How I Built My Practice w/ Gene Monterastelli

Many small business owners find it difficult to write for their business. Writing is not a skill most of us think we have. This week I share with you one of my favorite ways to come up with text that is surprisingly easy and also something that you are already good at doing. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper. Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS  

From time to time it is a good idea to check in to see why we are taking the actions we take. Some of the tasks on our to-do list are very valuable and others not so much. It is useful for us to ask the question "Why am I doing this?" This week in the podcast we explore how to evaluate the value of each of the tasks we do and decide if we should continue to do them. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper. Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Many freelancers and small business owners make the same error. They mistake their mission for their unique value proposition and vice versa. If you are making this mistake then it will prevent you from communicating clearly with your audience. In this week's podcast I talk about the difference between the two, why it is valuable to understand both, and how to use the right one when communicating. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper. Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

One the most profitable decisions that I have made in my business is to give away a great deal of free content. For my main business I have created over 700 free resources since 2007. Of all the free resources I have created, none of them have been in or attached to my weekly email newsletter. I have always included links from the newsletter to my website. This week in the podcast I explain the two reasons why I do this. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Writer's block is no fun. The longer you sit not writing the harder it is to write. This week in the podcast I share with you 5 ideas that will help you write when you don't know what to stay. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

In last week's podcast we talked about a simple formula for constructing a sales letter. This week I cover what your reader is supposed to think and say after they have read the sales letter. Here is a hint: It's not "Wow, that was really well written!" Listen to see what you want them to say instead if you want your business to grow. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

I know how overwhelming writing sales letters can feel. This week I share with you a straightforward formula for writing a sales letter. I used this formula for every sales letter I sent for the first three years of my business AND it was super successful. Make sure you have a pen and paper to hand because you will want take notes. In the digital training Copywriting Step By Step I share this 8-part formula in much more detail with examples of it in action and an explanation of each part. You can purchase it for $97. OR if you subscribe to the How I Built My Practice White Paper in January you will receive it free of charge. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

I am guessing you are like me and you hate popover boxes asking for your email address on websites. Even though I hate popovers I have one on my website AND I am not getting rid of it anytime soon. It might be ugly, it might be annoying, but it is good business. In this week’s podcast I explore how I came to the decision to keep my popover and what lessons can be learned from the experience. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Did you know that most New Year's resolutions are abandoned by January 5th? * I am all for setting goals, but this week I talk about why New Year's resolutions are a fool's errand AND what you should do instead to set yourself up for success in the year ahead. Download The Worksheet If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS * Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (2002). If at first you don’t succeed: False hopes of self-change. American Psychologist

Today I have a very special holiday message. Don't worry it is short. This is the most important business advice I can give. Listen here: If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

In your inbox right now there is an invitation for a class, a digital product, or a live event that you feel like you must attend. They are going to share the one vital secret that you need to rocket your business to the next level! More than likely it would be exactly the wrong thing for you to do. This week I explain why. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

It is that crazy time of year right now with a million holiday events going on. This week I tell you why you shouldn't go to that Christmas party. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

When we are talking about our products, our services, and our business we can feel like we starting to sound like a broken record. The truth is we need to be sharing our message with our audience over and over again. This week in the podcast we talk about why this is and what we can to make sure we are being heard. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

If you are going to be a better marketer then you need to shut up. No, I'm serious about this. You talk way too much. And I use to make the exact same mistake. If you talk less you will make more sales. I explain it all in this week's podcast. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

The hardest word for a small business owner to here is the word "no". But the truth is you need to hear it more. Don't believe me? Check out this week's podcast. When you are done you are going to be seeking out people who say "no". If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Last week I didn't do a podcast. I didn't sent out 4 of my newsletters. It happened because I was behind and because I was traveling. AND guess what horrible outcomes happened? Listen here to find this week. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

With the amount of complaining people do about how clogged their inboxes are you would think it is better for you to send fewer rather than more emails. This isn't true. It is better to send more emails. But is not about the number of emails you send. It is about the types of emails you send. This week I talk about my email strategy, why more is better, and what you need to be sending. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

In podcast 21 I talked about why I give away so many free resource. This week I share with you how I decide what to give away and how I shape the content so that it leads to more sales. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

For my private coaching practice I have over 650 free resources on my website. There are articles, audios, and videos. There is very little I hold back and many of my colleagues have accused me of giving away too much away. The truth is that I probably haven't given away enough. This week I explain why I give so much away and how you can use that strategy to build your business. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

One of the fastest and most powerful ways to grow your business is to go out into your community and give presentations. I know, for most people this sounds scary because you don't like public speaking. This week I share how public speaking can be used to grow your business and your authority. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

The most important skill in marketing is being a good listener. What you have to offer is so much less important that what your audience needs. If you don't know what your audience needs you are never going to connect with them. This week I talk about how to be a good listener as a marketer. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

I am willing to bet that you are unhappy with your website. You think it’s ugly. You think it looks unprofessional. You think it makes you look bad. OR You don't have a website at all. Guess what? You should stop working on it, no matter what state it is in. Here is why: If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Right now there are a number of tasks on your to-do list that you know you need to get done. Not only do you know they need to be done, but you also know exactly how to do them. For some reason you continue to avoid them. And I know exactly why you haven't taken action. In this week's podcast I talk about the four reasons why we don't take action on the tasks that we know we need to complete. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

One of the reasons that we don't take action is because we don't feel like we are going to have enough energy to finish the task. This isn't something we necessarily think consciously, but it is there under the surface. This week we talk about how much energy is need to be successful and how you can get past the feeling of not having enough energy to be successful. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

One of the most important concepts that I have encountered in the last 10 years is the idea of taking fearless-ish action. Not fearless. Fearless-ish! By understanding this concept and transforming how I start my day I transformed my business and my level of success. I would love to hear what you think of the idea. The website I reference in show is TappingQandA.com If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

The emotional need to have everything just perfect before you take action is totally understandable. Our perfectionism wants to make sure we only share content, products, and services that show us in the best possible light. The problem comes when this desire works way too hard and prevents us from doing anything at all, because nothing is never good enough. In this week’s podcast I talk about how to overcome perfectionism so you can take action in a way that shows you at your best, while accepting that nothing will never be perfect! If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

It is easy to have a clear understanding of the purpose of your business and why you are excited about the work you do. But it is also important to know why you are doing each of the tasks you do daily, their value, and if they are the best way to spend your time. This week I talk about how to get a handle on how you are spending your time and how to make sure you get the most out of the hours you work every day. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

In the last 11 podcasts we have covered the 11 business fundamentals I believe are essential to run a successful business. This week I cover the most important marketing fundamental: Push the bruise. Unless you can put your audience in touch with their lack or pain related to the product or services you provide, you will not succeed. This week I share what I mean by "push the bruise" and how you can use it effectively. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Business owners often confuse having a goal list with having an executable plan. It is important that you have a clear vision of where you would like to end up, but a step-by-step plan to get from where you are to where you want to be is equally important. In this week's podcast we cover the final business fundamental. Business Fundamental #11: Create Real, Executable Plan In this I talk about how to create a plan and, just as importantly, how to create a realistic timeline. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Recently one of my clients asked me how I keep all my tasks straight in my head. My response, "I don't. The I get tasks done is I simply do what my todo list says." As your business grows it is going to get more and more complicated as you add tasks. At a certain point you will no longer be able to keep it all straight in your head. That is where systems come in. If you create a system then you don't have to remember, you just have to follow the steps to be successful. It is such a part of my business life it is one of fundamental. Fundamental #10: If it happens at least once a year it needs a system. This is how I created and manage my systems. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

The formula for a successful business is simple. Effective marketing + Quality products/services = Success The problem is that most small businesses only focus on one of these at any given time. This podcast explores the relationship between product quality and marketing message as we continue to explore the 11 fundamentals of running a business. Fundamental #9: You Must Have Great Products/Services and Great Marketing If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

We live in a time where we are surrounded by marketing messages. Marketing messages fill our inboxes, are dropped in the middle of podcasts, pop up on websites and in your Facebook feed, and are plastered to every flat surface around us. In a world where people are always selling it can be very difficult to capture our audience's attention. That is where business fundamental #8 comes in. Fundamental #8: Your Marketing Message Needs To Serve Your Audience. When we share a marketing message that is educational our audience will not only listen to it, they will seek it out. This week I talk about how to structure your marketing messages in such a way that people will thank you for sharing it with them. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

When I was working on my first book ten years ago I kept a plastic box on my desk. That box contained all the notecards outlining the book’s content and structure. On the outside of the box I had written “$250,000” with a big black marker, because in my mind that is what I was convinced I’d make in book sales. The idea of the book was perfect, the exercises in the book were excellent, and I knew lots of people who needed it. Failure was inconceivable! In hindsight I recognize I was how misinformed I was. At the time I obviously had no clue about conversion rates, what a realistic marketing plan looked like, or what it would actually take to sell over 13,000 copies of a $19 book. Today I have much clearer idea of how to make intelligent pricing decisions. These ideas are based on business fundamental number #7. Fundamental #7: It is easy to overestimate how many people will buy and underestimate how much people will pay. In this week’s podcast I talk about how to approach pricing (as well as what you should sell) to ensure that you are not missing opportunities. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

When talking about our work it’s easy to get caught up in what we do, how we do it, and the training we’ve done in order to become experts. Because we spend so much time thinking about our work it’s natural to lead with this when talking to our audience. The problem is our audience care much more about their own pain, suffering, and problems than they do about what we do and how we do it. Our audience are more concerned about being heard, understood, and working with someone who gets them. This week we talk about business fundamental #6: It is about their needs and not our skill. This fundamental is not about diminishing our skill, but about how we communicate with our audience so they are excited to work with us. After listening to this you will understand what to talk about with your audience so that you get the opportunity to share your amazing skills. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

When you are starting or growing your business you want sales and customers. The problem is that not all customers and all sales are created equal. There are actually some customers who are the wrong fit. They demand too much. They aren't willing to do the work. They don't match your working style or personality. Clients who are like that are more trouble than they are worth. Fundamental #5: Drive The Wrong Customers Away This week I talk about how to figure out the who the right and who the wrong customers and how to get the wrong customers to move on to some who can serve them better. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Members of our audience will only become our customer when they know, like, and trust us. We can say we know what we are talking about. We can even share our credentials. In reality our audience are unlikely to become customers until they feel like they know us. That doesn't mean sharing every intimate detail of your life, but it does mean that you have to present your authentic self. As media commentator Adam Ragusea states, "Authenticity is the new authority." That is Fundamental #4: Authenticity is the new authority. In this week's podcast I talk about how you can draw your audience closer by being yourself in a healthy way. If you are looking for tools to grow your business download a free copy of a past issue of the How I Built My Practice White Paper Never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

I understand why people talk about sales numbers. Sales numbers are a way of measuring our success and our growth. They can help us describe the type of business we run and give us the credibility of success, "I’m a 7-figure business coach." Sometimes they just make us feel better when we are bragging to our friends and colleagues. (I know have done that.) But at the end of the day, I don't care about sales numbers. Fundamental #3: Profit Is More Important Than Sales. This is not to say that sales are unimportant. Listen here to learn more about sales, profit, and how I think about both.

As I shared in the last episode, in order to understand the advice I offer you need to understand where I am coming from. This is not business building advice, but rather business building advice in the context of a world view. Today covers another of my fundamentals, and this one might be a little surprising. Fundamental #2: I will take long term success over short term gain. This week I share how I evaluate risk and what risks I am willing to take against those I am not.

Entrepreneurs have a reputation for being daring risk takers. Instead of working for someone else they choose to set out alone, creating their own path, ploughing their own furrow. And to some extent, it is true. It is riskier to be on your own, but I think some small business owners use this as an excuse to be reckless. Not all risk is created equal. Some risks are small and if they don't work out it isn't a big deal, while other risks are so large that if they don't work out it could mean the end of the business. Being a small business owner does not give you an excuse to be careless and thoughtless in the name of being a "maverick entrepreneur". I have been self-employed since 1997 and I am one of the most conservative business owners you will meet. Fundamental #1: I'm not building a business; I'm building a lifestyle.

Each week we will share how you can grow your business and work more effectively by interview successful small business owners and teaching you techniques and tactics that you and introduce to your business right away.