
Real Relationships Real Revenue - Audio Edition | Invest in Relationships to Build Your Business and Your Career
Are you leading important client relationships and also on the hook for growing them? The growth part can seem mysterious, but it doesn’t have to be!
Business development expert Mo Bunnell will take you inside the minds of some of the most interesting thought leaders in the world, applying their insights to growth skills. You’ll learn proven processes to implement modern techniques.
You’ll learn how to measure their impact. And, everything will be based in authenticity, always having the client’s best interest in mind. No shower required.
Latest episodes

Jul 11, 2023 • 55min
Achieve More by Doing Less, with All-Star Researcher Leidy Klotz
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Leidy Klotz to talk about the mindset of subtracting versus adding. Often when we want to make something better, we want to add to it, but sometimes the answer is actually to take something away. Lady is here to explain this concept to us and show us how we can apply that to our work in our organizations for increased success. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why we automatically think to add instead of subtract Strategies to decide when to add and when to take away How the rule of three applies to this concept How to apply the idea of subtraction to deepening relationships Subtracting things to get your time back What to do when you’re finding yourself overwhelmed How to figure out what to subtract How we can be more successful in managing our energy The power of a to-don’t list I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Leidy! As he says, when you add something, you are saying no to every other possible thing so it’s very important to be mindful about what you add to your plate as opposed to taking away. If you want to learn more about Leidy, you can check out his website here. Resources Mentioned: Learn more about Leidy including his speaking Check out the research and book showing how to spend money to save time (and other ways to spend money to make you happy) Listen to the episode with Molly Fletcher on Being Relentlessly Curious and Over-Delivering In Your Relationships Tune in to our episode with Vanessa Van Edwards where she illustrates how to captivate your prospect Check out Voxer Check out Marco Polo

Jul 4, 2023 • 1h 4min
How to Pitch and Close the Deals that You Want with Gina King
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Gina King, one of our facilitators, to talk about the top three areas she sees the biggest impact or transformation with when she goes to a city to train a new team. You're going to see exactly what things you can put in place right away to be successful. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why listening and learning is so impactful, no matter where you are in your career What really happens when we perceive ourselves as experts in our fields Gina’s hot take on advisors and what being an advisor really means The power of sharing the right story when helping others How the rule of three makes your message more memorable How to convert your accolades or experience into a benefit for your customers How to use the stakeholder impact when sharing your accolades and benefits Incorporating strategic fit and alignment into your pitches The four big value drivers Gina’s top tips for dynamic meeting preparation Framing your meetings from the beginning to make sure everyone is on the same page What you should bring to your meetings, and what you shouldn’t I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Gina! I loved hearing all of her insights into the biggest impacts she sees when working with customers on the GrowBIG Training. If you want to connect with Gina, you can follow her on LinkedIn and email her at gina.king@bunnellideagroup.com. Resources Mentioned: Follow Gina on LinkedIn Reach out to Gina: gina.king@bunnellideagroup.com Check out The Earned Dogmatism research

