The World is a Global Classroom

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Welcome to beyond you'd why Podcast, where we go beyond just talking about your why and and actually helping you discover and then live your why. And so if you are new to the podcast, Please go to whyinstitute.com Discover your why and then come back and listen to the podcast. Because it'll have so much more meaning for you when you know your why. And so if you're a regular listener, you know that every week we talk about one of the nine whys. We go into detail and then I bring somebody on that has that why. And so today we're going to be talking about the why of contribute Right to contribute to a greater cause, make a difference, add value, or have an impact in the lives of others. Now these are individuals that want to be part of a greater cause, something greater than themselves. They don't want to be the cause, rather to contribute to it in a meaningful way. They want to make a difference in the lives of others, in an organization or in a cause that they believe in. They love to support others and relish the success of the greater good, the company's growth or the victory of the team. People with this why seek to add value in all that they do to do their part and help in whatever way possible. They're often behind the scenes looking for ways to make the world a better place. When they show up in a public forum, it's often to trumpet a message or support a movement. Now people with this why are go to people, the ones you look for when you when you need help with just about anything. They make reliable and committed teammates and they're often found in all areas of athletics, performing arts and cause based nonprofits. They act as the glue that holds everyone else together. They use their time, energy, resources and connections to add value to other people. Now today my guest. So for those of you that are listening, I'm sure in your email box you get lots and lots of emails every day, as I do too. And most of them you don't look at, but some of them you do because you know that every time this particular person sends you an email, it'll be interesting, it'll be fun, it'll be funny. And that's what I can tell you about my guest today. His Name is John Nemo. So John Nemo is an online course creator and best selling author who helps business coaches, consultants and small business owners generate quality leads, build their client base and increase revenue using digital marketing platforms and tools like LinkedIn and webinars. He's the author of seven books. He's a former Associated Press reporter. He's an award winning PR director and social media consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. John has personally rewritten LinkedIn profiles for a list entrepreneurs like Chris Brogan, John Lee Dumas, Bob Berg, Ray Edwards and many others. In addition, John regularly guest blogs for Inc. Magazine and American City business journals and his work has also been featured in the Huffington Post, Business Insider, and many other publications. John, welcome to the podcast. Great to have you here.

Thanks for having me.

Gary, you heard me say that your emails are the ones that I read. It's such a crackup. Every time I get an email from you, I know it's going to be interesting.

Well, I try the the big thing I've learned with any type of online content and online marketing is a term I call infotainment. So not only do you have to inform your audience and provide something of value or interest, but it really goes a long way if you can entertain people. And my particular strategy with emails is really writing them like a conversational, fun, you know, kind of one on one message to a friend and just showcasing my normal personality. I'm very self deprecating. I use a lot of animated gifs and emojis and I think in one email in particular where I'm launching my kid on a blob raft into a lake, you know, and relating that somehow to a business lesson and just having a lot of fun. Because I think like you said in business email, LinkedIn, whatever, we get so much boring, bland business jargon and it's just fun to remember at the end of the day that we are human beings and we have to connect emotionally and we have to connect with our personalities. And I found too as a business strategy it really works well to overlay and showcase your personality and your content because you attract the right type of people that want to work with you while at the same time you repel people who wouldn't be a good fit, who would clash with your communication style, your personality. So that's why I take that particular approach with my content.

I love it. I love it. So John, tell us a little bit. How did you get into Internet marketing?

Yeah, well I was born before the Internet.

I grew up wanting to do Google Ads. So my story Is very interesting. I grew up, and it ties into my why, of course, as well, of wanting to contribute, but grew up as the son of two English teachers. So was exposed at a very early age to teaching and the impact that that had on others and also the written word and storytelling. And literally grew up in a home that floor to ceiling in our basement was filled with books. My dad built these bookshelves, and just every type of book you can imagine was in there. So that led me into kind of a lifelong journey, a love of writing and storytelling. I became a journalist after college in print journalism, which basically doesn't exist anymore. You remember those newspapers that used to go on your step? Like, that's what I used to do, Right. And so did that for years, was a reporter, transitioned into public relations, freelance writing, wrote books. And then eventually, the way I got into kind of the world of the Internet and selling services online was back in 2012, like a lot of people, I was working a day job I wasn't passionate about. It was safe. It was an easy job. I was making six figures. I wasn't going to get fired. I could kind of just coast on for the next 20 years. But I was miserable. I was very unhappy. And I had this entrepreneurial itch I always wanted to scratch of being my own boss, being on my own. And Even back in 2012, I thought, why can't I do this? Why not, right? Why not take that shot, contribute to something that I've always wanted to do, which was teaching others and getting outside of just working for an employer. And so I made a leap back in 2012. I had one client, had enough money for 30 days. Now my wife was at home and taking care of our three young boys. So I didn't have a safety net. I didn't have investors. I had to make it work. And what I found quickly, Gary, was I could find and generate a lot of leads in business using platforms like LinkedIn. And so using LinkedIn, even in those first 30 days on my own, I was able to generate, you know, six figures in revenue from new clients and open my own marketing agency. And it kind of took off from there just with using these different digital platforms like LinkedIn and webinars and email and other tools to really understand, oh, okay. This is a way that now, you know, if you circle back to my beginning, my parents were teachers with a limited classroom of 30 students at the university and the colleges they were at. My classroom now was global. I could reach anyone in the world on a webinar and Teach them something of value in exchange for money. Right. And that's really what I've built my business on the last few years is I will teach you, I will share ideas, I will help you get what you want by teaching you online and then being able to be compensated for it. And it's a great model. It works incredibly well. And like I said, like we began the podcast with, there's a million different LinkedIn trainers, there's a million different coaches and consultants. What makes me unique, what makes everyone listening unique now in today's world, is you. It's your unique personality, it's your communication style, it's your storytelling, and that's how you win new business and attract the right people to work with you. And it's been a great ride.

You know, when I think about you, when I get your emails, when I hear you speak, when I see you on different videos and things that you've put out, you're really about giving because you give a lot. You don't just ask, ask, ask, ask. You're always giving. And that's got to be part of your strategy as well.

Yeah, I think, you know, I mean, what I found with marketing online, and I made lots of mistakes in the beginning, but what I really realized quickly was there's so many people online today, Gary, that will claim authority. I'm a ninja. I'm a guru. Give me 15 minutes and I'll make you a million dollars on Facebook. Right. I was like, it's one thing to claim authority, it's quite another thing to demonstrate it. So what I've kind of built my business model around is I'm going to demonstrate authority. I'm going to show you through free trainings, blog posts, giving away my books for free, whatever it is, free training videos, how to actually get clients with LinkedIn, I'm going to give you scripts that you can use that actually work and convert people. And then on the back end of that, if you really like that, then you can sign up for a paid training or coaching. And I found that that model really works well because, again, people want to see the proof. Anyone can claim it. It's much different to actually show me and get me quick wins for free. And that really builds credibility with people because they think, wow, if your free tips are this good, I can't wait to see the paid stuff. And so that's how I've built it. And I think it contributes to that why as well, where I can serve people at a lot of different levels because I can create A bunch of free content that helps people get quick wins, some of whom aren't going to be at the price points that my paid engagements are at. But that's fine. I'm still helping them, they're still getting good wins. Then there's other people that are in my price point that goes, yeah, I love your free stuff. Makes total sense. I'm just going to hire you to help me do it or do it for me. And so it kind of becomes a win win for everybody.

You know, I want to talk more about that, but I want to go back a little bit farther first. And I want to hear about. If I'm somebody listening to this podcast and I'm sitting in that job that you had that you didn't like, tell me, what was the last job you had before you went into the Internet marketing world, and what was it you didn't like, and what was it you were looking for, and how did you get the courage to make that jump?

Yeah. So I'll never forget the actual breaking point moment. I was sitting in a conference room in a meeting about men in tights and fake trees.

I was working at the time for a nurses union, and great job. I love nurses. My sister's a nurse. I was doing their PR on social media, and we like a lot of labor unions. The union I worked for was very political, so they wanted to do a lot of politically themed protests and things like that and demonstrations. And so this particular meeting at the time, there was a thing back in 2012 called the Robin Hood Tax, and it was tax the rich and give to the poor, basically. And so they wanted to do a Robin Hood street demonstration and get PR and get social media. And so they were literally sitting in this meeting talking about how, okay, what type of tights should we order and what kind of fake trees can we get to make it look like Nottingham Forest? And I remember sitting there, Gary, in this conference room, looking out the window, and I'm like, is this really all I've got?

