The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

A Goal Roadmap transforms ambitious dreams into achievable milestones, breaking them down into clear tasks and deadlines. This structured approach ensures you remain focused and motivated, even when your goals seem distant.

Defining a long-term vision involves envisioning the ultimate outcome, considering the legacy you wish to create, and then reverse-engineering actionable goals.

Many brandiD clients aspire to deliver a TED or TEDx talk as a prime example of this process. Key steps include identifying local TEDx events, aligning the speech theme with the event's focus, and finally rehearsing. While preparing for such an opportunity may seem daunting—from crafting the message to attending to details like what you should wear and possibly hiring a speaking coach—the career benefits, including enhanced visibility and credibility, can be profound.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of breaking big goals into manageable steps.

• Preparing for a TEDx talk as a structured goal example.

• Balancing structured planning with openness to spontaneity in long-term vision.

• The impact of persistence and consistent effort over time.

• Maintaining motivation and adapting goals amid challenges.

"Many of us struggle with achieving goals that seem to be a long ways out. And we need help breaking them down into small bite sized pieces. So the goal's roadmap is simply taking every single goal and breaking it down to all the action items, all the tactics you have to take to actually meet that goal."

"When you have it broken down, you can set deadlines for each task, and start working towards that bigger, bigger goal that seems a little bit lofty at times, or seems a little bit far into the future."

"One of the most common goals that many of our clients have is delivering a TED talk or a TEDx talk."

"Sometimes it helps to think about the much longer-term vision of, you know, when you're 70, or 80 years old, what do you want people to be saying about you?"

"The longer term that you think, and think about the impact you want to make in life, think about how you want to leave people feeling, think about what your obituary might even say about you, then work backwards."

"It's great to long term plan, but make sure you leave time for God's divine inspiration, leave time for spontaneity"

"Pray to get clarity around what your goals are, around what your impact should be, around what your purpose is here, what you're here to do in your one wild and short life."

"One other tactic around goal setting, it's like dividing your life into a pie, right? One piece of the pie could be family, one piece, could be faith, one piece could be health and wellness. Another one is professional. Another one could be personal relationships, like romantic life. So you can define your pie, again, by figuring out, these are the parts of my life that are so important that I want to pay attention to."

Can changing the way you dress change your business? Jessica Papineau has plenty of evidence to suggest the answer is yes!

Jessica is the Founder of CSJ, a leading styling company for high-performing female entrepreneurs. With over 25 years in the fashion industry, she teaches women how to use fashion to serve their purpose, boost their confidence, and elevate their image.

Jessica has styled hundreds of women, from moms struggling to dress their postpartum bodies to executives seeking to level up their careers and seven-figure entrepreneurs. A thought leader in fashion styling, her insights have been featured in various print publications and media outlets. Jessica is committed to empowering women to elevate their style and transform their careers, relationships, and lives.

Dress for the Life You Want

Jessica follows a four-part process with all of her clients, the first step being to review and reflect. She asks her clients to think about what they want in their life and envision those possibilities. Once they know the person they want to become, the next step is to ask how that person dresses. How do they show up in the world?

The most common styling pitfall Jessica sees is that people are stuck in the past. Instead of imagining their future, they relive the same thoughts over and over again–and their wardrobes reflect that. Instead, Jessica encourages her clients to focus on that future version of themselves and the life they want to attract.

The transformations are incredible: her clients become a magnet for the people and opportunities they want. Their relationships deepen, they get a promotion at work, or sign with dream clients.

Know Your Niche

One of the biggest turning points in Jessica's business came when she honed in on her ideal client: high-performing women who want to grow personally and professionally. These women want the transformation that Jessica provides and working with them feels aligned with her purpose.

As soon as Jessica narrowed her niche, the floodgates opened. Her one-on-one calendar quickly filled up, and she's since pivoted to a course, a membership program, and soon to release an app as well. All of her marketing has been relationship-based, with 50% of her clients based locally and 50% across the country. Building her brand online has helped her business grow even further.

