How to Start Your Entrepreneurship Journey

And so one day, I was talking with one of my team members, and I blinked my eyes, and I'm like, I feel like we've like ended up doing this like online agency thing without even like trying or talking about it. But the thing is, however, we can serve our clients, like that's what we're gonna do. And so we're all we're gonna chat all about relationships, and like, what her secret sauces to success, all about conversations and connections. So anybody that's listening, listen up, because no matter where you are in your entrepreneurship, journey, life and business, mostly business people buy from people they like, people buy from people they like, so it's all about building relationships. So Angelo, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. You already touched on so many great points just in that minute, and I can't wait to dive into it.
Well, before we jump into, like, all the good conversation and connections, I would love to know a little bit more about you and where your journey started. Like, when did you realize like, as a business owner, that connections and relationships are so important, like, take us down your journey of how you've gotten to where you are today? Yeah, that is such a great question. I mean, I, the whole my whole, everything into entrepreneurship was very, very serendipitous. So I never had these grand dreams of being an entrepreneur. I mean, I, I just really knew that I wanted to make a difference. And I also really didn't want to be told what to do ever. And so it just kind of fell into place that everything worked out. But I mean, really briefly, what happened is that back in college, I, I ended up going to a concert, absolutely fell in love with the opening band, and decided that I had to talk to them. And that's always been I mean, I love research, I love getting to the root of why people are the way they are. And so for me, that's how I've always connected with people is just sort of digging deep into who they are, and why they are that way. And so when I saw this band, I was so enamored with them. And I thought like, I have to talk to them. But I'm also an introvert, I'm also pretty shy, and and especially back then. And so for me, I thought, well, I can't just go up and say hi, no, no, I have to start a whole blog so that I have a professional reason to talk to them. And that somehow seemed like the simpler option. And so that's what I did, I started this blog, and I interviewed them. And that really grew. And along the way, you know, I graduated college, I got these corporate jobs, I kept getting laid off. And so after the second or third time getting laid off, I decided, you know, this isn't working for me, like I was crying every day in the bathroom, I was. So I know, I was so miserable. And I just felt like there really, really has to be something more out there. And this just isn't working for me. And so when I got laid off, I decided that you know, I was going to freelance for a little while and then eventually through that decided to start my public relations company. And you know, from there, I did that for seven years before I pivoted to business coaching. But that's really where I learned how to build relationships, how to communicate with people, and how that really, I mean, that really is everything like it really is all about who you know, and those relationships and it doesn't matter if you're in PR or something else. Everything comes back to the relationships you've built.
Absolutely. And so we're before we were recording, we were chatting,
y'all about just relationships like we were, they're going to be a past client by the time you guys listen to this, but we've actually had had to start the onboarding process because one of our clients, like they don't understand how important building relationships. And I love this whole like online agency, because more importantly, is when you're trying to connect with someone over like their computer screen or phone screen. Like, you've got to go the extra mile of nurturing people and building a relationship with them. Like if you don't, if you don't make people feel special, and like you are attentive to them as a person, like they're probably not going to buy from you. But I would love to know more about just what are like, do you have I wanted like, dive into your secret sauce of like, Are there five things? Are there 10 things that you would like, tell people your secrets of like, this is what you need to do to get clients to like build relationships? Like, what is that framework look like for you and your agency? So for me, there have always been a couple things that we did, you know, in the beginning, it was all about just really, really a lot of hustle. Like I was literally just reaching out to everybody. You know, I would find I my public relations agency was in the music industry. Right. So we worked with musicians. And so it was, you know, finding their emails on Facebook and reaching out to them. But that gets really tiresome, right, like, does it work? Sure. But it's a lot of hours. And so what I ended up finding made a lot more sense was to go ahead and find sort of like these gatekeepers, right. So every industry has these people that you can build partnerships and collaborations with. So in my case, right, it was maybe managers of artists or labels or you know, things like that, you find people that are already sort of in that same world that you are that might have access to those potential clients, and you start to you start to connect with them. And that looks different for everybody. But one thing that I can't stress enough is it absolutely does not start with business. It always starts with personal. So if you're wanting to connect with somebody, right, like, I wouldn't just reach out to them and say, Hey, I really want to work with your artists, like, Can you send me some like that wouldn't work? You know?
