No BS Mastery Podcast

What does it really take to scale a one to two person branding agency to $30,000 months without employees?Every business has a lot of moving parts, and most of us have tried different things to make it work, but it really does come down to some fundamental truths.The No BS Blueprint to 30K, which I developed over years of experience and that I now teach to agency owners, breaks it down to three phases that are specific to our industry.Before we dive into each phase, I’m going to give you an overview of what it takes to scale an agency without employees, so you can take your business to the next level.Tune into this episode to hear:The three phases of a $30K-month small agencyHow client marketing differs from authority marketingHow the $30K Blueprint gets you out of the feast and famine cycleWhen and how to build authorityResources:No BS Blueprint to $30KNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Everybody wants to be authentic and to have a unique voice in everything they do — from their blog posts to social media updates to their podcast episodes. But how does one find and develop their voice?This episode is brimming with voice. But just like Laura Belgray’s recently published book, this isn’t a “how to” episode. Instead, this conversation is a shining  example of how it is to be ‘out there’ with your own flag, with your unmistakable voice, and just being you. Laura Belgray is an award-winning copywriter, founder of Talking Shrimp, and author of Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F'ing Worst. She's written TV spots for clients like NBC, Fandango and Bravo; and she helps entrepreneurs find words that make buyers go bananas. Her course with Marie Forleo, The Copy Cure, helps you find your voice and sell your anything.Tune into this episode to hear:Excerpts and behind-the-scenes from her recently published book, Tough TittiesHow to add context and connection to your writing without losing your audienceHow Laura got around the challenges of writing about real people from her lifeHow Laura tapped into her own talent and what that really looks Learn more about Laura Belgray:Talking ShrimpTough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F-Ing Worst60-Minute Makeover Copywriting Mini-CourseResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

It’s tempting to think you can create a digital product, sit back, and let the money roll in. But it’s not that simple.Selling digital products and other forms of “passive income” takes a LOT of work to get up and running. There’s nothing passive about passive income.Today I’m digging into the biggest misconceptions about “passive” products, what it takes to create and sell them, and what you should be doing instead if you want to make money in the short term. Tune into this episode to hear:The real math behind creating and selling my online coursesHow passive income marketing only gives you a snapshot of the truth about selling digital productsThe time, effort, and investment that led to being able to sell courses without paying for adsWhat you should be doing to bring in profit in the short term and how it benefits the long game of passive income productsWhy it’s worth working with experts to level up your game, but you still need to be the special sauce in your productResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

The experience of the seller when selling low-priced services may be different from their experience when selling high-priced services.But from the buyer’s perspective, it requires the same thing: Trust.This is why the Lead Product is the best first step to let the buyer experience your authority, process and solution to their problem. When the Lead Product experience is done right, you’ll be able to guide them to see that you’re the person they’d want to hire. Today, I want to talk about what it takes to convert your Lead Product clients to your premium-priced service. And not just saying yes, but saying yes without pushback.Tune into this episode to hear:How lack of trust drives pushback in the traditional proposal process and how the lead product process builds that trustHow asking thoughtful questions and really listening in the interview call builds trustWhy a clear, concise brief makes it easier for clients to sign on for premium servicesResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Why did you start your branding agency?I’m guessing it was because you love the creative work you were doing as a graphic designer or copywriter at an agency and you loved executing the work so you decided to strike out on your own.And I’m going to guess that selling your services is your least favorite part of running your own agency.I talk about sales here a lot precisely because so many people hate it. And you can’t have a successful business if you don’t know how to sell your services.My goal with all of the No BS Agency strategies is to help you take the ickiness out of sales so you can connect with people who are a great fit for your services. I want you to be able to make it feel less like a sales transaction and more like a meeting of the minds. If you can do that, you might even start to like the sales process.So for the next month, I’m going to break down the process of selling low-ticket services, high-ticket services, and digital products, because these three areas are very different experiences for you as the seller, and for your buyers.Today I'm gonna talk about what has to happen when you're selling a low-priced service.Tune into this episode to hear:Who you’re really marketing low-priced services toHow to structure a fit callWhy low-ticket services need to be clear, concise, and ready to offerWhy you don’t want to pitch the whole project before you build trustResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

