The $100 MBA Show

You’ve got a great podcast, but you want great guests. How in the world do you get them?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a question from a fellow podcaster who’s looking to bring fresh voices to his audience. Knowing how to find quality guests — and convincing them to record — takes some finesse, and some time.

Today, we discuss our methods for wooing guests. By establishing your own reputation and following, you can attract (rather than chase) guests. By keeping your own standards high, you can sell potential guests on the value of joining your podcast. And even if you’re new to the game, you can still establish yourself as someone worth talking to.

It’s a big Internet out there, and there’s no shortage of podcasts. But if you’re willing to put the work in, you can make yours stand out from the rest. Click Play!

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Audio-Technica ATR2100 Mic

Iconic by Scott McKain

We Are Podcast

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Experience is the best teacher, and we’ve had plenty.

Today, we put aside the specifics of day-to-day business, and focus on the principles that carry us through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. We’ve got 4 principles that years of struggle, doubt, anxiety, and ultimate success have ingrained in our brains.

Learning how to cut through self-defeating impulses and focus on what matters can work wonders. By adopting the right mindsets, you can excel as exactly who you are, no matter the industry or niche. From emotional self-regulation to realistic goal-setting, these are the principles that work for every business.

Learn how to take control of your outlook, rather than letting circumstances and market forces do it for you. Click Play!

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It’s time to get more specific with your business goals.

That’s the theme of this week’s Must-Read book for entrepreneurs, John Doerr’s Measure What Matters. Doerr is a milestone master, helping organizations like Google and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation measure their progress with laser precision. Of course, his lessons are just as applicable to small businesses.

In this book, Doerr explains how to focus on the most impactful growth objectives and metrics. With a humorous, irreverent style, he makes the importance of deep analytics clear. He also makes the numbers game less opaque, less intimidating, and more practical.

Find out what you should be aiming for, and how to hit it. Once you know which numbers to watch, you’ll be that much closer to your (well-defined) goals. Click Play!

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Measure What Matters by John Doerr

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So many podcasts, so little time. Which ones are worth it for you?

Today, we’re putting the spotlight on the 5 most valuable, insightful, useful business podcasts out there (besides our own, of course). Believe it or not, we actually listen to our competition, and learn from other entrepreneurs out there on the digital airwaves.

Some, frankly, are too good not to share with our audience.

Add these podcasts to your listening list, and they’ll strengthen your knowledge and confidence even further. We’ll tell you where to find these podcasts, what we get out of them, and what you can expect from each. You don’t have to listen to all of them, but each one can add incredible value to the time you invest in your entrepreneurial development.

Take it from us: these podcasts are worth every minute. Click Play!

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EasyCourse

How I Built This

Business Wars

The Jordan Harbinger Show

Masters of Scale

The Tim Ferriss Show

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Conferences aren’t getting any cheaper. In fact, they’re getting more and more expensive — for those who don’t know some money-saving tips and tricks.

Today, we discuss how to shave every possible dollar from the cost of your next conference. With some careful planning, the ROI on a conference can be well, well worth it. The insights, networking, and exposure you can get at a conference are invaluable. That said, a dollar unwasted is a dollar well invested.

Learn our strategies for lowering the costs of travel, accommodation, and tickets. See how we attack the biggest expenses with a few prudent moves. Plot your next conference with an eye toward saving, and know that you created the best possible cost/benefit ratio. Click Play!

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You want to launch a business. Should you bootstrap down and go lean, or take a hefty investment from an outside source?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners is pondering whether to take money from an investor or bank. Is a pile of outside money a launching pad, or a trap? Is it wise to take money before getting proof of concept, or silly to turn perfectly good dollars away?

Today, we explain why it isn’t so easy to get money for a business idea — and why it might not be as desirable as you think. We also discuss how to convince investors or lenders to back you, it that’s indeed what you want to do.

It’s a tough decision, and one that’ll determine the course of your business. Click Play!

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EasyCourse

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A simple truth: entrepreneurship is not for everyone.

That’s not a judgment, but a helpful statement of fact. Just because you have a great product idea, or simply want to quit your day job, does not mean you should go into business for yourself. The decision to become an entrepreneur is a very serious, very big one.

You need to be sure.

Today, we discuss exactly what questions you need to ask yourself before taking the plunge. Once you’ve considered these questions, you’ll be able to enter the world of entrepreneurship with complete confidence — or decide against entrepreneurship with zero regrets.

