Aly Saxe had already founded and grown a successful PR firm when, with two babies, she decided to start her PR software company Iris PR. Why would she leave the perfect business to start a new one? Aly talks with Clate Mask and Scott Martineau about tenacity, why it doesn’t work to chase two dreams, and creating a product that changes customers’ lives. Growing your first, second, third or more business? Save time and automate. Check out “25 Things Every Small Business Should Automate.” Connect with Aly: Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Aly_saxe   Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Ready to re-engage your leads? Let’s talk strategy. There are three steps: Collect leads, re-engage and drive them to an offer, and make it easier to purchase. David Bonney, Carey Ballard, and demand gen specialist Jared Kimball talk about ways to do those three things through low-entry point offers. Got a bunch of small offerings? You can create campaigns to warm your cold leads and close a sale. Have a service-based business with high price tags and find it hard to get people to commit? We have a fix for that. And watch for episode 34 in two weeks, when we drill down even further into the specific tactics for re-engaging your leads. Mentioned in this episode: “Yes” by Robert Cialdini Project Planning Framework The Typical vs Perfect Customer Lifecycle Need some lost leads to re-engage? Try our “Top 10 Places to Find Lost Leads.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Way back in the early days of Infusionsoft, Clate and Scott had a truck that didn’t work so reliably. Nicknamed “Squeaker,” the truck is at the center of a certain nearly-infamous and humbling incident, in which the execs Clate and Scott just had a sales meeting with saw them unsuccessfully trying to start Squeaker—a few times. Clate and Scott share what that incident taught them, namely that it’s relationships, not appearances, that make a deal, and that everything is a season—with a bit of perspective and humor, you’ll get through the tough times in your business and your life. It’s never too late—or too early—to plan for your business. Check out our ebook, “Your Game Plan.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Need more sales? Think that to get more sales you need to get more new leads? You could actually raise sales by re-engaging the leads you already have. All those leads who weren’t ready to buy, or went off the grid? What it takes is reigniting a relationship with those leads, providing them value, and solving their pain points. Jared Kimball, a demand gen specialist, joins David Bonney and Carey Ballard to talk about the concept of how to re-engage leads. Make sure to tune in in two weeks as they dive deeper into what you need to re-engage leads and the strategy behind doing so. Want to get down the basics of lead capture? Check out our ebook, “The Small Business Guide to Capturing Leads.” Mentioned in this episode:  Typical vs Perfect Customer Lifecycle Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

We’re introducing a new kind of episode to the mix! We’ve got director of content Carey Ballard teaming up with small business success expert David Bonney to talk through the strategies, how-tos, and tactics you need to grow your small business. Carey and David talk with Scott Martineau about the concepts behind Infusionsoft’s Small Business Success Method, which helps business owners go from where they are to where they want to be through incremental, repeatable improvements. And no, you don’t have to be an Infusionsoft customer. They also chat about David’s experiences with entrepreneurship, the biggest mistakes he sees small businesses make, and making the incremental improvements that will be game changers for your business. Get ready to grow your business! Get into strategic planning mode with “Your Game Plan.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

One of Alison Werder’s toughest business moments was letting go an employee who just wasn’t the right fit. Upon departing, the former employee told Alison, “You think you’re big time, but you’re not.” But the mission of Alison’s business, Ali J Boutique, is big time. Alison chats with Clate about how she went from selling scarves to creating an online apparel company; balancing business with parenting; and all of the teaching involved in drawing in customers. The biggest takeaway for both these business owners? THat if you feel your business is commoditized, you’re probably low on passion, not teaching right, and not selecting the people who value what you offer.   Want to automate your online business like Ali J Boutique? Check out tips from our e-book, “The Small Business Office Automation Guide.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Dobbin Buck and Melissa Allen didn’t start GetUWired, but they’re the brains and co-owners behind it now. They both came in when there were a handful of people on the staff, and in the ensuing eight years have built it to a robust team of 37. Melissa, who started as an intern, is now CEO, and Dobbin is the VP of business development. They both talk with Infusionsoft CEO Clate Mask about working with and hiring Millennials, mentoring interns, and the cash crunch of high sales and small creating teams.   Want to read about what more entrepreneurs like Melissa and Dobbin think about success? Check out our research  report “Defining and Achieving Small Business Success.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Mark Breyer once declared that he would never work with his wife, Alexis, but they’ve been running their personal injury law firm together for 20 years. In retrospect, they found that they set themselves up to have problems scaling their business and fall behind the times. Clate and Scott follow Mark and Alexis’ business journey and talk about going from generalist to specialist, letting half their staff go on one day, and keeping moving goal posts for your business. Mentioned in this episode: “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber Learn to manage your business like Mark and Alexis did with our Small Business Office Automation Guide. Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

