling with what to do. He was working on becoming healthy again after years of injuries and eating issues. To hold himself accountable, he began posting recipes and blogs online. While growing his own business, he started working as a digital marketing consultant on the side, which was the most important decision of his professional life.
George now works as a digital marketing expert (among many other things) and prioritizes relationships over all else. In his eyes, relationships beat algorithms. He’s helped countless business owners increase their revenue by showing them the true value of self-awareness and sympathy for buyers.
Priority Number OneGeorge says that every entrepreneur must make self-awareness, exploration and integrity their number one priorities. Having a good relationship with yourself and knowing your faults is the best way to set yourself up for success. Remember that words can only go so far, but the feelings behind the words travel even further.
Many entrepreneurs forget to humanize their work. The algorithm isn’t buying your product, a real person is. Take time to nurture those relationships, even if the person doesn’t say yes. People are much more likely to refer your brand to others if you treat them well, respond to their comments or send them a gift.
Another piece of advice from George is to surround yourself with the right people. Have people around you who tell you the truth and push you to be better. It makes all the difference.
Do you need help building your entrepreneurial relationships? George is the person to help you. Contact him on his website, check out his podcast and online courses. Keep up with George on Facebook to join the Relationships Beat Algorithms group.
Being an entrepreneur means learning how to show up effectively for your audience. However, what if your current tactics aren’t working? Are you often asking yourself: "Why don’t they get it?” “Why is my business stagnating?” “How do I effectively communicate my intentions?” Today’s guest, Nic Peterson may have the answer you’re looking for.
Nic has been an entrepreneur for most of his adult life. He is the co-founder and director of strategic development at Mastery Mode, a business consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses grow. His entrepreneurial journey began at the ripe old age of 21 when he opened a small gym.
Building a Network
For four years, Nic basically lived at his gym, doing everything he could to make it successful. While he mostly catered to the Ironman and bodybuilding crowd, he noticed that some of his clients were affluent and successful. Then, the lightbulb switched on. He needed to know how to get more of these successful people in his gym. He started building his network by talking to successful clients and encouraging them to bring their friends to the gym.
He was eventually able to raise membership prices by creating an exclusive environment for wealthy, successful people. The business grew and grew, and Nic gained valuable business knowledge. The craziest thing was, he did all of this without any marketing or advertising. From there, his success grew exponentially.
Clarity, Certainty and Collapsing Time
There are a lot of business consulting firms out there. What makes Nic’s methods different from the rest? It all comes down to his core marketing principles: Clarity, Certainty and Collapsing Time.
Nic realized that every prospect is essentially asking a version of the question “Am I going to be okay?” whether that means money, weight loss, business success or personal growth. To answer that question, you need clarity, certainty and collapsing time.
Think about using Google Maps to get somewhere. The clarity is that you’re at the right starting point and you’ve programmed in the right destination. The certainty is that Google Maps will get you to your destination. Collapsed time is how fast you drive to get there. The same formula works for any goal you’re trying to achieve.
Effective Communication
Your clients all have problems they’re trying to solve: “Am I going to be okay?” Once you have certainty, you can provide clarity for how you can solve their problem. Once they realize that you have a solution, collapsed time is your money maker. “When can I start?” or “How long will it take?”
Nic’s advice to budding entrepreneurs is this: Focus on communication. Talk to people as much as possible. If you find yourself asking: “Why don’t they get it?” it’s time to work on your communication skills to deliver the best results.
Learn more about Nic by visiting his website. Click here to get started with Mastery Mode and grow your business.
What’s the most important part of entrepreneurship? Is it money? Is it a big net of clients? Today’s Guest, Brandon Fong, says the most crucial part of being an entrepreneur is making connections, along with being resourceful.
Brandon knew he had the entrepreneurial spirit at a young age. While the other kids in his neighborhood had lemonade stands, Brandon was selling rocks. By the time he was in high school, he was a regular attendee of entrepreneurial conferences and networking events, which allowed him to start building his network early and showed him how to use his connections.
The Road to the 7-Figure Millennials Podcast
Brandon is the host of the “7-Figure Millennials” Podcast, where he aims to show a new generation of entrepreneurs how to be resourceful and prioritize happiness to help their businesses grow. Brandon learned how to be resourceful at a young age. Coming from a low-income family, his parents instilled in him the importance of resourcefulness and connecting yourself with the right people.
While spending his teenage years building connections with fellow entrepreneurs, he was able to get involved with running email campaigns and other marketing strategies for Jonathon Levi. In three years, he grew Jonathon’s business to new heights while developing the “7-Figure Millennials” Podcast.
The Magic Connection Method
His time working with Levi taught him how to run a successful email campaign. While cold-emailing can still be effective, Brandon wanted to create a more authentic way for entrepreneurs to reach out to prospects. He created a new way to obtain clients via email through the Magic Connection Method, which consisted of three parts:
- Hook
- Irresistible Offer.
- A “No”-Oriented Question.
This method has allowed him to obtain more valuable connections and increase his email response rate. Luckily, he has a special gift for our audience! Use this link to obtain free email templates outlined by the Magic Connection Method.
Brandon is ready to work with any heart-centered entrepreneur that values happiness and building connections over money. Are you ready to grow your business and your network? Work with Brandon by visiting his website, learn more about the Magical Connection Method and listen to the “7-Figure Millennials” podcast.
What’s the best way to build your audience? Are you using the right platforms to get your message across? Digital marketing and audience building expert Gary Henderson has spent years developing new ways for businesses to grow their audience.
Gary is the founder of Digitalmarketing.org, a full-service digital marketing agency with a focus on relationship building and consulting. He is also the host of the “All the Way Up” podcast.
The R3 Mat Method
Gary’s approach to audience building is different from traditional methods. His ideology is that most businesses aren’t attracting the right audience for their content. Using his R3 Mat method, Gary shows business owners from different industries how to get the most out of their time.
The R3 Mat method consists of getting the right message to the right people at the right time. Everything you do to get your message out there should have a purpose. Even if you have tens of thousands of followers on social media, how many of those people are actually going to buy your product or sign up for your service?
Gary says it’s all about warming up your audience. Once you get your message out, you can start to see who your audience is. Ideally, by the time you launch a product or introduce a new service, customers will be ready to purchase.
How to Build the Right Audience
As most business owners know, audience building can be an overwhelming task. Gary’s advice is to take a deep dive into how you’re connecting with your audience. How are your posts performing? How many people are attending your webinar? Is all this work actually generating results? If not, it might be time to shift gears.
In Gary’s case, he got tired of posting on Facebook every day and trying to come up with witty captions for Instagram posts. Then, he found Clubhouse, a new social media platform that is solely audio-based. Users can join different chat rooms based on different subjects or speakers. For Gary, it has become a new way to talk and interact with people, things that he’s good at. Since joining Clubhouse, he’s made thousands of connections in a very short time.
The bottom line for building an audience is to always keep your end goal in mind when finding the right platform for your business. Encourage collaboration and open communication. Content is shared at an exponential rate, so don’t be afraid to keep things open. You never know what connections you’ll make.
Find Gary on Clubhouse, as well as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen to the “All the Way Up” podcast and learn more about his digital marketing services on his website.
So, you’ve got a great idea for a business. How are you going to get the business started? What do you need to get the ball rolling? Today’s guest, Norty Cohen, has years of experience in bringing ideas to life, however, it isn’t as easy as you think.
On today’s show, Norty uses his entrepreneurial insight to explain the essential things every budding entrepreneur needs to know when developing new business ideas.
Norty is a self-taught entrepreneur and has been in business for over 20 years. His marketing agency, Moosylvania, has been helping businesses expand their outreach and build their brand communities. Moosylvania goes beyond traditional branding and media to help turn your one-time buyers into lifelong customers and fans.
What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Have for Starting a New Business
Through his time in the marketing industry, Norty has seen countless ideas come and go and has developed guidelines for businesses to be prepared for developing their ideas. The first thing every entrepreneur needs to know is that an idea only goes so far if you don’t know how to put it in motion. The path to getting started may take longer than you think.
Your next step is figuring out your role within the business. Are you just going to be the CEO or are you going to be involved in the day-to-day? Depending on your answer, you need to have the right people in place to work for you.
Norty explains three must-haves for anyone starting a business:
- Surrounding yourself with good people.
- Having a product or service that is actually needed or desired.
- The ability to start the business with as little money as possible.
When figuring out these three essential components, it’s vital to know what resources you have available to you. Figure out ways to spend as little money as possible by using what you have. Norty calls this the MacGyver approach.
When you have an established idea and are building your framework, the next step is to research your competitors. See what’s out there, study the market and use your connections to obtain information. Once you have more knowledge of how your product fits into the market, it’s time to test it out with consumers. Try to focus on consumers who aren’t your friends and family. While their opinions are valid, you’ll get a more honest response from a stranger.
A key piece of advice Norty gives to any entrepreneur is to run their idea through the Pro-forma calculator. Type in your costs, prices and profit margins to see the true value of your idea. Adjust accordingly, rinse and repeat.
Ideas are Always Valued
The bottom line from Norty is that it’s okay to have multiple ideas floating around in your head on a daily basis. Keep track of them, write them down and always be on the lookout for ways to implement them. You never know what idea will become the next big thing. The crucial thing to remember is that an idea is just the starting point to something bigger.
Are you ready to get your idea rolling? Click here to see Norty’s “Top 10 Things You Should Know When Developing Business Ideas.” If you’re a business owner looking to expand on an idea, grow your brand community and boost your digital presence, contact Moosylvania today to get started. Keep up with Norty on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
What does it mean to be a great leader? How do you balance managing all aspects of your business? Today’s guest, Tina Forsyth says the first step to becoming a great leader is to be a great self-leader.
How am I Getting in the Way?
Tina is a coach, author, educator and entrepreneur. Through her longtime experience as an online business manager, Tina has shifted her focus to helping business owners answer a difficult question, “how am I getting in the way?”
Tina asked herself this question in 2009. She had been running a successful business on her own for 10 years and things were growing rapidly. She was adding more people to her team and having an identity crisis. For so long, she ran everything on her own that she struggled to redefine her role as a CEO. While struggling to figure out what her role was, she realized that she was getting in the way of her business’ growth.
Tina refers to herself as a recovering control freak. In the early days of her business, she was so caught up in operations, marketing, getting clients, etc. that she didn’t know what to do with herself when her team was handling everything for her. To avoid self-sabotage, she had to shift her mindset into a leadership role.
Becoming an OBM Industry Leader
Tina began her journey in the Online Business Manager (OBM) industry in 2000, working in the backend for Coachville. After a few years, she started her own business as an OBM and started working on gaining clients.
Along the way, she noticed that more people were calling themselves OBMs but not actually doing the work. With so many years of experience under her belt, she decided to write a book, “Becoming an Online Business Manager” in 2008. From there, her business grew and allowed her to work with business owners from all walks of life.
What does an OBM do? In Tina’s words, an OBM is someone who values the vision of your business, pays attention to your goals and knows how to get the job done right. She says so many business owners can’t get anything done because they get caught up in day-to-day operations. That’s where a good OBM steps in and organizes everything for you.
Tina continues to work with business owners through coaching and training. She is the founder of the International Association of Online Business Managers and the Online Business Manager Training and Certification Program. She is the author of three books with another one on the way in 2021. She has also created various training programs for online business owners and managers.
Are you ready to take some of the work off your plate so you can thrive? Contact Tina on her website today to get connected with the perfect OBM and to learn more about her work. Connect with Tina on Facebook and Linkedin.
Entrepreneurship and personal development go hand in hand. As you age and grow, your perception of the world changes, along with how you see opportunities. As the business world changes, so does your perspective. CEO and author Vinnie Fisher shares how he took his problem-solving skills and channeled them into the digital business world.
Vinnie knew he was a problem solver at a young age. After his brother broke his arm, Vinnie took over his paper route and almost tripled his tips. While his brother was annoyed, Vinnie realized that he could apply his problem-solving skills to other things too.
Early on in his entrepreneurial journey, Vinnie was relying on the latest trends to see where he could plant himself. Following niche markets, he found holes and gaps where he could fit in and solve issues. While he was good at it, Vinnie realized that he was not seeing the value of the work, and was only focused on cash flow.
Vinnie realized that in order to succeed in business, you have to see the value in the concept. Do I like what I’m doing? Do I believe in this business? Or am I just focused on my paycheck? Vinnie and Gabe share stories of how many entrepreneurs fall into that trap and end up becoming miserable. If you do not add value to the equation, you are going about business in a negative light.
Going along with value is ethics. Vinnie emphasizes the importance of getting in touch with how you feel about different aspects of business. You have to ask yourself, do I believe in what I’m selling? Do I feel good talking about my business?
Vinnie and Gabe also discuss the lack of soul and spirituality in business today. Without soul, a business may seem sterile and disconnected from its audience. Not only does soul and spirit add emotion to business, but also humility.
While running a health supplement company, Vinnie realized there was an accounting problem. Money was pouring in but profit was low. Where was all the money going? He put his problem-solving skills to work and figured out the issue — profit margins. While he fixed his company’s problem, Vinnie realized he could take his skills even further.
Vinnie started his current business, Fully Accountable, as a way to help digital businesses have full financial intelligence. Fully Accountable is an outsourced accounting firm that takes care of all back-office accounting. He knows that running a business is hard, and having full financial intelligence is essential for survival. Fully Accountable works to ensure that business owners have detailed financial information. They also consult business owners to see where financial gaps need to be filled, saving them time and money.
Fully Accountable offers accounting services, data analysis, e-commerce accounting and CFO consulting. Contact Vinnie to learn more about his company or schedule an expert call.
How do you make a meaningful connection in the digital world? In the oversaturated content market, connecting with customers and other businesses is harder than ever. What if you focused on quality over quantity? What if you combined monetization with meaningful connections? Author and long-time entrepreneur Joshua Lee figured out a way to do just that.
Joshua grew up as an only child, so establishing relationships with people was an essential skill he wanted to learn. He knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur from a young age. From selling candy out of his locker to making money playing cards in summer school, Joshua always had the entrepreneurial spirit.
While in college at UTA, he obtained his real estate broker license and dropped out of school. This was during the early 2000s when the housing market was still a free-for-all for mortgage loans. He soon moved to California to start his first business while also getting into the online world. He began doing online monetization for companies like Myspace before things like SEO and PPC were common marketing terms.
Between starting new businesses and working in online monetization, Joshua was overworked and stressed. He isolated himself in his office and spent many sleepless nights trying to connect with clients to make money. He wanted more out of life and was tired of working in such a “sales-pitchy” environment.
After a messy divorce, Joshua reset his life. He closed his companies and moved back home at 36, with almost no money to his name. He wanted to start over, try something new and be more present for his children. He founded his current company, Stand Out Authority as a way to navigate the digital marketing world in a more meaningful way.
Taking advantage of LinkedIn, Stand Out Authority helps its clients grow their businesses and build meaningful relationships with their potential clients, unlike traditional advertising and PPC marketing techniques. This allows entrepreneurs to choose who they work with, helps build their reputation and connects them with more people.
Joshua and Gabe discuss how saturated the online world is and how content is no longer king. In fact, many users would rather have less information to look at. Seeing this pattern, Joshua uses Stand Out Authority to use different marketing strategies that focus on relationships over money. Money is a by-product of building relationships. The better the connection you have with a client, the more likely they are to work with you.
Are you ready to grow your business and establish meaningful relationships? Get started with Stand Out Authority by visiting their website. Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn and stay updated on his work on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Based on the Law of Attraction, all thoughts turn into things eventually. The energy we put into the universe manifests itself into our reality. While the methods of Law of Attraction have been around for a long time, they are difficult to apply to everyday life. Author and entrepreneur Andrew Kap found a new way to apply the Law of Attraction methodology in a practical way — a way that is accessible to anyone.
Andrew found the path to entrepreneurship shortly after graduating from college. Like most college graduates, Andrew was expected to find a job that would be loyal to him for 30-40 years, just like his parents and relatives did before him. He soon realized that way of thinking was outdated and he would rather be loyal to himself than a company. Within ten years of graduating from college, Andrew looked to entrepreneurship, starting his own business.
Andrew was always interested in Law of Attraction. He began applying the methods in 2004 intermittently and applied them more seriously after the 2008 housing market crash. After losing his first business, Andrew dove deeper into Law of Attraction, got in better physical shape and started to re-group his business strategies.
Throughout his time utilizing Law of Attraction, Andrew realized that all the books he had read focused heavily on theory and ideology, rather than the practical application of the principles. The basic idea of Law of Attraction is that the energy you put into the universe becomes your reality. Putting positive energy out results in positive things happening to you, very similar to the idea of karma. For most people, this is easier said than done.
Last year, Andrew decided to write a book about the practical application of Law of Attraction. “The Last Law of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need to Read” describes how Andrew was able to stick to practicing Law of Attraction principles via a variety of different methods.
Andrew compares using the Law of Attraction to lifting weights to build muscle. Consistency is key if you want results. Podcast host Gabe Arnold describes the book as a “field guide for Law of Attraction” as it allows you to get out of your own ways and try it out.
Andrew’s book is now an Amazon #1 bestseller, with hundreds of 5-star reviews and raving comments from readers. Andrew’s book is available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and more. Learn more about Andrew’s book or check out his YouTube channel and Instagram page.
Are you a gym owner struggling to grow your membership base? How do you take advantage of the technology around you to grow your fitness business? Entrepreneur, coach and fitness expert Will Hurst has the tools you need to succeed and grow your business.
Like many successful entrepreneurs, Will had the entrepreneurial spirit at a young age. Coming from humble beginnings, Will was not interested in school and thought that college was not an option due to financial stress. In high school, he started selling baseball cards to make extra cash, which sparked his passion for sales and business. After high school, he moved out west and got into automotive sales, where he learned a lot about sales techniques and customer service.
While working as a car salesman, he also started selling items on Amazon and eBay, which was a very niche market at the time. After some time passed, he decided to take the skills he learned to start his own business. He lived in Phoenix and noticed a growing market for artificial grass, so that became his main selling point for the company.
Will’s landscape company grew rapidly due to his use of Google ad campaigning, which was almost unheard of at the time. The company grew to the point where he was able to buy a large warehouse space off the California coast to store his product. During this time, Will started doing CrossFit and wanted to utilize more of his warehouse space. However, the success of the landscape company began to decline as time went on, and Will wanted to do something different.
With the help of a friend who was a CrossFit instructor, Will started a CrossFit gym which quickly grew to include over 200 members. As his landscape company ended, Will decided to move back to Arizona and start another CrossFit gym. His new gym was not as successful at first, leading him to re-think his sales tactics and get back into running Google ads and researching sales funnels.
Slowly but surely, his gym grew to include over 400 members. Because of his success, other gym owners started asking him for advice, leading to the creation of Big Little Gyms. With Big Little Gyms, Will coaches fellow gym owners on ways they can grow their businesses, overcome obstacles and improve their overall techniques.
Since the company’s inception in 2016, Will has helped many gym owners reach their goals through mentorship, training and software. He continues to help his clients succeed and is working tirelessly to provide them with the right tools and resources to grow their gyms and membership base.
Want to work with Will? Learn more on his website, check out his podcast or keep up with him on Facebook.
What if a rocket or satellite launch became part of everyday life? Is it possible to make space boring? Jason Kanigan, a process improvement expert and space industry networker, is working on exactly that.
Jason is the founder and CEO of Cold Star Technologies. His company specializes in process engineering of space technology, data science and small business fraud prevention. Through his longtime entrepreneurial journey, Jason was able to take his wisdom and knowledge and apply it to the space industry.
Ever since he was a kid, Jason wanted to work in the space industry. While determined, he did not reach his goal until much later in life. Jason’s first taste of entrepreneurship was in copywriting. After running a successful copywriting business for a number of years, he jumped from consulting to sales to fraud detection.
Through his wide variety of experiences, he gained valuable knowledge in business, networking, processes and culture. In 2018, he started his show, the Cold Star Project, to talk to different industry leaders about the challenges of scaling a business. With over 150 episodes under his belt, Jason has met and networked with hundreds of business experts from a variety of industries.
Using his platform, he also started connecting with people in the space industry. He began learning the ins and outs of space technology and how he could use his skills to fill in some gaps. In 2016, he started Cold Star Technologies to assist space industry professionals with various issues. Jason works as a networker in the space world. Through his show and conferences, he brings industry leaders together who may not meet otherwise.
With Cold Star Technologies, he uses the term “installer” to describe his role. He helps companies install various methods to improve performance. Through his work, he helps companies detect fraud, streamline their operations and improve their processes. He also stresses the importance of workplace culture and how it is essential for management to design the culture they want to see from their team.
Jason and his expert team of engineers, marketing specialists and space industry advisors continue to work tirelessly to make space part of everyday life. Their tagline, “Make Space Boring” is the perfect way to express their work. In the future, space technology and exploration will be as mundane as driving to work or browsing the internet.
Learn more about Jason and Cold Star Technologies on their website or connect with Jason on LinkedIn.
Watch The Cold Star Project on YouTube.
Being a female entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges. What is the secret to entrepreneurial success for women? How can women-owned businesses feel empowered to keep going? Speaker, business consultant, TV show host and CEO Lea Woodford has the perfect resources for women on the go.
Lea started her entrepreneurial journey at a young age. She began investing in real estate at 18 and was working in the software industry and with a copier company. After the copier company went bankrupt, she had to figure out a way to support her children as a single mom. With her product and sales knowledge, she started her own copier business and was instantly profitable. After nine months, she sold the company and began working as a business consultant.
In addition to her business knowledge, Lea is also a media expert. She attended film school and was one of eight students in her program to graduate out of a class of 22 students. She has also worked as a TV correspondent and columnist and now hosts her own show on Amazon Prime.
In 2009, while working as a TV correspondent, Lea’s daughter approached her with an idea. She wanted her mom to inspire and empower young women to find their passion. With that idea, Lea started SmartFem Media Group in 2010, and it has been going strong ever since.
SmartFem Media Group is a digital marketing company, magazine and resource hub for the modern businesswoman. Lea offers consulting, marketing and mentoring services so her clients can stay on top of trends and grow their business. She works with entrepreneurs from a variety of industries and continues to find new ways to help her clients grow. She also hosts SmartFem TV which is available on Amazon Prime.
Connect with Lea on her website, or learn more about SmartFem’s services here.
Stay updated with Lea and SmartFem on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Are you an entrepreneur struggling to propel your business forward? Do you need a framework to guide you on a path of personal and professional growth? Business consultant, coach and author Annabelle Beckwith has the principles you need to succeed.
Annabelle has always had an eye for business, even as a child. She built her business on a lesson learned from her father. He told her to find something you love to do and make someone pay you for it. After leaving a corporate job and not knowing what to do next, Annabelle took those words to heart and started figuring out her next steps.
She started her consulting business, Yara Journeys, in the early 2000s as a way to help leaders and businesses grow in a dynamic way. Her simple, no-nonsense approach to handling business development has attracted clients from all over the world, including big names like Shell and Avon.
Her consulting business operates under her 5 Peas Framework, a set of principles designed to help business leaders discover both their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses. The principles are Personal, Purpose, People, Process and Paradigms.
Annabelle emphasizes the importance of personal growth and why it should be at the forefront of any business strategy. If you do not know your personal strengths and weaknesses, how can you surround yourself with the right people? She also acknowledges the challenges leaders face when growing a business, which is why her consulting services focus on real-time solutions and personal growth.
After over 20 years in the business world, Annabelle decided to turn her framework into a book. Get Your Peas in a Row: 5 Key Factors to Propel Your Business Forward is now an international bestseller and outlines how her principles can be applied to any business. She continues to consult with clients and offer advice on how businesses can move forward.
Book a consultation with Annabelle’s consulting business, Yara Journeys, on their website.
Learn more about Annabelle’s book on her website, which is available on Amazon.
Check out her YouTube channel for business tips and advice.
Are you an entrepreneur struggling to propel your business forward? Do you need a framework to guide you on a path of personal and professional growth? Business consultant, coach and author Annabelle Beckwith has the principles you need to succeed.
Annabelle has always had an eye for business, even as a child. She built her business on a lesson learned from her father. He told her to find something you love to do and make someone pay you for it. After leaving a corporate job and not knowing what to do next, Annabelle took those words to heart and started figuring out her next steps.
She started her consulting business, Yara Journeys, in the early 2000s as a way to help leaders and businesses grow in a dynamic way. Her simple, no-nonsense approach to handling business development has attracted clients from all over the world, including big names like Shell and Avon.
Her consulting business operates under her 5 Peas Framework, a set of principles designed to help business leaders discover both their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses. The principles are Personal, Purpose, People, Process and Paradigms.
Annabelle emphasizes the importance of personal growth and why it should be at the forefront of any business strategy. If you do not know your personal strengths and weaknesses, how can you surround yourself with the right people? She also acknowledges the challenges leaders face when growing a business, which is why her consulting services focus on real-time solutions and personal growth.
After over 20 years in the business world, Annabelle decided to turn her framework into a book. Get Your Peas in a Row: 5 Key Factors to Propel Your Business Forward is now an international bestseller and outlines how her principles can be applied to any business. She continues to consult with clients and offer advice on how businesses can move forward.
Book a consultation with Annabelle’s consulting business, Yara Journeys, on their website.
Learn more about Annabelle’s book on her website, which is available on Amazon.
Check out her YouTube channel for business tips and advice.
Podcast guest Rich DeCicco is a real estate lead generation expert. He started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of four when he started playing the drums. How does being a musician relate to real estate investing? According to Rich, it’s all about taking what you learn and applying it to your next project.
As a young musician, Rich knew he would not be paid a regular salary just from playing the drums. He was hired as an intern at a music studio in New York and eventually became part of the writing staff. He wrote commercial jingles for companies like IBM and American Express. Meanwhile, he was also producing and recording music for independent artists. During this time, he noticed that the artists he worked with had trouble with marketing and self-promotion. Rich did what he could to help them with promotion and gained a lot of insight into generating leads and marketing.
Rich eventually left the music industry to get into real estate. At the time, he was also pursuing other business ventures and decided to hire a virtual assistant. His assistant, Cece, convinced him to start a business to help real estate professionals manage their operating systems.The business has since grown and is now known as We Are Market People.
We Are Market People works to help real estate investors organize their schedules and generate better leads. Rich has a team of virtual assistants, called warriors, who help investors with daily tasks, SOP creation, schedules and more.
The warriors focus on multi-channel lead generation to put investors in contact with potential sellers. Some warriors also specialize in cold-calling and business strategy. From the company’s inception almost two years ago, Rich and Cece now have over 30 clients and are continuing to grow.
Contact Rich at rich@wearemarketingpeople.com, visit his website and check out his YouTube channel to learn more about how you can generate better leads as a real estate professional.
What is the clear path to successful entrepreneurship? Is there a clear path? How can you balance your professional and personal life? Author, speaker and CEO Alex Charfen explains how entrepreneurs can expand their business.
Like many entrepreneurs, Alex grew up feeling different from others. He was diagnosed with a variety of behavioral problems as a kid and never felt like he truly belonged. As a young adult, Alex struggled with balancing his professional and personal life. After discovering EMDR therapy in his late twenties, Alex started to see positive changes in himself and how he worked with others. The biggest change was embracing vulnerability.
Alex discovered that being vulnerable as an entrepreneur allowed him to connect with his clients and colleagues. He noticed that transparency boosted his confidence and helped him with speaking engagements.
In his twenties, Alex was running a consulting business while also investing in real estate. After losing everything during a housing market crash, Alex and his wife Cadey began teaching real estate brokers and lenders what they had learned. They soon found that they could expand their educational outreach to small businesses and started CHARFEN. CHARFEN’s mission is to empower entrepreneurs to grow their businesses beyond their expectations.
Alex is also the author of The Billionaire Code Decoded, a guide for entrepreneurs to see where they are on their journey to success and how they can grow. Through his guide, Alex continues to help business owners expand their business and eliminate the guesswork. Alex has also written articles for Sucess, Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Because of his knowledge and experience, Alex has become a go-to person for entrepreneurial success.
Alex also explains in today’s podcast the importance of routine and stability. Many entrepreneurs work hectic schedules and sometimes put aside their health for the sake of their business. He stresses the significance of establishing a morning routine and prioritizing your health through exercise, adequate sleep and proper diet. Stability and routine are keys to success and help entrepreneurs to relieve stress, stay focused and gain confidence.
Learn more about Alex and his mission on his website or tune in to his Momentum podcast. Alex is also offering a three-day momentum masterclass in October, where entrepreneurs can learn about his methods and the Billionaire Code.
Connect with Alex on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Are you struggling with your marketing strategy? Do you want to explore online advertising and not sure where to start? Pay-per-click ad campaign expert Andrew Muller is here to help entrepreneurs get the most out of their marketing budget through personalized pay-per-click campaigns.
Andrew began his online advertising career at a young age. He worked at Bing for years specializing in advertising campaigns and pay-per-click. He noticed that clients were paying a lot of money for generic advertising advice and were not getting their money’s worth. Compared to his colleagues, Andrew was putting in a lot more effort with clients. After getting laid off from Bing, Andrew decided to take the skills he learned and start his own consulting business.
While he wanted to start his own business, Andrew still had a lot of questions about how he wanted it to run. Things sped up for him after the birth of his daughter. Becoming a father made him increase his work speed exponentially. He was doing as much work as possible to maximize his revenue.
Through Andrew Muller Creative, Andrew provides services like pay-per-click campaigns, marketing strategy consulting, landing page audits and more. He is a master of market testing and utilizes his skills to optimize his client’s marketing campaigns. He works with clients from all industries and teaches them how to run a successful ad campaign.
Book a consultation with Andrew on his website or contact him through his email andrew@andrewmullercreative.com.
Are you an upcoming entrepreneur that needs advice? Do you have a side hustle to supplement your income? Today’s Business Leaders guest Tony Whatley is here to show you how you can grow your side hustle into a successful business. Known as the side hustle millionaire, Tony finds new ways for entrepreneurs to enhance their productivity and revenue.
Tony came from a working-class family and got his first taste of entrepreneurship at a young age. He started buying candy from a local convenience store and re-selling it to his friends. He also went door-to-door in his neighborhood asking to mow lawns and perform various tasks. Growing up, he saw how reliant his family was on traditional job stability and the employee mindset and he wanted to do something different.
In 2001, Tony started LS1Tech, an online forum for General Motors. LS1Tech was a side hustle for Tony while working in the oil and gas industry. By 2007, LS1Tech was the most popular online auto performance forum with over 300,000 members. Tony also has experience in contract laws and contract negotiation. In 2015, Tony decided to leave his six-figure salary job and focus on growing other businesses. He started 365 Driven to help other entrepreneurs be successful.
Host Gabe Arnold and Tony discuss the importance of getting yourself out of the traditional employee mindset of working long hours for less money. Tony believes that compressing your time and focusing on fewer tasks is a major key to success. Many entrepreneurs get bogged down in to-do lists, long working hours and task overload. Focusing on what is going to move you forward is the best way to succeed, even if that means cutting out distractions and ideas.
Through 365 Driven, Tony offers business coaching, mentorship and community involvement for up and coming entrepreneurs. He helps clients reach personal and professional goals while learning communication and leadership skills. He is also the author of the Amazon best-selling book Side Hustle Millionaire: How to Build a Side Business that Creates Financial Freedom and the host of the 365 Driven Podcast.
Learn more about Tony and his services on his:
website: https://365driven.com/
podcast: https://365driven.com/podcast/
best-selling book: https://365driven.com/book/
Keep up with Tony on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/365driven
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/365driven/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonywhatley/
Is your business struggling to succeed? Are you knee-deep in knowledge products and generic entrepreneurial guides? Today’s Business Leaders guest, Mike Young, has been there, and he has a solution for struggling entrepreneurs.
Mike was running a successful mortgage business in the early 2000s. He was a liquid millionaire, with over 200 employees and multiple offices. All of that changed in 2008, when the housing market crashed. Mike’s business was failing, and he wanted out. His partners bought him out, and he began his long entrepreneurial journey.
The journey to success was not easy for Mike. After many attempts to start a new online business, he realized that something was not working. He felt guilty, scared and depressed. Mike had a family to support and felt like a failure. He spent years going to motivational talks and conferences while buying every entrepreneur guide he could find. The next thing he knew, eight years had gone by, and he was $200,000 in debt. Something had to change.
He realized that all of the knowledge products he was buying came with generic advice that did not pertain to him. Mike wanted something personalized, so he could see why his previous businesses failed and what he could do to succeed in the future. This idea eventually blossomed into Makeover Mastery. With his digital marketing and business knowledge, Mike seeks to help entrepreneurs not make the same mistakes he did.
Through Makeover Mastery, Mike helps entrepreneurs understand why their business is struggling and how they can correct their mistakes. Instead of using generic business advice, Mike works with clients to create a personalized business plan. As a mentor, Mike helps his clients find their way to success without breaking the bank. He also assists clients with digital branding and social media.
Learn more about Mike and Makeover Mastery on his website or listen to his podcast.
Keep up with Mike on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeyoungmakeovers.biz/
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As an entrepreneur, it can be difficult to know the right way to market yourself to others. How do you get other people to understand your big idea? How do you get others to remember your idea? How do you get people to keep talking about you even after you leave a meeting? Today’s Business Leader guest, Michael Roderick, has the answers.
Michael got his first taste of entrepreneurship in high school. To help raise money for the English department, he organized a battle of the bands fundraiser. He learned basic business skills such as event management, planning, organizing and marketing. He continued these skills in college while studying English and theatre. He noticed that his fellow theatre students struggled with interviews and networking so, he helped them market themselves.
After college, Michael taught high school English and ran a theatre company in New York. During this time, he built relationships with people in Broadway and taught workshops. In just two years, Michael went from teaching high school to being a Broadway producer.
As a producer, He had to know how to market himself and the plays in his portfolio to entice investors. Michael took these skills and transferred them into his workshops to help his clients. He calls his method referable branding. His idea expanded into a full-time consulting business, Small Pond Enterprises. From the arts to the business world, Michael helps clients with networking and interviewing skills to advance their careers.
The framework behind referable branding comes from three basic principles. Accessibility, Influence and Memorability. Michael calls the framework “taking AIM”. How do you make yourself accessible to others outside of your industry? How can your idea influence others? How can you market your idea to look cool to others? How do you make people remember you and talk about you even after you leave? With the use of this framework, Michael helps clients from a variety of industries grow their brand and enhance their networking skills.
Learn more about Michael and Small Pond Enterprises by visiting his website here or listening to his podcast, Access to Anyone.
Keep up with Michael and Small Pond Enterprises on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.
Can health and fitness help you become a better entrepreneur? If your body is functioning at its highest potential, so can your mind.
As an entrepreneur, it can be easy to put aside your health for your business’ success. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.
Fitness coach, professional triathlete and entrepreneur Amir Pozderac grew up in war-ravaged Bosnia and was severely overweight compared to his peers. He tried many diets, but nothing helped him keep the weight off long term.
As he got older, Amir noticed the same patterns in others trying to lose weight with diets and weight-loss supplements. He thought, “What if there’s a better way?”.
Through his education in Pharmacy school, Amir figured out a new model that allows for long-term weight loss and muscle gain without fad diets and supplements. He now runs a nutrition and weight loss program and helps thousands of clients all over the world.
On today’s podcast, host Gabe Arnold and Amir Pozderac discuss nutrition, weight loss and other healthy practices for entrepreneurs. Learn how to go about fitness the right way and how proper diet and exercise can help you succeed.
Amir discusses how he came to health and fitness coaching and how other prospective entrepreneurs can work towards success. As Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” Amir takes this phrase to heart as he explains how simple ideas can be the most effective.
After 15 years of searching for the perfect idea, Amir finally thought of doing health and fitness coaching for entrepreneurs and ran with it! He explains how he had 100 percent clarity on this idea and he’s been dedicated to it ever since.
He helps fellow entrepreneurs reach their diet and fitness goals, so they can become more confident and successful. As a parent, Amir understands that revenue is important, but not as important as being there for your family. Amir turned this simple idea into a 6-figure income that continues to grow, and so can you!
Learn more about Amir, his mission and his fitness program on his website.
Stay up to date with Gabe’s podcast, Today’s Business Leaders by visiting his website.
Money is a universal language that everyone understands. To some, money has become their primary language, with service as secondary.
But, what if you were able to merge those two and become fluent in both languages?
Seems impossible, but it’s not.
Alex Goldfayn, a business owner and published author, began his entrepreneurial journey early. At the age of 23, Alex owned his own business managing 12 employees, all of whom were over the age of 40. His vision was clear, but had limited experience in business management at that time which made his role a challenge. Alex knew one thing, that “success isn’t linear, and the only way to make money is to sell something.” Alex focused his attention and has mastered just that.
Join host Gabe Arnold for the Today’s Business Leaders Podcast show, where guest Alex Goldfayn, shares his journey through early entrepreneurship. He also talks about the publication of his 5th book called, 5-Minute Selling, which makes its debut Monday, August 24.
This isn’t just any book, it’s the book that will get you selling in 5 minutes or less. The fastest fling you’ll ever have with a far greater return.
If you struggle with sales, or can’t stand the thought of doing it, you’ve got to tune into this podcast. Alex not only shares his experience and knowledge, but he’s offering FREE resources directly from his book to get you started early. Take 5 minutes, this is a fling that’s worth it for financial freedom!
If you’re ready for VIP access into the mind of a selling master and proven revenue enhancer - check out his website here.
If you want to stay connected with Gabe Arnold, host of Today’s Business Leaders Podcast, check out his website.
Have you ever driven across a bridge and thought to yourself, I wonder how sturdy this really is or questioned how many cars, trucks, vans or motorcycles drove across it?
Bridges are, by design, intended to connect two points that would otherwise not be accessible. Bridges create connections to help the flow of travel. They create opportunities that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience if the bridge weren’t there.
In addition to connecting two points, bridges also provide stability. The intricate detail and design of their foundational elements and structure allow bridges to carry massive amounts of weight, wear and tear without compromising its passengers’ safety.
It wasn’t until after Brea Starmer lost her job during her third month of pregnancy that she realized how the hypothetical bridge that just burned, would actually serve as a blessing to create new, stronger ones.
Known for having her office in her backyard shed, Brea is a bridge builder. She believes the future of work is flexible, just like the structure of bridges, especially those that span over bodies of water. She founded Lions + Tigers to empower professionals and enable clients through hybrid consulting engagements to achieve more flexibly.
Brea thrives off creating workplace solutions where everyone’s needs are met. She also values bridging communication gaps to create a comfortable and fearless culture.
Brea spent years working with small businesses, creating the bridges between business needs and human needs, driving for impact and growth.
She grew Jeffrey M Consulting, an on-demand talent business, from 10 consultants to 120 with $16 million in revenue after only four years.
Brea currently leads a growing business of 40+ professionals who focus on thriving, rather than surviving, in the new world of work.
If you want to see what Brea’s currently working on - check out her website.
If you want to stay connected with Gabe Arnold, host of Today’s Business Leaders Podcast, check out his website.
Have you ever questioned yourself? Have you realized that your career isn’t going how you thought it would? What if you had “the dream life, the nice cars, the big house and the “perfect” family? Imagine traveling with a private jet or using a credit card with no spending limit. On the outside, it may look like you have it all.
However, deep inside, you know something is missing.
Teddy Burriss knew this feeling all too well. He had the dream job, the dream lifestyle, got to travel the world on a private jet, but he kept falling short.
He found himself going through the motions, seeking true happiness. He knew something was missing, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly it was. When Teddy approached retirement, he knew his career wasn’t over. He still had to provide for his family and make sure the bills got paid.
At the age of 61, Teddy decided to take a leap of faith. He recognized that he was either going to age out and become a dinosaur, or he could find something to invest his valuable time into, creating a more fulfilling lifestyle.
For six months, Teddy didn’t earn a single cent. What Teddy did earn was some of the most valuable tips, tricks and business lessons. This knowledge opened the doors to his financial freedoms, and his own six figure business by becoming a master of sales and marketing on LinkedIn.
Today Teddy spends his days with clients from all walks of life, who are ready to focus their time, attention and effort into using LinkedIn for making lasting connections, friendships and unique relationships that yield a return.
If you want to step up your LinkedIn game, you should definitely listen to Today’s Business Leaders Podcast. Its host, Gabe Arnold, interviews Teddy Burriss, a LinkedIn Master, who turns relationships into real revenue.
How many times have you been worried about how you were going to provide for yourself or your family? When was the last time you stood in front of a grocery store check-out clerk, hoping your debit card read approved? Think about a time when you didn’t know if you were going to make ends meet. How did you feel? What did you think? How did you act?
Amir Pozderac experienced those unsettling moments in his life, especially while he lived in Bosnia. It wasn’t until early childhood, also during a time of war, that he realized what “survival of the fittest” truly meant. If he wanted to eat, he needed to learn how to barter, so he could make a profit. By the age of seven, Amir mastered this art, realizing his full potential. Those enlightening moments redefined to him what it meant to be “fit.”
Amir knew he wanted something more. A decade later, he graduated pharmacy school in Bosnia. He then took a leap of faith and moved away from everything he knew to explore opportunities in the United States. “I don’t believe that leaders are made, I believe they are born.” Amir settled himself in the U.S. and continued his exploration of himself, his value and his worth.
Amir Pozderac, also known as the “Alpha Entrepreneur”, decided to make his own rules. He sets the bar high because he’s walking proof of three main principles: health, relationships and finances.
Amir understands what it’s like to go without. He knows the ramifications of fad health trends and diets. After spending five years on a journey of health and fitness, he ironically gained an additional 80 pounds of unhealthy fat and weight. This is when he got his calling. This is when Amir turned his fat into a 6 figure income that continues to thrive.
Amir approaches fitness differently. He addresses the unsexy parts of the weight loss and fitness journey. His team develops life-changing lifestyle modifications to foster a mental and physical wellness approach to healthy living.
If you’re tired of feeling defeated by all the fad diets, false promises and get-fit-quick solutions, then you got to hear Amir’s story. He turned his fat into a six-figure income, with just his passion and his desire to grow, learn and weed out the false trends of health and fitness.
Join host Gabe Arnold, as he welcomes Amir Pozderac, aka the Alpha Entrepreneur, to the Today’s Business Leader’s podcast. They get really raw, and really deep about what it takes to trim the fat, not only in your body but in life.
Juliette Stapleton is a born entrepreneur. It’s evident in every word she says and every thought she expresses. Her journey towards entrepreneurship and rise to online visibility royalty was quite a ride, but she gained a wealth of experience and knowledge she now shares with others. Her successful track record working with entrepreneurs/individuals at all stages of their own journey speaks for itself, too.
Juliette had something of an epiphany in 2017 when she recognized she had abandoned her dreams and wasn’t pursuing the life she wanted. She read a testimonial article from an online coach that proved to be her wake up call. She decided that instead of working for others, she was going to work for herself.
Through personal and professional difficulties, she learned that striking out on your own as an entrepreneur means finding a comfortable, pragmatic way to figure yourself out. You will know best what that is. Once you’ve got you squared away, then it’s time to start looking for ways to help others and build strong relationships. From those relationships, your visibility and your brand will grow.
We talk a lot about the importance of self-development, and how one-on-one coaching is vital to your continuing journey and developing inspired content that grabs attention. Juliette also puts special emphasis on what she calls “Finding The Flow”, which is all about closely observing how people and concepts interact in the world around them. Look for what works and what doesn’t, and record your findings and reflections.
Finally, we wrap up our discussion by talking about the importance of facing fear, delegation, and realistic expectations. Juliette very emphatically states that to achieve great things and greater visibility, sometimes you just have to say “F*ck it! I can do this. I want this.”
Pushing past your fear takes a lot out of you, so Juliette insists you must learn to delegate draining tasks to others so you can focus on maintaining your determination and give it your all. She also reminds all of us that plans and dreams have their own time table. Things don’t happen overnight. We need to trust that we are moving in the right direction and be patient while our hard work bears fruit.
I had a great time talking with Juliette, and I hope you get a lot out of listening to this episode today. Please be sure to like, share and comment, and you can find out more about how to reach Juliette in the links below. See you next time!
You can connect with Juliette via her website, email, her personal Facebook, Social Media Visibility That Gets Clients Facebook Group, Queen of Visibility Facebook Group, or LinkedIn. Find out more about the solutions available from Business Marketing Engine. Learn more actionable advice from leading entrepreneurs by listening to more installments of Today's Business Leaders.
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Frank Mendoza shares some of his success secrets for running your own business. Frank is the owner and founder of Catalytics Consulting. After working on several startups at Dell, he got his mini MBA and formed his own company.
The Basics of a Startup
Before he could launch his business, Frank had to identify what you need from a consulting practice. He came up with four basic things:
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Leads
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A way to close leads
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An execution strategy
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Referrals
Frank needed to identify what his biggest risk was so he could mitigate it. He thought it would be closing sales at first since that was his area of least experience. However, a little more reflection revealed that leads was actually the biggest risk. Without leads, there was no opportunity to close a sale.
He had to figure out a way to create a pipeline that would always produce fresh leads. That led him to Hourly Nerd, a marketplace for independent consultants and cooperations. He was able to create a profile showcasing his skills and talents. This led him to land his first major contract.
Risk Aversion and the Entrepreneur
Frank has a significant risk aversion. He thought that it would hinder his ability to grow his business. Over time, though, he realized aversion to risk doesn’t have to be a negative thing. In fact, it can help you to be smarter about the risks you take.
“De-risk as much until you feel comfortable and don’t compare yourself to anyone else ultimately. Because what works for you may not work for other people,” Frank says. You need to identify the people who matter to you most and learn from them. This will help mitigate unnecessary risk and will also help you keep moving forward. “Figure out your core people that you trust and resonate with, and keep them close.”
What it’s All About
At Catalytics, Frank helps organizations break down and digest big data to make better decisions. He works with AI to show how data can help improve society and individuals. He’s also working on a new startup, Detecting Talent. This company focuses on helping organizations identify their top level talent employees. Then they figure out proactive ways to retain them.
Frank warns that we should always be mindful of our ego. “Being a good consultant does not mean you know how to run a good consulting firm.” Don’t be overconfident. You’re going to need help, so be willing to ask for it. Connect with Frank at his website, on Linkedin, on Instagram or by email. You can also find him at fxmendoza.com and fxmendoza.tv.
Many of our guests on this podcast are passionate about what they do, but Pam’s passion for helping people find their fire and create the authentic life they want to live is unique. We get right down to business from the start, and Pam outlines why she does what she does while telling us a bit about her life’s work.
