125

BUSINESS TIPS
FROM
SUCCESSFUL
ENTREPRENEURS
 HERE’S EXACTLY
WHAT YOU’LL
GET IN THIS
EBOOK

If you could get coffee with a business expert you really respect, what
would you ask them?
Chances are, you’d want to know what books they’re reading.
What mistakes they see other entrepreneurs making.
Where they’re investing their time and energy.
How they deal with feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
And you might have more specific questions like, “How do you know
when it’s time to grow your team?”
Here at Ultimate Bundles, we wanted to give you access to the thinking of
some of the smartest entrepreneurs and business coaches in the world.
We asked the questions above, and many more, to experts like:
Mike Michalowicz (Bestselling author of Profit First, built
4 multi-million-dollar companies)
Kevin Harrington (former Shark Tank judge and inventor of the infomercial)
Ruth Soukup (NYT Bestselling author and paid coach to 11,000
blogging students)
Ted Prodromou (America’s Leading LinkedIn Coach)
Amber Vilhauer (Launch Director for dozens of bestselling business books)
Monica Froese (who’s run multi-million dollar marketing
campaigns for brands like Microsoft and HP)

In this book, you’ll find their answers.

With over 100 pages of strategies and insights, this eBook gives you the
chance to learn from the best without spending a dime. We hope you enjoy
the insights and find inspiration for your own business.
Sincerely,
The Ultimate Bundles Team
Creators of The Grow Your Business Bundle
 Question 1
What’s the best
piece of business
advice you’ve
ever been given?
Who gave it to you?
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

My business mentor said, “don’t

listen to me” and then advised
it’s because you’ll get advice from
experts that are just as biased
anyone else. It’s ultimately the
customers’ wallets that speak the
truth. Always listen to wallets.
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

No one else knows

what they’re doing
either. We’re all just
making it up as we
go along.
-Danny DeArmas
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

I can summarize this into 2 quotes that

had a huge impact on me.

“You can have everything in life you

want if you will just help enough other
people get what they want.”
- Zig Ziglar

“Whatever you vividly imagine,

ardently desire, sincerely believe,
and enthusiastically act upon must
inevitably come to pass.”
- Paul J. Meyer
 Justin Wise
Pragmatic Marketing Certified,
keynote speaker, published
author and business
consultant.

“How you do anything is how you do

everything.” I can’t remember where
I first heard this, but it’s made me pay
attention to every single small detail in
my business. From grammar on landing
pages to bookkeeping, everything
communicates something about you
and your business.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

My old boss and my best friend

gave me the same advice on
the same day without talking to
eachother when I asked them
about starting my consulting
business. Whatever you think
you’re worth, charge twice as
much.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

You are not the only person who

can do what you do. Set your
ego aside and breakdown your
systems so that you can teach
them to others.
- Mike Michalowicz
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

I haven’t been great about hiring mentors and receiving

business advice in my early years of being an owner.
I read a lot of books and implemented anything I felt
resonated with my values and what my firm does.
I wouldn’t want to minimize anything that others have
taught me by singling out just one piece of advice. Mike
Michalowicz taught me to find profitability in all aspects
of my business. Adriene Dorison taught me how to get
out of my way and let others take on tasks I didn’t need
to do. Kelly Ruta taught me that I’m not responsible for
the way other feel about me and I should always focus
on making sure whatever I do is considered a win for
me. Joe Polish taught me the importance of consistent
content creation.
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Right before I quit my job to pursue my blog

full-time I attended a mastermind event in
Chicago. I sat next to another blogger, Lena
Gott, who had just crossed her first $10,000
month. She told me that the first $50 I made
online would be the hardest. She said going
from $5,000 to $10,000 was much easier than
getting to $1,000 because of the momentum
she created along the way. The morale of her
story was this: hard work and consistency
pays off. If you want to succeed you need to
show up day in and day out even when it’s
hard and boring.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

The customer is always right. This

is a lesson my dad taught me as
he ran his drug stores while I was
growing up. Seeing the loyalty that
it inspired in his customers made a
huge impression on my life.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

I have followed so many amazing mentors

throughout my business journey, which
means that all the advice blurs into each
other! I am most grateful for the advice I got
very early in my journey. I would binge watch
episodes of Marie TV and listen to every video
from Denise Duffield-Thomas, and I would
write their advice on cards and pin them on
my office wall - the two that have stood the
test of time are: “Start before you are ready”
(Marie Forleo) and “It’s my time, and I am ready
for the next step” (Denise Duffield-Thomas).
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

I think the best piece of business advice I was ever

given, one that jolted me, was from a complete
stranger. He was a successful entrepreneur who
was shopping at a store where I was an employee.
I asked him what book I should read if I wanted
to start a business and he told me none. He said
you’ve read enough books already, the best thing
for you to do is start. Reading is a huge part of my
life, but that one conversation made me realize
that reading is only one part of the equation. You
cannot attain business success by only reading
books, you must take action too.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

Decide Act Learn Repeat

- Brad Martineau;
on a similar thread from many
years ago, Plan Do Check Act
- Dr. Edwards Deming
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

No Guts No Glory! I loved that phrase so much

that I named my company after it, “NGNG
Enterprises.” No Guts No Glory is a phrase my
mom used to say to me all the time growing
up. What better piece of advice to remember
as I face my fears every day to help others and
get my gifts out to the world... and now I’m on
a mission to help my clients and community
adopt the same mentality. It’s time for us all to
step out of our own way and use our talents to
make this world a better place!
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

My mentor Dan Miller, author of the

bestseller 48 Days to the Work You Love,
taught me to ask myself a very powerful
question in the face of any challenge:
“What does this make possible?” Asking
this question has given me incredible
perspective on any wrinkle or hurdle in
business? Every obstacle can become an
opportunity if you’re willing to look at it
that way!
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Perry Marshall told me to never rely

on one traffic source. Diversify your
traffic so you are not affected by big
changes at Google or Facebook.
 Question 2
There’s a myth that elite
business owners never make
mistakes. Help us debunk
that. Tell us about a misstep
you made in your business
and how you responded
to it/learned from it.
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

Success comes from failures. It is

a constant trial and error. I’d be
willing to bet that I have failed more
times than I have succeed. Out of 10
products, several will fail in a row.
Don’t measure success based on
the number of failures. My motto:
Fail fast but not on purpose.
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

