Posts

sales skills

Mark Boersma – Developing your Sales Skills: Why Business Systems are Huge in Making Predictable Revenue (AoL 106)

You always hear about people “systematizing” their work. However, so many of us, especially us solopreneurs, don’t take the time to do that. Sure, we might write an SOP if we hire a virtual assistant (if we’re smart), but when it comes down to our creative work we never take the time to think about what might be easier if we actually detail out what gets results.

As you’ll find out in the interview of Mark Boersma, he started systemizing early on. Having an analytical mind, he out thought his problem and now teaches others how to turn sales, which can seem like an intangible skill, into something that’s very step by step.

In today’s chat, Mark discusses with me why he had to figure this system out, what the results of it gave him, and how knowing personalities plays into the success of this system.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Why did Mark get three bachelor degrees? 10:41
  • Did he feel that going to college was a detour of what he should be doing in his career? 13:22
  • When he got out of school, why did he immediately go for a 100% commission paid position? 15:02
  • What was the first tool that he made which systematized his sales? 20:35
  • How does knowing about personalities useful in making sales? 23:44
  • What’s the accuracy percentage of the personality assessment he uses with people? 30:54
  • What are some of the things Mark is looking forward to in the future with Synergy Solutions? 35:51
  • Who are 3 influencers who have helped him get to where he is today? 41:38
  • What is a scientific fact that he knows his true but still blows him away? 42:49
  • What’s an unwritten rule that should actually be written today? 43:55
  • What’s something that he belives all high school students must know? 45:18
  • What does it mean to live a life of abundance? 46:39
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Mark and Tom interviewed by the Milwaukee’s Morning Blend:

Mark on Thinkers vs Doers:

ClickFunnels Viral Ad 2017:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunesStitcherSoundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

Basics of The Junto- An Online and In Person Mega Mastermind Group

Well, guys, it’s official! The new Facebook group is up and going! I present to you… 

mastermind group

 

I’m really excited to bring you guys’ this joint effort.

It’s been something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile but I just didn’t have the pieces in place to be able to get it done.

Now I do.

And by pushing the podcast to a every two week effort seems like it’s going to really pay off. I feel that I’m going to be much more productive in my own business as well as being able to help you awesome folks out a bit more.

Since last week, I’ve received a few questions about what the group itself. I wanted to take a little bit of time to answer some of those questions.

So this post is all for you prospective members.

What the Junto is all about – including what it is and what it isn’t.

What is this version of the Junto?

Basic Rules:

I’ve had some questions about how closely I’m going to be following Ben Franklin’s Junto. Well, for one, this group is going to be open to anyone – they just need to meet certain criteria including:

  • Been on Facebook for more than a year.
  • Answers the questions to get in the group.
  • Doesn’t post random offers or troll when they’re in.

 

The Junto is a branding channel, first and foremost. In my book, branding is all about making people aware that you exist. Marketing is letting people know you have something to offer. (And since we’re on the subject, sales is about making a transaction. Don’t get the three confused.)

Just to make it absolutely clear – marketing is usually not permitted (unless given permission to do so). But you’re totally allowed to offer people value as much as you want.

You can express that value in written, audio, or video form. Totally up to you. Just don’t drop offers.

 

What’s with All the Logos?

So here’s the awesome thing, guys. I’m not the only “star” of this group. I am simply the moderator and the pot stirrer. As I’ve done in the past with New Inceptions, Junto has various contributors itself – all with their own focuses in helping people in the offline community.

  • Coffe – Help people understand about finances and getting them out of debt.
  • Amplify – Make great events around the city.
  • Collaborate 317 – A place for people to come together for an event, a class, or simply to engage with other like minded individuals.
  • Ascension – A means for patriots AND veterans to get training so that they can climb up in their career – whether in the traditional 9 to 5 world OR as an entrepreneur.

 

All four of these companies are looking to expand their reach outside of Indianapolis. They want to empower others around the world and possibly do what they’re already doing.

Being part of this group will allow them to do that.

If your town doesn’t have one of these groups and you think it might be a great addition to your community, I’m sure the founders would love to help you put a chapter in your area!

 

Are we Going to Use the Junto’s Original Questions?

Yes and no. We are going to use them. It’s my goal to post at least a tip and a question as often as possible. Hopefully daily as I’m always learning and need to write some of this stuff down.

As you might have seen, the original questions ARE pretty antiquated. So I’ll need to update them a bit to post in the group.

For example, question 13 goes like this: Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?”

Today, we’d simply ask, “Do you know of any cool newbie entrepreneurs who need an extra boost that we could highlight and/or encourage?”

