Stacy Tuschl is a speaker, business coach, and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She is the author of the book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?” where she reveals proven strategies for pulling entrepreneurs out of a rut and launching them toward business success.
Last Friday I talked about the importance of sharing your story and it occurred to me some of you might not know my story or my background. I interview guest experts every Monday and Wednesday and you get to hear their stories but I don’t really get the chance to share mine and today I want to share with you how I got started on this entrepreneurial journey.
Some highlights include:
I was definitely the bossy kid growing up. I always had to be in charge, it was my way or the highway. At minute 0:00, I talk about my early years.
When I joined a new high school, I needed to make friends. I decided to join the dance team, and I absolutely fell in love with it. After four years, I knew I didn’t want my dance career to be over, but I knew that I wasn’t going to be a professional dancer, so I decided to start a middle school dance team in my parents’ backyard. (minute 1:00)
Three years later I had 100 dancers coming to me every Sunday to be on the dance team. Sunday was my only free day to offer it because I was a full-time college student and had a job bartending in the evenings. I was really busy to say the least and the parents of the dancers knew this and came up to me at year three and said we think you should be charging us. I had no idea what to charge and I had a mom say how about $30/month. All of a sudden I was bringing in $3000/month. (minute 3:00)
I immediately found a space that was $1500/month and assumed that was more than enough to cover it, not realizing with a building there are bills, heat, water, phone, internet, property taxes and guess what, it adds up, and it added up to more than $3k and I knew I had to do something if I wanted to save this business. Immediately after I heard about a business conference for dance studio owners for $1000, and my mom and I attended it together. I learned incredible lessons there that changed my life. (minute 6:00)
One of the major life lessons I learned was to not put all my eggs in one basket. So, at minute 7:00, I talk all about how I’ve diversified my income while growing my dance business.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Jen McDonough, also known as The Iron Jen, a motivational storyteller, engaging Amazon Top 100 author, and business coach, empowers the Everyday Hero to unleash their very best. Jen and her family are most known for paying off over $212,000 worth of debt and medical expenses in 4 years. Their story has been featured in local, national and international media. She is also an 8-time national weightlifter, MN Hall of Fame inductee, and 2-time US Olympic Festival medal winner as well as an Ironman triathlete. All 3 of her books have hit Amazon’s Top 100 categories including her book 5 Minutes a Day to Living Beyond Rich which hit #1 under Amazon’s budgeting category.
In this episode, Jen and Stacy discuss Jen’s incredible journey out of debt and into entrepreneurship as well as getting everything you want out of all facets of life.
Some highlights include:
What do you want in your life? At minute 2:00, Jen talks about why she started a business in a time when most people would never even think of taking that on.
When life hands you the worst, what can you do about it? At minute 8:00, Jen talks about what it took to actually move forward when everything was going wrong.
Where are you spending your money, time, and energy? At minute 19:00, Jen talks about the secret behind work-life balance.
“I love not knowing what’s coming.” At minute 24:00, Jen talks about all of the things she loves in business.
“I hate taking time out on things that aren’t making me money.” At minute 26:00, Jen talks about the necessary parts of business that she doesn’t enjoy as much as the rest.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Emily Filloramo is the author of the book “How to Permanently Erase Negative Self-Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary” and the Founder of Be More Extraordinary Academy. She talks about transforming yourself into the most extraordinary version possible. She is also a graduate of Cornell University.
In this episode, Emily and Stacy discuss working on yourself, working on your business, and how to balance the two.
Some highlights include:
“Stop looking for another job.” At minute 2:00, Emily talks about how her financial planner convinced her to become an entrepreneur.
Make sure your paid mentor is delivering value. At minute 7:00, Emily talks about why her mentor wasn’t delivering the value she needed.
Who do you love to serve? At minute 15:00, Emily talks about the marketing ideas that she had to learn when she became an entrepreneur.
“Because this is what I love doing, this isn’t work.” At minute 19:00, Emily talks about why work-life balance doesn’t exist and why it doesn’t have to.
“The challenge is cannot clone myself.” At minute 23:00, Emily talks about the challenges she faces when it comes to delegation.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Stacy Tuschl is a speaker, business coach, and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She is the author of the book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?” where she reveals proven strategies for pulling entrepreneurs out of a rut and launching them toward business success.
I recently got back from Podcast Movement in Chicago, and I would love to share a little bit about it and my biggest takeaways from the event as well as something that is going to involve you coming on the Business Rescue Road Map!
I don’t remember exactly how I found out about Podcast Movement, but when I saw that it had speakers like Pat Flynn and John Lee Dumas, my interest was definitely sparked.
