The Comeback - Week 7

Recently, someone messaged me on LinkedIn: "I can't wait to see you in a Lambo".

Can you guess my response?

"The day we hit that 100,000 for David to Goliath, the look on my face is gonna be way better than any Lambo ride – and you can take that to my grave."

The victory smile.

Nothing beats it. If you know, you know.

But let’s talk Lambos for a sec.

They're flashy, fast, and catch the younger generations eyes. But do they impress the real leaders?

No.

Success isn't about the shiny toys filled with hollowness; it's about the real, tangible victories carved out against all odds.

Underdogs that prevail from the darkness and bring greatness into the light.

Self made champions born from sacrifice.

That’s the movement we’re forging at David to Goliath.

If I come back from near suicide to build this 100,000 subscriber newsletter in one calendar year…

That’s my CV.

F**k job descriptions.

The best stories win. Period.

And here’s our progress to date:

9,000 subscribers in 8 weeks.

We’re getting there and with some backend momentum I definitely believe it’s possible.

The past week was a rollercoaster to say the least. So many lessons, so much inspiration, so many crazy ideas. That’s all to come!

Here’s what you’ll get today from David to Goliath:

1. Road to 100,000: Behind the Scenes

   • Highlight: A Pleasant surprise

   • Inspiration: From the ladies

   • Breakthroughs: Petrol for our Lambo

   • Challenges: The Treadmill of Growth

   • Failures: LinkedIn and Spam

2. Main Topic: The 3-step Flywheel

3. Mindset: $100M Decision Making

4. Resource Rec: A Hidden Gem

Before we get started TWO IMPORTANT THINGS:

1) Email Clipping: If this email gets clipped click ‘Read Online’ at the top right of this email and you will be able to read it all for free on our website.

2) David to Goliath Podcast: Eruptions of laughter, getting kicked out of the podcast studio and a shout-out to one of our community members. If that sounds good listen to the Comeback 8 episode here.

Road to 100,000: Behind the Scenes

A Pleasant Surprise

10 minutes before the newsletter last Tuesday was to be scheduled, my laptop died. and I left my charger at home (the one where I talked about cutting off my leg - yes that subject line!).

Luckily I managed to find a guy in WeWork who was kind enough to let me borrow his charger to juice up. So with seconds to spare we got it over the line.

“Phew”. But it was followed with a pleasant surprise.

A killer moment with one of my 1-1 mentoring clients.

He closed a top 1% Shopify brand on a retainer, thanks to a partnership we built. 

The guy called me up, absolutely buzzing with excitement.

It’s a taste of what's possible when you play the game right.

Remember: Partnerships are the keys to unlock your dreams.

More on my 3-step partnership strategy here.

Inspiration - from the ladies

Now let me tell you about some entrepreneurial inspiration I’ve been getting from a fearless female leader.

Sanchez. Yes, that’s Codie Sanchez for those of you who don’t know her yet.

A previous journalist who found her feet in the investing world and is now building a billion-dollar empire, documenting the journey for everyone to see.

Currently, I'm taking a page out of Codie’s playbook.

She built her Newsletter Contrarian Thinking to 100,000 subscribers in one year - now it’s over half a million.

With info products, a paid community, and investing in companies from the Newsletter she’s playing with all kinds of leverage and Flywheels (more on that in a few minutes!).

But now she’s taking things up a notch.

Building a content team to put her organic growth on steroids.

Although that’s not what I respect her most for.

It's the fact she’s unapologetically herself and stands up for what she believes in.

In a sea of conformity, she's a beacon of authenticity, standing tall for what matters most to her.

That, my friends, is the mark of a true leader.

And let’s not forget Leila Hormozi – Alex's secret weapon.

Every entrepreneur needs that ace up their sleeve, and for Alex, it's definitely Leila.

A reminder that your competitive advantage isn't a flashy product or a killer pitch – it's the people you surround yourself with.

I love women leaders (not like that….well maybe). 

But look It's 2024, and it's quite frankly embarrassing that some still choose to look down on women who stand up for what they believe in.

These two are not just breaking glass ceilings; They’re shattering them, leaving a trail for other aspiring women (and men) to charge through.

Truly inspirational.

So, here's to Codie, Leila, and every woman out there who's defying expectations and pioneering their path.

Your courage, your tenacity – it's lighting a fire in all of us.

And diversity is the best chance we’ve got of leaving the world in a better place.

More perspectives mean more solutions. Tackling challenges from more angles.

Power to the ladies.

Breakthroughs - The Petrol for our Lambo

Time is a precious resource, and the limitations of 1-to-1 mentoring for scaling are becoming evident.

