The Social Strategy Podcast: Online Business | Social Media Strategy | Networking | Vernon Ross

Millennials have a reputation for being entitled, lazy and the worse generation is the last fifty years.  However, my next guest Whitney Hanson shatters that myth in the first 5 minutes of the podcast.  She singlehandedly paid off more than $30,000 in debt in 10 months, bought her first house when she was 19 and paid a whopping $472 for her MBA! Curious?  Hit that play button <–more–> As you listen to this interview pay attention to the theme throughout that points to executing on the things you want with very deliberate actions.  Whitney gives some of the best advice I've heard in a long that that connects with younger people.  She doesn't sugar coat the struggle but breaks down how anyone that wants can overcome their situation with a great work ethic. We cover the art of side hustling and it's growing popularity as a legitimate way to earn extra money and to actually earn a living.  If you're curious about dropshipping or retail arbitrage jump to minute 24 to get the scoop on how to get started.  Not only does she talk about what dropshipping is she give a step by step strategy to how to use Instagram to build your business.  Listen twice!    Connect with Whitney:   Partners and Resouces: Podbean.com & Book Like a Boss I work with Podbean to help some of the largest companies in the world.  I'm all in on Podcasting as you know and I recommend that if you don't have a podcast that you consider my recommendation to try out Podbean for 30 days risk-free trial.   Just click the following link to check them out: http://podbean.com/VR  If you've booked time with me, you know my 10-minute triage calls then you've used my scheduling link.  It's a service that's good and I didn't have any real complaints except it's on the expensive side.  I've used Schedule Once since I started podcasting so I'm pretty vested in it, but it's time to say goodbye.  It's all Noah Kagen's fault, that's right!  If not for AppSumo I would have never discovered Book Like a Boss.  I picked it up on a Sumo Deal => Check them here: Here's the page: Vernon's Book Like A Boss Page I have a special link I can send to my podcast guest to schedule and it all goes on my calendar!  Not only is it more affordable than using Schedule Once,   I've already had conversations with the CEO and love they are working on even more enhancements based on user suggestions.   Until Valentin's Day, you can get 40% off with this link, Get the Deal I would love to know what you think about my page.  Don't worry if you're not interested in buying it but want to try it out first just click the view all the plans on the page and sign-up for free.   If I had this book as a young awkward kid, I wouldn't of felt so alone in the world. – Marketia As an author As, to hear those words about work I've produced and the story I told in Master Your Message was extremely powerful. In Master Your Message, I  lead you through my journey to find my voice.  The difficulties, challenges, and revelations I had along the way.  I've also included a few very notable mentors that were key in my writing journey, Chris Brogan, Patrice Washington and Matthew Turner.  It would mean the world to me if you would click below to grab your copy of Master Your Message. If you can't buy a copy all I ask is that you phone your local library and request a copy.  It's available in every library in America.

Lauryn Williams is one of five athletes to have won a medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympic games, as well as the first American woman with this achievement. Lauryn holds one Gold and Two Silver Medals from the 2004,2012, and 2014 Olympics Games.  One of the reasons I wanted to have Lauryn on the show was to launch into Black History Month with a Millenial who's made a positive impact on African-American culture. Outside of sports Lauryn has mastered the game of finance by obtaining her CFP.  She now teaches other Millenials and Professional Athletes about personals finance and building wealth for the future.  Not only are her achievements great in their own right she's in a unique position to have solidified a place in Olympic history for all time.   As a people, we're proud of Lauryn and of course, she's represented our Nation and brought back Gold and Silver.  Share this episode with your daughters and sons so they can see what's possible with hard work and that Black History Month isn't just a once a year tradition that happens in February.   Look to these 2108 Olympic Games and whatever your culture, celebrate the athletes you identify with but then let us all (at least my US friends) celebrate as Americans. Watch a short clip highlighting Lauryn's 2014 Sochi Olympic Win You can keep up with all the excitement from Team USA over on their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPGpDwKpKj9vcoFAOxSbr7A Connect with Lauryn Williams:  Featured Partnership: Media.net As you know I'm always working to bring new sponsors to the show that will provide value and help your business.  That's why in October whilst attending Fincon (Financial Bloggers Conference) I met up with the people from Media.net to talk about how they could help me and my audience. So all I'm asking of you as a visitor to the site and as a listener of the podcast is that you check them out via my link and give a few of the ads a try.  Just click on the link to go to my custom page https://media.net/vernon  Sponsors: Podbean.com & Book Like a Boss I work with Podbean to help some of the largest companies in the world.  I'm all in on Podcasting as you know and I recommend that if you don't have a podcast that you consider my recommendation to try out Podbean for 30 days risk-free trial.   Just click the following link to check them out: http://podbean.com/VR  If you've booked time with me, you know my 10-minute triage calls then you've used my scheduling link.  It's a service that's good and I didn't have any real complaints except it's on the expensive side.  I've used Schedule Once since I started podcasting so I'm pretty vested in it, but it's time to say goodbye.  It's all Noah Kagen's fault, that's right!  If not for AppSumo I would have never discovered Book Like a Boss.  I picked it up on a Sumo Deal => Check them here: Here's the page: Vernon's Book Like A Boss Page I have a special link I can send to my podcast guest to schedule and it all goes on my calendar!  Not only is it more affordable than using Schedule Once,   I've already had conversations with the CEO and love they are working on even more enhancements based on user suggestions.   Until Valentin's Day, you can get 40% off with this link,

Did you know that 85% of your money mindset starts at about the age of 3 years old?  That my friends was a real shock to me and changed the entire direction of this amazing conversation.  My guest Kine´Corder is a business and wealth mindset coach and as you know the format of the podcast has changed to focus of course on business but to also address the aspects of how success happens.  Wealth and mindset are key points to consider when building your business and your lifestyle. Kine´is the first certified hypnotherapist I've had as a guest and I'm sure you will find her approach interesting.  One of part of the conversation I found enlightening, we touched on was the generational wealth and how it was a part of her family structure which led to us talking about my favorite subject hustle, but to hear that story you have to listen to the episode Connect with Kine Corder:  Featured Partnership: Media.net As you know I'm always working to bring new sponsors to the show that will provide value and help your business.  That's why in October whilst attending Fincon (Financial Bloggers Conference) I met up with the people from Media.net to talk about how they could help me and my audience. So here's the great thing about Media.net, the support it truly over the top.  I've dealt with ad networks before that would provide contextual ads or ad blocks that either was very intrusive or took too much work to get the ads to be relevant for my visitors, and not just a cookied ad that followed them around.  Admittedly I was reluctant to introduce an ad block or any sort of ad to my site until looking at some of the people Media.net was working within the blogging world.  Once I saw blogs and the people I respect were Media.net Ambassadors I was in! So all I'm asking of you as a visitor to the site and as a listener of the podcast is that you check them out via my link and give a few of the ads a try.  Just click on the link to go to my custom page https://media.net/vernon  Sponsors: Podbean.com & Book Like a Boss If you've booked time with me, you know my 10-minute triage calls then you've used my scheduling link.  It's a service that's good and I didn't have any real complaints except it's on the expensive side.  I've used Schedule Once since I started podcasting so I'm pretty vested in it, but it's time to say goodbye.  It's all Noah Kagen's fault, that's right!  If not for AppSumo I would have never discovered Book Like a Boss.  I picked it up on a Sumo Deal => Check them here, but then did nothing with it for months.  I was just to busy to be bothered at the time, but over the holiday season, one of my goals was to review everything I had purchased from a tools perspective and then either use it in my business or get rid of it.  After spending about 1 hour playing around I had a full booking page linked to my Skype account and ready to roll.  Here's the page: Vernon's Book Like A Boss Page Great page and I have a special link I can send to my podcast guest to schedule and it all goes on my calendar and it's a one time charge!  Not only is it more affordable I've already had conversations with the CEO and love they are working on innovation with the platform and it's already pretty slick.  You can grab it now on a special Lifetime Deal with this link, Get the Deal I would love to know what you think of the page and if you think it would be useful.

  Just how does one become the Master of Story as I've named my next guest  John David Mann?  Well for starters he‘s an award-winning author whose books have sold more than 2 million copies, including the bestselling classic The Go-Giver (with Bob Burg). you've heard of it, right?  He's been a concert cellist, award-winning composer, high school founder which he co-founded at the ripe old age of 17 with a few friends and later became an educator there.  He's a publisher, entrepreneur, marketer, public speaker, and event master of ceremonies.  John's writing spans over two dozen books, including seven New York Times and national bestsellers and has been published in thirty languages.  We covered so much ground in this interview about an aspect of the writing process that any budding writer should take note of.   Not only did we talk about the process one of the techniques John talked about was a three-step system he outlined the following: * Preparation * Inspiration * Perspiration Of course, you're going to have to check out the interview to get the full explanation of how each one plays into the writing process but trust me it's worth every second. Check it out now   We also talked about two of the Laws of Stratospheric Success, I won't share all the laws in the notes but I do want to share these two as I feel they have a ton of relevance and would love for you to have them to refer to later.    The Law of Influence  – Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first. The Law of Authenticity – The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself  Connect with John David Mann:   If I had this book as a young awkward kid, I wouldn't of felt so alone in the world. – Marketia As an author, to hear those words about work I've produced and the story I told in Master Your Message was extremely powerful. In Master Your Message, I  lead you through my journey to find my voice.  The difficulties, challenges, and revelations I had along the way.  I've also included a few very notable mentors that were key in my writing journey, Chris Brogan, Patrice Washington and Matthew Turner.  It would mean the world to me if you would click below to grab your copy of Master Your Message. If you can't buy a copy all I ask is that you phone your local library and request a copy.  It's available in every library in America. medianet_width = "728"; medianet_height = "90"; medianet_crid = "658568235"; medianet_versionId = "3111299"; Music Artist in Episode:  Singleton Singleton was so generous to give me permission to use their music on this podcast so make sure to check them out. Like Singelton on Facebook: Like Singleton on Facebook

