Having a solid vision for your company is an excellent kick-starter, but what happens when you cannot convey it to your workforce as they continue to grow in numbers?

Serial entrepreneur Kathy Hannun joins A.J. in this episode to explore why you should write things down to streamline your journey as an entrepreneur. They also discuss navigating the different stages of the entrepreneurial journey, including finding answers to existential questions initially, why you cannot do everything on your own in a growing company, and how to always keep your workforce aligned with your company’s vision. 

Tune in to learn how to bring more clarity to your goals by recording every critical point in writing.

About our guest:

Kathy Hannun is the Founder and President of Dandelion Energy, a home geothermal systems company that spun out of Alphabet's X in 2017. The company helps install home geothermal systems affordable for their customers so that renewable energy is accessible to anyone who wants it. Kathy has been mentioned in Albany Business Reviews 40 under 40, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, and MIT's Technology Review 35 under 35. 

On today’s episode:

• Meet Kathy Hannun, Founder and President at Dandelion (Home Geothermal) - 00:40
• Where does Kathy see herself on her entrepreneurial journey today? - 02:47
• Two reasons why you cannot do all of your company’s processes by yourself as it continues to grow - 04:04
• How to make sure if all your co-workers and employees are on the same page with the company’s vision - 11:12
• Five things Kathy learned on her entrepreneurial journey (including how to discover answers to existential questions) - 13:18
• How does Dandelion Energy help in battling environmental issues, including climate change? - 16:28
• The specifics of Dandelion Energy - is it a regulatory or an engineering delivery? Or is it all the above? - 18:33
• What do Dandelion’s consumer marketing and referral programs look like? - 21:42
• Does Dandelion Energy aim to expand beyond geothermal? - 23:37
• How does Kathy view her success today? - 27:12
• What does success mean to Kathy? - 29:29
• Is there a thing as a failure? How do you distinguish it from learning and exploration? - 31:44

Key Takeaways:

• Your business idea can develop from a problem space, just like Kathy’s idea of starting her company developed out of a strong need to solve a problem - how to bring in cost-effective geothermal heating and cooling for people.
• It's a great privilege to be able to work full-time on a problem that you deeply care about, and if you can make it your full-time profession, then that’s a bonus. 
• At the start of your entrepreneurial journey, you feel like you can tackle any problem that arises. But as you progress, you realize that the idea is limiting for two reasons - 1. It isn’t an efficient way to run a company, 2. You’re limiting your company’s growth.
• Cultivating a habit of writing important things down can help you in the long run. It can also help keep your organization’s vision intact when your company starts outgrowing a manageable number. 
• Using tools like monday.com to record OKRs, Confluence to maintain shared documentation, and document everything that can act as a reference or help others can help keep the workforce aligned with the company's goals and vision.

What causes disorganization in companies?

[09:47] - “If you do have a process that's important to the business and it's not written down anywhere, it's pretty likely that everyone is doing the process differently because things tend towards disorganization.”

How do you align your team with your company’s vision? Tell us what role vision and mission play in your company, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Connect with Kathy Hannun:

• LinkedIn: @Kathy Hannun
• Website: https://dandelionenergy.com/
• Twitter: @DandelionEnergy
• Instagram: @Dandelion
• Facebook: @DandelionHomeEnergy

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Insights Lab: 

• Website: https://insightslab.ai/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insightslab.ai/
• Email: [email protected] 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/ 

Ray Mendez, Partner at Masa&Boz, joins A.J. in this episode to discuss how to make your brand come alive as an entrepreneur with innovative ideas. 

They dig into several topics, including how to utilize branding and marketing methods to bridge the gap between your business and its customers, why working with agencies can be limiting, the vital link between technology and creativity, and the three areas every business needs to focus on. 

Tune in to learn first-hand about building effective brand strategies for the sustainable growth of your business.

