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3 Years of SBD: What I've Learnt · Marketing For Tradies

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: As of the recording of this podcast, it has been three full years since starting Shannon Bane Digital.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: I still find it hard to believe that it's already been three years.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: But in this episode, I'm going to give you a little bit of background about my story getting started, the three phases of beginning your business journey, and three lessons from three years of running my business.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I started Shannon Bane Digital at the start of 2020, and honestly, it wasn't something that I just randomly thought I would try and see what happened.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I had wanted to work for myself and particularly work online for a very, very long time.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The problem was I didn't know how I was going to make it happen.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: But in the years leading up to starting my business, I tried almost anything that you can think of to give me what I really wanted, which was location independence, uncapped earning potential, or not trading time for money, and to do work that was truly meaningful to me and actually helped others.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: So while I went through a lot of failed ventures and failed ideas and some things I didn't really start properly, it was all leading me to the point of starting something that would eventually be successful.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm very, very grateful for all of the failures and experiences I went through before starting Shannon Bane Digital.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm also grateful for all of the failures I've experienced since starting Shannon Bane Digital as well.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: People often forget that even though you might start a successful business, you're still going to experience failures, but you have to take those as lessons.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: But in this episode, I want to give you my perspective and advice on all of the stages you may go through as you're leading up to starting your business or trying to grow your business to the next level.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Because I've been through it all, I know what it's like to be stuck in indecision, trying to decide what you want and picking a path, taking that first step or what I call the leap, and then keeping on going even when it's really, really hard.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, to give you a bit of insight into what the last three years have been like, I went into the market starting Shannon Bane Digital as a full service marketing agency.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: I had come from a marketing, business development, and operational background.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I had experience and skills that I knew were of value to other businesses, but I didn't know exactly the products and services that I wanted to sell at that point.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: I started to tell people what I was doing.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: I started to market myself by creating content, and I used a method that I still use to this day called attraction-based marketing to attract potential clients into my business and convert them into sales.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: But as time went on, those products and services that people really wanted that were in the most demand and that I could get the best results with, and that I enjoyed providing as well, were the things that I slowly adapted my business around to really refine and niche down my offerings.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I didn't have it all figured out from the beginning either, and I'm going to go more into that later on this episode when you're thinking about taking that first step and deciding what you want.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: It was just that I started taking actions, putting myself out there and having faith that it would all work itself out.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: For the first probably 12 months, it was very, very messy around what I was providing.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: I had a heap of different offers and services going on, heap of different types of business businesses I was working with, and it was not it was not much fun to be honest.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: I was thriving on the fact that I was finally working for myself and I was actually still working part-time as well.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I was juggling everything.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: But as time went on, as I mentioned, the most in-demand offers that I was getting the best results with that uh I really loved doing was the website design.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now I decided at one point just to remove everything else from my office suite and really double down on website design.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I then found my own method or process to website design and marketed that.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: And it was at that point that things really started to take off.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I tripled my revenue within one month.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: I had to hire multiple team members, and I am proud to say that to this day, that call offer has gone on to make me multiple six figures in revenue.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not saying this to brag, but what I am saying is that you don't need to have it figured out from the beginning.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: But it's really important to understand that no one has it all figured out.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: It really is a matter of trial and error, and it's going to come down to your ability to take action, learn from your mistakes, and pivot from there.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about the beginning stages before you start your business.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Deciding on what you want and trying to pick a path.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: I understand this position because I was in it for a long time.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: I was in it for years.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Indecision can be so painful and frustrating.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: But the truth is that for most people, the reason why they haven't taken action yet is because they're afraid of failure.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: They're afraid of what people might say if they fail.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: But the truth is no one cares more about what you're doing than you.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: We are the hardest critics on ourselves, and we are the only ones that are going to suffer from our inaction and indecision.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: The only way you're going to learn what it is that you want is to just stop worrying about if this is the right thing.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter because you will eventually find your path by just taking action and trying.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said at the beginning of this episode, I tried so many different things.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: But when I decided on a path and just went all in on that, then that was when things started to work out.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: We think that most regrets come from bad decisions that we make, but they can come from the decisions that we don't take action on either.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: There is so much to be said for opportunity cost because it's a real thing.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Every choice that you don't make or action or decision that you don't make comes with an opportunity cost.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're really struggling to decide on what it is that you want, instead of thinking about what it is that you do want, try and think about what it is that you can't bear to live with.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Like choose your regrets.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Can you bear the thought of being in the same position in 12 months' time compared to the thought of potential failure if you try and pursue something that you want?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: I was at the point in my journey when I started as well that the thought of being in the same position in 12 months' time, which is a certainty if you don't take action, was so much more painful than what people would think of me, what money or time or dignity I would lose from trying to start a business that I was truly passionate about.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of the day, no one's going to judge you as much as you judge yourself, and you are the only one that suffers from the inaction or actions that you don't take.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also say go back to the previous episodes of this podcast and go through the perfect day exercise.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Go through the personal and professional fulfillment finder.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: These are processes that are designed to help you figure out what it is that you want.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: They are literally designed for that.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: So if you still aren't sure what you want, go back and do those processes.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's say you have done those processes, you've decided what you want, and you've picked a path.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now is the time to take the first step or what I call the leap of faith.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: All of the lessons or advice I gave you in the last step around not worrying about the fear of failure or judgment and just taking action, just lead into this step too.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because there's no guarantee of success, but what's guaranteed is that time is going to pass regardless of if you take that first step or not.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: So it's up to you to decide: are you going to sit there on the sidelines with this idea that you really want and this clarity of the path you want to take, but not take the first step to make it happen?
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Because in a year's time, in five years' time, you're just going to be one or five years older.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: You're either going to look back and say, Oh, I'm so glad that I tried that, even though it failed, or I'm so glad I tried that because look at me now.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: But on the other hand, if you're using excuses like I don't have the time or the space or the energy to do this right now, or I'm going to start when XYZ happens, I would challenge your priorities and ask you what the real reason is that you are not starting.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Look deeper because that is just a cop-out.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: If it's important to you, you're going to make it happen.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: There's always going to be sacrifices for the choices that you make.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: You have to choose those sacrifices because you cannot do it all.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: But if you want it bad enough, you're going to make it happen.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: So pick your priorities, stop making excuses.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you want it bad enough, you can start taking action now, and you don't need to wait for something else external to give you validation that now is the right time.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: I completely understand that life can happen, and sometimes important things come up, but there's always going to be something that's stopping you from getting started if you use the time and space excuses.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you can take one small step to start, that is better than no step at all.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: And just remember that the first step is definitely the hardest.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Put it out there, make it happen, stop making excuses.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now's the right time.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: And as long as you're taking action and making those steps towards your goals, you'll eventually get there even if it takes a long time.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say now you are months or years into your journey and you've started your business, you've got validation of your offers, you're making sales, you're marketing yourself, but you come across a challenging time in your business.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Things were going well, but they're not going well anymore.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: This may look like clients canceling, maybe you're not getting any leads or inquiries, you're not feeling inspired or energized by your business, and you really just don't feel like things are going well or they're just not working.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: So, what do you do when things get hard?
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, you need to revisit your values and make sure your goals are aligned to your values and your purpose and your mission.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: This is always going to keep you motivated because you see the bigger picture.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: When you think about the bigger picture and what you're trying to achieve through your business, it's easier to stay motivated because you have the direction or long-term vision in mind.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: So you don't worry so much about what's happening on a shorter scale because you know you're on the right path and you're headed in the right direction, even if the ground may be a little unstable right now.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can keep going, you can stay motivated because you know that you're heading in the right direction.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, just know that it is okay if you need to assess and change things.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Your clients are going to change, the market's going to change, you're going to change.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: The worst thing you can do is not to be adaptable to change.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: So it's important to be able to recognize when it's time to make a change or when things are just going through a bit of a lull.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: It is normal to have ups and downs in terms of leads and sales and clients and business, but it's not okay to know that you need to adapt and evolve, but be unwilling to do so.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: The same things aren't always going to work.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: You'll need, you'll see every business in the world always adapts and changes to the markets and comes up with new offers and programs and services.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: This doesn't mean that you completely change your entire business.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a matter of being in tune with what is and isn't working at that point in time.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's not to say you need to change all the time, just be able to recognize when it is time to change or at least consider a change.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I would also ask you: are things actually hard right now or are you just not doing the work?
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes we get stuck in ruts and we think that we're entitled to have a business that works, and we get taken away with these ideas of passive income and highly leveraged offers that make us six figures in our sleep.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: But if you aren't doing the work, you're not going to get the result.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: So if things are hard right now, is it because you're still putting in the work and not getting the result?
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: In which case you should maybe assess whether what your approach is is the right thing, or if you need to make an a change within your business, or are you just not doing the work?
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Because I see a lot of people out there that if they just increase the output of their business, more content, more hours, more effort, they would actually see much better results.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes you don't need to put a lot of effort in and it works.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you need to put extra effort in to make it work.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I think a lot of people um don't realize that if they just tried harder, they would probably be more successful, and that's a really unpopular opinion because everyone in the online business space wants to make you believe that it's so easy and anyone can do it, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to build a business that allows you to live the life that you want.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not putting the work in, then you can't expect it to just happen.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: So very unpopular opinion, but that's the truth.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: So remember it's okay to change, keep revisiting and aligning your business to your values, mission, and vision and purpose, of course.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: Think about the big picture, don't worry about things on a smaller scale, and actually ask yourself, are you putting in the work?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: At the start of this episode, I promised I would give you my three key lessons from the last three years in business.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: And it was really hard to put these down into three.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: Some of them I've already mentioned in this episode, but here they are.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: The first is that purpose, vision, and values are everything.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: They are what are going to keep you motivated, that's going to help you connect with your audience, it's going to give you longevity of your business and give you meaning and fulfillment within your work.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: A business that's not built on purpose really is lifeless.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: It has no reason to be.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: And when something doesn't have a reason to be, it's going to be really hard for that to grow into something that is meaningful.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: The second is you absolutely do not need to do everything.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: So simplicity really is key.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: Try and focus on less things, but do them better.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Because the truth is that 80% of your results are going to come from 20% of the work that you do.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: So identify those key things that actually move the needle forward.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to do everything, you just need to do the things that matter.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Third and final lesson from the last three years is that you will fail.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: But failure is a gift.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can approach fear and failure with curiosity and learn the lessons that these experiences can give you, then you will have a much more likelihood of success compared to someone that fails and then gives up.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope this episode has given you some valuable insights into my journey that will hopefully help you on yours as well.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: I really want to be here to provide insights and perspective that you may not have thought of yet and really share my experiences in the hope that it helps you become more successful and achieve your goals and dreams as a business owner.