Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Category: Business

  • Ep82: How This Millennial Stay-At-Home-Mom Launched A Celebrity-Endorsed Company In 2 Months

    Ep82: How This Millennial Stay-At-Home-Mom Launched A Celebrity-Endorsed Company In 2 Months

    Think you’re not cut out for entrepreneurship? Think again.

    This Millennial stay-at-home-mom-of-three with no business experience launched a 6-figure company out of her home in her spare time.

    Meet Kiera Fogg, the founder of Little Box Of Rocks, an innovative ‘bouquet’ company that sends crystal bouquets to recipients instead of flowers. Because there’s no better way to say ‘I love you’ than with a heartfelt box of rocks.

    There’s a ‘bouquet’ for just about every occasion—you can send loving Rose Quartz on Mother’s Day, fortuitous Citrine as a ‘thank you’ gift, and soothing Amethyst to help someone get well soon.

    With a tagline like “the bouquet that lasts forever,” the Little Box Of Rocks has bashed expectations and turned heads. It’s been endorsed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and Oprah, and been featured in People, Vogue and The Today Show.

    So what made Fogg’s company such a hit?

    Fogg says her secret was her willingness to act on a crazy-seeming business idea that came to her when she was bathing her 6-month-old in the tub. “The idea literally came to me in one of those moments of inspiration that you hear about,” Fogg says. “The name ‘Little Box Of Rocks’ popped into my head and I got chills. I knew exactly what it was, sending crystals the way we typically send flowers. I thought, if nobody’s doing this, I have to give it a try.”

    How many times have we all dismissed these bursts of inspiration because they seem too “out there” or we doubt they will resonate with anyone?

    Here’s the kicker—Fogg wasted no time in executing on her idea. In just one year, Fogg was able to launch her online business as a stay-at-home-mom with no prior business experience.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Fogg shares the practices that were integral to her success.

    Refurbish The Old

    If you’re stuck trying to decide on a business concept, Fogg recommends to look no further than a timeless trend that could use an update. The benefit to this strategy is that you can piggyback off of the positive attitudes people already have towards the concept, like gifting flowers, and generate interest about your offering by introducing a unique twist, like gifting crystals.

    In deciding how to refurbish, lean towards something that is popular and relevant today. Fogg was successful because crystals are currently making a comeback in mainstream culture today. If you can bridge a beloved tradition and a rising trend, you may be able to replicate her success.

    DIY

    Fogg’s story is so inspiring because she represents humble roots—she didn’t have an entourage of branding specialists, professional photographers, or website designers. She was simply a stay-at-home-mom who wanted to earn more income online.

    Fogg says she taught herself everything she needed to know to launch a business. “I took all my product pictures on my kitchen counter. People don’t realize when they’re looking at a glossy website that that’s actually possible. It’s not this insurmountable thing. You can Google it, take it to your kitchen counter, and figure out how to light it and edit it properly,” Fogg says.

    The mom-of-three warns to watch out for Fairy Godmother Syndrome, wherein you’re relying on others to take action for you. In an age where most startups are looking to full-service branding and marketing agencies to assist them, Fogg is a mythbuster who reminds us that you can actually accomplish everything on your own. Educate yourself and make use of all of the resources at your disposal and you will be successful.

  • Ep80: The New Elevator Pitch: Share Your “Why,” Not Your “What”

    Ep80: The New Elevator Pitch: Share Your “Why,” Not Your “What”

    I can remember just a year ago when, by chance, I found myself having a conversation with a woman affiliated with the United Nations. I began to open up to her about my vision for reimagining higher education.

    I recognized there wasn’t anything logical about why she should be interested in my idea. I didn’t have much to show for it like a fancy website, sponsors or a big social media presence, but I did have one thing that set me apart—passion. I was able to convey my “why” behind my project, the burning need I felt for the education system to expand its horizons to prepare students for nontraditional career paths. She was immediately enrolled, and on the spot she invited me to present my idea to the UN in 3 weeks.

    This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten doors to open for me simply because the other person could feel the passion in my heart behind my idea. In fact, it’s the #1 thing that’s set me apart and helped my businesses take flight in the world.

