The Business of You with Rachel Gogos Rachel Gogos

In business, it's crucial to adapt and evolve, which includes periodically reassessing and potentially repositioning your business to better serve your changing audience or your own professional growth. 
This often involves updating your website, refining your offers, and adjusting your marketing strategies. 
Ultimately, a forward-looking approach, with a focus on building the new rather than clinging to outdated strategies, will ensure you channel your energy into growth and innovation. 
Is now the perfect time to reinvent or reposition your business?
Quotes
“People get tired of what they do too, right? They get burned out. And they also may want to shift or reposition themselves or kind of reinvent themselves for a number of reasons. One could be burnout. One could be they want to work with a different clientele. One could be redefining your target audience again, kind of gets back to: What do you wanna offer and who do you wanna work with and how do you wanna work with them?”
“Let's say you were a coach that was working one-on-one with people, and you're a little burned out of the one-on-one work. And you wanna do more, the one to many and scale your business in that way.  Now, that is a subtle positioning change, but the way your offer needs to be restructured is what needs to change significantly. And then you also have to position that new offer in different ways through marketing techniques.”
“You have to look at a few factors [when transitioning]. One is your income. How can your income stay consistent while you're making this shift and transitioning?  Another factor to consider is if you have a team that works with you. How do you keep that team employed if they fit into your longer term plan as you're shifting? So, making sure that you have enough existing work coming in to support the team as you're starting to make a shift. So it could be more of a gradual shift and more of a long term shift. And then another factor to consider is how do you transition your existing target audience and the people you're working with to the new.”
“With our own business, we redo our own website, anywhere from three to four years. We do kind of a massive redo with our website. And we change the copy and we change the look and feel. 
“We are constantly up-leveling our own offers, our own image, you know, refining what we offer because our clients are also getting bigger and more sophisticated, and demand more, right?”
“The more we can reveal about ourselves that helps communicate our personality and helps communicate our reputation and helps communicate our intent in our values, the more we are kind of opening the kimono and revealing to people who we are so we can improve that know-like-trust factor and they feel comfortable getting into a business relationship with us.”
“People can feel soul, right? AI doesn't have soul. That's what I always say, but people can feel true soul. It's maybe more ethereal again, maybe more subliminal, but people can sense it.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 140 | What You Need to Know about Crafting Your Offer: https://thebrandid.com/podcast/140-what-you-need-to-know-about-crafting-your-offer

If you want to build a successful, profitable business that’s driven by purpose instead of greed…this episode is for you!
Staci Wallace is the CEO and co-founder of the Fueled by Fire Mastery Program and Elite Masterminds, where she helps entrepreneurs build purpose-driven, highly profitable lives and businesses they love. She’s also the founder of the non-profit EMpowering Women, which helps reignite the lives of women and girls who have been impacted by some of life's most difficult challenges.
Staci has owned, operated, or held Senior Executive positions in various multi-million-dollar businesses. Staci has grown sales teams to over 250,000 and has been a key component in leading multiple start-up companies from inception to over $350 million. She shares her success strategies as a highly sought-after keynote speaker and peak performance coach. 
Building a Faith-First Business
For Staci, everything relates to faith. In her Fueled by Fire programs and masterminds, they use scripture to teach what Staci calls the Kingdom Way. Her purpose is to help people tap into a higher consciousness of thought, creation, and positive psychology for greater profitability and peace. 
Peace Comes From Profitability
One of the areas Staci works on with her clients is unpacking their scarcity mentality around money. She helps them understand that the Kingdom of God is based on righteousness, peace, and joy–not material things. What most people want at their core isn’t more money, it’s more peace.
In Staci’s view, peace comes from having more than enough to cover your needs and give to others. That’s why her growth model focuses on profit and cash flow, not just revenue. Your business could be making millions in revenue but if you’re not profitable, you won’t experience peace. 
Living Your Values
Your behavior as a CEO doesn’t just impact you–it affects your team and your family as well. Whatever values you display, you will see reflected in those around you.
This is why it’s so important to know your core values and make sure your brand consistently represents them. It’s easy to say you’re a faith-based company, but if you’re not living those values daily, you can’t expect others around you to. 
Staci sees herself as the steward of her brand, representing something bigger than herself. If you’re a faith-based entrepreneur, ask yourself not just how you want to represent your business, but how your work also represents God.
Enjoy this episode with faith-based CEO Staci Wallace…
Quotes
“If you have a goal that you believe God is asking you to achieve, then don’t let voices or opposition come against you. Don’t say ‘I can’t.’ Figure out why ‘I can.’”
“The only way you fail is if you quit.”
“I thought I was a singer. I didn’t realize I could actually help people move out of suffering.”
“I really believe the success God has given me in business is because I was willing to surrender to the higher calling in my life.”
“If we can’t find it in scripture, we’re not going to teach it.”
“Money only makes you more of what you are.”
“Revenue doesn’t bring you peace. Cash flow brings you peace. Profitability brings you peace.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
Visit Staci’s website: https://www.staciwallace.com/home 
Connect with Staci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciwallace/

