This week we’re going to hear a masterclass from Matt Motil in how you can invest in property using hardly any of your own money. Matt will also share with us the mindset you need to take the plunge and make property investment a career choice.

Matt worked for 20 years in the construction industry, but it was only once he got into teaching that he realised he should leave the rat race behind and become his own boss as a property investor. In his words, he was merely “helping people become employees”, so he strived to find a better way.

Now Matt has a vast property portfolio and a highly successful company that has helped hundreds of property investors around the world. He is also a 3-times bestselling author and hosts the excellent Cashflow King and American Entrepreneur podcasts. He clearly knows his stuff!

Read on for Matt’s top tips:

**  When people try and persuade you to stay as an unhappy employee and say things like “keep at it, it’ll get better”, don’t assume this is true.

**  Don’t worry about letting people down. If you want to break out of the system, go for it.

**  Don’t wait for the perfect time to make a big move. Life will pass you by otherwise.

**  The same applies to property. Don’t be so afraid of making that first investment. If you wait for the ‘perfect' property, you won’t find it.

**  There is no secret formula for what makes a successful property entrepreneur. In Matt’s study of property entrepreneurs, the common theme among them is as simple as “getting out of their own way”, i.e. having an abundant mindset where they take assertive action.

**  It is possible to buy property with no money in the bank, i.e. for tax purposes, some owners don’t want the short-term revenue from the sale. They’ll retain a mortgage instead, and you can arrange a payment plan with them privately. As long as the revenue you generate from the property equals or exceeds the payments, you’ll be doing good business.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How you can enter the game with minimal cash

**  Matt’s story of how he left the rat race earned himself freedom

**  When is the right time?

**  The value of mistakes

**  How much money you really need to get started in real estate investment

**  The length of time it can take to do a deal

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Work with one of our business Excellerators: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Go to Matt’s website and receive a free bestselling book + a load of other great resources to help get you started in property investment: http://www.mattmotil.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

As Matt says quite simply, if you’re thinking about investing in property, “take action”!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

It sounds like pure makebelieve, but this week we hear from a guy who has made his fortune by selling fresh air! Troy Paquette is the co-founder and COO of Vanity Air, a company born out of Troy’s desire for the world to breathe the same fresh air as he could in his native Banff in Canada.

From humble beginnings selling zip-lock bags full of air on eBay, Troy has built up Vanity Air to become a global phenomenon. Troy shared some interesting insight about what you need to take an unusual product to market, and how you should approach partnership in business.

Read on for Troy’s top tips:

** If you have a truly unique product, your presence can multiply quickly if the right media gets hold of it.

**  Be careful if your business grows organically. Without a business plan from the beginning, you may hit the wall.

** Do what you can to self fund. Doing so keeps a tight discipline on the finances when you’re starting out.

**  Don’t be afraid of working in partnership with a friend. If you both complement each other’s skills then it can work great.

**  Choose your investors wisely. Be careful of investors who will clip your wings.

**  Passion is the absolute key to being a great entrepreneur. Although luck is always a factor, without passion, you will not make your own luck.

**  Don’t worry about the haters and naysayers. If you have a groundbreaking product there will always be negativity. Keep the faith and ride it out!

**  The people who make it are the people who push hard when they’re at rock bottom.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How Troy took a leap of faith and started out

**  What motivates an entrepreneur

**  The secrets of a successful global business

**  How Troy courted international investors

**  The importance of intellectual property

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Work wih one of our business Excellerators: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Troy’s website: http://www.vitalityair.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Let’s end this with some sage advice from Ben. If you’re struggling to keep the faith with a unique product, consider this: “…we wouldn’t have flight if it wasn’t for the Wright Brothers!”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Tara Shelton has made it her business to empower people to tell the right story with their branding. Her company, Dream & Do has the motto “if you can dream it, you can become it” and down the years has helped hundreds of businesses sell themselves to their marketplace. Even if your business and your brand is well-established, you can still benefit greatly from the no-nonsense advice from Tara.

Read on for Tara’s top tips:

**  A logo isn’t a brand - there is so much more to it than that.

**  You don’t get a second chance at a first impression!

**  Don’t worry about offending people. Be different and go for it!

**  All successful brands define the USP.

**  Think deeply about every interaction you have with your customers and inject this into your branding.

**  Google yourself and manage your own personal brand. Make sure your headshot is always the same across all different social mediums.

