Meeting Title: Brainforge x NWM - AI Solution_01／28／25 Date: 2025-01-28 Meeting participants: Jon Blake, Connor Fenn
WEBVTT
1 00:01:02.510 ⇒ 00:01:03.410 Connor Fenn: Hey! John!
2 00:01:03.910 ⇒ 00:01:04.640 Jon Blake: The, the.
3 00:01:05.560 ⇒ 00:01:07.070 Connor Fenn: What’s up, man, how you doing.
4 00:01:08.730 ⇒ 00:01:10.899 Jon Blake: Oh, pretty good! Busy again.
5 00:01:11.190 ⇒ 00:01:13.379 Connor Fenn: How’s how’s the new class going.
6 00:01:14.350 ⇒ 00:01:16.414 Jon Blake: Oh, pretty good. Yeah,
7 00:01:17.110 ⇒ 00:01:20.646 Jon Blake: Jake’s just about Carlton’s off to a pretty quick start,
8 00:01:21.770 ⇒ 00:01:25.472 Jon Blake: And Jake’s still in training
9 00:01:26.090 ⇒ 00:01:27.439 Connor Fenn: Takes the one I met right.
10 00:01:27.440 ⇒ 00:01:31.185 Jon Blake: You met Jake? Yeah. So he’s in training right now.
11 00:01:31.840 ⇒ 00:01:35.490 Jon Blake: but he’s off to a pretty decent start as well. So nice.
12 00:01:38.000 ⇒ 00:01:43.940 Jon Blake: There’s people that just come in and get it, and people that struggle a little bit. But yeah.
13 00:01:44.240 ⇒ 00:01:45.439 Connor Fenn: Yeah, I got you.
14 00:01:45.980 ⇒ 00:01:54.969 Connor Fenn: Well, I appreciate you hopping on I figured honestly I would just tell you what we’re going on and kind of go from there. See if you had any questions.
15 00:01:54.970 ⇒ 00:01:55.360 Jon Blake: Yeah.
16 00:01:55.360 ⇒ 00:02:00.760 Connor Fenn: Basically we set up a platform called clay.
17 00:02:01.180 ⇒ 00:02:22.200 Connor Fenn: which essentially allows us to integrate in with any kind of like research, outbound kind of tool that you’re using. So, for, for example, I’m working with some real estate folks right now. So they’re using like Costar zoom, info pitch book, Linkedin sales gap navigator things like that.
18 00:02:22.300 ⇒ 00:02:38.040 Connor Fenn: And so essentially, what we do is we create this clay platform that allows you to plug in all of the different research tools that you’re already using within your typical kind of outreach process.
19 00:02:38.310 ⇒ 00:02:52.209 Connor Fenn: But then, on top of that, we incorporate an AI layer. So it takes all of those different sources and filters them to a very specific criteria or persona that you’re looking for.
20 00:02:52.950 ⇒ 00:03:15.039 Connor Fenn: And then from there, what we do is we take that list of really custom leads and we’re creating like automated outreach through Linkedin and email for them. Using like personal customized tone of voice and kind of writing style that you would already use.
21 00:03:15.240 ⇒ 00:03:24.600 Connor Fenn: And so, like my thinking behind this was I from my understanding, just like talking to you through like the little trainings is, you know, you have that list of
22 00:03:24.730 ⇒ 00:03:41.770 Connor Fenn: 200 or so relationships that you are connections that you have. And then, after that, you’re kind of doing your own research or doing referrals based off of that. And so what this platform would essentially allow you to do is take that
23 00:03:42.120 ⇒ 00:03:47.059 Connor Fenn: excel, file that you have everybody make of all of those people.
24 00:03:47.180 ⇒ 00:04:09.549 Connor Fenn: But then, on top of that, we could take all of those different contacts filter them further down. Figure out, really like the persona behind that person. And what you’re looking to find from them and then create automated AI outreach autonomously. So the the cool thing about this is like.
25 00:04:10.160 ⇒ 00:04:30.810 Connor Fenn: you know, right now, the standard process is probably like you call or email someone. And that’s kind of it. And it’s like all very manual. And you have to follow up manual. This allows you to create like an initial contact with, you know anybody in that 200 person list and have a very custom outreach email like, Hey, I saw you work.
26 00:04:30.950 ⇒ 00:04:57.720 Connor Fenn: or we’re connected through this person. Whatever sets up an initial email. If they respond to that email, we have another automated email that goes out after that. And then if they don’t respond, there’s a couple of like workflow processes that we do where, like we’ll go in and like or comment on posts recently, just to get in front of their face. But it’s all autonomous, all working in the background. If that kind of makes sense.
27 00:04:57.720 ⇒ 00:04:59.930 Jon Blake: No, yeah, I mean, I use
28 00:05:00.420 ⇒ 00:05:03.869 Jon Blake: something that actually, for, like my outreaches for candidates.
29 00:05:05.163 ⇒ 00:05:10.999 Jon Blake: I I have that. Yeah, I mean, essentially, now.
