In The Trenches with Tom Morkes provides behind-the-scenes look into the life and work of entrepreneurs, writers, artists, warriors, and leaders.
Episodes
Monday Nov 20, 2017
Monday Nov 20, 2017
Tema Frank is the author of PeopleShock: The Path to Profits When Customers Rule and, today, we're talking about how we should treat our customers, how we should allow them to influence our products/services, and how it all works together to generate more revenue.
In this broadcast, Tema Frank and I talk about:
- The background of PeopleShock and why customers should rule
- The difference between customer service and customer experience
- Tema’s Three P’s of Profit
- How you should communicate your promise to your customers
- When you should get your customer involved in your decision-making process
- How to determine your customers’ needs when you don't already have existing customers
- Should you get feedback from your existing customers or your prospects?
- The biggest customer experience mistake businesses make
- Why you’re probably not as good at customer service as you think you are
- How can a small business know when they’re doing something wrong?
And so much more.
How to connect with Tema Frank online:
- Tema Frank's Website
- Frank Reactions Podcast
- Tema Frank on Facebook
- Tema Frank on Linkedin
- @temafrank
Great quote from Tema Frank:
"You’re not going to have happy customers if your staff aren’t happy." - @temafrank
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Nov 13, 2017
Monday Nov 13, 2017
David Ralph is the creator and host of the Join Up Dots business podcast; which has seen nearly 500,000 downloads in a single month. Today, we're discussing how David left the corporate world behind (with a little push from yours truly) to become a full-time professional podcaster.
In this broadcast, David ralph and I talk about:
- Why download numbers don’t really matter
- The benefits of batching your interviews
- Why David still does all the post-production work himself instead of outsourcing it
- They story of how I gave David Dumbo’s magic feather
- David’s tactics for using iTunes, and not social media, to grow his audience
- How Pat Flynn and John Lee Dumas influenced David
- How a niche website about the Florida Keys allows David to podcast full-time
- David’s experiences with burn out while building passive income
- How David’s dreams and goals have changed since he first started his podcast
And so much more.
How to connect with David Ralph online:
Great quote from David ralph:
"I’m not anything else. I am a podcaster and I’m proud to say that." - @joinupdot
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Nov 06, 2017
Monday Nov 06, 2017
Melissa Dinwiddie is the author of The Creative Sandbox Way and is on the show today to discuss how we're all creative, even if we don't believe we are, and how our creativity can actually help us in our professional lives.
In this broadcast, Melissa Dinwiddie and I talk about:
- Why Melissa wrote The Creative Sandbox Way
- Why one of the rules in Melissa’s book is quantity over quality
- How to know when a project is ready to be released
- The benefits of sharing your work before you’re ready
- The importance of finding a balance between work and play
- How adding creativity breaks during your workday can improve your focus and performance
- What to do if you don’t believe you’re a creative person
And so much more.
How to connect with Melissa Dinwiddie online:
Great quote from Melissa Dinwiddie:
"Persistence and quantity are actually the key to creativity." - @a_creative_life
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Oct 30, 2017
Monday Oct 30, 2017
Jim Brown is the creator of SalesTuner and the host of the SalesTuner podcast. If you couldn't tell by the name of his business, he focuses on all things sales and helps his clients rethink the sales process so they can close the deals that bring the big bucks.
In this broadcast, Jim Brown and I talk about:
- Jim’s framework for helping entrepreneurs get better at sales
- Why you need to get an upfront agreement within the first few minutes of the first call with a potential clients
- They typical reasons people aren’t willing to give an upfront agreement and how Jim counters them
- The importance of actively looking for the red flags at the beginning of a discovery call
- How to frame your upfront agreement so you’re more likely to get a "yes"
- The typical buyer’s process of lying, stealing, and hiding
- How to get clients to pay you for a proposal
- The topics you should avoid during your discovery calls with potential clients
How to connect with Jim brown online:
Great quote from Jim Brown:
"I want to get to ‘no’ because the sooner I can get to ‘no’, the more people who’re going to say ‘yes’ I can talk to." - @jim_brown
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Oct 23, 2017
Monday Oct 23, 2017
Jessica Sweet loved her job as a social worker but, after having her first child and realizing how expensive daycare is, she decided to make a change.
With no direct coaching experience, she started her own coaching business in 2008 so she could be home with her kids and, in this episode, we talk about that journey and how she continues to grow her coaching business to this day.
In this broadcast, Jessica Sweet and I talk about:
- Why Jessica left a job she loved
- How Jessica entered the coaching space with no previous coaching experience
- The first steps Jessica took when she started her coaching business
- How Jessica grew her coaching business with two young children at home
- The strategies and techniques Jessica uses to grow her coaching business today
- The importance of networking, collaboration, and referrals
- The different between being a consultant and being a coach
- How Jessica sells her coaching services to people who are leery of coaches in general
- How Jessica prioritizes and manages all aspects of her business as a solopreneur
How to connect with Jessica Sweet online:
Great quote from Jessica Sweet:
"Offline is the new online in some ways." - @WishingwellGift
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Oct 16, 2017
Monday Oct 16, 2017
RJ McCollam has been a freelancer for years and, after unsuccessfully searching for project management software that was specially designed for teams, he created the app, Hector, as a side project.
