How To Cultivate Your Community | Lindsey Schwartz Episode Recap

Almost everyone has a story inside them that is bursting to be told, but timing is indeed everything. So, how do you know when it’s the right time to sit down and begin writing? Today, AJ recaps our recent conversation with the best-selling author, Bill Blankschaen, to highlight everything you need to know about writing your first words. First, it’s important to understand that writing a book is a time-consuming process and one that you should never rush. Then, we learn about the importance of knowing your book’s purpose and intent before writing your first word, and why you’ll know you’re ready to write a book when you’re willing to talk about it, on repeat, for at least two years. 

Writing is a unique medium in that it requires one-way communication to feel like a two-way conversation, and without any context pertaining to the reader who is, essentially, a stranger. So, for your written words to resonate with someone you’ve never met, you need to have a certain something that separates you from the rest, and that is why today, with the help of Bill Blankschaen, we will be exploring everything that it takes to become a great writer. Bill is an accomplished best-selling author and is also the Founder and Chief Story Architect of StoryBuilders – a creative group of story architects and story artisans who empower individuals and organizations to tell stories that make the world a better place. After explaining his entry into writing, how he started working with Jon Maxwell’s team, and how being mission-driven allowed him to grow, Bill walks us through the timing of writing a book, when to publish it, and how to choose the best publishing route. Our guest then shares his thoughts on what it takes to be a great writer, how to write your first words, the role of technology and AI in modern writing, and why “collaborative writing” is a more accurate term to use than ghostwriting. To end, we learn about how StoryBuilders brings dreams to fruition, and how you can connect with Bill to elevate your storytelling to the next level.  

It’s not just you. Networking is uncomfortable! Standing self-consciously in the corner with a drink in your hand and a name badge on your chest is a more common experience than you might realize. Join us today on the Influential Personal Brand Podcast as we dive into three top tips to help you break the ice, take the pressure off new relationships, feel less awkward at networking events, and meet more people to grow your business! 

How can small businesses apply big business principles to help them scale faster? To help us answer this question, we’re joined by an early Brand Builders Group member who has climbed the ladder in the financial and telecoms industries, built several businesses, and advised both US and international corporations from startups to billion-dollar enterprises. As an expert in sales, operations, and growing revenue, April Garcia knows what it takes to scale a business! A few years ago, she decided to pivot and work with small businesses to help them succeed. In this episode, she shares some of those success secrets and offers practical advice to help small business owners think big, stop iterating, and start selling. Tuning in, you’ll learn about the importance of processes, why product development should be messy, how to focus on who you should serve, not who you can serve, what is missing from the SMART goals format, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this inspiring conversation with international business advisor, performance coach, and strategy and mindset speaker, April Garcia! 

Even if you aren’t an entrepreneur, this episode is for you, because it’s all about cultivating an ownership mindset in every aspect of your life. Join us as we walk you through the five things you need for a rock-solid entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll also learn how to build as you grow, how to put sales first, why serving your community should be prioritized over growth, and why you should never settle for anything less than hiring the very best!  

Recently, we’ve taken a step back to observe and appreciate the incredible growth that we’ve achieved over the years at Brand Builders Group. In this solo episode with AJ, you’ll learn eight important lessons to help you on your journey to eight figures. We discuss sales and revenue, the simple law of economics, how to be versatile and flexible, and everything you need to know about hiring the right talent. We also cover the advantages of requesting feedback from customers and then acting on it, why it helps to deliver at least 10x more value than your prices suggest, the necessity of care, developing a trustworthy team, and the power of putting God (or your spirituality) first, plus so much more! 

A key principle we teach at Brand Builder’s Group is the idea that the depth of your impact is far more important than the width of your reach because, ultimately, new customers are the most expensive and returning customers are the most profitable! Today on the Influential Personal Brand Podcast, we delve into six tips to help you scale the profits of your personal brand. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the Fractal Math Concept, why new customers are the most expensive kind, and how our community can serve you and your personal brand for life. We even break down key questions we always ask ourselves to increase monetization by providing better services to our customers. This episode is jam-packed with pearls of wisdom that will help you scale your personal brand to new heights, so be sure to press play now! 

Most personal brands you may come across often do not have associated businesses. Creating a personal brand you can leverage for an enterprise requires a vastly different approach. In this episode, we sit down with Jeremie Kubicek to discuss how to turn your personal brand into a business with enterprise value. Jeremie is one of the best in the personal brand space and is a globally recognized keynote speaker, author, and relational intelligence expert who has been transforming leaders and teams since 2013. He is also the CEO and co-founder of GiANT Worldwide, a global media and content development company. In our conversation, we unpack the steps needed to build a scalable enterprise and the main takeaways of his new book, The Communication Code. We discuss his experience in the enterprise space, how he closed a significant sponsorship deal, and his entrepreneurial roots in events. Hear about the gap he saw in the content space and how it led to a scalable business. Discover how he is helping build businesses and communities through his brand while generating revenue. Explore how he cultivated his brand into a SaaS company, built a growing and recurring revenue, and his alternative partnership-centric approach to business. Gain insights into effective communication, unlocking The Communication Code, the five code words of communication, and much more! Tune in now! 

For anyone getting ready to launch a product or service, it can be tempting to try and make your offer as sophisticated and perfect as you possibly can. The problem is that you’ll probably never feel like you’re ready to launch! If you’re someone who tends to overthink things, then we’d like to offer you an honest and straightforward solution to the question ‘How do you know when you’re ready to launch?’ And while there is a time and place for more complex solutions like a fancy website, webinars, and more, there’s really only one thing that you need to have in place to launch your business. Join AJ today, as she unpacks the one simple question you need to ask and find out if you’re ready to launch your business. The answer may surprise you!  

Are you eager to start a business or grow your company but feel like you need to build a massive online following first? What if you could permit yourself to take the next step before things were perfectly aligned? If you’ve been struggling with questions like these, then you won’t want to miss today’s conversation with Melanie Ann Layer, Founder and CEO of Alpha Femme, a global coaching and mentoring company that has helped countless clients transform not just their businesses but also their lives. Tuning in, you’ll learn how Melanie first built her company from the ground up without the help of paid advertising, funding, or social media, all while working out of her car, and how she got to where she is today. She shares how her desire to transform her client's lives fueled the growth of her business, why authenticity was instrumental to her organic online growth, and how she made her first million with only 284 clients and fewer than 10,000 followers on Instagram. If you’d like to learn more about Melanie’s inspirational journey and how she achieved her success without a huge audience, then be sure to tune in for this eye-opening conversation!