Better thinking needs a practical way forward. Terry Wilson explains how connecting leadership, communication, and mindset with business systems can help turn insight into action.
Mindset and Mechanics: Business Growth with Terry Wilson
686 – You Cannot Market Your Way Out of a Broken Business Model
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The TerryWilson3.com Podcast • Episode 686
You Cannot Market Your Way Out of a Broken Business Model
Sometimes the biggest problem in a business is not the marketing, management, technology, or staff. Sometimes the business itself is built around a contradiction.
When a business struggles, we usually blame the most visible thing.
We say it needs a better website, more leads, stronger content, a new sales funnel, better technology, more automation, a different manager, or another employee.
Sometimes one of those things really is the problem. But sometimes improving them only helps the business execute the wrong idea more efficiently.
That is the subject of Episode 686 of the TerryWilson3.com Podcast: the difference between a marketing problem and a business-model problem.
In This Episode
- Why better marketing can expose a weak business model faster
- How a company can contradict the very result it promises
- Why targeting the wrong customer is deeper than a messaging mistake
- How pricing, delivery, incentives, and technology must work together
- The difference between tactic, management, capability, and model problems
- Five tests you can use to evaluate your own business
- How to redesign a contradiction before spending more money promoting it
When the Promise and the Proof Disagree
Consider a coaching company that teaches branding, authenticity, authority, and differentiation.
Its basic sales appeal is valid: clients prefer to buy from people who appear authentic, possess authority in their field, and offer a distinct advantage.
But what happens when that same company borrows another organization’s brand to create authority, uses AI-generated versions of its people to present supposedly authentic content, and delivers material that appears copied from other coaching firms?
The problem is not that branding is unimportant. The problem is not that AI is always wrong. The problem is that the company is making one argument with its words and another argument with its behavior.
If you sell authenticity, customers need opportunities to encounter the real you. If you sell independent authority, you need ideas, results, and intellectual property that can stand without another company holding them up. If you sell differentiation, your method cannot look like a copy of everything already in the marketplace.
People may not describe that inconsistency in technical terms. They simply say, “Something feels off.”
AI Is Not the Villain
AI can improve research, production, editing, organization, follow-up, and customer service. It can give small businesses capabilities that once required a large staff.
The real question is not whether AI is good or bad. The question is: Does this use of AI reinforce or contradict the result you are selling?
The Marketing Company That Markets to Marketers
I regularly receive generic LinkedIn messages from companies pitching marketing services.
They are pitching their marketing to an online marketer.
Before I can evaluate their service, their own message has already created evidence against their claim. They say they understand targeting, positioning, communication, and customer acquisition—but demonstrate that claim with an irrelevant message that could have been sent to almost anyone.
So I give them an opportunity to demonstrate their confidence. I invite them into our affiliate program, provide additional assets and resources, and offer performance-based compensation that can grow according to the results they create.
It is amazing how quickly that offer gets to the bottom of how confident some people really are in their own marketing.
To be fair, there are legitimate reasons a marketing firm may not work entirely on commission. A marketer does not control every part of a client’s sales, pricing, fulfillment, reputation, or retention. But the response still exposes important questions:
- Who carries the risk?
- What result does the provider actually control?
- Is compensation connected to the value being promised?
- Does the company’s own customer acquisition demonstrate its claimed ability?
A contact is not automatically a qualified prospect. Access to someone’s inbox is not evidence that they need what you sell.
Marketing Is an Amplifier, Not an Alchemist
Marketing can attract attention, clarify value, improve timing, and connect an offer with the right person. What it cannot do is permanently turn a contradiction into credibility.
Bad Economics
More advertising can accelerate losses when acquiring and serving a customer costs more than the profit that customer creates.
Wrong Customers
A stronger campaign can fill the pipeline with more people who cannot benefit from, afford, or successfully use the offer.
Broken Delivery
More sales can create disappointed customers faster when fulfillment cannot deliver what the promotion promises.
If your business loses money on a typical successful transaction, you do not have an advertising problem. If the service disappoints the exact people the marketing attracts, you do not have a lead problem. If growth makes the company weaker, you do not have a scale problem.
You have a model problem.
Four Problems That Are Easy to Confuse
- A tactic problem: The basic logic works, but one activity needs improvement. The landing page may be confusing, calls may not be returned, or follow-up may be too slow.
- A management problem: The correct activities are known, but responsibilities, standards, communication, or accountability are unclear.
- A capability problem: The company lacks a necessary skill, resource, relationship, or technology.
- A business-model problem: The activities can be executed exactly as designed and the outcome still does not make economic or strategic sense.
Model problems require redesign—not merely optimization.
Five Tests for Your Business Model
1. The Proof Test
Does the way you operate demonstrate the thing you sell? If you sell speed, are you fast? If you sell simplicity, is it easy to buy? If you sell authenticity, can customers encounter the real you?
2. The Incentive Test
Does the company make more money when the customer succeeds? Do commissions reward the right customer outcome, or merely the quickest sale?
3. The Economics Test
Does a typical customer eventually create more gross profit than it costs to acquire, deliver to, support, and retain that customer?
4. The Target Test
Does your chosen customer recognize the problem, possess the ability to buy, and have a compelling reason to choose you?
5. The Coherence Test
Do your target, promise, pricing, technology, delivery, and compensation reinforce one another—or are they pulling the company in opposite directions?
Research Supports the Importance of the Model
A study of 331 Australian firms found that innovation without clarity in the business model produced only modest or negligible performance outcomes. The business-model design helped translate innovation into actual firm performance.
A separate longitudinal study examined more than 2,300 business-model innovation events across 60 publicly traded German companies. It evaluated how companies change value creation, the value proposition, and value capture—in other words, how value is produced, what is promised, and how the company gets paid.
The research is a useful reminder: an impressive tool or clever innovation does not automatically create a healthy company. The innovation has to live inside a coherent system.
Research: Gronum, Steen, and Verreynne; Menter, Göcke, Zeeb, and Clauss; Harvard Business School Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.
The Episode 686 Challenge
Take one sheet of paper and write down five things:
- Who we serve
- What we promise
- How we prove it
- How we deliver it
- How we make money from it
Then look for the contradiction. Do not search for a clever way to defend what you already do. Look for the place where a reasonable customer might say, “Wait a minute. Those two things do not match.”
Before you spend money on another campaign, ask: Am I amplifying value—or amplifying a contradiction?
The Bottom Line
You may not need more leads. You may need a better customer.
You may not need another sales script. You may need a more believable offer.
You may not need more staff. You may need to stop promising a level of access your pricing cannot support.
You may not need another AI tool. You may need to decide whether that tool reinforces the trust your offer requires.
And you may not need louder marketing. You may need a business that gives the marketing something coherent to say.
Get the logic right. Get the incentives right. Get the target right. Get the promise and proof to agree. Then use marketing, management, technology, and your team to amplify something worth amplifying.
Listen to Episode 686
Listen to the complete conversation, subscribe to the TerryWilson3.com Podcast, and share this episode with a business owner who may be trying to market their way out of a model problem.
Looking for practical help with your business model, marketing, automation, or growth systems? Visit TerryWilson3.com.
The Timekeeper of Chicago: How Robert Lamm Turned Moments into Musical Masterpieces
From “25 or 6 to 4” to “Saturday in the Park,” Robert Lamm repeatedly found fresh inspiration in moments of time. Discover what Chicago’s timeless songs can teach leaders, entrepreneurs and creators about developing ideas without repeating themselves.
The Story You Believe Is Shaping Your Business | Terry Wilson
Your business will rarely outgrow the identity of the person leading it. Discover what Tombstone can teach entrepreneurs about pride, purpose, leadership, and personal growth.
684 – Why It Has to Cost You: The Hidden Principle Behind Every Meaningful Success
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Why It Has to Cost You: The Hidden Principle Behind Every Meaningful Success
People Who Pay, Pay Attention
That statement may sound simple, but it carries a powerful truth.
Over the years, I have tried to help people by giving away thousands of dollars in coaching, software, tools, time, training, and technology. Many times, I did it because I genuinely cared. I empathized with their struggle. I knew what it was like to need help. I have been the beneficiary of God’s grace and the generosity of others.
But what I kept seeing over and over again was this:
When people had no investment, they often had no ownership.
They would start excited, but quit too soon. They would receive the tools, but not use them. They would say they wanted change, but without a cost attached to it, they rarely stayed committed long enough to see transformation happen.
The Story That Changed My Thinking
In Episode 521, I shared the story of a woman I met who was living on the streets. My heart went out to her immediately. I wanted to give her everything — coaching, software, tools, training, technology — all of it.
But I had a strong impression that I believe was from the Holy Spirit:
“If you truly want to help her, it has to cost her.”
I struggled with that. I thought, “Lord, how can I charge someone who is already in such a difficult place?”
But I obeyed that impression. I charged her. Not because I wanted her money, but because I wanted her transformation.
And something incredible happened.
She committed. She showed up. She did the work. She became a tremendous success story and a powerful testimony of what can happen when someone becomes invested in their own future.
Why Sacrifice Matters
There is a universal principle at work here:
Things of real value usually require sacrifice.
That sacrifice may be money. It may be time. It may be effort. It may be comfort. It may be pride. But anything noteworthy will cost something.
Scripture teaches this clearly. Jesus said we should count the cost before building. David refused to offer God something that cost him nothing. Paul told believers to present themselves as living sacrifices.
Even God Himself demonstrated this principle.
John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
God valued us so much that He was willing to sacrifice. Redemption is free to receive, but it was not cheap to provide.
Why Coaches and Service Providers Should Not Feel Guilty Charging
If you are a coach, consultant, pastor, trainer, service provider, or business owner, this episode is for you.
You should not feel guilty for charging for what you offer.
Charging is not always about making money. Many times, charging is about creating accountability.
When someone invests financially, they are more likely to:
- Show up
- Pay attention
- Follow instructions
- Value the process
- Stay committed
- Work to see their investment pay off
Behavioral research supports this. People tend to value what they have invested in. Psychologists and economists have shown that effort, ownership, commitment, and investment all influence follow-through.
In other words, the investment is not just a transaction. It becomes a forcing mechanism for commitment.
