The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the founder and CEO of SJO Investments, Scott Oots. Scott owns a real estate investment firm based in southern California. They buy about 200 houses annually, mainly in the fix and flip and wholesaling industries. He also coaches young entrepreneurs and investors on how to take the first steps in their business journeys and get to the next level. Josh and Scott explore what makes Scott unique as an investor. He shares that he didn’t come from money – he built everything he has from scratch. His parents worked nine-to-five jobs and he wanted something different. This is what Scott encourages his clients to do – strive for the “different” they desire in life. There’s so much more to life than grinding for a company at a corporate job, and this is what Scott seeks to help others learn. Scott also explains why he thinks investors should add real estate to their portfolio. We all know there is long term wealth and passive income opportunities within real estate. There are many ways to get into real estate investing and the long term return on investments, when things are done right, is unmatched. But where do you draw the lines between active versus passive investing?Buying, fixing, and flipping is the “active” side of real estate investing. You always get good returns when you make strategic active investment choices. Short term investments make you a lot of money quickly through active investing. Long term investments, more passive ones, bring you more wealth over time. The best part about real estate investing is that you can get creative with how you decide to diversify your real estate portfolio. Josh and Scott also explore where beginners should start. You don’t need a lot of money to start, Scott says. If you want to get into passive investment properties, first find where you want to have your first investment. Choose location based on the market, return on investment, which way the state leans when it comes to tenants and landlords, property taxes, and more. Scott recommends landlord-friendly states to start with. Scott shares the work he does today. He and his team help investors get to the next level, make smart deals, avoid common investor mistakes, and more. Scott says he really wants to help other investors succeed and thrive and this is why he offers speaking engagements and coaching work. Want to learn more? Check out SJO Investments’s website at https://guestio.com/. Check out Scott Oots’s website at https://www.scottoots.com/.  Check out Scott Oots on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-oots-3a2b341b/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge talks to content strategist, writer, and podcaster with Simple Creative Marketing, Anfernee Chansamooth.Simple Creative Marketing focuses on producing customer success stories and case studies for B2B service and SaaS companies. They typically work with 7-figure or more companies on assets to help them sell more. Content creation and marketing has to be executed effectively in order to scale at that level. Anfernee shares that they conduct marketing audits for the companies they work with when they begin working together. Seeing where existing marketing needs to be pivoted is the first step in actually seeing higher conversion rates. You have to narrow down the content that works for selling versus content that works to build a brand. When someone is evaluating a product or service, they want tangible proof and case studies to convince them the solution will work for them. This is the hurdle service providers need to overcome when scaling. Josh and Anfernee also discuss the differences between a testimonial and a case study. Testimonials are short and can definitely be executed wrong. When they’re jargon riddled or a copywriter wrote it for you, it won’t resonate with your audience. A case study, on the other hand, offers engagement context, methodology details, and why working with you really made a difference. A case study also needs to speak to the long term impact from working with your solution. This is where case studies really work better than testimonials – it tells someone the story behind your value proposition and what sets your company apart from your competitors. You need to prove you can deliver, especially when scaling above 7-figures. Josh also explores some common problems he sees with testimonials. A random name and last initial doesn’t resonate with a prospect when it comes to attributing a testimonial. You need to connect your testimonials and case studies to the audiences reading them. Introduce the person to your leads - show them why your case study, review, or testimonial subject is just like the prospect. If you don’t tell that story clearly through them, it won’t hit home or resonate. Give the case study the authority and credibility to speak to the rest of your audience. Your ad results need to achieve the specific goals and KPIs you set, but you have to deliver your messaging with emotion. Show your audience where they fit into the story of your solution. Show them with empathy and tangible proof that you can be the solution to their problem. Want to learn more? Check out Simple Creative Marketing’s website at https://www.simplecreativemarketing.com/. Check out Simple Creative Marketing on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-creative-marketing/. Check out Simple Creative Marketing's free goodies for listeners of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur at https://www.simplecreativemarketing.com/upmyinfluence/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass. 

