Making Business Happen Podcast - Whiteboard Business Partners

Welcome to Session #22 of Making Business Happen Radio! I’m Dallon Christensen, your host and the founder and creative director of Whiteboard Business Partners. You can find me on the web at www.whiteboardbusiness.com. This is the show to help you design the business you want to become more profitable, productive, and prepared to grow. Photo […]

Hello and welcome to Session #21 of Making Business Happen Radio! I’m Dallon Christensen, the founder and creative director of Whiteboard Business Partners. You can find me on the web at www.whiteboardbusiness.com. This the podcast to help you become more profitable, productive, and prepared to grow your business. You can find past episode of the show […]

My guest on Session #20 is Steve Grubbs, founder and CEO of Victory Enterprises in Davenport, Iowa. Steve is a graduate of the University of Iowa’s law school and business school and has extensive business and political experience as both a candidate and an advisor to political campaigns. Steve started Victory Enterprises in 1993 and […]

Welcome to Session #19 of Making Business Happen Radio! This is the podcast to help you become more profitable, productive, and prepared to grow your business. Before starting the show notes, I want to let you know Session #20 will air on Tuesday, November 20. I usually distribute my podcasts on Thursday, but I will […]

My guest on Session #18 is Brent Poole. Brent is the Chief Executive Officer of Mindbloom, As CEO, Brent is responsible for the development and operation of Mindbloom’s business. Brent brings nearly 20 years of finance & operations experience with early-stage, high-growth companies. Before founding Mindbloom, Brent was an early member of the Amazon team where he […]

Hello and welcome to Session #17 of Making Business Happen Radio! This is the show to help you become more profitable, productive, and prepared to grow your business. I'm Dallon Christensen, the founder and creative director of Whiteboard Business Partners. You can leave feedback for the show through voice mail at (563) 265-1184 or by e-mailing me at feedback@whiteboardbusiness.com. Today's show focuses on objectives and strategy. I hear these terms discussed interchangeably, but it is important to know the difference between the two. I see too many business owners chase after the latest fad strategy without really understanding what they are trying to accomplish. Here is what I covered in Session #17 Why objectives and strategy are both important in your business planning. How various companies have changed objectives and strategies to maintain success over the years. Objectives are WHAT you want to accomplish in your business. They are tangible results. They are measurable. You can graph them. Strategies are HOW you will accomplish your objectives. There are different strategies to achieve the same objective. You must pick a small number of strategies and focus intently on those strategies Your projects and action steps will align with your strategies. If you are interested in learning more about how to escape Dilbertville and create a mobile office, check out my Mobile Office course at www.whiteboardbusiness.com/escapethecubicle. If you are enjoying this show, please leave a review or rating on iTunes. Check out Session #18 on November 8, 2012 as I interview Steve Grubbs, the CEO of Victory Enterprises. Resources mentioned on Session #17 (Several of these are affiliate links) The Commitment Engine by John Jantsch Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras The Whiteboard Business Playbook  

How do you fit your work around your life instead of the other way around? Kevin Miller knows how and can show you the way. It's my pleasure to welcome Kevin Miller to Session #16 of Making Business Happen Radio. Kevin is the founder and leader of Free Agent Academy and host of the highly successful Free Agent Underground podcast. Kevin is a long-time entrepreneur who has developed an innovative curriculum with a talented team of fellow free agents. Kevin has been featured on programs such at The Rise to the Top and the Ziglar Success Podcast. Kevin and I discuss the following items in this podcast How much of an influence was your dad, Dan Miller, on your desire to build a business instead of doing freelance project work? Your core belief is that we all have a purpose that we must put to work. Why is such a challenge for people to truly break free from their “expected” life? You’ve been known to intentionally “step on a few toes” with your writing and podcasts. What advice do you have for people who know they must stand out from the crowd but are uncomfortable initiating confrontation or an alternative viewpoint? Why did you decide on the membership model for Free Agent Academy? What appealed to you as opposed to products or other tangible items? Your most important counsel to FAA members is, “Seek counsel”. What did you learn from others about your business model before you implemented it? The secret to building a recurring membership site is community. People have to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. How have you tried to foster this community? You recently made a difficult decision to radically change your curriculum and pricing structure. What caused you to make this change? What advice do you have for others in your situation who are facing a similar type of “big decision”? How do you communicate your vision to a larger group of people? What are the pitfalls aspiring entrepreneurs must understand that could hinder them? What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs about how to create a business that is more than just trading time for money? What did you learn from this podcast? Share your comments below.

Session #15 of Making Business Happen Radio features the importance of customer relationship management (CRM) and reviews three tools I’ve been testing over the past several weeks. CRM is a critical part of making business happen, and I am making a ver...

Todd Henry joins me at the whiteboard for Session #14. Todd is the founder of The Accidental Creative and the author of his namesake book, "The Accidental Creative - How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice" (affiliate link). Todd works with entrepreneurs and companies to help bring creativity to life in an on-demand world. Todd and I discuss the following items on this episode Your sign-off statement on your podcasts is, “Cover bands don’t change the world.” What exactly do you mean by that statement? How did you create that statement? You have studied the elements of creativity for a number of years. When you see people who can “create on demand” as you put it, what are the key similarities you see? Conversely, when you see unfocused and frustrated creative professionals, what brings many of them down? You spend a great deal of time discussing “organizational dissonance” in the book. Why do you feel organizations fall into this situation that can drain creatives so much? Let’s talk about the five elements of your creative framework. Before going into each of them, what should people understand about these elements at the highest level? Focus - How many creatives tell you that focus would kill their creativity? What is your response to this myth (and it is a myth!). Talk about the “Big Three” - Why is three such an important number? How can we get out of the multi-tasking or time-switching quicksand so many of us seem to think is a way of life? Relationships How do we become more intentional about our relationships as they relate to creativity? You refer to the “adjacent possible” in your book and reference Steven Johnson’s book “Where Good Ideas Come From”. Energy - You talk about “creative rhythm” in many of your podcasts and in the book. Why do we focus better when we “sprint” and then “rest” instead of treating our work as a “marathon”? Stimuli - How has our reliance on connectivity strained our ability to observe the world around us? Hours - I constantly face the demands of working vs. resting as I build my own business. If you want to hear more from Todd, sign up for the Making Business Happen newsletter for bonus podcast material. You will also be up to the minute on new developments with Whiteboard Business Partners. If you have a comment for the show, please send that to feedback@whiteboardbusiness.com or leave a voice mail at 563-265-1184. If you like what you are hearing, please leave a favorable review on iTunes.

Welcome to Session #13 of Making Business Happen Radio! In this episode, I answer questions on a variety of business planning, marketing, and information technology questions. If you want your question answered on the show, leave a voice mail at (563) 265-1184 or send an e-mail to feedback@whiteboardbusiness.com. Questions answered in this session: How can I get my new business recognized in a focused industry? I have a new business idea to help busy entrepreneurs. What should I focus on to get it off the ground? How can I make sure I do the less fun, but necessary, parts of my business? What should be the center of my online strategy? What is the hardest thing to do as an entrepreneur? What are some mobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools I can consider? Resources mentioned on Session #13 Making Business Happen, Session #12 - Podcast reviewing the book Platform (see below) "Platform" affiliate link Making Business Happen, Session #6 - My podcast with a look at several web-based accounting applications Making Business Happen blog post on focusing on your customers' pain 48days.net - Online entrepreneurship community started by Dan Miller 48 Days to the Work You Love affiliate link No More Dreaded Mondays affiliate link Wisdom Meets Passion affiliate link My Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey's online personal finance community Highrise - Online Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application from 37Signals Salesforce - Online CRM application Podio - Online CRM and business management application from Citrix SugarCRM - Online CRM application

I'm joined by Kevin McCoy to discuss one of the most influential business books I've read - Platform by Michael Hyatt. Kevin is a Certified Public Accountant in St. Charles, Missouri and a member with me of the Thriveal Accounting Network. Michael Hyatt is the former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and currently speaks and blogs on productivity, social media, and publishing. Kevin and I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about how to develop our own platforms by reading this book, and we share our top ten takeaways from the book. Understand what's NOT important Consistent branding / defend your brand Give your product a memorable name Assemble your pit crew Watch those metrics Don't settle for less than great Create a strong elevator pitch Start a blog Kiss marketing good bye Know the 20-1 rule If you like what you are hearing on the show, please leave a review or rating on iTunes. You can leave a comment for the show and view show notes at www.whiteboardbusiness.com/mbhp012. Don't forget to check out my "Mobile Office - Escaping Dilbertville" course. Until next time, go out and make your business happen!

