The Biggest Mistake Entrepreneurs Make While Building Their Authority

You're listening to the KLT Authority Podcast. That's right. One shot. Now the future is yours. This is the KLT Authority Podcast. Today we're going to be talking about how this podcast can help you and your business. We're going to put a strong emphasis on sharing our journey. And not only sharing our journey, sharing it in a way that helps you grow your dreams or your business. So let's go ahead and get into the content today. Now we're kind of changing the structure of this podcast. When we started it was mostly geared towards giving you tips and tricks on growing your service based business, local service based business online.

We're going to kind of switch gears and still cater to that group of online and offline or actually offline professionals who want to grow their brand and their influence online. However, we're going to do it in a way that actually shares our journey and shows you how we're actually building a business. So a quick introduction. This podcast is new. If you're listening to this episode and you're listening to it when it came out, we barely have any other episodes. So we're going to treat this just as if you have no clue who I am. So my name is Shannon.

I have been an online business owner since 2002 and I have been blessed and have thankfully been able to grow a couple different businesses online and offline. I've grown information product businesses. I've grown service based businesses. I've had a product based business and we are launching another product based business and we want to share with you the way we are going to launch our new business. We're going to walk you through the process of what we're doing, how we're doing it and why we're doing it. We're going to share with you our wins. We're also going to share with you our losses. Now this is also going to be accompanied by video as well. So it's not just going to be audio.

You're going to have video tutorials and training that you can reference as well. This podcast is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to us sharing the journey and sharing our experience and sharing our wins and losses with you. So that's basically the gist of what's going to happen. The format is going to be simply this. We're going to talk and share the strategies and techniques we're doing. We're going to go in depth about some of the strategies and techniques that we're doing and we're going to answer questions, answer some of the questions from you, answer questions that we think are important for you to know, things that need to be answered that maybe you don't know what to ask.

We're going to share some of the questions I had and how I got the answers to those questions. And then on top of that, we're going to really dive deep into the art of KLT authority and that's how we've built all of our businesses. What is KLT authority? It's simple. People do business with people they know, like, and trust. It's an age old adage that we all know and we've all heard, especially if you're over the age of 35, I'm sure you have heard it. Even if you're not, I'm sure you've heard it. However, now the age we live in, it's never been easier to build that know, like, and trust authority. It's never been easier to build your influence, to build your authority.

Now, this is something that's extremely important. One thing that you need to know is that you do not need to be an expert to start sharing your journey. You do not need to be an expert to start sharing the things you're learning as you're learning them. I'm not an expert in online retail. It's not something that I've spent my life doing. I've built my businesses around information and I've built my businesses around service. So the things we're good at is local online optimization for service-based industries. We're also very good at information products because we were one of the pioneers. We were selling e-books and courses before people even called them e-books and courses online.

So it's something that we have a lot of experience in. It's something that I am an expert in that I can talk freely about. We've helped service-based businesses locally grow to millions upon millions in revenue. We've helped tons of businesses doing that. So it's something that we can talk about and actually share our expertise. However, I'm going to be talking about a lot of stuff that I'm learning about, especially when it comes to selling products online. I actually started a business that we were selling products online.

It did very well and we are in the process of shutting that business down, not because it failed, but it's because it's in a business or a niche that really I shouldn't be in because it's too far out of what I really specialize in. So the new business that we're starting is a sticker business. We are going to be doing custom stickers and decals for businesses. So that's going to be the business that we're going to share the journey with. And then on top of that, I want to take that and do a little bit of a subsection of what we're doing. And I'm actually going to create a sticker shop where I pretend I'm buying the stickers from me to sell retailly. That's not even a word.

I'm buying the stickers and then I'm going to sell them in a retail shop online. Now we're going to walk you through the journey of how that happens and the things we're doing to grow that shop and turn a profit from that shop. And then we're going to share the journey as we build that sticker and decal business where, you know, if you need custom stickers for your business, for your event, for your brands, we can provide that as well. That's really what the gist of this podcast is going to be about moving forward as we build this. And I think it's something that is going to be extremely beneficial for you, especially if you're building a business online.

Now, on top of that, we're also going to share how I am running the other businesses that I have. So the other businesses that I have, I own a real estate photography company. I own a marketing agency and we have KLT Authority, which is our information based business. And we also have now S2 Stickers, which is our product based business. Really, it's more of the manufacturing space because we're doing this in bulk. We're not doing it on like a cricket at home with our at home printer. We actually have a commercial printer with a commercial laminator and a commercial cutter. So we're able to do stickers at volume, which is not something I expect you guys if you're following along with this.

Oh, I can't do what you're doing because you spent a bunch of money doing it. That's why I'm going to add the component of, hey, listen, I'm going to pretend like I'm buying the stickers from myself and I'm going to create a retail shop as well to go along with that. So there's going to be a lot that goes on to this. If you're a service based business that operates online, this is going to be a podcast that you want to listen to because we give a lot of tips about that. If you are someone who's trying to build your brand and your authority online, this is going to be a great podcast for you.

If you're someone that just loves to follow the journey of entrepreneurs and to see their wins and to see their failures and to learn as you grow your business, this is going to be a great podcast for you as well. Now we're going to also bring on some guests in the future. It's not just going to always be me talking. We're going to have my wife, who is also my business partner, is going to be on here in some of the episodes and we're going to, like I said, accompany this with a lot of technical type of training. And when I talk about accompanying it with a lot of technical training, it's not going to be me speaking the words to you. It's going to be completely separate.

So you can go to our YouTube channel. And when I talk about building a website and how to build a website, you can actually go and get the training you need on how to build a website from our YouTube channel. When I talk about podcasting and how to podcast and why to podcast, you can actually go to our YouTube channel and you'll be able to get training on podcasting. When I talk about video and things of that nature, you're going to be able to go to our YouTube channel and get that training. It's all going to be on the website. It's going to be a really cool resource. We're going to give away a lot of free information. And I happen to be a pretty unique individual where I've spent my life.

My mantra is this. I really, I am an entrepreneur, but I consider myself someone who pursues curiosity. So my joy comes from learning new things, figuring things out and turning those things, ideas into money. Once I do that, I generally want to move on and do something else. So I find a way where the money can continue to be made in that business that I started without me while I go and do other things. So One of the things that I like to do is teach people how I do those things. So I've spent 20 years learning about websites. I built all of my first websites myself. I still, still to this day, build websites because I enjoy doing it. I love video.

I started video not because I'm a videographer. I figured out that video was important when it comes to building your business. So I started video before people even thought video was cool. I uploaded videos to the internet before, before YouTube was even a thing. I've, you know, perfected photography, especially when it comes to real estate photography. Why? Because I knew images and pictures would sell. And that's why I learned photography. I love podcasting, one, because I like to talk, but I knew that it would be beneficial to sell. I had my first podcast, I believe was in around 2010. Now, unfortunately, I didn't keep up on all my podcasts.

I wish I would have, but hey, listen, we can't sit around and dwell on the things we never did wrong. We can only move forward. Not only that, I've helped people start their podcasts. I've helped people start their YouTube channels. I've helped businesses start their website. And all of this is what I've done for the last 20 years. All of it is what I've done for the last 20 years. I simply have done it in the background. I've never been in the foreground. So here's the lesson for today. And it's the title of this podcast. And if you made it 11 minutes in, I hope you did. You're actually going to get that information.

But the number one, the number one mistake people make as entrepreneurs is that they care what other people think. They care what other people think. And in order to be successful in business, yes, you have to have morals and standards. And there are people that you're going to look up to that you're going to value their opinion. However, I can tell you this, you will freeze. You will not do the things that you need to do because you are scared of what other people think. So if you care what other people think, it's going to stop you in your tracks. Well, I can't start a podcast because what if my friends hear it and they think, who is he to be talking about that subject?

I can't do video because everyone's going to think I'm fat. I can't do video because I have crooked teeth. I can't do podcasts because I don't have a good podcasting voice. You know, all of these things revolve around you caring what other people think of you. Now, I wish I could sit here and tell you that this is something I'm not telling you from experience, that I'm just telling you that I've witnessed this in other people. And that's why I know it's the biggest mistake that people make when it comes to business. Unfortunately, I sit in that boat myself. There's a lot of things I've done throughout the years. Well, actually, put it better.

