Fail To Learn: Teaching stories from business, sales, marketing, coaching, blogging, freelance, & entrepreneurs.

By Matt Fox: Entrepreneur, Business, Sales & Marketing Strategist, and BloggerBusiness News Business News

Fail To Learn: Teaching stories from business, sales, marketing, coaching, blogging, freelance, & entrepreneurs. episodes

February 16, 2016FtL 12: Coach.me Startup Founder Discovers Revenue Model After Losing Cash For Years
Today we talk with Tony Stubblebine. Tony is the CEO and Founder of Coach.me. Tony originally started his company as Lift. It was an app you used to help you make personal changes. But it was failing fast.
Lift looked successful to users but was losing money day after day. Tony had a choice to make, close down Lift or make a change.
And that change is what Tony and I discuss in today’s show.
Here’s what else you’ll discover in this episode:
Why he wanted to build tools that helped people to achieve, as he said, “really astounding things.”
Tony response when he went to the bank to get a loan and they asked him, “How is it you have so many users but you’re losing money?”
How the fear of losing your team when you make changes in the company stops some founders to stop growing.
How they made the decision to pivot when the choice was either “shut down or try something new.”
How the branding change was the beginning of the difference that made the difference.
How Tim Ferriss, one of their advisors, had an idea for a challenge inside Lift started their coaching platform.
The importance of a name change and why it was necessary to evolve from no profit to a revenue generating company.
How their old name caused a support nightmare.
What does it mean to be a ‘founder’ of a company?
Why they took 4 years to, “find our legs.”
Why Tony brought his investors along to coach.me after the change.
The problems facing you don’t always change because the baggage you had before is brought along for the change.
Tony’s challenge running a startup with revenue coming in and expenses to support staff.
How he faces the challenge to bring on quality new people who aren’t sure this is something they want to risk and commit to.
Why he said, “It’s interesting to look back on how much failure effects you physically and emotionally.”
How things seem much simpler for Tony now that coach.me is moving more smoothly.
How they evolved to creating a business-to-consumer-to-business coaching model now.
Why Coach.me is moving into the business coaching market and how they’re making the transition.
Why Tony loves to read case studies of successful people.
How Jerry Seinfeld accidentally became the productivity hero with his one tip.
Why Tony would love to have the opportunity to talk with Oprah.
What Tony means when he said, “It’s not about finding the optimal strategy. It’s about finding the optimal packaging that makes it easy to adopt that strategy.”
Why he said, “My job is to learn about human potential. What makes humans excel and succeed?”
Enjoy the show.
47 min
February 11, 2016FtL 11: Frank Bria - Scaling Your Business When You Realize You’re Not Scalable
What would happen if: 1) You were working on the other side of the planet, 2) You get a text from your wife that she’s going to the Emergency Room, 3) You need to get home today but your business has you stuck?
That’s what happened to Frank Bria, author of the book Scale, and today’s guest. This is a crazy story with a ton of nuggets to help you grow and scale your business.
Here’s what Frank and I talk about:
Why Frank doesn’t believe the "follow your passion" advice.
How his life changed while he was in Kiev and received a text message that his wife was driving herself to the emergency room… And a second text saying she was being admitted for emergency surgery, and their young kids were at home.
How each of his clients slowly fired him when he changed his model to consult from home.
How life design worked against him.
Why he said "I built a business that wasn’t scalable."
Why he said, "You can put a blindfold on and stumble over marketing gurus."
The importance of a repeatable process.
How a 'rewind moment' can keep you motivated and inspired in your business.
Why you need to talk with people when you’re struggling.
Why the inner game is the biggest problem facing entrepreneurs.
How to get the most out of a mastermind group.
What Frank meant when he said, "You can’t become a brain surgeon by reading about it, or watching over someone’s shoulder."
The responsibility he feels towards his students and clients.
How Frank took what he learned as a math professor to help his clients today.
Why he likes Tony Robbins' mindset and how it would help most entrepreneurs.
Enjoy the show...
