The Remote CEO Show

So you know that your personal brand is your biggest asset.But with all the social platforms, creating content is becoming almost a full-time job.

Couple that with the fact that you likely won’t be able to monetize on your brand for at least two years, no wonder why so many people see content creation as a daunting task.

But today, I want to break down a simple trick that will help you create content in just a couple of hours a week.

First off, find out what your niche wants to know more about. Once you know the topics, arrange them in 4 or 5 different pillars.

These pillars will be your guidelines, so that every time you sit down to write a post, or film a video, you can refer to one of the pillars and start talking (or writing) about it.

I help freelancers and solopreneurs scale their businesses, so I talk about hiring, automation, sales, content creation, productivity, etc.

Once you figure out what your framework looks like, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel every time. Just glance at your pillars and start talking about the topics you are already familiar with!

Congrats! You made it all the way to the end of a sales call!You covered everything you were supposed to, and yet, the prospect turns into a slippery soap bar and gives you the good ol’ “I will get back to you.”You were ready to deal with the “It’s too much money,” or the “I am not ready to do this yet,” or even the “I need to talk to my partner.”But what about “I will get back to you”? That just shows that the prospect is not looking to engage in a conversation.At that point, your main goal is not to close a deal, but to find out what the real issue is.Sure, you’ll get back to closing in a minute, but right now, it’s time to get the conversation back on track.Saying something like, “In my years of experience, I know that if someone tells me, ‘I’ll get back to you,’ there’s usually an issue that wasn’t addressed. Is it the price? The product? The agreement length?’Once you find out what the real reason is, dig in deeper. “What about the ___? How can we make it work?”Don’t be afraid to ask questions to uncover the real issue. Do that with confidence, to get back in control of the conversation. Remember, hurdles are not walls! You can (and you should) jump over them and get to the finish line.

I can’t believe I wasted a full year working with a mediocre team. And the sad part is that I thought I had done everything right. I posted a job, went through the job applications, booked and ran ten interviews, and picked the best candidate. Little that I knew, people can be amazing during the interview process but turn into below-average contractors once they start working. I had to change something. Enter the tryout model. I come from a digital marketing background, so my number one focus is testing, testing testing. Why didn’t I think about it earlier??? All I needed to do was hire four or five contractors (the ones that aced the interview) and give them a trial project to work on. The variables were all the same. They were working on the same project. Sure, I was paying four people to do one task, but the upsides of this project are unbelievable. At the end of the four-hours, I had a clear understanding of their communication skills, attention to detail, speed, and coachability. All I needed to do at this point was hire the winner for the full project. Interestingly enough, I actually ended up keeping other freelancers in mind for future projects. Applying the split testing model to real-life projects has been a game-changer in my business and I know that you will find the same!

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What’s going to happen? Did they hear me wrong? Was I good enough?And the list goes on!!! All these questions used to pop in my head all day (and night) long like popcorn in the microwave.I got to the point where I was spending more time making movies in my head than actually doing work or living life.Then one day I started wondering if my overthinking habit was actually a disease and that turned out to be a slippery slope.I’d attach a bunch of labels to my compulsive string of thoughts. I have OCD. Oh no wait, I just have GAD. Or maybe It’s insomnia mixed with ADD.I am going to spare you the list of doctors and meds I tried (to no avail) and I’ll get straight to the end of this frantic race to nowhere.I meditated. Yes, I meditated a lot. I first meditated for a few hours in a row on a flight from Europe to YYZ so that I could distract myself from the fear of very very unlikely things happening to me.It worked so well that as soon as I landed I decided to start a 20-minute meditation routine every morning.I love meditating because it reminds me that I am in control of my mind, no matter what my thoughts make me think.I love meditating because it reminds me that my thoughts are just thoughts, and they are not accurate representations of the world around me.Is it easy to meditate? Not really. Actually, It’s kinda boring and frustrating at the beginning. But hey, I learned how to ride a bike when I was a kid. I scraped my knees and elbows, but if I had the resilience to get back up and try again when I was 3 years old, I am sure you can fall down and get back up with your meditation practice a few times.I have been doing it for 5 years and I rarely miss a day. In fact, now, even a 10-minute deep meditation session is enough for me to put me back on the driver’s seat.Do you meditate? And If you do, how often and for how long?

