She Picked Deck Builders and Went All In

Full transcript of Josh Nelson’s interview with April Edwards. Lightly edited for readability.

Josh Nelson: Hello, and welcome to the Seven Figure Agency podcast, where we're interviewing highly successful digital marketing agencies from across the country. And today I am super excited to have April Edwards with us from Deck Marketers, Deck Builder Marketers, a longtime member of the Seven Figure Agency. Amazing individual. I can't wait to sh- have her share her story with you today. So, if you're excited, hit the like button, drop a comment, type April in the chat. And, April, thank you so much for being here.

April Edwards: You know I'm pumped to be here. I'll do anything you want me to. I owe you guys so much. You're incredible, and we're gonna have a good time today.

Josh Nelson: Oh, I'm looking forward to it. So I guess to kick us off, you know, you've got, you've got the agency now running seven figures, which is amazing, but tell us a little bit about kind of the story, how you got into the digital marketing game and kind of how you got your feet wet in starting your own agency.

April Edwards: So whenever I start telling this story, that's when my age comes to life. And let's just say, like, it takes experience. There are some people in Seven Figure Agency that have grown really quickly. But there's others like me that have been in this space for a while, and it kind of took me a while to really figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Mm. So, I went to art school. I was all set to be a starving artist. I just wanted to be creative and make things, and, I went to college in '99 during the internet boom and started to learn how to code websites. And, I ended up, doing flashy animation. So if you know what that is- Yeah… It's basically when I would make things look interactive on a website. My first job out of school, I worked for a division of American Greetings Interactive and developed some of the first emoticons and avatars for the MSN Messenger platform.

Josh Nelson: Oh, wow. Okay.

April Edwards: It was pretty cool, but it was a contract position, so after my contract was up, I had to go and find another job. Since then, I've worked at, a in-house, I've been an in-house designer, package designer. But I always ended up focusing on the digital side because I knew how to code and do interactive stuff and create experiences. And so I, just kind of gradually developed my skill set, by having to fake it till I make it and just be put in a position where people are like, "Oh, we believe in you. You can do this." And I'm like, "Sure, I'll do it." And so I learned email marketing and, SEO and, I started my own agency after working in San Diego as a contractor with different agencies, and after a while I just realized, hey, there's no more security working for someone else. I might as well just do this on my own. And I always did freelance, so I just kind of put my big girl pants on and took it a little bit more seriously and started my own agency, and still more focused on the creative side. We were developing websites and, still doing email marketing. That was always kind of my core marketing, skill set. And then after a while of doing that, I realized, you know, like we're, I'm, I'm birthing these babies, you know, with these websites. I'm creating these amazing marketing hubs, and I'm putting like my blood, sweat and tears into it, but then they're just sitting there doing nothing. Mm. And so I hated that. Like, I wanted to be able to make a bigger impact. And so that's when I was like, okay, we really need to go full f- full-fledged into this marketing thing because it's not build it and they will come. And, and I wanted to make sure that, you know, my clients were set up on a good, foundation, but also that the work I was doing wasn't just subjective in terms of design, but actually making a real impact. – Mm-hmm… And so that's where really the marketing journey started with the company has been named, what was it? AE Graphic Design, then it was AE Design Co., and, now we're actually, we are relaunching that brand right now, and we're going to apply everything that you've taught us with niching down to that agency. Okay. But after a while with AE Design Co., I, we were doing everything for everyone, you know? And the way I like to explain it to our deck builders is that we were kind of the general construction company of marketing agencies- Mm… Literally doing like indoor renovations, outdoor renovations, roofing, windows, all that stuff because we had such a variety of clients, and I loved it. It was great. We sold, digital strategy blueprints, and it was kind of like, you know, the, the plan, the blueprint for your marketing. Mm-hmm. And I love that strategy of being able to, like, problem solve and be like, "Okay, this is, like this is your audience, this is what you're trying to do, these are your goals," and like reverse engineer a plan. But it just wasn't scalable, Josh. You know? It wasn't scalable. And then I got to a place where it was like, I feel like I need to learn, I need to figure out what I'm gonna do when I grow up again, you know? Now that I've reached this new phase and I have kids, you know- Mm… Everything kind of changes. Mm-hmm. I joined a few different coaching groups over the years, and then da, da, da, I found out about you, and that's where everything changed. So that's the backstory.

Josh Nelson: Love it. So k- kind of like cut your teeth in actually learning how to do designs, and that shines through in everything you do. And then you started a design company, kind of hit the, hit the wall of like, wow, project work isn't sustainable. You know, it's not getting me where I want to go. Talk to us about the decision to niche down, why you chose deck builders and w- kind of like that whole decision process.

