Show Notes:Richard Branson blog https://www.virgin.com/richard-bransonSeth Godin blog https://seth.blogSeth’s podcast https://www.akimbo.me/Seth’s business school https://altmba.com/Naval podcast https://nav.al/category/podcastRaj Sisodia http://rajsisodia.com/Conscious Capiltalism https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/Transcription:This is Christopher Sherrod. Your host for BlissLife Business.  And I haven’t had an episode for months because I had a major seizure back in July. And I haven’t understand what I wanted to do with this podcast until recently.My original plan was to go into business ethics speaking and I was going to use this podcast to help me write my book on that. But, my July seizure has left me unable to travel well and be reliable enough to speak on demand.I’ve had a long four months vacation with a lot of medical tests. I’ve written a list of things I want to do before I die. And this podcast is not on the list.My business ethics topic I will incorporate into my business memoir which will be some time before it comes out. This podcast wasn't intended to be moneymaker for me in the first place. It was too get out a business ethics framework which I think is badly needed.I was a full-time entrepreneur from the mid 90s and have a lots of deals over the decades. With so many deals some didn’t work out so well. I’ve had to deal with some very dishonest business people. Some that used their big stature to get away with doing dishonest things.You will get a horrible reputation no matter how big you are if you just rely on your big stature and screw people over. If a deal isn’t working out for any reason just state the reason and split nicely. Or don’t even give a reason and just say it’s not working out, or this deal isn’t what I was expecting and I think it’s better that we go our separate ways. Burning people and telling everyone you know not to do business with someone and not give the reason you were fired is being dishonest.I was a minority owner in a coaching company once where the primary owner hired a coach that was teaching some very dishonest techniques. I remember the day when I was notified that a virtual assistant company charged her company thousands of dollars and I thought it was a fraudulent charge. Comes out it was her new business coach. When the coach was asked about it, it didn’t go well and it got worse over time. I left the company and focused full-time on my other business.I want to think some entrepreneurs I reached out to to ask about this particular coaching model that my partner was being taught and how dishonest it all was. They helped me understand the real business model. Later my partner was presented the MLM-like coaching mill that I was informed of. She chose to dissolve her coaching company and go into her passion work. And it all worked out. And thank you to the multi-millionaire that came up to me at a business event and shook my hand and said I heard about your partner in your coaching company firing her coach. You are real entrepreneurs. It took me by surprise because I had never meet this person and I didn’t tell anyone about catching a virtual assistant turned business coach. I was informed that we were being blacklisted from any group they had influence over.It was a five month long lesson that helped me understand business ethics, what a real business really is and how to deal with conflict.And I have had other stories over the years as well.And I wanted to share those lessons with others.But, because of my seizure, again, I am having to reprioritize everything in my life.I’ve sought out a lot of medical help and figuring out what I can and can’t do.Even though I may occasional post a new episode I’m treating this podcast as my last, for now.But, I want to leave you with some resources to some other people who I like. They point out what really matters in business.There is a very common problem of unqualified people, some even virtual assistances turned business coach teaching. They are like actors that have learned what to say but have never actually been a successful entrepreneur. I’m a big fan Of Richard Branson. Because he has created the most number of successful businesses. Hundreds actually. And he’s very good about highlighting businesses that do good. I recommend reading his blog and all his books. Link in the show notes.Next I recommend Seth Godin. Seth has an excellent podcast, link in the show notes. And I love all his books. Really solid business advice from a serial entrepreneur. His current coaching program also has a coaching format as a mastermind which I believe works much better than a multi-tiered coaching business model that is very commonly taught and has some serious issues when scaled. Seth has trained facilitators that help each small group go thru his framework and they each help and give feedback. That’s a solid setup. Seth was on Tim Ferris’s podcast once and talked about how 95 to 99 percent of the articles in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine are simply hustle porn. Content that really doesn’t help you be successful in business. I completely agree with him on that.And my third recommendation is Naval. His podcast is excellent. Short and precise and excellent advice. His ability to shorten his advice into little bit size nuggets is amazing. I have a link to his podcast in the show notes.My fourth recommendation is Rav and his book Conscious Capitalism and his new book Healing Organization. I interviewed him some years ago for this podcast. I’ll put a link to that episode in the show notes. Read both of his books. They show how a business can do extremely well, be conscious and do the right thing.The conscious business philosophy that states that a business can transform the world And make money, in fact, must make money and can do it by doing the right thing is my fundamental core. Richard Branson Is really great a pointing out businesses like that.I’m sad that I’m having to stop this podcast, maybe permantely, maybe not. Because I think conscious business ethics is really lacking right now.  But, the tide is turning and my above recommendations are just some of the people that are making things better.I’ve had fun being an entrepreneur, from selling smelly erasers when I was in elementary school to selling info-courses, physical products and software over the decades.It’s been four months of slowing realizing I can’t do what I use to do. I wasn’t ready to retire. I never wanted to retire. But, unless my medical results don’t change drastically I have no choice.I will miss it.I want to thank my love Nan Akasha for saving my life during my seizure and for taking care of me these last few months as I struggled to function and then figure out what to do next in my life. Meeting you Is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Period. I love you dearly. And again, thank you for saving my life. I am forever grateful.I envy all of you on your entrepreneur journey.Just do the right thing, focus on your customers and bring them value.Goodbye for now.

