Watch Dickon, Douglas, Shane & Wiley Get Coaching
Watch Dickon, Douglas, Shane & Wiley Get Coaching
Dane:
Hey guys and welcome to season 3, Start From Zero.
Audio:
Thumbs up let's do this. You're about to watch multiple people at a time get coached on how to start a business from zero. Some people need emotional support, they're overwhelmed, need to head past failures. Some need strategy, they're beating their head against the wall. Some need tactics, they want to know what to say or do. These episodes are unique, they're vulnerable, they're weird. Many times, people come to me with a question, but they need something entirely different. In these episodes you'll see me combine my 15 or so years of business experience with a little intuition and mindset training, to help shape these folks into powerful and confident entrepreneurs. Now, we've had 15 millionaire students and counting, so we know this stuff works. Now, make sure you're sending these folks love while you listen because that stuff matters. We're becoming more sensitive as a society and we can feel these things even if we don't know it. Let's get to the episode.
Dane:
So guys, in this episode we're talking to Dickon, Douglas, Shane, and Wiley. And, Dickon let's start with you. What's your big goal for this call?
Dickon:
That's a really good question and one I've been struggling with a little bit ever since filling out the form to come on here. I mean, I think, for me, every time I talk to people about my life and work situation, and the word that comes up, two words, are clarity and focus. Right, I'm one of these people who has way too many things going on in their lives, in terms of business and work. And I've run a small digital agency for the last 20 years and I've had some really big name clients, and kind of global brands and whatnot that I worked with, but now that business has kind of come down to just me, almost as an independent contractor.
Dickon:
And so I'm kind of in this place of like, "Do I rebuild up something, or do I get a job somewhere?" And my dream has always been to have a SAS platform, I actually developed a SAS platform many years ago and then didn't realize that it needed to be marketed, and I've learned a lot since then. So, I guess I'm way-finding and like I said just trying to find some clarity and focus.
Dane:
Okay good, we'll pause it there and we'll come back to you in a moment, and then we'll rip right into it, okay?
Dickon:
Yes.
Dane:
Douglas, how about you, what's your big goal for the call?
Douglas:
Yeah, so my big goal is, I'm actually an IT consultant by day but I do artwork by night and I'd really like to kind of propel my kind of artwork. I do watercolor work and I'd really like to kind of up that business a bit. I do sell a fair amount of stuff but there's nothing really formal about it and I think my big ask would be to kind of create, at least in my mind, some sort of structure process/framework that I can use to structure, and again, that's just my business, I guess it could be any business but just some sort of framework that I can implement.
Dane:
Great and we just say if the belief was in place and it was also real that your art could generate a full-time income you would be fully in that?
Douglas:
Yeah, it's just very difficult for a beginner to kind of enter that reality right now but yeah I'd love it if that could be. And again, anything is possible right? So yeah definitely.
Dane:
Anything is possible? Yeah definitely. Yes we'll ease you around the path my friend. So, how about it Shane, what's your big goal for the call?
Shane:
I'm glad I got a couple of minutes to really think about it, but I would say that my big goal, I guess, would be, I've recently started a coaching and consulting business where I help professionals that are earning kind of mid six-figures to investing in commercial real estate, and I love it. My challenge is really finding and attracting people that would be qualified in a predictable way. It's very, I guess, unpredictable and that's challenging because I feel like I've put a lot of energy into it and I don't know whether I should be focused on content creation, which I've spent the last 12 months or more on, or if I should really focus on paid traffic. Should I do it myself, should I hire someone? Yeah, I guess just clarity on how to attract more people. That would be very, very helpful.
Dane:
Wonderful, glad to have you here. Oh, Susanna you snuck in on us. I'm glad you're here, how are you?
Susanna:
[crosstalk 00:04:58] Good, and how are you? Yeah, I went into a different link because I think I registered twice by accident. I'm sorry about that.
Dane:
It's okay, it's meant to be. What's your big goal for the call today?
Susanna:
So my big goal is, I know someone spoke earlier about watercolors, so my passion is calligraphy. So I really want to figure out my, I think I'm developing my niche, but I really want this to take off, so I'm looking to find direction and how to move this hobby into more of a lucrative business.
Dane:
Great, and then if you can just, as you talk more throughout the calls, maybe a little closer to your mic we'll hear you a little better.
Susanna:
Oh sure. Is this better?
Dane:
That's better yeah. And how about Wiley, what's your big goal for the call?
Wiley:
So, overall I think my goal is probably more similar to Dickon. It's more about strategic planning and being able to put some systems in place. I do a lot of professional development training and technology integration training for schools and businesses as well. We also do website creation and app creation for schools and businesses, and since the pandemic, business has been doing very well. But I'm an educator by trade and so as I've transitioned into this businessman role and CEO role, being able to do some strategic planning and put systems in place that will allow me to scale much easier.
Dane:
So, if you were to state your goal for the call, real clear, and super selfish too, healthy selfish, what would you say that goal would be? How are you similar to Dickon?
Wiley:
Being able to gain clarity and focus on what I should be focusing on, in which area I should be focusing on in business.
Dane:
Perfect, very good. Thank you. I'm happy to have you here. So Dickon, let's start with you.
Dickon:
Yeah, sure.
Dane:
So, I want you to be real honest on this okay?
Dickon:
Yeah.
Dane:
There's halfway honesty, there's protected honesty and it's innocent, but it's like, "I don't know if I can go there." That kind of honesty.
Dickon:
Right.
Dane:
Would you say that you feel like a potent male or would you say you've actually feel more generally not as powerful and somewhat helpless? Where are you at on those spectrums?
Dickon:
I wouldn't say helpless but I definitely, I mean, as soon as you said, "Do you feel like a potent male?" No, but I don't feel helpless, I definitely feel like, I guess the term that's coming up for me immediately in mind is my unwillingness, maybe, to make final decisions about things.
Dane:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Do you know in your heart that other men are like you?
Dickon:
You mean with that same issue?
Dane:
Maybe even independent of it.
Dickon:
Yeah, I mean, here's the thing. I just moved so I haven't done it, but I used to be part of a men's group, I lived in New Mexico, and so we'd sit in a circle of men and-
Dane:
That's good. [crosstalk 00:08:13]
Dickon:
... the most eye-opening thing about that experience is that everybody is really similar, so I could see.
Dane:
That's good, that's good. Just for time's sake I'll... Forgive me. So, the issue, from my vantage point, that I'm sensing is, and I want your heart to hear this and we'll see what happens, you are easily successful at things that you really want to be successful at. You've worked with big name clients but the development of staying in your potency as a male, even as a human, it's something about clarity of decision, with a ton of compassion, can strike a lot of fear into our hearts. It can accelerate a vulnerability that we, as men, don't know to navigate very easily. And I just want to encourage you really, that you're doing a great job, you've done a great job with your life it seems.
Dane:
You've created success when you wanted to, you've sabotaged it when you wanted to, actually. One of my buddies, he paid for a company to schedule him sales calls so he could do more consulting work. He spent like three or five grand on them, has 10 appointments set up. The calls aren't closing, and he's frustrated by it, but lo and behold when you really sit with him you find out that secretly deep down he doesn't want more clients. So the reason he's not actually successful is because he actually doesn't want to be. So, let that story just kind of sit for a second, and I want to develop this sense of potency, this sense of power, and if you could just take a couple breathes, right down into your balls, right down into your hips.
Audio:
If you'd like to get a free one-on-one with me and be on this show, you can find out details at startfromzero.com/podcast.
Dane:
Right down into your beautiful center. Let's hear it right now.
Dickon:
I think you're bang on actually, and it just comes, it's like this thing about making decisions. It's like if I stand in my bar then I have to make my decisions and stand behind them, and if I'm doing that I'm choosing a direction as opposed to just sitting at this kind of multi-way stop sign. That's just what comes up for me.
Dane:
Yeah, my eyes are getting moist and kind of wet as I'm really feeling you and resonating with this.
Dickon:
Yeah, so about telling all sorts of stories that would validate perceptions, I think you're right on.
Dane:
Thank you for not reinforcing stories as well.
Dickon:
Yeah.
Dane:
We want to stay honest and vulnerable. What would feel vulnerable to articulate right now? If you want to take either your right or your left hand and just place it gently on your throat, if you feel safe enough to do so. And when your hand's on your throat, while you're feeling your balls, and see if you can actually feel a link between your sexual area and your throat. Both are incredibly beautiful, both have the power to create life, and both have the power to receive a lot of pleasure, and that's all good. And they also, when working together, can create a really epic clarity that can be kind of confusing to the mind and even rejected by the mind. What would you like to say right now that feels both honest and vulnerable?
Dickon:
I know what I really want to do, I just don't know how to do it in a way that I can support my family and myself at the same time. There are two projects that I really want to do, so that kind of clears the playing field, right?
Dane:
Yeah, you have two things to focus on, and are you sure you don't know how?
Dickon:
No, I'm not sure.
Dane:
That sounds like the sneaky impotent side kind of creeping in.
Dickon:
Right, yeah.
Dane:
Dude, you worked with big name clients, they hired you for how right?
Dickon:
Yeah.
Dane:
Yeah. So try to say that out loud. My big name clients trusted me and hired me for how.
Dickon:
I have, I mean, global brands that hired me and trusted me for how.
Dane:
I mean, amen, take me to church bro. Say it again, feel your hips.
Dickon:
I have global brands that hired me, and trusted me for how.
Dane:
Mm. And then, say, "And now I pretend not to know how for myself."
Dickon:
Now I pretend not to know how for myself.
Dane:
Yeah. I want you to unleash the beast man.
Dickon:
Yeah. It's so funny because, jus very quickly, everything you say is so much, I'm 52 right, and these are just old patterns in my life, that have just become clearer and clearer every year, over the last 10 years. So, clearly there's...
Dane:
So I got an assignment for you.
Dickon:
Yeah.
Dane:
And we're going to come back to you. First off, congratulations dude, great job, it's been a pleasure to be with you, and so open and honest. Nothing but respect and admiration for you all the way and it's so nice to get to be with you. And so, the assignment is, for these two projects, I want you to bring your balls to the table and ask yourself, "How can I make these things inevitably successful?"
Dickon:
Oh, okay.
Dane:
And I want you to think about that and I'm going to come to you at the end, and I'm going to ask for your answers, and we're going to kind of help you tweak it. But instead of me giving you direction, you'll be turning within and then we can kind of tweak and refine what you come up with.