    That’s because the culture around business is shifting—as Simon Sinek famously said, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

    The classic elevator pitch, in which we share “what” we do, is outdated. People are no longer swayed by a list of credentials; they are desensitized to it. Instead, they want to feel something when you share your idea, which is why your cause is the first thing you should lead with.

    94% of Millennials today would switch brands to support a cause. It’s clear—the trend is towards impact and service.

    So how do you craft a pitch that instantly enrolls others in your “why”? One entrepreneur whose “why” is spreading like wildfire can teach you.

    Meet Jack Delosa, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and the founder and CEO of The Entourage, Australia’s largest education institution for entrepreneurs, which has over 300,000 members. He’s also a two-time bestselling author, has been featured in popular publications like GQ and Men’s Health, and has over 10,000 hours of speaking experience for audiences like TEDx, AMEX, Virgin, and Microsoft.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Delosa shares why enrolling others in the “why” behind your business is the most effective way to generate support for your company.

    Below, read Delosa’s tips to craft a powerful, 60-second pitch for your business that conveys your purpose and invites others to align with your vision.

    1. Understand your audience. In order to create a vision that resonates with others, you need to understand who it is you’re serving and what it is that they crave. “I want to know what frustrates my audience, what problems they have that they talk to their friends about, problems they don’t talk to anyone about, the fears and reluctances that hold them back, their immediate desires and their dreams,” Delosa says.

    “Go deep into the hearts and minds of your audience so that you can best speak to them, connect with them, market to them, sell to them, serve them, and retain them.” When you seek to empathize with your audience, you will learn how to strike a chord of resonance with them so they will care about your company and stand behind you.

  • Ep78: 5 Tips From A Veteran Entrepreneur That Every Millennial Entrepreneur Needs To Know

    Ep78: 5 Tips From A Veteran Entrepreneur That Every Millennial Entrepreneur Needs To Know

    As a young entrepreneur at eighteen, I made just about every mistake in the book. The thing was, at the time, by achieving early success I thought I had it all figured out.

    Like so many entrepreneurs first starting out, I was hungry for success and eager to make my mark on the world being my own boss and starting my first venture. I had all the right intentions, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the perspective to stay grounded in what really mattered.

    In some ways, I lost myself in the pursuit of success, working impossibly long hours, swept up in the “hustle and grind” mentality. I drilled my health into the ground, neglected relationships, and was unable to feel fulfilled when the time came to actually celebrate having “made it”.

    78% of successful entrepreneurs today say that learning from previous failures is essential. Having the foresight to avoid costly mistakes can save you years of wasted time, life force, and energy, as well as help you to make informed decisions that result in maximum ROI.

    That’s why I’ve consulted a fellow millennial entrepreneur with five successful companies under his belt to shed some light on what matters most as an entrepreneur, so you can find the right footing from the beginning.

    Meet Zion Kim, the president of Maverick NEXT, a network for exceptional entrepreneurs age 25 and under. In addition to operating an impressive portfolio of ventures, he’s developed marketing strategies for namesake brands like Dell, and served as an advisor for tech startups to 7, 8, and 9-figure companies. Kim is also the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Rutgers University Entrepreneur Award.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Kim lends his perspective as a seasoned entrepreneur, sharing what he wish he had known when he got started and what he would have done differently on his way to the top if he could have had the foresight beforehand.

    Below, see Kim’s five tips to keep in mind as you prepare to ascend the summit of entrepreneurial success.

    1. Do What You Most Love Doing.

    It’s a common misperception that in order to be doing work, or “getting something done,” the task needs to be hard. We have had it drilled into us that work is a “grind,” so we seek work from this place and measure our performance or output by the amount of hard exertion we have done.

    Kim encourages us to embrace that work and achievement can be fun, playful, effortless, and the thing we love doing most, because this is where we can access our most valuable gifts and thus where we can provide the greatest contribution.

    “We have those things that when we’re doing them they come with such ease. Being in flow. Time passes and you don’t even notice. Certain gifts you have are unlocked easier and pour out of you easier—this is where you are meant to work,” Kim says.