BlissLife Business with Christopher Sherrod

Goodbye For Now

Branding is so overrated.  My opinion on why this is so true.-----I’m not saying it’s worthless. Far from that. It is very helpful in marketing.But, I’ve seen so many beginning entrepreneurs spend all their money on branding before they have spent a dime on direct marketing.One client came to me saying she had done 4 years of Internet Marketing and hadn’t gotten any results. After looking at what she had done I had to tell her that she hadn’t done any marketing at all. Spending $45,000 for a branded website that was focused on just looking good and not on making conversions. She got a $5,000 discount on her website too.The documents that came with the website that were supposed to give her all the details of what her target audience were laughable. Her clients like this font and these colors. And it’s true her clients probably do like the font and colors choosen. But, so what?What truly matters is how well does your marketing funnel convert to clients.When you’re starting from scratch I think it’s best to focus on making a marketing funnel that makes money, that offers something for sale directly.You can do fancy marketing funnels where you sell a trip wire product and then upsell them to a higher priced offer and then invite to a webinar where you teach and sell a high-end product or service.There are a great number of types of marketing funnels for different types of scenarios.But, they all are focused on directly offering something you do or offer. There is a point to it instead of the ego driven “hey look at me, I’m great” fancy branded website.Once you have tweaked your target audience and marketing message and have your first marketing funnel making money then you can take some of that money and have made a branded website.By then you’ll be able to know what your brand really is.You may think it’s a messy process and in a way it is, but it the best and fastest way to figuring out your brand.You have to find out what people really buy first and then wrap your brand around that.SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.

Branding is overrated. No, really.

Branding is so overrated. My opinion on why this is so true.

