The $100 MBA Show

Are you being served?

Most of us use shared servers for our websites, at least at first. Whether you’re on WordPress, SquareSpace, Weebly, or another host, you’re probably sharing server space with a few hundred “roommates.” So when is it time to leave the apartment and buy your own house?

Like so many things in business, it depends.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener decide if it’s time for their very own server. We’ll explain why businesses do this, but more importantly, we’ll discuss when. Depending on certain milestones, it might not be worth it…yet.

Plus, we’ll discuss the one downside of using a private server.

Learn what you get out of having a private server, and how to tell when it’s time to get yours. Get a sense of what it costs, and why it’s actually a money saver after a certain point. Decide what’s best for one of your business’s most important digital assets. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Does someone need to take the wheel at your website?

Stop right there: this is not an episode only for the technologically…disinclined. Your website doesn’t have to be a mess for you to consider an outside expert. In fact, if your business and website are doing great, it might just be the right time.

Especially considering how much a good web manager can boost your business.

Today, we’ll discuss why you should (or shouldn’t) hire a web manager – regardless of your own technical ability. We’ll explain exactly what to look for in a good web manager, and all the ways one can help you get the most out of your site, and your time.

Take a moment to assess the time you’re putting into your website. 

How much more valuable could that time be to your business? When you understand what a good web manager can do, you might think they’re worth every penny – and then some. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you getting the best from your team? If they’re not psychologically safe…probably not.

In order to perform to their potential, employees have certain work environmental needs, aligned to commonly understood human needs. If that all sounds a little academic, it’s because we’ve got an eminently qualified guest teacher this week: author, entrepreneur, and Oxford doctor of social sciences Timothy Clark.

Don’t worry : this lesson goes way beyond theory.

Your team members don’t just need to feel “safe” physically. They need to feel respected, invited to contribute, and perhaps most importantly, free to disagree. If your people won’t challenge you, that’s a failure, of leadership – not a sign of strength.

Today, Clark will show you how to assess the psychological safety of your company.

Specifically, he’ll help you “score” your business (and your leadership) on the 4 key factors that indicate psychological safety. With this information, you can create confident, creative employees who think for themselves instead of simply doing what they’re told.

It’s proven to be one of the single most important factors in team management. Find out how “safe” your team really is. Click Play!

LeaderFactor

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety by Timothy R. Clark

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode isn’t about your health.

Well, it’s about that, too. But this is a business podcast, and here’s the bottom line: stress doesn’t only hurt your body and mind. It can destroy your business. It can make you think you’re “working hard” when you’re really just working against yourself.

De-stressing isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategy.

To prove it, we’ll explain how stress has done more than give us sleepless nights. It held us back during a crucial phase in the development of our business. It made us counter-productive, and blinded us to things we should’ve recognized.

Ultimately, it cost us money, or at least time.

There’s no such thing as stress-free entrepreneurship, but there is a such thing as stress competence for an entrepreneur. We know you’re “tough” enough to endure stress. But we all need to be smart enough to minimize and manage it.

Let’s discuss how. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ever Googled your own business? Sure you have. 

But what were you trying to accomplish?

Today, we’re discussing how to use Google’s search results strategically. No, this isn’t exactly an SEO lesson. But it’s a way to use Google to shape and act on your broader marketing objectives, systematically.

What can you learn? And what can you do about it?

Those are the questions you should approach Google with. We’ll lay out a step-by-step procedure for Googling, organizing the data, and acting on it. This can be crucial to controlling the narrative around your brand. After all, if you’re not helping to tell your brand’s story, it’ll be left up to everyone else to tell for you.

Get a handle on your online reputation. Have a voice in your own business’s story. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nothing is guaranteed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t evaluate the viability of a business idea in advance, and give ourselves the best chance of success.

But how?

It’s like poker: while there are elements you can’t control, knowing the odds and acting strategically are what separates the winners from the rest – all luck aside. So what can we do to survey the landscape in the early stages of starting a business?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener find out what variables are predictable, controllable, and worth examining. Whether you’re a little nervous about starting a business, or just want to play it smart, there are steps you can take.

Ask the right questions about what you want your business to be, then see if conditions are conducive to that endgame. You might decide to back out before it’s too late – or you might realize you have every reason to be confident. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is how we screwed up.

Every mistake carries the gift of a lesson. Learning those lessons makes those mistakes valuable — to you, and anyone who can learn from you. To get the most value out of our stumbles, blunders, and fails over the last 12 months, we’re discussing them here – for you!

Let’s call them…learnable moments.

Most of these cringe-inducers happened because at the time, we weren’t mindful enough to see what was happening. By the time we realized, some damage had been done. Now, we’ll describe the warning signs so you can avoid learning the way we did: the hard way.

