Month: July 2016

One day – in the not too distant future – I’m sure we’ll see a book about Mitch Hill’s success in business sitting on a shelf in a bookshop next to Richard Branson’s books. Stories about young entrepreneurs like Mitch’s blow my mind. Here’s why…

1. Tell us your story:
I originally started my first business in high school (in my home town of Brisbane), which was an entertainment company providing services for private events like 18th and 21st birthday parties, weddings, races, etc. I then continued working in entertainment and saved $100,000 before 20 which I then used to fund my first tech startup AroundAbout, an app finding the best food, drinks and activities around your location to help people experience great places.

2. How did you identify the goal/s you wanted to achieve?
It’s important to know what you want in life – these things for me include living life on my own terms, creating businesses, retiring my family, traveling the world, financial independence and setting up animal shelters. Having large goals is a great way to pull you forward and kick you into gear.

3. How did you work towards achieving your goal – did you have a plan and a deadline to achieve your goals?
I work towards my goals in everything I do. You have to do things for a reason, and when you have such large goals, it becomes a part of your every day work. You should of course have smaller short term goals that you work towards and set deadlines to make sure you achieve them. Then it just comes down to discipline and persistence. 

4. What was the biggest challenge you encountered along the way?
Getting manipulated and ripped off by people that wanted my money. I learned the hard way how to do things – however it’s a blessing in disguise because it’s what teaches you the most.

5. What inspires you and keeps you going when you encounter obstacles?
Those large goals. When you have such a big vision, these obstacles become so small in the scheme of things. You just have to keep going, knowing that it’s all working towards your dream.

6. What advice do you have for anyone wanting to achieve a goal?
Just get started. ‘It’s better to do something imperfectly than nothing perfectly’ is a great quote from Richard Branson. For some more practical advice clearly write them down and drill it into your brain so you see it every day.

7. What are the next goals you hope to achieve?
I’m in the process of setting up a marketing company so having that rolling would be great. I’m also getting into speaking, so getting those things going is the plan!

Mitch Hills is a young Australian entrepreneur with an unusual amount of motivation and a burning passion for business. He is the founder of the AroundAbout app and The Exceptions Network, which offers services and a community for young entrepreneurs interested in starting or growing a business. Mitch posts new articles and videos every week, keep up with him on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat at mitchills.

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This week Ashley Jessen, CEO and Co-Founder of Profile Booster shares some wonderful advice on goal setting and the power of our Reticular Activating System (RAS)…

1. Tell us your story:
My name is Ashley Jessen and I’ve spent the last 6 years living in Sydney. I have been involved in the online trading industry for the last 15 years with a specific focus on digital marketing. My goal has always been to run my own business, and apply the knowledge and skills I have been applying for some of the biggest names in the industry to run my own company.

I’m currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Profile Booster, along with my business partner, Eva Diaz. Our company specialises in creating and promoting authority content in the financial services sector.

2. How did you identify the goal/s you wanted to achieve?
My focus has always been on growing the companies I work for and finding the best ways to achieve this. So the natural progression was to apply these systems and methodologies to my own enterprise.

So for the last 3 years I have been planning on how to move from a PAYG staff member to running my own digital and content marketing firm.

3. How did you work towards achieving your goal – did you have a plan and a deadline to achieve your goals? 
There has never been a deadline to achieve the goal, as I have always enjoyed working for the companies I have worked for in the past. However, I have always known that if I don’t take the plunge at some stage, then it may never happen at all. That is what motivated me the most to move on and start my own business.

4. What was the biggest challenge you encountered along the way?
The biggest challenge is the sheer volume of work and resources needed to get your own business up and running, but to do it in a growth hacking style. Without a huge marketing budget, the challenge was to implement all the critical inbound marketing strategies possible to get leverage, gain exposure and build the Profile Booster brand.

5. What inspires you and keeps you going when you encounter obstacles?
The inspiration comes from my wife and three beautiful kids. Every day I love to see them achieving and learning, so I like to be a positive role model for them. There are many times when you get knocked back and ideas you thought would be winners have to take a back seat. I’m motivated by helping companies push forward and implement better, more robust business and marketing systems in their business.

What keeps me going is the confidence in knowing I can add great value to the niche businesses I like to serve.

6. What advice do you have for anyone wanting to achieve a goal?
You need to write down what you want to achieve. Your mind has something called the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which is like a radar helping you achieve everything you set out for. The only challenge is you need to give it some direction. The RAS works in the same way when you buy a new red car and now you are the proud owner, you start noticing it everywhere you drive. The same is true for your goals.

Another great quote I remember from a trading coach I had was ‘If you do not achieve your goals, then you will achieve something better.’ That has always stuck in my mind and I’ve found it to be true. Set your goals and the worst that will happen is you’ll either hit them or get something better.

7. What are the next goals you hope to achieve?
Scalable growth is next on the agenda and creating the systems that enable my company to achieve leverage. I’m also keen to move from the current bespoke solutions we offer to more specific services that we can truly excel at, compared to our competitors. 
Another massive goal is to inspire my kids to run their own business from an early age and always be thinking about how they can add value to those around them. My kids inspire me and keep me thinking about the future and how fantastic the opportunities are going forward. What an exciting time we live in.

Profile Booster designs the ideal content marketing and digital strategy for your brand to help you become the authority in your niche, drive more qualified leads, convert more business and retain more clients. Visit their website, www.profilebooster.com.au or watch this video to learn more…

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