CFU 112: How to Become an Effective Leader Using this Simple Daily Hack: Gratitude | feat. UJ Ramdas

Crowdfunding Uncut | Kickstarter| Indiegogo | Where Entrepreneurs Get Funded

Many entrepreneurs start their company and launch their products because they want to implement healthy change in the world. Khierstyn’s guest for this episode of Crowdfunding Uncut, UJ Ramdas, and his company Intelligent Change is doing just that - encouraging people to embrace healthy change and document positive growth through beautiful personal journals. Their conversation takes you through the company idea formation process, product launch, endorsements, and the importance of infusing excellence into every aspect of doing business. It’s a conversation that you don’t want to miss.

The story behind Intelligent Change and the idea of encouraging healthy change through beautiful products

UJ recognized the fact that change is inevitable, and he was passionate about wanting to help people make it productive and enjoyable. He created Intelligent Change to make beautiful things that directly guide people through the change process in practical ways. The Five Minute Journal was born out of these core ideas. The six-month journal is based on leading psychology research that discovered expressing daily gratitude leads to a better overall quality of life and higher levels of positive emotions. UJ is passionate about his company and its products, and he tells his story in this interview in such a way that’ll leave you inspired and wanting more.

How The Five Minute Journal progressed from a lackluster Kickstarter campaign to an endorsement from Tim Ferriss

The Five Minute Journal began as a Kickstarter campaign but unfortunately, funding fell flat. Although their first crowdfunding attempt didn't succeed, UJ and his team successfully launched at Mastermind Talks in front of just 120 people. One of the guests in attendance was famed entrepreneur and author Tim Ferriss. UJ explains to Khierstyn that in a stroke of “unbelievable awesomeness” Ferriss loved the idea of the journal and within just a few months ordered over 3,000 copies to be shared with his own followers. UJ exclaims that it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time and a perfect testimony to the power of networking. Ferriss is now one of Intelligent Change’s biggest advocates. For more, be sure to listen to the full episode of Crowdfunding Uncut.

UJ shares how his Intelligent Change team balances an external launch with daily operation obligations and combating the #1 problem in business

Since The Five Minute Journal was launched, Intelligent Change is now working on a number of different products that continue to encourage healthy change in people’s lives. Khierstyn and UJ spend some time on this episode of Crowdfunding Uncut discussing the #1 problem in business - finding good employees. UJ could have never balanced external product launches and daily business operations without solid teammates by his side. But finding quality employees is the hardest struggle. He encourages entrepreneurs to prioritize their needs, seek out and hire the best people you can find, and move forward from there. For more of his advice, be sure to catch this episode of Crowdfunding Uncut.

Why building a great business is all about systematizing excellence and gathering 1,000 true fans

Intelligent Change has been met with such great success because of their stellar ways of doing business. Wowing your customers repeatedly within the first 100 days of a launch, gathering and maintaining 1,000 true fans, and systematizing excellence are all methods that UJ lives by. Without these strategies in place, it’s much harder to have a successful product launch. If you’re struggling with your crowdfunding ideas, or just want to hear a great success story, be sure to listen to UJ Ramdas on this episode of Crowdfunding Uncut.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:53] Khierstyn introduces her guest for this episode, UJ Ramdas, founder of Intelligent Change
• [3:45] UJ shares the Intelligent Change story and how The Five Minute Journal was launched
• [8:29] How UJ took his personal system for positivity and healthy change and turned it into a successful product
• [11:29] The Five Minute Journal’s progress from Mastermind talks to a Tim Ferriss endorsement
• [13:30] What UJ attributes his Intelligent Change’s growth to and how to wow your customers within the first 100 days
• [16:50] How the idea behind Productivity Planner got started and the growth of marketing videos for Intelligent Change
• [21:36] Why UJ and his team chose Kickstarter for the Productivity Planner launch
• [23:11] The art of balancing an external launch with daily operation obligations
• [24:42] Why UJ wasn’t 100% pleased with Intelligent Change’s recent Kickstarter project and how they’re troubleshooting the issues for a successful relaunch
• [32:01] How UJ secured Intelligent Change’s first 1,000 true fans
• [37:53] Final thoughts on Intelligent Change and the importance of “scratching your own itch”

Resources & People Mentioned

• SPONSOR: Gadget Flow - get your project in front of over 25 million people per month and receive 10% off your service with code “Uncut10”
• BOOK: The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
• Mastermind Talks - launching ground for The Five Minute Journal
• ARTICLE: '4-Hour Workweek' author Tim Ferriss says this 5-minute daily exercise revolutionized his morning routine
• VIDEO: Joey Coleman’s First 100 Days
• Intelligent Change’s Productivity Planner
• ARTICLE: Productivity 101: A Primer to The Pomodoro Technique
• ARTICLE: 1,000 True Fans theory

Connect with UJ

• Intelligent Change website
• Connect with UJ on LinkedIn
• Follow UJ on Twitter
• Follow UJ on Facebook

Connect With Khierstyn

• www.CrowdfundingUncut.com
• On Twitter: @KhierstynRoss
• On Facebook
• On LinkedIn