Brett Trainor Unplugged

By Brett TrainorBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Self-Improvement

Brett Trainor Unplugged episodes

January 04, 2024My Escape From the 9-5 Grind & How You Can Do the Same
Today is a special episode

I was recently a guest on Laura Lynch’s Less House More Moola Podcast. We have a lot of synergies Focused on Helping GenXers find and build their best lives.

She was kind enough to let me share this as an episode on my podcast. It is not often where I get to share my journey from the 9-5 grind to a corporate escapee and discuss the mission of helping other GenXers break free from corporate.

Episode OverviewThis conversation explores the challenges faced by GenXers and the opportunities for them to create a fulfilling and independent life. It discusses the importance of defining what you want and designing your life around it. The conversation also highlights the value of expertise-based businesses and the future of work. It emphasizes the need for confidence, courage, and a support group when going solo. Additionally, it explores the alignment of tiny living with GenX values and the financial challenges and family needs that GenXers face. The conversation concludes by discussing how to determine if going solo is a good idea. In this conversation, Brett Trainor discusses the importance of creating a fulfilling next chapter in life. He emphasizes the need to move away from the traditional retirement age mindset and instead focus on finding what truly lights you up. Brett shares his own journey of starting a podcast and how it has energized him. He encourages listeners to explore their passions and create something meaningful out of nothing.

Takeaways
Define what you want in life and design your work around it.
Build confidence and courage to go solo.
Embrace the opportunities of expertise-based businesses.
Consider the financial challenges and family needs when going solo.
Align your housing with your values and financial situation. Move away from the traditional retirement age mindset and focus on finding what truly lights you up.
Creating a fulfilling next chapter in life involves exploring your passions and creating something meaningful.
Starting a podcast or pursuing a solo business can provide new opportunities and energize you.
We are fortunate to live in a time where pursuing our passions and designing a life aligned with our values is more possible than ever.
52 min
December 28, 2023New Year, New You? Is Your Life as Balanced as You Think It Is?
In this episode, Brett Trainor discusses the importance of finding balance and planning for the future. He provides tools and frameworks to help listeners assess their current life balance, allocate their time effectively, and identify their goals and desires. By following these steps, individuals can work towards a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life outside of the corporate world.

Takeaways
Finding balance in life is crucial for overall well-being and happiness.
Assessing your current life balance and identifying areas for improvement can help you prioritize what's important to you.
Allocating your time effectively can ensure that you are spending enough time on the things that matter most to you.
Identifying your goals and desires is essential for creating a fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

Chapters00:00 Introduction: What's Next?02:25 Step 1: Finding Your Life Balance Score09:28 Step 2: Time Allocation11:55 Step 3: Identifying What You Really Want15:36 Conclusion: Setting the Foundation
19 min
December 14, 2023 The Accidental Solopreneur: A 6 Step Playbook w/Author Dennis Geelen
In this conversation, Dennis Geelen shares his journey from corporate to solopreneurship and provides valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. He discusses the challenges of leaving corporate, the importance of building credibility, and the process of refining your offer. Dennis also emphasizes the need to learn how to sell and the importance of building an audience. Finally, he highlights the benefits of creating additional revenue streams to complement your high-ticket offerings. In this conversation, Brett Trainor and Dennis Geelen discuss the importance of exploring different revenue streams and staying close to your core expertise when transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship. They emphasize the value of making small bets and testing various opportunities to find what works best for you. Additionally, they highlight the Pareto principle and the concept of surface area for luck, where accidental success stories can lead to new opportunities.

