The Financial Gravity Podcast

AJ Wilcox is a marketer and LinkedIn Guru. He is the founder of the ad agency B2Linked, which shares information, strategies, and tips about advertising on LinkedIn. AJ was challenged to improve advertising on LinkedIn at his previous job, where he learned as much as he could, and became an expert in the field, before starting his own ad agency when he was let go. In this episode, he talks about the differences between search and social media advertising, the art and science of advertising, and whether LinkedIn Ads are for you. Tune in to find out more about how LinkedIn Ads could be changing your business.

Key Takeaways:

[:19] John introduces his guest for this episode — AJ Wilcox.

[1:08] How did AJ get into the business of being a LinkedIn Guru?

[4:00] Search advertising is very different from social media advertising. AJ introduces the concept of BANT that captures the differences.

[7:20] How does AJ use LinkedIn to target the Budget and Authority aspects of BANT?

[10:20] LinkedIn advertising is powerful because of the context it provides — it reaches people who are thinking about their jobs and career, which leads to higher conversion rates.

[11:28] When AJ got let go at his previous job, it gave him the chance to ask himself what he really wanted to do.

[13:44] It’s not always a bad thing to be a cog in the corporate world — focus on learning everything that you can, and becoming the best at that aspect, before branching out.

[15:35] Advertising is a complex mix of art and science.

[17:25] What does AJ think about the Microsoft acquisition of LinkedIn?

[21:53] Microsoft’s LinkedIn acquisition has even more staggering implications, if you apply BANT to it — there is now the power to combine search and social.

[24:29] AJ talks about running his own business.

[26:51] What has AJ learned over the course of the past few years about finances, accounting, and taxes, that he didn’t know before?

[29:05] AJ talks about his upbringing, and how that has shaped where he is now, and how he runs his business.

[33:11] AJ grew up in an environment where his father was super conservative and his brother was the complete opposite. It allowed him to see the different consequences of the different choices they made.

[36:39] Was there a point in AJ’s entrepreneurial journey when he thought his business was going to fail?

[38:40] AJ and John discuss millennials, and changes in the digital world.

[41:58] What are some books that AJ would like to recommend?

[44:45] What are some apps or technology that have changed the way AJ runs his business, or that he can’t live without?

Mentioned in This Episode:

AJ Wilcox on LinkedIn

B2Linked

LinkedIn

BANT

Microsoft Surface Book

Microsoft Windows 10

Microsoft Teams

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 31: Abundance 360 — Looking to the Future

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 42: Jason Kos — Growth Through Human Analytics (Culture Index)

Dave Ramsey

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 33: Shama Hyder — Marketing Zen Extraordinaire

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 29: Jessica Rhodes — Rock the Podcast!

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 13: Nick Nanton — Celebrity Branding Agency

Growth Hacker Marketing, by Ryan Holiday

Drive, by Daniel H. Pink

VXI BlueParrott Headset

Marcedes Fuller is a millennial who is a speaker, life coach, and author. His tagline is ‘America’s Imagepreneur,’ and he helps people understand themselves personally and how this affects their public perception, and correlates to their professional image. He is invested in seeing people move forward and pursue what they believe is their best right now. On this episode, he talks about his own transformation and process, and how this has helped him coach individuals, organizations, and professional associations. Tune in to find out more about why branding isn’t just for brands, but for people too!

Key Takeaways:

[:20] John introduces his guest for this episode — Marcedes Fuller.

[1:15] Marcedes gives us his cocktail party pitch.

[2:20] Marcedes is very young. How does he coach people through things that he may not have lived?

[4:56] Marcedes has already chalked up a lot of experience in his life, and decided early on that he didn’t want to be on a hamster wheel for the rest of his life.

[6:40] Marcedes brands himself as America’s Imagepreneur. What does that mean, and how does he help people with their image?

[9:40] It’s really important to know who you are personally, so that you can understand the image you project to people, and how that ties in with your professional life.

[11:45] What is Marcedes’ unique ability and superpower?

[14:50] Marcedes has an empathy that not a lot of people have — he focuses on touching people’s hearts and then working from there.

[16:36] What was the pivotal moment in Marcedes’ life, that he realized that this was what he wanted to do?

