The Fastest Way to SCALE (From Scratch)

Most entrepreneurs have big missions. You wanna change your industry or even the world, but far too often we aim too low and hold ourselves back. I recently coached an entrepreneur who was playing small in his business. He had an amazing vision to transform workplaces globally, but he was only working with very small companies and underpricing his services. The result was he felt stuck, underpaid, and knew he wasn't reaching the people who needed him most. Unfortunately, his case isn't unique. Only about 9% of small businesses ever break $1 million in revenue, which means the vast majority stall out below that level. Most of us never scale enough to truly fulfill our potential. Why does this happen? Often it's due to fear and limiting beliefs. We worry about failure or we don't realize we can play bigger. In fact, nearly half of people worldwide say fear of failure would stop them from even starting a business. That fear doesn't magically disappear Once you're in business, it can keep you from expanding, from raising your prices, or going after bigger clients. The truth is playing small feels safe, but it comes at a huge cost. It limits your impact, your income, and your ability to achieve your mission. The good news is you can break out of this trap. And in this video, I'll share a tactical roadmap to stop playing small and scale your business and your impact. You're gonna learn how to aim higher with your clients and prices, how to align your content to fuel your growth, and how to overcome the fear that's been holding you back. These strategies come from a real coaching session and years of entrepreneurship experience, and I'll back them up with data and examples. If you're ready to reach 10x more people and generate the revenue to support your dream, let's dive in. If you've been here before, drop a hashtag #believe in the comments below so I can feature you here in a future video. And if you're new, welcome to Believe Nation, the only channel that helps you believe in yourself daily, one video at a time. Believe. The cost of playing small and why it's time to level up. First, let's get clear on why staying in your comfort zone is so dangerous. When you play small, you might avoid rejection or big risks in the short term, but you create long-term pain for your business. Here's what I mean. Limited impact. By keeping your business smaller, sticking with super small clients, you're limiting the number of people you can help. My client had a goal to improve work cultures for thousands, tens of thousands, millions of employees. But by only consulting with tiny companies, he was reaching maybe a few dozen people. If your mission is to help millions or even just thousands, you simply can't get there by thinking small. You need a bigger engine to carry that message. Remember, good is the enemy of great. Settling for a good small impact means those extra people who need you won't get help. Strained finances. Playing small often means undercharging and working with clients who have tiny budgets. This starves your business of resources. Think about it. If you're barely covering your bills, how will you invest in better marketing? Training, hiring an A-team, or launching that community project you care about. Big missions need funding. By contrast, aiming higher with bigger clients or premium offers bring in more revenue, which you can reinvest to grow even more. It's not about greed, it's about sustainability. For example, losing even one key employee can cost a business 1 to 2 times that employee's annual salary to replace through recruiting, training, lost productivity. That's 100 to 200% of annual salary loss per employee. If you can solve such a big problem for a client, It's worth a lot and you should be charging accordingly. We'll talk about premium offering soon. Burnout and bottlenecks. When you stay small, you often try to do everything yourself and say yes to every tiny opportunity. It's exhausting. You can't delegate because there's no margin to hire help. You can't take a vacation because the business depends entirely on you. This is a recipe for burnout. I've seen so many entrepreneurs hit a wall because they insisted on being a one-person show for too long. By contrast, scaling up, the right way lets you build a team and processes so the business isn't bottlenecked by your personal bandwidth. You actually get more freedom as you grow. The bottom line is playing small doesn't actually keep you safe. It slowly suffocates your dream. It keeps you invisible to the bigger opportunities. It leaves you undervalued and under-resourced. So if you recognize yourself doing this, it's time to make a change. Let's talk about how. Aim high first. Serve premium clients to fund your mission. So how do you break out of the small game trap? One of the most effective strategies is to aim high first, secure premium high-value clients or customers, and use that success to fuel the rest of your mission. This might sound counterintuitive if you've been focused on affordability or serving everyone, so stick with me. This approach can change your entire business. Think of your business like an airplane with seating classes. You've got your private jet clients. It's a small number of customers who pay for the absolute best, the highest-touch service that you can offer at a premium price. Premium price. Then you've got your first class. It's a larger group who get a high-end group program or mid-tier offering. Then you've got your business class. That's your online courses, your books, your scaled products that reach the masses at lower price points. And then you've got your economy class. That's your free content, YouTube videos, podcasts, blogs that anyone can access. Most people start at the back of the plane, the cheapest offers, and hope to gradually make money. I'm suggesting You start at the front, sell your top-tier private jet service first, charge what you're worth, and solve big problems for clients who