Learning from Smart People

Learning from Smart People

By Rob OliverBusinessEntrepreneurship
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Learning from Smart People episodes

  • 144 Gee Ranasinha: How to Evaluate Your Marketing

    On this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast, Rob Oliver talks with Gee Ranasinha about how to evaluate your marketing. Gee has been in the marketing field for many years. He helped found a marketing agency that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners. Additionally, he is a professor at a European business school.

    Here are some of the high points from Rob Oliver and Gee Ranasinha’s discussion on the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · Gee Ranasinha’s back story and journey to where he is today

    · A reminder of who was successful in the early stages of the Internet
    · The importance of having business expectations for your marketing
    · Remembering what marketing is truly about
    · Marketing isn’t marketing if it doesn’t sell anything
    · The difference between brand awareness and direct response marketing
    · Your customers are the ones that control your “brand”
    · We expect more from brands that are known
    · There needs to be a balance between brand awareness and sales activation
    · Brand awareness is a “longer burn”
    · As brand awareness increases, customer acquisition costs go down
    · Modern marketing is more concerned with efficiency than effectiveness
    · Chasing efficiency metrics makes you look like your competition
    · The pizza delivery analogy
    · COVID has forced businesses to readjust their internal compass
    · Everybody wants to be noticed but nobody wants to stand out
    · The most dangerous thing you can do as a marketer is to not stand out
    · The average tenure of a CMO is about 18 months
    · Tips for entrepreneurs and small business owners
    · Set a target and track your actions
    · Ask yourself, “What do I expect from my marketing?”
    · Marketing needs to follow your business plan

    You can find out more about Gee Ranasinha and his organization through his website and social media.

    Website: https://kexino.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/KEXINO
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KEXINO
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearekexino/
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranasinha

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imroboliver/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website:

    https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com

    36 min
  • 143 Kelly Cooper: How to Create an Inclusive Environment in Your Organization

    On this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast, Kelly Cooper shares how to create an inclusive environment in your organization. With her background in male-dominated fields, she has the insights to explain how to do it and why (and it’s not just because it’s the right thing to do, she explains why it makes financial sense as well.)

    Here are some highlights from Rob Oliver’s conversation with Kelly Cooper on the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · Applying principles of environmental conservancy to social settings

    · Diversity, equity and inclusion is not a women’s issue, it is an everyone issue
    · Everyone suffers in a toxic work environment
    · Disabilities include both seen and unseen disabilities
    · This is more than a “feel-good” investment, there are real financial benefits
    · The more views you have within your organization, the broader the audience you serve
    · An inclusive environment cuts down on turnover
    · It all starts with the executive leadership team and works down from there
    · The benefits of a function based job description
    · Quick tips for promoting an inclusive environment in your organization
    · How do we do this so white middle-age men aren’t always the bad guys?
    · It’s not about bad guys, it’s a new way of thinking
    · It’s not just women who are experiencing this

    You can learn more about Kelly Cooper and her book through her website and social media links:

    Website: http://www.centreforsocialintelligence.ca/

    Book: https://www.amazon.com/author/cooperke
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-cooper-6b742966/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imroboliver/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website:

    https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    35 min
  • 142 Joe Balestrino: How to Use Online Paid Advertising Without Going Broke

    The guest on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast is Joe Balestrino who talks about how to use online paid advertising without going broke. Joe talks with Rob Oliver about pay per click advertising, Google AdSense and how to understand where your advertising spending is going and what revenue it is generating.

    Here are a few things that Joe Balestrino and Rob Oliver talked about during this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · How Joe progressed from a web designer to an SEO guru

    · Finding the right information on the Internet
    · The 3 different places you can show up in Google search
    · Ranking for a keyword does not guarantee sales
    · Pay per click advertising is trackable and shows you where sales come from
    · You can’t assume you know what people want
    · The importance of understanding who your demographic is
    · Accurate tracking is the key to successful PPC campaigns
    · How to use tracking phone numbers
    · The right ratio for advertising expense versus revenue generated
    · Sometimes, it takes a little while to fine tune your advertising
    · It’s not about cost per click, it’s about cost per lead or cost per sale
    · A few things to look for when you are working with an agency
    · The initial investment in finding the correct keywords is essential
    · Think about the lifetime value of a customer

    You can find out more information about Joe Balestrino on his website and social media.