April Edwards: Yeah. One of my last coaches is somebody that you know, and great system, all about systematizing and, you know, productizing your offering and like serving one-to-one and one-to-many and this whole principle, and it was fabulous, but I could not make it work because I wasn't niched down. And if I would have been niched down, that whole thing would've worked. Mm-hmm. And so I just k- was still feeling lost, and I'm like, "I'm on this journey, and, like, I really want it, but I can't, I can't figure it out." and so then, you know, of course I read your book, which I'm sure everybody says. And by the way, I got a book too 'cause of you guys. So good. And, you know, and then that's when I started to really look at the type of clients that I enjoyed working with the most- Mm… And those that I had the most success with. And, that's when I decided to go all in with deck builders. And, you know, it was s- scary. I mean, it's not like I had worked in the industry before. I literally had one client that seriously we were able to scale their business so successfully with what I ended up building without even realizing it, which is the deck builder marketing system that we use today. Yeah. So I'm really fortunate though. I think some people decide to niche down, and they kind of have to try a couple angles, you know, a couple different niches before they find what they really like. Mm-hmm. And, I love my guys. I absolutely love the space. They're all really good people. And, and that was a- another big change for me in my business where I really need to focus on what drove me because I didn't want… I never wanted to, like, make a ton of money. I wanted to go to art school and be a starving artist. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. And I had to do some soul searching to really figure out why did God put this, like, this business in my hands because it was never something that I thought was gonna be me, and I- Yeah… Struggled with that. I'm like, "What am I doing?" Like, I'm just in this space where I'm, like, trying to make other people money, you know? W- like, what's so exciting about that? But then I finally got to the conclusion that I have such an amazing opportunity to be a leader in a way that I can make a really big impact in people's lives. And so having the background that I have, as do most of us, where you know what it's like to struggle. I mean, I had a baby I was rocking in the chair, you know, my toddler was in my lap, and I was trying to spend time with my friends in Phoenix that I hadn't seen forever, and I was working the whole time, you know? Mm-hmm. Because if your availability, if your revenue is dependent on your availability, you've just created a job for yourself, and that's what a lot of these deck builders have done too. And so it's interesting because we're in a different space, but our stories are really similar. Yeah. So anyway, our mission is to,… Our mission is to, build potential, impact lives, and, just, you know, make a difference. And, we get to do that by helping these business owners first get clarity and, like, feed their business through marketing, and then that all trickles down. You know? Then they're able to, build up a team so that they could spend more time with their families and, you know, and then build up a team that shares the same culture and mindset, and their families are impacted. They get to build beautiful outdoor living spaces and improve those, homeowners' lives, and we're kind of the matchmaker. It's kind of cool. Yeah. You know?

Josh Nelson: Love that. Love your, love your passion for the industry and really not just making money, but really helping them accomplish more in their lives and kind of how it parodies how you've tried to do that in your own life and business. So w- like approximately what was the revenue in the business, you know, when you were AE Designs, you know? And, like, kind of where, where did you kind of hit the plateau with that side?

April Edwards: I think we were about e- we, at the time I would say 18 to 20,000 MRR, but it really wasn't MRR. Mm. We were hourly based, and it was kind of like, okay, this is the average of what we bring in. We didn't have contracts. We just had really great, lasting partnerships and clients that have been with us for a really long time. Mm. You know? So I knew there was some value there, I just hadn't figured out the magic formula.

Josh Nelson: Got it. So about 18 to 20 any given month, project work, you know, but pretty steady, right? You knew you could rely on it, but it was all you doing the work.

April Edwards: Decided to make the transition to focusing on deck builders and really building the growth system for that industry.

Josh Nelson: Mm-hmm. What's the approximate client base recurring revenue if you're comfortable? If you're not comfortable, you don't have- Mm-hmm… A stated exact number.

April Edwards: At the time when I was making the transition?

Josh Nelson: At this point, like where we are, where we are today.

April Edwards: Oh, yeah. Well, and this is part of the story and the vulnerability in this podcast- Mm… That I want to share, is that, when you asked me to be on this podcast, I was at 112 MRR, and now we're at 102. Okay. And so there's a story there, and I think it's important. Why? Yeah.

Josh Nelson: Well, either way, obviously there's a story there. It's a little bit of a, of a decline in terms of- Mm… Top-line revenue, but a massive transition, right? Now, now you've got this thriving business. W- how did going niche help you get that level of accelerated growth, and how were you able to structure the team, which I think it sounds like is a big piece of what you were trying to accomplish- Mm-hmm… So you don't have to do it all yourself?

April Edwards: Yeah, yeah. And, and it's, that's hard too, you know? Because we're kind of, as entrepreneurs, we're unicorns is what I like to say, and it's really hard to let go. And, b- like, it's taken me a bit to realize that my biggest strength is coaching. Mm. Is coaching my team. But anyway, I'm sorry. Your question, I went down a, a tangent.

Josh Nelson: No, I guess the question was how were you able to… Like, how did- Mm… Going niche help you accelerate the revenue and kind of create that freedom that you, that you've been looking for?

April Edwards: Yeah. So as you can see, my mind goes in a million different ways, but, I would say the biggest is, being able to practice what I preach. Mm. So before, how was I gonna market my agency? We were d- working with an international pressure calibration manufacturer, a fertility clinic, a paver company, you know, a death metal merchandiser. It was all over the place. How are you supposed to market that? And marketing 101 is, you know, right message, right time, right- right audience. Mm-hmm. And so I would say that's the biggest, is that I was able to practice what I preach and market to a particular audience, and go all in, too. Mm-hmm. Josh has asked me to speak at the next intensive and talk about, the power of, you know, joining an association and leveraging those relationships, and that's been a really big thing. So now that I'm super focused, not only do I provide one type of service to one audience, but even at this point, I- we've got plans, like we really wanna be their growth partner. Mm-hmm. And so we're making, you know, tweaks and adding to what we're doing to help them in more ways than just lead generation.

Josh Nelson: Yeah. Love it. Y- you know, amazing transition there. Can you talk to us a little bit, and I do wanna get back to that teaser on the revenue drop and the story behind it, but talk to us a little bit about what the program looks like. So you go into a deck builder, and like what is it that you're… What are the deliverables in a, in a typical scenario?

April Edwards: Yeah. So, our core offering is, SEO, and the way I like to explain it to people is that, not that your audience doesn't know, but, SEO is the matchmaker between the brand and, Google. Mm-hmm. And so we focus a lot on that so that they have compounded results over time. And that's really the core of everything that we do. Then we add on from there with, you know, Google Ads and, Facebook Ads, and email marketing and, you know, other things. But just to keep it simple, I'd say that.

