Onward Nation

Joe Schmit is an author, award-winning broadcaster, community leader, and popular keynote speaker. As a sports broadcaster, he has covered every major sporting event in the past three decades and has interviewed many of the biggest names in sports. He joined KSTP-TV in Minneapolis-St. Paul in 1985 and has won 17 Emmys from the National Television Academy. He was also honored with a National Headliner Award in 2001. Joe is also a regular on 1500 ESPN radio. His award-winning book, "Silent Impact-Stories of Influence Through Purpose, Persistence and Passion" is now in its 4th printing.

Joe writes up a list of tasks to do each day -- do the worst task you have to do first. ONWARD!

Prepare for tomorrow today -- Joe begins his list of tasks the night before.

Joe suddenly found his job disappear -- and Joe tells the whole story here.

"Positive reinforcement is the essence of great leadership."

"You never know when you're going to be that person that can lift someone up."

1. Never, ever give up
2. Learn to say no and figure out what works for you
3. Overdeliver
4. Show them your heart

• Website: joeschmit.com
• Book: "Silent Impact: Stories of Influence through Purpose, Persistence, & Passion"

Ross Bernstein is a best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books and an award-winning Hall of Fame business speaker who has keynoted conferences for Fortune 500 companies on four continents for audiences as large as 10,000 people. Ross and his books have been featured on thousands of television and radio programs including CNN, ESPN, FOX News, and CBS This Morning, as well as in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today.

Ross works smarter -- not harder -- but work hard when you have to. ONWARD!

Stay focused on what you're good at -- Ross focuses on his keynotes and ignores social media.

Ross was a walk on to the Minnesota Gophers hockey team and got cut -- and Ross tells the whole story here.

"Philanthropy isn't just good purpose -- it's good business."

1. Find your currency
2. Give unconditionally
3. Gather video testimonials
4. Focus

• Website: rossbernstein.com
• Twitter: @rossbernstein

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner. Thank you very much for taking time to be here — and — I gotta say — I am so excited about the lesson we are going to dig deep into this morning.

Why am I so excited?

Because we're going to dig deep into how to specifically identify — how to get a crystal clear view of your client avatar — the people who you want to be doing business with — and through this discussion — I will remove all of the mystic dark magic voodoo — and how to give him or her a name — the questions you should be asking — and — I will share with you — the single most powerful four-letter word you can use when attempting to connect with these key people.

We also going to dig into "Your Dream 50".

Who are they — why they matter to you — and once you know — what you should do with your Dream 50 list. To help cement the importance of this lesson into place — I will share a painful and very costly mistake that I made, which could have devastated or even ruined our business because I didn't pay attention to the lessons that were right smack in front of me. It was sure one heck of a tuition payment, Onward Nation!

And I structured today's topic so that it connects — so it builds upon — the Fill Your Sales Pipeline lesson we covered together in Episode 298, where we went an inch wide and a mile deep into the step-by-step recipe my Predictive ROI team uses to generate highly qualified leads for our clients.

Let's dive in.

Earl Bell is the Principal of EARLBELL.com and author of Winning in Baseball and Business, Transforming Little League Principles into Major League Profits for Your Company. Earl's mission is to inspire and teach leaders who want to gain a competitive edge in the game of business so they can make more money and have more fun.

Earl takes a look at his daily and weekly calendar at the end of every night -- get the top 2-3 things done that you need to get done every day. ONWARD!

Be disciplined and have focus -- Earl isolates himself in his home office and focuses on what he needs to accomplish.

Earl spent a lot of time trying to serve clients he wasn't equipped to serve well -- and Earl tells the whole story here.

"Learn how to deliver on a consistent basis what your clients really want."

"If you want to succeed in business, learn what your customers want and give it to them."

I would have gone back and inserted a most effective filter for finding the right clients.

Understand what you do well -- and what you don't do well.

An individual would buy into your beliefs, values, and culture from the very beginning.

