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Hello! Whether you have seen my videos on Entrepreneur.com or are meeting me for the first time, I want to start this series by thanking you for following my road to writing Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look On Social Media. A little bit about me: I spent the past 10 years living in New York. For the majority of that time, I worked as a TV news anchor and reporter. Two years ago, I met my husband, and we were long distance until we got married this past summer. I signed my book deal with Entrepreneur's book division in the fall and officially moved out West on Dec. 1. From Dec. 1 until now, this book has been a labor of love. In this series, you will see how this book came to be -- pregnancy insomnia and all.
The early phase:
Throughout this series, you will hear me talk about Jennifer Dorsey and Vanessa Campos. Dorsey is Entrepreneur Press's editorial director and Campos is the director of marketing and sales. They have been with me every step of the way! Here's a fun fact. When I submitted my proposal for this book, my proposed book title was Chief Empowerment Officer: How to Be the CEO of Your Life, but for some reason, that title never felt right. In speaking with Dorsey and Campos early on, I explained my title wasn't striking the right tone and shared my idea for my title to address the "compare and despair" problem so many people face when they go online. Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as Your Social Media Feed Looks became my new title (it got tweaked again, further down the line). The next step was for me to restructure the Table of Contents (which I refer to as the TOC in this series) to support this change in direction. Wow! That was so much harder than I thought it would be. In this episode, you'll find out why.
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There are plenty of Cinderella stories but also just as many cautionary tales out there. How to make yours the former, not the latter.
5 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When Retro Computers turned to Indiegogo for crowdfunding, it promised $100-level funders a handheld gaming device called the Vega+. With promises from the company that the device would come equipped with more than 1,000 games, the console quickly gained a following, and more than 3,600 people pledged $100 each to receive one.
The successful campaign gained U.K.-based Retro Computers more than half a million dollars.
But when the time came for those backers to receive the handheld devices, Retro Computers wasn't able to deliver. Legal battles and production issues caused hiccups. The promised September 2016 delivery came and went. Users began getting upset -- more and more publicly.
Finally, after unwanted media attention and, just this month, a lawsuit, Indiegogo intervened. The crowdfunding platform announced on June 6 that it was siccing debt collectors on Retro Computers in an effort to reimburse its donors.
Crowdfunding’s popularity is not all hype. It can yield benefits beyond financial backing, helping your company build a loyal customer base and establish credibility before you’ve even launched. But you can't just set up a Kickstarter page and watch the money roll in. The right strategy is essential to reap the rewards.
Pebble shows how it can and should be done. One of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns of all time, the company raised more than $20 million from 78,000 backers -- exceeding its goal by 4,068 percent. Pebble turned that consumer confidence into more than 2 million sales of its smartwatch and was ultimately bought out by Fitbit.
But when it comes to crowdfunding, there's more to consider than whether your project will meet its fundraising goals. Even a successful campaign without serious forethought and planning can encounter challenges that will sink a business before it gets off the ground.
Coolest Cooler, on the other hand, might be one of the most disastrous campaigns in Kickstarter history. The company raised $13 million, but it wasn’t prepared to operate in the wake of such success. Coolest Cooler couldn’t fulfill rewards for its 62,642 backers.
Remember: It's not just about hitting the goal. Even in successfully funded projects, 9 percent fail to deliver on promises to backers. That's a hard hurdle to overcome in the beginning stages of any new business.
It's easy to think of crowdfunding as easy money, but campaigns should be hard work if you're doing them correctly. If you want to start your project on the right foot, avoid these common mistakes:
1. Kicking off without leads in place. Crowdfunding campaigns have short time lines. What's more, campaigns rely on a momentum of interest. You’re going to have difficulty hitting your goal if you don’t have leads in place ready to back your campaign on day one. Not gathering enough leads before launching is the problem partially to blame for nearly every failed project.
Set up a landing page ahead of time describing your product and promoting your upcoming project. Include a contest in which people can enter their email address for a chance to win your product. This will give you a list of already interested folks to reach out to the day you launch your campaign.
2. Ignoring Facebook for potential conversions. Platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have large audiences, but if you rely solely on the backers already there, you probably won’t hit your goal.
So, look elsewhere. Facebook advertising is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach a highly targeted group of people that is likely to convert.
Consider the PEEjamas Kickstarter campaign, which my company mounted. That project hit its $14,000 goal early on, but my company wanted to see how far we could go. Funding increased from around $26,000 when we started the ads, to $227,469 by the time the campaign closed. I highly recommend working with a team of Facebook Ads specialists who can make the most of your ad budget.
3. Failing to consider scale. You might have a goal in mind, but what happens if you exceed it? Is your business model scalable? Are you going to be able to fulfill rewards? Don't be Retro Computer or Coolest Cooler.
Make sure the price of each of your rewards is sufficient, whether you hit your goal exactly or raise more than you anticipate. Have a plan in place for shipping and fulfillment. Examine your profit margins closely as you set your funding goal, and determine product pricing. Consider factors such as minimum order quantities, manufacturing costs, marketing costs, platform fees, shipping costs and more.
One last thing to consider: Kickstarter and Indiegogo both have a 5 percent use fee and a 3 percent to 5 percent processing fee. Factor this into the goal you initially set.
Platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have broadened the horizons of startups and consumers alike, but getting the most value out of crowdfunding requires forethought and planning. There are plenty of Cinderella stories out there but also just as many cautionary tales. Avoid their mistakes to make the most of your fundraising endeavor.
Peace Love World founder and CEO Alina Villasante says it starts with lifting up your local and global community.
4 min read
In this series, Open Every Door, Entrepreneur staff writer Nina Zipkin shares her conversations with leaders about understanding what you have to offer, navigating the obstacles that will block your path, identifying opportunity and creating it for yourself and for others.
Since the late 1990s, every year Alina Villasante would throw what she called “The Love Party.” She would make her own jewelry, special t-shirts and apparel for the occasion to celebrate and connect with the women in her life.
After she and her partner Frank Villasante sold their aerospace maintenance and repair company in 2009, Villasante wanted to see if there was something more she could do with her apparel and jewelry ambitions.
The Cuban-born Miami-based designer knew that there could be a demand for her clothes outside her circle of friends. So she decided to bootstrap the idea and invested $50,000 to start printing the t-shirts, with no concrete plan for distribution -- all while finalizing the deal for High Standard Aviation during the height of the financial crisis.
Amid that upheaval, Peace Love World was born, a brand focusing on bringing happiness people. Even before Villasante opened her official storefront in Miami, she sold $85,000 worth of merchandise out of her home with lines around the block.