The event was around $500 and the cool thing about it was it had a bunch of different rooms, maybe eight or so different presentations going on from leading industry experts. What I really liked about it was they had different tracks that you could follow. There was a marketing track, a monetization track, one for the technical side, content, and so on. I stuck with a lot of the marketing and monetization mainly because that is my strong suit and what I enjoy doing.
Overall it was a fabulous event and I will be adding this to my annual conferences. Next year it will be in Anaheim California in August. For me, The connections alone that I was able to make were so critical. Whether it was getting people on my show, or others inviting me to be a guest on theirs, was well worth the ticket.
Here’s some of what I learned:
One of the things we learned about was why it’s so important to share your story with your listeners. Listeners resonate with stories, so, in one of my future solocasts, I’m going to be sharing my story with you. Even if you have heard it before, I am going to go into detail of the ups and downs of running my own business and how I have gotten to this point in my life. (minute 2:00)
Another thing I learned about was getting my community more involved. One of my biggest struggles for me as a podcaster is there is no interaction in the moment, unlike Periscope and Facebook live. One of the suggestions I received at Podcast Movement was to get listeners to ask questions by recording themselves and they can appear on the show. When I announced this in my private facebook community, I immediately got a great question from Celeste that I will be featuring in a show in a few weeks. (minute 3:00)
I also learned about interviewing listeners. You have your own stories, and I’d love to talk to you about them. If you’re interested, please let me know via the link in the resources section. (minute 7:00)
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Kendra Prospero is CEO & Founder of Turning the Corner LLC, a career coaching, recruiting, and business cultivation services organization helping job seekers and companies transform the way they think about work. Kendra has given hundreds of presentations to corporate executives, business professionals, Human Resource professionals, and job seekers transforming the way people think about work. She loves helping people get results.
In this episode, Kendra and Stacy discuss making it through the early stages of business and all the challenges that come along with that phase.
Some highlights include:
You probably won’t make money right away. At minute 1:00, Kendra talks about the beginning stage of running a business and the sacrifices that have to be made.
Figure out what you don’t want to do. At minute 8:00, Kendra talks about how to hire the right employees when you’re hiring new employees.
“You need to have a grasp on a sales cycle.” At minute 12:00, Kendra talks about the sales funnel and why it’s so important to the survival of your business.
“I work 2.5 days a week.” At minute 20:00, Kendra talks about getting work-life balance to work for her.
You have to be incredibly self-aware. At minute 26:00, Kendra talks about how business owners can reach the next level.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Brad Harker is a published author, speaker, performance coach, and host of the top-rated Influence podcast. His creativity and passion for problem solving has fueled a robust entrepreneurial background that includes the creation of several companies and more than a quarter-billion dollars in sales.
Brad’s published book, “The Laws of Influence – Mastering the Art of Sales, Leadership, and Change” has been recognized by a number of outlets, including Forbes.
In this episode, Brad and Stacy discuss the challenges of entrepreneurship and why it’s so important to create something of value.
Some highlights include:
“I went after so many things that were hollow.” At minute 1:00, Brad talks about making the mistakes of chasing money early in his career and the changes he made to become the happy, successful person he is today.
Don’t get so caught up in money. At minute 10:00, Brad talks about why he’s not a big fan of investing and why he would rather enjoy the fruits of his labor.
There are different stages of work-life balance. At minute 13:00, Brad talks about these stages and which one he’s currently in.
“My greatest vice in my life is my patience.” At minute 22:00, Brad talks about the challenges of being an entrepreneur.
It’s amazing how much clearer your decisions become in context of your audience. At minute 26:00, Brad talks about how to figure out how to create value in your business.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Stacy Tuschl is a speaker, business coach, and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She is the author of the book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?” where she reveals proven strategies for pulling entrepreneurs out of a rut and launching them toward business success.
In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about when to drop a social media platform. As we all know, there are just so many different social media platforms out there, and that can be incredibly overwhelming. The experts always say to master one or two platforms before adding more, but that’s often easier said than done because the pressure is so great to be everywhere.
Some highlights include:
Sometimes a social media platform isn’t worth being on, and sometimes a big platform can take a nosedive. You need to know when to drop a platform so that you’re not wasting money. (minute 1:00)
Everybody always asks me why I’m still on Periscope, which many see as a dying platform. So why am I there? I don’t care if a platform is dying because you can still use dying platforms to grow your email list. (minute 2:00)
Everything you do has to have a return on investment, and you have to be tracking it. Don’t just listen to what the gurus are saying. If it’s working, keep using it. (minute 4:00)
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Sally Hope was touring in a rock’n’roll band opening for the likes of Bon Jovi and pursued becoming a life coach after it was suggested by Tommy Lee. Fast forward a few years later, she’s travelled North American in an RV, lived in Costa Rica and moved to Montana. She’s now the leader of the Wildheart Revolution, a community for women who are seekers, freedom lovers, and rule breakers.
In this episode, Sally and Stacy discuss the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with the lifestyle you want and how to do it successfully.
Some highlights include:
“We all think we want to have a linear path.” At minute 1:00, Sally talks about why this wasn’t the case for her at all and then talks all about her wild ride from being in a rock’n’roll band to her current business today.
Lead from a place of authenticity. At minute 11:00, Sally talks about why, for her, business is building is always an extension of her creativity.
Invest in your learning and growing. At minute 15:00, Sally talks about why personal growth is so important.
Pay attention to what you love. At minute 18:00, Sally talks about how she just fell into her brand as well as some strategies for how you can find yours.
Make sure all the decisions you make are in alignment with your goals. At minute 29:00, Sally talks about figuring out what you really want.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
The Real Brian has been behind the microphone for more than 20 years in radio, MC’ing, and now podcasting to name a few.
Brian hosts multiple podcasts, including Profitcast, Podcasters Paradise, and Arrow Squad. AND he’s even, now, working on launching The Real Brian Show.
In this episode, Brian and Stacy discuss the business of podcasting and what it takes to make it into a profitable business.
Some highlights include:
“I just wanted to be a radio DJ.” At minute 2:00, Brian talks about why he left his old business and how he got into podcasting.
“Making money in podcasting is not easy. It takes time.” At minute 4:00, Brian talks about what it really takes to create a podcast that is profitable.
The best way to market is to build relationships. At minute 15:00, Brian talks about the struggles he’s faced throughout his career when it comes to marketing effectively.
Take some time to just “be.” At minute 17:00, Brian talks about taking a month off for the first time ever and how it changed his perspective.
“I love the fact that I can make nothing or unlimited.” At minute 25:00, Brian talks about why he loves being an entrepreneur.
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!
Stacy Tuschl is a speaker, business coach, and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She is the author of the book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?” where she reveals proven strategies for pulling entrepreneurs out of a rut and launching them toward business success.
In today’s episode, I’m going to be talking all about how to charge what you’re worth. Of course, it’s really easy for me to tell you to just raise your prices, and yes, I still get nervous when I raise mine. But it’s absolutely a necessity in your business to charge what you’re worth.
Some highlights include:
Pricing yourself too low can cost you your business. If you’re on the low end, people will question if the quality is really there. (minute 0:00)
Higher prices equal less work. When you charge higher prices, you don’t as need as many customers to bring in the same income, and that’s a great benefit for your customers. (minute 2:00)
Your pricing says something about you. You need to be very careful when you’re choosing your pricing because you could be turning away the big clients that are willing to pay a lot more for your services. (minute 3:00)
Just go try it. You are worth every penny, and you’ll never know if your prices are high enough unless you just raise them. (minute 4:00)
Chloe Thomas is an eCommerce expert, author of 4 books, keynote speaker, and host of the eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast. eCommerce MasterPlan is the result of years of experience and was created to help eCommerce business people make the right decisions as they build their own path to eCommerce success.
In this episode, Chloe and Stacy discuss the highlights and challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Some highlights include:
“I’m doing the wrong thing.” At minute 3:00, Chloe talks about how she came to the realization that she needed to stop what she was doing and start a brand new business.
Buy into the right advice. At minute 8:00, Chloe talks about the biggest financial lessons that she’s learned in business.
At minute 10:00, Chloe talks about her experience in podcasting, why it has a bigger impact than other mediums, and how it has helped her grow an international audience.
“Work-life balance exists if you choose to make it exist.” At minute 15:00, Chloe gives her take on the work-life balance debate, and she talks about it from the point of view of an introvert.
“At the end of the day, the buck stops with me.” At minute 20:00, Chloe talks about her most and least favorite parts of entrepreneurship.
Stacy Tuschl is a speaker, business coach, and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She is the author of the book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?” where she reveals proven strategies for pulling entrepreneurs out of a rut and launching them toward business success.
In today’s episode, I’m going to be addressing another question I got from a listener. I’ve talked before about how I keep a yearly calendar, and this reader wanted to know more about that. They said they are good at planning out a calendar for their week and sometimes their month, but it’s hard for them to think about doing a quarterly calendar, much less a yearly one.
Some highlights include:
Step #1: Start with a brain dump. You need to get it all down on paper. At minute 1:00, I talk about everything you need to write down to get your yearly calendar started.
Step #2: Color code it into separate categories. You need to have three different highlighters, and at minute 2:00, I tell you how to use them the way I do to break your events up into three distinct categories.
Step #3: Go to Google and print out a free calendar. At minute 3:00, I talk about how to use this calendar with the categories from step #2.
Step #4: It’s now time to reevaluate your calendar. Is there a time where you aren’t very busy? Maybe this is time for a launch. (minute 6:00)
*Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!