Cal Fussman
Appearances
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Is there a way of thinking to not leave money on the table?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Technology has always been something that from day one has just knocked me off balance. The best way I have to describe it, when I first tried to get an email, I was on customer support for like four hours to just try and get an email. And the poor person on the other end, like half of the day was spent working with me, and he just doesn't get it. Like, what's wrong?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Like you've done everything you need to do and it's not working. And then we realized that I was putting like calfusman.com. I was spelling D-O-T. Oh, so you asked me why I'm a technophobe. It starts right there.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
That is where I have to go. And as a matter of fact, the next place I move into, I am setting up like a Zoom studio so that I can communicate with all parts of the world. Because the reality is that once I started my podcast, I started to work this stuff pretty good. And I give people explanations how to do a podcast. So it doesn't scare me anymore.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
It's just that every time something new pops up, that same old DOT com fear bubbles up in me. So having that number would be great. It's just great advice to have your help a quick touch away.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
It's really simple when you know what you're doing.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
See, that's the beauty of the last conversation we had is you just gave me the basics. I don't know that I could have handled more than the basics at that point. But the basics of Cal, you're going into hotels all the time. Next time you go in and every time you go in, I want you to ask for an upgrade. And you remember, I'm like fighting with you. I can't do that. What do you mean?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I just get an upgrade. And I did. And I got an upgrade.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I've been upgraded ever since. And when I don't get it, I'm not upset. I get it. which you warned me about. Don't take it personal. And you don't have to twist anybody's arm behind their back. Just ask nicely.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I love that. And I love the look on your face when you said it.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Oh, the Heather way.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I don't think I'm stuck because I've done some chats virtually and they've gone over very well. And I know two things. Number one, the way a company tells its story now is more important than ever because if you're not touching somebody or connecting with them, it's your story that's got to do the connecting. And so I know I can help people tell their stories. So there you have it.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I should be in a great place because I have what people need. Number two, I have pivoted. many, many, many times in my life. And I've talked to the icons who've shaped world history over the last 70 years and heard all about their pivots. So I'm actually a pretty good person to talk to about pivoting. And I have all the stories to make people think. So here I am. I have the
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I have to rebrand it or reframe it and let people know what I'm doing so that I can sell. Because I was getting to this point over the last year where basically everything was incoming. I wasn't even having to go out and hustle for leads. I was getting as much as I could do. And then all of a sudden, it just stops.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
So what would you say is the big move to make to let people know, okay, this is what I'm doing. If you need my help, I'm here. But now also, I got to figure out pricing. It's a whole, I don't know how this works. I don't know if these companies have any money.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And I've been told that even when you have companies with a lot of money, they don't know if in November or December, the virus is going to come back with a fury. We're all going to be in the same place again. So everybody's kind of,
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
hoarding what they have to prepare for any eventuality so i don't i don't know i haven't been in these conversations before and i've got to figure pricing out as well meet a different guest each week i ask you to try to find your passion
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
It's interesting because I put out messaging on my podcast, letting people know I'm going to pivot, this is what I'm going to do. And I got a lot of response, but it's generally been from individuals saying, can you help me? Do you do one-on-ones? And so I have to think that way. But again... What really gets me is I know people are hurting now.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And so it's hard for me to go in and ask for a lot of money. I'm just not. I wasn't constructed that way. And I have to rewire my brain to think like that. This is what I'm worth. And this is the price. I'm sitting there thinking almost like a journalist. I wonder, are they on the edge? Are they just getting by? I don't want to take advantage of them.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
So I'm looking at your eyes and you're saying, oh my God, I got it.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Yeah, I don't even think about it. I'm thinking about them.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
You're right. You're a million percent right. And what I've just taken from... what you've put out in front of me is I really just have to look at this and feel bad if I am not going out and saying, let me help you and being as assertive as, as I possibly can. You know, this is a strange thing that happened, and it comes from being a journalist.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I know it because I was talking to a guy who's an agent now and who represents a lot of broadcasters, and he makes gigantic deals. And I asked him, Steve, where did you get started? And he said, well, I delivered newspapers as a boy. And it turned out we had both delivered newspapers for the same newspaper in Long Island.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And he said, when you're delivering newspapers, you're knocking on doors every Friday to collect your money. And they often have bonuses. If you can bring in the most new subscribers, you get a pair of roller skates. And he said, that's what I grew up in. And I realized, yeah. I lived in that world.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
But when I got to college and became a journalist, I was just separated from the business side by this code of ethics that I was taught. And so I've been smashing down this wall now. for a couple of years. And I thought I had got it to a place where I could easily walk over it. But I see that the virus has brought out something in me that is like caring about them in a way that
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I would be caring about them more if I actually said, look, let me help you. Let me give you all these stories that have accumulated over the years and show you how the world's leaders have responded to situations like these and how they grew to greater heights. I need to think like that. And already you've already flipped the switch in my mind. Now,
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Is there a way that once I let them know what I can do, and I also try and do it in a custom way, like a tailor, let me make this suit just for you. So I go out of my way to give them the best. When it comes time to actually make the sale, close the deal, is there something that I need in my mind to just have that confidence that you're talking about and do it?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And I know you're right because somebody I was dealing with, when I gave them a price, they said to me like, in their voice, their tone of voice was like, are you sure? Because like in their mind, they were anticipating that I was going to ask them for a lot more.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And I like, I've heard of that. Is there a way of thinking to not leave money on the table?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