Since then, Villasante hasn’t looked back. “I've probably made every mistake in the book,” Villasante tells Entrepreneur. “And here I am 10 years later, so blessed to be doing what I'm doing and having this purpose.”
Part of that purpose is the responsibility she feels to give back. Villasante is passionate about raising awareness and funds for research into autism, breast cancer research and multiple sclerosis.
An organization close to her heart is Zanmi Beni, a shelter in Haiti that gives a home to disabled and abandoned children, and through the company’s work with QVC, Peace Love World also donates more than $325,000 of proceeds to Nest, an organization that supports female artisans.
“Where you give love, you give life,” says Villasante. “While building a life and business, it's very important to continue to lift others in the process.”
Villasante shared her insights about learning how to trust your gut.
What do you tell yourself to work through setbacks and tough moments?
I try to remember the five greatest things that I'm grateful for at that moment. I focus on the positive; I focus on the glass half full.
I work through the hurdle of the negative and in the world of an entrepreneur, there's always ups and downs. There are daily challenges in everybody's business that you need to overcome. You're presented with a problem, you strategize yourself out of it, focus on the positive and keep going. That's really where the winners are.
Was there ever blindspot you had about leadership that you had to change within yourself?
I trusted others sometimes more than I trusted myself. Sometimes, we invest in consultants and other people to give us answers when we have fear or doubt. In reality, we know the answer, and the lesson here is to trust your gut. Trust your intuition.
What advice do you have about being your own best advocate?
Align yourself with your community -- friends, family and most of all your voice. Find your passion and strength and stay true to them. Don't change to conform to somebody else. Stay true to who you are. Let your voice be heard. Identify your superpower.
I found through making t-shirts that everyone was looking for the same thing: peace, love and happiness. I translated that into the world in fashion. I found my platform and how to share it with the world.
Warning: This information may not have a positive effect on your Zillow estimate.
1 min read
Your daily work commute may convince you that you are surrounded by psychopaths, and according to a research paper written by Ryan Murphy, a research assistant professor at Southern Methodist University, you just might be! It all depends on where you live.
Murphy's study, Psychopathy by U.S. State, cross-examined levels of what he defines as Big Five personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience in each state. From this data, he was able to rank each of the 48 contiguous states, as well as the District of Columbia, by its level of psychopathy. (You'll never guess who scores no. 1!) But don't get too excited if your home is located at the bottom of the psycho pile, Murphy says his numbers are just estimates.
Technology continues to get more advanced and more tasks continue to get automated. I don’t have to boot up my computer, wait for it to the connect to the Wi-Fi, open up a web browser, type in the URL, enter my username and password, search for the item I want, add it to the shopping cart, and go through the checkout process entering my mailing address and payment information just to buy some more dish soap.
Instead, I can just say, “Alexa, reorder some dish soap,” and the magical smart speaker in the corner of my living room takes care of the rest. We’re living in the future, folks!
And yet, despite all these modern conveniences and seemingly miraculous developments, we find ourselves even more pressed for time than ever before. How is that possible? Because we have all these things we need (and want) to do, we are oftentimes tempted to be as efficient as possible. We’re constantly looking for so-called “life hacks” that can help us get more things done more efficiently.
That’s precisely why we are drawn in by the purported appeal of multitasking. We delude ourselves into thinking that we can totally check our email, write a blog post, listen to the latest podcast, and eat lunch at our desk, all at the same time. But of course that isn’t true. We can’t focus on more than one thing at a time, so when we divide our attention between multiple tasks, the net result of any and all of them will suffer.
But there’s so much to do! You want to update your blog. You want to post a new video on your YouTube channel. You want to work on your email marketing. You want to post on social media. You want to research new affiliate marketing opportunities. You want to do this. You want to do that. So you try to be as efficient as possible to accomplish as much as possible in as little time as possible.
Stop that. Stop it.
I’ve written on my blog on several occasions how I feel like there is never enough time to do all the things that I want to do, especially since become a dad. Balancing my professional responsibilities with my responsibilities as a father isn’t easy, not to mention that I still want to have some room for leisure activities and downtime, of course.
All this being said, lack of time is not the problem. It was never the problem. If you look around at all of the most successful people in the history of the world, they all had the same 24 hours to work with each day, the same 365 days to work with each year. They had just as much time as the least successful people in the history of the world too. Lack of time is not the problem.
So, what is it then? It really boils down to two main concepts.
First, we all need to stop trying to do as many things as we can as efficiently as we can, because that is ultimately self-defeating. Instead, you should try to do fewer things, but do them better. Instead of trying to score a 5 across the board, understand that life is a game of tradeoffs. Zero in on the small handful of things where you want to score a 10 and don’t worry too much about the zeroes you may be scoring on the other items. The 10s are where you’ll find success, not in a seas of 5s.
Second, when you have to work on something, actually work on that something. Don’t mindlessly scroll through Facebook. Don’t fall into the bottomless pit of YouTube. Don’t walk to the kitchen to grab yourself a snack. Focus on the task at hand and get it done, remembering that done is always better than perfect.
When you work a more traditional job, especially one that pays hourly, you get paid just the same no matter how much actual work you do. (Yes, you’ll probably get fired eventually if you slack off too often, but the general point here holds true.) When you work for yourself as an Internet entrepreneur, there’s no such thing as an hourly wage or a salary. You need to earn every dollar, even if that means putting in the hours to develop a passive income stream. Sitting for 40 hours in front of your computer isn’t going to do you any good unless those 40 hours are actually productive.
Efficiency is not the objective. It doesn’t matter if you tick 100 items off your to-do list if none of those items really moves the needle forward. Instead, strive to be effective. Do the things that matter and do them well.
Four executives weigh in on how they view the NFL controversy, as applied to their respective companies.
7 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
We’ve all seen the video clips: NFL players kneeling prior to the start of their game as the Star-Spangled Banner plays. And the opinions that have resulted have been divided between whether those players are "disrespecting the flag and the military" or whether they are "protesting injustice, not the flag."
The players are divided, the owners are divided, the country is divided. What to do?
A 2017 CBS/YouGov poll found that, regardless of whether they agreed with the protests or not, 73 percent of Americans surveyed thought NFL players were trying to call attention to racism, and 69 percent said they were calling attention to police violence. However, 40 percent said such protests were disrepectful toward the flag, while 33 percent said the players' action disrespected the military.
As an employer, you might be asking: Does the NFL (or any other employer) have the right to quell employees from expressing their views on social policies or political causes? After all, former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. is credited with saying in 1891that, "An employee may have a constitutional right to talk politics, but he has no constitutional right to be employed."
