The Remote Local Podcast: Financial & Location Freedom
Neel Parekh
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The Remote Local Podcast lets you dive into the minds of two 7-figure entrepreneurs, Neel Parekh and David Lahav, who have figured out how to run their LOCAL businesses completely remotely and travel the world.
We talk about all things that are at the intersection of travel and entrepreneurship. The goal is to allow you to run your own remote local biz and experience total financial and location freedom.
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1 day ago
117. Finding Your Calling, an interview with FBI Agent Turned Serial Entrepreneur Derek Dodds
In this episode Neel and David sit down with Derek Dodds and have a leisurely conversation about how Derek found his calling.
Derek currently runs WaveTribe, an ecological surf company, has an interest in Naked Armor, a wet shaving company, and serves an advisor to a publishing company he co-founded, 2 Seas Agency. The path he took to get to those projects is anything but conventional.
Derek also shares:
* Going from having a gun in his hand at the age of 5 and being a hunter to becoming a vegan
* How following women he loved led to big changes in his personal and professional life
* The influence of Jidda Krishnamurti on his life
* How getting a flyer while on a self-study visit led him to give up everything he was building in Europe to come back to America, where he never thought he would return.
Enjoy the episode!
If you want to connect with Derek you can find him on Facebook or Instagram or on his personal site.
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Sep 20, 2023
116. Exiting a Remote Local Tutor Doctor Franchise, feat Jenny Ness-Hunkin
In this episode Neel and chats with Jenny Ness-Hunkin, a former franchisee of Tutor Doctor and now the Franchise Success Manager at MaidThis.
A ten-year franchisee herself before a successful exit, Jenny believes in franchising in part because she's had such positive experiences with it. Now she helps MaidThis franchisees scale and exit their businesses, just like she did with hers.
Neel and Jenny discuss:
- why she decided to start a business in the first place even though she had a decent job
- why she considers people to be the best and worst part of owning a business
- why she now considers "begin with the end in mind" as a crucial part of any business journey
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Sep 13, 2023
115. Business Models to AVOID and What Makes a Good Business Model
It's a simple but perhaps not-often-repeated truth: not all business models are created equal.
In this episode, Neel talks about local services businesses he would avoid buying/starting as well as what was the one factor he looked at recently when considering a cleaning service acquisition. You'll get the scoop on:
- Why high ticket, low recurring businesses are just as desirable as low ticket, high recurring businesses
- How you could make low ticket, low recurring businesses work (if you had to)
- The importance of building "need to have" businesses, particularly in recessions
Enjoy the episode.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Sep 6, 2023
114. Using WFH 9-5 Job to Launch a Maid Service Side Hustle, an interview with Chris Rodriguez
In this episode Neel talks with one of his very own MaidThis franchisees, Chris Rodriguez.
Chris has been running MaidThis Miami for just about four months now and gives us the lowdown on how he got here.
Neel and Chris discuss:
- why a franchise fee was at first a stumbling block, then a recognition of value for Chris
- what his main motivation was in starting a business when he already had a solid-paying 9-5 (and how his spouse reacted)
- how often Chris posts in the MaidThis slack, which is like a superpowered version of the Facebook group which was where he first heard about Neel and MaidThis
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Aug 30, 2023
113. Acquiring 9 Businesses for $1M+ in Passive Income, with Ujwal Velagapudi
In this episode Neel speaks with Ujwal Velagapudi, who has had a fascinating and unusual journey building businesses in many different industries.
One of the more interesting ideas Ujwal shares in the pod is his lack of concern with "maximizing profit." He's okay leaving some money on the table once he has spent time optimizing the business when he first acquires it.
Neel and Ujwal also discuss:
- Ujwal's attempted retirement in South East Asia
- What drives him (hint: it's not money)
- Why he now only looks at 7-figure cash flowing businesses
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
https://twitter.com/UjwalVelagapudi
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Aug 23, 2023
112. Quitting the 9-5 and Starting a High Ticket Sales Closing Biz, with Jeff Lundeen
In this episode Neel and sits down with freelance sales coach Jeff Lundeen of Strong Jaw Sales. Jeff had a good career in a well-paying (though stressful) field: air traffic control. Reading books like Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Work Week awakened a desire to escape the 9-5.
Neel and Jeff discuss:
- the effect of a one-way ticket to Colombia on kickstarting the entrepreneurial journey
- why coming back to the job after that travel only made Jeff more resolved to break out of the 9-5
- why Jeff thinks copywriting and sales are so fundamental to entrepreneurship (even though he only really likes to do one of them)
What is perhaps most inspiring about Jeff is his mindset of abundance, which allows him to even teach others how to start a business exactly like his.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Aug 16, 2023
111. Scaling a Maid Service Software Company, with President of Launch27 Omar Santana
In this episode Neel and sits down with Omar Santana, President of Launch27, a SaaS for cleaning companies.
Neel and Omar talk about:
- the concerns that any customer has for a SaaS when a private equity group comes in (as happened to Launch27 in 2019)
- how many of the solutions in the cleaning company space are similar and why that makes switching even more difficult than normal (no feature to encourage you to jump)
- what new features Omar and the team are working on rolling out
Omar was also kind enough to give us his email address (omars@launch27.com) as the fastest way to get a hold of him.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Aug 9, 2023
110. How to have 0 competition: Do Marketing That DOESN'T Scale
As Neel looks back on previous years, he knows he's spent too much time focusing on the "scaling" aspect of marketing.
In this episode, he goes the other way, talking about marketing that doesn't scale, but delivers big results, including:
- Apartment Complex Infiltration: just as stealth as it sounds, but is all about quietly building relationships
- Neighborhood Blitz
- Networking groups, i.e. becoming the "go-to" among a group of fellow business owners
Neel notes that this kind of non-scalable marketing can win against the lazy paid marketing that he favored in years past but is now more crowded than ever.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jul 26, 2023
109. Turning Digital Cashflow into Real Estate Gold, with Car Wash Guy Kriss Bergethon
In this episode Neel and sits down with Kriss Bergethon, known as the "Car Wash Guy" on Twitter.
Interestingly, while Kriss is known for car washes, it's actually a side hustle for him. He's full time in the supplements and natural medicine space.
Neel and Kriss discuss:
- how trying to get in on the self-storage craze led to buying his first car wash
- the major tax benefits that a car wash can offer, including Kriss' first refund in more than a decade
- why banks love car washes and why they are a great avenue of investment for your business earnings
If you enjoy this episode, you can get the full course on how to find and run your first car wash at Tax Free Cash Cow.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jul 19, 2023
108. Achieving Financial and Location Freedom...and What Happens After, with Stephen Heiner
In this episode Neel and sits down with Stephen Heiner, who moved to France ten years ago after selling a business. Stephen worked hard to build a dream life, and recently gave all of it up to move to become a volunteer at a religious house.
Neel and Stephen discuss:
- his path to France and what he did when he arrived
- the importance of asking yourself what it is you want at the end of the rainbow
- always being ready to re-evaluate where you are, never accepting that you have "arrived"
If you enjoy this episode, you can also catch Stephen reviewing books on his YouTube channel.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jul 12, 2023
107. 1099 vs W-2: Compliance and Contracts for Cleaning Businesses with Andy Agarwal from CCDRA
In this episode Neel and sits down with Andy Agrawal of Weekend Maids, who is also part of the CCDRA (California Coalition of Domestic Referral Agencies). Andy has been running the company for the last 15 years, but it's a family business that has been around for 36 years.
Neel and Patrick discuss the importance of compliance, particularly in regards to cleaning companies and properly classifying themselves as referral agencies rather than employers. Among other things, they talk about:
- the importance of a solid contract with your service providers and why you don't just want to pull a form off Legalzoom
- why separate bank accounts for operations and for collecting fees and paying contractors is crucial in the eyes of the IRS
- the rights of contractors, which includes the ability to decline work you offer them or to renegotiate directly when they arrive on the job
You'll also hear about the reality of fines and audits and why these matters have to be taken seriously for anyone who wants to stay in business long-term.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jul 5, 2023
106: $500K Consulting Side Hustle with Sean O'Dowd
In this episode Neel sits down with Sean O'Dowd of The O'Dowd Group.
Sean was just looking to pay off the loan he took out to buy an engagement ring for his then-fiancee when he decided to consult on the side. His very first gig was through Upwork and involved proofreading an email for $30.
Neel and Sean discuss:
- how having a Wharton degree may have helped him land some clients, but how easily his mom, who was a simple librarian without that elite college pedigree, was able to land a $30k consulting gig with his help
- what sort of income you can hope to attain as a one-person shop
- platforms like Catalant and Uncommon Elite that have helped to power Sean's growth
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jun 28, 2023
105. Local SEO for Dummies
Neel recently had to interview a number of SEO vendors in preparation for making a change, and felt like he became a bit of an expert in thinking through what agencies can and should provide for you.
Neel talks about what you can expect to pay for decent SEO service ($750-$1500 depending on quality) as well as:
- Map Pack ranking and the importance of reviews that mention your key words
- The importance (and limits) of blogs
- The difference between on-page and technical SEO and why you need both
Neel also talks about link building and why it is a key part of an overall SEO strategy.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jun 21, 2023
104. Coaching Call Series: Taking Your Home Service Biz to the Next Level with Dan Kats of Shorely Clean
As part of his ongoing coaching call series, Neel chats with Dan Kats of Shorely Clean who is building his cleaning business as a side hustle and is looking to grow it quickly but sustainably.