Dickon:
Okay.
Dane:
So you'll be building a real sense of trust here with yourself. So the question is, "How can I make it inevitable that things could be successful?"
Dickon:
Okay.
Dane:
All right, good job man.
Dickon:
Thank you.
Dane:
Wonderful work. So, let's move to Susanna next.
Susanna:
Hi.
Dane:
Hi Susanna. So, you have a passion for calligraphy?
Susanna:
Yes.
Dane:
What pays your bills right now?
Susanna:
I work full-time as a speech pathologist.
Dane:
Speech pathologist, those are kind of linked huh?
Susanna:
No, not really. Kind of, I mean, no. I work in a post-acute setting, so I work with a lot of stroke patients, people with issues with swallowing, yeah so.
Dane:
You help them speak though, right?
Susanna:
Yeah, I mean, it depends. Usually if they're stroke patients and they have a fissure, they'll have a hard time getting the words out, we'll do activities.
Dane:
Do you ever have them look at words to say?
Susanna:
Yes.
Dane:
Is there a chance that those words that they look at to say could be your calligraphy?
Susanna:
To be honest, no. Because a lot of the time they have a hard time processing the words, so the simpler it is, the more common it is, it's easier for them to relate it, or carry it over from rehab setting to an outside setting. So a lot of the times it's a simplification, sometimes even just breakdown of just the letters itself, like words and print. Yeah.
Dane:
I struggle to think about, I thought it may be a wonderful... Is there a hybrid of simple calligraphy that you would be able to test out with your clients? That would be satisfying for you to do.
Susanna:
It could, yeah.
Dane:
Tell me what you're thinking about.
Susanna:
I'm just trying to see how it could help with the patients because a lot of the patients that we see is just, even identifying the letters is hard. A lot of the times we want to help them to integrate them back into society and when you go into society, there're very functional activities like going to the grocery store and reading a label or a receipt. It's usually print format. Things that I do in calligraphy, it's a little more ornate. So, my niche would be for a wedding population. So I-
Dane:
Mm, okay. Tell me more about, have you made money with calligraphy with anyone yet?
Susanna:
I have. I actually started an antique shop. I did really basic things, so I started off with doing ornaments during the holidays, and then I-
Dane:
What's been your number one seller?
Susanna:
I would say the ornaments. It hasn't been too long since I started this so the ornaments have been there, and then I've also done wedding signage, so like wooden signs. Maybe that would be my number one actually.
Dane:
Mm, wooden signs with calligraphy on them.
Susanna:
Yeah.
Dane:
I'm even interested in that. Have you read my book by chance, or any parts of it?
Susanna:
I did actually. My husband is a big fan of yours and he's into all these self-improvement, business...
Dane:
Yeah, great.
Susanna:
So, he was the one who actually referred me to you.
Dane:
Well wonderful. Thanks for taking a chance and being here.
Susanna:
Yeah definitely.
Dane:
So, the phrase I want you to write down, okay it's, "I don't get to decide what people will buy." And say it out loud.
Susanna:
I don't get to decide what people will buy.
Dane:
Now I want you, underneath that, I want you to draw a bubble or something, and in that bubble, a symbol that would reflect your dream of creating calligraphy.
Susanna:
A symbol.
Dane:
Anything so you know that that bubble means your dream of calligraphy, just for you. I want you to look at both of these right by each other. You got it?
Susanna:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Dane:
All right. So, what are you feeling in this moment?
Susanna:
I don't know.
Dane:
So, look at that sentence.
Susanna:
A little overwhelmed.
Dane:
A little overwhelmed, okay yeah. Let's just take a breath together. Does it scare you to talk about your dream?
Susanna:
I think it's a little overwhelming because right now my job is very safe. I went to my, I've got a master's degree in this, and this area is totally unchartered territory.
Dane:
Mm-hmm (affirmative), and your soul aches for it?
Susanna:
Yeah.
Dane:
Say that out loud, my soul aches for this.
Susanna:
My soul aches for this.
Dane:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). My mind seeks safety, my soul aches for this adventure.
Susanna:
My mind seeks safety, my soul seeks this adventure.
Dane:
Is it seeks, is it ache, is it burns, is it craves, is it yearns? What's your soul do towards this dream?
Susanna:
Craves.
Dane:
Craves. Just so you capture that, just so you have your own language for this, put that in the sentence. My mind seeks blank, whatever that word, maybe safety, maybe the familiar, maybe what society says, maybe what your parents deem approvable. What, anything. My mind seeks blank, and my soul... Go ahead.
Susanna:
So, my mind seeks freedom and my soul craves creativity.
Dane:
Mm, how was it to say that out loud?
Susanna:
You're making me sweat.
Dane:
You're right. Do your push-ups, do your spiritual push-ups. All right, now you did two push-ups we're going to put a 100 pound weight on your back you do another push-up now. Now I want you to say, "I am the sexiest, most bad ass, calligraphy drawer in the world." No I'm just kidding.
Susanna:
I could say that.
Dane:
Right, every time your hand touches the pen you're like, "Damn, this is some sexy calligraphy, this looks so good. It's going to make people's eyes feel so much pleasure when they see this."
Susanna:
Yeah.
