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Online Growth Systems

Articles

How to Use Virtual Background in Zoom Without Green Screen

1/25/2021

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Getting bored in those Zoom meetings? It might be time to switch it up (and be annoying to your favorite co-workers). Whether you know it or not, Zoom has a feature which is essentially a virtual greenscreen that pops up behind you. And yes, you can even upload your own pictures. 
​

Key Takeaways
  1. How virtual backgrounds technologically work,
  2. How to make your virtual background look real, and
  3. How to upload your own virtual background

🛠 Behind the Backgrounds

The mechanics of virtual backgrounds are not necessarily new to the graphics industry. Similar to technology that has been traditionally used in photo and video for the last several years, backgrounds are based off of 2 main technologies. Light and color, which can technically be referred to as Contrast Tracking and Chroma Keying, are the basis for those technologies.

Contrast tracking is the main method of composition for the Virtual backgrounds in Zoom. In most cases, your face and body are the brightest part of the image during a Zoom call. This is why people tend to disappear into the abyss of virtual nothingness when they move away from the camera! There is no longer enough contrast between you and your (real) background for tracking.

Chroma keying is the secondary method of composition for the Virtual backgrounds in Zoom. You’ve probably heard of using green screens, which is what Chroma Keying can be based off of. “Chroma” meaning color, literally means “Color Keying”. Keying is a term in post-production meaning to replace one piece of image data with another. In this case? Switch the green pixels from green to your fabulous ocean background image. Zoom has a toggle in the software that allows you to say “I have a greenscreen” in which the software will switch its tracking method.
​

⭐️ Take it to Hollywood

Now that you know more about how Zoom technically works, it’s time to make yourself look good. One of the first things many people forget about when it comes to Zoom calls isn't even about the background, it’s about you. Yes, you, smile more! Showing your expression via video conferencing is a surefire way to engage with your callers more than a background would. 

Once you get the smiling out of the way, it’s time to find some light. Natural lightning is the best every single time. This isn't only true for Zoom calls, but movies, pictures, and even architecture all thrive in natural lighting. If that’s not an option, do your best to make sure the space is well lit. 

💻 Curate Your Collection

Congrats, you’re ready to actually have fun in meetings again! Now, it’s time to choose your background and upload your favorites. Both Zoom and Google Meet allow you to upload pictures and even blur them out. 

For Zoom: Start by logging in/opening Zoom on your computer. The the upper right corner, you will see a gear icon. Click the gear to open the main menu. On the left hand side, all of the categories will appear. Select the “Background & Filters” option. You are now free to choose any of the backgrounds Zoom provides, or upload your own by selecting the plus icon.

For Google Meet: Start by getting into a meeting either by yourself or with a peer. In the lower right corner, select the 3 dot ellipses. A popup will appear with different options, select Change Background. You will then see a side window open with all of the options Google provides and 4 buttons. The buttons function accordingly: Turn off backgrounds, slightly blur your background, blur your background, and use image from disk.

📄 In Conclusion

Virtual backgrounds are a great way to mix things up when it comes time to meet. Upload a picture of your favorite place to feel at home, or an embarrassing picture of a co-worker (within reason…). Virtual backgrounds were made possible by video editing technology that was ingeniously applied to video communication and has been a hit ever since.
​

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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
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Quotes

“All I did to fix the issue was move to a different spot in the room. If you’re home, I would highly recommend turning on as many lights as you can and getting into some natural light if you have that as an option.”

Scott Millard

“The number one recommended thing to do is actually have a green screen. It’s totally not necessary, but if the virtual backgrounds are something that's super important to you, go for it."

Scott Millard

“It’s a great way to show your own personality and style. Even though Dick and I have the same logo, we can still have different backgrounds.”

Scott Millard

“It’s a great way to close deals. We have actually used logos and assets we have designed for clients as virtual backgrounds during meetings.”

Dick Polipnick

About the Guest

Scott Millard
Entrepreneur, Artist, and Associate Creative Director at Online Growth Systems

 Scott is a versatile entrepreneur and designer involved in ventures ranging from Real Estate to Marketing and anything in-between. With project experience encompassing the likes of Film, Photography, Design, Operational Management, Customer Experience and more, Scott is a truly adaptable key component in any industry. With an acute ability to visualize and solve creatively, Scott has brought precise solutions to a multitude of clients and teams regardless of the task at hand. 
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Google Meet
Zoom
Shutterstock
​

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Webinar: The ROAST of Social Media (and what’s working)
Webinar: TACTICAL Marketing Strategies You Can Start Using Today


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How to Increase Audience Engagement on Social Media

1/21/2021

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Have you ever tried to interact with your favorite brand, only to hear nothing back? This is the reason community management exists! Whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, engaging with your audience is critical to gaining a positive reputation, boosting sales, and more.

Key Takeaways:

  1. What community management and audience engagement are,
  2. How to initiate the engagement process, and
  3. How to increase conversion rates through incentives.

📚 The Basics of Engagement and Management
Chances are you have done engagement yourself, but you didn't even realize it! Community management is the same as audience engagement, and it can be roughly defined as ‘interacting with your active audience through comments, messages, replies, and more.’ Community management is incredibly important to your profiles and business as it shows consumers you can be trusted, you care, have quality work, and more. If you asked a store clerk a question, and they didn’t respond, would you even end up buying from that store?

📤 Start the Conversation
It’s important to realize that only a small percentage of your audience will naturally engage without being prompted to. Think about it, nearly all content you see never has over a few thousand comments or replies - no matter how many millions of views it has. Start by taking simple steps like asking your audience to comment, and leaving your own comment at the top of the section. Ask a prompting question to make your audience feel like they are heard! Examples: “Have you used this product before? What did you think?” or, “Tell me your 3 favorite ______, GO!” Make sure whenever possible that your comments are pinned and liked, as this will get a higher chance for your audience to see it.

🏆 Reward your Community
Community management is important in and of itself, but you want to leverage the benefits to their maximum potential. The easiest and most surefire way to increase your conversion with management is to offer incentives to active audience members. When engaging, attach sales offers and direct links to the end of your replies. In doing so, you will be removing any barriers to the customer from buying.

📄 In Conclusion
Community management is key to the success of your social media accounts and ultimately your business. It provides a way for consumers to get in touch with you, and trust that what you have to offer is high quality and readily available. Engagement provides additional conversion opportunities with the offer of coupons, direct links, and sales!
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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
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Quotes

“This is one of the most powerful services you can do when it comes to social media.”
Dick Polipnick

“It keeps people involved, it keeps people engaged, and it keeps people interested in your business.”
Dick Polipnick

“Just as what a store associate does for brick and mortar businesses, community management does for online businesses.”
Dick Polipnick
​
“If someone asks a question regarding a product and you don’t give a valid answer, you have a ZERO percent chance of closing that sale.”
Dick Polipnick
​

About the Host


​Dick Polipnick
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder, and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.
The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.
In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest.

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Organic Reach vs Paid Reach
​

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How Does Retargeting Work for Advertisements?
TACTICAL Marketing Strategies You Can Start Using Today



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Build an Online Presence with Search Engine Listings

1/14/2021

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You’ve probably seen it before. You go to search for your favorite business on Google, and a big information box comes up on the side of the search results! Fortunately, that box is just the beginning of what’s possible when it comes to advertising your business. Welcome to search engine listings.

Key Takeaways

  1. What the differences are between search engines and listings,
  2. How to rank higher than your competitors, and
  3. Where you can create listings for your business.
🔎 Search Engines and Listings: The Basics

Before leveraging the power of search engine listing management, it’s important to understand how they work. In a nutshell, search engines were built and designed to show people what they want. Read that again, “what they want”. So, because listings live within search engines, they follow the same rule. Understanding that this is the basis of how search engines work is key to understanding why optimization is so important (check out this SEO article for more). It is also for this reason that your competitors could be beating you! 

🥇Beat Your Competitors 

If someone searches for, “Hardware store near me” and a big name brand listing shows up instead of a small business, it’s because users are more likely to be looking for the big name brand. The same applies to your business. If you aren't the most popular in town, don’t worry. 

There are a lot of options that could help you rank higher, but we are going to focus on listings. The easiest place to start is with Google. Do you have Google My Business set up? Do you have a location on Google Maps within Google My Business? Having a profile set up and validated will help Google rank you higher than competitors, especially if they haven’t done it yet. The same goes for all search engines.


🔋 The Options are Endless

The first step to creating search engine listings is to get active in search engines in the first place. This typically means building a website or profile, and if you don’t have either one of those in the 21st century, you may have bigger issues. As mentioned above, Google is a great place to start, but there are plenty of other options. Check out this comprehensive list below! Most of these platforms have a similar process during the setup phase!

Google My Business
Google Maps (The same as Google Business)
Bing Places
Yahoo
Foursquare
Yelp
Yellow Pages
Trust Pilot
​


📄 In Conclusion

Search engine listing management is a powerful concept when used to its full extent. It allows your customers to have a higher level of access to your business, and the information they need to interact with it. Search engines help place your listings, and there is a wide range of engines available including Google, Yelp, Bing, and more.

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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Quotes


“A search engine is things like Bing, Google, Yahoo, really anything that you can search online.”
Dick Polipnick


“Listings are businesses, pages, blog posts, and items listed within a search engine.”
Dick Polipnick

​

About the Host

Dick Polipnick
​Serial Entrepreneur, Founder, and CEO of Online Growth Systems


Guest Profile: Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Organic Reach vs Paid Reach

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How Does Retargeting Work for Advertisements?
TACTICAL Marketing Strategies You Can Start Using Today

0 Comments

What is Content Creation for Social Media?

