Agent Beta

20 Jun 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in News, Travel Permalink

10 Ways to Travel the World Without Breaking the Bank

Sticky Post By andrew On June 20, 2017

Over the years I’ve had the privilege of traveling all around the world. While that may sound posh or even luxurious, I can say that my experiences are far from it. In fact, some of my best times traveling were when I spent the least. I know to some that doesn’t sound realistic, but believe it or not, you can see the world on a shoestring budget. Here’s how:

1. Book your flight months ahead.

This is a classic piece of travel advice, but also one of the most important that you could follow. According to Skyscanner, some of the cheapest months to book vacations are in November and May (during offseasons). Additionally, the earlier you book, the cheaper the flight will be. While it might seem like a lot of commitment to book this far ahead, the benefits it will serve in the long run will be tenfold (plus, you’ll have something to look forward to).

2. Look out for package deals.

Package deals can be a great way to save money on a trip. Generally speaking, the reason why these deals exist is that they’re trying to sell a less popular item coupled with a very popular item. For this reason, I’ll say that you should do an extensive amount of homework before committing. But the value of finding a good one could be tremendous.

3. Go for transitional periods.

If you’re looking to travel to a specific spot, then transitional periods can be one of your best bets. Especially when it comes to places such as the beach or ski resorts, going in a period in-between seasons could save you big time. Not only will the weather still be enjoyable, but you could potentially avoid being around a huge group of other travelers. Additionally, as the overall rates are dropping for bookings, expect businesses and venues around the area to drop their prices too.

4. Learn to cook on the road.

Perhaps one of the biggest ways you’ll save (with or without traveling) is by cooking for yourself. It goes without saying that going out to eat is one of the quickest ways for a travel budget to evaporate, so cooking on the road is imperative. This will not only be a great skill to have for life (especially when it comes to buying groceries and preparing them efficiently), but it will make the times you do go out in your travels much more enjoyable.

5. Turn it into a work holiday.

Even if you’re not willing to shell out your paid time off quite yet, there’s still some alternatives for how you can use your work to travel. Consider convincing your boss to let you go to a conference (such as SXSW) or meeting abroad. While it will take a lot of legwork, the effort could give you that perfect break you needed.

6. Aim to work remotely.

If you don’t think your work will let you do it, then consider possibly finding a remote job. Depending on what else you have going on outside of work, this opportunity could be one of the best experiences of your life. Additionally, there’s a lot of great programs out there to help you do it, such as Remote Year.

7. The more, the merrier.

An excellent way to save money is by having other people come along for the ride. While this largely depends on who you feel comfortable traveling with (as well as for how long), consider bringing a group together to cut costs down.

8. Barter your way up.

Although it might sound silly, trading with other travelers can be a great way to save money. You never know who might be willing to host you in exchange for you doing the same. Additionally, certain things can go far on the road, so don’t discount what you and others find valuable.

9. Avoid tourist traps.

I’m not saying don’t visit popular attractions, but it’s important to note that when you’re traveling, there’s entire marketing schemes and ploys out there to get you to shell out that extra money. Plain and simple — go to see what you wanted to see, and that’s it. Don’t get suckered into the excess “just because you’re on vacation.”

10. Focus on what’s free.

The world is filled with things you can do that are 100 percent free. If you work from there and establish your upfront costs as to what you find valuable, you can not only travel for a long time but see some of the most incredible sights you’d ever imagine. I know it’s cliche to say “the best things in life are free,” but in this case, it’s true.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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16 Jun 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in News, Personal Improvement Permalink

How Solitary Confinement Gave Me Clarity

Sticky Post By andrew On June 16, 2017

For most people, getting sent to prison would feel like the worst possible life scenario. For me, it was the most defining moment of my life.

Hear me out: I’m not recommending prison. But being forced into an adverse situation and spending months thinking about my past actions and mistakes encouraged me to take pause and truly consider what it was that I wanted out of life.

Judging by my own personal experiences and by the experiences of those I spent time with in prison, when an individual is on the wrong life path it is incredibly difficult to jump off it without the help of an outside force. For years I knowingly made mistakes, but I also convinced myself that I was simply playing the hand I had been dealt — that I would never amount to anyone more than someone on the wrong side of the law. But getting arrested actually brought new freedom into my life and set me on a new path toward positive change.

Going to prison served as a physical and mental fracture point from my old life. In many ways prison wasn’t as much of a punishment as it was a second chance and a new lease on life. Here are a few ways my time in solitary confinement introduced stronger mental health and clarity into my life.

I sat with my thoughts.

One of the reasons why so many people struggle with solitary confinement is that sitting by yourself, with nothing to distract you but your own thoughts and ruminations, is punishing — especially if your life has been fraught with mistakes. I can’t lie: the first few weeks of solitary confinement were agonizing. Somewhere along the way, however, I realized that instead of trying to distract myself from the discomfort of my own thoughts and judgments, I should embrace them and move through the experience, rather than around it.

Sitting in silence day in and day out forced me to develop a personal meditation process and enhanced my mental stamina. After a few weeks I no longer wanted to crawl out of my own skin, and instead learned how to find peace with myself and forgiveness for my past actions.

I practiced positivity.

When you are subjected to solitary confinement, you have two options: either let the silence and isolation destroy you, or let it empower you. After a few weeks of spiraling down, I made the conscious choice to grow from my situation. I told myself I would not let solitary confinement define the rest of my life and similarly, I would not allow my previous mistakes to dictate the entirety of my future.

It was at the this time, sitting in a mediation day in and day out that I finally found positivity — for the first time in my life. I searched for things to feel grateful for and focused on those things over the negative ones. Today, choosing to see positivity over negativity remains an integral key to my daily success.

I explored new ideas.

To say that solitary confinement took me out of my usual routine is an understatement. For years, I operated with a destructive, one-track mindset and never took the time to explore new ideas and opportunities out of fear of failure. During my solitary confinement days, I spent my time writing and reading. Together, these these daily activities set me on a path to success.

Through reading I was able to explore new career paths and philosophical ideas. Through writing, I was able to effectively organize my thoughts and goals and devise a plan for success. Committing myself to these daily activities taught me a sense of discipline I had never known. Additionally, they also gave me hope to hang onto even in the bleakest moments.

Solitary confinement taught me that life is all about perspective and attitude. It would have been easiest for me to spend my time in isolation wallowing in my own self-pity and mustering anger for the world around me. Instead, I flipped the switch and developed new habits and mindsets that have served as the building blocks to my entrepreneurial success.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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09 Jun 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in Competition, News Permalink

3 Reasons You Should Spy on Your Competition

Sticky Post By andrew On June 9, 2017

When strategizing and contemplating your next business endeavor, it’s easy to think you know everything about your product or service. After all, you’ve probably been perfecting your venture for a substantial amount of time.

However, at some point, having enough resources or experience with your product will not be enough. Successful businesspeople understand not only their product but also the respective market as well. If you don’t understand your market and your competition, your venture is sunk before it’s even afloat.

One of the best ways to thoroughly understand your market is to take a look at your competition. By not spying, you are at a significant disadvantage. Here are three reasons it’s a good idea to spy on your competition.

1. It’ll help you prepare.

Without spying, it’s impossible to know what you’re up against — as a result, you can’t completely prepare. You might be able to make sure that everything you control is market-ready, but if you don’t know what your competition is doing, you could find yourself in a precarious situation.

In the world of AdWords, for instance, spying is imperative to ensuring that your ad stays in the most visible spot on the page. If you’re monitoring your competition’s actions, you’ll know right away when it’s time to respond in order to keep your ad visible. There could be a long delay in time before you realize what is going on, and that delay could be the difference between a success and a failure.

You can also track your competitor’s AdWords to see what happens after the initial click to gather even more data. You can spy on whether potential customers are taken right to the competitor’s website or to a landing page tailored to elicit more consumer interest in the product. If your spied-on sample size is big enough, it should be fairly simple to determine if something like that would be beneficial for your business, allowing you to truly prepare your product for launch.

2. It’s easy to do.

Don’t be discouraged from spying on your competition by assuming that it is daunting or resource intensive. By looking at your competition’s websites, social media posts and existing ad campaigns, you’ll be able to see what they’re doing — what works, what doesn’t work and what would work better with a different approach.

If spying still seems daunting, automated tools can further ease potential burdens by helping you gather and interpret enormous amounts of web data concerning your competitor quickly and accurately. For example, Mention lets you set up notifications for whenever your competitor’s name is mentioned anywhere on the web.

3. It would be wasteful to not spy.

Speaking of wasted resources, without spying on your competition it’s very easy to waste time trying to find your ideal market and your reach. Finding outlets that want to work with you and distribute your product is initially one of the most time-consuming and necessary elements of building your business. Therefore, it makes sense to spy on your competition so you can improve on their efforts, including what they’ve done regarding marketing and reach.

Just as an apprentice learns from a mentor, you can learn from what your competition is and isn’t doing so you can avoid pitfalls that have probably cost them a lot of time and money.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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02 Jun 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in Motivation, News Permalink

Keys to Driving Massive Success in the Face of Adversity Learned From My Time in Prison

Sticky Post By andrew On June 2, 2017

Positivity and motivation are all about prioritizing. My time as an entrepreneur has shaped all parts of my life — especially my experience in prison. Surviving jail time is all about focusing on your endgame: eventually getting out. It is a place for meditating on what you want from your life and how to come to terms with your past mistakes. I quickly had to learn how to make the most of my time, and without things to maintain my positivity and motivation, the experience could have been much worse.

The secret to productivity is to stay motivated and positive. Some people can do this naturally with no problems, while others need a little help. I had very limited resources while I was incarcerated, so I had to focus on the absolute basics: my motivation to get through prison and build my business, and the hope that both things would happen if I worked hard enough. If I hadn’t had those two things, I certainly wouldn’t be in the position that I am today.

As an entrepreneur before I went to prison, I got very good at staying positive in the face of adversity. Prison, in some ways, is no different than building a startup in that the attitude you bring to the table will very much shape your experience.

Do your time with purpose.

It’s easier to keep your end goal in mind when you’re not in prison. I had to focus on my goals constantly — I couldn’t do any of the things I might have before, such as set a reminder on my phone or place post-it notes. I had to focus on what I wished to do while there and what I wanted to do once my sentence was up.

“What am I aiming for?” was a question constantly in my mind. The obvious answer was that I wanted to get out — and I wanted to keep building businesses once I got out. With that in mind, it was much easier to make the most of my time.

Fail forward.

Most people will agree: going to prison feels like failure. Luckily for me, one of the things I learned from being an entrepreneur is that failure is neither a bad thing nor is it the end. So though I may have felt like a failure when I was sent to jail, that wasn’t going to stop me from making the most of it. I had to accept that I could use that adverse experience to my advantage. I had messed up, but it didn’t have to define the rest of my life.

So many people have a dream or ambition that they want to bring into the world, but many let the fear of failure stop them from pursuing it. So to keep yourself positive as you continue to build and expand your business, don’t be afraid of failure. If something fails or doesn’t go your way, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end — in fact, it may open new doors for you.

Remember why you started.

It would’ve been so easy to give up when I found out I’d be in prison for two to five years. In tandem with embracing failure, remembering your reason for being an entrepreneur is vital to your success. I never wanted to lose touch with who I was outside of the prison walls — I wanted to help others grow and build new things.

Anyone who is friends with entrepreneurs know that this is true. According to attorney George Sink, an entrepreneur’s ability to remain focused on why they started can almost define their success. “Founders who remain laser-focused on bringing their vision to life seem like highly positive people – and highly positive people inspire others to succeed,” he says. “That motivation leads to productivity, and the more productive an entrepreneur can be, the better their odds of succeeding in their business. It’s a virtuous cycle.”

Most entrepreneurs don’t become creators just for kicks: you had a reason for jumping into the deep end. Perhaps you started your company or venture to accomplish a goal or fill a need, but now your end goals differ from when you started. It’s good to keep both in mind as you work, because if your end goal is business-based, but you started your business to help people, you may find yourself feeling dissatisfied. Without the fundamental creed of your project in the forefront, you may be more likely to give up, or worse, allow your dream to morph into something you don’t stand for.

How to stay motivated.

Even people who stay positive about the future sometimes lack motivation. This can be tricky when it seems like nothing is ever going to change your situation — but if you can stay motivated and keep working even when things suck, you’ll find your situation turning around soon enough.

Prison is all about time management. Every second is planned, so I had to take advantage of every moment. How I made use of that time was completely up to me, and working as an entrepreneur is the same. You’re the boss, so set goals for yourself and live up to them.

Don’t take on more than you can chew.

It’s easy to feel like you have a never-ending pile of work in front of you. So easy, in fact, that many people falter in their motivation and productivity because they feel defeated by the sheer the amount of tasks they need to accomplish. Sectioning tasks means that you can prioritize your work a little more easily — it assists with organization and concentration. If you treat every large project as a whole instead of a series of steps, you may find yourself falling behind due to the overwhelming nature of the tasks. As they say, divide and conquer! You’ll have an easier time seeing a progression from beginning to end, as well as more accurately know how long a project will take.

Celebrate daily accomplishments.

This can seem counter-intuitive when you’re busy and need motivation, but you need to take some time to celebrate small victories. If you only take time to work and focus on the end goal with no breaks or celebrations in between, you’ll find that you’ll be sporting a nasty case of burnout before long.

I had never been to prison before. It seemed like an impossible, uphill battle. But my experience as an entrepreneur allowed me to constantly adapt, especially in such an unfamiliar place. And when I was successful, when I met a goal I’d set, I celebrated those, even while in prison. Being proud of my little accomplishments or the completion of a goal not only gave me the willpower to continue working while in prison — it also helped me once I had the ability to create freely.

I learned a lot in prison, but my time as an entrepreneur allowed me to get through it. I embraced the uncertainty, failure and overwhelming nature of incarceration, and transformed it into drive to pursue my passions. I took what could have been a negative experience and used it to create my own positivity and motivation.

Of course, everyone has off days, so staying productive can be challenging, but if you can keep these tricks in mind, you’ll find yourself working harder to reach your goals and make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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30 May 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in Finance, News Permalink

5 Mistakes Millennial Entrepreneurs Make With Money

Sticky Post By andrew On May 30, 2017

Building a new company isn’t easy. Only a fraction of the startups founded each year survive for five years, and even fewer are run by young entrepreneurs. Business leaders who have experience running companies tend to be more likely to found a successful startup than first-timers — which many millennials are.

That being said, there are some advantages to being a millennial entrepreneur. The generation is known for having innovative ideas, drive and spirit, all factors that can contribute to building a successful company. The trick is to avoid being among the 24 percent of failed startups that crashed due to running out of money.

Here are some mistakes to avoid, so that you don’t become just another statistic.

1. Managing cash flow poorly.

The amount of cash moving in and out of a startup needs to be managed extremely well, especially early on. According to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 82 percent of businesses fail due to not paying attention to cash flow. Unfortunately, a lot of millennials aren’t financially savvy, making cash flow management a significant liability for a millennial-run business.

To avoid this mistake, you just need to pay attention to what’s going on with your finances. Look at where all income comes from and how it’s all spent. Set up a system — as simple as an Excel document — to keep track of everything. If you don’t, you leave yourself open to issues such as not knowing profit margins, not having the records necessary to get investors or unnoticed theft.

2. Fundraising too much, too soon.

It can be easy to spend a lot of time planning how to raise money from investors and venture capital firms early on in a startup. A lot of young entrepreneurs consider the amount of money raised at the beginning a measure of success. Focusing too much on fundraising, however, can be bad for business.

Spending all of your precious time and energy on generating as much funding as possible can take you away from other, more important tasks. For instance, instead of setting up solid business strategies and planning thorough marketing pushes, millennials can get caught up in the fundraising game.

Keep in mind that with the right planning, your business will make money. If your business makes money, you can run your startup with minimal outside control or ownership. That’s often a lot more valuable than some cash in your pocket at the starting gate.

3. Trying to control it all.

It’s very common for young startup leaders to try to control everything because they feel they are the only ones who know their products, services and business plans inside and out. However, along with the risk of burnout, taking over all aspects of your financial planning can hurt your success.

Due to the relative inexperience of many millennial entrepreneurs, it’s usually a good idea to get advice and input on your financial strategies — whether that’s from an accountant, a financial planner or a friendly neighborhood business person with an eye for finances. If you don’t, you run the risk of making inadvisable financial decisions that could tank your startup.

Another option is to hire a person or team to help out. As long as you make your vision clear, outside help can save your bank account and your sanity.

4. Hiring the wrong people.

It’s important to hire a team that will have your back and occasionally save you from yourself, but hiring weak team members can quickly drain your finances and ruin your startup. Be conscious of whom you’re hiring and any assets and liabilities they bring with them.

The costs associated with hiring the wrong people are significant. Not only are you paying their salaries, you also must pay for training, recruitment and other related expenses. Further, weak employees result in lost productivity and sales. If you aren’t getting a return on your investment, then what’s the point?

With this risk, it can be tempting to hire low-cost employees and consultants. Don’t fall into this trap — you’ll often pay for it in the long run, as they can be inexperienced or unreliable, costing you more later on.

5. Spending in the wrong places.

Millennials are an idealistic generation, there’s no doubt about it. As great as this characteristic can be for coming up with innovative ideas for startups, it can also get in the way of practicality. For instance, many young entrepreneurs spend too much money on developing their new product or service, and not enough marketing it.

If you spend all of your time and finances on trying to perfect a prototype without getting out in the field and selling it, you lose out on several advantages such as customer feedback, users and acquisitions. You will waste time that you could spend interacting with your customer base and learning what they really want.

There’s no reason that millennials can’t found successful startups. With the drive and spirit of this generation, innovation is limitless. By avoiding financial pitfalls, young entrepreneurs can put their big ideas into action.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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26 May 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in News, Starting a Business Permalink

3 Businesses Helping Overworked People That Have High Potential Margins

Sticky Post By andrew On May 26, 2017

It’s amazing what other people will pay you to do. If you’re an entrepreneur just getting started, you may think you have to come up with something “disruptive” or at least somewhat creative to start making the real bucks, but it just ain’t true. There are plenty of industries you can get started in within a month, week or even a day that you can make an insane margin from.

Don’t believe me? When’s the last time you hired someone to help you with your garden, watch your children or clean your house? If you already own a business, do you pay someone else to do a few tasks you find tedious (and if not, why are you wasting your time)? These are all industries that have existed for centuries, and will continue to thrive in the future. If you want to make serious bank, however, you’ll need to look at industries that are just as stable, but are at the top of the profitability spectrum.

Here are some of the highest margin businesses that anyone can get started with little or no resources:

Wedding planning

Pretty much anything involving the wedding industry is going to be highly profitable — after all, we all know that even mentioning that you need a cake, venue, band or caterer for a wedding means the price will increase. So why not get in on the action and become a wedding planner?

Granted, in order to succeed as a planner, you’ll need to be good on the phone, organized and interested in researching and price comparing various vendors. You’ll also need to be available when brides want to talk to you, which is, unfortunately, mostly evenings and weekends. However, you’ll likely have plenty of time off during the fall and winter, which means this isn’t a career you have to worry about burning out from!

This business, which you can start with almost nothing but a will to succeed, has the potential to be highly lucrative. If you’re in a bigger city, you’re looking at about $3,000 to $5,000 a client, but the sky’s the limit, as you’ll earn more as you work your way up to wealthy and celebrity clients. As with all businesses, if you learn how to corner a niche (such as destination weddings, a specific non-native culture or super-glam) you’ll rake it in even faster.

Interior painter

As I mentioned earlier, some of the most profitable company ideas are also the simplest. A great example of this is interior painting, a service that has a whopping 6,329 percent markup! Why so much? Well, the honest truth is that most people don’t want to bother painting their homes and offices. They either think they’ll mess it up, don’t have the time for it, or — most commonly — just plain don’t feel like it.

This business will require you have a few personal traits: attention to detail, no fear of ladders and patience. You’ll also need to get a hold of a few ladders and paint supplies, and a few friends who will (probably quite happily) let you practice on their homes — or just use your own.

Social media manager

While the stereotype for social media managers is that they’re all recent grads who just know how to use “the Twitter,” that statement is no longer true, at least for businesses that are looking for real success. Yes, most young people know how to use social media platforms, but there’s a lot more to being a social media manager. If you’re particularly interested in branding and research, I highly suggest looking into social media management as your next entrepreneurial venture.