What the fuck? Seriously? You know, you have to find, first of all, you have to you have to make it personal. You have to find common ground, take 10 minutes and do some research, right? Does this person love dogs? And you also love dogs? Okay, well, then, like when you send them an email, you know, take five seconds to look at their Instagram, maybe connect with them a little bit there first, and then you know, comment on their dog, ask them a question, how did they come up with that dog's name? What breed is that dog, right? If they love dogs, like you think they do, they're going to be so excited to connect about that. But like people always make this mistake of connecting about business first. And I think it's really crucial to connect over, like a common, a common point that has nothing to do with business. Because then you're letting your guard down, you're showing up as a human being right, you're not showing up as a business person, you're just two people connecting. And it's a lot easier to build a bond that way to build that relationship. And then you can start talking about business, but don't just bulldoze in there and start talking about business right away. It's, it's never going to be as successful. Well, and I really just, I feel like it's when it comes from, and I feel like it depends on the situation a little bit. So like, if someone comes to your website, and they fill out the form, and they're seeking you out, and which more and more and more as the days go by more and more people come from social, they don't go to the website, they don't fill out the form, they don't do some of the things that I would say, more corporate people do, like in the healthcare industry. And it's like, the more
I don't want to say strict but kinda have like boundaries that you're working within. And this all goes back to like, what's your Who's your perfect client? Who like what's your client avatar, and if you want to work in that formal environment, and those people are coming through, and depending on their goals, and like what they're hiring you for, it's like, I know, I treat and speak to them a little bit differently than I would someone coming through social that has deemed me they have commented on my post about like me and my niece or me and my nephew, like I post pictures of the kids, I post things of my dogs, I do it on posts and then I do it in stories. And so if they say something
thing about that, then you know, of course, like, I want to learn more about them so that we can, like you said have that common ground, but also to it also goes back to psychology, and what type of personalities people have. Because I know as a creative people that are more, they lead with emotion and they lead. And again, this is people on social media to like putting themselves out there. But then there's people that aren't on social and like, they don't know anything about the dogs and the kids. And, you know, I don't know if they care. But what is your What is your advice or any experience shares for people to be able to read people and like, where they're coming from? And like, Is it appropriate to try to connect on that level? Because I know, like, some attorneys, like we have an attorney client. And like, if I started to talk about something personal, you know, he would get go sideways, like, he's just all about business and bulldozing. And
so like, how can What can you tell people's like, pick up on those social cues? of, Okay, this is a person that I should ask or shouldn't ask, and some people listening, you might just work with women, like I know, the CO working space resort part of it's just for women, and you talk differently, you know, to them, sometimes they need you, man, like, what what are your thoughts on that? That's such a good point. No, that's a really, really good point, it does depend a lot on the situation, right? So if you are, say, even, there's so many facets, right, whether it's online, or I know, we're not really going to in person events right now. But for instance, even that is different. And exactly like you said, if somebody is coming to you, to me, that's a little bit different. Because they already probably know a little bit about you, they sought you out. So you don't necessarily have to like you still want to be personable, but you don't have to work so hard to win them over. And I think at that point, that's when you can just kind of, you know, read the room in terms of like, are they specifically just send you an email that says, like, Hey, I'm really interested in working with you, I'm curious, like, what are your packages look like? Then you can just probably go ahead and, you know, move forward with, you know, here's what my packages look like, blah, blah, blah, versus having to warm them up. But if somebody is basically ice cold to you, and I think that's really the difference? Are they a warm lead? Or are they like a pretty cold lead? And if they're already warm, and they're already coming to you, then yeah, you don't necessarily need to be like, Okay, well, hold on, I'll tell you about my offers. But first, let's talk about your talk.
