A widespread circulation of new businesses across the globe in the last year and a half can be accredited to the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Living in isolation certainly caused many people to confront their financial situations in less than ideal ways. Many took to hobbies and realized that they could monetize them for extra cash while others truly just needed to pivot in order to make ends meet. By July 2020 applications for business start ups hit an all-time peak. To add to that, for every month between August 2020 and April 2021 the gross total was higher than any of the months between 2004 and the onset of the pandemic. This increase heavily emphasized the state of the world in the wake of the pandemic and the numbers today only continue to incline upward.
Business mogul Travis Chappell is already successfully seasoned with leadership experience ranging from launching his own landscaping business as a teenager, to managing door to door sales for six years, to building his own brand and birthing his acclaimed podcast show, Build Your Network. Chappell’s experiences in the leadership role continued to teach him lesson after lesson and with the quality of grounding he has under his belt, has surely applied more than a thing or two. Chappell states, “The difference between a leader and a manager is that a manager tells you what to do from the back. A leader shows you what to do from the front. Be the leader.” This valuable hindsight can be easily be seen when observing his credentials: Build Your Network currently has a total of over 2 million downloads and Chappell has built a social media following of 46.5K Instagram followers all eager to absorb the content he puts out. The content of course is emblematic of the brand he has built, encouraging followers the value of cultivating community and giving practical advice for gaining insight on immense personal growth. Chappell’s networking has in turn built for an impressive roster of guests including the likes of Shaq, Rob Dyrdek, Matt Barnes, Tomi Lahren, and hundreds of others, each guest lending meaningful exchanges to Chappell’s show no matter the subject, even controversial topics such as vaccinations or going viral. His innate desire for utilizing authentic relational connections in order to build a successful brand has continued to simmer in other business aspects, most prominently through Guestio.
Guestio is a software designed by Chappell and launched mid-pandemic built to help others increase the success of their businesses. Podcast show hosts have the ability to connect with top level talent they otherwise would not have access to and furthermore also allows show hosts the opportunity to rake in revenue based on the sponsored guests they are able to have on their show. Guestio was, and currently remains, the only solution of its kind to help connect businesses and show hosts and in turn assist them in not just thriving, but flourishing in the industry through the art of networking. Chappell is steadfast to his belief in the importance of networking to build a successful brand and business stating, “Your network will increase in direct proportion to the amount of value you can add to others. If you want a more valuable network, become a more valuable person to connect with.” The mentality that creating a valuable network starts within yourself is deeply important, once again cementing that good leadership begins with the quality you yourself put out as an individual; the behaviour you accept from yourself, the thoughts you choose to ruminate on in your head.
The message for those eager to get started on launching a business start up ought to take Chappell’s advice and make sure they are putting the work in themselves in order to perpetuate a trend of demanding quality content in every possible facet as they see growth in their business. Taking that a step further, for those directly launching a business in the podcast industry, utilizing not only this advice but taking action through the aid of Guestio is sure to offer immense strategic advantage as you move forward. The last advice Chappell offers is this: “Mindset is everything. Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right. It all starts in your mind. This is why networking is so important. The number one factor that contributed to my ability to think bigger than myself was getting around high level people and being a fly on the wall. The way they communicate, the numbers they talk about, the people they know—it’s all way bigger than I had ever thought. You can only achieve to the level that you believe you can.”
Instagram: @travischappell
Twitter: @traviscchappell
@guestioapp
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.