[20:52] How did Marcedes know that the problem lay with the people who didn’t understand his brand and what he was bringing to the table, and not him?

[24:28] Empirical evidence was pointing to one conclusion, but Marcedes was getting different feedback from the authorities at his school — he had to make the decision to leave, because to stay would have cost him his health and happiness.

[27:12] Knowing and being confident in your own personal brand can help you overcome obstacles.

[30:14] Where did Marcedes get his entrepreneurial spirit?

[35:35] What are some technologies or apps that help Marcedes run his life?

[40:25] Get in touch with Marcedes via his website, and be sure to check out his new book, While You Were Out From “Work”.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Marcedes Fuller

Marcedes Fuller on Facebook

Marcedes Fuller on Instagram

The Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 13: Nick Nanton — Celebrity Branding Agency

Waiting for Superman, Documentary

Start with Why, by Simon Sinek

Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek on Millennials in the Workplace

Apple

Skype

Whatsapp

Canva

Viber

UpWork

While You Were Out From “Work”, by Marcedes Fuller

We all know that the makers of the Epipen have increased their prices, and despite being met with widespread outrage, they’re definitely making more profit. So how is it possible that they are making even more in compounding tax benefits?

Key Takeaways:

[:22] Capitalism generally establishes equilibrium prices between knowledgeable buyers and willing sellers.

[:38] Sometimes the equilibrium breaks down and prices soar, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry.

[:51] A parasite drug and the Epipen have both seen extreme price raises.

[2:34] More money for the drug companies doesn’t necessarily mean more money for the IRS.

[4:38] One company made far more in compounding tax benefits than they did in operating profit.

[4:55] Call Financial Gravity when you’re ready to stop wasting money on taxes that you don’t have to pay.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

Lindsey Anderson runs Trafficandleads.com, and is an expert at Facebook marketing and email marketing. Lindsey and her husband started off as web developers, but she began asking herself what people were actually lacking — which wasn’t a website; it was traffic to their website, and leads that convert to clients. Tune in to this episode to find out why your business needs Facebook and email marketing, and how you can start getting traffic and leads too!

Key Takeaways:

[:20] John introduces his guest for this episode — Lindsey Anderson.

[1:15] Lindsey gives us her elevator pitch.

[1:35] How does Lindsey get traffic and leads for her clients?

[3:21] SEO usually takes a few months to show results, so while that’s running in the background, you can run paid campaigns through Adwords or Facebook advertising to pull traffic right now.

[4:22] Lindsey advises clients based on the maturity of their business and their needs.

[5:05] Facebook allows advertisers to really reach out to only their target audience. How does that change the game in advertising?

[8:20] Facebook can create “look-alike” audiences based on their preferences, and this comes from the information that consumers have literally given to Facebook.

[10:25] What exactly does Lindsey’s company do? What is Lindsey’s unique ability and superpower that makes her stand out?

[13:08] Some people may say that email lists don’t work, but these are people who have opted in and they want to hear from you.

[14:23] You can no longer engage your clients from an arm’s length. People want to do business with people, not businesses or brands.

[17:22] How does Lindsey run her business? What is something that she had to learn from experience?

[22:01] Lindsey really needed an accountant who would have shown her numbers that helped her run her business and manage her income taxes, but she didn’t have that.

[24:09] Lindsey is a very driven person. Does that come from her upbringing or her DNA?

[25:54] Lindsey and John discuss setting boundaries in their personal lives to manage their entrepreneurial spirits and their partners.

[30:33] Lindsey has some advice for entrepreneurs — don't be afraid to ask for help, be it in your marriage and personal life, or in your business.

[34:43] What are some apps and technology that Lindsey is using?

[39:10] Get in touch with Lindsey via her website.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Lindsey Anderson on LinkedIn

TrafficandLeads.com

oneclicklindsey.com

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 32: John Jantsch — SEO for Growth

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 33: Shama Hyder — Marketing Zen Extraordinaire

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 35: Michael and Teresa Blaes — Helping You See Your Blind Spots

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 29: Jessica Rhodes — Rock the Podcast!

Triberr

The 1984 hit This is Spinal Tap made countless millions. So how did the producers get away with showing a combined income of only $179 across two decades?

Key Takeaways:

[:20] In 1984, the documentary This is Spinal Tap became a big hit.

