More Than A Few Words

The failure rates for early stage companies are staggering.  Depending on the source the numbers range from 40% to 90% in the early years. And while the economy can play a role, one of the biggest reasons small business owners fail in the early years is they try to hedge their bets. There’s  always that safety valve in the back of their head. “I can get a job, or I can do something else.” That back up plan approach doesn’t work.  If you want to be successful, you have to treat your business like you’re sailing to some exotic island where you’re going to spend the rest of your life. When you get there, you have to burn the boat. If not, you will sit there with one foot on the shore and one foot in the boat and never fully explore the island.  You will never get to see all of the possibilities. If you’re always hedging your bets, you’ll never make the investment in your time and in the resources to really be successful. So you need to burn the boats. And I’m going to make it easy for you. I put together Burn th

I am pumped to have Tom Ruwitch on the show. Now, Tom is not your average business growth guru; he's a storytelling aficionado and a pioneer in content marketing. He is on a mission to rescue us from the clutches of mundane, prospect-repelling content that makes marketing feel like a never-ending drag. So, I kicked off the conversation with a simple question:  Why do storytellers sell more? Tom broke it down, explaining that it's not just about regaling your own legendary origin story. It's about understanding the journey your prospects want to take. When you tell stories that resonate with your audience, they lean in, feeling heard, understood, and connected. Tom shares that storytellers don't just sell more; they also have more fun. It's about transforming content creation from a slog to an enjoyable, entertaining experience that not only fires up the creator but also engages and inspires prospects. We also chatted about a common resistance to storytelling, especially among the serious business types like e

I had a great conversation  with Jennie Wright, an email list building and lead generation strategist about how to leverage peer platforms to grow your email list. Jennie explains the easiest way to build your email list is by leveraging other people’s platforms. This can be done by appearing on other people’s podcasts, participating in giveaways and bundles, and speaking on panels and summits. She recommends that you do a little bit of due diligence before agreeing to be on someone’s podcast or panel. Make sure that the show or event is a good fit for your target audience. If you don’t have a large social following or email list, don’t worry. There are still ways to get involved in peer platforms. Jennie suggests networking with other people in your industry and participating in Facebook groups for speakers. When you’re leveraging peer platforms, it’s important to have an irresistible offer that people will want to sign up for. This could be a freebie, a discount, or a piece of valuable content. Finally, Jen

Today's chat is about LinkedIn and the art of personal branding. I've been cultivating my personal brand for years, both online and offline, and one of my go-to tools is LinkedIn. Joining me for this insightful conversation is Matt Parkin, a LinkedIn Top Marketing Voice and a personal branding coach. Matt's expertise has been sought after by industry associations, companies, schools, and conferences. We're diving into the essentials of using LinkedIn to bolster your personal brand, and who better to guide us than someone at the top of the LinkedIn game. In our conversation, Matt emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals on LinkedIn, whether it's finding a job, seeking mentorship, raising funds for your business, or connecting with clients. He shares practical tips on translating your expertise into engaging content, leveraging vulnerability, and fostering meaningful conversations in the comments section. Matt's insights on navigating the LinkedIn algorithm, the power of newsletters, and the do's and do

Today we’re diving into business plans with Lura Wagenknecht. You’ve probably heard me harp on about the importance of business plans, and I know some of you might think it’s just a document collecting dust on a shelf. Well, let me tell you, every bit of that plan is gold, and Laura shared some great tips on how to make the most of it. Laura, the owner of Mosaic Business Consulting, is a seasoned business consultant and executive coach with over 30 years of experience. We’re both passionate about the power of business plans, and in this conversation, we’re unraveling how every element of that plan can fuel your marketing strategy. Laura sheds light on the practical uses of the business plan elements, from vision and mission to bios and service descriptions. It’s not just a static document; it’s a dynamic tool that can fuel your website content, social media posts, and overall marketing strategy. Laura emphasizes the beauty of breaking down the daunting task of creating a business plan into manageable chunks,

If you are like most business owners you make the mistake of looking at your competitors for guidance on pricing. Unfortunately, they probably don’t know any more about pricing than you do. Why don’t business owners charge more for their products and services?  Robin Waite thinks it is usually it is fear that holds them back. Learn how you can get over your fear and raise your price. About Robin Waite Robin Waite is the founder of Fearless Business, a Business Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers. Having spent 12 year's running a digital marketing business, Robin pivoted in 2016 to focus on the part of his business he liked the best; training business owners how to be better in business. In 2016 Robin founded Fearless Business, a unique Business Growth Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers so help free them from the sales cycle of doom!