**  Look at what everyone else in your market is doing… what if you did the opposite?

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How branding is more than simply design

**  How branding can create an experience

**  Branding on a budget

**  When to rebrand

**  Branding success stories

**  Can you get away with cheap logo services?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Special offer for BBF listeners: Tara’s eBook “42 branding tips for startups”, normally 12 AUD, free giveaway if you email tara@dreamanddo.com.au and put BBF in the subject header.

**  Tara’s website: http://www.dreamanddo.com.au

**  Tara’s instagram: _dreamanddo_

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Let’s go back to Tara’s advice from before. If you want one thing that sums up her approach to branding, read this and take note: “Look at what everyone else is doing… what if you did the opposite?”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

What a pleasure it is to talk about a monumental Aussie success story. As the founder of Canva.com, Cameron Adams has flown the flag for Aussie entrepreneurs the world over by creating a collaborative online design platform that has literally changed the lives of millions.

The basic premise of Canva was to empower people who were not naturally gifted in the area of design to get creative. Canva succeeded in spades and is now worth over $1bn! As well as telling the story of their meteoric rise, Cameron gave us some brilliant insight that all entrerpreneurs could benefit from.

Read on for Cameron’s top tips:

**  Understand what your strength is in business. If you are an expert on product/invention then you need to make sure you have someone alongside you who is more focused on process and management.

**  Get your onboarding right. Don’t subject your employees to too many ‘sink or swim’ situations.

**  When trying to raise investment you should really focus on getting your first investor over the line. Then others will follow.

**  Get your content right. Do that and you won’t need to spend big money on conventional marketing.

**  Creating a great product is your best form of marketing.

**  When doing your marketing campaigns, always work to a KPI, i.e. "cost per new lead”

Think properly about the product you’re building. Stay faithful to your vision by not pandering to fads and investor agendas.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The sensational rise of Canva

**  The best uses of Canva as a design tool

**  How Cameron raised funding in the early days

**  Is there a formula for being a successful entrepreneur?

**  How Canva gathered intelligence from its customers

**  The best ‘kind’ of investor

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Go to http://www.canva.com for design inspiration.

**  Cameron says that Canva is always looking to hire fresh new talent. Simply google “canva jobs” to see what’s out there at the moment.

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Cameron’s success is based on many positive factors, but the quote that really hit home is this one: “Create a culture in your company where your workers are encouraged to be a good human and to empower others."

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

This week we talk to someone who has used adversity in business to do things a different way. John Abbott lost six businesses during the GFC and went off to Bali with only a backpack to his name, but soon he found a winning formula in business by using giveaways.

John is an inspirational man who has worked with some truly inspirational people, such as Richard Branson, Roger Hamilton and Paul Dunn. As the founder of the Results Platform Foundation and Global Enterprise, John has truly practiced what he has preached and has the results to prove it.

Read on for John’s top tips on work/life balance and the power of giveaways:

**  Swift action is the best. It’s tempting to hold onto a failing business for the sake of your staff, but it might actually be better for them to make a change sooner rather than later.

**  Do not hide! Front up to people if you owe them money – then you stand a better chance of  successful negotiation.

**  In Bali, John saw “extraordinarily wealthy people” living with almost no money. Whatever you are doing in business, remember that it is possible to be happy without massive monetary wealth.

**  Giving is a good way of turning what would normally be a sales conversation into something easier.

**  If you offer real value for free and someone makes a commitment to receive it, they are more likely to commit to buying something further down the line.

**  You can offer a giveaway for a limited number of people. Think of all of the people who apply for the giveaway who don’t make it… you can then contact them and make them a special offer.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How John coped with losing everything

**  When to let go of a failing business

**  How to use giving to benefit your business and everyone

**  How to manage the demand for giveaways

**  The power of “human to human” marketing

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  John’s personal website: http://www.johnabbott.me

**  Further detail on John’s pioneering giving model can be found at: http://www.givingmodel.com

**  John’s book, Freedom By Design can be bought here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

There is a lot you can learn from John. First, that it is possible to come back from a dire financial situation as both a person and a businessman, and second, that giving is an immensely powerful sales/marketing tool.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Every business needs good systems. It might not seem like the most glamorous thing on the desk of an entrepreneur, but once you hear Scott Gellatly talk about systems, you’ll start to appreciate their magic!

