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Dr. Sonia
Now.
Russell Brunson
Obviously if you want to sell stuff online, you're going to need a good funnel. But if you want a great funnel, then you're going to need to use Click Funnels. ClickFunnels is the number one funnel builder in the world, helping more first time entrepreneurs to leave their 9 to 5 and to launch their dream than any other company on earth. ClickFunnels was built for the dreamer and the doer and you can get a free 14 day trial by going to clickfunnels.com podcast right now. That's clickfunnels.com podcast. Click funnels because you're one funnel away.
From changing the world.
This is the Russell Brunson Show.
What's up everybody? Welcome back to the show. We're here at Inner Circle. I've been pulling in some of my favorite people for some really fun, interesting conversations. For any of you guys who are at Funnel Hacking Live this year we had someone who's newer to my community, my world, who came. I had a chance to meet her. How many months? It was a couple months before fhl. Let's see here, two months before and, and for the most part funnel hacking I, we had all the speaking slots were done and I heard her speak like two times and both times I was like oh my gosh, I need to get her speaking Funnel Hacking live. Like how are we gonna fit? So we had to move things around, we had bump people around and we got her to come and speak right before I did my, my pitch actually, which is like one of the scariest spots to like, you know. And luckily she said yes and she came on stage and gave one of my favorite presentations from Funnel Hacking Live this year. Someone who I have so much respect for. And it's been fun getting to know her over the last three or four months and excited for those of you guys who weren't funne live to meet her and hopefully have a chance to follow her and see all the cool stuff she's doing. So her name is Dr. Sonia. Thank you so much for being here with us today.
Dr. Sonia
Thank you, Russell, for having me. When you say a couple months prior, I'm like, what? It feels like it's been years already. I know. It's only been a few months.
Russell Brunson
Yeah. Well, you just come to Boise five times in those few months.
Dr. Sonia
I did. I did. That wasn't by choice. It was just like, hey, you need to go back. I'm like, okay. And I said, yes.
Russell Brunson
Yeah. It's been so much fun having you. For those who don't know yet, I love you. Tell just a little bit of your history and backstory how. Because you. You weren't in this industry for a long time, but in the short time you've been in it, you have done some amazing things and grown faster than probably almost anyone I've seen who's entered into it. So I'd love to hear kind of how you got started to this.
Dr. Sonia
Well, I'll go backstory being from a little small country town, not Boise, Idaho, but from Wilson, Arkansas. And so I grew up having 12 siblings. I'm the youngest of 12. And so when I grew up, I knew I wanted to not stay at home because the only thing to do at home was work at a factory or do some other wild things, but I wanted to be legal. So I left and I joined the United States. I went to college first, and then I joined the United States Army. That was a thing that I knew I wanted to do. I needed to have legal rights to fight because it felt like you're a fighter. Yeah, pretty much. But I didn't want to fight physically. It was just mentally going through so many things. My backstory, you know, child at a very young age and all of that. And so I joined the United States army, and when I retired after 21 years, three combat tours, I said, what do I really want to do when I grow up? And I remember sitting at a roundtable with some senior officers, and they said, well, stribling, you're about to retire. What are you going to do? And I said, well, I want to find something where I can go to work at 12 and get off the. At 1. And they just started laughing like, no, there's gotta be a thing. I had no idea that I would ever come into this coaching world. And so I've been in this space for about a decade, but the last three or four years have been amazing. They seem like they just took off once I understood what was really happening and where I could just be authentically me.
Russell Brunson
Yeah, it's interesting. A lot of people, I have people all the time who come to my world and they're like, so if I do this, like, how quick can I. How quick can I make money? And I'm always like, ah, that's the wrong question. Like, the question is, like, you know, coming in and, like, learning it and understanding and who you want to serve and all the things that, you know, the foundation happens ahead of time. I'm curious, when you. 10 years ago, when you kind of started, like, what were the. I guess what were the things you were going through, trying to figure out before it took off? You know, like, what were the seeds you were planting back then?
Dr. Sonia
So I was still having, like, most of us that. Well, I'll admit to mine, I was dealing with some emotional things. So, you know, retiring from the Army, I was dealing with some depression and all of those things because that's all I've known all my life. And so. And then I went through a divorce. So I'm coming into a space wanting to coach someone else, but I was still dealing with my own issues and my own limiting beliefs and all of that. And so it was very challenging because just like, you know, your clients came to you and say, hey, how fast can I make money? I was just thinking, like, how fast can I get through this? I didn't think I was worthy of helping anybody else. I started out as a door, as a divorce coach, and most people didn't know what a divorce coach was. I started there because I'd been married 18 years, and I wanted to help. I wanted to really serve. Like many of us come into this space, I just want to help. I just want to help. And I quickly realized what is the very thing that I went through that I could help someone else go. And even my worst enemy, I did not want him or her to suffer the way I did, because it was tragic for me. And so I came into this space coaching divorce. And I would be in court with the attorney, with the judges, and folks like, what are you? I said, I think I'm onto something. And people began to invest in themselves, invest their money with me. And I was like, you know what? Let me just get better. I just don't want to be doing this and be a Toyota in the industry. I wanted to become a Rolls Royce. I wanted to be the elite of the elite. That's the competition side of competitive side of me. Anyway.
