Advantage Media Group - Spring 2017 by Advantage Media Group

Th e M a r k e t i n g M a g a z i n e f o r E n t r e p r e n e u r s , Bu s i n e s s L e a d e r s , a n d I d e a - M a k e r s

Issue #37

Spring 2017

$4.99

When the going gets tough,

THE TOUGH

A SUCCESSFUL CEO, BUSINESS OWNER AND AUTHOR,

NICOLE SMARTT

SPRING AHEAD!

KNOWS THE

Q2 IN PICTURES Full P Spread | p. 14

LADDER WON'T CLIMB ITSELF

NOISEMAKERS

A DA M ' S A DVA N TAG E

NEW RELEASES

M E M B E R S P OT L I G H T

newreleases advantage Title

Author

No Try! Only Do

Andy Bailey

Real Estate Exposed

Daniel Beer

What Do You Mean, I'm Responsible?

Rick Carson & Chuck Korger

The Retirement Bullseye

Mario Giganti

Asset Protection

Harold Hudson

How to Succeed in the Relationship Economy

Xavier van Leeuwe, Matt Lindsay, Matthijs van de Peppel

Medicare Blueprint

Jason Mackey & Tim Hanbury

Stress Teﬂon

Luke Mathers

The Retirement Plan Advocate

Paul Powell

Real Estate on Your Terms

Chris Prefontaine

The Money Talk

Rajesh Jyotishi

The 10 Keys of Eﬀective Supervision

Rick Pierce & Jim Rowell

The Forever Millionaire

Dave Shepherd & David W. Shepherd, Jr.

Simplify Your Retirement

Stephen Stricklin

The Executive Leap

Mike Sudermann

Embracing Progress

Sophie Wade

Culture Is Everything

Tristan White

forbesbooks Title

Author

The Miracle Manager

Kevin G. Armstrong

Lead True

Jeﬀ Thompson, MD

Smart Retirement

Matt Zagula

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thisissue... THE ADVANTAGE

Monthly Features

4 |ADAM’S ADVANTAGE

2 |Advantage Arrivals

Advantage announces the launch of ForbesBooks Radio, coming to a conference near you. | ADAM WITTY

New releases from the first quarter of 2017.

AUTHORITY FIGURES

5 |Noisemakers A look at recent print, radio and digital media hits for Advantage Members.

6 |Q&AUTHORITY

Studio owner and fitness guru discusses how becoming an author keeps her busier than ever. | LIZ HILLIARD

6 |Team Member Proﬁle Welcome one of our newest Team Members to the family!

8 |MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Relationship expert shares how her book impacts her patients daily.| NOLA PEACOCK

9 | PRIME PROBLEM SOLVERS One man's mission to equip the world with problem solvers. | CHRIS MCGOFF

10 | GET SMARTT

14 |Advantage People

How determination and hard work brought one recruiter major success. | NICOLE SMARTT

The first quarter of 2017 brought about big and exciting changes for the Advantage family.

12 | DIGITAL DECONSTRUCTION Are you utilizing social media properly for your brand or business? | SHERI FITTS

843.414.5600 advantagefamily.com THE BUSINESS GROWTH COMPANY

We help busy professionals and their business become the authority in their field.

Follow: f t l

/advantagemediagroup /advantagefamily /company/advantage-media-group

CEO

Marketi ng Edi tor

Desi gn Manager

Art Director

Copy Editor

Marketing

Adam Witty Katie Biondo

Emily Fisher Nate Best

George Stevens Courtney Little

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adam’sadvantage IT’S EASY TO DISMISS, YET OVER 90% OF US LISTEN TO IT EVERY WEEK."

K A R S O N P H OTO G R A PH Y

Listen Up & Tune In to ForbesBooks Radio

en years ago, I met a guy at a bar who taught me a great lesson about “Authority Marketing.”