The truth is actually the opposite. If you’re not making mistakes

as a business owner, you’re probably not trying hard enough.
Since starting my business, I’ve made more mistakes than I
can count, but so many of those mistakes have been the most
valuable lessons. I’ve made many bad hires, but in the process,
I’ve learned how to put processes in place to make sure I hire the
right people. I’ve launched the wrong products and in the process
learned how to do a better job of listening to my audience. I’ve
focused too much on growth and not enough on the bottom
line. I’ve pursued passion projects that distracted me from my
core business. I’ve forgotten to be the leader of my team. Most
recently, I made the mistake of letting a disappointing result
prevent me from trying harder. It was only months later, when I
looked back on the experience, that I realized that there was so
much more I could have tried. And while many of those lessons
have been pretty painful, I’m SO grateful for what I’ve learned in
the process! They’ve made me more resilient, a stronger leader,
and a better business woman.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

The biggest mistake I’ve made is not considering

the long-term consequences. So what seems
equitable and a win-win may be a win-win for 5
minutes but will it be in five years. I try to do this
analysis, written by Suzy Welch who is the wife of
deceased Jack Welch, and she said to use a 10-10-
10 rule whenever considering something. What’s
the 10-minute consequence? What’s the 10-month
consequence? What’s the 10-year consequence?
This way I can be more reflective of the long-term
consequence and the short-term consequence.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

One of my favourite sayings when I share advice

and tips based on my own experience is “I make
mistakes so that you don’t have to” - I not only
make mistakes, I share my mistakes and the
insights that I gain from them. The only people
who don’t make mistakes are those who aren’t
trying anything new.
My goal isn’t to avoid mistakes, it’s to make lots
of them, learn deeply from them, and move on
quickly from them.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

Just one? Lol! One big mistake I made was taking my “dollars for
hours” mentality out of my law practice and into my copywriting
business. When I started out, I was selling bundles of copywriting
hours at a fairly low rate. People could purchase 3, 4, 6, or 8 hours of
my writing time. After a short while, this began to feel very unfair to
both me and the clients. One of us would always get the short end of
the stick, and I made sure it was always me! If I didn’t feel particularly
sharp or creative on a writing day, I’d often REPEAT hours and give
my clients extra hours in their bundle packages. On the days when I
was fully in the writing zone, my clients would receive far more than
they’d bargained for with a particular hours bundle. They’d become
repeat customers and would understandably expect that same
amount of work for that same number of hours in the future. It was
a bad system all-around getting clients the highest and best quality
of work while maintaining my health and sanity! I quickly learned to
quote rates per PROJECT. That set clearer expectations for both me
and my client. I devoted however many hours were needed to get
the work done well. No one ever “ran out” of hours before a project
was finished, and every client got the specific piece of work he or
she was hoping to receive.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

I say “yes” too easily without

thinking of the consequences
on me and my team. I changed
my default answer to let me
think about it and typically
the urgency goes away and
I can have a more rational
response.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

I used to put off discussions with team members about

where they need to improve. One such discussion I put
off so long where the team member was expecting a
promotion but I wasn’t comfortable giving it to him.
Talking about improvement to our entire team at once is
easy, but the one on one isn’t for me. I didn’t intentionally
lead him on he was going to get a promotion but I should
have had the courage to tell him many months before he
expected a promotion the things I was hoping he would
change. I apologized to him because I let fear get in the
way of a productive conversation. I still didn’t give him
the promotion. But he knew what he needed to do to
earn it and now I don’t procrastinate discussions where
the main message is what needs to be improved.
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

In 2017 my business was thriving! We had a team of 17 and about 175

active website, marketing and book launch clients. We were profitable,
had an excellent reputation and several strategic partnerships. The
problem however is that I crashed into a stage of burn out. I was pushing
so hard and making everything work that I wasn’t paying attention to
the warning signs. One day it hit me, very strongly, and I woke up to the
fact that I had engineered a business model that was NOT sustainable.
I had made myself the center of every conversation and every decision
in my business. So methodically, over the next 2 years I re-engineered
my entire model. I was able to maintain our reputation for excellence,
our partnerships and client base. We maintained profits and interest.
Meanwhile we changed our service model, pricing structure, all of
our branding and positioning, and I had a strong focus on leadership.
I learned how to enable my team to own their role and not force them to
do every little thing the way I would have done it. I allowed them more
freedom - and they loved it! My clients continued to be happy and our
word of mouth only grew. But the biggest shift is that I was supported in a
different kind of way - I was supporting myself instead of lifting everyone
else but me up. Now, there is much more harmony, fun, balance and
strength. The mistake was thinking I had to do it all and be it all. Now, I’m
much more about having a seat at the table and together, my team and
clients are co-creating outcomes. It’s awesome!
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Oh my gosh! Just one?! I agree, this is a big myth

that needs to be debunked. During one of my
first live launches, I gave up halfway through.
I wasn’t seeing the numbers I wanted to see and
I immediately started to doubt myself. Who was
I to teach anyone online? I unscheduled the last
3 emails I was supposed to send and walked
away. There was so much I could have taken
from completing the launch. I learned that even
a perceived failure teaches us so much about
what ultimately matters. A failed launch provides
data and facts about what happened, what went
wrong, and how to fix it.
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

I made a $100,000 mistake by ordering too much inventory. It was early on

in my retail career, about 60 days after opening my first brick and mortar
business and my supplier sent me an invoice that left me gobsmacked. I
had ordered all of this inventory for when we opened and didn’t realize
how much money I owed because I had terms and didn’t need to pay
for it all at once. I made the assumption that I would sell stuff and have
enough money in the bank to pay the bill when it came in. I owned a
dealership in the wireless industry, where it costs $1000 for a dealer to
buy an iPhone, but the consumer walks in off the street, signs a contract
and gets it for free. I had zero knowledge of cashflow. I didn’t know how
manage cashflow, and I didn’t have any cashflow either. I had to eat
humble pie. I had to pick up the phone and admit that I didn’t have $100K
and ask what my options were after a sleepless night where I feared
telling my husband that 60 days after starting this business, I might have
wrecked it. I learned from that one phone call about “restocking” and
found out that I could return inventory to the Telco once a year with
no restocking fee. I packed up everything in my store, and shipped it
back and bought myself a credit on the invoice I owed and learned the
importance of timing when it comes to ordering and paying bills.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

