Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson - Why I'm "Pausing" The Inner Circle (Part 2 of 2)

Episode Date: October 16, 2019

The second half of my conversation about why I decided to pause my Inner Circle. On today's episode hear how Russell came to the decision of pausing his inner circle group, and why it could help motivate you to look at what's most important in your life. Here are some of the awesome things to listen for in this episode: What were Russell's reasons for pausing Inner Circle. Why we have to sometimes take a break from good things to focus on great things. And find out what will happen with inner Circle in the future. So listen here to this powerful episode about pausing inner circle to focus on other things, and why it's so important. Transcript - https://marketingsecrets.com/blog/250-why-i-m-pausing-the-inner-circle-part-2-of-2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everyone, this is Russell Brunson. Welcome back to The Marketing Secret Show. This is part two of the episode where I'm telling you why I paused my inner circle. Some people have told me I'm crazy, some people think I'm insane. But today I'm just going to tell you the rest of the story about why I did it. And hopefully it'll help you as you're making some decisions in your personal life and your business as well. So the big question is this. How are entrepreneurs like us, who didn't cheat and take on venture capital, we're 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. All right, everybody. So I left off talking about the history of the inner circle and how we got to the spot where we had a hundred entrepreneurs and I was serving them. And it's crazy how much, I just want to keep re-emphasizing how fulfilling the work with this group has been for me. As I wrote the expert secrets book and the traffic secrets book, they were, you know, again, we have 97, almost 98,000 people inside of ClickFunnels. And obviously I don't know all the businesses,

but this sampling of 100 people are the ones I have a chance to fill the pult all the time. It's my pult on the markets and what's happening, what's working, what's not working, what we need to develop, what we need to change, what I need to teach. All those things came from my interactions with my group, with my inner circle. And so it's been one of these things where it's just like, I love it so much. It's so important to me. But about six months or so ago is when Todd Dickerson and I, Todd's my co-founder at ClickFunnels, we had this meeting. And it was basically like, look, if we were to start this whole thing over from scratch, ClickFunnels, what would we do different? And we called it our Sacred Cow meeting.

And it basically said there's no sacred cows. Anything goes. Whatever we need to change, we need to change it. And it doesn't matter how hard it is, how painful it is, it doesn't matter how much we love the feature or the program or the thing. We need to have those hard conversations that aren't fun. And so we did and we went through a whole bunch of stuff, which is why some of these announcements that are happening, ClickFunnels are happening because we decided,

look, this thing we spent two years on and $7 million in development, we're going to stop working on it. We're going to sunset it, right? There's this thing over here and thing over here in this program here in this coaching program, this thing, like all these things were up on the chopping block, um, with the, for potential discussion, like what are we gonna do with it? And one of the ones that, um, was a sacred cow to me was my inner circle. And again, it's, it's been, oh, like this amazing thing to me. But right now, five years in the ClickFunnels, 15 years into this career that I've been in, it's been a lot of work.

And I think you guys see that from the outside between writing books and managing teams and software and events and all the things. It's become a lot. So not only was it like, I didn't mean to shift things for ClickFunnels, but it's it's become a lot and so not only was it like I didn't mean to shift things for for click phones but it's like what do we actually want like what's the point of us running this huge company and doing these things if if our lives aren't aren't doing exactly what we want and a big part of the the thing for me was like I like I'm doing everything but my kids like my my oldest twins are gonna be in high school next year. And the other kids are not far behind them.

And it's like I have so many things happening. It's like I need more time for the kids, for everything. And also, like, you know, how much of my time? You know, eight days twice a year plus a lot of Fridays I'm spending with Inner Circle. And while it's amazing, fulfilling, it's also it takes me a lot of time that I could be focusing on, on the thing that's growing the most, the thing that serves the most people, which is, which is click funnels, right? Which is the content that I create that's, that's evergreen, like writing a book or things like that, that live beyond just the moment.

And, uh, and so for me, I had to make that hard decision, like what I do at the inner circle and just to kind of put this in frame for everybody, like, like inner circle nets me after everything, um, over $2 million a year. So it's like, um, the, the sacred cow here is like, am I going to turn off a business and that's my $2 million a year? Um, but more importantly and more, the thing that was harder for me was just like this relationship I have with these amazing entrepreneurs who are literally changing the world. Okay. If you've been to fun hiking live, you've seen the speakers. Most of them are from my inner circle. Like it's, these are the people that I, that we, I work with directly, you know, that we,

we, anyway, we've been through war and back with, with these guys. And so, um, that was the more difficult choice. And, um, finally, I mean, it's probably six months ago, I kind of made a decision. Like I need to, I need to wind this down so I can spend all, all the extra free time with my family and then be able to focus 100% of my focus on our core business. And, um, and, but it was like, I couldn't tell anybody. I didn't want to, I didn't want to announce it because I knew how hard it was going to be for me and for them and for everybody.

And so, um, and so I didn't, I delayed it. I delayed it. I delayed it. I delayed it until, you know, everyone's coming here on Monday. And so Friday before I, I finally did a Facebook live in the group and kind of told everybody, this is what's happening and this is the plan. And you know, ClickFunnels, we have a mission to get to a billion dollar valuation, which no, no software company has ever done that wasn't backed by venture capital. Like we're on a mission to do that. That's gotta be my focus when it comes to my work. And then it's like,'s like um like my kids i need to spend more time there it's like i can't keep juggling all these things and a lot of things are getting cut a lot of

things are being shifted and one of the big ones that unfortunately i have to pause right now is the inner circle and i told him like i'm pausing for a couple reasons number one it's inner circle for life like you guys are in this for life and i want to keep creating things that you can be part of and you can network and you can um we, we can keep the community together. But, um, but number two, um, I just need to pause it for a while and it's not indefinitely. Like someday I'll step down as a CEO, click funnels, and I'll have more time. And my kids will be graduating high school or I don't know where, where or when, but I want to bring it back with the same group of entrepreneurs and, and, and have a door for some of you guys who who have been working towards that and trying to to prepare yourselves

and building businesses and changing people's lives to be able to be in there i want i want that to still be something that's available possible and so right now um i announced that it's going to be it's going to be paused and man i can't tell you how much fear i had making that announcement and how difficult and hard it was because I was so scared that these people that I've learned to love and to respect and to literally been on the front lines of business war with, how they were going to accept it. And some might be upset. They might be frustrated. They might be angry. And people pay a lot of money to be in that group.

And over a year, a year and a half ago, we raised the price from $25,000 a year to $ a year to 50 000 a year and they still stuck in they still want to be part of it and so um anyway so that's that's kind of the uh that's kind of where it wears out and so the last piece of the story um i was gonna tell you about the first two days of inner circle and i have the next days next you know thursday and friday but monday and and Tuesday had been so emotional and hard and amazing. Um, I felt like it was almost like my funeral. Like everyone had a chance to get up and thank me for your stuff, which was really, really special. But the other interesting thing that I kind of got that I didn't expect was, um, from a lot of people. And I'm going to, um, tell you paying June's experience. Cause it was one that's probably the most

tangible and relevant for you guys. But paying June told me, he said, you know, after he made the announcement that night, he was like, um, he's like, I laid in bed and I couldn't sleep. And he started thinking, he said, you know, I joined your circle four years ago, five years ago, he launched click funnels. He's like, he's like, we've seen now what's possible. He's like, what am I going to do over the next five years? You know, five years now I could build a company to a billion dollars, but, but I guess we start looking at things differently and acting differently. And it actually became motivational for me.

I had other people like, Anissa Holmes, who just told me, she said, you know what, like you're taking this break, spend more time with your family. And she's like, it made me reflect back. I'm like, man, do I need to take a break? Do I need to spend more time with my family?

What shifts do I need to make in my life and my business as well? And so I hope that me doing, me pausing, not only is it going to buy me some time to spend with my family and my kids and focus on our core mission, which I think is important, but hopefully it inspires some of you guys to, to look at as well. Um, you know, sometimes there are things that are really, really good. Like this inner circle group has been good. It has changed my life. It's changed their lives. It's changed lives of so many people, but, um, there are things that are great, like your family that you can't get that time back no matter life. It's changed their lives. It's changed lives of so many people. But there are things that are great, like your family, that you can't get that time back no matter what.

It's like we sacrifice great things for, or excuse me, we sacrifice good things for great things. And I hope that some of you guys can get that lesson. The second thing is just showing you guys what's possible in five years. Like five years ago, we didn't have a ClickFunnels. Six years ago, like we were at the brink of bankruptcy trying to like keep the doors open while Todd was building click funnels. Right? Like it's amazing what can happen in the next five years. And, and I hope that you guys look at this as a moment to stop and like, Hey, what's possible for me in the next five years? What's my, what's my vision? What's the direction? What am I running towards? What can I go and try to accomplish? And so, um, yeah, so that's some of

the reasons I want to share with you um to end with uh i'm going to actually read you a little piece of the traffic secrets book and um i read this to the inner circle members and i told them i said look clickfunnels has again 97 98 000 members but i said you know when i when i think about like when i'm creating things um i was like i'm creating for the inner circle they're like they're the face of the customers i see all the time the people i know their names i know their families, I know their kids, I know their employees, I know their staff. Like I know their vision, their mission.

Like, like, so for me, like I've like my, my lens of this entire huge community is the inner circle. And so, um, as I was writing, um, the dedication for the traffic seekers book, um, it was interesting. I started thinking, I'm like, well, like I, I can't remember.com secrets, expert seekers book. Like who did I dedicate those books to? And I opened up the.com seekers book and it was interesting cause I dedicated it, um, uh, to my mom and my dad and my wife, Colette. Um, then I looked at the expert seekers book and I dedicated to all the experts who were willing to put out their information to change my life. And then I dedicated it to my kids. And so the third book, as I was writing it

and as I was sitting down to write the dedication, I started thinking about this community and it started with Inner Circle, but it also bleeds down to you, to every single person who's hearing my voice right now as my funnel hackers. And the third book is dedicated to all of you. And so I wanted to read you the dedication

and hopefully it'll get you pumped to read the book when it comes out, but also to help you understand why this work and this mission has been so important to me. Here we go. Here we go. So this book is dedicated to the entrepreneurs who I've been called to serve, my funnel hackers. You made it possible for me to do a work that interests me, that I feel is meaningful and

worthwhile. This final book in the Secrets Trilogy was created to help you find more of the people who are waiting to hear your message. If this book helps you to reach even just one more person and change their life with your God-given gifts, then this work was a success. And so as I told yesterday, and when I sat up with the first group in the circle, I read that to them and I bawled my eyes out like a little baby. But I hope that as you heard that, you understand that if you're listening to this, if you're

feeling the calling, the tug, the pull that's got you into this community, into ClickFunnels, into my podcast, into all these things, it's because you have a God-given gift or talent or something. And you've been called to do something with that to help change somebody's life in some way, right? That's why you tune in. That's why you listen. That's why you dream.

That's why you have these visions because of that. And so if everything that I've done to this point in my career, 15 years, but five years of click funnels and with the books and the coaching, all these things, um, if, if my work has helped you to help change somebody's life, then, um, then it's all worth it. And, um, and if you change more people's life, then man, it's, it's, uh, it's insane. Um, there's one more thing I want to share with you, but I'm not going to share on this podcast. I'm going to, I might do the next one. It was a message that one of the members of the inner circle said about, um, about funnels and about, anyway, I'm going to save that one for you. So there's my hook

to hook you to the next episode. Um, but hopefully you got something from these ones. And, um, for any of you who've been striving and working towards getting into my inner circle someday, keep striving. It's not gonna be long. It's not gonna be a 20 year thing when I bring it back. I told them all, I said, look, it might be a year from now. It might be two years from now. But I'll be sending email out saying,

okay, I'm back and we're opening it back up. This is what it's gonna look like. And at that point, I hope that you are prepared and ready because I would love to have you as part of this group. This group of people who are changing the lives of millions of people around the world. And they've changed my life as well. So I'm grateful for anybody in the circle members who are listening. Thank you for the last five or six years and keep doing what you're doing.

I'm so proud of you and impressed with the lives you've changed. And for everyone else, just keep moving forward towards that goal. And someday I hope to have a chance to sit with you in one of my meetings, one of my mastermind groups, and have a chance to see how you're changing the world as well. All right. Thanks, everybody. Appreciate you all. And have an amazing, amazing day.

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