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]   THE RECIPE, by Olympic gold-medalist Chef Charles Carroll and New York Times bestselling author John David Mann, is a tale of heartbreak and redemption.  It should be considered, a meditation on great food and secrets of the kitchen.  If that's not enough, this work as a life manual, all wrapped together into one compelling, un-put-downable story. It really blew me away! George Foreman, you know the former world heavyweight champion and the Forman Grill Pitch man has declared it “An instant classic.” Michael Port, the television actor and bestselling author of The Think Big Manifesto and Book Yourself Solid, calls it, “A blueprint for transcending limitations and living a big life” and adds, “The Recipe will speak directly to your heart and help you find your way.” My guest today is the book’s coauthor, Chef Charles Carroll, executive chef of the prestigious River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Chef Carroll has a unique perspective on success, greatness, and what it takes to create amazing teams. He took his first Culinary Olympics gold medal — the first of many — at age 24 and has participated in eight different Olympics over three decades. As executive chef at one of the highest-rated country clubs in the nation, he manages and mentors a team of seventy-five, in six kitchens and three restaurants, putting out eighty to a hundred banquet functions per week — and maintains an unshakable sense of team morale and family spirit in the process. Needless to say, I feel lucky to have had him visit the podcast to talk about the process of writing The Recipe and the lessons it contains. Connect with Chef Carroll:   medianet_width = "728"; medianet_height = "90"; medianet_crid = "252233835"; medianet_versionId = "3111299"; New Partnership: Media.net As you know I'm always working to bring new sponsors to the show that will provide value and help your business.  That's why in October whilst attending Fincon (Financial Bloggers Conference) I met up with the people from Media.net to talk about how they could help me and my audience. So here's the great thing about Media.net, the support it truly over the top.  I've dealt with ad networks before that would provide contextual ads or ad blocks that either was very intrusive or took too much work to get the ads to be relevant for my visitors, and not just a cookied ad that followed them around.  Admittedly I was reluctant to introduce an ad block or any sort of ad to my site until looking at some of the people Media.net was working within the blogging world.  Once I saw blogs and the people I respect were Media.net Ambassadors I was in! So all I'm asking of you as a visitor to the site and as a listener of the podcast is that you check them out via my link and give a few of the ads a try.  Just click on the link to go to my custom page https://media.net/vernon  Our featured sponsors for this episode Are: Podbean.com &  Videoblocks.com More Than Sponsorship As you all know Podbean is a long-time sponsor of the show and of my Podcast.  Not only does Podbean sponsor the podcast they're one of my best clients.   That's right a client!  When I first started using Podbean as a podcaster, I had been having some issues with my website and my feed.  Mostly because my feed address was my site address.  If you host on WordPress and your site goes down for any reason or gets hacked (both happened to me) your Podcast is ...

