The Freedom Formula Podcast: Achieving Financial, Location and Time Freedom (Neel Parekh)

Have you ever wondered if a motivated entrepreneur can have zen-like calmness? In today's society, being very calm and highly driven seem to be at odds with each other. 

Today's episode is about dispelling that myth and discussing how mediation and spirituality can drastically improve your entrepreneurial journey and help you live a more meaningful live.

Neel & David discuss:

• The current “hustle culture” mentality portrayed in social media
• David's journey in meditation & spirituality
• How meditation has helped David level up his business and go bigger
• David's key takeaways from his 5-day meditation retreat and lessons to be shared

In this episode, Neel chats with Matt Brazis, the owner of MaidThis Tampa. Matt shares his journey of leaving his nine-to-five job in medical device sales to start his own lifestyle business. He talks about his interest in entrepreneurship and the desire to build something that he can own and pass down for generational wealth. Matt also discusses the challenges of finding reliable labor and the importance of being comfortable with technology in running a cleaning business. He shares his expertise in utilizing credit card points to travel and the benefits of having a side hustle to support the growth of his main business.

Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship offers the opportunity to build something that can be owned and passed down for generational wealth.
• Finding reliable labor is a challenge in running a cleaning business.
• Being comfortable with technology is important in managing the operations of a cleaning business.
• Utilizing credit card points can be a cost-effective way to travel and save money.
• Having a side hustle can provide additional income to support the growth of a main business.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek

In this episode, Neel talks with Itamar Marani, a mindset coach with a diverse background in the military, private security, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The conversation covers topics such as living in Thailand, the experience of working for a Russian billionaire, the pursuit of wealth, and the mindset of successful entrepreneurs. The conversation delves into the psychological barriers and limiting beliefs that entrepreneurs face, exploring the impact of fear, comfort, and the need for approval. Itamar discusses the importance of taking action, making peace with discomfort, and reworking limiting beliefs at different stages of entrepreneurship. The conversation also covers the process of identifying and addressing unconscious beliefs, and the impact of emotions on logical decision-making.

Takeaways

• The pursuit of wealth and success should be balanced with personal growth and self-awareness.
• Adaptability and mental flexibility are crucial for achieving new goals and breaking through limitations.
• External success does not always equate to internal fulfillment and happiness.
• The journey from pain to freedom is a powerful motivator for personal and professional growth. The impact of fear, comfort, and the need for approval on entrepreneurial decision-making.
• The importance of taking action and making peace with discomfort in the entrepreneurial journey.
• The process of identifying and reworking limiting beliefs at different stages of entrepreneurship.
• The impact of unconscious beliefs and emotions on logical decision-making in entrepreneurship.

In this episode Neel has a conversation with Bunty SomRoy.

In 2016 Bunty left the US to try to find a way in to the digital marketing world and spent three years living in Thailand and Indonesia, nose to the grindstone, trying to build his business. As it grew he's been able to travel a lot more and he's "making up for lost time."

Some interesting parts of the discussion include:

- Regrets: Bunty wants others to enjoy the journey more and not be as heads-down in their businesses as he was early on

- Remote Year: Bunty got to meet an entirely different species of remote worker, including high-level executives

- India: Bunty raced across India in a tuk tuk and found healing he didn't know he needed in his identity as an Indian-American

Enjoy the episode!

In another of his coaching series, in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Austin, owner of Denver's Dalmaidtion Cleaning, a residential cleaning service with a focus on pet owners.

Neel and Austin discuss:

- Ways to surprise and delight and offer a "6 star service"

- The importance of top-notch cleaners — it is they, more than thank-you notes and gifts, that will retain customers long-term

- Leaning into your niche, in Austin's case, making sure new customers get some pet-oriented incentives early on

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com

In this episode Neel speaks with Ben Davis of The Gents Place (which he describes as speakeasy meets barber shop meets country club) and Rascal Man about his journey from the corporate life to being a remote local business franchisor.

Neel and Ben discuss:

- how he chose what kind of business to start, which included asking "where could I work 80 a week and still love it."

- why someone would choose a $600 annual membership to The Gents Place instead of just paying $30 each time he needs a haircut.

- Operation Gentlemen, a nonprofit that helps homeless veterans eat and re-enter and new veterans enter the workforce

If you enjoy this episode, you can get even more from Ben on his Untrapped Entrepreneur podcast.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

The Remote Local Podcast lets you dive into the minds of two 7-figure entrepreneurs who have figured out how to run their LOCAL businesses completely remotely and travel the world.

We talk about all things that are at the intersection of travel and entrepreneurship. The goal is to allow you to run your own remote local biz and experience total financial and location freedom.

In this episode of the Freedom Formula podcast, Neel Parekh chats with Bryant Amundson, the CEO of Nautical Bowls, a franchise brand specializing in acai bowls. Bryant shares his journey of starting his first location and eventually franchising the business. He emphasizes the importance of being all-in as a franchisee and the need for coaching and mindset upgrades. Bryant also discusses the support system needed for franchisees and the focus on franchisee success. He highlights the goal of creating time freedom and financial success for franchisees. To learn more about Bryant and Nautical Bowls, you can find him on LinkedIn or visit the Nautical Bowls website.

Takeaways

• Starting a franchise requires being all-in and willing to do the work.
• The success of a franchisee is determined by their level of engagement and willingness to take ownership.
• A support system for franchisees should focus on coaching and mindset upgrades.
• Franchisees need to be guided in the right direction and helped to solve the root problems.
• The goal of a franchise should be to create time freedom and financial success for franchisees.
• Building a successful franchise requires a focus on franchisee success and a commitment to their growth and development.

Tim Michael, founder of Kickstart My Franchise, shares his expertise in the world of franchising. He discusses his background and how he got into franchise brokerage. Tim provides insights on evaluating franchise brands, including the importance of looking beyond financials and considering factors like the item 19 and item 20 in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). He emphasizes the value of talking to existing franchisees to get a real sense of the brand's support and success. Tim also discusses different business models and the importance of considering one's comfort with sales and networking. He advises potential franchisees to be cautious of brands that grow too fast and to evaluate the support and capitalization of the franchisor. Lastly, Tim highlights the significance of budget and motivation in choosing the right franchise brand.

Takeaways

• Evaluate franchise brands beyond financials by considering factors like the item 19 and item 20 in the FDD.
• Talk to existing franchisees to get a real sense of the brand's support and success.
• Consider your comfort with sales and networking when choosing a business model.
• Be cautious of brands that grow too fast and evaluate the support and capitalization of the franchisor.
• Budget and motivation are key factors in choosing the right franchise brand.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Tim here: ➙ Social Media: ⁠⁠ ⁠@kickstartmyfranchise ➙ ⁠https://kickstartmyfranchise.com/

As Google tweaks its algorithm and its Local Services ads to deal with AI-created content, you might need to find new ways of reaching customers. 

In this episode Neel shares five avenues he's exploring right now (and are working). Some include:

- Hypertargeting local Facebook groups using discounts, testimonials, and tagging

- Using B2B cold emails in your niche

- Getting on the ground with flyers and door-knocking in neighborhoods where you already have clients (or want to)

To get detailed tactics for these and other channels Neel is acquiring new customers through, listen to the episode.

On this episode, Neel sits down with Weh'yee Barkon of Internally, a firm that helps connect organizations with talented people in Africa.

Neel and Weh'yee discuss:

- the lack of opportunities available to well-educated, multi-lingual workers in Africa

- the consumer education necessary to overcome the bad "brand image" of the continent

- the absolute bargains to be had for workers (a full-time 40-hour/week worker can cost $500-$1000 USD a month!)

Even though he was born and raised in the US, Weh'yee's parents were from Liberia and he feels called back to Africa to make a difference. He's currently based in Dakar, Senegal.

In this episode Neel and David brainstormed, putting the podcast itself into the frame that they discussed in Episode 32: the three levels of entrepreneurship. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, do so, so that this episode will make more sense!