The biggest mistake I made was right out of

the gate with the launch of my first business
and our first e-course. I took 6 months to
create all of the content before I sold a single
course. What the heck was I thinking? Then
in the first week of sales closed £300 that
I had to split with my then business partner.
I had a lot to learn. Biggest takeaway:
pre-sell your courses every time. It will save
you a heck of a lot of time and you get to start
making money BEFORE you have to spend it.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

I had a successful digital marketing

agency from 2002 thru 2009. My
clients were small business owners
whose company went under after the
economy crashed or they stopped
spending money on advertising. I had
no Plan B and I had to get a real job.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

Well, it goes right to that best piece of business advice

I ever received. When I started my consulting company,
I did not charge twice as much as I thought I was worth
and most people undervalue what they’re worth. You
have to remember that people aren’t paying for one
hour of your time, they are paying for a lifetime of
experience, they’re paying you to not have to make the
same mistakes that you’ve made. But I had a hard time
charging what I should have charged and so I didn’t
charge twice as much as I thought I was worth. What
did I learn from that? You know, I responded by giving
them an amazing service and they got approximately
150 times return on what the value I gave it to them
or 150 times what they spent on me so I responded
by giving them immense value and then the next time
I made a commitment to charging what I should charge.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

I waited too long to step

out of the “doer” role and
into the visionary role.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

My first launch as an entrepreneur,

I spend about $25k between ad
spend, a FB Ads manager, and
coaching on the software I was
using. I made one sale (for $600),
and she asked for a refund. The
lesson I learned was to test before
going “all-in.”
 Question 3
Broadly speaking,
where do you think
a new business owner
should be spending
the majority of
their time?
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

I think when you are just starting

out, there is very much a “throwing
spaghetti against the wall” phase,
a season of hustle that you just
need to embrace. You need to be
trying new ideas and figuring out
what works, so that eventually you
can focus most of your time on the
activities that you know will bring
the greatest ROI.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

A new business owner should spend their

time in the doing and the selling. There’s no
question about it because that’s where the
rubber hits the road. That is the essence of
the business. The trap is that’s not where
you should permanently be. You can bring
understanding to the process so at least you
have a direction to go and then bring in other
people and that’s where you can master the
process. if you continue to do it yourself
you’ll never master it. So, in the beginning,
you must “do” to learn the basics, the core
direction but to be masterful of it you need
to bring in others and guide them.
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

Time should be spent solving

someone’s problem by providing a
magical transformation and then
marketing the results to show
others what they too can have.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Work on your business not

in your business. Focus on
the long term vision for your
business and have funding
in place so you can execute
your business plan.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

Bringing in cash. Revenue is

the fuel to all other things.
(Also, they need to think
about keeping profit as well
from day one.)
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

Getting to know their audiences,

connecting with their audience, and
engaging with their followers. Nearly
ever problem I see business owners
dealing with steps from them not
truly understanding their people
well enough. When you know your
people... everything else is easy.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

You need a great offer that is irresistible to your

dream clients. Make sure you do adequate
market research and get people what they
desire. Then, you’ve got to work on your
messaging. You can have the most powerful
offer in the world --- one that changes lives ---
but if you don’t know how to communicate the
value of your offer to the people who need it
most, it won’t sell. So you’ve got to have a great
offer AND spot-on messaging. With those two
things in place, you’re golden.
 Justin Wise
Pragmatic Marketing Certified,
keynote speaker, published
author and business
consultant.

Sales, sales, sales, sales, & sales.

If you don’t know how to sell, you
won’t make it. It’s not about how
fancy the product or service is; if
you can’t get people to give you
money you don’t have a business,
you have a hobby.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

Developing their intellectual

property (or product, or service)
to make sure it actually works
and serves their ideal readers
(or customers/clients).
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

Getting really clear on their niche (who

they serve), and connecting with those
people to prove their business model and
concepts quickly by making sales. The
bells, whistles and shiny parts come later.
If you don’t have 100% confidence that you
have a specific niche who are willing to pay
money for the outcome you deliver, no
amount of polishing, reach or shiny copy
will fix that!
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

Getting customers. You don’t have a business

because you have 10,000 instagram followers.
You have a business when someone decided to
give you money in exchange for a product or
service. If you can’t get a customer before you
set up a fancy website you likely don’t have a
great business idea. You’ve got to be able to sell,
and sell your idea to someone who will buy it, or
you don’t really have a business. Do this before
you invest tons of money on marketing.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

It depends on the stage and

type of business. Most will
be in the “doing” stage; but
should carve out 15 to 20%
for designing and creating
their dream business.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

Sales and marketing.

 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

All business owners should spend

time on building relationships
(and maintaining them), producing
content that helps your audience
think in a new and more effective
way, monetizing, and in speaking
(whether on stages or online via
podcasts, video, live streaming etc).
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Build an email list. Hands down.

When you’re building an online
business, you’re often building it
on someone else’s platform. You
NEED to have control over how and
when you can communicate with
your true fans. The best way to do
this is with an email list. This will be
your #1 asset in the long run.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

Getting partners, getting affiliates. It’s

the one thing that only the business
owner can do. Getting strategic
partners and people to promote them
and promote their business, getting
other entrepreneurs to promote you.
Only you can do it, not your affiliate
manager.
 Question 4
What’s the #1
mistake you see
most new business
owners making?
What can they do
to avoid it?
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

Having a vision but failing to plan

out how to achieve that vision.
There were so many times on
Shark Tank where people came in
without a business plan. Having
a business plan provides you
direction in where you want to go.
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

Focusing on the wrong things. Paying

attention to too many people, and doing
the wrong things in the wrong order.
The best way to avoid this is to put your
blinders on and follow a proven path.
Find ONE thought leader to listen to
(preferably someone who is actually
achieving the results that you want to
see) and shut out the rest of the noise.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

The number one mistake business owners

make is they so overestimate how the business
will perform and what it will afford them. Even
though they say they’re being pessimistic about
their outlook they are being so extraordinarily
optimistic and therefore they are not prepared
for the slog that they’re going to go through. We
need to be prepared for the worst. Are we willing
to lose our house for this? Are we willing to lose
everything? If you go in with that mentality then
we can stick to it and won’t give up so quickly.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

The idea that you have to

spend money to make money.
An acceptance that you can
run your business for many
years before showing a profit
because they think that’s how
it’s supposed to be. Nope. Focus
on profit from day one and that
helps the owner avoid taking on
unnecessary expenses.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

They pay others before

they pay themselves.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

#1 mistake I see is not monetizing right away.

They wait way too long to monetize and to me
what we teach is the best way to monetize is
through affiliate marketing. We teach the best
time to monetize from day one. You may have
25, 50, 1000 people in your audience but you
can make a little something. You can make
100-200 bucks a month and what happens when
they don’t monetize right away is end up giving
up. They end up just quitting because it’s hard
to run a business when you aren’t making any
money.
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Focusing on too much at once. There

is so much noise out there about
the latest and greatest strategies for
starting and growing a business. It’s
easy to be led astray and lose sight
of what you’re even trying to build to
begin with. Focus on ONE thing and
master it. Business is like building
blocks. Each skill builds on top of each
other.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

The biggest mistake business owners

make is assuming they know what
their fans want and need instead
of taking the time to do the work to
actually understand it. To avoid that,
business owners need to be humble
and assume they know nothing... don’t
assume, take the time to learn from
your audience.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

The #1 mistake I see new business owners make

is putting too much time and energy into surface-
level strategy and marketing activities, when
they don’t have their foundations sorted. Shiny
websites, flashy photoshoots, epic blog posts and
content, sexy branding - all things that cost money,
but don’t have a direct return on investment when
you’re starting out. I made my first $20k without
a single sale coming from my website, without
a sexy brand, and without any of the bells and
whistles - I proved my business model, messaging
and niche by making sales first. I wish I could help
every single new business owner to get that part
sorted before they did the rest!
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

The biggest mistake I see business owners

make is not having a clear business model.
They don’t know what they are selling, the don’t
have a formula for pricing for profit, and thus
they get bogged down doing things that are
fun, instead of doing things that make their
business make money. No one wants to look
at the numbers but it’s the numbers that make
your business a success. When you fail to have
clarity on your business model and how to price
for profit, you end up working for no income.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

They don’t take their profit

first. They believe that profit
will come later. As a result they
don’t have enough money to
fund their lifestyle and actually
grow their business.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

I see far too many new business owners who

are scared to invest in their business and
personal development. They are focused
on NOT investing before they make money.
But in reality, investing in your business
and personal development will get you the
support you need to start making money.
Just like with a financial investment, your
investment in your business comes BEFORE
you see the return. You’ve got to have the
courage and faith to put your money where
your mouth is and get the skills you need to
grow your business.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

They haven’t spent time honing

their message, so sales anad
marketing to their dream boat
client feels hard. All they want to
do is deliver their work, which is
great, but you only get to do that
if people have connected to who
you are and what you do. How
do you do that? Through great
messaging.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

You need a business plan

and funding so you can
market your business.
 Justin Wise
Pragmatic Marketing Certified,
keynote speaker, published
author and business
consultant.

Focusing on anything other than

sales. 80% of a new business owner’s
time needs to be spent selling
something. Get your idea together,
build an MVP if you must. Then go out
and sell it to people. See if it solves
their problem. If it does, you’ve got
a winner. If it doesn’t, go back to the
drawing board.
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

The #1 mistake I see most new business owners make is that they
waste time on things that don’t move the business forward. For
example, spending an hour surfing Facebook is usually because you’re
avoiding something else you don’t want to do. I am all for having a
social presence but it’s important to put that into a process, then
empower someone else to get it done. Meanwhile, you should be out
in the world building relationships, producing content that only you
can create, and monetizing. Anything else should likely be delegated
out. When you’re doing any one task, constantly ask yourself, “Is this
something that REALLY matters? Is this something only I can do?”
Most times, you’ll catch yourself doing a task that is not in your best
interest, nor the company’s. When you catch yourself wasting time,
it’s an opportunity to dig a little deeper and see why. Perhaps you’re
afraid of your product not selling, or you’re feeling burnt out which
is a signal that perhaps you’ve built a model that doesn’t serve you
well. Either way, explore what’s really going on. And once you get to
a place where you are on purpose, but are still doing tasks that aren’t
a good use of your time, it’s time to document what you’re doing and
why, then delegate it out.
 Question 5
Have you ever
dealt with feelings
of self-doubt or
imposter syndrome?
How do you work
through it?
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

Yes, all the time, especially when I was

just starting out. It felt like everyone else
had it all together, and I was just making
it all up. But at some point, thanks to
some great mentors, I started to realize
that everyone feels that way, and that
no one else really knows what they’re
doing either. I started to trust my gut,
and to dare to forge my own path.
It’s made all the difference.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

Yes. I have totally dealt with self-doubt and

I can continue to experience that in working
towards the goals I want. The interesting
thing is when I’m truly myself that concern
is diminished. It was actually when I was
trying to be someone else or be what my
customers wanted is when I actually had
the most self-doubt. Being authentic or true
to myself doesn’t make it easier necessarily
but there’s no imposter syndrome and the
self-doubt drips away.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

Self-doubt and imposter syndrome are common, and

they are actually a wonderful sign that you’re stepping
into a new, more expanded view of what’s possible
for yourself. You’re asking yourself, ‘Do I belong here?’
- and that doesn’t come if you’re staying stuck in your
comfort zone making only the safe choices. My best
strategy for imposter syndrome is to stop making it
about myself. I have a post-it note on my laptop that
says “Do it for her”. When I’m focused on the people
I serve, instead of myself, there’s no doubt that I will
keep moving forward.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

Every single day. Now I reached the point where

thankfully we have a ton of testimonials and a ton
of really happy customers and any time we feel
that we have a channel in slack called Testimonials
and I go there and read testimonials that people
have left. I read stories of how I have changed
somebody’s life, how a product that we have helps
somebody quit their full-time job and go full time
with their business. I go read somebody talking
about how good my podcast is, how a video that
I recorded posted on Facebook helped someone
start their business or whatever the case may be.
That’s what I do. I go and read the testimonials.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

Absolutely! I really struggled for the first two

years of my business, because I didn’t become
financially profitable in my business until Year
3. I felt like I wasn’t successful unless I was
making a certain amount of money. What I did
to overcome this feeling was to focus on my
identity as a valuable child of God. I started to
shift my perspective of success and to adopt
a belief that I am successful simply because
I am a living and breathing human being. Once
I started operating from the belief that I am
already successful, it was astonishing how
quickly the money and clients flowed into my
business.
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

This happens to every entrepreneur. When things go

wrong, it’s easy to question yourself and whether or not
you’re made of what it takes to be a successful business
owner. When this happens to me, I go to my evidence
file and remind myself of the impact I have made. Yes,
I have an evidence file, several actually. I have boxes
filled with cards and letters from clients who have
written to me about the impact I’ve had on their
business. I have messages that people have shared
on social media saved as screen shots on my phone. I
also have a file with emails people have sent me. When
you experience self doubt, reminding yourself of your
wins, either through your own memory recollection, or
through the words of others can really help to bolster
your confidence.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Self-doubt is a big problem.

