Business In Real Life

EP # 37  BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH RADIANCE HARRIS

Are you leaving money on the table for your competitors?

If you are a business owner or thinking about going into business, this topic is something you need to be aware of. We are talking about protecting your Intellectual Property. Our guest, Radiance Harris  is an award winning attorney and specializes in this niche area of law. So think about your business name, your logo, the content you create. What would happen to your business if someone decided to use it?  

Companies are out there protecting their intellectual property every day. One big area that you’ll find companies that protect their photographs.

Did you know that there are programs that search the internet to see if you are using someone else’s pictures without their permission? Companies protect their pictures by sending letters whenever they find someone that has used an image without permission.

One company hired person to help with website graphics. Without checking on the sources of the pictures, they went up on the company website. Then they received a letter demanding over $15,000. For unauthorized use of the pictures. He was eventually able to negotiate the fee down to $3,000. But that was a costly mistake for a new employee to make. Many people don’t know this is an issue, but it is.

Radiance Harris has been practicing IP law for nearly a decade. She is different than many attorneys because her pricing is based on packages. Decide what you need and you can see on her website what it will cost you. It’s a unique model for a law firm and we talk about why she set up her practice this way as well.

QUESTIONS WE ASK RADIANCE

What is intellectual property?Why does a company need to protect their IPWhat happens if a company just puts a ™ after their content?How likely is a business to be sued if they violate a trademark or copyright?

RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU

Are you interested in learning more about Select Business Team? Check out where we have teams. If we don’t have one in your area, we can help you start one in your area. Give us a call to discuss further at 301-996-2328 or schedule a meeting on our calendar Click here to access calendar  Sponsor information: Connect with our sponsor Brandon Frye at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

ABOUT OUR GUEST - RADIANCE HARRIS

Radiance Harris is the founder of Radiance IP Law. Her firm specializes in protecting intellectual property. Connect with Radiance:

Radiance IP Law WebsiteFacebookTwitter - @radianceharrisInstagram - @radianceharris

ABOUT THE HOST

This episode of the Business of Insurance is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Debbie is an insurance agent with an extensive business and marketing background. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and hosts two other podcasts The Business of Insurance and Divorce Exposed. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

EPISODE 36 WITH RUSSELL LACEY OF ELECTRIC ADVISORS

Thank you for joining us today for episode 36 of the the Business In Real Life podcast. Our guest is Russell Lacey of Electric Advisors. 

This is an unusual conversation in that it’s more educational about his business than information about how to be successful in some capacity. For some of you, it might even come across as boring, but trust me when I say it’s information that many business owners might not be aware of.

If you aren’t a business owner listening to this, but you work with business owners, then you will also want to hear this because you can share the knowledge with your clients and prospects and position yourself as a valuable resource. If you want to reach out to Russell, his contact information is in the show notes, or you can search for ElectricAdvisors.com and you’ll find him on the website.

We have a lot of listeners from around the world so I’m not sure this information will apply outside of the US and for that I apologize.  

This conversation was recorded in 2018 but isn’t being released until 2019. If you listened to the episode about rebranding, I discussed my struggle with the podcast name...and as a result, I didn’t release many episodes in 2018. Russell got slighted in that struggle I was having but that doesn’t mean the conversation isn’t important.

I’ve known Russell for close to 20 years and watched him build this business from the beginning. As social media was taking off, I’d offer suggestions on how he could leverage it. Like many businesses, he went through a trial and error period, figuring out what was working and what wasn’t in the digital space.

In this episode he talks about what he’s doing today for business development and I think you’ll be surprised at what is working!

We start the conversation with him talking about his business.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

How an energy broker can help small to midsize businesses save on energy costs

Old fashioned outreach tactics that work

How to educate your customers when they don’t know they need you

ABOUT OUR GUEST – RUSSELL LACEY

Russell Lacey is the President of Electric Advisors. Learn more at electricadvisors.com

Connect with him:

LinkedIn

Facebook.

Twitter - @eapowerchoice

ABOUT THE HOST

This episode of Business In Real Life is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau. She is the owner of Select Business Team, llc and has an extensive background in insurance, business and marketing. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and hosts two other podcasts The Business of Insurance  and Divorce Exposed. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram or follow FB business page at Select Business Team.

EPISODE 35 DO YOU HAVE A COACH?

If you thought you were listening to the Select Business Team podcast, we changed the name of the podcast and we are now Business In real life. Listen to the last episode # 34 and we explained why we are rebranding.