Enjoy this episode with Founder and Style Strategist Jessica Papineau…

Quotes

"Once she can tell me what those desires are and I can close my eyes and envision it and she can tell me how she feels, I can see what she's wearing and what she looks like. And then from there, we start to formulate a wardrobe that aligns with that woman she desires to be."

"Fashion and beauty isn't superficial at all. There's actually a transformative power in it for women."

"Many people are operating their lives just replaying their past over and over again. And a lot of people don't exercise the muscle of imagination."

"Everyday I put myself into situations that scare me. I want to stretch myself to serve the women I'm working with deeper."

"Once you truly step into your power, you're able to share with others deeply, and they can then make an impact."

"At the end of the day, it's not about how much money you made. What you hear people say when they come to the ending portion of their lives, it's about those relationships."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit Jessica's website which was made with love by The brandiD: https://csjstyling.com/

Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-papineau-45482725/

Choosing between a personal vs. a business brand depends on the current stage of your business / career and your long-term goals.

A personal brand builds visibility under one's own name, using a "vanity URL" like RachelGogos.com. This can be beneficial for individual recognition but may limit business growth.

Conversely, a business brand, like "Art of Alignment," allows for scaling and expanding by hiring practitioners and creating a structured methodology.

Rachel used her personal brand and experiences from notable organizations like the United Nations and the Wall Street Journal to launch and grow The brandiD. This way, she was able to leverage her reputation and network to grow her business.

"A personal brand is simply building out your own visibility under your own personal name."

"People always want to work with the name most closely associated with the brand. So if you've got your name in your business name, that's who people are going to want to be working with."

"The other thing about personal brand versus business brand is: what's your long term goal with the company that you're starting and growing? If you want to sell it at some point, it's a little bit more challenging to sell a company that's built on a personal brand."

"I launched a business brand, and I did that very intentionally because I didn't always want to be the person front and center of the brand."

"We've worked with people who've worked for business brands, existing business brands, very popular well known brands, fortune 500 brands, and they've grown into very senior level positions at those companies and then launched a personal brand. And they used that notoriety and that visibility they got from those mega brands to launch their personal brand. And it just gives them so much instant credibility."

"It's a bunch of different factors that go into 'do I launch a personal brand, or a business brand?' No, right or wrong, just be very strategic about the path that you choose."

"Use the personal brand to launch the business brand and grow the business brand."

When Jacqueline Green went back to college in her 40s, she had no idea it would kick off an entirely new business. After a 15-year career in corporate marketing, she decided to follow her creative passion and go back to school for interior design.

Today Jacqueline is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Strategist of Behind the Design, a training and education company that provides interior designers and other creative business owners with the tools needed to build profitable businesses. Through comprehensive education, coaching, marketing services, and community offerings, Jacqueline and her team empower entrepreneurs to reach their full potential.

Hiring a Team

One of the first lessons Jacqueline learned as an interior designer was that she couldn't take on 40 hours a week of client work and run a business. All of the administrative work, marketing, and bookkeeping also had to be done–but, Jacqueline realized, it didn't necessarily have to be done by her.

Outsourcing is a key part of growing your business. If you're not sure what role to hire for first, ask yourself which tasks in the business are draining your energy. Those should be the first positions you hire for.

Solopreneurs are often afraid to hire their first employee, but successful business owners know the reward is worth the risk. Hiring support has helped Jacqueline grow her company, provide a better customer experience, and reach more people than she ever could have on her own.

Build a Business, Not a Job

So many entrepreneurs build businesses that are more like jobs, where if you don't work, you don't get paid. That ultimately leads to burnout. Jacqueline helps her students build profitable businesses that make money even when they're out of the office by focusing on three key areas: mindset, systems, and habits.

Mindset is the foundation. How you view your business and yourself as the CEO directly affects your company's growth. The next step is systems, building efficient processes, and hiring a team to support you. Lastly, you need strong habits to support those systems long-term. When those three pieces are in place, you can build a business that makes money even when you're not working.

