Excellence Expected: Small Business Action - Define, Challenge & Conquer Your Biggest Issues!

In the past few years, many of us have experienced a slump and downtime in business. We have faced downsizing and the need to change and diversify. What can we do in the next few years to get back on track? Aaron Walker is a life and work coach who can help us thrive and feel more confident in our professional and personal lives. We just have to develop the grit and determination needed to be successful. We need to have a can-do attitude and fill our minds with powerful podcasts, books, etc. We need to watch and read valuable content that empowers, invigorates, and lifts us up. To be successful and significant at home and in business, we have to be well-rounded and not solely focused on making money. Money is important, but not the central focus. Family should come first and foremost. You get multiple opportunities to make money, but only one opportunity with your family. Life changes so quickly, make the best of it! About Aaron: Aaron started out in the pawn shop business. Then he went into the construction industry. Now he spends time coaching entrepreneurs and working with mastermind groups. He has a wealth of experience and has helped businesses achieve their wildest dreams! Challenged Issue: Keep moving forward! Establish the grit and determination needed to reach heights that you never thought were possible – both professionally and personally. Discover what success means to you! Aaron’s Actionable Tips: How to achieve your measure of success! * Faith: Utilize your faith to get you centered and focused. * Reflect and Focus: If you want to do something, you can do it. Reflect on what you want to accomplish. * Build Relationships: Intentionally build relationships on a daily basis. They are vital to personal and professional success. Top Quotes: * “It’s absolutely been a game changer for me…People that have unbiased opinions. Nothing to gain, nothing to lose. So they can offer the truth in every scenario and situation.” * “We’ve gone through the hard times. We’ve gone through the real tough state of affairs.” * “Can’t couldn’t do it. And could did it all.” * “You don’t go to bed at night and wake up the next day smarter.” * “Everything that glitters, and everything that sparkles and shines is not necessarily something we need to chase.” * “If they (podcast listeners) want to develop that grit and determination, fill yourself with information, get the knowledge, have the wisdom; and you’ll make much better choices going forward.” * “I’ve been an entrepreneur, literally, my entire life.” * “I haven’t been dependent on a paycheck my entire life.” * “Success is not necessarily defined in terms of dollars.” * “You can succeed at work, but if you don’t win at home, you are going to end up a loser.” * “Make sure you have your ladder leaning on the right wall.” Guest Links: * Iron Sharpens Iron (http://www.ironsharpensiron.net/) * View From the Top (http://www.viewfromthetop.com/) Resources: * Entrepreneur on Fire (http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com/?s=aaron+walker&posttype=podcast&widget=advanced-search-widget-3) * Dave Ramsey (http://www.daveramsey.com/home/) * Dan Miller (http://www.48days.com/) * Frist Foundation (http://fristfoundation.org/) * INGRAM (http://www.ingramcontent.com/pages/home.aspx) * Nashville Entrepreneur Center (http://www.ec.

Where do you go to look for a job? Where do recruiters and employers look for potential employees? LinkedIn!  In business, so much starts with your LinkedIn profile. Everyone checks you out and makes decisions about you before ever contacting you directly. So you need to make sure your profile looks professional. Also, make sure to build a strong network of co-workers and connections. Many people use LinkedIn, but not effectively. They are on LinkedIn, but don’t do anything with it. They know there is potential, but don’t know how to move forward. Mark Williams offers guidance on how to use LinkedIn to its fullest potential! Not doing anything on LinkedIn is a big mistake. Use LinkedIn to let people know why they should hire you or work with you. What can you offer them? Why they should hire you instead of someone else? LinkedIn is a place where you have access to specific people – especially in business. You are successful in business because of your products and services but also because of Impressions and how you relate to others. It’s about reaching people. It’s all about PEOPLE! Utilise LinkedIn just as much as you login to Facebook or Twitter. LinkedIn not only provides access to jobs and people, but it offers valuable job-related content.  About Mark: Mark spent about 20 years in the recruitment industry. Then he set up LinkedIn training consultation in 2008. Now he trains thousands of LinkedIn users and has become known as “Mr. LinkedIn” in the industry!. Challenged Issue:  Is LinkedIn an effective business development and social selling tool? How can we leverage LinkedIn much more effectively? Free LinkedIn Profile Review Provide a link to your LinkedIn profile in the comments, and Mark will give you some honest, practical feedback. He will select one profile for an extensive review. This is your chance to gain valuable feedback to help you win a new job or new clients!! Mark’s Actionable Tips: * Get your profile up to speed! Be proud of it. Have others look at it to give you feedback. Make sure you have a compelling headline and a professional picture. * Perform a 9-step search on LinkedIn to find second- and third-tier customers and save the search. Win some new business and clients! * Ask for an introduction for a second-tier connection. Establish new connections using your network.  Top Quotes: * “LinkedIn is something that a lot of people do use, but actually … not that many people use it effectively.” * “We need to diversify; we need to widen our … revenue stream.” * “What could they do to bring people back on a regular basis?” * “Everybody knows that if you want to check someone out in business, you go to their LinkedIn profile.” * “It gives you great access to be able to build a strong network.” * “Your ability to succeed in business is very, very strongly influenced by the quality of your network.” Guest Links: * LinkedIn (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mrlinkedin) * 9 Simple Steps (winbusinessin.com/9steps) * Winbusinessin (winbusinessin.com) Resources: * LinkedIn (linkedin.com) * Facebook ( facebook.com) * Reid Hoffman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman) * Twitter (twitter.com) * Google (google.com) * The Essential 14–Day Guide to Cutting Your Working Hours and Increasing Your Impact (http://www.excellence-expected.com/cwh/) 

Are you stuck in a rut? Get your head out of the sand! Get unstuck so you can move forward and past obstacles in your life and business. Mark Asquith and Rémy Chaussé each share three tips to help you get unstuck! Rémy’s Tips: * Doubt always has a message about your own values. You have questions and doubt – something’s not right. That’s a red flag! Are your doubts showing you a message about your own values? * When you are stuck, you already have the resources and assets you need – and often, those resources are your own values. Re-evaluate your environment and consider your resources and how you can use them to get out of your stuckness. * You already know what’s right for you. Don’t lose yourself. Who’s running your day-to-day actions? Are you leading your own life? Mark’s Tips: * Focus on what is most important to the business and to you, not just what interests you. * Remember the “why.” Take some time out. Reassess why you are doing what you are doing. * Be honest with yourself. Don’t focus on what others, such as competitors, are doing. Move past fear and judgment. Tread your own path! About Rémy: Rémy is a professional UNstuckologist! She got unstuck, and now she teaches others how to get unstuck. She created the UNstuck revolution. Challenged Issue: What is your biggest challenge right now? Use the tips and advice provided in this podcast to resolve that challenge. Top Quotes: * “Being stuck and doubt, the two seem to go hand in hand.” * “Don’t let the doubt set in. Dig deeper and look for the message.” * “Whatever tool you need to get out of your stuckness, is already there.” * “When you’re stuck, the real key is to remember your own assets.” * “The problem really isn’t there at all. It’s simply there to push you to develop a skill, to align your values, or to call on a resource you’ve forgotten you have.” * “It is so easy to take for granted what we have inside of our own minds.” * “They (clients) dishonored one of their values, and that’s the point when they became stuck.” * “If you aren’t leading your life, who is?” * “I had to get out of the rut that I found myself in.” * “There’s no such thing as an obstacle, only an opportunity to create.” * “There’s no shame in failure.” Guest Links: * Rémy Chaussé (http://remychausse.com/) * Get UNstuck E-course (http://getunstuckecourse.com/) * The Get UNstuck Revolution (http://thegetunstuckrevolution.com/) Resources: * Excellence Expected (excellence-expected.com) * The Essential 14–Day Guide to Cutting Your Working Hours and Increasing Your Impact (http://www.excellence-expected.com/cwh/) * Danielle LaPorte (http://www.daniellelaporte.com/) * Simon Sinek (http://www.startwithwhy.com) Key Timestamps: * 00:45 Introduction of podcast * 01:00 Podcast topic * 02:10 Guest introduction * 03:21 Rémy’s Tip 1 * 07:25 Rémy’s Tip 2 * 12:00 Rémy’s Tip 3 * 18:12 Mark’s Tip 1 * 21:21 Mark’s Tip 2 * 24:38 Mark’s Tip 3 Don’t forget, the more you expect from yourself the more you WILL excel!

We are so competitive – we gotta keep up with our neighbours. We have to have the biggest house, the most expensive car, the best clothes, etc. It is envy and greed that drives many of us. We want to make as much money as possible.  But what do we sacrifice to make more money? Our family. Our relationships. Is it worth it? Money – you can’t take it with you. Of course, money is something we all think about, and often worry about. However, if you take power away from money and put it in its proper place, money becomes a tool for you to enjoy your life and bless others. Jamie Munson believes money is either a God you worship or a gift from God. It is something not to be stressed about, but to steward and manage. Then we are freed up to help others. Enjoy it rather than freak out about it! He wrote the book, “Money: God or Gift,” which helps others deal with money from a business perspective. Invest in your employees’ emotional and financial well-being. If they are worried about money, that is going to run over into their work. Businesses need to take a more holistic approach – employees are human beings, too. Be generous and consider: how can I serve my customers and employees? About Jamie: Jamie is a pastor, co-president of a premium coffee company, and consultant who helps churches and businesses make the most of their God-given resources. He grew up in Montana and wanted to get rich quick. But that all changed when he was 19 and moved to Seattle. He became a Christian and wants to help others use their money as a tool. He helps business leaders manage, steward, and invest their resources in order to support their journey in doing great things! Challenged Issue: Do you think of money as your God? Or do you think of money as a gift from God? Use the tips provided in this podcast to learn how to use money as a tool to enhance your life and help others. Jamie’s Actionable Tips: * Be honest about the power money has in your life. Write down your dreams and fears. Then, share them with others. * Find someone to bless. Find someone to give to and encourage. * It is more blessed to give than to receive! Pay it forward.  Top Quotes: * “I’ve always had a heart for leaders, for entrepreneurs, for kind of high-growth organizations and being part of things where people have a strong vision and a bold vision.” * “You take the power away from money and harness it as a tool; it gives a lot more joy and satisfaction in your life and in your business.” * “Money is a powerful tool when we understand it and apply that correctly. You can do a lot of good with it.” * “Fear is such a prevalent problem.” * “Why not invest in their emotional and financial health as well as their business skills and development.” * “Rather than: What can I get out of this customer? it is, What can I give to this customer?; What can I give to my team?” * “People are a lot more important than money at the end of the day.” * “When you’re making decisions from a place of fear, you lose your creativity, you lose your passion, often, and you lose your heart for people.” Guest Links: * Jamie Munson (http://www.jamiemunson.com) * Jamie Munson’s Book “Money: God or Gift” on Amazon (http://amzn.to/1FKmDMA) * Twitter (https://twitter.com/jamiemunson) * Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jamiemunson) * The Money Mission (http://themoneymission.com/) Resources: * The Essential 14–Day Guide to Cutting Your Working Hours and Increasing Your Impact (http://www.excellence-expected.

