The Business of Authority

Author James Clear on getting remarkable results from making tiny changes to your habits.Guest BioJames Clear is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. More than 400k people subscribe to James' newsletter on habits and performance. His work has been used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB, as well as leaders of Fortune 500 companies. His new book "Atomic Habits, Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results" is available now.Quotable Quotes"Big goals make you feel bad about yourself."—JC"When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time."—JC"I've found that goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress."—JC"What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are (either consciously or subconsciously)."—JC"You can't rely on being motivated. You have to become the type of person you want to be, and that starts with proving your new identity to yourself."—JC"Amateurs are the victims of their habits."—JCRelated LinksAtomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable ResultsJames on CBS This MorningJamesClear.comThis Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What HappenedForget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year

Why should you specialize?Talking PointsNobody wants a unisex haircutPeople are often looking for a unique style, not a one-size-fits-all approachIt may be best not to put your portfolio on your websiteGeneralizing locks you into lower prices and more competitionSpecializing minimizes your competitionSpecializing leads to higher pricesEven if you only appeal to a small subset of the market, you can charge a lot if you offer something that subset can’t get anywhere elseYou may gravitate toward a specialty over time depending on what is most profitable or what you enjoy doing the mostSpecializing can allow you to close on a higher percentage of sales because your clients are specifically seeking out your unique serviceHaving a specialty means sometimes saying no to work that doesn’t fit within that specialtyQuotable Quotes“When you don’t market to someone in particular, you’re marketing to everyone, and when you’re marketing to everyone you’re not marketing to anyone.” –JS“If I knew that I could get high-quality vision and feedback, I would spend a lot more.” –RM“You don’t really want options. You just want exactly what you want.” –JS“The fact that you have your own special sauce is fabulous. You’ve got to own that. You don’t want to look like anybody else, much less everybody else.” –RMRelated LinksDribbble

Top 10 Tools for Building an Authority BusinessWhich tools do you need to build an authority business?Talking PointsMost authority businesses benefit from email marketingEmail automation platforms have multiple useful featuresA contact system can help you keep track of leads, contacts, and clientsMaking physical notes with pen and paper is an alternative for people who don’t like digital to-do listsCommunication tools for both client communications and team communicationsPayment platformsAccounting and bookkeepingAccepting credit cards is important for building trustCalendar managementThe sanity bucketImportance of setting boundariesManaging your email inboxStarting and ending calls on timeRemember to move during the dayQuotable Quotes“People do not mind getting good emails. They mind bad emails.” –JS“You really have to match this to how you work.” –RM“We’re professionals, we serve clients, we have this big idea we’re trying to spread and connect with people, we have to stay sane in the process.” –RM“Getting out of my email inbox solves a million problems.” --JSRelated LinksMailChimpDripConvertKitSalesforceGoogle KeepEvernoteRemember the MilkStreakPipedriveZoomSkypeTwistSlackCrowdcastBraintreeStripeFreshBooksPayPalSendOwlMoonClerkCalendlyScheduleOnceSanebox

Exploring the decision-making process of quitting projects, including sunk costs, opportunity costs, and seeking outside input. The hosts share personal anecdotes and discuss the cultural and emotional aspects of quitting. Tips on setting kill criteria early and engaging in a listening tour for feedback before making large investments. Emphasizing the importance of objectively assessing when to quit and reframing quitting as pivoting towards ultimate goals.

There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes of a successful launch. What do you need to do to make sure launch day goes smoothly?Talking PointsA launch is an integrated process that can be considered part of the product developmentFigure out how to structure the productLearn how to talk about the product in a way that will attract the interest of people who need itKeep potential clients and buyers updated and get their feedbackHave a test groupFocus on the mission, the goal, and the impact that you want to haveHaving a mailing list is an enormous assetFocusing on a central point helps you pick up momentumThere’s an emotional investment in a launch. It’s about more than just the production of a productQuotable Quotes“Part of my mission here is to spread this concept of ditching hourly billing for something better.” –JS“That’s the problem with social media – it’s that at any time, Twitter or Facebook could ban you.” –RM“The more that you can focus, in a very real way, on your mission and your audience, the more likely it is that you’re going to have this kind of success with a launch.” –RM“If I tried to change what I was doing tomorrow, it would be impossible. I couldn’t.” –JSRelated LinksThe Pricing SeminarThe Marketing Seminar by Seth Godin