That’s the thing about the really valuable lessons: they’re not just hard to learn. They’re hard to recognize.

Of course, these lessons look more obvious in hindsight. But evaluating them now, publicly, will help us see the next big lesson coming — and hopefully, we learn them a little sooner this time. 

See what you can learn from our helpful misadventures.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you stuck at “average?”

This week’s Must-Read for entrepreneurs is all about making real change, one little bit at a time. Whether you’re not progressing enough, quickly enough, or at all, it’s time to take action.

Because average will only get you so far.

The good news is that becoming your absolute best — at whatever you do — isn’t some radical, mind-blowing transformation that happens on top of a mountain. According to Tom Connellan’s The 1% Solution for Work and Life, there’s a more realistic, attainable approach.

You just have to start taking steps.

Tune in, and hear the most valuable takeaways and insights from this short but powerful book. Start making moves, and see what a massive difference a tiny difference can make.

The 1% Solution for Work and Life by Tom Connellan

Discover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Email is still the most important marketing channel you have. But your emails won’t do much for your business if no one is reading them. 

Part of getting those open, read, and click rates up is finding the right time for your message to hit the inbox — which isn’t as simple as you might think, despite tons of advice out there about certain days of the week or hours of the day.

Spoiler alert: there is no magic day or hour during which emails get universally higher open rates. If there was, your inbox would be hit by roughly 40 gazillion emails every week at that exact time.

You have to do a little investigating.

We’ve seen companies send at days and times that seem terrible at first glance, but work for the audience in question. Over time, we’ve put in the work to figure out when our contacts are more or less likely to read our messages, and time them accordingly.

You can, too. This episode will tell you how.

Conduct a few exercises and experiments, just like we did. Get that engagement up, and start turning your ‘mails into sales.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ready to extend your reach way beyond your daily working hours? If you have a course to sell, there’s a method that can save you a ton of time and energy, all while bringing in passive leads and sales.

Automated webinars.

Some people call them “evergreen” webinars. Whatever the name, they’re more than just videos. They’re pre-recorded interactive lessons, optimized to generate leads, sales, or both. And they work! You can build your authority and sell your course around the clock.

…but only if you do these webinars right. So many people do them so, so wrong.

Yes, we also own a webinar software company. So we’ve seen what makes these increasingly popular lessons work – and what makes them totally crash and burn. Today, we’ll share the most important Do’s and Dont’s — no matter what software you use.

Learn the unique advantages that automated webinars have, and the key elements necessary to make them effective. Your course is about to sell to a whole new group of people. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lifetime memberships can be tricky, especially as your business grows. When something changes, how can you honor your long-standing arrangements without losing money?

How can you change the terms of your service without ticking off your earliest supporters?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a coach who’s ready to add significantly more value to their original lifetime package. It’s not what those O.G. customers signed up for, but it’s also not something to exclude them from. So what now?

This is going to happen. And there’s an honest, straightforward way to handle it.

Learn how to keep your lifetimers happy, even as the success they first helped you find changes shape. Get to where you’re going without forgetting the ones who got you here. 

There’s a fair solution to every situation in business, including this one. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Almost everyone has a cool idea for a business. Almost no one will actually do it.

Will you?

Today, we’ve got your first step. Do this one thing now, and you’ll be closer to actually starting your business than most of the would-be entrepreneurs who never make it past a great idea. The best part? It doesn’t even have to take long.

“Analysis Paralysis” ends today.

Take this step before you even create your first product. If you already know what kind of product you want to build, use this exercise to refine it. But whatever you do, start with this crucial move.

What is it they say about a journey of a thousand miles? Let’s get started. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The best product doesn’t win. The product with the best story wins.

Narrative is how we learn. More importantly, it’s how we’re convinced. Stories take a lesson, person, or product past the gates of our conscious decision making and into the most impressionable parts of our minds.

Ask any great teacher which lessons work best: the ones with facts and stats, or the ones with stories.

Today, special guest teacher Graham Brown is here to explain how to find and use your business’s story. With examples from history and business, Graham proves how stories create the context for understanding that truly drives decisions on an emotional level.

A business without a story is powerless. Tune in, learn how to harness the power of storytelling, and get access to a great free resource. Click Play!

Asia Tech Podcast

Leadership in the Exponential Era by Graham Brown

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forget the dollar, the euro, the pound. The most valuable currency on Earth is time.

So let’s get you more of it.

Odds are, you’re doing things you don’t have to. These tasks are thieves, robbing you of the  precious resource of time — a resource that can’t be replenished. Your time alive is a bank account from which you can only make withdrawals. When you run a business, it’s easy to lose track of how much is coming out.

