Q&A with Jeff - What type of launch should you do? Launching a retreat? Do I need to be an expert?

On this week’s special episode of Dare to Launch, we’re sharing a live Q&A session from this year’s Launch Masterclass. The Launch Masterclass is my biggest launch of the year…we don’t hold anything back. In fact, it’s my best FREE launch training. (My best launch training is my Product Launch Formula Coaching Program.). The Launch Masterclass is a mixture of recorded video lessons, live Q&A sessions, and special bonus content. These Q&A sessions are one of the most crucial components of the Masterclass. I field as many entrepreneur questions as possible live on the air. In this particular session, the questions ran the gamut – Including finding your voice as an online creator, building a powerful offer, cultivating expertise, and how to market online in 2024…I covered it all. If you’re starting out as an entrepreneur, be ready to take down a few notes. And if you’ve already been around the block a few times, this session is a great way to double-check that you’re set on the right course.  Get a free copy of the 2024 Launch Guide here: https://productlaunchformula.com/masterclass24/guide/ Access other Dare to Launch bonus content by going to DaretoLaunchShow.com/taco  More about Jeff Walker - http://www.JeffWalker.com Product Launch Formula - http://www.jeffwalker.com/programs/ Jeff’s Book, Launch - http://www.jeffwalker.com/programs/ Jeff’s YouTube channel -  www.youtube.com/@productlaunch   Learn how to build an email list and launch your own business online with Launch Quickstart – our free training at https://jeffwalker.com/  Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes! THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes. Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them. Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

Join Chris and me in welcoming Annie Hyman Pratt to the show this week! As the CEO of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, she grew the company from a small family business into an international brand, overseeing its high-value sale. Today Annie is the founder of Leading Edge Teams, one of the top leadership and team development consulting firms in the world. She has also been a member of my Platinum Plus Mastermind for years, and I’ve brought her on board time and time again to improve the way my team communicates and operates. In today’s chat, she guides us through some of the key components of her approach. The central focus is how our survival instincts tend to cause problems in our businesses, and what we can do to mitigate those primal reactions. When it comes to conflict negotiation, team leadership, and organizational structure, Annie is the go-to expert.  Find more from Annie at: https://leadingedgeteams.com Book a Discovery Call: https://leadingedgeteams.com/schedule-a-discovery-call/  Key topics discussed:  Self-Protection: Annie explains why employees sometimes act from a place of self-protection, which negates much of their critical thinking capacity.  Building a Leadership Team: To ever have a chance of removing yourself from the day-to-day, you need to assemble a strong core of leaders across all departments..  Organizational Simplicity: As Annie sees it, many companies try to do too much too soon, which sabotages their profits.  Key takeaways:  Leadership starts at the top. As the founder of the company, you can’t operate from a place of emotional reactivity.  You can’t do everything yourself forever. You need to build up a team that can actually do everything themselves, without any micro-managing or hand-holding.  Give your employees an opportunity to impress you. If you’re micromanaging them, they’ll never be able to come into their own.   Access Dare to Launch bonus Vault by going to DaretoLaunchShow.com/taco  More about Jeff Walker - http://www.JeffWalker.com Jeff’s YouTube channel -  / @productlaunch   Resources Referenced in the episode:  “Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler Learn how to build an email list and launch your own business online with Launch Quickstart – our free training at https://jeffwalker.com/  Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes!  THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes. Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them.  Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