    Website: https://joebalestrino.com

    Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/joeybalestrino
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebalestrino/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imroboliver/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website:

    https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    34 min
  • 141 Jennifer Darling: How to Sell on LinkedIn Without Being Sleazy

    If you’re on LinkedIn, Jennifer Darling is your smart person! She shared how to sell on LinkedIn without being sleazy on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast with Rob Oliver. He was a refreshing conversation with a reminder that sales start with relationships and relationships start with service. Jennifer Darling not only shares great information, she provides a fantastic example on her own LinkedIn profile.

    Here are some of the points to ponder from Rob Oliver’s interview of Jennifer do on the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · Jennifer’s journey from studying television advertising in college to becoming a LinkedIn expert

    · The National Speakers Association teaches people about the business of speaking
    · How LinkedIn is different from other social media platforms
    · Using LinkedIn without being sleazy or smarmy
    · A strategy that avoids using cold outreach and has people coming to you instead
    · The 3 principles of successful LinkedIn marketing
    · Putting content on LinkedIn that provides value for your connections
    · Every piece of content has a call to action, a “next step”
    · How to avoid “pitch slapping” potential clients
    · The key goal in optimizing for LinkedIn is generating referrals
    · The truth about LinkedIn Groups
    · Your articles and documents live on LinkedIn but lead to your website
    · The 4 surprisingly simple tools of successfully using LinkedIn
    · Properly using your profile banner
    · Creating a powerful headline that explains what you do
    · Utilizing the featured items section for maximum impact
    · Don’t post and ghost – build relationships

    You can learn more about Jennifer Darling by connecting with her on LinkedIn! Be sure to get her profile checklist.

    LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jenniferdarlingspeaks/

    As promised, here is the link to Roma’s Pizza in Kalamazoo Michigan.

    http://www.romaspizzakalamazoo.com/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website:

    https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    34 min
  • 140 Linsi Brownson: How to be Productive and Not Just Busy

    The smart person on this episode of the Learning from Smart Full Podcast with Rob Oliver is Linsi Brownson. She talked about how to be productive and not just busy. She is a fellow podcaster, you can hear the “Be Brilliant In Your Business Podcast” on most of the major podcast platforms. Linsi browse and is also a coach who helps overwhelmed entrepreneurs.

    Here are a few of the items Linsi Brownson and Rob Oliver talked about during this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · Considering the reason why entrepreneurs start a business

    · Your business is there to support your life not the other way around
    · Where does achievement come from?
    · The cataclysmic cocktail of overwhelm
    · Linsi says put happiness as your top priority
    · Productivity is about what you are producing – it’s about results
    · The impact of being in a negative emotional state
    · Your short-term actions need to align with your long-term goals
    · Emotions are what motivate us to perform an action
    · Thoughts create feelings, feelings create emotions, emotions create action, action creates results
    · The powerless of not being able to control the process
    · Intrinsic motivation versus external motivation
    · “How do I want to feel?” Is the question to start off with
    · Your feelings come from your thoughts and you can feel them at any time

    You can find more about Linsi Brownson through her website and her social media.

    Website: https://www.linsibrownson.com/

    Freebie: https://www.linsibrownson.com/30-day-done
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SparkCollaborative
    Instagram: http://instagram.com/linsibrownson
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linsibrownson/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website: https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    33 min
  • 139 April Lynn James: How to Play It Forward

    April Lynn James joined Rob Oliver on the Learning from Smart People Podcast to talk about how to play it forward. It was a conversation about how to enhance creativity and create a connection to joy. April James is an extremely creative person and is the corporeal portion of April plus Madison. I’ll admit, I didn’t understand that at first but she explains it all in this episode of Learning from Smart People.

