Online business can be scaled in a variety of ways – from ad campaigns to hiring influencers. Automating parts of an e-commerce venture can also be a great way of boosting traffic, streamlining sales funnels, and improving customer experience. And this means more money and time to pursue other endeavors.
One man who knows all about the advantages of business automation is the founder and CEO of The Champion Academy. Ed JC Smith set up his coaching and consulting company to help others make the most of their business ventures. His signature program Clients on Automation has shown hundreds of entrepreneurs how to set up and streamline their online enterprises.
“My program shows participants how to identify their niche and target clients. It also teaches them how to get these clients to flow into their business through the various tools that I have used myself,” says the UK-born entrepreneur who is the mastermind behind 22 online courses, three books, as well as a YouTube channel and podcast.
“The course is a start-to-finish solution. At the end of the seven-week program, my clients are left with a fully automated online coaching and consultancy business that they can step away from, knowing that it will grow month on month without any hassles. This gives them time to spend with their family, go on holidays or focus on other endeavors,” he says.
Making the Most of Adversity
If anybody knows the value of time, it is Ed. After a failed suicide attempt as a teenager, he got a second chance at life to pursue his dreams. Years ago, driven by despair and what he perceived as a failure, Ed walked to a railway station with the intention of throwing himself in front of a moving train. “I had a lot of problems at home. My dad worked day and night to put food on the table and took his frustration out on me,” says Ed.
“I was also doing terribly at school and finished high school with three fat Es. At one stage I was diagnosed with dyslexia and told that I would never be able to handle any kind of stress. In addition, I had debilitating acne and curvature of the spine that affected my posture. This and the issues I had with my father at home killed any ounce of self-esteem,” he continues.
Luckily, it was not Ed’s time to leave. He was rescued by a homeless man who stopped him from taking that fateful leap from the platform. “This guy grabbed me and pulled me back from the edge. His intervention saved my life. He wrestled me to the ground and made me vow that I would never try to do that again; that I would never give up on my dreams,” he says. “It’s taken some healing, but I am grateful for that experience. Now every day is a blessing.”
Turning Things Around
Eager to make something of his life, Ed took a job as a fitness trainer at the local gym, a position he still refers to as a ‘glorified cleaner.’ He gradually started helping members with their fitness regimes, which improved both his confidence and physical fitness.
“I started helping women with their weight loss workouts and people with bad backs. Soon after, I ended up renting a room in central London where I helped men with depression and couples going through relationship difficulties,” Ed says. “At this stage, I also took a lot of classes in different healing practices, such as neuro-linguistic programming and cognitive behavioral therapy.”
Forever grateful to the homeless man who once saved his life, Ed decided to dedicate his time to helping others. “The man on the platform helped me to see that there was another path. That no matter how downtrodden you may be feeling, there is another way,” he says. “I rebuilt my own life and was helping others do the same.”
There was a problem, however. According to Ed, one-on-one coaching took a lot of his time, leaving him exhausted and stuck in what he refers to as a daily cycle of the same. “I loved coaching and helping people, but I also knew that I wasn’t making the kind of impact I wanted to be making. In addition, the one-on-one coaching approach left me stressed and with very little free time. It was then I knew to take things to the next level.”
The Right Approach
Ed decided to scale his coaching business by running group sessions. Initially, things did not go according to plan. He says his first attempts were nerve-wracking. “My first presentation was called ‘How to Make Changes in Your Life in the Fastest Time Period’. I was very nervous and my hands were shaking. I thought I had done a great job but nobody signed up for the program.”
Resolved not to break the promise he made to the homeless man so many years ago, Ed persevered. He used all his knowledge to come up with Clients on Automation, a system he says took off right away. “A ton of people joined the program to learn how to sign up paying participants and help them achieve results,” he says. “I have broken up everything I teach into modules. And the participants are given weekly tasks and access to a support system for six months.”
To date, Ed has hosted countless events to help tens of thousands of people grow their automated coaching businesses in a huge variety of niches. One of his most popular gatherings is the annual retreat in Bali, Indonesia. The 10-day events show learners how to overcome limitations and scale their coaching businesses.
A part of the program sees the participant visit a school for local children that Ed supports alongside two other charities. “We teach the participants about the importance of giving back in the hope that once they are successful they will also want to make a positive difference in the world.”
Ed says that the success of Clients on Automation is founded on the excellence of his teaching methods. Having failed at school, Ed has been able to identify different – less conventional – ways of learning that seem to resonate with his clients. “I left school with terrible grades. It wasn’t because I was lazy; my brain just worked on a different wavelength. Today, the Champion Academy helps thousands of people set up and automate their coaching businesses because I was a bad learner. I can relate to so many of my clients because I speak from my own experiences.”