So, when is it appropriate for employees to express their opinion and take a stand while on company time? Is it appropriate? Should it be permitted only after hours? Wheredoes a company draw the line?
I decided to gauge the temperature among my circle of c-suite executives, who gave me some very interesting responses.
Derreck Stratton -- CEO, Startup Syndicate
Stratton says: “As a member of a team, whether that be a professional sports team or the marketing team of a corporation, individually you represent something larger than yourself. You represent the whole. Your performance both on the clock and off the clock directly reflects upon the rest of your teammates. You have a duty to protect the safety and integrity of not only the other members of your team but the team as a whole. Unity and “esprit de corps” are directly correlated to the overall efficiency and success of the team. You rise together, and you fall together. You win as a team and you lose as a team. One vision, one mission.
"When is it appropriate to take a stand in the workplace? Only when by taking a stand you do not create division within the team. 'United we rise, divided we fall.'"
My comment: I will push back on this last point with a question: Isn’t the point of taking a stand to start a conversation that could be uncomfortable for some and can create some level of tension?
In my book, Think Big, Act Bigger, I discuss the wisdom of pushing boundaries -- often. I’m a firm believer in creating tension whenever possible. It’s OK to push things to the edge of the table, just not off the table. Leaders need to create tension and results by pushing further and further in order to move the team in the same direction and create results.
While I understand that not everyone will subscribe to this philosophy, I think that in order to move the needle forward, businesses need to address some of the issues facing the country. Ignoring them may compound the problem, which could lead to an internal combustion at your company.
Robert Wulf -- managing partner, Rhino Global Enterprises
Wulf says:“There is no question. There are problems to be solved, but kneeling or not kneeling for the national anthem doesn’t get them solved.
"Solving them requires getting involved and becoming an advocate for that change and driving change through communities, organizations and people, whether through starting your own organization or helping advocate or lead for one that already exists. But that is a personal choice and requires personal work. It shouldn’t be forced on others.
"Owners have the ability to set work rules based on what’s good for the entire organization. If people don’t like those work rules, then they can either quit, or bring their grievances before the decision-makers and managers to see if they can make a change.
"Once again, as an employer, there are some set rules and regulations that I want my team to follow. So, I understand the NFL’s need to create a policy that, while unpopular to some, ends up benefiting the organization as a whole.
"Employers need to focus on the bigger picture without ignoring the issues that need to be addressed. In my office, there are several individuals that are politically engaged and have very strong opinions about certain issues. Sometimes we even get into some very interesting discussions. I think it’s healthy to talk about topics as a result of the current political climate. I don’t mind if it’s done on company time, as long as the work gets done -- and it does get done.
Jason Forrest -- CEO and chief culture officer, Forrest Performance Group
Forrest says: “I think everyone should feel free to speak what they believe based on their values, but I also think they need to then be OK with the result of that in the workplace. Before taking a stand, I’d run everything through a six-step process.
Am I proposing a solution as well as addressing the problem?
Am I willing to put my credibility on the line?
Is the problem I’m addressing a pattern or an isolated incident?
Is this in my company’s best interest?
Does my stand take into account how this will affect my team?
Am I willing to be fired over my stand?
Every person is free to make their own value-based decisions so long as they take the time to accept the consequences.”
My comment: As a former chief marketing officer, I’m well aware that your brand is everything. How you position yourself will have a direct effect on how others perceive you. As a national speaker, I’ve been told many times not to use salty language on stage because it might offend some. I’ve told them I won’t change anything about my speech on those conditions alone. I won’t compromise my brand to fit into someone else’s idea of what I should be and how I should behave.
As a result, I’ve had people not want to hire me as a speaker, and I’m perfectly OK with that. I know there are consequences to my actions, but I won’t use those as an excuse to compromise my brand.
Christopher Cumby -- Author and chief development officer, Startup Syndicate
Cumby says: “I think it’s a matter of three perspectives: What I want, what you want, what we both want -- and then, ultimately, the alignment of a common goal that creates change into harmony.”
"Simply put [I believe that], One who seeks respect shall attain it through giving respect. I believe in the Golden Rrule.”
My comment: Protesting for the sake of being contrarian never helped any cause -- as worthy as the protest may seem. Having a reason to enact change, have the means to enact change and have the solutions that will drive the change are essentials in any business environment. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. We need to address changes to our companies, our business environment and to the overall societal culture. Without change, there’s no growth.
So, is taking a knee in the workplace appropriate? It depends where you work and your point of view. As Roseanne Barr learned recently, the First Amendment protects you, not your job. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.
The Chinese tariffs are focused on energy and agricultural products, covering goods including ornamental fish, whiskey, and coal. By singling out certain goods, the Chinese are also hitting some states harder than others.
To break down the effect by state, Business Insider used US Commerce Department data to determine the amount of tariff-eligible goods from each state sent to China in 2017. (Due to the US database's limitations, the totals include some foreign-sourced goods that may not be subject to China's tariffs. Those goods represent a small portion of the overall values.)
There are nine states that exported more than $1 billion worth of tariff-eligible goods to China in 2017:
Texas: $8,022,380,040
Louisiana: $6,627,390,388
Washington: $5,231,988,100
California: $4,560,897,434
Alabama: $2,620,256,485
South Carolina: $2,588,390,677
Illinois: $2,123,222,976
Kentucky: $1,006,565,148
Many of these states have just a handful of goods that make up most of the coming pain. For instance, $5.6 billion of Louisiana's $6.6 billion worth of tariff-eligible exports comes from soybeans. Similarly for Alabama, $1.7 of the state's $2.6 billion in tariff-eligible goods is soybeans. In Texas, the biggest hit will come from crude oil (the state sent $3.7 billion worth to China last year) and propane, the state sent $1.7 billion worth to China last year.
A balance between design and mission helps this entrepreneur bring brands to life.
1 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In this video, Entrepreneur Network partner C1 Revolution talks with Gabrielle Martinez, who specializes in experiential marketing to create a lasting impression at her company AgencyEA.
Martinez talks about how she works particularly well with bringing together the logistics of designing an event, with creating resonant messaging. Her past work includes designing an event for the White House, where she was abe to use her creativity with marketing to take full production from conception to execution.
A particularly productive asset for Martinez is the modern-age use of digital tools. Digital is also an extremely helpful way to analyze the effectiveness of an event by combing through thorough data. Not only is digital extremely comprehensive but it allows for extreme customization. Digital opens up the doors for live reactions. When customers and users respond within an app, marketers can take immeditely take action.
Find the superhero who deals with the kinds of challenges you face and exhibits the kinds of qualities you possess that help you overcome them.
7 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Entrepreneurs exhibit a variety of admirable qualities that make them positive role models in their communities. People can appreciate the financial acumen, personal traits and interpersonal skills they must acquire in order to see their businesses thrive. These characteristics also contribute to their personal well-being well beyond the bottom line, as well as to the common good of society. Elements within the media and the culture may like to malign the entrepreneurial spirit as if it were inherently unethical, but entrepreneurs themselves, and those who are aware of how much the prosperity of our society depends on their successes, know better.
Superheroes are ubiquitous in the popular culture today. Portrayed as larger than life, they face threats of unbelievable magnitude and possess powers beyond ordinary human abilities. But, superheroes can and should be interpreted as metaphors for the ways ordinary people can face the challenges of this world bravely and responsibly. From this perspective, it is fair to ask, which superheroes best represent the virtues of entrepreneurs? As an entrepreneur, you can ask yourself: Which superheroes do I most resemble?
For argument's sake, let's rule out Batman and Iron Man, although both are famous for being rich and running colossal corporations. The principal conceit surrounding Bruce Wayne is that he is super-smart at everything, including running the company he inherited. But, we largely have to take his business savvy for granted since we rarely see it in action; he largely leaves the actual handling of his conglomerate's activities to executives. Meanwhile, Tony Stark, another beneficiary of a sizable inheritance, has won and lost his fortune many times despite his tech-savvy know-how. People like Benjamin Franklin or Donald Trump might admire Stark's ability to rebrand and rebuild again and again after every setback, but he simply is not a businessperson who can be relied on.
Looking instead at the sorts of situations and character types that other superheroes represent, let's ask: Which superhero deals with the kinds of challenges you face and exhibits the kinds of qualities you possess that help you overcome them?
Supergirl
Do you find yourself in competition against a well-established competitor with goodwill to spare, having to prove over and over that your own product or service is as good if not more commendable than theirs? Then you might well think of yourself as being like Supergirl. She cannot help being compared against her cousin, Superman, the first and most famous of superheroes, and someone with an unassailable reputation. Still, lots of comic book readers and television viewers appreciate that Supergirl's stories are often more compelling, and her character is arguably more admirable -- especially for having to prove herself more in the public's eyes.
Jessica Jones
Are you a second-career entrepreneur? Did the life path you initially embarked upon not pan out? Did you have to overcome a sense of disappointment in yourself, start from scratch, strike out in a new direction, develop new skills, and build new networks -- only to discover greater success and satisfaction? Then consider yourself like Jessica Jones. She attempted a career as a superhero but found herself strictly D-list. She got knocked out of the game in ways for which she was not to blame, but later found success as a private investigator, gained newfound confidence, new friends and partners, and is now universally respected by those who had hardly noticed her existence previously.
Have you decided to take charge of your life and become your own boss after being at the mercy of others who tried to control your career path, or ruin it, or turn you into someone you're not and didn't want to be? Then there's no better superhero to admire than Captain Marvel. She became a superhero by accident on account of her relationship with another one. She eventually was kidnapped and manipulated (and worse) by another man, had her identity stolen by a villain, was further altered by aliens, turned to alcohol to cope and lost her status as an Avenger. Eventually, she caught a glimpse of how her life could be if she decided to take full responsibility for becoming the very best version of herself. Since then, she has become a premiere superhero, the first woman to get a lead role in a self-titled Marvel movie -- coming to theaters in 2019.
Are you all about leadership and mentorship? Have you built an indefatigable, loyal team that is ready, day in and day out, to make your company strong? Do your employees take pride in their allegiance to your product or service? Do you labor every day to make your team the best it can be, knowing that together, you're unstoppable? Then Black Panther is your man. King of Wakanda, Black Panther is the model of effective leadership, where the strength of the whole is the product of each team member excelling at their role, where innovation is prized and good counsel is sought from one's subordinates, where a spirit of trust and belonging is cultivated, and where people treat work almost like family.
Did you work your way up from a team member -- maybe taken for granted and underestimated -- to a leader in your own right, so that people now listen to you and trust your experience and judgment? Then look no further than the Wasp. She was there at the founding of the Avengers, and always had within her great potential as a motivational personality. She had to manage other capable but flawed persons, like her husband Hank Pym, but she eventually established herself as an independent woman, built an empire in the fashion industry, and took the reins as the first female leader of the Avengers. She remains someone the superhero community looks to for inspiration and good sense. And she knows how to enjoy life and the finer things in it.
Do you take pride in your ability to recruit people with overlooked talents and get them to join your team? Do you have the uncanny ability to form collaborative relationships with potential rivals such that everyone ends up profiting? And if they refuse to work with you, are you prepared to fight tooth and claw in order to prevail? Then you'll love Squirrel Girl -- hopefully coming to television soon! The unbeatable Squirrel Girl, with the proportionate powers of a squirrel, including a bushy tail and the ability to speak squirrelese, is underestimated at others' peril. She has formed a scrappy group of friends and heroes with similarly unlikely abilities, such as chipmunk- and fish-based superpowers. But, she would rather solve problems with words than with fisticuffs, and as such, she has befriended some former supervillains, too.
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is the original entrepreneurial superhero. He formed Heroes for Hire on the premise that people might pay him to perform jobs that required superheroic abilities. As it would turn out, he almost never got paid. You might say that he ends up learning that virtue is its own reward! OK, maybe he's not the best model of entrepreneurship. He didn't really have a great business plan. Still, he eventually became leader of the Avengers and married Jessica Jones, so that's not all bad.
On this episode of the Dot Com Lifestyle vlog, my wife and I head to Guy Savoy Las Vegas at Caesars Palace to check out the $385 per person, 14-course, Prestige Tasting menu. Dinner for two came to over $1,000!
Few know the ins and outs as well as the Queen of QVC.
10 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
“When someone tells you that something can’t be done, all it really means is that it hasn’t been done before.” ~ Lori Greiner
The digital age has transformed how business is conducted in powerful ways. Thanks to new technology, more educational resources, and alternative fundraising options, it’s now easier than ever to start a business. With so many people launching new startups, savvy business investors like Shark Tank’s Lori Greiner are speaking out and advising entrepreneurs on how to be successful in this digital age.
I had the unique opportunity to interview the “Queen of QVC” about how entrepreneurship has evolved, mistakes to avoid when pitching investors, and her surprising advice for women entrepreneurs.
