WEBVTT 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:20.219 Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable 00:00:20.219 --> 00:00:23.420 Connections, the show where connection turns 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:26.899 into momentum. I'm Michael Foreman, and today's 00:00:26.899 --> 00:00:30.140 episode is for every solopreneur who's tired 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:33.340 of feeling like networking only works if you're 00:00:33.340 --> 00:00:36.880 everywhere, talking nonstop, and working the 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:41.060 room like a politician. My guest proves something 00:00:41.060 --> 00:00:44.600 powerful. Real relationships don't come from 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:47.520 being the loudest voice. They come from three 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:51.460 things done well. Service, personal attention, 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:55.539 and reputation. We're talking about how to build 00:00:55.539 --> 00:00:59.320 strong professional ties without living at events. 00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:04.659 How small personal touches open big doors. What 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:07.760 it really means to be known for showing up the 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:12.019 right way, not the noisy way. So if you want 00:01:12.019 --> 00:01:15.019 results from your network without turning into 00:01:15.019 --> 00:01:17.629 someone you're not, You're in the right place. 00:01:18.069 --> 00:01:21.250 And listen, I would love to introduce Alan to 00:01:21.250 --> 00:01:24.689 the podcast. He's got an incredible background. 00:01:25.109 --> 00:01:28.310 And so, Alan, welcome to the podcast. And why 00:01:28.310 --> 00:01:29.629 don't you tell me a little bit about yourself 00:01:29.629 --> 00:01:34.230 and how you got here? Thank you, Michael. It's 00:01:34.230 --> 00:01:37.010 a pleasure to speak with you and to be in front 00:01:37.010 --> 00:01:40.269 of your audience. Yeah, I'm Alan. I'm thousands 00:01:40.269 --> 00:01:42.209 of miles away. I'm actually from Asia and the 00:01:42.209 --> 00:01:45.819 Philippines. And I got started into solopreneurship. 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:49.239 Basically, I'm a big believer in education. For 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:52.959 us, our biggest export is actually our talent, 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:56.379 our manpower. And we get these opportunities 00:01:56.379 --> 00:01:59.560 through education, through our ability to speak 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:02.719 English, through our skills. And I believe that 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:05.620 with knowledge comes independence, power, and 00:02:05.620 --> 00:02:10.669 upside potential. I started off really as, I 00:02:10.669 --> 00:02:15.330 studied accountancy. I'm a CPA by training. But 00:02:15.330 --> 00:02:18.610 I graduated around the time when Robert Kiyosaki 00:02:18.610 --> 00:02:21.289 had this book like Christiane Pourlan. It made 00:02:21.289 --> 00:02:23.629 me think of how I would like to pursue my career. 00:02:23.889 --> 00:02:25.810 So I was on the path of being an accountant. 00:02:26.090 --> 00:02:28.610 I started the franchise business at an early 00:02:28.610 --> 00:02:32.530 age. Got overwhelmed doing both things. I eventually 00:02:32.530 --> 00:02:34.849 worked in a bank while running the franchise 00:02:34.849 --> 00:02:38.819 business. Got me a bit overwhelmed. And I got 00:02:38.819 --> 00:02:41.139 confused because employment didn't work for me. 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:43.919 Entrepreneurship, the easy kind, the franchise 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:47.060 kind, didn't work for me. So I felt like I was 00:02:47.060 --> 00:02:50.280 becoming an educated bum. Both avenues aren't 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:55.020 working for me. And that's when I explored, that 00:02:55.020 --> 00:02:58.599 was around the time, early 2010s, where the internet 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:01.379 business was starting to boom. And that's when 00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:05.259 I dipped my toes into it. So I started off as 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:08.939 an affiliate marketer using emails to sell products. 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:12.120 And emails seemed to be a good fit for me because 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:14.800 as an accountant, even among accountants, I'm 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:18.039 somebody who works silently in a corner. And 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:21.919 email is my way to talk to a lot of people without 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:26.300 being with them, so to speak. That's right. That's 00:03:26.300 --> 00:03:29.219 when I was able to sell my first affiliate product, 00:03:29.340 --> 00:03:32.009 a digital product, an e -book. And made my first 00:03:32.009 --> 00:03:35.669 $8 commission. That was January 2013. An $8 commission. 00:03:35.909 --> 00:03:39.250 I couldn't forget that. And that told me that, 00:03:39.330 --> 00:03:43.069 hey, you can make money educating others. You 00:03:43.069 --> 00:03:45.750 can make money just by being yourself. And you 00:03:45.750 --> 00:03:49.490 can do so while at home. And that started my 00:03:49.490 --> 00:03:52.849 journey into selling digital products over the 00:03:52.849 --> 00:03:55.689 years. And now I help people start this one person 00:03:55.689 --> 00:03:59.389 digital product business sharing their expertise. 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:04.120 Good. All right. Thank you for that background. 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:06.719 I mean, that's really an incredible background 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:10.219 showing where you came from just as a single 00:04:10.219 --> 00:04:13.979 little entity and how you flourished into what 00:04:13.979 --> 00:04:18.000 you are today. So on that note, I am going to 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:21.819 ask you a few questions. Many people think networking 00:04:21.819 --> 00:04:25.759 means showing up everywhere and talking the loudest. 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:30.959 Why is that idea so misleading? especially for 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:35.620 solopreneurs? I believe, especially with solopreneurs, 00:04:35.660 --> 00:04:40.120 we're not big brands. A lot of it rests on our 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:42.800 shoulders. But the advantage that we have is 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:46.860 we can create that genuine connection. And for 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:49.480 me, it's not about being loudest or even being 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.860 near. One of the ways that I network is really 00:04:52.860 --> 00:04:57.379 by being of service. For example, I'm part of 00:04:57.379 --> 00:05:00.589 a Facebook group. And one of these Facebook groups 00:05:00.589 --> 00:05:04.730 mentioned that, hey, I love you guys to network. 00:05:04.949 --> 00:05:08.149 So leave in the comments what you do and people 00:05:08.149 --> 00:05:11.089 will see you and reach out to you. But that group 00:05:11.089 --> 00:05:14.649 has over 400 comments, I think over 600 comments. 00:05:14.689 --> 00:05:17.670 So nobody's going to go through everything. So 00:05:17.670 --> 00:05:20.089 what I did was I took a screenshot of all the 00:05:20.089 --> 00:05:23.569 comments. I plugged them in AI and asked it to 00:05:23.569 --> 00:05:26.769 categorize folks in parenting, folks in planting, 00:05:27.089 --> 00:05:29.990 folks in gardening, so on and so forth. And I 00:05:29.990 --> 00:05:33.610 shared it in the group as well. And I did it 00:05:33.610 --> 00:05:36.029 for myself, for me to find people I would like 00:05:36.029 --> 00:05:38.089 to connect with. But hey, since I have this, 00:05:38.189 --> 00:05:40.990 I shared it in the group as well. And people 00:05:40.990 --> 00:05:43.170 started commenting, hey, please add me to the 00:05:43.170 --> 00:05:46.310 list. Then folks that I wanted to connect with. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.620 I added them. They added me back because they 00:05:49.620 --> 00:05:51.980 saw me as somebody who added value in the community 00:05:51.980 --> 00:05:55.139 without me being noisy. It was just being of 00:05:55.139 --> 00:05:58.279 service. And those are the opportunities that 00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:02.139 I think are in line with who I am, being of service 00:06:02.139 --> 00:06:05.040 rather than being loud. And that is, I think, 00:06:05.060 --> 00:06:08.019 people can talk a lot, right? Anybody can claim 00:06:08.019 --> 00:06:11.279 something. But if you can show up with action, 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:15.120 with service first, that would make people, that 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.329 would make you stand out. And those are some 00:06:17.329 --> 00:06:20.449 of the ways that I think action can speak louder 00:06:20.449 --> 00:06:22.470 when you don't want to be loud, to be noise. 00:06:24.110 --> 00:06:28.129 Actually, within the networking world, there's 00:06:28.129 --> 00:06:30.230 a certain thing that you have to follow. I've 00:06:30.230 --> 00:06:34.970 learned over 35 years of sales, what you don't, 00:06:34.970 --> 00:06:37.750 you and I based my whole business around that. 00:06:37.970 --> 00:06:41.269 And I'll tell you that once you walk into that 00:06:41.269 --> 00:06:44.490 networking event or meeting or something else 00:06:44.490 --> 00:06:48.829 like that. You go in with what's called a servant's 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:53.509 heart. You go in looking to give, not receive. 00:06:54.149 --> 00:06:58.089 And if you look to give, it takes all that pressure 00:06:58.089 --> 00:07:02.449 off your shoulders. And I can enjoy myself. I 00:07:02.449 --> 00:07:05.449 can have a good time. And I can help somebody 00:07:05.449 --> 00:07:08.790 to boot. So that's a great way. That's great 00:07:08.790 --> 00:07:11.689 philosophy. I believe in that wholeheartedly. 00:07:12.009 --> 00:07:16.829 And you're right on track. You teach that service 00:07:16.829 --> 00:07:20.689 comes first, which is a big thing. What does 00:07:20.689 --> 00:07:23.529 service actually look like in a professional 00:07:23.529 --> 00:07:29.569 relationship when it's done correctly? Just like 00:07:29.569 --> 00:07:32.930 with sales, just with parenting, with relationships, 00:07:33.449 --> 00:07:36.389 it's really understanding what you can give to 00:07:36.389 --> 00:07:38.730 the other side or what they want in particular. 00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:42.389 Because perhaps we can give so much. For example, 00:07:42.569 --> 00:07:46.730 if somebody... I remember this one, I had this 00:07:46.730 --> 00:07:50.110 guest in my community and he's very well off, 00:07:50.310 --> 00:07:53.990 right? But I understand that he's really, so 00:07:53.990 --> 00:07:56.629 what we do typically when we have guests is you'd 00:07:56.629 --> 00:07:59.870 send them a simple gift, right? As a token of 00:07:59.870 --> 00:08:02.990 appreciation. But this person is based in the 00:08:02.990 --> 00:08:06.009 US, so it's pretty far. But I also know that 00:08:06.009 --> 00:08:09.050 he's a big advocate of dog shelters. So there's 00:08:09.050 --> 00:08:12.350 this one dog shelter that he is, he always supports, 00:08:12.509 --> 00:08:16.120 he volunteers at. So as a thank you, we surprised 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:19.240 him by showing him a donation that we made on 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.339 his behalf for the dog shelter that he loves. 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:24.560 And I know he's very well off. He doesn't really 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:27.980 need anything. But when his face lit up, that 00:08:27.980 --> 00:08:31.839 created a moment for them. And for me, that is 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:35.220 something that I would always be, I'm very worried 00:08:35.220 --> 00:08:38.720 of. What would this person need? So for example, 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:43.250 to get noticed, sometimes... I know, Michael, 00:08:43.350 --> 00:08:46.470 you do also have courses you teach, right? And 00:08:46.470 --> 00:08:49.269 as educators, we love it when we get feedback 00:08:49.269 --> 00:08:52.649 from our students. And I know that as well of 00:08:52.649 --> 00:08:55.110 my mentors. And if I want to connect with them, 00:08:55.190 --> 00:08:56.909 one of the things I would love to do is just 00:08:56.909 --> 00:09:00.750 voluntarily give them a testimonial or write 00:09:00.750 --> 00:09:03.590 a case study that they could use. And typically, 00:09:03.830 --> 00:09:07.289 mentors have systems to get people to submit 00:09:07.289 --> 00:09:10.169 those feedback. So for them to get something 00:09:10.169 --> 00:09:14.889 voluntarily, They would love to give you attention. 00:09:15.269 --> 00:09:18.149 So it's understanding what the other party would 00:09:18.149 --> 00:09:21.110 need and being able to serve that. And it's not 00:09:21.110 --> 00:09:25.769 even a one -to -one exchange. The ask could be 00:09:25.769 --> 00:09:28.950 a year down the road. We really never know because 00:09:28.950 --> 00:09:31.649 we're not giving these with the intention of 00:09:31.649 --> 00:09:35.529 having a date, but really just giving it as part 00:09:35.529 --> 00:09:39.179 of our process. Looking at it more as farming, 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:44.500 as planting, rather than as hunting. That's always 00:09:44.500 --> 00:09:47.279 the best way to go is to be a farmer, not a hunter. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.980 But one thing I've recently began teaching my 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:54.539 clients or my students, or I run a networking 00:09:54.539 --> 00:09:58.340 group, weekly networking group, and everybody's 00:09:58.340 --> 00:10:01.340 a problem solver. What problem do you have that 00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:04.419 I can solve? That's great, but that's only the 00:10:04.419 --> 00:10:07.340 first half. of what you should be looking at. 00:10:07.460 --> 00:10:09.580 You should be looking at where are they going, 00:10:09.700 --> 00:10:13.440 right? So if you solve that problem, then what? 00:10:14.139 --> 00:10:16.759 Then where are they going? And that's where you 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:19.500 want to meet them. You don't want to just solve 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:21.120 their problem and say, oh, they want to say, 00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:24.879 thank you very much. But you want to see where 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.460 they're going and meet them there, and you'll 00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:34.080 get a lot more out of it. Okay. Okay. So personalization. 00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:39.419 Sounds simple, yet most people skip it. What 00:10:39.419 --> 00:10:42.480 small personal touch makes the biggest difference 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:47.360 in building trust? That's wonderful. That's a 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:50.220 great question. I've been, Michael, I've been 00:10:50.220 --> 00:10:52.860 looking at my purchases, right? Like my own behavior 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:56.100 and people around me. And I noticed a bit of 00:10:56.100 --> 00:10:59.860 a pattern. It's like when people discover, say, 00:10:59.960 --> 00:11:04.419 like an influencer or a guru or a mentor. they 00:11:04.419 --> 00:11:07.320 tend to do some background research, right? And 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:09.919 I noticed this about myself as well. And the 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.220 first rabbit hole that I get into are videos. 