Success Unfiltered

Latest Episodes:

107 | Travis Chamber Shares How to Find Success in Service Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

107 | Travis Chamber Shares How to Find Success in Service

What is at the core of your sales job?

Travis is Founder and Chief Media Hacker at Chamber Media, an agency that makes scalable social videos. In his career, he's been a hands-on Director, Producer, Writer, and Social Ad Buyer. Travis led distribution and content strategy for "YouTube's #1 Ad of the Decade," Kobe vs. Messi with 140 million views, and has worked with brands like Yahoo, Kraft, Old Navy, Coca-Cola, and Amazon amongst others.

Every interaction that you have with others that you come across in your entrepreneurial journey has one thing in common...

You may not realize it, but everything that you do is helping serve your clients!

When you're pitching, creating products, or whatever it is that you do, when you come at it from the perspective of service, you'll find yourself far more successful.

When I was in college, I served as a cocktail waitress. Now, every time I get on the phone with a client, I am serving them. At the core, I am seeking to serve my clients, and help them!

Embracing a mindset of service has changed my business.

This week's guest on Success Unfiltered, Travis Chamber, creates social video ad campaigns at a high level. One of his most devastating NO's made him sit down and rethink his entire approach to business and changed how he met with his clients. Once he came from a place of service, his business has exploded.

Are you ready to change your sales mindset to one of service? If so, 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 Travis Chamber for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode!

Celebrate Your Rejections In Business! Why? Because the more you get told NO, the closer you are to a YES. True story. Rejection doesn't mean failure. It means that you're taking the steps that'll ensure your success! Don't let a NO stop you. Let me show you how to keep going after hearing any NO! Grab your copy of my FREE Checklist "5 Ways To Come Back From Sales Rejection" and turn that NO into a WIN!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

Michelle introduces Travis Chambers.
Travis shares about his business, making high-end video sales funnels.
His first major rejection was from Ring doorbells - they were uncertain that he could deliver what he claimed!
He got the meeting because his team documented behind the scenes of everything they did, and word of mouth about their offerings began to spread.
Travis took that rejection to heart, and after the first few days of disappointment, he looked at the feedback to see how he could make his business better as a result.
Other campaigns that Travis ran saw results, so he created case studies of what their company could do to share with future clients.
When going through the roller coaster of rejection, Travis and his team looked beyond their frustrations to learn.
One of the most frustrating things that Travis would hear was not NO - it was the "not NO's" where clients wouldn't say NO, but they also never said YES.
When working with high price offerings, it really takes a lot of trust building as part of the sales process, including some non-sales events. Show potential clients you are in it for the long haul!
Some clients push back and don't say YES immediately because they want to test your commitment to their project.
"Sometimes the most frustrating sales are going to be your biggest ones. And I think it's just because there's a certain amount of element of trust and I think they really just wanted to see how invested we were." ~ Travis Chambers
Your time spent with your clients before a YES or NO is not wasted, because you never know who they could even refer your way.
Never count on a sale until the money is in the bank! Sometimes you think that you have all but closed the deal, and the client backs out for whatever reason.
"You've got to keep the hope and you have to give every person you pitch the benefit of the doubt because you just never know." ~ Travis Chambers
"You just have to persevere with your client because like we're servants; we are serving people and we need to act as servants. We need to have that type of mindset."
"Optimism, positivity, and hope are a sales person's best friends and I spent so much time worrying and having anxiety about whether or not things were going to work out. And the truth is, they're either going to or not." ~ Travis Chambers
Travis shares one thing that he would share with his younger self.

Connect with Travis Chambers:

Chamber Media Website
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Celebrate Your Rejections In Business! Why? Because the more you get told NO, the closer you are to a YES. True story. Rejection doesn't mean failure. It means that you're taking the steps that'll ensure your success! Don't let a NO stop you. Let me show you how to keep going and get past any NO! Grab your copy of my FREE Checklist "5 Ways To Come Back From Sales Rejection" and turn that NO into a WIN!

Music produced by Deejay-O www.iamdeejayo.com

Why You Must Take Care of Yourself to Stay in the Game | Success Shortcuts Jun 08, 2019

Show notes

Do you make taking care of yourself a priority?

In today's Success Shortcut, Michelle shares why taking care of yourself - especially when you don't feel like it - is the #1 thing you must do to stay in the game to achieve success. Michelle also shares how focusing on self-care helped her to get through the failure of closing of her last business, and encourages you to figure out what taking care of yourself means to YOU.