You might be surprised just how much time you can save, when you take a look at your day systematically.

Today, we’ll explain how to conduct a time inventory, and offload the biggest time-suckers to other people. You may find that what you think are small, quick tasks are actually adding up to hours per week of waste. 

Don’t surrender another second!

We’ll share strategies and resources you can use to accurately diagnose your time usage, identify the waste, and get it off your plate. The best part? As shocked as you might be by where your time is going, you may be just as surprised at how affordable it is to outsource. 

What’s the point of entrepreneurship, if not to gain the freedom to live life? Take these tips, get some time back, and use it however you want — before your time runs out. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Current events can produce more than anxiety. In fat, they might just be your secret marketing weapon.

“Newsjacking” is a tried-and-true trick in which you tie your marketing to national and global events. Whatever the media’s fixated on, you can leverage it to promote your business– if you’re creative enough.

And yes, it’s ok if it’s a (little bit of a) stretch.

Today, we’ll review some of the best examples of newsjacking from hard-hustling entrepreneurs who looked at the news and found relevance for their target audience. Whether it’s sports, politics, or simply recurring items that always find their way into the news cycle, you can hitch a ride on trending stories to boost your brand.

Heck, even we do it now and again.

It’s a great traffic generating trick, and it doesn’t need to be scammy or disingenuous. You just have to see the relevance and value your audience sees when they turn on the news. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Always, always test the MVP – no matter what you’re selling.

If you don’t know, the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the first iteration of a product you can sell. It’s the barest-bones, cheapest-to-produce version of something you can still sell at a profit, to test the market potential of your idea in the real world. And you should always start with one.

It’s easy to create an MVP for a service or digital product. With physical goods…you just need the right resources.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener get their first units out the door. As it turns out, it’s cheaper and easier than ever to manufacture – and not just by outsourcing.

Yes, manufacturing locally is an option, depending on what you’re making. It might even be a better option than good ol’ China.

Today, we’ll give you the information and resources necessary to sell your 1.0 like a smart, lean startup. Plus, we’ll explain how you can start pre-selling your product before a single unit leaves the assembly line. 

We’ll also explore the creation of your MVP as a marketing asset. Get the gears turning – literally, in this case. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sometimes, it’s not how you make decisions, but when.

When you’re faced with a major choice, with significant stakes on the line, you have to make sure of one thing before you decide. You have to make sure that the context in which you make your decision isn’t putting the kind of pressure on you that distorts your thinking.

Sometimes, it’s more important to make the best decision than it is to make a quick decision.

Sometimes, we make decisions before we have to, just to relieve the pressure of having to make one. And while we’re all for moving forward generally, sometimes, pumping the brakes is the smartest decision you can make.

Today, we’ll explore how to tell the difference between patience and paralysis.

A long time ago, our host Omar made a decision he shouldn’t have. If he had just waited, a better option would’ve revealed itself. Faced with a similar context later, he remembered what went wrong – and found options he didn’t see the first time around.

It’s a lesson he never forgot. Now, we offer it to you.

Learn how to create the conditions for good decision-making. Find options outside the lesser of two evils. Make the call, not just any call. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Still thinking about starting a business?

Stop.

This week’s Must-Read book for entrepreneurs is a classic. It’s a short, simple analogy that our intrepid host Omar first got as a gift from an old boss. Who Moved My Cheese? is all about getting out of your head and into the game, whatever your ambitions.

It’s just as relevant today as it was when Omar first read it.

A parable for the self-starter, this book doesn’t take long to read, but it stays with you for…well, forever. Its timeless takeaways will get you unstuck from the paralysis of fear and hesitation, the biggest obstacle to entrepreneurial freedom.

Hey, it’s a classic for a reason.

Take a lesson from one great author, and some fictional mice. It just might be the story you need to actually, finally make your move. Click Play!

Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson

Discover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marketing only has a few unbreakable rules. One of them is to never overwhelm the prospect with too much information.

Confusion is kryptonite for sales. But it can be incredibly hard to know when you’re confusing your audience. That’s because it’s exceedingly difficult for someone on the inside of a business to understand the outsider’s perspective.

Unfortunately, all customers are outsiders by definition.

Today, we’ll discuss how to streamline, simplify, and otherwise make it easier for your audience to understand what’s going on. Because only then can they be expected to truly consider a purchase.

You’ll never be perfectly inside your customers’ heads (wouldn’t that be nice?). 

But you can have a grasp of how much information an average person can process before they tap out and move on. Listen in , and see if your messaging needs a little whittling down. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What matters most: quality, or fulfillment? What disappoints customers more: failure to deliver on time, or substandard performance?

Meeting deadlines and maxing out quality can be opposing goals. Today, we discuss how to balance them.