The world of business does not reward the unsure. Listen to this episode, ponder these questions, and know once and for all whether entrepreneurship is right for you. Don’t go into it lightly. Go into it confidently, or not at all. Click Play!

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Content marketing: is there any other kind?

If you’re getting into business, you need to get into the content game. Blogs, videos, pics; whatever the medium, it’s a necessary skill set. Content is the key to traffic, and traffic is the source of any and all sales leads. Your online presence depends on your ability to create, promote, and manage content.

This week’s Must-Read book for entrepreneurs is your content marketing 101 textbook. Joe Pulizzi’s Epic Content Marketing is one of the best all-around primers on the topic available. It explains exactly how to market online, from SEO to social media and beyond.

Pulizzi is a longtime content marketing strategist with a deep understanding of the power of narrative to affect branding. This book details how — and why — content marketing works. Learn how a relatively small monetary investment into great content builds a relationship with your audience, and how to parlay that relationship into sales.

Whether you’re just getting started, or looking to take your content marketing up a notch, this is the book for you. Click Play!

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Backlinko

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To everything, there is a season.

Some businesses just don’t rake in the cash all year long. In fact, most business have their slow spells at the same times every year. So how in the heck can you stabilize your revenue stream, and keep your business on an even keel month after month?

It just takes a little planning.

Today, we discuss how to analyze your seasonal ups and downs, and create an action plan that takes an annual approach. Whether it’s nature’s seasons, market trends, or even the budget cycles of other businesses that cause your profits to ebb and flow, you can manage it. No matter the pattern, there’s a way to see it, predict it, and act accordingly. Click Play!

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EasyCourse

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The jet-setting lifestyle of an entrepreneur requires a little work on the road. But what if the jet you’re setting on doesn’t have WiFi?

We’re always traveling. Finding the time, space, and resources to handle business in transit can be a challenge. Planes in particular seem like the perfect place to hunker down and get some focused work done, but how often do we board with the best of intentions, only to arrive with nothing done?

Don’t worry. There are lots of ways to make every flight count, but only if you go in with a game plan. Today, we discuss how we make the most of our time in the air, with 5 specific tips that allow us to burn through our To-Do list before the tray tables go up.

Before you take your next flight, tune in to this episode. Click Play!

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Brain Food Playlist

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Ah, working from home. For some, it’s the dream. For others, it’s a guarantee that you won’t get much done.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners has a problem. He’s trying to build a business on the side, but the second he comes home from the day job it’s one distraction after another. Of course, there is an alternative: the ever-more-popular co-working space

Is it worth the cost for a side-hustling entrepreneur?

We’ve got an answer. As someone who side-hustled his way to an independent lifestyle, Omar knows how tough it can be to carve out some private work space. Today, he’ll help our listener consider the available options, including co-working spaces and some low-cost alternatives.

If you’re considering renting a desk, this is the episode for you. Click Play!

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It’s often said that the captain should go down with the ship. What we don’t say too often is that if the captain goes down, the ship is likely to follow.

Taking care of your own financial needs is not an act of selfishness. It’s not a sign of disloyalty to your team. It doesn’t mean that you’re not putting yourself on the line for your business. It means that you’re keeping yourself strong enough to lead your company.

If you can’t afford to pay you, you won’t be able to pay anyone else for long.

Today, we discuss how the “pay yourself last” model is a recipe for disaster. Your own financial (and emotional) health is one of the pillars of your business. Self-preservation, therefore, isn’t self-centered.

Stable, happy leaders are in a position to make better decisions and take smart risks. Entrepreneurs who aren’t sure how to pay the rent…not so much. Hear all about it — Click Play!

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We review a lot of books. But every once in a while, a gem comes along that stands out from the rest.

Our expectations for The Laws of Human Nature were high. Robert Greene is a legendary author, and one of Omar’s personal faves. Greene’s 48 Laws of Power was a game-changer, and we anticipated no less from Human Nature.

Needless to say, Greene did not disappoint.

In this Must-Read, Greene explains the often-overlooked aspects of human nature that drive our decision-making. By tuning in to these inborn tendencies and understanding how they work, we can turn our natural impulses to our advantage — or at the very least, we can neutralize the impulses that hold us back.

Hear our review, and learn how inherent biases and influences plague our thought processes. See how a basic grasp of human nature can empower you as a business person. It’s deep stuff, but it makes a practical difference. Click Play!