    2. Don’t Do It For Validation.

    Here’s a sobering dose of truth—if you’re looking to achieve success for your ego, or to feel like you’ve finally “made it,” no amount of external praise will satisfy you. Why? Because you are coming from a place of emptiness, a place of proving, as if your own worth is not self-stated.

    Be honest with yourself about the place you are coming from in your pursuit of success. When you catch yourself seeking validation, remember to press pause and ground yourself in the truth of who you are.

    3. Be Open To Trying New Things.

    When you’re first starting out, knowing exactly what you’re meant to do or where you’re meant to serve can be unclear. Kim recommends to try as many new things as possible. You don’t know what you love until you try it, and you might be surprised by what arises when you give something a chance.

    Eventually, Kim says, you’ll land on the thing that’s meant for you and you’ll be ready for it. The diverse skills you will have accumulated along the way will have prepared you for it perfectly. Each skill you develop is an asset and will serve you in unexpected ways.

  • Ep74: How This Millennial Started A Million-Dollar Business In 15 Months With No Experience

    Ep74: How This Millennial Started A Million-Dollar Business In 15 Months With No Experience

    Just a few years ago, Caitlin Pyle was your average desk zombie working a 9-5 inside of a dreary office cubicle. Now, she’s a multi-millionaire teaching thousands how to create a prosperous income working from home.

    What happened?

    Pyle decided to start her own online business, Proofread Anywhere, which turns beginner proofreaders into professionals who can earn extra income from anywhere in the world. In just 15 months, Pyle grew Proofread Anywhere to $1M+ in annual revenue, which she expects to double this year. She’s also the co-founder of The Work Anywhere Life.

    Pyle’s success story is the dream of countless office-goers today, especially Millennials, of which 85% want to telecommute 100% of the time, and 54% want flexible or alternative schedules. But starting a business can be risky, with most new businesses crashing before they ever really take off the ground.

    Pyle’s secret? She says she couldn’t have done it without Pinterest, an invaluable marketing tool that drives more traffic than Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined. Pinterest boasts 150M monthly active users, and 93% of them have shopped online at least once in the last 6 months—in other words, Pinterest is an exceptional platform for business.

    “People go to Pinterest because they’re looking for great ideas or ways to change their life. If the content you’re offering is relevant to that then you should be on Pinterest,” Pyle says.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Pyle shares her tips and recommendations to use Pinterest to build and scale your brand. Below, read on to see Pyle’s top three tips that helped her scale her business to 7 figures in record time.

    Aesthetics Are King

    It’s important to consider aesthetics when posting photos, because attractive photos will get you more clicks and engagement on Pinterest. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use a design tool like Canva, which gives you plug-and-play, professional-looking design templates, and is great for beginners who have no design experience.

    Some basic design principles: make sure to use bright, colorful, and high-res images. Pinterest users are often scrolling quickly through their feeds so you want to create an image that stands out. You can use contrast and pops of color to draw attention to what’s most relevant in your photo. Less says more, so try to keep to a minimum amount of words and design elements. Text that poses a question, starts a conversation, or leaves more to be desired is engaging and will help generate clicks and drive traffic back to your site.

    Post Often

    Research shows brands on Pinterest can experience rapid growth by posting multiple times a day. Consider posting up to five times a day for maximum success. The best times to post are when Pinterest users are most active—between 2pm to 4pm, or 8pm to 1am daily.

    Pyle recommends using an automated software that will post to Pinterest on your behalf at scheduled times throughout the day. Her favorite software is BoardBooster. With BoardBooster, you can program your Pinterest account to recycle and repost photos every month or so, so you’re not constantly creating new content and are ensuring that your posts stay visible at the top of users’ feeds.

    If this is your first time using Pinterest, you can still successfully build a following by repinning others’ well-performing posts. In fact, 80% of posts on Pinterest are repins, meaning if you’re struggling to create original content, repinning is a great way to get a sense for what content your niche responds positively to, while making posting consistently more manageable.

