welcome everybody another Google hangout
super excited to be here with you guys
again for another edition this is an
interesting one so Craig recently
reached out to me of a special guest on
with me and he wanted to know what my
best advice for entrepreneurs was to
build a business and I said instead of
me answering an email why don’t we turn
this into a Google hangout so you guys
could also benefit from it and learn
what Craig’s all about so Craig maybe
before getting to the questions maybe a
quick intro of who you are what you’re
doing what this roundup is all about and
then we can dive in yeah sounds good so
my name is Craig Severinsen and for a
long time I’ve been a coach a marketing
coach and a PR coach and I was having a
lot of success sitting down with my
clients and explaining all this fancy
theory and then I realized two things
were happening they would look at me
really excited and say that’s great and
the second thing they’d say is how do we
apply that so as I started looking
around I realized you know it wasn’t
just me it was almost every expert in my
field was saying all this theory but no
real action steps so I started a website
practical business growth calm and the
whole idea is to take the theory behind
growing a business and break it down
into action steps that you can do today
so we decided to do a roundup to get a
bunch of experts to kind of chime in on
this and we thought Evan Carmichael who
better to ask so that’s what brought us
here today is to see Evan what are you
two best secrets for growing a small
business I love it cool so for me the
one that I always fall back on is you
have to do something that you’re
passionate about and that’s that might
be cliche and that’s something you hear
a lot but you know we’ve done that the
most profiles of famous entrepreneurs
we’ve had a lot of success and it’s
always the number one thing that comes
back is you have to do something that
you are passionate about because
starting a business sucks and is hard
and nobody talks about it right it’s
always the glory of hey this guy got
bought out for millions of dollars and I
want to be the next Zuckerberg but
there’s so much crap that goes with
being an entrepreneur that most people
don’t realize until they’re in it and so
the only thing that gets you through
is the love for what you’re doing like
doing something that you would do just
because you love doing it like even if
you weren’t getting paid for because
you’re so insanely passionate about it
to the point where it it defies logic
like logically you should shut down
logically you should not do this but you
do it anyway because you just love it
and so I think too many entrepreneurs
start a business around an opportunity
to me entrepreneurs start a business
because they think they can make a lot
of money going into this business
venture and then they realize how hard
it is and then they quit you’re going to
it’s very rare that entrepreneurs just
start a business and succeed there’s
usually an insane number of roadblocks
and hurdles and just crap that you have
to deal with to get to that you know
success and you’re gonna see darkness
all around you and the only thing that
gets you through is that you just you
love the process you love the actual
work that you’re doing and not just
attached to the outcome of what you’re
trying to achieve
I think entreprenuer thing they do the
logical thing and they give up what
scare is when people end up putting a
lot of money into it and it you know I’m
not working out or put mortgaging their
home or cashing in their retirement
savings to start something because
they’re chasing opportunities so make
sure that you absolutely love what
you’re doing is definitely my first step
I can’t get quick yeah go for it I’m
thinking with that same thing something
that drove me for a long time was not
that I had one passion I wanted to chase
but I had too many passions and so lots
of times I felt like I was in this I
didn’t want to put myself into a box so
what do you think about that if
someone’s you know thinking to
themselves I don’t know if I can if I
want to be that guy or that that
particular person what about that yeah
this book this isn’t what I would use as
my second tip because I give it too but
but just to add to that one the secret
isn’t combining your passions into one
to be unique and different you know if
you if you’re going to be a business
coach well there’s a ton of business
coaches it’s like why are you so
different than every other business
coach
and and so one it’s not you’re not
unique enough if all you are is a
business coach and – it’s not fulfilling
enough for you because you have these
other interests as well so you’re like a
half-foot in business coach and so that
doesn’t give you the attention and
traction that you need where as an
example as a buddy of mine who isn’t a
financial advisor and financial advisor
was even more competitive than a
business coach there are financial
advisors everywhere and they’re all
trying to chase high net worth
individuals right and he said well how
do I combine my passions his other
passion was hockey
he loved hockey where I’m Canadian we’re
from I’m from Toronto here I’m more of a
bluejay fan but we love our hockey here
and he’s the kind of guy who would watch
SportsCenter or ESPN and watch the same
replay ten times and still get excited
about it and his wife thinks he’s nuts
but he just loves hockey that much and
he said well how do I combine financial
planning and hockey just doesn’t seem to
make sense and what triggered for him
was he started becoming known as the guy
who liked hockey and made his way into
being the financial advisor for hockey
players fantastic and he could speak on
their level – in their language right
the other potential buyers were going in
just being a financial advisor who maybe
didn’t get hockey he was a fan right
like he spoke that he talked about the
goal that they scored last week and was
in awe and like gushing and so because
he spoke the same language he combined
those seemingly two unrelated interests
of hockey and financial advising and
mashed them together to be the financial
advisor for professional hockey players
and so that’s a secret is not just
trying to take one thing that you do and
going all-in on it because you you will
get bored of just doing that one thing
it doesn’t represent fully who you are
and you won’t be unique enough in the
marketplace to stand out so combining
your passions to be the best at doing
this which will attract ideal clients to
you because the people who will come
like that multifaceted aspect of what
you’re all about
so I give its business coaching and
cooking you know you could be the
business coaches
for chefs and for cooking channels on
YouTube and for authors who are
interested in cooking right and when you
talk to them they will get excited
because they know that you feel cooking
and you love it and you’re genuinely
interested in what they’re doing beyond
just trying to give them practical
business advice that’s fantastic hello
guys so tip 1 into your passion and tips
right now tip 2 sub tip combine your
passions yes I like it
the second tip that I would give is
model success and this is part of what
people can do by following around up
like you or out ton talk to
entrepreneurs get their advice one of
the biggest mistakes and I made that
almost shut down my very first company
was I was trying to come up with every
idea myself I was 19 I had a biotech
software company and up until that point
I had success in everything that I did I
felt like if I applied myself then I
could I could achieve success even if I
didn’t like it you know if I’m piano