[1:15] This is Spinal Tap cost $2.5 million to make, but it became a cult classic and made countless millions.

[1:37] The co-creators of the movie reported a combined income of only $179 between 1984-2006. This has sparked a lawsuit.

[2:22] How do the movie producers shield their income?

[3:42] This lawsuit is not the first time that someone has challenged Hollywood’s accounting games.

[4:27] For the most part, the IRS doesn’t care about producers shielding income because someone else will pay.

[4:52] Call Financial Gravity when you’re ready to stop wasting money on taxes that you don’t have to pay.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

Brian Saemann runs a company called GoBeyond SEO, a company that helps lawyers get new leads and clients with digital marketing. He also heads Digital Agency School, which helps marketers start and grow 6-figure digital marketing agencies. Brian and John discuss digital marketing and SEO, and how understanding consumer psyche lends itself to marketing to produce higher click-through and conversion rates. Tune in to learn more about what you should be focusing on to build up your online presence and grow your business.

Key Takeaways:

[:18] John introduces his guest for this episode — Brian Saemann.

[1:27] What exactly does Brian do?

[2:13] Brian occupies a very specific niche by serving only lawyers. His is a great example of pivoting to do what you do best!

[4:00] Brian talks a little bit about his journey to becoming an entrepreneur.

[6:03] What is the importance of SEO in today's world?

[8:55] What is digital marketing and what does Brian help people do?

[11:01] The digital marketing industry has exploded in the last few years, but be wary of spending time building up your presence on platforms if your target audience isn’t there. Don’t fall prey to the ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’!

[12:27] How does Brian help his clients balance marketing expenditure and not knowing if those activities will pay off?

[13:54] John shares his own negative experience with digital marketing. What would Brian have done differently, and better?

[17:08] Marketing does give some strange insight into the human psyche.

[18:06] It’s best to focus on just one or two things at a time to give yourself the opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t, when it comes to marketing.

[19:02] Brian shares some of his experiences where it’s taken one or more pivots for him to discover what was really effective.

[22:20] Psychology makes marketing very interesting — people respond more to fear and loss messaging than positive and benefits messaging!

[25:41] Brian encourages people to use landing pages whenever possible — sending a person to your website distracts them from the one single call to action that you want them to focus on. Landing pages should be built to convert prospects!

[27:20] What are the steps that people need to think about when building their digital presence?

[29:00] What is Brian's superpower?

[30:03] There’s been shift in how marketing works — an analytical approach is more important now than ever before.

[32:59] Facebook has allowed for a very specific targeting at low costs, and has a wealth of information that’s a goldmine for marketers.

[36:18] Is there any new technology that Brian sees on the horizon, that might have some traction in the marketplace?

[37:29] How will AI impact marketing in the coming few years?

[41:42] What are the four pillars of starting and growing your own marketing agency?

[43:01] Check out Brian’s website for a free course, if you’re interested in starting your own marketing agency. Otherwise, catch him on Facebook or Twitter.

[43:26] What are some apps and technology that Brian uses on a daily basis?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

The Financial Gravity Podcast with John Pollock

Brian Saemann on Facebook

Brian Saemann on Twitter

GoBeyond SEO

Digital Agency School

Duct Tape Marketing

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 32: John Jantsch — SEO for Growth

SEO For Growth, by John Jantsch

Adwords

Facebook Adverts

Pinterest

Influence, by Robert Cialdini

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

Pre-suasion, by Robert Cialdini

Abundance 360

Omnifocus

Wunderlist

A recent report shows an even bigger divide between the rich and the poor, but U.S. citizens may be able to use a tax plan to bridge that gap.

Key Takeaways:

[:21] What is the solution to economic inequality?

[1:00] New research shows that the rich hide more of their income to avoid taxes.

[2:06] Socialism doesn’t fix the problem.

[3:14] Norway’s wealthiest families keep a third of their money offshore.

[4:05] 95% of people in a recent study did not report the money in their Swiss bank account.