About our guest:

Ray Mendez is the Partner at Masa&Boz, a transformation-innovation consultancy that helps turn your business idea into reality. He's a genius at brand prototyping, workshop design, brand strategy, product design, and communication strategies and helps integrate and transform brands across four continents.

On today’s episode:

• Meet Ray Mendez, our guest and Partner at Masa&Boz- 00:40
• Ray gives a brief overview of his journey in life and how he got into entrepreneurship - 03:22
• Ray explains the exciting backstory behind coining the name “Masa&Boz” - 06:52
• What are the two things to keep in mind for deep branding and marketing? - 8:50
• Why the ego of the branding and marketing industry should not exist and how they should instead move forward - 09:00
• How do Ray’s business tools help the producer (the business) and the user interact more seamlessly? - 10:26
• What is the traditional concept of an agency? - 11:26
• Ray explains the vision behind his agency and his thoughts on life going forward - 14:04
• What is a legacy business? - 21:06
• How does the transition from a B2B to a B2C business model look like? - 22:50
• The three significant focus areas of any CEO and why they are essential - 31:30
• How does Ray define his success? Why is it not focused on material goals? - 37:41
• Ray talks about his experience working on the rebranding of the Empire State Building - 41:35

Key Takeaways:

• Business sustainability involves keeping your business running through all ups and downs.
• Working with a traditional agency could mean you’re handing over your power to another body.
• Traditional agencies add more services to their clients’ billable even if it adds no extra value to the latter’s time.
• A legacy business is a type of business that has evolved over a long time. It involves coming up with a physical product.
• The three focus areas of Masa&Boz include its vision, culture, and revenue.
• Shifting from a B2B to a B2C model involves a lot of planning and careful thought because you need to head to a completely different culture and operations.
• Marketing isn’t merely about selling a product or service; it’s also about keeping your customer in the loop and understanding and improving their product cyclically.

Is there a right way to approach marketing?

[43:27] - “The kind of approach we like to take marketing - it shouldn't just be about selling, it should be about understanding the customer and improving your product, and then selling and understanding your customer and improving a product.”

How important do you think branding is for your business? Tell us on Facebook or any social media platform of your choice (and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your story with us)!

Connect with Ray Mendez:

• LinkedIn: @Ray Mendez
• Website: https://www.masaboz.com/about
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masaboz

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Insights Lab: 

• Website: https://insightslab.ai/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insightslab.ai/
• Email: [email protected] 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/ 

What automation tools do you utilize to make your work more meaningful?

Neeti Mehta Shukla, Co-Founder of Automation Anywhere joins A.J. to discuss the power of process automation in enabling smarter business growth. They explore the past, present, and future of business process automation, how to combine accessible automation and artificial intelligence for more efficiency and productivity, and the different processes to evaluating business growth. They also talk about the entrepreneurial spirit, why it revolves around problem-solving, and what it takes to navigate the transition points of an eight-figure business. 

Tune in to learn how to make your life easier by leveraging the power of automation.

About our guest:

Neeti Mehta is the Co-founder and SVP of Brand and Culture at Automation Anywhere, where they provide robotic process automation enhanced with both cognitive and analytics technology in leading Financial Services, BPO, Healthcare, Technology, and Insurance companies (to name a few)—across more than 90 countries. In addition, Neeti has been on the Advisory and Founding Boards of many companies, advocating strongly for female Founder-CEOs.

On today’s episode:

• Episode Overview - How to make your work more meaningful - 03:03
• How does problem-solving form the core of entrepreneurship? How have Neeti’s problem-solving skills progressed over time? - 04:38
• Why is automation cumbersome? Has AI influenced the level of intelligence from automation? - 07:02
• How Automation Anywhere’s a breakthrough product, IQ Bot utilized artificial intelligence to automate human-centric processes, including invoice-generation - 08:53
• The two things to look forward to the most through technology and automation - 10:33
• How do you navigate the transition points of growing a business? -  14:55
• How can you develop a good understanding of your business and customers? - 17:08
• The processes to evaluating business growth - 18:46
• The reason why Neeti is greatly involved in women empowerment programs and where her drive for the same comes from - 19:58
• Are there similarities between the US and India in the involvement of female entrepreneurs? - 21:21
• What success means to Neeti - 24:06
• How can you build a legacy for your children on what is possible? - 25:55

Key Takeaways:

• Entrepreneurship is all about problem-solving, pushing the limits to enhance the problem in different ways, and continuing to grow every step of the way.
• Entrepreneurship is exciting because you don’t have predefined answers to the problems that arise.
• Technology enablement is necessary to deliver the next level of products and services to the world at large.
• Using AI and process automation, businesses can develop systems to ease their immediate process requirements or deal with the challenges they are facing at any point in time.
• The secrets to building a beyond-eight figure business are - hard work, falling in love with the problem (and not the solution), and intertwining business needs and challenges with technology development.
• The closer you are to the customer in terms of understanding their psyche, their requirements, and problems, the more informed your processes will be in helping them.
• Organizations, especially the technology industry needs to continue to work to bring more women to the spotlight.

How has artificial intelligence pushed the limits for business process automation?

[09:08] - “The combination of accessible automation and artificial intelligence [has] really changed the landscape for businesses and what they could accomplish in process automation.”

What do you expect to achieve for your business using process automation? Tell us on Facebook or any social media platform of your choice (and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your story with us)!

Connect with Neeti Mehta:

• LinkedIn: @NeetiMehtaShukla
• Facebook: Automation Anywhere Software
• Website: https://www.automationanywhere.com/
• Twitter: @NeetiShukla

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Insights Lab: 

• Website: https://insightslab.ai/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insightslab.ai/
• Email: [email protected] 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/ 

Serial entrepreneur Amy Ransdell joins A.J. to explore why you should turn your company into your joy box. If you think back to the very beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, you’ll reconnect with the desires that made you want to become an entrepreneur. Now that you’re on the journey, are you staying true to these desires? 

Tune in to learn how to rethink your role in your business and mold it into one that brings you JOY!

About Amy: 

Amy Ransdell is a performance coach at her business Peak Performance. Over the years, she has coached more than 1000 clients. She is also the CMO of REVAGLOBAL, a company that matches business with highly skilled virtual assistants. Amy is also a real estate investor amongst other things. 

On today’s episode: 

• Who is Amy Ransdell? - 0:39
• Where is Amy at in her entrepreneurial journey? - 02:11
• How you can keep profiting from the same asset multiple times. - 03:15
• Why you should start a global company with international talent (and how it’s going for Amy Ransdell). - 05:34
• Why Amy Ransdell hires international talent from the Philippines. - 12:02 
• Is it possible to only work for four hours a day as an entrepreneur? - 15:30 
• The ONE thing that may be holding you back from leveling up your entrepreneurial game. - 19:02 
• How unexpected transition moments can push you to be creative. - 22:55
• Two ways to assess the health of your business (and what happens if you don’t use both) - 27:23
• Why the word SHOULD can be ABUSIVE. - 30:30
• The power of practicing your company’s intention. - 34:15
• Thinking of success as a positive impact. - 36:14

Key Takeaways: 

• Having global talent with international talent can help you create scalable and efficient systems for your company. There can also be cost savings to doing that. 
• As an entrepreneur, you have to learn to let go of the things that don’t bring you joy in your entrepreneurial work. You can delegate tasks that don’t bring you joy. You have to remember why you became an entrepreneur in the first place and try to stay true to these desires rather than let work consume you and the intentions you had set. 
• Your belief system has to prepare you for where you want to go next in your entrepreneurial journey rather than just keep you where you are. You have to get out of your own way. It’s not going to be simple or easy. It will not work itself out. Your environment will change from around you as your belief system changes. This new environment will give you new tasks and a new role. 
• A positive mindset will allow you to see unexpected transitions for what they are: fuel for creativity. It is easy to get complacent when things are going well in your business. It takes more shaky periods for you to make changes in your business that were perhaps overdue.
• The measurables and metrics of your company won’t tell the full story of how your business is doing. They won’t necessarily measure how on track you are to achieving your purpose.  They won’t give you the full picture. 

