Episode 195: Networking Effectively Leads to Greater Profitability with Robbie Samuels

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All right, so, Kels.

Yeah.

First of all, you are now officially the co host. I know, it's kind of exciting.

Yeah. Super excited.

And I think one thing that's really cool about you is you said you wanted to up the game and you started smoking. Listen, you sound like you have emphysema already.

It does sound like I have emphysema.

You know what's funny? Do you ever meet people that have a laugh where they expel all the air and then laugh?

Yes.

So I was on the plane. I tell this guy, I hate to joke around, as you know. I tell this guy this little, like, off the cuff joke. I don't know who he is, and he goes.

I feel like you've told this before. Listeners have said this before.

Maybe I have. No, there's. Well, it happened again then. If I told you.

Oh, yeah. I was gonna say. Really stuck with you.

No, no, no. This is a new guy. I just was in the last couple weeks.

I do that too, on my wheezy.

What's your favorite laugh?

Favorite laugh? There is no such thing as a favorite laugh, really. I think any genuine laugh is my favorite laugh.

Okay. Yeah, you're good. Do you like your own laugh?

No. Loathe it.

What?

Yeah. Especially when I listen to me on the podcast.

I like your laugh.

Sorry, everybody.

I like when you say the word bye at the end of the conversation. You end, you go, bye.

I go, bye, bye. Bye, bye.

Yeah. So I'll be like, I called you. I'm like, in Europe, I'm like, holy crap, I miss my plane. I'm in an area. I don't know. I don't even know if I'm safe. I don't know what to do. And you're like, okay, this is what we'll do. Bye.

Bye.

I'm about to die. Die.

But you know what?

I was talking to somebody Like a customer service representative yesterday.

Yeah.

And they said bye bye too.

Did they?

I was like, oh, bye, bye, bye bye.

Like that Chase commercial. All right, my friends, I think it's time to get the show going.

Okay, everybody, you are listening to the.

Profit first podcast, episode 195. I'm excited.

Yeah, I'm excited too.

It's probably my Walmart shirt. You know, I bought this at Walmart.

Oh, I like it.

$8. $8.

I like the one you wore yesterday too.

Hey, Walmart, $8. They had this $8 sale.

So were you just looking for flannel shirts?

No, no, I was at Walmart.

Are we gonna have a different color for every day?

Yeah, I bought like seven. They're such $8.

You know, my mom went last week and she got. I have a little nephew who's 18 months and she got like probably 20 plus things and they were a dollar each.

Wow.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Amazing. Well, hey, I want to welcome everyone to the Profit first podcast. I'm Mike Michalowicz, the host of the show and my guest here, Kelsey Ayers.

Welcome, everybody, to the Profit first podcast.

The co host and listen. Yeah, what was that?

It's official.

It is official. It's official. You are in studio with us. You are listening to some amazing stuff that we have to share. And I'm calling going out of sequence here. You know, this is the part where you talk about what we're on and available on. You know what I'm saying?

So we are on itunes, Stitcher, Tunein Radio, Google play, profit first, podcast.com or any podcaster anywhere.

Y. And I. I want to say a special shout out to Christina. Bulldog. Christina has moved on to another opportunity. Bigger, better.

I'm sorry for you guys. I'm the less lovely version.

Oh, I have the emphysema now. Yeah, it's contagious. So. So Kelsey has stepped up to co host the show and I think we're gonna look for other co hosts to the co hosts.

Yeah.

Over time. And start kind of testing people out. I actually had three or four people ask if they could be coast to coast, and I don't know if I want people that want it as much as you know what I'm saying?

Yeah. Like, you have to recruit.

Yeah, I wanna. I think we should find them.

Yeah. What do you. What is your ideal person? What are you thinking?

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I think someone with high energy, someone that can talk to the topic, but it's got to Be a different Persona than me or you, you know?

Yeah, well, there is no other.

So listen, we got to get the show rolling along. Let's talk about. Do you have any community shout outs or anything?

Of course we do. It's my favorite part. Okay, so we have this community shout out from Chad and Emily Hogan from Element Softwash. He says, my wife and I have two small businesses and work very hard together. Every year we showed a profit on the bottom line, but never in the bank. After getting sick of this pattern, we started profit first on the sunny 4th of July in Bellevue, Washington. We took the whole day and filled out over a dozen of the instant assessments. After working on it for over nine hours, we made a plan for both companies. Six months later, we've paid off over $73,000 in debt, fully funded their tax account, have been able to put 10% in their profit account and have enough cash to pay off the remaining $30,000 in business loans. To their astonishing happiness. They've paid for their Mexico trip in cash from the owner's comp in each business.

Boom.

Chad, those are my favorite ones. I love when they take me.

God. Omg.

Oh me God.

Yeah. Oh, me God. That's amazing.

It is amazing.

You know, I don't know. Nothing lights my soul than, than hearing these stories and we want you to share them too. Email us. It's Kelsey S K E L s e y mikemical itz. Com. You can email me mike@mikemcalowicz.com we also have a shout out hotline. Which do we have we ever sorted this out? How many shout outs do we have over the last two years? Was like 1.1.5.

1.5.

The guy hung up is like, is this the pizza line? Oops. How many do we get? Any?

No, there's a. There's a handful. We've. We've played most of them. Yeah.

Okay, so are there still. There's still some that we have to.

Play or there are two that we have to play?

Okay.

Yes.

All right. So forward those to me. We'll play those. But here's the deal, my friend. You're listening right now. You're turning your business around. You come profitable, but then you don't make the declaration. It seems like a lot of wussies out there in this world. I'm not trying to pick on people, but a lot of wussies like pick up the phone and make the declaration. No, I'm not saying it negatively.