It’s a new year and if you are like most people you’ve done your planning, written down your goals and you’ll go back to work energized. If you are in sales, you’ll start prospecting, if you are in business, you’re excited with about the new opportunities in front of you. We all start with a clean slate with every intention of making a difference and achieving new results.

What I see happen so often is the energy that we feel at the beginning of the year quickly gets rerouted. Problems arise, we fall back into our routine, objections get difficult to overcome and  at some point, our balloon pops!

It’s like people who set the goal of going to the gym regularly. Usually within 2 months, that’s completely derailed.

I’m not trying to be negative, just realistic. I want to see you succeed. I want to see you be just as energized in May as you are in January.

So what is the solution?

It’s simple. Everyone needs a coach.

I know this might sound odd, but it’s true!  Did you play sports growing up and have a coach that inspired you, showed you ways to improve your strategy and hold you accountable. What happened if you didn’t show up for practice? If you make a bad play, what happens? The coach pulls you through and provides the guidance to make a difference the next time!

Why is adult life any different? Being a business owner is hard. You are wearing many hats and juggling a lot of tasks. There is a lot to learn and with the rapid pace that technology is changing, there is even more to keep up with. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To let things slip and not achieve the results you had intended.

Sales is a constant motivation game. You have to show up every day ready to give it 150%. That’s hard for some people to do on their own. If you have a sales manager who acts as your coach, you are ahead of most people in sales. Most sales managers have their own book of business to pursue, they have to juggle multiple hats and as much as they want you to succeed, they hired you to make it happen. Most are reactive, not pro-active. If you want to be super successful, you need someone to be proactive and inspiring.

Sales is a contact sport.

How many people can you touch in a day. Rejection can be hard. Your coach can help you be the best that you can be!

A few people can go it alone and do really well. But for the most part, the ones that are really successful have a coach.

If you really want to succeed in 2019, find yourself a coach. Find someone that will hold you accountable, someone that will keep you focused and someone that will inspire you. Someone that will pull you up when you  are sinking and share new ideas to push you forward

Coaches are everywhere today.

The key is to find one that you feel comfortable with, who is different than you are but understands what you are going through. Try them out for a few weeks and if you aren’t feeling the love, find another! Your success could depend on it!

If you don’t have the budget to hire a coach, consider joining a mastermind or starting your own. Look at it as a board of advisors, other professionals who are meeting to share ideas, hold each other accountable and create new opportunities together.

At my company, Select Business Team, that’s what we do. We can work with you one on one, but that’s not our strength. I believe the real value for business owners and those responsible for business development comes from being part of a team of other professionals that you can learn from. The bigger value is learning something that can sa...

EPISODE 34 BRANDING AND REBRANDING 

You see, after this episode, the Select Business Podcast is rebranding and will have a new name and a new iTunes Graphic.

This podcast was started as a way to promote members and clients of my company, Select Business Team. At Select, or as it has been nicknamed, SBT, we host business roundtables. Meetings where different professionals come together and talk about different aspects of business development.

Our members include employees and owners, professionals and those in sales. Most of our members are in service businesses such as lawyers, accountants and real estate, but we also have some other industries represented.

The Original Intent

When the podcast was started, it was truly designed as a way to interview members and help to promote them. After all, we’ve had almost 10,000 downloads so someone is listening!

Initially a few of them jumped on board, but since many of them don’t listen to podcasts, it was hard to have them see the value of being a guest. It’s almost been like pulling teeth to get some members on as guests, so recording has been slow.

Earlier in 2018 we sent out an email to our list of non members, looking for guests and had several people sign up for an interview.

Apologizing About The Name

As a podcaster, I am very active in the podcast community. I host a monthly meetup in Maryland and I speak to organizations about podcasting. When I am asked about the name of my own podcasts, I always apologize about the name of this one.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the name of my company. Its reflective of what we do but I don’t love the name of it for a podcast.

So after many months of struggling with this, the decision was made to change the name.

Business In Real Life

The new name, Business In Real Life, is reflective of the conversations we’ve been having at Select but allows me to still be happy when I say the name of my podcast.

If you didn’t know, I actually have two other podcasts, of which I never apologize about their name. One is Divorce Exposed, the other The Business of Insurance.

I didn’t come up with the name, Business In Real Life on my own and I want to give credit where it is due. A few years ago, I was going to start another business with the same name with another woman who I adore and together we came up with this name.

Regrets

Unfortunately, my life took a downward turn and I couldn't move forward with anything new and left her hanging. It is something I have regretted but emotionally I wasn’t in a good place and couldn’t do anything. I haven’t really talked about this period in my life publicly too much because I’m just now coming out of it. Maybe on another show i will.