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the CEO of Guestio, Travis Chappell. Guestio is a pay-to-play platform marketplace that allows you to book yourself onto quality podcasts – or, if you’re a podcast, you can find amazing guests. This platform brings quality creators and guests together through Guestio’s network. Guestio’s users are all dedicated to excellent podcasting and this is why they’re a paid platform. This platform ensures that serious, dedicated podcasters meet high-level guests. The best part is that Guestio allows each guest to charge an appearance fee as much as podcasts can charge an interview fee, so everyone is paid for their talent. Podcasting won’t necessarily bring you a windfall of traffic, but the traffic you will get will be ready to buy from you. Podcasting reaches an untapped audience and begins the know, like, and trust process organically. If someone wants to listen to you host or guest on a podcast for the entire length of a show, they’re already starting to like you. This is what makes podcasting so valuable. It may not be a massive quantity, but the leads that come from podcasting will always be quality, organic leads. Travis shares a valuable insight; you need to own your name when it comes to online authority and ranking. You need to build a strong network and make efforts to rank online in order to have reach and authority. One of the best ways to establish this authority and credibility is to be a guest on podcasts. Tell your story and get yourself in front of audiences. Podcasting, for many reasons, should be a part of your monthly budget, Travis advises. Travis and Josh discuss Guestio’s concierge service and how their offerings can manage someone’s podcasting bookings entirely. On the other hand, they also have “do it yourself” services. Guestio has offerings for companies at various levels of growth and revenue. Travis also shares how to charge for interviews as a creator. If you have more demand than you have guest slots, chances are you can start charging appearance fees. Beyond that, you can offer a “skip the line” offering that’s optional for those that want faster interviews and publishing dates. Monetizing your show appearances, or monetizing yourself as talent, has been made seamless by Guestio’s platform. Travis shares that there are many common mistakes when it comes to monetizing a podcast and he stresses that you’re not selling out if you monetize. There’s real value to an interview when your podcast is an established, authoritative platform.Want to learn more? Check out Guestio’s website at https://guestio.com/. Check out Guestio on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/guestio/. Check out Travis Chappell on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/travischappell/.  Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with keynote speaker, coach, and founder of Phenom Leap Education, David Lindsay.Phenom Leap Education was born during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, David explains. David’s face-to-face coaching business was suddenly totally on hold. He and some like minded friends in his network came together and created their courses online. From there, they founded Phenom Leap Education in order to enable them to have a global, virtual impact on their audience. Now, they’re interacting with audiences all over the world. David explains that he and his team help small to mid-level business owners who have hit a wall. He and his team helps to bridge that gap by helping them become better leaders and better versions of themselves. He shares that business owners who are plodding along and spinning their wheels and aren’t gaining momentum need to tackle making a bigger impact. Face-to-face coaching was reliant on local business, but the pandemic changed how the world communicates. Specifically, David strives to help middle management with the heat they receive on both ends. Building a robust middle management team is key to bridging some of the gaps with business stagnation. David shares that he sees many leaders losing momentum. As a coach, your role is to always push them to execute their roles optimally. Every link of the chain in a business has to be strong, but it needs to be through legitimate team building. If you bond your team through friendship, studies have shown people feel more community and are willing to work harder with their team, David shares. The smallest level of engagement with your team can add up, and creating a healthy, vibrant company culture can really make a difference. You have to do the work to create a dedicated team like this – your actions need to speak louder than words. Show your team you’re dedicated to success by creating strength and healthy habits within yourself. Sometimes, this means taking things one day at a time. If you make a little-by-little effort each day to change your habits, you’ll actually be more successful in changing your habits. If you take your time and change a little each day, you’ll see the openings you need to excel and become a better leader. There is a mental long game being played here, David explains. You have to have the discipline to keep going with healthy habits.David also shares that staying grounded and present is key. Condition yourself to being present in every moment, for every interaction and decision, and avoid multitasking. Multitasking pulls you away from the moment that matters – the present.   Check out the Phenom Leap Education’s website at https://www.phenomleap.com.au/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass. 