We’ve had this experience in our business, when delivering on a promise meant sacrificing a modicum of…let’s say, idealism. Over time, we’ve learned how to navigate both priorities.

On the one hand, failing to respect deadlines can create terrible habits. On the other, sacrificing performance for expediency is no one’s idea of good business. But there is a way to make sure that whichever side you err on, your customers will know you’re committed to their best interests.

We can’t do all things at all times. Tune in, and learn how a balanced approach can give your business the time and space to improve quality and speed at the same time — and at the right times. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We all want to reach our goals. But where do we set them? How do we know which goals are realistic, and which are just setting us up for failure?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who misses goal after goal. Is it because they’re too lofty? If so, how can we avoid setting goals that aren’t lofty enough?

If we try to be more realistic, will we aim too low? If we try to be ambitious, will we aim too high?

There’s gotta be a way to hit identify the sweet spot.

Today, we’ll discuss how to expand your concept of goal-setting to encompass multiple layers of goals. By establishing a range of milestones, rather than a single target, you can move towards the “zone of proximal development:” the place where you strive exactly the right amount.

Take a new approach to your goals — one that helps you grow. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At our software company, we pride ourselves on customer support. We differentiate ourselves with it, and always have.

It’s kind of our thing.

So we weren’t surprised to field several questions about customer support when we attended a recent conference. What many people wanted to know was how many support personnel are really necessary. For new small businesses, it’s an important question. 

After all, a lean startup can’t afford to idle hands. That said, they can’t afford anything less than top-tier support, either.

Today, we discuss our formula for keeping the right amount of support on hand. It varies from business to business, and depends on the amount of support requests you typically field, but there is a way to analyze your business’s needs. 

Spoiler alert: responding to tickets is not the only thing great support agents do. 

See how we keep pace with our customers’ support needs, as we continue to add agents to our growing team. See how our “Support Ninjas” take ownership of our customers’ success, and why that makes all the difference. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Company culture isn’t something we always think about. And when we do, it’s often…after-thinking.

But it matters.

If you don’t intentionally build a culture, that lack of intention becomes your culture. And in a culture like that, there’s no way to get real and lasting buy-in from team members. It’s always about more than just the job and the pay. 

It’s about personal fulfillment.

Today, special guest Chris Meroff is here to explain exactly how to make every employee feel valued, heard, and respected. Think that’s all fluff and woo-woo? Once you see the difference between emotionally committed employees and those who just collect a check, you’ll understand what a difference fulfillment makes. 

Whether you’ve got a tiny team, or dozens of employees, you can learn how to do this. Once you do, your team will recognize it for what it is: the truest form of leadership. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you haven’t heard of ClickFunnels, you will.

The company’s massive conference, Funnel Hacking Live, is like Coachella for marketing nerds. The energy is huge, the excitement is palpable, and the attendees are…devout, to say the least. But is there any substance behind the hype?

We saddled up and headed to Nashville to find out.

Today, we’ll share 3 deeply important, highly valuable lessons we learned from this conference. We cut through the noise and got to the core of why people are so enthusiastic about ClickFunnels and their philosophy.

This huge, 4-day production was filled with marketing insights, strategies, and tips that anyone can use to grow their business. But most impressive of all was the sense of perspective and community that seems to drive the ClickFunnel faithful.

Hear what we learned, and see how it can work for you — no airfare required. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Keep. It. Simple.

The problem entrepreneurs often have with marketing is totally overcomplicating it. Too many channels, too much content, and no idea what’s working and what’s not. It’s time to stop being a jack of all things, and become a master of one…at a time, anyway.

But how can you know what to focus on?

Today, we discuss how to narrow down your focus, and tackle one marketing effort at a time. It starts with your own strengths, and leveraging those strengths to get measurable results you can double down on. It’s something we’ve had to remind ourselves to do lately, as our enthusiastic, growing team is tempted to take on…all of it.

By taking things one funnel at a time, you can get the most out of your marketing budget and efforts. By recommitting to what’s proven to work — without excessive variables muddling the data — you can set yourself up for continued success. 

Learn how doing less can bring you more results. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did you forget to raise your rates again? You’re not the only one.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a business coach who hasn’t raised prices in years. Whether you’re a coach, a freelancer, or selling a product, keeping prices flat for that long is slow suicide! 

Unless you run a dollar store, of course.

For everyone else, price increases aren’t a matter of debate. You have to raise prices to reflect the increasing costs of doing business, to say nothing of the added value of your experience. If you don’t raise prices regularly, you will inevitably undervalue yourself.

If you undervalue yourself, you will hurt your business. Price is a statement, one that reflects your confidence in what you’re selling. Keep it too low, and customers will get the wrong message: that your value is low. 