Yeah, it would be inappropriate, you know, so like, you know, pretty much just follow your gut with that one. But if you're, if you're doing cold outreach, right, if you're like, emailing them, or you're finding them on social media, and they have no idea who you are, then I don't, they're probably not gonna, you know, nobody likes getting, say, a random dm that's like, hey, come to my, you know, Facebook group or whatever, or like, do you want to work with my packages, like, nobody likes that. And so that's where warming them up in a way where say, if it's on social media, you know, you're, you're commenting on their stories, or you're commenting on their posts a little bit, and then you, you know, comment on a story. So you get in the DMS, and then you're chatting a little bit, and then maybe you transition the conversation to, hey, I noticed that you're dealing with, you know, whatever your industry is, whatever it is you help them with, and just talk to them a little bit that way. I think that's how you tend to handle it on, say, social media. Again, like I think if you're in a conference, in person, it's a little bit different. But it's really just about how warm or how cold, are they? And if they are cold, like I do you think you really need to get to know them if you are going in front of them. Because otherwise, I think they're gonna put their guard up. And they're gonna just worry like, Hey, is this person for real? Are they just trying to sell me? Am I just a number to them? And this is especially I think this is true. Also, when you're talking about partnerships, which, you know, you had asked me earlier, like, what's kind of a way to get clients? I think that's one of the fastest ways to get clients is through partnerships and collaborations, because you're now getting access to a whole nother pool of people. And even that is a different relationship. So I guess the answer, and I know it's not a satisfying one is it depends. Yeah, but I do think again, like it has a lot to do with how warm or cold is, is that person you're going after? And how well do they know you or not yet? Yeah, it's so true. And usually people tell you, right, like, if you have a new potential client
that reaches out, or do you get the more like, you don't even know they're going to be a client. Like they're just commenting on your stuff and sending you messages and you're just answering them and providing value. Like, do you find that you have to make that nudge of how can I help you? Or do does the potential client usually say, Hey, I really need help. It's almost like it's funny. It's almost like dating. I watch these funny tech talks. And it's so funny. Like a
On Valentine's Day,
people were saying like, hey, can't we just Cut the bullshit and be like, I like you, when I hang out, blah, blah, blah. And sometimes like in client relationships, or potential relationships, like these can be a little bit slow, where it's like, Okay, how can I help you like I've provided value? Like, at what point like, do you find yourself reaching out and saying, like, how can I help? Or is it the, the potential client asking you like about your services kind of thing? So I've done it both. I've done it both ways. And I think that if you're, if you have the time and patience, I am a big fan of I guess what you would call attraction marketing, right? Like most people don't love, like getting in people's DMS and selling them. It can feel like exactly like you said, it can feel like a really long process you invest all this time, and then maybe they're like, man, no thanks. You know, and then, you know, they might come back to in a year, but it's not immediately satisfying. And so, I am definitely a fan of things like, you know, showing up on you know, lives a couple times a week and putting out content on your social media, you know, at least five times a week, or like just constantly showing up, I have found that over the over the long run, that is when people tend to come to you. And, and you get referrals that way. But you also get you know, people being like, you know what, I've been really watching your lives, I really like them, I think I'm ready, like, let's hop on a call and see if this is a fit. But again, when you're just starting out, I remember that I was not that patient when I was just starting out when I was like, okay, but like, I need a client now, not, you know, six months from now. And so I did find that, especially in the beginning, it was a lot of me reaching out to them. And I think, I think honestly, a lot of times people don't, they don't necessarily even know what they actually need. They know that they're stuck. They know that it's not working, they know that they you know, maybe want more money, or they want more clients or you know, whatever they know us they have some vague idea. But I think this is why it is important to step in and have those conversations because a lot of times they don't even really know what they need. And so they're not going to necessarily reach out to you and say, Hey, I need you know, especially if you do something that, you know, there's so many so many agencies out there that are doing things that people really need, but they don't know they need when I first started my business would I have thought like I need a bookkeeper, I need a copywriter. I need web design. Like I probably would not have thought about that. But if somebody reached out to me and had a conversation and painted it in a way that made sense for me, like hey, like, you can really save a lot of time. Are you feeling frustrated? You know, I needed that that really painted for me in a clear way. And I think that's kind of the missing link a lot of times that people just aren't getting.
