If you and your business aren't on LinkedIn in 2021, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to reach new audiences and build you and your business's expertise, authority and trust, especially in your own industry. That's why this episode of The Make It Happen Show is brought to you by one of our Partners here at The Entourage, who is also a Hubspot Gold Partner, and the CEO and Founder of digital marketing agency, Content Chemistry, Nathan Reiche.     An expert in all things content, social and especially, LinkedIn, Nathan will take you through in this episode the step-by-step guide on how you can grow you and your business' LinkedIn in a way that builds credibility, drives brand awareness, and reaches qualified leads to make it happen. Check it out now and if you learned something in this episode, don't forget to subscribe and share it with another business owner who could benefit from learning this too.     Timestamps: 1:01 - Why LinkedIn is the go-to platform for professionals and businesses 2:02 - Effective B2B targeting strategies and how to drive leads on LinkedIn 3:54 - How to optimise your LinkedIn profile as a business owner 6:52 - Why you should grow your LinkedIn professional network 10:10 - Why you should share valuable and consistent content 11:42 - How you should manage your content and community on LinkedIn 13:14 - Best strategies to optimise your LinkedIn company page 16:23 - The importance of LinkedIn Ads Manager

We all know that marketing and sales are what drive business growth, but many of us are usually just guessing when it comes to how to best optimise our marketing and branding efforts. So, what are the keys to not only finding the right strategies for our industry and business, but to also doing 'good marketing' overall and getting stuck into people's heads, especially when they're about to buy? Let us show you how.     We've invited Australia's leading consumer psychologist, Adam Ferrier, onto this week's episode of The Make It Happen Show to share with you his exact strategies to practicing 'measured magic' in not only his own business, Thinkerbell, the third most awarded creative agency in Australia, but also for his clients such as Coca-Cola, Vegemite, Jetstar and The Iconic.     Adam doesn't hold back in sharing all of his knowledge for any business owner to become a master of marketing in this episode. Don't miss out on this one. Check it out now.     Timestamps: 1:26 - What Thinkerbell does and how it champions the marketing landscape 4:24 - How to get Founders who aren't marketing-inclined to rethink their marketing efforts 7:25 - Why your business needs a central organising thought 11:22 - How to maximise your marketing funnel strategy 14:22 - The value of cultural rituals in a business 16:20 - How mental models can structure your business' processes and functions 19:42 - The metrics and fundamentals of an effective mental model 21:11 - How to use shared and earned media to your advantage 24:18 - Big business practices that smaller businesses should avoid 27:01 - Tips that small businesses can use to win projects from larger businesses 32:31 - The stand-out marketing campaigns Adam has worked on with Thinkerbell 33:11 - A must-read book for every business owner

Would you agree that brands that feel more authentic, more human, and have actual people behind the brand are often the ones consumers connect with the most? The business owners who are able to create that authenticity in their brand, often have a strong personal brand behind the business, driving their business's vision, mission, and values. They are the ones who are able to create massive influence around them and establish themselves as the expert in their field or industry.     Let us show you 3 easy steps to shaping and managing a powerful personal brand from one of Australia's leading personal branding coaches, Carlii Lyon on this week's episode of The Make It Happen Show. A snippet of her amazing session with our Entourage members at The Entrepreneurs' Assembly earlier this year, Carlii shares her secrets to success from her experience working on the brands of executives, entrepreneurs, and even supermodels such as Miranda Kerr. This is a must-listen for all business owners who want to create a sphere of influence around themselves and their business long-term. Check it out.     Timestamps: 1:13 - The importance of putting yourself out there 3:36 - What is personal branding and how is it impactful to you and your business? 8:09 - The most common mistakes people make when building their personal brands 11:13 - The four P's to building a strong personal brand 19:20 - The misconceptions and authentic definition of personal branding

If you want to future-proof your business against the ups and downs of this day and age, then you have to listen to this podcast episode. Creating a business and brand that lasts is not simple, but it's doable. And it starts with understanding and applying this one thing that we cover in this episode of The Make It Happen Show. Without this one thing, your business will likely not last through the inevitable challenges that will come your way.   We've invited Tim Duggan to share with you the lessons he's learned from his own business journey of building one of Australia's leading cult-followed businesses and publications to help you build a long-lasting business and brand. As the Editor-at-Large and Co-Founder of Junkee Media, one of Australia's most innovative and award-winning new media companies, and the author of 'Cult Status: How To Build A Business People Adore', Tim is an industry expert in teaching business owners just like you how to build a company backed by a strong community that actually lasts. This is packed with great lessons and strategies, so don't miss this ep!   Timestamps: 1:43 - The secret to how Tim Duggan's businesses achieved 'cult status' 3:09 - Australian businesses with cult status 4:44 - Common characteristics of impactful businesses 7:34 - The power of a defined purpose and impact statement 13:13 - The 7 steps to cult status 16:49 - The importance of having virtual and in-person gatherings with your community 18:35 - The impact of 'dropping the bullsh*t' and implementing 'best friend marketing' 20:50 - The leadership style that cult status business Founders emulate 22:34 - What you should never forget to do in your business journey 25:42 - Tim shares insight on his upcoming second book 30:16 - Why "fake it 'til you make it" is the worst business advice 32:55 - What to do when someone wants to break away from traditional business mindsets