1/12/2021

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With the current state of social media, it can be a daunting task to hold your audience's attention for more than two seconds. Luckily, content creation has made it easier than ever before to increase audience retention, engagement, and even conversion. Ranging from a simple blog post to a complex short-film, here is what you need to know about today’s state of content.

Key Takeaways

🎬 What content creation actually is,

🏆Who owns custom content and how copywriting works, and
⚖️How to create captivating content.

🎬 What is Content Creation?

Content creation can be defined as taking an idea, or other pieces of information, and synthesizing it into something an audience can view or interact with, oftentimes, to target a specific customer or audience profile. Content creation may mean something different to your business than, say, your friend’s business. There are many different types of content leverage, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. These include written content, photo content, video content, design/ar-based content, and more. 

🏆 Create Winning Content 

Winning content can be relatively agreed upon as engaging, visually appealing, thought-provoking, relatable, and entertaining. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to produce content that checks all of these boxes, but the right balance is more than achievable. Yes, you can do it!
Before creating your winning content, prompt yourself with a few of these guideline questions.
Audience: Who is my audience? > What are their interests? > Why are they following in the first place? > What would they like to see?
Brand: What does my brand stand for? > What is my brand recognized for? > How can I visually express its values?

Relevant Information: What statistics or information can I use to grab the attention of my audience? > What information will enhance my content? > What information will detract from my content?

SEO: What are currently trending topics? > What are the most searched keywords related to my information? > How can I tailor my content to these guidelines for searchability?

⚖️ Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal
Unless you have been directly affected by copyright infringement and licensing, you may have not stopped twice to think about it. After all, creative assets are just art, right? Good artists copy, great artists steal? Well, not exactly. 

A majority (actually all, unless otherwise specified) of the files you have used before from Google Images, videos downloaded from YouTube, music and podcasts listened to, all have original creators. News flash: most of those creators don’t want to be starving artists! So, enter licensing and copyrighting.

Without going into too much detail, make sure whatever you are using when creating your content has a legal connection to you or your business. Do you need to buy a license? Is it stated that it’s royalty-free? Is it not available for distribution at all? We are not your lawyer, so we don’t know, but we would recommend taking this part seriously.

📄 In Conclusion
Content creation is becoming more and more prevalent as time goes on. It’s engaging and keeps your audience entertained or informed. Written content, photo content, video content, and design/art-based content provide a range of options for you to choose from. Just remember to consult your legal professional sometime during your creative process!
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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Quotes

“At the end of the day, content creation is when you take something from scratch and create it for the purpose of targeting a specific customer.”

“Make sure you clarify copyrights and ownership of content when sending a contract”

“Depending on the agency, they may retain rights to certain images, but at the end of the day it’s content that’s original.”

“Somebody out there is either going to like a video or dislike a video. Know what your target customers like and dislike and then use content creation to target those customers.”

​About the Host

Dick Polipnick
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder, and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest."

​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems

You May Also Like

The ROAST of Social Media (and what’s working)
Social Media Strategy Development for BEGINNERS!  


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How Does Retargeting Work for Advertisements?

1/8/2021

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Have you ever ran an advertisement that didn’t work? Or maybe you had an advertisement work, but it was sheer luck? Chances are, it was missing retargeting capabilities! In today’s episode, you’ll learn why retargeting ads are so important and what you can do to start using them.
​

Key Takeaways
  1. What Retargeting Ads are and how they work,
  2. Why retargeting ads can significantly increase your revenue, and
  3. How you can get started with retargeting ads

🎯
What are Retargeting Ads?


​By definition, retargeting ads are, well… Ads that can retarget! Compared to normal advertisements, they are much more efficient, accurate, and predictable. How do they work? Similar to normal advertisements, retargeting ads need a desired outcome. For example, let’s say a car dealership wants customers to visit their location. The dealership could utilize normal advertising like a billboard, or they could run a retargeting ad through Facebook. Check out how they stack up against each other below!

Normal Ad: Customers see the billboard, and there's a small chance they take any further action.

Retargeting Ad: Customers casually visit the dealership’s website, then leave. At this point, there is still a small chance they take any further action; however, after they leave, they go browse Facebook, and a custom advertisement for the dealership is shown to them. This same ad may be shown multiple times until the point the customer seriously considers visiting!

💰 Get Rich Quick: Increasing Your Revenue

To put it simply, your revenue is bound to increase significantly just from using retargeting ads. The possibilities for who you want to target and what you want to target them for are limitless. Want to target previous customers who have only bought your most expensive product? Done. Want to only target corporate executives that work at a Fortune 500 company and have searched for a particular keyword in the last three
days? Done. The advantage of having the ability to select the timing of the ad based on the behavior of the viewer cannot be stressed enough!

🗺 How to Get Started and Where to Go
Okay, you’re convinced. So, how do you get started as easily as possible? If you don’t want to hire a professional, there are free courses available like the ones at https://www.facebook.com/business/learn. Start by learning the basics for the platforms you’re interested in. Don't have the time? Hire a professional to install retargeting code into your website, then get rolling. 
After you have tracking capabilities, determine your goals, and base the advertisements on those goals. You could get more site visitors, readers, sales, or even hire for an open position. 

📄 In Conclusion
Retargeting advertisements are powerful, flexible, and offer nearly unlimited potential. They work by tracking the behavior of your customers, then strategically displaying ads based on what your customers do. Retargeting ads can increase your revenue nearly overnight with the right campaign and can be installed on your website. 
​

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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Quotes


“I highly recommend hiring someone to install the code on your website or the entire site can crash”
Dick Polipnick

“If you're starting out I would recommend just doing the retargeting because that alone is going to 10X your dollars”
Dick Polipnick

“A regular ad is just going out to people that fit a certain description, but retargeting ads go out to people that have visited your website, bought products from you before, or gone to cart and never checked out.”
Dick Polipnick
​

“All of them [social media platforms] have different settings that can change how the retargeting works.”
Dick Polipnick

About the Host

 Dick Polipnick 
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder, and CEO of Online Growth Systems
​

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.
​

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest.


Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Facebook Pixel
Youtube Analytics
Google Tag Manager
​

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Social Media Strategy for BEGINNERS!
How Social Media Advertising Works | 10x Your ROAS


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Social Media Strategy Development for BEGINNERS!

12/22/2020

0 Comments

 
Have you ever spent money to advertise your business, but lost it all? Maybe you wanted to sell a product, but it seemed like no one wanted to buy it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Millions of advertising dollars are spent every year, but they don’t always have happy endings. Here are some things you’ll learn today to maximize your spending! ​
Key Takeaways
  1. Why you might be advertising to people who don’t care,
  2. How often your strategy should be optimized, and
  3. How to maximize your targeting abilities.
📣 Advertise to YOUR Audience
Imagine this... It’s your first day of retirement, and you’re excited to finally have unlimited time to do your favorite things. Maybe you’re about to travel, golf, volunteer, etc. As you go to check your mail, you come across what looks like an advertisement that reads, “Get ready for back to school! 15% off all supplies”. As you sigh in disappointment, the flyer lands in its new home, the recycling bin. Does this story sound familiar to you? We have all been the recipients of poor ad targeting from time to time, but it doesn't have to be that way! 

When building your strategy, be sure to pay attention to who may be most likely to engage with your product or service. Instead of targeting retirees or using “blanket” direct mail, the flyer from above could have been sent to households with multiple family members under a certain age and within a school district, etc. Demographic information can be found just about anywhere through primary and secondary research. Create surveys, look up census data, and get creative!

⏳ Strategize Frequently 
If you haven't yet noticed, things change fairly quickly in the 21st century. Because information evolves so quickly (especially online), it’s critical to review your strategy at least once per week, if possible! Some weeks, your strategy may not need to change. Other weeks, your strategy may need to be revised, but it’s unlikely you will need to go for a complete change. Make sure to track metrics that let you know if your strategy is working! More on that here: https://youtu.be/LpJVNZmEkjI.

🎯 Maximize Your Targeting Capabilities
In order to have an effective strategy, it’s important to advertise to YOUR audience; however, not every channel allows you to do so. Campaigns using billboards, radio ads, or any other form of traditional advertising often make it difficult to be accurate in your efforts. Instead, opt for social media platforms or search engine programs that allow you to choose the type of demographic you want to target. For example, Facebook produces “lookalike” audiences to help you target the demographic you’re looking for! 