00:11:13.700 --> 00:11:16.519 It seems like there's some, with all the AI, 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.080 with information, everything is gettable. But 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:22.360 when we see people, we hear them, just like with 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:25.080 you and your podcast, people hear your cadence, 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:29.620 what you stand for, how you deliver things. Those 00:11:29.620 --> 00:11:32.700 matter. Like the same content delivered. by two 00:11:32.700 --> 00:11:34.860 different people, it will attract different types 00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:39.620 of folks as well. For me, knowing that, I try 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:41.799 to include videos. For example, when somebody 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:46.159 joins my, becomes a client of mine. Before, when 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:48.600 the internet wasn't as fast as it was now, I 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:50.799 would give them a phone call just to welcome 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:54.000 them personally. Now I would use tools like Bonjoro 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:58.019 or even just use a Zoom call. I would film a 00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:01.000 Zoom clip, just send them a link to it just to 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:04.100 welcome them. personally. So I think those small 00:12:04.100 --> 00:12:07.899 touches matter. From where I am, Christmas is 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:11.600 super big. So I would also invest in small gifts 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:16.080 for them just to let them know that, hey, I cherish 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:18.820 what you do. And I think that's also the advantage 00:12:18.820 --> 00:12:22.679 now with the time of AI where things are commoditized. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:25.320 Those relationships are things that we can double 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:29.019 down. And those are experiences. I think right 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:33.049 now with AI getting bigger, and networking there's 00:12:33.049 --> 00:12:37.750 also an increased value in terms of relationships 00:12:37.750 --> 00:12:40.649 and experience and those are the fundamentals 00:12:40.649 --> 00:12:44.710 of life really and i think i like to double down 00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:47.429 on things that don't change right with the world 00:12:47.429 --> 00:12:50.110 that ever changing and i'm happy to say that 00:12:50.110 --> 00:12:53.549 i've had my side even before pandemic that has 00:12:53.549 --> 00:12:56.370 stuck with me through different different waves 00:12:56.370 --> 00:13:00.539 of changes right and Funny enough, a couple of 00:13:00.539 --> 00:13:03.879 days ago, I just had coffee with some of my longest 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:07.000 -term clients. And those are the things that 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:10.899 they mentioned. The big reliability, the honesty, 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:15.000 and it's funny enough, it's not being noisy, 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:18.240 but being remembered still. So that's the type 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.059 of business that they want, and that's the type 00:13:20.059 --> 00:13:23.740 of business that I run. That's incredible. I 00:13:23.740 --> 00:13:25.860 use the pandemic. You brought up the pandemic. 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:29.919 I use the pandemic as a line in the sand. Before 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:33.759 the pandemic, networkers, it used to be transactional. 00:13:34.259 --> 00:13:37.139 And they used to say, okay, you have a widget. 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:39.720 I have $3. I'll give you that. You give me that. 00:13:39.740 --> 00:13:43.320 Everything is fine. It's done. But ever since 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:47.500 the pandemic, networking has really been relational. 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:52.440 And it's more geared towards relationships. So 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:55.220 I would go to a networking event, networking 00:13:55.220 --> 00:13:58.200 meeting or something. I was in a mortgage business, 00:13:58.419 --> 00:14:01.919 and I used to do networking and come back with 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.559 a shoebox filled with business cards and say, 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:10.159 look how good I did. When in reality, I didn't 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:13.799 do well at all. But now I say, okay, when you 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:19.070 go, get 15 cards, max. right because there's 00:14:19.070 --> 00:14:21.730 a whole series that you have to when you go up 00:14:21.730 --> 00:14:25.070 you talk to them know them like them trust them 00:14:25.070 --> 00:14:27.909 they'll do if they know you like you trust you 00:14:27.909 --> 00:14:30.570 they'll do business with you so you have to go 00:14:30.570 --> 00:14:33.129 through all that and everything but if you have 00:14:33.129 --> 00:14:36.149 only 15 cards it means that you spoke with them 00:14:36.149 --> 00:14:38.429 that you actually had a discussion with them 00:14:38.429 --> 00:14:41.250 and i have a whole system for follow -up and 00:14:41.250 --> 00:14:43.330 everything and what you write on the back of 00:14:43.330 --> 00:14:45.830 their business card but it's a whole thing but 00:14:45.830 --> 00:14:51.759 it's so relationship oriented that now that you 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:54.440 almost have to be that way for you to get ahead. 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:00.059 And one of the things that we value, so I call 00:15:00.059 --> 00:15:03.100 my community effortless earners because we want 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:06.320 to, our main philosophy is the business should 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.059 support life rather than the other way around. 00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:12.519 And one of the things that I like to focus on 00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:16.659 are not really volume of transactions, but LTV, 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:21.159 lifetime value. But LTV can have a negative connotation 00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:24.200 where it's like squeezing every penny out of 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:26.960 a person, right? But for me, I like LTV because 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.580 it challenges me to be better because people 00:15:30.580 --> 00:15:35.659 only stay with you, repurchase and renew if they 00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:38.159 got value from what they bought from you before. 00:15:38.340 --> 00:15:41.490 So it challenged me to over -deliver. on their 00:15:41.490 --> 00:15:43.509 first purchase, on their first experience with 00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:46.750 me. And I feel that's more challenging than booking 00:15:46.750 --> 00:15:50.889 somebody on a $7 low ticket offer on Facebook. 