054 – Exit Stage Right

In this episode I announce the end of the podcast and my plans to attend college this fall to complete my nursing degree.

Click here to download the mp3

As promised here is the post by Seth Godin discussed in tonight’s show.

Special thanks to my wife of almost 21 years. Julie, you are truly my very best friend and I feel like we can do anything as a team.

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In this episode I share 6 tips on how to build a busier blog.

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052 – How to join an online community

Online communities are everywhere and take all kinds of shapes and sizes. There is a right way and wrong way to join an online community.

In this episode I walk you through the different types of communities out there and some things you need to keep in mind when joining one. I list some of the pros that go along with an online community.

I mention a few of my favorite communities which you can find here.

Contractor Talk

Remodel Crazy

48 Days

Pursuing Your Calling Group at 48 Days

Pursuing Your Calling Podcast

I also mentioned the importance of having an avatar with your actual personal photo to help you be more recognizable.

For wordpress blogs you need to sign up for a free account at Gravatar.com.

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051 – Put on a dress, get some jewelry and he’ll call you back

In this episode we go over some of the things that are keeping your web site from standing out in the crowd. We talk about some great resources for getting a logo made and what you need to consider when getting one designed.

I mention the following three resources for getting a logo made.
http://1800mylogo.com
http://elance.com

I explain how social sharing is another form of blog commenting. That it is proof that your blog is being talked about on other mediums even though maybe there aren’t any comments.

We talk about the importance of using images in your blog posts and I point out a couple of useful resources for free images and how to use them.
http://Flickr.com
http://Morguefile.com

I explain the importance of finding ways to show that your site is busy by creating ways to remind people to come back and interact more.

And finally I discuss the upcoming free webinar on how to have a better branded commenting system without using Disqus or another third party service.

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050 – Leave your past in the past

In this episode I play some audio feedback from Glen Steinson and Jeffrey hatch.

Glen is an aspiring podcaster and Jeffrey is a long time friend of the show.

Jeffrey was brutally honest in his feedback and feels that I apologize too often during my show. Whether it’s because of a technical error or if I put myself down, even in jest.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple of weeks monitoring my words and I think there may be some truth to what Jeffrey had to say. Our words do have power and it’s important that we use that power for good and not evil.

Right before recording the show I got a very timely email from SAMBA (Six Month Alternative MBA with Seth Godin) that I read on the air. This post reminds us that if we make our decisions based on the best information that we have we shouldn’t torture ourselves if the decision doesn’t work out the way we hoped.

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Don’t forget to sign up for Blue Collar Webinars so you can get access to the upcoming webinar called “Better branding through your WordPress commenting system” (dumping Disqus).

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049 – Speaking success secrets with Kent Julian

In this episode we welcome a very special guest, Kent Julian.

In this episode Kent shares with us how he converted his youth ministry experience into a career and life coaching business and, over the period of a couple years, converted that business into a full time speaking profession.

Kent Julian is the personification of what Blue Collar is all about. He saw something he wanted to become and he let nothing stand in his way. Through persistence and constant momentum forward Kent has achieved a level of success few professionals find.

Towards the end of the show I ask Kent to give us some pointers on being memorable when speaking to small groups of other professionals.

Kent’s advice is simple and yet so challenging. Kent listed three things that proved to be key elements of his success.

1. Read the book “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath

2. Don’t let fear keep you from doing something different

3. Be a ‘one point’ speaker

To hear Kent elaborate be sure to listen to the show!

Be sure to follow Kent on Twitter: @kentjulian

Speak It Forward Website

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048 – Mobile Office: Instapaper, Evernote and Dropbox

In this week’s show we cover three of my very favorite iPhone apps. Those being Instapaper, Evernote and Dropbox.

Instapaper is a very simple way to save web pages of any kind for later viewing.

Instapaper Android Help

Instapaper Blackberry Help

Evernote is a very robust document creation and storing application. You can create audio files and upload pictures among other documents.

Dropbox is an incredible data syncing and backup service. You can get 2 GB of storage completely free and up to 10 GB free by getting others to sign up.

I also reveal some of the results of the survey I am running. This survey has revealed to me that A LOT of my audience is interested in technology and social media.

Do you feel the same way? If you do, or do not will you fill out the survey and let me know?

http://bcrn.tv/survey

Click here if you want to download the mp3

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047 – Where in the web do I start!

In this week’s show we dig even deeper into the concept of where to start with your online presence. With all the options including facebook, twitter and linkedin it’s hard to know where to begin. In this show I try to explain the difference between traditional job prospecting and online prospecting through blogging and social media streams.

I also call out to you the listener asking for you to fill out the current survey. It’s time to start taking action and do more than just listen. None of this advice is going to help you if you aren’t a person of action.

Will you help me by filling out the survey? http://bcrn.tv/survey

Don’t forget to be here on May 23rd as Kent Julian joins us live!

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046 – Whether you think they can or think they can’t, you’re right!

Our words are powerful and the way we choose to use them will have great influence on those around us.

On tonight’s show I share some of my experiences and feelings when it comes to fostering creativity in those whom we have influence over.