Yeah, and the other thing too, is like, I've noticed, um, well, first off, you're 100% correct. People don't know what the hell they need. That's the first thing. And I've noticed that. Because what's worked really well for us is like, I'll do a little teaser like tidbit of, okay, like, you need to you want to you can't do this alone. Like you got to build a team. And then people will comment or reach out and say, Oh, my gosh, I'm trying. I can't trust people, blah, blah, blah. And I just tried to share experiences. I'm like, we have an internship program, blah, blah, blah. And they're like, well, I don't know how to do that, then I would send them a link and be like, well, we have an online internship program. I mean, it's like 60 bucks or something. I'm like, you know, this has been really helpful for a lot of people if you want to check it out. And some people will go and get it. And again, I'm not like trying to sell a bunch of stuff, but it's like, if you flat out tell me you don't know how to do it and you need help. Here's a solution kind of thing. And I found that people appreciate that. Um, now if it were like a $3,000 product, I would probably not just like throw it out there. right then and there. But I've also read and will listen to on Audible like way too many Click Funnels secrets, and SEO secrets and you know all these things. It's like, who do you listen to but at the bot at the core of it, y'all. You got it. You got to try different things to figure out like what's going to work for you because what may work for me or Angela, it may not work for you or your clientele. But I'm really interested to know I know that from a press perspective and PR I know that to your your prior business. You did a lot of PR and you teach people how the power of press can really catapult their career and also perception of what people see. And then what actually is happening is like two different things. But can you share some insight with us when you were really deep into PR and and how the power of press can help someone in their business? Yes. Oh my god. I love press so much. I mean, obviously
Such a huge part of my life. And it still is. And I feel like it's this secret that nobody knows about, because I do not see entrepreneurs utilizing it. And I do not know why. So it's just in the simplest form press is really just all about, it's all about storytelling, it's about sharing who you are, so that people can connect to that. And the example that I always like to use is, you know, if you can remember back when we used to go to doctors offices and just sit around and thumb through magazines, while we waited, you would sometimes come across, you know, some somebody would be doing an interview, right. And maybe this was nobody would ever heard of, or maybe it was, you know, an actor that you didn't really care about. But then you're reading through it, you know, and all of a sudden, you're like, oh, my god, they're also an introvert, or Oh, my God, they also have anxiety, and they're talking about it, and they're being vulnerable, and they're sharing their story. And all of a sudden, you feel so connected to this person, because they've shared a little bit of themselves with you through this piece of press. And now all of a sudden, you're like, I'm going to go read their book, I'm going to go watch their next movie, like you feel that connection all of a sudden. And it's all because of that story that they told through this piece of press. And to me, that's, that is really the power of it in the simplest form. And it can, you know, not only does it get you visibility in the immediate, but it's also great for just, you know, credibility, right, like, I was recently I was, I was able to get a feature in Business Insider, right. And just being able to say, like, I've been featured in Business Insider, that opens up so many doors. And that's Yes, of course, that's a really big example. But this works even with smaller things like smaller podcasts, smaller blogs, smaller YouTube channels, just getting in front of people and telling your story. And the other piece of this is really valuable is when you get used to telling your story, whether it's written or verbal, and you tell it over and over, it allows you to number one, get really good at talking about what you do and why you do it. And number two, it allows you to really hone in on what your secret sauce is, right? Like, do you find like for me, right? When I'm talking about presser relationships, I'm excited. It's easy, it's natural. And so I know that that is a zone of genius for me. If you're you know, you start to learn, okay, what am I really like? What am I passionate about? And then that informs the rest of your business. So, I mean, I could go on and on about this. And I know that's a couple different one. But I just can't and I have a really good tip too, if you want for press but that's that's kind of like, yeah, so for presses.
You probably already know this, but a lot of people don't. And this is actually how I got the Business Insider piece, which is there's this thing called herro h AR Oh, yeah, right. read my mind.
Oh, good. So it's h a r o, it stands for help a reporter out, it's 100% free to sign up. And you get three emails a day that go out. And it's basically just a bent a bunch of outlets everywhere from like major outlets like business, insider Forbes, to smaller outlets, and they're all just looking for people to interview around different subjects. And it's divided into different categories, you know, like lifestyle, business education, and you check these emails, you got to be on top of them, but you check them you submit your info. And like, sometimes you get really amazing features. And it's just such an incredible way to get your name out there. And again, to build relationships with these reporters. And it's so easy, and nobody knows about it.