Growing up in a family business shapes entrepreneurial mindset, work ethic, and leadership style.
Rachel Gogos imbibed this essence of entrepreneurship and work ethic from an early age.
With Greek immigrant parents running their own restaurants, she experienced firsthand the hustle and dedication required for success. From playing behind the counter as a child to working various roles in her teens, Rachel learned the ropes of business operations and customer service directly.
The family business instilled in her a strong sense of culture and community, emphasizing the importance of treating employees like family. 
This familial atmosphere cultivated resilience and adaptability, essential traits for navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Drawing parallels between her family business and her own ventures, Rachel underscores the significance of exceptional customer service and a people-centric approach. Inspired by her father's ethos, she prioritizes humility, empathy, and a hands-on leadership style in her business endeavors.
Quotes
“I remember going to the restaurant when I was just old enough to walk. And it was just part of our family tradition that every Sunday after church, we would go to the restaurant for breakfast. And I thought it was a lot of fun to play behind the counter and, you know, do all the things that happen at a restaurant.” 
“Being the owner's daughter also made it even more demanding, I would say, because the expectations were really, really high around work ethic. So there was never a second to sit down.”
 
“Our web agency is very customer service driven, all about white glove service, high touch. And that definitely comes from my days in the restaurant world, because your best marketing is a customer who's going to say, ‘You got to try this restaurant!’ Right?” 
“He [my father] has always taken care of his employees like family. Like he's treated them like family, whether they needed to borrow money, they were in a different sort of difficult situation in their personal lives. He's always been just kind of a father figure to many and, you know, protective of his team. And I think that creates a sense of loyalty, um, from the team. And I also think the customers felt it.” 
“My parents always talked about the work day and the business and what needed to change or, you know, what went on that day. I remember feeling a little frustrated that our dinner conversation morphed to always being about work.” 
“I think there's very much a mindset when one opens a business. They have to believe with their whole body that what they're creating is going to be successful. And what they need to do is pivot. If something isn't working, you’ve got to pivot, but it doesn't mean throw in the towel.” 
“When you work in a family business, there is a legacy plan that often, not always, but often is in place just because you know there is a next generation to leave something to.”