Just be proud.

Be proud. Share it. Because it inspires other. I Think people hear the Chad and Emily story and they're like, what? Whoa. But I think if they heard that from Chad and Emily's own voice, if they call it together, I think they'd be like, whoa, whoa. And get even more inspired. So this isn't like an ego thing. It's to inspire others. Do it.

Yeah.

Okay. You know what we're talking about today?

What are we going to be talking about today?

About lead generation and how it can drive profitability, how you can use effective networking. We have the expert Robby Samuels here, who's going to be talking about that. But before we bring Robby on, which is in just a moment, so keep your trousers on. I don't know if anyone that's in anxiousness just drop their trousers. I think it's a horrible saying. I think, you know, they say, keep your panties on. Don't get so excited.

I mean, they're flashers.

Yeah. But when they get excited, you think, maybe that's a good point. I think you just made a great point. So there's certain people out there that they're like, come on, come on, give me the news. And they're not getting the news. And they're like. They just drop their pants. I guess that's okay. Okay, then. Then keep your panties on.

Yeah.

Maybe you're one of those people.

Or don't get your panties in a bunch is really.

Have you ever got your pains in a bunch?

I mean, like, you're just like, oh, I have.

Yeah.

Okay, I've done that. I've done that. Okay.

Yeah.

You start wiggling. Wiggle back and forth. And all of a sudden you're like, yeah, I actually put my underwear on backwards once for guys. You don't think it could happen?

Oh, you actually did. I thought you said you should do that.

Oh, no, no, no. I'm not interested. But I've done it.

Yeah.

And in guys underwear, maybe women's too, of course, the back is designed significantly differently than the front.

Of course.

And I was in such a malaise. I was so tired, I. I didn't even notice. And then all of a sudden, these underwears don't fit right.

I'm awkward.

Yeah. There's a nice poop pouch in the back in case I had an emergency. But besides that. And then I had to go do a speech. No, it wasn't a speech. It was something. No, it was something. Maybe it was a salesman. It was something that happened. I couldn't. I didn't have an opportunity to change my underwear. And Therefore, I had to go through this whole thing, this presentation, with my mind lamenting the fact there was a poop pouch on it.

Oh, yeah, I've forgotten my underwear altogether, but I've never put them on backwards.

You've forgotten to put underwear on? That is pretty bad.

I know.

I can see, like, the top, like the bottom part.

Yeah.

Commando.

So, yeah, I didn't realize it till later and I was like, I don't think I'm comfortable.

Yeah, this is weird. I've never forgot that. So you tell us, listeners, we want to know in your comments, what have you forgot? What clothing have you forgotten to put on and gone out in public? But before we bring our guests on, let me tell you, I want to thank our corporate partners. They never forget to put their underwear on. It's Fundbox. I don't know that I'm making a random declaration here, but Fundbox, nextiva and Receipt Bank. We'll give you a little more detail on who those folks are in just a little bit. But now let me bring on our guest. Now, maybe you recognize Robby's name. He's been circulating in the industry for a while. Maybe you've been to robbiesamuels.com but just in case, let me tell you, after decades of attending events and conferences, Robby came to realize that most people are wasting their time networking. I know. You know? He's talking about. There are. They are attending events with no strategy. They're collecting business cards with no clear plan. You're going, hey, your kids enjoy soccer. Great. My kids, too. And you think you've made a bond. You're losing business and missing opportunities for greater engagement by failing to follow up with the good ones. And you're picking the bad ones. As a speaker, coach, and author, Robby takes care to break down the steps necessary to successfully manage the vibrant chaos of these networking opportunities. A couple of big accomplishments. Robby's had his first book, Croissants. That's pronounced croissants, not croissants.

That's an excellent French accent.

Croissants versus bagels. Strategic, effective, inclusive networking at conferences reached number one in all three Amazon categories. Trust me, I don't think I've ever done that. It is not easy. Has over 170 reviews. Not easy. He. He's also does consulting with the National After School Association. And one thing you may not know, I mean, this is what he wrote. You want to read that? You read it.

Yeah. Okay. He's an out queer, trans work at home dad with a toddler and one more on the way in December 2017. Oh, so you've already had it. Congratulations.

Then you've had the last. That's more than one technically. Robby, welcome to our show.

Welcome.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, so let's just get started right off with this. You're saying that most people don't do networking the right way, therefore it's not profitable. Why aren't we doing it the right way?

Oh, gosh. I mean, the reason I focus the book on conferences is that's a space that a lot of people put energy in. They're like, okay, I should go to this industry event. I should go to this association event. I'm going to logistically get there, buy my ticket, book my air travel, find a place to stay. Done. But they have no plans, no thought and no strategy about why they're going, who they want to meet, what inspiration, looking for, no follow up plans. And so the end of this like four or five day event, they're like exhausted, they have a stack of business cards and they have no idea whether it was worth it. So to me, it's like, if you're going to go and leave the house, which is an important strategy, you should also know why you're doing so. Because content can be found anywhere. I mean, you don't have to leave the house for content, but for connection you do need to leave the house. So I think people sort of are just going through the motions as if they're on like a hamster wheel and it's a serious waste of time.

So, okay, so let's get started the right way. I'm almost assuming it doesn't start off with showing up. There's probably even preamble. There's a work you do prior. How do you go into an event prepared to get the most out of it?

