Being resistant to temptations will make you stronger, more resilient and unstoppable. I’m a prime example of it and I want to share with you why you should consider it.

This past weekend I was tested. Truly tested in the sense of how resistant I would be towards a temptation.

About a year ago I finally made the executive decision that enough was enough. After 20+ years of being inactive and not taking my health and nutrition more seriously, I decided that it was time to change that.

So, I signed up for the gym. Again! Then I simply started to make attempts to attend on a regular basis. You see, my previous failure was in the fact that I would sign up for a gym, attend for a short period of time and then simply quit. Usually after a couple of months and then end up stuck with unnecessary gym fees for some time. Until I finally would come to my senses and realize that I was wasting money by not attending.

A year later now and I am at around a 95% attendance where I work out three days a week. Still not quite where I want to be but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

In addition to my gym attendance, I started intermittent fasting about 6 months ago. It’s probably one of the craziest things I’ve ever decided to do. I mean the thought of not eating breakfast was not appealing whatsoever. After all, I’m also an Eastern European who grew up earring 5-course meals.

How in the hell was I going to skip breakfast and still manage to survive?

That’s just it though. I told myself that it was impossible. Before I even tried it I already decided that it was impossible. It was easier that way. Then again a lot of things in my life seemed that way.

After 6+ months of intermittent fasting and now a permanent solution for me I lost 25 lbs. the lowest weight at 200 lbs that I’ve been in over 20+ years. Even as I type this out it seems so surreal to acknowledge that I accomplished this. But, it’s definitely possible and I made it possible.

Now let me tell you what happened this weekend. It was quite an eye-opening experience.

I went out to lunch with my family and my wife’s on a Saturday. Those are typically my refeed days. Meaning that I eating more than 2,000 calories per day, once a week. It’s a part of my intermittent fasting approach.

Although since the last couple of days prior to Saturday I was a couple of hundred calories over my 2,000 calories daily mark I decided to skip my refeed day.

The place where we went for lunch was an Italian joint. One of my faves actually. Not so much about the lack of healthy menu selection though because it was nothing but pasta. Pasta isn’t low on calories. Not a good fit for my daily 2,000 calorie quota. So, what happened? I ended up eating a lunch that was a little over 2,000 calories. Now that wasn’t good either.

On top of it all, not only did I have a lunch that contained over 2,000 calories but I also ate 3 donuts, totally impulsively which brought up my grand total to almost 2,400 calories. So much for skipping refeed day and sticking to my 2,000 calorie daily mark.

…BUT, I wanted to eat more yet had to resist because I was already over my 2,000 daily calorie allotment.

This is the part where the real substance of the article comes into the mix.

Resistance!

You have to resist the temptations in order to become stronger, more resilient and unstoppable. That is actually a whole lot easier said than done though.

From an emotional standpoint, I wanted to eat more. Everything inside of me was pushing me to snack or eat more food to fill in that void. It was extremely irresistible and truth be told I almost gave in. Instead, I decided to cut my losses and decided to drink water for the rest of the evening until I decided to go to bed. This is an excellent alternative to curb cravings and especially for my unique situation.

Let me talk about the psychological experience of this and how it fits into this entire story.

If you can’t resist more food, due to emotional temptations, how are you ever going to become the best version of yourself? How are you ever going to become stronger, more resilient, and unstoppable?

You see, this is the fine line between winners and losers. The simplest of things that can make the biggest impact for the long term. I’ve already lost over 25 lbs on intermittent fasting. I struggled for almost a month and a half after the holidays by remaining stagnant with my weight because I kep dancing around in the same circle. I’d stick to 2,000 calories per day routine for one week and then the following I’d be back on the emotionally eating food train.

I wasn’t about to sacrifice everything that I had worked for so hard simply because I emotionally I wanted to give in to eating more than what I was supposed to. That’s giving up. Throwing in the towel.

The reason why most people never become the best versions of themselves is that they give in to temptations. They give in emotionally into the things that aren’t good for them. The simplest of things. They confine to the mediocrity of society and it’s simply easier to follow the rest of the herd than to stand out.

Do you want to be the best version of yourself?

Do you want to conquer your fears?

Do you want to be able to dominate in areas you otherwise would hesitate in?

Resist the temptations.

Originally posted on my blog. Check my personal website for more content!

Time is money! Bidding for more time is something that we all strive towards. In life and in business.

Would you like to find out how you can get more time out of each day?

As a father, husband, and entrepreneur, one of the things that I personally struggle with on a daily basis is time. It s extremely challenging to multitask all of these roles and on certain days it feels like there is no productivity whatsoever.

I have tried all sorts of different hags in order to maximize my time each day but a lot of them have failed.

First, let me tell you a little bit about my typical day.

Usually, the day starts around eight or 9 AM. This is when I usually wake up, get my coffee situated, and await the awakening of my kids. My son is 3 1/2 years old and my daughter is 20 months old.

Once the kids are up, it’s on to breakfast with them and then getting dressed. Mind you that it’s breakfast for them and a cup or a few cups of black coffee for me. It’s part of my intermittent fasting approach that I have been working on over the last six months or so. Breakfast time can range anywhere from one hour to an hour and a half. Depending on the day and how the kids are feeling the morning.

After breakfast is finished and kids are dressed, we are heading to daycare drop off. Both of my kids attend daycare 4 to 5 days per week. My wife and I made an executive decision prior to the birth of my son that our kids would attend daycare primarily for social development and education. We knew that it was going to cost us but that is the price tag you paid for value.

Once the kids are dropped off, that is when my day really starts. This is usually around 10 AM or 10:30 AM at the absolute latest. What I mean by day started is that a shift my focus towards clients and find deliverables for my human marketing agency Razor Sharp Digital.

Depending on the day and how many meetings I have scheduled, I am usually business focused from around 10:30 AM in the morning to no later than 5 PM in the afternoon. This is typically when I pick up my kids from daycare.

My business focus during the hours of 10:30 AM and 5 PM tends to vary two or three times per week as well. This is when I am usually getting my workout in which can span from one hour and a half to two hours. Depending on the day and the type of workout that I am working on. Having said that, not every weekday is productive due to the fact that usually has workout sessions three days per week.

