Ellory Wells Audio Blog

What's happening to the Ellory Wells dotcom audioblog, where we're moving, and other updates.

Do you have a great idea? Have you thought about turning that idea into a business?It can often be a challenge to find focus and clarity about what you're doing or around the adventure you're about to start. One of the benefits of participating in a mastermind is that your fellow members can help you define your business and get clarity around an idea.And that's just what happened during a mastermind call just a few months ago...

Following through is one of the best ways to build credibility, earn trust, and establish yourself as a leader. Without follow through, your credibility is damaged, your personal brand takes a hit, and your leadership will be questioned.As a leader, whether in your own company or in one you work for, following through on your commitments is a do or die, a make or break situation. Today I want to share with you the importance of follow through.

You're too old. You have no new ideas, much less good ones, and everything original is coming from the guys and girls in their twenties and thirties.It's too late. You waited too long, and it's now time to pass the torch.

Coaches see what we can't, because they're not where we are. The decision to hire a coach is a big one. To assist you, I've come up with 10 questions you should ask before you hire a coach.

Pokémon Go is the hottest app in the world right now. It broke records for most downloads, set new ones, and continues to garner more attention than any other app on any phone, ever.But why did Pokémon Go take over? Why is it so popular? And, is it here to stay?It's my turn to weigh in, and I think you might be surprised by what I have to share.

I've done it! I've figured out the math behind success. You may think I've lost it; you might think I couldn't possibly have the answer.Whatever you think is fine with me, but I've figured it out, and I'm about to share it with you. 

There's something about writing a book that makes you stand out in a crowd. Seeing your name in print carries a prestige that only a small few get to understand.On July 8, 2016, I self-published my second book. Though Exit Strategy wasn't my first book to be published or listed on Amazon, it was my first book to be available, worldwide, in paperback.If you're considering self-publishing, you might be interested in reading why I chose to do so instead of searching out a publisher.

Have you ever sat across the table from someone and tried to explain what you do, only to have them stare at you blankly?What do you do when no one knows what you do? Here's how you can clarify your message so you can build your business.

Have you ever wished you could get more done? Have you ever looked at the highly successful people in the world and wondered how they can get so much done in the same 24 hours everyone else has?

Everywhere you look there are motivational posts and inspirational articles about how to achieve everything you want in life. They have cool titles like "10 Ways to Achieve Your Dreams" or "The 3 Daily Habits Every Billionaire Keeps Doing."But success and achievement isn't always about what you should be doing. Achieving your goals isn't always about good habits and being disciplined. Sometimes you have to let go...

These days it seems everyone is calling themselves an “entrepreneur.” There’s a lot of talk about leaving your job, following your dreams, making money while you sleep, and living with passion.Each of those things is fantastic. But, there are a lot of things aspiring-entrepreneurs AREN’T hearing. There are things no one will tell you about starting a business, and I think it’s time somebody tells you.

By now, there should be no question that you should have a blog for your business. Blogs boost your sales and credibility, improved SEO, and add personality to your brand.But if you're not a writer, how do you come up with fresh content? What topics do you write about that will drive sales, bring in new clients, and boost your bottom line?

Stop Motivating People and Start Helping Them

I recently published this post about how impossible it is to be truly different in this world. I mentioned that the things which make us unique are often the things we hide because we don't want to be embarrassed or made fun of.Our quirks are our personality.And, in that post, I encouraged, well, challenged really, you to share something about you.So, to lead by example, I decided to come up with of things that I don't share that often. Some of them might be embarrassing, other might just be quirky, but they're all things about me that my friends appreciate (or only tolerate) and which make up Ellory Wells.70 Things You Might Not Know About Ellory

Sameness. Background noise. Irrelevant. Ignored. These words slap me in the face and terrify me as an entrepreneur. Like the "emo" kids and "goths" of yesteryear, we're all trying to be different, but we all look the same.Let me explain.As I see it, this the only way you can stand out, make a difference and possibly avoid the death sentence of obscurity.

Loading...loading... loading...You don't have to be a thrill seeker or race car driver to have the need for speed. When buyers bounce from websites that take longer than 3 seconds to load, your company's revenue is directly tied how long people have to wait before they get what they came for.No one likes waiting. When Microsoft came out with the original Xbox, they revolutionized the gaming industry by eliminating loading times. No more waiting around for graphics to render on the screen, we could get right into the game.Even if you don't sell products directly from your site, making your website faster will be critical to your success. If you've ever tried to read a blog post or news article only to arrive on the site and have it not load quickly, you know what I'm talking about.But there's good news! Most small businesses, bloggers, podcasters, and artists can give their site a speed boost without spending a penny. Over the past several years, I've tweaked and tested dozens of tools and techniques for making a website faster. I've found the best and came up with this list of...12 Tools to Make Your Website Faster

We're coming up on the two-year anniversary of a project I started with high expectations. That project, however, failed miserably.Success isn't about always winning. In fact, the most "successful" people out there are the ones who fail the most. Today I want to share about my project, why it failed, and why it might not be a failure after all.

