Fail To Learn: Teaching Stories From Business, Sales, Marketing, Coaching, Blogging, Freelance, & Entrepreneurs.

Today we talk with Tony Stubblebine. Tony is the CEO and Founder of Coach.me. Tony originally started his company as Lift. It was an app you used to help you make personal changes. But it was failing fast. Lift looked successful to users but was losing money day after day. Tony had a choice to make, close down Lift or make a change. And that change is what Tony and I discuss in today’s show. Here’s what else you’ll discover in this episode: Why he wanted to build tools that helped people to achieve, as he said, “really astounding things.” Tony response when he went to the bank to get a loan and they asked him, “How is it you have so many users but you’re losing money?” How the fear of losing your team when you make changes in the company stops some founders to stop growing. How they made the decision to pivot when the choice was either “shut down or try something new.” How the branding change was the beginning of the difference that made the difference. How Tim Ferriss, one of their advisors, had an idea for

What would happen if: 1) You were working on the other side of the planet, 2) You get a text from your wife that she’s going to the Emergency Room, 3) You need to get home today but your business has you stuck? That’s what happened to Frank Bria, author of the book Scale, and today’s guest. This is a crazy story with a ton of nuggets to help you grow and scale your business. Here’s what Frank and I talk about: Why Frank doesn’t believe the "follow your passion" advice. How his life changed while he was in Kiev and received a text message that his wife was driving herself to the emergency room… And a second text saying she was being admitted for emergency surgery, and their young kids were at home. How each of his clients slowly fired him when he changed his model to consult from home. How life design worked against him. Why he said "I built a business that wasn’t scalable." Why he said, "You can put a blindfold on and stumble over marketing gurus." The importance of a repeatable process. How a 'rewind moment

Today’s guest is Dov Gordon. It’s hard to believe Dov struggled for so long to get where he is today. However, I have a feeling it’s the struggle he went through that led him to become so respected among his peers. In this interview Dov shares the challenges he’s faced, how it helped him become who he is today, and how it still sometimes haunts him. Here’s what we talk about: How Dov spent months building his first information product which resulted in only 1 sale. The technology struggle Dov grappled with when putting together his membership site to deliver his product… That made only 1 sale. How he realized all his mistakes, in hindsight. Why he said he had to go through all that to discover what was next and move on. Then, as he was at an all-time low, he couldn’t find a job to help pay the bills. How he battles the fear of possibly running out of money with the belief that everything will work out in the end. Eventhough he’s at a time when he’s experiencing his most success yet. Why you have to get contr

Today’s show is with Justin Krane, a financial planner in California. When Justin decided to branch out in his business, it didn’t go as planned. In fact, it bombed. And that’s what he shares in this show. What we cover in this show: How Justin spent months building a product that gets people what they need, but nobody wants. Why he said that people understand they need to do many things but don’t want to face it. How he packaged the product in a way that wasn’t appealing to his market. Why packaging and framing your product makes the sale much easier. How he lost his excitement during the process to get the product finished and launched... and how that effected his approach. How a heavily regulated industry can crush your marketing message. The struggle of marketing in an industry where you can’t make promises, use testimonials, or any type of guarantee. What Justin means when he said people don’t want to make money decisions on their own. They want help and guidance. Why he said people want one 5 minute th

In this show I talk with Joey Bridges, one-half of the Bridges twins. Joey and his twin brother, Jamey, host the Marketing Madness podcast and run client’s online marketing campaigns. Not too long ago they were on top of the world helping real estate agents and then it collapsed. They faced over $70,000 in chargebacks and refunds. It’s a scary story. And not one they like to talk about. What we cover in this show: How the real estate collapse kicked the legs out of their previous business. Why focusing on one target market is a double edged sword. How they found themselves with over $70,000 in chargebacks and cancellations that had to be paid in 60 days. How they demonstrated true entreprunerial grit, and created something out of nothing, to repay the $70k in 60 days. How the necessity to make money and pay back this debt forced them to find another market, learn it, and develop solutions people want. How they went from “Can we do it?” to “Oh yeah, I’ll get it done.” Why he said that If you have a job, and y

Mike Vardy is The Productivityist. He is a productivity expert and coach. His business has been changing. During the process he hit some roadblocks. In our conversation he shares what he learned as he had to stop and check in at each of the roadblocks. What you'll get in this show: Why Mike thinks January is a silly time to start your new year. How he chose his pricing model. Whether it's better to say, "I have to..." or "I need to..." What happened when he received a reply from an upset customer. How he went through the decision to change his email marketing. How Mike themes his days and how that helps batch his work. Why he has a "learning day" and why he knows it will make him a better leader, a better business person, and hone his awareness so he stays on the right path. How he uses his 3 words each year as his framework for the year. The business lessons he's learned from Costco. Why he said, "The pursuit of perfection is idiotic. Excellence is what we strive for. One way to be excellent is to be nimble

Jason Leister started his career as a classical musician (pipe organ) at the Eastman School of Music. While there he won one of the most prestigious organ competitions in the country at age 19. He's brought the always practicing mindset to his career as a copywriter and business coach. After 10 minute phone call with a client, he found himself fired from a $100,000+ contract wondering what to do. And what Jason's learned from that has continued to evolve over time. Listen to the show and discover: Why Jason used to love the saying, "Clients suck!" How his view of clients matured from adversaries, to partners, to his teachers. Why he writes a daily email, what he's learned from it, and how it builds his business. What it means when you have clients who haggle over fees or push your buttons. What Jason means when he says you can solve your problems indirectly by solving other people's problems. How most of your business problems stem from you, and what you can do to begin fixing the problems. Why your process

Barry Moore shares his insights about niches after failing through his first online business. As Barry's first business failed, he learned the importance of defining your niche, testing your product, and the opportunity to scale. Here's what we cover in this show: How Barry's first business folded because his market was too large. What he meant when he said you have to "Be that guy." When you target a niche, how to hyper-target in that niche. How to niche down. Why you want to niche down before you go after everyone. The problem that happens when you give too much information to your customer at once. How Barry uses a podcast to build his business. Why Barry said, "Nobody wants to get on a plane with a creative pilot." How he tested a niche that's underserved and on an upward growth curve? What the reality is in marketing automation. How Barry put his first course together in a weekend. Why that speed to market is important. How to quickly test a market for a warm indication of customer’s interest. Why gave

In this episode we talk with Nathan Kontny. Nate is the CEO of the popular CRM Highrise and the creator of the awesome online writing platform Draft. Nate has some great stories and insights to share from his experience as the founder of two YCombinator startup companies. What you’ll discover in this show: Why you want to build a company that solves your problems. Why you need to truly care about the problem you’re solving. What Nate learned from the unexpected lack of interest he received from angel investors at YCombinator’s Demo Day. Why you want to sell your product before your finished. The indicator during the sales process you need that lets you know you’re on track. How Nate discovered the importance of passion and excitement, and how it carries him through the process. Why you want to ask, “What’s my purpose?” before you start. Why building software that intrigued Nate was software that didn’t intrigue the world. How he learned to find the true problems worth solving. Why Nate said it’s really hard

This show's guest is Tim Brownson. Tim is a kick-ass life coach with a great sense of humor. In this episode Tim shares how he went from sales into coaching. And then, how his coaching business almost failed until he had a swift kick in the ass: He lost all his savings. Here's what Tim and I discuss in Episode 3: Money doesn't buy happiness. How sales led him into coaching and how he let his sales experience hold him back. What happens when you don't focus and take your business seriously. The challenge of working for yourself, when you have no one to hold you accountable. How losing his entire savings finally kicked him in the ass. The self-delusion that kept Tim thinking success was about to "hit" at any moment. The tipping point was within his grasp. Why you can't take your foot off the gas in a competitive industry. How easily the world will forget about you. Why Tim said, "People expect you to be competent. That doesn't get you raving fans." What makes people really rabid fans? Why you should stop worry

Today's guest is Donnie Bryant. Donnie is a copywriter, marketing consultant, and self-proclaimed teller of bad jokes. In this interview Donnie tells you about his nightmare roller coaster ride. He's gone from small consulting clients, to feeling like he's on top of the world, then realizing the money has run dry and has to do the one thing he never wanted, and finally climbing back on top. Here's what's covered in this show: Why Donnie said he put the cart before the horse, and then shot the horse. Why every freelancer need to worry about this one thing. The one thing every freelancer needs to focus on, and it's not getting better at what you sell. How confidence plays into your success. The importance in building your platform. What to do when your ego gets stomped on. How writing helped Donnie turn his situation around. What to do when the client flow comes to a crashing halt. The reason you want to continually give your current clients extra attention. How your attitude helps you grow your client base. H

Welcome to the Fail To Learn podcast. This episode is an introduction to the Fail To Learn podcast. It’s no the traditional conversation with a guest. In this episode I cover what my intentions are with the show, what you can expect, and why you might enjoy the show… And decide to subscribe. This show has been on my mind for a while. As a kid, my grandpa used to tell me to “Learn from the mistakes of others so you don’t have to make the same mistakes.” Something I didn’t follow very well. Now, as I’m older, I realize the wisdom in that simple sentence. And I understand how important it is to understand the mistakes people have made so you can be aware when you’re starting to start making the same errors. When I hold trainings, I tell everyone that it’s okay to fail when doing the exercise. Why? Because when you screw up, you learn. If you’re not screwing up, you’re not learning how to do it better. Who Is Fail To Learn For?If you’re in business, sales, marketing, a solo-preneur, entrepreneur, coach, or freela