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346: Get Stuff Done: Create Balance, Develop Productive Habits, and Make the Best Use of Your Time with Yvonne Heimann
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Yvonne Heimann from Ask Yvi wants to know: do you want to get more done in a day? Do you want to enjoy your (limited) time more? Do you want to have fun now and balance work and life at the same time? If you'd like to get more organized and stop wasting time, these are the steps Yvonne says you need to follow:
- Start using her Protopreneur Planner to get your business goals and daily activities clear
- Use a scheduling program to manage your meetings
- Use templates for email responses
- Use questionnaires for client intake
- Use apps/programs to connect services and automate
Quotes:
“Working for retirement, to me, is like not knowing if you'll ever make it. So I want people to have fun now, but we also know we need to make money.” – Yvonne Heimann
“When you write things down with a pen, your brain considers it to be true. It's reality to your brain, unlike when you're typing it in.” – Yvonne Heimann
“Don't beat yourself up if you didn't go to your workout today, even though it was on your schedule. What's important is getting up every single day and promising yourself you're going to do the best you can that day.” – Yvonne Heimann
Takeaways:
03:20 Efficiency and time management are critical for entrepreneurs who want to build successful businesses without sacrificing personal happiness.
19:49 Setting broad goals with flexible quarterly plans is more effective than rigid, detailed annual planning.
26:26 Personal productivity hinges on self-awareness, showing up consistently, and experimenting with different accountability techniques.
32:35 Using the right digital tools can dramatically reduce administrative work and free up time for core business activities.
35:10 Regular financial tracking and budgeting are essential for understanding and improving business financial health.
Resources
- Ask Yvi (Official Site)
- Protopreneur Planner (Site)
- ActiveCampaign (Send Emails and Tag Clients)
- Zapier (Combine Apps, Such As Shopify to A Newsletter)
- Shopify (Simple Shopping Cart)
- SmarterQueue (Find Evergreen Social Media Content)
- Acuity Scheduling (Calendars and Payments)
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345: Easy Small Business Systems: Organize, Systematize, Architect the Business You Want, and E-Myth Your Way to a Sellable Business with David Barnett
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David C. Barnett from Easy Small Biz Systems returns to the show, and his most recent passion is getting your business into a "sellable" state to make it easier to offload or easier to hold and continue. It's possible using David's "12 plus 1" step program. No matter what your business is or does, it still requires capital, people, and a place.
Instead of "winging it" you should describe your ideal life 10 years from now (step one), then sketch what your business looks like to support that lifestyle (step two). Create an org chart and break down tasks, including their roles for the future. Think about those roles that don't exist, ask what's causing the stagnation, assign tasks to a workflow, and explain what negative things might happen if tasks are NOT fulfilled.
David's brand new book is Build a Business That People Will Want to Buy.
Quotes:
“The business is an asset. It's like a money machine, and you have to treat it as something outside of yourself. You have to look at it objectively.” – David Barnett
“When you have a business that hasn't been properly organized—without systems, policies, procedures, workflows, and everything detailed and written down—the only person you can really sell it to is someone else just like you.” – David Barnett
“People who have the worst stories about business failure are the ones who didn't know their business was failing until it was too late.” – David Barnett
Takeaways:
04:31 Systematizing your business can transform it from a stressful job into a more manageable and potentially more profitable enterprise.
10:46 Many business owners accidentally create a job for themselves instead of building a business that provides freedom and flexibility.
14:19 Without a clear 10-year plan, your business will likely remain stuck in its current state.
21:42 Creating clear job roles with specific purposes helps employees understand their importance and improves overall business efficiency.
26:30 Every business fundamentally consists of capital, people, and a place, making systematization possible across different industries.
Resources
- Build a Business That People Will Want to Buy (New Book)
- David Barnett (Official Site)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:42 — 27.2MB) | Embed
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344: Explore Your Entrepreneurial Creativity, Mental Blocks and Destiny with Leslie Nolan
Leslie Nolan is an entrepreneur, visionary artist, motivational speaker and founder of Leslie Nolan Design. She works with creative entrepreneurs who have lost their mojo and inspirational vision and helps them reclaim their power so they can find the courage to create their Great Work.