Is this the end for me? Like, am I going to do this for 30 more years? And I just remember why I chose to leave. It goes back to my story, my childhood. My dad died when I was 17, and he had cancer from the time I was 7 to age 17. And I think at a very early age, I saw how fragile life was. And when he died at 17, I was just like, you know what? Life is short, and you got your one shot and don't live being playing it safe. I've just never had that personality of, you know, play it safe and be caught. Like, I've always been, like, what's the worst that's going to happen, right? I'm going to fail or whatever and I get hit by a bus tomorrow, the show's over, what are people going to say about me? What impact have I had? And so I had been wanting for probably a year or two to go out on my own, open my own marketing agency and try to get clients and serve people. And I saw a path forward with LinkedIn. And so that was the practical part of it was even in 2012, seeing, okay, I got one client, I got enough money for 30 days, I'm pretty confident I can use that platform, basically like Google for B2B leads and really use these methods. I've learned of engagement through books like how to Win Friends and Influence People, from Dale Carnegie and other books that I had read to really just overlay your real life approach to sales and marketing onto a digital platform. And sure enough, and of course, with the motivation of I got to feed my kids, there's no jumping back. You know, I burned all the ships I had to make it work and it did. And so as I had success, it just grew and grew and grew and thank God I've never had to look back. And it really has been just a joy because this is the thing I want people to hear who are listening like, we literally live in the best time in human history to take whatever your passion is and turn it into a profit like you. There are no more excuses to not do what you love for a living. I'm sorry, but with social media, with the platforms, with all the different ways we can reach an audience and build a brand and communicate, there's literally no reason you can't do it. It really comes down now to mindset and work ethic and effort and not giving up. Because I really, you see this all the time. And we really do live in this great era. I mean, I grew up in the 80s and if you wanted to have a TV show, you needed a TV studio. Now you have YouTube, right? If you wanted people to hear your voice like you and I are doing, Gary, you needed a talk radio show or you need to buy ads. Nope. Podcast free. Like so. The opportunity to reach an unlimited global audience with your unique message, passion, whatever it is, if you dial into the tools and then you understand how to communicate and create content that really captures a target audience and gives them what they want. To go back to Dale Carnegie, how to Win Friends, Influence People, it's not about what you and I want. It's about what our client customer want. They're only thinking about themselves. How do I help you solve your problems? What? Well, I can show you how to get clients on LinkedIn to, you know, fill up your business. Okay, that's one product or service. How can I show you how to present without having to fly all over the country and do trade shows? I can show you how to use webinars to present your knowledge online in a way that entertains and inspires and engages. And at the end, people can book a call, they can sign up for a product. So there's all these different ways you can do it. You just have to have the creativity and kind of the chutzpah to say, yes, I can do it, and make that leap.

Yeah, and you took that leap of faith. Now, when you did it, you could have picked any different, any number of things to do. Right. You could have left that social media job and PR job and really gone in any direction. What was it that made you go in the direction you went?

I think it was just what I enjoyed doing. Like, I've always enjoyed being a creative person. So when I first started, you know, I knew my number one thing was I didn't want to have a boss again. I didn't want to work inside an environment. So I was looking for people that needed my help in terms of how can I be creative and help people communicate better? So what that turned into was a marketing agency. I would write press releases and give people publicity, and then it would be, I can design your website and write the copy for it. And then it turned into, I can write your LinkedIn profile and write messages and write emails and create content. And that was also just my training. I mean, being trained as a journalist, my job was to really understand people, understand the situation. What's the story here? What are people going to care about as it relates to this person, this company, this incident, this situation? How do I turn that into something compelling and then drawing just on my enjoyment. Growing up as a son of two teachers, that naturally led me to creating online courses where I could teach people how to fish instead of just doing the fishing for my clients all the time. Now I can teach you how to do the same thing. And I really enjoy that part of it, because creating an online course is like teaching a class. It's like teaching a master's class, and you're recording videos and you're on camera and you're sharing your screen and I'm injecting tons of humor and funny movie clips and just how I would be in a classroom.

So, John, I know there was so many different directions you could have gone in when you left the PR job. Why did you choose the direction that you went?

Yeah, that's a great question, Gary. It really came down to a couple of things. One was, what was my training in? And then also what was my passion? And I think really having a training as a journalist, working for newspapers, I just had that natural ability to kind of uncover and tell great stories because that was my job. I had to be curious. I had to go beyond the surface and really understand what made a person tick and what readers or what an audience would be interested in. So that was just a natural direction to go with my services. And the other thing was, I've always loved storytelling and creative storytelling. So not just the rote, kind of boring business jargony type stuff, but really, you've got this unique type of business. How can we capture people's attention? What can we say that's unique? How can we position you in a fun way? What's there about your backstory or your hero's journey that we can bring to the forefront of your email campaign or your website copy, or, you know, I also started out doing videos for people, making marketing videos and interviewing them and doing special effects and, you know, bringing in a lot of the different creative talents that I had. And that really just led me into understanding it's so important, you know, with your why and with everything else is you've got to do something you love and that you're passionate about. You can't just chase what you think will be the easy revenue. I see a lot of people making that mistake of, well, I think this will be lucrative, so I'm going to do it. Well, you'll give up when it gets hard because you're not really passionate about it. Whereas with the services I was doing, I loved doing it. And then it naturally morphed into online training and online courses and coaching, because I love to teach. And so it went from just fishing for clients and delivering them dinner to let me teach you how to do it too. And that's where it really led into the joy of creating online courses and coaching and sharing and kind of motivating and inspiring other people. Like, here's how you do it right, and I'll show you. You go fish too, and teach others. And that's been really fun to see people go, have success because you feel like, again, as a teacher, you want to See your pupils, your students succeed and exceed and go on and on and on, and it's been a great ride.

Yeah. You know, when I'm listening to you say that you're stopping right before you get to the most important part, you talk about helping them tell their story. You talk about helping them learn new things. And, yeah, that's what you're doing, but the reason you're doing that is so that they can have a bigger impact, so that they can have the success. And what you're doing is showing them ways to do that. You're contributing to their success so that they're more successful. And in turn, it makes you feel more successful.

Yeah, that's a brilliant way to put it. And I think until I kind of come across your, you know, the Y Institute and everything, like, I didn't really put words to it subconsciously, why, that lit me up, but it is, it's true. It's. I want to see people have that freedom and that success. And I put this a lot of times in my emails, I'm like, there's only one you. Like you have something unique to bring into this game. We need you doing it. We need you not working a job you hate, not feeling like you're limited. I need you in the game. I need you bringing whatever your unique gift and talent messages out to the world. And if I can help you along the way, great. Like, if I can show you how to get clients on LinkedIn to help pay for that message to go further, great. You know, but it's about getting people engaged and motivated and lit up and doing things, because I think that's again, going back to my story and losing loved ones early in life and having lost loved ones recently. And you go to a funeral, Gary, Nobody's talking about their work accomplishments. They're talking about the impact they had on their life with relationships and emotion and engagement. And this person did these things that really spoke a lot. I even think about my dad. I mean, what was it, 25 years ago he passed? And we, the stories I remember have nothing to do with his work. They have to do with experiences and relationships and the impact that certain things had on me. Lessons from him. And that's what I want my life to be, is if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I don't want people going, oh, yeah, he had good scripts on LinkedIn.

I want it to be, man. He made me feel like it's possible to go out and do what I want to do for a living and make it happen.

I'm looking right now for this newspaper clip that I have from somebody who has your. Why, his name is John Calipari and a basketball coach. But I remember he said something along the lines of, you know, I want to be the pebble that causes the ripple effect in people's lives that goes on and on forever. And I can see that in you and in everything that you're saying. You want to be that guy that had the impact, that had the. That took their hand, that showed them something new. You used your time, your money, your connections, your efforts, your experience to grab someone and propel them forward so that they can then have a bigger impact in their life.