I am so excited to welcome a very special guest to the podcast today, Amanda Dahler.Amanda is the founder of Outspoke Design. She is an audience experience architect and communication expert who specializes in engaging events and experiences. She uses brand, experience, and visual design to create awesome audience content for transformative coaches, consultants, and leaders. Her services amplify the power of your work, increase your credibility, give your audience an unforgettable experience, and grow your business.Amanda’s journey with the No BS Agencies Mastery Program started even before I officially launched it. And by using these methods, she has not only doubled her revenue but cut her working hours in half. I have loved watching Amanda level up her business and seeing her make incredible breakthroughs that had huge impacts on her revenue, income, and lifestyle. I love how Amanda’s brain works, and I'm excited to share her story with you.Tune into this episode to hear:The major shift Amanda had to make in her mindset to allow her to go from billing hours to billing projectsHow Amanda makes the Lead Product process work for herHow freeing up time to focus on more valuable projects doubled Amanda’s profitabilityWhy you need to take a big-picture view of your business and not get bogged down in the day-to-dayLearn more about Amanda Dahler:Outspoke DesignResources:E. 137: [Finding Leads] Amanda Dahler on The Most Effective Way to Do Lead GenerationNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Chasing profit is not the same as chasing revenue. But most people in the small agency world confuse the two. And I believe this is one of the main reasons why they are not as successful in their business as they want to be, or should be!It’s only by prioritizing profit that you can build a business that gives you the freedom and flexibility you want.But this requires not only differentiating profit from revenue. It requires a change in mindset, a different way of looking at your time, and how you price your services. Tune into this episode to hear:The number one thing people leave out when calculating profitabilityDoing the math on revenue versus profit in two scenariosWhy you have to account for the time it takes to grow your business, not just your client workThe difference between owning a business and being an outsourced employeeResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

“We'll help you stand out from the competition.”That's what most branding agencies say they're going to help you do.And yet, these days standing out feels harder and harder. Everybody’s trying to stand out. And when everybody does what makes them seem different, it starts to all look the same.One of the first things I teach inside the No BS Agency Mastery Program is the importance of shining to your ideal clients.And while there is some overlap with standing out, it’s actually a different approach.So today, I’m breaking down the difference between shining and standing out.Tune into this episode to hear:How shining connects you with your ideal clients, versus just standing out from the crowdHow getting super specific about what you do and who you do it for makes you shineWhy it pays to let your personality and point of view shine in your marketing and brandingResources:E. 145: Emily Wilkins On How Niching Down And Owning That Niche Allowed Her Business To ThriveNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Everybody wants to be seen as an expert. But that’s only going to happen if you have expertise and you position yourself as an expert.Think about your worst client experience ever. We’ve all had “nightmare” client scenarios. I’ve been in many of those myself. But once I started showing up as an expert, things changed.It turns out that I had something to do with those nightmare client scenarios — despite my best efforts and intentions. I wasn't managing expectations, and I wasn't managing the process like the leader that every project needs to succeed.I was acting like a service provider instead of acting like an expert, and that was the reason that my clients were driving me nuts.What I learned later is that the transition to expert is the key to eliminating the nightmare clients from your life forever.Tune into this episode to hear:Why being an expert means leading your clients, not taking their directionsThe key differences between service providers and experts, from how they charge to how they manage projectsWhy keeping your clients happy doesn’t always lead to the best outcomes for the projectHow to set yourself up to transition from service provider to expert even if you’re just getting startedResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

This month, we are comparing and contrasting ideas from the No BS Agency Mastery model with the way people commonly do these stuff out in the world.First up, what’s the difference between VIP Days and Intensives?When I say that we build entire brands in one-to-three day intensives, people often think of VIP days. Which makes them question how we can possibly build an entire brand and a bespoke website–not a duplicated template–in one to three days.How is that even possible?It’s possible because we’re doing intensives, not VIP days. And today, I’m going to explain the difference.Tune into this episode to hear:The benefits of VIP Days for your hourly rate and your projectsThe risks inherent in VIP DaysWhen VIP Days are the best answerThe benefits of Intensives for you and your clientThe drawbacks and biggest risks to IntensivesWhy Intensives is the better model long-termResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com