"We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves." ~ Galileo Galilei
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
I can do it!!!!!
Like, I made money to train people on dating (front-door) and self-love (backdoor). Which is AMAZINGGGGG because I am trained in IT and that's been my primary line of work… So, this SHIFT is incredible!!
How did EPM help you become successful?
You held my hand through all the exercises, and to literally put together everything I needed from the very beginning! I was amazed when it came time to do my Sales page...because I pretty much had everything I needed!!
The support of Tiffany and my group was amazing and encouraging! All of the coaching calls were great! ????
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
It's proven to me that I can do this! I rushed to get my Masterclass started because I wanted to feel support around me when it was out...and so, I didn't reach my $2k goal but I did get half-way there...which really is 10x better than I've ever done...and I already have a list of ladies that want to do the next round!!
What has been the biggest change in your business?
I am more disciplined. I took your scheduling training seriously and now I have time-blocks for work and I know what time I need to get certain things done.
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
That I actually have a process for designing, creating, and marketing my next Experience Product!! I am so grateful!!
I have my FLM in progress right now and I can't wait for the next iteration...especially because then I'll just be making edits to material and creating another product!! WOOT WOOT!!
I was having the problem of overwhelm and uncertainty in building my business– I wasn’t sure what to focus on daily, constantly overthinking and was struggling to get closer to reaching my big goal– launching and marketing my branding business. I joined EPM and discovered the power of focusing on building one product at a time, experiencifying my services and building momentum, both with myself and my clients.
It felt like with which each lesson, these puzzle pieces which were scattered in my mind before, were finally falling into place and I found a clear vision and path forward of what exactly I was building and why. I now have planned, designed and am practicing my lead product process, which informs and inspires my branding design offerings and helps my creative entrepreneur clients with actionable insights to building their brand.
This feels awesome because it not only helps me build my business and freedom in my life, but it also impacts my creative clients in huge ways, like valuing themselves more, feeling more confident and authentic with who they are and what they do. EPM has been a game changer for me and my business, thank you Marisa!
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
How to integrate positive experiences into products and services to increase engagement and impact.
My fascination with experiential design has grown massively because of this class and it already has changed the way I develop branding and marketing for myself and my clients. By far, this has been the best course I have ever taken because of the focus it gave me and the way it made me feel.
How did EPM help you become successful?
I got more done on my business in November and December than I had in months, trying to build everything for my business all at once and constantly overthinking. Now, I have designed and built a lead product that can stand alone but also powerfully inform my design offerings. I finally feel confident that I can deliver on my promises because of this process I've productized.
EPM gave me the power of focus I needed to put all my effort and energy into this one piece of the larger puzzle that is my business and that made all the difference. Even though I haven't gotten to marketing it quite yet, I know that once I do launch my campaigns, I will be prepared, come across as professional and valuable to the creative people I want to help the most.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
I feel like I have a solid foundation to build and iterate upon, which has given me more confidence that I can and will reach my goals, not only in business but in life. I feel like I know the specifics of what I need to work on during the day, so that I can spend more time relaxing and recharging when I'm not working, which is huge!
What has been the biggest change in your business?
Before, I was just trying to sell my design services and gaining context through a simple questionnaire, but somehow it never felt like I had enough insight and I felt like I was undercharging.
Now, I have a structured process in place before I do any design work that'll give me insights to create great branding work. I'll also be doing less free work, by avoiding the typical proposal stage, and instead, sell my lead product to clients, which will save time without pay.
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
I'm super excited to sell, practice and then utilize the insights from this lead product I've built because I know this piece alone will help creatives differentiate and market themselves better.
I reckon that my story is an unfinished Success Story. I have learned a lot. Done a lot. And I haven't given up. Yet once again find myself wrestling with my age-old sticking point... making the sales. I'm guessing that puts me right in the middle of the marketing brainf*** ! Since the deadline for this story is today, well, you are getting the "not-yet-happy" version!
Soooo, skip over this for now, and come back in a couple of weeks to get your inspiration :) Either way, see you in a week or so!
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
My biggest take-away from EPM is the confidence in my (eventual) success because I have turned my Emotional Life Fitness (ELF) project into an experiencifying product.
How did EPM help you become successful?
I felt like I had someone walk the way through the whole process with me. Not perfectly, but there was always someone there for me. And Coach Samara is a gem, providing clarity, support, and encouragement.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
Having a template for a process and approach that can be replicated again and again is invaluable.
What has been the biggest change in your business?
