Title: We Have Made It, Just Not Quite Yet!

As I sit down to write this, I reflect on my journey towards success. My name is James Holly, and since a young age, I have been obsessed with the idea of respect and power. Although I never directly chased money, I soon realised that it was the byproduct of these two things. So, I decided to set out on a journey to become rich.

I have had many stepping stones in my journey towards success, and I will be sharing all of them with you. At this point, I can say that I am not yet rich, but I have captured the byproducts of success - respect and power. I have two established companies, Only-100 limited sneakers and Only-100 digital website design.

My interest in art started when I was young, and I loved the idea of creating something that people would love and appreciate. I now realise that I loved the recognition for my hard work, and it has become addictive.

Let me take you back to when I was 15-16 years old. I was interested in creating an animated show called "Potato people." Looking back, I know that it was a silly idea, but the journey I took through creating this show was essential for my growth. It was the first big project that I followed through, and it taught me to hone my concentration skills and how to create animations. This was a key part of my start.

I remember feeling dissatisfied with my production quality, so I decided to create one animation every day for a year to improve my animation skills. I ended up with 365 animations that I later monetized. I will get into that later. The most important lesson that this project taught me was that nothing is out of reach. This lesson has become a recurring theme in my life.

Another crucial lesson that I learned during this time was not to listen to the "goons" who say that something is dumb or not possible. I firmly believe that anyone can do anything they set their minds to. I was not the best in class, but I refused to settle for the minimum. I always strived to do better and improve.

One extra lesson that I want to share with you is to focus on what you can do instead of what you can't do. Don't waste your time helping someone else when you could be using it to help yourself.

My journey towards success has been filled with many lessons, and I have come a long way. I have not yet reached my ultimate goal, but I am on the right path, and I know that I will get there eventually. Success, to me, is the habit of doing the job right repeatedly. My grandad told me that, You'll hear a lot about him in this story, I'm sure.

Occasionally throughout this book I will cut to moment’s that are currently happening in my life as they are fresh in my head.

As I sit here typing this, I can't help but think about how the smallest moments in life can sometimes lead to the biggest revelations. Yesterday, on April 15th, 2023, I stumbled upon a TikTok video about breaking the housing market. Now, I'm no stranger to the fact that many of these "get rich quick" schemes on social media are full of nonsense, but this one caught my attention.

The video itself didn't offer much in the way of concrete information, but it did make me ponder, "How can I actually break the housing market?" While the guy in the video was certainly not an expert, he did offer one solid piece of advice - instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, use that time to check listings on Right Move, a housing app.

This morning, I decided to take his advice and check out some properties on Right Move. To my surprise, I found a few that looked promising. Now, I don't know if this will lead to anything, but it's a step in the right direction.

The reason I wanted to share this moment in my life is because it reminded me that inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Sometimes, the smallest piece of advice or insight can lead to a major breakthrough.

In this book, I'll be sharing my journey on how I've taken inspiration from various sources to get to where I am today. And who knows, maybe one day I'll look back on this moment as the catalyst that led me to "breaking" the housing market. But for now, I'll keep listening with intent and staying open to new ideas - even if they come from TikTok.

Now let's backtrack. Looking back, I can see that certain moments in my life were truly pivotal. I call them key moments - situations where I had an epiphany that changed everything. And this one, this was a big one. It set all of the dominoes in motion.

At the time, I was still in college. I had moved from Bournemouth College to Weymouth College to learn more about film and TV. My thinking was that if I learned how to make everything, animation, film, audio and everything you can think of - rather than someone needing to go and find 50 different people to do 50 different things - I alone would be able to do them all, making me more valuable as an individual, not just as a set. And it worked, having knowledge in every trade now even now psychology, is one of my strongest superpowers!

It had been about a year since I stopped making my animated series. At this point, I had decided to concentrate on my grades. Looking back now, it's funny because I know that grades mean nothing. At that moment in time, I was brainwashed by everyone around me, so it was my primary focus.

Then came the assignment to build a TV show - to make the set, film it, come up with an idea, and get guests on. Our team decided that we needed a budget. Raising money seemed like the only way to make it happen. I can't remember whose idea it was, but one of us would go into shops and make adverts for them at £50 a time. We would explain what the money was for: our grades, essentially.

I was the one who spoke with the shop owners in Weymouth, and that's when I learned something truly life-changing. And it wasn't just that you could sell adverts - I already knew that.

People do things for a reason, and it's not just a trivial statement. If you think about it, every action we take is driven by a purpose or motive. Let me give you an example to illustrate my point. Once, I saw two men having a conversation, and one of them asked the other to move a glass. The second man refused, but when the first man explained that the glass was about to fall off the table, the second man quickly moved it. This incident taught me that if you have a good enough reason for someone to do something, they will do it, and they'll do it quickly.

My grandad also shared a wise saying with me that has stuck with me to this day, "It's not what it is, it's what it does." This means that the value of something is determined by what it can do for you, not just what it is. For instance, an advertisement may just be a piece of paper or a video, but it has the potential to make money for the business that created it.

Another important lesson I learned from my dad is that there are three key pieces of information you need to start a successful business. These questions are "What are you selling?", "Who's going to buy it?", and "Where can you find them?" If you have the answers to these questions, you have the fundamentals of your business.

I still use these three questions today when I'm brainstorming business ideas. For example, I recently decided to start a sneaker business. So, I asked myself, "What am I selling?" Sneakers. "Who's going to buy them?" Famous people. "Where can you find them?" Check companies' houses for their main office registration from their legal name and send them a sneaker! By answering these three questions, I was able to come up with a solid plan for my business.

If you want to accomplish something, you need to have a good reason to give so that they will do it. And if you want to start a successful business, you need to answer the three fundamental questions of "What are you selling?", "Who's going to buy it?", and "Where can you find them?"

