MicroFamous Conversations

Alina Bonn on Her Journey from Working in our Agency to Launching Effortless Engine

Matt Johnson — Thu, 27 May 2021 00:00:00 -0700

Check out Alina Bonn's experience working as a team member, which set her up to start her own agency serving 7-8 figure consulting firms.

Mark Savant On The Tactics of Podcasting, Common Launch Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Matt Johnson — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0700

Like any other type of marketing, podcasting is constantly shifting and evolving, and that requires us to continue experimenting and trying new things. More than any other medium, podcasting lends itself to effectively building authority and creating massive reach, especially when the right pieces are in place.

How do we decide what to experiment on? What are some of the most important tactics that need to be on our podcast launch checklist? In today’s episode, I’m joined by fellow video podcast producer, agency owner and host of The After Hours Entrepreneur, Mark Savant.

We have an in-depth conversation about where podcasting is headed, and how to continue delivering value, authority and curiosity as it evolves.

Dan Kuschell on the Rise of the Hybrid Consulting-Agency Model & Defining Our Value in an Emerging Category

Matt Johnson — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 02:00:00 -0700

The marketing world hasn’t been able to categorize a service that isn’t just strategy like consulting or just done-for-you like an agency. There isn’t enough in the public consciousness around a service that combines strategy with implementation.

How we market ourselves affects how people perceive the value of this service.

How can we sell hybrid consulting-agency offerings to a marketplace that doesn’t quite understand this new category, and who will own this new space?

In this episode author, thought leader and Business Growth Specialist, Dan Kuschell talks about positioning ourselves in an emerging marketing service category, and why a lot of marketing advice is outdated in today’s world.

Dennis Volpe on Owning Your Story & Attracting the Right People

Matt Johnson — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0700

Anyone who makes a living with the content in their heads and hearts has to overcome internal obstacles to unlock their full potential.

There’s so much we have to deal with when we are the product, especially when it comes to leaning into our backstories. Thought leaders steer away from talking about the setbacks, challenges and failures they’ve experienced in the past, but when we go into our work without our whole selves, we impact our effectiveness.

We think we can’t talk about the stuff that defines our identity, but those are often the things that make us more human, more relatable and more compelling.

How do we overcome the reluctance to own our backstories? Why is this so critical in thought leadership work?

In this episode, I’m joined by Executive Performance and Transition Coach, Leadership Consultant and author of Transition on Purpose, Dennis Volpe. He shares the power of leaning into our stories, and why it makes us more effective at what we do and how we market ourselves.

Why Podcast Downloads Might Be the Least Important Metric w/ Jeff Large

Matt Johnson — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0700

People who launch podcasts are often so focused on the downloads their shows can generate they miss out on the real opportunity.

This mindset leads us away from our Clear and Compelling Idea, and the people who will actually take the action that hits our goal for the podcast.

A narrow focus on downloads also goes against the true purpose of podcasting. We should leverage the medium as a vehicle for converting people’s beliefs over time, not a platform for quick monetization.

Whether we’re looking to get in front of more of our ideal clients, or sell our coaching programs and services, the goal is always going to dictate the metrics that matter.

How do we make sure we’re launching podcasts that support our business goals? How are podcasters using different formats and feeds to get more granular with their podcast goals?

In this episode, I’m joined by agency owner, podcast producer and podcast host, Jeff Large. We discuss how to break the downloads-focused mindset, and why it’s critical to set the right expectations before launch.

Bruce Eckfeldt on Identifying & Breaking Into a New Niche

Matt Johnson — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 02:00:00 -0700

The trap many salespeople fall into is trying to grow by doing more of what’s worked before, instead of letting an external force dictate their next phase of growth. Tapping into an area where demand is already flowing and lining it up with our skills can be an effective way to successfully break into a niche.

Once we’ve identified this space, we can get more ROI by reaching our ideal clients through a psychographic profile, instead of a demographic or industry profile.

By creating content that speaks deeply to who we can get results for, we can position ourselves to cut through the noise and attract the right people.

How do we identify a space with a new demand that we can take advantage of? Where can we find ideas for the kind of content our ideal clients will respond to?

In this episode, CEO, speaker, author, and business coach Bruce Eckfeldt shares the strategy he used to break into the cannabis space, and the downsides of going to the market with a broad message.

Darrell Evans on Joint Ventures, Rev Shares & Other Creative Ways to Monetize a Sales & Marketing Skillset

Matt Johnson — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 02:00:00 -0700

If you’re an emerging thought leader with the ability to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, a paycheck or retainer isn’t the only way to monetize a highly valuable skillset.

There are multiple ways we can capitalize on our marketing, sales and operations skills so we get the most revenue and highest quality of life out of them. From joint venture deals to rev share agreements and consulting deals, it’s worth looking for those opportunities and maximizing them when they come our way.

How can we structure these types of deals so that the incentives are lined up correctly and set up for long-term success?

In this episode, entrepreneur, digital agency owner and podcast host Darrell Evans shares how we can create long-term mutual value in our client engagements.

Brad Farris on Masterminds, Peer Learning & Breaking Limiting Beliefs in Your Clients

Matt Johnson — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

In coaching and consulting, we quickly discover that the biggest hurdles to success are internal. We see the effect that limiting beliefs have on our clients’ ability to implement the strategies, tactics and advice that will get them what they want.

Getting better results requires our clients to change what they do and what they believe about what they do. It’s very hard to create any meaningful change if they are still clinging to the wrong set of beliefs. Our marketing and the system we use to help them get results need to address those beliefs.

What are the most common limiting beliefs our clients have? How do we get them to buy into the Point of View that will get them results?

In this episode, I’m joined by agency coach, speaker, trainer and founder of Anchor Advisors, Brad Farris. He shares how he deals with client limiting beliefs at different stages of the client relationship. We also discuss the methods Brad has used to become MicroFamous in his space, and the importance of data in our businesses.

Patrick Francey on How Getting Clear on Your Values Attracts the Right Team & Clients into Your World

Matt Johnson — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

The basis of any strong community is a feeling of safety and belonging, and an environment that allows people to be transparent and authentic. As thought leaders we often overlook that this sense of safety comes from the values of the community, and who we leave out of it by intention.

When we are crystal clear on our values, we’re able to organically attract people who buy into them, and also naturally repel the people who don’t fit in with those values. It takes courage to own our leadership and the values of the community we want to create, but it’s necessary. Without the foundation of a strong value system, a community and culture can’t sustain itself long-term. How can we lead our communities more effectively by putting our values at the center of everything we do? How can we keep a sense of community afloat without live events?

In this episode, I’m joined by CEO of the Real Estate Investment Network Ltd and host of the Everyday Millionaire podcast, Patrick Francey. We talk about what it takes to build a community and a culture that is led by values, and why that’s an important part of thought leadership.

Chris Martinez on Leadership, Team Building & Culture in a World of Remote Work

Matt Johnson — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

As more people enter the remote workforce, the people we’re going to hire on our teams are going to be younger. Because they come from a different generation, determining whether they are a personality and cultural fit requires us to adapt how we interview them and what we need to be looking for.

When our teams are completely virtual, what works in-person doesn’t always translate to a remote environment. What are things we need to put an emphasis on in our leadership and team culture? How can we gain insight on how our younger team members think and what they value? In this episode, founder and CEO of The DUDEAgency, Chris Martinez shares insights on running a remote agency and leading a younger workforce.

How to Sell When You Can't Rely on the Emotional Highs of Live Events w/Peter Winick

Matt Johnson — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

The psychology of live events facilitated emotional and impulsive buying, but 2020 has made this impossible, forcing businesses and thought leaders to shift the way we sell. Even before the pandemic, businesses that were based on selling at live events were struggling.