Well, there's one thing is to be selective about what events you go to. Right? Don't go to everything. I'm an outgoing extrovert and I love being around people. It really energizes me. So I think at one point in my life I was going to two things a night, three days in a row, five days in a row didn't matter. I just kept going, going, going. For some people that sounds like a nightmare, but for us outgoing extroverts, it's like, oh, this is great. That doesn't mean it was worth my time though. And so be really selective about where you're going to put your energy. And one tip I have is Actually to intensify your networking. So choose a new space and go three times in a short amount of time. Be very visible, help out in some way, take on some leadership, offer something and make sure people really know who you are by the end of those three visits. Then you don't have to be going every single time for the whole year. You can sort of pop in. So some of it's just like being selective, deciding how it fits into your bigger business plan, what's your strategy overall? You know, what are you trying to meet different kinds of clients? Where are they? You know, if you're a lawyer, you don't necessarily want to go to a space that's all lawyers all the time. It's much better if you're the only lawyer in a room full of entrepreneurs, right? Because then everyone who's in the room is going to be like, oh, one day I need a lawyer, who should I talk to? Oh hey, you're a lawyer. So it's just like being thoughtful in that sense as well. And then my last tip around this, that's really about the prep, is to write your follow up email before you leave for the event.

Oh, that's interesting. So what do you mean by this? How do I know what my follow up email is going to be?

Well, that's just it. It kind of puts you through the paces of thinking about, well, why this event, who do I want to meet, what I want them to know about me, what do I want to share, what am I asking for? And you draft them. Now you're not hitting send because you don't actually know who you're sending them.

To.

But you are kind of collecting a little library over time of possible responses and that will just increase the likelihood that one, you are prepared for that event and will actually see it when you act on it. So some people tell me I don't want to over plan because I love serendipity. And I'm like, well, you'll have more serendipitous moments if you know what you're looking for. Because you'll know when you see it. That's one thing. And then the other part is during the event you'll do a much better job tracking the more priority cards from the ones that just handed to you. So the croissants versus bagels that you mentioned, in my book the bagels are those tight networking circles, those shoulder, shoulder huddles that are on possible break into. And if one person opens up their body language and makes space for others to join croissant that's how you pronounce.

It by the way.

Croissant. Yes, there you go, croissant. But sometimes you're standing in those circles and people just start handing out cards like you're at a poker night. And you don't want those random cards to take on equal priority to the ones where you had a deep, meaningful, important conversation, you know, you want to follow up. So you got to do different things to track it, turn the corner, write a note, and then afterwards actually have time scheduled to reach out to people and literally put it on your calendar before you leave for the event. So if you've pre written your email, you tracked your cards properly and you have the time set Aside, well, you're 17 steps ahead of everyone else as far as profitability, right? Because you're actually going to do something with the new contacts you've just made and then there's much more to do even after that. But I just think most people, those cards end up on their desk with good intention, next to their keyboard, then they move to the back of the desk, then they move to a drawer on the desk, then they get recycled a year later. And then you go out to another event, you come home with another stack of cards. That's the cycle that I want people to break. And I want people to really realize that having a shift in your mindset around relationship building makes you realize that there's a possibility and connections every day all around you. It's not just at conferences, not just at networking events. You don't have to like pay a membership fee to necessarily meet the right people, but you do to have a certain mindset. And so that's, that's what I work with people on.

Now you said from the get go and you can hear in your voice, I mean, you're an extrovert. Like you get energy out of going to these events. Someone like me, while I can be loud and boisterous, I don't consider myself an extrovert. I actually feel drained going to a network, so. And I suspect the people that can benefit most from going are the introverts of the world. So what does someone like me do to channel you?

Well, I don't know that you want to channel me. Most of my clients identify more as introverts and, or shy. And so it's definitely not that they're trying to be more like me. And I don't actually want a whole world full of people who are like, you know, interrupt for no reason, talk for no reason, take up a Lot of space. We're not looking for that. But here's the thing. If I tell you that by doing this prep work before you leave the house for the event, you could spend one hour at a three hour event, but meet your goals and then go home really happy with the results and then act on those in one on one ways because you like the one on one. So you know that you go in, you do your thing and you get to leave. I don't know how to leave. I like being around people so much that I'm like stacking chairs at the end of the night. I don't go home. That doesn't mean I'm better at this. I'm actually often sticking around when I shouldn't be. So I actually think.

That should have been your unexpected tip. I'm an awkward lurker.

Well, that's just it. I also think that people who are a little shy. So your app sounds like you're more of an outgoing introvert. But some people are more shy. They hanging on the sides, they see what's going on in the room. And what I want to encourage them to do is to use that information to actually become a host. To really think of like, okay, I see certain things happening in the room. Well, how do you then help people connect with each other? That's another way to really maximize your time in these spaces.

Okay, so let's talk about that. Becoming a host, that sounds like an opportunity, but I don't understand a how that benefits us and drives our business forward. We're connecting others, so how is that profitable? And then still how do I go about that? That sounds like a very extroverted activity.