I can even use this for other factors in  business, I thought to myself. I had a clear idea of what I was selling - a waiter's job role. And who was going to buy it? A waiter, of course. The next question was, where could I find them? The answer was simple - in restaurants. So I decided to take a proactive approach and headed out to dinner with my business cards in hand. I sat in a couple of restaurants and observed the waiters. If I saw a good waiter working in a branch, I could be sure they were underpaid. That's because in most branches, you're just a number. If I liked them, I handed them my card and said I had a job for them. This was for a friend of mine, I made adverts for, who said he can’t find waiters.

My granddad had always told me that in life, it's not always about the answers you find; sometimes, the most important thing is the questions you ask. Ask the right questions, and you'll get the right answers. And so, armed with my granddad's wisdom, I began my journey.

I had raised a fair bit of money, and I was good at it. But now, I understood that my next step was to learn how to properly sell because I wanted to sell them for £75 to £100 rather than £50. It's all good having the product, but if you don't know how to sell it, nobody is going to care. It was a hard pill to swallow, but it was true.

To give you some background on my family, there were three key people who had helped me get to where I was - my Nan, Grandad, and Dad. Although there were more, they would appear in the story when their time came. My grandad was a salesman, and he could sell anything. Not only was he good at it, but he also managed to run companies and was a highly coveted asset for almost anyone he had worked with. He had run numerous businesses, from small scale to very large scale, and had even branded some major products. Yes, the rooster on the front of the Kellogg's cereal box was his doing.

Moving on to my dad, he was a caravan salesman. People always assumed he was in some rubbish job, but in reality, he was probably making more money than most people reading this. Why? Because he was the best at what he did. Different companies were fighting over him, and I had seen it first hand.

Lastly, my Nan was the sweetest lady you will ever meet, and one of the most intelligent. She was an accountant and bookmaker and organiser for major organisations, and if you sat down and listened to her, she could explain things that you would struggle to learn even with Google at your fingertips. All of them were important to me, and their advice and guidance had helped me get to where I was today.

The history of my family was important because it tied into a lot of the steps I took in my journey, I'm sure you can see why. I learned that it's important to listen to everyone with intent because someone always knows something that you don't.

Now there were some other things that happened between raising money for college and writing my first sales pitch. So, I'm going to cover them as they all contain lesions. Just keep in mind, advice from my family was consistent throughout this section. 

Introducing ‘Evan’. Even was one of the boys I was working with on my college project. We needed to raise money for the project, and that's when I met Evan. Evan was really quite clever, academically sound, and was the producer for the show. He also noticed how much money was made through selling adverts, so we decided to team up and make JH media.

Before Evan joined me, I had already made a website for the adverts and digital products, but being dyslexic, my writing was terrible. Ironic, right? A dyslexic guy writing a book, I'm not going to let that stop me. Nothing a bit of grammarly can't fix. I hope you didn't forget. Never let people tell you what you can or can't do! 

Moving forward, Evan checked over my site and found a lot of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. He offered to fix it for free, but I insisted on paying him a small fee, which he refused. This moment was when I decided that I wanted to work with him, and we formed a partnership, making Evan a part-owner of JH media.

Evan's job was to handle all written work, while I took care of the creation and sales. Together, we were unstoppable. I remember it as ‘we sold millions of adverts’. In all honesty we sold a lot at a cheap price, and it was a small success. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: identify your weaknesses and find someone who can do what you can’t. We all have limitations, and acknowledging them is the first step to growth.

I'm sitting here writing this book and I can't help but wonder how a dyslexic guy like me is even writing a book. But the answer is simple; even if everything fails, what I have done cannot be for nothing. I can’t allow it. I have my story, the lessons I have learned, and if nothing else, that will be my success. Writing this book is my way of sharing my journey and inspiring others to keep pushing forward, regardless of their limitations.

My friend Evan and I spent around a year together, grinding and visiting every single shop in Weymouth to sell our video advert. We were only 17 years old, so people tended to underestimate us. However, we caught them off guard when we sat down with them and actually knew what we were talking about. My grandad had taught me that a sale is reaching agreements logically, I had put this into practice during our sales pitches.

When I was younger, I faced a lot of barriers because of my age, but I didn't let that stop me. In fact, I turned it into my secret weapon. I remember attending two meetings that gave me a great sense of accomplishment, even though I can't recall the exact reasons why. One was with a ceramics shop that produced pots and plates, while the other was with a jewellery store. The jeweller was a tough customer and seemed unimpressed with our youth. He pushed us hard to prove how we could improve his business, how he could use our services, and where he could use them. It was a lot of pressure for me, as I was used to people just saying "yes" or "no" to a video advert.

But this experience taught me a valuable lesson: the bigger your presentation, the lower the price. The more you explain about what your product or service can do for a customer (not just what it is), the smaller the price tag becomes in their mind. And that's exactly what I did in that meeting with the jeweller. I had the answers, and I was able to think fast on my feet. It was a turning point for me, and I learned that age didn't have to be a barrier if I had the right mindset and tools. From that day on, I started to focus on making bigger and better presentations for my customers, which allowed me to offer more value in the customers mind. This approach has served me well over the years, and it's a trick that I still use today.

I remember the time when I went to the jeweller's shop to pitch my digital advertising services. As I walked in, I was greeted by a friendly face behind the counter. "Hello, is the boss about?" I asked. "Yeah, that's me," he replied.

I took a deep breath and began my pitch. "I was wondering if you would be interested in an advert?" I asked. "I already advertise," he replied.

Undeterred, I continued, "Oh, what type of adverts do you run now?" He told me that he had an ad in the local paper.

I explained, "Well, this is a digital advert. When you have an advert in the papers, it's in one place. Also, the papers get sent out once a week, meaning your advert is shown to eyes only once a week. And if it rains on the day that your paper is sent out, guess what? No one will see your ad. However, with the video ad that I can create for you, it plays consistently, never takes a break. The paper is for one week, but the advert I can make is new and high-end, so you'll be presented in a better manner to your competition. Plus, it runs 24 hours forever, unless the internet dies, of course."

