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36: Networking, Networking, Networking

Business Geeks Podcast

There’s a famous quote that goes, “Your network is your net worth.” 

For business owners, this quote stresses the importance of building relationships and constructing a vast network of potential collaborators, partners, customers, guests, and the like. Networking can be an awkward and sometimes onerous duty, though.

In this episode, we dive deep into the importance and meaning of networking, offer controversial opinions about this topic, share stories of attending awkward networking events, and discuss the current state of networking during the time of COVID.

What To Listen For:

  • Networking can be difficult regardless of your personality type (03:32)
  • “Your network is your net worth” (04:35)
  • Networking defined (06:07)
  • “Networking is evolving for the better because of women business owners” (07:43)
  • An all-women vs mixed networking event (10:58)
  • A networking event with “green” business owners (12:23)
  • It’s hard to tell the value of a relationship as it evolves through the years (14:49)
  • “Success is contagious” (16:40)
  • Networking is not about making a sale (17:53)
  • Awkward moments during networking events (18:49)
  • Virtual and online networking (20:49)
  • Attending a networking event needs a purpose and clarity (24:28)
  • Non-traditional ways of networking (26:49)

What’s Grinding Our Gears
Jen: Spending a lot of time on introductions in online events (32:40)
All: Online etiquette (36:29)

Get My Lunch Money/One Cool Thing
Joe: Rent an AMC Theater for $99 (27:47)

Check-In With The Geeks
Sales Circus, Feb 15-19, 2021

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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035: Unique Ways To Generate Leads & Fill Your Sales Pipeline!

Business Geeks Podcast

As business owners, we always need to keep our sales pipelines full and robust to make sure we have regular and consistent revenue coming in. To achieve this goal, we need really good lead generation strategies. Oftentimes, though, we implement overcomplicated lead generation strategies thereby bypassing simple, creative and effective ways to attract clients into our businesses. 

In this episode, the Business Geeks share favourite and not-so-favourite lead generation strategies. We discuss the pros and cons of each one, offer practical tips on how to implement them, and share stories of the outcomes after using those strategies on our own businesses.

What To Listen For:

  • Importance of keeping pipelines full through effective lead generation strategies (03:43)
  • “Now Customers” vs “Future Customers” vs “Soon-to-buy Customers” (05:18)
  • Lead magnets (06:47)
  • Reaching out to people (07:36)
  • Podcasting (09:18)
  • Video email sequences (09:57)
  • Facebook groups, podcast kits (10:35)
  • Use different strategies (12:58)
  • Speaking to small groups and events (15:03)
  • Different definitions of “lead” (17:47)
  • Proving your credibility as an expert (19:10)
  • Collect WhatsApp contact info (21:26)
  • Paid sponsorships (22:18)
  • Online events (26:11)
  • Short masterclasses (28:11)
  • Don’t ignore loyal customers (31:02)
  • Referrals and rewards (34:24)
  • Chatbots (39:00)
  • Networking (41:04)

What’s grinding our gears
Jen: Businesses that are on the free version of tools (42:17)

Joe: TV commercials that use bright, glaring light (50:06)

Get My Lunch Money/One Cool Thing
Jen: Leadaro Agency (53:56)

Check-In With The Geeks
Sales Circus, Feb 15-19, 2021

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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034: Is It Time For A Re-Brand?

Business Geeks Podcast

Is your businesses’ look and feel starting to look a bit stale? Are you expanding your audience or considering a whole new one? Is there a disconnection between what you want your brand to be and what your customers think your brand is?

If you answered yes to these questions, then it may be time to rebrand and refresh the markets perception of your business.

In this episode, we talk about rebranding.  When is it time to rebrand?  And what are the different mistakes that businesses make when going through the rebranding process. 

When rebranding your business, it’s always a good idea to involve your current audience. Check in with your customers and clients and research the market before going all in.

While rebranding can be a good thing, it may be risky and costly for your business when not handled carefully. When done right, revamping your brand can help build your customer base, strengthen your brand perception, and grow your business.

What To Listen For:

  • Auditing your business to know when to rebrand (4:55) 
  • Name changing in your business is huge (9:45)
  • Merging and rebranding (12:00)
  • Re-branding errors (12:50)
  • Re-branding for established brands (13:50)
  • Listening to your audience (16:05)
  • Asking for feedback before rebranding (16:40)
  • Getting people to understand what you do (19:45)
  • Rebrand vs refresh (21:04)
  • Re-educating your audience (21:27)

What’s grinding our gears
Joe: People not wearing their masks, specifically in amusement parks and amusement parks not upholding their policies (32:30)

Get my lunch money
Joe: Johnson’s Popcorn (38:50)

Check-In With The Geeks
Sales Circus, Feb 15-19, 2021

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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033: Is Your Money Mindset Sabotaging Your Business?