Leverage – what does it mean? How do you leverage the different areas of your life? Leverage is defined as the power or ability to act or influence people, events, decisions, etc.; as well as the use of a small initial investment, credit or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one’s investment. Jason Hartman knows all about leveraging and investing! He is real estate investor and podcaster who focuses on leveraging three main areas in his life. And he is willing to share his knowledge with you! He explains that there are three main areas that we need to focus on and leverage to enhance our lives: * Profession and Business: Leverage-friendly areas are being a thought leader and using Internet marketing (podcasting). * Personal Finances/Investments: Investing in the wealth of your life through real estate and other investments. * Biology/Physical Being: Take care of yourself. Keep track of your vitals. What happens to us when our vitals change? There’s an app for that – and the Apple Watch! It is important to leverage those three areas equally. Do not focus on one more than another. Just remember, you can make a lot of money, but you can’t take it with you when you go. Or, there is too much life at the end of money – so make sure you have enough money to enjoy your whole life! About Jason: Jason Hartman got his start in real estate as a teenager. He sold real estate, and then began investing in real estate. Now, he has 18 different companies and focuses on being a real estate investor, helping others invest in real estate, and podcasting. He started a podcast, and the rest is history. His company, Hartman Media Co., features podcasts on several different topics, including personal finance, investing, and economics. Top Quotes: * “I was really craving a long-form method to teach people about real estate investing and podcasting was the perfect fit.” * “Entrepreneurs, however, have the biggest leverage opportunities.” * “We’ve got to be hitting on all three cylinders, if you will, so that everything works together at the same time.” * “Instead of just doing your job or instead of just running your business, think about what you know; and how you can take what you know and help other people and teach that to other people and develop more credibility for yourself.” * “We live in the information age. Information can be incredibly powerful.” * “You don’t lose anything. You know, you can give it away. Yet it doesn’t cost you anything to give it away … that is the power of information!” * “There are very powerful opportunities for us nowadays to get the word out about things that we’ve never had in the history of humanity.” * “There’s no gatekeeper anymore. If you are not taking advantage of this folks, you are missing out.” * “You can get your ideas to a public quickly and easily and for almost $0 cost.” * “No matter what the content is, someone next to you is doing the same thing. But they’re not doing it in your voice.” * “I like to call Wall Street the modern version of organized crime.” * “It’s an amazing time to be alive.” Guest Links: * Jason Hartman (http://www.jasonhartman.com/) * Become the Brand of Choice (http://www.jasonhartman.com/become-the-brand-of-choice-make-your-name-a-powerful-brand-and-earn-millions/) * Hartman Media Company (http://hartmanmedia.com/) Resources: * KRLA (http://www.am870theanswer.com/) * Leo Laporte (http://techguylabs.com/)

Use Twitter to gain new business leads and customers. Twitter is a game changer for businesses. It allows you to talk with your customers, not at your customers. Twitter has one distinct advantage. It has the Four R’s: real time, real people, real stuff, right now. Any and every business should be on Twitter. It allows you to humanize you and your brand. You can listen to what people say, ask for feedback, ask for new ideas—find out what is important to customers. On Twitter, share both business and personal information. Share your interests and hobbies. Stop selling all the time, and start being a normal person! Build relationships and create advocates—people who get to know, like, and trust you. Then they will refer and recommend you to others. It takes energy, effort, and time to build a presence on Twitter. But you will reap rewards! About Mark: Mark started out as a salesperson. He realized that rather than just trying to sell products, if he offered value such as training and guidance, then he generated more sales. He eventually became a mortgage broker. Then in 2008, he discovered Twitter. Now, he is a Twitter expert and professional speaker who travels around the world to talk about how every business should be on Twitter. Mark’s Actionable Tips: 6 Bs of Twitter to generate real business * Be committed: include photo, bio, URL and then start Tweeting! * Be consistent: Tweet a little bit every day (2-5 Tweets a day). * Be interesting: Tweet interesting things and add in a question at the end. Encourage conversation! * Be interested: express interest in other people and your customers. See what interests them. * Be authentic: do not turn into a presence without being present; be yourself. * Be social: have fun! Top Quotes: * “I couldn’t understand why anybody would want to know I was having a latte or an almond croissant.” * “Twitter is my foray.” * “Yes, it’s fun. Yes, it’s social … but there’s also a very serious business angle to this.” * “It’s not just about following Lady Gaga.” * “Twitter to me is one of the greatest lead generation tools ever invented.” * “When people start to become interested is when you engage with them, when you listen to them, when you ask them questions. And Twitter is the greatest for that.” * “You can’t be everywhere.” * “Wherever you decide to go, is going to take effort.” * “Think a bit out of the box.” Guest Links: * markshaw.biz * https://twitter.com/markshaw * https://www.facebook.com/iammarkshaw  Resources: * Twitter (twitter.com) * Facebook (facebook.com) * Chris Evans (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3YP9wSzVrSPhq7mkN5CZkKn/chris-evans) * Google (google.com) * Pinterest (pinterest.com) * Twitter Search Engine (https://twitter.com/search-home) * The Essential 14–Day Guide to Cutting Your Working Hours and Increasing Your Impact (http://www.excellence-expected.com/cwh/)  Key Timestamps: * 00:27 Introduction of topic * 01:09 Guest introduction * 01:25 Guest’s background * 03:16 Twitter experience * 04:07 Adding value * 06:13 Businesses that benefit from Twitter * 07:32 Selling vs creating advocates * 08:26 Marketing process changes

Personally, do you “like” businesses on Facebook? Do you write about your job or coworkers on Twitter? As an entrepreneur or business owner, do you have employees who post negative comments about your company on social media sites? Or do you have employees who are given access to the company’s social media sites and could actually abuse such power without your knowledge?  Go ahead, search on Google, and you will find numerous examples of how people have lost their jobs, how businesses have been hacked, and other nightmares all stemming from social media. How can you define who actually owns your business’ social media? You need to be concerned with not only the public, but employees as well. Peter Wright is here to save the day! About Peter: Peter Wright is a specialist digital lawyer from Digital Law UK. He was once a solicitor who advised the United Kingdom government on data protection and information issues. He realized then, the importance of data protection when it comes to social media for businesses. He also discovered that there are not many companies that offer practical advice on how to navigate through the difficult and confusing legislation in place for online businesses. So he started the only law firm in England/Wales to focus solely on digital law (data protection, social media laws, and privacy security). The law firm strives to make sure businesses are safe from a cyber perspective. Peter’s Actionable Tips: How businesses can understand and implement social media ownership. * Create and implement a social media policy: identify who will manage the social media accounts; what should they be saying on the social media sites; what timeframe should they do postings; and so on. How, when, and where do you want the social media accounts updated? * Include social media policy in the company handbook and employment contracts. You can have that element of control if it is clear in such documentation! * Make sure policies are addressed in high-quality company training. The training needs to be good in order for employees to remember and follow such policies. Top Quotes: * “That will never happen to me!” * “The Web is becoming more ingrained into everything we do.” * “Make sure you’ve got a clear social media policy in place.” * “Everyone’s on it (social media), but as a small business, how do you create a culture of respect for the corporate social media?” * “Do the employees understand, properly, the implications of this (social media postings).” * “Businesses are engaging on social media in a variety of different ways.” Guest Links: * Digital Law UK (http://www.digitallawuk.com/) * Twitter (https://twitter.com/DigitalLawUK) * Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DigitalLawUK) * Blog (http://www.digitallawuk.com/blog/) Resources: * LinkedIn (linkedin.com) * Twitter (twitter.com) * Facebook (facebook.com) * HMV (http://www.hmv.com/) * The Essential 14–Day Guide to Cutting Your Working Hours and Increasing Your Impact (http://www.excellence-expected.com/cwh/) * Google (google.com) * Burger King (burgerking.com) * Snapchat (https://www.snapchat.com/) * Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/) * Instagram (