Jun 27, 2023 • 1h 11min
You Only Need to Do Three Things as a Leader with CEO Whisperer Trey Taylor
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Trey Taylor to talk about the importance of company culture and his unique and provocative perspective on what leaders should do. Trey Taylor is the M.D. of Threadneedle, the Taylor Family Office, C.E.O. of Taylor Insurance Services, M.D. of trinity | blue consulting, and Founding Partner of Ascend Partners. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Emory University and a Juris Doctor degree in Tax & Corporate Transactions from Tulane. In 2020, Trey published his first book, A CEO Only Does Three Things. Since that publication, he has appeared on 60+ podcasts and been featured in publications like INC., Entrepreneur, SHRM, and others. He speaks frequently as a keynote speaker challenging audiences to be more intentional, find more focus, and get the right things done. In his private time, Trey is a WSET-certified sommelier and private pilot with a Cirrus SR22T. He and his wife, Sheya, are the proud parents of Ret, Emmaline, and Mary Salter. They make their home in South Georgia, traveling frequently for work and pleasure. Topics We Cover in This Episode: How Trey got started as a CEO Why you should treat your team culture like a garden The importance of ritualizing your values with your team How to incorporate company culture into your recruiting process How Trey approaches retention with his team Tips for dialing in on our team as individuals and showing acts of love The number one thing we can do as leaders Setting goals as CEOs I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Trey. He has such a refreshing and unique approach to leadership and I enjoyed learning from him. If you want to learn more from him, I highly recommend you check out his newsletter and his book. You can also follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Resources Mentioned: Check out Trey’s newsletter: https://plantyourflag.substack.com Visit Trey’s website: https://trey-taylor.com Check out Trey’s consulting firm: https://trinity-blue.com Get a copy of Trey’s book, A CEO Only Does Three Things: https://a.co/d/1P3SzLb Learn more about the Psychological Momentum research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seppo-Iso-Ahola/publication/263918129_Psychologica[…]fde9/Psychological-Momentum-Why-Success-Breeds-Success.pdf Check out the Ownership Thinking book by Brad Hams: https://a.co/d/baGu0yY Follow Trey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CEOTreyTaylor Follow Trey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TreyTaylorCEO Follow Trey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceotreytaylor/

Jun 20, 2023 • 57min
“Hidden Genius” Lessons: How to Grow Your Relationships and Book of Business with Polina Pompliano
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Polina Marinova Pompliano to talk about her new book Hidden Genius and how she takes the biographies of the most successful people and weaves them together into themes so that we can learn from the best thinkers of the world. Polina Marinova Pompliano is the author of HIDDEN GENIUS and the founder of The Profile, a media organization that studies successful people and companies. Previously, she spent five years at FORTUNE where she covered technology and venture capital. As the author and editor of Term Sheet, FORTUNE’s industry-leading dealmaking newsletter, Polina interviewed the industry’s most influential dealmakers, including Melinda Gates, Steve Schwarzman, Chamath Palihapitiya, and more. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Polina’s journey to where she is now Why Polina has a fascination with learning from other people The importance of mental toughness when striking up relationships with new clients The personification of pain and how it can help us grow How we can reframe our thoughts on failure The power of taking action and reaching out to people, despite your fear Tips for creating healthy relationships Why it’s the mundane things that make your life extraordinary Little things you can do for your clients to keep the magic alive Why it’s the motivation behind your actions that really matters when it comes to building relationships The difference between an audience and a community Ways to create your community The systems that Polina uses to capture and catalog everything that she learns Why you should tie your identity to your own name only How Polina handles her setbacks I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Polina! Her desire to learn is incredible and she has so much valuable advice she can share because of it. I highly recommend you check out her book Hidden Genius so that you can learn more from her and the best of the best. You can also check out her website here. If you want to get a copy of the Grow Big Playbook, you can get that here. Resources Mentioned: Visit The Profile website Check out the Hidden Genius book Get a copy of the Grow Big Playbook Follow Polina on Twitter