Running at full speed and jumping to the next building across the rooftops.  Would you do This?  My next guess would totally do this in a heartbeat and has.  This fearless quality is one of the many things that sets my next guest Nick Szabo apart.  Jump to as Nick the COO of Swizzle shares how taking risks not only applies in parkour but also in business. Pretty exciting right?  Well, that's the start-up scene in St. Louis, it's been exciting and is getting a ton of attention and with good reason. Companies like Swizzle and entrepreneurs like Nick Szabo ( A St. Louis Native) understand what St. Louis has to offer that other major cities can't match.  Let's put it this way Swizzle reads the internet and tells you how people feel about your brand.  #PowerfulStuff Click read more to jump right into our conversation Here are the highlights of my conversation with Nick:   The origin story behind   how Swizzle got started, and their ability to pivot has them rubbing shoulders with the big players in the industry.       Nick shares his journey from being a kid with a dream of being a veterinarian; to switching to marketing and sales mid-college; exploring real estate, and finally making it to South Korea and where he joined Swizzle.     It's easy to lose who you are and what your companies story is when partnering with big names such as IBM, Nick share how Swizzle remains true to its story and it's brand identity.       : The buzzword of the day is influencer marketing.  Nick gives rock-solid advice on what to look for if your company searching for an influencer and how to approach them appropriately. It Takes Funding, Let's Find Out How To Get It     : We explore how Swizzle got funded and how the are continuing to raise money in Asia.   This gets really interesting when we get into the culture differences of how business is done in Asia vs the US.  It's not what you think. *      : The two types of sales — quick sales and long sales – and how relationship-building can be essential in this field. *    : Nick shares how taking risks not only applies in parkour but also in business. *        : Being a father, about his hobbies and why it’s important to have an outlet and do something you enjoy outside of your business to avoid burn-outs. Great advice from Nick: *       If you are solving a problem for an audience, chances are, you have a string of people waiting for it. *       There’s a big connection between taking actual physical risks and taking risks in your business. How to Connect With Nick Online: The Book is Here My new book published by Morgan James Publishing – Master Your Message is available at a fine bookseller in your neighborhood! Check out the book here: Master Your Message – The Guide to Finding Your Voice in Any Situation **2019 Update ** Podcast Are On Fire Podcast have taken off over the past couple of years and now is the time to get started! I've  helped thousands of podcasters get started and have produced shows that have gone from Zero to One Million Downloads in 24 months! I've worked with several podcast host so I recommend two based on experience and working with the teams.  Blueburry – A solid hosting company that integrates with your WordPress site. Easy setup and fast dependable US based servers. Just click > 30 Days Free to get started.

Cliff Ravenscraft is one of the first names you hear when you start the process of starting a podcast.  In this episode, we talk about why right now is the perfect time to start a podcast. Podcasting has now hit the mainstream with the success of shows like Serial, The Nerdist, and the Joe Rogan experience.  We dig into why no matter what type of business you have that podcasting can fit into taking your message to the next level.finding your voice as a podcaster which relates closely to the book and the stories I've shared.  The conversation gets really interesting since the week before Podcast Movement Cliff was returning from a Tony Robbins event, yes the one where a few people go burned walking over hot coals.  Cliff did it and didn't get burned by the way.  There are some very eye-opening concepts I'm sure would benefit anyone that listens. Finding your voice as a podcaster can be a struggle that some never overcome.  The subject relates closely to my new book and the stories I've shared within.  Cliff shares how he found his voice and his dreaded first episode. As the conversation progressed it gets really interesting because we get into some of the takeaways from the Tony Robbins event Cliff and his wife attended, yes the one where a few people go burned walking over hot coals.  Cliff walked through fire and didn't get burned by the way.  There are some very eye-opening concepts and a couple fo revelations I had when talking with Cliff and I'm sure you're going to get a ton of value from this converation. A few of the things I covered with Cliff: : The incredible things that podcasts can offer to your business; and ideas on how you can monetize your shows locally by talking to business about podcasting and how those conversations could turn into additional income streams. : How Cliff evolved from his first episode to how he sounded today; how he found his voice; and the passion that fuelled him in each and every episode. : Cliff negates false presumptions that we are fed about podcast launches and episode editing; salient points to consider when deciding between batch processing and recording one episode at a time.  Along with  excellent advice on key things to consider after you decide to become a podcaster. : How Cliff continues to grow despite already releasing thousands of episodes and how not batch processing gives him the flexibility to share what’s in his heart at the moment that it needs to be shared. : Cliff shares takeaways from a Tony Robbins event he and his wife attended including how to decide to intentionally live in a positive emotional state of mind and how you can control your emotional state anytime you want in an instant by changing your physiology, your focus, and your language. (So Powerful) : Cliff’s experience with post-vacation blues and how he dealt with the depression that can come from having to get back into the daily grind. : Learning from other people despite differences in world views and ways of thinking. How to Connect With Cliff Online: Book Pre – Launch My new book  published by Morgan James Publishing – Master Your Message will be coming to a fine bookseller in your neighborhood. It's an exciting time in my life to have the honor of publishing a book with a traditional publisher. I would like to invite you to watch this short video I created for you about the book. Click Above To Watch [kl_kudanileads_inline optin_id=”optin_2″] Podcast Resources The following section is to highlight and talk about products I use an...

