In episode 60 you’ll discover how 25-year-old Josh Haynam grew his website business to a thriving, rapidly growing quiz-building business (with over 40,000 paid subscribers!) in four short years. Josh shares his recommendations on how to start a new company as well as insights into what didn’t work for the first three years as they were starting out. Josh also explains the one strategy shift that grew their paid subscriber base by 300% in eleven months!
In this episode of Fresh Tracks you’ll also learn the one exercise Josh continues to implement every time something takes up more than half his mental space and how you can do the same. You’ll also discover why keeping a clear headspace has been so instrumental to his business success and the one reset that must happen regularly – particularly when you get stuck!
Show Notes:
1:15 – How, at 25 years old, Josh started and grew his business in four short years
4:10 – Josh’s advice on how to start a new company
6:30 – How Josh went from creating a few custom quizzes to a repeatable product of 40,000 users
8:50 – The surprising way he gained Red Cross, Home Depot and other large brands
13:00 – The secret behind the quantum leap to 300% percent growth in 11 months!
19:00 – What kept Josh going during his slow growth years. And why he didn’t give up
23:00 – The bold steps Josh took to be able to continue to think strategically to run his business
26:15 – How to know what’s worth working on in a boot strap company.
About Josh
Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact Quiz Builder, a tool used by more than 30,000 businesses including The American Red Cross, Home Depot, and Forbes. He’s probably seen more quizzes than any other human on earth right now.
In episode 57 of Fresh Tracks I speak with personal branding coach Jessie May about what it means to be seen. Seen by the right people. Seen by your tribe. Being seen as your authentic self. Being truly seen as your authentic self entails both how you are being energetically, and how you present yourself to the world as a business. Jessie May shares what a brand is and why taking the time to define yours early on is an important step to your small business success.
You may be blogging, sending an e-zine, speaking or publishing articles and taking other marketing actions but not getting the results you desire. I call it being invisible in plain sight. Jessie May shares how easy it is for this to happen and provides tips for overcoming this common and frustrating struggle. Jessie May also shares her branding tree with us – a visual for how branding, marketing and you fit together. What happens when you show up as the authentic you to your tribe? You may be feeling vulnerable, but your tribe is feeling connection. Which leads to trust, clients, and often a feeling of fulfillment in your business.
Show Notes
2:00 – Jessie May explains the branding tree and what branding actually is
6:15 – When is it a good time to have your own branding done?
9:30 – The two things you must know to establish your brand
14:40 – The struggle of being invisible in plain sight.
16:21 – The role vulnerability plays in connecting with your ideal clients
22:14 – The most important thing to say YES to in business
26: 34 – Tips for keeping yourself ‘seen’ – even if you don’t feel like it
30:00 – How you can benefit by keeping your higher purpose top of mind
About Jessie May
Jessie May is a personal-branding coach and tribe-building expert for soulful solopreneurs who need to be the inspirational face of their business so they can attract a lot of followers to their message!
She’s a true believer that the more a business reflects its owner’s essence, the more impactful it will be, so she’s set out to “make over” boring businesses into authentic, memorable and client-attracting brands.
She does this by helping her clients pull together 4 key areas that must be aligned for their brands to communicate a clear signal to the tribe they want to attract: visuals, messaging, personal presence and program packaging.
In addition to her international coaching business, Jessie May is also the founder of Daring Divas, the largest and most active women’s entrepreneurial Meetup community in Boulder, CO. Since 2011, Daring Divas has hosted multiple events per month designed to support its members in creating authentic, supportive and fun relationships that enhance both their personal and professional lives.
In episode 49 of Fresh Tracks I speak with voice coach Hilary Blair about the power of our voice. Hilary teaches us some best practices so you can you best use your voice to both communicate your message and be in your power center so you are heard. In this week’s show you’ll discover the three distinct areas of your voice and understand why they are important as well as the role of each. Hilary also shares the important role of your breath when you speak and the different types of breath that support conveying your message adequately in different situations.
Did you know that your voice is connected to you and your emotions? In fact, your voice is a vulnerable place because it’s connected to your breath and we can unconsciously hold back when we are afraid or nervous – undermining the message we are trying to share. Understanding our bodies built-in coping mechanisms and how to work with them rather than against them is a valuable tool Hilary shares in the show. Are you using your voice as a wall to hide behind? Speak and no one hears you? You don’t feel as if you are speaking as your powerful self in certain situations? Listen in on this week’s show….Hilary shares all!
