You Can Build A Six-Figure Launch Without Ads with Andrea Engstrom

We sit down with Andrea Engstrom to unpack how she bets on herself, walks away from a comfortable job, and builds a six-figure coaching launch through clarity, confidence, and referrals. We get practical about organic Facebook growth, workshop strategy, and why the inner work matters just as much as the business plan.
• betting on yourself and taking the leap with a date on the calendar
• choosing an offer based on your current circle of influence and what people already ask you for
• building organic leads through Facebook friends, consistent posting, and priming your profile
• hosting a free workshop and using a free next step to drive sales conversations
• urgency and frequency of activity through repeat workshops and direct outreach
• mapping a signature coaching program with the rule of threes and selling from the outline
• building confidence through action and doing the messy reps
• five ways to double income through leads, conversion, pricing, repeat sales, and profit margin
• using referrals and strategic partnerships to get higher quality leads that close faster
• making referrals easy with scripts, clear steps, and a simple intro process
 
I have a workshop that you can register for on my website, https://andreaengstrom.com/. My workshop is 100k in 90 days for keys to launch your own coaching program. 

Are you ready to streamline your business and elevate your client experience? Right now you can get 30% off with my discount code: https://share.honeybook.com/shannastar

You can try Pic Time for free with my code and get an extra free month when you upgrade to a paid plan: head to the notes and click the link to start your beautiful galleries today

https://davistaphotography.pic-time.com/referral

Transcript

Welcome And Big Promise

Shanna Star 0:08

Welcome back to the Shine Podcast. I'm your host, Shauna Starr. Today I have another lovely guest with me, Andrea Engstrom, and she has made 100k in 90 days, and she shares so much of that wisdom and knowledge with all of those who follow her and work with her. She is also going to talk with us today about the three secrets to double your income clarity and competence and get you referrals. She is the founder of A Bold Mastermind, the author of A Bold Competence, and the host of her own Andrea Engstrom podcast show. Her mission is to help women, entrepreneurs, gain that clarity and competence so they can build thriving businesses and lives on their own terms. I know you're absolutely going to love our conversation today, so let's get right to it.

Bet On Yourself And Quit

Shanna Star 0:59

We probably should have already been recording because we've been talking about some good things. But welcome. Thank you so much for having me, Shauna. Yes, yes. So I know we're gonna kind of get into that like three secrets to double your income, clarity, confidence, and unlimited referrals. And we've got some goodies that we already kind of chatted about. But first, just a little bit about you. Because I know something that popped up, and I know you talk about this a lot, is that you made $100,000 in your first 90 days as a coach and then went on to build seven-figure coaching company in under two years. Will you talk a little bit about that and all the things?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yes. So um I was in a chapter of my life when I was working really hard building someone else's dream. And I don't know if any of your listeners can relate to that. We're rocking day jobs and we're trying to figure out our side hustle or, you know, we'd love to have freedom, but we end up locked in in a gig or working for somebody else. And in this season of my life, I was working for somebody else's coaching organization. And I was like feeling this deep sense of incongruency, where here I was saying, build your dreams, because I was I was coaching real estate investors and we were like, build your own dream. Don't, you know, don't work for somebody else, like create your freedom. And here I was working really hard for somebody else. Yes. And so um, so I came across this podcast though, love podcasts. Um, and Amy Porterfield was talking about um this season in her life when she was working for Tony Robbins, the biggest coach in the world, doing amazing things with amazing people and basically crying in her pillow at night. And I was like, girl, that's me. That's my that's literally where I'm at right now. I'm doing amazing things with amazing people, crying in my pillow at night because I know that I'm meant for more. And she said, she sat in this room with Tony and these other coaches, and they were talking about what freedom looked like for them. And she said, I don't have that freedom. And I was like, I don't have that freedom. What do we do? And so she said, she went home and mapped out a coaching program and she put a date on the calendar, and she said three words that changed my life. She said, Bet on yourself. And I grabbed a notebook and I wrote at the top of the page, what would the bravest version of me do? And I decided how I wanted to help women to get to clarity and confidence. And I had this story connected to how I built my business in real estate investing through referrals and networking. And I was like, I could teach others how to do that. And so I just looked at um something that I had done that others were asking me about, like, hey girl, how'd you do that? And I decided I was gonna make a coaching program out of it. And so I called the people I was working with and I said, Hey, I'm launching this thing. Um, I'm so excited, I can do what I do for you and do this at the same time. And they said, No, ma'am, you cannot. And so I had to put in my two weeks' notice and I said, because I had this clarity. And when you get clarity, sisters, listen to this. When you get clarity, you gotta run with it. I don't know how many, how many of you listening have had times in your lives where you have this brilliant idea, this this idea, and you're like, I know that this could work, but we overprocess it, we overthink it. Yeah, we we go, oh, but it's not perfect yet. Y'all, I stuck a date on the calendar and I quit my day job, and I had to run with that clarity because I had a lot riding on that. You know, I walked away from a $12,000 a month job to launch my own thing. And in the first six weeks, I did $64,000 in sales. And um, a few people started asking me, hey, how'd you do that? And I said, Let me map it out. Come on, girls, I'm gonna teach you. I invited them to join a new coaching program that I just was launching. And um, and then I joined, and then I created a mastermind group for the people that were graduating out of the the the original coaching program I launched. And in the first 90 days, I did $134,000 in sales. That's incredible, which is which is what I would have earned working the entire year in the gig that I had before. And so bet on yourself, sisters. Bet on yourself.

Shanna Star 5:00

Like hearing that is incredible, and but that didn't happen, you know, overnight. You worked hard at that. So can you, and I don't want to give everything away. I know that all these classes too, but will you tell us really how you did some of those steps, what you were doing behind the scenes, how you set up that business to bring in that first launch and then that second launch.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Yes, absolutely.

Build A Program From Demand

SPEAKER_00 5:20

So um I put a date on the calendar for a free workshop, and I I titled it The Three Secrets to Double Your Income: Clarity, Confidence, and Unlimited Referrals. Because I knew that it needed to feel like something that was exactly what my ideal clients were looking for. There's so many, um, I had so many friends on Facebook that I had met through these groups that I had joined and um just I like I love connecting with women entrepreneurs online. And so I had, I had intentionally built my friends of other women entrepreneurs and other women in real estate and all these um women that I knew. So when I when I decided on what my coaching program would be about, I didn't just say, what am I passionate about? I looked at who is in my current circle of influence and what do they need and want? What are they struggling with right now? And when you're first launching a business, getting leads can be the hardest part. You're like, well, I have this great idea, but who do I invite or who do I send it to? Or who do I, you know, ask if they would like my services, you know? And so um, and so I knew that that I had a lot of current circle of influence who needed help with the thing that I could I could help with. Because and I knew this because I was sharing my story um in groups that I belonged to, and people were like, that's a magnetic story. They were like, tell me more. How did you do that? I'm really struggling here. And so I knew that that was gonna be a hot topic. And so that's one thing I would recommend is like, don't just think about what you're because I you guys, I love referrals and networking. I'm not really passionate about it. It's that like I love real estate investing. I'm not really passionate about it. That's like not the thing for me. But I didn't say I didn't focus on myself as much as focus on how can I be of the greatest service to the people that I already have connections with. What is the number one result I could help someone achieve that is within the current audience that I have? And so one of the things I also did that year was I added a ton of friends on Facebook. And I didn't necessarily know that I was going to be launching something, but when I decided, is if anybody's out there and you're sitting there on 900 friend requests and you're like really picky about who you're friends with, um, accept, accept the friend requests. Because you never know. If people are trying to connect with you, you know, make sure that they're not spam bots or whatever, but connect with people who want to connect with you because it may be there may be a reason that they're wanting to be friends with you and and you know, follow you or whatever it is. And so I added a ton of new friends on Facebook, and I'm so glad that I did that because when I went to launch something, I had 4,500 friends that and I was I was posting regularly. And I did this thing called priming my profile. And when you're getting ready, when you're getting ready to launch something new, one of the things that I I find is that people tend to go dark, they tend to go quiet before they launch something new. And you, and the reality is you need to do the opposite. And so you want to start um when you're priming your profile, you want to start posting beautiful photos of your yourself and your family and your pets and the babies and all the things that people actually want to like connect with you around personally, because those posts are always gonna get better response and engagement so that when you post something that is about your business, you're gonna have more eyeballs on it. So we got to add friends, we got to prime the profile. And that way when you launch something, people are actually gonna

Prime Facebook For A Launch

SPEAKER_00 8:46

see it.

Shanna Star 8:46

Right. Yeah, the algorithm already said you like the thing about your beautiful face, your kid, your dog, whatever. So show me all the things from this person. So that's right. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

That's right. And so, like choosing a niche that is something your ideal target audience needs, people you already have in your circle, something that they they would want that would be a big result you could help them achieve. And then just getting really active on social media so that when you make an announcement, and when I say make an announcement, I'm like, make an announcement about the value that you're providing, not like, I'm launching this business. Like nobody, I mean, like people will be like, yay, girl, go, girl. But the reality is it's better to launch with something that's like, I want to teach you how to get unlimited referrals. Come on, girls, like I'm gonna, it's for it's free. I'm I'm providing a ton of value. Come on in, right? That's a much different approach than what we see most people doing, which is you know, just like a soft launch of an announcement, and and then we we expect that like thousands of people are now gonna knock on our door and buy our thing, but the reality is you've got to show up and provide value first.

Shanna Star 9:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

Right.

Shanna Star 9:52

So for your first launch, then most of your leads for your your live class that you said came from Facebook. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Yeah. You know, I'm and and the the reality is the the first million dollars in sales that I did in my coaching business were all from friends on Facebook and women who invited their friends to join my Facebook group.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

So I hosted a free workshop, I launched a free Facebook group, I I reached out to individuals that I was I was close with, and I was like, would you invite 200 friends to my Facebook group? I, you know, I know that you like I want to work with more women entrepreneurs. I I love your energy, you're a good friend. Would you do me that honor of inviting your friends to be a part of our sisterhood, which is my Facebook group is Bold Women in Business Sisterhood. And so it was all organic leads, referrals, networking, friends on Facebook. Like we didn't, we didn't run ads. Like we we tried it a couple of times and we're like, this stinks. We don't like this. Let's just stick with organic. So we just leaned in on organic, which is who you're already friends with and who would invite their friends to come along too.

The Workshop Mistake That Hurt

Shanna Star 11:01

So then that first live class, tell me what happened at the end. Was there a hook? Was there something to buy? How did you make that first hundred thousand dollars in that night?

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Okay, okay. I gotta tell you, like I made the biggest mistake of my career probably on that first masterclass. So I hosted a workshop and at the end of the class, and I and you guys, this is not typical, not typical results. I got 500 registrations for my first workshop. That's great. That's amazing. Yeah. And part of it was everybody was like, oh, what's Andrea doing now? Because she just like quit this, you know, quit her job or whatever. So people were um looking for like, what is she gonna do next? And um, and I've I've always positioned myself as someone who provides tremendous value. Um, like whatever group I show up in, I'm telling stories, I'm looking for ways to help others, I'm you know, like making connections for other people. So I'm um I'm a cheerleader, I'm a girl's girl, like I'm showing up, giving people shout-outs, loving on others, and and I didn't know I was gonna launch my own business, but that's just how I'm showing up in the world because I that's how you are highly referable. It's how people want to do business with you and partner with you, and it leads to so many opportunities. And so that magnet, that magnetic energy, I'm showing up very intentionally with that energy everywhere I go in in online communities and in person. And so when I launched that um workshop, 500 people registered, which is so crazy. Like that's a lot, okay? It is a lot, yeah. That is, um, but I had um from that, I had 250 people show up. The mistake I made at the end, I was like, oh, if I drop a link to book a free strategy call with me, then my calendar is going to be so full, I'm not gonna have time to breathe. And so I dropped a link for people to just click and buy my thing. And my thing was a program for $2,000. It was 1997. And so $1,997, you can click here and you can join my six-week program on how to get referrals and um you know, clarity, confidence, and connections, right? And I finished the workshop, nothing. Nobody clicked, nobody bought. And then later, like an hour later, somebody clicked, like somebody bought, and I was like, okay, okay, I quit my job to do this thing. And 250 people, nobody bought. And so what I should have done, and what I coach my students to do, do not drop a link and expect people to buy your thing on the workshop. Offer them a next step to do something with you for free. That is a strategy call, or I do a three-day, um, I do a three-day process to help someone nail their niche. So at the end of workshop, you just drop a link for them to, it's like it's like another gift. So I'm giving you this gift of this training, and now my my gift to you, if you registered for this workshop, is this one-on-one process, right? So if I had done that, I probably would have done double what I did in sales in that first 90 days. And so what I did instead was I had to, I sent everybody the replay and a link to book a free strategy call with me. And I had to, I sent that email three times. I was like, book your call, book your call, book your call, right? Because I didn't do it on my workshop. So that was the big mistake I made. But um, from the follow-up sequences, um, that first workshop, 24 people booked and um, no, 20 people booked and like 13 people bought, which is great. That's an amazing awesome, awesome. And then um it's you know, when you're when you are in a launching a new thing, the thing I want everybody to take away from this right now is urgency and frequency of your activity. So two weeks after my first workshop, I launched, I did a second workshop. It was, I called it an encore because I had people that couldn't attend the first one that registered, so I invited them and then I kept promoting it on Facebook. So I read, I did a second workshop two weeks after the first. Three weeks later, I did another workshop. Um, I I made a list of people who I thought should be in my program that wasn't on my calendar. I called them and scheduled a time. Like, so it was urgency and frequency of activity. It was like, it was not just a uh like super chill, like hopefully people buy my thing. It was like, how can I get in front of more people and you know, and do it again and do it again and do it again. And you know, because I I realized when I launched, like, nobody's nobody's coming to do this thing for me.

SPEAKER_02 15:33

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Nobody's coming to save me, nobody's writing me a check whether I make sales or not. And this, like, this is not a job. This is my this is my own business, this is my life.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

And I can either sit back and hope, and you know, I could have, I could have just said, well, my first workshop was a flop. That didn't work for me, but you gotta pivot and shift and figure out what works and try new things and then do it again. And when something works, do it again and again and again, right?