This has been an ongoing struggle for me simply because I lose a couple of hours three days per week because of workout sessions. I have considered working out early in the morning however that is not feasible either because my wife is usually gone for work by 5 AM. Therefore, I am unable to work out because my kids would be alone unsupervised.

This is yet another issue that inspired me to write this article due to the continuous struggle of finding more time to get work done.

Quick Recap Breakdown

So, just to recap in case I’ve lost you here’s a quick breakdown of my day thus far.

• 8–9 a.m. usually up and kids are awake.
• 9–9:30 a.m. have left the house with kids and heading off to daycare. At daycare no later than 10:30 a.m.
• 10:30–11:00 a.m. begins workday and focus on clients and deliverables for my human marketing agency Razor Sharp Digital. From this time until around 5 PM is strictly business-focused. The exception is that three days out of the week there is a window of 1 1/2 to 2 hours where I am in a workout session and therefore not doing any business focused stuff.
• Once 5 PM comes around I am usually headed to pick up my kids back from daycare.

On Monday evenings and Wednesday evenings, my son has extracurricular activities that typically span 1 to 2 hours in total. Therefore that brings the day to you around 8 PM before I am usually home with the family. On most weeknights, I attempt to squeeze in work.

This is where the biggest struggle has been and yet another reason why I decided to write this article to share with you how I was able to maximize my days.

NOTE: Staying up late every night, especially on weeknights has panned out to be a counterintuitive effort for me. Simply because I was unable to get enough rest each night and as a result, it would force me to start the following day a lot later than mentioned above.

How To Maximize Your Day

As I mentioned earlier on, time is of an essence. Time is money! This is something that I personally am continuously striving to improve and this particular hag has worked for me.

First things first!

Start on this today! The first thing you will need to do is try to go to bed at a decent time. For me personally, I try to get to bed by 10 o’clock or 11 o’clock in the evening. I have found that getting around 6 to 7 hours of sleep is feasible for me to function properly. Now, for you, that may vary. For instance, if you need more than six or seven hours of sleep then consider getting to bed a little bit sooner if possible.

Secondly!

Because you go to bed earlier the night before you are able to wake up earlier the following day. For instance, when I am in bed by 10 or 11 PM the night before, I can generally wake up around five or 6 AM the day after. Obviously this will vary for you based on the number of hours of sleep you require to properly function.

Thirdly!

As I mentioned above, under my old circumstances, my day usually would not start until 8 or 9 AM. Here is the breakthrough!

Because I was able to get to bed earlier the night before, I am able to wake up the following day around 5 or 6 AM in the morning. in doing so, I have a window of 2 to 3 hours that I can be productive and focus on things such as client deliverables.

The Conclusion

Going to bed earlier the night before can jumpstart the following day for you. It may seem a bit counterintuitive because technically you could do work late at night. However, doing work late isn’t as effective and you’re not as alert so getting sh*t done the following morning when you are more alert and energized will contribute to better productivity.

Facebook IS invading your privacy. Hardcore. Even when you’re not using the platform on your desktop, tablet, or mobile device it is continuously collecting data that it later uses for marketing and advertising purposes.

A recent article by Wired magazine deconstructs the hype around Facebook’s usage of the microphone in smartphone devices and calls it complete bullshit. Well, but is it?

A couple of weeks ago I introduced some 24+ Hot Wheels cars to my 20 month old son Hudson. Apparently they had been collecting dust in my parents basement since around the early 2000’s. Rare collection you ask? No, I wish and if that was the case they would’ve probably been unloaded on eBay for some cash if that was the case.

After picking up the bag of Hot Wheels cars from my parents house I ended up bringing them to my house so my son can start digging into them. I typically carry my iPhone around just about everywhere (yes, even in the toilet to kill some time) and this time was no exception. I entered our living room, set my iPhone on the couch (some 3′-5′ feet away from where I was standing with my son) and opened the bag of Hot Wheels so my son could play on the living room floor.

Now, what happened after this point was truly baffling to me.

A good portion of my Hot Wheels cars were from an early The Fast & the Furious (2001) collection. Way before it turned into the massively successful saga with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and the rest of the crew. So, here we are (my son and I) sitting on the living floor and I’m chatting about the Hot Wheels F&F toys while playing with him. Chatting as in verbally sharing with my 20 month old son who by the way can absolutely comprehend my words but incapable (yet) to respond. During this time my iPhone is sitting approximately 3′-5′ feet away from us on the couch.

Our play time eventually came to an end (bummer). Before returning to my smartphone I grabbed my laptop to continue working on some things and ended up on Facebook there out of all places. As I began to scan through my news feed on the right-hand side out of nowhere Sponsored ads from Amazon for The Fast & the Furious Hot Wheels collection suddenly appeared. A shocker is probably an understatement.

I stared at the ad placement for about 30 seconds without scanning further down my news feed. It was evident to me instantly that something wasn’t right.

How did Facebook know that I was interested in The Fast & the Furious Hot Wheels car collection? The only way that it would’ve known this is by eavesdropping on my conversation with my son through my smartphone’s microphone and the fact that the app runs in background.

I’m quite baffled. Before making any further assumptions though I performed additional research to see what others are experiencing.

Is It Technologically Possible for Facebook to Eavesdrop On You?

Yes, it is but they are most definitely not eavesdropping on you. Here is why.

• Facebook would need to engage in a 24/7/365 continuous call between your smartphone and someone at FB or perhaps a terminal/computer. This is highly unlikely but definitely not impossible.
• An average voice-over-internet call takes 24 kbps @ 3 kbps of total data used. Therefore racking up 130 mbs of data per day, per user.
• There are roughly 150 millions daily active users on Facebook racking up about 20 petabytes worth of daily data.
• Facebook’s entire data storage is around 300 petabytes with a daily data intake of about 600 terabytes. Still a ton.
• Facebook would need up to 33 times more data intake in order to digest phone audio.
• If Facebook was eavesdropping on your phone calls from a smartphone you would most definitely notice it. How? Your phone would come to a screeching halt due to immense data consumption.