Quotes:
“Sometimes we're just so busy running around getting things done that we don't take the time to stop and reassess what we're doing.” – Leslie Nolan
“A flower is going to shoot out from the ground, and you can't yank that shoot out to make the flower bloom. Some flowers come up in spring, some are evergreen, and some are seasonal with one bloom. Each person is different.” – Leslie Nolan
“From the beginning of time, before there were words, we worked in symbols. We used our hands on cave paintings, used fire and coal and other materials to draw. We're very visual people.” – Leslie Nolan
Takeaways:
05:15 Setting clear, positive intentions in the present tense is crucial for personal and professional growth.
14:03 Slow down and be present in the moment instead of constantly pushing to reach an end result.
17:36 Symbols in paintings are unique to each person and can hold deep personal meaning.
21:46 Creative problem-solving happens when you stop overthinking and allow your subconscious mind to work.
23:24 Taking a break through creative activities can renew and refresh your perspective on life and work.
Resources
- Leslie Nolan Design (Website)
- Schedule a Mojo Session with Leslie (Website)
- Leslie Nolan (Facebook)
- Leslie Nolan (LinkedIn)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:39 — 25.3MB) | Embed
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343: High Converting Sales Copy Formula: Find Your Sales Hook Through Empathy and Make Money By Following a Simple Copywriting Formula with Alyson Lex
Alyson Lex is a copywriter who specializes in high converting sales letters and in empathizing with prospects to create more effective sales letters.
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She believes in four levels of research:
- socially (how prospects relate to friends)
- relationally (how prospects relate to you, i.e. have they bought or tweeted you)
- psychologically (what keeps them up at night)
- demographics (gender, age, location)
Research for Alyson consists of checking out industry news articles, social media (especially the comments section) and sites like RipOffReport to get a handle on peoples' problems, frustrations, fears, and beliefs. Then, her five step copywriting process is as follows:
- get attention (headline, pre-head, sub-head)
- identify the problem
- introduce a solution
- explain how to get it
- don't let them walk away without it
Alyson also talks about common copywriting mistakes, such as using the word "I" within the first three paragraphs of a sales letter.
Quotes:
“They don't care about you as the copywriter, product creator, or business owner at all. They care about themselves—their fears, their aspirations, and what you can do for them.” – Alyson Lex
“I want my clients to be successful. So if they have someone who is more of an expert than I am in something like web design, then it doesn't serve my client for me to hold on just because I think it should be a certain way.” – Alyson Lex
“I like to learn principles rather than shiny techniques, because at the base, those principles stay the same. They just adapt to the technology and the trend.” – Alyson Lex
Takeaways:
04:08 Effective copywriting starts with deep research into your target audience's psychological, social, and relational experiences.
11:20 The language you use in sales copy should mirror exactly how your customers speak, not industry jargon or technical terms.
24:02 Sales copy principles remain constant, even as design trends and graphic styles change over time.
29:05 The first few paragraphs of any sales letter should focus entirely on the customer's problems, not on the writer's experiences.
34:23 Entrepreneurs can overcome writer's block by following a structured copywriting formula and conducting thorough audience research.
Resources
- Alyson Lex (Official Site)
- Headline Generator (Site)
- Alyson (Twitter)
- Alyson (LinkedIn)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:21 — 35.1MB) | Embed
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342: Instant Productivity: Four Daily Tasks, Get Your Groove Back, Reduce Anxiety, Find Motivation, and Make Money with Lance Tamashiro
Lance Tamashiro returns to the show (he was one of our earliest interviews) to talk about finding the sweet spot for your productivity, your day, your emotional state-of-mind and your online business. We talk about how to get excited, how to deal with any personal issue you have (step 1: vocalize it, step 2: get perspective, step 3: listen to advice).
Don't keep a to-do list, use an online calendar, get a coach, complete some daily actions, move closer to the goal, and remember: somehow you've made it through your difficulties up till now.
Quotes:
“If everything is a top priority for your business, then nothing is a priority. Not everything can be the top priority. There has to be one or three things that are the top priority for that day.” – Lance Tamashiro
“Your business is either growing or dying. It's never staying the same.” – Lance Tamashiro
“Don't beat yourself up because you're not where you think you need to be or not making the progress you think you should be making.” – Lance Tamashiro
Takeaways:
06:56 Breaking big projects into smaller 45-minute focused tasks helps prevent burnout and increases overall productivity.
12:47 Eliminate your to-do list and focus only on the three most important tasks for the day.
17:05 Build systems by consistently working on tasks and making small improvements over time.
