Connection Loop by Dubb

Connection Loop by Dubb

By Ruben Dua, Darius Santos, and Rob Botts from DubbBusiness
Download on the App Store

Connection Loop by Dubb episodes

  • How to Create a Relationship Flywheel and Use it to Supercharge Your Business Growth with Isar Meitis

    No matter the size or sector of your business, it is essentially impossible to build a business by yourself. At a minimum, you must find talented and driven colleagues. But beyond that, business growth is about building relationships with clients, prospects, vendors, and others. While it takes some to create long-lasting and durable relationships, the benefits can last a lifetime. To learn more about building relationships and using them to supercharge your business growth, Ruben Dua sat down with Isar Meitis, the founder of e-tribe. In this episode of Connection Loop, you will hear many different insights and tips, including the following:

    • The old school method of marketing involved one-to-one connections in the real world. You would meet a prospect for dinner or connect with interesting people at a conference. The problem, however, is that these efforts are not scalable. Within the digital world, you can build long-term relationships at scale. Keep this in mind as you are thinking about how you connect with prospects, vendors, and even future employees.
    • Podcasts or live digital events can be outstanding ways to meet prominent individuals. While it may be difficult to get a well-known CEO on the phone for a private conversation, it is much easier to speak with him or her in a more public format. Not only will you get to connect with a titan of your industry, but you will be able to provide immense value to members of your audience.
    • Everyone has to start somewhere. It is all too easy to compare yourself with others who have more followers, fans, or relationships than you. While it is easy to think these thoughts, it does more harm than good. Keep your head down and continue to work. By getting better every day, you will start to look like the people that you emulate today.
    • Leaders bring others to the stage. They recognize that their achievements haven’t come from working alone. Consequently, they liberally give credit to their colleagues and teammates. If you are a leader, doing this will bring your team closer together and help you accomplish even more of your business goals.
    • All you need to create great digital content is a reasonable microphone and any headset. That’s really it. You don’t need to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in the best equipment. Instead, spend most of your time focusing on the value that you are bringing to the audience. If you are creating content that addresses your audience’s wants and needs, you will be well on your way to building strong, long-term relationships.

      • This is an excellent conversation for entrepreneurs and managers that are looking for long-term, sustainable ways to grow their businesses. Whether you are searching for better ways to build durable relationships or are looking for ways to transform great relationships into actual sales, you will get a ton from this discussion. Enjoy!

      Isar Meitis is an entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and small business mentor. He is the founder of the e-tribe, which is a group of similar-minded entrepreneurs, e-marketers, eCommerce, and other experts who share their knowledge and help each other grow. At e-tribe, Isar brings together talented and fascinating individuals to discuss everything from marketing strategies to growth hacking. Before e-tribe, Isar was the president of eCommerce at Tourico Holidays and the co-founder and CEO of PeoplePost.

      Want to learn more from Isar about how to create a relationship flywheel and use it to supercharge your business growth?


      The story continues at dubb.com.

      25 min
    • Brand-focused Marketing for Revenue Growth with Dino H. Carter

      All of our businesses are looking for revenue growth. Without increasing sales, it is nearly impossible for our business to accomplish its goals. The good news is that there are many different ways to achieve revenue growth. One extremely effective strategy is brand-focused marketing. To learn more about how brand-focused marketing can help your business achieve more sales, Dubb founder Ruben Dua spoke with Dino H. Carter. In this episode of Connection Loop, you will hear many different insights about sales growth and marketing, including the following:

      • It’s important to remember that a brand stands for a particular feeling. It is an emotion. It is what other people (namely, your employees, customers, and prospects) think about your company. Because of this, you and your colleagues must be strategic about the emotions you’re trying to generate in your audience.
      • To know and discover your brand, you need to focus on three questions: who, what, and why. Try to answer these questions as fairly and objectively as you can. If you and your colleagues go through this exercise, you’ll be in a much better position to truly know what your brand stands for.
      • Authenticity is the most important thing in branding. Without being authentic, your branding is going to be much less effective. Even if you think your company’s authentic self is “weird” or “non-traditional,” resist the temptation to cover it up. By doubling down on it, you’ll find that your branding work will be more successful.
      • When thinking about your company’s brand, also account for the way that life will change from Covid-19. Part of branding is understanding current behavior and how your audience is living their lives. Being empathetic and adaptable here will certainly pay off.
      • Remember that legacy is not the thing that you build. It is the number of people that you touch. By focusing on your audience, your legacy will take care of itself.

