Onward Nation

Randy Long grew up in a family of 6 kids. His dad was a pastor and his mom took care of the kids. His father pastored small churches and so Randy’s family had very little. That encouraged all of the family to work from early ages to buy what they needed, help out the household, and give back to the Lord. Randy worked for many self-employed people and this gave him a great respect for business owners and made him also want to become self-employed. So Randy went into business to provide services to business owners and their families. Randy has also practiced law but his primary focus today is running a business consulting company called Long Business Advisors, where Randy and his team coach business owners, provide BraveHeart Planning, and manage the sale of businesses for those who do not desire to transition their company to the next generation.

Randy makes a list of the top three or four things he needs to do each day -- prioritize and do these things first. ONWARD!

Don't leave out the important parts of your life -- Randy spends quality time with his wife and kids every day.

Randy had to split in a business and it drove away a huge portion of their clients -- and Randy tells the whole story here.

"Business owners need to be continuous learners -- and the need to encourage continuous learning."

"Specialists make more money than generalists."

I wish I had invested in systems that I could plug other professionals into so that they could see things the way I saw them.

Understand and discover the unique abilities of yourself and your team -- and exploit those abilities.

An individual would be self-managed, self-motivated, want to make the entire team successful, and think like an owner.

1. Work in a business that utilizes your own unique ability
2. Build a team that utilizes that uses the team's unique abilities
3. Realize that you and your team continuously need education

• Website: www.longbusinessadvisors.com/

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Rick Enrico is the CEO and Founder of SlideGenius Inc., a presentation design agency with over 500 clients around the world. He is also a marketing and technology serial entrepreneur, having founded companies like Twenty6 Red, Jubaloo, RamAir International, SlideSuite, ShopStir, HF USA, and Juice Media.

Rick optimizes his time by having his assistant handle the scheduling of his phone calls -- utilize what Rick calls "telephone efficiency." ONWARD!

Stop during the day and focus on your breathing -- Rick does this in five minute segments during the day as well during morning meditation.

Rick was heavily leveraged with his own personal capital in his company when the market collapsed -- and Rick tells the whole story here.

"Learn to pause -- business owners say 'yes' too often."

"It's all about the people -- behind every CEO is tens or hundreds of thousands of good people."

I wish I had pursued my business full time -- don't wait to put full energy into your business.

Create an environment where employees can be themselves and have fun -- in a fear-based environment you'll never win.

An individual would be persistent and hyper-focused on attention to detail.

1. Carve out a specific niche -- don't try to be everything to everybody
2. Know your ideal your customer -- be equipped for them
3. Focus on marketing first -- scale sales second

• Website: http://www.slidegenius.com/

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and 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.

In today’s solocast I am going to take you on an even deeper dive of the 8 Money Draining Mistakes than we have ever taken before. In previous solocasts I have singled out a mistake or two -- and gone pretty deep with the recipe on how to fix the mistake -- but today I am going to address all 8 mistakes.

On the Predictive ROI side of our business I see it all the time: Businesses that miss opportunities and waste money online.

Over the past 20 years of conducting academic research and working with clients in the private sector, we have collected tens of thousands of data points that show there are 8 areas where most companies misunderstand online consumer behavior.

These money draining mistakes cost you visitors, leads, conversions, and massive return on your online investment -- but rest assured, Onward Nation -- they are fixable.

So let’s dive into what I mean by the 8 Money Draining Mistakes -- and why they are fixable for any business.

I also created a free 3-part video training series that walks alongside of today’s episode that you can download at predictiveroi.com/3download.

Do you use Google analytics? If not, start now. It’s a dashboard that’s easy to understand, and best of all, it’s free. You’ll discover how many visitors are finding your site, how they’re finding it, and what they’re doing once they get there. From those

statistics, create a baseline for metrics like unique visitors and lead generation. Next, establish S.M.A.R.T. predictives. In Living Your Best Year Ever, Darren Hardy recommends setting goals that are S.M.A.R.T.— specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-sensitive. Apply these qualifiers to your goals for measurements like lead generation and site traffic.

What are you uniquely qualified to provide, and who are you providing it for? We walk all of our clients through an “XYZ exercise” to help them flesh out their value to potential clients. If you can’t clearly articulate why someone should visit your site and buy from you, how can you expect them to take any action?

Fill in the blanks of this XYZ statement: We do ____(x)_____ for _______(y)______ so they can ______(z)_____. Here’s a simple example for a bakery: “We bake quality, gluten-free treats for cookie lovers in University Park so they can enjoy sweets without getting sick.”

