The Authority Builder Podcast

Many times, whether it’s at work, in your personal relationships, or in your business, you feel powerless. Things are going wrong—sometimes very wrong—and you can’t seem to do anything about it.   Not so, says Bryan Falchuk. He shares some simple techniques that will help you recognize your influence and get back the power you actually do have.  Listen in to get the details on that, as well as......

You’re ready to grow your business—and that means more clients. But if you just go out into the world and are willing to take on anyone with money who will hire you… you’re going about it all wrong.    Sure, you might make some money in the short-term, but you won’t have sustainable growth.   Instead, you should be very clear on who your ideal client is and then find specific people who fit the pr...

It’s a mantra you’ve heard before: Work on your business, not in it. Easier said than done, right?    But, says Mandi Ellefson, it can be achieved… you can scale up your professional services strategically… by finding the right team to run your day-to-day operations, which frees you up to do the work you enjoy most while growing your business – and profits.   As an expert consultant or professiona...

You might think a sale is just about a customer or client paying you. But that’s just one part of the whole customer experience.    It starts with your first contact, how you create credibility, and everything else you do to make it more likely they’ll not just take your offer, but also stay with you long-term.   It’s a concept called sales choreography, and I’ll be exploring that topic in depth....

Small business owners have a lot on their plate: marketing, product development, sales, hiring, expenses… that’s a recipe for overwhelm, says Adam Lean. And, all too often, what takes a backseat are the financials– the numbers that gauge the true health of your business. Are you living with the attitude of “if I make more money, my finances will take care of themselves,” or “besides, that’s why I...

When you charge clients by the hour or project for your consulting or professional services, you end up trading your time for money, says business building and marketing expert Frank Bria. And you, as one person (or even if you have a small team), can only do so much. In fact, you probably do too much for some clients “off the clock.”    That means your profit potential is limited.    But you can...

Skip Weisman specializes in helping small businesses radically transform their work environment, making for a more positive and productive company culture – which boosts profits.   Skip draws from his own journey as he advises clients as they make this type of shift. After 20 years working in pro baseball, serving as CEO for five different franchises, he needed a change. He turned the page to the...

Every business needs marketing to bring in potential new clients. But there is no one “right” way to market your services… no one-size-fits-all solution to get new leads… not even for very similar businesses in the same industry or niche.   What marketing strategy will work for you? To figure it out, you have to take stock of your business objectives, then you tailor your marketing to achieve thos...

Do you have to be cutthroat to be successful in business? No, says Jonathan Keyser, not even in the most competitive industries.   He knows from personal experience. For a long time, he was ruthless as he built his commercial real estate career. But he was also miserable and knew there had to be another way.    When he started helping others… being of service… he was more successful than others. H...

Can you guess the #1 source of new customers and clients for businesses? It’s not marketing or advertising. It’s actually still referrals and word-of-mouth.   There’s nothing that creates trust faster than a personal recommendation. That’s all well and good, you might be saying, but it’s so hard to get even very satisfied clients to take the time and effort to refer you to their network. They’re h...

“If you run your business based on generally accepted accounting principles, you'll probably go broke.”    That’s a pretty strong statement from a CPA. But when wearing his hat as a serial multi-million dollar entrepreneur (among his companies was Ashworth Golf clothing), Jeff Prager discovered that business success didn’t depend on typical financial metrics that your accountant is probably dutifu...

As a business owner, you have any number of ways to market your services. But forget all the fancy online marketing tricks or expensive ad campaigns.    At the heart of your marketing is a technique that costs little, if anything, in dollars… and brings your business to the attention of the highest value prospects – who are essentially pre-qualified.   But before you get there you have to be reall...

Many people are reluctant to make cold calls. In fact, they’ve convinced themselves it doesn’t work… or that it makes them look desperate. But, says Wendy Weiss, those folks just aren’t doing it the right way.   Cold calling can be incredibly effective if you do two things before you ever pick up the phone. Cold calling that brings in leads and sales is not about volume, says Wendy, it’s about val...

