Defeating Adversaries… in life and business

David versus ALL the Goliaths... I’m speaking of King David, of course. But I, (David Asarnow) have had my share of Goliaths to deal with.

During my last trip to Israel, I stood on the very site King David himself stood (before he was King) and had his biblical battle with the giant Goliath.

It was a dream of mine to visit this site. I envisioned what it might look like and I was blown away seeing that it looked exactly as I’d always pictured in my mind.

I was so moved by the experience and the energy of the story that surrounded me. It was my last stop on my trip and I took more than a moment to take it all in. What made it even more special was that we were there by ourselves… Right before sunset.  It’s not currently on the popular list for tourists, as it's about an hour outside of Jerusalem.

The story of David and Goliath is one we’re all familiar with, as it’s used as a metaphor across so many platforms in our lives. In sports, education, politics, and in business.

Against all odds, with little means of protection, and armed with very little…

The little guy defeats the big guy.

But as I stood there among the stone and ruins (recently rediscovered by archeologists about 15 years ago), I was reminded of some lesser-known pieces of the biblical tale.

For instance, did you know that David refused to wear the armor offered to him and, despite all insistence, he declined to carry a sword to this battle? 

He felt he’d be encumbered by the weight of them, so he carried only a slingshot to fight this powerful adversary!

In our modern-day businesses, we often feel the pressure to do things the way others do. To run our business the ‘right’ way as opposed to what might be the ‘best’ way for ourselves, and our own business.

Sometimes we feel encumbered by the myriad of suggestions or the insistences of outside forces– which can cause us to lose sight of what makes the most sense for ourselves.

I do my best to fight against those forces and rather find the strengths and advantages I gain from being my truest self. 

I believe that separates me from the proverbial “pack”.

If you are reading this now, I know you have this same potential within you. You gain this power when you step into your individuality with a strong sense of SELF.

Defeating giants is no simple task. David got off a perfect shot with that little, smooth stone.  

That took focus, practice, confidence, and a belief (or faith some would say). 

There is no shortage of giants in the business world that we are ALL competing with.

Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Tesla…The list goes on and on.

It’s easy to see how a small company might feel helpless, trying to compete with such Goliaths.  

So what do you do? 

Give in? 

Give up?

Or do you take a lesson from the shepherd David, before he was King?

My advice… Ignore the voices telling you that you can’t achieve your dreams. That includes the voice inside you that causes doubt or rationalizes you out of putting in the work that you know you’re capable of doing.

If you think about it, Goliath doesn’t always mean the giant that you feel might be standing in your way. Goliath, to me, is the giant we ALL place in our own way.  

I know that I can face my giant, unencumbered by negative thinking. Armed only with what I have at my disposal at any given moment.

I believe that I, like David, will walk away successful and victorious.

Step into your belief and promise, and I know that you can do the same.

To your success,

David

P.S. Imagine reaching your BEST Buyers using ONE proven strategy that has been averaging an over 30% open rate… WE’VE GOT IT. Comment with “Best Buyer” and we’ll get you details.

P.P.S. Hiring A-Players with the specialized talent to get you where you want to grow doesn’t have to be painful, frustrating, or time consuming IF it’s DONE FOR YOU.

If you want high-performing team talent in marketing, sales or operations that checks every box you’re looking for, simply comment with “hiring help” to see if we could be your talent recruitment solution.

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Trust and Empathy in Leadership

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care”. 

This quote rings true for me in both my personal and professional life. When it comes to the professional part, it speaks to how I operate as a LEADER.

Simply put…I CARE.

I care about my clients.

I care about deadlines and the details of each project.

I care about my goals and how to achieve them. I care about growing my company. And yes, I care about my bottom line, financially.

And also, this is very important…

I care about my team, both personally and professionally.

I know that I can’t do all of these things alone.

I understand that I don’t operate in a vacuum.

I know that I need a team and that I need to lead my team.

Being an effective leader can be the difference between your business being a success or a failure. 

So HOW you lead is vital.

One could rule with an iron fist (and I know many that do). Maybe instill fear in the hearts of those around you. 

Authoritative?  Delegation?

Or lead by example.

... The list goes on and on.

When it comes to business, however, I find there is no greater, or more successful tool than EMPATHY.

Understanding the needs of others is the first step toward effective leadership and success in business. 

What you do with this understanding is where the rubber meets the road.

A recent Pew Research study found that, on average, only 50% of working Americans were satisfied with their jobs.  Even more disturbing was the finding that 30% were just doing their jobs ‘to get by.’

If you’re not doing something you’re passionate about…Something that gets you out of bed in the morning and that you’re energized and happy doing…then why do it at all?

As a leader, it’s my responsibility to know that my team is happy, motivated, excited, and passionate.

But above all those, I want my team to feel safe, heard, and cared for.

Simon Sinek writes about this in his incredible book, ‘Leaders Eat Last.’ 

In it, he describes a ‘Circle of Safety.’  Aesop gave us a shining example in this fable:

A lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them, but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarreling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.

There is a basic idea here. Working together as a team makes us stronger and safer and we can thrive.

But there is a deeper and more specific message here.

Each ox (in Aesop’s case) felt SAFE to dwell, graze, and generally do what oxen do.  Their ‘jobs’ if you will.

This is where EMPATHY IN LEADERSHIP comes in.

For instance, at the beginning of a meeting with a team member, there is a big difference between starting with ‘How are YOU?’ versus ‘What are you up to?’   

To be an effective leader means understanding the individual needs of each member of my team. The key word here is ‘individual.’

The world we live in is full of uncertainty and each person handles that differently.  So getting to know each of my employees as individuals and not just as a name or number on a payroll sheet, gives me a better sense of who they are.

This gives me a better understanding of how to lead them, and how to help them thrive.

This feeling of belonging, of shared values, dramatically enhances trust, cooperation, and problem-solving. Which then leads to a positive work environment and guarantees a more successful bottom line.

Sinek points out that we’re built to work together. We are, at a deeply ingrained and biological level, social machines. And when we work to help each other, our bodies reward us for our effort so that we will continue to do it.

So how do you create that ‘Circle of Safety?’

I believe that time is more valuable than money. Everyone wants to make money for their work, and everyone here does.  But that’s a dopamine effect.

Satisfying for the moment, but it's only a shot of ‘feel good’ chemicals as opposed to a deeper and longer lasting chemical response.

Sinek goes into great detail about the 4 ‘happy’ chemicals in our bodies.

I’ve already mentioned dopamine. But we also create endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin.

It’s the latter two that are important to me as a leader.

Serotonin is what provides us with that feeling of pride and happiness we get when we give ourselves to help others.

Sacrificing my time and energy so that others around me can gain is a driving force for me as a leader.

It’s the difference between doing a walk-a-thon to raise money and awareness versus JUST donating to a cause.

There is a sense of fulfillment that is so gratifying and pushes me to want to do more and work harder.

In concert with that is oxytocin.  

Oxytocin is what gives us that feeling of friendship, and deep trust.  It’s not an instant gratification feeling like we get from dopamine, or the rush we get from endorphins.

It’s foundation-building and long-lasting.

This brings me back to my point about time versus money.

I take the time to connect with my team. I MAKE the time to check in on how they are doing, both at work, and in their day to day lives. I ask about their needs and let them know that I’m here for them.

I want to know where they think I can improve or if they feel their individual needs are or aren’t being met. I don’t ask anything of my team that I don’t also ask of myself.

Serotonin. Oxytocin.  

These are results that I desire for my team experience because of my leadership. 

Long lasting happiness and pride, combined with a deep sense of trust and friendship.

A happy, positive minded, passionate workforce, means a more productive work environment and that leads to a more successful business in the long run.

This is how I’ve built my own ‘Circle of Safety’ within Business Nitrogen.  

And being awarded one of the Best Companies to Work For In The Nation, I would say that the results speak for themselves!

To your success,

David

P.S. Imagine reaching your BEST Buyers using ONE proven strategy that has been averaging an over 30% open rate… WE’VE GOT IT. Comment with “Best Buyer” and we’ll get you details.

P.P.S. Hiring A-Players with the specialized talent to get you where you want to grow doesn’t have to be painful, frustrating, or time consuming IF it’s DONE FOR YOU.

If you want high-performing team talent in marketing, sales or operations that checks every box you’re looking for, simply comment with “hiring help” to see if we could be your talent recruitment solution.

“How Can I Help You?” may be killing your conversions…

“How can I help you?”

We’ve all fielded this simple inquiry thousands of times. At a retail store, on a call with your cable company, etc…

It’s a familiar trope and has been used in customer service since…well…since always, I would guess!

It’s an honest and open approach when dealing with your client.  So I’m not knocking it.  I’m not suggesting you stop inquiring or offering help to your client.

What I AM suggesting is that a more proactive approach may be the key to getting a new client and making sure they stick around once they’ve signed on. I have a client who was promoting an evergreen webinar every month. In the beginning, it was bringing in an average revenue of $100k per month. Some months higher than others, some months lower. So it was doing well, but it just wasn’t consistent.

They were on a hamster wheel.  A roller coaster.

They wanted to improve it.

I could have checked in and asked ‘How may I help you?’

But having seen their webinars, and taken a look at the numbers, I felt it was up to me to KNOW how to help them.

I felt like it was MY responsibility to actively help them because that’s what I do!

Getting to know your client is key. Knowing what their pain points are.  Knowing exactly what’s holding them back or slowing them down.

Pain points are specific problems faced by current or prospective customers in the marketplace.

Pain points include any problems the customer may experience along their journey.

So I took it upon myself to start helping them by implementing our proven challenge funnel framework.

I took the time to break it down into a simple construct so that they clearly understood the challenge.

I then took the time to break down their existing webinar, so they could really see the difference, and understand how they could dramatically improve and stabilize their return by changing the format.

For any strategy like this to work, (in order to attract new clients), it’s important to recognize that they are coming to you because they are looking for information.

Information = Value

A business owner must provide that value and have a positive mindset.

A mindset that tells their prospective customers and clients that you want them to grow and succeed.

One of my favorite ways to add value is to share insights and stories from my own experiences.

Sharing why it is I do what I do, is a powerful way to connect. In fact,I always advise my clients to share their ‘WHY’ when working with their new or potential clients.

The brilliant creators at Marvel and DC Comics use this ‘WHY’ concept to help us connect with their superheros and villains.

We know WHO Batman, Superman, Spiderman, etc, are. But knowing WHY they are who they are adds a deeper level of connection and gives us, as the consumer, a window into their passion, their drive…their ORIGIN STORY.

The same holds true for you and your business. Knowing and sharing your origin story, gives your potential customers and clients a deeper look into WHY it is you do what you do, as opposed to HOW.

If they know and understand your origin story, you have the opportunity to help them understand their own.

So I shared my origin story, and I challenged my client to explore theirs.  The next challenge was transitioning their evergreen webinar to a live challenge format.

The first step was showing them the importance of doing these events LIVE. Nothing compares to the energy of watching a live performance. Delivering your webinar live will resonate at such a higher level with your audience.

I treat it as if I have an entire stadium I have to connect with. That level of energy exudes confidence and feels more personal to the viewer.

Don’t be afraid to make it a BIG presentation with BIG energy.

Be a control freak.  Control the process.  Each event should be like a ritual and delivered the same way every time.

This means being your most confident version of yourself. It’s not always easy.  We all have limiting beliefs.

Overcoming these beliefs isn’t always easy since they are deeply ingrained in us and often from childhood.

Identify them.

Address them.

Then incorporate actionable strategies to change these beliefs in your daily life and behaviors.

Confidence is everything.

The same holds true for making cold calls.

Yes, cold calls are not dead!

Even now, cold calling has resulted in ½ a billion dollars in less than five years for one of our clients. So use them wisely!

The trick is to make sure you’re calling the right person.  Don’t settle for calling anyone that ranks lower than the CEO.  Start at the top and take your shot.

But you can’t just ‘smile and dial’ your way through a cold call.

Just like a live webinar, your energy makes all the difference. Stand up and walk around during your call! Wave your arms. Talk to the stadium you’re picturing in your mind.

On a cold call, the one with the most certainty wins. Know what you’re talking about and be better than anyone else.  No ifs, ands, or buts.

Too often we have a SALES mentality when speaking to a potential client.  We end up pitching too hard or maybe we get into our heads and focus on our own inner voice when we ought to be focussed on our client.

Use the power of your live voice and personal energy to be amazing on the phone, through a webinar and in person when you close that deal!

Once you’ve mastered this and start to see the returns, then you can automate your live webinars or challenges.

Keep in mind, your prospective clients may not have the time or the capacity to sit for five one-hour segments for a challenge, but will gladly spend an afternoon sitting through one five-hour webinar.

We like to call that our Super Saturday Replay.

You need to find out what works best for your prospective clients. What they respond to more.

The numbers don’t lie. 18%-24% of sales come from our Super Saturday Replay.

I’m happy to say that my client stepped up to the challenge.

I was not only able to stabilize their monthly revenue but I also helped increase it!

Now it’s your turn to challenge yourself and your clients!

To your success,

David

P.S. Imagine reaching your BEST Buyers using ONE proven strategy that has been averaging an over 30% open rate… WE’VE GOT IT. Comment with “Best Buyer” and we’ll get you details.

P.P.S. Hiring A-Players with the specialized talent to get you where you want to grow doesn’t have to be painful, frustrating, or time consuming IF it’s DONE FOR YOU.

If you want high-performing team talent in marketing, sales or operations that checks every box you’re looking for, simply comment with “hiring help” to see if we could be your talent recruitment solution.