Lori Greiner's rise in the digital age
Greiner took advantage of the digital stage early on when she launched “Lori Greiner’s Clever and Unique Creations” on QVC in 2000. “There are so many venues that can play a role in your selling strategy, but in my opinion, there is simply no better selling medium for a new inventor than a shopping channel like QVC,” Greiner told me. “Once you know how to market something out of a certain medium, then it becomes easier to continue marketing other products out of that same medium.”
Using her flair to communicate and present well on air, Greiner leveraged her QVC success into becoming a Shark Tank investor and a mentor and role model for entrepreneurs worldwide.
“The emphasis on entrepreneurship has grown tremendously over the last five years,” says Greiner. “Everybody can relate to having an idea they think could be worth millions, but several years ago people probably never seriously considered that it would be possible to get it off the ground, but now we’re showing that it can happen.”
What makes a great Shark Tank pitch?
Having witnessed hundreds of pitches on Shark Tank and thousands personally, Greiner concisely revealed what constitutes a great pitch. “Be energetic, captivating, honest and informative, but brief. A great pitch is when a person can describe what their business or product is within two sentences,” Greiner advised. “Draw the investors in with enthusiasm and passion. Remember that whoever you’re pitching has spent either little or no time thinking about your product, which you may think is the greatest on the market. Be succinct and to the point, but make it exciting and informative.”
When I asked Greiner if she felt that investing in the entrepreneur was more important than investing in the product, she responded, “I look at both the product being pitched as well as the entrepreneur pitching it, as they are equally important to me. For the product or business, I look for several different things…
Something that has broad mass appeal
Something that solves a problem
Something that is unique or different
Something that can be made at an affordable price
“For the entrepreneur, I love to see someone who is energetic, passionate, honest and driven. I want to feel that they will do whatever it takes to make their business a success,” Greiner said.
3 biggest pitch mistakes
As viewers know, negotiations on Shark Tank can quickly get heated and, even though the drama makes for great entertainment, I was curious to know how those moments can affect the relationship with the entrepreneur after the deal is made with the investor.
“Heated moments can come out in a positive way for the entrepreneur,” claims Greiner. “I think so because you always learn from your experiences. There are always valuable lessons to learn from every experience, and I think that even though sometimes the questions from the Sharks or what happens can seem quite difficult, I think you will walk away learning a great deal and correcting what went wrong. You learn the most from what you consider failures or difficulties. I look at them as the greatest and most valuable lessons. There are no failures in life, just great lessons.”
When asked what she believes is the biggest mistake people make when pitching investors, Greiner shared not one, but three fundamental mistakes every entrepreneur should avoid.
1. Being unprepared
According to the QVC queen, the biggest mistake individuals make is that they don’t know everything there is to know about their own product and business. “You should know your product or business inside and out, and be prepared to answer any question about it,” says Greiner. “Whether the question involves finances, manufacturing, inventory, or processes -- you should know every single detail.” Not being prepared, Greiner says, is her biggest pet peeve. "It shows a lack of commitment and caring and is reflective of their work ethic. It also lets me know that they would probably not be successful.”
2. Lacking enthusiasm and passion
“I’ve seen the greatest ideas fall completely flat when presented by someone who lacks enthusiasm,” explains Greiner. “But, on the other hand, I’ve seen great entrepreneurs convince others to buy or invest in things that they would never have under any other circumstances, but for their passion.”
When I asked if there was a single pitch or experience that impacted her, she replied, “The craziest pitch was that squirrel zapper! Michael DeSanti, an aerospace professional turned entrepreneur, created a squirrel-proof bird feeder that deters squirrels from eating bird food by delivering a harmless static shock.”
“Ryan 'Cowboy' Ehmann was one of the funniest and most crazy,” Greiner also recalled. “I couldn’t figure out what he was selling, and Daymond John gave him a deal for his rodeo-themed Cowboy gym -- go figure!"
“Remember, if you’re trying to convince someone to invest in you, they need to not only like what you’re asking them to invest in, but they also need to like you and believe in you,” Greiner told me.
“If entrepreneurs don’t listen to questions asked during a pitch, they aren’t going to hear you down the road, and they’re not going to be a good partner.” Greiner also mentioned that it’s a big turnoff if they appear difficult to work with. “It doesn’t matter how great a business idea or product is, if the entrepreneur is going to be a problem, nothing is worth it.”
You made a deal. Now what?
Once the excitement of the Shark Tank experience subsides, many people are not aware that some of the deals that close on camera do not materialize into formal business partnerships afterward with the investors. On the surface, the deals may look great, but it’s the process after the show where the work truly begins.
“My process after a deal is to try to call the entrepreneur within a few days after it’s made in the ‘tank,’ and they get back home,” Greiner stated. “I want to make a more casual introduction and talk about their experience in the tank, then hear about the hot issues in their business and see how fast we have to move. My team and I go through due diligence with each entrepreneur to ensure that the company is, in fact, investible and that everything they said on the show is true.”
Greiner says she is very hands-on with these entrepreneurs. “I’m often talking to them at all hours of the night and on weekends. Once the deal is signed and closed, we begin working on a big-picture plan on what we need to do and what steps we need to take to get there."
Best hiring practices
“I always say ‘Hire character and train skill,’ and I truly believe this. Who a person is is equally important to me as what they know how to do. There are many important characteristics I look for when hiring, but I’d say these are at the top of the list: honesty, ethical, trustworthy and a team player. Fun to be around is a big plus too!”
I also asked Greiner what advice she had for millennials and younger entrepreneurs who find it difficult to network, especially when it comes to getting the attention of seasoned investors.
“Don’t be afraid to network. Reach out and ask questions -- you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. When selling yourself, be confident and frank about your attributes. You can be honest and humble at the same time. But, if you don’t speak up for yourself, nobody else will.”
Credit: Courtesy of Lori Greiner
Lori Greiner’s advice to women entrepreneurs
Having been influenced by strong, powerful, and influential women like Oprah, Sara Blakely, and Arianna Huffington, who have been leading the charge for women entrepreneurs for years, Lori Greiner shared her thoughts and wisdom for the next wave of women business leaders.
1. Don’t label yourself
“As a female entrepreneur, I think it’s very important for women not to think of themselves as ‘women’ in business, or as a ‘woman’ in any job position. They should think of themselves as a person in business or in their job position, equal to, if not better than, anyone else around them. Find something you love to do, and then do it better than anyone else.”
2. Educate yourself
“Do what it takes to educate yourself in the field you are interested in. Be a sponge and absorb as much knowledge and information as possible. It’s always great if you can work somewhere or for someone when you can learn and get hands-on experience in a real-life scenario. Education is great, but practical experience is invaluable.”