Right now I’m running around like a headless chicken.

So as mentioned last Tuesday, I’m going to instead opt for a group mentoring setup starting April for agencies owners on around $10-$50k a month, giving them personal guidance on how to get to $100k a month.

Then I’ll buy a yellow Lamborghini and start selling courses calling myself the Top G.

Not likely.

No. In reality, all this money will be pumped like petrol straight into the paid advertising engine to grow David to Goliath faster - so we can get more people on this ride!

Let me be brutally honest though.

I’ve been extremely uncomfortable about it because I want to avoid being another course guru guy like the plague.

However, I’ve come to the realization this is different to a course because I can provide context to people’s exact situations.

Hence why it’s called mentoring.

A tight knit community of 15 people – and if you learn from 14 others simultaneously you can all grow faster.

The lone wolf mentality is what it says on the tin. Lonely. Slow.

Yes, I did another post on LinkedIn this week about why I believe Solopreneurship is bullsh*t (and the haters were piling up - it kind of turns me on…. guilty).

But seriously, in the world of agency growth (and business), it's easy to feel isolated, grappling with challenges in solitude.

You need comrades, not just a mentor.

While courses have their place, let's face it, sitting through some pre-recorded lectures won't cut it. Powerpoint by death. You know the feeling.

Entrepreneurs aren’t here to be spoon-fed information; we're here to tear down walls, learn from real-life battles, and come out on top - together.

So with that being said I’m both nervous and excited to get this underway.

I’ll report back on how it goes!

And if you are an agency looking for a personal mentor there are still a few spots available. You can learn more about the 90-day programme here.

Challenges - The Treadmill of Growth

The best way I can describe building David to Goliath is like running on a treadmill at a set speed where you have to hit a specific time.

As soon as you slow that speed down it’s almost impossible to catch up.

It’s okay though to feel the burn. To embrace the chaos of the sprint.

It’s a sign of growth.

In a society that’s always banging on about work life balance and taking breaks, I don’t buy it.

I’m telling you it’s OK to be obsessed.

Life has it’s seasons and some are more intense than others.

If you find yourself in building season, own it. Embrace the pain.

It’s easy for the big guys to tell us at the top ‘focus on a great product’.

The brutal honest truth – that initial traction won't come knocking unless you're willing to pour in your blood, sweat, and tears first.

Getting deals across the line and putting your name on the map demands more than a wish and a prayer - that’s the real ‘secret’ Oprah (reference to that garbage book).

It's about doing everything in your power, leveraging every ounce of energy, to make your presence known in a sea of competitors.

I'd love to paint a picture of sunshine and rainbows, but the truth is, it's a journey that demands everything you've got.

The first $100k is ugly.

Not waiting for favourable winds or smooth sailing.

As mentioned in my Business Boomerang article, you have to force your Boomerang out there, until enough people are talking and it swings back with vicious momentum.

The resilience you build in these moments will be the bedrock of your success.

Case studies that give you the unwavering conviction to believe in yourself.

I quit a 6 figure salary job at 32 years old with not much savings in the bank to build David to Goliath. I’m in the trenches with you, living the life.

The content hits different when you’re actually in the arena.

And remember: Having your back up against the wall is your biggest competitive advantage.

Because constraint truly is the biggest driver of innovation.

More on that in next Tuesday’s Newsletter!

Failures - LinkedIn and Spam

In business, especially in the digital realm, change is the only constant.

LinkedIn just dropped a lovely new algorithm update, and we're way off hitting the subscriber numbers from LinkedIn organic for David to Goliath.

I need to increase my reach top of funnel.

But I know other creators who are still killing it despite the update.

I need to utilize my network more to build partnerships and exchange value – to get the subs to 100 per day (the rest will come from ads). 

Right now it’s failing.

But as entrepreneurs failures present opportunities.

Opportunities to test, change and adapt.

Add to that, last week’s newsletter (week 7) ended up in people’s spam folders.

Dan and I chewed this bitter pill throughout our entire 6 am run the next morning. It was not a pleasant conversation.

Of course, it's a letdown that the 50 hours of work got shoved straight into spam.

Although it’s a reality check. It was our fault.

Time to triple QA check everything like our life depends on it – because it does.

The newsletter still performed reasonably well, it just didn’t reach the amount of people we intended. Not acceptable.

But on the positive side: At least it happened now and not when we’re at 50k subscribers.

Moral of the story:

Go hard and make mistakes yes.

But never make the same mistakes twice.

New Ideas - Streaking and Jumbo Jets

Anyway, don't worry. If we’re not hitting our subscriber count by the end of the year, we have two backup plans.

