Episode 8 Why You Need to Fail to Succeed

Dawn McGruer:

Welcome to episode eight of Dawn of a new era, the podcast Chronicles of a serial entrepreneur, my journey over the past 20 years as a business owner, starting and failing in some of my businesses. Now, this podcast is centered around true life, real world experiences. And it’s not all shiny on the outside as an entrepreneur because when you start your business, you will go up and down like a roller coaster. Success is not a straight path and nor should it be because this particular episode is all about why I needed to fail to succeed. You might think I’m crazy talking about failure and how it’s helped me on my journey, but it’s been the most instrumental and imperative part of becoming a good business owner. Because when you are down, when you fail, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to change it. This is the great thing you could fail in a business five, 10, 20 times.

It does not matter. You just need to keep getting up and starting again because this learning curve is the biggest, biggest education you will have in your life. So don’t be dismayed. When you launch a product, you start a new service and it doesn’t pan out the way that you wanted it to, because we’ve all been there. Any entrepreneur who has researched their market, you will still get it wrong sometimes. And we all have, you know, I have had some pretty Epic failures. I’ve done all sorts of different things in my life, and I’ve created different products and services. Now, some like the fast track Academy, I absolutely struck the right time, the right place, the right product, the proposition, everything glided because within the first year of starting the fast track Academy, this particular model that I had created covered eight powerful ways to market your business online.

And it was the eight channels that every single business needed to be able to master online marketing and social media in order to grow their business. So I’d spent a lot of time delivering all of this content in different courses over many, many years, this product, it was not formulated overnight. And this is a great thing because I had delivered this training. I had tested it out to live audiences again and again, and again, to create an immersive experience, to create something that was magical and something that within its first year hit a million pounds because this signature product becomes, you know, part of everything that I do, all of my content, everything that I stand for, my mission, my vision as a business owner now in business consort, digital and social media Academy, this was a business that was actually grown organically because I started life at 21 with a marketing agency.

And if you want to go and read my story, that is what we’re going to be looking at this week. How I actually got from starting my business at 21, going through the ups and downs as a business owner, hitting these challenges and often feeling like I wanted to give up to getting where I am now with multiple businesses. And I never ultimately feel like I’ve succeeded. I go through imposter syndrome, like many, many people do. And as soon as I create something and I feel comfortable with it, that’s as soon as the doubt sets in and I start to panic, you know, is it going to fly? Is it going to work? So when I created the fast track Academy, I had this solid feeling. I knew my model. I knew inside out. I knew the course content absolutely worked and it was getting results.

We were building case studies. Now the great thing here was, is that I built all of these eight elements into a model that didn’t just allow me to deliver training. It allowed everyone in my team to understand what it was that we as an Academy stood for what we were teaching. So it wasn’t just me who was able to deliver this content and I could license others to do so. Now the dynamic digital marketing model was trademarked. It is an important thing for me. And there’s, this is something I would urge you to do. If you have a signature service or a model, get it trademarked. It’s a really simple process. You literally go online. You fill the application out. Yes. It will probably take you about an hour just to kind of move through everything. But as soon as I trademarked it, I have the imagery, the branding around it and all the key words that related to it.

And you knew then that it was my, no one could take it from me. Now, this is the heart of the Academy. This is the heart of an online course and a three day event that we actually host now better than that, every piece of content that we create across our social media channels is around these eight powerful ways. So it doesn’t just give me the content of the courses. It gives me the content for the entire business. Now this model is amazing for a client because what it does is it doesn’t just showcase the steps, the processes, and the priorities that they need to do in order to become a proficient and successful digital marketer. No, what it actually does is it shows that I am one of the people that can help them. It shows that I am the bridge that I have indeed used all of these principles for my own business.

So I’m practicing what I preach. And with any authentic brand story, with anything that you are presenting out there that you stand for, what better than what you’ve actually lived. So this has been created through my own development, through my own clients, through my own course delegates. And then it became the fundamental process for the Academy. And within the fast track Academy, then my book was born because all of my book, the chapters are centered around these powerful ways. It’s broken down into the dynamic digital marketing book, which covers 90 day plan broken down into 30 day increments. First of all. And then it covers all of these chapters. So when it came to writing my book, it was really easy because all of this knowledge was in my head. It was a case. Yeah, formulating it, getting it down there and making it something that was readable and tangible, that was marketable as a book.

And that was not just going to do well well, but was going to rank as a bestseller because the key here, again, with creating any product or service is about knowing your reader. And I knew from my point of view and from endless amounts of research from my consumers, my clients, that people didn’t just want the knowledge, the theory, they needed something deeper. And this is kind of the ethos that I stood for. And this is, I think very much why the fast track Academy became a million dollar or million pound product so quickly, because what happened was is I wasn’t just teaching the theory, the knowledge, the foundation, or you know, how to use the channels. I was giving the tools who’s teaching in a real world business way, where case studies, were the driver, because when you learn, you, you know, you hear it, you see it, you feel it, but when you really truly immersed in it, and the knowledge lands is when you’re doing it.

So being able to demo this and showcase my own business or my own clients and getting them to use tools, et cetera, to do this. And this is where, when I built the chapters, I felt it was important to give these marketers, my readers, the tool set the checklist and the actions so that they could to join that’s success and start seeing results because no one wants to read a book hook or, or attend a course. Yeah. And go right to the end and start seeing results. You want to have that epiphany moment. You want to have that learning that excitement, that knowledge really early on in that journey. And this is why it’s important. So I want you to think about your products and your businesses. Now, many businesses are currently pivoting because we’re going through some very strange times and some will say that, you know, we’re hitting a reset, but the thing is, is that there will always be business.

And it’s about adapting and it’s about being dynamic. And this is one of the main reasons that I named my book dynamic, digital marketing, because it’s ever evolving, you know, your consumers needs, wants, and behavior changes day to day. And so does digital marketing. And so does the environment we live in. So when you’re gearing yourself for developing a product or service or revamping it to really, really kind of land, you’ve got to think about it from the client’s point of view, what’s in it for them. And what I do. And you’ll see this in my story is that I have been very much ribbon organically by clients. So not just one client saying, Oh, I think you should do this, but lots and lots of clients so that you have demand already before the product or service launches. And when I look at a product or service, I always sit down and think about the who, the, what the, why the, when, what is it that I’m going to be doing on?

What is it, what’s the center stage or the goal, or the result for the person who is going to engage in it? My client, my customer, and this is important to get across because whenever I create products or services, I don’t know. I don’t think about them as, yes, let’s, you know, create a million pound product or service. Of course I need them to generate revenue. And of course I want them to, to hit those amazing milestones, but it doesn’t start there. The journey starts in terms of thinking about something, a, a unique niche that I love something that I really am passionate about because whenever I’m invigorated about something, when I’m truly passionate and I feel it and I’m living it, then I know I can deliver it. I know that I can get that passion and I can exude it and I can really sell not just the features, but the benefits of it.

So it becomes a very easy process for me because it’s something that I believe in. And then I think about how I can outsource and automate how I can make this product or service really work for me. Because when I work in my genius zone and you’ll find this yourself, when you are doing something that you really like, like for me, I am a content creator. I hate all of the other bits of business from accounts to admin. All of that. It’s not my bag. I am not good at it. And, you know, you have to confess to yourself and own up and sound true to the fact that, you know, to be a business leader, you’re not going to be amazing for everything. You know, I am not great at managing people day to day. Um, I am not great at being in the same place day to day.

I am not great about doing the same mundane things or doing a routine. So I know that those are the areas that I need to automate and I need to outsource, and I have to have someone who is a key leader to, to do those things. So I start planning out the areas of this product or service that I know that I can truly deliver, that I can deliver. And that I am not going to get bored off that if there’s an area of procrastination, right. I know that I’m not going to do it. So I know that if I’m going to keep going and I’m going to push this product and it’s going to be there, it has to be kind of running through my veins. And this is when, you know, if you look at your products and services, there will be Protestant service out there that are maybe not doing as well as others that maybe aren’t your true passion, or maybe just are not geared enough to the consumer and their ever evolving needs.

So sometimes just a revamp or a twist, or, you know, it can often be sometimes when I just change the tone of my marketing, copy, I update my sales is that I just get my message across clearer. So it is sometimes not that the product or service isn’t working amazingly well, it just could be that your message is not getting across there. And you’re not getting this resonance with your consumer because they’re not seeing it. What’s in your head is not always true to what’s in your consumer’s head. And sometimes, you know, just showcasing it. And you know, this is why I wrote my story because this came from talking to a client and they say, well, where did your business evolve? You know, I, I love the fact that you have the frustrated cademy you have this model, you have the book that goes with it.

And then obviously the club, the membership, you know, it all goes together. It’s cohesive and very integrated. Well, yeah, because they were all the different steps. I felt that the consumer needed. So it’s one thing doing a training course. It’s one thing, reading a book, but what is the biggest thing? The biggest thing for my clients is that when they join the consort club, they are living and breathing all of this. And they’re implementing, you know, it’s the working with them outside that point. There’s only so much I can do in three days. There’s only so much I can do in an online course, but when I’m working with clients in the console club, that’s when we hit the sweet spot, because that’s when they become additional marketing superhero. And that is when we are working in their business and we’re pushing it through holding them accountable coaching, you know, and that is, that was the need.

And that’s why it became a very, very solid process. Um, and, and that’s why it works because you think about where you are and you think about what you want to do for me, there had to be different things. I had to be a recurring revenue. There had to be a way of continuing to work with a client, because I didn’t want to just be able to, you know, work with a client for a short period of time and then say goodbye, and then have to keep finding new, new, new clients. I wanted to really maximise that relationship. And I wanted to retain the client. So how could I do that? Well, by bolting a membership club onto it, something that would really serve the client and that held a lot of value. So think about how you can get recurring revenue and not having to just sell one spit, sell multiple times.

And it’s far nice when you’ve got this longterm relationship and then think about passive income. Think about, you know, for me having the online element, you know, someone could come on a training course, but they could still have access to the online modules. These eight modules be there forever. They’re updated every 12 weeks. And again, the book, you know, the book was something that people can buy all over the world. I don’t have to show up for, you know, again, people can access the course. I don’t have to show up for the online element. So I am doing the bits I like, which is obviously working in the club, working with clients and delivering content and working with people directly. So to summarise, think about what your story is and think about really, really getting an authentic brand story across and telling people. Because as I say, when I was talking to people and clients about how this started, and in particular, this one client of mine asked about the fast track Academy and where the book dynamic digital marketing came from and the model.

And when I told the story, they’re like, I didn’t even realize you used to be a programmer. And I did, you know, they didn’t realize I was a Microsoft engineer. I mean, Nick and I, when I think about it now, but all of these things have been in the making. And over that time, I have created lots and lots of products and services. Some have done, okay. Some have absolutely died and never taken off some I’ve revamped and reinvigorated, and they’ve absolutely landed. But the thing is, is I’ve had to fail to succeed, to truly understand what people want and, and how to serve my client in the best way. And this is something that I see a lot when business owners fail, they, they really beat themselves up about it. And I don’t know if we ever will truly, you know, as business owners and entrepreneurs recognize our success, because it almost feels a bit like arrogance.

You know, when you use sort of bragging online, you know, you’ve hit a point. And, you know, if I was to go on and talk about my million dollar or million pound product or milestones, you know, it just feels a little bit not right. But the thing is, is people want to know these things. And this is why writing your brand story and creating something where you just chart your journey, the truth, you know, people will see that. And often people will just come to me and say, God, you know, I was reading, it was fascinating. I just hadn’t realized you’d done all of this. And I didn’t realize you wrote your first book 20 years ago. And I did, but these are things I don’t say day to day, because you know, for me, I’m kind of been there, done it and bought the tee shirt and moved on.

But these are things that are important when you’re establishing this brand. Because when you look into work with somebody, they need to understand truly who you are, what you stand for and your mission and your vision, but deeper than that, they need to understand your values and where you’ve been. Because often people will work with me because they’ll know that I have truly said to them that I have made some Epic failures. I have launched products and services that haven’t worked yet because they know that now I have an eye for it because to go through all these pitfalls, I now know everything that I don’t want to do. So when I’m designing now, I can often craft a digital business model really, really quickly, because I understand all the things I’ve been through them. I’ve lived and breathed them. You know, I’ve lost money, I’ve lost faith.

I’ve, you know, all of these things that they have happened. And, and that’s the truth as an entrepreneur. So if you are in a moment where you just feel that it’s just not landing, or it’s just not moving in the way you want it to be, just keep going, you know, just keep thinking. Could you tweak something, do some market research, speak to people. This is often the best thing when you’re designing and developing, talking to your clients, finding out what it is that they need, because that’s how my business has grown. And that’s all I can share with you. You know, the things that have worked with me is when my clients have come together and said, right, this is what I need. And I do some pretty Epic research out there. Cause you can’t just take one voice or a collection. You need to assess the market.

You need to assess your ideal client because sometimes your client might be telling you that they want you to do X, Y, and Z. But guess what? They’re not your ideal client. So think about it in terms of who you want to work with and who your products for what it is you want to create, why you want to create it and why, you know, it’s beneficial to your customer. And when they do it, you know, why should they take action now? Because often, you know, when did she, you’re just looking at your message. It’s not pulling through the benefits. So I hope you enjoyed this. And I hope you feel that if you know, like me, you failed that it’s helped you through any, any, you can see that, you know, every cloud has a silver lining. And this takes me back to my first book, Character Building.

Um, the reason I called it Character Building was my dad used to say to me, um, whenever I moaned about something, he’d say, well, Dawn, your legs not fallen off. You know, you’ve got your health. If you don’t have your health, you’ve not got anything, just get on with it. So I’d have to pick myself up, dust myself down and just carry on. Now, this did make me quite a strong person, but it also made me very grateful because when we feel that we have failed, we wallow a little bit in self pity and we beat ourselves up and really everyone will fail. And, and it’s a, it’s a positive thing that honestly, you, you need to embrace and you need to start seeing adversity. Um, and, and, and how to overcome that. So if you have got story, share it, share your authentic brand and, and don’t just share all the good points, tell people the woes and tell people the stories so that they can really, and truly understand who you are and why they should work with you.

So come and join me in the free Facebook group, it’s business consort, and it’s all about marketing, motivation and mindset for business owners and entrepreneurs. You’ll find us on Facebook and you can also follow me on all of the social media channels, just search for Dawn McGruer or business console, and you will find me, and I would love you to come and join the community. So I’ll see you next week. And I’m going to read my story and feel free to leave a comment about your journey and how it may have helped you take care and have an amazing week. I hope you enjoy this week’s episode and don’t forget I’m going to be with you each and every week. So download and listen on dawnmcgruer.com or on iTunes and come and join us in our Facebook community to all the details are on the website. And I’ll see you next week.