Oh, so what's. What I love is that I've seen such great results of people who aren't outgoing extroverts. It's like helps them be more present in the room. So what happens if you don't have a host mentality? You show up to a space a few times, you know you're kind of a regular, but because you've been so quiet, no one really knows who you are and they can't help you. So like, if no one knows who you are, it doesn't matter how many times you show up, they can't make introductions for you. They aren't going to wave you over to join a conversation. You paid a fee to be at these events or membership to be part of the association and that's killing your profit. Like you're not doing your work, you're not there meeting good people. So that's not helpful for your profit. What I'm suggesting is if you're the kind of person who helps make introductions, who helps people come into the room, maybe they're new and they don't really know anyone, they're kind of lurking on the side. You're like, oh, come over here, meet this person, meet this person. You're just sort of generous in that way. It does pay back to you because people will see you as, as a connector. They will see you as the kind of person who makes them feel at ease, makes them feel welcomed, and then they'll be more likely to remember you, to want to make introductions on your behalf. It's sort of like it's a pay it forward model, right? It's like you're putting all this goodwill into the world. And I also think it helps you stay. I've seen such retention rates go up. The people who take on this kind of this host mentality, it helps them with their own retention. Because, you know, if you're like, ah, no one knows me, I don't know why I'm going versus okay, every time I go, I'm going to go there a little bit early. I'm going to greet people, I'm going to make a few introductions with people. I'm only going to be there for a little while because they kind of get burnt out by doing it. But for the time that I'm there, I'm going to be like really positive in this space. People are going to love that. And then you're going to have always great after conversations that will lead hopefully to more profitability.

Do you have any actionable phrases that you coach people to say?

A zillion. A zillion. Well, one is stop asking people what they do for work. Right? Like just drop that instead. You know, my favorite opening line is, hi, my name's Robbie and Kelsey. You probably want to insert your own name.

Just cute.

Think about it. But you know, that's it. I think people over, like they get over stressed out about, well, what do I say? I did my research. I see Mike standing over there. Oh, Mike runs this podcast. I don't know what to say to thanking him. And then you walk away and they can't talk to you. And that to me is the worst opening line is when you don't actually make it. Because then if they email you when they go home, that's not a follow up email, that's just email. You don't need to leave the house to send email. You know what I mean, so just by going over and saying, hey, and even if they forget everything else, they just had an engaging conversation. Dale Carnegie said it most succinctly to be interesting, be interested, right? And what I think of is leave people thinking you're fascinating. You know, leave them feeling so good about the conversation. And it's not that you say a lot, it's that you ask a lot, right? You get people really engaged. So at the end of the conversation, that's another place people get really stuck. And Kelsey, here's my little line. You know, I don't know that many people here. Is there anyone you think I should meet? Oh, great, great. Will you introduce me? And it works. And you just sort of leapfrog your way in a very large space to people who are more and more aligned with what you're looking for. Maybe the first one or two might be kind of broad strokes, but after you've done that a few times in a room or in a community, in a network, you'll really start landing on the kind of connections you're hoping for.

Now, Robbie. I was at a social function, this was around Christmas time, and got invited by a neighbor over to dinner. I literally did not know anybody and actually wasn't even dinner. It's like one of those kind of standing and mingling and everyone's in locked in conversation because they're all neighbors, everyone knows everybody. And now I'm like, I felt like such an awkward stalker. I start perspiring, I get nervous. I guess in retrospect, I could use these same lines as, hi, I'm Mike, or gone to the host and say, I really don't know anyone here. Is there someone I should meet? Would you, in a social situation, recommend the same things?

I think you can still work. I think I always tell people there's a difference between a networking event and a social space in the sense that at a networking event, people have at least the illusion of the intention of meeting people. And I say the illusion because if they really wanted to meet people, they would do all these prep work, but there's this illusion of that intention. Whereas in a social space, they're not coming in with that idea in the back of their mind, but they're still active to it. They just, they don't realize that that's possible. And so if a host says, oh, hey, Mike just moved into the neighborhood, everyone, Mike, like, that would be a great thing for hosts to do. If the formal host doesn't do it, maybe another neighbor would end up doing it on your Behalf again, like stepping into that host role. Here's another thing, Mike. You could just stand over by the buffet food, like, where the food's all laid out naturally.

So.

Oh, my God. You just check.

You're a little overdressed to be the server, Mike.

Well, no, you just sort of get in line, right? The idea of getting in line for food, getting in line for a drink, having that common experience. Because here's the thing, Kelsey. If you're sitting out with all your friends and you're like, I'm gonna go to the bar, do you demand that everyone gets up and joins you? Like, you know, like. No. Like, your friends are still sitting there. You get up, you walk away, you go get online, you get to the bar, you go get some food, whatever it is.

And.

And that's a space where it's easier for someone like me to go over and talk to you, because now we're both in line, we're having a common experience. I make some light conversation about it, keep it upbeat. Don't be annoying, complaining person. And then you might say, oh, hey, I'm here with a bunch of people. Do you want to come back and meet them? That happens whether it's social, whether it's business networking event. We're just talking about common social graces. And actually, I just think we're like, we haven't kind of kept up our practice around that. And particularly, you know, nowadays with screens, like, being the majority of the ways we communicate with each other.

What do you suggest for picking an event? So I want to be profitable. I want to grow my business. I hear if I'm a lawyer, you said, don't hang out with other lawyers. I get that. Do I want to target where my customers are going and how do I identify the best markets or the best groups to be networking within?

You could ask them, think about. They always say, who's your ideal client? Or who are your favorite clients to work with? And then talk to them about where they are, where do they do their best networking? Are there associations? They're a part of that. You could still join as a supplier. I just joined the, let's see, Meeting Professionals International New England chapter because I used to host events, but now I work with meeting planners, meeting professionals. So it was like, duh, like, why am I not working in this space? And so part of it's like, showing up. But then I'm also giving an item to their newsletter every month. I'm going to help them think about their membership appreciation night. I'm going to donate something to their auction. So in a short amount of time, it's not just picking the event, but also having a really clear sense about how you're going to have a positive impact in that space so that the time that you spend there is really well worth it.

