Understanding your ideal client means knowing their problems. But here's the challenge: The first problem they tell you usually isn't the real problem. Keep asking: Why? What? How? For example, a bookkeeping prospect might tell me: Client: “My bookkeeping is behind.” Me: “Why is that a problem?” Client: “I don't know if my numbers are accurate.” Me: “What does that prevent you from doing?” Client: “I don't really know how much money I'm making.” Me: “And how does that affect the business?” Client: “I don't know if I can afford to hire someone, increase my own pay, or even whether my prices are high enough.” 💡 THERE'S the real problem. The surface problem was: ❌ “My bookkeeping is behind.” The deeper problem is: 🔥 “I don't have enough financial clarity to confidently make decisions about my business.” That's a completely different problem—and it changes how we communicate our value. Your customers aren't necessarily buying the service you provide. They're buying the transformation that solving their real problem creates. So keep digging. Ask Why? Ask What happens because of that? Ask How does that affect you? Eventually, you'll get beyond the surface-level answer. What is your ideal client's BIGGEST problem? Don't tell us what service they need. Tell us the problem they desperately want solved. Let's start Doing Business Right! DBR

Today is one of my favorite days of the year: Drum Corps International (DCI) Finals. And if you didn't know this little piece of my history, I marched with the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1999, 2000, and 2002. Three summers. Three summers of sweat. Long rehearsals in the heat. Traveling around the country. Sleeping on gym floors. Eating meals out of a food truck. Rehearsing the same few seconds of music or drill over and over again until we got it right. And then… Those incredible performances under the stadium lights. There really isn't anything quite like drum corps. It's an activity that brings around 150 people together with one goal: Create something incredible together. Music. Movement. Precision. Emotion. Athleticism. Everyone has an individual responsibility, but the magic only happens when everyone executes together. If you've never seen drum corps before, go search DCI on YouTube and watch a few performances. But if you REALLY want to understand it… Go see it live. The sound. The energy. The power. It's one of the most incredible things you'll ever experience. Drum corps had a tremendous impact on who I became. It taught me about discipline. Teamwork. Leadership. Consistency. Attention to detail. A nd what can happen when a group of people commits to something bigger than themselves. Those lessons followed me into the Army, education, conducting, and eventually entrepreneurship. So tonight, I'm raising a glass to 🍻 every alumnus who knows exactly what those summers meant. To the instructors, volunteers, families, and everyone who keeps this incredible activity moving forward. And most importantly… To every performer stepping onto that field tonight. You've put in the work. You've survived the rehearsals. You've made the memories. Now you get one more opportunity to perform with the people who have spent an entire summer beside you. Give it everything you've got. Years from now, you might forget a score or placement. But you'll never forget what it felt like to walk onto that field together.

One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when developing an offer is starting with: “What do I want to sell?” Instead, start with: “What does my ideal customer actually want?” And I mean REALLY want. Knowing their age, profession, income, or industry is helpful—but that's demographics. You need to go deeper. What frustrates them? What keeps happening that they wish would stop? What are they afraid might happen? What have they already tried? And most importantly… What outcome would make them say, “YES. That's exactly what I want!” Here are 5 ways to understand your ideal customer on a deeper level: 1️⃣ Talk to actual customers. Don't assume you know their problems. Ask. Talk to current clients, former clients, prospects, and people who fit your target market. Ask questions like: “What was happening when you realized you needed help?” “What frustrated you the most?” “What would the ideal solution look like?” Then LISTEN. Their exact words can become some of your best marketing language. 2️⃣ Keep asking “WHY?” Your customer's first answer usually isn't the deepest answer. “I want to make more money.” Why? “I want my business to be more stable.” Why does that matter? “Because I'm tired of worrying about whether I can pay myself every month.” NOW we're getting somewhere. Don't stop at the surface-level problem. Find the emotion underneath it. 3️⃣ Study what they've already tried. Your ideal customer probably hasn't been sitting around doing nothing. They've watched YouTube videos. Downloaded templates. Bought software. Hired someone. Tried doing it themselves. Why didn't those solutions work? Understanding what they've already tried helps you build an offer that addresses the gaps they experienced before. 4️⃣ Separate what they NEED from what they VALUE. This is HUGE. You might know what someone needs professionally. But that doesn't mean it's what they value enough to pay for. A business owner might NEED better bookkeeping. But what do they really value?