Enjoy today's Success Shortcut and thank you for listening! Join me every Saturday for a new insight that will boost your confidence, take the stress out of selling, and help you level up your business and your life.

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.
Share the show with a friend, family member, or another entrepreneur!

Are you ready to take your life and business to the next level? If you have big dreams of success, I have something for you. I've put together a special program to help you develop the mindset of some of the most successful people on the planet. It's called Success Unfiltered Online: How to Think and Act like an 8-figure Entrepreneur.

This is the real world stuff I've learned from 20+ years of entrepreneurship and from having deep conversations with many other 8-figure entrepreneurs on this podcast, Success Unfiltered.

Regardless of where you are today, even if you are struggling as an entrepreneur, this will help you take your business to the next level! These insights are what the most successful people on the planet rely on to grow their business to 8-figures and beyond and make all their dreams come true.

If you're ready to start acting and thinking like an 8-figure entrepreneur, head over to 8figuretips.com to learn more.

106 | Ashley Drummond Shares How Listening to Your Intuition Leads to Success Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

106 | Ashley Drummond Shares How Listening to Your Intuition Leads to Success

Do you really have what it takes to be successful?

Ashley Drummond an entrepreneur on Season 7 of Shark Tank as the CEO and founder of the low carb & high protein ABS Protein Pancakes. Ashley is also the host of ABS Fit Life TV which is a monthly subscription to on demand dumbbell workouts for fat loss and overall strength training.

Featured on ABC Shark Tank, HSN, ABC Action News, Oxygen Magazine, Forbes.com, HealthPreneur Podcast, Critical Bench, and so much more!

Ashley is also the host of the ABS Life Podcast that produces weekly shows sharing tips, tools and stories about fitness, business and life to help you create a body, business and life you love! Ashley is double-certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine with over 10+ years in the fitness industry helping people get in the best shape of their life. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Liberty University.

Last, but not least, as a wine lover, Ashley is also WSET Level 3 Certified Sommelier and shares her love of wine through wine education and wine consulting.

Fitness, Business & Wine are her passions along with helping others create an Authentic Life!

Once you tell others about your idea, they're going to have opinions: and it's not always fun to hear them.

When I started my podcast, Success Unfiltered, people thought it wasn't a good idea. They said that I didn't know what I was doing. So many people said it would be a waste of time!

I had been interviewed on so many sales podcasts before, though, and knew all the questions and what people wanted to know and hear. But I also knew what people weren't talking about: the raw, real, nitty-gritty stories. Those stories that are only shared one on one.

When I sat down and thought about how I could be different… I decided I wanted Success Unfiltered to be about: those real, raw stories that maybe you might be a little embarrassed about.

Sometimes we rely on that validation from others, but what happens when we listen to that gut intuition?

When we choose to listen to our gut, we often find our greatest success!

This week's guest on Success Unfiltered, Ashley Drummonds, created protein pancakes that she could eat while training without sacrificing good food. She invested in a business coach, paying 5 figures for him to help train her. Then, when she brought her idea to him, he laughed it off and called it "cute"!

Ashley followed her intuition, and made ABS Protein Pancakes a reality, and also earned an appearance on Shark Tank!

Are you tired of others thinking your idea is a waste of time, or laughable? 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 Ashley Drummond 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 Ashley Drummond.
Ashley shares how she was inspired to start ABS protein pancakes.
By meeting her own personal needs, Ashley was inspired to start a business, meeting that same need for others.
Ashley invested five figures into a business coach, trying to learn everything that she could to run her business.
When Ashley had the idea for ABS protein pancakes, she went to him for connections and advice, and he told her that she would fail.
This person was someone that Ashley was relying on and looking up to and was supposed to believe in her and he basically temporarily convinced her to not run with her pancake business idea.
Devastated, Ashley turned to friends and family for validation.
"When we're faced with decisions in life we tend to seek outside opinions because we were fearful. We're scared because if we solely go with our own gut intuition and if it fails then we feel like somehow we have failed." ~ Ashley Drummond
Nobody can tell you what to do because they haven't been in your shoes. They don't know what ideas are coming up for you. They don't know the path or the process. All they can do is provide you with information that they've done in their own lives.
"People think that you go on Shark Tank, your episode airs, they see you get a deal or you don't get a deal on there. People think it's all rainbows and sprinkles and that your business is just set, that you never have to work again in your life. The reality is that it is vastly different than that." ~ Ashley Drummond
After her Shark Tank episode aired, Ashley found herself looking for partners.
She initiated a conversation with Weight Watchers because they aligned with her values, and they asked her to put together a custom product for them with specific macronutrients.
"It was more nerve-wracking for me to sit in front of the board of Weight Watchers Executives than it was for me to go on Shark Tank." ~ Ashley Drummond
After Ashley put together a custom Weight Watchers product, she didn't hear back from them right away, until 7 months later, she got a message saying that they had "decided to go another direction."
Ashley set aside her business for some time, to refocus and go on her own "Eat, Pray, Love" journey.
As she did, she found herself going back to her core desires of helping people; stopping chasing illusions of what would make her business a success and going back to the heart of what she wanted to do with her product.
Ashley shares one thing that she would share with her younger self.