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48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

Mastery by Robert Greene

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There’s no shortage of podcasts out there, but some are (way, way) better than others. With so many podcasts in interview format, how can you make sure yours stands out?

If you’re trying to attract great guests, and give your audience something to talk about, you can’t go into interviews without a plan. Omar’s been interviewed on many a podcast, and each time he’s seen what makes a great interview — and what makes a terrible one. By avoiding certain rookie mistakes, you can make sure your podcast impresses guests and listeners alike.

Specifically, 4 mistakes in particular just about guarantee a bad interview. Today, we explain how each of these mistakes kills your podcast, and wastes a perfectly good guest. With examples of podcasts that do interview right, we show you how to get the most out of each guest, and leverage their appearance for maximum traffic.

Before you record your next podcast, listen to this one. Click Play!

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EasyCourse

WTF with Marc Maron

The Jordan Harbinger Show

How I Built This

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Paper ads. Billboards. Sponsoring the local little league. It’s how our grandparents did business, but can it still work for us? Is the offline world still a viable source of traffic for your business, or is physical advertising over?

Today, we discuss how to make offline marketing work for you. While not as precise as targeted online content marketing, there are still ways for certain businesses to snare some customers in the physical world. In fact, knowing how to integrate your online and offline marketing strategies might be one of the most important skill sets a modern marketer can have.

On this episode, we’ll explain how to determine if offline marketing makes sense for your audience, and how to measure the value of offline marketing relative to your investment. We’ve done a few experiments in the “real” world, and we’ve learned a few things that help us use our marketing budget more strategically.

Find out what we found out, and see if a little terrestrial marketing is a wise move for you. Click Play!

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Content marketing is all about the numbers. And when it comes to numbers, email open and click-through rates are some of the most important numbers by far.

Of all the factors that can affect those rates, is time one of them? Does it matter what day or hour you hit “send?” It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener is wondering if timing can give their business an edge in the email game.

Is there any evidence that send times make a difference?

We’ve got a few principles you can apply to find the best time for your business to send emails, based on the rhythms and preferences of your niche. Today, we discuss those principles, as well as exactly where timing ranks on the list of factors that affect open and click-through rates.

We also cover how to adjust for time zones in a global marketplace, and how different email marketing software products give you the flexibility you need to reach your audience. Before you launch your next campaign, check this out. Click Play!

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How can you measure motivation? How can you quantify the effect of appreciation on your team? When you don’t have a lot of cash to throw around, do the little ways of saying “thank you” really matter?

Today, we share our experience using small incentives and rewards to keep our team on track. Small gifts and little bits of recognition can go a long way, but you shouldn’t take our — or anyone’s — word for it. You should experiment, and measure the results.

We conducted one ourselves, using our Customer Service Team as the subject. We instituted a minor-incentive system that rewards outcomes without putting too much pressure on anyone. The results told us a lot about team management, motivation, and the enduring power of an employee who feels noticed.

Tune in, and hear how we set up our system, then consider creating your own. A little gesture just might make a big difference. Click Play!

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It seems like there’s a new self-help book for business people every day. But sometimes, it pays to look back to the old-school masters.

Napoleon Hill was born in the 1800’s, but his wisdom has held up well into the 21st century. His best-seller Think and Grow Rich is a foundational text for entrepreneurs, and one of the most popular business books ever. Today, we review another of Hill’s classics: Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rules.

Golden Rules is a collection of tips, tricks, and what we now might call “hacks” for reaching your goals. Based on tried-and-true principles of habit formation, Hill discusses personal growth and achievement from a timeless perspective that’s just as relevant now as it was generations ago.

Talent, Hill argues, is not the key ingredient. By harnessing the power of mindset, you can affect outcomes in the real world. Learn with us, from one of the legends of self-empowerment. Click Play!

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Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rules by Napoleon Hill

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Your website’s pricing page: it’s the page where visitors are closest to making a purchase. It’s also the page where websites lose the most visitors, as cold feet stop visitors from becoming customers.

How can you convert them? How can you get a visitor on the pricing page to pull the trigger?

You have their interest. You have them *this close* to buying. What you need is a way to address those last-minute hesitations, those few questions that still remain. Enter the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). By integrating your FAQ with your pricing page, you can head off visitor misgivings, and pave the way to a purchase.

Today, we explain how to anticipate the questions visitors will have, and give them an FAQ that’ll inspire confidence. We discuss how many questions to post, and how to lay them out on your pricing page for maximum conversions.

