Ep 201: Andrea Merrill on How Her Business Changed When She Discovered and Owned Her Niche

You need a niche. You’ve probably heard it a million times. But what does honing and owning your niche look like in practice?Today, I’ve invited one of my longtime star students turned No BS Program coach, Andrea Merrill, to share her story of how she went from drowning in low-paying client work to consistently closing the high-ticket clients of her dreams by getting clear on her niche.Andrea Merrill is the founder of Virtually Adventurous. She helps scatterbrained speakers become go-to experts while making a ton of money. Andrea's clients have generated over 80 million in sales to date and she's helped them discover new opportunities that they never thought possible and make a greater impact beyond the stage. Tune into this episode to hear:Why working within a niche is the opposite of boring and boxed-inHow getting clear on her mission and values helped Andrea define her nicheWhy you need to validate your niche before you go all inThe biggest mindset shift Andrea had to make to step into her confidence in her businessHow Andrea overcame her fears and struggles with doing outreach, and the advice she gives to students todayLearn more about Andrea Merrill:Virtually AdventurousInstagram: @virtuallyadventurousConnect on LinkedInResources:Choose Wonder Over Worry: Move Beyond Fear and Doubt to Unlock Your Full Potential, Amber RaeBreaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One, Joe DispenzaNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

 Does your business ever stress you out?  Silly question, right? Of course it does! Being a business owner can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming. The responsibility can be heavy and when things aren’t going well, it can feel like your entire world is imploding. I know I’m not the only one who’s been brought to tears with stress and frustration and worry in the course of running a business. So what’s the opposite of crying at the kitchen table?Peace. Ease. Even if you haven’t quite articulated it, that’s really what we’re all hoping for. We want to feel at ease in our businesses, no matter what’s going on at any particular moment.And achieving that sense of ease is what I want to talk about today, because it’s one of the most crucial mindset shifts you can make.Tune into this episode to hear:Three key elements of creating ease in your businessWhy your habitual feelings of stress and overwhelm might be lying to youWhy you need to make actionable habits out of your plans and goalsHow to break out of the employee mindset and think about revenue annually, not month to monthWhy true ease has nothing to do with what’s in your bank accountResources:The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level, Gay HendricksNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

When you decided to hang your own shingle and be your own boss, did you imagine that you’d finally have the kind of freedom and flexibility that you never did as an employee?But how much freedom do you actually feel? Are you tied to your business at all hours, constantly answering emails, afraid to leave your phone or laptop for even a day? If that’s you, you are not alone. It’s a phase of business that everyone goes through, and the only way out is through clear, intentional action to change the way you do business.Today, I want to talk about three mindset shifts you have to make if you want to stop being constantly tethered to your business and start having the freedom you’re looking for.Tune into this episode to hear:How  to build real freedom into your scheduleWhy freedom is a mindset as much as it is time in your scheduleThe relationship between profitability and freedomResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

If you’ve been running your business for a while and still feeling underpaid and overworked —you are not alone.There are three things that most people are looking for when they decide to build a No BS Agency: Profit, Freedom, and Ease. We can teach them all of our strategies, tactics, and action plans to make that happen. But none of it will work unless they are able and willing to make some critical mindset shifts.This month, I’m digging into those mindset shifts. Today, we're talking about the shifts you need to make when you think about profit. Tune into this episode to hear:How we define profitability within the No BS Agency frameworkWhy you have to separate value delivered from hours workedWhy your highest-priced offer isn’t necessarily your most profitableWhy and how to say no to unprofitable projectsResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

What makes messaging stick?Today, I’m digging into that question with marketing and communications expert, Ben Guttmann. Plus we’ll talk about his experience of growing and then selling an agency, and the opportunities that have opened up as a result.Ben Guttmann is a marketing and communications expert and author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win–and How to Design Them. He’s an experienced marketing executive and educator on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect by simplifying their message. Ben is former co-founder and managing partner at Digital Natives Group, an award-winning agency that worked with the NFL, I Love NY, Comcast NBCUniversal, The Nature Conservancy, and other major clients. Currently, Ben teaches digital marketing at Baruch College in New York City and consults with a range of thought leaders, venture-backed startups, and other brands.Tune into this episode to hear:The story behind the sale of Ben’s agencyThe intangible benefits of having taken an agency through a saleFive key qualities of simply, effective messagingWhat we can learn about effective messaging from political campaign slogansWhy designers need to remember that design is first and foremost about businessLearn more about Ben Guttmann:WebsiteConnect on LinkedInInstagram: @ben.guttmannSimply Put: Why Clear Messages Win–and How to Design ThemResources:Read the first chapter of Simply Put for FreeNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