Enjoy this episode with CEO and Founder Jacqueline Green…

Quotes

"In interior design, there's a lot of solopreneurs. And in school, we teach you how to design, we don't necessarily teach you how to run a business."

"The truth of the matter is: if you're not making money, then yes, you have a hobby."

"How do you move from creating a job for yourself to building a profitable business that can still operate when you go on vacation, that can still operate when something happens in your family and you need to be with your kids, or whatever that looks like."

"As women, we take on so much and think 'I can do it all,' but should you be doing it all?"

"When you build a business, your business should be able to make money even when you're not working."

"I really encourage people to get out there and share their messages because someone needs to hear what you have to offer."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Behind the Design: http://www.behindthedesignco.com

Connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinereed/

It might surprise you, but you can be the face of your brand AND an introvert.

Rachel Gogos, founder of The brandiD, exemplifies this. Although stepping into the spotlight felt uncomfortable and self-indulgent due to the humility ingrained by her Orthodox faith, she found ways to manage.

Her trick is to tailor her marketing strategies to what feels natural and enjoyable.

Practical tips for introverts include focusing on one or two meaningful connections at networking events, leveraging one-on-one interactions, and surrounding yourself with extroverts who can handle more visible roles at events.

For public speaking, over-prepare, imagine speaking to one person, and remove your ego by focusing on helping the audience with the valuable information you're providing.

By leveraging your strengths, seeking genuine connections, and using tailored strategies, you can successfully build your personal brand as an introvert.

"In the Myers Briggs, I come up pretty darn close to the middle of introvert and extrovert, but I'm a little over that line to the introvert side, and people are always very surprised."

"I'd say the biggest challenge for me is getting comfortable being visible being the face of our brand."

"It's so opposite everything that has been ingrained in me around humility, right, just growing up as a young child, and you know, what we hear in the Orthodox faith, like it's really all about being a humble person."

"When we get introverted clients, you know, they'll say, 'I'm an introvert, I don't like to brag, I'm not very loud, or charismatic,' and I always quickly say to them, 'Well, you don't have to be any of those things. And it doesn't mean you're bragging, you're just communicating your strengths in a way that feels comfortable.'"

"Another thing we often try to do with our clients is really getting clear with them from a marketing perspective, what really lights them up? What fills their cup, right? Do they like to write? Do they like to do interviews? Do they want to be visible on video? What is most comfortable with them? And then we can help them align marketing strategies that kind of naturally go with their strengths, and more aligned with their comfort zone."

"Most introverts tend to not like small talk, they prefer a deeper conversation."

"Another hack is you can actually take like these lozenges that kind of help calm your nervous system. It's not a drug. It's a natural homeopathic thing."

"the thing that has helped me the most I have to say and I've heard many people give this advice. So it's not my own original advice. But it was very helpful, which is just removing the ego from every time you're presenting, it really is about helping them."

"Whenever you're focused on self, that's when you get nervous when you're focused on just helping people in delivering quality to the audience that you're in front of."

"I find the more interactive you can make a presentation, the more comfortable it also is for someone a bit more introverted"

"Consider doing a workshop versus doing a speech because that's such a great way to get interaction going."

"You don't have to be all the things."

"Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain: https://a.co/d/9y0kUQj

Bach Rescue Pastilles - Rachel's Favorice Homeopathic Lozenges That Help with Public Speaking: https://a.co/d/ekD2cjs

Undershirts for Underarm Sweat: https://a.co/d/d6YkVBC

David Sauers never dreamed of starting a portable restroom company–but sometimes entrepreneurial success comes from unexpected places.

David is the Founder and CEO of Royal Restrooms, a unique franchise specializing in portable restrooms for outdoor and public events. For nearly 20 years, Royal Restrooms has been dedicated to providing a superior service that sets them apart in the luxury mobile restroom and shower industry. Their motto, "A Regal Portable Restroom Experience™," guarantees excellent customer service, quality products, and a second-to-none experience.