As a spiritual life coach, Pam focuses on keeping herself and her clients balanced physically, intellectually and spiritually. Many entrepreneurs are all about the first two areas of personal wellbeing, but too often they neglect their spiritual life. You can’t have an authentic life without all three. Rather than advocating a specific spiritual path though, Pam focuses on helping clients find the path that they are most passionate about.
She started Live Authentically as a way to reach a wider audience, and to create a platform for the most important aspects of a healthy spiritual life: nothing forced is meant to be, the universe will always have your back, and do not ignore how you feel when you are going about your work and personal life. Her preferred clients are those interested in improving their health and wellness, those looking for a healthy and balanced mind/body/spirit life, and anyone struggling to put their lives back together after a setback or disappointment. For Pam, it’s all about approaching your life balance from a heart center and not just a head center.
Our conversation gets more specific at this point, especially regarding how you start the process of determining where to go with your life and where the universe is trying to take you. I like how she emphasizes the point that all of us already have the answers inside of us, and that reflection and introspection are key to building a healthy spiritual life. Pam talks about how you shouldn’t ignore intuition, and the importance of removing distractions from your life so you can connect with your intuition and go with that flow.
Pam also makes the key point that much of our lives can become consumed with distractions rather than paying attention to how we spend our time. The primary problem here for most of her clients is discovering for themselves what is recreation and what is a distraction. Losing ourselves in distractions that don’t help us connect with our intuition. Pam’s solution to this is to unplug from your life, get outside for a walk or a run, or find something else that relaxes you and frees you from the distractions that crowd your life.
We wrap up our talk for the episode with the three fundamentals that direct Pam’s mission with Live Authentically:
- Bring awareness to trust your intuition
- Trust that the universe will take care of you if you are following your intuition
- Everything turns out better than anticipated
If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to check out Pam’s website below. She also has a book coming out in a few months, so if you’re interested in learning more, I’d encourage you to give it a read. Hope you enjoy today’s podcast, and we’ll see you again soon.
You can connect with Pam via her website, email, or her podcast. Find out more about the solutions available from Business Marketing Engine. Learn more actionable advice from leading entrepreneurs.
It was great talking to Lisa Mallis again on the show. She brings a lifetime of experience, practical knowledge and strategies to help everyone get more life (not just work) out of each day. Our conversation begins with reviewing Lisa’s unique background, and it’s an interesting story.
Originally, Lisa was a classroom math teacher who loved students and teaching. Eventually, she moved on to become a school administrator and eventually an athletic director. During this time, she started Impactive Strategies as a side business and quickly realized she was an entrepreneur at heart. Lisa was and always has been an exceptional educator, but she came to the realization that “Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean that’s what you’re meant to do.”
Lisa began tutoring college students, a job that led her to become an organizer and develop many of the strategies she still uses today. It was during this time she began to realize that she wanted to be a professional organizer, not of physical space but an organizer of time. Inspired by her experiences, Lisa then began to apply what she had discovered through experience to expand and improve Impactive Strategies.
Our conversation moved on from her story to the structure of what she teaches now through capacity coaching. We discussed techniques like the 168-Hour Exercise (examining your hours in a week and how you spend them), how you want to spend your time, and setting a date to accomplish what you need to do. From there, we move on to Biological Primetime (with ideas from When by Daniel Pink) and how to leverage your mind-body connections to get more done each day.
We wrapped up with a profile of Lisa’s ideal client (Maybe you?), and discussed how Impactive Strategies evaluates the effectiveness of your plan for your time and your life.
If you enjoyed today’s episode and would like the opportunity to hear her in person, Lisa Mallis is scheduled to speak at the NAWBO conference hosted by Mike Michalowicz in Cleveland, September 2020. Give this episode a listen to learn more about maximizing the potential of each day and making the most of every moment.
You can connect with Lisa via her website, email, her personal Facebook, business Facebook or LinkedIn. Find out more about the solutions available from Business Marketing Engine. Learn more actionable advice from leading entrepreneurs by listening to more installments of Today's Business Leaders.
I start out asking Dave about how the One Funnel Away Challenge got started and why ClickFunnels has spearheaded this process. We talk about Dave’s process for creating the ideal customer to shape your client and corporate culture, and about the testing process involved. Dave recommends looking at what works in other niches and industries and emulating the best of what you find. A good idea is a good idea, and expecting to develop the best ideas in your industry on your own isn’t realistic.
At this point, we get more detail about the One Funnel Away Challenge specifically. Dave lays it out in simple language (one of the characteristics I like best about talking with him), and he gives specifics for entrepreneurs to follow for their own business. Your challenge begins with a 30-day commitment from ClickFunnels for a concentrated, focused effort to get your first funnel started. They will ensure you get at least one funnel working in that time, and they have daily accountability check-ins to help clients stay on target.
Your first week is all about establishing or discarding beliefs and overcoming the obstacles that exist in your own mind. The remaining weeks of your 30 day challenge are devoted to taking incremental actions daily. As you take action, you start to see success from your efforts as the funnel builds and feeds. Dave also shares some tips for multi-dimensional marketing, front end/back end returns, and how to understand your audience when composing marketing for SMS, email and social media. He also details the critical components of maintaining a vision of where you’re going, how to leverage network marketing, and his own secrets of ecommerce success.
I hope you enjoy this episode of our podcast, and that you benefit from Dave Woodward’s advice and tips for getting 2020 off to a successful start. Check out Dave’s website and feel free to contact him about your own One Funnel Away Challenge. See you next time! You can connect with Dave via email, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Find out more about the solutions available from Business Marketing Engine. Learn more actionable advice from leading entrepreneurs by listening to more installments of Today's Business Leaders.
On today’s episode, AmpMyContent founder Daniel Daines-Hutt discusses web traffic and conversion. Daniel is an industry expert who has discovered how to drive tons of traffic to his posts time and again. He enjoys the highest ROIs and opt-in rates in the industry, making a lot of money in the process. He not only knows what he’s talking about, but he also practices what he preaches.
Getting Back to Content Marketing Basics
There are a variety of ways to drive traffic to your website. Yet, it’s important not to neglect the foundation of online marketing: great content. “Google is always trying to get people back to the fundamentals because they have a core system that they use,” Daniel says. “They want good content.”
With an 83% opt-in rate, Daniel seems to be onto something. Add more keywords, insert definitive calls to action and consistently promote valuable posts. Magical things start happening when you do.
The Future of Content Marketing and SEO
While quality content is crucial, you shouldn't ignore other channels of promotion altogether. Invest in Google Ads and build links to get the most out of your asset. Daniel relates, “A really easy way to get a backlink is on a resource page. So if someone says, ‘here’s the best articles about paid ads.' Then you have an article about that and you tell them...it’s a good article and they check it out, there’s a really high chance that they’ll put it on there.”
Video’s Effect on Content Marketing
Daniel acknowledges that video has become a huge venue, and it can be worth utilizing. Even so, it’s not something everyone should feel pressured to master. If you can create quality videos to complement your content, then great. Put it in your content and be sure you are doing good video SEO. But don’t get so pressured to produce video that your content begins to suffer. “If you’re trying to do too many things, then you won’t go deep enough in any of them,” he warns.
Perfect Your Craft and Your Strategy
Daniel is a believer in working smart. “Going out and promoting content that doesn’t convert doesn’t make sense. So improve the content first.” Once you’ve perfected the content, start using all the different channels together to increase traffic. After that, patience is a virtue.
Daniel offers this advice: “You have to treat content marketing like farming. Like, you won’t see a result right away, but you’re going to take the time to put in the effort because eventually, it will pay off.” You can connect with Daniel via email, his website, or on Twitter. Find out more about the solutions available from Business Marketing Engine. Learn more actionable advice from leading entrepreneurs by listening to more installments of T
Today’s podcast episode presents a conversation between Gabe Arnold and Wally Carmichael. Carmichael is a shot-from-the hip entrepreneur who can help your business see fantastic results. Keep listening to learn about all the helpful information Mr. Carmichael provides. Mr. Carmichael provides.
The Mindset of Abundance
Of course, anyone who sets out down the entrepreneurial trail wants to be successful. The first key to attaining that goal is to start with the mindset of abundance. This idea is similar to the military outlook of always improving your foxhole. Since you are going to be spending a lot of time in one place, you need to be active and productive by continually fortifying it and improving it. You can accomplish this by continuing to do things that add value to other people as well as yourself.
Moving From Struggling to Abundance
To move from a place where you are struggling to a place where you have abundance, you need to start with mindset and perspective. First, put yourself into the mindset that abundance is not about money, it’s about resources, which include your connections, relationships, spiritual connections, health and anything else important to you as well as paying all of that forward. Then, you need to be brave enough to break out of the mold that everyone else is working from. You can’t just be good at offering the product or service you have. You need to be good at the business end, too. Plus, always keep in mind that your business not only provides a service for your customers, you are also providing a service to yourself.
Changing the Scarcity Mindset
It is easy to adopt an attitude of holding onto things and not wanting to squander anything. With this mindset also comes the attitude that if you give something then something is expected in return. This mindset can be inborn from a culture or learned from a family situation. But, if you have that mindset from any origin, you need to break out of it. The first step in changing that way of thinking is by changing the language you use. Keep in mind that this change cannot happen overnight. It takes time and effort. Try journaling, making a conscious effort to correct your word choices and incorporate your new vocabulary into your vernacular and writing the words you should be using on sticky notes so you can access them at all times. Consistently employing these tricks will help you change the words you use and ultimately your mindset.
Hayk Tadevosyan returns to Today’s Business Leaders to offer invaluable insight on what it takes to start and run a successful business. He came to the US with his father in 2001 in search of the American Dream. At the age of 18, Hayk seized the opportunity to break into the insurance industry. Today, he is the top producing agent out of six states in the Pacific Northwest. He has also written a powerful book: The Power of Mindset.
Hard Work and Tenacity go a Long Way
Hayk's father often stated, “nothing substitutes good old fashioned hard work." This principal fueled a grueling nine-month internship as an insurance agent. It would also lay the foundation for a successful business a short time later.
Gaining 2,000 prospects in that short amount of time seemed near impossible, but Hayk had sheer determination. He learned the two most powerful words in marketing: free and save. He started to implement that language during his calls. As some people rejected his proposal, he began looking forward to 10 “no’s.” He knew that there eventually would be 10 “yes’s” as well.
Embracing the Seasons of Business
Hayk understood businesses take hard work at first, but he also knew that intensity shouldn't last forever. “First you work for your business, right? And then your business starts working for you,” Hayk says. He found that a certain amount of effort yields a certain amount of results. You figure out what level that is and then do it.
You don’t want to be running everything sunup till sundown the rest of your life, though. In the first 1-2 year season of business you have to. But when the season changes, you begin training your team on how to do what you do. In essence, you replicate yourself. This season lasts for years 2-4, and then after that, you should be able to step away without worrying.
Looking to the Future
Hayk plans to stay involved in his now successful business. He is enjoying more free time to be with his family and write more books. You can contact Hayk by email, through his website or via social media at Instagram or Facebook. His book, The Power of Mindset, is now available on Amazon. Find out more about the solutions available from
When Nathaniel Fraser was a teenager, he had a bit of an epiphany. He had dropped out of high school and was working at a steam cleaning company, and he was selling weed on the side. It didn’t take long for him to realize that making money through marijuana was a lot more engaging and fulfilling than his job.
Fortunately, Nathan didn’t immediately turn into a drug kingpin - instead, he decided to start a business. However, being a teenager without a lot of formal education meant that he went to the school of hard knocks instead of an accredited university.
Nathan’s first venture was a record label at 19. Producing music was fun, but it wasn’t the kind of work that vibed with his entrepreneurial spirit He ran it into the ground. Next was a t-shirt company. He ran that into the ground.
After that, Nathan’s third business was a software program where people could put graffiti on a cake. This idea had initial success, but he soon found himself with a product that he couldn’t sell. Again, he had an “aha” moment; selling is the key to being a successful entrepreneur.
Once Nathan recognized where his path was going to lead, he got into sales copywriting, and now he’s in a much better place than his initial failures would necessarily dictate.
Copywriting and the Sales Process
During his experience in shifting towards a sales mentality, Nathaniel realized that there were some vital questions he wasn’t asking himself before, such as:
- What about this product or service will make people want to buy it?
- If people aren’t buying something, why is that the case?
- Why am I trying to sell something that no one wants to buy?
- Who else is selling this, and what kind of experiences or issues is that business having?
As an entrepreneur, it’s often too easy to get excited about your new idea, but the fact is that you need to prove it’s sellable before you should invest any money into it. After all, it doesn’t matter how cool or slick your ad campaign is - what matters is whether anyone will buy the product.
Other Highlights From Nathaniel
Being an entrepreneur and failing forward is a much better teacher than most sales or business classes. Here are some gems that Nathan offered during our discussion.
- Education is more than a classroom. The modern education system isn’t built to teach students; it’s to create a receptive and domesticated workforce.
- You control your life. Other people may try to tell you how to live, but in the end, you’re the one who has to live with your decisions, so don’t let anyone else make them for you.
- Work for yourself and your interests. When you let clients or customers dictate the terms of your business, you are doomed to fail.
That last part also influences how Nathaniel works. As a copywriter, he writes for his own companies and other clients. However, he’d much rather develop and produce for himself than his clients. Currently, he writes a lot of sales and landing pages, and h
Janis Pettit makes her second visit to Today’s Business Leaders to talk about how CEOs can both help and sabotage their businesses. During her 30 years of being an entrepreneur, Janis has run four successful companies. She has employed a whole lot of trial and error, but she has always come out on top and learned so much actionable advice along the way.
You Can’t Get Away from Yourself
Janis shares a common adage about how business problems are always well disguised personal problems. A lot of the problem’s entrepreneurs face are really just personal issues. “I think all entrepreneurs have a certain amount of fear that steers them in the wrong direction one time or another,” Janis explains. “Once you develop a certain level of self-awareness, and you see that for what it is, it’s just fear that’s holding you back, everything changes and you’re able to push through that and make the right decisions for your business.”
Attachment Issues
Janis has seen plenty of entrepreneurs who fall in love with a bad idea. They become too emotionally attached to this idea, and they fail to realize or acknowledge that maybe their idea isn’t that great. Simple research would indicate there isn’t a need or demand for their idea, and there are actually other business plans and ideas that would be a better fit, but they make up their mind and go for it.
This is self-sabotage. A certain level of detachment is necessary, so entrepreneurs are able to be free to new possibilities in their business. Through personal growth and focus, entrepreneurs can connect with who they are in their heart, and they can stop putting on a show for other people.
Enjoying the Freedom of Entrepreneurship
Janis goes on to explain more about working from the inside out to build relationships, the value of self-reflection and how this all relates back to growing your business. Get in touch with Janis through email, visit her site, connect on
Donnie Boivin spent 20 years in sales, and an offhand comment made him realize it was time for a change. It turns out he was not at all prepared for that change, but he figured out what worked and continued to learn and is now running a successful coaching business and is at the helm of a top podcast. Donnie visits Today’s Business Leaders to share his story, lots of actionable advice and his plans to launch a new podcast.
Being His Own Boss
Donnie worked in sales, and he was good at it, but he realized he worked his entire career enabling someone else to retire. This pushed Donnie to become an entrepreneur, and one of the first things he learned on this journey was that everything he thought he knew about being an entrepreneur was wrong.
“When I made the jump, I kept trying to create a job for myself versus a business,” explains Donnie. He was always an employee and reporting to someone else, so while he had leadership skills, it was still an adjustment to being his own boss. At a certain point, Donnie was all in personally and professionally and was on the verge of losing it all.
The Role of Podcasting
After a motivational pep talk from his wife, Donnie knew he had to turn things around. He agreed to be a guest on a podcast, and this single event altered his path going forward. After appearing on that podcast, he landed a client, so he managed to get himself on every podcast he possibly could. Donnie appeared on 67 podcasts over a 30-day period. It was intense and a grind, but he did it.
This led to Donnie creating his own podcast, Donnie Success Champions. The entire experience has been complete trial and error. He started out with very basic equipment, and over time, Donnie has upgraded his gear and fine-tuned the process to create a top 200 podcast. He is now speaking about podcasting and is able to grow his business. “[Podcasting] got me to where I wanted to go, it just wasn’t the path I was choosing,” says Donnie.
Stay Connected
Get in touch with Donnie via email or visit his website. Connect on
Gabe’s long-time mentor Brian Kurtz visits Today’s Business Leaders to share his take on competition and collaboration, why it is important to deserve the money you earn and more actionable advice. Brian started out as a list manager working in the direct mailing industry. Today, Brian continues to put the lessons he learned earlier in his career to good use.
The Value of 100-0
Brian realized that while he was good at what he did, and he was finding success, there were probably other list managers out there who knew different things and were also good at their jobs. He knew that if he could connect with these people, it would be possible to share ideas and collaborate so everyone could learn and incorporate some of this knowledge into how they worked going forward. This notion of collaborating instead of competing has defined how Brian works.
“It’s amazing how the people who think they’ve got it all and think they got it dialed in and they better not share it with anybody are generally the ones that don’t last,” Brian explains. “The ones who share, last.” Brian shares the concept of 100-0. Sharing information doesn’t need to be an even split, and collaborating isn’t about keeping score. Sharing is about helping others, putting positive energy into the air and doing your best.
Develop Relationships
While the medium of communication has changed, Brian continues to take his lists very seriously. He advises against treating contact lists with a one-size-fits-all approach but to instead treat the people on your lists like people. Build and develop relationships. This practice takes time, but the revenue will come. "Every time you press send, make it mean something," says Brian. Take your time, because going in for the kill too soon can end the relationship and cost you the sale.
Looking at Lifetime Value
Check out Brian’s book, Overdeliver to learn more about his mentors. Get in touch with Brian through email, visit his website or catch up on LinkedIn or Facebook.
After eight years of finding success as an entrepreneur, things took a turn for Mary Cravets in 2018. For the first time, her income went down. The amount wasn’t staggering, but Mary found it shocking to be so far along and still hit this hurdle. Mary shares her experience, as well as the lessons learned and lots more actionable advice during her return visit to Today’s Business Leaders.
The Value of Momentum
Mary was convinced she had to invest in a specific strategy to grow her business. She never had time to implement this plan, so she hired someone to help, and the end result was a complete disaster. The strategy didn’t work, and while Mary was able to recoup some of her investment, her momentum took a major hit. “There was all of this loss of momentum because I was not doing the things that did work and that had worked,” explains Mary.
Trusting Your Instincts
Mary now understands that the warning signs were there when she embarked on her unsuccessful endeavor, but she didn't pay attention. “When you hire someone, if you’ve got a part of you that is going, ‘this doesn’t feel quite right,’ you need to listen to that. There are a lot of experts out there, so pick one that is totally aligned,” advises Mary.
Using the Right Language
Mary and Gabe discuss the importance of doing things your own way but using foundational knowledge to implement a strategy. It’s important to be yourself, but in order to connect with your clients and help them, you need to communicate in a way they understand. These days, Mary credits empathy with making her a better entrepreneur.
Learn All the Answers
Reach out to Mary on email, Facebook and Twitter or visit her site. Check out Breakthrough Call for a direct appointment with one of her team strategists or More Clients Less Marketing for a free webinar that is packed with tips to simplify your client generation. You can also learn more about Business Marketing Engine, and the solutions and pick up actionable advice.
Tim Petrey is a serial entrepreneur who not only built his own successful business but also helps fellow entrepreneurs do the same. As a CPA, Tim understands the importance of managing the details, and he also knows that there is value in doing what you know how to do and understanding when to outsource certain tasks. During this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Tim shares this knowledge, along with more actionable advice.
Finding Balance
Tim was fortunate to find a mentor in his first boss, Harold. Through this mentorship, Tim learned the importance of hard work and finding balance in his life. Tim and Harold even went on to become business partners, and 10 years later the business is going strong and continues to grow each year. This growth is due largely to the talented team Tim has assembled and the culture they have built.
“What we’re doing isn’t just about [growing each year],” Tim explains. “What we’re doing is about trying to create an environment that people want to work in. They want to work here, and they love their job. When you interact with everyone on my team, you don’t get a grumpy person. You don’t get someone who hates showing up to work every day. You get someone who likes being here, and that shows.”
Understanding the Value of Employees
Tim often sees entrepreneurs just starting out who want to hire great talent but are concerned about the cost. It’s important to spend money correctly, and you want to fairly compensate people for what they do. Good employees are never a bad investment, explains Tim. You will not lose money by hiring a good staff. At the same time, it’s also important to let people go if things are just not working out. It’s not always easy, but sometimes letting people go can be the best thing for everyone involved. sometimes letting people go can be the best thing for everyone involved.
Find a Good Partner
Reach out to Tim via email, visit his sites HP Davis or White Glove Payroll and catch up on LinkedIn
David Wolf makes a return visit to Today’s Business Leaders to share the direction he is taking his business since he last appeared on the show, how to effectively build a podcast audience, why he decided to give back and more.
Playing with Emotions
David has long helmed a successful podcast, and he helps others do the same with his business, Podcast & Radio. When building an audience, David explains everything basically comes down to love and hate. Playing on cheap emotions, like fear and hate will trigger people and garner attention. However, this is not an effective long-term plan. Constantly barraging your listeners with fear will burn them out. “How we make people feel,” David explains, “is ultimately more important than what we know and what we do for them.” Bringing people into your environment and sharing the emotional side of the spectrum provides value and converts sales.
Conscious Capitalism
After listening to Howard Shultz speak, David was inspired to give back. He donates about 10 percent of the revenue from his podcast to RIP Medical Debt. This organization, started by former debt collectors, works to erase medical debt which is a leading cause of bankruptcy for many Americans. After meeting the founder, David was inspired to help, so each month he makes a donation. Giving as little as $100 can clear up to $100,000 in medical debt, making this a worthwhile way to do some social good.
Through this endeavor, David has figured out how to engineer conscious capitalism into his business. He is finding a balance between doing good and having a positive impact while also using his actions as a marketing technique.
Taking Things to the Next Level
In the last 6-8 months, David has experienced a conscious shift in his business. He is pulling back from the day-to-day work in order to grow his business. This is hard because his personal service is part of what makes his business unique. David still finds delegating a challenge, even though he has a solid team. However, he is learning as he progresses through this transition and has faith that he is working with the right people.
Learn More
Reach out to David via
Marisa Cali is back to share more actionable advice based on her own experience as an entrepreneur for this installment of Today’s Business Leaders. Find out how her New Year’s resolution turned into a social media marketing windfall and what micro-influencers can do for your business.
Evolution of the Fancy Mini Newsletter
Marisa is a social media strategist and owner of All the Social. This past New Year’s Day, she found herself contemplating how to create true evergreen content. She puts out lots of content, but she wanted to share something different than just a blog post. Marisa also wanted something that would last and be relevant for a longer period of time.
This led to the creation of what Marisa has dubbed the fancy mini newsletter. Marisa uses InDesign to create client proposals, and she’s found a lot of success with this presentation. She decided to take this concept and create something visually appealing and informative that could be shared with her followers. What resulted was essentially a newsletter, but better.
2019 Predictions
Marisa has found a tremendous level of success with her initial fancy mini newsletter which covers what to expect in social media for this year.
1. The emergence of the Micro-Influencer
“I think that businesses should start looking into micro-influencers,” Marisa explains. “I think a micro-influencer is something more niched down. Someone that has a lot of influence in their small circle. Someone that can make true, quality connections and their opinion is trusted.”