The best part? Your customers won’t be upset when rates go up. We’ll explain how to raise rates in a way that keeps customers happy, even if you’re nervous about it. We’ll also discuss how to figure out how much to raise rates, which you should (have I made that part clear yet?). Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Get back in the saddle — even if you never fell out.

Sometimes, we put our whole selves into building a business or product, only to watch it bomb. That’s normal. In fact, that’s good. Failure isn’t just a rite of passage in entrepreneurship. It’s a required lesson, and a necessary stepping stone to success.

You just have to be willing to go another round.

That said, we’ve all heard the old saying about insanity and expecting different results. Today, we’ll discuss how to make sure that your “do over” is a “do better.” With examples from our own failures, as well as much bigger missteps from much bigger companies, we’ll explore how taking another swing is always the right move.

Unless you’re ridiculously lucky, don’t expect to get business right on your first try. 

Instead, build a bounce-back mindset. And even if your business is doing great, you definitely want to re-do some things in advance — before you grow stagnant. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, you’re writing the Must-Read book.

We couldn’t resist. After using The Five Minute Journal by Alex Iconn for a while, we just had to recommend it — even if it’s not a “book” per se. It’s an app, or a hardcover analog journal if you prefer, that helps you get focused, grow, and enjoy life a little more.

Given the size of the investment (we actually do it in less than 5 minutes each day), it’s definitely worth your time to use this book.

Today, we discuss what you can expect to get out of this journal, and why it’s perfect for people who hate journaling (like our host, Omar). Completely different from your childhood diary, The Five Minute Journal is a tool for creating good habits — that doesn’t ask much from you.

Hear how this book can lead to increased well-being, and progress towards your personal or business goals. Click Play!

The 5 Minute Journal

Discover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Facebook groups can go really well, or really badly. They can increase engagement and loyalty, or they can embarrass you. They can drive growth, or they can hurt your reputation in the space.

Let’s make sure your next Facebook group moves your business forward, not back.

One of the best ways to build a brand is to build a community around it. But simply having a Facebook group won’t do that. There has to be an intentional, goal-oriented approach that purposely fosters the community, and nudges it towards relevance in members’ lives.

Today, we’ll describe exactly what attributes your Facebook group needs to have in order to succeed, and what your role is in nurturing a productive and meaningful experience for your customers. 

We know how badly Facebook groups can go — a few of ours have crashed and burned over the years. We also know how well they can go, as our recent groups have demonstrated. Learn from our experience, and make your next group a win for everyone. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

That’s right: we said “only.”

In our considerable experience, we’ve only found 3 ways to make our business stand out. In fact, we’ve only seen other businesses stand out in one of these 3 ways. Whatever you sell, you have to differentiate in order to compete.

In fact, “differ” and “compete” may as well be the same word when it comes to business.

But there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Today, we’ll outline the 3 categories of differentiation, and offer some great examples of companies who’ve found their groove with each one. We’ll also discuss how we do it ourselves, with our own SaaS business.

We’ll also discuss how not to compete, because it’s not likely to work out in your favor.

Tune in, and learn how to pick the fights you can win. Remember, competition is a sign that there’s a big enough market to sustain you. All you have to do is figure out what corner of that market is yours, and yours alone. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We live in a golden age of political bipartisanship, religious tolerance, and cooperation among people of diverse viewpoints.

Just kidding, we live in a never-ending mosh pit of political and social rock-hurling. So what does that mean for your business? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one Mommy Blogger decide whether to share her convictions, or zip it before she scares half her customers away.

More importantly, we’re discussing how much you should share about your own views.

Is revealing your most firmly held convictions part of being transparent, open, and relatable? Isn’t that what we’re always telling entrepreneurs to do these days? Or is your voting record and choice of deity TMI? 

Is business the right forum for any of that stuff?

Spoiler alert: it depends. Today, we’ll discuss what to ask yourself before you over or under-share. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a ridiculously valuable, totally free resource you’re not using. It has all the information you need to target an audience, build them the perfect product, and stand out in your space.

That’s right, Amazon (you read the title, didn’t you?).

The “everything store” isn’t just a behemoth of online retail. It’s a treasure trove of reviews, complaints, wishes, and everything else you need to figure out what the heck consumers actually want. 

Today, we’ll explain how to mine Amazon for the data you need, and use it to create your next product. By extracting some key insights from Amazon, you can figure out exactly how to differentiate your business and completely nail your next offering. Plus, we’ll mention a few other websites where you can find similar info.Amazon has done a lot of work to get this data together. Take advantage! Click Play.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you started speaking yet? You don’t have to be Tony Robbins to use the power of public speaking to grow your business. 