Jun 13, 2023 • 59min
The Expert Advantage: Why Experts Make the Best Leaders with Amanda Goodall
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Amanda Goodall, author of the book Credible, to talk about the power of expert leaders. We are diving into why experts are better leaders, the impact it has on the people all around them, how to spot them, and how to build talent. Everyone has a deep technical expertise and Amanda is going to show you how to leverage that so you can get the results you want in your organization and have the impact that you want on your client. Amanda Goodall is professor of leadership at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London, where she specialises in how leaders and managers influence performance. She began her career as a fashion model at the age of sixteen. At twenty-two she lived on a small development project in Andhra Pradesh, India, and spent the next few years working with international NGOs. In 1997, she completed a degree at the London School of Economics and subsequently a PhD, at Warwick Business School, focused on leaders’ characteristics. After two years at IZA Institute for the Study of Labor in Bonn, Germany, in 2012 she joined Bayes Business School’s Faculty of Management. She has been a visiting scholar at Cornell University, the University of Zurich, and Yale University. Dr Goodall is widely published in academic journals, practitioner publications and the media. She is a committed environmentalist, an ambassador for Save Wild Tigers, and a founder member of Pembrokeshire Seal Research Trust. Topics We Cover in This Episode: How Amanda got started researching experts in leadership Amanda’s best tips for moving into a leadership position How to hold the mirror up to yourself to understand how you influence others The humility needed to keep learning despite your expertise How expert bosses create a happy and productive workplace The effect of happy and fulfilled employees on an organization The importance of incentivizing people to step into leadership roles Ways to diversify the pool of candidates for leadership roles The five capabilities experts need to lead Lies experts tell themselves about leadership Tips for staying on track despite setbacks I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Amanda. There is so much power in experts in leadership roles, and I hope this inspires you to continue to learn and grow in your expertise so you can step into leadership as well. If you want to learn more from Amanda, make sure to visit her website and check out her book Credible: The Power of Expert Leaders. Resources Mentioned: Visit Amanda’s website Listen to Embracing Vulnerability to Build Better Relationships with Your Clients with Ernesto Pagano

Jun 6, 2023 • 53min
Real Artists (And Advisors) Don’t Starve: How to Be Commercially Successful with Jeff Goins
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Jeff Goins who is an expert at helping people actually make money with their expertise. We discuss the best way to stand out in your industry, finding the right systems for winning clients and business development, and so much more. Jeff Goins is a writer, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur with a reputation for challenging the status quo. He is the best-selling author of five books including The Art of Work and Real Artists Don’t Starve. He is also the creative force behind the ghostwriting agency, Fresh Complaint ( freshcomplaint.com ). A husband, father of two, and a guacamole aficionado, Jeff lives just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Topics We Cover in This Episode: What we can all learn from Michelangelo How to artfully break the rules to stand out from the crowd The best way to be different in your industry Why you never need to reinvent the wheel Tips for finding the right systems for you The true cost of doing something yourself rather than getting help The systems you need around winning the work and business development How Jeff approaches continuous learning Lies Jeff sees people telling themselves I hope you enjoyed this episode with Jeff! The stories we tell ourselves about what is possible for us is what really matters. Making money with your expertise is possible for anyone, it’s all about how you see it and your mindset around it. If you are interested in learning more from Jeff, make sure to visit his website and check out his book Real Artists Don’t Starve. If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, check out his agency. Resources Mentioned: More on Jeff Goins and his writing Get a copy of Real Artists Don’t Starve More on Jeff’s agency and ghostwriting Check out my weekly newsletter Get a copy of Jeff Walker’s book Launch

May 30, 2023 • 50min
How To Use Speaking Engagements To Grow Your Book of Business with Erick Rheam
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Erick Rheam to talk about how to become great at speaking in a way that you can use to meet people and generate leads systematically so that you can grow your book of business and relationships. Erick Rheam is a speaker and published author. He communicates and educates on topics related to discovering significance and the art of mastering human dynamics to achieve success. Speaking is one of the most powerful ways to get your message out because it scales, so I’m so excited to dive into this episode today. Topics We Cover in This Episode: How Erick got into speaking and how it has changed his career Why speaking is such a powerful way to share your message Where to get started if you want to get into professional speaking The importance of knowing your audience clearly when speaking The key elements you need to crush it on stage How to create a powerful call to action in your speech What lead generators are and why they are crucial to your success while speaking Ways to find new gigs after your events Tips for optimizing your bio for speaking engagements Ways to use your experiences in your speech to add value and exceed expectations Erick’s signature message and how he uses them while speaking Speaking can make a huge impact on the success of your business or career. I hope you enjoyed these tips from Erick for how to craft your own signature message, create a powerful call to action, and utilize the key elements he shared today to crush it on stage. If you want to learn more from Erick, make sure to check out his page on The Speaker Lab website to learn more about if speaking is right for you. Resources Mentioned: Check out Erick’s page on The Speaker Lab’s website Connect with Erick on LinkedIn Follow Erick on Instagram Visit Erick’s website Get a copy of Rise Above Chaos Check out the Significance Assessment

