Entrepreneur Showdown with Dan Franks and Joe Cassandra

PR can be mega expensive for your new venture, but you don't have to feel at a disadvantage. For Round 1, Dan and Joe discuss how you can do YOUR OWN PR for your business. Learn some of the strategies we've used to get press and some of the tools you can use without having to even open your wallet. Hustle for that exposure! We dive into Networking, that yummy N word that sends even the most outgoing to feel a little nervous. "Go network at events" is an old adage, but what does that mean and what can you do to be better at them? We look at some of our experiences at events and ask ourselves questions such as, "What if I'm an introvert?" You're not going to want to miss these tips! John Corcoran provided the inspiration for this discussion and we're about bring John on.... Yes, you made it, to the Main Event with our friend, John Corcoran! We dive into TONS of topics on networking with John including: the importance of following up and the benefits, where to find those you want to network with, how to END conversations (Joe has a great personal story on this), and a great tip on relationships with networking, Should your spouse be networking side by side with you so they don't feel left out? You won't want to miss John's take.

When Carl Marttiola, now of ClinicMetrics, first stepped foot in the entrepreneurial world to begin developing his new SAAS product, he was terrified! Carl helps wrap up our SAAS Entrepreneur Month here on Entrepreneur Showdown: Presents, and it is only fitting as he is one of The Foundation's most successful graduates! ClinicMetrics is a SAAS product focused on helping physical therapists see exactly what is going on with their business. He was shocked how many of these businesses in the health care field didn't even know the health of their own business! Carl takes us through his limiting beliefs, the idea extraction process, how he gets money from potential clients before ever having a product, and more! We also talk with Carl about how he started small when trying to learn a foreign industry, and how even though you might not be an expert (yet), being honest with people will get you to where you want to be.

Joe and Dan dive into a Round 1 about Group Presentations. Having come off their own speaking gig at Podcamp Dallas.  Joe discusses mistakes he made and how you can avoid it.  There’s also some tips Dan dives into in how to Wake UP your crowd! Discover how you SHOULD NOT start your presentation, it could…

Today we continue SAAS Entrepreneur month here on Entrepreneur Showdown: Presents, as we welcome on Esther de Boer of Shootzilla. Esther has a background in photography, and has run many businesses of her own. However a software based business is something that was never on Esther's radar until she became a member of The Foundation. What makes Esther de Boer different from some of the other SAAS entrepreneurs we have spoken to is that she has multiple other businesses that she is running, in addition to Shootzilla. We discuss systems and tactics Esther uses to keep everything on the tracks, and to make sure one businesses does not suffer because of another. Esther also did something different than the normal teaching of Dane Maxwell and Andy Drish in The Foundation. She pursued a SAAS product in a space that she was already very experienced in. However so far Esther thinks she made the right call!

For Round 1 today, learn how to grow your blog to get your first 100 readers. We're starting to build a blog readership to compliment our podcast and we found a killer article with tactical advice. We found 1 interesting tactic that you can implement right away, check it out! In Round 2, Joe and Dan discuss Marketing. Yes, you've heard us discuss it before, but this is based on a recent podcast from Think Act Get (we've already interviewed one side with James Schramko) now we get the other part of the duo with Ezra Firestone. Ezra is a killer marketer and we get a chance to define marketing before Ezra gets to swoop in and change our definition! Keys to Business: Visibility, Conversion, & Repeat Business - Ezra Firestone CLICK TO TWEET Ezra Firestone lands in the Main Event and ready to rumble. Learn his ONE place to focus your marketing expertise right now. Joe asks him about referrals and Ezra tells you why it could be a flawed business model to rely on. Ezra packs this interview with TONS of advertising tips and tricks, he also shows you how to GAIN MAXIMUM exposure for your brand and the exact strategy he uses to do for his own brand. This is an exciting episode, we had fun making it for you!

Sam Ovens continues the month dedicated solely to Software Entrepreneurs (SAAS). Sam shot to the top of the online world as one of the first success stories out of the Foundation, with founders Dane Maxwell and Andy Drish. He rose in notoriety with his interview with our friend Andrew Warner at Mixergy and gained worldwide exposure and helped contribute to the Foundation brand. Sam's main project is SnapInspect. We had already heard his story at Mixergy and wanted to dive in deeper how to grow beyond the Foundation and beyond the initial building of the product. Listen to Sam go in great detail on: Why he struggled when he came out of the Foundation even with paying customers. How He lost his Girlfriend because of his Entrepreneurial adventures. Why he thinks Lifestyle Entrepreneurs might be Lying.... One of his best sources for Leads (you might want to listen for his top one......) Hear also Sam talk about a great story about Steve Jobs and how he tested the market to find the right idea. It's all about testing, even Joe gets sucked into a "potentially" good idea that Sam quickly proves wrong! Sam's also building a successful consulting Business over at his personal site. This is a unique Showdown interview as we hear alot more stories than normal but it's intriguing. Hear Sam's voice as he remembers how much he struggled and had to sell everything to pay the bills. If you're a wannabe Software Entrepreneur, this is the interview for you.

We kick off Round 1 by talking about 5 Small Workspace Change That Will Make You More Productive. There are multiple things that you can do TODAY regardless of you work environment that will immediately improve your productivity. Who doesn't want that? Temperature, lighting, and paint. Oh my! Then in Round 2, we let Laura Roeder ask the question, "Want to Start Growing Your Business? Stop Lying to Yourself!" Many online wantrepreneurs claim they want one thing or another, but when it comes to taking action, a large number of them do the wrong thing. Are you over thinking things? Are you treating your journey like a marathon or a sprint? Joe and Dan discuss this, and more. And in the Main Event, Dan goes solo as he steps in the ring with Laura Roeder of LKR Social Medial. Laura is a social media queen, but she knows so much more! That's what we get into. Laura teaches thousands of online students how to stand out from the crowd in a variety of ways, and she is living proof. Laura is a huge advocate of being yourself. She has a strong personality, and thinks your online content should allow this personality to show through.

Exciting times here at The Showdown, as we debut an all new month of Entrepreneur Showdown: Presents. October 2013 saw some exciting Entertainment Entrepreneurs, but November 2013 might be even better! November 2013 is SAAS Entrepreneur Month! We'll be interviewing four dynamic and cutting edge entrepreneurs who are making headway in the software as a service space. We kick of SAAS Entrepreneur month with David Cristello of ProcessPro. David is a self made entrepreneur who has been plying is craft in the marketing space for longer than most who are his age. However his latest venture is creating a SAAS product, and David is not afraid to tell us everything! We hear about the failed dental venture David first experimented with, and find out what exactly went wrong. David also tells us some of the techniques he learned during niche selection to ensure that he would not experience failure again! David Cristello is a student of Dane Maxwell and Andy Drisch's The Foundation, and David shares with us what that program did for him. And of course we will spend plenty of time talking with David about his current project which he has been able to develop almost completely without a penny out of his own pocket. He is solving big pains in the finance space that many large corporations cannot seem to find the answer to, and we dig into how he manages to do it better, and more! [powerpress]Download in iTunes | Download in Stitcher

We discuss goal-setting in Round 1, we all have goals but what's the difference between goals and dreams? Joe and Dan dive into this topic and we go down and deep into it! Dan gives advice on reverse engineering your goal and how that may be the route you should go. For Round 2, we discuss Niche Marketing and how deep should you go with your niche? Many struggle with going deep because it's easier to stay very general in your area and Joe admits he's in that boat! We talk about some of our concerns with going deep and finding the perfect market for your product and service because it's tough! For the Main Event, Ryan Lee muscles his way to the stage to defend his position on niche marketing. We discuss Kardashians, Beanie Babies, fish tanks and more. Ryan debunks the "follow your passion to the money" theme you will hear going around online. He also walks you through in finding the market you want and how to attack your specific niche (with one of the most boring niches around). Hear also one of the biggest mistakes he made early on...did you make it already?

In the final episode in Entertainment Entrepreneur Month, Joe turns the tables and interviews his other half: Dan Franks. Joe asks Dan about his past as a professional wrestler, and the business side of a form of entertainment that many are not familiar with. Dan also has an interesting story about how he got into wrestling and online business at the same time. At the age of 14, Dan already had a profitable online business building and maintaining websites in the professional wrestling niche. Find out what spending his young years as an online entrepreneur, and his older years as a professional wrestler, taught Dan. Dan also shares how those lessons still effect his businesses today. Tune in next week as Entrepreneur Showdown: Presents will bring you SAAS Month. Four successful SAAS entrepreneurs will tell their stories of success and failure in a new episode every Thursday in November!

Whether you have a website, blog, or online store, you need certain elements of your site to be there for the consumer. For Round 1, Dan and Joe dive into 3 MUST HAVE points that need to be tied into your website to succeed online. Are there mistakes you're making on your site that need to be changed? Tune in now! In Round 2, we tackle a recent post on Think Traffic. net "10 Mistakes in Starting an Online Business." There are many topics that don't seem to add up for us, do you start a business or build a platform? We're going to need Corbett to sort some of these questions out in the Main Event! Corbett Barr joins on the Showdown to untangle some of these mistakes made in the Online Business world. If you're looking to build an online business or have one up and cooking, this is an episode you wont' want to miss! In this interview you'll learn Corbett's reasons to start doing what you love now and hear his personal story about a partnership gone bad. Also hear his take on why your blog isn't a business and which comes first, platform or product?

While many podcasters follow the same formula and fit themselves into the same mold, Stuart Crane of TV Talk set out to be different. TV Talk is a podcast network that has grown seemingly out of nowhere, and has taken a not so traditional route! Rooted in an iPhone and Android app, not iTunes (although it is also available there), Stuart Crane looks to make listening to expert reviews of your favorite television shows not only easy, but interactive! Find out about TV Talk's super intuitive interface that allows the listener to become part of the show with the App's "Talk Back" feature. Stuart also discusses his lofty goals when it comes to revenue generation and securing big time advertisers! Stuart Crane has had big successes in the past, so who are we to doubt that all of his plans will come to fruition?

Are you on the wrong track in your life? It's scary to think about, but Dan and Joe dive into Round 1 discussing this topic, and what many people do in the early stage of their life. If you're a recent graduate or have started a new career, you'll want to check out this article and listen to Round 1. In Round 2, we'll discuss Building Your Network and when should you do it, a topic from Jason Womack (hint, he'll be the guest!). Dan and Joe have different takes on when YOU might want to start building it and who is actually involved in your network. Joe and Jason don't seem to agree, we'll need to settle this in the Main Event! We bring Jason Womack on the Main Event to discuss networking and more. Jason says he had to prepare by listening to multiple episodes of the ES to get ready for this, so don't miss it! Learn about how Jason keeps track of all his networking contacts. Discover the 4 questions, what are they? Where can you find opportunities with your connections? Jason will help you out!

Imagine a life where your JOB entails going to the movies and watching television.  A few times a week, you have to talk with the on screen and behind the scene stars of these programs.  Then you create regular written, audio, and video content detailing your thoughts on the movies and interviews. Sound pretty tough?…

When you think of an entrepreneur, you sometimes think immediately "Risk-Taker". Is there a line past that to reckless? Dan and Joe tackle the issue, what temperament they are, and perhaps identify which one you are! In Round 2, we'll discuss the "Chosen Ones." Are some people chosen for success, and is every generation thinking the next is entitled? We'll tackle this topic inspired by James Clear. "Luck Provides Opportunities, but YOU have to walk through the door - James Clear CLICK TO TWEET James Clear enters the Ring to delve further into "old-style" work ethic and the "knowledge" work ethic. James is a health guru as well and gives you tips on maintaining your health, its importance in business, and developing habits around it. Listen for the gem in this interview with how Environment can play a key in your habitual and marketing efforts!