47 min
February 09, 2016FtL 10: Dov Gordon On Mental Toughness, Hero Worship, and Perseverance
Today’s guest is Dov Gordon. It’s hard to believe Dov struggled for so long to get where he is today. However, I have a feeling it’s the struggle he went through that led him to become so respected among his peers.
In this interview Dov shares the challenges he’s faced, how it helped him become who he is today, and how it still sometimes haunts him.
Here’s what we talk about:
How Dov spent months building his first information product which resulted in only 1 sale.
The technology struggle Dov grappled with when putting together his membership site to deliver his product… That made only 1 sale.
How he realized all his mistakes, in hindsight.
Why he said he had to go through all that to discover what was next and move on.
Then, as he was at an all-time low, he couldn’t find a job to help pay the bills.
How he battles the fear of possibly running out of money with the belief that everything will work out in the end. Eventhough he’s at a time when he’s experiencing his most success yet.
Why you have to get control of your thoughts and emotions.
The importance of a consistent, repeatable process.
Why it’s important to you pick the right priorities and how you can do that.
Dov’s email challenge.
What Dov means when he said we have too much hero worship.
Why you don’t need another book, course, or information to find success.
What to do when you only have 1 person sign up for your course.
How “mental toughness” matters to you and your business.
Stay focused on your priorities so you know when to say “no” to things that will take you off track.
Enjoy the show.
36 min
February 04, 2016FtL 9: Justin Krane-Financial Planner Misses Message To Market With New Product
Today’s show is with Justin Krane, a financial planner in California.
When Justin decided to branch out in his business, it didn’t go as planned. In fact, it bombed. And that’s what he shares in this show.
What we cover in this show:
How Justin spent months building a product that gets people what they need, but nobody wants.
Why he said that people understand they need to do many things but don’t want to face it.
How he packaged the product in a way that wasn’t appealing to his market.
Why packaging and framing your product makes the sale much easier.
How he lost his excitement during the process to get the product finished and launched... and how that effected his approach.
How a heavily regulated industry can crush your marketing message.
The struggle of marketing in an industry where you can’t make promises, use testimonials, or any type of guarantee.
What Justin means when he said people don’t want to make money decisions on their own. They want help and guidance.
Why he said people want one 5 minute thing to do and then give them the next 5 minute thing to do.
Justin’s drive to help people improve their financial literacy.
How his client’s business is the engine that’s going to fund their personal goals.
How people don’t understand what to do with the infromation they receive from their bookkeeper.
Why and how business owners need to recognize high expenses with little ROI.
Why a Business need cash. This seems obvious but it’s the reason you and your business are left hurting in times of need.
The complicated cashflow dance that most businesses deal with?
Why your businesses should shoot for at least 10-15% profit, and that is after the salary you pay yourself.
How that means saying "No" to a lot of things.
What Justin means when he says, "If you’re not getting a return on your investment, don’t do it.
Enjoy the show.
Financial Planner Misses Message To Market With New Product
34 min
February 02, 2016FtL 8: Joey Bridges Small Business Facing Financial Failure Turns It Around In 60 Days
In this show I talk with Joey Bridges, one-half of the Bridges twins.
Joey and his twin brother, Jamey, host the Marketing Madness podcast and run client’s online marketing campaigns.
Not too long ago they were on top of the world helping real estate agents and then it collapsed. They faced over $70,000 in chargebacks and refunds. It’s a scary story. And not one they like to talk about.
What we cover in this show:
How the real estate collapse kicked the legs out of their previous business.
Why focusing on one target market is a double edged sword.
How they found themselves with over $70,000 in chargebacks and cancellations that had to be paid in 60 days.
How they demonstrated true entreprunerial grit, and created something out of nothing, to repay the $70k in 60 days.
How the necessity to make money and pay back this debt forced them to find another market, learn it, and develop solutions people want.
How they went from “Can we do it?” to “Oh yeah, I’ll get it done.”
Why he said that If you have a job, and you’re happy, don’t go try starting a business.
What happened when his clients intentionally sabotages the work they were doing for them.
What he learned so they better communicate with their clients.