The Journey to Franchising

Royal Restrooms originally grew through word-of-mouth, both locally in Savannah and around the country as clients returned home to spread the word. Four years into running the business, David and his partner started to explore the franchise model.

To this day, Royal Restrooms doesn't have a dedicated franchise team or in-house sales team. Instead, they aim to find entrepreneurial leaders who truly care about the brand. Franchisees need to put their heart and soul into the business. David has learned that those people make the best leaders because they care about their teams, treat the equipment well, and maintain the brand reputation.

Expanding The Brand

Now with about 32 franchise owners, Royal Restrooms has taken extra care to maintain continuity between different offices and locations. Email newsletters aren't enough to keep everyone informed, so the company meets at in-person conferences and the offices communicate regularly to find out what's working best in each area. They're also starting a podcast to interview owners on hot topics so the franchise community can stay informed on best practices.

To any business owners considering a franchise model, David's advice is to go slow. Don't get so excited about rapid expansion that you lose sight of the details that made your first location successful. Growing at a steady rate has allowed David and his partner to maintain flexibility and optimize their existing franchises before adding more.

Enjoy this episode with Founder David Sauers…

Quotes

"We act more like a family-style venue. It's not so corporately run or structured or mandated, which is a good thing and a bad thing."

"You always get so excited for expansion that you overlook the small details that got you where you were going."

"Rapid expansion isn't always the best thing."

"Know your business inside and out. Keep your eyes open and don't get tunnel vision so much that you can't continue to expand."

"The more success you get, the less risk-taking you become."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Royal Restrooms: https://www.royalrestrooms.com/

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsauers/

As a solopreneur (think experts like coaches or consultants), it is essential to delegate so you can concentrate on tasks that uniquely require your expertise.

By hiring support staff, even on a part-time or hourly basis, you can free up time for more valuable tasks and help prevent burnout. Common first hires include virtual assistants or financial managers.

There's also tremendous value in investing in your personal brand, building your email list, outsourcing your website, and engaging often with your audience.

Ultimately, we can't overstress the importance of leveraging support to maximize efficiency and business success.

"Many of our clients fall into this category where we wouldn't necessarily call them small business owners, they are small business owners, but they're really more of a business of one person, they are the subject matter expert. And they have an executive assistant or an admin person or a marketing person or a VA, helping them grow their business."

"What I hear most commonly is hiring someone to manage the financial aspect of the business."

"Some other common activities are scheduling, marketing, any support around sales, and any sort of administrative task that doesn't have to be completed by that subject matter expert."

"A good way to figure out what you can let go of is just making a list of what you do every single day for about two weeks, and then identifying the things that you're doing that only you can do. But also identifying the things that you've done, you look over those past few weeks, that you think somebody else could do, and lump those tasks together, and assign those to somebody else.

"Especially when you're first starting your business of, again, subject matter expert, you're doing way more than you need to be doing until you get off the ground, very common."

"The second you can hire someone and get some of those tasks off your list that can be done by someone else, the better. Because you can monetize the work that you're doing, you know, at a much higher rate than some of the more lower level tasks that you might be engaging in."

"People don't realize all the tasks that they have to do to launch their business and grow their business."

"You can get burned out by doing all the things."

"Focusing on the thing that you are excellent at is most important because that tends to fill people up when you're working in your strengths, that tends to energize you and make you excited about your work."

"It's tricky at the beginning, at the very beginning, because you may not have a lot of money to invest in your infrastructure."

"It always kills me to see people trying to build their own website, for example, when they don't really have the skills to do that. And they get so frustrated, and they end up with a result that is truly lackluster, and doesn't reflect well on them."

"Two things I did not do from the beginning, and that I now make sure every client does and one is list build. That was years before we actually added an opt in to our website, years… And the second thing is that visibility piece. We've had our business for many years, and it's really just been in the last couple of years, through the podcast and through really beefing up our social media, mine in particular this year, where I'm making a concerted effort to become more visible and be the face of the brand."