“Adam,” the guy said me, “When you’re the world’s greatest authority at something, you need to find a way to remind the world about your expertise every day, because expertise is like a muscle. When you use your muscle, your expertise and authority grows. But if you don’t use the muscle, your expertise and authority slowly whither away.” As I tipped back my beer, I thought about what he said. First you have to build your muscle, or authority. Here at Advantage|ForbesBooks, we’ve been saying this for years. Once your book is complete you begin using it to market your authority, and thus you gain more insight into your area of authority. So, as your success at marketing yourself as an authority grows, your level of expertise and authority grows as well. The stranger laughed when I finished explaining all this to him. “Adam, you’re 100% right,” he said. “You are clearly an authority on ‘Authority Marketing.’” 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

“And what about you, Stranger?” I asked. “What are you an authority on?” The stranger laughed again. “I’m an authority on how to use a very powerful, but often overlooked, medium to keep building the muscles of authority every day.” As you can imagine, that got my attention. “What medium is that?” I asked. “Radio,” he said. Now it was my turn to laugh, as I tried to hide my smile behind the pint glass I was holding. “No, please laugh,” he continued. “That’s part of what makes radio so powerful. It’s easy to dismiss, yet over 90% of us listen to it every week. Meanwhile there are over 15,000 radio stations in the U.S., and they have an endless need for commentary from authorities like us. I’ve been interviewed on the radio over 10,000 times, and I leverage those interviews in many ways. But equally important is that by regularly talking on radio to large audiences, I have a constant and sustainable way to keep exercising my muscles so that my expertise and authority continue to grow.” He then explained to me how he had started

using radio as a tool for promoting his own books, and how he started helping brands like Unilever, Comcast and Best Buy to use radio for Authority Marketing campaigns of their own. That man who was a stranger ten years ago is a stranger no more. His name is Gregg Stebben, and he now heads up our new radio initiative called ForbesBooks Radio. We are launching a daily radio feature called “ForbesBooks @ Bedtime ” that will be heard in 200 U.S. radio markets, with over 3 million listeners nationwide, and also digitally as a podcast at ForbesBooks.com/radio, iTunes, TuneIn and SoundCloud. ForbesBooks Radio will also be on the floor live recording interviews with speakers, exhibitors and attendees at top industry events. Today, everybody uses social media for their authority, but how many people are also exercising their authority by talking with large audiences on the radio? Not many. And that makes us stand out. If you would like to find out more about how Advantage and ForbesBooks can help you continue building your muscle of authority by using radio, I would love to talk with you about it. TM

noisemakers | Advantage Members in the headlines Steve Lawton Steve had a video produced about his story that was featured on the positive news website LittleThings.com. It was also shared by the inspirational Facebook page, “Jesus Daily”.

Greg Wych Greg was featured on his local morning show, Good Morning Columbia (WOLO-TV).

Corey Kupfer Corey was interviewed on Knowledge@ Wharton on SiriusXM satellite radio.

Eric Hutchinson Eric was featured in a syndicated article in theWashington Post, U.S. News and World Report and more — a total of 50 media outlets.

Dr. James Crouse James had two articles run in the orthodontic trade magazine, Orthodontic Products, and in their newsletter.

Have you been making noise in local, regional or national media? Let us know, and we’ll feature you in next issue’s Noisemakers! E-mail: efisher@advantageww.com

ADVANTAGE team | Advantage Team Member Profile As a Project Manager for Advantage, Sara Pence has amassed a wealth of public relations and digital marketing experience through creating timelines and ensuring quality deliverables for Members. She has secured coverage for her clients in national news outlets such as The Huffington Post, Forbes.com, Fast Company, Entrepreneur.com, Relevant and more. Sara recently moved from the Lone Star state to the sunshine-soaked shores of Charleston. When she's not exploring her new home, you can find her jamming

Sara Pence Project Manager

to country music, cooking or playing fetch with her tabby cat, Barney.