Takeaways

Transitioning from corporate to solopreneurship requires careful planning and a willingness to take risks.Building credibility is crucial for success as a solopreneur, and testimonials are a valuable tool for establishing trust.Refining your offer and pricing it appropriately is essential for attracting the right clients and maximizing your revenue.Learning how to sell effectively is a key skill for solopreneurs, and focusing on problem-solving rather than traditional sales tactics can lead to better results.Building an audience is a long-term strategy that should be pursued after establishing your high-ticket offering and understanding your target market.Creating additional revenue streams, such as books, courses, or downloads, can provide additional income and leverage your expertise. When transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship, explore different revenue streams that leverage your expertise.Make small bets and test various opportunities to find what works best for you.Stay close to your core expertise and avoid expanding into unrelated niches.Embrace the Pareto principle and focus on the 20% of efforts that yield 80% of the results.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background05:15 Becoming a Solopreneur08:14 The Journey to Writing Books11:58 The Challenges of Leaving Corporate16:03 The Six Steps to Success25:48 Learning to Sell31:24 Building an Audience33:52 Creating Additional Revenue Streams34:33 Exploring Different Revenue Streams38:23 Surface Area for Luck
43 min
December 06, 2023The Great Escape: 60 Days to Your 1st Customer
In this episode, Brett Trainor outlines a 10-step plan to transition from corporate to starting your own business. The plan covers defining your life vision, taking inventory of your skills and experience, identifying the core problem you want to solve, defining your ideal customer, choosing your business model, crafting your first offer, developing your messaging and positioning, leveraging your network, iterating based on feedback, and celebrating your new beginning.

Takeaways
Define your life vision and architect the next stage for yourself.
Take an inventory of your skills and experience to highlight where you want to spend your time.
Identify the core problem you want to solve and define your ideal customer.
Choose your business model and craft your first offer.
Develop your messaging and positioning, leverage your network, iterate based on feedback, and celebrate your new beginning.

Chapters

00:00Step 1: Define Your Life Vision

01:53Step 2: Take an Inventory of Your Skills and Experience

03:21Step 3: Identify the Core Problem You Want to Solve

04:50Step 4: Define Your Ideal Customer

05:45Step 5: Choose Your Business Model

06:41Step 6: Craft Your First Offer

08:08Step 7: Develop Your Messaging and Positioning

09:37Step 8: Leverage Your Network

11:01Step 9: Iterate Based on Feedback

13:25Step 10: Celebrate Your New Beginning
18 min
November 29, 2023Exit Strategy: The Godfather of the Freelance Economy on Shifting from Corporate to Freelancer w/Jon Younger
In this conversation, Jon Younger discusses the future of work and the rise of freelancing and gig work. He explains the difference between freelancers and gigsters, and the growth of the freelance economy. Jon also shares the four phases of early freelancing and the challenges individuals face when transitioning to freelancing. He discusses how enterprises are starting to think about freelancers and the importance of workforce architecture. Jon emphasizes the need for companies to adapt to the changing landscape of work and the opportunities that freelancers bring. He also provides insights on finding opportunities on freelance platforms. In this conversation, Brett Trainor and Jon Younger discuss various aspects of freelancing and entrepreneurship. They explore the importance of reframing sales as problem-solving and how to effectively ask for the business. They also emphasize the value of taking action and building a business, even without prior experience or talent. The conversation concludes with closing remarks and the possibility of future updates on the freelance world.

Jon’s Bio: As the “Godfather of the freelance economy”, Jon has been the leading voice for the freelance revolution through his Forbes column, advising, and research with the University of Toronto. A former Head of HR and Chief Talent, Jon is the go to for every marketplace executive.

Takeaways
The freelance economy is growing rapidly, with millions of people working as freelancers or gigsters.
Transitioning to freelancing requires careful planning and consideration of income volatility, benefits, and the potential for loneliness.
Enterprises need to rethink how they resource their operations and build a flexible, impermanent workforce.
Freelancers should focus on their unique skills and problem-solving abilities to stand out in the market.
Freelancers can find opportunities on freelance platforms, but it's important to differentiate oneself and solve specific problems. Sales should be reframed as problem-solving, focusing on the importance of solving the client's problem rather than selling features and benefits.
To convert conversations into clients, it is crucial to learn how to ask for the business and confidently state the price.
Taking action is key to success in freelancing and entrepreneurship, as many people hesitate or do not take any action at all.
Building a successful business does not necessarily require talent or experience, but rather a willingness to try and learn from the process.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:00 Defining Freelance and Gig Work

07:00 The Growth of Freelancing

10:00 The Shift from Employment to Freelancing

15:00 The Phases of Early Freelancing

18:00 The Future of Work for Enterprises

25:00 The Challenges for Enterprises in Working with Freelancers

32:00 The Rise of Fractional and Interim Work

40:00 The Changing Landscape of Work

45:00 Finding Opportunities on Freelance Platforms

46:01 Reframing Sales as Problem Solving

47:16 Asking for the Business

48:31 Taking Action and Building a Business

49:37 Closing Remarks and Future Updates

Links:

Jon Younger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-younger-phd-57a41455/

The Human Cloud: https://humancloud.work/
51 min
November 22, 2023Going Solo Decoded: Understanding Its Meaning & Monetizing Your Corporate Experience
In this episode, Brett Trainor discusses the concept of going solo and leveraging corporate experience to start a solo business. He explains that going solo does not necessarily mean starting a completely new venture, but rather using existing skills and expertise to offer services to organizations. Brett explores different paths to leverage skills, such as fractional leadership, consulting, advising, and skills as a service. He highlights the potential for success and financial control in a solo business, as well as the challenges of time management and adjusting to a new work structure. Brett encourages listeners to test the solo business model with low risk and emphasizes future opportunities for collaboration.

Takeaways
Going solo means leveraging corporate experience to offer services to organizations.
Different paths to leverage skills include fractional leadership, consulting, advising, and skills as a service.
A solo business offers the potential for financial success and control.
Challenges of going solo include time management and adjusting to a new work structure.
Testing the solo business model can be done with low risk.
Future opportunities for collaboration and partnership exist in the solo business space.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: What Does Going Solo Mean?02:21 Who Can Benefit from Going Solo?04:39 Different Paths to Leverage Skills08:25 Potential for Success and Financial Control11:20 Challenges of Going Solo14:38 Low Risk and Testing the Solo Business18:16 Future Opportunities and Collaboration18:46 Conclusion
20 min
October 26, 2023Refuel to Reignite: Practical Health Tip for Business Owners w/ Emma Terrazas
Summary

In this episode, Emma Terrazas, a health and life coach, discusses the importance of personal wellbeing and how to create a healthier lifestyle. She emphasizes the need for personalized approaches to nutrition and exercise, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on health. Emma also highlights the mental aspect of health and wellness, encouraging individuals to reframe their mindset and embrace a multi-passionate life. She provides practical tips for getting started and emphasizes the importance of taking small steps and having fun along the way.

Takeaways
Personal wellbeing is an essential aspect of success and happiness.
Creating a healthier lifestyle involves personalized approaches to nutrition and exercise.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on health and wellness.
The mental aspect of health is crucial, and reframing mindset is important for long-term success.
Taking small steps and having fun are key to sustainable health and wellness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction00:30 The Importance of Personal Wellbeing01:19 Creating a Healthier Lifestyle02:23 Common Mistakes in Health and Wellness03:14 The Impact of COVID-19 on Health04:45 The Role of Nutrition in Health05:34 Balancing Work and Health08:02 Tracking and Adjusting Nutrition09:32 Getting Started with Exercise13:11 The Mental Aspect of Health and Wellness18:20 Embracing a Multi-Passionate Life24:18 Reframing Mental Approaches28:14 Taking Small Steps and Having Fun31:58 Emma's Next: Living and Working Remotely

Links to Emma's Socials:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-terrazas-3a383298/Website: https://emmaterrazas.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/emma_terrazas/
39 min
October 17, 2023Unlock LinkedIn: Kait LeDonne’s Guide for Corporate Escapees Turning Business Owners
In this conversation, Kate Ladon discusses the power of personal branding on LinkedIn and shares insights and best practices for building a successful personal brand. She emphasizes the importance of consistency and authenticity in content creation and highlights the value of targeting specific audiences and addressing their unique challenges. Kate also discusses the evolution of LinkedIn as a platform and its focus on empowering creators. She provides tips for optimizing LinkedIn profiles and shares the 111 framework for LinkedIn success, which involves targeting one audience with one problem on one platform. The conversation explores the rise of freelancers and solo companies, the importance of personalized content, starting with LinkedIn and foundational content, solving customer problems and building trust, embracing the learning curve and starting today, and the unpredictability of viral content.

Takeaways
Building a personal brand on LinkedIn takes time and consistency, and success is not achieved overnight.
LinkedIn has evolved from a platform focused on careers and recruiting to a platform that empowers creators and thought leaders.
Targeting specific audiences and addressing their unique challenges is key to building a successful personal brand on LinkedIn.
Video content can be a powerful tool on LinkedIn, especially for those in industries that require strong communication skills.
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile, including using a compelling banner image and a clear headline, is essential for attracting and engaging your target audience. The number of freelancers and solo companies is expected to increase in the future, making it important to get ahead of the trend.
Personalized content that connects with the audience on a deeper level is more effective than mass-blasted content.
LinkedIn is a valuable platform for starting and growing a personal brand, and foundational content is key to success.
Customers care more about how you can solve their problems than the structure of your company.
It's never too late to start building a personal brand and leveraging social media platforms.
The success of content can be unpredictable, so it's important to keep experimenting and not get discouraged.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background01:05 Kate Ladon Personal Brands03:26 The Reality of Building a Following on LinkedIn04:10 Targeting Specific Audiences on LinkedIn05:22 LinkedIn's Evolution and Adaptation07:07 LinkedIn as a Professional and Positive Platform08:04 Trends and Best Practices on LinkedIn13:42 The Power of Lurkers and Personal Branding15:11 Success Stories on LinkedIn17:07 LinkedIn's Non-Corporate Focus18:15 Content Creation and Personalization20:50 Video Content on LinkedIn23:26 Using Links in LinkedIn Posts25:04 Balancing Personal and Professional Content26:36 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile29:41 Creating a LinkedIn Signature35:24 The 111 Framework for LinkedIn Success42:12 Rise of Freelancers and Solo Companies44:14 The Importance of Personalized Content45:33 Starting with LinkedIn and Foundational Content48:43 Solving Customer Problems and Building Trust49:09 Embracing the Learning Curve and Starting Today51:10 The Unpredictability of Viral Content

Kait LeDonne Links:

https://kait-ledonne.mykajabi.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitledonne-personalbrandingexpert/
54 min
October 06, 2023The Future of Solo and Small Business: Flexible Staffing w/Jens Gould
Today we are talking about the future of how to grow a company- I don’t want to call it the future of work but I do think it is the future of growth.

I have had guests on the pod talking about virtual assistants, John Arms talking about fractional leadership and today I welcome CEO of Amalga Group Jens Gould

Jens launched and is running a staff augmentation company that leverages offshore talent. These resources can be a replacement for full time equivalents. If you are a solo business that is ready for some help or a small or mid-size company that is expanding, this solution may be an interesting fit

As you will hear in this podcast Jens shares the benefits, best practices and how to get started.

A few of the advantages:
They are not employees- Jen’s handles all of the employment logistics
They are Full time but not a long term commitment
And it is roughly 50% of the cost of an FTE

I think we will see scenarios quickly where Fractional leaders will partner with companies like Jens to provide turnkey teams into orgs.

Amalga Group: https://www.amalgagroup.com/Jens Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-erik-gould/
34 min
September 26, 2023Think Bigger: How the Right Mindset Unlocks a World Beyond the Corporate Confines w/ Anne O'Neil
Anne is a former WNBA player and Division 1 Academic and Athletic All-American at Iowa State University.

Following a stint in Division I basketball coaching, Anne transitioned into international business focusing in on research and training in the neuroscience and performance psychology fields- mindset is everything!

Today she coaches and consults athletes and executives looking to elevate their performance by focusing skills/mindset training development.

Anne btw, is also a TV Analyst and Sideline Reporter for Women’s and Men’s Basketball games.

She is the host of a great podcast called Get Busy Livin where the conversations focus on a growth mindset and giving back.

This episode is 100% focused on the mental side of transitioning into new things ie. Escaping corporate. For those of us with 20-30 years in corporate this mind shift is critical.

A couple of key takeaways to listen for:
Think bigger and what’s possible and NOT what could go wrong
The power of keeping it simple
Animal intuition- Lions, Elephants and Sea Turtles - it is spot on
Short term vision to drive long term success
And a lot more
Make sure to listen until the end as this episode was packed from beginning to end

Links:
Website: https://www.anneoneil.co/work-with-anne
Get Busy Livin’ Podcast
Anne’s LinkedIn
Anne’s Twitter
Anne’s Instagram
Article: https://community.thriveglobal.com/three-ways-animal-intuition-led-me-to-my-dream-job/
1 hr 2 min