IAM879- Marketing Expert Passionate About Teaching Digitalpreneurs

Dallas Gordon, is an International Business Mentor, Marketing Expert, Author & Speaker who is passionate about teaching digital entrepreneurs how to master marketing and build irresistible brands online.

She encourages excellence in the marketplace and has coached multiple entrepreneurs to six figures & beyond, teaching them to monetize their passions and break free of their 9-5 jobs utilizing various online business and marketing strategies.

• CEO Hack: Not being afraid to do things my way
• CEO Nugget: (1) Your journey is your journey, learn to enjoy the moment (2) Slow down to speed up
• CEO Defined: Being in charge of your own future and creating things for yourself and others

Website: http://www.dallasgordon.com/

Instagram: Instagram.com/coachdallasgordon
Facebook: Facebook.com/coachdallasgordon
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Power-Embrace-Lesson-Reclaim/dp/1912551322
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-jK6gB8e6Wvinktbfby8Q

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Transcription

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00:02 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:30 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Dallas Gordon of dallasgordon.com. Dallas, it's awesome to have you on the show.

00:39 – Dallas Gordon

Awesome, thank you so much for having me.

00:41 – Gresham Harkless

No problem, super excited to have you on. And before I jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Dallas so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Dallas Gordon is an international business mentor, marketing expert, author, and speaker who is passionate about teaching digital entrepreneurs how to master marketing and build irresistible brands online. She encourages excellence in the marketplace and has coached multiple entrepreneurs to 6 figures and beyond, teaching them to monetize their passions, break free of their 9 to 5, and juggle their jobs, utilizing various online businesses and marketing strategies. Dallas, Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:17 – Dallas Gordon

Yes, absolutely.

01:18 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Well, let's do it then. So to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about how you got started. Could you take us through what I call your CEO story and we'll let you get started with the business?

01:27 – Dallas Gordon

Sure. Well, as a teenager, all the way up, I always aspired to be a business owner, probably because my parents were business owners. So it was the example that was set before me. So in high school, I took my stab at a few different businesses. I failed at those, you know, But that made me stronger. And in my, I would say late 20s, I had landed my dream job at the time what I thought was my dream job. And at that point, I was just focused on kind of climbing the corporate ladder. And I worked in a finance position. So at that time I was commuting probably about 30, well, I would say an hour and 30 minutes away from home to my dream job, an office with a view, employees working for me. It was an amazing job.

But one day I looked around at my office and realized that I hadn't given up on my dream of being a CEO. So I decided that I wanted to start looking around to see what I could do, like possibly what business venture I could get into that would actually work this time. So I was tinkering around on the internet and I was shopping at Walmart one day and I was like I wonder what would happen if I got on the other side of this of what Walmart is doing because they're selling these products online. I mean I go online and I buy these products and Amazon and all those good places that we shop from. And I wonder what it would be like for me to be on the other side of that. And so that's how I started a product space business at that time.

So at the time, I was pregnant with my middle child, She's now turning 8. But at the time, I really, really wanted, I desired to be able to be home with her, to hold her in my arms, to see her first, you know, moves and all that stuff. So I started my own boutique at the time, an online boutique. I started and took my stab at online selling. I was able to scale that business. I was very successful in that. I retired from my job before she was born. And I never looked back since. I learned how to sell it when different marketplaces. Of course, I've hired plenty of coaches. I've had, you know, business assistants that I've failed at, but I learned how to be an amazing power seller. I learned how to be an amazing marketer.

And then after, over time, I started to teach other people how to do the same. So at this point, I've been selling for over 8 years and I've been coaching for over 5 years. Other coaches, service providers, and marketers, I help all kinds of people to market successfully online and to earn more money online with different strategies that they can do with all walks of life. I work with lawyers, and people who sell insurance. I mean, you name it, people come to me to be able to scale their businesses online. So that's kind of my little story, how I got started.

04:15 – Gresham Harkless

Nice, I absolutely love that. I love that to hear kind of the entrepreneurship and kind of through your veins, so to speak, from your parents and being able to kind of tap back into that, was it just like you, when you were looking at the room, as you mentioned, like when you were in the job, was it just like, I don't know if it might be too strong to say lack of fulfillment, but was there just something that you feel like you were kind of missing, that you wanted to kind of, you know, put that entrepreneurial cap back on, so to speak?