Getting me to get my product marketable. I have always been too focused on the perfection of my Emotional Life Fitness (ELF) products, making them effective etc. and have not bridged the marketing chasm that connects it to the clients wants and desires.
While in theory I have understood this for quite some time, my "knowing" as been knowing of what I shouldn't be doing. But it's hard to do a "not." Knowing what TO DO is a world apart, and Marisa has provided a living template for doing that. I am still not perfectly there.
BUT using Marisa's program as a template (carefully and intentionally bequeathed to us,) I am confident that it is a matter of time before I nail this.
I want to be a little (if older) Marisa ????
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
I know I have valuable products and that they must be delivered in this an experience format.
The coaching on the how and when to which pieces together was most valuable.
How did EPM help you become successful?
EPM helped me see how to organize all my creative ideas into a system that can actually reach and transform people.
Being a creative type, setting up the infrastructure is the hardest part. Now that the operations are in order, my creative work has a place to land, move into the world and change lives.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
I am confident that I can help healthcare staff to learn, live and love High Reliability Organizing Strategies.
We can deliver learning in a way that is fast, fun, relevant and memorable, which was always the goal, but it felt out of reach. It's not out of reach now, and we are going to cross that finish line.
What has been the biggest change in your business?
I am no longer going in circles… We have a clear plan and are making real progress everyday!
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
I'm excited to have a vehicle to deliver a message about how to make healthcare safer by working with a different mindset. I know in my heart that learners will be equipped with the mindset, attitudes, and action options that will help them prevent harm and save lives.
As a physics professor, a longtime spiritual seeker and personal development junkie, I have been noticing a lot of parallels between the laws of physics, the principles of success and wisdom insights from a variety of secular and spiritual traditions for a good chunk of my life.
About four years ago I structured it in the framework which I consider my greatest life project. I offered it after that as a college course for honors students twice with really good success. My hope was to offer it as an interdisciplinary college course for all students, in which they would learn physics principles in parallel with success strategies, but the course proposal was not accepted.
Things stagnated for a while and then in August 2018 I fractured a vertebrate which made me realize that life is way too fragile to wait another minute to get this out and I signed up for two programs to learn about business style online course delivery.
Even though the healing process slowed me down as well as an absence abroad from mid-December to mid-January, I still lifted the whole project off the ground. I started inviting friends into Start with an Experience Campaign and was really encouraged by the feedback I got from every single one of them, whether they thought they did or did not like physics before.
But then, something extraordinary happened which I have to ascribe to a whole lot of different things coming beautifully together that resulted from the few decades of work, but were certainly catalyzed by a number of practices in the Start with an Experience Campaign.
Namely, while abroad, I gave an invited presentation related to school reforms and the role of pen-based educational technology in them. One of the attendees was the chief editor of the largest publishing house in the country. We connected and next day I decided to call and see if I can schedule a meeting to present the framework. In short, she accommodated it and within an hour I was giving her an one-on-one presentation.
Delight, she offered to publish the book and that’s now in the process of writing. I heard many stories about how somebody got the publishing contract, but I don’t think many people first thought of even giving a presentation about the book to a publisher at 7:45 AM and had a verbal agreement for publishing at 11 AM of the same day. As I said, way too many things coincided for this to happen and they were building up into this event for few decades, but EPM was definitely a catalyst that came in at the perfect time.
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
It is all figureoutable and doable
How did EPM help you become successful?
It got me going again calling people, presenting my framework to them, feeling inspired by their feedback, I even transcribed one of such calls into what I’m now turning into an e-book.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
Through these start with an experience sessions, I got a tremendous share of validation for the concept and the content. The coach Debra was great. Marissa is fantastic. I am taking away few great friendships that might even turn into future business collaborations.
What has been the biggest change in your business?
I was at a point when when there was little or no activity around it and I got it back off the ground again. This is not my source of income and is more like a life project/mission than (still) a business.
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
Each video has a treasure trove of fantastic information. I’ll write the way start working on it again. Also, although I was not able to make it to the live class in LA, I signed up for next year.
A year ago I was stuck even though I thought I'd tried everything to get unstuck. I was starting to have very scary thoughts like, "Maybe I really can't do this." "Maybe this will be the first time you tried your best on something you really wanted and you couldn't do it."
It terrified me because I had just turned 65. I was counting on building my business up to the point where I could work part time and still support us, since Social Security wasn't going to be enough.
I loved being a therapist and a coach. I loved my clients and my colleagues. I felt like I was doing something useful and meaningful. But I just wasn't getting the number of clients I needed. Oh, I got clients, and most of them stayed long enough to get a good benefit.