Why Dreamers Must Be Willing to Invest
This episode is also for the person who wants to achieve something meaningful.
If you want to build a business, grow your ministry, improve your health, write a book, start a podcast, learn a skill, or change your life, you need to prepare yourself for sacrifice.
Save for it. Study for it. Make room for it. Invest in it.
The discipline of preparing for an opportunity often changes you before the opportunity even arrives.
The price is not punishment. The price is preparation.
Many people say they want success, but they are unwilling to make the sacrifice success requires.
But the truth is, you will pay one way or another.
You will either pay now through discipline, investment, preparation, and sacrifice — or you will pay later through regret, frustration, missed opportunity, and delay.
The Big Question
In this episode, Terry challenges listeners to ask themselves a very important question:
What dream have I been asking God to bless that I have been unwilling to invest in?
That question may be uncomfortable, but it is necessary.
Because God is not just trying to give us success. He is shaping us into people who can steward it.
Listen to Episode 684
If you have ever struggled with charging for your services, investing in your future, or understanding why sacrifice is necessary for success, this episode will challenge and encourage you.
Listen to Episode 684 of the TW3 Podcast and discover why anything noteworthy will always require a sacrifice.
Ready to Build Something Worth Investing In?
At TW3, we help entrepreneurs, business owners, coaches, and service providers build real products, create real offers, and connect with a community that challenges them to grow.
If you are ready to stop wishing and start building, we invite you to apply and learn more.
“`
The Complete Business Toolkit: Why the Right Tools, Training, and Community Can Change Everything
The Complete Business Toolkit: Why the Right Tools, Training, and Community Can Change Everything Success in business rarely comes from one great idea. More often, it comes from having the right combination of tools, proven training, experienced mentors, and a community that helps you keep moving forward. Too many entrepreneurs…
683 – From Recession to AI: 18 Years of Building a Business That Lasts | TW3 Podcast
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Celebrating 18 Years of TW3
The Principles That Outlasted Every Recession, Every Technology Shift, and Every Trend
What began during the financial crisis of 2008 has survived the Great Recession, healthcare reform, dramatic shifts in digital marketing, COVID-19, and now the rise of Artificial Intelligence.
Not because we guessed what technology would come next…
But because we learned principles that never change.
“The entrepreneur who understands principles can use any tool.
The entrepreneur who only understands tools is limited to whatever happens to be popular today.”
— Terry Wilson, Episode 683
In This Anniversary Special
- ✔ The story behind how TW3 was born during the Great Recession
- ✔ Why technology has never been the foundation of our business
- ✔ Lessons learned surviving the Affordable Care Act, COVID, and Artificial Intelligence
- ✔ The surprising insight from the Book of Romans that perfectly explains business longevity
- ✔ Why principles always outperform platforms
- ✔ Looking back at memorable guests and eighteen years of podcasting
- ✔ An interview with Laurie Brown, winner of the TW3 Product Challenge, and creator of Lead Forge
TW3 Through the Years
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2008 | TW3 launches during the Great Recession. |
| 2010–2012 | Expansion into online coaching, WordPress marketing systems, and CRM technology. |
| 2013–2016 | Affordable Care Act reshapes insurance industry while TW3 expands into broader small business coaching. |
| 2017–2019 | Podcast continues to grow with entrepreneurs, authors, musicians, and business leaders joining the show. |
| 2020 | COVID accelerates digital transformation and reinforces the importance of adaptable business systems. |
| 2023–2025 | Automation, AI, and intelligent marketing systems become core parts of the TW3 platform. |
| 2026 | Episode 683 celebrates 18 years with the Product Challenge and the launch of Laurie Brown’s Lead Forge. |
18 Years of TW3: The Principles That Outlasted Every Recession, Every Technology Shift, and Every Trend
Episode 683 of the TerryWilson3.com Podcast is unlike any episode we’ve ever released.
Yes, it’s an interview with Laurie Brown, winner of the recent TW3 Product Challenge and creator of Lead Forge, an innovative marketing solution designed to help small businesses improve their social media presence while monitoring how they compare to their competitors in local search.
But this episode is about something even bigger.
It’s about celebrating 18 years of TW3.
When I stop and think about that number, it’s honestly hard to believe.
Eighteen years.
Thousands of coaching sessions.
Thousands of business owners served.
Hundreds of podcast interviews.
More than 680 podcast episodes.
Countless software updates.
Entire industries transformed.
Economic recessions.
A global pandemic.
Artificial Intelligence.
And somehow… we’re still here.
Not only are we still here—we’re stronger than we’ve ever been.
People often ask me, “Terry, how has TW3 survived while so many companies have disappeared?”
The answer surprised even me.
I don’t think it has anything to do with software.
I think it has everything to do with principles.
TW3 Was Born During One of America’s Hardest Economic Seasons
When TW3 was founded in 2008, the economy wasn’t exactly encouraging entrepreneurship.
Banks were collapsing.
The housing market had imploded.
Businesses were closing.
People were losing jobs at a staggering pace.
The Great Recession wasn’t simply another economic downturn—it fundamentally changed the way many Americans viewed work, business ownership, and financial security.