Mike Russell is the content man! He has generated so, so much information to help you and many others get started in audio / visual content marketing that no matter where you look online, you WILL end up at a piece of Mike’s amazing content. Content marketing is a low-risk and low-cost effort that allows you to promote and market your ideas. The content helps raise awareness of you and your brand. There are different types of content you can produce, including blogs, videos, and audio (podcasts). You can create how-to videos for YouTube, write tutorials on all kinds of topics, use email lists for long-form posts … there are so many opportunities! What are you good at? What do you like to do? Do you like to make videos? Write stories? Pick something you are good at and enjoy. For the most part, the only cost is the cost of your time. You can use basic equipment that you may already have such as headphones and Internet service. If you are going to spend money, spend it on a good microphone. Video content is a little more expensive, though. About Mike Russell: Mike started out his career as a radio host and also became interested in the production side of the radio industry. This inspired him to start his own business. Now he has two businesses: UK Podcasters Limited and Music Radio Creative Limited. Mike is also the founder of New Media Europe, the biggest new media conference in the European region. Image courtesy of UK Podcasters What Mike Will Help You Overcome:  The limiting belief that audio / visual content marketing is restricted to those with high budgets and expensive equipment. Mike’s Actionable Tips: * Pick whatever medium you are best at: writing, recording, video, etc. Then repurpose that content for other mediums. * Be professional: have good logos, audio, videos, etc. * Have an email list: use list to utilize content, have people answer surveys, etc. Top Quotes: * “I’ve been in internet radio since before the word podcasting existed.” * “If you’ve got a great idea, you can put it out there.” * “If you’ve got something that is good, you will get a great audience.” * “I’ve seen huge benefits from it.” * “With every style of content you are doing, you’re reaching a new audience.” * “Everyone wants to learn online.” * “This content really is valuable for marketing.” * “Cost is not really a barrier to podcasting.” * “Everyone is good at something.” Guest Links: * UK Podcasters (http://ukpodcasters.com/) * Music Radio Creative (http://www.musicradiocreative.com/) * New Media Europe Conference 2015 (http://newmediaeurope.com/2015/) Resources: * Colin Gray (http://www.thepodcasthost.com/blog/author/colinmcgray-2/) * YouTube (youtube.com) * Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/) * Facebook (facebook.com) * The Verge (http://www.theverge.com/) * The Next Web (http://thenextweb.com/) * TechCrunch (http://techcrunch.com/) * Two Shots to the Head (http://www.twoshotstothehead.com/podcasts/) * com (http://www.lynda.com/) * Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/) * Daniel J Lewis (http://danieljlewis.net/) * Twitter (twitter.com)

Do your employees enjoy going to work? Or are they bored and lack motivation? Do they do the same thing day after day? What if they had a job that was fun and exciting where they learned new skills? Employees want to do well and impress; they don’t want to go to work to perform badly. That is where development training comes into play. It is vital for businesses! Businesses need to maximize the impact of their internal training. They need to create a culture of personal development; and nurture and empower their employees to develop as individuals. Colin Gray helps businesses, educational institutions, and others realize the importance of training and make it a priority. Then, he helps them build systems to make that training available and effective. Training needs to be engaging. Also, there needs to be both prescribed training – such as training that focuses on company processes, and intrapreneural training – which allows employees to select training that interests them and may or may not be related to their job. About Colin Gray: Colin started out as a web designer. Then he went on to teach web design at a college in Edinburgh, Scotland. This experience led him to become an e-learning developer. He creates online courses, develops content, creates videos, makes podcasts, and much more! He has a fulfilling and rewarding career as a professional development advisor, who shows others how to do create good and effective online learning and training. What Colin Will Help You Overcome:  Employees with a lack of motivation, a dating skill set and no ownership over their roles. Instead, you will learn how to create powerful, engaging and timeless personal development maps for your team, allowing you to work ON the business, not just IN it. Colin’s Actionable Tips: How businesses can start implementing effective training regimes * Establish training development schedule: Sit down with employees and determine what prescribed training and intrapreneural training should be done. What kind of training is the employee interested in exploring? It may not be training that is for the employee’s job, but training that will offer personal development. * Create learning platforms: Use content management systems like WordPress to develop training. Or utilize companies and experts that can help you develop the training. There are several ways to create training. Get your hands dirty. It’s not that difficult! * Use multimedia: Create podcasts (audio) and videos (visual). Get your staff involved. Let them share their skills and expertise. This makes employees feel like they are valuable, and fellow employees identify with people they work with. Top Quotes: * “I’ve always enjoyed teaching.” * “You can see the fruits of your labor.” * “They’re not encouraged to go and learn how to do better. They’re not encouraged to go out and learn something different.” * “You need the motivation to do it in the first place.” * “There’s a hell of a lot of crap of online training out there.” * “Giving your employees that freedom to develop themselves.” * “There really are no barriers to this, there are only benefits.” Guest Links: * The Podcast Host (http://www.thepodcasthost.com/mark) * LearnDen (http://www.learnden.com/) * The Beer Vault (https://www.beervault.co.uk/) Resources: * Dorothy Betts (dorothybetts.co.uk) * Google (google.com) * Ryan Jenkins (http://ryan-jenkins.com/) * WordPress (https://wordpress.com/)

Julie Broad’s priorities were like most college students—get a summer job that pays well to be able to go backpacking in Europe or Central America. So she got a sales job at Kimberly Clark. Eventually, she became a real estate investor/real estate investing expert where she learned to negotiate with sellers and contractors, as well as sell properties. Now, she owns an education and training company. She is responsible for selling people on what she has to say and how she can help them. “I don’t eat if I don’t sell.” She is a successful salesperson, even though she hates selling! Julie doesn’t just take customers’ money; it is a fair trade. She trades her skills and knowledge for their payment/sale. She encourages business owners to focus on what the customers need, not so much on you and the sale. Could you sell ice to an Eskimo? In business, how do you create conversations that sell? How can you build upon opportunities? Even if you don’t consider yourself a salesperson, you can sell—just follow Julie’s tips offered in this episode! About Julie: Julie doesn’t like calling herself a salesperson, but she does it so well! She started writing a newsletter to give tips and share stories about the world of real estate with friends and family members. She soon had more than 500 readers. So she turned the newsletter into an education and training company. Julie now focuses on education and training, but is still very much involved in real estate. Julie’s Actionable Tips: * Know who or what you are looking for: Who is your ideal client? What is your ideal outcome? * Stories: Have short and concise stories for people to remember who you are, what you do, etc. * Good questions: Ask the right questions. Questions control a conversation. * Have a good handshake: Firm and one pump. Don’t have a sweaty or limp handshake. * Avoid being predictable: Have a fun way to connect with people and be memorable. Don’t be boring! * Try to convince somebody of anything: People will always believe what they have concluded. To change someone’s mind, ask questions or share stories. Allow them to come to a different conclusion on their own. * Don’t assume someone knows what you are talking about. Put in a context that they understand. Find out what the person already knows and talk to them in a way that they understand. * Physical appearance: What you look like matters! You may not be a perfect 10 or a super model. Just make the most out of what you’ve got. Top Quotes: * “I hate selling. I hate the concept of selling.” * “I don’t feel like I’m a salesperson. I certainly don’t feel like I was born to sell.” * “Really just wanted more freedom. I wanted to control my day and to really be able to help people as much as I possibly could.” * “My parents …were selling me on the idea of not doing drugs.” * “What problem does this person have that I can help them solve?” * “As long as it’s genuine, it is a powerful, powerful tool to have in your toolbox.” * “Authenticity is one of those buzz words. Everyone wants to be authentic and more genuine and more real. But it’s almost like they’re doing it as a marketing ploy. So it’s not actually real.” * “People miss sales opportunities all the time.” * “Talk less, listen more.” * “You were brilliant and didn’t even know it.” * “Like it or not, this is reality.” Guest Links: * http://revnyou.com/ * http://havemoreinfluence.com/ * http://www.juliebroad.com Resources: * Kimberly Clark (http://www.kimberly-clark.com/) * Robert Cialdini (http://www.influenceatwork.

Most people know about Pay-Per-Click advertising, but don’t know how to really make it work for them. Most people struggle with how to make the most out of PPC advertising and make the biggest return from what you invest. PPC advertising changes almost daily, so you need to stay up-to-date with all of the changes that happen. Always work toward improving your efforts. PPC means advertisers are paying for each click they get on their advertisements. Website visitors do a search, and the top results are typically PPC advertisements. Advertisers are paying on certain keywords that will be matched with search queries to make their ads appear to drive traffic to their Web site and generate leads. They need to structure their account in a way that their keywords match with their advertisements. As a paid advertiser, you have more control than the organic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) model to attract potential customers. Sadly, many PPC advertisers think they are going to get results immediately, but it does take time to achieve results due to competition. Factors to consider with PPC advertising: * Quality scores: These scores are based on the relevancy of your keywords to your site, your site performance, and the quality of your content. Make sure your site is the best it can be! * Metrics: Your site’s metrics are important. They effect where you are going to be placed in search results. * Most important metrics to focus on: * Conversions * Cost per conversion * Impression share * Quality score * Sites: There are several online sites to utilize PPC advertising: * Google * Bing * Facebook * Twitter Conversions are very important. Conversions include fill-out forms, ebook downloads, and direct purchases. Make sure to have conversion tracking set up. What leads to underperforming PPC advertising campaigns? Not getting conversions. If you are not getting conversions, then you are not getting any value out of your account. Also, if you are not getting awareness/impressions, then you do not have a profitable campaign. What results in a successful PPC advertising campaign? Visibility and conversions. About Margot: Margot da Cunha is a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising expert for WordStream. She started off at Indeed.com, the job search engine. Then she joined WordStream as a customer service representative and became certified in Google AdWords. She helps customers get the most out of their budgets using AdWords. PPC is a field that is always changing, and there is always something new to learn. Margot definitely has to keep up with all of the changes and new features. It is important to hire people like Margot to have successful advertising campaigns. Entrepreneurs need to develop a partnership with someone who knows how PPC works and can dedicate time to PPC efforts. It’s just a matter of finding the right help, says Margot. To find a quality partner, you need to identify: What do you want? Do you want some control or fully outsource help? What do you expect? What are your goals? Research options and companies that offer PPC services. Make sure they are on track and doing what you want them to do. Margot’s Actionable Tips: * Set up your Google AdWords account effectively and properly: * Ad groups do not exceed 30 keywords. * Target right location and languages * Evenly distribute budget between campaigns * Review search query data * Monitor metrics for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Top Quotes: * “I got to really dive in and learn all about PPC. Now I’m kind of obsessed with it.” * “It’s definitely a really cool field to be in.” * “There’s kind of all different little things that can really affect how your advertisements...

