Being a business owner is not all sunshine and rainbows, and that’s the number one reason most businesses fail before they even get started. They start with a great idea and unfortunately, end there too. Listen to this episode to better understand what it really means to own a business, what you’re going to be responsible for, and how you should be handling your role as the business owner if you want to succeed!

Dr. Kevin Elko is called the “Alabama Head Coach” by many because of the nature of his work. He is a renowned sports psychologist and he works mostly with collegiate, professional, and championship athletes. He is on the show with us today to talk about reshaping and reprogramming your mind to achieve happiness and success.

No matter what you’re doing, you’re in the sales and marketing business. You need to make sure you’re marketing yourself well and you’re converting the leads you’re generating into paying clients or customers. Listen now to better understand the importance of marketing in your business, how it is different from sales, and what you can do to market your business effectively! Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00] Introduction [01:00] What is the key to a successful business? [02:20] How can good marketing and sales systems benefit your business? [03:12] What is the difference between marketing and sales? [04:16] What DISC personality profiles should you be looking for? [05:13] Why are facts and data important in marketing? [05:53] What is your USP? [07:21] How do you identify your target clients? [09:10] How can you go after your target clients? [09:53] How do you get repeat business from your A and B clients? [10:30] Why are referrals important for your business? [12:14] How can you market your business to your audience? [15:34] Why do you need to use a CRM? [15:57] How can you take advantage of social media for marketing? [17:06] Why do you need to focus on marketing? Quotables “We’re all just running around, trying to figure this out, hoping that we have the right keys to the castle to get us to the next level of where we want to go.” “I believe firmly that if you wanna be successful in business, you have got to focus on sales and marketing because without sales and marketing, in my opinion, you’re going out of business, you just don’t realize it.” “We are all in the sales and marketing business, we just sell and market something different.” “If nobody knows about it, if nobody knows we exist, does it even matter?” “Marketing makes the phone ring. Sales picks up the phone, answers it, and turns them into a client or customer.”

Shawn and Joni Wolfswinkel are personal friends of mine. They are husband and wife, and they own and run 5 companies together simultaneously, in different markets and multiple industries. Shawn and Joni are here with us today to help us gain insight into how they have been successful across their businesses together and what they’ve learned through their journey. Listen now to learn how you can grow your business successfully and how you can do it with family! Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00] Introduction [02:25] How long have Shawn and Joni been together? [03:40] How did Shawn and Joni get into real estate? [07:58] How did Shawn and Joni start growing their businesses? [11:03] How did Shawn and Joni decide on what businesses to build? [13:14] What made Shawn and Joni decide to start their VA company? [15:05] How do Shawn and Joni stay grounded? [17:52] How do Shawn and Joni balance their lives as entrepreneurs and parents? [20:48] Did working together help Shawn and Joni grow? [28:15] What advice would Shawn and Joni give to couples who want to take a leap of faith? [33:51] What is next for Shawn and Joni? [36:39] How are Shawn and Joni helping their team grow? [39:11] What would Shawn and Joni want to be most known for? [42:09] Who would Shawn and Joni want to sit down and have a conversation with? [45:39] What do Shawn and Joni think about selling their businesses? [47:40] Why is it important to network and build connections? [50:36] Where can you find Shawn and Joni?

People are entitled to have an opinion about anything and everything, but you shouldn’t let that get to your head. Imposter syndrome is inevitable in business and it gets worse when people start telling you what you can’t do, but there is a way to overcome it and use it to your advantage! Listen to this episode to better understand imposter syndrome and how you can overcome the challenges that come with it, especially when you’ve got people telling you what you can’t do! Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00] Introduction [01:43] Why are we suddenly being told we can’t do what we want to do? [03:27] What are people really telling you when they say you can’t do it? [04:37] What did people tell me when I started in real estate? [05:24] What can you do when people start telling you what you can’t do? [06:53] Why shouldn’t you let pre-conceived thoughts get in your way? [07:50] Why do people tell you the negative things they think? [08:35] Should you stop sharing your dreams with other people? [09:16] Can you avoid imposter syndrome? [09:50] How do you deal with imposter syndrome and the negative things that people tell you?

Weldon Long is living, breathing proof for me that you can do anything you put your mind to with consistency, positive thinking, and really going after what you want and not focusing on what you don’t want. Weldon is going to tell us about his life, what he’s done, and how he continues to conquer the world today. Listen now to gain insight into what it was like for Weldon after his life in prison and how he turned his life around! Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00] Introduction [02:17] Who is Weldon Long? [04:49] What has changed for Weldon from 1986 to 2003? [07:05] What was the process of forgiveness like for Weldon? [10:45] How did Weldon break the stereotype? [12:47] Is Weldon doing what he is doing to be better or not to be worse? [13:44] What does it mean to measure backward? [15:35] What does Weldon think about people’s dark sides? [18:05] How did Weldon overcome imposter syndrome? [21:10] How did Weldon scale his business to $20 million? [23:58] Is having the best product enough for a business to succeed? [24:24] How did Weldon’s days change? [26:23] How did Weldon overcome challenges? [30:41] How does Weldon block distractions? [32:22] Why is it important to stay focused on your plan? [35:05] How does Weldon keep wanting to do more? [37:51] What is the most valuable thing Weldon learned in life? [41:08] What does Weldon want to be known for? [42:25] Who would Weldon want to have a conversation with? [44:32] How can you reach out to Weldon?

One of the biggest mistakes people make is they think that sales and marketing are one, but that’s simply not true. Sales and marketing are two different things that should be done in different ways by different people. Listen to this episode to learn more about marketing, why it’s so important to your business, and what strategies you can use to be effective in reaching your target audience!

David Richter is the author of Profit First for Real Estate Investing and he is the CEO of Simple CFO Solutions, a company focused on helping businesses through fractional or part-time CFOs. He helps businesses make the most out of their income and make sure that they become profitable. Listen to this episode to learn more about the Profit First system, why profitability is important in business, and how you can make sure you’re profitable!

Scalability is such an important factor in your success. If you are unable to scale your business, that means it could never actually run without you because you are involved in it. Listen to this episode to learn why it’s so important to have a business you can scale, how you can do it, and where it should begin! Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00] Introduction [01:18] Why do most people start a business? [02:04] What do we really want to have? [03:20] Why do you need a saleable business? [04:12] Why should you aim to scale in different markets? [05:30] What is the first thing you should think of when you’re scaling? [06:35] What are the two exits in business? [07:31] Why do you need a plan for your business? [08:38] Why do businesses lose employees? [09:42] What is the difference between leadership and management? [10:37] Why is it important to trust your employees? [13:49] How can the right systems help you run your business? [15:38] How do you create the perfect systems for your business? [17:07] Why is training so important to the success of your business? [19:26] What does it really take to have a successful business? Quotables “I think if you take it a step further, why we build a business is because we wanna have that freedom.” “We perceive when we have a job that the job is restricting us and we’re basically trading our time for money, which is called a paycheck.” “I would say it’s not just the life you wanna have, it’s the freedom to do what you wanna do so that you can actually create those memories.” “Whatever memory you wanna have, the business gives you the money to have the freedom. The freedom and the money give you the ability to create the memories.” “I was taught by one of my mentors that if you don’t have a sale date with your business, it will never be what’s called a saleable asset. If you don’t have a saleable asset, that means it could never actually run without you because you are involved in this.”

James Lawrence, the Iron Cowboy, is a true legend. He has broken many world records and he continues to use his knowledge and experience to influence other people’s lives and help them achieve their true, full potential. Listen to this episode to hear the golden nuggets from James that he learned through years as a family man, athlete, and entrepreneur! Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00] Introduction [01:20] Who is James Lawrence? [02:21] What has James accomplished in the last 10 years? [03:45] Why does James do what he does? [05:31] What gets James through tough times? [07:50] What is an alter ego for James? [09:05] How did James evaluate his performance during his 50-for-50? [11:31] What were the other factors that influenced James’ performance? [12:48] Why did James do the 50-for-50? [15:03] Why do people fail in trying to do what they want to do? [16:45] Is the recipe alone enough to duplicate success? [18:37] How does James set his goals? [20:55] What is James focused on today? [22:09] Why do people become educators after achieving success? [25:11] Why is your mindset important to your success? [27:05] What does it mean to be catastrophizing? [29:45] How does James deal with triggers? [32:25] How does James keep his focus during competitions? [34:23] Why do people need to unplug and meditate? [36:50] What is James’ go-to podcast during his 100? [38:03] What are “blue-collar working days” for James? [40:01] What is the biggest lesson James learned from everything he has done? [43:25] What is something James would want to change in his journey? [44:55] Would James give his younger self advice if given the chance? [45:49] What would James want people to remember him for? [46:22] Who would James want to have a conversation with? [48:54] What does a “day off” look like for James? [50:20] Where can you find James Lawrence?