I give three basic tips on how to communicate with your employees in a way that respects their possible contributions to your organization.

I also announce that Kent Julian with Live It Forward will be here on May the 23rd to discuss ”3 Minute Presentations To Small Groups”. You do not want to miss this show as Kent is a professional speaker traveling the US speaking to groups as small as fifty and all the way up into the thousands.

You can check out this blog post I did a couple of weeks ago when I featured  him in my Follow Friday series I do on my blog.

Don’t forget to sign up for our webinar list at http://bluecollarwebinars.com for information on more free webinars coming your way!

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Business Tools For Maximum Profit!

045 – Blue Collar Talk Back: Web Sites, Social Media and Podcasting

Oh my did I answer A LOT of questions in this show. This was my longest show, ever. I apologize in advance for not making it shorter but what’s done is done. There is a pause button (or delete if you just can’t take it any longer) so feel free to use it if you need to.

Okay, it’s late so I’ll make these notes quick and to the point.

I mentioned Paul Anater’s blog at www.kitchenandresidentialdesign.com.

I answered Josh Bulloc’s question about making a WordPress site better.

I talked about my favorite wordpress them called “Weaver“. I used this theme to create Gregg Pechmann’s site for his book, Upside Down.

Towards the end I mentioned my original podcasting setup which you can read about HERE.

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044 – Blue Collar Talk Back: Should I Use A Payroll Service, Business failure warning signs, How should I pay my sales people?

This show (and next week’s show) is all about your questions. I asked my mailing list what business questions they may have for me. Well, the questions came pouring in and I have more than two shows worth.

In today’s show I answer questions from Robert, Zack and Brian.

Robert wants to know more about how to protect yourself against total financial collapse if your business doesn’t make it.

Brian wants to know my thoughts on payroll services.

Zack wants to know how to hire sales people and what type of compensation is the best.

In this show I mention the upcoming webinar being put on by myself, Howard Sheppard and Matt Wegner. Sign up for the Blue Collar Webinars Mailing List to get more details!

Don’t forget to check out Kevin Scott’s article that got published by Yahoo!

Thanks again Reed Porter for helping me last week on the spread sheet!

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043 – Pro Series: Professional In-Home Conduct

Well, it was even better than I thought it would be!

In this week’s show Chris Repp from http://leatherhelp.com joins us to work over his 10 point list of how to conduct yourself while in client homes.

We hit on some great subjects including, dealing with pets, kids and whether or not to have a drink of water when it is offered.

Towards the end of the show I asked Chris what the weirdest situation he’s ever encountered was…..his answer is sure to surprise you and give you a great laugh!

Be sure to visit Chris at any of the following places.

http://twitter.com/the5repps
http://twitter.com/leatherhelpguy
http://leatherhelp.com

I also make the announcement that Howard Sheppard, Matt Wegner and I will be conducting a webinar based on tonight’s sales coach tip.

The webinar will be held on April 28th. Join the Blue Collar Webinar mailing list at http://bluecollarwebinars.com for all the details!

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042 – Pro Series: Fax, Print and Answer the phone like a pro

In this episode I share my opinions and feelings on running a professional office when sending faxes, printing material and answering the phone. I’m sure it seems like a simple and almost silly idea for a show but we can’t loose site of the fact that EVERYTHING we do inside of our business is an important part of our marketing strategy. We need to be intentional about everything we do and these area’s are no exception.

For those of you who are new to the show I would recommend that you listen to Episode 1, Episode 5 and Episode 17 to get the best picture of who I am and where my life is heading right now and why I’m doing this show.

Next week Chris Repp of http://leatherhelp.com will be joining us to talk about professional presentation in client homes. Chris is a great friend and an awesome business mind. You don’t want to miss this one!

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041 – Pro Series: Sell Like A Pro – with Howard Sheppard

Well, you asked for it, and here it is! Welcome to the first episode of our “Pro Series”! That’s right, the episode Communicate Like A Pro was so popular that I’ve decided to do a series of episodes designed to help you run your business like a pro would.

In this inaugural ‘Pro Series’ episode we are joined by Howard Sheppard from the Life Beyond The Assembly Line Podcast, our Sales Tip Of The Week guy as he takes us through his sales presentation that he uses with his sales coaching clients.

Sales people aren’t born, they are made and in today’s show Howard helps us understand how that really works. He explains away the myth that sales people must have certain personalities to be successful. Howard also helps us understand how a salesperson’s time actually breaks down and how a failed cold call really isn’t a failure at all.

Towards the end of the show uncle Howie also helps us understand the difference between an order taker and an order getter.

This episode is a must listen for anyone in business, sales is the primary force behind your success and no one understands it better than Howard.

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040 – The Future of the US Dollar – with Jay Peroni

On this week’s show we were joined by Jay Peroni. Jay started Faith Based Investor and is its lead financial adviser.

Today Jay shares with us his financial forecast for the American dollar. Jay explains that 100% of all currencies that have stopped backing their money with gold have failed. Jay shares with us the following 7 steps that other currencies have experienced.

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039 – Make Money Online with Pat Flynn

In this episode we welcome Pat Flynn from the Smart Passive Income blog.

Pat shares with us how he started a blog to keep track of the notes he was putting together in preparation for the Leed Exam. Pat explains that he had been writing for a while before he even knew that he was getting so much traffic. He installed an analytics plugin and he found out he was getting over 4,000 visits a month to his blog. Someone in his mastermind group suggested he write an eBook and sell it from his site. Pat made over $8,000.00 the first month he sold the eBook on his site.

Pat takes us through the story of how he created an audio product to sell in combination with his eBook and how that seemed to be the final piece of the Green Exam Academy monetary strategy.

Listen to the recording to hear how the Smart Passive Income blog was born from this experience.

Towards the end of the show Pat has some great advice on where to get started if you want to start making money online and he also give some advice on what to do if you already have a busy blog but aren’t sure how to profit from it yet.

Thank you, Pat for joining us for the show this week and for sharing our podcast with your followers!

Click here to download the mp3

Here are some of the sites mentioned during the show.

Don’t forget that next week we welcome Jay Peroni with the Rethink Wealth Podcast!

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038 – What is Legacy?

During tonight’s show I talk about how I joined the web site at http://letsblogoff.com and am writing regularly based on the subject of the week.

I break down legacy into three categories.

1. Your work legacy
2. Your public legacy
3. Your personal legacy

Here are your action points – According to James, of course
1. Let your work be something you truly believe in
2. Find a cause you believe in and become an important part of the process
3. Be intentional about your family life and the part of your life that’s the most private – This is where your legacy has the most long term impact – it has generational impact (leaving lots of money isn’t legacy)

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037 – The Power Of Community

In this episode I share some of my feelings on what it means to build a community. I talk about the struggles we have as service professionals when it comes to BNI type groups. This current economy is a tough one and we aren’t interested in sitting across the table from a competitor sharing business secrets.

I ask you, the listener, to give me some feedback on a couple of ideas. One is a set of forums I have hidden away here at the site. I want to know if you would utilize them for business questions and answers. I also want your feedback on creating a monthly online meetup where we could share business ideas with each other.

Please use the menu above to share your thoughts and feelings!

Here are some of the communities I mentioned.

48days.net
freeagentacademy.com
artofmanliness.com
remodelcrazy.com
contractortalk.com

I also announce that Pat Flynn and Jay Peroni will be joining us this month.

One of our show guests has written a book! That’s right, Gregg Pechmann has written a book about his experience with the 7 short sales he experienced. Stop by his website at http://theupsidedownbook,.com and have a look at the trailer video!

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036 – Can’t Buy Me Loyalty

In this week’s show I discuss an article from the New York Times where the writer has decided that employee loyalty is financially driven and the goal of a business owner is to pay just enough to keep the employees around, but not so much that it hurts your business.

This is something I just can’t buy into. Loyalty is a personality trait and not one that, generally speaking, is up for sale.

HERE is the article we discussed.

I mentioned the episode I did with Brent Green where we discussed personalities.

I also mentioned the show I did called Employee Shuffle where I shared my opinion on an article by the same writer.

As always thank you Howard Sheppard for this week’s Life Beyond The Assembly Line sales tip!

Click here to download the mp3

As promised here is the link to the Ustream.tv video!

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/12857820

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035 – “Use Twitter To Grow Your Influence” with guest Nick Lovelady

On this week’s show Nick Lovelady joins me again to talk Twitter.

He shares with us how he got started using twitter and how he manages the 1,798 (currently) people he follows. Nick explains that 58% of the people on twitter make over $60k per year.

He explains the age demographic to us, as follows…

45% are 18-34

24% are 35-49

14% are 50+

His point is that kids don’t use Twitter. This is an adults world and one that, if utilized correctly, can be leveraged for further growth professionally.

Here is a list of the tools that Nick uses to manage his twitter usage.

twittergrader.com

who.unfollowed.me

friendorfollow.com

tweetstats.com

twittercounter.com

search.twitter.com

klout.com

hootsuite.com

In case you didn’t know I also did some screen cast videos on using Hootsuite that you may want to watch.

Part 1

Part 2

Here are a few reasons Nick uses to NOT follow.
-Follows too many people
-Has too many followers
-Only self promote
-Being too personal

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MP3

It was also my honor in this episode to introduce you to Kevin, a listener who started his own blog this week. Please stop by and check out his writing.

http://smallbusinessownership.wordpress.com/

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034 – Communicate Like A Pro

In this episode I share the good, bad and ugly of communicating using email. Email can be a form of communication that makes you look like a pro or a heel. I know because I’ve been on both sides of the equation. In this episode I share some of the dumb stuff I have seen and done over the years when it comes to email correspondence.

I encourage you to stop using IE (Internet Explorer) and start using Firefox or Google Chrome Browser for the built in spell check if nothing else.

I announce an upcoming FREE webinar on how to get started using Google services for your email. You can learn more by signing up for a special mailing list I just started at http://bluecollarwebinars.com. This mailing list will keep you up to date on all our upcoming webinars both free and paid.

