Podcasts about success unfiltered podcast

When was the last time you thought you might need to hire a coach? Lindsay Burton is the Founder and President of the Kayo Conference Series. Networking is hard when you're the only woman in the room. Kayo hosts industry events for women investors to create new business leads and connect with industry peers. Kayo organizes six annual summits reaching 1,500 women annually in industries such as Private Equity, Venture Capital, Energy, Infrastructure, Credit and Real Estate.  Prior to founding Kayo, Lindsay held positions in private equity and investment banking in New York City. She currently resides in Charlottesville, VA with her husband and two sons.  When I first started the Success Unfiltered Podcast, I didn’t know a thing about podcasting. I had the business skills and the acumen that it would take to make it successful, but there were some holes in my experience: I knew how to sell, and to coach others about selling, but I knew nothing about podcasting!  When it came time to create this podcast, I had to fill in my knowledge gaps. I met with other podcasters, I asked questions, listened to how other podcasters worked, and I invested my time into learning everything that I needed to know. My background as an entrepreneur made me the perfect fit for this podcast, and once I learned how to do it, I was able to create a product that people would want to listen to. If you listen to the first few episodes, I’m sure that you’ll hear how much I’ve gotten better.  If I hadn’t learned about podcasting, and how to put this together, the Success Unfiltered podcast wouldn’t be as authentic as it has been. You wouldn’t be hearing all of these nitty gritty stories about how other entrepreneurs have gone through NO’s and rejections.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is hire a business coach for those areas that you aren’t fully confident in yet - they’ll be able to help train you to be your most authentic self.  This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered, Lindsay Burton, created an event for women in business. She’d sold tickets, booked speakers, and just a few weeks before the event, realized that she didn’t have an emcee! Undaunted, she hired an acting coach, dove in, and connected authentically with her ideal clientele. If you’re ready to be inspired by how hiring a business coach can help you grow, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes.   Special thanks goes out to Lindsay Burton for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on 5/11/2020 for our next new episode!   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Lindsay Burton. Lindsay shares about the Kayo conference and how it began. How does a woman become a leader in a traditionally male-dominated industry? Lindsay shares how her upbringing prepared her for the finance industry. Once she was on Wall Street, Lindsay realized that there weren’t many women doing what she did.  Because Lindsay had grown up doing math and finance, it never occurred to her that women weren’t a major part of that industry. When Lindsay became a mother, she found that expectations of her had changed: it felt like she was being forced to choose between her authentic self and her career. After being forced out of her role after maternity leave, Lindsay knew that something had to change. She said NO and quit her job to go out on her own. “I believed in myself enough to know that they were wrong.” ~ Lindsay Barton When Lindsay had to go out on her own, she discovered that she had skills she didn’t even know about, and that she was able to learn what she didn’t already know. Since she was in a niche expertise, she didn’t have to use all of her skills. Lindsay had sold tickets for a show, and planned it all out, and just a few weeks before, thought, “who’s going to run the show?” Lindsay said YES to hosting the show and being onstage, hired an acting coach, and took on the emcee role! You’re going to see employees leave your business - say NO to taking it personally when they move on, and instead look at how they have helped & contributed to your business. Lindsay shares how she goes through the hiring process, and how she finds talent to join her team.  Two personality assessments that Lindsay uses with her team are the 5 Voices assessment, and “Humble, Hungry, and Smart.” “There comes a point in business where you grow enough that you have to redefine your ideal clients, sponsors, and investors. Sometimes you outgrow them.” ~ Lindsay Burton As a people pleaser, Lindsay has to think of her team, and protecting the business. NO is not about her; it’s about what is best for the business. Lindsay shares what she would tell her younger self.   Connect with Lindsay Burton: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website Why You Should Go For Your Coaching Dreams (No Matter What THEY Say!) Tired of hearing about market saturation in the coaching world? I know I am! And I don’t want that kind of negative talk to get you down. Don’t give up your dream. But DO give your business the best possible start! I’ve got 3 simple steps to set yourself apart, own your truth, and set a solid foundation for your coaching business starting TODAY. My FREE guide “3 Steps To Starting Your Coaching Business Off RIGHT” will show you how! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

Do you know your real value? Have you ever given that question any thought? Do you know what you bring to the table in regards to your clients? Alex Bayer grew up in Southern California in the city of Palos Verdes.  After graduating college, he jumped right into the insurance world, knocking on doors across Los Angeles to sell them group insurance coverage.  While working long hours and being on the road driving, Alex relied on home-made smoothies to help get him through the day with clean functional ingredients.  After leaving insurance, Alex discovered a ‘Genius’ idea from a friend who showed him a smoothie that simply blended coconut water and coconut meat together, and from there Genius was born.  The Genius coconut smoothie combines only two base ingredients and in all its simplicity, is extremely clean, healthy, creamy, and filling.  No wonder ‘It’s Pure Genius!’ What happens when you know your value?  You’re able to bring on better clients and investors; those who aren’t just any client or investor. They’re your ideal client. You have to know your worth so that you can say YES to only the best clients and investors. But how can you show them? Some entrepreneurs focus on creating case studies. After all, a savvy investor wants all the nitty-gritty details will want to have the data, and be able to see that investing in you is a worth it. As a business coach, how can you show that data?  Let me tell you my best secret: reviews! I ask for reviews from every single one of my clients, and they know I don’t just want one-line reviews. I ask for video reviews, and ask for them to share just how I have helped them improve their business. After working with me, did they increase their top-line revenue? I want them to share that if they did! Did they onboard new ideal clients? Tell us more! Are they working fewer hours, and making more money, and have increased profitability? That is the kind of data I want them to share in these reviews! I also don’t just get reviews immediately. I follow up months later. I want my future clients to know that I help them achieve lasting results. I want to see them be successful in their business for the long-haul! These reviews are so valuable because potential clients get to hear from others just what I can do for them, and the value that I have to offer. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast is Alex Bayer, creator of Genius Juice! Would you believe that he doesn’t ask for the sale though? Instead, he takes the time to show clients and investors the value that he and his product has to offer, and he has learned how to naturally close many no-pressure sales (including on Shark Tank).  Wondering how you can better show clients your value? You won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered!   To share your thoughts:   Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn    To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes.   Special thanks goes out to Alex Bayer for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on 4/27/2020 for our next new episode! How Do You Sabotage Your Business Success? By undervaluing your products and services. Selling yourself short. And never understanding your TRUE worth. If you’re tired of stress, resentment, and frustration in your business, stop right here. Grab a copy of my FREE guide, “Owning Your Worth: A Guide To Knowing Your Value And Naming Your Price.” And learn how to KNOW, OWN, and ASK FOR what you are worth.    Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Alex Bayer. Alex shares how Genius Juice came into existence. When he was first starting, he had an investor who was going to invest $150,000, but this investor eventually said NO! Alex had to choose to look at this with abundance, knowing that his next opportunity would be coming along. Choosing abundance meant that Alex realized that this investor would not be his only potential investor: he had to go connect with others! The right investor was out there. “There's a lot of people out there that could invest, that find value in our product and our brand and believe in me.” ~ Alex Bayer When the investor said NO, Alex got up, and started from scratch, looking for another investor. There are three people you should pitch: family, friends, and fools. Alex does say that anyone who invests in him isn’t a fool, however. “At the end of the day, people invest in people.” ~ Alex Bayer Sometimes your investors will feel like fools, because they don’t know where your business is going. Make sure you educate them! Alex shares that he doesn’t ask for the sale: he focuses on providing value, so the sale happens naturally, and potential investors and clients are more likely to say YES! People like to believe in what you’re doing, and often want to invest in you, but they like not having pressure. Presenting no-pressure opportunities is a key to closing a sale. “Most savvy investors are results driven.” ~ Alex Bayer Make sure that you are prepared to show that you’re not just talking: that you can execute! In order to bring on investors, you have to be able to show them that you can execute. Case studies can show investors what you’re capable of: they can show growth, sales numbers, and the results that show them you are worth saying YES to. If you have a product, and get it into stores, don’t just drop off inventory and come back later to pick up a paycheck. Show value to the store! Do demos, and help bring people in. Be a true partner. Have perseverance when a plan falls through. Sitting and sulking won’t get you anywhere: there is a time and place for sulking, but it won’t move you forward. When a client or investor says NO, that means it wasn’t the right opportunity. Move on, and find the next person. Alex shares what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Alex Bayer: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website Check out the Invisible Gorilla video referenced in the episode. How Do You Sabotage Your Business Success? By undervaluing your products and services. Selling yourself short. And never understanding your TRUE worth. If you’re tired of stress, resentment, and frustration in your business, stop right here. Grab a copy of my FREE guide, “Owning Your Worth: A Guide To Knowing Your Value And Naming Your Price.” And learn how to KNOW, OWN, and ASK FOR what you are worth.    Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