Yeah, I love that analogy. I just think the greatest legacy you can leave this planet with when your time is done is the impact you had on others, because that's the only real currency that carries forward is the relational impact you had on someone. It's not necessarily money that you gave. It's not necessarily a LinkedIn script. It's really, you made me feel like it was possible. You believed in me, or you taught me to change my mindset so that I could achieve that goal. And you just think about the impact. That's a great example of Cal Perry. Like coaches. Like coaches are so doing it for that reason, you know, they're not getting the glory and accolades the players typically are, you know, and it's. It's not that I don't like, you know, the enjoyment of having success, but, yeah, I definitely don't need a cult of personality following me around. Like, I don't. I like being anonymous. I like not having to deal with that. I like the fact that nobody knows who I am, you know, but yet I can make a living and work from home and have. Have a great life. And I think that's. It's like Zig Ziglar. And everybody else says, the more you help other people, the more you help yourself, the more you serve others, the more that you get it in return. And not in a way that's foolish from a business standpoint, but in a way where you can figure out, for instance, in my situation, how do I help the most people possible? Well, it's not going to be spending all day on the phone giving free advice. That's just not. I'm reaching one person at a time. So what I tell people that say, hey, what are your best tips? Can you give me some free feedback? Or look at my LinkedIn profile? I say, actually, the best advice I can give you is this. I bottled up all my best advice on LinkedIn profiles here on this free ebook, or here on this blog or this video, or here's a free copy of my entire book. You can read and apply. And then for other people, you know, it can be a training video. And that's what I love about content marketing, is you can reach such a big audience by bottling up your expertise or, you know, doing group coaching versus just one on one or saying, you know, there are different levels of access that we all have because we can only scale our time in certain ways. But it's the same idea. You're giving away a ton of value, you're giving away a ton of content, and you're trying to help people help themselves. And what I found is the people who take it and run with it then have the most success and either refer business to you or become clients directly. And that works better than any paid marketing campaign I can think of.

Yeah, you know, before we leave that last thing on John Calipari, because I just found it, let me read it to you and then we'll switch gears here a little bit. But John Calipari says my why is to be a vehicle to help others reach their dreams, to be the stone that creates a ripple that goes on and on in their life.

I love it.

That's perfect for you as well.

I love it, man. Yeah, you're preaching to the choir here.

Yeah, I love this.

So, hey, let's change gears a little bit and I'll let you do some contributing right here. So I'm somebody who's listening to this. I've got my LinkedIn profile. It's not getting me noticed at all. It's not getting me the results that I'd like to give us two or three tips on what should we do to make our LinkedIn profile stand out and bring the right people to us.

Yeah. So getting very practical for a minute with LinkedIn and kind of the lay of the land. You've got almost 700 million members on LinkedIn, 200 different countries. You got two new members joining every single second, and it's the world's largest professional network. Now. The problem with 99% of LinkedIn profiles that you find you and a lot of people listening right now probably will fall into this category through no fault of your own. It's just kind of following the Crowd is most LinkedIn profiles are written like a resume. They're written in the third person. It's all about your job duties. It's all about you and your accomplishments and the Problem with that, going back to Dale Carnegie, how to win Friends, influence people is nobody cares, nobody cares about you. Carnegie said this in 1936 when he wrote the book. He said, your ideal clients and customers do not care about you, they care about themselves, morning, noon and after supper. And what I try to do when I teach people how to write a really compelling client attracting LinkedIn profile is make it what I call client facing. So you flip the script upside down and your LinkedIn profile talks all about how you help your target audience get what they want. So for example, when I was starting out, I knew I wanted to have a marketing agency. I knew that on LinkedIn the riches were really in the niches that if I tried to be everything to everybody on LinkedIn, I'd be nothing to nobody. I had to kind of niche down to one or two audiences to really be effective. So I had spent time working in a trade association helping debt collectors. I did PR on social media and I knew the industry, I knew the pain points, I knew that these guys needed help. Obviously with PR debt collectors, nobody likes them. And with marketing and sales. And so I had that one client who happened to be a debt collector, that was my only client. So I thought, well, why don't I just become the debt collection marketing guy on LinkedIn? So I changed my LinkedIn profile from John Nemo's resume to my LinkedIn headline said John Nemo Debt Collection Marketing services. And then my first line on my LinkedIn profile, here's a sentence anyone can use. It was a template, it said, what I do colon, I help you insert your audience name. What I do, I help this audience achieve. And then you put in two or three benefits they want by providing and then you put in your product or service. So what I do, I help this audience get these benefits that they want by providing my product or service. So the first line of my LinkedIn profile was John Nemo, you know, debt collection marketing services. What I do, I help debt collection agencies generate leads, increase sales and improve their reputation by providing industry specific marketing services. You know how I do it. Having spent multiple years working for this large trade association in the debt collection industry, I understand all the nuances and regulations of debt collection, all the challenges that helps me immediately get past the learning curve. So I was getting into all the things they cared about, which I knew my audience. These were their pain points, these were their frustrations and struggles. So the LinkedIn profile was completely about them. I'm gonna help you get what you want. Here's what makes Me unique. Here's what makes me different. Even that alone will get you so much more engagement on your LinkedIn profile. Because it's what I do. I help this audience. I help you get what you want by providing these services. What makes me unique, what others say you can put in testimonials. That approach alone will really help people see. Oh, okay. Cause you know, when people land on LinkedIn, Gary, they, they literally give you about two seconds before they decide if they should connect or not. Like they're looking at it going, what's in it for me if I connect with Gary or John, why would I care? How can John help me? Well, if the first thing they see is debt collection marketing services and I'm a debt collection agency owner, I go, well, yeah, maybe he can help with marketing. I'll connect. And then he looks at the profile and the first line says, I help collection agencies do these things they want by providing this. Yeah, that, that's kind of what I want. I want to learn more. And that's the secret sauce of it. Instead of making them do all the heavy lifting, read through your resume to try to figure out if you can help them. Just be very obvious and simple and quick.