I conclude my two-part interview with the Podcast Answer Man, Cliff Ravenscraft. Cliff is the founder of the GSPN media network and world-renowned podcast consultant and educator. Cliff leads the Podcasting A to Z course and speaks at marketing and business conferences across the United States. Part 2 of my interview begins with how Cliff has changed his business model to build a business instead of having to rely on trading his time for income. If you want to leave feedback for the show, please call the Making Business Happen feedback line at (563) 265-1184 or leave an e-mail at feedback@whiteboardbusiness.com. Here are the questions Cliff and I cover in Part 2 of our interview. You can find Part 1 of the interview here One of the things I admire about you is your ability to maximize your time. You have changed your business model over the years to focus more on opportunities to leverage your time for more revenue (i.e. “passive income”). What were some of the factors early in your business that led you to change your business model? Take us through an opportunity that did not fit with your focus, so you declined. What did you learn from that experience? You take a great deal of pride in your teaching ability when it comes to podcasting. How has teaching and education become such an important part of your niche and brand? How has the “Podcast Answer Man” brand helped focus your emphasis on teaching? You have a tremendous passion for your craft and your business. How does that positively impact what you do in your business? How have you worked to recover from any situations where your passion might have steered you in a direction you did not want to experience in your business. Your latest project, the Podcast Mastermind group, is a focused community of podcasting. How does this project tie into the focus of your business? What will you share with your community members? What are two or three pieces of advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to create focused businesses like what you created? What would you say to caution people who are looking to expand into too many different areas too quickly? Sign up for Cliff's Podcasting A to Z course here. If you use the promotional code "whiteboard", you will save $100 off the enrollment fee. Don't forget to check out my new course, "The Mobile Office - Escaping Dilbertville". This course gives you the tools you need to run your business from anywhere. What has Cliff taught you about how to make your business happen? Share your thoughts below!  

I welcome Cliff Ravenscraft to the whiteboard for Session #10 of Making Business Happen Radio. Cliff is the founder of the GSPN media network, an accomplished public speaker, and the successful leader of the Podcasting A to Z course.   From Insurance to Podcasting Cliff left the "stability" of a corporate job in January 2008 to follow his passion for podcasting and new media. Cliff is a world-renowned podcasting and marketing expert who has created a strong business with multiple income streams and the ability to create recurring income from his original business model of podcast coaching and consulting. Cliff and I discuss the following items in this part of the interview. Part 2 will air as Session #11 on September 20 2012. You run a very successful business focused on the podcasting industry. How did you decide to focus on that particular niche? What were some of the factors that drove you to that particular focus? You started this business on the side before launching full-time. How did that impact your niche and focus? What lessons did you learn from that experience that you still apply today? When you have faced a major decision on the direction of your business, what criteria do you use to determine if the decision is the right one? Your GSPN.tv network is very popular with a growing subscriber base. You expanded your podcast offerings, then decided to focus on a small number of shows. Take us through that decision process. Why did you make such an unexpected change in one of your key marketing tools? What kind of reaction did you expect when you decided to focus on fewer podcasts? How did the actual reaction compare to your expectations? One of the things I admire about you is your ability to maximize your time. You have changed your business model over the years to focus more on opportunities to leverage your time for more revenue (i.e. “passive income”). What were some of the factors early in your business that led you to change your business model? Learn from the best! If you want to learn more about podcasting as a way to make your business happen, consider enrolling in Cliff's Podcasting A to Z course beginning on September 24. If you use the coupon code "whiteboard" when you register, you will receive a $100 discount for the course. If you are enjoying Making Business Happen Radio, please leave a review on iTunes for the show. You may also provide feedback at feedback@whiteboardbusiness.com. If you want to run a business free of the office, check out my new course "The Mobile Office - Escaping Dilbertville". This course will help you learn the right tools and strategy to use to build a business you can run from anywhere with any device. If you are looking for how to design your ideal business, Dave Wellman and I start the "Discover, Design, and Deliver" webinar on September 18. What did you learn from Cliff's interview? Share your comments below!  