Now, post this statement on the left side of your homepage above the fold. (Only about 10 percent of visitors will scroll below that fold on any content page.) Visitors to your site will self-select, saying, “Yes, that’s me, and you have just what I’m looking for!”

When a visitor arrives at your site and immediately leaves without making a single click, that’s a bounce. The typical business website has a bounce rate between 50 and 60 percent. Your goal should be 30 percent or less.

A high bounce rate is the most expensive money drainer. Why? Let’s say you have the standard conversion rate of 2 to 4 percent, and your bounce rate is 50 to 60 percent. If you lowered your bounce rate to 30 percent and still converted 2 to 4 percent of your now 70 percent of visitors, you’d increase your revenue by 42 percent!

Getting your XYZ statement right will help reduce bounce rate. So will reducing visual clutter on your homepage to only three main elements. The Harvard Business Review recently published a story that said more choice results in less action by consumers.

So when you want them to act, be sure you have a clear call to action. Whether the next step is to sign up for a newsletter, register for a webinar, or buy now, make it easy to take. Think of the opt-in or buying process like leading someone down a garden path in the dark. You’ve got to point out each stepping stone as you go.

One of the free videos I prepared for you focuses specifically on bounce rate and the recipe for reducing it. You can access the video series at: predictiveroi.com/3download.

Good SEO requires expanding your site’s meaningful content with these principles in mind:

Select predictive keywords that relate to your site’s themes and have proven performance on search engines. You can create a free account on SEObook.com and use their Keyword Selector Tool for keyword guidance. Look for a variety of niche keywords with 1 million or fewer competitors.

Then include keywords in your page titles, which are the links to your site in Google search results, in your meta keywords, and in your 23-words or less meta description (that sentence or two that runs under your page title on a Google results list).

Limit each page’s content to a single, meaningful topic and keep it between 500 to 1,000 words. Fewer than 500 words will prevent you from including enough keyword mentions, and more than 1,000 will lose visitors’ attention.

We’ve created two client avatars we call Sally and Harry. They’re ambitious business owners who are active learners. However, sometimes they feel like they don’t know what they’re doing — especially in the area of digital marketing. They’ve been burned in the past by self-proclaimed experts, and they yearn to trust someone who will deliver on promises.

Knowing this professional and emotional information about my clients has helped me serve them better and tailor my site content to meet their needs. To create your own client avatar, think of your best clients and then imagine their fears, worries, and needs.

Use your new client avatar to evaluate your website. Is it easy to navigate for someone unfamiliar with your product, service, or industry? What is your visitor hoping to do the first time they visit? What about returning visitors? Insert easy-to-follow instructions, buttons, and other cues to guide visitors.

People want to do business with people. Avoid institutional language or industry jargon. Rather than impress your visitors, you’ll alienate them. Aim to make an emotional connection with your prospects, and let them know you’re human.

Have you been to a website and wanted to buy something but you can’t figure out how to give them money? It’s ridiculous. Customers shouldn’t have to wonder what the next step is or have to spend time searching for how to take it.

We’ve found time and again that by eliminating these 8 Money Drainers from your site, you’ll see improved analytics data and significant increases in revenue.

So with that...

I want to say again, thank you for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here -- thank you for tuning in -- your time is sacred and I am delighted you chose this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine.

However our daily podcast fits into your daily routine -- I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today’s top business owners.

And please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation...good or bad...I always want your feedback. My direct email address is [email protected] -- and yes -- that is my actual Inbox. No fancy filters or filing system and I read and reply to every single email.

So please let me know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you.

I will be back tomorrow with my interview with Rick Enrico -- another one of today’s top business owners.

The discussion with Rick is amazing -- and how they have built their company -- SlideGenius to 65 employees serving over 700 clients.

Until then, onward with gusto!

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

With a dream to become the next Bill Gates, Kevin Kruse started his first company when he was just 22 years old. Despite big dreams, his company failed after just one year. But after discovering the power of leadership and extreme productivity, he went on to start, build, and sell several multimillion dollar companies that have won both an "Inc 500" award for fast growth and a "Best Place to Work" award. He is a New York Times bestselling author and his new book is “15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management” based on interviews with over 200 self-made billionaires, millionaires, and successful entrepreneurs.

Kevin time-blocks his day with 50-90 minute Jam Sessions of uninterrupted time -- don't fall prey to to-do lists. ONWARD!