That makes a lot of sense. Don't make them have to figure out who you are, just tell them who you are.

So important. Simple, clear and concise. And the other big thing with LinkedIn, once you have that client facing profile now, you can use the platform like Google for leads. You can go on and use LinkedIn search and all kinds of filters so you can find your exact ideal prospects. There's no gatekeepers, there's no administrative assistance. There's no one in your way to go right to the CEO of the company and invite them to connect and engage them and talk to them. And this is really where the Money is on LinkedIn. It's in the mailbox. It's in the one on one personalized messaging that goes back and forth. And if you look at LinkedIn today, how the one on one messaging works, it's very much like instant messaging or texting or live chat. You can insert emojis and animated gifs. It's kind of real time. You can see if the other person is writing back. And it's very conversational. They want you to be conversational. And what you do is you connect with someone. You can see from their profile all these potential icebreakers. I can see from LinkedIn looking at your profile in 10 seconds where you live, where you went to college, where you've worked. And then I can say, hey, I see you live in Chicago. How about those Bears, you know, or break the ice just like real life. Then I can pivot to curious. I know you're a debt collection agency owner. That's what I do for a living, is help agencies. Are you looking for any help or advice or tips? If you are, I'm happy to give you xyz free content or tips. That's how you start those conversations. Not let's get on the phone and explore mutual synergies. Right, Right. You start by some professional courtship, some ice breaking, and then you ask permission. Are you interested in help in these areas? If you are, I've got some free items that will demonstrate my expertise and help instead of just claiming it and demanding you get on the phone.

I like that. So always give first.

Yeah, just give and demonstrate it. Like, do you know how many people every day are on LinkedIn claiming they can do these amazing things for you? I'm a high ticket closer. Or I can get you three new qualified leads every day. Or I. How, how, how?

Prove it to me.

Right. I'm not gonna get on the phone and have you just sell me. Like, you've got to show me. That's where the content marketing comes in. Give me examples of how you would do this for my specific little world. Because once the prospect sees your content and sees your expertise on paper or on video or on a podcast, whatever format you share it in, and they get to know like and trust you because you're injecting your personality into it. So when I'm doing free LinkedIn training, I'm joking around, I'm referencing the 80s and Vanilla Ice clips and, you know, making it really entertaining and hilarious. They're going, a, his tips make a lot of sense, I get it. B, he's really funny. And I'm an 80s fan too. I'm going with all the references, the tube socks and the arcades and goonies and whatever else. Then I'm attracting you and you're going, well, There's a million LinkedIn trainers and a million tips. But I like this guy. He's fun and his tips make sense. Sure, I'll sign on. And that's how you want to position yourself. Just like in real life, we buy based on emotion, we buy based on a connection with the other person. You can't discount that on LinkedIn or other social media. Yes, you have to have value and information and content that helps them solve a problem. But just as important, you've got to Put enough of your personality out there so they can make a connection with you.

So I'm listening to this and I said, you know, I'm not a John Nemo. I don't have his humor. I don't have his command of the English language. I don't have.

Well, few do, Gary.

Few do.

Let's be honest.

Well, let's say I don't think I do like you do, but let's just say I have. You know, I'm just, just getting going on, getting going on LinkedIn and I'm trying to figure all this stuff out. What kind of advice would you give to somebody? Just go find an expert like yourself to help them or.