Have you heard of Dropbox, Evernote, Basecamp, Trello or Highrise? These are results of the boom in the software-as-a-service movement. Software to service is attracting a lot of investment, press, and success. Bea Hatherley pioneered software-as-a-service with her product Mr. Site. About Bea: Bea started out as a musician before starting Mr. Site. She was trying to create a website for her band, but didn’t know where to start. She had to consider hosting, domain names, and whether to use a Web designer. She came to the following conclusion: Why is it so hard to develop a website? So she created a one-stop shop for all your website needs. Mr. Site is a jargon-free, easy to use Websitebuilder. Anyone can create a visually appealing and effective website with her affordable product. Mr. Site makes creating a website so simple that people do not need a technical background. More than half of all small businesses don’t have a Web site. Yet websites show that your professional, you mean business, you are open 24 hours a day, and you can reach people all over the world. Also, a website needs to be responsive. These days, people are visiting sites on all kinds of devices. Mr. Site helps you to build a site that resizes to fit all devices. When building a product, make sure to consider customer feedback. Your product is never really finished, you can always improve it. Being a female entrepreneur in the world of technology is pretty rare. Bea has experienced sexism in various industries, including the tech world. Unfortunately, current technology education is directed more at males than females. However, Mr. Site is mentoring females to take on the technology world. With it so integral in our lives, girls should be encouraged to learn technology and consider it as a career path. The tech world is not completely glamorous. You have to work hard to be successful. You have to constantly be one step ahead of the game and be in touch with current trends and technology. But it is definitely an exciting industry. “All the guys in with tech and girls in tech were all treated like rock gods,” Bea said about when she recently attended a technology conference. Bea’s Actionable Tips: * Focus on your goal and don’t get diverted by negativity. Keep your head down, and stay the course. * Do not let mistakes knock you off course. Learn from your mistakes, and let them guide you. * If you are developing a product, remember that the customer is the king/queen. Always listen to what customers have to say, and don’t just rely on your instincts. Top Quotes: * “You want your Web sites to automatically respond to whatever device it is being on.” * “To any girls who want to get into tech, just go for it. If you’ve got the hunger, the drive, and the passion, I think you can make anything happen regardless of your sex.” * “The opportunity is there for everyone.” * “If you want to do something, you should just go ahead and do it. And focus on what you want. Don’t let anything put you off.” * “Tech isn’t all glitz and glamour, Silicon Valley.” * “You gotta love it!” * “We need more developer girls.” * “If I had a stellar girl’s CV come through my door, I would absolutely just be all over it like a rash.” * “There needs to be a culture of nurturing talent.” * “We’re all learning from each other all the time.” * “I find that my biggest mistakes have actually led to my biggest breakthroughs.” Guest Links: * http://uk.mrsite.com/ Resources: * Dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com) * Evernote (https://evernote.com/) * Trello (http://www.trello.com)

Our guest needs no introduction … drum roll please … John Lee Dumas is in the house and prepared to ignite! That’s right, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire joins me today to share how to build your own true fan base, something that is vital to the success of any business. What is the difference between a follower and a true fan? True fans are evangelists who do the leg work for you to grow your audience. They share and spread your message. They are critical and vital to your success. Now stop listening to Miley Cyrus, and listen to John instead—a successful entrepreneur who knows the importance of building a community—not a wrecking ball! About John Lee Dumas: John Lee Dumas created the first ever 7-day-a-week podcast. Then he went on to create the world’s #1 online community for anyone wanting to create podcast shows. His fan base is lovingly known as Fire Nation. Many of his fans have been listening to his podcasts since the beginning when John was kind of awful at hosting them. He was clueless and trying to do something, and that resonated with people. He improved over time and generated an amazingly loyal following. Fire Nation represents an intimate connection he was able to form with a group of individuals that he interacts with on a consistent basis. His audience tells him how to monetize. Listeners share their pain points and obstacles with him. His audience is the tipping point to bringing monetization. His audience tells him what they want in solutions and products. Oh what a relief it is … when John provides valuable content to his audience. You, too, need to provide products, solutions, and content that benefits both you and your audience. Your audience is starving for something—starving enough to pay for products; if they are worthwhile and valuable. However, John has not always been successful. He is authentic and transparent. He is willing to share income reports that detail his successes and failures. Don’t spend energy, effort, and money doing stuff that he has proven doesn’t work. He is here to help you! What John Lee Dumas Will Help You Overcome: John is here to share with you the power of creating those TRUE fans and will deliver value upon value along with his 3 super-powerful tips for creating your own loyal following. John Lee Dumas’ Actionable Tips: Provide free, valuable, and consistent content to an audience. * Free: Podcast, blog, video show or other platform that is free for people to consume. * Valuable: Set up platform to provide valuable content such as having experts as guests. * Consistence: Be dedicated to being consistent as to how often you provide that free, valuable content. John Lee Dumas’ Top Quotes: * “A true fan is going to be somebody that is at work, and they’re saying to their colleagues, ‘You know, I was driving into work today, and I was inspired by this. And I really want to share this with you and really encourage you to go ahead and listen.” * “A lot of Fire Nation feels like they’ve grown with me.” * “It took me a while to get here but I brought my audience with me.” * “We don’t have it all figured out right now, but we’re gonna get there. And let’s get there together.” * “What is that thing that they are so hungry for?” * “Create something that is everything.” * “I’m so lucky that this bombed.” * “We share all of our wins, all of our successes.” * “Try not to become a person of success, but rather become a person of value.” – Albert Einstein * “People never actually fail, they just quit.” Guest Links: * Entrepreneur on Fire (http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com/) * Webinar Course (http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com/twc/)

