The Modern Consultant

For years, she's tested, refined, and perfected her small group coaching program. She's done it so well, that she boasts an incredible 95% success rate. And with those kind of results, her next natural question is..."How do I help more people?"But then, the next thought is..."Will it make it worse for those who are already inside my program?"That, right there, is the conundrum many skilled coaches and consultants face. Effectively, do we stay small and help a few people really well? Or do we scale, and help more people, but not as well?This week on The Modern Consultant, I have the pleasure of saying to our guest Leslie Chen..."What if you could have both?"Then, in this week's special "coaching podcast" episode, you'll hear me walk her begin to architect how to do it.  More about Leslie: She is running an executive weight loss coaching program focusing on helping a community of high-impact women remove a toxic relationship with food while experiencing automated, inevitable weight loss.  Topics We Cover: Lead generation and scaling Leslie Chen's business Refining messaging and value proposition Scaling coaching program without compromising quality Surveying and data collection for decision-making Pricing and revenue considerations Lessons learned and future goals  References and Links: https://www.riselean.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielchen/ Timestamps: 02:20 Successful coaching program with exceptional outcomes. Expansion needed.  07:59 Features of Successful Group Coaching Program.  15:52 How to test new model and ideas without changing existing clients.  21:29 Sell existing and new products confidently.  26:55 Seeking feedback on new offer's pricing and format  32:15 Trim, refine, test, and analyze for optimal results.  36:12 Building scalable coaching program with care.  42:42 Convergence of qualitative survey data with 100-200 replies.  46:44 Using survey to increase revenue  52:50 Podcast topic: audience growth and $0 acquisition cost  01:00:00 Emotional experiences can be measured through surveys.  01:04:27 Untested hypothesis  01:07:43 Roadblocks, data, scaling, lead generation  01:18:28 Act on important ideas to make impact.  More About The Guest: Leslie helps high-achieving women entrepreneurs and professionals seeking to restore a liberating relationship with food while gaining a head-turning body.  About The Host: Marc helps experts scale their impact in the form of high-ticket courses, programs, VIP days, and masterminds (without losing the deep impact of their 1-on-1 work).  After helping over 1,000 entrepreneurs, he created his Product Flywheel Framework to help the next 1,000 do it faster. Learn more at: https://8020solutions.co

This week on the Modern Consultant, I have the honor of hosting Zack Arnold.Zack is an award-winning Hollywood film and television editor (Cobra Kai, Burn Notice, Empire, Shooter, Glee), a member of the American Cinema Editors, a documentary director (GO FAR: The Christopher Rush Story, narrated by Mark Hamill), an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of the Optimize Yourself program and podcast.With his group coaching programs, he helps ambitious creative professionals and entrepreneurs design a unique path towards a more balanced, more productive, and more fulfilling career they deserve.Zack's website: https://optimizeyourself.me/Topics We Covered:- The challenges and opportunities Zack Arnold explored during pandemic slowdown of the Hollywood- Zack's struggle with lead generation and marketing for his coaching and teaching business- The importance of leveraging relationships and creating win-win partnerships to expand audience, especially in business-to-business markets- Zack's creation of a market for personal and professional development in the postproduction space of HollywoodTimestamps:01:27 Transition from Hollywood to coaching due to burnout.09:05 Overcoming challenges, transforming lifestyle through fitness goal.19:51 Learned survey skills, doubled business during pandemic with Marc's help.25:28 Mastery in serving email list, challenges in lead generation.27:08 Building relationships through partnerships.36:03 Leverage existing audiences for revenue and growth.40:56 The problem with most online courses46:08 Career and skills diversification.53:03 Strategic approach to audience research59:11 One of the primary factors responsible for Zack's 7-fig revenue generation01:02:37 Exploring funnel design, criteria, and relationship building process.01:07:05 Evaluate LinkedIn Sales Navigator for viable business prospects.01:08:11 How Zack generated 1.1M from the list of 500001:11:43 Mastering failures leads to personal and professional growth.About The Host:Marc helps experts scale their impact in the form of high-ticket courses, programs, VIP days, and masterminds (without losing the deep impact of their 1-on-1 work).After helping over 1,000 entrepreneurs, he created his Product Flywheel Framework to help the next 1,000 do it faster. Learn more at: https://8020solutions.co

