Podcast Summary: "RUSSELL'S RANT: How Can This Work For My Business"
Podcast: The Russell Brunson Show
Host: Russell Brunson
Episode Date: April 9, 2018
Episode Theme: Applying the Expert Secrets process to any business—no matter your industry or product—and moving from selling commodities to creating irresistible offers that build movements, not just transactions.
Episode Overview
In this passionate “rant,” Russell Brunson tackles a recurring question from his community: Does the Expert Secrets process work for my business—even if I’m in ecommerce, network marketing, local services, or sell physical products? Russell’s answer is an emphatic yes. He challenges listeners to stop thinking their business is the exception and instead ask, “How can I use these principles for my business?”
He discusses why every business must move beyond selling just a product and start creating unique offers backed by a story, personality, and a movement. Brunson uses concrete examples—from supplements to coffee mugs—to illustrate this key shift in thinking, offering a blueprint for entrepreneurs to differentiate, thrive, and scale in any niche.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Core Question and Russell’s Frustration
- Common question: "Does Expert Secrets work for my business?"
- Russell’s recurring answer: The process is agnostic (works everywhere).
- Quote (01:44):
“People always tell me, ‘Russell, my business is different.’ No, it’s not different. You’re just not doing it right.”
2. The Power of Offers vs. Commodities
- Selling products alone makes you a commodity, competing on price and features.
- Adding a face and offer decommoditizes you and skyrockets connection and value.
- Quote (07:02):
"If there's not a face, not a person, you become a commodity. People are going to go off price."
3. Building an Offer: Real-World Examples
- Supplements (Organifi): Add recipes, routines, bonuses, stories to turn product into a compelling offer.
- E-commerce (Coffee Mug): Instead of racing to the bottom in price, bundle with guides, recipes, exclusive interviews, and brand story.
- Notable affiliate strategy: Russell often outsells original product creators by crafting a superior offer.
- Quote (17:39):
"There have been affiliate times I've gone in and promoting somebody's product and actually sold more of the product than the actual product owner. I do that by turning their product into an offer and make it irresistible."
4. Find Your Market, Sub-market, Niche
- Key to higher value and less competition: niche down and speak directly to your perfect customer.
- Example: Mastery Journal—targeted offer beats generic journal.
- Quote (30:34):
"If I was to go and compete against price on journals, you can get a journal for 99 cents... Instead what he did is he took this journal, he picked a sub market and he spoke and created something specific to them."
5. The Ingredients of a Movement (Not Just a Sale)
- Share your story—why did you make the product or launch the service?
- Make your unique offer, build community, create a cause and a movement.
- When you do this, future products become much easier to launch and sell to an eager, loyal audience.
- Quote (33:21):
“I'm making this group of people, I'm creating a movement of all of us together that want to do something. I'm gonna become the leader of that movement.”
6. Russell’s Experience with ClickFunnels
- Initial failure: Just selling software as a product (flopped multiple times).
- Breakthrough: “Funnel Hacks” irresistible offer launched ClickFunnels to rapid growth.
- Milestones:
Year 1: $10M
Year 2: $30M
Year 3: $70M
Year 4: projected $150M - Quote (49:17):
"I was no longer selling my software. I created an offer for people... and it blew up."
7. The Ultimate Takeaway: Shift Your Thinking
- Instead of "This won’t work for my business," ask: "HOW can I make this work for my business?"
- Study what successful offers in your industry look like, then make yours even better.
- Quote (53:49):
"If you learn nothing else from today... this time when you're reading [Expert Secrets], instead of saying, this won't work for my business... say, how can I make this work in my business? That's the magic."
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Having a Face for Your Business (07:02):
"If there's not a face, not a person, you become a commodity. People are going to go off price." -
On Offers vs. Products (13:44):
“A product is not how you win this game. How you win this game is by creating an actual offer.” -
On Outperforming with Offers (17:39):
“There have been affiliate times I've gone in and promoting somebody's product and actually sold more... than the actual product owner.” -
On Building a Movement (33:21):
"I'm making this group of people, I'm creating a movement... I'm gonna become the leader of that movement." -
On the Central Mindset Shift (53:49):
"Instead of saying, this won't work for my business, say, how can I make this work in my business? That's the magic."
Key Segment Timestamps
- [01:10] - Introduction to the big question: Will this work for my business?
- [04:45] - Why a face/personality transforms a commodity into a brand people love
- [13:44] - Breakdown: Stop selling just products, build compelling offers
- [17:30] - Supplemental & affiliate marketing example: Outselling owners
- [20:00] - E-commerce example: Bundling a coffee mug into an irresistible offer
- [26:20] - Importance of targeted markets/sub-markets/niches
- [33:21] - Building a movement, not just a business
- [41:00] - The ClickFunnels software-to-offer breakthrough story
- [52:00] - Final mindset shift: "How can I make this work for my business?"
Closing Thoughts
Russell’s rant is a challenge to every entrepreneur: Escape the commodity trap. Whatever you sell—info, physical products, services—start thinking in terms of unique offers, wrapped in story, for a specific niche and a real movement. The Expert Secrets model isn’t just for info-marketers; it’s a business blueprint that, if applied, can 10x or 100x any company.
Essential question moving forward:
"How can I make this work for MY business?"