Business Geeks Podcast

We all have a money mindset. It’s that unique set of beliefs and attitudes about money that we follow. It’s what drives the decisions we make about saving, spending and handling money. 

Developing a money mindset generally starts at home. Essentially, we imbibe our family’s money mindset beliefs. For example, many parents preach to their children that “money doesn’t grow on trees” and “some people are just born with a silver spoon in their mouth” to underlie the importance of working hard to earn money and that the rich are different from the poor. As we grow into adults these inherited beliefs bleed onto our work, our business, our habits, and other aspects of our lives.

What’s your money mindset? Have you ever sat down and conducted a money mindset assessment to review if your beliefs are helping you succeed or if they are actually dragging you down?

In this episode, we talk about the origins of our own money mindsets. We also discuss various strategies to overcome money mindset blocks that prevent us from achieving financial freedom and business success.

What To Listen For:

  • Money mindset defined (02:24)
  • The power of money mindsets inherited from families (03:07)
  • Symptoms of a money mindset block (11:09)
  • Businesses affected by troubling times (14:01)
  • A study on 10,000 millionaires (15:23)
  • What does money mean to you? (16:59)
  • What can you do with money? (18:53)
  • Growing up in between two different money mindsets (20:29)
  • Bargain hunting mindset (22:59)
  • The first step to overcome a mindset block is to acknowledge it (25:03)
  • Understand that a mindset changes how you act (27:08)
  • Visualisation is an important tool (27:47)
  • Reticular Activating System (28:57) 
  • Educate yourself about money (33:10)
  • How a listener overcame her money mindset block (33:41)
  • Talk more openly about money with other people (35:52)
  • Your business may not be identifying with the right market (37:29)
  • Disney’s pricing strategy (39:32)

What’s grinding our gears
Jen: Companies that make customer service difficult on purpose: a story about two meal delivery services (42:20)

Get my lunch money
Jen: Oh Snap! Social (49:59)

Sources Mentioned
This One Brain Hack Backed By Science Will Change Your Life. Here’s How. by Mel Robbins
Get Rich Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas
The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Check-In With The Geeks
Sales Circus, Feb 15-19, 2021
Business Success Academy launch

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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032: How To Make The Transition From Employee To Entrepreneur

Business Geeks Podcast

Do you have that perfect idea for a business but hesitate to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur?

Everyone has different circumstances and risk factors to consider when making that scary and life-changing transition. Some may be young with no family, others may already have children, mortgages, and bills; while others come from high-paying jobs that they consider secure sources of money. 

So, when you start your business, do you start with small steps by doing side gig jobs to make money or do you take the leap and quit your day job?

In this episode, we start our conversation by sharing how our entrepreneurial stories began. We also share our thoughts about this pivotal question that people who want to go from an employee to entrepreneur have to answer. 

What To Listen For:

  • Some updates on our events (00:58)
  • Stories of transitioning from employee to entrepreneur (09:37)
  • Don’t quit your day job (17:04)
  • The story behind the topic (17:34)
  • Why going all in may not be the best strategy for you (18:15)
  • Shift your mindset about your full time job (28:04)
  • 3 mistakes people make that stop them from starting their business (32:09)
  • Stress from an unhealthy work environment (38:09)
  • Know when to accelerate your business plans (39:01)
  • We will support you (40:03)
  • “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will” by (41:48)

What’s grinding our gears
Jen: When you can’t find the close button for website pop-ups and when a site does not give any information unless you create an account. (42:37)

Joe: A shop recycled an iPad without getting the permission of the owner first (46:20)

Get my lunch money
Sam: Melinda Hird Photography for professional photography in Australia (51:44)
Jen: Melissa Demple for professional brand photography in Washington, DC (52:56)
Joe: Williams-Banks Photography for professional photography in Atlanta, Michelle McMahon for wedding photography in Philadelphia, Janette Pellegrini Photography for events photography in New York (54:07)

Sources Mentioned
Employee to Empowered Entrepreneur 

Check-In With The Geeks
Sales Circus, Feb 15-19, 2021
Business Success Academy launch

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

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031: Email Marketing Like a Boss!

Business Geeks Podcast

With all the social media marketing tactics available, you may wonder which one you should start with. 

Email marketing and growing your email list is one of the most effective ways to consistently reach and engage with your audience and potential clients.

