"I have the freedom to do what I want when I want, make unlimited money, decide my own fate, having the entrepreneur mentality."
Todd Schaefer is the Chief Operations Officer of As You Wish Publishing, a business coach and consultant, and an author of two books. Todd has coached more than 2,000 clients 1-on-1, and was awarded Life Coach of the Year in 2014 by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Todd has also created two 6-figure companies since 2011.
His Amazing Company
As You Wish Publishing
His Website
https://www.asyouwishpublishing.com/
Our Burning Questions Answered
Tell us about your business. How did the idea for your business come about?
My wife Kyra came up with the idea for our publishing business. I helped flesh it out and got it organized.
What are the highlights and low-lights of being an entrepreneur?
Highlights: I have the freedom to do what I want when I want, make unlimited money, decide my own fate, having the entrepreneur mentality.
Low-lights: Misqualified clients, unpredictable income.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
Doing a great job, innovating systems, implementing high-leverage ideas, attracting high-quality clients, making effortless money.
What do you feel is a helpful pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Be consistent, stay organized, implement good business systems, qualify your decisions, know what actions bear fruit.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
Better customer avatar targeting, build an ongoing high-quality email list, consistent promotion and marketing, qualify customers and job scopes accurately.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
1- Get your mind and heart right so that you can serve others without "needing." Fill your cup before meeting your clients' needs, not the other way around.
2- Test and measure everything. Observe how everything you do is giving you feedback. What gets measured gets managed.
3- Qualify your purchases. Learn the difference between needs and wants.
4- Be scrupulous. Most things are free or cheap online. Get savvy with Google searches, YouTube, and Fiverr.com.
5- Hire a business coach or consultant and work 1-2 times per month with them, no matter how you evaluate your progress.
6- Adopt a "ready, fire, aim" approach. You need to be agile and action-oriented and act regularly.
7- Produce content regularly. Start a YouTube channel. Blog. Get traffic coming to your website's services and products.
8- Read or listen to business books about how to spend your time most wisely. Everything you do is based on what you know or don't know.
What 3 books do you feel were instrumental in your development as an entrepreneur?
Tons more, but those are three great ones for beginners.
Authored or Collaborated in the following books
If you serve clients in a holistic service-based business: Selling Emotionally Transformative Services by Todd Schaefer.