#1 Best Way to Get Referrals | Sara Hardwick Episode Recap

Minutes before recording this episode, we found out that Play a Bigger Game officially earned its place on USA Today's Bestsellers list! Today, we are thrilled to be joined by the book's author and fellow Brand Builders Group member, Markus Kaulius – a serial entrepreneur who has built multiple eight and nine-figure businesses, and whose influence spans many industries from business to health and fitness. Markus is here to share his story of personal growth and success, and he begins by explaining how and why he became a member of Brand Builders Group. We discuss God's undeniable and profound influence over Markus's life, how he grew his supplements startup into a multi-million dollar business, how he navigates the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and his take on the importance of growth and personal development. To end, Markus shares some helpful advice for Christian entrepreneurs who are trying to reach the pinnacle of their profession, and we discover how to connect with him, his book, and his many good works.

After AJ interviewed Rory about what it takes to become a bestselling author, we now take a closer look at why you’d want to be on a bestseller list in the first place. Why should you take the time; invest your energy; do the work; and spend the money required to be on a bestseller’s list? The answer is simple: You want your book to change people’s lives and bestseller lists will help you to reach more people. So, if you revisit your ‘why’ for writing the book, that should bring more clarity on the value of bestseller lists for authors. That’s all for now, thanks for tuning in.

We’ve learned so much in our 15-year adventure in publishing and realized that maybe we’re more than just authors; maybe we have a bigger role to play. So today, AJ sits down with Rory to reveal exciting new publishing developments at Brand Builders Group, the current state of the publishing industry, and a comprehensive five-step guide on what it takes to become a bestselling author. After a high-level overview of the 5 steps necessary to becoming a bestselling author, we closely examine the pros and cons of each publishing channel: traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing. Then, we discuss Mission Driven Press and why we decided to launch our hybrid publishing imprint, how to approach marketing and sales for a successful book launch, why PR alone will not help you reach your sales targets, and why being a bestseller is only one of many markers that gives a book and its author credibility. To end, we implore you to visit the Mission Driven Press website to see how we can help bring your life-changing vision to life because books do change lives!

So many entrepreneurs underestimate the role and power that faith plays in your business. They may not even realize how faith can shape your future profits. On this episode of the Influential Personal Brand podcast, Rory dives into three ways your faith affects your profits based on his recent interview with highly successful entrepreneur, renowned TEDx keynote speaker, and bestselling author, Graham Cochrane. Tune in as he unpacks three different exercises and demonstrations of faith that are elemental to growing your business!

On our journey to finding true fulfillment, we must reflect on three key elements: our joy, dreams, and desires. Today’s guest firmly believes these elements were placed within us by God to help us discover who we are. Graham Cochrane is a highly successful entrepreneur, renowned TEDx keynote speaker, and bestselling author of How To Get Paid For What You Know and his upcoming book, Rebel: Find Yourself by Not Following The Crowd. He hosts The Graham Cochrane Show, a podcast ranked in the top 0.5% globally, and has amassed 700,000 YouTube subscribers. With over 14 years of experience in online coaching and content creation, Graham has built multiple seven-figure businesses that require less than five hours of work per week to maintain, establishing himself as a leading figure in the life-giving business movement. In today’s conversation, we dive into his new book, how to make money doing what you love, getting paid for what you know, and much more! If you want to learn how to work fewer hours while continuing to grow your business and make more money, don’t miss out! Thanks for listening.

Have you ever wondered how to get referrals? What if we told you that the best way to get referrals is incredibly simple? Today on the Influential Personal Brand Podcast, we are recapping our conversation with Sara Hardwick of GIFT-OLOGY about how to get referrals. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about why the secret to getting referrals is simply to give them first! We dive into how giving someone something first makes asking for something easier before discussing where referral hesitation comes from and how you can avoid that obstacle. We even talk about the importance of reframing our perception of what a referral is, why you need to know exactly who you want to be referred to, and the ins and outs of relationship-building as a business growth strategy. You don’t want to miss this so be sure to press play now!

Can you meaningfully grow your business through referrals? Today on the Influential Personal Brand Podcast, Sara Hardwick from GIFT-OLOGY joins us to discuss their new referral course and the importance of building connections to grow your revenue. This episode is the perfect way to honor the late CEO of GIFT-OLOGY, John Ruhlin who left an incredible legacy by doing just that. Tuning in, you’ll hear that a referral is simply an introduction that adds value, how you can get referrals without asking, three key points to consider when having a referral conversation, the best and worst time to ask for referrals, focusing on finding a referral partnership, and a breakdown of their COPE system to find the right referral partners. We delve into the importance of having a strategy and system for referrals before discussing how to create ‘incentives’ for people to refer your business and why a ‘thank you’ goes a long way. We even discuss how important it is for the person who receives a referral to communicate. Finally, Sara shares advice for helping referral partners to introduce you to their contacts. To hear all this and find out more about GIFT-OLOGY’s Referral Partner Transformation Course, press play now!

Most people are unaware of the three key components of a world-class presentation, so here they are now: Content, charisma, and circumstance. You always start with content because, without content, you have nothing (no jokes!). Charisma is all about how you deliver your presentation; being a great storyteller is key! And lastly, it’s easy to forget just how important the environment is to the overall quality of presentations. Your circumstance is one-third of delivering a world-class presentation, so always consider the five W’s and one H when outlining your presentation.

Are you looking for a framework to build a highly profitable and transformational event? You’re in the right place! Jennifer Kem works with thought leaders and personal brands to help them make more impact (and more money). Named by Forbes as a top brand strategist, Jennifer’s company, Master Brand Media, collaborates with influencers, celebrities, CEOs, bestselling authors, and modern entrepreneurs to teach them how to master their businesses, create unforgettable personal brands, and dominate their niches by turning their ideas into cash and meaning. She joins us today to discuss one of her not-so-secret marketing mastermind superpowers: monetizing live events. Tune in as she offers insight into her Million Dollar Experience program, which shows you how to design, build, and sell a high-ticket live event. From structuring the agenda to building the offer, creating a pre-event questionnaire, making the framework the hero, and much more, this episode is jam-packed with practical strategies that will help you elevate your brand, maximize your profits, and create impactful experiences for your audience. Don't miss this opportunity to unlock the secrets to live event success!

How do you build a company culture when your entire team is virtual? Or if you’re growing so quickly that you can’t interact with every leader or employee on a regular basis? In today’s recap of AJ’s interview with Britney Ruby Miller, AJ shares key lessons on how to create a thriving company culture under any circumstance. She breaks down the ins and outs of creating a shared language for your team, the power of putting together a virtual company library, and what you can do to build well-documented and well-communicated core values. AJ also digs into the importance of defining your core mission and how to attract, manage, and retain people who share your common values. Tune in now to learn how to build a lasting company culture by creating a lasting set of core principles and beliefs!