I got up this morning and there was snow outside.  And, quite honestly I was annoyed because it still fall.  The change in weather  completely messed with my plans. But, when I got over being annoyed I reached for a sweater, found my my hat and went out to face the day.  In a way, that's the life of an entrepreneur. You have your plans, you have your ideas and then something happens. So you have to dig around in your closet and find a tool or technique a new hat. Put it on and get ready to face the day. That's what you need to do today, find your hat and get ready to face the day. 

I was so excited to have another chance to talk to Andrea Liebross, a business and life coach who specializes in empowering female entrepreneurs.  This time our conversation revolved around how women owners can think big, manage like a CEO, and achieve success in both their professional and personal lives. Andrea shares insights from her new book, "She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and Into the Extraordinary." She outlines four key steps for becoming a big thinker, someone who makes decisions based on their future self and goals. The first step is to consider all your thought options, which means choosing thoughts that lead to positive feelings and desired actions. Next, Andrea emphasizes the importance of targeting the real problem, often rooted in a desire to avoid negative emotions. She encourages embracing uncertainty and ambiguity, recognizing that the future is uncertain and that we can't control every aspect of our journey. Lastly, seeking support is vita

In this podcast interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jan Cavelle, a seasoned entrepreneur from the UK with a wealth of experience in running micro and small businesses. She is the author of two books, "Scale for Success" and "Start for Success," aimed at helping aspiring and growing entrepreneurs. She has also contributed an article as a guest author to my new collection of essays. We discussed the common issue of small businesses wasting time and money on marketing. Jan emphasized the importance of skepticism when dealing with marketing offers and recognizing that there are countless get-rich-quick schemes that prey on business owners' fears. She suggested thoroughly researching any potential marketing supplier and not being swayed by fear-based sales tactics. One key takeaway was to measure results accurately to determine the effectiveness of different marketing strategies. Jane's insights are incredibly valuable for small business owners looking to manage their marketing efforts efficiently and a

I know. you think we're living in a visual video world.  Maybe you believe  and you don't need to write anything anymore.  But that just isn't true. No matter what happens in the world of content it starts with words. So I really enjoyed chatting with Erin Lebacqz about the challenges people face when starting to write and tips on effective writing techniques for both informational and emotional impacts. Erin provides valuable advice on initiating writing, combatting "Blank Screen Paralysis," and how to engage readers effectively. She underscores the importance of addressing both the informational and emotional aspects of communication. For conveying information clearly, she suggests using direct and concise language, reducing bureaucratic or formal tone, and using verbs effectively to provide a call to action. This approach ensures that readers can easily understand and engage with the content. She also touches on the use of AI in content creation and the need to balance AI-generated content with a human tou

​When you create your brand you are investing in something that should last for the long haul. The colors, the fonts and your overall style guide should remain fairly consistent over the life of your brand.  However, sometimes your business changes and when it does you might want to consider rebranding. Maybe you want a more mature look, something more representative of. and established company. Or, in my case as I let go of my agency I'm looking to change my branding to create an image that is more about me so I'm going through a rebrand process right now. I'm doing the things you need to do if you're serious about rebranding.  I'm thinking about what I want my brand to represent, what I want people to think and when they see the More than a Few Words logo. The process is about the fonts. the colors and the style.  And, it's not easy, but if it's done right it will be a brand that will last.

In this interview, I was excited to invite Patty Farmer, to join me once again for a quick conversation.  This time we dove into how to integrate marketing and sales activities to benefit your business. It all starts by setting specific and measurable goals for both marketing and sales efforts, establishing benchmarks to track success. Patty explains the importance of reverse engineering goals, starting with the ultimate sales goal and working backward to determine the steps and content needed to engage potential customers. Collecting data and understanding customer behaviors is crucial to tailor marketing and sales strategies effectively. Patty also advises business owners to build a tribe of like-minded businesses serving the same target audience, fostering collaboration and simplicity in reaching potential clients. Finally, in addition to your marketing channel, Patty encourages businesses to build connections with others who cater to the same target audience, working together to achieve mutual success.  I

​The goal of every page on your website is to get visitors to do something. Maybe that's fill out a contact form, pick up the phone to call you, download an e-book, register for an event or sign up for your newsletter. No matter what it is you want customers to do the best way to get them to do that is to have a clear call to action on the page. CTA's come in all shapes and sizes as they're scattered through your website. However, the one on your homepage, that primary CTA needs to be the most important thing you want  visitors to, so be bold with your call to action. Don't be afraid to create something that catches their eye. It's okay to use all caps on a CTA. . I know it feels as if you are shouting at them. But you just spent time, money or other resources to drive traffic to your website. It's okay to shout just a little bit. Use powerful words. Don't just say submit. Give people a reason to take the next step. Don't miss this, learn more  or enroll today. Get started create compelling calls to action an

Why did I invite Lisa McDonald, a certified career coach  to join me for a conversation?  You are not looking for a job, but you are probably looking for employees, And Lisa is probably working with those potential employees, telling them not to apply for a job with your company.  In this lively conversation, we talk about the mistakes employers make starting with job descriptions that don't really reflect the company to interviews that go completely off the rails.  This is one conversation you need to listen to, before you try to hire your next employee. 

