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So what is the most wild thing that you've seen become monetized?
David D. Simons:He makes hundreds of thousands of dollars just from suing debt collectors each month. My mom's goal was for me to be an engineer. I wrote her a seven page letter breaking down why I'm not gonna be an engineer. I'm gonna go into this thing called digital media. So we help speakers, coaches, consultants, and experts have 6 figure days leveraging webinars and challenges.
Linnsey Dolson:Where does it turn from this is costing me money to now making me money?
David D. Simons:For your listeners, I want them to understand this. You only need to know 10% more than your audience to be considered an expert. She sold five at two k. She made $10,000 without ever doing it before. I believe everybody has a gift, at least one gift.
Linnsey Dolson:There's so many people out there that don't even realize that that gift lies deep inside them. Do you have any suggestions or ideas on people who maybe don't know what their gift is? How the heck did they find that gift? David, welcome to Bare It All with Lindsay. Thank you
David D. Simons:for having me on,
Linnsey Dolson:Lindsay. Thank you. So you are you originally were from Southern California, but now where are you living?
David D. Simons:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania now.
Linnsey Dolson:Perfect. That's what you're talking about. What a big change that is. Big change. Oh my so does it snow there?
David D. Simons:It does, unfortunately. Okay.
Linnsey Dolson:That's wild for being raised in Southern California.
David D. Simons:Absolutely. People say, hey. This it's cold. It's winter. Like, don't know what winter is here in California.
Linnsey Dolson:I know. Right? I went to Sacramento like about a week ago and I got off the plane and I was like, oh, shit. Yeah. It is freezing.
Linnsey Dolson:And I never used to think it was that freezing there, but now I'm like, it is freezing.
David D. Simons:Oh, yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:So I you had to have like major culture shock.
David D. Simons:Major. My first year actually living in Philadelphia, I I I crashed my truck because I didn't know how to drive in
Linnsey Dolson:the snow. That was gonna be my next I totaled I totaled my first mom minivan in the snow because I didn't know how to drive. Yeah. Nobody teaches you that you
David D. Simons:gotta pump the brakes.
Linnsey Dolson:I know. You can't just stop super fast because you go sliding.
David D. Simons:Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, man. So you sent me your bio Yeah. And I was looking at it Yeah. And you I love stories where people come and they overcome obstacles that could break people. And they overcome it and build an incredible life.
Linnsey Dolson:And so I'm so excited to hear your story.
David D. Simons:For sure. For sure. So I grew up in a very strict household. My parents are from Ghana, West Africa.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay.
David D. Simons:And they typically give you four options, lawyer, doctor, engineer, accountant. That's it.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, okay. Not a lot of choices. Not lot of choices.
David D. Simons:Wow. And similar to you because I I studied your story and I remember to you, grew up in a good household. It was a good household, it was it was a good experience, but what was different is me being a person that was very curious and I got into a So lot of so my just starting in my junior year of high school well, eighth grade, I almost didn't graduate eighth grade. Most people you you don't hear people not graduate eighth grade, right? So it starts there.
David D. Simons:My parents divorced when I was 12, so I didn't know the psychological effect it had on me Sure. But it was kinda showing up in my work, showing up in my life life, and just I didn't realize it at the time. But then as we fast forward to my junior year in high school, I'm not doing so well in my English class, which is actually something I'm pretty good at. And I know I can't come home with a d in English, so I said, what's the best way that I can solve this? So I said, you know what?
David D. Simons:Let me hack into the system and change my grade.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, shit. Okay. So
David D. Simons:I hacked in, changed my grade from a d to a b and then I helped a few other students in the class do the same and somebody snitched.
Linnsey Dolson:It's pretty impressive actually. I'm pretty impressed.
David D. Simons:My mom was and I wish she was. And I shared with my mom, you know, unfortunately, they shared with her that, you know, obviously, that I had been, you know, hacking into the system and and that I had to be expelled. So
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, you got expelled for it?
David D. Simons:Got expelled. Oh. I got expelled in my junior year of high school, the most important year, you're trying to go to college and do all those things and I'm expelled. But here's the thing I didn't understand earlier, was that my mom, you know, she immigrated here from Ghana and education was so big for her. So when I did that, I I I really hurt her spirit because this is a thing that ticket that she used to get here was a very thing that I disrespected and I didn't So I I realized later that, like, that moment was crazy.
David D. Simons:I'll never forget the tears coming out, like, know when somebody's angry but, like, they're not crying
Linnsey Dolson:So yeah.
David D. Simons:Tears are coming because they just can't they can't even
Linnsey Dolson:It's like heartbroken.
David D. Simons:Yeah. Heartbroken.
Linnsey Dolson:Right.
David D. Simons:It was really devastating. I remember the exact moment where we were. And what I realized after that, k, cool. I'm not gonna do something like this again. But I again, my curiosity, I got into more trouble.
David D. Simons:Right? Literally, the day after I turned 18, a few days after I turned 18, I get a call from these guys that I was, you know, hanging out with the wrong guys in school. I I kind of I was a part of this mock gang, right,
Linnsey Dolson:as a Got it. Kid and Okay.
David D. Simons:They did stupid things. Right? So these guys called and said, hey, Dave, we're having this big big party. We want you to help us just handle this transaction for us. I was like, okay.
David D. Simons:What is it about? And they were saying, hey, we're gonna give you gas money. We're gonna give you $50 you know, high school, $50 of gas money.
Linnsey Dolson:That's lot of money. Yeah. You're doing big things with $50 in high school.
