Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson share their stories of escaping the corporate world and starting their own businesses.

Eileen, the CEO of the Harbinger Group, left her job at a PR agency to start her own agency, driven by a desire for a different way of working and a lack of fulfillment in the corporate structure.

Rob, a former television professional, transitioned into consulting after his contract in the media industry was not renewed. Both Eileen and Rob emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with clients and prioritizing trust and partnership. They also discuss the challenges of pricing their services and the need to adapt and pivot in response to changing circumstances.

The conversation explores the concept of value pricing and the benefits of establishing long-term relationships with clients. The guests discuss their approach to pricing, which involves creating a program for clients with a clearly outlined strategy and detailed tactics. They also emphasize the importance of trust and flexibility in client relationships. The conversation touches on the topic of building a solo business and the advantages of hiring specialists on a project basis.

The guests share their insights on networking, highlighting the value of deep, meaningful connections over quantity. They stress the importance of authenticity and a long-term mindset in networking.

Guest Links:

Eileen Rochford:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileenrochford/
• Website: https://theharbingergroup.com/

Rob Johnson:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-johnson-communications-advisor/
• Website: https://www.rj47llc.com/

Takeaways

• Leaving the corporate world to start your own business requires careful planning and consideration.
• Building strong relationships with clients and prioritizing trust is crucial for long-term success.
• Pricing services can be challenging, but it's important to understand the value you provide and adjust pricing as you gain experience.
• Being adaptable and willing to pivot is essential in the ever-changing business landscape. Value pricing involves creating a program with a clearly outlined strategy and detailed tactics for clients.
• Establishing trust and flexibility in client relationships is crucial for success.
• Building a solo business allows for more control over time and work-life balance.
• Networking should focus on building deep, meaningful connections rather than quantity.
• Authenticity and a long-term mindset are key in networking.

Sound Bites

• "Why do we all have to physically be in the same place?"
• "I'm gonna resign today... I called my husband first, which was probably a good idea."
• "Every time Eileen and I would see each other, it was like, oh my gosh, is every day like this?"
• "We have value pricing in place, which to us means we've constructed a program for you consisting of X number of campaigns."
• "I just think it's so much easier... I mean, nobody wants to see that."
• "It just makes so much more sense to build relationships in the business comes with it."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Multiple Guests

00:41 Escaping the Corporate World: Eileen's Story

04:04 Transitioning from Television to Consulting: Rob's Journey

07:08 Building Strong Client Relationships and Trust

09:35 Navigating Pricing Challenges

13:07 The Importance of Adaptability and Pivoting

26:10 Value Pricing and Constructing a Program

28:44 Building a Solo Business and Hiring Specialists

32:38 The Importance of Trust and Flexibility in Client Relationships

39:36 Networking: Quality Over Quantity

44:37 Authenticity and a Long-Term Mindset in Networking