NOTE: The information in the bullet points above was acquired from Wired Magazine who previously reported a similar story.

So, how did Facebook know about The Fast & the Furious car collection I was toying around with my son? Technologically i seems impossible because of all the factors mentioned above. Is it that the technology used simply can not be extrapolated to the average human being due to its sophisticated nature?

The Amazon Echo and its rival Google Home are equipped with sophisticated technology that can learn about your lifestyle on-the-fly, adapt, and serve the right information based on your interest. How is that possible though? Is Facebook using a similar technology to pinpoint your likes and interests? Voice-to-text and speech recognition are definitely no longer considered as new pieces of technology. The Amazon Echo and Google Home depict specific keywords designated within their database in order to adhere better towards the needs of humans. Same principle, more or less that Facebook utilizes on its users in order market products and services to them.

Exploitation?

After deeper research it turns out that Facebook does not need to rudely solicit you in order to understand your online behavior. It already has a more sophisticated way of doing it through what is referred as ‘data onboarding’. This is the same technology that other social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter utilize to monitor your online and offline activity. Data Onboarding in a nutshell pertains to the ability to transfer offline data online and be used primarily for marketing purposes. Before you ever laid a finger on the Facebook app it already knew your likes, dislikes, interests, sex, age, and probably a lot of other things that are probably considered as a breach of privacy.

Online privacy? There really isn’t such thing anymore. As consumers we have in most cases given up our emphasis on our privacy for the sake of access, personalization, and experience. As I explained above the entire process of data onboarding pertains to transfer of offline documents about you to an online environment. Some of that information is sold to multiple entities and eventually turns into your online reputation. Of course with your input and permission. where asked or required.

This article first appeared on the Razor Sharp Digital blog.

Spam is absolutely ridiculous these days. I am literally striving to find more ways to automatically filter out unwanted spam. Although it’s becoming harder and harder and by the way to accomplish this. Largely it’s due to the fact that spammers and spam bots have sophisticated to the point that a lot of modern day spam comes across as legit. At times, anytime but not all types of spam.

About a week ago or so I was slapped with a piece of spam that really got me thinking. Something that I’ve never experienced before in my 23+ years of being on the internet.

I truly hope that if none of you reading this encounter such circumstances.

Out of the blue about a week ago I received this text message from an unknown person.

My first intuition was not to answer the text message. However, I also did not want to pass any judgement or make false assumptions. So, I played along and answered the text message. As you will notice in the screenshot above I also shared my e-mail address to disclose further information. Text messages are great for instant communication but not so great for clearly articulating specific areas of focus.

About a day after receiving the text message and exchanging a short piece of instant communication I received the following e-mail.

My initial gut feeling geared me toward a further inclination of the fact that this was indeed spam. Although, again as previously I did not want to pass any false judgement and therefore responded back in requesting a callback to my mobile number. One of the major red flags for me was the lack of a subject line in the e-mail. Having worked in the marketing industry professionally for well over a decade and having my own business this was simply quite unusual.

A couple of days passed by and I did not receive any response to my e-mail or text messages. This was another indication and further validation for me that this entire fiasco was indeed one major piece of spam.

Then, just when I thought that things were about to blow over I get another text message. This time it was from a different number regarding the same matter. A request for a web design project.

Now at this point in time I was almost 100% persuaded that I was in the middle of a giant scam. Although, again, not wanting to pass any judgement or make false assumptions I turned to my Facebook community to request some feedback. After a few conversations with several friends in my community it became evident that this was not indeed an uncommon piece of spam or scam in reality.

A business acquaintance of mine had apparently undergone the same scenario. He too was forced to research further the legitimacy of this type of inquiry only to discover that it was a giant ongoing scam. This was of course further validation for me that it was time to walk away and not disclose any further information.

Luckily during the course of this communication I did not disclose any extremely sensitive information that could potentially backfire on me.

…and then this morning I received another text message. Again, just as I thought that I was out of the woods on this one.

Here are a few takeaways and pieces of advice that I’d like to share with you:

• Be extremely cautious with e-mail communication, social media, or any other form of online context exchange.
• Strive for validation of every entity that you come in contact with.
• Don’t be gullible or eager. There are bad people other there who are no afraid to steal, cheat, and degrade you in any form or fashion they see fit.
• Exercise your due diligence and use Google to research prospects. The people you do business with should have some form of credibility and authority in the business marketplace.
• Contact authorities if need be if things escalate to extreme.

Aside from the Facebook conversations I had with people in my circle validating this type of scam I was unable to find anything else on the web that would elude to this further. I’m truly hoping that if you are reading this article that you do not end up being a victim of these scammers.

In today’s day and age of personalization and experience brands of all sorts must rethink their marketing approach to consumer engagement. Engagement, regardless of the marketing channel utilized to capture consumer attention is the foremost important thing to consider in any marketing campaign. Yet, majority of brands and especially those traditional ones who have been around for longer than five decades are still marketing to consumers in the same way they did in the early days.

What is Engagement?

Engagement is a marketing strategy that brands utilize to captivate the attention of consumers (like you and me). The intent behind engagement is to generate awareness, interest, and persuade each consumer to purchase a product or service from that brand.

Engagement can be invoked through three different types of media:

• Images
• Audio
• Video

You can put all sorts of other things under the above mentioned media buckets. The three different media types stated above are merely core areas of classification. Furthermore, Engagement is a KPI that many brands factor into their determination of ROI.

The Major Issues With Utilizing Engagement Properly

A lot of brands are fully aware of engagement as an important element of marketing. However, advertising companies who strategize, implement, and execute on marketing campaigns on behalf of their clients/brands are simply doing a poor job at consumer engagement. This is also where sentiment cross-pollinates with engagement and is important to debunk any confusions while understanding the importance of sentiment within an engagement strategy.

What is Sentiment?

Sentiment, in marketing pertains to the analysis of comments, likes, retweets, etc. actions that a user expresses towards a brand. Regardless of the marketing channel this activity occurs on. This goes beyond Likes and Follows and focuses more engagement effectiveness of brands towards their customers.

Engagement + Sentiment = A Viable Marketing Approach (regardless of the channel).