Shanna Star 16:02

So I would say from Facebook, then you get their email. So you do a lot of email marketing then after that point, which it sounds like wonderful. I love that. So then do you still have that same program or has it become

Turning The Offer Into A Book

Shanna Star 16:15

other things? You do. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Yeah, so um, so yes, I still have the program, but um, this is what I'm super excited about. Can I just tell you? Yeah, this is so exciting. So I actually turned that first program that I created, which was called Bold Confidence Blueprint. I turned it into a book. And so I my book is coming out on April 7th. I'm hosting a book launch event and a storytelling summit of women who are taking courageous action and taking um, you know, stepping into their own bold confidence. Um, but I I was able to take that all the lessons and the stories and the things from um that original program and I turned it into a book. And people can still join that program with me. Um, but it's uh it's not my main offering. Today, my my primary focus is helping other women to create and launch their own coaching programs. But what I found is that when people go through my bold confidence program, they are stepping into their own next level of confidence. And it's a perfect opportunity for someone to like um, when you stepped into that next level of confidence, your brain starts to ask new questions. When you elevate your beliefs about who you are and what you want, um, the world starts to open up in a new way. And so when you're presented with an idea or an opportunity, such as like, what if we helped you monetize your expertise? What if we helped you to figure out what your thing is as a coach? Because a lot of women I talk to are like, I don't know how I could be a coach. I'm not, I'm not, you know, I don't have this massive, incredible success story. But the truth is, is that almost every woman I've ever spoken to has something they've learned, experiences they've been through, um, you know, expertise that they've developed over their career that can absolutely be a coaching program. It's just a matter of let's figure out what that is and help you step into your full confidence to be able to make that offer.

Shanna Star 18:17

Yeah. So I know for those listening, uh I mean, I know for myself too, when I was just starting, it was like, okay, well, what does that look like? Six weeks for a program is a lot. Is there something that you suggest or something that you like to niche down, or how big are these programs so that when people start building them, they're like, Do I need to have everything in the kitchen sink in here? And what does it look like? And how do I even build that? Will you talk a little bit about that process and what it can be like?

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Yeah, absolutely.

Map Your Program With Threes

SPEAKER_00 18:43

So um I uh there's a there's a rule of threes that we we employ when we're building a coaching program that's super helpful. And the rule of threes is the it's like a learning mechanism that helps people connect to ideas and stories and remember things. And so the way that I recommend people map out a program is we're gonna come up with three main pillars. And I love for those to all start with the same letter because it makes it easier for me to remember. And so for my program was clarity, confidence, and connections, right? And that was the the program I launched with. And then under each of those pillars, we're gonna have three steps, and under each step, we're gonna have three bullets or outcomes, and that's a like a clear way to map out a program. And so all of my students create a coaching program that has three pillars, nine steps, clear outcomes for each of those steps. And then we create the things that go underneath them. But the thing that I recommend people do is not wait until everything's all mapped out and perfect. Um, I walk them through a process, and I've got a really good prompt for this, too, that makes it easier to take your ideas and turn it into something that's a cohesive signature program offer that feels really good when you say it out loud. Um, but we will map out that signature program. And then the truth is you're ready to sell when you have the the core outline of your program. And I'm just doing, I'm just telling this is what I did and mapped out the idea. Like what would what would I be teaching people and what were some of the tools that I wanted to create. And then I started selling. I didn't create it all and build it all out and put it in the back end of a portal or something like that. I literally just created the outline and I was like, this is what I want to make sure that I convey to others when they're in the program. These are the things that I did that got results. This is what I need to teach other people, just the outline. And then, and then we start marketing a workshop, your free Facebook group, where we're starting to connect with people. The whole goal is to get one-on-ones on the calendar so that you can um walk them through the what you do in that offer and invite them to be in your in your coaching program. Right. So we're gonna ask about their goals, their challenges, really understand what's where they're at, and make a recommendation that your coaching program would be a good fit for them if it is, right?

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:04

And so once you have that program outlined, you're ready to sell. And so I would much rather that people get paid to build their program because they have students that are going through it, than to spend weeks and months mapping out all the details just to find that you don't have a converting offer. Right. Right. Like let's get let's get sales coming in. And and I love launching with um cohorts, like a group. Like I would love for people to start with at least two or three people in your first group. Some people will have 10 people in their first group, amazing. But that's why that launch time is important. It's like we're gonna host a workshop, we're gonna host another workshop, we're gonna start our program like three weeks after the first workshop. That's the first day of the coaching program. So I've got two workshops and two, you know, two or three weeks to close people into the program. And now we've got a cohort. And that that feels like great time leverage and it creates momentum. And so then each week before the coaching call, you've got a week to get ready for that coaching call. Right. So if you didn't have it all mapped out at first, you're gonna get it done before that call.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

And that's the thing is I I encourage people to start before you feel ready. Launch your work, like put a date on the workshop before you have your whole workshop mapped out. Start promoting it because you you will be ready when you show up for the date. Right.

Shanna Star 22:19

And you know that's interesting just in any aspect of business too, because we're never gonna be ready otherwise anyway. It's never gonna be perfect, it's never gonna be exact. And then pretty soon that date gets further and further pushed. So if you have that date, if you have those leads um and those live classes, that then you're absolutely pushed to get it done. So I like that. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Well, I love what you said that you'll never feel ready because feelings follow actions. Yeah. It never it never works the other way around. Right. And so we take action as if we feel ready, as if we are already her, then we will, you know, we will we will feel ready when we take the action to to get ready.

Shanna Star 22:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Like, you know, put the data in the calendar.

Shanna Star 23:02

At a very small scale of that, I always think about people posting when they're first gonna have any business, no matter what it is. And I've met so many women, I'm sure you've met some too, who are just like, I can't make that first post. It's not perfect. Do I make it about me? I don't have a website, I don't have this, I need the perfect photo, and it's like no one's gonna scroll back to that after a few days. You just gotta get it out there. No one cares. And even as a full-time photographer, I just post even if it's not perfect. Yes, and that's how I'm still continually doing it 16 years later. The people who it's not perfect are still struggling to post, yeah, to launch the website and to do the thing. And it's just that's the that's part of it, like you said. Yeah, just to start before you're ready.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

Yeah. In our um, in our circles, we say messy is sexy. I love it, and we put in the dirty reps. Like we post janky videos, like they're not good, like they're gonna get better, but we put in the dirty reps, yeah, and we just say, like, I'm just gonna do this messy because I don't, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm trying to figure it out. And so, and we all like, and so when you and when you create a culture around just taking action, yeah, that's part of I think why my students are successful is because they are like, yeah, girl, like let's just get it out there. Let's, and it's not that we're doing a bunch of sloppy things. If you're a perfectionist, your 80% is better than most people's 100%. Like we all are all, we all know that. And we're not, you know, we're not posting things that are ridiculous. But but when you have done 10 takes, pick the best of the 10 and post it. Don't let it just stay hidden in your phone, right? Just start posting.

Shanna Star 24:47

And so much about what you've spoken about, I think, of action builds confidence, and it's not the other way around because so many times it's like, oh, I need to be confident and then I'll be able to do the thing. And it's like, nope. You following through, you doing the action is what builds confidence. Just like you go in the gym scared for the first time. It doesn't feel good, but as you follow through with your promises to yourself, you follow through with the action, then all of a sudden that's where that confidence kicks in. It comes from you having accountability to yourself.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

So yeah, absolutely.

Double Income With Referral Levers

Shanna Star 25:17

So I know we kind of even danced around some of the things because I know some people might be listening to and being like, okay, I love it. I love her business, I love the structure, I want to learn more. But tell me some of the secrets that we said we were going to talk about, a little bit of the how to double your income and how to get that confidence in unlimited referrals. Will you give us a little bit of the secrets?

SPEAKER_00 25:35

Yeah, totally. Um, so one of the things that I look for is who are who are the people that are already meeting with your ideal client? Um, and how can we build connections with those people? Um, because the secrets to double your income, um, there's you know, there's five ways to double your income. There's lead generation, you can double, you know, you could double your leads, you could double your conversion rate, which means we're gonna close more, you know, we're gonna close twice as many people. Um, you have your average dollar sale, you can double your prices, right? You could double your number of transactions per person that you're working with. So we find a way to do an additional sale with them within the year. Um, or you can improve your profit margin, right? And so any one of those areas of your business, if you focus on it, you could double your business. Or you can make small incremental changes in each of those. If you made 15% improvements in each of those five ways to double your business, then the cumulative effect is that you would double your profit. You would double your income if you did just a 15% improvement in your leads, your conversion rate, your average dollar sale. So raise your prices a little bit, get a few more leads. That literally will double your business, 15% improvements, right? The one strategy that impacts every every single one of those categories is referrals, right? Because people refer parallel to themselves. When you when you get referrals from a high-ticket client, they're gonna refer to someone who's probably a high-ticket, right? So um it it can double your leads if you get a referral from every single one of your clients, and you know this because you're you've been in photography for so long that that's like a massive strategy for getting really high-quality new new leads coming in. Um, but there's strategies connected to that. And I want to, I wanna actually, is it cool if I give a strategy in the photography business specifically? I love it. Okay, yeah. Okay. So um this is an example. Um, uh, my realtor, um, who I've done multiple transactions with um in the in this community because we're real estate investors, but she reached out to us one day and she said, we're hosting a family photo photo shoot at the park. Um and she gave me like two days' notice. And I was like, absolutely, I will be there because I struggle to get my to get my stuff together just to book a family photo shoot. Like that is like one of the things that I want in my life, but I don't take time to do it because it's it sounds like it's gonna be hard and stressful, right?

Shanna Star 28:09

Yes, it can be. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

And she's like, show up, you know, show up with your family. Um, and she gave me like I was like, yes. So they gave me a time slot for 10 minutes. Okay. So she had a photographer at the park for two hours and um all and she invited all of her clients, right? All of her real estate um agent. She's a real estate agent, so all of her clients she invited and gave them little time slots. Okay, so with that, I got one free photo, or I could buy the entire, the entire, like all the photos she took in the 10 minutes of our shoot, I could buy all of them for like 200 bucks. I was like, that's a deal. I love it. And so I did the math on that. I was like, okay, so now um that photographer, she just did probably 12, 12 10-minute shoots in two hours, right? 12 minute, 10 minute shoots in two hours. And if each person, um, if every single person purchased the photos, which nobody is leaving these beautiful photos of their children in someone else's, like it's it's a no-brainer offer, right? But let's just say a couple of them didn't. Um, A, she got paid by the realtor to show up and do the shoot. And B, she got paid by every family that purchased their photos. And what's beautiful is, you know, so if if someone wanted to have a photography business and shoot, so she did a two-hour shoot, she probably made two or three thousand dollars minimum from doing that two-hour shoot, made connections with 12 new families. I've booked her personally twice since that shoot for my mastermind group's photos, for my headshots, like she's getting residual business because now now they now she's my person.

Shanna Star 29:58

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

So now she she's my photographer. And so she's getting residual, but she didn't have to market to me directly. Her realtor did. And so if you could imagine, if you did, I just want you to like have a have a visual here. Like, if you did one of those types of shoots per week, um, you could do it for realtors, for insurance agents, client, and anybody that wants to do a client appreciation event. So while you're waiting to get your photos taken, you're chatting with the person that put the event on for you. And you're like thanking them. Every time I see those photos, I think of my realtor. I I mean, I think of the photographer that took it, but mostly I think of my realtor who I was like, oh, we got those photos because my realtor gave that to us as a gift.

Shanna Star 30:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

What a perfect client appreciation strategy, right? And so if you did one of those shoots for per week, you probably have a $10,000 a month business like that. And if you didn't get paid to show up and do the thing, you just offered it as a free service. Like it's like a strategic partnership. So, hey, insurance agent, um, we're gonna set up for two hours, and you could do it two hours, two nights in a row if they've got a thousand clients and first come, first serve. We can, you know, we can do 24 shoots or whatever it is. Like, what a what an incredible strategy to fill your calendar with someone else filling your calendar.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:23

Right. And so you could you, I I can see this, this uh biz, I was like, man, she could do 10,000, 20,000 a month if she was after she get if she was getting after it.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

But she wouldn't have to book her own clients. All she has to do is go and like so if you live in a big city and there are 2,000 realtors in your city and you did two of these shoots.

Shanna Star 31:43

Low ballet, yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

You did two of these shoots a week for uh oh for realtors or for insurance agents. And by the way, do their headshot, you know, do the headshots for their whole office while you're at it. You know what I mean? For an additional fee or something like that. Like those strategic relationships would grow your business so quickly without you having to be the one marketing directly to clients.

Shanna Star 32:06

Right. Yeah, you're only doing it to the one person versus the 20. Right. So right.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

And so that's the power of referrals and networking. When you find other professionals that already have connections with your ideal audience, now it's not on you to have to like market one-to-one, you're marketing one to many.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Right.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Because you're marketing their, they are featuring you to their people instead of you having to go find those individual clients. Yeah. Is that cool? Is that a cool strategy?

Shanna Star 32:33

Absolutely. Yeah, it's wonderful. Yep.

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Shanna Star 32:37

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Referral Systems And Clear Scripts

Shanna Star 33:54

I was wondering like for yourself too. I was thinking like return on investment and what that looks like because that's a great ROI. And so will you talk about maybe one of the most effective ways you have found like an ROI strategy for yourself too and for your income?

SPEAKER_00 34:11

Yeah. So for me, the um the best way for me to grow my business has been um when other people invite their friends. Um, and and this is like such a simple, simple thing. Like I can have people, because I have workshops, people can invite their friends to my workshops. That's such a simple way to introduce someone to me. But the the very best, highest converting strategy for me as a coach is when one of my clients sends me a joint, like sends a joint email to one of their um one of their friends and to me at the same time and says, This is my coach. I'm so excited to introduce you. And then I'm able to simply take it from there. Those leads convert at like almost 100% of the time.

SPEAKER_01 34:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

Um, because my my conversion rate's pretty good with a warm or cold, I mean with a cold lead, but like a referral converts 50% better than any other type of lead, right? And so that's like such a um, that's it's such a no-brainer strategy to like dig in on. And I have I I have students in my coaching programs that have sent me enough referrals that they're they're in my program for free because like I I send thank yous to all of them. If my student introduces me to someone and they become a client, I'm gonna send them a thank you. And and I do that with cash. I'm like, thank you so much. Like that's a I treat it as like a marketing expense or whatever. But um, and so I have I have students that their referrals to me are part of their business strategy because I'm sending them thousands of dollars in referral um thank yous every single month. And so it's become part of their business strategy is strategic alliances and partnerships, and how can I be an affiliate for someone's program that has changed my life? And so for me, that's been one of the best things. But because I have a conversion strategy in place that works really, really well, I'm a trusted referral source because if you know, if somebody sends me a referral, eight out of ten referrals are gonna close with me. You know what I mean? Like I'm gonna and I'm gonna say thank you for that check. So it's a pretty solid business strategy for them to send me leads.

Shanna Star 36:20

Right. I think so many businesses, small businesses, maybe sleep on referrals because it doesn't sound sexy, right? You're not out marketing and posting beautifully or making this content, or there's nothing seemingly sexy, just like email newsletters aren't sexy, but boy, do they work, right? So but referrals are slept on too, just like newsletters, actually, which we can get to next, because we forget how powerful they are. Just like, oh, I need new makeup. Well, you ask your friend, and she said, I use this, she looks great, you buy it. And so that goes for anything. If you trust that person that you're asking, you're gonna use it just because you know one person who's already trusted, you don't have to do the homework. And so I think we sleep on it and it's it's such a powerful tool. So I love that.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

Absolutely. Yeah, I think it's um, you know, and one of the things that I I want to encourage listeners to do as well is like make it really easy for someone to introduce someone to you, right? And part of that is like being clear on what you do and how you how you talk about what you do so that you're it makes it easier for others to refer you. Yeah. If they if they're if they're clear on what you do and and how to talk about it. Um, what I find is that a lot of people aren't clear on how to even talk about what they do and what the value is. And so it makes it more difficult for people to refer them, but also like, what is the best way to introduce you?

unknown 37:45

Right.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

And it's and it's interesting because we don't think about that with intentionality. Like, is there a first step, you know, step one is this, and then step two is this, and then step three is this. Like, what is the process to get started working with you? What is the process for someone to refer you? And so putting some some thought, some, some thought into the systems or the processes behind things, not to make it complicated, but actually to make it simple for people, because the confused mind says no, or they just move on, right? But if we can make it super simple and just say, hey, amazing, this is how it works.

Shanna Star 38:19

Is there is a strategy that you feel comfortable telling us how you then make it easy and clear to create those connections and have those referrals come in?

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Yeah. So one of the things that we do is um we can we give people um if if there's a student, like I'll just give them a script for like here's the email that like just send this as a joint email. Like because most people won't won't um do something if they don't know what to say. And so that's like a that's such a simple, such a simple thing, right? And then I have a scripted reply that says, because you're a friend of so-and-so, because you're a referral, I'm I I want to offer this thing to you. Here's you know, here's a link to to click to actually book that with us. And so it's a very clear like you send this, then we send this, this is what happens next, and here's how it converts. Right. So it's not like a wishy-washy, like what's gonna happen next. It's like a very clear process.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

And so I think clarity is um clarity is power, right? When you can give people clarity, they feel confident in what you're doing and are more likely to take that next step.

Niche Clarity Creates Momentum

Shanna Star 39:26

That already leads into the next question because you're already talking about clarity, is let's talk how clarity can unlock momentum and income for coaches or businesses.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

Yeah. The thing that I think people have the hardest time getting clear on as a coach is it's it's the thing that's at the very heart of what they do, which is the the niche. Like who who do you serve? How do you do it in a unique way? And what is the results your clients achieve? And for for whatever reason, it is it is difficult to make that decision um to the exclusion of others, right? Like, and so getting to that piece of clarity is one of the most important things that you do in a coaching business. Because if we're just, I help everybody with everything, I help people have breakthroughs, unless you're Tony Robbins, that's not gonna work, right? We've gotta be it's that's um helping people have breakthroughs is like like that's amazing if you are in a position where you can fill stadiums and it's like everybody for everything. When you're first getting started, it's critical that you choose a niche that is clearly in one of these categories: health, wealth, or relationships. Health, wealth, which could be business or wealth building, fine, personal finance, relationships, relationship to self, relationship to God, relationship with your partner, your kids, those are all relationships. And so some people are not really clear. They're like, well, we're gonna do this and it's gonna improve your health and your wealth and your relationships. And we're like, that's great, pick one. Yeah, pick one to be the foot that you lead with, because uh it's hard for people to wrap their mind around spending money on something if they're not clear what the outcome will be.

SPEAKER_02 41:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

And so we've got to pick a hero. And when you get to that clarity, that's what leads to the clarity of everything else that you do. So then when we go to map out our signature program, the question is how do we get someone that result as efficiently and you know, as excellently and efficiently as possible? Yeah. And so it drives everything else when we when we're deciding what our workshop is. The the thing that we help people, who is it for? What do we do, and how to, what's the result drives everything else. And so we've got to start with that one piece of clarity.

Shanna Star 41:51

I think that is wonderful. And I tell new business owners of not just coaches, but of course, being in the service industry, it's the same thing because when you first start, you go, Well, I'm for everybody. My client is everyone. And you're like, no, it's literally not. And of course you want to welcome everyone, but you're looking at people like Joe Rogan, who has he can talk about anything because he already has had his brand, or like you said, Tony Robbins or any other big podcaster. But when they start, you have to find that clarity in something that attracts your right people. And as you grow, you might be able to add in those other pillars that you talked about when you already have become uh a master in that one so that you can attract those people. So I love that you said that because I feel even not as a coach, but as a photographer, they're like, I shoot everything. And it was like you can behind the scenes, but if you show everything, you're not gonna attract it anybody because they're not sure what you do really well.

SPEAKER_00 42:49

So yeah, yeah, yeah, it's critical. Um I I think that people sometimes have a hard time narrowing it down because they're afraid that they're gonna rip like they're gonna lose opportunities.

Shanna Star 43:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Yeah, it's the FOMO, it's the fear of missing out. And the reality is is when you niche, and and I I give people permission to call it a niche for now. Right? Like there's something that frees up in me when I know that I'm not making a decision that has to be for the rest of my life. It's like, nope, this is for this is a niche for now. We're gonna go hard in this direction. We're gonna test it, we're gonna, we're gonna grow it, we're gonna build it. And if something changes and we have a cool opportunity, we might shift in that direction. We're gonna, and then that might become the the main thing. But for now, we've got to focus on one thing because that's what's gonna get us traction. And y'all, when I launched my coaching program, it was for women, entrepreneurs, clarity, confidence, and connections. We were talking about referrals and networking. Within six weeks, I had a new story. Yeah. My new and I've launched a new, I mean, when I say niche for now, when you do something successful and other people start to ask you, how did you do that? That's your that might be your cue. It's time to like expand your niche, like offer something new. Like, because if we ask ourselves, what is the number one result that I can help someone achieve? And that answer changes, then you get to readdress your niche and decide if am I gonna stay in this particular area? Am I able to add this additional niche or do I need to pivot? And I don't love, I don't love for people to like be shifting all the time and like change. Like we don't want to be like, you know, um constantly swirl, swirl, swirl. But the reality is like, you know, my big story when I launched my coaching program was I did 10 deals in my first six months as a real estate investor, um, generated $400,000 in profit and equity and properties. And seven of those 10 deals were from referrals and networking. I never did cold calling or list polling or all the yucky things that people think they have to do when they're trying to buy an off-market property. I just leaned in on referrals and networking. And I got to, you know, I got to do some really amazing things. And then when I launched my coaching program where I was like teaching people how to do that thing, in the first, you know, 90 days, I did $134,000 in sales. And that became the thing that I got that more and more people wanted to ask me about. And so I was like, let me lean in on that because that's actually who I really want to work with.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:38

I love working with coaches and women who like have a desire to be of service in the world and to encourage and inspire other people. Oh, girl, that's my people. That's who I really want to work with. And and so then when I finally when I had that story, I was like, come on, girls, like we're doing this. Yes, let's go.

Shanna Star 45:55

I I love that you said that. Even again, you don't want to be pivoting constantly or shifting constantly, but just being open to that because maybe the first few masterclasses you're speaking to somebody and it happens to attract a certain client. Yeah. And then you find out they're specifically asking the same questions over and over again, and you're like, I can answer these questions if I just pivot this. And that now I see what they actually really need. And so just being open to that. Um like you said, maybe adding down the line, but it's just niche for now until you figure out maybe it needs to shift a little bit, or maybe you're right on. So yeah, exactly.

Where To Follow And Next Steps

Shanna Star 46:31

Will you tell us? I know you have so many good things. Will you tell us how we can find and follow you? And I know you have some things out and something that they can a free workshop as well, if they would love to attend.

SPEAKER_00 46:44

Yeah. So I have a workshop that you can register for on my website, Andreainkstrom.com. Um, my workshop is 100k in 90 days for keys to launch your own coaching program. And so I really pull back the curtains on what exactly I did during those um 90 days when I was launching my coaching business. So if you're curious about that, I would love to invite you to my workshop. Um my book is out on April 7th. You can pick it up on Amazon. And um, and I've got some free gifts that I'll be um giving out to people as they as they're connecting with us during this this um next few weeks in that season. I just finished recording my audiobook. Girl, that was a child. Oh my word. That was a that was a haul. I I love to talk, but that was a lot of talking. So I just finished recording it this weekend and I'm super excited to be able to um give people an opportunity to have that as well.

Shanna Star 47:38

Perfect. I'll put that in the link, of course, or in the notes with linked up everything so they can get to it in case they're driving or busy. And I'm gonna get that as well. I'm so excited to read your book. But is there anything else maybe on your heart that we didn't talk about today? Anything you'd love to share for those listening?

Mindset And Spiritual Discipline

SPEAKER_00 47:56

Yeah. Um, one of the things that I think is super important when you are um launching something new, when you are building your business, um, is that we we must work harder on ourselves than we do on our business. And, you know, it's easy for me to say, well, first you do this and then you do this, but I want you to hear this well that the reality of what was happening behind the scenes for me during that season was I was waking up every morning reading my affirmations, spending time in prayer, reading scripture, journaling, getting my head on straight. Because all those things related to self-doubt that creeps in, those things can keep you stuck, or they can um they can be things that you you can take those thoughts captive. And so the thing I want to encourage you to do is not just focus on what you need to do, but focus on who you need to be. Who do I need to show up as today and be super intentional with taking care of your spirit while you're building something that feels like it's a next level thing that you're launching.

Shanna Star 49:10

I think that's beautifully said and I agree with that. And even if I've wanted to step up in business in the past, it always parallels when I am working on myself, when I have a heart check, when I'm making decisions out of a place where I'm I'm in a good spiritual path and health and wellness first. So I actually took a little step back from my podcast last year to work on some health things, and since then I'm like now I have clarity in all the others as well. So I'm so glad you said that. And um that's that's part of my day too. It's like great, you have these tasks to do, but remember to journal, pray, get into subscription, and make sure my heart is in check too. So yeah, beautiful. Thank you. Well, thank you for all that you've shared today. And I might go just stock and be on that master class as well and go get your book. And thank you so much. I appreciate it, Andrea.

SPEAKER_00 50:04

Oh, I love it. I love it. Thank you so much for having me.

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Shanna Star 50:07

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