The Ali Dee Show

Ep 103: How you need to operate to build a million dollar company

• Ali Dee • Season 1 • Episode 103

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A random Friday drive with my kids turned into a masterclass on decision speed, brand positioning, and owning your time.

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SPEAKER_00:

Hi, welcome to the LED show. It was Friday afternoon and I was driving down the highway, headed to go hang out with my kids. We were gonna go do a bunch of fun stuff in a town that's nearby and I had planned to like we were gonna go eat dinner, we're gonna go uh do a little shopping, we were gonna go by the bank and pay the mortgage of one of the commercial properties that I bought, just pick out some toys for them. I was gonna take them for ice cream. It was gonna be a whole thing, right? It by the way, it was the most fun freaking day ever having the freedom to be able to say, I'm taking today, me and the kids, we're just like gonna go have like the most fun party day ever, just to be able to have that freedom. That's the whole thing. That's the whole reason why I started my business years ago was because I was so adamant about owning my own time. And the end of the day on Friday, this was just last Friday, I was just I I felt like the happiest person on the planet because all like of course, we love making sales, we love, you know, the byproduct is the money, but really at the end of the day, for me, there's nothing more valuable than my time. And I've always kind of always felt like that, like even like right out of college, like I was just very, very adamant about owning my own time. So thank goodness I had the guts to start this business years and years ago and stick it through and go through the trenches, the ups and downs, and here we are, literally like living out my exact dream life, being able to do what I want on a Friday, take my kids, you know, not worried about, you know, how much, I mean, they're three and five, they don't eat that much anyways, but not worrying about like, ooh, what can I order on the menu? Like, there's, you know, just not really having the budget to worry about, just buying them the toys, you know, shopping for fun clothes. We went inside Old Navy, which I hadn't been in Old Navy in like over a decade. I can't even tell you the last time I was in Old Navy. Went in there, bought them a bunch of cute Halloween stuff, got a little sissy, like a pumpkin sweater and a cute little black kitty cat dress, got Pecus, my son, like a cool um camouflage fleece thing he wanted. They played hopscotch inside Old Navy. Like, we literally were living our best lives. Like it was so freaking fun. And finally, like by the end, after we went and got the ice cream, they're like, Mom, it's getting dark. Like they were, like, I actually somehow tired out a three and a five-year-old, which was like, I should just win Mom of the Year for that, because I literally didn't think that was possible. So, anyways, that was a side note. Here's the real scoop. So, as we're driving into town on Friday to start our adventurous afternoon evening, I pass a giant billboard. And on this billboard, it says, pay, you know, pay, put place your ad here, right? Or something like that. It was like your advertisement here, and with the phone number. And I somehow, some reason had this like incredible urge to memorize the number as I was going 70 miles an hour down the highway to somehow glance at the sign, input what it said, and memorize the number all in like under three seconds. I was like, hmm, I wonder what it costs to have a billboard on a busy highway. Not even a busy highway, the busiest highway in Texas, right? And I was thinking, well, you know, I'm just curious. So I somehow had all these thoughts in like under five seconds, memorized the number and called right away. And I was like, I left a message, they didn't answer. And I was like, oh, you know, I'm interested in this billboard, you know, I'm just curious if someone could call me back, right? That was Friday. Well, I didn't hear anything. Oh, all, you know, all weekend long. Obviously, I called Friday afternoon. They didn't get back to me till Monday. So they called me on Monday and um I didn't know, I didn't recognize the numbers. They left a message and then they texted me right away and they were like, Oh, you know, we're just calling you back about the billboard. Um, you know, give us a call. And so I texted them back and I said, Oh, okay, great, thanks. I'll be in touch. And they're like, Well, what kind of business do you have? And I said, I have a clothing brand. And they said, Okay, great. You know, so-and-so is gonna call you to talk to you more about it. So, anyways, the billboard guy calls me and um answer the phone. Actually, you know what? He also went to voicemail because I am a freak about not answering my phone unless I know the number. I didn't know the number and all the spams, by the way, you know how smart they've they've gotten and they all call you from like your local zip code or area code now, right? Like they used to call from 800 numbers, now they call from your area codes or like area codes around you. So you think, ooh, do I know this person? Right? So now I'm like adamant. I don't answer the phone. It's not happening. So it goes to voicemail and I see the voicemail coming in because now on my phone I somehow can like preview voicemail and it's like, hey, this is so-and-so at the billboard place or whatever it was. So I pick it up as he's leaving the voicemail and I say, Oh, hey, you know, this is Allie. He's like, hey, okay, so let me tell you about the billboard that you saw. So he's like, you know, it's um, I don't know, 10 by 30, you know, and he kind of goes into the whole story about it and the spiel about it. And I'm like, okay. So he says, you know, we can do a six-month contract, we can do a year-long contract, and he gets into the whole thing. Then he tells me, we also have a brand new billboard that's much larger. He starts giving me some other options, right? Which I like this guy. I he's selling me really good. I mean, he's not even, he's not even really selling me, but I like that he's telling me, plus, I have another option for you. He's like, now I don't know if you're you'd be interested in this one because it's near another town, but um it's a brand new billboard, it's 12 by 40, it's massive, it's lighted and like illuminated at night, right? And he's like, and it's you know, it's great. And he says, and it's near this other town. And I was like, wait a second, that town, toller, that is my town. Like that's where my business is. And he's like, Oh my gosh. I said, Yeah, this would be great. So it's as you come into my town, there's a huge billboard they just built outside of town, like probably like a mile or two outside of town. And um, and sure enough, he tells me about it. He gives me the, you know, where it's located. And I was like, Oh yeah, it's right across from the church. I know exactly where you're talking about. I didn't notice they had built a billboard there though. And he's like, Yeah, this is the other option. He's like, you know, it's more expensive, it's lighted, it's larger. And now I now he's getting into all the things, and I'm like, no, okay, I get it. Right. So the price of that one was more expensive than the original one I called about. But it's in a location that I was really excited about. So I said, let me go drive by it, let me tell you what I think, and I'll give you a call back. So that evening, me and the kids, we go up and I'm like, we're going on a secret mission, kids. And so they get in the car, right? And we're we're driving down the road, they're eating snacks in the backseat, and um, we get to it and I pull into the church parking lot because it's directly across the street, and I'm like, oh my gosh, this sucker is massive, right? And I'm immediately like, I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm like, Am I gonna do this? What am I even gonna put on a billboard? Why do I want a billboard? This is such a random idea I had on a Friday afternoon. Like, I don't know, because like, is this something that's like, is it gonna fit into the marketing budget? And like all these thoughts start coming to my head of, oh my gosh, I don't know if this is a good thing to do. Should we be doing this? It's a year commitment, or maybe I could do six months, like you know, all these things. But at the end of the day, I loved the idea. I love the idea of presenting the brand in a new and fun way for me. Like, hello, having your brand that you started from scratch on a freaking billboard. Like what? That has always been something that like was on the back of my mind, but I never thought I would actually be able to do it. And I almost thought like it didn't make sense. Like I'm doing air quotes, right? Like, oh, I don't know, that doesn't make sense because I don't have like a, you know, in town we're a warehouse, like we don't really sell out of there, like we're we're wholesale, like we ship to people, but we don't have a store in there, like you know, all the things that I'm like, I don't know. So, anyways, I'm going back and forth in my head, but I already I already know the decision. I already know it's a yes. Listen, guys, I knew it was a yes the moment, like the moment I saw the billboard in the other town. I already knew I was gonna do this, okay? But sometimes we gotta kind of go back and forth in our heads a little bit and like entertain some of these thoughts. But what I'm telling you now is the quicker you become at making decisions like this, and the less you entertain these negative thoughts, the better you're gonna be at business as a whole. Okay. So what I'm saying is I already knew this was a yes. Now in years past, I would have entertained this decision for weeks. Weeks, right? I would have, I don't know if it's a good idea, should I do it? Well, I think it's gonna help me, but I don't know it's gonna help me. I don't have any proof it's gonna help me. Like, I don't, I'm not like, like, why would I be getting a billboard? Like, I don't know, like, you know, all those thoughts. So that years ago would have taken me weeks to mull over. And then I would have, you know, made the decision. But now what I've learned about business is the faster you can make the decision and move, the faster you reap the benefits, right? They always say money loves speed. So I know this billboard is going to make me and my brand more money. I already know that. It's more visibility, it's exciting, it's gonna be exciting for me. And as the business owner, like it's my job to be invigorated and do fun things and to be the leader, to be the trendsetter, right? So I'm setting the trend. And also it's like the people that have billboards now, like are only the biggest players in the game, right? And like for me, that's like your Wranglers of the world, your cinches, your boot barns, your freaking buckies, they all have billboards. I do business with some of these major businesses that have billboards all over. Why shouldn't I include my brand with the best in the game when I believe that's where we're at, and I want to build a$10 million company. So you have to kind of start to learn how to minimize that time where you're going back and forth in your head about decisions in your business. So for you, oh, by the way, here's the deal. So on Monday, he called me, right? Monday afternoon, I was looking at the billboard. And by Monday evening, I had made the decision I was gonna sign the contract and do it for a year. Because I'm not like a six-month kind of person. Like I don't really believe you can get, you know, everything you want out of something in six months, especially when it's new and you got to figure out how to use it to the best of your ability. So I'm like, I'm all in for a year. Like I'm a long-term type person. I get that. I don't expect results overnight, and I know that investing in the long term is always the answer. So I'm I I called him, I said, okay, I'm gonna take it. I said, there's some trees around the billboard. Would you consider a better price? And I pitched him a better price, and he immediately said sure. And I was like, dang, okay, this is like everything went my way. And it went my way because I didn't get in the way. And as a business owner, so many times you get in the way of your own success. And let me tell you how this could be showing up for you because I want you to think about this, okay? The first example that comes to mind for me is like something like going live, right? Going live for you could be something that you know is on the horizon for your business. You know it's gonna help you. You know it's gonna be something that you you want to do, but you're in your head about it. I don't know if I could do it. How am I gonna get the orders out? Like, what if I don't understand and do it? What if no one's on the live? I don't know, I don't have any proof that anyone's gonna watch, I don't have any proof that it's gonna be worth my effort and my time. Like this, these types of things are where you are the bottleneck in your business and where you are holding back your own success. It could even be like something like joining million dollar moves, right? My free program, joining the trendsetter university, my six-month paid program, okay? You could be in your head about million-dollar moves and going, oh, I don't know if I want to join this girl's program, like it's free. Like, how much am I actually gonna learn? There's gonna be other women in there. Like, what if I have this competitive thing and I don't want to feel competitive and like I don't even know if like these frameworks are gonna work? Am I gonna do another course? What if this also doesn't work and I've already tried things and you're in your own way. Instead of just saying, you know what? I could use some more help with growing and scaling my business. I'm gonna join million dollar moves. Yeah, it's free, but it's still, it's it feels scary though. It still feels weird. I've never done like anything like this. I don't know. I don't have any proof that it's gonna work, right? But one of the pillars of what I call the trendsetter way, which if you're in any of my spaces, I talk to you about the trendsetter way. It's how we operate differently than 99% of the world and why myself and my clients have such incredible success. And one of those things is we move with belief in ourselves without proof. Okay, because you won't have proof until you make proof happen. And you make proof happen by moving before you see it, right? So many people get caught up in this. Another thing is like, if you've been thinking about joining Trendsetter University, maybe you've already worked with me and you're like, oh, I don't know, like I don't know if I want to spend money on myself. Like, I should be like, you know, reinvesting in more inventory or something, you know, when actually the literally the one thing you need to invest in is yourself, but you are in your own way because you're scared or you feel some type of way about investing in yourself. Okay, you're like, oh, I feel guilty spending money on myself. So many women have told me that before. But then once they join, they realize that that was the best decision that they ever made because the only way you move forward is by becoming a better business leader, a better owner, a better CEO. Listen, I'm not trying to like pitch you to join, but these are the thoughts that are immediately coming into my head when I think of ways that you are in your own way. So look at some other areas that you could be doing this, right? Where you're like, oh, I know I need to be emailing more, but I don't want to bug people and like people have already seen this, and like, what am I gonna email them about? It's like, get out of your own way, send the freaking email. Get out of your own way, go live. Get out of your own way, post more, talk to us on TikTok, get out of your own way, join Million Dollar Moves, join Trendsetter University, find the thing you need to do that you know you are the bottleneck for. I am so adamant about learning how to move quicker in business. It's why we've done hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales this year alone. Okay, like over a half a million dollars in sales by far. I haven't even looked at the numbers yet for the year, year to date. We did over six figures in August alone, okay? I didn't get this way by moving slow and being a snail. I got this way because I know that when you move fast and you make decisions that you know are right for you, but you're in your head about something else about it, right? Or not having the proof or not knowing, right, you become your own worst enemy. You become the reason why your business isn't growing and flourishing. And I'm not saying this to like knock you down or make you feel bad, because listen, I have been here too. I remember being this person. This is a learned skill. You've probably I would go as far as to say you have never heard anybody in business talk to you about this before. That this is a new concept. Because people don't get this if you're not doing it. That's why I always say, like, working with me is different because I'm in the trenches. I've been there, I get it. I'm not someone who's just like a marketing person teaching you marketing. I am a product-based business owner that has built multiple seven-figure companies, sold millions of dollars worth of product, have my brand in global businesses all over the world, and I'm teaching you what I've learned to get here. This is not theory. This is actual practiced study, okay? And that's why, again, I just feel like this is my duty, my calling in life. I've already built a successful business, and now, like, all I want to do is wake up and make you guys successful. That might sound crazy to you, but it is like the joy of my freaking life. I love it. So I I tell you the billboard story to ask you what is your billboard? What is the thing that you know you should be doing that you've been putting off that's going to push your business forward? Think about that today. You know what I would love? DM me and tell me what that thing is. Like, I am just a real person out here. Like, send me a DM. It's on Instagram, okay? It's Ally.dot CEO. Be sure it's that account, okay? Ally.d.ceo. Send me a DM and tell me what the thing is you think you should be doing. I would love to hear from you guys. Send me a screenshot of the episode. Let me know you're listening. One of my um girls inside Trendsetter University, she was like, Allie, I just realized you have a podcast. Like, I didn't even know you had one. And I realized that I hardly promote this thing. And I'm so obsessed with the podcast. So I'm gonna get on there. I'm gonna get better about that. But what you could do to help me is share the podcast, share it on your um Instagram stories. Let people know you're listening to it. If you like this message, if you're feeling the vibes, be like, hey, listen to this girl's podcast, the Ally D show. She helps product-based business owners because I know y'all have a lot of friends in the industry that feel the same way and are not getting this information. Oh my gosh. Is this the most important podcast episode I've ever created? It could be. I'm that adamant about this. So again, the reason for the billboard story is to recognize what is the billboard for you and then also to start looking at this is the big thing. Start looking at how quickly you're able to make decisions to push your business forward. Because listen, the future you I'm telling you this because I've been here, the future you moves a lot faster. So the faster you can become the future you, the faster you make your future, your vision, which you want, a reality. It's like literally, this is the magic, okay? This is the freaking magic. So, anywho, I hope I get to see you inside Million Dollar Moves. There's already 61 women that have opted in to join Million Dollar Moves, okay? 61 women. The website to get there is just Alidceo.com slash million dollar moves. Okay. If you need the D if you need the link, it's in my bio in Instagram, it's in my bio and TikTok. You can also DM me and say, Allie, I listened to the podcast. What was the link? I'll also put it in the description notes here. So you can scroll under the podcast, it'll say join million dollar moves here. Okay. Also, I want you to think about checking out Trendsetter University. It's I'matrendsetter.com. That link will be down below as well. But this is my six-month program where I go week by week by week by week by week with you for six months working on the exact frameworks and strategy you need to build your business. That begins on October 13th. Okay, there's already 12 women ready to roll in the university. There's gonna be a lot more coming in as we get closer and closer to start getting started. And the best thing about that is not only are you gonna get the frameworks, but you're gonna get me helping with implementation throughout the six months. Okay. And then you're also gonna have the support of the incredible women that are gonna be working on the same things you are, which is freaking game changing. Okay, I love you guys. I I literally think this is probably one of the best episodes I've ever recorded. I'm so glad when I was like, you know, in the shower tonight, I was like, oh my god, I gotta go tell the girls on the podcast about what is going on and how this could literally change the whole game for you and your business. Stop being the bottleneck. Get out of your own way. Okay? I love you. Bye.