A Recap: Ali Brown, Entrepreneur Mentor Keynotes Infusioncon 2012

Infusioncon 2012 was by far one of the best events I have attended for entrepreneurs and business owners. The speakers not only delivered great value in their content, but also in their message.

After Pam Slim’s Keynote, my mentor Ali Brown took the stage and delivered a powerful keynote presentation.

Ali’s keynote was titled How I Did It: Mindset & Marketing Secrets for Entrepreneurial Success in the New Economy, but the core of her message was about moving from success to significance and sharing her story about participating in ABC’s Secret Millionaire TV Show where she ultimately gifted $100,000 of her own money to the charities Beauty Bus Foundation, Harvest Home, Common Ground, and St. Josephs Center – Bread and Roses Cafe.

In an SFGate article, Ali said, “Filming Secret Millionaire caused me to step back and look at how I can give more EVERY day, and I think it will do the same for those who watch it.”

Some of my favorite takeaways from her presentation were:

• Safe is the new risk
• Look for ways to add significance to your biz/life … To add influence
• Change is the only constant
• Don’t forget leverage. What is the 20% of stuff you do that makes 80% of your money

Even though I have heard Ali speak about the same topic and share her story a couple times, she never fails to inspire and motivate me to push myself and really go for it. In her presentation she talked about the journey and evolution of being an entrepreneur, sharing some of her own breakdowns and breakthroughs, challenges and opportunities, and hard and fast decisions.

What I love about Ali is that she is always leading the way in terms of innovation in mentoring and business. Her mastermind and mentoring programs have paved the way for coaches, leaders, visionaries, and start-ups alike, and this year she continues to shake things up with her Elevate Core Program and Private Coaching Groups.

During her Infusioncon keynote, she mentioned that there are three stages of business ownership: emerging, expanding, and influencing.

• In the emerging stage of business, you’re like the turtle poking his head out of the shell. You’re just starting out and you need to focus on getting clients and making sales.
• In the expanding stage of business, you’ve got clients and money is coming in – now you’ve got to focus on systems and scalability. It’s at this phase that you start to explore leveraged and passive income.
• In the influencing stage of business, you’re a recognized leader and visionary. You know you’re destined to make a big impact and you’re not only focused on success, but also on leaving a legacy and creating a business and life of significance.

I haven’t shared much about my experience, but in 2011 I joined Ali Brown’s Millionaire Protege Club at the Platinum level. Bourn Creative is in the expanding stage of business and Ali’s mentorship and the support of the other business owners in the program:

• Transformed my mindset as a business owner
• Increased our net income by 60%
• Elevated our own brand with joint venture and promotion opportunities
• Clarified the focus and niche of our business
• Doubled my list size
• Provided a community of business owners that act as an advisory board

If you ever have the chance to learn from, work with, or attend one of Ali Brown’s events, I highly recommend it. As a self-made millionaire, Ali Brown knows what she’s doing when it comes to business and marketing … but even more important, she balances her entrepreneurial drive to achieve success with a strong desire to give back and be not just successful, but significant to world.

And before I wrap up, let’s give some kudos to Infusionsoft for creating the perfect balance of technical how-to sessions, content-rich strategy sessions, motivating keynotes.

Learn More About Ali Brown, Award-Winning Entrepreneur & Mentor

Ali Brown is the voice for women’s entrepreneurial success. After launching her first business from her tiny NYC studio apartment in 1999, she has grown it into what is today an enterprise that ranked in 2009′s Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the nation.

Ali was named one of 2010′s Enterprising Women of the Year and was named one of Forbes’ Women to Watch. She was also named one of Ernst & Young’s Winning Women for 2010 and a winner of the StepUp Women’s Network’s Commitment to Philanthropy award. Ali has been featured as an expert in the New York Post, Investor’s Business Daily, and on TV including CNN Headline News, Fox Business Network, and ABC News Now. Ali was featured in the season finale of ABC’s Secret Millionaire. Her company, Ali International, provides business and success advice and resources to nearly 50,000 members around the world.