Rebel Entrepreneur with Alan Donegan

Where did Alan go? It has been 5 months since the last episode of the Rebel Entrepreneur! What ever happened to that show? Well after changing hosts, changing networks (again!) we are back with a quick welcome back episode. The key message from the episode is about getting unstuck. We all get stuck on projects sometimes. Things get trapped and stuck and they need unlocking. Join us as Dom interviews Alan about how he got stuck and then unstuck with podcast production.

What were the biggest challenges that faced Kim throughout this process of creating and publishing her podcast, and what has she learnt overcoming them? Find out what Kim learnt, how it all happened and what she is focusing on now. Also, Kim asks Alan how he works with the podcast, how he focuses, and why he does what he does! Kim's podcast, The Feminine Freedom Coach, is now live! Find it at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-feminine-freedom-coach/

How did Rebel Business School start? Simon, Alan and the Rebel Business School are celebrating their 10-year anniversary right now and we wanted to do a special episode sharing with you the ups and downs from starting the business, Simon going to get a job, selling the first workshop and then a dodgy buffet in Milton Keynes and Simon's decision to leave the best job of his life to return. Simon, Katie and Alan are running a special course to celebrate ten years of Rebel called the Extraordinary Life course. If you want to come along then you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVQ4lwnOfqw&list=PLRjwfVU_qq2YApE1R5T8p2Fri_BtXff8c

You have created something, and it is now time to launch and put it out there. You have got to tell your existing customers/audience and then you have got to find new customers/audience. But how do you do it? There are so many different ways! It all feels a little overwhelming! Join Alan as he walks Kim through creating a promotion strategy for the podcast and makes promotion simple and functional!

Born in a refugee camp, growing up in the Netherlands, reading Rich Dad Poor Dad at age 12 in the library, and turning that into a business? One of the most fascinating entrepeneurial journeys I have come across! This episode is packed full of tips, ideas, and practical ways of thinking that can help you in your business. Start-up stories are the oxygen we breath as enterpreneurs. Suck the inspiration out of this story and use it to drive you forwards this week!

Everywhere you go, there are courses teaching you to scale, university and business schools screaming about your need to scale and business coaches ultra-focused on scaling. But is scalling really the right option for you? What type of business are you building? A life-style business? A mega-corporation? Something else? Maybe we should put the drive to scale to one side and work out if it is what we actually want in our lives?

Do your clients walk all over you? Do they cancel at the last minute? Do they challenge your pricing? Do you feel like you are a business doormat? Sometimes in our effort to win business, we can be too nice. Join Orla as she tries to work out the best pricing model for dog-walking business and how to deal with her customers. This episode is CRITICAL if you are thinking about your pricing model, how much to charge, and how to work with your customers. Sometimes we can just be too nice!

Can you be paid to speak? Can you make money out of your story and voice? This is what Alan has done for the last 15 years, so when Kim asked for advice on making money by speaking, Alan got super excited. Join us as we share six different ways you can get paid to speak and build your business. This episode is jam-packed with ideas that will help your business grow and a simple strategy for testing your ideas.

Start-up stories are the oxygen that keep us going. If it is possible for others to build a business and make money then maybe I can, too? This particular entrepreneurial journey starts with selling off a Playstation to get going and journeys through finding customers on Facebook, Google Maps, and to building a team. Millward May have been the accountants for Rebel Business School from the very start, and now they are going to share their journey, tips, and what it is actually like to have Alan as a client!

There is no point creating a podcast, building a website, or launching a product if you don't promote it. People aren't going to just stumble across it. It always shocks me how many entrepreneurs think that just by launching their business they are guaranteed success. Once you launch, the hard work of building an audience or finding customers really begins. Join Alan as he helps Kim work out her initial marketing strategy and podcast promotion strategy.

The difference that makes the difference is your productivity, your ability to get things done, your relentless drive to build your business. Join Alan as he meets one of his most chilled out guests ever: Thanh Pham from Asian Efficiency. We talk about how to make things happen, focus, and improve both your energy and your drive. If you want to get the most out of your day and feel the drive, this is the episode for you!

Kim tells us how recording episode 1 went, and we work out what she is going to do for episode 2. "If you build it they will come" is one of Alan's most hated expressions, so the team started to think about how to promote the episode and get it out into the world. Alan sets Kim homework to help her create her own podcast marketing strategy

So many people say to Alan: "I'm (insert age, 35, 40, 50). Is it too late for me to get to financial independence?" In this episode, Jaymie Dylan from coaching season 2 comes back to talk about the possibility of her getting to FI. She feels behind because she found out about FI after she was 40 years old and is wondering if it is even possible for her. Ever felt like you are behind everyone else? This is the episode for you!

You've decided to create a podcast, and you want to create your first episode. But where do you start? What are you going to say? How are you going to structure it? Join Alan, Patrick, and Kim as they work out the flow of episode 1, the style, and how Kim is going to promote what she is doing.

How do financial independence and entrepreneurship fit together? What is the goal of financial independence? What is the goal of entrepreneurship? Why are we all doing this? In this episode of the Rebel Entrepreneur Tim Desmond takes over the show and we get deep about the only logical pursuit in life and why we are all doing. We explore traditional retirement, the only true job security, and working towards the life of your dreams.

Have you ever thought about launching a podcast? Creating a content business? Sometimes it can be daunting when starting a new project. In the new Rebel Coaching Series Alan meets Kim who has an existing business and wants to launch a podcast but just doesn't know where to start. Patrick the podcast manager and Alan work with Kim to help her figure out her style of show, equipment, and how to get episode 1 in the bag!

Is entrepreneurship a viable tool to get to financial independence? Many people in the financial independence community complain of starting small businesses and not earning very much money or making too little progress on their route to financial independence. For a completely different view of entrepreneurship and how it works with FI, I invited Brad Barrett from Choose FI on to the show to talk about his journey on his way to FIRE.

Do you remember Keith Hunt of Red Headed Tacos? In Season 4 of the Rebel Entrepreneur, we went on a mad scramble as Keith got a food truck, tried to get the health certificates, and launched. Join Keith and I as we find out what happened to the food truck, where Keith is heading next and learn from that mad dash at the beginning of Keith's journey. One of the most important things you can do in business is reflect on what went well and what we can learn!

Rebel principles aren't just for business. This episode was inspired by a listener e-mail, which said: "I didn't fill out the feedback form because I don't have a business." Alan wanted to find out what this listener had been doing with the Rebel Principles. Join Alan as he meets Melissa and finds out how she uses the skills she's learned from our podcast to make her life, and the lives of those around her, better. You don't have to start a business or create a start-up to use these skills!

Time-travelling 6 months from the last episode, what has happened to Adam and Craft Box Club? How is the business going? Is he thriving? In this episode we get an update from Adam, and Alan helps guide him through the process to re-focus his business and continue to make progress every day. Alan shares his post-it note process for coming up with ideas and the frame for choosing which actions to take next.

Does work/life balance even exist? In this episode Lucy Branch of Antique Bronze takes over the show and grills Alan about work/life balance, getting things done, and what Alan actually does with his days. Find out more about how Alan got started in FI, what propelled him on his journey to FI, and how he ended up running events at the Mr Money Mustache World Headquarters in Longmont, Colorado.

We recorded this episode in mid-December of last year. How did the sales go? Has the work that Adam has been doing for the past six months to get ready for Christmas paid off? Are these results enough to help him build the business of his dreams and get to the split of financial independence and entrepreneurship that will allow him the freedom to live the life he wants to live? Join us as we review Adam's Christmas sales.

Does what you believe about money affect your financial future? Have you ever taken the time to consider what you believe about money - to create a personal money philosophy? In this episode, Craig Davenport takes over the Rebel Entrepreneur to grill Alan about money beliefs, his personal money philosophy, and how to actually build a philosophy from scratch. The question Craig keeps coming back to is how to make all this ethereal mindset stuff real and applicable. Join Alan and Craig as they discuss everything to do with money and how it affects both your personal finances and those of your business.

In the run-up to the Christmas sales, Adam is working hard on his website. He is driving traffic through social media, Google Adwords and e-mail campaigns. But the website isn't turning that traffic into sales. In this very special episode of The Rebel Entrepeneur Coaching Series, Henry from Rebel takes over the podcast and works with Adam to get his website converting. If you are getting lots of traffic to your website but not getting the sales you want, then this is the episode for you.

Should you start a side hustle? Is it time to start making some extra money? Join Alan and Simon as they work through a conversation to help you decide if you should start a side hustle, if so what type of side hustle should you start, and their best tips on how to get going quickly. The final section of the podcast covers why you shouldn't start a side hustle and is super critical to listen to! You truly can make money doing something you love, the question is: "Are you willing to pay the price in time, energy and discomfort to do it?"

Twenty percent of ALL retails sales happen in the six weeks leading to Christmas with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas push. Adam from Craft Box Club is gearing up for Christmas, setting up the website, creating the marketing materials, and wondering if the Christmas sales will come or not. Join Alan and Adam as they discuss the frustration of taking all the "right" actions and not seeing the results as soon as they would like to!

After finding out the loan Peter started his business with was interest only, and realizing he still has a huge debt after the income is long gone, we work to understand how we got here, come up with a plan to get out of debt, and put to bed the past issues. This episode is all about debt and how to dig your way out of it. Join Alan as he talks about how to negotiate on debt and the Debt Attack Strategy that he and his wife Katie created together to help people crush debt in the quickest possible timeframe.

Alan received a disturbing message from Adam on Whatsapp saying "I am wondering if this is still a business?" Join Alan as he finds out what is going on, works with Adam to think about the business and positives and whether it's worth pushing through with this business and seeing if Christmas will bring the presents that Adam really wants.

You started your business with a business plan and a loan. You took out debt to build your business! But what if it doesn't work out? What if it goes wrong? Join Alan as he works with Peter from the Rebel Business School Charleston event and helps him tackle the aftermath of a failed business. This is a crucial episode to listen to and share with anyone thinking of building a business the traditional way with loans and debt. There are some CRITICAL LESSONS that we can all take away from this podcast.

After looking into the website traffic numbers on Google anayltics Adam has realised the traffic to his website has fallen dramatically since last year. Join Alan as they attempt to diagnose the business problem, uncover the cause, and work out what to do next. When things going wrong you need to become a detective and work to really understand the numbers.

When you start your business there is only one of you. Just you on your own. Maybe you will have a friend or two to help but it is all up to you. This is daunting and exciting because you have complete autonomy over what you do. The question is how do you get the most out of your week? How do you make sure you get the key things done? How do you make progress? In this episode Alan is joined by Demir Bentley who has spent 10 years as a productivity coach, they start by exploring venture capital and angel investors before getting into the keys to getting things done and making progress.

Last week, we talked to Adam from Craft Box Club about mindfulness exercises and visualizing success for the business. This week, we check in to see how those exercises have been going. Adam, like so many entrepreneurs, is facing a lull. For his crafting business, his challenge is the warmer weather luring people outside instead of crafting indoors. But lulls (seasonal or otherwise) are something all entrepreneurs face. We talked about how to figure out when it's time to cut and run, how to think more positively, and how to weather the lull that he's in - both practically and mentally.

Is selling a product different to selling a service? Join Alan as he meets CheyAnne the founder of Shine Athleisure and they figure out together the best way to sell her products. CheyAnne could sell directly or she could work to sell through retailers. What is the right approach? How will she find the customers she needs? Answer the questions Alan asks alongside CheyAnne and this episode will help you diagnose where you are with your sales process and where to go next! Links: https://www.shineathleisure.com/

Are you a pessimist that looks for everything that could go wrong and always looks at the worst case scenario? Or are you a dreamer with your head in the clouds, always looking at the moon shot possibilities and wondering about the size of your imminent success? How do you balance the two in your business? You need to protect from the downside and the risk but you also need to push forward with energy, enthusiasm, and optimism if you are ever to reach your dream. This episode is about balancing pessimism and optimisim within your business.

Do you feel like you are working on what you are meant to be working on? Are you making progress, driving along and feeling like you are on the right path? In a very different episode of The Rebel Entrepreneur, meet Doc G, a hospice doctor that learned from his dying patients about regret, purpose, and identity. If you really want your business to click, to find the connections you need to drive forward, then this is the episode for you. Without clarity on purpose and direction you won't find happiness let alone business success.

It's time to check in with Adam from Craft Box Club once again. His business has been lagging a bit in light of the summer months and people choosing to spend time outside. We discussed marketing strategies that might help him overcome this hurdle. If you haven't obtained your customers' phone numbers and don't yet know the magic of reaching out to them personally (and not by e-mail), prepare to be amazed. Learn how making your customers feel loved and special can help you reach your business goals.

We've talked before about how start-up stories are the oxygen that inspires entrepreneurs to build businesses and make progress. With that in mind: meet Ken, who moved to the UK from Nigeria when we was 14 years old, survived bullying, thrived at school, got into the corporate world and then jumped ship to build his own business. If start-up stories are oxygen for the entrepreneur's soul then get ready to breath deeply! Links: https://thehumblepenny.com/

How do you get your business noticed? In a world of influencers and print media, how do you make sure that your business gets noticed? In this episode, Alan and Adam go through the advice of Jon Card (from Full Story Media)  about getting into the press and then discuss how to practically apply that advice. Listen to this episode if you want to get your business noticed, featured, and out there.

Taking on your first employee is a big decision and can be HUGELY difficult to get right. Join Henry (the first person Alan ever hired) as he tells you what it is like working for Alan and what he has learned about taking on staff. They discuss culture, working together, motivating staff, and more. Henry and Alan have made all the mistakes between them so you don't have to! https://therebelschool.com/ 

At the end of the last episode, Toby went away to work to get some actual "Nos" and to find out if his mini-experiment is a success or not. Join Alan and Toby as they find out if the Father's Day sale worked, if he got rejected, and whether or not he is going to continue to experiment with this business or try something else.

You are a grown-up business, spending money on advertising. You are investing in Facebook adverts, working hard to grow your business and test your ideas. Join Adam and Alan as they review the numbers, work out the return on investment for the advertising money and explore how to keep growing the business. Let's get geeky with the numbers as we review the Facebook marketing mini-experiments and dive deep into the data.

I have been talking to you about running marketing mini-experiments, getting out there and testing and measuring the results. Last episode, Adam started testing email marketing, Facebook adverts and influencer outreach. This week we get to find out the results. Did it work? Did he lose money on the Facebook advert? Did anyone respond to his outreach? Marketing is a series of running tests, measuring the results, and working out if we made money or not! This one is a must listen!

You have run a mini-experiment and launched your business! Yay. But the results have not been what you wanted so you keep going. You do everything we say on the podcast, you are pushing out there, positing, sharing, and being social, but you have been receiving a wall of SILENCE in return. You don't know what to do. Should you keep going despite the silence? Should you close the business? Should you get a job? You are trapped in business purgatory and don't know what to do. Join Alan as he coached Toby out of business purgatory and towards an answer to his mini-experiment!

How do you get your business featured in the press? Jon Card writes regularly for The Guardian, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph, and is the author of How to Make Your Company Famous. As a journalist, Jon interviewed many of the world's foremost entrepreneurs. But there came a time when he realised it was time to start answering their questions, including: (1) "How do I get my business noticed by the media?" (2) "What do I have to do to get ready for media coverage?" and (3) "What's the best way to contact journalists?"

Do deals really just come to you? Will people really just call you out of the blue and offer you business? Meet Elia Twigg, one of the listeners of the show who has just gone full time into her own company. We find out how she started, how she went from employee to part time on both business and when she finally made the choice to give up employment and go all in on her own business. Along the way we uncover tips, tricks, and business strategies that will help you to grow your business.

It is so tempting to spend money on Facebook adverts or Google adverts: the promised land of an advert that brings in customers and builds your business whilst you sleep. Countless adverts pop up in your timeline offering you these services: "Pay us and we will manage your adverts for you!" "Come on this course and we will teach you the 'secrets' of Facebook advertising!" Is it time to go all in? Or is it time to run a marketing mini experiment?

Is entrepreneurship the same the world over? Can you take a business school that worked in the UK and transpose it to France, Morocco, and then Colombia? Alan has spent 4 months in Colombia helping set up Rebel Business School Colombia and wondered what the journey had been like for the team on the ground actually doing the work. If you have ever wanted to launch a business or idea into a new marketplace, then join Alan as he finds out what it is really like, what worked, what didn't, and the emotional rollercoaster along the way!

Building a successful business takes daily marketing activity. People aren't just going to stumble across your business and buy. You need to get their attention, show them your product or service and ask them to buy. In this episode Alan coaches Adam from Craft Box Club UK to come up with marketing ideas, evaluate them and decide which ones to implement.

How did Rebel Business School start? Was it as easy as writing, selling and delivering a course? Dani Angel the co-founder of Rebel Colombia wanted to learn more about how Alan and Simon build Rebel Business School in the UK, the problems they faced and how they overcame them. This episode is packed full of motivational ideas, practical tips and insights that we hope will inspire you to keep going with your business ideas!

What happened to Adam's business after the session with Jennifer Vessels? We check in with Craft Box Club to find out what is happening with the sales, how the business is growing and how Adam is feeling. Check out https://craftboxclub.co.uk/ to see Adam's business and see what he sells as we work through what's happening next with his business.

How much time should you spend optimizing your website for search engines? Is search engine optimization a strategy worth following for small businesses to gain customers. After years of research and experimentation, Alan has amped up his efforts on his blog, to get to the top of the Google results. After the crash of a frustrating mini-experiment on people per hour, he asks Henry from The Rebel Business School team for help working out how to optimize his website for Google. In this episode, you can learn from Alan's mistakes and Henry's guidance on how to improve your website for the Google rankings.