Russell Brunson
So you decided you wanted to do that because, again, I love that because so many people. I'm sure you get this. People like, how did you grow so fast? And they missed that step in the middle where you're like, I don't want to just be good. I want to become the best. Like, I remember me specifically thinking through that. I was like, I don't want to be someone who's just doing this. I want to be the best that's ever done it. And it changed your mindset and changed. But I'm curious when you made that decision, like, yeah, I want to be the best. Like, what. What does the path look like that takes you down there? Because a lot of times you think, like, I want to become best, but what do I do first? What's step number one?
Dr. Sonia
It's honestly getting in the rooms with people who are competitive as well. I don't. You know, it just hit me when you said that. I was like, I click with you right away. It's like, he understands. Because sometimes being an overachiever is. Folks are like, okay, let me stay away from them. You're like, no, let's go. And I was like, I need that. But when I started, it was just. I had to understand, what does the best look like? Right. Did I have a representation in front of me and that I honestly didn't see. I didn't see anyone who represented me. I didn't see anyone with a military background. And again, I was still dealing with my life and being way. The military trained me and taught me. I just thought differently. And I just felt like this unicorn out there just operating by myself, and I needed to get around people who were okay being themselves and just being just very transparent and very vulnerable. And I didn't see that a lot in the industry. So the first step was getting into the rooms. The second thing was really understanding, well, how long, not how long is this going to take? How fast can I learn one thing and keep growing up on that?
Russell Brunson
Mm, yeah. Interesting. What were some of, like, the transition from divorce quotes to what you're doing now? Like, what? You know, because at first, I'm assuming you're trying to get better at coaching in that process, but then somewhere along the line, because you're or maybe you're still doing it on site. I don't know.
Dr. Sonia
No, no, no. Absolutely not. No, no, no. I began when I was doing the divorce coaching. People see me online, Periscope and all those places. And I even got a television show on Bravo because I was doing speaking, I was going live, and someone calls like, hey, we're looking for our next Oprah Winfrey. And I'm like, I don't want to be the next Oprah Winfrey. I want to be the first Dr. Sonia. And that set the course of. I wanted to be the first in everything. Not second. I wanted to be first. And so when I went on this journey to do that, Russell, I would be speaking on stages. And I remember one particular event. There was like a thousand women in the room. I finished speaking. We were talking about relationships, and I sold a course. I've always been selling from the stage. That's what I just not intentionally. It was just like, hey, come to back table. But you would see a mad rush of people. The first time I saw them, like, what just happened? Why are they responding that way? And this young lady walks up to me, and she said, hey, Dr. Sonia, I've been following you on Periscope, and I want you to coach me. I want you to teach me to do what you do. I'm like, what am I doing? I'm like, just helping. She said, no, no, no. I said, well, go to the back table and sign up, you know, for the coaching program for, you know, life after divorce. She said, no, my husband and I are fine. Like, what is going on? That was the first sign, and that was the first time someone asked me to coach them in a different area. And she said, well, I mean, what is. How much does cost? I can pay right now. She said, you take American Express? Absolutely, we do.
Russell Brunson
Yes, Yes.
Dr. Sonia
I put the order form all over to on the side, wrote in the name of the program that I hadn't even created yet. It was $10,000. She paid right then and there. Next level business. I know it was build your business empire. That's all I did. Just like that. I wrote it on there. She signed it, and then we got our official contract. After that, I was like, oh, man, I got to go back build this. And so I've taken that model. Anything that I launch, I just need the outline and I need a name, and I'll go build it afterward. And it forced me to get into this space. I just start showing her to do what I do. So now my whole thought process Russell is, let me just teach other people how to do what they already do. And teach other people how to do that you'll make more money teaching other people how to do what you do than you will doing it. Is my. My thought.
Russell Brunson
Yeah. Have you noticed, like, a lot of times the problem people have is they're really good at the thing. And so because that they don't value it because they're like, oh, well, this is easy. And then other people look at externally, like the woman there, right? She sees you like, that's a superpower. Whatever you do on stage like that, you know, and almost for you, you're like, I didn't do anything special. I just did my thing. You know, I think that's what holds a lot of people back is, is understanding that, like, your superpower is usually something that seems very common to you.
Dr. Sonia
You know, it is, it is. And we, we begin to make it. We don't think it's valuable, so we think that there's more value in giving it. Honestly, I call it the free 99. Everybody. I have a free 99. And they just think, and you're trying to figure out, well, it's free. Why don't more people get it? Because people are starting to look at not. We don't just want. You're free. There's some people who want more from you. They want your best, the best version of you. And so the best version of me, there's. You have to have skin in the game. And so I believe that people are out here now, have great ideas, have content that they can share, but because they don't understand who they are and their value, they just decide, I'm just going to give it away. And they get burnt out. Because after a while, when you give a lot of stuff away, you're going to get tired.