For many people, it was a season of fear.
For me, it became a season of necessity.
I wasn’t trying to build some revolutionary software company.
I was trying to answer a simple question:
“How do ordinary people consistently find customers regardless of what’s happening in the economy?”
That question has never changed.
Everything else has.
The Software Changed. The Mission Never Did.
If someone discovered TW3 today, they would likely assume we’ve always been an AI-powered business platform.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The earliest versions of TW3 looked nothing like today’s platform.
We built on WordPress.
We connected third-party dialers.
We experimented with CRMs that no longer exist.
We used autoresponders that have long since disappeared.
Entire technologies have come and gone over the past eighteen years.
Meanwhile, our mission never changed.
We have always focused on helping business owners accomplish three things:
- Find people who need what they offer.
- Create a repeatable system to qualify those people.
- Present a solution that genuinely improves someone’s life.
That’s it.
Everything else is simply the vehicle.
Markets Change. Human Nature Doesn’t.
Over the past eighteen years, I’ve watched entrepreneurs chase every shiny object imaginable.
One year everyone believed Facebook was the answer.
Then it was YouTube.
Then Instagram.
Funnels.
Chatbots.
TikTok.
Artificial Intelligence.
Every few years someone confidently announces:
“This changes everything.”
Sometimes it does.
But not in the way people think.
The tools change.
The principles rarely do.
People still buy from businesses they trust.
People still respond to businesses that solve real problems.
People still appreciate authenticity.
People still need conversations before making significant decisions.
Technology simply changes how those conversations begin.
That’s why our philosophy has remained remarkably consistent while the software around it has continually evolved.
The Affordable Care Act Changed My Industry Overnight
As many listeners know, my professional background is in the insurance industry.
When the Affordable Care Act became law, many agents found themselves trying to navigate an entirely new landscape.
Products changed.
Compensation changed.
Consumer expectations changed.
Entire business models disappeared almost overnight.
Many professionals understandably became discouraged.
Others simply left the industry.
But the core business principles remained exactly the same.
People still needed guidance.
Families still needed protection.
Business owners still needed someone they trusted.
Instead of mourning what had changed, we asked a better question:
“How do we serve people using the new tools now available?”
That single mindset has guided nearly every major decision we’ve made since.
COVID Didn’t Kill Businesses. It Exposed Them.
Then came COVID.
No one saw it coming.
Practically overnight, offices emptied.
Face-to-face appointments stopped.
Conferences disappeared.
Networking groups paused.
Entire industries were forced online.
Many businesses struggled—not because they lacked talent—but because they lacked systems.
Businesses that depended upon one way of selling suddenly found themselves with no way to sell.
Businesses built upon adaptable systems pivoted much faster.
That’s one of the reasons we’ve spent years teaching business owners to build systems rather than depend upon personalities, locations, or individual platforms.
Systems survive disruption.
People who understand principles adapt faster than people who only understand procedures.
COVID simply proved that lesson on a global scale.
Then Came Artificial Intelligence
Today, AI dominates nearly every business conversation.
Some people are excited.
Others are terrified.
Personally?
I see AI the same way I saw websites in the early 2000s, social media in the 2010s, and marketing automation in the years that followed.
It’s another incredibly powerful tool.
But it’s still only a tool.
AI doesn’t replace understanding.
It amplifies it.
If your business strategy is weak, AI helps you execute weak strategies faster.
If your systems are strong, AI helps you scale them more efficiently.
The technology isn’t the competitive advantage.
The thinking behind how you use it is.
That’s why TW3 continues to invest heavily in teaching principles first and technology second.
Technology will continue changing.
Good business thinking never goes out of style.
Continue reading below as we explore the surprising lesson from the Book of Romans that perfectly explains why TW3 has survived eighteen years—and why understanding principles will always outperform simply memorizing techniques.
The Lesson That Changed How I See Business Forever
Just a few evenings before recording this episode, I was teaching through the Book of Romans during our Bible study.
As often happens when you’re studying Scripture carefully, something clicked.
It wasn’t a new verse.
It wasn’t a new doctrine.
It was a new way of connecting something I’d believed for years but had never fully articulated.
One of the greatest gifts a pastor, teacher, or mentor can give someone isn’t simply telling them what the Bible means.
It’s teaching them how to study the Bible for themselves.
There’s a tremendous difference.
When someone only knows what another person says about Scripture, they’re forever dependent upon that teacher.
But when they learn how to read the text, observe it, compare Scripture with Scripture, understand context, and think critically, they become free.
They’re no longer borrowing someone else’s understanding.
They’re developing their own.
That realization stopped me in my tracks.
Because I suddenly realized…
That’s exactly what we’ve been doing at TW3 for eighteen years.
We’ve Never Really Been Selling Software
I know that sounds strange coming from someone whose business includes CRM software, automation, AI, websites, voice agents, lead generation systems, and business technology.
But if you look closely, the software has never actually been the product.
The software has always been the vehicle.
The real product has been understanding.
We’ve tried to teach business owners how business works instead of simply telling them which buttons to click.
Because buttons change.
Software changes.
Platforms come and go.
Principles endure.
