Brad Reed, creator of the Veteran PTSD Symptom RELIEF Experience I have 18 years of experience with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT or Tapping) and had been trying to start a business around that on and off for years. After 8 years of beating my head against the "internet marketing" brick wall, I had completely given up and walked away from following pretty much anything IM related. I even went back to college at 55 years old to earn my Master's in Clinical Mental Health so that I could actually work in an industry where I could use my experience and Tapping skills to help people release their trauma.
I was applying for Counselor and Therapist jobs when I ran across Marisa's EPM email one Sunday afternoon. I dove into the sales content, watched videos and recognized that EPM was the piece that I was still missing...even after investing 8 years and close to $75K in coaching and training programs. Then I saw the program guarantee - do the work and make back the program cost, or Marisa would bridge the difference - and I pulled the trigger and purchased. I knew I was committed to doing the work, and the guarantee was just the safety net I needed to spur me into action after 3 years away from ANYTHING IM related.
So I followed along and consumed the content while taking the actions needed to achieve Mission Accomplished...one module at a time. Content creation was never a problem for me, it was the marketing part that always tripped me up - but this time...things were different. Originally, I was focused on helping couples with their relationship (especially 'nerd couples' since my BS is in Electrical Engineering!) but I had trouble figuring out how to reach them. So I pivoted away from what "I thought I should do" and focused on what I wanted to do - help Veterans release their PTSD symptoms using Tapping interventions. Once I made that change, it all flowed smoothly, and I was authentically able to run my Chatterbox Campaign without feeling sleezy and like a used car salesman!
I was Chatter boxing at a MeetUp event shortly before Christmas and telling everyone at the table about my EPM product - the Veteran PTSD Symptom RELIEF Experience. I had just mentioned that I was planning on charging $100/per person to attend and hoped to get 20-30 people to attend this Beta group, when the guy across from me, whom I'd never met before said, "I want to sponsor the event so the Veterans don't have to pay anything!" He went on to say that he would provide the venue where the event could be held, would pay for snacks, and would also be able to arrange for finding the Veterans to attend as well. I was speechless! My Chatterbox campaign had actually worked! And the result was WAY better than I could have ever imagined! I just have to show up and present the experience event!
The big challenge has been timing. With the holidays closing in, (along with all of the germs that get shared by everyone who is traveling) Mark, his team, and others have been struggling to all be healthy enough at the same time to complete the planning so we can deliver the event. And there have been interesting developments in the interim - a second target market has emerged, and they come with a big built-in budget too (more in a moment!) The big realization that came with Mark's sponsorship is that Mark isn't the only philanthropist interested in helping Veterans! What that really means is that I can use the success of this first event to show other philanthropists what's possible from an event like this. And in so doing, enlist their help by sponsoring additional events in other parts of the city, the county, the state, the region, the country, and around the world!
Oh, and that second target market - Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services personnel - all are exposed to horrific and traumatic events that can haunt them for years. I can help all of them too. It only takes their attendance at this 4-hour event. And the second-best part (the best part is helping them) is that all of those emergency services departments all have big annual budgets to help their personnel with self-care and trauma relief! It is already in place waiting for a proposal of service!
What is your biggest takeaway from EPM?
I don't have to sell to my audience (Veterans with PTSD) in order to help them. I can sell to a philanthropic sponsor for the event and get paid while helping the Veterans relievch Jennifer Rada, she shared some insidere their PTSD. Additionally, in talking with Coa information with me about Fire Districts having big budgets to help their people with self-care and trauma relief. She told me about a $30K proposal she saw for a Yoga class for 17 fire stations worth field personnel! My second target audience will be helping Police, Fire, and EMS personnel to relieve their PTSD and traumatic memories. I've spoken with some police officers, and they've seen some really F'd up stuff that haunts them for years.
How did EPM help you become successful?
I helped me change my product focus, target audience for delivery, and especially my sales target audience to a sponsorship model, rather than an individual sale model. This means fewer sales calls needing to be made, resulting in bigger paydays, and helping more people with trauma, and doing it all more easily.
How has EPM and your success impacted your life?
I knew I wanted to help people with trauma histories and PTSD in particular. (That's why I went back to school to earn my Master's in Clinical Mental Health at age 55!) I've known that LOTS of Veterans fall into that category, and yet the ones who need the help the most are often the ones who have the least ability to "buy a solution." Shifting to the sponsorship model, has massively shifted may ability to succeed - both in terms of sale, and sales dollars, as well as the number of people who can benefit. Plus with the second tear focus on Police, Fire, EMS personnel, the ability to quickly and easily identify potential customers has exploded, and my personal success will follow. I've wanted to teach this 'on the road' and now it looks like I will have that opportunity in a different way than I had previously envisioned.
What has been the biggest change in your business?
Shifting the focus from the marketing grind of finding individual buyers to focusing on philanthropists for event sponsorship means a 100x increase in impact with an equal decrease in the number of sales conversations needed.
What are you most excited about moving forward with your Experience Product?
Getting paid to not only do what I love, but to create a massive positive impact and change in the lives of Veterans and their families.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would love to hear any suggestions others may have for philanthropic sponsors to contact, as well as suggestions for other "audiences with trauma" who could be easily identified and served. Lots of individuals have trauma histories, and yet they don't tend to self-identify by being a part of an easily identified specific "group." Suggestions are definitely welcome!