You literally read my mind, because when you were saying some things, I'm like, Oh my gosh, I wonder if she is going to say something about hair. Oh, and when I was in the healthcare industry, we would use it to get some of our new physicians featured on it. It's like, like big features. It's like all these reporters use this tool. Now, full disclosure, if you sign up for it, you're gonna get three emails a day, because your news moves fast. Okay, so you get the morning report, the afternoon report in the evening report. And oftentimes, what I have seen is there's some of them have like deadlines, where it's like you got to get it in by midnight if you even want the opportunity, or some of them like they're working two weeks ahead. So we actually, when the pandemic started, we had an opportunity to partner with a company that does it's called outsource access. And they are a company out of the Philippines where you can get a VA now they do all this psychology work and that you can they partner with us so that they found like the best fit for you. So they kind of do like the legwork for you. It's super affordable. And so but I will say like after their onboarding process like you as a leader, if any
If you do this, you do have to spend time with them. I call it potty train your brain for fun. But I meet with our VA, once a week, Monday nights, sometimes an hour, sometimes two hours. But her main thing is to go through herro. And to reach out on to look and see like on LinkedIn, mainly she's working on LinkedIn, like who would be a good podcast guest? Or whose podcast could we go on? And so she's she's getting all these leads for me. And then we talk once a week, and we go through and prequalify. So it's like, yep, we look at all this stuff together, we look at their social media we look at to make sure people are actually interacting. And then it's not like a dead page. And because I mean, we're out there every day spending hours on social media, like trying to connect with the right people as well as like podcasting guest and, but I mean, herro has done some amazing things. I've gotten to be on people's podcasts I've gotten to be on like these Roundtable, Facebook live shows like, we've gotten articles. And it's funny, because it's like, if you Google my name, it's like a bunch of wedding stuff, which that's there's nothing wrong with it. But it's like, especially since the pandemic Dimmick, we're really trying to become more known for on the productivity side. And the business leader side. And a lot of people don't take people in the creative wedding industry serious, but they have no idea. Like the work that goes on behind the scenes. And so hero for us has been such an incredible outlet. Otherwise, like, it's like, how do you even know about these opportunities without hero? Like, are there other things? Because I don't know about though, that like, is the only tool that I use? Like, are there? The free tools? Let me say free? Like, I'm sure there's a ton of paid stuff out there. But are there other free things? Yeah, I mean, good old fashioned Google and social media, like I mean, you bring up a great point, right, which is like harrows is amazing wealth, but especially when you're just starting out, and you're maybe looking for these smaller outlets, which by the way, just like as a side note, the big outlets are great, amazing, like, always grateful for that. But there is also like a lot to be said for again, building those relationships for the ground from the ground up. because number one, those smaller outlets, like they will usually have an extremely loyal audience. And number two, you never know where that person is going to go. Right? You don't know where they're going to who they're going to write for or work for a year from now. And so that is a really good relationship to build, you know, when you're just starting out, but actually, my agency, and this is still true today. I feel kind of silly saying this. Because in a way, I'm like, does this make me sound less professional, but we never used any of the big databases, right? Like we'd never those databases that will cost like 1000s and 1000s of dollars a year like we never did that. Because when I was just first starting out, I didn't know about them. And then when I didn't know about them, I thought I'm definitely like, not going to pay that, because I was so new. And then I just got used to it. And what we have always done is, you know, sometimes just a simple Google search. So think about if I'm giving advice for somebody else who is an entrepreneur or an agency owner, what I would usually suggest is find somebody who is doing something similar to what you're doing. But they're a little just a little bit ahead of you not like crazy crazy ahead of you. But like they've, they've got a little bit more, they've got a couple years on you a little bit more experience, right? They're more likely to have press, and then I always suggest googling their name. And also, you know, searching them on Facebook, searching them, wherever you can, maybe Pinterest, see who has featured them both big and you know, small outlets. And then you kind of get a feel for like, Okay, well, this outlet featured this person who's doing something similar to what I'm doing. So obviously, they're interested in that, obviously, they're interested in featuring new entrepreneurs. And so that gives you a starting point for Okay, well, I can reach out to this outlet. And then you can go Okay, well, who's the who's the best writer at this particular outlet for me to reach out to? And you know, and then that's where the personalization comes in, right? find an article they wrote, compliment them on it in the first line of your email, and then send them an email, say, you know, here's who I am. Here's what I can speak about. Here's why I think your audience will care here. All my links, boom, done.
