No BS Mastery Podcast

Do your projects drag on for weeks or even months longer than you planned? Are you constantly chasing clients for deliverables or feedback so you can move forward?

If you are, I bet you’re pretty sick of it. I was too. So I upended the traditional model.

Now one of the core frameworks I teach in the No BS model is the Intensive. Intensives allow you to make more money, deliver more value to your clients, and reclaim your time and freedom.

No more client limbo. No more endless rounds of revisions. No more scope creep.

In this episode, I talk about why Intensives work and how they create more satisfied clients and give you the life you probably wanted when you started your business.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why traditional branding and web projects often drag on for months—and what to do instead
• How Intensives help you deliver more value in less time (while charging more!)
• The exact structure of our $40,000 two-day Brand Up intensives
• The role of the “lead product” (like our Brand Shrink) in setting up a successful intensive
• Real examples of how Intensives increased client satisfaction and our freedom
• What to consider if you want to implement Intensives in your own agency

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Are you tired of meeting with potential clients, putting time and effort into proposals, and not closing the sale – or worse, getting ghosted? 

Maybe you constantly feel like a glorified order-taker and you’re tired of being a pixel pusher.

Today, we’re getting back to basics and talking about why you shouldn’t be giving away your strategy for free and what you need to do instead to get off the client-chasing hamster wheel.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why pitching with free proposals is BS
• How free proposals enable scope creep
• How the lead product positions you as a trusted advisor
• What makes it easier to land premium priced projects
• How to avoid the salesy free discovery call

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Carolyn Herfurth is a friend, colleague, and coach of mine who has helped me transform my business multiple times over the years. She is a genius at spotting opportunities and crafting new revenue streams for successful business owners who want to get to the next level, but don’t see a clear path.

For 22 years, Carolyn has been instrumental in launching over 100 businesses and accelerating the growth of thousands more. Outlier entrepreneurs hire her as their strategic thought partner to make sense of “all the things” and re/innovate their business model for tighter alignment with who they've BECOME since they started out — and for greater impact.

As co-founder of Impostor Syndrome Institute, Carolyn has played a key role in scaling Dr. Valerie Young’s groundbreaking work on impostor syndrome. Carolyn also enjoys delivering presentations and workshops to world class companies like EY, Dyson, Bimbo Bakeries USA, and Everest Reinsurance.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The pivots Carolyn has made in her own career over the last few years 
• Carolyn’s question that changed the trajectory of my business
• How a third party can help you get to the heart of what you want

Learn more about Carolyn Herfurth:

• Website
• BEYOND
• Impostor Syndrome Institute
• Instagram: @carolynherfurth
• Connect on LinkedIn

Mentioned:

• The 5 Pillars: Self-Assessment for the Outlier Entrepreneur

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

One of the hardest parts of being a business owner is that there is no boss. There is nobody to tell you that you’re doing a good job.

When you’re the only person who can pat you on the back and validate that you’re doing the right things, it is so easy to get paralyzed by fear of making the wrong decisions.

This month, I’m sharing key mindset shifts that will help you through the hardest parts of being in business. In this episode, I talk about how indecisiveness thwarts most small business owners, and what you can do to get past the fear and take action.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why waiting for the “right” decision is secretly stalling your business
• The story of one massive flop that ended up being one of my best business lessons
• How to build confidence when no one’s validating your work but you
• Why decisiveness is the not-so-secret sauce behind our most successful clients

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

This month, I’m sharing the big mindset shifts that have helped me through the hardest parts of being in business.

In this episode, I talk about the little mantra that has gotten me through some of the toughest times, from pounding the pavement as a real estate broker to conquering stage fright to starting No BS Agencies: Stupider people have done it.

It’s a little uncouth, I know, but it was an easy way to remind myself that people who aren’t as skilled have succeeded in all of these arenas before me, so I could do it too. And so can you.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why this mantra works
• What will put you ahead of the game

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Cold, hard truth: Building a business is really hard and anyone who tells you differently is lying.

No matter how much you love what you do or how experienced you are, there’s always more to learn, more to figure out, and new fires to put out. And if anyone’s telling you otherwise? Yeah… they’re probably full of it.

It’s been incredibly hard for me too. I have cried so many times with frustration and fear that I wasn’t going to be able to make it work, even after I had successful businesses under my belt. When I started No BS Agencies Mastery, I went through growing pains all over again.