        • Whether you work for a small, medium, or larger business, you can take the insights discussed in this episode and generate more sales growth. Enjoy the conversation!

        Dino H. Carter describes himself as a brand-whisperer. He is the founder of D Branding, which is a Los Angeles based brand consultancy that helps businesses grow and solve problems. Dino and his clients do this by building a unique brand strategy to grow market share, develop deeper brand awareness, and generate sustainable growth. D Branding’s clients include business owners and entrepreneurs. Dino has perfected his marketing skills for over 20 years and on three different continents.

        Want to learn more from Dino about brand-focused marketing for revenue growth?


        The story continues at dubb.com.

        Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

        32 min
      • Moving From Fear to Purpose-Driven Action in Times of Uncertainty with Bill Wooditch

        For all of us, life can be a scary thing. We take risks every day, whether that is investing our entire net worth into a business idea or are going to a podium to deliver a hugely important speech. The fear can be too much to bear. However, there are ways that we can acknowledge that fear and take action to accomplish our goals. To further discuss moving from fear to purpose-driven action, Dubb founder Ruben Dua sat down with Bill Wooditch. Insights shared in this episode include the following:

        • When facing obstacles, you need to decide whether you want to outsmart or outwork. This is an important exercise if you want to get to the next level. No matter your goal, you need to find that next gear that will propel you to success.
        • Ultimately, real confidence is the key to success. Fake confidence is the type of arrogance or self-centeredness that may accompany the lack of talent. By contrast, real confidence comes from the competence that people want to get to know. So don’t feel like you need to put on a mask to be confident. Instead, develop competence in your craft.
        • You can combat fear by pausing and taking a moment for yourself. This is especially effective in conversations and in public speaking. Even though it may feel awkward at the moment, leveraging pauses can fight the fear you’re experiencing and make you more collected.
        • It’s critical to learn from the lessons that failure delivers to you. If you don’t, that failure will simply be an experience. On the other hand, if you take the failure and change your behavior in the future, it can be one of the best learning experiences of your life.
        • Our brains are naturally biased toward conformity. It makes us feel safe. Getting out there and speaking your own truth can definitely be scary—especially if it is against the grain. However, by doing so, you can both change the world and be at peace with yourself.

          • This is an outstanding discussion for essentially all of us during these uncertain times. From working toward our career goals to designing our ideal lives, we can take these insights and implement them today. Enjoy the episode!

          Bill Wooditch is the president and CEO of the Wooditch Group. The Wooditch Group specializes in the negotiation, placement, and account stewardship of insurance and risk management programs for companies whose revenues range from $10 million to $3 billion. As the CEO of the Wooditch Group, Bill’s job is to attract, cultivate, coach, and position intellectual capital to perform profitably for themselves, clients, and shareholders.

          Want to learn more from Bill about moving from fear to purpose-driven action in times of uncertainty?


          The story continues at dubb.com.

          Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

          26 min
        • Do you Feel Imposter Syndrome on Video? Learn how to be CONFIDENT! with Felicia Miller Johnson

          Video provides so many opportunities for individual creators and every type of business. That being said, some creators struggle to create video content. One reason happens to be imposter syndrome, the psychological force that prevents high-performers from achieving their goals. The good news is that you can fight this force when you are on video. In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb founder Ruben Dua spoke with Felicia Miller Johnson to discuss both imposter syndrome on video and how we can learn to be confident. You will hear many different insights and takeaways in this episode, including:

          • Perfection can be one of the biggest roadblocks in appearing confident on camera. The great news is that you certainly don’t need to be perfect to be effective. Be easy on yourself. By convincing yourself to put your perfectionist tendencies to the side, you will become more comfortable on camera.
          • A complete mindset shift can help ease your anxiety and tension in front of the camera. Emphasizing the positive over the negative makes you get into the best frame of mind to speak confidently and assuredly. And if you think nothing positive is occurring? Rest assured that you are experiencing at least something that is positive in your life right now. Rely on that.
          • Recognize that you are enough. We all have goals or visions about the person that we want to become. However, at this moment, you are worthy of your goals. You are enough—whether you are succeeding beyond your wildest expectations or are going through extremely difficult circumstances.
          • Overcoming imposter syndrome is a continuous journey. You will need to keep working at it. However, if you are diligent and spend time becoming more confident with yourself, you will see massive results in your life. You can do it!
          • Find a deep reason to motivate you through the fear. The reason should be deep-seated and should relate to your goals or objectives.

            • Whether you are struggling with your appearances on video or want to become an even better speaker in front of the camera, you will get a lot from this discussion. Hope you enjoy it!

            Felicia Miller Johnson is the founder of Sevenfold Coaching. At Sevenfold Coaching, she helps her clients improve their energy, emotional intelligence, and confidence by living SMART. Working with Felicia, Sevenfold Coaching clients can get much closer to their career goals and transform their lives. Before Sevenfold Coaching, Felicia held several positions at BNI Global.

            Want to learn more from Felicia about fighting imposter syndrome and learning how to be confident on video?


            The story continues at dubb.com.

            Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

            28 min
          • Converting LinkedIn Connections to Conversations with Brynne Tillman

            If you are a LinkedIn user, you have certainly received your fair share of connection requests. On the other side of the table, you may have submitted connection requests to new colleagues or cold prospects. Whether you are sending or receiving these connections, it is all too easy for the relationship to end. Rather than losing this opportunity, it’s critical to focus on transitioning into an organic conversation. In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb founder Ruben Dua sat down with Brynne Tillman to talk about converting LinkedIn connections to conversations. In this discussion, you will hear many insights, including:

            • LinkedIn is powerful for so many reasons. That said, for salespeople, LinkedIn lets you bypass gatekeepers. You can directly connect and converse with your primary targets. You can also leverage the network to see mutual connections with potential prospects. And compared to the phone, it is also a more powerful way of communicating.
            • One great way to transform a connection to a conversation is to recognize that there is a human being on the other side of that message. Treat that person in the way that you’d want to be treated. Building relationships and bringing forth value doesn’t change simply because you are interacting on social media.
            • Another effective strategy is to teach your connection something new. Try to get a sense of what they want to learn and deliver that valuable content to them. It can be everything from an interesting article, video, or even a white paper or eBook from your organization.
            • Slow your outreach and speed up your outcome. In other words, you don’t need to connect with dozens and dozens of people to reach your goal. By taking it slow and building relationships, you’ll get to your goal much more quickly.
            • Burning and churning through your connections is a sign of desperation. You want to avoid this if possible. Instead, take time to nurture your connections. See what they are searching for in their lives and provide value first.

              • Ultimately, this is a great conversation if you want to get more out of LinkedIn. Whether you are looking for new clients or simply want to expand your presence on this great platform, this is the conversation for you.

              Brynne Tillman is the LinkedIn Whisperer and CEO of Social Sales Link. At Social Sales Link, Brynne helps her clients transform the way that they grow their businesses—all through LinkedIn. Along with this, Brynne helps her clients fill their pipelines with warm leads, position themselves as thought leaders in their sector or industry, attract new buyers, and start more sales conversations. She is also a host at The Sales Experts Channel.