Russell Brunson
Yeah, for sure. You gotta make it worth it.
Funnel hackers. Let me tell you a story that still makes me cringe a little. We were gearing up for a huge launch. Funnels were done, landing pages were tight, copy was dialed in. Everything was ready to rock. Except for one thing. We were looking for more support people to be able to handle the launch. And we figured, no big deal, we're.
Going to find somebody quickly.
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On Indeed around the world.
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I'm sure you know what I mean.
Isn't it a pain when you see the weirdest ads showing up in your feed? Ads for things you know you would never use in a million years, and you start thinking that person is wasting so much money targeting me for a product or service I will never use? And here's the thing. Those companies probably thought that they were marketing perfectly, but they were wasting money because they didn't get their targeting right. And that's why LinkedIn ads is such a game changer. LinkedIn isn't your everyday social platform. This is where over 1 billion professionals, people who are already thinking about business, are hanging out and their targeting options are unreal. You can target by job title, industry, company size, role skills, revenue level, seniority, literally laser focus to the decision makers who can actually buy what you're selling. It's like having a magic filter for your perfect customer. And if you're serious about growing your business and you don't want to keep paying to show people ads who will never buy. Then you have to get on LinkedIn. Here's the best part. LinkedIn will even give you $100 credit on your next campaign. So you can try it yourself. Just go to LinkedIn.com clicks that's LinkedIn.com C L I C K-S terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads.
So, okay, so that transition, how many years ago was that when you sold the very first.
Dr. Sonia
Ah, it's been a decade. Yeah, it's been a decade.
Russell Brunson
A decade. When the business.
Dr. Sonia
That's eight years. That's eight years.
Russell Brunson
Okay, eight years. First business coach. Okay, and then tell me about that journey then. So then now, now you've got an outline, you got a name and $10,000. Most people freak at that point. Like, I don't want to do how.
Dr. Sonia
Many more of them can I find? How many more? And I just start looking at things differently. I didn't stop at that immediate point of the divorce side. I decided to have an event. Right? I've been in. Not in this space. I didn't know everything, but I am definitely a risk taker. Calculated risks are better, but I'm a risk taker. And I'm like, what's the worst thing that could happen? Nobody shows up for an event. That's, you know, that whole thing. But people showed up. I had a less than 100 people after that. I was like, wait, let me see. How many more of her can I get into a room? And I just had a small event. I invited people in. We were talking about life and relationships, and I made an offer. The business side. 60% of the people wanted the business side. And that was just a whole awakening of, wow, I'm onto something. But who would have thought, PhD or not, that didn't matter. I still had, you know, the self doubt like many people have. I just had this self doubt. Well, can I really do this? That's when it began to kick in. When people, more people start to pay me, wait, I'm an imposter. I shouldn't be doing this. All of my past. So I had to deal with that internal beast that wants to show up when you're doing some amazing things. And I started to realize, Russell, he, she or he is always going to show up for every level. They show up just to test you.
Russell Brunson
How do you shut that down then? Because a lot of people struggle. They, they never get past that. Right?
Dr. Sonia
I'm smiling because I don't want to yell too loud in the mic. It's like the voice that speaks the loudest wins. Yeah, that voice that speaks the loudest. And I'm very cognizant of what that voice sounds like. That voice will say, you can't do this. Russell's gonna have you on his podcast. Are you sure you're ready for that? Like, that. That voice wants to speak loudly. I'm like, what. What are you talk. Sit down somewhere. I'm. I'm worthy of this, right? And so just really listening to the voice and which one is speaking the loudest. I am not saying I have mastered that, but I've become very good at recognizing that the truth. Your brain cannot tell the difference between the truth and a lie. So I want to feed myself the truth at all times, but I want it to be positive regardless if I think it's not going to work. But I can't imagine something not working. It's going to work. I'm going to learn something from it. And so that's how I see everything now.
Russell Brunson
So cool. When you said that, remind me. Annie Grace is writing another book right now, and I had a chance to read one of her chapters, and she says something was so fascinating. She said that she was talking about thoughts, but she said, first off, she's like, you know, our heart beats all the time, right? And our lungs breathe, and this stuff's happening subconsciously every single day. And she's like, just the same way that your heart beats and your lungs breathe, your brain has thoughts. It's the same thing. And they just show up, and they show up, and they show up. And a lot of times we think that those thoughts are. You know, it's like, it's something, but it's not. It's just. It's just an impulse, just like breathing, you know? And so with default, the default thought for most people, even if you're successful, is the negative thought that keeps coming in, right? And, like, what you just said about, like, the loudest voice wins is fascinating because we. The cool thing about thoughts is we can choose our thoughts. Like, we can say, I want to think this instead. And then you can drown out these other ones. But by default, if you just sit there, all sorts of weird stuff, negative stuff flies in instantly, right? Every single time. And it's like learning how to control those, because I can't control my. You can control your breathing, I guess. Your heartbeat, you can't control. But the thoughts, when you learn how to master that and control that, then it shifts things, which is such a cool. Anyway, I love geeking out. That Kind of stuff because it's so interesting.
