[00:02] Welcome to the Show Ryan and Brook welcome Michael Hunter, founder of Spiffy Checkouts, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, marketing, and building scalable businesses.

[01:01] The Accidental Marketing Journey Michael started as an entrepreneur at 17 with commission-only sales, got hooked on Tony Robbins, realized speaking was the highest-paid profession, but knew he needed marketing skills first. Spent 13-14 years learning by getting paid to do marketing for others.

[03:39] Why Commission-Only Sales at 17 "Ruined" Him The summer between high school and college, Michael chose Cutco kitchen knives over $15/hour catering work. Became a raving fanatic for a product he believed in, learned consultative selling vs. sleazy tactics. Brook reveals this as one of his top recruiting centers for trained salespeople.

[08:40] The Miserable Three-Year Grind Failed business partnerships, working alone, constantly losing deals to ex-Infusionsoft employees who had credibility but weren't even good at the software. The breaking point that led to a strategic career move.

[11:13] The 45-Degree Angle Strategy Michael took a pay cut to join Infusionsoft for 16 months, not as a direct path but as strategic positioning. "Sometimes the scenic route is actually the fastest path." Left when it got political, returned to agency work with instant credibility boost.

[14:10] Moving in 45-Degree Angles Explained Not direct line from A to B, but strategic sidesteps that accelerate long-term progress. Like taking the Infusionsoft job - wasn't direct alignment but helped reach end goals faster.

[16:43] From Agency Work to Spiffy Checkouts In the trenches building funnels, websites, copy, ads - knew every tool and limitation. Started custom coding Infusionsoft order forms for big-name clients at $2,500 per checkout page. Realized the opportunity to scale this solution.

[19:30] The Agency Hell Reality Check High-stress clients, crossed boundaries, vacations interrupted by launches. "Can't raise families doing this." Identified 20 software ideas, narrowed to 3, chose Spiffy based on highest opportunity, lowest risk to execute.

[20:19] You're Competing Against Netflix, Not Other Coaches Mobile optimization isn't just mobile-ready, it's optimized for mobile experience. Your competition isn't direct competitors - it's the user experience set by billion-dollar companies like Netflix and Facebook.

[22:29] The Irresistible Offer Foundation Before checkout optimization comes offer optimization. No amount of funnel hacking can fix a broken offer. Must have irresistible offer first, then optimize the experience.

[23:16] What Makes an Irresistible Offer People know what's in their product but fail to explain the benefit of getting that result. Your product is a bridge from point A to point B - stop selling the bridge features, start selling the destination.

[25:41] The Four Forces Framework Effort required, speed to value, certainty of result, and urgency. Cost-to-value contrast: charge 1/3 to 1/10 of perceived value. Example: "5-day workshop" vs "5-hour workshop" completely changed conversion rates.

[28:03] The Xanax vs Meditation Example Effort required, speed to value, certainty, urgency - Xanax wins on all four forces even though meditation is better long-term. How can you make your solution more immediate without compromising quality?

[30:54] Marketing the Long-Term Solution Address symptoms first, guide to core problems. Restaurant owner thinks he needs marketing (symptom) but really needs systems (core problem). Meet them where their awareness is, then elevate their thinking.

[35:59] What Separates Successful Personal Brands Don't copy what big names do NOW - that's not how they got started. Michael logged into Brendan Burchard's simple systems and was shocked. Fo

The Coaching Equation Podcast - Fast Five Friday: Growth, Optimization & Leadership Transformation

**[00:00] **Welcome Back: Growth and Expansion Focus Ryan sets the stage for a power-packed Fast Five Friday centered on the driving force behind both personal and professional transformation—growth never stops demanding your attention.

**[01:15] **Greatness Never Goes on Sale The truth bomb: there's no "arrival moment" where everything gets easier. It's a constant battle, and that's actually comforting. Rory Vaden's wisdom: "Success is never owned, it's rented, and the rent is due every day." Stop waiting for the Memorial Day sale on excellence.

**[04:30] **What Are You Optimizing For? The obsession-worthy question that changes everything. Ryan's revelation with his wife: they'd been optimizing for goals that no longer served them. Better to fail at the new standard that serves your current self than succeed at the old standard serving yesterday's version of you.

**[08:45] **Lewis Carroll's Identity Truth Bomb "It's no use to go back to yesterday because I was a different person then." We're evolving daily at a cellular level—personalities, goals, desires, everything. Stop living in the rearview mirror and beating yourself up for past decisions. You're either going forward or backward, never stagnant.

**[12:20] **Your Clients Have All The Answers The week's revelation: no one seems to be asking their customers anything. Four to five business questions answered this week with "go ask your people." Survey for results, satisfaction levels, current problems. Test hooks and titles on your list. The answers you're desperately seeking are right in front of you.

**[15:45] **Elite Practitioner to Transformational Leader The biggest shift coaches must make as business owners—and the one very few ever make. It's not about chasing marketing tactics; it's about identity transformation. Focus on "who" first, then "what." Even if you're leading a business of one, this shift changes everything.

**[18:30] **Vail Event: A Dream Come True Next Thursday in the Garden of Eden (Vail, Colorado in summer). Ryan's childhood connection to this magical place meets his mission to help coaches make the practitioner-to-leader shift. Limited spaces, application required at quantumempire.io/event.

Connect with Empire Partners: quantumempire.io/event

[01:05] From Division I Volleyball to Leadership Mastery Whitney's earliest leadership lessons came from coaches and teammates—discovering that transformation of the person, not just driving outcomes, is what makes leadership truly powerful and fulfilling.

[03:26] Why "Squeezing the Juice" Always Backfires The single point of failure trap: when leaders micromanage for outcomes, they can't scale. Plus the hidden costs of the "churn and burn" mentality with VAs and team members.

[05:57] The Metrics That Matter for Leadership Retention rates, engagement surveys, internal promotions, and productivity—plus the Gallup bombshell: 70% of employee engagement traces directly to their relationship with their direct leader.

[09:12] The True Cost of Burning Through VAs Why "Google Doc and hope for the best" wastes more time than proper training. The game-changing question: "How do you like to learn things?" tailors your approach and builds lasting team members.

[12:24] Ruthless Prioritization Under Fire When your business feels like chaos, Whitney's barometer: "If prioritization isn't hard, you're not really doing it." Choose quality over quantity, even when the house is on fire.

[15:39] The Courageous Leader Roadmap: Step 1 Define Your Leadership Identity—create 5-7 leadership commitments that guide your decisions. Whitney's examples: "People First Always" and "Assume Best Intent" for navigating conflict.

[19:19] Whitney's Leadership Commitments in Action Address the person before the employee. Stay curious instead of reactive. How defining your leadership identity becomes the ultimate form of accountability.

[23:42] Who Do You Want to Be as a Leader? The reflection framework: Know your strengths and weaknesses, learn from your best and worst leaders, and answer the legacy question—what do you want people to say about your leadership 10 years from now?

[28:26] Step 2: Connect to Inspire Connection isn't "soft"—it's strategic. Avoid the "franager" trap (friend + manager) while showing genuine interest beyond surface-level rapport. Leadership is done WITH people, not TO people.

[35:24] Step 3: Activate Your Power Zone Your mental state is a choice, not chance. Leaders have a responsibility to show up optimally because there are "eyes on you"—your team mirrors how you handle pressure and adversity.

[39:25] The Leadership Reality Check "If you don't want to serve the people you're leading... please don't be a people leader." Why doing it for money, title, or career mobility without genuine care for people's growth always fails.

[43:25] Step 4: Execute with Resilience Turn struggle into strength through the adversity reframe process. Separate emotion from problem-solving while still processing feelings. You stand behind your people in the spotlight, but in front of them under fire.

[47:22] Step 5: Fearless Communication Not being the loudest person or "live tweeting your inner monologue"—that's reckless. True fearless communication is speaking in spite of fear, having difficult conversations swiftly, and contributing your perspective even when uncomfortable.

[51:38] The Ripple Effect of Great Leadership When teams watch you execute with resilience and view adversity as opportunity, organizational problems disappear. Personal responsibility becomes contagious, and performance dips become rare.

[54:01] Skills vs. Self-Development Technical skills hit a ceiling—true leadership comes from developing yourself. Whitney's final mic drop: focus on internal development, not just external skills, to break through growth barriers.

Connect with Whitney: www.whitneyfaires.com

[00:00] A Different Kind of Fast Five
Ryan and Brook pivot from the usual format to dive into a timely and emotional topic—how much time we really have left and how we’re using it.

[01:20] The Power of QTR: Quality Time Remaining
Ryan shares a concept he heard from Ed Mylett—QTR—and how it reframed his thinking about urgency, intentionality, and time.

[02:08] Brook’s Wake-Up Call: Stage 4 Diagnosis
Brook shares the deeply personal news about his father’s cancer diagnosis and how it immediately clarified his perspective on life, legacy, and presence.

[04:46] Two Men, Same Age—Very Different Legacies
Brook contrasts his dad’s response with Tony Robbins’ drive to feed 2 billion people—highlighting how beliefs shape behavior and define our legacy.

[06:18] Done Playing Small
Brook explains how this experience has pushed him to stop playing small and step fully into purpose, impact, and contribution.

[08:14] Pain vs. Suffering: Making the Choice
Brook reveals his mindset shift after the diagnosis—choosing to feel pain without spiraling into suffering—and how it’s informed his approach to supporting his father.

[10:03] The Sleepwalk Effect
Ryan explores how most people live in autopilot mode and how our internal constructs often limit the experiences and results we believe are available to us.

[12:15] The Bold Move: Taking a Day Off
In a rare move, Brook commits to stepping away from work for a full day to prioritize family and presence—challenging the idea that hustle is the only way.

[13:38] Make Room for Your Gifts
Brook shares a powerful quote from Jim Rohn via Tony Robbins: “Your gifts will make room for you.” A reminder to step into who you were made to be.

[14:19] Preview of What’s Next
Ryan and Brook commit to expanding this conversation in a future episode, diving even deeper into how to fully maximize the time we’ve got left.

[03:05] From Bunk Beds to Zig Ziglar
Brook’s uncle, Navy-SEAL-in-training, fills a shared bedroom with personal-development tapes—sparking Brook’s fascination with influence and landing him a high-end restaurant job that doubles his peers’ tips.

[08:42] Two Months, Zero Sales
A brutal start in timeshare sales ends with a 92 % close rate, an $80 k month, and a lifelong belief: master the lowest-quality leads and everything else gets easier.

[18:55] Relationship Selling at Buffini & Company
Personality profiling (“You said, but I heard…”) teaches Brook to tailor every conversation, sets new revenue records, and plants the seeds of his future Close Everyone framework.

[26:14] Fired on Friday, 30 Clients by Monday
After an unexpected termination, Brook launches his own coaching practice—walking into 50 real-estate offices, offering free training, and signing 30 paying clients in 30 days.

[35:48] Day 1 at Tony Robbins
No chair, no leads, “that desk is cursed”—yet Brook nets $98,670 in his first month by mining overlooked leads and letting results, not volume, do the talking.

[46:37] Tripling Income, Halving Hours
A two-hour dawn ritual (“How do I triple my income and cut my hours in half?”) yields a repeatable sales system that scales across a newly remote team.

[57:22] Scaling Business Mastery to $33 M
Brook turns a struggling division into a zero-ad-spend powerhouse, then closes with the two WHYs every coach must answer: your personal why and your client’s transformational why—meet both, and sales take care of themselves.

Episode Highlights

00:01 – Why communication is the missing skill in leadership, sales, and coaching
01:13 – The shocking stat about managers and communication training
02:54 – Marcus’ early experiences that sparked his obsession with asking better questions
06:17 – A baptism gone wrong… and the moment that revealed the true power of questions
08:40 – How asking the right questions transformed a tense moment into connection and clarity
11:10 – The childhood experience that exposed the cost of miscommunication
13:41 – “It’s dumb not to dumb it down”: Why trying to sound smart is costing you influence
16:55 – The #1 KPI every sales team should track: "No one has ever asked me that before."
18:41 – The most powerful question in discovery (and why it's not “why”)
23:28 – Introducing “The Pathfinder” and the quadrant that reveals your communication identity
26:22 – Dictator, Lawyer, Instructor, Pathfinder: Which one are you?
29:45 – Why real leadership means not being the hero
31:44 – Solopreneurs beware: Why great salespeople often struggle as leaders
35:23 – The Pushback Pivot: A simple technique to stay curious (and disarm objections)
40:09 – Why defending kills authority—and what to do instead
41:08 – The “Question Only Game” (and how to use it to lead someone to their own insight)
45:10 – The 3 P’s of a perfect question: Progress, Purpose, Path
48:28 – A real-life communication test: Solving a personal crisis in under 60 seconds
52:35 – The magic question that created a breakthrough (and why it worked)
54:11 – Why true mastery in communication comes from decades of obsession

Links Mentioned

• Marcus Sheridan’s book: They Ask, You Answer
• Learn more about Marcus: https://marcussheridan.com

Episode Highlights

• [00:01] Meet Angie Boynton, Contract Law Expert
  Angie shares her journey from litigator to contract law specialist—and why she believes contracts are the foundation of every business relationship.
• [06:12] Contracts Are About Clarity, Not Combat
  Contracts aren’t swords or shields—they’re the structure for how two people agree to work together. Angie explains why mission-driven coaches need to shift how they think about legal agreements.
• [10:47] Why “Borrowed Contracts” Can Cost You Everything
  Angie shares real examples of coaches posting online asking for contract templates—even after landing their “dream client”—and why this approach is dangerously short-sighted.
• [13:59] What Happens When a Client Refuses to Sign?
  Ryan and Angie explore how your contract should reflect your values—and how to respond when a prospect won’t agree to your terms.
• [17:03] Scope Creep and the Danger of Overgiving
  The most common boundary violation in coaching: doing more than you agreed to. Angie breaks down how to protect yourself without compromising service.
• [19:45] The Five Clauses Every Coaching Contract Should Include
  Angie walks through her 5 must-haves in every agreement:
  1. Correct Legal Name (and what to do if you use a DBA)
  2. Confidentiality Language (to protect your IP and your client’s privacy)
  3. Force Majeure Clause (what happens when life happens)
  4. Clear Obligations (for both coach and client)
  5. End Date (so you know when your responsibilities are complete)
• [44:52] The Truth About “Lifetime Access”
  Angie shares how to define and limit “lifetime access” in a way that’s legally clear and doesn’t trap you in unrealistic client expectations.

Links Mentioned:

• Free Contract Download + IP Risk Quiz
  Get Angie’s client agreement template and take her copycat risk quiz at: www.happyatlaw.com

Episode Highlights

• [00:01] Health and Fitness Should Be Job #1
  Ryan shares wisdom from health icon Mark Sisson and reflects on how even high performers let their health slide—and why it’s time to prioritize your body like your business depends on it.
  
  
  
• [03:16] When Business Feels Like Drowning
  A powerful lesson from Rob Dyrdek and a Navy SEAL mantra: “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” When chaos hits in business, slow down, breathe, and move intentionally.
  
  
  
• [06:50] Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today a Gift
  A quote from Bill Keane reminds us to stop chasing the horizon and start honoring the present. Ryan challenges you to embrace “blissful dissatisfaction.”
  
  
  
• [10:07] What’s Your Level of Urgency?
  Are you coasting—or chasing your goals like your house is on fire? Ryan explains how losing urgency erodes momentum, and why acting with intensity changes everything.
  
  
  
• [14:37] It’s Not the Circumstance—It’s the Meaning You Assign to It
  After a serious car accident involving his mom, Ryan shares a heartfelt reminder: the meaning you attach to challenges defines your experience—and you can choose a new one.
  
  
  

🔗 Links Mentioned:

• More from The Coaching Equation – Visit: coachingequation.com