Estie Rand With Strand Consulting

Intro: [00:00:02] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Coach the Coach radio brought to you by the Business RadioX Ambassador Program, the no cost business development strategy for coaches who want to spend more time serving local business clients and less time selling them. Go to brxambassador.com To learn more. Now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:33] Lee Kantor here, another episode of Coach the Coach Radio, and this is going to be a good one, so I hope you have a pencil and paper with you because you’re going to learn a lot today. Today we have Estie Rand and she is with Strand Consulting. Welcome Estie.

Estie Rand: [00:00:49] Thank you. I’m excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:51] Well, for folks who don’t know, can you share a little bit about Strand? How are you serving, folks?

Estie Rand: [00:00:57] Sure. So we will take pretty much any business and help it earn more money with less headache. That’s the essence of it. But it’s a full service consulting firm from microbusinesses. So anything you’d imagine that a Fortune 500 company gets from a Deloitte McKinsey. We do for a micro-business business strategy, expansion, marketing, specifically organic marketing strategy, staffing and hiring scalability. All the fun stuff.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:25] So how do you define micro-business?

Estie Rand: [00:01:28] To me, a micro business is anywhere from a solopreneur. It’s like a 20 person company typically earning under a million dollars a year and very often under $100000 a year. But that’s we work typically with people who are from like getting started up to the million dollar mark.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:46] So what’s your back story? How’d you get involved in this kind of work?

Estie Rand: [00:01:51] So about 2011, beginning of what is now the small business revolution? In my opinion, I was working as the CIO of a multinational nonprofit. I love my boss. I loved my job. I had flex time, which was really important to me. I had three little kids at the time. I now have five, not as little kids and I had this dream, but I wasn’t going to leave my job to pursue it until they hired this super toxic middle manager. I made my life utterly miserable and I left and I tried to pursue my dream, and my dream was to create a consultancy for small businesses. And in those days, I’ll just remind anyone who doesn’t remember 2011. That was before everyone in their brothers, sisters, dog walkers, best friend ran their own business, and no one did business consulting for small businesses, only for big ones. But I followed my dream and we did it saying we work with clients on six continents, staff and seven time zones. It’s a full service consultancy. It’s everything I wanted it to be.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:59] Now, when you’re dealing with those size companies, there’s a lot more of them, obviously, than the larger companies. But a lot of times they don’t have the resources to afford this kind of service. How were you able to kind of thread the needle and create a business model that gives them what they need to get that escape velocity and also pays you enough to make it worth your time to do the work?

Estie Rand: [00:03:22] Such a good question and something that I struggled with a lot as we grew up. And for that reason, the company has gone through a number of stages. So when I was just starting out, it was simple because I had my hourly rate, a bunch of different freelancers that I brought in upsell them a little bit and I made it work. And then as we grew as a company, it became a challenge. So I launched my first group online program like strategy creation program in January of 2019. And that’s helped a lot for me to keep costs down, working with people one too many as opposed one to one. Also moving now more into certification and vetting other designers and practitioners so that all the costs stay down. But all the small business owners get a comprehensive solution at a price they can afford.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:13] Now, were you finding that these micro business owners are kind of making similar mistakes? Or maybe they’re not the same mistake, but maybe they rhyme?

Estie Rand: [00:04:22] Yeah, no. After 12 years in the industry, so I started the company in 2011. I was doing it from two years prior. After this long, I definitely see a pattern and there are some very common errors. One of the most common errors I see is the, I call it, the Red Fire Bell. Yeah. So imagine God goes to a town long, long ago, even before there were smartphones. He travels for business, gets to this town, and while he’s there, there’s a fire. So he starts running. He’s like, Where’s the river? Like, Where’s your buckets? And they’re like, No, no, I’ve got something much better. You know, Guy pulls a little bell out of his pocket and he goes, Ring, ring, ring and all the people. They’ve got this whole system and they get this giant like, you know, pipe thing and they run it to the river and they run it to the place and they start pumping this whole thing. And the fire is out within like ten minutes. And he’s like, Oh my gosh, I need this in my town. We have all these fires. Great. And so before he leaves, he swipes the little red fire bell. And within a couple of weeks in his town, the fire springs up. Everyone starts running for the river. He’s like, Guys, no, wait. I’ve got something much better. And he’s like, Ring Ring Ring. And nothing happened. And he goes Ring, Ring, Ring, and nothing happens and the House burns down. And that is my example for the most common mistake that most small business owners make, which is that they see something that works and they have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes or what went into making it work.