In this episode, we delve into email marketing, how often to send emails, and how to grow your email list. We also dive into tips on how to create email content that will catch your reader’s attention and the importance of having a call to action in your emails. 

Certainly, a website and your social media platforms are just as important for your business, but having an email list and investing in email marketing is by far one of the most personal and effective social channels you can use to grow your business.

What To Listen For:

  • Frequency of sending out emails (10:03)
  • Effective email marketing (11:29)
  • CAN-SPAM ACT of 2003 (13:06)
  • Dealing with unsubscribers (15:10)
  • Segmenting and tagging your email list (16:00)
  • Do you have emails that you enjoy to get? (17:00)
  • Growing your email list (19:58)
  • Automating the nurturing system (21:15)
  • Your email list is where you make your sales (22:30)
  • Why you should own a domain (26:18)
  • Should you start your email list or website first? (27:26)
  • Know like and trust factor (29:23)
  • Call to action (32:17)
  • Not always selling in your call to actions (35:45)
  • Email marketing doesn’t have to be expensive (43:11)

Grind My Gears

  • Sam: Booking into someone else’s calendar and not showing up (45:53)

Get My Lunch Money

  • Joe’s Local Farmers Market

Sources Mentioned

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

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030: Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health?

Business Geeks Podcast

As business owners, mental health awareness is an important topic to discuss since we have to be mentally fit to lead our teams and grow our businesses. There have been studies, though, of how social media may be linked to an increase in mental health issues like depression or anxiety.

Let’s accept it, social media is already part of our lives and it’s here to stay. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Tik Tok. These are just some of the social media platforms we use every day. Are you using social media to grow your business or are you letting social media affect your life, mental state, business, and social life too much?

In this episode, we use a TEDx Talk by award-winning digital marketer, public speaker and business owner Bailey Parnell as a jump-off point for a discussion on social media and how it affects our physical, social, and mental health both as social media users and business owners. Specifically, we examine the four stressors on social media—the highlight reel, social currency, FOMO (fear of missing out), and online harassment.

What To Listen For:

  • Social media affects our physical and mental health (3:18)
  • Living two lives: real and online lives (4:14)
  • Social media is not the cause of the anxiety, it’s how we interact with it (5:44)
  • Four stressors on social media (9:46)
  • The highlight reel: pros and cons (10:03)
  • Social currency: likes and comments (15:10)
  • FOMO: tagging (22:49)
  • Online harassment: personal case studies (30:29)
  • Balancing personal and business social media use (39:08)
  • Some final thoughts to share (45:53)

Get My Lunch Money

Jennifer: Hungry Harvest – fruits and vegetables that don’t pass supermarket standards but are still good and edible delivered to your home (48:38) [check link]

Sources Mentioned

Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? by Bailey Parnell

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

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029: Do You Really Need To Create Valuable Content for Your Audience?

Business Geeks Podcast

Content is King and any content creator of a blog, vlog, or podcast will certainly give this statement two thumbs up and probably a fist pump for good measure.

What if you’re a solo entrepreneur who does not have a big budget for content creation or a start-up that doesn’t have a comprehensive content marketing plan? Do you still agree with this statement? 

In this episode, we discuss a post that poses a controversial topic: you don’t need to create valuable content for your audience. 

Is content all about creating connections with your audience through shared identity and values? Is content merely a narcissistic tool to boost your ego? Is it all right to come out with content that follows the rules of search engine optimization? Do you differentiate your audience from your customer?

Join us as we give our opinions on these burning questions and more. We’ll also share our thoughts on the recent Zoom downtime and a tool that will make your podcasts more efficient.

What To Listen For:

  • You don’t need to create valuable content? (05:55)
  • Connecting with your audience through shared identity and values (07:38)
  • Henry Ford would have created a faster horse instead of a car if he had listened to his audience (08:27)
  • Different businesses need different marketing methods (9:28)
  • To build your identity as an expert, you need content (10:49)
  • An audience vs. a customer (11:58)
  • Balancing content and sales (16:28)
  • Business owners are pressured to create content (17:42)
  • Bad content can be improved but it’s better than no content at all (18:17)
  • Consistency of creating varied content (19:19)
  • Your content does need to be valuable (23:17)
  • “Success formulas” may not work for your business (24:25)
  • Successful blogs/vlogs already have a following (25:20)
  • Content needs to be authentic; being a copycat can be a dangerous territory (26:52)

What’s Grinding Our Gears?

