Daniel Newsletter 8/13/23

Email 1 Subject Line: it sometimes sucks Preview Line: BUSINESS: THE REAL DEAL Owning a business has some super cool moments, but it's not always so easy. In fact, sometimes it feels more like you are hiking up a mountain with a weighted back pack and you’re constantly slipping, falling, and eating shit. But other than that, it’s pretty awesome. You're your own boss. You make the decisions. When things go right, it feels amazing because you get to celebrate big wins and feel a sense of pride in what you've built. And trust me, those moments are worth every bit of effort. But let’s not forget, there are the tough times. You’ve had those super busy weeks where everything seems to pile up. And when tasks, duties, and responsibilities pile up, so does a correlating pile of problems for you to solve. It’s like you own cattle… And cattle produce bullshit. You can’t have one without the other and 100% it can get overwhelming at times. You’ll likely cope with some vice to help keep you sane… But here's the thing: those busy, crazy times? That's when you're growing the most. It's not just about how much the business is making, that is important, but there are other metrics to measure as well. One of the best ones to focus on is how well and how quickly you’re able to solve a pile of bullshit problems that fall in your lap. I remember Matt Lucero having a record week where he signed on three new customers. He was stoked. But then, panic set in. I remember him telling me, "I don’t know if I can handle all this onboarding it’s a ridiculous amount of work" I told him, "It's gonna suck for a week. But you don’t have a choice. Get it done, you won’t have a weekend, but after that, things will settle." That's business in a nutshell. Ups, downs, pumps, dumps, and everything in between. Everyone wants to grow their business, but remember, more money often means more work. It's like wanting a bigger cake but then realizing you have to bake it yourself. How dumb does it look to be upset at the fact that more effort on your part is necessary to get a bigger cake? Or going back to our cattle example… If you wanted to build a LARGER cattle farm and then got upset at the fact that in order for you to have more cows you needed to clean up more shit… You would, in fact, be dumb. Don’t be dumb. More money, more problems. They go hand in hand, so be ready for the extra effort. I’m not saying to become a total slave to your business and never take time off. Rest when you need to. Take a day off, watch a movie, or go berzerker mode at the club. Recharge your batteries or whatever. But also know that there will be days when you've got to put your phone in another room all day long and just get shit done. Those are the days that count the most. Think long-term. This isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. Imagine where you’re going to be in a few years if you stick with it. Sure, there might be some slow months or even setbacks. But if you keep pushing, keep learning, and stay consistent, eventually the progress is noticeable to everyone around you. - Daniel @ Client Ascension Email 2 Self-sabotage is what’s fucking you up. It’s the culprit that lurks in the shadows, holding back tons of ambitious business owners just as they're about to hit their stride. There is no answer other than to tackle the problem head-on. To truly expand your capacity inside your business, you've got to stretch your comfort zone. I’m not talking about just being able to work more hours in a day… Everything revolves around your comfort zone. If you’re not comfortable spending money on ads, you’re not going to be good at ads. If you’re not comfortable spending $5,000 a month on a remote team, you’re not going to be good at scaling your team. If you’re not comfortable with working out on a consistent basis, you don’t get the benefits of working out that often. If you’re not comfortable with saving 20% of your income every month, you don’t get to experience a fat reserve account in a few years. See what I mean? If you want more, you need to embrace the discomfort or unfamiliarity that often accompanies growth. It's about pushing boundaries and venturing into unfamiliar territories. Many of you, deep down, are TERRIFIED of this discomfort. You unintentionally throw obstacles in your own path. For instance, think about the person who quits on a fitness plan. They find excuses, skip workouts, and indulge in eating shit. It's their way of avoiding the challenge altogether. I’m no athlete or bodybuilder by any means, I’m just using this as a point to show you that self-sabotage isn’t just present in business… It’s present EVERYWHERE. And the self-sabotage 100% messes with the deal flow inside your business. Almost always, a new agency owner gets worried about taking on more clients, and this is because they're hesitant to embrace the work necessary to get to the next level. New clients, more work. Now, when I say "level up", that’s obviously kind of abstract. Essentially what I mean by “the next level” is a new set of problems for you to solve. Think of your growth journey as a series of 90-day sprints. Each sprint is a focused challenge that propels you forward. For instance, if you’re starting a SAAS… Start with 90 days of in-depth market research, engaging with industry leaders, and scoping out the competition. Then, dedicate another 90 days to developing a prototype of your product. After that, perhaps it's a sprint of marketing or seeking investors. Each phase presents its own set of challenges, but also its own rewards. The magic lies in persistently pushing through these 90-day sprints. They're the NON-NEGOTIABLE stepping stones on your journey towards the business you want. And as you tackle each one, you're not just growing your business; you're growing as an operator, becoming more adept and resilient. The only way to keep growing is by going THROUGH your problems, solving them, so you can then get to the next NEW set of problems. That is the game of business. Don’t play the game, if you don’t like solving problems. Truly simple tbh. - Daniel @ Client Ascension Email 3 Subject Line: Market Saturation vs. Market Sophistication Preview Line: (n/a) Market saturation is bullshit. People use this term as an excuse for poor results. The excuse is usually… “I can’t sign any clients because my market is too saturated” Or… “People won’t respond to my cold emails because my market is too saturated” The true beast to tackle? Market sophistication. Let's dive into what that means. It's pretty straightforward – it's about how well people understand their problems and its solutions. As time goes on, people become more and more aware of their problems, the reason for those problems, and what solutions solve those problems. The longer they’re in the market, the more offers they see. They can't be conned or bullshitted anymore. They're not just selective, they've graduated to a whole new level of understanding. They've become sophisticated. They've seen the same stuff, heard the same lines. If your product or service is a carbon copy of everyone else's, it's gonna get ignored. Why? Because your market has been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. You've got to step out from the crowd. You NEED a different, unique, and game changing offer. Your market is ALWAYS on the lookout for something different. They're tired of the same old, same old. So how do you come up with an offer that can achieve that? First off, you need to get on your customer's wavelength. Understand your market inside out. Connect with them, chat with them, ask them questions about their issues, and what they've tried before. 10-15 calls like that and I guarantee you’ll know what the offer should be. If you want to get those calls easily, just offer a free service in exchange for their time. By doing this, you'll get the inside track on what they need and how you can deliver it in a bold, fresh, and exciting way. Now obviously, this is time-intensive as hell… So what I’m going to do is send you something tomorrow that can help speed up the process. Keep your eyes out for it, you won’t want to miss it. * Daniel @ Client Ascension Email 4 Subject Line: cold email heroic mission Preview Line: down? Want to find out how you can create an offer that separates you from your competition AND get 50,000 ListKit credits for free? (translation: want to go on a cold email heroic mission and add $10,000 a month GUARANTEED to your agency?) If so, reply to this email with the word “OFFER” and I’ll send you something exclusive that I’m opening up for a few people. * Daniel @ Client Ascension