Onward Nation

Doug Parker has led Repair My Credit Now Services, Inc. from its inception as a small sole proprietorship to its 2008, 2009, and 2010 selection by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Ranked No. 408 in '08 on the Inc. 5000 list, Repair My Credit Now has risen to become a major employer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is recognized nationally as a leader in the financial services industry. Doug is also the host of the brilliant radio show and podcast, Ambitious Radio.

Doug uses Outlook to organize his schedule -- review your calendar every day to keep your vital priorities on track. ONWARD!

Getting rest is a huge deal -- Doug gets at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

Doug's business was investigated by the Federal Trade Commission -- and Doug tells the whole story here.

"Be resilient -- make decisions -- and correct course."

"If you just help enough people get what they want in life -- you will get what you want in life."

I would have hired lawyers a lot sooner.

Have a clearly defined vision and stick to it.

An individual would be great at customer service.

1. Begin with the end in mind in terms of an exit
2. Do things you like to do

• Website: www.repairmycreditnow.com
• Email: [email protected]

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner. Thank you for taking the time to be here with me for today's solocast — cannot wait to jump into the lesson today — when I wrote out my thoughts to share with you this morning — my pen couldn't move fast enough on the paper and I started getting cramps in my hand.

Perhaps that is a sign that today's message is something deeply personal to me — and — really gets me totally fired up.

We're going to talk today about quitting!

Quitting in life, quitting in business, quitting on family — quitting in all its shapes and sizes. It breaks my heart when I see it happen. People who possess an abundance of God-given talent but don't apply it.

It's tragic.

But first…before we dig in…I want to thank you to all of our new listeners to Onward Nation. I appreciate you being here.

Our daily downloads continue to rise — the encouragement we receive through social media — and all of the wonderful emails — are just off-the-charts, Onward Nation. So thank you very much for your kind words.

We are going to be here for a very very very long time — and I greatly appreciate you walking alongside us on this journey.

So, if by chance this happens to be your first episode of Onward Nation — or perhaps your first solocast from me…let me take a brief moment to share some context and then I'll jump into today's lesson.

Once a week, I fly solo for an episode without a guest. I call it a solocast. And I started doing that because I had a conversation with one of my mentors and he said to me…

"Stephen, Onward Nation is great and it is wonderful how you always put the spotlight on the business owners — the incredible guests on your show – but I want to know more about what you think — what your path has been — tell me more about what you think about the same questions you ask your guests."

And I thought — wow — that is a really good question — but it really pushed my comfort zone. Although as I thought about his question — I realized this would be an opportunity to add and share value with you, Onward Nation, in a completely different way.

So I accepted his challenge – and I have to say — I really LOVE preparing for and delivering my weekly solocasts. It gives me an opportunity to really dig deep into a topic or business issue – strategies and ideas – recipes I have learned that you can then take and apply to your business right away to make it more systematic, predictable, repeatable, and measurable.

That gets me so fired up.

And again…if you're listening to Onward Nation now for the first time…I'll briefly introduce myself to provide some context to the voice behind the microphone.

Hi…I'm Stephen Woessner and I'm the host of Onward Nation – but – when I am not interviewing today's top business owners, I am the CEO of Predictive ROI…a digital marketing agency based in Wisconsin. Now, I don't particularly like the label of digital marketing agency because Predictive ROI does so much more than digital marketing.

What makes us truly unique…is our ability to predict a client's increase in sales as a direct result of our work…their actual financial return on investment in the form of dollars and cents…and then we take it further than any other company in our industry by guaranteeing our performance…or our work is free.

And because of that – we find ourselves deep inside a client's systems, inventory, sales team, and all sorts of business development processes.

I love the problem-solving work we do – it oftentimes reminds me of my days of troubleshooting when I was a missile technician working inside nuclear missiles silos on the prairies of South Dakota while I was in the Air Force many years ago. I have been in digital marketing since the advent of the commercial Internet.

I am the bestselling author of two books in the area, I spent nearly 6 years at the University of Wisconsin – at the La Crosse campus, and I taught throughout the state include the UW-Madison School of Business, and my business building insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, Forbes, SUCCESS, The Washington Post and some other media.

And I am currently working on my third book. My agent is negotiating with publishers right now and I think we are pretty close to being able to share some awesome news! I will keep you posted for sure, Onward Nation.

Okay, let's jump into today's lesson.

Today I'm going to introduce you to one of the most influential mentors in my life…he is someone you have likely never read about, never heard of, never quoted…in fact…one the surface…most people might think he led a rather ordinary life because his name was never up in lights.

And I'm going to talk to you about something I learned from him that I will never, ever forget.

Dr. Sharon Livingston is a natural born interviewer and trainer. She learned early on to engage with others by asking them questions and helping them to reveal their stories. She uses this ability to train coaches to best identify their strengths and specialties so they can inspire others. She has personally interviewed over 60,000 people and trained hundreds of coaches.

