00:00

Welcome to Make More Money without Selling Your Soul with me Polly Lavarello, evergreen marketing expert. This podcast is for you if you are an online entrepreneur who is looking to simplify their business to scale.  On this podcast you can expect to hear regular talk about wealth, about selling and about wellbeing. Because I believe these three core fundamental things are pivotal to your growth moving forward.

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Welcome to make more money without selling your soul with myself Polly Lavarello, Evergreen marketing expert and cushy business pioneer.

And today I am sharing with you the highest return on investment activity that I did in my business in 2022. That get this came as a surprise, even to me. Now, to give you some context, I, and you probably won’t be surprised to hear this. I’m a numbers girl. I love numbers. I like to know what’s coming into my account. I like to know what’s going out to my account. I love love, love my profit calculator that I use and give to all of my clients. And within that it’s really great for helping you understand, are you you know, getting the return on investment that you need to with your hiring. You know, that’s something that not necessarily everyone thinks about. I mean, a lot of people know the obvious things like return on investment with ads, they can see this money goes out that money comes in that one’s obvious. But there are other areas in your business, like hiring, for example, where we should be really on top of our numbers, and really understand, you know, for example, in terms of the money that’s coming in, what can we directly attribute it to the team of team members that you are hiring, to ensure that it makes financial sense.

So I love giving my clients this kind of understanding and knowledge when it comes to their business is really forensic attention to detail when it comes to their numbers, because honestly, that’s what enables you to scale from a space where you’re not you know, for, for example, suddenly investing over your head, or going in over your head with investments. And putting yourself in a hairy situation when your nervous system is constantly in fight or flight mode, because you’re constantly worried are you going to make your ends meet, or putting yourself in the opposite scenario where you should be investing already. And you’re thinking, Oh, my gosh, I’m having these good financial months, but they’re not consistent, why I’m scared to hire before they’re consistent, and there’s a whole piece around well, they won’t become consistent, until you start to hire until you start to systemize until you start to have regular processes that you can commit to consistently in your business.

Anyway, that’s a little side tangent. Because what we’re actually talking about today is a number that I didn’t track. And it really took me by surprise when at the end of April when my accountant, you know, sent me over various numbers and he said, what was this for? Is this an asset? Is it a lot rollover or stuff that I do not? I mean, when I say I look at the numbers, the stuff that I leave my accountant in terms of what it all means when you put it down for VAT, but anywho let’s get let’s, let’s get to the point here, Polly, three minutes in crying out loud. Let’s get to the point. Okay, so he gave me all these numbers, names, things said, can you tell me? How many sales are directly attributed to each frickin love this question, love it. Because what was interesting is some of those things were for example, coaches that hired like, how many sales could I attribute to coaches, Hillary, who I hired earlier this year, I, you know, had a really successful launch back in March. And that was very much definitely, you know, I mean, ultimately is hard right, with coaches and consultants, because each one layers upon the last one. And so it’s very hard to entirely say what’s attribute it to working with one particular person, but I could see a great ROI. And obviously, this is, again, something I encourage my clients to do when they work with me, because it’s very easy when we’re in the day to day to not step back and look and go, Oh, I was earning this before. And now I’m earning that. Before I started doing this program. I didn’t have a program at this price point.

And I wasn’t making these kinds of sales and and to recognise the growth, right, because we’re always looking ahead and sometimes that can prevent us from seeing how far we’ve already come. Okay, so knowing your numbers is good, being able to understand, you know, to add to attribute sales to our investments, very important, okay. There was one thing listed on this on this email for my accountant that I immediately kind of looked at and went, why I didn’t do that for an ROI. But then I thought fair enough, he’s asked the question, so I’m going to sit with it and think out of everyone I met at this was a mastermind I’d paid for so I’d gone to two in person events last year, and both of them had no more than 10 people in the room. If I remember nicely, I’m pretty sure it was Max at 10. I think there might have been eight people that one event, maybe 10 at the other or maybe it’s eight of both. And there were definitely a couple of hosts. So in terms of attendees, I think there was probably no more than eight attendees on the day. wonderful woman. And what was really interesting was I signed up for these days one was around creativity the other one was around Finance. And the woman behind these mastermind days, works in the creative space. And up until now most of my clients have come from the wellbeing space.

So when I went, I was very much seeing myself as her client, and not really paying any attention to what it could mean for me as a business and who I’d be networking with that day, which looking back probably was slightly naive. But actually, I’m really glad for that as well. Because really, I just approached the day as a sponge, I just wanted to be there to soak in the environment, the beautiful environment we we’re in, soak in the words to soak in the wisdom, to soak in the connection, to really enable that beautiful kind of distance from the business and to really be able to Big Picture think, to talk about how creativity influences business to talk about how our money mindset impacts how we show up in business, I mean, such rich, beautiful conversations, which I really enjoyed contributing to as well as obviously hearing what everyone else had to say it was beautiful. And so at the time, I just really wasn’t thinking at all. And then to be honest with you, I think with masterminds, it’s good to not go in with a mindset of like let’s network network network, approach some clients, because that’s not a vibe, right. But what was interesting was recognising that of course, I met interesting women that day, of course, we stayed in touch, of course, we continued consuming each other’s content. And even the host of that particular mastermind became one of my clients on the other side of it, actually, she and I have worked together twice since. And, you know, there were some attendees, I think three of those attendees have gone on to, to have gone on to do my signature program scale with the power one.

And another one’s gone on to do elevate for evergreen my 90 Day container. So that’s about 30k in revenue. And, you know, the mastermind days were significantly less than that. So essentially, when it comes to return on investment, and by the way, I’m not saying 30k was the largest return on investment I made. However, in terms of pound, you know, in terms of for each pound, I spent the return on investment. That was one of the I mean, when I say a really good return on investment, I guess the main thing was, it’s not like spending money on Facebook ads, like I’ve had some pretty incredible returns as well. I think I definitely made 30k on 3k ad spend. But that was still more that was still more actually than the cost of going to these masterminds. So I made that back in January. So it’s not to say that, you know, there aren’t other areas where you can make money. But I guess what was really pleasant about this mastermind was like, it’s not as boring as setting up Facebook ads. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking Facebook ads, I’m very grateful to them, they brought some really wonderful women into my life, really bid for clients. And I’m really grateful for how they managed to do the heavy lifting for me when I want to lean back and not create the content. But the mastermind where like, for me, I was like I’m getting to eat a lovely meal, I’m getting to have beautiful, rich conversations like that already, for me was the ROI. The return on investment was a day for me as a CEO to connect with other inspiring women to be hosted by inspiring women. You know, I didn’t, I wasn’t looking for anything else. So anyway,

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I guess what I’m trying to say here is just wow. What I loved about it is that I’m going to a sales retreat, which I’ll tell you more about in September, with a different host this time. And it was such a quick decision for me to decide to sign up like even though obviously incorporates the cost of staying in a hotel and paying for flights and all that jazz. And even getting a bit of a summer wardrobe because I’ve not needed for the summer Brighton, I shall tell you that it’s been a rainy every day. But you know, it was such an easy decision. Like literally for one moment, I sat on it and thought is this. And I was like, You know what I totally trust, like, you know, looking at what has happened to me in the past, while I’m not going with a view to Can I back any more clients. It’s not even about, you know, attracting new clients. What’s true of networking, and masterminds and retreats in any of these things, is the ROI can be less tangible and still incredibly powerful. And actually I really want to speak to that. Because beyond the the case of a course where we connect with other human beings, and of course, where we connect with potential entrepreneurs. And if you support entrepreneurs, then there’s a chance they may want to work with you. I mean, if you work in the wellbeing space, they may want to work with you.

There’s various different things that people look for support with, and there’s so many ways we can support one another. But you know, if you’re listening to this and thinking, Well, I’m a doula. So unless there’s any pregnant woman in that room, I don’t really see how this is going to help me. I just want to highlight the other ways that retreats and Masterminds are really powerful. You know, one thing in particular, I believe it’s really powerful is sometimes is that you’ve just got ideal clients in the room, who maybe won’t become your ideal clients, but it’s interesting to have their insights. That’s one thing. The second thing I think is really valuable about being at mastermind day As the hive mind is talking to people who’ve, you know, really understand what it is to be on your side of business, and to be on the other side as a consumer, and to be able to share with you in a way that people generously given a mastermind environment that I don’t see elsewhere.

10:17

It’s really, really refreshing. I think one of the things I love the most about masterminds and group programs to be honest with, you get to the benefit of this either in person or not embarrassed and when you’re in a group program, is insights into other people’s business models, is being inspired by people who’ve taken what can seem like very simple themes and turn them into like hundreds of 1000s of pounds of revenue, as a business, like that stuff is so inspiring. And it’s a real reminder as well, that there is no one way to be successful. And I’m just I’m so here for that. I’m so happy for that. And the other really, really powerful piece, which is possibly the most powerful is the ability to potentially collaborate outside of the mastermind, you know, it’s that extra, I mean, in my mind already, if someone’s got a decent following, and you’re gonna jump on and do a live together, again, that already in and of itself could be an incredible ROI on the investment you’ve made, go into mastermind, and like I say, those are the kind of intangible return on investment elements of going to a mastermind, they’re the obvious ones, about, you know, leaning back and looking at your business and your bigger picture goals, setting goals, making those goals bigger and juicy than they had been before getting outside of your business. And rather than being in your business, working at it from, you know, working at it from outside of your business, to kind of really get a clear vision of what it is you’re focusing on, you know, I will be very transparent and mentioned the fact that I’m Intimus say earlier, that I am hosting a mastermind day in London on the eighth of September at the beautiful Covent Garden Hotel.

And that is exactly the kind of things that we’ll be looking at on the day we’ll be looking at, where are you leaving money on the table? What platforms are delivering the best for you? And where can we be doubling down on your efforts to create even more? And where are the things that you can be just ditching and, or delegating or eliminating? What are the opportunities for you in terms of hiring? What are the what are the opportunities for you in terms of advertising and scaling? All the conversation is very much rooted around entrepreneurs who’ve already hit, say 10k months or 8k months or six figure years, you know, it’s very much at the stage where you know, you can sell, would you like more of a sales strategy? Would you like more clarity on how you’re going to be selling over the next quarter? 100% that’s something we’re going to be diving into deep at the mastermind day, but you know, you can sell you’ve had sales conversations, you know, that you’re good at what you do. So we’re not having conversations around impostor syndrome about around whether the work you do is enough, you know, the work you do is enough. You know, you love your clients, you know, the direction you want to be heading in, what you don’t know entirely is, are you investing your energy in the right areas to get the maximum ROI? You know, are you hiring at the right time? Are you advertising at the right time? Should you be thinking about these things? Where should your energy be focused. And what’s really exciting about this day is you’re not just connecting with myself, but the incredible Sara Dalrymple who is the sales expert inside my signature container skill with the power one is going to be there on the day too.

So you’re literally getting a funnel brain was its mind, my own and a sales experts brain on your business as well. And Sara really is I mean, I just adore her she’s so aligns with my values. Like when I thought about having a sales expert within the container, she was the first person that came to mind because she is feminist. She really cares about supporting women to have more money to talk more freely about money, and to more happily and openly claim money and from a place of being ethical, not kind of, you know, really still caring deeply about your clients and really caring about the experience they have, from the moment they inquire about working with you to the moment they buy from you, you know, it’s one of those enriching experiences that feels equally as powerful and as exciting for both sides. And that’s all we could wish for right and online business is to have that experience where everyone feels frickin good. So yeah, so I’m having this mastermind day in September and I guess I wanted to share this episode one because a it’s true. I was really blown away when I saw the ROI on the mastermind days I’d attended and too if you’ve been looking for any further evidence as to why you should be biting my hand off right now and signing up for my mastermind day then this should be it in podcast form. Okay, my friends. And as a final warning, I know this is coming out on Friday and on Sunday, the Sunday after the Friday this comes out Sunday the 21st Something along those lines. I will no longer be offering some a bonus Isn’t summer sales or the 90 minute call the 90 minute one to one call you get alongside buying the mastermind day.

So if you have any questions, just feel free to reach out to me. And apologies for this blatant promo, I’m hoping that even if you are so silly as to not wanting to hang out with me, and the incredible Sara, in September in London, she says cheekily, I hope you gain something from today. I hope this has inspired you to get out your calendar, she says, nudging you get your diary out? And we’ll, we’ll get your phone calendar out now. And look at it. Have you got any events mapped in? Are you going to any events? Are you going to any masterminds? Are you going to any retreats, if you need an excuse to go to one, and if mine isn’t quite up your street right now you’re not in the phase of business right now for mine to be appropriate. My invitation to you is to not hold back. It’s very easy in online business to assume that we can just spend all our time creating content for Instagram, showing up on LinkedIn learning all that kind of techie stuff on the backside. You know what I mean? To kind of put off, you know, the in person stuff, but the in person stuff, honestly, the ripple effect of knowing people connecting to people, how they will more fondly and sooner kind of refer you to somebody else. Because of that loyalty and connection you’ve created in your time. Being physically in a room together is insane. And honestly, if you look at any successful entrepreneurs out there, you’ll see the one thing they all have in common is that they are both attending, hosting events, speaking, and doing all the things to be around other human beings in person, as much as is humanly possible. So whether you’re at a stage where you can host your own event, whether you’re at a stage where you feel more comfortable attending an event, do not put these things off, because I promise you if there’s one thing you can do in your business, where you can almost definitely guarantee a return on investment. It is in person events, it is like I say either hosting one or showing up to one, there is always a return. Like I say it’s not always a tangible one, it might not always land in your lap the day after most of the time it’s a delayed thing. But trust that when you create more connections and create connect with more people, whether it’s directly them or who they refer you to in future or whether it’s because they invite you on their platform, you will reach more people and that love and like that like know and trust that those people have after meeting you will be palpable and their people will feel it too and they will like no interest you sooner because of it. So do not hold back, go out there books something in and feel free to reach out to me on Instagram and say Polly I did it I booked the thing. I’ve actually booked a few other things.

Next year I think I’m going to ComiCon and various other bits so tell me what you’re going to because I would also love to meet you by the way if you’ve been listening I’ve ever see like my listenership going up week on week which is beautiful to see. And I would love to know the personalities behind those those ears listening to my show week on week. So please, you know, feel free to reach out to me in Instagram. I always love to know who’s listening to my show. I always love receiving DMS and hearing how certain episodes have gone down and how they’ve helped you. And if you are attending any events feel free to reach out to me because I’m looking for inspiration. I’m looking for new things to sign up to if you’re hosting event let me know about it. I want to hear about it. And that’s it. That’s it my friends. That’s everything for this week and next week I’m going to be talking about how to make your group coaching program profitable. I’ll be in your ears then.