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With Joey and Eric acknowledging that they have allowed the Big Leap to slip down the agenda in recent weeks, they discuss the topics of momentum, time management, prioritization and setting expectations for one’s clients. They advise on how you can balance the time you need off for your own personal wellbeing with the demands of your work, and how setting your priorities must extend beyond the professional arena. Today’s show comes with the announcement that next week’s 20th episode will be the final Big Leap podcast. Be sure to tune in for a special goodbye.   Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

Episode 018 of The Big Leap sees us explore Joey's field of expertise, as we talk about real estate options for your venture. Should you be investing in bricks and mortar? Is the flexibility of renting preferable to the security of buying? How has COVID-19 changed the commercial real estate market? Tapping into his years of industry experience, Joey Torkildson provides some key dos and don'ts when tackling these big questions. Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

On today's show Joey and Eric continue a thought from last week on Risk vs Reward and dive deeper into the subject. Should you dive in feet first or make your transition little by little? Joey shares tales of his law breaking cycle ride, reminisces about Colonel Sander's and the KFC story and discusses his thoughts on age vs risk tolerance. Meanwhile Eric gives us examples of failed and thriving businesses and how they weighed their Risk vs Reward prioritise when launching and how they faired moving forwards.   Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

Very few Big Leaps can succeed without some form of investment or capital, so this week Joey and Eric discuss your various options for financing your project. Whether funding yourself, seeking out a bank loan, turning to investors, or raising capital from within, Eric taps into his financial expertise to help you understand your options. Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

"Be people's secret ally' - Joey Tork This week Joey and Eric take us away from our Big Leap and discuss some of their favorite things and passions in life and how they can be used for personal betterment. In this all action episode we get meditation and mindfulness tips, advice on using travel miles and credit cards more efficiently and even have a viewer Swag giveaway. Eric talks about his passion for travel and music and their shared love for Frank Turner and Amélie.   Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

Like a series of Leaps, both big and small, this week Joey and Eric take us on a journey through the challenges new businesses encounter. From dealing with competition through to operational issues in a pandemic, hear their first hand stories on problems they have encountered and how best to overcome them. It's a challenging time with more pivots ahead - how will you and your Big Leap react to the challenge?  Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

Welcome back Leapers. In this weeks show Eric and Joey focus on searching out the positives and the opportunities created by the current crisis and consider how to best utilize them to form what might be your very own Big Leap. They also discuss the 3 (or maybe it was 4) things you should be conscious of before taking a leap of your own and how to apply these to the times we live in. Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

This week Eric and Joey are joined by serial leaper Clark Varin. Clark is the co-founder of Muvule Financing LTD, a microfinance institution in Uganda that invests in micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, in addition to the co-founder of Minnesota-based Muvule LLC, a microfinance investment vehicle focused on investing in MSME companies in East Africa. The goal of his companies is the eradication of poverty by empowering entrepreneurs in emerging markets through financial inclusion. He believes that the only way to close the $5.2 trillion gap between the need and access to credit is through a for-profit business model that maximizes the social and economic impact of his investors' money. Clark's previous businesses include Travel Young LLC, a high adventure travel agency for young adults and a freelance digital marketing/copywriting agency. His work has been seen in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, the Entrepreneurs Organization, and the Minnesota Business Magazine, where he was named one of Minnesota's "Top 35 Under 35 Entrepreneurs" and "Young Entrepreneur of the Month" in August 2018. He is a casual speaker on entrepreneurship at schools in Africa, and impact investment groups in the USA. He lives in both Milwaukee, WI and Minneapolis, MN.  Also here is the link to his GoFund me page he was talking about in the show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/covid19-emergency-relief-uganda-food-amp-health?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet   Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson https://www.facebook.com/AbundoWealth    Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

With Eric and Joey treating social distancing seriously, they tried something different this week. Recording remotely during a recent live stream, Joey and Eric discuss taking opportunities in times of upheaval and looking on the bright side of the current crisis where possible.   Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson   Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

Part II of Eric and Joey's focus on marketing begins with a story of a recent visit to Times Square. In a modern world where we are constantly bombarded with advertising, how do you cut through the noise? Over the course of their discussion the two Leapers-in-Chief strongly agree that the most effective way of earning new clients is through focusing on your existing ones. For them, organic growth through adding value to your client experience trumps any expensive advertising model.   Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson   Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

How can you convince people that although you're offering Holiday Inn prices, you’re still offering a Ritz Carlton experience? How do you answer ‘what’s the catch?’ when there is no catch? How do you counter the perception that lower cost means lower quality of consumer experience? Today Joey and Eric tackle concepts such as premium pricing, extreme spending vs ‘guerrilla warfare’ forms of marketing, and the importance of word of mouth testimony - all via a brand new invention they like to call the Dillibopp. Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson   Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

The theme of today’s episode is competition, and that awkward moment when you first discover that someone else has had a similar idea to you. When your market starts to become crowded and you’re no longer on an island, how do you adapt and adjust to the presence of your newly found peers? Whether retaining core values, differentiating one’s offerings, ‘staying frosty’, or working with your competition constructively, Joey and Eric offer a wide range of views and insights into how your Big Leap project can stay on track in the face of a challenger. Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson   Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

It’s a Big Leap special today as Joey is substituted for his Voila business partner, James Andersen. This gives Eric the opportunity to use James’s own Big Leap experiences as a case study, asking questions like what first prompted the move? When did an initial spark of an idea become a concrete idea that was being enacted? How much planning did he make for failure, and has his honeymoon period run out yet? Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson   Show Joey (and James) some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

“Don’t Doubt Your Vibe” - Elon Musk  Taking your Big Leap is not all unicorns and fairy dust, and today Joey and Eric have a chance to reflect on what you need to do when you hit the end of your honeymoon period. Perhaps your idea has not blossomed to the extent you would have hoped, or maybe you’re struggling with the pure volume of work you have to grind through.  With a little help from an Elon Musk song title, the Leapers-in-Chief underline the importance of remaining true to your values and your vibe, holding onto your long term vision, and continuing to do it for the right reasons. Get in touch with Eric: www.abundowealth.com https://www.instagram.com/abundo_wealth https://twitter.com/AbundoW https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbsimonson   Show Joey some love: https://voilaitsold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/voilaitsold/ https://www.facebook.com/voilaitsold/ https://twitter.com/VoilaItSold

Give your Big Leap a head start by utilizing the wide range of innovative products and services available in the new decade. From royalty free music providers to communications professionals who ensure you never miss a call again, Joey and Eric share with you their Top Ten Tips, Tricks and Technologies of 2020.

Can You Work With Someone You Don’t Love? - or someone that doesn’t share your values? In this episode of The Big Leap, Joey and Eric argue passionately for always keeping alignment in mind when recruiting partners, colleagues or even clients. This could mean alignment of your goals, your ambition, or your ideals. For Joey, it is a waste of time to undergo background checks and an interview process if you haven’t yet established that this alignment is there. How do you find such people? Keep your ‘awareness hat’ on the whole year around - the person you’re speaking to might be an ideal fit in the future, even if you’re not looking for anybody right now. Put that person on your ‘bench’ and bring them on when the time is right. Rounding things off, Eric surprises Joey by revealing that he loves the process of interviewing and employee evaluation. 

Can you summarize your business model and mission in less than 20 seconds? If not, then this episode explains why you should be able to.  Eric and Joey discuss the importance of proper messaging. They explore the value of differentiation, the subtle differences between grabbing attention and then retaining it, and the challenges around targeting your messaging at the right people.

How much capital do you need to put up front? To what extent can you afford to get into debt? Should you retain part time work to keep your income secure? Or will that be a demotivating factor? What's your attitude towards recruitment? Would you benefit from the insight and separate skill set of a business partner? Or would you have doubts about their trustworthiness or passion for the project? Joey and Eric discuss some of the big decisions you need to make regarding investing your money and time - and make some realisations of their own about their respective Big Leaps.

To open the series, Eric and Joey discuss some of the considerations we must weigh up before taking the Big Leap. Firstly - is it a good idea, and something that you should do? What are the risks vs the rewards? What is your worst case scenario - your ‘floor’ - and how does it compare to growing old and regretting never doing it? Also discussed are the pros and cons of discussing your plan with your confidantes. Will the counsel of loved ones and colleagues help to boost your determination and resolve, or could it introduce doubts? The two entrepreneurs discuss their respective passions for their own enterprises before closing the episode with some Big Leap book recommendations to help get your mindset prepared.

Are you ready to make a big change? Do you have a thought or an idea that you believe could change your life or those of others - but are unsure about how to get it off the ground? Do you want to make The Big Leap?   In this brand new series Eric Simonson and Joey Torkildson aim to ease your doubts and fire you up for the major changes you want to make to your personal or professional life. Coming from the world of financial planning and real estate respectively, Eric and Joey have recently embarked on new enterprises that shatter their industries’ normal way of thinking. In this podcast, they aim to help you turn convention upside down and take your Big Leap.