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QA & Liz Hilliard LIZ HILLIARD’S BOOK, BE POWERFUL:

FIND YOUR STRENGTH AT ANY AGE, WAS PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2016 BY ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP. WE RECENTLY

SAT

DOWN

WITH

THE

CREATOR AND OWNER OF HILLIARD STUDIO METHOD TO DISCUSS HER CAREER AND THE SUCCESS OF HER BOOK.

ADVANTAGE: TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER. HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? I am the founder, CEO and co-owner of Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, NC. I created my proprietary workout in 2008 when my daughter Clary asked me to get her in the best shape of her life for her wedding. At the time, I was a private Pilates personal trainer and I was able to combine all of my training, research and favorite exercises into a one-of-a-kind, core-centric, resistance-based workout that changed Clary’s body for her wedding while she was in her 20s and my body in my 50s. From there it was history! We started together in business subleasing space within a ballet studio until our classes were overflowing and the demand grew for our own space. We opened our flagship studio in 2013 and today offer live and streaming classes for people of any age at any stage in their life. I work hard every day because I’m sincerely passionate about what I do, and the results have been that I get to be creative and work with my daughter and many other incredible women every single day. I am so proud that our workout continues to change, evolve and deliver incredible results. However, I am most proud that Hilliard Studio Method is far more than just an exercise class; it is a philosophy of community, empowerment and making health and fitness a priority, which stems from my deep passion for developing positive changes in your physical, mental and emotional well-being. When clients tell me that we have in some way shaped their lives for the better, I know that the hard work and challenges are all worth it.

ADVANTAGE: WHY DID YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP AND WRITE A BOOK? On the recommendation of a friend, I found Advantage Media Group, and it was kind of a no-brainer since Charleston is one of my favorite cities! Seriously, I was really impressed with Advantage’s goal of making authors the authority in their field. Our clients who come to the studio understand the meaning of Be Powerful, which is my mantra and written on the wall of my studio. The workout is challenging, incredibly efficient and results driven, so it requires a great deal of inner power to walk in the door, try something new, push yourself a little further or even listen to your body and slow it down some days. When you harness that feeling of being your best self and tap into the strength that lies inside you, you are better able to carry that into all the other parts of your life from work to relationships and family. The book also tells the story of how I came to find my own Be Powerful. It is not just a phrase or idea, but a life-changing way to find your true self, happiness and strength.

ADVANTAGE: HOW HAS YOUR BOOK HELPED YOUR CAREER OR CHANGED IT? It sure has kept me busy! But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Writing the book was an incredible and often challenging experience. I am much more comfortable working out and training others than I am writing my own story! Having a book provides another platform to share what the Hilliard Studio Method lifestyle is and allows me connect to people, which is what I love doing every day when I’m teaching class. I’ve had a blast traveling to independent book and retail stores for book talks and signings. I love meeting readers and learning about their Be Powerful moments.

ADVANTAGE: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER OTHER ENTREPRENEURS WHO WANT TO FIND SUCCESS LIKE YOU DID? The older I get, the healthier I get, the more I want to learn and grow and the more I enjoy life. I allow passion and joy to be at the forefront of everything I do. When all that falls into balance, work becomes play and play becomes more productive. TM

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MEMBER spotlight

dvantage Member Nola Peacock always loved spending time with kids, so she chose to devote her life and career to it. She started her career in nursing and eventually became a family relationship expert, which resulted in the creation of her company, Confident Happy Kids, where she is the founder and owner.

Peacock created the Confident Happy Kids and Confident Happy Parents Programs to empower and inspire families to create strong, harmonious and loving relationships. Through these programs, children and teens are shown techniques to develop confidence, resilience and feel excited about life’s possibilities. Parents learn techniques and strategies to support their children to become successful adults, reduce conflict, increase cooperation and have more fun as a family. “My desire to help kids led me to my nursing career,” she explains. “I worked in pediatric oncology as well as the emergency department. Being with a child as they took their last breath really changed my perspective on life, and I realized how precious life is and how we are never

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promised tomorrow.” Peacock’s past and personal career experience led her to create Confident Happy Kids in 2011.

