Meet Our “Influencer of the Week,” James Lam!

James Lam, Founder of Look Ahead Marketing

Nominated by: Kimberly Weitkamp

James Lam, owner of LAM – Look Ahead Marketing, helps heart-centered entrepreneurs discover their superpowers and then use those gifts to shape their businesses into change-making enterprises via his 12-week signature program, Superpowered Business Success. James also built the successful franchise, Learn Photography Company, with over 5000 students at ten studios across Canada.

Connect with James on LinkedIn, Instagram, or through his website.

James’ Insights

My biggest tip would be to BE YOURSELF ON SOCIAL!

I’ve worked with hundreds of heart-centered Entrepreneurs and one of the greatest defining characteristics of those who build and win at the business game is that they have the courage to throw away past paradigms and simply be naturally them. It’s not easy. It takes courage. And it’s the only way you can build a proper (and profitable) heart-centered business – around you.

Picture that your ideal customer is on one side of a giant canyon and they want to get to the other side (that’s an analogy to their current challenge 🙂 ). Now picture them skirting around the issue, trying their very best to solve their current issue – whether it’s trying to jump across (in which case they become bruised in the process), or trying to climb down only to be met by a pit of rattlesnakes, or simply ignoring the issue and pretending that it doesn’t exist (and never reaching the other side).

The point is that your client (especially if you’re a heart-centered Entrepreneur) normally has tried to solve their problem – regardless of if it’s business, wealth, health, or love… And because of their previous experiences are now scared to try something else. Your clients approach you with a sense of trepidation, reluctance, and cynicism. Our challenge? Common marketing wisdom suggests we yell our solution at them by brandishing a large neon sign flashing *I CAN GET YOU ACROSS*.

This is the problem. We never meet our customers where they are – they are scared, reluctant, and cynical that we can help them. They are not in the space to trust that large neon flashing sign. Great news though – this is where the *YOU* needs to come through to help them. We can talk with them, guide them and educate them on what CAN be for them. Instead of just having a neon sign saying we can get them across (and associated professional / college credentials), let’s guide them through the process.

We can show them – I have a hot air balloon to get you over, I have a set of wings, a trampoline, a jet pack… even a bridge. The point is that everybody is different and how we guide our customers at their most vulnerable moment is key to having them believe in us. Yes, degrees look good at the outset. But a good old rocket pack is what we need to help them bridge that canyon. That key distinction to support your customer is your defining characteristic and if you have not figured it out yet, it’s YOU. It’s how YOU make them feel – you power the business, they choose YOU. So get that jet pack, build your social empire in a way that is unabashedly you and show them that they CAN do this, and you are the right person to get them to the goals they are striving for.