00:15:51.070 --> 00:15:53.169 It's one thing to do that. It's another to make 00:15:53.169 --> 00:15:57.389 them stay. And that forces me to level up, to 00:15:57.389 --> 00:16:00.389 improve my quality, really look at them as people, 00:16:00.529 --> 00:16:03.450 right? Because it's easy to look at transactions 00:16:03.450 --> 00:16:08.230 as numbers, humans as numbers. But if your KPI 00:16:08.230 --> 00:16:11.490 is making them stay. You look at them, okay, 00:16:11.570 --> 00:16:14.909 what are they going through and how can I help 00:16:14.909 --> 00:16:18.090 them out? Maybe it's in terms of deals, in terms 00:16:18.090 --> 00:16:21.070 of terms, in terms of long -term discounts. It 00:16:21.070 --> 00:16:24.389 makes me care more for people I'm with. And by 00:16:24.389 --> 00:16:28.250 extension, that not just broadens my network, 00:16:28.330 --> 00:16:32.690 but it deepens it as well. You have to realize 00:16:32.690 --> 00:16:36.590 that even though we're on Zoom and you're in 00:16:36.590 --> 00:16:39.620 the Philippines and I'm here, you know, you're 00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:44.519 still a person behind the camera. So if I treat 00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:48.340 you like a person, like I'm talking to you right 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:52.679 next to me, and I create that relationship, you'll 00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:55.419 remember that relationship a whole lot more. 00:16:56.059 --> 00:17:02.100 Okay, so you talk about being a poster boy. What 00:17:02.100 --> 00:17:06.500 does that really mean in the context of reputation 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:11.609 and visibility? Being a poster boy in particular, 00:17:12.049 --> 00:17:14.970 I'll circle back to what I said earlier about 00:17:14.970 --> 00:17:19.529 being the best student for the mentor. So I have 00:17:19.529 --> 00:17:23.869 this one student. His name is Jonathan. And he 00:17:23.869 --> 00:17:27.430 would always do all his tasks well. And I would 00:17:27.430 --> 00:17:30.589 interview him as a testimonial. Then we had this 00:17:30.589 --> 00:17:33.710 small circle, right? And when I spoke with other 00:17:33.710 --> 00:17:38.089 courses he enrolled in, I know the mentors, right? 00:17:38.619 --> 00:17:41.180 He would always be the star student in all those 00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:44.599 programs as well. And he would always be the 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.019 case study. That's why everyone notices him too, 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:49.339 because they know that this guy, this person 00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:53.039 is serious. It's not just he buys a lot of stuff 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.839 from them, but he implements them. He makes them 00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:58.240 look good. And I was thinking, hey, of course, 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.859 I'm a student of somebody else too. If I can 00:18:00.859 --> 00:18:03.740 make them, I can be of service to them, maybe 00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:06.740 as a case study, right? I'll be able to get into 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:09.920 their radar. Maybe build a relationship with 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:11.759 them. And who knows, we can help each other out. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:15.259 That actually happened as well when I was on 00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:18.200 a group coaching call and my mentor was looking 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:21.039 at using AI to create content. So this was last 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.039 year. And I shared him, hey, I did a workshop. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:27.559 I gave you a copy. Were you able to see it? Then 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:29.759 he said, okay, I messed up. I got your message, 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.200 didn't see it. Would you mind sharing it now? 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:36.000 So I shared it in front of the group call. like 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.960 with other business owners. And ultimately, I 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:41.940 got invited to do a formal training in his community 00:18:41.940 --> 00:18:45.619 and got me exposure. So it's really just being, 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.480 it's an extension of being of service, but in 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:53.400 a very particular avenue. So whenever we enroll, 00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:55.680 I'll drop in the bucket, for example, of a course. 00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:59.200 But if somebody volunteers a case study, gives 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.059 you a good review, that automatically shoots 00:19:02.059 --> 00:19:05.589 you up in their radar. And that's where it's 00:19:05.589 --> 00:19:07.650 easier when you reach out, it's easier to get 00:19:07.650 --> 00:19:11.690 a response. It's so true and funny. You said 00:19:11.690 --> 00:19:14.869 you wrote an article about it. I write an article 00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:18.349 three times a week for two different publications. 00:19:19.009 --> 00:19:22.809 And it's all about networking, all about AI introduced 00:19:22.809 --> 00:19:27.609 into networking. And by doing so, somebody in 00:19:27.609 --> 00:19:32.630 Las Vegas noticed me. And I'm working with them. 00:19:33.130 --> 00:19:37.329 So it really, it just depends on how you do it. 00:19:37.349 --> 00:19:41.349 Do it, you know, you don't have to go over and 00:19:41.349 --> 00:19:43.410 above yourself. You don't have to speak loudly. 00:19:43.630 --> 00:19:47.170 Just do your work. Do it calmly. And you'll be 00:19:47.170 --> 00:19:51.609 noticed. If you do your work well enough, then 00:19:51.609 --> 00:19:56.769 people will take notice. That's right. Okay. 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:02.140 If someone or for someone who dislikes big events 00:20:02.140 --> 00:20:05.779 or crowded rooms, what's a smarter way to build 00:20:05.779 --> 00:20:08.700 real professional relationships? And this, I'm 00:20:08.700 --> 00:20:12.819 sure, is more towards introverts rather than 00:20:12.819 --> 00:20:16.539 extroverts. You know what? That's a great question. 00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:21.619 As we speak now, I'll actually be doing my first 00:20:21.619 --> 00:20:24.059 test of Brazilian jiu -jitsu tomorrow night. 00:20:24.809 --> 00:20:27.970 And one of my big decisions there was, okay, 00:20:28.009 --> 00:20:30.089 it's one thing to attend a seminar, but with 00:20:30.089 --> 00:20:33.009 jujitsu, I'm really going to grapple with a stranger. 00:20:33.170 --> 00:20:35.410 And that was a consideration for me because, 00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:39.230 ooh, that's too much for me. But it's funny because 00:20:39.230 --> 00:20:43.049 for me with introverts, for me, I could only 00:20:43.049 --> 00:20:45.829 share from my experience that one of the things 00:20:45.829 --> 00:20:50.410 that I do is I look out for summits. So virtual 00:20:50.410 --> 00:20:54.460 summits where, yes, it's an event, but... It's 00:20:54.460 --> 00:20:56.660 virtual. It's still private, still a one -on 00:20:56.660 --> 00:21:00.200 -one call. People will get contact there. But 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:03.359 the magic is, of course, we could build lists 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.380 there. People can watch our session during a 00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:08.559 virtual summit and sign up to our list. But to 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:11.680 take it a step further, one thing I don't think 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.859 a lot of people do is, hey, you can reach out 00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:19.519 to fellow summit speakers, right? Because it 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.660 doesn't end there. You already have something 00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:23.900 in common. You can reach out to them. You can 00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:27.240 ask the host to introduce you guys. So that's 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:31.500 one way to instantly network because in some 00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:33.900 ways there's a kinship already because you both 00:21:33.900 --> 00:21:36.740 spoke at the summit. You're also vetted by the 00:21:36.740 --> 00:21:39.960 host. And for an introvert, that's easier in 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:42.819 the sense