Jeremy Weisz 15:13
Yeah. No, I love that. It seems again, like a pattern of asking, right? Surveying and coming up with answers coming straight from the people. What’s interesting about the story, so I want to dig into the coworking space for a second. So I don’t want to gloss over it because, okay, you see this in the newspaper? You go, okay. Most people like. Yeah, I mean, I’m not introverted, but I’m definitely in a crowd. Just kind of shy.
So you decide, okay, I’m going to go and you come out of that with a client, right? So how did the conversation start? What did you say? You know, this is your first client, so you seem pretty confident like right off the bat. What did you say to get this client? How did it come about?
Kelly Sinclair 16:02
That’s such a good question because he was like trying to create co-working before there was a space for co-working. Right. So the event was actually at a coffee shop because he didn’t have a space yet. So he was already like building his community and trying to create the connection and people and show the value of getting out of your house, which I 100% support. Like there’s just days where I’m like, I need to get out of this basement that I’m in, right, and see people and interact and see what’s going on.
And I don’t know, I think we just started talking about his launch and how to open a new space and how to get recognition for that and become like a known name in the community, especially when it was something that was different. So I think I for sure was starting with the media opportunity in that because this is new, this is the first of its kind in the community. And we will, you know, create a plan, we’ll create a launch event, we’ll do media for it. And to be honest with you, part of the negotiation for the client was I worked in his coworking space as part of like my fee basically. So he gave me, I don’t know, a year in there.
There’s still my very first logo up on the wall. I’ve changed it a couple of times since, but it’s really cute when I go in there now for a meeting or just to, he actually has a UPS drop off site, which I think is a really good for traffic. For him. That wasn’t my idea. It was his. It was great.
So that was where we started having the conversation. Like, what are the opportunities? How can you, you know, get your name out there and how can I support you with the things you don’t know how to do? Because as a business owner, and especially if you’re opening like a physical space, you’ve got lease negotiations and all of these other things like figuring out renovations and whatnot. You don’t think you’re not thinking about marketing like nobody usually gets into business to become a marketer. They get into business to do the thing they want to do with their business.
Jeremy Weisz 18:04
Yeah, I love the part, too. You know, there’s stuff from businesses that sometimes are valuable to us as well. So like a little bit of barter in there. I remember I had Dan Sawatzky, who created Lobster Gram. He was sending live lobsters to people now.
I mean, at the time that was kind of novel. And now there’s companies that do that. But he wanted, I think it was Lexus as a client, so he just asked for, he’s like, I want a Lexus, like I want a new car. And they gave him a new car and he did all the I forgot, you know, sent them to their best customers, these lobsters. So I love that it’s like, I need a co-working space, can we throw that in?. And it’s helpful to both of you.
The evolution of services. So you start off you’re like, okay, I know PR I’m going to do PR consulting, I’m going to do these things for the clients. What was the next kind of evolution of KS&Co.?
Kelly Sinclair 19:02
Yeah. So when I had that realization that there is a very clear ceiling on getting paid hourly, you can only raise your rates so much, especially when you’re working with small businesses and nonprofit organizations that you need to think about different ways to scale. And this would probably be around 2020, 2019 when online education was really starting to blow up and Tony Robbins was going around talking about how it was going to be a $2 billion a day industry and all this stuff. And like, I was like, yeah, I’m going to buy into that because, you know, the opportunity to reach more people at one time and, and because you can make more impact that way, which is truly what I’m all about. That was really enticing to me.
So I was kind of doing the consulting thing with half of my time and then building an online business with the other half of my time. So almost like having a whole new business to create, to learn how to do training online and hosting courses online and having sales and figuring out like, what kind of shopping cart do I use? How do I do e-commerce? Like how do I make these little mock up graphics and talk about these things? Canva is the answer to that.
All of those, that started evolving from on the side of my desk kind of situation. So I feel like there was a period of time where I was doing some of that. I was teaching some group programs live on Zoom, and then turning them into courses and putting them wherever I think. I don’t even know if the first one was literally just like hosting the course in a private YouTube thread, like there’s just been so many iterations of the things you think you need to have in place when you get started versus the reality. If you’re just delivering something that people want and that’s helpful and that gets them results.
Jeremy Weisz 21:11
So you’re half PR now you’re like, listen, I need to leverage my time and courses and digital courses are definitely scalable. Then what was next after that?
Kelly Sinclair 21:23
Yeah. So digital courses had their moment in the sun where everyone was like, yeah, I’m going to buy all these things. And you know, I had remembered my first webinar that I did that somebody bought one of my courses on the webinar. I was like, it’s real. It can happen. Oh my gosh, literally.
Jeremy Weisz 21:41
How did you decide to price your courses at the time?
Kelly Sinclair 21:44
Oh, that’s a great question. I think a little bit of this, to be honest. Like what feels like good for like what? I would feel non-resentful myself in accepting what time I’m going to put into this. And at the other side of it was like obviously what, what feels like a good price point.
I think for digital products really anything under $1,000 is really kind of accessible. And knowing that when I was launching something new and it wasn’t built yet, people were then paying me to create it, which also felt really good.
Jeremy Weisz 22:19
Yeah. That’s huge. Any time we’ve done a course, you know, to validate it, we’ve definitely pre-sold it. And then create it just like you did, because then you’re not doing 20 hours, 30, 40 hours of work and then realizing no one wants this.
Kelly Sinclair 22:36
Making it so beautiful. I mean, I’ve done that too. Sort of.
Jeremy Weisz 22:41
So next you have the courses. What’s next?
Kelly Sinclair 22:44
Yeah. So I feel like once like courses were, you know, there’s a lot of courses out there. And now there’s almost in the online space a bit of hesitation and resistance around digital programs because to be fair, a lot of people put out kind of junky stuff that didn’t do a lot because they thought that, you know, there’s a great opportunity. And, you know, if I just sell a lot of these things at $67 or $97 or whatever it is that I’m going to make a lot of money and, you know, letting the results not be the primary goal. And I’m not about that.
And I do think that because that’s happened in the online space, people are now looking one, they’re being a bit more hesitant and they’re being more conscious about how they’re spending their money, and they want more customization and more hands on support and more like, I believe this is going to help me because you’re going to help me directly. Like there’s more of a communication. There’s not just like, oh, I bought this course from this big name course person, and I never get to talk to that person.
So where I’m at right now is creating containers that are more supportive in that way, that provide customized visibility strategies. So, Jeremy, we go through exactly what your business goals are, who you want to reach, and the ways in which you like to get visible. Like you love podcasting, you love collaborating. You don’t love going to networking events. That’s great.
So let’s figure out the way that’s going to work best for you, and then work together in a group container after that for implementation, because it’s nice to be like, here’s my plan. It’s all mapped out. I don’t want to do it, or I’ll come up with all the excuses to not to not make that a priority.
And it’s really important to make visibility a priority, because these are the things, the seeds that you’re planting that are eventually going to grow. And one little seed every day for ten minutes a day is going to create incredible results through the ripple effect of when those all start to bloom.
And I actually feel like being on this podcast is a great example that I love to like, sort of trace back, like, where did this come from? How did this happen? What are the, you know, the seven steps of separation that got us here together today. And I don’t specifically know how you found me, but I know that you wouldn’t have found me if I wasn’t out doing stuff.
Jeremy Weisz 25:16
So with the individual one on one coaching. And then there’s the group coaching too. Do they have to enter into one-on-one to get into the group coaching? Or do people sometimes just enter straight into the group coaching program?
Kelly Sinclair 25:33
So my group right now is actually a hybrid. So if you want to be part of the group, the Brand Visibility Accelerator, it’s not even on my website right now because it’s literally brand new. You get one on one attention as part of that. If you are only looking for one on one, that’s a separate opportunity as well. And I have worked with, you know, most recently a clothing store that was opening in our community.
They wanted a launch plan. They wanted to know, like, how do I integrate into this community? How do I, you know, not just hang the open sign and expect people to come in, but actually, like, go to where the people are and do pop up shops and collaborations. And so I put together that whole strategy for them and just work with them individually on implementing it as well. Yeah.
Jeremy Weisz 26:22
So the group, there’s one on one built into the group program. I gotcha. Talk about the clothing company for a second. And some of the things that you worked on with them and what worked.
Kelly Sinclair 26:34
Yeah. So I think that retail is interesting. I love actually just working for me, working with different types of industries, because I think that’s where innovation comes from. Right? Where you borrow an idea from from something like see how this can apply here in this situation.
So I have not worked very directly, I guess a little bit here and there on kind of more training for retail and businesses with storefronts. But I haven’t necessarily done that. And I’m like, what would be really cool? Like, how can we even take these online strategies that for me, work really well, like collaborations and getting in front of other people’s audiences? And how can we apply that in the retail space here.
So recommendations in her plan that I created were things like going to events that were going to already be attracting and gathering the audience that she’s wanting to reach, and doing this before she opens the doors. So kind of creating that anticipation around, like, we’re coming soon, here’s where we’re going to be. Here’s like look and feel and touch our products. Pre-selling stuff. Just getting a lot of exposure and creating some relationships, finding other businesses that might be able to offer like pop up opportunities.
So like, we’re cross-pollinating, we’re really like creating those collaborations. And when you collaborate with somebody, you have automatic earned trust, because when the other person is saying, like, when Jeremy, you’re having me here, people who trust you are going to trust me more than if they just found me by myself. It’s huge in credibility.
Jeremy Weisz 28:14
Yeah. So going to where the audience is. Creating anticipation even sometimes, you know, pre-selling things and also partnerships. going out to other people cross-pollinating and helping each other. Anything else that you found was really beneficial for the clothing company?
Kelly Sinclair 28:36
Yeah. So we also did a VIP exclusive event. So she had two events, like a grand opening event with a big splash so that there was a media opportunity in that. And then a VIP event where we reached out to people who are really active in the community. And this was in Cochrane specifically, where my skill set and my relationships came in really handy because I know a lot of people and the business owners, et cetera. So was able to create those connections, but she was able to like, invite the media, the radio show host and people who like she’s an athletic and casual wear kind of boutique. So you know anybody who was in the health and fitness space, those are kind of the key.
Jeremy Weisz 29:27
The influencers. Some of the VIP influencers.
Kelly Sinclair 29:28
The micro micro influencers.
Jeremy Weisz 29:33
Micro.
Kelly Sinclair 29:34
Exactly. One person can reach 20 people and that’s more powerful than you trying to find 20 by yourself.
Jeremy Weisz 29:40
100%. Yeah. I love what you said about the innovation. I remember I was listening to Perry Marshall. He was on the podcast. He wrote 80 over 20 sales and marketing and some other books. And he always said, and I don’t know if he came up with it or whatever, but innovation comes from outside industry. And one of the examples he gave, again, you’ll have to fact check this because I haven’t, but that with the Apple computer, the charger, the magnetic charger came from like a coffee machine, you know, one of the coffee machine plugins so that if someone hit it. It wouldn’t spill on someone. It just, you know, came off.
So I always think when I’m plugging in the Mac, you know, charger to my laptop and I’m like, oh, this came from outside industry from a coffee machine or whatever.
Kelly Sinclair 30:25
I heard something like that before with like the little spring in a ballpoint pen. I think that was either from aviation or they used. They then took that into the aviation industry like one or the other. Yeah, I love it.
Jeremy Weisz 30:38
Yeah. You know, first of all, Kelly, I have one last question for you. Before I ask it, I want to point out to people, if you’ve been watching the video you’ve seen, we pulled up the site. You can check it out. KSCo.ca and check out Kelly’s website, what they’re doing. I was going to say last question, but this is my second to last question. Who are some of your favorite guests you’ve had on the podcast?
Kelly Sinclair 31:02
Ooh. Oh, that’s like asking me to pick my favorite child.
Jeremy Weisz 31:06
Yeah. I mean, I think that on a certain day that’s easy, as you know.
Kelly Sinclair 31:09
Yeah, absolutely. I’ve had some great guests and I have had some really great upcoming guests too.
Jeremy Weisz 31:19
By the time this goes live, maybe they’re not up yet. They’re alive.
Kelly Sinclair 31:22
So one of my, one of. Well, okay, I’m going to tell a quick little story actually, because it ties all of this together. I, you know, as a podcast host, you get pitched a lot of like, you know, put my person on, put my person on.
Jeremy Weisz 31:37
Ten a day, but yeah.
Kelly Sinclair 31:38
Oh, at least and a lot of them are like mwah, mwah. And you don’t look at them again. But I had one that stood out a little bit. And then they followed up, and it was just a more creative pitch than I had seen before. And so this person, I look into them and they’re like —
Jeremy Weisz 31:54
What was the pitch? What did they — what was creative about it? Do you remember?
Kelly Sinclair 31:56
I just like actually the way it was like way more, way more personalized of a message than the canned, like, You know insert podcast name here. Insert guest name here. You know what I mean. That made it stand out. And so I looked into this person and first of all, I had never had a male guest on my show before.
My show was initially created for moms to talk about, like entrepreneurship and running a business and living a life and value, like keeping your family top priority. And so. But this guy is a dad, now he has five daughters, actually. So I was like, okay, we can go there. We can bring that part into it.
But he also owns a helicopter and has like house parties with Post Malone and has like people on his stage like Ed Mylett and Russell Brunson and big names and like has had 7000 people events. And I’m like, okay, so he wants to talk to me. He didn’t have a clue, actually, that he was being pitched to my show. His name was Keaton Hoskins. He’s also known as The Muscle on Instagram, he was famous for a TV show. I think it was called Diesel Brothers or something like that.
Anyways, I just talked to him about things like ambition and how to grow, and we had a really great open and raw conversation about how he, you know, ended up divorced and all of this because he was chasing money and how to shift that perspective of success.
Jeremy Weisz 33:30
Listen, if you have five daughters, I don’t blame them. You know, you need some funds for five kids. But yeah.
Kelly Sinclair 33:39
Yeah I know. So anyways, that was, that ended up being a really great conversation. And it was like as a result of me initially starting my own visibility efforts for myself because I got some media coverage, which is what I’m pretty sure got my show on the radar of this agency that was pitching him. And then Keaton casually says, oh yeah, I’m just going to be on Joe Rogan next. And I’m like. Yep. Same thing, same thing.
Jeremy Weisz 34:04
It’s equivalent pretty much.
Kelly Sinclair 34:06
Basically the same as my Entrepreneur School show. So he was a great, great guest. That was a great conversation. And I just love all of my guests because we talk about like reality and things that actually work and not, you know, flighty strategies or, or things that are going to burn you out.
Jeremy Weisz 34:27
I love that. The last question I was going to ask was some of your favorite resources. I mean, it applies to the podcast, but it could be books, mentors, whether distant mentors or, you know, actual business mentors or other podcasts that you like or all of the above. What are some of your favorite resources that you go to for you over the years?
Kelly Sinclair 34:48
Yeah, so I suck at reading books. I have many half-read books. And so I’m now trying to get more audiobooks and definitely like podcasts and stuff like that. Cubicle to CEO was one of my favorite podcasts to listen to. Ellen Yin is a fantastic host and she brings on guests and just like does case studies of things like with real numbers and real results, which is really awesome to listen to.
And I’m going to shout out a mentor who I’ve worked with personally and just hosted an event that I attended, which was incredible. Her name is Jordan Gill. She’s the host of Systems Saved Me. It’s a podcast. That’s her business name. That’s where you can find her on social media as well. But she just brought together an incredible group of people in Dallas in September. And it was just pure collaboration and pure like genuine connections.
And so finding those like smaller groups to get to be part of is incredible, because those relationships I know, like some of them, have already turned into podcast guesting collabs like and those are the things that are. Like, I was talking about the seeds that you’re planting that eventually lead to. You know, I’m recording four podcasts this week and when those all come out, I’m going to get all kinds of attention coming back to me as a result of that. But it’s about being proactive as well.
Jeremy Weisz 36:18
Totally. I want to be the first one to thank you, Kelly, this has been great. Thanks for sharing your journey, your story lessons. Everyone can check out KSCo.ca. KSCo.ca to learn more and more episodes of the podcast and we’ll see everyone next time. Kelly, thanks so much.
Kelly Sinclair 36:36
Thanks, Jeremy.
