The experts I know who are the most profitable, the most referable, and the most confident in their work have all done this. They picked a focus, they got really good at it, and they stuck with it long enough for it to compound and build a reputation on it.

That’s it. That’s the secret sauce.

Today I want to talk about what that actually looks like in practice by sharing an example from my own business that will make this click in a way that all the theory in the world never quite does.

Sponsored by Squarespace:

Free Guide to Squarespace Circle: nobsmastery.com/squarespace

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How committing to specialization brings ease and profitability to your business
• All the ways being platform agnostic in the early days of Worstofall Design actually cost us time, effort, and cash
• Why losing prospects was scary, but worth it in the end
• How specializing boosts your ability to lead clients through projects and stay focused

Mentioned:

• Wordpress Vs. Squarespace: worstofalldesign.com/blog/wordpress-vs-squarespace

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

“I just want to get it right the first time.”

I cannot tell you how many times someone has reached out to me for branding services when they don’t even have a business yet. They don’t want to make mistakes. They want everything to be perfect right out of the gate.

And, yeah, don’t we all? It’s hard and scary to put something out there that you don’t feel is finished or tested. It can feel like setting yourself up for failure, and most humans are always trying very hard to avoid failure.

As we’re talking about focus this summer, I’m hearing a version of it from people all the time. They don’t feel clear enough yet to know where to focus. They want to nail their messaging, their offer, their one-liner before they ever put it out there. And of course, there is work you can and should do up front. But it’s not going to be perfect.

The only way to actually perfect your message, your offer, your one-liner so that it resonates with your ideal clients is to get out there and say it to a lot of real people. 

Today I want to talk about the clarity that comes from taking action before you feel ready.

Sponsored by Squarespace:

Free Guide to Squarespace Circle: nobsmastery.com/squarespace

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why clarity requires getting out of your head and connecting with other people
• Why there is no such thing as getting it right once and forever
• How real-world data about your business can surprise you 
• Why you need real clients to work with when you’re designing your process
• How spinning your wheels chasing perfection literally costs you money

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

Successful business owners have to do the same things over and over, tweaking and refining as they go, until they have a clear, repeatable process that works.

Issue is most entrepreneurs aren’t really wired to do the same things over and over again. We tend to be novelty seekers and risk takers, people who chase ideas and get inspired by new possibilities.

So if you find yourself jumping from idea to idea before anything really has a chance to stick and start working, you’re not alone and you can stop beating yourself up over it. But you do need to get yourself out of that mode if you want your business to succeed for the long term.

Today, I want to talk about how you get better at catching yourself chasing new, shiny ideas before it derails your progress.

Sponsored by Squarespace:

Free Guide to Squarespace Circle: nobsmastery.com/squarespace

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why entrepreneurs are naturally wired for starting things and why building a successful business requires an entirely different skill set.
• Why new ideas feel so exciting, urgent, and irresistible (and why that's often a trap).
• How the most successful business owners actually build momentum 
• The difference between the "starting gear" and the "staying gear" every entrepreneur needs to master.

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

Everybody wants more ease and less overwhelm in their business.

So why do so many of us end up creating businesses that are exhausting to run?

In this episode, I'm kicking off a special summer series (“The Future is Focus) by sharing one of the biggest lessons I've learned in 15 years of entrepreneurship: the path to more profit, freedom, and clarity isn't doing more — it's simplifying.

I share how I went from running an increasingly complicated business to stripping everything down and discovering that saying no to most opportunities actually created more growth, less stress, and a whole lot more ease.

If you've got a never-ending to-do list, too many ideas, or feel busy all the time without making the progress you want, this episode is for you.

This episode is the first in a special summer series about focus and creating more ease, profit, and freedom.

Sponsored by Squarespace:

Free Guide to Squarespace Circle: nobsmastery.com/squarespace

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why complicated doesn't mean sophisticated
• The hidden cost of too many offers and too many options
• How simplifying my business eliminated overwhelm
• Why closing off opportunities can actually help you make more money
• Why closing off opportunities can actually help you make more money

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

I’m delighted to have today’s guest back on the podcast. When we last heard from Kris Byers, he told us about the incredible turnaround and evolution of his business since implementing the No BS Model. In eighteen months, he went from scared of investing in joining the program to quadrupling his income – with a third of the clients! 

I wanted to check back in with Kris because since that episode, he’s won awards, bagged some really big clients, and run incredible projects. You'll want to hear about how he handled working with bigger companies and more decision makers while still getting rid of the BS. And he’ll explain why he’s shifting his focus back to small businesses, even though he now knows how to successfully manage the big guys.  

Kris Byers is the founder of Horrible Brands, where he helps purpose-driven business owners create personal brands to show up with clarity and confidence, and create real world impact. 

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How Kris tweaked the No BS Model to accommodate bigger projects and longer timeframes without losing the guardrails
• How to successfully deputize a decision-maker to be the leader of their group
• Why the LP is even more essential when you’re juggling multiple stakeholders
• How bigger project price tags can make you lose sight of your boundaries
• What Kris learned about refining his messaging 

Learn more about Kris Byers:

• Horrible Brands: http://horriblebrands.com
• Kris’s Website: https://www.krisbyers.com
• Instagram: @horriblebrands
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisbyers/

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

We’ve all been there. You’re sitting across from someone you hope will hire you, there’s the potential for real money, and they ask you to do what they think is just a little bit of work on spec for free. Not to mention they want you to submit a proposal before they commit.