So they wanted you to do it for free.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
See, that's not fair. And I haven't been in that situation. I think the difference here is that... As a speaker, I basically knew, okay, the range is like 15 or 20,000. That's what I was getting. So sometimes I was able to get more. And sometimes when people didn't have it, but I really liked them, I'd do it for a little less. But I knew this range. I think now the big difference is I don't know.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I don't know if people have the money, don't want to spend it, or if they don't have the money. That probably was holding back a sense of confidence that you're
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
So a lot of this is doing the research, which I'm accustomed to that, and asking around. Because I hear a lot of things. I hear that some of the companies are basically seeing, say, $2,000 to $3,000 as a range for their virtual talks. And this is just what I'm hearing from people. And so I guess what you're telling me is just reduce the fee to say $10,000.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And if somebody says, oh my goodness, I couldn't possibly do that right now in our dilemma. And look, the sponsor to my podcast, All of their earnings, or most of it, like 90%, came from NBA games, came from concerts. I know what they're going through. And so my heart is with them. And they are my sponsors. And we're moving forward together. But I know how difficult it is for them.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And this is where I guess my struggle is because I don't know how difficult it is for everybody. I mean, for instance, you can have a gym that has closed down and you're bringing in no money. But if you sell pull-up bars that people are putting in their hallways, you're probably doing pretty good. Just like the people who sell yoga mats.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
They're probably doing great too, yet at the yoga studios, they've been closed and not bringing anything in. So do you recommend that I actually look for those companies that I can see are doing well reaching out to them and do you recommend because I kind of got to a place where it was all incoming and I could relax from that but now I see that I have to go out and be a salesperson
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
and generate lead and make either cold calls or warm the cold calls up is all new to me. The beauty of talking to you is every time I talk to you, you turn me into more and more of a salesperson.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Okay, so now I need one of those credit card converters or...
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Oh, that sounds great. It sounds like they do everything for you.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And do they take like a percentage of the... Yes.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
For me, it's probably a hundred times more worth it because I'm pretty clueless at that stuff. But those are great suggestions. And so, you know, this actually leads to another area because if there are enough of these people that want to get together and I can... bring them together in one place. And then I'm understanding that I can actually separate people so that they can talk to one another.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And so I can have them do exercises and then come back to me. I mean, I can do this with a lot of people.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I'm in. I'm in. Whatever I had canceled, whatever I had set up is canceled. This is what I need because not only are you going to give me the fuel, But I think you're going to just show me the available techniques. And look, I've done this in person. It's not like we're reinventing the wheel here.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
It's just that now I know I should be looking at the green light on top of my computer so that it seems like I'm staring into your eyes. Because if I stare into your eyes, it looks like I'm looking a little down.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
After everything you're passing on to me, Heather, it's the list. I'm getting straight eye contact from you. Right now. Right now. Yes. And can you notice a difference if I'm looking in the green right now as opposed to looking at you now? Could you see a difference?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Okay. Well, that's why it's always good to go green.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
I always do what you say. I'll let you know how it works. But I realize I just have to jump into this and do it. It's going to work. It's worked in person. So if there's a few technological glitches along the way, we'll easily figure them out. And my feeling is, when we're talking about this a little in advance, I really feel like this is going to be the way of the future.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
go back to the old world, especially if this virus comes back with a fury in November and December. It's just going to change the world. And once we're used to talking like this, which is great. I love the idea of just being able to sit here and talk with you. And when my time is up, then I can go talk with somebody else. I mean, you think about it, somebody invites you out for a cup of coffee.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
The time that I spent going to the coffee place Coming back, I could have been sitting down talking to you. So I just feel like we are in the beginning of a complete reconstruction. I think cities are going to be different. I think they're going to turn into parks. We're going to have cars that you don't drive, that just drive around themselves, don't need any garages.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
The real estate value, when companies realize they don't need the office space, that's going to go down and the cities are just going to become different. And I think what we're doing now is, as somebody said to me, it's not the future, it's the present. And that's, I'm feeling mighty present right now.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Thank you.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
Thank you, Heather. It's always great. I leave rejuvenated and ready to go.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
What a great introduction. Thank you.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
The same view. I'm looking at you the same way. This time through Zoom. through the room, but this time you're actually closer. I think we're like 18 inches apart.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And you lifted me off the ground. I felt like a rocket ship as I was leaving your home. And now we've had this virus and everything has changed. And I feel like I'm in the booster rocket phase here. And I need the fuel to go off into space. And you are just the person to give it to me.
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
It worked so well. I was having my best year ever and really was poised. I was speaking for companies at conferences, going around the world, everything. It couldn't have gone better. And just as I was about to go off into the stratosphere, boom, this virus hits, every speaking gig canceled or postponed. And like you're suddenly looking around and what happened? Where do I go from here?
Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: Lead with Curiosity and Confidence with Master Interviewer Cal Fussman
And I've come to realize I've got to go virtual. I've got to go through the computer, which was always one of my biggest fears. I'm getting better and better at it. Technology.