What It's About
Two friends prove that a little charisma can go a long way.
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Their YouTube success, Ben says, is based on two factors. The first is creating great content which is laser-targeted to a loyal audience. The next is learning how to get attention on the platform—like creating clickable headlines and choosing your thumbnail image to entice people to watch. According to Ben, if you can get these two down, you’ll be unstoppable on the platform!
Fun Fact
According to an evolutionary theory proposed by a pair of psychologists, exposure to charisma can actually increase generosity. Subjects who saw a Ted talk by a charismatic speaker later gave more money to a stranger than did those who saw an uncharismatic one.
Notes from Chris
Episode 628
In the world of investment banking, it pays to be outgoing and assertive. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and if you don’t have the ability to stand out, you can quickly find yourself lost in the system or without a job at all. This pressure, combined with a desire to connect with more people, is what led Ben Altman and Charlie Houpert to study the psychology of charisma. They believed relationships—both with yourself, and the people around you—are the key to being a successful person. If you were going to make the right decisions, and end up in the right places, you needed to have trust and confidence in yourself and have that reciprocated by the people around you. So, the pair delved deep into books, attended seminars and took courses to help them become the most charismatic versions of themselves. They tried everything they learned in their day to day lives and, slowly but surely, they began to transform into the most charismatic versions of themselves. They saw their dating lives improve. Their social circles expand. Their bosses take a shine to them. And people would openly comment on how (positively) confident and charismatic they were. After a while, their desire to work in the corporate world faded and was replaced with a passion for helping people. They decided they wanted to try something new. They wanted to teach the charisma skills they’d learned to people who needed it. They figured if they did it right, it would allow them to travel and work from wherever, without affecting their income. It began with a blog called Charisma On Command, and the duo started writing posts about topics they cared about. They also offered a cheap eBook to people who joined their mailing list and put together in-person seminars for the low cost of $10 per person. This allowed them to test the waters without becoming over-invested—both financially and time-wise—into the business. At worst they thought they’d get some practice writing and talking about a subject they enjoyed. The more they created and shared, the more copies of their books they sold, and the more people attended their seminars. They saw a real market for helping people become more charismatic, and they decided this was the future business both of them wanted. So, they began to be more intentional and carefully expand. Thanks to a couple of strategic decisions (listen to the episode to learn more!), they've experienced exponential growth and are currently generating income of $50,000 a month through sales of Charisma University! Looking to the future, Charlie and Ben are looking to take on more speaking events and in-person seminars. They love the feel of connection to a crowd and know they do their best work when they can interact and react to the people around them.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Charisma On Command: Take a page out of Ben and Charlie's book—learn more about the art of charisma over on their website!
- YouTube | Charisma On Command: And while you're at it, check out some of the videos they've put together
SEE ALSO:
- Mindreading Performer Goes from Dorm Room to Paid Corporate Gigs: A fascination for why people think helps a performing artist shift from earning $2,000 for college shows to $20,000 for corporate events
- College Student Pitches 300 TEDx Events, Becomes Semi-Pro Speaker: A full-time marketing director and MBA student writes to every single TEDx events in hopes of getting his first gig. He now earns $30,000 year on the side, speaking at events around the world
- Project Manager Shares “Pundamentals” Of His Six-Figure Side Hustle: A corporate employee goes on a mission to bring laughter to corporations and improve their company culture
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This week, Side Hustle School is brought to you by Crazy Enough to Work, a popular podcast and film series. 📈
When the rest of the world is still zigging, some companies know when it’s time to zag. Elizabeth Banks has teamed up with State Street Global Advisors to make a series of podcasts and films that uncover the bold moves mid-cap companies make to thrive and survive.
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