We were lucky to catch up with Robbie Samuels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Robbie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

I’ve independently published three books that have collectively received over 600 5-star Amazon reviews and reached #1 Best Seller in 29 categories across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

To achieve this, I’ve built large book launch teams to get at least 100 Amazon reviews by the launch day and create urgency around reading my book. Why? Because friends and colleagues are better able to refer me if they are familiar with my work.

I provide a lot of support around writing a review by providing prompts and instructions for posting on Amazon.

I believe when someone sets the intention to support me, it’s my job to make it easy for them to follow through with that intention. When they do, it makes us both feel awesome. Simply asking isn’t enough.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For over a decade before the pandemic, I worked to become recognized as a networking expert with a focus on networking at conferences. This included hundreds of speaking engagements with my signature talk, Art of the Schmooze. I was helping associations design more engaging events and participants follow through on their networking intentions.

This led to launching a podcast, On the Schmooze, in 2016 and my first book, “Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences” in 2017. Book and bonus content available at www.CroissantvsBagels.com.

Soon after I launched a group coaching program for entrepreneurs, started writing for Harvard Business Review, and was selected to give a TEDx talk, “Hate networking? Stop bageling and be the croissant!” which was published in January 2020. Watch my TEDx at www.robbiesamuels.com/TEDx.

I was poised to be an overnight success—ten years in the making.

Then, two months later, it became clear that the world was about to change in drastic ways due to Covid-19. Events were being canceled or postponed—a few were hastily brought online. Suddenly, my in-person networking expertise was no longer relevant.

My mantra became, “Show up and offer value.”

That led to me writing a blog post on March 12, 2020, “9 Ways to Network in a Pandemic.” #3 on that list was to host a virtual happy hour, which is how I ended up hosting my first virtual happy hour on Friday, March 13, 2020. Little did I know, a month later it would be branded the #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hour and I’d still be hosting it over three years later.

I quickly and instinctually reinvented my business without having a clear sense of what was next. My entrepreneurial spirit and experience as a business growth strategy coach helped me recognize new opportunities.

In May 2020, I created a Virtual Event Professional #NoMoreBadZoom certification program that trains presenters and meeting professionals on how to leverage digital and analog tools to design and execute engaging online experiences.

Soon after, I was being sought out by organizations, and solidified my reputation as a virtual event design consultant and executive Zoom producer, helping national and statewide advocacy organizations strategically bring their events online with less stress and greater participant engagement.

Short story is I reinvented my business and grew it from zero to a thriving six-figures in eight months.

In 2021, I wrote “Small List, Big Results: Launch a Successful Offer No Matter the Size of Your Email List” to answer the question, “Robbie, how did you do that?!?” – but more importantly share how YOU can do it too. Book and bonus content available at www.SmallListBigResults.com.

Seventeen months later, on March 13, 2023, my third book, “Break Out of Boredom: Low-Tech Solutions for Highly Engaging Zoom Events” was launched! In it, I shared what I learned about designing transformational, inclusive, and engaging online experiences since in-person events were brought to a screeching halt in March 2020. The book and bonus content are available at www.BreakOutofBoredom.com.

As a virtual event design consultant and executive Zoom producer, I work with speakers and organizations to design transformative, inclusive, and engaging online experiences. This could be a one-hour speaker strategy session, leading a session about how to become 5% better every time we Zoom, or producing a multi-track, multi-day virtual conference.

Experience me in action by attending my free #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hour held on the first Friday of each month from 5-6:30pm ET. Sign up at www.NoMoreBadZoom.com.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My last answer covers how I had to pivot my business from entirely focused on in-person events to virtual events when the pandemic began. I’m a multi-passionate entrepreneur so I’m often adding new revenue streams to my business, while keeping the old ones going.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Again, my earlier story demonstrates resilience. Going from a defunct business based on in-person events to a thriving six-figure business in about 8 months during a pandemic. My revenue in 2020 was equal to the first five years I was in business and my 2021 revenue was 2.7x 2020. It’s been quite the journey. I worked every day in 2020 between April and December except Father’s Day and American Thanksgiving.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.robbiesamuels.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/robbiesamuels
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/robbiesamuels
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/robbiesamuels
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/robbiesamuels
• Youtube: www.robbiesamuels.com/youtube
• Other: My books: www.CroissantsvsBagels.com www.SmallListBigResults.com www.BreakOutofBoredom.com My podcast: www.OntheSchmooze.com My TEDx: www.robbiesamuels.com/TEDx Free monthly #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hour www.NoMoreBadZoom.com

Image Credits
Leah Cirker-Stark David Fox