Yeah, just wait for this…

If all else fails – we're going full-on primal – back to the roots, old school with a touch of insanity.

Plan B is to slap a giant QR code on a huge banner and hang it off bridges, buildings, and any place where eyeballs are gonna lock onto it.

The sceptics may dismiss this as a relic from their grandma's marketing handbook, but little do they grasp the essence of our strategy – this is guerrilla warfare at its finest.

We’re playing to win, even if it means flying this banner over the city like a superhero on a jumbo jet.

I can already picture it. As the weight of anticipation hangs in the air, thick as the darkest fog, our banner emerges, piercing through the urban clouds like Batman.

The city below quivers with the intensity of impending revelation, the air crackles with electricity, and in the pause that ensues, the banner becomes not just a symbol but a harbinger of a narrative so grand, it resonates with the echoes of legends yet to be written.

This is David to Goliath.

Hated, adored, but never ignored.

Ok, I might be getting a little carried away now… 

But the fun doesn’t stop just there.

Here’s Plan C:

Storming onto the pitch at a major sporting event with a QR code strapped to our backs.

Imagine the roar as we crash the stage, the crowd's thunderous applause becoming the anthem of our audacious defiance against the life of mediocrity (as we’re eventually arrested and sent marching backstage in handcuffs).

A cacophony of rebellion from 80,000 spectators.

Gladiators clinging onto greatness.

We’re scripting an epic tale that will be whispered throughout generations.

Leaving a legacy in our wake.

A bold chapter in the annals of marketing lore.

Anyway, that’s enough dreaming for one day.

Back to reality. But it’s fun to imagine, right?

For now, let’s focus on the Flywheel. And here’s how in 3 simple yet profound steps you can build yours to change your business forever:

Main Topic – The 3-step Flywheel

In business, you’ve got to play smart with the resources you have.

Nathan Barry from ConvertKit, a $200million bootstrapped company did a great article on Flywheels.

Most great businesses are driven by flywheels, even if they’re not aware.

But what is a Flywheel?

The term comes from mechanics, where it refers to a very heavy wheel that is used to generate and transfer energy to other parts.

At the start, it requires significant force to start spinning, but once it picks up momentum it stores energy and continues to turn by itself.

Continuous small inputs add up to an impressive output, eventually.

It can be used to create a huge competitive advantage with your content, your product, your customers, or a combination of all - as you’ll see in just a second.

Essentially doing more with less.

A huge problem I’ve observed in most companies is the lack of communication between marketing, sales and customer support teams.

Resulting in: 

• Unhappy customers

• Unhappy team members 

• Massive inefficiency

Before we dive into the 3-step Flywheel setup let’s first strip everything back (I mean everything).

What is the purpose of a business?

Solve a problem for a sub section of the market, right?

Until the product is so good people are willing to trade their hard earned cash for it - an exchange of value.

But how do we make great products and/or services?

Feedback.

You put something out there, get feedback and then iterate relentlessly until the product or service is the best in the market.

Then, you can command high prices.

So with that being said, here’s exactly how you can setup a Flywheel to get more feedback with fewer resources and ultimately have the best solution in your market. 

There are 3 simple steps.

Imagine you own a supplement brand. You’ve developed a product which helps people sleep better at night.

The first variation has gone through testing and you’ve had some initial feedback from friends and family.

Now it’s time to go to the market.

Step 1: Connecting The Flywheel

So what do we have to play with?

• The product

• The market (online and offline)

• Feedback collection

• Iteration

The idea is to make the most of every piece of customer feedback and then implement that not only in your product but also across your marketing.

Setup a spreadsheet with the following columns:

• Attention: What grabbed their attention?

• Objections: Why are people not buying?

• Testimonials: What are the authentic stories people are writing about how the product has changed their life? Focus on the specific language they use.

• Improvements: What features/benefits would they like to see more of?

• Communities: Where do the people who want this product hang out?

Then, go out into the market, either in the street, reaching out to people directly on social, or attending trade shows.

Collect the data and create an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) on how to do it. 

Then delegate to someone overseas to do everyday, without fail.

After you’ve collected 50-100 responses sit down and ask yourself based on the feedback:

• How can we iterate our product?

• How can we improve our website?

• Where do our potential customers hang out?

Implement and get to work. The first step of your Flywheel is now in motion.

Step 2: Spinning it Faster

Now it’s about spinning your Flywheel faster.

More feedback = Better product, better marketing, better everything.

How?

Paid advertising.

You see most people view paid advertising as a funnel and the initial transaction or ROI you get on the front end.

But they’re missing the point.