I do manage to remember the weekly sales update by my [sarcastic] friend Howard Sheppard over at Life Beyond The Assembly Line.

Here is a quick list of what I covered.
1. Story of why I started paying attention to my spelling and grammar online.

2. Use Google Chrome or Firefox

3. Change to Google Apps – mail@yourdomain.com can be done for as little as 10$ a year!

4. Dictionary.com

5. Don’t send 1 – 5 word responses, ever.

6. Never let your first email be from a mobile device.

7. Never gossip

8. Never argue – it’s a permanent record (always use phone to settle disputes)

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Here is what my current signature looks like.

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033 – What I Did Wrong And How You Can Avoid It

In this show I talk about 4 things I should have done differently over the last 7 years. I don’t know if these 4 things, done differently, would have saved my company but it sure would have made it less painful and I sure wouldn’t have as much baggage fallowing me around right now.

I do mention Google Reader in this show and would encourage you to use it to follow the blogs you get your educational content from.

I also updated the Taylor story and encourage you to visit her page in the menu above.

I play feedback from Josh Bulloc and Jeffrey Hatch.

If you like the weekly sales update don’t forget to visit Howard Sheppard and subscribe to his show!

Click here to download the mp3
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032 – Facebook Success Secrets with Libby Webb of New Market Bar-B-Q

Wow did Libby give us a world of content! This show ended up being a “How To” on building an audience for your Facebook Business Page.

Libby Webb is owner of New Market Bar-B-Q located in New Market, AL. In this show Libby shares with us how she grew her Facebook likes to over 1,144 in just under two years.

Click here to download the mp3

Libby made some nice notes for the show including some Analytics stats screen shots that you can download HERE.

Here are some additional thoughts that Libby just sent me via email.

1 – If you have a blog, you can incorporate that into your Facebook Page..I think that is a GREAT feature..so if your audience is in facebook, they can still follow your blog.

2 – Ads – I did run an ad 1 time to promote the fact that we changed our hours. Back in march of last year, we added Thursday to our schedule until the fall. I used the Ad to help get the word out. In doing so, we increased our fan base in two days by like 200 people..The Ads do / can work but they cost you money and you have to be prepared to feed the audience you are building..meaning content that will keep them coming back / will keep your posts up on the news feed.

3 – We are TOTALLY over the TOP with Customer Service in our business. This must also show thru with Facebook. You have to monitor pages more closely than your personal profile. They don’t have notifications yet for Pages unless you sign up for some offline tools – I just ran across this one today that i’m trying out and I hope it works – Hyper Alerts – The feature Facebook forgot

4 – Ask your Fans to subscribe to SMS on your page – this will send SMS Text to their phone any time you post on your wall. if you truly have something important to say that you want them to be aware of and they want to know, they’ll do it. This is very useful for people who don’t have smart phones and don’t often check Facebook. I think we are seeing a lot of people JOIN Facebook and then hardly ever get on it..so just because we have fans doesn’t mean we haven an audience..You have to give them a reason to keep coming back!

As promised here are what her current business card designs are.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Confident Pricing class starting February 3rd! Use promo code ‘liveshows’ for your $50.00 discount!

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031 – Blogging Success Secrets with Nick Lovelady of Cupboardsonline.com

This week’s show was nothing less than spectacular! Nick Lovelady with http://cupboardsonline.com joined us to share his blogging experience and strategies with us.

There are a lot of people waiting for this to be released so rather than try to write a big fancy summary of the episode let me direct you to some of the resources we mentioned during the show.

Rather than put a lot of pressure on himself to write every day Nick has integrated some rather creative topics into his blog. He shares with us his wordless Wednesday series, as well as tells us an entertaining story about the infamous shoe tub from the Let’s Blog Off group he joined.

After the recording ended Nick and I visited for about an hour. Nick shared a great tip that I want to make sure I pass on. One thing he does to help deal with writer’s block is to get subject ideas from other people, either family or friends. We should all be doing that. We should be polling our fan bases for what they want to learn about.

I think too many times we get so caught up in our own lives and interests that we forget to check in with the ones who actually bring our blogs alive, the readers.

Thank you Nick, for taking the time to be on the show and for spending so much time sharing your experiences with us.

Some Blogs Nick Mentioned During The Show

Bob Borson – Architectural

Paul Anater – Kitchen and Residential Design

Alexandra & Kimberly – Fitness

Modern Sauce – Architectural

Becky Shankle – Kitchen Design

Wanda Craft – Vintage Products

Nick shares with us a few of his favorite blogs that prove large companies can have successful blogs as well.

Starbucks

Whole Foods

Patagonia

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030 – Blue Collar Talk Back – answers to your emails

In this show I answer email questions from Jeff Price, Jeffrey Hatch and Chuck Hover. I also play a voice mail feedback from David Nash of http://studio27b.net letting us know what he thinks about the show.

Topics covered were…

1. Pricing and how it relates to your employee pay rates

2. Hiring employee or sub contractor

3. Collection problems

4. The lost job for my closing construction company.

I mention the show where Andy Traub and I talk about Facebook.

I end up talking quite a bit about the confident pricing class which you can learn more about on the products page of http://bluecollarliving.com.

Don’t forget all of our shows are live this month!

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029 – Understanding Personality Types Using Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator

In this show Brent Green joins us to discuss personality types. He helped me work through the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (also known as MBTI) and I wanted to share this great content with my listeners.

Brent breaks down the four pairs of preferences also known as “dichotomies” shown below.

Where You Get Your Energy – (E) Extroversion VS (I) Introversion

How You Take In Information – (S) Sensing VS (N) Intuition

How You Make Decisions – (T) Thinking VS (F) Feeling

How You Live Your Lifestyle – (J) Judgment  VS (P) Perception

Brent makes a very generous offer for our listeners that includes a 50% discount on all the profiles he offers.

http://pursuingmeaningfulwork.com/products/assessments/ (please use coupon code personality50 to get your discount)

Brent would recommend the “MBTI Interpretive Report For Organizations” if you are a business owner that would like to have your employees to take the profile. If you are looking for a career change Brent recommends the “MBTI Career Report“. If you are just curious about your personality and want a basic report then the “MBTI Profile” is for you.

If you are interested in the online career coach you can learn more here.

In this episode we also introduce a new segment called “Weekly Sales Update” provided by Howard Sheppard at Life Beyond The Assembly Line. We want to thank Howard for being a part of the Blue Collar Radio Network team!

Click here to download the mp3

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028 – Survive A Short Sale

In this episode we welcome back Gregg Pechmann of Pechmann Coaching. Gregg and I have many things in common. We both like the NFL. We both think our wives and kids are awesome and we both have gone through short sales of our homes. Gregg just happens to do everything over the top and has gone through 7 short sales. In case you are wondering a short sale is when your mortgage company agrees to accept less than is owed on your home in order for you to sell it.

Gregg is nothing less than an expert on the subject of short sales. In this show he shares with us his eight point check list on what to do if you are faced with the daunting task of pulling one of these off.

If you are in a tight spot with your house and needing to consider a short sale please contact him by email for a free 30 minute consultation. He can be reached at gregg@pechmanncoaching.com.

Click here to download the mp3

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027 – RRP and Lead Certification

In this episode we welcome Sean Lintow Sr with SLS Construction who is a self made RRP expert. Over on his blog he has written over 40 stories on RRP.

Sean explains that only 40 states require you to be EPA certified. Ten other states have implemented their own RRP programs that meet EPA requirements.

Sean explains that while there is a lot of information online about RRP it is still in your best interest to read the actual rules and regulation located HERE.

Sean explains his biggest frustration with the EPA is their lack of education and enforcement of these rules.

According to Sean the EPA has three years to discover that you have violated the law by not being certified. The EPA doesn’t do so by showing up on site but rather by checking paperwork to see how old the house is and whether your firm was certified when the work was performed.

We will be doing follow up shows on this content so submit your questions via email or voice mail.

Phone: 7077-BCRNTV

Email: feedback@bcrn.tv

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026 – A Business Plan That Works

As I promised in the Mailing List I had one of my business coaches, Chuck Bowen, in this episode sharing with us his business planning system he calls The Simple Strategic Plan. Chuck takes us through all 9 steps during this episode and shares with us some great business planning insights.

Chuck was kind enough to allow me to give away a free copy of his Simple Strategic Plan to all of my listeners. You can download it HERE.

Chuck also mentioned Saddle Back Leather Co which I would encourage everyone to visit. They make the best leather bags in the world, period. In their own words, “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead”.

Chuck has agreed to be on a follow up show to answer any questions you may have. Please email us or use the feedback line to ask your questions.

Be sure to join the mailing list to help you stay updated on when he will be on next.

Don’t forget to download your copy of the Simple Strategic Plan

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025 – What I Learned From Uncle Alex

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in Manchester TN with my wife’s family. During that time I had a chance to visit with my wife’s uncle Alex. Alex was forced to shut down his restaurant back in 1996. He has never lost his passion for serving others and exercised that love every day that we were there with his family.

In this show I share some very poignant advice that Alex gave me on what direction I need to take my coaching practice.

I apologize in advance for getting so emotional during the recording.

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024 – Start A Small Business The Smart Way

Businesses are struggling and failing all over the place and yet so many people believe that it is still smart to borrow money to start a business. In this show I explain how I’m pretty much giving my employees my business to take over and yet they still are gravitating towards borrowing money.

I also run down a quick list of items to start your own company and I put to rest some common myths out there about the expenses that go along with a business start up.

I also give an update on my employment hunt as well as explain my new strategy on helping listeners find the show notes on this site. From now on I will be making short cut URLs that you will be able to find easily. For example I mention the free download of my Confident Pricing class workbook.

http://bcrn.tv/bcbp4 (bcbp stands for Blue Collar Business Podcast)

From now on you will be able to find all the show notes (fancy word for blog post) this way.

Thank you Starla Sexton for joining me for the live show!

