How Francis Perdue Has Built Scooter P. Entertainment: Distributing & Developing Content of Underserved Filmmakers, Creators, Directors and Producers

[00:00:00] Hector: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the How to Scale a Business Podcast. My name is Hector Sant Steon, and I am your host for today. We're here with Doa Darwish, and she helps sea-level executives, CEOs, business owners to really, create a entrepreneur mindset and to, move away from maybe a, entrepreneur or a corporate mindset and, someone who, has been doing it for a while.

[00:00:21] Hector: So, Doah, thanks for spending some time with us today on the How to Scale of Business Podcast.

[00:00:25] Doaa: It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure, Hector. So excited.

[00:00:28] Hector: I know that I can't really encapsulate someone's experience or credentials or, anything into that short intro. And you've got a long list of credentials at the end of your name that, may or may not be relevant to today's conversation. But I'd love for you to share kind of what you've been doing, helping business owners and, kind of how you got today and, a little bit about what you're doing with them now.

[00:00:48] Doaa: Absolutely. So when I graduated, from university back in 2000, my goal was to how can I create this change for my client's lives? Back then, I didn't know exactly what kind of audience will I be? Talking to, but then I started with the sales slash marketing background as a sales marketing management training.

[00:01:09] Doaa: Of course, like back then I was trying to figure it out, like, what's the difference between sales and marketing? That was not so clear in any education I've, taken before. I mean, almost getting their understanding that, yeah, sales is this, marketing is that. How they're introl late or sometimes in the place where I used to work at how they competed in ways which was a little bit shocking for me.

[00:01:28] Doaa: But then I realize, alright then that's where you get started. You start with selling anything before you actually can, get to the perfect idea that really works for your client. You've gotta have the sales and marketing muscles, which are two different things. But then you've gotta get to them. If you have the best thing, I realize this at a very early phase of my career.

[00:01:49] Doaa: If you have the best thing, if you have the best product, best idea, you don't know how to reach a client and sell it to them, it doesn't exist. you're invisible. I. So, I started with that kind of marketing slash sales background. I really doubted myself. Back then I felt like sales, sales, but then I realized it was my strongest muscle.

[00:02:07] Doaa: But then I got it. I got into project management in 2004. Heard of, project management, professional credential. Back then, I thought, wow, I need something to teach me how to organize, how to convert an idea. Into a reality I need that. I didn't get that in my education. So got into the project management field and then, worked in several multinational companies and then actually started a project management office.

[00:02:35] Doaa: Was manager of project management office at a pretty early age, 25, which was too much a responsibility, but it was managed well. And then, a crash in the company happened in 2011. President dies, like hell, fire opens, they want the old team to disappear. They want a new team to come aboard.

[00:02:52] Doaa: I was one of the loyal old team members, so obviously it was hell Fire, they laid us off. They tried to, crush Us. Couldn't. So they laid us off, got our unemployment, fee. Reinvested all of this into my business. Started my website, started my business. Now, at that point, I really was sure that coaching and training is my space. And then I actually started my company to trainers box servicing people worldwide. Now, back then, like I used to work in Egypt. I'm back there now. But then my target was to sell to people worldwide, especially in USA, Canada, uk, and Australia. And that was back in 2012, and

[00:03:32] Doaa: I remember it took me six months to get my first client, and it was like, wow, this is happening At that point, I realized the importance of sales. I need to get more clients, I need to get more clients. Our products were good. So we pushed on with this more and more. We expanded our networks, expanded our, clients' database and everything was moving well till Covid happened, and that was the point where our markets could not relate to what we offered because contracts were finished, they were working from home.

[00:04:03] Doaa: They did not know how to deliver from home. We revamped the entire business Totally. And created this partner programs where, The entrepreneurs or the business coaches that we were, selling to, they wanted somebody now with them, and the risk with them and the investment. They wanted a platform to deliver through.

[00:04:20] Doaa: They wanted somebody to teach them sales because they had amazing stuff. They didn't know how to sell it. that at that point, like I got totally back into the sales zone and like we partnered with Grant Cardone team as licensees. And totally helping my partners Now, how to deliver online and push with the sales.

[00:04:38] Doaa: The sales has to come in first.

[00:04:40] Hector: You did a couple of great things and I'd love to go back to a few of these moments and the first one was, kind of when you were figuring out who you were gonna sell to, I thinkThat's a big step, and some people nail it and some people spend a lot of time figuring it out.