But Lori Gartenhaus and I collaborated on this idea and the graphics that we are using for the re brand. She’s an amazing individual and one of my regrets is not being able to move forward with her.

For those of you listening in the DMV area, if you have heard of Gartenhaus Furs, that was her family company. She sold it a few years ago and now does a lot of business consulting. If you ever have the opportunity to work with her, your investment will be worthwhile!

Next Steps 

The new name, Business In Real Life, will be the same format as before, just a new name. As we move forward with making the change, we hope that you will continue to listen and share the show with your business colleagues.

If you are a business owner and interested in being a guest, reach out to me at [email protected] with a summary of what you’d like to talk about. I really want to mix things up and know that this is the right path forward.

Other Podcasts

Of course, if you want to check out my other podcasts,

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH ELLEN KANDELL

Today we are talking about the important stuff in a business - conflict in the workplace, sexual harassment and mediation with Ellen Kandall who is a litigator turned mediator and trainer. Our conversation starts with how people in her position can help an organization but once we get to sexual harassment, the conversation gets really valuable. Maybe I’m a little biased because it’s my podcast, but honestly this is important stuff and not enough people are educated on what to do.

Ellen is a former member of Select Business Team and joined when we first started back in the early 2000’s. Over time, her business has evolved, and being part of a weekly meeting didn’t fit her training schedule.

During the conversation, we spent a few minutes talking about how she has transformed herself from being a practicing lawyer to helping with facilitation and conflict resolution and providing sexual harassment training.  In my opinion, this conversation is powerful and essential for every business owner to hear.

QUESTIONS WE ASK ELLEN 

Dealing with conflict in the office environment and using a mediator to create resolution

How do families and companies benefit from using a neutral party for dealing with difficult situations

What type of impact is there on HR departments that use a mediator for handling conflicts

Describe what is involved in sexual harassment training 

Explain a team effectiveness survey?

How is a workplace climate report beneficial to organizations?

MEDIATION AND OTHER THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM LISTENING 

How Mediation, arbitration, Facilitation and Training can benefit an organization in the area of conflict resolution

Creating systems and outsourcing projects to create a more functional business

Typical business challenge of marketing 

The difference between mediation and arbitration

Different aspects of Sexual harassment and bullying training

What companies need to consider if there is a hostile working environment

How to engage employees in conflict resolution

RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU 

BOOKS

Heroic Public Speaking - We briefly talked about this organization during the conversation. If you are looking to polish your skills as a speaker/trainer, this is a great program to attend. They have a conference each fall which is usually in Philadelphia. You might also want to check out his book, Steal The Show which provides great insights into speaking.  Check it out. You won't be disappointed. This is my affiliate link, which means I'll earn a few dollars if you buy from this link...but you own't pay more for the book if you buy it this way!

Book Yourself Solid - Is another book by Michael Port. It was published in the early 2000's and it's a great read. This is my affiliate link, which means I'll earn a few dollars if you buy from this link...but you own't pay more for the book if you buy it this way!

PRESENTATIONS

We talked about doing presentations and I mentioned Joey Coleman and his workshop on presentations. His book, Never Lose A Customer Again: Turn Any Sale Into Lifelong Loyalty In 100 Days, gets rave reviews. Check it out.  Like with Book Yourself Solid, this is my affiliate link, which means I'll earn a few dollars if you buy from this link...but you own't pay more for the book if you buy it this way!

SELECT BUSINESS TEAM

Interested in learning more about Select Business Team? If so, check out where our teams are meeting. 

Can't find one in your area?  Don't worry, we can help you start one. Give us a call to discuss further (Click here to schedule a time to chat)

REVIEWS

Did you like this conversation?  If so, leave us a review on iTunes!

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH ANSYLLA RAMSEY 

My guest, Ansylla Ramsey, is venturing into a new career - opening a speaking circle just for women. You'll learn what this is and how it will benefit women who participate. Starting a new venture can be difficult and we talk about some of the challenges Ansylla has in front of her and her plan to overcome them. I love the idea of the organization she is now a part of and if it goes as planned, it can help a lot of women.

Analyse has been training hairstylists in different continents for the past 20 years and found this new position in an ad on Instagram. After investigating, she went through the training and now she is launching her new platform.

There is always a risk and it takes a leap of faith to join a young company. The learning curve and frustrations can be huge so I think it will be fun to check in with her in a few months to see where she is with the new venture and the lessons learned.  

QUESTIONS WE ASK ANSYLLA ABOUT WOMEN SPEAK

What are Womens Speak Circles?