Even if you don’t plan to make a living off your speeches, you can build incredible authority and elevate your brand by delivering just a few talks per year. And if that seems wildly impossible for you, listen to today’s special guest teacher, Grant Baldwin.

Grant is a speaking coach extraordinaire who’s helped thousands of people move their business forward with speaking engagements. He’s an accomplished speaker, author, and entrepreneur who also happens to be one other thing: an avowed introvert.

That’s right — speaking isn’t just for extroverts.

Today, Grant will lay out his “speaker success roadmap,” a step-by-step process for getting your first (or next) speaking gig. He’ll show you how to find your audience, find your venue, and make yourself a true authority on…well, that’s up to you.

Tune in, and find out how to take the stage. Click Play!

thespeakerlab.com

The Speaker Lab Podcast

The Successful Speaker by Grant Baldwin

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who do you wish you could get to know? They say the fastest way to an entrepreneur’s heart…

Ok, no one says that. But one meal can have a massive impact on your future, if you plan it right. Hosting a dinner is the ultimate networking power move, one that’s worked for us and others time and time again. And yes, you can do it, too.

You just need a plan.

Today, we’re sharing a few tricks from some of our favorite entrepreneurs on arranging a life-changing get-together. We’ve got a step-by-step process for reaching out to the leaders you admire most, even if they’re nowhere near your own circles.

In business, relationships are everything. A friendly dinner can give you all the networking advantages of a conference, at half the cost (or less). Learn how to set it up, make it appealing for invitees, and start making connections.

Everyone has to eat — including the fellow entrepreneurs you admire most. Use that, and the results can be astonishing. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who says you have to build a product to build a business?

“White Label” products let you market and sell someone else’s creation, under your own brand. It’s a tempting alternative for entrepreneurs whose strengths lie more in marketing and sales than in product development. And it’s a more popular option than ever before.

But is it worth it?

Today, we’ll review the advantages and disadvantages of going white label. We’ll discuss all the ways it’s easier and less involved than building your own product, and what you lose in exchange for that ease. 

We’ll also detail exactly what to look for in a good white label product, so you can make sure to hitch your brand wagon to something reliable.

The white label approach can be a perfect option for certain kinds of entrepreneurs, or a precursor to a more conventional mode of entrepreneurship. See if it’s a way forward for you, with all the facts in mind. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Online bullying: it isn’t just for middle schoolers. Every business will eventually have a customer who turns rabid, threatening to blast your company all over the Internet if you don’t cave to their (often unreasonable) demands. 

Here’s what to do next.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners has a disgruntled customer who wants a refund well past the deadline — or else. Some people think bullying works, because frankly, sometimes it does. Anyone who’s ever been on social media knows that people aren’t always their best online. So how do you handle someone’s worst?

Is it worth the cost of a refund to avoid the drama? Or is it worth an attack on your reputation to stand your ground?

Today we discuss both possible answers, and the pros and cons of each. The cost/benefit analyses of both approaches are worth considering, and may differ from business to business. Either way, it’s best to be prepared. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Conferences were always going to go digital. 

Enter the online summit, a virtual gathering of industry pros that might offer the same (or similar) benefits to the analog version. These summits are more popular each year, with entire businesses built around hosting and promoting them. 

What does that mean for you?

We’ve sponsored online summits, and been asked to sponsor others. Deciding whether it was worth it for us took some serious calculating. Today, we’d like to share our formula. How can you determine the ROI of sponsoring a conference?

More importantly, how can you make sure you actually get the return you expect?

We’ll discuss how to determine if a given summit is worth your sponsorship. Take the steps we outline, and you’ll get a better sense of the cost per lead involved, and whether putting your name on the virtual banners is smart marketing or not. 

There’s huge potential in sponsoring summits — but only if the numbers add up. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Conventional wisdom: how wise is it?

That’s the question Eric Barker asks in Barking Up The Wrong Tree, a super-entertaining challenge to everything you thought you knew about business. 

In this highly original, inventive look at the usual advice about success, Barker takes aim at the most well-established assumptions. Commonly held beliefs about everything from education to confidence to productivity are all shaken down in a ruthless pursuit of truth — however uncomfortable it might be.

Put simply, this book changed our minds.

Today, we’ll discuss three of the most “Holy Crap” insights this book offers. It’s less about debunking, and more about reconsidering, with a thoughtful, un-self-serious approach. Barker begs to differ, but he doesn’t preach. 

This subversion of all the classic assumptions isn’t just thought-provoking. It’s downright fun. Take a look at what you believe, and see what a little critical thinking can do to give you a better sense of how to achieve success. Click Play!

Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker

Audible

Discover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hiring the best employees is no easy task. That task is further complicated when the perfect fit happens to be the relative, friend, or significant other of someone on your team.

