118: Dan Martell - Clarity

# Episode 118 **Summary:** In Episode #118 Ari sits down with Dan Martell of [_Clarity_](https://clarity.fm/), a digital marketplace designed to provide people with desperately needed on-demand, expert advice on a variety of topics. During the conversation, Ari and Dan discuss the idea behind Clarity, the challenges of starting the business and their secrets for improving professional productivity. **Sponsored By:** - [Less Doing Live Event](https://lessdoinglabs.businessresearchgroup.org/sales/live-event-optin) – The Less Doing LIVE Event in NYC is less than six months away! The best minds in business and productivity are joining Ari in his hometown of New York City to share their tips, strategies and secrets for success. Visit [LessDoingLive.com](http://www.lessdoinglive.com/) to learn more about this fantastic opportunity running from May 1st – 3rd. **Time Stamped Show Notes:** - 26:15 – Introduction of Dan Martell, the CEO and founder of _Clarity.FM_ - 26:30 – Definition and explanation of Clarity - 26:59 – What Clarity _started as_ versus what it _has become_ are two different things - 28:07 – Ari is on Clarity as an “expert” - 28:18 – Clarity has over 40,000 experts and enables users to make contact with very high-level people - 29:19 – Billing on Clarity is done by the _minute_ which is great for people who only need 5-10 minutes of talk time - 32:00 – [LetMeGoogleThatForYou.com](http://lmgtfy.com/) - 32:35 – At the time of recording, Clarity has recorded over 250K calls in only 15 months of being live - 33:00 – Clarity has less than 30 employees - 34:20 – Dan believes large teams of employees actually have a _negative _impact on productivity - 35:00 – Why Clarity is unique when compared to competitors - 35:45 – _Perception is reality_; Dan had to overcome the negative stigma of “pay-per-minute” - 37:00 – The future of Clarity; Dan’s vision - 37:43 – Liquidity of service and instant gratification; this is where the world is heading - 38:07 – Notable experts are really only good for one thing: _marketing_ - 38:55 – Dan is hoping to attract more PhD/Doctorate type experts to broaden the Clarity “expert” pool - 40:30 – How do users determine _who _to talk to? - 42:22 – The onus for a successful call is on both the caller and the expert - 43:33 – Overcoming the technical and logistical constraints of creating Clarity - 43:49 – Obtaining supply - 44:52 – Call infrastructure - 45:24 – Scheduling and response times - 47:06 – Dan’s _Top 3 Tips For Being More Effective_ - 47:50 – Practice “linkability” - 48:49 – Only use digital tools that can be used on a mobile device - 50:00 – Only use _one _channel of communication - 51:10 – Teach people how to treat you - 52:35 – [DanMartell.com/blog](http://www.danmartell.com/blog) and @DanMartell on Twitter **7 Key Points:** 1. What a business _starts as_ and what it _becomes_ are often two very different things. 2. Do not ask questions you can answer yourself with a minimal amount of effort. 3. Having a large number of employees in no way means your business will be more productive. 4. Perception _is _reality. 5. Liquid service (catering to instant gratification) is the future of business. 6. You can teach others how to treat you by conditioning them. 7. Commit to using one channel of communication as much as possible to improve productivity. **Resources Mentioned:** - [FullContact](https://www.fullcontact.com/gmail/) – “Steroids for Gmail” - [Cell Scope](https://www.cellscope.com/) – An external accessory for the iPhone that enables the camera to be used as an otoscope - [Ice Face](https://www.bulletproofexec.com/ice-face-cold-thermogenesis-vagus-nerve/) – A Bulletproof article discussing cold thermogenesis and the potential benefits of facial ice baths on health - [Joynture](http://joynture.com/) – Ari’s new co-working space on Wall Street, featuring 24/7 access -