Dane:
Okay. So, the sweat, this is good, this is good energy moving. So, let's just visit this sentence, and let's visit it mentally. And I want yo to visit this sentence mentally and at the same time I want you to hold, "I don't get to decide what people want to buy." I want you to hold both of those in your awareness at the same time, both of them meet. So you're going to have to give up a little bit of pride, a little bit of the ego of, "This is my things, my calligraphy, this is what I want." And this is only hypothetically, you don't have to take for a 100% true, but in my opinion I would like to see giving up just a little bit of pride with what you want to do and seeing this gift of calligraphy, and marrying it with the wisdom of, "I do not get to decide what people will buy."
Dane:
So instead of being a frustrated artist, guessing, putting your heart into something that you love, and then having people be like, "Sorry, I just don't want to buy that," and then can be like, "Yeah, [inaudible 00:21:02] screwing with people..." Instead of that, you're like a Thomas Edison discovering which will be the light bulb. And you have some sense of this, you have this calligraphy on the wood thing.
Susanna:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Dane:
So stay there.
Susanna:
Okay.
Dane:
And then, create a system for your art. Since you're so busy with speech pathology, I would say, would it be out of the realm of possibility for you to experiment with three new calligraphic expressions per week? Is that too many?
Susanna:
What do you mean by that?
Dane:
Basically three new products you could try to put on Etsy, as a concept.
Susanna:
Yes. There's something that I've been trying right now. So I've been doing creased cards, but it's just... Yeah, that is something that I've been thinking about doing, but setting of goals, three new products would be more realistic and easier to achieve [crosstalk 00:22:02].
Dane:
Yes, and we're looking at something that you can do for three years without burnout. Right, so it's not like 90-day intense workout then you kind of go back to your things as usual, or it's like, "What's a consistent way of life?" So I want you to set your calendar and I want you to set up a systematic way of art creation where you're going to create three calligraphic products per week, ideas, concepts, that you put on Etsy, and that way you get your new creative expression outlet, and then you're so totally surrendered, "I do not get to decide what people want to buy." And then you're creating from a place of joy now because you're not fighting human behavior, or wanting people to want something that they don't want, which is a form of misery for artists. And you can continue working on selling these wood things, expand deeper there, stay there.
Dane:
That would be my recommendation. And I really see, if there isn't some way that you could not potentially create some sort of ground-breaking speech pathology things that people could look at, that accelerates their understanding of language through some sort of drawings that you would do with very simple calligraphy. I would explore both of those. How does all this sound?
Susanna:
Good.
Dane:
Okay so good. And so for your assignment, we'll come back to you. I want you to come up with six, in the meantime, six new ideas that you will use to express the craving in your soul, knowing that you don't get to decide what people want to buy, and we'll come back to you at the end and we'll hear what those six are okay. There's no wrong answer this is your soul.
Susanna:
Okay.
Dane:
And good job. It's wonderful to meet a pioneer that wants to walk her own path.
Susanna:
Thank you.
Dane:
Yeah, it's wonderful. All right, let's move to Shane. Shane what's up?
Shane:
Hey, I'm good.
Dane:
Good. Yeah, so in terms of your marketing systems, I mean, your goal was to just be able to consistently attract clients, correct?
Shane:
Yes, that's right.
Dane:
Yeah, so you're very proficient at your craft, you're very good at that. How long did it take you to get good at that?
Shane:
Well, I've been at it for 15 years. I would say, every year I feel like the year before, I'm learning so much that I would say minimum 10 years.
Dane:
Oh really?
Shane:
Yeah.
Dane:
When did you start to feel successful?
Shane:
I would say probably in 2017, 2018 is when I started to feel successful.
Dane:
Mm. I think if you use that barometer it can open up a lot more compassion for what might be required to become successful in the same degree at developing, creating, executing, running, measuring, marketing systems, right. And so if we take that same approach as like, "Man you got real good at this..."
Audio:
If you would like to get a blueprint to my brain, I have it in a 302-page book, Start From Zero. And you can get a free chapter, you actually can get my best chapter for free on that book right now, at startfromzero.com, go check it out.
Shane:
Yes.
Dane:
And you say, "You know what? But I think you could do this with..." If you approach it like a skill and not a circumstance that works or it doesn't, it's a skill and not a circumstance that works or doesn't. We can start looking at, "Okay now what are ways that we can develop our skill?" And for someone like you, you're in our starters program so I get to watch you grow and it's great to have you in there, my sense is that you have a pretty solid sense of self-esteem, it seems that way. In other words, I would encourage you to fail a lot, at the marketing thing.
Dane:
So, gosh, one of my favorite things to do with the money that I make is to spend it on ads, because I get to get this humbled and slapped in the face and like, "Oh okay." And one of the things that we did for my girlfriend was we ran some ads towards women, teaching them how they could make their own six-figure income by setting up and running their local paint party businesses, you know when people drink wine and paint canvases. You've heard of those? Sip wine and paint?
Shane:
No, I haven't but when you describe it I'm thinking, "My wife would love that," because she's an artist and designer, so yeah, anyways.