How is your organization different from Toastmasters?

What are you doing to find clients for a new business?

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM LISTENING

Ideas for building self confidence

Finding a new career after teaching hairstylists in 3 continents

Getting involved in a speaking group that focuses on women

RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU 

Are you interested in learning more about Select Business Team? Check out where we have teams.  If we don’t have one in your area, we can help you start one in your area.  Click here to schedule a call so we can discuss further 

Would you leave us a review on iTunes? If you aren’t sure how Click here and follow the instructions or you can go directly to our podcast on iTunes.

ABOUT OUR GUEST - ANSYLLA RAMSEY 

Connect with our guest on her website Women Speak  or on her social platforms:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH MARI MILLARD

Today we are talking with Mari Millard who is the  owner of Two Maids and A Mop, a cleaning service franchise in Rockville, MD and Alexandria, Va.

Mari purchased the franchise last year and she’s extremely passionate about her new venture. Our conversation explores the decision process of what type of business to purchase to taking it from a side hustle to a full time venture.  I’m excited to introduce you to her as she has shared some great ideas about her business. There is no doubt that if you are a business owner, you’ll be inspired.

IN THIS CONVERSATION WE EXPLORE:

Key differentiators in her cleaning service business

Pay for performance employee model

Valuable concepts for hiring

Strategies for defining customer service

Pricing for profitability and what gets in the way for some business owners

RESOURCES 

If you listened to this episode and took away some valuable information, would you do us a favor?  Please go to iTunes and leave a review and let us know what you liked. 

Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review

Not sure how to leave a review?  Check out our instructions here

ABOUT OUR GUEST – MARI MILLARD 

Mari is the owner of Two Maids and A Mop, a cleaning service franchise located in Rockville MD with a second location in Alexandria, VA.

Her website is  Two Maids and A Mop - Rockville    / Two Maids and A Mop - Alexandria, VA

Connect with Mari on LinkedIn

Follow on Facebook

As many people make new years resolutions, it’s a good idea to share them and perhaps be inspired by what others are doing.  My thought by asking, how do you invest in yourself, was to find out what members are doing to grow.

Aside from resolutions and goals, and required industry CE’s, it isn’t often a topic that is explored. I strongly believe that the more you educate yourself, the more knowledgeable you will be and the more value you will add.

Lifelong Learner

I've always been a learner. In the early days, it was through cassette tapes and Cd's. Today I listen to 2-3 podcasts a day. Most of what I listen to is business, sales and marketing related, but I also listen to a couple of motivational podcasts, because I believe life can get in the way sometimes. (listen to episode 16, The Business of Overwhelm, which is my own story of life getting in the way) A little extra motivation doesn’t hurt sometimes!

Most of what I talk about today applies to business, but some of these could also be applied personally.  While I think exercise, weight and health goals are important, I’m a believer that  those need to become lifestyle changes, not just something to focus on in the new year.

My thought with investing in yourself is how do you improve your knowledge, personally or professionally. Below is a summary of some of the responses from members of Select Business Team this week.

Read a Book a Month

The person who suggested this said he had a lot of books on his shelf that he’d never read, so he wanted to put them to good use.  He had already started one book titled ‘Present over Perfect’.  The title resonated with me because I hear so many people struggle with perfection.  It holds them back and frustrates them and often adds undue stress to their lives.  While I haven’t read the book, it’s one that might resonate with some of you listening.

Reading a book a month is a great way to invest in yourself, expand your horizons both personally and professionally.

Attend Conferences 

A few members in different teams had this one on their list, so I’m sure conference planners will like to hear this!

Last fall, I invested in attending a conference. It was my first industry conference in years. As a podcaster, I’m focused on helping insurance agents create a podcast as a sales tool and this was my ideal audience, not to mention that I was able to pick up another certification as an insurance agent. It was extremely beneficial as I made some new connections and actually received two referrals from it.

If you are looking to invest in yourself, consider attending one or two conferences...one in your industry and one in your target markets industry.

Join a Think Tank

If you are a business owner, the more you surround yourself with other business owners and learn from their mistakes and successes, the faster your path to success will be.  Select Business Team provides this concept, but we don’t just have business owners on our Teams, we allow professionals and those in business development. This allows for a diversity of ideas creating greater impact in everyone’s business.

Take Time To Breathe

This might sound odd, but everyone is focused on business, there are so many things that need to be done and there usually isn’t enough time to get them done.  Taking time to slow down, take it all in and not let business control your life is important.  Part of taking time to breathe is stepping outside of the office for some quiet time to plan and think.