Imagine this - you're the head of Kajabi, a platform for creating and selling online courses. In 2023, with 19,000 customers, you hit $60M in revenue, and you're valued at $2 billion.Who do you call to help grow your community from 19,000 to 100,000?Maruxa Murphy - The Heartful Community Architect & Revenue Strategist I'm proud to call a friend and a client. Given the depth of and breadth of her expertise, we've been quietly codifying her science and art into a transformative curriculum that will serve as training for her team, a course for her clients, and a playbook for entrepreneurs of heart.Her course isn't out yet so you can't buy it but what you can do is listen to an in-the-trenches coaching call where we clarify and codify the expertise that 8-figure companies continually ask her for.Last week we went deep on digital operations with Jhana Li and this week, we're going deep with Maruxa Murphy.If you're ready to roll up your sleeves with us, then here's what you're in store for:This week on the Modern Consultant, I have the honor of hosting Maruxa Murphy. She is an award-winning community experience designer, strategist, and entrepreneur.She’s been featured in Forbes, Reader's Digest, Fox News, The Huffington Post, NBC, and The Austin-American Statesman for her work in creating profitable enterprises that do good in the world. Maruxa believes in empowering all individuals to live their fullest lives, and her work has been instrumental in bringing people together to create positive change.To learn more about Maruxa, visit: https://www.revolutionarycommunities.com/Topics We Cover:1. Developing a Scalable Approach2. The Excite Model3. Building a Community Profit Path4. Publishing Proof of Results as a Marketing Strategy5. The Importance of SalesTimestamps:[00:01:42] Marc: How can I help?[00:03:04] Seeking scalable growth, designing course together. Overcoming limitations, multiplying impact. Creating opportunities for financial freedom and family support.[00:06:38] Money, time, impact, outcome, consultants, process, business.[00:10:25] Value building and sharing proof is crucial.[00:14:23] Framework with 5 profit paths, community building.[00:18:52] Transformational coaches and consultants creating impactful movements.[00:20:58] Focus on three lines of business.[00:27:36] Excite sales, similar to past offer. Framework aligned.[00:30:26] No thoughts on creating Excite community, but need to focus on marketing.[00:34:19] Flowchart steps to move people effectively. Customer journey mapping in sales funnels.[00:37:47] Small but mighty, excite profit, create transformation, community profit path.[00:39:05] Flexible workshop schedule, from weekly to yearly.[00:45:14] Referrals, social content, discovery call, paid course.[00:47:42] 20 sales day, 15 calls weak, list constraint.More About The Guest:She is an award-winning community experience designer, strategist, and entrepreneur. She’s been featured in Forbes, Reader's Digest, Fox News, The Huffington Post, NBC, and The Austin-American Statesman for her work in creating profitable enterprises that do good in the world. Maruxa believes in empowering all individuals to live their fullest lives, and her work has been instrumental in bringing people together to create positive change.To learn more about Maruxa, visit: https://www.revolutionarycommunities.com/About The Host:Marc helps experts scale their impact in the form of high-ticket courses, programs, VIP days, and masterminds (without losing the deep impact of their 1-on-1 work).After helping over 1,000 entrepreneurs, he created his Product Flywheel Framework to help the next 1,000 do it faster. Learn more at: https://8020solutions.co