As competitors appear, you
think you’re not good enough.
I belong to a few masterminds
and work with at least two
coaches to help me through
the self doubt.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

John Bates, my speaking coach,

taught me to let all those feeling
come and then realize that it’s my
“monkey” brain and buckle it up in
the back seat. Then replace those
concerns with what others have
told me about the impact I’ve had
on their business. This process
automatically gives me a boost.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

Sure. Every day. I work

through it by saying yes to
opportunities to move my
business forward before
I’m ready, because I don’t
trust my ability to discern
whether I’m ready or not.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

All the time. It’s totally normal.

Every time you take a step
beyond your zone of comfort
you feel like an imposter. The
difference between the people
who make it and the people
who don’t are the people who
choose not to believe the
nagging voice that says they
are not good enough.
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

Everyone has dealt with self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

Knowing it’s inevitable, I decided to come up with a proactive plan to
shorten the length of time I experience these obstacles. If I’m ever in
self-doubt, I have conditioned myself to remember WHY I am running
this business. It’s not about me first, it’s about the authors, speakers
and coaches who NEED the gifts I have to move their business forward,
to grow their following, to make more online sales, to launch that #1
book. I was given a set of gifts and I feel an obligation to get out of
my own way and use them for good. Additionally, I decided years ago
to limit the amount of observation I do inside of my own industry.
When I start looking at what everyone else is doing, I have a tendency
to feel small, unsure of myself, and want to give up. So instead, I keep
my head down and focus on serving first. I focus on what I can control
and that includes my day-to-day joy, the way I support my team, the
value I put out in free content each week, the way my brand looks or
feels... Those things I can control. I think it’s important we all allow
others the space to do what they feel is best for their brand and
goals, but not judge ourselves in comparison.
 Question 6
What’s your #1
productivity or
time management
tip for busy
entrepreneurs?
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

Two things: Living by your

calendar yet allowing margin for
the unplanned and developing
a morning routine that not only
includes prep for the day, but
also time spent reading/self
educating and time for exercise.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

The number one productivity tip is

having two monitors. It’s unbelievably
helpful in getting stuff done on the
computer. I’ve tried three monitors and
it’s too much. One monitor is too little.
Two is just right.
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

Constantly prioritize, and

time block accordingly.
Be very clear about which
tasks will bring the greatest
ROI, and be willing to stop
doing anything that doesn’t
actually add value.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

Plan your week and schedule

in the time on your calendar
the top 3 tasks you must do to
move your business forward.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

I love Marie Forleo’s quote: “If it’s not scheduled,

it’s not real.” I calendar everything on a Google
calendar that’s shared with key team members.
They know when I have personal meetings
and appointments in addition to client calls
and hours I’ve set aside to work on upcoming
projects or launches. Putting my tasks into my
calendar keeps me honest about how much
work I can actually get done in a day and keeps
me from over-committing to too many projects.
 Justin Wise
Pragmatic Marketing Certified,
keynote speaker, published
author and business
consultant.

Do less. Constrict your focus. Double-down

on what’s working and ruthlessly eliminate
everything else.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

Switch your mobile phone off.

 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

Done is better than perfect. Be happy with being

good enough, and stop seeking perfection.
I realized a few years ago that I can get to a 8
or 9 out of 10 on my work relatively fast but
I spend a disproportionate amount of time trying
to get from 8 or 9 to 10. This extra mile is called
perfectionism and it is a huge waste of time
because your 8 or 9 is already a 10 to someone
else. Be okay with doing great work, and stop
seeking perfection. It doesn’t exist and if you’re
really honest, even when you spend all that extra
time on something, there is still more you can do
because, perfection is not attainable.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

Write and work in

20-minute sprints.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

Theme your day. Each week of the day has a specific

purpose.
Monday: Internal meetings, strategy, and planning.
Tuesday: F  ocused on inbound leads, focused on
generating new customers.
Wednesday: C  ustomer love day or focusing on
current customers.
Thursday: Focused on inbound leads but more of
podcast interviews and FB lives.
Friday: C
 atch up day. Filling what we need to get
done from the other days.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Hire a great assistant who

can keep you on track.
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

A few email tips come to mind! First, I focus on always

responding to emails that take me the least amount of time
to close out, first. I do that because I start to pick up speed
through momentum, and that allows me greater focus and
efficiency when tackling bigger threads. Second, I use a Gmail
plugin called ActiveInbox that allows me to schedule reminders
for myself, in conversations (like sending proposals) that I need
to follow-up on. Another Gmail plugin is Gmelius that allows
me to design several “templates” based on the most common
email conversations I have. For example, in the process of
designing a client’s website, we have a design call. At the end
of that call I would commonly spend more than an hour writing
a follow-up loooong Content Plan that listed all assets needed
from the client to finish the project. Now, with Gmelius and my
ability to insert a pre-made email, these plans take me about 15
minutes. I’m always looking for ways to spend less time without
sacrificing quality.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

Stop listening to people who tell you to get up at

4am. You get to decide what type of boss you want
to be for yourself. We’ve all had experiences where
a boss or teacher tried to get more out of us by
being mean, shaming us, or making us feel ‘less
than’. That isn’t a nice working environment. Think
about what creates the most productive working
environment for you, and give that gift to yourself.
I work best when I work in short bursts, get a solid
9 hours sleep, eat great food, go for lots of walks,
have a fun and vibrant team around me, and I’m
nice to myself. So I do my best to create that working
environment for myself every single day. Be a nice
boss to yourself. That’s my best tip.
Question 7
How do you know
when it’s time to
grow your team,
particularly that
first hire?
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