5 Reasons Why Engagement Trumps Everything In Marketing

Regardless of the type of marketing channel or campaign that you are comprising, engagement always trumps. Figuring out how to engage customers is extremely difficult to accomplish. In most cases it may take some time to achieve optimal engagement in your marketing endeavors.

Engagement matters most because in reality from a human-centric standpoint it connects with people

Reason #1 — Engagement Is Personal

These days consumers are seeking a personalize experience with every brand. Something that they can personally relate to in their own unique way.

Do you recall the Coca-Cola “Share A Coke” campaign?

This was a brilliant way for Coca-Cola to boast engagement with their brand by creating personalized Coke bottles. For consumers it felt personal if they saw their name on a bottle and even more personal if they shared with a friend or significant other.

Reason #2 — Engagement Is Emotional

Consumers have an emotional attachment to everything. Whether it’s a product or service we are purchasing there is always some form of emotional engagement attached to it. Sparking that emotional engagement in any marketing campaign usually takes lots of trial and error.

There really isn’t an out-of-the-box solution for invoking emotional engagement. It all comes down to what we as human being deem as emotionally important to us. Therefore, brands must identify the emotional attachment their customers have towards products or services and engage with them in such fashion.

Reason #3 — Engagement Is Experiential

Engagement is about an experience. Everything we do in our day-to-day lives as humans is an experience. Whether we are eating a cupcake, running, reading a book, working on the computer, driving a car, or anything else it’s all an experience. Brands must explore further testing with consumers in an experiential way to invoke deeper interest in their products or services.

Reason #4 — Engagement Is Targeted

If an engagement strategy is properly utilized than it will be extremely targeted. Targeted in a sense that it’s catered to a specific audience that would ultimately take interest and spark that engagement.

One of the biggest mistakes that brands make with their marketing endeavors is comprising a strategy that is not targeted. Marketing, regardless of the channel should be targeted towards a specific audience and buyer persona. This is when engagement will occur and ultimately connect with consumers in a way a brand has set out to do.

Reason #5 — Engagement Is Effective

Engagement is not only a KPI but also a strategy that brands should utilize in capturing the attention of their customers. It is effective due to the fact that it’s measurable, trackable, and quantifiable. These are all three elements that every brand seeks in any marketing campaign.

Curious to know how engaging your business is in today’s real-time and personal digital marketplace? Explore a FREE assessment that can help you grow your business through strategic engagement strategies.

In 2017, 74% of all internet traffic is represented by video (Source: HubSpot). YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world behind it’s companion Google (Source: SearchEngineLand). YouTube has over 1 billion users (almost a 1/3 of all people on the internet) where people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos on daily basis (Source: YouTube).

Impressive, right? YouTube was acquired by Google in 2006 for a cool $1.65 billion (Source: Wikipedia). The right time, the right place! Not too shabby of an investment if I must say so.

Ever since and especially today in 2017 everyone is striving to be the next biggest YouTube star. You may have already heard of guys like PewDiePie (55+ million subs), Jenna Marbles (real name Jenna Mourey) (16+ million subs), Casey Neistat (7+ million subs), or even Philip DeFranco (5+ million subs). If not, check out this full list of 2017 YouTube stars to follow. And yes, there is even such thing as YouTube Creator Awards.

It’s without a doubt to say that video marketing should be a part of every company’s advertising arsenal. Video is far more engaging, informative, and entertaining than any other piece of content on the web.

So, the big question to answer is…

How Do I Create An Engaging YouTube Vlog?

A Few Things To Be Mindful Of First

There are a few basic elements to keep in mind if you decide to get into the YouTube vlogging game. One of the biggest mistakes that everyone makes these days is diving right into YouTube without any preparation. Not that preparing for a vlog is an enormous task that anyone is incapable of fulfilling. Although, like anything else campaign-wise preparation is key.

• A YouTube channel. Yes, you need one in order to publish videos. I would suggest that you determine whether your vlogs will be for yourself or your company as well. The branding component of your YouTube channel is essential for that.
• Some equipment. Now, eventually you may want to go all out and blow cash on fancy equipment but until then you can most definitely get by with minimal equipment. Most smartphones these days are capable of recording up to 1080p video which is more than sufficient for video recording. I use my iPhone 6 Plus, a DJI Osmo Mobile Gimbal, and sometimes a Rode Directional VideoMic for my smartphone for better audio. A tripod might come in handy too especially if you would like to shoot some time lapses for your vlogs.
• Think Consistency. This is a huge determining factor for building a loyal audience. Through consistency you can build trust, add value, and forge relationships with advocates of your video channel. This is probably one of the most important key elements to utilize properly in building your channel.
• Have a Great Story. Not just ANY story, but a great one that will make people pay attention. As humans we like movies because they showcase a great story and a storytelling process. This is identical to creating engaging vlogs that will boast the attention of viewers.

The 3 Fundamentals for Creating Engaging YouTube Vlogs

There are 3 fundamentals that you can use repeatedly to create engaging YouTube vlogs. Regardless of your story, storyline, or storytelling. It could be the most boring topic in a story but following these 3 fundamentals will make it interesting to others.

1. Setup

Like a good story, you have to first set the stage. Think of movie intros in this step. What do you see first (other than commercials) at the movies?

Here are a few things to consider in the Setup process:

• Show video footage of the surroundings.
• Tell your audience about the subject matter, where it takes place, and who is participating.
• Build up interest and curiosity with your audience.

The Setup part is critical as it portrays a holistic understanding to your target audience of what is about to come. In a way it helps create expectations or set certain ones in place.

2. Conflict

Your story continues to unfold. The 2nd fundamental of creating an engaging YouTube vlog pertains to establishment of your conflict. The problem. What are you trying to resolve?

Let’s break it down more specifically.

• Tell people what the problem is or what you are trying to solve.
• Provide enough detail and engaging content whether it’s verbal, video, or imagery to support your conflict statement.
• Build up enough anticipation, curiosity, and interest to ensure retention of viewers so that they don’t stop viewing your video.

Remember that the Conflict fundamental is extremely important. It’s the middle of your story the builds up momentum towards the Resolution.