Dr. Sonia
It is fascinating. Just think about it. Why are there some of the top 1 percenters, if you really sit down and talk to them, or you and you sit down and have a conversation, the conversations are different. The thoughts are different. You know, you can tell where someone is in their life based on what they say. Because when they say something, I'm thinking about what they said and what they didn't even say. And I'm thinking, oh, yeah, they're just getting started. Let's say business owners. They're just getting started in business. They're coming out of corporate America. Or wait, he's experienced. He's been doing this. And I can tell if they've been working on their inner thoughts. They've been working on their self being. And self mastery is the word I'm looking for. So self mastery is real. And many people won't tap into that. They want more skill. Russell, tell me how to do this. Russell's like, wait, work on this part. No, no, no. I need to make money right now. But they're missing the. The most important part of the journey.
Russell Brunson
We got to trick them and sell them what they want, but then get what they need.
Dr. Sonia
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
Russell Brunson
Because it's fun half the time in our programs, right? I noticed, like, they come in and it's like, okay, they want to learn blah, so we teach them blah. But then actually, it was. Frank Kern told me this. It was really fascinating. He had a. It was a 4$400 a month membership site. And the Churners really had. People kept canceling. So he was trying, like a million different things to keep people to stick. And he's like, of all things I tested, the one that worked the best is I made module number one, a mindset module. And then people like, then they actually implement it, and they had success. And. But nobody. He's like, when I sold it as a benefit, no one wanted to go through the mind. I don't need mindset. I'm good. You know, like, I'm skipped. I'll get to the good stuff. But when he forced them to go through that, then they stuck longer. They did better. Like, it's just. It's. It's fascinating.
Dr. Sonia
That's how I start out my programs. We go through some IEP initiative. The effort and the performance. We go through that and we share with them the percentage. This is. If you're operating at this level, it is a whole master. And they're like, oh, my gosh. That's why I can't get this done. But it really helps set the next steps. When they understand and you don't really say, oh, you need mindset. Who's going to say, yeah, I need some mindset.
Russell Brunson
Give me some mindset.
Dr. Sonia
No, I don't need that. It's like, hey, if you want to get to X amount of income level, let's look at step one. What is the number one thing that most high achievers are doing? And they're thinking, it's another skill, it's another strategy. No, they have really worked on themselves. And there's self mastery that's included in that.
Russell Brunson
Yeah.
Dr. Sonia
Oh, yes.
Russell Brunson
Okay, so now I want to talk about as you start transitioning. Right. Divorce, coach, business coach. But there was something or somewhere. I don't know what happened, but I think you told me or FHL some of the last two and a half, three years. What are you allowed to say? The number.
Dr. Sonia
Yeah, yeah, yeah. $28 million in how many years? Three years.
Russell Brunson
Okay, so what? There's. There's a pivot point there. Three years. Yes. What was like, what's the difference? Like, what?
Dr. Sonia
So right before the pandemic, I started getting on stages and I was traveling, speaking, but it wasn't a thing. It was just part of the journey. You know, people hear me speak, like, hey, can you come speak on my stage? And whatever. But then I started to make it a business. What is this line of business? And I realized, and I did some studies, SPE is the number one career in the world. It really is professional speaking. People, you know, they're. They're nervous about it. I want to be a professional speaker, but I get nervous in front of people. Hello. So do I for three seconds until I get a mic. That's why you hear me say, I've never met a mic. I did not like for three seconds because I had a message. And so those three years, I went all in. And I was sharing earlier this framework that I use. I call it my $28 million Runway. Of the five things, the platforms that I find myself, it's just levels, the coaching, the speaking and events. But what's happening with essence of all of that? This is not what I do. This is who I am. I can't imagine, Russell. It's like being in the Army. I stayed 21 years because I couldn't imagine getting out and retiring. But at some point, I was like, you know what? I want to do something else. I've been called to do something else. And so that pivot began to happen. With all of the chaos happening in the world, all those things taking place, the pandemic was taking place. I'm like, like everyone else, what am I going to do? I was like, just do what you're already doing, but take it online. We had thousands show up, and that's when I realized that Zoom can only get a thousand people on there. They can't get in. What happened?
Russell Brunson
You maxed out. Come on.
Dr. Sonia
Yeah. We broke Zoom, but I began to do that and I just went all in. And it wasn't just business. I wanted to teach business from the inside out. And I began to attract some of the most amazing people and they gave me this title, the General to Giants. They played on the military as a general, and they are the giants. And then I just rocked that out until the wheels fall off. And we are still going through that same process. I haven't changed. I just went deeper into what I wanted wanted to do in the business industry. And it's just been a blessing. It really has.