📄 In Conclusion
It only takes a few simple steps to develop your best advertising strategy yet. First, think about who your true audience is. Will they want your product, or do you just think they will? Make sure to check sources of information to build your target demographic. After you know who your target audience is, be sure to meet on a weekly basis to determine if the strategy is working. The best strategies are the ones that are flexible and follow the trends in association with who the target audience is. Lastly, be sure you are able to actually target! Use platforms or marketing plans that will enable you to reach the maximum number of your target audience. Lastly, track your results; what’s the point of a strategy if you can't see it working?
​

Picture
📽️ Watch the Full Video on YouTube


Quotes


​“
You could be a hotel, and every advertisement you do that's extremely profitable will not be the same strategy that works for a clothing company. Why? Because you're in a different target market and your customers have a different mindset”

Dick Polipnick

“If you’re working with an agency or hired someone in your company to do it for you who is not talking to you on at least a weekly basis about your strategy development and execution, then you’re doing it wrong.”
Dick Polipnick

“This process of stepping back to analyze results, analyze goals, what strategies are working, what strategies are not, etc… needs to be analyzed on a weekly basis, tweaking the strategy then executing it.”
Dick Polipnick
​
“If you're spending thousands of dollars per day, there will be more data to analyze in order to adjust your strategy as you go.”
Dick Polipnick


About the Host


Dick Polipnick
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest."
​

LinkedIn
​Website
​

Links Mentioned


Online Growth Systems
Dick Polipnick's Website
​

You May Also Like


How Social Media Advertising Works | 10x Your ROAS
Monitoring Social Media Analytics and Reporting for Business
0 Comments

The BEAUTY of Customer Experience | Success in Service with Charlotte Howard

12/9/2020

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In a world where businesses have become driven by sales volume and technology, it can be hard to come across genuine and personable customer service. To many, the service industry is just the service industry. But, to some, the service industry is more than just providing them. In today’s interview, Charlotte Howard teaches us invaluable lessons from her years of top-ranking customer service experience. 

Key Takeaways

  1. Why your clients could be dissatisfied,
  2. How keeping up with certificates and licensing could change your life, and
  3. What the most successful entrepreneurs do to succeed every day.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Put Your Clients First
A true introduction to working with clients is having some that are, well…. dissatisfied. As often as this occurs, we typically don’t stop to give much credit to why our clients ended up this way. Excuses in defense of our business can be easy to come up with, but Charlotte thinks differently. In her experience, she has found the happiest clients are the ones you work with holistically, not just on a service basis. Get to know their interests, life occurrences, and tastes, in order to tailor your service specifically to their needs! As she puts it, it’s not just a hairstyle, it’s a personality and ultimately your new identity. Luckily, this applies to more than just hair.
​

📇 Licensed for Life
Whether or not the services you provide require a license is beside the point: It’s always a good idea to keep licenses and certifications active and ready to use. But why? According to Charlotte, the minimal work to keep them active can pay off big time when you least expect it. Many times, you can draw value from a license simply because you have it. Charlotte uses the example that many speaking engagement gigs require you to have certification for what you are speaking about, even if you aren’t necessarily an expert. This can lead to additional income streams, clients, and promotion!

🏆 Be Accountable for Improvement
For years, one of Charlotte's last thoughts every day was, “What did I do today that I can be better at tomorrow?” As simple as it sounds, one small improvement per day can lead to a massive improvement over time. Once you see results, getting in the habit of being accountable for improvement will only get easier. As Warren Buffett once said, “Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”

📄 In Conclusion
It takes more than just service to rise to the top in the service industry. By making an active effort to serve clients holistically, the services you provide will make every customer feel more valued and heard. Through achieving and maintaining licenses and certifications, your options for engagements and endorsements will remain wide open. At the end of each day, remember to ask yourself what you did and what you can do better the next time to hold yourself accountable for improvement!​

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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
​

Quotes

“Let’s say they want to increase their income to six-figures. So, [people should be thinking] what kind of skills do they have that they can present in a unique way to the people they want to present them to?”
Charlotte Howard

“Go out into the field to interview experts and entrepreneurs, then transcribe. Once you compile all of that information it goes out to millions and millions of people. You can take snippets and post them [on your socials].”
Charlotte Howard, discussing promotion without expertise

“The beautiful thing about it is you don't have to be an expert to write a book. You write the book, then hire the experts to edit your book.”
Charlotte Howard

“Education never stops. You have to keep up with the latest trends so you can help your clients and customers reach their goals.”
Charlotte Howard

About the Guest

​ Charlotte Howard 
Founder and CEO of Heart Women Centered Publishing
​

Charlotte Howard is a serial entrepreneur, life coach, author, and women’s beauty specialist. As a women's wealth mentor, Charlotte has helped thousands of fellow entrepreneurs start and breakthrough their own goals. She has received numerous awards including Top Marketing Expert Award, Top Women In Business Mentor Award, and Top Beauty Salon Business Speaker Award. Charlotte's clients have gone on to be featured on Salon Magazine, ABC, NBC, FOX, Black Enterprise, Forbes, and more. 

LinkedIn
Instagram
Website


Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Charlotte's Book
 Pursuit of Happyness
 
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Online Growth Systems Founder Dick Polipnick Wins the Minne Inno Under 25 Award

12/3/2020

0 Comments

 
December 3rd, Minneapolis MN
​

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​In a highly competitive 2020 nomination pool,CEO of Online Growth Systems, Dick Polipnick, is named on the “Under 25” List among 10 others by Minne Inno and The Business Journals.

Dramatic changes in people’s lives can often leave room for new ideas, improvements, or innovations, and that is exactly what 2020 has done. We asked Polipnick about his recognition in a Q&A format, to which he yielded  a thought-provoking perspective.

Question: “What would you say about the events in 2020 and how they have affected innovation?”

Answer: “OGS (Online Growth Systems) has been extremely fortunate in 2020 to be in a position to seize opportunity and grow amidst a pandemic, social unrest, and economic uncertainty. We have had clients on both ends of the spectrum suffering from the events [Restaurants, Schools] but also some that have seen extreme growth this year [Hospitals, Ecommerce, Software, Insurance].”
As Polipnick confirms, the unique sequence of events this year in combination with an entrepreneurial mindset (and some luck) has led to multiple opportunities for him and his company. Similar to the spectrum of outcomes for businesses in particular industries, there seems to be a correlation regarding leaders in business. While some shuttered in fear of failure, others such as Polipnick seized the opportunity of new market growth. 

For the CEO and his company, these opportunities among many included modernizing landing pages for higher conversion, building social campaigns to spread brand awareness, and leading software development projects. 
Online Growth Systems is a full stack digital marketing agency built to make businesses grow. As an evolving agency, OGS delivers results to clients through unique solution based methodologies.

Original Press Release
Organization’s Website
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How Social Media Advertising Works | 10x Your Return on Ad Spend!

12/1/2020

0 Comments

 
If someone told you to give them $16k, would you do it? Most would say no, or at least ask why; however, what if you received nearly $160k in return? Would that change your answer? It may sound improbable, but social media advertising can make it a reality. Here are some of the lessons you will learn to get there:

  1. Why you need to stop making this one mistake immediately.
  2. The major difference you need to know between marketing and advertising.
  3. How to get guaranteed results on your advertisements.

🚨 Stop Doing THIS Right Now
If you are currently running any traditional advertising, stop. Why? Well, for a lot of reasons.

1. Untrackable Results:
Traditional advertising is notorious for having minimal reporting capabilities. Unless you set up a different point of contact for every single ad, it’s next to impossible to measure performance. For example, an “infomercial” runs on TV and the only way to order the product is to call the toll free number. Theoretically, the company can track how many people call, but they don't know things such as: “Did they because of the 6 pm or 9 pm commercial?”, “ Did they even call the same day?”,  “How long were they watching before we were able to convert them?” Questions such as these can be critical to making adjustments to your campaign.

2. Haphazard Targeting:
Let’s say a brand decides to rent a billboard for a month. Depending on the visibility, they may easily get upwards of 100k impressions, but they have no control over who is seeing the actual advertisement. What if they wanted to target women over 40, but a majority of drivers who see the board are men under 30? Once the geographic location is chosen, a billboard has no further targeting capabilities. The same goes for printed mediums and even radio ads!

3. 
Expensive Outlays:


One of the final issues with traditional advertising is cost. While some digital campaigns (non-traditional advertising) give you a daily budget option or otherwise, many traditional routes are flat-fee and upfront payment. Would you rather take out an entire page of the newspaper for a day or spend the same amount and run a targeted campaign for a week? You decide.

💵 Major Differences: Marketing vs Advertising
Before you start pushing ads, it’s important to understand the difference between marketing and advertising. Although similar, marketing has the potential to get the same results as advertising while costing less. Both start out with content creation because you need something to actually post (marketing) or promote (advertising). In most cases, companies hire out the creative work to an agency to which they pay. Once the content is made, you have to weigh the pros and cons. Do you already have a massive following? Then maybe you don’t need to put money behind your posts. Do you want to break into a new follower base? You will probably have better luck breaking in with paid advertising. Every objective has a different set of circumstances, so pay attention to the details.

📱 The Surefire Way to Ad Results
Now that you know what to look out for, let’s cut to the chase. The best way to get crazy results from paid promotions is to fit in. What does that mean? First, find a group of individuals you would like to connect with and be specific! You may have heard this referred to as a “niche’” before, and it really works. Is it married men in their 30s who spend a certain amount of money on food every month? Or, is it female college students looking for a convenient way to get active between classes? Find out what the target demographic is, and cater to them. 
Once you know your target market, create content that they will genuinely enjoy and engage with! The goal of the advertisements is to almost be indistinguishable from a post they would normally see. Once you achieve the right targeting, you can easily get 3-5 impressions for the price of 1.

📄 In Conclusion
There are many options when it comes to advertising, but using the power of social media is the clear winner. With unlimited tracking capabilities, flexible budgeting options, 
and finely tuned niche targeting, 10x-ing your return on ad spend becomes a reality. Are you ready to turn 16k into gold?
​
Picture
📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
​

Quotes

“The best kind of ads are ones that appear to be organic because they’re things that people normally like and interact with”
Dick Polipnick


“If you’re using Facebook advertising, you’re sending money not only to the agency for creating the content, you’re giving Facebook some dollars too [for growing your following]”
Dick Polipnick


“You have to apply tactics for both. You have to create something that makes people share it organically, like it organically, create comments, create camaraderie around the post even though you're paying for people to see it.”
Dick Polipnick


“Just because you’re paying for a post to be seen doesn't mean it can't have organic reach.”
Dick Polipnick

About the Host


​​Dick Polipnick
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest."
​

LinkedIn
​Website
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Facebook Business Manager
0 Comments

How to set and ACHIEVE your Goals with Scrum

11/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Did you know 80% of Americans don’t achieve their New Years’ resolution and actively give up by February 1st? With so many distractions, hitting the goals you care about most can be a massive challenge. Thankfully, there are systems available to help! Using scrum in your personal life can make your goals more clear and more realistic. During this keynote presentation, you will learn... 
​

Key Takeaways
  1. Pivotal secrets the Wolf of Wall Street used to make Millionaires,
  2. How to utilize Agile for realistic goal setting, and
  3. Why Kanban is critical to your workflow.

🐺 Take it from the Wolf
Although Jordan Belfort had his rough moments, there’s no denying that he reached an immeasurable amount of success in a short amount of time. The question is, how did he do it? The Wolf was known for his clear, concise, and aggressive strategies when it comes to achieving goals not only for himself but for others. Here are his six secrets to smash through your obstacles:

1. Reward
​Sure, you can count the outcome of your goal as a reward, but is that your only motivation? Try setting financial incentives or some time off for yourself so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

2. Measure
It’s true, the only good goals are measurable! What’s being measured is being managed. Make sure you keep track of tangible progress during your work.

3. Timeline
If there’s no end, you’ll never get there. Set a time for your goal to be achieved.
​

4. Groundwork
​Once you have the basics down, think about the resources you need to achieve your goal. Is it a set of books? Is it access to a treadmill?  Preparing makes a big difference!

5. Accountability
Having an accountability partner that you trust can make or break you during rough patches. Find a friend or family member that will check in on your progress.
​

6. Give
Last but not least, adding incentive to give back can push you even closer to following through with your goals. When someone or something you're passionate about is on the line, you’ll feel the pressure. For example, if you enjoy the feeling of seeing your friends happy, why not make it a reward to take them out for dinner?

⚙️ Try a little Agile
In order to set an accurate goal, sometimes we need to work backward or even change the approach. Agile makes this a reality! Instead of making a goal and “running with it”, we need to make mini-goals along the way. This can make that big goal seem a lot smaller while providing flexibility to work around whatever life throws at you. 

🗃 You NEED Kanban Now
Having multiple goals can lead to “goalception”, but not any more. Kanban is an organizational workflow tool that allows us to track different stages of the process. It consists of 5 simple columns: backlog, to-do, in progress, awaiting approval, and complete. Each column is self-explanatory and easy to track! Simply use post-it notes or software like Trello to move your actions around during each stage of the process.
​

📄 In Conclusion
Setting and achieving goals is hard, but easy with the right tools. By replicating what others have proven successful in the past, you can have some success of your own! When using Agile to split big goals into smaller pieces, anything becomes possible. Did we mention Kanban makes it all easy to track in one place too?
​

Picture

​📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
​

Quotes


“He (Jordan Belfort) was known and scientifically proven to make the most millionaires the fastest, within a matter of months. Today I will be teaching you that same methodology.”
Dick Polipnick



“If you have a yearly goal, how can you break it down to make it a monthly goal? Then do it again by breaking it down into a weekly goal until it’s a daily thing that you can do”
Dick Polipnick



“Next is Groundwork, write down what you need to achieve your goal. If it was to make more money, then tell yourself, ‘I need to be posting on LinkedIn 2 times a week’.”
Dick Polipnick
​

About the Speaker


​Dick Polipnick
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest."
​

LinkedIn
​Website
​

Links Mentioned


Online Growth Systems
Prime Academy
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Has Your Advertising FAILED? Avoid these Mistakes!

11/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Being in an industry where not much is tangible can be a huge challenge. As customers look for better creativity and clients push for analytic performance, succeeding in Advertising can appear impossible. Choosing narratives, social platforms, and influencers only add to the mounting pressure. As competitor sales excel, sometimes we are left to wonder, Why isn't my marketing working? Here are a few things to consider...
Key Takeaways
  1. Why your targeted campaigns could be underperforming,
  2. How networking can change the course of your career, and
  3. Where your competitors could be beating you.

🎯 It’s More than Targeting
Picture this: You receive a piece of direct mail, and it's the perfect offer for you… but the card is terribly designed so you set it down on the kitchen counter for eternity. Sound familiar? According to our guest Melissa, this exact scenario is all too common. She says,  “You can have perfect targeting, but if your ad sucks, people won’t react to it!” And of course, not just with direct mail, but with every piece of creative work. Whether it’s a video ad, design, or copy, quality comes goes hand-in-hand with the technical aspects of your campaign.

🤝 Network is the New Net Worth
Although networking is not intrinsically related to marketing, it is. Reach out to people in your region, even if you don't think they will respond, and ask to meet up. By surrounding yourself with more knowledgeable individuals, you will quickly learn to solve the performance issues you could be experiencing. Oh, and usually it’s free.

⏱ Be an Objective Expert, Beat the Rest
At the end of the day, you have to determine what your objective is. Is it storytelling? Is it brand recognition? Many individuals often mistake themselves as being a specialist in social media or ad platforms, when their objective is actually to tell a story. The reality is that socials, analytics, and other tools just help to achieve your objective! Focus first on the mission, and your clients will tell a difference.

📄 In Conclusion
Don’t get lost in a whirlwind of marketing havoc! Instead, focus on creating engaging content, then hitting the right target audience. Grab a coffee with a fellow marketing professional, and let their knowledge rub off on you! They may just have the answers you’re looking for.  And, find your niche; everyone has a specialty - what is yours?
​

Picture
​📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
​

Quotes


​“Facebook I would say, by far, is the most effective marketing platform for businesses”
Melissa Young


“You can have perfect targeting, but if your ad sucks, people won’t react to it!”
Melissa Young

“The biggest thing that has personally benefited me is Networking. Meeting people that know more than you and feeding off of that”
Melissa Young


“Find a partner that can do it [marketing] and that you trust”
Melissa Young


About the Guest


Melissa Young
Social Media Director at broadhead. 

Melissa brings 10 years of social media experience developing detailed, strategic plans for industries including food, non-profit, healthcare, and power sports. She’s had the honor of spearheading creative direction, content production, social media strategy, and influencer marketing for 100+ clients. She develops customized macro and micro-campaigns that enhance the customer experience while focusing on best practices. Melissa speaks at local and national events as a thought-leader in the social media space on subjects including paid social and content strategy. She was awarded the Advertising Federation of Minnesota's 32 Under 32 Award, given to the top marketing professionals in the advertising industry who are under the age of 32, and the Radio Wayne Award Top Interactive Seller in the country.

Linkedin
Website
Instagram
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Ad Fed 32 Under 32
​

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What Are the 3 Different Types of SEO?

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How to INSTANTLY Improve Your Marketing

11/10/2020

0 Comments

 
If you have ever tried to think outside the box, you know that creative freedom and unlimited time are on your side. In a perfect world, these would be easy to come by, but unfortunately a perfect world doesn't exist. For those in marketing positions, this can be especially tough when there are deadlines to work around and deliverables to meet. So, are there any solutions that the creatives of the world can use not just to survive, but to thrive? Hailey thinks there are! We talk about...

  1. How to save hours of time by automating your data analysis
  2. How to unlock your creative potential by finding a medium that works for you
  3. Why you need to start creating right now

🤳 Automate Your Data Analysis
Whether reporting to the hierarchy or yourself, collecting data/results from your work on a monthly or even weekly basis can become a major inefficiency. At one point, Hailey tells us she was spending 10 hours per week just gathering data to present! The more social channels and platforms you advertise on, the longer this process takes. So, why not automate it? Thanks to 2020, there are many tools and softwares that allow you to centralize performance metrics in easy-to-read reports and dashboards. Hailey highly recommends improvado.io.

🎨 Find a Creative Medium that Works for You
Every great artist seems to have a specialty; Directors make movies and painters paint. By choosing a form of creative expression, your marketing efforts will be more enjoyable and result in a higher quality product. Today’s professionals most often choose between things like writing, animation, design, photography, video, and many more. Discover what you enjoy most, then get to it.

⏱ Start Creating NOW 
According to Hailey, one of the most important parts of the entire process is just to start. She has observed that many professionals spend excessive time planning, articulating, and plotting something they haven't even started. Her recommendation is to just go with it. Your creativity and ideas you find along the way will flush out the final product being pushed to market. As Michelangelo said, “Every block of stone already has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it” 

📄 In Conclusion
The pinnacle of marketing genius can be found somewhere between creativity and time management. Although both may be difficult to come by, there is indeed hope in data management softwares and learning how to channel what you do best. There is no better time for action than right now! 

Picture

​📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube
​

Quotes


“Reach out to people you admire and offer to help them”
Hailey Friedman
​

“Learn, then go implement”
Hailey Friedman


“Every block of stone already has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it”
Michelangelo

“You don't get what you don't ask for”
Hailey Friedman

​

About the Guest


​Hailey Friedman
Co-Founder of Growth Marketing Pro and Growth Bar

As a trailblazer in digital marketing, Hailey has co-founded more than one venture and brought her value to many more. In focusing on growth, Hailey has found and employed ways to automate data aggregation relating to marketing in the pursuit for more creative freedom. She is the author of the successful “growth marketing pro” blog and host of the “BAMF” community. 


Linkedin
Website
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Hailey's Blog
Hailey's Meetup
Improvado
Webinar Gem
Ever Webinar
Neil Patel
​

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0 Comments

Struggling With Working Remotely?

11/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Having virtual meetings and being responsible for your own progress can be tough without some help. As we move closer towards a world in which work environments are remote and schedules are sporadic, we must ask ourselves how to get the most out of our new normal! Here are some of the most valuable, easy, and basic tools/methodologies to get you through each day.

 Key Takeaways 
  1. What the single most important time management methodology is
  2. How to save minutes, hours, and days with simple software integrations
  3. Why you should mentally divide time to enter a special cognitive state

📲 How to Use Simple Software Integrations 
Automating your workflow doesn't have to be difficult or take a lot of time. Spend 20-30 minutes implementing “power-ups” like Butler into Trello, or schedule a weekly recurring meeting in Google Calendar and attach a Zoom invite to the event. The short amount of time spent can really pay off both short and long term. 

🧠 Mentally Divide Your Time 
Although saving time on automating tasks is important, so is working effectively! When you set up calendar tools, prompt yourself to schedule breaks and dedicated work sessions. Try to get into the flow state by minimizing external distractions, and make the most of breaks by enjoying the few minutes where nothing is happening. You may just find that working effectively is even more enjoyable than before. Namaste, time master.

⏰ The Most Important Time Management Methodology
Perhaps the most effective tool is adhering to something called, “Batching”. Instead of running through a generic to-do list where tasks are unrelated, try grouping them together and working on the same thing in a dedicated time slot. For example, don’t constantly check emails the entire day: Instead spend one hour in the morning and one in the evening to get them all done. This can also greatly reduce task fatigue

📄 In Conclusion
Whether you’re working remotely, independently, or back at the office, it can be difficult to manage your time efficiently day in and day out. By using software integrations, mentally dividing your time, and grouping tasks together, your work day could be well on its way to being shorter or even more enjoyable. 
​

Picture

📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Quotes


​“You don’t do the laundry every time you have a dirty pair of underwear or a dirty pair of socks, right? [...] You wait until it hits what’s called max capacity, then take that whole load to the laundry room. That same principle is applied to work.”
Dick Polipnick

“Google Calendar has so many more features than you probably realize. I found out that I am actually only using 25% of its capabilities. I now have everything color coded, and everyday has different activities.”
Dick Polipnick



“You can click a button and it will create a comment for you, move columns for you, and trigger Hubspot to send an email to your supervisor. It has the possibility to save you hours throughout the work week.” 
Dick Polipnick referring to Butler


About the Host


​Dick Polipnick
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.

The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest."
​

LinkedIn
​Website
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
The 4-Hour Workweek
Zoom
Google Calendar
Trello
Butler for Trello
​

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0 Comments

The Future of Marketing in Esports with Rebecca Longwa

10/26/2020

0 Comments

 
If you own a business, have a position in marketing, or anything in-between, you should probably get familiar with Esports before it’s too late! In this all-encompassing conversation with Rebecca, we cover everything from why you should be looking for influencers to what Discord is. Here are some of the highlights.

🎮 Get In Early
Similar to how many other industries and ideas begin, Esports is just starting to catch its stride. If you haven’t already heard, the phenomenon now has more national engagement than the MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS. With a pace set to outperform the NFL, Esports could be your golden ticket to growth!

👋🏽 Find Your Person
Combine influencer marketing with an emphasis on Esports and call it game over. By finding the right influencer for your brand, you can be saving thousands of dollars compared to traditional advertising. Here’s why:

  1. If you find an influencer early enough in their growth trajectory, you could be claiming stake to exclusive rights for them to push your products. Similar to other advertising routes, getting in early also typically allows you to lock in the best rate possible while building an incredible relationship.
  2. Their managers are typically easy to find. Because influencers are not celebrities (up to a certain extent), there is less exclusivity involved in the administrative processes. 

💡 Develop Your “In”
The last thing potential audiences want to see is a forced product placement. Before diving in, make sure you can offer your advertisements organically. Although it doesn't have to be gaming related, think about the end user demographic. Different games have vastly different demographics, and proper research should be executed. Once you know where you stand, figure out how you want to go about promoting. As Rebecca mentions, there are several “layers” that present opportunities to work with gamers. You could sponsor an individual gamer, a live event, a livestream, or even a game. The choice is up to you.


📄 In Conclusion
Esports is a fascinating and quickly growing industry, pastime, social outlet and more. If done properly, promotion within Esports could land your business at the top, and not by accident! 
​
Picture
🎙 Listen to the full episode here
​

About the Host

Rebecca Longwa
Founder and President of Happy Warrior
​
 With over 20 years of experience in sports marketing and innovation, Rebecca is a master connector and networker. She runs her own esports consultancy agency, is an advisor for three global sports-tech investment firms and an Advisory Board Member for a number of sports-tech /esports startups. She is a go-to for both brands & athletes looking for strategic introductions, ambassador partnerships, post-career advice and personal branding.

Linkedin
Website
Twitter
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Discord
Slack
Rokkr
​

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Startup Funding, Negotiation, and Superheroes with Tyler Olson
TACTICAL Marketing Strategies You Can Start Using Today
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Startup Funding, Negotiation, and Superheroes with Tyler Olson

10/20/2020

0 Comments

 
Want all of the keys to your success in under an hour? Many aspects of living like an entrepreneur are hard, but so many things in this week's special episode make it easier! Whether you are your own boss or have a million employees, there is something waiting just for you. Here are a few key takeaways you can expect from today’s show with Tyler Olson.
​

What You'll Learn:
  1. The importance of proper cash flow management 
  2. Why and when to use every funding model
  3. How to apply EOS to relationships and success in other areas of life

💵 The Importance of Cash Flow
There is no denying that having cash on hand can make or break your business. At one point, Tyler even faced the brink of bankruptcy! In order to avoid his $150,000 mistake here are a few things he suggests..
  1. Utilize “Net-30” terms: By paying bills when they are due rather than when they come in, you will likely double or even triple your cash on hand.
  2. Be weary of inputs and outputs: When making an exit, be cautious of selling off too quickly. You may have unforeseen debts to pay up if your timeframe from revenue to bills is more than 30 days (his was 120).
  3. Cash-in on credit: Having several lines of credit can boost your spending power significantly. Although leveraging credit is not for everyone, it can be an incredibly strategic advantage if you’re in the position to do so.

📈 Why and When You Should Use Startup Funding
Unless you have a significant asset stockpile paired with little debt, you may want to consider raising funds for your venture. Even if you can pull it off, there are still several other options you may want to consider that deploy OPM (other people's money).
  1. Traditional stakeholders: Want to leverage the value of yourself and the future of your product or service? Raising capital the traditional way has been tried and true for ages. It works, but what if you don't want to dilute your ownership?
  2. Crowdfunding: Enter the world of the gig economy, everyone pays and everyone receives! Tyler recommends platforms like Kickstarter, as they are a great tool to boh raise money (dilution free) while also proving your concept has a market.
  3. Bootstrapping: Of course, if you do have the money and want the maximum amount of control, bootstrapping is for you. In the event you use your own money, just be cautious of the personal risk.

♻️ Applying the Entrepreneurial Operating System
If you have never heard of EOS, take a quick glance at it here. Tyler thinks outside the box when it comes to spreading his resources to other areas of life.. So why not relationships? In what seems to many people as, “Too related to work”, he suggests using the organized and effective communication periods called “L10” Meetings to everyday relationships. As pointed out in the episode, many famous power couples and leaders of status employ similar tactics in their lives to reach the pinnacle in all areas of life.
 
📄 In Conclusion
Whether it’s starting a business or clarity in a relationship, thinking differently can often lead us to the pinnacle of success. In applying creative cash flow management, funding options, and communication tactics, anyone can achieve their goals. Tyler teaches us all to think uniquely, and look where others won’t in order to live as most people cannot.


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​📽️  Watch the 
Full Video on Youtube
Did you find this episode useful?
Tag us with your thoughts!

Instagram @onlinegrowthsystems
​Twitter @growth_systems
​

Quotes


​“Every business needs to have a visionary”
Tyler Olson


"To experience negotiation [after a certain point] is not fun, or even fair, but it’s the world we live in.”
Tyler Olson


“You hear a lot today how there are all of these, ‘tax loopholes for the rich’. The reality is, these ‘tax loopholes’ are the law, and anyone can use them.”
Tyler Olson

“EO (Entrepreneurs Organization) Is one of the best investments of time and money I have ever spent, I would recommend it to anyone”
Tyler Olson
​

About the Guest

Tyler Olson
Founder and CEO of SHYLD, Serial Entrepreneur

Tyler Olson is an award winning serial entrepreneur in several technology fields. Tyler not only brings well-rounded exposure from all sectors of technology including social media, data analytics, IT, cyber security, and the world of web 2.0, but his deep passion for helping others learn and his interactive speaking style ensure audiences of any level leave his presentations with new insights. He frequently speaks for organizations such as IBM, 3M, Target, and others.   

