The Visionary Files

Is launching dead? In a market that more distrusting (and more distracted) than ever, many people seem to think that launching either no longer works or is no longer worth the effort of lower than ever show up and conversion rates. But as Shannon Matson notes, every time you look at the sun to the west, she's launching again – because it's working for her. 

But howwwwww?! *Shakes fist wildly at the sky*

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Shannon to break down her insanely creative, Taylor Swift-inspired launch that brought in over $134K selling self-study courses in a market where that’s getting harder to do. Shannon's opening up her big, brilliantly strategic brain to share all the spicy deets on how she blended out-of-the-box approaches, with what felt authentic to her, with tried-and-true tactics in order to drive sales. Let’s get into it!

What’s inside this episode:

• The strategic reason Shannon ran a 4-week "Eras Tour" themed launch with a surprise encore week
• Shannon's method for saving a ton of time while also boosting sales (that could help you launch back-to-back without burning out)
• The personalized approach Shannon used to access additional revenue she might have otherwise been leaving on the table
• What the market shift toward support and accountability means for your offers
• How to stand out in a saturated market without discounting your value
• How to use storytelling, pop culture trends, or whatever feels authentic to YOU to make your sales process unique, aligned, and effective

About Shannon: 

With comprehensive experience in marketing and advertising, Shannon prides herself on helping others structure and market their businesses for exceptional growth. Her journey began in the corporate world where she held titles such as V.P. of Marketing for a global publishing company and National Director of Sales & Marketing for a fitness franchise.

Now, she’s the CEO and Founder of The Social Bungalow, an education + strategy company that has helped over 8,000 students structure simple yet sophisticated online businesses, as well as Bungalow Coffee a 2,500 sqft coffee café in the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District.

Connect with Shannon: 

• On Instagram @thesocialbungalow (to snag your spot in her "Becoming Known" masterclass, DM the word "MAKEOVER")
• On the web at thesocialbungalow.com

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Buckle up, because this episode is a cautionary tale about how I almost lost my Stripe account (no, but really!). I want to open up for full transparency around  how I navigated the situation to get it back up and running – but also what I'm doing to be prepared if something like this were to ever happen again. 

Admittedly this is not exactly the sexiest topic... but I think it's a super important conversation to have because this is probably the most devastating thing that could happen to a business. 

What’s inside this episode:

• The day-by-day timeline of what happened and verbatim readings of the emails I received... because we love transparency ;)
• What I believe triggered Stripe to flag my account and a step-by-step account of what happened
• Why payment processors seem to be cracking down on coaching businesses and perceived risks
• The surprising words and practices that could get your account flagged (that basically everyone on the internet is doing)
• How I adjusted my offers and website to try and meet my understanding of compliance standards
• What I learned from losing my PayPal account back in 2021 and the differences between this process with PayPal and Stripe
• The payment processor(s) and checkout gateway(s) I'm using moving foward to keep my business protected

*Disclaimer: I’m not an attorney, and this episode does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a qualified legal professional for guidance specific to your business.

Stripe Restricted and Prohibited Businesses

• Stripe’s Restricted Businesses
• Stripe’s Prohibited Businesses

FTC Guidance on Testimonials and Endorsements

• FTC's Endorsement Guides
• Advertising FAQ's: A Guide for Small Business

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

When financial expert Alyssa Lang first set out in 2015 to do her bar patrons’ taxes, she quickly realized she preferred working with the business owners that owed money – meaning they were profitable – rather than the refund seekers.

That realization was the catalyst for uncovering her true business superpower of 'using the right data to make the right decisions’ – and not, surprisingly, insta-tabulating the correct tip to add to a check – and she now works just 2-5 hours each week on the THREE 'accounting space’ advising firms she’s founded.

Today she joins us for a candid and insightful conversation about how much she’s grown alongside her wildly successful businesses, her entrepreneurial compulsion to monetize everything (can entrepreneurs even do sh*t for fun?!), and the mission she’s on to increase the percentage of all 7-figure business owners who are women… which, if you’re wondering, currently stands at a measly 2%. 

