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Published: April 20, 2016, 8 a.m.

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Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

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Good Morning Onward Nation \\u2014 I\\u2019m Stephen Woessner. Just wanted to start off today\\u2019s solocast with a big thank you.

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I appreciate all of the feedback \\u2014 thoughts \\u2014 recommendations \\u2014 and encouragement following last week\\u2019s solocast.

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I love hearing when our work is helping to make a difference for you \\u2014 to create an impact for you, Onward Nation \\u2014 and perhaps this may sound odd \\u2014 but I also love hearing when we have missed the mark. If and when we underdeliver \\u2014 because knowing that \\u2014 helps us get better! All of your feedback helps us move onward to that next level.

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So thank you, Onward Nation.

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I appreciate you being here. I appreciate you sharing some of you invaluable time with me today. Please continue letting us know what you think.

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Thumbs up or thumbs down. We appreciate you so very much.

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So for today\\u2019s solocast\\u2026I am going to take one of the themes from last week and go an inch wide and a mile deep.

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You may recall, that last week\\u2019s solocast, I addressed the slippery slope \\u2014 the mental trap \\u2014 that is so easy for any business owner to fall into. It is the trap of thinking that becoming an overnight success is possible \\u2014 and \\u2014 comparing your back-of-stage with another company\\u2019s front-of-stage. It\\u2019s a tempting thought \\u2014 it can be so intoxicating to hope for \\u2014 or to do those comparisons \\u2014 but there is no such thing as an overnight success, Onward Nation.

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The insights I learned directly from Verne Harnish, founder of EO and Gazelles \\u2014 duringepisode 205 speak directly to this point. Verne took me behind the green curtain at Apple to discuss how they struggled for their first 25 years \\u2014 25 years, Onward Nation. And finally in 2001, they began to rapidly scale following the introduction of the iPod. But it took 25 years of struggle \\u2014 and nearly going broke several times \\u2014 in order to get there.

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Verne also shared the story of Peter Drucker, the godfather of modern day management\\u2026and how Peter reached his most creative and productive point in his career after the age of 65. Peter wrote twice the number of books after his 65th birthday than he did when he was younger. It takes a long time Onward Nation to curate that level of content and develop that depth of expertise.

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Verne then shared insights regarding Picasso and the number of masterpieces he produced after turning 50 years old. Picasso created the majority of his most famous works after he had turned 50!

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And then the insights I learned from Linda Kaplan Thaler \\u2014 our guest in episode 226, which will air on Monday, May 2nd \\u2014 and the story she shared about the acclaimed novelist, James Patterson. Thanks to Linda \\u2014 we now know James had been hard at work perfecting his craft for 21 years before his first bestseller. Honing his skills, day in and day out. Every day \\u2014 hours and hours \\u2014 working on his craft from 4:00 in the morning until 8:00 \\u2014 and then going off to his day job at one of New York City\\u2019s leading advertising agencies, where he worked with Linda for over 17 years. An amazing story of grit, tenacity, persistence, and never giving up.

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So for today\\u2019s solocast\\u2026I am going to share some additional perspective and lessons I began to share last week regarding what I have learned from spending time with Gary Vaynerchuk. I will share those lessons deeper \\u2014 and then connect them to what I want to share with you today, which is how and why you should build a platform to grow revenue for your business. But again \\u2014 this too, Onward Nation is a long term play. Building a platform is not an overnight thing as you will see with Gary\\u2019s story.

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There are no shortcuts. It takes hard work and disciplined effort. But your hard work will create distinction for you \\u2014 because the majority of your competitors will not want to work that hard.

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And grounded in that reality, Onward Nation, is your major opportunity. IF \\u2014 you are willing to seize it. Just like Gary Vee did. He recognized it and then capitalized by being willing to work his guts out to make his vision a reality. I have a lot of respect for Gary \\u2014 and anyone \\u2014 who is willing to do that.