May 23, 2023 • 15min
Business Development in Uncertain Times: Three Practical Tips To Help You Handle It
In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I’m coming to you solo to talk about something that people really seem to need right now. I'm sharing a way that you can tackle any type of slowdown that you see in the economy, in your book of business, in your business results, or in your particular expertise. These kinds of ebbs and flows happen all the time, and it’s important that we know how to handle them so that we can keep paving the way for success. Topics We Cover in This Episode: The surprising statistics behind business growth during challenging times How you can completely differentiate yourself from anyone else The power of opening up a dialog with a client when they can’t invest in you What you can offer to a team during tough times Give To Gets you can offer clients or prospects that will likely transition into a mutually beneficial relationship What to do when your outcomes are twice as hard So many people think that uncertain times are when you should pull back, but I hope these practical tips will help you understand the importance of doubling down instead. Offer value and really build and deepen your relationships. If you do this, you’ll win both in the short term and in the long term. If you want to learn more about our Demand Creation Give To Get model, you can check it out here. If you want to check out the McGraw Hill study, you can do that here. Resources Mentioned: Learn more about our Demand Creation Give To Get model Check out the McGraw Hill study

May 16, 2023 • 55min
From Prison to Purpose: How Tommy Breedlove Transformed His Life by Prioritizing Himself First and Focusing on His Purpose
Prepare to become legendary! In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Tommy Breedlove who just wrote a book called Legendary that I got a ton of value out of and I know you will too. As someone who has spent time in prison, Tommy has a really unique journey and perspective and he’s sharing how we can learn to prioritize ourselves first, take control of our life and time, become laser-focused on what matters, and become legendary. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Tommy’s journey and the low point that changed everything The people he met in prison that transformed his life Why he started working with entrepreneurs and high-achieving people The number one way we can live with purpose The power of time-blocking and focusing on your zone of brilliance The importance of getting laser-focused on the things that move the ball in your business The mindset, attitude, and skill of managing money Why we need to get rid of the word “busy” and why your time is your second greatest asset How we can learn to say no Unconditional self-love and how we can achieve it The power of taking control of your life and being the captain of your own ship I hope you enjoyed this powerful conversation with Tommy. As he says, you are your number one asset and you have to prioritize yourself first. It’s not selfish, it’s actually the most selfless thing you can do. I hope you read his book, take his advice, learn to lead, love, and respect yourself first every day, and become a world-class elite in your life. Get your copy of Tommy’s book today. You can also visit his website to learn more about his retreats and events. Resources Mentioned: Check out Tommy’s book Legendary Check out Tommy’s website and learn more about his retreats and events Check out The ONE Thing

May 9, 2023 • 50min
Culture and Growth: How to Win More Business by Communicating Your Values with Marcus Collins
There is no force more influential on human behavior than culture. In this episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue, I sat down with Marcus Collins to delve into how we can build a culture around our work, our lives, and our interests. And how, as a result, we’ll find opportunities, ideas, products, and experiences that we may not have found on our own. Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—serving as the head of strategy at Wieden+Kennedy New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a clinical assistant professor of marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why culture is so difficult to operationalize in business The opportunities that can arise when you focus on company culture How culture can help you build your book of business How to find ecosystems in business based on your beliefs and values How to get with your team and determine what you believe What artifacts are and how we give things meaning The way that the language we use signals to the world who we are How culture can impact who you work with The social aspect of consumption The human desire for connection and how it impacts our behavior and decisions in life and business The power of offering connections in business I hope you enjoyed this episode with Marcus. From identifying the artifacts that give meaning to our culture, to the language we use to signal who we are, it’s important to take a thoughtful and intentional approach to building a culture that reflects our vision and aspirations so that we can find the right people and more success. If you have a vested interest in helping people adopt behavior, Marcus’s book will be very helpful for you. You can get a copy here. Resources Mentioned: Visit Marcus’s website Get a copy of For the Culture