In the final moments, a great FAQ can make all the difference. Click Play!

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WebinarNinja Pricing Page

EasyCourse

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What do you do with a dedicated, talented worker who’s exactly the kind of employee you need — but only sometimes?

Employing part-timers has unique advantages, but it also comes with some challenges. Give them too much work, and they’re not part-time. Give them too little, and they won’t hang around long. So how can you ensure commitment despite the less committed nature of the part-time relationship?

There is a way.

We’ve hired many, many part-timers over the years, and we’ve lost far too many that we should’ve kept. In all that time, we’ve learned what works with freelancers, gunslingers, and other part-timers. We’ve learned how to maintain the employee’s sense of freedom, while also ensuring their dedication.

Learn how to keep your part-timers around, and keep them as motivated as your full-timers. Click Play!

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There’s a huge talent pool on a sunny set of islands in the Pacific. If you hire remote workers, the Philippines is one of the best places you can look.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener is ready to make the very smart move of recruiting Filipino employees to help run his business. As it happens, we have several invaluable team members who stand as perfect examples of just how well this can work out.

Of course, there are a few things you need to know first.

Today, we discuss what to expect when recruiting from this dynamic country. We explain what’s different, what’s the same, and what makes the Filipino option unique. We describe how to craft an application process that attracts the talent you want, how to weed through the applicants, and what online resources can best help you.

Learn how to navigate the cultural and logistical aspects of hiring Filipino, and you won’t regret it. Click Play!

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onlinejobs.ph

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Is your revenue leaking?

Every month, businesses lose hundreds and thousands of dollars to failed payments. Whether it’s an expired account, insufficient funds, or a cancelled card, recurring payments that don’t go through account for an astonishing amount of lost revenue. So how can you safeguard your business against these unnecessary losses?

Too many entrepreneurs simply don’t have procedures in place for failed payments

Fortunately, we’ve got a system we’re willing to share. Our method for preventing failed payments and recovering those that slip through the cracks makes a huge difference to our bottom line. The effect on our profit margins is serious, and it can work for you too.

Tune in, and learn how to set up an automated system to keep failed payments from draining your business. Keep your revenue projections accurate, and your income stable. Click Play!

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Bare Metrics

Stunning

Stripe

Braintree

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Don’t think you’re a leader? That’s actually a good place to start!

This week’s Must-Read book for entrepreneurs is Brene’ Brown’s Dare to Lead. In it, Brown explains how to find your own innate ability to take charge and lead, however hidden it might be under layers of insecurity. The emotions — including the fear — inside you can be used to inspire your team in ways you might not realize.

As Brown argues, your vulnerabilities are actually some of your greatest leadership assets, if you know how to use them.

If you’re a reluctant leader, or not 1000% confident in your leadership abilities, this is lesson for you. Once you understand the value of vulnerability (and the poison of perfectionism), you can become the business leader you never knew you were. Click Play!

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Dare to Lead by Brene’ Brown

WebinarNinja

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Conferences can be a very wise investment. As you decide which conferences you’ll attend this year, you have to make another decision: which ticket is right for you?

Conference ticket options — and prices — range widely. From a seat in the nosebleeds to the multiple-VIP treatment, the choices can be overwhelming. Which tickets are worth the investment, especially considering the costs of travel and accommodations?

Today, we explain how to get the most out of a conference by choosing your ticket wisely. By clarifying what you hope to get from a conference, you can align your choice of ticket to your most important goals. We discuss what kinds of options are worth some extra money, and which one’s aren’t.

With an intentional approach, you can skip the upsells and get exactly the ticket you need. Click Play!

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EasyCourse

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Every project is a learning opportunity — but only if you take advantage of it.

After each and every project, our team takes a few minutes to reflect, learn, and (most importantly) improve. We are constantly raising our game, because we never let a project’s lessons go to waste. No matter the size of your team, you can do the same.

Today, we discuss our efficient, 5-step process for post-project breakdowns. It’s the fastest way to refine your whole operation, one project at a time. We explain how to create a culture of honesty, constructive criticism, and professional growth.

With every project we complete, our company gets a little better. That’s no accident! Learn how to get the most from your team’s accomplishments and their shortcomings. Click Play!

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Reading: it may be the smartest investment an entrepreneur can make.

The ROI of a good book is hard to exaggerate. For less than the cost of a sandwich, you can completely alter your perspective, grow professionally, and find inspiration you never had. Every second you spend reading adds value to you as a business person. That’s why our host Omar reads, on average, over 50 books a year.