Prepare your body and mind every morning -- Kevin wakes up, drinks a lot of water, gets 30 grams of protein by the time he's been up 30 minutes, gets 20 minutes of exercise, thinks of three things he's grateful for, meditates, and -- if there's time -- hops on the treadmill for an additional 20 minutes.

Kevin killed his first couple companies in just two years -- and Kevin tells the whole story here.

"Communicate clearly and persuasively -- become a ninja at communication."

"The power of dreaming big and being outrageous."

I wish I had established a cadence for my communication -- have regular, specific meetings with your teams.

Have a system for providing regular free content -- people that know and trust you are more likely to buy from you.

An individual would take ownership of their position -- they know how to take care of our customers.

1. Write and publish a book -- the key word in authority is author

• Website: kevinkruse.com
• Free copy of Kevin's book: 15timesecrets.com

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

After a successful career in mutual fund operations as the Assistant Vice President of Corporate Quality, Jodi Flynn set off on a new adventure and founded Luma Coaching. Her specialty is partnering with business leaders who experience self-doubt and overwhelm in order to overcome stress, get organized, and start creating the business and the lifestyle they dreamed of having. Her podcast, Women Taking the Lead, inspires women from humble beginnings to overcome self-doubt and lead with confidence, integrity, and a sense of humor. The podcast hit #1 in 3 categories of iTunes New and Noteworthy: Business, Careers, and Society and Culture.

Jodi carefully curates a list of project and tasks that are time-locked by day -- spend time making sure the right items get done on the right days. ONWARD!

Start your day from a calm place and get in a state of gratitude -- Jodi meditates and journals each morning.

Jodi made 30% of her projected income – and Jodi tells the whole story here.

"Listen -- listen on many levels."

"Overwhelm is a choice."

I wish I had started small and gone from there.

Take care of your current customers and referral partners – the most powerful referral tool you have is inside your business.

An individual would be innovative -- they help me think outside the box.

1. Understand the value of what you're offering -- and find out more about what your clients and customers want
2. Pay attention to what's working -- and do more of it
3. Find time to play and have -- this restores the rest of you

• Website: womentakingthelead.com/

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Mark Hanson is a lifelong entrepreneur and pioneer in the outdoor lighting industry. As president and founder of TouchStone Accent Lighting, Mark develops, manufactures, and markets their proprietary line of outdoor lighting products and the iDzyn iPad app.

Mark uses several task tablets -- keep your task lists organized by when things need to be done. ONWARD!

Review your previous day's to-do list -- Mark understands that you have to keep yourself accountable.

Mark spent all of his capital on a product that didn't sell – and Mark tells the whole story here.

"Understand technology."

"Plan -- follow the plan -- and be willing to adjust as you go."

I wish I had focused diversification.

It might sound repetitive -- but -- make a plan -- follow the plan -- and be willing to adjust as you go.

An individual would listen to what we are, what we have, and what we're doing -- and build off their contacts to build us.

1. Leverage your contacts -- use the people around you
2. Follow your gut
3. Remain focused

• Email: [email protected]/

You can also find us at: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Bill Hoagland is the founder of company called Squid Ink. He started the business 25-years ago in his garage with just 2-½ gallons of ink he developed. Fast forward two and half decades and Squid Ink does business in 61 countries, operates six manufacturing facilities, employs 130 people, and has distribution points in 87 countries around the world.

Bill makes an "AB" list every morning -- prioritize your day, every day. ONWARD!

Figure out problems before they arise – Bill talks to as many people in his company on a daily basis as he can.

Bill went into debt and then the recession hit – and Bill tells the whole story here.

"You need to understand strategic thinking."

"Hone your listening skills – listen to what people are telling you."

I wish I had a capital raising system to hire the employees I need rather than those I could afford.

Hold everyone accountable – there needs to be common goals throughout the company.

An individual would accelerate the learning curve.

1. Make sure you're using your listening skills
2. Go out and seek help – you can't go it alone
3. Get up early – being an entrepreneur is not an eight hour a day job

• Cell number: (612)859-2098
• Corporate headquarters 800 number: 1-800-877-5658
• Company Website: http://www.engagetechnologies.net/

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and 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. Before we jump into today’s topic...I just want to say thank you for all the feedback...the emails...the text messages...the Facebook posts...the tweets...and the comments on LinkedIn. I am so grateful for you being here and being part of the every growing community that is Onward Nation.

Please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation...good or bad...I always want your feedback. My direct email address is [email protected] -- and yes -- that is my actual Inbox. No fancy filters or filing system and I read and reply to every single email. So please let me know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Now, during today’s solocast, I want to focus your attention on one four letter word that we all hear quite often -- or at least the manifestation of the word -- when we are in conversations with other business owners, friends, family, or even in the self-talk we have with ourselves...and that four letter word is FEAR!