Trust me, we’ve been there.

When you get a referral from a trusted employee, is that a good thing? Today, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having deep personal connections between staff. Having briefly employed his own sibling, our host Omar has unique insight into the whole experience.

What if the personal relationship goes south? What if the professional relationship is too personal? Is a family recommendation a perfect endorsement, or a perfect liability?

We’ll explore all this, plus other complications that can ensue. 

One of our best hires was the sister of an established employee, so we know what it looks like when keeping it in the family goes well. Listen in, weigh the pros and cons, and be ready to decide for yourself if someone on your team shares genes — or anything else — with your next ideal candidate. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Customer feedback is like fertilizer for your business growth. 

Way too many entrepreneurs try to “figure out” what would appeal to customers, when a smarter solution is there all along: just ask some. Today, we’ll discuss the incredible, underappreciated value of customer feedback, and how to mine your customers for this valuable resource. 

With it, you can do everything from improving your sales and marketing to lowering your churn. We’ve got 4 specific ways you can gather and utilize feedback, without putting too big a dent in the ol’ marketing budget.

This is a small investment with a massive return.

Establishing a systematized way of gathering and analyzing feedback takes a little work, but the payoff on that investment (of mostly time, by the way) is astronomical. With this precious intel, you can clear the blockage from your marketing and sales funnel. Growth ensues.

You don’t have all the answers. Fortunately, your customers have quite a few. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Almost every business goes through this: you set a refund policy, and a customer violates it — but they still want their money back.

The terms were clear, but the customer isn’t. Or they are, but they want an exception. This is especially common when your refund policy stops after a certain amount of time. People unintentionally let free trials lapse into paid memberships, or procrastinate on returning a physical item. 

What should you do when they ask for a break?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who wants to know how flexible or strict they can afford to be. Are there advantages to being a hardliner? What can you gain from bending the rules? It’s best to figure out what you’re going to do now, before you’re faced with the situation — because you probably will be.

We’ll share our own formula for handling post-deadline refund requests, and explore the pros and cons of good old fashioned mercy. Plus, we’ll explain how every refund request is a hidden opportunity, if you know how to approach it. Click Play!

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s something every marketer studies endlessly. If you’re in business, you’ve heard of it by now: the “funnel.”

There’s a good reason this concept is so common. Understanding the funnel and applying it to your business is crucial to your company’s growth. You could even argue that without studying the art of the funnel, your business can’t grow at all!

 Whether they realize it or not, all businesses funnel. It’s just that some are better at it than others.

In short, the funnel is the thing that takes people from perfect stranger, to lead, to customer, and finally to creator of other customers. It’s a central tenet of digital marketing, and the only efficient way to approach the task of finding your customers among all those millions of people out there on the Internet.

Today, we’ll explain the funnel, unpack its mysteries, and illustrate the concept with a hypothetical example. Let’s build your funnel, and get some people into it. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There is no better salesperson than someone who doesn’t work for you.

Think about how you decide to purchase something. While marketers, advertisers, and actual sales people have a goal in mind, other consumers have nothing to gain by encouraging you to buy a given product. It’s that simple.

A happy customer is worth a dozen salespeople — because trust.

That said, most of your customers aren’t likely to speak up for you unless you ask them. Today, we’ve got a special guest who’s an expert in enlisting customers as evangelists. Kim Speed is a branding master who knows how to get that crucial word of mouth going.

She’s here with a lesson on approaching your customers, getting the feedback you need, and using it to turn satisfaction into hyper-effective marketing and advertising. 

Testimonials and customer reviews are pure gold, more likely to influence your sales than any amount of paid ads. Find out exactly how to extract this powerful asset from your customers, and use it to maximum effect. Click Play!

Branding on a Shoestring by Kim Speed

Purple Moon Creative

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does a podcast cost?

It’s a good question, and one you should definitely ask before you get on the mic. The good news is that it’s more affordable than ever to produce a decent quality, competitive podcast in your space.

But a good entrepreneur always crunches the numbers.

We’ve gotten a ton of exposure and opportunities thanks to our humble little show. And take it from us, it started out very humble indeed. Almost 1,500 episodes later, we only wish we’d started sooner. Podcasting is a viable, economical brand builder for any entrepreneur with a point of view and a (surprisingly) few bucks.

Today, we’ll ring up the price on a bare-minimum-quality podcast. Your “starter podcast” won’t cost a prohibitive amount, but it will require some investment. 

We’ll discuss initial one-time costs as well as recurring costs you can expect. We’ll also offer lots of recommendations for hardware, software, and resources to use. 

Get ready to podcast. But first, let’s do the math. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What are you waiting for? 