You might have said okay and done that work, submitted that proposal, and crossed your fingers. Maybe you booked that client in the end, maybe you didn’t. But you probably didn’t feel great about it either way.

This just happened to one of the students in the current No BS Mastery cohort. The difference was that not only did she hold her boundary of not working for free, but she also had a clear way to follow up by sending them the link to her LP. 

People talk about boundaries like they're a mindset problem. You just have to believe in yourself and you’ll stop doing work for free and charging what you’re worth. But I don’t think that’s really how it works. I think boundaries have a lot more to do with structure. 

Because when you have the right structure, boundaries are really easy to hold.

All this month, I’ve been sharing some of the more unexpected wins coming out of the new No BS Mastery cohort, and today I want to talk about why the No BS Model is making it so much easier for my students to confidently maintain their boundaries and say no to free work and clients who aren’t a good fit.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How clear processes and structure make it so much easier to maintain your boundaries
• How the LP process helps you say no to free work without closing the door on the relationship
• Why it’s so necessary to filter out tire kickers and bad fit clients, even when you’re not fully booked
• Why just five weeks in, my students have already made incredible strides in their confidence

Resources:

• Watch my TED Talk: When You Bank True Confidence, Anything Is Possible
• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery

No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

Most people join a program like No BS Mastery for the content. They want the tactics, the frameworks, the method, the tools, the software. And we absolutely deliver on that.

What people don’t always realize they need is community. 

Today, I want to share some student feedback and my own experiences that prove that our community is part of the program for a reason and it’s a key piece of building momentum for our students.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why community matters way more than most independent business owners think
• The “micro wins” that happen before the big financial wins
• Why clarity and confidence change how clients respond to you
• Why the right room changes people faster than another framework ever could

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

You know that moment when things finally click?

When the sales conversations stop feeling awkward.  When people instantly “get” what you do. When clients start showing up before you even feel fully ready. 

That’s what’s been happening inside my current No BS Mastery cohort, and honestly, I’m still fired up about it. And the crazy thing is that we are just five weeks into this program! 

So in this episode, I’m breaking down why this is happening — and why it’s not luck, hustle, or “natural sales talent.”

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why most service businesses don’t actually have a reliable pipeline system
• The hidden reason sales feel “hard”
• Why community and accountability accelerate momentum
• The difference between freelancing and actually owning a business
• What happens when your offer finally lands effortlessly

Resources:

• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price

One of my star students, Emily Wilkins, joined me on the show a  while back, to talk about how niching down blew up her business in the best way.

She’s back today for another candid behind-the-scenes chat about where her business is now after several years of implementing the No BS Model. We’re digging into different ways she’s iterated her offerings within the model, what worked well, what "kind of" worked, and ideas that did not pan out at all. 

I know you’re going to learn so much from Emily and her journey.

Emily Wilkins, Founder and CEO of Marketing Metal, spent the first decade of her career in marketing and sales support roles at job shops, both internally and from the agency side. Noticing their unique challenges when it came to marketing their services, Emily engineered a Radical BS-free process that gets these vital small businesses exactly what they need to reach their goals in just a few days–and empowers them to use it.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How Emily got lured back to working on retainer after years of successfully running the No BS model
• Why the math on retainers didn’t work for her, even with charging higher rates
• What led to burnout, despite implementing the intensives model
• The epic backstory of how Emily found and doubled down on her niche

Learn more about Emily Wilkins:

• Marketing Metal: http://marketingmetal.com
• Instagram: @emilyjoannimal
• Connect on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/emilyjoannwilkins/

Mentioned

• The Retainer Trap: Why Recurring Revenue Isn’t Freedom
• Emily Wilkins on How Niching Down and Owning That Niche Allowed Her Business to Thrive 

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price

These past few weeks, I’ve been talking about the pros and cons of different business models that are common for expert-based businesses. I’ve tried lots of different models, so I know firsthand the challenges of trying to make a business work with a model that may or may not fit with your business goals.

We’ve gone over running a business with a team and a business selling low-ticket digital products. Today, I’m digging into the final model for expert-based business owners, which I’m obviously a big fan of, the No BS Model.

This is for experts who want to sell their services at a premium rate and who are more interested in having freedom and flexibility in their lives than scaling up as much as you possibly can. 

If you want a business that’s built for freedom, flexibility, and puts you on solid ground to grow in new directions, let’s get into it.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The core constraints that are the basis of the No BS Model
• The formula that lets you calculate exactly what to charge for your services 
• How the No BS sales process positions you as an expert advisor 
• Why dedicated time and strategies for marketing is a core piece of the No BS Model
• What’s amazing about being a solo expert using the No BS Model, and the drawbacks of being solo
• How the No BS Model lays the foundation for moving to other business models

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price