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the owner and founder of the G$D Agency Accelerator, Cody Getchell. Cody shares that he and G$D focus on traffic, sales, and systems. He and his business partner have worked around 15 years in the agency space. They found the most important, key aspects of successful scaling involved all three of those areas. He shares that G$D is all about getting stuff done – and they hold their clients accountable for the steps required to see success. Their dedication to accountability is what sets G$D apart. Cody and Josh also explore what works well right now in marketing. He shares that you have to be authentic and personable. Your personality needs to shine through your messaging, and when you do this correctly, you create permission-based marketing within your organic network. This means they will come to your content and take the next step in the relationship with you. This framework is very different from what most outbound marketing looks like today, which isn’t typically based on the lead’s permission or interest in you. This is how you build scalable, real relationships in the coaching space. This is what G$D teaches. They fight strongly against spam, which has unfortunately saturated the space. When you have effective targeting and messaging, you’ll have leads coming to you out of genuine interest. Josh explores the pressure many early-stage business owners feel and that it can push them to follow bad advice from sleazy marketers. Don’t listen to outdated, bad marketing tactics by sliding into DMs. Explore the levels of your clients’ relationships with you, Cody says. You can’t fool your target audience, period. You shouldn’t just talk to random strangers or throw a clickfunnel at someone. You need to see who is engaging with your content and go from there. Engage back with them too, and open the door to having a conversation with them. Letting this be the foundation of your outbound marketing is both ethical and effective; the key is to dial in your targeting and operate with a permission-based marketing model. It needs to be the right time for your lead to become your customer, and that comes in relationship stages that only you can nurture organically over time. Ultimately, you want your prospects to be relaxed and comfortable with you. Talk to them, be authentic, and be their friend. People buy from and network with their friends, so be a friend to your prospects and be invested in their journeys. Check out the G$D Agency Accelerator’s website at https://joingsd.com/. Check out Cody Getchell on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/codygetchell/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge talks with the President of Blaze PR, Matt Kovacs.Blaze PR is a lifestyle agency that focuses on challenger brands. They want to help these brands make their marketing dollars go that much farther, especially in the lifestyle space. They have an opportunity to work in numerous mediums with the flexibility of their vertical, so they’re not pigeon-holed into antiquated solutions. Blaze PR helps brands break the noise through creative, cutting edge approaches. Josh and Matt explore how PR brands tend to be apprehensive about eating their own dogfood, so to speak. Blaze PR hasn’t shied away from setting themselves apart and using their own processes. They like showing their clients that they’re on top of things and believe in their own systems. Matt explains the ‘imagination process’ that comes into play when helping brands stand out. They first conduct a media perception audit and they explore what media think of a brand. Next, they look at who a brand is trying to reach. Who is their target audience, what do they care about? These are the questions Blaze PR asks when navigating the creative side of marketing for a brand. Josh and Matt also discuss how influencer marketing has begun to dominate many industries. When do you know when to pursue influencer marketing versus traditional marketing? Blaze PR applies both approaches strategically. They know that morning television reaches more members of a household than influencer marketing on YouTube does. Traditional media still reaches the general consumer, Matt shares. Influencer marketing is extremely focused, and it can work, but not for all niches. It all depends on the audience you need to reach and the channels you use need to match your brand’s messaging. You have to be cognizant of exactly who is watching your advert or content, even using traditional methods. Matt also shares one of the biggest issues he sees in PR. When he sees the false promises agencies make about what they can get for their clients, it really creates a false set of expectations within the space. The reality is that big media appearances in the traditional marketing sense take time. Blaze PR also loves podcasting. They strategically search for hosts that gel well with their clients. Every piece of what they do is tailored to the company they’re working with. By always being strategic with moves towards visibility, you’ll have a lot of amazing content with untapped reach. You can also convey way more in a positive podcast appearance than you can in an Instagram post. Podcasting is an opportunity to share your company’s vision, in your own words, with your audience. ‘Want to learn more? Check out Blaze PR’s website at http://blazepr.com/. Check out Blaze PR on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/blaze-pr/. Check out Matt Kovacs on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjkovacs/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass. 