Jennifer: Zoom went down worldwide but people insensitively lost their mind (30:07)

Get My Lunch Money

Sam: Headliner – to create audiograms for your podcasts (35:59)

Sources Mentioned

Do you really need to create valuable content for your audience? by Sashka Regina

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

Make 100 Crappy Videos by Roberto Blake

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

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028: Is it Time to Raise Your Prices?

Business Geeks Podcast

Business owners everywhere feel differently about raising the prices of their products or services. Some feel that this is a necessary and natural effect of growing your business. Others fear that they will lose clients if they raise their prices. 

For those that do raise prices, there are varied methods of achieving this goal. These methods consider many points, including when the new prices will take effect, how the new pricing is implemented, how and which customers are affected, and the tipping point of the prices.

In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of raising prices and share our experiences on this topic. We consider the pros, cons, and different angles and factors that affect a price increase. We even role-play an instance where a price increase doesn’t go as planned.

What To Listen For:

  • Raising prices from an inventory standpoint (8:03)
  • Raising prices for services (9:56)
  • 97% of people who purchase static courses don’t complete them so it’s better to create a program than just a course so you provide more for clients (11:52)
  • There is a tipping point for low price points (15:34)
  • When is the right time to raise prices (16:56)
  • How do I go about raising my price? (18:50)
  • For service providers, consider supply, demand, costs, and profit margins (21:15)
  • Time is a valuable factor (23:29)
  • Raise rates to keep top talent (23:50)
  • Price out customers that don’t value you (24:38)
  • How do you raise prices? (25:13)
  • Be careful of what you communicate based on the price of your services (30:49)
  • Role-playing a price increase issue (33:45)
  • People that “nice” themselves out of business (36:34)
  • Mindset issue of people about pricing (38:41)
  • Sometimes your inner circle stops you from raising your prices (40:06)
  • Accept that you may lose some clients when you raise your prices (40:28)
  • Align yourself with clients that will pay your worth and make that client “the sexy one” (41:52)

Get My Lunch Money

Joe: TubeBuddy – a plug-in that helps your YouTube channel get more subscribers (42:52)

Sources Mentioned

How Do I Raise Prices Without Losing Clients?

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

Find Samantha at
SamanthaRiley.global
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at
Sparent.co

Find Joe at
SuperJoePardo.com

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027: Profit First Method: Is it good for your business?

Business Geeks Podcast

The Profit First Method is an accounting method made popular by business author Mike Michalowicz. The theory behind this method is contrary to the generally accepted accounting formula of sales minus expenses equals profit. This method states that sales minus profit equals expenses. 

Michalowicz based his formula on Parkinson’s Law, which states that people have a tendency to consume a resource when it is made available. In business terms, the resource is your revenue or sales that are consumed by business operating expenses. 

In this episode, we debate on whether this method is good for all types of businesses or if it can be applied only to certain types of businesses. Our listeners also give their two cents on this hot topic.

What To Listen For:

  • What is the Profit First Method? (1:22)
  • How profit first kills business growth by Sigrun (4:57)
  • Parkinson’s Law applied in real life (5:40)
  • Profit First: the good and the bad (7:09)
  • Safety nets for businesses (14:05)
  • A business needs about 3-7 years to make a profit (16:13)
  • How Profit First could have changed a business (17:25)
  • Every business (and the person running it) is different so the Profit First method could apply to some but not others (18:48)
  • The value of paid users increases as the business grows (19:39)
  • People need to understand their numbers (21:05)
  • “Revenue is Vanity, Profit is Sanity but Cash is King” (21:57)
  • How do you keep the most amount of profit so you can keep the most amount of dollars? (22:45)
  • Using the Profit First method on a start-up: nay, yay or it depends (26:17)
  • Amazon as a business example (29:07)
  • Understand the future and where your business is going (32:25)
  • A lot of microbusinesses don’t have a business model (40:41)

Get My Lunch Money

Jennifer: Splotch Monster Island (37:03)

Sources Mentioned

Profit Profit FirstFirst by Mike Michalowicz

The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz

Fix this next by Mike Michalowicz

Parkinson’s Law 

How profit first kills business growth by Sigrun

Long Tail Success hosted by Brent Basham

 

Check-In With The Geeks

Catch us live each week on Monday 8pm EDT / Tuesday 10am AEST at the Business Geeks Podcast page on Facebook.

 

Submit your question to the geeks at questions@businessgeekspodcast.com to have your question answered live on the show. Be sure to include your business name for a free shoutout.

 

Find Samantha at SamanthaRiley.global

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Find Jennifer at Sparent.co

Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS