Owner of Copyblogger and Stodzy Inc. Teaching you how to build businesses with content. Join my content marketing community ↓

It took me 15 years for my first agency to hit 7 figures. I sold it in 2023.  Those first 15 years taught me a lot about growing a service business. I learned the pains of not knowing:- Where my next client was coming from - How to navigate sales calls- Which marketing efforts worked- How to scale growth predictably But one by one, I found solutions to these problems. Today, I’ve constructed those solutions into a battle tested system that consistently attracts and converts my dream customers. It’s the exact system I’ve used to take Quantum Leads from $0 to $7 figures in 8 months. Now, I am booking calls and closing deals regularly, all because I took the time to learn how to book sales calls through content and lead generation.I realized I’m not the only person struggling with these problems. So I decided to share my system with other service business owners through Copyblogger Academy. Inside the Copyblogger Academy, you’ll learn:- How to choose the right marketing channels- How to attract leads from that channel- How to do outbound in a way that feels genuineOnce you’ve implemented the system and are attracting leads, I’m happy to give you more one on one coaching through the Sales Accelerator.Inside, I’ll walk you through the process of navigating sales calls and closing clients in a way that feels natural, not salesy. Copyblogger Academy is the solution I wish I had 10 years ago. If it sounds interesting, you can join through the link in my bio. I'll see you on the timeline.

I had to:

(And you will have to also)

1. Run businesses for a few years before I was qualified to scale, manage employees, and more.

2. Work with 10 clients before I was qualified to help my clients generate leads and reach their goals.

3. Be lost and confused at every job I've ever had before I was qualified to do a good job at them.

There's no such thing as being ready.

Start now. Get qualified later.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

Tim Stoddart

Founder @ Quantum Leads | CEO at Copyblogger | Building Quantum Leads into a $10M+ agency and teaching my lead gen system in Copyblogger ↓

I used this system to do over $10,000,000 in sales. Steal it from me and apply it to any goal:

1. Figure out which tasks move you forward most. For me, that was writing content and doing outreach to clients. Nothing else helped me grow my agency faster. 

2. Make those daily non-negotiables. That'll likely mean doing them first before anything else. Force yourself to pull those levers. Every single day. No matter what.

3. Analyze how you're doing them and optimize. Doing the same ineffective thing over and over again won't help. You need to be smart too, not just consistent.

As I said, you can apply this to any goal.

A career builder might do these daily:

- Study and practice their skill
- Networking in their industry
- Apply for new jobs 

Even life stuff like fitness can be turned into non-negotiables:

- Walk 8,000 steps
- Eat nutritious breakfast
- Drink 80 ounces of water

Find those primary levers.

Pull them daily.

Stick with it for years. 

That's how you win.

P.S. My newsletter helps you build your service business with better content, sales, and mindset. Hit my bio link to read past issues and subscribe.

Scale from $100k → $1M/year with my client acquisition system. Founder of Quantum Leads | CEO of Copyblogger | $10M/year portfolio

I've found this timeline to apply over and over again while building my companies:

1. First 3 months are awful. Just a grind.
2. Next 9 months are better. Still hard.
3. At 1 year, you start figuring things out.
4. The magic starts around year 2 or 3.

One reason why I started consulting with entrepreneurs is that I know how brutal this process is, and if I can cut it in half for someone, that's a huge win.

But there's no avoiding it entirely. 

Strap in and get consistent.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

Scaling to $10M a year in passive income. Building Quantum Leads and sharing what I learn along the way. Join my newsletter to learn high ticket lead generation and sales. ↓

The average person spends over 120,000 minutes every year on TV and social media.

Successful people put a portion of that into:

- Learning new things
- Applying what they learn
- Getting better bit by bit

Invest in yourself.

It'll feel useless at first.

But then it'll change everything.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

Nobody:

1. Start their career as a pro in their field
2. Starts a business and win immediately
3. Starts writing and goes viral right away

Instead, they have to:

- Be a bit lost and insecure
- Learn through mentorship
- Learn by making mistakes
- Slowly get better
- Slowly get more confident

So be teachable.

That's a skill you can learn.

It'll unlock everything else you want to learn too.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

Don't be too formal.

Don't be generic.

Don't lose your personality.

Don't lose your authenticity. 

In rare cases, ultra-formal is good.

But in most cases, it isn't.

Especially in content, copy, and outreach.

Keep it real.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

If you keep dwelling on past mistakes, you'll feel awful and make no progress. Do this instead:

1. Try to find lessons. You usually can.
2. Write them down to learn them better.
3. Start working on your next move.
4. Use mental discipline to move on.
5. Do your best to not look back much.

I've made big mistakes.

In business and in life.

Obsessing over them is toxic.

Look toward the future.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

My first company took 4 years to become profitable.

Others I've built went faster, but still took a while.

Getting truly skilled took 5+ years. 

Building my personal brand has been a 7 year project.

Nothing worth doing is fast or easy.

Commit to learning. 

There's no other way to make progress.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

You can easily reach $1,000,000/year in 2026.

People stay stuck for one (fixable) reason:

They don’t charge enough.

When you look at the rough math, it’s simple:
- 10 clients @ $8,400
- 9 clients @ $9,300
- 8 clients @ $10,500
- 7 clients @ $12,000
- 6 clients @ $14,000
- 5 clients @ $17,000
- 4 clients @ $25,000
- 3 clients @ $28,000
- 2 clients @ $42,000
- 1 client @ $84,000

Here are 3 ways to charge more (without doing more work):

1. Serve clients to whom your service is worth more.

Say you rank all of these businesses first on Google:
➡️ Bakery ROI = $5,000
➡️ Plastic Surgeon ROI = $500,000
➡️ Enterprise software ROI = $5,000,000

Same work. Same result. Different ROI.

2. Deliver a Premium Experience.

It’s simple. Yet few check all of these boxes:
➡️ Respond quickly
➡️ Deliver on time
➡️ Be pleasant

3. Report on The Right KPIs 

Clients won’t churn if they KNOW you make them money.

Most businesses don’t:
➡️ Learn the KPIs that matter to clients
➡️ Set up proper tracking 
➡️ Hold themselves accountable

Do those things, and you have a premium business. 

P.S. Not sure how to get your first 10 clients? You can sign up for Copyblogger Academy to swipe the outbound system I used to generate $1,000,000 in sales last year. Hit my bio link to learn how to close your first $1,000,000.

I love a vacation. But happiness comes from daily joy. Not events that happen a few times a year.

A few things I've done to enjoy every day:

- Take care of my health
- Marry the right person
- Raise my kids right 
- Work with people I respect
- Work on projects that interest me
- Be a business owner 

Not all of those are required.

But the broader point remains.

Optimize your daily experience.

Don't just wait for occasional escape.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

“I’ve tried everything to get clients.”

Well, that’s usually the problem. Here’s why.

If you’ve tried everything, you haven’t put in sufficient reps to accomplish anything. 

You already know this:

Reps = Mastery

But nobody talks about WHY reps are required.

Here’s the truth:
1️⃣ You do a rep to DISCOVER a roadblock
2️⃣ Once you discover a roadblock, ask someone how they solved it
3️⃣ Then, implement that solution and overcome that roadblock
4️⃣ Repeat

It’s reasonable to assume that any valuable skill likely has 30+ roadblocks. 

Now you know that, it’s UNREASONABLE to expect mastery with <30 reps.

So instead of trying everything, do this:
✅ Pick one strategy that works for your competitors
✅ Commit 2 hours to that strategy for 30 days
✅ Aim to uncover as many roadblocks as possible 

At the end of 30 days, you’ll likely start to see results. 

Even if the results are modest, they’ll begin to compound. 

Want results faster?
1️⃣ Do more reps.
2️⃣ Never repeat mistakes.

Client acquisition is simple. 

Most people just don’t realize they’re making progress and they quit too soon. 

That’s why I say to pick a strategy you know has worked for your competitors. 

If you know it worked for them, you’ll know it WILL work for you.

Just stick with it.

P.S. There is only one way to skip the reps to uncover the roadblocks. Learn from someone else who has already encountered and solved (many of) them. Copyblogger Academy contains the client acquisition system I used to build my 7 figure agency. Click the link in my bio to access it.

This is the most costly mistake I’ve made as an entrepreneur.

And it’s also quite common.

Lack of focus. 

There will come a time in your entrepreneurial journey when your “main thing” becomes difficult.

At this moment, you’ll have a choice:
➡️ Buckle down and push through
➡️ Chase a new shiny object

Yet the cost of choosing the new shiny object isn’t just the growth you’ve built with your first business.

You also sacrifice compounding growth.

It might take:
➡️ 4 years to reach 6 figures
➡️ 2 more years to reach 7 figures
➡️ 1 more year to reach 8 figures

Yet if you quit in year 4 to start a new shiny object... 

the clock starts over again at 0.

Fast forward 3 years:
🟢  The person who stuck it out = 8 figure entrepreneur 
🔴 The person who chased the shiny object = 6 figure entrepreneur

In my case, I didn’t completely quit the business I was building. 

But I did add new shiny objects.

As a result, all of my businesses stalled and I missed out on compounding growth. 

If I had just stuck it out with one main business, I’d be much wealthier. 

And it’s mentally taxing to switch between projects.

So before chasing a new shiny object, think about the real cost of starting something new. 

If you don't know how to solve the problem to unlock the next level of growth for your current business, get help. 

The cost of mentorship is much cheaper than the cost of lack of focus.

Likes ≠ Leads

My formula to generate leads from content?

# of Qualified Leads = Content Relevancy X Quality X Volume

Here are tips to maximize each input:

Content Relevancy
↳ List out the most common pain points prospects mention on sales calls.
↳ Extract elements of your process that solve those problems. 
↳ The hook is the pain point, the body is the process.

Content Quality
↳ Look at top performing content on the platform.
↳ Extract the framework and repackage your idea in that framework.
↳ Add case studies/anecdotal experiences to prove your credibility.

Volume
↳ Repost your previous top performing content
↳ Publish on multiple platforms. You’ll see diminishing returns if you only increase publishing volume on one.

Even if algorithms fluctuate, this formula works.

Why?

Ultimately, algorithms reward high quality content that keeps users on the platform. 

It’s simple, but not easy. 

Most people just don’t stay consistent for a sufficient period of time. 

P.S. If you're struggling to post content that converts, I teach the content system that generated over $1,000,000/year in Copyblogger Academy. Hit the link in my bio to access it.

Relationships and inbound helped me get my first agency started.

But it took off and passed 7 figures when I did this:

Outbound. 

I was opposed to outbound at first.

I get a lot of cold pitches, and don’t respond to many of them.

If I don’t respond, outbound doesn’t work. Right?

But I realized that was the wrong takeaway.

The real reason I don’t respond to many outbound messages is usually:
1️⃣ Relevancy: The offer is irrelevant to me.
2️⃣ Value: The offer doesn't provide immediate value. 
3️⃣ Timing: The offer solves a problem that isn’t currently a priority.
4️⃣ Credibility: I’m not convinced you'll deliver on the promise.

Once I realized that, the solution to making outbound “work” was simply solving for each of those problems.  

How to improve your outbound response rates:
➡️ Relevancy: Make sure you’re reaching out to the right person.
➡️ Value: Make it immediately helpful. "Getting on a call" is not immediate value.
➡️ Timing: Look for intent signals suggesting they want your solution.
➡️ Credibility: Build your social media presence.

That said, it is possible to over optimize. 

You’ll see a better ROI spending 1 hour sending 20 fairly personalized pitches than 1 perfect pitch.

But once you understand those four levers, your outbound results will skyrocket.

P.S. If you want help scaling your outbound, you can sign up for Copyblogger Academy to swipe the outbound system I used to generate $1,000,000 in sales last year. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads.

How to get $5k+ clients:

(This works for anyone)

1. Get very good at what you do
2. Get proof (case studies) you're good
3. Do outreach to high-budget prospects
4. Create content to get inbound
5. Charge what you're worth on sales calls

The first one is the hardest.

Then things get relatively easy.

Keep pushing until you get to where you want to be.

P.S. If you want more high paying clients (who come to YOU), check out Copyblogger Academy. I show you the exact content engine and sales system I used to generate over $1,000,000 in client revenue year.

My agency was stuck at about $1.5M/year. 

Then, I learned this framework.

There are three kinds of offers:
- Services
- Programs
- Products

You start with services and build an audience.

Next, you can scale by offering programs and eventually products. 

With 3 offers, you have a solution for every prospect on sales calls. 

Here’s how it works.

1. Services (DFY)
Price = $5,000 to $50,000 a month

This is where you get started. 

You gain experience learning how to get results. 

But eventually, you’ll have to hire more people to grow.

And scaling becomes difficult. 

That’s when it's time to the next stage…

2. Programs (DWY)
Price = $2,500 to $10,000 (paid in full)

This is when you package what you learned.

You’re selling the information + coaching.

For me, this is the Sales Accelerator. 

I sell my outbound blueprint and conduct weekly coaching calls. 

It’s more scalable, but the coaching still requires my time.

3. Products (DIY)
Price = $500 - $1,000

This is when you sell ONLY the information. 

It’s the most scalable, but also the lowest ticket. 

For me, this is Copyblogger Academy. 

We give founders the information they need, but they do the work themselves. 

Once I understood the difference between these offers and priced them appropriately, I learned how to scale without:
- Starting a new business
- Increasing headcount

These offers also give me the ability to ascend or descend prospects to different offers.

As a result, I almost always earn revenue from every sales call.

So if you’re feeling stuck and don’t know how to scale, consider how you can repackage your offer.

Some days are for grinding hard.

Others are for eating croissants and drinking coffee in France.

Do both.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

I run a $1,000,000/year biz. And if my clients leave tomorrow? 

I’d be fine… thanks to this client acquisition system. (Copy me)

1. I built a personal brand

I grew my personal brand to ~100,000 followers.

This gives me a steady stream of inbound leads.  

And it also gives me credibility if I do cold outreach.

The 80/20 of personal branding is simple:
➡️ Tie content to pain points/outcomes
➡️ Use proven frameworks for each platform
➡️ Post consistently

2. I built a sales team

I have an audience, but I don’t just hope they buy.

I’m proactive and sell through DMs.

The 80/20 of my sales system is simple:
➡️ I tell people in convos what I offer
➡️ I have a setter help book meetings
➡️ I use a CRM to track convos/prompt follow ups

3. I documented and systematized everything 

Most business owners are stuck doing client work.

But you need time to take sales calls. 

(And not just when you're scrambling for clients.)

The solution? Document and delegate. 

The 80/20 of my delegation process is simple:
➡️ Document SOPs with Loom + Docs
➡️ Track project progress in ClickUp
➡️ Delegate all tasks other than sales calls

I don’t have a huge team. 

But my processes are very clear.

So anyone can do them 90% as well as me. 

P.S. As documentation is a key step in this process, I decided to release my entire client acquisition system in Copyblogger. If you want access to this exact system I used to generate $1,000,000 in sales last year, hit the link in my bio.

Why you shouldn't outsource all your writing to AI, whether your write professionally or not:

1. Communication issues. AI is often unclear.
2. It's very mediocre at marketing. 
3. It's even worse at copywriting.
4. It'll ruin your ability to think.
5. It'll ruin your ability to explain yourself.

Use it a bit if you want.

But never outsource entirely.

There will be major consequences.

P.S. I did over $1,000,000 in sales last year with The Machine Method. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads. It's 100% free to get started.

This is the easiest way to 10x any service business.

And you don’t have to get a single new client.

Maximize client LTV. 

So how do you maximize client LTV?
1️⃣ Charge more
2️⃣ Keep them longer
3️⃣ Offer additional upsells 

Improving even just one of these levers can 10x your business… with minimal work.

Here’s how to change each lever. 

1. Charge More
Most service businesses are fundamentally the same. 

Premium services simply charge more by:
➡️ Targeting a premium marketing
➡️ Offering a better client experience

In my experience, the client experience element is the easiest way to charge more.

Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it.

2. Keep Clients Longer

Most clients cancel because they’re no longer getting the results they need.

The easiest way to solve this is to understand the KPI that is most important to them.

In my first agency, I learned that KPI was phone calls. 

So instead of sending detailed reports with:
➡️ Traffic
➡️ Rankings 
➡️ New Keywords

I sent reports that include one critical metric:

Phone calls.

When clients get the results they need, they stick around. 

3. Offer Additional Upsells

The beauty of business is that solving one problem simply leads to another.

So let’s assume you already:
➡️ Maximized pricing
➡️ Maximized retention 

In that case, offer a solution to the next problem that arises.

Example:

You offer content marketing ➡️  Now it needs to rank
Upsell Opportunity: Link Building

Once you learn how to use these three levers, you can scale your business without signing a single new client.

P.S. If you want help scaling your outbound, you can sign up for Copyblogger Academy to swipe the outbound system I used to generate $1,000,000 in sales last year. Hit my bio link to learn how it helps me generate and close leads.

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