Dropping Bombs

Entrepreneur, investor, and award-winning speaker Cole Hatter is the guest for our 94th episode of the Dropping Bombs Podcast. Brad chatted with Cole about a wide range of topics related to making your money matter. Cole knows a thing or two about building 'for purpose' businesses that build more than his bank account—Cole and his wife have founded an orphanage in Mexico and have worked with other philanthropic organizations around the world. Brad and Cole talked about: Why happiness depends on making your money matter--not just making money. How you can live your dream life guilt-free by sharing the abundance with others. That you can't help others if it takes your full-time effort to stay afloat. How to pursue wealth, not as a defining characteristic of who you are, but by what it allows you to do going forward. Why sales can be the foundation of all your success. You'll never find a come-up story that doesn't start with some sort of selling. Why it's important to ask yourself, "What do you want to solve in this world?" How, with the right knowledge, anyone can succeed. That influence matters. You might not be able to give a million dollars. But, if you can influence one million people to give one-dollar each, you can create the same amount of good. Brad also spoke with Cole about "Thrive: How to Build a 'For Purpose' Business," an event founded by Cole to help entrepreneurs do just that. Brad will be speaking at this year's Thrive event and invites all the members of the Bomb Squad to save 30% on their tickets by using the code TRBL at checkout.

It takes talent, drive, and determination to make a champion player. What makes a champion team? That's the question Brad asks Coach Jamy Bechler, a basketball coach turned professional consultant who helps organizations of any size rebound from a bad patch. With Brad having just recently revamped the LightSpeed VT vision statement to gear up for his company's hiring spree, Coach's timing couldn't be better. After all, who doesn't like working with a clean slate? While Brad's purpose for the future couldn't be clearer, he's still got some lingering concerns about how to coach current employees into greatness. "What do I do if someone's a great fit, but they don't have the talent for a certain position?" he asks Jamy. "Look," Jamy replies, "you're in the people business. It's important to stop giving those team members chances to do better, and start teaching them how they can." Tune in to hear Coach Jamy Bechler and Brad Lea in this episode with more bombs on running a business than we've ever had before. If you're in a leadership position, get ready to have your mind blown!

"If you can control what people see about your brand, then you can control what they think about you," says Ulyses Osuna. But, how does an entrepreneur in the early stages of their business strike go about controlling their image during a stage when any press is seen as good press? The smart ones bring in help, such as public relations guru Ulyses Osuna. Self-described as the number-one public relations expert in the US, Ulyses states that million-dollar companies look to him for advice — an impressive claim since, at a fresh-faced 20 years old, Ulyses can't even buy himself a beer to celebrate a big win. Eager to put Ulyses' knowledge to the test, Brad asked the influencer for one hack that could help anyone, at any stage of building their personal brand… and he delivered! Tune in to check out Ulyses' three steps to gaining authority as a Subject Matter Authority that are so useful, even Brad was jumping to put them into play.

How to build the best possible teams and then, how to help those teams beat out the neighborhood competition? Those are the two questions Kress Johnson, Co-Founder of Evolve Pest Control, faces every time he and his crew of salespeople pound pavement. Kress is convinced his pest control service is the best on the block. Not just because of Evolve's operational standards, but because of the staff that defines their brand. "We want to build the best team possible," he says. "Whether they stay with us or use Evolve as a stepping stone, they can come here, have a positive experience, make money, and become better people." Despite Evolve Pest Control sounding like an entry-level sales person's paradise, their turnover is hovering somewhere between sixty to seventy-percent. Kress is convinced he can find a way to help his new hires develop the same passion and work ethic he has. But, Brad suspects the issue might be something else entirely. So, what's the problem? Join us on the ninety-first episode of Dropping Bombs to find out!

Brad's guest today is Faisal Sublaban. Known as the Hotel Boss, Faisal doesn't run a hotel — he rates them, sending hordes of followers to stay at the locations that leave him impressed. So, how does someone who doesn't own a hotel become known as the "hotel boss"? According to Faisal, the only thing you need for success is an entrepreneurial spirit. "Sales can make up for any number of shortcomings," agrees Brad. "Not even leadership — nothing's as important as sales." In this episode of Dropping Bombs, Brad and Faisal take turns sharing how they overcame their shortcomings and unexpected challenges on the road to achieving success. Rule number one? Knowledge is great, but you've got to put it into action.

