How the retainer execution model rewards a clients for life strategy, but can keep you on the gilded hamster wheel.The required mindset shift as you move away from strictly execution to higher value consulting.How to think about dandelion projects where you stay in touch with client team members as they scatter to new companies (and which business models can easily leverage this).The altitude shift from “hands” consulting to advisory work and why that tends to down-shift client longevity.Quotables“Think of a retainer as charging a periodic amount…for a given set of deliverables. An advisory retainer is not that. An advisory retainer is where you are not executing—you are giving strategic advice.”—RM“The thing about this sort of ‘hands-on’ retainer…it's like a job. It's predictable and safe and probably can be a lot longer term than an advisory retainer.”—JS“When you start that transition (to advisory)…it feels like ‘wait a minute, I'm not doing enough for this money. I need to be busier.’ You have to make a mindset shift.”—RM“Think about a dandelion project—where a buyer brings you in, and you do good work for them…and then that team from that company disperses, and they go to five other companies.”—JS“It's different working with the CEO than it is with the director level of a function. Your impact is bigger. Your potential influence is larger. And the price of failure is higher. That's why you don't come out of school and go coach the CEO.”—RM“The easiest sale is new stuff to old clients because you already have trust. They already know you're legit. They already know that you deliver results.”—JS“Growing your altitude…allows you to operate at a much higher level. And by the way, that level is exceedingly lucrative.”—RM “I've got some students who've done internal systems for gigantic brand names—like names you'd recognize—and they've just oozed from department to department.”—JS

How to think about your intellectual property and the steps to take to protect it under U.S. law.When you might decide to give your content away to spread an idea vs. keep it close for revenue generation.The role of registering and monitoring various elements of your intellectual property.How to decide whether you’re ready to license your knowledge (hint: it’s not for beginners).Using licensing to scale your business and create a saleable asset.Quotables“We use intellectual property laws to provide a legal monopoly on using our intellect.”—EA“Under U.S. copyright law…the copyright applies at the moment of creation.”—EA“If that trademark has secondary meaning in the mark—like everyone associates it with you—you really do want to make sure that you get protection for that so that you don't lose it.”—EA“Make sure you are monitoring use of that (trademarked) term on the internet. So if people are using it and you're not asking them to stop using it…then you can lose it.”—EA“There is a perception that IP or intellectual property is a product and it's not a product like a book or a course, or even a licensing program. IP is the exclusive right to exploit your intellect.”—EA“When we are experts, we are creating intellectual property every single day, because intellectual property is the fruit of our intellect.”—EA“A license is anytime I'm giving permission to a third party to use my intellectual property.”—EA“Obviously it (licensing) is not for beginners. It really is for someone who has established their methodology, that you have a record of success of happy clients where you do have these processes in place.”—EA“The key (to make your firm saleable) is making sure that it's something that can run without you…you wanna make sure that you've developed that independence.”—EALinksErin's website Think Beyond IPThe Hourly To Exit podcast

The hosts discuss the subjective nature of defining success and argue that overall success rates don't apply to individuals. They emphasize the need for clear focus, positioning, and a mission. Ruthlessness and discipline are key in pursuing success, saying no to clients who are not ideal and working outside of one's expertise. Factors for success include runway discipline, clarity, revolution, emotional connection, and understanding the culture of the target market. The podcast also explores how introverts can leverage their strengths to become successful authorities.

How writing and speaking play different roles in crystalizing your thoughts.The role that consistently writing and editing plays in the evolution of your authority.Why (and how) editing allows you to deepen not only your market authority, but the impact of your work.What happens when you socialize your writing—and how to edit your way to the right audience.Quotables“The difference between writing and speaking is crystallizing your thoughts. I've never heard anybody say that speaking crystallizes their thoughts.”—JS“Writing is really a plus for introverts because you don't have to talk to a million people to do this.”—RM“Daily writing does something weird in your head where you start to see ideas everywhere.”—JS“You can't just try to put the work out there. You have to do it consistently because it's that consistency that really tests us: what do we have to say?”—RM“I did a sort of crowdsourced model where I offered a choose your own adventure discount structure. But (to get the book discount) I was gonna bug you relentlessly for questions, typos, any kind of feedback, comments...”—JS“I didn't know what else to write. I felt like I had bled out on the paper already.”—RM“I'll use examples from people who are in different places, probably almost never all in the same email, but I'll bring in examples or I'll ask for permission to reprint a question.”—JS“That preparation piece (for an interview) can give you those ideas—those unpolished gems—that you can then take and polish through editing.”—RM

Why the word is both insidious and judgmental—and how it can easily become manipulative. What happens—especially to go-to, high visibility authorities—with those who consistently use ‘should’ in their client interactions (and what to say instead).How to use your point of view as an alternative to ‘should’ conversations or directives.Dealing with the most common ‘shoulds’ you’re likely to hear as you build your expertise business.The difference between saying ‘should’ to or about yourself and using it with other people.Quotables“Should is a radioactive word for me. It's usually a sign that I'm making massive assumptions about the other person.”—JS“It's way too easy to pontificate vs. actually help your client change whatever situation it is you've been hired to fix.”—RM“Stop should-ing on people.”—JS“We all know there's nuance—no two situations, no two people, no two clients are ever exactly the same.”—RM“Berklee teachers would never say that music has rules. They would say that different styles have different style practices.”—JS“If you're the type of person who responds to judgment and potential shaming…’should’ can make you start to question your own logic and thought process.”—RM“When someone gives you unsolicited ‘should’ advice, just nod and smile... and then ignore them.”—JS“The word ‘should’ is so insidious, cuz it's like you're trying to get into my brain and tell me what to do.”—RM

Exploring intentional learning for personal and professional growth, including the power of coaching and mentorship. Discussing peer learning dynamics and building a supportive network for business success. Emphasizing the value of online communities and practical hands-on practice for skill development.