This week on the Modern Consultant, I have the honor of hosting Jhana Li.Jhana first stumbled into Operations 5 years ago, while traveling full-time in a converted van through North & South America. Since then, she's been COO at 2 successful startups, directly consulted over thirty 7- & 8- figure businesses, and coached hundreds more. She helps founders scale their businesses & scale themselves out of the day-to-day by training their Operator to become the Second-In-Command. Her mission lies in transforming purpose-based businesses into vehicles for growth & good. For more details visit: www.spyglassops.comTopics We Cover:1. Delivering Immediate ROI2. The Importance of Strategic Vision3. Living in the Future4. The Power of Ops Inspection5. Tailoring the ApproachTimestamps:[00:02:51] Ideal client: digital startup founder struggling to scale.[00:06:38] Focused on social media, attracting leads/clients.[00:07:27] Narrowing down sources, conversion rates, messaging, triggers.[00:11:37] Language change, business future, goals ahead.[00:15:36] Crafting content for social media channels effectively.[00:20:02] Feedback wanted: Content too intellectual, seeking thoughts. Note: Perceived authority vs simpler communication.[00:22:07] Feel upset about inauthentic language and ego.[00:26:16] Comprehensive audit helps clear business bottlenecks.[00:28:58] Unclear strategic vision causes business bottlenecks.[00:33:57] Focused on solution, solving problems, leadership transformation.[00:37:07] Immediate ROI and clarity within 1 week.[00:40:16] Fixed numbers, 6 pillars, 25 categories, CEO goals.[00:42:54] Serving clients, solving problems - language is key.[00:46:08] Diagnostic survey identifies operational bottleneck with 38.9% completion rate.[00:49:07] 60-90 days to bring results for audience acquisition.About The Host:Marc helps experts scale their impact in the form of high-ticket courses, programs, VIP days, and masterminds (without losing the deep impact of their 1-on-1 work).After helping over 1,000 entrepreneurs, he created his Product Flywheel Framework to help the next 1,000 do it faster. Learn more at: https://8020solutions.co

This week on the Modern Consultant, I have the honor of hosting Brian Kurtz.Brian Kurtz has been a serial direct marketer for over 40 years. He had two careers. The first spanned 34 years as a force behind Boardroom Inc., an iconic publisher and direct marketer.His second career, which he is seven years into as the Founder of Titans Marketing, is a direct marketing educational and coaching company where he has also continued working with the best-of-the-best, including past guests on The Modern Consultant (Jay "$50B man" Abraham & Kevin "CopyChief.com" Rogers)===============Topics We Cover:1. The value of testing and optimizing your offers to increase front-end revenue.2. The benefits of single variable testing in promotions and understanding the elements that contribute to success.3. The relevance of lifetime value in marketing and how it can be better understood through the RFN framework (recency frequency monetary).4. Strategies for attracting qualified individuals to higher-tier offers, such as mastermind programs.5. The crucial role of getting the elements of marketing right – creative, audience, and media selection – in achieving success.6. The importance of renewability and continuity in business for sustainability and growth.7. The impact of creative elements, such as fresh copy and messaging, on response rates.===============References and Links:https://overdeliverbook.combriankurtz.nethttps://8020solutions.co===============Timestamps:[00:04:30] Lifelong learner joins titans of direct response.[00:05:23] Direct mail: not dead, but still discipline.[00:14:52] Chris is the architect, franchise ride, Gene Schwartz. Barbara's royalty arrangement, deceased Gene's popularity, 2 books profiling advertising legends, stroke.[00:20:10] Author shares valuable business insights with personal motivation.[00:21:31] Family. Email. List. Blog. Online channel.[00:28:42] I have 19 keynote presentations honoring mentors.[00:36:00] Experienced entrepreneur builds successful company, not startup.[00:42:41] Test your front end offer regularly.[00:43:44] Test offers for increased front end results.[00:50:33] Creative messaging is crucial for business success.[00:56:18] Found potential partner in website analysis. Joined Mastermind at $20,000. Promote Titans Accelerator as affordable high-level option.[01:02:04] Curious about opinions on a specific approach.[01:08:01] Understanding lifetime value, RFM, and satisfaction.[01:17:29] Missed lower ticket products earlier; business foundation weaker.