[00:04:54] Hector: What, what was that like for you and how did you end up kind of honing in on, who your, ideal customer was, right? Because you, went across the world, you were looking for clients across the world in a time and place that was not normal. in 2023, that might be more regular, where, you're looking for international, you know,

[00:05:11] Hector: that makes sense. But 10 years ago, that's probably seemed a little more crazy. So what was that like and, how were those six months for you and just take us back to that and how you navigated that whole time.

[00:05:22] Doaa: I remember back then Hector. Now, the reason why I chose to service coaches and trainers like, let me take you back like two steps. When I became like a project, I mean accredited in project management, I thought, I'm gonna just take this as a, as a backup career. So I can just in case, in maternity leaves or something like this, I have a side career where I can be a coach on my own terms, in my own available hours.

[00:05:46] Doaa: So that was it. But then when I started, training people, seeing how this actually impacted their lives, I mean, some people's lives totally changed. Were able to get hired or got promoted. So this is a life changer. This is a game changer. I thought, wow, this is something I wanna, like be in, this is my space.

[00:06:04] Doaa: And then I realized, like me on my own, I just help a group of people. Why not help coaches who can help a larger group of people. So I thought I'm gonna be help instead of being a coach only. And that's it. And helping a limited group of people let me help coaches who can like duplicate whatever I can do.

[00:06:23] Doaa: And that way I can be helping a larger number of people. So when we got to Trainer's box and launched the website, I remember my family thinking like, how is this gonna happen? You have not created a website, zero technical background, zero as of Z E R O zero, I'm business background, and I Googled it. I Googled, how would you create your website?

[00:06:44] Doaa: I googled it, created the website on a very user friendly platform. And created the website and like, I just kept pushing and waiting. I was like doing posts all the time on LinkedIn, building my network of coaches and trainers. I was sure at that point I was looking at coaches and trainers.

[00:07:00] Doaa: there was no doubt. then I remember this lady from California, she purchased the product bits that back then it was worth what, $14 0.99. And the transaction came through like 11:30 PM My timing, I thought, this is working. This is working. And maybe that was the most, impactful sale.

[00:07:19] Doaa: I've sold products at $10,000, but that first sale was the most impactful, thing that ever happened to me in my business because itI just proved it to myself. This works. And, the six months of waiting did not seem too much back then because I was busy creating articles, creating content, networking with people, praying to get a client every day.

[00:07:41] Doaa: I remember like, I wonder if I'm gonna be getting a client today, but I was not pushing hard with the sales. I was more off marketing, promoting in the marketing and promoting mode. And maybe if I had started pushing with my sales muscles more back then, maybe I could have gotten a client in the first two months.

[00:07:57] Doaa: But yeah.

[00:07:58] Hector: Yeah, right. I think like I've seen in, restaurants and a lot of, businesses where they frame that first dollar right, that they made because it's, kind of symbolic, but I think it is symbolic of, trying to figure out, it's. Going through all of the phases of, things not working and then finally landing on that thing that works and then you, you seem to,double down on that and you seem to kind of really, turn into that.

[00:08:21] Hector: and so since then, how have you approached It doesn't seem like your customers have not really changed, but your offerings and your business and that has seemed to evolve. so how did that come about or how did you continue to scale and grow your offerings after you figured out who you were gonna sell to?

[00:08:36] Doaa: So, it's like you said, my clients did not change, but their circumstances, their situation, the economy surrounding them drastically changed. Hec, their psychology changed, excitement changed. You could be dealing with a lot of frustrated coaches. You need to pick them up.

[00:08:56] Doaa: especially after 2019 and, you need to add to whatever that you were doing before. A lot of, information, a lot of evidence that this will work because now you start dealing with people who are not doubting you. They're doubting themselves and a lot of positive. Vibes and high energy all the time.

[00:09:16] Doaa: Consistently. You will be shocked to see people asking you like, disconnect with me. Take me off your list. Never call me again. And then them subscribing to an event that you have one month later. They are going through, roller coasters, a lot of highs and lows. Since 2020, their behavior has become so unpredictable, and I totally understand where that is coming from.

[00:09:39] Doaa: So they maybe need more tolerance. You need to believe more in what they can do rather than, just give them one hit and run. They need you to show them that you will hang in there with them, even if they're not ready now.

[00:09:53] Hector: Yeah, I'd imagine that in. Industries and, services or things where the relationship was not as traditionally important, where things were much more transactional. All of a sudden the relationship becomes so much more important.

[00:10:09] Doaa: So much more important. They're looking for people who can connect with them. Who can understand, like, their battles. They want to connect with you and they want you to tolerate their craziness at moments. They want you to do that. They expect you to do this.