Hilary shares that embracing the emotional quality of our beingness is what the world needs more of right now and people are starving to hear the full emotion in our voice – we do this by sharing our full selves.
Show Notes
2:20 – Your breath. Your voice. Knowing who you are and getting your message out there
5:00 – The three distinct areas of your voice, including your power source
7:30 – What to do if your message is not landing or not being heard
10:30 – The maturation cycle of your voice and stepping into your mature voice
14:00 – Creating the ‘balanced stereo’ in your voice
17:25 – Difference between a full voice and a deep voice and why it matters
24:30 – Contrast between the belly breath and the athletic breath when you speak
28:00 – Why networking events can be exhausting and what do to about it
31:00 – What happens to your voice when you get nervous and Hilary’s #1 tip for dealing with it
About Hilary Blair Hilary Blair trains high achievers craving honest feedback in order to reach the next level in business and/or life. She is impassioned by moving beyond habits and learned behaviors to uncover what is unique and authentic in individuals and groups. A presentation and speaking voice expert, Hilary is a highly regarded coach and facilitator working extensively across the globe with a variety of businesses including American Express, Janus Funds, Staples, Liberty Global, Slalom, Merrill Lynch, and Hunter Douglas.
Whether facilitating workshops that use improvisation to improve leadership skills, team building and creativity, or training trainers to hone their craft, Ms. Blair’s 30 plus years as a teacher combined with her professional stage, film and voice over career present a unique skill set. She has participated as a Making Cents’ speaker and mentor at two YSEALI exchanges (Singapore, 2014 and Vietnam, 2015) to deliver expert training on verbal communication and presentation skills. Her skills-building sessions were ranked highly by YSEALI young leaders and many have stayed in touch with Ms. Blair in informal mentorship relationships.
Ms. Blair is founder, CEO and lead coach at ARTiculate: Real&Clear, a communications company which has grown exponentially since its inception. She is an active member of Toastmasters International and is a board member of VASTA – the Voice and Speech Trainers Association. She is on faculty for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and has been adjunct faculty for a number of universities. Hilary holds an MFA in acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a BA from Yale University.
In Episode 48 of Fresh Tracks I speak with Jessica Barron, VP & GM of Livestrong.com. We cover a wide range of topics from personal health for busy professionals to the hot new marketing to trends for 2017! Jess discusses the challenges in adding voice to a large brand and balancing that with giving everyone a voice…all the while recognizing that you can’t please everyone.
What’s the key to Livestrong’s success of over 27.5 million unique monthly viewers? Always looking to the future and invigorating their brand. On this week’s show Jess discusses tips for moving your business forward and always staying on top of the times as well as the role trending topics plays in growing your brand. She also had some interesting insights on the different interests on today’s popular mediums such as Facebook, snapchat and twitter.
Jess also shares her advice for any Fresh Trackers wanting to get into the health and wellness space. Truthfully her tips can apply to all of us in any industry so be sure to listen in! From curating your content to meeting influencers in your community (for more on this see our 2017 marketing planning guide) and attending leading conferences all play an important role in business growth.
Show Notes:
4:00 – The #1 thing busy entrepreneurs can do to begin taking care of their health.
7:30 – How to determine what to use when there is a ton of information available for your marketing.
11:15 –Tips for breaking into the healthy living industry and any other industry you want to break into.
16:45 – The biggest challenge to managing such a large brand as livestrong.com.
19:00 – The powerful role of pay-it-forward. Empowering individuals and the amazing results it had on Livestrong.com.
22:20 – Major trends upcoming for 2017
26:50 – Tips for how to take care of yourself if you only have a few minutes.
About Jess Barron Jess Barron is the VP & GM for, a leading healthy lifestyle website with over 27.5 million unique monthly viewers. LIVESTRONG.COM provides the blueprint to simple healthy living. The site and MyPlate app have helped people lose over 20 million pounds in the past year. Jess is co-creator of LIVESTRONG’s 8-week STRONGER with Nicky Holender streaming online video series and also LIVESTRONG’s Simple.Healthy.Eats recipe videos, which have received over 15 million total video views. Prior to LIVESTRONG.COM, Jess was the business leader of Beachbody’s online subscription website with digital videos and online tools. And before that, Jess honed a deep understanding of the types of headlines and content that appealed to all demographics of people when she ran the team that chose the news, entertainment, sports and health articles that appeared on the front page of Yahoo, at the time the most popular site on the Internet.