I think a lot of these questions are those that many groups don’t ask enough. So be on the lookout for these!

 

If someone wants to Promote Something, how can they do that?

By going through the proper channels! Lol.

But no, seriously. If you’re contributing regularly to the group and want to promote something, there’s a way to do that. It’s called hop on LIVE with one of us and we’ll highlight who you are and what you’re about. Just as in the podcast, in that conversation you’ll get the opportunity to mention anything you’re excited about and that’d be a good time for YOU to promote your wares.

 

Action Steps:

So this post is fairly short for a reason. I want you to hop in there and start introducing yourself! Answer the onboarding questions so we can make sure you get connected to the right people.

We’re all in this together, so if you want to know one of the mods a bit better – let me know. I’ll be more than happy to connect you!

Have any other questions? Let me know here or on Facebook.

local advertising

JR Rivas – Leveraging Creative Marketing in Local Advertising: What a 23 year Old Did to Create a 6 Figure Digital Marketing Agency (AoL 104)

Most entrepreneurs think, at some point, about the ability to strike it rich one day doing whatever is that they’re doing.

In my Amway days, a good question I remember being asked was “Doing the job that you’re doing, could the income they’re making ever be obtainable?”

Most of the time the question was answered “No.”. And I believe that kept many people believing that Amway was the one ticket to the life they dreamed about.

Today’s guest, had a similar wake up call. He realized that to get to where he wanted to be in life, he had to learn how to sell things.

That lead him through a journey of all kinds of jobs, businesses, and online opportunities.

This past year, he found something he could help people with – creating sales funnels.

In this chat, we discuss how he came to that realization. We also discuss why he believes that building sales funnels is one of the most lucrative out-of-the-gate businesses a new entrepreneur can start today.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What was the Digital Nomad Excelerator? 10:48
  • What was it like growing up for JR? Where did his inspiration come from? 14:20
  • What kept JR from going the traditional college route? 21:11
  • How did tax preparation come into the mix? 28:02
  • How did he expand his tax business so quickly? 31:46
  • How did JR get started in online business? 33:30
  • What’s the best way for people to get started in online business in 2017? 41:54
  • In his opinion, what is the clearist way to having a successful online business today? 46:26
  • What’s the point of Facebook groups going into archive mode and what are some ways of growing them? 51:31
  • Who are his 3 favorite influencers? 56:31
  • One thing under $100 that has changed his life? 57:04
  • What is a topic that should be discussed more often? 57:36
  • What would he do if he woke up as his 10 year old self tomorrow? 58:34
  • Secret to achieving personal freedom? 1:02:20
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

JR on CBS talking about What He Does:

JR speaks with Dan about how he made $10k in a month:

Facebook Ads for Entrepreneurs Review by JR and Arne:

JR on Why You’re Landing Page isn’t Converting:

JR RivasJR Rivaslocal advertisinglocal advertising


Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunesStitcherSoundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

daily routine

The Rule of Five: The Building Blocks of a Leader’s Daily Routine

It’s funny how things change! In this post from October 12th, 2010, I mention going to an LTD Leadership convention. I imagine it was either in Kansas City, MO or Louisville, KY. I’ll tell you, I loved being a part of that group! I was motivation junkie. I was sucking it all in and had been for 4 years straight at that point. It had been over a year since I had graduated, but I had little to show for it – in fact, this was when I was just about to start teaching at Ivy Tech.

At that point, who would have guessed that I would soon become a John Maxwell Team member?

Woah. Life is truly amazing in its twists and turns.

Anyhow, I wanted to share this post after last week’s 100th session of the AoL Podcast. One of the things that I mentioned is that John has this Rule of Five when it comes to learning and filing those things away. Well, as you’ll read below, those 5 steps have helped him write numerous books over the years. However, this does come at a cost – he calls his regular life pretty boring!

I can relate. That’s why I don’t really use social media to share what I’m up to. Because most of the time it’s spent in front of a computer creating content!!

– JC

What a Great Weekend!

Over the weekend I went to an LTD leadership conference – Summit 2010. As usual, the quality of the speakers was great. The two keynote speakers completely blew my mind: Frank Luntz and John C. Maxwell. For those of you who don’t know, Frank is a pollster that has probably been on every prime time and morning news show imaginable. And Dr. Maxwell, well – let’s just call him the guru of leadership. He’s someone that I’ve learned quite a bit from in the last couple of years through my grad work and LTD itself.

