#176: April Dunford – How self-publishing a book exploded her client service business.
Jan 2, 2024
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April Dunford, author of "Obviously Awesome," is a seasoned startup executive turned independent consultant. She shares how self-publishing her book transformed her client service business, attracting high-caliber clients and enhancing financial success. April discusses the shift from traditional to self-publishing, emphasizing creative freedom and strategic marketing. She dives into client qualification strategies and how these innovations led to deeper business discussions. Her insights on balancing entrepreneurship and personal fulfillment are both inspiring and practical.
Positioning is key for success in the market and attracting high caliber clients.
Self-publishing offers flexibility, creative control, and financial benefits while leveraging word-of-mouth and a well-planned launch strategy.
Running a solo business provides freedom in client selection and decision-making, requiring high-quality work and reputation for attracting high-paying clients.
Deep dives
HubSpot's Sales Hub: Boosting Sales Productivity
HubSpot's new sales hub offers an intuitive prospecting workspace and AI-powered tools to reduce workload and enhance lead management. With automation across the sales pipeline, teams can save time and focus on connecting with customers to close more deals.
April Dunford: The Benefits of Positioning for Startups
April Dunford, author of 'Obviously Awesome,' shares her journey from startup executive to independent consultant helping companies with product positioning. She emphasizes the importance of positioning, how it differentiates your product in the market, and how it can lead to more success and higher caliber clients.
Efficient Self-Publishing with April Dunford
April Dunford discusses her experience with self-publishing and its advantages over traditional publishing. She highlights the flexibility, creative control, and financial benefits of self-publishing, as well as the importance of leveraging word-of-mouth marketing and creating a well-planned launch strategy.
Building a Profitable Business without a Team
April Dunford explains the benefits of running a solo business without employees. She highlights the freedom it provides in terms of client selection, scheduling, and decision-making. Despite being a one-person operation, April emphasizes the importance of delivering high-quality work and leveraging her expertise and reputation to attract high-paying clients.
The Importance of Timing and Experience in Business Ventures
April Dunford reflects on the timing of her business ventures, emphasizing that she wouldn't have been as successful if she had started earlier in her career. She explains that her experience, knowledge, and financial stability at her stage of life allowed her to focus on the most important aspects of her business and make decisions based on what she truly wanted rather than external pressures.
April spent the first 25 years of her career as a startup executive running marketing, product, and sales teams. During that journey, April positioned, repositioned, and launched 16 different products.
Today, April is a business owner. She's an independent consultant, and she's worked with more than 100 early and growth-stage startups to help them position their products.