can pay big. This brings in revenue and credibility that then funds the next stages. The first class, business class, et cetera, is exactly the strategy Elon Musk used with Tesla. Enter at the high end of the market where customers pay a premium, then drive down market with each successive model. In Elon's own words, the strategy of Tesla is to enter at the high end and then drive down to lower prices with each successive model. When someone buys the $89,000 Roadster sports car, they are actually helping pay for development of the low-cost family car. Tesla started with a $100,000 sports car and used those profits to build a Model 3 for $35,000. You can apply the same idea. Start with a premium service to generate cash and proof of concept, then expand your reach with more affordable offerings later. So ask yourself, who are the most impactful, highest paying clients I could work with right now? Aim for the top of the market. For example, my client initially worked with modest local businesses. We pushed him to go after large companies, the kinds that have hundreds or thousands of employees and huge pain points around hiring and retention. Why? Because these bigger businesses feel the problems he solves much more acutely and will gladly pay for a solution. Employee turnover costs US businesses a staggering $1.8 trillion in lost productivity every year. And companies know it. And like I said before, replacing a single experienced employee can cost 100 to 200% of their salary on average when you factor in recruiting and training people. This means if you can help a company keep their people or optimize their team, that insight is incredibly valuable. Don't you think a client saving tens of millions in turnover costs should pay a 6 or 7-figure fee? Absolutely. Know your value. You might be thinking about, Evan, how do I land those premium clients? They don't even know me. Great question. And that's where smart content and outreach comes in, and I'll cover that in the next session. But first is a mindset shift. Give yourself permission to solve bigger problems for bigger players. The truth is big companies need your help too. Even the giants struggle. Meta, which is Facebook's parent company, reportedly offered $100 million bonuses to poach top AI engineers from a competitor. That's how desperate they were to get the right talent. When billions are on the line, industry leaders will pay almost anything for an edge. You might not be in AI, but every industry has high-level challenges where expert help is scarce. Identify what you can do at an elite level and who badly needs it. One more benefit of targeting premium clients: bigger impact per client. If you work with a Fortune 500 company, implementing your ideas could affect 10,000 employees' lives at once. Helping one CEO adopt a better culture could cascade to thousands of families. So if you're mission-driven, think about how scaling up Who you serve multiplies your reach. It's a difference between helping one classroom versus changing the entire school district. Same effort, 100 times the impact. So here's an actionable tip. Take a moment to sketch out what your offer ladder is. What is your ultimate premium service? The one that would deliver insane value and results and thus command a premium price. What mid-tier program or course could you develop with that funding? And what free content or low-cost product will you eventually offer to spread your message widely? Write these down, but start at the top. Your next step is to land a premium client or two. So let's talk about how to do that using content. Align your content with your business goals. Content with purpose. If you want to stop playing small, random acts of marketing won't cut it. You need to align every piece of content you create with your bigger business goals. This means using content as a strategic tool, not just for likes or views, but to open doors to those high-end clients and to build trust with your target your target audience. Here are 2 tactical ways to do it. One, use an interview show as networking. This is one of my favorite hacks for getting in front of influential people. We call it the Biz Dev Show inside our Movement Makers program. If there are big potential clients or powerful referral sources in your industry that you want to connect with, invite them to be featured in your content. The key is you're offering them exposure and a chance to share their story rather than asking for something. For example, the Entrepreneur Coach compiled a list of 50 dream contacts, including CEOs, industry experts, venture capitalists who work with large companies. Instead of cold calling them, he approached each with a personal note. I host a show about blank, his topic. I'd love to interview you about your success and share your insights. This approach is powerful because people in high positions are rarely asked to do media appearances. They don't get many interview requests, so they're often flattered and say yes. It's easier to get a busy CEO on a call when you're highlighting their expertise rather than trying to pitch your services to them. Once you land the interview, a few things happen. You spend a solid 30 to 60 minutes building a relationship in a positive context. They get to know you and you're providing value to them by showcasing them. You create a content asset featuring an industry leader, which boosts your credibility with your audience and future guests. And after the recording, there's usually an opportunity to chat off air, which is naturally when they'll ask, so what do you do? Giving you a chance to mention how you help companies. This often leads to them saying, oh, Well, we struggle with that, or I know a company that needs help with that, and boom, a warm lead. This strategy turns content creation into targeted networking. It's exactly how I built many of my business relationships, and it works even if you have a small audience or a brand new channel. Remember, people love to talk about themselves and their work. By offering an interview, you're giving before asking. Over time, these interviews can directly lead to client contracts or valuable introductions. And as a pro tip, aim for guests who are either ideal clients themselves or are connectors who can refer you to multiple clients. For instance, an HR executive could hire you while an investor or an attorney who works with 20 companies could refer you to many of their portfolio CEOs. Next, demonstrate your expertise on camera. To attract high-end clients and really any clients, you need to prove that you can deliver results. The fastest way to do that isn't through fancy brochures or credentials. It's by demonstrating it. Show, don't tell. I advise my clients to start recording short hot seat coaching sessions and FAQ videos videos addressing his specialty. So if you're a consultant or expert, do a video where you solve someone's problem. If you provide a service, show before and after or walkthrough about how you approach a tough challenge. Let viewers see your thought process. For example, if you're a leadership coach, film a session where you help a leader navigate a team conflict. Uh, if you're a marketing expert, critique a marketing funnel live. This kind of content accomplishes two things. One, it builds trust with potential clients because they can literally experience what it's like to work with you. And two, it filters in the right clients, those who resonate with your style and values will reach out, while those looking for something else will self-select out. Data backs up how important this is in B2B markets. 73% of decision makers say that thought leadership content is more trustworthy than traditional ads or promotional materials. In fact, 60% of decision makers say that good thought leadership content makes them willing to pay a premium to work with that provider. So think about that. By sharing high-quality insights like your frameworks or strategies or analysis, you're not giving away the farm. You're building authority. You're proving you're not just talking the talk. So when a CEO watches your videos and learns something new or sees you in action, you've basically done a free sample of your expertise. And just as importantly, you've differentiated yourself from competitors who only offer vague promises. You've shown you can deliver. Next, answer your buyer's burning questions. Another tactical piece of content: create a series of videos that address the common questions or objections your ideal clients have. Think Think of these as your buyer FAQs. We call them buyer breakthrough videos. For instance, if you offer a high-end coaching program, typical questions might be, how long does it take to see results? What exactly is included in the program? Uh, do you have experience in my industry? Uh, what if my team is remote? Will your methods still work? Et cetera. Instead of answering these one by one on sales calls, make public content answering them. This not only saves you time, it becomes part of your marketing. When someone's on the fence about hiring you, they can watch these videos where you give honest, substantive answers which builds trust. Plus, these topics are often search-friendly, bringing new prospects to you. And as an added bonus, by addressing objections upfront, you'll attract more ready-to-buy inquiries. We call these buyer breakthrough videos, and the goal is to help buyers make breakthroughs so they sign up with you. Finally, make your content strategy strategic. Every piece of content should have a purpose in your overall funnel. So the interviews, those are relationship building with key players that can generate sales. Or referrals to you. Live demonstrations and coaching provides proof of expertise to convert viewers into clients and ascend clients to higher-ticket programs. And Q&A and thought leadership pieces builds credibility, trust, and inbound leads over time and improves your sales efficiency. And also, if you need any help with this, we do have programs that typically range from $15,000 to $50,000 to work directly with me and my team to execute these strategies. There's a link in the description below on how you can apply to work with us. Gone are the days of just chasing viral hits or posting random motivational quotes because you should post on social media. We're not playing that game here. We're playing the game to win your ideal clients. A focused audience of the right people is far more valuable than thousands of random viewers. Remember earlier we identified those premium clients. Now you create content for them, speak to their pains and aspirations. You'll find that even with a modest following, you can generate serious business if you're laser focused on providing value to to the people who matter most to your business's growth. And consistency matters too. Even those high-level CEOs you interview or attract will likely Google you or check your LinkedIn, check your YouTube before doing business. What do you want them to find? An old website with an outdated blog or rich library of insightful content that screams, this person knows their stuff. By aligning content to your business goals, you ensure that when opportunity does come knocking, you look as competent as you actually are. One more quick stat for the skeptics. Over 58% of consumers now discover new businesses via social media. That's more than through search engines or word of mouth. So if you're absent on these platforms, you're invisible to a huge chunk of your potential market. The modern buyer, even a corporate executive, often finds experts through YouTube videos, LinkedIn posts, podcasts, etc., and uses that content to vet providers. By putting out strategic content, you're controlling your narrative and attracting clients in a scalable way. It's working while you sleep. A video you post today could bring you a contract a year from now. So if you haven't already, commit to a content schedule that you can sustain. Even one quality piece a week can move the needle if done right. Make it valuable, make it targeted, and always include a call to action or next steps for interested viewers like contacting you, downloading the guide, etc. Overcome fear and perfectionism. Be the lighthouse in the dark. So at this point you might be thinking, all right, Evan, I want to do all this. I want to reach higher. I want to put out content, but I'm still nervous. I'm not a polished YouTuber. I hate how I look on camera. What if I fail going after big clients? So let's address it head on because mindset is the make or break factor here. All of these strategies in the world won't help you if you don't actually execute because of fear or self-doubt. The entrepreneur that I coached had a big mental block around social media and putting himself out there. He told me things like, I despise what social media is doing to society. I'm a perfectionist. I don't want to post content that looks amateur, and I'm introverted. I prefer to succeed behind the scenes. So maybe you can relate to some of those feelings. Here's how I responded to him and how I want you to think about it. Shift from social media to service media. Instead of viewing content as self-promotion or vain social media game, reframe it as service. Think of your ideal client or the person out there who genuinely needs guidance. There are people right now doomscrolling in the dark, feeling lost or stuck. You have the knowledge that could help them, but only if you share it. I told my client, be the lighthouse in the darkness. A lighthouse doesn't exist to show off. It exists to guide ships to safety on a stormy night. Your content can be that guiding light for someone lost in an ocean of information, but a lighthouse that's turned off is completely useless. If you stay small and silent because you're afraid of being judged, those people that you could help remain lost. When you approach content from a place of service, it gets easier to hit publish. It's not about you anymore. It's about them. One powerful question to ask yourself before creating or posting is Who needs to hear this message today? Focus on that one person you could help rather than the thousands who might scroll past. Even if it helps one person, it's worth it. Progress over perfection. Perfectionism is just fear in a fancy coat. It's a way we stall to avoid criticism. The reality is your content won't be perfect at the start, and that's okay. Mine sure wasn't either. But you get better by doing. Audiences actually appreciate authenticity in a world where slick production can sometimes mask shallow content. Coming in with a raw, real message can stand out. You ever notice how some videos filmed on a phone resonate more than highly produced ads? Quality of ideas matters more than production quality. As long as your audio is clear and you're delivering value, people will forgive a lot of imperfections. Plus, you can always upgrade as you go, reinvest some revenue into a better camera or an editor later. Don't let the lack of those things stop you now. Remember, 70% of people say a brand's social media presence impacts their trust in the brand, and that's even higher for younger generations. They're not demanding Hollywood-level videos. They just want to see you show up and share insights consistently. Consistency and honesty builds trust, not perfection. Some of my client's first few videos were literally shot in his home office with a basic webcam, no fancy lighting, but the advice was golden. And he started getting comments like, this really helped me. Thank you. That positive reinforcement begins to drown out your fear. Everyone starts scared. It's important to know you're not alone in feeling fear. Nearly 49% of would-be entrepreneurs hold back because of fear of failure. Even the successful people you admire felt fear at some point. They just chose to act in spite of it. One of my favorite personal mantras, courtesy of my mom, is, "If you have the ability, you have the responsibility. If you can help someone, then you must." And that gives me strength when I'm nervous. It reminds me that hiding my gift is actually selfish. If you have the cure to someone's pain point, who are you to withhold it it because you're uncomfortable. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's doing what matters despite the fear. The first time you reach out to a big CEO or post that vulnerable video, your heart will pound. That's normal. Do it anyway. It gets easier, I promise. Failure equals learning. Let's worst-case scenario this. Suppose you aim high and a big client says no, or you post content and get zero views, or a troll leaves a nasty comment. Does the world end? Of course not. You're no worse off than before. In fact, you've gained valuable information. A rejection can teach you how to improve your pitch. A quiet video can teach you how to tweak your titles and topics. A troll— trolls are going to troll. Don't take it personally. Every failure is just data on your path to success. Thomas Edison famously said he didn't fail 10,000 times at inventing a light bulb. He learned 10,000 ways that didn't work. Each failure moves you closer to the win as long as you adjust and you keep going. And guess what? As you start landing wins, big clients, growing audience, fear fades and is replaced by excitement. The process builds confidence, but you only get that by taking the first few leaps. So in short, you have to get out of your own way. The world needs what you have to offer. The companies and people you could help are dealing with their problems right now, and they're praying for a solution. Don't make them wait because you are afraid. Let that responsibility to serve be stronger than your fear. Every time you feel like retreating, refocus on your mission, the lives you want to impact, and the change you want to create. That mission is more important than your ego or comfort. And I say this with love as someone who has had to overcome the same hurdle. It's time to stop playing small