The Art of Online Business

How to Grow a Business Without Social Media Featuring Gabe Cox

• Kwadwo [QUĀY.jo] Sampany-Kessie • Episode 938

Share episode

Gabe Cox is a goal planning and business strategist and the founder of Red Hot Mindset, who helps entrepreneurs personalize and take action on a game plan that works with their capacity in different seasons so that they don't have to sacrifice everything to hit their goals. 

‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍

‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍

Gabe shares her expertise on setting goals without relying on social media, offering strategies for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses offline. She highlights the benefits of personalizing your approach to fit your life's various seasons, ensuring you don't sacrifice your well-being for success. 

We also talk about effective alternatives to social media that can help you maintain a healthy balance while achieving your business goals.


‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍
‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍
‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍
Watch the next episode on YouTube, "3 Pillars To Setting And Crushing Goals In A Stress-Less, No Hustle Way with Gabe Cox" (releases April 9th)


‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍
‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍

Please click here to give an honest Rating/Review for the show on iTunes! Thanks for your support!



‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍

Kwadwo [QUĀY.jo] Sampany-Kessie’s Links:




‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍
Gabe's Links:

Speaker 1:

So are you sitting on the other side of the headphones, as it were, planning out your 2025 and wondering about this whole goal setting thing, Like I'm sure you've heard different ideas? Burn the ship, leave no plan B and commit to your goals so you can achieve them. Or have a solid, well-thought-out plan B so that your brain can be free from fear to achieve those goals and you know that if your goals don't work out, you have a backup plan. And also, are you burnt out on social media? Would you like a way to grow without social media? Because today's guest specializes in both of those areas goal planning and business strategy, especially without social media. Her name is Gabe Cox. She is a goal planning and business strategist and the founder of Red Hot Mindset. She helps entrepreneurs personalize, take action on a game plan that works with their capacity in different seasons, so you don't have to sacrifice everything to hit your goals. She teaches how to market your business without relying on social media, so that you can ditch the hustle culture for good. How's that sound, Jamie?

Speaker 3:

That sounds really good. I'm excited to hear about all this. Welcome Gabe, we're glad to have you here.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm so glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1:

Dear listener, if you can't see us, you can click in the show notes below and pop over to the YouTube channel where you can see Jamie, my co-host, and Gabe, our guest. So, gabe, before we jump back into how you built your business and some of those more character defining moments, can you share with us and the listener just a snapshot of your business as it is today, the offers that you have? I guess we know about the people who you serve.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love it. So I would say my business is a little bit complicated in a way because I have a few branches of it. My biggest portion of my business I would say probably 70% is actually client work. So I have a couple clients that I do a lot of business for. I'm a success coach and community manager for one and I am kind of her right hand and do a lot for her and her business and I have loved that because it's helped hone my skills as a leader, as a business owner, and just been a different way to use my talents and do business Right. So I have that aspect. And then I also work with a YouTuber. She's also a bookkeeper and I run her. I'm her business manager so I run all assets of her business and help make it flow and bring in revenue for her. So I have two large clients in that way. But then I also on the other part of my business, have a podcast and do some one-on-one coaching very limited these days.

Speaker 2:

I started my business more one-on-one and have moved into doing group. I have a membership that brings in probably roughly 15% of my income and then I have some programs on the side, kind of a la carte for those who are looking for either goal planning or business strategy, marketing strategies without social organization. People would say I'm an organization guru, like I'm all about simplified systems. So this is where I say I'm complicated, because I could do a lot of things but you have to hone in on just a couple so that you can do those couple really well. But that's kind of what it looks like. I have a client base and then I do have some offers of my own.

Speaker 1:

Okay, all right.

Speaker 3:

When you say programs, do you mean like DIY courses?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, for the most part they're all DIY kind of self-paced courses with some support, but they don't have a big community with it or kind of live coaching or live aspects. If they want the live, then the club. It's called the Red Hot Accountability Club. That's where they get the live, the coaching, asynchronous coaching, live events and community. So I've kind of tailored it so people can have the a la carte if they want or they can get that live experience if they want as well.

Speaker 2:

So how did this all get started? Take us to the beginning. Well, you want to know what's funny? The beginning is actually when I was really little, like probably five or six.

Speaker 1:

Oh, okay, we're going to have to condense this story, probably going back for 30 seconds.

