085 From Idea to Product Launch Success Part 1 The 4 Launch Stages

As entrepreneurs, we're highly driven, we're committed to the impact that we have, we push ourselves. And we beat ourselves up a lot. It's what drives us, but it also can cause a lot of burnout and stress and anxiety when things don't go quite to plan.

In our Rising Resilient interview, I spoke with life coach Linda Lalicata on spotting the signs that your life or career isn't where you want it to be, and getting the right support and accountability to work on the kind of personal growth and self-confidence that builds our resilience.

Join us as we dive into the inspiring narrative of Linda Lalicata, a vibrant figure dedicated to guiding women to achieve career goals that bring professional and personal fulfilment.

Linda brings to the table a unique blend of neuroscience, educational acumen, and coaching expertise to help her clients achieve their career and life goals. A staunch advocate for nurturing self-belief, self-confidence, and self-esteem, she has transformed her own experiences into a catalyst for change.

As a teacher at Bronx Community College New York, she goes beyond academic issues, addressing the deeper struggles that hinder student success, proving her commitment to holistic development.

From battling the shadows of self-doubt and her own family turmoil, Linda has emerged as a beacon of personal growth, her life a testament to the transformative impact of positive psychology and education. 

Linda doesn't just coach; she awakens her clients to their innate strengths and values, equipping them to navigate life's hurdles with openness, grace and determination. In our interview for this Rising Resilience series, we explore the essence of resilience through Linda's lens - what it signifies to her and the lives she touches.

This episode is an invitation to those yearning to unlock their potential, to feel empowered, and to celebrate their innate talents, propelling them towards greater success. 

For those moved by Linda's story and eager to harness their inner confidence, the pathway to building career resilience awaits you.

Visit our episode shownotes at http://jayallyson.com/podcast/achieve-career-goals-linda-lalicata/ to connect with Linda, and don't miss the opportunity to sign up for her complimentary Self-Confidence course.

My guest for Rising Resilient today is Melanie Hussell, founder and CEO of Melanie Hussell Communications. Melanie's brilliance is in helping business leaders create and deliver powerful presentations.

Melanie’s story of resilience is inspiring to others venturing into the world of entrepreneurship. She started out in her business offering in-person Business English classes, then made the courageous decision to shift to online training and coaching, despite lacking technical and marketing skills.

Investing in business coaching and with the help of done-for-you services, she’s created a comprehensive suite of online video-rich courses, a full Persuasive Presentations program, including feedback through the use of an AI app. An amazing transformation, both for herself and her clients who are just blown away working with Melanie. Her testimonials are just incredible.

Melanie quickly pivoted to working more with senior executives who have a lot riding on their presentation skills and improved the consistency of her outreach, her marketing and the consistency of her follow up process. She started turning networking conversations into $5-15k coaching proposals with a 75% close rate, and made almost $25k revenue from 3 new 1:1 clients and 4 pre-sales from releasing an ‘essentials’ early splinter offer from the full program. 

However, while there are peaks where all her hard work comes to fruition, there are still many dips that Melanie has had to navigate, both in her mindset and in her marketing and sales… so rising resilient is an ongoing endeavour for her.

In this second interview for the Rising Resilient series, Melanie shares her resilience journey and talks about how courage and self-belief have been the pillars for her as an entrepreneur, and how she channels this through to the clients she coaches too. Come join us. 

For more information, go to http://melaniehussell.com or find links on the episode show notes page at https://jayallyson.com/podcast/tools-for-building-resilience/.

My first guest for this special podcast series Rising Resilient is Dr. Carmen Morrison.  Specialization: Parenting, Brain Health, Relationships, Mind-Body Nutrition, she has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, an M.A. in Theology and M.A. in Education, and is a Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner. Carmen has been licensed as a psychologist for almost two decades and also set up an online dimension under the umbrella brand of Alli.health to reach more people who are ‘stuck’ and looking for the Ultimate Brain Reset – the so-called magic wand. 

In this interview, when you hear how she speaks about resilience and the neuroscience underneath it, bear in mind, she and her husband also run a significant non-profit operation working in developing countries afflicted by trauma. Her work is far-reaching, and highly impactful. 

Getting to know both Carmen and Bob as their business coach, I often wonder how they sustain such in-depth and demanding work. So I was very keen to get her on the show to talk about it with you. 

What I love about her mission – is that she LOVES coaching – maybe less so all the marketing and sales part of growing the business, but as her husband Bob often remarks in our business development sessions, Carmen comes alive and does her best work when she gets to come alongside you and help you discover ways to get unstuck. And that, for her, is one of the most thrilling things that empowers her.

On their website alli.health – where you can find out more about the work - she explains this brilliantly:  I love to take things that seem really complex and break them down into small pieces. I’m a certified brain health professional in addition to being a licensed psychologist.  At Alli, I want to help people who don’t really need therapy, but just need help knowing how to take the next step.

In her Rising Resilient interview here, you’ll want to listen in to her insights on coping and empowerment. She talks about resilience and how to work with your brain's hard-wiring in some very practical and profoundly helpful ways.

As a non-profit and health care therapist, and as an entrepreneur, Carmen has made significant strides in her business, through resources, courses, and coaching, especially in creating user-friendly digital interfaces to complement and extend her clinic work. Her resilience is evident in her ability to navigate the highly competitive health industry while juggling the demands of a high potential non-profit in third-world countries.

For more information, go to http://alli.health or find links on the episode show notes page at

https://jayallyson.com/podcast/carmen-morrison-resilience-brain-reset/.

Resilience is the cornerstone upon which success is built. As entrepreneurs, we possess an unwavering commitment to making an impact in the world. We push ourselves relentlessly, working tirelessly to achieve our goals.

But the burning question that often arises is how to sustain this level of commitment while navigating the myriad challenges life, work, and our careers throw at us. How do we avoid burnout and instead, thrive while continually rising resilient?

This series is not just about hype or quick fixes; it's about serious discussions on the profound challenges and changes that every business builder faces.

Join us as we embark on this enlightening journey with these extraordinary female entrepreneurs. For this first intro and overview episode, I kick off with a framing for rising resilient. I’m going to be talking about the Essence of Resilience, Resilience in Practice, and Entrepreneurial Resilience – is it any different than any other resilience in your life or work…

Then we’ll turn to finding your resilience pillars… and what’s coming up in this unique series where you'll have the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of women entrepreneurs, each with her own perspective on resilience and success. Through their experiences, you'll discover how to navigate the turbulent waters of entrepreneurship while maintaining your sanity and endurance.

Go to http://jayallyson.com/podcast/rising-resilient-overview/ for show notes and to get my free Rising Resilient Success Pillars cheat sheet.

It’s the 100th episode and three-year anniversary of the show. And we are celebrating. For 2024, we’re launching a fantastic new series for the podcast – all about one of the key cornerstones of success in business – resilience. I’ve been collaborating with a whole group of strong women entrepreneurs on this to put this together for you.

In today’s episode, I set the scene for what entrepreneurial resilience means, what’s coming in guest contributions on the subject, and how to develop resilient practices that fuel and sustain your business success.

Through a series of interviews with 14 of my amazing ACES business acceleration clients, we bring you a collection of inspiring and insightful ways you can foster, celebrate and leverage success in entrepreneurial resilience. There is so much passion, talent and commitment to the work they do, in reaching their respective audiences and being of true service. But importantly too is how they show up.

Collectively, these business owners all have demonstrated an uncanny ability to deal with resilience, personally and/or in how they help their clients. And together they illustrate what “success” takes from many different and interesting and valuable angles, and different lenses that stem from their own journeys, as well as the work they do with clients.

Rising Resilient is all about tackling challenges and change in your life and business with confidence, compassion and courage. A frequent theme that emerges in coaching small business owners is the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship. And the growth that happens is not solely because we put great marketing or sales strategies together. It’s the inner growth too, the mindset piece.

Best way to ensure you don’t miss this exciting new series is to subscribe to the show. Please share too with all who could benefit from an uplifting listen. Happy holidays!

For the third part of this series focused on surviving and thriving in the age of AI, we address the proliferation of online courses created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), the impact of AI on education, our writing and digital literacy more broadly, and how you can future proof online courses that sell.  

AI technologies, and generative AI in particular, such as ChatGPT, has led to inevitable change in the labour market as well as the marketplace for online education. The increase in course production is leading to greater saturation and competition, which makes it more challenging than ever to stand out. The pressure is on more than ever to differentiate real education and transformation from information and knowledge delivery. 

In this episode, we will look at how to future proof your online courses, exploring how creating profitable e-learning courses is actually both easier and harder with AI, and how you can position yourself for success. Join me as we embark on an exploration of how AI is reshaping the very foundations of education, from the way courses are meticulously designed to how they are dynamically delivered to learners around the globe. 

The future of learning is being shaped by the boundless potential of AI, and I’m here to guide you through this transformative journey so you can position your offerings in a distinctive way to gain competitive advantage.

This three-part series is a prelude to my forthcoming book, The AI Advantage - a short monograph to accompany the larger desk reference, Leveraged Consulting in the Digital Age. The aim is to highlight both possibilities and pitfalls of AI, which I hope will give you pointers to many of the genuine ways you can accelerate your own business’s profitability and growth.

If you’d like an advanced copy and are happy to provide me with feedback and possibly a review when it’s published, go to http://jayallyson.com/leveragedbusiness/the-ai-advantage/ to register your interest.

Whether you're a small startup or a large corporation, understanding the disruptive technologies of Artificial Intelligence and generative AI tools like ChatGPT and how they are infiltrating our world, is crucial for staying competitive in today's market.

In this second part of 3, we unravel the transformative potential of AI in reshaping the way we market, sell, and engage with customers. We embark on a journey that uncovers the power of AI tools in redefining marketing campaigns, enhancing customer engagement, and propelling sales growth.

From predictive analytics that decode consumer behaviour to the conversational prowess of AI-powered chatbots, businesses are experiencing a paradigm shift in their approach to marketing and sales. It's a digital revolution fuelled by data, and AI is at the helm of this transformative voyage.

And I’ll be sharing use cases and specific AI software of how AI-powered solutions are enabling businesses to make marketing campaigns smarter, customer interactions more personalised, and sales processes more efficient. Prepare to be inspired by the possibilities that AI unlocks for businesses of all sizes. 

Grab an early peek at The AI Advantage, Jay Allyson’s forthcoming book, details in the show notes at http://jayallyson.com/podcast/ai-tools-to-boost-sales/.

There's no ignoring or denying the power of AI in business. It's an incredible way to help with many of the operational parts of running a business including content, copy, processes, customer support, and more. Those burying their head in the technical sand, will lose the AI competitive advantage.

Over the next three episodes, you’ll get my leveraged business perspective on all things generative AI and how small businesses and entrepreneurs can use ChatGPT and other AI tools to get more done in less time without necessarily outsourcing or hiring anyone.

Artificial intelligence is not going to replace you anytime soon. Because your business is all about leveraging YOU. Your energy, perceptiveness and insights are what makes you and your business stand out from an increasingly competitive marketplace and become seen, respected and successful. But AI and the likes of generative AI tools like ChatGPT for textual output and Midjourney for images, can take a big chunk of the heavy lifting off your desk.

AI is more than just a buzzword; it's a strategic imperative for businesses of all sizes. It empowers organisations to tap into the wealth of data at their disposal, extracting valuable insights that drive innovation and competitiveness. From automating routine tasks to offering predictive analytics, AI has the potential to revolutionise business. There’s also a huge impact on the production of content, on the writing of copy, and on creation of courses, which we’ll look at in the later episodes. 

As we delve into the intricacies of AI in business, keep in mind that this is your gateway to understanding the limitless possibilities that AI presents. The world of entrepreneurship and consulting is on the cusp of a technological revolution, and by embracing AI-driven strategies, you're not only future-proofing your business but also positioning it for sustained growth and prosperity.

In this first episode, we'll unravel the multifaceted world of AI applications, from customer service chatbots to data-driven marketing strategies. Then in parts 2 and 3 we’ll tackle more specifically the risks and returns of particular tools like ChatGPT to help you write content, copy and course materials.

Join us as we explore how small businesses are leveraging AI to stay ahead in the ever-changing business landscape.

You can find all the resources and links mentioned in the episode on the show notes page at http://jayallyson.com/podcast/business-use-cases-for-ai-and-chatgpt/.  

When you're looking at content and copy in your marketing, have you ever really thought about the job each is doing to drive sales across the customer journey?

Defining the purpose, audience and occasion for everything you communicate is super powerful for connecting with your target audience and building trust.

Ever wondered what’s the difference between content and copy? And how to use them in harmony to build authentic and effective customer relationships?

Now you might already be creating content in a very intentional way - see previous episodes 93 and 94 on elevating your content marketing - but in my experience many businesses (maybe MOST businesses in fact) are not necessarily getting leads and sales from all that effort - which is pretty demotivating to keep on doing it, right?

The reason is that most businesses are not creating content in a way that drives the flywheel of their customer journey. There's very little copy running through all that content.

Let me put that another way, most business are not following a strategy where their content loops back to what they're selling. And they're not creating a strong demand narrative to move people from consuming content to following you, engaging with you and taking action towards working with you.

Instead of just posting content whenever you feel like it, think of your content and copy working in harmony to get people engaged, educated and then enrolled into your program or service.

And you're in luck :-) This episode (and its accompanying blog article) is intended to help you do just that, so you can drive sales across the customer journey more effectively.

Don't forget to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts via https://pod.link/1537508136.

And finally, if you're finding the content valuable, I'd very much appreciative if you' would leave me a review. (Because I get messages with lots of lovely feedback, but even better if you'd hop over to iTunes (Apple podcasts or wherever you listen) and write a review - a great rating and one sentence is plenty.)

If you’re feeling the end-of-summer blues, I hear you – I’m noticing my mood is lower than usual. It can be challenging with our social and work interactions to rise above it.

The end-of-summer blues is a real thing. The change in temperature, light going from summer into fall (autumn) can affect us more than we realise. It marks the end of a season filled with warmth, sunshine, and outdoor activities and the start of shorter, darker days and more time indoors.

As you might be feeling a little of this too, I thought I’d drop you an impromptu checklist to share some ideas on how to cope with the end of summer blues - prevention and treatment :-) Here are some strategies you can use to cope with the end of summer blues and transition smoothly into the new season.

For those interested in understanding our 5 element personal archetypes and how to embrace seasonal living to feel good all year round, I fully recommend this 'Foundations of Seasonal Living' six-week online program with practitioner mentor Jo Hafey.