3. Resolution

This is the final part of your story. The Resolution. It’s time to tell your viewers how you resolved the conflict. It’s time to turn into a solution-oriented mode.

A few elements that can help you come up with a Resolution to your Conflict.

• Explain to people your resolution.
• Provide specifics around how you tackled the Conflict and Resolved the problem. Tangible elements are always favorable.
• Give actual value that can be applied in practicality. People love this especially!

Making engaging videos on YouTube is no easy task. In my video above I particularly mentioned that even being a YouTube user for 9 years now this is still an ongoing area of practice for me. Although, having the 3 Fundamentals of Creating an Engaging Vlog on YouTube as outlined can help you become more successful, efficient, and productive in mastering YouTube vlogging.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Please share them either here or in the commentary of the video.

Thank You for your attention!

Losing a client is never an easy thing to digest. OK, it’s straight up infuriating, disappointing, chaotic, and unbearable. Especially if it’s a high paying client that has been pumping your cashflow for an extensive period of time. It always costs more to find a new client than to retain an existing one. If you are an entrepreneur, solopreneur, or an agency this probably sounds all too familiar to you.

After having spent over a decade in the marketing industry specifically agency side, I’ve noticed a trend that tends to develop when a client decides to jump ship. As a bit of a disclaimer I have to be forefront in stating that the information below may not directly correlate to your specific situation. Although in majority of cases when a client decides to jump ship there are a few red flags that you can easily identify beforehand.

They are asking for more information than usual.

This is probably one of the most common red flags that you will encounter prior to a client jumping ship. Let’s face the reality of things. Once a client executes upon an agreement and you collect some monies they obviously expect value and results on what they are paying you for. That is the obvious of all things. For a good duration of your business relationship your client will not ask for any unusual information or seem like they’re probing (even if it’s unintentional).

Where things tend to get sticky is when your client starts questioning value or the mutually binding contractual agreement you have in place.

Here are some more concrete examples of specific questions you may encounter.

• “How many hours are we paying for currently or have allocated each month?”, client asks.
• “Do you have any summary reports of work performed? Can you break it down by month and tasks performed?”, client asks.
• “What can you do for X amount of hours vs. what we are currently doing?”, client asks.

In some aspect of things these can also be questions your client might pose for the sake of accountability. It is absolutely not uncommon. Although the overarching point here is that if they’ve never asked such questions before and suddenly doing so there’s valid reasons for suspicion.

Your communication becomes sparse.

This is probably one of the most obvious red flags you should be able to spot right away. 99% of the time most providers (you) have succinct communication with clients. In other words you can easily identify an obvious trend. You know your client’s style, messaging, choice of wording, etc. It’s predictable, in a way.

When your communication becomes sparse. Very sparse. This is when you should get worried.

Communication inconsistencies are easily identifiable. In all honesty it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see it. Just so I can paint a more realistic scenario of some red flags you should look for, take into consideration the below.

Have you noticed any of these occurrences before with your clients as it pertains to poor communication?

• Your questions remain unanswered. Especially over e-mail.
• Your client seems to be avoiding your repetition of certain questions like the plague.
• Your client doest not respond to your communication in a timely fashion. However, historically they have been diligent in doing so.
• Your client continues to pry for information they are specifically interested in and avoiding anything else you say.
• Your client fails to return phone calls. Especially after you’ve left a few voicemails.

Communication is a major issue in business altogether. Checkout this video for further insight on the ramifications communication has on every business on daily basis.

There is clear signs of hesitation or opposition.

While it can be challenging to pinpoint hesitation or opposition from a client, you can certainly identify correlation to these two. Perhaps it’s pushback although a very odd way of showing it.

Let me explain further.

In your communication and dialogues you will be able to determine signs of hesitation or opposition. If your client is on the verge of jumping ship though chances are they will try to avoid any signs of hesitation or opposition altogether and simply jump ship. They simply do not want to waste any more time and are ready to move on.

Recommendations for client retention?

There is no out-of-the-box solution. Many providers (that’s you) strive to find one and it can aggravate the shit out of you. When all is said and done, your soon to be former client decides to jump ship, and you’re stuck wondering being all tense and frustrated.

Been there and done that. Multiple times. There is one golden saying that I always tend to reflect upon. Especially in times of despair.

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” -Friedrich Nietzsche.

And it’s absolutely true. In your business and entrepreneurial journey you will most certainly lose clients. Although if you’re seeking recommendations on how to soften the blow than here are a few to entertain.

• Attempt to negotiate. Most clients will take advantage of the situation and attempt to negotiate with you to see how worthwhile they are to you.
• Offer alternative solutions. That also includes alternative pricing in comparison to what you’ve been offering thus far.
• Be ready to budge. Clients will attempt to test you. Specifically to determine if you honor your self-worth or willing to undersell yourself.
• Think long-term. Short-term campaigns aren’t worthwhile. Clients appreciate long-term projection.
• Ensure that there is trust. This is a big one. If clients don’t trust you than everything will turn skiddish.

Have you lost some clients? What was your take on the situation? How did you rectify it or attempt to do so?

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Running a business is far from a picnic in the park. In a recent post I expanded upon my recent hardcore entrepreneurial journey. Whether you are a small/medium size business or corporation chances are that there is one specific component that you battle on daily basis. Something that can make or break a variety of business scenarios and even degrade opportunities.

Communication. It is the number one challenge that all companies struggle with in modern business. Communication challenges are not a new thing by any means. It has been an ongoing problem for companies since the beginning of business times.

“Communication is a core part of the human experience.” -NextWeb

Communication costs time, money, and energy. Congruently these are three things that any company strives to rectify.

Based on an independent study by About.com it was discovered that over 62% or responders quit their jobs due to poor communication. That is a significant number of people who struggle with company communication issues on daily basis.

“Over 62% of responders in an independent study quit their jobs due to poor communication.”

Why are companies not putting forth an effort to rectify their single biggest problem? Because it takes time and money? One small problem (as companies might envision communication) eventually turns into a giant dilemma costing more time, money, and energy to resolve.