that I don't have to prove myself because 00:21:42.819 --> 00:21:45.559 we're on an event playing field. The host already 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:51.089 vetted us. So it gives you an in. Secondly, One 00:21:51.089 --> 00:21:53.049 thing that you can do as well, if you also have 00:21:53.049 --> 00:21:57.549 extra funds for advertising, if somebody you 00:21:57.549 --> 00:22:00.349 spoke at the summit, that summit typically has 00:22:00.349 --> 00:22:03.410 a lot of fresh new leads. You can reach out to 00:22:03.410 --> 00:22:07.049 the host and maybe ask them if, hey, can I buy 00:22:07.049 --> 00:22:12.109 a solo ad? Can I pay you and you promote my newsletter 00:22:12.109 --> 00:22:15.349 or my lead magnet or whatever? And that's also 00:22:15.349 --> 00:22:17.730 another way. Of course, there's transaction blog. 00:22:17.950 --> 00:22:21.000 You can swap. Solo ads, that would be fine as 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:24.599 well. But that's another way to get eyes to what 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:28.799 you do through an endorsement, which is an indirect 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:31.339 form of networking. It's not the traditional, 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:33.900 we're all here all at the same time. But you 00:22:33.900 --> 00:22:36.339 have to understand that, hey, people are just 00:22:36.339 --> 00:22:39.380 arriving in this person's list. They're fresh. 00:22:39.579 --> 00:22:42.440 They're excited. This might be a good time to 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:46.000 put my name in front of them. And typically, 00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:49.789 summits... would accept sponsorship because during 00:22:49.789 --> 00:22:51.849 summits, they are actually selling sponsorship 00:22:51.849 --> 00:22:55.990 packages. So if you offer, hey, can I pay you 00:22:55.990 --> 00:22:59.490 X amount for you to promote my email list, then 00:22:59.490 --> 00:23:02.269 that's an introvert's paradise. A way to network 00:23:02.269 --> 00:23:06.150 with an in and a way to network without having 00:23:06.150 --> 00:23:08.390 to talk to a lot of people through an endorsement. 00:23:09.529 --> 00:23:12.390 Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I put on business 00:23:12.390 --> 00:23:16.130 shows, business expos, and I'm having one in 00:23:16.130 --> 00:23:18.680 March. And what you're talking about with the 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:21.740 sponsorships, I'm getting all these requests 00:23:21.740 --> 00:23:26.619 of exactly what you're talking about. And mine 00:23:26.619 --> 00:23:30.559 is an in -person expo. That's really not part 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:33.440 of it. But I see exactly what you're talking 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:35.980 about because I'm getting all the questions about 00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:39.640 it now. And I'm like, okay, it doesn't pertain 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:42.640 to my expo, but I'm going to keep all this in 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.859 the back of my head because it may come out later 00:23:45.859 --> 00:23:51.059 on. Okay. Where do solopreneurs waste the most 00:23:51.059 --> 00:23:54.440 energy in networking and what should they focus 00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:58.700 on instead? That's a wonderful question. I would 00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:03.940 say looking at our, I was just checking our activities 00:24:03.940 --> 00:24:07.839 and the leads that they generated. The best return 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:12.019 for our time, I would say, are doing guest presentations 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:16.509 for paid communities. You can get Maybe not the 00:24:16.509 --> 00:24:19.549 volume, but the quality that you get are much 00:24:19.549 --> 00:24:23.250 higher. They stay in your list longer and they 00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:26.490 tend to buy more. So if you get that opportunity, 00:24:26.849 --> 00:24:30.549 right? And that you don't necessarily get to 00:24:30.549 --> 00:24:33.289 pay to play. Those are things that you build 00:24:33.289 --> 00:24:36.190 through network. Because when I got those opportunities, 00:24:36.349 --> 00:24:40.109 it's through knowing the mentor for a long time. 00:24:40.170 --> 00:24:43.910 That's why I got invited to speak. So if you... 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:46.660 It's funny, we can tie all these together. So 00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:49.119 if you're part of a course, then you use the 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:53.400 poster boy approach to get noticed, right? And 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:55.920 they will be, you will be in their radar once 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.640 they do like guest speakers, you'll be part of 00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:01.079 that lineup, right? That's one opportunity that 00:25:01.079 --> 00:25:04.019 I don't think a lot of people are taking advantage 00:25:04.019 --> 00:25:08.839 of. Looking at just merely the networking events, 00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:12.880 it's great to attend those. I think follow -ups. 00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:16.339 It's an important next thing, you know, because 00:25:16.339 --> 00:25:19.900 it's not just enough that you meet them, right? 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.900 Because there's that attrition, right? Among 00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:26.680 all these people I met, maybe, what, 10, 5, 10 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:30.539 % would actually follow up. That's instant attention 00:25:30.539 --> 00:25:34.779 for you, right? That's a high number. It's a 00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:38.180 high number. Yeah, it's a high number. Because 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:42.289 most people thought... Most networking events, 00:25:42.609 --> 00:25:45.930 the people who follow up on those events is about 00:25:45.930 --> 00:25:50.650 2%. 2 % of the people do it properly. Yes. So 00:25:50.650 --> 00:25:52.430 when you said 10 or 15, I'm like, no, that's 00:25:52.430 --> 00:25:57.390 way high. Gotcha. Gotcha. So that even presents 00:25:57.390 --> 00:26:00.430 an even bigger opportunity. That's wonderful. 00:26:00.589 --> 00:26:03.769 And I think, yeah, it's not really the volume 00:26:03.769 --> 00:26:06.890 as well. It's really the follow -up right after. 00:26:07.369 --> 00:26:09.410 And that's where it will lead to opportunities. 00:26:09.849 --> 00:26:11.990 And one more thing, it's really looking at the 00:26:11.990 --> 00:26:16.029 timeline as well. If you're rushing things, like 00:26:16.029 --> 00:26:19.349 people can feel that. If you're in here, if you 00:26:19.349 --> 00:26:21.349 really look at the other person as a valuable 00:26:21.349 --> 00:26:25.990 person rather than just a transaction, it's hard 00:26:25.990 --> 00:26:28.589 to put into words, but what you say, the way 00:26:28.589 --> 00:26:31.710 you say, the cadence when you say it, it's different, 00:26:31.890 --> 00:26:34.769 right? It's just changing the horizon of the 00:26:34.769 --> 00:26:40.329 relationship. It's not what you have to sell 00:26:40.329 --> 00:26:43.910 or do or something else, but it's how you act, 00:26:44.069 --> 00:26:48.609 how you dress, how you speak, how you, it's all 00:26:48.609 --> 00:26:52.390 your body language. Everything is part of the 00:26:52.390 --> 00:26:56.170 situation. You can have two people selling the 00:26:56.170 --> 00:27:00.690 same thing. One person is relaxed and calm and 00:27:00.690 --> 00:27:03.950 talking to you. And another person is a little. 