for real. Your action plan to scale up starting today. Okay, we've covered a lot of ground, so let's distill this into an actionable game plan for you. If you're serious about scaling your business and impact, here are some concrete steps steps that you should take next. Clarify your big vision. Write down your ultimate mission and the scale of impact you want to help. Example: help 1,000 businesses improve their culture, or empower 1 million people to live healthier lives. Be as specific as possible. This is your North Star that will motivate you to push beyond your comfort zone. Next, define your premium offer, the private jet service. Identify the highest value problem you can solve and package it into a premium offering. This could be a one-on-one consulting package, a done-for-you service, an exclusive workshop, workshop series, whatever delivers massive results, and price it accordingly. And pro tip: if it doesn't make you a bit nervous to quote the price, you're probably still thinking too small. Next, build a dream 50 list. We call it the Money 50 List. Build a list of 50 names who could unlock the next level for you. These might include potential high-end clients, companies, or individuals, industry influencers, investors, or other connectors who have the ear of your ideal clients. Think big— CEOs, thought leaders, top podcast hosts in your niche, et cetera. Don't worry if you don't know them yet. Next, initiate contact with value. Reach out to these dream contacts with a generous offer. For many, that will be inviting them to an interview. The key is to get on their radar in a positive way. If you line up even one interview or meeting each week, that's 50 high-value conversations in a year. Trust me, this can transform your business. Next, create proof content. Plan on at least 3 to 5 pieces of content that demonstrate your expertise. Create a video of you coaching someone through a challenge, showing how you solve problems. You want assets you can point potential clients to that make them go, wow, I need this person's help. Start recording these now. Don't overthink production. Focus on substance. Next, produce an FAQ tip series. We call it buy or break the videos. Jot down the top 10 questions or hesitations your target clients usually have. Produce a video answering each one with clarity and honesty. This not only serves your marketing, but also trains you to articulate your value confidently release these over the next few weeks on your YouTube channel. This positions you as a helpful expert rather than a salesperson. Remember, buyers are doing more self-directed research than ever. 60% of B2B buyers in a survey said high-quality thought leadership content built their trust in a new supplier. Meet them with the answers they seek. Next, upgrade your mindset daily. Commit to a daily mindset practice to surround yourself virtually or in person with content and people that reinforce a big thinking mentality. As the saying goes, if you're the smartest or most ambitious person in the room, find a new room. Join a mastermind. Join our Movement Makers program. Link in description below. Hire a coach, or at least follow entrepreneurs who inspire you to stretch. This keeps your psychology primed for growth. Next, take imperfect action. This might be the most important step. Do something every week. Send that email to a big prospect. Publish that vulnerable post. Launch the pilot version of your group program, even if it's not perfect yet. Treat it like an experiment. You can refine as you go, but you must start. Block time on your calendar specifically for these big moves and hold yourself accountable or have someone hold you to it. Remember, momentum builds confidence. Each bold action you take, whether it succeeds or it fails, will make the next one easier. As you implement these steps, measure and adjust. Notice what's working. Maybe your interviews are yielding great leads. Or one type of content is really resonating, double down on those. And if something's not gaining traction, tweak it and try again. Scaling up is an iterative process, but if you keep at it, you'll look back in 6 or 12 months amazed at how far you've come. Your mission needs you to play big. The biggest takeaway I want to leave you with is this: your mission needs you to play big. Playing small, staying comfortable, and hiding your light playing it safe doesn't serve anyone. Not you, not your business, and certainly not the people that you are meant to help. The world has plenty of small thinkers and timid players. That's why problems stay unsolved. To make a real dent, you have to bet on yourself and step into a bigger arena. In a year, you could be looking at a radically different business. High-paying clients making your bank account happy and funding new growth. A team helping you scale so you can reach 10x more people. Maybe you'll have that book out, an online course touching lives globally, or a community of raving fans who believe in the movement that you started. All of that is possible, but it won't happen by clinging to the shoreline. You have to embrace the waves and set sail. So my challenge to you is this: take one big step today, whether it's messaging a dream client, outlining your premium offer, or hitting record on a video, even though it scares you, do it now. Don't let this moment of insight slip away without action. As soon as the video ends, decide what bold move you'll bike and go make it. Remember, if you can help someone, you must. And congratulations, you're one video closer to who you're meant to be. Believe. To watch me coach one of our Mastermind members into building a 7-figure business through content, check the video right there next to me. I think you'll love it. Continue to believe, and I'll see you there. Alec is not just another coach. He is the guy medical students turn to when the future of their careers is on the line. He has already helped students jump from failing scores to the top of their class in as little as 2