Now, that organization specifically, how did you pick it? How's that going to move your business to be more profitable?

So I work one of my. I saw you just interviewed Dori. Again, one of my income streams, thanks to knowing Dori for so long, is I work with associations and meeting professionals about designing conferences to be more engaging experiences for everybody, but particularly for first time attendees and people who are attending by themselves. So I do webinars in the first timers orientation and I host solo receptions and do some consulting around how they can structure the space so that people create that sort of culture of here with colleagues, go mingle here alone, don't stay that way. And so by being known in that space, I think it'll just increase my referral, my referral rate. And by offering content, it will also increase sort of traffic to me by attracting people based on what I'm sharing.

So you have a strong relationship with Dori Clark? She's amazing. I have a lover. Yeah, love her. Love her. Is it a good idea to kind of build these core strong relationships and stay there, or is it better to kind of break out? But are you jeopardizing your core relationships when you're networking?

Well, I mean, once you've established a relationship like the one, you know, I met Dori nearly a decade ago now. So once you've established that, it's not like I have to spend every day talking to her. I mean, she would not like me if I tried to talk to her every day. Hey, Dory, it's our 15 minute check in. Hey, Dory. Tomorrow, 10 o' clock. You know, like, I think that would not work, but you know, so for instance, she'll make an introduction for me and then months later something will finally come to fruition. With that, I hired one of her friends as a business coach. So I let her know about that. Then I went to another mastermind through somebody she knows. I wrote her to let her know that a quick update, you know, I participate in her online community. I, you know, supported her. I'll, I'll push out a book. I mentioned her probably every other episode on my own podcast. I mean, I just like, because she's such good people and has great content, it doesn't, it's really easy. So I don't think that relationship is being. Anything's being taken away from that by the fact that I'm now like, oh, I should really be thoughtful about building up my connections in this new space among meeting professionals. Like it's not going to detract from an existing strong relationship. But let's say Dory made an introductory for me and then I never followed up to tell her where it went. You know, unless you do that again two or three times, I don't know if she'd want to keep doing that. You know, like she'll find out through the word of mouth or through like, you know, some piece of media that I was doing business with, someone that she introduced me to, then that would not feel good. So I think that you have to be very careful about nurturing those relationships over the long term. And part of it is closing that loop.

Do you think it's inappropriate to reach back out to somebody that you met five or 10 years ago, even if you haven't necessarily kept up those lines of communication?

So when I launched my book, you mentioned a couple of stats. I had like hundreds of people on my launch team because I really wanted 100 reviews the day that my book launched, which happened. And part of the way I did it was I had spoken in front of people for years and I didn't have an email list for many of those years, but I did collect names at a door and I put them in a spreadsheet and I sent them a one time email asking for a testimonial and I had all these spreadsheets and I invited all those people to now participate in this book launch and that reconnected with me to like all these people. They were the first, like when I would look to see who submitted their testimonials first because I had them send them to me ahead of time. I was amazed. The people who were most responsive and most enthusiastic were not my close friends and family who didn't quite understand the importance of what I was doing. Let's be real. But it was the people whose lives I'd impacted who actually remembered the content from five, six years ago, whose lives had been changed because of it. They were like so excited to have a reason to come back and participate again in the space that I occupy.

I love that.

So going back to Dori Clark, did you, by the way, Robbie, ever go to any of those dinners she hosted in New York? I don't know if she still does it.

Yeah. Okay, so she used to live in Boston and we co hosted dinners Many times before she left. And I. Actually now I host dinners all the time. I have a monthly standing dinner as well as a few others that I host pop ups. And actually, it's how I. I met Michael, by going down to her dinner. So, I mean. No, no.

Michael o' Neil.

Oh, my gosh, Now Michael o' Neil. Now you're throwing. Now you're throwing lots of names. This is great.

Michael Barber.

This is great.

Michael McCallows. Okay. Yeah. So, hey, Michael.

Michael Roderick.

Okay, okay.

Who became my business coach. So I. Yeah, she said, I really think you should come to this dinner. And I live in Boston, so I was like, boom, Amtrak down back. I mean, that's what you do.

I wonder. So I went to quite a few of her dinners, and I wonder if you and I ever were at the same dinner. I suspect not, because we'd probably recognize each other.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

But so. So just thinking about those dinners, that's. That's another form of formal hosting that she's. She's used to build her network, and she's built a huge degree of influence doing that. You use that relationship. Used me as wrong word. But you've leveraged that relationship. You're on our podcast as a result of Dory, these relationships. Is it possible to keep expanding, though? Like, you have such a strong bond with Dory, but I couldn't imagine you have 100 or 200 dories that are in your network, or do you?

No, it's not quite the same thing. But, like, you know, sort of tangentially, through Dory, I met Jason Van Orden, who's just a sweetheart. And so over the last year, we've connected on video phone, I've interviewed him, we email back and forth about projects. I've suggested him to other people as a coach. He had a course open up. I told people to go join his community. So it's like when you recognize good people. It's not like I have a decade of history with him, but immediately I'm like, okay, clearly someone that I would value getting to know. I'm enjoying his content. I'm sharing his content. And once I realize that, I'm like, okay, here's an example of someone that I'm not going to, like, let that fade. It doesn't mean again that I'm talking to him all the time. It's that when I have the opportunity to name drop and give him a little boost in the world, I do it. If I have an opportunity to do some media on behalf of somebody, I do It, I mean, one of the best ways to get connected and get better media from actual reporters and such is not to pitch yourself, but to pitch other people. And so I'm always thinking about that. I have some journalists or friends who write for INC and Entrepreneur, et cetera. And so I don't constantly like badger them to write about me. I look at what they're writing about and I'm like, oh, actually there's someone in my network that's doing something kind of similar. Would you like some information or introduction? And that kind of thing pays itself forward because they both love me for it. The person who's writing is excited to make a new connection. The person being written about is excited to have new media. I'm the person who made it happen. It raises my profile amongst both of them. So that's a little way to do it. I just want to mention also that a dinner is a great way to do something related to a conference is if you go to a large event, host a dinner in relation to it, plan one or two people ahead of time, and invite people as you meet them, six, eight, ten people out to dinner. That's a great thing actually for people who are more introverted and find this large scale, like big room, chaotic, vibrant culture look kind of overwhelming is to do these smaller gatherings.

So smart.

I love that.

So smart. So I like the idea of pitching other people, but say someone listening to the show right now says, I need to get some pr. I can't just call you Robbie. Or maybe I can. And clients say, listen, I'm trying to get pr. Can you help me out? I mean, how do I invoke other people to pitch me? I understand you're doing it to build your own presence, but how do I ask you, is effectively it or can I.

Well, it's more that you just. You kind of keep showing up on my radar until I know who you are. I mean, like, my mother gave me this advice when I was 12 that was devastating. Okay. So she told me, don't go on the profit. For some reason, this is really. Yeah, she said you're only the main character in your own play. Which is an awful thing to tell a 12 year old.

Yeah, that's a punch to the face. But it's true.

But it's true. And as an adult, it's kind of freeing. But it makes you realize the effort you have to make to even get on someone's stage. Right. Like, I'm never gonna forget Dory. Yeah, but you know, it's like, what's the effort it takes, you know? And when I first met her, it was. I mean, Dory's always been amazing, but it wasn't like 10 years ago. I was like, well, I have to, like, absolutely stay in touch with Dory because she's gonna be an amazing international business speaker and multimillion copy author. It wasn't like I had a little sense of what was coming. I mean, she's the overnight success, 10 years in the making, right? And I'm like, I'm nine and a half years in. I can't wait.

You're six months away, my friend.

So I think it's really, like. It's more that when you. Here's the thing. I tell people, we actually forget there are people in our past that we have left behind that are good people. They are our strongest, weak ties. They're the kind of people, maybe it's former colleagues, friends we haven't seen or spoken to in a long time. Like you said, like four or five years ago, you have some shared experience, shared history, and you really just like them. It wasn't about what skills they had or the connections they can give you in the world. It's that they're the kind of people you want to surround yourself with, and you know that they have other good people in their network, and you just want to, like, kind of bring them back in. Maybe you're launching a new project. Maybe, like me, you're launching a book. So you're like, okay, I want to, like, bring all those good people back into my life. Here's a good time to do it. Do it like they're your best connections that you have not tapped. And new possibilities, new profitability will come from rekindling those connections. And it won't be nearly as much work as going out to all, you know, slogging your ways from one event to another, hoping to hit the jackpot. And it's not like that. It's like you've already invested time and energy into these other relationships. Now it's time to kind of renew those connections.

What about listeners that are. That have a B2C business right now? Actually, there was a guy here this morning who sells tote bags and stuff to the urban kind of consumer, and, you know, he can't network to find clients. Does it still make sense for B2C's and how should they go about it? Robbie?

Well, I was thinking about how one way to do BC is through influencers. So, as you mentioned at the top of the of this, I. I am A new parent. I have a two year old and a newborn and I do.

Thank you.

I do a lot of parent organizing. I host the monthly baby clothing swap. I'm about to launch a new podcast called Parent Founders where I interview parents who've become entrepreneurs inspired by a problem they were solving for their family. And they brought to the market and scaled organized for a Boston Dads group, part of City Dads Group. And so I've learned through doing all this how important influencers are in those B2C markets because I'm now a parent influencer for different brands. And so they'll contact me, I'll host an event, I'll bring their product, I'll share their coupons, I'll do some social media for them. Hashtag sponsor and you know, hey, I didn't even eavedrop but you know, I'll just, you know, you do these things and you only do for. It's just like affiliate marketing. You only do it because you already like the product. You don't do because of the amount of money you're going to make, but you do because it's like a value to your audience. And so I just think like if this guy is selling tote bags and they're awesome tote bags, there's going to be evangelists in his group of people who've already bought, you know, incentivize them to, you know, get the parties going. I mean this is the Tupperware models. It's not a new, this is not a new concept. It's just that we're now in an interesting age where we've forgotten how important the sort of person to person forget B2C. But person to person is still Word of mouth is the number one way information travels good and bad. And so we have to sort of tap into that creatively.

Is there a way to get started? Say I haven't been networking at all. I'm convinced now that there's opportunities to meet some real critical influencers for my business. I just don't know how to get started. I haven't networked in years. What would you suggest for someone like that?

Well, I guess starting would be to really map out kind of where you need to grow in your business. What's the area that you feel strong in? What's the area that you feel like you want to expand and start slow and don't go everywhere all at once. So think of your life in quarters. This is like the 12 week year, which is the book that I've, I haven't Even read the book. Honestly, Mike. But I like the concept.

All right.