When you understand why a business grows, you can adapt to whatever technology comes next.
The Carpenter Isn’t Great Because of His Hammer
I often think about a master carpenter.
No one hires a carpenter because he owns a certain brand of hammer.
They hire him because he knows what to build.
If his hammer breaks, he doesn’t lose his livelihood.
He buys another hammer.
The skill was never in the tool.
The skill was in the craftsman.
Business works the same way.
Too many entrepreneurs become emotionally attached to software.
One CRM.
One social media platform.
One marketing tactic.
One AI application.
But if your entire business depends upon one tool, your business becomes fragile.
If, instead, your business depends upon timeless principles, every new tool simply becomes another opportunity.
That’s why TW3 has evolved from WordPress websites and third-party dialers to today’s AI-powered ecosystem without losing its identity.
The hammer changed.
The carpenter didn’t.
The Three Things Every Business Must Master
When I look back over the last eighteen years, I can simplify everything we’ve ever taught into three ideas.
- Find people who need your help.
- Create a repeatable process that qualifies those people.
- Offer a solution you genuinely believe improves their lives.
Every version of TW3 has been built around those three ideas.
Whether we were making phone calls from a simple WordPress site…
Building lead funnels…
Teaching social media marketing…
Creating AI assistants…
Or deploying intelligent voice agents…
The objective has remained exactly the same.
Find.
Qualify.
Serve.
Everything else is simply delivery.
Eighteen Years of Conversations That Changed Lives
One of the things I’m most grateful for over these eighteen years is the opportunity to sit down with incredible people whose stories have challenged, encouraged, and inspired our audience.
Our podcast has never been about interviewing celebrities for the sake of celebrity.
It’s been about discovering principles that listeners can immediately apply to their own businesses and lives.
One of my personal favorites was Episode 436 with Bill Champlin, former lead singer of the legendary rock band Chicago.
As both a lifelong Chicago fan and a musician, that conversation meant a great deal to me personally. But what made the interview truly memorable wasn’t simply talking music—it was hearing Bill describe the discipline, preparation, persistence, and craftsmanship required to build a career spanning decades. Those same qualities apply whether you’re writing songs, leading a company, or serving customers every day. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
We’ve also had the privilege of sitting down with authors, coaches, entrepreneurs, educators, business leaders, and innovators from a wide variety of industries.
Each guest reinforced the same lesson:
Success leaves principles long before it leaves techniques.
The Conversation Has Continued to Evolve
One of the things I’m most proud of is that this podcast has grown right alongside the business community it serves.
In recent months we’ve explored topics such as:
- Why every business should create its own unique product or service.
- Why understanding why you’re succeeding matters more than simply knowing that you’re succeeding.
- How building a business around your personality, passions, and strengths creates sustainable success.
- Why your personal story may be your greatest marketing asset.
If you haven’t heard them yet, I encourage you to go back and listen to:
- Episode 681 — Why Every Business Should Create Its Own Product or Service.
- Episode 682 — It’s Not “How Are You Doing?” It’s “Why Are You Doing as Well as You Are?”
- Episode 634 — How to Use Your Story to Build Authority and Attract Clients.
- Episode 636 — Who Are You? with Mitch Weisburgh.
- Episode 665 — When You Don’t Get the Trumpet: How Detours Shape Destiny.
Although the subjects vary, they all point back to one foundational truth:
Business growth begins with personal growth.
People who invest in their thinking consistently outperform people who merely chase the latest trend.
The Next Generation of TW3
As we celebrate eighteen years, I don’t believe we’re reaching the finish line.
I honestly believe we’re just getting started.
Artificial Intelligence is changing how businesses communicate.
Automation is changing how businesses operate.
Digital marketing continues to evolve almost daily.
But those changes don’t intimidate me.
They excite me.
Because every advancement creates another opportunity to apply timeless business principles in fresh ways.
Our mission remains exactly what it was in 2008:
Help ordinary people build extraordinary businesses by understanding principles that never become obsolete.
Laurie Brown’s Story Is the Perfect Picture of What TW3 Has Always Been About
As we looked for a way to celebrate TW3’s eighteenth anniversary, we wanted to do more than simply look backward.
We wanted to demonstrate what the future looks like.
That’s why we challenged our Elite members to do something many business owners never attempt.
Create your own product.
Not just another service.
Not another sales pitch.
A real product that solves a real problem.
The response exceeded every expectation.
Our members created software, marketing systems, lead generation tools, educational resources, and business solutions that reflected their own experiences and passions.
But one product consistently rose to the top.
Lead Forge.
Created by Laurie Brown—known affectionately throughout our community as Miss Spelling Bee—Lead Forge embodies exactly what we’ve spent eighteen years teaching.
Laurie didn’t simply learn how to click buttons inside software.
She learned how to identify a business problem, build a repeatable solution, and package it into something that creates value for other business owners.
Lead Forge helps small businesses consistently publish social media content while giving them insight into how they compare with competitors in local online search.
In other words, it helps businesses become more visible where today’s customers are already looking.
That’s not just software.
That’s solving a problem.
And businesses that solve meaningful problems rarely struggle to find customers.