Dane:
Yeah, maybe if she can get mentored and start one or something, or attend, but they're like wicked cash flow businesses. You don't need a location because you rent out a restaurant. If you do your supplies right it's about $5 per person, if you have 40 people there, times 40, you can make like $1100 in a single night. High cash flow business, really cool business I'm like, "We got to teach women this, this is wonderful." So we start running ads, we get ads going to these bots. We have Google Docs for sales letters, we're reading letters to them, and we're just there on our way. We're getting women that are interested, we're getting calls but we're finding out they don't have any money, these kinds of women we're targeting, so we're targeting other women now. And then we spent three grand and didn't get a single sale, and I had the time of my life.
Shane:
Mm, what's your mindset then? Because I feel that sometimes when, I'll give you an example, I mean, I just posted the story that I was to share on Facebook, which I did, and then I submitted it to pay for ads and it was rejected, and those kind of things they just frustrate me and kind of piss me off, and then I start to have self-doubt like, How long is this going to take?" So, what's your... How do you, when you say you have the time of your life spending $3000 and not getting any what's the game that you're playing, I guess, to reframe it?
Dane:
Well, thank you for asking. It was certainly a lot easier to have the time of my life when I wasn't so identified with it and it was my girlfriend's endeavor.
Shane:
That's true.
Dane:
That certainly made it a lot easier. But even saying that out loud I can probably bring that over into, or the things when you're like, "You just want it to work the first time, damn it," kind of thing. But I think you probably just need to open your heart more. When we have an ad that doesn't work we need to open our heart.
Shane:
Right.
Dane:
And I think with that in mind, so if something doesn't work open your heart. And you're like, "Okay man, wow." I don't get to decide what works here. Open my heart more, open my heart more. All right, Facebook's being a pain in the butt, I have to open my heart. Maybe we can try YouTube, maybe we can try Outbrain, which is like a content marketing platform. Or maybe we can try, in your instance, I want to make this really practical for actions steps. I would create a context where frustration and failure are absolutely expected. So then that will shift a wire, so now if you say, because unconsciously we're working on something it's, unconsciously we're saying, "I want this to work the first time," then of course it's probably going to lead to a lot of frustration. But unconsciously if we're saying, "I'm so excited to explore making this work."
Dane:
So what I want you to do is I'd like you to set up, just like Susanna with her system for creating new calligraphy, I'd like you to create a journey on your calendar where you're going to systematically and consistently work at this at a certain time, and to find pleasure in the process of it. And if you're not, what I would highly recommend is that you find somebody to implement the things that really, really kind of tick you off. So submitting the Facebook ad, getting it rejected. You have the money, being successful at what you're doing, that you could hire a pretty good Facebook ads guy to handle all that crap. I've got a data guy to run my Facebook ads, so we start from zero and we'll get like six ads rejected sometimes a day, but I don't have to have to look at that or do anything about it because I'm paying [inaudible 00:30:15] frustrations... When I say find pleasure in the process it's like, "Don't like something that you don't like."
Shane:
Right.
Dane:
But if we're frustrated by something not working I think we should probably check the intention of our heart. What's our intentions? We might just be in a little bit more selfish than we thought and then we can return back to, "Okay wait, now who is this about? This is about service, this is about serving, this is about inspiring." Tell me what makes sense to you right now after hearing all this.
Shane:
Well, it's so interesting because it's exactly what I coach my clients on as it relates to investing and that they need to see 50 or 100 properties, and that the first deal they see is probably not going to be the best one, and it is a process. And yet, when I take it into my own life it feels quite hypocritical where I'm getting frustrated by these small setbacks, so it's, yeah it is quite humbling and such a good reminder to just embrace the process, to not be selfish, and focus on the big picture, really what it is that I'm trying to do.
Dane:
Dude, that's amazing. And it's also a compassion for where the mind is more new at something, it's so painful but we just want it to work right away. And then as the mind matures it starts to derive pleasure from the process itself.
Shane:
Yes.
Dane:
Do you derive pleasure from the process of commercial investing?
Shane:
Yeah, loads.
Dane:
Yeah, because you're good at it. Is that right, because you're good at it you love it?
Shane:
Yeah, no absolutely.
Dane:
So we love what we're good at usually, copywriting sucks balls and then all of a sudden you start getting the hang of it and you're like, "This is enjoyable. What? Nice." Because we put in the mark work. So here's this question, and so, if you have to write 50 ads and there needs to be no suffering in business, I do not think suffering needs to be a requirement. I think in general business should be nourishing day in, day out, and I'm still learning that, I want to believe that more and more every day. So, let's sit in the beauty of this. So, for example, how could you enjoy the process of testing 50 different ads? That's the assignment I want you to have, so I'll come back to you and I want to see, so how could Shane, how could you, how could I create a system where testing 50 ads would be enjoyable?
Shane:
Okay, I love it.
Dane:
And dude, that will be so awesome, you should probably hire a guy.
Shane:
Yes.
Dane:
You'll probably set a... It will be great. By the way, my girlfriend is actually, she runs a business now, helping women develop peaceful wombs so that the child has a nurturing womb environment and comes out expecting safety, because it was primed in the womb. And I wrote three ads for it. I wrote the landing page for it, and it is currently at a 48% conversion rate. And the landing page is white, with her picture and a headline, it's the simplest thing. And the headline is, "The overlooked secret to a thriving womb and a happy and healthy child." And I'm looking at this seeing 48% conversion rate and I'm like, "Oh my god, I want to start marketing to women,"
Dane:
I was like, "Oh wow. What about the overlooked secret to a thriving business, and a happy and healthy heart? The overlooked secret to losing weight, the overlooked secret to..." And I'm starting to apply this everywhere and... Anyway, so I wrote the three ads, and then when I started thinking about implementing on Facebook, I just felt like someone was sticking forks in my skin so I hired that point out. So I didn't have to go on the Facebook hell hole, of the ad manager and [crosstalk 00:34:15]. So anyway, just some inspiration fodder for you as you consider that question okay?