What exactly is a business model (and how to think about yours)?The difference between your business model and how—and what—you charge.The four most common business models we see in the expertise space and how to make each one work for you.Considering hiring employees? How to think about growing with—and without—employees.Sidestepping the slippery slope that is hiring specialized help—from mini-me’s to social VAs—to grow your business.Quotables“How are you going to create, deliver and capture value?”—JS“If we're not creating value, we're not going to make money for very long.”—RM“You could use value pricing to increase the amount that you can charge and increase your profit margin.”—JS“If you do want to scale with employees…you have to create a job—actually define very specifically what this person will do.”—RM“’I'll just hire someone good and throw them to the wolves.’ That's what happens.”—JS“Membership models have some very specific operational kinds of things that impact how you market, how you sell, whether you do ads, whether you don't. ”—RM“A product line could take off and cause you to make a decision to say ‘oh, you know what? I would rather have customers than clients’ .”—JS“You think when you build a business (at least in the U.S.) that you have to have employees, but it's about thinking past what we're “supposed” to do and getting clear on what it is we want to build.”—RM

Why having partners with different risk tolerances can actually be helpful.Engaging the status quo person—who is usually happy—in a change that will work for both parties.The role of identity in business conflicts and how to understand yours and your partner’s.Why resolving even minor conflict often means revisiting your joint objectives and strategy.How to be brave and address potential conflicts early so they don’t fester or run you off the rails.Quotables“Plenty of soloists have a spouse that has a dramatically different risk tolerance than they do.”—JS“(Being different), you keep each other from going too far off the rails, but it does mean that there's the potential for disagreement, for conflict.”—RM“The status quo person is usually happy as a clam, and thinking... ‘if my partner would just stop bugging me about posting on social media every day everything would be fine.’”—JS“It's also about how we feel individually. Who we are and what we want to have happen in the world. When you have two business partners, your personal identity may get attached to different things in different ways.”—RM“You'll see conflict over a proposal crop up because, let's say, one person is more revenue driven and the other person is more mission driven. In a case like this, you're never gonna be able to agree how to price it.”—JS“There's a lot of those strategic and foundational identity things that happen (between partners) and the tactical issues are just how they manifest.”—RM“You might both be aligned on the objective, but you still have to agree on the strategy. There are probably multiple strategies that could work, but you gotta make sure you're both using the same one.”—JS“It's important to go back and look at the strategy, the glue that holds this partnership together. We have to be able to talk about that and be brave.”—RM

Rethinking any outmoded belief systems we carry over from our jobs—for example that the “boss” is always right.Where we owe our obligation and allegiance when it comes to dealing with client requests and direction changes.Why collaborative relationships reinforce the value of your expertise and contribute to outcomes that stick.How you can determine—as early as a sales conversation—whether your potential client will be your dream (or your nightmare).Setting boundaries to avoid becoming a martyr to the project (or your client).Quotables“You are there to fiercely defend the outcome of the project.”—JS“The way that a client feels when they own this thing that you've created together, it creates a bond between you. They're gonna want to talk about you. They're gonna wanna bring you in again…it's really powerful collaboration.”—RM“It happens from the very beginning—setting up the expectation that they're not your boss, that it's a collaboration.”—JS“A client can be the nightmare or the dream. It's not about the person—it's about the match between you and the outcome you want to create together.”—RM“When you have them share with you how this will fit into the overall business and you pivot into The Why Conversation, bad clients will hate it and good clients will love it.”—JS“You only want to work with people for whom you can create these transformational outcomes together.”—RM“Just imagine what your business would look like if you were producing a trail of smiling clients.”—JS“Start with believing that you have something valuable to offer and setting the boundaries you need so you don't become a martyr to the project.”—RM

The role of live speaking in building authority and how it fits into your business model.How to decide which conferences are worth your time, energy (and cash) to attend.An array of tactics to leverage your conference attendance.Using media intentionally to engage conference attendees and make your new relationships more sticky.Picking the right conferences as a new(ish) speaker and how to ensure your investment will pay off.Quotables“I did a conference in 2015 that was exactly my target market for Hourly Billing Is Nuts, and I still keep in touch with people I met there.”—JS“If you're doing conferences—whether you're speaking or attending—there's a certain amount of energy you have to put into it to be good, much less to be great and to reap something from your investment.”—RM“Meeting people in person creates a deeper connection faster.”—JS“If you travel 1,000 miles and then sit in your hotel room for most of the conference that's not gonna work.”—RM“Let's say there's a big conference coming up and your ideal buyers are going to be there. You can piggyback a workshop on the day before. You don't even need a ticket to the conference—you can just get a room in the hotel.”—JS“When you're a speaker at a conference, you know what your job is…When you're an attendee, you still have a job, but not everybody recognizes that.”—RM“Speaking at a conference is great for your street cred. It's social proof aka third party endorsement from the conference organizers, implicity saying that you know what you're talking about.”—JS“If you're just getting started (speaking), pick a conference that is big enough so that you feel like it's worth your time, but small enough so that you have a good chance of getting in.”—RM