Scott has an extensive background in large-scale IT and project management, having founded his hugely successful company, Scale My Empire. He’s built an easy-to-use framework that can help any business owner, and he’s been kind enough to share it with us on the show.

Read on for Scott’s top tips:

**  Developments in technology should be seen as an opportunity for leverage and empowerment. If you think back to olden times, a farmer who took the plunge and started to use a horse & cart would be more empowered than a farmer who stuck to what he knew and merely continued to use a hoe.

**  Technology helps you work on the business rather than work in it.

**  Think of the high divorce rate among business owners. Creating systems that take you away from the stress of the coalface can literally change your life.

**  You must give your employees a process, a platform and a way of measuring it. The right system will do this.

**  A system can allow a low-paid employee to do tasks that would previously have been done by a higher-paid employee. This directly increases your margin.

**  Business owners consistently struggle to delegate. Systems are a great opportunity to change this.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Why people avoid systems

**  The ‘triangle’ of systems

**  Futureproofing your business

**  Where you should start when systemising

**  How systems can help recruitment

**  What the newest technology will do for the human race

**  AI’s potential to assign work across a business

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Scott’s Scale My Empire website is here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

There is beauty and empowerment in systems! Just listen to Scott and think of what you can do to empower your business and your employees.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Books can be a very powerful way for an entrepreneur to arrive in their marketplace, as well as a brilliant journey of self discovery. Every entrepreneur should consider writing a book, but how do you go about doing it?

On the show this week we have Joanne Fedler to walk us through the process. Joanne is an international bestelling auther of 10 books (selling over 650,000), one of which even outsold Harry Potter for a short time to top the Amazon bestseller chart. Joanne is now a specialist writing tutor, so it really was a privilege to get her practical advice for free.

Read on for Joanne’s top tips:

**  Don’t wait to be chosen by a publisher, choose yourself! Self publishing has never been more possible.

**  Don’t rush the writing of a book. For something that will have long-lasting value, you should expect to be spending 1 - 2 years from beginning to end.

**  Get the best editor you can afford. Most of the best creativity comes from teamwork.

**  Understand your why. If you don’t establish why you care so much about an issue to write a book about it, you will never focus properly.

**  Create a routine for writing. Break down your big idea into digestible chunks.

**  You don’t need to write your book in chronological order. Write what comes naturally and decide on the order right at the end.

**  Publishing a book is as simple as buying an ISBN number from Bowker and spending a couple of hundred dollars with Ingram Spark who will upload your book to Amazon and all of their distributors.

**  Books can be printed on demand. You will never have to gamble with a big initial outlay.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How long it takes to write a book that has substance

**  What stops people writing

**  The power of deadlines

**  How to use your defining moment in life to empower your writing

**  How to find a publisher

**  The optimum routine for writing a book

**  How to get an ISBN number

**  Affordable self-publishing options

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Maxmyprofit is looking for Business Excelerators. Could you step up to the plate to help business owners build the business they imagine? Find out more here.

**  Joanne’s personal website is here

**  Other sites mentioned in the episode: IngramSpark, Bowker, Createspace, 99designs, Upwork

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

As Joanne says, “everyone’s got a book in them”. Now you know how to write it and publish it, what’s stopping you?

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

We all want our business to be featured in the media, right? But there inlies the problem. Because everybody wants the same thing, a journalist’s inbox is absolutely inundated every day, so how do you stand out from the crowd and get that coverage for your business?

We get the answers from Jason Feifer – a man who has spent most of his career being courted by people wanting him to write about them. Jason has previously been the editor of Men’s Health, Maxim and Boston, and is the current editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, so he knows better than anyone what it takes for an entrepreneur to be featured in the publications that matter to them.

See below for some of Jason’s top tips:

**  A lot of people think they should get press “just because”. This really isn’t the attitude. You must try and get press with a focus.

**  You are never doing a journalist a favour. Don’t adopt that attitude!

**  Understand the audience of each publication and tailor your pitch accordingly. You shouldn’t just copy and paste your pitch and click 'send'.

**  What makes your story unique? Starting a business is not unique and being successful at business is not unique; but maybe a stunt that you pulled is unique.

**  Don’t assume a PR person will be able to make your story fit for a publication. You still need to have that focus yourself.

**  Approach the people in an organisation who are empowered enough to make decisions, but not so powerful as to be too busy.

**  Think about following a journalist on twitter and reading their previous work. That way you can engage them from the beginning of your correspondence with your views on what they’ve done in the past.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How to get into the media for free

**  The value (or not) of PR

**  Does Linkedin work for getting coverage?

**  Who you should contact in a media organisation

**  Do we need press releases any more?

**  How to send the right emails

**  Elevator pitches for journalists

**  How much you should follow up

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Maxmyprofit is looking for Business Excelerators. Could you step up to the plate to help business owners build the business they imagine? Find out more here.

**  Find Jason’s excellent podcasts, “Problem Solvers” and “Pessimists Archive” here.

**  Check out Jason’s own website: http://www.jasonfeifer.com

**  Jason’s article: Pitching your business to a journalist

**  Jason’s article: 5 ways to stand out from the crowd

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Don’t forget Jason’s immortal words, “press releases suck”. If you want to get coverage, you must think laterally and do something different!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

This week on BBF we will share some great advice that EVERY business owner could benefit from. With us on the show is Bernadette Schwerdt, who offers us an excellent insight into the online sphere thanks in no small part to her experience writing her book “Secrets of Online Entrepreneurs”. For the book she interviewed 100 of the most disruptive online marketers in the world, so she certainly knows from the best how a business can stand out in a crowded marketplace.

A copywriter by trade, Bernadette has created campaigns for the likes of Apple, American Express and BHP and is the founder of the Australian School Of Copywriting. And what’s more, Bernadette has actually appeared on Neighbours a total of four times!

See below for some of Bernadette’s top online-marketing insight:

**  60% of small businesses in Australia don’t have a website. This seems incredible, but if your business is part of that 60% then it’s time to get with it!!

**  Retailers who already have an offline presence actually are in the best possible position to succeed online.

**  Think offline before you go online. Make that product, make that sale. Don’t try and reach out to a thousand customers if you don’t even have one customer.

**  Understand your metrics. You may not be an SEO expert but you may need to manage one, so you have to know enough to be able to measure the performance of marketing professionals effectively.

**  Make your content sharable. If you make your content good enough to share then you won’t need to pay silly money for advertising.

**  The best way to shape your content is to ‘answer' the questions your customers/clients ask most regularly.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Ways to create lead magnets

**  The concept of purchase cycles

**  The importance of content

**  SEO explained

**  How to stand out in a flooded online market

**  Income goals V global disruption

**  The power of A/B testing software

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Build the business you imagined with coaching from Maxmyprofit

**  Check out Bernadette’s website here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Getting noticed in a flooded online marketplace might seem daunting, but if you follow Bernadette’s simple advice you cannot fail to make progress!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Bob Burg has a refreshingly different take on giving. He draws the distinction between sacrifice and giving in a way that achieves mutual value for a business and its customers. Bob certainly knows what he’s talking about, having sold over 1.5 million books worldwide on the topic. His mantra is that the amount of money you make is directly proportional to the number of people you serve.

See below for more of Bob’s take on giving:

**  You can always give to others before you do business with them, i.e. information, introductions etc.

**  No one is doing business with you for your benefit – they’re doing it for their benefit.

**  Giving doesn’t necessarily mean being a martyr. You can be a good giver but also receive at the same time.

**  Always ask questions of your customers. Only then can you properly measure the value you are giving.

**  Remember: what we find valuable about our service might not be the same as what your customers think is valuable.

**  Think of the goals of your customers. How do they align with what you’re selling them?

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  More about Bob’s book, The Go-Giver

**  The law of value

**  The difference between price and value

**  The five elements of value

**  How to balance “self interest”

**  How to become influential in your space

**  Should you pay attention to your competitors?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Become a business Excellerator at Maxmyprofit: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au/about

**  Bob’s website: http://www.thegogiver.com

**  Bob’s most famous book, ‘The Go-Giver’ can be bought here

**  One of Bob’s go-to books mentioned in the episode, ‘The Power of Why’ by C. Richard Welyman can be bought here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

If you are to take one message from this episode it is that value is a two-way thing. Think long and hard about what value you can give, and then what value you can receive in return.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000