You can make a profit from the same asset multiple times:

[04:14] “In business, as you grow, you start to realize how assets that you’re creating can create other streams of income or solve other problems.” 

How are you using your assets to multiply your profits? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

If you are looking for a virtual assistant (in any industry) hire one here from REVAGLOBAL.

Book mentioned in the episode: Winning by Tim Grover

Connect with Amy Ransdell:

• Real State Virtual Assistance: REVA Global
• Coaching Website: https://bepowerhouse.com/  
• Instagram: @amyransdell_bepowerhouse
• LinkedIn: Amy Ransdell
• Twitter: @amyransdell

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode A.J. and Timi discusses why your business needs you to go on vacation. They talk about how to avoid staff burnout, why talking to strangers hones your entrepreneurial skills, and why you should tell your clients about your holiday escapades. 

Vacations are a time for you to recharge your body and refresh your perspective. Tune in to the episode to learn why vacations will make you a more effective and well-rounded entrepreneur. 

On today’s episode: 

• How vacations fuel creativity in entrepreneurs. - 0:49
• How where you live impacts how often you need to recharge. - 03:15
• Is there really a work-life balance when you are an entrepreneur? - 05:04
• A.J.’s next vacation goal. - 06:44
• Why you should actively appreciate where you currently live. - 07:19
• How hotels can go the extra mile to make you special and valued. - 10:54
• One of the most underused tools that can dramatically increase productivity. - 14:23
• How talking to strangers changes you and how it can help you in business. - 15:48
• Why you SHOULD talk about your vacations with your clients. - 18:52
• What is the bartender’s choice (and A.J.’s awesome drinking experience in NYC)? - 21:22   

Key Takeaways: 

• Where you live determines how much time you actually need off work. Some places are much more stressful than others. 
• If you don’t spend at least a whole week in a place while traveling, you don’t fully get the feel of the place. 
• Sometimes, we don’t fully explore and appreciate the places where we live. Being a tourist in your own city can be a rewarding experience. 
• It is extremely important to take time off work. If you are overworked, you will not be able to produce your best work. 
• Employers that do not give their staff time off can alienate them and make them feel undervalued. 

Do entrepreneurs really have a work-life balance?

[05:04] “We jokingly said, being an entrepreneur, there is no real-life balance. It’s just making sure you find things that are the appropriate mix so that you’re doing the things you like.”

Are you able to fully disconnect from work while on vacation? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Bar mentioned in the episode: https://www.barelydisfigured.com/ 

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Timi and A.J. discuss why you should build an intention-led business. They talk about the experiences and lessons learned from several other entrepreneurs in building mission-led ventures and the challenges that one might face. 

Tune in to learn about starting and scaling a business that not only helps you nurture a better team but also allows you to attract clients you are excited to serve. 

On today’s episode: 

• Episode Overview: intention setting (between woo-woo and practicality). - 0:40
• Successful entrepreneurs who have built intention-led businesses. - 03:30
• What does it mean to build an intention-led business? - 06:19
• How feeling impactful can drive your business (and vice versa). - 10:08
• How you can build a business that is meaningful to you. - 14:35
• Do you need experience with intention setting to build an intention-led business? - 15:43
• How do you know when is the right time to reset the path your business is on? - 17:35
• How building an intention-led business is very personal. - 23:03 
• Building an intention-led business DESPITE being extremely busy. - 24:39
• Don’t just SAY what your business intentions are, you must DO this.  - 28:08 
• Don’t copy other entrepreneurs, steal from them (explained). - 32:26
• Why you should center your business intentions around your team. - 34:20 
• What type of client will your business intentions attract? - 42:11
• Our research on how to transition from being a 7 figure to 8 figure entrepreneur. - 46:16