Marketing funnels are all the rage these days. They can be a way to turn prospects into customers on autopilot. But… there is a caveat.   Funnels don’t work for certain businesses. If you’re a professional services provider or offer a “complex” product or service, it’s definitely not a good fit.   You need a different approach to your marketing. One that shows potential clients your expertise and...

Your most powerful tool for improving your business is… between your ears, says Jonathan Levi of Superhuman Academy. Jonathan says most people don’t even realize what their mind is capable of and don’t use it anywhere near its full potential.    But, with proper training, you can make better, faster decisions… see opportunities where others don’t… and find the quickest way around obstacles.   Jona...

If you’re a small business owner or professional service provider – you need a podcast. It’s a powerful tool to reach your target audience and let them get to know you. But that’s just one of the many ways – most of which you probably haven’t considered – podcasts can help you grow your business.   It’s time to reconsider your view on marketing with podcasts. One of the biggest misconceptions? The...

Years ago, Jon Schumacher saw the writing on the wall. One of his most effective marketing channels was going away. So he had to pivot to continue to talk with his audience, and he found that through webinars he was able to reach thousands at a time.    We talk about the nuts and bolts and mindset behind making big shifts like this. He shares his tricks for hosting a well-attended webinar that com...

What do you do when you have new ideas to improve your business? Unfortunately, too many entrepreneurs prefer to perfect the concept first or let the idea percolate just a bit more. In most cases, that new idea, which could be a breakthrough, is never implemented and is soon forgotten. There are ways to make sure you keep the momentum of your ideas… to find out sooner rather than later if they’ll...

You’ve built a successful business. Things are running smoothly with you at the helm. But what happens if you get sick… you want to retire… or, god forbid, you die unexpectedly.    What happens to the business? What happens to your legacy? To your family?   Too many entrepreneurs are too focused on the here and now, says Kathy Boyle of Chapin Hill Advisors, and don’t plan for the future. Turns out...

When you hear “influencer marketing,” you might picture some photoshopped celebrity on Instagram, flaunting a new lip gloss on a tropical beach to a fawning teenage audience.    But that’s just a cliche, says Shane Barker. This specialized type of marketing actually works in hundreds of niches with hundreds of different types of audiences. But it’s not just a matter of giving an influencer a produ...

The only constant in business – in life too, for that matter – is change. It’s how you confront change that matters.    For Lori Michele Leavitt, the “Pivot Catalyst,” that means careful and considered decision-making. Your next step could be bold… you might even make a complete 180 degree turn.    But, says Lori, you don’t have anything to fear if you’re in the right “environment.”    We unpack a...

Adam Lean is really all about working on our business, not in our business. Easier said than done when you’re already so busy. But to keep the lights on… and to have a company that lasts with a bright future, it’s essential.    Adam, founder of Strategy Scout, shares his strategies for being able to figure out what moves the needle most and how to concentrate your efforts there for maximum impact....

Susan Lassiter-Lyons, founder and publisher of TheIncomeInvestors.com, was all about real estate, even after the 2008 crash. But then she came to a realization that she had all her eggs in one basket.    So, she decided to diversify and seek out new opportunities to ensure the money she was making was effectively working for her.    Along the way, she discovered that reinvesting all her money back...

Many entrepreneurs don’t realize the true potential of LinkedIn to boost their online presence, be recognized as experts in their field, and, in the process, increase their ability to attract leads and sales.   LinkedIn specialist Sarah Santacroce aims to change that. And it’s not about using high tech tools or third-party apps to bring in thousands of leads.    She uses a more personal – and much...

A successful coffee shop must have great coffee. That’s a given, says Tom Vincent, founder of the Texas Coffee School.    But, says Tom, a coffee shop has to offer so much more to bring in customers… and we’re not talking scones and biscotti or comfy couches.   Tom outlines how to differentiate one coffee shop from all the others in today’s crowded marketplace. Those lessons apply to startups in a...