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferris: https://a.co/d/8QzJ9Bm

No one said following your passion was easy. For Dr. Neha Sangwan, becoming an entrepreneur meant bucking family expectations and leaving behind the career she'd spent decades working toward. It wasn't easy–but it was worth it.

Neha Sangwan MD, CEO is a physician, engineer, author, speaker, and communication expert. As the founder of Intuitive Intelligence, she empowers individuals, leaders, and teams with effective communication tools that address stress and prevent burnout.

Dr. Neha consults for top organizations like Google, American Express, Kaiser Permanente, and the American Heart Association. She has shared her work across three TEDx stages and authored two books: TalkRx: Five Steps to Honest Conversations for Connection, Health, and Happiness; and Powered by Me: From Burned Out to Fully Charged at Work and in Life. Her work is integrated into a corporate mental and emotional wellness program called Bridging-Me-We-World.

The Root of All Stress

Stress causes or exacerbates over 80% of all illnesses. As a doctor, Neha was responsible for treating symptoms; but she realized that many of the patients she treated would return with the same health issue a few months later because they hadn't addressed the root cause of their stress.

So Dr. Neha started asking her patients five questions:

• Why this? (ie. why burnout or why a heart attack?)

• Why now? What message is your body trying to tell you?

• What clue, symptom, or pattern now makes perfect sense?

• What else in your life needs to be healed?

• If you spoke from the heart, what would you say?

These same questions can be applied to stress you're experiencing in any area of your life or business.

The interesting part, however, is that every single one of Dr. Neha's patients knew the root cause of their stress. Most of the time it could be traced back to a communication issue, either with themselves or others (a strained relationship with their children, for example).

Dr. Neha realized that if she wanted to help people heal, she had to connect all aspects of health–physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. So she began the journey of becoming an executive coach and communication expert.

Developing Triple Vision

An essential part of healing is what Dr. Neha calls "triple vision", or the ability to hold three views in harmony: the external, internal, and wider world.

Most of us are conditioned to focus on the external world of money, status, and what other people think of us. But your inner world–your values, passions, and purpose–is just as important as what others ask of you. If you lean too far into the external, it's easy to lose sight of what you truly want.

The last view to consider is the world and the wider impact you want to make. Dr. Neha sums up triple vision as: "Me, we, world" and it's a skill that all great leaders possess. To lead a successful team and business, you need to balance all three views.

Enjoy this episode with MD and CEO Neha Sangwan…

Quotes

"How did I dedicate 31 years of my life trying to live other people's dreams?"

"I had given over my life to other people. And so I wanted that agency back and I thought, 'Okay now you have to figure out what that means for you.'"

"Allow your intuition to write, even if it doesn't make sense, or speak it out because the answers are in there."

"You've got to slow down to speed up."

"As we keep ushering in and thinking that faster is better, and do more with less every year, and all these things, I think we better start thinking about what we're saying. Because we've created a world that has exceeded our biological ability to function in and people are burning out everywhere."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit Neha's website: https://nehasangwan.com

Connect with Neha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnehasangwan/

TalkRx: Five Steps to Honest Conversations That Create Connection, Health, and Happiness:

https://www.amazon.com/TalkRx-Honest-Conversations-Connection-Happiness/dp/1401942482

Powered By Me: From Burned Out to Fully Charged at Work and in Life: https://www.amazon.com/Powered-Me-Burned-Fully-Charged/dp/1265443386/

Working with customers that have already been in your pipeline is a great way to grow your business because satisfied customers become repeat buyers.

Exceptional service builds trust and loyalty.

When customers feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to return and recommend your business to others.

Consistency is key.

Over-delivering on promises and consistently meeting or surpassing expectations solidifies your reputation as a dependable and trustworthy partner. This builds a strong emotional connection with your customers, making them not just consumers of your product or service, but advocates for your brand.

Ongoing engagement keeps your brand top of mind.