If you're a business owner who wants to improve your sales skills, then you have to listen to this episode of The Make It Happen Show. There are a lot of strategies and techniques that you could learn to improve your sales ability which is why we've asked Kane Draper, a Vision Partner with The Entourage and a sales, leadership and mindset coach with 12+ years of experience in business development, to help you out by sharing 4 key pillars to increase your conversions.   Nationally recognised with awards from BRW's Fast 100, SmartCompany's Smart50, and from CEO Magazine too, Kane knows how to lead you in the exact steps to optimise your sales process and improve your ability to convert. Everything from Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques to the messaging you deliver in your sales conversations, this is how you exponentially grow your conversions in a scalable way. Take notes and put them into practice — this is your time to make it happen.   Timestamps: 2:06 - The 3 key elements that make a sale 3:20 - The 4 pillars that will guarantee your success in selling 6:22 - Why practicing on prospects is killing your sales 10:37 - How to utilise DISC profiling and understanding pain points to connect with your customers more 14:13 - The key problem of almost every business owner today 17:29 - Why you need to give focus to current customers too 20:07 - 2 hot tips in getting successful referrals

A classic entrepreneur story usually looks like this: side hustle -> quit corporate job -> full-time business owner. But what happens when your 'dream' life and business start shifting into something else? This is the story of Sarah Davidson, the Co-Founder of Matcha Maiden, and her journey to realising that her business was no longer on the right path for her.   5 years into an accidental side-hustle turned international, trailblazing matcha company, she realised that she was no longer doing any parts of the business she loved. Feeling like she was holding the business back from reaching its full potential, these are her steps to exiting from Matcha Maiden and finally, and truly 'Seizing The Yay' — her personal philosophy in finding fulfilment and joy in life.   This is a very different episode of The Make It Happen Show, but one that is a must-listen for every business owner no matter what stage you're at, because finding what truly lights you up is the key to your long-term success. Check it out.   Timestamps: 1:27 - From corporate lawyer to side hustle to running a full-fledged business 4:08 - How Sarah knew when it was time to exit her business 6:40 - What convinced Sarah to consider investors 7:30 - Why the 'winging-it' method has an expiry date and what the next step should be 9:26 - Why stepping back and delegating was easier than expected 10:30 - What has kept Sarah occupied since her exit from Matcha Maiden 11:59 - Signs that you're ready to exit out of a company 13:44 - How uncertainty in business can help strengthen your mindset 16:28 - Proactive steps to take to step away from structure and deadline-driven environment 21:16 - Why running a business isn't always a one size fits all approach 23:59 - The two activities you should all be doing in your life 25:55 - The ultimate scheduling matrix for business owners 29:07 - The best and worst experiences of book-writing for Sarah

Shutting a business down is no easy decision, especially 10 years in when you have over 200+ people employed, millions of dollars invested from investors, and you're seemingly 'successful' at $12M revenue. But when you're operating at a loss, the inevitable is bound to happen — and that's exactly what happened to Michael Fox and the business he co-founded, Shoes of Prey.   However, despite its closure, Michael didn't let that 'failure' stay fatal to his journey as an entrepreneur. Instead, he took those hard-earned lessons he gained from Shoes of Prey into his newest business, Fable Food Co, to make it the massive success it is today. Fable Food Co's products are in over 250 restaurants and cafes, in 1700+ supermarkets, and its first customer was even Michelin Star celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal!   Hear all about Michael's 3 key lessons learned from shutting a $12M business down in this snippet of his session with us at The MIH Summit earlier this year all in today's episode of The Make It Happen Show.   Timestamps: 0:58 - Introducing Michael Fox
1:29 - How Shoes of Prey took a niche into the mass market
5:13 - The realities of being married to your business partner
7:53 - The international expansion of Shoes of Prey
8:57 - Shutting down Shoes of Prey
12:57 - What can you do after you've closed your business?
15:04 - Why you need to be passionate about the business you're in
16:24 - Get your market research right!
17:55 - The importance of setting up your business to scale quickly if needed