3. Don’t be afraid to speak up
“Most importantly, be yourself and confident in who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Don’t be afraid to speak up. You don’t have to be tough to appear strong. Just be confident and believe in your convictions and knowledge.”
4. Believe in yourself
“I think anyone can become successful. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what stage in life you are at. All that matters is your drive, determination, and your willingness to work hard. With that, I truly believe you can make anything happen, and you can be successful. I’m a big believer that you should never take no for an answer when people say things can’t be done. That just means it hasn’t been done before.”
When I asked Lori Greiner why she believes she has continued to be successful over the past two decades, and what motivates her to work so hard today, the Shark Tank celebrity quipped, “I made my career on TV because I happened to invent highly demonstrable products, so that’s where I knew I would see my biggest success. I didn’t set out to be a serial inventor. After my first product was a success, the buyers wanted more and more. I was driven to keep creating by QVC and my customers.”
“I was lucky in that I could hear my customer’s voices when they called in on air,” Greiner regaled. “Hearing that they loved the product or that it made them happy or their lives better really gave me the motivation to keep creating more! Often I come up with ideas for products by thinking of things that people need or want. Usually, that means creating solutions for everyday problems.”
“Today, people say that I move at lightning speed and I humbly say that I have helped many of the most successful products in Shark Tank history, including Simply Fit Board, Scrub Daddy, Squatty Potty, Bantam Bagels and Sleep Styler to name a few,” Greiner proudly claimed. “I strive to make people’s lives easier and better, and I find that’s a primary force behind my passion for empowering entrepreneurs.”
Bet you didn’t know that 69% of entrepreneurs started their business out of their home. Most people, even entrepreneurs, don’t have the startup capital to build an empire overnight. If you’ve seen Shark Tank, you know that those who hold all the money aren’t going to give it up unless they know you’re a good investment.
If you can’t prove it, and this doesn’t mean you’re not worth it, you’ve got to start small. And plenty of major corporations were once garage operations.
Microsoft is one of the most well known of these operations. It’s so well known that it’s cliche to talk about tech companies that started in a garage. And yet the stories about other corporations remain untold.
So, let’s get to it. Here are five stories about those who dared to dream big and actually achieved something.
1. Coors Brewing Company
Adolph Coors himself was a poor immigrant from Prussia (now Germany). And he was only 21 when he stowed away on a ship to the United States.
After landing in the United States, Adolf made his way west working odd jobs. Back in Prussia, he had been a brewer. And when he met another German immigrant in Golden, Co, he decided it was time to take his savings and invest in his own beer recipe.
While Coors entered the United States poor, he had a decent amount of capital when he began his brewing company. $2000 in 1972 is $33,000 after inflation.
While that’s a decent amount of startup capital, Coors didn’t attribute his company’s success to money alone. It was the water he used to brew his beer: fresh water from the Rocky Mountains.
2. Subway Sandwiches
To open a sub shop today, you’d need more than $1000. Even accounting for inflation between 1965 and now, the amount Dr. Peter Buck and Fred Deluca put into their first sub shop wasn’t much.
But they stretched it to fit, even setting a goal of having 32 stores opened in ten years.
Dr. Buck was a Ph.D. and Fred Deluca hoped to go to medical school. Neither dreamed they would be billionaires int he year 2018. Today they boast more than 44,000 locations all over the world.
3. LuLaRoe
“There is something to be said about the fact that grown women are swearing, crying and threatening people over leggings with cats on them.” Today, if you know about LuLaRoe, you’re either obsessed or you know someone who is obsessed.
Today the company is worth over $2 billion and they achieved this in only 4 years. That’s a lot of money for a clothing company that opened on old-fashioned modesty principles.
In 2012 a grandmother created a maxi skirt for her daughter. Her daughter posted the skirt on Instagram and suddenly 44 of her friends wanted an exact copy.
The grandmother’s name is DeAnne Stidham and she began her company with next to no capital. Within the first three days after selling the 44 skirts, she sold 300 skirts she had made by professionals. Her husband wisely suggested she turn this into a business.
The company now runs a consumer marketed, multi-level scheme. LuLaRoe Consultants must put up a sizeable amount of cash to even get started and they won’t get that money back if they don’t sell their merchandise.
It’s the story of a small company that rode a fad and pivoted to continue to make billions after the fad faded.
3. Wrigley Gum
In 1891 William Wrigley somehow thought that what the world needed was a good scrubbing. So when he moved to Chicago, he took $32 in change and turned it into a soap and baking powder company.
Now, he did have to borrow $5,000 from his rich uncle, but it’s still impressive that he eventually built one of the most popular chewing gum companies from pocket change.
4. Harley Davidson
Harley Davidson is over 100 years old. And the company wasn’ always into hogs.
Back in 1903, cars weren’t particularly popular. But bicycles were. And Arthur and Walter Davidson dreamed of making bicycles go much faster than human legs could propel them.
So, with very little money on hand, the brothers took a bicycle and strapped a motor on it. They had so little that they had to borrow a shed from a family member.
They sold three motorized bicycles in their first year. Now they’re the most iconic motorcycle in the world.
5. Maglite
Maglites are now known as one of the most dependable flashlights. And if you get one of their larger options, it’s heavy enough to use in self-defense.
All Tony Maglica saved up to build his flashlight empire was $125. Ever since he had left the shores of Croatia, he’d always dreamed of leaving behind his days of working for others and become his own boss.
He used the $125 on a down-payment for machinery. He used that machinery to do precision work on US missiles and satellites under contract with the Government.
He won several clients from his excellent work. While doing this, he eventually began making improvements on designs for various private companies. One of these companies was a flashlight parts manufacturer.
Maglica was dissatisfied with the current state of flashlights that he designed a better one for himself. This re-designed flashlight eventually became the Maglite.
Self-esteem can be hard to come by and even harder to maintain. Try these authors' words of wisdom.
11 min read
Rate this statement on a scale of one (disagree strongly) to five (agree strongly): “I see myself as someone who has high self-esteem.”
If five wasn’t your go-to answer, you’re not alone. In a study of more than 985,000 people in 48 nations, researchers found that, on average, men consistently report higher self-esteem than women in every single country. What’s more, the confidence gap was wider in Westernized countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada), while it was narrower in southeast nations, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Confidence is famously elusive, but there’s a bright side to that: People have spent countless hours on research and self-improvement books meant to help others move past self-esteem shortcomings. Here are eight to consider.
