Rob Matzkin joins Bradley Jacobs to share his entrepreneurial journey from a $20K weekend parking business at 19 to building and exiting multiple companies. With over 20 years of experience in high-growth SaaS and AI startups, Rob now runs a successful fractional consulting business while maintaining his role in the VC world. The conversation dives deep into the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, revealing what it's really like when things get hard - the financial stress, the isolation, and the constant ups and downs that no one talks about. Rob shares practical strategies for managing stress and staying productive, including his productivity hacking techniques and the importance of deep work. He discusses why cash is king for fractional executives, how to build trust and rapport with clients, and the power of networking and referrals over traditional marketing. Rob also opens up about his dyslexia and how vulnerability and authenticity have become his superpowers in business. The episode concludes with insights on productizing services and the mindset needed to push through challenging times.

Books mentioned: The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, Screw It, Just Do It by Richard Branson, Deep Work by Cal Newport

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Introduction and Rob's background in SaaS/AI startups

01:45 - Defining purpose in business and entrepreneurship

03:26 - The $20K weekend parking business origin story

05:44 - Key lessons from early entrepreneurial experiences

07:26 - The "just do it" mentality and dealing with regulations

09:40 - The emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship

13:36 - Stress management and productivity strategies

16:13 - Planning ahead and creating structure for success

18:22 - What moves the needle for fractional executives

20:46 - Why sales and new business development are crucial

22:31 - Building trust, rapport, and getting referrals

24:07 - Networking strategies that actually work

26:15 - Being an introvert in a networking world

28:26 - The power of vulnerability and authenticity

30:23 - Overcoming fear and getting uncomfortable

32:58 - Productizing services for scalable revenue

34:32 - Final advice: structure, freedom, and persistence

35:43 - Where to connect with Rob Matzkin

This week Bradley Jacobs shares the comprehensive eight-step framework Mylance used to build their new LinkedIn content calendar SaaS tool over four months. The process began with writing initial hypotheses based on five years of business experience and over 1,000 conversations with fractional professionals. Through 30+ user interviews, they validated that fractionals struggle with knowing what to post on LinkedIn despite recognizing its value for client acquisition.

The team built a no-code MVP using Airtable, Zapier, OpenAI, and Notion, then secured six beta customers at $134.50/month (50% off retail). After two months of feedback and iteration, they partnered with a specialized agency to build the full software in 21 days for just a few thousand dollars. The final product not only provides content calendars but also drafts posts, learns writing styles, and analyzes performance over time.

Bradley emphasizes that this framework applies to any business - whether you're offering fractional services or building products. The key is rigorous validation before building, focusing on one major pain point, and prioritizing long-term retention over quick scaling. The new tool is currently in beta with plans for broader release once product-market fit is confirmed.

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to the eight-step framework

01:14 - Step 1: Writing hypotheses based on market experience

02:05 - Step 2: Conducting 30+ user interviews and validation

04:40 - Step 3: Brainstorming the minimum viable product

06:20 - Step 4: Building no-code MVP in one day

07:07 - Step 5: Getting six paying beta customers at $134.50/month

08:27 - Step 6: Working with customers for two months

10:10 - Step 7: Finding agency to build full software in 21 days

11:58 - Step 8: Onboarding first users to the new platform

13:21 - Next steps and scaling strategy

15:15 - Waitlist signup and closing thoughts

Bradley Jacobs sits down with Doug Brown, CEO of Sales Strategies and renowned revenue growth expert who has founded or built over 35 businesses generating $960 million in sales. Doug shares his proven framework for creating predictable revenue streams and escaping the dreaded feast-or-famine cycle that plagues most fractional professionals. He reveals why the master prospector always outsells the master closer and introduces his systematic approach to implementing six high-performing activities over 6-12 months. Doug emphasizes the critical importance of setting truthful goals versus aspirational ones, using real client examples to illustrate how proper goal-setting and mathematical planning can transform a fractional practice. The conversation covers essential metrics for tracking success, the difference between active and passive referral programs, and strategic prospecting activities that compound over time. Doug also discusses his SSSML framework (Short, Short, Short, Medium, Long) for implementing new business development activities and shares insights from his work with industry legends like Jay Conrad Levinson and Chet Holmes.Key Takeaways:

• The master prospector always outsells the master closer - consistent prospecting is the foundation of predictable revenue