How the heck does he do it?

Today, Omar discusses exactly how he finds the time, and ditches the excuses. Without spending his life between the pages, he gets through title after title by using smart reading strategies. With a few tools, and a little scheduling, you can double or triple the number of books you read this year. What are you waiting for?

Find out how even a reluctant reader like Omar can consume books like a page-turning demon. Click Play!

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Audible

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You want to network. You want to make the connections that’ll help your business grow. You want to make the right friends and partners.

Should you just reach out?

Cold emailing is an option some entrepreneurs consider. Without any connection or previous relationship, some folks just get a hold of someone’s email address, and pitch away. But is this really an effective strategy? Does it ever work? Is a cold email a bold act of gumption, or an annoying act of spammery?

As someone who gets a lot of cold emails, our host Omar knows a thing or two about their effectiveness. Spoiler alert: the vast majority of cold emails Omar receives go unanswered. That said, there are ways to make a cold email a little warmer. With some preparation, you can forge a relationship with a stranger — but it takes more than a good subject line.

Tune in, and learn the right way to make new connections. Click Play!

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Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The post MBA1214 Does Cold Emailing Work in 2019? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

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Entrepreneurship shouldn’t suck.

That’s the essential message of Greg Winteregg’s career. In his decades in business, he’s been a prolific speaker and management consultant, and a well regarded business author. Today, he’s here to explain how no one can truly succeed if they’re unhappy with their business — and how to find meaning in your independent path.

Staying motivated is about completing your business mission, not just working in the hopes of making money. This is not some impractical, feel-good bit of pseudo-hippie-ism. Winteregg’s practical approach is sustainable, not sentimental. No amount of money or “on paper” success can sustain an independent business in the long term.

That’s not just advice. It’s reality.

Tune in, and hear Greg’s 5 specific areas for finding meaning, purpose, and true satisfaction in your business. Refocus your efforts on building a business that makes you happy, not just profitable. In the end, it’s the only long-term way forward. Click Play!

Fun at Work by Greg Winteregg

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Chargebacks are a hot topic of inquiry these days. With banks and credit card companies pledging to stand by their customers no matter what, it’s way too easy for someone to force a refund — even when they’re in the wrong.

In this climate, knowing how to avoid these chargebacks is a necessary skill. No entrepreneur can manage their revenue stream if it runs in reverse! Plus, too many chargebacks makes payment processors nervous, and potentially unwilling to work with your business. So what can you do?

Today, we discuss how to steer clear of chargeback situations, plus what to do when you find yourself in one. The hard truth is that customers prevail in the vast majority of disputes, so heading them off is your best defense. With our tips, you can minimize the number of chargebacks requested, so you don’t waste time and money fighting them.

Protect your revenue and your business. Click Play!

EasyCourse

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We’ve discussed Mastermind groups, those collections of experienced entrepreneurs who meet to share their wisdom with each other, before. And some groups, frankly, are more valuable than others. But are some Masterminds valuable enough to pay for?

Our intrepid host Omar decided to find out.

Omar shelled out a significant sum of his hard-earned cash to gain access to an exclusive, highly-qualified group of mutually supportive business people. Today, we discuss how this experience was vastly different from the free-of-charge version, and whether the investment was worth the return.

If you’re considering taking your professional development to the next level, tune in to this episode to see how (and why) the paid Mastermind experience is a whole ‘nother ballgame. Click Play!

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For entrepreneurs, ideas come easy. Often, it’s the next step we stumble on.

Transitioning from idea to initial product can be a doozy, especially if your idea is a tech or software product. If you’re not an engineer, and you don’t have any handy, how in the heck do you move forward? Is your idea doomed to be just another coulda, woulda, or shoulda?

Of course not!

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who’s ready to take the next step, but needs a cost-effective option for building the prototype. We’ll explain exactly how to use some creative resources to get off the ground without hiring engineers, as well as how to know when it is finally time to bring engineers in.

As it turns out, you can build, market, fund, and even sell your product well before the actual engineers are necessary. Find out how — Click Play!

Kickstarter

Alibaba

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

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Video marketing is the latest must-have skill for 21st century entrepreneurs. While the power of text to drive traffic hasn’t waned, video is where smart entrepreneurs are finding their competitive edge.

From social media marketing to YouTube SEO, video content has to be in your arsenal. But so many new entrepreneurs balk at shooting their own films. Why? We think it’s that age-old enemy, the intimidation factor. And we’re here to help you beat it.