    Here are several of the important points from Rob Oliver’s interview of April Lynn James:

    · The originating story of Madison Hatta

    · The power of being creative
    · Recognizing that everyone does things their own way
    · Hearing the message – “Music is a hobby, not a career.”
    · The value of being creative for yourself
    · Making the connection to joy
    · The PLAY framework
    · Positivitea, Listening to good music, Awe, Yoga
    · Helping people move away from focusing on the negative
    · Affirmations and mirror play, let the mirror be your friend
    · April’s definition of good music
    · Awe is opening up to inspiration
    · Works of inspiration before perspiration
    · Finding ways to move that are enriching to the body

    You can learn more about April Lynn James and Madison Hatta through her website and social media:

    Website: http://aprilplusmadison.com

    Ebook: http://TenWaystoPlayItForward.com
    Website: https://www.aprillynnjames.com
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/April-plus-Madison-1414392788775159
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprillynnjames/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website: https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    33 min
  • 138 Jacqui Letran: How to Take Control of Your Mindset

    The smart person on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast is Jacqui Letran. She is a multi-award-winning author, speaker and healer. She talks with Rob Oliver about how to take control of your mindset. During the interview she offers insights and advice on identifying where you are and figuring out the steps to get to where you want to be. She is also the founder of Healing Minds.

    Here are a few of the topics that Rob Oliver and Jacqui Letran discussed during this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · The power of mindset

    · Jacqui’s personal story of dealing with depression and anxiety
    · The where is your straw concept (have you heard that one before?
    · How you can create a shift in your own mindset
    · Looking inward instead of looking outward
    · My social media is not a true reflection of people’s lives
    · Stop comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to you
    · There are only 4 problems that people face
    · I’m not good enough, I’m not worthy, I’m not loved and I’m not safe
    · When you think something, your mind looks for evidence to prove you are right
    · Often your beliefs come from trauma (not necessarily major trauma, just negative experiences)
    · The importance of self-awareness and keeping an open mind
    · Your beliefs create a program in your mind that runs subconsciously
    · Fear and avoidance are powerful coping mechanisms
    · Awareness is the first step
    · Defining where you want to go
    · You are the boss of your own mind
    · Using affirmations to open yourself to change
    · The key to making affirmations work
    · Baby stepping your affirmations, aligning them properly

    You can learn more about Jacqui Letran through her website and social media. Check out her e-book about 6 ways to conquer your inner critic.

    Website: http://www.JacquiLetran.com

    Offer: http://www.jacquiletran.com/f/conqueryourinnercritic
    Facebook:  Https://facebook.com/JacquiLetran
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JacquiLetran
    Linkedin:  https://linkedin.com/in/JacquiLetran

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website: https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    38 min
  • 137 Glennette Goodbread: How to Create a Website that Converts

    Rob Oliver interviews Glennette Goodbread on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast. Glennette shares how to build a website that converts. She has over 20 years of experience in the web design and search engine optimization arena and helps her clients generate more leads and grow their businesses through their website.

    On a side note, beginning with this episode, Learning from Smart People will only be releasing one episode per week, every Thursday. Enjoy this episode and we will see you next week.

    Here are a few of the topics that Glennette Goodbread and Rob Oliver discussed on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · How Glennette switched from accounting to creating websites

    · Websites are not like Field of Dreams – build it and they will come
    · The difference between web design and search engine optimization
    · Identifying the “Who” – finding your CLIENT
    · Looking at your client’s character, lifestyle, income, engagement, need and time
    · Optimizing for search engines or for people?
    · Ultimately, it’s about lead generation
    · The four levels of client awareness
    · Looking at the intent of the searcher
    · Differentiating yourself from your competition
    · Identifying your USP
    · Why your website needs to be conversion centric
    · Having a website is just the first step, keyword research is the next
    · Defining longtail phrases
    · Thinking about the offer that you are going to make on your website
    · Evaluating the effectiveness of your website

    You can learn more about Glennette Goodbread and her services through her website and social media. She is also offering a free “discovery call” and a free e-book:

    Website: https://www.premiumwebdesign.com

    Webinar: https://rapidredesignnow.com/registration
    Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/premiumweb
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/premiumwebdesignandhosting
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/premiumweb/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website: https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    34 min
  • 136 Gunther Mueller: How to Live the Life You Have Always Wanted

    Gunther Mueller talks about how to live the life you have always wanted on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast with Rob Oliver. He has developed the 5-Step Magnetic Mind Method and shared some of the concepts during the discussion. He has a background as an entrepreneur and has applied many of the lessons learned from the business world to his concept.