1. Figure out how to create more lifetime clients
2. Figure out how to build a super team of employees that have fun delivering awesome experiences that ultimately lead to lifetime clients
3. Focus on systematizing everything that works in your business and eliminating everything that doesn't work

• Website: www.earlbell.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @Earl_Bell
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/earlbell

Jay Irwin is an adventurous soul who is determined to inspire people through wilderness experiences. During his 23-year career in the computer software industry, Jay created entrepreneurial initiatives within some of the largest software companies in the world. After a year-long sabbatical, Jay now combines his love of adventure with his desire to make a difference in the lives of others. He teaches audiences, from inner-city youth to executives, how to bring the gifts learned from wilderness experiences into daily life to create powerful and long-lasting change. He is the owner of CBST Adventures where he takes clients out of their comfort zone so they can experience the metaphors of nature.

Jay begins his day with a specific morning routine -- start and finish your day the same every day. ONWARD!

Set up the time to work with zero distractions -- Jay shuts down for 90 minutes and focuses on his most vital priority.

Jay went from $1 million net worth to almost bankrupt -- and Jay tells the whole story here.

"Systemization and delegation."

"Live without regret."

I would have had a financial system for viewing profitability sooner.

1. Work on open communication with your team
2. Assume positive intent
3. Create a foundation of trust
4. Gain a commitment around your organization's goals
5. Have an accountability system in place
6. Focus on the result outcomes

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: cbstadventures.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jayirwin66

Jay Baer, CSP is the world's most retweeted person among digital marketers. He is a business strategist, keynote speaker, and the New York Times best-selling author of five books including "Hug Your Haters." Jay has advised more than 700 companies including Caterpillar, Nike, Allstate, The United Nations and 32 of the FORTUNE 500. He is the founder of Convince & Convert, a strategy consulting firm that helps companies gain and keep more customers through the intersection of technology, social media, and customer service. His Convince & Convert Media division owns the world's #1 content marketing blog, the world's top marketing podcast, and many other education resources for business owners and executives. Jay is the creator of five multi-million dollar companies, he is an active venture capitalist, and technology advisor, as well, Onward Nation…an avid tequila collector and certified barbecue judge.

Jay believes in this philosophy -- if you don't say "Hell yes!" -- you must say no. ONWARD!

Be very reachable -- Jay responds to email within minutes.

Jay's weakness is valuing ideas over execution -- and Jay tells the whole story here.

"Lack of fear -- fear holds people back."

"Give your clients your best professional advice -- it's up to them to take it or not."

I would have had more systems to track and measure things from the beginning.

Take everything you know and give it away for free -- one bite at a time.

An individual would think strategically and act fast.

1. Write down your fears
2. Understand the business you're in

• Website: www.convinceandconvert.com
• Twitter: @jaybaer
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbaer
• Website: www.hugyourhaters.com
• (If you buy the book and send Jay the receipt he will send you socks!)

John Pollock doesn't just talk about entrepreneurship he lives it. As the CEO of Financial Gravity, John has grown his business from the dining room table to a national organization of 25 employees and led his company to 700% growth in one year. John is also disrupting industry standards for the better. After seeing the lack of integrated advice for business owners across tax planning, financial services, and business strategy, he created the first national tax firm specifically designed to help entrepreneurs reduce their personal tax liability by an average of $21,000. He is also a frequent contributor to various media outlets, including Fox Radio Network, Forbes, and Amex OPEN Forum.

John does a weekly clarity break once a week -- take time to review your week and plan your next week. ONWARD!

Show up before everyone else -- John gets a lot done before anyone else arrives at the office.

John had trouble trusting his instincts -- and John tells the whole story here.

"Discipline and focus -- it's easy to get sucked into the next thing."

"Find a hole that you're really good at and drive a freight train through it."

1. Focus on the one thing that is your unique genius
2. Stop watching the news

• Free Book: Text "tax book" to 33444
• Website: financialgravity.com
• Twitter: www.johnpollockinc.com

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner.