138 | Anna David Helps YOU Identify HIDDEN Red Flags in Business Do you see any business red flags waving? Anna David is the New York Times and #1 Amazon bestselling author of eight books. She’s been published in  The New York Times, Time and The LA Times, among many others, written about in numerous publications, including Forbes, Martha Stewart Living, Entrepreneur, Allure and Women’s Health and has appeared on TV hundreds of times, including on The Today Show, The Talk and The CBS Morning Show. Her podcast is in the top 10% of successful shows, she’s been a featured speaker at three different TedX events and her company, Light Hustle Publishing, writes and publishes books for those who want to share their experience and stories. When you’re working deep within your business, it’s easy to miss business red flags. You’re working on payroll, or trying to show your investors that you have cash coming in. Then, along comes someone who isn’t quite your ideal client. But...they have cash. And you need cash. Payroll is tight this month, the investors are nervous, and you’re getting worried. It’s ok to sign the new client up just this once, right? NO!  When you make business decisions that ignore any red flags, like signing up with less-than-ideal clients, you’re going to wish later that you’d said NO. I ignored a lot of red flags when I still had FITzee Foods. Life would have been a whole lot easier if I had learned precisely what those red flags were, and how I could have paid attention to them to learn how to make better choices in my business. The best part of learning to pay attention to red flags? You say NO to those less than ideal clients, and have time and space to say YES to those clients that are perfect for you! This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered Podcast, Anna David, founded the Launch Pad Publishing group after years of working as a freelance writer. As she learned how to listen to the universe when it waved red flags in her face, she was able to align herself and her business with the best clients and grow! If you’re ready to be inspired to listen to the hidden business red flags, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Anna David for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on 2/17/2020, for our next new episode! Business Risks Can Be Foolish Sometimes. But NOT taking risks at all is just as short-sighted! If you want to get to the next level in your business, you’re going to have to put yourself out there. But you don’t have to bet the farm to score a win, either. Learn how to take risks in business the smart, savvy, courageous way. Click HERE for my FREE checklist, “The Calculated Risk Checklist: 3 Ways To Take Business Risks With CONFIDENCE.” Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Anna David. Anna shares how she got started in the business, constantly pitching her writing. Editors would “bark at her” for bothering them as she followed up on her pitches. “15 years of slugging it out as a freelance writer and you kinda get immune to [NO].” ~ Anna David Anna encourages entrepreneurs to lean into their strengths when it comes to follow up - as a writer, she communicated best through writing! “Rejection is God’s protection.” ~ Anna David Sometimes NO is just a redirect to where you are supposed to focus. It’s important to diversify your income so that you have multiple streams of income. “I always say I have six balls in the air so that when five are on the ground you've got something in your hand.” ~ Anna David We are meant for greatness…if we can tap into it. Anna shares about how she has been fired from multiple jobs, and how devastating it was. Being fired from a job pushed Anna to go into business for herself. “I had no idea I was capable of making more money.” ~ Anna David In order to succeed, you need to learn how to listen to messages that the universe is sending to you. Anna decided how much money she wanted to make in 2019, and wrote a check to herself. At the end of the year, she had made that amount! Got a goal? Make it your password! Every time you type it in, you’ll be reminded of that goal. One of the most powerful things that an entrepreneur can do is say NO. Anna shares how she has learned to read red flags from potential clients, and say NO to bringing them into the publishing house. When you say NO to the wrong type of client, you are making room for the best clients.  Anna shares that it is her love for her work that keeps her going. Anna shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Anna David: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Website Business Risks Can Be Foolish Sometimes. But NOT taking risks at all is just as short-sighted! If you want to get to the next level in your business, you’re going to have to put yourself out there. But you don’t have to bet the farm to score a win, either. Learn how to take risks in business the smart, savvy, courageous way. Click HERE for my FREE checklist, “The Calculated Risk Checklist: 3 Ways To Take Business Risks With CONFIDENCE.” Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

136 | Catharine Arnston Shares the Importance of Celebrating Every Small Sales Win Are you celebrating all of your achievements? Catharine Arnston has a thirty year career as an international Attache for the Canadian British Governments, publisher of an international magazine and Founder of three startups. But in 2009 when her younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and advised by her oncologist to change her diet to an alkaline one because it could help her heal, Catharine put her career on hold to help her sister. In the process, she discovered algae, the most alkaline, nutrient-dense plant in the world that no one seemed to know about. Catharine knew algae would be a game changer for the world if she could just help Americans understand it. And that’s when ENERGYbits was born. It’s easy to celebrate the big wins and big victories.  Made a million dollars? Time to celebrate! Signed a major deal with a store to carry your products? Grab the champagne! Time to celebrate! I always have long lists of things that I need to do and accomplish. I never stop looking for ways to be able to serve my clients. I focus on everything that I am working on, and how I’m going to make it happen. Recently, I was on a trip to Spain with one of my friends (who actually appeared on Shark Tank).   She said “Michelle, you keep having all these wins but you don't celebrate any of them. It's just like another day in paradise for you. You should really be celebrating these wins.” Quick side note: surround yourself with people who know what it’s like to be a business owner. They’ll teach you some amazing stuff!  When she said that, I thought, you know what? She’s right! So now, I’ve chosen to celebrate my wins! New client? Amazing sponsor on the podcast? It’s time to celebrate! I choose to go to Dry Bar, and get my hair done, or I book a massage. Instead of just accepting small successes and wins as just being a part of everyday life, I choose to celebrate ALL of the wins, not just the big ones! This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered Podcast, Catharine Arnston, founded ENERGYbits when she discovered the nutritional power of algae. She’s heard a lot of NO’s through her career, and has also had quite a few business wins. One of her biggest lessons learned is that it’s important to celebrate all of those wins, and see just how far she’s come in her entrepreneurial journey! If you’re in need of celebrating a business win, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Catharine Arnston for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on January 20, 2020 for our next new episode! Did You Know That Your MIND Can Make or Break Your Business? MINDSET. It’s no joke. But what is mindset all about? Do you have to overhaul your life in one day or go through complicated rituals? NO. It just takes awareness. And the belief that something better is possible for YOU. Join me, The Pitch Queen, and Master Sales Strategist Shameca Tankerson as we present our FREE Mini-Workshop “3 Power Practices To Create A Kickass Entrepreneurial Sales Mindset.” Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Catharine Arnston. Catherine shares about her business, and how it got started. Catharine had NO knowledge of her industry when she started her business, and she started from the ground up! She had to learn her product, her market - everything! She started researching algae to help her sister, but it ended up changing her life. Catharine found that people knew that they needed more greens in their diet, they just didn’t know how to incorporate them into their diets. “I’m trying to build an industry, not just a company.” ~ Catharine Arnston Catharine shares about her experiences with venture capitalists, and why she chose to say NO to them! If you’re thinking about applying to be on Shark Tank, remember, it’s like a full time job. “Never give up on your dream, no matter how big it is.” ~ Catharine Arnston “The success that you're going to see comes from putting one foot in front of the other every single day.” ~ Catharine Arnston Catharine found that as they marketed their product as a sports nutrition product, the industry had NO place for it. Their NO didn’t come from customers: it came from the industry! This led to a pivot in the business, and they began working with chiropractors and those in the wellness industry to market to them to sell to their patients, who were used to alternative wellness products. “By staying open to opportunity, we found our perfect spot.” ~ Catharine Arnston Entrepreneurs can be so close to their product that they miss the opportunities that are slightly “outside the box.” If you’re not paying attention to opportunities, you’ll only find NO. Catharine shares some of the unique struggles of being a smaller brand. You’ve got to celebrate small victories: the big wins, and the small wins. Let go of the feeling of not being enough: focus on what you have accomplished. Earn success a little bit at a time: Catharine found all of her retailers just one at a time.  Most of the time, the company that you start with is not the one you will end up with: learn how to be ok with that. Catharine shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Catharine Arnston: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Did You Know That Your MIND Can Make or Break Your Business? MINDSET. It’s no joke. But what is mindset all about? Do you have to overhaul your life in one day or go through complicated rituals? NO. It just takes awareness. And the belief that something better is possible for YOU. Join me, The Pitch Queen, and Master Sales Strategist Shameca Tankerson as we present our FREE Mini-Workshop “3 Power Practices To Create A Kickass Entrepreneurial Sales Mindset.” Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

134 | Emily Williams Turns a $442 sale to a 7 Figure Business Do you ever feel stuck and bored in your life? You may feel stuck in: A boring 9-5 job A service-based business with low-paying clients An investor who is micromanaging your business A client who is bringing you down I’ve got good news for you: you have the power to say NO to the things that make you feel stuck! You don’t have to settle for less than the best for your business. Kick that J-O-B to the side. Raise your prices. Say NO to that investor, or client that is keeping you from your best. There’s one major secret that is going to help you to accomplish all of that, and it’s your mindset.  When you shift the way you approach people and dig deeper into what drives those NO’s, you’ll be able to better see exactly where you - and what you have to offer - fit in. Best of all, when you know what drives your ideal client to say NO, you’re able to tailor your offer perfectly to meet their needs, which is more likely to bring you a YES! This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered Podcast, Emily Williams was broke and ready to create a better life from herself. Her first YES got her a $442 sale, but when she adjusted her mindset, she was able to scale her business to seven figures within less than two years.  If you’re feeling burnt out and trapped in a small business, you’re going to be inspired by Emily’s journey, and what it took to get her to seven figures. You won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Emily Williams for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Everybody Gets Rejected In Sales. Do You Know How To Make NO An Advantage? Nobody likes to be turned down in sales. But did you know that NO is just part of the deal in business? If you use it right, you can learn EVERYTHING you need to know from a NO. Let me show you 3 ways that you can turn a NO into YES without being pushy, sleazy, or desperate. Click here and download your FREE guide “3 Ways To Turn a NO Into a YES” right HERE! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Emily Williams. Emily’s first sale brought her $442 - and she was on the call while on a park bench in California. She had two calls: one client said NO and one said YES. Emily received 54 NO’s in a row! How could she overcome that? Her coach encouraged her to cut her coaching prices in half, and focus exclusively on selling them. Her goal was to sell 10 spots. Not only did she sell 10 spots, but she sold more! That brought her $20,000, and was the first step on her upward trajectory. One of the huge factors that changed Emily’s sales calls was going deeper than NO. It was understanding why people said NO rather than just accepting that first NO. When Emily went deeper on the calls, she found that it was fear that made her potential clients say NO. When she was able to help people find solutions to those fears, she began to hear more YES’s. You have to be curious to be able to overcome those NO’s. Curiosity helps uncover hidden potential. People don’t want a paid friend, they want someone who is going to see them for what they have to offer. When people say they don’t have money, that’s B.S. People find money for what they truly want, whether it be from outside funding or from borrowing money. It can be found! “If you want to get to seven figures, you have to be willing to talk to people about money.” ~ Emily Williams Emily shares the story of her greatest NO when six people dropped out of her high-level mastermind. During the time of bouncing back, Emily leaned on her coaches and mentors. Emily shares how those NO’s were some of the best things that has happened to her.  Hearing NO’s made Emily go through the learning curve fast: she had to get good at learning the financials in her business and build a strong foundation. You have to learn to take the emotions out of business and recognize that NO isn’t always about you!  Create an atmosphere where your clients can communicate with you, especially before things go wrong. You want to learn and grow, make sure your clients know that. Remember that business is built in transactions and contracts: how can you protect the business you have built?  Protecting your business means you may have to be a fierce leader, and not always make popular decisions. “You need people in your corner: you cannot do this alone.” ~ Emily Williams Learn how to spot toxic people early on. There are some people who you just have to say NO to because they are not right for you! “Know what your own limits are, and your boundaries, and put them in place.” ~ Emily Williams Emily shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Emily Williams: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Everybody Gets Rejected In Sales. Do You Know How To Make NO An Advantage? Nobody likes to be turned down in sales. But did you know that NO is just part of the deal in business? If you use it right, you can learn EVERYTHING you need to know from a NO. Let me show you 3 ways that you can turn a NO into YES without being pushy, sleazy, or desperate. Click here and download your FREE guide “3 Ways To Turn a NO Into a YES” right HERE! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

133 | Tyler J. McCall Teaches It’s Time to Remove the Sleaze, Turn Your Followers Into Fans How many followers do you have? More importantly, how many relationships do you have with those followers? Tyler J. McCall is an Instagram and social media marketer, strategist, and coach for creatives and online business owners. He teaches his students how to use Instagram with intention to grow their community online and grow their business. Tyler focuses on using Instagram and social media to tell stories, build relationships, and convert followers to fans, drawing from his 10 years of experience in non-profit marketing and management and community organizing. He’s taught thousands of entrepreneurs and managed dozens of Instagram accounts since getting into the online marketing game in 2015. Tyler is based in Chicago, where he lives with his partner Eric. When he’s not coaching or teaching, Tyler enjoys Target runs and road trips…that he documents on his Instagram Stories. Would you believe me if I told you that it doesn’t matter how many followers you have? Many entrepreneurs think that they won’t be able to be successful with a small following. They count their followers on Instagram, and look at their email list with dismay.  How can they possibly reach the next level with such a small following? Here’s the trick: it’s not about having the numbers. It’s all about the connections. It doesn’t matter if you have 100 followers, or 100,000: if they aren’t engaged and active, they probably aren’t going to buy what you’re selling! But how can you connect with them? Create shared experiences and stories. You have to give people reasons to connect with you, and create those shared moments. You may have seen me doing that on my @thepitchqueen Instagram account, and on my Facebook page, The Pitch Queen. Each week, I share things that aren’t about my podcasts and business, whether it be my workouts, or “Michelle’s Thursday Things” - it’s all about creating a connection. When you create those connections, you may start to see some people unfollow you. But that means those are the people who probably aren’t going to buy what you’re selling anyway.  Focus on creating valuable connections, and ways that you can serve them!  This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered Podcast, Tyler J. McCall, started his career in the nonprofit world. Burnt out, tired, and ready for change, he negotiated a job for himself that allowed him to use his skills. Then, he heard NO when his supervisor who had said YES to his new role quit. That started Tyler on a journey of building his own business, and multiple major transitions, until he finally created his dream job! If you’re feeling discouraged by a small following, and wonder if you can be successful, you’ll want to tune in to this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Tyler J. McCall for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! It’s OK To Say NO To Less-Than-Ideal Clients. Trust me, it’s better for EVERYONE to know straight up if a client relationship is a disaster waiting to happen. It’ll save both parties a lot of time, aggravation, and heartache (not to mention money!). Stop wasting your time with mismatched prospects, and start inviting only the RIGHT clients in. How do you do it? My FREE guide “Ideal Clients ONLY: 5 Steps To Pre-Qualifying Prospects And Clients BEFORE The Sales Talk” will show you how! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Tyler J. McCall. Tyler shares about his job with the nonprofit: how he was burnt out, tired, and ready for something new, and was able to work with his vice president to create a position for himself that he was excited about. He took the weekend before accepting the job: and on Monday, he got a company-wide email that the vice president had quit, and that job was no longer available to him. Tyler just held on for a while, and eventually started a side hustle, and found his first client. Don’t rely on verbal offers: make sure to get things in writing. Chains of command can be very important when it comes to job offers and getting the motivation and help you need: Tyler lost that job he wanted because NO one else knew about it. Tyler started his own business with a business partner, but she said NO to him as this was not the business she wanted to have. That meant that Tyler had to face his fears and say YES to running the business alone. It was a scary time: Tyler had quit his full time job, and she had too! He was deep in credit card debt, and wondering how it was going to work. With that business partner, Tyler found that he had been relying on her connections to bring in clients.  In the end, Tyler brought on his old business partner as a contractor, and they still got to work together! Tyler did two things that helped him face his fears in his business: figure out what he actually had in the business, and then assess what skills he had to offer. Revenue grew when Tyler focused on what he really wanted to do. Don’t be afraid to really look at your skills and know what you are good at. When you know what you are truly good at, you can offer that as a service to others. Selling to people is really just about inviting them to be part of something bigger. To connect with people, you have to be comfortable with your messaging, and knowing that there are going to be people who love it, and there are going to be people who hate it. You have to be ok with speaking to only one kind of person. Building relationships is about shared values, shared stories, and shared experiences. You have to be willing to develop relationships in a way that isn’t rooted in monetization. “The monetization of a relationship from social media is simply just a byproduct of the intentionality you put into actually building the relationship through valuable stories and experiences.” ~ Tyler J. McCall “The number of social media followers you have on Instagram doesn't really mean anything at the end of the day. It really comes down to your ability to move those followers to action and and that's why you don't want a bunch of people following you who don't get who you are and what you do.” ~ Tyler J. McCall Tyler was feeling burnt out with his own business, and constantly working. He decided it was time to make a change. His greatest failure - both personally and professionally - was being constantly on the phone and working. He was even working the last day that his father was alive. This taught Tyler that he had built a business that was not sustainable, and that something had to change. Tyler fired all 4 of his “done for you” service clients, and his 17 coaching clients, and started a business based on a membership site model. Now Tyler lives by three mottos: time is irreplaceable, saying YES to one thing is saying NO to something else, and have a sounding board for those times when you feel stuck. “Never say YES in the moment.” ~ Tyler J. McCall Tyler shares what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Tyler J. McCall: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest Twitter It’s OK To Say NO To Less-Than-Ideal Clients. Trust me, it’s better for EVERYONE to know straight up if a client relationship is a disaster waiting to happen. It’ll save both parties a lot of time, aggravation, and heartache (not to mention money!). Stop wasting your time with mismatched prospects, and start inviting only the RIGHT clients in. How do you do it? My FREE guide “Ideal Clients ONLY: 5 Steps To Pre-Qualifying Prospects And Clients BEFORE The Sales Talk” will show you how! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

131 | Hunter Thompson Shares How to Work with Your Dream Investors When was the last time you said NO to a potential investor or client? Hunter Thompson is a full-time real estate investor and founder of Cash Flow Connections (CFC), a private equity firm based out of Los Angeles, CA. Since starting CFC, Hunter has helped more than 250 investors allocate capital to over 100 properties. He has personally raised more than $20M in private capital and controls more than $60M in commercial real estate. Hunter has been featured in Forbes, Globe St., Inside Self-Storage, as well as a variety of other media news outlets, podcasts, and radio shows. Hunter is also the host of the Cash Flow Connections Real Estate Podcast, which helps investors learn the intricacies of commercial real estate from the comfort of their home, car, or office. When you first start your business, until you have your investors and clients lined up, it can be tempting to work with anyone who is willing to give you money, whether it be an investor, client - if that person has a pulse and they say YES, you’re in! But that may backfire on you if they aren’t the exact type of person you can serve best. Let me give you a personal example: I coach accountants in specifically creating a sales system that also feels good. The type of person that I can best serve is someone with high-level services, looking to start charging more and working less by having a system to produce these results. The system that I teach requires a significant time investment: I give quite a bit of homework. After all, they’ll have to take action to see and get the results! When I’m on a call to see if a client will be a good fit, I have some questions that I ask. One of them is, “Are you willing to invest 4 hours per week in this program to help fix [whatever problems they share with me]?” Their answer to this question tells me if they’re going to be a good fit to work with me or not. If they truly only have an hour a week to invest, I know that they won’t be a good fit! They won’t be able to see results. NO matter how much money a potential investor or client has, if they don’t fit your parameters, it’s in your best interest to say NO! That’s why it is so important to vet potential clients and investors. It may seem weird to say NO to people who want to work with you. You will be able to work at a higher level with your ideal clientele when you say NO to people who are not your ideal client. This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered Podcast, Hunter Thompson, is a real estate investor. He’s raised millions of dollars, and refined exactly how to vet the perfect, long-term investors for his business.  If you’re feeling discouraged by finding less than ideal investors, you’ll want to tune in to this week’s episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Hunter Thompson for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! It’s OK To Say NO To Less-Than-Ideal Clients. Trust me, it’s better for EVERYONE to know straight up if a client relationship is a disaster waiting to happen. It’ll save both parties a lot of time, aggravation, and heartache (not to mention money!). Stop wasting your time with mismatched prospects, and start inviting only the RIGHT clients in. How do you do it? My FREE guide “Ideal Clients ONLY: 5 Steps To Pre-Qualifying Prospects And Clients BEFORE The Sales Talk” will show you how! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Hunter Thompson. Once you get used to hearing NO you are able to overcome it. If you’re not getting pushback, your goals aren’t big enough! Hunter shares about an investment opportunity he prepared for. He thought he had the perfect preparation, the perfect pitch, but everyone said NO! Follow up was key: when he followed up with people, a few said YES. From this experience, Hunter learned that he completely underestimated what it takes to build an environment where people would want to invest 5 figures with him. It takes more than just a good-looking website and a practiced pitch! Since then, Hunter has worked to establish himself as an authority, with a podcast, blog, and conference. “Friends and family money is usually important for a lot of young entrepreneurs, but it is almost never going to be the money that takes you to the next level.” ~ Hunter Thompson. Hunter’s advice: pick one thing that is going to take you to the next level, and focus on it, using time blocks. Pick out ten things to accomplish each day, put them on sticky notes, and eventually take away the extras until you have it pared down to ONE item that you focus on each and every day. That is what will help you scale your business. Hunter created networking events in the Los Angeles area: for his first event, about 30 people came. The next month, only 4 showed up! This was hard because these events were a huge part of Hunter’s business strategy, so people not coming was a huge NO! If you’re not being authentic in your messaging, people will know, and they will assume the worst. Remember that entrepreneurship is always 10 times harder than you think it will be, 10 times more capital intensive, and requires 10 times the relationships. Constantly engage in personal development: Hunter reads books to further his knowledge. When you’re working with investors, it’s a two-way street. You want investors who are the best fit for your business! Meaningful relationships will help you find those who are the best fit. Good prospective investors are people who has asked all the right questions from the start and know what they are saying YES to. Hunter sends anyone who has invested 6 figures or more a cool thank you gift - a step above a mug with a logo. This helps enforce that it’s a long term relationship. Sometimes Hunter has to say NO to future investors that aren’t a good fit: by making sure that these investors are in alignment with Hunter’s strategies, they are able to work with the best of the best. Hunter shares what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Hunter Thompson: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn It’s OK To Say NO To Less-Than-Ideal Clients. Trust me, it’s better for EVERYONE to know straight up if a client relationship is a disaster waiting to happen. It’ll save both parties a lot of time, aggravation, and heartache (not to mention money!). Stop wasting your time with mismatched prospects, and start inviting only the RIGHT clients in. How do you do it? My FREE guide “Ideal Clients ONLY: 5 Steps To Pre-Qualifying Prospects And Clients BEFORE The Sales Talk” will show you how! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

124 | Mada Seghete Shares How to Believe in Yourself and Push Past Business Fear Are you holding back from taking the leap into your business? Mada Seghete leads the growth marketing team, and is one of the co-founders of Branch. She was included in Linkedin’s Next Wave, 150 top professionals in 15 industries all under 35. Anyone who has closed a business knows how hard it is. It’s emotional and painful. Your business is like your baby, and it’s hard to let go! When I closed FITzee Foods, and started the Success Unfiltered Podcast, I learned that I had to ask myself an important question: “Does continuing with this help me in the long term?” That meant that I had to say NO to things that did not help me.  Instead of trying to continue to solve pain points and continue with my old business, I had to completely end FITzee Foods, and embrace my new life as The Pitch Queen! I was not able to serve my ideal client’s pain points until I embraced my business and was 100% a YES to that new business! This week’s guest, Mada Seghete, was told NO from investors for her “Fitbit for dogs” app that she had created. When it came time to move on to her new business, Branch, Mada learned that in order to be successful, she had to make a complete leap from her old business into the new. Once she made that decision, and leaped into her new business, Mada saw her new business grow! If you’re ready to make the leap into a new business, make sure that you tune into this episode of Success Unfiltered! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Mada Seghete for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! If You Don’t Believe In Yourself, Nobody Else Will. But why is doing it so hard? Most entrepreneurs can learn strategies. But the strategies are useless if your mind is stacked against you. What do you do to stop the negative self-talk and become your own biggest cheerleader? Start by investing in the most vital asset your business has: YOU. Grab my FREE guide Believing In Yourself (For REAL This Time) and let me show you how! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Mada Seghete. Mada shares about her experience with app creation and all her entrepreneurial experience. Mada and her team were trying to create an app like Fitbit for dogs, and were told NO from investors! At the beginning, it’s easy to think when you’re not getting investment money, that it’s about you, not your product! When they started connecting with their ideal client, the pet owner, Mada and her team found that people were not interested in their product for their pets. Facing rejection was the hardest thing Mada and her friends had ever faced. They lost a lot of money, and one even had to stay on another friend’s couch because they lost everything. It was helpful to understand that NO’s came from customers, not from investors. The market was small, and already saturated. Hearing a NO helps you refine your business model! If customers say YES and investors say NO, then you may be able to get traction to eventually gain investors. Transitioning between businesses was one of the hardest, most depressing times of Mada’s life. Mada’s biggest NO was when her green card was denied, and she had to wait six months before she could reapply. During that time, she started Branch, her current company. When Mada was in her low times, she wallowed in grief and frustration for a while: then she said NO to grief and frustration and moved on and realized it was time for her to believe in herself. When they decided to sell their app, they were asked to continue working on it. But they realized that it NO longer served their purpose and long-term goals. Your company and your entrepreneurial journey is your baby, and it’s hard to let go! “We were just kept holding onto it because it was this thing that we had built. And looking back it seems crazy to me that we did that.” ~ Mada Seghete When it comes to closing a business, you should ask yourself a few questions: “What am I gaining? What will I gain in the long term by doing this, and focusing my time on this, and how valuable is my time, and should I focus on this?” When it comes to business, and attracting investors, you just have to jump in completely! It’s the only way you can make your business work. “Say NO when you know that you cannot deliver.” - Mada did, and was very clear that she would not be able to deliver. Mada shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Mada Seghete: Branch Website Facebook LinkedIn   YouTube   If You Don’t Believe In Yourself, Nobody Else Will. But why is doing it so hard? Most entrepreneurs can learn strategies. But the strategies are useless if your mind is stacked against you. What do you do to stop the negative self-talk and become your own biggest cheerleader? Start by investing in the most vital asset your business has: YOU. Grab my FREE guide Believing In Yourself (For REAL This Time) and let me show you how! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

121 | Dan Fleyshman Shares the Importance of Failure How can you turn your failure into a win? Dan Fleyshman is the youngest founder of a publicly traded company in history. At the age of 23, after selling $15 million dollars worth of clothing in six department store chains and surpassing expectations with his $9.5 million dollar licensing deal with STARTER apparel, Mr. Fleyshman launched the “Who’s Your Daddy” energy drink into 55,000 retail stores. He later went on to launch Victory Poker, which became 1 of the top 5 online poker brands internationally.  Along the way, Fleyshman became a very active Angel Investor and advisor to 29+ companies that range from mobile apps and tech companies to travel sites and celebrity clothing brands.  As a serial entrepreneur, some of the successes include launching a media site to garner over 300,000,000 views in the first year, a hoverboard company to $5 million+ revenue in 4 months and multiple subscription box companies to gross over $48 million dollars in combined sales.  Currently his social media agency “Elevator Studios” works with over 600 influencers and manages campaigns for a variety of large companies. The agency has also hosted 30 live events called “Elevator Nights” which has helped 1000’s of entrepreneurs learn from and network with investors in multiple sectors including cannabis & cryptocurrency.  Playing poker as a hobby, he’s managed to win multiple championships and more importantly use the game to be able to raise millions of dollars for various charities by organizing dozens of poker tournaments around the world.  Over the last 7 years his main passion has been his charity www.modelcitizenfund.org which creates backpacks for the homeless filled with 150 emergency supply items inside. Money talks, and sometimes, it’s telling you that it’s time to shut down your business. But what then? How do you face that “failure”? How do you face the giant NO? When I closed FITzee Foods, I could hear the money talking, and it was saying NO. People were not buying the meals at the rate that I needed to sell in order to be successful and keep the company open. I had to make the tough decision to listen to the money talking, and say NO to FITzee Foods.  But what then? What about all the people who are watching me? How could I work with that failure, and find a way to turn it into success? I chose to turn my past experiences into a success, teaching others to love the sales process, and telling the stories of so many entrepreneurs on this podcast.  You could even say that through saying NO to FITzee Foods, I have said YES to something far better! This week’s guest on Success Unfiltered Podcast, Dan Fleyshman, knew that he was going to have to close his poker business, but he was able to leverage his experience in such a way that he turned a potential failure into an absolute success! His “failure” brought him more success than he had found in his original business! If you’re worried about the aftermath of failure, make sure that you tune into this episode of Success Unfiltered! You won’t want to miss this inspiration! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Dan Fleyshman for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! What Do Successful Entrepreneurs Know (That Most Entrepreneurs Don’t)? That rejection in sales doesn’t mean failure. It means that you’re that much closer to the success that you desire...as long as you don’t quit! But how do you put yourself back together when a dream deal goes south? Grab your copy of my FREE checklist “5 Ways To Come Back From Sales Rejection” and learn how you can harness the power of NO for yourself! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Dan Fleyshman. Dan saw the writing on the wall that he would have to close his online 8-figure poker business - his competition was being shut down, and he knew that his time was coming! Rather than wait to be shut down, Dan decided to be proactive and shut it down first. “It’s not easy to have that failure on the scoreboard. When you look at history, you see wins and losses.” ~ Dan Fleyshman Dan’s choice to shut down proactively made him look like a good guy, and he was able to leverage his experience and get hired as a consultant at multiple casinos! “By taking the loss, I actually had more wins.” ~ Dan Fleyshman Staying in a bad business too long can be like being in a bad relationship: you’re working hard to make it work, but it’s not a good fit. Eventually, you have to rip the bandaid off! People vote with their wallets. If they aren’t saying YES with their spending, then you need to know how to move on! It’s better to end a business prematurely when you know you have to say NO to it, and be able to give something back to investors, rather than have nothing in the end! Better to stop at 70% done instead of 100% finished! After closing his poker business, Dan decided to never have all of his eggs in one basket again! He has taken on multiple investments, and has become an angel investor in many companies. Someone with a “failure” on their record has valuable skills! You can be a very valuable consultant: people want to learn from someone who has been there and has experience! “Failure” can lead to a lucrative speaking career, helping share your story. Failure can be a million dollar MBA, and teach you valuable skills. You can have a taco truck, but you’ll be better in business if you teach others how to have better taco trucks! We’re always going to make mistakes: it’s better to run your business under the guidance of someone who has been there, done that, and made the mistake! They can guide you through because they have been through it. That’s so much better than any marketing course. When Dan was making his pitches with his beverage company, there wasn’t a NO option! He asks, “Would you like to be my distributor in the southeast, or nationwide?” There is not a NO option for that question! Know and address objections before they become objections! “I don’t want there to be a single NO in the room!” ~ Dan Fleyshman For a service-based business, Dan talks about showing the expertise that qualifies you above anyone else. Sometimes it can be hard to work with large companies, especially when you are projecting sales, and you don’t have a lot of money to work with, and they pay you after the product has been delivered. You have to learn to anticipate their needs, their re-ordering, and be ready for whatever - and sometimes, that requires that you be creative when working with suppliers. When pitching investors, make sure that they know that they are in it for the long game: you won’t make money with your business for a while; they won’t see a return on their investment for a while! When you’re just beginning, it’s ok to keep your job. In fact, you may need that income! It could be years before your business takes off. Make a plan for when you succeed! Dan has a “red ropes” policy for potential clients. When they cross any of these boundaries that he has for his business, he says NO to them as clients, because they will be the wrong kind of client for the business he wants to have! One red flag for Dan that he looks out for in potential clients is that the clients that want to work with him to sign an NDA. Dan shares what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Dan Fleyshman: Victory CEO Website Model Citizen Instagram LinkedIn Twitter What Do Successful Entrepreneurs Know (That Most Entrepreneurs Don’t)? That rejection in sales doesn’t mean failure. It means that you’re that much closer to the success that you desire...as long as you don’t quit! But how do you put yourself back together when a dream deal goes south? Grab your copy of my FREE checklist “5 Ways To Come Back From Sales Rejection” and learn how you can harness the power of NO for yourself! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

Episode 105 | Jeet Banerjee Shares How Having a Passion for Your Business can Lead to Success Do you truly feel passionate about your business? Jeet Banerjee is a 25 year old serial entrepreneur and TEDx speaker. He’s sold 2 businesses and launched over 10+ companies since he became an entrepreneur 8 years ago. In addition to that, he has spoken at conferences all around the world and has helped others start their entrepreneurial dreams. Owning your own business can feel like a marriage. You’ll want to make sure that you’re truly in love, instead of falling for some trendy business, or something you don’t know anything about. When I reflect on my time at FITzee Foods, I started a business that I knew nothing about! Anyone who knows me knows that I am very passionate about eating right - but I am NOT passionate about cooking. If I could, I would eat smoothies all the time. Well, I found out that when I started FITzee Foods, I was starting a business in the food manufacturing industry, which I was not passionate about! Maybe that was part of what made it such a struggle: I didn’t focus on using my passion. Sure, I could probably teach a course on food manufacturing now, but it’s not something I am passionate about. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Jeet Banerjee, heard his biggest NO when he tried to start a music business, and it failed. He learned how to turn his liabilities into some of his biggest drivers on his path to success, and follow his biggest dreams. If you aren’t following your dreams (or think that you’re either too young or too old to follow your dreams), then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Jeet Banerjee for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Business Rejection: It’s NOT About YOU...BUT it Can Help You! Does a customer rejection mean you aren’t good at what you do? Not at all. Is there a gift in the sting of rejection? You bet there is! Click here and learn 3 reasons why a NO is actually a future YES (and how to start seeing it that way right NOW)! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Jeet Banerjee. Jeet first started his business at the age of 17 - He was young with a baby face! His first business client mistook him for a kid looking for his dad - so he turned and fled! Everyone said “oh Jeet, you’re too young.” This big rejection was a reality check, almost deterred him from entire career as a whole. But he thought, “I can’t let it end like this.” Jeet turned his liability into an asset: “Yeah, I’m young…let me own it and show why I am a better candidate.” ~ Jeet Banerjee One of the biggest things that I learned was that my confidence exudes into the world. If I believe it, other people will believe it. Rejection is going to happen, but it’s really not that bad. Jeet thought he had a multi-million dollar idea and always getting rejected was devastating and eye-opening at the same time. Don’t focus on money or trendy industries; go after what you are passionate about and know a lot about. If you don’t like what you do, you’re going to struggle with those extra hours. Get a lot of data before you launch a business, run it past people who would use it. You may need to revise or improvise your business. “Anytime I have a failure, I have a period of reflection so I am a little bit smarter and better.” ~ Jeet Banerjee “I let the early successes get to my head, and learning that lesson so early helped.” ~ Jeet Banerjee You’re going to have successes, and you’re going to have failures. You’ve got to learn from them. “I’ve always been competitive: receiving NOs never bother me, but I can’t let the last thing that happens be a NO.” ~ Jeet Banerjee The greatest idea in the world can fail if it doesn’t have the right person behind it. 99% of people are not pursuing dreams, and cite three reasons: no time, no money, and are either too old or too young. Jeet shares what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Jeet Banerjee: Jeet Banerjee’s Website Instagram Twitter Facebook Business Rejection: It’s NOT About YOU...BUT it Can Help You! Does a customer rejection mean you aren’t good at what you do? Not at all. Is there a gift in the sting of rejection? You bet there is! Click here and learn 3 reasons why a NO is actually a future YES (and how to start seeing it that way right NOW)! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

Episode 104 | Harriet Mills Shares How Written Contracts can Save Your Business Have you ever considered a prenup for your business? If you have a partner in the business, you should consider getting a written contract to protect you, your business, and the future of the business! With over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur, Harriet Mills, a mother of three, co-founded her franchise company Wine & Design to help support her family financially. Since pursuing her dreams to grow her business by bringing art and creativity to new communities looking for a fun alternative to a typical night out, Harriet and her team of talented women have grown Wine & Design to one of the nation's' leading Paint and Sip companies with over 80 locations in the US! Harriet and Wine & Design have been recognized both locally and nationally through awards and notoriety such as The Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40, ABC's Shark Tank, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Yahoo Finance. She has used her position in her local community and through Wine & Design to partner with Project ALS to raise money and awareness for the disease. Harriet strives to provide mentorship and guidance to women navigating the world of business. She understands the value of having a tribe of dedicated and passionate women for support and thrives on helping others achieve their business goals, whatever they might be.   Spending money on a lawyer to draw up written contracts and agreements is hard, especially when you’re just starting your entrepreneurial journey. When you spend money, you want to make sure that money brings in more revenue. You might think hiring a lawyer will hurt your cash flow, because it’s not helping you make money, but it is a wise decision in the long run. I personally understand that! When I started FITzee Foods, I needed to invest money into the things that would make my business grow. So, I avoided spending money on a lawyer, especially since I didn’t have a ton of money. However, money spent on a lawyer saves you money in the long run. When I closed FITzee Foods, I lost almost $2 million dollars because I didn’t have written contracts in place to protect me. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast lost $1 million for a similar reason. Learn from our us, and take our $3 million dollar lessons to help you in your business. These written contracts act like a prenup for your business and can save you money, relationships, and stress in your future. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Harriet Mills, experienced her most devastating NO when her ex-business partner said NO to an investment from an investor from Shark Tank. Harriet learned from this experience and is coming to share the juicy details with you so that you can learn from her NO and protect your business with written contracts. If you have a business partner or partnership relationships, then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Harriet Mills for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Everyone Gets Rejected In Sales. It’s what you do AFTER the NO that counts! I’ve got 3 ways that you can turn a NO into a win (and maybe even a future YES)! Grab my guide to surviving rejections in business and making them work for you right HERE! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Harriet Mills. Harriet shares her inspiration for her business, Wine and Design. When Harriet asked the owners of one of the places she visited if they would be willing to let her have a location in North Carolina, they said NO! “No one tells me NO! I’m going to … make it bigger and better!” ~ Harriet Mills When someone tells you NO, take the fear out and do it on your own, and do it better! Harriet found that people didn’t believe in the concept of her business, and didn’t take them seriously. Even the lawyer didn’t think it would work. The lawyer they hired to do their first franchising agreement recycled an old agreement that had been created for a car-related business. The agreement had terms about cars and oil! As an entrepreneur, Harriet says, “You have to take it upon yourself to learn the business as a lawyer, as a marketer, etc. You can trust people,  but you have to watch your back.” One of the keys for a successful franchise is having a kick-a** flagship store - it shows all of those who want to open a franchise that this business is a viable business and can make money! Harriet would have joined the International Franchise Association sooner. Even though she hadn’t planned on franchising, that would have helped her know the ins and outs of the business. Her most devastating NO came when she appeared on Shark Tank, and one of the investors chose her business! Her business partner said NO to an investment from a Shark, and that was when Harriet realized it was time to do business by herself. Not having an operating agreement with her business partner from the start of her business cost her more than $1 million dollars. “It made me fight for the company.” ~ Harriet Mills An operating agreement is like a prenup for your business. If you don’t have an agreement, you’re not going to work out. You’re going to experience one of these: A) your business will fail, B) you will lose friendships, or C) it will be awful. This was a lesson learned - operating agreements are #1 in your business if you’re going to work with a partner. Spend the money on written contracts! Have everything in writing. Follow verbal agreements up in writing, with an email restating what was said and agreed upon! Everything you have in writing is documented. “I can’t stress this enough - spending extra money on attorneys is worth it. If you can’t afford it, wait to start the business!” ~ Harriet Mills I don’t like to say NO, I am willing to give everyone a chance. Harriet had to fire her marketing firm because they weren’t a good fit. If your marketing firm isn’t giving you statistics about conversions and growth, you need a new firm! Make sure there is an “out” clause with your written contracts, give them a retainer and make sure you’re getting detailed reports. Let them show you conversions - if there isn’t any, they aren’t doing their job & it’s time to implement your out clause. Harriet shares what she would share with her younger self. Connect with Harriet Mills: Wine and Design Website Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Everyone Gets Rejected In Sales. It’s what you do AFTER the NO that counts! I’ve got 3 ways that you can turn a NO into a win (and maybe even a future YES)! Grab my guide to surviving rejections in business and making them work for you right HERE! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

Episode 103 | Zalmi Duchman Shares Why Angel Investors Aren’t Always the Answer to a Profitable Business Where is the money coming from that fuels your business? Zalmi Duchman is an entrepreneur and food-tech pioneer. In 2005, Zalmi launched The Fresh Diet out of his apartment with $500 on his credit card. Over the next 10 years, Zalmi grew his business into the largest fresh daily meal delivery service in the country, with over $30 million in annual revenues. After selling his business, Zalmi switched his focus to helping other small business owners by mentoring, investing and writing for Forbes.com. Today Zalmi operates HomeBistro.com, a frozen meal delivery company as well as advises Mellow.com a smart sous-vide kitchen appliance that has revolutionized home cooking. Money, and where it comes from, is a huge factor in the growth of your business. Are you slowly growing into profitability? Or are you experiencing explosive growth through angel investments or outside capital, as your business takes off? There are two ways your money fuels your business: Fast growth, fueled by angel investors or capital Slow growth, fueled by bottom line profitability One of the dangers of that fast growth is that you can quickly run out of money! And without money, you don’t have a business. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Zalmi Duchman, started his food company, The Fresh Diet, out of his Miami apartment. After convincing the bank to give him a $900,000 SBA loan, he acquired a national competitor, and business took off. Then, the money ran out. If you’re ready to hear all the nitty gritty details of what it’s like when the investment money runs out, then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks go out to Zalmi Duchman for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! How Much Does It Cost To Work With You?” THAT question comes up in a sales conversation. Suddenly your heart is pounding and your confidence is shaking. You’re hoping to answer without choking. But what if the REAL answer to the COST question wasn’t about dollars, but something a LOT more powerful? If you know what that something is, it just might change your sales conversations FOREVER. My FREE guide, “Cost Vs. Investment: The Secret To Showing Your Value” will show you how to take the sting out of sales conversations by focusing on the REAL outcome of your services. Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Zalmi Duchman. Zalmi founded The Fresh Diet in 2005 from his apartment in Miami, he saw an opportunity to expand by acquiring a competitor, but no bank would give him the money - the bank denied him a $900,000 SBA loan. This was the first time he had ever thought, “I will not take NO for an answer!” This was a defining moment in his success. When he dug deep and learned why they denied the loan, he was able to counter the rejections and was awarded the loan. There is usually a reason for the NO, and communicating helps reveal that reason. Zalmi realized that one angel investor would not be enough; he approached 20 different investors, and all said NO. When the investors all said NO, Zalmi was removed from management and lost the ability to give input on the company. He bought the Company back in 2016, as it was on the brink of closing. No last minute deals could save it, and he had to close it down. “Closing a company is like running into a burning building to save your baby - you will do whatever you can to try to save it.” ~ Zalmi Duchman They key is to make sure that you do whatever it is that you could do. “Eventually, you’re going to lose your business. Very few businesses are handed down from generation to generation. The key is being prepared.” ~ Zalmi Duchman “A good lawyer is like a 401k for your business - a lawyer is an investment today that will save you more money later.” ~ Zalmi Duchman You need to have two lawyers - a personal lawyer and a business lawyer - do not commingle the two. The closure was the worst day of my life. I didn’t know how I was going to overcome it. Ultimately, it was through positivity and the support of other entrepreneurs that helped Zalmi make it through the closure of the business. He had to learn to keep his mouth shut - no matter how badly Zalmi wanted to tell his side of the story, it wouldn’t help. It was better to be quiet. Zalmi’s biggest accomplishment was the growth of the business. It went from $3 million in sales to $30 million in just a few years. Knowing that he was giving people jobs and they were able to support their families was huge, and feedback from clients and customers was amazing. Zalmi avoids burnout by taking a complete electronics break weekly. It may be “forced” by his Orthodox Jewish beliefs, but it’s an excellent discipline that helps avoid burnout. You’re going to have the people who bring 20% of your business and take 80% of your time. You have to be aware that some customers are not worth it. In fact, when they had customers who complained just to complain, the company would often encourage them to discontinue the service and find a better fit elsewhere. But most of the time the customer didn’t want to, because they loved the product so much! Zalmi shares what he would tell his younger self - focus on profitability. Connect with Zalmi: Zalmi’s Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter P.S. How Much Does It Cost To Work With You?” THAT question comes up in a sales conversation. Suddenly your heart is pounding and your confidence is shaking. You’re hoping to answer without choking. But what if the REAL answer to the COST question wasn’t about dollars, but something a LOT more powerful? If you know what that something is, it just might change your sales conversations FOREVER. My FREE guide, “Cost Vs. Investment: The Secret To Showing Your Value” will show you how to take the sting out of sales conversations by focusing on the REAL outcome of your services. Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

Episode 102 | Adi Arezzini Shares How to Move from Confusion to Clarity Have you ever watched your sales plummet by 50% almost overnight? Adi Arezzini is co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Teami, a lifestyle tea company with premium-quality loose-leaf teas and tea-infused skincare. From a young age,  Adi was taught the benefits of holistic health and plant-based eating by her health-conscious mother. Following her interest in health and wellness, at 19 Adi worked as a combat trainer for the Israel Defense Force and a few years later became a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer. After returning home from living for years in the army barracks in Israel, Adi realized her gut wasn’t functioning properly, due to a lack of access to quality nutrition. Soon Adi began experimenting with loose leaf tea blends as a natural remedy and only four years later, Adi created Teami. As entrepreneurs, we need to learn to keep a long term vision. When I still had FITzee Foods, we were everywhere - in stores, online & had a retail store of our own! When I started the business, there were minimal healthy pre-packaged foods companies in the area, and when we closed, there were hundreds. Everything changed fast! The key is to keep a long term vision, and lean in during the tough times, and turn those into our strengths. After being rejected by several brick and mortar stores to carry her products via the wholesale way of growing a business, Adi Arezzini turned to digital marketing to sell her wellness teas. Her company was growing and flourishing, until April 2016, when the Instagram algorithm changed. Adi’s customers didn’t see her company’s posts anymore and weren’t making purchases like they had been. Their entire digital marketing strategy was dangerously close to failure, as the company’s sales dropped in half - until Adi decided it was time to lean in and find ways to turn that into a strength. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Adi Arezzini, started out going into stores to see if they’d be interested in selling her wellness teas. When they said NO, she decided that it was time for her to choose her own strategies, and found herself on her new digital entrepreneurship journey! If you’re ready for a roller coaster ride of imports, sales, and algorithms, then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Adi Arezzini for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Resilience is KEY. In Business and In Life. Of course, it’s not always easy. Staying positive when you keep hearing NO, focusing on your dreams when the world is stacked against you...none of it is for the faint of heart. How do you keep your eye on the prize? Resilience. My FREE guide will show you 3 Steps To Building Rock-Solid Resilience In Business. Want to make your business dreams come true? Click HERE! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Adi. Adi shares her first NO - $10,000 worth of tea getting held by customs, and destroyed! “I make mistakes when I am not educated on something. The biggest mistakes I made were when I didn’t research something, and then I wasted money.” ~ Adi Arezzini In retrospect, Adi says she waited too long to find a mentor. She would have found someone local in the field, and learned from them sooner! When you utilize digital marketing, no one is telling you “NO” because you’re not knocking on doors; all of the sales come from marketing. We relied on platforms for people to see our products and service. Successful people lean into the fears and challenges in front of them; others turn and walk away so they don’t have to deal with it. By leaning into obstacles, you put the control in your own hands. We changed organizationally what we were doing, so people focused; and were not spread thin. Our team was able to become experts at what they did so marketing was wiser and created clarity. Move from confusion to clarity. “I cling to concrete facts; numbers don’t lie.” ~ Adi Arezzini A friend urged Adi to take her tea to Whole Foods and Sprouts. She bought a pants suit and took a basket of assorted teas in, met with managers, and was brushed off. Adi thought, “How can I be in control of my own success? I can take up digital marketing; telling my own story, not waiting for someone to give me a chance.” Hunger and a drive to survive keep you going through the NOs. No matter where you are in business,  you still go through rough times; it’s what you sign up for as a business owner; everyone deals with it. Being a business owner is a long term commitment. Keep long term goals, because one business will not uptrend forever. You need to know you will be in it for the long term. Vision and long term planning is the most important; stick to the vision and why you started. Adi shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Adi: Teami Website Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Resilience is KEY. In Business and In Life. Of course, it’s not always easy. Staying positive when you keep hearing NO, focusing on your dreams when the world is stacked against you...none of it is for the faint of heart. How do you keep your eye on the prize? Resilience. My FREE guide will show you 3 Steps To Building Rock-Solid Resilience In Business. Want to make your business dreams come true? Click HERE! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

Episode 101 | Kevin Gelfand Shares How Patience is the Secret to Success How long is your sales cycle? And what are the obstacles that prevent you from being able to move forward on the business that you’re so excited about? Are you patient or are you on edge at all times? Kevin Gelfand, Co-Founder and President of Shake Smart, started the concept when he was a college student at San Diego State University. As an avid gym goer, he saw a need for healthy post-workout nutrients that can be customized to an individual’s taste or nutritional preferences. When he is not working on his business, Kevin is out playing basketball, working out, or playing some sort of “game”. Kevin loves…absolutely LOVES competition and will turn anything into a game. His competitive nature is what drives him to be a better business owner, mentor, friend, and husband. Kevin and his wife, Jazmine, met in college before Shake Smart and she has supported him in building the Shake Smart empire since day 1. They also live with their two dogs: Bear and Juna. One of the biggest obstacles in any sales process is the fact that you are only in control of so much. You create a business plan, present it, and maybe you hear a YES. Or maybe you need to revise it. Or maybe you need to present to others, to get multiple people to sign off on your business ideas and plans. That can double the time that it takes to get your business going. When I had FITzee Foods, I learned that if I expected to do something in 45 days; I should plan for 90 days. If there was a plan to get something done in 90 days, then I should plan for 6 months. This helped me to learn how to be patient through the process! Ultimately, patience can be a key takeaway for those of us in the world of sales or entrepreneurship. Since we can only control so much, having patience will help us reach even higher levels of success. Even better, is when patience helps you be strategic during those long sales cycles. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Kevin Gelfand, works with a long sales cycle, as he takes Shake Smart on college campuses. But when he’s patient, it leads to higher levels of success! If you’re wondering how you can be creative in your business during a long sales cycle, then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest written review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Kevin Gelfand for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Are Your Sales In A Slump (And Your Patience Is At An END)? Yesterday you were on fire. Now you’re just plain burned out. Have you really lost your business mojo? And how do you get the passion burning again? Take my FREE quiz right here and find out! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Kevin and his business, Shake Smart. You spend so much time on your business, and with the snap of a finger, it can get shut down anytime. Kevin’s business model is growing and expanding on college campuses. Campuses are finally coming to Shake Smart to start new locations, but it took about 6 years of constant rejections. When working with multiple people who have to say YES to you to launch a project or a business, start at the top, and that will direct the path down, instead of starting at the bottom and working the way up. To prove their worth with their first pitch, Kevin found the center of his mission statement, and broke it down piece by piece, and showed how his business aligned with their mission. A NO can just mean not right now - it takes time and failures to build those “muscles” to get to a YES! The key to sales is to make people realize we’re all human and should connect on a personal level. “I try to do something different every time, you don’t want to be repetitive in your sales process if it didn’t work the first time, it isn’t going to work.” ~ Kevin Gelfand Luck is when preparation and opportunity collide. You have to stay true to your core values, don’t say YES to everything and anything that comes your way! Stay true to your niche; stay laser focused. Don’t be afraid to try things to help with relationships, but do have an “escape plan” if needed. You have to learn from everything! If you don’t try it, you won’t get to learn from your mistakes and deeply know all of your strategies! Be patient, can control what you can control. A lot of time my biggest stressors come from things that are out of my control. Great things do happen with time. Kevin shares what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Kevin Gelfand: Kevin’s Website Facebook Twitter Instagram PPS. Are Your Sales In A Slump (And Your Patience Is At An END)? Yesterday you were on fire. Now you’re just plain burned out. Have you really lost your business mojo? And how do you get the passion burning again? Take my FREE quiz right here and find out! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

100 | Lisa Q. Fetterman Shares What To Do To Win Over Your Competition Everyone in a sales career knows that they are going to hear a NO - and probably one that is pretty devastating. How do you respond to that NO, especially when it’s completely soul-crushing? How do you continue to move forward with your business? It’s how we respond to that NO that can make or break us. Chef and entrepreneur Lisa Fetterman is a Co-Founder and CEO of Nomiku, the first home sous vide immersion circulator.  She is also the bestselling author of "Sous Vide at Home". Lisa has been featured in Wired, Make, and Forbes, and was named on Inc, Forbes, and Zagat Survey’s 30 Under 30 lists for her pioneering work in the food space. She has worked at some of the top restaurants in the country including Babbo and Jean-Georges in New York and Saison in San Francisco. Lisa lives with her husband (and co-founder) Abe and their two children in San Francisco. She is a graduate of NYU’s School of Journalism. NO is coming our way, whether it be an investor turning down our pitch, or a manufacturer refusing to make our product. We all know that it’s simply a matter of time for anyone in sales to come across that NO. But what happens when it feels personal? What happens when someone takes our idea or goes to work with a competitor? What about when someone acts unethically, and it’s painful? Business is business, and we all know that it’s not roses and rainbows. However, you can’t just pretend that the soul-crushing pain of rejection didn’t happen. Magic happens when you realize that you can’t control the behavior of others - only your own! Your future is in your hands - what will you do after that devastating rejection? This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Lisa Q. Fetterman, experienced a devastating NO when her angel investor decided to go work for her direct competitor - as their CEO! Her choices after hearing that devastating NO changed and shaped her business, helping her stand out as unique and special. In fact, the NO became part of the tapestry of her business - and she is soaring to new heights! If you’re wondering how you’re going to pick yourself up again after hearing a NO like that, then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Lisa Q. Fetterman for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Resilience is KEY. In Business and In Life. Of course, it’s not always easy. Staying positive when you keep hearing NO, focusing on your dreams when the world is stacked against you...none of it is for the faint of heart. How do you keep your eye on the prize? Resilience. My FREE guide will show you 3 Steps To Building Rock-Solid Resilience In Business. Want to make your business dreams come true? Click HERE! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Lisa Q. Fetterman. Lisa’s first devastating NO came when her angel investor who chose to work with her direct competitor as their CEO. When he left her company, she still saw him all the time! As long as they are both in the Sous Vide business, they will run in the same circles. So what to do as a response? Lisa feels immense gratitude because without him leaving, she would not have had to pivot her business, but that does not erase the hurt that she experienced from that betrayal. Business is business; it’s not all rainbows and roses. When you have to pivot your business, you find what you are exceptional at, and double down at that aspect. You can’t try to beat the competition at their own game. Focus on what makes you unique and special! What another company does is up to them: you can only control yourself! “When you climb a mountain, you need a guide. The oxygen gets thinner, and it’s harder to breathe - not everyone can make it!” ~ Lisa Q. Fetterman. Business is the same way - the more success you attain, the harder and lonelier it can get. Having community and support through this whole process of entrepreneurship is so important. That way, you can turn to others and ask, “is this normal?” It helps you to stay sane in the process. It’s important to remember that people have done this a thousand times - you’re not alone. If you’re out of money and have to lay off people - which can happen, and it’s devastating - it’s not about you. They probably know it’s coming. Don’t make them carry your emotional devastation with you as their last responsibility. Success is never pure and clean - it’s hard work! It’s never as easy as it looks to be, and even those who have had “easy” success, like lottery winners, have their own share of struggles. When going through hard times, think of the stories of other entrepreneurs - how have they succeeded? How did they persevere? “Success is just surviving to fight another day.” ~ Lisa Q. Fetterman When dealing with struggles, ask yourself, “Can I fight? Do I want this to be real; to keep changing people’s lives?” You will find your answer, and the power to continue! You can’t continue pushing through if you don’t believe that you are doing what you MUST do and what you want to do, with every cell of your body. Appearing on Shark Tank was overwhelmingly positive. If you have a consumer product, you should go on Shark Tank. That is 7 million people watching a free infomercial! “I have so much to be grateful for in my support network - I actually feel really concerned for anyone who doesn't have that. If I have so much support and confidence and wherewithal and felt like a trembling hairless cat, I am truly concerned for folks who don’t have a support network.” ~ Lisa Q. Fetterman Watch the successful pitches before appearing on Shark Tank - channel your inner Sasha Fierce; your alter ego that only gets a YES! When going through hard times, people try to say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” While it’s happening, your response is often “what the F*CK is that analogy,” but afterward, you look back and see your growth. “Struggles help you survive and give you the “muscle memory” to push through later.” ~ Lisa Q. Fetterman Going through hard times shapes you - every struggle that Lisa went through, including losing her angel investor, shaped her “tapestry” and moved her business to be what it is today. When bad things happen, you have to mourn. You grieve them, feel your feelings, and then get up and move on. When facing big decisions, ask yourself, “what is the north star of my business” and stay true to that. Lisa shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Lisa: Lisa’s Website Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Resilience is KEY. In Business and In Life. Of course, it’s not always easy. Staying positive when you keep hearing NO, focusing on your dreams when the world is stacked against you...none of it is for the faint of heart. How do you keep your eye on the prize? Resilience. My FREE guide will show you 3 Steps To Building Rock-Solid Resilience In Business. Want to make your business dreams come true? Click HERE! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

099 | Patrick Helmers Shares Why Knowing Your Ideal Client Leads to More Sales What is the most important thing you need to know in order to close a sale? Is it the product? Is it the price? Is it how it will be delivered, or how you will continue to serve your client after they have given you their money? The answer here just may surprise you. Pat Helmers is an international business consultant and technology startup coach. He is the author of the Selling With Confidence sales system and host of the award winning Sales Babble podcast. Pat has been in the tech world his entire professional career. Pat started his career as a software engineer for Bell Laboratories. It was there he became an inventor in GSM wireless technologies, earning two patents. He leveraged his expertise and became a trainer for emerging software Object Oriented methodologies, training 1000s of engineers in the USA and Europe. He was promoted and managed various training groups and a technology adoption organization promoting technology transfer. He then entered the software start-up arena, pursuing a career in business development for software startups, enrolling and selling early adopters on new technologies. Eventually, Pat was promoted to the Vice President of Sales for an enterprise SaaS startup, building from scratch an inside and outside sales team that generated 8 figure revenues. Still having the startup bug,  Pat created the Sales Babble brand with the Sales Babble Podcast. Sales Babble was created to stop the babble on the myth that you must be pushy to be successful in sales. He believes anyone can become skilled in sales if they adopt an attitude of “helping” clients and adding “value” to their lives and businesses. From the podcast sprung his consulting and coaching practice as well as authoring the Selling With Confidence sales system.Pat enjoys golf, bicycling, history, and world travel. He is an avid father, husband, and loyal friend. You know that sales is so much more than just bringing a product to a person, and expecting them to just hand their money over. To be most effective in sales, you need to know your client, and know their needs, so that you can help them find a solution to their biggest problems! In fact, you should know them better than they know themselves - where they hang out, what they need, what their problems are, what they eat - you need to KNOW them! Once you know your ideal client, you unlock the door of being able to serve them effectively. You’ll know how you can solve their problems. You know the answers to the questions they haven’t asked. If you close your mouth and simply listen, they’ll tell you exactly how to best sell to them. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Pat Helmers, jumped into a sales career after being laid off from his six-figure job. He quickly learned that the key to getting a YES is knowing your ideal client. Once he figured that out, he learned that all he had to do was listen, and they’d tell him exactly how to sell to them. When he did that, he began to hear YES a whole lot more! Feeling discouraged by the word NO? Ready to learn what it takes to know your ideal client? This episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Pat Helmers for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! Resilience is KEY. In Business and In Life. Of course, it’s not always easy. Staying positive when you keep hearing NO, focusing on your dreams when the world is stacked against you...none of it is for the faint of heart. How do you keep your eye on the prize? Resilience. My FREE guide will show you 3 Steps To Building Rock-Solid Resilience In Business. Want to make your business dreams come true? Click HERE! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Pat Helmers. The four-letter word “sale” is one of the best words because it makes your whole business tick! Pat shares how he learned to ask the right questions. He was laid off from a 6 figure job and moved to commission based sales as his only income. He was told to “stop calling” people after they’d demoed his software - he was so desperate for a sale which actually hurt Pat! Pat quickly learned to ask about sales cycles - he was pushing for sales in the wrong season. You have to let sales breathe - meaning you have to ride the ebb and the flow of the sales cycle and relax. Pat’s original focus in sales was on himself and making money - not on how he could best serve the customer. He came from a place of desperation rather than a place of service. The business of sales is all about helping people. Not about convincing them; it’s all about serving them well and providing great products and services. Sales have nothing to do with you - it’s all about your client. If you care about someone, you ask questions and listen to their answers. You want to hear so that you can know how to help them! Salling works the same way. Once you start asking questions, people will give you all the information you need to know to help them. Make sure that you ask lots of questions of the people you will be potentially working with! Make sure you understand who the decision makers are. Most of the time, you learn from the deals you lose. The deals you win aren’t that interesting - you learn from the ones you lose. Every salesperson has to “come of age” and learn how to read their ideal client. Sales can be FUN! It allows you the ability to be an artist, or to be the one who meets the needs of others. It’s an opportunity to push yourself. It’s critical that you truly, deeply understand your ideal client, know challenges and desires, and know them better than they know themselves. Take the time to know, the answers will come out naturally. You can’t learn while you’re talking. Listen. Listening is probably the most powerful thing that you can do in sales. Ask questions and listen empathetically. If you really listen, you’ll know how to help them - or help someone else help them. Michelle asks Pat what he would tell his younger self. Connect with Pat: Pat’s Website LinkedIn Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Resilience is KEY. In Business and In Life. Of course, it’s not always easy. Staying positive when you keep hearing NO, focusing on your dreams when the world is stacked against you...none of it is for the faint of heart. How do you keep your eye on the prize? Resilience. My FREE guide will show you 3 Steps To Building Rock-Solid Resilience In Business. Want to make your business dreams come true? Click HERE! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

098 | Amy Lacey Shares How Overcoming Her Biggest Obstacle First Leads to Great Success When you’re solving a problem in your business, or creating a new product, do you tackle the biggest obstacle in your path, or do you go for the easiest problem to solve? Amy Lacey is the founder and CEO of Cali’flour Foods, the original gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb cauliflower crust. The company humbly began out of Amy Lacey’s kitchen, when she and her children were baking cauliflower crust pizzas for their Friday game nights, instead of the typical flour-based crust. Inspired by her Lupus diagnosis in 2010, Amy realized she needed to change her eating habits if she was going to have long-term health and success, and wanted foods that were nutritional without compromising on taste. From spending hours baking cauliflower crusts with her family to selling them at her local farmer's markets, Amy is on a mission to make delicious food accessible for all with Cali’flour Foods. Since creating the first no mess, no-stress cauliflower crust, Amy has grown Cali’flour Foods and started offering other cauliflower product including cauliflower and lentil pasta and new cauliflower thins. Just like the cauliflower crust, the pasta and cauliflower thins are healthy and better-for-you, without sacrificing on taste. Most entrepreneurs tend to address the easiest issue - pick that “low-hanging fruit” if you will. However, when you tackle your biggest problem first, you’re set up to be even more successful! See, learning the ins and outs of your biggest challenges teaches you lessons on how to be successful on all of the rest of your challenges! Plus, you get the benefit that you KNOW that you can handle anything else that comes at you! Everything is easy after you tackle the biggest challenge you continue to keep putting off. This week’s guest on the Success Unfiltered Podcast, Amy Lacey, tackled the most difficult obstacle first in her business, and I’m confident that it led to her explosive success! When she had to pivot in her business after hearing a devastating NO, she knew that she had already solved her customer’s biggest problem, and all she had to do was figure out how to get it into their hands. If you’re ready to get inspired by the power of tackling your hardest business problem first, then this episode of Success Unfiltered is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Amy Lacey for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! What Is The Difference Between Those Who Make It In Business...And Those Who Don’t? Resilience. Staying in the game no matter what happens. But how do you stay true to yourself, power through the challenges, and brush off the naysayers? My three-step guide to build rock-solid resilience will show you how! Click here for your FREE guide “3 Steps To Build Rock-Solid Resilience In Business” and stay on your path, no matter what! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Amy Lacey. After a Lupus diagnosis, Amy switched to a whole food, clean eating diet, to help manage her symptoms As friends and family tasted her foods, they knew that she had hit on an amazing product, and had to create a company to share it with more people. When deciding on the first product to make in mass quanitity, Amy remembered the feedback she had gotten on her cauliflower pizza crust, and how people loved it. It was the hardest product to make at scale! But Amy tackled it and perfected her recipe. “I love serving people, and I love filling a need” ~ Amy Lacey Cali’flour Foods was born to meet a specific need, foods with no fillers that many people with dietary restrictions could eat. Amy started with it because it was the biggest need in her community, was the hardest to make, and perhaps the product that she believed in the most - even her picky children would eat it. When she pitched the idea at a trade show, Albertsons showed interest in carrying the product in all their stores: but had confused Cali’Flour Foods with another similar company - one that used fillers. Amy could have compromised and could have added fillers, which would have reduced the cost and would have sold her product more easily - but that would have been a compromise that she was unwilling to make. Amy turned down multiple offers to compromise her product! Amy operates off the 5 P’s of business: people, purpose, product, passion, and perseverance. When they tackled eCommerce, the company used testimonials to share the story of the product, and went from $7,000 in a month revenue to $124,000 in a month in revenue! “Facts tell, but testimonials sell.” ~ Amy Lacey Never make a decision on fear. Turn fear into action - you may not see results right away, but if you keep going you WILL see results. “I made a great message out of my mess, and am paying it forward. If I had let NO keep spiraling me downward, and not had the courage to break out of that fear, I would never be where I am now.” ~ Amy Lacey Everything changes in business, nothing stays the same. Amy shares what she would tell her younger self. Connect with Amy: Amy’s Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Instagram What Is The Difference Between Those Who Make It In Business...And Those Who Don’t? Resilience. Staying in the game no matter what happens. But how do you stay true to yourself, power through the challenges, and brush off the naysayers? My three-step guide to build rock-solid resilience will show you how! Click here for your FREE guide “3 Steps To Build Rock-Solid Resilience In Business” and stay on your path, no matter what! Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com  

Michelle Weinstein is a Sales Strategist, and teaches entrepreneurs how to sell without being sleazy! Her mission is helping mission-driven entrepreneurs sell high-value services to their clients without feeling sleazy, pushy, or desperate. She shows & teaches her clients how to have empowered sales conversations, own their value and worth, and skyrocket their top-line revenue. She's also the host of Success Unfiltered Podcast. Getting over the 'No' in sales and how to sell without sleaze, Michelle gives incredible insight and tips for getting over the no!   Learn. Create. Thrive. www.InspiredConversations.net www.AmySchuber.com

Entrepreneurship -- according to people on Instagram, it’s one of the most extravagant lifestyles you could live. But is it really??? On today’s episode, Laura sits down with the host of the Success Unfiltered Podcast, the Pitch Queen herself, Michelle Weinstein. Tune in as they uncover what it's really like being an entrepreneur.   “Nobody’s path is free of failures and setbacks…[but] if you believe in yourself and stay in the game magic will happen.” -Michelle Weinstein   What do you want to hear from the Have it All podcast? Tell us here! Love the Podcast? Subscribe on iTunes for updates Timestamps: 2:11 The Pitch Queen’s backstory 3:44 The unglamorous side of being an entrepreneur 10:00 Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, and Wantrepreneurs 12:45 The dangers of comparing yourself to others 17:00 How Michelle’s passion trumped her lack of knowledge 19:00 Michelle talks work-life balance 20:50 The power of knowing your strengths 28:20 Overcoming the need for perfection 31:45 Michelle’s #1 tip for entrepreneurs   People Mentioned: Brené Brown   Connect with Michelle: Instagram Facebook Podcast Sell Without Sleaze- The Pitch Queen Connect with Laura: Instagram Facebook Youtube laurapoburan.com

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Michelle Wienstein. Michelle is “the Pitch Queen.” Michelle is a sales superstar and has done everything from advising CEO’s at billion dollar companies to landing contracts with companies like Costco and pitching her way on to Shark Tank. She is also the host of the Success Unfiltered Podcast and the Saturday morning Facebook Live show Coffee is for Closers. Michelle’s mission is to help entrepreneurs sell high-value services to their clients without feeling pushy or desperate and to show them how to have empowered sales conversations and skyrocket their top-line revenue. What I like about Michelle is that she has been through it all. She has been on top of the world in business only to have it all come crashing down on her, but then fought her way back. The lessons she has learned on her journey are priceless and what she can teach you about how to sell yourself and your business will help you grow your business and earn more money. www.successunfiltered.com www.thepitchqueen.com www.sellwithoutsleaze.com Out of college, Michelle was a financial analyst. She followed the mantra of go to school, get a secure job, and plan for retirement. After a few years, she couldn’t take it. She left and went into sales at Nordstroms. It was there she learned a lot of skills. She got thinking what she could do with her analyst background and sales, so she got into the real estate and mortgage businesses. She was working a lot and started to have an unhealthy lifestyle – and she was a health enthusiast. She hated to cook, but wanted to find a way to eat healthier. She came up with an idea for healthy prepared meals to sell. She started Fitzee Foods. She had initial success. She raised over million dollars for the business. She got into Costco and the Vitamin shop and even got to pitch the idea on Shark Tank, but ultimately had to close the business down in 2017. As she says, “It was a really expensive MBA program…” The lessons learned with Fitzee were really the stepping stone to becoming the “Pitch Queen.” What were the most important things you learned going through the experience with Fitzee? Why didn’t it survive? And How did you claw your way back? She’s still paying things back over a year later One lesson she learned was that although she had a passion for health, she wasn’t a chef, and didn’t have the real experience needed. You should have an expertise in the product or service you are selling You have to interview your investors as much as they are interviewing you. Interview at least 3 companies that they have invested in. Michelle made the mistake of taking investment money from the wrong group. Make sure every single investor is an “accredited investor.” Remember, you are getting “married” to those investing in you. How important is timing? It is very important Fitzee came before the “boxed meal” craze and was early on the trend capitalization is very important – you have to be well-capitalized to whether the storms and get through the startup phase to really make it. If you are underfunded, it makes it even harder. Some businesses are more capital intensive to get going than others – you must understand this At the 24 min mark, Michelle shares why learning to sell is so important for success… No matter who you are, you are having sales conversations all of the time. Sales is really about how you are helping people Sales is the foundation of your business. The first number on your P&L is sales (income) Selling does not have to be stressful. We make it stressful. The core of sales is building a great relationship and focusing on building a great relationship with your prospect makes it easier to ask them to buy – not “sell” them. Michelle’s 5 Step PITCH Queen System (www.sellwithoutsleaze.com) Problem solve: Figure out what your client’s problem is and make sure to help them solve it in your pitch. It’s not about you: It is about what is important to them Talk less: Use the 80/20 rule. They talk 80% of the time, you talk 20% of the time. Cues: Buying signals. Look for the cues (verbal, non-verbal) that they want to buy Hit the ask the button: Ask them for the business At the 37-min mark, Michelle talks about what it means to be “professionally annoying” and gives examples. How did you pitch your way on to Shark Tank? You have to be professionally annoying. It is a better place to pitch for a product based business or tech business. Michelle reached out to every producer and followed almost 2 times per week. They send people home all the time if you are not on point for your pitch at all times – you have to be on your game. Know which Shark you are pitching to because one of them will be the best fit for your pitch and solution. Shark Tank is the Olympics for entrepreneurs   Best Quote: “When you are always showing up, you become “professionally annoying” and get business”   Misfit 3: If you stay in the game, success is inevitable. Embrace the selling process with confidence. It’s the only way you are really going to help people. Live every single day with passion and be true to your “why.”