Show Notes: www.IntrepidEntrepreneur.net/Brent-Reinke/

Who do you go to for business advice? Outside of the people in your life who support you emotionally, who do you rely on for experienced advice about where your company is going?

I’m sitting down with Brent Reinke, co-founder of Vapur and attorney and advisor to entrepreneurs for over 25 years, and we’re talking about the importance of having an advisory board. It’s all for the benefit of your company!

Brent’s getting into how to look for advisors and setting up clear expectations. He’s also sharing how having the right advisors can save you from making mistakes, and make you look better to investors, even when you’re just starting out.

Even if you don’t think your business is right for a formal advisory council, this is an amazing episode about getting advice and the importance of having a strong network to keep your business healthy.

Bravery and Business Quote

“Finding advisors comes down to finding people that have a high-degree of passion because they've done it.”  Brent Reinke

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The Cliff Notes

• Advisory board members can help new entrepreneurs to avoid mistakes and navigate pitfalls as they get started and develop.
• You can have a formal or an informal group of advisors, depending on the needs of your company and how much of a network of support you already have.
• Advisory boards and members may change as your company evolves and starts looking towards new goals.
• Most early stage companies don’t need a formal set of advisors. They need to have people around and available, but this doesn’t need to be a traditional board format.
• How you compensate advisors depends on what stage your company is at, what kind of financing it has and what requirements there are of the advisors.
• Who you ask to be an advisor is very industry specific. Do some networking to find people in your field who have experience, and then look to industry professionals, lawyers, accountants, etc. for their expertise.
• Set expectations with your advisors. How much time will you want them to set aside? When will you meet with them? What kind of advice are they expected to provide? How will they be compensated?
• It’s not just knowledge and experience that advisors bring to the table, but also their own networks.
• Leverage your advisors into better financing. You might not have the expertise investors are looking for, but your advisory board might.

“It's critically important as you talk about this idea of board advisors to set proper expectations on both sides.” -Brent Reinke 

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Show Notes: www.IntrepidEntrepreneur.net/Brent-Reinke/

Show Notes: IntrepidEntrepreneur.net/Matt-Inglot

Freelancing can be a tough market. Not only do you have to hustle to build up your client base when you get started, but even when you’re established you can worry that every job is your last. It’s an exhausting field if you’re not organized. 

Matt Inglot of Freelance Transformation is here to give us the Dos and Don’ts of getting started as a freelancer, and to talk about expanding your business once you’ve got things going. He’s getting into sticking to your goals, holding on to your vision, and getting recurring revenue.

Matt’s also sharing his advice on the importance of going to events to meet clients, and how you should decide which events to attend. As Matt says, freelancing is all about relationships.

Matt’s offering some great resources from his company, Freelance Transformation. If you’re even considering freelancing, you’ll want to give this a listen.

Bravery and Business Quote

“You have to be very intentional with the type of work you want to be doing. Decide what type of work is going to allow you to meet your goals” - Matt Inglot

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The Cliff Notes

• Stay intentional with your clients and what type of client you want to work with. Will they help you get closer to your goals?
• Consider your financial and lifestyle requirements in what clients you accept. Know what your criteria are and be comfortable saying no.
• Make sure you have your business model figured out as a freelancer before you try to branch into having employees.
• Look for ways to meet people face to face. Go out and meet with people at events and conferences build connections. Be where your prospective clients will be.
• Follow up on meetings. It’s easy to get busy and forget to send those emails, but they’re so important to building connections.

3 Things New Freelancers Should Do

1.      Have clarity around the clients and projects you want to take on
2.      Collect clients and opportunities that you can keep working for and not just one-time jobs.
3.   Get out of the house and meet with people face to face.

“In freelancing and agenting, relationships are the number one thing.”  - Matt Inglot

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Resources

Freelance Transformation: FreelanceTransformation.com

Tilted Pixel: TiltedPixel.com

Podcast : FreelanceTransformation.com/blog/podcast

Bonuses for Intrepid Listeners from Freelance Transformation: FreelanceTransformation.com/Intrepid

Double Your Freelancing Conference: DoubleYourFreelancing.com/conf/

Show Notes: IntrepidEntrepreneur.net/Matt-Inglot

Show Notes: http://intrepidentrepreneur.net/david-kortje

Have you started a business or venture in the past few years, and are not sure where to go next? Maybe you’re trying to expand your appeal to more customers?