[01:20:07] "Opt in for exclusive interviews at briankurtz.net"===============More About The Guest:Brian Kurtz is a Founder of Titans Marketing, is a direct marketing educational and coaching company where he has also continued working with the best-of-the-best.Titans Marketing is known for two (soon to be three) mastermind groups, an array of classic books and swipe files Brian has re-published and created…and he is the author of two books himself.His most recent book is Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing. It is his opus (but not a memoir).His first book, The Advertising Solution, profiles six legends of advertising and copywriting including Gene Schwartz and Gary Halbert.As a business-to-consumer marketer at Boardroom, Brian was responsible for selling over a billion dollars’ worth of products “$39 at a time” to millions.As a business-to-business marketer with Titans Marketing, he has sold over $5 million worth of products (and services) to thousands, enabling them to spread the gospel about direct marketing to millions.During both careers, he has been a serial direct marketer, with a foundation in the eternal truths and fundamentals of direct response…while being committed to “overdelivering” over almost four decades.===============About The Host:Marc helps experts scale their impact in the form of high-ticket courses, programs, VIP days, and masterminds (without losing the deep impact of their 1-on-1 work).After helping over 1,000 entrepreneurs, he created his Product Flywheel Framework to help the next 1,000 do it faster. Learn more at: https://8020solutions.co

A few weeks ago, we had about 350,000 email subscribers and now it's about 600,000+ subscribers which changes our focus from getting more subscribers to "how do we convert?"This week, I take you behind the scenes of how I'm doing that for an active client project. For confidentiality reasons, I can't share everything but here's what I do cover:-Average email open rate (as of Sept 2023 from a database of 200M emails)-How I’m getting 150%-250% higher email open rates -Why 2,210 people asked us to sell them something-2 kinds of emails I send in every campaign-3 subject line templates you can use right nowTimestamps:[00:01:52] Kinds of emails, subject line templates, selling principles.[00:05:30] September 2023 email open rates: 20-40%[00:07:58] High click-through rate and promising open rates.[00:10:31] Lead magnet engages, then address problem, introduce other offerings.[00:16:16] Point: Underline that sales disagreements may upset. Email template example discussing nonfunctional workaholism and escapism.[00:20:37] Common sticking points in achieving goals. Credibility through third party references. Effective subject line template for emails.---More about what I'm up to is over at https://8020solutions.co

This week on the Modern Consultant, I have the honor of hosting Daniel Ferrari.At first glance, he looks like a surfer and that's because he is.When he's not taming the Pacific Ocean on a board, you might find him riding boardroom-level profits for his clients as a fractional CMO with over 10 years of direct marketing and sales experience.​​Professional Highlights: In a nutshell...Enterprise marketing for the Intelligence community: He studied Commerce, Finance, and Marketing in undergrad before getting scooped up by Booz Allen Hamilton, the 100+ year old multi-billion dollar consulting firm that specializes in intelligence. He turned complex strategic communication into something people were excited to pay for.​50% of new customers for a 9-figure Fintech company: After that, he joined the crew of Motley Fool - a 9-figure direct-marketing driven technology company that focuses on financial products and services. By the end of his time there, he was responsible for 50% of new customers.​Then he went rogue: For close to 10 years, he's been the secret weapon to 7, 8, and 9-figure D2C (direct-to-consumer) brands. Specialties including but not limited to fractional CMO services, funnel strategy, offer development, and sales copy.Personal Highlights: We've been friends for almost 10 years. We met Jay Abraham for the first time at the same time (back in 2014). Worked out at the same gym. Traveled to multiple marketing conferences together. Hung out at Agora Inc - 9-figure direct response driven company based in Baltimore. Birthday parties. That sort of thing.Topics We Cover:1. Timing is Everything: Knowing when to make a claim in the sales cycle can make all the difference, depending on the target market.2. The Power of Investment: The more a customer invests in the initial marketing interaction, the more open they become to further engagement and claims.3. Balancing Specific Outcomes and Intangible Benefits: Different price points require different approaches when it comes to focusing on either concrete outcomes or intangible benefits.4. Scaling Strategies: When scaling a business, consider a top-down or bottom-up approach to pricing and delivery to cater to different customer needs.5. Aligning Brand and Offer with Universal Desires: By understanding the core desires of your target audience, you can tailor your marketing strategies to create a strong connection and drive sales.References and Links:- "Spent" by Dr. Jeffrey Miller - a book that translates base-level human desires into effective marketing strategies.Timestamps:[00:04:57] Pricing strategy for scaling online coaching businesses.