I could have just walked out of the store when he told me he already advertised, but I knew I had to paint a bigger picture and add more value to my product. In fact, with the right presentation, you can walk into a shop and walk out with a contract for £750. I have done this before, and I knew that I had the secret to success when I learned a very powerful tool. Don’t worry, I will show you this tool later.

I needed him to see the potential of my services. The video ad I could create for him was more than just a video. It was a way for him to showcase his products and services in a way that would make him stand out from his competitors. Everyone’s ears perk up when you mention their competitors.

In the end, my presentation worked, and the jeweller decided to give my services a try. It was a small victory, but it gave me the confidence to keep going and keep improving my skills.

By painting a bigger picture, I added more value to our product, and it was now worth more than just a video.

Now for the Cosmetics shop and it turned out to be a great learning experience for me. As soon as I entered the shop, I approached the store manager and introduced myself. After a brief conversation, I asked her if she would be interested in an advert for her shop.

To my surprise, the store owner asked if she could help plan and build their advert. It was a light bulb moment for me because I realised that involving the customer in the process of building their advert could be a powerful tool.

Here's why it works: when a customer invests time and effort into planning and building their advert, they become emotionally attached to it. It's not just your advert anymore, it's their advert that you have helped them create. This emotional connection can make all the difference in closing the deal.

After discussing the details, I started working on the advert with the store manager. We brainstormed ideas, worked on the design and layout, and finally, we created an advert that she was very happy with.

This experience taught me that involving the customer in the creation process can be a very effective tool in sales. It's not just about selling a product, it's about building a relationship with your customer and making them feel invested in what they're buying. Get them involved.

I still use this trick today. I remember when I first started thinking about how to promote my Only-100 sneakers. I knew that having a famous person endorse my shoes would be a huge boost, but I didn't want to pay for it. I had seen too many cases where paid endorsements resulted in minimum effort from the celebrity. So, I had to come up with a better plan.

That's when I came up with the build a bear theory. I realised that if I sat down with each famous person and let them design their own custom shoe within my brand, I could give them a cut of the profits. This would accomplish two things.

First, the celebrities would feel invested in the project and would work harder to make it a success. They would promote it on their end more because they wanted it to do well. Second, it would make them more likely to promote it because they could make more money if they sold more shoes. And, as an added bonus, I was safeguarded because if they didn't promote it, I wouldn't lose anything.

I knew this was a risky move, but I also knew it had the potential for huge rewards. So, I started reaching out to celebrities and offering them the chance to design their own shoes within my brand. Some turned me down, but others jumped at the chance. We are still in the process of creating all of the designs. 

I had a brilliant idea that would really grab the attention of potential clients. I wanted to further intrigue them by sending them a shoe along with our proposal. This way, they would have a chance to experience our product firsthand, and not just any shoe, but one that was branded specifically for them. An example of what we can do for them.

I truly believed that this approach would help our clients to visualise the concept in a more personal way. I've always believed that being personal is better when it comes to making connections with people. People won't take action unless they can imagine themselves doing it first, and this unique approach would provide them with the perfect opportunity to do just that.

So, I pitched my idea to the team and we have been working hard to make it a reality. We sourced high-quality shoes and had them custom-branded with our client's logos. When we sent out the proposal, we included the shoe, knowing that it would leave a lasting impression.

I can't tell you if it worked yet because this is something that is still in motion but I'm sure that later on in this book you will find out firsthand. Sometimes taking a risk and thinking outside the box can pay off big time.

I would like to interject quickly, yesterday 18th of April, I had the chance to participate in a photoshoot in London for our company's shoes. We wanted to capture natural images of the shoes, which would help people imagine themselves wearing them. This was crucial, as we wanted to showcase the shoes on our website.

However, what stood out to me during this particular shoot was the attention we were getting from the people around us. We were in central London with 30-40 pairs of shoes, and although I'm used to gaining attraction, this was different. Everyone was watching us, and I couldn't help but think of a way to take advantage of this opportunity to increase our brand's exposure.

That's when I had an idea. While we were making all this noise during the shoot, why not do a side of panfileting and hand out flyers to people passing by? I thought it could be an excellent way to make people aware of our company and products while creating our media.

I explained to my team that handing out flyers had a couple of advantages. Firstly, people would have a mnemonic device to connect with our product, making them remember it for longer. Secondly, it would give people the chance to experience our company interacting with them first hand, making them feel more comfortable with our brand.

The photoshoot was a great success, and we got some fantastic shots of our shoes. However, the experience also gave me an excellent idea to increase our brand exposure and make people aware of our products by handing out flyers during future shoots.

During the photoshoot in London yesterday for our company's shoes, we didn't just take the shoes, but a full shoe kit that included laces, bag, box, certificate, and a wrapped pair of shoes. We had planned to make an unboxing video in a scenic location in London, and as we were filming, a young man approached us and asked about our shoot.

We told him about our company, Only-100, and he seemed interested in what we were doing. We asked him if he would like to participate in a reaction video, and in return, he could keep the shoe kit. He agreed, and as we started filming with him, people around us became curious and started watching. It was a great way to engage with the public and get more interaction from them.

This experience inspired me to come up with another idea. Although it's been done before, I thought it would be great to take three or four full shoe kits and make people play a game to win the shoes. The game should be hard but not impossible, and we could film the entire process to create compelling content. It's also important to have a lot of leaflets to give out during these shoots to ensure people remember our brand.

Overall, the photoshoot was a huge success, and we got some fantastic photos. But what made it even more exciting were these little ideas and revolutions that we came up with during the shoot. I'm looking forward to incorporating them into our future shoots and see how they can elevate our brand and increase our exposure.

I'm sure you can see as I come back to write this book on different days I have new , fresh stories to tell but now it's time to go back to the past. It's been a while since I thought about the short film we made, 'The paper bag man', and the lessons I learned from that experience. The production was a big deal - we had around ten people working on it, and the group had raised funds to bring the project to life. As for my involvement, I had made the largest donation of £300, which was a lot of money at that time.