The real power of paid advertising is you can spin your Flywheel faster and collect more data points on your sub section of the market.

Who do you think will win?

Company A: Who go out onto the street and get feedback from 100 people.

Company B: Who use paid advertising and get feedback from 10,000 people.

It’s not even a competition. 

If Company B actually implement the feedback they get, their product will be far superior and allow them to drive up their price.

At this point you already have the Flywheel setup from step 1. As long as someone in your team keeps housing the data correctly, and you implement the feedback, you’ll have a massive competitive advantage.

Paid advertising is no longer a cost to aquire new customers. It’s an investment to spin your Flywheel faster. Making every part of your business more aligned with the sub section of the market.

Big players in the market understand this. When they go big on spending, they've not just polished their transactional approach but fine-tuned their product and communication from feedback to a point where it stands as a beacon of quality.

Word-of-mouth marketing naturally follows, fuelled by satisfied customers who have not just bought a product but experienced a solution that has dramatic impact on their life.

To the point where for every new customer acquired from paid ads the product and experience is so good they tell 5 friends.

Now they’re acquiring 6 customers for the price of one.

See how powerful this is?

And it all boils down to the Flywheel.

But to keep up with momentum there is a 3rd crucial step.

Step 3: Systems and Leadership

Once the data starts piling up things get more complicated.

With new team members and departments being created the Flywheel can get lost in transitional. Resulting in hyper inefficiency.

And that’s where leadership and systems come into play.

If your sales and marketing teams don’t have access and awareness of what your customers are saying to customer support, they’ll be shooting from the hip.

Bringing in customers who don’t fit your ideal profile.

Resulting:

• Refunds

• Poor marketing messaging

• Inaccurate feedback from people who should never buy your product

And most importantly, an unhappy and disjointed team.

But as the leader if you train people on how the Flywheel works, if you setup mandatory frequent communication across departments, and set the Flywheel as a core standard, it will turn faster and faster.

At some point, you can use software to automate a lot of the Flywheel and feedback loops. Also, hire smart people to improve it’s efficiency.

But the most important thing is ensuring from a high level everyone is on board and everyone is contributing to the company Flywheel.

The responsibility lies on you, the leader.

In summary:

Step 1: Connect The Flywheel: Setup your feedback sheet with the right columns, start collecting data and implement.

Step 2: Spin it Faster: Use paid advertising to spin your Flywheel faster but keep implementing the feedback to make every dollar count.

Step 3: Set the standard: Train your team on how the Flywheel works and establish frequent cross-department communication to ensure feedback is being implemented.

And if you enjoyed that, now I’m going to show you the huge impact that understanding each aspect of your Flywheel has on decision making.

Especially if you build it from the ground up.

Mindset – $100M Decision Making

The most successful leaders are those who seamlessly make decisions that take into account the intricacies of today with the grand vision of tomorrow.

Because in this game, every call you make, big or small, counts.

When you’re working your job in a specific department, it's like navigating a maze blindfolded.

Not understanding how the Flywheel of each department intricately interconnects.

This is why I believe corporate employees are at a big disadvantage to entrepreneurs who build businesses from the ground up.

Making decisions in such a silo might work for you, but what about the impact across the entire company?

Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey from scratch, however, paints a different picture.

The hands-on involvement is a masterclass in understanding how the gears of a Flywheel spin together.

As the person responsible for sales, marketing, client fulfilment, hiring, finances, and strategy, you gain first-hand insights into how each aspect of the business Flywheel interconnects.

Sure, starting from the ground might mean sacrificing the comforts of a big corporate salary now.

But what you're gaining is key decision making skills – that evolves with each decision and each department you come to understand intimately.

Micro decisions are department specific – the nitty-gritty tasks, team management, and short-term strategies. It's about getting your hands dirty, fixing what's broken, and keeping things running smoothly.

Macro decisions are the big plays – the long-term goals, market trends, and the overall direction of the business. This is where you think big, make significant investments, and plot out the future of your enterprise.

Being a smart entrepreneur is knowing when to zoom in and when to zoom out - simultaneously.

It's not about getting stuck in the weeds or living in the clouds – it's a constant shift, seamlessly moving between the details and the big picture.

A leader is the main cog at the heart of the business Flywheel.

Making decisions which change the course of industries.

One big decision could lead to bankruptcy. The next, the biggest growth in a companies history. 

The stakes are high.

And despite what everyone says, this is the real reason why CEO’s are paid the big bucks – and you can only get this through the experience of being in the trenches of different departments at the start.

Knowing how the Flywheel connects across all departments.

