Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson - How To Replace Yourself The Right Way

Episode Date: February 2, 2018

What I've learned during the systemization process inside of Clickfunnels over the last few months. In this episode Russell explains how to replace your own level 6 skill sets with people who have level 10 skills in one thing. Here are some of the awesome things you will hear in today's episode: Why having the ability to take his daughter to the Little Gym helped Russell reflect on why it's awesome to be an entrepreneur. Why entrepreneurs need to figure out how to do everything to get their businesses off the ground. And why it's a good idea to replace yourself with people who do better work, once you've made a million dollars. So listen here to find out how you can find a lot more people who are better than you to run your business for you. Transcript - https://marketingsecrets.com/blog/how-to-replace-yourself-the-right-way Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up everybody, this is Russell Brunson and welcome to Marketing Secrets Podcast. So the big question is this, how are entrepreneurs like us who didn't cheat and take on venture capital, who are spending money from our own pockets, how do we market in a way that lets us get our products and our services and the things that we believe in out to the world and yet still remain profitable? That is the question and this podcast will give you the answer. My name is Russell Brunson and welcome to Marketing Secrets. Hey everyone, I just got done. I took off early today and went and took Nora to a little gym,

which was so stinking fun. She was so cute. And now heading back to the office to go get some stuff done. Um, just grateful today for being an entrepreneur and having the ability just to like take off and go to my daughter's little gym thing and have fun with her and not have to like worry about anything. So, um, one of the, one of the hidden benefits of being an entrepreneur, right? All right. So I want to talk to you today. So, um, and this is something that we have been talking about a lot recently, probably because we're in the middle of it in our company, but it's like getting the systemization in, right? So the first time I ever heard about systems was I read the book, um, E-Myth by Michael Gerber.

And I, I remember, uh, it was probably probably 12 years ago or something. And at the time I started my business and I had like learned how to do everything, right? Cause I couldn't, I didn't have any money outside of programming. programming I never learned programming so I hired this guy named Dorel in Romania who still works for me to this day and um and so he did all the programming stuff but I had to figure everything else because I didn't have any skills so I had to learn how to do right copy I had to learn how to I did images that either hired images but I learned all these different pieces like to marketing and traffic and sales and like and like it sucks when you first get started because it's just you you don't have any capital or

money. So it's like you have to like get really talented. Um, and I think that that's one of the big reasons why if you heard the intro of the show, I make fun of people who take on VC money because I feel like they don't have to learn any of the stuff. They just like cheat. They get a bunch of money to hire people and there's never anyone on the team that actually has the skillset to, to run the show.

Like there's gotta be someone who has done everything once, or else it's hard to, I don't know, that's just my thoughts and my feelings. So I was doing everything from writing copy, doing customer support, driving traffic, doing sales, project management, everything, it was just me, right? And Dorrell.

And then someone, I think it was Thelma Knudsen, or someone at an event mentioned this book called The E-Myth, and I someone, I think it was Thelma Knudsen or someone at an event mentioned this book called the E-Myth. And I thought, Oh, it's like the internet market. I thought E was like internet or email. I don't know. So I bought the, so I remember we're going on a trip down to Lake Powell, my wife and I. And so we're heading out and we swing by Barnes and Noble. I go in the bookstore, the business section, there's a book called the E-Myth. I'm like, this is the one that I'll talk to you about. So I bought it, jump in the car, ride, drive, you know, 12 hours down to Lake Powell, Utah, jump on a houseboat, go in the middle of the boat, pull out my new book to learn about

internet marketing. And I start reading. It has nothing to do with internet marketing. I was kind of disappointed at first, but I had nothing else to read. So I kept reading this thing and it was all about systemization. Talked about, um, you know, how most entrepreneurs feel like they're juggling this thing and this thing and juggling at 10 different plates, right? You're trying to keep them all up top. Cause you know, if one of them falls, the whole thing's going to collapse. You talked about basically

going in there and like each of these things you're spinning, it's like create a system around it, plug some of that system and then, and then run with it. And then doing that through all the different things until eventually you've got things systemized. And, uh, that was kind of the gist. And I've never gone super deep with Michael Gerber's stuff outside of that. And I have a couple of friends who disagree with what he says, but conceptually it was like, this is brilliant.

Like build systems to replace the things I'm doing. And I honestly struggled with that for a long time. I think most entrepreneurs do because I think this, and this is the whole point of this podcast. I think I know why now that we're doing it the right way. I think the reason why is because, as the entrepreneur who had to figure out all this crap ahead of time,

you had to figure out how to do all these things. You're taking on like 20 or 30 different skill sets initially that you have to learn to be able to launch a business, right? Which is hard. And some things you're really good at. Some things you are horrible at. But you had to figure out how to do it because there's no one else doing it. Right. Like I had to learn how to write copy. Cause I remember, um, someone explained it to me at the time and I was like, Oh, that sounds horrible. Like I hate writing. And they're like, well, uh, you could hire them, but they're really expensive. And I

didn't know how to hire. So I went and the only person I really knew at the time who, who considered himself a copywriter was Joe Vitale. And I went to his site and he was charging like, you know, like $6 a word for email copy. I was like, $6 a word? Like even the little words? Like uh and the? And I was like, I guess I gotta learn this crap. So I had to buy books and study and practice

and read and learn and like, it was painful but I had to do it because there's no one else that could do it at the time, right? So then we get to this point where we start trying to systemize things. We start bringing people in and I think the biggest problem most of us have

is we assume that the people that we're bringing in will have all the skills that we've have acquired to get this thing off the ground. And, um, I think that's where I've always been frustrated. I can bring people in and I'm like, God, like you can't do this. Like, yeah, you're good at this one part, but you're horrible. All these other things. And it's like, you try, we try to find rock stars to replace us, which is like not easy at all. Um, and what I've been learning through this new process of systemization, I've been doing with James P, James P frill, um, is it's less about that more like figuring out all the pieces, um, and then bringing people that are just amazing at that one piece. And so it's going to be weird.

It's like, how do I say this the right way? Cause I don't want to make it sound offensive cause it's not even a little bit. I feel like for me and for most entrepreneurs, like we probably get to like level six or seven skillset at a whole bunch of things, right? That gets this, that gets this idea off the ground. Right. And so that's kind of, that's kind of where we're at. And the goal is not to bring in someone that's the same thing.

It's like picking each one of those skill sets that you're six at, you take that apart, and then you find a 10-level person and plug them into just that one thing. And so the problem with that, in our minds as entrepreneurs, because I know how we all think, is like, you're saying it's like 10 people to replace what I'm already doing? And it's like, well, yes, but those 10 people will be able to do level 10 of what you're doing, not level four, you know,

five or six, whatever you're doing right now. And so it actually becomes better, but it takes more people to do it. Cause there's not anyone who's going to write copy and do customer support, right? Even though you had to do that, like they, they're not going to do it. You got to find like level 10 support person, level 10 copy person, level 10 funnel person, level 10 designer, like all those pieces and you plug them in and, and be okay with the fact that they're not going to do all the stuff that you did. They're just going to do that one piece, but they're going to do way better than you. Um, and there, and if you try to give them two things or three things, they're going to suck at all of it and they're going to do way worse. And you're going to get frustrated and annoyed and fired them. Right. But it's like understanding

that they're like their level 10 skillset is going to replace your six. And now you get 10 people and all of a sudden like now it becomes magic. Like I'm looking at this happening right now in our, in my business, I've always been, I've, I've, I've had an amazing team and I've been building this team for a long time and it's been, it's been good. But as we're specifically trying to replace me out of things that I currently do, which I, I, I do a lot of things, I still do a lot of things and it's like, I'm trying to now

do, I pull myself out those pieces and it's like things. And it's like, I'm trying to now do, I pull myself out of those pieces and it's like, it's been scary, but I'm trying to find level 10 people each spot, plug them in. And now it's like, man, they take my, like what I did and make it better. And I think that most of the entrepreneurs probably level 10 at one thing.

Like, I think, yeah, like I would say I'm level 10 at one thing. So I'm keeping that piece because I love it. But the rest of it, I'm getting other people. And anyway, I hope that gives you hope. Because I know that as I systemized stuff in the past, I'd always get frustrated. Because I think I would try to give people three or four things. Like, hey, you're going to write copy and do this and do this.

And they can do one or two. But then the other ones make them struggle. And just they never were able to be rock stars. And it was my fault. I didn't let them shine. Whereas now with stepping away from this and just realizing, look, just have them focus on that one thing. Just because you did 10 doesn't mean they should be.

In fact, if they do, it's gonna hurt themselves and you and everyone. I think that's part of the, not the problem, part of the, I guess the opportunity of entrepreneurship is we have to master 10 things to get this thing into orbit. As soon as you get about a million bucks, now it's like, okay, now I just bought my freedom. Now it's time to take this cash and replace myself with level 10 people and um yeah at first it's gonna be scary because

you're gonna spend all your cash on these level 10 people but if you get level 10 people then the cash will dramatically increase if the cash does not dramatically increase it means you didn't find the level 10s so anyway i hope that helps that was kind of a big aha for me recently just watching it's like i went to go with nora and I did a little meeting with my team. I'm looking at like, okay, that's the person who plays this part of me, and that person plays that part of me, and that part of me. I look at all the things, and I'm like, all of them are better at those things than I am. This is so great.

I can go play with my daughter now, and they're doing their piece of brilliance, and I can go spend time with my daughter. Pretty special, pretty cool. That's the goal. At least that's been the goal for me, and I'm finally getting there and I hope that that gives you guys some faith and some hope, especially those who have tried to systemize and tried to replace yourself and tried to hire people and have been frustrated. I get it.

And maybe this little piece that I got over the last day or two will help you as well. So hope that helps me back in there and build some funnels. Thanks everybody. And we'll talk to you soon. Bye. Would you like to see behind the scenes of what we're actually doing each day to grow our company? If so, then go subscribe to our free behind the scenes reality TV show at www.funnelhacker.tv.