Linkedin
Website
​

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Entrepreneurs Organization (EO)
Away Agents
Turo
Modern Foundation
SHYLD
​

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0 Comments

Starting a Business with No College Degree

9/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Regardless of how much business experience you may have, starting one can be confusing and intimidating. For most people, choosing where to start is tough and we are all guilty of “analysis paralysis”. There’s risk to tolerate, decisions to make, and skills to learn. If you’re looking for a place to start, listen to this awesome Q&A!

What You'll Learn:

  1. How to balance personal income vs. reinvesting into your business
  2. How to think outside the box when it comes to sales
  3. Where and how you can utilize the power of the public for free
​
​​💵 Invest in Yourself First, Business Second
If you have money sitting around, it’s pretty likely to get spent, and not always on good investments. As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good practice to view your finances going back into the business; however, that doesn't mean you can’t pay yourself. Try to live below your means and pay yourself for the essentials within your life, then put the rest back into the business. Bootstrapping isn't easy, but it's the least risky way to begin your business journey.

📈 Consider a Different Sales Cadence
Starting a product based company? Try a sales cadence that increases a scarcity mindset in the consumer's eye. It could be Seasonal releases, Monthly drops, or weekly rounds, etc. Limiting supply (even if you don’t have to) will create urgency for the end user and a lot of successful clothing brands use at least one of these strategies.
​
👥 Utilize the Power of the Public
Unless your business is strictly B2B, the end user is probably the public. Consider performing primary research on your audience through polls on social media or even in person! They’re free and can easily be configured for A/B product testing. Don’t be afraid to A/B test your product against competitors too. Additionally, giving away free products (okay, ones that people actually want) is free advertising. Infamous brands like Supreme and other cultural phenomena have long since focused on people first, profit second. Or, sometimes not at all...

📃 In Conclusion
We know that starting a business is a risky and expensive decision, but can be totally worth it in the end. So, what can you do to reduce expenditure and risk? Investing in yourself first and the business second will ensure no personal capital goes to waste, while considering a different sales cadence is likely to pull in more revenue. Tie it all together with primary research and free promotion and you should be well on your way to millions!

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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Did you find this episode useful?
Tag us with your thoughts!

Instagram @onlinegrowthsystems
​Twitter @growth_systems


Quotes

“As much time as you can spend practicing, you will get better. The same applies for capital in your business”
Dick Polipnick

“Whichever way your business is going, money will accelerate it. If your business is growing and you get more capital, it will grow faster. If your business is tanking  and you spend more,  typically it will fail faster.”
​Dick Polipnick

“You would rather have 50% of a watermelon than 50% of a grape, right? That’s how to think about equity.”
​Dick Polipnick

“You’re not a T-shirt company. I want you to think of yourself in that you’re a design company that makes money by selling your designs on T-shirts. So, get good at designing before you get good at selling T-shirts”
​
​Dick Polipnick


About the Host


Dick Polipnick

Serial Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Online Growth Systems

Dick Polipnick is the Founder of Online Growth Systems, a media company that helps big-name brands turn their e-commerce businesses to profit and advises high-growth, venture-backed startups.
The National Federation of Independent Business named him a top "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", AdFed listed him on "32 Under 32", and he's been featured on and collaborated with Business.com, Nickelodeon Studios, World Wide Fund for Nature, Clean Energy Resource, and more.

In addition to being a speaker and an entrepreneur, Dick is the host of The Dick Polipnick Show- where he interviews top 1% achievers and creates digital content including blogs, videos, podcasts, and a newsletter called "The #Growther's Digest."
​

LinkedIn
​Website

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
Robinhood
Rich Dad Poor Dad

You May Also Like


​Friedrich’s Thoughts from Today
Rich Dad Poor Dad Book Summary


0 Comments

How to Raise Money from Investors

9/10/2020

0 Comments

 

​When it comes to raising money for your company, there is probably a lot on your mind. Although it can be stressful, the good news is that there are plenty of ways to increase your odds! When it comes to securing that precious funding, here are some key things to consider

What You'll Learn:
  1. Why focusing on your leadership team is a top priority
  2. How investors view market trends 
  3. Where to seek alternative funding and why you should do it
​
🧑🏽‍💻 Focus on Leadership
At the end of the day, investors are placing their bets on you and your team. Even though the product is important, the team leads the way to the end result. Sebastian says every leadership team should consist of a diverse set of skills and backgrounds. Think the size of your team is important? Not really! As long as it matches the size of your company and the stage it’s in, Sebastian says you’re good to go. Oh and one last thing - There’s no need to bring your entire team to a pitch. If investors are interested, they will reach out to meet everyone involved 

📈 Be Ahead of the Curve 
Sebastian has been in the space since 2011, and it’s fair to say trends have changed since then. He says when he started, Solar was all the rage, but now we’re in the era of AI and Blockchain. History repeats itself and technology is constantly changing, so it’s  safe to say that trends will continue to cycle. A lot of investors want to get in early which makes companies in emerging industries more likely to receive funding. If you’re not in one, consider implementing technology or pitching how your product could be correlated with the change in trends! This will give you a leg up on competitors, and even yourself.

💵 Consider Alternative Financing
If you have ever seeked an investment, you know how it can feel to give a part of your company away. What if it was possible to raise money without giving anything away? Well, it is - You may already know, but there are a multitude of government programs for startups just like yours. Sebastian highly recommends this, so make sure to do some research.

📃 In Conclusion

Want to raise money? The perfect storm might be considered a strong leadership team, an innovative idea that’s ahead of the curve, and tapping into all the financing options available to you!  By focusing on these key elements, you will be raising money in no time. Take it from Sebastian, he works at 3M ;)

Did you find this episode useful?
Tag us with your thoughts @onlinegrowthsystems
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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Quotes

“We want to meet founders to understand why they are doing it [what they’re doing], what drives them, and how they see the future of the company” 
Sebastian Titz

“You need to have some diversity in your team from experience, ages, and things like that to make a convincing startup. I think that’s the number one thing we’re looking for”
Sebastian Titz


“The unit economics need to show a way to profitability. Say I make 10,  20, or 50,000 [in revenue] then I can reach profitability because of the logical story about ‘sometime down the road”
​Sebastian Titz


​

About the Guest

Sebastian Titz
New Venture Manager, 3M


Sebastian has been a key player in 3M’s North American Venture arm since 2011. With a PhD in Science and Technology management and a background in entrepreneurial study, Sebastian offers a unique perspective on technology based startups.

LinkedIn
Website


Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
3M’s Venture Page

You May Also Like

Why You Really Need Artificial Intelligence in Marketing 
How to Grow Your Startup Sales from 0 to 1 Million
0 Comments

Mind Over Matter: Doubling Event Sales with Dom Lipinski

9/3/2020

0 Comments

 
Performance can mean many things, but perhaps the most fitting definition of all is: The extent to which an investment is profitable, especially in relation to other investments. Whether it’s his coaching capabilities, or knowledge of the mind in relation to performing, Dominik is a worthy investment. Ask anyone whose sales have doubled or tripled after working with him through his one on one coaching or live event training. In sharing extensive knowledge, Dominik speaks from experience relating to why the mind is so special when it comes to sales performance and thinking outside the box.

What You'll Learn:

  1. The science behind the law of attraction
  2. How to recognize your own behavioral patterns
  3. The keys to increasing live event sales


🧲 Science study: The Law of Attraction
As a fan of meditating, Dominik firmly believes in the importance of being present. He recommends exercise in the morning paired with mindfulness practice afterwards. Why? He swears by the routine as it increases your awareness allowing you to see potential opportunities more clearly. After honing his mental craft, Dominik swears that the energy you reverberate is the energy you receive. Focused on more sales? Try his routine and they will come.

🔎 Recognizing Behavioral Patterns

Observing behavioral patterns and making changes for the better is an important part of the performance process according to Dominik. In doing so, many of his clients have reduced their hesitations allowing them to close more sales, more quickly. Here’s what  he recommends:

Step 1: Get a small notebook and carry it around with you everyday for 7 days

Step 2: Every time you notice yourself hesitating to do something you need to/should be doing, write down the image that comes to your mind. Dom says before a thought even materializes, imagery comes first.
Step 3: Once you’ve given more thought to what just happened, write down the emotions that accompanied the imagery and what thoughts came after the emotion
Step 4: Analyze your results after the week to discover your pattern
Step 5: Make necessary adjustments

📈 Increasing Live Event Sales
If you’re innovating within yourself, why don’t you replicate it for live events? Dominik says the number one missing component in today’s live events is innovation. Most events are ran the exact same way, every year/quarter etc and have become outdated in the value they pitch to attendees. Dominik believes this has led to less success in selling products at events. His solution to double your event sales? Take a personalized approach! He has seen massive success in one on one training sessions as opposed to the “one size fits all” approach. It’s also a good idea to increase the price and value of your product at the sacrifice of a bit of volume - this will allow you to give more quality results. 

📃 In Conclusion

Sales start within yourself. Establishing your mental game is just as important as implementing new ideas into your live events! Carry a journal around for a week to find your hesitations, then overcome them. The energy you put into the world is the energy you will receive, so make sure to focus on quality over quantity.

