What’s In This Episode:

Jill hates proposals. Like, really hates them. Why spend time sending them out and then getting nothing back? Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients withoutproposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales.

But when Jill gets a proposal, what does she do? Like many, she scrolls right down to the price. But a lot of the time, you do extra work when you don't need to.

 "Time to give it up!'" - Jill

Jonny Cooper calls in to discuss how he has a really authentic brand; he hates marketing, but he loves what it does for him. He's able to simplify things for others but finds it difficult to have time to do the things he wants to do.

He takes too much on and has a hard time saying no. Brad advises Jonny that he doesn't need to get all his needs met in his business. He also doesn't need to learn everything that has to do with his business; instead, he can let other people do it for him.

"We need a compelling vision of the future." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should ALWAYS have in a proposal:

• Summary of the problem. Put it in the words they use.
• The result one might achieve by working with you.
• More than one option; give a range of prices. It's all about the context.
• A signature line for their approval - this is a way for people to say YES. Or you could use your proposal as your contract
• And this last one is so, so, so important...

Want to know what it is?

Guest:

• Jonny Cooper is the founder of Jonny Hates Marketing, THE group for professional coaches, therapists, consultants and trainers who are serious about finding more of their ideal clients, more easily.

What’s In This Episode:

Has Jill changed her mind about proposals? That would be a NO. Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients withoutproposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales.

Brad's got a confession: He wants everyone to think he's a fearless leader, but he's got some fears... and they might be keeping him from being as successful as he could be. He actually thinks he could be afraid... of success? Clients keep you really busy, which means you hire more people, which means you manage more people... which is all a pain. Jill used to worry that if she got so busy, she wouldn't have time for things outside of work - her kids, or having a simple dinner in a restaurant. But she's realized that she can do both in a way that works for her, and she's not working 24/7 anymore.

 "What I want to have is work that I really enjoy and am really engaged in, and a life that I really enjoy and am really engaged in.'" - Brad

Kris Reid, the coolest guy in SEO, calls in to tell us what SEO actually is (with an Australian accent and everything). It stands for Search Engine Optimization, and you can use it to tell the all-knowing Google more about your site so that you appear at the top of the search engine. He's been working in SEO ever since 2008 and really loves it.

The good news is his business is growing. He's got 50 staff members (25 in office, 25 remote) but he finds the communication somewhat challenging and he doesn't know how to inspire people to learn. Kris personally always wants to sharpen his skills and so he listens to podcasts and reads books. Brad suggests having Kris convey the message through his team leads because it will make it that much more impactful. He also tells Kris to think about having a career ladder with respect to positions in the company, so that people have something to aspire to. Jill one-ups that thought and says that Kris should gamify the situation - have a leaderboard and make a fun culture for a love of learning.

But, she cautions, not everyone needs to learn like you do. So if he really wants everyone to get something out of learning something new, do more webinars face-to-face.

"I have a fear that people will find out that I'm just a regular person." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 fears that are holding me back #realtalk:

• Constant fear of losing all your income.
• Thinking people think you're an egomaniacal showoff or that people won't take you seriously.
• Imposter syndrome.
• Avoiding hiring because people will let you down.
• And this last one is rough...

Want to know what it is? Listen in!»

Guest:

• Kris Reid is the founder of Ardor SEO, a company that helps businesses achieve utmost success in their respective niches. By using the most innovative methods of marketing online, they offer a wide range of services with awesome results including search engine optimization, search engine ranking, and link building.

What’s In This Episode:

Guess what Jill's favorite thing is? If you said proposals, you'd be... wrong. She doesn't like anything about them. Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients without proposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales.

Brad admits he's a little bit of a control freak, especially when something's going to a client and it's wrong - or not the way he wants it done. He wants things to be right and he doesn't want to look bad. He gets loud and a bit sarcastic. Jill's the opposite: She gets quiet and goes away until she figures out how she wants to deal with the problem.

