1: Sunshine Chapman's Advice for Aspiring Millionaires: Act Now, Give First

Sunshine Chapman [0:00 - 0:09]: But it started with me getting the idea, creating a website, Facebook ads and videos. Within a 24 hours period of hearing about this product, I had a business up and running and getting leads.

VO [0:18 - 0:47]: If you've ever wondered what it's like to be in the shoes of some of the most successful entrepreneurs out there today, look no further. Each episode, your host, Joe Simon, short walks with some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the game today. These inspiring leaders have successfully crossed the coveted seven figure mark in their businesses. And these candid, insightful conversations will inspire you to look at your business and your life from a new perspective and get it to the next level. So put on your walking shoes and let's skyrocket that success together.

Joe Simon [0:49 - 1:57]: Welcome to the millionaire mile, where we uncover the secrets of success from those who've made it bigger. Today, Im thrilled to be joined by Sunshine Chapman, a dynamic marketer and the founder of the groundbreaking marketing firm that skyrocketed from zero to 30 million in under two years. But the biggest achievement isnt just about the impressive numbers. Its about how she built a thriving company on a foundation of a temporary tax credit. Knowing full well that the clock was ticking. Overcoming this huge obstacle by assembling the committed team willing to work only for future commissions, she led her company to monumental success. Join us today on this stroll as we uncover the strategies that defy traditional business norms and inspire all that. Listen. Let's go. Welcome everyone to the millionaire mile. This is your host, Joe Simon. I am with a good friend, Sunshine Chapman. Sunshine and I have known each other for over a year, and Sunshine is an incredible human being, but also a marketer and a strategist. Sunshine, do me a favor. Introduce yourself to the audience. Let them know a little bit more about yourself.

Sunshine Chapman [1:57 - 2:30]: Excellent. My name is Sunshine Chapman, and I've done a lot of different things in my career, and I've learned from every one of them. Using all of my marketing history and experience, I was able to create a company from scratch that went from zero to 30 million in just under two years. And we had to create a team. We made a nationwide campaign and helped thousands of business owners with a tax credit. So currently, I'm running my own marketing company and also seeking to acquire a large business of some kind that we can transform and improve using good marketing and tech.

Joe Simon [2:30 - 2:46]: Amazing. I mean, that's just a little bit, but there was a ton of stuff in there. You know, the first part is the journey to get to the million, right? And everyone says, to get to the first million is the hardest. Let's just start with the first thing you said. You started a company that went to 30 million, right?

Sunshine Chapman [2:46 - 2:46]: Yes.

Joe Simon [2:46 - 2:51]: So let's talk about that company. Is that company still around or still around?

Sunshine Chapman [2:51 - 3:06]: Yes. Yes. Yeah. It was based on a tax credit that is now expiring. So it is. We knew it had a beginning and an end. It was a very unusual type of business, knowing that you're not creating something for forever. This is only for a period of time. So we were racing the clock, but also we were realizing that it was not going to be lasting forever.

Joe Simon [3:06 - 3:26]: Absolutely. So when you think about starting a business like that, if someone's just starting today and they're looking at it like, how do I even think of getting a company to a million or even believing that you can build it to 30 million? Where did you guys start? So we can give an actual step to someone that's listening to this right now?

Sunshine Chapman [3:26 - 4:21]: Well, it started with me getting the idea, creating a website, Facebook ads and videos, and starting within a 24 hours period of hearing about this product. I had a business up and running and getting leads. So it started with me calling the leads and making everybody that I talked to signed up and wanted to do it. So then, of course, I needed to get more salespeople to. The phone was ringing off the hook, so. So that was like, first step was friends and family. The thing that was interesting about it is we did not have any capital or any ability to pay anybody. So everyone that we had to recruit, which we ended up recruiting 30 salespeople, they were all doing it based on future commissions that they would get when we got received the money, which was six to nine months down the road. So we had to really inspire people to get them to believe in what we were doing to work for us basically for free while waiting to see if they would get paid in the future. Luckily, we have really amazing network of people that we know that believed in us that jumped right on board.

Joe Simon [4:21 - 4:49]: It's amazing. And I think one of the key things that you said you were able just to pick up the phone and take action, right? No capital. And you just said you started with Facebook marketing and you did some basic marketing. I know usually marketing people get scared and they don't know what to do next. That usually happens. But I think one of the key messages that you relate here is actually just picking up the phone and just taking that first step. It's like the most amazing thing. How many employees are you guys up to now? Because I remember you just said that.