My company has produced 15 retreats so far, over 140 courses and counting and countless emails and live streams in multiple niches and brands and helped people come out with their book or podcast as well.A recent retreat has had me hire a local assistant, two performers, a personal chef and catering from my favorite Greek restaurant (best falafels ever), field-trip restaurants have been picked out (I love researching where to eat), renting an event space, booking transportation, and much more.And an expert that puts on the event and writes all the copy and speaking.It's literally impossible for me to do all that. I have to have a team to make it happen.And that's been one of the biggest items to my success, hiring people.When you first start your business, yes it can just be you, but you need a team to leverage your business.The faster you can do this the better.A successful real business is a team that gets things done. No matter how messy it is and making it less messy as the team gets better at it.I've used multiple systems to help my team gets things done and the tools I loved weren't necessarily the ones that I could get multiple people to use in my team.Right now my workflow stack is Slack a team communication tool and Google apps Gmail, google calendar and google drive.I personally use Trello an effective project management tool, as I love it, but my team doesn't use it. I use it to track what I should work on and then when I have something sharable with the team I just tell them the file in Slack in the appropriate channel so they can work on it.My team members are given assignments and most have a written procedure or a video walkthrough.Let's go over an example.So when I finish a podcast episode I give my podcast editor the audio file in Slack and he turns it into a broadcast-able episode and loads it up on the Internet.Another team member creates a marketing graphic for it because she does all my graphics (she's good) we also have a template we use so she just needs the episode title to do that.Then I have it posted. I actually do this until I am comfortable with it and then I have a team member help me with it.I'll write up the copy for the social media posts, groups and forums to put it. Plus email copy for the appropriate list.I put it all into one Google Document and share it with the team.The more often you do it the fewer questions there are, the better my google document template is, and the more I can focus on strategy and less on the technical details of getting it all out there.In the last month, I've had several of my past consulting clients contact me about hiring their first assistant.Hence why this episode.If you have this question then your business is probably making money and you're really busy and can't do everything done.Congratulations.It's a great sign that you're successful.You need help to leverage your time.I found when I hired my first assistant back in 2000 that a right-hand person assistant was really helpful. I could think much clearer and everything got easier.That along with the best accountant you can afford (even if that is H&R Block) is your essential base team and you can add additional team members that specialize on certain things as you grow.I took my hiring process I've defined since I first hired my first assistant back in 2000 and put it into a mini-course with a mini price up at my company's store. shop.blisslifepress.comIt's a mini-course that will take you about an hour to complete.It includes the job description I used to hire my current assistant. I used it and posted it on Upwork.com. You can have your job post up in less than an hour.I explain in the mini-course how I screen people and then try two or more out and see by actually doing a small project with them and picking out the best person for continuing to work on additional projects.With my past assistants I found out that slowly over maybe three months, they went from part-time work to full-time with vacation days and regular work hours.The right person will be obvious when you go thru this step by step.I also have a procedure template that is the key to making sure your assistant focuses on getting work done.I will literally say "Here is the audio and run so-and-so procedure on it. Let me know when you've finished".I will double check quality for the first few times to make sure it's all good and then over time I will just trust my team and have them publish it.I have a new additional assistant that came in this morning and worked for 33 minutes and then left for the day as that is all I have him doing is one particular procedure. I have plans for additional procedures for him.If you don't have an assistant yet then you'll want to grab my mini-course over at shop.blisslifepress.com--Again thank you so much for joining BlissLife Business show where I share what has worked for me and my fellow lifestyle entrepreneurs.Today's homework is for you to get my hiring your team mini-course at shop.blisslifepress.com (link is in the show notes) and put your job posting up today.It's super actionable and you'll be up and running in about an hour.Don't get hung up on whether you can afford it as you can have someone do an hour of work a day.   It'll cost you about five bucks a day minimum. And you can increase that as business requires.Write another procedure and then they have two things to work on. Next thing you know they are full-time getting a ton of things done.Then you just have to refine and tweak as you go.Until next time have a wonderful week.SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.

Hiring people for growth

When should I hire help? That and more on this episode of BlissLife Business.

Insert Inspirational Quote Here. Ha. That's a heck of a lead in to the show today, isn't it? Why that's so true on this episode.----Most all inspirational quotes are focused on giving up on some aspect of your life inorder to mentally and physically focus on chasing fame and/or wealth.Wanting these things is a recipe for an ego-driven mind that will never find peace.I find focusing on helping my customer works and everything stems off of that.If my business requires that I be fully functional at a company retreat then thecompany gets certain things so I can perform at the level needed.So, instead of saying I flew first-class to go to an event and getting all 'ego-ie'about it, I just fly first class because I need to be comfortable and be ableto perform.Getting rid of lines and waiting allows me to focus and relax. Traveling for me is aneasy time. And I arrive all rested and ready to go.SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.

Insert Inspirational Quote Here

Lesson's from a high-end tourist business in today's episode.----I visited my friends' multi-site tourist business all day recently.I noticed that a lot of the personnel running the place had changed since I had lastbeen there.They had a new young manager, the previous one took over a new facility in theCayman Islands.A new head of customer service and my main contact person for when I bring clientswas introduced to me by the owners. Always good to get a personal introduction.I asked for a couple of things from Jack one of the owners and he had no idea.He referenced me to the manager or customer service manager.His business is too big for him to know any of the fine details.He knows how much they make and his overhead per day for this time of year buthe has people that actually run the business day-to-day. He told me stories about acompetitor and their daily income and overhead, even though it was lower thanhis, and he has multiple sites he was still a little jealous because it was a bit morehigh-end.They have turnover. It's normal. And he has it systemized so that turnover is normaland things still run smoothly. In fact, runs better than if they had no or little turnover.They spread the leaders around and have opportunities for advancement.All this allows the owners to focus on the fun aspects of their business, like showingoff the place to a friend like me.Show NotesGet Help To Grow Your Biz- mini-courseSUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.

