The Optimized Entrepreneur

Optimizing Entrepreneurs so they can do more

Tag: Coaching

  • How to Identify Your Ideal Client Avatar (So Your Marketing Finally Converts)

    How to Identify Your Ideal Client Avatar (So Your Marketing Finally Converts)

    3–5 minutes

    If you’ve ever stared at your phone wondering what to post, what to say, or who you’re even talking to… it’s not because you’re “bad at marketing.”

    It’s usually because you’re trying to be everything to everybody.

    There’s a quote I heard years ago: “If you want to please everybody, sell ice cream.” Even that probably doesn’t work anymore. The point is simple: the wider you cast your message, the less it lands.

    And when your message doesn’t land, everything gets harder:

    • Your posts get ignored
    • Your engagement drops
    • You attract wrong-fit clients
    • You waste time, energy, and sometimes ad spend
    • You feel constant uncertainty

    That uncertainty is the real pain. Not “I need better content.” Not “I need a new funnel.” It’s the daily stress of not knowing who you’re speaking to.

    The green hat test: why clarity removes stress instantly

    Picture walking into a networking event with 100 people. You don’t know where to start, who to talk to, or how to introduce yourself.

    Now imagine your job is only to talk to people wearing a green hat.

    You walk in, see three green hats immediately, and ignore the other 97 people.

    That’s what it feels like when you’re crystal clear on your ideal client avatar. The overwhelm drops. The uncertainty disappears. You stop chasing everyone and start connecting with the right people.

    Why specificity creates connection (and precision drives results)

    A generic message is forgettable.

    If you stand up and say, “I help people,” nobody feels pulled to talk to you. It’s too broad to be meaningful.

    But if you say, “I help single fathers who are struggling as small business owners stay consistent with fitness,” someone in that room will think: Holy cow. That’s me.

    Or in real estate: “I help veterans use a VA loan to buy a condo.”
    Or in beauty: “I specialize in curly hair for women.”

    That’s what specificity does. It creates a moment of recognition.

    “When everyone is your audience, no one is your audience.”

    The fear that keeps people generic: “What if I miss out?”

    Here’s the fear: If you pick one person, you might miss someone else.

    “What if I don’t get the buyer who isn’t a veteran?”
    “What if I don’t get the condo buyer who isn’t in my niche?”
    “What if I’m leaving money on the table?”

    The harsh truth: when you widen your message to try to capture everyone, you usually convert almost no one.

    “When everyone is your audience, no one is your audience.”

    The math that makes this real

    Let’s compare two pools of potential clients.

    Pool A: 500 random people (mixed bag)
    If you convert at a typical 2%, that’s:
    500 × 0.02 = 10 clients

    Pool B: 50 ideal people (hyper-specific)
    If you convert at 50% because you’re speaking their exact language:
    50 × 0.50 = 25 clients

    You reduced your pool by 90%… and got more than double the clients.

    And if you go even further—if your message is so dialed in that you convert 75% of that ideal pool:
    50 × 0.75 = 38 clients

    You don’t need a bigger audience. You need the right audience.

    The “one person” filter

    Here’s the filter to use for the next 60 days:
    If I had to choose one person to speak to, who would get the best results from my work?

    Another powerful angle comes from the idea that you’re often best positioned to serve who you were five years ago. You remember the pain. You understand the obstacles. You know what would have helped.

    There are people right now who are struggling with what you already know how to solve. Your job is to identify them clearly.

    Skip demographics. Go deeper.

    This is where most people get it wrong. They list demographics and call it a day:
    Age. Gender. Income. Location.

    That’s surface-level.

    The deeper work is this:

    • What’s their biggest want? (Not the surface want—the deeper desire behind it.)
    • What’s their biggest struggle? (The specific roadblock keeping them stuck.)
    • What’s their core frustration? (What makes them feel defeated or exhausted?)
    • What are they trying to solve daily? (The problem consuming their thoughts.)
    • Who is your message not for?

    When you nail this, your content becomes obvious. You don’t post “tips.” You speak directly to what they’re feeling right now.

    Your final output: the simple framework

    Fill in this:

    • My ideal client is __.
    • They want __.
    • They’re stuck because __.
    • They’re tired of __.
    • They wish they could __.

    Then turn it into one sentence:
    I help __ who struggle with __ so they can __.

    That’s the foundation. And until you have it, few things will be heard.

    This blog was inspired by module #1 of a 3-part course centered around finding and communicating with your ideal avatar. This course can be found in our free coaching community at https://bit.ly/RealtorGrowthLab

    GabrielCruzPerez's avatar

    GabrielCruzPerez

  • The Flat Part of the Graph: Why Your Breakthrough Needs This Season

    The Flat Part of the Graph: Why Your Breakthrough Needs This Season

    2–3 minutes

    The idea of the overnight success is a myth that refuses to die. We see someone suddenly explode onto the scene and assume everything happened in a moment. Yet behind every fast rise is a long stretch of effort that most people never notice. It is the flat part of the graph that makes the spike possible.

    Think of the classic hockey stick chart. The line stays perfectly flat for a long time. Nothing about it feels inspiring. Nothing about it looks like progress. Then suddenly, the curve tilts upward and shoots toward the sky. It appears dramatic and instant. But the truth is that the dramatic moment depends entirely on the slow one.

    The flat part of the graph is where most of life’s meaningful progress happens. It is where you take steps that feel small and repetitive. It is where you show up without much to show for it. It is where your effort rarely gets noticed or celebrated. And it is where people often feel the strongest urge to quit.

    Yet this stage is essential. The early groundwork is not wasted time. It is the hidden compounding that eventually creates momentum. The small things you do, even when they seem pointless, become the building blocks of your future breakthrough. This is the heart of the Matthew Effect, where small advantages accumulate until they become large ones.

    The only way to reach exponential growth is by staying in the flat part long enough.

    If 2025 felt slow or discouraging, it does not mean you are off track. It may mean you are in the most important season of your growth. The danger is not in going slowly. The danger is in stopping too soon. People often quit in the flat part, unaware of how close they are to the curve shifting upward.

    You cannot predict when your spike will happen. But you can be certain that it will never arrive if you abandon the work that builds it. Staying consistent during the quiet season is what unlocks the exponential season.

    If you are in the flat part right now, stay the course. You are building the conditions for your future breakthrough, even if you cannot see them yet. Keep moving. Keep compounding. Your curve is coming.

    GabrielCruzPerez
  • The AI Playbook: How Business Owners Can Work Smarter, Not Harder

    The AI Playbook: How Business Owners Can Work Smarter, Not Harder

    3–5 minutes

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to make you unstoppable.

    For years, business owners have faced the same fear every time a new technology emerges: “Is this going to replace me?” First it was online marketplaces. Then automated systems. Now it’s AI.

    The truth? AI won’t replace you. But business owners who learn to use AI will absolutely outperform those who don’t.

    Here’s your playbook for separating myth from reality — and putting AI to work for your business today.

    1. Shift Your Mindset: AI Raises the Baseline

    Think back to school research papers. The old baseline was writing from scratch. Today, students can ask AI to generate a summary of the Roman Empire. But the assignment hasn’t disappeared — it’s just evolved. Now students are asked to interpret lessons from history or apply them to modern society.

    That’s what AI is doing for us as professionals. It’s raising the baseline. The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time is today.

    2. Bust the 7 Myths That Hold Businesses Back

    Many fears about AI are based on outdated or exaggerated ideas. Let’s set the record straight:

    • Myth 1: AI has human-like understanding.
      It doesn’t. It’s an engine predicting patterns.
    • Myth 2: AI is always accurate.
      Garbage in = garbage out. Inputs matter.
    • Myth 3: You need technical expertise.
      Not true. The tools are designed to be user-friendly.
    • Myth 4: AI only creates robotic content.
      It feels robotic at first, but personalization changes everything.
    • Myth 5: AI is just a search engine.
      That’s how most use it, but the real power is in advice and daily assistance.
    • Myth 6: AI replaces relationships.
      No — it enhances them by freeing your time for human connection.
    • Myth 7: You have plenty of time to adopt it.
      Wrong. AI is advancing faster than any previous wave of technology.

    AI won’t replace you — but business owners who use AI will outperform those who don’t.

    3. Understand What’s Happening “Under the Hood”

    Think of AI like your phone’s autocomplete on steroids. Your device predicts “Facebook” when you type “F.” AI does the same, but with billions of word combinations drawn from hundreds of millions of books.

    It doesn’t “think” — it predicts the most likely useful output. When you understand that, you can see why inputs and context matter so much.

    4. Personalize Your AI Assistant

    AI becomes powerful when you treat it like your executive assistant. Most people skip this step. Instead of bouncing between tools, pick one and train it.

    You can set tone (friendly or formal), communication style (succinct or detailed), and even upload files like past emails, business goals, or a DISC personality assessment. The more you share, the more AI can mirror your workflow and voice.

    5. Use Prompt Frameworks to Get Better Results

    The RICE method makes prompting simple:

    • Role → “Act as a marketing strategist.”
    • Instructions → “Write a LinkedIn post under 200 words.”
    • Context → “Audience: small business owners exploring AI.”
    • Examples → “Use this past post as a style guide.”

    Add hacks like “show sources,” “give me 3 options,” or “point out blind spots” to sharpen outputs.

    AI handles the busywork so you can be more human, more often, with more people.

    6. Put AI to Work in Real Business Scenarios

    AI isn’t theory. Here are practical applications you can use today:

    • Marketing: Create newsletters, blogs, or social posts in minutes.
    • Operations: Summarize long reports and generate action plans.
    • Client Service: Use AI note-takers in meetings so you can focus fully.
    • Real Estate Example: Upload photos, and AI will generate a property description, postcard copy, and Instagram captions in seconds.
    • Consulting Example: Upload a 40-page report, and AI can highlight the three most pressing issues with estimated costs.

    In every case, AI compresses hours of work into minutes.

    7. Stay Safe and Compliant

    A few ground rules protect you and your clients:

    • Assume everything you type into AI could become public.
    • Never upload private info like Social Security numbers.
    • Crop sensitive data from financial docs before sharing.
    • Always verify outputs — AI can “hallucinate” when uncertain.

    8. Your Action Plan: Start Today

    Don’t get overwhelmed by endless tools. Pick one AI platform, personalize it, and commit to using it daily. Upload your business goals, set your communication style, and begin with small recurring tasks.

    A great test: ask your AI, “If I won a million dollars, how would I spend it?” If the answer feels accurate, you know it’s getting to know you.

    AI isn’t about doing your job for you. It’s about clearing the busywork so you can focus on high-value human work.

    The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time is today.

    GabrielCruzPerez
  • How Real Estate Agents Can Turn 200 Contacts Into 10 Deals a Year

    How Real Estate Agents Can Turn 200 Contacts Into 10 Deals a Year

    2–3 minutes

    The most overlooked asset in a real estate agent’s business isn’t a fancy CRM or the latest marketing trend—it’s their database.

    If you’ve been working in real estate for any length of time, chances are you already know a few hundred people. But the big question is: are you doing anything intentional with that list?

    Let’s talk about how you can turn your existing database into 10–20 deals per year using a simple, proven system called the 36 Touch Plan.

    Your Database: The Hidden Goldmine

    Most agents fall into one of three categories:

    1. They don’t have a database at all.
    2. They have one, but it’s scattered across different platforms.
    3. They have one, but it’s disorganized and missing contact info.

    If you’re in any of these camps—good news. Fixing it is your fastest path to more business.

    The first step? Consolidate your contacts into one place. Excel sheet, CRM, Google Contacts—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s clean, centralized, and accessible.

    The ROI of Staying in Touch

    Here’s the math:
    A database of 200 people × 5–10% return = 10–20 opportunities per year.

    “You don’t need thousands of leads—you need to work the list you already have.”

    And no, that doesn’t mean 10–20 guaranteed closings. It could include leases, referrals, or warm leads. But over time, this compounds into consistent business you don’t have to chase.

    The 36 Touch Plan, Explained

    Originally popularized in The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Jay Papasan, the 36 Touch Plan is a structured way to stay in front of your contacts year-round.

    Here’s how it breaks down:

    1. Quarterly Calls (4 touches)

    Use the FORD method:

    • Family
    • Occupation
    • Recreation
    • Dreams

    You don’t need to pitch—just check in, stay human, and be present.

    2. Handwritten Notes (4 touches)

    These are rare and powerful. Ideas include:

    • Birthday cards
    • Home anniversary notes
    • Holiday cards
    • “Thinking of you” notes

    Even sending one per quarter makes a big impression.

    3. Monthly Newsletters (12 touches)

    You’re not sending a novel. Two paragraphs will do.

    Include:

    • A market update (what YOU are seeing locally)
    • Any recent closings or client stories
    • Wins, tips, or lessons from the field

    Pro Tip: Use AI tools like ChatGPT to polish your draft. Add royalty-free images from Pexels and hit send.

    Photo by Vidal Balielo Jr. on Pexels.com

    4. Quarterly Events or Giveaways (16 touches)

    Yes—16 touches from just 4 events. Here’s how:

    • Save the Date
    • Reminder Call/Text
    • At the Event
    • Post-event Follow-Up

    “It doesn’t matter if they show up—the magic is in the touches.”

    Low-cost ideas:

    • Ice cream meet-up
    • Local park coffee gathering
    • Giveaway of a Yeti cooler or gift card

    Bonus: The DTD2 System

    Created by a KW agent, this weekly calling system makes the whole plan manageable.

    Each week, you contact people based on the first letter of their last name:

    • Week 1: A & W
    • Week 2: B & X
      …and so on.

    This keeps your outreach steady and removes the guesswork.

    You Don’t Need More Leads—You Need a System

    Let’s recap:

    • Organize your database
    • Work the 36 Touch Plan
    • Stick with it for 12 months

    You’ll see your pipeline fill—not from cold leads or paid ads—but from the people already in your world.

    If you’re ready to start seeing consistent closings from the contacts you already have, the system is waiting. All it takes is structure, consistency, and a bit of follow-through.

    GabrielCruzPerez