    Here are a few of the topics that Gunther Mueller and Rob Oliver discussed:

    · A reminder about why we need to learn from Smart People

    · Gunther’s entrepreneurial journey
    · The danger of not listening to our own voice
    · Everything you learn is learned through failure
    · Identifying self sabotaging thought patterns and behavior
    · The only power we have is the power to choose
    · We create reality through our intention
    · Everything that has been created has been created twice
    · Figuring out your true desire
    · Choosing the end result is the first step
    · You are responsible for your own choices
    · Becoming aware of the subconscious programs in your mind
    · What you focus on grows
    · Top creative stances
    · How this plays out for people of faith
    · How we choose to live has consequences
    · There are only 2 things in the universe: information and energy
    · The how is not as important as the where
    · The path to your goal is your choice
    · Avoiding value judgments on the things we experience

    You can find out more about Gunther Mueller and Dream Life Masters through his website. There are videos and other information available for download. Additionally, he has given a tremendous discount on a session with him at Quest for the Quan.

    Session: http://questforthequan.com

    Website: https://DreamLifeMasters.com
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mueller.gunther/
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunthermueller/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the “Contact” page on the “Learning from Smart People” website: https://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com.

    35 min
  • 135 Michelle Thompson: How to Grow Your Business by Outsourcing and Delegation

    Michelle Thompson joined Rob Oliver on the Learning from Smart People Podcast to talk about how to grow your business by outsourcing and delegating. Her back story demonstrates how she had no choice but to learn the art of delegation after she experienced a stroke when she was 36 years old. She is now an expert on delegation and outsourcing. Her insights are practical and insightful.

    Here are some high points from Rob Oliver and Michelle Thompson’s conversation on the Learning from Smart People Podcast:

    · Michelle’s story of having a stroke at age 36

    · Learning how to compensate for the brain damage
    · Realizing that being alive is a gift
    · How she became efficient at delegating
    · Facilitating the conveyance of expectations (a.k.a. training)
    · The 3 questions you need to evaluate your actions
    · Examples of how you can partially delegate
    · Why outsourcing is actually extremely cost-effective
    · Freeing up your brain capacity as an added benefit
    · Working smarter not harder
    · Creating a step-by-step procedure guide
    · Quick wins for freeing up your time and creating revenue-generating actions
    · Creating the list of things that need to be done
    · Using technology and people to get things done
    · The art of “time blocking” (it increases efficiency!)
    · The difference between repetitive tasks and one offs
    · Testing the potential applicants
    · Implementing a vetting system
    · Where to find your virtual assistants
    · Paying your virtual assistant a livable wage

    You can find out more about outsourcing and delegation on Michelle Thompson’s website. You can also connect with her on social media. Be sure to download the free time audit to assess what you can delegate and outsource.

    Website: http://awesomeoutsourcing.co/

    Download: http://awesomeoutsourcing.co/taskdiscovery
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diakonos23
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleethompson/

    Thanks for listening to the Learning from Smart People Podcast! Please Subscribe, leave a comment and follow us on social media:

    · Twitter: http://twitter.com/LFSPPodcast

    · Instagram: http://instagram.com/LFSPPodcast
    · Facebook: http://facebook.com/LFSPPodcast
    · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lfsppodcast/
    · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWV_LuUad7ZWuE9j5D9v-w

    You can also use the "Contact Us" page on the Learning from Smart People Podcast Website: http://www.learningfromsmartpeople.com

    33 min

About Learning from Smart People

From the publisher's feed

It's impossible to be an expert on everything. Learning from the experts helps us gain an understanding of how to be better at the tasks we undertake. On "Learning from Smart People" you'll gather…