 "Go to someone else and say, 'Hey, if you were to explain my business, what would you say I do?'" - Jill

Marina Darlow calls in to discuss how she builds systems for entrepreneurs. In order for businesses to operate sustainably and keep owners' sanities in check, Marina creates processes to manage the aspects of a business: money, time/energy, people, and how to keep information accessible and understandable. She designs the templates to match the owner's personality.

But while she knows what she does, she has a hard time explaining it to other people. Jill suggests that she ask people familiar with her business to describe what she does, and write down the words that they say to get a different perspective. Brad also suggests asking her clients, "What was the outcome of our time together?" For people who are not systems-oriented, Marina can touch upon what's familiar to them: people want more money, or more time, and so on. She can also consider a positioning statement to make it clear that she doesn't deal with mindset, but she does deal with operations.

"How bad is this, really? Is your response appropriate to the situation?" - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to curb your control freak:

Go for a walk.
Look at the person you're angry with; this person is trying to help you.
Check your stress level.
Take a step back and assess.
And this last one might be hard to do but it's necessary...
Want to know what it is? Listen in!»

Guest:

Marina Darlow is the founder of Vision Framework, a company that builds heart-centered businesses from the inside. She helps entrepreneurs run their companies with ease, putting easy-to-use, effective, and fun (yep!) systems in place.

What’s In This Episode:

Brad's feeling anxious because one of his suppliers shut down with only a month's notice. It's not like he's not used to disasters happening in business; he used to love them because it gave him a chance to feel important. But now he'd like things to just get back to normal and just be thankful for things.

"We want people who will participate in their own solution." - Brad

Saul, our BDYB producer, turns the tables on Jill and Brad and asks hard-hitting questions, like... what is it that they do?

Jill explains how The Founding Moms has built community in over 60 cities. She offers video courses and accountability coaches (and many other services). Her goal is to be the universal hub for all things business education for mom entrepreneurs.

How does Brad get clients to trust him when they first come to Anchor Advisors? He offers something of value, is very transparent, and uses case studies and testimonials to establish credibility. What types of clients are the best ones for him? Those clients who have big goals and they're honest about the challenges they face. But they must be willing to put in the work.

"You need to remember to go back to yourself; focus on you." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons to pay attention to your mental health because if you don't:

• You're more likely to take things out on other people.
• You treat yourself poorly.
• If your mental health isn't in check, it can affect your attention span.
• Your relationships suffer.
• And this will absolutely put a cramp in your entrepreneurial style...

What’s In This Episode:

There are a lot of business owners out there with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We're talking to you on this episode! There are ways that ADHD may make it hard in life, but it might work to your advantage as an entrepreneur.

 "The more creative you have to be, the better." - Jill

Walt Bayliss, software platform creator and speaker, has finally figured out how to slay the beast of what's eating our time. The cost of doing business has become too expensive. So, he created a dashboard called Gojeo to check everything in one place. No more checking 17 email addresses and Facebook and LinkedIn, bouncing around from platform to platform wasting your time.

Sounds great, right? He and his team have gotten the financial part seemingly taken care of, but what he really needs right now is the exposure. He's reached out to venture capitalists, but they're expecting that the company has gone through an accelerator. But since he doesn't need the money, how does he go about getting introductions?

Brad suggests that he really reach out to the business community. Get in front of journalists and influencers, and eventually, the VCs will be reaching out to him. Put the energy from chasing VCs into gaining exposure for the business instead, and the VC thing will take care of itself.

"Don't believe your own hype." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways your ADHD may be helping your business:

• People with ADHD are very curious. They find opportunities that others don't.
• Impatience. You're driven by action.
• Things are started, but maybe not finished. But your team can step in and take up where you left off.
• You're optimistic and forward-thinking.
• And this will absolutely make you a better business owner...

Guest:

• Walt Bayliss is the founder of Gojeo, a platform that helps business owners get more customers, make more sales, and spend less time. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

What’s In This Episode:

Why is it so important that we sleep? Jill gets a little feisty: Sleep is SO important! It makes everything better, so you just need to do it. You need more than five hours of sleep a night, and more importantly, you need to build it into a routine. Think of yourself as a performance athlete for your business.

 "Performance athletes sleep 10 hours a night." - Brad

David Ralph, podcaster extraordinaire, calls in to discuss his problem which can be summed up in two words: Virtual Coffees.

As his podcast is gaining more and more traction, more and more people are wanting to reach out and connect. But when he wants more information from people or when he says no, people get moody and rude. Jill solved this problem for herself when she started telling people that they'd have to sign up for a group coffee chat, and they'd have to pay a little bit of money. Eventually, they'd pay and get together in small groups and ask their questions, and everyone was helped. If people really weren't interested, they wouldn't come to the group. If David presents this option to the people reaching out to him, there's no reason for them to have fighting words: He gave them an option; they can choose to take it or not.

"It's exhausting me to talk about this." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons you need more sleep (and why you want it) :

• You make better business decisions with clarity.
• Your mental and physical health is dramatically improved with more sleep.
• You'll be able to handle negativity or things that go wrong so much better.
• You're gonna work twice as fast (really).
• And Jill swears the last reason is magical...

Guest:

• David Ralph is the host of Join Up Dots, a motivational business podcast inspired by Steve Jobs. Find him on Facebook.

What’s In This Episode:

In business, we wanna be the hero that wins the day. Jill and Brad discuss times in their businesses when they got to be the heroes. Jill dealt with an angry customer and saved the day by simply e-mailing her personally to apologize. Brad remembers one four-day period where he didn't leave the house and got a lot of work done. He felt really good about it at the time.

 "What are you giving me access to that I'm not getting from anyone else?" - Jill

Dean Williams, recently named one of the best business consultants within the UK, calls in to discuss how to build a community, but first Jill and Brad have to talk about this: Dean got a letter from the Queen of England... and he's also cooked for Jay-Z and Beyoncé? (We're a little star-struck.)

But back to business. Williams really wants to branch out and build his tribe, but doesn't know how to do it. He's got followers on Facebook and LinkedIn, he's working on building his e-mail list, and knows that he can certainly go up and share a stage with Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk. But, Jill asks, if she were to follow him on every platform she could, what's in it for her? Followers need a reason to stay. Brad also suggests something we that we often do in real life, but forget to do online: We need to invite people to our communities if we want them to join.

"Do you own a business or does a business own you?" - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons your business doesn't need a hero:

• Heroic efforts don't scale.
• Heroic efforts are prone to errors. No one wants to buy your 12th hour at work.
• If you're always the one fixing things, no one else is going to step up and do anything.
• You're setting an example - if you choose not to have a life, your employees may feel like they don't get to have a life either.
• And the number one reason is a triple headache...

Guest:

• Dean Williams is the founder of Exclusive Visions and the author of the upcoming Master the Basics. He works with clients to create a variable business model that propels them towards their business goals and targets. Find him on Facebook and  LinkedIn.

What’s In This Episode:

Spring is almost here! Sometimes you're so focused on building your business that it's hard to see the big picture. How do you know you're on the right track? Jill asks for feedback. She hears what people say and that helps her know that she's doing something right. Brad was at a low point when he felt like he was going to quit, but then he raised his prices and doubled his clients. It gave him a new fire to keep on keepin' on.

"Hi, guys. Hey, guys. You guys!" - Jill, all the time.

Jill got yelled at. Not in the podcast, surprisingly - but as a response to an email she sent out. She sends out a daily newsletter, and will often start a paragraph very excitedly with, "YOU GUYS!!!!" But one reader was not so thrilled with being called a guy. "Just to update you," the reader said, "I'm a woman." The woman then asked Jill to reconsider her language. Jill said she would, forgetting that she had already scheduled another email with the phrase "you guys" the very next day. The woman again emailed and Jill again apologized. She then reached out to the Founding Moms Community, which led to a discussion about intent versus impact. In the future, Jill decided she would be more mindful of the language she used.

Language is important when you're talking to your customers, and it's important to take your clients' feedback into consideration. Canada even changed their national anthem to use more inclusive language. Let's all be like Canada.

"As a leader, you're responsible for the impact and not the intent." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 signs you are on the right track:

• If you've affected someone in a positive way.
• If you change something major and you don't lose all of your business.
• People ask what your rates are without you having to pitch to them.
• Everything comes together in an inexplicable way.
• And the number one way involves rolling your eyes...

What’s In This Episode:

In this continuing series about business decisions, Brad wonders if sometimes he makes his decisions a little too quickly. Jill admits that while she listens to her gut, she also reaches out to members of her team and the Founding Moms Community to get feedback on what she should do. If you've got a community, don't hesitate to ask for their opinions.

Kim O'Hara, an intuitive book coach at A Story Inside, calls in to discuss her dilemma. She coaches clients through an 18-week program to help them find their voice and make their books stronger. She also holds workshops, which people love, but she struggles to get people to enroll. Does she quit doing workshops, even though she loves leading them and she feels called to do it? She wants to double her client load in the coming year, and she's tried everything she can think of to get people to come to the writing workshops - Facebook ads, email campaigns - but it doesn't seem to be working.

Jill suggests that Kim axes the workshops for now; she's obviously more successful in her 18-week program and she should focus on that to get more clients. Brad, however, suggests that she shifts her workshops from in-person to virtual. They then propose that she go on the speaker circuit and get the best of both worlds or film one of her workshops to demonstrate her expertise and get people to see the value.

"Don't make a decision and then starve it for what it needs to be successful." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things to do AFTER you make a business decision:

• Commit to it and communicate it to your team.
• Make a plan to ensure your decision's success.
• Monitor progress and use data to see if your decision is going the way you thought it would.
• Occasionally, revisit your decision if your data is leading you in a different direction.
• And don't forget to do this...

Want to know what it is? Listen in!»

Guest:

• Kim O'Hara is the founder of A Story Inside. An intuitive book coach, Kim believes that words can change everything.

What’s In This Episode:

What's the weirdest thing you've ever done to arrive at a business decision? Both Jill and Brad have flipped a coin and consulted a magic eight ball.

"Storytelling is where values are communicated." - Brad

Dr. Laura Mraz, founder of Eyas Landing and Blue Bird Day, calls in to ask how she maintains her company culture while she's growing so rapidly. What started as Eyas Landing, a pediatric services clinic with 4-5 employees has grown into a separate school called Blue Bird Day, and now there are 120 employees between the two. She often hears her employees say, "I wish it was like it was before," and gives examples of how she used to hold weekly staff meetings or have therapists train directly under her. But with the rapid growth, those things just aren't possible anymore.

Brad suggests crafting a purpose statement that very clearly states the values of the company. Furthermore, he suggests that she (along with a core team of people) think of stories that demonstrate those company values that she can share with everyone in the company. Jill adds that it sounds like Laura's employees are looking for connection, and that might mean having smaller groups of employees convene for meetings to get feedback.

"I'm always right." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to make a business decision:

• Just try it already. It will help you make an informed decision.
• Ask everyone you know. Ask everyone you don't know.
• Put it in a form where you can get more in-depth answers.
• Personally message people on your social media channels when you're looking for very honest feedback.
• And this is the thing Jill swears by...

Want to know what it is? Listen in!»

Guest:

• Dr. Laura Mraz is the founder of Eyas Landing, a leading pediatric therapy clinic specializing in Sensory Integration, Early Intervention and relationship-based therapy, and Blue Bird Day,  a preschool and kindergarten designed to foster socialization, sensory regulation and academic learning in children ages 2-9.