Key Takeaways: 

• To start building an intention-led business, ask yourself what it is you genuinely feel passionate about? What problem would you like to fix? Then think about how you can use your business to contribute to fixing that problem. 
• Finding the right type of customers and the right team is integral to building an intention-led business. 
• You don’t need to have experience with intention setting, all you need to have is the drive to create a business that is meaningful to you. 
• Having an intention-led business is building a business that people you work with and for will get more value from over the long-term than if you only focused on profit generation.
• Every company goes on its unique path and thus each company has different looking inflexion points. These crossroads can be good moments to reflect on the state of your business and decide on whether it's a good idea to reset the path your business is on. 
• Building an intention-led business alters the very foundations your business is built upon. 
• Don’t just settle with saying what your intentions are for your business. Instead, you have to elaborately describe what that intention means and how it can realistically and practically be manifested within your business. You have to make your intentions structurally part of your business. 
• Your team comes before your client. Without a happy team, you will be unable to serve your clients well.

This is what the thought process in building an intention-led business looks like:

[14:56] “If I want to do this, and I know I can provide the value that I believe is necessary for this part of the marketplace that I want to enter, I can do it the way that I think it worthwhile”

What intentions lead your business? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Entrepreneurs on Our Show Who Built Intention-Led Businesses: 

Hack Business Growth By Building a Product You Would Use with Jeff Epstein, Onboard.io

Building a People-First Company with Natalie Nagele, Wildbit

What Does the Future of Work Look Like with Stephanie Nadi Olson

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Making money is an integral part of entrepreneurship, but knowing what to do with the money you make is a whole other story. In this episode, A.J. is joined by entrepreneurial coach Henry Daas to discuss how to figure out what money or financial wellbeing means to you in life and business. Their discussion is based on one succinct principle: money has no inherent value other than giving us the ability to do what we want to do. 

Tune in to this episode to learn how to plan for and think about your financial wellbeing.  

About Henry Daas: 

Henry Daas is an entrepreneurial and personal finance coach. According to him, he has reinvented himself 10 times so far throughout his life. Henry Daas is the author of “FQ: Financial Intelligence.” In this book, Henry presents a comprehensive exploration of personal finance, guiding readers with essential knowledge and insights. This book empowers individuals to navigate the various factors influencing their financial well-being, enabling them to make informed decisions and unlock their path to lasting financial success.

Visit our curated collection of Business Books for more enriching reads.

Signs that you need an entrepreneurial coach

Are you unsure if you need an entrepreneurial coach to guide you on your business journey? Here are several indicators that suggest you may need a coach:

• Feeling Stuck or Overwhelmed: If you’re feeling stuck, unsure of your next steps, or overwhelmed by the challenges of running a business, it could be an indication that you need an entrepreneurial coach. They can assist you in gaining clarity, identifying solutions, and developing a plan for moving forward.
• Need for Skill Development: To succeed as an entrepreneur, you may need to learn new talents or hone existing ones. If you notice gaps in your skill set or a lack of experience in particular areas crucial to your company’s success, an entrepreneurial coach can help you develop those skills efficiently.
• Business Decision Challenges: Making significant business choices can be difficult, especially when faced with uncertainty or conflicting options. An entrepreneurial coach can assist you in navigating challenging issues, providing objective insights, and guiding you to make informed decisions that are consistent with your aims and values.
• Need for a Fresh Perspective: When you’re fully immersed in your business, it’s easy to lose sight of opportunities or potential blind spots. An entrepreneurial coach provides a unique point of view, offering useful ideas and challenging your assumptions. They can assist you in seeing things from a different perspective and identifying new possibilities.