00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:07.559 nervous, but he's talking at you. And he's going 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:09.779 to say the next thing that he's trying to think 00:27:09.779 --> 00:27:12.880 of instead of listening to you and responding 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:16.299 to what you're saying. Yeah. So it's very different, 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:21.279 but it's the same. Okay. What does meaningful 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:24.440 follow -up look like when you want to stand out 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:29.640 without sounding pushy or rehearsed? So it can 00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:33.200 be in a few ways. So in terms of, for example, 00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:39.190 sales, For me, I don't like, well, at least the 00:27:39.190 --> 00:27:42.269 way we do it is I don't instruct my community 00:27:42.269 --> 00:27:46.630 to use words like to circle back or following 00:27:46.630 --> 00:27:50.210 up on this. So this in context of a sale, I would 00:27:50.210 --> 00:27:55.069 rather have, hey, here's a deadline. And of course, 00:27:55.069 --> 00:27:57.490 this stems from the belief that your service, 00:27:57.529 --> 00:28:01.089 your offer will genuinely help the other person. 00:28:01.509 --> 00:28:04.660 So I would like. Since there's a deadline, when 00:28:04.660 --> 00:28:07.279 I follow up, it's really more of, I'm looking 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:10.160 out for you. Hey, this is going to end soon. 00:28:10.579 --> 00:28:13.920 I don't want you to miss it. It ends in two days. 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:18.299 Shall we move forward? Do you have any questions? 00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:24.000 That way, one, it comes from a position of power 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:27.859 as well. Because when you say, I'm circling back, 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:30.750 I'm following up. It's like you need something 00:28:30.750 --> 00:28:35.150 from them and it can distort the balance of value. 00:28:35.430 --> 00:28:39.210 For me, I don't want to feel that like I'm chasing 00:28:39.210 --> 00:28:42.750 them because also that for me, it also turns 00:28:42.750 --> 00:28:47.049 off the buyer. So I would love to come from strength 00:28:47.049 --> 00:28:50.250 and confidence because they will feel that energy, 00:28:50.369 --> 00:28:53.630 that we have confidence in our offer and thereby 00:28:53.630 --> 00:28:55.809 they will have confidence that we can deliver 00:28:55.809 --> 00:28:59.819 that. That's one meaningful way to follow up 00:28:59.819 --> 00:29:02.920 in terms of a sales conversation. Now, in terms 00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:07.099 of networking, for me, the way I do it, it's 00:29:07.099 --> 00:29:09.420 not super systematic, but I would like to check 00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:13.059 in at random times from them. I'm a big fan of 00:29:13.059 --> 00:29:16.640 Zoom coffee chats, the same way I do in real 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:20.680 life. One of my criteria for having clients is 00:29:20.680 --> 00:29:23.339 I would only like to work with clients that I 00:29:23.339 --> 00:29:27.059 would love to hang out, have a coffee with. That 00:29:27.059 --> 00:29:30.779 extends to online as well. So I'd like to hang 00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:33.000 out with folks like I could have a Zoom conversation 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:37.140 with. So those are ways that I tend to help out. 00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:40.920 I tend to have meaningful follow -ups and just 00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:43.740 keeping them in mind. So there are some Facebook 00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:46.839 groups where, hey, I need this person, a host 00:29:46.839 --> 00:29:50.359 or a trainer, then I would just tag them there. 00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:53.250 Once I tag them, I'll take a screenshot. I'll 00:29:53.250 --> 00:29:55.950 send it to the person I tagged. And hey, I'm 00:29:55.950 --> 00:29:57.549 not sure if you're part of this group, but I 00:29:57.549 --> 00:30:00.630 tagged you here. Yada, yada, yada. So those are 00:30:00.630 --> 00:30:02.930 things that I wouldn't even say they are follow 00:30:02.930 --> 00:30:06.589 -ups, but it's really keeping them in mind and 00:30:06.589 --> 00:30:10.289 being of service as well. And this is when I 00:30:10.289 --> 00:30:12.269 would do this even if I was part of a business 00:30:12.269 --> 00:30:15.849 networking group before. Even when I left that 00:30:15.849 --> 00:30:19.069 group, I kept them in mind. I knew what their 00:30:19.069 --> 00:30:23.460 business was. I still did that. That shows them 00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:25.240 that it's not transactional and they could feel 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:27.579 that they're not transactional with me as well. 00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:31.460 So that's how I put meaning into follow -ups 00:30:31.460 --> 00:30:34.559 that puts you in a position of strength, not 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:38.000 weakness when you're following up. That's great. 00:30:38.099 --> 00:30:42.579 And for you to remain in that position of strength. 00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:46.710 instead of weakness, instead of looking for, 00:30:46.769 --> 00:30:48.849 oh, please, I'm looking for your money. You're 00:30:48.849 --> 00:30:51.210 in a position of power. So I understand that 00:30:51.210 --> 00:30:56.049 completely. Okay. How does consistency beat charisma 00:30:56.049 --> 00:30:58.670 when it comes to building a strong professional 00:30:58.670 --> 00:31:02.450 circle? That's a wonderful question. I think 00:31:02.450 --> 00:31:07.970 with, I remember this one friend, he mentioned 00:31:07.970 --> 00:31:10.950 to me that, so this friend is a little more well 00:31:10.950 --> 00:31:14.579 -off, right? And there's this one friend who, 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:18.480 his neighbor, who borrowed money from him. Him 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:21.759 knowing that this friend won't ever be able to 00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:24.900 repay him, he still lent the money. He actually 00:31:24.900 --> 00:31:27.599 gave the money to him. And his reasoning was, 00:31:27.960 --> 00:31:32.900 yes, this guy may not ever pay me back, but he's 00:31:32.900 --> 00:31:36.160 always there, whether in my ups or in my downs. 00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:39.140 He's not just there because I'm doing well now. 00:31:39.380 --> 00:31:42.339 He's always been there. So to your point about 00:31:42.339 --> 00:31:44.559 consistency and charisma, it's really about, 00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:48.680 that's why we are, I'm sure it's for yourself 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:51.079 as well, Michael, like we all keep our inner 00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:54.000 circle to people that we truly trust in our lives, 00:31:54.099 --> 00:31:56.920 because especially before we achieve anything 00:31:56.920 --> 00:32:00.400 in life, they were there, right? And it's also 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:03.039 hard to find professional relationships, right, 00:32:03.099 --> 00:32:07.420 as adults. So I think that consistency over the 00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:10.740 years, and I would... Imagine when we attend 00:32:10.740 --> 00:32:13.319 networking events and see the same people from 00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:16.160 five years ago. There's that kinship that we 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:19.799 feel for them. That, hey, it's been a long while. 