This month, I want to share a few mindset-shifting ideas that I have learned and carried with me that have helped ease some of the difficulty.

In this episode, we’ll talk about the first and foundational mindset shift I want you to make. If it’s going to be hard no matter what, you might as well build the business you actually want.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The kinds of hard work that hurts your business in the long run
• How checklists and admin work make us feel productive without moving the needle
• What the right kind of hard for your business looks like 

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of one of the most anticipated events in the No BS world — our annual in-person retreat in Brooklyn, NY! With 60 students flying in from around the globe, I share what goes into planning an experience that’s equal parts strategic deep dive and soul-fueling celebration.

You'll hear why in-person connection is a game-changer for business growth, how the retreat is intentionally designed to unlock transformation, and yes, how I convinced a huge name and a hero of mine to come speak to our small-but-mighty community (spoiler: it involves a lot of heart and a little chutzpah).

If you’ve ever wondered what makes the No BS retreat feel like a business homecoming or you're craving a clearer path to a freedom-filled, profitable business, this one’s for you.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why I host 60 people at my apartment to kick things off (yes, my bedroom door is open—literally)
• The mindset shifts and strategy breakthroughs we create when we get in the room together
• The big reach we made this year that absolutely paid off
• What past attendees have said about how this retreat transformed their confidence, business, and even led to a TEDx Talk

Mentioned:

• Hillary Weiss on Instagram: @hcweiss
• Talking Shrimp
• Laura Belgray on Instagram: @laurabelgray
• The Fuller Center for Housing
• Seth Godin
• E. 145: Emily Wilkins on How Niching Down and Owning That Niche Allowed Her Business to Thrive
• E. 219: Eleanor Hancock on Making the Big Leap, Changing Everything in Their Business, and Finding the Most Valuable Piece of Any Client Project
• The dilemma of the timid trailblazer | Eleanor Hancock | TEDxBrayford Pool

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

A few weeks ago, I did something that I never thought I would ever do in a million years. It was so out there that I can’t believe that it has come and gone and I did it.

What did I do? I got up on stage as the lead, and only, singer in a rock band.

Am I a singer? Hell no. 

So how on earth did I find myself signing up for the terrifying prospect of singing live in front of a room full of people?

Today I’m going to tell you why I did it and why I’m so glad that I did it not only for myself, but for my business and for all of you.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The real gift of doing things that scare the crap out of you
• Why entrepreneurs need to push their boundaries all the time
• Why it matters to me that I walk the walk and do hard things
• What's better than doing it perfectly

Mentioned:

• When You Bank True Confidence, Anything Is Possible | TED Talk
• E. 11 - Influence, Being Your Brand, and How to Command the Attention of Any Room with Brett Lavender 

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Let’s not sugarcoat it. AI is changing everything. And yes, it’s already coming for your creative agency.

But not everyone is at risk. 

Let's talk about what you need to do in order to protect yourself from AI and any other future tech disruptions.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What we can all learn from the rise of tools like Squarespace, Fiverr, and Canva
• How leaning in to the value of your process sets you apart 
• The key skill that AI can never replicate
• Three essential steps to future-proof your creative business

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

I’m excited to share a conversation with an amazing teacher of mine, the one and only Selena Soo.

Selena is a wonderfully kind and generous person who wants to lift up others by teaching us how to better show up and forge real, rich relationships with each other. 

In this episode, we talk about the insights from her new book Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business.

Selena Soo is a 7-figure business mentor, who helps experts and authors reach millions with their message. Through dozens of multi-6 figure and 7-figure launches, Selena has generated over $13 million in revenue in her first 10 years of business. She has also built more than 400 affiliate and referral partnerships.

An expert in publicity, Selena has helped thousands of entrepreneurs land media, in places that include O, The Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Business Insider, and The Drew Barrymore Show.

A former New Yorker, Selena is living her dream life in sunny Puerto Rico.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why building real, intentional connections is more important than being at every networking event
• How investing time, creativity, and resources into relationships reaps big returns
• Three key phases to seeking and developing a rich relationship
• Simple ways to intentionally give and add value to your relationships
• Selena’s six circles of connection framework that will help you manage relationships

Learn more about Selena Soo:

• Website
• Instagram: @selena_soo
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business

Resources:

• Get the first four chapters of Rich Relationships plus bonus scripts!
• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com