2. Focus on the Customer
Influencing goes both ways. Consumers can build up a brand by showing support, but they can also take down a brand if they have a bad experience. “You’re always going to
have someone who is not going to like what you have and not mesh with you. But the people that do? Invest in those people,” says Marisa.
3. Use Video to Serve Your Audience
Putting video to work for your brand helps listeners engage with your brand. When watching a video, consumers can hear the words and the tone, see body language and gain a deeper understanding while developing a connection with you and your brand.
Learn More
Learn more about what Marisa can do for your business by visiting her business page,
After years of working as a freelance designer and brander, James Gaffney decided it was time to start his own business. While this was a major decision, it was minor compared to the change James later decided to introduce into his life. James recently took the time to talk with Gabe about his entrepreneurial experiences, the value of resetting his life, branding versus a brand, and more.
Becoming an Entrepreneur
James admits that while working as a freelancer was liberating and freeing in many regards, it ultimately held him back. He started thinking about what he wanted to achieve in his life and what his legacy would look like, and he decided it was time to establish his business, Blue Dozen Design. “This is my legacy,” James explains. “What I am building is what I will leave behind. I didn’t want the thing that I leave behind to be lame and boring, and like everything that else everyone is leaving behind. I wanted it to be authentic and a little bit crazy at times, but that’s me.”
Life Reset
After realizing he wasn’t happy with the overall status of his life, James decided it was time to start over. He and his wife made the choice to load up their family in an RV and travel the country. This life reset came about because neither James nor his wife were happy with trying to manage the expectations of others. This was placing a strain on their relationship and impacting their family, so it was time for a change.
Leaving his old life behind gave James the freedom to be himself and do what he wants to do. This ultimately brought him closer to his wife and drastically improved his relationship with his kids while bringing the entire family closer together.
Bet on Yourself
While many people would likely consider the decisions to reset their life unconventional, this makes completely perfect sense to James. “If something is not working for you, what are you doing?” James asks. “Why do you continue to get up and do it again and again and again if you hate it? If it’s not working perfectly, why not blow it up and start over again? What’s the worst that can happen? You have to go back to your old life?
But what’s the best that can happen? You fix everything, and everything is awesome.”
Taking the Leap
Get in touch with James via email, visit his
Jaime Jay returns to Today’s Business Leaders to talk about how things have changed in the past year, what he would do differently if he had it all to do over again, how Gabe’s influence has impacted his business and what the future holds.
Maintaining Focus
These days Jaime is fully focusing on his business, Bottleneck Virtual Assistants. Last time he visited the show, Jaime was in transition. He was in the process of letting go of one business in order to go full in on his new company, Bottleneck Virtual Assistants. While Jaime felt this was the right decision, it was still frightening to let go of the financial security that his initial business offered.
Fine-Tuning the Process
As he has set up his new business, Jaime has learned firsthand that getting the right processes in place makes the day-to-day operations so much easier. “Implementing all of these different things and getting the company set up correctly is a big deal. I’ve had plenty of time to fail and fall flat on my face and say sure, let’s just do this and worry about setting everything up later,” explains Jaime, “and that came back to bite me so hard.” With the advantage of hindsight, Jaime admits that had he taken the time to set up his first business correctly, then things would have run so much more smoothly.
Team Effort
Jaime believes that establishing and taking care of his team is pivotal to the success of his business. His team takes care of their clients, so the right team ensures clients are happy and receiving quality service which keeps the business strong.
One of the best ways to take care of his team, Jaime feels, is to improve communication. Listening to feedback from team members and clients enables Jaime and his team to adjust their systems and processes to ensure everyone’s needs are addressed.
Help Your Bottom Line
Reach out to Jaime through email, Facebook, LinkedIn or check out his site to learn more about Bottleneck Virtual Assistants. Also, listen to find out how you can land a great deal by adding a virtual assistant to your team. You can also visit Business Marketing Engine, Gabe’s company, to find out more about the
Daniel Daines-Hutt essentially became an entrepreneur because he didn’t want to move. This turned out to be a wise and profitable decision as Daniel explains in this episode of Today’s Business Leaders. From designing t-shirts to mastering content creation strategies, Daniel has had an educational and unexpected journey.
Finding His Way
Daniel is from England but ended up spending a working holiday in New Zealand. He wanted to stay in New Zealand, but due to visa issues, he was going to have to leave. When he discovered that he could stay on if he became an entrepreneur, Daniel formulated a plan.
Daniel’s first business was designing and selling t-shirts. His online marketing efforts proved highly effective, and the business grew to the point that Daniel and his partner were having trouble keeping up.
Finding a Better Way
People began to notice just how effective Daniel’s marketing strategies were, so requests for help poured in. Daniel took this opportunity to change things up. He sold the t-shirt business and began helping people promote their businesses through content marketing. He maintains two blogs. One focuses on content promotion and writing and the second addresses re-targeting.
Learning by Doing
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” explains Daniel, “and that’s how I’ve learned the smart things.” Through continued work and effort, it is possible to figure out how to create content or do whatever you set out to do. Once you have this knowledge, you can replicate the process and quickly and easily do what needs to happen going forward.
Balancing Act
Daniel thinks it is necessary to measure praise and criticism about the same. Listening to too much of either can throw you off course. It’s also important to find people worth following and pay attention to who you're letting influence you. Pick and choose who you look to for inspiration. It may be worthwhile to find different influencers for different aspects of your business.
Learn How to Master Hacks
Reach out to Daniel through email, Twitter or visit his company’s site. Learn more about the
Ben Matteucci is back to share more actionable advice that can help you navigate both business and personal relationships. From his days working door-to-door sales, up through running his own business, Ben learned the value of reading body language. Ben and Gabe share what they’ve both learned along the way to help make sense of people’s actions and behaviors and how this knowledge can help grow your business.
Learning on the Go
Ben was first introduced to the concept of body language while working in sales. He was required to read about interpreting body language in order to better communicate with prospective clients. Figuring how what signals people were giving, from their tone and how they positioned themselves and so on, in addition to what they were actually saying, gave Ben insight into what they really meant.
Getting Through Smokescreens
Ben used what he learned about interpreting body language to quickly tailor his strategy to fit each individual’s needs and perspective and help close sales. Based on the success he found and general interest, Ben continued to study and read up on body language in order to learn more and grow his skill. This is a skill Ben is still fine-tuning, but it has helped him in both his business and personal life.
Taking Things to the Next Level
While body language provides excellent insight into how people genuinely feel, reading and understanding movements can also improve communication. Ben and Gabe understand this firsthand, and both explain how they have used body language to mirror a client or business associate in order to put the other person at ease and help forge a bond. People want to be liked and feel connected, so by using body language to make a connection, it is possible to quickly establish a rapport with a client and being to develop trust.
Learn More
Reach out to Ben through email or social media or visit his website. Pick up more actionable advice for business and listen to other episodes of Today’s Business Leaders. Find o
Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in the relatively small community of the U.S. Virgin Islands taught Pia Larson how to sell products and services from a young age. “I knew that I could control my destiny and make as much money as I wanted from as far back as I could remember,” explains Pia. That still holds true today, as Pia is now Chief Imagination Officer of Fingerprint Marketing. Find out how Pia’s childhood ambitions led to a corporate career that eventually brought her back to her entrepreneurial roots in this installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
Finding Her Way
Pia worked in corporate jobs for 15 years and just couldn’t stand it. She wasn’t afforded the opportunity to be creative and innovative in her work, and it wore on her. After being laid off, Pia fully intended to get another corporate gig but ended up doing work for some of her old clients. This eye-opening experience taught Pia about the value of trust. Pia learned on the fly and taught herself everything from graphic design to social media marketing in order to best serve her growing client list.
Living the Dream
Pia’s favorite thing to do is help clients dream. As a naturally creative individual, Pia shares her vision with clients to help them understand what is possible. Incidentally, while her clients are all great at what they do, many are not creative. By introducing this new perspective, Pia helps her clients to dream big and take their business further.
All of this is possible because of trust. Pia explains, “Trust is what helped me grow the business and trust in my team and provide trust to my clients.” Her initial clients came to her because of trust, and they stayed with her and recommended her business because of this trust.
Stay Connected
Reach out to Pia via email, check out Fingerprint Marketing’s site, LinkedIn, Facebook
Pam Savino is the founder and owner of Live Authentically, a life-coaching business. She always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur, but she wasn't sure what direction to go until she learned how to harness the power of her thoughts and follow her purpose.
Learning How to Navigate Situations
Pam has always been spiritual, and always felt a pull to help others. Her journey has been a natural progression, but she didn’t always realize that at the time. Today, Pam is using her gift and honing her skills to help others learn how to deal with whatever unique circumstances they face to live their best lives.
“The reality is that we have the power, we have the mindset to control this and to navigate this any way we want to, so we can make the choice,” explains Pam. “Do we want to subscribe to societal norms? Or do we want to consciously set the mindset that I can create this to work anyway I want it to.”
Finding Your New Reality
Pam has learned to live in an energetic state, maintain an open mind and look for the clues and cues put out by the universe. As a life coach, Pam helps her clients learn how to become an observer in their reality and to get in tune with what their gut is telling them. “The more authentic we are and the more real we are with ourselves and each other, the more everybody benefits,” Pam says.
Releasing Control
Pam has a long history with spirituality, and she draws on this when making decisions regarding her own life and helping clients. The universe has a plan for you, and if you try to stick to your own agenda and fight this plan, you’ll end up losing out. Pam suggests shifting to the passenger seat and enjoying the ride.
Learn How to Live Authentically
Reach out to Pam via email, Social Media or her site. Find out what Gabe’s company, Business Marketing Engine is about and how they can help. Learn more actionable advice straight from leading entrepreneurs by listening to other episodes of Today's Business Leaders.
Landon Porter, the self-proclaimed sales gorilla, is back to share more actionable advice on Today’s Business Leaders. Learn more about why Landon walked away from a very profitable sales career to do things his way and how he is helping other entrepreneurs take charge and learn how to make decisions based on value.
Working with the Right People
Landon literally woke up one day and realized it was time for a change. The first thing he wanted to change was the group of people he chose to be around. “If I don’t like the people that I’m spending my time with, obviously that’s going to affect the rest of my life,” Landon explains.
“Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. A lot of people don’t agree with that, and that’s fine. If you’re one of those people who think take the money and deal with the headache and whatever, hey whatever floats your boat,” Landon goes on to say. “I’m not here to change your mind. I’m just here to say, if you don’t like what you have to deal with after you close somebody then maybe it’s because they’re the wrong people.”
Measuring Success
Many people get caught up in equating success and happiness to money. People strive to obtain money, but that doesn’t always lead to happiness. Landon understands this firsthand. Success can and should be measured in a lot of ways outside of the revenue numbers. Just because your revenue goes up, there is no guarantee your happiness will follow that trend.
Leveraging Relationships
When he struck out on his own, Landon only worked with people with whom he connected. Ultimately, these are the relationships that last and deliver value both personally and professionally. This value-based take on business enabled Landon and his partners to independently do what they excel at, and they all benefited from the partnership.
These days, Landon is helping entrepreneurs learn how to build and leverage relationships to grow their business with the most important relationship being the one people have with themselves.
Learn How to Value Who You Are
Reach out to Landon through email, Facebook or visit his site. Find out what Gabe's company is about and the solutions offered. You can also learn more actionable entrepreneurial advice by listening to other episodes of Today's Business Leaders.
As a teenager, Scott Lucas knew he wanted to do his own thing. He saw his single-mother struggle, so he decided to help himself. He knew he could do things on his own, be a leader and be self-sufficient. This understanding and mindset has led him to continue to do his own thing as an adult and Scott now runs his own business: Scott Lucas Strategies.
The Value of Honesty
Scott thinks honesty is a fundamental aspect of business and sales. “I wish people would be more honest as an entrepreneur. Tell them straight up. It’s really easy to sell the sexiness and the hype. When you sell that you kind of lie to [clients],” Scott explains. Being upfront and honest is a more effective sales strategy that leads to satisfied customers and can help lay the foundation of a strong and viable business.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Scott explains that being an entrepreneur is rewarding if you are smart about how you do things. There is value to hard work, but hard work doesn’t always lead to success. Working smart will lead to success.
Find what you are good at and focus on that. Trying to work your way through something you are not good at or don’t understand will prove to be an inefficient use of time and can end up costing you more than time. Outsourcing difficult tasks, whether that be IT, accounting, implementing processes or anything else can be a smart use of resources and help grow your business.
Finding a Solution
Scott explains how bartering can be a great way to outsource work if money is tight. Offering skills or services in exchange for other services, access or something other than money enables entrepreneurs to work together and help each other with their unique skills.
Find Your Strategy
Get in touch with Scott through email, his personal and business Facebook, LinkedIn, or visit his site. Find out more about Business Ma
Dave Woodward has always felt like he was an entrepreneur. However, he wasn’t always on that course, and at one point he was slated to attend medical school. Dave felt that he didn’t fit the mold of what his parents wanted for him. Luckily for Dave, his family and entrepreneurs everywhere, Dave bailed on medical school the week before he was supposed to start, followed his instinct and did things his way.
Being His Own Boss
Dave didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he knew he wanted to have a family and he wanted to be able to spend as much time with them as possible. “I started off actually in the insurance business; employee benefits and things in that area. That’s kind of where I first got my start in terms of being my own boss. I never looked back, and I’ve really never had a job. At this point, I’m probably completely unemployable. Nobody would hire me,” Dave explains. Today, Dave is a partner and the Chief Business Development Officer of Click Funnels.
Side Hustles and the American Dream
Through his work at Click Funnels, Dave sees firsthand how both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs work together and change the world. Entrepreneurs and business owners are the only people who will ever change the world. Dave believes business is what moves this country and brings about change, and the people who start and operate businesses will drive that change and live the American dream.
Importance of Culture
One of the major driving forces behind the success of Click Funnels is the culture. Dave and the rest of the Click Funnels team made it a point to hire skilled and talented ‘A’ players who are motivated and buy into the vision. This has set the tone for a supportive and collaborative company culture that not only contributes to the success of Click Funnels, but also helps build up their customers and makes the world a better place.
A Software Company That Strives to Be More
Get in touch with Dave via email, LinkedIn,
Brad Milford didn’t always know what he was looking for, but he gained total clarity when he eventually found it. As the founder of Build Brilliance LLC, Brad uses his experience to meet clients on their level and help them achieve their goals. Brad took time out of his busy schedule to talk with Gabe about his journey, how he found what he was looking for and how he helps other entrepreneurs find their version of success.
Early Years
Brad fostered entrepreneurial tendencies as a child. He collected bottles, delivered newspapers and held various other jobs before launching his own landscaping business, which he later sold. Brad didn’t yet understand it, but he was looking for something. This desire to find something he didn’t yet understand caused him to join the Navy and pursue his dream to travel. While in the Navy, Brad learned a lot and had some great experiences. He also had his fair share of frightening experiences, but when he left after serving six years, he was ready for the next chapter in his adventure.
Understanding the Drive
Most entrepreneurs are on a quest for money and power, but this is not the foundation for success. Brad is a self-proclaimed deep thinker, and this has led him to understand what ultimately motivates entrepreneurs and what pushes them forward. Many small business owners do not understand their brilliance, but when you realize what you are searching for, it is easier to reach this goal.
Finding Your Brilliance
Brad named his business Build Brilliance LLC, and through his company, he coaches entrepreneurs to success. Brilliance is a term that can mean different things to different people, but Brad has his own understanding of what brilliance means to him. “Brilliance is something we carry inside us,” explains Brad. “Some people call it purpose, but I have very specific and true beliefs about chasing purpose. I think there are a lot of people out there chasing it. I don’t think it’s something you find. It’s something that you design, create and know. I tend to help people be able to do that in their lives.”
Understand Your Brilliance
Learn more about Brad’s platform for business by getting in touch through email, Facebook, LinkedIn,
While in grade school, Wally Carmichael realized he was an entrepreneur. Even while he was in the military, he still found ways to put his entrepreneurial tendencies to work. After Wally realized he was, in fact, living his dream, he decided to work on a book which led him on a journey of abundance. Wally recently spoke Gabe on Today’s Business Leaders.
Finding a Better Way
Wally grew up near Phoenix, and while he had wonderful parents, life was always a bit of a struggle. His uncle suggested that he join the military, and it took some time for Wally to come around to this idea, but it ended up completely changing the course of his life. The military gave Wally structure, leadership and mentorship. These are all skills Wally continues to use to this day. After 25 years in the military, Wally left and officially started his career as an entrepreneur. As Wally explains, “It’s been a crazy, crazy life. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot. I messed up a lot. I failed a lot, and I think that’s why I’m where I’m at today.”
Realizing the Dream
Wally was always working and chasing down new ideas and looking for ways to increase his bottom line. One day he realized that he already had everything he wanted. He was living his dream. At this point, he decided to be grateful and appreciate his current situation, and once he came to that conclusion more came into his life in terms of relationships and opportunities.
Life of Abundance
One thing led to another, and Wally found himself hosting a podcast in which he talks to amazing people from all walks of life, from multi-millionaires to people paying things forward and more really intriguing people leading fascinating journeys. Wally is using the stories he collects to write a book. Wally also has a coaching business and helps entrepreneurs navigate their way.
Learn More
Get in touch with Wally via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, and check out the
Terry Ogburn started his company to help small businesses take over and grow into being the backbone of the country. Terry has had a vast career and has gained tons of actionable advice along the way. During his first appearance on Today’s Business Leaders, Terry covered how he got to the point of opening his consulting business. In this episode, he delves into how he helps small business owners and entrepreneurs.
The Value of Systems
Terry uses metrics and a variety of other indicators to help his clients grow their businesses, and for good reason. Terry believes small business owners are the future. “I started my company helping small businesses, small entrepreneurs and little companies because I believe these are the people that are going to turn this country around. They have always been the backbone of our country. I think we got pushed away a little bit, and now it’s time to come back together and really take over like we should,” explains Terry.
How to Harness a Performa
Bookkeeping is important for businesses of all sizes, but it is particularly important for small businesses. For growing companies, it is often necessary to get a weekly glance at cash flow to gauge the health of the business. Terry has his clients use a performa, which is a complete forecast, including revenue coming in, cost of goods, expenses and more. A performa works on a weekly basis and provides accurate and up-to-date data to help steer decisions and ensure the larger financial and growth plans are on track.
How to Become a Sales Consultant
Terry instills the need for a long-term plan and mindset when helping his clients. He makes the distinction between a salesperson and a sale consultant. A salesperson has commission on his or her mind, while a consultant is focused on repeat business. This repeat business will sustain and carry a business. Terry reiterates his mantra: find them, keep them and get them to spend more money.
Learn How to Be Outstanding
Terry covers so much more ground, from his take on the art of the deal, the need for a comprehensive business plan, and the four things to work on during any project. Reach out to Terry via email, LinkedIn, his <
Brian Basilico started to hone his entrepreneurial tendencies when he was young, and many career changes and technology evolutions later, he is still going strong. His business, B2B Interactive Marketing, is celebrating 17 years as a company. Brian recently took the time to chat with Gabe about his journey, why it is important to know your space, the foundation of his system, and more actionable advice.
Doing Things His Way
Working for others never really worked out, so Brian started his own marketing company in 2001. Through this business, Brian helps companies set up their online strategy to convert sales. “People talk about how to make a million dollars with Facebook ads, how to make a million dollars on Instagram, how to make a million dollars here. It’s not that hard. It’s like wherever your audience is hanging out, just talk to them,” Brian explains.
All About Principles
As an entrepreneur, Brian had to learn how to do everything. Learning these basic business principles from accounting to marketing practices has helped carry his business. Brian also explains the importance of knowing what space you are in and understanding how to play. Platforms evolve, and technology is always changing, so as an online marketer, it is important to know how trends change and to evolve your business and your strategy right along with them.
Building a Strong Foundation
Brian shares his foundation for marketing success. Business can succeed through having a website, utilizing Google analytics and creating great content. Once this foundation is established, it’s important to create quality content and deliver the content via social media.
Create Your Strategy
Learn more about Brian’s business, B2B Interactive Marketing, and find out how they can help your company. Check out his book, The Bacon System, and get in touch with Brian through email, Facebook, <
Kyle Lipton has enjoyed an awesome journey, but there’s still more to come for this up-and-coming entrepreneur. He started by handing out discount tickets to get into clubs, and now he’s coaching business leaders and helping people overcome their fears in order to find success.
Learning on the Go Kyle dropped out of college for a great job opportunity and transitioned from one job to another. Along the way, he learned about business and entrepreneurism. A podcast interview series that never launched led to a job as an assistant, and from there Kyle stumbled into coaching.
Finding What is Possible and Real The first time Kyle ended up coaching, he immediately felt a moment of emptiness. While feeling empty usually has negative connotations, in this instance, it was different, and Kyle felt positive and powerful. “When I say emptiness, I say more it’s a feeling of, ‘I gave everything that was in my tank.’ Whatever was inside of me that I wanted to express, is out,” explains Kyle. He soon realized that coaching is his talent and gift and that’s what he wanted to do.
Since then, Kyle hasn’t looked back, and he now coaches business leaders and creates content. He is also looking into other opportunities because Kyle feels he has more he needs to get out.
How to Help Kyle likes to work with clients who are ready to take a leap into their own clarity. During this leap, Kyle supports clients and helps them navigate their way. By helping clients slow down and tune in to who they are and what they are afraid of and why, he can help them overcome their fears and change their view. When people are willing to risk that fear, they can move beyond it.
Learn How to Navigate the Leap Get in touch with Kyle through email, Facebook, Instagram or visit his website to learn more about his coaching business. Check out the
As a child, Aaron Muller began a business catching shrimp. While this business venture wasn’t the most profitable and possibly had a negative impact on public health, this was his introduction to entrepreneurship. Since then, Aaron has learned a lot and has tried his hand at running a variety of businesses. These days Aaron owns several businesses, including a business brokerage and a successful consulting academy. Aaron took the time to talk about his experiences with business, his tips for spotting a good deal when buying a company and more.
Learning on the Fly Aaron has always worked, and as he finished high school, he knew college wasn’t for him. Instead, Aaron purchased a retail business and ran it for several years. During this time, he learned a lot about running a business. Aaron ended up selling a profitable business he was tired of in order to help bail out the failing retail business, and invest in a new business. A business broker helped guide him through these transactions, and this set Aaron on the path to starting his own business brokerage.
Time Management Aaron explains what a typical work week looks like and how much time he dedicates to his various businesses. “When I’m growing a business, when I’m actually in that growth mode then I’m in that business a lot more. I’ll spend that time and energy right there, but I’m not going to do the day-to-day management stuff if I don’t need to. I hire people to do that,” explains Aaron.
Of all of the businesses he currently owns, Aaron started one and purchased the rest. Based on his own experiences, Aaron recommends working on a business every day for a full year in order to set that business up for success. It is also pivotal to make sure your staff is on board with the culture.
Building a Business That Runs Without You Find out more about Aaron’s book and his academy, Lifestyle Business Owner, and get in touch through email, Instagram,
Mary Cravets is a very impatient person, and this trait has pushed her to continually move forward and find something better. This trait has even pushed her to start her own business. Mary started out as a realtor and tried her hand at direct sales before launching her own VA business, which she eventually left to become a business advisor. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Mary shares her journey and experiences and explains the one thing that can quickly kill a business.