David D. Simons:So I remember they they gave me a check, the check had my name written on it and I walk into the bank. Let me tell you what I'm wearing though. I'm wearing basketball shorts, a white t shirt, a durag on my head, and some Jordans. So, not the best look when you're when you're about to do what I'm about to do. So I walk into the bank, again, I'm I'm kind of oblivious.
David D. Simons:I walk into the bank, something feels wrong, I hand them the check and I also hand them my graduation check. I'm waiting two minutes go by, three minutes go by, five minutes, ten minutes. I'm like, it doesn't take ten minutes to cash a check. What is going on? I get a call from my the guy who gave me the check, his brother, his name is Billy.
David D. Simons:Billy says, Dave, where you at? I said, I'm at the bank. He's like, okay. With with my brother? I was like, yeah.
David D. Simons:I was like, he gave me this check to cash. He's like, Dave, you need to run out of the bank right now. That's a stolen check. You stole it from his friend's grandmother. That's a felony.
David D. Simons:I was like, I can't I see myself on the screen. I'm not gonna run out of here. Next thing I hear, put your heads in the air. Cops come in. She's lady who bet was back there calling the cops.
David D. Simons:And I remember I just turned 18, so I'm now, like, knees on the ground, hands on my head, I'm they arrested me, put me in the back of the police car. I'll never forget what the police officer said. He said to David, I was like, I didn't I didn't really do anything. I didn't know. He's like, you know what, son?
David D. Simons:I believe you. There's nothing I can do. And it hurt because I'm like, I'm watching my life flash before me, put it into this holding cell, my mom had to bail me out, it was 10 k to just get me out. And we this is where I really got learned learned about, like, fasting and prayer and God and and I I I go back home and my mom is, you're not going anywhere. So I sat for two weeks just in the room and the the DA dropped the case because I didn't sign the back of the check.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh,
David D. Simons:good. Had I signed the check, it would have been a whole different story. Six years so
Linnsey Dolson:That's God right there.
David D. Simons:Yeah. That's for real. Yeah. For real. For real.
David D. Simons:It was a miracle. And you would think I learned my lesson? No. Getting to high school college. Actually, I got into college because you shouldn't get into college with an expulsion on your, you know, junior year most important year.
David D. Simons:I'm partying, drinking, smoking, hanging, all of those things. Right? And just get chance after chance after chance after chance, you know, I think you think I would learn my lesson. But thankfully, I got it together starting my sophomore year and and that's when my life started to turn around. So I know I'm gonna give you a couple of areas of the story, but here's where I kinda get into my career.
David D. Simons:So, again, growing up in that strict household, that my mom's goal was for me to be an engineer, and I was on track. I mean, I already knew I was gonna be an engineer from a child.
Linnsey Dolson:But did you wanna be an engineer or just because mom wanted you?
David D. Simons:Mom. Because mom wanted
Linnsey Dolson:me to Yeah. Wasn't in your
David D. Simons:heart. It it really wasn't. Sure. But I was just following the path. Yeah.
David D. Simons:My brother was supposed
Linnsey Dolson:to be the doctor. And I'm on that path, right? And I'm I'm now going through school and my first year, I'm
David D. Simons:a mechanical engineering major and then I switched to electrical. I'm like, you know what? I hate this. I don't wanna do this for the rest of my life and I can't have that conversation with her. I can't tell her no.
David D. Simons:Right. So so she's like I wrote her a seven page letter breaking down why I'm not gonna be an engineer. I'm gonna go into this thing called digital media. And I was like, wow. Where did I go wrong?
David D. Simons:Such a waste of time, waste of money. Why would you do something so stupid? And I was like, I'm passionate about it. So I'm using Myspace, I'm using Facebook to help my friends grow their brands. I didn't know this would be an industry And
Linnsey Dolson:it's the passion, that was the word right there. Passion.
David D. Simons:Yeah. That was the key. I was passionate about it. I'm helping my friends grow their brands and and after that, what happened happens is I changed my major to digital media and this is a new field. Most people aren't even aware of that word and I just I I found I fell in love with the media world and I'm helping my friends and at the same time, I graduate during the recession.
David D. Simons:Right? So 2008, 2009 where a lot of people couldn't get jobs. I applied for a 100 jobs, not one interview, not one callback, nothing.
Linnsey Dolson:Wow.
David D. Simons:You know, and the opportunity came across the nation where in Jersey and and and Philadelphia. So my my dream job was a dream a do digital media manager. I became a global digital media manager for a company called Teracycle, which helps recycle the traditionally non recyclable items like chip bags, cookie wrappers, they turn them into backpacks, binders, other things. That's pretty wild. Right.
David D. Simons:Pretty unique. Right? Yeah. Yeah. So I was there about four and a half years and I'm building this company.
David D. Simons:I'm working like an age like in my own agency within the company and I'm helping them grow and utilize social media and do all these things. And then I start I build build my company, Kingdom Social Media, the side. I'm building the business on the side while working and I'm actually let go from after four and a half years. And yeah. So I can go on and on
Linnsey Dolson:about That was God. Doing for you what you can't do for yourself. That was God cutting your safety net Yeah. For sure. So that you have that desperation to grow.
David D. Simons:You know it.
Linnsey Dolson:That that, like, safety net kept you from growing. That's true.
David D. Simons:Yeah. 100%. 100%. Because I didn't wanna leave. I I didn't wanna leave that way.
David D. Simons:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:Right. Right. But sometimes it's hard. So was that but losing that job, is that where your business went to the next level?
David D. Simons:Yeah. So true. So true. So what happened is I was working and I I think it's important for your listeners to understand that the grind and I know you know the grind and that that it takes to when you wanna leave a job and build a business. So I'm working six from 5AM to 8AM, I'm working on my business.
David D. Simons:8AM to 9AM, I am commuting to the job. Nine to twelve, I'm honoring my job. Twelve to one, I'm handling appointments for the business. One to five, I'm honoring the job. Five to six, I'm commuting.
David D. Simons:Six to eight, I'm having dinner with my wife. Eight to twelve, I'm working on the business. For six months, that was my life, every day. So you've grind. Eight hours on the job, eight hours on the business every day.
David D. Simons:And it was a lot. It was it was hard. And so when I got let go, it was a relief but it was kind of embarrassing at the same time. And what happened right after getting let go from my job, two weeks later, I lost my biggest client, which was 60% of my revenue.
Linnsey Dolson:No shit.
David D. Simons:So I'm like, now I'm just
Linnsey Dolson:like Scary.
David D. Simons:Oh, tremendously scared. I I was like, how am I gonna navigate through this? And again prayed, got divine inspiration and said, hey, reach out to your contact list. And I was doing that and I reached out to a guy that we were helping before and he happened the timing was divine. He's like, hey, we're doing some stem cell research stuff.
David D. Simons:Could you help us with that? It was five times as much as the client I just lost per month.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, shay. Yes.
David D. Simons:That just that just catapulted the the company and then from there, that led us to where we are today. So we help speakers, coaches, consultants, and experts have 6 figure days leveraging webinars and challenges. So it started off just helping speakers and coaches with all digital marketing, but then about 2020, we we narrowed in on our focus and said, let's help them with virtual events.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, I'm gonna pick your brain here.
David D. Simons:Yeah. For sure.
Linnsey Dolson:So now I gotta ask
David D. Simons:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:What is mom's opinion on the business, on everything you're doing?
David D. Simons:Yeah. It's an interesting thing because she she's like she's like, do you still wanna get something where you can have more stability? I'm like, wow. I'm like, I took her to a safari, I've been able to do all kinds of stuff for her, she she sees how I'm I'm, you know, flexible, I can be anywhere, I can so she still has some she's proud. She she won't say it to me, I always hear it from others.
David D. Simons:She'll say, she's proud.
Linnsey Dolson:Like, she'll brag on you. Yeah. Yeah.
David D. Simons:Yeah. So it's it's it's so embedded in her, like, this is this is not the traditional route. Being an entrepreneur is not the traditional route.
Linnsey Dolson:And people who are not used to that, it's so hard for them to truly understand. Or Sure. People just yeah. They either have that mindset or they don't. The people who don't just can't understand it.
Linnsey Dolson:Exactly. They're just like, well, what do you mean? But what about a retirement? What do you mean about, like, that paycheck? Well, what if you make and it's like, oh, well.
Linnsey Dolson:Yes. It's like jumping out of the plane and building your parachute in the way down, but you have to have that mindset. And the people who don't have that mindset, you could try all day explaining it to them and they're not gonna understand it.
David D. Simons:That's so true.
Linnsey Dolson:Because to them, that stability and that structure I mean, most of the world is that way.
David D. Simons:That's true.
Linnsey Dolson:Most of the world is that way. Just as, you know, nine to five
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:Like, you know, all of that.
David D. Simons:That's so true. Yeah. Yeah. You gotta be able to take risk. That's what it's about.
Linnsey Dolson:Hell yeah. You have to take risk. And it's the time freedom. Like, I always tell people it's not the money I'm chasing. Money is my tool.
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:Money you have to have money for time freedom, but time freedom is what I'm actually after. You know? The freedom to on the middle of a random Tuesday, being doing a podcast or something. Yeah. That that's what I'm going after.
Linnsey Dolson:So tell me now let's dig into what exactly you do. So you have your own podcast. Yeah. And what was the name of it?
David D. Simons:Monetize Your Gift.
Linnsey Dolson:Monetize Your Gift. Yeah. I freaking love that.
David D. Simons:Thank you.
Linnsey Dolson:That is what that's the beauty of social media is monetizing your gift.
David D. Simons:That's
Linnsey Dolson:right. There's so many different things people monetize.
David D. Simons:Oh,
Linnsey Dolson:yeah. From cooking to, like I mean, everything. For scrolling through, like, TikTok at night, and I'll look and I'm like, holy shit. This girl has, 5,000,000 followers, and what she does is eat in front of the camera.
David D. Simons:Look at that. Crazy. Know what
Linnsey Dolson:I mean? Like, sitting there chewing like seafood boil Right. In front of the camera, big old crab legs. And there's like 5,000,000 followers. Crazy.
Linnsey Dolson:And she's making like tons of money or
David D. Simons:How about that?
Linnsey Dolson:All kinds of stuff. So it's like, you can monetize freaking anything or even the coaching. Like people don't realize when people like perfect something. Yep. Okay.
Linnsey Dolson:Now coach people to do it. Yes. Whatever the hell it is. Exactly. I have a friend who I she coach or teaches people and does a business where they collect used oil from restaurants Mhmm.
Linnsey Dolson:And recycle it. Mhmm. And this is a multi multi million dollar business.
David D. Simons:Look at that.
Linnsey Dolson:Is that crazy? It is crazy. And then coaching people to do the same? Like how did what? That's even a thing?
David D. Simons:Look at that.
Linnsey Dolson:Isn't that so wild? It is. So like, you can monetize anything.
David D. Simons:That's right.
Linnsey Dolson:Can we jump in? Like, give me a couple examples maybe of some people that you've recently or some different industries that you've recently helped monetize and like the different areas and what that looks like.
David D. Simons:Like For sure.
Linnsey Dolson:That's huge. People that like, people are like, I'm doing social media. I'm doing podcasts. I'm doing all these things, but, like, how do I make money out of it?
David D. Simons:Definitely.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Because at first, it costs you money.
David D. Simons:That's right.
Linnsey Dolson:It costs you money. So then where does it turn from this is costing me money to now making me money?
David D. Simons:Definitely.
Linnsey Dolson:What does that look like?
David D. Simons:Yeah. So I'll give an example of one. One of our clients that recently had and this is this is a norm for us. She had a 6 figure day and she is a personal chef that helps other people to become personal chefs using her method. And her method is essentially doing like parties and like intimate gatherings for families that wanna have these kinda like intimate gatherings at their home.
David D. Simons:And it's a unique niche, it's a unique market, it's not when you think of personal chef,
Linnsey Dolson:you think, oh, I gotta go
David D. Simons:to the celebrity's house and go cook them. No. And she's some some of the people are charging $5,000 for a dinner for two because they're creating experiences.
Linnsey Dolson:I love hearing It's so cool. Yeah. Yeah.
David D. Simons:Right? So so that's an example, like, here's someone that's when she came to us, she was already doing she was doing well, but she was doing it in a way where she's having to have back to back sales calls and everything.
Linnsey Dolson:Right. Right.
David D. Simons:And we just use a one to many model. So using a virtual event, we use a webinar and a challenge. So we used a combination of the two and what's crazy in her her challenge, what she did was she had and it's gonna sound low, the numbers. She had 22 people in her five day challenge, but she had 14 people take the offer at ten k. So she made a $140,000 in a week or in a day.
Linnsey Dolson:And so Yeah. Give me an example of like what a challenge is.
David D. Simons:Yeah. So a challenge essentially familiar with webinars, webinars are virtual events, right?
Linnsey Dolson:Mhmm.
David D. Simons:Online seminars.
Linnsey Dolson:They're huge.
David D. Simons:They're huge, right? It's the same thing but imagine doing it five days in a row. So the challenge is meant to to encourage people towards something. So we have a challenge actually called the purpose to profits challenge, right? And so it's about helping people find getting back to gift.
David D. Simons:I'm big on gift and I'll I'll I'll go into that a little bit later. But what we do is we help people get clear about what the offer that they could have, they could pull out and bring to the market. And in the five days, have homework, we have things to help them stir up these things that are already inside them. There's each day has a theme. So the first day is offers, the second day is webinars, the third day sorry, second day is challenges, Third day is webinars.
David D. Simons:So in a challenge, what you're doing is you're helping people to become the thing or become the person that they need to be around a specific topic. So you could teach on so for in your case where you have a cleaning business, you could have a challenge about building cleaning businesses, right, and then and and you show them all the different things that they need to know, how to how to secure contracts, how to get team, all these things. You're teaching them a theme each day and the goal is for them to be challenged, right? You're gonna need to do this in a short amount of time, you need to watch the content, you need to do all the things, and by the time you present them an offer at the end, and as you present them an offer, that they already they already trust you, they've built trust with you. And the reason why I like the challenge model is because of this philosophy that, not philosophy, this this principle that was a study from Google.
David D. Simons:Google said, how do you take somebody from cold to customer? And they said you need to apply the eleven seven four formula. So 11 stands for 11 touch points, seven stands for seven hours, and four stands for four channels. So you need 11 touch points. Touch points could be a text, an email, Facebook ad, whatever, right, social media, then you need seven hours, seven hours of time.
David D. Simons:Right? Just the time that it can watch your video, it can be live, and then you need four channels, different four channels. Zoom is a channel, Facebook is a channel, Instagram is a channel. So
Linnsey Dolson:So four different outlets.
David D. Simons:Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay.
David D. Simons:So imagine this is why I like the challenge model. With the challenge model, over five days, you've already you'll have probably over a 100 plus touch points. You'll spend over ten ten to twelve hours and you'll have probably five or six channels. So it makes it's this is how we're able to have 6 figure days because people are building trust. You can't fake like like like you can't fake it, like you're asking answering questions all week, getting people's insights and giving people insight, giving people wisdom and knowledge, they'll know you if you're a fraud within a few days.
David D. Simons:But if you know what you're talking about, they'll see it. So it makes it makes it so much more more feasible to have high conversion because there's no hiding. That's why I love it.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that.
David D. Simons:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that. And so that's what your podcast talks about as well. Right?
David D. Simons:Yeah. We get into that. The podcast really really goes into there's I believe three d's to purpose. There's discover, develop, distribute.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that. Yeah. Those are good.
David D. Simons:So discovering, like, I believe everybody has a gift, at least one gift, right? What what
Linnsey Dolson:I agree.
David D. Simons:What my gift is teaching, one of one of my dominant gifts is teaching. And so discover means that I I look at it like this, you're not gonna necessarily know, you have to go through the process of discovery to find what your gift is. You go through trials or tribulations or different experiences and you start to realize what that that gift is. That's the first step is discovering to find it. Second step is development.
David D. Simons:This is where you take that gift into mastery. Get good at it. Get good at teaching or get good good at podcasting. Get good at whatever it is.
Linnsey Dolson:Just doing it repetition over and over. Yeah.
David D. Simons:Deliberate practice, getting into getting into the flow, which a lot of people get. Right? So the last part is where people mess up, is distributing. Discovering, developing, distributing. Distributing is marketing your gift.
David D. Simons:Because you could be the greatest at whatever you're great at, but if you don't have you don't market the gift, it's that's where the monetization comes in. You you I always look at it like, imagine Michael Jordan just played in the confines of his home, or imagine Mozart never played piano in front of everyone, he just kept it to himself or Oprah never did a talk show, she just kept it to herself. You have to market the gift for it to find value in the market. So distribution is a big big part of it and that's where that's where a lot of people get it wrong. They get the discovery, they get the development, but they don't distribute and market the gift.
David D. Simons:So for me, I believe that marketing your gift, distributing your gift is a a must do and it's morally right to do it. And if you don't market your gift, that's actually selfish, in my opinion.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that. That's so true. Yeah. And do you I feel Mhmm. And how what is your thought on this?
Linnsey Dolson:That a lot of people still haven't discovered their gift.
David D. Simons:Oh, a 100%.
Linnsey Dolson:There's so many people out there that don't even realize that that gift lies deep inside them and what that is. Yes. And how do you have any suggestions or ideas on people who maybe don't know what their gift is? How the heck did they find that gift?
David D. Simons:Absolutely. There's a series of questions I always ask. One of them is they're gonna sound counterintuitive. What makes you angry? Right?
David D. Simons:What makes you angry is a clue to a problem you're supposed to solve. I look at like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the the ladies that had children that were killed in car accidents Right. From drunk drivers, they they named the organization MAD, m a a d. Why? Because they were angry about what happened to their sons and daughters.
David D. Simons:And anger is actually a clue to your purpose, it's a clue to
Linnsey Dolson:your It's passion.
David D. Simons:That's right. It's it's passion. So that's a question. What what are you naturally good at? Like, it's just you're unconsciously amazing at.
David D. Simons:Some things sometimes it's hard to find the gift because I like this quote from Les Brown, it's hard to see the picture when you're in the frame, you know.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, that's a good one.
David D. Simons:You know, right? You can't see it, right? And so you have to find what you're naturally good at and and one of the best ways to find out what you're naturally good at is to ask friends and family what they see in you. What what do they like teaching, didn't know it came naturally to me. It was when other people started I thought teaching was only for teachers in the classroom.
David D. Simons:I didn't know teaching is actually a gift. And so having other people helped me to see that. Another one is, what would you we've heard this before, what would you do for free, right, that that people don't have to pay you. But then on the other side of that, what would you do if you're already a multi millionaire and you don't need the money? You need to know what is what what you would do, what you wouldn't do.
David D. Simons:That is key. Another question is, what are you obsessed about? And what can you consciously learn about and never get tired of learning from?
Linnsey Dolson:What do you scroll at night on social media about, right?
David D. Simons:Yeah. Absolutely. So obsession, learning, these are all all things that help to point to the gift. But the reality is, like I said earlier, you gotta go test things. You gotta move fast, break things, and try.
David D. Simons:Try things out and you start to find Discover is finding it. It's not gonna it's not gonna come just from, like, looking around, it's gonna come from actually going out there and doing things and testing things.
Linnsey Dolson:Right. Trial and error.
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:Absolutely. So somebody there just found kinda their passion or their gift Yeah. And how, what do they do? Yeah. They just found their gift, they have they don't know a lot about social media, they're new to it.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. How would you suggest starting to market your gift to tell people that you have this gift? Right. Did you get it out there?
David D. Simons:Yeah. Great. Great question. So what I I'm gonna use an example. There's a lady that's really good with tiny homes and tiny home development.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay.
David D. Simons:So she has this fat passion around it. She just believes in it and thinks that this is the future of real estate. And we helped her, we said, you know what, you you have this knowledge, here's what you need to do next. What you need to do is find a group of people, like a list that you have, email list or even your database that you have. Some people don't realize they have they have a gold mine sitting in their phone, sitting in their email
Linnsey Dolson:It's their network. That network. Yeah. It's
David D. Simons:there. You know, sometimes we just haven't asked. You ask, you receive. Right? So so what what I recommend people do is once you find you're clear on what you have, the value that you have, what you do is you you send out a message and a script and in that script, you kinda talk about how, hey, I'm just starting out to let people know about whatever I'm doing, in her case it's tiny homes, and I'm showing people how to get into the tiny home development market.
David D. Simons:And I don't know if this is something of interest to you, but I'm gonna be helping five people become case studies of mine so they can also get their tiny homes too. So it's very non intrusive. Send out an email. This can be done through text. This can be done through email.
David D. Simons:I recommend email. And you you you share, hey, I'm only gonna take five people. You can type in the word yes if you would like to learn more. So then they type in yes and then you send them to a book a call link. On your book a call link, you take them to your process of what you have as the offer that you're gonna have or sell them.
David D. Simons:It could be a coaching program, it could be a training, it could be a course, and you walk them through. This is where I tell people this is how I tell tell people how to start. You don't need a whole big list or big social media. You can start with where you are right now with what you have and in that lady's case, she sold five. She sold five at two k.
David D. Simons:She made $10,000 without ever doing it before.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that. I feel in, like, multi level marketing, I think that is always been their approach when someone comes into multi level marketing. Right. The first thing they do do or multi level marketing coaching Right. Is make the list.
David D. Simons:Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:Get in your phone and make your list.
David D. Simons:That's it.
Linnsey Dolson:Your friends, your family, all of that, that's where they always have people start. And a lot of people don't wanna do that because they think it's embarrassing.
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:I don't I don't wanna ask them. I don't wanna tell them. I don't well, then tell them so that they might know somebody they can tell or, you know, like getting the word out. My kids used to make fun of me because when I first started my cleaning company
David D. Simons:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:Anywhere we went, first thing out of my mouth is, oh, who cleans your business? Who cleans your home? Do you guys have a cleaning company? I don't care where we were at, the grocery store, their dentist office, therapy, like, whatever. I was like, who cleans your office?
Linnsey Dolson:Are you happy with your cleaning service? Are you looking possibly to get a different quote? Could we beat their quote? Like, whatever. If you were around me, you knew I had a cleaning service, you knew how to get a hold of me, nonstop just tell every single person and then people start sending people to you and people tell them, oh, you're thinking about that?
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, know somebody. Right? Right. So it's like, you initially wanna let everybody in your circle know Exactly. What you're doing.
David D. Simons:For sure.
Linnsey Dolson:And I don't know why so many people find that Yeah. Hard or like embarrassing. Like, I think it's an embarrassing thing embarrassing thing.
David D. Simons:It's true. It's true. I mean, you know, it's that's again going back to belief. You believe in what you have. You so you feel there's a moral obligation to sell it.
David D. Simons:Probably we don't believe in their value. I think that's where it stems from. They don't believe in the value that they have.
Linnsey Dolson:Right. Right. They don't believe in exactly. Well, even when you're selling a product or I've coached people that I'm like, you need to raise their price your prices. And they're like, well, people won't pay that.
Linnsey Dolson:Mhmm. They sure will if you convince them.
David D. Simons:That's right.
Linnsey Dolson:If you add enough value to that product that it is worth that and you convince them, you'll be surprised what people will pay. It's just that they don't even believe that it's worth that. And so how are you gonna convince someone else it's worth that if you don't even believe it's worth that?
David D. Simons:Truth. Truth. I find that a lot of people, like you said, like struggle with that, like and and and I just for your listeners, I want them to understand this about their gift and their expertise. John Maxwell Foundation states that you only need to know 10% more than your audience to be considered an expert. 10% more.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, that's good. Yeah. It's not Really?
David D. Simons:Yeah. It's not it's not a whole lot more. So it's like I always use the example of underwater basket weaving. If I'm a underwater basket weaving person, I'm learning about that. I only I don't need to know a 100% of everything there is to know about underwater basket weaving.
David D. Simons:I just need to give you enough to help you get to the first step or the second step or the third step to have success. And guess what? Majority of the market is the beginner market. It's not even the advanced market.
Linnsey Dolson:That is so true, the beginning market. I when I first started, like, coaching, I was thinking, oh, well, maybe I don't know enough. Maybe and then I realized that most of my first clients, like, were very beginner. I mean, it was like really basic stuff, like Yeah. Startup, you know, kinda stuff.
Linnsey Dolson:And I was like, oh, like, yeah. No. I know how to do this.
David D. Simons:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:And then you know what's funny is the more you coach on a subject Mhmm. The more you actually learn about it.
David D. Simons:That's so true.
Linnsey Dolson:The more like I've been coaching people and I'm talking to them like, oh, you need to do this this and I got my note and I'm like, oh, shit. I need to go check that in this business. Right. Right. Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:So you actually learn more the more like you're coaching on mindset or on life skills or just like all these things, you learn as you go or you help someone get, you know, with a solution or a problem with this and it just helps you. So that makes Exactly. You only need 10% more. That's That's it. That's freaking amazing.
David D. Simons:Yeah. Right? So there's nobody has an excuse because everybody knows at least that. Right?
Linnsey Dolson:So And there is some subject you know 10% more about than anyone else. Whether it's it could be knitting or crocheting or crafting or like Etsy or just all these things.
David D. Simons:Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh my gosh. I know there's so many ways. There's like, there's a lot of stay at home moms even Right. That have like these crafts or there's like kids parents in my daughter's school and like at Valentine's Day, they do like these elite like gifts for the kids and so talented and creative and beautiful and they put it together and monetize monetize that There
David D. Simons:we go.
Linnsey Dolson:Teach people how to do that or create an Etsy business or
David D. Simons:Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:So many talents out there that are just people don't realize what they could do with it and monetize it.
David D. Simons:Exactly. Sitting on gold.
Linnsey Dolson:I let so what is the most wild thing that you've seen become monetized and do successful? That you were like, holy shit. I didn't even realize that was a thing.
David D. Simons:Yeah. Just Wow. Yeah. It's actually one of our marquee case studies. There's a gentleman named Vance Dodson.
David D. Simons:Shout out to Vance.
Linnsey Dolson:Shout out to Vance. Hi, Vance.
David D. Simons:He always watch all the shows I watch.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, love it.
David D. Simons:So he helps people sue debt collectors. And I was
Linnsey Dolson:like Wait, what? Yeah. Tell me about this. Okay.
David D. Simons:So you know how debt collectors, there's certain you know, sometimes they'll call or they'll send a text or send emails, like say there's a past due.
Linnsey Dolson:Like super invasive.
David D. Simons:Super invasive.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah.
David D. Simons:He studied the laws around it and there are certain laws that they have to abide by, but most people aren't aware of that. So he would sue debt collectors and then because of the processes, there's fees that they have to pay for violations. So for example, they can't call you and like demand or harass, they're not allowed to do that. A lot of the things they do, they're not allowed to do.
Linnsey Dolson:So Really?
David D. Simons:Yeah. So That's wow. So he studied this really well and I mean, he can make 5 to even $10,000 per per company with that.
Linnsey Dolson:Imagine Per company that he's suing?
David D. Simons:Yes. And he literally sues them and they have to write a check and they don't wanna go to court and they don't wanna do so this is a money making. He makes hundreds of thousands of dollars just from suing debt collectors each month.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? So And that's probably not hard to find people. Hey, have you been chased by debt collectors?
David D. Simons:Exactly. It's a money that that's a business that prints money. So it's it's something I
Linnsey Dolson:would I would never That's never heard of.
David D. Simons:We helped Vance and he did $412,000 on his first web first webinar. This is his first one ever. It was a unique offer, it's it's something that, hey, I I think I can learn how to do this and
Linnsey Dolson:So he's teaching people how to do it. Yeah. And so he needs to go find people that have been pissed. Right? So he goes, he finds the clients.
Linnsey Dolson:So similar to like a attorney that like, if you're in a car accident or anything like that. Right? So similar, but how hard is it to find somebody mad at a bill collector?
David D. Simons:Oh, pretty much 80% of people. Yeah. Yeah. You have something, you know, some people forgot about something and they didn't realize it turned into collections. Now you got something hitting you up and you can catch them and there's like things called like a e eight violation and he'll he'll like, just for them, you know, they're not allowed to say certain information about your account on the phone.
David D. Simons:It's it's a violation. You can catch them in a violation and then, you know, hey, this is what happened and then send it to the courts and and sue them and collect collect money from it. It was pretty pretty unique.
Linnsey Dolson:That's pretty damn wild. Yeah. Oh my god. I love I that's one thing I really love about Southern California too, is you talk to people and you hear so many different hustles. For sure.
Linnsey Dolson:There's so many different niches or I was in Vegas and this guy, the Uber driver, had this huge basket of flip flops, like the dollar store flip flops Yeah. In his car. And he told me he goes to the dollar store every night and he'll spend a $100 and buy like a 100 well, now it's probably a dollar 25 or something, but he'll buy like a 100 pairs.
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:And he sells them for $10 each all night on the strip every night because the girls are walking in heels. Many girls do you see a have you been to Vegas They're all barefoot. They're all walking on the strip with their high heels I in their know. So he says he just as he's driving, he sees them and he's like, hey, I got flip flops for sale. I remember like, not last time, but time before, I was walking barefoot Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:Down the strip because my feet hurt so bad with my heels in my hand trying to find a store that had flip flops. Finally found I actually know it's so funny, where are they? Oh, I wore them here. Yeah. The sandals right there or I mean, the slippers that's off the strip.
Linnsey Dolson:And I paid, like, $30 for the stupid slippers that probably really only cost, like, $4.
David D. Simons:That's crazy.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. So it's finding a need. Right? But I was like, oh, smart. So I love just hearing different ways like people make money and hustle.
Linnsey Dolson:There's so many that you can monetize and make money off of anything.
David D. Simons:It's true. It's true. You know, it's just you've just gotta be able to, you know, clearly articulate the problem that you're solving, you know, really make sure that you you you really dig into the pain. That's what I think what you're saying. That's
Linnsey Dolson:that's best one. Solving a problem.
David D. Simons:Yeah. That's what it's about, for sure.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that. So how long have you had your podcast?
David D. Simons:I've had the podcast. So it was called How I Discovered My Gift was was the name before.
Linnsey Dolson:So it's
David D. Simons:been over three years.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay.
David D. Simons:And then we shifted it to Monetize Your Gift.
Linnsey Dolson:And what made you wanna shift it? What was the difference in that?
David D. Simons:So we were all virtual before and then we shifted to in person.
Linnsey Dolson:Do you love in person more?
David D. Simons:It's it's so much better.
Linnsey Dolson:It's so much better. So I'm not a huge fan of being on virtual podcast. Yeah. And another one is like, they're always like grainy or like you look funky and they don't like edit properly and
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:Like in person ones, you're, like, connecting with the person, and it's I just love in person podcasts. I I'm not a fan of virtual podcast. I just feel like you don't connect the same way, and I almost get bored
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:Watching a virtual podcast because they're, like, in two different spots. Right? And it's like a lot going on and they talk over each other because they can't hear. Where in person, you feel like you're in the room with them.
David D. Simons:That's so true.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Like it's just a conversation.
David D. Simons:Absolutely. It's it's the best way. And and and like you said, it's you feel like you you extract more from it too when you have it in person.
Linnsey Dolson:100%. You're sitting right in front of the person. Right? I think most, if not all, of the top podcasts are in person.
David D. Simons:That's right.
Linnsey Dolson:I don't know that I've seen like, if you look at the charts or whatever, I don't know that I've seen any of them on there virtual. I think most all of them are in person and it's because it's that, like, personal connection. Exactly. And I live in San Diego, but I do my podcast in West Hollywood.
David D. Simons:Right.
Linnsey Dolson:And one of the reasons is because there's so much more opportunity for guests here.
David D. Simons:For sure.
Linnsey Dolson:I love San Diego. Like, that is definitely like, you were saying that you want that to be your forever home. San Diego is like my paradise.
David D. Simons:Oh,
Linnsey Dolson:wow. But West Hollywood, there's so much more options for like people that that we're talking about that like five hustles or these unique niches or these wild stories or rags to riches stories. You find that so much in LA. Definitely. It's definitely a place that you would find great guests.
David D. Simons:Agreed.
Linnsey Dolson:And it's great because it's only like a two hour drive from San Diego so I just shoot down here all the time and and Yeah. Record but in person, it's so much more personal. So it's So tell me one of your favorite guests you've ever had on your podcast.
David D. Simons:Wow. So many good ones.
Linnsey Dolson:That's how I feel too. When people ask me that, I'm like, oh, man. Like, I don't even know if I could pick one.
David D. Simons:Yeah. It was definitely a gentleman named Enoch. Enoch is a he teaches people about the power of, like, mentorship and how important it is. And that episode was just so fascinating to me because one of the things he was talking about was the importance of paying for mentorship and and just how vital it is for you to grow. And that's something I believe in.
David D. Simons:I've invested
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, yeah.
David D. Simons:Hundreds of
Linnsey Dolson:hundreds
David D. Simons:of thousands of myself. Right? And and and it is true, like like, you're going to go to another level when you like, it's this sounds crazy but it's paying for relationships, you know, like, it's like, wow, you know, that seems that sounds wrong but but the reality is that's that's wise. Right? You're getting into Oh, That's wise.
Linnsey Dolson:Know best RO you get the best ROI in the world investing in yourself. That's it. 100%. I had a guest a couple episodes ago that was saying that. He said, people ask me all the time, what have some extra money.
Linnsey Dolson:What should I invest it in yourself?
David D. Simons:That's it.
Linnsey Dolson:You should invest in you. Will get you the biggest ROI.
David D. Simons:Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:100%. No. Absolutely. That is it's 100% true. Like people you only know what you know.
Linnsey Dolson:And you can only get yourself as far as you can get yourself.
David D. Simons:For sure.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Rarely does your income ever Yeah. Exceed your level of personal development. It just doesn't. You only know to do what you know to do.
Linnsey Dolson:Right?
David D. Simons:So good.
Linnsey Dolson:So mentorship and coaching and all of it is it's the hack in life. Oh, yeah. It's a freaking hack in life. You wanna do something good and you wanna do it quick. Right.
Linnsey Dolson:Like there's so many people that are like, well, don't wanna pay that because I'm just starting. Well, you're gonna pay a lot more than that with all this shit that you fucked
David D. Simons:up. Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:With all the mess ups you make in business Right. It is gonna cost you way more Way more. Than if you hired somebody who's already done it. Yep. They're successful at it, and you can learn from their mistakes.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Because the first thing you wanna learn is what are all my obstacles I'm gonna reach right away or what are my mistakes that I can make right away and how do I avoid them?
David D. Simons:Absolutely. You know, it's funny you you mentioned that. I I think about I don't know if you're familiar with a guy named Myron Golden.
Linnsey Dolson:I feel like the name sounds familiar, but help me remember who that is.
David D. Simons:So he's he speaks on a lot of, like, business value offers Okay. And things of that nature. And he's one of in the past, been one of my mentors and program cost, like, 55,000 to to join. And I I'll never forget that I always use this example of a power of mentorship. Like, I come on this call, I'm sharing actually, I'm sharing about the the Vance story and and how we we helped him to do x y z in the April.
David D. Simons:And he's asking me how much you made, how much I made, and then I'm telling him I made about 25,000. And he's like, how does that feel? I was like, now that he put it in that context, I was like, I guess not as great. And and then he said he's he corrected me, he's like, can I coach you? He's like, don't ever do that again.
David D. Simons:I was like, don't ever do what? He's like, don't ever help people without taking a percentage. And that changed my whole life. That that that one that one piece of coaching advice has added, if not over a million, somewhere in there from just adding percentages from that one conversation. I wouldn't have done that.
David D. Simons:I just didn't know to do that.
Linnsey Dolson:Give me an example of Yeah. Of what you mean by that.
David D. Simons:Okay. So for example, one of our clients, Chef Lisa. Right? So she made a 140,000, we took 10%. We got a 100 we
Linnsey Dolson:got Okay. So a 100 a tab percentage of that revenue. Okay. I was thought that's what you meant, but I'm gonna double check. Mhmm.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, that's smart. Yeah. That's smart. So you charge to to coach, but then a percentage of what you're coaching them to do.
David D. Simons:Exactly. Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:And
David D. Simons:it's more it's more beneficial for them because that shows like, hey, I'm invested. I'm gonna make sure that you get because we're we're gonna get from this I want I want to make sure that you you benefit from this too.
Linnsey Dolson:She's successful at what she does. Because a lot of people, they'll coach and then you're on your own, like, hopefully, got what I they coached you. Right? But, no, that makes perfect sense because you're you're invested. It is important to you that that webinar goes good.
Linnsey Dolson:Exactly. It is important to you that she converts.
David D. Simons:Absolutely. Right. Absolutely. Absolutely. So that's that's what we do.
Linnsey Dolson:All That is so That's
David D. Simons:so smart.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. Well, you're amazing. We're wrapping it up. It was so great having you and
David D. Simons:Thank so much.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. I got connected with you through a mutual friend and I was so grateful. Was like, yeah. I would love to have him on. Can you tell, Brittany, how to find you?
David D. Simons:Yeah. So you can find us @kingdomsocialmedia.com. You can also check out our our section called donetogetherwebinars.com. This is for people that wanna learn how to scale and grow their brands, their companies, their coaching businesses.
Linnsey Dolson:Awesome. Thank you so much.
David D. Simons:Thank you.
Linnsey Dolson:Love you guys.