The Formula to Achieving Any Goal with Cliff Ravenscraft

What if saying your goals out loud, got you an email introducing you to your hero?

In this episode, Cliff Ravenscraft shares how he walked away from a family insurance agency (started by his grandfather in 1937) where he was next in line to lead, all because of a podcast about the TV show Lost. After building an audience of 60,000 subscribers and receiving over 500 handwritten letters from people whose lives were transformed, Cliff realized his real calling wasn't selling insurance or being a pastor. It was teaching people how to use their voice to create content that matters. He's since helped over 40,000 people launch podcasts, but discovered something critical: nine out of ten failed because they skipped the first seven steps of building an online business. Step eight? Create content and build your audience. Everything else comes first.

Cliff reveals the four-step formula that led to a $3 million relationship: believe it's possible, write it down, tell others, and work the plan as it becomes available. He also shares why his first year as a full-time entrepreneur, working 14-hour days seven days a week for $11,000, ended with a 24-hour podcast marathon and two weeks in the hospital where he almost died.

 

[00:05:00] Helping 40,000 People Launch Podcasts

• Left very lucrative career in family insurance agency started by grandfather in 1937

• Went out to teach people how to launch podcasts

• Helped more than 40,000 people in the world launch a podcast

• Published over 4,800 podcast episodes across 55+ shows in 20 years

[00:11:20] The First Year That Almost Killed Him

• First year full-time: 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week, not one day off first nine months

• Didn't receive single personal paycheck, just earned enough to pay business expenses

• End of year brought home $11,000 net personal income after taxes

• Celebrated with 24-hour podcast marathon, ended with two weeks in hospital

[00:13:20] Why Nine Out of Ten Podcasters Fail

• In 2012, more than 50 of top 100 business podcasts were Cliff's clients

• But nine out of ten failed to ever see sustainable profit or any income

• Created 11-step framework for building online business

• Step number eight: create content and build audience (first seven steps were missed)

[00:14:40] The Workshop That Changed Everything

• In 2017 stopped teaching podcasting, started coaching through what people missed

• One person earned no income before workshop, within two weeks secured $5,000/month recurring

• Coaches charging $50/hour walked out charging $300/hour

• "This is what fires me up"

[00:16:40] Choose an Audience With Money

• Most people fail to choose audience that has money

• Ideal customer must have money, be aware of problem, willing to pay to solve it

• "I've got entire audience of tens of thousands and none of them have any money"

• Must validate they will pay before you create website, logo, podcast content

[00:20:00] The Two Conditions

• At 18, convinced life would be devoted to ministry with servant's heart

• Parents asked him to work in insurance office because of computer skills

• Told parents: "You will never expect me to get insurance license"

• "If I'm offered opportunity to pastor church, I must get your full blessing to leave"

[00:24:20] Top 10 Out of 14,000 Insurance Agents

• Year 2000, top 10 out of 14,000 agents with Grange Life Insurance

• Top 50 out of 48,000 agents with Auto Owners Life Insurance

• Sold 30-100 policies per month selling term life insurance

• All while competing against people selling permanent life (much higher premiums)

[00:25:40] The Lost Podcast Changed Everything

• 2005, started podcasting as hobby about TV show Lost

• By third episode had 27,000 subscribers around the world

• Audience grew to over 60,000 subscribers

• Wooden inbox with over 500 handwritten letters: "Because of something you said, my life will never be the same"

[00:28:00] Reaching Hundreds of Thousands

• Within 18 months reaching hundreds of thousands through seven different podcasts

• Producing seven to fifteen podcast episodes per week

• People's lives being transformed

• "I wonder what life would be like if I could do this for a living"

[00:30:40] Testing the Four Step Formula

• Heard four-step formula: believe it's possible, write it down, tell others, work the plan

• Decided to test it with specific goal: meet Dan Miller and Leo LaPorte

• Didn't want to just meet at conference and be forgotten

• Wanted to tell them their influence and have them not forget meeting him

[00:32:40] Forty Minutes After Hitting Publish

• Recorded podcast episode explaining formula and his goal

• Hit publish, 40 minutes later got email from Andy Troub (the connector)

• "I happen to be working on a project with Dan Miller. He's already aware of who you are"

• "Would you like me to introduce you?"

[00:34:00] From Hero to Consulting Client

• One week later, Dan Miller was guest on Cliff's podcast

• After the interview, Dan asked "Can I schedule a consulting call with you?"

• Cliff told Dan audio quality was terrible, people can't make themselves listen

• Dan: "I really appreciate how honest you are. What do you recommend?"

[00:35:00] The Weekend in Franklin, Tennessee

• Dan said order duplicate of everything in studio, ship to house

• "Come spend weekend with me, stay in guest room, help me build podcast studio"

• Dan started telling massive audience about Cliff Ravenscraft

• Cliff was booked solid for years because of that relationship

[00:36:00] The Michael Hyatt Introduction

• Dan told Michael Hyatt (CEO Thomas Nelson Publishing) podcast was #1 marketing tool

• Dan did email introduction to Michael Hyatt

• Within a week, Cliff was in Franklin staying in Michael's guest room

• Setting up Michael's podcast studio

[00:37:40] $3 Million in Revenue

• Between Dan Miller and Michael Hyatt relationships alone

• Can trace at least $3 million in revenue to those two

• Also met Leo LaPorte, both goals from four-step formula checked off

• Tested formula over and over, it worked every time

[00:40:20] The 10-Step Formula

• Over time developed 10-step formula (includes four steps plus six others)

• Six other steps where you don't have to wait for plan to become available

• Ask series of questions that will give you next step

• Email [e-mail] with subject "10 step formula" for free video

 

KEY QUOTES 

"I've got an entire audience of tens of thousands of people and none of them have any money, and none of them will buy any of my products and services. This is why you're creating content year after year with no real income." - Cliff Ravenscraft

"Forty minutes after I published that episode, I got an email from Andy Troub saying Dan Miller is already aware of who you are, he's been having trouble with his podcast, would you like me to introduce you?" - Cliff Ravenscraft

CONNECT WITH CLIFF RAVENSCRAFT 

🌐 Website: https://www.Ravenscraft.org 

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cliffravenscraft 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffravenscraft 

📧 Email: [e-mail] (Subject: "10 step formula" for free video)

Thanks for tuning in!

If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

Find me on:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify |  iHeart Radio | Stitcher