              Want to learn more from Brynne about converting LinkedIn connections to conversations?


              The story continues at dubb.com.

              Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

              25 min
            • The Importance of Empathy for Leadership and Marketing with Troy Holt

              The modern-day workplace is mostly focused on profits and losses and maximizing shareholder value. This can create a real pressure-cooker environment, resulting in elevated stress and diminished employee morale. Small, medium, and large companies should instead be proactive and go beyond a dog-eat-dog work environment. Instead, they should prioritize empathy. In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb Director of Partnerships Toni Bubb sat down with Troy Holt to discuss empathy for leadership and marketing. Among the insights you’ll hear in this episode include the following:

              • In today’s day and age, it is extremely important to put people over profits. Not only will it make your organization a better place to work, but you will be able to reap more financial rewards. Even more, you can make an impact and build a legacy.
              • It’s important to listen to the message behind the message. In other words, listen to what is not said. Sometimes that speaks louder than what is actually said. Listening to the message behind the message, you’ll be able to identify key issues that may be affecting your organization.
              • There’s the right place and time for both the carrot and the stick. Incentives and disincentives can drive the work behavior and culture that you’re seeking. While you must carefully design and implement them, they can help you and your colleagues reach your goals.
              • At its core, relationship marketing is about buying a product or service from someone that you trust. It is about putting the prospect or customer first, rather than talking about how great your company is or what you are asking them to do for you.
              • Before pitching any type of prospect, make sure that you are asking questions. Step into their shoes and try to identify the real pain points in their life. Doing this will greatly increase your chances of building a long-term relationship with the prospect and making a sale.

                • This is an outstanding episode if you are looking for a way to make your work life more empathetic. Whether you are the CEO of your company or recently joined a new company, you can take the insights from this discussion and transform your organization.

                Troy Holt is the chief encouragement officer at Troy Holt Consulting. One of his chief aims at his company is to share kindness with others. He works with business owners, salespeople, and retailers and reveals how celebration, consolation, and appreciation strategies can obtain and retain clients. It all comes from the power of relationship marketing and using kindness to build long-term relationships.

                Want to learn more from Troy about the importance of empathy for leadership and marketing?


                The story continues at dubb.com.

                Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

                27 min
              • On Sales, Leadership, Depression, and Mental Health with Dale Dupree

                As we enter the new year, many of us are setting annual goals. While many of these goals are focused on the financials, it is also important to safeguard our mental health in 2021. In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb Director of Partnerships Toni Bubb speaks with Dale Dupree about sales, leadership, depression, and mental health. Some of the insights that you will hear in this episode include the following:

                • The whole idea of having a “business mindset” is a cop-out. It can cause good meaning individuals to adopt borderline or unethical practices to achieve their goals. Instead, salespeople should shift their mindset and recognize that people are people. They have distinct problems they want to be solved. By focusing on their problems and the fact that they aren’t numbers in a spreadsheet, you will become a more effective salesperson.
                • There is a significant difference between being a good salesperson and being a good sales leader. Sales leaders nurture their salespeople. While they may not get any direct commission in doing so, it is typically a great investment. If you are a sales leader in your organization, make sure that you are training your employees and building a great, positive workplace culture.
                • In sales, there will also be a sense of rejection. A key prospect may be considering three different service providers and decide to work with one of your competitors. Failure is inevitable, yet you can always learn from your failures. Putting in the work and learning from your mistakes, you can become a much more effective salesperson.
                • Men are allowed to be vulnerable. It may seem “unmasculine” or opposed to the “bro culture” of sales, but men are allowed to cry and have emotions. With a significant amount of suicides in the business world coming from white men, it’s critical to combat this taboo and let men be themselves.
                • In your professional life, it is important to communicate your truth. The longer you take to communicate something that doesn’t feel right to you, the bigger the problem will become. While it may be uncomfortable at the moment, it’s worthwhile to be proactive.