Nick Ambeliotis knows what it takes to turn a small business into a national brand. Born from a deep-rooted appreciation for fine foods, Nick founded Mediterra Cafe to satisfy his longtime passion and to provide a warm and inviting gathering space for Pittsburgh natives and visitors alike. 
Mediterra is a wholesale production facility for artisan bread whose customers include Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and the Ritz Carlton. Nick opened his first cafe location in June of 2018 with the mission of serving high-quality coffee, pastries, breakfast, and lunch, in addition to hard-to-find cheeses, charcuterie, and more. They’ve since grown to three locations but remained a family-owned and operated business.
Spiritual Guidance
Advice from spiritual elders has played an important part in Nick’s business journey. It was during an elder consultation at his church that he first decided to open a bakery, specifically with a mission-driven lens. Mediterra gives away hundreds of loaves of bread every day. Their facility in Arizona also makes extra bread to be transported to families in need in Mexico. 
All three cafe locations have grown to incredible financial success, averaging $1,000/ft in sales per day–but for Nick, faith always comes first. His primary goal is always to be a good steward of the wealth the company generates, which means giving back as much as possible and sharing the company with his family.
Building an Industry-Leading Brand
If you want to build an industry-leading company, Nick says three main factors contributed to Mediterra’s success. The first was Nick’s willingness to learn from experts in the field. He spent years gaining practical experience working for his father’s retail business and later for specialty food importers, learning the ins and outs of the industry.
Second, you need to understand your market. What do people want? At Mediterra, Nick was intentional about choosing cafe locations in neighborhoods with high foot traffic and disposable income; Mediterra sells handmade artisan bread, which means they need customers who appreciate premium products. They also started with a well-rounded list of product options to better understand which items were most popular.
Lastly, it’s critical to hire the right people. For his service team, Nick prefers artistic types who are engaging and truly love talking to customers all day. No matter what role you’re filling, it’s important to hire people who take pride in their work. 
On the backend, Nick provides specific instructions to make sure the work is done to a high standard, but ultimately he lets his employees do their own thing–micromanaging doesn’t help anyone. The result is that several of his employees have moved just to follow their jobs at new Mediterra locations.
Running a Family Business
Mediterra Cafe is a true family affair. Both of Nick’s sons are involved, as well as his daughter-in-law. Everyone has a part to play but they respect each other’s roles. At family gatherings, they follow an unspoken rule to limit business talk as much as possible. 
Nick says the key to working well with his children has been to remember that they’re not children anymore–they’re adults, and he hired them to do a job they’re good at. It’s better to let them learn their own way of doing things. 
Second or third-generation entrepreneurs act differently from first-generation founders–and that’s okay. Your company will benefit from new ideas that each generation brings.
Enjoy this episode with founder Nick Ambeliotis…
Quotes
“As many revenue sources as you can have, as long as they’re good and you research them, you’ll do well.”
“We’re a faith-based family, everything we do centers around Christ.” 
“You know if something is right or not based on how easy the door opens. If something doesn’t open quickly, I just walk away because it’s probably not meant to be.”
“If you really pay attention

Weighing in on culturally relevant topics, like faith, as an entrepreneur requires staying authentic to your personal brand, which will attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones.
In this microsode of "The Business of You," Rachel & Christy delve into the topic of discussing culturally relevant topics in a business setting. 
Rachel shares her journey of gradually incorporating discussions about faith into her client meetings over the years. On the flip side, she avoids discussing politics where she doesn’t want to further the growing divide, opting to emphasize inclusivity and the focus on leaving a positive impact through her business interactions. 
When discussing taboo topics like faith and politics, it’s important to choose what really and truly aligns with your personal or business brand and steer clear of what doesn't. 
An openness about your personal convictions can foster profound connections, but a flippant comment that’s not well thought through can do serious reputation damage.
Find out how Rachel’s openness about a “taboo” topic has led to deeper connections and ongoing business relationships with clients.
Quotes
“I decided a couple of years ago that I wanted to be more open about it [my faith]."
“My personal belief system is that, you know, we're all here to kind of make the world a better place.”
“About a year and a half ago, when we did this last version of the brand ID website, I decided to just put a very subtle, Bible verse in the footer of our website.”
“In the US, discussing things like faith and politics is really taboo, but then on the personal brand side, the more we discuss our values and our convictions, the more we attract the right clients, and the more we may detract the wrong people from working with us.”
“John 3:16 is 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'  So, I've been thinking about it for a while, not so much a Bible quote per se, but just how do I start talking about my faith?”
 