• Set truthful goals, not aspirational ones - understand the math required to achieve your revenue targets

• Remember you're in the business of client acquisition first, service delivery second

• Implement active referral programs with structured processes rather than waiting for passive referrals

• Track key metrics: reach outs, connections, responses, appointments, close rates, and follow-up sales

• Test new prospecting activities for 30-90 days using an A-F grading system to identify what works

• Focus on strategic outcomes that generate multiple benefits from each activity

Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/Connect with Doug C. Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123/Website: ceosalesstrategies.comMasterclass: ceosalesstrategies.com/stop-the-leak00:00 - Introduction and guest welcome

01:25 - What predictable revenue means and why it matters

03:21 - The master prospector vs master closer concept

04:46 - Six high-performing activities framework

06:12 - Scheduling time for prospecting activities

09:24 - The truthful goals problem and Janet's story

11:36 - Understanding what business you're really in

14:08 - Active vs passive referral programs

16:56 - High-performing activities: speaking and networking

18:30 - The SSSML framework explained

19:19 - Essential metrics for fractional professionals

22:34 - Real-world metrics example from Chet Holmes

25:16 - Strategic vs tactical outcomes

26:43 - How long to test new activities

28:09 - Jay Conrad Levinson's patience principle|

31:47 - Where to find Doug and his services|

34:18 - Potential book on predictable revenue for independents

Discover the specific tasks that VAs excel at for fractional executives, from inbox management and calendar coordination to marketing outreach and customer delivery support. Bradley reveals his proven system for setting VAs up for success, including detailed task delegation, accountability tracking through Notion, and the importance of starting with small test projects before scaling up responsibilities. He also shares why geography matters when selecting a VA, his preference for South American talent, and how to work with agencies to find pre-vetted candidates who have the right attitude and learning mindset.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

Bradley Jacobs welcomes Cole VanDeWoestyne, co-founder of Inboxing Engine, a leading email marketing and consulting firm that helps experts, coaches, and consultants scale past $3 million through direct response marketing. Cole shares powerful insights about the untapped potential of email marketing, revealing how one client transformed their business from $250K to $1.2M annually by implementing strategic email sequences.

The conversation explores the counterintuitive approach of nurturing leads for three weeks before making any sales pitch, the "pressure cooker" email strategy that sends 5-6 emails daily during launch periods, and why most businesses leave money on the table by not properly monetizing their email lists. Cole emphasizes the importance of focusing on one specific niche rather than being a jack-of-all-trades, and shares practical advice for fractional executives on building and growing their email lists through lead magnets and consistent outreach.

The discussion also covers overcoming the fear of rejection, the importance of planning your day the night before, and why taking action trumps perfectionism every time. Cole's philosophy of helping people genuinely means you can never truly bother someone with your offers.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Introduction and guest background

00:32 - What is Inboxing Engine and why email marketing

01:38 - The untapped goldmine of email marketing

02:27 - Warm email lists vs. cold outbound clarification

03:20 - The difference between successful and struggling email campaigns

05:25 - The "secret sauce" of email strategy revealed

08:28 - Why sharing knowledge doesn't hurt business

10:06 - Reconciling high intent leads with nurture sequences

11:38 - The "pressure cooker" email strategy explained

15:18 - Buy or unsubscribe - no middle ground

16:45 - Managing negative responses and rejection

18:59 - Getting started with email lists and lead magnets

20:16 - How Cole became a podcast guest through simple outreach

21:40 - Simple outreach that actually works

23:35 - Learning to embrace rejection from early experiences

25:56 - Dating parallels and overcoming fear of approach

27:36 - Why you can't bother people if you genuinely help them

28:44 - Choosing your niche through consultative questioning

32:02 - Avoiding the "business card email" approach

33:16 - Planning your day the night before for maximum productivity

36:38 - The danger of busy work vs. needle-moving activities

39:10 - The Lovable landing page example - making it simple

41:02 - Contact information and pricing structure

43:36 - Closing thoughts and final words

Bradley Jacobs breaks down the game-changing strategy of productizing your service to transform client acquisition and sales. Moving away from being a "jack of all trades," Bradley explains how standardizing your offerings creates clarity for both you and your clients. Drawing insights from the book "Built to Sell," he shares the story of Alex, an agency owner who transformed his struggling custom marketing business into a scalable, profitable logo design service.