Remember, seeking an entrepreneurial coach is not a sign of weakness but a proactive step towards enhancing your skills, mindset, financial wellbeing, and business success. It shows a willingness to invest in your professional and personal growth as an entrepreneur.

On today’s episode: 

• Who is Henry Daas? - 0:40
• Getting to a point in your journey where you don’t need to sell anymore. - 04:29 
• Being content with having just one gig going. - 11:06
• Where can you find company secrets? - 12:56
• What’s the difference between being rich and having a lot of money? - 17:27 
• The downside of the gamification of money.- 21:34 
• How rich do you actually want to be? - 24:02
• An analogy that might help you understand what cryptocurrency is. - 32:14
• Why you can’t fully predict the future from reading financial charts. - 37:06
• Thinking of success as having freedom. - 40:59
• Who becomes rich when new opportunities happen? - 42:55
• The likelihood of making more than a million dollars in your business (and why people don’t want to be entrepreneurs). - 46:48
• The risk of being an employee. - 50:12 
• Why are the rich not being taxed in the US? - 57:50

Key Takeaways: 

• Your entrepreneurial journey will not be linear. There will always be ups, downs, rights, and lefts. You might even get to a point when you no longer want to do any client-facing work.
• Low attention spans in the internet age have led to misinformation. People rely on headlines without doing their research. To get the full picture of events and markets, you must put in the work and read full pieces.  
• You don’t need to have a lot of money to be rich. Being rich is having enough to be content and comfortable with your life. Having a lot of money is just living in excess for the sake of it. 
• You can think of bitcoin as similar to gold. It is a store of value but it is a long way off from having enough liquidity. 
• You can think of the definition of success as having the freedom to do what you choose. 
• You have to think of your exit strategy as an entrepreneur. Ask yourself what you want from your business. If your business does not have lots of barriers to entry, it can be a great thing for you but it can also mean that you can be easily replaced.
• The risk of working for other people can be a lot riskier than working for yourself.

Who becomes fabulously rich?

[45:29] “People who became fabulously rich in the 1800s were the Vanderbilts and the Carnegies who actually built the railroads but since then the ones who have become fabulously rich are the people who have used the networks...who has made the money? Amazon. Facebook. Netflix. Google. None of them owns a stitch of the actual network.” 

How can you leverage this thinking to create wealth for yourself? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Connect with Henry Daas:

• LinkedIn: @HenryDaas
• Facebook: Daas Knowledge
• Website: https://henrydaas.com/  
• Newsletter: https://fqupdate.daasknowledge.com/  

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook:

Serial Entrepreneur Pete Martin joins A.J. to discuss how you can go from entrepreneur, to enterprise, to empire, to exit by doing less. They talk about the importance of having the right team, why not all business is good business, escaping the rainmakers dilemma, and how co-innovating with your customers can maximize your growth and business income. 

Tune in to learn how to build a business around what’s important to you to create long term value.

About our Guest: 

Pete Martin is the founder of Ask My Board, which is the sixth company he has started. In AskMyBoard, he coaches businesses using the Four Pillars of Power and the Catapult Method, ensuring they grow to be resilient and financially healthy businesses. He has sold his other 5 businesses with an average return of 11x to his investors. He is the author of the upcoming book, "Sparking a Mobile Revolution; How Mobile Voting Will Change the World as We Know It.”.

On today’s episode: 

• Who is Pete Martin? - 0:47
• How Pete Martin was doing this work pro bono before starting his company. - 02:11
• How he grew his company without outside capital (and how he learned about organic growth). - 04:21
• Who is his ideal client? -06:58
• The four transition points of the entrepreneurial journey (where are you on this scale?). - 07:48
• The four pillars of power explained (and how he turned down a $5 MM dollar contract).- 10:24 
• How the four pillars of power work together and influence each other. - 17:04 
• 99% of the problems that entrepreneurs have are THIS kind. - 18:05
• What is the rainmaker’s dilemma? (and how to make a plan that actually sticks). - 24:01
• What is the Catapult Method? - 27:27
• How Pete Martin defines success. - 30:26 
• Did you know Pete Martin has an awesome band? - 32:55
• Takeaways from today’s show (and a HUGE discount on Pete’s services)- 37:29 