To feel fear is of course natural. Everyone feels it whether in business or in life -- it is a human emotion that is as much a part of us as breathing.

But the key is to be able to recognize that fear is all in your mind -- it doesn’t actually exist -- therefore it has no real power over you unless you let it. But oftentimes people are embarrassed to admit their fears -- or that they are feeling fearful about something. So they try to mask it by saying “Oh no...I’m not scared...or I’m not afraid...I’m just stressed.”

And as I learned from Tony Robbins...anytime someone says to you that they are just “stressed”...that is code for… “Help, I’m afraid or fearful about something going wrong.”

To help illustrate these important points about FEAR...I am going to share a deeply personal story with you, Onward Nation...a story that I have not shared during in a solocast before. Maybe I have been afraid to, because I am always self-conscious about an episode being too much about me...and then missing the mark with being relevant.

It’s a story from way back...23 years ago to be exact...the summer of 1992.

I was the ripe old age of 20. I was an airman in the United States Air Force stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota. My job was like 100 percent pure adrenaline nearly every day. You see...I had the honor of working on the Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System -- or ICBMs for short...yes, nuclear missiles. So for about 3-½ years...my office...was deep inside missile silos...and I loved every second of it. And I got pretty good at troubleshooting systems, fixing the systems, and my curiosity for bigger and more complex challenges grew more and more insatiable. Then one day -- I met my match.

Listen to the rest of the story in the episode.

Onward Nation, I had a choice that day in the silo. I could have chosen to be paralyzed by fear, which would have caused us to lose critical time, and then that could have cost me my life, or perhaps the lives of my teammates. Or, I could decide to push through the fear and do what I knew MUST be done.

I have never been scared. I was fearful. I thought there was the distinct possibility might die inside that silo.

And it was also exhilarating -- I felt blood pumping into areas of my body that I didn’t know existed.

But where did the power and energy to move forward through the fear come from?

It is because finding a solution was a MUST...it was not a SHOULD...and we were prepared to take action and make the result outcome so.

Steve -- who you will meet inside the full story in the episode -- and I did not look at each other and ask, “What do you think...should we find a solution to this problem?” No! We were all in. We were PREPARED and fully committed to finding a solution. It was a MUST because our lives depending on finding a solution. And we made it so.

So how does all of this relate to you inside your business, Onward Nation?

Most of us when we are fearful in our business — or in relationships — we are not afraid because we don’t know what needs to be done. Instead, we are afraid to do what we DO KNOW needs to be done. The only reason we are afraid is because we haven’t made that opportunity, that decision, that new venture, that new hire, that need business partner...a MUST. It is still a SHOULD...and we are asking ourselves questions like, “Should I do this?” “Should I consider this instead?” “Should I wait a little while longer?” Should I ask the advice of a couple more people?”

And then what happens is that we “SHOULD” all over ourselves.

JUST DECIDE...make it a MUST...and move forward with gusto, Onward Nation!

Let’s take this deeper by bringing in some insights and wisdom from several of our Onward Nation guests.

Aaron Walker, my incredible guest on episode 108, said to me, “You need to fear missing an opportunity more than you fear failure.” Just think about that for a moment. “You need to fear missing an opportunity more than you fear failure.”

You will miss all of the shots you never take...you will fail at all of the new product introductions you never introduce...every high performing employee you never hire and take a chance on, will be lost opportunity. And the list goes on.

The NBA legend Michael Jordan once said, “A loss is never a failure until you make an excuse.” So stop making excuses, Onward Nation and instead pursue all of those opportunities with gusto...with proactivity...with all of the energy and enthusiasm that pursuing a MUST requires. As if nothing else matters.

And then there was the powerful message I learned from the wisdom of Kara Ronin, my guest on episode 96. She said to me, “Stephen, you can only grow as far as your biggest fear – there’s always going to be fear that will limit you if you let it.”

BOOM, Onward Nation.

Fear will drag you down and keep you there if you let it.

But realize...it is you who is allowing that to happen because you are manufacturing the fear. It is your creation. But if we follow Kara’s advice...and we do not let fear limit us...then we can rush into that missile silo and diffuse the situation...or we can rush into our businesses, Onward Nation and ignite the sales forecast, we can hire the team members you know you will need, we can have the courage to invest in R&D, or have the guts to fire the destructive customer that Scott McKain in episode 1 warned us about.