One of the things that I share with you guys today was something John pointed out that he does on a daily basis that I thought was really noteworthy. Doing this little thing has lead him to write over 50 books over his career and still gives him more to share. This little thing is called the “Rule of Five”.

Essentially the Rule of Five is a habit you start that consists of 5 different actions that lead you to your goals/dreams. For example, Dr. Maxwell wanted to become an in-demand writer and motivational speaker. Of course, there are multiple ways to do this, but since he’s a great writer, he thought that it’d be better for him to go in as a writer.

Rule of Five:

So, his five things that he does to achieve this are:

  1. Read
  2. File
  3. Think
  4. Ask questions
  5. Write

Doesn’t seem too bad, does it?

Well, there’s a catch. You have to do this everyday. No excuses. Do you want to be a novelist? You will write every day. Do you want to be an painter? You will paint everyday! Simple, right?

As part of his presentation, he said, “your success is determined by your daily agenda.” This is so true, because it is! To accomplish you have to be productive! However, he worked intelligently. You hear so much about people being busy all the time and not successfully going anywhere – it’s typically because they’re not focused in their work.

And since he was there talking about his writing, you can see that he was successful in what he set out to do!

John wasn’t born rich. He didn’t attend a prestigious school or grow up with children of people in power. He got to where he is by doing.

So. Five things a day, everyday. That’s all it takes to fulfill your dream.

Just a note to add here. Since starting work on New Inceptions full time, I started implementing my own Rule of Five. While I started from his, mine varies slightly due to the different content pieces that I’ll make in a given week.

For creating content, mine are:

  1. Explore – Find out what’s going on in the world around me and in the online entrepreneurial/creative industry.
  2. Study – Are there any interesting crossings of the two worlds? What does it mean and how does it apply?
  3. Connect the Dots – Ask those questions! Who needs to know this information? Is this something I need to bring up in future content?
  4. Take Action – Synthesize new content, share, and help others where needed.
  5. Reflect – Ask myself, “Did that have the desired effect I was looking for? What could I have done better?”

Action Steps:

One thing I want to make clear is this: the Rule of Five can be applied to anything that you want to master. What do you want to master?What are you working on that you can break down into 5 steps? Let me know below!


If you want a post about this in John’s own words, you can check one out here! Also, if you haven’t done so yet from session 100, check out this post by John. In this post, besides his Rule of Five, he also talks about his 12 pledges. Now, I can’t say that I have pledges, I do use Joe Markiewics’s 21 Standards to this day, I wouldn’t necessarily call them pledges – although they seem to be very similar.

personal development plan

Soft Skills for your Growing Indie Business – Why Millennial Entrepreneurs Need a Personal Development Plan with Hector Santiesteban (AoL 094)

Do you know people who are doing exceptionally well with their indie business? Do they just seem like natural solopreneurs? How’d they get to be so polished?

I can tell you. Through a lot of personal development work.

That’s one of the biggest take aways I got out of my time in the MLM / direct sales world. How important personal development is.

I feel I can safely say that today’s guest believes the same thing – personal development goes hand in hand with building a business.

Hector Santiesteban is the founder of Millennial Skills. Like us here at New Inceptions, he feels that there is a major lack in the desires of many folks out there and the actions they’re taking to get what they want.

Like me, he probably asked himself at one point “why should the MLM groups get to only share this with all their members. Why shouldn’t the masses know?”

That’s one of the things that we find out today. We also learn why he feels it’s necessary to niche down in your new business and some of the struggles he’s had in moving to an entirely new type of business.

If you want to start thinking like truly successful people, then you’ll need to know Hector.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Hector end up in Southern California? 12:56
  • How did he become a National Champion Sales Manager? 15:59
  • Why did he start working with Millennials and start Millennial Skills? 22:32
  • Is having one thing all in one spot not a big a deal as it used to be? 31:58
  • What are some of the biggest struggles in starting his online business? 35:20
  • What does he think about the advice of niching down? 42:45
  • How do you find clarity in your purpose and business? 49:39
  • What’s some of the things he’s looking forward to in 2017? 52:39
  • Who are his 3 biggest teachers and influencers? 56:31
  • What is a social norm that tends to irritate Hector a bit? 1:04:43
  • What is an issue that people aren’t talking about, but they should be? 1:06:30
  • If he woke up as his 10 year old self tomorrow with all his memories, what would he do? 1:11:32
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 1:15:08
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Reasons You’re Still Broke:

How Do I Master Myself?

29 Steps to Starting Your Business:

Amanda Rivera interviews Hector:

personal development plan


Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunesStitcherSoundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

arne giske

Arne Giske: Working While Traveling – Exploring a Digital Nomad’s Lifestyle (AoL 084)

Living life on your own terms.

