The $100 MBA Show

That’s right: we said “only.”In our considerable experience, we’ve only found 3 ways to make our business stand out. In fact, we’ve only seen other businesses stand out in one of these 3 ways. Whatever you sell, you have to differentiate in order to compete.In fact, “differ” and “compete” may as well be the same word when it comes to business.But there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Today, we’ll outline the 3 categories of differentiation, and offer some great examples of companies who’ve found their groove with each one. We’ll also discuss how we do it ourselves, with our own SaaS business.We’ll also discuss how not to compete, because it’s not likely to work out in your favor.Tune in, and learn how to pick the fights you can win. Remember, competition is a sign that there’s a big enough market to sustain you. All you have to do is figure out what corner of that market is yours, and yours alone. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We live in a golden age of political bipartisanship, religious tolerance, and cooperation among people of diverse viewpoints.Just kidding, we live in a never-ending mosh pit of political and social rock-hurling. So what does that mean for your business? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one Mommy Blogger decide whether to share her convictions, or zip it before she scares half her customers away.More importantly, we’re discussing how much you should share about your own views.Is revealing your most firmly held convictions part of being transparent, open, and relatable? Isn’t that what we’re always telling entrepreneurs to do these days? Or is your voting record and choice of deity TMI? Is business the right forum for any of that stuff?Spoiler alert: it depends. Today, we’ll discuss what to ask yourself before you over or under-share. Click Play!To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a ridiculously valuable, totally free resource you’re not using. It has all the information you need to target an audience, build them the perfect product, and stand out in your space.That’s right, Amazon (you read the title, didn’t you?).The “everything store” isn’t just a behemoth of online retail. It’s a treasure trove of reviews, complaints, wishes, and everything else you need to figure out what the heck consumers actually want. Today, we’ll explain how to mine Amazon for the data you need, and use it to create your next product. By extracting some key insights from Amazon, you can figure out exactly how to differentiate your business and completely nail your next offering. Plus, we’ll mention a few other websites where you can find similar info.Amazon has done a lot of work to get this data together. Take advantage! Click Play.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you started speaking yet? You don’t have to be Tony Robbins to use the power of public speaking to grow your business. Even if you don’t plan to make a living off your speeches, you can build incredible authority and elevate your brand by delivering just a few talks per year. And if that seems wildly impossible for you, listen to today’s special guest teacher, Grant Baldwin.Grant is a speaking coach extraordinaire who’s helped thousands of people move their business forward with speaking engagements. He’s an accomplished speaker, author, and entrepreneur who also happens to be one other thing: an avowed introvert.That’s right — speaking isn’t just for extroverts.Today, Grant will lay out his “speaker success roadmap,” a step-by-step process for getting your first (or next) speaking gig. He’ll show you how to find your audience, find your venue, and make yourself a true authority on…well, that’s up to you.Tune in, and find out how to take the stage. Click Play!thespeakerlab.comThe Speaker Lab PodcastThe Successful Speaker by Grant BaldwinSUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who do you wish you could get to know? They say the fastest way to an entrepreneur’s heart…Ok, no one says that. But one meal can have a massive impact on your future, if you plan it right. Hosting a dinner is the ultimate networking power move, one that’s worked for us and others time and time again. And yes, you can do it, too.You just need a plan.Today, we’re sharing a few tricks from some of our favorite entrepreneurs on arranging a life-changing get-together. We’ve got a step-by-step process for reaching out to the leaders you admire most, even if they’re nowhere near your own circles.In business, relationships are everything. A friendly dinner can give you all the networking advantages of a conference, at half the cost (or less). Learn how to set it up, make it appealing for invitees, and start making connections.Everyone has to eat — including the fellow entrepreneurs you admire most. Use that, and the results can be astonishing. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who says you have to build a product to build a business?“White Label” products let you market and sell someone else’s creation, under your own brand. It’s a tempting alternative for entrepreneurs whose strengths lie more in marketing and sales than in product development. And it’s a more popular option than ever before.But is it worth it?Today, we’ll review the advantages and disadvantages of going white label. We’ll discuss all the ways it’s easier and less involved than building your own product, and what you lose in exchange for that ease. We’ll also detail exactly what to look for in a good white label product, so you can make sure to hitch your brand wagon to something reliable.The white label approach can be a perfect option for certain kinds of entrepreneurs, or a precursor to a more conventional mode of entrepreneurship. See if it’s a way forward for you, with all the facts in mind. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Online bullying: it isn’t just for middle schoolers. Every business will eventually have a customer who turns rabid, threatening to blast your company all over the Internet if you don’t cave to their (often unreasonable) demands. Here’s what to do next.It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners has a disgruntled customer who wants a refund well past the deadline — or else. Some people think bullying works, because frankly, sometimes it does. Anyone who’s ever been on social media knows that people aren’t always their best online. So how do you handle someone’s worst?Is it worth the cost of a refund to avoid the drama? Or is it worth an attack on your reputation to stand your ground?Today we discuss both possible answers, and the pros and cons of each. The cost/benefit analyses of both approaches are worth considering, and may differ from business to business. Either way, it’s best to be prepared. Click Play!To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Conferences were always going to go digital. Enter the online summit, a virtual gathering of industry pros that might offer the same (or similar) benefits to the analog version. These summits are more popular each year, with entire businesses built around hosting and promoting them. What does that mean for you?We’ve sponsored online summits, and been asked to sponsor others. Deciding whether it was worth it for us took some serious calculating. Today, we’d like to share our formula. How can you determine the ROI of sponsoring a conference?More importantly, how can you make sure you actually get the return you expect?We’ll discuss how to determine if a given summit is worth your sponsorship. Take the steps we outline, and you’ll get a better sense of the cost per lead involved, and whether putting your name on the virtual banners is smart marketing or not. There’s huge potential in sponsoring summits — but only if the numbers add up. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Conventional wisdom: how wise is it?That’s the question Eric Barker asks in Barking Up The Wrong Tree, a super-entertaining challenge to everything you thought you knew about business. In this highly original, inventive look at the usual advice about success, Barker takes aim at the most well-established assumptions. Commonly held beliefs about everything from education to confidence to productivity are all shaken down in a ruthless pursuit of truth — however uncomfortable it might be.Put simply, this book changed our minds.Today, we’ll discuss three of the most “Holy Crap” insights this book offers. It’s less about debunking, and more about reconsidering, with a thoughtful, un-self-serious approach. Barker begs to differ, but he doesn’t preach. This subversion of all the classic assumptions isn’t just thought-provoking. It’s downright fun. Take a look at what you believe, and see what a little critical thinking can do to give you a better sense of how to achieve success. Click Play!Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric BarkerAudibleDiscover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hiring the best employees is no easy task. That task is further complicated when the perfect fit happens to be the relative, friend, or significant other of someone on your team.Trust me, we’ve been there.When you get a referral from a trusted employee, is that a good thing? Today, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having deep personal connections between staff. Having briefly employed his own sibling, our host Omar has unique insight into the whole experience.What if the personal relationship goes south? What if the professional relationship is too personal? Is a family recommendation a perfect endorsement, or a perfect liability?We’ll explore all this, plus other complications that can ensue. One of our best hires was the sister of an established employee, so we know what it looks like when keeping it in the family goes well. Listen in, weigh the pros and cons, and be ready to decide for yourself if someone on your team shares genes — or anything else — with your next ideal candidate. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.