Neel offers helpful answers to Dan's questions, including:
- The importance of hiring that first employee to help you as soon as possible
- The inbound sales conversion rates he expects from his team
- The importance of "extending your season" to combat seasonality
- Different ways of dealing with add-on services requested by customers.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jun 14, 2023
103. 2 Years as a MaidThis Franchisee: Dan Blaker of MaidThis Myrtle Beach Shares His Story
In this episode Neel and sits down with Dan Blaker, a MaidThis franchisee in the Myrtle Beach market.
It's been just under two years that Dan has been a franchisee in the MaidThis system and he looks back on his journey to share:
- how MaidThis provided a path for him to quit a 6-day-a-week, 12-hour-a-day job
- just how much "remote" he's put into his remote local business.
- what a pleasant surprise it has been to get to know fellow business owners
You'll also hear Dan talk about the power of door-knocking when you're in your local market and how much franchise systems help you to grow with a safety cushion and framework.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Jun 7, 2023
102: Top Marketing Tactics in 2023 (Paid, Free, Semi-Free)
You've heard Neel talk about pros and cons of different marketing tactics over the last six months. This episode brings all of those reflections together in one valuable episode so be ready to take notes on:
- What's working and what isn't in the Google LSA space
- What to look for when researching PPC advertising to see if it will be worthwhile for your company
- The power of community marketing, including the hyper-local neighborhood blitz strategy
Neel also talks about Thumbtack, a platform that is really doing well for his franchisees at the moment, as well as non-scalable, but valuable opportunities in BNI and EO.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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May 31, 2023
101. Journey to Becoming a Franchisor with Shaina Denny of Dogdrop
In this episode Neel chats with Shaina Denny, Co-Founder and CEO of Dogdrop.
It's a rare discussion with a fellow franchisor, and Neel and Shaina discuss:
- how Dogdrop works and its capitalization on America's obsession with pets and their well-being
- why Shaina decided to use an FSO (franchise sales organization) instead of using an internal resource
- why Neel stopped using Google ads to advertise for franchise leads (he found that social media leads were more qualified)
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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May 24, 2023
100. Exiting the Matrix: My 7-Year Travel Journey
It got here even faster than we might have thought, but here is episode #100.
For this special episode, Neel shares a talk that he gave about his travel journey. You'll learn:
- that hunter/gatherer tribes in Africa will tell the same fart jokes you do at home
- the power of a smile and how strangers can help you see who you really are
- how you can opt-out of the American Dream
Neel also shares how he started his journey with fear but ended it with courage powered by serendipity.
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May 17, 2023
99. Community Marketing Using Facebook Groups with Simone of House Mum Home Services
In this episode Neel and chats with Simone, Founder of House Mum Home Services, based out of Brisbane, Australia.
Simone has a successful business and is so full up with clients she has a waiting list.
But she doesn't even have a website! She's a master at community marketing and was kind enough to share some of her tactics and ideas with us.
Neel and Simone talk about:
- how posting on Facebook to find employees led her to gain customers
- what kind of Facebook groups she joins and how she interacts in them
- how she used a customer survey to expand partnerships and give clients exactly what they were looking for
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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May 9, 2023
98. Recruiting Top-Level Remote Talent For Your Local Biz, with Anna from Remotivate
In this episode Neel and sits down with Anna Scherbyna, owner of Remotivate, a company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners hire for executive and management roles.
Neel and Anna discuss:
- what it was for Anna to work in (and build a company in) the remote space in 2017, before it was cool
- why growing companies won't only need one type of ops person, they'll need three, each with different price points
- the crazy discrepancy at the moment between employers on LI offering remote jobs (13%) and the employees on LI looking for remote jobs (53%)
You'll also hear Anna's perspective on geographies, including her rule of thumb that for higher level managers, you need to look further west when you are outside of the North American geo.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check…
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Apr 26, 2023
97. Early 2023 State of the Union for Remote Local Businesses, with Johnny & Sergio
In this episode Neel and sits down with Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky for a quarterly roundup of what they are seeing in the Remote Local space. Topics covered include:
- the effectiveness of Google LSA, both now and in the long term, along with some strategies that can help lift your performance if you're lagging
- the "Grand Opening Method" which is about continuing to build a solid lead funnel over time using community marketing
- Neel and Sergio's thoughts on keeping your hiring funnel as full as possible.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Apr 19, 2023
96. Coaching Call Series: The Power of Niching Down, with Austin of Dalmaidtion Cleaning
In another of his coaching series, in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Austin, owner of Denver's Dalmaidtion Cleaning, a residential cleaning service with a focus on pet owners.
Neel and Austin discuss:
- Ways to surprise and delight and offer a "6 star service"
- The importance of top-notch cleaners — it is they, more than thank-you notes and gifts, that will retain customers long-term
- Leaning into your niche, in Austin's case, making sure new customers get some pet-oriented incentives early on
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Apr 12, 2023
95. Little-Known Business Path to a US Visa and Finding the Perfect Franchise Brand, with Patrick Findaro
In this episode Neel and sits down with Patrick Findaro, author of How to Buy a Franchise: Employee to Entrepreneur in 12 Weeks and owner at VettedBiz.com
Patrick hosts a podcast, Franchise Findings, in which he talks about all things related to franchises, including conversations with new and experienced business owners as well as overall reports on industry trends.
Neel and Patrick discuss:
- a little known visa classification that Patrick didn't find out about for some time that offers non-citizen entrepreneurs a path to residence in the US
- what sort of people buy franchises, including what kind of incomes they already have and are expecting
- how Patrick was able to write a book in 90 days (hint: he used information he had on hand already)
If you enjoy this episode, you can get even more from Patrick on his YouTube channel.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundat…
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Apr 5, 2023
94. Coaching Call Series: When to Expand to a Second City
In this first of a new series in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Gordon, a new cleaning services business owner, about why he decided to start franchising.
Gordon was also interested in expanding to a new city, and Neel drilled down to ask:
- What was the endgame for expansion?
- Why did Gordon think expanding was a good strategy?
He then went on to give some tips on KPIs that all cleaning services should be checking every week, like
- Total number of cleanings, average ticket price, phone inquiries, conversion rate, etc.
If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com
If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com
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Mar 29, 2023
93. Neighborhood Blitz: HYPER Target Neighborhoods and Crush Local Marketing
As the simple days of "turn on LSA and watch the leads roll in" seems to recede into the distance, those willing to put in the work on community marketing are going to win.
Neel shares some tactics he's employed to success, allowing you to get brand visibility and cash in on people in the neighborhood who need your services, including:
- EDDM, a USPS postcard service allowing you to blanket a community
- Yard signs, an easy way to get visibility over a weekend
- Doorhangers, one more opportunity for people to see your brand
Neel also talks about the specific things you should say on your postcards and yard signs, helping you to win leads based on different needs.
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Mar 22, 2023
92. Prepare Now for the Next Season In Your Business
In another installment of "fighting traffic by dropping knowledge" Neel shares some thoughts on how to deal with seasonality in your business, whether that's a season of the year or a financial season, like a recession.
Neel discusses:
- How the challenge in high season, like summer, is often lack of supply to meet demand, which is why businesses need to be hiring now
- Why you can't count on a recession to make hiring easier: you need to be focused on optimizing your recruiting funnel
While others are fearful, be greedy. Prepare now for the season ahead.
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Mar 15, 2023
91. Slow and Fast Travel: A Conversation with Bunty SomRoy of Red Pine Digital
In this episode Neel has a conversation with Bunty SomRoy.
In 2016 Bunty left the US to try to find a way in to the digital marketing world and spent three years living in Thailand and Indonesia, nose to the grindstone, trying to build his business. As it grew he's been able to travel a lot more and he's "making up for lost time."
Some interesting parts of the discussion include:
- Regrets: Bunty wants others to enjoy the journey more and not be as heads-down in their businesses as he was early on
- Remote Year: Bunty got to meet an entirely different species of remote worker, including high-level executives
- India: Bunty raced across India in a tuk tuk and found healing he didn't know he needed in his identity as an Indian-American
Enjoy the episode!
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Mar 7, 2023
90. Start a Remote Local Biz in Your Hometown or Elsewhere?
Even though the word "remote" is part of a "remote local" business, that doesn't mean you have to start it remotely.
In this episode Neel makes arguments for both sides, for starting a remote local business in your hometown and for starting it completely remotely. He covers things like:
- Why sometimes a local presence can help you win, particularly with community marketing
- Why sometimes a local presence can slow your growth — Neel shares how he could have systematized remote hiring faster had he not fallen back on the ease and comfort of local presence
- Why time zones play a much bigger role, even within the US, than people can imagine.
Neel argues for both sides and points out that ultimately, it's about what the individual business owner's priorities are that will determine the best place to start the business.
Enjoy the episode!
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Feb 22, 2023
89. Community Marketing Using Facebook Groups, with PJ McGeary of Arbor Trail Cleaning
In this episode Neel interviews PJ McGeary of Arbor Trail Cleaning.
PJ has had a lot of success using Facebook groups to get the word out about his cleaning business and shares his tactics and ideas, including:
- the power of city-based groups, which post about all sorts of topics, not just those related to home services
- the cadence you can use when posting — and why copy/paste works fine across all the groups you are part of
- the type of post to use (always use photos!) and what to include in it
PJ even shares the types of messages you can use on holidays. He's got a great one for Valentine's Day that he shared.
Enjoy the episode!