[00:10:24] Hector: Hmm. Very interesting. Yeah, I've had some conversations with my team about like, hey, we are, the service provider, so it's like, we have lots of roles to fill, so, sometimes it is therapist and sometimes it is, you know? Yeah. I get it.

[00:10:37] Doaa: But like the question here is how, would you get your cup full? Now you're helping a lot of people every day. How can you take care of yourself at that point every day to make sure your cup is restored and is full back to it's full capacity again?

[00:10:51] Hector: I've had to start a, a whole nother podcast to figure out that question, the answers to that question. So will won't go there cuz we'll be here forever. When we, when we get back from break though I wanna talk about something that we touched on at the beginning, which is this. I don't know if it's a entrepreneur mindset or, even you've mentioned before the call this kind of this stuck mindset that a lot of people who call themselves entrepreneurs have.

[00:11:11] Hector: and you've got some really great perspective on, how to break out of that. And so we're gonna get into that, right after this quick break.

[00:11:18] Hector: Hey, all today's episode is brought to you by Amplify Media And we are a content and podcast production company. So if you have a mission, a message, a passion, a purpose, something that you want to get out to the world but don't necessarily have the time, the tech skills of the team to be able to do it, we can help.

[00:11:31] Hector: Go to amplify media.com. That's amp l a fy media.com. You can also check the show notes for info. And with that, let's get back to today's episode. So do I. I tried to tee up this idea as best as I could, but before we hit the record button, you were really talking about some important concepts that I think not enough entrepreneurs or more entrepreneurs need to hear.

[00:11:54] Hector: So talk to us about this mindset gap, if you will, and how someone might be able to overcome that or, or even just become more aware of it.

[00:12:03] Doaa: Have you ever come across the Johari model?

[00:12:07] Hector: No, what is that?

[00:12:08] Doaa: So like the Johari model is like, a table like this, four segments, and the first segment is like, you are aware that you have a problem. Everybody's aware. Second one is that only you are aware, nobody's aware. The third one is that everybody is aware.

[00:12:22] Doaa: You're not aware. Fourth is you're not aware. Nobody's aware. So it's more of like, Awareness. Are you aware where you're at right now? So all of the blind spots that we have as entrepreneurs, view as an entrepreneur, me, like we cannot self-help ourselves on this ever because it's a blind spot.

[00:12:39] Doaa: We cannot see it and will not be able to see it on our own full stop.

[00:12:42] Doaa: That's a period

[00:12:43] Hector: How could you,it by nature, that is what a blind spot is,

[00:12:46] Doaa: exactly right. So, I mean, that's exactly the part and, and the problem with coaches or the dilemma, let's call it with coaches and trainers like they think, because I'm a coach, I should be able to help myself. I'm helping others. Hey, so, which makes it even harder for them to accept that there are blind spots for them.

[00:13:06] Doaa: They cannot see. They need somebody else to help them.

[00:13:08] Doaa: That's where the resistance is. Of course some industries more than others.

[00:13:14] Hector: well, especially with trainers and, and I find myself a big. Journey of mine recently is being willing to ask for help and not having to feel like we have to figure out everything on our own. And it's interesting that you bring up this concept of blind spots because it's something that I'm, I used to be that kid and my son does it to me now.

[00:13:32] Hector: It's funny. He goes, I know everything. And I said, oh yeah, I used to think like that. Now I realize, I know

[00:13:39] Doaa: Nothing.

[00:13:39] Hector: and most, most of my life is just exposing everything that I don't know. But to that point, I think as an entrepreneur, we come in and part of that mindset of, I'm gonna do it all on my own.

[00:13:50] Hector: I'm gonna figure it out on my own. To our detriment. Right? To our own detriment.

[00:13:54] Doaa: Yeah. Wasting years. Years, Where you can actually get in touch with somebody who knows, they've been through this for 10 years, they've went throughout the entire experience. They're ready to share it with you right now and teach you in two weeks.

[00:14:06] Hector: Yeah. what sort of blind spots do you see that a lot of? People have, and I'm actually, the other thing about someone who has, especi, specifically a trainer or coach, is not only do they have generally more years of experience, but they've also a lot of times had a larger sample size.

[00:14:22] Hector: They're able to see and work with other people, and so they're able to, have all of that data set, as well. but given what you've. in your experiences, the people that you've worked with, or are there blind spots that come up more frequently than others or more significantly than others, or maybe even ones that people are so unaware of, but that can really move the needle?

[00:14:41] Hector: do any of them kind of fit that bill?

[00:14:43] Doaa: , the biggest blind spot that really hit their business.