Quick overview of what we cover:

• Alyssa's best financial strategy approach for anyone working in the course creating space, which she calls “ridiculously unpredictable” 
• What happened professionally for her to realize she was more mission-driven than money-driven
• At what point Alyssa believes you should bring on a tax strategist or financial planner 
• Alyssa's personal decision-making tree for when she pivoted from away from being an S-Corp
• Why it may not always be the best idea to get a one-stop-shop firm that does taxes, financial planning, and bookkeeping 
• The realization she came to when her team got too big – and how the weaker players got weeded out
• Why she believes data is king, and how it can still create space for intuitive decision-making too
• Why many financial experts feel like therapists – and how they reconcile the emotion most women tie to making and spending money
• How she handles the problematic money mindset projections that land in her lap both personally and professionally 

About Alyssa: 

Alyssa Lang is a Financial Strategist, Bookkeeping Consultant, public speaker, podcast host, two-year nominee for Ignition’s Top 50 Women In Accounting, as well as the Founder of Magnetic Profits & Consulting, a financial advisory team for course creators, coaches, creatives and service providers as well as Workflow Queen, a consulting and educational company that has successfully served over 1000+ accountants and bookkeepers from around the world who are seeking to refine their workflows, systems and hire the right team members so they can run their firm with ease and better serve their clients.

Connect with Alyssa: 

• On Instagram @magneticprofits and @workflowqueen
• Visit Magnetic Profit's website
• Visit Workflow Queen's website
• Schedule a consultation call with Alyssa

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Honey, I'm hooooome! Well hey, friend! It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? This episode is a little different because it’s just me catching you up on everything that’s happened over the last year (spoiler: it’s been a lot). From rebranding to launching (and kinda tanking) a summit, to rediscovering my direction and passion, I’m sharing the messy, behind-the-scenes journey that led me to where I am today.

I’m talking about walking away from what wasn’t aligned, rebuilding my business after what felt like a wildly long identity crisis, and finally embracing the things I’m like, really good at. Plus, I’m spilling all the tea on the evolution of this podcast, what’s next for Visionaries, and how I’m entering my Daily Sales Era (it’s a whole thing). Let’s catch up!

What’s inside this episode:

• Why I walked away from a huge part of my business and went through (what felt like) pivot after pivot after pivot
• What a cease-and-desist taught me about rebranding and resilience
• Why staying in alignment ultimately matters more to me than sticking to a business model
• My 'phoenix rising from the ashes moment' from turning a year of (what felt like) epic failure into ultimate clarity
• Creating a business that fuels your life *right NOW*, not the other way around
• What 2024 taught me about resilience, identity, and the art of the pivot
• Why Visionaries is the brand I’ve been waiting to build all along

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

When you are a coach or DFY service provider working with smaller groups of people, it can be  really tempting to move towards passive revenue generation opportunities.

For the love, DON’T.

The main problem with this advice?

It’s being doled out by people who are motivated to sell you straight up LIES.

Today we’re taking on three of the biggest offenders we’re hearing, and debunking them all the way down to their deceptive origins – and then offering you a bit of sound advice instead. 

Quick overview of what we cover:

• The main reason why passive products will NEVER solve your ‘time for dollars’ problem
• Why a very specific segment of the market is no longer buying courses
• Why ‘if you build it, they will come’ is – at best – terribly untrue 
• What you need to demonstrate for 6-12 months before even considering passive revenue products
• The ONLY thing that solves a revenue ceiling problem 
• Why passive revenue is never…actually…passive (womp womp)
• The absolute hardest thing to sell right now (and what to do if you’re in the midst of launching this)
• The biggest way the market has shifted between 2021 and now (and how to use your own data to predict your success with weathering this change)
• The relevance of your audience size (and the best ways to build, borrow, buy, or bedazzle your own)
• What you yearly earnings need to be to even consider passive revenue models
• The first thing to work on, starting NOW, if you know you absolutely want to add passive revenue generation…eventually

RESOURCES: 

• Click here to apply for a Growth Strategy Call
• Click here to apply for a Soulpreneur revenue-based scholarship
• Learn about Adriane's Partnership Model 1:1 Consulting

LET’S CONNECT: 

• Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn @adrianegalea
• Follow Adriane on Instagram @adrianegalea
• Visit the website: soulpreneur.co

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Loved this episode? If you leave a review or share it with your friends on social, my team will send you a copy of one of our favorite business resources! Take a screenshot and email it over to us at [email protected] or DM it to @thescalinglounge!

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Today’s episode concludes a fascinating and FUN series of conversations with the women of  Terzakis and Associates by bringing this mother/daughter duo together to speak candidly about what has made their micro-small business consulting firm work…and what hasn’t.

They beautifully describe the intentional work it took to cultivate a productive symbiosis between Susan’s strategist mind (always finding a way to land and drawing excitement in figuring it out as she went) and Jessica’s empirical nature reminding her to “Hang on, there may be a better way than just ‘being okay at the end of the day.'"

Much to our benefit, they offer their journey towards forming the ultimate Visionary/Integrator partnership here as a hand held out to inspire those of us seeking to find that special business someone, too. 