More than just marketing hype, your brand is about creating an impression of your company in the mind of your prospective customer. It is the basis on which all your other marketing should be built. More than ten years ago, Allison Carter and I discussed how a brand position defines who you are and who you serve.  It isn't marketing copy, but a clear outline of what you want customers to think about when they hear your name. A positioning statement contains the following elements: Description of the target customer Benefits sought by the target customer to solve a specific problem Your unique solution

My friend Michelle McNally, the Executive Vice President of Customer Success for BoxCrush dropped by to talk about the importance of safeguarding digital assets, including passwords and resources. We talked about the key elements  business owners should have control over to ensure the security and accessibility of their online assets. Michelle highlights the common challenges faced by business owners and marketing departments when it comes to managing these assets. She stresses the importance of having access to domain ownership and Google properties, such as Analytics, Search Console, Tag Manager, Google Ads, and Google Business Profile, to create a robust online presence. The conversation also delves into the necessity of having contingency plans and multiple accounts to ensure access in case an individual or agency loses access or control. Michelle emphasizes the need for business owners to be actively involved in maintaining ownership of these assets and not solely relying on agencies. They discuss the in

When asked about their branding style, I often hear business owners say they "want to look like Apple." They admire the clean, sleek design. They imagine their brand will seem modern, authentic, high-tech, hip, cool and smart if they incorporate some of the same style elements into their brand. But it is usually a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple's branding for Apple. It just rarely works out for other brands. Why? Business owners won't walk the talk. Apple styling requires lots of white space in your design. The clean, minimal effect is created by using color sparingly and keeping fonts to one or two styles. The Apple brand is stark, and most business owners can't resist the urge to clutter the designs. When faced with their brand in Apple style, they ask for more text, maybe a cute piece of clip art or a stock photo. The result is visually confusing. Not every brand should look like Apple. It's okay if you don't look like Apple. One of the cool things about the world of branding is the diversity o

In this podcast episode of "More than a Few Words," host Lorraine Ball interviews Geoffrey Klein, a story expert, TEDx speaker, and content producer, about creating captivating content. Klein's new book, "The Content Beast," serves as a guide to crafting remarkable content. The conversation revolves around the challenge of making content stand out and the art of storytelling. Klein suggests that a key element of compelling content is understanding and catering to the audience. He introduces the concept of the "eleventh commandment": knowing your audience. Instead of making content solely about oneself or the business, it should be geared towards the audience's needs, interests, and pain points. Klein proposes a simple yet powerful storytelling structure called the "Story Pad," which includes the elements of Pain (beginning), Answer (middle), and Difference (end). By identifying the audience's problems, offering solutions, and illustrating the transformative impact of those solutions, content can resonate more

​I had a wonderfully, thought-provoking conversation with Jon Rogers about a unique strategy for business growth – the idea of buying businesses rather than building them from scratch. Jon shares his insights into how wealth accumulation is often driven by acquiring and merging existing businesses rather than starting from the ground up. He emphasizes that these principles can be applied by anyone, not just the top 1% of wealthy individuals, and explains how the lower 99% can also benefit from this approach. Lorraine is intrigued by this unconventional strategy, and John goes on to discuss the reasons behind the appeal of buying businesses instead of building them. The interview delves into practical steps for those interested in pursuing this strategy. He provides a step-by-step guide on how to get started with business acquisition, including identifying the type of business to buy, how to structure the purchase, and various financing options that make it accessible to those with limited capital. He highligh

Are you clocking in early and burning the midnight oil every single day? As a small business owner you may feel that is required to get ahead, but it doesn't have to be the pattern for your days. It's not when you waltz in, but how well you dance as you hit the floor. The art of time management is an elusive dance, but here are a few simple steps that will help you glide to success. Create a daily to-do list. Instead of drowning in a sea of week-long and month-long chores use this lean list of the musts for the day ahead to help you get things done. Whether you wield the inked charm of old-school notepads or the digital finesse of tools like Insightly or Todoist, the magic lies in breaking the workload into bite-sized chunks. Today's tasks stay in the spotlight; the rest wait their turn. Master the art of the elegant "No." Don’t put stress and pressure on yourself by taking on additional tasks when you know you can’t complete your current workload. You’re setting yourself up for failure. If you have to add a