Instagram Stories But Why? This past week I posted an article on LinkedIn Pulse about Instagram Stories.   I covered a few key things I think you should know on how to use the new features for your business.  Instagram Stories is much like Snapchat (Almost a carbon copy) Stories where your followers see a story you've posted that last for 24 hours. More than 96 hours have passed since Instagram Stories hit and the verdict so far is some people love it, but others despise how buggy it seems to be with not loading video, delayed recording and crashing even after the latest update.  All the technical problems aside in my opinion is if you have a business you really should be using Instagram Stories for the one reason Snapchat has not been fully adopted; Discoverability  The Power Of Profiles One of the limitations with Snapchat at least from a marketing perspective unless you're paying Snapchat to place an ad you have no real way of knowing much about the people viewing your snaps.  Of course you can see who viewed your Snap and if they took a screenshot but it's limited to that and you really don't know how many people are really following you. Instagram Stories gives you an advantage as a brand or business because you have a static profile.  That means you if you have a plan for your content distribution on Instagram you can now tailor the content of your stories to drive interest to your profile.  If people like what they see in your “Stories” they can explore your profile which could lead to calls to action, product postings and brand advocacy awareness campaigns. Engagement Has Doubled Thursday which of course for me is #BowTieThursday.  Right after stories launched I posted the picture below and to my surprise here's what happened.   That's twice what my impressions are for this type of post and the engagement on Instagram is the number of Hearts.   Usually my expectation would be to have around 25 to 30 hearts but this time it's 54!  Not only that my impressions are also more this week.  If you watch the video you'll see what my impressions were for the week since I did the video on Thursday   Instagram Stories Tutorial Videos http://bit.ly/instagramstoryhowto – By Vernon Ross http://bit.ly/howtoinstagramstories  – By Kim Garst How to Connect With Vernon Online:  Book Pre – Launch I've been announcing over the past couple of weeks that I was offered a book deal with Morgan James publishing to help get my book Master Your Message into book stores and anywhere books are sold.  It's an exciting time here on the podcast and in my life to have the honor of publishing a book with a traditional publisher. Click the link below to watch the short video I created for you and get ready for the second video to go live soon. We don't have a date yet for when the book is going to hit the streets but if you get on the email list you will hear about it first. Click Above To Watch Podcast Resourcs The following section is to highlight and talk about products I use and would personally recommend.  Understand that with some of these recommendations I may be paid an affiliate commision if you choose to purchase or sign-up with the service.  This will not cost you any additional money but does help keep the show going.

We learned how to build an irresistible pitch with “The Pitch Whisperer” John Livesay.  John gave priceless tips in pitching for Start-ups and podcast sponsorship including co-branding to get an advantage, and the importance of being clear and concise with you branding.  Our guest in this episode Shelley Davidescu, a business mentor for health and wellness coaches. Shelley Davidescu is a Business Mentor for Health & Wellness coaches looking to monetize their passion for health in the online space. As the founder of a successful Food Coaching Business Clean Forks, Shelley spills the secrets on community building and building powerful systems that can help coaches tell better brand stories. Shelley shares why Facebook is her strongest platform and the new developments with Facebook Live can help explode your growth to quickly become a sought after resource. Jump to that part of the show  Here are the highlights of my conversation with Shelley: : The number one reason “heart-centered” professionals have a hard time with the selling process. : About Shelley’s scared, shitless moment: leaving her 9×5 job to pursue her entrepreneurship dream full time. : The sacrifices she had made after taking the leap, and the consistency and focus it took to make things work. : Shelley's primary customer base and her advice on how to spread your message effectively across social media, including focusing on your own brand and systematizing your stories. : Tips on how to build your community and where to start including choosing the platform where you enjoy being, progressively shifting to doing video and treating small audiences as gold. : The importance of building an email list. : How she made a big sale via Facebook Messenger and why being vulnerable can get people to reach out to you. Words Of Wisdom Identify different types of stories that you can sprinkle throughout social media in a way that’s authentic and relatable. Don’t underestimate the power of four followers because happy followers get results and will tell other people. The importance of building your email list to connect on a more personal relationship with your tribe. Connect with Shelley Online: Book Pre – Launch I've been announcing over the past couple of weeks that I was offered a book deal with Morgan James publishing to help get my book Master Your Message into book stores and anywhere books are sold.  It's an exciting time here on the podcast and in my life to have the honor of publishing a book with a traditional publisher. Click the link below to watch the short video I created for you and get ready for the second video to go live soon. We don't have a date yet for when the book is going to hit the streets but if you get on the email list you will hear about it first. [ez_big_btn color=”grey” url=”http://vernonross.com/book” target=”_self”]Click Here To Watch Now[/ez_big_btn] Podcast Resourcs The following section is to highlight and talk about products I use and would personally recommend.  Understand that with some of these recommendations I may be paid an affiliate commision if you choose to purchase or sign-up with the service.  This will not cost you any additional money but does help keep the show going.

Hey guys in case you missed it catch up on Episode 73 Jeff Herrmann.  A fascinating talk about content marketing.  Our guest this episode is known as The Pitch Whisperer.  John helps tech founders develop an irresistible pitch to get the funding they need — fast. If you've ever wanted to know how to pitch a venture capitalist grab a pin and pad!  John is also the host of the very popular The Successful Pitch podcast where investors share their criteria on which start-ups they fund and start-ups share how they got funded. One of the things that resonated with me is something John said early in our discussion he stated that a lot of founders make a mistake when they pitch to investors. They are thinking, if I can show you how great that idea is, you’ll give me money when in fact, you have to show them how great you are first. Investors invest in the jockey not the horse. Here are the highlights of my conversation with John: : Accentuating the importance of getting to know the founder versus the idea and having compelling stories about you and your idea’s origins, when pitching to investors. : A story about how Pinterest and YouTube originated and failed, but chose to pivot and gained success because they had the right team. : The importance of having a branded and impressive LinkedIn profile to be able to entice investors and having a consistent message across your social media accounts. : What makes a strong LinkedIn profile including having good images; reviews, testimonials and references to build your credibility; and having videos and regular posting of content. : Using LinkedIn to do due diligence on the investors to you are trying to get before you go in front of them. Get to know who they are and who they have invested in. : How he first got started in this expertise and the importance of starting with low hanging fruits initially before taking on a project you cannot handle. : The differences between your sales deck and your pitch deck. : Priceless tips in pitching for podcast sponsorship including co-branding to get an advantage, and the importance of being clear and concise on what your brand is. : The emphasis in being a good storyteller to nail a good investor. Words of Wisdom In this part of the show notes I pull out the some of the knowledge from the interview into small bites you can jot down or throw in Evernote.  What I do for podcast and important notes is copy them over to Evernote then add them to my journal for what applies to my business.  It's been pretty effective for me. Text 66866 To Get John's Guide – Crack The Funding Code In order to make your dreams a reality, you have to sell yourself first. Most of the founders of start-ups are so afraid of misperception when in fact, they should be afraid of customer indifference. You have to be authentic and a human being, not a robot, when you go on and pitch. A confused mind always says no. Do not try to boil the ocean, just boil a couple of glasses of water. Prove a concept, be known for it and then start selling everything else. No matter what you are talking about, you have to be a good storyteller. Storytellers rule the world. People remember your stories not your numbers. Connect with John:

If you missed the last episode with Josh Dorkin you're going to want to check out : why Josh chooses not to sell courses on BiggerPockets and why he feels this information should be free.  In this episode we talk with Jeff Herrmann, Chief Revenue Officer, Mobile Video Expert, Content Marketer and Transformation Strategy Designer.  And with all of that going on he still finds time to run the top rated Publish or Perish podcast. Jeff formally worked with The Nielsen company spending most of his time there assessing advertising effectiveness of large media companies such as Fox, Disney and Turner. Jeff has helped many companies with planning out strategies in relationship-building and lead nurturing; and how businesses can plan out their content marketing efforts using the customer’s journey map to determine what customers needs are. Here are the highlights of my conversation with Jeff: [05:48] : Why businesses trust the creation of their content to outside agencies and what we should focus on in curating content. [10:15] : How audio and video publishing can fast track trust and credibility and the opportunities which can come out in embracing this platform. [13:07] : Which platforms Jeff recommends to appeal to your respective audiences and how goal setting and a mission statement can govern your overall marketing program. [16:02] : What challenges you may face in producing and publishing content and how to get through these trying times through persistence and patience. [21:43] : Jeff’s vital tips on how to get started in content marketing and his thoughts on content marketing and SEO working hand in hand. Some quotes and advice from Jeff: “I encourage everyone to go through the process of developing a content marketing strategy and a mission statement.” “Sometimes if you get lucky you get instant conversion, instant dialogue, and instant traction and in other cases you have to go six to nine months to a year of crickets. Just keep going, just keep producing.” Connect with Jeff: Podcast Resources The following section is to highlight and talk about products I use and would personally recommend.  Understand that with some of these recommendations I may be paid an affiliate commission if you choose to purchase or sign-up with the service.  This will not cost you any additional money but does help keep the show going. Podcasting and Media Hosting Just use Promo Code: VRPODBEANFREE when you sign up. At the end of the trial you still have the free option so it's a no-brainer. For more details and to check out our other “Friends of the Podcast” <= Click the Link   If you enjoyed this episode of the Social Strategy Podcast Music Artist in Episode: Singleton Singleton was so generous to give me permission to use their music on this podcast so make sure to check them out. Also like them on Facebook: Like Singleton on Facebook

  In this episode we welcome entrepreneur Josh Dorkin.  He's built the leading real estate investing, social networking community and resource portal on the Internet BiggerPockets.com. We dig into this amazing community to learn why Josh built Bigger Pockets, how he's made it successful along with the reasons you should be building your own community right now! Here are the highlights of my conversation with Josh: * 01:50 : How Josh started the largest real estate investing platform online community, BiggerPockets, the purpose behind building it and how he grew this community to close to 500k members in 11 ½ years. * [05:11] : The mistakes, iterations, time, suffering, sacrifices and patience involved in building his site in and how not quitting had paid off for Josh in the long run. * [06:34] : How he makes sure his community understands the concept behind BiggerPockets and the difference between Josh’s site and everyone else’s, * : Why Josh chooses not to sell courses on BiggerPockets and why he feels this information should be free. * [13:32] : About the BiggerPockets app with its forever free content and what comes with the pro version. * [15:46] : Josh shares that learning is an ongoing process, the success stories in their community, his valuable advice if you want to jump into real estate and our discussion about partnerships and collaboration. * [23:48] : About the books he had helped published and co-authored, what you will get from them and the purpose of getting them out. * [26:14] : The reason why he added the publishing arm in their brand, how he got it started and the metrics he views as gauge in defining a successful book launch. * [30:00] : How they support the authors that contribute to their company, their methods of distribution, and tips in publishing. * [37:00] : Why their website forums are still the main channel used by their community compared to Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn. * [39:40] : Josh’s advice to someone who is just starting out building a community, a blog or a podcast on how you can engage a community and where he recommends that you start.   Some quotes and advice from Joshua: * When it comes to money, you don’t ever want to listen to just one person. That’s a really bad idea. * There’s no one path for one person, it’s always going to change based upon your demographic. The key is to learn what the different pathways are, what the difference possibilities are and make your choices based upon that. * If anyone ever tells you that they know everything or if they’re an expert, run. * If you are going to jump in, it’s your responsibility to be smart. Nobody’s going to hold your hand, nobody’s going to make you rich and there is no fast way to make money and get rich in real estate. * Just do what you do; keep your head down; focus on what it is that you are trying to do; forget about everybody else; don’t worry about the competitors; don’t worry about the drama. Just create a plan, stick with it and you’ll be fine. Connect with Josh: Podcast Resources The following section is to highlight and talk about products I use and would personally recommend.  Understand that with some of these recommendations I may be paid an affiliate commision if you choose to purchase or sign-up with the service.  This will not cost you any additional money but does help keep the show going. Introducing ScreenFlow Partnership – Screen Recording I also mentioned in the podcast about a few of the things I've done lately with

The Countdown Has Started Only A Few Hours Left Until #MDMC2016 [ez_countdown day=”21″ month=”04″ year=”2016″ hour=”0″ min=”0″ sec=”0″ style=”dark” timezone=”-5″] #MDMC Live Podcast In the last episode we talked with sales superstar Melinda Chen who developed a sales system to help women connect with big clients.  Melinda observed that several women she knew were making money but weren't focusing on the bigger clients I'm sure you'll find this one interesting so check out the full episode here Ep70 In this episode I have the pleasure of talking with one of my mentors and someone I consider to be a close friend and all around wonderful person Professor Perry Drake.  Perry is one of the founders of the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference #MDMC16 and Professor of Digital and Social Media Marketing at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Prior to this role he was an Assistant Professor of Integrated Marketing at New York University NYU. We touch on why #MDMC16 is so important to the region and how the concept for the conference started along with some of the very compelling reasons people should be excited to attend this year's sold out event.  Some of the things we talk about are: * How Perry was the first to teach web analytics, social media analytics and SAS data mining certifications at the university level. * How he pioneered using Adobe Sitecatalyst in the classroom (then known as Omniture) in the classroom. * What small businesses should be focused on when attending this years conference * How competitive running helps him to achieve his goals and clear his mind of distractions. * Why surrounding yourself with good people is the key to success   Connect with Perry:   Don't forget to check out UMSL Digital Conference #MDMC http://umsldigitalconference.com  Support the Podcast This is a new project I'm working on with funding the show.  It's called become a patron of the show and allows you to contribute a small amount of support each month.  Your support make it possible for me to continue to bring you quality guest each month.  Would you be willing to contribute at the $9.95 level?  If so just click this link: => Become a Patron Or click the Be my patron on Podbean button above.  Once you're there choose a level of at least $1 and you're now a supporter of the show! Podcast Resources Just use Promo Code: VRPODBEANFREE when you sign up. At the end of the trial you still have the free option so it's a no brainer. For more details and to check out our other “Friends of the Podcast” <= Click the Link        

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]   In the episode EP69 we meet Jeffrey Shaw a master photographer, business coach and public speaker. Jeffrey build his first million dollar a year business serving the most affluent families in America. Check out Jeffery's interview here: EP69 My latestes guest Melinda Chen developed a sales system to help women connect with big clients.  Melinda observed that several women she knew were making money but weren't focusing on the bigger clients. She’s been in sales for 15 years, worked the trade show circuit, the financial industry and even the sporting goods industry. Melinda's passion for the sales process is inspiring.  She shared this strategy in the interview so I wanted to make sure you have it.  Jump to this strategy here =>  Melinda Chen's strategies for overcoming objections in pricing: * Get your attitude ready – Meaning get into the right mindset to be ready for the objections that may come. * When getting pricing objections be ready to understand and ask your clients which part of the pricing makes them uncomfortable. * Always be ready to redirect your client’s attention away from pricing towards what’s important for their business. Here are the highlights of my conversation with Melinda: * : Sharing her first sales job in Berlitz, one of the world’s largest institutions for language learning, as an international Sales Manager.   Melinda talks about the first lessons she learned while she was with the company including reading everything she could find on sales strategies and making thousands of cold sales calls. * : The importance of researching your clients so you can understand how to find their “neck-bleeding pain”. * : The type of clients that podcasters should seek out for sponsorship to monetize their business and why your pitches should always be targeted. * : Some myths about selling to big clients and the sales cycle in selling to big clients: * Get in front of big clients and create six degrees of separation by using Melinda’s 2-5 contact formula. * Bring the relationship from a buyer-seller relationship to a partner relationship, * Be prepared for objections and close the sale. * : Why she recommends using scripts as part of your toolkit and ensuring that it is followed by role playing. * : How to develop a healthy mindset in selling and how you deal with doubts and negative thoughts by taking it easy and having enough knowledge about the whole sales process before jumping in. * Once of my pet peeves that will make me unsubscribe from your list or ignore you.  Sales Strategies To Practice: * Whoever the type of people or companies you are going to approach, make sure that your message is extremely targeted. * When you want to approach big clients, try to limit your outreach to 10 clients.   Keeping the number low allows you to spend time building relationships which is key. Attend Melinda's Chen's Webinar: A great resource for the entire sales process so make sure to register and check it out. Here is the link: http://www.onlinemeetingnow.com/register/?id=z29d5arw8h Connect with Melinda:   Don't forget to check out UMSL Digital Conference #MDMC http://umsldigitalconference.com  Support the Podcast

In the last episode (EP68) we met Morgan MacDonald  listen now to hear the one thing I've never heard any publisher reveal that could have a deep impact on your book.  I promise you've never heard this information anywhere. In this episode we meet Jeffrey Shaw a master photographer, business coach and public speaker. Jeffrey build his first million dollar a year business serving the most affluent families in America. He's known for his ability to capture moments that captivate and images that leave his clients wanting more. Jeffrey has also built a successful coaching practice serving other coaches and other creatives as well as anyone needed business advice.  As a coach, freelancer or anyone that's involved in a service business you know how difficult it can be to determine what you should charge because your service can appear to be intangible and feels hard to communicate the true value to your clients. Jeffrey has figured out how to overcome this problem here's how… Why Coaches Fail We discuss in the interview that most coaches sell features and a list of services the client is going to get for let's say $1500 a month. It's a failing venture and something that Jeffrey noticed after he became a coach.  Since he never had this issue in his photography business he applied the same philosophy to his coaching practice which helped him quickly obtain qualified clients that he could help and that valued the outcomes Jeffery helped them to understand. The true value as Jeffrey points out is in the transformation that happens in their lives through the coaching process. Valuable Insights Jump to some of the highlights of my conversation with Jeffrey: * : How he ended up in the business of photography despite wanting to be an architect and the transition from photography being just a hobby to becoming a profession, * : The thought process of why he charged his premium rates, both as a photographer and a coach, and his beliefs about long-term thinking. * : How breaking out from the traditional business models have made him more successful and the value of a well-crafted ‘standout statement’. * : Finding the right market for you to serve through alignment. * : Sharing his greatest insecurities in life and how he jumped into podcasting with both feet despite the fears which came with it, * : How he came up with the name ‘Creative Warriors’ for his podcast, the positive response he got from this choice and how it transformed his life and his business. * : Service, authenticity, honesty, truth, experience and the things that Jeffrey believes sells the most today; and find out why he refers to this time as the new renaissance. Connect with Jeffrey Shaw: Consider Becoming A Patron This is a new project I'm working on with funding the show.  It's called become a patron of the show and allows you to contribute a small amount of support each month.  Your support make it possible for me to continue to bring you quality guest each month.  Would you be willing to contribute at the $9.95 level?  If so just click this link: => Become a Patron Or click the Be my patron on Podbean button above.