Nicky Billou: Reframing Sales as Service

02/21/25 • 21 min

In this conversation, Nicky Billou shares his inspiring journey from being an immigrant in Iran to becoming a successful entrepreneur and thought leader. He emphasizes the importance of freedom, human connection, and reframing sales as service. Nicky discusses the challenges of navigating the digital age while maintaining authentic relationships and outlines essential qualities for business success. He also defines thought leadership and its significance in the business world.

Key Takeaways:

Nicky's journey from Iran highlights the value of freedom.
Entrepreneurs must champion freedom to thrive.
Sales should be reframed as service to help others.
Human connection is vital in business, especially post-COVID.
Digital marketing is noisy; authentic connections matter more.
Successful business owners must be decisive and committed.
Investing in personal development is crucial for success.
Thought leaders are known for their unique insights and contributions.
Building relationships creates opportunities for business growth.
Loving the process is essential to achieving desired results.

Interested in working with Nicky? Click here! Want to read even more thought-provoking material? Purchase one of his books here!

Key Takeaways:

Nicky's journey from Iran highlights the value of freedom.
Entrepreneurs must champion freedom to thrive.
Sales should be reframed as service to help others.
Human connection is vital in business, especially post-COVID.
Digital marketing is noisy; authentic connections matter more.
Successful business owners must be decisive and committed.
Investing in personal development is crucial for success.
Thought leaders are known for their unique insights and contributions.
Building relationships creates opportunities for business growth.
Loving the process is essential to achieving desired results.

Interested in working with Nicky? Click here! Want to read even more thought-provoking material? Purchase one of his books here!

Previous Episode

Max Emma: Investing in the Right Franchise

In this conversation, Max Emma and Abbey Crane sit down and talk about Max's journey from immigrating to the United States to becoming a successful entrepreneur and CEO of multiple businesses in the franchising industry. They discuss the various challenges he has faced, including personal bankruptcy, and how these experiences shaped the way he runs his businesses today. Max also shares more information on the process of franchising, including the legalities involved and the need for thorough market research. If you have ever been interested in what owning a franchise could look like and mean for you as a business owner, you won't want to miss this episode! Inspiring Quotes From the Conversation: "Don't have your mind set on one thing because it's in your business plan or it's in your head. Be open because you don't know where the road is gonna lead you." "Success isn't just about the business – it's about creating a life you love while building something meaningful." "With a franchise, you're getting proven systems and processes." "I was always either dwelling on past mistakes or dreaming about the future until I realized I couldn't control either. What I can control is the present moment." "I don't want anybody to buy a job – this is an investment in your future." Work with Max here!

Next Episode

Jon Stager- From Artisan to Entrepreneur: Turning Passion into Profit

In this episode of the Unscripted Small Business Podcast, host Abbey Crane interviews John Steger, the founder of Foxmoor Studio, a custom woodworking business. John shares his journey from a childhood passion for woodworking, inspired by his father, to establishing a successful business. He discusses the challenges of starting out, the importance of sustainable practices, and the role of online platforms like Etsy in growing his customer base. John also reflects on the balance between creativity and business operations, the importance of community engagement, and his future aspirations for Foxmoor Studio.

Motivational Quotes From Our Conversation:

"You have to know better to do better."

"I want to keep it as simple as possible."

"Even when it's slow, just keep one foot in front of the other, and it always picks up."

"Find a niche item, something unique. That's the key."

Purchase from Foxmoor Studio an incredible Cookeville woodwork shop or from Mountain Top Candle Shop here!

Exerpts:

Abbey Crane What other things have led to more growth for you? We were recently talking with Kelvin Dorsey who's got an unconventional newsletter, which made me think about non-traditional marketing efforts...Are there any other things that your shop has kind of led to that you've been really excited about?

Jon Stager You know, since moving here, I have mostly focused on online sales. And Etsy's been great to expand my horizons because it's such a wide marketplace, literally worldwide. Although I focus mostly on North America. I've had some sales in Australia and England. But yeah, so it's really expanded my horizons. I almost haven't needed to sell locally as much. I guess when I moved here, I had my client base already, because I had started in Pennsylvania.

So now I'm trying to kind of tap into the local market more, like forcing myself to just not be content with online sales, but really. Yeah, I'm excited to start going to local markets and selling in person. The local art scene in Cookville is really awesome. And I feel like just a matter of focusing and building up an inventory, that's the hardest part. I get busy with these online sales and whatnot. It takes up a lot of your time and then just a matter of setting aside time to make these items to have in stock to bring to shows. That's something I look forward to exploring.

Abbey Crane: You've maintained a simple business model as a sole proprietorship. Tell us about that decision.

Jon Stager: I'm sort of a minimalist within reason! I I prefer the warm comfort of cabins over luxury cabo experiences. There's something authentic about living simply, surrounded by natural materials. My shop is about 30 feet from my cabin, so my home and work life are very entwined. I chose to remain a sole proprietorship because I want to keep things as simple as possible.

I'm not trying to become a big corporation with people working under me and building things that just have my name on them. I respect the craft too much for that. I'm sort of a minimalist within reason, though my shop can be a little cluttered! My shop is about 30 feet from my cabin, so my home and work life are very entwined.

I chose to remain a sole proprietorship because I want to keep things as simple as possible. I'm not trying to become a big corporation with people working under me and building things that just have my name on them. I respect the craft too much for that.