    Be Social

    According to Pyle, the hardest part about growing your account is when you’re first getting started. “Getting from zero to a thousand is the hard part, but after that it’s easier because you look more legitimate. People take you seriously and can see you’re not a total newbie so it’s more likely they’ll follow you,” she says.

    Interacting with other users is a great way to build your following and create supporters and fans for your brand. Follow other users and like their photos. Consider giving away free relevant content in contest giveaways, encouraging users to share your photos. Lastly, join group boards related to your niche to increase your exposure and visibility.

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    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

  • Ep71: The Do-Good Business Model: How To Earn More, Give More, And Create Change

    Ep71: The Do-Good Business Model: How To Earn More, Give More, And Create Change

    I remember many years ago when Tom Shoes debuted their “buy-one-give-one” business model. It was revolutionary at the time and no one else seemed to be doing it.

    Back then, I was developing a business idea for my business school’s pitch competition. Two classmates and I decided to model after Tom Shoes and pitch a business called “Rice2Rice,” which would give a bowl of rice to those in Nepal for every curry bowl sold.

    Our idea won by a longshot and we received first place. Why? Because we put forth something into the world that was deeply needed—a business that partnered with consumers in making positive change.

    It’s 2017 and we now confront even more global challenges than we did when Tom’s Shoes was launched. This type of business model is no longer an early adopter approach, it is a necessity.

    While giving may seem counterintuitive to profit, it’s actually proven to increase earnings. One 15-year study found businesses who supported a good cause outperformed the S&P 500 fourteen to one.

    That’s because 83% of consumers today are making conscious buying choices and selecting companies that support social and environmental causes over those that don’t. Millennials, who represent $2.45 Trillion in spending power, are 66% more likely to purchase from brands who do good.

    So just how do you make your business a force for positive change in the world?

    One co-founder has created a step-by-step methodology to start a business or adapt your existing business to this “do-good model.”

    Meet Dmitriy Kozlov, the co-founder of Vision Tech Team and the founder of Maverick NEXT, a network for exceptional entrepreneurs under age 25. He’s also a contributor to the newly released book “Evolved Enterprise” by Yanik Silver that has been endorsed by Sir Richard Branson that teaches entrepreneurs how to start companies that make more profit by making more impact.

    Kozlov calls these do-good companies “evolved enterprises” because they are leveraging business as a vehicle to create powerful global solutions.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Kozlov shares what it takes to create an evolved enterprise.

    Align With A Cause You Stand Behind

    With more global issues than we can count, it shouldn’t be hard to find a cause that works to combat an issue you care about. It’s essential that you have a personal stake in it, whether you or someone close to you has been personally impacted the issue, because otherwise your business will lack real drive—if you find yourself in a rut, you may not be able to withstand the pressure and withdraw from the cause altogether, appearing inauthentic to consumers.

    “Choose wisely where you invest your heart because that’s the life force that will matter most,” Kozlov says.

    Make A Real Impact

    The bigger the impact you make in the world, the easier it is to rally consumers behind your product. In other words, don’t be stingy—donate a significant portion of profits to your cause.  Consumers can sniff out when you’re only supporting a cause for the sake of the badge from miles away, and it may have the opposite effect of deterring them from your business.

    Some of today’s most successful evolved enterprises include Bombas, a sock company that netted $2 million in revenue in its first year by donating a pair of socks to a homeless shelter for every pair sold, and Barnana, a banana snack company growing at 130% annually by eliminating waste on food farms.

    Be Transparent

    90% of consumers want to be informed about the concrete ways you’re benefiting your cause. They are partnering with you in using their dollar to make an impact, and it’s your responsibility to inform them about the results.

    Be transparent and notify your customers when significant milestones are achieved, whether through your website, your product label, or your email list. When you share your achievements, your customers participate in the positive feeling and will continue to buy from you.

    The book “Evolved Enterprise” sold 12,000+ copies within days of its release at more than double the shelf price by partnering with buyers to lift an entire African village out of poverty. In being transparent about his intended results, Kozlov was able to enlist others in his cause who were happy to help.

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    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com