Are you in the mortgage or real estate industry? Angelo Christian, author of Don't Get Scammed When Buying a Home and creator of Real Estate University VT, can help you blow up your business — and your income. From generating leads to increasing your net earnings to over six-figures a year, The Real Estate University VT offers over 15 years of experience and 1000 hours of content that's guaranteed to help you succeed. In this episode of Dropping Bombs, Brad chats with Angelo about the lessons he'd share with his younger self, and the importance of repetition in learning. (Particularly when it comes to training a sales team.) And, finally, to never underestimate the importance of a stylish pair of shoes. Check this episode of Dropping Bombs to make sure you always put your best (and most stylish) foot forward!

At Dropping Bombs, we're big on the idea of MORE. Doing more, making more, giving more, achieving more. Listen long enough, and you're sure to hear Brad tell you his secret sauce how: Work your ass off doing double, or get twice as good at what you're doing now. "Let's say you're doing door-to-door sales," says Brad. "There are two ways you can earn more: Knock on twice as many doors. Or, improve your sales pitch you hear two-times as many yeses." Gady Medrano, a Las Vegas realtor who's skyrocketed to fame with the international-hit show Flipping Vegas, had something to add to Brad's more-equals-more wisdom: "For me, it's important to do make sure my effort is effective. Don't try to improve what you suck at. People get too down on themselves when they do something wrong. But you're always going to screw up." Instead, take inventory, suggests Gady. "What are you good at? Figure that out, then give it all you've got. If it feels like a challenge, you might be doing the right thing."

"Often I'd try to sell employee training, and a prospect would say 'No, we don't train.' But that same business will spend fifty-thousand advertising their product or service. That doesn't make sense," says Brad Why should those businesses consider even a small investment training employees to capitalize on new customers? "Because, if you're not training your employees, then your customers are." Coach Burt uses a different angle — for him, it's all in the follow-up. "Most people don't go the distance to understand their prospect. How you follow-up matters," he says. "Don't just say 'I'm checking in' or 'I'm following up.' Instead, say 'I believe we lose 10% every day that we don't take action' to drive your sale." Ready to learn more? Click play for an entire podcast dedicated to creating sales and inspiring action.

IBF welterweight titleholder from 2013 to 2014, Shawn Porter has spent his life training for "what if" moments. "What if I get hit? What if I forget to breathe? What if I get knocked down?" The mindset of being prepared for anything shaped Shawn's daily training for over two decades. Now that those efforts have paid off, he's looking to give back outside the ring. Enter Shawn's friend Nick Llewellyn. A US Marine and father, the frequency of school shootings left Nick feeling powerless to protect his daughter. Not one to sit around, Nick designed the BOLO Bag-- "BOLO" is shorthand for "be on the lookout." And, BOLO's backpacks help kids to just that. A versatile, lightweight design, BOLO Bags are also bulletproof. That bulletproof backpacks are can withstand bullets up to a 7.62 mm. (The round used in AK-47s and equivalent rifles.) "Is it ideal to think that we live in a world where we as parents have to prepare our children for an active shooter situation the same as a fire drill? No," explain Shawn and Nick. However, school shootings have become an unfortunate reality we face and need to prepare for. While this bag is hopefully never put to use, it's better to be prepared and not need; than need and not be prepared. For Nick and Shawn, the plan doesn't stop at just selling BOLO Bags. They also hope to raise awareness by speaking at schools across the country about bullying, mental health awareness, and the power of kindness. "Success is about giving back," says Shawn. So, how will you be successful today?

Are you running your company without a dedicated sales team? Then you're just floating along… and eventually those sales numbers might start to sink. In this episode of Dropping Bombs, Brad chats with Tony Capullo -- one of the leading salespeople at LightSpeed VT. What does Brad say to those who think just anyone can take on a sales role? Not so fast. A badass salesperson doesn't just push for a close. They understand how to build the relationships that lead to deals. And, how to overcome any objections that stand in the way. It's easier to rain on someone else's parade than make a parade of your own. Check out more in this episode of Dropping Bombs!