Trusting Her Instinct While running her VA business, Mary found herself continually at odds with her clients. Customers would request something, and Mary would offer advice about a better solution or strategy to achieve their objective. More often than not, the customers would essentially ignore her input, and tell her just to do what they wanted. Mary assumed that as business owners, her clients knew what they were doing, so she didn't question them further. In most instances, Mary was right and had her customers heeded her advice, they would have benefited.
Building a Business on Values After finding inspiration at a conference, Mary quit her job and started working as a business advisor. The experience was terrifying, but self-affirming at the same time. A key to creating a successful business is building that business around your values, explains Mary. In her case, Mary prioritizes:
- Freedom to do what she wants to do both personally and professionally.
- Do work that makes an impact on people’s lives.
- Work on a variety of jobs for different clients to ward off boredom.
Learning to Balance Values “The problem with just going on your values is that people sometimes stop there,” explains Mary. “There’s another piece, which that is you have to have a structure for profitability; otherwise, you’re just a bleeding heart hippie, like I used to be, and broke. It’s about being very intentional about the internal and strategic pieces. It’s a real marriage, and when you get to that point when something isn’t fitting you can either change when it’s a little uncomfortable, or you can wait until it’s burned you out and it’s burned itself to the ground,” says Mary.
Learn How to Challenge Your Comfort Zone Learn more by visiting Mary’s
For many years, David Jardine was able to identify what he did not want to do before eventually, he found what he was interested in and passionate about. David shares his journey and his experiences, as well as his thoughts on theology with Gabe for this most recent episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Finding His Way Out of high school, David ended up landing a job manufacturing parts for potbelly stoves. The work was extremely monotonous, and after a few short hours, David realized this wasn’t what he wanted. He stuck it out for several weeks before he just couldn’t do it anymore, and then he left to go to university.
After completing three years of school, David realized his options were limited. He could go on to teach, or he could try his luck at being an artist. He decided to reinvent himself once again, and he enrolled in a community college where he learned to program. Four months in, David had learned how to create a basic webpage. At this point, he reached out to Mel Emory, who ran a direct marketing company. David explained to Mel that he was working with dated technology and a website would be a more effective way to reach customers.
Learning About Direct Marketing David spent the next two years mentoring under Mel Emory to learn about direct marketing. However, David put his own spin on things and integrated this new knowledge with what he had already learned about programming. David later went on to found Red Fez Studios, a social media marketing firm.
The Role of Theology David and Gabe discuss the divine and the role of God from tribal societies through today’s modern culture. David explains that he believes God is omniscient, omnipresent and omni powerful, and by understanding the nature of God, you can then understand the nature of reality.
Stay Connected Connect with David through email, LinkedIn or visit his site. Check out Gabe’s company,
Erin Pheil never had a groundbreaking moment hustling candy as a child or a desire to be her own boss that lead her to become an entrepreneur, but here she is. Upon entering the workforce, Erin had no luck landing a job, so she took her degree in digital media, and in 2002 she started her own agency. As Erin explains, “I realized nobody is hiring me. I can do so much better than all of them. I’m just gonna do this myself. It wasn’t this long drive that I always knew. I just decided I was going to do this.”
From the Golden Age to the Black Period The agency took off, and business was growing each year. Despite this success, Erin constantly had this nagging thought that something was missing. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she knew there was something more. Everything was turned upside down in 2015. The agency suffered a negative SEO attack, and Erin’s health began to deteriorate.
None of the medical professionals Erin visited were able to figure out the problem. Erin came full circle and decided to fix things on her own like she did in 2002 when she started her digital agency. She started helping friends and colleagues on the side because it was fun. This fun side project lead her to the creation of MindFix, her new business.
Using Entrepreneurship to Solve a Problem Erin conducted significant research and drew on a passion in psychology to begin to understand how to help herself. She was then able to take this process and use it to help others. Erin identified that sometimes people have the skill, ability and commitment to succeed, but they may be missing one piece that is holding them back. Through Mind Fix, Erin helps people identify and resolve the piece, or pieces, holding them back.
Learn How to Clear Your Mental Lens Connect with Erin through email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or her
Jessica Olbin loves chaos and figuring out how to put the pieces together to create something great. This personality trait, along with her vast knowledge, experience and confidence put her on an entrepreneurial path towards success. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Jessica shares her story and loads of actionable advice.
Finding Her Purpose Jessica’s journey did not start out with entrepreneurial aspirations. “I was in corporate America for a good 15 years. I was a general manager, managing employees, business, multimillion-dollar businesses, and I hated my life. It was ridiculous, and I couldn’t be me. I had to be someone else, and that was okay. I was successful,” Jessica explains. After the birth of her daughter, Jessica took the opportunity to make her exit and became a stay-at-home mom. About six months into her new normal, she realized something was missing from her life. Jessica enjoyed being a mom, but she had all of these skills that she wasn’t able to use. A fateful massage changed everything.
Learning How to Flourish After receiving an amazing massage, Jessica couldn’t understand how her massage therapist was not more successful. She realized he didn’t have the necessary exposure, and this was something she had to ability to help him with, so she did. That was the start of her consulting firm, Flourish, LLC. Since then, Jessica has gone on to help other business leaders take their companies to the next level.
Helping Businesses Scale In her role as a consultant, Jessica provides insight and helps businesses figure out what to do next. “As entrepreneurs, we do, and then we fix later,” says Jessica. All too often, as businesses grow, operations and procedures do not always fall into place. This can be due to insufficient accountability or simply an inexperienced business leader not having the insight to understand how to properly scale the business. Jessica identifies the unique challenges of the business and the individual and helps formulate a plan to move forward.
Passion for Success Connect with Jessica through email, Facebook or visit her
From music to bagels to helming a successful podcast, David Wolf has run a variety of vastly different businesses. Along the way, he has learned a lot, and he recently shared his entrepreneurial story with his old friend and fellow podcaster, Gabe, in this latest installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
Trial by Fire
David ran a music company before deciding to completely change course and work at a bakery run by his family. By the time David started working at the family bagel business, the company was in a dire state and had declared bankruptcy. David helped the business navigate through bankruptcy court and worked to turn things around.
While there was some level of success, ultimately David reached the end of the line with the bagel business. After eight years, with no money left to invest into the business, David filed bankruptcy and started the search for his next adventure.
Small Biz America
David realized he had all of this experience from his time running the bagel business, and he decided to put his knowledge to use and start a podcast. “I decided that I needed to go back to what I know and I have credibility in, which broadly speaking is in the audio production world, and apply it with this business knowledge or this business curiosity that I developed through not only starting and crashing and burning a small business, but also talking to a lot of people,” explains David.
Human Mind Creating
Find out the eBook that helped David learn about business, the danger of overbuilding, the value of starting with the right model and more as David chats with Gabe. Reach out to David via email or LinkedIn or check out his site. You can find out more about Gabe’s company, Business Marketing Engine
Jesse Miller realized as a teenager that he was wired differently from everyone else and he wanted to do things his way and be a business owner. During a recent interview, Jesse explains how he turned his traumatic early childhood experiences into motivation to move forward and drive him to where he is today.
Born to be an Entrepreneur Early in his career, Jesse held several jobs, and at each, he worked directly with the business owners. Through this experience, Jesse learned firsthand the ins and outs of running a business. “I looked at that theme, and it was always that I was working directly with a business owner and I got to understand what makes a business work and what makes a business fail. That, in a nutshell, is what got me to where I am today,” Jesse explains.
Simple Concept Jesse took the leap and bought an existing business in 2005. In one year, he doubled the business. He admits this took a lot of hard work, but more importantly, he focused on the simple stuff, and he realized the simple stuff is what trips most people up.
Learning to Engage in What Matters This lead to the creation of Integrity Entreprises, Jesse’s consulting business to help business leaders learn how to change how they engage with their business in order to improve their quality of life, and by default their business. Jesse provides tips to help business leaders stay focused:
- Determine what you want and work towards that goal.
- Make time to disengage yourself from your business and come back to the mission.
Drive Business Development Jesse’s advice may seem counterintuitive, but eliminating distractions by focusing on a goal and sometimes taking a step back can help business leaders refocus their efforts and find their enthusiasm. Learn more about Jesse’s business, Integrity Entreprises
Les Cowie has had a long and varied career, and along the way, he has learned many valuable lessons in entrepreneurship. He spoke to Gabe about these lessons and his experiences for this most recent episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Starting Out
In his late twenties, Les had a great job, and things were going really well. A family tragedy changed this momentum, and Les moved his wife and children out of Johannesburg. As per his wife’s suggestion, Les took the skill and knowledge he had from his previous job and got into multimedia training. Les learned a lot during this first go at video training, and he was able to perfect the process going forward. At this point, Les learned what he deems the first lesson of entrepreneurship: build it once, sell it many times over.
Stay True to Your Calling
Throughout his career, Les continued to learn more lessons about entrepreneurship. As he changed jobs and continents, Les found new ways to assetize his products to build his business. He also soon realized that cash flow allowed him to do many things, and investing some of that cash in assets that aligned with his company allowed him to increase profits.
Getting More with Less
Les followed up on another suggestion from his late wife and wrote a few books based on his knowledge and experience. One of those books, 7 Steps for Employees to Be Successful Quickly, features loads of actionable advice. Each step, from analyzing your environment to learning how to look for symptoms of a problem before things escalate can help employees but are also applicable to entrepreneurs.
Learn More
Get in touch with Les through email or LinkedIn. Connect with his consulting firm through Facebook or
Eric Schudiske took everything he learned during the 12 years he worked as a reporter and launched his own public relations firm. He shares his story, along with plenty of actionable and valuable advice with Gabe for this installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
Crossing the Finish Line
Looking back, Eric is able to make connections between his job as a reporter and being an entrepreneur. In both instances, he had to deliver, but now he delivers for himself, instead of a boss. When working as an employee or an entrepreneur, there are deadlines that one way or another, must be met. Whether it is making his slot as a reporter, or helping his clients tell their story, failure is not an option. “You have a finish line and you’re going to cross it even if you have to drag everyone across with you. Having that mindset translated well into what I do now,” Eric explains.
Following Passion
Eric’s career led him to working at a PR firm, but it wasn’t where he wanted to be. When an opportunity to go out on his own came up, Eric took it, and that was the start of S2S PR. Through his agency, Eric and his team help translate complex technologies into compelling stories. Eric explains how passion is a driving force at his agency, and when he has a connection to his work, it elevates the end result.
The Power of Storytelling
Authentic storytelling generates awareness, and the S2S PR team understands how to connect their clients to the right media outlets to effectively communicate their story. Eric shares actionable advice covering a variety of topics from how to get press, the value of testimonials, how often to follow up and more.
Learn How to Activate Influencers
Send an email to Eric, connect on LinkedIn or visit the S2S PR site if you’re interested in learning more. Learn more about the
After being let go from a job, Marisa Cali was essentially forced into entrepreneurship, and several years later she wouldn’t have it any other way. For this installment of Today’s Business Leaders, Marisa talks to Gabe about mistakes she made early on, how she responds when she receives ‘no’ as an answer, the value of referrals and more.
Prioritizing Creative Time
Initially, Marisa was so caught up in working for her clients that she neglected her own marketing. She has now learned the importance of working on her own business and allowing herself the time she needs to be creative. “If you’re a creative person, it’s good to have that time [to create]. I think entrepreneurs are naturally creative, and sometimes our best ideas come to us at the most random times, so it’s good for us to make sure we fulfill that part of our being,” explains Marisa.
Finding Her Niche
Marisa was drawn to social media marketing and shortly landed a job handling the social accounts for a local soccer team. During her tenure with the team, she learned a lot and gained a ton of valuable experience. When this venture came to a natural end, Marisa realized it was time to focus on her business, All the Social. There have certainly been challenges along the way, but Marisa has made tremendous strides and is building her business, connecting with people and learning the value of maintaining relationships.
Let’s Collaborate
Listen to the full episode to find out more about Marisa’s journey. You can connect with her via email, Twitter, LinkedIn or by visiting her site. You can also learn about the solutions offered through Gabe’s business
After working a corporate job, Ian Healey realized he actually didn’t want everything he had been working towards. He was sitting in a cubicle and miserable, so it was time for a change. In this installment of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe chats with Ian about the draw of positive energy, the benefits of shifting perspective, why you need to just show up and more.
California Dreaming
Ian realized he is too creative to sit in a box and do whatever he was told to do, so he picked up and moved to California with friends. After arriving, Ian realized the energy in California breeds creativity and collaboration. Ian has learned to balance his new dreamy California lifestyle with his hustle work ethic. Since settling in on the West Coast, Ian has started several businesses, but he is passionate about one in particular.
Getting Back What You Put Out
Ian has worked with mentors and gained valuable insight that has helped him learn and grow. He even points out that he is still learning and Ian plans to always keep that mentality. He is now helping others to learn how to follow their gut and emotions and find fulfillment. “The world doesn’t need any more sheep. The world needs people who are happy,” Ian explains. Ian doesn’t see himself as a coach, but as more of an artist who helps others live their dreams.
The Mind, Body, Soul Connection
Often, people attract negative experiences through their own actions. Ian explains how to tune into your intuition and harness a positive energy through yoga and meditation. Sitting with yourself and spending time with your thoughts helps you learn to deal with negative issues and trust your emotional compass.
Learn More
Connect with Ian through email or Instagram. Pick up more tips and actionable advice from other entrepreneurs by checking out earlier episodes of Today’s Business Leaders. You can also learn more about
Danny Veiga wasn’t always sure what he wanted to do for a living, but he knew he wanted to work for himself. He went from being a self-declared job junkie, working 22 jobs between the ages of 16 - 22, to now running his own agency and helping others through a series of courses and coaching.
Learning from Experiences
Danny tried his hand at a variety of work-from-home jobs and began to pick up freelance web design jobs. He didn’t always enjoy the work, but he gained lots of valuable experience, and the exposure these jobs gave him has served him well with his own business.
Finding the Reward in Risk
A series of family setbacks and a couple of cross-country moves caused Danny to lose all his clients on more than one occasion. However, he hustled and worked and always rebuilt. When Danny realized it was time for a change, he took the arguably risky move of dropping his clients to start over. “Most people don’t want to take those risks, but those risks are going to allow you to propel your business in whatever direction you want to go,” says Danny.
Enjoying the Entrepreneur Hustle
Danny quit web design and started diving into Facebook ads and Internet marketing. When people began asking questions and wanted to learn more, he started a group, and it grew over time. These days, Danny is running a successful agency, offering courses and coaching.
Navigating the Valley
Danny refers to the low moments when he lost clients and had nothing, as his valley moments. Every time he encountered a setback, he worked and hustled and rebuilt his client base or launched a new career. Danny explains, “It was a risk I was willing to take, and it’s really been the best decision I have ever made. Really, just to follow what I envisioned for the future of my family.”
**Get Connected** Visit Danny’s site or get in touch through email or
Ben Matteucci started a successful marketing agency and is now making it on his own terms. He recently spoke to Gabe about how he navigated his way into entrepreneurship, the reward of planning a successful event, the three E’s of creating quality video content and more, for this episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Finding a Better Way
Ben was working his way up in a successful job, but he decided he wanted to be in control of his destiny, so he quit his job and started selling door-to-door. Through this adventure, Ben learned a lot about sales and himself, and this simple act of quitting his job put him on a path towards success. “I was tired of spending my time to make money, so I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing, and there wasn’t really an opportunity for growth. I didn’t want to go to school - I didn’t have any passion for it. I wanted to go and make money the way I wanted to do it, which was selling,” Ben explains.
Creating Opportunity
While recovering from an accident, Ben was unable to knock on doors, so he had to come up with a new plan to make money. Ben realized his good friend excelled at online sales, while Ben aced in-person sales. This was the start of their business, Zima Marketing. By merging these skills, Ben and his team are able to help businesses promote their brand and grow their businesses.
Actionable Advice to Land Clients
From the value of targeted advertising and the absolute necessity of having content that resonates with your audience, Ben shares his strategy to land clients. The right ad in front of the right buyer needs the right content to close the deal. Otherwise, the ad will fail. Targeting people is useless if the content isn’t quality.
Learn More
Learn more about Zima Marketing and get in touch with Ben through email, Instagram, LinkedIn or
Jeet Banerjee is back to share more actionable advice and in-depth information about his entrepreneurial journey for this latest installment of Today’s Business Leaders. Jeet was featured in an earlier episode and shared a broad overview of his career to date. This go around, Jeet focuses more on the process of launching a company.
Riding High on Success
By age 21, Jeet had launched several successful businesses which were generating revenue, and he even sold one of these businesses. When his next idea came around, Jeet decided that instead of playing things cautiously, fleshing out his client profile and bootstrapping his budget, he would go all in and invest $50,000 to get his venture started. “I was very lucky, and I was riding that cloud of being successful and achieving this stuff. I had just sold a company prior to starting this one, so I had a good amount of cash, and I just felt cocky and arrogant, and I thought anything I touched I could make happen,” Jeet explains.
Finding Value in Failure
This particular endeavor did not work out, and unfortunately, Jeet did not realize this until he had invested significant time and money. Jeet takes away two major lessons from this experience.
- Never take shortcuts when launching a business. Had Jeet started small and taken the time to research his idea and ask his prospective clients about his concept, he would have learned there was no market.
- Slow down and don’t get emotional.
Accessing and Analyzing Data
These days, Jeet understands and appreciates the value of data, particularly during the planning stages of a new business. Jeet crafts very specific questions and routinely finds creative methods to survey the target demographic. “You have to find a place where your audience is most approachable,” Jeet advises.
Turning Idols into Rivals
Catch the full episode to learn which book changed Jeet’s perspective, the level of detail necessary to create a client profile, the role of social media on the millennial generation and more. Get in touch with Jeet through
Upon reflecting on when he knew he was an entrepreneur, Akbar Sheikh joked that he was brainwashed by his father into becoming an entrepreneur. The way of the entrepreneur is the only way he knew, so he was destined to take that path. During a recent chat with Gabe, Akbar reflects on his entry into entrepreneurship and shares some very insightful comments along with plenty of actionable advice for this episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Finding His Way
One of the reasons Akbar became an entrepreneur is because after applying everywhere, he could never get a job. He owned a car dealership for a while and eventually found his way helping other entrepreneurs scale their businesses. He now understands that in order to succeed at business you need to feel passionate about that business. “You have to enjoy the business you are in. I think a lot of people give up on it because they are in the wrong business,” says Akbar.
Control Your Circle of Influence
With so much noise, it can be hard to know who to let in and who to listen to, because this level of influence can greatly impact your mental and physical wellbeing, as well as your business. Akbar goes on to explain that you should surround yourself with people you like. Every social media platform is inherently good, but it depends on how you are using it. Consciously choosing how you use it will influence your life. “As entrepreneurs, we are artists, and our canvas is our head, it is our mind, and it needs to be clean and clear for us to produce, have momentum and to create. These ears and eyes are gateways to your brain,” Akbar explains.
Benefits of Daily Reflection
Every night, Akbar reflects on his day, and he credits this with keeping him focused. He examines what is right, what is wrong, and what he can improve. He also writes down three things he wants to accomplish the next day. This simple exercise eliminates distractions and allows him to keep moving his business forward. Learn more by visiting Akbar’s site or get in through email
While in college, Scott Theaman was introduced to network marketing and this experience opened his eyes to entrepreneurship. For the next two years, as Scott sold energy drinks, he learned a lot about sales and met many great people. After school, Scott moved on to other forms of sales before eventually landing to Internet marketing. Scott shares his story, along with loads of actionable advice with Gabe for this episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Manifesting Success
Scott always wanted to be successful, and he has continually worked hard and learned from his experiences to make his own success. After walking away from a lucrative network marketing model, in which Scott had 1,100 distributors, he moved on to selling solar panels and ended up selling water filtration systems. During this time, Scott was able to fine-tune his sales skills. However, he noticed several friends who were using online marketing to boost their sales.
The Pull of Internet Marketing
At this time, Scott was unfamiliar with Internet marketing. He was working hard, but not getting the same results and the same quantity of leads others were pulling in. Scott decided to find out what it was all about and learn Internet marketing. What followed was a lot of trial and error, but he came out of the experience much more knowledgeable and ready to put his newfound skills to use.
Launching His Business
The pivotal moment for Scott came when he signed his first client. A chiropractor friend was interested in growing her business but didn’t really understand Internet marketing. Scott was able to help his friend grow her business, and by default, began to grow his own. He now specializes in using Internet marketing to assist companies in the medical field. Scott currently has ten clients who are learning firsthand about the value he delivers.
A Desire to Help People
Scott has always had a strong desire to help people,
For many years Amy Smith juggled two drastically different jobs: her ‘real’ job as a nurse and a side gig designing websites. For ten years she was caught between both, and while she liked her nursing job, she was passionate about design. At the beginning of the year, she decided it was finally time to take her design job fulltime, and she hasn’t looked back since.
The Struggle is Real
Amy enjoyed photography, but her mother insisted she take the more traditional path of going to school and earning a degree, so she did. Amy earned a degree and worked as a nurse. All along, on the side, she continued to work on photography and got into design. For many years, Amy struggled with the decision to leave her job and focus exclusively on her side gig, partly due to guilt that she was going against her mother’s wishes. Amy also worried about the prudence of basically throwing away her nursing training and certification in order to pursue a field in which she had no formal education. Amy has not regretted the decision to take her design business fulltime. She has been able to grow and expand her business, Skill Space, and has learned a lot along the way.
Getting What You Pay For
These days, Amy is embracing the entrepreneurial dream and building relationships with her clients. Amy discusses the pitfalls of work for hire sites, the basics of design, the importance of transferring ownership of her work to her clients and what she considers to be absolutely the worst designed websites. Amy delves deeper into how to determine what to charge clients and more actionable advice she has learned while on her journey.
Build Your Biz
Visit the Skill Space site, contact Amy through email, Twitter, Facebook or check out the
After working several corporate jobs, Jaime Jay decided it was time for a change and that the entrepreneurial lifestyle was the way to go. Since then, Jaime has launched several successful businesses and is even on the verge of closing one down in order to pursue more profitable opportunities.
For this installment of Today’s Business Leaders, Jaime speaks with Gabe about the gut-wrenching decision to close down a business, the acronym he uses to concentrate and how to unravel the mystery around knowing when to hire staff.
Finding His Way
Jaime started out selling golf balls and lemonade as a kid. As a young adult, he got off the entrepreneurial track, only to get back on after working 12 years in various corporate jobs. Ultimately, Jaime likes being his own boss and making his own decisions, so there was an appeal to becoming an entrepreneur.
Becoming a Great Leader
Most entrepreneurs do everything themselves in the beginning. Identifying when to hire staff and even how to go about finding the right staff is a challenge. Jaime shares some realizations and tips he has learned to grow your team and ensure your team delivers. It is important to craft expectations so work is done to your specifications and eventually, your staff will improve the process and make things better.
Staying Focused
A major challenge Jaime faced while running four businesses was the drain on his time and energy. This caused Jaime to create the acronym FOCUSS, which stands for Finding Opportunities through Clear and Uninterrupted Strategy Sessions. Simply taking a couple minutes to think about something and concentrate on one thing allows Jaime to get a hold of the situation and create an awesome solution.
Knowing When to Let Go
Jaime is currently in the process of shutting down one of his businesses for the purpose of further expanding his other endeavors. This decision has weighed on Jaime, and he shares how he came to this difficult decision and how he is working through the process of letting go. Listen to the full episode or hear earlier episodes. Reach out
Jeremy Slate has run a gamut of diverse jobs on his journey to becoming an entrepreneur. He started out teaching high school, sold life insurance, worked as a personal trainer and even sold products on Amazon before landing a role with a marketing firm. At that point, everything just came together, and Jeremy has been able to find his niche and entrepreneurial success.
