No BS Mastery Podcast

I was recently visiting some old podcast episodes and I found a few gem moments in our conversations that I want to replay for you now and elaborate on a little bit.

The first one that really stood out to me was a conversation I had back in June with Amie Sheridan in episode 6 (you can listen to the full episode here.) We were talking about something that really hits the nail on the head when it comes to the challenges we face as entrepreneurs: the experience of doing something new over and over and over again.

It feels like as an entrepreneur, I am pushing myself off of a cliff almost daily and having to grow wings on the way down—and that's by design. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly growing as people and also looking for ways to evolve our businesses. Because if your business is not growing and changing and evolving, then it's going to be stale and stagnant.

Marketing is changing constantly, and if you're not able to adapt, if you don't get comfortable with change, your business is going to go out of business at some point. As somebody who does a lot of marketing, I am at the forefront of all of this. I'm constantly trying new things and changing and having to let go of things that I've learned.

I mean, doing something new is always a challenge. By definition, you’re doing something that you've never done before. You're not going to be very good at something the first time around. You're very likely going to make mistakes. You're very likely going to fail at it.

But if you're an entrepreneur, you're going to have to brush yourself off and get up and do it again until you figure it out. I think what makes somebody a great entrepreneur is getting comfortable being in that uncertainty, because if you let those failures beat you down emotionally or mentally, or even physically, you'll never have the strength to get back up and try something new again.

Tune into this episode to hear:

And listen to Episode 6: Doing Something For The First Time May Be Hard But It Gets Better and You Win All Along the Way, with Amie Sheridan

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Ever felt like your marketing and copy was falling on deaf ears?

No clicks, no buys, no nothing. It sucks when a new product launch or campaign doesn’t go the way you want. Your sales fall flat and so does your spirit.

Of course, there’s another side to this: a world where you find the perfect words that connect with your clients by getting inside their head and they listen to every word you say and buy the things you make.

But how do you find the right words to use to get their attention?

Today’s guest is all about eavesdropping on your clients online. By learning the language they already use, it gives you insight into what will get their attention. It’s all about that specific language about a specific experience that your clients are thinking about that’s going to get them to notice you and listen to you when you speak.

Lee Rowley is The Emperor of Words. He’s also an odd duck. On one hand, he's one of the most sycophantically adored copywriters in the English-speaking world, revered for creating copy that subtly lingers in a buyer's mindspace until they HAVE to take action.

On another, he's a prolific spouter of quasi-Zen poppycock who knows all too well the sound of one hand clapping. And on a third hand (consider it an evolutionary spandrel), he's just a salty middle-aged sideshow clown keeping the Internet awash in guilty giggles. He'll teach you who your daddy is, that's for sure (and you'll probably be a better marketer, too).

Tune into this episode to hear:

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Creating culture in your business comes down to WHO you hire. Even if it’s just you right now, it’s SUPER helpful to think about what kind of culture you want to create in your business.

Think about it:

Are you a work-hard, play-hard kind of company?

Are you a slow and steady, balanced place to work?

What do you WANT your business to be like? Because you can make it happen NOW if you want.

I used to mindlessly roll out of bed and right into emails and had no separation between work and life. Now that I have clear boundaries, I get MORE work done—not less.

At some point I realized you can implement your goals for what you want your company culture to be EVEN when you are just one person or maybe two. And if you do that, when you ARE ready to hire you’ll be much clearer on the kind of people you are looking for and how they will help you grow the business you want.

On today’s episode I’m speaking with HR Rule Breaker, badass business owner Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon.

Once I tell you about Nicole’s business you’ll wonder why YOU didn’t niche here. Her company, Banana Pepper HR, works exclusively with independent luxury hospitality brands, private properties, and boutique hotels in the Caribbean*—smart right?*

Nicole is actually also our client, as in we designed her brand and website, and like most of the people we attract, she brings high-level expertise in a number of categories to her work which is what makes her so special.

And that’s why she has some fancy clients, including Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island hotel and private estates on Moskito Island.

You’re gonna love Nicole, and I think you’ll get a lot out of her discussion about how to find the right people to hire, and how you should look at hiring and building a team. Even if you don’t want employees, which you know I have been against for years, hiring great contractors to outsource to is critical to freeing up your time, so I know this will be valuable for you to start thinking about things differently.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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When you think about your brand, how referable is it?

What makes a referable brand, you might ask? Point blank, it’s a brand that is easy to share with others. WHAT you do and WHO you serve is crystal clear—and it’s all wrapped up in a short sentence.

When I changed my business from “selling branding” to “selling 1-3 day brandups,” the referrals flowed to me like water in a way they never did before. That’s not an exaggeration!

Today’s guest is an expert in creating referable brands. This is simple but not easy stuff and I’m so grateful to have my old friend from my networking days on the podcast today to share some simple ways that will make a WORLD of difference in your business.

Michael Roderick is not only the KING of networking and connecting but he’s also the CEO of Small Pond Enterprises which helps thoughtful givers become thought leaders by making their brands referable, their messaging memorable, and their ideas unforgettable.

He is also the host of the podcast Access to Anyone which shows how you can get to know anyone you want in business and in life using time-tested relationship-building principles. And his background is pretty unique—he went from a high school English teacher to a Broadway Producer in under two years until shifting into the entrepreneur he is today.

As you’ll hear in today’s episode, if you work on the referability of your brand, that might just be your next step in showing your business who’s boss.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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We hear stories about how we should be, what our business should look like, what we should look like every day.

But how are those messages hindering your ability to break out and build the business you really want?

I designed my whole business, Worstofall Design, to help me truly embrace my vision for myself and my life. This helped me break free from doing things "the way things are supposed to be done" and instead create a life that jives with who I truly am and what I want.

I've found that breaking so-called rules is where the differentiation often lies.

But if you're trying so hard to do everything "right" you might be missing the opportunities that are right in front of you.

And, truly, there are no real rules, they're just stories, and the sooner you ignore them and listen to what you REALLY want, the more authentic your brand will be.

On today's episode, I'm speaking with the fabulous founder of Rebelle, rule breaker, and badass business owner, Shannon Siriano Greenwood.

I first met Shannon when she invited me to speak at Rebelle Con back in 2018 and we hit it off immediately. She's a magnetic personality which serves her well when building her Rebelle brand and community and I was so excited to have a reason to catch up with her on this podcast.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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Building out a new arm of your business in the middle of a pandemic is no small feat-but sometimes it's necessary.

In recent episodes, we've talked to different badass business owners who transformed or pivoted their businesses in response to COVID. They shared why they pivoted, how they did it, and how they're doing now.

Today's guest, Ben Potts, is another living example of how you can alter your business to meet your needs and your clients right now-and be a badass business owner all at the same time.

Interestingly, Ben was able to seamlessly open a consulting company because he was already a true expert-spending decades learning every inch of the business and meeting so many people.

As you'll hear, when you're consulting and before you've launched any sort of marketing, your first clients are going to be people that you already know-or people that they know! That's why it's essential to reach out to everyone you know that might be interested in what you're offering.

In this episode, Ben and I are going to dive into the method behind developing and launching his new program, Better Bar menu, and how he created a lucrative business before doing any kind of marketing.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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We ALL tell ourselves stories. Usually they’re rooted in our childhood and how we were raised. Those very stories influence us in our everyday lives—and in our businesses—from how we think about money and relationships to how we relate to the world around us.

For a moment, think about the biggest stories that you carry with you. What do you believe to be true about you? And how are those stories playing out in your business right now?

I have found that once you identify the stories that are holding you back, you can actually lean into your business MORE.

For me, I realized that shaking myself loose from the fear of what other people think of me was a big reason why I built a whole business about standing out and not caring what everyone thinks. I realized that allows me to lean into following my path EVEN MORE.

On this episode, I’m speaking with storyteller, publisher, writer and badass business owner, Max Miller. I met Max years ago when we were both involved in a program about using live events and speaking to promote your message, and we connected on so many levels that we have stayed in touch.

Max has ghostwritten bestsellers for 6 and 7-figure earners. Over 15 years Max has refined his signature Magnetic Messaging Method to help experts and experienced leaders create successful enterprises and movements by leveraging books, media, and other authority platforms.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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2020 was challenging for SO many entrepreneurs. For service-based business owners working with other people face to face, life turned on its head back in March.

It is NOT easy to transform your business. It’s even harder to truly thrive—but today’s guest did just that in the wake of the pandemic.

Today, I’m catching up with an old client who became a friend of mine, which actually happens quite a bit—badass business owner, Kristina Semos.

You might remember her from my book, Badass Your Brand, where I shared the rebrand we did for her back in 2016. Kristina went from charging hourly and hauling butt around NYC to meet students 7 days a week to selling a lead product that positioned her as an expert and packaged services that she started delivering almost entirely remotely… ONLY 4 days a week!

Kristina owns Ivy Lounge Test Prep®, where she helps high schoolers around the globe get into the colleges of their dreams with high-end private tutoring for the SATs, ACTs and college essays.

This new model became so profitable that Kristina ended up having extra time to play with. She ended up opening a second business based on her decades-long passion for astrology and turned it into her second business, AstroOils®.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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Think about a group, organization, or—yes—even a cult that you find repulsive yet seem to attract a TON of attention.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t like, look at what they’re doing that engages their audience that turns them into (and sometimes psychotically) loyal fans.

Any marketing strategy that is used for bad can also be wielded for good. That’s why, as entrepreneurs, we need to be responsible in how we use these tactics to ultimately create MORE value in the world.

I believe that it’s our responsibility to drown out those that use these tactics to just make money and sell snake oil. If you’re selling something that can truly help other people, it’s your responsibility to do what it takes to be seen by your audience so they know you exist.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for most people who think self-promotion is icky… but if you don’t embrace it you’ll be stuck as the best-kept secret and those snake oil salesman will be the ones your audience buys from.

And that’s no good for anyone.

On today’s episode I’m excited to have fellow marketer, owner of marketing company Micro Fame Media, and now about to be published author, business badass Michael F. Schein!

I always love getting together with Michael. He’s such a creative thinker, an artist at heart and yet has a marketer’s mind. He’s one of those people who’s genuinely curious and interested in ideas and books. I always walk away with new inspiration and new info when I talk to him so I know you’ll enjoy this conversation.

We’re also here to celebrate the release of Michael’s brand new book, The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers, releasing on January 12th, 2021, with McGraw Hill!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone and Happy New Year if you’re listening to this later!

Welcome to the third and final installment (for now!) of my interview with my hubby and business partner, Steve Wasterval.

In part one, Steve shared the mindset shift going from an artist to an artist who makes a sustainable living with his art through

In part two, we talked about how to build an audience and sustainable business from your creative work.

Today, we’re going to focus on our company, Worstofall Design, and how we evolved from trying to build a classic agency model business to the intensive model we have today. This model makes us a lot of money through short, intensive projects and gives us the freedom we crave to spend time doing all the other things we love to do!

Obviously, I am talking about this all the time but Steve will share his perspective on the journey as the creative, times that he was resistant to the changes I was trying to implement, which I’m sure any creatives listening will be able to relate to, and how and why he evolved and shifted to embrace this model and really sees it as the key to being able to be the free, creative artists that he wants.

Tune into this episode to hear:

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