In this episode, Neel chats with Jose Berlanga, a successful entrepreneur who has achieved multimillionaire status across four distinct industries. Jose shares his journey, discussing the challenges and setbacks he faced, the importance of adaptability, and the reality of entrepreneurship beyond financial success. He emphasizes the need for personal development and the ongoing nature of entrepreneurial growth, while also addressing the misconceptions surrounding financial freedom and the pursuit of happiness in business.

Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship is filled with uncertainty and challenges.
• Don't wait for the perfect opportunity; take action instead.
• Setbacks are learning experiences, not failures.
• Recognize when to pivot based on market feedback.
• Personal development is crucial for business success.
• Financial freedom does not guarantee happiness.
• Evaluate your business regularly to identify issues.
• Quitting a business is not the same as moving on.
• Your problems evolve as you achieve success.
• Focus on purpose and the impact of your work.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights:

➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparekh Follow Jose: ➙ Website: ⁠https://joseberlanga.com/

Neel chats Austin Linney about his journey from addiction to success. Austin shares his origin story, including his introduction to entrepreneurship through the book 'Rich Dad Poor Dad.' He discusses his struggles with addiction and the pivotal moments that led him to make positive changes in his life. The conversation also explores the concept of change and the importance of understanding oneself in order to make meaningful transformations. Austin emphasizes the value of investing in oneself and making decisions that align with personal values and goals. In this conversation, Austin Linney discusses the importance of making intentional decisions and being mindful of the impact they have on our lives. He emphasizes the need to prioritize and focus on the few decisions that truly matter, rather than getting caught up in the daily minutiae. Austin also shares the power of self-reflection and unpacking the stories and beliefs that shape our behavior. He suggests developing one new habit at a time and gradually building on it for long-term success. Austin talks about his motivation for acquiring a home service business and his goal of creating good jobs and serving families. He also shares his approach to designing a lifestyle that allows for both productivity and freedom.

Takeaways

• Austin Linney's journey from addiction to success highlights the power of personal transformation.
• Understanding oneself and making meaningful changes is crucial for personal and professional growth.
• Investing in oneself and making decisions that align with personal values and goals is essential for success.
• The concept of change can apply to various aspects of life, including relationships, business partnerships, and career choices. Focus on the few decisions that truly matter and have a significant impact on your life.
• Unpack the stories and beliefs that shape your behavior and challenge them if necessary.
• Develop one new habit at a time and gradually build on it for long-term success.
• Acquiring a business can be a way to create good jobs and serve families.
• Design a lifestyle that allows for both productivity and freedom by prioritizing and scheduling your time effectively.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparekh Follow Austin and his journey here: ➙ Instagram: @austin_linney ➙ Website: https://www.austinlinney.com/

In this episode, Neel chats with Adam Goldman, a franchise coach with experience in franchise placement. They discuss the role of a franchise coach, the types of people who are a good fit for franchising, and how to evaluate franchise brands. Adam emphasizes the importance of cultural fit and getting to know the person behind the franchisee. They also touch on the misconception that franchising is a passive investment and the need for active involvement. Adam shares his experience as a master franchisor for Vanguard Cleaning and the support they provided to franchisees.

Takeaways

• A franchise coach helps potential franchisees navigate the process of finding the right franchise brand for them.
• Franchising is not for everyone. It requires following a system and having some business acumen.
• Cultural fit is important when evaluating franchise brands. It's crucial to find a brand that aligns with your values and goals.
• Franchising is not a passive investment. It requires active involvement and time commitment.
• Different franchise brands offer different levels of support and resources for franchisees.
• If you're interested in franchising, consider working with a franchise coach to find the best fit for you.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content.

Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights:

➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠

➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠

➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek

Follow Adam here:

➙ Social Media: ⁠⁠ ⁠@FranchisecoachG

➙ ⁠Website: https://www.franchisecoach.net/ or http://www.franchiseadam.com

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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 employees.

Enjoy the episode!

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!

Tim Michael, founder of Kickstart My Franchise, shares his expertise in the world of franchising. He discusses his background and how he got into franchise brokerage. Tim provides insights on evaluating franchise brands, including the importance of looking beyond financials and considering factors like the item 19 and item 20 in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). He emphasizes the value of talking to existing franchisees to get a real sense of the brand's support and success. Tim also discusses different business models and the importance of considering one's comfort with sales and networking. He advises potential franchisees to be cautious of brands that grow too fast and to evaluate the support and capitalization of the franchisor. Lastly, Tim highlights the significance of budget and motivation in choosing the right franchise brand.