You don’t need a massive budget or a degree from film school to shoot high-quality, effective videos. You can put your own studio together in the comfort of your home or office, and produce exactly what you need.

Take it from us: we’ve blown money on overly fancy A/V equipment. Since then, we’ve learned that when it comes to your video budget, a little goes a long way. Click Play!

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You can avoid wasting money without being cheap. In fact, you kinda have to.

New, independent businesses depend largely on their founder’s ability to keep quality high but expenses controlled. You can’t spend yourself out of business, but you can’t disappoint your customers (or your team) just to save a buck. Quality is a must, but it’s no excuse to shed cash unnecessarily.

This week’s Must-Read will help you maintain that balance.

Colin Barrow is a prolific author, and Cut Costs Not Corners is one of his most popular works. It explains how to make every penny do the utmost for your business. Statistically, businesses don’t usually fail because the idea is bad or the revenue is too low. Excessive cost kills, more often than anything else.

Barrow understands better than anyone how controlling costs doesn’t have to come at an even higher cost: the quality of your product and happiness of your team. Click Play!

Cut Costs, Not Corners by Colin Barrow

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Entrepreneurship: it’s fun and exciting at the start, but after a while, some uncomfortable questions may start to creep in. Usually, those questions have to do with your progress. Are you successful enough? Are you “making it,” whatever that means?

It’s time to reframe the question.

One of the most important lessons an entrepreneur can learn is that you’re always learning. There is always a next plateau you haven’t reached, always another entrepreneur who’s gone further than you have. Getting comfortable with your own inexperience — however experienced you are — is a must in order to maintain a healthy peace of mind.

Today, we discuss how to measure your progress objectively, relative to your own unique mission. By learning how to enjoy the process of growth, learning, screwing up, and learning more, you can let go of excessive goal orientation and bask in the joy of right now — wherever you are. Click Play!

EasyCourse

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Your “to do” list is out of control. That’s entrepreneurship for you. Sometimes, just getting started is the biggest challenge of every day.

With so many potential tasks and projects on the horizon, you need a way to prioritize. It has to be efficient, fast, and (most importantly) it has to guarantee the best return on the investment of your precious time. Fortunately, we’ve got the perfect system.

Today, we’ll explain the exact procedure we use, with examples from our own businesses. You can attack your list with calm, confidence, and the knowledge that you’ll get the right things done in the right amount of time. We also discuss how to limit the number of projects you’re working on, and how to “score” each for prioritization.

Take a load off your mind, and start checking “done” boxes. Click Play!

WebinarNinja

EasyCourse

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Are you in a position to transition?

Many of us entrepreneurs started out side-hustling, building our little businesses while holding down a 9-to-5. But at some point, you have to decide if and when it’s time to ditch the day job and invest fully into your independent creation.

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener wonders how to know when it’s time to take that leap. What level of success should you have reached before you go full-time? How can you know your chances of full-time success are reasonable?

Where on the highway of side-hustling is the off-ramp to independence?

Today, we explore various scenarios and timelines for making the big move. We discuss what to consider before you commit, the bare-minimum profit margins, and how to position yourself to have the best chance. The goal is in sight — let us help you with the timing. Click Play!

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

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Every barrier between your customers and your product is an opportunity for lost business. One of the easiest ways to remove those barriers? Integration.

Whether you’re selling a course, software, or even a physical product, integrations are and important key to closing, onboarding, and retaining customers. The more apps your products work with, the bigger your customer base — and the easier it is for customers to stick around.

Today, we discuss how to use integrations to make your business “sticky.” Not only will you integrate your product with popular common apps, you’ll integrate your product into the normal daily lives of your customers. By tying your product to  “household name” applications, you give it a seamless place in the consumers’ day-to-day.

Find out how to look for integration opportunities, and tie your business to the applications your audience is already comfortable with. Click Play!

ShareThis

Sumo

EasyCourse

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Leadership can be tough, and so can the conversations.

When it comes to criticism, course correction, and other awkward talks, only the leader can (and must) buck up and say what has to be said. It has to be done smoothly, professionally, and in a way that creates change without creating resentment. It’s not easy. It’s a skill, one that every entrepreneur needs to practice.

Fortunately, we’ve found someone to help.