Estie Rand: [00:05:47] They see a logo or an ad or a website, and they see a guy who’s just, you know, killing it and they’re like, Oh, OK, I’m going to copy that. I’m going to copy the externals. I’m going to also get a logo or a website. Or now it’s super trendy, so I’m going to have an online program. Yeah, I’ve been in the online info program space for over five years. It’s not a friend of mine recently said she’s like online programs are like, you know, the cool kid, the cool girl of like what MLMs used to be like. Come on, make an online program, make a million dollars. Be amazing. And and so you just copy, but you’re missing all the behind the scenes. That’s the biggest mistake to me. You’ve got to learn how business and marketing actually work. And then it works. And there’s a system. It’s a science and an art, but there’s a strategy and there’s a science to this. There are things you can do that work, and you can’t do the same things that big business does. There’s a very big difference in marketing to sell more of something that everyone already knows and marketing to sell some of something that no one’s ever heard of.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:46] Big difference and a lot and a lot of times when a small business starts copying a big business, they don’t know if that big business is just having an experiment and they can afford for it to fail miserably and, you know, catastrophically. But for a small business, they could be out of business if they make a mistake of that magnitude.

Estie Rand: [00:07:09] Totally. And not just that, some strategies only work at scale. Right? You can’t get one park bench and get the same results for like a movie, right as they do when they plaster a city. It’s not the same. It’s not the same, right? One print ad you can’t. Certain strategies don’t work scaled down. You can copy the concept, but you can’t copy the action on a smaller scale. So one ad once for something that very likely will do nothing unless you got the language, the imagery absolutely perfect and the exact right space. And and and like a lot of ads, most likely they’ll do nothing.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:53] So how do you educate your clients about the difference between branding and marketing, where a lot of people use those terms interchangeably?

Estie Rand: [00:08:04] So branding to me, so I actually have a graphic organizer I created. It’s got kind of the 12 steps to an organic marketing strategy, which is how you earn money without having to spend it. And branding is like the seed. It’s underground. It’s got the DNA of everything in your business. It digs its roots. Deep marketing is the flower shines its face to the sunlight and they interface. They feed each other right. The flower couldn’t grow without the seed, but the seed would wither and die if there was no flower getting sunlight and feeding it back down. And so they feed each other. You do your marketing and that strengthens your brand and your brand guides all of your marketing, and they are not the same, but they interface.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:45] So now, if you were counseling a new business person, a lot of our listeners, our coaches are thinking about becoming coaches and maybe they have a corporate gig and they are ready to make the leap into being their own, you know, business. Is that something they should spend a lot of time and energy is, is this brand or is it should they be doing other activities in order to kind of prepare the ground for their upcoming adventure?

Estie Rand: [00:09:13] So you really you need three things, right? The way I teach it a framework called the marketing map, which is again, a map is just the way to get some more strategies and map to get to your goal. So math helps you get there. You want to have branding, marketing and sales. If you’re missing any of those pieces, it’s not going to work. All right. If marketing is not working for someone, it’s either just incomplete or misaligned. So you spend some time on your brand. But the most important part of your brand is what’s unique about your business. It’s not the logo itself, that’s just a representation. So you spend some time, maybe a little money, and then move along to the quote unquote marketing piece, which is much more than advertising. It’s everything that you do to create and communicate value. So it’s your pricing is part of your marketing, your offer is part of your marketing, your presence is part of your marketing and your promotion, which is how you get attention and then you need to have an actual sales path. How do you turn this unique message, this unique presence, this unique you that you’re bringing to the space, especially as a coach, you are the brand and don’t mistake that for the brand is all of you. That’s not the same thing, and you’ve got this offer now. You’ve got to sell it and close deals. You want to make sure you cover all of that and don’t get lost in any of them.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:29] So how do you move a person through that funnel of kind of educating number one, that first you exist to some sort of a compelling offer where they’re actually saying, OK, you know, here’s my credit card.

Estie Rand: [00:10:45] So I have people leverage their swan strengths. Right, that’s that’s the piece in terms of getting attention. And Swan, I spell it S.W. o.n because everyone that I’ve worked with in all my years and it’s hundreds, probably thousands by now has at least one of these, if not more, that they can leverage to get people’s attention right? Is speaking W writing Oh one on one and networking. So that’s how you get attention. Then to move people through this quote unquote funnel, a funnel does not have to be an online funnel. A funnel is just a path. Right. So from when you get their attention, then they need to be interested. They need to have a space to evaluate. That could be a website. It could be social media, it could be a phone call, could be an in-person meeting. And then you want to have a negotiation that makes it worth it for them and then close your deal. And so there is some experimentation, but there are also tried and true paths, right? So for a coach or a consultant, you use your sworn strength to get attention.

