The Rundown with Ramon by Ramon Ray, small business podcast for entrepreneurs - strategies and tips to start, grow and scale your business. Don't miss out - subscribe to this podcast and ZoneofGenius.com - www.zoneofgenius.com/subscribe
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September 10, 202646 min
How to get more customers without advertising?
Want to get more customers without spending more money on advertising?In this episode of The Rundown with Ramon, I share seven practical strategies small-business owners, coaches, consultants, and experts can use to generate more opportunities from the relationships, customers, content, and communities they already have.You’ll learn how to:• Reconnect with previous customers• Ask for specific introductions and referrals• Clarify an offer so people understand its value• Follow up without sounding desperate or annoying• Build strategic partnerships• Turn your expertise into customer-generating content• Become known and trusted in the right communitiesI also answer questions from the live audience and close with Headlines for Entrepreneurs, where we examine current business and technology news and what it means for business owners.Which of these seven strategies will you use first? Tell me in the comments.SUBSCRIBE for practical advice on growing your business, increasing your visibility, using technology wisely, and becoming the trusted expert in your market.
September 3, 202641 min
Stop Writing Proposals, Do This Instead
I’m going to challenge a habit that costs coaches and consultants hours every month: writing proposals for prospects who never established real buying intent. In this episode, I explain how to identify the problem, urgency, decision-maker, investment range, and decision process before you create a custom proposal. I’ll also show you why every proposal needs a scheduled review, what prospect participation can reveal, and how your proposal-to-close rate can expose a qualification problem. Use the episode to audit your current pipeline. Decide which opportunity deserves a proposal, which needs another conversation, and which one you should stop chasing. For hands-on feedback, bring your situation to Ramon Office Hours. Powered by Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security - BeMoreSecure.com Get business coaching to grow your business from Ramon - RamonOfficeHours.com
August 21, 202644 min
Play with AI. Don't be Afraid of It.
AI is moving so fast that even people who work in the industry can't keep up with everything - and Cliff Worley says that's perfectly fine.In this episode of The Rundown with Ramon, I sit down with AI strategist, trainer and speaker Cliff Worley to talk about how entrepreneurs and business owners should actually approach artificial intelligence. We get beyond simply asking ChatGPT questions and dig into how AI can help with sales, meetings, email, marketing, data analysis, building software and improving the way your team works.One of my favorite ideas from Cliff is simple: don't try to transform your entire business with AI at once. Find one bottleneck and start there. What's consuming your time? What's slowing down your team? What process could become faster or smarter? Start experimenting with AI around that one problem and build from there.Cliff also shares why some of the most valuable AI experts inside a company may already be employees on your team, why businesses should encourage their people to have "AI playtime," and why he believes companies should use AI to make employees more capable instead of immediately looking for people to eliminate.But this conversation isn't only about AI.We talk about personal branding, entrepreneurship, taking risks, Cliff's experience working with Daymond John during the early days of Shark Tank, building an audience, why his speaking engagements grew his newsletter faster than hundreds of social videos, and why email is still king.And then we get into something I think is going to matter even more in the years ahead: human connection.As AI generates more content, more emails and more digital interactions, Cliff believes genuine relationships may become even more valuable. The goal shouldn't be to use AI so we can become machines. The goal should be to use AI to create leverage so we have more time for customers, family, friends, conversations and life.In this episode, we discuss:- Why it's okay to feel behind on AI- Cliff's concept of weekly "AI Playtime"- How to find the right first AI use case in your business- Using AI for sales calls, email, meetings and business analysis- Why your internal AI champion may already work for you- What Cliff learned working with Daymond John- Why email, websites and domain names still matter- How Cliff built his personal brand- Speaking versus social media for audience growth- AI search and the emerging importance of AEO- Why every entrepreneur should think like a publisher- Why AI should strengthen employees instead of automatically replacing them- Why human relationships may become more valuable as AI growsCliff Worley is an AI strategist and trainer who works with organizations and teams to help employees become more effective with tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Microsoft Copilot.Learn more about Cliff at CliffWorley.com and subscribe to his AI Playtime newsletter at AIPlaytime.ai.Subscribe to The Rundown with Ramon for conversations about entrepreneurship, AI, marketing, leadership, personal branding and building a business that supports the life you want.
August 17, 202656 min
How to hire your first virtual assistant (the right way)
Hiring a virtual assistant can create leverage, but only when the owner provides a clear role, a workable process, and realistic expectations. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to identify the right tasks, choose three starting responsibilities, define decision boundaries, test candidates with paid work, and onboard the right person over 30 days. I’ll also discuss worker classification, account security, confidentiality, and why the cheapest candidate may not create the greatest value. Most importantly, we’ll look at what you should do with the time you recover. Delegation only helps when you redirect that capacity toward selling, serving, creating, leading, or living. Watch or listen with your current task list nearby. By the end, you should be able to identify one task to document today and a practical next step toward hiring support.
August 14, 202635 min
Gusto Cofounder on How to Build a Successful Business
What does it really take to build a company that lasts for 15 years? And where is AI actually going beyond chatbots and search? In this episode of The Rundown with Ramon , I sit down with Eddie Kim, cofounder of Gusto, to talk about the lessons he has learned from building the company, why mission matters, what changes as you scale, and why cofounder relationships need the same kind of investment as any long-term partnership. We also go deep on Gusto Cofounder and the future of AI for small business. Eddie explains what he calls the “blank canvas problem” with many AI tools and why the real opportunity is not just asking AI questions, but having AI actually get work done. We talk about: How Gusto started and the problem Eddie personally wanted to solve Why passion and mission matter in entrepreneurship The difference between using AI as a search tool and using it to execute real business processes How AI can handle the “work before the work” Why the future of software may mean less clicking and more delegation What founders need to learn as their companies grow Why hiring and delegation become critical at scale How Eddie, Josh Reeves, and Tomer London have maintained their cofounder relationship for 15 years Why entrepreneurship may become an even bigger part of the future of work If you’re a business owner, founder, entrepreneur, or simply trying to understand where AI is taking the way we work, this conversation gives you plenty to think about. Subscribe to The Rundown with Ramon for more conversations with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators who are building what’s next. https://www.Gusto.com https://www.ZoneofGenius.com/subscribe https://www.RamonRay.com
August 13, 202650 min
Your Biggest Competitor is the Indecision of Your Customer
Your biggest competitor may be the customer’s decision to do nothing. Let's talk about why this familiar problem often feels safer than change, how to make the cost of inaction visible, reduce decision friction, address real risk, and create urgency without manipulation or pressure.Brought to you by Bitdefender, Small Business Security - BeMoreSecure.com - be more secure for free. No excuses.Brought to you by Grow Your Solo - Ramon's free guide to grow your solo business GrowYourSolo.com
August 12, 202648 min
Is the growth you seek bad for you?
More revenue, customers, employees, or locations do not automatically create a better business—or a better life. Ramon Ray challenges entrepreneurs to measure growth through profit, cash, customer experience, team health, owner time, and personal fulfillment, then choose growth their company can responsibly absorb. Powered by Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security - BeMoreSecure.com and Ramon Office Hours Coaching to grow your business - RamonOfficeHourse.com
August 11, 202644 min
Stop Chatting with AI. Use it to Solve Business Problems | John Lawson
Should you call yourself an AI expert—or use AI to become even better at what you already do?In this episode of The Rundown with Ramon, Ramon Ray speaks with entrepreneur and e-commerce expert John “Colder Ice” Lawson about why business leaders should stop chasing broad AI labels. Instead, they should apply AI to the industries, customers, and business problems they already understand.John also shares a personal shift that comes with experience: moving from nonstop hustle toward wisdom, focus, and better decision-making.In this conversation, you’ll learn:• Why your industry expertise matters more than mastering every AI tool• How to use AI to solve real business problems• Why human judgment remains essential• How experience can lead to smarter, more focused leadership• Why the next stage of success may require wisdom—not more hustleIf you’re an entrepreneur, executive, consultant, or business leader trying to make practical use of AI, this conversation will help you focus on what matters.Check out John Lawsonhttps://www.colderice.comhttps://coldericekits.com/Subscribe for more conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, branding, technology, and business growth.Learn more from Ramon Ray: https://ramonray.comRead more business insights: https://zoneofgenius.com#ArtificialIntelligence #Entrepreneurship #BusinessLeadership #JohnLawson #RamonRay #TheRundownWithRamon
August 11, 202641 min
Stop asking for advice if you're not going to take it.
Advice can sharpen a decision - or help you avoid one. Ramon Ray explains how entrepreneurs get trapped in endless opinion gathering, how to ask better questions, set an advice limit, choose relevant advisors, and turn guidance into a small experiment that produces real evidence. Plus input and discussion with the LIVE audience on Breakfast with Champions on Clubhouse. Don't let cybercriminals get through - Brought to you by Bitdfender Ultimate Small Business Security - https://BeMoreSecure.com Powered by Grow Your Solo - download your guide to growing your solo business - https://GrowYourSolo.com
August 10, 202653 min
AI is Smart and Good Enough. Why do clients still need you?
AI is making competent output faster and cheaper. Ramon Ray explains why entrepreneurs should stop competing on routine production and build premium value around judgment, trust, proprietary knowledge, human connection, accountability, and meaningful customer outcomes. Includes a practical value-after-AI audit for your current offer.
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