“After all the work that we put out in the world, you know, we're building websites, but ultimately I think at the core of our work is really helping people get clear on their purpose in life and then helping them earn a living from doing it.”
“What matters is, how we are living our lives, how we're conducting ourselves every day, how we're making people feel through conducting business with us, how we're leaving them with results as clients, right? And the business owners we work with, we tell them the same thing that those are the things that are important about brand building. How are you making your people feel when they're interacting with your business at every opportunity? Whether it's email, whether it's phone, whether it's Zoom, how are you leaving them feeling after that interaction with you?”
 
“The more I shared, about my personal self and my personal belief, the closer our relationship grew and from a business perspective that has just led to ongoing business and a lot of referral business.”

Kelly Roach is a former NFL cheerleader and Fortune 500 executive turned 8-figure+ entrepreneur empowering thousands around the globe to achieve financial and lifestyle freedom through entrepreneurship.
She is an 11x international best-selling author, top 20 podcast host, and philanthropist who has been featured in major media such as ABC, NBC, Fox, and Forbes–as well as the recipient of prestigious awards such as #287 on the Inc. 5000 list, The Stevie® Awards Woman of the Year, TITAN CEO of the Year, and Inc.s Best in Business. She’s one of the only female founders in the online space to build her company from 0 to 8+ figures with no debt, investors, or outside funding. 
Kelly has always been open about sharing the business strategies behind her success. Now she’s sharing the other hidden ingredient: her faith. 
The Live Launch Model
Kelly started her first business as a sales coach and trainer, teaching the skills she'd learned at her corporate job to small business owners. She tried different launch styles for her programs but found they all lacked a sense of connection with her audience. That was when live streaming came onto the scene and changed everything. 
At the time, there was no “live launch” model. Most launch videos were pre-recorded. So Kelly decided to try something new and went live in a Facebook group. When she got incredible results, she started teaching the Live Launch method to others–and the rest is history.
On Her Way to $1 Billion
Kelly didn’t stop at founding just one business. She owns six to date, with plans to expand further. She follows a simple test to determine when it’s time to move on from a business: there needs to be great leadership, excellent profit margins, a cash cushion, and the ability for her to remove focus as the founder without the business crumbling.
As a mom, Kelly values her freedom and time spent with her family. She doesn’t want any of her businesses to hinge on her. Instead, she creates systems, teams, and processes that create repeatable results without her being hands-on. 
Adapting to a Changing Market
Kelly has seen a lot of shifts in the online business in the past few years. Buyers are more skeptical and many entrepreneurs are pulling back–but what some see as a slow season is an opportunity for others. 
With fewer businesses running ads, you can stand out from the competition. While others are making cuts, you can hire from the best talent on the market. Buyers may be skeptical, but they’re also craving human connection and quality customer service, which has become increasingly rare. People are also looking for more customized solutions. If you can provide one or both of those things, there’s still plenty of room to grow in this market. 
Owning Your Faith
For years, Kelly kept her faith completely separate from her business. It was an important part of her private life but not her public one–until recently. 
The more she saw faith being pushed out of our culture, the more she noticed entrepreneurs struggling with mental health issues. Faith has always been an important part of Kelly’s business journey, so she started sharing that with her community. The response has been both gratifying and surprising…
Enjoy this episode with founder Kelly Roach.
Quotes
“I want to do what I’m doing but I want to do it in a way that I’m really making a difference in the world, changing families and impacting their lives, versus making one corporation millions of dollars. So I decided to take what I’d learned in corporate and start helping small businesses grow.”
“I had to be insanely ruthless with my time.”
“You don’t need 80 hours a week to run a successful business. There are a lot of entrepreneurs that are very busy being busy in avoidance of the things that really move the needle in the business.”
“Complexity kills.”
“I don’t want my businesses to hinge on me. I want to have systems, teams, and p