Did you find this episode useful?
Tag us with your thoughts @onlinegrowthsystems
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📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube

Quotes

“Mastery is also an interesting thing because I think we are supposed to study our entire life and become students, so I never really think I’m a master”
Dominik Lipinski


“One of the things I foresee that has definitely helped me is knowing that I know nothing. The moment we say we think we know, we automatically block the ability to receive the information” 
Dominik Lipinski


“A lot of successful people have gone through some sort of spiritual journey because you have to in order to actually get to some level of accomplishment in your business. Essentially, you’re battling yourself”
 Dominik Lipinski

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” 
Buddha

​

About the Guest

Dominik Lipinski
Speaker, Author, Live mentor

Dominik is a high value and performance based entrepreneurial coach. As a self-starting business owner since 2009, Dominik has built and ran several successful personal ventures including his current mastermind sales training course, Grow Your Mastermind. Best known for doubling and tripling sales, his work is well established in the live event community and beyond.

Linkedin
Youtube
Twitter

Links Mentioned

Online Growth Systems
https://www.onlinegrowthsystems.com/contact.html

Dominik’s website
http://growyourmastermind.com/

Jay Z’s NYT Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbuQAbG2AZ0&ab_channel=TheNewYorkTimes

The 33% Rule
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLbyAQh1Fwg&ab_channel=EvanCarmichael

You May Also Like

How to Grow Your Startup Sales from 0 to 1 Million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcZCo1-Vsms&t=2429s


Why Entrepreneurs Get Less Sleep
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufg6by91o7A&t=194s&ab_channel=DickPolipnick


0 Comments

How to Grow your Startup Sales from 0 to 1 Million | Selling with Sean Higgins

8/28/2020

0 Comments

 
In a world where there seems to be unlimited resources, it can often be easy to get lost in a sea of information. What tactics should you use? Are there tools you should be taking advantage of? In a genuine pursuit to boost sales and the highest degree, Sean Higgins has all of the answers. In this episode, Sean combines the importance of sales basics with cutting edge AI and more. Here are the best takeaways from Sean's experience approach to selling in the startup world.

What You'll Learn:

  1. The basics of sales technique 
  2. What to include in your sales stack
  3. Sean's secret to mutual success

🧠 Back to Basics
To reach the next level of success in any pursuit, it’s important to remember a critical 6 letter word, “Basics”. Setting up a foundation allows you to extract more value from what you build on top of the foundation! Think tools, tactics, and more. Sean adheres to the basic principles of sales everyday, and recommends you do the same. 

First and foremost, Sean recommends some critical thinking. “Before you even begin outreach, you need to have an idea of what your value is and the need it surrounds for your end user”, Sean says. Once your value is clear, make sure it’s clear to others and pitch to those who already believe in the industry or similar products. 
Oh, and speaking of pitching, it’s okay to not give an immediate answer when an offer or proposition comes your way. This allows you to maintain leverage in any situation!

🛠 Build Your Stack
Once you have the basics down, it’s time to utilize some tools - Or what Sean likes to call “a Sales Stack”. Here are some recommendations for every stage of the selling process:

Gathering data? 
UpWork
  • Use UpWork to hire data scrapers when you’re building a client list. It’s an easy and affordable way to gather email addresses, phone numbers, and even Linkedin information

Organizing prospects?
HubSpot and Salesforce
  • Both are great tools for organizing contacts, their data, and what stage they’re in during your sales process. Use tags, set up funnels, and get tech-y.

Trying to close a deal?

Reply.io
  • Eliminate hesitation and email annoyance with an automated follow-up tool. Sean says persistent follow-up is one of the number one tactics in closing sales!

Honorable mention…

Seamless.io
  • Seamless is a powerhouse of a prospecting tool! Listen to the episode for more

🔑 Sean’s Secret
Now it’s time for the icing on the cake. It’s what Sean refers to as “Link and Trade”. In essence, any time you provide value to a client, prospect, or otherwise, link it to something that provides value back to you. For example: if a client wants a discount, tell them you will give it to them if they hit a certain amount of referrals by the end of their billing cycle. This will always allow you to maintain an even playing field!

📃  To Conclude
Want to smash your sales goals? Follow Sean’s tips and you’ll be there in no time. Follow the basics and use the tools! If you think you’re being taken advantage of, Sean's secret wouldn't hurt either.

Did you find this episode useful?
Tag us with your thoughts @onlinegrowthsystems

Picture

​📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube 

Quotes


“We did something, we started talking to customers… The customers told us that the things that they valued actually wasn’t the [thing we thought they cared about] backend storage, but much more on the recording”
Sean Higgins


“If you don't have a scheduled reason for why the customer is delaying, if there’s not something thats happening, if you're just hearing this long pause, usually it means they’re talking to someone else”
Sean Higgins



“In a market where you don’t think you have any competition or you think you beat the competition in every single way, that is a market that you don’t understand as well as you think you do”
Sean Higgins


About the Guest


Sean Higgins
Cofounder of ilos videos, CEO of Better You

Sean is a serial tech entrepreneur specializing in the sales and distribution of SaaS products. As former 2018 Techstars resident, Sean exercises his passion for Minneapolis startups through community involvement. Sean has also been published in several articles and has won numerous awards for pitches and more.

Linkedin
Website
Instagram
Twitter


Links Mentioned


Online Growth Systems https://www.onlinegrowthsystems.com/contact.html

Techstars https://www.techstars.com/

UpWork https://www.upwork.com/

Reply IO https://reply.io/

HubSpot https://www.hubspot.com/

Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/

Seamless AI https://www.seamless.ai/

Funnel AI https://funnelai.com/

0 Comments

The Smart Way to Buy a Business in 2020

8/25/2020

0 Comments

 
When it comes to buying and selling businesses, there’s a lot to know about. Not only do you have to be knowledgeable in acquisitions, but you also have to know how businesses run, how finances work, and how deals are structured. Although each one of these aspects could be enough material to be a college degree, buying a business is easier than you think.
​

In fact, Ryan Tansom doesn't know why more people aren't doing it! According to Ryan, there are a few important rules to abide by when buying your first, second, or tenth business.


🧠 
What You Will Learn
  • How to build merger & acquisition knowledge 
  • Who to consider for your team
  • What to plan for your new business

📈 Build Your Knowledge
Whether or not you are familiar with financial statements already is beside the point. You need to be knowledgeable in business operations, period. For example, you wouldn't buy a car without knowing how many doors it has, would you? The more knowledge you have about your particular industry (or the industry you’re buying in) and how the acquisition process works, the better. Don’t have the time or otherwise? Build a team.

🔎 Build Your Team
A team can be crucial in filling your gaps when buying a business. According to Ryan, you could lose out on hundreds of thousands of potential dollars simply because you didn't know something! But, a team isn’t just a team, it has to be a quality one. Ryan recommends steering clear of filling your team with CPA’s, lawyers, or other professionals that work off of client volume. Buying a business takes a special level of detail, and you need to be sure your team can give it to you. Oh, and one more thing.. Make sure whatever role they fill is what they do day in and day out for a living!

🎯 Build Your Plan
Now that you are knowledgeable and have a potential team, you need a plan. There are many routes you can take when acquiring a company, and there are many routes to sell it down the line. Ryan says to make sure that you start with the end goal in mind. Give some thought to things  like, “How much do I want this to sell for at what point” By planning ahead, your business is likely to sell for maximum profit down the line.
​

📃  To Conclude 
Successfully buying a business in 2020 can be done many ways, but it all comes down to a concrete foundation. In Ryans years of experience, he boils it down to building your knowledge, a team, then a plan. 

Picture



​📽️  Watch the Full Video on Youtube 
​

Quotes


​“I figured out that the whole growing and selling, mergers and acquisitions industry is very fragmented and siloed so we created the company that I wish I would have had a couple of years prior to the exit.”
Ryan Tansom, 1:31

“There’s an idea that businesses are worth something at some point. Knowing why you’re building this business and knowing how much it should be worth is the number one thing you should know before you even start.” 
Ryan Tansom 12:43


“Let’s say this $500k company had paid out 3x, (so 1.5M) You would only need $150k, because it’s only a 10% down payment and you can take out an SBA loan, to buy it.
Ryan Tansom 32:50

“A lot of sophistication hasn't been put behind these businesses so they’re not worth that much...But there’s a lot of ability to apply that [technology and processes] to them”
Ryan Tansom 50:23

About the Guest

Ryan Tansom
President and Co-Founder of Arkona

Ryan is an expert in the acquisitions space. In 2014, his family business sold for over 10M and has been teaching business owners how to grow the value of their business with an end in mind ever since. Today, Ryan is a resource through educational courses and Strategic CFO Services. He is the host of the popular podcast, Intentional Growth™ that has 210+ episodes, 310,000+ downloads, frequent keynote speaker and soon to be author.

LinkedIn
​

Website


​Links Mentioned


​Online Growth Systems

Ryan’s website and podcast
​

Business brokerage resources
Calhoun Companies
Biz, Buy, Sell​
Sunbelt Business Brokers



Book List


The Snowball by Warren Buffett
​https://www.amazon.com/Snowball-Warren-Buffett-Business-Life/dp/0553384619
​

Built to Sell by John Warrilow
https://www.amazon.com/Built-Sell-Creating-Business-Without/dp/1591845823/ref=sr_1_1?crid=231AU0LU7ZNHS&dchild=1&keywords=built+to+sell+by+john+warrilow&qid=1598385242&s=books&sprefix=built+to+sell%2Cstripbooks%2C180&sr=1-1


​You May Also Like


How to Grow Your Startup Sales from 0 to 1 Million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcZCo1-Vsms&t=2429s


Rich Dad Poor Dad Summary
​https://youtu.be/xH7zHHO9pYo


0 Comments

Podcasting 101

2/12/2020

0 Comments

 
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Podcasting seems to be the digital gold rush that all creators have been dreaming of! Learn about podcasting from the early stages of launching your first episode to establishing yourself as an industry expert in your field.