At 25, Netherlands-based Budi Voogt is one of the entrepreneurial wunderkinder starting university businesses that take off into adulthood. At 20 years old, he started Heroic, a record label, incubator, and accelerator for artists. With 12 people between the label and his personal business, Budi Voogt, Budi talks with Clate about becoming a young leader, capitalizing on early-stage platforms, and how dropping the option of a plan B led to over performance and success.   What does it mean to be successful? Read our report “Defining and Achieving Small Business Success” to see what other entrepreneurs think.   Mentioned in this episode:   “Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs” by Ken Berman and Joe Knight “High Output Management” by Andrew S. Grove “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Brian Young has owned Home Painters Toronto for 28 years, but it took him almost 20 years to come to terms with getting off of cold calling and into online marketing. In fact, it took a literal punch to the face to get him to question the way he was running his business. Brian chats with Scott and director of content Carey Ballard about hitting bottom, making it through the Great Recession, and winning the Small Business ICON award in 2015.Curious about ICON? Check out what’s in the works for 2017.   Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

You heard Clate’s side of the Infusionsoft story. Now hear it from co-founder and CCO Scott Martineau. Scott talks with director of content Carey Ballard about getting started in his dad’s business, suffering from “entrepreneurial seizures,” and holding on to business when you probably shouldn’t, only to reap the rewards later. Mentioned in this episode: “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber   Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

After 20 years in business, The Abs Company has seen a lot: The years leading up to the overnight success of infomercial legend The Ab Roller; negotiating patents and legal disputes; testing their products in gyms; and sending fitness care packages to troops overseas. Sean Gagnon, president of The Abs Company, chats with Clate and Scott about what success looks like, getting Fortune 500 levels of revenue per employee, and learning how to become a leader. Got big plans like The Abs Company? Make those plans a reality with “Harness Your Inner Genius.”  What is ICON? Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Ryan Deiss, founder and CEO of DigitalMarketer.com, got his start in what some might say was a strange business for a teenage boy. But it taught him tons of marketing lessons, and he steps into the studio with Clate and Scott to share some of those business marketing tips. He talks about the importance of keeping your business market-centric and remembering that your business is NOT about your product; it’s about the problems that exist for your target customer. Deiss also recalls the pains of trying to make payroll, the fine line between delegating and just being unwilling to do the work, and getting over the fear of hiring other people.   Want to learn more marketing tactics? Check out our webinar with Ryan Deiss, How to Convert Leads into Paying Customers with Email Marketing Mentioned in this episode:   “How the Mighty Fall” by Jim Collins “Rocky III” Learn.infusionsoft.com Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Cara Hale Alter had built up a fully-booked business in leadership and communication skills—until the recession-induce crickets brought Speech Skills to a crashing halt, and only 5 percent of their previous business volume. She and her business partner/husband used that time to really build up the business so that once the economy recovered, they came out stronger than ever. Cara talks with Clate and Scott about the tremendous burden of being an entrepreneur and the sole breadwinner in her family; saying “no” to clients who monopolize your resources; and how much more fun it is to run a business when you’re not your product. Stages of small business success “The Credibility Code” by Cara Hale Alter “Conquer the Chaos” by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

In 2006, Bill Harney’s father, a real estate broker for 25 years, realized something was rotten in the state of real estate, and that something bad was coming. So he started Keeping Current Matters, a real estate education business. Bill joined the business as employee number four, when his dad was doing 200 speaking events a year, which Bill saw was unsustainable economically and practically. Within a few years, Bill had taken over the business, and has grown it into an online education platform with 16 employees. He chats with Clate and Scott about knowing when it’s the right time to make a major change in business model; getting more than ten times the anticipated audience for their very first webinar; and making powerful and confident decisions.   Have an online business? Learn how to save time and stay organized with “25 Things Every Small Business Should Automate.”   Mentioned in this episode: “Lean Startup” by Eric Ries “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan “Essentialism” by Greg McKewan Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Cate Stillman did what many entrepreneurs dream of: starting and growing a business within her passion. Her background in international environmental politics and policy brought her to the teachings of Ayurveda, a system of natural healing and medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. While learning both yoga and Ayurveda, she realized that those two communities, which are traditionally inseparable in India, were completely separate in the United States. So in 2001 she started YogaHealer.com and built a community of teachers and students. She chats with Clate and Infusionsoft director of content Carey Ballard about building that tribe and speaking to them; marrying desire with action in both life and business; and grappling with the realities of content marketing.   Build your community through content with our “Small Business Guide to Content Marketing.”   Mentioned in this episode: “Tribes” by Seth Godin “Primal Branding” by Patrick Hanlon Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Jake Fackrell is a born entrepreneur—as a kid, he started a lawn mowing business, and by the time he was 17, he partnered with his cousin to start a collections company in Las Vegas. Mackrell thought that what he really wanted to be was a doctor, so he worked part time as an athletic trainer in college while starting a coupon card business. Tired of “rubbing down 350-pound linemen,” Fackrell made a change and jumped all into being an entrepreneur. After a series of starts and sells, he’s run Domega, a subsidiary of his business Land Voice, for 10 years. Now he has 62 employees, and while he’s still focused on business growth, he talks with Clate and Infusionsoft’s director of content Carey Ballard about how committed he is to seeing his six children grow up instead of being a workaholic.   Have a lot of employees, or want to? Use our “Small Business Automation Guide” to help you save time and manage your business. Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

What did it take to get CEO and co-founder Clate Mask on board with Infusionsoft? Clate always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but first he went to law school and got an MBA. $100,000 in debt, it took almost a year for his brothers-in-law Eric and Scott Martineau to convince him to join the company. Clate talks with Director of Content Carey Ballard about how the business has grown since 2001 and the times that have brought him absolute joy. Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

2008 was a dark time for Kim Duncan and her husband, Kirk. They struggled to buy their family groceries, and their neighbors donated Christmas. Things started to turn in early 2009, when they intentionally changed their mindset and threw their weight into their business, 3 Key Elements. Now, thousands of people flock to Salt Lake City every year to attend their workshops on personal development and self-mastery, and they even receive thank you drawings from the children of adults they’ve helped. They’ve even made the INC 5000 list four times. Kim talks with Clate and Scott about business inspiration, the importance of morning routines, and maintaining a positive mindset. Check out the Duncans’ video especially for podcast listeners at 3keyelements.com/infusionsoft Mentioned in this episode: “Conquer the Chaos” by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau Want to get out of a funk like the Duncans did? Use our workbook “Harness Your Inner Genius” to push through to the next level. Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

A key factor to business growth is making sales, which is why Clate and Scott say that small businesses must grow a culture of selling. That means you have to get over rejection and become a master closer—like Scott! The key is having a great product. If you do that, then selling really becomes serving, because you’ll know you’re selling something that will improve the quality of someone’s life. You don’t have to put on on your plaid used car salesman jacket, but you do have to get persuasive, so Clate and Scott give their recommendations for fostering that sales instinct. Mentioned in this episode: “The Master Closer” by Mike Kaplan  Want to hire someone to sell for you instead? Check out our “Sales Team Hiring Guide.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Three days before your baby is due is best time to start a business, right? It was for Bonnie Bowles, an estate planning lawyer and founder of Wills and Wellness in Denver, Colorado. Bonnie decided to take a family-focused approach to practicing law—she doesn’t even bill by the hour. When she shares how hard it was to relinquish some responsibility in the business, Clate shares that he thinks a vital step in the business journey is to “fall in love with delegation.” Bonnie also tells Clate and Scott about her work-life balance as an attorney, the consequences of hiring impulsively, and why “sales cures all.”   Mentioned in this episode: “Sprint” by Jake Knapp “The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone “The Go Getter” by Peter B. Kyne   Want to dream (and act) big like Bonnie? Check out “Harness Your Inner Genius.”   Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Jeff Corn took a “super nasty” fall on his mountain bike and broke his pelvis, shoulder, and tore his rotator cuff. A long recovery time gave him time to think about what he really wanted to do with his life. That turned into Virtuance, a real-estate marketing company that developed the HDReal image processing system. Virtuance now has 10,000 customers, but back in the day the company had one server and it was kept in an employee’s house—and the employee quit in the middle of the day. He chats with Clate and Scott about establishing company values, small business tips, and being named one of the 10 best places to work in Denver. Mentioned in this podcast: “Leading at the Speed of Growth” by Katherine Catlin Automation helped Jeff grow his business, how could it help yours? Check out our e-book “25 Things Every Small Business Should Automate.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Clate and Scott have watched thousands of small business owners do all kinds of things to make their businesses more successful. Most of those things fall into two separate ends of planning: the behemoth master plan and the overly idealistic immediate attack. Neither of these work; what works is an iterative approach where you can experience quick wins and build quickly based on what you learn. Listen to hear why this works and how it can keep you from giving up. Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Mark Breyer once declared that he would never work with his wife, Alexis, but they’ve been running their personal injury law firm together for 20 years. In retrospect, they found that they set themselves up to have problems scaling their business and fall behind the times. Clate and Scott follow Mark and Alexis’ business journey and talk about going from generalist to specialist, letting half their staff go on one day, and keeping moving goal posts for your business. Mentioned in this episode: “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber Learn to manage your business like Mark and Alexis did with our Small Business Office Automation Guide. Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Ever heard you shouldn’t go into business with a family member? Clate and Scott (who are brothers-in-law!) think that’s terrible advice, even though they don’t always see eye-to-eye. They find the care and love they have for each other as family members allows them to do things they can’t always achieve with others. Why? Because they had existing love and care before the business side of it started. Clate and Scott also talk about hiring family and how you usually end up holding them even more accountable than those who aren’t related to you.   Want some tools to hiring, whether they’re family or not? Check out our Hiring Kit! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