After spending 11+ years working in boutique agencies and other companies I’ve discovered a pattern that seems to be multiplying. It is most definitely not a pattern that any company should avoid as well.

Clear expectations will help strive towards realistic results.

The inability to establish clear expectations is probably the single most common communication issue all companies are struggling with currently. Think about all those pesky e-mails or To-Do items that your boss set upon you.

• Are these expectations realistic to accomplish?
• Can you feasibly adhere to such expectations based on your skill set?
• Is the timeframe for completion of these expectations adequate?
• Did you inherit someone else’s expectations as result of their departure/resigning?

There are literally an infinite amount of expectations scenarios that can play out. Unfortunately this article will simply be insufficient to portray those. The establishment of expectations in business is typically a communication derivative. In today’s modern digital age expectations are set forth through a variety of communication channels.

• E-mail
• Phone
• Text
• Social Media
• Video
• …and probably a few more that I did not mention.

The point here is that realistic expectations should always be established. Regardless of the communication channel used by one or more parties involved in the interaction.

Succinct messaging ensures thorough comprehension.

Personally I was never the greatest communicator of all. Although over time it became evident to me in understanding how to be a more succinct communicator. What is succinct messaging though in the first place? This is a question I’ve been asked multiple times before by people who were uncertain in the meaning of “succinct”.

“Succinct — (especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed.”

Succinct messaging is all about clarity and expression. These are also two elements that take time to master. In favor of modern companies and business I have to state that many are putting an effort in mastering their succinct messaging. It takes time, practice, and experience to become a succinct communicator.

From a communication perspective companies should embrace succinct messaging. In the way that it is used to communicate internally between one or more parties. It can have a drastic impact on many other areas of business.

How to be a succinct communicator?

• Be expressive.
• Convey clear messaging.
• Exercise optimism in understanding the other party’s message prior to preparing your response.
• Be timely.
• Be cordial.
• Understand the need for collaboration.

…just a few of these to keep in mind.

Communication consistency can contribute to longevity & evolution.

Have you ever let an e-mail go unanswered? How about a tweet, Facebook comment, LinkedIn conversation, etc.? Ok, you get it. Companies need to understand that communication consistency plays a huge part in their evolution.

For instance, communication inconsistency ultimately attributes towards employee turnover. Employee retention is a huge part of building a business and also evolving it. Many companies and individuals fail to realize repercussions such as this one that can cripple the longevity of a business.

What attributes towards communication consistency? Well, there is no cookie-cutter solution or even an out-of-the-box option per se but here are a few recommendations to consider.

• Be persistent with whatever channel of communication you use to convey a message.
• Set reminders to help you be persistent in your endeavor of ensuring that communication points are properly conveyed.
• Do not be annoying and pushy to the point of rejection. Nobody likes people who are too pushing/annoying. Ensure that you are paying your due diligence in the effort of consistency.

Follow ups present unprecedented potential for progress.

As human beings we are clumsy, forgetful, pre-occupied, etc. etc. In the business world specifically you would be quite surprised at how much of communication revolves around the ability to follow up. The lack of follow up can be the single determining factor of an outcome, business opportunity, revenue, or new relationships.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with some very intelligent folks in my professional career. Some were extremely diligent in their follow-up process while others had merely good intentions but lack of follow through. Follow ups are golden opportunities in determining outcome and progress.

How to exercise better follow ups? While I think it’s a mindset related endeavor there is most definitely room for improvement.

• Find ways to remind yourself of certain communication endeavors. (i.e. Calendar, Notes, etc.).
• In your follow up convey only the most important part of your message in a succinct fashion.
• Repeat your follow up process as necessary until result achieved. (Don’t be annoying though).

Patience is a virtue and will pave a path to communication success.

Gary Vaynerchuk, who is one of my business idols and also someone who drastically impacted my outlook on business couldn’t have said it better.

“Focus on the macro and micro aspects of business.” — Gary V.

The quote pertains to business growth and evolution mainly but I personally think that it’s also relevant for patience in communication. Particularly the way that companies and individuals exercise patience in communication for the short-term and long-term.

Here is more precisely what I’m referring to when it comes to patience in communication.

• Don’t be too quick on the trigger in responding. Think it thru and craft a well thought message with purpose.
• Be patient with responses between multiple parties. You never know what’s happening in other people’s world and making assumptions is insufficient.
• Put forth benchmarks around patience. For instance, if you do not receive a response to that e-mail in a day than following up again or with a call might be more adequate.

Being patient with communication in today’s fast-paced business world is extremely hard. Mainly because as humans and companies equally we seek instant gratification in everything. Using some recommendations such as ones above can attribute to better patience in strategic communication.

(BONUS) Cultural complexities in identifying significance in communication

I recently joined a new Facebook group called Human Marketing Hub fueled by none other than the amazing Bryan Kramer. If you don’t know who is then follow him on Twitter. This is an excellent group that focuses on significance of human marketing.

J.S. Gilbert, author at “The Influencer Effect” made the following suggestion when I posed the question of, “What sort of communication problems do you face with your business or company you work for?”

His response was as follows:

“I think the number one problem that businesses face is a complex culture that makes it difficult to identify and agree as to what significant problems are and how they should be addressed.” — J.S. Gilbert, Author of “The Influencer Effect”.

Identifying problems in the business workplace is classified as a communication barrier. Something that many companies struggle with today and a huge part of them fail at in resolving.

Did you find this article helpful in any way? I’d love to hear your feedback below or you can also tweet at me.

Thanks for reading! I appreciate your attention.

Anybody that knows me will confirm of my entrepreneurial spirit. As a matter of fact I have been entrepreneurial since the age of 14. For those counting, that’s some 20+ years in the making. Although it wasn’t until May 2016 when I decided to go “All In” on the glamorous entrepreneurial path.

Entrepreneurship — perhaps one of the most used and abused words of 2016 and thus far in 2017.

“Entrepreneurship is the activity of setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.”

May 1, 2016 — It was exactly 1 year ago today when I left my full-time job and decided to work on launching my digital agency startup Razor Sharp Digital. No capital, no investor!

I had nothing more than the willpower, passion, and commitment to help companies and people by providing digital marketing strategies using a human-centric approach. Little did I know that I was about to invoke the biggest bootstrap operation in the history of EVER.

