Joshua Shafran: Becoming a Trusted Advisor in Your Industry
After Joshua Shafran (aka The “$50 Million Man”) spent 5 days with billionaire Richard Branson on his private island, he got back and decided to shut down his entire business.
Why?
Because he hated his life. To the outside world, he was “successful”. But on his journey to becoming a multi-millionaire, he lost sight of what was actually fulfilling.
Here, Joshua shares his insights on:
- How your “Fred Stories” may be holding you back from getting to the next level in your business
- His Mindshare and Heartshare marketing concepts
- The journey from complete stranger to trusted advisor
What Are Fred Stories?
To explain the concept of what he calls “Fred Stories”, Joshua tells the story of Fred the Flat-Headed Flea.
One unlucky day, Fred is put into a mason jar.
He jumps and bangs his head against the lid in an attempt to escape, and in the process flattens his head.
So he trains himself to not jump as high anymore so that he won’t feel the pain.
Then, someone removes the lid.
Fred tries to jump out, but he is unable to jump that high anymore. The subconscious memory of pain is holding him back.
And so, Joshua explains, we all have these kinds of limits in our minds. These are Fred Stories.
These subconscious core beliefs are conditioned into us.
We accept them as core truths.
Our Fred Stories can limit us without our knowledge.
“Passing thoughts become habitual thoughts,” Joshua explains, and then these become our core beliefs. “Your core beliefs become a part of your identity.”
But you can overcome your Fred Stories, he says, and once you start identifying them, you can start to work on it.
The Inner Mentality That Guides Us vs the Outer Strategy of Taking Action
Joshua explains our inner mentality and outer strategy in terms of yin and yang.
The yin side has to do with all the internal things that drive us. The yang side has to do with implementing and taking action.
In his own life as an entrepreneur, he was very successful on the yang side. But on the yin side, something was not right.
“I was successful, but I was miserable. I hated my life. I was focused on measuring my life against the yang side of the equation. And as soon as I realized that I was doing it just to make money, I could no longer look at myself in the mirror.
Just because your business is doing well, it doesn’t automatically equate to happiness or success. “Are you feeling fulfilled? Is what you are doing meaningful to you? Are you making a positive impact?”
Once he got the yin and yang balance right, Joshua explains, he made rapid progress towards his actual goal: the freedom to live on his terms.
How You Can Use The ‘Tune, Look, See’ Formula to Create Greater Results in Your Life
Joshua details the process of how Fred Stories rule our thoughts. He calls it Tune, Look and See:
- We tune into specific thoughts.
- We look for evidence to prove that what we are tuning into is the truth.
- We see the results manifested in our lives.
What we choose to tune into is framed by our Fred Stories.
If you take a careful look, you will realize that you are tuning into thoughts and ideas that you already believe to be true. If you want different results in your life, you need to re-frame your Fred Stories so that you tune into thoughts that serve instead of hurt you. This allows you to see more positive evidence in your life and manifest more of what you want.
Heading in the Right Direction
Being aware of our Fred Stories can help us make sure that we are heading in the right direction.
The most important question, Joshua says, is, “Where are you going?”
What results are you actually looking for as an entrepreneur and human being? Are you on the right path to getting there?
“Often we get so lost in the pursuit and attainment of goals,” Joshua cautions, “that we actually get trapped, not freed, by them. Then we work our asses off and still don’t get what we want.”
It is easy for young entrepreneurs to compare themselves to others.
“The comparison trap is a big one,” Joshua explains. “I definitely got stuck in that. That is why I ended up going to Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island. I went because all my peers were doing it.”
But it is important to define what success means for you as an entrepreneur. It doesn’t have to mean earning seven figures or what your other friends think is important.
The Art of Mindshare Marketing
Marketing has always been about capturing attention.
But, the next evolutionary step in marketing, Joshua says, is what he calls Mindshare. This is the ability to own an idea or space in your audience’s mind when they think about a particular idea or topic.
Most high-level entrepreneurs are stuck on the attention aspect of marketing. If they can capture attention for a minute, they have a shot at a sale. But Mindshare means establishing enough credibility to be seen as an authority in your field. The aim is to own that space in the customer’s head.
Anything they think about in that segment should be filtered through you.
However, this is not the highest level.
There is a level above Mindshare marketing, which is detailed below…
The Higher Art of Heartshare Marketing
Heartshare marketing is a term coined by Joshua. It is the next, highest step in the process.
Heartshare marketing is about relationship building. It is about getting people invested in and buying into your mission on an emotional level. It is about occupying a space in their heart that they let very few people into.
Importantly, Joshua explains, the audience gets to choose how they position you. “They get to choose when your message moves from annoying to mildly interesting to something that captures their mind. And ultimately, the decision to enter into the heart comes from the customer.”
So the question becomes how to earn that trust.
Journey from Stranger to Trusted Advisor
The process from stranger to trusted advisor, Joshua explains, has several stages. First, you have to gain the customer’s trust.
Ultimately, Joshua says, you want the right people opting into your business. People you can actually help and serve.
“One way to do this is to stop trying to sell to them. Instead, enter their awareness by sharing something valuable or providing insight. Give them that ‘aha’ moment. Give them a reason to explore more and see you as more than a pest. And then allow it to unfold naturally. Enter their state of awareness without them balking at you. This does not mean you’ve nabbed the customer. It means you’ve intrigued them enough to go further.”
Once you have gained trust, you can establish yourself as an authority in your field.
You must elevate yourself to this place of authority and respect before the customer will be willing to spend a single dollar with you.
Marketing is About Relationship Building, Not Selling
It is essential that you do not betray your customer’s respect.
Remember: The first sale is fragile.
To elevate things to the next level, you have to fulfill your promise in a way that goes beyond expectations.
This ties back to Heartshare.
When millennial entrepreneurs hear about businesses with incredible numbers, it is important to realize these businesses have already passed through the stages required to gain Heartshare. You will find this is why these seven-figure entrepreneurs are excelling in their fields.
Marketing is a story of relationship building.
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To find out more about Joshua’s incredible story and marketing concepts, visit clarityawaits.com.