In December of 2015, I transitioned from using PayPal to handle my website's payments to using Stripe. I've been with PayPal for four years.Why did I switch? Should you switch too?Let's break down the differences between Stripe and PayPal and see which solution is the best for your e-commerce business.

Do you ever feel like you should be getting more results from what you're doing? Have you looked around, seen the progress your friends, and wondered when it will be your time to finally make some money from your hobby? From your "side hustle?" 

What went well and what didn't. My hits and misses, wins and losses for 2015. How did I grow my business over 400%? Here's my 2015 Year in Review

Do you have $371,100 to open a franchise?How about $80,000 to invest in your own restaurant?So, You Want to Open Your Own ShopOnce upon a time I thought it would be fun to open a restaurant. After all, the franchise model is a popular and proven way to get started in your own business. However, after flipping burgers for a few years and having responsibility for the grease bucket, I decided the food industry wasn't for me.Though I have nothing against restaurants, fast food or franchises, the costs associated with those types of business opportunities aren't appealing to me.According to Jamba Juice's website, a new franchise owner must be ready to spend a couple hundred grand to open a store. To open a Firehouse Subs (one of my favorites), in addition to your love and devotion to sandwiches, you've got to have a "minimum of $80k to invest".So, You No Longer Want to Open Your Own ShopIf managing rent, warehouses, supply chains, utilities and overhead don't sound appealing to you, maybe an online business is more your style. Before I purchased my first domain, I had NO idea how much anything would cost. And the more people I talk to, the more people I find who are in the same boat - we just don't know the cost of starting an online business.To help demystify the costs and clarify what's needed, I've put together a list of the absolute essentials.Yes, some of these links are affiliate links, but I only provide links to services I use and recommend myself. And, these links won't cost you anything extra. So dive in!What You NeedStarting an online business is similar to starting any other business with a physical location or storefront. You need a name, a place where visitors can browse your products and a way to accept payment. Almost everything else just adds to the ambiance and personality of your business.Things like window dressings, a smiling hostess and knowledgeable staff all help people feel safe about buying from you. Their online equivalents - landing pages, appealing design, and a blog - achieve the same goal of helping people know, like and trust your business and brand. Every business needs a blog. CLICK HERE to see why. How Much Money You'll NeedIf you signed up for every service I recommend below, you could start an online business for $1,344.38 and have most of your costs covered for multiple years.Hosting ... $125.64Domain ... $9.99Landing Pages ... $97.00Email Marketing Service ... $91.80Premium Theme ... $99.95Legal Work ... $800P.O. Box ... $120Grand Total = $1,344.38 For less than $1400, you could start an online business, sell your products, and own your business from the front door to the back warehouse and not have to pay anyone royalties, fees, or other startup costs (other than maintenance) for years to come.Will it be easy? Hell no.Will it be the ride of a lifetime? For sure!How does this $1345 break down?...... Let's take a look.The DetailsWhen I started my online business, I bootstrapped as much as possible. You're more than able to do the same thing yourself, but you'll eventually get to the products and services I've listed below. I spent as little as possible on my business until my client Larry called me up and told me I was running my business with a flat tire, and I should fix it.I won't go into all of the free versions here because this is about starting a high-quality, professional looking online business the right way, not just the fun way that looks like you built it in your mom's basement.Here's what you'll need...

Would you cancel your podcast after 100 episodes and tens of thousands of downloads?About once a year I take a close look at the state of my show, the Empowered Podcast, and the direction it's heading.Pivot OneThe first time was after Podcast Movement 2014. Up until that point, I'd been focused on motivation, encouragement, and helping listeners realize that if my guests had overcome significant obstacles, then they could too. This strategy was fun, but I felt it lacked... purpose.It took me a couple of months to generate new content and produce what I'd already recorded so the show could change directions. An observant listener might notice the shift beginning around episode 50 and in full-swing by episode 56 with Jon Harrison.I realized motivation is cheap, but someone who can help people make a needed change is in high-demand.Pivot TwoThe second time I made changes to my show was in January of 2015 when I began to incorporate live Experts Calls from my Membership Site into the podcast. These calls are with business owners who are in the trenches and doing what my members and listeners want to be doing.These Experts Calls stripped out all theory and got to the heart of entrepreneurship and building a business. I was worried these episodes would be too technical for the average listener because they were edited versions of the full calls which are members only.But they weren't.In fact, the podcast episodes which featured these in-depth business cases have become some of the most popular! It turns out, people are tired of fluff and theory. What listeners crave are real, relevant case studies that help them get meaningful results.Pivot ThreeThe third time I decided to make changes in my show was after Podcast Movement 2015. It was at that time that I realized I didn't want to be "another podcaster," but that I really wanted to double-down on helping people start businesses that will allow them to develop an exit strategy so they can leave their crappy jobs.But, this left me wondering how to best accomplish this goal. Since August, I've released a total of 4 episodes instead of one every week. Consistency went out the door, but I was focused on only producing the best possible content which I knew would help people in meaningful ways.What Do I Do Now?A couple of months went by and I still didn't have a clear path on how I wanted to move forward with the show. Do I continue doing interviews? Do listeners want shorter episodes? What type of help do they really need?So I asked them.I sent this email to some of the most active members of my community and asked them:What would you like to see from the show moving forward?Here's what they said...