[00:14:45] Hector: Yeah. Which ones do you see that some people might not be, thinking about,

[00:14:49] Doaa: The biggest blind spot that will really hit their business is that they think that the sales is gonna happen on its own because their product is good, or their service, or their program is good. Like some kind of thing will happen. People will come in, people will show up for them, or maybe their old clients will just come back because they were so loyal back then.

[00:15:08] Doaa: Two years ago.

[00:15:09] Hector: The build it and they will come model.

[00:15:11] Doaa: hit for their business. Every day. Like day they wait. I see them waiting, procrastinating the decision to do the sales themselves. They wanna. Hire a sales team thinking that the sales team will bring the sales on their own thinking.

[00:15:25] Doaa: They'll be able to lead a sales team not having the sales skills themselves, not knowing how to make the revenues themselves. Their team will. Their team is accountable and responsible for this because they pay them a flat fee hit for their business

[00:15:38] Hector: Yeah. I know that you've done a lot of work on Growing and learning and all these sorts of things to educate yourself. Are there any things that you. Either like to recommend often, for someone or things that you yourself are still going back to frequently? I think about one of my favorite books is called The One Thing, and I've read it probably, I don't know, 30 or 40 times because I need so much help, prioritizing and I need to constantly remind myself.

[00:16:03] Hector: But is there,is there something like that that you either recommend often, or come back to often?

[00:16:07] Doaa: I'd recommend that you hang out with people who have different skill sets where you need to, excel at, so most of the people will be hanging. Out with people who are exactly like them or have like, common ground, same expertise, nothing to be added except in this one technical area.

[00:16:25] Doaa: But then now if you wanna go out and make like, say, million dollars this year in revenues, you wanna go and hang out with somebody who made a million, 10 million, 50 million. So you choose a way to hang out with them, go read their book. We'll watch their videos, sign up for their courses. Just be there close to them and you're gonna be picking it up and you just need to hang out with one person, one millionaire to pick that up.

[00:16:50] Doaa: You don't need to, like study three millionaires, just one person and pick up that make sense for you and then start doing them because they're not gonna be advising you. On just, digesting the knowledge they're always gonna ask you to do. Go do it, do it, do it, do it. Get into action.

[00:17:06] Doaa: Get into action. Get into action today. What did you do tomorrow? What are you gonna do? So hanging out with people with, with that kind of, experience different than mine. Can I learn from them? Because like, this is when the business relationships and transactions happen, Hector, right? When you start to now connecting with people with different.

[00:17:24] Doaa: Backgrounds, they maybe wanna buy something from you. Now you wanna buy something from them.

[00:17:28] Hector: Yeah. Yeah. Such a great point about connecting with other people and the value of, of that, especially when you're scaling, because so much of scaling is being able to do things outside of yourselves. and that is, I think that should be a more common theme here. So I appreciate you bringing that up here, Doah. where can people go and get connected with you, or if they wanna find out more about, you and what you do? Is there anywhere online to go and follow up?

[00:17:51] Doaa: I think the best platform would be LinkedIn. Cause like that's how like we get professionally introduced. They can go and check out my professional background. I can go and check out their professional background and that's a good start in place. So absolutely my LinkedIn account is do a k Doish and I'll be more than happy to share the link with you, Hector.

[00:18:10] Hector: Cool. Yeah, we'll link that up in the show notes. Doah, my last question for you is that, In your opinion, what is the secret to growing or scaling a business?

[00:18:18] Doaa: I think finding a, role model. somebody who you've seen their achievements and really like it, like them. And then go and see the study exactly what they did and don't stop there because this is exactly where people stop. Go and actually do something and keep doing it every day.

[00:18:35] Doaa: Pick up one thing that this person did and do it every day. and then when you're sure that you're doing this, say for example, you have not been talking to 20 leads every day and you started doing this, it's easy for you. You can't call 20 people effortlessly, like every day can do it. Now learn new thing, add to this, like one little more thing.

[00:18:53] Doaa: So, for example, follow up on five old leads and do that, add it to the 20 calls every day. You've gotta keep doing it. whether you are on a weekday, on a weekend, traveling out with your family on the sea, you keep doing, it becomes part of your life that's a mission. No breaks. that's at least like what I can recommend.

[00:19:14] Hector: Yeah. Do I Thank you so much for this. This has been a wonderful conversation. I wanna thank all of you listeners for sticking with us today. If you guys got any value out of today, please leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcast. if you know someone who is in the midst of growing their business or thinking about starting one, send 'em this episode and then go out and connect with Do on LinkedIn and, Let's see if we can make some magic happen together.

[00:19:36] Hector: Thanks as always for being a part of the tribe. We'll see y'all in the next one later, y'all.