Innovation Isn’t Reserved for Silicon Valley
One of the biggest myths entrepreneurs believe is that innovation belongs to large corporations with massive research budgets.
I simply don’t believe that’s true.
Some of the best business ideas I’ve ever seen have come from ordinary people who became frustrated enough with an everyday problem to finally build a solution.
That’s exactly what happened during our Product Challenge.
Members who had never considered themselves “software developers” suddenly realized they could create tools that genuinely help people.
They discovered something important.
You don’t have to invent the next billion-dollar company.
You simply need to solve a problem better than it’s being solved today.
That’s entrepreneurship.
That’s innovation.
And that’s exactly what Laurie accomplished.
Eighteen Years Later, Our Mission Is Still the Same
If you’ve followed TW3 for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed something.
The software has changed dramatically.
Our website has changed.
Our logo has evolved.
Our training has expanded.
Artificial Intelligence has become part of our daily workflow.
Voice agents now book appointments.
Automation handles tasks that once required hours of manual effort.
But our mission?
It hasn’t changed one bit.
We still exist to help ordinary people build extraordinary businesses.
We still believe that relationships outperform transactions.
We still believe that education creates freedom.
We still believe that understanding principles is more valuable than memorizing procedures.
And perhaps most importantly…
We still believe every business owner deserves access to world-class tools, coaching, and encouragement regardless of where they’re starting.
If You’re New to TW3, Here Are a Few Episodes to Start With
If Episode 683 is your introduction to the TW3 Podcast, I’d encourage you to explore some of the conversations that have helped shape our community over the years.
- Episode 436 – Interview with Bill Champlin
Lessons on craftsmanship, persistence, creativity, and building a career that lasts. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} - Episode 634 – How to Use Your Story to Build Authority and Attract Clients
Learn why your personal story may be your greatest marketing asset. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} - Episode 636 – Who Are You?
A powerful discussion on self-awareness, leadership, and building a business that reflects your values. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} - Episode 635 – Residual Income: The Wealth Builder
One of our most practical conversations on creating recurring revenue and long-term financial stability. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} - Episode 665 – When You Don’t Get the Trumpet
A deeply personal reminder that life’s unexpected detours often become our greatest opportunities. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Each episode explores different subjects, but they all point toward the same timeless truth:
Success isn’t accidental.
It’s built through intentional growth, consistent learning, meaningful relationships, and the willingness to adapt while holding firmly to timeless principles.
Thank You for Eighteen Incredible Years
There are very few businesses that have the privilege of serving people for nearly two decades.
I don’t take that lightly.
Whether you’ve been with us since 2008…
Joined during the pandemic…
Found us through artificial intelligence…
Or discovered this podcast just this week…
Thank you.
Thank you for trusting us.
Thank you for believing in this mission.
Thank you for allowing me to do something I genuinely love.
For eighteen years, I’ve had the privilege of helping entrepreneurs discover something bigger than business.
Purpose.
Confidence.
Freedom.
And the realization that success isn’t reserved for a select few.
It’s available to ordinary people who consistently apply extraordinary principles.
As we celebrate this milestone, I’m more excited about the future than I’ve ever been.
Artificial Intelligence will continue evolving.
Marketing will continue changing.
New technologies will emerge.
New opportunities will appear.
And TW3 will continue doing what we’ve always done:
- Helping businesses find more people.
- Helping businesses build repeatable systems.
- Helping businesses solve meaningful problems.
Those principles have carried us through the Great Recession.
They carried us through industry disruption.
They carried us through COVID.
They’ll carry us through the AI revolution as well.
Because principles outlive platforms.
Understanding outlasts technology.
And businesses built on solid foundations have a remarkable way of standing long after trends have faded.
Ready to Build a Business That Lasts?
If today’s episode encouraged you, we’d love to help you take the next step.
Whether you’re starting your first business, looking to automate an existing company, or wanting practical coaching to help you grow, TW3 has the tools, training, and community to help you succeed.
Explore our resources:
What Eighteen Years Have Taught Me
If I had to summarize everything I’ve learned into just a few thoughts, it would be these:
- Relationships are more valuable than transactions.
- Character compounds just like interest.
- Customers don’t buy software—they buy confidence.
- Technology should simplify people, not replace them.
- The best marketing still begins with serving people well.
- Your story is one of your greatest business assets.
- Businesses built on principles survive trends.
- Learning how to think will always outperform memorizing what to do.
- Browse the complete TW3 Podcast Archive
- Schedule your FREE coaching experience
- Become a TW3 Elite Member
- Learn how to build your business with TW3
Happy 18th Birthday, TW3.
Here’s to every lesson learned.
Every challenge overcome.
Every friendship formed.
Every business launched.
Every family impacted.
And every opportunity still waiting ahead.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
Love God. Love People. Make a Difference.
682 – The Question That Changes Everything: It’s Not “How Are You Doing?” It’s “Why?”
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682 – The Question That Changes Everything: It’s Not “How Are You Doing?” It’s “Why?”
What if the breakthrough you’ve been looking for isn’t another strategy, another software tool, another sales script, or another motivational push?
What if the breakthrough is clarity?