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.400 Although we're not family, we don't see each 00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:24.960 other every day. How have you been? There's something 00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:29.680 about seeing each other for years through time 00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:33.390 that builds that bond. And of course, consistency 00:32:33.390 --> 00:32:36.349 doesn't just mean showing up because if you can't 00:32:36.349 --> 00:32:41.470 show up and you're annoying every year, they'd 00:32:41.470 --> 00:32:43.750 rather not see you there. They hope you're not 00:32:43.750 --> 00:32:46.470 consistent, but it's about being consistently 00:32:46.470 --> 00:32:50.910 who you are and not changing whether you're big 00:32:50.910 --> 00:32:53.670 time now or you're struggling. And I think that's 00:32:53.670 --> 00:32:56.210 true, not just in business, but in life as well. 00:32:56.349 --> 00:33:00.519 Being able to, it's seeing beyond. business but 00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:03.359 seeing the person as who he is right and there's 00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:05.119 an appreciation especially with business that 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.839 some people some business fold right and consistency 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:14.400 also shows discipline right it also shows hey 00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:17.920 this person can survive this person went through 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:21.099 some difficulties and still here so there are 00:33:21.099 --> 00:33:24.220 some messages that consistency communicate without 00:33:24.220 --> 00:33:26.859 being loud about it it's not just they're always 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:30.980 here but being here also means every year there's 00:33:30.980 --> 00:33:34.440 reasons not to be here so it shows character 00:33:34.440 --> 00:33:39.039 and strength it does and being consistent is 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:42.819 so important and again i'm dealing with i'm coming 00:33:42.819 --> 00:33:47.140 from a networking world and consistency if you're 00:33:47.140 --> 00:33:52.980 consistent and people can rely on you being consistent 00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:55.779 saying oh i i know alan's always going to be 00:33:55.779 --> 00:33:58.880 there and i can always trust that I can always 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:02.599 ask Alan anything or ask him for a favor or something. 00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:06.319 He'll always be there. But if you came up and 00:34:06.319 --> 00:34:09.500 you were high there and you just have the charisma 00:34:09.500 --> 00:34:13.619 of having the short term relationship, I would 00:34:13.619 --> 00:34:17.800 take the consistency over that anytime. Anytime. 00:34:18.179 --> 00:34:23.340 Yeah. What's one behavior that quietly builds 00:34:23.340 --> 00:34:28.059 influence over time? even when no one is watching 00:34:28.059 --> 00:34:32.119 that's great it ties back to what we said about 00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:36.159 consistency i think it's about it ties back with 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:41.519 consistency in a way where if you don't see the 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:45.519 numbers but you're sticking to something it shows 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:49.079 that you have conviction to a cause right so 00:34:49.079 --> 00:34:52.920 for example if you're putting out videos and 00:34:52.920 --> 00:34:55.769 maybe you're not hitting the numbers that you're 00:34:55.769 --> 00:34:58.690 getting, but you committed to do 100 videos first 00:34:58.690 --> 00:35:05.289 before I stop doing something, right? And people 00:35:05.289 --> 00:35:10.869 can see that. And one of those 100 videos would 00:35:10.869 --> 00:35:13.510 hit, for example, and you look like an overnight 00:35:13.510 --> 00:35:18.190 success. So what the sign and trait there is 00:35:18.190 --> 00:35:20.469 just being added consistently because you have 00:35:20.469 --> 00:35:23.960 a bigger vision. for what you do so for us it's 00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:26.860 for example helping folks like build that business 00:35:26.860 --> 00:35:29.820 around their lives so that's why if you notice 00:35:29.820 --> 00:35:32.280 like behind of course for the audio listeners 00:35:32.280 --> 00:35:35.820 behind me is a calendar for the whole year and 00:35:35.820 --> 00:35:40.260 i already highlighted there like birthdays special 00:35:40.260 --> 00:35:43.840 occasions right because i wanted to fill that 00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:47.679 in first and my business will fit around that 00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:52.360 right and i think Those are small convictions 00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:56.159 that when applied to business, there's a reason, 00:35:56.219 --> 00:35:58.400 for example, where I go quiet in my business 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:02.719 is because I value personal time. And I communicate 00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:06.780 that through my audience. And it's not just another 00:36:06.780 --> 00:36:09.159 piece of content. It's anchored in conviction. 00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:13.400 So I think for a lot of folks, one of the things 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:17.099 that we do, I help clients out with is like world 00:36:17.099 --> 00:36:20.730 building, like building. what are your convictions, 00:36:20.889 --> 00:36:23.289 what do you believe in the world, then that's 00:36:23.289 --> 00:36:25.510 also how you run your business, how you communicate 00:36:25.510 --> 00:36:30.150 that. And that's something that when we see business 00:36:30.150 --> 00:36:33.510 online, copy and paste tactics and strategies. 00:36:34.170 --> 00:36:39.050 But we don't know how they anchor their truth, 00:36:39.110 --> 00:36:42.349 their virtues, their values, because that shapes 00:36:42.349 --> 00:36:45.429 how they run their business. If we just copy 00:36:45.429 --> 00:36:49.710 them, you're not... You're just a version of 00:36:49.710 --> 00:36:53.590 them. But if you study what really do I want, 00:36:53.690 --> 00:36:56.610 how do I want to show up for my clients? For 00:36:56.610 --> 00:36:59.630 example, we're speaking here, it's almost midnight 00:36:59.630 --> 00:37:02.929 on my end. But for me, it's important that I 00:37:02.929 --> 00:37:07.829 show up for this because one, I believe my message 00:37:07.829 --> 00:37:11.570 should not be just contained in my locality. 00:37:12.489 --> 00:37:15.690 Second, I also want to show for my community 00:37:15.690 --> 00:37:19.949 that, hey, our... we are also citizens of the 00:37:19.949 --> 00:37:23.230 world, right? That it is something that our message 00:37:23.230 --> 00:37:25.829 can also be seen, not just locally, but worldwide. 00:37:26.309 --> 00:37:31.369 And those are very important for me to show my 00:37:31.369 --> 00:37:33.650 audience, even if, say, they don't necessarily 00:37:33.650 --> 00:37:36.989 bring in the numbers, for example, just the fact 00:37:36.989 --> 00:37:40.869 that I'm doing it is important for me, then numbers 00:37:40.869 --> 00:37:44.190 would come afterwards. But somebody looking at 00:37:44.190 --> 00:37:46.909 it outside may just look at it as a strategy. 00:37:47.480 --> 00:37:50.880 And I feel that communicating that conviction, 00:37:51.019 --> 00:37:54.599 the reason you're doing stuff, and if it's anchored 00:37:54.599 --> 00:37:57.619 in a bigger truth, I think that would help with 00:37:57.619 --> 00:38:00.840 how people perceive you, how you are seen as 00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:05.460 a personal brand, and would add depth to your 00:38:05.460 --> 00:38:08.480 decisions, whether you go with a trend or not. 00:38:09.400 --> 00:38:13.659 People respect people with their original thought, 00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:18.150 not just following a trend. I feel that's the 00:38:18.150 --> 00:38:21.170 quiet thing that not a lot of people notice when 00:38:21.170 --> 00:38:24.230 it comes to strategies where everyone copies 00:38:24.230 --> 00:38:27.349 everyone else. So anchoring your business, your 00:38:27.349 --> 00:38:30.889 strategy in your own decisions is very important. 