Sharon exercises first thing every morning while listening to audios -- start off every morning by working off excess anxiety. ONWARD!

Allow yourself to be excited about the day -- Sharon wakes up every morning excited about what the day is going to bring.

Sharon's business was severely impacted by 9/11 -- and Sharon tells the whole story here.

"Put your own ego aside and really listen to what people need."

"Take full responsibility."

I would go back to not knowing anything.

An individual would listen to what I was trying to accomplish and do what they can to help me accomplish that.

1. Hire a business coach
2. Get an accountability partner
3. Join a mastermind group
4. Have a specialty

• Website: coachcertificationalliance.com
• Website: www.takethecoachingtest.com
• Phone: (603)505-5000

Corinna Essa is known internationally as the go-to person when it comes to social media marketing. She was raised in Greece and at the age of 17, left to London to study television production only to have her dreams shattered as she discovered the very unstable nature of the industry and the myth of careers. Corinna then decided enough was enough and began her journey online. Quickly discovering a few powerful strategies that would allow her to leverage the power of social media and the Internet, Corinna started using Twitter to market products. Within 3 weeks, she had replaced her full-time income working only 2 hours a day. Corinna now owns a social media marketing company helping businesses around the world leverage the power of social media without doing any of the legwork. She shares her groundbreaking strategies to people around the world get consistent returns from their social media marketing efforts.

Corinna exercises right away in the morning and meditates in the afternoon -- care for yourself first. ONWARD!

Learn something new every single day -- Corinna makes personal development a daily priority.

Corinna's business was thriving but her life was suffering -- and Corinna tells the whole story here.

"Sales skills -- period."

"Money is always outside your comfort zone."

I would have hired my first team member faster.

Build a mailing list -- a mailing list gives you a license to print money.

An individual would have a great work ethic.

1. Assemble your audience
2. Never assume you know what your audience wants

• Website: www.socialmediaworldwide.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SMWonline
• Twitter: twitter.com/smwonline

Perry Marshall is one of the world's most expensive and sought-after business consultants. Clients seek his ability to integrate engineering, sales, mathematics, biology, art, and psychology. He has launched two online revolutions. He pioneered many best practices in paid search and wrote the world's bestselling book on web advertising, Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords. More recently, he's turned 80/20 into a verb. 80/20 is not just a fact about your business, it's action you take on your business. 80/20 is the central lever for every great strategy. His book "80/20 Sales & Marketing" is mandatory in many growing companies. He is referenced in dozens of influential business books by authors like Jay Conrad Levinson, Mark Joyner, Joel Comm, and Mari Smith. He's shared the stage with Barbara Corcoran, Brian Tracy, and Les Brown, having consulted in over 300 industries.

Perry understands that the world is exponential and focuses on the right things — there are $10/hour jobs, $100/hour jobs, and $1000/hour jobs. ONWARD!

Exercise your creative and spiritual muscles — Perry prays and journals for an hour before he does anything else.

Perry had a bunch of customers vanish overnight — and Perry tells the whole story here.

"Wisdom and discernment."

"Inside every 80/20 is another 80/20."

Joe Woodard is an author, consultant, Intuit contractor, and national speaker. He has trained over 75,000 accounting professionals in practice development, changing technology trends, and how to maximize the use of QuickBooks. Joe regularly publishes articles for Intuit publications and for Insightful Accountant. Joe is consistently featured in Accounting Today and AccountingWEB. Joe heads up the Woodard Companies, which include: Woodard Events, Woodard Consulting, Woodard Network, and Insightful Accountant. In 2012, 2014 and 2015, Joe was recognized by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Influencers within the accounting profession.

Joe believes in the four D's from David Allen's "Getting Things Done" -- Do It, Delegate It, Delete It, Defer It. ONWARD!

Begin with the end in mind -- Joe starts each day with knowing the end result he wants to accomplish and building a plan to accomplish it.

Joe thought he had to give up what he loved doing for his family -- and Joe tells the whole story here.

"Better understand metrics."

"Delegate authority -- not just tasks."

I would have prioritized anything that creates collaboration between team members.

Make sure your end is tied to some greater end.

An individual would lean appropriately on their fellow team members.

1. Find a mentor
2. Stay harmonized with your personal life
3. The dread of a thing is always worse than the thing itself

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.woodard.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…I'm Stephen Woessner. It is always an honor and privilege to be back here with you, Onward Nation. Thank you for being so awesome and for being here this morning for today's solocast.

For our time together this morning — we are going to revisit a critical lesson. A lesson that I re-learned through several recent conversations with a couple of business owners and a third person who was considering becoming an entrepreneur — but then quit — he gave up on his dream before he had even truly started.

The lesson is all about learning how to conquer — how to crush — how to rip out of your consciousness — what's called the Imposter Syndrome.

Onward Nation, the syndrome is unrelenting — it does not tire — it knows all of your weaknesses — and — how best to mask your strengths.

And if you let it…the Imposter Syndrome will cheat you out of your destiny. It will cheat you out of your abundance of God-given talent. And it will cheat you out of being the owner of the thriving, wonderful, game-changing business you have always wanted to lead.

So buckle in Onward Nation…we're going for a dive…a deep dive into the Imposter Syndrome. On this journey, I will share some definitions, some context for when the Imposter Syndrome was discovered, how you can avoid it, as well as several examples of the syndrome hard at work — so that you can spot it when it tries to sneak up on you.

The examples I will share with you are all intended to give you greater context — and — to help you recognize how the seemingly innocent thoughts, or a minor procrastination, can change the course of your destiny without you even realizing it.

Why?

Because these seemingly innocent thoughts are actually your Secret Enemy — the Imposter Syndrome hard at work trying to derail you.

So don't let it, Onward Nation. Let this discussion be your guide. It is a fact…your thoughts become your actions — and your actions — become your destiny.

Here we go, Onward Nation!

Leanne started her marketing agency called Stitchcraft Marketing over 5 years ago — and she did that to meet the every changing needs of the yarn and craft industries. Leanne and her team work with manufacturers within the fiber arts industry across the country to increase website traffic, build their brand and platform, and ultimately…to increase sales.

Leanne begins her day by doing a workout and working on her physical therapy due to a recent hip surgery -- you only have one body. ONWARD!

"Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way, but recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but to surmount our difficulties." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach

Success is more than dollar signs -- it's the connections you have with other people.

Leanne in learning everything you can about fear -- and Leanne tells the reasons why here.

An "A player" is someone who can see what is coming next, they're resilient, has initiative, and is passionate.

1. Find the teachable moment
2. Use the "sandwich" technique

1. Try to build on the one thing you know very well
2. Be in all the places where your niche knowledge is valued

1. Carve out the time for you to grow as a business owner
2. Surround yourself with those who know more than you in the areas you feel deficient

• Website: stitchcraftmarketing.com
• Email: [email protected]

Adam Hergenrother, a born and raised Vermonter, is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hergenrother Enterprises, which includes Keller Williams Realty Vermont, Hergenrother Realty Group, BlackRock Construction, Hergenrother Capital, and Hergenrother Foundation. In less than seven years, Adam has built these rapidly growing companies through his commitment to thinking big and never giving up. Fearless and purposeful; unconventional and systematic, Adam sets a seemingly impossible goal then quickly gets to work on closing the gap to achieve it – – no limits, no regrets. Through Adam's bold vision, Hergenrother Enterprises is developing leaders and building businesses worldwide.

Adam has a very specific and very detailed morning routine -- how you start your day is so important for where you end up. ONWARD!

The standards in your life affect your ability to grow -- Adam sets standards in every area of his life.

Adam hired a pathological liar that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and Adam tells the whole story here.

"You've got to be willing to fail as fast as possible."

"Understand that fear is going to be with you every step of the way."

I would have a system for scaling the recruiting and hiring people.

Personal development -- for you and your entire team.

1. Resist the urge to pay yourself more
2. Leverage early and often
3. Think globally and exponentially

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/herglife
• Website: herglife.com
• Website: www.hergtraining.com

Aaron Walker is without question a veteran entrepreneur. Starting his first business at 18 and selling to a Fortune 500 company nine short years later demonstrates Aaron's passion for succeeding. Unwilling to rest on past success, Aaron started, bought and sold eight successful companies over the past 36 years. Having a strong desire for personal development has kept Aaron in a weekly mastermind group for more than a decade with Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, Ken Abraham, and seven other notable Nashvillians. Aaron has enjoyed a 35-year marriage with his beautiful wife, Robin. Today Aaron spends the majority of his time HELPING MEN GROW IN SUCCESS AND SIGNIFICANCE as the president and founder of VIEW FROM THE TOP, A PREMIER life and business coaching RESOURCE.

Aaron begins his day by sitting quietly while drinking water or coffee and then spends an hour to and hour and half praying and reading scripture -- keep a regular routine. ONWARD!

Can't couldn't do it and could did it all. Fear missing an opportunity more than you fear failure.

Success is relationships -- at the end of the day, it's all that matters.

Aaron believes you need to just stop listening to the naysayers -- and Aaron tells the reasons why here.

An "A player" has the mindset of being an "A Player."

1. Be a constant student -- constantly work on your personal development

1. Allow your senior leadership to evaluate you
2. Don't stay in ivory tower -- go out where the work is being performed
3. Require personal development

• Website: www.viewfromthetop.com
• Free gift for Onward Nation listeners: www.viewfromthetop.com/onward