In this episode, we talk about how he built and launched the app in 30 days, why he's rebuilding the app now, and the unexpected challenges he's encountered along the way.
In this broadcast, RJ McCollam and I talk about:
- What RJ does to earn money now
- Where did the idea for RJ’s software, Hector, come from?
- How RJ’s software evolved from an idea to what it is today
- The unexpected challenges of building software
- The guilt that comes with working on a non-revenue generating side project
- The basic costs associated with building an app
- How to take you app from idea to revenue generator
- The software RJ looks to for guidance and/or inspiration
- Why RJ decided to have a free version of Hector
How to connect with RJ McCollam online:
Great quote from Rj McCollam:
"Guilt is something that I struggle with in terms of working on those side projects." - @RJMcCollam
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Oct 09, 2017
Monday Oct 09, 2017
Jose Rosado has a story you might relate to: bouncing from job to job and industry to industry; often times with long nerve-wracking periods of unemployment. However, during those experiences, Jose learned the power of storytelling and he used that knowledge on his successful podcast, The Angry Millennial. Currently, Jose is focusing on his latest project, Creatives Aga;nst Depression.
In this broadcast, Jose Rosado and I talk about:
- How Jose became a photographer and then an instructor
- The power of podcasting
- How Jose made his first sales as a photographer
- The power of person-to-person connection over social media
- The tactics Jose used for getting his podcast guests to really open up
- Why Jose started his podcast and chose to call it The Angry Millennial
- How Jose manages and prioritizes his various projects
- Why Jose doesn’t pick just one project and focus solely on that
How to connect with Jose rosado online:
- Jose Rosado's Website
- The Angry Millennial Podcast
- Creative Aga;nst Depression
- @joserosadophoto
- Jose Rosado on Facebook
- Jose Rosado on Instagram
Great quote from JOse Rosado:
“At it’s very core, storytelling is still the most powerful way of conducting business." - @joserosadophoto
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Oct 02, 2017
Monday Oct 02, 2017
Tom Ziglar is the son of Zig Ziglar; one of the most influential motivational speakers and business thought leaders of our time. He's also the CEO of Ziglar, Inc. and is carrying on his father's legacy by using the company to help people and businesses achieve their personal and professional goals.
In this broadcast, Tom Ziglar and I talk about:
- What it was like growing up with Zig Ziglar
- How Tom’s golf habit led to him taking over the family business
- The story of Tom’s first sale and the major lesson he learned from it
- Why building trust is so incredibly important when scaling a business
- The simple way to build trust in the sales industry
- Why you should strive to be different from your competition instead of trying to beat them at their own game
- What is a “turn-key” business and why should yours be one?
- The number one reason most business don’t do as well as they could
- Why you need to tweak your prices to generate profitable revenue
- Tom’s advice for when your business and sales become stagnate
- The powerful reason for being very clear about your “why”
- What is a “minimum viable customer”?
How to connect with Tom Ziglar online:
Click to tweet:
“Significance is when you help someone else be, do, or have more than they thought possible." - @tomziglar
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Sep 25, 2017
Monday Sep 25, 2017
Ryan Robinson is a writer and freelance content marketer who's been featured on platforms such as Inc., Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider. Today, we're talking about how to write for major platforms and how to start a side hustle while doing so.
In this broadcast, Ryan Robinson and I talk about:
- What was Ryan’s first side hustle?
- Should you quit your “day job” before your side hustle is replacing that income?
- How Ryan became such a prolific writer
- Ryan’s strategies for consistently creating content
- Ryan’s advice for people who want to be a regular contributor for sites like Entrepreneur and Forbes
- How to write great content for major media outlets that will keep them wanting more
- Is it worth your time to write for media outlets like Forbes and Entrepreneur?
- How to come up with an idea for a side hustle
- How to know when you should narrow your side hustle
How to connect with Ryan Robinson online:
- Ryan's Website
- @theryanrobinson
- Ryan on Facebook
- Ryan on Linkedin
- Ryan's Podcast: The Side Hustle Project
- Ryan's Article: 5 Steps to Write a Cold Email That Converts New Clients
- Ryan's Article: 101 Best Side Hustle Business Ideas to Start While Working Full-Time
Click to tweet:
“It’s all about problem identification, not opportunity identification." - @theryanrobinson
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.
Monday Sep 18, 2017
Monday Sep 18, 2017
Kai Davis is a world leader is marketing education for freelancers and consultants and, today, we're talking about the paths one can take when they find they've outgrown their business and graduated from freelancing.
In this broadcast, Kai davis and I talk about:
- The three options for when your business outgrows you
- Why Kai choose to go the path of creating education products for his clients
- Is there a fourth path of becoming a full-time employee?
- Kai’s experience running to micro-agencies
- The main thing to consider when deciding whether or not to create an agency
- The difference in business models between freelancing and selling education products
- How to know when you can stop focusing on the growth of your business
- How your hobbies can make or break your business
- Is it obligatory that you take your freelance business to the next level?
- Why maxing your retirement accounts is more sexy than buying new a car
How to connect with Kai davis online:
Click to tweet:
“Education products is the next evolution for freelancers and consultants." - @kaisdavis
If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.