                  • This is an outstanding episode for people that want to become their best selves in 2021. Whether you are trying to hit a new sales goal or are trying to become happier next year, Toni and Dale’s insights can help you accomplish your goals. Enjoy the episode!

                  Dale Dupree is the founder and CEO of The Sales Rebellion. The Sales Rebellion exists to #ChangeTheGame in the ever-so-boring sales bullpen. The company offers a wide range of services to its clients, including 1x1 sales coaching, sales training, sales mentorships, sales team bootcamps and masterminds, virtual sales training, on-site sales training, and more. Dale is also the host of the Selling Local podcast. On Selling Local, Dale tells stories, discusses ideas, and bring on guests to share their point of view—all in the name of giving listeners a greater purpose within their sales experience.

                  Want to learn more from Dale about sales, leadership, depression, and mental health?


                  The story continues at dubb.com.

                  35 min
                • Creating Unstoppable Wealth with Billy Alvaro

                  Whether you just started your company or are working for a much larger organization, you likely have financial goals. While they are personal to you, there are some key principles that you can leverage and implement to reach those goals. In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb Creative Director Shannon Leonard sits down with Billy Alvaro to discuss how you can create unstoppable wealth. Among the insights you will hear in this episode include the following:

                  • You don’t have a business unless you have leads that turn into contracts. Because of this, you need to invest money into marketing when you are first starting off. This is true both in the real estate business and virtually any other business. Getting those first few leads can be tough, but it isn’t impossible.
                  • One common misconception in real estate investing is that you need to have a significant amount of savings to get started. As Billy says, you can get started with just $1. If you can control the property with a contract, you can then control how you are going to be able to sell it. While the details can be more complicated, the possibilities are there.
                  • Real estate investing takes a ton of work. Even though some gurus may say that you can easily make a killing by following a simple formula, the simple fact is that you have to put in the time and effort. However, if you are consistent and learn from your mistakes, you can be much closer to creating unstoppable wealth.
                  • Video can be a huge benefit in the real estate space. Not only does it show off your personality, but it can show off your knowledge about a particular property or market. Whether you are investing in real estate or are a real estate broker, you should definitely consider leveraging the power of video.
                  • It’s critical to have a tried and true marketing process to generate sales. This is true in both real estate investing and in virtually every other type of business. While your process may not be perfect at the start, continuously refining it will lead to massive benefits.

                    • This is an outstanding episode whether you are or are not interested in real estate. Billy’s insights can help you grow your business and build real wealth—no matter the sector or size of your business. We hope you enjoy the episode!

                    Billy Alvaro is the President and Chief Wealth Creator at Max Returns. Max Returns makes real estate easy for homebuyers, homeowners, real estate investors, and newcomers to real estate investing. According to Billy, his clients receive 6% to 12% annualized returns on their capital by investing in performing notes. Along with Max Returns, Billy is a coach and mentor at Flip Masters, which helps students learn to find and close real estate deals in neighborhoods all around the Tri-State area. As if that wasn’t enough, Billy is also the host of a podcast called Unstoppable Real Estate Investing Wealth.

                    Want to learn more from Billy about creating unstoppable wealth?


                    The story continues at dubb.com.

                    Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

                    28 min
                  • Adapting to today's B2B Tech Buyer with Vinay Bhagat

                    If your company sells products or services to other businesses, it’s vital to understand your customer. Today’s B2B tech buyer is sophisticated and much different than in the past. So how do you connect with these B2B tech buyers and generate more sales? In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb Director of Partnerships Toni Bubb sits down with Vinay Bhagat, the founder, and CEO of TrustRadius. Topics discussed in this episode include the following:

                    • Startup life is a roller coaster. Even if you have a stellar product or service, there are going to be obstacles that you’ll need to overcome. These obstacles are not permanent or insurmountable, yet you need to be prepared to put in some hard work to bypass them.
                    • Entrepreneurship is a team sport rather than an individual sport. Our society often lionizes the solitary entrepreneur who defies all odds and achieves massive success. The reality can’t be further from the truth. Ultimately, entrepreneurs need to rely on their rockstar colleagues to achieve their goals.
                    • A key exercise is to step back and truly understand what your buyers want from you today. Step into their shoes and recognize the problems that they need to be solved. With over 60% of today’s B2B buyers being Millennials, it is also useful to look at demographics when completing this exercise. By doing this, you can increase your chances of making more sales.
                    • Rest assured that today’s B2B tech buyer is completing extensive research on you. This may be before they contact your organization or right before they make the decision to purchase your product or service.
                    • Critical reviews aren’t the worst thing in the world. In fact, if people don’t see critical reviews, they may not trust your concept as a whole. The absence of negative feedback may mean that people don’t trust the content or your buying cycles.

                      • This is a great episode for sales and marketers that are trying to better understand their customers and generate more sales. Even if you sell to consumers, this discussion contains key insights that you can use in your day-to-day work. We hope you enjoy the episode!

                      Vinay Bhagat is a technology entrepreneur who has a passion for taking on important challenges. Most recently, he is the founder and CEO of TrustRadius. TrustRadius is a customer voice platform that helps professionals research B2B technology products and services, helps vendors accelerate demand and sales, and deliver stronger products. Before launching TrustRadius, Vinay founded a company called Convio, which was the leading provider of SaaS solutions to the nonprofit sector. Convio scaled to over $80 million in revenue, 450 employees, went public in 2010 and was acquired for $325 million in 2012.

                      Want to learn more from Vinay about adapting to today’s B2B tech buyer?


                      The story continues at dubb.com.

                      Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

                      26 min
                    • Why You Need To Speak Story with Francisco Mahfuz

                      It is critical to think hard about the ways that you communicate with clients and prospects. Simply put, your words matter. They can make the difference between a lost sale and a recurring business. In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb founder Ruben Dua sat down with Francisco Mahfuz to discuss the power of story and why it should be included in your marketing work. Among the insights that you will hear in this episode include the following:

                      • The business world is about meaningful communication. Storytelling happens to be the best way that we can communicate meaningfully with our prospects and clients. From the earliest days around the campfire, we have been sharing stories with each other. We have a natural affinity for hearing them and sharing them.
                      • All of us have stories. This is true even if we live “boring” or “uninteresting” lives. So if you are struggling to think of stories for yourself or your business, rest assured that they are there. You just have to identify them.
                      • When you are using video to tell your stories, speak directly to the camera. By doing so, you are able to build a genuine connection with the viewer. Even if it feels uncomfortable or unnatural, make this a priority when telling your stories. Your dedication will pay off.
                      • Becoming a better storyteller comes from deliberate practice. Storytelling is like a muscle that you need to continuously build. Because of this, keep working at it. You will get better.
                      • Along with practice, getting feedback is an important part of becoming a better storyteller. Don’t fear that feedback. While it may hurt in the moment, it will make you a more compelling storyteller.

                        • No matter your title, sector, or company, you can use the insights from this conversation to accelerate toward your career goals. Sit down and take some notes for this one. Enjoy the episode!

                        Francisco Mahfuz helps leaders and sales teams use the power of story to grow engagement, purpose, and performance. Specifically, he is a keynote speaker and communications coach that helps his clients become better and more confident speakers. Francisco is also the host of the Storypowers podcast, which is a show about the power of stories, the people who tell them, and why you should be doing it too. As if that wasn’t enough, Francisco is also the author of Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking.

                        Want to learn more from Francisco about why you need to speak story?


                        The story continues at dubb.com.

                        Learn more about Dubb at https://dubb.it/up5c

                        31 min

                      About Connection Loop by Dubb

                      From the publisher's feed

                      A top 3% business podcast that empowers CEO, sales leaders, and entrepreneurs to scale their revenues with the power of sales strategies, sales enablement, artificial intelligence, sales automation,…