No, seriously. What should you wait for before starting a business?

One of the first, biggest hurdles new entrepreneurs face is taking the first step into the game. You’ve researched, you’ve planned, you’ve studied. But when is the right time to actually move? When does the light turn green, and how can you know?

There’s a shockingly simple answer.

Knowing what conditions should be in place to start a business is important to your chances of success. But those conditions probably aren’t as hard to align as you think. There’s an overlap in the venn diagram between planning and execution that anyone considering independent business should understand. 

The answer to the question of “when” is the same for almost every business. We’ll discuss what that answer is, and why it’s correct. When this episode is over, you’ll know exactly when the time is right. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every business needs a website, and therefore a good domain name. But do you need all the domains with that name?

Good question.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener wants to know if you should buy up the .com alternatives: the .co, the .net, even the international domains like .uk and .au. How many domains is too many? 

How many is not enough? 

Domains aren’t exactly expensive, but a few ventures into the game can ultimately cost you hundreds if you’re not picky enough. On the other hand, you don’t want someone else using your name and causing all kinds of brand confusion. 

Today, we’ll discuss what you should do before you start snapping up domains. If you buy too many too soon, you can end up burdening your business instead of protecting your brand. Find out what needs to happen first, and proceed from there.

To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Business travel got you stressed out, tired, and feeling low? It’s not just you.

Traveling for work can absolutely suck. The airports, the baggage, the time zones, the bad food, and a million other inconveniences can turn any trip into a draining experience. As entrepreneurs, business travel is supposed to be part of the fun.

So why isn’t it?

We’ve put a lot of miles on our own business ventures, schlepping from conference to conference and managing a remote team spread around the globe. We know business travel, and we’ve picked up a few tricks along the way that make it a much less stressful experience.

The work we do on the road is invaluable to our business. That’s why it’s important to have strategies for staying on top of your game, wherever you are. Get there, get it done, and get home without the drama. Come back feeling just as good as when you left — mentally and physically. 

Find out how. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re not good at understanding each other. And that’s bad for business.

Malcolm Gladwell has made a massive career out of noticing — patterns, syndromes, common social threads. He’s sold millions of copies of books like The Tipping Point and Outliers. His latest, Talking to Strangers, tackles another big, broad topic: human interaction.

How we relate to people we don’t know has a massive impact, especially for entrepreneurs.

The way you handle new people has implications for everything in business, from customer service to networking to partnerships. The skill of getting to know someone can change everything — but it’s a skill you have to develop.

In fact, Gladwell argues that generally, we’re awful at figuring each other out.

Today, we’ll discuss how business people can utilize the lessons of this book, and why we all need to question our instincts and assumptions about others. As Gladwell illustrates with a variety of real-world examples, failures in our evaluation of others can have drastic consequences. 

It’s something most of us don’t even realize we don’t even realize. See what we mean: Click Play!

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

Discover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Customer service: the forgotten weapon. The power move. The brand-defining differentiator that sets you apart from the competition. The secret to long-term customer retention and increased CLTV (Customer Lifetime Value). 

It’s kind of a big deal, so you have to get it right.

Great customer service doesn’t just solve customer’s problems. It creates loyalty and reduces one of the worst diseases a business can struggle with: churn. So how can you make sure you’re offering customer service that works? 

It’s almost shockingly easy to improve your customer service.

Today, we share 3 ridiculously simple ways you can make sure to be there for your customers. With a little strategy, you can pre-solve a ton of problems, and build a reputation for customer service that keeps people coming back — and inspires new people to come on board.

We run a SaaS (Software as a Service) business, so we know better than most how important customer service is. When people don’t feel confident, when they don’t feel secure in your support, they live on the fence. Great support attracts, onboards, and retains customers, especially with a digital product.

Take these 3 steps. It won’t be hard! And it’ll be well worth the effort. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Second-guessing: some would say it’s a sign of healthy skepticism. But if it becomes a habit, it’s fatal to entrepreneurs.

When you run your own business, you are constantly faced with high-pressure decisions — way more often than people with conventional jobs. With every call you make, that little voice can be heard talking: was I right about that? Should I have [fill in the blank] instead?

Don’t “what if” yourself out of business.

There are simple steps you can take to make sure that while you don’t always make the right call, you make the call that made the most sense. While nothing can ensure you bat 1000 with all your decisions, you can rest easy knowing you didn’t make the kinds of mistakes that put your judgment into question.

It’s just a matter of preparation.

You can maximize the odds of every decision turning out to be correct by laying the groundwork. Today, we share the surprisingly easy precautions you can take that make all your decisions better — and let you sleep soundly knowing you did your best. Click Play!

SUBSCRIBE

YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.