00:38:32.050 --> 00:38:35.889 Absolutely. Absolutely it is. Okay, so let's 00:38:35.889 --> 00:38:41.210 bring this podcast full circle. And if a solopreneur 00:38:41.210 --> 00:38:45.630 wants stronger partnerships this year, what single 00:38:45.630 --> 00:38:52.670 habit? Should they start today? Wonderful. For 00:38:52.670 --> 00:38:55.670 me, it's important to understand, especially 00:38:55.670 --> 00:38:58.750 as solopreneurs, I'm thinking, of course, there's 00:38:58.750 --> 00:39:00.989 limited time. There's limited energy, just like 00:39:00.989 --> 00:39:03.510 anyone. But more so when you don't have somebody 00:39:03.510 --> 00:39:07.969 to pass this to. I believe understanding, being 00:39:07.969 --> 00:39:11.969 really clear on who you want to serve. It's really 00:39:11.969 --> 00:39:14.389 important because once you understand who you 00:39:14.389 --> 00:39:19.099 want to serve. then next is you'll know what 00:39:19.099 --> 00:39:23.280 communities, what brands have these folks. So 00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:26.019 I grew up in a traditional business where we 00:39:26.019 --> 00:39:29.559 sell wholesale products, not retail. So the wholesale 00:39:29.559 --> 00:39:33.719 thinking has been ingrained in me. So if, for 00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:37.000 example, there are married women in their 40s, 00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:42.260 then they follow, say, a certain brand. A brand 00:39:42.260 --> 00:39:45.369 like Women's Journal, for example. Okay, so maybe 00:39:45.369 --> 00:39:47.929 I can reach out to these folks, be of value to 00:39:47.929 --> 00:39:51.170 them, or maybe pay for an ad to reach them, right? 00:39:51.230 --> 00:39:54.210 That would be, I'll get them wholesale, right? 00:39:54.329 --> 00:39:57.429 So that's one way I would look at it, right? 00:39:57.469 --> 00:40:02.550 So find like 100 communities like this. If you 00:40:02.550 --> 00:40:06.989 nail down 5%, get a partnership with five of 00:40:06.989 --> 00:40:10.789 them, then five times if they have 500 people 00:40:10.789 --> 00:40:12.949 in their community, right? So that's a lot of 00:40:12.949 --> 00:40:17.329 people right away. And you don't have to go retail 00:40:17.329 --> 00:40:20.630 necessarily. You don't have to go advertising 00:40:20.630 --> 00:40:24.070 right away. So those are opportunities that I 00:40:24.070 --> 00:40:29.190 would look at. And look, basically look wholesale. 00:40:29.309 --> 00:40:33.409 And once you do that, keep doing it. Consistency. 00:40:33.429 --> 00:40:36.630 And if you can, use AI, use GPT to even make 00:40:36.630 --> 00:40:41.420 it faster. So that way you get more. get revenue 00:40:41.420 --> 00:40:44.280 if you want to invest in advertising other platforms 00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:48.000 whenever you generate money more opportunities 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:52.739 lined up for you so yeah try to look at it wholesale 00:40:52.739 --> 00:40:56.099 and you'll be surprised with the results that 00:40:56.099 --> 00:40:59.440 you get even at the low conversion rate That's 00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:03.679 great. Alan, this was a wonderful podcast. I'm 00:41:03.679 --> 00:41:06.860 so thankful that you took the time to come on. 00:41:07.139 --> 00:41:10.719 If somebody wanted to get hold of you to either 00:41:10.719 --> 00:41:14.280 hire you or pick your brain or anything, what's 00:41:14.280 --> 00:41:17.119 the best way for them to get hold of you? Thank 00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:20.639 you very much. I am also on LinkedIn, so you 00:41:20.639 --> 00:41:23.860 can find me at Alan Ngoc. I also have a daily 00:41:23.860 --> 00:41:26.199 newsletter where I share these insights that 00:41:26.199 --> 00:41:29.949 we talked about. So it's digital solopreneur 00:41:29.949 --> 00:41:33.889 .com slash Foreman. So easy to remember it. So 00:41:33.889 --> 00:41:36.809 yeah, I send daily insights about this kind of 00:41:36.809 --> 00:41:39.650 business and I respond to all the replies. So 00:41:39.650 --> 00:41:41.230 if you get an email from me there, you want to 00:41:41.230 --> 00:41:43.510 reach out to me, just reply to my newsletter 00:41:43.510 --> 00:41:48.690 and I'll definitely see your message. It's great. 00:41:48.769 --> 00:41:51.809 Thank you. That's what a smart connection sounds 00:41:51.809 --> 00:41:57.119 like. Not louder, not busier, just better. When 00:41:57.119 --> 00:42:00.659 you lead with service, people remember you. When 00:42:00.659 --> 00:42:04.480 you add personal care, people trust you. When 00:42:04.480 --> 00:42:08.219 your reputation speaks for you, doors open before 00:42:08.219 --> 00:42:12.340 you knock. Take one idea from today and use it 00:42:12.340 --> 00:42:15.639 in your next message, meeting, or follow -up. 00:42:15.739 --> 00:42:20.599 Watch how different responses feel when you focus 00:42:20.599 --> 00:42:24.710 shifts from being seen to being valuable. If 00:42:24.710 --> 00:42:27.090 this episode helped you rethink how networking 00:42:27.090 --> 00:42:30.510 really works, pass it along to another solopreneur 00:42:30.510 --> 00:42:33.829 who's building something special. And make sure 00:42:33.829 --> 00:42:36.230 you follow Networking Unleashed, building profitable 00:42:36.230 --> 00:42:38.909 connections, so you never miss a conversation 00:42:38.909 --> 00:42:43.170 that helps you grow real relationships. I'm Michael 00:42:43.170 --> 00:42:46.130 Foreman. And remember, you don't need to be the 00:42:46.130 --> 00:42:49.690 loudest voice in the room. to be the most remembered 00:42:49.690 --> 00:42:53.389 one. Hit subscribe, hit follow, hit everything 00:42:53.389 --> 00:42:57.610 you can. Follow me, follow Alan. Alan, I can't 00:42:57.610 --> 00:43:00.190 thank you enough. Thank you for coming on to 00:43:00.190 --> 00:43:03.530 my podcast. Thank you, Michael. It's been a pleasure. 00:43:07.030 --> 00:43:11.010 Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. Let's 00:43:11.010 --> 00:43:14.269 hear from our sponsors. David Neal, co -founder, 00:43:14.449 --> 00:43:17.849 Revved Up Kids. Revved Up Kids is on a mission 00:43:17.849 --> 00:43:21.309 to protect children and teens from sexual abuse, 00:43:21.550 --> 00:43:25.050 exploitation, and trafficking. They provide prevention 00:43:25.050 --> 00:43:28.650 training programs for children, teens, and adults. 00:43:28.889 --> 00:43:33.469 To learn more, go to revvedupkids .org. Henry 00:43:33.469 --> 00:43:36.840 Kaplan, Century 21. When it comes to making the 00:43:36.840 --> 00:43:39.820 biggest financial decision of your life, leave 00:43:39.820 --> 00:43:42.519 it in the hands of a proven professional, Henry 00:43:42.519 --> 00:43:46.139 Kaplan. Henry is a global real estate agent with 00:43:46.139 --> 00:43:50.219 Century 21, celebrating his 41st year in business. 00:43:50.719 --> 00:43:53.179 No matter where you're moving, Henry has the 00:43:53.179 --> 00:43:56.420 right connections for you. You can contact Henry 00:43:56.420 --> 00:44:03.460 at 561 -427 -4888. A huge thank you to our guests 00:44:03.460 --> 00:44:07.280 for sharing such... insights today. And of course, 00:44:07.280 --> 00:44:10.199 a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners, 00:44:10.400 --> 00:44:13.139 for tuning in and spending your time with us. 00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:16.699 If you're interested in my digital courses, being 00:44:16.699 --> 00:44:19.420 coached or having me come and talk to your company, 00:44:19.679 --> 00:44:23.099 just go to Michael and fill out the request form. 00:44:23.599 --> 00:44:26.920 Remember, networking isn't about being perfect. 00:44:27.119 --> 00:44:30.179 It's about being present. So take what you've 00:44:30.179 --> 00:44:33.039 learned today, get out there and make some meaningful 00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:36.000 connections. If you've enjoyed this episode, 00:44:36.199 --> 00:44:39.139 please don't forget to subscribe. Leave us a 00:44:39.139 --> 00:44:41.739 review and share it with someone who could use 00:44:41.739 --> 00:44:44.880 a little networking inspiration. Let's keep the 00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:47.880 conversation going. You can find me on Apple, 00:44:48.019 --> 00:44:52.840 Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or my website, foreman 00:44:52.840 --> 00:44:55.239 .com slash podcasts.