My hope is that you're having a rock solid awesome Wednesday…and…that you're making consistent and steady progress toward your vital priorities for the week, for the month, for the quarter, for the year, and for your life. Moving toward your goal — even if it seems like your progress is just one inch at a time — movement — and movement forward is vital.

So keep moving forward Onward Nation! Don't ever quit.

And one of the ways for us to stay motivated to continue pushing forward is to have a crystal clear vision of our destination. And I know that sounds cliche — and you may have just rolled your eyes at me — and I get it. We all hear how important goals are — goals for sales, goals for new employees, goals for new markets, new products, goals for this — goals for that.

And I find myself creating goals — new goals — new adventures — new challenges — new ways to push what we are doing to that next level…but rarely — if at all — have I ever considered profit as a goal.

Yeah, seriously, a profit goal.

Like never — at least until recently thanks to the urging and prodding of my certified tax coach, Eric Levenhagen, our guest on Episode 25 of Onward Nation.

Eric's profit-focused lessons to me — more like thumping me over the head with knowledge — consistently — relentlessly actually — finally got through.

He has been teaching and coaching me through the Profit First System — and it is beginning to revolutionize my company. Profit First was created by Mike Michalowicz and the book — the philosophy — the mindset shift behind it — is phenomenal.

You can find the book here.

Aside from my ringing endorsement of Mike's book — I am also pleased to share that Mike will be our guest on Onward Nation Episode 361 — rock solid awesome — just confirmed that yesterday. And Eric — if you are reading — thank you for the wonderful introduction to Mike — much appreciated, my friend.

So for today's solocast…I am going to share — what I hope will be — valuable lessons into a variety of metrics that will help you become more profitable.

Let's dive in.

John Bowen is co-founder of AESNation.com, a rapidly growing community of entrepreneurs dedicated to accelerating their success while making a difference in the world. Three days a week, he hosts the "Accelerating Entrepreneurial Success" podcast featuring revealing, in-depth interviews with today's leading entrepreneurs. A lifelong entrepreneur himself, John is also founder and CEO of Financial Advisor Select, an organization dedicated to helping successful individuals and families make informed decisions by introducing them to top vetted financial advisors in their communities. He is also founder and CEO of CEG Worldwide, where he has helped hundreds of financial advisors build simple and elegant wealth management businesses that make them indispensable to the right affluent clients while improving their profitability and enhancing their lives.

John uses Smartsheet -- you've got to be organized. ONWARD!

Have a plan -- John has two 90-minute sessions where he does specific tasks -- and those 90-minute sessions are set in stone.

John built an office building -- the stock market took a major downturn -- and John tells the whole story here.

"We all need to master marketing -- but we need to nail down that world-class experience first."

"It's cheaper to hire the most expensive person."

I would have used technology much more efficiently.

Deliver a world-class client experience and really focus on the first 100 days.

1. Focus on the client experience
2. Pay yourself first

• Website: www.aesnation.com

Chris McCluskey is frequently cited as the "Father of Christian Coaching." A visionary thought leader, he transitioned out of ownership of the largest Christian psychotherapy practice in Tampa Bay in 1998 and founded what is now the largest distinctly Christian coach training school in the world, the Professional Christian Coaching Institute. A popular keynote speaker, best-selling author, and top-rated podcast host, he lives with his family of nine on their ranch near St. Louis, Missouri.

Chris spends time each morning by reading scripture and meditating -- today is a gift -- treat it that way. ONWARD!

Leaders are readers -- Chris reads a lot -- but not until he does his morning scripture is completely finished.

Chris got bitten by a Lyme-infested tick before Lyme disease was a well-known disease -- and Chris tells the whole story here.

"You must have a mindset of adaptability."

"Work on your business -- not in your business."

I would have systematized my blogging and social media.

1. Contract out what you need done
2. Delegate roles to your contractors
3. Coach and mentor your contractors

• Website: professionalchristiancoachingtoday.com