“I wanted to make a difference and help young people and their families ease their struggles, connect at a deeper level and create harmony in their homes,” says Peacock. “Using my nursing skills, life coaching skills and mothering skills, I created my own programs to give kids the tools to deal with their stress. I also created programs to assist parents, not only to support their kids, but to take care of themselves.” Honoring Our Kids: How To Encourage Growing Hearts & Minds Peacock wanted to create a book that could help parents unlock their child’s success, teach them how to address their child’s challenges, inspire them to take care of themselves and feel more confident in their parenting role. “Learning that I could be interviewed, rather than having to physically write my book, sold me,” she explains. “I had always questioned my ability to write. This made it possible to get my message out in a bigger way.” After her book hit the market, it began to have a huge impact on Peacock’s career and the lives of those who read it.

Nola Peacock

“Publishing my book has given me more credibility and exposure,” says Peacock. “I love hearing from parents who have read my book and share with me how it has helped their family. Having the book has also boosted my own confidence. It has helped me realize how much I do know, and I love that through my book I am able to help many more kids and their families.” “Finding Advantage changed everything for me,” she says. “Every Team Member I worked with has been incredibly encouraging. They guided and supported me every step of the way. Their customer service is remarkable, and they have inspired me to care for my clients the way that they do, as I always felt special.” Finally, some advice to fellow authors. “Find the right publisher. Do your research,” Nola explains. “I have heard many authors who were extremely frustrated and overwhelmed with the process. I am so grateful that my process from beginning to end was easy and pleasurable. I always felt important and was constantly surprised at the incredible customer service from Advantage.” TM

EQUIPPING THE WORLD WITH

Prime Problem Solvers CHRIS MCGOFF Let’s face it—life can throw you some major curveballs, starting out as a young adult. Think about when you were growing up: did you have the necessary tools to solve life’s problems? Some do, and some don’t. When you’re the CEO of an organization, you ultimately have to take on some of the biggest challenges your organization faces. But for Chris McGoff, his mission is to help equip the world with problem solvers to they can face dilemmas each and every day, with ease. Chris McGoff is the founder of The Clearing, Inc., a strategic management consultancy that outfits businesses and organization with the tools they need to tackle complex, high-stake problems. Those tools are called the PRIMES. McGoff created PRIMES three decades ago with a shoebox full of paper napkins. He would inevitably take a napkin and pen and illustrate a key point for a leader, or a leader would illustrate that point for him. “I realized over the 30 years that we were repeating a finite number of these distinctions, and so I collected these napkins and they became the PRIMES,” explains McGoff. “The PRIMES are architecture, the operating system of how groups get things done and show up in history.” From the PRIMES, McGoff developed the theory of a Peak Performance Culture for organizations, where the goal is to create a culture that drives everyone in it to perform at their peak. But the message is more than just culture, it’s about the customer. Simply put, your organization exists to meet the unmet needs of your customer while also pursuing profitability. These two components are inseparable—the customer is the driving force for culture, and the culture exists to support the customers.

Outfitting The Next Generation for Success Why did McGoff devote his time and energy into constructing a company that is commit-

ted to seeing other organizations grow with the PRIMES and have a Peak Performance Culture? “The real reason we’re putting this material together is to outfit the next generation of problem solvers with the power tools they need,” says McGoff. Originally, the PRIMES was a scrapbook of those illustrated napkins that McGoff reproduced and gave out to his children and their friends. It started gaining a lot of momentum and success, so he was fortunate enough to speak to high school seniors that were graduating and outfit them with the PRIMES so they were ready to face the problems of the workforce that they would be challenged with. After the success of the PRIMES with students, adults started raising their hands asking for the PRIMES themselves.

The Match In The Root Cellar McGoff’s next book will continue building on the theory of a Peak Performance Culture and the Seven Pillars that create it’s foundation. “The real commitment from this project is to power up the next generation with the necessary tools found in the PRIMES and now The Match in the Root Cellar with what we think they need to be outfitted with as they climb their mountain,” explains McGoff. “Have you ever taken a hike and outfitted yourself before you go? You look at that mountain, you look at the task and you outfit yourself appropriately. My motivation is to outfit the problem solvers of the world.” TM

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get HARD WORK.

one author's advice on GROWING YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR CAREER “Hard work, determination and hustle. It’s really about seeing the opportunities that you do have and not looking at things that might hold you back as the end of the line.” 1 0 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

“No media outlet wanted to hear about my business, Star Staffing, before the book was published, but everyone wants to hear about career advice and the story behind the book.

The book has branded Star Staffing as a career expert and made us much more reputable.” right problems and building the right solutions to those problems. That, and forging strong relationships.”

THE BUSINESS BOOK BOOM Nicole Smartt’s book, From Receptionist to Boss: Real-Life Advice for Getting Ahead at Work, was published in the summer of 2016 and she has already started reaping the benefits. “[My book has] increased my credibility and made me much more well known,” she explains. “Sonoma State University picked up my book as the syllabus for their entrepreneurship program. I’ve appeared on television, on many radio stations and have been given more writing opportunities with national accounts. In addition, I’ve been sought after for speaking engagements. It has already brought in more business for my company, Star Staffing.”

All entrepreneurs possess these traits, but Nicole Smartt used them to launch a career as her own boss in a relatively short timeframe. For her, rising to the top of the ladder meant taking action. FROM RECEPTIONIST TO BOSS Smartt started her career fresh out of high school as a receptionist at her local staffing firm. She was offered the chance to buy the company as a result of her determination, drive and commitment but ultimately declined for concerns of being too young and inexperienced. She ventured into a career in sales and left to start Star Staffing, of which she is now vice president and co-owner. In less than six years, Smartt helped increase sales by 1,800 percent and profit by 2,500 percent. Her impact helped Star Staffing get recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America. “I’ve always been very driven, and after several advantageous opportunities early in my career, I found myself close to the world of staffing. I thought that I could do better than the industry standard, so I set about just doing that,” says Smartt. “After that, it’s all about identifying the

SMARTT’S ADVICE FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS LOOKING TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREER? “Write! Be true to your perspective and your voice, and don’t lose hope if someone else’s article gets picked up instead of yours, or if you don’t hear back about a particular publication opportunity,” she says. “If you have a book inside of you, and you think it will help people, write it down. It doesn’t matter if you start with an outline or just start to write. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. It might seem scary, but with the right professionals backing your efforts, you’re going to do great!”

READY, SET, ACTION! If you’re wanting to rise to the top just like Nicole Smartt did, remember those important characteristics: hard work, determination and hustle. Remember that it’s about seeing the opportunities that you do have and not looking at the things that might hold you back at the end of the line.

Q&Authority

DETERMINATION. HUSTLE.

Smartt credits the book with the increased business and publicity for Star Staffing. She noted a huge increase in press opportunities for her and her company. Before her book was published, she says no media outlet wanted to hear about Star Staffing, but she receives far more inquiries about her success story and career advice since the release of the book, branding her and her company as the authority in the entrepreneurial and career building space.

“Success is not determined by talent, intelligence, timing or leadership, but your ability to take massive action,” says Nicole Smartt. “There will be sacrifices but there will be successes, too.” S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 1 1

DIGITAL DECONSTRUCTION BY SHERI FITTS

hy would a business NOT want to take advantage of a platform that can amplify their marketing dollars?