Martin Moore is the founder of yourceomentor.com and the host of the No Bullshit Leadership podcast. As you can see, he doesn’t mince words when there’s an important conversation to be had. Today, Martin is here to show us how to get comfortable with the hard talks, so that your own fear and avoidance impulses don’t hurt your business.

The good news? Both Martin and our beloved host Omar were terrible at these tough conversations early on. But both of them learned how to see these talks as an essential, positive part of entrepreneurship — and so can you. Click Play!

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Rise and shine, entrepreneurs. The early bird gets the profit.

Or does it?

Expert after expert, guru after guru, claims that jumping out of bed at the you-know-what-crack of dawn is the key to productivity and efficacy. But does that hold true for everyone? Can’t a night owl be successful? Can’t you make strides after 12pm?

Is the snooze button so bad for business?

Today, we discuss whether the early risers really do have a competitive edge, and whether it’s necessary to beat the sun to work. With job-juggling, personal life, and (in many cases) multiple time zones to deal with, early mornings just aren’t possible for everyone. And while the science generally backs nighttime sleep, there’s no one-size-fits-all in life or business.

See where you fall on the early bird/night owl spectrum, and how it can affect your business. Click Play!

WebinarNinja

EasyCourse

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

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What entrepreneurs focus way too much on: customer acquisition.

What entrepreneurs focus way too little on: customer retention.

Onboarding and retention are key to long-term sustainability. The first step? The initial welcome email your new customers receive when they purchase your product. That email is the start of something big, and it needs to be more than just a few hastily typed lines with a generic message.

The first email needs to be a love letter, the start of a long-term relationship.

Today, we discuss how to capitalize on the excitement of new purchase by establishing that relationship. We share our strategy for crafting genuine, engaging, effective welcome emails that turn a simple purchase into something more meaningful. With some of our favorite examples from other companies, we’ll show you how to get the most out of this little interaction.

Increase your open rates, improve your sender reputation, and keep your customers. Click Play!

WebinarNinja

Anything You Want by Derek Sivers

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In business, public speaking is a must, even if it’s only occasionally.

Communication is everything. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener is ready to make a conscious effort to become a better public speaker. As it turns out, our host Omar wasn’t always the comfortable, confident maestro of the mic he is today. In fact, as a young educator, Omar realized quickly that he needed help talking to a crowd.

Since then, he’s developed a voice that works. From the classroom to the podcast to the stage, Omar’s public speaking is the result of years of effort and training. Today, we share the techniques, resources, and services that work best.

Learn how to invest your time and money for the maximum improvement in your public speaking game. Click Play!

Steal the Show by Michael Port

Heroic Public Speaking

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

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When a customer taps out, it’s generally a sad, defeated moment. But not all is lost.

Cancellations and refunds are going to happen, period. But each one is an opportunity to learn something that will improve customer retention going forward. There is great value in every loss, value you can reinvest into your business for a better long-term trend.

The canceller can be your greatest teacher, if you’re willing to learn.

Today, we discuss how to use your former customers to help your business evolve, grow, and improve. Whether you sell a physical product, service, or SaaS, every entrepreneur can use cancellations to shine a light on the product’s flaws. Then, it’s simply a matter of taking action.

See every cancellation and refund as a bit of market research, not a defeat. Click Play!

Sumo

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Stories have power. Stories are the way human beings fundamentally comprehend everything, from their history to their personal trajectory. When you want people to understand something, the best thing to do is tell a story.

Especially if you want them to believe in your business.

Entrepreneur and author Paul Smith’s Lead With a Story explains exactly how to bring storytelling into your business leadership. By harnessing the power of narrative, you can motivate your team, inspire your audience, and make your message hit home.

By putting their role in a greater narrative context, your employees and customers become characters in a story that matters far more than a simple exchange of money for products. See how this book can help you master the art of messaging via story. Click Play!

Dan Martell

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

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Travel is possibly the best fringe benefit of the entrepreneur’s lifestyle. But when you’re on the road, the emails can pile up fast.

No one likes coming home to a crammed inbox. So how can you keep the backlog low? Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, there are ways to make sure those “unreads” are kept to a bare minimum — without missing anything important.

Today, we discuss the tips and tricks we’ve picked up from years of entrepreneuring around the globe. Our own experience, combined with tips from business efficiency experts, have given us an arsenal of tools that keep our email accounts from getting out of control whenever we step away from the laptops for a week or two.

See what options for inbox control work for you. Click Play!

EasyCourse

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No matter how long you’re in business, there are still incredible, game-changing strategies to be learned.