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023 – E-Myth Unpacked

In this week’s show I talk about one of my favorite business books of all time, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

Mr Gerber describes it like this…

The “E-Myth,” or Entrepreneurial Myth, is the flawed assumption that people who are expert at a certain technical skill will therefore be successful running a business of that kind.

The introduction of The E-Myth contains four ideas that, according to itself, if you understand and take them to heart, will give you the power to create and extraordinarily exciting, and personally rewarding, small business.

Idea #1 – There is a myth in this country-I (Michael Gerber) call it the E-Myth – which says that small businesses are started by entrepreneurs risking capital to make a profit.  This is simply not so.  The real reasons people start businesses have little to do with entrepreneurship.  In fact this belief in the Entrepreneurial Myth is the most important factor in the devastating rate of small business failure today.  Understanding the E-Myth, and applying that understanding to the creation and development of a small business, can be the secret to any business’s success.

Idea #2 – There’s a revolution going on today in American small business.  I (Michael Gerber) call it the Turn-Key Revolution.  Not only is it changing the way we do business in this country and throughout the world but it is changing who goes into business, how they do it, and the likelihood of their survival.

Idea #3 – At the heart of the Turn-Key Revolution is a dynamic process we at E-Myth Worldwide call the Business Development Process.  When it is systematized and applied purposely by a small business owner, the Business into an incredibly effective organization.  Our experience has shown us that when a small business incorporates this process into its every activity and use it to control its every activity and uses it to control its destiny, that company stays young and thrives.  When a small business ignores this process – as most unfortunately do – it commits itself to Management by Luck, stagnation, and, ultimately, failure.  The consequences are inevitable.

Idea #4 – The Business Development Process can be systematically applied by any small business owner in a step-by-step method that incorporates the lessons of the Turn-Key Revolution into the operation of that business.  This process then becomes a predictable way to produce results and vitality in any small business whose owner is willing to give it the time and attention it requires to flourish.

In my opinion the best thing I can do for the future of my company is educate myself.  It’s the business side of what we do that will move us past our competitors.  Yes we need to be good at what we do.  I have some of the best skilled people in the city, I truly believe that.  Unfortunately it’s going to take more than that for us to become a world class business.  We can’t just assume that because we are good at our products that we will outlast our competition.  We have to be good at everything business does.  We have to prepare for big, if we are going to be able to handle big when it happens.

I want to help you increase the profitability inside your business. I can’t do that without input from you. Would you be willing to take a short survey for me?

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Thank you and please enjoy this week’s episode!

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Episode 022 – Never Miss A Payroll

In my [almost] seven years of running a business I have never missed a payroll. My formula for such a feat hasn’t always been filled with sound financial practice.

In this week’s show I explain some of the bad ideas I used to pull this off as well as some of the good ones. In the first three years I used debt as a way to make payroll when cash flow was poor. In the last three-plus years I’ve had a much better system involving a detailed bidding system that created a budget for me.

I recorded this show last Friday to a live audience using Ustream. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it more in the future.

I’m considering Monday evenings at 9pm Eastern as a regular broadcast time. Comment here or send me an email with your thoughts on the idea.

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021 – Part 2 – Leadership Insights From Catalyst 2010 With Gregg Pechmann

In part two Gregg shares with us a mountain of content that was delivered by one of the foremost experts on leadership today, Andy Stanley.

Andy is lead pastor of the 4th largest church in America, Northpoint Community Church. Andy has been a part of the Catalyst Conference since it started ten years ago. He both opens and closes the conference so Gregg has quite a bit of insight to share with us.

Andy explains how we need to use the tension in our businesses to help us make progress. The tension is part of making important changes and course corrections within our business. Our employees and management will feel the tension and helping them work through that is an important role as the owner.

Andy’s Tension Management Bullet Points

• Identify the tensions to be managed
• Create terminology
• Inform your core
• Continually give value to both sides
• Don’t weigh in too heavily based on your personal biases
• Don’t allow strong personalities to win the day
• Don’t think in terms of balance, think the rhythm of your organization

This episode’s resources

Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast

Gregg Pechmann

Catalyst East 2010 Audio Download

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Episode 020 – Leadership Insights From Catalyst 2010 With Gregg Pechmann

This week we are joined by Gregg Pechmann of Pechmann Coaching to discuss the Catalyst conference he attended recently.

Catalyst is a leadership conference with a veritable smörgåsbord of experts.

In this episode Gregg shares with us some key insights that Seth Godin presented to the crowd. Seth explains to us that failure is not a person but only an event. We mentioned the books Purple Cow and Tribes as well as Linchpin.

We also mention a book by John Maxwell called Failing Forward.

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019 – Google AdWords for Service Pros

In this week’s show I’m joined by Tony DiLorenzo AKA The Dent Dude. Tony has been using Google AdWords to drive traffic to his paint-less dent repair services. He has been using this service for 6 years now and shares his strategies with us.

As promised during the show here is a screenshot of what it looks like when you are creating an ad.

Tony explains that it is not about quantity but quality. These adds drive only the most serious customers to his site. As a result he is seeing a strong return on his investment.

At the end of the show Tony shares with us his own podcast called One Extraordinary Marriage. I would encourage everyone to stop by and have a listen. Tony and his wife Alisa are very passionate about helping others find the deepest level of intimacy in their marriages. This is a must listen for everyone who is married.

If you have questions about Google AdWords feel free to email Tony at tony(AT)thedentdude.com

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018 – Facebook For Contractors

In this week’s show I welcome my very first guest, Mr Andy Traub. Andy is co-host of Business Tech Weekly and a great friend.

I brought Andy onto the show to help us all understand how we can use Facbook to help us build local relationships.

Andy uses an example of how he helped a chiropractor create stronger relationships with his client base using facebook.

Andy doesn’t just give us opinion but shows how facbook users are using relationships to help each other resulting in helpful results for everyone.

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Episode 017 – Quitting In The Dip

Ryan, in Canada sends us our very first Voice Mail feed back! You have got to love those Canadians! I get a majority of my feedback from them. They must really love business and serving others up there!

Ryan wants to know who else I recommend for podcast listening. Here is my list (in no particular order).

Howard Sheppard – iTunes Link – RSS Link

John Jantsch – iTunes Link – RSS Link

John Miller – iTunes Link – RSS Link

Andy Traub & Cliff Ravenscraft – iTunes – RSS Link

The rest of the show is dedicated to a seldom discussed book by Seth Godin called The Dip.

I explain how I used this book last year to help me decide to continue through The Dip and this week I used this book to help me decide to close my construction business. Yes, you heard me right, I have decided to close Builders Installation Group and pursue employment through other means.

This isn’t a time to be sad or depressed but get excited to find out how I can help another business be outstanding!

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Episode 016 – What Does The Blue Collar Community Need From Me?

This week’s show is a re-release of an interview I did with Justin Lukasavige (one of my business coaches) at http://coachradio.tv.

I thought long and hard on whether or not I should do this. I realize that I have already told my story in Episode 1 of the Blue Collar Business Podcast.

In just the short time of doing this podcast I believe my story has come along way.

Justin asks me to explain how my blue collar business came about and what made me decide to become the Blue Collar Coach. He also gets me to tell his listeners how I came up with the idea for the Blue Collar Radio Network and what I want to see happen with it.

In this interview I talk about a new show I am getting ready to release. I also explain how some of my strategies for the Blue Collar Radio Network and Blue Collar Coaching have changed in the last three months.

You can tell towards the end of the interview that I’m still trying to understand completely what the Blue Collar Community really needs the most from me.

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015 – Employee Shuffle

Trying to keep payroll down is a huge key to staying profitable. Your payroll expenses will always be a focus. As business owners we are always looking for a bargain. As today’s example finds out bargain hunting the employee market can be a tricky game.

Meet Paul Downs, contributing blogger at the New York Times Small Business Blog titled “You’re The Boss“.

In this episode I discuss THIS post that Mr. Downs published.

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Episode 014 – Should contractors use social media?

Should businesses that get 100% of their work locally use social media to grow their brand? That’s the question I take on in this week’s show. It is my belief that companies who are ignoring social media will eventually be playing catch up.

I profiled Attaway Renovations youtube and twitter accounts.

I mentioned THIS thread at the Remodel Crazy forums.

I also talk about http://hootsuite.com and the power of a tool that can update multiple platforms with just one click of the button.

Part of this week’s announcements include our newest podcast coming out next week. It’s the Chiefs Fan Podcast and will air within the first 10min following every Chiefs football game.

We now have a live broadcast page with chat room and ustream audio. More news to come on that.

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Episode 013 – Noise Reduction – Who Has Your Ear?

Who has permission to speak into your life? Negative words and stories will only serve to discourage you. We all need to limit how much negativity we allow into our lives.

In this week’s show I promise to deliver a list of who I have found to be encouraging to follow on Twitter and other places.

Twitter Follows (in no particular order)

Gregg Pechmann

Justin Lukasavige

Derek Sisterhen

Hugh MacLeod

Kent Julien

Deb Ingino

John Jantsch (everyone should follow the king of Duct Tape Marketing)

Josh Bulloc

Brent Green

David Garland

Lewis Howes

Cliff Ravenscraft

Chris Brogan

Seth Godin (I’m not sure this is his official twitter account because he ONLY blogs)

Matt Wegner

Andy Andrews

Building Moxie

Tony DiLorenzo

John G. Miller

Chris Repp

Mark Batterson

That’s a nice list for starters! Who do you think I should be following that is an encourager?

Don’t forget to sign up at the Remodel Crazy Forums!

You can visit the Remodel Crazy home page.

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Episode 012 – Business Is A Moral Activity – Part 2

This week Justin and I finish up our review and discussion of Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s book, Thou Shall Prosper.

Here are the commandments for making money we covered this week.

6 – Learn to foretell the future

7 – Know your money

8 – Act Rich: Give away 10 percent of your after tax income

9 – Never Retire

10 – Extend the network of your connectedness to many people

I’m sure it’s obvious that we had a good time! Thanks for listening and we will catch you next week!

Don’t forget to leave a review in iTunes!

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Episode 011 – Business Is A Moral Activity

In this week’s show I simulcast with Justin Lukasavige with Coachradio.tv and we go through the first 5 commandments in Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s book Thou Shall Prosper.

In show one of two we go through the following commandments.

1. Believe in the dignity and morality of buisness

2. Get to know yourself

3. Do not pursue perfection

4. Lead consistently and constantly

5. Constantly change the changeable, while steadfastly clinging to the unchangeable

You can join me live this coming Wednesday at http://coachradio.tv/live at 4:00pm eastern to listen as we record part two live.

Don’t forget to leave a review in iTunes!

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Episode 010 – Independent Contractor or Employee?

In today’s show I explain why you aren’t in charge of whether or not someone you hire is an independent contractor or employee.

I discuss my experience with contractors vs employees as well as my customer’s experiences. Let’s face it. The more people who stick their hand in the cookie jar the worse the cookies taste.

I talk about my upcoming appearances on Coach Radio with Justin Lukasavige. I will be there live tomorrow (August 11th 2010) and September 13th 2010. You can look at the calendar at http://coachradio.tv/live to view the calendar.

Don’t forget to visit http://bluecollarliving.com/category/wordpress to see all the WordPress Screencast videos I’m creating.

Don’t forget to leave a review in iTunes!

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Episode 009 – Monkey Business

In this week’s episode I talk about a $43,000.00 job I lost by $2,500.00 and explain that if you just go with the cheapest bid every time then a monkey can do your job. I talk about what I should have done to increase my chances of landing this job. I also invite everyone to give their opinion as well. You can visit the page HERE.

I talk a little bit about what it means to be Blue Collar.

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Episode 008 – Webonomics – Build a web site worth the return trip

In this week’s show we discuss why every business needs a web site that is constantly changing.

I profile http://www.buildingmoxie.com/, http://tamaradalton.net/ and http://muttsandmanners.com/.

I discuss the difference between http://wordpress.com and http://wordpress.org which is significant.

We discuss why the days of using hotmail and yahoo and msn for email are completely over and free email is still possible but using your own domain name and through google.

I mention the Kodak Zi8 hd video camera. I talk about the two videos I produced at http://buildersinstallationgroup.com.

I promote an upcoming series I’m going to do at http://bluecollarliving.com on how to create a wordpress site.

You can subscribe to the Blue Collar Coaching blog from that site or access the Feedburner feed HERE.

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Episode 007 – Business Is Moral And Losing Money Is Not

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In this episode I discuss the portion of THIS video where Mr. Levine TRIES to summarize scripture. (skip to 2:50 into the video)

We discuss the importance of believing that business is a moral activity and how you can’t be successful in business if you struggle to believe in the morality of being profitable.

We also discuss the idea of purchasing equipment at the end of the year just to avoid paying taxes. I compare that myth with the myth that house payments are a means to avoid taxes.

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Episode 006 – Hire Your First Employee

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In today’s show we break down the process and mindset needed to bring in your first (or any) employee.

Thank you Dave with Smantec Manufacturing Inc. for the show idea!

I talk quickly about using a Virtual Assistant and mention http://www.virtualassistantpodcast.com/.

If you would like a copy of the notes for this show just email me and I’ll get you a copy.

Be sure to stop by http://bluecollarliving.com/products to see how you can have a pricing system that will help you see if you even have enough work to hire a production employee.

You can also download a copy of the Confident Pricing Model Workbook to see how this can be done.

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Episode 005 – Debt Valley – My Personal Debt Story

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In this show I give the unabridged version of my debt story. This is a must listen if you want to have a full understanding of where I’m coming from when it comes to business, debt and finances. I mention Dave Ramsey and how I used what I learned from him to keep from filing bankruptcy. I explain how I ended up with $35,000.00 of debt to the IRS and what I did to make sure I could make those payments over anything else. I talk about how awesome my wife (and best friend) has been through everything. I tell the story of how we purchased our dream home only to lose it 18 months later.

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Episode 004 – Finding The Right Price

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In this show I basically give away the first hour of my “Confident Pricing” class. I talk about the #1 reason you should be in business. I compare the difference of my June 2006 P&L and my June 2010 P&L and why it’s better now.

I also promise to give away the class workbook for free which you can download HERE. I continue a special offer made on last week’s show.

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Episode 003 – Intro to confident pricing

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In this show I discuss the importance of a 100% accurate Quickbooks. I talk about the ideal accountant for your business. I also make a special offer for listeners only.

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Episode 002 – Brand Aids

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In today’s show we work through 16 Questions For Free Agents by Seth Godin. I mention Chuck Bowen, my first business coach. I also talk about Jimi Gibson and his fantastic branding classes and coaching. Once again I mention the usefulness of Free Agent Academy (not associated with Seth Godin).

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Episode 001 – My Story

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In this episode I give my personal business story. I mention my experience with Free Agent Academy, as well as talk about how I got started with my own business. I also mention some interaction I had with IPA.

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