In episode 682 of the TW3 Podcast, Terry Wilson explores the powerful difference between knowing how you’re doing and understanding why you’re doing as well — or as poorly — as you are.
This episode was inspired by a recent conversation with Terry’s coaching colleague and personal friend, Bill Perry. Bill introduced Terry to a new coaching tool he had been using with clients to help them gain deeper personal and professional insight. As Terry walked through the instrument himself, the past three to four years of his life and business came into razor-sharp focus.
Wins made sense.
Losses made sense.
Seasons of momentum made sense.
Seasons of frustration made sense.
And the lesson became clear:
The greater clarity you have in your life, the better equipped you are to answer not just, “How am I doing?” but “Why am I doing this well thus far?”
Most People Measure Results, But Never Study the Reasons
We ask scoreboard questions all the time:
- How is business?
- How are sales?
- How is the team performing?
- How is your marriage?
- How is your life going?
Those are important questions, but they are not complete questions.
They tell you where you are. They do not always tell you why you are there.
That matters because many people spend years trying to fix symptoms while never identifying the root cause. They change their marketing, their schedule, their website, their tools, their offers, and sometimes even their entire business model — but they never stop long enough to understand their own wiring.
That is where coaching, assessment, and honest self-awareness become so valuable.
If you want to grow personally, professionally, spiritually, or financially, you need more than activity. You need clarity.
Clarity Helps You Understand Both the Wins and the Losses
One of the most freeing things about better self-understanding is that it does not just explain where you struggle. It also explains where you are strong.
When you understand your areas of expertise, natural gifting, communication style, leadership instincts, and high-functioning skills, you begin to see why certain opportunities have worked so well for you.
At the same time, when you understand your blind spots, areas of challenge, and patterns under pressure, you begin to see why certain situations have repeatedly created friction.
That kind of insight can be life-changing.
It removes shame and replaces it with understanding.
It removes confusion and replaces it with strategy.
It removes comparison and replaces it with alignment.
Related TW3 Resources
If this episode connects with you, here are a few additional TW3 resources that go deeper into communication, self-awareness, leadership, business growth, and the environments that shape us:
- Episode 636 – Who Are You? Featuring Mitch Weisburgh
- Episode 670 – Taming the Old Yeller Approach
- How to Thrive in a Toxic Workplace
- Show Me Your Circle and I’ll Show You Your Future
- How to Recover from Mistakes: Why Recovery — Not Perfection — Defines Your Success
- Spartanburg Business Coach
Why This Matters for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners
Business owners often assume they need more pressure, more hustle, or more information. But many times, what they really need is better alignment.
You may not be lazy.
You may not be unmotivated.
You may not be incapable.
You may simply be operating without a clear understanding of how you are wired, where you are strongest, where you need support, and what kind of process actually fits you.
At TW3, we believe business growth is not just about software, marketing, automation, or lead generation. Those tools matter, but tools work best when they are connected to the right person, the right strategy, and the right process.
That is why coaching is such an important part of what we do.
The Better Question
Instead of only asking, “How am I doing?” start asking:
- Why am I doing well in this area?
- Why does this part of my business energize me?
- Why does this responsibility drain me?
- Why do certain people bring out my best?
- Why do certain environments create unnecessary frustration?
- Why do I keep repeating this same pattern?
- Why have some wins come naturally while others felt forced?
Those questions create awareness.
Awareness creates clarity.
Clarity creates better decisions.
Better decisions create better outcomes.
Ready to Gain More Clarity?
If you are tired of guessing your way through business, leadership, communication, sales, or personal growth, this may be the season to get some outside perspective.
Coaching can help you better understand your strengths, blind spots, communication style, business model, leadership approach, and growth opportunities.
You do not need to keep trying to figure everything out alone.
You can also explore more business development resources, podcast episodes, marketing tools, and coaching opportunities at TerryWilson3.com.
Final Thought
Your future may not be waiting on another tactic.
It may be waiting on greater clarity.
Because once you understand why you are where you are, you can begin making better choices about where you go next.
Don’t just measure how you’re doing. Learn why you’re doing this well thus far.
681 – Why Every Business Should Create Its Own Product, Good, or Service
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Why Every Business Should Create Its Own Product, Good, or Service
Episode 681 of The TerryWilson3.com Podcast
Every business needs customers. Every business needs attention. Every business needs a reason for people to choose them instead of everyone else in the marketplace.
But here is the problem: when your business looks, sounds, and offers the same thing as everyone else, you eventually get forced into one of the worst positions in business.
You start competing on price instead of value.
That is why in Episode 681 of the podcast, I talk about why every company, business owner, entrepreneur, agency, church, consultant, realtor, insurance agent, and service provider should seriously consider creating their own unique product, good, or service.
Not because you need another complicated thing to manage.
But because a unique offer gives you leverage.
It helps you stand out. It creates value. It positions you differently. It gives your audience a reason to raise their hand and pay attention.
The Marketplace Rewards Unique Value
People are not just looking for another business. They are looking for a solution.
When you create a unique product or service around the problem your audience already has, you stop sounding like another salesperson and start becoming a resource.
That is the real advantage.