So here's the concept. Every quarter, instead of the end of the year being when you're trying to get everything done, every quarter, you work to finish a project. So you have one major and two minor goals each quarter of the year, and it helps you learn how to work to completion, but you also get to stack your goals. So I'm launching a podcast in June, July of this year. That means that I'm going to be recording in Q2, which means that I'm, like, finalizing my. My guest prospect list and my questions and all that at the very end of Q1. In Q1, it's a minor goal. In Q2, it's becoming more important. By Q3, I'm actually launching it, but I can stack those things. But meanwhile, I'm also launching a Mastermind, Intentional Connections Mastermind. And I've got a second book I'm working on in Q4. If I tried working on all those things all at once, I wouldn't make much progress. But if you pick one thing at a time. So for instance, it might be go to this association for three months and again, go in a big way, and then next quarter, pick something else. And you don't have to go to the first one quite as often. You know, it's just like. Or it might be like, I want to start writing for somebody. So you start writing anywhere you can. I think you keep trying to, like, ladder up. I mean, this is something Dory did, right? It's like you pick any publication that'll have you, and then eventually you ladder your way to a publication that's important in your industry. And that's part of networking, too. Networking isn't necessarily all face to face.

Yeah, yeah. You know, you're talking to a total universal truth. Start off slow and build. Robby, we actually got a rock and roll. Before we let you go, though, I do want to know you got a little special offer.

I do, yeah. Yeah. Thanks for. Awesome. So I have 10 tips for conference connections. It's a little cheat sheet. I feel like, you know, my book's great. It's small, but you still got to read the whole thing. 10 tips. You can totally consume that in a few minutes. It's a good reminder as you're walking into a space. Right, right, right. I'll do this, this, and this. So it's available at robbiesamuels.com profitfirst Great.

So everyone go there now. It's free, for God's sake. Robbiesamuels.com profitfirst we'll put in the show notes too. Robby, it's been a joy having you. Thanks so much for coming on the show today.

Thank you, Robbie.

Thanks, Mike. Thanks. Kelsey And Kelsey, congrats on being co hosts.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, that was funny. Yeah. All right, we'll rock and roll here. Okay, so everyone go to robbiesamuels.com forward/profit first. You know, don't waste time here. Do it. Start networking. I think it's. Yeah, I think it's an extraordinary tool, and it actually. Well, in a second, we're going to recap what we learned. Right. Because I have some things I really got to start doing myself. But first, Kyle. So give me a punch. I like your punch better. Give me one more punch. There it is. That emphysema.

I'm telling you, I can't do any kind of physical activity. So when I punched you, I know.

It really got you. You really gotta stop smoking.

I know it.

I know.

Three packs a day just isn't good.

Three packs a day, and you do them unfiltered. I mean, not that I don't know if the filter even does anything, but the fact you're. And you're chewing tobacco too.

Oh, yeah.

Look at what. Look at your mouth. Your gums are receding.

Good thing this isn't video.

Oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah. With what you're doing to yourself.

Yeah.

Okay, so wait a second. We're gonna recap what we learned, and then we're going to. We got listener mail too, right?

Yes, I do.

But first, I want to thank our corporate partners who make the show a reality. So a big thanks to nextiva. First, they're a voiceover IP phone system. We just got the next OS in house. Did you know that?

No.

That's the new CRM. So we have to test it. I may put. Put some of the testing to you if you. If you're up for it, to play with the system. They did a demo, and the functionality is un. Freaking believable because it has AI. Has artificial intelligence. Yeah. So I got to turn it on. It's like, hey, Mike. I'm like, oh, that's cool. They have plugged in my name. It's like, so how's things at home with Krista? I'm like, whoa. You know, it starts doing this like, hey, is Tyler still got that job or is that working out? Like, how do you know my family? No, it wasn't. It wasn't that.

There's a bug in Your brain.

It was a bug, but it's really cool because it pulls from social media and stuff and it starts actually building a portfolio for you. It's pretty crazy. Yeah. So thanks for Nextiva. They're a voiceover IP phone system plus their communication system. Check them out@nextiva.com we use them, we love them. Receipt Bank. You can scan in those receipts that you've been piling up. You can put it right into the receipt bank system. It Syncs up with QBR0. I mean QBO, QuickBooks, online, QBR, that's something totally different. QBO, QBD, any of the accounting platforms that you may use. Receipt bank syncs up with them. No more Shoebox and then of course Fundbox. Any of those bills, listen, you got bills due to you and you're, you need the cash and they're not paying. Fundbox will release the funds to you in its entirety. Plus when, when you return the funds to them, it's not that they do the collection calls. You actually just wait until the payment comes in from your client and return to the fund box. Plus their fee. Of course. That's how they make their money, but it's a great way to address short term cash flow needs.

Fundbox.com and don't forget about Abbyy Connect, the leading live receptionist service. It just makes sense. If potential customers can't reach someone, they're going to call the next company on their list. You invest in websites and advertising. Shouldn't you invest in converting those calls into customers? And don't forget, Abby Connect is offering the no obligation free trial for our listeners. And after your trial is over, our listeners will also receive a $95 off their first bill. But only when you sign up at our special link. Abby connect.com profit first. Thanks Abby Connect.

All right, Kels, you're up. What, what did you learn from Robbie today?

I feel like my number one takeaway is being authentic. I'm a huge proponent for people having a gift that they're supposed to do in this world. And I felt like everything that he did was about building other people up, not just about building himself up. So he looks for natural mutual alignments rather than just what can I get from this person in order to be more profitable in order to succeed. Because I think in the big picture, it's not about that. It's about how we can build each other up and be a community. And that's exactly what he's doing. And I think that that's paid off for him and for everybody that he Touches.

Yeah, Robbie's. Robbie's intimidating for me because I hear this guy, high energy, clearly can network. And I'm like, I can never do that. I can never do it.