Some members struggle with this worried that they are too important to be away for an hour.  The reality is if you don’t do the planning and the creative aspects of running the business, things will get stagnant and then you will be looking back and wondering what is happening.  Plan a lunch outside of your office,

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST

Rick Becker is a realtor with Keller Williams. He recently went through a big life change, moving from New York City to New Jersey, closing his business and starting a new career.

Rick founded and ran a successful advertising photography studio for over 30 years  in New York City. You might have seen his work in catalogs like Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Waterford Crystal. With the changing world of photography he decided it was time to switch careers. Closing his business also meant finding a new home because he lived in his studio in downtown Soho.

Over the years, Rick has bought and sold homes from Florida to New England, so real estate was a logical choice. He’s licensed in New Jersey and New York and in this conversation we talk about living in NJ vs. NYC and a few of the benefits of doing so. If you know someone looking to purchase a home in NJ or NYC and you need someone to help you through the process, connect with Rick.  

In this episode, we talk about the transition and what he is doing to find success.

BACKGROUND

I wanted to share a little background, as I think it’s always good for you to know how I know the guests. Rick and I went to high school together but never really knew each other while we were in school. It was more we knew each others name, but not the person. We connected through a mutual friend a few years ago and we had a mutual desire to do triathlons. Those turned into 55+ mile bike events, half marathons and we just qualified for the NYC Marathon in 2018. I’ve spent a lot of time with he and his wife during the qualifying races and am forever grateful for their hospitality.  

This recording started out by me showing him my new podcast equipment. It’s very relaxed, covers a lot of topics and isn’t as formal as most of my recordings. But I think you’ll find several good nuggets in the conversation.

QUESTIONS WE ASK RICK

What are you doing for marketing in your new business?

How did you find the transition from NYC to NJ

How did he get his radio voice?

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

What it’s like starting a new career after 30 years in another business

Benefits of living in NJ vs. NYC

Why a lot of New Yorkers are moving out of the city and into NJ

Transportation options for commuters

RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU

Are you interested in learning more about Select Business Team? Check out where we have teams.  If we don’t have one in your area, we can help you start one in your area.  Give us a call to discuss further

If you like what you heard, would you leave us a review on iTunes?  If you aren’t sure how,  CLICK HERE and follow these instructions.

ABOUT OUR GUEST – RICK BECKER  

If you want to connect with Rick and learn more about real estate in New York and New Jersey:

Visit his website

Connect with Rick on Facebook

Connect with The Trefel Group

Join Rick on LinkedIn

5 WAYS TO FILL YOUR PIPELINE

Are you having trouble filling your pipeline?  These ideas are old fashion but are proven to work.  They do require having conversations, which in many cases also means picking up the phone.  Try one or all of these strategies and see if you begin to fill your pipeline.  

Call Past Clients

Do you have clients that haven’t purchased from you in awhile? Use this is an opportunity to reconnect, see how business is for them and see if there are any business opportunities for yourself. Sometimes people need you, they just don’t get around to calling you. When you reach out to them, you are actually doing them a favor by reaching out to them and checking in.

Connect With Strategic Partners

One of the best things you can do for your business is to surround yourself with other professionals that work with the same customer base as you but who sell a different product or service.  If you don’t have this network in place, it’s never too late to start to build it.  If you haven’t been nurturing your network, this is a great opportunity to reconnect.

Try these ideas:

Schedule lunch

Meet for coffee

Plan a happy hour

Coordinate an invite to a sporting event

Invite them to a networking event

Basically, get in front of your strategic partners on a consistent basis, not just when your pipeline is empty!

Call Your Competition

This suggestion assumes that you are friendly with your competitors.  Assuming you are friendly, connecting with them with your pipeline is empty can be a perfect opportunity for business.  See how they are doing and where you compare with them.  From there you can decide:

Are they busy? If not, that's a good indication that you need to ramp up your marketing

If they are busy, will they outsource to you?

LinkedIn Connections 

Go through your LinkedIn connections and see who is connected with your clients. Then go to your clients and see who they can introduce you to . This can be very effective when done correctly.

Ask Everyone 

Your job as a salesperson is to always teach others how to find you business.  Obviously you want to do this in a way that isn’t offensive, but you’d be surprised how many people want to help you, they just don’t know how.  When you are able to provide them with simple strategies on how to find you business, you’ll see the benefits of your efforts.  

Just remember that this takes time and you must be consistent.  Don’t think that by teaching someone once that they’ll remember 3 months later!

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about building relationships with strategic partners, check out episode 7 of the podcast where we take a deeper dive.

FEEDBACK

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