This wine helped end the Cold War and also grew my business to six-figures. Here’s how.
"This bottle of wine helped end the Cold War," the sommelier noted as he poured my glass.
Iron Horse Winery's Russian Cuvée had been served at the infamous dinner between Gorbachev and Reagan in 1985.
It was reportedly at that meal, over a few glasses of sparking wine, that these two superpowers began to thaw the tension of the Cold War.
I was at the Sonoma winery for the day, enjoying the view of their rolling vineyards from the outdoor tasting room.
I took a sip, the bubbles tickling my mouth. It was a pleasure to drink.
I looked at the white napkin my glass had been resting on.
A blank canvas.
I'd been going over and over how to start my own consulting business.
It was April of 2013. I was still a full-time employee and I hated it.
But I was at war with myself over my fears of starting a business. By the second glass, feeling my own defenses softening, I asked myself what I would need to do in order to write my own ticket.
I scribbled down three questions on that napkin that I had to figure out in order to make consulting work.
Six weeks later, I was laid off.
That afternoon, I dug through the bottom of my purse to find that napkin. I pressed it flat on the kitchen table and began to answer those questions.
Those answers, and the strategy I created as a result of them, changed my life.
Within six weeks I had booked six-figures of revenue in new business. I was working with global brands, doing what I loved, and felt such peace of mind, knowing exactly where my revenue was coming from.
Three little questions made one huge difference.
Before you expect me to blow your mind with some life shattering questions that I channeled after a 7 hour meditation in a gluten-free resort in Bali, I’m afraid that’s not the case.
I was on my second glass of champagne when I wrote these, after all.
Not exactly Shakespeare.
But a wise man once said, "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."
So here are the three questions that transformed my business:
Who do I serve?
What is a pain in their butt they needed solved yesterday?
Do I know how to reach them?
The more clarity you have around these, the easier developing and executing a marketing and sales strategy becomes.
If you feel like you’ve answered these questions, but still aren’t overflowing with clients, then your answers and strategy need some help.
That's where a VIP Day with me comes in.
We work on vision, clarity, strategy and execution for the next three months in your business, using a systematic approach that has helped thousands of businesses get booked solid.
And because I'm adamantly anti-hustle, I'll even teach you how to do this in 30 minutes a day.
No more late nights, missed children's recitals or worrying about where your next client will come from.
If you're curious to learn more, let's chat and see if I am a good fit.
Laura Khalil helps ambitious female entrepreneurs rebalance the scales of financial justice in their favor and go from best kept secret to booked solid. She combines her experience as an award-winning marketer and business strategist to help you double their revenue in only 30 minutes a day. She’s consulted for some of the most recognizable brands, such as Intel, Twitter and GE.