Shane:
Okay absolutely. Thank you.
Dane:
Yeah, you bet. And I think we lost somebody. Let's go to Douglas. Douglas how are you doing?
Douglas:
I'm doing good Dane, thanks.
Dane:
Yeah, so you're the Art right?
Douglas:
That's me.
Dane:
Yeah so, and I'm seeing in your survey, it looks really exciting. You are currently specializing in golf course art?
Douglas:
Well, I want to, I haven't done a lot of that but I'm kind of mentoring with someone. So yeah, it's going good. Just a hint of a background, I went to Art School way back when I went to Pratt and NYC, and got out of it for a lot of years where I kind of developed my IT career and just kind of got back into it about, let's say three and a half years ago. So, and I knew the process because I did that a lot in New York, and I just knew I had to make a lot of sheet first and I spent the first year doing that. So now the facility is coming in a little bit so want to kind of capitalize on that a bit.
Dane:
So, do you need help?
Douglas:
Do I need help?
Dane:
Yeah.
Douglas:
Yes, and no. I think I'm at a point now where it's a lot of, there's a lot of subtlety that I'm after and the person I'm working with is just, it's just drop-dead-gorgeous stuff, so. And we've become friends, I've been to some workshops with him and I think it's just tapping me into a different, kind of a little bit of a higher place so I'm going to go with it for a little bit, see where it goes.
Dane:
So you have this passion for art, you've got a niche picked out for art for golf courses.
Douglas:
Yeah, there's so much crap out there for golf it's not even funny, and I'm a golfer too obviously but it's either really hokey or really anal. So my stuff is more atmospheric and it's just cooler, it's just better.
Dane:
Yeah, so you've got a mentor in that space who's probably going to... It seems fairly inevitable that you'll probably end up having some Art in Golf courses. What would you say has become a place of vulnerability of honesty? A place that you really need help with.
Douglas:
I think just getting it out into the world now. I feel like I've got the, again the-
Dane:
Why did you schedule this call?
Douglas:
Yeah I think I just wanted to begin to get into the place of sharing it, and I think I've been a little bit hesitant about it, about [crosstalk 00:36:50].
Dane:
[crosstalk 00:36:50] a place of sharing your art?
Douglas:
Yeah just stuff that you feel like you're proud of, and I'm getting to that, but that's not always easy for art people.
Dane:
So take both your hands and place them on your heart if you would.
Douglas:
Okay.
Dane:
What happens on a heart level when you consider sharing your art?
Douglas:
It's a cool and beautiful thing to do.
Dane:
Yeah, I don't know if you really need any help dude.
Douglas:
Maybe not.
Dane:
And maybe that's what you booked the call for, and maybe that's what you just needed to hear is, I mean, I look at your survey and I think, "Well, you're seeking out a mentor, you're clear on what you want, you're clear on your niche, you're passionate about it, you're even..." And your heart has a very nice cool feeling about it. I guess-
Douglas:
Yeah it's in my blood.
Dane:
It's in your blood?
Douglas:
Yeah.
Dane:
So, for an assignment, I'd really like to actually see you create a little e-book, a little report, and I'd like it to be around golf course art, and I'd like you to call up golf course owners or managers, and interview them. And ask them about, what's their process with selecting art, are they happy with the art they have? What are some of the problems that they encounter when they're selecting art? What's the overall vibe they're going for when they pick art? Are there any art pieces they purchased that they've regretted? Are there art pieces they purchased that they really found that they enjoyed? What are some of their fears of anyone purchasing art? What's their thought process in general when it comes to picking art? On a scale of 1-10, how much do they value art on the course, or is it more like just a napkin on the table and it's something they need to check-off?
Dane:
And I want you to start emailing these golf courses, and now's probably a good time, it's a little more time during COVID, and set up these calls and be like, "Yeah I just want to talk to you about the art on your course. I'm actually writing a book called Golf Courses and Art, and I'd love to ask your opinions on it and see what you think, and da-da-da-da." And then I want you to do like 10 of these, and in the process you'll write a little book on how 10 golf courses think about their golf course and art. Something really kind of sounds super boring to most people, but to those that are nailed to that niche it's really, really important.
Dane:
In the process of developing this book and developing these relationships with these 10 golf courses, they're going to share things to you that reveal their frustration with art, maybe they share the same thing that some of it is just downright tacky, and you go through this report you write it, you build relationships. You've now got something that differentiates you from every other golf course artist in the world. You've got this little e-book that's free, they can read, that develops a lot of trust, which probably going to include some examples of your art in it, at the end.
Douglas:
Good idea.
Dane:
And I think that you'll have a bang up good time in that industry being of such service like that.
Douglas:
No, that sounds great Dane.
Dane:
Tell me what you like about it or, or just [crosstalk 00:39:55].
Douglas:
Yeah. Let me just throw two quick things at you. The other thing I was thinking, through golf tournaments, they're all over the place now. Cherry Tournaments, they often have to have prizes at those tournaments, and a lot of them are just clubs, or shirts, and I've got a friend who's starting to do a little bit of golf course art, and they're offering pieces of art instead of a golf polo t-shirt, or a golf club, or golf balls, or beer, whatever, whatever they give away. So that's one thing. The other thing is I was thinking of actually approaching some players themselves, some professional players, I know a few of them. And they are collectors, they've got dough, put some stuff in front of them and it's going to be a little bit different of a look, and if they like it, their friends may like it. I thought those were two avenues, possibly, to explore.
Dane:
Can you say them again, shorter. So there's two other places, so golf course tournaments, and then who?
Douglas:
Professionals, like Tiger Woods.
Dane:
How many pro golfers are there, do you know? Thousands or ten thousand?
Douglas:
Yeah, it depends, there's different tours. On the PGA, I think there's, oh god I think there's close to a thousand. And a lot of these guys have good taste, they wear cool clothes, they're kind of aesthetically hip.
Dane:
Wow, so not only golf course art but art that would be visible during tournaments?
Douglas:
Yeah, or they would have a giveaway right. Usually after done, they have a big dinner then they have a lottery for whatever, if it's charity.
Dane:
So, let's just see. Do you have any PGA pros that you know, or that you can know, that know someone right now?
Douglas:
Oh yeah, I have. Yeah. I've actually run a golf blog for like 20 years, so.
Dane:
Wow, so you could have another similar book that says, "PGA golfers show off their golf art."
Douglas:
Yeah that'd be cool.
Dane:
And then you get one, and then he refers you to another, and then you just get this whole book together of golfers that show off all their golf art, and you get to see all the golf art they have and all they golf art they buy. Other PGA golfers are going to look at it, and people that are PGA golf wannabes are going to look at it and-
Douglas:
Oh that'd be pretty cool.
Dane:
That could blow up even quicker.
Douglas:
Yeah, well that-
Dane:
Very good. I'm very excited for your future man.
Douglas:
Yeah, that's stuff that was steaming in my conscience, so cool.
Dane:
Yeah, its wonderful, it's wonderful [inaudible 00:42:17]. So Dickon, what was your assignment, can you refresh my memory?
Dickon:
Yes. How can I make these inevitably successful?
Dane:
Yeah, so what do you got?
Dickon:
So, the first one, it's a software platform for forensic medical reporting of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes, used in health care. It's pretty funny, what I wrote down was actually, "Build up a marketing funnel," this, it's a project I've been involved with, I'm a founder, we've been doing it for like seven years. I've not made any penny on the whole thing, but we've been funded by grants and stuff so pretty well established, at least in the state of California. But we've never done, there's never been any marketing around this. I did pitch the same platform to the state of Pennsylvania for The Department of Aging. So this thing has huge potential, yeah.
Dane:
Just for succinctness then, build out a focused marketing funnel.
Dickon:
Yeah.
Dane:
Great, and Todd Brown is a very reputable funnel expert. He's got something called E5 and if look up just "Todd Brown funnels". He's a wonderful guy, Russell Brunson learns from him, and Russell Brunson is the founder of ClickFunnels.
Dickon:
Oh wow, okay. Yeah.
Dane:
Yeah. So you're good to go man, and what about with the second idea, what was your, "How to make that [crosstalk 00:43:35]"?
Dickon:
So, the second one is, that's a project that, it's another online, it's not a SAS platform, it's not built yet I'm just in the design phase. And literally I just said, "Launch a simple V1 version and get user feedback," because basically to validate [inaudible 00:43:50].
Dane:
Isn't it nice how simple and clear it is?
Dickon:
Yeah.
Dane:
That's the kind of stuff that'll work man. Very good, very good. Susanna, how'd you do with your six things?
Susanna:
Okay, my six things are, one was just building my own confidence because this is relatively new, and I guess that's just my human nature, I'm constantly comparing myself to all these other skilled calligraphers out there, and just thinking that I'm not good enough or really, because I'm very Type A, so whatever I do, I'll nitpick it. But then when I look at it, I see a [inaudible 00:44:28], I look at it and I'm like, "Oh, it isn't as bad as I thought it was." So just building my own confidence, and everything was just the ability to empower others, the ability to spend more time with my baby, and then long-term goal will be, just one is just launching my own business and quitting my job.
Dane:
Those are nice. That was not exactly the assignment but I actually really like what you did. So, just so you think about it if you'd like to, it would be six different calligraphy products ideas.
Susanna:
Oh okay.
Dane:
But I think this happened for a reason, and I want to speak to, there are certain personality types that are really prone to comparison, and other personality types that just don't really care. And so, just to recognize that if you're a personality type that's really prone to comparison, it may be personality type thing, it may be something else entirely, but whatever it is, just so much compassion for it like, "Oh I care about my work, I want it to be the best, I want to see where I fall against other people." Seeing the loving side of that pattern. If you can make a radical shift, and you can make this radical shift daily, it will transform your life, as it has mine, and it is, "Compare yourself to yourself, as you were yesterday," so your only comparison is to yourself as you were yesterday.
Dane:
To resolve that you're happy with who you are inside, I don't know if it's true, but the happier you become inside, generally you compare less. So, if you find yourself in comparison, you can be like, "Oh crap, I'm slipping out of happiness. Let me just ask myself honestly, is there something that I could address in my life that would increase my happiness?" And so looking at comparison as a red flag you're like, "Oh crap, where am I unhappy right now?" If at all, if that works at all. And then the final thing is, it saved my life in terms of mentally, when I stopped looking at competition and I just only looked at the people that were buying my products. Make your art for the people who buy it, not for the people who critic it.
Susanna:
Mm, that's really good, I really like that, because I think that also will help just build my own confidence too.
Dane:
Yeah, and you're going to find that people really like simple stuff. I have a friend of a friend and she made like 67 grand last year, selling a mug that just said "Best Teacher Ever" on it with black letters. Real dead simple, she made 67 grand with that in a year.
Susanna:
Wow.
Dane:
And it just said "Best Teacher Ever" on it. People like simple, I think like, "All people need the latest Waisbein business training that has all these bells and whistles," and most of my audience is like, "Yo dude I don't need all that, I just need someone to believe in me. I need someone to be kind to me. I need someone to let me know that I can do it even thought I have all this doubt." But I'm over here like, "Oh no I got to look at the next..." So create your art for the people who buy it and focus only on them.
Susanna:
Okay
Dane:
You'll be a very, very happy artist. All right. And then Shane, how'd you do?
Shane:
I think I've got it. So, the question that I had to come answer was, "How can I enjoy the process of creating ads, 50 ads?" So, I wrote down, "I'm going to find a tech person." I sent a text message to a gentleman that I know that does Facebook ads, whether or not he can help, we'll see. I'm on Fiverr right now looking for someone that can help me with the graphics, because those are, the tech and the graphics are the two kind of things that I'm not good at and I'd rather just outsource it. And then to actually write the 50 ads I'm going to just carve out 60 minutes each morning to write one ad, and after I write the ad I'll record a video, and that will be what I use for testing, and then I'll obviously send them to my book, webinar, The Good Fit quiz that we created, and possibly a case study that I have. So those are kind of the offers that I'll make at the end, so.
Dane:
Yes and when you sit down for the 60 minutes to write your ad, remember the heart of the people that are your buyers.
Shane:
Yes [crosstalk 00:48:37].
Dane:
And just write to them, you don't write to impress, you don't write to anybody else but the hearts of the buyers. And there's a book called The 16-word Sales Letter, and if you go to startfromzero.com/topbooks you can find the right version. That book's my saving grace, before I ever write sales copy, I like to look at that book and read a chapter. The 16-word Sales Letter, yeah but if you just hit startfromzero.com/topbooks you should see it there, and if you don't then just find 16-word Sales Letter and see, it's like a $36, 100-page book. But I'm thankful it's a $36, 100-page book and not a $10, 300-page book on copy, if it's able to do that in a 100 pages. But so that just will frame your mind so powerfully. It will kick you and literally change the state of your brain, and you can start, you write. You write powerful copy like a beast.
Shane:
I love it, thank you.
Dane:
Yeah, you're welcome. Good work and so that, I think that wraps everybody. We lost Wiley along the way I hope everything's okay there. I'm a little worried that maybe when I was talking about, sent one of you guys to grabbing your balls or whatever, I hope that didn't offend him because I want to make sure we reach the largest audience of people so I'll have to check in with him. Were any of you guys offended or put off by that?
Shane:
No I thought it was funny.
Dickon:
Not me.
Dane:
Okay. If anybody is, please write in, we always want to make this, I mean, the sexual area of the male is often very neglected, carries a lot of shame, and it needs to be just a normal part of our everyday language, and I could probably use better language than balls. It's a little uncomfortable for me to bring up anyway too but, anyway guys I really appreciate you. Good job today, that's it.
Dickon:
Thank you so much.
Susanna:
Thank you
Shane:
Thank you Dane.
Dickon:
Much appreciated.
Douglas:
Thank you.
Audio:
If you'd like to know the number one thing that kills people from successful in entrepreneurship it's really simple, it's them trying to do it alone. Trying to do it without mentorship, trying to do it without accountability, trying to do it without a way to focus, trying to do it without somebody helping you along the way to get your mind straight. And right now I'm running a yearly mentoring, accountability, and focus community called Starters, and you can learn more about Starters and join a community of amazing entrepreneurs all practicing and living the principles from this podcast and this book. "How do you get good at this stuff?" Practice, "How do you get even better?" Being around others that practice, "And how do you become unstoppable and just move no matter what?" Community, community, community. And not just any community, but community of people that don't shame you for wanting freedom. A community of people that don't look at you weird for saying you want more.
Audio:
You can find that community at Starters. If you go to startfromzero.com you'll see our products up top, and then you can go and find the Starters program. We would love to have you and we also have a Good Fit quiz that you can take on that page because not everybody is a good fit for Starters, so if you go look at the Starters page take the Good Fit quiz and it will tell you if you'll be a good fit for that program. Listen, we don't accept everyone because we're obviously not for everyone, but we offer certain people. If you'd like to see if that person is you, go to startfromzero.com, look at products, find Starters, and then fill out that quiz, and we look forward to supporting you and mentoring you on your journey.