In 2008, Kay Walten’s Mexico-based business Loco Gringo faced the perfect storm: The Great Recession, a hurricane, Swine Flu, and drug cartel activity, all of which tend to discourage tourism. Loco Gringo started in 1996 when Kay was in Mexico exploring underwater caves with a client who introduced her to a thing called the internet. After writing a business plan on a cocktail napkin, she started hosting Mexican vacation rentals online. She shares with Clate and Scott the mistakes she made during the perfect storm, working as an international entrepreneur in a place where phone lines weren’t accessible, and scaling and creating a company culture. Want to rock content marketing like Kay? Download our Small Business Guide to Content Marketing. Check out Kay’s podcast, LocoGringo Mexico Podcast. Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Kathy Fettke’s husband Rich was given with six months to live—and she had to figure out how to take over their finances. Luckily, Rich’s doctor was wrong, but that scare was the impetus to start The Real Wealth Network. She leveraged her existing radio show to learn about investing, and now she and her husband teach people how to grow wealth through real estate. Clate and Scott talk with her about going through the Great Recession and real estate bubble burst, not giving up, small business tips, and hitting new highs. Check out Kathy’s podcast, The Real Wealth Show. Learn how to maximize your leads like Kathy with our Ultimate Guide to Maximizing the Value of Your Leads. Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Firefighter Peter Thorpe had seen a lot of devastating fires started by stoves, so he developed FireAvert, which automatically shuts off stoves. Wes Clark, Peter’s  business partner and our guest in this episode, shares with Clate and Scott what it was like to prepare for—and recover from—being on ABC’s Shark Tank, overcoming rejection, and figuring out the simplest way to solve business problems. Oh—and that time he exploded a can of beans all over the fire chief. Mentioned in this episode: “How the Mighty Fall” by Jim Collins. Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

What do Clate and Scott think is the silent killer for small businesses? The inability to cultivate disciplined optimism. Disciplined optimism is a balance between having a positive attitude while being willing to face the brutal facts of your current reality. Clate and Scott talk about why that optimism is so critical to the survival of your small business and how to harness it to help your business and your team succeed. Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Matt Leitz is a born entrepreneur—he even thought he invented social networking. Clearly he didn’t, but he brings that passion to his role as  President of Clever Investor. He shares with Clate and Scott the struggles his company faced along the way—like losing every customer’s credit card information—as well as the big wins, like helping customers get results and taking a six-week vacation.   Automation helped Matt grow his business, how could it help yours? Check out our e-book “25 Things Every Small Business Should Automate.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Abigail Olaya and her husband went from corporate work to owning their own business during the U.S. economic downturn of 2008. They now run Venue at the Grove, a wedding venue and experience in Phoenix, Arizona. Their business journey hasn’t been easy—when Abigail was pregnant with triplets, her one remaining site coordinator resigned a mere month before Abigail’s due date. She talks with Clate and Scott about her founder’s story, how she and her husband leapt from corporate to entrepreneurs, building a team that aligns with company culture, and balancing family and business. Want to get a leg up on your small business strategy? Check out our e-book “Your Game Plan”! Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.

Stephanie Holmes faced condescension when she floated the idea of deviating from just selling financial services. She wanted to help people change their spending habits, structure their debt, and have the life they want, and she had to start her own practice to do it. She later sold it when she started The Money Finder, of which she is currently the CEO. She chats with Clate and Scott about naysayers who tell her she’s a “stupid little girl,” seeing challenges as adventures, business inspiration, and how to grow a team and make sales happen without her direct involvement. Mentioned in this podcast: “Banker to the Poor” by Muhammad Yunus. Want to hire better like Stephanie? Check out our “Sales Team Hiring Guide.” Check out this and other episodes at smallbusinesssuccess.com.