But you can.

I can, but I have to do it my own way.

Yeah.

But first I'm like, okay, here's a master networker. I'm never gonna be able to do it. But then he starts kind of chung it down. He's like, listen, we don't need more Robbies in the world. Most people are like, so and so. And here's the steps to do it. So it actually became empowering. At first I was like, I can't do this. And now I'm like, okay. There was a couple key triggers. One was to write the follow up email before the event. And that's as Ron calls it, outcome or. Yeah, outcome based thinking. Right. I think was Ron's term. And that's it. If I define exactly the follow ups I want to have, that will define the people I want to network with and meet.

Yeah. I love when he said, you know, being open to serendipity is knowing what you want because then you actually recognize those alignments. Alignment, yeah, recognize the serendipity. Otherwise if you don't even have a purpose or an intention for what you want.

Right.

You're not even going to see it.

That's touche. Touche. And I like the idea of become a host. Meaning like if there's someone I want to meet or network with, I can just start introducing that person to other people and I'm already involved automatically in the conversation. Not like, hey, what can you do for me? Or what can I do for you? Or any of the awkward conversation. I'm like, oh, hey, I. I know you should meet so and so. Do you want me make the introduction? I think that's great. And I love his lines. Like, like, like these are the ultimate pickup lines. Hi, my name is Mike. Like, oh my God. Like that is it. That is it. Or I don't. My. My fear. I don't know many people here. Is there anyone you suggest? I mean.

Yeah, I love that too, because it's true. It is true.

Okay, what do you think? Ruby tan fat daddy fat back. Yeah, that's what she said she was high on. Fat daddy fat back. And people are like, okay, I have.

A question for you.

For me?

Yeah. Listener mail.

Oh, hold on. You've got mail pattern baldness. Not as funny anymore.

Okay, that was a fake laugh.

Yeah, it was. You can't help it. You smokers okay.

This comes from J.D. hoovener. He says one thing I didn't consider is that once a year I have to find enough budget in my OPEX to afford to run two payrolls. In the 15 to 16 day period between the 10th and 25th or 25th to 10th, I have enough to run two payrolls. Any thoughts on how to alleviate this?

Yeah. So great job, J.D. with that question. There's a couple ways to address it. I'll tell you the easiest way to address it is to change your payroll to match the 10th and 25th. Do a BI monthly. I think that's how we do it here, right?

Yeah.

Is it on the 10th and 25th, our payroll?

Yeah, I mean, depending on how, like if there's a holiday or whatever.

But yeah, but we do twice a month.

Yes.

So every month. So we have 24 payrolls and that's it. And so some businesses do it every two weeks and that throws you into that one month where you go out of whack. So the first thing is just change your payroll frequency. Be sure you talk with your employees. Most employees don't even care. Like they don't care and it's better to run your business. Plus, less payrolls is less expense. One thing we talked about internally is even doing one a month, which Kelsey, you were up for.

Yeah.

We decided not to do it because we found that company that charge for more. Yeah. The cost is no difference and it's just better. So that's one technique. The other technique, which is a more and more sophisticated is to put in money to address that upcoming three month payroll. So say payrolls $2,000 every two weeks. Actually put in 2,500 or 2250, whatever the number calculates out to be so that you start building a cushion there. And then when payroll comes that one time when it's the third payroll that month, the money's been saved up. That's a little more sophisticated. It's a little more difficult, JD So I suggest go to two payrolls a month and you've alleviated the problem. What do you think about that, Ruby? Fat daddy fat back. Yeah, I gotta use. I haven't used the soundboard as much as I wanted to.

Yeah, I'm not sure that sound effect really matched.

And it's really. And didn't really match. It's not really like, it's not really like enthusiastic. It's not like, oh my God.

What do you think about that?

What do you think about that? What do you think about that? Here, I got A better one.

One. Do it.

Just do it.

There you go. All right, cows, take us out.

Okay, everybody please leave a comment and ratings on itunes. Stitcher, etc, we would love to hear from you.

Get you a little emotional. Now you're emotional.

Yeah. And please visit us@the prophet first podcast.com.

Yeah, go to Prop First Podcast. Check out all these different things. We got lots of resources there for. For you. We'd love to get your review. Please do share, subscribe. Don't miss another episode of this juiciness. And I'm not just talking about the phlegm that Kelsey's coughing up.

Oh, that's so disgusting.

It's true.

Weren't we talking yesterday?

That imagery. Yeah, you keep bringing it up. You have session with.

No, you were getting into the details. You're like. Yeah. When it comes out of your mouth, bouncing. That was you.

That was verbatim from your lips.

That's right. Actually, that's a good point.

Yeah.

But here, one more thing you got to do. Go to profitfirstprofessionals.com. we started this organization. Ron's my business partner. We have a small team here, but we have a large team of profit first professionals now out in the globe in the 200s plus, these are experts who have studied profit first. They become certified by our organization. They've worked hand in hand with our team here. They've implemented profit first in their business, and now they know how to drive profitability in your business. So if you're dead serious about being profitable, work with the fitness trainer, if you will. I'm doing air quotes. The fitness trainer of profitability. That's a profit first expert. And we'll hook you up with those people. All you have to do is go toProfit First Professionals.com. that's step one. Step two is go to the top up there. There you go. Step two is click on find, fill out the form, and then we'll make an introduction for you. So do that right now and let's drive profit in your business permanently. Okay. That's all I got. Oh, and turn that underwear back around. You got it on back or put.

It on at all?

Yeah. Jesus.

Sam.