Neel and David consider the podcast to be still at Level 1, aka "Podcasting for Dummies."  They discussed the origins of the podcast, why they prefer a conversation/co-host format, and why they keep the episodes short in length.

They also discuss:

• Different ways they could grow the podcast
• The importance of an email list (and using it)
• How the podcast itself has shaped this current stage of their entrepreneurial journeys
• Not being in a rush to get to Level 3

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and sits down with Katrin Krakovich of Lahav Media.

Neel and Katrin discuss:

- the power of blogging for local services business (here's a blog she wrote about it if you want to learn more)

- what she would do if she was starting a local services business today as far as keyword research

- what are the most important aspects of GMB (Google My Business) that every business owner needs to handle

If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to reach out to Katrin on LinkedIn or by email to follow-up.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Johnny catches up with Neel about his recent visit with the Hazda tribe in Tanzania. Neel got the special government permission necessary to go out there and learned a lot.

Neel's day started with joining some of the members of the tribe hunting for food. He was blown away at how fast the tribal members moved through the bush and how accurate they were with the bow and arrow.

Neel and Johnny also discuss:

• what an average day is like for the Hazda 
• why the Hazda reject newer technologies and convenience in general
• Neel's observations of the tribe's happiness

You'll also hear about the inside joke Neel built with the tribe around his name, an extracurricular activity of the hunt that brought him back to his college days, and why some Hazda who enter the civilized world end up coming back.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel interviews PJ McGeary of Arbor Trail Cleaning.

PJ has had a lot of success using Facebook groups to get the word out about his cleaning business and shares his tactics and ideas, including:

- the power of city-based groups, which post about all sorts of topics, not just those related to home services

- the cadence you can use when posting — and why copy/paste works fine across all the groups you are part of

- the type of post to use (always use photos!) and what to include in it

PJ even shares the types of messages you can use on holidays. He's got a great one for Valentine's Day that he shared.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and sits down with ⁠Costa Kapothanasis of Costa 10 Minute Oil Change. Costa has scaled an oil change franchise to 100+ locations.

Neel and Costa talk about:

- how working in family-owned restaurants gave him a sense of the importance of not having single points of failure in a business and how that helped him have the right mindset to build a remote local company.

- his journey from buying a single oil change shop on a 100% seller-financed note (and getting fired from his day job) to his current growing empire of oil change locations.

- how he zagged the business from what everyone else in the industry was doing to create an "oil change only" space.

If you like what Costa has to say you can also check him out on YouTube.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel sits down for the second time with Stephen Heiner, who previously appeared on episode 108, when he had just newly moved into a Catholic seminary after having been location independent for a decade. This was Neel's "6 month checkup" on Stephen.

Neel and Stephen discuss:

- Stephen's frame for freedom, i.e. discipline = freedom, and how stability has given him productivity, but also another way to do what it is he wants to do

- how much the Four Hour Work Week influenced Stephen's trajectory since he first read it in 2008, and why it's still the number one book he recommends to this day

- the relative recent appearance of "retirement" as a concept and how if you're doing what you love and you know why you are doing it, retirement will not be something that preoccupies you

If you enjoyed hearing Stephen's views, you might enjoy his YouTube channel, where he does book reviews.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you've ever struggled to find your tribe of like-minded people, this episode is for you. 

David recently moved into a coliving community in Boulder and has been experiencing the joys of building his own community at home with new people.

In today's episode, David & Neel discuss:

• What is a coliving community and why you should live in one
  
• How to vet & find a coliving community that suits you
  
• Types of people who stay in Coliving places
  

It's a bit of a switch up this week, as I get interviewed by Chase Warrington of the About Abroad pod.

For those who get my newsletter or listen to the pod regularly, this episode will be a great summary of the last few months and what I do at MaidThis Franchise, but also serves as a great conversation between Chase and me, covering:

— Some of the most important lessons travel can give you.

— Sustainable remote work and creating community (something Chase works on every day).

— When the "nomadic life" may start and end.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel chats with Amar Ghose, Founder and CEO of ZenMaid.

Neel and Amar have managed not to meet, despite being the only two in their digital entrepreneur group in the cleaning space over the past few years.  One time Amar left Chiang Mai for a few weeks and Neel happened to show up during the same time (everyone said it was just a swap out! :-) ).

Neel and Amar discuss:

• the importance of "owning" the career ladder instead of climbing it
• choosing between lifestyle design and high growth
• why the four day work week doesn't work for startups

Amar also shares when it might be time to listen to Gary Vee to hustle for your biz vs listening to Tim Ferriss to design your life.

In this episode, Neel chats Ed Rodriguez, the CEO of HireLATAM. Ed shares his journey from starting a cleaning company to eventually selling it and transitioning into the global talent agency business. They discuss the importance of taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, the process of selling a business, and the business model of HireLATAM. Ed also provides insights into recruiting talent from Latin America, including pricing and cultural nuances.

Takeaways

• Taking the plunge into entrepreneurship can lead to faster growth and success
• Selling a business requires careful consideration of valuation and finding the right buyer
• HireLATAM helps businesses recruit talent from Latin America, offering a range of services and expertise
• Recruiting talent from Latin America requires understanding cultural nuances and considering cost of living
• Latin American talent often has experience working with US companies and can provide high-quality support

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparekh Follow Ed here: ➙ X: @edrodz3  https://x.com/ERodz3 ➙ X: @Hire_Latam https://x.com/Hire_LATAM ➙ Website: https://hirelatam.com/

In this episode Neel shares different ways to think about exiting your business, including his own current plans for MaidThis.

While some might say that you need to know what your exit plan is before you even start your business, Neel very much advocates for starting first and thinking more short-term, in terms of one year.

He goes on to share four frames to use when thinking about exiting a business:

• No strategy (buying a job)
• Scale and sell to private equity
• Legacy (pass on to family)
• Automated asset (this is Neel's current choice for MaidThis)

You'll also hear Neel explain why you want your business to be a cow, not a pig and why he would rather make less money and work less, than the opposite (and why that also makes sense when it comes to business valuations).

Enjoy the episode!

In the experimental episode (literally recorded on the road), Neil discusses the differences between being a business builder and a business investor.

Neel has long tried to do both, but has recently realized that means he's only doing half as well in each field. He thinks it makes more sense for him to pick one and make the other more passive.

Since it's rare to find someone who can excel in both building and investing, it makes more sense for people to pick, and either is good, but it probably makes sense to lean into what you enjoy.

In the last of a three-part series, Neel gives you an ultimate guide to hiring, from his own successful playbook!

This episode focuses tweaking your flywheel to make sure it's working at its best.

Neel also shares:

• What he does on screening calls
• The purpose of a test job
• How many cleaners he actually ends up with from 20 applicants (shockingly low!)

Collect all three! If you haven't listened to the first two episodes in this mini-series, do so now!

Often times entrepreneurs think about their business as their career, main source of income, or source of passion.

What would happen if we shifted our mentality and thought about our business as simply another asset to manage?

In today's episode, Neel & David discuss the pros and cons of thinking about your business as an "Asset", and how that shift in mentality can lead to many positive benefits.

We discuss:

• Why people get an emotional attachment to their business
• Pros / Cons of thinking about your business as an Asset
• How to analyze return-on-investment (both dollars and time!) from your asset
• How to shift your mentality towards your business to reap the most rewards

Mitchell Sorkin, known as the ATM guy, shares his journey of building a portfolio of almost a thousand ATMs across the country. He explains how he got into the ATM business and the qualities he looked for in a business, such as low labor intensity. Mitchell discusses the business model of ATMs, including the risks and benefits. He also talks about the negotiation process with store owners and the potential income generated by ATMs. Mitchell emphasizes the importance of finding a business that suits your personality and interests.

Takeaways

• The ATM business can be a profitable source of passive income, with low labor intensity and low overhead costs.
• The cash in the ATM machine is not owned by the ATM operator, reducing the risk of robbery.
• ATM fees can vary depending on the location and type of business, with some high-volume locations generating significant income.
• Negotiating agreements with store owners is a key aspect of the ATM business, with fees and revenue sharing arrangements varying.
• Finding a business that aligns with your personality and interests is important for long-term success.

During a break from the Conquer Summit Neel took a few moments to share some tactics he plans to implement to push his sales up at the MaidThis location in California this year.

One of the pain points driving this change is an increased cost of labor, which Neel had not kept a close eye on. In the episode he discusses:

- The difference between recurring customers and re-occurring customers (and why he'll be chasing more of the latter this year)

- The ideal ceiling for labor costs in a home services business

- How little changes can lead to big results

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel sits down with Sean O'Dowd of The O'Dowd Group.

Sean was just looking to pay off the loan he took out to buy an engagement ring for his then-fiancee when he decided to consult on the side. His very first gig was through Upwork and involved proofreading an email for $30.

Neel and Sean discuss:

- how having a Wharton degree may have helped him land some clients, but how easily his mom, who was a simple librarian without that elite college pedigree, was able to land a $30k consulting gig with his help

- what sort of income you can hope to attain as a one-person shop

- platforms like Catalant and Uncommon Elite that have helped to power Sean's growth

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss opportunity vehicles: what you are doing in your career, and how is it helping you achieve your life goals?

Things they consider include:

• different "levels" of opportunity 
• how those levels can be completely different for people with different skill sets and personalities
• the undesirability of low margin businesses with lots of moving parts

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and David discuss how emotions play into personal and business decisions, and a system for how to avoid making poor decisions.

When Neel isn't running MaidThis he enjoys buying and selling real estate on the side and he recently got to closing day with a buyer that ended up being dishonest.  He recorded this episode on the day he got the news that the buyer was trying to change the deal at the last moment so we recorded this as a time capsule of this thoughts.

David asks:

• How Neel feels at the moment
• What he thinks he will do
• What Neel has done in the past to deal with emotions in business decisions

David and Neel also game out a process to help negotiate these sorts of situations to get the best results possible.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel shares what he learned catching up with dozens of digital nomads (past, present, and future) at a Dynamite Circle conference in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

He found out that:

• Travel is definitely back (except for parts of Asia, which remain closed)
• The Western Hemisphere, particularly Mexico and Latin America, have profited from Asia being closed
• Many used the last two years to create permanent home bases where they travel from
• There are still plenty of new nomads entering the scene.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, Neel Parekh interviews Cole Simpson, owner of a roofing company, about his journey in entrepreneurship.

Cole shares his background and how he got into the roofing business. He discusses the challenges and lessons he learned along the way, including his experience with franchising and acquisitions.

Cole shares his motivations and goals, and how he approaches business as a game.

Takeaways:

• Entrepreneurship requires risk mitigation and the ability to make asymmetrical bets.
• Experience in entrepreneurship is gained by making decisions and learning from them.
• Focus on growth and revenue in the early stages of a business, and then shift to profitability.
• Consider franchising as a way to speed up scaling and gain credibility in a specific industry.
• Approach business as a game and enjoy the process, while also being a good steward of the opportunities and resources.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:36 Getting into Entrepreneurship

03:27 Franchising and Acquisitions

05:02 Current Business Performance

08:23 Risk Mitigation and Decision Making

10:33 Focus on Growth and Profitability

12:07 Full-Time Commitment

15:10 Franchising vs. DIY

18:01 Motivations and Goals

21:30 Approaching Business as a Game

23:49 Where to Find Cole Simpson: @jcolesimpson

In this episode Neel is joined by Johnny Robinson to whiteboard some Remote Local business ideas.

Johnny has been on the pod before but we kick off the episode with a brief bio to catch up listeners who may not have heard him before.

Neel and Johnny then go back and forth, trading possible ideas with their pros and cons, including:

• mobile car detailing (both Neel and Johnny love this idea, but the low average ticket amount is a concern
• painting (there are some challenges in making this remote, particularly around in-person biddings, but this can be developed)
• smart home setup (Johnny points out that this is a niche subset of A/V contractors and since it's so new, you can "make" the market)
• the role of "nice to have" vs "need to have" in the services/products you're offering

Enjoy the episode, including Neel and Johnny's "disagreement" on the future of drone window washing. :-)

Neel recently moved a lot of stuff into Notion.

One of those things was an ongoing list he keeps of business ideas. In this episode he shares a few of them and why he thinks they might be good bets, including:

— Drone window cleaning

— Full service mancave setup

— Snowbird homewatch services

— Hoarder/crime scene/meth house cleanup (seriously!)

Believe it or not, there's even a real estate play in those hoarder/meth home examples.

In this episode Neel and Johnny talk about the impact of sharing what you've learned in business.

After five years of grinding and building a window cleaning business, Johnny packaged what he learned to create Home Service Academy, which is an e-learning platform that helps people build their own home services business. Neel packaged what he learned after years of building MaidThis in a single location to go the franchisor route.

It's important to share the information you learn, because

• You can end up building a second business, which might be even more profitable than the first one
• You might find you're a better fit for courses/teaching/mentoring
• You can build a personal brand
• You're more likely to remember what you've shared

Both Neel and Johnny also reflect on how game-changing sharing information publicly can be, as it can lead to all kinds of unexpected opportunities.

In the second of an ongoing series on EOS, Neil shares his adaptation of Gino Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System, and how he's used it to great success at MaidThis.

In this episode Neel gives strategic tips for how to deal with specific aspects of "EOS Lite," including:

• creating vision (dump the fluff, focus on what's real)
• developing KPIs via scorecards (lagging, not leading metrics that matter) and rocks (measurable quarterly goals that are reported on each week)
• running Level 10 Meetings (a highly structured meeting that doesn't waste time and makes sure everyone is getting what he/she needs consistently)

If you want to read more of Neel's thoughts on these issues, check out this Twitter Thread on performance evaluation and/or this one on vision.

In this episode, Neel chats with Bobby Hobert, host of The Bearded Man podcast and a lifestyle design coach. They discuss Bobby's journey from driving for Uber to becoming a full-time creator and coach. Bobby explains that lifestyle design is about being intentional with every moment and designing a life that aligns with your goals and priorities. He shares his four-step process for helping clients design their lives, which includes a personal audit, mapping out the dream life, creating a custom calendar, and setting personal boundaries. They also discuss the common limiting belief of not feeling deserving of living a life by design.

Takeaways

• Lifestyle design is about being intentional with every moment and designing a life that aligns with your goals and priorities.
• To design your life, start with a personal audit to identify what's working and what's not working.
• Map out your dream life by envisioning how you want to spend your time and what activities bring you fulfillment.
• Create a custom calendar to schedule your priorities and eliminate decision fatigue and overwhelm.
• Set personal boundaries to protect your peace and freedom and prioritize what matters most to you.
• A common limiting belief is feeling undeserving of living a life by design due to external expectations and judgments.

In this episode Neel and Johnny share three books that they enjoyed reading in 2022.

— They both show love for Alex Hormozi's $100M Offers, which they've mentioned multiple times on the pod this year.

— Johnny mentions his tendency to reread books, one of which is Scaling Up.

— Neel mentioned Prisoners of Geography, a book that's helped him see the world a bit differently on his travels.

You'll also hear both Neel and Johnny reflect on Russell Brunson's Trilogy of books and the funnel-hacking that his way of thinking inspires.

Enjoy the episode

In this episode, Neel chats with David Lahav, a former locksmith company owner turned meditation teacher. They discuss David's journey in entrepreneurship, his mindset shift towards finding purpose and freedom, and the role of meditation in his life. David emphasizes the importance of being an importer of happiness rather than an exporter, and how meditation helps reduce stress and improve decision-making. He also explains how entrepreneurship and meditation are not mutually exclusive, but rather work together to create a fulfilling life. The episode concludes with a discussion on the definition of freedom and the relevance of engaging with the world.

Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship can be a funding mechanism for pursuing one's passion and purpose.
• Meditation can help reduce stress, improve decision-making, and provide mental clarity for entrepreneurs.
• Happiness and fulfillment should not be dependent on external achievements or material possessions.
• The goalpost of success and accomplishment will always move, so it's important to find internal contentment.
• Engaging with the world and sharing one's knowledge and experiences can bring a sense of relevancy and fulfillment.

Follow David on X: ⁠⁠@Heydavidla

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠⁠

In this episode Neel and chats with Jenny Ness-Hunkin, a former franchisee of Tutor Doctor and now the Franchise Success Manager at MaidThis.

A ten-year franchisee herself before a successful exit, Jenny believes in franchising in part because she's had such positive experiences with it. Now she helps MaidThis franchisees scale and exit their businesses, just like she did with hers.

Neel and Jenny discuss:

- why she decided to start a business in the first place even though she had a decent job

- why she considers people to be the best and worst part of owning a business

- why she now considers "begin with the end in mind" as a crucial part of any business journey

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel chats with Brian Leubben, host of the Action Academy Podcast and author of the forthcoming book From Passive to Passionate: How to Quit Your Job, Grow Your Wealth, & Turn Your Passions into Profits.

Neel and Brian discuss:

- his entrepreneurial path which started as a college DJ, then to corporate sales, then to creating a Vivid Vision for this future.

- how "house hacking" brought him $4k a month in passive income, until he discovered affiliate income, which added another $12-19k a month.

- why Brian believes that information should be as available and free as possible. He's all about helping with the execution.

That execution happens over in his exclusive mastermind. You can learn more here.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In the first of an ongoing series on EOS, Neil shares his adaptation of Gino Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System, and how he's used it to great success at MaidThis.

Things Neel learned in the process of creating an "EOS Lite" include:

• how to have quarterly meetings that ran like clockwork and had clear and measurable KPIs
• how an org chart can help you figure out which roles really matter
• how clarity on core values in concert with the org chart led him to clear out some poor fits
• the GWC ("get it, want it, capacity") rubric he now uses to make sure the right people are doing the right work

If you want to read more of Neel's thoughts on this, check out this Twitter thread.

See you guys in the new year with a fresh look!

In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss in detail what it's been like for Johnny to scale Home Services Academy.

They chat about:

— The importance of marketing and sales being in sync, particularly in the early days of the business.

— How appointment setters can help drive a greater show rate for prospecting calls (Johnny also shares his pay rate).

— How Johnny and his team learned by doing when it came to qualifying leads.

Johnny also shares how his dramatic growth over peers who have been in the industry much longer than he has is a good reminder of not getting complacent and being willing to learn by doing when getting started (instead of getting paralysis analysis).

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel interviews Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky, co-founders and owners of Orange Window Cleaning.

Johnny and Sergio didn't grow up as entrepreneurs...in fact it wasn't until college when they found out that "anyone" could start a business and started a side hustle in residential and commercial window cleaning.  That side hustle became a real-deal business when they found out that they hated jobs that they had been trained to get after going to college.  And now they are on their way to amazing things.

Some knowledge they drop includes:

• How a good partnership can really accelerate a business
• Why they decided to bring in a full-time content person to storytell about building a remote local business
• The importance of automated systems
• How to pick up subcontractors (hang out where they hang out and stalk them!)

Enjoy the episode and find Sergio and Johnny on Twitter and let them know we sent you :-)

Neel chats with Sarah Weaver, also known as the Digital Nomad Landlord, about her journey as a full-time real estate investor and world traveler. She has mastered the art of long-distance investing and has 19 real estate properties across four different states. Sarah discusses her decision to leave her nine-to-five job and become an entrepreneur, as well as her strategies for achieving financial independence through real estate. She also explains the concept of midterm rentals and how they can generate higher cash flow compared to long-term rentals. Sarah's passion for travel led her to start Invested Adventures, where she takes real estate investors on epic adventures around the world.

Takeaways

• Sarah Weaver became a full-time real estate investor and world traveler by mastering the art of long-distance investing.
• She achieved financial independence by focusing on strategies that generated increased cash flow, such as midterm rentals.
• Sarah's decision to leave her nine-to-five job was based on reaching a lean financial independence number and feeling confident in her ability to succeed as an entrepreneur.
• She started Invested Adventures to combine her passion for real estate and travel, creating unique experiences for like-minded individuals.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparekh Follow Sarah and her journey here: ➙ SNS: sarahdweaver ➙ Website: https://www.sarahdweaver.com/about

Neel sits down with Jeff Hill shares his journey from corporate America to location independence, discussing the struggles, mindset shifts, and the decision to raise a family outside the US. He emphasizes the importance of multiple sources of income and the freedom to live life on one's terms.

Takeaways

• Transitioning from corporate America to entrepreneurship requires courage and a willingness to work hard for oneself.
• Creating multiple sources of income is essential for achieving location independence and financial freedom.
• Raising a family outside the US provides cultural exposure and the ability to live life on one's terms.
• The journey to location independence involves mindset shifts, discipline, and the pursuit of freedom and abundance.

In this episode Neel and David sit down with Derek Dodds and have a leisurely conversation about how Derek found his calling.

Derek currently runs WaveTribe, an ecological surf company, has an interest in Naked Armor, a wet shaving company, and serves an advisor to a publishing company he co-founded, 2 Seas Agency.  The path he took to get to those projects is anything but conventional.

Derek also shares:

• Going from having a gun in his hand at the age of 5 and being a hunter to becoming a vegan
• How following women he loved led to big changes in his personal and professional life
• The influence of Jidda Krishnamurti on his life
• How getting a flyer while on a self-study visit led him to give up everything he was building in Europe to come back to America, where he never thought he would return.

Enjoy the episode!

If you want to connect with Derek you can find him on Facebook or Instagram or on his personal site.

In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss the benefits of a $50,000+ mastermind that Johnny and his business partner joined.

Originally Johnny had hired this company to help with sales and in classic "value ladder" style the company overdelivered on the entry-level product so that Johnny was primed to hear an upsell. Things had gone so well with the original sales help they asked for that it was a no-brainer to join the mastermind (even though they had to split up the payments). Johnny's loved all that has happened since, including a training weekend he recently attended.

Neel and Johnny also discuss:

• why mission, vision, and values is key to taking your company to $100k MRR
• why Johnny's e-learning business is now actively disqualifying 70% of their leads
• the power of fellowship being with other entrepreneurs making a lot of money online

You'll also hear Johnny share some of his company's values and why they're really important as you grow your company beyond 3-5 employees.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel sits down with Logan Robison who just quit his job in the last few weeks to go full-time on his business.

Neel and Logan discuss:

- a side hustle he started in February 2020: a photo booth which he made 5X on upon exit despite starting the month before Covid hit

- how a big project at his full-time job forced a crisis and a niche move in his then rapidly-growing cleaning business...and just how hard it was to turn down jobs as a result

- how a text message autoresponder helped him still serve leads even while he was at his 9-5

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

In this episode Neel and David share the ONE BIG SECRET of successful remote local business owners.

Okay, so the secret is...well you're going to have to listen to the episode to get it, but here are some of the other things Neel and David talk about:

• "Level 1" entrepreneurship, which is essentially like building and working in your own job
• "Level 2" entrepreneurship, which involves trying many different things while you develop a secret sauce 
• "Level 3" entrepreneurship, in which you strive to be the "dumbest person in your company"

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, Neel chats with Nik Hulewsky, the host of Nikonomics Podcast and the founder of Co-Founders. They discuss Nik's background and his journey into entrepreneurship. Nik shares his experience working in the corporate world and how it led him to start his own businesses. They also talk about the importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses as an entrepreneur and how it can guide your business decisions. Nik emphasizes the need for delayed gratification and the importance of aligning your business with your personal goals and values.

Takeaways

• Know your strengths and weaknesses as an entrepreneur and choose a business model that aligns with them.
• Delayed gratification is a key aspect of entrepreneurship. Be prepared to sacrifice now for future success.
• Identify your personal goals and values and build a business that supports them.
• Focus on building an audience and a brand, and the monetization opportunities will follow.
• Secure the bag first by focusing on a specific business or opportunity, and then explore other options for variety and enjoyment.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Nik here: ➙ X: @cofoundersnik ➙CoFounders: https://www.cofounders.com/about  ➙Nikonomics: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs45sHlKtDMxhPKt1Pjdevg 

Even though the word "remote" is part of a "remote local" business, that doesn't mean you have to start it remotely.

In this episode Neel makes arguments for both sides, for starting a remote local business in your hometown and for starting it completely remotely. He covers things like:

- Why sometimes a local presence can help you win, particularly with community marketing 

- Why sometimes a local presence can slow your growth — Neel shares how he could have systematized remote hiring faster had he not fallen back on the ease and comfort of local presence

- Why time zones play a much bigger role, even within the US, than people can imagine.

Neel argues for both sides and points out that ultimately, it's about what the individual business owner's priorities are that will determine the best place to start the business. 

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, Neel reunites with his old friend Jon to discuss Jon's unique lifestyle and career transitions. Jon shares his journey from being a residential advisor to working in startups and spearfishing. They delve into the challenges of making career pivots and the importance of unlearning limiting beliefs. Jon also talks about his experience as a stay-at-home dad and the impact it had on his business. They explore the balance between career goals and prioritizing experiences, and the value of simplicity and time freedom. The episode concludes with John sharing where listeners can find him.

Takeaways

• Making career pivots can be challenging, but it's important to listen to your gut and know when it's time to move on.
• Unlearning limiting beliefs and societal expectations is crucial for personal and professional growth.
• Balancing work and family life requires making tough decisions and prioritizing what truly matters.
• Building a lifestyle that prioritizes experiences and time freedom can be more fulfilling than chasing financial success.

When you pay for someone else's experiences you can move farther and faster than you would have on your own, allowing you to leapfrog the competition.

In this episode, Neel shares a few of the key practices he's gotten through business coaching (see more here), including:

- The need to delegate, automate, and systematize (he sets aside time every day to do all three)

- Why proactive planning helps you start working on your 10 year goals now

- How its often the small effort on key levers in your business that lead to the biggest results

There's not often that you get $50,000 of value in just a few minutes. Enjoy!

In this episode, Neel sits down with Parker, owner of MaidThis Phoenix. Parker shares his journey from being a firefighter to becoming an entrepreneur. He discusses his search for the right franchise and the challenges he faced in finding a scalable business model. Parker also talks about the importance of building relationships with customers and providing excellent customer service. He shares his experience of breaking even in just three months and the ongoing challenge of hiring and managing a team. Parker's goal is to achieve time, location, and financial freedom through his business.

Takeaways

• Finding the right franchise that aligns with your goals and values is crucial for success as an entrepreneur.
• Scalability is an important factor to consider when choosing a franchise, especially if you have a limited time frame or location.
• Building strong relationships with customers and providing excellent customer service can lead to recurring revenue and positive reviews.
• Breaking even quickly is possible with effective marketing strategies and a focus on customer satisfaction.
• Hiring and managing a reliable team is a challenge that requires ongoing effort and attention.
• The ultimate goal of entrepreneurship is to achieve time, location, and financial freedom.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ to learn more about MaidThis

In this episode, Neel chats with Chase Lord, a successful business coach and owner of a seven-figure soft wash and power wash company. They discuss the importance of working on the business rather than in the business, the challenges of scaling a business, and the impact of marketing on business growth. Chase emphasizes the need for time blocking and focusing on one marketing platform to effectively track and analyze results. He also introduces his coaching program, Legacy Metric, which helps entrepreneurs achieve time and financial freedom.

Takeaways

• Working on the business is essential for growth and success.
• Setting aside dedicated time to work on the business is crucial.
• Effective marketing requires tracking and analyzing data.
• Focusing on one marketing platform can yield better results.
• Chase Lord's coaching program, Legacy Metric, helps entrepreneurs achieve time and financial freedom.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparekh Follow Chase here: ➙ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-lord-61373a58/

➙ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chase.lord.54 ➙ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasefreedomfamily

In this episode, Neel chats with Jose Berlanga, a successful entrepreneur who has achieved multimillionaire status across four distinct industries. Jose shares his journey, discussing the challenges and setbacks he faced, the importance of adaptability, and the reality of entrepreneurship beyond financial success. He emphasizes the need for personal development and the ongoing nature of entrepreneurial growth, while also addressing the misconceptions surrounding financial freedom and the pursuit of happiness in business.

Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship is filled with uncertainty and challenges.
• Don't wait for the perfect opportunity; take action instead.
• Setbacks are learning experiences, not failures.
• Recognize when to pivot based on market feedback.
• Personal development is crucial for business success.
• Financial freedom does not guarantee happiness.
• Evaluate your business regularly to identify issues.
• Quitting a business is not the same as moving on.
• Your problems evolve as you achieve success.
• Focus on purpose and the impact of your work.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights:

➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparekh Follow Jose: ➙ Website: ⁠https://joseberlanga.com/

Ryan Knoll and Neel Parekh discuss their backgrounds and experiences in the home service industry. They talk about their early days, growth trajectories, and the marketing tactics that worked for them. They emphasize the importance of networking and traditional marketing methods, in addition to digital marketing strategies like SEO and Google ads. They also discuss the structure of their teams and the use of remote staff. The conversation covers topics such as managing a cleaning business, handling overflow, and building systems for growth. The speakers discuss the challenges of managing a cleaning business, particularly in the Airbnb market. They share their experiences with hiring and training cleaners, as well as strategies for maintaining quality and customer satisfaction. They also discuss the importance of tracking capacity and implementing systems to support growth. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the systems and processes that the speakers have implemented to improve their businesses.

Takeaways

• Starting a business as a side hustle while working a day job can provide financial stability and allow for gradual growth.
• Traditional marketing methods like networking and sending postcards can still be effective in generating leads and building brand awareness.
• Digital marketing strategies like SEO and Google ads are important, but they require time and investment to see results.
• Having a remote workforce can provide flexibility and cost savings, but it's important to hire the right people and establish effective communication channels. Managing a cleaning business requires careful planning and organization.
• Hiring and training reliable cleaners is crucial for maintaining quality and customer satisfaction.
• Tracking capacity and implementing systems can support business growth.
• Building systems and processes is essential for scaling a cleaning business.

In this episode Neel and Johnny welcome Sergio Silesky and Chris Munn to discuss different ways to deploy cash.

Sergio is a business partner of Johnny and is in "cash stack" mode so all the income they are earning is getting reinvested into the business.

Chris has often used his active income to invest in more passive businesses like real estate or already-running businesses doing between $1-5M in EBITDA.

They also discuss:

• Why buying and renting out a single family home is a terrible idea (Chris calls it "a low-paying job")
• How syndicate deals offer people a way into better returns in real estate without having to have significant capital on hand
• Why having some form of passive income matters if you ever plan to retire or stop doing active businesses.

Enjoy the episode!

It's a simple but perhaps not-often-repeated truth: not all business models are created equal.

In this episode, Neel talks about local services businesses he would avoid buying/starting as well as what was the one factor he looked at recently when considering a cleaning service acquisition. You'll get the scoop on:

- Why high ticket, low recurring businesses are just as desirable as low ticket, high recurring businesses

- How you could make low ticket, low recurring businesses work (if you had to)

- The importance of building "need to have" businesses, particularly in recessions

Enjoy the episode.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com

In this episode Neel and David talk about limiting beliefs, how to identify them, and how to replace them with empowering beliefs.

David has been preparing to leave for 90 days off the grid and was worried one of his businesses would implode and Neel was battling the idea that more growth = worse life.  Both of them share how these limiting beliefs paralyzed them for a while and how they moved past them.

They also discuss:

• Why it can be hard to identify those beliefs
• Why you can't just eliminate them, you must replace them with empowering beliefs
• The importance of identifying the "worst-case scenarios" and living with those possibilities

Neel also points out that sometimes a friend who is an exact refutation of one of your beliefs can be right next to you.  In his case, a friend had 400+ employees but did not seem to have a crappy life..

Enjoy the episode!

Winslow Marshall, founder of Neoteric Brands, shares his journey from corporate to entrepreneurship and the challenges he faced along the way. He discusses the benefits of gaining experience in a fully formed company before starting his own business and the value of starting earlier in entrepreneurship. Winslow also talks about his experience as a digital nomad and the freedom it provided. He explains how he decided on his business model and the importance of community in growing CPG brands. He shares the challenges of entrepreneurship, including the scarcity of attention and the need for cash flow management. Winslow emphasizes the flexibility and focus that entrepreneurship brings to his day-to-day life and the concept of freedom in entrepreneurship.

Takeaways

• Gaining experience in a fully formed company before starting your own business can provide valuable knowledge and skills.
• Starting earlier in entrepreneurship can have benefits in terms of gaining experience and taking risks.
• Being a digital nomad offers a unique sense of freedom and the opportunity to explore different locations.
• Community is important in growing consumer goods brands and leveraging community can be a successful business model.
• Entrepreneurship comes with challenges such as the scarcity of attention and the need for cash flow management.
• Entrepreneurship provides flexibility and the ability to work on your own terms, but also requires focus and intensity.
• Freedom in entrepreneurship includes location independence, time independence, and the ability to work on your interests.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Winslow here: ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠ ⁠@winslowmarshall⁠ ➙ ⁠https://www.neotericbrands.com/

In this episode Neel and chats with Simone, Founder of House Mum Home Services, based out of Brisbane, Australia.

Simone has a successful business and is so full up with clients she has a waiting list.

But she doesn't even have a website! She's a master at community marketing and was kind enough to share some of her tactics and ideas with us.

Neel and Simone talk about:

- how posting on Facebook to find employees led her to gain customers

- what kind of Facebook groups she joins and how she interacts in them

- how she used a customer survey to expand partnerships and give clients exactly what they were looking for

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel and David discuss the impact of where you live in relation to your entrepreneurial growth.

Neel begins by stating his own preference for a larger city, where he will get access to more activities and a community that will push him to work harder.  He characterizes this as “big city energy.”

David’s own preferences are split: he enjoys being out in nature, near the mountains or the beach, but also enjoys the momentum and energy that can come from being in a bustling and busy environment.

As the discussion continues they found common ground around the idea of a community: wherever you choose to live for most of the year, the key is having access to a strong community.  That community can be digital or physical.

Neel and David also discuss:

• Whether you can live in Bali or Chiang Mai and still build big businesses
• How Covid-19 affected some Asia-based entrepreneurs
• The Dynamite Circle, a digital community where they first met
• The idea that countries, not just cities, have their own energy
• The balance of “happiness” and “success”

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and sits down with Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky for a quarterly roundup of what they are seeing in the Remote Local space. Topics covered include:

- the effectiveness of Google LSA, both now and in the long term, along with some strategies that can help lift your performance if you're lagging

- the "Grand Opening Method" which is about continuing to build a solid lead funnel over time using community marketing

- Neel and Sergio's thoughts on keeping your hiring funnel as full as possible.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel and David discuss how timezones affect your remote local business, whether you are traveling for business or pleasure.

David was running his business in Colorado for a few years before deciding to live in Israel for a year, and he was sometimes answering the phone in the middle of the night.  Neel wasn’t ever that crazy and brought on someone pretty early to help with calls and even when he did go away, it was to time-compatible Latin America.

They also discuss:

• Stories and challenges working in Europe and Asia with American-based businesses
• The pros and cons of being “in the future” in relation to your team
• The existence of the digital nomad “graveyard shift” in Asia

David also shares his recipe of being purposely less available to his team when he’s abroad to help them develop their autonomy and resilience.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel sits down with Donald Spann to look over the pros and cons of the various remote local business models he has tried.

Like Neel, Donald was part of the Launch27 crew, aka the "cleaning company mafia," which came out of a subreddit thread back in 2013.  While Neel has continued to grow his cleaning business, Donald has exited his and iterated around remote local concepts.

Neel and Donald chat about

• How Donald started Vicki Virtual, a fully remote call center service, from observing a pain point that cleaning companies had
• The challenges of running multiple companies at the same time
• The reality that just because competition already exists doesn't mean they are competent (that's opportunity for you!)
• Why Donald would never do Y-Combinator again (despite a successful exit from a business incubated there)

Enjoy the episode, and if you want to learn about the $3B call center industry, which is growing 7% a year, with businesses in the space averaging $2M annually in revenue, check out Donald's course, Call Center Cash, his YouTube channel, or find him on Twitter.

In this episode Neel welcomes Keith Levenson of Angela Coté Inc. to talk about franchising.

Keith got his start in franchising by actually helping a family entertainment center go through the process themselves.  He then took an opportunity to become a franchise advisor, helping dozens of brands grow by focusing on franchisee growth.

Neel and Keith also discuss:

• Who should franchise (and who shouldn't)
• the differences between an emerging franchise business and an established one (and who should get involved in either)
• What a franchisee should look for in a franchise system

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and David discuss the well-known abundance vs. scarcity dichotomy.

Both Neel and David came from immigrant backgrounds which had a certain amount of scarcity baked into their upbringing and have had to unlearn some of that programming.  David notes that one of the ways he knew he was embracing an abundance mindset was the willingness to invest in himself.

They also discuss:

• How you can't save your way to financial independence
• The inability of fear or scarcity to add any value to your business and personal lives
• Why chasing your dreams and playing offense always takes you further than playing defense and hoarding
• Why you should watch who you spend time with, what you read, and what you listen to and watch

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and David discuss how to build your marketing strategy when you're just starting out.

David sets the stage for the discussion by pointing out that every business wants a consistent, profitable stream of customers without too high of an acquisition cost.  How do you do that?

Neel and David explain:

• Different channels (both online and offline) available to businesses
• Using your competition to reverse engineer a marketing plan
• The importance of testing and budgeting in different channels
• The need to stay focused on one or two channels at a time in the early days
• Why what works in one city may not work in another

They also share some stories about what didn't work and what you can learn from that.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and sits down with Anna Scherbyna, owner of Remotivate, a company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners hire for executive and management roles.

Neel and Anna discuss:

- what it was for Anna to work in (and build a company in) the remote space in 2017, before it was cool

- why growing companies won't only need one type of ops person, they'll need three, each with different price points

- the crazy discrepancy at the moment between employers on LI offering remote jobs (13%) and the employees on LI looking for remote jobs (53%)

You'll also hear Anna's perspective on geographies, including her rule of thumb that for higher level managers, you need to look further west when you are outside of the North American geo.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

Neel recently came back from a ten-day desert island survival experience.  As he switched back into work mode, he saw so many connections between what he had just experienced and how a daily business grind works.

He has five lessons he learned, including:

• Getting your key work done when you have the most energy: stack your tasks to take advantage of when you're at your most energetic
• Play to your strengths to survive: lean into what you're good at
• You can't do it by yourself: the power of one other person provides exponential growth
• Cut the weakest link in the tribe: sometimes you have to be ruthless

And the last one...well you'll have to listen to the episode to hear it!  

In this episode Neel and sits down with Dan Blaker, a MaidThis franchisee in the Myrtle Beach market. ⁠

It's been just under two years that Dan has been a franchisee in the MaidThis system and he looks back on his journey to share:

- how MaidThis provided a path for him to quit a 6-day-a-week, 12-hour-a-day job

- just how much "remote" he's put into his remote local business.

- what a pleasant surprise it has been to get to know fellow business owners

You'll also hear Dan talk about the power of door-knocking when you're in your local market and how much franchise systems help you to grow with a safety cushion and framework.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss the business of gurus and how they've both changed their attitude on them over time.

Johnny was formerly a hater until he himself became a "guru" by sharing information in free and paid form. As for Neel, he used to be anti-guru too, until he learned to simply "respect the funnel" and see that these guys did work really hard, even if their style wasn't for everyone.

They also discuss:

• Some of their favorite gurus — both Neel and Johnny are Alex Hormozi guys.
• Their process of "vetting" gurus and their claims.
• The danger that some people will (incorrectly) see these gurus as models for entrepreneurship.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and Johnny tackle the question of how entrepreneurs feel about what their business does.

While Johnny delves into the idea of what your goals/endgame are and how that can create different answers at different times in your entrepreneurial journey, Neel unapologetically says that you do not have to like what your business does, as long as you don't hate it (people who don't like donuts shouldn't open a donut shop).

They also discuss:

• how sometimes working in your business instead of working on your business can make you dislike your business faster
• why sometimes the business, whatever it is, is just a vehicle for you to make money, help others, and develop personally
• the danger of making your passion your business

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and David discuss their recent deeper dives into social media and why it's been a challenge for them.

David has really been very active on Instagram and Neel has spent more time on Twitter.  Both of them have been less willing to be involved in social media in the past simply because they weren't entirely comfortable on various platforms.  But both of them have come to separately realize that there are opportunities to engage with people in a real way that doesn't need to focus on follower count or number of likes.

They also discuss:

• Why people aren't just interested in what Gary Vee or Tim Ferriss has to say
• What a freedom it is to be your authentic self on social media instead of a "safe corporate" version
• How much people appreciate being exposed to the daily grind in a way other than "everything is amazing always" mode 
• Hacks they have developed to make sure they don't get sucked into social media and become consumers instead of contributors

Enjoy the episode!

Peter Murphy Lewis shares his journey of designing his own freedom lifestyle through entrepreneurship and career changes. From living abroad in Chile to starting his own travel company, Peter has embraced different opportunities and made bold decisions to create the life he wants. He discusses the challenges and rewards of making career transitions and emphasizes the importance of spending less than you make to have the freedom to make choices. Peter also talks about his current role as a fractional Chief Marketing Officer and how he balances his own business with working for the zoo.

Takeaways

• Designing your own freedom lifestyle through entrepreneurship and career changes is possible.
• Making the first big career change can be the hardest, but subsequent changes become easier.
• Spending less than you make is crucial for creating the freedom to make choices.
• Being picky and saying no to what you don't want can lead to more options and opportunities.
• Balancing multiple roles and businesses can provide flexibility and fulfillment.

In this episode Neel and David tell you why they think New Year's Resolutions are no good and what they have planned for 2022.

David is starting 2022 with a three month off-grid meditation teacher training.  Neel will be spending 10 days in Panama in the first quarter of 2022 doing some survival training.  They talk about the methodology they use to make plans for big events like these and what else they have planned for the year.

They also discuss:

• Jesse Itzler's calendar hacking
• Tactics to make the end of your year thoughtful and reflective
• The concept of de-averaging: moving away from a 5 day on/2 day off schedule to something that fits better for you
• Measuring your impact for the coming year in numbers: how many jobs you will create, how many people you will reach, etc.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, Neel chats with Khe, a former finance professional who quit his high-paying job to pursue a more fulfilling life.

They discuss Khe's background, his career journey, and the midlife crisis that led him to reevaluate his priorities. They also explore the concept of lifestyle creep and how Khe managed his spending habits.

The conversation delves into the psychological hurdles and money beliefs that often hold people back from making significant life changes.

They touch on generational trauma and the fear of losing money, as well as the concept of golden handcuffs and the optimal lifestyle.

Finally, they discuss the decision to quit and the importance of owning one's time and pursuing activities that bring joy and fulfillment.

Neel and Khe Hy discuss:

• It's important to consider the trade-off between money and security when making decisions about work and lifestyle.
• Financial planning can help provide for future goals and expenses, such as college tuition for children.
• Flexibility and simplicity can be valuable aspects of a lifestyle, allowing for freedom and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Generational wealth and inheritance may not always be the best approach, as it may not align with the values and goals of the next generation.
• Optimizing for lifestyle can involve creating a daily routine that prioritizes personal well-being and enjoyment.
• Achieving lifestyle before wealth can be a mindset shift that focuses on living a fulfilling life rather than accumulating material possessions.
• Diversifying income streams can contribute to financial independence and provide stability.
• The pressure to grind and stay focused on financial success can be challenging to overcome, especially when surrounded by others who prioritize wealth.
• Personalized journeys to freedom involve defining and pursuing one's own version of a fulfilling and meaningful life.
• To learn more about lifestyle optimization and financial independence, visit radreads.co and listen to the Examine Life podcast.

Follow Khe Hy on X: @khemaridh or check out his Examined Life podcast. If you can't get enough, you can also find his newsletter here.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to https://maidthisfranchise.com

In this episode Neel and sits down with Walker Drewett of NuBrakes, a mobile brake-repair business that grew out of a mobile car detailing business he started while going to school.

Neel and Walker discuss:

- not sitting on your laurels: despite growing the car detailing business to $1M in revenue, Walker found out customers really wanted help with maintenance and service, so he pivoted accordingly

- why it is nerve-wracking to trust employees with company vehicles they can take home, but that becomes easier if you build a culture of trust

- how another business (Super Talent) came about when Walker tried to share how game-changing offshore talent was

If you enjoyed hearing from Walker, feel free to connect with him on X.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel chats with Seonaid Beckwith of Perfect English Grammar, a very popular website that helps non-native English speakers improve to whatever level they want, for personal or professional reasons.

Neel and Seonaid discuss:

- how what started as a resource for her in-person students became a side hustle and then eventually allowed her to quit her job.

- how she just kept learning what she didn't know to give options to the people who were coming to the site (which now number 1-2M a month).

- her limiting beliefs about money and how she was able to evolve to a more positive outlook and why they both agree that entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful vehicles for personal development out there.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel and Johnny talk about the different hires you need to make as you grow your remote local business. They discuss:

- the first hire you make and what areas they need to help with

- how roles have to change as you move past $100k to $500k in annual revenue: people need to be more specialized

- why the biz owner should be a marketing strategist, not a marketing executor

You'll also hear them discuss margins and how many team members you'll need to hit $1M in annual revenue

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Neel and David build on their "New Year's Resolutions Suck" episode by reflecting on 2021.

Both Neel and David built strong romantic relationships this year, and also started this podcast.

For Neel, that meant getting out of his comfort zone and engaging more on social media and elsewhere.  But it was also part of something that David had introduced him to the last time they spent a lot of time together: meeting people that are very different from himself.  He's curious about replicating that through maybe joining an online community in the next year.

David has been building up to taking a three-month teacher training that is going to transform his life personally and professionally.  He's enjoyed recovering from a traumatic end to a long-term relationship and has taken those personal lessons to heart, alongside some hard-learned business lessons as well.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, Ryan Sneddon shares his journey of starting a successful local email newsletter business. He discusses how he came up with the idea, experimented with different business models, and eventually found success with his current business. Ryan explains the process of monetizing the newsletter through advertising and the importance of targeting the right advertisers. He also shares his plans for scaling the business and partnering with others to expand into different cities. Ryan emphasizes the value of sharing knowledge and helping others succeed in the local newsletter space.

Neel and Ryan discuss:

• Starting a local email newsletter can be a profitable business model.
• Targeting the right advertisers and providing valuable content are key to monetizing the newsletter.
• Engaging with the local community and being present in the town can help build a successful newsletter.
• Sharing knowledge and teaching others can be a valuable way to grow the business and create partnerships.

In the episode Neel sits down with Daniel Thompson of Salt Water Digital.

Daniel has been in SEO for many years and took some time to share some insights into SEO for local services businesses, like:

- Why Google My Business is harder to get verified now, and why some legitimate reviews are getting flagged and hidden.

- The proof of work your agency should be showing you.

- Whether local service businesses should be using Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram ads.

Enjoy the episode!

As Neel looks back on previous years, he knows he's spent too much time focusing on the "scaling" aspect of marketing.

In this episode, he goes the other way, talking about marketing that doesn't scale, but delivers big results, including:

- Apartment Complex Infiltration: just as stealth as it sounds, but is all about quietly building relationships

- Neighborhood Blitz

- Networking groups, i.e. becoming the "go-to" among a group of fellow business owners

Neel notes that this kind of non-scalable marketing can win against the lazy paid marketing that he favored in years past but is now more crowded than ever.

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to www.maidthisfranchise.com

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out blueprint.beremotelocal.com

In this episode Neel and Johnny revisit the old quote about the five closest people to you and talk about proactively upgrading those people.

They discuss:

• the power of groups like EO, EOA, and the Dynamite Circle
• why it's worth paying to join some groups (Johnny paid $50,000+ to join one particular group focused on e-learning businesses)
• the power of meeting people in Facebook groups and on Twitter.

Neel and Johnny also talk about how easy it is to reach out to people on Twitter but how few people actually make the effort to connect, even via a voice message or Loom.

Enjoy the episode!

Today's episode is final episode (Part 3 of 3) in what we call the "Acquisition Series".

David & Neel dive into two recent acquisition opportunities, one of which closed successfully, and discuss the closed sale, the diligence process, and lessons learned.

You'll learn about:

• An acquisition opportunity for Neel and the plan for how he would immediately increased value overnight
• What multiples local service businesses sell for 
• How to identify value-adds to immediately improve your bottom-line

In the first of a three-part series, Neel gives you an ultimate guide to hiring, from his own successful playbook!

This episode focuses on the mindset (and a few tactics) for hiring in general and putting up your job ad.

Great tips which are included:

• How much an employee leaving can cost you
• How much an A-team player can make you each year
• Why you should ABC (always be 'cruiting...hey, close enough!)
• How to make your job ad STAND OUT

There's plenty more here.  This is the sit down and take notes kind of episode.

In this episode Neel and David give the BIG SECRET to taking your business to the next level.

That secret is...being less available to your team!

This helps:

• Empower your team
• Free you up from doing less valuable work so you can add greater value
• Give you the space to take three month mediation training retreats (like David wants to do next year)
• Level up your quality of life as a business owner

Enjoy the episode!

After listening to Episode 01, you now know the pros and cons of a remote local business model. How the heck do you identify a local business near you that might be a fit?

In this episode, Neel & David deep dive into the key aspects that make a business model a good fit to be remote local, so you can travel the world. They discuss everything you need to watch out for in an ideal business models and things you should avoid.

Ever dreamed of finally quitting your day job?

Want to start a side hustle but not sure how to manage your time between your full-time job?

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How to manage your time to run your side hustle while working corporate
2. Timeline to scale and when you should decide to pull the trigger to quit your full-time job
3. Mental hurdles you'll come across and how to overcome them

In this episode Neel sits down with the one and only Donald Spann.

Donald has been a guest on the pod before (listen here if you'd like to check it out)

Neel and Donald discuss:

- his initial success selling Cutco knives (and Neel pondered some kind of index of people who sold Cutco and success in life)

- his journey through servicing different needs for cleaning companies which started from building websites to then answering phones

- how Donald realized early on that money wasn't the actual motivator, but control of his time and life, and why he wanted a business which required endless consistent delivery rather than a business that had the need to endlessly innovate

If you enjoyed this episode, you can learn more via his YouTube channel on running a call center (it's the only one of its kind).

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

In this episode Neel chats with Shaina Denny, Co-Founder and CEO of Dogdrop.

It's a rare discussion with a fellow franchisor, and Neel and Shaina discuss:

- how Dogdrop works and its capitalization on America's obsession with pets and their well-being

- why Shaina decided to use an FSO (franchise sales organization) instead of using an internal resource

- why Neel stopped using Google ads to advertise for franchise leads (he found that social media leads were more qualified)

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

In this episode Neel speaks with Ujwal Velagapudi, who has had a fascinating and unusual journey building businesses in many different industries.

One of the more interesting ideas Ujwal shares in the pod is his lack of concern with "maximizing profit." He's okay leaving some money on the table once he has spent time optimizing the business when he first acquires it.

Neel and Ujwal also discuss:

- Ujwal's attempted retirement in South East Asia

- What drives him (hint: it's not money)

- Why he now only looks at 7-figure cash flowing businesses

If you want to start your own MaidThis Franchise in your market & skip years of trial-and-error, go to ⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠

If you want a foundations do-it-yourself course on how to start your own remote local business model, check out ⁠blueprint.beremotelocal.com⁠

https://twitter.com/UjwalVelagapudi

In this episode, Neel chats with Trenton Hughes, the founder of a venture studio called TRIBE. They discuss the concept of venture studios, Trenton's journey from corporate to entrepreneurship, and the importance of finding freedom through aligning with personal values. Trenton also shares his experience of burnout and the lessons he learned from it. He emphasizes the need for community and support for entrepreneurs, which led him to start TRIBE. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of finding fulfillment and balance in entrepreneurship. Takeaways

• Venture studios are a newer model of entrepreneurship that focus on creating new ventures rather than just investing in existing ones.
• Finding freedom in entrepreneurship is not just about making money, but also aligning with personal values and finding fulfillment in day-to-day activities.
• Burnout is a common experience for entrepreneurs, and it is important to prioritize mental and emotional health.
• Having a supportive community and network of like-minded individuals can greatly benefit entrepreneurs.
• Tribe is a community and support network for early-stage entrepreneurs, providing peer groups, retreats, and other resources at a more affordable price point.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like it, leave a comment and subscribe to our podcast for more amazing content. Want to stay connected? Follow me on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes insights: ➙ Visit ⁠⁠www.maidthisfranchise.com⁠⁠ ➙ Instagram: ⁠⁠@neelbparekh⁠⁠ ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@neelbparek Follow Winslow here: ➙ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠ ⁠@trentjhughes

In this conversation, Neel chats with Hansel from the Coder School, discussing Hansel's background, journey into entrepreneurship, and the franchising model of the Coder School. They explore the importance of passion in business, marketing strategies, and the traits of successful franchisees.

Takeaways

• Passion for the business and its impact on the community is more important than passion for the end product.
• Successful franchisees exhibit traits such as relatability, communication skills, and a 'gunslinger' approach to marketing tactics.
• Experimentation and testing are crucial in entrepreneurship, and systematic approaches may not always work in marketing strategies.

In this episode Neel and David discuss David's three-month meditation teacher training course and what his future looks like.  His last appearance featured his explaining what he had to do in order to be gone that long from his businesses.

This podcast originally began as a co-hosted effort between Neel and David but this is the final episode of that era, as David moves on to what's next in his life (which does not include running a podcast).

David shares

• what his teacher training was like (which included 14 hours of meditation per day for almost a month)
• how Vedic meditation changed his life and why he decided to pursue it as a mission
• why entrepreneurs shouldn't get attached to that role as an identity

If you want to follow David's journey you can find him on Instagram or see what he has going on at his new meditation website.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, we have a super special guest - Rohan Gilkes, Founder of Launch27 and MaidsInBlack.

After 10 years working in corporate, Rohan got laid off from his banking job and starting a local cleaning company on a whim just to find some extra cash to afford his car payment. After scaling the business to over $20,000 in PROFIT per month within 8 months, Rohan decide to posted his story on a Reddit forum, which inspired thousands of people to start their own local business (including Neel). 

Rohan's fully-remote local business currently generates millions of dollars in annual revenue with less than 1 hour of work per month. In addition to the cleaning business, he also started and recently sold a software company he founded.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Rohan's origin story and how he came across the entrepreneur path
• Scaling his business and how he managed to grow so quickly
• Rohan's definition of "success" as an entrepreneur and goals now

You can find out more about Rohan here:

https://www.rohangilkes.com/

https://twitter.com/rohangilkes