Because it’s now easier for people to buy products online, the peak emotional state that causes much of the selling at events is gone.

In a world where people are buying from their devices, how we sell and what we sell has to be packaged for the internet. This is the time to reinvent what we do, instead of waiting to resume what we did before. How we sell, and even how we measure success in our work and our marketing has to change.

What does it take to still be effective without the in-person aspect of events? How has 2020 shifted the meaning of a day’s work? In this episode, CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, Peter Winick returns to talk about how this year has impacted how we sell our products.

The Speaking Industry Isn't Dead: Using Virtual Events to Build Authority & Generate Leads w/Steve Markman

Matt Johnson — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

Speaking on a stage is one of the most important street cred indicators in thought leadership. Even though people aren’t going to events physically, the speaking space hasn’t slowed down. In fact, speaking has actually ramped up in the virtual space over the last 6 months. Thought leaders have the opportunity to play in global speaking space where people aren’t limited by location, and even a chance to get out in front of the competition when live events do return.

Virtual and hybrid events have become the new way to get in front of people, and anyone who’s able to capitalize on this time of experimentation has a real chance to overtake other thought leaders.

Where is money in events going right now and how can we get our content out to more people? What are the credibility indicators that companies are looking for when it comes to when it comes to who they choose as speakers?

In this episode, I’m joined by the founder of Markman Speaker Management, Steve Markman. He shares what we need to be doing right now to align with the new normal in speaking.

Peter Winick on Live Events - Where's the Money Flowing & How Thought Leaders are Capitalizing

Matt Johnson — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0700

For speakers, thought leaders and associations who give value and connect with people through events, 2020 has put them in a weird spot. Because people haven’t been able to gather in the normal sense, the biggest concern is driving value to people, and creating a sense of community within new parameters.

Thought leaders have to rethink several things, particularly how to get in front of people and get their message out without conferences, networking events and on-stage speaking engagements.

What opportunities can we leverage in this new world? How can thought leaders maintain their effectiveness when the world of events has shifted? In this episode, CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, Peter Winick returns. We discuss how 2020 has impacted live events and how the players in this world have responded.

Steve Anderson on Culture, Communication & Building Enduring Influence in Your Industry

Matt Johnson — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0700

Company culture is a strategic long-term solution, and an ongoing evolving process that we can’t immediately see ROI from, but it’s the hidden factor that drives or diminishes our results. Communication builds the culture that we lead people into. What keeps us from effectively building our culture is speaking to and leading different people on our teams in the same way.

If we want a company that lasts the test of time, and continues to evolve, we have to take a long-term vision and learn to talk to each individual in a language that resonates with them.

Why does culture precede profit? How can we help clients see the value of strategies that don't give them instant results? In this episode, I’m joined by executive coach, founder of Orange Dot Coaching and host of the podcast, Profiles of Leadership, Steve Anderson. He talks about how to build a culture that sticks.

Jonathan Miller on The Power of Mindful Communication in Your Coaching & Consulting

Matt Johnson — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0700

The essence of driving change as coaches is delving into how someone communicates with and leads themselves, because that impacts how they show up in every area of their lives.

Our limiting beliefs and behavioral patterns are not situational, they are always present. They stem from our own self-image and self-communication, and amplify or get in the way of our self-leadership. Having the awareness to notice how we talk to ourselves is an important part of transforming our self-perception.

Why does coaching fall short when it doesn't consider a person’s inner communication patterns? How can we become more authentic by changing how we speak to and lead ourselves?

In this episode, communication expert and high-performance coach Jonathan Miller discusses mindful communication and how his own personal self-discovery led to his coaching practice.

Digital Stages: What's Working Right NOW in Hybrid & Virtual Events w/Michelle Nicole McNabb

Matt Johnson — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0700

2020 has caused a massive upheaval in the world of events, but a lot of new opportunities are emerging as the industry explores new ways to deliver a great experience in a new world.

It’s even more critical now for events to deliver a win-win for speakers, sponsors, sales teams, organizers and attendees. That means going beyond the event logistics and pinpointing what ROI looks like for everything involved. Now more than ever, events are a platform for accelerating shortening the sales cycles, driving partnerships and networking.

What are the event trends that have emerged because of covid-19? How can we make sure virtual events can still be a platform for networking and relationship-building? Why should we opt for taking part in a virtual event instead of creating our own?

In this episode, I’m joined by B2B Event ROI & Account-based Marketing Strategist, Michelle Nicole McNabb. We talk about what the developments of 2020 mean for speakers, authors, coaches and consultants.

Tim Alison on "Screw the Naysayers" & the State of Podcasting in 2020

Matt Johnson — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0700

The podcasting industry is going to see a lot of change, from new formats to the entry of multi-million dollar publishers. Now more than ever, we have to see and treat our podcasts like entire businesses in their own right.

Our podcasts need to have specific intentions and goals, and we need to make sure they go in a direction that’s sustainable and gets us what we want.

How did our guest Tim Alison grow his successful podcast, Screw the Naysayers? What is the gap between old school business advice and entrepreneurship today, and why is this gap so dangerous?

On this episode, I’m joined by entrepreneur, business coach, author and host and executive producer of Screw the Naysayers, Tim Alison. He talks about his passion for helping small business owners, and why he believes the methods he used just 2 years ago to launch his show would bomb today.

Rhys Waters on Finding the "Crack in the Market" for New Podcasts

Matt Johnson — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0700

As podcasts become more expansive, they’ve also become so crowded that it’s difficult to get noticed and build a loyal listener base. In such a space, doing something unexpected and radically different is how we attract new listeners. The best practice copycat approach won’t work in podcasting today.

We have to be able to deliver an experience that makes the audience create a new mental bucket to put us in, and we can only do this by not doing what podcasts are doing. What can we learn from the world of comedy podcasts? What can businesses learn from the narrative style of storytelling and adopt in their marketing? In this episode, I’m joined by podcast producer, co-founder of Podstarter and host of the Unexplainers and Canadian Politics is Boring, Rhys Waters. We talk about where podcasting is now, how it’s changed and where the medium is going.

Paul Higgins on How to Put Your Podcast on Steroids with LinkedIn

Matt Johnson — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0700

As platforms like Facebook continue to drive down the results of organic traffic, LinkedIn has remained more consistent with what it takes to launch a personal brand, go to market and grow our reach.

It’s a platform that is well-suited to a strategy centered on valuable content and targeted outreach. Even as we scale our LinkedIn reach, this strategy can remain effective, and help us connect with people who want to pay for what we do.

What are the best practices for creating content on LinkedIn and outbound marketing efforts? Why is LinkedIn still so perfect for a purely content-driven strategy, not pay-to-play? What is the POSER Format for creating video content on LinkedIn? In this episode, high performance business mentor and coach Paul Higgings shares why he has doubled down on his LinkedIn marketing and getting 1 million views and 120 new clients in 8 months using his strategy.

Tony Guarnaccia on Resiliency, Small Steps & Lessons From Spending $400 Million on Google Ads

Matt Johnson — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0700

When the world is in crisis, people and businesses are in crisis too. The ability to withstand adversity is one of the most important things we need to build into our operations. We do this by taking every path, strategic decision and approach in small steps, leaning into the purpose behind it and taking action.

Why do the small steps have such a high pay-off? What can both small businesses and enterprise level companies learn about marketing today? In this episode, growth strategist, author and speaker, Tony Guarnaccia talks about how businesses can build their resilience and the marketing lessons they can apply to achieve it.

What Makes a Story Stick w/Leah Komaiko

Matt Johnson — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 02:00:00 -0700

When it comes to crafting emotionally resonant and authentic content, nothing is as efficient at delivering an impactful story as children’s books are. Stories, even the ones behind businesses, are supposed to be delightful.

If we craft our content with this in mind, along with generosity and simplicity, it changes how it impacts people.

Simple and delightful stories are what make certain pieces of content popular and powerful enough to inspire and drive action.

Why do simple stories work so well? How do we capture the emotion behind a brand so that the voice connects with people? How do we stay on the pulse of the needs of our audience?

In this episode, author, brand coach and consultant, Leah Komaiko talks about how simple storytelling can be when it comes from the right place.

Nicky Billou On Podcasting & Taking Your Thought Leadership Business Online

Matt Johnson — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 02:00:00 -0700

There are many coaches who until now, have operated in the realm of personal networking, referrals and live events to generate demand for their service. The government-imposed lockdowns have turned this aspect of the business world upside down and the thought leader community is no different.

It doesn’t have to spell disaster. This is actually the greatest time in history to pivot to online business. There are all kinds of ways to get online, the real issue is creating demand that translates to people signing up for what we have to offer. What does it take to accomplish that? In this special crossover episode, Nicky Bilou returns to talk about why this is the perfect time to pivot to online business and why that doesn’t mean starting an entirely new one.

Lars Hedenborg on Building a 7 Figure Training Business off 1% of the Market

Matt Johnson — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 02:00:00 -0700

A common misconception and limiting belief many coaches have is that selling a high ticket product requires us to have mass appeal and speak to everyone in the market.

But achieving Microfamous status gives the ability to become highly successful while only having to speak to a small slice of the population within our ideal client audience.

Saying the same message to the same market and staying consistent are the fundamentals of a Microfamous strategy, and it can give us more freedom and ease in our businesses even as we continue to grow.

How do we move away from running a commodity business? Why is the idea of traditional success so limiting?

Rick Mulready on Becoming MicroFamous & Breaking Out of Being the “Facebook Ads Guy”

Matt Johnson — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0700

For many experts, where they start out is not where their business eventually evolves to as they go from being known for that one marketing tactic or platform to something different.

Breaking out of a specific niche is progression, not a full pivot, driven by wanting to focus on an overarching strategy, not just one tactic. What drives this switch, and how does it actually benefit the client? What are the online business trends emerging from the coronavirus?

Liana Lang on Cutting Edge Facebook Ad Tactics to Reach New Clients & Become MicroFamous

Matt Johnson — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In an influencer/thought-leadership business, the health of the operation is determined by us having a predictable, sustainable and sellable way to bring the right people into our email list. If our email list is flat, our whole business is flat.

A system that allows us to reliably grow our email list is critical, and Facebook advertising is a vehicle for getting opt-ins, sales and building our list.

What are some of the tactics we can put in place quickly that can get us results? Why do we need to have a solid funnel before investing in ads?

Pat Altvater on Raw vs Professional Video & Leveraging Video Into Other Content

Matt Johnson — Thu, 21 May 2020 09:00:00 -0700

Credibility and authority indicators like books and podcasts are more within reach than ever before.

This means the bar of being seen as an expert in a market or niche is constantly being raised, and we need to be able to keep up. Every piece of content we put out, whether it’s a Live format or a professional video has to be able to build to add to our positioning as experts.

What credibility indicators are the audience using to decide who has authority? How do we utilize different video content to showcase our expertise and authenticity?

How Belinda Ellsworth Became MicroFamous in Direct Sales & Her Next Big Move

Matt Johnson — Thu, 14 May 2020 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest challenges coaches, speakers and consultants face today is how the speed of change in relevant tactics has impacted our shelf life in the business. Staying current and relevant has never been more critical to our professional longevity.

The experts who have managed to stay relevant have figured out how to pivot, how to keep driving value and even the new niches they can step into. The key is positioning ourselves and our expertise in a narrative that has long-term appeal.

What are some of the most common mistakes coaches and consultants are making? How did Belinda Ellsworth build a reputation for herself in direct sales that has lasted decades, and what drove the exploration of a new niche?

“Stop Calling Yourself a Coach” – Ken Foster on the Future of Coaching

Matt Johnson — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0700

The coaching world is so flooded and saturated now that it’s diluting the meaning and the value of the word coach. Using the word coach also forces into a box, individuals who can drive change at so many levels for clients.

It’s important for coaches to understand that there are two forces in coaching, the content in your head that makes you highly effective, and what’s effective at marketing and creating demand.

What direction is coaching taking, and how can we respond to it?

Jumping Out of Your Niche & Reverse Engineering Accelerated Results w/Neal Sperling

Matt Johnson — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0700

Thought leaders with various intellectual interests find themselves in a space where they want to widen sales channels or head into another niche completely, but it can be challenging to go about this pivot the right way.

There is a sequence that needs to be followed – a storytelling staircase of credibility and path to expand our reach and results. What are the systems, sequences and elements behind jumping into our next niche? What is the leveraged opportunity our guest sees in creating more value for people?

Erin Pheil on Finding Your Clear & Compelling Idea

Matt Johnson — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0700

For so many people what holds them back from success aren’t the external circumstances. What gets in their way are the fundamental, deep-seated beliefs and patterns they’ve been clinging to that are hurting them. How did our guest today shift these beliefs rapidly, and then turn that into a system that helps other people? What is the biggest barrier to people believing in the rapid transformation? How does our lens of how we see the world affect the experiences we have?

Jay Campbell on Becoming MicroFamous & His Next Big Shift

Matt Johnson — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0700

Many thought leaders who become known for one thing and build authority around that get to a point where they want to pivot and relaunch in a new direction. The process of relaunching, of becoming MicroFamous for something different brings new challenges and opportunities.

Greg Hickman on Turning Your Service Business into a Scalable, Productized Machine

Matt Johnson — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0700

Hybrid agencies are a path service providers can use to turn their expertise and knowledge into a scalable package that’s delivered differently. How does this type of model marry the best of coaching, training and implementation? What is the next evolution of coaching and training? How do we build layers of implementation into our businesses?

Tony Whatley on Becoming MicroFamous Through a Community-Driven Brand

Matt Johnson — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0700

Building a strong community comes down to our ability to engage with people and nurture them. How do we build a space and brand people would be proud to wear on t-shirts? Why is it so important to have a purpose behind what we do? Why is it so important to value old followers as much as new ones?

Richard Matthews on Self-Liquidating Funnels: THE secret to Accelerating Growth

Matt Johnson — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0700

The biggest expense we have in this business is our customer acquisition costs, and one of the smartest things we can do is build funnels that pay for themselves; funnels that convert cold traffic into buyers without losing money. What kind of offers do we need to have in our funnel for them to be self-liquidating? How do we use the New Media Machine to generate attention, and then turn it into a sustainable business?

Nicky Billou on the Thought Leader Revolution

Matt Johnson — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In the coaching realm, group programs have often been seen as a lesser choice, and that individual coaching is the best option. The truth is, group coaching is actually more powerful and effective when it comes to effecting behavioral change. What are the reasons that make group coaching more effective in this way? How can we expand our reach and grow bigger within coaching programs?

David Finkel on Applying the Freedom Formula to Your Thought Leader Business

Matt Johnson — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0700

One of the things that make an impact on our ability to have freedom while we run a business is focusing on our highest leverage points. How do we identify the activities and processes that produce quick and valuable results? How do we narrow down to the one or two things in our businesses that actually move the needle? How do we limit ourselves to a one-page strategic plan?

Chris Bruno on Why Growth Hacking is Nonsense

Matt Johnson — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The term growth hacking is one that’s become synonymous with innovative marketing and social media. The problem is, it has also led to people thinking there’s a shortcut or cheat code to going viral and becoming Microfamous. Why is it flawed to believe we can just hack our way to growth?

Dr Pele Raymond on Becoming MicroFamous for ONE Word

Matt Johnson — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0700

As thought leaders, our goal is always to become MicroFamous around that one problem we solve for people. It’s even more powerful when we can become so focused that people associate us with one word or phrase. How does packaging ourselves this way make it easier for people to buy from us? How can we articulate the problem behind the one word or phrase we want to be associated with in a way that relates to the market?

Kevin Thompson on Building Win-Win Collaborations & Strategic Partnerships

Matt Johnson — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Strategic partnerships allow like-minded people to combine resources and produce far better results together than either can achieve alone; but very often people get them wrong. What mindset should we apply to approaching potential partners? What misconceptions sink strategic partnerships? How do we get into cooperation with our strategic partners?

Paul Edwards On Building Relationships That Directly Grow Your Bottom Line

Matt Johnson — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The ability to be a business connector, make strategic introductions, facilitate connections and deepen relationships is a powerful tool we can have in entrepreneurship. How can we have the kinds of conversations that facilitate these conversations? How can we bring tangible ROI to the introduction? Why are podcasts such a powerful medium for strategic partnerships?

Josh Elledge On Visibility, Exposure & The Key Indicators of Authority in Digital Marketing

Matt Johnson — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:00:00 -0700

In today’s media environment, having authority and respect improves our sales cycles, conversion rates, visibility and more. How does authority drive the decisions of the people we’re trying to sell to? How do we quantify authority? Why is it so important for PR agencies to speak the language of sales and marketing nowadays? How do we invest in influencer relationships to grow our own authority?

Karen Yankovich on Creating & Leveraging A Signature System

Matt Johnson — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 09:00:00 -0700

For coaches, consultants and agency owners, LinkedIn remains the best way to connect with clients and move our businesses forward. What is the difference between the credibility we get from LinkedIn and all the other platforms? How do we proactively build a network of people who are valuable, and move those relationships further along on LinkedIn?

Tyler Lessard on Scaling Innovation & Finding the Most Valuable Slice of a Market

Matt Johnson — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Building a category king business is about balancing innovation with a valuable, scalable use case. How can we go about finding the most valuable slice of the market to build our business around? How can we develop multiple uses for one piece of technology?

Bob Asfari on Dialing In Profit Through the Power of Focus

Matt Johnson — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Many full service agency are stuck in that 10% to 15% profit margin, and a lot of it comes from not specializing. What are the operational, cultural and financial benefits of narrowing our focus? When it comes to optimization, why is it crucial to test less variables? How does focusing your service refine your messaging?

Tony Eades On Streamlining the Agency Merger Process

Matt Johnson — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0700

When two agencies merge, there are critical pieces that have to be intact in order for it to be a success, and for the agency to keep delivering results to clients. How can we make sure we’re delivering the promise of what people should be hiring us for in the merger process? How do we balance the competitive advantage of a new agency with the X-factor of the original agency? How can we streamline operations, hiring, culture and marketing?

Jay Papasan on the Inside Strategy Behind Gary Keller’s Books – Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The ONE Thing

Matt Johnson — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The ONE Thing are two of the most influential and successful business books of all time. What are the key beliefs, ideas and points-of-view that made them such stand-out successes in the category? How did a defined, organizational point-of-view become so wildly popular?

Package, Productize, Sell, Leverage: Max Traylor Returns

Matt Johnson — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Most entrepreneurs are focused on how to get more clients, and not on finding people who will get the most value out of their knowledge and expertise. Why is mastering our process key to growing our business sustainably? What are the mechanics of how problems are solved in order to extract the most value?

Perry Nalevka on Overcoming Internal Obstacles to Scale

Matt Johnson — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

When we’re running a service business, scalability is huge and the thing that tells us if we can go the distance. What is the first milestone we can use to determine if the goal to scale is actually succeeding? What are the downsides of going heavy on implementation vs. just renting out our brains and selling strategy? What’s the instinct we need to fight when we decide to start working on the business, not in it?

Dave Feinman on Building an On-Demand Platform & Serving Other Agencies

Matt Johnson — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

In the rapid movement of the internet machine, many clients and customers expect our services to be on-demand, which comes with a unique set of challenges. How do you build an on-demand staffing model that benefits the employees? What are the challenges of scaling an on-demand service model?

Michael Berean on the Future of Attention & Awareness

Matt Johnson — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The context of how the world consumes content is changing rapidly, and as agency owners, we have to stay on the pulse of this. What do we learn when we regularly keep an eye on the top downloaded apps? How do we find the thing that we can do that’s most valuable to the market, and why do we need to intensify our focus on that thing? What does it take to lock in on that thing without learning the hard way?

Kyle Racki On Transitioning From Agency to SaaS Startup & How to Avoid Blocking Growth As CEO

Matt Johnson — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Agency growth and success is hindered when leaders fail to remove themselves as linchpins of the business. How does getting out of the way help the business and the staff grow? What skills transfer over from running an agency to a tech startups?

Nathan Hirsch on How to Set Expectations & Build Culture with Freelancers

Matt Johnson — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Many virtual team leaders worry about how to build loyalty and culture if they aren’t in the same room or continent as the staff. What are some of the key issues and concerns you can take care of by setting expectations in the beginning? How do you set the tone of the relationship and get everyone else on the team involved in the hiring process?

Eric Pratt on How to Build Innovation & Change Into Your Agency Culture

Matt Johnson — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

In an innovative environment where we must stay on top of all the changes happening in marketing, constantly bringing those changes into a service-based environment can become unsustainable. How do we build being on the cutting edge into our culture and operations so it’s at the fore of what we do? How do we hire adaptable people who can fit into our innovative culture?

How Rich Brooks Runs a Profitable Yearly Event that Creates Demand for His Growing Agency

Matt Johnson — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Events can be a powerful way to not only position ourselves as experts, but also a way to build a meaningful network and a steady stream of clients. How can we position ourselves as trusted advisor through events? Why are podcasts so powerful as farm systems for our agencies? How can we make ourselves more attractive for speaking engagements and event bookers?

Susana Yee on How to Leverage Micro-influencers to Grow Your Brand & Drive Sales

Matt Johnson — Wed, 29 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest misconceptions about influencer marketing is that we should be going after the mega influencers with over a million followers. Why shouldn’t we be targeting the big names? How can we define micro-influencers and what kind of ROI and engagement can we expect? What is the earmark of a good micro-influencer? How do we kickstart the relationship between the client and the influencer, and what does a win-win look like?

Kate Dramis on Clarifying Your Message & Building a Business You Don’t Want to Scale Out Of

Matt Johnson — Wed, 22 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

For a lot of agency leaders, coaches and consultants, balancing different sides of the business can be a huge challenge. When you have this kind of setup, why is it so important for them be wrapped around one idea? When it comes to improving a sales funnel, why do we need to take a step back and go back to the messaging? How do repetition, language, numbers and tactics play into it? What are some of the key launch lessons we can learn from 7-figure online entrepreneurs?

Jason Bay on His 5-Step Process For Hiring Freelancers

Matt Johnson — Fri, 17 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest and most costly mistakes agencies make is not having a defined system for hiring employees, and not assessing the people they do hire. What are some of the things we need to build into our hiring system to weed out the people that aren’t a good fit? How can we use questionnaires, Sparkhire and interviews to systematize and simplify the hiring process? Where can we go to find high quality talent?

Think, Teach, Do: How to Escape the Implementation Black Hole & Become More Profitable w/Karl Sakas

Matt Johnson — Tue, 14 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The biggest game-changer in professional services is being profitable without staying on the hamster wheel. Why is it so common for agency leaders to throw themselves under the bus by not paying themselves a 6-figure salary? How do we optimize our FTE, and why is this a key metric in profitability? What does it take to get out of the implementation trap?

Jake Jorgovan on Having a Cheat Code For Your Business

Matt Johnson — Fri, 10 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest shifts we have to make as entrepreneurs is trusting that the answers for what direction to take are within us, instead of constantly trying to find the answers externally. How can we work on getting clear on that? How does a coach help us through this, and why do we need the outside voice and lens of someone else? Why are podcasts so effective for building relationships?

Greg Stone on Telling Epic Stories That Persuade & Inspire

Matt Johnson — Wed, 08 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

When it comes to the stories we tell about our brands, our methods and techniques often fall short of good and effective storytelling, and connecting with the customer. What are some of the key elements we need to weave into our stories in order for them to be epic, and how do we tell them in simple but colorful language? Why is radio the most powerful storytelling medium, and what can we learn from it? Why are verbs a very important part of epic storytelling?

Jason Treu on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Building High-Performance Teams

Matt Johnson — Fri, 03 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Most people believe that imposter syndrome doesn’t exist at the highest levels of management and corporate life, but it’s actually more common there. What are some of the factors about rising to the highest echelons that increase impostor syndrome and suppress self awareness? How do we create a working environment that inspires better self-awareness, vulnerability and behavior change? How does the way we internally deal with failure get mirrored in our businesses?

Simon Lamey on Why Our Social Media Strategy Isn’t Working

Matt Johnson — Wed, 01 May 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Many marketers spend most of their time experimenting with platforms trying to get free attention and free reach, instead of perfecting the message, and then getting that message in front of more of the right people. What is the best progression of owned, earned and paid media that will give our strategies the results we actually want. Why is it a waste to put money behind the message that isn’t unique or controversial enough?

Maureen Condon on Quick Wins & Scaling With Trust

Matt Johnson — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Professional service agency owners all deal with the “Dip” before our work pays off and starts showing results in the client’s bank account. How can we take care of this in advance when we’re still onboarding our clients? Why is the first 90 days of our client relationships so critical, and how do we set the stage for a long-term engagement during that time? How do we keep our staff relentlessly executing week after week, month after month when we’re working with a client long-term?

Will Bachman on Building a Powerful & Profitable Community

Matt Johnson — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Right now there are so many opportunities to build communities focused on a specific topic, affinity or need. How was my guest able to build a valuable community for management consultants? What are the questions you need to ask yourself in order to curate that community effectively? What is the relationship between how focused and specific your community is and the value it brings to members?

Nate Hirsch on How He Scaled FreeeUp with Freelancers Instead of Employees

Matt Johnson — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 09:00:00 -0700

A decade ago, the concept of building and running a multi-million dollar staffed only by freelancers was unheard of. Nowadays, many experts are using this model and running virtual dominant teams from anywhere in the world. When it comes to hiring people for our teams, how do we get people who will take the mental burden off of us? How do you choose your relationships, the structure of your relationships and set expectations? What is the difference between a follower, doer, and an expert freelancer?

Mark Green on Hidden Growth Killers and The Positive Fuel of Purposefulness

Matt Johnson — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 09:00:00 -0700

No matter how much knowledge and information we have, if our motivators, our habits and beliefs aren’t aligned with what we want to achieve, there’ll be no progress. What are the symptoms of not being clear enough or having dug into our goals enough? How do we get to the emotional bedrock of why we’re doing something and how do our motivators flow directly into our actions? What is the difference between fearlessness and purposefulness, and how does it define the people with the grit and ability to put themselves where they need to be for maximum effect?

Mike Koenigs on Why He Exited His Multi-Million Dollar Agency & Finding Your Capability Amplifier

Matt Johnson — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Most human being don’t develop rare and valuable skills, and as a result they are commodities, who have to do in order to earn a living. How can we set ourselves to get paid for who we are, not what we do? What are the most important things our capabilities have to revolve around in the suber-being economy? Why do so many agency owners end up trapped by their own businesses?

Remington Begg on Shifting to Strategy & Training Instead of Done-For-You Services

Matt Johnson — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The market is becoming more and more flooded with agencies and differentiation is getting harder. As a result, agencies that are moving away from implementation and leveraging to strategy and coaching are more profitable. What is taking place in the agency landscape that is driving the need for us to take this direction? How does implementation allow us to grow our income without doubling our headcount? Why should we be running the exact marketing strategy we’re selling to our clients? Why is it so powerful to actually show our clients what we do, not just tell them?

Allen Cobb on Diving Deep on Focused Service Clusters

Matt Johnson — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Many coaches and consultants fight against the concept of going narrow and deep and getting really good at a core set of deliverable items. But from a marketing perspective, it’s the smartest thing we can do. How do we zone in on the most powerful points of scale for our service offerings? How does focusing on one service for a very specific type of client get us in front of more of our ideal clients?

Tiamo de Vettori on “Keynote Concerts” & Creating a Powerful, Profitable Music Business

Matt Johnson — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Most entrepreneurs believe that live events and online trainings are two separate realms, but there is actually a huge opportunity to integrate them and take our brands to the next level. How can we actually use the online presence to warm people up to go to our live events? How do we decide where to push people primarily and what to become known for? When we have the online stuff and the in-person programs, how do we focus and go deep on the different sides so we’re not spread too thin? Why are in person trainings so much more powerful?

Mark Amtower on Creating and Dominating a New Category in Marketing

Matt Johnson — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Anyone with a consultant skill set struggles with what they want to be known for, and the process of really honing in on a specialty or niche. What are the key breakthrough questions that can help us discover our sweet spot? Why do we become more successful the more finite we are in the service that we offer? How do we address the fear of cutting ourselves off from being known for a multitude of things so we can drill down on one valuable thing? Why do we have to start with our goals in order to succeed on LinkedIn?

Randy Milanovic on Delivering Results Through Done-with-You Services

Matt Johnson — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0700

When we shift from a transactional mindset to a relational one, the way we work for clients, the conversations we have and the services we deliver shift too. How does this change reflect in our business models and elevate the entire client engagement? How can the shift in conversations allow agencies to go from strategy to execution very rapidly? How can collaboration and data-driven decision making help us gets the best results?

Frank Cowell on Leading Clients Through Long-Term Marketing Strategy

Matt Johnson — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0700

When it comes to investing in your brand marketing, there’s a foundational and infrastructure-building period we can’t avoid, and because of that, we don’t get results quickly. How do we prepare our staff and clients prepared for this inevitable part of the process? As marketing agencies, what is the value proposition we bring to our clients especially in the early stages of implementing a strategy when there’s no positive ROI yet? How are most marketing agencies selling the wrong thing, and what should we be selling? How do we turn marketing into something we just do into an organizational habit that pays off at the tail end of intense brand building.

Jason Bay on Lessons From a First Time Agency Owner

Matt Johnson — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The sweet spot for a professional services firm, is creating a product at a good enough price point, which provides volume and results for clients so it can become an ongoing engagement. What is the process of productizing our services, and why is it so important to pay attention to the profitability of the model and attach what we do to revenue? Why is sales and prospecting is the best way to test and validate new service options and products?

Michelle Evans on Random Acts of Marketing & Why We Should Stop Doing Them

Matt Johnson — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Most independent operators in the professional service space are taught to meet as many people as possible and get on sales calls with them. The problem is, without the right system in place all these efforts will fall flat. Why is it so important for us to have a sequence of steps to take people through before that call, and how does it solve the pitfals of selling to people cold? When we don’t set up a business funnel, how does it put our business at risk of instability? Why is it so powerful to send people a piece of content that speaks to our audience, and primes them for the sales conversation?

Craig Ballantyne on the Book Launch Strategy That Sold 30k Copies of The Perfect Day Formula

Matt Johnson — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

As entrepreneurs it often feels like our minds are filled with fragmented and chaotic ideas, which can create inaction or even anxiety. How can we mitigate this anxiety with our daily routines? How can we enlist our unconscious to help us in the decision making process? Why do we need to spend more time in non-urgent but important activities, and how do we prepare for that the night before?

Brent Weaver on Group Coaching + Changing Behavior to Get Clients Results

Matt Johnson — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

For a lot of creatives, the idea of dominating a market is a psychological battle they constantly come up against. What steps can we take to overcome this? How did Brent go from 10-15% course completion rate to 95%? How do we get the right carrot at the end of the stick to get people in the door of our courses? Why shouldn’t we chase the low end of a market, and what is the real reason people do it?

Lindsey Anderson on Micro-Podcasting & Alexa Flash Briefings

Matt Johnson — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

The explosion in popularity of smart speakers like Alexa have birthed what promises to be the latest gold rush for marketers – Alexa Flash Briefings. The question every marketer, thought leader and agency leader has is what to convey in a minute that’s going to make an impact. What type of content works most effectively for this? How can we create bulk content for our briefings and when it comes to calls-to-action, what are the best practices?

Rob Walch on How the Biggest Podcasts Grow Without Advertising

Matt Johnson — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

As podcasts become more ubiquitous, more popular and more competitive, how we market them has also had to shift. Why is it actually a good thing that podcasts are now widely available on multiple audio platforms likes Spotify and Google? Should niche podcasters care about the iTunes rankings? Why is it impossible to grow the listenership of your podcast without the help of your audience? How can we set our shows up in a way that helps our audience promote us to their circles?

Mitchell Levy on Turning a Transactional Business into a Relationship Business

Matt Johnson — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

For a lot of agencies owners and thought leaders, their business models are based on one-and-done transactional relationships, and the challenge is being able to build long-lasting relationships in that space. When we have a core business that is transactional by nature and has a defined start and end point, how do we create an ongoing recurring revenue stream? How can we build build an ecosystem of people who supplement what we do, help us do it more effectively, but also become a referral network? How do we meet the people to add to our trusted partner ecosystem?

Angelo Ponzi on Fractional Services & Gaining an Unfair Advantage

Matt Johnson — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Fractional services is one of the most interesting and potentially exploding models in the next 10-20 years. How can we get immersed in the client and get buy-in if we’re not working with them 100% of the time? How do we take a more collaborative approach as we sell ideas and strategic advice up the line to the rest of the C-suite and sometimes down the line to the people we are supervising? What would make the fractional service model easier to deliver and easier on the expert at the center of it?

Laura Posey on 6 Figure Coaching Business Models

Matt Johnson — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest mistakes coaches and consultants make is never systematizing their work because they don’t intend to sell. Why is developing a methodology critical, whether we want to scale or not? What is the process of getting clear on what we really want between a coaching job and a coaching business? Why is it so important to ask ourselves how many people we want around us?

Rebecca Geier on How to Say NO to Grow

Matt Johnson — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

For services companies, turning away business is scary because it feels like we’re giving up our billable capacity, but being more focused actually serves our businesses well. How does niching down make us profitable on the efficiency side and on pricing as well? When it comes to integrity and accountability, how do high performing team cultures set themselves apart? Why is it so important for accountability to work both ways, with the leader holding their staff accountable and staff holding leaders accountable?

Darren Magarro on How To Win With Simplicity in Both Digital & Traditional Marketing

Matt Johnson — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest mistakes digital agency owners make is thinking we can get away with not having a dialed in message because we aren’t in traditional marketing. Why is it so important for us to develop a strong, concise and empathetic message, and what can traditional marketing teach us about that? How do we generate the right traffic for our clients instead of generating traffic for the sake of bragging rights? How can we ensure that we have trust, leverage and options when it comes to our client relationships?

Wes Schaeffer on How He Built a Hybrid Consulting-Agency Business

Matt Johnson — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0700

Marketing is the process of automating sales and making it more efficient. How should we think about marketing and how it relates to sales in a way that benefits us? If we have to be 1% better to get 100% of the commission in sales, how do we make sure we stack everything up in our favor to win? When people struggle to pin down a niche, are they chasing variety or hiding from the fact that don’t want to buckle down and do the hard work of focusing? How can we make money multiple ways helping the same core group of clients?

Erin Loman Jeck on How To Turn Speaking Engagements Into Real Demand for Your Service

Matt Johnson — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

For entrepreneurs, speaking engagements are one of the things we target in order to get more exposure and generate a demand for what we do. How do we get more speaking engagements that put us in front of the right crowds? What is the difference between what makes speeches/presentations generate demand for our service and ones that don’t? What are so many people getting wrong when they speak to an audience?

Adam Witty on Hybrid Book Publishing & Bounce Back Offers

Matt Johnson — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Writing a book is one of the most powerful ways for us to build authority and sell what we do. What are some of the ways self-publishing benefits authors, and how can taking the hybrid route bring even more to the table? Does going for the traditional publishing option mean we don’t have to worry about marketing the book ourselves? What’s the difference between a book that creates more demand for us and one that doesn’t?

Brooke Elder on Turning Purpose, Passion & Connection into Sales

Matt Johnson — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

For a lot of entrepreneurs it’s hard to connect the things we love talking about and the conversations we have with the product or service we’re offering. How do we make the transition from a genuine connection into something that generates demand for what we sell? Why is it impossible to effectively sell if we only go surface level or one level deep with our conversations with people? How do we tap into and reinforce the internal belief system in the value of our superpowers?

Kelly O’Neil on Profit-ology & Why You Can’t OUT-Hustle a Bad Strategy

Matt Johnson — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Most entrepreneurs design their business around generating revenue and they never think about profit, even though it’s what really matters. How do we design our businesses and lives around being profitable, and what are the two key questions we have to ask when we realize our businesses aren’t profitable? When people become too tactically focused, what are the fundamentals they easily lose sight of? What is the biggest downfall of the business mentorship landscape when it comes to choosing between strategy and tactic?

Matthew Pollard on How Introverts Can Find their X Factors & Become Great at Sales

Matt Johnson — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

If we’re good at delivering the service, but don’t realize that all of life is sales and marketing, we are going to struggle with the idea of selling and stay stuck in the growth of our businesses. What are the 2 challenges service providers with functional skills have? How do we balance what the market will buy, what will create rapid growth and what’s authentic to sell for us?

Michael Roub on Building a Platform Business & Setting Up Your Ideal Exit

Matt Johnson — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Working with people who have an intent to sell their rockstar business is a different opportunity and beast to deal with. What are the things that need to be put in place 6-12 months before the big sale? What is the process of starting to attract buyers and how do they identify a business that has the potential to become a scalable platform? When we’re in the position to be potential strategic buyer for something what do we look for vs. what a private equity firm would look for?

