Summary: Why is it that some businesses take off like a rocket while others can languish for months or years without creating explosive growth?<br> <br> Why do some businesses plateau at a certain level and struggle to break through, while others are able to grow consistently?<br> <br> In my experience, it boils down to three things we'll discuss in this podcast.<br> <br> <br> <br> Recently, I was reminded of a story about how Chinese bamboo trees grow very slowly underground, for years, completely unseen.<br> <br> The people who plant these trees water and fertilize the soil every day, even though there are no signs of life.<br> <br> Sounds tedious, right?<br> <br> Watering the same patch of dirt for years?<br> <br> I mean, that HAS to feel pretty unfulfilling at times.<br> <br> But the amazing part of the story is that roughly five years after planting -- when the bamboo finally breaks the surface of the ground -- it can grow up to 90 feet tall in just five weeks.<br> That is a great example of creating explosive growth!<br> And while a typical bystander might see that and think, "wow, that grew really fast!"<br> <br> The people who actually do the work -- those who plant, water, fertilize and cultivate these plants -- know EXACTLY what it took to trigger that growth.<br> <br> I love this analogy because it tracks so closely to the work I've done with promotional product businesses over the past 20+ years.<br> <br> Some of the people I work with might start out feeling a bit like the bamboo gardener -- tending, nurturing, and cultivating a business that seems like it might never break through the soil.<br> <br> In fact, some are stuck for more years than it takes for a bamboo tree to crack through the dirt and see the light of day.<br> <br> But the good news is that promo businesses AREN'T bamboo trees.<br> <br> They're not subject to the same restrictive laws of nature.<br> <br> Instead, there are very specific steps we can take to prep the environment and TRIGGER explosive growth much faster.<br> <br> In fact, when I work with clients, we operate in two primary modes:<br> First is Stealth Mode<br> This is where we lay the groundwork that no one else sees. It's what's happening beneath the surface. In bamboo terms, it would be the equivalent of supercharging the seeds, soil, water, and fertilizer to create a better, stronger, faster-growing plant that is heartier and more resilient than the other plants.<br> Second is Intimidation Mode<br> I know that sounds obnoxious. But the simple fact is that when you initiate explosive growth in a business, people notice.<br> <br> Their prospects are excited to see something new and different. Their clients are excited to be associated with a winner, OUR clients are excited to have their businesses attracting the right people and growing the way they want...<br> <br> And their competitors? Well, they just get intimidated.<br> <br> It's not the intention. But it's often a side effect.<br> <br> So each month, we offer a small group of promotional product distributors the opportunity to work with us to plant the seeds.<br> <br> Our goal is to help you quickly:<br> <br> * Lay the groundwork<br> * Plant the seeds and<br> * Trigger explosive growth<br> <br> And we do this using our proprietary, proven framework.<br> <br> It is NOT cheap, but it is EXTREMELY effective.<br> So what does creating explosive growth actually look like in a promotional products business?<br> Well, let's start with what it doesn't look like…<br> <br> It doesn't look like 10 to 20% annual growth.<br> <br> I mean, think about it. If you start at $50,000 in sales your first year and settle for 10% annual growth, it would take you more than 32 years to hit $1,000,000 in sales.<br> <br> Even at 20% growth,