And you make it easy for the person looking for content. Yeah, they have to do any. Yeah, they should. Like if they have to search anything, it's not happening. So you really have to make it as right as possible. Right? Have you ever read or listen to that book called trust me? I'm lying like the master manipulator. No. Oh, my god, oh my god. So I recently just listened to it. Someone told me about it. And he was like the, I want to say like a, he was the CMO for a major brand out of New York and the brand is kind of slipping my mind. That was really not the point of the book. But the point of the book was
He really opened the curtain of like stuff that you might note, like, the more experience life experience I get, the more I realize like what's pay to play. And so I think you would love it though. Because it is it's stuff that like I can't, I couldn't even fathom. Like he opens the book talking about and this was before social media existed really like really hard, where like, there were groups. And I mean, there's so powerful behind this. But he was saying how his buddy did like a short film, and they were coming out with a movie, and it was all self funded. And they had these billboards in LA. And his his buddy paid him and his girlfriend in the middle of the night to go vandalize the billboard, and then take pictures and video and send it into the press, like anonymously, right? So it's like, start this so he started all this.
It was it was a big political thing between like, the LGB t q are the I don't know, I have to get the right nerds. But it was between that, you know, dividing like if you're gay or straight kind of community, but I'm just saying what the,
but it was like this divide between the gay community in the straight community. And so the news, put it out there. And all these people that felt very strongly about their human rights went out. And I mean, it started this whole big thing. That was the point of it, and it was negative press. But that was the point, again, of it. And so when the movie came out the next week, like the tickets were sold out, but it was like, all this stuff was planted to you. I mean, it's that's crazy to me, like, would you?
I mean, I wouldn't. Really it does look like we have been watching a lot of Better Call Saul. And that's like some serious Better Call Saul. Oh, my God. Like it is. It's really, it's really clever. I mean, it just shows the power of the press. Yes. Okay. But Better Call Saul, y'all. Like, have you watched all the Breaking Bad? We're totally gonna teach. Yeah, we watched all of both of them. Yeah, so I don't watch a lot of TV. But when I binge watch like years ago, when it came out, the ball had a guy that was kind of like No dad growing up.
He was because he was under covered drug cop. And so there were like, all these drug dealers always around you never knew like who was good cop news backup. But it just reminded me my childhood so much. And so but then we Better Call Saul came out yet started a little slow. And then I'm like, Oh my god, I really like this. Because it's the whole I think it's called a pre cool or something like that, like before breaking bad. And so it's like on a random channel. But I love that you've seen that because I've seen it too. And not many people watch it.
So good. So funny. But you can learn, like even when I watched the greatest showmen, and my whole advisory board had seen it. I had not seen it yet. And so my homework, this was years ago, but they're like, you have to watch it. You just have to watch it. I'm like, this is a fucking musical. Like, I'm just not into that. And they're like, you have to watch. So I watched it. And then of course, like crying through it, I see the whole entrepreneurship story. And now like, it's still probably one of my favorite movies to watch with all the kids. And I mean, I think we've seen it probably over 100 times. And if like when I COVID I'm like, I gotta watch this movie, because it will remind me, like, I'm gonna get through this and I'm not gonna die and it's gonna be okay. And entrepreneurship is gonna go on and, you know, it's gonna be okay, but do you ever watch like shows and movies like that through the lens from like, an entrepreneurship or PR perspective? And like, take away little nuggets? Oh, yeah, I mean, marketing, especially like, and marketing and PR, of course, different. But I feel like I view everything through the lens of Oh my God, that's brilliant. Like PR. That's brilliant marketing. First of all, I've actually not seen that movie, so I have to see it now. You have to watch it. Oh my god. Oh my god, you have to go sit down. Now I sound like the people. And if you're not into musicals, like the soundtrack is incredible. Like it's so uplifting but you will absolutely love it. Like from an entrepreneur standpoint, you really will. I promise, you got to go see it. I mean, Saturday night Movie Night, so that's what we're watching this Saturday. Now.
I actually love that you said that about looking at through that lens because I was going to say i think i think it's always good to even step outside of your industry a little bit and surround yourself with things that have nothing to do with it. Right. So like podcasts that have nothing to do with your industry. movies that have nothing to
to do with your industry, because that is usually where you will get a lot of new ideas. I know that was definitely the case for me, like with my agency, it was in the music industry, but I would listen to all these entrepreneurial podcasts. And nobody else in the music industry was doing that they weren't bringing these, like, typically, you know, coaching style or entrepreneur style things to, you know, their agency in that way, at least in the music industry. And so that was that gave me a lot of leverage and ability. And so I think going outside of that, you know, don't, you don't have to just always be surrounded by stuff in your industry or just about business. In fact, it's probably healthier to open your mind to that. And to your point about, like TV shows, and movies. I mean, yeah, of course, Better Call Saul is a great example. But what's kind of funny is the first one that came to mind. And I feel like this is kind of a silly thing to say, and people will love it or hate it. But I remember I was pretty late to the party on this. But last year, I was also sick last year. And I remember watching Taylor Swift's like documentary of her I think is a reputation tour. And it was just really good was so good. And I like it made me feel so inspired to the point where if I was having an off day, I would put that on. And I instantly feel like I could conquer the world because it just gave me such energy to see, I don't even know what it was, it was just but it just yet. And so I think you're exactly right. Like there is inspiration all around us. And especially in places that we don't expect it to be. Because our brain is relaxed enough that it can pick up on these things. And we can then you know, then we can go use them for our business. But we've got to kind of like step outside of our normal box for that to happen.