After spending 11+ years professionally working with reputable boutique agencies I believed my approach was more authentic, genuine, and transparent. During my 11+ year professional tenure I built digital service offerings, led/managed teams, and helped with execution endeavors. This included start-ups like mine all the way up to established companies who were seeking a digital transformation and better market positioning.

The Beginning of “All In” Entrepreneurship Journey

2016 was truly an odd year full of plenty of ups and downs. If you ask me, it’s precisely what entrepreneurship is really all about. In the midst of entrepreneurship pursuit my son was also born on April 7, 2016 and quite obviously it presented a new set of challenges to maneuver. As if life wasn’t complicated enough already with a newborn. As a struggling entrepreneur I was quite determined to zero in on making my digital agency startup a reality.

Moral support from friends and family are probably one of the most integral elements of entrepreneurship. Yes, there are many others but moral support is probably one of the most important. Particularly true when it comes from your spouse. Quite honestly it still baffles me to this day as to how she was able to cope with all the chaos we’ve encountered thus far.

If you’re new to the entrepreneurial game than get ready for plenty of negativity. You will receive a ton of it due to other people’s disbelief in your mission. That is perfectly OK though. Not everyone is going to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Wins & Losses of My “All In” Entrepreneurial Journey

As I look back onto 2016 the wins and losses became far more evident. It’s also something that I am currently taking into consideration so I can better determine strengths and weaknesses. Something that can attribute heavily towards future business growth.

It’s not all glamour, rainbows, and unicorns in the land of entrepreneurship. Far from it! At least in the beginning years which are full of ups and downs, uncertainties, gambles, and unforeseen circumstances.

The Wins

Bet on your strengths. Exercise what you are really good at and bank on that. Aside from trying to bank on my strengths I was quite fortunate to forge new relationship. Luck plays a factorial role in entrepreneurship. If you are extremely unlucky than you may face slimmer chances of winning. Definitely not aimed at discouragement of new entrepreneurs. Although it is something you need to take into account.

There is no shortcut to winning. Here are a few things I’ve learned when it comes to winning though during this past year:

• Do the work. No whining or complaining.
• Deliver on your promises.
• Hustle and grind like nobody else. This may mean long hours, lack of sleep, and pure hardcore dedication.
• Price yourself accordingly based on added value. It’s important to create a standard that will later be extremely beneficial to your business.
• Use succinct communication. Straight and direct to the point. Don’t beat around the bush.
• Be responsive. Don’t wait around to answer e-mails, calls/voicemails, tweets, or other messages. We live in a real-time world and you should get with the program.
• Set realistic expectations for your clients.
• Patience REALLY is a virtue. Slow down John Wayne. Not so quick on the trigger!
• Be consistent and follow-thru.
• Develop cohesive SOWs so that nothing backfires on you later (and that WILL happen).
• Invest into development of legal documents that can protect you, your company, and your endeavors.
• Consider prospects willing to forge a long-term relationship with you. These are companies who seek mutual growth over longer periods of time (i.e. get away from the quick wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am opportunities).

The above are probably some of the most intricate things I’ve experienced during my first full-year as an “all in” entrepreneur. Especially when it comes to winning new business or striving for sustainability of my current client base.

The Challenges & Losses

It’s not all that glamorous as most people make it out to be when you’re an entrepreneur. Especially in the beginning. You will face plenty of challenges or losses and must understand that it’s a part of the game. Building up towards residual income that ultimately supplements the weekly or bi-weekly paycheck you were so used to takes time. This is a key component to understand when making the shift from the 9–5 into full on hustling and grinding.

Losses? I’ve definitely experienced and still handling certain challenges but no actual detrimental losses (thankfully). In your scenario though the outcome will most likely be quite different. Here are the challenges I’ve faced this past year to give you an indication of how harsh entrepreneurship can be on you.

• My house was nearly foreclosed on due to inconsistent income. Still dealing with this currently but at least have some options to consider.
• My car was almost repossessed due to inconsistent payments.
• My credit score took a hit since I fell behind on bills.
• Putting food on the table became more challenging than ever before.
• Taking care of a newborn is a whole new game. Making sure my son Hudson had diapers, clothes, formula, and anything else he needed was a huge financial challenge to rectify.
• Keeping the lights on. Paying the utility bill never seemed so real. Or unreal for that matter in certain months.
• Battling negativity from others. Check out my friend Chris Brogan’s article on entrepreneurship and depression. Let that simmer in!
• Encountering over $12,000 of unexpected car expenses (as if things weren’t bad enough already). Something that I ended up paying out-of-pocket obviously. Planning for the unexpected is simply not feasible.
• Collections and unpaid balances.
• Borrowing money from family to make ends meet (yes, that happens unfortunately).

No, entrepreneurship is NOT glamorous. Is it worth it? Yes, in the long-haul but building up to it takes time. During that time you will encounter many challenges and losses similar to the ones I mentioned above.

“99% of entrepreneurs FAIL due to lack of sustainability, courage, & willpower.”

Glamour, Bling-Bling, & Accomplishments?

All of that will come in time. Is that what you are seeking? Believe it or not many entrepreneurs set out to build companies for the wrong reasons. Sure, glamour, bling-bling, and strong cashflow would be nice. Particularly since I have a 1-year old now for whom a college savings fun has been forged and requires nurturing.

On the other hand, my wife and I wouldn’t mind traveling the world, seeing new places, and for me particularly ensuring my family’s financials are taken care of. I was never the flashy guy with high demands or extreme expectations.

So, for me, I launched Razor Sharp Digital to help companies with their digital governance in the marketplace using an industry-leading human-centric business approach. I’ve experienced first-hand the mistakes other marketing agencies make over-and-over again. One of them being the inhuman approach to business like it’s a skinning contest.

The chances of being a human are about 400 trillion to 1. Yes, that is a very high probability. Although, for me and my digital startup we feel privileged to be alive, breathing, and have the ability to make an impact using a human-centric business approach.