Sunshine Chapman [4:49 - 5:09]: Yeah, we. Right around 30 and we have now actually a leadership team, which really made a huge difference being able to put that into place. Once the money started rolling in, we were able to get a lot more structure and join things like strategic coach and be able, and started to really get on traction, run it a lot more like a business. But it was really, honestly, just like Wild, Wild west for the early days.

Joe Simon [5:09 - 5:15]: And if we're looking at it right now, what's the next step for you guys? Where is this company going next?

Sunshine Chapman [5:15 - 5:39]: Well, because the thing that we're selling is over, and we knew that was going to happen. Our plan all along was to take the capital that we created from this endeavor to buy something or create something new. So we are actively engaged in meeting with several business owners and business brokers and trying to decide what we can buy that really fits our passion for the next 20 years of our lives, rather than a short burst of intensity.

Joe Simon [5:39 - 5:40]: And that's the amazing part.

Sunshine Chapman [5:40 - 5:40]: Right.

Joe Simon [5:40 - 6:01]: So one of the, one of the questions and one of the things is most entrepreneurs face every day is being resilient and being able to adapt. So you guys are adapting to the environment. Obviously, the environment is changing for you guys, and you're adapting to something, to new, and there is a little fear in there. How do you guys manage that? I think that's. I'm scared. Right? Just listening to it.

Sunshine Chapman [6:01 - 6:59]: Yeah, I would say that resilience is my superpower. Having been through some incredible personal crises involving death of a spouse and issues as children, I've been through some real, actual issues. So to me, when something goes wrong with the business, it's just not that big a deal. It's kind of like, you know, I've been through much worse. This is not going to kill me, and I'm going to figure this out. So it's a lot of it was bravery, extreme bravery, to be able to even my husband, who left his job as a, he's a partner in a consultancy doing tech, and very successful, he left that very early on to join. And he's the one who was able to really see scale us. That was a huge act of faith. Right? We put it all on the line and we took that huge risk, and it was, you know, it was an opportunity that could never be missed, and it probably will never be there again. But we went after it with all that we had and really keeping our values at the core all along. That was what kept us anchored is we knew that we were helping people and that we were doing it with integrity, and we wanted to be that people could look at as the standard for how to do it right.

Joe Simon [7:00 - 7:32]: Amazing. I think there's a book in there somewhere, by the way. It sounded like you said something bravery, and I was like, ooh, that's a book title. I love it already. It's amazing. What advice would we be giving to a aspiring entrepreneur? Somebody that's listening to us right now? And obviously the title of the millionaire mile is basically saying to anybody that's getting to their first million or a brand new entrepreneur, what's something they can take away from this? I mean, so many things that you've done, and I know it's a short podcast, bite sized bits, but if they had, if they could just take one action, what's some advice you can give them?

Sunshine Chapman [7:32 - 8:19]: I would definitely say just go for it. And another piece of thing that I always go by in my life is to help people before you need them. So I've been intentional about creating community by meeting interesting people, connecting with other business owners, really building community and always trying to find ways to give back. When I meet someone, they tell me about their business issues. And because I've done marketing for so many types of businesses, I can just walk up to somebody and go, this is what you need to do. And here's your answer. So that just being a giver all along made it so people knew us and trusted us. So that when we said, hey, we're doing this cool thing, come alongside us, they believed in us. So I would say, really, for someone who wants to get started, build your network of people of the type of people that you may be able to do business with in the future and just give to them, even if you don't need anything or know what you want to do.

Joe Simon [8:19 - 8:51]: Build and get sunshine. This is an amazing episode, by the way. I would probably talk to you for the next 20 minutes, but that was a great piece of advice. Loved it. Giving before you get. I think that's worked well for me all throughout my life, especially in business as well. Sometimes, like you said, sometimes you want to give a marketing piece of advice to somebody, they may take it, they may not, but down the road, you'll never know what that turns into, right? Just like the group that we're in. It's just absolutely amazing. Sunshine, thank you again for your time expertise. It's been amazing.

Sunshine Chapman [8:51 - 8:52]: My pleasure.

VO [8:52 - 9:11]: Thanks for listening. We hope these walks with successful millionaires have inspired you to take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey. No two stories are the same, and it's inspiring to learn from those that have walked the path before. To read full show notes for each episode, which includes guest contact information and ways to connect with Joe, visit themillionairemile.com.