Key Takeaways: 

• The decisions you take when growing your company largely depend on whether you have external funding or are growing organically. 
• There are four key stages of the entrepreneurial journey: entrepreneur, enterprise, empire, and exit. Moving between these stages, and within these stages, requires different skill sets, different strategies, and different investments. 
• The four pillars of power are: team, customers, capital, and strategic execution. Strategic execution is when you are co-innovating with your customers and when you are co-innovating with your customers you’ve got an extremely valuable business and have the maximum amount of options with what you can do with your company.
• People problems constitute the large majority of problems that an entrepreneur faces. So, a great way to overcome this challenge is to ask yourself: what is my dream employee like?
• The Catapult Method is about maintaining a healthy business from the outset so that it is set up for growth but can also be a lucrative exit. 

Are you using your time strategically? 

[26:19] “How we approach entrepreneurs as they create this growth plan is, it literally comes down to ’what are you doing on a day to day basis?’, literally, because that’s where the rubber meets the road. And if you say ‘hey I want to grow and I want to scale’ and you’re spending 8 hours filling RFPs I can tell you that you’re going to hit your limit. And frankly, a lot of ego gets in the way.” 

How does the way you use your time facilitate or hinder your growth? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Connect with Pete Martin:

• LinkedIn: @petegmartin
• Twitter: @askmyboard 
• Website: https://askmyboard.com/ 

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Marcello Leone, CEO of Bevcanna, joins A.J. to discuss his experience of running a company with a first-to-market product: cannabis beverages. They converse about several topics including what it is like to run a heavily regulated business, whether or not you should be open to selling your company, and how to align your personal goals with your business goals.

Tune in to learn about the challenges of running a company with a first-to-market product. 

About our Guest: 

Marcello Leone is the CEO of Bevcanna, an up and coming cannabis beverage company that is heavily involved in the health and wellness space.  Bevcanna provides whitelabel cannabis drinks to other businesses. It is a publicly registered company. Previously, Marcello was CEO of RYU apparel. 

On today’s episode: 

• Who is Marcello Leone?-  00:39
• How Marcello became an unconventional cannabis entrepreneur. - 02:57
• The journey of innovating a completely new category of drinks (being first to market) - 06:17
• The toughest part of being first to market and going into uncharted territories. - 10:46
• Planning international expansion when you are first to market.  - 14:19 
• Why compliance is a full time in the cannabis industry. - 16:27
• How attached should you be to your business and should you be open to sell?  - 19:12
• Should you pay yourself as an entrepreneur? - 25:16
• 2 key things Marcello has learnt by being an entrepreneur. - 26:38 
• Does Marcello want to be an angel investor? - 29:08 
• What legacy does Marcello Leone want to leave behind? - 30:19 
• Lesson #1: Leveraging your past. - 33:52 
• Lesson #2: Build a moat. - 36:27 
• Lesson #3: Your goals vs. your business goals. - 40:08 

Key Takeaways: 

• Building the foundation of your business pre-revenue is the most challenging part of creating a first-to-market product. 
• It is a great business opportunity that the U.S. legalization of cannabis is not complete yet. You can be early in a new space and position yourself very well in the market.
• The job of ensuring compliance is integral to the structure and successful operation of businesses in the cannabis industry. You cannot successfully run a cannabis business in the current environment without a sharp focus on ensuring compliance. 
• Being open to all opportunities including not being too attached to your business and being open to sell allows you to consider what’s best for you more fully and therefore avoid missing out on lucrative opportunities. 
• Not being willing to risk everything in itself is the first risk. 

Will it work out? 

[11:26] “Crazy entrepreneurs that we are, saw the opportunity, believed in it, didn’t necessarily know how it was going to work out, leveraged everything that I owned, borrowed from my family members, raised capital, and went all-in into this new category where we are today. You never know, especially when you are charting uncharted territory” 

What was the toughest challenge for you when you were first building your business? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Connect with Marcello Leone:

• LinkedIn: @Marcello-Leone
• Twitter: @BevcannaEnt
• Instagram: @Bevcanna
• Website: https://www.bevcanna.com/ 

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Shaun Clark, co-founder of High Level, joins A.J. to discuss the biggest problems businesses have: getting customers. In their conversation, they delve into many interesting questions like why SaaS on its own is not enough, what most businesses get wrong in their lead generation processes, and how being a bootstrapped company helps you better connect with your ideal customer. 

About our Guest: 

Shaun Clark is the co-founder of High Level. High Level offers a full suite of services to clients to help them turn leads into customers. His product is focused on conversions rather than clicks. Previously, Shaun founded InvoiceSherpa amongst other businesses. He used his past experiences to inform his current journey, helping businesses do what is most important to them: get clients.

On today’s episode: 

• Who is Shaun Clark? - 00:49 
• Asking customers what they need can give you your product idea. - 05:21
• The biggest challenge bootstrap SaaS founders in growing their business.  - 10:22
• How to overcome Google and Facebook Ad challenges (if your ads aren’t converting well enough). - 11:35 
• What is Shaun Clark’s High Level business growth plan? - 12:41
• Why every small business needs an agency by its side. - 15:09 
• Will High Level run a certification program? - 16:44
• The one thing most businesses get wrong with their leads. - 18:08
• Why having a community for agencies is the way to go. - 21:43
• A business model focused on actual conversions, not clicks (platform walkthrough)- 22:39
• Should you build your business piece by piece or all at once? (what they did at high level) - 29:32
• This is what the future of lead nurturing will look like. - 31:42
• Can one company do everything? - 35:54
• Does being a bootstrapped company help you better understand your customer? - 37:54 
• Should you 10x your previous numbers? - 39:00
• How can you learn more about High Level? - 41:50 
• Lesson #1: learning your customer inside out. - 43:47
• Lesson #2: Ask who not how - 45:41
• Lesson #3: Paid advertising is not enough, build a word of mouth campaign. - 47:56

Key Takeaways: 

• Distribution is the biggest issue for bootstrapped SaaS founders. Digital ads are the main distribution mechanism and big players flood the ad pipelines with huge budgets which creates a large barrier to entry for new businesses who don’t have a large ad budget. 
• Creating a great niched-down product can help grow your customer base without spending too much money on ads. 
• Lead capture methods change all the time, but what a lot of businesses keep getting wrong is lead nurturing. It can take up to 30 touches with your lead to convert them into a customer. 
• It is not always important to 100x or 10x your previous achievements. Building something sustainable that helps others in their journey is in itself a very worthy goal.

What every business gets wrong about their leads: 

[18:46] “Lead capture methods expand and mutate all the time. But ultimately, where we find the biggest drop-off is in the nurture. It’s one thing to capture a lead but leads aren’t customers and getting them from lead to customer - that nurture journey - that’s the place where everybody falls down.” 

How do you nurture leads? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to say hello if you would like to share your entrepreneurship story on our podcast. 

Connect with Shaun Clark:

• LinkedIn: @shaunclarkhighlevel
• High Level: https://www.gohighlevel.com/ 
• High Level Twitter: @gohighlevel
• High Level Instagram: @gohighlevel

Connect with A.J.Lawrence:

• Website: ajlawrence.com
• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @ajlawrence
• LinkedIn: A.J. Lawrence
• Twitter: @ajlawrence
• Medium: @a.j.lawrence

Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

• Website: Beyond8Figures.com
• Twitter: @beyond8figures 
• Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
• Instagram:@b8fpodcast
• Email: [email protected]