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My guess is you are already familiar with Gary Vee \\u2014 but just in case you\\u2019re not \\u2014 Gary is the founder of Vaynermedia and one of today\\u2019s foremost social media experts. He is the bestselling author of four books. In my opinion, his social media book, \\u201cJab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook\\u201d is the best social media book ever written. It is outstanding. And it is just as relevant today as it was when it was released in November 2013. The consumer behavior and platform strategy Gary sets forth within the book is still spot on.

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But \\u201cGary Vee\\u201d has not always been \\u201cGary Vee.\\u201d

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In fact, just a mere 10 years ago, Gary was largely unknown on the social media scene. Gary was the director of operations at his family\\u2019s liquor store in New Jersey. He didn\\u2019t have 1.2 million Twitter followers then. Vaynermedia didn\\u2019t exist. YouTube was just getting underway, same with Twitter, and nearly zero companies were investing in building out video blogs or becoming their own \\u201cmedia channel\\u201d.

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But Gary was different. He could see that he needed to create a \\u201cplatform\\u201d by sharing valuable content via the social Internet. And he decided to do just that.

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Before we go much further \\u2014 let\\u2019s have a quick definition \\u2014 what\\u2019s a \\u201cplatform?\\u201d

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At its core \\u2014 a platform is what you stand for \\u2014 your ideals \\u2014 your vision \\u2014 your purpose inside your business or in your life. But, platform has also morphed into meaning your audience, or followers, your tribe, your community, or sometimes even the size of your audience.

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So from a business perspective, building a platform, depending on your industry, can make all of the difference.

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During episode 42 of Onward Nation, you will hear Gary and I talk about the early days of Wine Library and his strategy behind it.

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Gary said to me, \\u201cI started Wine Library TV because I was worried about the vulnerability of us and wineries selling direct to consumers. And I figured if I became influential, that me as a curator would protect me against wineries selling direct to consumers.\\u201d \\u2014 Gary Vaynerchuk, episode 42 of Onward Nation.

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You can also find the video interview Gary and I did at Vaynermedia here:

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\\xa0Gary launched Wine Library TV on May 17, 2006. Very few businesses had a video blog \\u2014 and no one in the wine industry did. Yet he did it anyway.

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And for the first year or so \\u2014 each episode reached more and more people \\u2014 but slowly. Wine Library TV was not an overnight success.

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To Gary\\u2019s credit \\u2014 and one of the things I admire most about him \\u2014 he looks for opportunity in business \\u2014 where are the untapped \\u201cwells\\u201d \\u2014 and then he plants his flag \\u2014 he puts up his drilling rig \\u2014 and he drills and inch wide and a mile deep \\u2014 and doesn\\u2019t stop.

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Now, truth be told, Gary might be the only person in the field drilling \\u2014 and sometimes, Onward Nation \\u2014 being the early adopter, can be a very lonely feeling. But when Gary is convinced the strategy will work \\u2014 he commits the necessary resources to learn all that is necessary and then make it work.

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Does that mean Gary is successful 100 percent of the time?

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No, no one ever is. But success and failure are all part of the process \\u2014 the ying and the yang to it all.

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But he was willing to stake his claim and then make improvements along the way. To illustrate my point\\u2026if you go to the show notes for this episode \\u2014 we have embedded the videos for Gary\\u2019s Episode 1 and Episode 1,001 so you can see how the Wine Library TV evolved over time. Take some time to compare the on-screen graphics, Gary\\u2019s comfort level in front of the camera, the background, and the lighting between the two episodes.

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Both episodes are off-the-charts for content \\u2014 and this may surprise you a bit \\u2014 but I actually prefer Episode 1 over Episode 1,001. But it isn\\u2019t because Episode 1,001 under delivers \\u2014 it doesn\\u2019t. I like Episode 1 so much because it is the start of something amazing, something inspiring. It is the first edition of something that went on to change the wine industry and to propel the success of Gary\\u2019s family business. Wine Library TV \\u2014 and Gary\\u2019s talent of discerning opportunities from the clutter \\u2014 thrust him into the social media spotlight.

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Episode 1:

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\\xa0 Episode 1001: \\xa0

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I like Episode 1 because of the guts it took Gary to produce it \\u2014 and then \\u2014 the commitment to produce an excellent show fives times a week. That is how you build a platform, Onward Nation. Not overnight. Gary knew he could win over the long term if he was willing and disciplined enough to play for long term wins\\u2026and not to try and create an overnight success.

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So what was the resulting outcome of Wine Library TV? Gary and his family grew their business from $3 million to over $60 million a year in sales as a direct result of Wine Library TV.

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Wow, Onward Nation. 20x growth for their business. And they did it because of Gary\\u2019s unwavering long-term commitment to this philosophy. \\u201cCreating content for the social Internet is literally the cost of relevance in today\\u2019s society.\\u201d \\u2014 Gary Vaynerchuk

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Well done, my friend.

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Now, if you are thinking about Gary\\u2019s success \\u2014 his long-term commitment \\u2014 and then thinking to yourself, \\u201cYeah, but I could never do that.\\u201d And you are starting to feel some hesitation right now as you question yourself on whether you could follow in Gary\\u2019s footsteps and apply his recipe and strategy to your industry. The answer is yes you can\\u2026but\\u2026I want you to take a moment to consciously realize something here.

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I want you to realize that any hesitancy you may be feeling right now about building your platform is the Imposter Syndrome attempting to hold you back!

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That voice you may be hearing inside your head asking you the painful question of, \\u201cWho do you think you are? To launch a podcast \\u2014 who would listen to you \\u2014 what do you have to say that is worthy of sharing?\\u201d

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Those are tough questions to listen to, Onward Nation. Very tough. Aren\\u2019t they?

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And I will tell you that I hear the voices and those questions every day. And whoa\\u2026the voices really kick into overdrive every time I sit down at my desk to write out my thoughts for each and every weekly solocast.

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But\\u2026and this is really important\\u2026I push through the fears, the doubts, the struggles with myself because my conviction behind the purpose of Onward Nation is drilled deep into the Earth.

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My team and I are fully committed to being outstanding \\u2014 delivering our best to you every day, no matter how long it takes us to build what we are focused on building. This is a long-term strategy for us just like Wine Library TV was as it has been for Gary.

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So, Onward Nation \\u2014 for you to build a rockin\\u2019 awesome platform that creates distinction for you in your marketplace or industry, you need that same time of long-term commitment. No matter what the tech is \\u2014 doesn\\u2019t matter if you create a podcast, an awesome YouTube channel, an insightful blog as a resource for your customers and prospects, or if your customers are on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter in droves \\u2014 then be there with them to have a conversation.

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Or, if your customers are on Instagram \\u2014 then be there.

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If they are on Snapchat \\u2014 then be there.

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Or, if you have a decent connection with customers via email \\u2014 then strengthen your relationships via email and provide deep, deep, deep value.

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To help guide you on this path \\u2014 I outlined 5 key steps in a brief action plan that I think will be helpful as you consider the type of platform you want to build. But one final word of caution before I share the steps. And that is \\u2014 in the wise words of Ty Bennett, \\u201cJust pick one platform \\u2014 master it \\u2014 go deep \\u2014 and then maybe add a second. But first \\u2014 master one.\\u201d Wise words that Ty shared during our recent encore interview\\u2026episode 212.

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So here are the action steps, Onward Nation. A business building \\u2014 platform building recipe for you. My hope for you is that you will put these steps into practice with relentless action and execution:

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1. Find out where your customers hang out. Do they listen to podcasts? Are they on Twitter? Are they on LinkedIn? Are they on YouTube? Find out. How? Ask them. Take a survey. Send an email. Make some phone calls. Post on Facebook, post on Twitter\\u2026pick a path and create a conversation and ask your customers and prospects questions. Have the courage to ask and learn \\u2014 even if the answers make you uncomfortable. Think of it this way\\u2026if the answers make you uncomfortable \\u2014 wouldn\\u2019t you rather have that information sooner rather than later so you can make changes and deliver more value to your customers instead of them leaving and doing business with a competitor who they believe is more influential and delivers more value than you do? I know\\u2026ouch, right? But you can\\u2019t fix it if you ignore there\\u2019s a problem or an untapped opportunity, Onward Nation.
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2. Create a content strategy. And your strategy should accomplish two things: 1) deliver massive value to your customers and prospects. MASSIVE VALUE. Don\\u2019t skimp. And 2) ensure that what you are delivering will position you as a thought leader and influencer just like Gary Vee accomplished with Wine Library TV. And by doing so \\u2014 you will create distinctiveness for your business \\u2014 just like Scott McKain recommends, our guest duringepisodes 1 and 136 of Onward Nation.
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3. Ignore the Imposter Syndrome. Push past it and begin building your content, building your platform, and prepare for launch. Don\\u2019t let the questions in your head derail your success. I encourage you to go back and re-listen to episode 158 \\u2014 which I dedicated toward defeating the Imposter Syndrome \\u2014 it will be a great resource for you. Because Onward Nation\\u2026you are more talented, more wonderful, more gifted, more incredible than you can possibly imagine. You are a child of the highest God and were blessed with an abundance of talent \\u2014 don\\u2019t give in \\u2014 build the content and it will get easier over time.
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4. Execute your strategy \\u2014 push the launch button! Will your podcast, videos, or blog be perfect on day 1? No! Will you be embarrassed at first? Maybe. But as Reid Hoffman the founder of LinkedIn said, \\u201cIf you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you\\u2019ve launched too late.\\u201d Does that mean you just launch something that is half-baked? No, it doesn\\u2019t. But it does mean that your podcast will never be perfect\\u2026you will learn along the path\\u2026your listeners will help you get better\\u2026and until you have the courage to put yourself out there\\u2026you will never receive that valuable feedback. So have the guts \\u2014 build something great \\u2014 realize that perfection is not attainable \\u2014 and that part of the fun is to improve along the way. It\\u2019s the journey, Onward Nation \\u2014 it is valuable to your growth and really fun for your listeners to watch how you evolve and change because of their comments and recommendations.
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5. Don\\u2019t stop. Never give up, Onward Nation. Keeping moving forward \\u2014 success is there for you \\u2014 just not overnight. It will take time \\u2014 but it is funny how quality eventually rises to the top. It is a struggle \\u2014 you will feel the pressure but pressure is a necessary force of nature \\u2014 and pressure creates an astonishing result outcomes. For example\\u2026how is a diamond formed? By placing coal under intense pressure for a very long time. Or, how is oil formed? By placing organic material under extreme pressure and heat for a long period of time. Or, say you turn your garden hose on without any sort of nozzle at the end. What happens? Right, you get a steady stream of water coming out the end of the hose. But what happens when you place your thumb over the end of the hose and apply pressure to the water? The water shoots out the hose, doesn\\u2019t it? See? That is how pressure transforms and creates a fun and exciting result outcome. So don\\u2019t run from the pressure in your business or the pressure you might be feeling as you consider a podcast or some other platform building strategy. That pressure is your guiding force and it will direct you toward big result outcomes if you let it. So don\\u2019t ever give up \\u2014 just remember \\u2014 when you are feeling the pressure \\u2014 you are likely to soon experience massive growth and your business is about to jettison forward into something amazing. Keep the faith, Onward Nation and never give up.
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So with that\\u2026I want to thank you again for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here \\u2014 thank you for tuning in \\u2014 I am delighted you chose this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine.

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However our daily podcast fits into your daily routine \\u2014 I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today\\u2019s top business owners.

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And please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation\\u2026good or bad\\u2026I always want your feedback. My direct email address is stephen@onwardnation.com \\u2014 and yes \\u2014 that is my actual Inbox. No fancy filters or filing system and I read and reply to every single email.

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So please let me know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you.

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We will be back tomorrow with an incredible encore interview with Morag Barrett, founder and CEO of leading HR consultancy SkyeTeam. You will love her message about the imposter syndrome and how she believes we are all making it up, every day. She\\u2019s amazing. You will not want to miss this discussion, Onward Nation!

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Until then, onward with gusto!

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