Stephanie: (00:00)
What’s going on everyone. I’m Steph from getclients.com and I am super excited to be here with Stephen and Theresa Russ. They’re going to tell us how they implemented Dans’ strategies from the book to be able to invest into his coaching programs and how were they were able to get massive success. So Stephen and Theresa, so good to have you guys, welcome.
Stephen: (00:22)
What’s up? Thank you for having us, Steph.
Theresa: (00:25)
Hello.
Stephanie: (00:26)
Hi. So tell us a little bit about yourselves, tell us about your business and a little bit of what you do.
Theresa: (00:32)
Okay. Okay. Well, we are business coaches with a specialty in social media, so we teach business owners and online entrepreneurs how to sell their products on social media without having to hire an agency.
Stephanie: (00:51)
I hear your RMS (Refined Marketing Statement)in the statement, all of our students just read me their RMS. Just this is what I do. Dan has trained you guys well. Okay. So tell me a little bit about the problem that you had prior to joining our program. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
Stephen: (01:11)
Well, I think the problem was not having the systems in place. There was a lot of confusion ’cause you got so many people saying things on what you should do on social media to grow your business. I mean, it was a lot of confusion, just trying to take information in and use it and implement it because you want to grow your business. So that’s what we were going through. It was a lot of confusion, a lot of frustration on not knowing how to move.
Theresa: (01:42)
You know we were also very physical, meaning before the world stopped we were a done for you service and we had plans on rolling out sort of an online course. Then the world stopped and so we had to speed up, we had to move faster. So we didn’t have the infrastructure like Russ said, to effectively implement an online course. We didn’t really know how to create one because everything just happened so fast.
Stephanie: (02:24)
Got it. So not having the systems in place, not having an exact idea of where to go, where to start, how to implement and how to go from having done for you services to having a coaching program, right? So what motivated you to seek help?
Stephen: (02:44)
The physical part of it, I guess. It’s tiring, it is exhausting. We know that everything is going to digital anyway. I mean, we can see that, that’s very obvious. So like Theresa said, this was something we were looking into before, but we have been following Dan for years I feel like he’s a distant cousin or something, but I feel like I know him and so we really already knew about Dan. We were looking, getting information from other people on social media, but it was all over the place.
Theresa: (03:29)
Yeah. We had worked with Dan’s products in the past but somehow we got away from it, you know what, it wasn’t about how to create a course. So then we go in search of how to create a course and like Russ said, the information we would get would just be disorganized, even the paid information. You kind of expect a free PDF to not have everything in it, right? Then when I pay, it’s the same thing. So, some kind of way, Russ just was like, “Oh, let’s go see what Dan’s talking about.” He’s just like, “Oh my goodness, this is what we’re doing.”
Stephen: (04:10)
I was like, “I can’t believe I let this dude slip away. I can’t believe I went and tried to date other social media people,” because he just has it, everything is pretty much lined up for you to succeed as long as you’re willing to put in the work and learn from it. I mean, it’s just a wonderful thing.
Theresa: (04:38)
I think that’s really what works with us the best, we tend to be very straight forward people like, get to the point. That is one thing that I do appreciate about working with Dan is when you login, there’s not much preamble or pretense, it’s like, “Hey, I’m gonna teach you this and then this is it.” Then, “Okay that’s it.” That was what I like.
Stephanie: (05:05)
Yeah. It’s a very proven system and easy to follow, right? Right, yes. Awesome. What is something particular about our program that has really helped you out and why has it been so effective for you guys?
Stephen: (05:19)
Well, I will say just how the program is lined up. It’s almost lined up in a systematic way, like we were talking about systems. It’s lined up in a way that if you were to follow it exactly how he tells you, you can see it, you can see, okay, this is going to follow. Like once you do this stuff, it’s going to go to this. Once you take care of that, it’s going to go to this. That’s what I love about it, because that’s how things work and, he put that together for it to work that way. When I was working my nine to five, my job was making eyeglasses. I was the quality guy in the lab and we had to teach step by step. So when I look at Dan’s program, the quality of it, it’s just step by step. That’s honestly what it is, that’s what I love about it.
Theresa: (06:19)
Steph, did you mean like one particular aspect that I like, or okay. I’ll just tell you mine.