Friends, this is one not to be missed!

Quick overview of what we cover:

• How Susan – with her impressive business background, experience, and foresight – actively encourages Jessica’s “lasso” for her ideas
• How Jessica – with her impressive fact-finding/operational talent – actively protects Susan’s space to dream big
• How they were able to transform their early working environment (chaotic whiplash, lighting off Jessica’s fact-finder radar like crazy and causing Susan immense overwhelm) into the extraordinary dynamic they have now
• Their unique approach to counteract the periods of inertia that all businesses experience
• Why they believe it’s healthy to ‘Thelma and Louise some stuff’ to alleviate boredom (not to flirt with risk, but to seek opportunity and deepen their experiences as businesswomen)
• Why “How can I be my subcontractor’s best client?” is the smartest POV to get the most out of your relationship with contractors – for you both
• What led to this mic drop moment: “Those are thieves in the night sent by ego - don’t let it take more from you than what it already has.”

RESOURCES: 

• Listen to Part 1 of this series HERE, and part 2 HERE
• Click here to apply for a Growth Strategy Call
• Click here to apply for a Soulpreneur revenue-based scholarship

LET’S CONNECT: 

• Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn @adrianegalea
• Follow Adriane on Instagram @adrianegalea
• Visit the website: soulpreneur.co

CONNECT WITH SUSAN + JESSICA: 

• Connect with Terzakis & Associates on Facebook  
• Visit their website: terzakisandassociates.com/
• Download the eBook: 7 Things to Stop Doing So You Can Grow Your

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Jessica Terzakis – the ‘Integrator’ half of the dynamic mother+daughter duo that run Terzakis and Associates – jumps into the conversation today about how she was able to shed her W2 mentality as a master-educated high-school teacher and fully embrace her new COO identity in all things entrepreneurship.

Jessica details her beginnings as task-master extraordinaire to where she is now, performing as a bonafide business strategist responsible for creating new revenue opportunities and growing their brand.

If you’ve ever wondered exactly how your business could be transformed by bringing on a COO or business partner (or maybe you’re just curious as to what it’s really like to work with your mother) – then this is the episode for you! 

Quick overview of what we cover:

• Why “You can do whatever you want with your time!” was initially too much freedom for Jessica’s W2 trained employee-brain (and how long it took her to shed that mindset)
• The meaning behind why she started calling her mom ‘Susan’ 
• The lightbulb moment Jessica had when her mom casually remarked, “You sure ask a lot of questions”
• How Jessica was able to put her love of learning design to use to help explore new revenue opportunities
• How they use the Kolbe-A assessment and the Unique Brilliance Quadrant to help mentor both their team and their business clients
• Why learning how to present your ideas and opportunities to your COO is just as important as the idea itself to get it off the ground
• Which kinds of mother/daughter business duos work in Jessica’s opinion (and which don’t!)
• How long it took her to find bottlenecks in the business and create the plans that broke through them 
• Why sustainability in business can’t come at the cost of your sanity and happiness

RESOURCES: 

• Click here to apply for a Growth Strategy Call
• Click here to apply for a Soulpreneur revenue-based scholarship

LET’S CONNECT: 

• Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn @adrianegalea
• Follow Adriane on Instagram @adrianegalea
• Visit the website: soulpreneur.co

CONNECT WITH JESSICA: 

• Connect with Terzakis & Associates on Facebook  
• Visit Jessica’s website: terzakisandassociates.com/
• Download the eBook: 7 Things to Stop Doing So You Can Grow Your Business

ABOUT JESSICA:
Jessica Terzakis is the master of creating new revenue streams for entrepreneurs like you. For the past 7 years, Jessica has dedicated herself to supporting clients in crafting lucrative courses, programs, trainings, and commu

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Susan Terzakis, CEO and founder of Terzakis and Associates, spends her days advocating for woman- and family-owned small businesses as an advisory specialist.

Essentially, she is a micro-small business champion, and someone you’ll have the pleasure of learning from, simply by listening to her think through her ideas.

When I tell you this episode – part 1, speaking to the “visionary” half of a dynamic mother/daughter duo –  is chock full of business lesson after business lesson after business lesson...

Well, be forewarned to keep your listening ears ON and your backtrack thumb at the ready!

There is just so much wisdom in what she has to say and how she says it. 