lessons I hate it but if I practice I
could still pass the piano test here I
was so being an entrepreneur and just
sucking hard like failing and failing
and just couldn’t figure out how to get
new clients coming in to the point where
I told my business partner that I quit
on him
I came back the next day but the thing
that that really helped that business
grow from making I was making $300 a
month like below poverty line you know
eating beans for lunch every day
celebrating a sale or big win by going
to McDonald’s and getting french fries
just the fries cuz we couldn’t afford
meals to the point where you know I had
to pick one thing that I could do with
my friends in a month because that’s all
I could afford
because 20 dollars to go have a beer and
you know some pizza was too much for me
and I never said that because I was too
you know had too much pride or ego they
thought I’m living the entrepreneur
lifestyle and I’m killing it and they’re
working for some crappy you know company
and they want to be like me meanwhile
I’m I’m not doing well but we don’t talk
about that as entrepreneurs we don’t
talk about the crap we go through it’s
always a good face
the thing that saved my business was
Marlin success and I sold software and I
said you know what I’m not the first guy
to try to sell software before and so I
looked at who else was selling software
and how could I model their success and
I looked at Microsoft I looked at McAfee
elected into it and not how I look at
Microsoft not how Bill Gates makes an
extra million dollars today that’s not
interesting I didn’t care but zero to
what like how did they do that that’s
what I wanted to do how can I model that
success and bring it to my business and
for him it was through partnerships and
getting over cold there big deal came
with IBM where every IBM sold had
Microsoft software on it and that’s the
deal that put Microsoft on the map
because IBM was the biggest computer
provider at the time but Microsoft was
already a seven million dollar company
when they made that deal with IBM now
seven million dollars is not a huge
company but it was also seven million
more than what I had so that’s what I
still needed to learn and they got the 7
million 0 to 7 through other
partnerships so it’s always partnering
they always entered into markets by
partnering up with somebody else I said
well that’s interesting who can i
partner up with in my business and I
started reaching out to potential
partners to represent us in different
countries and within two weeks of
setting that strategy I landed my first
partnership deal and they paid me
thirteen and a half thousand dollars as
an advance I not may not sound like a
lot of money but to me man making $300 a
month 13 and a half K was some coin that
was some serious coin that that I was
you know extremely happy about and more
important than that it gave me a model
to follow and replicate so I could do it
again and close other partnerships and
other deals and since then it’s been um
my default go-to strategy where if I
don’t know what to do I just look at who
has already accomplished this in my
field or in a different field and how
can I model what they did to be
successful myself if you watch my
YouTube channel a lot of the videos are
showing famous entrepreneurs but also
successful athletes and musicians and
inventors and politicians and speakers
and there’s something like success
leaves clues and by being around them
and learning their lessons you can apply
something to your life and your business
and so you don’t have to be the genius
of everything you just have to see what
has worked before I apply a twist to it
but model and success has been since
since since I was 19 since that first
you know crisis that I had to go through
has really saved my business and has
been a big part of my growth as well
fantastic I mean I like something else
you highlighted in there was just you
know we put on this face as
entrepreneurs that everything’s okay
when sometimes it’s not or sometimes
it’s a struggle and I think of that
transparency to just be able to say that
and be able to talk about that that
gives a lot of people a lot of Hope and
it also helps you give confidence to
those that are in that moment that are
struggling right now yeah it’s more than
sometimes it’s a struggle usually it’s a
struggle the struggle especially in the
early stages yeah and I think a lot of
people who have jobs look at
entrepreneurs and say I want to I want
to do that you know I have an idea
everybody has an idea that they want to
go and be an entrepreneur and launch a
company I yeah nobody really talks about
how how life sucks
I like there’s a lot of there’s a lot of
pros it’s a lot of get to be your own
boss you get to do something you love
it’s lots of great stuff but there’s
also a lot of crap that people just
don’t talk about it and so I didn’t know
you know I didn’t know that people had
to go through that being an entrepreneur
and so I think one just knowing that
you’re not alone in Mallen success part
of it if you look at the early stores
you see the early struggles too and the
early failures and how they could have
quit at any time – and it makes you
realize oh I’m not that different like
the fact that I’m struggling is normal
is not abnormal
everybody struggles at the start and so
I think that was just a huge
motivational boost as well for me you
get the strategy
using the ideas my model and success but
also the motivation to say hey you know
where they came from a lot of times even
worse than what I started with is if
they can do it I can do something
similar right so right it perfect well
if – Evan thank you so much just to
recap you said number one follow your
passion right and number two was to
model success I think those are
fantastic ways to grow your business and
I will be linking this video to the
roundup that we do that’s gonna have a
lot more advice from other
entrepreneurial experts cool there’s a
few questions coming in you want to take
some questions live yeah yeah all right
first one comes from Aditya who’s saying
I’m kind of doing well currently I have
a pretty stable and comfortable life but
I don’t have the drive that I had when I
was broke what can I do to take things
to the next level what do you think all
right you know I think that goes back to
maybe combining your passion or maybe
pivoting what you’re doing you know if
if all that was driving you in the first
place was the money maybe you weren’t
really focusing on what you really cared
about so maybe there’s a way that you
can pivot or turn to to bring more of
your passion in to your business to get
you more motivated again yeah what I
find happens to a lot of entrepreneurs
is you know we we leave a job because we
don’t want to be boxed in
because what is their own thing we don’t
want to have this blocks and then we
start a company it’s all as exciting and
interesting and new and then with time
we change and we grow as human beings we
get different interests we get excited
about new things and a lot of times as
we are changing and growing our business
stays the same of what we’re doing and
so you start to get bored with your
company because you’ve grown and changed
but your business hasn’t grown with you
and what you’ve done is you’ve you’ve
created the blocks for yourself which is
exactly what you don’t want to do is
what you try to escape and so your
business should always be a reflection
of who you are and what you’re
interested in doing and I think it’s
super common that it happens to a lot of
entrepreneurs the things that make you
successful you start to get bored with
and then you