Learning About Entrepreneurship
In 2013, Jeremy’s wife introduced him to a network marketing opportunity. That didn’t work out, but he was exposed to the concept of entrepreneurship. This set Jeremy on a path that eventually led to partnering with a friend at a marketing firm.
While working as the CMO at a marketing firm, Jeremy hit his stride. It didn’t take long before Jeremy jumped into podcasting. These days, through his business, Command Your Brand, Jeremy helps fellow entrepreneurs tell their story through podcasting. He has merged a storytelling process with an email sequence and opt-ins to help clients expand the reach of their brands.
Embracing the Role of Entrepreneur
Jeremy reminisces about his journey and the progression from employee to entrepreneur. “We don’t like (the job) we have now, so we create something better, and as entrepreneurs, we’re like the ultimate artists. We can build things, and I think that’s where it comes from - that creativity,” explains Jeremy.
Building Relationships
Through his business, Jeremy is able to help clients reach their goals. By starting with the end in mind, he can help clients get where they want to go. By being real and authentic and building relationships with clients, entrepreneurs can provide value and an emotional connection. As Jeremy put it, “An entrepreneur is looking to enable others to help them build something.”
Stay Connected
If you’re interested in finding out how Jeremy and his team can help you advance your entrepreneurial career, then get in touch via email,
Stacey Howe-Lott is back on the show to speak with Gabe about how to empower people to empower others. Catch up on Stacey’s earlier episode to learn how her business helping students came about, and pick up some real-world advice. Stick with this episode to learn how to structure your talks or speeches to empower your listeners.
Finding Cupcakes
Stacey became involved with Seth Godin’s altMBA program and this lead to the creation of a teach-and-learn program, with Stacey spearheading helping people learn to make the most of these talks. When the notion of planning an in-person event came up, Stacey was there and scheduled to be the first person to speak. Her talk centered around cupcakes but it soon became a much larger message.
Lead with Action
Whether you are speaking at an industry event or giving a sales pitch, understanding how to lead people into action is a valuable skill that just may lead to world domination. It is important to filter things down and keep things simple, so your listeners are left with a manageable and easy-to-do list that will get them closer to their goal. “The burden is always on the audience, and I think we need to flip the burden. The burden should not be on me as the learner. You’re the expert,“ Stacey explains.
Putting These Skills to Use
Instead of investing time and money into marketing, invest those resources into making your products or services so easy to use that your customers will recommend your company to their network. All of this can be achieved by changing your focus and figuring out what your audience needs and how to get your audience one step closer to their goal.
Hear More Actionable Advice
Listen to the full episode to find out why learning styles is a myth, how delivery methods is the most important aspect and find out about the Story Brand book. Get in touch with Stacey through email or Facebook or visit her
Curran Alvarez found himself in the unemployment office at 22-years-old and thought, “What am I doing here?” After some soul-searching and a chance encounter with a coworker who would later become his wife, Curran found his way and began his entrepreneurial journey.
“That’s when my entire life shifted, and I was introduced to this crazy thing called network marketing,” Curran explains. Curran shares his story, along with lots of useful and actionable advice with Gabe for this episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Finding His Way
Curran struggled to find his way and make ends meet, and he eventually ended up taking the leap and becoming an entrepreneur. The decision was ultimately very easy for him because he believed in the product he was selling.
How to do Network Marketing Right
Based on his own very successful experiences, Curran is able to narrow down the basic steps to launching a successful network marketing business.
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Don't be distracted by the marketing that's out there. There is no instant gratification, and you must shift from an employee mindset to an entrepreneur mindset. The entrepreneur lifestyle may require you to work a lot before you get paid.
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Belief in what you have and in yourself. If you do not believe in what you are doing, then people will see through this, and you will not succeed.
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Put your ego down and listen to people who have done this before you. Figuring things out on your own can be time-consuming, and you may not learn everything you need to know.
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Pick one coach or mentor to guide you on your way. Figure out where you need to be and find a coach or mentor who can get you there. When you arrive at your destination figure out your next goal and find a new mentor to help you get there.
Finding Fulfillment and Giving Back
These days Curran is enjoying life, working on his own terms and helping others learn how to do the same. Find out how Curran helps people see the bigg
Most entrepreneurs either know right away that they want to be their own boss, or they work a job and quickly realize they don’t want to work for someone else. Liz Pifko falls into this second group. After working at a large law firm for six years, Liz wasn’t feeling challenged. She quickly determined she needed to get out and do her own thing. Liz recently shared her experiences around becoming an entrepreneur along with useful legal tips around forming a business with Gabe for an episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
Calculated Move
Instead of jumping right in once she decided to start her own business, Liz took a more calculated approach. She spent the next two years learning everything she could. Law school taught her how to be an attorney, but she didn’t learn about marketing or business, and these are skills she knew she would need on her own. After eight years with a firm, Liz packed it in and said goodbye.
Learning to Accept the Mindset Shift
Running your own business can be stressful and challenging, and worrying about everything accomplishes nothing. Liz learned to go with the flow and accept things all while continuing to look for solutions as needed. “Once I accepted that there will be times things will be hard, and I will face situations where I’m not going to know what I need to do, but I can figure it out. Once I got comfortable with that sort of unknown and trusting myself to figure things out, things started working out,” Liz explained.
Common Pitfalls
These days, Liz is practicing general business law, and she has lots of useful advice for fellow entrepreneurs looking to start their own business. First and foremost is business formation. Failure to properly structure your business can leave your personal assets vulnerable if action is taken against your business. Entrepreneurs just starting out make plenty of mistakes, so taking the steps to properly setup your business ensures you will not lose everything if there is a problem.
Actionable Legal Advice
Listen to the full episode to hear more about Liz’s story and learn about the value of contracts, letters of intent and more. Reach out to Liz through email,
He didn’t realize it right away, but Jeff Hunter has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He grew up surrounded by his parent’s computer store and learned early on that being his own boss afforded a variety of perks he simply would not find working a corporate gig. Jeff is the latest entrepreneurial phenom to share his journey and experiences with Gabe for this installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
Learning to Outsource
Jeff always had an interest in computers and IT, and this led him to work as a project manager in a major corporation. He had his breakthrough idea when he began outsourcing specific tasks to virtual assistants. By unloading the menial, but still completely necessary functions related to his job, Jeff was able to refocus his efforts and make tremendous strides with his work.
Launching His Business
Jeff saw an opportunity in connecting entrepreneurs with talented and skilled virtual assistants. At the same time, his corporate bosses were not too thrilled with the amount of time he was spending on his new venture. This led to the launch of Jeff’s business, VA Staffers.
Many U.S.-based entrepreneurs need help, but cannot afford to pay U.S.-based assistants. However, in many countries, the cost of living is significantly less, so U.S.-based entrepreneurs can afford to bring on the help they desperately need when they tap into a foreign workforce. Jeff now runs a business that includes a team of about 50 people from all over the world.
The Value of the Team
Jeff’s team is the foundation of his business. He actually prioritizes his team members above his clients, because without a strong team he would lose his clients.
Breaking Down Cultural Barriers
The price is certainly right, but the cultural differences often deter Americans from working with foreign virtual assistants. Jeff has learned along the way, and his team is able to match clients with highly skilled and competent assistants. “You can only go so far in your business by yourself,” explains Jeff.
**Meet Your New VA**
Every time Amber Pember has reached an important fork in the road, she has relied on her instinct and gone with her gut. Over the course of her career, she has learned the value of learning and the importance of staying true to her vision. Amber’s entrepreneurial journey hasn’t always been easy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Gabe recently had the chance to sit down with Amber and interview her for Today’s Business Leaders. Find out how Amber got her start, how she refined her 90-minute pitch and why she is packing it all up to travel the country.
Early Introduction to Business
Despite her reservations, Amber started out working corporate jobs. Things didn’t exactly go well, and even though she gave the work her all, Amber was let go. This was the first of many turning points, and Amber made the call to do things her way from there on out.
Working for Herself
Amber had the drive and an idea for a business, so she got to work making it happen and practicing her pitch. She refined her presentation skills, using a deliver-and-close technique. Essentially, she shows up, listens to what her prospects need and customizes her presentation to fit those needs by showing different options. She then lets her prospects sit with the information and evaluate things, and at that point, she comes back in to see what choice they would like to make. This no pressure approach netted thousands of deals and allowed Amber to grow her business at a rapid pace. In a mere 18 months, Amber was pulling in six figures.
Next Steps
When she was starting out, Amber didn’t initially have mentors. She learned as she went and eventually found like-minded people to surround herself with, but her new goal is to give back. Amber will be embarking on a speaking tour, the EMBOLDENED ENTREPRENEUR TOUR, designed to help budding entrepreneurs find the necessary tools to launch their careers.
Reach out to Amber and find out when she will be speaking near you by getting in touch via email or Facebook, or visiting her site. Listen to more insightful interviews by catching up on episodes of
In many regards, Preston Howard’s entrepreneurial journey is just getting underway. In the brief time he has been hustling, he has made tremendous progress, and he is on track to accomplish even more. Gabe interviewed Preston for Today’s Business Leaders to find out how he has managed to gain his maturity and what’s next for this Memphis native.
Continue to Dabble Until Something Works
Preston comes from an entrepreneurial family, and this instilled a sense of self-reliance. “If I wasn’t relying on myself, I couldn’t perform to the best of my abilities,” explains Preston. This foundation in entrepreneurship did not ensure smooth sailing. Preston went to college for a semester, moved around the country, got into trouble and struggled to find his way. After a turning point, Preston moved back to Memphis and eventually got into digital marketing.
Learning How to Stack Value
In the midst of things, Preston’s experiences did not always feel positive. However, he was able to learn and identify when things were not working and move on. Preston now possesses a maturity beyond his years, and he is able to focus this knowledge and energy into his business.
Providing Value
With his business, Preston is trying to solve problems and give back. His approach to business is very authentic and not shallow, and he is finding that clients respond to this approach. Preston explains, “When you are really helping, you don’t have to think about the money.” By genuinely helping clients, they will, in turn, want to work with you and they will continue to pay you.
Looking Ahead
Currently, Preston is focusing on providing real value while serving customers. He is concentrated on maintaining a manageable client base and not taking on more clients than his team can handle. Catch the full episode to find out the areas Preston is focusing on these days and his advice regarding adversity.
Get in touch with Preston through email,
Alexander Brooks is making a living streamlining workflows for his clients, which is a natural fit given that he’s been building efficiencies into his life for years. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe gets the rundown from Alexander about how he got his start as an entrepreneur, where he is now and the direction he wants to take his automation business.
Debut into Entrepreneurship
Alexander was inspired by the success of his uncle. Around age 10, he started looking for work around the neighborhood. Like just almost every other entrepreneur before him, he learned how to build his own business by mowing lawns, raking leaves and shoveling snow. From there he built his career testing out several different business models and using a lot of trial and error.
Changing Environment
During college, Alexander developed an interest in technology and the Internet. As a native of Michigan, he knew his career opportunities were limited after graduation if he stayed in the Great Lakes State, so Alexander packed up and moved to Seattle. With more job opportunities in the tech industry, Seattle was the perfect location to launch his career.
The Art of Automation
Alexander was attending classes, but then he had the opportunity to land real-world experience if he abandoned class projects for actual work. In May 2017, Alexander launched Entreprov. His company is focused on building predictive analytic tools and IoT solutions for businesses. Essentially, he helps companies improve their ability to perform by replacing manual tasks that waste money and time with automated processes.
Long-Term Goals
Entreprov is continuing to grow, and Alexander and his team are constantly finding new ways to help add automation to their client’s systems through analyzing and visualizing data to find solutions. Alexander’s long-term goals are to implement an industry-wide approach and expand Entreprov’s work with smart devices.
**Learn More**
Hear the full interview and listen to other installments of Today’s
Blake Bourque has had a varied career that has run the gamut in terms of entrepreneurial failures and successes. He has learned many lessons, some of which were learned the hard way, but he has preserved and used his experiences to build better and stronger businesses. Blake shared his journey, along with his plan for the future in this interview with Gabe.
Starting Out
One of Blake’s early entrepreneurial endeavors was running a tree business. In order to help promote his business, he started a TV show by creatively lining up sponsors and airtime. The show helped grow his business, but other decisions came into play, and Blake went from making $1 million to filing for bankruptcy in a span of two years.
Learning Lessons
Filing for bankruptcy taught Blake that he needed to learn about finance. After his mother called him out for complaining, Blake decided to find work in the banking industry. Blake explains, “As an entrepreneur, I’m learning every day, or I’m dying.” He was building a career when a setback in his personal life altered his course. By 2011, Blake was burned out and trying to cope with personal tragedy. He reinvented his career and launched a biometric monitoring company. This business was eventually sold to Chevron.
Creating an Exit Strategy
Knowing when to let go can be a challenge, but it can make all of the difference. “It’s not about your resources, but your resourcefulness, and the ability to let go at the right time,” says Blake. If you're in business and you aren't going to sell your business or plan to exit - you will fail. The decisions you make today should be based on your plan for tomorrow.
Looking Ahead
Blake has continued to learn and grow and put everything he has into his businesses. He discusses his goal of owning a successful business without employees, creating software and chatbots and his work with Codeblue Academy. Check out the jewelry business Blake runs with his wife, listen to his podcast or get in touch through email or Facebook. See what solutions are available from Business Marketing Engine, Gabe’s company, or listen to back episodes of Today’s Business Leaders.
Ausi Kimmons has had some exciting highs and disappointing lows over the course of her entrepreneurial career. From the value of rest and failure to the importance of focusing on her business in order to promote growth, Ausi shares her knowledge and lots of compelling and actionable advice while she chats with Gabe.
Following Her Vision
Ausi realized her entrepreneurial aspirations as a child and decided she wanted to start a business and help people. Life got in the way, and she ended up detouring from her plan, but given time Ausi came back to her initial vision. She and her husband opened a digital marketing company, and they soon learned how helping their clients may not always help their business.
Focusing on Results
When her digital marketing business first launched, things came together rather quickly. They brought on several clients, and they were working so hard to produce results for their clients that they failed to market their own company. When one of their major clients was sold, and the new owners opted not to work with Ausi’s company, this set off a series of events that resulted in Ausi and her husband losing everything.
Making the Most of Failure
This struggle was disappointing, but it was a valuable lesson. Ausi now prioritizes investing in her company alongside delivering results for her client. She has also come to understand the value of failure. “Producing results is important, and you get referrals, but the truth is you have to be constantly focusing on your marketing,” explains Ausi.
These days, Ausi sees failure as an essential step for growth. Failure is certainly not enjoyable in the moment, but going forward, it helps you become a better entrepreneur. Reaching new levels of success opens the door to new challenges, and this is ultimately what makes Ausi excited about what she does.
Learn More Actionable Advice
Listen to the full episode to find out Ausi’s take on rest, discover her keys to success and learn more about her entrepreneurial experiences. Reach out to Ausi via
Joe Giglietti has a knack for real estate and marketing. He recently sat down with Gabe to talk about how he used these skills and overcame a poverty mindset to launch his business on a path towards success.
Finding His Way
Joe intended to become a lawyer but plans changed, and he switched to working in investments and eventually found his way in the real estate industry. In this first year, Joe and his partner delivered half a million in sales, but a short while later the housing market crashed. As an act of survival, Joe moved onto marketing. For many years he ran a non-profit and flipped houses. During this time he fine-tuned his marketing skills.
Nomadic Entrepreneur
Joe found himself constantly moving onto new and exciting business ventures and learning along the way. “There’s a natural tendency in entrepreneurs to want to conquer,” Joe explains. “Creativity and that desire to conquer and succeed, it seems like there is always another mountain.” After encouragement from his wife, Joe decided to stop jumping from one opportunity to another and decided to simply focus on one thing. He poured all his energy into this one thing, his company, Exponential Referrals, to see if he could make it work and excel.
Focus on Effectiveness
Starving your business financially limits growth and opportunity. This is a lesson Joe learned firsthand when he was intent on working with what he felt was an appropriate budget, but was ultimately very limited. “You need volume of customers not efficiency on your margins,” Joe explains to Gabe. This poverty mindset could have cost him the business, but when he learned to focus on effectiveness instead of efficiency, things turned around, and he grew a large and diverse client list. Things actually went so well that Joe decided he had to narrow his focus and began working exclusively with real estate agents while also starting a coaching company. More recently, Joe has learned the value of knowing his numbers and continuing to work on effectiveness.
Learn More
Listen to the full episode to hear more insightful comments and actionable advice from Joe. Reach out to Joe directly via
Landon Porter understands sales, and he recently spoke to Gabe about the path that led him to his current gig, teaching others how to hone their sales skills. In this installment of Today’s Business Leaders, find out Landon’s philosophy on sales and what he deems the most important skill when it comes to closing a sale.
Early Start
In 7th grade, Landon began selling candy to classmates for a profit. From there, his sales journey took some detours. He apprenticed with several chefs and made the jarring transition from chef to sales and landed in the real estate industry. With the bubble burst looming, Landon switched career paths again and began selling B2B asset protection. Things were good in theory, but in practice, Landon was miserable, and he knew it was time for another change.
Head Gorilla
Through several turns of events, Landon found himself teaching a course on how to get clients then launched his business, The Sales Gorilla. He laid out his thoughts about sales and marketing. Landon explains, “You need to know exactly who your perfect prospect is, exactly what they want and exactly how to deliver that to them.” He found some people really connected with what he was saying, but others just didn’t get it. Eventually, Landon realized he needed to take his own advice and put people interested in his program and Facebook group through a sale process or relationship funnel in order to create strategic partnerships.
The Value in Listening
Landon explains how listening is the most important sales skill. Engaging with prospects and getting them to talk allows a salesperson to learn about their clients and figure out how to empathize and close the sale. “Sales is manufacturing reliability to cause trust to happen, so it is easy to get the sale.”
Learn More
Reach out to Landon via email, Facebook or his website.
Finding the right life coach is a challenge. You need to find someone who actually knows what they’re doing and you need to connect with this person. When you find the right person it can make an incredibly positive difference in your life. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, brothers Ilan and Guy Ferdman talk about the value of root work and following your intuition, why affirmations are bogus most of the time and more actionable advice to live your best life.
Trusting Your Intuition
Ilan knew from a young age he possessed a unique ability to communicate with people. This skill translated well into sales. At age 21, Ilan landed an office job and was a rising star, but he realized the corporate thing wasn’t for him. In no uncertain terms he not only turned down a promotion, but he quit. Guy had a similar experience and he left what most people would have felt was a promising job, because he felt it was confining.
Helping Others
Ilan and Guy got into coaching before they realized it was a thing they could do for a living. At first they just wanted to help people and from there they realized their life's mission is to drastically transform 100 millions people’s lives. Together they created their company, Satori Prime.
Language Matters
The language people use matters a great deal. Ilan explains how language starts out when the subconscious mind communicates with the body and becomes a feeling and then an emotion and on to a thought and finally turns into words. Language choices may seem minor, but the words a person says have a deep, internal meaning.
Ilan explains how using "and" instead of "but," and "I get to" instead of "I have to" will change your energy and turn every second into manifesting. Good coaches understand the words you say and won't give you answers, but will show you how to find answers.
Use Your Intuition
Ilan explains that when you follow your heart nothing will stand in your way. Learning to hone in and use your internal guidance system all the time will lead you to your next great decision. This isn’t to say you will always encounter smooth sailing, but when you trust your instinct you will take the right path.
Learn More
Get in touch with Ilan and Guy via email, Facebook
Stacey Howe-Lott never planned to become an entrepreneur, but that’s exactly what she ended up doing. After launching an online tutoring business, Stacey has helped countless kids learn how to take on the SATs and ACTs while also learning how to run her business. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe and Stacey talk about taking the path less traveled, utilizing your strengths and time efficiency.
Identify a Need
Stacey holds a Master’s degree in education but ended up taking a different career path. Over time, she began tutoring and eventually this led to helping students prepare for the SATs. While sorting through the available practice materials, Stacey realized the quality was incredibly poor, so she made her own preparatory materials. “If anyone else had done a remotely okay job, I wouldn’t have become an entrepreneur. But there was nothing else, and it was so pathetic what was out there,” Stacey explains.
Use Your Strengths
Initially, the SAT math was difficult, and marketing continues to be a challenge, but all along Stacey had unwavering confidence in her ability to teach. By playing up her strengths, she was able to take a different track than the other SAT tutors and programs out there. Her marketing isn’t flashy, and she doesn’t offer package deals, but her model serves her clients. Based on her students SAT scores and her personal referrals her business plan is working out nicely.
Flexible Schedule
One of the biggest advantages of Stacey’s business is the flexibility. Her schedule is cyclical, but she typically works 5-10 hours per week for about nine months out of the year. This allows her to grow her business, but more importantly spend time with her family.
Time Efficiency
Stacey enjoys teaching, and it comes naturally to her, so she is able to effectively help her students and this streamlines the entire process. Once she figures out how to reach each student, she can help them tackle the necessary material. By streamlining her process, Stacey helps her students improve their test scores while also efficiently managing her time.
Fundamental Skill
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about Stacey’s entrepreneurial journey and find out whic
Sales and marketing outreach can be time-consuming and challenging, but they are necessary to close a sale. Jessie Beaudoin understands these challenges firsthand, and that is what prompted him to create Call Action. Find out more about how Call Action can help your business as Jessie explains the services available to Gabe and his listeners in this installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
Identifying a Need
The general concept of all forms of marketing, whether online or offline, is to get inquiries. These inquiries can come in the form of phone calls, text messages or email. Continually reaching out and remembering to follow up with prospective leads is completely necessary. This constant communication requires significant organization and juggling it all can be difficult.
First-Hand Experience
Jessie started working for a mortgage lender, then branched out to building websites while still working in the mortgage and real estate industries. He understood the difficulty of following up with leads and closing sales, and this was the antithesis behind Call Action.
How Automation Works for Your Business
Call Action allows a company to reach out to prospects through a variety of formats. Automating a drip marketing campaign enables the marketer to do higher level work, and Call Action takes care of the rest. The program is simple to navigate and allows users to schedule custom communication.
Outreach Supported
Varied forms of outreach provide flexibility. Call Action allows users to connect with leads in compelling and engaging ways. Some of the outreach methods include:
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Audio text with an MP3 attachment. Most people skip listening to voicemails, but audio text messages have a high open rate. Furthermore, a recording of a sales pitch follow up can convey tone and emotion for more effective results.
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Image text. Sending a screenshot of your business’ online reviews or other useful info can help a prospect make a decision.
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Text reminder. Call Action allows users to schedule reminders for themselves which can be sent via text. For example, you can plan a reminder to connect to a lead for a follow-up phone call.
Improve Your Outreach Today
Learn more about Call Action and reach out with questions. Pick up more actionable advice from Gabe and his guests by checking out the catalog of Today’s Business Leaders’
When Johnathan Grzybowski started Penji, his subscription graphic design business, he used the lessons learned from running his graphic design agency to set his new company up for success. Johnathan chats with Gabe about failure, focusing on your strengths and setting goals in this episode of Today’s Business Leaders.
The Value of Failure Before he even had the idea to launch his subscription service, Johnathan was overseeing a graphic design firm. The business did well, and he was making money, but Johnathan felt he and his team were not cut out for agency life. The agency team always delivered high-quality design, but the business lagged in other areas. Johnathan found the experience draining. Evaluating the team’s strengths and failures spurred the creation of Penji, an unlimited graphic design service.