This blog post is brought to you by Minnestar, who's known for some of the largest community events in Minnesota where thousands of technologists come together to learn, build, connect and grow.

Each month, Minnestar hosts a virtual AMA (or Ask Me Anything) session on a different topic with subject matter experts from our community. Ask questions, and learn from the best of the best - all via an easy Zoom webinar link.

This month, we are lucky to be joined by panelists Jackie Biederman of StoryPop Media and Twila Dang of Matriarch Media, hosted by Maria Boland Ploessl of Minnestar, and this post produced by Dick Polipnick of Online Growth Systems.

Read More
0 Comments

Jordan Belfort Straight Line Selling Summary

5/13/2019

0 Comments

 
You may not have the title of a salesperson, but you’ve been selling your whole life.
Parents spend countless hours trying to sell their kids on making their bed, doing their chores,
and studying for tests. Entrepreneurs spend significant time trying to convince the right people to
believe in their idea, so they can gain traction and advance their business. The bottom line is, all
of us, regardless of your job or influence, do some type of sales almost every day.

And here’s the catch – “every sale is the same.” At least in the words of Jordan Belfort.
​
And after reading his book "The Way of the Wolf- Straight Line Selling", I believe he’s on to something.
Picture
Now, obviously there’s a difference between a million-dollar sale and a one-dollar sale. I would be ecstatic if I landed a seven-figure deal for my business and would be extremely disappointed if someone were to offer me an old, scrunched up dollar for my service. However, what Jordan wants us to learn in his book is that the process of selling, not the end result, is always the same. From the opening to the close, the order which we sell should be the same if we want to take our sales success to a new level. This pertains to everyone, from the 40-year-old Mom of three to the starry-eyed young entrepreneur.

Jordan’s Straight Line Method is easy to learn and easy to use. The system emphasizes
goal-oriented communication where the end goal is always the same: raise your prospect’s
certainty to a high enough level where they will want to buy from you.

Here are the steps you need:

Read More
0 Comments

Passion VS Impact: a discussion over tea

9/28/2018

1 Comment

 
PictureEnjoying my tea after Sergio and I's debate.
So this morning I met with a buddy of mine named Sergio. We met this last Tuesday at a Minnesota Chatbot Meet-Up where the group debated the current and future prospects of bots, IoT, and automation. Sergio and I ended up exchanging contact info the good ol' fashion way, and we made tentative plans to meet at a coffee shop or tea bar that coming Friday at 8:00 AM to network further.

Fast forward to Friday (2 hours ago as of this writing), with his steaming Sencha Tea in hand, Sergio started off the conversation with, "So I've done a ton of research on you and your company this last week so I knew what questions to ask you and what I could learn from you." Good start!

As Sergio recapped everything he learned about me and Online Growth Systems, I sipped my honey infused black tea. He then proceeded with asking his first question: "why?"

Wow. Heavy hitter!

Not an easy question to answer (sorry Simon Sinek).  As the discussion progressed we dove deeper and deeper into rabbit holes and diverged further and further into tangents. My personal favorite kind of conversations- ones that can't stay on the same subject for long... a rather good indication of a fun dialog! :)

Success as a definition.

What is your definition of success?

I think that everyone's definition is different. It's customized to their goals, their viewpoints, and their perspective. This isn't, or shouldn't be, a dictionary defined term. It's like trying to categorize things that fit the word "cool." Isn't that your personal opinion?

Sergio's definition: Doing what makes you happy.

Passion.

My Definition: How many people's lives have you made a difference in? How deep?

Impact.

Neither is right or wrong, its just how we prioritize what makes us feel successful. I hope that your's is different too.

Success as a metric.

How do you measure success?

If everyone's definition for success is different, that means everyone's metric for measuring that success is different too. If you're running a marathon, you measure distance. If you're in a hot dog eating contest, you measure # of hotdogs eaten.

Sergio's measurement: How happy do you feel?

Passion.

Emotionally driven.

Dick's Measurement: How many lives have you impacted?

Impact.

Numbers driven.

Then comes the debate. Doesn't being successful by your own terms mean you'll be happy? Maybe. I don't know. We dove a lot into psychology, philosophy, and even ethics. It depends what your definition of success is.

For Sergio, he wants to do what he feels most passionate about. That is what derives him happiness, and that is what makes him feel successful.

For myself, I want to impact people. It's a numbers game for me. Yes, my definition also corresponds with my happiness gauge, but that's irrelevant.

It's worth mentioning that I think the most successful Mother in the world might impact only her two children in a positive massive way, compared to a mother who impacts 7 children in an average way. Another example might be a meme. Let's say it impacts 1,000,000+ people if it goes viral on Instagram. Compared to an inspirational video of a military vet coming home to see his kids for the first time in over a year, it reaches 50,000 people. Which is more successful? I think it depends on what you're definition is. If your goal was to get views, the meme is more successful. If your goal was to make people support military vets, the meme impact is worthless and veteran video is more successful.


How do you measure success?

Case Study: Albert Einstein

Sergio and I used a mutual hero of our's, Albert Einstein to compare what we deemed as successful. Einstein was the famous mathematician and physicist who came up with the e=mc2 equation and the father of nuclear energy.

Einstein is also know as drafting a letter to President FDR which prompted the development of the world's first atomic bomb. He is also know for his love of the pastry bagels. The comparison is almost humorous! :)  I wanted to use the atomic bomb for an example of measuring his success. (THESE NUMBERS ARE FOR DEBATE PURPOSE ONLY, NOT HISTORIC ACCURACY. ETHICS ARE ALSO NOT PART OF THIS DEBATE, JUST MATH.)

Let's say that when the USA used the nuclear bomb, it killed one million people. Bad impact, right? But let's say your definition of success was lives saved. A number. I want to think that Einstein's biggest success was the number of lives he saved and impacted. Let's say that if Einstein didn't prompt the development of the atomic bomb and it wasn't used to end WW2, another three million lives would have been lost throughout the remainder of the war. Let's do some math...

Einstein wrote letter to build bomb: 1 million lives lost
Einstein didn't write letter to build bomb: 3 million lives lost.
= Einstein saved 2 million lives by writing the letter to build the first atomic bomb.
AGAIN, we are just using this for math purposes, not ethical or historic purposes.

It's also worth mentioning that after Einstein learned the Germans wouldn't have developed an atom bomb to use on the Allied Forces (the reason he wrote the letter was to warm the President), he regretted ever writing the letter in the first place. In an interview with Newsweek magazine, he said that "had I known that the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done nothing."  Since this didn't provide Einstein happiness, by Sergio's definition, this made Einstein unsuccessful. Sergio argued that he would have been more successful being a professional bagel critic, assuming that would have provided Einstein the most happiness out of any other career path.

The Debate: Passion VS Impact

I believe that you should try as many things as possible so that you can find what you're good at. What you're the best at. So you can find what industry you can dominate and impact the most people's lives. Or for Sergio, find what makes you happy. What if Picasso never picked up a paint brush? What if he pursued something he found himself enjoying before he learned to paint? Yes, he would have been happy and by Sergio's definition a success, but he surely would have impacted less people and perhaps we would have never known his name.

What if Michael Jordan never dribbled a basket ball? Few people know that he also played professional baseball in addition to basketball. He is arguably known as the best basketball player of all time, but just an average baseball player. Both made him happy- but only one sport left him in history books. Basketball left a greater impact on more people's lives. Let's say that a career in Baseball would have built up more of a passion and love of the sport for Michael- Sergio would say that would have been the more successful route. I disagree.

Where do you stand?

Passion or Impact?

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,
Dick Polipnick

PS. I read every comment. Please join the conversation below by leaving your opinion of this blog/argument, and perhaps discuss what you think drives success.
1 Comment

Two Internet Marketing Strategies Leading the Future!

8/20/2018

0 Comments

 
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You are leaving money on the table if you’re not actively marketing your business online in proper ways. But there is a problem. Online marketing can be seemed very daunting and complex. This can totally deter the most focused entrepreneurs from implementing an internet marketing strategy.
​
So, the goal of this article is to dissect internet marketing into its most basic strategist ways. And simplify those strategies for the business owner or market. You may have seen lots of blog about the same topic. Can you guess why we are special from other blogs? Do you know what timeless means?

It’s a strategy that will work in the future too, so you don’t have to waste your time learning about little hacks that will quickly die off.

You will notice there are a couple of overarching strategies, there are various tactics related to that strategy.

Let’s begin!


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0 Comments

15 Tips for Better Social media Engagement in 2018

8/13/2018

1 Comment

 
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If you are a brand, today there is a high possibility of you being in social media in some kind of way or form.
Many brands own an active social media presence. But exactly how many of them exist? What makes them different from other brands that they get so much attention? This questions must have crossed your mind.
Reality is you really can not expect to post some random links and dream to make a huge difference. You need to have strategies and solid plans for your brand to grow in a fast way.

Although some of these brands have a huge budget ideas they use to get attention can be replicated and used by businesses of all sizes. If you are struggling to get followers in your social media pages and really don’t have a clue what to do next. Let’s be honest, we all have been there. That’s why we have collected the tips and tricks you need to know to get a good start.

​Now let’s get started.

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1 Comment
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    Dick Polipnick

    Serial Entrepreneur  
    Host of the Online Growth Systems Show 
    Speaker, ​Investor, and Author 

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