52: Sam Moss – The value of clarity

52: Sam Moss – Top Podcast Host & Branding Expert

Daniel Giordano

SUMMARY:

In this episode of All-In, Daniel exchanges lessons applicable to both business and life with Sam Moss, a young entrepreneur navigating his niche in the world of B2B website development and design. The conversation touches on a number of themes that share one thing in common: the value of clarity. Whether it’s defining the clients that best suit your business goals or fully embracing being a dad, Sam and Daniel agree that successful visions are all about two things: keeping it simple and keeping it clear. The 1ClickAgency that Sam founded in upstate New York with his dad has taken a path that will be familiar to entrepreneurs from all industries. It involved a process of figuring out the rapport with small businesses versus a B2B orientation, learning how to discuss money head-on with clients and resisting the fear of losing clients by choosing to narrow the focus. Defining a niche is not self-limiting, says Sam. It’s liberating!

KEY TOPICS:

A little about Sam, his upbringing in the upper PA/upstate NY area and the roots of his entrepreneurial journey, including partnering early on with his dad.
Challenges along the way in developing the 1Click Agency, including migrating from serving small businesses to focusing B2B.
Making the decision to go “All In” with a focus on website construction versus other marketing services that were tempting but not always worth the investment.
It can be tempting to chase the “new shiny object” you want to offer as a service, but Sam realizes the hurdles associated with learning, marketing and knowing how to sell something new. And value in focusing on what you do best!
Choosing to focus in the B2B space has ultimately been very freeing and doesn’t necessarily mean 1Click has foregone other types of business entirely.
Businesses can choose a niche without getting trapped by it.
How Sam keeps a balance of work-life activities:
- Up around 6-6:30a to read, listen to a podcast and/or help out with his newborn daughter’s care.
- Get down to work at 9a, currently at home and working within the parameters of pandemic realities.
How Sam measures success in a day.
Sam’s goal-setting for the year ahead includes clarifying and designing a framework. He’s exploring the framework in Traction by Gino Wickman.
Daniel shares thoughts based on his own experience about the importance of setting the bar as an incentive to achievement:
- Who am I serving?
- What do I actually want?
A reminder that it’s important to be intentional about work-play during the years when kids are at home and growing up, because they fly by fast.
Words of Advice:
- Don’t be afraid to identify and inhabit an industry niche.
- Don’t be afraid to address money directly with prospective clients. It sets expectations right from the outset.
Sam appreciates working at the B2B level because his clients have a budget, know what they want and are happy to pay for it.
A few ways to catch up with Sam and his 1Click Agency.

KEY QUOTES:

“It’s a lot better to do one thing really well than a bunch of things not too well.”
“When we got out of the broad spectrum of marketing it was pretty easy to say we’re going to focus on websites … What it boiled down to was we knew it, we were already doing it and we were good at it.”
“We market primarily to B2B but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other small businesses or manufacturers that reach out to us. A website is a website.”
“Everyone counts a successful day differently. We use Asana for task management and a good day for me is getting through all the tasks I’m trying to do on that day, but it may be different for someone else. So definitely reflect to see why a day may have been productive for you and adjust for the next day.”
“My passion is marketing so I get distracted with trying to get our name out there, post on LinkedIn, put out fires, but I need to take a step back and focus on where we really want to go as a company.”
“Don’t be afraid to hone in on a niche. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, it’s extremely freeing to turn someone down.”
“For us to make the decision to go into the B2B space was solely revenue- driven.”
“There are some bad apples (in small business) who want to pay a fraction of what they should and you feel obligated to do it and it’s very frustrating when they expect the world.”
“The reason we decided to go with the B2B space is that they have a set budget, they understand the value of a website and are willing to pay for it.”

About Sam Moss

Sam Moss is the co-founder of 1Click Agency, which designs and builds B2B websites for companies. His team of 13 developers uses WordPress to conceive, create, redesign and maintain websites for a variety of B2B companies – always with a focus on raising their clients’ profiles and showcasing their business.

Contact Sam:

Website: www.1clickagency.com
@LinkedIn

About the All In Podcast Show:

The All-In Podcast Show presents top Entrepreneurs, Innovators and World Changers willing to share their breakthrough moments and how they are changing the world. Focused on being “All-In” on the four areas of life: faith, family, finances, and health, host Daniel Giordano invites mentors who exemplify balance and a commitment to building a bold life of excellence.

Previous Episodes: https://www.allinpodcast.com