You may want to hold on that course purchase. Matthew J Phillips, Co-Founder of the Organic Clients Agency, knows all too well what it’s like to invest in education - and the more investments, the better, right? Matthew disagrees, and after Sam L Wright’s experience (Co-Founder of the agency), so does he.
As a 20-year-old entrepreneur, consultant and influencer, Matthew has explored a variety of business ventures including selling info products, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, consulting and dropshipping. While these weren’t all successful, he’s invested thousands into education within different industries, as has his agency partner, Sam.
You see, all industries have “gurus”, and while many provide value, the majority create and sell courses and coaching, and rightly so. However, there’s a simple problem with this: once you invest in their help, you can begin to think you need more from them, leaving you at risk of continuing to spend money you don’t need to be spending - upsold. Matthew’s agency partner experienced this first hand after investing $14,000 in courses and coaching he didn’t necessarily need. In fact, it was creating a harmful pattern - instead of focusing on what could move the needle in his pursuit of success (implementing pre-existence knowledge from the first investments), he was using the new investments as an escape from the implementation of the pre-existing.
While these courses preach the value of investing in your business, they also encourage you to invest in more courses, more coaching and more software. However, they forget (whether deliberately or accidentally) to mention the most important investments you can possibly make: investments in yourself, your brand and your image.
Now, why are these so important?
Because you get one shot at a first impression.
Investing in clothing, jewellery, luxury homes, high-end vehicles, audience growth, PR, and overall appearance can almost seem taboo in the entrepreneurial community with billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg sharing that he wears the same t-shirt every day, likely inspired by the likes of Steve Jobs.
Recently, however, Matthew J Phillips has been investing heavily in his personal and company image - and not just education. These investments have included high-quality, designer clothing and beautifully aesthetic airbnbs. You see, Matthew agrees with the old adage “when you look good, you feel good”, adding his own, unique spin; “when you look good, you perform good” - or shall we say great?
For Matthew’s first company, Organic Clients and second company, the Organic Clients Agency, he’s often taking Zoom appointments for over 6 hours a day, and his recognizable clothing has, at times, granted him an almost instant authority increase, but this runs deeper: according to Matthew, how you look can make or break your mental state - and being well-dressed can assist in closing deals and serving clients.
Also, investing in a beautiful apartment or home allows you to be creative and confident in the backdrop of your images, videos, and calls.
Every investment Matthew J Phillips makes only encourages him to work harder and close deals easier, sometimes spending what others may feel a little too much on something (being smart of course), creating a sense of urgency to place that figure back into the company’s accounts.
The benefits of investing in your brand are endless, which is why Matthew highly encourages other young, rising, ambitious businessmen & women to start placing a little more cash in the impression department, not just the educational.