Josh Patrick: Mini-Masterclass on Systems & Simplicity in Your Business

Matt Johnson — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0700

When a system is to lengthy, too complicated and has to many steps in it, the likelihood that it will be implemented or followed is low. How do we create systems that are actually operationally doable? How do we come to grips with the upfront investment it takes to build a system rather than emotionally pushing our people to do better? How do we empower people in our organizations to become system builders in their own right?

Dr. Laura Gallaher on Breaking Spotlight Addiction

Matt Johnson — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Developing our people and investing in those resources for them is how our companies grow and succeed. Why do leaders often struggle to find the best ways to bring the best out of their staff? What competence and why do we have to rethink what it means in how we run our businesses? How do we create the space for our staff to develop their superpowers, and also overcome wanting to take all the glory as leaders?

Christopher Antonopoulos on How to Build a Demand Generation Ecosystem

Matt Johnson — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The problem with marketing is that it’s not always easy to know if a strategy is influencing revenue when there’s so much tech in the mix. How does an operational skill set help solve this problem, and provide some much needed structure to figure out the key metric that needs to be tracked? How does it help clients zone in on the action that will have the most impact on their business? How do we drill down to the real reason our clients are buying from us?

David Bain on What it Takes to Create Profitable Digital Courses

Matt Johnson — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The challenge for small business owners to create an engaging course today is quite significant. What factors have made it much harder than it used to be? If we can’t differentiate on audio and video quality what can we differentiate on? How do we make a course that more closely mirrors what we could do if we were taking that person through the material in a classroom or one-on-one setting? What purpose does an online summit serve in our businesses?

Profit is a Choice: Kelly Campbell on Positioning Your Expert Business for Profitability

Matt Johnson — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Many people who do creative or professional service work struggle with paying to attention to who our competition and where we sit in the landscape. How does positioning create a cascading effect on how well we do? What are the smaller pieces of achievement that build toward profitability, and how does positioning fit into that? How can we build up the skill of learning a new industry very quickly? What are the 4 key questions that helps agencies zero in on their position in the marketplace?

Brooks Fenno on How to Diversify & Break into New Markets

Matt Johnson — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The thing we lose track of the fastest is the customer and their change in taste and how that drives what our businesses should look like. How do we keep ourselves on the pulse of the winds of change to get a sense of changing needs and desires in our customers and clients? Under what conditions can we consider diversifying our business? What challenges come with taking the same product or service into a new market?

Carolyn Barth on Reverse Engineering PR

Matt Johnson — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The goal of public relations, and even sales and marketing is to sell a point of view that is compelling to people. When it comes to reverse engineering PR we start with what the public would find compelling or do you starts with facts and find a spin for it? Why do we have to take that approach? What is the magic ingredient that guarantees the success of this process?

Dr. James Kelley on How to Respond to Adversity & Embrace the Suck

Matt Johnson — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Adversity is something we all experience at some point in our lives. How can we take action and respond to it the right way? How do we analyze our failures correctly so we get the lesson out of them. What is the difference between good adversity and bad adversity?

John Elston on the Remote Revolution & Building Virtual Teams of A Talent

Matt Johnson — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Many business leaders struggle to embrace remote workers because they fear a weakening of their culture if their people can’t show up in-office. Why is it more about the talent and a lot less about the culture and having a specific location? Why was John Elston first resistant to the remote revolution and what was the learning experience that made him shift to a decentralized office? How do we build a sustainable business on remote workers with a long-term vision? What are the key ingredients for being a good remote worker?

Dustin Howes on How to Build a Powerful Affiliate Marketing Program

Matt Johnson — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0700

When it comes to affiliate marketing, the vision most coaches and consultants have is becoming that center of the universe in a referral network. What does a wildly mismanaged affiliate program look like, and how can we avoid falling into those traps? What causes the fraud that has given affiliate marketing a bit of a bad name? What’s performance marketing and how is it different from traditional affiliate marketing, and how does that allow for stronger relationships between the company and the affiliate? How do we figure out what the ideal affiliate relationship for us is?

Peter Winick on How To Scale With Content & Package Your Expertise for Fortune 500 Clients

Matt Johnson — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The world of speaking is very different to the world of knowledge transfer and a lot of us in the thought leadership world struggle to make that transition. What are the success metrics of training vs. the success metrics in speaking? What are the prerequisites for building the foundation to become scalable as a speaker and trainer? How do you find the most valuable slice of the market? How can we become better at systems and models to move beyond the transactional nature of speaking?

Dr. Stephen Kalaluhi on How To Find & Dominate Your Micro-Niche

Matt Johnson — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 09:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest misconception that exists in our world is that a smaller niche makes it hard to build a profitable coaching practice. How does this mindset trip us up and how can we do away with it. Why is the real gold in creating a solution that serves one person in a duplicatable way? How do we create a magnetic draw to us? How do we drill down and really discover the solution and service the person in our micro-niche needs?

Clwyd Probert on How to Run Live Monthly Events To Connect & Nurture Ideal Clients

Matt Johnson — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:00:00 -0700

When it comes to running events, we can easily fall into the trap of losing momentum, or losing grip of the creative direction as we get pulled back into running our main business. How can we avoid this? How do we navigate the Catch 22 of getting butts in seats so we can get speakers? What methodology can we apply to our events so they extract high level content that we can drive into the future?

Kathleen Black on How to Scale Your Expertise into a Coaching & Consulting Company

Matt Johnson — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Most coaching and consulting programs face the problem of finding and articulating principles and core values that are demonstrably different in a relevant way. For our guest, that challenge meant taking a step back to redevelop content when she took over a struggling coaching company. How did this decision turning content from a point of complaint to the beating heart of a successful coaching business? How can we create a bedrock of ideas that are different and relevant?

Troy Dean on the Mindset Secret that Destroys Fear of Competition

Matt Johnson — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 09:00:00 -0700

If we’re not moving forward in our businesses, we won’t learn to serve our clients at a higher level. How do Big Hairy Audacious Goals actually help us become more sophisticated in the service we provide to our clients? How do we build things that people with money are already buying? Why do 95% of online courses fail?

Jason Klein on How to OVER-Specialize & Dominate

Matt Johnson — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

When we craft our services the biggest mistake many of us make is trying to sell to everyone, instead of specializing. How does specializing help us refine what we do and get better with each client? How do we balance the need for new creative and intellectual challenges with staying super-focused in our micro-niche? How does being the facilitator of sharing ideas actually help us.

Ken Lizotte Shares the Inside Scoop on Major-Label Publishing for Experts

Matt Johnson — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Being a published author in the business world has become a major tool and credential that instantly gives us credibility. What does a book do for us that other mediums can’t? When it comes to packaging our intellectual property so that someone would want to put us on a stage, what works and what doesn’t? Does the publisher matter?

Sharon Miller on How To Hire Right the FIRST Time

Matt Johnson — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Hiring more often than not is something we get right after a few tries. How does cognitive bias play into the hiring mistakes we make? What’s a huge key distinction we overlook when we’re hiring? How do we determine how aligned a recruit is to the tasks and the culture we have in our business? How do we find points of alignment in a role in both skill set and EQ?

Dallas Hardcastle on How to Build a Value Bomb & Get Better Results From LESS Sales & Marketing

Matt Johnson — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Many of us stumble over and struggle with coming up with what our X-factor is. What questions and activities will help us effectively pull these superpowers out into the light? How do we bring forth our truest, greatest, most potent self and how does this aid in coming up with our big strategies? How do we make sure the major strategic breakthroughs we have in our peak state won’t slip away or become too intimidating when we get back to equilibrium? Why is it so powerful to plug into a daily rhythm of actions that push us towards our goals?