If you’re already
thinking about it,
it’s probably time.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

In regards to hiring, it does become

a bit of a math equation as the
company gets better. I found you
need a certain amount of revenue
per person before you hire. The
first hire should not be full-time.
They should be part-time. Just hire
a virtual assistant or whatever just
to start to get things off your plate.
That’s the key.
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

If you have a business model and you price

your products or services to include a team,
the numbers tell you. In my book, Pilot to
Profit, I talk about Factory Capacity and how
to know when to hire. You have to know the
numbers in your business so you know when
to hire, and you need to manage cashflow so
you can keep your hire gainfully employed.
Hiring is a big responsibility. Don’t be cavalier
with someone else’s life by hiring them and
not being all in on making sure they get paid.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

When your quality of work suffers,

your organization is non existence
and you can’t remember the names
of the customers you deal with.
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

It took me about a year before

I brought on a virtual assistant to help
me with social media scheduling and
answering emails. During my second
year, I became an S-Corp and started
paying myself on payroll. During
my third year, I brought on my first
full-time employee on payroll.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

When you have a clear business

model, you know your niche,
and you have proven your value
proposition by making some sales
(and not just to people who already
know and like you). I believe in
incremental team growth that
doesn’t put your cashflow at risk.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

When you don’t have enough

time to provide an exceptional
customer experience.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

It’s always before you really need to. You

should hire an executive assistant before
you really think you need to. That’s one of
the best decisions I have ever made. I have
hired somebody long before I needed to
and super grateful I did that. It completely
freed me up to do the things that only I
can do in my business and I am grateful
for that.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

You should hire as soon as possible.

Imagine if you could free up just
5 hours per week that you’re currently
spending on the least important work
and instead spent that time on the
most important work for your business.
Getting the ball rolling can be hard, but
once you start the process... it’s like a
snowball rolling downhill.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

When you cannot

scale without help.
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

When I have the awareness that things are

starting to slip through the cracks on my
team, it’s a signal they need help. Or, when
I have the awareness that I am doing too many
“admin” tasks or tasks that anyone else could
do... it’s time to look at hiring. As the business
owner, you CANNOT get stuck in the day-to-
day minutiae. It’s my responsibility to keep my
head clear and my stress reduced because
that’s when my best thought leadership
comes out (and that is your uniqueness in
which people hire you for).
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

When you realize that the

business can grow, if you can
shed some of the repetitive
tasks in order to focus on the
tasks only you can do.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

As soon as you identify you’re

doing the same task repeatedly
and you know anyone could
be doing it, that’s the time.
Shocking right? That’s pretty
early on in the day.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

I probably waited a little too long to

make my first hire. I waited until we had
crossed the five-figure mark in revenue
for three or four months in a row.
I knew it was time to hire when I was fully
booked and up at midnight dealing with
clients’ reschedule requests or creating
a Canva graphic. I knew I could hire
someone to do those tasks and that I’d
serve my clients so much better with a
full night’s rest!
 Question 8
Have you ever felt like
giving up? What advice
would you give to an
overworked business
owner who isn’t
seeing the results
they want?
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

There are three kinds of entrepreneurs:

ones that fail and quit; ones that fail but
grit it out refusing to accept the failure,
grinding away to their own detriment; and
ones that accept that they have failed,
take a step back to see why they failed and
then use that information to emerge new,
improved, and stronger.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

When I first became an author, I felt like

giving up pretty regularly but the approach
I use, innately, is I go all-in on something
so giving up is not really a choice. I’m in
too deep to get out. In the first 5 years,
my wife even sat me down and said, “you
should get a real job”. It just takes time and
stick-too-it-ness. Having a purpose is really
important, too.
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

When things start to feel messy and hard, it’s easy to

get discouraged because we look at what other people
are doing and it seems so much easier. We think,
“it’s not supposed to be this hard, I must be doing
something wrong.” But it actually IS supposed to be
that hard sometimes. Building a business is messy. It’s
frustrating. It’s thankless and at times, endless. And in
the end, you have to want it more than you’re scared
of it, and more than it hurts. You have to want it so
bad that you are determined to keep going, no matter
what. You have to be willing to try, and keep trying,
and then try again and again and again. SO many
people quit, just as they’re about to strike gold. Don’t
be that person. Just keep going, no matter what. Your
success is inevitable, as long as you refuse to give in.
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Of course! Self-doubt and imposter

syndrome impact everyone, even those
who look like they have it all together. For
me, I tend to want to give up when I’m
near burnout and haven’t taken any time
to appreciate my successes. When you’re
not seeing the results you want to see,
it’s easy to get discouraged. I’d encourage
you to spend some time reflecting on how
far you’ve come and everything you have
accomplished instead of focusing on what
isn’t working. It’s also important to give
yourself space to reflect and celebrate.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

I was THIS CLOSE to giving up on

my dreams at the end of 2017 when
I was in the red by multiple tens of
thousands of dollars. The best advice
I can give is to believe in yourself,
to invest in yourself, and to do the
work. The entrepreneurs who are
successful don’t necessarily have the
best ideas... they just stuck around
and kept taking shots.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

I’ve never felt like giving up and throwing

in the towel. But I have had moments
where I wanted to fire my entire team and
just go back to a one man show because
managing a team is a completely different
skillset and a lot of work. If you aren’t
seeing the results you want, then change
something. Anything. But you won’t get
different results doing the same thing.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

Yes. I felt like giving up RIGHT before

the business started making significant
money. I had been working so hard for
nearly two years straight and hadn’t
seen any profits. It was starting to feel
foolish to continue forward. Thankfully,
I had surrounded myself with people who
saw my potential and encouraged me to
keep moving forward. That was a huge
lesson, because our biggest breakthroughs
often come after our darkest moments. If
we can keep on moving forward despite our
biggest doubts, the reward is just around
the corner.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

Yeah, only on days that end in Y.

I know I never will and it’s kind
of like imposture syndrome.
When I feel like that I go read the
testimonials and see the impact
I am making on the world and that
makes me definitely not want to
give up.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

In the past, I only felt like giving up when I was

doing work for money, not work for pleasure
or purpose. It’s hard to say no to good money
from powerful people, but sometimes you
have to say no to the lucrative opportunities to
find true happiness in your work. Most people
thought I was crazy to give up my career as
a ghostwriter, because I was very successful.
Four years later, I am happier, more fulfilled,
and I business is booming. So, if you’re not
getting the results you want, make sure that
you are doing the work you actually want to
do. Start there.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

Honestly? No. There have been many

times where I didn’t know what to do
but I didn’t want to give up because
I knew from very early on that I was
unemployable. However, I’ve had
many days where I have thought to
myself what am I doing? Why is this
not working and always without fail
I always go first to my mentor at the
time and secondly to a business buddy.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

I haven’t felt like giving up this business, but

I definitely had a few moments in the early days
where I thought I had better get a job to keep
the cashflow going. Lucky for me, I had a very
supportive partner who reminded me that we had
agreed to give it a solid effort for at least a year
before reconsidering. If you’re overworked and
not getting results, go back to your foundations -
you won’t fix it by finding another platform, or a
different marketing tactic. Every marketer and his
dog will try to tell you that their strategy is the ‘one’,
but if you’re not financially viable with the basics,
the problem isn’t the marketing strategy, it’s the
foundations. Niche, message, value proposition,
and mindset.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Businesses go through up
and down cycles just like the
economy. You need to prepare
for the down cycles when times
are good so you can ride out
the down cycle.
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

Twice I felt like giving up, and both times, it was

because I was emotional over something that had
happened. In one situation, I felt like I had been taken
advantage take of, and in the other, I had suffered
a loss and was grieving. When this happens, and it
likely will at some point, give yourself some time and
space, and permission to play a smaller game. Both
times I experienced this, even though I pulled back
a bit in my business, I was able to rebound stronger
than ever. Acknowledge your feelings and avoid
making rash decisions about stopping when you’re
under emotional stress.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

Many times that point of

stress is what needs to be
solved to take a giant leap
forward. Take a break and get
away from the business long
enough to look at it with fresh
eyes.
 Question 9
What one book has
had the biggest
impact on your
success in business?
What did you
learn from it?
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

The most impactful book is How to

Stop Worrying and Start Living by
Dale Carnegie. I used to experience
such high degrees of stress and that
book just exposed me to that but also
to the concept of self-help. There are
tons of tools and resources out there
to get better at being who we are and
doing what we do.
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

I love Jim Collins’ Good to Great. I read

it every single year, and it reminds me
of some of the most essential building
blocks of a strong business--Level 5
Leadership, hiring the right people,
staying clear about my core purpose,
and cultivating a culture of discipline.
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

Not 1 but 2 books changed the trajectory of my life.

Personally, See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar. See You at
the Top stresses the importance of honesty, loyalty,
faith, integrity, and strong personal character. It taught
me how to set and achieve goals and how to change
the way I thought.
Professionally Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar
changed the trajectory of my life. Secrets of Closing
the Sale covers the nuts and bolts of selling and
the psychology of closing. Many consider Secrets of
Closing the Sale THE Sales book. In 2019 I had the
honor of being a contributing writer in the re-release
of this book.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Perry Marshall’s 80/20

Marketing book is a life
changer.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

Think and Grow Rich had the

biggest impact on my business.
It taught me that my attitude
and belief in myself is where
all of the seeds of my success
would be planted and once that
was set I needed do the work.
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

The Millionaire Maker by Loral Langemeier.

I gave my employer notice the week after
I finished this book. This book helped me look
at my personal financial situation and find the
courage and confidence to walk away from a
great job and 6 figure income. It changed my
life because it showed me how to leverage all
of my assets and how to think like a business
owner, instead of an employee who was afraid
to give up a pay check.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

Clockwork by Mike Michalowicz.

I learned how to get my company
functioning as a company
that doesn’t require my hands
involved in all the aspects. I can
now focus on the things that I can
make the biggest difference with
inside my organization.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

Gay Hendrick’s The Big Leap has been an

instrumental book for me. I learned that we
are wired to desire safety and “the comfort
of the same,” so we often sabotage our own
success. The author calls it the Upper Limit
Problem. Once you know what it is, you’ll
catch yourself giving in to it! But then when
you’re aware of it, you can also say, “Oh this
is just my upper limit problem, and I’m not
going to let it hold me back!”
 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Built to Sell. It’s so easy to build a

business around YOURSELF instead of
building a business that can sustain
and function without you. Early on, it
taught me to always be thinking about
what I’m creating and selling OUTSIDE
of myself. Could I walk away from the
business and sell it? If not, I’m doing it
all wrong.
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

He taught me about resistance, our
tendency to resist pursuing our ideas
and dreams through procrastination
and other excuses. He also taught me
the cure: “Put your ass where your heart
wants to be.” In other words, the only
cure is daily practice.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

Get Rich Lucky Bitch, by Denise

Duffield-Thomas - listening to
that on audio in the car is why
I decided to leap into starting
my business, and why I did so in
a way that was financially viable
and profitable very quickly.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

Profit First by Mike

Michalowicz; I set my
finances up to reward me,
the owner. It also gave me
the cash to grow and to hire
when the time was right.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

The Go-Giver (hands down).

Being a giver has been the
most important things for my
business. The book teaches
such a simple lesson in an
easy to understand story.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

The number one book that had the most impact

on my business is the book Rocket Fuel by Gino
Wickman and Mark C. Winters. This book showed
me that every successful business actually has two
entrepreneurs, not just one. and every successful
business has a visionary and an integrator. I am
the visionary which means I am not the integrator
and we need an integrator and so we have an
integrator on to our team to help to implement all
of my ideas and all of my dreams and visions that
I have as the visionary in the company. Without
that integrator a lot of great ideas just never get
implemented.
 Justin Wise
Pragmatic Marketing Certified,
keynote speaker, published
author and business
consultant.

“Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz.

It showed me a different way to
think about money. It’s a shortcut
to building an actual business and
not just creating a high-paying job.
 Question 10
To what do you
attribute your
success? What do
you feel has allowed
you to experience so
much growth?
 Ruth Soukup
NYT Best Selling Author of 6 books,
podcastor and business coach.

