0070: How to Improve Your Livestream Productions

Intro [0:00]

EA interviews Episode 70. Inspiration, transformation, success stories, and the Imperfect Action Round seven days a week. Join Mario Fachini for today’s Expert Authority Effect Interview. 

Mario Fachini [0:13]

Expert Authority World, I’m excited to be here with you today. I have Jeff Adams. He is a live stream expert, a broadcast audio expert. And he is going to be sharing with you how to improve your productions. He has a vast background and I’m super excited. So let’s not waste any other time. We’re going to thank our sponsor and I’m going to bring him right up. 

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Mario Fachini [0:47]

Here is ladies and gentlemen, Jeff Adams. Jeff, how are you doing today? 

Jeff Adams [0:53]

Good. How are you doing? 

Mario Fachini [0:55]

I’m feeling great and having a lot of fun. 

Jeff Adams [0:58]

I feel very naked right now. I’m not going to lie to you. The fact that I just have to sit here and do absolutely nothing is mind blowing to myself. So I’m just kind of like I got my arms folded, you know, I don’t have to do a thing. I’m just sitting there. It’s an amazing experience. Thanks for having me on. 

Mario Fachini [1:17]

Well, it’s going to be a great episode. I know we were just chatting a little bit before here we started recording the podcast. But I am so excited to have you on. And you have been sharing so much great information. And I’ve learned some things from you. So let’s just jump right into it with Expert Authority World, What made you inspired to start your own business? Why do you want to get into live streaming? 

Jeff Adams [1:42]

I did it out of pure frustration. Me being a creative at heart in the industry I was in. I was in the music industry. I started off as a music artist. And I got it behind the scenes, you know, working in the business side. So I didn’t really have a creative outlet. So when I was a teenager, I got into broadcasting, radio. I was very passionate about it. I’d always record myself on tapes and like to hear my voice and play it back. And I’m just very fascinated with it. And I just said, “Hey, this is a really cool space.” There was some cutting edge technology at the time. I said, “Oh, I’ll be like this live stream radio type show.” And it just happened by pure mistake. And I think it was in 2014 or 13, I was doing the Jeff Adams Show. And I completely left the music industry and go right into the live streaming space. 

Mario Fachini [2:40]

How has it been treating you so far? What’s happened since you decided to just go all in with it? 

Jeff Adams [2:45]

Oh, it’s been lot of fun. But at same time, a lot of times can be very stressful. I think when you have the ability to jump into anything type of business, you got to make that jump, you just have to jump and commit yourself to do it. And a lot of times I got a little scared. I looked at the bank account and just said, “Man, did I make the right decision? Did I make the right decision?” And you kind of want to go back to the past a little bit, your mind wanders, “Should I go back to the music industry? That’s what I know.” But I’ve been very blessed to be here still to this day. This is my job. There’s a lot of facets. A lot of people just think, “Being on front of the camera is like the majority of the work but it’s not.” I’m very grateful that I’m in this space. And I continue to learn every day. I don’t know everything under the sun. I learn from other people like yourself and what you’re doing with your show. It’s just fascinating to me what people are doing and their visions with live streaming. 

Mario Fachini [3:52]

Let me ask you, how did you get through that? Now that you brought it up, I know there’s someone listening right now and they’re growing their business and they have all kinds of things that are going. I want to get to that next level, “Should I take the risk? Should I not?” I know I’ve gone through it. How do you get through it? Like when you said, “I was looking at the bank account and I got a little scared.” How do you move forward through that and not let fear take over? 

Jeff Adams [4:18]

Yeah. The name of that song Fear Is A Liar, right? But I think having good people around you, like my wife’s been a huge support. I never really had that in the past at all. But my wife has been a backbone. She always says like, “If the Lord told you to build an ark in the backyard, I’m right with you with a hammer and nails.” That type of scenario. So having good people around you, without a doubt, that believe in what you’re doing that’s not going to question you. Not necessarily go about it and be a madman about it or a mad woman. Having the right people around you to support you and embrace you on the journey. Because it’s hard. I mean, I think I was talking about this earlier on a show that I was doing that, the past few years I’ve been an NAB. I’ve been going for the last six years. For he last two, I had people just come up to me and say, “Hey, I’ve been watching you for a long time. Thank you for all you do.” And I’m like, “Well, how come you never said anything?” A little word goes a long way, encouragement. So having people around you that encourage you and push you and just say, “Hey, man. Keep going. You did a great job.” Because when you put yourself out there, especially in this massive media space now with social media, it’s hard to register what you’re doing sometimes because you put so much effort into it. And you’re going, “Is this connecting? Am I doing everything right? It can be very stressful. 

Mario Fachini [5:47]

Well, I appreciate you for sharing that. Because I agree, it can be very stressful at times. When I was starting the show it was like, all I had was a vision. I was given a vision. I go, “I got to carry this out.” I’m excited about it. I have no clue what I’m doing. 

Jeff Adams [6:01]

I mean, look at you. I mean, look what you’ve done. You’ve been doing this since February of 2019. Everything that you’re doing from guest relations, to what your set looks like, to your audio, it’s total pro, man. Most people don’t even start off out the gate like that. So kudos to you for jumping in and diving in deep with this thing. 

Mario Fachini [6:24]

Well, I appreciate that. But it’s not me. It’s all God. I would have screwed this up too much. But I appreciate that. Because the whole point of – the whole reason when I’m talking live streaming and video and podcasting, and all this, or publishing books with my clients, it’s to get your message out. So many people have a great message but they’re too afraid to share it for whatever reasons. And I don’t blame them because our whole lives were told we can’t do this. Or maybe you’re encouraged, one. Why is it when we’re six and seven and eight it’s like, “Oh, you’re going to be an astronaut. You can be anything. ” But then in high school, it’s like, “Okay. Start getting realistic.” Were you ever told anything like that? 

Jeff Adams [7:05]

Yeah. Unfortunately, I have baggage like most of United States of America. I’ve been told a lot of things. I was in a bad marriage for many, many years. I didn’t really have that support. Especially from – I don’t know – it’s really hard to say negative naysayers because I don’t know how to cope with them. Truthfully, I’m going to be totally transparent here. I don’t really know how to cope with them. Especially when you have, like, trolls on the internet. When someone could be just so mean, just for no apparent reason, that really just irks me sometimes. Like, I got in trouble a couple months ago. There was a guy that, I guess, in the Be.Live group it’d be libraries group or BeLive.tv, this guy had a stroke. He does stroke on live stream. So his stuff is a little bit slurred but really great guy. I mean, he’s got there, trying to reach a community that’s been through strokes and managing with strokes. And this guy he just said, “Hey, I need constructive criticism. What do you think about this show and this guy? He just, like, devoured him in the group. And I never really go after trolls. I just let him be. But this time I couldn’t let this guy go. And I just like – I’m embarrassed [inaudible [00:08:16] which is totally out of my nature. But I just like, “Man, why do you have to be so mean? Because you’re miserable in your life and you didn’t take the jump to do what you really want to do.” And that’s what I told the guys, “Why are you so miserable? Obviously, you’re passionate about live streaming but you’re so miserable. What do you do?” “I’m a full time realtor.” “Exactly. Your a full time realtor but you’re so frustrated. You got to take your frustrations out of innocent bystanders because you haven’t taken that jump in life. And you’re miserable.” And he did not respond. He blocked me. The rest is history with that. But I don’t understand people’s negative behavior. Like they have so much going on in their life that they have to project that on other people through social media and just be spiteful. And I think I’ve learned how to cope with it a little bit. I go, “Hurt people just like to hurt people.” And if you’re looking at hurt people, in  the end, you can kind of just see through and kind of be guided the way how to deal with them. Because when I used to do the Jeff Adams show, we used to stream to all these different platforms at the same time and we get a lot of hate. And we get these hecklers and stuff. And then I would play along with them and talk with them. And this is like, you know, 2009 or 2010. And then, ultimately, I gained the respect because I was quick witted. I went along with them. And they ended up becoming fans of the show. So if you can convert and just listen to the troll a little bit and not get so offended by it, and hear them out, more than likely that person’s mentality is going to shift a little bit and they’ll be in your court and be in your favor. 

Mario Fachini [9:51]

Because they’re a passionate person. They’re just coming at it from the wrong standpoint.  Once you win them over, they’re still going to be that passionate. There was a service at church, the sermon – we had a guest speaker and he was phenomenal. And he shared something on Facebook a few days prior, but it said, “Thug. Troubled human unable to grieve.” And I thought about it and I go, “How many people are -” I mean, I think everyone has some level of something they’re carrying. I know I did. And I was taking this leadership training course, leadership excellence training, and I’m so thankful for it. And I would joke with people I was like, “Yes. Pretty much like therapy. It helps you work through stuff that you probably never talked about.” Good on her for the marketing because it was a leadership development for business owners. Well, I shared something and it was like, “I’m in therapy to learn to deal with people who needs therapy.” And the truth is everyone has these backgrounds. And most people don’t have the quick wit. I think you’re hilarious. I love that. But most people don’t have the quick wit. They don’t know how to communicate. They don’t know how to articulate. At the end of the day, everyone wants more and everyone wants to be more and get their message out. It’s just there. they’re emulating those around them. So with the power of live streaming is what fascinates me because you can get your message out to the world. You said a key thing I want to highlight. You said you broadcast two simultaneous outputs. Another thing was, I believe you said 2009, correct? 

Jeff Adams [11:34]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. 

Mario Fachini [11:35]

A lot of people are getting fascinated with Facebook Live and YouTube Live and live this, live that, Periscope, rant, rant, rant. One of my favorites was Meerkat because it was just – I mean, the logo was cute and it was adorable. Meerkat is awesome. But at the end of the day, live streaming is nothing new. They’ve been doing it for the Olympics for what? Ten, 20 years, if not longer. Tell me about your experience and who you’ve helped over the years with the professional broadcasts, with the professional live streams. And we’ll segue that into now modern day how people can just pick up their cell phone. Tell some behind the scenes of who you helped with the biggest productions you’ve done. 

Jeff Adams [12:12]

I mean, to help other people, you’ve got to be helped, right? So initially, everybody has humble beginnings. Like, saying about you. I mean, it doesn’t seem like – you probably do but you haven’t really shared it. But from everything, the technology now, how you can start off out the gate , if you do your research and you do your homework, and you put in the time to produce the show. It’s amazing what you can do now. When I was doing it, starting off, it was very, very difficult because there was Wirecast. There was very few things that gave you the ability to do live streams, the tools, the resources. It’s a lot easier now. There’s a lot of companies out there that make it a lot simpler to get on the wagon fast. But for me, I mean, to help somebody you have to have a helper. And I had someone who saw talent in me. I mean, I think I was using a GoPro camera. I was using Skype, Mac minis, creating and mixing minuses through a board. And I bring in guests through Blackmagic video cards into Wirecast. It’s a big trickery thing. I mean, it was very difficult to do. And I had like a GoPro cam, I think. That’s  my main camera. And this guy named Stephen Heywood, who now works for Wirecast. He’s in the marketing department. He saw me. He had a network called The Tech Buzz. And we started talking and he’s like, “Hey, I’ll be in NAB. You’re NAB.” I’m like, “Yeah.” So we had dinner and he’s like, “Hey, I watch your show. I think you’re really talented. How about if I produce your show for you?” I was like, “Are you kidding me? The Stephen Heywood from The Tech Buzz, are you kidding me?” I thought I was like – because I would watch everything he did. He did tutorials on Wirecast. And I’m just like, This is my dude. This is the guy I watch to get my knowledge from. Now he is involved in my show.” And I thought it was tremendous. And he took the quality of my mentality to a different level. To places where I didn’t even think I could even go mentally with my show with the creativity and visually and audio wise. And to this day – I used to wear these in-ear monitors, not these headphones. But I wear in-ear monitors when I do the show. And he would have a talkback where he would be producing the show from Pennsylvania and I was in Florida. And then I had my co host, he was in a different region of Florida. He could talk to us during the show. And it’s a talk back button you can have and he could talk in our in-ear. So I was always called him the voice of God. So he always told me like, “Hey, man. Pick it up, blah, blah, blah. This is dragging a little bit.” And he goes, “Hey, we’re going to break. We’re going to break.” So still to this day, I can still hear him in my head when a show is going really, really bad. I can still hear the Wizard of Broadcast Magic, which I gave him that nickname by the way. Him saying like, “Hey, this is not going so good. Transition. Transition. Go different direction.” And to help people, you have to have a helper first. And to have people in your life that kind of help you and guide your way and kind of just mentor you to a point. And I just kind of scared of that word, “I know it all.” And to this day, I’m in this space. I’m learning every single day. One of the things I’m learning right now is about IP addresses. It’s something simple. But in networking a whole network of PTC cameras on IP addresses into a system with separate IP addresses with audio. So you’re always you know – I know  most people are like, “What? What?” You’re always learning something. No one has it all figured out. And I think that’s what fascinated me on live streaming the most is the fact that you can literally mess up in a dimes notice. And it happens, it happens. Just like live radio, when you said something, “Whoops.” I mean, there’s always a dump on for radio. But live streaming you screwed up, you just kind of make the best of it, you laugh about it, you make fun of yourself, and you move on. And I think you know early on, it’s helped me to become a better live streamer. And to help other people more than anything else is, like I said, you know, going in NAB for last six years, the last two years, people coming up to me like, “Hey, man. I appreciate everything you’ve done, blah, blah, blah.” It’s great to hear that. Like you realize that you are making a difference. And it may not always add up to like someone private messaged you and saying so. But the people just come to me, “Hey, I watch your stuff for a long time. I really dig what you do.” That goes a long way. It’s jus like, “Wow. That’s all I want to hear.” And it keeps me going to help other people because I know everybody has – I know what it’s like to be frustrated and just sitting no one understands you or understands how you’re wired and you want to get the show out but you’re just not sure what to do. You’re not sure what camera to buy. You’re not sure what the right type of mic or how it all works together. It’s a very – things are a lot more simpler now but it’s still very difficult. If you’re mix and matching different audio configurations with video and you’re not using a switcher, you’re going to have some video or audio latency sometimes and it was not matched up. So much to learn. That’s what keeps me going is because someone invested in me early on, they helped me along the way, and I love helping people in their journey of live streaming now. 

Mario Fachini [17:31]

Well, I’m glad you’re still doing it. Because how that person helped you, I know you’ve helped hundreds of people also, myself included. And when you are getting started, I remember reading something probably in the last month or two and it’s, everyone is worried about what happens if I’m going 100 miles an hour? Let’s take a car, for example. You’re going 100 miles an hour. What if a bug hits the windshield? Or what if a rock comes at me? Or what if this, that? And they’re worried about 500 steps down the road? And I don’t know about you, but allegedly, when I’ve gone over 100 miles an hour, do you really notice bugs, rocks, or pretty much anything? Not really? 

Jeff Adams [18:11]

I do sometimes. And I think that’s this Stephen Heywood in my head. 

Mario Fachini [18:17]

It does it slow you down though it? Are you going to stop the car for a bug if you’re doing 100? 

Jeff Adams [18:24]

Yes. I can’t say I will stop the whole thing. But it’s something that was embedded in me early on. And I get obsessed with the bug on the windshield. 

Mario Fachini [18:40]

Because you’re doing it at a professional level and you want that level of professionalism. But let me rephrase that then, do you think it’s more detrimental when you’re doing 100 for a bug to hit your windshield to slow you down? In your case, you’re choosing to stop. Or when you’re not started and your putting – what are those things called behind trailer? – those locks so you don’t move? Do you think going 100 and running into something or not getting started is more detrimental to your business? 

Jeff Adams  [19:10]  

Yeah, going 100 and doing something is better than nothing. And in live streaming, you’re going to – I get obsessed – I get really discouraged when technology doesn’t work the way I need it to work. And I think that’s everybody’s saying. It’s like when you got to be the tech guy, the creative guy, the host, the producer. That’s a big thing on your shoulders to do. And I’ve done it for so long. When I do you know, I guess, on like your show right now, I don’t know what to do with myself. Because all I have to do is sit and talk in a microphone and look at the camera. And I’m not worried about sharing something out or typing something in or moving my hands. I really don’t want to do myself. So I think going 100 miles fast is better than looking at the bug on the windshield, yes. I mean, for instance, my wife was doing a show. The radio show is happening, the RMTP push went out. Something wasn’t triggering, but we were capturing the show. We had a guest on remotely. And I just said, “I said keep it going.” There’s a bug on the windshield but we couldn’t get – the live stream was corrupt. So let’s just keep it recorded because something magical was happening. We documented it. And the live stream was ruined but what was documented on the video was amazing. And you know, I said, “I will just do you know – we can resurface it as a live stream or we just put up on demand.” So yes, I do get obsessed with the bug on the windshield going 100 miles an hour. But I think now, where I’m at now, I don’t panic as much. I used to freak out. “The bug on the windshield. The bug on the windshield.” I’m just kind of like, “Okay. Okay. The bug on the windshield, how do we maneuver from here and how do we fix this without messing up the creative art of broadcasting? And how do we keep it going from a live perspective without people noticing the bug on the windshield?” If that makes sense. I don’t know. 

Mario Fachini [21:01]

It does makes sense. And that’s the fun thing I like about it. Because when I started the podcast here, there’s people that are like, “You want to do this on video, too?” And I was like, “Not only am I going to do it on video. I’m going to live stream also.” They’re like, “You’re nuts.” I’m like, “Welcome to my life.” Now, I know I’m playing in my strength zone. 

Jeff Adams [21:19]

No. But you’re so smart for doing so. Because the medium of video to audio content on Facebook is hands down video wins. So any anything – you have the ability of podcasting is great too. The people that you can reach through an audio podcast is phenomenal too. So you’re doing all the right thing. So if anybody who’s like, “Well, you’re crazy.” It’s like, “Well, this is me. This is what I do.” Because, eventually, you got a successful podcast and you’re not doing video. You’re going to have to adapt to the video. The fact that I love when people have a vision and they’re adapting, they don’t knock podcasting out, they don’t knock video out, and they knock live out either. They just kind of put it all together and they do it because you’re going to win a lot quicker embracing all three of those things rather than just like choosing one and then adapting later. Because you’re going to have to build a whole new audience. Because radio is different than podcasting. Podcasting is different than radio. Live stream is different from radio. So when you have the ability, it’s three different markets, but they can work really well for you and you can gain audience. Because everybody’s – listening and viewing experience is a lot different than myself and yours, how they consume content. So the more you do with your shows and you put them out there, the better chances of you growing a bigger audience, right? 

Mario Fachini [22:40]

Absolutely. And you also need to be confident with it. If you’re more confident with one than the other then start there. But get going. Don’t let anything stop you. So for the people that are thinking about going, “Hey, I have this successful business already. But maybe I’m looking to get into this live stream game.” Or I got to say video marketing game because there was a post I put out in the last week that’s like, “Do you want to take your video game to the next level?” And I’m like, “Yeah. That sounds like playing a video game.” I meant video marketing game. And that’s a segue on that. That’s why the messaging is so important in marketing, which is a great thing. But what would you recommend for someone? They already have a successful company. They’re listening to this going, “Okay. I’ve heard about this. I’m really loving Jeff. He has a lot of great points here. I need to get into this live stream. I like what Mario is saying about podcasting. Maybe I should start one of this.” What’s like a couple of things that you’d recommend to someone starting off live streaming and wants to take it to a broadcast level? 

Jeff Adams [23:42]

(A) Be comfortable where you’re at. Because you can’t build something overnight. I mean, you’re streaming to Facebook, yet Facebook is mercy. You’re streaming on YouTube, yet YouTube is mercy. So you’ve got to play by the rules. There’s other ways to do it, to build an audience but more than likely, majority of people live on YouTube and Facebook. So you got to play by those rules. Don’t get discouraged. Be comfortable in what you’re trying to portray in your business. And I know a lot of people that they know they have to be in the podcasting and live streaming space, but they don’t have the personality to do that. And guess what? That’s okay for your business. And maybe even if you are the CEO and you’re like, “I can’t do this.” That’s okay. Hire someone that can do that for you. To be that brand ambassador, to be that person to get your message of your company across. Because from that point, you’re the CEO, you can become the director and kind of direct the show the way you want it. And tell the person you’ve hired to be the brand ambassador how you want your message to come across. I think a lot of times people get really excited about it. And I’m going to be honest, we kind of talked about this when we weren’t recording at the time. We were just talking and I just said, “You know, the space is really cluttered.” And just because live streaming is available, it doesn’t mean you’re necessarily doing it. Because I mean, some people they stream like a stream in the river. Like, “Oh, yeah. We got a stream.” I look at it from a broadcast and getting a message out and getting your passion out, whatever you’re trying to convey out to the masses in a very short facet. Because on Facebook, you got about three seconds to get someone’s attention. If not, like, the sky is scrambling and they move on. Because there’s so much content to consume. So you’ve got to have a very focused agenda of what you’re trying to accomplish with your mission, with your business, with your live streaming, your podcasting. And know exactly and stay in that lane. And I know I’ve talked to a lot of businesses before in the past that have come to me and said, “Hey, what should we do?” I was like, “Hey, hire somebody.’ And I go, “Don’t take offense to this but your -” I just met with someone in NAB. He has a lot of money. And he’s doing these shows and he’s like, “I’m just not getting results. I’m not getting a reached.” And I went back and looked at shows and I told him, I called him on the phone. I was like, “Listen, no offense. But I can kind of see why this is not connecting. Is because there’s no energy, there’s no depth of what you’re trying to do. I see the mission but maybe you switch it out. You get off the camera, you write all the format, and you get a personality that fits the mission of your show. And I think you have a winner.” And he’s, “I never thought of it like that.” I’m like, “There you go. Try it out. And try it out for a year and see how it goes and see if there’s not growth. Because you’ve got to find that personality and you’ve got to be that personality.” So I know some great people that have their own companies and they are the face of their company because they have the passion, and they have the desire to do it, and they’re great on camera, and they’re great on audio.” So it really depends on this situation. Because I’ve seen people who just get on the camera, “I got to do a live stream.” And I can’t even watch it. I mean, I start feeling really bad. Like, “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe we’re doing this.” It’s just not connecting. And it’s okay if you’re a business person and you can’t connect on the media standpoint. It’s all right. It doesn’t mean your business is not going to be successful. Just hire the people. And there’s tons – trust me when I tell you, there’s tons of people looking for work that are very, very talented in live streaming and podcasting that would love to represent your company and take your passion to the next level. 

Mario Fachini [27:15]

That’s fantastic. And you got me smiling because you’re right with this. Just because you can do it -one of my favorite comedians, Chris Rock, he goes, “You can drive a car with your foot if you want to. But that doesn’t make it a good idea.” 

Jeff Adams [27:30]

I can’t do Chris Rock. I was like it is Chris Rock. 

Mario Fachini [27:33]

It’s hilarious though because it’s true. And it’s the same thing, just because you can pull out your phone and live stream, maybe take some preparation, maybe get a road mic to plug in so it doesn’t sound like you’re just grabbing your phone if you’re going to do it that way. If you’re going to start a podcast, maybe invest – maybe not maybe. Definitely invest in a microphone for podcasting. If you can’t come up with any type of investment for a dynamic mic, then you’re not serious. And that’s the thing. It’s this trendy cool thing. So I appreciate you for sharing that with the audience. Let me ask you, what’s the biggest transformation you’ve been able to give to someone? You’re talking about you told this guy, “Here’s what you should do.” You don’t need a name on but tell me a success story of someone that you worked with directly that they were just struggling and you were able to help them out and what was the result of that? 

Jeff Adams [28:33]

I always joke. I mean, I don’t know if this totally answers your question but I can use it as an example. I always use a joke. Like, when I do my Be.Live show. 

Mario Fachini [28:40]

I like jokes. 

Jeff Adams [28:42]

Yeah. Well, the thing about it is I laugh about it because I always say that. Because I have to do this pitch on Be.Live.tv and say, “Hey, sign up for a 30 day free trial. You could live stream like a boss. Or maybe I inspire you because you might do a better show than I do. Click the link.” And always say this one comment when I started live streaming back in the day. I had a friend who saw me live streaming and he knew my background. And he’s like, “My gosh. Jeff sucks. I think I could do a better show than him.” Now, he has a syndicated radio show that’s on 48 stations. So my sucking motivated him to go out and do his dream. And now he’s doing something on a massive scale. So my ability, just being in the beginning, motivated someone to – that was extremely talented to get off their miserable job that they had and dive into what they originally wanted to do. And now their successful to do that. I always look at that as a number one success story. It was like, he looked at me and goes, “I’m better than Jeff. I could do this better.” And he went off and did it and he did. And it was an incredible story. 

Mario Fachini [29:48]

Well, I appreciate that. I think he could have been nicer about it to you. But good for him for taking an imperfect action. 

Jeff Adams [29:55]

Yeah. It was a friend. So I took it – I just kind of laughed at it. I go, “Good for you, man. That’s awesome.” You know, he and I joke a couple times but it was good. 

Mario Fachini [30:04]

And that’s the thing, you never know how someone’s going to get helped. But as long as you’re out there helping them, I think it’s a win-win for everyone. 

Jeff Adams [30:11]

Absolutely. 

Mario Fachini [30:14]

So I’m going to ask you a fun question. How are you feeling today? 

Jeff Adams [30:19]

I’m feeling good. I’m feeling zany. I’m feeling excellent. 

Mario Fachini [30:23]

I might ask it to you then. I came up with – I’m starting this new entrepreneurial roller coaster round. And it’s right before we thank the sponsor and go to the Imperfect Action Round. But  I came up – I’m actually looking for a wheel. I want to be able to spin it and just have a random question appear. But they’re rated, like, on a one to ten, if you will. So you sound like an eight or a nine. If you really don’t want to answer you don’t need. I can give you a different one. But if you were president, what would you do for businesses that may or may not have been going on the last hundred years? 

Jeff Adams [31:00]

You know, you know, what — I’m not going to do that. It’s really bad Donald Trump. That’s actually Dana Carvey doing Donald Trump. That’s the sad thing about it. It’s like my imitation of Donald Trump is Dana Carvey doing the intro. All right. What I would do as President of the United States for small businesses is, that the whole mentality of how we’re taxed. And just to even when you’re a thriving company and should be able to hire employees the right way, offer them health insurance. What you get tax from employment tax is absolutely ridiculous. And that’s – I voted for Donald Trump. But the only thing I would say is like, “Hey, we’re going to grow small businesses. We’re going to grow in the United States.” Okay then. Eliminate – give us tax breaks as small business entrepreneurs so we can thrive and build and make America great again. Because the way it’s set up with small businesses now, if I try to hire an employee, I’m getting taxed at the wazoo, and I’m getting taxed at the wazoo of trying to get a healthcare program for them. And I got to tell you too, it’s like from my standpoint, all my employment comes from outside of the United States, outside of any consulting I do in the United States for people that want live streaming or podcasting stuff. But majority of my money, I would say, 90.5% of my money comes from outside of the United States with companies that are investing in me. So it makes it incredibly difficult for me from an LLC standpoint, to go get great health insurance and taxes. And I can’t really grow because I have to do these things with the LLC is pay money and all the investment we have with travel and take a little bit out of the bank account and draw a salary. So it makes it extremely difficult for entrepreneurs to get off the ground, out the gate running. Like you said, running 100 miles an hour. And that one thing with taxes, the way entrepreneurs is set up, you really can’t win. Not unless you have incredible infusion of cash, you have capital and investment, where you can you can invest in those things early on and invest in your employees. But then that is also a very stressful place to be into because you have someone that’s just looking at your P&L, your profit loss statement and say, “Where’s my money? We’re in six quarters now and we’re still in the red, what’s going?” As a leader or the head of the company, that causes a lot of stress. So everybody’s like,” Oh, I just need to find an investor.” No. If you can do it yourself, definitely do it yourself. But man, that’s what I would definitely change for entrepreneurs is the tax – the taxes. They got to give small businesses tax breaks so we can thrive. And maybe they give us beginning, mid level, and then you become a corporation. And then with a corporation, you can tax us. But man, give us breaks beginning in the middle. And I bet you, I guarantee you that America will thrive amazingly. But it’s just not set up. We’re forced to live in a corporate society. We’re forced to work for corporations. And that’s where dreams die. It’s like we’re forced – like, you’re married with kids, you got to go get the insurance, you got to go work for the corporation because they’re going to pay the paycheck. And you don’t have the ability to jump immediately because you have to be smart, you have to take care of your family. So that’s the biggest thing, if we can get tax breaks, find affordable healthcare for entrepreneurs, I think that would do wonders for generating the economy and starting new businesses that thrive in the United States. 

Mario Fachini  [34:43]  

Wow, that is awesome. Jeff, I need you to be honest with me. Tell me what you’re really thinking. 

Jeff Adams [34:54]

2020, I’m running for president. 

Mario Fachini [34:57]

That’s fantastic. So what do you think – since you’re on a roll here, what do you think the world would look like? How many people in the world do you think want to start businesses? And if it was more business friendly everywhere, what do you think it would look like if everyone took control of their future and started their own company? 

Jeff Adams [35:19]

I think it would be an amazing place to be and also scary. Because your mindset is like the safe zone. You got to think about this, like what you’re asking me to say is everything in existence of corporations are completely erased. Any kind of comfort that you have. So it almost becomes like a wild, wild west mentality at that point where you have your gun, you have your gun as your small business, and you carry it around, and you’ve got to pretty much make your living. I think it would be a kill-kills scenario. And you would have to have a killer mentality. And I don’t think that’s for everybody. I think entrepreneurship is not for everybody. Because sometimes you’re going to have to make tough decisions. Sometimes you’re going to have to fire people. Sometimes you’re going to have to stay there – say things to clients that you just – you know, it’s not working out. And you got to just call it for what it is. Like, “Look, your way over demanding. I think we’re done.” And that’s not for everybody. You got to have the right personality to do that. And you got to have a tough skin. So having a world of entrepreneurs would be a very scary place. A very scary place. And I would make sure I’d have a handgun, a machine gun, a bazooka, I’d have a tank, because it would be nasty, straight up nasty. 

Mario Fachini [36:39]

Wow, okay.

Jeff Adams [36:42]

I was good, right?

Mario Fachini [36:45]

I didn’t even think about that side of the coin. I was thinking about, like, the opportunity and everything that would be available to us. You know, the less restrictions. But you’re right, it would be like the wild west. 

Jeff Adams [36:57]

And that’s how we’re different. I mean, I’ve had successful businesses before, business that I sold. And I know, the mentality, it’s a dog eat dog world out there. And I’ve had investors, I’ve had someone that was worth a billion dollars invest in my company, and I know what it’s like. And you have to be – it’s just not about your dream anymore. It’s the fact that someone’s invested influx of capital into your business and it transforms you. The person – the innocence you had as an entrepreneur changes. You have to flip a switch. And not everybody can do that. And I think that was one of my biggest failures as a CEO of having, like, 30 plus people underneath me as a company was my biggest failure. It’s like I couldn’t flip the switch. I had too much heart. And I think that’s probably why I wasn’t a great CEO is the fact that I don’t know how to click that switch because I have a heart. I give too many people too many graces in too many areas. And you have to have that killer mentality to go out there and kill your dinner at night. Go shoot you a dear. If you don’t, you don’t eat. I had like, “Well, you know what?” I would go and it’s like, “Well, we’ll fix it. Better luck next time.” And shame on me because I gave too many people too many graces when they should have been doing their job in the first place. So I don’t think it’s for everybody. I really don’t think it’s for everybody. Entrepreneurship is a doggy dog world for me. And I think there’s a lot of great positive things that could come out of that. But you have to have the mentality, like, if you don’t kill, you don’t eat., And I don’t mean that in a bad way. You’re going to walk over and destroy people along the path. But if you’re in the same space as that person and you’re selling the same thing, what’s going to separate you from the rest of the pack? Not to do something ill will. That’s not how it work. I just say, “Hey, step on my game, I got to make sure I eat. I got to be very enthusiastic in what I’m saying and to make this sale versus the person to my left and my right because they got the same thing. What’s going to make me stand out?” And I go down to the core values of relationship, shaking hands, actually giving a rip about that person. That’s how my motto stand – it’s like my motto is how I stand out from the pack is, I care. People say they care. But actually caring as sending information, sending texts to see how they’re doing with their family, checking in with them from time to time. And even if it’s not about you don’t get that quick sale in six months, two, three, four, or five years that relationship develops. And guess what, that five year mark, you might get that sale that you never thought was coming but you’ve developed a relationship with. That’s how I’ve had successes because I’ve built relationships with people in the past. And I automatically go, “Okay. This is not from a business level. This is just like a friendship. We’re building something. We’re just communicating. We’re in the same space, yada, yada”. And then five years like, “Hey, I just started a company. I need some work, dah, dah.” I’m like, “Really. All right. Cool. Right.” And it’s a bonus. So never – as an entrepreneur, never turn your nose at anything. Build those relationships. Even if it’s something out of your ballpark, from an entrepreneur standpoint, you never know who you’re talking to. And that person’s influence that you’re talking to, that in five years could be the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world. And so never look down at anybody where they’re at life or where they’re at in their journey of entrepreneurship or in their business. Treat everybody the way you want to be treated. And with that method, you’re going to be very, very successful in what you want to do in your life. 

Mario Fachini [40:41]

I love that and I agree 100%. Because everybody has somebody, somebody. And wherever someone starts is not where they finish at. And what I’m hearing from you is – I think it’s great you have heart. I think that’s why you are a successful CEO because you have heart. It’s just a matter of different personalities. Some people are more aggressive than others for going up with the sales. I love sales. I love helping people. Because to me sales is a conversation. And I can’t really help you until we get started in the process, right? I’m not trying to sell you anything that’s not beneficial for you. And so many people love to buy but they don’t like to be sold. It’s because so many people have this example of the used car salesman. And it’s like they’re trying — you know, I’m looking for “a” car. And they’re trying to shove you into the one they’re getting the highest commission, not the one you’re listening for. So I think that’s a very – you got me at my wheel spin in here. And I think we could do a whole half day training on that alone. But I would never give up the heart just to make the sale or the relationships or the connections. And I felt the same thing at times going, “Well, maybe I’d be more successful.” And I’m like, “I can’t do it.” But there are – I can tell you, there are ways where you can do both. You can have the success and the thriving business side and do it very congruently. And that’s one of my favorite things I love helping people with. But we’re going to start – go ahead. 

Jeff Adams [42:06]

Can I go – real quick? I mean, even with that, you know – what you’re saying is 100% accurate. And even when you make that mistake, you say, “Well, I got to make the sale because I got to make rent.” Even that decision just to take a Band-Aid off a temporary bleed, you’re still going to have a huge, huge – because it wasn’t right in the beginning to make that sale or make that relationship happen or suffer that relationship. Because you caused a temporary Band-Aid fix to a bigger situation that needs to be addressed. And I made a lot of bad decisions in business. And I look back and I said, “Man, always go with your gut. That small still voice in your side saying don’t do it, don’t do it.” Even if your bank account is at negative something and you go, “I got to make the sale. I got to make the sale.” And you feel like it’s not right, do not do it because it will bite you in the butt. It may not be the next day or the day after that, But a month, a year down the line, it’s going to bite you in the butt. 

Mario Fachini [43:09]

Absolutely, it will. And that’s the biggest thing I could tell anyone and I tell my clients all the time. 2013 I made a decision and I was like never again am I doing this, this, this, and this. And four out of the five situations – one of the guy was just a prick. The other four were, it was kind of like, “I was lukewarm. I was – okay. You know, I can help. I don’t really love them. I don’t really like the situation. But I can help.” And that was about it. And now it’s like, “If I can’t be excited about it and you’re not -” so if I’m not excited about it, that’s one thing. But the other thing is, if I’m more excited than you, that’s another problem. So I mean, there’s so much to it. But at the end of the day, I’d never tell anyone to lose their heart or the connections or relationships or anything. So thank you for bringing that up. We are going to go to the Imperfect Action Round right after we thank our sponsor. When we get back, like the wild wild west, we’re going to partylike it’s 1799. 

SPONSOR Business Book Checklist [44:06]

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Mario Fachini [44:24]

All right. We’re back with the Imperfect Action Round. Jeff, are you ready to take imperfect action? 

Jeff Adams [44:28]

Yes. 

Mario Fachini [44:30]

First question I have for you, 60-second answer rapid fire. What is the fastest path to the cash? 

Jeff Adams [44:37]

Oh my gosh. Oh, geez. Your heart. Boom. 

Mario Fachini [44:46]

I like it and I agree. Number two, what is the biggest problem you see your prospects making and what’s the fastest way they can fix it? 

Jeff Adams [44:58]

What do prospects – is jumping the gun too soon. Doing too much in so little time. 

Mario Fachini [45:08]

I’m thinking of Iron Man when he’s like, “But sir, the computer isn’t ready to go yet.” And he’s like, “Jarvis sometimes you need to run before you walk.” I agree. It’s a hard thing for me too. Like you were also talking to me there because even thinking of this show, I was like, “Yeah. This was a lot of stuff.” But ultimately, you do need to calibrate. And if you do take on too much, the whole thing’s going to fail. Don’t overdo it, you’re basically saying. 

Jeff Adams [45:41]

Yeah. When I say that it’s like I used to be the guy that after the money is spent, bad decisions were made, I was the guy to come in and fix the problem. And wrong things, wrong scenarios, and hundreds of thousands dollars spent, I was the guy to come fix it. And no money to use to fix the situation. I’m just like, “Well, you know, it is what it is.” So when you got a vision, money to spend, take the steps, do the research before you spend a dime or even hire consultants to come in to take all your money and rob you blind in the meantime. But it’s definitely a process. I tell people, “Slow down. Do your research.” I mean, if you don’t use YouTube as your friend, you’re missing out on life. I mean, you can learn so much. You could get a college education off YouTube for crying out loud. 

Mario Fachini [46:34]

Slow down to speed up. One of my favorite phrases from Cars, The movie. But honestly, I love going 150 miles an hour. But you’re absolutely right, you can lose everything if you’re going too fast. And it’s one of the reasons I love coaching and transforming people’s businesses. Because it’s like what I’m most excited about now is learning everything that I’ve gotten to go from zero to this point of the show. And going “Hey, if you’re looking to do it, I can conservatively save you four to five months and a couple tens of thousands of dollars.” And that’s exciting for me because I know there’s so many people out there that want to do something. But like you were saying, for stopping with the bug on the windshield, I think that’s a good thing and I’ve learned to do more of that. Because maybe you’re going through a swarm of gnats, maybe getting in a different lane will prevent this from happening the next hundred thousand miles. 

Jeff Adams [47:34]

Yeah. Let me correct – it’s like, you know, you said I do a lot of things. You’re going on 100 miles an hour. And guess what? That’s okay. Because you know what? Because I can see what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish with your show is like you’ve done the research. You’ve invested and you’ve looked and you researched and you research and you research. So it’s okay for you to drive 100 miles an hour and go fast. Because guess what? You put in the time. And I know a lot of people who want to go 100 miles an hour and they don’t have the capacity or the knowledge to do so. And there’s a big difference. You got to do your research. 

Mario Fachini [48:10]

Well, I appreciate that and the reminder. Because I’m thinking of four or five major holidays where everyone out was having fun. One of them was Halloween. And I just sat there for 72 hours straight testing video equipment and all audio equipment. Just like when I really start picking up with this, I want the interviews to go perfect. I want to highlight the guest. And I mean, it was just hundreds and hundreds of hours. So I appreciate that. Thank you. It means a lot. But like I was saying, I’m also excited to put it into a book or training, probably both, and say, “Hey, don’t do these 12 things.  Do this six and do it in a different order.” Definitely, don’t try doing everything on your own if you want to go fast. What was that phrase? If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with a group or go with a team. 

Jeff Adams [49:04]

Yes. Take the bus. Correct. 

Mario Fachini [49:04]

Someone smart said that. So number three, the last one of the Imperfect Action Round is, in your experience, what’s the best way to maximize customer lifetime value? 

Jeff Adams [49:18]

Man, it really goes back to the power of the handshake, the power of the relationship. And I think the millennial generation doesn’t really quite understand that yet is, you’re an old school guy. Talking about their earlier on a show that I do is, the value of the handshake, you can meet people virtually and do business and transaction. But the moment you meet that person face-to-face, it’s a game changer because you’re making that physical contact. That handshake that can go years into your business with that one relationship. I’m growing out a business in Canada and the United States for a European company. And that’s what I said, I go, “The number one thing is I have to make handshake deals on your behalf. And grab people and do what I do best is developing that relationship.” And not looking as this is going to be a quick sell. This is going to be a long term sale. My strategy is a five-year plan to build these relationships to make you the number one provider in the services that you’re offering to the world. It’s that relationship, that handshake, that relationship of it’s okay to have the sales mentality but actually caring for people. Because on your journey – you know this too – you run into so many people that are hurting. And you understand that. I’ve been through a lot in my life. So when someone says, “Oh, man. I lost my mother. I lost someone close to me. Or I went through a bad divorce. My child is acting up.” I can relate. You can relate this thing. When you put yourself in their shoes and just listen to somebody – and they may not even be at sales – guess what? You walk out, like, “What was that about?” I was a counselor for him for an-hour-and-a-half. But you were there for them. Guess what? In return – not to say that’s the magic formula. When you actually really care and you just don’t really think about the sale, the sale will come back to you ten times full. Go and look out for you and go,” Hey, you know, blah, blah, blah. You know, I met this guy at NAB and I had to tear down this trade show. My CEO left. He had to get on a plane to go back to Paris.” And I was like, This is my first trade show dealing with like a trade show setup. And I was stressed out. I’m like, “How am I going to do this by myself? I don’t know about freight, yada, yada, yada.” And this guy that I met knew who I was and watch me for a little while, came up to me and just hung out. And he goes, “Hey, man. You need some help?” And I was like, “Holy cow. This is amazing.” And I didn’t ask for help. He was just there. And so I was thinking, in my ability, what can I do for this guy? How can I help them? So I think of all these people I know, the stuff that he’s going to live stream in. I’m like, “Hey, have you talked to this person? Have you talked this person?” And I just called him today to check up on him and say, “Hey, did you call this guy?” Because he has this live stream business up in Michigan. And I’m just like, the power of hearing and just putting sales to the side and just actually caring, your business will go ten times over when you have the mentality of actually caring and giving a rip for people. I’m telling you, it’s not for everybody. And a lot of people just can’t care. You got to have the heart to be able to care for your neighbor and love your neighbor as yourself. 

Mario Fachini [52:36]

And you have to love yourself and care about yourself. I see a lot of people who I don’t think they can wear the clothes, the hair, the whatever, and put on a good show. But at the end of the day, I don’t think they really liked themselves. Curious, where abouts in Michigan? 

Jeff Adams [52:52]

I don’t know. He told me somewhere it. I don’t know. He’s done some really cool things though. He’s got a whole – I had him on a production pro several weeks ago. He’s got this production trailer and he does high school sports streaming. He does news segments. Are you in Michigan? 

Mario Fachini [53:12]

I am. Detroit. 

Jeff Adams [53:14]

Detroit. So I’ll hook you up with him for sure. And offline we’ll definitely do that. I’ll introduce you to each other. A really cool guy, man .He’s doing some really cool stuff on live streaming. 

Mario Fachini [53:26]

Yeah. I’ve heard when I was talking with my crew about some of the projects that we’re doing with private clients actually shooting their stuff and producing their live streams. There’s a lot of stuff going on that’s, like you said, that relationship. When you’re here and behind the scenes stuff now, that’s getting positioned for three, six, nine, twelve months from now. 

Jeff Adams [53:49]

Right. 

Mario Fachini [53:51]

I mean, I much rather be in that position than hearing about it. And go, “Oh, did you hear such and such?” Well, that’s after the fact. I mean, this has been like the Corktown Train Station. My sister knows someone who is in her book club. And they were talking about it three, six months before the Fords bought the whole thing up again. And on the next day, the whole world is talking about it and everything. Michigan Central Station. That’s awesome. I’m excited about it. But it was like Napoleon Hill, The Power of Masterminding. The right people – I would also say as I go into the next question, being the right type of person. I think a lot of people are trying to get into stuff but they never will take – they won’t take four seconds to examine themselves, basically. So before anything, be the right type of person if you want to attract the right type of person. Second from last question, what is a book you would recommend to help anyone in Expert Authority World with their business? 

Jeff Adams [55:01]

I don’t – and I read several books. But a lot of it is — 

Mario Fachini [55:05]

I just gave you a hint. You could use Napoleon Hill as a reference. 

Jeff Adams [55:08]

Yeah, I could do –

Mario Fachini [55:11]

No one has ever mentioned Think and Grow Rich before. 

Jeff Adams [55:14]

Yeah, I mean, I think probably – I know you’re going to laugh. But I think was like – was it one of Joel Osteen’s books? 

Mario Fachini [55:25]

Joel Osteen is awesome. I was listening to him the other day and SiriusXM. 

Jeff Adams [55:29]

Yeah. I think it was his first book. I think it’s – I can’t remember the title. His first book that he wrote. Really, really good. Because it applies for your thinking and the small business and being an entrepreneur, if you have that dream. I wish I knew the title off the top of my head. But that was like a really good book. And it’s like Joseph Prince has a couple of good books as well. The same mentality of just like living a stress-free life and living life to your full abundance with your thinking. Because it really starts with your thinking. If you’re thinking negative, you’re getting negative results. So you’ve got to kill those negative thoughts inside you. And there’s a lot of spiritual books about self-help, about deliverance, and things of that nature too. Because sometimes that can handicap you with being who you need to be because of past mistakes. There might be some things hindering your life and in your mind that you just need to get renewed and flushed out of your system. There’s so many great Christian books out there that will help you really grow your small business. But you got to focus on you. You got to be a better you. And you’ve got to get rid of the junk in your life to really be that that perfect husband, wife, father, son, daughter, neighbor, business person, entrepreneur. You really got to focus on you to become a better you. If that makes sense.

Mario Fachini [56:52]

It does. And you remind me of something my friend, Alex, says. He goes, there are no business problems. There are personal problems who show up in your business. 

Jeff Adams [57:01]

Right. That’s money on the spot right there. 

Mario Fachini [57:05]

And one I read recently is Fields of Gold. I think it’s Andy Stanley. Phenomenal. 

Jeff Adams [57:12]

Okay. I’ll check it out. 

Mario Fachini [57:13]

So Joel Osteen also. I’m thinking of the book also. I’m looking at the shelf and it’s on my other bookshelf. But I have a couple of his books too. So great recommendations. Where can people find you? 

Jeff Adams [57:27]

Well, they can find me on social media. I mean, I still have the JeffAdamsShow.tv up but I’m not really at that website too much. But find me on Facebook, Jeff Adams, The Jeff Adams. And then Instagram, The Jeff Adams. And Twitter, The Jeff Adams. There’s so many Jeff Adams out there, I had to put the “the’ in front of it to — 

Mario Fachini [57:45]

Well, I will make sure the correct links are in your show notes. 

Jeff Adams [57:49]

I appreciate that. 

Mario Fachini [57:51]

Jeff, it has been an absolute pleasure. This has been a lot of fun. And I wish we could do a half-hour – a half-day training and everything. You have a lot of wisdom. Thank you for sharing it with Expert Authority World. I’m glad to have you on. 

Jeff Adams [58:03]

Yeah. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. You made it very easy for myself to do this show today. I was very relaxed. And maybe I should start doing more of these shows. You know, it’s really cool. I really appreciate the time. 

Mario Fachini [58:14]

Well, I take that as a compliment. I’ve been working better. Again, a lot of people ask about the mics and the lights and all this stuff. I’ve been working on being a better me to be a better host and I appreciate the positive compliment. Like you were talking about your other guy who your show inspired him. I hope you do go on more shows because like I was saying you have a lot of wisdom and knowledge to be sharing. And I mean, this is just it, just talking about it. 

Jeff Adams [58:40]

Yeah. I appreciate that. Keep doing great work, man. You’re killing it. You’re killing the game. 

Mario Fachini [58:45]

Well, thank you. I do appreciate and need the encouragement because it’s not always smooth. But I’m thrilled. You’re one of the top people I wanted on the show. So I’m very thankful. 

Jeff Adams [58:58]

Thanks for having me, man. 

Mario Fachini [59:00]

We’ll see you next time and God bless. 

SPONSOR Business Book Checklist [59:05]

Why every business needs a book including yours? Would you like to save five plus hours with every prospect, generate more leads, and profit in your business now? Visit BusinessBookChecklist.com and learn how you can implement this in your business today. 

www.EAInterviews.com [59:19]

Hey, thanks for listening to today’s episode. I hope you got a lot out of it. I know I sure did. If you haven’t done so already, I invite you to subscribe to the show. And also be sure to check out EAInterviews.com for complete show notes, the full interview video experience, links to the resources we mentioned, and more. Have a blessed day and I’ll see you –