We just found a new one.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been using a technique suggested by a keen business mind to increase our productivity. And boy howdy, does it do the trick. “Theming” our work days has made us more productive, more efficient, and better at everything we do. We just couldn’t wait to share this incredible “hack” with you, our beloved listeners.

You honestly can’t fully imagine the full benefits of this system until you try it. Tune in as we discuss how to implement this scheduling strategy, and how its success is rooted in the actual physiology of the human brain. We discuss the number of “themes” you should include, and how to lay out your personal plan.

This one’s a keeper. Click Play!

Dan Martell

EasyCourse

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It’s a big world, and there’s talent all over it. So how can you attract the right employees for your team?

It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener’s expanding business is ready to take on new blood. But with so many options for posting job openings, what’s the best move? Today, we discuss our favorite job boards and recruiting services. With a remote team of dozens spread across the globe, we’ve had to learn how and where to find the best, quickly.

We’ve also learned how to save time and effort by posting positions in a way that automatically weeds out the duds and brings in the real keepers. On this episode, we’ll show you how to write the job descriptions, and put them in the right places. With a little strategy, the right fits for your business will be knocking at your door in no time. Click Play!

LinkedIn

Ziprecruiter

We Work Remotely

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

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What’s in a name? If it’s a domain name, quite a bit. As entrepreneurs, we often impulse-buy domains, hoping to lock them down for our next great business idea. But all too often, we end up with nothing more than a pile of unused domains draining our resources.

Our host Omar is a classic domain addict. Today, he’ll explain how he finally got his extensive collection organized and under control. With a simple system he shares in this episode, Omar describes how to stop paying for what you’re not using, and start using what’s worth paying for.

There’s nothing wrong with a little investment in what could be a valuable domain. But as domain prices rise, it’s time to make cuts. We’ll discuss what kinds of domains are must-keeps, even if you’re not using them yet, as well as how to keep track of all your pending renewals. It’s just a little bit of necessary housekeeping that can save you a significant chunk of change — Click Play!

WebinarNinja

omarzenhom.com

Sumo

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“Fire and adjust.” It’s a military metaphor that works wonders in business; you put something out there, watch it miss, and use that information to hit the target the next time.

Or 3 times later. Or 10 times. Whatever it takes.

The point is, experimentation is key to creating the “perfect” product, or at least one people will buy. The best entrepreneurs don’t perfect an idea and release it — they release ideas and perfect them based on feedback. Steve Glaveski is an accomplished entrepreneur who knows how to try, try again until you hit the mark. Today, he’s here to show us how.

Glaveski has a system for creating and conducting product experiments rapidly, kicking your market research into overdrive with fast, real-world, actionable results. By failing as many times as possible as quickly as possible, you engage in a collaborative effort with your audience to discover exactly what they need — and what they’re willing to pay for.

Learn how experiments can tell you things you never would have thought of. Click Play!

MixMax

Linked Helper

Traction by Gabriel Weinberg

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As your team grows, it becomes tougher to manage. Keeping everyone on task, and getting the results you’re paying them for, gets a little more complicated with each new hire.

We’ve got a strategy that keeps everyone on point by keeping everyone accountable. With a far-flung remote team of dozens, our system makes it clear exactly what’s expected when, with full buy-in from all our employees. Best of all, this system involves little to no whip-cracking, instead focusing on a shared agreement between everyone on the team.

Tune in, and learn how specific communication and planning techniques create a well-oiled machine in which all team members are on the same page. By getting employees to take ownership of their roles, you can manage with a lighter, more collaborative touch — which makes life easier for everyone. Find out how it works. Click Play!

WebinarNinja

EasyCourse

Basecamp

Trello

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We used to think time is money. Since then, we’ve come to realize that time is way, way more valuable. Every way to save time is worth more than its weight in gold, and we recently stumbled on something that takes hours — yes, hours — out of our workweek.

While writing can be painstaking (especially for those of us who aren’t great at it), talking is the simplest, fastest way to answer questions for team members and customers alike. That’s why we use video messaging to do most of our communicating. While filming videos — even short ones — may seem more complicated and time-consuming than writing emails, trust us: it’s not.

Today, we discuss how we use video messaging to shave massive amounts of time from our schedule. We talk about the process, the tools you’ll need, and how much easier team management and customer service can be once you’ve got it down to a science.

This will save you time. Lots of it. What could be better? Click Play!

CloudApp

Dan Martell

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