I'm so glad you said that because my life changed when I was pulled to a marketing conference. And I learned about Infusionsoft and sales funnels. Like it's a whole different world. And I was like at the top of my career in the events business. And I'm like, I need to do this affiliate marketing stuff. And I've got to figure out the sales funnel stuff, because I know I can sell things online. I just don't know how to do it. And I mean, that's probably seven or eight years ago. And so on the side, you know, we're like doing all this stuff. But at night and on the weekends. Like whenever I had free time, I'm like, I'm gonna figure this out. So that's why I started listening to all this passive income. I'm so glad that I did. Because when COVID hit in the events industry in the hospitality industry, which were still on pause.
I mean, you either had to learn how to pivot really quickly and do something. But we had been poking around in it for so many years. I'm like, Okay, we got time to focus, we're going to relaunch some of this shit, I'm going to redo it, we're going to make it better. And that's I mean, affiliate marketing, online sales, like that's what has gotten us through this whole pandemic thing. And so by stepping out of your industry, is probably one of the best things you could do. So that you can learn other ways. And also to like, I know a lot of coaches and consultants, they say Focus, focus, focus, focus, and I do agree with that. But at the same time, I'm like, don't put all your eggs in one basket, and have different streams of revenue. Because if one draws up or if something happens, I mean, hopefully we never have to go through this pandemic thing again. But I feel like every decade, something major has happened. In 2010, our town flooded, I mean, homes, venues, everything completely underwater, completely ruined. It took Nashville a whole year to rebuild. But it's like every 10 years, it seems like there's some type of challenge which people say, Oh, it's awful. It's a problem. I'm like, it's an opportunity to pivot. And if you get too comfortable by getting, what's the saying, Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It's like, you know, if you get too comfortable, then why are you getting up every day? Like, what are you excited, like, I love the challenge and the innovation because God's not going to give you anything you can't handle. Like if you're really a that business owner, and also was listening to a podcast the other day where the guy was like, he had quit his corporate job making seven figures as a programmer, but he wanted to start his own thing. And then when COVID started, his business partner had to bow out and he's like, shit, I'm gonna spend the next six months learning everything I can from all these books and YouTube videos, and figure this thing out, because you know, him and his family and four kids, they created this lifestyle. And when you're hungry, you'll go figure it out. And it wasn't that easy to just go get a job because everyone was on lockdown. So it's amazing what you can produce when you're given the opportunity. So something that you said, you said, This is so funny, I was reading it. You said something
About scrappy, which I haven't heard that word. It's so long. He said, why we why getting scrappy. And I like it. I love that word I haven't heard in a long time, why getting scrappy? And starting before you're ready will always lead you to more results. What does that mean? This is so perfect for what you just said. Because I think the truth is, and the reality is that entrepreneurship, it's not easy, but it's not really so complicated. And people make it complicated, because they're stuck in their own fear. And they're worried. And they've got all these things swirling in their head. But the reality is when you decide to make it happen, and you just like make that decision, the fear is and making the decision. And it's exactly like that story. You were just saying, right? When that guy made the decision that he was going for it, he went all in, he was going to make it happen no matter what. And that's just like, that's just the truth, right? Like you're either in or you're not. And once you decide you're in, it's not, it's pretty simple, right? It's not easy, but it's simple. And so that is also I think we're getting scrappy comes in, right, like you said, you decide you are hungry, and you're not ready, and you don't know what you're doing. And you're going to look kind of foolish for a while. And you have to be okay with all of that, and just do it anyway. Even though you're not ready, even though it's like super uncomfortable. I have never done a single thing in my life. That wasn't really uncomfortable before, it was really, really amazing. Like, never, ever, ever. And I would challenge any listeners to about the same thing, whether it's starting a business, whether it's getting married, whether it's having kids buying a house, whatever it is baking a cake for the first time, like whatever it is, right? Like you were probably really nervous about it. And then it was really awesome. But you had to go through it. And to me that getting scrappy part is like ripping everything back, right. Like kind of what you said about coaches