As consumers, we regularly search the web for information on restaurants, hotels, shoes, lawyers and window washers. Just as people use digital ratings and reviews to find the perfect watch or pair of slippers, so too do they use an organization’s digital footprint to evaluate expertise and fit. When speaking on this subject I always say, “You are who Google says you are.” To ignore the digital space is similar to ignoring the Yellow Pages years ago. It isn’t a fad, it’s not going away, and it is ever more present in our lives. In fact, I heard a sad – and somewhat funny – statistic the other day. If forced to choose between a year without sex or a year without a cellphone, nearly a third of Americans said they’d give up sex, according to Boston Consulting Group. Social media provides an avenue to proactively connect with prospects and clients – in an environment of their choosing. In a way, social media can be considered a warmed up cold call or introduction. When social media started to take off, many “gurus” on the subject suggested that the digital world was much like a party. I’m not a fan of that metaphor. Instead, think of the digital/social world as a trade show. There are many individuals around looking to network, 1 2 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

some are there to build partnerships and others are seeking to build brand recognition.

STARTING OUT WITH SOCIAL For those unfamiliar with social media, or for those who just aren’t sure on where to start, take it one step at a time. I suggest that you start with LinkedIn. It moves much more slowly than Twitter and doesn’t require a financial investment to get noticed like Facebook. Then, ask your current clients and prospects where they hang out.

is crucial for success. Momentum takes time and effort. There’s nothing worse than starting a social effort only to stop, which is not a good brand experience. Finally, please do not expect an immediate ROI from social media.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SPECIFIC NICHES When it comes to social media, the opportunities can be endless for entrepreneurs, financial planners, doctors and more. Move beyond simply networking and reframe your ideas of social as a broadcast medium.

The more you create content to truly help—not sell to—your target audience, the more you’ll be noticed. Next, create, or recreate, an extremely wellthought-out and well-written profile on LinkedIn. Remember, it is static content and must be pre-approved. This will help in a variety of ways, but most importantly with Google search results! Then, focus on building out a network. Connect with other business leaders, centers of influence, vendors, partners, etc. Spend 15 minutes a day reviewing what others have done on the platform and think through how that might apply to your business efforts. Remember, consistency

Create your own channel. Write your own magazine. Start your own radio station. Offer up some awesome, unique programming. Even though social is more than ten years old, there is still an opportunity to create connections and build your brand. It’s important to really clarify your message in the digital world. The closer you can get to really identifying your target audience, the more specific content, the better the social connection.

All too often I see folks trying to be all things to all people. This really dilutes a message and simply adds noise to the digital space. Then get familiar with the concept of content marketing. Content marketing is the idea of creating valuable content as a means to develop influence and authority. I describe it as sharing your smart. The more you create content to truly help—not sell to—your target audience the more you’ll be noticed. Deconstructing the digital space doesn’t have to be scary, just take it one step at at time. Start with one channel, and build up your presence. Remember to create consistent, targeted content and you’ll be on your way to making your mark in the social media landscape. TM

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A DVANTAGE people

4 SPRINGING THROUGH Q1:

5 1: VP of Authority Marketing Alison Morse met up

with hundreds of doctors at the 24th State-Of-The-Art in Facial Aesthetics event in New Orleans, including Advantage Member Dr. Burgdorf. 2: Publisher of ForbesBooks, Rusty Shelton, speaks to the crowd at the Authority Marketing Insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forum. 3: Content Creation Company BCKYRD shoots VP of Authority Marketing Alison Morse in Charleston. 4: Graphic Designer Katie Biondo received the 2017 Charleston

AMA Volunteer of the Year award at the Spark! Awards. 5: Eduardo Campos, Erica Campos and Eric Hutchinson work on their brand promise at the first Authority Marketing Insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forum in Dallas, Texas. 6: Team Members attend the Center For Women 2017 Annual Conference where Vice President of Corporate Marketing Bea Wray spoke on "What Harvard Taught Me, But My Kids Made Me Learn." 7: Project Editor Josh Houston shows off Marc Zimmerman's bottle of champagne featuring his book, Transforming Your

Company's Retirement Plan from Good to Great! 8: Team Members Katie Biondo, Laura Otero and Olivia Iacovone pose after volunteering to prepare and serve a dinner to the residents of the Charleston Hope Lodge. 9: Member Experience Manager Ben Coppel and Creative Manager George Stevens pose after completing the Asheville Marathon!

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