There are a lot of things that I have not done throughout the years because I cared what other people would think about it. Now, this lesson, you might think, oh, that's the biggest mistake people make. There's so many other things that you can make. And I will tell you that the vast majority of the mistakes that they make in business revolve right back around to this simple point. They care what other people think about them. I didn't take the risk because I was scared my parents would be upset because they sent me to school to be a doctor.

I didn't raise my prices because I was scared that people would think that I was selfish and that I was just money hungry when in reality I had to raise my prices because what I was providing and the costs, I wasn't making any money. A lot of these mistakes all boil down to one thing, and that's simply that you cared what other people thought. So how do you get over that? I wish I had a great answer for you, but I'll tell you this, age will make you get over that. You'll hit a certain point in life and you go, I just do not care anymore.

But more importantly is you got to realize this is we tend to think that other people are consuming themselves with us when the reality is they're tuned into their own radio station. WWIFM, what's in it for me? That's what they care about the most. Yes, they might have a thought about you, but what they really care about is themselves. So don't get caught up on what everyone else thinks of you. Just go out there and do, because I can tell you this, the people that hate on you, the people that question you, the people that think you're making the wrong decisions, when those decisions pan out, when you become successful, they're going to come back around and be like, I knew you could do it.

If you're a Post Malone fan, all they're going to be saying is congratulations. Man, I knew that was going to work. Man, I'll tell you what, that was a great idea. I wish I would have had that idea. Man, I know I said it was crazy, but you know what, deep down I knew you could do it. And then if it fails, they're going to say, I told you so. I mean, I told you it wasn't going to work. I don't know why you did it. But this is what you need to know, is you will never, you will never be successful if you don't step outside of your comfort zone, if you don't take the weight of other people's opinions off of you and just start moving in a positive direction.

One thing's for certain, and that is tomorrow will come. The thing that's not certain is if you'll be in it. So you got to treat today as if it's your last. You got to think of the future, but you got to act as if today's all you got. Make the most out of each and every day. Keep pushing, keep moving forward, and start the process. So that's what we're doing today. That's why this podcast is being made, is we're starting the process. We're moving in a different direction. I closed a chapter of my life yesterday. I started the process of walking away from a business that I built, a business that is generating money, revenue, but just isn't as profitable as I would like it to be.

And I had to make the decision on if I'm going all the way in and going to make the investments necessary to make the profit margins the way they need to be, or if I'm going to say, okay, this is a business I started. I'm grateful for the experiences that I've learned. Now it's time to pivot, because pivoting is going to be the skill that you really need to learn in business, and start moving in a different direction. And that's what we did. We closed that door. We said, you know what? We're going to pivot. We're going to move in a different direction. We're going to go 100% full steam ahead with this. It wasn't a failure. It actually did really well.

I really can't tell you the business that it is, because it's nothing bad, but unfortunately, it's not on the correct spectrum of what a lot of these tech platforms want to talk about. So I don't want to get flagged for saying words that's going to make them mad. I'll probably put it on TikTok or something. If you want to follow us on TikTok, you can see it there. But it wasn't a failure. Most people wouldn't have been able to accomplish what we were able to accomplish with that business, something I'm very proud of. However, you got to pivot, and that's what we're doing.

So this podcast, the videos, the training, it's all going to document our journey into running three other businesses and building a different business, how I manage my time, how I manage the marketing, how I manage the people. All of that stuff is going to come. And when I say I manage the people, actually, it's my wife managing the people, because she's more of the HR end, admin end of all of this stuff. So I look forward to taking this journey with you. Hopefully you will subscribe or follow the podcast on whatever platform you're on. Go check out our website and get on the mailing list, because we're going to have a lot of exclusive information we're going to share there.

And then the YouTube channel is also an important one, which you can find on our website, kltauthority.com. That's kltauthority.com. Thanks. Have a fantastic day. And as always, hopefully we'll see you on the beaches of the world. One shot, now the future is yours. Go! Yeah, I'm turning dreams into reality. In the lab with the formula and chemistry. The memories spark and motivate and make the industry shake. The bars in the place are for the one. One shot, now the future is yours. Go!