Entrepreneur Showdown with Dan Franks and Joe Cassandra

Whenever you want to sell your product or yourself, you need to Pitch Yourself. Well, in Round 1, we discuss Ashley Ambridge's article, How NOT to Pitch Yourself. How can you provide value in your pitch? Round 2 finds Joe and Dan debating Michael Stelzner's, from the Social Media Marketing Podcast, recent interview discussing monetization strategies and arguing which comes first: Audience or Product..... We bring Michael in for the Main Event to get his take on how he monetizes, the dangers of affiliate marketing, and why you SHOULD start a blog even with the millions out there and how you can stand out. We also discuss his new adventure, My Kids Adventures, and the tips he uses that you can use to start a fresh new venture! Don't miss it! BONUS: One of our favorite interviews with Michael on Eventual Millionaire, must check it out especially his thoughts on planning!

There is a large disconnect between big business today, and the employees that run those businesses. This is brought to light in a recent article on Business Insider by Henry Blodget. It tells the story of how McDonalds could double the wages of all its employees, and cover the costs by simply raising the price of a Big Mac by .68 cents. Dan and Joe dig into valuing and compensating employees, and what that means for entrepreneurs. Then, Dan brings up a topic that hits close to home with he and Joe. Most people would avoid this topic, but they address it head on in round two! And in the main event, the boys welcome on one of the most successful podcasters going today, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire. As opposed to addressing a specific podcast with him, they dig deeper into the round two topic with John, and then take the interview everywhere else. This is a sign of John Lee Dumas we rarely see, so you won't want to miss it! BONUS: We bring to light some of the "copycat" podcasts that have popped up stealing EOF's format and material recently, and confront John with the tough questions. John's typically a nice guy, but we see if we can get the gloves to come off for the showdown!

In Round 1, Joe and Dan get heated while debating whether it is better to start a business during a down economy, or when the bubble is fully inflated! What are the pros and cons of each timing method, and which is right for you? Listen to their sides, and then decide for yourself! In Round 2, the boys take a bit of a different path than is per the usual. Rather than breaking down a recent content piece, they break down one of the hottest coaching programs on the online business scene today. The Foundation. Run by Dane Maxwell and Andy Drish, they advertise being able to take someone with no coding experience with no ideas and turning them into SaaS business owners making 6 figures a year selling software products. Joe and Dan discuss their techniques and program, and share their thoughts. And in the Main Event, we welcome our first guest duo interviewees, Dane Maxwell and Andy Drish. Rather than talk about an overview of The Foundation, as they've done many times (see links below), Dane and Andy go into greater detail of some things that happen within the foundation, and give some examples of the successful (and not so successful) students! This is info that has never been shared anywhere else, and we're pumped to share it with you!

Joe and Dan open the show by discussing whether or not a new startup founder or entrepreneur needs a partner or co-founder. They discuss some of the topics covered in a Business Insider article. Joe thinks he works better with someone else, Dan can go either way. Listen to them explain why, and then decide for yourself! Then we move on to round two, where two podcast episodes are discussed, both from Ryan Dobbs of the Unreasonable Entrepreneur. Ryan has become a master of putting systems in place so that his businesses will practically run themselves. Dan opens up about his failures in trying to do the same. Finally, the main event features an interview with the Unreasonable Entrepreneur himself, Ryan Dobbs. Ryan discusses his successes and failures in hiring employees and stepping away from his businesses. He talks about an embarrassing incident that happened with one person he trusted a lot, and how difficult it was for him to handle. Also, as a big time fitness buff, Ryan tells the guys where to expect the next wave in fitness fads to come from. This was a great interview, and we think you'll be hearing from Ryan for years to come! Bonus: Don't miss Ryan's secret ninja trick for finding A+ employees that are readily available and have practically no competition!

In Round 1 of The Showdown, we uncover why all tips from successful startup founders may not be crystal clear. Joe and Dan grapple on tips given from founders, especially "Should you take a corporate job first?" Listen in to hear their sides, and decide for yourself! Round 2 brings up a recent content piece, The Lost Art of Finishing, by Ryan Ferrier. Most entrepreneurs are recognized for their abilities in starting, but what about the finishing?!? How important is it to have this attribute? Ryan is a master, and we discuss his experiences Then, for the main event, we bring on Ryan Ferrier who played a role in multiple successful million dollar exits, to talk about how YOU can be a finisher in your business or workplace. We also talk about his new coaching program, the 60DayMBA. Start your own business in 60 days, that's all you need!

When should you have an important meeting? You'd be surprised by Dan and Joe's answers, and we have material from Derek Halpern to spar over as well. Round 1 is on! For Round 2, we tackle Marcus Sheridan's piece on Useful vs. Awesome. When should you be useful, and when is awesome the way to go? Is one more exciting and have more of an effect than the other? Dan and Joe debate it, but of course have to bring on Marcus himself to settle the score. Marcus joins us from "the sticks" (his words) and digs into why Useful IS Awesome. Does that make sense? You'll want to hear that. Also why viral videos will not help you make sales, so stop doing it! Disagree with him? Listen to his reasoning. BONUS: We ask him why he's called the Sales Lion, and we find out from the lion's mouth, don't miss it!