Russell Brunson
Are you speaking mostly on your own stages? Other people's is a blend. Like, what's it?
Dr. Sonia
It's a blend. So I prefer my own because I can do it from the comforts of my home. I will go out and speak on other people's stages. I love that. And then I tapped into this thing that I can speak on other people's stages and sell their offer. So the very first time I did it, it was a Spanish speaking community and I was nervous about going to speak there. I'm like, oh, my gosh, are we going to have translators? And there's house? Well, how many people going to be in this small group? I'm good. It's like, oh, it's 1500. I'm like, what? And you want me to speak all three days? And they're like, yeah. And I was like, okay. I don't believe I cannot do anything. I am definitely the CEO, the owner, and tell my team, okay, I'm jumping off this building. Just throw me the parachute in midstream. Okay. As long as I don't hit the right before I hit the ground, I'm good. So that's what I did. And I got on this stage and it felt so comfortable. All stages feel comfortable to me. Even I had to slow down a little bit, not speak so fast so the translator could keep up. But when I tell you energy rocks any stage, it does not have any barrier, doesn't have a language barrier, didn't have a money barrier, didn't have anything. And they made their very first $2.1 million in one hour. One million. 2.1 million. And they. I said, well, how much do you want to make? They said, oh, about 100,000. Dude, no, like, you need to get somebody else to do that. Let's see what you want to do. And so we did that. And that began the journey of. I love. It's the art of sales, and I call it an opportunity. Because I believe when you're on a stage, Russell, and you know this, I see you on the stage, when you're talking, I'm just in amazement. It's just a natural thing for you. For some people, it's not. But for those of us who understand the art of speaking and sharing your thoughts and all of that, we're selling. It was. It just became a piece of cake. So now it's this whole thing of I don't want to sell for everyone, but I want to sell for those who want to help their community, who want to help the people that they serve.
Russell Brunson
Yeah. And standardize. That's what you're doing. A lot of selling other people's stuff.
Dr. Sonia
And that was so ironic that you put me in a slot. Right.
Russell Brunson
I've known how to plan that from day one.
Dr. Sonia
I wasn't gonna. I was just, yeah, we're in the future. And that's. I asked your team, I said, hey, can I step on one of these speakers? And he thought I was joking. He said, you're serious? I said, yeah, can I step on a speaker? I only weigh a buckle buck 25. He's like, let me go ask. He said, well, they say it's not. I was like, oh, man. Because it's this energy of bring people closer to the front.
Russell Brunson
And so, hey, everyone, if you're anything like me, you've probably spent more time than you want to admit just trying to stay on top of your email. Am I right? I used to wake up, fire up the inbox, and boom. I was hit with a wave of random stuff, newsletter noise, low priority requests, affiliate spam, and somewhere in the chaos, a few messages that I actually needed to respond to. It drove me nuts. And I end up spending hours every day sorting, replying, getting distracted, and pulling off the work that actually moved my business forward. But that all changed when I tried notion mail. And let me tell you, it's like somebody took my funnel brain and built an email platform out of of it. This is the inbox that thinks like you. Notion mail uses AI to organize everything based on what's important to you. It Learns what matters automatically labels and sorts messages, drafts responses and even schedules meetings. It's personalized, automated and completely flexible. And you want to know what's become my absolute favorite feature? Custom inbox views. I've created views for my podcast, outreach, my internal team, my JV partners, and even launch commissions. I can jump into a view and laser focus. No distractions, no noise. And when I need to move fast snippets. I've got one click templates ready to go for follow ups, affiliate approvals, speaker confirmations. It's like having a pre built funnel but for email replies. If you're like me and your brain runs 100 miles an hour, Notion Mail gives you a calm, focused command center. And it just works. Get Notion mail for free right now@notion.com Russell and try the inbox at thinkslikeyou. That's all lowercase letters. Notion.com R U, S, S, E, L, L To get Notion mail for free right now when you use our link, you're supporting our show. Notion.com Russell.
You know that feeling when.
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Dr. Sonia
Of course, we both know Myra and I went through a lot of his training. But you know, Myra will tell you I was in this space and place when I met him. And so what I realized how God has taken me on this journey. The more I want to become the person who could do a thing, the more he puts me in spaces and rooms with people like you all.
Russell Brunson
Yeah, so cool.
Dr. Sonia
Yes.
Russell Brunson
When the student's ready, the teacher's all right. That's how I always feel every time I'm like stuck at a level and then all of a sudden like someone appears. I'm like, like, how have I not been aware of this person for so long? Like, you know, I mean, it always fascinates me when I. When that happens and it's exciting.
Dr. Sonia
That's how I got it. Inner circle. Where is the next person? I want to understand automation. I said, there's something going on. And I went to Myron, I said, hey, what's going on? Inner circle. I didn't even know it existed. I told you the story of how.