It was around the same time that I met with the jewellers' shop, and I remember feeling excited about the potential for both projects. Unfortunately, 'The paper bag man' never got finished, and I want to share the reason why this is an important lesson about controllables.

You see, there were things we couldn't control during the production process. We had issues with the location, equipment, and even the weather. These factors created delays and setbacks, which led to a decline in morale among the team. It was frustrating to see all of our hard work and resources go to waste, but we couldn't control external factors. Even with all of these uncontrollable factors, it's still not the reason it didn't get finished. I'm sure the main reason will surprise you.

However, what we could control was our reaction to the situation. We could choose to let these setbacks discourage us and give up on the project, or we could learn from the experience and use it as motivation to do better next time. In hindsight, I realised that it was essential to focus on what we could control and not let the uncontrollable factors get us down.

Reflecting on 'The paper bag man' and why it never reached completion, I realised that the main reason was laziness. The people I was working with were lazy, and unfortunately, that is something that you can't control or count on, even if you pay someone to do a job.

It was frustrating to see that despite our efforts to fundraise, plan, and execute the project, some team members didn't put in their maximum effort. It wasn't just one or two people either; it was a few people who were slacking off, and their lack of effort affected the entire project.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson about working with people. You can't control someone's work ethic or motivation, even if you provide them with everything they need to succeed. However, what you can control is the people you choose to work with, and it's essential to choose individuals who share your vision and work ethic.

Another lesson I learned is the importance of accountability. While you can't control someone's work ethic, you can hold them accountable for their actions. It's crucial to set expectations and communicate effectively with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page.

In the end, 'The paper bag man' never reached completion, but the experience taught me valuable lessons about working with people, focusing on controllables, and holding individuals accountable.

I believe in a philosophy that I hold very close to my heart, something that I practise every day - OQP, which stands for only quality people. I strongly believe that you can only be as strong as the weakest link in your team, and therefore, it's essential to surround yourself with people who are quality individuals.

To me, quality people are those who are driven, ambitious, and have a positive mindset. These people inspire me and push me to be better, to achieve more. They don't just sit back and watch life go by; they go out and make things happen. They are go-getters.

Conversely, it's crucial to distance yourself from people who are negative, toxic or hold you back. While it may seem difficult to leave behind people that you care about, sometimes it's for the best. By surrounding yourself with quality people, you not only improve yourself, but you also create an environment that fosters growth and development.

As humans, we tend to adopt the mindset and behaviours of those around us. We believe what others believe and find achievable, and we fall into the trap of comfortable complacency. I can't recall who said it, but there's a saying that I like - "if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room." This makes perfect sense to me. It's essential to surround ourselves with people who challenge us, people who inspire us, and people who make us better.

While it may be tempting to stick with the familiar, the comfort zone, and not improve, we must remember that we can always be better. By embracing the OQP philosophy and surrounding ourselves with quality individuals, we create an environment that fosters growth and development. I genuinely believe that not only should you leave behind people that are dragging you down but it will be better for you and them. 

I know what you might be thinking, "How can it be better for them?" You may believe that leaving behind people who are holding you back is selfish, but that's not always the case. Sometimes, by moving forward without them, you can break their mindset and show them that what they thought was impossible can be achieved.

In fact, I've seen it happen before. By setting an example and demonstrating what can be done, you can inspire others to push beyond their limits and achieve their goals. Many people are sceptical and don't believe something is possible until they see it with their own eyes. Therefore, sometimes the best thing you can do is to show them.

I'm not suggesting that we abandon people without a second thought. It's important to have empathy and compassion for those around us. However, we should also recognize that we have a responsibility to ourselves to surround ourselves with quality individuals who inspire and motivate us. It's a delicate balance, but we must strike it to achieve success and growth.

By leaving behind those who are holding us back, we can create a positive ripple effect. We can inspire others to take action and pursue their dreams. It's not just about us, it's also about the impact we can have on the people around us.

Sometimes it's necessary to leave behind those who are dragging us down to move forward in life. While it may seem selfish, it can be beneficial for both us and them. By setting an example and demonstrating what's possible, we can inspire others to take action and pursue their dreams. It's not just about us, it's about the positive impact we can have on the people around us.

Okay, let me take you back to the time when I made my very first sales pitch. I was just 18 and living in Bognor Regis with my nan and grandad. At the time, I was eager to make a name for myself and hungry for success.

My living expenses were minimal as my rent was only £40 a week, which gave me the freedom to explore different opportunities. I managed to land a photography job at TAO, which paid me £135 a week. However, the job was in the evenings, leaving my days completely free.

I was determined to start selling my video adverts in Bognor and discussed my plans with my grandad. He had a wealth of experience in sales and taught me everything he knew.

That afternoon, I was ready to pitch my first advert, but I was nervous and unsure of what price to ask for. My grandad suggested that I ask for £750 for just one advert, which was a significant jump from my original price of £75.

You're probably wondering how I managed to do that, right? Well, my grandad taught me a secret tool that would help me sell my adverts for a higher price. He showed me how to highlight the unique value of my product and create a sense of urgency in my potential customers.

Using his tips, I successfully sold my first advert for £750, which was an incredible accomplishment for me. From that day forward, I continued to use my grandad's secret tool to sell my video adverts successfully.

I needed to make my presentation huge, and my grandad had a rough layout in mind. First, I will introduce myself and explain what I do. Then, I would move on to explaining what my service does. To start, I showcased the video adverts that I create for social media or any platform where video content can be used. This is what it is, now to show what it does.

But I knew that I needed to dig deeper and gather more information from my potential clients. So, I began asking questions such as, "Have you ever advertised before?" and "Where have you advertised previously, or do you currently advertise?" These questions were crucial because they allowed me to gather all the information that I could use to persuade them. I was gathering my bullets.

Let me lay out an example to make it easier for you to visualise. For instance, if they were currently advertising in the newspapers for £30 a week on the left-hand side of the page with three other ads, being 1 out of 4 on the page.

I have a theory that I call the Build-A-Bear approach when it comes to creating adverts. Essentially, it involves spending a significant amount of time building a relationship with the client and working with them to craft an advertisement that they are truly invested in. I firmly believe that people are more likely to put in the work required for a successful campaign if they feel like they have ownership over it and are personally invested in its success.

When I first meet with a client, I always start by showing them examples of my previous work and discussing my process with them. I want them to feel comfortable with me and confident in my ability to create an advert that meets their needs. I also make sure to suggest ideas as we go along, encouraging them to think creatively and helping them to visualise what their advert could look like.

Now references. Once we have a clear idea of what they want, I move on to discussing results. I show them pairs of eyes that the adverts I've made in the past typically got, demonstrating the success that my previous clients have experienced. I am always prepared to show as many examples as they need to feel confident in my abilities.

Ultimately, my goal is to build a strong, collaborative relationship with my clients and to create advertisements that are truly effective in reaching their target audience. By putting in the time and effort required to develop a deep understanding of their needs and goals, I am able to craft adverts that truly resonate with their intended audience and drive results.

Do you remember the bullets that we gathered earlier? Well, it's time to put them to use. I'm going to share with you the secret tool that I use in advertising - financial logic. If we've done our job right, the only reason a customer should object to our advert at this point is the cost. But with financial logic, we can make any large amount of money seem small.

Let me tell you about an example that perfectly illustrates the power of financial logic. Imagine that you are advertising in the papers, and you're paying £30 a week for it to be printed every two weeks. (These are our bullets). That means you're spending £60 a month, and after 12 months, you've spent a total of £720 annually. But here's the thing - that's just to be on the left-hand side, every two weeks. The relevance of being on the left-hand side is that when people read the news, they always look on the right-hand side first. So your odds of being seen have been cut in half, and you now have a 50% chance of someone seeing your advert.

But that's not all. Usually, the ads that cost £30 a week are one out of four adverts on the page. So now that half has been divided by four. And that's just the chance of them reading your advert, let alone liking it. So, all of that costs you £720 a year.

I would then go on to say how amazing it is, how much money you could save if you invest in a good video. I mean, think about it, you could spend £720 a year on traditional advertising methods(the papers, or you could pay £750 once for a video that will last forever. Yes, forever!

After the first year, you would have already broken even on your money, and after the second year, you would be £720 up just from saving. And that's not even considering the potential revenue it could generate.

The best part is, it runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and never takes a break. Your video will be on people's devices all day, every day. And if you target the right audience, the people who already love what you do, it will be shared on their Facebook page.

These recommendations are priceless. Every business owner knows that the best way to gain a new customer is through recommendations.

So, do you want to make money while saving money? That's what every business owner cares about. Saving money and making money! It's not about what the video is, it's about what it does. And if you invest in a good video, it will do wonders for your business.

It was amazing how quickly they were ready to hand over their money. I hadn't even finished my pitch yet! All I had to do was make the lump sum of £750 seem like a small amount, and the best way to do that is to use financial logic.

I used one of the most powerful tools at my disposal, and combined with my pitch, it was unbeatable. No one stood a chance against it.

It's incredible how a little bit of financial reasoning can completely change someone's perception of a price. By explaining the long-term benefits of their investment and breaking it down into smaller, more manageable chunks, I was able to convince them that £750 was a small price to pay for what they would gain.

And once they were convinced, they were ready to hand over their money without hesitation. It just goes to show how important it is to use the right techniques when it comes to sales and marketing.

I was beyond excited to try out my new pitch, armed with confidence and determination. My first target was TAO, the pub where I had been doing photography for some time now. I figured there was no better place to test out my pitch than with the people who knew me and my work best. So I got myself ready, remembering the three fundamental things I needed to know about my company: what I was selling, who I was selling it to, and where I could find them.

With my target in place, I was ready to go. I won't go into too much detail about how the pitch went, but suffice it to say that it went well. In fact, it went better than I could have ever expected. Not only did I land a new client for a video, but TAO made me their actual in-house media.

The guy who owned the business was named Dan, and he was thrilled with my work. He set me up with an office at the top of the building and put me in charge of all the promotions and events the pub ran. It was a sports bar, but everyone called it a pub. I was in charge of everything, from planning events to creating promotions to running social media. I felt like I had finally made it but it was just the beginning.

As soon as I started my new job as in-house media at TAO, I knew the first thing I needed to do was get to know the audience. I didn't just want to know basic demographics like age and gender. I wanted to know what really made them tick and why they came to the bar.

So I began my research, starting with observing the customers as they came in and out of the bar. I noticed that many of them seemed to be avid pool players, often congregating around the tables and engaging in friendly competition. This was a crucial piece of information that I knew I could use to my advantage.

Next, I started to think about what I could do to enhance the customers' experience at the pub. I realised that if I could introduce something extra that they already enjoyed, they would be more likely to have a good time and come back again. So I came up with a plan to organise regular pool tournaments and events, offering prizes and incentives to encourage more people to participate.

I also started promoting the bar's pool tables on social media, using eye-catching graphics and catchy slogans to attract potential customers. Within a few weeks, I noticed a significant increase in the number of people coming to the bar specifically to play pool, and many of them stayed for drinks and food as well.

Overall, my strategy was a huge success, and I learned that getting to know your audience and catering to their interests is key to creating a thriving business.

So the first group I noticed were the pool players. I decided to start a weekly pool tournament but I made sure it was on a quiet day, on Sundays, our quietest day. I promoted it on social media and through word-of-mouth, and it wasn't long before the pool players were coming in droves. They enjoyed playing games, drinking beer, and having a great time. The success of the tournament was undeniable.

Next, I noticed a group of customers who loved to sing. So, I started a weekly karaoke night on Tuesdays and even organised a "battle of the bands" event to draw in even more customers. The karaoke nights became hugely popular, and we had customers who looked forward to singing their hearts out every week.

Finally, there was a group of older men who came in for breakfast and coffee every morning. I decided to make their experience special by creating the "Gentlemen's Breakfast." I offered them special discounts and perks, such as a free cup of coffee or a discounted breakfast sandwich. The older men loved the attention and felt valued as customers.

The point I'm trying to make here is that if you can tailor your product or service to include what you already know people love, you're already ahead of the game. By paying attention to your customers and catering to their interests, you're more likely to create loyal fans who will keep coming back for more. So, it's essential to look for patterns among your customers and find ways to make their experiences at your business even better.

Let me give you an example with a product, Only-100 sneakers. As an entrepreneur and a sneaker enthusiast, I'm always looking for ways to create value for my customers. I understand that people don't just buy shoes to wear, they also buy them as investments and to showcase their personal style. So, I decided to create a product that caters to all of these needs.

I started by designing a shoe with a unique and eye-catching design that I knew people would love. But, I didn't stop there. I also wanted to create a display case that would allow people to showcase their rear shoes. So, I made the base box for the shoe a display case box that not only protects the shoes but also displays them beautifully.

I also understand that people like to invest their money in things that have long-term value, so I decided to create a custom NFT that comes with the shoe. This adds an investment value to the shoe, which is something that many sneaker enthusiasts are looking for.

To make the shoes even more customizable, I added two different shoe laces that can change the look of the shoe depending on what one you pick. This gives people the ability to make the shoe their own and showcase their personal style.

Overall, I believe that understanding what people want and need is the key to creating a successful product or service. By building every part of my product with value in mind, I have created a shoe that people will notice and appreciate.

The deal I got from TAO was an amazing opportunity for me. I was not only making more money than I did before, but it also gave me leverage to approach other businesses. I used this leverage to show people that I held a position of significance in improving someone else's business. This was a very powerful tool for me because it let others know that if the owner of TAO had felt that I improved his business enough to hire me as an in-house media personnel, then I must be good at what I do.

Before working at TAO, I was only making £135 a week just by taking photos. I knew I had to step up my game and showcase my skills to other businesses if I wanted to make more money and be successful. TAO provided me with the perfect opportunity to do that. Not only did it help me gain more experience, but it also allowed me to expand my network.

The fact that I was hired as an in-house media personnel at TAO was a great accomplishment for me. It showed that my skills were recognized and appreciated. This gave me the confidence to approach other businesses and show them what I was capable of. The leverage I gained from working at TAO was invaluable. It helped me build a reputation in the industry and establish myself as a professional.

Working at TAO was a game-changer for me. It provided me with the tools and opportunities I needed to succeed in my career. The experience I gained and the leverage I obtained have helped me take my career to the next level. I will always be grateful for the opportunity TAO gave me and the doors it opened for me.

I had a plan to take over every business, town by town, and I knew I needed the right sales tactics to make it happen. Armed with my arsenal of sales techniques, I set out to conquer every business in my path, aiming for a bigger scale of leverage.

I used what I called the "sheep effect" to my advantage. This effect describes how people tend to follow the herd, and if they see enough people doing something, they'll feel compelled to do the same. I figured that as I gained more clients in an area, it would be easier to sell my services to new clients. After all, who wants to be the only business in town without an advertisement?

To my surprise, this plan worked even better than I had imagined. As I gained more clients, the whole aspect of selling my services became easier. I didn't even have to try! People were already aware of the price and benefits of my services through recommendations, so they just wanted it.

The power of recommendations cannot be overstated. When people see their peers using a service or product, they're more likely to want to use it themselves. That's why I made sure to provide high-quality services that people would be happy to recommend to their friends and colleagues.

My strategy of using the "sheep effect" and relying on recommendations proved to be very successful. It allowed me to take over businesses one by one, and eventually, I was able to expand my reach to new towns and areas. The power of word-of-mouth advertising cannot be underestimated, and it played a big part in the success of my business.

I want to tell you about the three different types of sale: cold, warm, and hot. Knowing what type of sale you're entering is crucial. A cold sale is where the client doesn't even know who you are or what you're selling. It's like trying to sell ice to a penguin. You're starting from scratch, and you have to build a relationship and convince them to trust you and your product.

A warm sale is a step up from a cold sale. The client knows who you are, maybe vaguely what you do, but they're not entirely sure. You might have met at a networking event or been introduced by a mutual friend. In a warm sale, you have a little bit of a foothold, but you still need to educate them on the product and why it's the right fit for them.

Lastly, there's a hot sale. This is when the client is ready to buy, and they just want the product. Maybe they've done their research, or they've already made up their mind. In a hot sale, the client might try to haggle on the price, but they're still ready to make the purchase.

When you're going into a sales meeting, it's important to understand what type of sale you're walking into. A cold sale requires more relationship-building and education, while a warm sale means you already have a connection but need to convince them of your product's value. A hot sale means you're in luck – the client is ready to buy, but you still need to make sure you're offering them a fair deal.

I want to share with you a sales strategy I used that helped me warm up potential clients before I even met them. It all started with TAO, one of my clients. I had a great relationship with him, and I knew that he had a lot of business connections. So I decided to leverage his network to help me reach more potential clients.

First, I reached out to TAO's closest business friend. I knew that anyone who owns a business knows other people who have businesses. So, I set up a meeting and let him know that he could ask for my references, one of them being TAO. I emphasised the fact that they were friends, which I knew would carry weight. People are more likely to trust and respect the opinion of someone they know and respect.

Next, I moved onto TAO's not direct but partial competition - the local nightclub. I knew that running TAO's ads to their audience would help TAO, but my main intention was for the owners and workers at the nightclub to see them. By the time I went in to pitch my services, they already knew what I did, how effective it was, and why they needed it. For the last month, they had seen TAO's ads in their faces non-stop, and it had piqued their interest.

By leveraging TAO's network and running targeted ads, I was able to warm up potential clients before even meeting them. This strategy helped me build credibility and establish a connection before I even stepped into the meeting. It's an approach that I've continued to use with great success. 

When I finally got the local nightclub as a client, I knew that I had done something to set myself apart from the competition. I had found a way to make people take notice of me and my business. So, I made it my mission to get the three biggest businesses in town on my side. I did this by placing their adverts everywhere and super aggressively. So they would be happy and others would see what I can do.

I knew that if I could get these businesses to work with me, people would automatically assume that I was the best in town. It's just the way people think. If someone else is doing something and they're successful at it, people will want to follow in their footsteps.

As a salesperson, this mindset was perfect for me. I knew that if I could land just one major client, the rest would come easily. So, I put all my effort into impressing those three businesses.

It wasn't easy. I had to be creative and persistent in my approach. But eventually, I won them over. They became my references and my business took off. People saw that I was working with the biggest names in town, and they wanted to work with me too.

Looking back, I can see that my strategy was a success. By focusing on the biggest business, I was able to establish myself as a top player in the local business scene. And it all started with TAO.

When I reflect on my business journey, I can confidently say that I've worked with every establishment in Bognor in one way or another. Due to my extensive work, I became well-known in the area. I started training salespeople to work alongside me, which allowed me to better understand people's thought processes. I found that I could predict how they would think and react to certain situations.

But, I didn't stop there. I wanted to challenge people's beliefs, specifically the one where they thought it was impossible to walk into a shop and walk out with £750. I purposely left out some easy sells to break their mindset. It was crucial for me to show them that it was indeed possible to achieve that kind of sale. However, this was no easy feat. Not every sale was successful, and one mistake could set someone's mindset back to its original state of "it's not possible."

Looking back, I realise that my first mistake was leaving out the easiest shops. It may have been more beneficial to start with the easier sales before moving onto the more challenging ones. When it came for the salespeople to do the challenging ones they realised ‘it's not that easy’. Nonetheless, I learned a lot from my experience and continue to improve my sales tactics every day.

Now I want to add salespeople. It is not easy. It's not the ‘gift of the gab’. A sale is reaching agreements logically. But you do need confidence and confidence is quickly stripped away when you are told to go away more than you make a sale. Please keep that in mind as I move into the next segment of the story.

As a business owner, I'm always looking for ways to improve and expand my business. Adding salespeople to my team is a crucial step, but it's not an easy one. It's not just about having the "gift of the gab" or being a smooth talker. A sale is about logically reaching an agreement with the client. Confidence is key, but it can quickly diminish when you are rejected more times than you make a sale. It's a tough reality to face, but it's one that I've come to understand.

That's why I knew I needed to bring in salespeople to help me achieve my goals. Let me explain my business model a bit more. I wanted to create a commission-based sales team, where the salesperson would receive £375 after closing a sale, and I would set up the meeting and find the client. However, I didn't want to pay lazy people to do nothing. The main problem was that everyone I knew was lazy. I needed to find motivated, driven individuals who were willing to put in the effort to make sales.

Finding these kinds of individuals proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of my business. Even now, it's tough to find people who are truly committed and hardworking. But I know that it's worth the effort. Finding the right salespeople will be the key to taking my business to the next level. Despite the obstacles, I'm determined to find those motivated individuals who will help me achieve my goals and hopefully I can help them achieve theirs.

Remember OQP, only quality people? These are the people i was wanting, however they are not the people that i found.  

I came to a profound realisation - truly hardworking individuals cannot be bought or trained; it's ingrained in their blood, their minds, and their very souls. Even in a world where people may possess wealth and assets, that doesn't necessarily equate to inner strength. There are only a few of us out there, and the genuine hard workers don't need to be sought out; they toil in silence.

The hard working mindset is encapsulated in a simple but powerful creed: "I may have nothing now, but I'm diligently working on something. I might not be the best at this moment, but I'm working on something. While others are out partying, I'm grinding away at my goals. Time may be scarce, but I'm relentlessly pursuing something." Those who possess this mindset, and ultimately, it all boils down to one's mindset, remain hidden until they achieve their dreams. And once they do, they no longer require your validation.

I distinctly remember the moment when I internalised the significance of controllable factors in everything I do. Allow me to explain. In life, there are elements we can control and those we cannot. To simplify, the only absolute under our control is ourselves. You can't place a bet on anyone else with the same certainty that you can on yourself; only you truly know that you will get the job done.

I want to make it clear that I'm not suggesting you avoid working with others entirely. What I'm saying is that you should be choosy about the people you team up with and not settle for less. When you've become highly skilled or capable at something, you might not always need a partner or helper.

Here's a helpful exercise that I still use, and a friend who runs a successful business taught me this lesson. When you're thinking about joining a project, put yourself at the center and ask, "What can I bring to this?" On the flip side, when someone wants to join your project, imagine them in the middle and ask, "What can they bring to it?" If the answer doesn't match up with your goals and what you're looking for, it's probably best to reconsider.

I've had to learn this lesson multiple times over the past few years while working with people who don't contribute much, except money. Now, I want you to really pay attention to this critical point: there's an exception for your supportive brothers and close friends who genuinely want to see you succeed. But keep in mind that many people don't want you to succeed unless they benefit from it somehow. People who already have something might not want you to be on the same level as them because it threatens their sense of superiority. So, take what people say with a grain of salt because some might secretly be happy when things don't go well for you.

Another crucial lesson I've learned, which took me a while to understand, is that having money alone doesn't impress me anymore. What genuinely impresses me is someone's ability to understand how to make money. It's one thing to have money, but it's far more valuable to know how to create wealth through knowledge and skills. 

Think about this the next time you see someone comfortably running a restaurant handed down to them by their family. Here's a little mental test: If you stripped away all their assets, could they rebuild from scratch? It's a question worth pondering.

As for finding my sales team, I drew inspiration from my grandad's old-school approach. Back in his day, when he needed to recruit salespeople, he'd head over to the unemployment centre. Armed with cards, he'd invite folks to a specific time and place for a job opportunity. If they showed up, he'd take them under his wing and provide training. If they didn't, well, he reckoned they weren't committed enough, and he wouldn't want them on his team anyway. To him, it was a no-loss strategy.

I took a slightly different route, but it turned out to be just as effective. You'll remember this; Let's break it down into the three key things you need to know when you're selling or starting a business:

Firstly, consider, "What are you selling?" In my case, it was a commission-based sales job.

Next, think about, "Who's going to buy it or, in this case, work it?" I was on the hunt for motivated individuals.

Lastly, figure out, "Where can you find them?" My theory was that people who possessed both the desire to succeed and some financial means often would go to the gym. So, I embarked on a journey to every local gym in search of my sales team, and I succeeded.

Every person I spoke with at the gym was bursting with enthusiasm and excitement when I presented them with the boundless potential for making money. I emphasised that it all came down to their dedication and effort. However, there was a significant difference between working out in the gym and working as a salesman or for yourself. In the gym, you can visibly see progress, but in the world of sales, immediate financial results aren't always guaranteed. So a lot of the salespeople lost motivation and gave up but there were a few that stuck it out.

Our venture into selling advertisements initially thrived. However, it eventually faded not because it wasn't profitable but because we had already created ads for every shop in our region, spanning from Bognor to Chichester to Portsmouth. There simply wasn't anyone left to sell ads to; the market had become oversaturated.

This experience held another invaluable lesson. When you're selling a product, it should ideally have a limited shelf life. Even mobile phones get updated every year, but who wants to update an advert if the current one is still effective? Of course, you can dabble in seasonal promotions like Christmas or Easter, but ultimately, there was no more money to be made in our niche of single video adverts.

During this period, my dad imparted a piece of wisdom that has stuck with me: "No matter what you have, never stay in the same place. Always strive to improve and move forward."

Then came the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it reshaped everything about my life. When COVID-19 hit, my primary source of income was abruptly halted. Consider this: my business involved creating advertisements for shops to help them promote their products. But as shops began to close down due to the pandemic, the need for any form of advertising vanished completely. To make matters worse, I couldn't even meet with my usual clients anymore.

During the pandemic, I, like many others, found myself in a dire situation. My entire livelihood was in jeopardy. Although I couldn't find new clients to sell advertisements to, I had been making a decent income by managing updates and maintenance on people's social media accounts. However, even that came to an abrupt halt when we went into lockdown.

Thankfully, I still had a fair amount of savings in my pocket, but with no new income, those funds were dwindling quickly. That's when I remembered the saying: "There are no problems, only solutions." I knew I needed a plan or, at the very least, something to occupy my mind during these challenging times.

So, I sat down and contemplated how I could generate income. I realised that I needed to secure a job in an industry that would remain unaffected, something essential for human life – food. It's a valuable lesson for anyone embarking on a new project; ask yourself if it will genuinely improve lives or make the world better. If the answer is yes, you might just have a brilliant idea on your hands.

Food is a necessity that people will always require, even during a lockdown. So, I decided to pursue a job at a food processing factory that was still hiring. Since it was a relatively low-maintenance position, I was fortunate enough to get hired almost immediately.

The next step was to figure out how to utilise my time productively during the lockdown, ensuring that I had something tangible to show for it when we eventually emerged from this period of uncertainty. I started by listing the dramatic changes that had affected everyone's lives:

Firstly, people were facing financial constraints. Secondly, they found themselves with more free time on their hands. Lastly, boredom was becoming a common struggle.

With these insights in mind, I devised a simple plan. I aimed to connect with individuals who could create content from the comfort of their homes. Musicians, for instance, could produce music remotely. I wanted to offer something valuable – animated music videos. These were in high demand, especially since they were often expensive to create.

However, I also recognized that not everyone had disposable income in these challenging times. To mitigate this risk, I devised a unique approach. Instead of asking them to pay for the video upfront, I proposed sharing royalties from the video's earnings. This way, they had no financial risk, and the worst-case scenario for them was making money.

I then planned to create merchandise and branding around the video once it was launched, providing an additional income stream. Profit from this would also be shared. With a clear strategy in mind, I was excited to get started.

However, creating animated music videos is a time-consuming process. So, if I were to commit to this project, it had to be with someone who hadn't yet achieved stardom but was gaining notice – someone in that sweet spot where they could make money from their music but weren't yet famous.

To find the right collaborator, I began reaching out. I collected email addresses for a range of musicians, including both the lesser-known and the more famous ones. I sent out my pitch and offer, and after reaching out to approximately 50-60 individuals, I finally received a positive response. For the next two to three months of the COVID-19 lockdown, I dedicated my time to creating that music video.

Once it was completed and launched, I set up a print-on-demand merch store associated with it. While it did generate some income – and continues to do so – it wasn't a massive success. Nevertheless, it did spark an idea, and that was what truly excited me.

Now, it's important to emphasise that working a job isn't a bad thing at all; in fact, it's perfectly okay. This is a vital life lesson that I learned, and it's perhaps the most important one you'll ever encounter. My wise and brilliant friend, Kem, imparted this wisdom to me. He taught me that no matter how skilled or talented you may be, if you let pride or shame prevent you from doing something because you think it's beneath you,you have already lost. I'll share more about Kem's insights later in the story.

Furthermore, it's crucial to understand that everything we do serves as a stepping stone to something greater. Picture it like this: you're on a foggy lake, and scattered across the water are stones you can use to navigate to the other side. However, the thick fog limits your visibility, allowing you to see only one stone ahead at any given time. What do you do in such a situation? You take it one step at a time. Trying to leap to the third stone when you can only see one in front of you would result in a plunge into the water.

Life operates on the same principle: it's a journey best taken one step at a time.