The Jack Delosa Podcast

Without a doubt we have entered a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty. Don't go through it alone. Register for The Entrepreneur's Recession Response Program here: https://bit.ly/2Ujb12S _____ Welcome to Part 1 of The Entrepreneur's Recession Response Program. I'm so incredibly grateful that our first guest is Justin Dry, the Founder & CEO of Vinomofo. He's overcome some pretty incredible challenges, grown the company from $0 to $50 Million, and now manages a team of over 100 people in 3 countries. He is one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs I know. And this conversation is truly profound. We both reflect on how we've navigated the challenges (both personal and professional) in our lives, track the similarities and parallels in our journeys, and share some practical advice for business owners in this period to weather the remarkable storm we've found ourselves in.

[AUDIO FROM MY LIVE DISCUSSION: SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN CHALLENGING TIMES, WITH COVID-19] The COVID-19 Pandemic is first and foremost a health issue, posing a risk to those with pre-existing health conditions and the elderly. While the vast majority of us aren’t at risk from a health perspective, many are rightly concerned about the business implications caused by COVID-19. Recently, I spoke with The Entourage's Members, and followed up with our wider Community, to address the challenges we're currently being faced with. This is the audio from that very conversation, that my team and I also wanted to share with you on my podcast. The main takeaway was this: SMEs and high-growth businesses will always face challenges. Working through them is part of the game. But how we choose to respond to challenge is completely up to us. Now more than ever, the world needs leadership. The world needs people who can stay grounded, lead from the front, and make intelligent decisions. But with all the media attention and mass hysteria surrounding COVID-19, it can be difficult to see through all of that, and to look at what’s really going on and how it’s going to affect us. This conversation is purposefully quite comprehensive, as I’ve wanted to take the time to share some lessons I’ve personally learnt in navigating extreme challenges in my life and business, and to draw on some of the research around COVID-19 to help paint a clear path forward for you all. You'll hear that I'll address each of the main considerations as I see them: health, business, personal and societal. If you're a business owner, or working in a business that has been affected by COVID-19, this is the message you need to hear right now. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at this moment, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Business is challenging enough when it’s “business as usual.” Do not try to battle through this alone. We are all going through this together. Trust that there is light at the end of this tunnel.

I see and hear TOO many business owners and entrepreneurs religiously subscribing to a single piece of recruitment advice which is outdated, old-school, institutionalised, and which DOES NOT apply to the types of businesses like the ones we actually run. In fact, if you take on this advice, I fundamentally believe that it will put your business in limbo for years - because you won’t have a team with the capability you need to drive it forward. What advice am I talking about? In this episode, I’ll share with you the worst piece of advice around recruitment that you could ever take on in a high-growth business, and the recruitment philosophy you should subscribe to instead.

So many entrepreneurs and leaders get stuck in a perpetual state of fear, stress, aggression and grit. We think that’s where we get our fuel and drive from. And some actively seek it out, thinking it will push them to be better. But that is an unsustainable fuel source. And while so many are getting addicted to that fear-based fuel, a state of beauty and joy is more conducive to creating success in business, and in life. I discuss these two states of consciousness - from a place of suffering and inner disturbance, and from a place of joy and inner peace - with one of the most transformational thinkers of our time in this interview. Many of you who have heard me talk about consciousness before might also know that I import my passion and wisdom from India. Specifically, I import it from a beautiful organisation called O&O Academy. One of the founders, Preethaji, shares a very powerful message in this episode: that, to create, achieve and relate, we need to actively pursue a transformed and joyful state of consciousness. We dive deep into becoming a conscious wealth creator, shifting the fuel that drives us, and shatter the myths surrounding spirituality for entrepreneurs. It’s no coincidence that most of the successful business minds I speak to have a deep sense of purpose (deeper than making money) and commitment to optimising their own consciousness and personal performance. I cannot wait to hear what you take away from this powerful interview.

Today’s episode of The Jack Delosa Podcast was inspired by an advisory session I recently had with a phenomenal business owner. This entrepreneur had been in business for over 15 years, but her life as a business owner had become so routine that she felt cut off from herself, and was no longer guided by a sense of purpose or meaning. The conversation highlighted to me just how myopic and short-sighted we can become as entrepreneurs when we allow ourselves to be consumed by our businesses. The truth is: the richer you feel in yourself, the better entrepreneur and leader you will be. Take this episode as the catalyst, and a personal challenge, to stop being one dimensional and step back into your humanity.

This is such a profound conversation. For those of you who have been following me for a while, you’ll have heard me discuss how I view entrepreneurship as a spiritual endeavour - because entrepreneurship is ultimately about creation. And as my businesses have grown, so too has my journey to discover and dig deeper into spirituality, soul and purpose. I wholeheartedly believe that spirituality and entrepreneurship are on the same spectrum - and when an entrepreneur can tap into their intuition, higher self and sense of purpose, it can be their secret weapon for success. My latest guest on The Jack Delosa Podcast has been an incredible guide, source of knowledge and support for me as I’ve navigated this intersection of spirituality and entrepreneurship. Helen Jacobs, author of the book, You Already Know, speaker and psychic, has been my soul guide for over the past year. In this episode, she discusses the practices and advice for aligning with your intuition, learning how to interpret it (even when it does not make sense), and finding the courage to follow it; and the power you’ll find in seeking stillness, silence and space. With the end of the year, and the opportunity for reflection, fast approaching, there’s no better time to bring this conversation to the forefront. As you listen, I encourage you to lean in, keep an open mind, and walk away from the episode with at least 1 action you can take to tap into your spirituality.

If you’ve heard me talk about the principles that drive commercial growth, you’ll know how much emphasis I put on building an online presence, achieving recency and frequency, and engaging with your audience. So for the latest episode of The Jack Delosa Podcast, I’ve partnered with PayPal Australia, who have recently commissioned some research on why it’s never been more important to build a comprehensive multi-channel digital presence. Listen along to my conversation with PayPal Australia’s Head of Marketing, Vanessa Lennon, as she sheds some light on what SMBs need to know when it comes to building a successful online business. This is such a fantastic conversation, and I’m absolutely loving the data that is coming out of PayPal at the moment - it’s something business owners everywhere should familiarise themselves with.

One of the biggest marketing mistakes you can make is obsessing over the number of social media followers your business has. Yes, building a social following will help grow your business. But what is more important is attracting the right followers. 10,000 engaged followers is far more valuable than a disengaged community of 1 million. In the most recent episode of The Jack Delosa Podcast, I chat with Jules Lund, Founder of influencer marketing platform Tribe, to get his insights on the influencer trends that are set to explode this year, and some golden advice on how to ‘hack’ the elusive newsfeed algorithm.

Entrepreneurship is alchemy. It’s taking nothing and turning it into something. This is exactly what Tony Nash, Founder of Booktopia, has done. With only a $10 investment, he has been built a $113 Million company. Perhaps what’s more impressive is that he has done in this what many consider a ‘dying’ industry against one of the fiercest competitors in the world. In this episode of The Jack Delosa Podcast, Tony gives us a step-by-step walkthrough of how he has built his online empire. Make you listen to learn: -The one question he asks himself every single month to ensure Booktopia doubles their growth year-on-year -Why setting ‘impossible’ growth targets is the key to outperforming competitors -The catalyst for Tony’s growth that has had a higher ROI than anything else in his business - this answer will surprise you! If you’re serious about scaling your business, do NOT miss this episode.

You’ve probably heard the saying before: “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” Waking up at 5am has completely transformed how productive my days are. I wasn’t surprised to learn that fellow entrepreneur, Kristina Karlsson (Founder of kikki.K), is also a believer in the 5am wake up. In my recent podcast interview with Kristina, she shared the entire morning routine she’s religiously used as she built her stationary empire. We also talk turning big dreams into realities, personal branding for introverts, and the advice you should always ignore.

Many people have innate talents. But it’s what you do with these talents, and your dedication to pursuing them that makes the difference. Elite athletes are one of the finest examples of what can be achieved with the right combination of discipline and talent. In fact, I believe the fundamental principles and rituals that enable an athlete to reach a heightened levels of success can be integrated into any area of your life or business. In the latest episode of my podcast, I’m joined by a great friend and 6X Olympic Medalist, Michael Klim, to dissect the rituals he employed to reach and perform on the world stage of sport, and how you can apply them to create a successful life for yourself.

Branding is one of the most fundamentally misunderstood areas of business. It underpins every single function in your company and really underwrites how much traction your business will generate. In fact, your branding is often the reason your consumers will choose you over a competitor. However, so many business owners continue to get it wrong. They get caught up in the superficial, ‘iceberg’ elements of branding - the logo, the business cards, the colours - but fail to truly define what they actually stand for as a company. In this episode of The Jack Delosa Podcast, I’m joined by branding expert Keiran Flanangan to talk about businesses can build truly iconic brands.

The advice we’re going to share today might go against everything you’ve been taught about business. As entrepreneurs, we're hardwired for growth. It's seemingly in our DNA to want to achieve 'more' and settling for 'good enough' just isn't in our vocabulary. In fact, the questions I’m asked by business owners the most are: How do I get more clients? How do I make new sales? How do I increase profit? How do I get more time? Surprisingly, the answer to growing your business, is actually getting comfortable with turning customers away (yes, you’re reading that correctly). It might sound crazy, but the reality is, by trying to speak to and sell to everybody you often end up speaking to nobody. Instead, in order to win more customers you need to get laser-focused on your ideal customer, and master the art of speaking directly to them. One of the people who has pioneered this approach is Marie Forleo (Founder of B-School), who I recently had the opportunity to interview on my podcast. In the latest episode, Marie shares her counterintuitive take on acquiring, and equally importantly, retaining her customers.

Digital marketing is changing at an increasing pace. What generated leads for your business 6 months ago, might not even be relevant today. What content worked on Facebook last week, might be barely getting seen today. While as a business owner, you shouldn’t necessarily be doing everything when it comes to marketing, you also can’t have your head in the sand. If your team aren’t up to date with the latest marketing strategies you’re probably wasting a substantial amount of time and money. One of the people at the forefront of all things digital, is Neil Patel, co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics, so I was incredibly happy to chat to him on my podcast recently. Neil’s blog alone ammasses an impressive 1 million visitors each month, The Wall St Journal listed him as one of the top 10 most influential people on the web. What I absolutely love about Neil is that he gets straight to the point. No small talk or fluff in this episode just pure marketing gold that you and your team can implement into your business, and see results. Here’s a quick run down of what you’ll learn from this episode: 3 little know, yet highly effective, growth marketing tactics that the world’s most effective businesses use to generate traffic and sales The one piece of marketing advice from experts you and your team should stop following immediately How involved you as a leader should be in marketing, and when you need to let your team take the lead 3 budget-wasting marketing mistakes business owners make (and what you should be doing instead)

In only 5 years, Tobi and his co-founder and fiance, Kayla Itsines, have grown from selling a single eBook ‘The Bikini Body Guide’ to building a multi-million dollar health and fitness app, SWEAT and an audience of over 40 million worldwide. This year alone SWEAT brought in over $100 million in revenue, and 2019 is set to be even bigger for the Australian power couple. What’s impressive about Tobi is his counter-intuitive approach to marketing and brand, and the depth of knowledge he has of each and every function of the entire business. In this podcast we dive deep into the growth strategies that have enabled SWEAT’s success. Make sure you listen to learn: - The counter-intuitive brand building strategy that has allowed Kayla and Sweat to amass an audience of over 40 million online - The highly effective paid advertising strategies that have enabled Tobi and Kayla to convert their online fans into paying customers - The 4 key business growth pillars that have enabled Sweat to scale from a simple eBook to a multi-million global dollar company (in just 5 years) - The number one piece of marketing advice Tobi violently disagrees with - and why you need to look beyond it if you want to succeed in business