Josh Nelson: Perfect. So it's, it's kind of a mix of all of the revenue drivers. Can you talk a little bit about how you package it and kind of what the, what the pricing is?

April Edwards: Yeah. We are in the middle of transitioning it because, one thing that we have… The, I would say the hardest part in owning an agency and working in this space is setting really clear expectations, and we aren't… This isn't a magic bullet. Like, we're really trying to build their brand in the long run, and so we've, we're moving our system from talking about it in programs, three different programs, to talking about it as phases in your growth. So our first phase is foundation, and it's pretty much SEO only, you know, website, reputation management, like lead management system, that type of stuff. 1,500 a month. That is completely going to change because at this point in the game, we need to be doing more in order to get these guys better results. So our pricing is gonna go up, but we're gonna be adding in so much value. The second phase is growth, and that's everything in foundation, with Google Ads. The price for that is 3,500, and, we recommend a minimum ad spend of 1,500, and then we'll throttle that up based off of your goals. And then the third program is dominate, and that's when, like we're all in on omnipresence. We're doing all the things, all the digital marketing- Mm-hmm… SEO, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, lead magnets with funnels, email marketing, triple, l- well, quadruple the amount of content in order to really move the nee- needle from an SEO perspective. A lot of these type of clients will have multiple locations, and so we'll have a $595 add-on for, managing that additional Google Business listing to try and get them to rank a little bit higher, in those, different areas. We also have a $4,500 setup fee, which can be, can sound a lot for different agencies. A lot of agencies don't have that, or it's a lot smaller, or they just have like a different month one fee, but we do so much in what I call our, deck builder marketing system set up. We are, we're getting everything set up in their name, you know, all of their tracking stuff, the lead management system. We're analyzing their offline presence and their online presence and helping them make things very cohesive. We're getting all their templates set up for social media, email marketing, their campaigns, really helping them get us what we need too, because- Mm-hmm… There is some work that our clients have to do in the beginning, which the most valuable thing they can do is just provide us images of their projects and really explain what they did with that project, help us understand the materials, the price range, and things like that, so that we can build amazing, essentially, case studies for them. So there's just a lot that goes into that, and of course, I forgot to say the most important, which is the marketing hub, which is the website. Mm-hmm. So, we go all in on the website. We have broken it down into two phases so that we can get like the stuff that Google wants to see up quickly, because that is the most important thing. Like, you have got to be fast to execute- Yeah. Mm-hmm… Because it takes a while for all of this to start ramping up, for Google to go through its learning phase and for you to get traction, that like the longer you delay, the longer it's going to take. So yeah, anyway, to answer your question, we do a lot in the setup, and we've got a larger fee, but I think the value is amazing. We should probably be saying that it's a $10,000 value, and if you- Mm-hmm… Itemized all these things, it would cost you so much money. But yeah, we'll be, we'll be raising our rates and kind of tweaking some things in the program. We're offering coaching now. Okay. It's just included in our programs. Cool. We do a biweekly coaching call, with all of our clients, and we have a topic, and then it's just like an open mastermind, and it's so cool because I learn so much in those calls. Mm-hmm. We learn ways to improve what we're doing, and then it's so cool to see the deck builders support one another and jam out on things that, you know, maybe are outside of the scope of digital marketing. But it's really cool to be that conduit You know, to bring people together in that way. Oh, yeah. And we also, I keep saying we're releasing it soon. I have to check with my team to see when we're gonna get the final tweaks together, but, we're c- it's our client success hub, and it's packed- Mm… Full of, tips and resources, A, like so that they can kind of understand this digital marketing thing a little bit, you know, in case they're like, "Wait, what is conversion rate?" – Mm… But more so giving them the support in order to, you know, help them in ways that are outside of our control, things that they can be doing, 'cause this really is a partnership, you know? We're building the system, and we're kind of running it, but there are other things that they can be doing offline, in more traditional type of marketing that are all going to work together to build something really beautiful. So we're just, trying to, trying to jam in the value.

Josh Nelson: So good. Great explanation of kinda what the, what the program package looks like. Sounds like it's a range between 2,000 and $10,000 a month, depending upon how large they are and what they've got going on, and it's really, it's not itemized services. It's how can we accelerate your growth, and where are you at in your business right now, what do you need, and plugging the right program in. One of the, one of the main questions we get from listeners on th- on this particular show is, all right, you've chosen the niche, you've decided what you're gonna sell. How did you get the first five clients? Kinda get to that initial level of critical mass. What was your approach? Cold outreach. Yeah?

April Edwards: Yeah. Well, cold outreach and Facebook ads. Mm. So, a combination of all of that, and just really, getting… I mean, I would say the initial clients were kind of the beta phase, you know what I mean? Yeah. Like, you're really… My, the first year, I was just trying to understand my audience. Mm-hmm. You know? And like asking questions and getting on as many strategy sessions as I could. And then the biggest was joining the agency or the association. Mm-hmm. And, I didn't even go to that to… I, you know, I, I wasn't, my intention was not to have a booth or anything like that. Like, I literally just wanted to go and learn and meet people and better understand them. And so yeah, that kind of, that's kinda how it happened, I guess.

Josh Nelson: So you had, you already had some experience in the deck space. You already had a client or two that you, kinda that's why you decided, hey, let's go down this path. It was cold, so like literally cold emails, cold DMs? Like, talk to us a little bit about what the cold approach was.

April Edwards: Hmm. Yeah, one thing that I think I forget to really note too is I think we have a really good strategy, that might not work for a lot of other agencies. Mm. But, remember when I said that, there's a lot about our businesses that are the same? And, and one of the biggest things is that we, I mean, they sell a high price tag luxury service. Yeah. Mine is not a luxury. It's like, don't shoot your, you know, yourself in the foot by like not doing marketing- Mm-hmm… Because it feeds the whole business. But it is, it could feel very expensive- Mm… For people, which I wanna challenge anybody here, like have the conversation about return on investment and how, you know, the results compound, and how important it is to keep at it even when people are backing down. I talk about this stuff so much because- Mm-hmm… I have to get my guys in the right mindset to understand how this is a crucial component of their business. But I digress again.

Josh Nelson: What, what was like, what was the cold out- what's the cold outreach approach that you used when you first- Oh, so social, yeah, social media.

April Edwards: So because they have really beautiful projects that they do- Mm-hmm… A lot of their projects on social media, and so I take their projects and like, you know, do comments. I spent, again, the first year was me really trying to understand my audience, and so, you know, even though I'm not crazy about social media, it's like I have to be on there. I have to see what people are doing, and so I would just scroll every morning. I actually like made it a task of spending at least 15 minutes and, you know, following people and scrolling and seeing what they're doing and seeing what they're posting and just getting the brand out there by like liking their stuff and commenting on it. And I think- Mm-hmm… That those are a lot of the like kind of mundane things that you need to do in the beginning to build up your audience that actually make a pretty big impact, and we still do it to this day.

Josh Nelson: Love it. So was that as April Edwards, or was that as Deck Builder Marketers page?

April Edwards: Like- Yep, Deck Builder Marketers.

Josh Nelson: Mm-hmm. Okay, so you were as the page going. Mm-hmm. You're following these deck building companies, liking their projects, saying, "Oh, that's really nice.

April Edwards: I really like it." Mm-hmm.

Josh Nelson: Did you then try and connect and slide into the DMs, or like how did you get their attention, you know, after those initial communication points?

April Edwards: Well, I do have to say that I think probably after I went trade show, I started to try and build up my own personal brand as well. So then I would try at that point- Yeah… To connect on a personal level through my own stuff and start conversations, and- Mm-hmm… You know, I've, we tested all kinds of things, like with, the cold email outreach, "Hey, can you handle three more deck projects?" But I've usually been just like, "Hey, like how's business doing? Just wanna let you know, like we're here." You know, just kind of planting a seed, and now we're just trying to get people on our list, you know? Like- Mm-hmm… Like this book is so invaluable, and just giving it to as many people as we can, and, just getting people to kinda consume the content because we need them to. It's just like I tell our deck builders, if somebody doesn't go to your website and they don't, they don't read the stuff and they don't do their research, they're not really primed. They don't get it yet, you know? Mm-hmm. They don't understand things in a way where you can just help them solve their problem. It's more about like proving that they need it, and who wants that, right? So- Yeah… At this point, you know, we did all of the cold stuff. Mm-hmm. And we did, you know, like in the beginning, you have more time than money, right? Yeah. And so now, little bit more money to invest and, able to be more omnipresent and focused on all of these things to bring in really high-quality leads. And so we've got a lot of just inbound leads that come from all of these, you know, events and association things that we're in. I'm a regular columnist for The Deck Specialist magazine, and people read it, and they, you know- Mm-hmm… And they find out about us, so.

Josh Nelson: So good. So it sounds like it was initially, got a list, started reaching out, started planting some seeds, got a handful of clients, major emphasis on getting results for those clients, right? So if you're listening, you're like, "How do I get, how do I get my expertise?" She spent a lot of time on one-to-ones with prospects, understanding the business, and she really was trying to figure out, what do I need to do to get a great result, right? And I think that that underlies- Mm-hmm… Entering any niche. You know, don't just try and sell it, right? Mm-hmm. You gotta really understand it. You gotta be able to deliver world-class results. And then once you did that, it sounds like you transitioned to positioning yourself as the expert, right? Being at the industry events, publishing that book. What other, like what other things would you say are part of your core mix that are attracting clients today?

April Edwards: Yeah. I also wanna say, again, like year one was beta mode, right? Like it was really testing different things out. And so we did have different… We've had two other programs that we've canceled since. And at first, we start- we tried to do an advertising only, but it's, it was too high of an entry point- Mm-hmm… For these guys. Yes, they could get quicker results, but I just kind of didn't feel good about it either because I'm like, once you turn the faucet off- Yeah… It's over. And then we tried a s- like a smaller SEO program just to kinda get these guys in the door and get them some traction. And it was successful for I- like 60%- Mm… Of the guys. I mean, some of them so successful, like part of that smaller program was they were required to move up to the next program. Mm. And a couple of them, well, one in particular I could think of, like he was so successful on it that it didn't really even make sense for him to move up. But his growth goals have changed since then now that he can see, the opportunity. But yeah, omnipresent, so podcasts, the book. We've got the Facebook group. We're ramping that up. We're doing monthly coaching in that. We have all of the, you know, we leverage our database with long-term nurture sequence. We've got a ton of lead magnets out there. We leverage those in our Facebook ads, and trying to build up a retargeting audience where we then go in for, you know, the ask for a free consultation. We were doing a lot of content creation last year, and our traffic is definitely excelled because of that. I think we're at about 2,500 visits a month, which is pretty- Yeah… Impressive when you consider there's like maybe 4,500 deck builders- That's good. Yeah… Out there. Kinda cool. And, what else? So anyway, this year we're transitioning more to, video- Yeah… Video content and then distributing that versus the blog content. And again, just being really helpful. I mean, that's what it's all about. I love all the coaching calls. I love it. Love it, love it, love it. 'Cause you're getting value and you're getting value, you know, kind of learning at the same time. Learning the problems- Yeah… That you can help them solve. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's been great. So good.