Whether it's through regular check-ins, personalized follow-ups, or soliciting feedback, staying connected demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Positive experiences serve as powerful endorsements, attracting new customers through referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. By prioritizing exceptional service, consistently exceeding expectations, and fostering meaningful communication, your business can cultivate a loyal customer base that forms the bedrock of your success.

Quotes

"Do an amazing job, over-deliver, surprise and delight people along the way, and make sure you're leaving them with a feeling that makes them want to sing your praises from the rooftops."

"At the very beginning, ask them what a win looks like."

"You want to keep your network warm."

"When you've had a great engagement with someone and ended on a high note, you know, they're going to be advocates for you."

"If you check in with someone six months, a year, after you've already served them, and they're happy with what they've gotten, Imagine how just a real simple little check in whether it's a text message or an email and how far along that will go."

"It's just like another way of loving your customers and, and wanting the best for them and wanting to see them succeed."

"I've actually often said that we need a therapist on our team at times to work with our clients."

"Having worked in a restaurant for many years, in my early days, has given me great ability to really read people. And also to really deeply listen to people. Sometimes people just need to be heard, like, really heard."

"I always go back to intentions, you know, if your intentions are good, and the people you're working with, you know, their intentions are good, then yeah, people have crappy days here and there. And the communication might feel a little wonky, but just let it go. It's not worth getting caught up in. "

"There tend to be themes around the challenges people feel, so coming up with something that can be very helpful to people that have already worked with you. It's just again, like such a nice little surprise gift to people."

"Another thing you can do is offer a referral program. You can offer past clients incentives to refer business to you."

"You can always go direct to your customers and ask them, "what do you need?" Even just reaching out and asking those questions is a way to warm up a past relationship"

There's more to wealth than your finances. True wealth also includes things like your health, relationships, and how you spend your time. For Anita Heidema, a rich life means homecooked meals and regular trips to Italy–and she's built her business around that lifestyle.

Anita is a mindset coach and business strategist for entrepreneurs who want to live successful, powerful, and passionate lives. She is the creator of the RichLifeBiz System and the Getaway to Find Your Way travel program. Anita and her partner Chef Dario Tomaselli co-created the O'Live Your Life lifestyle brand, where they host culinary retreats in Tuscany.

Creating a Business Around Your Lifestyle

Anita and Dario have intentionally created a business that serves their life values. Early in their relationship, they were busy with work–Anita with her business and Dario with his job as a chef. They wanted more time together, to cook and eat with friends, and to live the slower Mediterranean lifestyle that Dario grew up with in Italy.

O'Live Your Life was both a business opportunity and a way for them to live that ideal life. Their retreats combine Dario's love of cooking with Anita's mindset coaching to create a transformative experience for their guests. They also offer team-building classes and culinary events.

When they're not in Italy, Anita and Dario bring the Mediterranean lifestyle to their North American clients. You don't need to cross the ocean to relax, enjoy time with friends and family, or cook a healthy meal–you can do those things from anywhere in the world.

What Does Your Rich Life Look Like?

For Anita, having a rich life goes beyond finances. It means feeling wealthy in every area of your life: love, relationships, health, work, and faith.

In the Mediterranean culture, relationships come first. So for Anita and Dario, living a rich life meant rearranging their businesses to prioritize time together. It means slowing down to appreciate the life and business they've created.

Enjoy this episode with CEO Anita Heidema…

Quotes

"I called it Getaway to Find your Way because when you travel you open yourself up to self-discovery."

"There's so many unique things to do and life is an adventure."

"What does your subconscious mind say that you really want as opposed to what you see other people doing out there and jumping on the bandwagon?"

"It's a brand that connects people."

"It's about inspiring people to do what they want in their life."

"It's about being together and that connection."

Links mentioned in this episode:

O'Live Your Life Meditteranean Lifestyle: https://oliveyourlife.org/

Anita's website: https://anitaheidema.com/

Send Anita's team an email: [email protected]

Connect with Anita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitaheidema/