In this captivating episode of Spark & Ignite Your Marketing titled: “Unleashing Potential in the Adventure Tourism Boom with Scott Brills,” listeners are invited on a journey to the heart of one of the most thrilling and rapidly growing sectors of the global economy. This podcast episode provides an in-depth exploration of the Adventure Tourism Industry, which is projected to reach $1.63 trillion by 2028.
Scott Brills, known for his entrepreneurial spirit, has traversed nearly a hundred countries, launching ventures that span from IT and web development to culinary and adventure tourism. His endeavors, particularly focused on Japan and Tanzania, embody the essence of blending personal passions with business acumen.
Tourism Industry:
The episode kicks off with an introduction to the adventure tourism industry’s current landscape and its potential for exponential growth. This sets the stage for a deeper conversation about the opportunities that lie within this sector and how entrepreneurs can capitalize on the increasing demand for unique and exhilarating travel experiences.
The discussion then shifts to Scott’s specific culinary and adventure tourism ventures, with a particular focus on Japan and Tanzania. He offers insights into the process of building businesses in these areas, including the challenges of navigating different cultural landscapes and the strategies that have led to his success. Starting a safari company in Tanzania and leading culinary tours in Japan highlight his entrepreneurial journey and underscore the importance of innovation and adaptability.
Customer:
Scott emphasizes the significance of customer feedback, the impact of video marketing, and the power of storytelling in building a successful brand in the adventure tourism space. These practical insights are complemented by discussions on the importance of flexibility, learning from failures, and the never-give-up attitude essential for entrepreneurs.
Get Scott’s Favorite Book:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert B. Cialdini
Follow Scott Brills:
https://www.pamojasafaris.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbrills/
Watch on YouTube:
Transcript:
Beverly:
Hey, adventure enthusiasts. Did you know that by 2028, the global adventure tourism market is set to skyrocket to a whopping 1. 63 trillion dollars? And today we’re diving into this exhilarating industry with our very first guest ever on the Spark and Ignite Marketing Podcast. And we’re here with Scott. Brills! Scott’s entrepreneurial journey in the travel and tourism sector, particularly in adventure experiences, perfectly aligns with this booming trend. So get ready to explore his incredible knack for tapping into lucrative markets and igniting excitement in the world of travel. Scott is a seasoned entrepreneur and international adventurer. I call him the international man of mystery. Having launched his first business at 19 in IT and web development, with experience spanning nearly a hundred Countries. Yeah, that’s right. 100 countries. He seamlessly blends personal passions with business savvy, offering a truly global perspective. Scott’s latest endeavors center around culinary and adventure tourism with a focus on Japan and Tanzania. Join us as we delve into his entrepreneurial journey and glean insights from his diverse experiences. Welcome, Scott.
Scott:
Hey Bev, what an intro. thank you for having me.
Beverly:
Put in all of the adventures you’ve had, but there have been many, and I’ve known you for probably now
Scott:
15 plus, you knew me when I was doing the drive to Mongolia. Yeah. So that was 15 years ago this year. So it must’ve, we might be on year 16.
Beverly:
Wow. And you always are. And I follow you on social and all the places and we’re friends on Facebook and such and you’re always in some new place doing some new thing. It’s always amazing to watch you. I live vicariously through your adventures. I love it. I’m so glad you’re here with me and I’m very honored that you, took this kind of leap with me on the very first podcast. So thank you so much.
Scott:
But your third podcast, I know you’re a seasoned veteran.
Beverly:
Yes.
Scott:
And it’s my second podcast with you.
Beverly:
Yes, but now we’re doing video and all the fancy things.
Scott:
So it’s all complicated with our, what was it? 40, 40 minutes of tech wrangling.
Beverly:
Yeah we’re here and it’s working, so it’s good. So let’s dive in and discover the sparks that created the unique opportunities along with your entrepreneurial path. So let’s share a little bit about your journey into entrepreneurship and how it all began for you.
Scott:
I’m pretty much a born entrepreneur. I was starting up businesses when I was a kid. A lot of them just on paper because I didn’t have the money or Resources to, to actually put them into fruition, but I’d make my own comic book company, my own software company, start up like a library, just like loaning books to parents and my siblings. I was doing everything you could to earn money. I was also out there help my buddy with this paper route or mowing lawns or shoveling driveways and, just to get a little bit of extra money to pad the allowance. I was getting already. Had that 5 a week and of course, it all eventually got spent on either candy trading cards or comics for the most part growing up.
Beverly:
No video games? No video games? Come on.
Scott:
But was a big prize. Most of the time I would wait Christmas to be able to grab those, but, there were a few times where I saved up, they were not inexpensive. You’re talking 50, 50 bucks for a Nintendo game or like 70, 80 dollars for some of the Super Nintendo games. There were some times I was able to reach that milestone, I was just. Always like in that mindset, even though it wasn’t really 2002 when I formally incorporated my first business in web development and IT, after studying in Japan for a year and coming back and basically returning to my old job. I was working at Best Buy, and I returned back to it. I’d worked there for years and I changed in Japan. I’d become a bit of a different person. I was like, I don’t want this anymore. And so I started a company doing web development because I knew how to do it. I was already doing that for fun for years prior to that, self taught. And, I, my, my buddies were also doing it as we joined forces and collaborated on some stuff. And I was just doing it while I was in college. It’s like a stopgap thing, so I wouldn’t have to get a different job and ended up doing that for considerably longer, and it was a great lifestyle business. I never really wanted it to be much more than that, but it really, allow me to live and travel and buy the stuff I wanted, for the first decade or so of, of my entrepreneurial journey. So I’m very happy that I had that opportunity. You were like the first remote worker that I think I knew, because you like worked everywhere. I was definitely, I remember like when Skype was really, obviously I’m dating myself right now, but, I remember the first time, so I studied for, in Japan for about a year, I came back. I remember winter, that winter I went back to Japan to work at a ski lodge and to learn how to snowboard. And I had some clients already and I didn’t want to risk telling them I was traveling. So I just kept up with my emails. And then there were a couple phone calls I made through Skype and let everyone know everything’s fine. But one of them got wind, It was actually your former employers, and Oh yes. Former collaborators, the Shuah brothers and they had introduced me to their accountant. Woody, and, he found out, I think, through them or something, or maybe I had to tell him, and I just remember, Mike still makes fun of this, he’s oh, yeah, Woody was just like, I’ve got my IT guy, he’s in Japan for months what am I going to do? And I’m like no, you don’t understand we can do this. We can get this done through the power of the internet, and like the speeds are awful. Skype had just as many issues as we deal with today with like zoom calls and whatnot, but more so and lower lower internet speed. Yeah, but I was still able to make it work. It’s just even more so than today. Can you imagine 20 years ago, the amount of resistance you get trying to be like, Oh yeah, I could do your website project or I can fix your computer remotely or something like that. Like it wasn’t. A thing. But yeah, I’d say like the beginning of me doing that like kind of digital nomad type thing definitely started in like 2002. So a little bit earlier than most. Yeah.
Beverly:
So with all of the travels that you’ve done and all of the, I think, entrepreneurship businesses you’ve had from the IT to the web development, all of this, what are the key lessons that you’ve learned from the business and life side of things and how do they merge together? I think you’re one of the things I love about you, Scott, is that you’ve turned a passion into business opportunities. So what, how has that informed your perspective today?
Scott:
And yeah, I’m really lucky and happy. I’ve been able to do that. It wasn’t always a goal. Like I thought I’d go to college and then get a job at some corporation or something. It wasn’t especially back then. It wasn’t really a possibility. It just stumbled my way to it. Just because I knew I didn’t want to work in an office 40 plus hours a week. And Honestly, I’m not like the best employee, like I tend to be strong headed and want to do things my way and be like, I know better, and if anything, that’s reinforced after 20 plus years of entrepreneurship. I would say like the number one thing is two things, be flexible. Be adaptive and and never fail because I’ve done, I was just making a spreadsheet the other day of all the stuff I’ve done, like the little projects here and there. Some didn’t really get off the ground, but still put time into it and bought a domain name and blah, blah, blah. There’s something like 36 projects I’ve done whether they’re collaborations or I started up a company, or I thought about starting up a company. And most of them didn’t work. I actually made that spreadsheet after seeing reading a few blog posts of other entrepreneurs that I’m either friends with or admire and they did something similar. And I thought that’d be really interesting to do a forensic account deep dive into like the projects I had. And so I went through my old folders of projects and stuff. And it was cool. Definitely brought back a lot of memories. But, yeah, just being adaptive, never giving up. That’s pretty, pretty much it. Like I didn’t really have to learn that. It just came natural. So I’m, I guess I’m lucky those are things that really help out with entrepreneurship.
Beverly:
So this forensic deep dive though, it’s a very interesting concept, right? And the idea of tracking your, the totality of the projects, but also understanding that there’s failures. I’m assuming, but I’m going to ask the question, did you learn more from the projects that went off or the ones that failed?
Scott:
I’d say every project You learn from it’s always different lessons. I would say I’ve had few projects that I would say have been successful. The first it web dev company, even though it never really went beyond me so much. I would say it’s successful’cause like it did what I wanted to do, which was provide income for me to live and travel. And my current safari company, I’d say is successful my each Japan company, even though my culinary tour in Japan, even though it’s small scale, more like a passion business that I’m not really looking to expand too much. Let’s do it’cause I love it. I’d say that’s successful after 10 years, I’d say this last year 2023 is the first time I was like, Oh, wow, like actually went through my finances after I did a couple trips in the spring, I was like, Oh, okay, like it’s a thing now. And that gave me a little bit of a, like that feedback to be like, Okay, keep going. It’s always nice to have that every once in a while. But yeah, the lot of the ones that ended luckily like the ended quickly. Okay. Before any significant amount of capital is put into it, a lot of times it was just like my time invested a lot of just different like web projects or potential collaborations or stuff like that. I even had my own podcast in 2013 and we turned it into an LLC, my business partner and I. And after a year we felt like our visions had changed and we didn’t have enough time and we had to. Work on other things and three shut that down. All in all, I think I’ve had six or seven LLCs, one S Corp a few international partnerships, one business registered in Japan, one business registered in Tanzania. Been all over but I think like now being able to, like you said, make money off of what I love. Travel. And eating and drinking. Animals. And entrepreneurship in general. Just like being able to build something. Like I like building stuff. That was also from childhood. Is awesome. I’ve just been able to do that. And do it at my own speed. Which sometimes I feel is too slow. In the end, like when everything works out, I’m like, Oh I’m glad that I had this time to learn this or to try this and do it slowly so that I didn’t just rush out the gate and then screw a bunch of stuff up and have people mad at me.
Beverly:
So what kind of focus, how did you turn your focus from these, the web side and all that side to the culinary and adventure tourism side? And specifically Japan and Tanzania. Now I know that in college you had a Japanese degree and you taught English in Japan. I learned today you were a DJ in Japan. So how did it turn from all of that to this culinary adventure, like Eat Japan and then the Tanzania Safari Company?
Scott:
Yeah. Yeah. So I never. Actually taught English in Japan, although all my friends around me were teaching it and I had plans after college to go there and teach Japan in Japan, teaching English in Japan.
Beverly:
I guess I was thinking of Drew, Drew taught English.
Scott:
Yeah, my buddy Drew and a lot of other people have done that. And I was on that track, I thought for years definitely 100%, I’m going to get my degree, go to Japan, you needed a degree to go into the program, I wanted to go into the JET program. And by the time I graduated, I was dating a girl, and my business after a few years was rolling along pretty steadily, and I realized that going back over there would just be extending college. It’d be fun, and I’d make a decent amount of money. Not a ton, but, enough to have fun in Japan for another three years, let’s say. But I, for the most part, I have to shut out the company break up with a girlfriend. So I decided, oh let’s just, things seem to be going pretty well. Let’s keep on going. And so I just kept on with the IT and web dev company for a few more years. And it wasn’t until 2010. When when I went to Japan or to Tanzania with my father, it was his bucket list to go over there and go on a safari, and he was kind enough to take me along for the ride. And it was my first time in Africa. Both of our first times in Africa and we went over there, both had a great time. I decided beforehand to stay another couple of weeks to climb Kilimanjaro with a friend who was flying in from the UK and also to hit up Zanzibar. And along the way, one of our three guides that we had with the group of American retirees that we had been traveling with for two plus weeks on the safari portion, Josh, he was helping me out with all the logistics and whatnot. I didn’t have a smartphone, so it’s like texting back and forth. And at the end of the trip after Kilimanjaro had been successfully summited barely by me. He invited me and my friend and to go over to his house and meet his wife and then two kids. And so we visited and on the way there, I remember like being in his vehicle and saying Hey, you’re really good at what you do. If you ever thought about starting up your own company doing safaris and tourism, because it’s clear that out of the three guides, everyone loved him the most. Everyone would rush to get into his car every morning. Personable, funny, very knowledgeable. Just you could easily tell he was the cream of the crop. So He said, no not so much. Maybe, some side projects here and there to get some residual income or whatnot, but I said, okay how about this? I know how to start and run businesses remotely. And I know your target market, which, he’d been working with a lot of Americans. What do you say if we start our own company together and I’ll feed you leads and originally I was thinking, okay, we’re just going to I’m just going to feed him business. I’ll take a cotton kind of an affiliate. Kind of thing. And in the end, it wasn’t that I realized I had to put a lot of time into it. And so we changed it to a 50, 50 partnership and start up a company both in the U S and Tanzania. And that was almost 15 years ago and it’s been going great ever since, even though it was very slow beginning. The first few years, very, I remember 2013, I think we had one customer, which he got. Through a referral of somebody else he would, he’d hung out with or he had as a guest 2014, maybe nobody, but we had a friends and family trip 2015, maybe two. So it was like very slow because I was still getting out of my web development business and it was tough to do that. And to change things around, to learn about the business and to get all this started from scratch. Never done business abroad before, definitely not in Africa or Tanzania. Never done business in the tourism space. There’s a lot to learn. And even for him, having been a guide for 15 plus years, he had to learn a lot about that section, like that part of the business which, has a lot more to, to learn in addition to the guiding role that he had been become used to.
Beverly:
So the spark of that partnership was simply you just experiencing the country and him being extraordinary at what he did.
Scott:
Yes, I had no, no plans to go into travel and tourism. I love traveling, but I had no plans to get into that. It was purely going over there. Meeting him, having that spark of an idea and proposing it to him, like on the spot, it just, I just felt called to do that.
Beverly:
But you’re the type of person who I, who will just do that. Like you’re open to those kinds of partnerships. And I think people, sometimes as small as business owners and even entrepreneurs, sometimes we get a little closed minded about what we know and what we do. And I love that you’re just have this open spirit and that there’s. You’re always connecting with people and making connections. And I think it’s brought you so much. So much to your life, whether it’s friendships or partnerships or opportunities it’s really extraordinary that you are, that you are that way.
Scott:
You ask my friends, they’ll tell you Scott’s the guy that stays in touch. Yeah. Yeah, I do have that like maven type of personality that I just, I love meeting people hearing their story. Yeah, Oh, you should meet this person, I’m a connector. Yes.
Beverly:
So you’re making me dream of travels and all kinds of fun stuff. And you still haven’t been in the safari. I know. I know. And it’s on my list my, my husband’s in the army and sometimes our life is not dictated by us until that 20 year Mark Scott, then, all bets are off. I’m going to have my passport ready. I’m telling you, like it’s ready. With that being said, we’ve gotten to know you just a little bit better, like where you come from how your entrepreneurial spirit is thrives. Talk about the opportunities that you’ve had. So can you highlight a moment or experience? Beyond this the safari, where you had these unique opportunities in front of you and how that extended your entrepreneurial journey, like how that has Made it richer or more diverse. How has it affected you?
Scott:
Yeah, something similar happened in Croatia, which I haven’t even mentioned about. We do it’s a friend of mine that I met on a retreat in 2014, Julian or Julian. And he’s a Croatian guy and friend of a friend. And now we do business together and we put together custom boat charters from Split. A split area of Croatia doing a week long island hopping types of excursions. And that was another thing. It was just like, hey, man I’ve done this a few times. I know what’s involved. You’re on the ground there. You’re a great like details person. A lot of people as well you want to give us a shot here. So that’s another project that I’m working on. And then for Japan, it was more of not a partnership thing. It’s like the odd one out but I knew I, after I, in 2014, took a group of friends to Japan for the first time, and I was like they’re into it in Japan I realized I want to do it again. So 2016 did it again. And I was like, Oh, I could make this a thing. And so almost every year after with the exception of COVID, like I would take groups of friends over there. And then I started, becoming more sure of what I was providing and up in the price and whatnot. And because I know about Japan, I speak Japanese and more and more I know about food and in depth, I decided to go on. Do a deep dive, especially during COVID and think oh, I can deep, I could dive deeper into. the whole concept of food and drink and be a better guide, be more knowledgeable and everything. So I got degrees in sake, shochu, tea wine. And that just adds to my credentials, which are cool to have when you’re leading people over there and be like, okay, he knows his stuff, it’s not something I could really partner with because it’s tough to find somebody that has the connections, the Japanese ability, the history. I’ve worked over there in different hospitality. Arenas as far as bartender, waiter, busboy, room cleaning at hotels, like I’ve been in that world before, multiple times and I started a business with my old roommate in 2006 that does hospitality consulting for Japanese companies. It’s a very unique like mix of stuff that’s very hard to find but yeah, so I just keep that as a passion business and do it a couple times a year. I might expand it a little bit, but it’s tough because you only, there’s only one of me and I’ve got a life to live. I’ve got other things I’m doing, other businesses. And so I wanted to keep it to that point where it’s okay, if it makes sense, I’ll do it. And if not. Maybe not.
Beverly:
I think that with culture and people wanting to get to know the culture, food and drink and all of that is so embedded in the culture. So having
Scott:
Yeah, Japan’s super, super a super great spot for that. There’s certain countries where you’re like, oh yeah, like Italy, right? Yes. Italy, Japan. Funny enough, there’s great Italian food in Japan because they really love Italian food there. So you’ll find some of the best like pasta, the best pizza over there. Like when I studied over there for the first time and I would eat, I was like, Oh, why are the noodles? I was just like super boiled noodles. I was like, Oh, the noodles are hard. Oh no, they’re al dente. Okay.
Beverly:
When I went to Peru, they have a huge Japanese influence of food as well. So when you have those fusion opportunities are really interesting too, from a culinary and cultural perspective. So, since you’ve been able to find all these unique opportunities what would you give advice to people who are, they’re wanting to start a business or already established to help them find kind of their passion and uniqueness for themselves?
Scott:
It’d be even though I didn’t start off this way, it’s what do you love to do or what did you love to do as a kid? Is there a way to make money? Inevitably, there’s going to be a way just the tricky part is finding out about it. So I would just say in that field, do Google searches and see pick some words, string them together, do a Google search and be like, are people making money off of this? Yeah. And if there are, then they’ve already proven the business concept to you, and you can do the same thing. If you’re not particularly like creative minded then go ahead and just copy someone like not word for word and not taking a spitting image of the website, whatnot, but use them emulate someone that looks, yeah, emulate them, use it as an example. As far as what they put on the website or what they’re offering or the prices. It’s. It’s what’s that quote that what is it? Copying is the greatest form of flattery, something like that, right? So it’s, just do that. If you don’t have, if you’re struggling to come up with ideas on your own, or if you don’t have a lot of experience in that field I just say, look at all the people that are already doing it and don’t be like, oh they’re doing it. They could do it because of blah, blah, blah. And I can’t do it. No, they were at the same place at one point. If they’re doing it, it means that there’s room for more competition. So take what they do it better, do it quicker, do it in a more interesting way.
Beverly:
Infuse it with your personality, which is going to be unique anyway. And your perspective, I think that’s makes a big difference too, right?
Scott:
Go the extra mile. Yeah. Like even small things, like so many people are trying to just get away with the bare minimum. Because it’s not like everyone, it’s not people’s fault. It’s just lives are busy. We’ve got a lot of stuff to deal with, but if you like go a little bit extra, like a handwritten thank you note in your package or showing that you give back to the community or something like that, like it goes a long way. Just those little things that help you stand out.
Beverly:
Customer experience. It’s like it’s all I’m talking about these days with my clients. So that’s exactly it. How do you make it a surprise and delight or to add that little extra oomph to your offerings? That’s awesome. So what marketing tactics, let’s get into the marketing part’s my favorite part, right? What marketing tactics have been most effective for your ventures in the travel and tourism industry? How have you really built up, I know word of mouth is huge for you, but what else have you been doing?
Scott:
Beta test on your friends. That’s the thing I that’s the advice I give to everyone I know, especially those people that are starting their own retreat or their own travel group. Beta test on your friends. Tell, put on Facebook or whatever channel that you use most that you’re getting a group together. This will be great. Cut rate because the first time you’re doing it to say, things may not go as planned. That’s just the name of the game. You’re getting a discount. In return, I want to ask you for your honest feedback a testimonial and the ability to use pictures and videos of you and marketing it to future clients. And then you’re also able to having done that figure out a price point because you’ll have done it and you’ll know, okay. I made this much. How much do I need to make? Do I need to charge to make the amount I want to be able to make by putting this time and effort into it? So that’s what I did with safaris. That’s why I continue to do it. I do a friends and family safari at the end of every year. That’s what I did for Japan for the first two, three times. And that’s what I continue to do whenever I start up a new thing. I did it with the yachts in Croatia. Yeah, it’s just a great way to do it. And your friends will be generally more understanding of something that was wrong. And, hopefully they’ll give you that honest feedback that you need as well.
Beverly:
Yeah, I think I got the first invitation to go on the safari, and I really wanted to go. I was so sad I couldn’t go. Lots of my friends have gone, which makes me so happy. Some coming a second time. I know, I can’t believe Michelle’s going a second time, but that’s awesome. So how do you, I think with what you do that’s being so experiential, you have to use storytelling in your marketing and branding. So how do you use storytelling to help your marketing?
Scott:
We had a, Great video that was produced in 2014 and we redid it in 2022. My buddy, Ryan Doyle of video, vision, three 60 based here in Michigan. He, gave me mates rates as they call it. And cause he really loved the first time. He did it for what I would consider a cut rate. Thank you, Ryan. One hell of a video. Yeah, it’s a two minute clip and it really like encapsulates what we do, at least on the Safari portion. I have to do it again for Kilimanjaro at some point. And it shows you like what it’s like and really gets you like wanting to go over there and do it for yourself. So like that. That I think is like a really cool way to show people, especially like video being the thing now, like it’s so much more powerful than images or text. I, if I found out anything during my years of business, it’s that fewer and fewer people as years go on, read, like they don’t read the text, like they’ll scan it or whatnot. And, they’ll show up and be like, Hey, do you have the supplies that are on that pack? Oh no. I don’t check my email or Oh no, I didn’t read that. If you could put stuff in video form, it helps a lot. Other than that, customer reviews are super important. So I ask everyone and I’ll generally ask my clients like three times cause people are busy. I’ll ask them multiple times to write a review on our review platforms or platform. I think it’s important to pick one because asking people to do more than one is. You’re going to get quite the drop off of people actually doing it unless your buddies even your buddies spend six months. Can you do that thing you said you’re going to do? Just because reviews are so important for every business especially for high end tourism businesses like mine people dropping thousands of dollars.
Beverly:
So that’s important, like social proof, someone else talking about you is far more powerful than you talking about you. So having that is amazing. Are you using video testimonials yet? Like I started using vouch for testimonials.
Scott:
I started doing that initially in 2017 with the first friends and family trip in Tanzania, but it was tricky because and I’m sure I could do this better. I just haven’t done it. You’re like, Hey, we’re doing video testimonials and people just get in front of the camera and they just be like yeah. And so it was tricky. So a lot of people aren’t used to being on camera. They don’t know what to say all of a sudden. So I got a lot of I had everyone do it. I was like, Okay, now you now you just get like talk for what was your favorite part of Safari, I was even scripting them a little bit to be like, Okay, what’s this question, what’s the answer to this question. But still, people were definitely better than others at that.
Beverly:
You’re so right, though, video is the way to go like having that video that professionally edited and everything done for you, even not so professional videos are they’re authentic and real and doing more of that to tell a story, people are more apt to pay attention to stay engaged with that content far longer than if it was just text or an image. So I love that approach. And I think it’s worked really well, because especially with food, right? And animals, you can’t get much more visually interesting that, maybe children, but other than that, like it’s a marketing goldmine in many ways, because cheetos on top of a, I don’t know what kind of vehicle it is. Land Cruiser. Thank you. It like poking, that’s, it’s so powerful. And then just the pictures of the beautiful food and the presentation of the food is just amazing.
Scott:
I want to do a video of that. Like I said, this is a passion business, so it’s a little bit less important to get that. It’s more like just, I like it. It’s like a business card nowadays be like, Hey, watch this two minute video and you’ll understand what we’re all about.
Beverly:
Okay, so that’s awesome. I loved hearing about all of those things, and I hope that inspires people to take their passion and do more of that for their entrepreneurial journey. But it’s time for what we call the lightning round. Are you ready, Scott?
Scott:
Sure.
Beverly:
Okay, so I’m going to unleash a storm of rapid fire questions to uncover your favorite kind of business insights, tools, and inspirations. So here we go. What is your favorite way to connect and network?
Scott:
Email.
Beverly:
What is your favorite business or marketing book?
Scott:
Ooh. What is it? Persuasion by Robert Giordini.
Beverly:
Oh, that’s a good one. What’s your favorite podcast?
Scott:
Right now I would say I’m really binging. I have the last couple of years I’ve been really turned on to my first million podcast.
Beverly:
Yeah. That’s a good one too.
Scott:
Yeah. The rapport between the guys is really good. They really get into the questions you want and give you actionable advice on. On your business and just, it’s fun to listen to. It’s that rare combination of like fun to listen to and informative.
Beverly:
Edutainment. That’s like the newest category of things.
Scott:
Yes.
Beverly:
Okay. So what’s your favorite marketing tactic?
Scott:
Referrals.
Beverly:
And what’s your favorite source of inspiration?
Scott:
Just life experience. Just going out, meeting people and like going to places and doing things.
Beverly:
Who’s your favorite entrepreneur to follow, like on LinkedIn or anywhere?
Scott:
I don’t really follow a lot of people. I’ll take what I want to take from a lot of different sources. i’m exposed to a lot just like podcasts and reading books and blog posts and whatnot. But I definitely was really into not so much like the way the business is going but like The personality of Richard Branson for many years and I had the opportunity to hang out with him in 2015 for a bit And that was really cool, I can say that. There’s not really anyone like I follow more than someone else. I feel like everyone has their own unique take on things, has their own different business and different strategies and a lot of them don’t apply to you or what you’re doing. And so I just just try to pick out the parts that do apply to me and my situation.
Beverly:
Yeah. Okay, so that’s the end of the lightning round. You totally survived.
Scott:
Yeah, but the last one wasn’t necessarily a lightning response.
Beverly:
No, it’s okay. So we’re going to shift gears and focus on our Blaze Forward segment, which is where you let the sparks of inspiration from our conversation turn into actionable strategies. So what is one easy step that a small business entrepreneur, someone who’s just starting out, can take today? Spark their opportunity or ignite their marketing. What is the one thing that you would say do this today to help push you forward?
Scott:
For me, it’s funny. I usually like try to think of a good name and domain name, but I know for it’s fun, but I know for a lot of people that could be like something where it. Prohibits them from taking action and making progress. So I would say don’t do that for most people. Focus on getting focus on getting that first customer, that first dollar or whatnot. I just had a buddy releases book Noah Kagan. He just released it yesterday. And it’s called, I believe million dollar weekend. And he goes through and it’s all actionable advice about, for the most part, like how to start your first business, like what exactly to do To be fair, I do know him and I haven’t read the book yet, but knowing him, he’s got a podcast he’s done for years, YouTube channel, and he’s run a very successful business eight figures. He’s, he’s a good guy to, to take advice from and again, read it, take what you can use and throw out the rest. But I think it would be. Like a good resource for people that are starting and also like very up to date because it just came out. It just came out depending on when you’re listening to this, but yeah,
Beverly:
this is January 2024. So we’ll see. Okay. So before we go, Scott. Share how our listeners can jet off to learn more about all your epic adventures, maybe sign up for a trip or even keep tabs on any latest projects you’re working on. How can they find you?
Scott:
I’m at Scott Brills, B R I L S on all the platforms. I’d say I’m most active on none of them. I don’t do a lot of like personal social media.
Beverly:
You go through spurts. You go through spurts. Like you’ll be really active and then you won’t be, yes.
Scott:
Yeah, I’ll post something on Instagram and then wait another year. Yeah. However the main the main channels I post on for my business would be Pomoja Safaris, my African safari company. That’s P A M O J A, Pomoja Safaris, P A M O J A, and it’s just at Pomoja Safaris on all the things. So everything from TikTok to Insta to X to Facebook. Yeah. So we post cool photos and videos of us doing our thing in Tanzania or elsewhere in Africa, and that’s updated regularly because we have someone who’s doing it, but it uses all content that I’ve personally like shot, with my camera during trips and whatnot. Yeah. So it’s me in a way.
Beverly:
So what does Pomoja mean? What is the meaning?
Scott:
So Safari means journey and Mojo means together. So travel together basically in Swahili which is the language of Tanzania, East Africa. Yeah, I thought it, it fit very well and I actually picked that myselF. There’s also my website, scottbros. com again, super out of date, but you’ve got all the ways to contact me there.
Beverly:
Is there anything else that you want to share today before we, we sign off?
Scott:
No not really good luck on the podcast and hope to see you on one of the adventures soon.
Beverly:
It’s on my list. I, you will see me. I might be decrepit.
Scott:
Don’t worry. We have plenty of decrepit people come with us. Okay.
Beverly:
And I love it. Cause the tension stuff are like glamping. It’s not yeah, it’s a comfortable safari experience running hot water. Hot water. Hot water. Hot water. Hot water. Full size food. Yes.
Scott:
Yeah. Good food. Definitely good food.
Beverly:
Thank you, Scott. This has been so fun. And thank you, our listener to tuning in to this episode, the first episode with Scott of Spark and Ignite Your Marketing. If you’re feeling fired up and ready to blaze new trails in your entrepreneurial adventure, don’t forget to hit the subscribe button and with our weekly episodes pack the sparks of inspiration. You won’t want to miss a single moment of the action. Subscribe now and let’s keep the excitement going. So that’s a wrap of this episode of sparking that marketing. And if you’re hungry for more strategies to fuel your entrepreneurial journey, I have great news for you. I also wrote a book. Marketing for Entrepreneurs, a quick guide to sparking and igniting your marketing is now available on Amazon. Whether you prefer Audible, Kindle, or paperback, this book is packed with thought provoking insights and questions to help you light up your marketing efforts
BC & Associates Marketing Agency, we’re here to support you on this journey, providing the tools, insights, and inspiration you need to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Let’s embark on this adventure together, igniting passions and exploring the boundless possibilities that await. Take the first step by scheduling a complimentary 15-minute fit call with us. Let’s delve into how our small business marketing agency, backed by over 25 years of expertise, can streamline and optimize your marketing efforts, elevate your business, and propel you toward your digital marketing goals. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your business—book your call now!
Check out Beverly’s book Marketing For Entrepreneurs. The Quick Guide To Spark & Ignite Your Marketing. Available on Amazon (soft cover and kindle) and Audible. This book will only take you a couple of hours to read and is full of action steps to help you get ot the heart and soul of brand, messaging and customer journey!