Connect with Ashley Drummond:

Music produced by Deejay-O www.iamdeejayo.com

How to Get Out of Your Own Way | Success Shortcuts Jun 01, 2019

Show notes

Do you ever feel like you hold yourself back or self-sabotage?

In today's Success Shortcut, Michelle is talking about one of the biggest factors in whether or not you will reach your version of success and achieve your goals. If you struggle with being confident in yourself, keeping yourself accountable and overcoming whatever is holding you back, this is a shortcut you don't want to miss.

Enjoy today's Success Shortcut and thank you for listening! Join me every Saturday for a new shortcut or insight that will boost your confidence, take the stress out of selling, and help you level up your business and your life.

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.
Share the show with a friend, family member, or another entrepreneur!

This is the real world stuff I've learned from 20+ years of entrepreneurship and from having deep conversations with many other 8-figure entrepreneurs on this podcast, Success Unfiltered.

If you're ready to start acting and thinking like an 8-figure entrepreneur, head over to 8figuretips.com to learn more.

105 | Jeet Banerjee Shares How Having a Passion for Your Business can Lead to Success May 29, 2019

Show notes

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:

Music produced by Deejay-O www.iamdeejayo.com

How to Turn a No into a YES in Sales | Success Shortcuts May 25, 2019

Show notes

Do you have trouble hearing no during your sales conversations?

In today's Success Shortcut, Michelle talks about how to know when someone is ready to buy and how you can use proper follow up to create a pipeline of leads who are bound to say YES when they're ready. If you have trouble hearing NO, this shortcut will change your perspective and show you how a NO can always be turned into a YES!

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.
Share the show with a friend, family member, or another entrepreneur!

This is the real world stuff I've learned from 20+ years of entrepreneurship and from having deep conversations with many other 8-figure entrepreneurs on this podcast, Success Unfiltered.

If you're ready to start acting and thinking like an 8-figure entrepreneur, head over to 8figuretips.com to learn more.

104 | Harriet Mills Shares How Written Contracts can Save Your Business May 22, 2019

Show notes

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!

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:

Music produced by Deejay-O www.iamdeejayo.com

The Difference Between a Coach and a Mentor | Success Shortcuts May 18, 2019

Show notes

Do you have a coach or mentor?

Here at Success Unfiltered, Michelle believes everyone needs guidance and that getting it from the right people is a major factor in your success. But should you hire a coach or find a mentor? In today's Success Shortcut, Michelle shares the difference between getting professional sales coaching or getting a mentor. This will help you figure out when and why you might want one over the other - and why it could be beneficial to have both.

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.
Share the show with a friend, family member, or another entrepreneur!

This is the real world stuff I've learned from 20+ years of entrepreneurship and from having deep conversations with many other 8-figure entrepreneurs on this podcast, Success Unfiltered.

If you're ready to start acting and thinking like an 8-figure entrepreneur, head over to 8figuretips.com to learn more.

103 | Zalmi Duchman Shares Why Angel Investors Aren't Always the Answer to a Profitable Business May 15, 2019

Show notes

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:

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

How to Follow Up with Prospects | Success Shortcuts May 11, 2019

Show notes

Do you follow up with prospects and contacts regularly?

Do you follow up with prospects and contacts regularly? Following up regularly is one of the best ways to meet new people, grow your business, and set yourself apart from everyone else, so if you're not doing it, you could be missing out on some huge opportunities! In today's Success Shortcut, I talk about why you must follow-up with your potential clients and partners and I share 3 ways on how to follow up and stand out so you can gain more investors, work with more clients and increase your sales. I also tell my own story about how I got a deal with the Vitamin Shoppe by being what I call "professionally annoying".

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This is the real world stuff I've learned from 20+ years of entrepreneurship and from having deep conversations with many other 8-figure entrepreneurs on this podcast, Success Unfiltered.

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