Several years ago, ParaCore sought to tackle the tour and activity vertical and started a second company to target this niche—Outdoor Adventure Marketing. While it didn't work out, we learned a bunch of lessons we're now bringing into our move to the e-commerce vertical.   If you're looking to move into a new vertical, we've got a few tips for you!     ******************** If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

A couple of months ago, I was served an ad by a guy who claimed to be able to uncover hidden interests in the Facebook audience builder. I typically don't respond to ads like this, but this intrigued me. Turns out, it has made a big difference in ParaCore's business!   If you run Facebook advertising, there are tools that discover new audiences by finding interest categories you never would have found on your own, allowing your ads to be much more highly targeted. We use it and any paid media company you work with should too!   https://interestexplorer.io/   ******************** If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

It's the eternal struggle as a business owner—you have all the freedom of running your own business and being able to set your own schedule, yet the responsibility to work on your business and be fair to your employees.   It seems easy from the outside and is often perceived as a perk by aspirational entrepreneurs, but it is a struggle day in, day out—so how do you cope? How do you prioritize?     ******************** If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

I recently went on a hike with my family while on vacation. The trail wasn't familiar to us and turned out to be steep about midway through. Naturally, my young daughter takes off at the beginning, running up the hill with muster. Then, halfway up the hill, she loses steam and wants to turn around.   Turns out, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I do the exact same thing in different areas of my business. I get excited about a new idea, start-up really strong, and then when it gets hard, I let the project peter off. So, what's the key overcoming "shiny object syndrome"? A top of the hill goal.   ******************** If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

While on vacation, my family and I visited a local farmer's market and discovered we couldn't purchase from half the vendors because they only accepted cash.   It was frustrating and made me think—what fundamental processes are not in place in my business and what obstacles exist that may be preventing clients from buying from me?   ******************** If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

It's often cost-prohibitive for small businesses to invest in public relations (PR) companies to assist with securing news stories, speaking opportunities, contributed articles, etc.   I've discovered, however, a little hack that has allowed my company, ParaCore, and others to receive free media without having to pay for PR.  

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If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

Typically, quarterly planning at ParaCore begins with what we are expecting to achieve with the meeting, reviewing our biggest achievements of the last 90 days, establishing a goal for the quarter and then breaking our “rocks” from there.   This quarter, I wanted to mix it up—and the results were incredibly powerful.  

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If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

Being a part of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), a global network of entrepreneurs has been incredibly valuable to my business. That said, I found I was yearning to talk with other agency owners who had experienced my unique challenges.

Now, once a month, I meet with all my fellow EO members who run agencies and discuss everything from pricing, hiring, company culture, revenue, and more. And since EO is built on a foundation of trust, we get pretty vulnerable.

 

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If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

Zipping your credit card for $10,000 for a two-day workshop certainly challenges you to step out of your comfort zone—and I plan to make the most of it.

 

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If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].

We all have those rollercoaster days—sign a big client or two, riding a high, and then you get an email from an unhappy client while another tells you they’re canceling.

This is the toughest part of an Account Manager’s job as they’re on the front lines of client interaction and get the brunt of the feedback. And that comes with a lot of anxiety—fear of getting yelled at or potentially losing their job.

As a result, I’ve found hiring for and cultivating a certain mindset with Account Managers not only reduces the tension around the role but also results in great work.

 

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If you want to learn more about Adam or ParaCore, check out www.paracore.com or email us at [email protected].