In this second Hot Seat Coaching episode, I’m sitting down with David Kortje of Bliss Bouldering and Climbing Complex to answer his questions about marketing, outreach, and what to focus on next.

We’re getting into using loyal customers as ambassadors, partnering with other brands, and trying to share the experience of your work with potential consumers. David and I are also talking about getting statistics on your customers and followers, and learning what obstacles might be keeping more people from getting involved.

For anyone trying to build their consumer appeal and get more people involved in their business, this a great episode full of hands-on advice.

Bravery and Business Quote

“How do we share the authenticity of our story and our passion? How do we tap into the community and get more people to join?” - David Kortje

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The Cliff Notes

• Study your followers on Facebook and any other social media. Get data on the ages and interests of the people who pay attention to you and are coming to your events.
• Facebook live video and other video mediums are a gateway to showing people what you can do. Show your audience what it’s like in your gym or business and the kinds of people involved in your community.
• Look for events to bring people in and introduce them to your business. Host events like an open house or anniversary party for people to feel invited in to just see how things work.
• Try to get local coverage. Talk to local news affiliates or reporters to get them to come to your space and film, do a feature article or special event coverage.
• Use loyal customers as ambassadors to recruit people. They can invite friends, or talk about how much involvement has changed their lives to bring people in.
• Set goals for membership, sales, and outreach, a specific outreach plans so that you have something to work and plan towards.
• Retail is changing. Look for ways to bring the experience of your business to other people, either through mobile events or outside events. Go to potential customers who might not come to you.
• Think about other brands and companies your clients might be using to co-market with. What brands might share clients with you and be interested in hosting an event or marketing campaign with you?

“We’re trying to put a narrative around climbing so that people can will understand the community and the soul around it.”  -David Kortje

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Resources

Climb Bliss ClimbBliss.com

Blog: ClimbBliss.com/Blog

Hey Press media contacts : Hey.Press

Show Notes: http://intrepidentrepreneur.net/david-kortje

Listen at: Intrepidentrepreneur.net/saying-no

How often have you quit something, only to come back to it? When you’re driven by passion for an idea, it keeps coming back until you get it right.

Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong is sharing why she retired twice from the sport, and how she came back each time to win again. We’re getting into making goals, prioritizing your time, and creating your own solutions to the changes life throws at you.

Kristin’s also sharing how she and her husband got the idea for their startup K-Edge, and where the company is heading next. They’re listening to their customers!

This is such a great episode about mental toughness, creative solutions, and learning to say “No.” You won’t want to miss it!

Bravery in Business Quote

“There are things you have to decide that are essential and things you have to remove from your life” - Kristin Armstrong

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Cliff Notes:

• Kristin Armstrong is a three time Olympic gold medalist in cycling in 2008, 2012, 2016.  She has retired from cycling twice and both times was brought back by her love of cycling.
• It takes mental toughness to succeed. Iron will is required to set your sights on a goal and then make it through all the little steps to get yourself there.
• When something isn’t working, adapt. Life circumstances change, so you need to be willing to adjust your plan to your current situation in order for it to success.
• Don’t be afraid to remove things from your life. You can’t do everything, so decide which things are the most important to you and prioritize.
• Don’t let in the outside noise. Focus on the task in front of you and don’t feel the need to explain yourself to your critics.
• Create your own solutions to problems. Kristin and her husband designed a chain catcher to prevent her from losing the chain on her bike during competitions.
• Listen to your customers and know where the market is heading. K-Edge has expanded to provide solutions to other issues that cyclists have, some in response to questions and ideas from customers.

“The most important thing is you have to enjoy your journey” - Kristin Armstrong

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Resources:

K-Edge.com

KristinArmstrongUSA.com

Listen at: Intrepidentrepreneur.net/saying-no