Are you asking for testimonials as often as you should be? Learn how to make it easier.Talking PointsAsking for feedback should be part of your processAsk clients what their biggest concern was before hiring youTestimonial feedback can help you learn how to serve clients betterEven if you don’t use it as a testimonial, feedback can be used to update your website, service offerings, or FAQsWhen you ask for feedback frequently, you’ll start to notice patterns, and gain a better idea of what your clients valueAsk clients what surprised them about working with youAsk clients what they would have wanted to be different about their experienceThe last question to ask clients is “would you recommend me? Why?”If you edit client testimonials, make sure to leave the client’s voice intactAsking for testimonials can be an antidote to imposter syndromeClients are more likely to provide testimonials if you can ask questions that guide them through the process easilyWhen you get compliments from clients in the normal course of your work, you can ask to use those phrases as testimonialsQuotable Quotes“Even if you don’t ultimately publish the feedback that you get, it’s really important to get it.” –JS“The more you know, the better you’re going to be able to serve your next clients.” –RM“I hesitate to say always – I want to say always, though. It always surprises you.” –JS“The more you reflect what people really value about you, the more of those people you’re going to attract into your orbit.” –RMRelated LinksBuilding the Perfect TestimonialThe Right Way to Ask for TestimonialsMaking Time for Creativity – The Four Essentials

How can you keep in touch with your creative process?Talking PointsFocus on the objective, mission, or messageHave a daily practiceAvoid perfectionismSet a schedulePractice being creativeWork on something that’s bigger than yourselfHave a big idea or specialty to focus onFeedback from other people can help you generate ideasIt’s OK to ignore certain kinds of feedbackHave accountability outside of yourselfIf you get a streak going, you won’t want to break itHaving a coach can helpQuotable Quotes“It’s shocking how much more output you’ll get from a daily habit than even a weekly habit.” –JS“I help myself with my work as much as I help anybody else.” –RM“Creativity is not a solo act.” –RM“Not everybody’s on the same journey with you.” –JSRelated LinksLeonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

Is podcasting the right path for you?Talking PointsIt helps to have a focus and a clear audienceHow podcasting and writing a book can go togetherHow the interview format can be helpful for podcastersPodcasting as an income streamComplications of ads and sponsorshipsPodcasting as a way to build a networkThings you need to get started in podcastingHow to record voices on separate tracksPodcast editing tips and strategiesPodcast hosting optionsThree phases of podcastingThe importance of promoting your podcastHow social media can help with podcast promotionPodcasting analyticsQuotable Quotes“You don’t get speaker’s block when you’re talking to someone.” –JS“Really what you’re doing is listening to your guest – you’ve got your standard set of questions and you’re listening to where your guest goes with it. And you follow them.” –RM“Just as a listener...that sponsorship feel can be really negative.” –RM“I love having something to invite people to.” –JSRelated LinksJill KonrathThis American LifeRode MicrophonesMXL MicrophonesQuicktimeCall recorder for SkypeZencastrZoomAudacityAdobe AuditionReaperPodcast MotorSimplecastCastosWordpress

It's the most wonderful time of the year to initiate conversations with your networkTalking PointsHow to revive dead dealsThe best communication channel for making connectionsWhy outreach is both predictable and unpredictableThe importance of genuine curiosityNetworking for introvertsRelated LinksClosing The Loop by Blair Enns

##Talking PointsOne of the critical growth points consultants and authorities-in-the-making grapple with is when to hire outside help with your business.This week we discuss how to decide if you’re ready for a Virtual Assistant—and then dive into how to make it work. We cover how to decide what to offload, what kind of VA you need, how much to pay them and where to find them.##Quotable Quotes -“If you’re beyond the start-up phase—or you’re in the start-up phase with money and a vision—chances are you can use the help of a savvy VA.”—RM-“You’re ready for a VA if you’re spending time on things you’re not good at or you don’t like to do and you could use that time PROFITABLY to grow your business.”—RM-“What things could you do…if you added another person to take it the next step?”—JS-“You want to hire someone who has experience and can take things off you. You want to feel relief, not annoyance.”—RM-“What could you have someone do—not just recurring tasks—but what could they do to add value to your clients?”—JS-“You have to get really clear about what you want to get done AND how you want to work.”—RM-“A good, experienced, savvy VA is going to look at your business—and they will see things you could do better.”—RM-“If you can find a way in your business to take the stressful pieces off you—and put them on somebody else who enjoys doing that (it’s their oyster), then do it.”—RM