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge talks to the CEO of Executive Ownershift, Dan Norenberg .Executive Ownershift is the framework Dan created for executive and strategic teams to help them improve their leadership skills and organizational results. Dan shares his background and explains how he ended up living in Europe. Dan shares that he was able to follow his desires to live there by adapting to constraints. He looked for marketing and sales roles he could serve in, but he recognized that what he needed was coaching and training to be ready to work where he lived in Germany. He became self employed ultimately, and that’s how he’s lived ever since. Josh and Dan explore the importance of making your team feel a part of something more. Dan says you have to explore where the culture of employee engagement starts in your business. You need to start engaging at the bottom, not the top. Executives who are self-aware enough to want to improve their leadership skills often work with solo coaches. Dan says this is where his services differ; Dan coaches entire leadership teams, as teams. Leadership is a team construct in Dan’s eyes, and this is why he coaches in this fashion.Dan and Josh also talk about how engagement needs to happen within your company. Don’t just tell your team what to do, inspire them to follow in your footsteps. You need to show your team through actions that you want to engage with them and that you care. They also talk about also having people at all levels in an organization engage with customers. If things should be customer-centric, commit your team to excellence down to the individual employee. You also need to create a culture around the company’s mission. Talk to your team about the positive impact they make and encourage them to feel community in the shared vision of the organization. Dan explains that there are three areas of immediate opportunity for improvement that can be addressed in leadership teams across industries. For one, do they have a clear and worthy goal for future success? It’s hard to make a goal both clear and worthwhile in this day and age. Next, dedicate yourself to continuous improvement and excellence in your leadership team. If you aren’t driving that constant improvement at a leadership level, you won’t see results with the rest of your team. Finally, work on the business, not in the business. Don’t lose track of the ultimate goal by getting caught in the weeds. ‘Want to learn more? Check out Executive Ownershift’s website at https://www.dannorenberg.com/. Check out Executive Ownershift on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/dan-norenberg-executive-ownershift/. Check out Dan Norenberg on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannorenberg/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the CEO of LeadRoll, Tyler Kemp. LeadRoll works with high-ticket companies to help them scale exponentially, up into the multi millions. LeadRoll gets rid of the bad outbound marketing approaches and ‘growth hacks’ without cutting corners. They get guaranteed results on a performance basis. They fill their clients’ closers’ calendars with qualified leads who will convert. As long as what the company offers works, LeadRoll can help them scale. Josh and Tyler explore the importance of using lead lists with buyer intent, but also with creating a relationship with your prospects. Sliding into someone’s DMs for transactional conversations isn’t relationship building. Tactically, you have to have your messaging dialed in. Tyler also explores the reality of successful lead generation. Having a good list is only one piece of the puzzle. LeadRoll has this down to a science, and inevitably, you have to know your math from the start with your lead gen. Many companies finish with where they should only be starting. Always continue fine tuning. High relevancy and high-level, high-touch marketing is vital. Tyler shares that LeadRoll has made its fair share of mistakes, but the key differentiator for them is that they learn and pivot each time. They keep going until they get it right. Another important thing to accept is that some leads simply won’t buy sometimes. Organic leads have to work so specifically and go well enough each time to work. With mostly organic leads, people fall out of your funnel rather than into it. You have to have some outbound leadgen going, but you have to do it right. It can’t be automated and it can’t be cookie cutter. You will simply waste time and money because making the investment for an expensive, effective approach isn’t often the first choice. You need to have relevant, personalized messaging. You won’t find that with a widget or automation tool.  Every step has to be precise and controlled, and LeadRoll isn’t secretive about their processes. They offer free education on their website that covers their systems and how they apply and execute their strategies. Their work is effective because there is no secret sauce; they have the data and the experience behind their processes to see amazing success when scaling businesses. Anyone can try to fill their calendar, but it has to be done right to see maximum conversions, and this is where most businesses fall flat. Want to learn more? Check out LeadRoll’s website at https://www.leadroll.co/.   Check out LeadRoll on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/venturetactics/. Check out Tyler Kemp on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjkemp/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby, the co-founders of Results Imagery. They’re also the co-hosts of Biz Bros. Results Imagery was founded about 6 years ago and they help brands and agencies create exceptional photos and videos. Ultimately, this support will generate more revenue and customers for the companies they work with. They have an eCommerce background and they understand how to use imagery and content to excel in the eCommerce space. This is what sets Results Imagery apart – they have an innate understanding of having great media behind your eCommerce brand. Having images showcasing the features of your product in a way that evokes emotion is key. You need a beautiful, high quality image to tell a story for the consumer. Using amazing imagery is the first real touch point in the customer journey, so it needs to leave a lasting and effective impression. This is how consumers buy today. When you purchase online, you’re going off of visuals. An image needs to perform well on conversion just as much as traditional marketing needs to.Eli and Kyle explore how they’ve gathered insights over the years regarding effective eCommerce imagery. They look at the metrics and results of a company’s past efforts against their work with Results Imagery. This is how they fine tune their process and stay on the cutting edge of branding imagery. The first set of images is going to be a good indicator of market fit. Use fantastic imagery and see what the market says; this will give you a realistic idea of current market trends. Josh, Eli, and Kyle also explore the oversaturation of bad stock images in the small to medium-size business space. If you want to effectively tell your brand’s story through imagery, you won’t do it with outdated stock photos. The consumer knows when they’re seeing a curated stock photo. When you’re driving online traffic, the first images consumers see need to convert immediately. Only after that should you talk about product reviews and community. A good photo can truly speak a thousand words in this case. Some of the biggest insights Eli and Kyle learned came from raw conversations with their clients. They’ve made major pivots already to stay relevant and effective as they’ve learned valuable lessons over time. They’re only just getting started, they share, and they love the creative impact they have on their clients’ businesses. Want to learn more? Check out Results Imagery’s website at https://www.resultsimagery.com/. Check out The Biz Bros on their website, https://www.bizbros.io/. Check out Results Imagery on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/results-imagery/. Check out Eli Libby at https://www.linkedin.com/in/elilibby/. Check out Kyle Nelson on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylenelson1/ . Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to Fortuna Advisors’ Gregory Milano.Fortuna Advisors works with companies to help them embrace leadership culture. As companies grow, they need more help in behaving like they’re in it for the long haul. If you set the bar low, it becomes too easy to reach your goal. Shoot higher and set ambitious goals for your team to try to achieve. This will curb the mediocrity of setting the bar low. First of all, set a measure of performance that’s a single and complete measure. How Fortuna does this is to measure the cash profits of a company against the expected return of the investors. Once you measure this value, you should measure it against last year’s performance, not ‘the plan.’ Better is always the goal, so you need to compare these KPIs against your plan for the new year and how it might compare to previous performance.  Even if your goal is to optimize things for your investors, Gregory explains, you need to care just as much about both the employee and the customer experience. The only way to do this is to care about innovation. Companies that innovate and speak on social issues and advocate for their customers, employees, and communities tend to see massive growth and revenue. Your goal should always be to make your company a better version of itself. If you don’t actually pay attention to what needs to innovate to grow your business, it won’t, plain and simple. Gregory shares a story about a medical tech company his team worked with that pivoted from prioritizing stock buybacks to focusing more on research and development. Making these changes added services to their product-based offerings to keep revenue going. The results were staggering. Their revenue shot up, client and employee retention went up, they grew their team and client base, and went on to help even more patients. Not only did the business grow and see unprecedented success, but their positive impact on the world grew, too. This all came with a pivot that focused on leadership culture. The key is to be willing and able to embrace change. Innovation isn’t always easy or simple to attain. You have to commit yourself to ambitious excellence and be open to new systems. This takes aligning yourself and your team with leadership culture, and this is where Fortuna Advisors can help. Want to learn more? Check out Fortuna Advisors’ website at https://fortuna-advisors.com/.  Check out Fortuna Advisors on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortuna-advisors-llc/. Check out Gregory Milano on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-milano/. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:✅ We are actively booking guests for our DAILY Entrepreneur Success Podcast. Schedule HERE.✅ Are you a 6-figure consultant? Let us fill your sales schedule and move you to 7-figures. Learn more here.✅ Check out our free Authority Transformation Masterclass.