Today’s co-host is Peep Laja, founder of Wynter, CXL, and Speero. Peep is a believer in differentiation and disrupting yourself before the competition does it for you.

Sometimes all it takes is stumbling upon a simple market problem without a solution. For Peep, discovering an industry gap led him to launch Wynter. Backed by a true entrepreneurial spirit, Peep became that market solution. Fortunately, his other venture was in a strong spot, so focusing all of his attention on building Wynter was possible. If you take anything from this podcast, it should be this: dual-focus is dangerous.

In this episode, Peep talks about the sometimes intangible aspects of business, when to pivot, how to position yourself so clients actually want to work with you, and how to cut through the clutter and stand out from stiff competitors.

Main Takeaways

• Having a dual-focus is not sustainable. Your company should be working towards one specialty. To help prioritize your day, focus on what moves the needle.
• If you lead a conversation with a client’s problem, they’ll immediately get defensive. Instead, approach the conversation with a story or a narrative, then address how your company will fix external problems within that narrative.
• Problematic messaging happens when companies act as if they’re the only ones that do website development or social media or branding. Instead, figure out what makes your business unique. For clients to choose you, you must say things other companies aren’t saying.
• Always pivot to where the market is changing and constantly focus on what makes your business unique to the people you serve. When you’re smaller, it’s easier and more advantageous to pivot.

Links and Important Mentions

• Wynter
• CXL
• Speero
• Peep on Twitter
• Peep on LinkedIn
• Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan
• WordPress
• Adeft
• Google Analytics
• Check out a bonus episode with Peep

Stay in Touch

• Feast Club
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Today’s co-host is Chase Dimond, an expert e-commerce email marketer who’s sent more than one billion emails resulting in more than $50 million in email attributable revenue.

As a hustle culture entrepreneur turned efficiency-obsessed first-time dad, Chase chats about his philosophies for success in business and life. One of his earliest success memories is standing out as an all-around soccer player throughout high school and college. Back then, his value came from his versatility. But when he started a marketing agency early in his career, Chase hit a wall. It was only when he decided to specialize in email marketing that the referrals poured in and his business finally grew.

In this episode, Chase talks about how and why he successfully transitioned from jack-of-all-trades to email master, the pivots in business and life that shaped him, and the powerful mindset shift that reinforces his daily decisions.

Main Takeaways

• When people understand exactly what you do, they can refer you to leads and ultimately help your business grow.
• The transition from doing everything to having a specialty means sometimes you have to say no. And you have to hope that people who only know you as one thing will give you a chance to pivot.
• Listening more than you talk can give you an advantage in business and life.
• Strive to add value to those around you, rather than add negativity or constantly fighting against those with different opinions.

Links and Important Mentions

• Chase’s website
• Chase’s newsletter
• Chase on Twitter
• Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
• Check out a bonus episode with Chase

Stay in Touch

• Feast Club
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Today’s co-host is Matt Medeiros, host of the Matt Report podcast and the Director of Podcast Success at Castos. To mark episode 100 of Life in the Feast, Matt will be taking the reins and interviewing Jason about his 10-year “overnight” success story.

Back in 2012, Jason was forced to choose between paying rent and his cable bill. His bed or his business. And even deeper, his passion or his family. At that moment, Jason made the tough decision to end his freelancing career and return to a job for the sake of his then-fiancé. However, when he broached the subject with her, she reminded him that freelancing was his dream. She encouraged him to keep on trucking a little longer.

So that’s exactly what he did. Rather than throw in the towel, Jason re-examined his business, raised his prices, and doubled down on a new niche. He kept grinding and ended up on the other side.

Almost a decade later, Matt talks with Jason about his journey to freelance success, navigating tough life and business decisions, what he’s learned about networking and adding value, and why shutting up served him in unexpected ways.

Main Takeaways

• Staying a generalist won’t lead you to success. While it’s tempting to say yes to everyone, especially as your business is still launching, focus on figuring out what your niche is and then double down on it.
• If you’re struggling to find your niche, go straight to your clients and see what they need help with. Look for trends and determine where your expertise aligns with a common need.
• Fill in the gaps of your knowledge and expertise by outsourcing and finding wise mentors whenever possible.
• The key to success with clients is learning to listen. Spend more time hearing what their needs are and observing things about their life and business. Listening always pays off.
• Start adding free value in the communities you live and influence in. The more people you can help, the easier networking and growing your business will become.

Links and Important Mentions

• Matt Report
• The We Are Here Podcast
• Castos
• The WP Elevation Podcast
• Alex McClafferty
• Ruby On Rails
• WooCommerce
• WordPress
• Curtis McHale on Saying No
• Drip
• ConvertKit
• NurtureKit
• Rezzz.com
• WP Mentor Site

Stay in Touch

• Feast Club
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram