#44: Mignon Francois—How to Build a Business When You Have Absolutely, Freaking Nothing
Release Date: 11/01/2021
The StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Running a marketing consulting business is never simple. In uncertain times, it’s even harder. Clients are cautious, timelines stretch, and budgets shrink. You know your services create real results, but closing new business feels tougher than ever. If you're not clear and confident in your message, potential clients will hesitate or move on. And the longer you stay vague or unfocused, the more you're stuck in survival mode instead of scaling. So how do you position yourself as the obvious choice, especially...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Leadership success often hinges on a trait many people misunderstand: self-awareness. In today's fast-paced world, leaders are surrounded by noise: social media flattery, AI-generated validation, and constant feedback loops that create more confusion than clarity. And while confidence is essential, when it crosses into narcissism, the fallout can be devastating. Think Enron, Lehman Brothers, or any organization led by someone blind to their own flaws. Narcissistic leaders may get results, but the cost is often burnout,...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Most entrepreneurs eventually feel the pull to pivot, but that shift can come with real risk. You’ve worked hard to build trust, grow your audience, and establish your expertise in one lane. So when it’s time to evolve, how do you shift your messaging without confusing your audience or breaking what’s already working? This is the tension: stay in your lane too long and you stagnate. Jump too fast and you lose everything. So how do you navigate that transition with clarity and confidence? In this week's...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Most businesses struggle to explain what they do in a way that actually gets people interested. You tweak your website copy, add more content, and keep pitching your product, but the reaction is lukewarm at best. Why? Because you’re missing the most critical part of a messaging strategy, what Donald Miller calls the “5 front steps.” Think of your brand as a house. Without these front steps, you're essentially asking customers to leap onto your front porch with no ladder in sight. It's a recipe for lost sales. So...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com If you’re offering your services to everyone, chances are nobody’s listening. Most businesses, especially coaches and consultants, waste valuable resources trying to speak to a crowd instead of their community. The result is confused messaging, unqualified leads, and no growth. If your marketing feels scattered or your offer is getting lost in the noise, it might be time to stop casting a wide net and start speaking directly to the people who truly need what you provide. What would happen if you focused your...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Most taglines don’t work. They sound clever, but when customers see them, nothing happens. No interest, no sales, just crickets. That’s because most taglines are vague, confusing, or forgettable. And when people have to burn mental calories trying to figure out what your business actually does, they’ll just move on to the next option. If your tagline isn’t clearly offering something your customer wants, it’s not helping you. It’s costing you. So how do you make sure your tagline actually drives results?...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Businesses are burning cash on Facebook ads that just don’t work, and it’s not because of the algorithm. The real problem? Most companies are leading with clever headlines and flashy visuals instead of clear, curiosity-driven messaging. When your potential customer sees your ad, they’re not thinking about your brand, they’re thinking about their own survival. If your ad doesn’t speak to that in the first two seconds, you’ve already lost them. With ad costs going up and results going down, the stakes...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com So many entrepreneurs struggle to stand out because they sound like everyone else. They bury their message in jargon, chase every shiny object, or spread themselves too thin across platforms. The result? People tune out, engagement stalls, and the business that should be thriving ends up stuck. Attention is the currency of today’s economy. And without a sharp, repeatable message, you won’t earn it. So how do you cut through the noise and become the go-to voice your audience can’t ignore? In today's...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Most business owners dread being asked, “So, what do you do?” Not because they don’t know, but because they don’t know how to explain it without rambling. When you stumble through your business model or every service you offer, people glaze over. That moment is your shot to spark curiosity and build value, but if you blow it, you lose potential opportunities. Whether you’re networking at a conference, pitching a client, or updating your website, you need one sentence that makes people lean in and say, “Tell...
info_outlineThe StoryBrand Podcast
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Too many brands skip straight to “content” and wonder why nobody bites. In this episode, Donald Miller unveils the StoryBrand Messaging Campaign, a simple system that turns words into revenue. You’ll learn the 3 key campaign phases, how to craft “survival” sound bites that stop the right people in their tracks, and the exact formula to confidently ask for the sale. Don breaks down the “House” metaphor, then walks through a real case study he did for YNAB (You Need A Budget), a budgeting app that...
info_outlineHow can you build your business when you have nothing? Nothing in the bank, nothing left in your fuel tank and nothing much to work with. Believe it or not, there’s a way. That’s why we invited Mignon Francois, founder and CEO of The Cupcake Collection, to share her story of how she started a business at one of the lowest points in her life and grew it into a $15 million empire! If you’re feeling like there’s no way you could ever succeed in your business, Mignon’s story of resilience and reinvention will give you some much needed inspiration.
P.S. If you’re feeling bored with life and are ready to start living with meaning and purpose, just like Mignon, pre-order Donald Miller’s new book, Hero On A Mission (available January 11, 2022). In this book, Donald Miller offers you practical steps you can follow to experience a deep sense of meaning every single day of your life. If you’re tired of living life on autopilot and are ready to make a serious change in your own story, pre-order Hero on a Mission on Amazon or wherever you buy books.
Did you know The Cupcake Collection offers nationwide shipping on all cupcakes? Oh yeah! Now you can enjoy Mignon's world famous sweet treats from anywhere in the US! Go to TheCupcakeCollection.com and order today!
--
If you need help assessing what’s wrong with your business, you can hire a Business Made Simple Certified Coach at HireACoach.com. We certify the best business coaches in the world who can help you figure out exactly what’s wrong with your business then give you the tools you need to fix it. Just go to HireACoach.com today!
Every week on Business Made Simple we help you discover what’s wrong with your business then show you how to fix it.