Join Chris and I in welcoming Olivier Roland to the show this week. A blogger, author, and longtime member of our Platinum Plus Mastermind, Olivier is something of an entrepreneur’s entrepreneur. After becoming obsessed with business books in his early years, he started a blog devoted to sharing all of the knowledge he was taking in. And later, he started a coaching business specifically for entrepreneurs, helping them optimize workflows and effectively delegate tasks. One of his greatest accomplishments in all of this work, however, has been the creation of a business that serves him – not the other way around. In this illuminating chat, Olivier recounts his journey from a high school dropout to a globetrotting business owner. He focuses on the tactics that have helped him the most, like creating a network of mentors and collaborators, testing small before going big, and following personal passion. Olivier is an encyclopedia of entrepreneurship, and we were thrilled to mine as many gems out of him as we could!  Key Topics:  Asking for Help: Olivier explains how swallowing his pride and asking for help has always been the best course of action in difficult times.  Self-Education: Devouring entrepreneurship books didn’t just help educate and motivate Olivier… his fascination with them inspired his most successful venture yet.  Delegating Tasks: Olivier offers up some tips and tricks to help busy entrepreneurs manage their time and effectively offload responsibility to their staff.  Key Takeaways:  Testing your idea on a small scale can be a smart way to ensure you have a viable product and a legitimate market niche to serve.  No matter what you’re looking to learn, there’s almost guaranteed to be a book or a course out there to help you learn it.  Your goal as an entrepreneur should be to delegate and manage your time so effectively that you’re able to work on your business instead of for it.    Olivier Roland’s book: “The Way of the Intelligent Rebel”  and his blog "Disruptive horizons"  Get the AI Playbook here Access other Dare to Launch bonus content by going to DaretoLaunchShow.com/taco  More about Jeff Walker - http://www.JeffWalker.com Product Launch Formula - http://www.jeffwalker.com/programs/pr... Jeff’s Book, Launch - http://www.jeffwalker.com/programs/bo... Jeff’s YouTube channel -  / @productlaunch   Resources Referenced in the episode:  “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries The Toggl time-tracking app  Learn how to build an email list and launch your own business online with Launch Quickstart – our free training at https://jeffwalker.com/  Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes! THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes. Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them. Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

I lost my first business in the blink of an eye. And in this episode, I’m sharing that story.    As some folks may know, I used to publish a premium newsletter for stock market investors in the late ’90s and early 2000s. I gradually built up a loyal following of over 800 people, pulling in hundreds of thousands in annual subscriptions. But the business relationship I had with my partner at the time just wasn’t a great fit, and poor communication slowly eroded our dynamic. One Monday, I got a phone call that shook me to my core: My partner was starting his own business and taking our subscribers with him. Just like that, everything I’d been building for 8 years evaporated.    This time period was one of the most difficult in my life. Yet now I look back on it with a smile. At that moment, I already had an inkling of what I might do next. But I had no idea just how much success – and mind-blowing impact – I would get the great privilege of experiencing in the years to come.   Key topics discussed:  My First Business: How I started my first business from scratch, and the nature of the dynamic between my partner and me at that time.  The Big Moment: One phone call was all it took to dissolve an 8-year working relationship and erase my entire working income. I unpack what that felt like.  The Next Chapter: The seeds of what was to come were wrapped up in that fateful moment, and I share how I strategically pivoted to the next stage of my career.    Key takeaways:  Business challenges big and small can be seen as opportunities to grow and adapt – if we approach them with a resilient, positive spirit.  My network of fellow entrepreneurs was my life raft, and there’s no way I’d have been able to push through without them.  Overcoming challenges is like lifting weights. The more reps we get in, the stronger those muscles get. And tackling small challenges prepares us for the big ones.     Access other Dare to Launch bonus content by going to http://DaretoLaunchShow.com/taco   More about Jeff Walker - http://www.JeffWalker.com  Jeff’s YouTube channel -  https://www.youtube.com/@productlaunch Learn how to build an email list and launch your own business online with Launch Quickstart – our free training at https://jeffwalker.com/  Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to send us a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes!   THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes.   Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them.   Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even feature your review on the show!  

Join your hosts Jeff Walker and Chris Saunders in welcoming Jeff Noble to the podcast this week! Jeff is the founder of Noble Initiatives, which provides education and support to families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Through his online training, in-person sessions, and consultations, Jeff spreads the word about the underdiscussed spectrum of FASD and helps families provide better care for their loved ones. Jeff knows his stuff, but as he mentions in today’s chat, he doesn’t have a PhD or advanced degree in his field. He’s become an expert by supporting struggling families for years and years, finding the behavioral strategies that work and the messaging that connects with people. Once he found his calling, Jeff dove into it headfirst and never looked back. Today’s chat is about pushing through anxiety and imposter syndrome, taking that first leap, and figuring things out along the way. Jeff is a real character – he’s overflowing with heart and wit. And his tips aren’t just for beginners – he knows a thing or two about pushing through adversity too.  Join the Launch Masterclass at https://getyoulaunched.com  Key topics discussed:  Becoming an Expert: Jeff cultivated his expertise not through education but through a variety of professional and personal experiences. He advises others to do the same.  Anxiety and Imposter Syndrome: Feeling like you’re not qualified is unfortunately just part of the deal. Jeff offers up some key advice on how to push through.  Launch First, Fix Later: Jeff encourages listeners to just do that first launch. His first one wasn’t huge, but that tiny bit of success propelled him towards his dream. Key takeaways:  Being around other entrepreneurs while they did six-figure launches blew Jeff’s mind. He didn’t realize those numbers were possible. And their mindset was contagious.  People don’t care about you until you have the answers they want. If you have truly valuable information to share, the people will come.  The entrepreneur lifestyle is about having the freedom to live however you want to live. When Jeff lost some family members, he was able to give himself time to grieve.  Connect with Jeff Noble  Instagram: @fasdsuccess YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSUCCESS Facebook: FASD Success www.fasdsuccess.com Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes!   THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes.   Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them. Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

On today’s bonus episode of Dare to Launch, we wanted to give you folks a special sneak peek into this year’s Launch MasterclassTM! Jeff went live to answer questions and offer guidance to this year’s cohort of bright entrepreneurs. Every question provided a fantastic opportunity to shed light on the unique challenges and satisfying rewards of launching in 2024, so be sure to tune in and take notes! Whether you’ve launched several times before or you’re just getting started, our annual masterclass is the best way to brush up and make sure you’re on track. And if you couldn’t make it to this one – we’ll be going live again on Saturday and Sunday this weekend (August 24th-25th). Don’t miss the rare opportunity to get 1-on-1 advice from Jeff Walker himself!  Register for the FREE Launch Masterclass at https://getyoulaunched.com   Got a question for us?  Go to https://www.daretolaunchshow.com/p/ask-a-question/ to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes! THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes. Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them. Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

Join your hosts Chris Saunders and Jeff Walker in welcoming Thembi Bheka to the podcast this week! Thembi is a longtime Launch Club member, a recipient of our Launch Club Spokesman award, and the founder of Digital Marketing Demand. Her course educates and empowers disadvantaged African women by training them for virtual assistant positions at tech companies worldwide. Fleeing a difficult situation in Zimbabwe, she moved to Canada with $5 in her pocket, where she worked as a nurse for many years. After some successful real estate investments, she was able to create her own real estate business. In the end, she realized her true calling was to help women escape abuse and poverty back in her home country. In today’s episode, Thembi walks us through the highs and lows of running an impact-driven business, the importance of pricing out business services based on real value, and how her community and purpose has pushed her over the years. Whether your business is dedicated to a cause or not, Thembi’s story is full of valuable insight into finding a niche, staying motivated through adversity, and understanding the worth of your unique talents.  Join the Launch Masterclass by going to https://GetYouLaunched.com  Key topics discussed:  Finding Your Purpose: Thembi’s road to entrepreneurship wasn’t an easy one. But her difficult upbringing motivated her to seek a better life and find her purpose.  Impact-Driven Business: Working for a humanistic cause is full of risks and rewards. Thembi discusses some of the realities of supporting disadvantaged women today.  Pricing Your Services: Many entrepreneurs creating services for impoverished communities struggle to price their services. Thembi’s approach is simple. Key takeaways:  “What’s the worst that could happen?” is Thembi’s life motto. She urges us all to ask ourselves this question when we start to doubt ourselves.  Whatever you feel most passionate about changing in the world is what you should pursue. Otherwise, you may not have the personal investment to stay the course.  You need to surround yourself with entrepreneurs who are just as motivated and dedicated as you are. Every successful business owner has a community.    Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes!   THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes.   Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them.   Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

In this special BONUS episode of Dare to Launch, Jeff Walker, Chris Saunders, and our Marketing Lead Dan Walker give you a rare “behind the scenes” look at our annual Launch Masterclass™. This is an annual FREE event where Jeff teaches the latest and greatest strategies for launching your online business. The story of Launch Masterclass has been one of constant reinvention and refinement. Ever since Jeff first debuted the Launch Masterclass in 2005, he’s been committed to leveling up the content and improving the delivery of that content. There have been many evolutions of the Launch Masterclass from PDFs and discs back in the old days, to screen-recorded videos, all the way up to interactive live-stream technology. This year’s Masterclass is the culmination of those 2 decades of experience, refinement, and evolution. It’s everything Jeff’s learned about delivering HUGE value packed into two weeks of training video, live calls, and community building. As Jeff and Dan see it, the challenge every year is to offer incredibly rich, free content and deliver it in as consumable and impactful a method as possible. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Jeff Walker’s teachings or just coming into his orbit, the Launch Masterclass is the perfect first step.    The Launch Masterclass is only happening from Aug 15th - 29th  Register for this year’s Launch Masterclass by going to www.GetYouLaunched.com    Key topics discussed:  The History of Launch Masterclass: Jeff and Dan take a walk down memory lane and talk through the different ways in which the class has evolved over the years Launch Masterclass Structure: There’s a very intentional way in which the class is laid out, and Dan helps break down the thought process behind this architecture The Ultimate Goal: Creating the best free launch training in the world is the main goal, it’s just a question of refining the content and the process Key takeaways:  Jeff could teach about the launching process for hours and hours. The real challenge is knowing exactly what to teach in order to have the biggest impact. Spontaneous challenges and opportunities have a way of appearing every year, and Jeff has made leaning into those surprises a key part of the process.  Above all, Jeff and Dan work to make this launch a truly exemplary example of what the course itself teaches. If viewers are paying extra attention, they’ll learn even more tricks to the trade by seeing how Jeff rolls out the launch.   Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes! THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes.  Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them.   Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

It was a beautiful spring day in 2005… and when I hung up the phone, my business was GONE. This is the story of how I started over, in a brand-new market, with a brand-new product that would eventually become known as Product Launch Formula®. In my first business, it took six long years to reach a million dollars in sales. With this new business, it took just six months. In this episode, we dive into that crazy ride… along with some of the key things that made all the difference. We also discuss: The Early Days of Online Marketing: This industry was crazy tight-knit back in the early 2000s. It felt like a handful of us were working together to invent the future of online marketing.  Building Social Proof: How I was able to get 10,000 people on one phone call (in 2005, this meant patching together bridge lines!), and leverage my relationships with key players in the industry to position myself as an expert in my prelaunch content. My First JV Partners: How I came into a brand-new market as a virtual nobody… and less than six months later had some of the biggest names in the industry promoting for me. Market Longevity: Back in those early days, it was rare for anyone to sell the same product for more than a few months, let alone years. But that first launch gave me a different idea… Got a question for us?  Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes! Go to DaretoLaunchShow.com/taco to access the bonus vault  THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes. Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them. Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!  

Get access to the Dare to Launch Bonus Vault: https://www.daretolaunchshow.com/taco  Join your hosts Jeff Walker and Chris Saunders in welcoming Emma Johnston and Eleanor Mann to the show this week! Emma and Eleanor are the founders of The Reconnected, a revolutionary resource for the modern parent. Their courses and online community provide parents with the emotional and practical tools necessary to connect with and responsibly raise their children. They’ve been incredibly successful not just in launching their business but in converting their existing audience away from Instagram and onto their own independent app. They’ve also cultivated an intensely supportive following by setting the tone early on, and have never once had to moderate their community. In today’s episode, we dig into how they were able to establish that intimacy, and how their coaches have been successful in maintaining it. We also dive into the nitty-gritty of offering captivating free resources, transferring a devoted following across platforms through unique perks, the vital connective magic of the live event, and how introverted entrepreneurs can utilize technology to speak to thousands of people. Emma and Eleanor have cultivated one of the most genuine, supportive communities out there, and it’s no happy accident.  We discuss:  Why Emma and Eleanor offer transformation to everyone, not just paid subscribers (and how it leads to conversions down the road)  Why they believe the best way to foster intimate, personal connections is through live events Why they choose to host their community in a private app (and how they migrated their community from Instagram little by little)  How setting the tone with your followers right at the beginning is crucial (and why it makes all the difference down the road)     Key Takeaways:  Be Authentic: Emma and Eleanor don’t try to be perfect on their live streams, and their following loves it. They’re not pretending to be anybody they’re not.  Set the Tone: If you create a positive, supporting environment at the outset, your community will follow the lead (and you’ll never have to worry about removing bad apples from the bunch). Look at the Camera Like It’s Someone You Love: Teaching thousands of people can feel incredibly daunting. The key is to focus on one special person at a time.    Got a question for us?  Go to https://www.daretolaunchshow.com/ to submit a voicemail with your question, and you might hear the answer on one of our next episodes! THANKS FOR TUNING IN! If you enjoyed this week’s show, don’t forget to hit the “follow” button. Not only is it totally free, it guarantees you never miss out on future episodes. Think you know someone who would enjoy this episode? Do them a favor and share it with them. Also, please consider leaving us a quick review. It only takes a few seconds, but your review makes all the difference in helping us get the show out to more business owners. And who knows… we might even read your review on the show!