Speaker 2:

But essentially I've always wanted to be a writer. Like my whole dream was to be an author, to write books, and so, and that started then and I thought I'll write my first book by the time I'm out of high school, and that didn't happen. And then I'm like, oh, I'll write my first book by the time I'm out of college. That didn't happen, got married, had kids, all the things right, and so that that passion was still inside me. So when I finally was like it's time, and I was like in my mid-30s, at that point I wrote my first book, which you see, if you're watching, you see a couple of books on my shelf. I have one more shelf because I have one more book in my head. But that is really what started the process of online business. It was mainly to publish a book. And then, as I was looking and doing research, I was realizing that if I wanted to really make a career out of writing, I needed to create some type of business around it as well. And that's how the wheels really started spinning and kind of got me on this trajectory.

Speaker 2:

I didn't even know like I wrote. My first two books were personal development books, and I thought I would write fiction, which I still plan on doing at some point. But that was what was on my heart and that was the message that I had. And now I kind of feel like you know, I am a Christian, and so like I'm trying to do it God's way, like let him lead. And so I'm like no, I was supposed to do this for us. And he goes no, this is what I want you to do, right. And so like I have had to learn that it's not always my plan that's going to work. I have to be flexible with where I'm being led as well.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. As Christian business owners too, and having talked to like a myriad of other Christian business owners, can you just explain mean to have a, for you to have a God-led business?

Speaker 2:

For me, it means not separating the two. Now, I started with what? Quote unquote secular business, so I didn't. I wasn't like bringing my faith into it, wasn't like outright talking to Christian entrepreneurs. Actually, I wasn't talking to entrepreneurs at all. I was talking to, essentially, moms and women who had a goal or, you know, wanted to take their dreams off their shelf, because they put them on the shelf for motherhood, which I think is our first and best mission, of course, but there's something about being an example for our kids, right? Like something about showing them how to plan a goal and how to go after a goal, because if we want them to do that, we can't expect them to do that. We're not willing to do it. Right, we are there to be their mentors. We need to do, we need to show, because they're going to essentially do what we do more than what we say. Right, they're going to model after us, and so that's really where it started.

Speaker 1:

They've gotten a lot of my bad habits. I think everyone's consistent parenting and good examples.

Speaker 2:

It's kind of funny because when you see them do it you're like, where did you learn that? And then you like, oh, that was from me a lot of it comes from this one.

Speaker 1:

Most of it for me, yeah, it's around to run to the bus. I love it, she does a great job.

Speaker 2:

She does a great job, yeah, yeah so I would say, like for me it's listening to the kind of that, the inner voice of where am I being led Right, like what is that next right step? And not not like I'm all about having a plan, I'm about having a vision. Let's look big, let's plan, but then it's about what's that next right step, and that might change and it might shift us where we're going to go, and so it's also getting into the word. I find that my business does much better, mainly because my personality and my anxiety and my peace do a lot better when I start my day in the word, even if it's only for five minutes, even if I just listen to some worship music or whatever it is that I have the capacity for. Just listen to some worship music or whatever it is that I have the capacity for, I find that really helps me get in the mode and get focused on what is really, what really matters Right, and so that's important to me, but then also like listening in being obedient to those things I hear.

Speaker 2:

So, for example, I, like I said, I started really just talking to women and moms in particular and talking about goals and dreams and things like that. Well, I got this nudge. That was like I want you to shift into the entrepreneurial space and I was like no, that's oversaturated, I don't want to talk to entrepreneurs, I don't you know. And so, but I listened and I did it and I made that shift. And then it was also it was really interesting because I was talking mainly to women and, honestly, I'm a woman, I know how to teach women, you know, like I I I been there, done that Right, but I wasn't like focusing on men.

Speaker 2:

Well, what I was finding is like I was getting a lot of male coaching clients, so they were still listening to me and taking in the things I was teaching. And I was like, well, that's so weird because it says like I help women entrepreneurs right on my website. And so then I was like feeling that shift, like maybe you're just supposed to open it up and talk to everyone. Not, well, we'll not go there, not everyone, but like essentially, men and women right In in the specific niche that I'm in. And so I was like, okay, I'll do that Right, but like I would say, 40% of my business at least coaching business was men at that time. So, very interesting, but it's like those little nudges that we feel like taking time to pray and seek, like is this really where I'm supposed to go? And then, if it is, even if it feels very contrary to culture like when I was told to get off social media right when it's contrary to culture, still doing it and being obedient, because I think God rewards that obedience.

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 1:

Speaking of getting off of social media, like dear listener, you should know that Gabe is the creator and owner and runner of a rather large summit called the Grow your Biz Without Social Summit, and us being Facebook and Instagram ad managers. I have a spot at the summit. We've already recorded the episode, but if you're curious how you can grow without social media one, we're going to ask Gabe how she has done it. But two, you can click in the description below and register for that summit. Now, gabe, I believe selling is serving and in order to serve more people with the gifts and passions that we were given by God, that we were given by God, we need to sell and expand the reach of our businesses so that we can reach those people who we were meant to serve. How did you do that without social media, and were you ever on social media at one point, and really, what went into that change?

Speaker 2:

So I started my business hearing from everybody out there that you have to be everywhere and you have to be on social media in order to grow your business. So I did just that and I posted however many times a day they said to post, and I scheduled out content and I focused so much on it and I really like being able to have an influence in that type of a marketplace, Like I think there is reason for people to be on social media. So I'm not like anti-social media, I'm anti-making that your number one plan, Cause I've found that it really doesn't work like it used to. Maybe 10 years ago it worked really really well. But things shift Right and the social media algorithm wants you to stay on social media. They don't want you to click to someone else's website or to click to an offer or things like that. They want you to stay there.

Speaker 2:

And so I did it, all that stuff, and I would say maybe I've gotten I'll be able to count on probably one hand how many clients I've gotten off of social media. I I'll be honest, that's so. It was mostly crickets and I was like there's gotta be a better way. But, and so I would say, for let's see, my business officially started in 2019. And I, 2023 is when, January, when God was like hey, I want you to do it differently, I want you to get off social media. And I was like huh.

Speaker 2:

I don't know what to do. Like, what are you telling me? I'm not going to have any visibility anymore at all. This is nuts. And so I thought, well, I'll take a 30 day break, right? Like I think fasting is really good and I don't think fasting just has to be food. It has to be something that's consuming our time and energy and taking the place of us having relation with God. Right and social media can be that. For a lot of people, we can get in the scroll, Like, for example, my boys grew up in technology. They love technology, but I'd be like you've been on all day. They have time limits and things, but they're like no, I just got on. I'm like five hours earlier. You just don't realize how much time you're spending.

Speaker 2:

And so I thought, okay, I'll take a fast. And I took a fast and I haven't gotten back on because I found that, being obedient in those little things, it opened doors to other opportunities. And what I found is that I love connecting with others like Quajo and Jamie, like you guys, like I wouldn't have never really had these expanded opportunities had I not taken my focus away from social media and looked for different ways to network and grow. And one interesting fact is that once I got off social, a month later, my podcast grew 400%. It was crazy because I focused on that instead of focusing on posting all the time. And so and I'd say it's not maybe correlated, but it's correlated to obedience, it's me being obedient to what I was being called to do, and so some other ways that I've found the market that work way better is really the main thing is collaboration.

Speaker 2:

So collaborating with other business owners like you guys, who I'm so excited to have at the conference because you bring a new spin on social media too and being able to help grow each other's businesses and really connect and learn about each other and see how can we compliment each other, because I don't feel competition at all with you two.

Speaker 2:

You're tight, teaching ads. I'll send people your way any day if they're wanting to learn ads, because I know they're getting good quality coaching and support from you right, and so I think if we think of that, about being a community and really connecting and growing in that way, it opens up so many doors. Speaking at conferences, doing some different email, newsletter swaps, podcast sponsorships, conference sponsorships all those things have grown my business way more. So I would say, what's funny, we were talking in the beginning like what does your business look? Like my revenue? More than I made, more in that first year of being off social media than I did in the entire first part of my business, and it was because I was way more focused and intentional in the couple areas.

Speaker 1:

I think that is a breath of fresh air and definitely a good amount of hope for the listener who doesn't want to grind away at social media or feels like they cannot get traction. And I can confirm one of my best clients and definitely maybe one of my longest she doesn't post much on social media but because she has spent the time investing in her messaging and because she has a great offer like her, Facebook and Instagram ads crush and it's like she adds followers to her social media and she's adding lots of people to her email list. I think actually I know exactly because I just sent a report out this past Friday we're spending like $575 a day on ads Profitably, might I add.

Speaker 1:

But, she doesn't post much on social media, like, if you look at her social media, especially her niche, it's a traditional, let's say a pretty niche where usually lots of pictures are posted on social media right, but she doesn't, and yet her business grows and thrives, which is part of why I agreed to speak at you know, your summit, because that is one way and it's kind of a myth like oh, facebook and Instagram's are gonna, ads are gonna work for me, I need to be posting and actually you don't.

Speaker 3:

So all right, all right, mind Mind blown. So can you tell us like I guess you just kind of told us what changed before and after you used social media, but what were like what else did you develop? Can you touch back on that a little bit more? Like, what else did you develop in order to grow without social media?

Speaker 1:

You mentioned the podcast and or maybe your favorite way of growing media. Okay, because you mentioned, like collabs. Yeah, she mentioned, yeah, the summit yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I would say I have in a rise marketing framework of like growing without and it I'll just tell it, list it. So a is assets, so have things in place like your media kit and things like that, so that you can do those collabs simplified. I'm all about do it simple, don't take hours of your day or week, you don't need to. S is socially connect, and that doesn't mean social media, it means like collaborating, or actually that was a rise. R is relationships. So email marketing is huge for my business. That's where I nurture, because I find that way more people open my emails and read them than they will see my posts on social. So I really want to connect and engage there. So assets, relationships socially connect. I is inspire and instruct. I'm taking them out of order, apparently, but that's like.

Speaker 2:

So podcasting for me is where I decided to live. I love podcasting. I love doing things without having to be on video if I don't have to, because then I can do it. I don't have to get my makeup ready, don't have to do anything, but having that way to really teach and inspires, which can build that trust with others. And then E is what is E, e is evaluate, and so, like everything that we do, we need to look at if it's working, because if it's not working and it's not serving a purpose, why are we doing it? So, and that was social media to me. I was doing it because I was told to do it and I was doing it a lot and spending hours and hours doing it with no result. No good result, right. And so that's the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again, expecting better results, right. Like you have to change it to get good results, to get something.

Speaker 2:

So my favorite way to collaborate, I would say, really is actually doing like lead magnet swaps, so swapping a free resource or a resource in someone else's newsletter, so I will promote something of theirs, they'll promote something of mine. I find that to be a really warm way to find new leads. And it's a one-on-one type of way where I love the conferences. Like my conference has become a big event and people have emailed me like are you doing this conference again?

Speaker 2:

I really want to invite more people and I want to come attend and all things, but that is one to many like there's a lot of us collaborating, so that brings like a lot of people get a lot of, a lot of a lot of voices right, where the lead magnets is one-to-one, and I like that. But I also really love the speaking opportunities and being able to like because I think that when you are speaking at a conference it builds that authority a little bit more, because you're able to teach in front of them. They hear you, they see you and they can get to know if you are maybe the coach for them or the voice they wanna learn from. So that's one reason I really like the virtual conferences a lot. So I'd say email swaps and virtual conferences are my favorite.

Speaker 1:

And neither are a strategy that we have yet to do in our business, I think more immediately attainable or doable is finding someone to do a lead magnet swap.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I like that idea. We should try that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Well, and what I like too, because I love podcast guesting.

Speaker 2:

I think it's one of the easiest ways to start if you don't have an audience at all, because most of the time the podcast like for me. I think it's one of the easiest ways to start if you don't have an audience at all, because most of the time the podcast like for me I have a podcast. I'm not going to ask them how big is your email list to say yes to them as a guest Like, whereas at a conference they might ask what size is your email list because we're promoting it right. But from that it's a warm lead to do more collaborations. So if I do, if I guest on someone's podcast now I can be like hey, would you like to do a lead magnet swap? I'd love to do that with you. Right, and it just gets an extra. So it kind of that the podcast guesting. What I like about it is it gives you that kind of warm connection and you get to know people and then you can learn who you could collaborate with in the future as well.

Speaker 3:

Right, that's really good.

Speaker 1:

I'm typing down the strategy.

Speaker 3:

First guest podcast.

Speaker 1:

Then, if you guys hit it off, propose a lead magnet email swap. You know, Gabe, I can say that that's the first time that anyone that I've interviewed has mentioned a lead magnet swap as a way of cross-promoting and growing with a strategic partner. So, like I? I I am taking notes. You can't see them and, dear listener, you can't see them either, but my wife can see them.