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Feb 15, 2023
88. Remote Local Biz State of the Union
In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss what they've been seeing on the ground for Remote Local Businesses:
- What's happening with Google Local Service Ads (LSA) and how to guard against big swings with them
- The power of what Neel calls "community marketing" which can include some tedious — but rewarding — work
- A "we're in the neighborhood anyway" tactic that can help you pick up new customers
You'll also hear Neel share a story of a woman in Australia who is doing $1M in revenue for cleaning and has no website: she's working off Facebook groups alone!
Enjoy the episode!
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Feb 8, 2023
87. 5 New Marketing Tactics to Survive a Looming Recession (and Google's SEO Reset)
As Google tweaks its algorithm and its Local Services ads to deal with AI-created content, you might need to find new ways of reaching customers.
In this episode Neel shares five avenues he's exploring right now (and are working). Some include:
- Hypertargeting local Facebook groups using discounts, testimonials, and tagging
- Using B2B cold emails in your niche
- Getting on the ground with flyers and door-knocking in neighborhoods where you already have clients (or want to)
To get detailed tactics for these and other channels Neel is acquiring new customers through, listen to the episode.
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Feb 1, 2023
86. 5 Easy Side Hustles To Make an Extra $500 a Month
In this episode Neel offers five different side hustles with low barriers to entry and low cost to startup.
While he understandably gives a plug for residential cleaning (hey, if it works, it works) he also shares:
- Vending machine routes (get started for around $2500)
- Mobile rim repair (he found out about one company doing $20,000 a day in repairs!)
- Knife sharpening (door-to-door still works)
But wait, there's more. Weekend puppy training! Enjoy the episode.
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Jan 25, 2023
85. Inside Tips on Google My Business and Local Services SEO with Daniel Thompson of Salt Water Digital
In the episode Neel sits down with Daniel Thompson of Salt Water Digital.
Daniel has been in SEO for many years and took some time to share some insights into SEO for local services businesses, like:
- Why Google My Business is harder to get verified now, and why some legitimate reviews are getting flagged and hidden.
- The proof of work your agency should be showing you.
- Whether local service businesses should be using Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram ads.
Enjoy the episode!
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Jan 18, 2023
84. I Spent $50,000 on Business Coaching So You Don't Have To
When you pay for someone else's experiences you can move farther and faster than you would have on your own, allowing you to leapfrog the competition.
In this episode, Neel shares a few of the key practices he's gotten through business coaching (see more here), including:
- The need to delegate, automate, and systematize (he sets aside time every day to do all three)
- Why proactive planning helps you start working on your 10 year goals now
- How its often the small effort on key levers in your business that lead to the biggest results
There's not often that you get $50,000 of value in just a few minutes. Enjoy!
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Jan 11, 2023
83. How I Will Increase Sales by $300,000 This Year
During a break from the Conquer Summit Neel took a few moments to share some tactics he plans to implement to push his sales up at the MaidThis location in California this year.
One of the pain points driving this change is an increased cost of labor, which Neel had not kept a close eye on. In the episode he discusses:
- The difference between recurring customers and re-occurring customers (and why he'll be chasing more of the latter this year)
- The ideal ceiling for labor costs in a home services business
- How little changes can lead to big results
Enjoy the episode!
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Jan 3, 2023
82. Staffing Needs as You Grow Your Remote Local Business from 0 to $2M
In this episode Neel and Johnny talk about the different hires you need to make as you grow your remote local business. They discuss:
- the first hire you make and what areas they need to help with
- how roles have to change as you move past $100k to $500k in annual revenue: people need to be more specialized
- why the biz owner should be a marketing strategist, not a marketing executor
You'll also hear them discuss margins and how many team members you'll need to hit $1M in annual revenue
Enjoy the episode!
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Dec 27, 2022
81. Discovering Investment and Remote Hiring Opportunities in Africa
On this episode, Neel sits down with Weh'yee Barkon of Internally, a firm that helps connect organizations with talented people in Africa.
Neel and Weh'yee discuss:
- the lack of opportunities available to well-educated, multi-lingual workers in Africa
- the consumer education necessary to overcome the bad "brand image" of the continent
- the absolute bargains to be had for workers (a full-time 40-hour/week worker can cost $500-$1000 USD a month!)
Even though he was born and raised in the US, Weh'yee's parents were from Liberia and he feels called back to Africa to make a difference. He's currently based in Dakar, Senegal.
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Dec 14, 2022
80. Johnny & Neel Top Books in 2022
In this episode Neel and Johnny share three books that they enjoyed reading in 2022.
— They both show love for Alex Hormozi's $100M Offers, which they've mentioned multiple times on the pod this year.
— Johnny mentions his tendency to reread books, one of which is Scaling Up.
— Neel mentioned Prisoners of Geography, a book that's helped him see the world a bit differently on his travels.
You'll also hear both Neel and Johnny reflect on Russell Brunson's Trilogy of books and the funnel-hacking that his way of thinking inspires.
Enjoy the episode
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Dec 7, 2022
79. A Short List of Business Ideas (Feel Free to Steal Them)
Neel recently moved a lot of stuff into Notion.
One of those things was an ongoing list he keeps of business ideas. In this episode he shares a few of them and why he thinks they might be good bets, including:
— Drone window cleaning
— Full service mancave setup
— Snowbird homewatch services
— Hoarder/crime scene/meth house cleanup (seriously!)
Believe it or not, there's even a real estate play in those hoarder/meth home examples.
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Nov 30, 2022
78. Scaling Marketing, Sales, and Operations: A Look Inside a Fast-Growing E-Learning Biz
In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss in detail what it's been like for Johnny to scale Home Services Academy.
They chat about:
— The importance of marketing and sales being in sync, particularly in the early days of the business.
— How appointment setters can help drive a greater show rate for prospecting calls (Johnny also shares his pay rate).
— How Johnny and his team learned by doing when it came to qualifying leads.
Johnny also shares how his dramatic growth over peers who have been in the industry much longer than he has is a good reminder of not getting complacent and being willing to learn by doing when getting started (instead of getting paralysis analysis).
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 23, 2022
77. Using Israeli Special Forces Tactics to Help You Deal with Risks in Life and Business
Some years ago Neel met Itamar Marani, a former Israeli Special Forces soldier, who in the course of conversations shared risk analysis and mitigation tactics he had been taught.
This includes looking at the magnitude, immediacy, and probability of an event happening, as well as mitigating tactics that can be used to deal with that event, like:
— distance
— barriers
— deterrence
— countermeasures
Neel walks through these using a hypothetical "man has a knife and wants to hurt you" scenario and then goes on to share a real-life case study, which was how he and MaidThis reacted to the threat of new legislation in Los Angeles which threatened Airbnbs, which at that time represented 80% of that market's business for the company. You'll see how the template for defending yourself from dangers in real life applies equally as well to dangers in business.
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Nov 16, 2022
76. Motorcycling Through Africa While Running a Remote Local Biz, an interview on the About Abroad podcast
It's a bit of a switch up this week, as I get interviewed by Chase Warrington of the About Abroad pod.
For those who get my newsletter or listen to the pod regularly, this episode will be a great summary of the last few months and what I do at MaidThis Franchise, but also serves as a great conversation between Chase and me, covering:
— Some of the most important lessons travel can give you.
— Sustainable remote work and creating community (something Chase works on every day).
— When the "nomadic life" may start and end.
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 9, 2022
75. Hidden Gems for Remote Talent (and How Much to Pay)
In this episode Neel shares his experience of hiring and working with dozens of remote team members since 2013.
He shares:
— Which platforms you can use to find remote talent (Upwork, Dynamite Jobs, We Work Remotely)
— What countries he's had great experiences with (South Africa, Honduras)
— Which countries have talent "on sale" because of inflation (Venezuela, Argentina)
— Why all great hires start with solid job descriptions (learn more here)
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 2, 2022
74. Who Should NOT Go into Entrepreneurship
In this episode Neel and Johnny answer the question: "Should everyone go into entrepreneurship?" (Short answer: No.)
Entrepreneurship has been so glamorized lately that it's made to seem that everyone can and should be an entrepreneur. Neel and Johnny offer some thoughts on why that's a bad idea:
* People with low risk tolerance won't do well — every day involves some kind of risk in entrepreneurship.
* People who have a 9-5 for a very long time (though a franchise might be a good fit in that case)
* Those who can't deal with constant setbacks will struggle — some weeks and months it feels like everything is going wrong.
Both Neel and Johnny advocate for everyone having a side hustle as a de-risking strategy, however, and even give a few quick side hustle ideas to get the ideas flowing.
Enjoy the episode!
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Oct 26, 2022
73. Scaling with Partnerships and Extreme Outsourcing, with Jon Matzner
In this episode Neel sits down with Jon Matzner to talk about his journey to small business ownership and eventually a type of franchising Jon calls "affiliating."
Jon bought a garage upgrade business and grew it really quickly but when he looked at the franchising landscape he didn't like what he saw and didn't want to create a scenario where franchisees had to come to him with "may I" requests all the time. So, instead he created lots of resources and allowed others to leverage his knowledge to create their own versions of his business. He just sold the business the week before sitting down with Neel.
They also discuss some of the exciting projects up ahead with one of Jon's partners, Codie Sanchez, and Jon's passion for offshoring and the lives that get changed by working with offshore teams.
Enjoy the episode!
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Oct 19, 2022
72. Are You a Builder or an Investor?
In the experimental episode (literally recorded on the road), Neil discusses the differences between being a business builder and a business investor.