But they came in at a trickle, usually through referrals and word of mouth, a few from a directory I belonged to. Not enough. Just not enough. I knew I couldn't go back to work at a job because my body couldn't handle it. The last few years I'd sat at a desk were excruciating to my severely arthritic joints.
But in 2014 when my wife became disabled because of a stroke, I knew I had to make a business work because she would never work again, and I knew I couldn't work full time also because she needed care, and that fell to me, too.
So I cashed in my IRA and started drawing a small retirement I'd earned, and signed up for coach training. With coaching training under my belt in addition to my therapist's license, I was thinking I'd pull this business stuff off like I'd done everything else--with concentration and tenacity.
But I quickly learned that adding coaching to my repertoire changed nothing. I knew nothing about business. So I started taking workshops, classes, masterminds. I watched every free webinar I could get my hands on. I signed up for a very expensive year long coaching program when it appeared I wasn't doing so well.
I learned a lot in all those classes and coachings. But I wasn't moving forward. I wasn't getting new clients like I needed to. I started over with different programs, different approaches, different niches and no niches. I paid out more than I took in, and soon all the money was almost gone.
Fast forward to last spring, when I started having those terrifying "maybe I really can't do this" thoughts. I was still trying this and that and felt like I was tumbling in heavy surf.
I was still catching free webinars whenever it sounded like I might actually learn something without buying anything. I didn't have money to buy any more programs that weren't helping. But one of the freebies I took was for Marisa's Start with You program. To this day I can't tell you why I signed up for it. It just felt good.
But something different happened. I actually finished all the modules and assignments. I'd never done that before. I'd usually do a program until I got bored or until I figured out that it wasn't going to help me with what I was struggling with. But Marisa's program got through to me. I even enjoyed it.
However, I didn't sign up for EPM then. I signed up for a speaker's course because I felt encouraged by Marisa's Start With You and I knew I'd need to become a better speaker to get more clients. I finished that program too, but much to my grief, I was still stuck.
In my despair I opened an email from Live Your Message. I'd been watching Marisa's expresso minutes and reading her blog and I liked her message and her approach. So when the email about EPM came and when I heard about the $2000 guarantee, I signed up.
Even though I'd told myself I wasn't going to spend more money on coaching programs until I started earning more (sounds crazy backwards, doesn't it?) but I spent it. I threw myself into it even though I had to put it on my credit card. I worked hard on it but discovered fairly soon that I didn't have the physical stamina to work at the pace needed and still see clients.
I would have to give up all thought of the guarantee and just try to make mission accomplished in my own time. That made me cry for a minute because I hadn't told my wife I'd spent the $2000 on yet another program. I was counting on either making the money right away or cashing in the guarantee if I didn't.
When I told her about it, I got a flash of my wife the way she was BS (before strokes). She hugged me and told me she had faith in me and trusted my judgment about what needed to be done. She said what she'd always said, that I was the best therapist and coach in the world and that people were going to know that sooner or later. (I don't think I"m the best in the world quite yet, but she does and that felt great!). So I stopped crying and dove back in.
I have learned so much during EPM, but like I said before, the biggest thing I learned was I came to understand how I was standing in my own way. The truth was, I was afraid--not fearful but reticent and nervous and resistent--to approach people about my business, to ask for referrals, to talk to potential clients. The more I worked on what this was, the deeper it went.
Until one day I had a download from my subconscious, or my memory or something. I suddenly had a vivid recollection of my mother saying "those people (shopkeepers, salesmen, etc) are just after your money. They don't care a jot about plain folks--all they care about is money, money and more money. They are greedy and evil.
They'd let a person starve in the snow before they'd part with a plug nickel." And I remembered more about how my poor, undereducated mother raised four kids on an allotment from the Army while my dad was overseas. We were very, very poor. And thanks to my mom, bless her heart, I knew it was because all those greedy people took all our money for things we needed like food and shoes without holes.
Well, it took a few days for everything to finally settle into understanding, but there it was. My big roadblock. Why I felt so bad and icky and vulnerable when I tried to talk about my business or to promote what I was doing. I don't know why what Marisa said created the conditions for me to be able to make the connection and break the stalemate I'd had with myself all these years.
But I know it is broken. I have to go at my own pace because I have to take care of myself physically and I still have to take care of my wife a bit since there are things she can't do. But for the first time since I started this endeavor almost five years ago, I feel hopeful. And not just pie in the sky fantasy "oh gee I hope this works" hopeful, but hopeful because I have a reason to be. I have knowledge, about what to do and about myself and my ability to do it. And knowledge is power.
And since I work with people and their love, I've learned, as well, that where the power of Love is concerned, all things are possible. Thanks Marisa, and all the coaches (especially Jen) and all my fellow EPMers who shared this experience with me...thanks for the Love.
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
There were so many, like not being focused enough, not being committed to a single niche, learning all the ways in which a potential customer can be scared away by me saying things I thought were helpful, and so on and on. But if I had to choose one as the biggest, I would have to say it was coming to understand all the ways in which I was standing in my own way while thinking it was all things outside myself that were holding me back.
The true gift of that understanding is that I can change all that stuff--every bit of it! Do you know what a relief that is? And it's kind of exciting, too, when I think about all the things I'm learning to do differently.
How did EPM help you become successful?
I have almost completely stopped being afraid of things that have held me back for years--like talking about my business, asking people for referrals, approaching new people, feeling absolutely great about my fees because I've found a deeper confidence about what I do for clients. Again, just more ways in which I've stopped standing in my own way.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
At present it has impacted my inner life more than my outer life since I haven't launched officially yet.
What has been the biggest change in your business?
I have finally taken the leap I've wanted to take for a long time--narrowing my niche to those clients I really want to work with--women couples. I had hemmed and hawed about it for years, too afraid that I wouldn't be able to make enough money with that narrow of a niche. But now I think it will be fine. I feel like I can do what I have to do to make it happen. And if it turns out to not be a viable niche, I figure I'll find out what would be better along the way.
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
I'm most excited about the possibility of my business actually succeeding. And about how much fun it will be to deliver this program that will really help any clients who take it seriously. And here's a kicker, too. I've been so afraid and stuck about marketing and everything associated with it,
I never thought of the possibility that I might enjoy marketing until my coach said "What if you discovered marketing was fun for you? What would that be like?" And suddenly, that's what I wanted. Not just to be able to do it and get through it, but to actually look forward to promoting my business and making new friends and having fun doing all the stuff I used to fear. How crazy and wonderful is that to think about?
I wanted to create my own online coaching course but I kept getting hung up on how to put it all together and get it out into the world. I have been dreaming of having a business that I absolutely love where I can make a difference in the world and have more time and freedom with my family.
I can't remember how I found Marisa and this course but I'm so glad I did. It came to me at the perfect time! I am so thankful that I joined the Experience Product Masterclass as it gave me the tools I need to create an amazing online course that will impact the lives of others and everything was laid out in steps that were easy to follow and accomplish.
I now feel confident and excited to share my program to the world! I haven't launched my product yet but I plan to by the end of this month. I am confident that I will reach my mission accomplished goal and much more!! Thanks Marisa and team for your fabulous guidance and support!
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
I love all of the step by steps tools that I now have to easily create this course and many more!
How did EPM help you become successful?
I don't have success yet as I haven't yet launched my product but I now have the confidence and belief that I will have amazing success and I have a valuable product!
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
It's helped me to grow as an entrepreneur and given me so many valuable tools. I'm excited to now be able to offer an amazing experience to my clients that will have them coming back for more!
What has been the biggest change in your business?
Before I knew I wanted to create an online course that was impactful and engaging but I didn't know how. Now I have all of the tools I need to create this course as well as many more. I feel so confident now and am sure I will hit my goal as soon as I'm ready to Launch!
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
I'm so excited to launch my first product! Creating an online course has been a dream of mine for years and now it is here!! I can't wait to get my experience product out into the world!
When I joined EPM I had no idea what I wanted to create or how I was going to serve people. I knew my idea had to be based on personal development and had to be relatable to people with substance abuse history, but I also wanted to incorporate the use of creativity for the healing process, such as visual arts creations from repurposed/recycled materials. However, marrying the two ideas into one that made sense was impossible in my head.
EPM helped me realize that as a starting entrepreneur with no digital marketing experience and no credibility points yet, I needed to break it down to the most basic, most simple and doable idea that addresses a pain-point for a lot of human beings today -- switching from surviving to thriving.
Hearing other EPMers share their own challenges and successes helped me realize this and helped me be okay with dropping the creativity component (for now) and even feel enthusiastic about the simplified version of my business idea.
Clarity continued to reach me and I realized I wanted to work with middle-aged women because in that group is where I see the most prospects for this type of solution, based on my own observations from my affiliation with AA over the past 15 years. Although I didn't reach Mission Accomplished by the deadline, I'm okay with it and I'm confident I will get there soon.
In December, adversity began to taunt me and I started to fall behind on Module 3. I was feeling the frustration and anxiety big time. Then life hit me with a bizarre curved ball, I became "literally" homeless in the first week of January and my marriage is no more. I never saw it coming and I felt like the rug had been pulled from under my feet.
The shock of the circumstances had me on the edge of giving up. Had it not been for the support and uplifting words from other students and Coach Jen, I wouldn't be writing this testimonial tonight. Although I fell behind on the course, as soon as I found a place to live I worked up the courage to face life straight on and grab it by the horns.
I finished my Milestones Doc and completed all the core track videos and tasks in modules 3, 4 and 5 within the last 10 days. I just signed up for Heroic Lifetime and I plan on creating a decent website for my business sooner rather than later.
But most importantly, I'm now writing the training content of my experience product, which will include the science behind the innate process I discovered to quickly bounce back from my grapple with adversity. This is now becoming one of the top pain-point solutions I can offer to my clients as part of my program.
I truly believe in my heart that the only reason why I'm making lemonade out of the lemons that life handed me, is because I was connected to the uplifting power of the EPM community and because I had CLARITY!!...
I'm now able to see life from angles that I never saw before. I feel more confident than ever about the type of message I wish to share with my future tribe and how to serve them better. This is hands down more rewarding and more valuable to me than making $2,000 in revenue by 5-Feb. This entire experience has been a huge success for me!
I was having problems knowing what niche to pick, I wasn’t sure what to do. i sort of had ideas, but they weren't clear. I joined EPM, and learnt so many things! I went through all my concerns with my coach, got advice from marisa, listened to Don and Christine and was able to get clarity and now I'm confident i will succeed! In fact i have 1 call booked for 20th feb and another to confirm and these calls are both with influential people in my niche!! So watch out!!!!
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
Hmmmm hard to say. The clarity I have gained. The fact that I do have something to contribute. The whole ethos of experience products - funnily enough, i do that sort of thing for friend's to make them feel good but not in business.
How did EPM help you become successful?
I really loved the structure of the program but my gosh - the calls were amazing!!! I cannot decide which i liked most, Mondays with Marisa, Wednesdays with Coach Mike or Fridays with Don and Christine, plus Murray!! This support was essential and unlike any other programme (and I've signed up to a lot!!)
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
Hope that there are ethical people out there!! Previously been scammed several times!
What has been the biggest change in your business?
Clarity i think and tools
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
That i can have a sustainable business!
I was struggling to put together a program to help build up the teenagers, I knew that it was desperately needed but how do I market to them? Through the parents? Would the parents want to be involved? I had so many questions with no good answers. I hit road block after road block. After trying several different things, over a 2 year period, I had all but given up. I felt alone with no support.
Then I stumbled upon an email from Marisa! It was a promotion for her program “Experience Product Masterclass”! It was an answer to the problem! I would have support, a lot of it, in many different forms and amazing tools to help me get clear. I enrolled and I could tell in just a few short weeks that I was finally going to be able to clear the path of all those road blocks and see the direction I needed to take.
I started creating and fine tuning! I had an outline for my course, a direction to take and the pathway to success was becoming clearer everyday!
This program has given me everything I need to be successful and more. I can’t thank the amazing team at Live Your Message enough for the added strength and tenacity!
I am building my marketing campaigns and getting ready to launch my program, “How to Build a Better Teen” and none of this would be possible without all the amazing support and encouragement I have received from the exceptional EPM Community!
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
My biggest breakthrough is that I can do hard things! I had been telling myself that this is a program that is deeply needed for 2 years and yet roadblock after roadblock kept popping up and I’ve allowed them to discourage me. My husband keeps telling me that there is no one out there doing this, no one to follow in the footsteps of and I keep saying that’s why we need to do it then.
We need to pave the way. I’m sure someone is out there that can help us we just haven’t found them yet and that’s exciting. I realize I won’t find them by just wishing I will, I must actively be seeking them. Bring it on!!
How did EPM help you become successful?
It made me sit down and make plans and take steps, ask those hard questions and reach out for help. Having a pod of people to cheer me on and give me great ideas and positive feedback was a big help too.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
It has given me clarity and encouraged me to push through the hard mind blocks.
What has been the biggest change in your business?
A clearer view of the future.
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
I have a clearer plan and vision for how to make this work and I know once I become more familiar with the marketing I will be off and running.