Speaker 3:

Take notes, take notes.

Speaker 1:

Seeing as you're in charge of outreach for podcasts, marketing and outreach.

Speaker 3:

I guess that's coming on me. All right, all right.

Speaker 1:

Jamie Gabe, what would you say about the upcoming episode and also how the listener can get in touch with you before we say goodbye for today?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely so. Best way to get in touch with me is going to my website, redhotmindsetcom. You can find the Pursuing Goals God's Way podcast there and links to some fun resources. You won't really find me on social media. I have it like a business card, so I have my handles. I just am never there.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay.

Speaker 3:

So I do have a question when did this name come from? Red hot mindset, okay.

Speaker 2:

That's a good question.

Speaker 3:

Red hair. Am I getting something to do with that, or is it because you're super passionate about the goals and it's twofold.

Speaker 2:

So a red hot comes from the red hair. So back in college there was always, like you know, the fight between the blondes and the brunettes, and the redheads always got left out. So I had a couple redheaded friends and we made the red hot club. And so, yeah, so it comes from that, but it also comes from essentially stepping into the refiner's fire. And so you, so it comes from that, but it also comes from essentially stepping into the refiner's fire.

Speaker 2:

And so, you know, it's about like letting God mold and shape us to be the people he can use, because it's not really about us, like I would say, we're not really worthy, we're not really good enough, we really don't have the strength enough, but when we have him on our side, he will give us the tools, he will equip us and he will come alongside and help us, and that way, when we hit our goals, he gets the glory. And so it's really about being willing to step into the heart, because being a business owner is not easy, going after a goal is not easy. You're going to have roadblocks. What are we going to do with them? Are you going to be willing to step into that fire and mold and shape and you know like, let those layers come off, right, just to become a little bit better and get to that next step, to the summit, right? And so that's really it was. It's twofold it's the red hair, but it's also the refinery fire.

Speaker 1:

What do we mean? You know, because that is definitely christian code. So for the non-christian that's listening.

Speaker 3:

Jamie, break down the concept of the refiner's fire well, so they put like silver into the fire, for example, and there's like the dross is what they call, like the stuff on top right that there's impurities, impurities, thank you.

Speaker 1:

So this is this is a term about making things out of, let's say, silver and gold right, okay, so you basically want to.

Speaker 3:

You have to put it in the fire to burn away those impurities, right, so that what comes out is that pure metal, that pure silver, pure gold, right? So when we go through those trials, right it, it's like there's, there's stuff that's going to come out of you Like that. That kind of needs to be. I see your true, right?

Speaker 3:

I think parenting for example, or business is a great example Like there's stuff that comes out of you that it's just like I didn't know that this bothered me so much, I didn't know that I could get so upset about you know the certain thing, or whatever. And so, anyway, as you go through those trials, though, and walking with the Lord through them, like I think a lot of what you said is you know, we make our plans, like we should make plans, but the Bible does say like we make our plans and the Lord orders our steps, and so, within that, as we're walking through, these different trials and these kind of impurities, so to speak, are being burned away until you, until you can get to the other side or get to the top of the mountain business context old mindsets old mindsets, exactly things that you need to overcome and and yeah, I guess, push through to make it to the other side and come out and say I'm glad I went through that, so that you know.

Speaker 3:

Now I have a testimony, a story to tell and, like you said, gabe, that God gets the glory because he took you through it, and the glory goes back to him.

Speaker 1:

All right.

Speaker 3:

There we go.

Speaker 1:

Breaking down concepts. All right, there we go, breaking down concepts. So in the next episode we're going to talk about the pillars, the three pillars to setting and crushing goals. And if you're still with us and you're like, okay, do I set goals, do I not set goals, you know, do I put all my eggs in one basket or do I keep a couple in plan B, well, gabe is gonna talk to you from her experience helping other people set goals, what she believes and what she's seen get results in their businesses. So head down into the show notes for that, because we're gonna record it in a moment for you. If you're listening now and it's a Monday, because this episode just dropped that next episode will be available two days from now and you can find that link in the show notes.

Speaker 1:

Gabe, thank you for being here on the podcast, absolutely thanks for having me and dear listener, you know, until the next time you hear from us or see us, take care and be blessed. Bye, bye.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Kwadwo Sampany-Kessie

Host