Josh Nelson: So if you had to point to like one key strategy like that most of your new clients come from, what would be the most predominant source?

April Edwards: It's the combination of all of the, offline- Mm… Stuff and the partnerships. So I think we get about 44% of our strategy sessions from people that found us through a combination- Mm… Of things, you know. Seeing the link on another deck builder's website at the bottom that says that we did it, so an indirect referral. Mm. You know, oh, there's another strategy that we use. There's a, they call it the NADRA Connect. So NADRA is the North American Deck and Railing Association. It is the association, and they kind of have our own community platform. And so whenev- and we just introduce ourself and say, "Hey, if there's anything you need help with, you know, let us know." So again, more of those like smaller things, but like we're, we're, we're just being helpful. We're saying, "Hey, we're here," you know? What am I missing? I talked about the Deck Specialist magazine, which has been really great. So yeah, just a big combination of things. Our second is SEO, which is surprising 'cause there's not really that many searches for, marketing for deck builders. Like it's almost too niche. Right. And I haven't even focused on SEO other than creating really good content. Mm. But yeah, I think that's about 30% of our leads.

Josh Nelson: And then like- Yeah, I would say your website- Mm… I was looking at it right before the meeting, is awesome. Deckbuildermarketers.com if you wanna check it out and benchmark. Just a really good niche-based, you know, full of great information, but also very directional. Talks about you and the team. Lots of like lead magnets to pop in for. Really, really well done.

April Edwards: Thank you. We're actually doing, 2.0 right now.

Josh Nelson: -oh, watch out. That 2.0 is gonna be next level, I'm sure.

April Edwards: Yeah. Yeah. I'm excited for, again, just to be helpful, and we've got a lot of great content on there. Mm. But I think it's kind of hard to understand like what to digest based off of your phase in business, so we're gonna be doing a whole resource, center where it'll be really easy for people to kinda figure out what to consume when.

Josh Nelson: So good. All right. So we've talked about how you get the clients. We've talked about what the program p- package looks like. Let's talk a little bit about delivery, right? You know, how do like, now we've got 100,000 in monthly recurring revenue. We got all these clients. How do you get it done? What does the team and the operational infrastructure look like?

April Edwards: Yeah. Well, at this point, I feel so blessed to say that I have an integrator, somebody you might know. And and, operations manager, she's kind of transitioning to what we're calling fulfillment director. Mm. So she's going to be the one in charge of, you know, obviously all the fulfillment. We're getting ready to hire for middle management, and that's gonna be a deal breaker. I mean, that's gonna be amazing. It's really gonna take us, like we're really gonna get to the next level. We have two pods right now. The pods consist of an account manager, a strategist a copywriter and an SEO person, and then we have, a handful of developers that kind of work in, both pods. And one designer that works in both pods. And then I have a marketing assistant, and, she's got a video editor. We just brought on a, finance and admin guy. Hmm. So that was our last thing that was being outsourced to an incredible person, absolutely incredible person. Worked with her for a couple years, she was really great, but we just needed somebody in-house to really be on those, EOS L10 meetings- Mm… And to have, like, be able to, spot outliers and kind of address things more proactively. Yeah. And then we have, you know, I have for the business and personal, I've got a, you know, a CPA, a financial advisor, and then we also have an HR resource. Hmm. So she's like the warm and fuzzy kind of business psychology resource. Mm-hmm. If the team is having a hard time, they can just reach out to her, and she'll give them a little business therapy, and then without disclosing any information, give the leadership team some recommendations to, you know, make sure that we're doing a good job for everyone.

Josh Nelson: So good. So it sounds like a great team structure. Is it, virtual, in office, a little bit of both?

April Edwards: Yeah, all virtual. Yeah. We have… The leadership team, apart from Alejandro, are all, US-based. Okay. But honestly, it really doesn't matter. Mm-hmm. I mean, we… Like, I would say one thing that I've got to spend more time to give my team props on is our recruitment process. Hmm. We've worked with different staffing agencies, but we've actually ki- come to the realization that we're killing it. Like, we've got a really good process, and so because of that, we're able to hire really amazing people in Latin America that, they just, they get it, they want it, and they have the capacity, at a, at a better, at, like, a b- like, a better level than what I could find in the US. Hmm. So yeah, virtual, and I have to say I'm so proud of our culture. We have such a great culture. We've… You know, I talked in the beginning about, how revenue has dropped some, and it's been our toughest… Like, this last quarter has been our toughest quarter. Hmm. We've had, we've had some leaks and, some embarrassments and, a lot of hard work and really having to solve a lot of problems. Like, it's been, it's been really exhausting, and I'm just like, "Hey, let's all recognize this. It's not gonna be like this forever." Hmm. "It's happening for a reason. It's gonna make us stronger." Mm-hmm. On the, you know, in the end. But we hired four new people in the last, well, in the span of two weeks, and, we have them meet one-on-one with every team member. Okay. Not to really talk business, just to, like, say, "Hey," like, "what do you like to do? Who are you?" That type of thing, you know? Get to know each other. Yeah. And then, and then we have, like, a check-in after, you know, the first week and the second week just to check in and see how they're doing, and I always wanna be the last one to meet with them. And, the feedback that I've gotten from all of the new people is how impressed they are and how we all work together, which better together is one of our core values. Love that. And being able to l- you know, like, get to the heart of a problem where people aren't, like, offended, but, like, we're all just really, you know, acknowledging what went wrong so that we can move forward productively. Mm-hmm. And I think that they've all just really recognized how, we're able to get through this hard time together, you know? And I think it's because we all care a ton. We just, we spend a long time to find the right people, which is kind of how we ended up in this situation. We were at capacity because it took us… Like, we were supposed to get all these people, like, in February. We didn't get them all until… It kind of, you know, it, it just put us a little behind. But the good news is, like, we've got some freaking killer people on the staff now, you know? Mm-hmm. It just took a little long to get 'em, but…

Josh Nelson: That's awesome. Yeah, having the right people make all the difference. It sounds like you've got a great team, a great recruiting process. Any tips for running a virtual team? Because, you know, a lot of people have tried virtual, and they didn't get it figured out, and they're like, "Oh, it's impossible to run a virtual team and still actually get things done." like, what are some of your lessons that you've learned over the years in building that virtual team and that virtual culture?

