So many times I see entrepreneurs jumping in and getting excited because their product could be used
by ‘everyone’.  When they begin to market, they’re so afraid of losing a sale that they exhaust
themselves.  Not only time wise but financially, because they are trying so hard to get in front of
everyone.
 
I know it seems counter intuitive because getting in front of only a select few would mean more
sales, right?
 
When you’re starting out, this is going to be the best approach to take because it’s going to end
up saving you a ton of time and a ton of money.
 
It’s important that you’re very clear about what problem your product or service solves and who
specifically it solves it for.  It’s going to help your business grow in several areas.
 
First, it’s going to be a lot fewer resources because you’ll be able to cast a much smaller net.  You’ll know
exactly who that net is going to get in front of.
 
Second, it's going to allow you to get really clear on your messaging.  Think about the products
that...

With the growth of social media, it can be a great thing.  However, it can also be hard as entrepreneurs
because we end up comparing our lives to others highlight reels.  We have to be careful because if
entrepreneurs show any weaknesses.
 
1.Stop trying to be the exception to the rule.  There is no one out there who has had overnight
success. This takes work. It takes an effort. If you are jumping in because you don't want to
put in the work and you're hoping to be the exception,  then you need to probably stay out.
This is a marathon.  Not a race.
 
2. Be extremely careful of what you see.  Do your own thing.   Be yourself.  Worry about
what you're doing and stop looking sideways at everyone else.  You're never going to be far
enough, rich enough, or good enough.  There will always be someone doing better than yourself.
Measure your own success after your own success, not others.
 
If you get knocked down, are you going to improve?  If you don’t fail, are you going to stand
up again?
 
Really watch...

Learning how to properly goal set is crucial to not just the success of your business, but honestly everything in life. Typically, people set very vague goals.  For example: "I want to be rich", "I want to lose weight"  Neither of which really does anything if you’re actually trying to get results.

There are three things you should do when setting your goals that are actually achievable, while still pushing you.

1. Be specific: You can't just say I want to make six figures, or lose weight. You have to be specific. In order for it to be specific, you can have a set goal of what it means to actually achieve it.

2. Work you way backwards: Once you have that date set, figure out what you need to do on a monthly basis or weekly basis or even daily basis. This way you are focused day in and day out.  You know what needs to get done on a consistent basis to reach this goal. Ever day the tasks that you do should not be by chance. The last place you want to be is being reactive every day i...

So many entrepreneurs start something and when it’s not working they do something else, then something else, until they’ve tried hundreds of things.  Eventually doing none of them consistently.

This is a big one because nothing will build the momentum you need until you’re consistent with it.

Now there’s nothing wrong with trying certain things, but you need to give something a true shot in order to make it work. Many times they expect results to be much faster than they realistically are.

You have to be willing to be consistent and put in day in and day out,  so you can stick with it.

I recently had the opportunity to hear Jim Collins speak and he discussed what makes great companies great. One of the things he mentioned was that companies that have overcome hell or high water will have consistency behind it.

You can apply this to anything whether it’s your content, the way you advertise, or the products you release. You can’t go away and come back, because your clients will no...

Let's be honest, Snapchat got a bad reputation.  Between inappropriate pictures and strange filters, it was the app made just for teenagers.  Then marketers got a hold of it.

Now it can be a great tool for your business, but let it be known it might not be the right medium for all businesses.  Before you close down the potential for this app, make sure you listen to what Jed Record has to say about how you can utilize this tool for your business.

Snapchat is hot right now.   Should a business owner spend time on it, and is it more than vomiting rainbows? Do I have to have millennial clients to make this work?

There are millions of people using this platform and not all of them are millennials.

Is it for every business or only certain types of business?

It's a tough question, but here is a rule of thumb:  What is your brand voice for your company?  Do you express it informal and casual? If so, it's a good fit for Snapchat.  If you have a formal brand, the content may be difficult...

Entrepreneurship is the latest hot new career and everyone seems to want to throw their hat in the ring and grab the dream.

However, as awesome as entrepreneurship looks, it’s one of the hardest things you can take on. So the question becomes do you really have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

There are three things that I believe will help determine entrepreneurship.

First, are you willing to do whatever it takes for this business to take off? I’m not saying a few late nights here and there, I’m talking about whatever it takes. It could mean finding more money. It could mean a month of little sleep. It could mean so many things, but I’m talking whatever it takes.

I was fortunate to grow up on a farm, so hard work is honestly nothing to me. I’ve been doing it all my life. I never had summers or holidays off. So when building my first business meant I had to work my butt off for a few years, I was all in because the rewards later were so worth it.

Second, are you willing t...

I am a huge fan of Pinterest, and have seen my clients use it with great success.  However, I've always been a bit hesitant jumping in and using it a lot for my business.  Jess is a friend of mine and runs ads for some of today's top brands.  She has given me so many great ideas on how to utilize Pinterest, that I had to have her on the show.  Although, I'm hoping not all of you rush over there at once because then it won't be quite the secret that it is now.

You feel that Pinterest is still a bit of uncharted territory, right?  Jess thinks Pinterest is the goldmine that people are missing.  The reason is that Pinterest is a social platform where people will go when they have down time and to spend time looking for new things to do.  However, it's also like a search engine where people seek out specific things.   Pinterest really wants to be the search engine of choice for people.  So you have people on Pinterest with the intention of engaging with content from brands, not just cont...

I had a hard time grasping this one when I was building my first business because I liked to believe I was the only one who could do anything.

My business was my baby and I didn’t want to let it go.

However, one of the greatest moments as an entrepreneur was when I learned to let go of my control and grasp this one important concept.

I had to let go and work myself out of a job. One of my mentors drives this concept home as someone who lives a pretty amazing life.  He has several business sales under his belt and practices this concept daily.

Starting a company can be daunting and if you’re doing it all, you won’t last long. If you believe you’re the only one who can do what you do, you’ll miss out on opportunity. If you’re having a hard time trusting, the entrepreneurship road will be long and hard.

Part of being a great entrepreneur is to be a great leader.

If there’s one thing you must learn when going from an employee to an entrepreneur, it is to let go. True freedom comes ...