The episode covers the three essential steps: taking inventory of your strengths, defining your package with clear deliverables and pricing, and building targeted marketing materials. Bradley addresses the mindset shifts required, including saying no to work outside your productized offer and embracing your role as a business owner rather than just a service deliverer. He emphasizes how this approach enables you to hire others, scale effectively, and potentially build a business you could sell while creating predictable revenue streams.

Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Introduction and episode overview

00:16 - What productizing your service means and doesn't mean

00:49 - The problem with being adaptable to every client

01:26 - Definition of productizing a service - standardization

02:09 - Three key benefits: scaling, easy sales, and stepping out

02:39 - Built to Sell book example introduction - Alex's story

03:14 - Alex's transformation from full marketing agency to logo specialization

04:03 - The power of targeting companies with new product lines

05:17 - How clear offers transform client conversations

06:51 - Marketing analytics dashboard example vs vague positioning

07:05 - The challenge of dropping existing work and finding your sweet spot

08:15 - How to start: taking inventory of your skills and passions

10:32 - Step two: defining the complete package with deliverables and pricing

10:56 - Step three: building marketing and sales materials

11:37 - Mindset shift one: stepping back from delivery to business owner

12:50 - Mindset shift two: saying no to work outside your offer

12:58 - Mindset shift three: embracing imperfection and giving yourself grace

13:45 - Alex's successful exit story and business results

14:09 - Building a sellable, scalable business that doesn't rely on you

14:59 - Mylance beta program announcement and LinkedIn thought leadership

15:14 - Closing thoughts, community engagement, and call-to-action

Bradley Jacobs sits down with Nate Green, an award-winning entrepreneur, best-selling author, and leadership coach who transformed his life from police officer to CEO with an eight-figure exit. After experiencing heart failure at 23 that ended his law enforcement career, Nate rebuilt his identity and launched a financial services business that achieved Inc 5000 status four consecutive years with zero advertising spend - purely through referrals.

Nate shares his powerful philosophy of "people first, money will come" and discusses the mindset shifts required to overcome limiting beliefs and build authentic success. He opens up about navigating severe hardships including heart failure, divorce, and panic attacks, while maintaining the perspective that "my life is bigger than this." The conversation explores the difference between what you do versus who you are, the importance of eliminating wrong mindsets rather than just adding positive ones, and how to break free from the limitations that hold entrepreneurs back from their true potential.

Nate discusses his book "Suck Less, Do Better" and his Built Unstoppable mastermind program, which helps entrepreneurs discover their core identity and create actionable plans for sustainable growth. His upcoming book "Cracked Lenses, Breed Broken Dreams" focuses on helping people chase the dreams they've abandoned or never knew were theirs.

Learn More:

Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co

Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

Connect with Nate Green: https://successwithnategreen.com

00:00 - Introduction and Nate's background

00:47 - Overcoming hardships and redefining success

02:48 - What success really means to Nate

04:05 - The "missions to millions" mindset

05:38 - "It's not what I do, it's who I am" philosophy

08:10 - Separating identity from circumstances

10:38 - Avoiding the successful but unfulfilled trap

14:31 - Focus on being vs. doing every day

15:55 - "Suck Less, Do Better" book origin story

19:48 - Upcoming book "Cracked Lenses, Breed Broken Dreams"

20:51 - Built Unstoppable mastermind program

24:11 - Mindset strategies and eliminating wrong beliefs

26:52 - Transition from police officer to entrepreneur

29:02 - "People first, money will come" philosophy

31:44 - What Nate is most excited about today

34:57 - How Nate helps different types of people

38:22 - How to connect with Nate

38:42 - Final advice for the audience

This week on the Mylance podcast, we’ll tackle one of the biggest barriers fractional experts face: the mindset around selling and self-promotion. Many fractionals feel uncomfortable with outreach, viewing it as pushy or bothersome, which creates an unsustainable business model dependent on referrals alone. We explore how to reframe selling as offering value rather than taking from prospects.

We discuss the key mindset shift that involves recognizing that fractional experts solve real problems and add significant value to companies. Instead of feeling like a "taker," fractionals should embrace being a "giver" who offers opportunities for positive ROI. We outline a three-part approach: show empathy for client situations, generously offer insights to build credibility, and invite collaboration through formal partnerships.

We emphasize focusing entirely on the prospect's problems rather than your own needs or story. Bradley shares practical examples of effective versus ineffective LinkedIn outreach, demonstrating how curiosity-driven messages that address specific problems generate responses while self-focused pitches get ignored. We conclude with encouragement to embrace that not everyone will respond positively, but that's simply part of building a sustainable fractional business.

Learn More:

Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co

Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Introduction and today's topic: reframing the sales mindset

02:30 - Why fractionals struggle with selling and self-promotion

04:15 - The unsustainable referral-only business model

06:00 - Common fears: rejection, being pushy, and self-promotion discomfort

08:30 - Mindset shift: from taker to giver mentality

11:00 - Understanding the value you bring to clients

13:15 - Three-part framework: empathy, generous insights, and collaboration

16:30 - Focusing on client problems, not your own story

18:45 - Applying the framework to content marketing

21:00 - LinkedIn outreach examples: what works vs. what doesn't

24:30 - Bradley's personal experience hiring through LinkedIn DMs

27:15 - Handling rejection and negative responses

29:00 - Final thoughts on embracing the value-first mindset

30:45 - Mylance community and upcoming content tool announcement

In this engaging conversation, Bradley Jacobs interviews Georgi Fiedler, founder of HireTrainInspire, about her journey as a fractional Chief of Staff. Georgi explains how she helps CEOs break free from the daily grind by serving as a GPS for small to mid-sized businesses, guiding founders through people, processes, and systems that transform tribal knowledge into transferable value. Starting her business in 2016 to be present for her family,

Georgi shares how she built her practice through relationships, integrity, and an abundance mindset. She discusses her business evolution, from saying yes to everything initially to developing a unit-based pricing model and building a seven-person team serving clients with retainers ranging from $500 to $11,000 per month. Georgi emphasizes the importance of doing great work as marketing while still following up with clients through quarterly reviews to highlight accomplishments.

Learn More:

Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co

Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/
Connect with Georgi Fiedler: https://hiretraininspire.com

00:00 Introduction to Georgi Fiedler and HireTrainInspire

00:55 What a fractional Chief of Staff does

02:11 The journey to clarity in business messaging

03:26 How trial and error leads to business evolution

04:04 Saying yes to opportunities in early business stages

05:23 Finding excitement in solving problems for clients

06:13 Current business structure and service delivery model

10:21 Team size and client pricing model

13:09 Building a business around family needs

16:13 From accidental entrepreneur to choosing entrepreneurship

19:58 Creating opportunities through relationships and partnerships

23:18 The importance of integrity in business

24:28 What abundance mindset means in practice

28:00 Why great work is the best marketing but not enough

30:19 Dealing with imposter thoughts in business

34:07 Viewing challenges as opportunities for growth

36:13 How to connect with Georgi Fiedler

36:35 Final advice: say yes and evolve often

Bradley Jacobs, CEO and Founder of Mylance, shares insights on four LinkedIn mindset mistakes that prevent fractional experts from achieving success. Drawing from his experience of posting nearly 1,500 times over five years, Bradley explains why chasing virality misaligns with business goals, especially when attracting the wrong audience. He challenges the notion that LinkedIn is "all noise," emphasizing that everyone has unique experiences worth sharing. Bradley addresses the fear-driven perfectionism that prevents consistent posting, reminding listeners that unsuccessful posts simply fade away without consequences. Finally, he cautions against blindly mimicking influencers, encouraging authentic voices while following effective formatting principles. Throughout the episode, Bradley emphasizes consistency, authenticity, and trusting the process as keys to building valuable relationships on LinkedIn that convert to client connections.

Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/0:00 Introduction to LinkedIn mindset mistakes

1:05 Bradley's experience with LinkedIn “

1:45 Mistake #1: Chasing virality and why it's flawed

2:20 Example of misaligned viral content for recruiters

4:30 Why consistency matters more than viral success

5:05 Mistake #2: "Contributing to the noise" mentality

5:50 The uniqueness of your personal experience

6:40 How detailed, niche content builds trust and attracts clients

8:05 Mistake #3: Fear-driven perfectionism

9:15 Why poor posts simply disappear without consequences

10:30 The importance of learning through repetition

11:50 Example of a post with zero engagement

13:10 Story about controversial Italian culture post

14:45 Benefit of consistent posting: no need for introductions|

15:50 Mistake #4: Mimicking top influencers

16:30 Preview of Mylance's upcoming AI tool

17:15 Closing remarks and call to action