[4:45] The U.S. is considered a tax haven by many foreign countries, and we have many options for saving money on taxes. Call Financial Gravity when you’re ready to start paying less.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

Stephanie Chung is a business coach, but is also known as the high-ticket sales closer. She works with businesses to increase their top-line sales through high-ticket selling, specifically, but as long as your business is not the cheapest in its space, she can help you. In this episode, Stephanie talks about how leadership communication is tied to sales, and what business owners should be doing to make more and better customers. Tune in for some tips you can apply to running your business to improve your sales overall and build better customer relationships!

Key Takeaways:

[:20] John introduces his guest for this episode — Stephanie

[1:05] Stephanie gives us her elevator pitch.

[1:40] Stephanie’s background is in selling private jets.

[2:30] The focus of selling shouldn’t be the cost, but rather the value.

[3:25] How do we reconcile the desire to race to the bottom in terms of price with trying to add value and justifying the value?

[6:00] The challenge of branding is talking to people in the way that they want to be talked to! Throwing money at it is not enough.

[7:34] Selling based on value rather than price also means you’ll have your client for a lot longer!

[8:15] How does Stephanie get new clients started on their journey?

[9:30] The sales process starts much earlier than when the salesperson starts talking to the client. There are so many steps before the end result.

[12:00] Stephanie’s website models everything a website should have — when she advises clients, it’s from experience.

[12:45] Who are some of Stephanie’s clients? What kind of successes has she had with them?

[15:14] The bigger your team, the more important constant communication with them is. They need to be sold on the idea of what they’re selling!

[18:08] A salesperson is so much more than just a salesperson — he brings in revenue, he’s the eyes and ears of the company, and the voice of the customer.

[19:50] Don’t just look for new business with brand new prospects. Look for new business within your existing customer base!

[21:39] There’s an idea of “bait” — your core offering should solve your customer’s biggest problem, but then you can expand to sell them other products.

[22:13] It’s important to meet people where they are.

[25:10] Every market has that stickiness — sell more things to the same clients by offering complementary products and services.

[30:10] Building a relationship is important in creating stickiness — initially, even more so than just getting the job done.

[31:27] It is important for everyone in the company to be familiar with the customer lifetime value of each client!

[34:23] What are some of the things that Stephanie sees as problems that need to be overcome in the sales arena?

[40:45] What are some books Stephanie recommends for someone starting out on a coaching journey?

[44:00] Different techniques and material are necessary, depending on where the client is.

[44:53] How does Stephanie reconcile weaknesses the client knows he has but shouldn’t work on, with the weaknesses that he should work on?

[50:04] What are some apps or technology that Stephanie uses? She doesn’t. Some advice — go back to the basics and try hand writing a note instead.

[53:30] John shares his experiences with private jets and how he was sold on the idea — it’s not about being pretentious, but about being home in time for dinner.

[57:14] Get a hold of Stephanie via her website, and sign up for her webinars too!

[57:43] Stephanie leaves us with some closing thoughts on human behavior and interaction — what people remember about you is how you made them feel, and getting clients to talk about themselves makes them feel good about themselves.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

The Financial Gravity Podcast with John Pollock

Stephanie Chung

Interview Connections

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 45: Justin Nabity — Start Early, Get in for the Long Haul

Dan Kennedy

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith

Brian Tracy

Steves Jobs, by Walter Isaacson

Herb Keller

Humans Are Underrated, by Geoff Colvin

Getmoreclientsandsales.com

Justin Nabity is the founder of the company Physician Advisors LLC in the financial services space, dealing with a specific group of people — doctors. It is an advisory group for doctors and surgeons that helps them make sound financial decisions, from negotiating contracts to planning for retirement. Justin’s company adopts a unique business model that focuses on capturing doctors’ loyalty early on, by helping them with financial planning before they even realize that they need help. Tune in to this episode to find out more about Justin’s business model, and why having an end goal is crucial.

Key Takeaways:

[:18] John welcomes his guest for this episode —Justin Nabity

[1:06] Justin’s father is an independent business man operating in the insurance market. How did that affect Justin’s desire to follow the same path?

[4:03] Justin talks about the the financial trajectory of doctors — contrary to popular belief, they are not rich!

[6:02] Doctors take so long to get out of “school,” that when they finally do make it out, they’re in a very different place from other fresh graduates, financially.

[8:25] John has found that doctors retire with less wealth than other high-income professions. The reason? Expectations.