You Are a Badass (Jen Sincero)
Image credit: Running Press Adult | Entrepreneur
What We Love: In the first paragraph of her book, Sincero writes, “What little I knew about the self-help/spiritual world I found to be unforgivably cheesy… At the same time, there was all this stuff about my life that I desperately wanted to change and, had I been able to bulldoze through my holier-than-thouism, I could have really used some help around here.” If this hits home, give You Are A Badass -- written by a #1 New York Times bestselling author and success coach -- a try. In three parts, Sincero’s book outlines “How You Got This Way,” “How to Embrace Your Inner Badass,” How to Tap Into the Motherlode” and, finally, “How to Get Over Your B.S. Already.” In chapters with titles like “Love The One You Is” and “Your Brain Is Your Bitch,” she dives into concepts like self-perception, spirituality, healthy views of money, meditation and purpose, all via accessible language and actionable how-tos.
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘Stop what you are doing and get this book… This was the last book I read in 2017. The timing of it was perfect, because it helped me to formulate my goals and resolutions for 2018. This book helped me come up with my theme for the year: Love yourself.’ Another says, ‘Her writing style does not feel like a self-help book at all. It's like having real-talk with a self-loving, educated girlfriend.’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $9.59 on Amazon
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are (Brené Brown)
Image credit: Hazelden Publishing | Entrepreneur
What We Love: There’s a reason why a speech by Brené Brown ranks in the top five most popular TED Talks of all time. She’s a research professor and bestselling author, and this book contains guidance for living “wholeheartedly” -- something Brown equates to living your life from a place of worthiness. Through the book’s ten guideposts -- with titles like “Cultivating Authenticity: Letting Go of What People Think” and “Cultivating Creativity: “Letting Go of Comparison” -- Brown aims to teach readers to view themselves as “enough,” to let go of productivity as self-worth and to move away from self-doubt and the need to feel constantly in control.
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘I initially avoided this book out of concern that it was one of many under-evidenced self-help titles. Changing my mind on reading this was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am a much better person for it… I think I can guarantee that something in this book will profoundly change you.’ Another says, ‘The author talks a lot about how making a major change in your life isn't something you wake up and do one day, it's something you practice every single day. And most will struggle with it, but without the struggle, we lose out on so much. I will have far fewer regrets on my deathbed having read this book.’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $8.70 on Amazon
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance -- What Women Should Know (Katty Kay and Claire Shipman)
Image credit: HarperBusiness | Entrepreneur
What We Love: In this book, broadcast journalists Katty Kay (BBC and NBC News) and Claire Shipman (ABC’s Good Morning America) draw practical advice from their own life experiences, as well as those of other prominent women in media, business and politics. They combine these ideas with research in genetics, behavior, cognition and gender to arrive at self-esteem advice for women of all ages. “The newest research shows that we can literally change our brains in ways that affect our thoughts and behavior at any age,” the authors write. “A substantial part of the confidence code is… our choice. With diligent effort, we can all choose to expand our confidence. But we will get there only if we stop trying to be perfect and start being prepared to fail.”
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘I was expecting a touchy-feely book about how girls should have more confidence and drop everything to pursue your dreams, but I was incredibly pleasantly surprised in how scientific this book is.’ Another says, ‘This book mentioned so many things that I used to do myself... I could see how I'm stacking the deck against myself without even knowing it. I read it before a salary negotiation, and as a result, I upped my initial asking number (and they gave it to me)!’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $14.89 on Amazon
The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (Gretchen Rubin)
Image credit: Harper Paperbacks | Entrepreneur
What We Love: There’s a reason why this book topped The New York Times’ Best Sellers list -- and why its author, Gretchen Rubin, has had her works translated into more than 30 languages. Rubin’s writing and analytics put her at the forefront of research on habits, human nature and happiness. The latter was sparked by a simple question she asked herself on a rainy afternoon on a city bus: “What do I want from life, anyway?” In this book, Rubin outlines her own resolutions for the year she spent working on her own “happiness project.” She focused on a different area each month, like vitality and boosting energy for January -- this meant goals like an earlier bedtime, better exercise and simply acting more energetic. Rubin’s angle here isn’t telling readers to do something -- rather, it’s to share her own experience in hopes of inspiring readers to think differently about their own happiness.
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘The quirkiness of this twelve-month plan for a focus on happiness distinguishes it from other self-help books. It allows for a plan that can be modified to fit any individual.’ Another says, ‘A realistic, genuinely practical (but not easy), lifelong approach to making the constant adjustments we know we need to be our best selves.’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $9.00 on Amazon
The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: The Definitive Work on Self-Esteem by the Leading Pioneer in the Field (Nathaniel Branden)
Image credit: Bantam | Entrepreneur
What We Love: This 1994 book is an oldie but goodie. In it, Nathaniel Branden -- a pioneer in the self-esteem movement -- answers four questions: What is self-esteem? Why is it important? What can we do to raise our levels of self-esteem? And what role do others play in influencing our self-esteem? He also addresses six self-esteem cornerstones in turn: the practices of living consciously, self-acceptance, self-responsibility, self-assertiveness, purposefulness and integrity. Branden outlines steps for success in each of these areas, and he cautions that the task of sustaining them falls on each individual. “No one -- not our parents, nor our friends, nor our lover, nor our psychotherapist, nor our support group -- can ‘give’ us self-esteem,” he writes. “If and when we fully grasp this, that is an act of ‘waking up.’”
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘As someone who is pretty self-aware but only just now dabbling into my deeper issues (self-esteem being my core struggle), I found this book to be supremely helpful. It offered me a ton of ‘Aha!’ moments on how I relate to myself and others. It put into perspective that self-esteem isn't the prize at the end of treatment or work -- it's the actual work you do.’ Another says, ‘I'm a psychotherapist, and I have gotten a lot out of this book personally and have recommended it to a lot of my clients.’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $10.57 on Amazon
Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be (Rachel Hollis)
Image credit: Thomas Nelson | Entrepreneur
What We Love: Rachel Hollis may have started out as a Hollywood party planner, but she switched gears when she founded The Chic Site, an online platform focused on helping women improve their lives in the form of small, actionable steps. Her book takes the same approach when it comes to diving into the mindsets that get in the way of self-esteem and how to turn them around. Hollis begins each chapter with a specific lie she once believed about herself, then analyzes it and provides tools for like-minded women to stop believing it. One chapter begins with the lie, “I’ll start tomorrow,” followed by the ways Hollis found the motivation to always keep promises she makes to herself.