The best way to get started is to take a few (free) online classes on how to be a professional social media marketer from recognized sites, and once completed, put them on your resume and personal website. While you’re building your client base, make sure your social profiles are thriving as well — trust me, there’s no worse thing for a potential client to find than that your personal Twitter page has only 100 followers.

If you’re looking to become an entrepreneur but feel discouraged because you don’t know how to code or don’t have a big idea or a huge savings account to get you started, it’s time to look at all of the other things that consumers and businesses need. No matter what you’re good at — even if it’s just listening to an upset bride-to-be vent about problematic guests, or having the patience to paint a wall correctly — there’s a business for you.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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23 May 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in News, Sales Permalink

How to Close Deals Without Coming Off as Salesy

Sticky Post By andrew On May 23, 2017

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The title “salesperson” has a pretty stereotypical connotation to it. We tend to envision the fast-talking hot shots that’ll do anything to close in a cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world. It’s a picture that’s reminiscent of the Glengarry Glen Ross or Wolf of Wall Street characters we’ve seen, intoxicated by the high-stakes, high-reward environment. While this is what we think sales might be, most people in the industry know that’s not the case.

The world of sales is changing drastically. More than ever, consumers have access to an unlimited amount of information, including social media, online reviews and word of mouth. This transparency is making sales more honest as we focus less on “tricking” people and more on building relationships. Despite how much pressure we have to get the deal done yesterday, the sales process has actually gotten a lot easier — all you need is a few adjustments to your approach.

Play the long game.

Any successful salesperson can tell you that this is a patient person’s game. Long gone are the days of “sign now and I’ll throw in the air freshener on the house” as consumers have better access to information as well as where your competitors currently stand. Nowadays shoppers take more time making decisions, which means your sales approach should follow suit.

The key is quality over quantity. I personally would rather have one person who spends $100 at a store than try my hardest to get 10 people to spend $10 at a store. Why? Because the $100 person has already pledged their brand allegiance to me. This means they’re going to engage with me more on social media, tell their friends about my product and continue to put me at the top of their funnel.

A couple of years ago The Wall Street Journal conducted a study on how the slower someone shops, the more likely they’re willing to spend. This is because consumers feel more engaged in a brand as it feels they’re truly being taken care of. This provides an opportunity for people to learn your story, mission and what separates you from the competition. Remember, this is about building a community, not customers, so take the time to develop genuine relationships.

Have actual conversations with your customers.

Whether you’re doing B2B or B2C sales, take the time to talk to your customers without pushing a deal. I know it’s our instinct to have in the back of our minds, “When’s the right time to ask?” or “Oh, I’ll plug in X product/service here,” but that’s being pushy. These people are here to make an investment into you, so invest into them.

Your first primary talking point should always be about what brought them here. Ask questions so you can get to know their motivations and needs, as well as what they do. If nothing else, this is an excellent opportunity to acquire feedback on your market, which is a pretty big advantage in itself. People are interested in learning about the community you call home, so welcome them in by being an educator.

Now, part of being an educator is telling the truth, so having an honest approach is crucial. If your company doesn’t have something a client wants or a competitor might serve their needs better, tell them that. While yes, it might seem counterintuitive, you’d be surprised how much success it can bring. A huge portion of closing a deal is building a sense of comfort and eventually loyalty, and even if you lose a battle, that doesn’t mean you’re going to lose the war.

Be genuine throughout all your social channels.

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes I see companies make is by using their social media channels as a means of spamming direct advertising. While yes, social media can be considered “free advertising,” no one is willing to engage with this type of content. After all, we use social media as a tool to escape from the hordes of advertising we see on a daily basis, not introduce ourselves to more of it.

Your social channels goal should be to build relationships, not sales. This is your chance to build trust by showing your human side, as well as the types of brands and people you admire. That’s not to say you shouldn’t take the proper steps in having a pipeline via your social channels, but if nothing else, this is the hub of your community. These people want to be a part of your story, so let them help write it.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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19 May 2017

Sticky Post By andrew Posted in News, Stress Permalink

3 Ways Constant Stress Makes You a Bad Entrepreneur

Sticky Post By andrew On May 19, 2017

Everyone knows that stress affects more than just your happiness. If you’re frequently freaking out, your appearance changes, your sleep becomes increasingly disordered, and, well, you can be a bit nasty towards even those you care most about. If you’re stressed out enough — or for long periods of time — you’ll even start to have impaired mental capacities, though it’s unlikely that you’ll notice until it’s too late. For all of these reasons, if you’re aspiring to be a great entrepreneur, you have to learn one thing first: how to relax.

We’ve all encountered people who brag about how little they sleep each night or how many hours they work each day. For many of us, including myself, we’ve been guilty of doing so ourselves. We may not even feel guilty about it. Bragging about stress makes us feel important. After all, only those who are unambitious or unintelligent have free time, right?

Related: 10 Ways Smart People Stay Calm

That’s where we’re all so, so wrong. True, being an entrepreneur is more stressful than working a typical job. A big reason why starting a business is stressful is because, really, an entrepreneur is a leader. You’re not only chasing your dream, but you’re convincing other people to chase it with you. But in order to do that well, you need to learn how to manage and reduce stress whenever possible, and it’s not just because you’ll feel better.

1. You’ll forget things.

While a jolt of adrenaline can make your mind race and accomplish things faster, long-term stress actually hurts your memory considerably. That means that while you think you’re working faster, you’re likely forgetting important points and are careening towards a poor decision the longer you stay frazzled. If that isn’t scary enough, there’s some data that suggests these effects may be permanent, as it actually makes your brain age faster.

2. You’ll take more sick days.

Think taking an hour-long lunch break to take a walk is too much time out of your hectic schedule? How about a month performing at half your productivity because you get a cold and can’t kick it?

Turns out that enough stress will make your body desperate for a way to relieve it, even if your brain doesn’t agree. If you’re freaking out for long enough, your body will actually suppress your immune system, which means you’ll not only be more likely to get sick, but you’ll take longer to fight it off. Working out will help limit the damage, but for those who are “too busy” to make time to hit the gym, your stress levels will cause your body to breakdown.

3. You’ll be prone to outbursts.

As an entrepreneur, you know how critical it is that you keep your cool no matter what happens. Over the course of a week, you may be subject to having a potential investor critique your business, a co-founder disagree with you about an important decision and a software failure. But throughout all of that, the worst thing you could possible do is lash out at the person or tool that’s frustrating you.

If you maintain a solid level of stress, you’ll wear away at your self-control and ability to maintain emotional stability, until one day you find yourself spouting water works — or breathing fire — at the worst possible moment.

Nobody expects being an entrepreneur to be a relaxing experience. It’s a tough road and one that you have to navigate yourself. However, that doesn’t mean that you should torture yourself. Find ways to combat your stress and know how to recover when you’ve had a particularly bad or hectic week or month.

Knowing how to pace yourself and let yourself rest will be key. Success in business is a long-term project, and you can’t hope to keep going at full steam the entire time.

Andrew Medal

Andrew Medal is the founder of creative digital agency Agent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros. and Inc. Magazine. He has pro…

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1. Book your flight months ahead.

2. Look out for package deals.

3. Go for transitional periods.

4. Learn to cook on the road.

5. Turn it into a work holiday.

6. Aim to work remotely.

7. The more, the merrier.

8. Barter your way up.

9. Avoid tourist traps.

10. Focus on what’s free.

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I sat with my thoughts.

I practiced positivity.

I explored new ideas.

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1. It’ll help you prepare.

2. It’s easy to do.

3. It would be wasteful to not spy.

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Do your time with purpose.

Fail forward.

Remember why you started.

How to stay motivated.

Don’t take on more than you can chew.

Celebrate daily accomplishments.

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1. Managing cash flow poorly.

2. Fundraising too much, too soon.

3. Trying to control it all.

4. Hiring the wrong people.

5. Spending in the wrong places.

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Wedding planning

Interior painter

Social media manager

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Play the long game.

Have actual conversations with your customers.

Be genuine throughout all your social channels.

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1. You’ll forget things.

2. You’ll take more sick days.

3. You’ll be prone to outbursts.

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