32:33 Wake up early and use your most productive morning hours to complete critical work.
39:10 Vocalize your anxieties to trusted people to gain perspective and reduce mental burden.
Resources
- The Lance Tamashiro Show (Podcast)
- Website Remote (WordPress Management Tool)
- Four Daily Tasks group (Facebook)
- Income Machine (Book)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:50 — 42.9MB) | Embed
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341: Innovation and Growth Hacking: Tailor Your Marketing Message to Your Audience Using Facebook Messenger Chatbots with Nick Kullin
Tune in right now to hear from early-stage growth hacker Nick Kullin, from Second Flight Consultancy. Nick believes that most people are too close to their product (or service), and that you need to identify what makes your audience tick. Instead of being one of those marketers 2-3 years behind who merely jumps on the bandwagon, be an innovator and see how communications are evolving. That means instead of boring email marketing, focus on Facebook ads, social media content, and Facebook Messenger chatbots.
Quotes:
“When no one's being innovative and everyone's doing the same thing, things become more expensive. Results become stagnant, and then people start trying to figure out why it's not working for them.” – Nick Kullin
“There's so much information out there, and the majority of people, when they look at content, don't look to learn something. They look to learn how to get out of something more.” – Nick Kullin
“The more relatable and humanistic we can make the digital world, the more receptive and trusting people will be, because they feel like they understand it.” – Nick Kullin
Takeaways:
02:47 Marketing success comes from understanding what truly keeps your customers up at night, not just pushing product features.
12:15 Facebook Messenger chatbots offer dramatically higher engagement rates compared to traditional email marketing.
19:22 Personalized marketing means talking differently to different customer roles, not creating entirely separate campaigns.
23:50 Most marketers are lazy, shooting without aiming and then trying to fix mistakes through split testing.
26:02 Small customer interactions and micro-commitments can guide potential buyers further through your sales funnel.
Resources
- Second Flight Consultancy (Agency)
- Schedule a Meeting with Nick (Website)
- Nick Kullin (LinkedIn)
- Nick Kullin (Twitter)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:21 — 30.5MB) | Embed
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340: Strategies, Systems, Struggles and Challenges: Grow Your Business and Find Personal Transformation By Tapping into a Winning Mindset with Kay Sanders
Kay Sanders from KaySanders.com is a business coach who can transform your business and life to get more clients and more sales. It's all about you having the right strategies and systems, and you must be willing to invest in your future business. Kay helps her clients setup that foundation: niche down, find your target market, and establish that online presence. She also helps people become more productive and overcome obstacles through mindset techniques such as EFT.
Quotes:
“No matter how good your system of strategies is, if your mindset or vibration isn't right, if you have negative energy around you, you're not going to be able to attract any clients.” – Kay Sanders
“The universe is unlimited. You have unlimited opportunities and abilities. You can make as much as you want—but we put limitations on ourselves.” – Kay Sanders
“If you don't have the calls, if you don't have those conversations, no one is going to know that you exist, what you do, or who you are.” – Kay Sanders
Takeaways:
04:40 Building a successful business requires creating repeatable systems and strategies that can be tested and improved over time.
11:14 Overcoming fear of client interactions starts with believing in your own abilities and focusing on serving others, not just making a sale.
15:37 Personal growth and mindset work are critical for entrepreneurs to break through self-imposed limitations and expand their business potential.
20:42 Using tools like EFT can help release negative energy and shift internal beliefs that block professional and personal success.
24:31 Pre-qualifying potential clients through detailed questionnaires helps filter serious prospects and saves time for business owners.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:54 — 24.6MB) | Embed
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339: Create and Scale a Podcast for More Relationships, Free Publicity and Increased Sales
I want you to have a podcast (an online radio show on iTunes) and I want to help you create it by getting you into our Podcast Crusher course. Listen in as I talk about the things you need to know when it comes to podcasting.
What is a Podcast?
- "I'm an author and I make money... how can I use podcasting"
- Don't let numbers hold you up, but look back on your numbers for motivation and course-correction (show interview spreadsheet)
- What equipment do I need for podcasting?
Gotchas & Advice
- ContactMonkey (a networker's secret weapon)
- Looking professional is not that important (it shows off to your peers, production quality)
- What is the content muscle and how do you ramp up?
- How do you remain consistently marketing every day?
Big Picture
- Omnipresence. Create too much content so that people can browse it like a menu. Don't "wait" for the time to be just right.
- Consistent daily actions: slow to lose weight but also slow to gain weight
- Be a great host (mirroring, move it forward, ask about their mindset / thought process, low hanging fruit, resources, lessons, mistakes)
Quotes:
“Consistent daily actions add up, but only over time. You don't have to be perfect. I'd rather be real and authentic and put myself out there than have every single thing edited out.” – Robert Plank
“Lots of people have websites, lots of people have blogs, but fewer people have podcasts. And podcasts are one of these growing things—they're only going to get more popular.” – Robert Plank
“I think what's more important is quantity instead of quality, because the quality will sort itself out. If you do enough of anything—blog posts, Facebook Lives, YouTube videos, podcasts—you'll eventually get better and better.” – Robert Plank
Takeaways:
01:30 Interviewing guests provides an effortless way to generate podcast content while expanding professional networks.
05:00 Podcasts offer a unique opportunity to maintain audience connection, even when they might disengage from other marketing channels.
25:36 Equipment quality matters less than actual content creation; start simple and improve gradually through practice.
30:34 Podcasting is far easier and faster than blogging, allowing content creators to quickly produce engaging audio material.
38:31 Consistent daily actions, even small ones, compound over time to create significant business growth and content development.
Join "Podcast Crusher" Now
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338: One Million Dollar Payday: Buy, Grow, Combine, and Sell E-Commerce Businesses with Murray Priestley
Murray Priestley from 1MPayDay is an expert you need to listen to if you want to build online wealth fast. Murray buys and sells Amazon FBA e-commerce businesses. Instead of doing it the hard way (waiting years for a business to build up) he buys one with existing momentum, soups it up, combines similar businesses together and then sells that bundle of a business for a huge payday. Listen in as he explains his business model as well as how you can model his success.
Quotes:
“The issue between good ideas and getting them done is execution—and that's where most people are just not equipped. That's where the opportunity lies.” – Murray Priestley
“When you find something that's worth it, you want to grab it and do something—because it takes 90 days to make a significant difference in what that business is doing.” – Murray Priestley
“Most people get stuck in their business. Take time to tell yourself the truth—if it's not going that well, then it's not going that well.” – Murray Priestley
Takeaways:
06:51 Buying undervalued e-commerce businesses with untapped potential can be a smart investment strategy.
09:29 Improving basic marketing elements like upsells and email lists can quickly double a business's revenue.
16:00 Selling businesses to strategic institutional buyers can significantly increase the sale price compared to selling to individual investors.
19:48 Not every product in a business portfolio will be successful, but a few strong performers can offset the underperforming ones.
24:11 Taking an outsider's perspective on your own business can reveal hidden opportunities for growth and improvement.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:50 — 24.6MB) | Embed
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337: Flipped Lifestyle: Build an Online Passive Income Without Sacrificing Marriage or Family with Shane & Jocelyn Sams
Shane and Jocelyn Sams used to wonder if they had to compromise (settle) for a mediocre life until they finally had enough and decided to live the Flipped Lifestyle. Now, they earn passive income online from just 10-15 hours a week. For them, "life" comes before "work" and they now have time to enjoy their marriage, family, and everything else that matters most. Tune in to discover how they're done and how you can do it too.
Quotes:
“The way you spend your money and the way you spend your time is exactly what you're prioritizing in your life.” – Shane Sams
“If you want to go to the next level in whatever you want to accomplish, you're going to have to make sacrifices for a time—until you reach a point where you can do all the things you want to do.” – Shane Sams
“Every person on earth has 168 hours in their week—that's 24 hours times seven days—and you just have to find a way to make it work.” – Jocelyn Sams
Takeaways:
06:36 Prioritize your time by looking at your calendar and checkbook, which reveal your true priorities in life.
14:24 Focus on one task at a time, batch your work, and schedule content in advance to free up future time.
20:58 Recognize that seemingly "free" time can actually be time being stolen from you by unproductive activities.
26:35 For married couples in business, being on the same page and having conflict resolution strategies is crucial for success.
28:28 Start with a product first: identify the problem you're solving and who you're selling to before building a website or marketing.
Resources
- The Flipped Lifestyle (Site)
- Flipped Lifestyle podcast (Podcast)
- Flipped Lifestyle (Twitter)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:22 — 27.8MB) | Embed
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