journey to success

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The Journey to Success: Lessons Learned and Enjoying the Ride with James Wedmore

In this episode of The Sell or Die Podcast, we’re revisiting a very eye-opening discussion about the entrepreneurial journey with James Wedmore. Whether you’re looking into starting a business or growing your existing business, this is going to be the message for you! James Wedmore has been teaching entrepreneurs and online business owners for over ten years how to leverage the power of online video and YouTube marketing to reach more people, share their message and convert more customers. Plus, James is the host of The Mind Your Business Podcast, where he talks all about the mindset shifts needed in entrepreneurship, and the brains behind his signature program, Business By Design.

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journey to success

But before we dive right in, let us introduce ourselves in case this is your first visit. Welcome to the Sell or Die Podcast. We’re your hosts, Jeffrey & Jen Gitomer. Between the two of us, we’ve written the books The Little Red Book of Selling, Sales in a New York Minute, plus 15 other best-selling books. We’ve also created the 7 figure sales formula program and the Breakthrough Business Babe Community. 

Sell or Die is for sales professionals, sales managers, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to sell more at full price, earn loyalty, and have an unlimited stream of referrals. Every single episode will give you real-world, easy-to-implement solutions so that you can get your calls returned, your proposals read and acted on while creating relationships that you can take to the bank. 

It’s time to sell or die…

And today we will be sharing James’ experience of what it really takes to move forward in your journey to success and how you can become a better person from overcoming your obstacles.

For more details, listen to the ENTIRE episode on your favorite streaming platform.

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James’ journey to success as a business owner

It all began with a flat tire in front of a bartending school that led James down the path he never expected. He ended up earning his bartending certification from that school and started a business contracting his bartending services for private parties & events. One day, James came to the realization that in order to grow his business, he had to start teaching others the same skills he was using in bartending.

Starting a bartender coaching business helped James develop the marketing and sales strategies needed in his online business. And before long, people began seeking James out for advice on how to use videos in digital marketing for their own businesses. This was back in 2008 when video marketing was not as prominent as it is now, and it prompted James to begin diving into the world of YouTube video marketing.

This new concept of using video in the online business world led James down the most important journey he would ever take. He began creating online courses and memberships in order to help people learn how to make videos, but he knew there was so much more to building a successful business. Thus, in 2016, James started a podcast all about the other business strategies needed to make an impact on the world.

journey to success

Narrow down your audience to increase your following

When James released his podcast, he was struck with the most fear he had ever experienced in his career. He made a major shift in his niche from the friendly “tech guy” to the business savvy entrepreneur, and this presented an obvious contrast in comparison to his current (& very extensive) email list and YouTube following based solely on video tips & tricks. James would instead be sharing the deeper inner work that he needed to grow his business. 

If he didn’t share that new message beyond just video content, James knew he would be holding back many of the important secrets in his journey to success. So he released his podcast and his following quickly decreased, but his business began growing exponentially! Seriously, James’ name comes up more than once a day in our office. He’s basically a messiah in the entrepreneurial space now.

He really achieved this status by staying true to himself in what made a difference in his business and sharing his journey with others. And to some extent, James doesn’t believe that he should be at this level of success at all. People wouldn’t recognize him 10 to 12 years ago, when he was 70 pounds heavier and had horribly low confidence. But his own journey to success is also why James can identify with his target audience and tell them, “If I can do this, anybody can.”

Get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable

James has a lot of nostalgia for the beginner CEO hustle, where you’re just trying to figure everything out and you don’t even know what’s going to happen. So an important takeaway for anybody listening who is just starting a business, trying to work through your pain points or simply down to your last dime is this: Fall in love with this time. Honor this time of struggle and chaos, because when you get to your final destination, you will look back and long for that struggle to some extent.

Really, the journey is what makes the destination as great as it is.

Your success is not measured in dollar signs

When comparing business journeys between James and us, we’ve all invested our last dollars to our names in ourselves. If you’re willing to make that investment in yourself and your future, then you’re welcoming the next steps toward your success. If you are not willing to do that, you need to do the inner work to get there first.

James words the mistaken belief that you need money to transform as “conditional operating.” This is when you let your current circumstances dictate which decisions and which actions you take toward your future. You may think it’s money or time or knowledge or support that is holding you back from taking the next step. But remember that it’s your job as an entrepreneur to see what others can’t see and feel what they can’t feel in order to hold onto your vision. 

Let your past and present moment guide you toward your future, but don’t allow your past to determine your future. When you stay focused on the things that have already happened, you repeat your past. That’s why most people stay stuck. 

How can you do the opposite instead? Focus on your next objective or milestone. Then take on the persona of your next level self. Claim the mindset of that business owner making $20K a month. Begin operating, thinking, acting, making decisions and taking actions like that version of yourself. The more you do that, the more you align your actions with the results you desire.

So, diehards, make all decisions based on the person you want to become, not what happened in your past.

Don’t wait for others to stroke your ego

It’s time for the hard truth. Not everyone in your life is going to believe in your vision. And ultimately, you should see that as an opportunity to challenge their perspectives. All you need is your belief in yourself, and the good news is, it doesn’t matter if anyone else believes in you, your vision, your business, your goals, whatever.

You have the chance to choose how you interpret that lack of belief. In James’ case, when he started his business, he moved back with his parents. A lot of his friends laughed at him for that, but that only pushed him to think, “I can’t wait to prove them wrong. I cannot wait to laugh at them when I show them how wrong they were.”

Spiritual energy is just as important as concrete strategy

We all have some of our own “woo” strategies, as James likes to refer to them. He implemented a few into his business in around 2016. He defines “woo” as putting a spiritual or energetic spin on our life experiences, recognizing that there is more to life than meets the eye and what we experience is not all of reality. Simply stated, “woo” is the idea that “shit happens for a reason” and that hard work leads to more positive outcomes in your life.

The biggest benefit James has found in including “woo” in both his personal and professional lives is that it gives you an outside perspective of your circumstances. After all, we as humans are naturally inclined to find peace in assuming things happen for a reason. Instead of saying that you just can’t get a break or that all these bad things keep happening to you, you can focus on the lessons offered by each personal experience. And the only reason that you don’t have the goal, you don’t have the revenue, you don’t have the thing that you want is because you haven’t learned the lesson yet. 

In fact, one of the most life-changing realizations for James was triggered by a quote about how life is always rigged in your favor. So even in the darkest of times or the worst of problems, you know that this is happening to you for a reason that’s here to serve you.

When life feels tough, keep moving forward

It can be a challenge trying to find the good in your day-to-day struggles. If you’re going through a hard time right now and you’re not sure how to maintain a positive outlook despite the obstacles you are facing, here are a few suggestions:

  1. Instead of asking problem-oriented questions like, “Why is this happening to me,” ask outcome-oriented questions like, “What is this here to teach me? What is the lesson for me? Where’s the good in this?” 
  2. If you run any type of coaching business, remember that the problems you go through will help you be better equipped to help your ideal clients.
  3. Remember that pain is not a problem. Pain is the symptom. Don’t try to suppress it with a quick fix, but stay solution-focused to find the source of your struggle. If you understand the reason behind your pain, then you have a shot at coming up with the cure or the process that will take it away.

The Journey to Success: Lessons Learned and Enjoying the Ride with James Wedmore: The Bottomline

As a starting entrepreneur or business owner, you may already have a strong grasp on your goals. But have you put just as much thought into the journey that lies ahead of you? As ambitious diehards, we often focus on our end goals instead of the experience as a whole. If you take nothing else away from this episode, leave with the intent to shift your mindset and view your pain points as vital pieces to your success. And like James said, if he can do it, you can too!

Be sure to listen to all of episode 559 for more details on how to make the most of your journey to success as an entrepreneur.

Thank you so much for listening to Sell or Die! We hope that this episode helped you to transform the way you view the challenges you face along your journey to success so that you can win your customers all the way to the bank.

If you enjoyed this episode please take a second to rate & review. Each review helps us help more people just like you make a difference in this world! Don’t forget to take a screenshot, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag us @jeffreygitomer and @jengitomer. See you next week!

You can connect more with James over on his website and on Instagram or Facebook.

About your hosts

Known as the King of Sales, Jeffrey Gitomer is the Author of 16 best-selling books including the Little Red Book of Selling, the Sales Bible, and his newest book Get Sh*t Done. In 2008, he was inducted in the Speakers Hall of Fame – the highest award in the speaking industry. His world-class list of clients include companies from  Fortune 500 companies around the world. His digital Learning academy and signature course, The Seven-Figure Sales Formula, offers individuals and teams real-world sales strategies they can implement immediately.

Jen Gitomer gained her prowess in NYC as both a salesperson and award-winning sales leader for a Fortune 500 company. She is the best-selling Author of Sales in a New York Minute, CEO and Founder of Breakthrough Business Babe and a master business growth coach.

Jeffrey and Jen thank you, Diehard, for helping Sell Or Die achieve more than 2 million downloads!

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