Russell Brunson
You were in clickfunnels Like a decade before.
Dr. Sonia
No, he was, but he, but I just didn't know, you know, I wasn't, I guess I wasn't ready or something was taking place. I was doing some other things and I just went, I said, hey, what's going on in inner circle? I want to learn more about. Yeah, absolutely. I went, I talked to Steve, inner circle and then I said, hey, what's the highest one? He's like, yeah, normal, we kind of way. I said, dude, are you telling me I can't be. What are you talking about? Do you know who I am?
Russell Brunson
The competitor came out and he's like.
Dr. Sonia
Yeah, you keep there. And so here, here I am. And this is where I know I belong. And I should have been here a long time ago, but time is perfect for now.
Russell Brunson
Yeah, definitely. Okay, so someone who's listening, who's right now, they're starting their coaching career. They're starting to go through here. You talked about, I think it says your five step framework. Do you want to kind of go through that? Just like we have probably 10, 15 minutes to go through, but just so some actionable things that people like, okay, what should I be doing? Because I want. Maybe they're at the spot, they've news for a year or two not growing and they want to have a big pivot point like you were able to have.
Dr. Sonia
Perfect. I was just sharing this with someone yesterday and matter of fact, today, that framework in itself, even if you're just getting started, you spoke even earlier about a brand. A brand is who we are, are. You are the brand, honestly. And if you want to look at just when you first get started, people are looking at particular area and they think, oh, but my industry is different. You don't understand Russell. You don't understand Dr. Sonia. And I'm like, dude, there's hundreds of thousands of you that I've taught and trained and it's the same. However, you may be different with different hair, different eye color, but it's still the same issues that you have. And so if you're just getting started, really consider where is your voice and where should it be more profound? What platform should it be? You know, we talk about social media media. It's the number one free platform where you can just go viral and you can look up and hundreds of thousands of people are seeing and hearing you. Can you imagine especially for those that are listening right now that truly believe, which camera should I look at? Because I need them to see my face. This one right here. If you're really in this space right now. And you really want to help and serve people that are out there. Really consider what your brand looks like. And the brand is not just them building a business. You're beyond the business is what is that brand? It's going to last much longer than your business business ever could. And so it is thinking about what does that coaching look like? What coaching program do you have that you can take people on a journey and it's no longer even called coaching anymore. You're taking us on a journey. Where is the destination for that and what are the steps we need to take? Right. And then we start thinking about speaking. I always hear people, but I don't want to speak. I'm so nervous. I could talk one to one and you give them a mic, they won't shut up. Right. And so it's just really, what's that message? What's that one message that you could take to multiple platforms to get in front of millions of people, to make millions of dollars? If you can understand and apply that framework, this is a game changer. So you're coaching, you're speaking, you're writing a book. Always. I see. Can I tell you something that I talk about with you all the time? I said, if we sit down and look at what Russell is doing, he is doing these five. This framework is the same thing. I didn't even know who you were right when this was developed. But it was Russell's coaching. Yes, that's a yes. Russell's writing books. Y Russell's speaking. Whether he's having his own events or speaking on his own platform or speaking on somebody else's stage, Russell's having events all the time. And Russell's also has coaching programs that are out there that if we can really tap with that one brand and put it on all these platforms, God forbid, if ad ads go down or you get shut out or the ad cost goes, oh, yeah, we're not even gonna talk about that. What else can you do? Right? You can be on a platform, you can write your book. A book that makes you millions of dollars, not just millions of sales for books, but millions of dollars because of the content and the, I would say, follow up that happens in a book. That's really the framework that anyone that's just getting started, if they really learn to tap into that framework, it's game changer and it's game over. And you can pull up beside someone at a stoplight and you just pulled up and they're like, where did you come from? And you're the new kid on the block. That's how I always feel. But I showed up in the fastest. Not the fastest car, but the car that has the fastest engine. And I believe that framework has that fastest engine. And that's speaking for sure.
Russell Brunson
Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I think it's. It's the thing I see where people struggle is they come into this and they're trying to figure out. They use, like, a finish line, like, how do I make the money, how to do the thing, versus, like, all right, this is a career. This is. I'm going to it, right? This is a career you look at differently. I'm going to be writing books. I'm speaking, I'm selling, I'm creating, you know? And it's like, it becomes that. And I think if people look at it more like that, it shifts in their head. You know what I mean? Like, for me, like, I remember writing my first book was really hard. It took me a decade to get the first one done. I was like, I'll never write a book again. And then two years later, the second one. And then I remember I had this really. I was hanging out with Brendan Burchard. Me and him had a weird relationship. We didn't like each other for, like, a decade. And then we, like, remit, and turned out we loved each other, and so we hung out for, like, a whole day. I was like, I'm so sorry. I was a jerk for a decade. He's like, me, too. Anyway, but it was really cool. We reconnected. And I remember he. He was finishing. He was about to submit a manuscript, and so we were in Vegas together, and he was showing it to me, and. And I was like, you're writing another book? Like, aren't you tired of writing books? Books? He's like, what do you mean? He's like, this is my career. This is what I do. He's like, I write a book every two years for the rest of my life. And at first, for me, it was like, this resistance. Like, I don't want to do that. And then it was like, okay, if I'm like, if I really want. If I really believe in this, I really want to do this. And I really try and change people's lives. Like, that's the pattern, right? I got to write books. I got to make a part of it. Like, every. For me, every two. Well, this last books take me longer. But in theory, every two years, like, a new book needs to be coming, right? So then it becomes part of who you are, and it's different, right? And then like, I speak, I gotta find speaking engagement. I need to be figuring things out. Like, and it's, you know, I'm very introverted. I still get scared every time before I speak. But then like you said, as soon as the mic starts, it's just like a wrestling match. You get so scared and you shake the person's hand, then all the nerves go away. It's like getting past that. But it's like you gotta be actively looking for those things, right? Like, you don't get on 100 stages unless you're like, people are waiting. Like, no one's ever asked me to be on the stage. Like, what are you waiting for?
Dr. Sonia
Yeah. How do you don't wait on them to invite you to the table? Create your own table.
Russell Brunson
100%.
Dr. Sonia
Yes. You were a wrestler. I played basketball and I even played semi pro basketball. And I can remember remember playing in Europe and that whole there's a movie that was out and said the coach was speaking, but he was speaking in a different language. He was American. I think he was German. And I went through that same scenario and I would ask my teammate, like, what did coach say? He said, make sure Sonya gives you the ball or put Sonia, I was a point guard, so make sure you do everything she says. That's what she was translating to me. And that's really what I've done in this industry. I became a point guard passing the ball over to my two or my three or my four or my person down low so they can do whatever they need to do right under the goal. So this is really what we do. It's a sport. This is really a sport and I love sports. This is a game for us.
Russell Brunson
A game of business.
Dr. Sonia
Yes.
Russell Brunson
I joke with my kids because they're all video game, you know, And I'm like, I mean business like a video game, but the end, you get to keep the money.
You're playing these games, you're winning money.
But you don't get like, we got to spend it afterwards. It's so cool. And you actually help people and it's tangible and it's, it's the best game ever created.
Dr. Sonia
It is, it's amazing. And, But Russell, thank you for creating this community. I just got to say, I, I, I believe one, it's not just for me to be here. I really want to open doors to, for more people that look like me, more women, more women of color. Because I can't believe. And I hope this is okay on camera. I really want us to understand because there's some things that are sharing in these rooms that we're not learning anywhere else. I don't know anyone. I've been in a lot of masterminds, including Brandon's, and I needed to find someone who is. Maybe it's just me that's competitive, but not against other people, but for themselves, and they just keep going. And I said I always wanted to be my coach's number one student. It's not being a teacher's pet. They may not know it, but I always want to put something out there. Yep, I know Dr. Sonja is going to do it. Did you do it? Yep, I did it. Matter of fact, I did it five times. It works this way, but it is just. I. I thank you for creating environments like this because I've never seen anything like this in my life. Even the military can take something from this, from the training that we do with our soldiers, from every branch of service. So that's going to be my business. How fast can I get back to them to show them this is how it should be done, the training. And at least.
Russell Brunson
Oh, thank you. That means the world to me. I appreciate it. All right. To end out with. For people who heard your story and they want to plug in and learn more about you and so, like, where's the best place for them to go and to be able to plug into you and your entire business and your world and see you speak and everything.
Dr. Sonia
Well, you know, I would say unless you, if you want to just be a Toyota, don't come over here. But if you really want to level up to the place where they want to be, they can find me on social media at iamdoctorsania. For those that really want to become speakers, it says, women speak and grow rich, because that's where my heart is. But I do coach some smart men, so along the way so they can find me on social media and they can go to drsanyabrands.com awesome.
Russell Brunson
Well, thanks for being here and hanging out and it's always fun having you in Boise. And thanks for being on part of the podcast. I appreciate it.
Dr. Sonia
Thank you. I appreciate the invite, for sure.
Russell Brunson
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Podcast Summary: The Russell Brunson Show
Episode Title: How to Turn Your Voice Into Revenue: Dr. Sonja’s Playbook | #Success - Ep. 34
Release Date: May 12, 2025
[01:33] Russell Brunson:
Russell Brunson introduces Dr. Sonja, a relatively new member of his community who made a significant impact at Funnel Hacking Live (FHL). He shares his admiration for her presentations and expresses excitement for listeners to connect with her work.
[02:28] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja begins by acknowledging her relatively short time in the coaching industry, highlighting her rapid growth and achievements over the past three to four years. She emphasizes authenticity as a key factor in her success.