Dan and Joe ask the question, "Is Being an Entrepreneur a Viable Option for You?" Are some people meant to be entrepreneurs, and others not? It's a debate that could go on forever! What side are you on? After listening to the Showdown's take, check out Francisco Dao's take on Pando Daily. We bring on in Round 2, James Schramko, as we discuss "Stick-to-itiveness" (yes, it's a flippin' word!) from his podcast, Think Act Get. When should you keep "sticking" with something before pivoting? We didn't feel James and his host Ezra Firestone answered some of our question, so we were excited to bring him on for.... The Main Event! James takes our questions head-on and dives deeper into how to pick what opportunities to pursue. Find out how to make fancy financial models to determine what businesses to pursue or ditch. You don't want to miss it! Bonus: Hear James' take on MLM (multi-level marketing), he buries some tips for you MLMers out there!

We tackle, in Round 1, Scott Dinsmore's 6 Steps to Ensure You Don't Pick the Wrong Path . Should you start off doing what you love in little pieces, or go all in? Joe and Dan will dig into those topics and more. Then in Round 2, we introduce you to Srinivas Rao, the host and Co-founder of BlogcastFM, as he goes through the experience of his partner, David, leaving the show. Was there more to the story than what they talked about in David's last episode? We bring on Srinivas in the Main Event to discuss partnerships, replacing teammates, the creative process, and tons more! How should you go about finding a partner? What do you do when you hit a creative wall? Srinivas Rao will help you out!

In Round 1, we discuss Eventual Millionaire's interview with MJ Demarco, the multi-millionaire business owner and author. We debate pleasing the market, or following our passion with our ideas. Which side are you on? Round 2 sees Dan and Joe debate Tim Paige's episode of the Awesome Podcast discussing the topic of striving through rough times in your business. How do you choose which path you should take? What about planning for worst case scenarios? We then bring in Tim Paige for the Main Event, and hear what type of people you should be hanging with to thrive in early times, to set yourself up for the best chances of success. We also learn how to figure out who your REAL customers are. Finally, Tim will tell you how to take calculated risks before taking the leap. Check it out!

We go head to head to tackle a recent article by the polarizing Ms. Penelope Trunk. She says that you need to make mistakes after graduation. Yes, make mistakes! And better yet, she is even willing to tell you what those mistakes are. Listen to figure out what we mean. Then we discuss what makes women different from men when it comes to entrepreneurship, and discuss if the might even have an unfair advantage! And in the main event, we bring in Income Press', Joey Kissimmee to talk about his recent series on entrepreneurial "Girl Power." Are women better than men? You'll be surprised by Joey's answer and the advantages women have over men. This is a touchy but important topic, and with Dan and Joe being men, they are ready to defend the male sex!

Discover the two ways people are motivated, and decide for yourself which is stronger: intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? Lucille Zimmerman was a guest poster over at Michael Hyatt, and she digs deep into both. Dan and Joe always have something to say on controversial topics, and this one is no exception! Chris Guthrie has made $100's of thousands online, but is looking to re-brand his website, Make Money on the Internet. Is he making the right move, and is it an option you should consider as well? And in the Main Event, Chris enters the arena to discuss re-branding, striking in a niche while the iron is hot, and why he thinks income reports might be a bad idea but still plans on doing them!

With young entrepreneurs making millions each year, the hot question remains : Do you need college to be an entrepreneur? Find out what we think so you can decide for yourself! In Round 2, Dan and Joe discuss a recent podcast from the Empire Flippers, where Justin Cooke and Joe Magnotti talk about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. We debate Justin's views, and also discuss some of our ups and downs. The Main Event brings Justin Cooke into the ring to expand on how he deals with the roller coaster of entrepreneurship, and what you can do when there are ups, and when there's downs. There will be low points for everyone, so learn how to prepare and deal with them now! He also reveals a huge regret you don't want to miss...

Entrepreneurs are either born into the perfect circumstances, or made through life experiences and taught in school. Is this a theory you believe in, and which side are you on? In one of the latest episodes at Mixergy, Andrew Warner interviews Alexis Neely where they discuss many things, including her tactically filing for bankruptcy to start a new life for her and her family. She also runs a coaching program where she teaches her students to do the same. Is there an issue of morality in this type of tactic, and should an entrepreneur leverage bankruptcy to their advantage? And in the Main Event, we debate, but mostly listen and learn from one of the best interviewers out there, Andrew Warner of Mixergy. Learn the best secret to getting more sales! Listen to him turn the tables on us in our very first interview on the Entrepreneur Showdown!