When I was at Alpha Inbound, for example, I built out a 3-step sales process consisting of:

1. Discovery call

2. Video analysis of company back-end

3. Strategic sales call to close the deal

Micro – it wasn’t the best as it was hard to get access to the accounts to audit these individual business owners.

Macro – it was a great decision as we were able to do really deep analyses and build really deep trust with these clients.

The result? 

Clients stayed with us on average 18 months which is great retention in the agency space.

And our team were happier because we only brought on clients we knew they’d love.

We built a really strong foundation for long-term relationships because I prioritised that extra trust and due diligence at the start.

A message to anyone who’s comparing themselves to people making more money: 

If you understand how to make both micro and macro decisions, you will have a huge competitive advantage in the long-run.

The further you travel into the trenches with your soldiers, the more of the entire battlefield you can see.

And that battlefield is your flywheel.

Remember: Greatness doesn’t take shortcuts.

But the skill of being able to make massive decisions that change the course of industries will make you wealthier than you’ve ever imagined.

Become the micro/macro master and harness the $100M mindset.

Resource Recommendation – Magnates Media

For every entrepreneur hungry for knowledge through the art of story, Magnates Media is one of my favourite creators on YouTube.

It’s a channel for the dreamers, the doers, and the disruptors.

What sets it apart is not just the insightful content but the artistry with which it is presented.

John, the man behind it unravels the untold backstories of some of the best business leaders ever to have graced the planet, in the most unique way.

His storytelling prowess, coupled with captivating animations, transforms each video into a masterpiece.

Hundreds of hours are poured into each video – the true art of tinkering.

As you watch, you're embarking on a visual and intellectual journey.

Although a few years back his entire life work nearly went down the drain.

A formidable industry giant attempted to stifle this creative force, threatening to erase his entire backlog of videos. Years and years of blood, sweat and tears all to be erased with one single click of a button.

He had claimed Magnates Media had stolen a few seconds from his videos and thus filed a lawsuit.

But three days before the shutdown fate took its course.

The power of community, resilience, and the unwavering commitment to a man in the arena.

Magnates Media in a last ditch attempt desperately reached out to its audience, and the response was nothing short of sensational.

Entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, and supporters rallied behind John, standing as a united front against the unjust onslaught.

The collective strength turned the tide, and Magnates Media not only survived but thrived.

The power of the people prevailed.

At this time I reached out to him personally saying I can’t begin to understand how he’s feeling and that I’m there if he needs anything.

I told him to never ever ever give up.

He responded a week or two later saying how much the support meant to him.

Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that matter most in life. Just one email can make someone’s day - especially when they’re in deep pain.

But most importantly John is a true underdog who weathered the darkest of storms, who kept dreaming like a giant, and who is still out there inspiring hundreds of thousands of individuals per video.

And now he’s back and scaling faster than ever (1.3M subs!) and posting masterpieces week after week.

Go check them out here.

He’s a legend.

Todays Action Items:

1) Inspiration From The Ladies: Checkout Codie Sanchez and Leila Hormozi. Observe closely as they build powerful personal brands in real time and most importantly stand up for what they believe in.

2: Mistakes: Just like me trying to figure out my LinkedIn strategy and last week’s Newsletter going into spam accept you will make mistakes when pushing hard. That’s fine but make sure to document, learn and never make the same mistake twice.

3: Man In The Arena: Draw inspiration from John and his Youtube channel Magnetes Media. Business insights, fantastic story and just a testament to someone fully immersed in their craft. 

4: Build Your Flywheel: Use the 3-step business flywheel to first connect with feedback, then spin faster with paid ads, and then scale with systems and leadership.

5: $100M Decision Making: Understand how your Flywheel connects across departments as you build it from the ground up. Knowing that long-term you’re building the key skill of making huge decisions that positively impact both the micro and macro elements of your organization.

Wow, that was a lot!

If you enjoyed today’s Newsletter please reach out to me on LinkedIn and let me know how I can make it better!

And watch out for this Thursday’s David to Goliath interview!

We’re blessed to be in the presence of none other than Mike Fata - the entrepreneur who went from being severely overweight to building a 9 figure he sold - all about health.

It’s going to be full of wisdom, practical advice and lessons from someone who seriously walks to the walk.

Stay Tuned!

Until then keep dreaming like a Giant.

But fight and believe in your dreams like a God Damn underdog baby!

Yours truly,

-Nigel Thomas

P.S. Are you an agency doing $10-$50k a month looking for a personal mentor to guide you to those 7 figure years?

I’ve still got a few spots available for my 90-day mentoring programme.

If you’re interested to learn more click here and submit your application.