Many business owners will go through some sort of raising capital process at least once in their lifetime. But many are stuck in the traditional headspace of how to raise capital without realising that there's another way with so much untapped potential - and it starts with your customers.   Equity Crowdfunding is a way for everyday investors to invest in businesses that they love and highly align with. And with such a big pool of potential investors who you already know are rooting for and your business's success, we've asked the Founder of Australia's leading crowdfunding platform, Matt Vitale from Birchal, to share his top strategies in creating crowdfunding campaigns that succeed.   The keys? Not just strong business foundations but also your brand and its impact. Wondering what that means? Listen to this full episode of The Make It Happen Show to find out.   Timestamps: 2:33 - Spearheading equity crowdfunding in Australia 4:06 - The basic process to equity crowdfunding 6:16 - Creating more opportunities between SME's and investors 8:13 - How to best advertise your crowdfunding campaign 9:52 - Some of Australia's most successful equity crowdfunding campaigns 12:02 -What makes businesses more attractive to investors 13:33 - Topline figures the biggest campaigns Birchal has worked with 16:29 - The most memorable campaigns Matt has worked with 18:44 -The elements of a good and high-potential crowdfunding campaign 21:36 - Campaigns with unexpected results 23:40 - How Birchal has grown throughout the years 28:33 - What business owners need to realise about investors 30:25 - The one thing Matt learned from corporate law that he's applied in his business 33:56 - What companies can do to stand out as a brand 34:29 - What's ahead for Australian crowdfunding equity

Have you ever felt that you're constantly lacking time as a business owner? Many founders start a business for freedom but find that they never have enough time to refine and iterate their marketing. They never have enough time to give enough attention to each sales call. And they never have enough time to look at their financials. It can get crazy in business, and that's something we at The Entourage can empathise with, but also help you out with!   We've asked Pete Liston, the Co-Founder of Trust The Process, a Vision Partner at The Entourage, AND an ADF veteran to help you get your time back by sharing his key lessons on how anyone can achieve military precision in business in this episode of The Make It Happen Show. Discover how you can start increasing efficiency in your team, as well as some of Pete's best strategies to start elevating yourself up and out of the business, and actually gain some time back for yourself.   There are some key lessons in here, so don't miss this one out!   Timestamps: 2:36 - How to get military precision in business 6:02 - The efficiency of 'speed of task transition' 7:06 - How to increase speed and efficiency in business processes 7:55 - Preventing micromanagement and decision fatigue as a business owner 10:57 - How to improve your delegation ability 14:35 - Why you should give your team 20% more opportunities 15:31 - How to create time through delegation

Ever wondered how some of the top entrepreneurs in the world have made it happen? Was it their mindset, their grit, their business savviness, or something else?   In this week's episode The Make It Happen Show, we wanted to bring someone along who can answer this for you. Janine Allis is one of the top entrepreneurial thought leaders in Australia and globally. She's a 'Shark' on Shark Tank Australia, Celebrity Apprentice Australia advisor, and Founder of Boost Juice, one of Australia's top franchises.   Taken from our event, The MIH Summit, Janine shares with us her key lessons, strategies, and hacks to how she's made it happen — everything from motivation inspiration, overcoming failures and challenges, finding the right people in your team, and even what she looks for as a 'Shark' in a pitch on Shark Tank Australia. Enjoy this ep and check us out at www.the-entourage.com.au to glean even more insights and inspiration from Australia's pre-eminent business thought-leaders.   Timestamps: 2:43 - How Janine Allis used naivety and fear to make it happen 4:41 - What keeps Janine motivated despite being in the business for years 5:39 - Why it's important to celebrate even the smallest wins 7:16 - Why you should never tell your team "they're just doing their jobs" 7:58 - Failure shouldn't be an option 9:40 - How Boost Juice has grown its team throughout the years 11:34 - Why you need to keep the 'small business' mindset even as your business scales 12:19 - The true essence of an entrepreneur for Janine 13:26 - Janine's leadership technique 15:01 - How Janine has developed her business' organisational chart 16:41 - The importance of succession planning 19:31 - How Janine has evolved her business throughout the years 21:13 - What makes a good pitch 22:44 - How Boost Juice has pushed through the global pandemic as a business in retail and hospitality 26:03 - The key lessons Janine has learned throughout her entrepreneurial journey 28:29 - Key guidance for business owners that want to scale their business