Just too busy to exercise and live a healthy life? Are you too distracted because there is so much happening all the time? Take a step back. Ask yourself, “What am I doing, does this matter?” Gain perspective on the important things in life and develop a better use of your time.  A lot of people struggle with getting up in the morning and being productive. Why do I need to get up? Spin it around to make it an opportunity to do what you want. Jeff Sanders created the 5 a.m. Miracle structure to design an anchor habit and foundational way to start your day. “If you intentionally design this 5 a.m. time well, you can have a really fantastic rest of your day,” he says. People who are successful are intentional and have a very structured approach to their days. They have a plan, follow it, and focus on their health and wellness. About Jeff: Jeff Sanders’ journey began in college when he was trying to figure out how he wanted to live his life. While in college and then when he started working, he was overweight and decided he had to incorporate healthier habits. It was a back-and-forth struggle. But he started to exercise and even run marathons. He knew that he needed to find a consistent schedule. He knew he wanted to work out, so decided to wake up and do it really early in the morning – 5 a.m. when the sun comes up. He got up early one morning and went for a run and loved it. He had more energy the rest of the day and felt fantastic. He kept doing it over and over every day; 5 a.m. became the miracle time for him. Taking a few hours to exercise and do other things he wanted to do such as reading – doing things that mattered to him – gave him a strong foundation for the rest of the day. This led him to share his experiences through a blog, books, and podcast series. The 5 a.m. Miracle podcast focuses on personal development and fitness, as well as purpose of intentionality for your day. Sanders encourages listeners to get into the routine of waking up and making it a positive opportunity. “You shape it, you frame it, and say, ‘I am excited about this early morning because it is an opportunity because the things I want to do in my life can happen during that time’.” That 5 a.m. time is a golden opportunity to work on goals and generates a success mentality. You get something done early on and can take on what the rest of the day hands you. You feel so much better the rest of the day. The 5 a.m. Miracle structure offers both short-term and long-term outcomes: * Short-term: You feel so much better right away because you have control over your day. You can feel the impact of these changes immediately. * Long-term: You have a solid, consistent approach to your days and know what to expect. “Consistency over the long term to make sure you have all those long-term benefits.” The main benefit to the 5 a.m. Miracle structure is that if you wake up and utilize that time intelligently – you will have mental clarity, focus, and energy. And you don’t have to wake up at 5 a.m. – you can wake up whenever you want to wake up. For example, if you get home from work at 5 a.m., you are not going to wake up at 5 a.m. Natural rhythms will work with your body, and you will feel better and get more done during the day. Jeff’s Actionable Tips: * Drink a lot of water: If you are hydrated, you will have more energy, feel more awake, etc. “Water is ridiculously powerful!” * Have an intentional plan for your day: How will the day flow? How can the day be more effective? Have a written plan and follow it. * Prioritize fitness: Exercising gives you energy and vigour.  Top Quotes: * “How can I be the BEST version of myself?” * “I need to find a way that I can live my life day after day that is going to work in the best way possible.” * “Habits are the foundation of who you become.

Greg Taylor is a web developer with a difference. Rather than marketing himself purely through ‘traditional’ channels, he has opened his mind and his business to a high quality content marketing approach with the goal of positioning himself as an authority in his field. This personal branding exercise that Greg continually undertakes is a hugely successful campaign strategy for Greg and his business, Marketing Press, and with personal branding becoming more and more prevalent in the business world it’s a subject that many entrepreneurs like you are beginning to really embrace. In this episode of Excellence Expected, Greg shares his methods and strategies for creating a cohesive personal brand that actually works. Greg shares insights into: * Building a personal brand, his experiences with * content creation * blogging * speaking * video marketing * The importance of finding the time to invest in content marketing & positioning yourself as an expert * Overcoming the fear of negative feedback * The impact content creation, speaking etc has had on his business * How much fun it is! * How this is different to other forms of marketing and why many people are only now beginning to take it seriously Greg, as ever, closes the show with his 3 actionable tips and takeaways to kick start you into taking action right now. Links mentioned in the episode: * Marketing Press * Greg Taylor on Twitter * Greg Taylor’s personal website Don’t forget, the more you expect from yourself, the more you WILL excel!