In episode 46 of the Fresh Tracks with Kelly Robbins show we feature author, entrepreneur and mom Kimberly Alexander, founder of The Results Map Experience. The show begins with Kimberly sharing her experience rising the corporate ladder and how it rapidly led to the deterioration of her health and family relationships. Standing strong in her power, Kimberly’s transition from employee to entrepreneur is a perfect example of one woman cutting Fresh Tracks in her life and business!
Kimberly shares how empowering it can be to use the strong lessons we’ve learned in life to fuel our passion moving forward in sharing our purpose with the world. Kimberly also candidly discusses why she has written two books, and openly provides tips for all of us on how to use a book as a platform for building a brand, a scalable business as well as creating foundational programs in our businesses.
Show Notes:
2:25 – Kimberly’s journey from corporate executive to entrepreneur
5:30 – Insider tips for building the business of your dreams and living on purpose
9:30 – Leveraging life’s tough lessons to fuel you forward and live a life of purpose
13:00 – Why Kimberly wrote her book and how she uses it in her business
18:25 – Tips for getting your book done
21:30 – The secret ingredient to building a scalable business
25:00 – Building a foundational program for your business
27:30 – Why you owe it to your tribe to have both feet in
About Kimberly Alexander
After over 20 years of a flourishing corporate executive career, Kimberly Alexander launched her company as a Growth Strategist and Transformational Speaker for Women Entrepreneurs. Kimberly has worked with several multi-million dollar organizations as an expert in leadership and professional development. Kimberly has worked strategically with Entrepreneurs to identify opportunity and take action for further growth. With a passion to make a difference, Kimberly trains through retreats, individual mentoring and transformational speaking. Kimberly launched her best-selling series in 2014, first with The Results Map: Business and Life strategies to get what you want. In 2015, The Results Map for Women in Biz was launched. Written from her own experiences, Kimberly has guided companies and hundreds of individuals to immediate success with her simple and direct fundamentals.
Outside of writing, speaking and mentoring, Kimberly is married and a proud mother of two girls. She has a passion for hiking beautiful Colorado trails and living a life of purpose, balance and meaning.
In episode 41 of Fresh Tracks I speak with author, speaker, and radio show host Diane Helbig on the topic of sales. Author of the book Lemonade Stand Selling, Diane shares best practices for understanding what sales is really about…matching a solution to a problem and how to be authentic when selling. Sales is quite simply unavoidable when you own your own business. On the show we discuss what your job really is when you are in a sales conversation. It’s quite simply discovery. Have you not sold before or feel uncomfortable selling? Diane shares with us the best place to get started learning how to sell as well how to determine your value. Knowing who values you and what you have to offer is a key component to successfully serving others.
Do you complicate sales with head games, fear and psychology? I know I have! We read books, become stressed for money, and aren’t able to relax and be our true selves in sales conversations because we are trying so hard. Diane provides tips for breaking through some of these nervous and unsupportive habits and discusses how to be our true selves when selling. We also delve into networking during our talk. Making networking worth your while and some best questions to ask are just a sampling of what we review.
Show Notes
1:55 – The secret truth the best sales people know…sales isn’t about selling
5:20 – Steps in traditional sales training that you need to avoid at all costs
7:35 – What sales is REALLY about
10:40 – Tools you can use to know your value when you are selling yourself
13:10 – What lemonade stand selling is all about
17:20 – Networking effectively and how to prepare yourself
22:50 – Choosing the best networking events even when you are uncomfortable
31:00 – Crafting your 30 second introduction
Diane Helbig is an international business and leadership change agent, author, speaker, and radio show host. As president of Seize This Day, Diane helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably.
As a speaker and workshop facilitator Diane merges energy and enthusiasm with rich content. Her goal is to leave her audience with actionable steps as well as the excitement to implement those steps. Diane has expertise in small business, sales, social media, networking, and leadership. She brings over 20 years of small business management and sales to her coaching.
Diane is a Council of Smaller Enterprises board member, Member of the NSBA Leadership Council, and a member of the Advisory Board for the American Institute of Sales, Marketing and Management.
In episode 39 of Fresh Tracks entrepreneur, publicist, and publisher of Strictly Marketing Magazine Kerry Heaps shares her insights on how you can grow your business with publicity. Kerry shares that experience with the media is a journey and you don’t usually start at the top! There are, however, some places where it’s easiest to get started and build your experience and confidence. Kerry shares the 5 steps everyone should follow when building their brand with publicity.
Finding media to feature you can easily become a major time suck! Kerry shares several best practices to help you make the most of your time and make the experience good for both you and the media outlet. The goal of publicity is not just to get interviewed or to have your article/blog post picked up. The goal is leads and have business results. Kerry shares insider secrets to getting the most from each interview you do – and even provides tips on how to get asked to come back!
Show Notes
2:20 – Best place to get started
4:40 – How to come up with topics to speak on
7:50 — The best way to approach a journalist
11:00 – Should you have a call to action when you are interviewed?
13:45 – The most time consuming part of publicity
19:15 – When it’s appropriate to follow-up, and when it’s definitely not
23:00 – The best types of media for most of us to start with
27:45 – The number one thing you can do to set yourself apart from others
32:00 – How to genuinely build a relationship with the media
34:00 – What you absolutely must have on your website to succeed
About Kerry Heaps
Kerry Heaps is the Founder and President of Kerry’s Network, Inc., a marketing organization that provides Business-to-Business Marketing services. She is also the host of Strictly Marketing Talk Radio and publisher of Strictly Marketing Magazine. The magazine has recently spun off an online community for Strictly Women in Marketing, for Women (and Men) looking to gain more media exposure. Kerry also has part ownership in other businesses in the fashion and beauty industry. Her passion is to help other Entrepreneurs with their marketing efforts to continue their dream of running a successful business.
Kerry has an extensive background in Sales, Networking, Recruiting, and Training. She is a former Model who specialized in Trade Show and Print work. She is also an experienced judge on the beauty pageant circuit. Kerry has interviewed celebrities such as Co-Host of Shark Tank, Barbara Corcoran, Author Larry Winget, Former Miss West Virginia and QVC Talk Show host, Kim Parrish and many more successful business entrepreneurs.
Episode 34 – Geno Church of Brains on Fire shares his insights into word of mouth marketing (WOMM) and its role in growing a small business. As a recent inductee into the WOM Hall of Fame, Geno shares that successful WOMM is not about the technology (read it’s not about the tweets!) and provides simple tips for entrepreneurs to stand out and make a difference.
Geno speaks on the importance of community and why community is so important in business today. Community, at its best, is a collective act that we share and enrich by all of us contributing. Comparing our lives to pirates and the importance of doing good, Geno shares best practices for taking your idea of doing good and turning it into a business. Believe it or not – it starts with your knowledge of yourself and what you believe. Geno shares some exercises you can do at home to discover what that is for you.
Show Notes:
2:20 – WOMM. Why it’s not about the technology. Not about the doing.
6:20 – How we’ve gotten lazy in our marketing
8:50 – Applying WOMM to your small business
13:40 – The role of kindness and happiness and does it have an ROI?
17:00 – Lessons from pirates about individual structure and community
20:00 – Similarities between businesses today and the pirate ship.
25:00 – Taking your idea of ‘doing good’ and turning it into a business
28:00 – Discovering your ‘what I believe about’ system
33:00 – Why the world needs you to be a little bit of a pirate right now
About Geno Church
Geno is the Word of Mouth Inspiration Officer at Brains on Fire, but he considers himself more of a “WOM Cupid” and a pathfinder for our clients. Geno shines at uncovering the DNA of sustainable word of mouth movements, and has walked the path with brands and organizations including Fiskars Brands, the National Center for Families Learning, Anytime Fitness, Love146 and The Environmental Defense Fund.
Geno is also a highly sought-after speaker, and relishes the opportunity to share his thoughts and spark conversation with brands and organizations of all sizes. Geno was recently inducted in the WOM marketing hall of fame.
He has been a presenter and a workshop facilitator at events hosted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Blackbaud BBCON (Australia), Influence Session Sydney and the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, to name a few. He is widely quoted in blogs and co-author of two books, Brains On Fire: Igniting Powerful, Sustainable Word of Mouth Movements and The Passion Conversation: Understanding, Sparking and Sustaining Word of Mouth Marketing. Geno is quoted in print on a regular basis, and thanks to his southern charm, is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
Episode 30 – In this week’s show Kathleen Gage shares her insights on business building, and attracting high-level clients. Kathleen also reveals her secrets to creating a variety of income channels and information products that helped put her business on the map. Recognizing when to let go and what skills to use to make decisions are important factors to success Kathleen shares in this week’s show. What’s the difference between letting your ego make important decisions vs learning from the tough experiences we have in business? The answer might be tough for some to swallow!
This inspirational powerhouse has not only been in business for over 20 years, but ran her first marathon for her 61st birthday! She shares the many dangers to running your business in a vacuum – a mistake many new entrepreneurs make. Also the time and place to make a stand for what you believe in and why it’s uber important you get comfortable with your beliefs. Kathleen shares with us her opinion of the most spiritual thing you can do – the answer might not be what you think! Abundance, the importance of following both the Universal and man-made laws, and understanding when and how to grow are all discussed on this week’s show.
Show Notes:
2:00 – How to know when to stay the course and recognize when something is not working
5:02 – One of the biggest keys to Kathleen’s success – it just may surprise you!
6:27 – Why being seen is so important and the dangers of playing a small game
10:24 – What you need to do today to attract Nordstrom level clients
12:00 – The most spiritual thing you can do
15:30 – Following the man-made laws as well as the Universal Laws
18:45 – Kathleen’s secret to creating several income channels and information products
22:00 – Tips for breaking out of stagnation
About Kathleen Gage
The “no-nonsense, common sense” marketing strategist and product creation specialist. She has owned and operated her business consulting firm since 1994.
Kathleen helps entrepreneurs and “bona-fide experts” package their expertise into money making products and services designed to make a positive different in the world. Her clients are driven by making a difference through their own unique voice.
Although Kathleen Gage is best known for her no-nonsense approach to life and business, when not working with clients, creating information products, writing books or speaking on the platform, Kathleen can be found training for a marathon, walking her dogs, working in her many flower gardens, feeding her horses or playing a fierce game of cards.
Her passion and mission are fund raising and increasing awareness for horse and dog rescue organizations.
Episode 18 – in this episode of Fresh Tracks we speak with Nancy Marmolejo on the subject of talent and genius. Nancy shares why knowing both your talent and genius are important to the very survival of your business. Your talent and genius not only serve as a beacon to your ideal clients, but allows you to make your work more fulfilling. With 8 out of 10 businesses failing in the first 18 months, Nancy believes failing to communicate your unique value is why so many great businesses are unsuccessful. Nancy believes everyone has a unique combination of life experience and natural strengths, which we’ve had since we were kids, which make us who we are today. In today’s world people are craving authenticity, and sharing your natural talent and genius makes you authentic naturally.
As you find your genius you are really finding your true self and leading with it. Nancy’s background growing up in an entrepreneurial family and working as an inner city teacher really shaped how she is today and how her unique gifts allows her to see other people’s talent and genius. Not living from your talent and genius costs you money, happiness and prevents you from living an authentic life.
Show Notes
1:44 – Why knowing your genius is important to the survival of your business
7:07 — How to find your talent and genius and how to be a beacon to your ideal clients
8:52 – The main thing that stops us from bringing our talent and genius into the world
12:05 — The cost of NOT living and working from your talent and genius
15:07 — What’s possible if you are fully tapped in to your gifts
About Nancy Marmolejo
Nancy Marmolejo can see your genius and show you how to position it in the marketplace. Her proven methods not only dig deeply into who you are as a person, but connect to the very success of your business. That’s what she calls The Intersection of Talent and Genius (T.A.G.)
In business since 2003, Nancy has won numerous awards for business innovation, contribution, and achievement. She’s been featured in 5 books (and counting!), has over 100 media credits to her name and maintains a great reputation in her industry as a thought leader. Her own talent and genius draw from a fascinating upbringing in a family business, a first career as an inner-city school teacher, an ongoing quest for spiritual growth, and an insatiable sense of curiosity.
All work and no play is not part of Nancy’s genius plan. When she’s not coaching and mentoring others, Nancy can be found living an inspired life with her amazing family and a very large orange cat.
About Josh
