I've spent over $15M on high-ticket ads since 2013. And I can tell you — if your ads aren't converting, it's not your CPMs, your CTR, or the algorithm. It's your message. In this episode, I break down the "Trust Funnel" — the same system behind nine figures in sales — and why trust is the only metric that actually matters.

The Trust Funnel (3 Steps)

The Ad — Your ad's job isn't cheap clicks. It's to hit the deep pain your ideal client is obsessing over at 3 AM. Specificity and empathy beat clever headlines every time.
The Authority Video — Don't teach tactics. Show them you understand their problem better than they can describe it themselves. That's what books calls.
The Call — If the first two steps work, they show up mostly sold. No hard closing — just a conversation to see if there's a fit.

The 3 Trust Killers I See Every Day
Too vague — "Want to grow your business?" is wallpaper. Name the exact person, problem, and outcome.
No stakes — If you don't make the cost of staying stuck crystal clear, they scroll past.
No differentiation — Sound like every other coach and they'll lump you in with everyone who burned them before.

The Bottom Line
We're in a trust recession. Your ideal clients have been burned by overpromising coaches and garbage programs. No amount of funnel optimization breaks through that — only a message that makes them feel genuinely understood.

"Trust is not built by being relatable and fun. It's built by telling people the uncomfortable truth about why they're stuck and showing them the way out."

🔗 Full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hsNAnq8rLzU
🔗 Book a free strategy call: https://www.clientsondemand.com/apply

Here's what I know:

You can have the best marketing strategy, the best sales process, and the best offer in the world - but if you're running limiting programs in your subconscious, you're going to stay stuck.
I've experienced this firsthand, which is why I'm such a big believer in the work that Wendy Paquette does.

In this interview, Wendy walks us through:

How beliefs act like filters over your eyes, coloring everything you see
Why high achievers struggle with unworthiness (even when they're wildly successful)
The difference between a self-fulfilling prophecy and a "direct reflection"
How your interpretation of other people's behavior reveals your own programming
Why removing programs allows your true nature to emerge (instead of replacing them with new ones)

I'll admit - this stuff can sound "out there." But I've personally experienced the power of what Wendy can do. And I've seen her help countless entrepreneurs break through income plateaus that seemed impossible to overcome.

If you're working your ass off but still can't get to the next level, watch this interview. It might completely shift how you think about what's holding you back.

Connect with Wendy: https://wendypaquette.com/

Work with us: www.clientsondemand.com/vsl

I've sold over $100 million in high-ticket coaching, but what Colette Baron-Reid taught me about manifestation completely shifted my perspective.

In this interview, we dive deep about her revolutionary "Art of Manifesting" method.

Here's what we covered:

✅ Why I felt like I was already good at this technique (and you might be too)
✅ How she went from 12 attendees to 8 high-ticket sales by surrendering
✅ The neuroscience that makes this work (it's not woo-woo)
✅ Why being "hyper-specific" about what you want might backfire
✅ The simple drawing exercise I now use with my own clients

Colette shares how she got a record deal at 40 (they thought she was 28!) and why getting exactly what she wanted made her miserable - until she learned this method.

📚 Get "The Art of Manifesting" by Colette Baron-Reid: https://shop.colettebaronreid.com/books/the-art-of-manifesting-paperback

🔗 Visit Colette's Website: https://www.colettebaronreid.com/

Work with us: www.clientsondemand.com/vsl

In this episode, I sit down with one of my all-time favorite clients, Joseph Clough. You may know him from his wildly successful hypnotherapy app with more than 3,000 audio sessions… but what most people don't realize is that Joseph struggled for years to build the business side of his coaching.

He was charging low prices, trying to help everyone, and wondering why his impact—and income—weren't matching the quality of his work.

Everything changed when he made one simple shift.

He stopped trying to serve the entire world…
and started serving the people he could help at the highest level:
entrepreneurs battling imposter syndrome.

That decision became the foundation for his premium Mind Mastery program—now responsible for transforming nearly 170 clients.

Inside This Conversation

• Why trying to help everyone actually dilutes your impact
Joseph shares how generalizing kept him invisible, and how niching down finally allowed his work to cut through the noise.

• The power of understanding your ideal client's real, internal problems
We talk about how Joseph began speaking directly to the fears and blocks his best clients were quietly battling.

• Getting over pricing fear
How Joseph moved past years of reluctance and learned to charge what his results were actually worth.

• Why high-ticket programs lead to better outcomes
We explore the mindset shift that turned his coaching from "information" into real transformation.

• Building a community that lifts every client higher
Joseph shares why creating a supportive environment became one of the biggest multipliers in his business.

We also dig into Joseph's personal journey with anxiety and imposter syndrome—and why coaches who've walked through the fire themselves often make the most powerful guides.

Connect with Joseph

Find Joseph here:
https://www.josephclough.com/

Work With Us

If you're ready to create your own high-ticket offer and attract clients the right way, apply here:
www.clientsondemand.com/apply

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Jesse Elder for one of the most raw, unfiltered, and important conversations I've had in a long time.

So many brilliant coaches struggle to build a profitable business—not because they lack skill or heart, but because the game has changed. And most people are still trying to win using a rulebook that stopped working years ago.

Jesse and I get into all of it.

Highlights from the Conversation

• The "authenticity apocalypse"
Why AI is going to wipe out every coach who's faking it—and why the real, grounded, embodied coaches will rise to the top.

• Blending spiritual wisdom with strategic precision
How to integrate deep inner work with the practical actions that actually grow a business.

• Money as oxygen
Jesse's philosophy on treating money like breath, and the wild story of what happened when he gave away millions.

• The real spiritual path
Why starting a business will grow you spiritually faster than sitting in a cave, doing breathwork, or reading 200 self-help books.

• What humans can do that AI never will
The enduring advantage we'll always have—and why coaches who understand this will dominate the next decade.

A Key Insight I Share in This Episode

One thing I tell my clients all the time:

If you want real spiritual growth, don't go meditate in a cave.
Go start a business.

Because business will show you every fear, every story, every insecurity, every belief you've been avoiding… and force you to confront all of it.
That's where the real transformation happens.

This conversation goes deep into the mindset and energetic foundations of sustainable success—the kind where you hit your income goals and actually love your life.

Connect with Jesse Elder

Follow Jesse here:
https://www.facebook.com/timepiercer

Important Note

Results discussed in this episode are not typical. Building a successful coaching business requires dedication, skill development, consistent implementation, and often professional guidance. No income guarantees are expressed or implied.

What happens when a full-time Christian speaker realizes she's been called to train others to do what she does?

Robyn Dykstra transformed from traveling speaker to business owner, creating Christian Speakers Boot Camp—a program that trains women to write powerful signature talks, market to event planners, and build sustainable speaking ministries.

Robyn's Journey:
Started underpricing and undervaluing transformational work
Struggled with client acquisition beyond her immediate network
Moved away from exhausting launch cycles and low-ticket funnels
Built a 10-person team to deliver exceptional results
Helped hundreds of women launch speaking careers

Key Insights:
How to value transformation (saving marriages, launching businesses) appropriately
Why many coaches undercharge and how to shift that mindset
The importance of frameworks and systems over generic motivation
Building community with other entrepreneurs who understand your journey
Scaling through team-building rather than doing everything yourself

This conversation offers practical wisdom for coaches, speakers, and ministry leaders ready to turn their expertise into a leveraged, sustainable business.

Connect with Robyn: https://www.facebook.com/robyndykstraspeaks

Want help building your high-ticket coaching program?

Book a call: https://www.clientsondemand.com/apply

Follow Russ Ruffino: https://www.instagram.com/russruffino

Want to see the visual breakdown? Watch the full video version on my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@RussRuffino

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: Results discussed represent one client's experience and are not typical. Most coaching businesses do not achieve these results. This content is for educational purposes only and is not personalized business advice.

You know what I love about real entrepreneurs? They don't make noise - they make moves.

Meet Gulliver Giles and Leesa Cosgrove. While most people were still figuring out their business model, these two were building something extraordinary.

And they just shared their entire $100M playbook with me.

WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER:
→ How they dodged a $750K loss right before COVID hit
→ The "acquisition bender" that turned dying businesses into gold mines
→ Why Leesa can pack 3,500 people in a room (it's not "energy" BS)
→ The psychological reason everyone's broken post-COVID
→ Why Dan Kennedy's methods still crush in 2025
→ The difference between real wealth and guru theater

THE BACKSTORY: 2012, Frank Kern's mastermind. Most of us got stung by stingrays surfing. These two went back to the hotel, had drinks, and planned what became one of the most profitable high-ticket operations on the planet.

This isn't another "sales training" video. This is how you build legitimate wealth through systems that actually work - the same principles I used to scale to $100M+.

Perfect for coaches, consultants, and experts ready to ditch the guru BS and build something real.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - WARNING: Why 90% of high ticket experts are frauds
05:25 - The Frank Kern mastermind origin story
10:40 - How Gulliver and Leela became the first in Australia
15:55 - The trust recession: Why everyone's been burned
21:10 - COVID's impact on emotional regulation and business
26:45 - Leela's acquisition strategy: 4-figure investments, 7-figure businesses
32:20 - Building a 100K+ reach across multiple platforms
38:15 - Alex Hormozi's $100M launch: Classic Kennedy principles
43:50 - Why automation fails and human connection wins
49:25 - The "Armor of God" objection handling system revealed
54:40 - How to separate yourself from the fake guru noise
57:30 - Where to learn more from Gulliver and Leela

💰 WORK WITH ME:
Ready to scale your business? Apply here: https://www.clientsondemand.com/apply

📱 CONNECT:
Russ Ruffino: https://www.instagram.com/russruffino
Gulliver Giles: https://www.facebook.com/saleswarlord
Leela Cosgrove: https://www.facebook.com/leela.cosgrove

Want to see the visual breakdown? Watch the full video version on my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@RussRuffino

DISCLAIMER: Results not typical. These strategies worked for us - execution is everything. Business advice taken at your own risk.

#HighTicketSales #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship

Michelle Coyle went from being a broke MBA graduate in 2009 (thanks, recession) to building a multiple-seven-figure coaching business - and her path was anything but typical.

Starting as a political field organizer (talk about rejection training!), Michelle eventually found her way to business consulting, then discovered the power of high-ticket group programs when we worked together.

In this candid conversation, Michelle reveals:

• How knocking on doors for politicians prepared her for sales (seriously)

• The mindset shift from consultant to coach that changed everything

• Why her clients started forming lifelong friendships (and even getting married!)

• The real reason most coaches stay stuck at $10K months

• How to have 5-figure sales conversations that feel authentic and ethical

Michelle's transparency about her journey - including the tough moments and breakthrough realizations - makes this essential viewing for any expert ready to scale their impact and income.

Ready to turn your expertise into a leveraged business? Book your Breakthrough call with us: https://www.clientsondemand.com/apply

Follow Michelle Coyle: https://www.facebook.com/michellelaree

Follow Russ Ruffino: https://www.instagram.com/russruffino

#EntrepreneurStory #CoachingBusiness #BusinessTransformation