[00:06:25] Product-driven marketing: individual or group approach. Use webinars, book calls, etc. Then scale and make it appropriate for the price point.[00:13:35] Scaling human-driven fulfillment is challenging, but possible. There are constraints in terms of manpower. Consider delivering a valuable package at a lower level and reducing guidance or coaching time.[00:18:04] Interactive status, broad outcome definition, product development, easier marketing, selling points, copywriting, intangible benefits.[00:28:24] Demonstration, storytelling, and case studies are important.[00:35:02] Sales cycle length impacts message timing. Hook later.[00:38:36] Sequencing customer journey, map touch points. Offer suite, sequence engagement with products. Layering.[00:44:26] "Water time yields professional focus and growth."[00:47:49] Tango dancers: connect or feel free.[00:56:45] Awareness, experience, emotions, targeting, product portfolio.[01:02:04] Scaling and maturing businesses seek distribution.[01:07:39] Learned lesson: deals hold significant weight in business.[01:09:52] Crowded, quiet beach days. Seals, rays, nostalgia.[01:16:22] Check out the show and subscribe for more.More About The Guest:Daniel is a Copywriter and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) marketing strategist. He was told recently by Parris Lampropoulos that he's like the character "The Wolf" in Pulp Fiction. He can do anything, solve any problem, perform anywhere. Part of him is a Copywriter, another part is a Copy Chief and Creative Director, and another one is a CMO.Find out more about him at: www.ferrarimedia.comAbout The Host:Marc helps experts scale their impact in the form of high-ticket courses, programs, VIP days, and masterminds (without losing the deep impact of their 1-on-1 work). After helping over 1,000 entrepreneurs, he created his Product Flywheel Framework to help the next 1,000 do it faster. Learn more at: https://8020solutions.co

I'm back with another solo episode. If you missed the last two episodes, watch them for full context. The first few seconds of this episode are a recap clip from my episode with Jay Abraham, the $50B man (that's how much he's generated for his private clients in profit).Then, the following episode, I introduce the 9-step roadmap I'm using to drive all client results through the end of 2024.Finally, in this episode, I share:- Problems you run into at each step- How to solve them- Results my clients are having at various stepsHighlights:- Step 3: We added 372,424 email subscribers in 1 day (client update)- Step 9: Building a sales system that can handle a $1M per month without sales calls.Full Episode on YouTube:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gzE15sRpkGY?si=-8Ko7TxpTjLp1R10" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Find out more about what I'm up to here: https://8020solutions.co/

Audience is who you serve. Offers are what you serve. Sales are how you tell them about the offers.Simple to say, not so simple to execute, which is why I shared 80/20's new process roadmap on a team meeting this morning. On that call, I shared how we'll be serving our 1-on-1 clients through 2024 to start, grow, and scale every one of those systems.If you're a current client (or you're planning to work with us in the next 3 months), then this one is mandatory.Y'all are busy though so instead of a 2-hour podcast, I recorded a walkthrough podcast episode that's just 10 minutes long.You can get it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts but if you want to actually SEE the roadmap, then it makes sense to watch the YouTube video.Personally, I'm excited for this for a couple reasons:Small List: We've got a case study that shows how just 3 of these steps were used to generate $40,200 in 4 weeks from a list of 20 people.Bigger List: We're using all 9 steps right now for 500,000+ emails in a campaign that starts next week.It's a scalable framework, basically - no switching and hopping around. Just do one thing that works, and keep getting better at doing it.Yes, it's designed to help you go from 1-on-1 to 1-to-many, but let's be real about what it's really designed to do:Grow revenue for your expertise-based business.

Episode at a Glance:Watch The Episode Trailer:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PSv97s9CqxA?si=V8zWRXPqy3jMNVI4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unusual Highlights:You can acquire just a part of a business.Want more buyers? Acquire a list of buyers.Want more leads? Acquire a traffic source.Want more sales? Acquire a sales process, tech, or team.Want a better product? Acquire a related product.Acquiring a business (or just the part you need) can cost $0.My Personal Take:Whether you lead a team of 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 - in this episode, Jay will introduce you to a concept he calls:Hyperexponential growth.Yes, you can get ahead with incremental growth. Yes, you can lead your industry with exponential growth. But, if you focus on hyperexponential growth - then the only competition you’ll ever have are the limits of your own imagination.Once the introduction to the concept is done, he will share with you __ strategies to go from idea to installation inside your business.That said, if you’ve already know Jay, then you know he compresses decades of expertise into a single paragraph.Should you take the time to unpack it, the 6-7-8 or 9-figure profit potential for you, your business, and team, is yours for the taking.To decide on which and how much value you’d like to gift yourself right now, then scan what’s inside this episode in the following order:Themes: See the bigger ideas.Concepts: See “atomic elements” that make the bigger ideas work.Timestamps: See exactly where the themes and concepts get brought to life through stories and examples.Themes:1. The Power of Collaboration: Jay emphasizes the importance of collaborating with individuals who have different skills and knowledge. By working together, you can achieve breakthroughs and create opportunities that you may not have thought possible.2. Acquisition Strategies to Create Wealth: Jay unveils the power of acquiring businesses or assets as a means of solving problems or creating new opportunities. He shares examples of individuals who have achieved massive wealth by mastering acquisition methodologies.3. Strategic Thinking vs. Tactical Thinking: Jay highlights the difference between being strategic and being tactical in business and life. He encourages listeners to shift their mindset to think strategically and explore new avenues for growth and impact.4. Max ROI without personal funds: Jay shares strategies for generating massive returns on investment without using personal funds. He reveals how passive investors can make multiples of thousands of percent a year on their investments.Concepts:AQUIREpreneur: The next level of entrepreneurship.EPIC: Ethically earn enormous profits in a time of crisis.The 3 (core) ways to grow a business.The 3 (advanced) ways to grow a business.9 more drivers of growth: marketing, strategy, capital, business model, relationships, distribution channels, products and services, process/procedures/systems, ideology9 Sticking Points of growth: Nine questions to self-diagnose your own barriers to growth.12 Strategic Pillars: Twelve ways to continuously optimize the profitability and impact of your business.More.Timestamps of Key Moments:[00:03:37] Acquisition for business growth and wealth creation: Jay discusses the benefits of acquiring established businesses and using acquisition as a growth strategy for increasing income and wealth. He also highlights various methods and categories for growing a business, including referrals, marketing, and acquiring competitors or assets. [00:10:29] Book acquisition amplifies business success and wealth: Acquire successful book rights, add chapters, profit. Increase income and sellable value of your business.[00:17:05] Introduction to Jay’s Profit Maximization Strategies: 3 ways to grow a business, penetrating new markets, and optimizing revenue systems. Common sticking points in business. Relevancy. Much more.[00:31:36] Growth Strategies Cont’d: Maximize advertising and access, make deals for funding and revenue shares, and find experts or products/services to increase yield.[00:36:13] Massive wealth creation, collaboration, growth, solving problems, strategic thinking, acquiring businesses, incentivizing launches.[00:43:34] Building wealth to make a meaningful impact:  Achieving economic success can lead to helping more people and making a difference in the world.References Mentioned:BOOK: Business Wealth Without Risk - Available for Pre-order on Amazon.comBOOK LAUNCH: Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, 11a PDT / 2p EDT. Register here.WORKSHEET: Jay Abraham’s “How To Get The Most Out Of Asking Critical Business Questions”WEBSITE: Find more about Jay at Abraham.com.People and Businesses Mentioned:Roland Frasier - co-author of Business Wealth without Risk, CEO Co-founder/principal of 6 different Inc. Magazine fastest growing companies.Daymond John - Investor on “Shark Tank”, CEO of FUBU.Gino Wickman - founder of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)Tony Robbins - business and life strategistBrian Tracy - Motivational speaker and self-development author.Federal Express - mentioned as an example of a breakthrough that borrowed a hub and spoke check clearing process from the Federal Reserve Bank to revolutionize the overnight package delivery industry.Rogaine - mentioned as an example of a product that found success in a different market than its original intended use.Viagra - mentioned as an example of a product that found success in a different market than its original intended use.About The Host:Marc Aarons, is host of The Modern Consultant Podcast and founder of 8020Solutions.co.Each week on the podcast, Marc talks with service leaders who want to make the world a better place.At 80/20, he helps service experts launch “1-to-many” courses, coaching, and consulting offers.To move faster, book a call.