Current Endeavors

There are so many things I’ve learned this past year. Quite certain that I’ll learn many more as things progress. If you pay close attention to the challenges I mentioned above you might have second thoughts about entrepreneurship. If you’re one who enjoys your job, the 9–5, and collecting a paycheck every 1–2 weeks than that’s great.

Although, if you want more out of life, seek to help others, and want to think bigger than entrepreneurship is probably up your alley.

How are things currently?

Well, that’s a bit of a bland question but here is a glimpse to cure your curiosity. It can always be better. Which is precisely why I’ve focused on setting higher standards so that added value is appreciated. You’ll be quite surprised at how quickly clients can underestimate or degrade your potential for the sake of undercutting the price tag. I have a silent business partner who brings forth seasonality in the digital marketing realm. Also an investor who even though now valiantly plays within the investment game has still shown interest in partnering up with me.

Having said that 2017 looks bright already. Several new business opportunities are on the table. The pipeline is slowly getting filled. We are looking to hire our first potential full-time employee.

Moral of The Story

Is entrepreneurship for everyone? NO, it is not. Can entrepreneurship be learned or taught? Yes, although the really good entrepreneurs have entrepreneurship woven into their DNA. It’s a behavioral and personality thing that can be emulated but never duplicated. They understand what it means to be a true entrepreneur.

Would I ever go back to a 9–5 gig? I’ve turned down 6 figure salary already.

“Define your purpose, follow your passion, and discover untapped business potential.”

Majority of my childhood entailed in growing up in what most Americans would classify a third-World country. Bulgaria, population of approximately 7 million people (Source: Worldometers). That is nearly as much people as there are in the State of Missouri (Source: Census.gov) which is where I currently reside. I lived under communism regime until around the age of 9. It was around that time when the Berlin Wall came down.

You could say that growing up I had many limitations, challenges, and fears. In some retrospect I’m led to believe that some of those challenges and fears followed me into the Land of The Free.

We all have challenges and fears!

In business and in life we are constantly, on daily basis presented with a new set of hurdles to overcome. As a marketer turned entrepreneur I face new challenges and hurdles on daily basis. The way you handle challenges and fears by rectifying them says a lot about your character, personality, individuality, and of course entrepreneurship potential.

Some of the challenges and fears I’ve encountered thus far since May 2016 when I officially ventured out, all into 100% entrepreneurship:

• Starting a digital marketing business with little to no upfront cash.
• Not realizing the feasibility and reality of residual income. Particularly its importance in ability to cover overhead (i.e. operational expenses, marketing, paying myself, paying the mortgage, paying the car payment, putting food on the table for my family, etc.).
• Being misled from an expectations standpoint on the fruition of a startup business (it always takes longer than anticipated).
• The constant worry of “The Sky May Fall Down Any Day” and the world as I know will crumble underneath me.
• Crash and burn.
• Becoming a new dad as of April 2016, being a good father, and husband in addition to being an entrepreneur.

As an entrepreneur, especially one fresh out of the gate you will most definitely fail. You will face more challenges and fears in a shorter period of time than you have ever faced thus far in your lifetime.

So, how DO YOU overcome your challenges and fears?

1. Commitment

Anything that is worthwhile will require commitment. So many entrepreneurs seek instant gratification and precisely why 99% of them fail. This is probably one of the hardest things I learned thus far in my entrepreneurship journey. You have to GO ALL IN to have any chance at success. What does ALL IN mean? Monetary investment, time, effort, and most importantly grinding and hustling like there is no tomorrow.

Commitment borderlines consistency. It is always easier said than done. Many entrepreneurs are inconsistent in their entrepreneurship journey to success and precisely why they struggle with commitment.

2. Focus

Being focused ensures that your time, resources, and energy are allocated in the right direction. Achieving optimal focus can take years of hard work and grinding. Majority of startups particularly take up to 4 years before they achieve maturity. This is a time span in which you will make the biggest amount of mistakes but also identify your focus.

The 5 Ws are a great way to segment yourself in pursuit of focus.

• WHO are you trying to reach/target?
• WHAT are you trying to accomplish, build, sell, offer?
• WHERE does your target audience and buyer personas reside?
• WHEN does your target audience and buyer personas engage with your brand?
• WHY would your customers engage with you and your brand?

Truth be told I am still struggling with the WHY question. My startup is a digital marketing agency with focus on human business. Although the human business portion does not seem to be enough for competitive positioning.

3. Patience

As an Eastern European patience wasn’t really my strong suit. Especially in my early 20s when my life was quite careless with lack of clarity. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It is how we are built as human beings and also equally important in business and entrepreneurship. You need to either find a way to become more patient by practicing it or find someone who can supplement your weakness with their strength.

This is precisely why companies have employees because each one of them brings some form of value and skill set to the table. For me personally I realized that mastering patience would be extremely beneficial for me. As they say…

Practice Makes Perfect.

4. Flexibility

As an entrepreneur and business owner you have to be extremely flexible and adaptable. Today’s digital marketplace is a constantly moving target and extremely hard to maintain a steady pulse on it. What I mean by “flexibility” is the ability to morph and adjust on a short moment’s notice. Flexibility is indeed a challenge and fear for many entrepreneurs.

You have to first and foremost understand that you are building a brand intended for helping people solve problems. Therefore if a problem arises for a prospect or a client of yours, you need to be able to step up to the plate and offer a solution.

5. Problem Solving

The ability to problem solve stands of utmost importance in business, entrepreneurship, and life. It is a differentiating factor between you and the rest of the herd. You can either switch on your thinking cap or continue to square dance. If you do not have strong problem solving skills then either find some or find an individual that can help you problem solve.

About The Biz Grind YouTube Show

The Biz Grind YouTube Show is a daily vlog where I talk about whatever but mostly a snapshot of my day-to-day shenanigans and a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, business, or marketing. It is also a way for me to emphasize upon personal branding, building character, personality, and interest with other like-minded individuals.

I want you to overcome your challenges and fears. When I set out to start my digital marketing startup Razor Sharp Digital my primary focus was to help other entrepreneurs, business owners, and startups overcome their hurdles. The difference between myself and the rest of the herd is execution, results, human business, dedication, emotional and community engagement.

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