A product does not have to be something you manufacture in a warehouse. A product can be:
- A software tool
- A checklist
- A training program
- A consulting package
- A service bundle
- A calculator
- A lead magnet
- A membership
- A branded system
- A repeatable process
At its core, a product is simply a repeatable solution to a real problem.
And once you learn how to package what you know, what you do, or what your market needs, you can create something that generates attention, builds trust, captures leads, and opens doors for revenue.
Real Examples From TW3
In this episode, I share several recent examples of products and tools we have built through TW3 to serve specific markets.
1. Market My Coverage for Insurance Agents
Insurance agents need visibility. They need content. They need a way to stay in front of their audience without spending all day trying to figure out what to post.
That is why we created Market My Coverage.
This tool helps insurance agents create ready-to-use marketing content so they can show up more consistently and communicate with their market in a more professional way.
The lesson is simple: you do not always have to create a brand-new industry. Sometimes the best product is a tool that helps an existing industry solve a common problem faster.
2. Market My Listing for Realtors
We also created Market My Listing for real estate professionals.
Realtors already have listings. They already have buyers and sellers to serve. But many struggle with content, marketing, follow-up, and standing out in a crowded local market.
Market My Listing gives them a simple way to create listing-related content and marketing material around what they are already doing.
That is what a great product can do. It can take work someone is already doing and make it easier, faster, cleaner, and more valuable.
3. KidTrack Check-In for Churches, Schools, and Youth Programs
Another example is KidTrack Check-In.
This started from a real need. Churches, schools, camps, and youth programs need a simple way to register students, check them in, track attendance, manage important information, and keep better records.
Instead of waiting on some expensive system to solve the problem, we built a practical tool that can help organizations right now.
You can also read more about the free plugin here: KidTrack Check-In: A Free Student Check-In & Attendance Plugin.
The Big Question: What Problem Do You Keep Solving?
If you are trying to come up with your own product idea, do not start by asking, “What can I sell?”
Start by asking better questions:
- What problem do people constantly ask me about?
- What do I already know how to solve?
- What process do I repeat over and over?
- What shortcut have I learned that others need?
- What tool would make my customer’s life easier?
- What service could I package into a clear offer?
- What information could I turn into training?
That is where product ideas come from.
They do not always come from trying to be clever. Many times, they come from paying attention to the problems sitting right in front of you.
Why Having Your Own Offer Creates Competitive Advantage
A unique product, good, or service helps your business in several important ways.
It makes you easier to remember.
People may forget another ad, another pitch, or another generic service offer. But they remember a specific solution with a specific name that solves a specific problem.
It gives you something to promote besides yourself.
This is powerful. Instead of constantly saying, “Hire me,” you can say, “Here is a tool that can help you.”
That changes the conversation.
It creates lead generation opportunities.
A good product can attract people into your world. It can become the front door to a larger relationship.
If you need help understanding how lead generation works as a system, read this guide: What Is Lead Generation? A Small Business Guide.
It gives you authority.
When you create a solution, people see you differently. You are no longer just talking about the market. You are contributing to it.
It can create additional revenue streams.
Your product may become something you sell, license, give away to generate leads, use to book appointments, or bundle into a larger service.
The point is not always immediate revenue. Sometimes the greater value is positioning, trust, and opportunity.
Why TW3 Is Built for This Moment
This is why I am so excited about what we are doing at TW3.
We are not just talking about theory. We are building real tools, real systems, real offers, and real examples that entrepreneurs can model.
Through TW3, business owners and entrepreneurs can access the tools, training, technology, coaching, automation, AI support, and marketing systems needed to create and promote their own unique offers.
If you need help creating better systems, start here:
- Small Business Coaching
- Small Business Marketing Services
- Lead Generation Services
- How AI Is Changing Small Business Marketing
- AI Voice Agent Services
The tools are available. The technology is available. The training is available.
The question is whether you are willing to stop waiting and start building.
Recommended Supplemental Episodes and Articles
If this episode connects with you, these additional resources will help you go deeper:
- Episode 680: Why People Are Leaving Big Brands for Small Businesses
- Get Paid for Leads, Not Sales
- Stop Chasing Clients: The Real Power of a Steady Lead Stream
- Episode 602: 5 Digital Marketing Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Know
- Have Insurance Buyers Call You
Final Thought
You do not need to be the biggest company in your market to win.
You need to be clearly positioned.
You need to solve a real problem.
You need an offer that makes people stop and say, “That is exactly what I need.”
That is the power of creating your own product, good, or service.
At TW3, we help entrepreneurs and business owners take ideas, tools, technology, and strategy and turn them into practical offers that can create attention, trust, leads, and revenue.
If you are ready to start building your own unique product or service, visit TerryWilson3.com and explore the tools, training, and resources available through TW3.
The future belongs to the builders.
And there has never been a better time to start building than right now.
How to Thrive in a Toxic Workplace | Office Politics, Difficult Bosses & Workplace Culture
How to Thrive in a Toxic Workplace: Navigating Difficult People, Office Politics, and Challenging Work Environments By Terry Wilson Let’s be honest. Most people don’t leave jobs because of the work itself. They leave because of people. A difficult boss. A toxic coworker. Office politics. Constant drama. Poor communication. Lack…