April Edwards: Yeah. I think it's, like, one… The most difficult thing for me right now is just that our international team are international contractors.

Josh Nelson: Hmm. Okay.

April Edwards: And that's a fine line because a contractor means that you can work whenever you want, you know what I mean? Mm-hmm. And so… But I will say that we… And, and it's not a requirement. We're flexible. But we, you know, typically most of us work Eastern Standard hours. Hmm. And so that time, like, that… I mean, I'm on the West Coast, so that means I get up, you know, I get up at 5:00- Right… Every morning. Yeah. But it works because our team is spread out, and that made a really big difference because before that, it was like everyone was just kinda doing their own thing, and it just didn't work. We have rolled out EOS- Hmm… Into all the departments, so now we have department L10s, and it's such a beautiful thing, you guys. Like, it's, it's like a… I don't think, for instance, I don't think my husband could ever, like, roll this out because it seems a little too fufu or something, you know? Mm-hmm. But it's so cool to, like, connect with people- Mm-hmm… On a level of like, hey, like, before you even do anything, you just check in with them to see what's going on in their life, you know? Yep. And so I think, like- Having those check-ins is really important, and we also are, we all live by our core values. Mm-hmm. So, actually my fulfillment director just had my designer create a one-sheet that everybody could download and put on their desks to keep the vision, the mission, and the core values and everything in the forefront. Love that. One of our core values is woo-hoo. Woo. And that means that we recognize, yeah, we recognize, you know, when there's amazing things to celebrate. Mm-hmm. And so we're constantly doing that, and everybody in the team does it, and it just really drives us and keeps us together. We are rolling out, we haven't been super consistent with it for, and I think sometimes you just kind of have to test things out and see how it goes. But, a monthly just kind of all-hands meeting where we do that too, like we, we go around, everybody shares a win, and then we have some sort of topic that we go over, and maybe we'll have a, like just a team-building thing or like a fun game or something that we'll play. And then the last thing is we do a quarterly growth huddle. So we have one coming on Thursday, I believe. Yeah, Thursday, and, everybody comes together, and each department head just kind of talks about where we were, where we're going. We share wins and headlines and all of those things. And so yeah, it's… I think that everybody appreciates all those touch points a lot. It's not like having meetings to have meetings. They're actually really valuable for people, and it's really important as you scale too, and I just love that the team can be open about, how they're feeling about things. Our last, it was, it was our all-hands meeting. Somebody that's been with us for a while on the team said, "Hey, you know, like, this was so great." You know? He said that, "I really miss that, like, that family feel that we used to have." And I'm like, "Oh my God, I, it's so important to me. I don't want to lose that." You know? And if he wouldn't have said anything, like of course we have things in place, but it's just so important to hear that from the frontline workers, you know what I mean? Mm-hmm. And so I'm like, "Yes, we need to make sure that we do this every month." So good.

Josh Nelson: I think a lot of people, like when you think, "Oh, I gotta scale my team," it's like organizational chart, KPIs- Mm… Job descriptions, and it sounds like you have all that, but really what you believe is what's making it work is the meeting rhythms, the culture, and it's not just the meeting rhythm of talking about the KPIs and correcting issues. It's about getting to know each other, caring about each other, understanding what their goals are and how that fits into the big picture of the organization, understanding your clients' goals and how that fix- fits into the big picture, and I love that you shared that.

April Edwards: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and, the biggest goal is get the whole team together. So at this point, we have a lot of people in Colombia, and so it'd be great if like, you know, we could all get together. But yeah, one step at a time. So, that'll be, that'll be, really nice, and, for the significant others to get together too because they have to make a lot of sacrifices for, you know, people to, be able to put so much heart, blood, sweat, and tears into something.

Josh Nelson: So good. I love it. So we talked about how you land clients. We talked about how you deliver the results and kind of what the team structure looks like. Let's talk about retention, and you were on our retention panel at the last Intensive, and I know this is something you're really passionate about. Mm-hmm. So just like what are some of the key strategies you've put in place to increase the client retention and keep clients with you long-term?

April Edwards: Yeah. Just, white glove service. I mean, we are, and that means that we really have to be one step ahead of our clients. So, our, CX rep, we had one CX rep that was managing up to 40 clients. Wow. I mean, can you imagine?

Josh Nelson: That's a lot, yeah.

April Edwards: And onboarding people, it was a lot. So, now we have account managers. I wanna call them growth partners- Mm… Because they're the people that, you know, they're, they're the ones that have to vet for the client and make sure that the work that we're handing off matches their expectations, you know? Mm-hmm. And, and their vision and stuff. So just a lot of touch points, and we're always improving it. I'm proud to say that we've have one client that has went through the entire process the way that we've been working at it. Mm-hmm. Just last week he went through like all of onboarding. He had his transition meeting from the onboarding specialist to the, his account manager, and we got a review, and it was the best review. Seriously. It was the best review- So great… We've ever gotten, and I'm like, "Okay, guys, like, we needed this. Like, we've worked so hard to do that." This is the new standard. This is the new standard, right?

Josh Nelson: Yes. Yeah.

