Fifteen Minutes With...Benjamin Tyler

This week’s guest for ‘Fifteen Minutes With…’ is the remarkable Ben Tyler, of Client Enrollment Academy. All of my guests so far are inspirational and exciting to get to know, but Ben struck a chord in me. Read the following, and you will immediately see the honesty and integrity he brings across in all that he does. The phrase ‘journey’ is often used too much and too easily when we talk about entrepreneurs. But Ben, well, he has been on a journey. I’m looking forward to getting to know him better in the near future.

For now, here is his Fifteen Minutes.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in business, and how did you deal with it?

Business is hard work, but easy if you get out of your own way. I have the same challenge today that I had when I started out...pushing through my fears.

For 15 years, I use to avoid and hide my fears. The result was numbing that feeling of greatness inside with drugs and alcohol because I feared showing it to the world.

"Just take action" is the common solution given by entrepreneurs, but that really doesn't help those struggling to get to the next level.

It wasn't until I stopped hiding my fears and put them directly in front of me that positive change occurred in my life. Confronting and acknowledging what I wanted started the process of taking action.

My accomplishments and goals aren't really a result of courage and confidence. They happen because I get sick and tired of looking at them everyday and knowing that they are happening because I'm scared.

My success always happen when I say, "Enough! Go out there and do it."

What's the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

Freedom. In the corporate world you live on another person's terms and rules. You are told when you have to work, what you have to work on and how much you are worth. That always bothered me.

Entrepreneurship has a lot more sacrifices, but complete freedom. I get to choose my clients, what I create, and when to get it done. I love the control it brings to my life.

What's your elevator pitch?

I'm founder of Client Enrollment Academy where I help coaches and consultants implement marketing and sales strategies. So they can attract high quality leads and get paid what they are worth. How are you currently generating leads for your business?

Which business quote has had the biggest influence on your career?

Jim Rohn - "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."

To what single personality trait do you attribute your success?

Being vulnerable. My vulnerability to a past where I never felt good enough and relied on drugs to numb myself is my superpower. It is easy for me to build connecting with people and get them to open up to me. Which is crucial for the sales conversation.

How do you select employees? What process do you go through and what questions do you ask yourself?

As a solopreneur, I outsource my work to freelancers. Which is a hard process as most freelancers aren't dependable. What I tend to do is give a new freelancer a simple, short project that I need done in 24 hours and see how they react. I leave gaps to see if they will communicate with me and how they react when I ask for adjustments.

Those that communicate well and put together a quality product will have me as a customer for life.

What was your first ever business idea?

My first business was a blog turned podcast called An Evolving Lifestyle. It was focused on personal development and the process of continuing to grow in business and life.

I didn't make a dime the first 11 months of running the business. This was really frustrating because I wanted to impact people's lives and leave my corporate job.

Getting quality coaching allowed me to break that drought, land great clients and create profit in my business. What I learned from that process is the foundation of what I teach at Client Enrollment Academy.

What is the weirdest (or bravest) marketing tactic you have used?

Since people fear speaking more than death, I think that would have to be my bravest marketing tactic. Its also my most lucrative tactic still today.

Sharing who you are and what you do in public is incredibly powerful in building connection. People buy you, and when they can experience who you are in person they will become your client faster.

Speaking is also the biggest gap in the marketplace that can be filled by you. Everyone wants to be online, which brings more opportunities for speaking if you seek them out.

What is your favourite business book? Why?

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Business is about building relationships. The best service or product rarely wins in the buying process of your prospects. Prospects buy from people they like and want to be friends with. This book will teach you how to do just that.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

Oprah is a huge inspiration to me. She came from nothing to become the queen of media. No one was ready for a black woman for daytime television when she started, but she made it happen. I would love to learn more about her mindset at the time and if there was anything I could do for her current mission in life.

Check out Client Enrollment Academy here.

Oh, and have a great week. You deserve it.