04:38 – Dallas Gordon

It was, I think that sometimes we get engaged with life and what's going on around us. And I think that in the process, sometimes we lose sight of who we are. And I think that it was just that light bulb, that light bulb in the back of my head that went off moment where I was like, wait, I still want this. This desire is still here. So It was almost like I was grateful for how far I had come. But like you said, it was still a, I don't know if I'm completely happy with this life thing. I think I need more. I think I still wanna call my own shots. I think I still wanna start my own business and I haven't given up on this dream. So that's kind of what it was for me.

05:22 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. Well, no, I absolutely appreciate that. I almost feel like we all have, you know, that quiet voice. I guess you can say that's kind of speaking to you to do X, Y, and Z. And even if we go and do other things, it's not as if we never can come home. It's not ever like we don't know what home is, but often sometimes, you know, the voice might get a little bit choir, but it's always there. So it's great to hear that you've been able to come home, start your business, spend time, and with your family and your daughters, and see them grow up as well.

05:49 – Dallas Gordon

Yes, it's amazing. And I agree with you. That still small voice is always there. Might get a little quiet in the background, but it's always there if you take the time to listen. So I think that that was the situation for me.

06:03 -Gresham Harkless

Absolutely, absolutely. So I love that you've been able to kind of, of course, build the business yourself, but you're helping so many people do that as well too. Could you drill down a little bit deeper? Tell us a little bit more about how you do that and what that kind of process looks like.

06:14 – Dallas Gordon

Sure. So it's a couple of things that I do. I have a school online called the Pryker Freedom Tribe, and it's an academy for digital print awards. So what we do is we teach them and train them. There's a whole vault of training. We have live experts to come in and train the community. We also have a support group for people to ask questions and have accountability and all that good stuff. So we train with a focus on brand messaging, marketing strategy, and money-making strategies in a digital space. So those are all the things that we focus on. So that's just, it's an amazing community of 80-plus digital entrepreneurs at this point. It's been in my heart for a long time. I finally launched it 2, what is it, 2 years ago.

I think I just came up on the 2 year anniversary of that Academy. So thank you. I'm excited about that. So that's amazing. On the other side, I take private sessions. Right now I just actually launched a product-based business this year, so I don't have as much time for the coaching piece. But I do take private clients from time to time in 60 to 90-minute sessions where I work one-on-one with them to help them map out their marketing strategies and sometimes I also coach groups so next year in 2021 I have a mentorship group that I'm running for 6 months where I'm going to be actually mentoring a group of amazing phenomenal entrepreneurs who are just looking for transformations in their business and personal lives for 2021. So that's coming up as well. And that's kind of like a breakdown.

07:42 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. That's absolutely exciting. I love the different ways by which you can kind of support and help these entrepreneurs or these digital entrepreneurs as well. And it sounds like you've created each of these with, you know, sounds like a different level of maybe, you know, connection or kind of back and forth, but still being able to kind of get that value in different ways.

08:01 – Dallas Gordon

Yes.

08:03 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So what would you consider to be what I call your secret sauce, the thing you feel kind of sets you or your organization apart and makes you unique?

08:11 – Dallas Gordon

I would say integrity. I would say the balance between business and spiritual as well. And I definitely believe as an entrepreneur that change starts from the inside out. So you're only gonna go as far as what you put on the inside of you. So I think a lot of people think that it's all technical stuff, but it's not just the technical stuff. It's what you're made of. Entrepreneurship is probably one of the hardest things that a person will ever do because you don't have to answer to you anymore. I mean, no, wait, let me take that back. You don't have to answer to your boss anymore. You are the boss, okay? So having a job and working for somebody actually comes with certain benefits because they tell you what the agenda is this week and they tell you how much time you have to complete it. They tell you how much time you have for lunch.

And there's a comfort level when it comes to working for someone else because you know exactly what you need to do to get that paycheck. You know, so that's a comfort level that comes with it. When you are your own CEO, okay, you have to, you have to order your own steps. And if you fail, you can't blame your boss because you are the boss, right? So I would say that, yeah, that's pretty much what I would say that it's an inside-outside type of journey. And if you don't turn inwards to start working on the interview it can be challenging to grow as an entrepreneur. I think that both are equally important.

09:37 – Gresham Harkless

I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:48 – Dallas Gordon

I would say a good CEO hack that I live by is I do my best not to be afraid to do things my way. Okay. And that might not be something that everyone might agree with, you know, but I have learned in my business that less is more. I have learned that I'm a less is more person in every area of my life and I've learned to own it. So I don't need to have 10 coaches. I don't need to have 10 different businesses and I don't need to be having 50 things that I'm doing at once to be successful. The key to the success that I have had so far has been narrowing it down big time.

10:32 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And so what would you consider to be a CEO nugget? So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be related to what you said, or it might be something you would tell a client, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

10:45 – Dallas Gordon

Let's see. I would say your journey is your journey. So don't try to speed it up. Don't try to go over it, under it, or around it. It is yours. Learn to enjoy it. Learn to enjoy the moment. Learn to enjoy the things and people that you love because I don't care whether or not you stay up all night to do what you this business or not. You are not getting there faster. And that is something that I would tell myself, go get some rest girl, because you are not going to move any faster by losing sleep and putting your health in those you love when a bag burner. So probably some years ago, I was literally working myself to death. And I had the people that are closest to me say that if you keep down the cycle, I won't support you.

Those were my biggest supporters who said that to me. But what it did, was hurtful when I heard it, but it motivated me and it got my attention. Because the person that I was turning into, because I was just so desperately hungry for success, was just not the person that I set out to be. I was being ugly to myself and I was being ugly to the others around me. And so I had to learn how to slow down to speed up. Okay, and that's one of my favorite, favorite, favorite quotes, I'm not sure who said that, I'm not sure. But my mentor, that's one of the loudest things that he said to me that stood out to me that I actually live by.

Because when you take time for self-care when you take time to nurture yourself spiritually and mentally, emotionally, when you take time to go out and connect with nature and to connect with all the people that you love, and you're energetically feeling great, those ideas that you have, you can see so clearly and how quickly you can get them done. And then people are like, Oh my God, your business has blown up. What have you been doing? Nothing. Nothing new. I've been resting. I've been enjoying my family. Yes, I work, but I do not work myself to death. Yes, I work, but I do drink water. I do exercise. I do get out and breathe in fresh air. I do make time for Christmas movies hot chocolate and shopping trips.

I do talk to my mom every day. So These are things that are important that a lot of us entrepreneurs are leaving behind. And I see too many people in our communities that are losing their lives way too early. So they're building these legacies and they're not around to ever even experience any of it. So the nugget I would say is your journey is your journey. Embrace it. Understand that if you really want to achieve success in a good amount of time, stop rushing. Say, thank you for every little blessing that you get every day. Have gratitude, you know, because because I feel like so many of us were trying to live for tomorrow.

If I could just achieve that, I'd be happy. You know, if I could just quit my job, I'd feel better. If I could just buy a bigger house, I'd feel perfect. But then when we get there, we're never ever fulfilled because we're never grateful for anything. We're always just reaching for that next thing. We have to live in the now moment because that is the only moment that counts. So that's probably the biggest nugget. If I had to tell myself some years ago, if I had to speak a word to my past self, that's what I would say.

14:02 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question now, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Dallas, what does being a CEO mean to you?

14:12 – Dallas Gordon

I would say it just means to be in charge of your own future, that you can create the life that you desire. So you take it into your hands and you speak it into existence and you do the work and the actions to back that up. I think that that will pretty much be my when you take your life into your own hands and then you decide what you want and you create the life that you want. I think the CEOs are creators. We create things and we create opportunities for ourselves and others. So that would be my definition.

14:41 – Gresham Harkless

I absolutely appreciate that because so many times we forget that we can create the life that we wanna have. We can create the business that we want to have. And so many times, you know, we'll look and see, oh, so and so is doing it this way. So let me do it the exact same way when in reality, the beauty of entrepreneurship and business is to be able to create and build that business that you want to have and create success and define success, how you want to define it. And when you're able to do that to kind of, as I like to say, pick up that paintbrush and paint the canvas according to how you want to, that's when you definitely know you're in control and have power.

15:12 – Dallas Gordon

Yes, yes, truth.

15:15 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Dallas truly appreciates that definition. I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know. And of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things that you're working on.

15:30 – Dallas Gordon

Sure. The best way that you can get a hold of me is at DallasGordon.com or you can follow me across social media including YouTube at Coach Dallas Gordon. I'm the same name everywhere. So definitely connect with me. I've got some amazing content on my channel. I go live frequently, especially on Instagram. So that would be the best place to follow me over there. I've got some amazing freebies all listed on my Instagram, as well as on dallasagordian.com if you'd like to check that out. It's all there for you. So thank you so much.

16:02 – Gresham Harkless

Thank you. And I truly appreciate all the knowledge information and words of wisdom that you've dropped for us today. We will have the links and information in the show notes as well too, but I appreciate you again and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:15 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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