Why you don’t want to be the client’s only source of business.
Why you don’t want only one type of client!
Why they won’t take on clients who they are their only source of business.
How his appreciation for other’s struggles have changed.
Why you want to do business slowly and choose your clients wisely.
How Joey realized when they sold someting that they didn’t think was perfect for the customer, it always blew up in their face.
How small changes made a big impact in their business and personal lives.
How he went from barely able to ride a bike for 7 miles 4 yrs ago to completing their first Ironman competition last year.
Enjoy the show.
34 min
January 28, 2016FtL 7: Mike Vardy Shares How To Be More Productive And Build Habits As Your Business Evolves
Mike Vardy is The Productivityist. He is a productivity expert and coach. His business has been changing. During the process he hit some roadblocks.
In our conversation he shares what he learned as he had to stop and check in at each of the roadblocks. What you'll get in this show:
Why Mike thinks January is a silly time to start your new year.
How he chose his pricing model.
Whether it's better to say, "I have to..." or "I need to..."
What happened when he received a reply from an upset customer.
How he went through the decision to change his email marketing.
How Mike themes his days and how that helps batch his work.
Why he has a "learning day" and why he knows it will make him a better leader, a better business person, and hone his awareness so he stays on the right path.
How he uses his 3 words each year as his framework for the year.
The business lessons he's learned from Costco.
Why he said, "The pursuit of perfection is idiotic. Excellence is what we strive for. One way to be excellent is to be nimble."
The importance to build boundaries when you want to change habits.
How to set up boundaries that work so you don’t have to battle with your willpower.
How Mike structures his day so he maintains willpower throughout the entire day.
Why Mike says "Less stuff, better."
How to structure your environment to keep your energy peaked.
The importance of consistency.
Mike's simple tips to create habits.
Why you want to use your task manager to manage your tasks, not your calendar, when starting new habits.
The questions to ask your self when your not sticking to your new habits.
Download the show's 1-Page Quick Action sheet and get a quick, easy to implement summary of all the tips Mike shared.
Enjoy the show.
1 hr 3 min
January 26, 2016FtL 6: Jason Leister on How To Build Your Platform And Get Paid For Being You
Jason Leister started his career as a classical musician (pipe organ) at the Eastman School of Music. While there he won one of the most prestigious organ competitions in the country at age 19. He's brought the always practicing mindset to his career as a copywriter and business coach.
After 10 minute phone call with a client, he found himself fired from a $100,000+ contract wondering what to do. And what Jason's learned from that has continued to evolve over time. Listen to the show and discover:
Why Jason used to love the saying, "Clients suck!"
How his view of clients matured from adversaries, to partners, to his teachers.
Why he writes a daily email, what he's learned from it, and how it builds his business.
What it means when you have clients who haggle over fees or push your buttons.
What Jason means when he says you can solve your problems indirectly by solving other people's problems.
How most of your business problems stem from you, and what you can do to begin fixing the problems.
Why your process to achieve your goal is more important than the goal.
How to build your platform to attract valuable clients you want to work with.
What Jason thinks is entrepreneurial heresy.
How to make yourself more valuable, so you’re no longer viewed as a commodity.
Why your clients will pay you because you're you.
Why Jason asks, "How can I multiply the lives that I’m impacting, and still fit that into the lifesyle that I want?" And how that can help you.
How Jason defines success and how he does everything he can to live it, despite what other people think.
Download the show's 1-Page Quick Action sheet and get a quick, easy to implement summary of all the tips Jason shared.
Enjoy the show.
36 min
January 23, 2016FtL 5: Barry Moore Discovers Tiny Niche Market & Quick Product To Market Brings Success Out Of Disaster
Barry Moore shares his insights about niches after failing through his first online business.
As Barry's first business failed, he learned the importance of defining your niche, testing your product, and the opportunity to scale.
Here's what we cover in this show:
How Barry's first business folded because his market was too large.
What he meant when he said you have to "Be that guy."
When you target a niche, how to hyper-target in that niche.
How to niche down.
Why you want to niche down before you go after everyone.
The problem that happens when you give too much information to your customer at once.
How Barry uses a podcast to build his business.
Why Barry said, "Nobody wants to get on a plane with a creative pilot."
How he tested a niche that's underserved and on an upward growth curve?
What the reality is in marketing automation.
How Barry put his first course together in a weekend.
Why that speed to market is important.
How to quickly test a market for a warm indication of customer’s interest.
Why gave himself 6 months to validate and confirm assumptions before about what his customers want and need.
How Barry brings his knowledge as a pilot to keep his business on course.
Why he said, "Make sure you're building a business you want to be in."
Download this show's 1-Page Quick Action sheet to help you with your 'freedom business,' as Barry calls it.
Enjoy the show.
46 min
January 18, 2016FtL 4: Nathan Kontny-Startup Founder Flounders And Discovers Critical Key To Solving Customer's Problems
In this episode we talk with Nathan Kontny. Nate is the CEO of the popular CRM Highrise and the creator of the awesome online writing platform Draft.
Nate has some great stories and insights to share from his experience as the founder of two YCombinator startup companies.
What you’ll discover in this show:
Why you want to build a company that solves your problems.
Why you need to truly care about the problem you’re solving.
What Nate learned from the unexpected lack of interest he received from angel investors at YCombinator’s Demo Day.
Why you want to sell your product before your finished.
The indicator during the sales process you need that lets you know you’re on track.
How Nate discovered the importance of passion and excitement, and how it carries him through the process.
Why you want to ask, “What’s my purpose?” before you start.
Why building software that intrigued Nate was software that didn’t intrigue the world.
How he learned to find the true problems worth solving.
Why Nate said it’s really hard to solve other people’s problems.
How he’s using these strategies to make Highrise better and easier to use for his clients.
How Nate uses the basis of Sherlock Holmes to become better with what he does.
Why Nate doesn’t find logic as the best indicator to follow.
When you should trust your gut and instincts.
How marketing events won’t build a business.
How he discovered the importance of long-term audience building.
The importance of unique ways to communicate new feature releases to your clients.
How Nate is learning and working through the challenges after becoming CEO at Highrise.
Why Nate asks, “Am I working on a real problem or am I working on something that I just find curious?”
The importance of a good mentor or teacher.
View Original Post at FailToLearn.com
59 min
January 18, 2016FtL 3: Tim Brownson-The Life Coach Who Learned A Huge Life Lesson In Business
This show's guest is Tim Brownson. Tim is a kick-ass life coach with a great sense of humor.
In this episode Tim shares how he went from sales into coaching. And then, how his coaching business almost failed until he had a swift kick in the ass: He lost all his savings.
Here's what Tim and I discuss in Episode 3:
Money doesn't buy happiness.
How sales led him into coaching and how he let his sales experience hold him back.
What happens when you don't focus and take your business seriously.
The challenge of working for yourself, when you have no one to hold you accountable.
How losing his entire savings finally kicked him in the ass.
The self-delusion that kept Tim thinking success was about to "hit" at any moment. The tipping point was within his grasp.
Why you can't take your foot off the gas in a competitive industry.
How easily the world will forget about you.
Why Tim said, "People expect you to be competent. That doesn't get you raving fans."
What makes people really rabid fans?
Why you should stop worrying about always showing your best side.
Why Tim said, "Nobody farts on a first date."
Why Tim needs to fear waking up to find a Grizzly Bear looking for salmon in his fridge.
Why Tim said, "We haven’t got that much mental bandwidth that we can be looking at different things at the same time." And how it stopped his business for over a year.
When it's important to "burn the ships."
When you should commit to your outcome.
The importance of "invigoration."
What happens when your expectations aren't in line with reality. And how it prevents your success.
Enjoy the show.
View original post on FailToLearn.com
48 min

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Fail To Learn: Teaching stories from business, sales, marketing, coaching, blogging, freelance, & entrepreneurs. episodes

About Fail To Learn: Teaching stories from business, sales, marketing, coaching, blogging, freelance, & entrepreneurs.