[10:00] What does Justin do? How did he get into this business?

[12:36] Justin recommends a 50-30-20 breakdown of income. How did he create that?

[14:42] What is Justin doing with contracts? It’s not about the financial product, but setting his clients up in the right place early on.

[19:17] Justin’s business model is based on a concept of “land-and-expand.” Once doctors build that trust with the company in being able to handle their contracts, they tend to trust them more on other financial matters too!

[23:46] Even if you are younger than your client, you can sell your accelerated experience when you’re selling what you do.

[25:39] Justin has gotten to know his clients really well over the time he has been serving them, and now even travels internationally to make an impact.

[27:05] Justin and his team help doctors to get comfortable with the decisions they make about managing their money, which frees them to serve.

[27:54] Justin talks about how his company has adopted a different view of retirement. Tip: If you’re not retiring to something, you’re going to die!

[31:00] It’s important for your retirement to have a purpose, especially considering that people are living longer and have a much longer time to live post-retirement.

[35:30] Was there a point in Justin’s entrepreneurship journey where he thought he wasn’t going to make it?

[39:40] Being an entrepreneur is extremely difficult, but also extremely rewarding.

[43:55] Justin advises that if you’re considering entrepreneurship, find someone from the Entrepreneurship Organization to take on as a mentor.

[46:25] What are some tools and technologies that Justin uses to help him run his life and business better?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

The Financial Gravity Podcast with John Pollock

Justin Nabity on LinkedIn

Physicians Advisors

The New Retirementality, by Mitch Anthony

Halftime, by Bob Buford

Entrepreneurs Organization

Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz

Microsoft 365 Teams

Slack

YouCanBookMe

Acuity Scheduling

TimeTrade

MoneyGuidePro

Riskalyze

Vinnie Fisher is the founder of Fully Accountable, a company that provides back office solutions for small businesses, allowing them to focus their time and resources on building their businesses. Vinnie started out as a lawyer, but eventually moved into the accounting space, where he is now doing something truly revolutionary. Being at the forefront of these changes, Vinnie talks about how his company helps small businesses, while also sharing some tips, tricks and sound advice for entrepreneurs. Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

[:18] John introduces his guest for this episode — Vinnie Fisher.

[1:04] Vinnie is an attorney! How did he get into the accounting space?

[3:06] Vinnie’s is a perfect entrepreneurial story. His business grew from an internal problem that needed solving, into a solution used by hundreds!

[5:14] What is the Accounting Dashboard? Why is it so important for the small business owner?

[8:28] Most entrepreneurs lack any expertise to analyse and understand financial statements, so that aspect of the business ends up getting ignored.

[10:04] Higher revenue does not solve all problems!

[11:18] The question is do you go for growth, or profit? Unless you have unlimited access to capital, always prioritize profit, not growth!

[14:14] What kind of work does Vinnie do with CEOs of companies?

[16:53] John does something similar to Vinnie, in surrounding himself with his customers.

[19:10] If you want to change something, you’re going to have to accept the responsibility of the effort.

[20:48] Vinnie talks a little more about the benefits of the dashboard.

[22:35] Vinnie has some great giveaways on his website — his newest book, the metrics small businesses should use in their operation, and a strategy session!

[24:27] What are some of the failures that Vinnie has encountered that have brought him to where he is today?

[29:58] Failure is not fun, but it’s not about what didn’t happen. It’s about what you can do now.

[31:30] Get out of your own head! Build a network of people who are fighting the good fight!

[32:37] Vinnie’s wife is his business partner. How does he manage the personal and business aspects of his relationship, on top of raising four children?

[37:24] John’s company is using the services of Fully Accountable to scale up his business.

[38:21] What are some tools and apps that Vinnie uses that help him run his life better? He shares some life hacks, and advice, too!

[44:17] Check out Vinnie’s website and don’t forget to cash in on the great giveaways!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Financial Gravity

The Financial Gravity Podcast with John Pollock

Vinnie Fisher

Fully Accountable

False Profits: It's Not the Top Line that Pays You!, by Vinnie Fisher and Chris Giorgio

The Total CEO

Financial Gravity Podcast Episode 10: Profit First Professionals — Ron Saharyan

Vinnie’s Giveaways for Listeners

OurPact

Audible