Neel has long tried to do both, but has recently realized that means he's only doing half as well in each field. He thinks it makes more sense for him to pick one and make the other more passive.
Since it's rare to find someone who can excel in both building and investing, it makes more sense for people to pick, and either is good, but it probably makes sense to lean into what you enjoy.
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Oct 12, 2022
71. The Exact Tech Stack Needed To Run Your Remote Local Business on Auto-Pilot
In this episode, Neel gives reviews of software he has used to run his remote local businesses in a more automated fashion.
Neel starts by breaking down software into core vs. spoke. Core software includes companies like Launch27, BookingKoala, ZenMaid, Jobber, and Housecall Pro. Neel shares what he likes and doesn't like about them and also reminds listeners to consider whether they want a more industry-specific or industry-agnostic platform.
Neel also discusses Slack, Zapier, G-Suite, Active Campaign, and the necessity of a VOIP system (after different trials, MaidThis has settled on Dialpad.
Enjoy the episode!
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Oct 5, 2022
70. Do You Have to Like Your Business or Nah?
In this episode Neel and Johnny tackle the question of how entrepreneurs feel about what their business does.
While Johnny delves into the idea of what your goals/endgame are and how that can create different answers at different times in your entrepreneurial journey, Neel unapologetically says that you do not have to like what your business does, as long as you don't hate it (people who don't like donuts shouldn't open a donut shop).
They also discuss:
* how sometimes working in your business instead of working on your business can make you dislike your business faster
* why sometimes the business, whatever it is, is just a vehicle for you to make money, help others, and develop personally
* the danger of making your passion your business
Enjoy the episode!
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Sep 28, 2022
69. Moving Capital from Active Sources into Passive Investments: Roundtable Featuring Chris Munn and Sergio Silesky
In this episode Neel and Johnny welcome Sergio Silesky and Chris Munn to discuss different ways to deploy cash.
Sergio is a business partner of Johnny and is in "cash stack" mode so all the income they are earning is getting reinvested into the business.
Chris has often used his active income to invest in more passive businesses like real estate or already-running businesses doing between $1-5M in EBITDA.
They also discuss:
* Why buying and renting out a single family home is a terrible idea (Chris calls it "a low-paying job")
* How syndicate deals offer people a way into better returns in real estate without having to have significant capital on hand
* Why having some form of passive income matters if you ever plan to retire or stop doing active businesses.
Enjoy the episode!
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Sep 21, 2022
68. Gurus like Grant Cardone and Gary Vee: Love 'em or Hate 'em?
In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss the business of gurus and how they've both changed their attitude on them over time.
Johnny was formerly a hater until he himself became a "guru" by sharing information in free and paid form. As for Neel, he used to be anti-guru too, until he learned to simply "respect the funnel" and see that these guys did work really hard, even if their style wasn't for everyone.
They also discuss:
* Some of their favorite gurus — both Neel and Johnny are Alex Hormozi guys.
* Their process of "vetting" gurus and their claims.
* The danger that some people will (incorrectly) see these gurus as models for entrepreneurship.
Enjoy the episode!
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Sep 14, 2022
67. 4 Cleaning Biz Marketing Tactics To Help You Make an Extra $10K
In this episode Neel and Johnny give four proven tactics that they have used to drive hundreds of thousands of dollars of sales for their respective cleaning businesses.
Those tactics are:
* Local Facebook Groups (Johnny explains his method of guerrilla marketing in these groups)
* Cold Email (Neel highlights the template for this underrated way to get new clients)
* Giveaways (Johnny harnesses the social power of Instagram to get a huge list of new leads)
* Postcards (Neel shares a brand that allows specific targeting...his favorite target? People who've just moved into the neighborhood)
Enjoy the episode!
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Sep 7, 2022
66. Key Lessons from a $50K Mastermind
In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss the benefits of a $50,000+ mastermind that Johnny and his business partner joined.
Originally Johnny had hired this company to help with sales and in classic "value ladder" style the company overdelivered on the entry-level product so that Johnny was primed to hear an upsell. Things had gone so well with the original sales help they asked for that it was a no-brainer to join the mastermind (even though they had to split up the payments). Johnny's loved all that has happened since, including a training weekend he recently attended.
Neel and Johnny also discuss:
* why mission, vision, and values is key to taking your company to $100k MRR
* why Johnny's e-learning business is now actively disqualifying 70% of their leads
* the power of fellowship being with other entrepreneurs making a lot of money online
You'll also hear Johnny share some of his company's values and why they're really important as you grow your company beyond 3-5 employee…
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Aug 24, 2022
65. Experiencing 24 Hours with an African Hunter-Gatherer Tribe
In this episode Johnny catches up with Neel about his recent visit with the Hazda tribe in Tanzania. Neel got the special government permission necessary to go out there and learned a lot.
Neel's day started with joining some of the members of the tribe hunting for food. He was blown away at how fast the tribal members moved through the bush and how accurate they were with the bow and arrow.
Neel and Johnny also discuss:
* what an average day is like for the Hazda
* why the Hazda reject newer technologies and convenience in general
* Neel's observations of the tribe's happiness
You'll also hear about the inside joke Neel built with the tribe around his name, an extracurricular activity of the hunt that brought him back to his college days, and why some Hazda who enter the civilized world end up coming back.
Enjoy the episode!
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Aug 17, 2022
64. How to Find and Surround Yourself with the Right People
In this episode Neel and Johnny revisit the old quote about the five closest people to you and talk about proactively upgrading those people.
They discuss:
* the power of groups like EO, EOA, and the Dynamite Circle
* why it's worth paying to join some groups (Johnny paid $50,000+ to join one particular group focused on e-learning businesses)
* the power of meeting people in Facebook groups and on Twitter.
Neel and Johnny also talk about how easy it is to reach out to people on Twitter but how few people actually make the effort to connect, even via a voice message or Loom.
Enjoy the episode!
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Aug 10, 2022
63. Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Vacation Rental Cleaning Biz
In this episode, Neil gives listeners a step-by-step guide to starting their own vacation rental biz.
He starts by highlighting the opportunity: people prefer vacation rentals to hotels now, and there is a huge demand for hotel-level cleaning services and a massive lack of companies to fulfill that need.
Steps which Neel outlines includes:
* Your website: it doesn't need to be perfect...it just needs to get up ASAP
* Your booking system: will be different for residential cleaning and vacation rental (Neel gives recommendations for both)
* Your labor: how to get and retain them (insider tip: their ability to clean is NOT their most important quality)
* That corner tuck: what Airbnb guests look for when checking in and what you need to take care of
Neel also discusses other ways you can monetize your business...after you get started!
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Aug 3, 2022
62. How to Choose Your Opportunity Vehicle Wisely
In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss opportunity vehicles: what you are doing in your career, and how is it helping you achieve your life goals?
Things they consider include:
* different "levels" of opportunity
* how those levels can be completely different for people with different skill sets and personalities
* the undesirability of low margin businesses with lots of moving parts
Enjoy the episode!
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Jul 27, 2022
61. Exiting One Business to Pursue Another
In this episode Neel and Johnny chat with Sergio, Johnny's business partner in Orange Window Cleaning, about their recent sale of the business.
While Sergio and Johnny had always had a goal of growing a business to $10M, they realized over time that the vehicle they had built was not going to get them there without a much higher commitment of money and time. By contrast, another business they had built did have that potential, and they realized over time that they couldn't succeed in that business, an e-learning platform, without selling the business they had already built to maturity.
Other points covered:
* the danger of "shiny object syndrome" for entrepreneurs
* the terms of the deal Johnny and Sergio struck with the employee they sold the business to
* why youth makes failure not seem so scary
Enjoy the episode!
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Jul 20, 2022
60. The #1 Best Place I Find Remote Team Members, feat Dan Andrews from the TropicalMBA Podcast
In this episode Neel sits down with Dan Andrews of the Tropical MBA podcast.
Neel reveals that Dan is the one who first used the phrase "remote local business" to describe what Neel was doing at MaidThis. Alas, there will be no royalty payouts if the podcast ever sells for a billion dollars :-)
Neel and Dan discussed:
* how to disconnect your location from your earnings to live remotely
* why remote-first businesses should really spend time on their first few job postings
* how Dynamite Jobs (one of Dan's companies) is different from other remote job boards
Neel and Dan also talk about what the funnel looks like (from both the job poster and the job board platform's perspectives) from job posting to offering someone a job.
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Jul 13, 2022
59. Leveling Up Your Life Using 8 Pillars
In this solo episode, Neel offers 8 Pillars he uses to audit and improve his personal life.
A couple years ago Neel was happy with how systematized his business was, but was shocked as to how not-systematized his personal life was. Inspired by Gary Keller's The One Thing, he created a monthly and weekly system to help him level up in:
* Health and Vitality
* Friends and Family
* Productivity and Performance
* Lifestyle and Wealth
If you want the other four, and how you too can consistently level up in these areas using a simple system, tune in to this short episode!
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Jul 6, 2022
58. Market Your Local Services Business, with SME Mike Grigery
In this episode Neel interview Mike Grigery of ClickCallSell.com to get the scoop on how to market your local services business.
Mike has helped hundreds of companies execute thousands of marketing campaigns and he's been Neel's business coach for sometime. He definitely knows what he's talking about when it comes to home services and how to properly market them.
Tune in to learn:
* The importance of LTV
* The relationship of brand awareness and online reviews to conversion rates
* The power of social proof in getting your early customers
You'll also hear Mike share his thoughts on platforms like Yelp and Angie's List, as well as the value of social media and marketing through services like Groupon.