Build on Your Strengths Since design was his team’s skill, Johnathan decided to build his new business around that and get rid of the other aspects of the agency. Penji allowed Johnathan and his collaborators to scale their own design team. After the service was launched, it began to catch on, and there has been no looking back. Johnathan finds the company now has purpose and meaning and they can give back to the community in a significant way.
Rapid Growth One of the more staggering facts of Penji’s success story is that Johnathan and his team were able to get 200 customers in a mere three months. Their method was utterly unscalable, but they kept trying different tactics. Some techniques worked, and some didn’t, but their persistence paid off and continues to build up the company today.
Setting Goals and Evaluating Results Another key to Penji’s success has been goal setting within the organization. All team members are held accountable for creating and reaching goals. This methodology is such an essential part of the company culture that they even created software for employees and managers to set and track goals. Everyone knows what is expected of them and they understand what they need to do.
Plans for the Future Penji is continuing to reach and exceed its expectations, and the company is growing. Learn how easy it is to sign up and enjoy custom graphic design work using Penji. Get in touch with Johnathan via email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
From putting together a business plan to purchase a bicycle to helping a company go public to running a successful consulting firm, Terry Ogburn has a wealth of business experience. In this installment of Today’s Business Leaders, Terry shares actionable advice and insightful guidance he has collected along the way.
The Customer is the Boss
One constant through all of Terry’s business ventures has been an emphasis on customer service. While running an air conditioning repair company, Terry rearranged how scheduling was done to better fit his customer’s schedules. He also created a policy for his techs to clean up after they finished working on a unit simply to ensure the client was impressed and satisfied. These changes were simple to implement, but this superior service meant customers stayed with his company. This added customer service helped him build a large and loyal following of customers. The success of the company made it easy for Terry to later sell the company, because the dedicated customer base provided value.
Turn Your Business into a Destination
People appreciate good service and this will cause them to come back when they need a product or service in the future. Developing trust and becoming a part of the community encourages customers to return and continue to spend more money with your business. As an entrepreneur it is pivotal to listen to customers. They may not specifically explain a problem or issue, but if you are listening you can identify problems and only then can you create a solution.
Scaling Up
Terry suggests hiring the people you need to get you to the level you want to be. This may require bringing on new people to continue to grow the business. Terry also suggests going into business as if you plan to sell. When the end goal is to sell you will structure things in such a way that will make a sale easier, but will also ensure the company operates more effectively under your watch.
Learn More
Visit Terry’s website, connect via email, LinkedIn or his business or personal Facebook page to learn more tips and insights. Learn more about Gabe’s company, Business Marketing Engine, as well as the free courses available and catch up on back
Claudia Vidal knew she had a greater purpose, but fear was holding her back. After finding inspiration and support from friends and loved ones she decided to share her message with the world. In today’s installment of Today’s Business Leaders, Claudia shares her insightful wisdom on finding balance and happiness in life.
Finding Inspiration
For nine years Claudia worked in the nonprofit field. The work was challenging and she liked helping people, but felt she was unable to do enough in the capacity of her job. At the same time she found her coworkers would seek her out for advice, and her loved ones realized she had a knack for resolving issues and inspiring others. Eventually, Claudia decided it was time to follow her dream and go about assisting people in a new way that would fulfill her sense of wanting to help.
Start Sooner
In the span of one month Claudia wrote and self published her now best-selling book, Start Sooner. Her book is about consciousness and how to become the best version of yourself against the odds. The book is inspired by Claudia’s own life. She explains how after being raised in poverty she decided to recreate herself. Claudia strove to be extraordinary and not ordinary. The feedback to her book has been overwhelmingly positive, and Claudia followed up the book with an online course that delves deeper into the strategy of developing a framework to help people.
Finding Balance in a Perfect Triangle
To truly find happiness in life you must have complete balance between your mind, body and soul. All three areas are equally important, but more often than not people focus in one area more than the others, and this upsets the balance. When the balance is off this can lead to feelings of resentment and lead to difficulties in life and relationships both personal and professional. Claudia shared tips for achieving balance and reaching what she describes as a perfect triangle.
How to Transition to Being in Sync
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Notice actions and thoughts.
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Focus on the opposite of what you want.
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Avoid instant gratification.
Stay Connected
Listen to the episode to learn more about Claudia and her journey. Visit Claudia’s website or get in touch via email or Facebook. Purchase her inspirational book, Start Sooner to learn actionable advice to find balance and happiness in your life both personally and professionally. Learn more about
Nick Loper started out painting houses and now runs several successful businesses as an entrepreneur. He took some time to talk to Gabe about why he can’t work a normal job, knowing when to pull the plug on bad ideas and more. Check out this episode to pick up some actionable advice from Nick, and afterward, catch up on the entire Today’s Business Leaders lineup to hear more inspiring stories and quality tips.
Learning How to Be an Entrepreneur
Nick’s first serious job came in college. He worked for a company that set up students to run their own house painting businesses. Nick found the experience both stressful and rewarding, but afterward, he realized he enjoyed being his own boss and there was no going back. He wasn’t suited to work a normal job. That didn’t stop him from trying, but shortly into his tenure working at a major corporation, he decided to try his hand at doing his own thing. Nick turned his various side hustles into businesses and he currently runs a company that reviews virtual assistants while also being the host of the podcast, Side Hustle Nation.
Knowing When to Pull the Plug on Bad Ideas
Most entrepreneurs can attest that for every good idea there are plenty of bad ideas. When working on any new concept, you need to give the idea a fair chance, but you cannot continue to invest time and money if the venture is going nowhere. Nick pulls the plug when he dreads the work. It’s a hard decision, but when he continues to put in the same effort for diminishing returns, it is time to stop.
Starting Out as an Entrepreneur
Nick also shares the three ways entrepreneurs can budget and start their individual endeavors.
- Go all in and figure it out on the fly.
- Figure out monthly expenses and live within your means.
- The third option is what Nick calls the Side Hustle Snowball. Create a detailed and itemized list of your monthly expenses and find income streams to erase those expenses.
Getting Over the Hump
Nick reflects back on his painting days and remembers when he had to go door to door and essentially cold call customers to round up business. He dreaded it, but he went out there and learned to deal with rejection. Getting over his fear of knocking on doors made him realize it is not that bad and
Tim Forrest has turned skills in sales and marketing into a successful consulting firm that is celebrating 20 years in business. Along the way, Tim has learned many lessons and achieved some satisfying goals. Tim took time to talk with Gabe about his varied career for this installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
Breaking Into the Business
Tim has always had entrepreneurial tendencies. As a child, he would sell items, and he did very well selling door to door. After earning his degree, Tim started out loading trucks, and he has continued to move up ever since.
Helping Clients Build Their Businesses
Over the years, Tim has assembled a varied client list. He has worked with everyone from large corporations to brand new startups. During this time, Tim realized the basic principles are the same. When working with small clients, Tim mimics the success of larger companies by scaling down their strategies to fit his client. These strategies are effective and can help entrepreneurs build their businesses.
Learning From Mistakes
Experience has taught Tim methods that work, as well as techniques that don’t always do what they are supposed to. Setbacks or failure can be difficult and painful, but that experience is a lesson. Once that lesson is learned, you can move forward and avoid making the same mistake again.
Learn Your Client’s Language
Effective relationships require learning how to communicate to a client. Each client is different, so methods that effectively reach one customer may not work for another. Before you attempt to describe solutions to a client, learn about their industry and figure out your client’s needs. Once you have this information, you can effectively solve their problems and explain the solution in a way that makes sense.
Continue Setting Goals
Tim and Gabe share insightful words about setting goals and how life doesn’t begin just because you reached a goal. Satisfaction can be gained from achieving a goal, but expecting your life to improve suddenly is naive. Goals still matter, because they keep you focused and engaged.
Five S’s for a Successful Career
Tim closes out the interview by sharing the five S’s he lives by in his career: swag, sampling, signage, stickers, and sponsorship. Digital marketing is essential, but there are so many non-digital areas to take care of when promoting a brand. Tim’s succinct list makes it easy to remember other areas requiring attention when creating a marketing plan.
Learn More Actionable Advice
Connect with Tim to learn more actionable advice about business and living. Reach out via email, Facebook, LinkedIn,
Building a startup is a lot of work. Just ask Jay Crouch. As an experienced entrepreneur, Jay has tried his hand at a variety of business endeavors, including founding his own enterprises. Jay is now in the business of helping entrepreneurs scale their companies and make informed decisions. Jay took the time to talk to Gabe about his journey, how to treat employees and how to structure a company.
Starting Out
While in college, Jay studied physics, but after realizing the field had limited opportunities, he went into computer science. With a degree in hand, Jay graduated just as the dot-com bubble burst. He was hired by a variety of companies and ultimately began working in the technical aspect of startups. Jay went on to found several companies and is now working as an advisor. Being an entrepreneur was something Jay did out of necessity - it was never his plan. Jay actually didn’t realize he was an entrepreneur until he started his fourth company.
The Value of Good People
When starting a business, the product is the most important thing. The people you hire and surround yourself with are the second most crucial aspect of the company. Treat your employees with respect and make them feel essential. Set expectations so employees can reach their goals and do what they do best.
Create Alignment
During the initial startup phase, things can be hectic, and employees may wear several hats. When you are able, start hiring people for specific jobs and retain qualified personnel. For example, hire coders to code and managers to manage. The notion of hiring one person to do multiple tasks isn’t going to work. It is not fair to the employee, nor is it always even possible. Align people to do their best work to propel the business forward.
Coaching Startups
Learn more actionable advice from Jay at his site and check out his ebook, Aligned. You can get in touch on Twitter, Facebook or reach out via email. Today’s Business Leaders is a regular podcast with a continually growing list of episodes. Catch up here and find out about the solutions and free courses available from Gabe’s company, Business Marketing Engine.
Gary and James of Team IBB make their second appearance on Today’s Business Leaders for more fun, good conversation and actionable advice. Listen to their first appearance on the show and check out the rest of the episodes to pick up more tips and inspiring entrepreneurial stories.
Becoming Entrepreneurs
James never intended to become an entrepreneur, but he got his start while working to promote his band and selling tickets to shows. He learned that to be successful, it is necessary to be passionate about what he is selling. Later, his education set him on the course to become an entrepreneur, and when he met Gary through a mutual friend, things began to fall into place.
Benefits of Teamwork
Every individual has different strengths and weaknesses, and a well-structured team gives members the chance to do the things they are good at. As Team IBB has grown and Gary and James have expanded the company, they make certain to allow each team member to become experts in what they do. Having a dedicated professional enables the company as a whole to deliver the best service possible to their clients.
Sharing Insight
In addition to successful entrepreneur, James can also add published author to his list of accomplishments. His book, It All Starts with a Plan, is available now and shares his experiences regarding business, entrepreneurship, and family. The title is borrowed from an expression favored by his grandfather which James found inspiring. This backstory made it an excellent fit for a book intended to help inspire readers to reach their goals.
Go Against the Norm
Taking the expected route may offer a degree of safety, as well as comfort from knowing you are utilizing a well-traveled path. However, breaking out to do our own thing can deliver significant results. Doing something different from the rest of your industry distinguishes your company and your brand.
Learn More
Reach out to Gary or connect on Facebook to learn more about Team IBB. Find out more about Gabe’s company, Business Marketing Engine, as well as the solutions available to help entrepreneurs.
PJ Glassy, the founder of X Gym, took some time to chat with Gabe about brain science, surrendering to healthy transformations and more. PJ is no stranger to Today’s Business Leaders and has visited the show before. Listen to PJ’s earlier appearance on the show and catch up on the rest of the episodes.
Impact of Nutrition and Brain Science on Alzheimer's Disease
As a self-described research hound, PJ can easily dedicate hours digging into facts and figures and learning about a variety of topics. In response to his mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, PJ began to research treatment options. At the time the prevailing thought was to treat symptoms to give the patient comfort. Diet and exercise could help, but there was no cure and no way to reverse the impact of the disease.
PJ focused on nutrition and exercise, which he believes helped his mother to a degree. The brain is a muscle, and the same diet and exercise that keep your body healthy also work to keep your mind in shape. Over the years, PJ has continued to research Alzheimer’s disease and has found science-backed research that points to the ability to reverse the condition.
Brain Training Techniques
PJ’s research has led him to study the advantages of brain training. Willpower is pivotal when it comes to sticking to diet or exercise goals, but over the course of a day, decision making fatigue sets in and people lose willpower. PJ has developed a variety of brain training techniques to help people build up their willpower. These techniques help people understand things in a way that makes sense to their brain, so they are more likely to find success.
From reaching fitness goals, personal goals, finding joy and whatever else you want to achieve in your life you need to train your brain. Training provides the tools necessary to love your life, find happiness and reach your goals.
Surrendering is Healthy to Your Transformation
PJ and Gabe both share inspiring stories about the value and stress relief of letting go. Choosing to take control of a situation, even if that means letting go, relieves stress. Letting things go and completely surrendering allows you to lose the pressure and ultimately find what you need or want.
Stay Connected
Listen to the full podcast to find out how PJ is using brain science to help people reach their health goals. Learn more about PJ’s gym at his website or Facebook page, get in
Calvin Wayman has yet to reach his goals, but he is well on his way. With a resume that includes starting a social media marketing agency, becoming a sought-after speaker and a published author, Calvin has made significant strides in his entrepreneurial journey in a few short years. Calvin sat down with Gabe to talk about fear, motivation and how to create the success you want on this installment of Today’s Business Leaders.
The Power of Fear
Fear can make people avoid taking action - it can also make people do amazing things. In Calvin’s case, he chose to use it to push himself to take the first step in what has turned out to be an amazing and whirlwind journey. While working a job that did not align with what he wanted, Calvin thought about the future. More specifically, he thought about what his life would be like in 10 years if nothing changed. Calvin realized his fear of failure was holding him back from doing great things, but the fear of not going for it and missing out on the amazing things he was capable of was worse.
Positivity is the Key
With his fear no longer in control, Calvin quit his job and moved to Southern California. By taking control over his fear of failure or messing up, Calvin realized he was free from it. As a naturally positive person, Calvin can see the value in his experiences. The ability to glean lessons, find value and keep pushing forward has helped him start and build his business.
Defining the Success You Want
When he was first getting started and the stakes were high, Calvin would put himself into positions where he had to succeed. When success is your only option the only thing you can do is make it happen. The situation may be stressful, but pushing yourself to succeed is how you actually achieve your goal.
Powering Through Adversity
Calvin shared a story about his experience running a 50-mile ultramarathon. Halfway through, Calvin collapsed and began to doubt he could finish the race. He could no longer envision the finish line, so he decided to readjust and just run to the nearest tree. When he reached that goal, he ran to the next tree and carried on. Calvin powered through the difficulty and he was back in the race. His mental toughness carried him through to the end.
Love the Game More Than the Result
Learn more about Calvin’s journey in this episode, find out what services are available from his agency and connect with Calvin via email, Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. Learn more about the free courses or
Zachary Ellison put the years of experience he gained working in the startup industry to work for others when he started Zeskup. Along the way, he has learned many lessons, some of which came about the hard way. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Zachary chats with Gabe about thinking outside of yourself and building scalable businesses.
Foundation in Sales
Before starting Zeskup, Zachary held several corporate jobs in sales. He ultimately did not enjoy the work, so he moved into the financial tech field and eventually onto consulting for startups. During these years, Zachary experienced a lot of trial and error. These experiences shaped him, taught him valuable lessons and led him to create his latest company.
Putting Awesome to Work
Zachary identified a need to help startups from the very beginning of their journey. Guiding entrepreneurs early enables Zachary and his team to help business owners create scalable companies. Many startups begin with a great idea, but one great idea cannot carry an entire business. Overlooking essential details can spell disaster for many enterprises.
Zachary knows from personal experience that a viable business has a variety of needs which must be addressed. From accounting and software needs to legal requirements and countless other issues, Zachary helps entrepreneurs plan for and incorporate these details. The result is a sustainable and scalable business.
Identifying Weakness
Many entrepreneurs start out thinking they can do it all. However, to succeed you need to identify what you are good at and where you need help. Identifying skills or knowledge you lack can be difficult, but knowing your weaknesses enables you to build a qualified and productive team that complements your abilities.
Choosing the Right Candidates
Zachary advises against a common startup pitfall - when hiring, make decisions based on immediate needs. In a perfect world, you want to hire competent individuals who will hold their job for years and deliver long-term value. Unfortunately, startups seldom have the luxury or resources to conduct such an exhaustive search.
Instead, hire the best candidates who fit the role you need to fill now. The position may change in the future, and if that happens, you can reevaluate roles and needs as necessary.
Additional Guidance
Zachary delivers more actionable advice concerning his greatest strength, as well as the importance of a strong marketing strategy and more. Learn more about Zachary’s business, Zeskup or get in touch via social media or email. Find out about the
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe chats with Glenn Meder to learn about surviving family businesses and striking out as an entrepreneur.
Learning How to Sell
Glenn started out working for his father’s business. For about 20 years, Glenn worked mostly in sales and helped develop the business. Glenn learned many important lessons, primarily that he hates working in sales, but also the importance of being able to sell. By putting his own uncomfortable feelings aside, Glenn mastered the art of delivering a sales pitch. Having this skill has allowed Glenn to continue to be successful as he undertakes new endeavors.
Leaving the Family Business
For various reasons, Glenn decided to leave the family business. The decision was difficult to reach and it placed strain on some relationships for a time, but in hindsight, Glenn believes it was the right call. When working with family, it can be easy to fall into the trap of expecting too much. Unrealistic expectations and professional and personal lines are easy to be crossed. Family businesses can work, but everyone needs to be mindful of the experience.
Starting His Own Business
The inaugural product on Glenn’s entrepreneurial journey was a product he invented: the Survival Still. This product is an emergency water purification system that transforms just about any type of water into clean and safe drinking water.
Redefining the Sales Pitch
The Survival Still sold well at the start and continues to sell well to this day. Eventually, Glenn landed on the idea of selling his product through webinars. Early success followed by disappointments lead Glenn to decide to host his own webinars. The webinar format has proved effective because Glenn can put his sales skills to use and explain directly to consumers the problems that his invention solves.
Working with JV Partners
When he began producing his own webinars, Glenn also started working with Joint Venture, or JV partners. These partners supply leads, or viewers, for Glenn’s webinars. JV webinars are a challenge for a physical product because the sales can be highly variable and unpredictable. This is still an effective way to market a product, but the JV environment is changing. It's getting harder to reach valid leads and close the sale. Now Glenn’s goal is to adapt and tweak the proven JV process so that he and his team can generate consistent and predictable sales from Facebook ads.
Looking Ahead
Glenn has a new product which should launch in the spring of this year. Get in touch with Glenn to learn more about Survival Still. Pick up more actionable advice and productivity tips from earlier episodes of
Gabe chats with Richard Kim, founder of My Video Series, about the skills and traits that go into becoming both an entrepreneur and a good person. As he explains it, varied experiences and excellent mentors put Richard on a path to success.
Early Introduction to Business
Richard started honing his sales skills in high school. As he grew older, his business intuition evolved, too. Richard was unaware at the time, but he has a strong sales ability that he has always managed to put to good use.
School and Internship Experiences
While attending college and studying marketing, Richard identified a disconnect in the internship program. Internships deliver a definite value, but matching students to small businesses was virtually impossible. The clear solution to Richard was to start a website connecting college students to local small businesses.
Learning on the Job
After school, Richard took a position at Hyperloop One, an experience which greatly changed his perspective. He oversaw a team and gained valuable experience in terms of marketing, leadership and networking. Around this time, Richard came to a realization that successful people have useful knowledge to share.
This knowledge could benefit Richard, but it can also benefit others. Richard brought his vision to life and began My Video Series. Through determination and persistence, Richard lined up interviews with successful individuals. The objective was to learn from the experiences of business titans.
Surround Yourself with Successful People
The people you surround yourself with matters a great deal. Richard cites mentors who push him to grow and learn as a key element to his development as a person and an entrepreneur. Successful people understand the process and can provide invaluable guidance.
If You Want to Be Successful, Be Persistent
Various traits contribute to success, but vision and leverage have greatly helped Richard reach his goals and ambitions. The desire to be a good person and help others are also driving forces in Richard’s life. When others invested their time, energy and wisdom to help Richard, he benefited, and now he wants to help others in this same way.
Turning the Tables
Towards the end of the discussion, Richard’s interviewing instincts came through, and he posed several questions to Gabe. Learn about Gabe’s entrepreneurial journey and how he used persistence and a desire to help others to build his business.
Connect with Richard via email or socia
From full-time online poker player to successful entrepreneur, Chris Sparks has led a life that greatly varies from his original intentions. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe of Business Marketing Engine and Chris of The Forcing Function chat about the choices that caused Chris to detour from his chosen path.
Best Laid Plans
Initially, Chris was not interested in being an entrepreneur. He wanted to make television commercials and was interested in marketing. All of the decisions he made throughout school lead him to a marketing position with Ford after college. Unfortunately, shortly before he was set to start his first post-college job, the auto industry fell apart. Chris entered a period he refers to as job purgatory.
Turn to What You Know
With his marketing career on hold, Chris turned to online poker. At this point, he had been playing poker for several years, and he even financed his way through college by playing poker. His days were very structured, and he treated online poker like a job. He was able to support himself and do very well playing poker.
Game Over
In 2011, online poker was effectively shut down in the U.S., and that ended Chris’s playing career. While he was figuring out what to do, Chris saw his friends creating and working for startups. He started identifying how to assist these friends and their businesses.
Chris got back to his marketing roots and began reviewing Google analytics and marketing strategies to help entrepreneurs. As he delved deeper into the entrepreneur world, Chris started to learn about how these businesses operated from the inside, and he figured out what to do next.
The Key to a Life of Productivity is Manufacturing Urgency
Today, Chris works one-on-one with entrepreneurs to help them build their business. Many of the skills that made him an excellent poker player continue to help him, and his clients, in his consulting business. A tool Chris created and uses to help his clients is the Expected Value Calculator. From shortening the feedback loop to the necessity of intrinsic motivation Chris is able to help guide fellow entrepreneurs to success.
Learn More
Get in touch with Chris either on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or
In this second in a two-part series, Gabe continues his conversation with Adam Alson of Double Down.Digital. During it, Adam explains how his journey took him from explaining an idea to his father in his parent’s kitchen table to running his own business. This path included a few detours, and things didn’t always go according to plan, but Adam preserved and found success. If you haven’t done so already, get up to speed and listen to the first episode.
Just Go Do It
From that fateful discussion with his father regarding his idea to build a local business directory, Adam created a mockup of the site. Using this demo, Adam and his father pitched the online directory to local business owners. During this time, Adam learned how to make a sales pitch and how to approach and work with business owners. In the first year, this father and son team closed 100 deals.
Always Creating and Learning
When the Internet bubble burst, that spelled the end of Staten Island Now, but Adam continued to create and design. For the next few years, he took a series of jobs. At every job he put his knowledge and ability to use, creating videos and designing. Along the way, he further developed his skillset.
Going Pro
Perhaps the most significant step for Adam was taking a job with the New Jersey Nets. In the two and a half seasons he spent with the team, Adam overhauled the website and created an interactive page for the dance team which caught the attention of the NBA head office. This job was pivotal for Adam in terms of the contacts he made. His tenure with the Nets was just a stopover to other jobs and endeavors.
Learning From Every Experience
Eventually, Adam decided to go out on his own and create a startup. He had an idea, and some money stashed away, so he decided to do his own thing. The startup failed to be the success Adam envisioned and after giving it his all, he made the decision to move on.
Going Full Circle
With his failed startup in the past, Adam decided to go back to what he knew best: creating and designing. He started out as a one-man operation while essentially running a digital marketing agency. The company grew and expanded and is a successful operation today. Listen to the full episode to find out what traits Adam attributes to the success of Double Down.Digital.
Catch up on earlier episodes of Today’s Business Leaders for inspiring stories and actionable advice. Find out the different solutions Gabe and his team can offer as well as how to become a partner.
Adam Alson offers up some actionable advice based on his own experiences while he chats with Gabe in the most recent episode of Today’s Business Leaders. From his early entrepreneurial efforts to building his own company, Adam has followed and developed his interests on his path towards success.
Early Interest in Commerce
From an early age, Adam found ways to have fun and make money. From orchestrating his own carnivals to entertain neighborhood kids to selling candy, Adam routinely had some type of business in the works.
Developed a Passion for Art and Creating
During his youth, Adam realized he had an interest in art. Inspired by the detailed and stunning illustrations he saw in comic books, as well as work created by his father, Adam was hooked. He continually fostered his artistic development, but quickly realized his ability lent itself more to the emerging field of graphic design.
Not Suited for Academia
While Adam was all in when it came to developing his interest and skills in terms of coding and graphic design, he was lagging in school. The school situation became so serious that he was presented with the option to repeat his sophomore year or drop out and earn his GED. For Adam the decision was easy, and he soon received his GED. By this point, Adam understood that the classroom was not where he belonged.
Inspiration Strikes
Adam was putting his burgeoning web development skills to use creating websites for his friends and really just having fun. When his site began to gain attention and traction, Adam was struck with an idea for something bigger that addressed a need at a local level.
Find out where Adam’s journey took him in the follow-up episode of Today’s Business Leaders. Connect with Adam and learn about his business here. Catch up on earlier episodes of Today’s Business Leaders to find inspiration from entrepreneurs or learn tips to manage your time. Check out the other offerings from Business Marketing Engine from solutions to free courses.
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders Gabe speaks with the inspiring Jeet Banerjee about his entrepreneurial journey. Jeet offers up plenty of actionable advice based on his experiences launching several successful businesses. Learn how failure and impatience can be beneficial and lead you down a path to success.
How Miserable Jobs Led to Inspiration
As a teenager Jeet took one dead-end job after another and he either quit or was fired from each and every one. After a while Jeet began to fear he may be unemployable, since things just weren't working out with any of the jobs he took. This fear and concern pushed Jeet, at age 17, to start his own company. At the time Jeet was working at a web development company and inspiration struck.
Addressing a Problem
Jeet identified a need linking companies looking for web development to talented and often more cost-effective web developers. In two short years Jeet built his company into a successful business, and he sold it. His second venture followed a similar path. Inspiration struck, Jeet addressed a need and built a thriving company. After four years Jeet sold the company and began the search for his next project. His latest venture is a budding herbal supplement company that is quickly becoming a major contender in the field.
Leveraging Data
Throughout all of his business endeavors Jeet moved at a rapid pace. The logic is to quickly get the products or services to their customers to see what works, and just as important, what fails to work. Analyzing data, acquired either through publicly available information or from surveys, provides invaluable data and helps drive decisions. Learning about the market has allowed Jeet to quickly change course in order to best serve customers.
Learn More and Be Inspired
To hear more about Jeet’s experience listen to the podcast in full. Reach out to Jeet with questions about consulting or visit his site to learn more. Catch up on all of the episodes of Today’s Business Leaders for tips and advice. Learn about the other solutions, including free courses, offered by Business Marketing Engine to help develop your business.
Procrastination can completely derail a project and cause items to perpetually linger on your to-do list. Understanding the causes of procrastination can help you defeat the problem at the source and regain your productivity. Lisa of Impactive Strategies and Gabe of Business Marketing Engine discuss procrastination in an attempt to understand it. Learn what triggers to look out for to keep procrastination at bay.
Defining Procrastination
Confusion can arise between deferring and procrastination. Deferring is the act of reprioritizing based on available resources. For instance, you may choose to defer or delay a project or task because finances will be better in the future, or you will have more availability. Shifting priorities and making the best use of the resources available is not procrastination - it is deferring. Procrastination is when you have every intent of completing a task, but you just don’t.
Procrastination Triggers
Procrastination is often the symptom of another problem. Identify what is holding you back. By finding the cause of the problem you can formulate a solution.
Task is Unclear
If you are unsure how to proceed you may avoid the task at hand and decide to work on another task that is clearly defined. If you find yourself avoiding something because you are unsure of what exactly you need to do simply ask for more information. Define the task, so you have a clear understanding or break it into smaller tasks that are defined and manageable.
Lack of Value
If a task lacks value it can be hard to motivate yourself to work on it. Lacking value can mean you feel the return is not worth the effort necessary to complete the task. Lack of value can also be defined as having an ethical or moral issue with the job.
The solution in this instance is to look to the bigger picture. Maybe the return on this specific project is underwhelming, but maybe it will lead to bigger and better things that are worth your time and effort. Know when to say when if the project is a dead end that will not lead to more worthwhile opportunities. Also, if you have a moral or ethical issue it may be necessary to remove the item from your to-do list without completing it.
Learn More
Lack of understanding and value are just some of the issues that lead to procrastination. Check out the episode to get the full rundown and learn how to identify and address the triggers in your life. Catch up on all of the episodes of Today’s Business Leaders for additional actiona
In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders with Gabe Arnold, we meet Los Angeles entrepreneur Miles Anthony.
Miles founded Flux Chargers, a company that designs and sells portable phone chargers. In just two years, Miles went from door-to-door sales to an automated revenue stream.
After scaling his first business, Milles founded Flux Ventures. This holding company manages more than $200k in cryptocurrencies.
Strategies for Business Success
Miles advocates blogging to grow your business. Content marketing is a passive way to generate new leads for your company. Miles shares how he used his blog, The Crypto Times, to network with leaders in cryptocurrency.
Aside from your product, Miles believes authentic relationships are the most important thing in business. He talks about choosing business partners based on attitude and communication.
Miles employs specific strategies that help him stay on track and make his ideas happen. He keeps track of everything he does and makes time for the most important projects. Miles says that if you’re constantly making incremental progress, then your project will stay alive. If it matters to you, create time and keep the ideas fresh.
Cryptocurrency
Listen and learn more about Anthony’s business background and journey into cryptocurrency. He shares what you need to know about cryptocurrency in plain english. Miles is a big advocate for cryptocurrencies, and he wants you to know how it works and why it’s safe.
Miles discusses where he thinks the cryptocurrency market is going and what you should do about it. He feels that BitCoin is the bridge between fiat currency and other cryptocurrencies - and just about anyone can get a piece of the market. Miles also talks about staying tied to cryptocurrency news, and how that fuels his successful investments at Flux Ventures Holding Company.
Developing a Need Based Product
Miles first business venture started with an entrepreneurship class at his university. He chose to develop and sell portable phone chargers for his first company. In this episode, he talks about why he selected this need based product.
Miles discusses what it was like
Pick up the skills necessary to combat an unwieldy to-do list in this episode of Today’s Business Leaders. Lisa of Impactive Strategies chats with Gabe with tips and tricks centered on how to deal with wanting to do it all.
Manage Choices
Many people believe the key to tackling all of the tasks and projects they want to accomplish comes down to managing time. In an earlier episode, Lisa explained how to manage time. Time management is part of the equation when it comes to being productive but the true key to successful time management is managing choices.
Time Has Limits
With a limited amount of time available each day, you need to be particular in how you choose to use the time you have. Structure your time and give careful consideration to the tasks and projects you decide to work on.
Proactive Time Management
You cannot do it all, so decide what you really want to do. For example, if you only have time to cross three items off your to-do list each day then be mindful of the three you pick. Picking six tasks is likely setting yourself up for failure.
Cherry picking all easy tasks is going to make it more difficult to continue to knock out three tasks a day once you are left with the tasks that are hard or projects you are not motivated to work on.
Determine the Boundaries
Managing priorities complicates things sometimes. Find out how Lisa suggests choosing priorities. Sometimes opportunities come along that are more important than your previously established priorities. Understanding the boundaries of what keeps tasks or your to-do list is important.
Figure out the characteristics that would cause you to abandon a task on your list. Sometimes the exposure or income potential can outweigh previously established priorities. This flexibility ensures that you will not miss out on a great opportunity.
Keep Things Simple
To successfully complete tasks and cross things off your to-do list, you need to ensure you are ready and able to work. Set boundaries to ensure that you can take on your priorities.
For example, scheduling too many meetings without giving yourself time to complete the work generated by the meeting is exhausting and creates a perpetual cycle of having more priorities than time to complete tasks. Falling into this trap positions you to be unable to dedicate yourself to achieving your goals and accomplishing productiv
When you are in the thick of things it can be hard to stay on track and focus on priorities. Unexpected challenges can make it especially difficult to cross items off your to-do list. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders Lisa of Impactive Strategies and Gabe of Business Marketing Engine explain how to merge work emergencies, or fires, into your day.
Establishing Priorities
You know what your prioritizes are and how to go about accomplishing everything. If not, check out our first episode to learn about the magic of 168. Aligning tasks and goals allows you to determine your priorities.
Using A.W.E. to Prioritize
A.W.E. is an acronym that stands for Awareness, Work and Evaluation. In episode two Lisa outlined how to use A.W.E. to end distractions. This principle can be applied to urgent and unexpected tasks that take you away from your to-do list. Being aware of priorities and creating a plan to take on these tasks ensures you accomplish what you set out to do. Implementing structure keeps your priorities top of mind and focused.
Distraction vs. Emergency
All too often people will be faced with a distraction, but they will misidentify it as an emergency, or a fire. Distractions can take many forms from email to phone calls and other tasks that appear urgent. To further complicate matters sometimes urgent tasks are thrust into your day that demand immediate attention. In order to keep your day on track and remain productive it is necessary to be able to identify whether or not a so-called fire is really an emergency.
Defining a Fire
Start to figure out the real fires by identifying whether the issue is your responsibility. You may not need to create a resolution for a fire just because someone came to you with the issue. Ultimately, if the alleged fire will not result in an extreme loss of money or present a health and safety issue it is not a true fire. The matter may still be urgent and need attention, but it may not require immediate focus from you.
Evaluating the Results
After completing a project take the time to step back and look at how much time you invested. Reviewing your work after the fact and focusing on how much time you spent will make it easier to estimate your time going forward. The more accurately you can gauge time the better you will become at allocating your time.
Using A.W.E. to Manage Your Time
Manage your time to avoid being sucked
Learn how to build your career so you can work on your business, not in it. In this episode of Today’s Business Leaders Gabe picks up some actionable advice from Hayk Tadevosyan. As a self-made business leader Hayk understands firsthand how to structure a business for success.
Driven to Succeed
Hayk came from modest beginnings, but through determination and perseverance he built a successful business. Born in Armenia, Hayk immigrated to the United States as a teenager. During his early years in the U.S. Hayk learned about the value of hard work from his father. When he began to forge his own career path Hayk defied the odds and obstacles to transform his business ventures into a record setting success story.
Path to Success
Hayk’s success is built largely on his own profound determination and unwillingness to listen to doubters. Through examining his journey Hayk has outlined how to replicate his success in other business ventures using a five year plan.
Five Year Plan
Master your craft during the first two years. Learn everything there is to know and establish a solid work ethic. Set an example for your staff and show them your expectations through your own actions. When you are motivated and exhibit a strong work ethic your staff will pick up on this and emulate your actions and drive. Ultimately, as a business owner you need to build a team that is effective and efficient. With a solid team and work structure in place you can motivate your staff and take care of the business.
Ask for Help
Mentors are invaluable and can provide a wealth of information and guidance. Everyone has a different perspective, so taking the time to talk to mentors and gather their opinions can help you navigate your way.
Work-Life Balance
Building a strong business takes careful planning and lots of hard work, but the tradeoff of reaching this pinnacle is the improved quality of life. Financial security, time to spend with family and good friends and time to improve yourself as a person are all of the rewards from Hayk’s five year plan.
Learn More
Hayk has a book, Mind Control, coming out in the New Year. Reach out to Hayk regarding coaching opportunities via hayktadevosyan@icloud.com. Catch the rest of the Today’s Business Leaders podcast to learn more tips and tricks centered
Time management sounds elusive and like an impossible goal, but in this episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Lisa of Impactive Strategies and Gabe of Business Marketing Engine break down how to make time management work for you. The trick is to structure your day based on the way you work in order to be most effective.
Actionable Advice
Balancing time across various responsibilities, tasks and roles is a challenge, and there are certainly times that crossing everything off of your to-do list feels impossible. It doesn’t have to be that way. With some planning and understanding of how you work, you can set yourself up for success and take on your to-do list.
Using Biological Prime Time
Biological prime time is the time of day when you are easily able to do the most complicated tasks. This is the time when you have no trouble focusing and getting down to business. Everyone is different, so the ideal times are different, too.
Your biological prime time maybe first thing in the morning or mid-afternoon. Use your biological prime time to your advantage and work on the hard stuff when you are most effective.
Easier Said Than Done
Unexpected events or last-minute emergencies will always pop up, so it is not likely that you will be able to always count on being available during your biological prime time. Aim to keep that time slot open at least a couple days each week.
Juggle your prime time with other responsibilities, such as phone calls and email. Check out episode four of Today’s Business Leaders to learn how to integrate email into your day without it being a distraction.
Understanding Hyperfocus
Understand how you work. Do you work exclusively on one task or hop around to different tasks? Know this and schedule your tasks accordingly. Put hyperfocus to work for you if that impacts how you concentrate. If you need a big block of time to work on a project, then schedule it that way.
If you find a large block of time intimidating then take a different approach and break a project up into smaller tasks. Schedule 30 or 45 minutes to work on a task if that is the longest amount of time that you can concentrate on only one thing.
Structure Your To-Do List
Look at everything you need to do and break it up into two categories: high focus tasks and less intensive tasks. Set aside time to work on these tasks accordingly. High focus tasks should fall into your biological prime time and provide an adequate amount of time. Fitin less intensive tasks when you are available and able to work on them.
Learn Mo
These tips for success stream from Glassey’s conversation with Gabe Arnold of Business Marketing Engine.
P.J. Glassey turns his obsession with brain, nutrition and exercise science research into a business which earns a profit and benefits his clients. With X Gym locations in West Seattle and Kirkland, Washington, Glassey’s innovative X Gym 21 Minute Workout Program continues to rack up fitness and financial success.
As a gym founder, author of Cracking Your Calorie Code, and producer of Real Results in 20 Minutes Twice a Week, Glassey’s work also branches into nutrition and brain training. Helping clients move past hurdles in both fitness and nutrition remains a passion of his work and remnant of his initial interest in psychology.
Checking out the X Gym website and following Glassey on Facebook or Twitter may lead one to think he has all the answers for success. However, this once-skinny teen found his passion through personal fitness and developed his business via the lessons that entrepreneurship teaches.
Here’s the recap of the insights Glassey shares in his conversation with Gabe Arnold of Business Marketing Engine.
Create a Unique Solution.
Glassey’s quest for answers led him to discover a lack of research in the arena of exercise science as well as problems with traditional exercise methods. He set out to solve three problems with set-and-rep programs:
- They require too much time and commitment;
- Result in injury;
- And, fail to meet the consumer need for definition and strength without bulk.
The non-traditional, high intensity, low risk, minimal time commitment workouts Glassey developed hit the mark.
Work Your Strengths. Hire Your Weaknesses.
The ease of the conversation with Gabe illustrates Glassey’s comfort with his strengths and weaknesses. He suggests business owners stick with their strengths and do what they do best. Then, hire others with the strengths to counter their weaknesses. For instance, Glassey’s built-in skill set rests outside the business realm. He hires people adept at these skills.
Remove the Rose-Colored Glasses.
As Glassey admits, entrepreneurs are usually optimists. H
In the most recent episode of Today’s Business Leaders learn how to separate a task from a project and take care of business. Lisa of Impactive Strategies and Gabe of Business Marketing Engine get to the bottom of what makes some projects just seem so imposing and impossible.
Understanding a Task and a Project
Tasks are small items that are a single step and take 15 minutes or less to accomplish. Your to-do list should be comprised of tasks. A project is a bigger endeavor that is made up of multiple tasks. Projects do not belong on a to-do list, but rather they should be tracked and managed on their own.
Break It Down
For particularly overwhelming projects break things down into the most basic tasks. A huge project that seems daunting, when broken down into simple tasks is easy and much more manageable. Once the smaller steps of a project are identified completing the entire job is easier.
Keep a Project List
Unfinished projects cause stress and anxiety which will reduce productivity. Writing out all of the steps, or tasks, in a project can help bring everything into a manageable focus. Writing out a project list serves to keep items front of mind. A project list ensures you aware of what you need to do.
Strategies for Maintaining Momentum
Urgent issues are bound to come up and will push out the important items you want to work on. Creating a schedule and utilizing external accountability can help keep your projects moving forward.
Schedule Your Time
If you feel tight on time create a schedule. Blocking out time to work on specific projects ensures you actually work on those projects. Taking the time to break a project into 15-minute tasks will give you a realistic time frame when filling in your calendar.
External Accountability
Letting things slide, like not accomplishing a few tasks by a due date is easy when you only have to answer to yourself. Holding yourself accountable to someone else may be all the motivation you need to buckle down and do what you need to do. Set up a meeting with a coworker or client to discuss a project and establish what tasks will be accomplished by that time. Simply having a plan and a solid due date that you cannot talk yourself out of can be enough to motivate you to accomplish tasks.
Tune in to the next episode to learn about biological prime time. Check out BME’s blog for all of the episodes of Today’s Business Leaders and more useful tips around productivity. Learn about the solutions BME provides and even the fr
In the latest episode of Today’s Business Leaders, Gabe and Lisa, of Impactive Strategies, discuss how to deal with email. Email is necessary, but it can easily become a distraction and take up a lot of time. Time is valuable, so getting your inbox under control is a must in order to be productive and make the most of your time.
Different Problems Call for Different Solutions
Know your challenges to find the best solution and strategies for dealing with email. Also, keep in mind that everyone works differently and is faced with different challenges. The solution that works for one person may not work for another, even if they both identify the same problem.
Be Aware
The first step to solving a problem is identifying the problem. To craft an effective solution you need to drill into the issue and get to the root of the problem.
A common problem people face with email is the amount of time spent reading and replying to messages. Email is a constant pull, and many people experience a fear of missing something important if they look away.
Create an Easy to Follow Email Structure
If you find yourself being pulled into the inbox rabbit hole then create a schedule. The goal is not to open your inbox every time you hear the ping of a new message.
Determine ahead of time when you will check your inbox, and if necessary, set time limits. For example, you can decide to check your inbox at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM every workday, and only spend a maximum of 30 minutes each time. If it helps, then set a reminder in your calendar.
Be Flexible
The nature of your business will dictate how much time you can dedicate to email. For some businesses, it may be feasible to set up one time per day to check emails, while for other lines of work, once a day may be too drastic. It may take some trial and error, but you will find the best solution to meet the demands of your work.
Methods for Checking Email
Prioritize your time when sorting through emails. Create folders to organize messages that you plan to read or address later. Having a plan before you look at your inbox makes it easy to efficiently use your time.
Tools to Maximize Efficiency
From SaneBox to Ifttt to Unroll.me
Gabe Arnold, founder and CEO of Business Marketing Engine, sits down with Vlad Mkrtumyan, founder of the company Logic Inbound. In “Today’s Business Leaders,” BME’s regular podcast, Gabe picks the brains of other successful entrepreneurs to see how they got to where they are today.
Vlad is still a pretty young guy (at least as far as the calendar is concerned). At 26, he has had many business successes and a fair share of failed business attempts, but such setbacks have offered valuable insight, and he has parlayed these successes and missteps into Logic Inbound.
In "Today's Business Leaders," each episode is more of a fun and casual exploration of the nature of entrepreneurship, rather than a standard interview. In this case, Vlad and Gabe discuss the different benefits of utilizing a specific skillset.
Interestingly enough, they started off on two different sides of the same coin. Vlad has always been great on the networking side; meeting people and bringing them together. As such, he believes that learning the technical aspect of online businesses (coding, programming, etc.) is a valuable skill to have because it enables entrepreneurs to create products that they can then sell.
On the flip side, Gabe started out as a technical wizard, learning how to code and build websites, but he doesn’t believe that it’s necessary to get started as an entrepreneur. His grandfather was a bricklayer for many years, which is a skilled occupation (a la coding). However, it wasn’t until his grandfather started a business and learned how to network and manage people that his potential really took off.
The crux of the issue is figuring out what your superpower is that will ensure success for your business. Although people can learn different skills, everyone has something that they are naturally good at.
For Gabe, it’s sales. He can sell anyone on anything with just a few minutes of prep time. For Vlad, it’s networking. He excels at bringing people together and finding the right talent for the job.
So, as an entrepreneur, what skills do you bring to the table? Regardless of which side of the industry you fall on (sales vs. programming, for example), your superpower can be leveraged into something successful. As both Vlad and Gabe prove, it just takes the ability to connect with people and work together with them towards a common goal.
Also, don’t be afraid to fail. Every entrepreneur fails at least a couple of times in his or her life, so take them as learning opportunities and keep adapting.
Distractions are a very real problem for a lot of people that can completely upend productivity. In addition to getting in the way of work, distractions are just frustrating. Learning how to identify and minimize distractions gives you the ability to refocus and make the most of your time.
Actionable Advice from Real World Professionals
Each episode of Today’s Business Leaders focuses on tips to improve productivity when working remotely. Catch up on all of the episodes and pick up some handy tips and check out some of BME’s other podcast offerings for more useful information.
In the second episode, Gabe is joined by Lisa Mallis of Impactive Strategies. Lisa works to coach clients to break through the barriers that hold them back from achieving success in their business endeavors.
Putting A.W.E. to Work for You
Everyone is different, so the issues that distract one person may not sidetrack someone else. In the same regard, the solutions to distractions need to be custom in order to be effective. A simple acronym can help in the battle against distractions is A.W.E., which stands for Awareness, Work and Evaluation.
Awareness
In order to solve the problem, you need to identify the problem. Figure out what distracts you, and be open to the possibilities. Be mindful that distractions can come in all forms. Even minor interruptions can throw you off course. Keep a list to identify distractions.
Work
Create a solution for each distraction. The answer has to be easy to implement in order to be effective. Implement an easy structure to address your distractions. For instance, if notifications on your phone distract you then disable those notifications. Permanently disabling notifications may not be feasible, but establishing a time each day to temporarily disable notifications will give you time to focus without distractions.
Evaluation
An effective solution needs to solve the problem of distraction, but it needs to not cause additional problems. After you implement a solution to stop your day from being derailed by distractions, then take the time to evaluate the solution. Make sure your solution did not create a new problem.
Learn More
Connect with Lisa on Facebook or via email at lisa@impactivestrategies.com. Connect with
On our first episode Lisa Mallis from Impactive Strategies shares with us the magic of 168 and how you can apply it to your own time management strategies.
You can get your copy of the 168 cheat sheet here.
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