Adrian Boysel on Blending Faith & Business, plus Why He’s Shifting to Charge for Strategy, not Implementation

Matt Johnson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

In the past, ministry had to be both a lifestyle and a livelihood. Now ministry can be a lifestyle and something we wrap our coaching and consulting around. Why is this shift such a good thing for us? Why is it so necessary to shift from just doing the thing, to coaching on the mindset or consulting on the strategy behind the thing? What’s a big mistake agency owners make, and how does it affect our brands and lead generation? What are some of the business roadblocks that come from being raised in church and having a life of faith?

Matt Inglot on Building Tilted Pixel & The 3 Fastest Ways to Drive More Sales from Our Website

Matt Johnson — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The highest value work we can bring to the table is the application of marketing techniques to achieve a business goal. How did our guest level up his web design skills to actually create a valuable service clients are willing to pay top dollar for? What are some obvious but common mistakes we make with our websites, and how do we rectify them? How do we make sure website visitors understand the problem we’re trying to solve, see the clear path from the problem to the solution and act upon our call to action?

Dr. Alex Pascal on Selling Coaching to the Fortune 500 with Measurable Results

Matt Johnson — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

As the world has become more a complex place to work and live, coaching has become more necessary at the enterprise level. What kind of marketing and metric tracking would decision makers in the space respond to, and why has coaching become an employee benefit? What changes will the infiltration of coaching in companies bring to both the coach, and the enterprise? How do we marry data and the human element to create a coaching service that is scalable, sellable and still effective enough for each individual? How can we standardize coaching practice?

Max Traylor on How To Charge for Strategy, Not Implementation

Matt Johnson — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The advent of the gig economy has dropped the perceived value of implementation, and as a result strategy is what clients are willing to pay us more money for. How did the barrier of entry for marketing services become virtually non-existent, and how is that impacting the agency model? If doing the task is no longer as valuable as before, how do we package the processes, strategies and planning that can allow us to charge more? What is genuine expertise, and how do we attain it?

Joshua Lee on Why Balance is Bullsh*t & We Should NOT Be Entrepreneurs for Life

Matt Johnson — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The thing that makes it possible for us to escape the grind of entrepreneurship and live a more integrated life is finding the one way in which we are super valuable to the world in a leveraged way. What is the best way to find out what that superpower is? Why is the idea of work-life balance too heavy for most of us, and how should we look at it instead? How does being part of a tribe help us through the isolation that comes with being an entrepreneur?

Colton Bollinger on Keys to Blowing Up Instagram Accounts & Building a 40-Person Agency in 2 Years

Matt Johnson — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

A lot of us have a lot of high level things to say that people would be interested in, but we struggle to package it in an engaging and compelling way for platforms like Instagram. What value component is make or break for a social media campaign management business? How do we find that X-factor we can easily create and can be done on a frequent enough basis to add value to our audience? How do thought leaders find the balance between what we want to talk about and what people want to hear from us?

Less is More: David Finkel on Scaling Up Coaching With Simple Tools & Limited Concepts

Matt Johnson — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Many coaches/consultants believe our clients need understand the abstract concept behind the action we want them to take. Yet the fact is, the more information we give people the less action they take. How has information overload literally changed the game in coaching/consulting? How do we distill abstract concepts, big ideas and broad strokes down so someone can actually take the actions that get them results? How do we build momentum in our business while staying flexible to changing conditions?

Alex Berman on Micro-Niche Strategy, Cold Email & Building a Team Around Your X Factors

Matt Johnson — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Marketing, sales and production are the three key roles in a professional services business, and finding our X Factors within these roles is fundamental to success. Why do we struggle to generate leads? What’s the formula for writing a cold email that will convert into opportunities? When we pitch ourselves to potential clients, how do they judge us if they can’t know our technical skill?

Nathan Hirsch, CEO of FreeeUp on Tips & Tactics for Building a Powerhouse Virtual Team

Matt Johnson — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Adding one freelancer to your business is one thing, but figuring out the structure once we have 3 or 4 people, it can be challenging to know where to plug them in. What’s the best order to build a freelance virtual team? How do we prevent turnover in our freelance workforce, especially when it comes to the people that are integral to our business? How do we maintain company culture and high standards, as well as keep everyone accountable when we have a remote workforce?

Boss Mom Dana Malstaff on Building a Movement That Feeds Our YouX Machine & Creating New Entrepreneurs

Matt Johnson — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

The ability to nurture our free content into paid content is one of the biggest disconnects we experience in business. Instead of struggling to sell products and services, how do we build our communities in a purpose-driven manner so it can become its own ecosystem? How can we build a movement that can sustain itself, build up entrepreneurs and help our business function and grow? How does decision confidence play into us being able to weigh our options and gain focus?

Glenn Twiddle on Strategies To Scale Coaching & Consulting WITHOUT More Employees

Matt Johnson — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

A lot of us get tripped up when we make ourselves the face of the brand, because we end up doing most of the work that brings most of the value. What steps can we take to not just add to our effectiveness but to actually multiply it? What happens when we free up time to focus on our zone of genius? What extremely valuable step in the process of scaling up and installing a system do we skip to our own detriment?

Genny Williams on Turning a 6-Figure Coaching Business into a Done-For-You Service Machine

Matt Johnson — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 09:00:00 -0700

How do we take a successful, growing coaching firm and transition it – mid-stream – to a marketing agency? How do we blend Done-for-You services with value-add coaching to get our clients great results AND create freedom for ourselves?

Marc Davison on The Secret to Powerful & Compelling Brands

Matt Johnson — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 09:00:00 -0700

When branding is executed well, companies explode and become valuable to the market. How do you carve out your own path so you never have to worry about competition? When you are too afraid to repel some people, what impact does it have on how the market buys into your core values? How do you find your niche?

Mandy McEwen on How to Generate Top Grade Clients and Business on LinkedIn

Matt Johnson — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 09:00:00 -0700

LinkedIn is a phenomenal place to find great clients but so many of us aren’t doing it. Why is it so important to be specific about our target market and have a strong profile? How can we leverage everything LinkedIn gives us? What are some of the mistakes we’re making? On this episode, agency owner and Agency Growth and Lead Generation Coach, Mandy McEwen shares how to generate high quality leads on LinkedIn.

Andrew Scherer on How to Build a Scalable Coaching Business

Matt Johnson — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Coaching isn’t just a high level accountability business, there’s a lot more to it. How do you build a coaching business that is scalable and fulfilling in the long run? Why is the sales funnel obsolete? How do you get your concepts out of your head and into a good system? On this episode, Andy Scherer shares his journey to becoming a coach.

Jason Swenk on 3 Key Systems To Scale a Professional Service Business

Matt Johnson — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 09:00:00 -0700

Most creative people struggle with focusing and doing less because we’re afraid of boredom. How does focus actually accelerate the growth of our business and lead to eventual freedom? What are the challenges of scaling a professional service business? What do we do when we’ve hit the ceiling of our own abilities? On this episode, Jason Swenk shares the systems that empowered him to build an agency and now his coaching/consulting company.

James Guldan on Personal Brands & Exponential Growth

Matt Johnson — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 09:00:00 -0700

There is a huge difference between exponential growth and linear growth. What is this missing link and how do we find it? What is the step between brand promise and our proven process? What is the best kind of person to delegate a responsibility to? On this episode, co-founder of Vision Tech Team and Influex, James Guldan goes in-depth on answering these questions.