stop innovating you stop changing and at
that point you think either
okay I’m either gonna sell what I’ve
created to somebody else who has the
passion takes the next level or I’m
gonna pivot the business with me to do
something that I’m still super excited
about so I think it’s who I set at each
a super common issue for entrepreneurs
and tapping into the point about
combining your passions there may be new
passions that you have that are not part
of your business and so you’ve lost that
excitement you got to bring it back in
definitely and I don’t think there’s
anything wrong with choosing to either
sell or to pivot like that’s okay like
you said you know you’re a person you
evolve you change your business should
follow right along with you if it’s time
to move on it’s time to move on if it’s
time to pivot it’s time to pivot that’s
just the way it goes
cool Elena’s writing in she always likes
to interview so your interview is always
very entertaining and helpful thank you
for taking the time to make them are you
doing more interviews too I mean if you
talk about the ones on my channel but
are you doing more interviews as a part
of your roundups
can people find more interviews on your
website is that part of what you’re
trying to do now um so I will do I
haven’t done interviews recently this is
the first one that I’ll be doing but I
do what I call brass tacks
tips and basically it’s what it sounds
like you know I get down to brass tacks
with just one idea or one thought
something you can do today to grow your
business and those videos are on the
website practical business growth calm
but I love this this format this first
time I’ve done it I think I’ll do more
of them cool well they check out maybe a
YouTube channel coming soon political
history is asking how do you start and
grow a news company with your thoughts
on that oh you know I think going back
to your point about modeling success a
you know controversial example of
somebody who’s grown a news organization
recently would be the blaze Glenn Beck
you know know you look at what he’s done
to grow that and true he already had a
platform to kind of push off with that
but I think that would be a good place
to start and see what did they do to
start from day one to get things moving
that would be the first thing I would
look for I like it he’s taking the tips
model success
yeah I love that too obviously I mean I
would look at you know if I’m all-in
success I would look at two kinds one
people in the industry so people who
have built a news agency before that you
look up to and respect whether it’s old
media or new media there’s still a lot
you can learn from the start of the New
York Times and just apply that to a
digital era and to I would also look at
people who you respect but aren’t in the
news industry and how can you learn
lessons from them how can you learn from
Kanye West how can you learn from you
know Oprah Winfrey I guess she’s kind of
in the media industry how can you learn
from athletes people who you actually
look up to and respect there’s lessons
to their success that you can bring that
may never have been done before in the
news industry that could be cool for you
to look up and do I think with with any
kind of business but especially the news
industry you got to figure out what your
unique angle is you know what’s so
special about this news site that hasn’t
been done before what’s missing in the
news coverage right now that you’re
going to talk about that nobody else is
doing in that voice because if you are
just like a CNN junior it’s not gonna
take off you need to have a unique voice
that makes you special and different
right and you know sometimes the the
delivery of the product doesn’t really
matter as much as what the problem is
that’s being solved you know an example
I like to think of when you’re thinking
of that idea or that concept is that the
turn of I think the 18th century
everyone was getting ice delivered to
their door and that industry totally
tanked when the refrigerator was was
made right and everyone started cooling
their food through the refrigerator it
wasn’t that people want an ice at the
doors that they wanted their food cooled
so when a new product came that did it
better than ice they switched so it’s
just going with what off of what you
just said what is the problem that
you’re solving with your new site and
how can you amplify that and show that
so that people really understand this is
where I need to go if I want news cool
Alejandra is writing in do you guys know
if I made a YouTube channel will a
benefit my business well it
yeah it would I think it depends I would
say that you need to focus on your
strengths especially when you’re first
starting out you know if you’re really
good in front of a camera then do do
YouTube but if that’s not really a
strength like my strength more is
writing so a blog really works well for
me I like being a friend the camera I
like doing podcasts but I like the
convenience of being able to write at my
leisure so focus on those one or two
things when you’re starting out that
really show your strengths and and just
focus on growing that medium first I
think you might be cutting yourself
short there Greg I think yeah I think
you could you do really well on YouTube
check out your writing you know video
then that’s gonna be pretty good yeah I
mean I I echo what what Craig is saying
I think I think YouTube for me I’m
all-in on YouTube I love YouTube you
know Craig asking to this interview and
my default was hey how about we turn
into a youtube video cuz I’d rather do
that then write a response you know two
paragraphs giving him the answers
YouTube is an amazing platform and is
the one that I would if I had to start
all over it’s where it would be that’s
where it is right that’s why I’m here
now too but again it has to play to
something that you are passionate about
learning and getting better at – I’m
3,000 plus videos in on my channel now
my first video sucked Craig you know
this is like your fifth or tenth video
you’re you’re way ahead of where I was
when I was first starting on YouTube so
if you love writing don’t feel like you
have to be forced to go and create a
YouTube channel if you love just
speaking you want to do a podcast think
all of those platforms can do well and I
wouldn’t I mean just echoing what Craig
said not to go against what you’re
naturally good at and and also what you
are interested in learning and becoming
better at but for me because I love
video and because YouTube is such a big
platform it’s where I am if YouTube
wasn’t the biggest video platform I
would go wherever the biggest video
platform is because it plays well to my
strengths and if you want to think of it
from the point of view that video is
really taking over – everywhere you look
videos popping out Facebook Twitter and
everywhere you look videos
more and more important that’s why I
really I’m a big proponent of doing a
blog most of my clients I really want
them to do blogging and that’s because a
blogger no longer is just written word
it’s everything your blog can host your
your podcast it can host your video can
post it can host your writing and it’s a
good way to grow without boxing yourself
into I have to do this or I have to do
that
cool political history is following up
about modeling success so is it to look
at people who’ve already done it and
look at people you respect yeah I would
let you feel this I think first because
it was your who’s your answer but I’ll
just throw my two cents in that yeah I
think it’s both I think you look at
people that have gone before you that
I’ve done it because they’re gonna have
the really the tips that just you’ve got
to know but then people that you admire
that have achieved success in other
areas they’re gonna they’re gonna
inspire you and they’re gonna give you
ideas that you haven’t thought of before
yeah and I agree with both I think I
think if it’s in your industry even
related industry so like ISIL biotech
software
there was no huge biotech software
company at the time when I was selling
it so I branched out to software right
if you sell like really unique never
seen before Footwear you know then maybe
you can’t model somebody in your
industry but you can look at the shoe
industry and see how Nike got started
another companies got started the reason
why I throw the other one the people
that you look up to and respect that are
not in your industry one is because you
like them you’re gonna pay more
attention to them and you’re gonna care
more about it and you’re more likely to
apply it mm-hmm and to it brings a just
a different element than what’s been
done in your industry a lot of
industries always do things the same way
and be able to pull from other side
industries if you can be the first to
apply something that Kanye West has done
to your industry then that could be the
secret ingredient that helps you
skyrocket so definitely looking at both
Elena’s writing into say Craig you need
to do your own videos I would listen so
looks like you have a subscriber there
if you’re going to start doing
creak or crack or I’m sorry I’m probably
butchering your name here
my boss started a new business that is
doing very well he wants me to partner
up with him to help him expand to
partner up I need to invest money but
it’ll take me a while I’m afraid to lose
an opportunity in your opinion what’s
another alternative that I can use that
he might be willing to partner with me
um it depends on on your you know
relationship with your boss I would at
such a delicate relationship I think I
would caution you know really go into
that with your eyes open and really talk
about what it means to be involved what
it talks about what it takes to if it
goes south you know how that’s gonna
look but I sweat equity as Olli is
especially for a start-up a good way to
start you know if you don’t have money
you do have time and you have talent and
that can be sometimes just as valuable
yeah I agree I think he obviously sees
something in you that he likes that he
wants to start a business with you I
would be honest if you don’t have money
I would say I don’t have the money I
don’t have access to this all you know
what you’re selling is your passion like
I will work my butt off to make this
thing happen for you he likes you for
whatever reason from your current
business so there’s he sees something in
you and just be upfront on see I don’t
have I don’t have the capital to be able
to invest any of you work out some kind
of structure where you earn overtime
mm-hmm
if he’s funny and everything maybe you
start off with a small percentage or no
percentage and then over the next five
years you get 5% a year or 10% a year or
whatever it becomes prove your
performance if you feel like I saw
between you’re gonna miss out on and you
really want to do it just those two
things right being upfront and honest so
you don’t have the money to do it but
you’re willing to work really hard and
be paid based on performance yeah that’s
great
the bar is writing in how do you grow a
product where there isn’t enough domain
for that product so I would go back to
that remember we talked about that a
story about the ice right once the
refrigerator came in the demand for ice
went way down and that’s because the ice
industry was focused
on their delivery of the product not the
problem itself so if you don’t have
demand for your product you either
aren’t solving a problem or the problem
you’re solving is easily fixed and they
can do it themselves I will put a caveat
on there is that it might be that you
are focusing on the wrong audience
because you know I I the example I put
is say you’re starting a shoe-shining
service for me I just I shine my own
shoes that’s just what I do
but maybe for Bill Gates or for somebody
who you know it’s quicker for them to
purchase a small country and make shoes
than it is to find their shoes that
might be an audience that would go for
that so you know that would be my advice
is if there’s no demand really do some
market research and by that I mean call
your actually get on the phone and call
the people who you’re trying to sell to
or who you currently are selling to and
talk to them about your product see what
the problem is that you’re trying to
solve and then ask yourself is my
product solving that problem or am i in
love with the product yeah I agree I
love the ice example that Craig brought
up to me I would I would try to figure
out is it that there’s not a demand for
your product or that there’s not a
demand for solving a problem because
people may not know that your product
exists or that it solves a problem so
that could be overcome you could it’s
it’s still rough and sucks and is you
know educating the market is tough but
if they don’t have a problem then you’re
out of luck like you have to provide
value and solve a problem if you are not
solving a problem you got to find
something else to do but I feel like the
way he’s asking it is more they don’t
know that the product exists so maybe
this is how interpreting it and in that
case you have to educate the market and
that’s I would start working with the
influencers people who are authorities
in that space and having them try out
your product like if there’s some brand
new product for entrepreneurs that
nobody has ever heard of
you know there may not be a domain for
it but if it solves a problem then you
might want to reach out to someone like
me or someone like Craig and if you give
it to me and I like it maybe I’ll make a
video about it and I’ll help you educate
all the entrepreneurs out there that’s
my take definitely and I think you know
taking it from from your point of view
as long as you’re solving the problem as
long as there’s really a market for what
you’re trying to sell
nothing beats getting out and making
relationships it’s really easy as an
entrepreneur to kind of hole up in your
office and you know do everything
through email or through your blog
through whatever it is but even if you
know digital like Evan I’ve never met
before here but now we’ve got a really
solid relationship you know I’m speaking
I’m speaking on your behalf here of them
that’s okay we’ve got a really solid
relationship or at least we have the
beginning of a relationship right that
nothing beats actually meeting people
and then building those relationships
and that’s gonna give you momentum cool
well we’re bumping up against the clock
there’s a few more questions coming in
but thank you guys so much for for
paying attention and and Craig
appreciate the the time in the interview
two things for you Craig one when is
this gonna go live for people who want
to check out the roundup and everything
else and then too how can people get in
touch with you on Twitter website future
YouTube channel all that stuff yeah so
the the website is practical business
growth com right and that’s the blog and
that’s where I post everything I do the
videos I do we just started a podcast
that it’s only on Episode two so we’re
working on that going forward you can
find me on twitter at craig underscore
sev and then this will go live the rest
of the article it’s gonna have all the
other advice in it it’s going live April
14th April 14th okay cool
cool well thank you for the time thank
you guys for watching and we’ll see you
soon guys
super excited to be here with you guys
again for another edition this is an
interesting one so Craig recently
reached out to me of a special guest on
with me and he wanted to know what my
best advice for entrepreneurs was to
build a business and I said instead of
me answering an email why don’t we turn
this into a Google hangout so you guys
could also benefit from it and learn
what Craig’s all about so Craig maybe
before getting to the questions maybe a
quick intro of who you are what you’re
doing what this roundup is all about and
then we can dive in yeah sounds good so
my name is Craig Severinsen and for a
long time I’ve been a coach a marketing
coach and a PR coach and I was having a
lot of success sitting down with my
clients and explaining all this fancy
theory and then I realized two things
were happening they would look at me
really excited and say that’s great and
the second thing they’d say is how do we
apply that so as I started looking
around I realized you know it wasn’t
just me it was almost every expert in my
field was saying all this theory but no
real action steps so I started a website
practical business growth calm and the
whole idea is to take the theory behind
growing a business and break it down
into action steps that you can do today
so we decided to do a roundup to get a
bunch of experts to kind of chime in on
this and we thought Evan Carmichael who
better to ask so that’s what brought us
here today is to see Evan what are you
two best secrets for growing a small
business I love it cool so for me the
one that I always fall back on is you
have to do something that you’re
passionate about and that’s that might
be cliche and that’s something you hear
a lot but you know we’ve done that the
most profiles of famous entrepreneurs
we’ve had a lot of success and it’s
always the number one thing that comes
back is you have to do something that
you are passionate about because
starting a business sucks and is hard
and nobody talks about it right it’s
always the glory of hey this guy got
bought out for millions of dollars and I
want to be the next Zuckerberg but
there’s so much crap that goes with
being an entrepreneur that most people
don’t realize until they’re in it and so
the only thing that gets you through
is the love for what you’re doing like
doing something that you would do just
because you love doing it like even if
you weren’t getting paid for because
you’re so insanely passionate about it
to the point where it it defies logic
like logically you should shut down
logically you should not do this but you
do it anyway because you just love it
and so I think too many entrepreneurs
start a business around an opportunity
to me entrepreneurs start a business
because they think they can make a lot
of money going into this business
venture and then they realize how hard
it is and then they quit you’re going to
it’s very rare that entrepreneurs just
start a business and succeed there’s
usually an insane number of roadblocks
and hurdles and just crap that you have
to deal with to get to that you know
success and you’re gonna see darkness
all around you and the only thing that
gets you through is that you just you
love the process you love the actual
work that you’re doing and not just
attached to the outcome of what you’re
trying to achieve
I think entreprenuer thing they do the
logical thing and they give up what
scare is when people end up putting a
lot of money into it and it you know I’m
not working out or put mortgaging their
home or cashing in their retirement
savings to start something because
they’re chasing opportunities so make
sure that you absolutely love what
you’re doing is definitely my first step
I can’t get quick yeah go for it I’m
thinking with that same thing something
that drove me for a long time was not
that I had one passion I wanted to chase
but I had too many passions and so lots
of times I felt like I was in this I
didn’t want to put myself into a box so
what do you think about that if
someone’s you know thinking to
themselves I don’t know if I can if I
want to be that guy or that that
particular person what about that yeah
this book this isn’t what I would use as
my second tip because I give it too but
but just to add to that one the secret
isn’t combining your passions into one
to be unique and different you know if
you if you’re going to be a business
coach well there’s a ton of business
coaches it’s like why are you so
different than every other business
coach
and and so one it’s not you’re not
unique enough if all you are is a
business coach and – it’s not fulfilling
enough for you because you have these
other interests as well so you’re like a
half-foot in business coach and so that
doesn’t give you the attention and
traction that you need where as an
example as a buddy of mine who isn’t a
financial advisor and financial advisor
was even more competitive than a
business coach there are financial
advisors everywhere and they’re all
trying to chase high net worth
individuals right and he said well how
do I combine my passions his other
passion was hockey
he loved hockey where I’m Canadian we’re
from I’m from Toronto here I’m more of a
bluejay fan but we love our hockey here
and he’s the kind of guy who would watch
SportsCenter or ESPN and watch the same
replay ten times and still get excited
about it and his wife thinks he’s nuts
but he just loves hockey that much and
he said well how do I combine financial
planning and hockey just doesn’t seem to
make sense and what triggered for him
was he started becoming known as the guy
who liked hockey and made his way into
being the financial advisor for hockey
players fantastic and he could speak on
their level – in their language right
the other potential buyers were going in
just being a financial advisor who maybe
didn’t get hockey he was a fan right
like he spoke that he talked about the
goal that they scored last week and was
in awe and like gushing and so because
he spoke the same language he combined
those seemingly two unrelated interests
of hockey and financial advising and
mashed them together to be the financial
advisor for professional hockey players
and so that’s a secret is not just
trying to take one thing that you do and
going all-in on it because you you will
get bored of just doing that one thing
it doesn’t represent fully who you are
and you won’t be unique enough in the
marketplace to stand out so combining
your passions to be the best at doing
this which will attract ideal clients to
you because the people who will come
like that multifaceted aspect of what
you’re all about
so I give its business coaching and
cooking you know you could be the
business coaches
for chefs and for cooking channels on
YouTube and for authors who are
interested in cooking right and when you
talk to them they will get excited
because they know that you feel cooking
and you love it and you’re genuinely
interested in what they’re doing beyond
just trying to give them practical
business advice that’s fantastic hello
guys so tip 1 into your passion and tips
right now tip 2 sub tip combine your
passions yes I like it
the second tip that I would give is
model success and this is part of what
people can do by following around up
like you or out ton talk to
entrepreneurs get their advice one of
the biggest mistakes and I made that
almost shut down my very first company
was I was trying to come up with every
idea myself I was 19 I had a biotech
software company and up until that point
I had success in everything that I did I
felt like if I applied myself then I
could I could achieve success even if I
didn’t like it you know if I’m piano
lessons I hate it but if I practice I
could still pass the piano test here I
was so being an entrepreneur and just
sucking hard like failing and failing
and just couldn’t figure out how to get
new clients coming in to the point where
I told my business partner that I quit
on him
I came back the next day but the thing
that that really helped that business
grow from making I was making $300 a
month like below poverty line you know
eating beans for lunch every day
celebrating a sale or big win by going
to McDonald’s and getting french fries
just the fries cuz we couldn’t afford
meals to the point where you know I had
to pick one thing that I could do with
my friends in a month because that’s all
I could afford
because 20 dollars to go have a beer and
you know some pizza was too much for me
and I never said that because I was too
you know had too much pride or ego they
thought I’m living the entrepreneur
lifestyle and I’m killing it and they’re
working for some crappy you know company
and they want to be like me meanwhile
I’m I’m not doing well but we don’t talk
about that as entrepreneurs we don’t
talk about the crap we go through it’s
always a good face
the thing that saved my business was
Marlin success and I sold software and I
said you know what I’m not the first guy
to try to sell software before and so I
looked at who else was selling software
and how could I model their success and
I looked at Microsoft I looked at McAfee
elected into it and not how I look at
Microsoft not how Bill Gates makes an
extra million dollars today that’s not
interesting I didn’t care but zero to
what like how did they do that that’s
what I wanted to do how can I model that
success and bring it to my business and
for him it was through partnerships and
getting over cold there big deal came
with IBM where every IBM sold had
Microsoft software on it and that’s the
deal that put Microsoft on the map
because IBM was the biggest computer
provider at the time but Microsoft was
already a seven million dollar company
when they made that deal with IBM now
seven million dollars is not a huge
company but it was also seven million
more than what I had so that’s what I
still needed to learn and they got the 7
million 0 to 7 through other
partnerships so it’s always partnering
they always entered into markets by
partnering up with somebody else I said
well that’s interesting who can i
partner up with in my business and I
started reaching out to potential
partners to represent us in different
countries and within two weeks of
setting that strategy I landed my first
partnership deal and they paid me
thirteen and a half thousand dollars as
an advance I not may not sound like a
lot of money but to me man making $300 a
month 13 and a half K was some coin that
was some serious coin that that I was
you know extremely happy about and more
important than that it gave me a model
to follow and replicate so I could do it
again and close other partnerships and
other deals and since then it’s been um
my default go-to strategy where if I
don’t know what to do I just look at who
has already accomplished this in my
field or in a different field and how
can I model what they did to be
successful myself if you watch my
YouTube channel a lot of the videos are
showing famous entrepreneurs but also
successful athletes and musicians and
inventors and politicians and speakers
and there’s something like success
leaves clues and by being around them
and learning their lessons you can apply
something to your life and your business
and so you don’t have to be the genius
of everything you just have to see what
has worked before I apply a twist to it
but model and success has been since
since since I was 19 since that first
you know crisis that I had to go through
has really saved my business and has
been a big part of my growth as well
fantastic I mean I like something else
you highlighted in there was just you
know we put on this face as
entrepreneurs that everything’s okay
when sometimes it’s not or sometimes
it’s a struggle and I think of that
transparency to just be able to say that
and be able to talk about that that
gives a lot of people a lot of Hope and
it also helps you give confidence to
those that are in that moment that are
struggling right now yeah it’s more than
sometimes it’s a struggle usually it’s a
struggle the struggle especially in the
early stages yeah and I think a lot of
people who have jobs look at
entrepreneurs and say I want to I want
to do that you know I have an idea
everybody has an idea that they want to
go and be an entrepreneur and launch a
company I yeah nobody really talks about
how how life sucks
I like there’s a lot of there’s a lot of
pros it’s a lot of get to be your own
boss you get to do something you love
it’s lots of great stuff but there’s
also a lot of crap that people just
don’t talk about it and so I didn’t know
you know I didn’t know that people had
to go through that being an entrepreneur
and so I think one just knowing that
you’re not alone in Mallen success part
of it if you look at the early stores
you see the early struggles too and the
early failures and how they could have
quit at any time – and it makes you
realize oh I’m not that different like
the fact that I’m struggling is normal
is not abnormal
everybody struggles at the start and so
I think that was just a huge
motivational boost as well for me you
get the strategy
using the ideas my model and success but
also the motivation to say hey you know
where they came from a lot of times even
worse than what I started with is if
they can do it I can do something
similar right so right it perfect well
if – Evan thank you so much just to
recap you said number one follow your
passion right and number two was to
model success I think those are
fantastic ways to grow your business and
I will be linking this video to the
roundup that we do that’s gonna have a
lot more advice from other
entrepreneurial experts cool there’s a
few questions coming in you want to take
some questions live yeah yeah all right
first one comes from Aditya who’s saying
I’m kind of doing well currently I have
a pretty stable and comfortable life but
I don’t have the drive that I had when I
was broke what can I do to take things
to the next level what do you think all
right you know I think that goes back to
maybe combining your passion or maybe
pivoting what you’re doing you know if
if all that was driving you in the first
place was the money maybe you weren’t
really focusing on what you really cared
about so maybe there’s a way that you
can pivot or turn to to bring more of
your passion in to your business to get
you more motivated again yeah what I
find happens to a lot of entrepreneurs
is you know we we leave a job because we
don’t want to be boxed in
because what is their own thing we don’t
want to have this blocks and then we
start a company it’s all as exciting and
interesting and new and then with time
we change and we grow as human beings we
get different interests we get excited
about new things and a lot of times as
we are changing and growing our business
stays the same of what we’re doing and
so you start to get bored with your
company because you’ve grown and changed
but your business hasn’t grown with you
and what you’ve done is you’ve you’ve
created the blocks for yourself which is
exactly what you don’t want to do is
what you try to escape and so your
business should always be a reflection
of who you are and what you’re
interested in doing and I think it’s
super common that it happens to a lot of
entrepreneurs the things that make you
successful you start to get bored with
and then you
stop innovating you stop changing and at
that point you think either
okay I’m either gonna sell what I’ve
created to somebody else who has the
passion takes the next level or I’m
gonna pivot the business with me to do
something that I’m still super excited
about so I think it’s who I set at each
a super common issue for entrepreneurs
and tapping into the point about
combining your passions there may be new
passions that you have that are not part
of your business and so you’ve lost that
excitement you got to bring it back in
definitely and I don’t think there’s
anything wrong with choosing to either
sell or to pivot like that’s okay like
you said you know you’re a person you
evolve you change your business should
follow right along with you if it’s time
to move on it’s time to move on if it’s
time to pivot it’s time to pivot that’s
just the way it goes
cool Elena’s writing in she always likes
to interview so your interview is always
very entertaining and helpful thank you
for taking the time to make them are you
doing more interviews too I mean if you
talk about the ones on my channel but
are you doing more interviews as a part
of your roundups
can people find more interviews on your
website is that part of what you’re
trying to do now um so I will do I
haven’t done interviews recently this is
the first one that I’ll be doing but I
do what I call brass tacks
tips and basically it’s what it sounds
like you know I get down to brass tacks
with just one idea or one thought
something you can do today to grow your
business and those videos are on the
website practical business growth calm
but I love this this format this first
time I’ve done it I think I’ll do more
of them cool well they check out maybe a
YouTube channel coming soon political
history is asking how do you start and
grow a news company with your thoughts
on that oh you know I think going back
to your point about modeling success a
you know controversial example of
somebody who’s grown a news organization
recently would be the blaze Glenn Beck
you know know you look at what he’s done
to grow that and true he already had a
platform to kind of push off with that
but I think that would be a good place
to start and see what did they do to
start from day one to get things moving
that would be the first thing I would
look for I like it he’s taking the tips
model success
yeah I love that too obviously I mean I
would look at you know if I’m all-in
success I would look at two kinds one
people in the industry so people who
have built a news agency before that you
look up to and respect whether it’s old
media or new media there’s still a lot
you can learn from the start of the New
York Times and just apply that to a
digital era and to I would also look at
people who you respect but aren’t in the
news industry and how can you learn
lessons from them how can you learn from
Kanye West how can you learn from you
know Oprah Winfrey I guess she’s kind of
in the media industry how can you learn
from athletes people who you actually
look up to and respect there’s lessons
to their success that you can bring that
may never have been done before in the
news industry that could be cool for you
to look up and do I think with with any
kind of business but especially the news
industry you got to figure out what your
unique angle is you know what’s so
special about this news site that hasn’t
been done before what’s missing in the
news coverage right now that you’re
going to talk about that nobody else is
doing in that voice because if you are
just like a CNN junior it’s not gonna
take off you need to have a unique voice
that makes you special and different
right and you know sometimes the the
delivery of the product doesn’t really
matter as much as what the problem is
that’s being solved you know an example
I like to think of when you’re thinking
of that idea or that concept is that the
turn of I think the 18th century
everyone was getting ice delivered to
their door and that industry totally
tanked when the refrigerator was was
made right and everyone started cooling
their food through the refrigerator it
wasn’t that people want an ice at the
doors that they wanted their food cooled
so when a new product came that did it
better than ice they switched so it’s
just going with what off of what you
just said what is the problem that
you’re solving with your new site and
how can you amplify that and show that
so that people really understand this is
where I need to go if I want news cool
Alejandra is writing in do you guys know
if I made a YouTube channel will a
benefit my business well it
yeah it would I think it depends I would
say that you need to focus on your
strengths especially when you’re first
starting out you know if you’re really
good in front of a camera then do do
YouTube but if that’s not really a
strength like my strength more is
writing so a blog really works well for
me I like being a friend the camera I
like doing podcasts but I like the
convenience of being able to write at my
leisure so focus on those one or two
things when you’re starting out that
really show your strengths and and just
focus on growing that medium first I
think you might be cutting yourself
short there Greg I think yeah I think
you could you do really well on YouTube
check out your writing you know video
then that’s gonna be pretty good yeah I
mean I I echo what what Craig is saying
I think I think YouTube for me I’m
all-in on YouTube I love YouTube you
know Craig asking to this interview and
my default was hey how about we turn
into a youtube video cuz I’d rather do
that then write a response you know two
paragraphs giving him the answers
YouTube is an amazing platform and is
the one that I would if I had to start
all over it’s where it would be that’s
where it is right that’s why I’m here
now too but again it has to play to
something that you are passionate about
learning and getting better at – I’m
3,000 plus videos in on my channel now
my first video sucked Craig you know
this is like your fifth or tenth video
you’re you’re way ahead of where I was
when I was first starting on YouTube so
if you love writing don’t feel like you
have to be forced to go and create a
YouTube channel if you love just
speaking you want to do a podcast think
all of those platforms can do well and I
wouldn’t I mean just echoing what Craig
said not to go against what you’re
naturally good at and and also what you
are interested in learning and becoming
better at but for me because I love
video and because YouTube is such a big
platform it’s where I am if YouTube
wasn’t the biggest video platform I
would go wherever the biggest video
platform is because it plays well to my
strengths and if you want to think of it
from the point of view that video is
really taking over – everywhere you look
videos popping out Facebook Twitter and
everywhere you look videos
more and more important that’s why I
really I’m a big proponent of doing a
blog most of my clients I really want
them to do blogging and that’s because a
blogger no longer is just written word
it’s everything your blog can host your
your podcast it can host your video can
post it can host your writing and it’s a
good way to grow without boxing yourself
into I have to do this or I have to do
that
cool political history is following up
about modeling success so is it to look
at people who’ve already done it and
look at people you respect yeah I would
let you feel this I think first because
it was your who’s your answer but I’ll
just throw my two cents in that yeah I
think it’s both I think you look at
people that have gone before you that
I’ve done it because they’re gonna have
the really the tips that just you’ve got
to know but then people that you admire
that have achieved success in other
areas they’re gonna they’re gonna
inspire you and they’re gonna give you
ideas that you haven’t thought of before
yeah and I agree with both I think I
think if it’s in your industry even
related industry so like ISIL biotech
software
there was no huge biotech software
company at the time when I was selling
it so I branched out to software right
if you sell like really unique never
seen before Footwear you know then maybe
you can’t model somebody in your
industry but you can look at the shoe
industry and see how Nike got started
another companies got started the reason
why I throw the other one the people
that you look up to and respect that are
not in your industry one is because you
like them you’re gonna pay more
attention to them and you’re gonna care
more about it and you’re more likely to
apply it mm-hmm and to it brings a just
a different element than what’s been
done in your industry a lot of
industries always do things the same way
and be able to pull from other side
industries if you can be the first to
apply something that Kanye West has done
to your industry then that could be the
secret ingredient that helps you
skyrocket so definitely looking at both
Elena’s writing into say Craig you need
to do your own videos I would listen so
looks like you have a subscriber there
if you’re going to start doing
creak or crack or I’m sorry I’m probably
butchering your name here
my boss started a new business that is
doing very well he wants me to partner
up with him to help him expand to
partner up I need to invest money but
it’ll take me a while I’m afraid to lose
an opportunity in your opinion what’s
another alternative that I can use that
he might be willing to partner with me
um it depends on on your you know
relationship with your boss I would at
such a delicate relationship I think I
would caution you know really go into
that with your eyes open and really talk
about what it means to be involved what
it talks about what it takes to if it
goes south you know how that’s gonna
look but I sweat equity as Olli is
especially for a start-up a good way to
start you know if you don’t have money
you do have time and you have talent and
that can be sometimes just as valuable
yeah I agree I think he obviously sees
something in you that he likes that he
wants to start a business with you I
would be honest if you don’t have money
I would say I don’t have the money I
don’t have access to this all you know
what you’re selling is your passion like
I will work my butt off to make this
thing happen for you he likes you for
whatever reason from your current
business so there’s he sees something in
you and just be upfront on see I don’t
have I don’t have the capital to be able
to invest any of you work out some kind
of structure where you earn overtime
mm-hmm
if he’s funny and everything maybe you
start off with a small percentage or no
percentage and then over the next five
years you get 5% a year or 10% a year or
whatever it becomes prove your
performance if you feel like I saw
between you’re gonna miss out on and you
really want to do it just those two
things right being upfront and honest so
you don’t have the money to do it but
you’re willing to work really hard and
be paid based on performance yeah that’s
great
the bar is writing in how do you grow a
product where there isn’t enough domain
for that product so I would go back to
that remember we talked about that a
story about the ice right once the
refrigerator came in the demand for ice
went way down and that’s because the ice
industry was focused
on their delivery of the product not the
problem itself so if you don’t have
demand for your product you either
aren’t solving a problem or the problem
you’re solving is easily fixed and they
can do it themselves I will put a caveat
on there is that it might be that you
are focusing on the wrong audience
because you know I I the example I put
is say you’re starting a shoe-shining
service for me I just I shine my own
shoes that’s just what I do
but maybe for Bill Gates or for somebody
who you know it’s quicker for them to
purchase a small country and make shoes
than it is to find their shoes that
might be an audience that would go for
that so you know that would be my advice
is if there’s no demand really do some
market research and by that I mean call
your actually get on the phone and call
the people who you’re trying to sell to
or who you currently are selling to and
talk to them about your product see what
the problem is that you’re trying to
solve and then ask yourself is my
product solving that problem or am i in
love with the product yeah I agree I
love the ice example that Craig brought
up to me I would I would try to figure
out is it that there’s not a demand for
your product or that there’s not a
demand for solving a problem because
people may not know that your product
exists or that it solves a problem so
that could be overcome you could it’s
it’s still rough and sucks and is you
know educating the market is tough but
if they don’t have a problem then you’re
out of luck like you have to provide
value and solve a problem if you are not
solving a problem you got to find
something else to do but I feel like the
way he’s asking it is more they don’t
know that the product exists so maybe
this is how interpreting it and in that
case you have to educate the market and
that’s I would start working with the
influencers people who are authorities
in that space and having them try out
your product like if there’s some brand
new product for entrepreneurs that
nobody has ever heard of
you know there may not be a domain for
it but if it solves a problem then you
might want to reach out to someone like
me or someone like Craig and if you give
it to me and I like it maybe I’ll make a
video about it and I’ll help you educate
all the entrepreneurs out there that’s
my take definitely and I think you know
taking it from from your point of view
as long as you’re solving the problem as
long as there’s really a market for what
you’re trying to sell
nothing beats getting out and making
relationships it’s really easy as an
entrepreneur to kind of hole up in your
office and you know do everything
through email or through your blog
through whatever it is but even if you
know digital like Evan I’ve never met
before here but now we’ve got a really
solid relationship you know I’m speaking
I’m speaking on your behalf here of them
that’s okay we’ve got a really solid
relationship or at least we have the
beginning of a relationship right that
nothing beats actually meeting people
and then building those relationships
and that’s gonna give you momentum cool
well we’re bumping up against the clock
there’s a few more questions coming in
but thank you guys so much for for
paying attention and and Craig
appreciate the the time in the interview
two things for you Craig one when is
this gonna go live for people who want
to check out the roundup and everything
else and then too how can people get in
touch with you on Twitter website future
YouTube channel all that stuff yeah so
the the website is practical business
growth com right and that’s the blog and
that’s where I post everything I do the
videos I do we just started a podcast
that it’s only on Episode two so we’re
working on that going forward you can
find me on twitter at craig underscore
sev and then this will go live the rest
of the article it’s gonna have all the
other advice in it it’s going live April
14th April 14th okay cool
cool well thank you for the time thank
you guys for watching and we’ll see you
soon guys
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