Takeaways

• Evaluate franchise brands beyond financials by considering factors like the item 19 and item 20 in the FDD.
• Talk to existing franchisees to get a real sense of the brand's support and success.
• Consider your comfort with sales and networking when choosing a business model.
• Be cautious of brands that grow too fast and evaluate the support and capitalization of the franchisor.
• Budget and motivation are key factors in choosing the right franchise brand.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Tim here: ➙ Social Media: ⁠⁠ ⁠@kickstartmyfranchise ➙ ⁠https://kickstartmyfranchise.com/

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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 up with him on Twitter @mitkoka.

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.

Orlando Reyla, owner of MaidThis St. Pete Clearwater, shares his journey of starting a cleaning business while still working a nine-to-five job. He discusses the challenges of balancing both and the support he received from his family. Orlando emphasizes the importance of having a clear why and being prepared for the hard work and challenges that come with entrepreneurship. He also shares his learnings, including the importance of delegating and building a remote team, and the value of the support system provided by the MaidThis franchise.

Takeaways

• Balancing a nine-to-five job and starting a business requires time management and dedication.
• Having a clear why and motivation is crucial for staying committed to the entrepreneurial journey.
• Delegating and building a remote team can help scale a business and free up time for other responsibilities.
• Challenges and mistakes are part of the process, and learning from them is essential for growth.
• Being part of a supportive community and having access to resources can greatly contribute to business success.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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. :-)

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.

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.

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!

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 $2M annually in revenue, check out Donald's course, Call Center Cash, his YouTube channel, or find him on Twitter.

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!

In this episode, Neel chats with Trenton Hughes, the founder of a venture studio called TRIBE. They discuss the concept of venture studios, Trenton's journey from corporate to entrepreneurship, and the importance of finding freedom through aligning with personal values. Trenton also shares his experience of burnout and the lessons he learned from it. He emphasizes the need for community and support for entrepreneurs, which led him to start TRIBE. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of finding fulfillment and balance in entrepreneurship. Takeaways

• Venture studios are a newer model of entrepreneurship that focus on creating new ventures rather than just investing in existing ones.
• Finding freedom in entrepreneurship is not just about making money, but also aligning with personal values and finding fulfillment in day-to-day activities.
• Burnout is a common experience for entrepreneurs, and it is important to prioritize mental and emotional health.
• Having a supportive community and network of like-minded individuals can greatly benefit entrepreneurs.
• Tribe is a community and support network for early-stage entrepreneurs, providing peer groups, retreats, and other resources at a more affordable price point.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Winslow here: ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠ ⁠@trentjhughes

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.

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!  

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!

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.

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!

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 :-)

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.

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.

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 here.

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!

Winslow Marshall, founder of Neoteric Brands, shares his journey from corporate to entrepreneurship and the challenges he faced along the way. He discusses the benefits of gaining experience in a fully formed company before starting his own business and the value of starting earlier in entrepreneurship. Winslow also talks about his experience as a digital nomad and the freedom it provided. He explains how he decided on his business model and the importance of community in growing CPG brands. He shares the challenges of entrepreneurship, including the scarcity of attention and the need for cash flow management. Winslow emphasizes the flexibility and focus that entrepreneurship brings to his day-to-day life and the concept of freedom in entrepreneurship.

Takeaways

• Gaining experience in a fully formed company before starting your own business can provide valuable knowledge and skills.
• Starting earlier in entrepreneurship can have benefits in terms of gaining experience and taking risks.
• Being a digital nomad offers a unique sense of freedom and the opportunity to explore different locations.
• Community is important in growing consumer goods brands and leveraging community can be a successful business model.
• Entrepreneurship comes with challenges such as the scarcity of attention and the need for cash flow management.
• Entrepreneurship provides flexibility and the ability to work on your own terms, but also requires focus and intensity.
• Freedom in entrepreneurship includes location independence, time independence, and the ability to work on your interests.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Winslow here: ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠ ⁠@winslowmarshall⁠ ➙ ⁠https://www.neotericbrands.com/

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.

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!

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!