Stephanie: (06:29)
Yeah. It could be like one particular thing or something effective. So it can be all those things.
Theresa: (06:34)
The thing that’s most effective for me, or I guess where I am in the program is storytelling. I’m learning how to be a storyteller because as I stated before I tend to be very direct even to a fault. I come from a police dispatch background so I’m used to communicating effectively and in the shortest amount of time and when I say it, just shut up and do it right? But, that’s not sales and so I’m learning how to be direct, to tell people what to do, but not in such a bossy manner. Does that make sense?
Stephen: (07:15)
Yeah, she can be very direct.
Stephanie: (07:21)
First of all, I love the fact that both of you have been married and how long have you guys been married?
Stephen and Theresa: (07:26)
14 years.
Stephanie: (07:27)
14 years, and you guys are the cutest and it just goes to show you that husband and wife can work together without killing each other.
Theresa: (07:35)
Well, we almost killed each other in the beginning. That’s another interview.
Stephen: (07:40)
You know, not having systems in place will make you do that. You know, ’cause you’re both trying to figure it out, right? We’re not on the same page, so honestly with Dan’s program, it helps both of us have a clear understanding on what we’re doing next.
Theresa: (07:56)
Right. Part of the reason why we work well is because we have two distinctive learning and implementation styles. So I’m able to look and say, “Okay, I’m going to do this module.” And he’s like, “Well, I’m going to go and I’m going to implement the strategy from this module.” Whereas before, when I first came home from work I feel like we were just arguing about what should be done like he said, and how to do it.
Stephanie: (08:29)
We should retitle this “How Stephen and Theresa have a Happy Marriage because of Dan”
Stephen: (08:39)
It really helped us work together, we can name it.
Theresa: (08:41)
Yeah. I mean, we were getting better. From when I first came home we had gotten a lot better before we got into the program. Now like I said, it enabled us to go our separate ways and say is what I’m doing, this is what I’m going to get done by this time. Because we have the kids in there too, so it’s like, this is what I’m going to get done by this time and then we will meet back at this time to discuss and go over and give feedback.
Stephanie: (09:12)
Yeah. That’s such a testament, that speaks that everyone can have a different role. If there’s two business partners, one can be doing this and both of you can come together because the systems are in place and everything is so clear to follow. Awesome. So what has been the result of you implementing the program? What do you feel like the biggest results that you’re getting right now?
Theresa: (09:34)
It’s easier to serve because ultimately we are serving our customers, we’re serving our students, right? So it’s easier, we haven’t perfected our systems yet, but it’s easier to get people on that journey to becoming your customer. Even the verbiage that we use because we’re getting ready to switch to make our program a high ticket program. So we are creating the infrastructure to do that. So all of the sales that we’ve been doing have been on the phone. So even the things that we say when we’re on the phone, even onboarding them.
Stephen: (10:14)
It makes everything more comfortable because it’s almost like you know what you’re doing because you have this program, you have the coaching that comes with the program that’s included. We made sure that we’re on all the coaching calls. Even if we don’t have a question, we are just listening and taking notes because that stuff is amazing. So it’s just really plugging in and…
Theresa: (10:50)
You know what, I think this might have been another question before, but the greatest thing about being in this program is, when Russ first started this business, that’s a whole nother story because he got a big client and he just quit his job. See how almost killed him? Anyway. For a long time, we have been bootstrapping because when we first got started,we did not have a bunch of money in our budget to seek help. So we’ve been putting it together. We’ve had success. I cannot complain, but it has not been as happy a transition or as seamless or as enjoyable as it could have been because all of our processes had holes in them. So because of that, it was causing us to have to physically be places, physically click and send emails, just all the things, all the infrastructure that we are now creating, we didn’t have. So we feel like we have support now, whereas before it was just like, listen, we just have to figure this out.
Stephen: (12:08)
Yeah, and that’s what makes it comfortable. You have a comfort in your heart. I felt like I had a lot of anxiety before I got to the program. A lot of anxiety, a lot of confusion, a lot of not knowing what to do the next day, but with the program, you know what video are you going to watch. You know what coachings are coming up, you have this type of clarity. Clarity, I believe is love, it’s the most important.
Theresa: (12:35)
Like you said with clarity, I remember sometimes we used to fuss about the content that we would create. Honestly, with clarity we don’t fuss about content creation as far as like what to post on our page and our platforms. We don’t fuss about that anymore because we have the clarity. It’s so much easier to see whether a picture or a video is on brand or off brand. You know, you can have different RMS for different audiences so it’s just so much easier to see whether the messaging is right because of the clarity.
Stephen: (13:08)
Yeah. Yeah. The clarity is amazing.
Stephanie: (13:11)
That’s so good. I remember talking to you guys and you guys were so excited about joining the program. You guys were following Dan for a while. You knew that this is exactly what you wanted to do, work with him and his team and if you hadn’t joined the program, where do you feel like you would be right now?
Stephen: (13:32)
Still bootstrapping.
Theresa: (13:34)
Yeah, we would have still been going, but like Russ we would have still been bootstrapping, which is not a good feeling. You know, I know that it’s necessary a lot of times when you get started and you just go where there’s a will, there’s a way. But at a certain point you have to begin to make the investment back into the business, in the form of coaching and hiring someone who has been there and done what you’re attempting to do. So we would have definitely still been bootstrapping still been way too physical because one of our biggest goals, not just our monetary goal, but one of my biggest goals in life is freedom. I want to work on my business and not in my business. I feel like I’m on the way, I feel like we’re on the way. We’re not there yet, but there’s a definite end point where we can see where we will not only meet our financial goals, but our time goals as well.
Stephen: (14:31)
Well, yeah, we would have been in a place of anxiety still just trying to fit everything together. Even to the point of being not so much involved in social media as you have to be, when you’re building it. Right now we’re in the stage of taking this information in to put it in place and, we removed ourselves from anything outside of that. It really allows you to appreciate the small things like your mug says.
Stephanie: (15:09)
It’s the little things in life. Yeah.
Stephen: (15:13)
With Dan’s program, it really allowed us to go there. So we just sit here and we can talk all day.
Theresa: (15:25)
For hours. I was in one little business group and somebody said, Iif you just started your business and someone gifted you $10,000, what would be the first thing you would do?” My first thing would always be to hire help. Always, because we started at the point where we didn’t have the initial investment, that’s where we started. So if you’re starting where you don’t have it, that’s different than having it and choosing not to do it. Right?
Stephanie: (15:50)
Yeah. So there’s going to be a lot of people that are going to be watching this and some of them might still be a bit on the fence about joining our program or working with us. So what would you tell those people that are still on the fence about working with Dan and our team?
Stephen: (16:05)
Man, jump off the fence, jump off the fence. Jump in with Dan or you going to jump off the other side of the fence and say, “I don’t want to”, just make a decision. I can tell you right now, like this has been the best decision in 2020. Theres been a lot of things happening in 2020, but honestly when people talk about 2020 to me, I’m like “2020 has been amazing, let me tell you.” I want to say, go ahead and get into it because like I said, I was having anxiety, me and my wife didn’t see eye to eye. I can tell you so many things this has done in a positive way and nothing in a negative. This program could have cost, I don’t know how much you want to put on it? I would have been trying my best to get into it. It’s just been a blessing. So get off the fence, jump in. It’s been amazing and it’s coming from Russ, so do it.
Theresa: (17:13)
Well, I would say to let go of the part of yourself. I feel like when you’re a business owner, you make things happen. That’s a great part of being a business owner, but sometimes we get caught up in that. We get caught up in, “Oh, I don’t need to pay somebody to mentor me because I figured it out up until this point.” I guess we call that ego. So let go of that part of yourself that identifies with making it happen because at a certain point, really at any point, but especially like I said if the money is available to you, it just makes no sense to wait as a business owner. You should want to meet your goals, the quickest with the least amount of runaround. So if you want to meet your business goals with the least amount of run around, you need to get into the program. Most definitely
Stephanie: (18:07)
Awesome you guys. I’m gonna thank you again for being in this interview and we appreciate you and I’m gonna try to get out before I start crying ’cause I was getting a little emotional back there. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. You guys, didn’t just jump off the fence. You guys dove into the side of success and I saw that firsthand. So I cannot wait to personally see all that you do all that you accomplish, and I just want to thank you for being on this call today.
Stephen: (18:38)
Thank you so much for having us. We appreciate you.