I welcome Andy Traub to the whiteboard for Session #9 of Making Business Happen Radio. I have known Andy for several years, and he is a friend and role model to me as I've launched my own business. Andy has shown the courage and tenacity to change his business model several times, changing from financial coach to technology consultant to media company owner. Andy currently runs the Take Permission Media Network.   Andy has never been afraid to try new things or to fail if it means he can learn from those failures to produce something more sustainable in the long term. Andy and I discuss the following topics in this interview. Take us through your initial decision to pursue your own business. What was your “resistance”? How did you power through it? You originally started as a financial coach. How did you originally work through your business model? When you decided to move into technology coaching and consulting, what did you consider as you changed your focus? You did not originally start as a podcaster. Take us through how you started your podcasting journey. How did you realize this was something you were called to do? By your own admission, you are a low-key person. How did your natural personality impact your thoughts as you looked to make podcasting more of your career? Your original businesses were a great deal of trading time for money. What questions did you consider as you developed ways to escape the time for money trap? You have worked with a number of famous people like Andy Andrews and Seth Godin. People are often nervous asking people like that to support what they are doing. How did you overcome that? How important has strategic partnering been to your business? You have worked with a number of different people to develop and deliver content. What is your advice to those people looking to partner with others? You work in a rather unique environment in Sioux Falls, SD. Discuss that and how it helps you generate new business ideas. What advice do you have for people as they are starting to make their own businesses happen? What advice do you have for people who are looking to either add a new business idea to what they are doing or looking to completely change course?

I'm privileged to welcome Kent Julian to the whiteboard today on Making Business Happen Session #8 to talk about how speaking has become an important part of his vocation. Kent is the founder of Live it Forward, a coaching and speaking company focused on helping people find more ways to live it forward in their own lives. Kent is a nationally recognized speaker serving the youth and education markets and the author of the book "Who Wants to Be Normal Anyway?" When I interviewed Kent, he was actually traveling to a speaking engagement, so this interview occurred at a very opportunistic time!   Session #8 topics and questions Kent and I cover the following questions in this podcast There are many people who are wondering if speaking is right for them. How did you know that you had it in you to be a speaker? We often hear that people have a greater fear of public speaking than of dying. Why do you feel this is the case? How important is focusing on a niche when you are starting a speaking business? How much of a new speaking business is creating your speaking content, and how much is marketing your business? What is the biggest mistake you see when new speakers begin their practices? You have a marketing system you use to demonstrate your ability to serve your potential customers. Tell us about that. How important is it to know your REAL target audience when speaking? How does speaking drive other streams of income, like product sales? You practice what you preach about multiple streams of income. Tell us about your Speak it Forward Boot Camp. What is one piece of advice you wish you knew as you started your speaking practice? This podcast is just the beginning Do you want to make speaking a key part of your business? Then come to the Speak it Forward Boot Camp! Kent Julian’s Speak It Forward Boot Camp can help you build a speaking business. I attended this event in 2011, and I learned a great deal about expanding my reach and building a marketing plan for my business. I believe so strongly in this event that I’ll throw in three special offers if you sign up with the attached affiliate link. First, I’ll treat you to lunch at Five Guys Burgers on the first day of the conference. Second, I will give you the opportunity to be a guest on my Making Business Happen podcast or submit a guest blog post on the subject of your choosing. I only ask that the post or podcast topic relates to my themes of productivity, business planning, information technology, or multiple streams of income. Finally, you will get a $25 discount on the September "Discover, Design, and Deliver" webinar series my friend Dave Wellman and I are hosting in mid-September. How can you make speaking a big part of making your business happen? Share your thoughts below!