Quick overview of what we cover:

• Why Susan believes (so passionately!) that having a healthy small business community means... you have a healthy community (i.e. - one cannot survive without the other)
• The turning point when she decided she was done representing others and really wanted her own voice to be heard
• Why she describes the first couple years in business as the time when she effectively created “A really nice job, one where I only got paid when I worked” – and how she evolved into the CEO she is today
• Why she feels that small business is an essential pathway for women to achieve financial independence and agency
• How she was able to break her daughter’s “W2 habits,” and what happened for her to say, “I knew in that moment, I had a full partner…” **chills**
• Her strategy to counteract the “costly and dangerous” groupthink behavior she sees so often in family-owned businesses
• Why emotional intelligence is so important to have when successfully running a family business, including knowing deeply, “I am not my business.”

RESOURCES: 

• Click here to apply for a Growth Strategy Call
• Click here to apply for a Soulpreneur revenue-based scholarship

LET’S CONNECT: 

• Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn @adrianegalea
• Follow Adriane on Instagram @adrianegalea
• Visit the website: soulpreneur.co

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: 

• Connect with Terzakis & Associates on Facebook  
• Visit Susan's website: terzakisandassociates.com/
• Download the eBook: 7 Things to Stop Doing So You Can Grow Your Business

ABOUT SUSAN:
Susan Terzakis has experienced an exceptionally successful career in public service and private organizational development, strategy, and senior leadership over the last +27 years. In 2014, Susan founded Terzakis & Associates, a small business advising firm, whi

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Making 5 figures each month as a service provider can feel extremely unattainable – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. In fact, there are many ways to bring in $20k (or more!) each month.

The trick is being able to leverage your time as a solopreneur…

This episode lays out three clear paths towards making consistent 5-figure months – getting you that much closer to doing more of the work that brings you joy…and helping you to avoid the time-sucking pitfalls that can trap you along the way. 

Quick overview of what we cover:

• Why it’s a rookie mistake to build out your product suite 
• Why it’s an even rookie-er mistake to chase passive income before you’re established
• Why going ‘mini-agency’ in lieu of ‘full agency’ is a lucrative and logical shortcut 
• What usually happens when you go really narrow/niche on what you’re selling
• How to conceptualize a ‘VIP day’ (and why it’s a super straightforward way to bring in cash)
• How to position yourself towards a much more sophisticated buyer (and how to know when you’re advanced enough in your craft + messaging to deliver on this)
• How to be a total total rockstar and capitalize productivity rates by combining all three of these paths 

RESOURCES: 

• Click here to apply for a Growth Strategy Call
• Click here to apply for a Soulpreneur revenue-based scholarship
• Learn about Adriane's Partnership Model 1:1 Consulting

LET’S CONNECT: 

• Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn @adrianegalea
• Follow Adriane on Instagram @adrianegalea
• Visit the website: soulpreneur.co

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Loved this episode? If you leave a review or share it with your friends on social, my team will send you a copy of one of our favorite business resources! Take a screenshot and email it over to us at [email protected] or DM it to @thescalinglounge!

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️

Since starting this podcast, we have received hundreds of pitches. Out of those hundreds, we have only said yes to ONE pitch – because the rest have... fallen flat.

In this episode, Adriane isn't holding back with the four primary reasons most pitches don't land – and at least one of these things you're probably doing because you think it's helping your pitch.

If you're looking  to land guest podcast spots, this is the episode that will help you with what to do... and what not to do.

Quick overview of what we cover:

• How to apply what we're talking about to ANY medium you might be looking to pitch – stages, digital or print media, etc
• The type of energy you definitely DON'T want to lead with (but probably are)
• What almost every pitch fails to do that's very likely leading you to an automatic no
• The most basic effort you need to make before pitching 
• The 4 B's of generating visibility and leads – and which one guesting on podcasts fits into
• How you can spin the exact same content, but differently for each show to strengthen your pitch tenfold 
• Why it's never about you when you pitch – it is always about them
• Why it's important to understand that most producers (of podcasts, events, etc) are getting more pitches than they can say yes to

RESOURCES: 

• Click here to apply for a Growth Strategy Call
• Click here to apply for a Soulpreneur revenue-based scholarship

LET’S CONNECT: 

• Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn @adrianegalea
• Follow Adriane on Instagram @adrianegalea
• Visit the website: soulpreneur.co

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Loved this episode? If you leave a review or share it with your friends on social, my team will send you a copy of one of our favorite business resources! Take a screenshot and email it over to us at [email protected] or DM it to @thescalinglounge!

Resources:

• Predictable Sales: a secret podcast around making predictable – even daily – sales
• Your First 10 Sales: a secret podcast perfect for if you're not making consistent sales yet

Connect with Adriane:

• Adriane's Instagram
• Visionaries' Instagram
• Adriane's LinkedIn
• Visit the Visionaries website

⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️