April Edwards: And, and it's, it pains me that we c- we come up with these new processes and systems that our old clients didn't get to go through. Mm-hmm. And that pains me 'cause I'm like, "Oh," you know? But yeah, we've switched to really having like a presentation for- Mm… At all of our meetings- Wow… And, trying to have an agenda and be like, "Hey, if there's anything else you wanna talk about, if we have time, we'll get to that. Otherwise, we can set up another call." Mm-hmm. And so we really have to drive the bus and set expectations all the time. So I just got done creating a, it's the DBM Proven Success Journey, and it outlines the three different stages in the system and then what we're looking for. You know? So you're not gonna just build a website and then overnight rank number one for keywords. You're gonna build visibility, you know? And then, like, after we've like s- Google even sees you, then we're trying to build a relationship with Google so that Google trusts you, and then Google starts sending traffic to your site, and then Google starts saying, "Okay, like it's worth…" You know, so we have a whole chart that ex- like a graphic that explains that, and then every time they meet with us, we change it based off of where they are. Mm. So it was really cool because this client that gave us the really good review, he was-… Pumped when he saw it. He's like, "I wanna be at Dominate," which is like, you know, dominate, you're dominating your market, and he's like- Mm-hmm… "We're gonna do this." Like, and he could see he's all the way over here, but it takes time. He'll get there. Mm-hmm. But, you know, so it's, it's really trying to set good expectations, and I'm always challenging my team to not talk marketing lingo, you know, to explain things, and don't, don't like data vomit either. You know? Like, make sure that you are telling the story and explaining how it, what it means and what it's doing for them. Mm-hmm. And, and I think that that's, that's the biggest thing. Like, I never want our clients to feel intimidated. I don't wanna ever talk above them. And you could see in our video testimonials they really appreciate that, and they say that, you know? Mm-hmm. So, to answer your question, a lot of, a really stellar onboarding, process. We've got a great welcome box with like an expectations guide kind of, you know. We have multiple ti- we have a regularly scheduled meeting during onboarding once a week to keep things on track, and then we have monthly check-in calls, and then we have more in-depth quarterly planning calls. We also gift like hell. Like- Yeah, nice… You know, anything that we could celebrate, remember one of our core values is woohoo, so like- Mm-hmm… We're on top of it. Like, if it's our client's birthday, if there's anything to celebrate and if, like, they have, if they go to the hospital, like, whatever it is, we are there to let them know that we really care. Okay. This quarter I'm really excited, one of my rocks is to have, i- to just to visit our client, to travel and visit our clients. Okay. So, I'm in the middle of, like, planning out that rock, but, I'll probably go to the East Coast first and just do a little road trip and meet up with some different clients, and I'm really excited about that. So, again, that face time pays dividends, right?

Josh Nelson: Mm-hmm. It'll also give you lots of insights on how you can better serve those clients, you know, spending time in their, in their world, in their environment.

April Edwards: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Josh Nelson: So focus on onboarding, focus on sharing the love by, you know, gifting, and then really being intentional with the check-ins and showing the results that the clients get kinda- Mm-hmm… Has been some of the secret sauce for your high levels of retention.

April Edwards: Yep. Yep, and then being a voice in the industry, too. Yeah. You know? I mean, that really pulls a lot of weight, because I do really care. I mean- Mm-hmm… I love these guys and it's really cool when you can partner up with other people and really truly help. I'm in the middle of, building or, yeah, kind of putting together the, a regional chapter for NADRA in Southern California. Oh, wow. And, I'm so excited. I just spoke with- That's cool. Yeah, I just spoke with, you know, the president, pops over at NADRA and, yeah, it's gonna be amazing. It's gonna be really cool.

Josh Nelson: That's great. So work them on that. But even outside of just serving the clients well, really caring about the industry, getting involved in the industry, not only does that help you attract clients, but it also helps you retain because they know that you're, you're actually entrenched in the industry. You're not just like, you know, saying, "I work with deck builders, and I figured something out," but you really, you really care. You're in, you're ever present, and that improves your authority and improves your retention as well.

April Edwards: Yeah. Yeah, and you know, I've encouraged my account managers to, you know, when they get done with a call, like, just check in. Be like, "Was this helpful?" Mm-hmm. "How are we feeling?" You know? Like- Mm-hmm… Just be real because we want them to feel good, and we want them to, you know, trust us and to feel the value in this. And so just being real, you know, checking in, we- that's our straight shooter core value.

Josh Nelson: Love it. I love the core values. Straight shooter, woohoo. What was the other? I think there was at least one other one that you mentioned.

April Edwards: Better together. Yeah. – Better together… So straight shooter, woohoo, better together. What am I mi- master craftsman. Yeah. Master craftsman.

Josh Nelson: I love it. And, and they're not your- Mm-hmm… Like, standard, integrity, trust, you know, diligence. It's, like, very, like, specific- Mm-hmm… To your company. You guys have done a great job with the core values. April- Mm-hmm… So many great insights. First of all, congratulations on your success. I love seeing you now at seven figures and multiple seven figures right around the corner I have no doubt. Thanks for coming on and sharing kinda how you've grown the business, how you chose the niche, how you program your packaging. If you had one other piece of wisdom or insight for that agency that's trying to get to the next level, whatever that is for them, what would it be?

April Edwards: Ugh. Just one piece of advice? I've got, like, three pieces.

Josh Nelson: – No, give the three. Give three. Whatever one comes to mind, I'll- Okay.

April Edwards: Well, I'll just… Yeah, I'll start with the first piece. I had to stop consuming content. Hmm. I was paralyzed- Mm-hmm… By watching what everybody else was doing and feeling like, "Okay, I have to get to this point where I'm ready to do that." I had to stop it and just smack myself around a little bit and be like, "You got this, girl." Mm-hmm. I mean, sometimes you just gotta fake it until you make it, you know? And I'm- But at some point you wanna just go. Yeah, and I'm sure, like, and I've said it, I was actually telling this to a client, and I'm like, "If you don't look back six months from now and feel embarrassed with what you're doing, you're not growing." You know what I mean? Yeah. And so just knowing that you're going to s- you're, you're not gonna do so well in the beginning, you know? Mm-hmm. But you gotta put one foot in front of the other and do it. And the second as far as niching down, I would say that, you know, it's, it's a hard one to tackle because if you have a, what we call a legacy agency like I had, where we were doing everything for everyone, we couldn't just, like, stop doing that, you know? Like, that's what fed the business. But I think if I would've just went all in, like, we were trying to take the model and use it for the legacy agency- Mm-hmm… Before we went all in with just deck builders. And even in the beginning, we tested doing marketing for manufacturers- And retailers, like anybody in the space, and then we're like, "Nope, just deck builders." Like, you could o- like, you could offer other services like, you know, pavers and stuff like that, but you have to offer decks. Mm-hmm. So just being, again, laser focused, you know? I would say, and also, you gotta put the businessman before the business plan. Somebody in my industry, Chris Breen from Legacy Decks Academy, whoop, he always says that and it's true. You know? Like, how are you going to… Like, first of all, you can't lead with fear, so you need to get yourself in check and work on your own self so that it will trickle down to everyone else, you know?

Josh Nelson: Mm-hmm. And, and make sure that you're healthy mentally, spiritually, whatever you need physically in order to do this, 'cause it's hard. Mm-hmm. And once you solve one problem, there's gonna be another problem, and it's never gonna stop.

April Edwards: It's not like you're gonna reach some point where it's just gonna be amazing- Mm-hmm… And perfect. Maybe. I don't know. I'm not there yet.

Josh Nelson: So good. Take care of the man before you take care of the plan. So it's like working on yourself and taking care of your own personal wellbeing.

April Edwards: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Josh Nelson: So good. Love it. April, so many great insights and takeaways. Thank you so much. If, if our listeners wanna connect with you further and learn more about you, what would be the best way?

April Edwards: Yeah. Any socials, you can connect with me personally, or, you know, DBM, Deck Builder Marketers on any of the socials, Messenger, that type of thing. Check out the book if you want. Go to deckbuildermarketers.com/book. Lots of really good things in there. I think what I'm proud about with the book is, that I'm not just telling them how to do it. I'm explaining a lot of the mindset behind it and thinking more long term.

Josh Nelson: So good. So good. April, thanks for sharing. Congratulations on your success. For those of you that watched, be sure to hit the like button, reach out and share some love for April for coming on and sharing her wisdom and insights with us today, and, we'll see you on a future episode.

Transcript of April Edwards’s testimonial video.

Since I've grown and made these changes, I now don't have to work a million hours a week like I used to. Hi, my name's April Edwards. I am with Deck Builder Marketers, and we exclusively work with deck builders. Before I joined 7 Figure Agency, I was doing everything for everyone, and it was very exciting for a long time, but it was not scalable at all. We worked with a death metal merchandiser, a fertility clinic, a international pressure calibration manufacturer. It was insane. Um, and I knew that I wanted to really hone in on my craft too.

So, um, I joined 7 Figure Agency, and they basically just gave me the whole playbook for niching down and, um, scaling my business. Since joining the 7 Figure Agency, I have, uh, reached, uh, $112,000 of monthly reoccurring revenue. I have a fully fleshed out team. I have an integrator, an operations manager, a full production team, a marketing assistant, and it's, it's just gonna keep getting better from there, and it's so amazing to be in a position where I can help my team reach their goals and see them thrive.

What I am so excited about in the next six to 12 months is getting a salesperson to replace me because I know they're gonna do an amazing job. Uh, we're also gonna double our revenue, and I'm super confident in it. Um, I have become a, a leader in the space, which is pretty amazing, and, uh, get a ton of inbound leads, which is pretty amazing. The most valuable component of 7 Figure Agency are the people. It sounds so simple, but I've been in four different groups before, coaching groups.

Nothing has been this valuable. Um, I've been a member for quite some time and, um, at this point I am just so eager to give back because so many people have supported me along the way. Since joining, I have completed or created and honed in on the deck builder marketing system. So I now have a proven process that I can rinse, wash, and repeat for all of my clients that I know that's going to work. In addition, from an operational standpoint, I started EOS and it has changed and completely revolutionized my business.

Um, I've got such an amazing culture. Um, not only does it keep us on track, but it also has brought all of us together. Since I've grown and made these changes, I now don't have to work a million hours a week like I used to. Um, I get to spend more time with my family and travel, and it's so amazing to be able to take some time off and know that the business isn't gonna fall apart, and I'm actually still closing deals, which is pretty crazy. Last year I went on vacation and closed two deals while I was on vacation.

So it's just, uh, it's, it's amazing to kinda see something that you created, um, flourish. If you are thinking about joining, just do it. Come to one of the events and meet people and you'll understand what I'm talking about. It's something that you don't wanna miss out on. The people are incredible. Josh and Yesenia and the whole 7 Figure Agency team continue to add more value, and I'm not lying. Seriously, there's so much value in the coaching and the training and the events, um, that you have to be selective or else you're gonna get overwhelmed with, um, everything that's ava- available for you.

But it's so nice that I don't have to bang my head on a table anymore and I can just reach out and ask one of the other amazing agency owners how they've dealt with a particular problem that I'm going through. Um, and the support is just unbelievable.