To some, that means simply having a business that allows them to stay at home and be with their kids. To others, that business might allow them to interact with some of the biggest names in their industry.

While yet others, like today’s guest, use their business as a method to not only enable them to work remotely, but as the motor for them to travel around the world as a major part of their lifestyle.

Arne Giske is what you’d call a digital nomad.

Having been an entrepreneur most of his life, he’s developed a business that allows him to not only be mobile, but engage with folks all over the world. During the time that he’s done this, he’s also developed a podcast and Facebook group under the brand “The Millennial Entrepreneur”.

In today’s chat with Arne, we find him just finishing up spending some time in Columbia before heading off to Florida for this weekend’s AdCon conference.

Daniel and I get the chance to find out more about his lifestyle including why he chose to live his life this way, some Do’s and Don’ts for growing a large Facebook group, and what business he currently finds himself in to power his way around the globe.

Arne’s a great guy to know if you’re looking to travel while working, too!

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Arne become a pedicab driver and when did he start favoring entrepreneurship as part of his lifestyle? 8:18
  • What was Arne’s experience in the MLM world like after college? 14:46
  • What kind of lifestyle does Arne find himself in these days as a digital nomad? 18:00
  • What was it that made Arne believe that a job wasn’t something he wanted to do? 22:39
  • How does Arne help people see Facebook as a place for business? 23:26
  • What are some of Arne’s Do’s and Don’ts for his group? 28:08
  • What is it that Arne is currently building his business on? 31:10
  • How did he know he wanted to help other people with that particular skill? 33:37
  • Three top favorite books he recommends to people regularly. 40:08
  • Something Arne wishes was still a thing. 42:40
  • Smallest decision he’s made that has had the greatest impact on his life? 44:01
  • What basic life skill is he amazed people lack? 44:48
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 47:27
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Example of a Pedicab Driver at SXSW:

pedicab driver

Arne’s Good News from Columbia:

Arne Giske talks Chat Bots For Business:

Ask Me Anything with Arne Giske:

#AskGaryVee Session 244:

arne giske arne giske millennial entrepreneur millennial entrepreneur


Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunesStitcherSoundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

podcasting trends

CJ Ripka on the History, Future, and Trends of Podcasting – It’s Raw and Real! (AoL 077)

Podcasts are one of the most used ways to get your message out there. Whether it’s for fun, you’re syndicating as a radio show, or you’re using it to deliver content for your business, podcasts are gaining popularity all the time.

For me, I’ve been listening to them since 2010 and producing them since 2013.

However, today’s guest, has a heck of a lot more experience in this world than I do. In fact, he’s been around the media a good part of his life.

In this chat with Chris (aka CJ Ripka on his podcast Raw and Real), I wanted to find out more about the medium itself.

Where it came from, why it’s called a podcast, ways people are being successful with it today, and some of the things he believes are in the not too distant future for the medium.

As usual, I also find out how he got the wealth of knowledge he has. If you have similar interests and you love podcast tech, then hopefully it will shed some light on what your next steps might be!

As always, thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • When did Chris get into media production? 5:48
  • Where did the interest come from in working with media? 8:30
  • How did he start with podcasting? 12:16
  • What’s his thoughts in there being different perspectives in how podcasting production should be done? 13:48
  • Where the term podcasting come from? 17:10
  • Who are some of the early podcasters that are still around? 21:30
  • Why Chris believes that some of the niches that exist in podcasting are going to dissolve soon. 25:15
  • What are some things that any podcaster should think about and/or consider when they want to tweak their show? 27:56
  • What are some ways to build a larger audience? 31:54
  • Who is one of the more memorable guests that Chris has had on his live stream show, Raw and Real? 33:02
  • What’s going on in the rest of 2017 for Chris? 35:06
  • Who are three influencers who have helped him get where he is? 37:20
  • What is the hardest thing that he’s ever had to say no to? 39:55
  • What would be something you’d find in Chris’ edition of the Creative Entrepreneur’s Handbook? 40:28
  • What advice does he often hear adults giving to children that he calls bs on? 41:21
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 42:12
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Raw and Real Episode 3 with Dr. Rob Garcia:

Current Facebook Live Format interview with Rob:

Chris is Interview by Dennis Langlais of the Five Minute Bark Podcast

Finding Your Place After the Military Interview:

how old is podcasting
where did the name podcast come from?
nothing happens over night
national guard production engineer

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunesStitcherSoundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!