Lessons from systemized tourist business

Lesson's from a high-end tourist business in today's episode.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.TranscriptLast episode I talked about not doing business with desperate people.Some of the feedback I got was how do you know if someone is desperate.That's a really good question.Besides trusting your gut instinct, it's a little hard to know when you first meet someone.So I do a little at a time with people and have them show me their integrity.That’s the biggest issue I see in business, integrity.It’s not who makes the most money or who is the best at what but who has integrity when a launch goes sideways. Who will be like “Opps, we made a mistake and need two more weeks before we launch”.In an era of having to look perfect on social media and if one slight error or perception happens a lot of people will burn anyone that knows in order to keep it a secret. It’s vital to have integrity. I’ve made mistakes. Everyone has made mistakes. Lying about it just doesn’t help. Making it right does count. It is missing in the world I believe a lot especially in business and politics. And the only way to turn it around as a society is to have integrity. And quit doing business with people that don’t have it.Always give people the opportunity to redeem themselves and let them choose how they want to handle it. I’ve done business with fellow entrepreneurs who have massively failed but had turned around had an opportunity that was good for me.This isn’t about blacklisting people for life and destroying people’s reputations either. It’s about doing the right thing. Do the right thing. It’s actually not that hard. Show NotesGet Help To Grow Your Biz - mini-course

Integrity

Integrity, the biggest issue I see in business.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.Show NotesGet Help To Grow Your Biz - mini-courseI recently had a business deal not work out.The person I was working with hit the nuclear button and made up things in order to win the argument why they should keep $2000.Making up photos to prove their point and when that didn’t work threatened a family member.Anything to keep the money and blame me to justify.I sat back and thought about what happened.Was there a sign that I missed?What other deals that were similar how were they similar?All of the deals didn’t work out because the client, partner or contractor was desperate for money.When people are desperate and can’t afford to not get the money they will a vast majority of the time make up a story to convince themselves that they are the victim and are being screwed over.No amount of contract paperwork, pictures, correspondence, and facts will convince them that they have made a mistake. They can’t live with being wrong. So they hit the nuclear button and will take you down and ruin your reputation in order to win.You can never win with desperate people.I’ve found it best to state your position and then move on or hand it to a lawyer if serious.

Doing Business With Desperate People

My experience with doing business with desperate people.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTPodcast Feed | How To SubscribeToday's SponsorThis show is supported by BlissLife Press. Your transformational self-development publisher.  Hire BlissLife Press to publish your next book, podcast, author website or your own info-product. Come join the BlissLife Press family of authors and experts and get your voice out there.Show NotesGet Help To Grow Your Biz - mini-courseMy life is weird.I have the greatest life partner and I'm very happy.I live in paradise and love it.I have businesses that I love being involved in.And yet:I'm not the best entrepreneur ever. That title goes to Richard Branson. Hat tip to him.I'm not the most handsome man and will never be on Times Magazine. Yet, my womantells me daily "Hey sexy". And that works for me.I'm not the best at anything.Except my life.I've designed it to what I want.I wanted to live in a tropical paradise and I do with a view of the Caribbean.I wanted a smart, sophisticated, strong woman and I got it. Woot.I wanted businesses that I cared about and I made them.I made my life and I love it.Go out and make your life what you want. Make it your own.--Thank you so much for joining me on BlissLife Business. The show for lifestyle entrepreneurs without the fluff.Also remember that if you listening on an iPhone or iPad tell Siri "Play podcast BlissLife Business" and it'll play the latest episode. Oh, and make sure you subscribe and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you so much.

Design Your Own Business

BlissLife Business is a weekly podcast by BlissLife Press for creative & conscious entrepreneurs who enjoy our FREE real-world business lessons! Host Christopher Sherrod talks about what's working in his businesses and selectively brings on other lifestyle entrepreneurs to share what's working now for them. It's an inside look at what it's really like on the road to success. No BS, no sugarcoating. If you're stuck in your lifestyle business then ask BlissLife Business. Now, put in your headphones or crank-up your smart speaker because it's time to learn about online business, entrepreneurship, internet marketing, audience building, passive income, blogging, list building, virtual assistants, email marketing and much more. Get email extras at http://show.blisslifepress.com BlissLife Business is part of the BlissLife Network.

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BlissLife Business with Christopher Sherrod

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