[quote style=”boxed”]I take action, simple as that. Without actions, ideas are just ideas. Way too many people have great ideas, but are too afraid to take action. That’s all it comes down to.[/quote]
Brian Moran is the Director of Online Sales at Get 10,000 Fans. Get 10,000 Fans is a marketing agency and blog that teaches business owners how to attract new leads and make money off their Facebook fan pages. Brian had personal success utilizing Facebook marketing to promote his business, trainbaseball.com, and wanted to help other small businesses get increased sales through social media as well. Get 10,000 Fans launched in November 2010.
Brian graduated from Grove City College in western Pennsylvania in 2009 with a degree in marketing. During his time at GCC, he played baseball for the Wolverines.
What are you working on right now?
I’m creating more training products that help businesses monetize social media and the internet in general. So many companies are abandoning their social media strategies because they’re realizing that huge fan pages are nice, but they don’t pay the bills. My goal is to help them pay the bills using social media.
Where did the idea for Get 10,000 Fans come from?
My first business, Train Baseball, struggled at first, until I figured out how to grow my fan page rather quickly. I added 10,284 fans in less than 60 days, and that was the start of Get 10,000 Fans. Based on that story of my success, I created Get 10,000 Fans to teach those techniques to small business owners.
What does your typical day look like?
I wake up around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. and have coffee with my wife. I make a point to do that each morning because my corporate job robbed me of that. I had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning and leave the house before my wife ever woke up. I vowed to never have that happen again. I’ll work a little bit during the mid-morning, head to the gym, come home, and have lunch with her and/or my brother, my business partner. I work a little while longer and then relax for the rest of the day. Of course, there are days I work more or less, but that’s a typical day!
How do you bring ideas to life?
I take action, simple as that. Without actions, ideas are just ideas. Way too many people have great ideas, but are too afraid to take action. That’s all it comes down to.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
The internet excites me. So many things change every single day that it gives the little guy a chance in today’s world. Everything’s changing so fast that I just try to be where I think it’s heading.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
My first job out of college was the worst. I was a corporate consultant, which sounded good at first, until I realized that it meant sitting at a desk, taking orders all day long. I was doing something I wasn’t qualified for, nor passionate about. I learned that doing what you’re passionate about is more valuable than any income. I would do what I do now for next to nothing. It’s not about the money. It’s about being in control, and doing what I love to do, when I want to do it.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I’d take action sooner. I would have created products faster and sought out help earlier.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I take action. I truly believe that’s the only thing separating me from others. I won’t let anything outwork me, ever. I believe in myself too much to let it happen, and that’s what keeps me going.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
That’s a tough one. The “big idea” that applies to any business is that one-trick ponies don’t work. If you think you have an idea, you need another. If Apple had stopped at the iPod, they’d be out of business. They needed other products to create the business they have today.
Tell us a secret.
I’d take a strawberry margarita over a beer any day of the week.
What are your three favorite online tools and what do you love about them?
1) AWeber, because it lets me easily communicate with thousands of our customers every single day. I couldn’t do what I do without it.
2) Dropbox, because it lets me easily share and store all my info, and I’ve been known to have computers crash fairly frequently, so it’s a lifesaver!
3) Snagit lets me easily take screenshots and record quick videos, saving me tons of time.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Ready. Fire. Aim. by Michael Masterson is my recommendation. It’s a fantastic book about what it really takes to build a 7-figure business in a hurry. It centers on cutting out the crap and really focusing on what matters.
What’s on your playlist?
I listen to audio books, mostly about business. I also listen to some about relationships and self-image. Whether I’m at the gym or in the car, unless an Orioles game is on, I’m usually listening to things that allow me to grow in some way.
If you weren’t working on Get 10,000 Fans, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be working at my old desk job. If I had my choice, I’d be coaching high school or college baseball.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
I’m not a Twitter user, even though I have an account. So, to save yourself time, you could be working on something you’re passionate about. Turn off Twitter, and go do that!
When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
I laughed yesterday with my brother. When we’re not working, we’re usually laughing about something.
Who is your hero?
My dad is my hero. He inspired me to be my own boss and to always believe I could do anything.
What’s the primary reason you started your business?
I started my business to give my wife and children a better life, and to be the husband and father that they deserve to have.
What’s the most rewarding part about doing what you love?
It’s definitely hearing back from happy customers who have used my training to better their lives and their businesses.
Connect:
Brian Moran’s Email: [email protected]
Brian Moran on LinkedIn:
Get10,000 Fans’s Website:
Get 10,000 Fans on Facebook:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.