Enjoy the episode!
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Jun 22, 2022
57. Build a Brand By Sharing What You've Learned in Business Life
In this episode Neel and Johnny talk about the impact of sharing what you've learned in business.
After five years of grinding and building a window cleaning business, Johnny packaged what he learned to create Home Service Academy, which is an e-learning platform that helps people build their own home services business. Neel packaged what he learned after years of building MaidThis in a single location to go the franchisor route.
It's important to share the information you learn, because
* You can end up building a second business, which might be even more profitable than the first one
* You might find you're a better fit for courses/teaching/mentoring
* You can build a personal brand
* You're more likely to remember what you've shared
Both Neel and Johnny also reflect on how game-changing sharing information publicly can be, as it can lead to all kinds of unexpected opportunities.
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Jun 15, 2022
56. Remote Working Destinations: Trends, Underrated Spots, and General Digital Nomad Knowledge Bombs with Mitko Karvoshki
In this leisurely spitball episode, Neel and Mitko Karvoshki talk all things remote work and digital nomad as it applies to different spots around the world: who's winning, who's losing, and who's underrated.
If you don't know Mitko, you're missing out! He runs Parable, which produces HBR-style case studies on online bootstrapped businesses and has a weekly newsletter called Remote Insider (subscribe here).
You'll hear Neel and Mitko rap about:
* Who's winning lately (Bankso, Portugal, and Mexico)
* Who's losing (unpopular opinion: Bali, Chiang Mai)
* Who's underrated (Medellin, Tbilisi, Madeira)
* Why some places never take off in reputation, but are still worthy trying anyway
You'll have to listen to the episode to get both Neel and Mitt's personal favorite remote working locations, but here are hints, they are in Guatemala and Bulgaria (no, not Bansko), respectively.
If you enjoyed Mitko's perspectives you'll also enjoy him on his own podcast, That Remote Life. Catch…
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Jun 8, 2022
55. The Tech Stack You Need for a Remote Local Business
In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss various pieces of software that they use to run their businesses.
There was clear agreement on some of the big hitters today, like Slack (can't live without it), G-Suite (tons of tools), and Loom (great for training).
But there were also some different companies and use-cases discussed:
* Neel shared his love for Launch27 as his CRM with ActiveCampaign as the email outreach arm of that CRM
* Johnny loves BookingKoala and uses integrations from NiceJob to get lots of reviews
* VOIP broke down into Dialpad (Neel) and 3CX (Johnny)
Johnny closed by reminding listeners about the importance of a growth mindset and not to sweat the price of software: it's usually going to help you grow the business. It's not worth agonizing over.
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Jun 1, 2022
54. Making $10k From Scratch, with New Co-host Johnny Robinson
In this episode Neel and new co-host Johnny Robinson offer a blueprint for earning your first $10k from scratch without reference to cleaning companies, a sector both of them have had a lot of success in.
Neel and Johnny outline:
* where to find subcontractors and how to pay them
* the importance of the "money milestone," earning that first dollar on the Internet
* why there really is no such thing as "market saturation"
They both also recommend $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi to give you outlines and ideas for making compelling offers to subcontractors and companies.
Enjoy the episode!
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May 25, 2022
53. David Lahav Returns for His Final Episode with the Remote Local Podcast
In this episode Neel and David discuss David's three-month meditation teacher training course and what his future looks like. His last appearance featured his explaining what he had to do in order to be gone that long from his businesses.
This podcast originally began as a co-hosted effort between Neel and David but this is the final episode of that era, as David moves on to what's next in his life (which does not include running a podcast).
David shares
* what his teacher training was like (which included 14 hours of meditation per day for almost a month)
* how Vedic meditation changed his life and why he decided to pursue it as a mission
* why entrepreneurs shouldn't get attached to that role as an identity
If you want to follow David's journey you can find him on Instagram or see what he has going on at his new meditation website.
Enjoy the episode!
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May 18, 2022
52. Recession Prep for Your Remote Local Business
In this episode Neel offers thoughts on how to make your Remote Local business better prepared for recessions.
Neel takes a two-pronged approach to preparing for recessions.
First, he focuses on insulating the business, which can include estimating a percentage dip (25% at MaidThis) and adjusting accordingly, which can include cutting expenses, speeding up receivables, and getting promos ready for email and phone reach out to existing customers.
Once that's secure, you can look at opportunities, which can include grabbing up some higher quality labor which may now be available in the workforce as a result of layoffs and possible distressed acquisitions which may be offered at a lower multiple.
Neel also discusses the difference between "need to have" and "nice to have" in business models and why he always prefers having the former.
Enjoy!
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May 11, 2022
51. Should You Buy a Franchise or DIY? Keith Levenson of AC Inc Weighs In
In this episode Neel welcomes Keith Levenson of Angela Coté Inc. to talk about franchising.
Keith got his start in franchising by actually helping a family entertainment center go through the process themselves. He then took an opportunity to become a franchise advisor, helping dozens of brands grow by focusing on franchisee growth.
Neel and Keith also discuss:
* Who should franchise (and who shouldn't)
* the differences between an emerging franchise business and an established one (and who should get involved in either)
* What a franchisee should look for in a franchise system
Enjoy the episode!
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May 4, 2022
50. 4 Remote Local Business Models That I Love, feat. SqueegeeGod Johnny Robinson
In this episode Neel is joined by Johnny Robinson to whiteboard some Remote Local business ideas.
Johnny has been on the pod before but we kick off the episode with a brief bio to catch up listeners who may not have heard him before.
Neel and Johnny then go back and forth, trading possible ideas with their pros and cons, including:
* mobile car detailing (both Neel and Johnny love this idea, but the low average ticket amount is a concern
* painting (there are some challenges in making this remote, particularly around in-person biddings, but this can be developed)
* smart home setup (Johnny points out that this is a niche subset of A/V contractors and since it's so new, you can "make" the market)
* the role of "nice to have" vs "need to have" in the services/products you're offering
Enjoy the episode, including Neel and Johnny's "disagreement" on the future of drone window washing. :-)
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Apr 28, 2022
49. Run Your Biz On Autopilot Using EOS Lite Pt 2
In the second of an ongoing series on EOS, Neil shares his adaptation of Gino Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System, and how he's used it to great success at MaidThis.
In this episode Neel gives strategic tips for how to deal with specific aspects of "EOS Lite," including:
* creating vision (dump the fluff, focus on what's real)
* developing KPIs via scorecards (lagging, not leading metrics that matter) and rocks (measurable quarterly goals that are reported on each week)
* running Level 10 Meetings (a highly structured meeting that doesn't waste time and makes sure everyone is getting what he/she needs consistently)
If you want to read more of Neel's thoughts on these issues, check out this Twitter Thread on performance evaluation and/or this one on vision.
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Apr 27, 2022
48. Run Your Biz On Autopilot Using EOS Lite Pt 1
In the first of an ongoing series on EOS, Neil shares his adaptation of Gino Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System, and how he's used it to great success at MaidThis.
Things Neel learned in the process of creating an "EOS Lite" include:
* how to have quarterly meetings that ran like clockwork and had clear and measurable KPIs
* how an org chart can help you figure out which roles really matter
* how clarity on core values in concert with the org chart led him to clear out some poor fits
* the GWC ("get it, want it, capacity") rubric he now uses to make sure the right people are doing the right work
If you want to read more of Neel's thoughts on this, check out this Twitter thread.
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Apr 20, 2022
47. The Digital Nomad Life: A Report from the Front Lines
In this episode Neel shares what he learned catching up with dozens of digital nomads (past, present, and future) at a Dynamite Circle conference in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
He found out that:
* Travel is definitely back (except for parts of Asia, which remain closed)
* The Western Hemisphere, particularly Mexico and Latin America, have profited from Asia being closed
* Many used the last two years to create permanent home bases where they travel from
* There are still plenty of new nomads entering the scene.
Enjoy the episode!
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Apr 6, 2022
46. Multiple Remote Local Exits, Including a Fully-Remote Call Center: an Interview with Donald Spann
In this episode Neel sits down with Donald Spann to look over the pros and cons of the various remote local business models he has tried.
Like Neel, Donald was part of the Launch27 crew, aka the "cleaning company mafia," which came out of a subreddit thread back in 2013. While Neel has continued to grow his cleaning business, Donald has exited his and iterated around remote local concepts.
Neel and Donald chat about
* How Donald started Vicki Virtual, a fully remote call center service, from observing a pain point that cleaning companies had
* The challenges of running multiple companies at the same time
* The reality that just because competition already exists doesn't mean they are competent (that's opportunity for you!)
* Why Donald would never do Y-Combinator again (despite a successful exit from a business incubated there)
Enjoy the episode, and if you want to learn about the $3B call center industry, which is growing 7% a year, with businesses in the space averaging…
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Mar 30, 2022
45. Thinking About Exiting Your Business
In this episode Neel shares different ways to think about exiting your business, including his own current plans for MaidThis.
While some might say that you need to know what your exit plan is before you even start your business, Neel very much advocates for starting first and thinking more short-term, in terms of one year.
He goes on to share four frames to use when thinking about exiting a business:
* No strategy (buying a job)
* Scale and sell to private equity
* Legacy (pass on to family)
* Automated asset (this is Neel's current choice for MaidThis)
You'll also hear Neel explain why you want your business to be a cow, not a pig and why he would rather make less money and work less, than the opposite (and why that also makes sense when it comes to business valuations).
Enjoy the episode!
