No BS Mastery Podcast

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

In this week's episode of No BS Mastery, I'm pulling back the curtain on the "passive income digital product" dream — the good, the messy, and the stuff nobody warns you about.

Because it’s a business model that I hear a lot of people gravitating towards when they’re struggling financially: the one to many model. It might be a digital product or a course, and even though those can be very different to implement, the basic principles and pitfalls are similar. 

I've sold digital products ranging from $100 to $30,000+. I've done the funnels, the webinars, the ad spend, the course rewrites. I know this world inside and out — and I want you to go into it (if you choose to) with both eyes wide open.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why the people who want to hire you are NOT the same people who'll buy your course (I learned this the hard way after thousands of sales and only ONE client crossover)
• Why there is no such thing as truly set it and forget it passive income
• Why selling a digital product is not the answer to struggling to make sales for your services
• What you need to know about profitability, scale, and your audience before you create a digital product

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

At some point, you look at your workload and think: “I just need help.” 

Here’s the truth most people won’t tell you: Hiring employees doesn’t automatically give you more freedom or more profit. In fact, if you don’t fully understand the business model you’re stepping into, it can do the exact opposite.

No one business model is right for everyone and every business model has its benefits and drawbacks. I’ve seen way too many small business owners dip their toes into a bunch of different business models without really thinking through what it entails or why they’re doing it. 

Over the years, I’ve run my business following three different business models. So this month, I’m going to break those models down and get really candid about the pros and cons, to help you make an informed choice about a model that fits your business and your goals. 

In this episode, I discuss the employee model.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why feeling like you need help isn’t the same as being ready for employees
• The systems, processes (and more) that you need before you bring on employees
• How employees change the kinds of projects you can take on and how scalable your business can be
• The top three challenges owners face with the employee model 

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

I talk all the time about the power of using the Lead Product process instead of writing free proposals.

But what if someone is ready to hire you right from the get-go, should you skip the LP? Wouldn’t doing the LP slow down the whole process and even put you at risk of losing the client?

All this month, I’ve been answering some of the most common questions I got during my recent three-day bootcamp. And this one is a genuine dilemma. Why would you steer someone who’s ready to roll on a big project to the much less expensive lead product?

In this episode, I break down why I never, ever skip the Lead Product, no matter who the client is.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why even your most qualified, ready-to-buy clients still need a “diagnosis” first
• The real reason the lead product makes your projects faster, easier, and more profitable
• How to position this step so it feels like a natural next move—not a frustrating detour
• And the surprising way saying “not yet” actually builds more trust (not less)

Mentioned:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program

Resources:

• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price

Predictable income. Recurring revenue. Long-term client relationships. These are the reasons why retainer clients seem so appealing. Who wants to start from zero every month when you could have a committed client?

But the truth is retainer clients don’t actually provide, let alone ensure, financial stability. They might actually keep you from having the kind of business and freedom you really want.

In this episode, I talk about why retainers seem so appealing, and how they’re actually holding you back. 

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why retainers feel like the “safe” option (and why that’s misleading)
• The hidden reason retainers are almost always less profitable than project work
• The real danger: what happens when one (or all) of those clients leave
• How to create predictable income without relying on retainers
• What to do if you already have retainer clients (don’t panic—no burning bridges required)

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

What do I do when a client keeps changing their mind? 

What do I do when we're halfway through a project and they want to add five more things? 

What do I do when I present a price to a prospect and they get sticker shock and start trying negotiating with me or taking things out?

These were the kinds of questions I heard in the Q & A sessions during a recent 3-day workshop. And while I can and did give advice on what to do in those specific situations, wouldn't it be better to prevent them from happening in the first place?

Anything I could tell you to do to fix those problems as they come up is just a Band-Aid. You have to go back to the source if you don’t want to keep running into them over and over again with future clients. And the source of the problem isn’t your clients. It’s your process. 

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why so-called “difficult clients” are usually created before the project even starts
• The real reason scope creep and endless back-and-forth keep happening
• How to eliminate sticker shock (without awkward sales conversations)
• What to put in place before you start a project to avoid burnout later
• How a simple shift in your process can completely change your client experience

Mentioned:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: https://nobsmastery.com/program
• No BS Clients Lab: https://nobsclientslab.com/

Resources:

• Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand - https://www.badassyourbrand.com/
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: https://join.nobsmastery.com/agency-mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™ - http://nobsmastery.com/price