And last but not least...I want you to thoughtfully consider the wise words of Leanne Pressly, my guest for episode 48. “Fear can be crippling in a business — learn to slay the dragon and keep it at bay.” So when you are finished listening and studying this episode...take 10 minutes...sit quietly...without distractions...and thoughtfully consider this question, “Who or what is the dragon in my business right now that I need to slay in order to move to that next level?”

And then realize that any of the fears you have associated with that dragon -- or the slaying of that dragon -- are completely made up in your own mind. They are all in your mind.

Just DECIDE to slay the dragon, Onward Nation, and make it a MUST! Don’t be paralyzed by fear.

You are more beautiful…more amazing…more powerful than you could ever possibly imagine. You have an abundance of talents and God given skills within you that you haven’t even begun to reach for yet. Sometimes we all need someone to help you uncover those things so you can see and realize you are powerful beyond measure. My hope for you is that you have realized some of that today while listening to this.

I learned several important lessons that day in the silo. First...that anything is possible -- and I -- you -- we all have the power to make it so. Second...I learned that leadership and mentorship can unleash a person’s true potential. Had Steve, my team chief on that day in the silo, shown me fear — I too would have been even more afraid.

Had he acted hastily, I would have acted hastily.

Had he hesitated, I would have hesitated.

He did not stand up and say… “Follow me because I am your leader…I am your mentor.” He earned that position and respect from me through his actions. He showed me talents and abilities I didn’t even know I had.

Onward Nation...you need to do the same things for the employees you lead in your business every day.

So with that...

I want to say again, thank you for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here -- thank you for tuning in -- your time is sacred and I am delighted you chose this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine. However our daily podcast fits into your daily routine -- I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today’s top business owners.

I will be back tomorrow with my interview with Bill Hoagland -- another one of today’s top business owners. And the discussion is off-the-charts amazing. Until then, onward with gusto!

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV, and business radio host of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on CBS on-demand radio network, Play.It. He is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman of “C-Suite Network”, home of the world’s most powerful network of C-Suite leaders. Hayzlett is also the author of three bestselling business books, “The Mirror Test,” “Running the Gauntlet,” and “Think Big, Act Bigger.”

Jeffrey uses an app called To-Do -- makes lists every day. ONWARD!

Focus on the most important thing – Jeffrey on "killing squirrels," a valuable metaphor he learned from the Pixar movie Up.

Jeffrey had an employee murder three other employees – and Jeffrey tells the whole story here.

"Listen. Be observant. What I mean by that is 'I don't know what I don't know.'"

"I've never had a formal mentor. I've always networked with people that I've considered to be very very successful. By observing, I've learned a great deal from these people."

I would go into my new business and completely clean the place – a clean boat is a happy boat.

Crawl, walk, run. Take the steps needed to get to where you're going.

1. Man up – get over it
2. Don't accept anything but the best
3. Remember the "Caitlin Rule" – each employee gets 21 question – they better use them wisely

• Website: hayzlett.com/
• Twitter: @jeffreyhayzlett
• Facebook: facebook.com/Jeffrey.Hayzlett
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hayzlett

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----

Dr. Tony Alessandra helps companies turn prospects into promoters. His focus is on how to create instant rapport with prospects, employees & vendors; how to convert prospects and customers into business apostles who will preach the gospel about your company and products; and how to out-market, out-sell and out-service the competition. Tony is CEO of Assessments 24x7, a company that offers a variety of online assessments, including the widely used DISC profile, the Hartman HVP, Motivators assessment, and several 360º effectiveness assessments. He is also a prolific author of 30 books translated into over 50 foreign language editions and is featured in over 100 audio/video programs and films.

Tony goes through the progression of the "four D's" -- drop, designate, delegate, do -- use these four steps to save yourself time. ONWARD!

Focus on what is most important – Tony puts on his blinders and works on one task to completion.

Tony's divorce had a big impact on his business – and Tony tells the whole story here.

"Hire, onboard, motivate, and engage good employees."

"You need to let yourself come out on stage – stop trying to be someone else."

I wish I had a system for marketing, sales, and service and one for employee selection and engagement.

Try to focus more on your current customers vs. trying to find new customers.

An individual would have great people skills, be proactive, and be a creative thinker.

1. Make sure you can develop or improve a product or service that has a uniqueness that customers value
2. Make sure you have the right team behind you – you need employees that can deliver

• Website: http://www.alessandra.com/
• Assessment website: http://assessments24x7.com/
• Email: [email protected]

You can also find us here: ----- OnwardNation.com -----