Yeah, I mean, it really. When I started out, I had nothing. Like, I had one client, you know. And so what I did was I went in and I demonstrated my expertise and I shared my authentic personality. Now, look, if you're an introvert, if you're not a gregarious, yell and jump around and do 80s jokes, don't fake it, just be yourself. Because you're going to attract the right type of client. You're going to. If you're an introvert and you're kind of calm and measured in how you communicate, you will attract clients who enjoy that. You will attract clients who go, that's the kind of vendor I need. I don't want Nemo screaming and talking about tube socks. Right, fine. Like, there's 700 million people on LinkedIn. They don't all need to have your same style. So be your authentic, true self, because the biggest advantage you have in the marketplace is you, is your story. It's your journey, it's your communication style, your personality. So, so bring that out. And then also what I did early on was I didn't have a ton of content or accolades or awards, so I would do simple things. Like I would find a debt collector on LinkedIn. I would connect, I would go to his website and I would make a little screen recording video, like with loom or any of the screen recorders. And I'd say, hey, Joe, it's John Nemo. You probably recognize the website, it's yours. I'm actually on your site, just going through it since we connect on LinkedIn, had a few tips for you. I, I noticed you have this button here and you have this here. And thought, you know, you could really improve your conversions if you do this, this and this. And then let me show you an example of a site I recently updated that looks different. Now, if you'd like to talk more and get some more advice. I'd love to set up a call. If not, no problem. I know you're going to find this helpful either way. Excited and hope this helps you. Like I would make it all about them and look at something that they I could help them with immediately. And you know what, Gary? You know what? Everyone's favorite topic and subject is themselves. Yeah. You want to talk about my business? I'll be your fan all day. You want to keep peppering me with questions and talking about, you know what I need and giving me advice and insight. It's great. And so for anyone starting out, even if you don't have a ton of experience and accolades, you have tools to demonstrate expertise. And if you just dig a little deeper and say, what's the service I want to offer this person? How could I show the person what I would do? I used to do this on job interviews. So when I would apply for corporate jobs, I would look at the company's website and I would write up pretend press releases and say, hey, I saw you're launching a new product. Here's a release I would have written and that would get me interviews. Because not many people are proactive. Right? People are sitting back waiting for you to come to them. But when you take that first step and you personalize it and you make it about them, their eyes light up and they go, that's great. I wouldn't have thought we could have done that. And that's your unique gift because everyone has their expertise and their ability to communicate and really that's where to start.

So do you do all of your business, does all of your business come from LinkedIn?

Yeah, I mean, I would say I've kind of set up a few different models. I mean, the lion's share still comes through LinkedIn, but I've also done a lot with books and so I've written seven books and I've got a whole model there where, you know, Amazon is one of the world's largest search engines. So you'll go on Amazon not knowing who John Nemo is and type in LinkedIn book, mine's gonna surface and you might buy it for a buck and read it, fall in love with the ideas and the jokes and then contact me because I have opt ins in the book for training videos and extra online resources. Now you're in my email list, you're getting my funny emails, you're warming up more. Eventually there's a call to action to check out the online course or coaching. So I use Books and. And I give away all my books for free on the front page of my website. So when I do a podcast like this, I say, go to LinkedInriches.com, you can get my whole book for free. Because I know, Gary, that as much as I like to joke around, and my wife could call me ego boy, like, nobody knows who I am. So it's like there are going to be people who quote, unquote, find Nemo only because they went on Amazon and typed LinkedIn book or content marketing book, right? And my book popped up and it looked interesting and they bought it and they fell into my world that way. Then other people that I meet online, on the Internet or through podcasts, I know I need to demonstrate a bunch of value and expertise first. And I want you to get to know like, and trust me on your time. So I'm going to give you a book. I'm going to give you a online training video. I'm going to give you something where you get a bunch of advice and it goes back to what we started the podcast with. Infotainment. Valuable information, something that's going to help you in an entertaining way. Then you're going to self select and say, yes, I like this. I want more of it. Or you're going to go, this guy's crazy. I need someone calmer. And off you go. Which is fine. You just want to move people to a decision, move them through your funnel to yes or no. That was one of the big lessons I learned early on, was I don't need to be for everyone, but I need to be who I am because then I'll attract the right type of clients. And that's been an epiphany for me because now I love working with everyone I work with because we get along, we have the same sense of humor and communication style. And I'm not working with those nightmare clients who, because I pretended I was someone else, I got the contract, but now it's miserable, right? So at the end of the day, being authentic, being genuine, you're building that human element in that really cannot be stopped.

It'd be interesting to compare your first, say, six months in this world versus what it's like today.

I was so timid. I sounded so scared, and, you know, I didn't know what I was doing. But I've really. I've gotten to a place where the more you do it, the more you get out and expand, the more you listen as well. And people tell you what they like. I had someone write the other day, Gary, they said, I feel like I know you. And I'm like, I don't know who you are. And they're like, well, because I listen to your podcast every week. So you're talking about your life and a funny story about your kid and how that tied into business. And I'm like, oh, right, they're following along your life. They're getting to know, like, and trust you, because I'm sharing my real life, personality and business lessons. And so early on, I was terrible and I made a bunch of mistakes, and I tried to marry everyone on the first date professionally and tried to close and ask for phone calls, and it backfired and I made a bunch of mistakes. And I learned. I learned that on LinkedIn. I couldn't connect with you and then ask for a phone call to sell you a website package. That was not smart. Right? Like, I had to break the ice and get to know like, and trust. And so the big thing that really helps people is that mindset of mistakes are inevitable. You will make them. That's just how human beings are built. Like, we cannot be perfect right out of the gate. But you have to give yourself permission to fail. And you don't look at a mistake as the end. You just look at it as a pivot point. Oh, I tried that. It didn't work. What can I learn constructively and how do I change it next time? With my webinars that I sell my courses on, I went through probably 77 iterations of my LinkedIn riches webinar. How many people would refine a webinar 77 times an hour long webinar? I did, right. For four and a half years. Because every time I'd be like, oh, man, okay, that part didn't work. This objection keeps coming up in the Q and A. I got to put that into the pitch. This part isn't working. The pricing is, you know, they want this payment level. Not that. Like, because I just wouldn't give up. And that's why I could come out on the other end now having an automated webinar that just sells it regularly. But it's. No one sees that work behind the scenes. But I just was like, I don't want to make a bunch of mistakes. My first webinar was terrible.

But you just keep going and you learn and adjust. And when you give yourself that permission and you stop caring about what critics say, you have that freedom to really excel. And people who want to work with you, Gary, they're cheering you on and they Love it. And they want to feel like the coach, the consultant, the trainer they work with is human too. Not bigger than mistakes, is not perfect. I always say, like I didn't, you know, I don't want a coach who just looks like they descended from on high and had no struggles. Like Rick Warren talks about leadership, purpose driven life. He says, I won't ever trust a leader in my church who hasn't had a ton of adversity and trauma. Because if they haven't and they haven't owned up to it and worked on it, how are they possibly going to have empathy and help people in our church? Right. How are they going to be relatable? And I share openly all the time, all my stuff, you know, like abuse from childhood and things not as an episode of Oprah or Dr. Phil, but more like I'm a real person. These things that happened, you know, impacted my self image. And what I've learned in business is you cannot outperform your self image. If you don't work on yourself, you get stuck. You know, income improvement follows self improvement. So that becomes part of the content I share and I'm open about and that inspires and motivates people. Wow, you're being open about this. That means I can too and I can let my guard down and I keep sabotaging myself. And it's not related to work, it's related to not dealing with whatever. And it's exciting. And it comes back to the why of contributing and helping others get further along.

I'm right there with you, man. That's awesome. I love that. Income improvement equals self improvement. That's powerful. Well, John, I know we kind of kept you a little long here today. So people are listening and they want to get ahold of you. They say, man, I love the guy's humor. I love the 80s, I love the socks, I love the hair. I love all that stuff and I want to be around it. How do they get a hold of you? What's the best way to get a hold of you?

Yeah, so I'll give them a couple sites. For all the best LinkedIn related tips, go to LinkedIn riches linkedinriches.com for all my best tips on content and how to really put yourself out there and get, get the right audience coming in. ContentMarketingMachine.com those two sites, LinkedInRichs.com and ContentMarketingMachine.com front page. You can get my book for free. So that'll start you on the journey. Tons of tips. Get the whole book. Download it. I'm also on LinkedIn, obviously, is John Nemo. So you can find me, right? And find Nemo. Jokes. Heard them all. But yeah, I would love to connect with people and help them out.

That's great. Well, John, thank you for being here. I really appreciate your time and I look forward to staying in contact with you as we move forward.

Thanks, Gary.

Have a great day.