Estie Rand: [00:11:43] If you’re a good speaker, find places to speak. If you’re a good writer, find things to write for. If you’re good at one on one, you’re leveraging your evangelists, your inner network, and if you’re a networker, well, you know, that’s the that’s the skill that everyone thinks you need, right? You got to get out there, meet everybody. I mean, everyone just thinks you need, you know, a good website logo and social media and poof business. No. So you leverage your skill, you meet people, you get their interest based on what you’re communicating, how it solves their problem. You’ve got to make sure you’re getting in front of people with problems you can solve. This is the essence of business. Business is an exchange of value for value, right? We trade money for services in this case, and the service is solving someone’s problem whose problems you solve when you tell them that you solve their problem. Great. Now I got to make sure that the offer makes sense and the price is right and that we signed the deal.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:33] Now, how do you help the person kind of work through this? Like, what is this coaching that you’re doing? You mentioned that you do group coaching. So what is this like for the person that raises their hand and says, Yeah, I’m interested in doing that? Is it something I get to go in there and say, OK, this is my challenge and then the group together with you or helping me kind of define some of those terms and make sure that my brand is true and my pricing is right. And you know, I’m doing the right activities every day.

Estie Rand: [00:13:07] Yeah. So there’s there’s some trainings, right? Because there’s a bunch of information that most business owners are just missing. Most business owners never went to business school, especially those who are coming from the corporate world. It’s not the same. You don’t run a small business like you run a corporation, and so there’s a certain training or retraining for some people. So there’s some training materials which include online videos, audios and also physical materials. And we’re currently updating and upgrading the training materials, and they are insane, cool. Like I’m working with an adult education expert, an experience expert. Don’t ask what I’m doing. We’ve been in this space for this long and you’ve seen it all. So you know, I’ve got to make it better. And then we meet every single week and people can ask the question of, OK, so I understand this concept and you know, either how do I apply to my business or this is how I think I would apply to my business? Does this make sense or I applied it to my business in this way and I got stuck with this now? What do I do? And so there’s a lot of it’s almost like an incubator, you know, the name for the last one we ran, we called the incubator. Now it’s more of a membership and taking people on that journey to that stable $10000 profit. It’s a journey. You understand it, you implement it, apply it and then you have to become it and we work through it until they’re there.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:23] Now, what do you tell the person out there that thinks that all they have to do is run some Facebook ads or LinkedIn ads or Google ads? And then, you know, the clients are just going to flock to them.

Estie Rand: [00:14:36] I say, I’ll see you in about six months to a year.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:40] So you don’t think that’s an effective strategy.

Estie Rand: [00:14:43] It’s not effective at all. But I do sometimes encounter people who are very dead set on the way they think things need to be done. And typically I will see them between six months to a year. They come back like, OK, you were right. I tried it. It didn’t work at all. I’m back now, so that’s what I actually legitimately say to them. But for someone who is more open, I would say that’s just the Red Fire bell. You’re missing everything that goes behind it. And if you throw a huge amount of money at something like that, then you should get results of some sort. But you’ll, I would say, ninety nine point nine nine nine nine nine nine nine percent not going to earn back your money and the only way to continue, you’re going to have to continue throwing money at it. So people do this right, they throw money. It’s like, Oh, look, it work, but they’re always throwing more money than they’re earning. And so when you build this properly from the foundation, you’ve got to build it properly. Foundation is your brand. What’s unique about you in the space? Why should someone work with you as opposed to anyone else and then go ahead and make the graphical representation of that? Create your name around that? It’s all good if you’re not using your actual name.

Estie Rand: [00:15:48] Now let’s develop our marketing, our offer, our price point, our positioning in the marketplace, our presence offline and online. What are our marketing materials going to be? Now let’s go get attention. Once we’ve got that in place now, let’s put them through a sales path and now let’s test and iterate an ROI. And now you’ve got a real business. Now you can rely on this thing. Again, I’m out here what I’m doing now. Our newest program is called 10K Months. Take your business from wherever you are to $10000 a month. Stable profit. I want to mint millionaires if they want to be, and if not, I’m happy to mint 100000 shares. All right. It’s got to work for your life. But like, make this thing real doesn’t have to be haphazard, so you run some Facebook ads. I’ll see you in six months to a year.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:36] Well, if if you don’t want them to run ads, do you want them to be doing some sort of activity on social media like LinkedIn? Is there something they should be doing every day on LinkedIn to help them with their marketing? Or is that that kind

Estie Rand: [00:16:50] Of if we’ve ascertained that LinkedIn makes sense for their strategy, then yes, you know, I actually have a program called LinkedIn 15 15 minutes a day for 15 days to leverage LinkedIn organically. For clients and customers, it’s like it’s like a toy of mine, right? Linkedin’s not the main thing I do. The main thing I do is the entire marketing business strategy and the journey. But if it made sense, if LinkedIn was a strategy, if you had your brand in place and you had your main marketing elements in place and you have a sales path in place, then LinkedIn is a great attention getting tool. It’s a great place to have your presence. It’s a great place to get new leads to put into your funnel. It’s a great place to build your name and reputation. There’s no one thing to do. There’s like five things to do every day on LinkedIn if you want to leverage it and really fully and properly, but you’ve got to make sure it’s the right tool and you’ve got to have in the context of a strategy. Does that make sense?

Lee Kantor: [00:17:48] Yeah, but I’m trying to get something actionable for somebody to do today or tomorrow.

Estie Rand: [00:17:53] I want to do today on LinkedIn or

Lee Kantor: [00:17:55] Just on anywhere like I’m just trying to get you to share something actionable that somebody could

Estie Rand: [00:18:00] Do. All actionable is leverage your sworn strength. That’s actionable and it’s not fluff. It means sit down and say, OK, you said there’s four. Which one am I the best in? Am I more of a speaker or writer, a one on one person or a networker? Great. So once I pick one of those now, how am I going to use that to get in front of people? If I like talking, where can I speak and don’t make your own event? Nobody knows you yet. Right? What event can I speak at? Where can I network? What conference can I speak at? What workshop can I speak on someone else’s social media channel they have in front of my audience? Can I do a live with somebody? Where can I speak that people will hear me speak and I could seed my services? If I’m a writer, where can I write? Not your own blog? Nobody knows you. It’s not two thousand one. No one’s finding your blog. Where can I write? Where can I write an article for? Can I write it for someone else’s blog who’s getting read? Can I write it on social media for a profile that already has watchers readers? Sorry, can I write for a magazine? Can write for a local publication again? How do I write to get in front of my people if I’m a one on one person? Can I call my top three friends and sit down with them for a nice dinner or conversation one on one each individually say, Hey, listen, this is what I’m doing now.

Estie Rand: [00:19:08] This is who I help. This is how I help them. This is what I’m going to do for them. Who do you know that either needs my help or could get me in front of or knows the people that need my help? And if you’re a networker, we’re back right. We’re back in person. There’s networking events online all the time. There are networking groups, get out there, meet people and start telling them your story of how you add value. That is the one thing I would have you do to day that will guarantee money in your pocket if you have the other things in place.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:38] So. What I’m hearing you say is not a build it and they will come strategy, but leverage others and let them know what you’re doing so that you can partner and work together and leverage their audience or their network.

Estie Rand: [00:19:53] That’s the superPAC. The superPAC in the beginning is piggybacking once you have an audience. Great. But when you don’t, right? How many people do you know? And I know and we both know who set up their own website and their own blog and their own event, and nobody comes. My first, when I first launched this again over 10 years ago, I put an ad in a local weekly was like workshop business building workshop. You know, so excited. I was sure, like the whole neighborhood was going to sign up because everyone was trying to run their own things. Two people signed up. All right. So, you know, we canceled it because that was pathetic. I was like, You know, yeah, sorry it be rescheduled. No one cared. Go where the people already are and tell them your offer. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:34] And then when people are working with you, you help them kind of identify, OK. These are the group of people you should be reaching out to. This is an offer you can make them. That would be compelling enough for them to, you know, trust you in front of their audience.

Estie Rand: [00:20:48] Correct. And then with

Lee Kantor: [00:20:49] The right price and the right offer

Estie Rand: [00:20:51] On it individually. Ok, wait. But I have the sales call and it didn’t work and the person never called me back. Now what do I do? All right, I’m building out, but it’s so individualized again, I think one of the biggest problems is that so much business advice is given out. I’m a generalist, but my advice is specialized. All right. Part of how I’m able to give such specialized advice is because I know all the different moving parts and all the different marketing tools and hacks out there, and I learn more every day. You can’t give generalized advice to an individual. I can tell you this generalized right. Pick your swan strength and go out there. I can tell you that, but there’s a point that it’s got to apply to you. You are unique. Your strengths are unique. Your offers unique. So you plug into a framework, right? But there is no such thing as LinkedIn’s for everyone. It’s not. There’s no such thing as Instagrams for everyone. There is no one tactic that is for everyone. It’s one of the biggest fallacies that makes me crazy.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:45] And you help them identify what is the most efficient, effective path to help them get the outcome they desire.

Estie Rand: [00:21:53] Correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:55] And if somebody wants to learn more, get on your calendar or have more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team, what’s the website?

Estie Rand: [00:22:02] Go to SD Randox. Free gift. Yes. Ht i r a and free gift spelled free gift. What’s there is actually a three day marketing success challenge at the moment. We change it up every once in a while. So depending when you hear this, there may be a different present for you, but that’s the best way to learn more. Start your journey toward the business and marketing that works for you, and you’ll see how to get a hold of me in my team. Be happy to chat.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:32] Well, aState, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Estie Rand: [00:22:38] My pleasure, thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:40] All right, this is Lee Kantor, we will see you all next time on Coach the Coach radio.