Conquer the Chaos

Latest Episodes:

022 - The Long Road to Overnight Success - Sean Gagnon Aug 17, 2016

Show notes

After 20 years in business, The Abs Company has seen a lot: The years leading up to the overnight success of infomercial legend The Ab Roller; negotiating patents and legal disputes; testing their products in gyms; and sending fitness care packages to troops overseas. Sean Gagnon, president of The Abs Company, chats with Clate and Scott about what success looks like, getting Fortune 500 levels of revenue per employee, and learning how to become a leader.

Got big plans like The Abs Company? Make those plans a reality with "Harness Your Inner Genius."

What is ICON?

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021 - Arrival Syndrome - Ryan Deiss Aug 10, 2016

Show notes

Ryan Deiss, founder and CEO of DigitalMarketer.com, got his start in what some might say was a strange business for a teenage boy. But it taught him tons of marketing lessons, and he steps into the studio with Clate and Scott to share some of those business marketing tips. He talks about the importance of keeping your business market-centric and remembering that your business is NOT about your product; it's about the problems that exist for your target customer.

Deiss also recalls the pains of trying to make payroll, the fine line between delegating and just being unwilling to do the work, and getting over the fear of hiring other people.

Want to learn more marketing tactics? Check out our webinar with Ryan Deiss, How to Convert Leads into Paying Customers with Email Marketing

Mentioned in this episode:

"How the Mighty Fall" by Jim Collins

"Rocky III"

Learn.infusionsoft.com

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

020 - Classic Mistakes - Cara Hale Alter Aug 04, 2016

Show notes

Cara Hale Alter had built up a fully-booked business in leadership and communication skills—until the recession-induce crickets brought Speech Skills to a crashing halt, and only 5 percent of their previous business volume. She and her business partner/husband used that time to really build up the business so that once the economy recovered, they came out stronger than ever. Cara talks with Clate and Scott about the tremendous burden of being an entrepreneur and the sole breadwinner in her family; saying "no" to clients who monopolize your resources; and how much more fun it is to run a business when you're not your product.

Stages of small business success

"The Credibility Code" by Cara Hale Alter

"Conquer the Chaos" by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau

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019 - Trading Hours for Dollars - Bill Harney Jul 27, 2016

Show notes

In 2006, Bill Harney's father, a real estate broker for 25 years, realized something was rotten in the state of real estate, and that something bad was coming. So he started Keeping Current Matters, a real estate education business. Bill joined the business as employee number four, when his dad was doing 200 speaking events a year, which Bill saw was unsustainable economically and practically. Within a few years, Bill had taken over the business, and has grown it into an online education platform with 16 employees. He chats with Clate and Scott about knowing when it's the right time to make a major change in business model; getting more than ten times the anticipated audience for their very first webinar; and making powerful and confident decisions.

Have an online business? Learn how to save time and stay organized with "25 Things Every Small Business Should Automate."

Mentioned in this episode:

"Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

"The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

"Essentialism" by Greg McKewan

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

018 - Connecting Personal and Planetary - Cate Stillman Jul 20, 2016

Show notes

Cate Stillman did what many entrepreneurs dream of: starting and growing a business within her passion. Her background in international environmental politics and policy brought her to the teachings of Ayurveda, a system of natural healing and medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. While learning both yoga and Ayurveda, she realized that those two communities, which are traditionally inseparable in India, were completely separate in the United States. So in 2001 she started YogaHealer.com and built a community of teachers and students. She chats with Clate and Infusionsoft director of content Carey Ballard about building that tribe and speaking to them; marrying desire with action in both life and business; and grappling with the realities of content marketing.

Build your community through content with our "Small Business Guide to Content Marketing."

Mentioned in this episode:

"Tribes" by Seth Godin

"Primal Branding" by Patrick Hanlon

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

017 - Alpha & Domega Jake Fackrell Jul 13, 2016

Show notes

Jake Fackrell is a born entrepreneur—as a kid, he started a lawn mowing business, and by the time he was 17, he partnered with his cousin to start a collections company in Las Vegas. Mackrell thought that what he really wanted to be was a doctor, so he worked part time as an athletic trainer in college while starting a coupon card business. Tired of "rubbing down 350-pound linemen," Fackrell made a change and jumped all into being an entrepreneur. After a series of starts and sells, he's run Domega, a subsidiary of his business Land Voice, for 10 years. Now he has 62 employees, and while he's still focused on business growth, he talks with Clate and Infusionsoft's director of content Carey Ballard about how committed he is to seeing his six children grow up instead of being a workaholic.

Have a lot of employees, or want to? Use our "Small Business Automation Guide" to help you save time and manage your business.

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

016 - What Is a Clate Mask? Jul 06, 2016

Show notes

What did it take to get CEO and co-founder Clate Mask on board with Infusionsoft? Clate always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but first he went to law school and got an MBA. $100,000 in debt, it took almost a year for his brothers-in-law Eric and Scott Martineau to convince him to join the company. Clate talks with Director of Content Carey Ballard about how the business has grown since 2001 and the times that have brought him absolute joy.

Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book "Your Game Plan"!

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

015 - Clinging to Hope - Kim Duncan Jun 29, 2016

Show notes

2008 was a dark time for Kim Duncan and her husband, Kirk. They struggled to buy their family groceries, and their neighbors donated Christmas. Things started to turn in early 2009, when they intentionally changed their mindset and threw their weight into their business, 3 Key Elements. Now, thousands of people flock to Salt Lake City every year to attend their workshops on personal development and self-mastery, and they even receive thank you drawings from the children of adults they've helped. They've even made the INC 5000 list four times. Kim talks with Clate and Scott about business inspiration, the importance of morning routines, and maintaining a positive mindset.

Check out the Duncans' video especially for podcast listeners at 3keyelements.com/infusionsoft

Mentioned in this episode: "Conquer the Chaos" by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau

Want to get out of a funk like the Duncans did? Use our workbook "Harness Your Inner Genius" to push through to the next level.

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

014 - Selling is Serving if Your Product Doesn't Suck Jun 22, 2016

Show notes

A key factor to business growth is making sales, which is why Clate and Scott say that small businesses must grow a culture of selling. That means you have to get over rejection and become a master closer—like Scott! The key is having a great product. If you do that, then selling really becomes serving, because you'll know you're selling something that will improve the quality of someone's life. You don't have to put on on your plaid used car salesman jacket, but you do have to get persuasive, so Clate and Scott give their recommendations for fostering that sales instinct.

Mentioned in this episode: "The Master Closer" by Mike Kaplan

Want to hire someone to sell for you instead? Check out our "Sales Team Hiring Guide."

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

013 - Just Let Someone Else Do it! - Bonnie Bowles Jun 15, 2016

Show notes

Three days before your baby is due is best time to start a business, right? It was for Bonnie Bowles, an estate planning lawyer and founder of Wills and Wellness in Denver, Colorado. Bonnie decided to take a family-focused approach to practicing law—she doesn't even bill by the hour. When she shares how hard it was to relinquish some responsibility in the business, Clate shares that he thinks a vital step in the business journey is to "fall in love with delegation." Bonnie also tells Clate and Scott about her work-life balance as an attorney, the consequences of hiring impulsively, and why "sales cures all."

Mentioned in this episode:

"Sprint" by Jake Knapp

"The Agony and the Ecstasy" by Irving Stone

"The Go Getter" by Peter B. Kyne

Want to dream (and act) big like Bonnie? Check out "Harness Your Inner Genius."

Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.