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Mar 23, 2022
44. Running a $1.5M SaaS While Nomading Around the World: an Interview with Amar Ghose of ZenMaid
In this episode Neel chats with Amar Ghose, Founder and CEO of ZenMaid.
Neel and Amar have managed not to meet, despite being the only two in their digital entrepreneur group in the cleaning space over the past few years. One time Amar left Chiang Mai for a few weeks and Neel happened to show up during the same time (everyone said it was just a swap out! :-) ).
Neel and Amar discuss:
* the importance of "owning" the career ladder instead of climbing it
* choosing between lifestyle design and high growth
* why the four day work week doesn't work for startups
Amar also shares when it might be time to listen to Gary Vee to hustle for your biz vs listening to Tim Ferriss to design your life.
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Mar 16, 2022
43. Stranded On A Desert Island for 10 Days: Five Unexpected Business Lessons
Neel recently came back from a ten-day desert island survival experience. As he switched back into work mode, he saw so many connections between what he had just experienced and how a daily business grind works.
He has five lessons he learned, including:
* Getting your key work done when you have the most energy: stack your tasks to take advantage of when you're at your most energetic
* Play to your strengths to survive: lean into what you're good at
* You can't do it by yourself: the power of one other person provides exponential growth
* Cut the weakest link in the tribe: sometimes you have to be ruthless
And the last one...well you'll have to listen to the episode to hear it!
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Mar 9, 2022
42. Develop a Superpower: Dealing With Angry Customers
In this episode Neel and David discuss the classic question of how to deal with angry customers.
As with so many great business (and life) tactics, this starts with having the right mindset. In this case, learning how to deal with irate customers can help you develop a superpower, something that can help you walk into any confrontational situation with confidence, helping you get what you want, and defusing the problem in the process.
Neel and David also discuss:
* Not taking the criticism personally
* How to de-escalate situations
* The importance of validating the customer's feelings and deploying empathy
You'll also hear Neel's hack for how he issues refunds without feeling the pain of "losing money" in the process. Enjoy!
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Mar 2, 2022
41. Acquiring 5 Local Businesses To Build a Remote Local Empire, an interview with Mike Loftus
In another of the Remote Local Podcast's ongoing series of entrepreneurial interviews, Need chatted with Mike Loftus of Connor Landscape.
Mike got a finance degree but found out he hated working inside. He took $10k of his own savings and started knocking on doors, building a landscaping company from scratch. After building it to $750k in revenues, he started acquiring others, three so far and more in the pipeline!
Neel and Mike also discuss:
* All the things you have to learn when starting a business ("what's an EIN, bro?")
* The keys to making good acquisitions
* The importance of being clear on what you want, not what books/influencers tell you you should want
If you'd like to catch up with Mike, you can find him on Twitter, under a handle which is an homage to his father's entrepreneurial spirit.
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Feb 23, 2022
38. Building Your Ultimate Hiring Flywheel - Part 1
In the first of a three-part series, Neel gives you an ultimate guide to hiring, from his own successful playbook!
This episode focuses on the mindset (and a few tactics) for hiring in general and putting up your job ad.
Great tips which are included:
* How much an employee leaving can cost you
* How much an A-team player can make you each year
* Why you should ABC (always be 'cruiting...hey, close enough!)
* How to make your job ad STAND OUT
There's plenty more here. This is the sit down and take notes kind of episode.
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Feb 23, 2022
40. The Hiring Funnel & Metrics - Your Ultimate Hiring Flywheel Pt 3
In the last of a three-part series, Neel gives you an ultimate guide to hiring, from his own successful playbook!
This episode focuses tweaking your flywheel to make sure it's working at its best.
Neel also shares:
* What he does on screening calls
* The purpose of a test job
* How many cleaners he actually ends up with from 20 applicants (shockingly low!)
Collect all three! If you haven't listened to the first two episodes in this mini-series, do so now!
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Feb 23, 2022
39. Where to post your job ad for maximum exposure - The Ultimate Hiring Flywheel Pt 2
In the second of a three-part series, Neel gives you an ultimate guide to hiring, from his own successful playbook!
This episode shares the six places that MaidThis posts jobs ad to find talent for their local services business.
Those places include:
* Indeed.com
* ZipRecruiter
* Craigslist (yes, really!)
* Facebook (not just ads, but in groups)
Oh, did you want the other two? You'll have to listen to the episode :-)
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Feb 16, 2022
37. How To Buy a Local Business In Another State And Run It Remotely, an interview with Chris Munn
In this episode Neel interviews Chris Munn, a fellow remote local entrepreneur.
Chris grew up in Detroit, now lives in LA (though he lived in Paris for a while), but has a cleaning business based in Tampa. Neel connected with him on Twitter and they had a chance to meet and connect in real life and decided to continue on some of the themes they had a chance to discuss when together, including:
* Chris' start in business via residential real estate
* Why Chris prefers the multiples on offer in real estate vs those in small business
* How world events shaped the work choices of a rising generation
* Things to consider during due diligence when you buy a business.
Enjoy the episode, and if you want to catch up with Chris on Twitter you can find him here.
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Feb 9, 2022
36. Running a 7-figure Agency From Around The World, an interview with Jodie Cook
In this episode Neel interviews Jodie Cook, who recently exited her remote local business (and is getting ready to start another!).
Jodie knew from an early age that she wanted to work and earn her own money and be independent, and that hustle meant sometimes two jobs as she figured out what she wanted to do. Turns out that was a social media digital marketing agency that began from the desire to travel and work. It would be some time before she realized that travel/work relationship in her business, but when she did, it was one month away, two months back in the UK for five years before her 7-figure exit.
Jodie also shares:
* Her philosophy on creating useful people (watch her TEDx talk on the subject if you want to go deeper)
* How her team adapted from being completely in-office to entirely remote after March 2020
* The genesis of her book Stop Acting Like You're Going to Live Forever
If you want more Jodie you can find her website here and check her out on Twitter her…
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Feb 2, 2022
35. Identifying Your Limiting Beliefs and Why Working Less = More Growth
In this episode Neel and David talk about limiting beliefs, how to identify them, and how to replace them with empowering beliefs.
David has been preparing to leave for 90 days off the grid and was worried one of his businesses would implode and Neel was battling the idea that more growth = worse life. Both of them share how these limiting beliefs paralyzed them for a while and how they moved past them.
They also discuss:
* Why it can be hard to identify those beliefs
* Why you can't just eliminate them, you must replace them with empowering beliefs
* The importance of identifying the "worst-case scenarios" and living with those possibilities
Neel also points out that sometimes a friend who is an exact refutation of one of your beliefs can be right next to you. In his case, a friend had 400+ employees but did not seem to have a crappy life..
Enjoy the episode!
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Jan 26, 2022
34. The Spiritual Entrepreneur 2: Interview With Derek Dodds, Federal Agent Turned Entrepreneur
In this episode Neel and David sit down with Derek Dodds and have a leisurely conversation about how Derek found his calling.
Derek currently runs WaveTribe, an ecological surf company, has an interest in Naked Armor, a wet shaving company, and serves an advisor to a publishing company he co-founded, 2 Seas Agency. The path he took to get to those projects is anything but conventional.
Derek also shares:
* Going from having a gun in his hand at the age of 5 and being a hunter to becoming a vegan
* How following women he loved led to big changes in his personal and professional life
* The influence of Jidda Krishnamurti on his life
* How getting a flyer while on a self-study visit led him to give up everything he was building in Europe to come back to America, where he never thought he would return.
Enjoy the episode!
If you want to connect with Derek you can find him on Facebook or Instagram or on his personal site.
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Jan 19, 2022
33. Pt 2: Applying The “One Big Secret” to Our Podcast - Live Brainstorm Session
In this episode Neel and David brainstormed, putting the podcast itself into the frame that they discussed in Episode 32: the three levels of entrepreneurship. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, do so, so that this episode will make more sense!
Neel and David consider the podcast to be still at Level 1, aka "Podcasting for Dummies." They discussed the origins of the podcast, why they prefer a conversation/co-host format, and why they keep the episodes short in length.
They also discuss:
* Different ways they could grow the podcast
* The importance of an email list (and using it)
* How the podcast itself has shaped this current stage of their entrepreneurial journeys
* Not being in a rush to get to Level 3
Enjoy the episode!
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Jan 12, 2022
32. Pt 1 - The One Big Secret of Successful Local Biz Entrepreneurs
In this episode Neel and David share the ONE BIG SECRET of successful remote local business owners.
Okay, so the secret is...well you're going to have to listen to the episode to get it, but here are some of the other things Neel and David talk about:
* "Level 1" entrepreneurship, which is essentially like building and working in your own job
* "Level 2" entrepreneurship, which involves trying many different things while you develop a secret sauce
* "Level 3" entrepreneurship, in which you strive to be the "dumbest person in your company"
Enjoy the episode!
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Jan 5, 2022
31. Remote Window Cleaning Biz - Interview with 'SqueegeeGod' and Sergio Silesky of Orange Window Cleaning
In this episode Neel interviews Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky, co-founders and owners of Orange Window Cleaning.
Johnny and Sergio didn't grow up as entrepreneurs...in fact it wasn't until college when they found out that "anyone" could start a business and started a side hustle in residential and commercial window cleaning. That side hustle became a real-deal business when they found out that they hated jobs that they had been trained to get after going to college. And now they are on their way to amazing things.