always talking about, you know, sometimes I feel like we get stuck in this tunnel vision of, we end up listening to 500 different podcasts or following a million different people on social media, right. And everybody's saying to do all these things, and we're stuck in our perfectionism. And getting scrappy to me is ripping all of that off, muting everybody if you have to getting quiet listening to yourself going, what do I know, that I can do right now? If I really needed say a client right now? What could I do to make it happen? Could I personally reach out to 200 people right now? And odds are one of them would be my services? Yes. Would that take a lot of time? It would. But could you get that client if you've literally went down your Facebook friends list and sent it, you know, a DM or an audio message to every single one of them and saw if they were fit? Yeah, I'm betting it could happen. You've got probably 1000 people, at least I'm betting one of them can be a client, right? And so to me, that's what getting scrappy is. It's like, strip away the ego, strip away all the fancy Bs, just like think for a second, if I really needed to make this happen right now, what would I be willing to do? And what could I do, and this is getting a client, this is getting money to hire a coach or a team member. This is figuring out your offer, right? It's just stripping back all the BS and listening to yourself. And then and then just doing it like no excuses. Just doing it.
Yeah, and I also feel like, it's a certain type of personality, like one of my online businesses have a business partner and our brains are totally different. Like she's more of the analytical, more the creative. That's why we work great together. She doesn't want to think the way I think and I definitely don't want to think the way she thinks. But it's just natural. And so when we were launching this business a few years ago, and y'all it took, we sat on it for probably six months before we like got it all together and out there because she wanted shit to be so perfect. And I'm like, and she's a bit younger than I am. And I'm like, Listen,
if I had to wait to do something, or watch something, until I was perfect, I would still be working in the hospital. And I would never have anything. Like all the stuff that we've built and all the great things that we've done for clients. So it's not about being perfect, exactly what you just said. It's just, I mean, as stuff comes in, you just have to handle it. And if you've done it and you've done it for yourself, or you've done it for your own brain and your own company, you're 10 steps ahead of the person that hasn't started. So like you said, this is your little nudge in the ass. If you're listening, like just do it. Because in Listen, the more you put yourself out there, the more trolls you're going to gain. And like I have a whole different approach on it. Like I'll respond to them and tell them I pray they find purpose in their life because I know the value that I bring. And clearly I'm bringing you value because you're watching my videos. So you're welcome. But like you can't let people beat you down. You are doing something amazing. You have an amazing message you can help so many people. So usually like with the videos we put out for every 1000 people that are going to see it you're gonna have two or three people that are trying to knock you down. And so I just try to remain positive
But just start like you have to start somewhere and just put it out there and get going. Because again, perfection doesn't equal results like it just it doesn't the people that put you out there exposure is what brings you results. You don't have to be the best or you don't have to be perfect. So that's my little soapbox. This was awesome, Angela. Where can people find you connect with you? What's the best way your favorite platform all that good stuff. So easiest way is either just my website Angela master Jia como.com or Instagram, which is Angela underscore Mastro.
I love it. And y'all, we'll put everything in the show notes. So don't worry about spelling or anything like that. We're gonna make it really easy. So I got to do is click. So go over and connect with Angela on Instagram. And everybody that's listening. Thank you so much, Angela, thank you so much for being here today. This was amazing. Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. Y'all Be sure to tune in next week to another episode of business unveiled. Have a great day. Bye. That's it for this week's episode of business unveiled. Now that you have all the tools that you need to conquer the world and GSD get shit done. Would you share this with your friends and fellow business leaders? One thing that would really really help us and help new listeners is for you to rate the show. And leave a comment and Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you tune in and listen to business unveiled. You can check out the show notes at Angela proffitt.com slash podcast and link up with us on social media so you can share your biggest insights. And I want to know your aha moments. Until next week, remember, the profitable shifts and structures you're creating in your business help you be more present in your life. So get out there and GSD