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘I honestly believe this book can help every woman grow. Personally, it has helped me focus on the one person who is the last to get my attention and effort: myself… She writes as if she's your bestie giving advice and sometimes tough love over a VLC (vodka la croix).’ Another says, ‘This book rocked my world. I feel as though I've been picked up, thrown upside down and shaken around with all of the thoughts running through my brain since I started reading.’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $13.79 on Amazon
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person (Shonda Rimes)
Image credit: Simon & Schuster | Entrepreneur
What We Love: Shonda Rimes may have had three shows on television, but she didn’t have it all -- especially when it came to confidence. Six words from her sister at a 2013 Thanksgiving dinner changed her life: “You never say yes to anything.” Rimes realized she consistently said no to public appearances, interviews and events for one simple reason: fear. Self-esteem, unhappiness with weight and social anxiety all prompted her to decline any invitation that scared her in the least. And although it terrified her, she decided to change that in the hopes that embracing new things would lead closer to happiness. In this book, Rimes chronicles the year she spent saying yes to every single thing that scared her -- and inspires readers to do the same.
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘She's funny. Like laughing out loud in public funny. Like people changing seats on the bus because you're smiling and snickering to yourself funny. Like spitting up coffee and pastry on the Kindle screen funny… In addition to being funny, she's pitch-perfect in her capacity to convey authenticity, vulnerability and confidence all within the same paragraph.’ Another says, ‘I felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities: work, school, mom, wife, trying to be everything to everyone… By the end of the first chapter, I was ready to start saying yes to more things in life.’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $5.05 on Amazon
Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life (Gary John Bishop)
Image credit: HarperOne | Entrepreneur
What We Love: If you’re stuck in your head when it comes to self-confidence and you respond well to tough love, look no further than Gary John Bishop’s book. “Here’s what you’ve forgotten: You’re a fu*king miracle of a being,” he writes. The author also serves up a fresh wake-up call for those who believe they’re not in control of all aspects of their life, transparently reminding the reader that other people and circumstances aren’t what’s standing in their way -- it’s their own negative self-talk. In that vein, Bishop also provides strategies to boost self-esteem, as well as “assertions” for readers to repeat until they believe -- for example, “I am not my thoughts; I am what I do.”
What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, ‘With the help of Gary's words, I realize that I am my hero and, ultimately, this is really good news for me. I was so busy waiting for things to get better that I wasn't in action about living a happy life… I feel like I am finally awake after an extended nap.’ Another says, ‘One of the best books I've read. He doesn't just talk about changing your life but he lays out clear steps to make it happen. Must read!’
Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $11.54 on AmazonM/p>
Make sure you trust and understand a business first.
2 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When putting together your portfolio, it's important to choose your investments wisely. One bad decision can cripple your overall investment trajectory, and of course, at the end of the day, you don't want to lose money.
In this video, Entrepreneur Network partner Phil Town offers some guidelines to make sure the companies you choose won't backfire on you later. Go for stocks that you believe in and understand. If you are not completely sure what the company does, it may not be right for you. Also, you want to pay attention to whether the company you're investing in is trustworthy. Does the CEO's pay reflect the value of the company? Are the executives speaking honestly or are they sugarcoating the reality of the company's details? These, among other tips, can help you make the best investment decisions.
Click play to hear more from Town on smart investing.
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Click here to become a part of this growing video network.
This week’s roundup includes tips to make your Email Marketing campaigns more effective, how to rank in the first page of Google’s search results, and ways to leverage Social Media as a tool to grow your business.
Learn how to create an effective B2B lead generation strategy and optimize landing pages from a Mobile standpoint. We’ve covered all of this news and, much more, below!
From the UpCity Blog:
Lizzie Earley explains how to integrate Live Content into your small business plan.
Paul J Scott goes over the seven benefits of hiring a full-service Digital Agency.
Kelly Shelton describes the best methods of getting your client on board with Social Media.
Alex Kudimov discusses the differences between static and dynamic Websites and how to choose the best format for your business.
Content Marketing:
Learn how to create an effective Content Marketing strategy, from Betty Ho’s blog.
Lilach Bullock emphasizes the need to have a strategy that outlines the blogging objectives of your business.
Taylor Oster highlights the need to adopt a planned approach for revamping your Content strategy.
Conversion Optimization:
Learn how to create an effective B2B lead generation strategy, from Ellison Jusino’s blog.
John Lincoln highlights the importance of creating personas and conducting surveys for CRO and draws special attention to the tried and tested principles of CRO.
Shuki Mann’s blog outlines the UX principles that can help marketers to improve the Conversion rate of landing pages.
Follow the valuable tips from Stefan Debois to boost the Conversion rate of your website.
Email Marketing:
Kevin George discusses how Email Marketing can provide opportunities for improving visibility and fostering the growth of your business.
Follow the tips from Ben Duchesney to enhance your Email Marketing efforts.
Jared Cannon emphasizes the need to have clear content and personalization, for making your Email Marketing campaigns more effective.
Local Optimization:
Jennifer Tapati highlights the importance of claiming your Google My Business Listing, to rank high in Local Search.
Angela Hausman presents a checklist to help marketers promote their Local businesses.
Mobile Optimization:
Craig Griffiths offers guidance to optimize landing pages from a Mobile standpoint.
Ritu Sharma draws special attention to the latest updates from Google on Mobile first indexing.
Learn how to test the performance of your Mobile website, from Kyla Steeves’s blog.
Reputation Management:
Learn how to manage and protect the Reputation of your brand using social media, from Sameer Somal’s blog.
Sarah Smith emphasizes the need for checking the outcomes of your organization’s search and encouraging prospects to share constructive evaluations, to improve Online Reputation.
Search Engine Optimization:
Jen Saunders offers valuable tips to avoid mistakes and rank in the first page of Google’s search results.
Anthony McKenzie highlights the significance of generating traffic from Organic Search instead of other channels, to boost your SEO efforts.
David Aguilera discusses how artificial intelligence can help marketers to improve the performance of their SEO campaigns.
Social Optimization:
Megan Grant highlights the commonly made mistakes that must be avoided by businesses on Social Media and offers guidance to leverage Social Media as a tool to grow a business.
Learn how to improve the image of your brand and provide value to your audience using Social Media, from Chris Kirksey’s blog.
Going Clear’s blog offers tips to help marketers reach their target audiences effectively using Social Media and stay ahead of the competition.
UX/UI:
Gonçalo Veiga draws special attention to the skills that UI Designers must acquire for becoming UX Designers.
Learn how to improve the CX and UX of your mobile website, from Vandita Grover’s blog.
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