Marketing. Sometimes the word itself can be intimidating enough to scare people away. But, marketing your brand doesn't have to be scary or complicated.When I started building my brand in 2012 I didn't know what I was doing. But, I invested the time, energy, and sometimes money, to learn about branding, business, and marketing.Prior to starting my own company, I was in sales. I was told what to sell, how to sell it, and even when I had to stop selling certain things. After several years of success, I learned how much marketing and branding I was doing all along.Before you dive into these six things you should know about marketing, I want you to keep a word in the back of your mind. That word is "mindshare" and it's similar to market share but better for people who want to build and market a brand.Kleenex has mindshare. Whenever someone wants a tissue, they say, "I need a Kleenex." Market share is what Puff's has when they say 2.5 people out of 10 purchase their products.As a business owner, you want mindshare. If you have the mindshare of your customer and clients, you're the person they think of first when they have a problem and are in need of a solution. They don't know if you have a product to meet their needs, but they'll come to you for help.The goal of this post is to show you six things you should know about marketing your small business or brand and to help you cultivate positive mindshare for your business. Let's go!6 Things You Should Know about Marketing Your Brand...

Sometimes we need to become experts and become them fast. If you need to become an expert on any topic so you can hold a conversation, speak in front of a large group, or prepare for a presentation, I'm going to show you five ways you can become an expert on any topic.

9 tactics that have helped Pat Flynn build an audience in the hundreds of thousands, helped him generate millions of dollars in affiliate income, and help him become one of the most sought-after speakers in the world.

Details are either the things that will make you successful or they're the things that'll keep you from getting where you want to go. How do you know what to spend your time on? Do you focus on the big picture? Or, is it the details that make the difference?

Have you ever met someone who was "toxic?" Not every personality type is one that you should keep around.Have you ever met someone who was "a little too happy?" Not every world-view will help you and I become successful people.If you agree with Napoleon Hill when he says that our personalities and levels of personal growth are influenced by the people we do hang out with, don't we also have to agree there are certain types of people we should not hang out with?

Every business wants more leads. But few businesses understand what goes into creating a lead magnet that will convert visitors to leads.And that's what you want, right? We want to convert visitors to leads, leads to customers, customers to raving fans and repeat buyers?That's the golden process that enables every business to grow. But when your business, blog, podcast or e-commerce site is online only, how do you bring in new leads? The answer: Killer Lead Magnets

It's not easy to get more blog traffic to your site and get more visitors to your content. Sometimes it can be downright difficult to increase your traffic month over month and show growth as a result of your work.

The ideal work environment doesn't exist. It's a myth. The best we can do is create a place where we can focus, collaborate, and get the support and accountability we need to succeed.

Do you want to own your own business? Do you want to be in control, take charge and be able to do what you want to do, how you want to do?There's a big difference between working in your business and working on your business. Let's look at the difference between the two and how you can truly own your business instead of just owning your job.

Have you ever wondered what your clients need from you? Does the idea of giving your customers what they want sound good, but you struggle to figure out what it is, much less, how to give it to them?One of the great things about buying from a small business is the personal touch - the feeling that you're dealing with a real person instead of a large, impersonal corporation. One of the best things about owning a small business is the ability to provide that personal touch and an excellent experience to everyone who walks through your door.But how do we give our customers the personal touch they want while building a system that can scale as our business grows?

Time is the most valuable resource we have. As a business owner, it's important to focus on doing things that help build your business like helping customers, acquiring new ones, and doing the day-to-day tasks that move things forward.But there are certain things you should automate in your business. There are basic tasks that don't add value to your clients and take time off of the clock for you and your team. I want to show you 4 things you can automate in your business that will save you time and money and will provide a smooth customer experience.Streamlining and automation aren't about making your business less personal. They're to help you offload repetitive tasks so you can focus on the things that need your personal attention and to allow you to do the things only you can do. Whenever I evaluate an automation tool and whether or not I should use it in my business I look at a few key things:Ease of UseCustomer ExperienceMobile FriendlinessMy priority is that customer experience doesn't suffer and the amount of time saved is significant enough to save. For example, if automating a task only shaves a few seconds off of my day, it's probably not worth the hassle.SchedulingLead GenerationLead ScoringFollow-UpWhy You Should Think About Automationhat do you automate in your business? What did I miss? What are your thoughts about automation and creating systems?