A little luck and a lot of grit. When I first started

my business in 2010, I saw that there were people
making money online and I told myself, “if other
people are making money online, then I know
it is possible, and there is no reason I can’t do
it too.” It became my mantra, and every time
I felt discouraged, or something didn’t go the way
I wanted it to, I’d remind myself to keep going.
I learned that most “luck” comes as a result of a lot
of hard work that ultimately puts you in the right
place at the right time. And so I kept working, kept
trying new things, and refused to quit, no matter
what. At the end of the day, that’s all you can do!
 Kevin Harrington
Orignal shark from the
hit TV show Shark Tank,
successful entrepreneur,
bestselling author and
inventor of the
infomercial.

Exponential thinking. I don’t see plus signs

on any calculator. I only think and work in
terms of multiplication. When you adjust
your mind to this way of thinking and
you look out into a sea of opportunities
and ventures, you no longer see them
in a linear sense. Multiplication is about
exponential growth and if you can modify
your brain to think exponentially, you’ll
separate yourself from a large contingent
of entrepreneurs. Exponential thinking
separates the goods from the greats.
 Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author and founder
of a Fortune 500 company.

I attribute my success to
being purpose driven. Clear
purpose makes me want
to do more and more. It’s a
relentless source of drive.
 Bobby Klinck
B.A. University of Texas at Austin,
J.D. Harvard Law School.

My success has come because I do

the basic stuff right. I don’t rely on
“secrets” or fancy tactics. I show up
for my audience, create new content
every week, email my list every week,
and create offers based on what my
audience wants. In a lot of ways,
the secret to my success has been
my favorite motto -- keep it simple
stupid.
 Tash Corbin
Business mentor specialising in lean,
feminine marketing strategy.

Tenacity, a dedication to personal growth,

picking a strategy and seeing it through rather
than jumping from thing to thing to thing.
I also acknowledge that I am a cis-gendered,
heterosexual, white woman who had a university
education. My baseline platform was one of
privilege. Yes, I didn’t have any money ‘spare’ to
start my business, and I needed to build it lean
and without 1:1 mentoring. But I wouldn’t have
been able to make many of the decisions that I
did, without being in that position of privilege.
I don’t take that privilege for granted, and I am
very aware of how it influenced my journey into
entrepreneurship.
 Cyndi Thomason
Bestselling Author, Mastery Level
Certified Profit First Professional.

The belief that I can handle

whatever comes my way,
I just need to do the research
to understand it. I also value
and appreciate my team and
know that their work makes
our organization strong.
 Matt McWilliams
Leading expert on affiliate
marketing and consultant
to top entrepreneurs
and companies.

Hard work, extreme focus, and

dedication to our mission which
is to help small business owners
to grow. To help with beginning
online entrepreneurs to make
their first dollar online and to help
Five and Six figures entrepreneur
scale to six and seven figures.
 Anna Powers
Online Business Mentor,
Messaging Expert, Endorsed
Copywriter, Certified Coach.

I attribute 100% of my success to the grace of God.

He allowed me to exist on this planet at this time.
He created me with specific intellect and giftings.
He has consistently lined up the best mentors,
colleagues and clients for me. He gives above and
beyond my wildest expectations. I know that my
faith has been instrumental to my growth. The
Bible talks about faith a lot. It’s a hope in things
that are unseen. It’s a belief that awesome things
are on the way even when you can’t see them yet.
Faith is always rewarded, and I know that my belief
that my business will succeed and that I’ll continue
to make worldwide impact is necessary for me to
keep growing the business.
 Suzy Ashworth
Hay House author,
serial entrepreneur and
business growth strategist
specialising in mindset
and messaging.

I have been prepared to do the

work, I have been prepared to
fail, and I have been prepared
to be humble and learn from
the best. All of these things
have accelerated the success
and growth of my business.
 Lisa Larter
Business Strategist, Digital Marketing
Expert, Author and Speaker.

I attribute my success and the continuous growth of

my business to three things, besides doing great work
and delivering on what I promise: 1) Relationships: I’ve
built great relationships with my network, my clients
and my team and this has allowed me to retain clients
and employees, and has led to a ton of business
referrals. Having great relationships is the key to
success for most people. 2) Growth Mindset: I read
an average of a book a week and I attend at least one
event each quarter for the purpose of learning and
expanding my thinking. The more I learn and grow,
the better I can serve. 3) Strategic Risk Taking: I’ve
been willing to invest money in hiring before I needed
a team member, in marketing to elevate my visibility
and credibility, and in going against the grain when it
comes to what everyone else thinks I should do.
 John Briggs
CPA, Mastery Level
Profit First Professional
& Master Black Belt
Lean Six Sigma.

My desire for continuous

improvement. How can
I be better today than I was
yesterday? How can we be
better this year than we were
last year? And with that focus,
we look at how can we serve
our clients better.
 Amber Vilhauer
Launch Director behind dozens
of bestselling books and leading
digital marketing expert.

I make decisions based on who I want to be and how I want to

show up in the world. That simple starting point has allowed
me to create an AMAZING world for myself and those around
me. For example, I decided I want to be someone who feels
energetic and strong, which allowed me to consider what
decisions I would need to make to feel that way more often.
That led me to make the conscious choice to workout more
regularly, or have an outlet for stress, or pay better attention
to the signals my body gives me all day. I saw that if I were to
feel energetic and strong each day, I’d be more focused and
clear and driven for my client work. I saw that I’d put more
creativity and effort into my marriage and spend more quality
time with my son. It enabled me to be more thoughtful and
giving to others, and so on. My advice is to think about who
you would be proud to be, and make decisions based on that
awareness. It will change your life for the better in all ways,
and, rather quickly!
 AJ Harper
Bestselling author, editor and
publishing strategist.

Generosity and service.

 Monica Froese
MBA in Finance and Marketing,
Pinterest marketing expert.

Consistency. I think the biggest myth I hear

online is that you can build a successful
business in the margins of life. The reality is,
showing up every single day and improving
what you’re doing little by little is how a
sustainable business grows. I read a quote
recently that said the biggest threat to
success is boredom. SO TRUE! Consistency
can seem boring sometimes but it’s what
will win in the long run.
 Ted Prodromou
America’s Leading LinkedIn
Coach and best-selling author.

Surround myself with

successful mentors
and constantly listen to
personal development
programs.
 STARTING ON
APRIL 1ST
2020:

Want bigger profits, better systems, and a plan for growth?

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