On this episode of the Remote CEO Show, I had the pleasure to interview Danny May. Danny is a global AI tech entrepreneur and industry speaker who founded Lingmo, a digital AI-Powered translation software provider with no IT or AI background. His idea to develop a real-time language translation solution, to break down the global language barrier, came about after an embarrassing situation in China when his passport was stolen and he had no way of communicating with the local people.

Write ONE word to describe your performance this week.I'll go first. It's "fire."I got so much done, and I learned a lot. But it wasn't always like this. I used to wake up pumped and then slowly give in to my bad habits.Scrolling through social media, eating carbs and fried foods, skipping my journaling sessions, not exercising, etc.Weeks would go by, and I hardly got anything done. I would ask myself, "Why is this happening?"Looking back, I knew the answer already. I wasn't taking care of the basics.You could own a race car, but if you don't inflate the tires, you don't change the oil, and you use the wrong fuel, it will not perform at its full potential.Your body and mind are the same. When you feel down and unproductive, ALWAYS go back to the basics.Once you take care of them, everything else will fall into place. You will gain clarity, focus, and your purpose will light a fire inside you!

Say "YES" if you want more clients now.So many people want clients, but most people wait on the sidelines for them.The problem is that the more you wait, the more you become irrelevant.If you want to grow your business, you need to create content and turn your company into a media machine.Pick the 4 or 5 key topics that represent your brand. Create informative, entertaining, and inspiring content around those topics. Show up every day for years.Do this, and you will become a staple in your industry.In the beginning, people will notice you and will read your content. They may not need you now, but they will have you top of mind.When you create content, you move your audience from 1) not aware, to  2) aware but not interested, to 3) interested but not ready to buy, and finally, 4) ready to buy.

What's stopping you from getting more clients?I used to run my sales calls as if I was desperate for my prospects to buy from me. And, of course, I was struggling.No one will buy from you when you sound desperate. Would you buy a car if the salesperson told you: "please, we really need more buyers!!! We haven't sold this model lately. Can you help us out?.."You'd think, "Where's the door?! I need to get out of here!"The same goes for your sales calls. You don't say those exact words, but your tone and demeanor show those feelings.It's time for you to flip the script around.First, serve a few core clients to the best of your abilities, and once you have blown their expectations out of the water, ask them for testimonials.Then, on your next discovery call with a new prospect, start by establishing credibility and showing your social proof.Make it VERY clear with your prospects that you do not work with everyone. You only take on clients who you know will have amazing results. Then book a second call.After that, run all the numbers, do the research. If the prospect is a good fit, get on the second call, explain your gameplan, and give them a time-sensitive offer.And also... Remember to sound excited, not desperate!

Why automation is the secret weapon for your business?

Freelancers!!!

When I started my journey in the early 2010s, I felt the first real sense of freedom. I was in control of my schedule, and I still had free time.

As time went on, I onboarded new clients, and my freedom shrunk, and I felt like I was in a cage.

I was working 12 hour days. I started getting anxiety, and I had no idea how to get my life back.

One day I was so fed up that I decided to map out my entire workflow to find out how I could systematize it.

To my surprise, 75% of my work consisted of the same five actions: 1) outreach for sales, 2)optimizing ads, 3)posting to social media, 4)answering emails 5) managing projects.

I was pumped. Now I needed to go online and look for the automation tools to help me get work done. So I spent the next two weeks researching the best software.The results were fantastic. I ended up automating the majority of the work. That process alone, saved me at least 4 hours a day and left me with a lot more energy and focus. Now I could tackle the tasks that required my attention.

Do you feel like you're on a hamster wheel? If you do, take the time to break the cycle!!! Find a way to clean up your to-do list and automate as much as you can.Your future self will love you for it.

How to Be More DISCIPLINED - Ways to Master Self Control Give me a "YES" if you're going to crush it this week! I know the feeling. You are about to fall asleep, and you think, "tomorrow, I am going to get so much done!!!" You get excited and can't stop thinking about being super productive. Then, when you wake up, your first thought is, "ok... I don't know if I have the energy to do everything I said. " Sounds familiar? If that's you, you are going too fast! Take a step back, and start with mastering the basics first. I'm talking about sleeping well, eating well, exercising and planning your days. Make it a point to stick to them for a few weeks, and when you are on a roll, introduce harder ones. A lot of my clients want to get straight to the top without climbing the mountain. I am sorry to break it to you, but it's not going to happen. I know you wouldn't try to bench press 200lb on your first day at the gym, so start small and work your way up with habits too. You'll build a solid foundation that will help you stay disciplined. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life: https://www.nirandfar.com/indistracta...