This month, I’ve been talking about the value of building an Authority Machine, what it is, what it can give you and your business, and what you need to focus on to make it successful.So at this point you might be asking yourself, “So how long is this going to take?”Here’s the truth: It’s not simple, fast, or free. Building an Authority Machine that produces results takes time, effort, and consistency that isn’t accessible to everyone.That might sound discouraging, but I actually think it’s part of what makes an Authority Machine such an impactful asset for your business. So today, I’m going to explain why “how long does it take,” is the wrong questionTune into this episode to hear:The difference between creating content and building authorityWhy there is no one guaranteed timeline to building your Authority MachineKey skills that are part of building authorityHow having a community around you is so beneficial to sticking through the processResources:The dilemma of the timid trailblazer | Eleanor Hancock | TEDxBrayford PoolNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Over the years, I have taken a lot of people through the process of building their Authority Machine.One of the most common reasons people get stuck or can’t even begin is the thought that they don’t have anything new, unique or interesting to add. Others know what they want to say, but  feel like an imposter and not successful “enough” to share their point of view.But there’s a big secret that no one knows and almost everyone has a hard time understanding when they first get going on building their Authority Machine.Tune into this episode to hear:How building an Authority Machine hones your process and your voiceWhat actually builds your authorityWhy waiting to become an authority before creating the Authority Machine isn’t a good strategyWhy using AI will never help you build your authorityResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Most entrepreneurs I meet built their businesses because they want more agency over their lives. They want to make more money and have more freedom over how they spend their time.And yet, starting a small business usually comes with anything but financial freedom and stability, at least at first. But once you nail down your processes you’ll start to feel like you’re the boss of your business instead of being employed by it. That’s what the first two phases of building a No BS Agency are all about.The third phase, building your Authority Machine, is really the key to building long-term stability.The reason I love teaching people how to build an Authority Machine is because I have personally experienced just how much financial independence and freedom the Authority Machine grants you.Today, I share how an Authority Machine can give you the freedom and independence you want.Tune into this episode to hear:How an Authority Machine does the heavy lifting of bringing in and nurturing leadsHow your Authority Machine leverages supply and demand to allow you to consistently raise your pricesHow an Authority Machine builds an audience large enough to diversify your income streamsResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Everybody wants to be seen as an authority or an expert, whether you use those words or not.Why? Because being seen as an expert or an authority is what allows you to continuously raise your prices, sell more and more profitable projects, and achieve higher and higher levels of freedom and ease in your business and your life.Inside Mastery, we talk about building an Authority Machine as the third phase of building a No BS Agency. So this month, I’m going to tackle the most common questions I get about it, starting with, “What is an authority machine, anyway?”Tune into this episode to hear:Why an Authority Machine is not the same thing as creating contentThe three main elements of an Authority MachineWhy your point of view has to be unique and specific, now more than everHow an Authority Machine brings people into your orbit for the long haulWhy building an Authority Machine is the last step in the No BS processResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Today I’m talking with one of my star students turned No BS Mastery coach, Sara Chambers, about ditching proposals, committing to the No BS process even through bumpy times, and how she’s been able to up level her business since joining the program.Sara Chambers loves collaborating, community, and coffee. Alliteration is clearly her favorite literary device and she’s a fierce advocate for the Oxford comma. Before Sara founded Elly and Nora, she spent the greater part of her career helping non-profits, authors, and lifestyle brands in marketing, public relations, communications, and everything in between. She is passionate about helping her clients achieve results that grow their income and ultimately their impact.Tune into this episode to hear:How the lead product process helps Sara build trust and rapport with clientsThe “hole” Sara fell into when her retainer work slowed downHow Sara went from “Who am I to charge that?” to embracing value-based pricingLearn more about Sara Chambers:Elly and Nora CreativeInstagram: @sarachamberscreativeConnect with Sara on LinkedInResources:No BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com