[02:58] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja shares her humble beginnings in Wilson, Arkansas, as the youngest of 12 siblings. Her decision to leave home led her to join the United States Army, where she served for 21 years, including three combat tours. Her military background instilled discipline and a unique perspective that later influenced her coaching style.
[05:57] Russell Brunson:
Russell commends Dr. Sonja for her ambition to not just be good but to excel and become "the best." He probes into the mindset shift required to make this transition.
[06:26] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja explains that immersing herself in competitive environments was crucial. She sought out rooms filled with equally driven individuals to understand what excellence looked like. Recognizing the absence of role models with military backgrounds in the coaching industry, she leveraged her unique experiences to carve out her niche.
[04:35] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja opens up about her personal struggles post-military, including dealing with depression and going through a divorce. These experiences fueled her desire to help others facing similar challenges, leading her to start as a divorce coach.
[09:01] Dr. Sonja:
An anecdote illustrates a pivotal moment at a speaking event where a woman sought her coaching services for business purposes, not just divorce-related issues. This interaction inspired Dr. Sonja to expand her coaching offerings beyond divorce coaching, resulting in a high-value program that sold for $10,000 on the spot. "She paid right then and there. Next level business," she recounts, highlighting her ability to seize opportunities and scale her business rapidly.
[10:14] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja delves into the concept of self-mastery, asserting that top performers differ not just in their skills but in their internal mindset. She states, "Self-mastery is real. And many people won't tap into that. They want more skill. Russell, tell me how to do this. Russell's like, wait, work on this part. No, no, no. I need to make money right now. But they're missing the most important part of the journey."
[15:25] Dr. Sonja:
Addressing internal doubts, Dr. Sonja explains her strategy for overcoming negative self-talk: "The voice that speaks the loudest wins. I'm very cognizant of what that voice sounds like. ... I am worthy of this, right?" She emphasizes the importance of feeding oneself positive truths to counteract limiting beliefs.
[13:45] Russell Brunson:
Russell shares an anecdote about struggling to hire support staff for a major launch, underscoring the importance of effective systems in scaling a business.
[21:10] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja discusses her pivot to professional speaking, especially during the pandemic when she transitioned her coaching online. She broke Zoom's participant limit with thousands attending her sessions, signaling a significant demand for her expertise.
[23:27] Russell Brunson:
Russell transitions to promoting Notion Mail, an AI-powered email platform, but ties it back to the discussion on scaling businesses efficiently.
[27:30] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja outlines her actionable five-step framework designed for new coaches aiming to pivot their careers and achieve substantial growth:
[30:39] Russell Brunson:
Russell echoes the importance of viewing coaching as a career rather than a short-term goal. He shares his own experiences with writing books and speaking engagements, emphasizing consistency and persistence.
[32:27] Dr. Sonja:
Dr. Sonja encourages new coaches to "create your own table" instead of waiting for invitations. She highlights the significance of proactive initiative in building a successful coaching career.
[34:45] Dr. Sonja:
In closing, Dr. Sonja emphasizes the need for diversity and representation within the coaching industry. She advocates for creating inclusive environments that allow more women and people of color to thrive. Her call to action: "If you really want to level up to the place where they want to be, they can find me on social media at @iamdoctorsania or visit drsanyabrands.com."
[35:15] Dr. Sonja:
Russell thanks Dr. Sonja for her participation, reinforcing the value she brings to the podcast and the broader community.
Authenticity and Self-Mastery: Personal growth and overcoming internal barriers are foundational to achieving business success.
Seizing Opportunities: Being ready to act when opportunities arise can significantly accelerate business growth.
Diversifying Platforms: Utilizing multiple channels—such as speaking engagements, books, and social media—enhances brand visibility and business scalability.
Proactive Approach: Aspiring coaches should actively seek and create opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.
Inclusivity in Coaching: Building diverse and inclusive coaching environments enriches the industry and fosters broader success.
Dr. Sonja: "Self-mastery is real. And many people won't tap into that. They want more skill."
[10:14]
Dr. Sonja: "The voice that speaks the loudest wins. I'm worthy of this, right?"
[15:25]
Dr. Sonja: "If you really want to level up to the place where they want to be, they can find me on social media at @iamdoctorsania."
[34:45]
Russell Brunson: "Funnel hackers, let me tell you a story that still makes me cringe a little..."
[10:14] (Note: Partial transcription of Russell’s anecdotes and insights.)
In this episode, Russell Brunson engages in an inspiring conversation with Dr. Sonja, exploring her transformative journey from military service to becoming a successful coach and professional speaker. Dr. Sonja's emphasis on self-mastery, authenticity, and proactive business strategies offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and aspiring coaches. Her actionable five-step framework provides a roadmap for those looking to pivot their careers and achieve significant growth. Additionally, the discussion underscores the importance of creating inclusive and diverse coaching environments to foster broader success within the industry.
For listeners keen to elevate their coaching careers or entrepreneurial ventures, this episode serves as a rich source of motivation and practical guidance.