Some knowledge they drop includes:
* How a good partnership can really accelerate a business
* Why they decided to bring in a full-time content person to storytell about building a remote local business
* The importance of automated systems
* How to pick up subcontractors (hang out where they hang out and stalk them!)
Enjoy the episode and find Sergio and Johnny on Twitter and let them know we sent you :-)
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Dec 29, 2021
30. Being Off The Grid Completely for 3 Months - How To Get Your Biz To Run 100% Without You
In this episode Neel and David discuss his upcoming disappearing act: he's going to be totally off-grid for the first three months of 2022.
David has been doing meditation for 6-7 years now and sees a three-month off-the-grid training to be a teacher in the Vedic meditation tradition as the next step. But he has a portfolio of businesses...what to do?
Neel quizzes David on:
* What his endgame is
* How David used delegation, promotion, and partnership to prepare for this
* What "growth" looks like with his being away
* What things might look like when he comes back
Enjoy the episode!
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Dec 22, 2021
28. Pt 1 - New Year's "Resolutions" Suck - How To Plan Cool Sh*t for Next Year
In this episode Neel and David tell you why they think New Year's Resolutions are no good and what they have planned for 2022.
David is starting 2022 with a three month off-grid meditation teacher training. Neel will be spending 10 days in Panama in the first quarter of 2022 doing some survival training. They talk about the methodology they use to make plans for big events like these and what else they have planned for the year.
They also discuss:
* Jesse Itzler's calendar hacking
* Tactics to make the end of your year thoughtful and reflective
* The concept of de-averaging: moving away from a 5 day on/2 day off schedule to something that fits better for you
* Measuring your impact for the coming year in numbers: how many jobs you will create, how many people you will reach, etc.
Enjoy the episode!
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Dec 22, 2021
29. Pt 2 - Neel & David's Reflections Of Their Year
In this episode Neel and David build on their "New Year's Resolutions Suck" episode by reflecting on 2021.
Both Neel and David built strong romantic relationships this year, and also started this podcast.
For Neel, that meant getting out of his comfort zone and engaging more on social media and elsewhere. But it was also part of something that David had introduced him to the last time they spent a lot of time together: meeting people that are very different from himself. He's curious about replicating that through maybe joining an online community in the next year.
David has been building up to taking a three-month teacher training that is going to transform his life personally and professionally. He's enjoyed recovering from a traumatic end to a long-term relationship and has taken those personal lessons to heart, alongside some hard-learned business lessons as well.
Enjoy the episode!
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Dec 15, 2021
27. How To Make Business Decisions When You're Feeling Emotional or Triggered
In this episode Neel and David discuss how emotions play into personal and business decisions, and a system for how to avoid making poor decisions.
When Neel isn't running MaidThis he enjoys buying and selling real estate on the side and he recently got to closing day with a buyer that ended up being dishonest. He recorded this episode on the day he got the news that the buyer was trying to change the deal at the last moment so we recorded this as a time capsule of this thoughts.
David asks:
* How Neel feels at the moment
* What he thinks he will do
* What Neel has done in the past to deal with emotions in business decisions
David and Neel also game out a process to help negotiate these sorts of situations to get the best results possible.
Enjoy the episode!
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Dec 8, 2021
26. How To Use Social Media Challenges To Level Up
In this episode Neel and David discuss their recent deeper dives into social media and why it's been a challenge for them.
David has really been very active on Instagram and Neel has spent more time on Twitter. Both of them have been less willing to be involved in social media in the past simply because they weren't entirely comfortable on various platforms. But both of them have come to separately realize that there are opportunities to engage with people in a real way that doesn't need to focus on follower count or number of likes.
They also discuss:
* Why people aren't just interested in what Gary Vee or Tim Ferriss has to say
* What a freedom it is to be your authentic self on social media instead of a "safe corporate" version
* How much people appreciate being exposed to the daily grind in a way other than "everything is amazing always" mode
* Hacks they have developed to make sure they don't get sucked into social media and become consumers instead of contributor…
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Dec 1, 2021
25. How to Handle The Stress of Running A Local Business (Remotely!)
In this episode Neel and David discuss the stress of running a remote local business.
David begins the discussion philosophically by asking what the function of stress is within an evolutionary framework: it's there to give us tools to deal with a threat. While we might not have to deal with a tiger chasing us, sometimes our body can still react as if that's the case, and we need to reframe that thinking.
They also discuss:
* situations that lead to stress in modern businesses, particularly the remote local variety
* whether businesses are more stressful than jobs
* how you should react when you get that first 1-star review
* the role travel plays in de-stressing
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 24, 2021
24. Do You Have An Abundance Or Scarcity Mindset?
In this episode Neel and David discuss the well-known abundance vs. scarcity dichotomy.
Both Neel and David came from immigrant backgrounds which had a certain amount of scarcity baked into their upbringing and have had to unlearn some of that programming. David notes that one of the ways he knew he was embracing an abundance mindset was the willingness to invest in himself.
They also discuss:
* How you can't save your way to financial independence
* The inability of fear or scarcity to add any value to your business and personal lives
* Why chasing your dreams and playing offense always takes you further than playing defense and hoarding
* Why you should watch who you spend time with, what you read, and what you listen to and watch
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 17, 2021
23: How You Can Easily Find a Local Business to Buy
In this episode Neel and David talk about how to get started in acquiring a remote local business.
While it can feel intimidating to get into the world of "buying a business" the reality is that like anything else, it's a learning curve but isn't nearly as complicated as it looks like from the outside. One of the things David, who has gone through 16 acquisitions at the time of this recording, stresses is the importance of the "investor" mindset when looking at businesses.
They also discuss:
* Tactics for finding businesses, from BizBuySell to business brokers to FB groups to Twitter
* How to use your LinkedIn profile to signal you are on the lookout for deals
* Using a VA to create a crib sheet in a geographic area for a particular type of business acquisition
* The importance of creating deal flow so you can afford to be selective
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 10, 2021
22. The #1 Secret To Having Your Business Run On Its Own
In this episode Neel and David give the BIG SECRET to taking your business to the next level.
That secret is...being less available to your team!
This helps:
* Empower your team
* Free you up from doing less valuable work so you can add greater value
* Give you the space to take three month mediation training retreats (like David wants to do next year)
* Level up your quality of life as a business owner
Enjoy the episode!
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Nov 3, 2021
21: Building Your Marketing Engine When You Have A Brand-New Local Business
In this episode Neel and David discuss how to build your marketing strategy when you're just starting out.
David sets the stage for the discussion by pointing out that every business wants a consistent, profitable stream of customers without too high of an acquisition cost. How do you do that?
Neel and David explain:
* Different channels (both online and offline) available to businesses
* Using your competition to reverse engineer a marketing plan
* The importance of testing and budgeting in different channels
* The need to stay focused on one or two channels at a time in the early days
* Why what works in one city may not work in another
They also share some stories about what didn't work and what you can learn from that.
Enjoy the episode!
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Oct 27, 2021
20: Franchising vs Starting Your Own Biz: An Interview With Giuseppe Grammatico, the Franchise Guide
In this episode Neel and David interview Giuseppe Grammatico, the Franchise Guide about all things franchise-related.
Giuseppe was once a corporate executive who hated his job and looked for an exit strategy in becoming a business owner. He chose to hire a coach to help him choose a franchise and in the process decided that's exactly what he wanted to do. He runs the Franchise Guide and has a book and podcast to help educate those who, just like he was years ago, want more control of their financial lives through owning a franchise.
Giuseppe also shares:
* Who is a good fit for a franchise (and who isn't)
* The pros and cons of franchising instead of starting your own business
* What business models are the most "remote local"
* What business models are the most popular in franchising at the moment and why
Enjoy the episode!
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Oct 20, 2021
19: Best Timezones To Live In For Your Work Style
In this episode Neel and David discuss how timezones affect your remote local business, whether you are traveling for business or pleasure.
David was running his business in Colorado for a few years before deciding to live in Israel for a year, and he was sometimes answering the phone in the middle of the night. Neel wasn’t ever that crazy and brought on someone pretty early to help with calls and even when he did go away, it was to time-compatible Latin America.
They also discuss:
* Stories and challenges working in Europe and Asia with American-based businesses
* The pros and cons of being “in the future” in relation to your team
* The existence of the digital nomad “graveyard shift” in Asia
David also shares his recipe of being purposely less available to his team when he’s abroad to help them develop their autonomy and resilience.
Enjoy the episode!
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Oct 13, 2021
18: Does living in a 'small market' hinder your entrepreneurial growth?
In this episode Neel and David discuss the impact of where you live in relation to your entrepreneurial growth.
Neel begins by stating his own preference for a larger city, where he will get access to more activities and a community that will push him to work harder. He characterizes this as “big city energy.”
David’s own preferences are split: he enjoys being out in nature, near the mountains or the beach, but also enjoys the momentum and energy that can come from being in a bustling and busy environment.
As the discussion continues they found common ground around the idea of a community: wherever you choose to live for most of the year, the key is having access to a strong community. That community can be digital or physical.
Neel and David also discuss:
* Whether you can live in Bali or Chiang Mai and still build big businesses
* How Covid-19 affected some Asia-based entrepreneurs
* The Dynamite Circle, a digital community where they first met
* The idea that…
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Oct 6, 2021
17: How To Analyze Local Business Competition In Your Market
If you're looking to start a local business or expand in your current business, your local market and competition matter a lot. Trying to rank on Google in New York is going to be very different experience than trying to rank in Omaha, and the competition and rewards differ from market to market as well.
Neel pulls from his experience with analyzing franchise territories and David pulls from his acquisition experience to provide a play-by-play on how you can analyze any geographic market and see if its a good fit for your business.
In this episode, you'll learn:
* How to analyze local markets and assess what is the BEST market to open up a service-based business in
* Mega Cities vs Small Markets: How to analyze the tier of the city to see its a good territory
* How to analyze the Google results & rankings
* Identifying the quality of website: funnels, lead capture, website speed, etc
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Sep 29, 2021
16: From Getting Laid Off to Building 4 Multi-Million Dollar Companies - Interview with Rohan Gilkes
In this episode, we have a super special guest - Rohan Gilkes, Founder of Launch27 and MaidsInBlack.
After 10 years working in corporate, Rohan got laid off from his banking job and starting a local cleaning company on a whim just to find some extra cash to afford his car payment. After scaling the business to over $20,000 in PROFIT per month within 8 months, Rohan decide to posted his story on a Reddit forum, which inspired thousands of people to start their own local business (including Neel).
Rohan's fully-remote local business currently generates millions of dollars in annual revenue with less than 1 hour of work per month. In addition to the cleaning business, he also started and recently sold a software company he founded.
In this episode, we discuss:
* Rohan's origin story and how he came across the entrepreneur path
* Scaling his business and how he managed to grow so quickly
* Rohan's definition of "success" as an entrepreneur and goals now
You can find out more a…
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Sep 22, 2021
15: How Meditation & Spirituality Can Level Up Your Entrepreneurial Journey
Have you ever wondered if a motivated entrepreneur can have zen-like calmness? In today's society, being very calm and highly driven seem to be at odds with each other.
Today's episode is about dispelling that myth and discussing how mediation and spirituality can drastically improve your entrepreneurial journey and help you live a more meaningful live.
Neel & David discuss:
* The current “hustle culture” mentality portrayed in social media
* David's journey in meditation & spirituality
* How meditation has helped David level up his business and go bigger
* David's key takeaways from his 5-day meditation retreat and lessons to be shared
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Sep 15, 2021
14: Reaching 'Financial Retirement' by 28 and Traveling The World - An Interview with Cam Woodsum of FreedomIsEverything.com
Cam Woodsum left the tech world in Silicon Valley and found himself on the digital nomad path. Within a handful of years, he was able to achieve 'financial retirement' through his affiliate website businesses and other ventures.
Cam is obsessed with world impact, freedom, happiness and entrepreneurship, and now runs FreedomIsEverything.com and Nomad Impact Ventures. Before his nomad life, Cam ran the special projects group at DoorDash, a Silicon Valley company backed by ~$1B from the early investors in Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon. While at DoorDash, he launched and managed two business lines that generated $1M+ in yearly profit.
In this interview with Cam, you'll hear about:
* What type of businesses Cam started to achieve his freedom and why
* Building a "mercenary" business model to achieve your own goals
* Using the idea of short sprints to quickly find your passion, and then double-down on it
You can learn more about Cam at www.FreedomIsEverything.com and https:…
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Sep 8, 2021
13: Dating While Traveling
Dating while traveling can be one of the most exciting experiences of your journey....but can also have some serious drawbacks.
In this episode, David & Neel discuss their experiences in finding romance while on the road and how you should be evaluating it yourself.
You'll hear about:
* What types of people you’ll run into while dating and their mentality: travelers, expats, nomads, vacationers, locals
* Long-term dating difficulties when you have an international romance
* Cultural differences and how to navigate them
* Where to meet people and how
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Sep 1, 2021
12: Moving from Solopreneur to CEO
Many entrepreneurs start off being "solopreneurs", meaning you're the only one managing everything and work only for yourself. As business owners scale, many want to start adding teammembers and building a team, which is when the shift happens to become the "CEO" of your company.
In this episode, David & Neel dissect:
* Why is it so hard to go from solopreneur to CEO? Is it even worth it?
* Mindset needed to transition from Solopreneur to CEO
* Lessons from David’s coaching client about this
* Current stage Neel is in on this journey
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Aug 25, 2021
11: Coliving Houses - The Best Way To Find Your Community & Tribe
If you've ever struggled to find your tribe of like-minded people, this episode is for you.
David recently moved into a coliving community in Boulder and has been experiencing the joys of building his own community at home with new people.
In today's episode, David & Neel discuss:
* What is a coliving community and why you should live in one
* How to vet & find a coliving community that suits you
* Types of people who stay in Coliving places
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Aug 11, 2021
10: Acquisitions Pt 3: How To Value Local Businesses and Close the Sale
Today's episode is final episode (Part 3 of 3) in what we call the "Acquisition Series".
David & Neel dive into two recent acquisition opportunities, one of which closed successfully, and discuss the closed sale, the diligence process, and lessons learned.
You'll learn about:
* An acquisition opportunity for Neel and the plan for how he would immediately increased value overnight
* What multiples local service businesses sell for
* How to identify value-adds to immediately improve your bottom-line
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Aug 4, 2021
09: Thinking About Your Business As An Asset
Often times entrepreneurs think about their business as their career, main source of income, or source of passion.
What would happen if we shifted our mentality and thought about our business as simply another asset to manage?
In today's episode, Neel & David discuss the pros and cons of thinking about your business as an "Asset", and how that shift in mentality can lead to many positive benefits.
We discuss:
* Why people get an emotional attachment to their business
* Pros / Cons of thinking about your business as an Asset
* How to analyze return-on-investment (both dollars and time!) from your asset
* How to shift your mentality towards your business to reap the most rewards
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Jul 28, 2021
08: Acquisitions Pt 2 - Structuring The Deal To Buy A Local Business
Today's episode is Part 2 of 3 in what we call the "Acquisition Series".
David is working on an acquisition of another local business right now, and David & Neel dive deep into the potential acquisition so the audience can understand how the entire process works and the thought process behind analyzing the deal.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
* The structure of the acquisition
* What items to look at with diligence
* How to increase the value of the company overnight
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Jul 21, 2021
07: From Venture Capital to Running a Remote Local Business - Neel's Story
Have you ever dreamed of quitting your day job and traveling the world?
On the show, Neel shares how he started MaidThis.com, and why he quit his lucrative finance job to start a cleaning business..and how he has never looked back since.
Neel was traveling the world for the last 5 years while scaling his own business and is now franchising this "remote local" business model to motivated entrepreneurs. What You’ll Learn
* Where the idea for MaidThis came along
* How Neel managed his side hustle while working full-time with long hours
* Neel’s top tips for aspiring location independent entrepreneurs
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Jul 14, 2021
06: Acquisitions Pt 1 - Buying a Business vs Starting From Scratch
Ever wondered about the pros / cons of BUYING an existing business versus starting your own business FROM SCRATCH?
Today's episode is Part 1 of 3 in what we call the "Acquisition Series". David & Neel dive deep into the benefits and risks of both scenarios by comparing their own experiences and go over a live acquisition.
In this episode, you'll learn:
* Basic on how to structure local business acquisition deals
* How to find businesses to acquire
* How the entire process works at a high level
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Jul 7, 2021
05: How To Meet People While Traveling
Probably the most common fear for solo travelers is "How will I meet people while traveling?"
The answer: its way easier than you think.
Through their experiences solo traveling for years, Neel & David discuss the traveler community and break down their best tips for making friends and meeting people while globetrotting.
In this episode, Neel & David discuss:
* Best places to meet like-minded people while traveling
* What kind of people/communities exist in the traveler world and what to look for
* The worry of being lonely while traveling to a new place alone
* Mentality of meeting people in the U.S. vs Traveler Community
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Jun 30, 2021
04: Quitting Your Corporate Job To Work On Your Side Hustle Full-Time
Ever dreamed of finally quitting your day job?
Want to start a side hustle but not sure how to manage your time between your full-time job?
In this episode, you'll learn:
* How to manage your time to run your side hustle while working corporate
* Timeline to scale and when you should decide to pull the trigger to quit your full-time job
* Mental hurdles you'll come across and how to overcome them
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Jun 23, 2021
03: Key Benefits Of Remote Life
If you're wondering the true benefits (and drawbacks) of living remotely full-time, this is the episode for you.
Neel & David have both lived abroad for extended periods while managing their local business.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
* Cost of living out of country versus in the United States
* Amenities to think about: Wifi speed, coworking spaces, etc
* Pros/Cons of living abroad and how it impacts your business
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Jun 23, 2021
02: What makes a business a good fit to be 'remote local'?
After listening to Episode 01, you now know the pros and cons of a remote local business model. How the heck do you identify a local business near you that might be a fit?
In this episode, Neel & David deep dive into the key aspects that make a business model a good fit to be remote local, so you can travel the world. They discuss everything you need to watch out for in an ideal business models and things you should avoid.
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Jun 23, 2021
01: Pilot Episode - What Is A Remote Local Business?
What even is a "remote local" business?
In the FIRST episode of the new Remote Local podcast, David & Neel dive into the business model that allows them to travel the world while running a completely local business.
In this episode, you'll learn:
* How to identify a good business model to be "remote local"
* Why this hidden gem business model gives you a HUGE untapped competitive edge
* How to can start your own remote local business
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Jun 23, 2021
Trailer Episode: Welcome to the Remote Local Podcast!
The Remote Local Podcast lets you dive into the minds of two 7-figure entrepreneurs who have figured out how to run their LOCAL businesses completely remotely and travel the world.
We talk about all things that are at the intersection of travel and entrepreneurship. The goal is to allow you to run your own remote local biz and experience total financial and location freedom.
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