30 00:05:11.000 ⇒ 00:05:12.349 Connor Fenn: They reach, or.
31 00:05:13.750 ⇒ 00:05:22.480 Jon Blake: Here’s the problem well, so on our advisor side, where it’s tough, right is.
32 00:05:23.520 ⇒ 00:05:27.520 Jon Blake: you know, the ultimate sales seal is always gonna be the phone. It’s just the reality.
33 00:05:28.611 ⇒ 00:05:30.470 Jon Blake: You know. And and so
34 00:05:30.900 ⇒ 00:05:43.159 Jon Blake: I I wouldn’t unless there was a connection. I would still want my advisors to always call 1st right, and and the reason why. Now I will say this, you got to remember to Northwestern Mutual is different from almost any other firm out there
35 00:05:43.390 ⇒ 00:05:48.859 Jon Blake: like most firms they’re using like you, said Zoom. Info lead lists.
36 00:05:49.632 ⇒ 00:05:56.940 Jon Blake: What? Where? Automation is perfect, right? Because that is a giant waste of time, like cold calling is just damn near dead.
37 00:05:57.427 ⇒ 00:06:03.320 Jon Blake: right? And so where that where that saves time is like now, Linkedin reach outs are not there.
38 00:06:03.480 ⇒ 00:06:06.020 Jon Blake: Right? Certain emails are not that
39 00:06:06.150 ⇒ 00:06:15.479 Jon Blake: right? But getting somebody on the phone on a whim. Good luck. It’s better to do linkedin or or email. So you’re you’re on the for sure on the right deal there.
40 00:06:16.503 ⇒ 00:06:19.890 Jon Blake: The hard part with Northwestern Mutual would be.
41 00:06:21.970 ⇒ 00:06:30.049 Jon Blake: If I’m doing my job getting the Referrals I’m supposed to get. I’m calling your best friend Dude, and I don’t want it to be automated
42 00:06:30.420 ⇒ 00:06:33.609 Jon Blake: right? Even if it even if it’s personalized. Okay.
43 00:06:34.466 ⇒ 00:06:39.210 Jon Blake: because I’m when I get them on the phone. It’s a whole different ballgame.
44 00:06:40.190 ⇒ 00:06:43.570 Jon Blake: There are some advisors that are doing a linkedin thing
45 00:06:44.500 ⇒ 00:06:50.800 Jon Blake: where maybe that might work. I mean, I’m not sure what y’all are costing, or what all costs for you guys.
46 00:06:51.100 ⇒ 00:07:02.959 Connor Fenn: So it’s like it. All kind of depends on like how many people. So we are. The platform itself has like a fixed fee. And then it’s like based off of users. So like, we’re working with brokerage teams where it’s like
47 00:07:03.490 ⇒ 00:07:25.919 Connor Fenn: the full process for 5 people would be 5,000 a month, and then it’s extra based off of like the person. But, like right now, I I use it for all of our re outreach. Right now I send out about probably a thousand to 2,000 engagements each week, all honestly. But yeah.
48 00:07:27.160 ⇒ 00:07:28.300 Connor Fenn: the process.
49 00:07:28.300 ⇒ 00:07:33.484 Jon Blake: Yeah, I mean, I think. And I’ll just I don’t know how long you all been doing this. I will tell you this.
50 00:07:34.670 ⇒ 00:07:43.079 Jon Blake: so what I have. It’s called Carolyn. I forget her name. She actually was at New York life for a long time, and and started
51 00:07:43.200 ⇒ 00:07:45.530 Jon Blake: basically exactly what you’re all are doing.
52 00:07:46.078 ⇒ 00:07:56.759 Jon Blake: It links into your sales. Navigator. It goes in, and it does do it does. The 3 likes it provides engagement with their page shows. I viewed their page. It shows I mean it shows everything
53 00:07:56.970 ⇒ 00:08:02.939 Jon Blake: right. And then we’ll send them a connection request with a message. If they don’t respond it’ll send a follow up.
54 00:08:03.170 ⇒ 00:08:05.830 Jon Blake: and if it doesn’t respond on that, I’ll send one more
55 00:08:06.844 ⇒ 00:08:14.460 Jon Blake: each one obviously different, each one all you know, autonomated and
56 00:08:15.540 ⇒ 00:08:22.240 Jon Blake: you know my hardest, and I’m actually thinking about getting rid of it. And but and I’ll just tell you why. Here’s the challenge with it.
57 00:08:23.120 ⇒ 00:08:32.609 Jon Blake: Yeah, on Linkedin. The problem is, and I send a very specific message of what I’m looking for. And if they respond, it’s all on me after that right?
58 00:08:33.124 ⇒ 00:08:37.575 Jon Blake: Which I would I would prefer because you gotta make sure it makes sense when it gets sent back.
59 00:08:38.039 ⇒ 00:08:44.440 Jon Blake: but you know I mean, I messed messaged the guy yesterday.
60 00:08:45.220 ⇒ 00:08:49.020 Jon Blake: Here, I’ll show you this. I mean, this is bad
61 00:08:49.503 ⇒ 00:08:54.129 Jon Blake: and I was kind of an asshole to him or which is.
62 00:08:58.820 ⇒ 00:09:06.300 Jon Blake: you know, I guess, to kind of exam. Give you an example of what’s happening to me, and I don’t maybe have a a way to fix this. But
63 00:09:06.680 ⇒ 00:09:09.530 Jon Blake: so and I and it’s pretty.
64 00:09:10.710 ⇒ 00:09:15.510 Jon Blake: you know, detailed as the type of people I’m looking for, based off my parameters.
65 00:09:15.750 ⇒ 00:09:18.490 Jon Blake: But it’s like this guy, you know, he’s like.
66 00:09:19.588 ⇒ 00:09:34.589 Jon Blake: And we are looking for new leaders. And and so that is the leadership role that we’re that we’re looking for. Then this was the next one that got sent because he didn’t respond on Wednesday. And again, it’s liked at least 3 things on his page and showed. I viewed it.
67 00:09:34.590 ⇒ 00:09:35.090 Connor Fenn: Yeah.
68 00:09:35.379 ⇒ 00:09:39.719 Jon Blake: Now, here’s the problem. And I’m like, you know, 1st of all, this is Saturday.
69 00:09:43.190 ⇒ 00:09:54.409 Jon Blake: obviously like not a professional message. I’m like what the hell is going on. Then I get a text on my cell phone. Is this Jonathan Blake? And I’m like, Yes, turns out, is this guy.
70 00:09:54.976 ⇒ 00:09:58.143 Jon Blake: You can see I was a little irritated
71 00:09:59.050 ⇒ 00:10:07.070 Jon Blake: And I said my, because I was typing on my phone. But I meant, look me up through. Finra would have told you that, or looking me me up through Finra would have told you that.
72 00:10:07.240 ⇒ 00:10:16.590 Jon Blake: like, you know, and eventually and you know he didn’t say anything after that. Then you got the hint that I wasn’t interested. But here’s the deal like, you know, you click on this guy’s profile. It’s like
73 00:10:17.330 ⇒ 00:10:26.460 Jon Blake: he’s up to 3. And one of them’s me. So it’s like, Wow, like. And so that’s kind of the shit we deal with with this automation.
74 00:10:27.830 ⇒ 00:10:37.679 Connor Fenn: Yeah. So that’s where ours is a little different. We don’t. You don’t just get connected to random people. It’s we build out lists.
75 00:10:38.300 ⇒ 00:10:49.320 Connor Fenn: So like right now, I have a hundred people that I just filtered for specifically for recent Ecom brands that are hitting retail
76 00:10:49.857 ⇒ 00:11:04.799 Connor Fenn: and so I only have the campaign set for those 100 people. So that’s kind of how you do it is you build out these these lists of, you know the specific targets you want to hit, and then over that.
77 00:11:05.050 ⇒ 00:11:10.230 Connor Fenn: you know, 2 week period, 3 week period. It will slowly engage with them.
78 00:11:10.230 ⇒ 00:11:21.420 Jon Blake: Yeah. And that’s what we do, I mean. But so like that list that has like, it was probably business owner, personal switch. There was some, and I didn’t agree with it. But they’re like, let’s let’s look at some of the
79 00:11:21.790 ⇒ 00:11:38.829 Jon Blake: fitness industry, because there’s been some success there before. And so like, you know, that may be a bad example. So we usually dial our list down because we do filter. It does filter for us. Her recommendation for what we do, and she came from our world.
80 00:11:39.460 ⇒ 00:11:50.349 Jon Blake: And she knows that mainly we’re using it like mine is on a recruiting platform, because I don’t really see clients anymore. Right now, the advisors different ball game. But she’s like, Hey, over 5,000 is too broad.
81 00:11:50.600 ⇒ 00:11:57.039 Jon Blake: She likes keeping it right around about 1,500 right? And so we we would do. We do filter them down.
82 00:11:57.250 ⇒ 00:12:01.859 Jon Blake: you know, but it just I mean the hard part, unless somebody walks through.
83 00:12:02.200 ⇒ 00:12:08.840 Jon Blake: The automation is nice but
84 00:12:09.150 ⇒ 00:12:19.629 Jon Blake: you know, it’s linkedin like, you know, it’s not the Wild West, but it’s close like anybody can type in anything. Oh, as a business like business owner, because I sold books to college students right? Like.
85 00:12:19.870 ⇒ 00:12:20.260 Connor Fenn: Yeah.
86 00:12:20.260 ⇒ 00:12:26.726 Jon Blake: Yeah, you know. And so it hits those people, which is fine, you know. We just don’t reach out to those people.
87 00:12:27.700 ⇒ 00:12:32.129 Jon Blake: And I’ll tell you this much. I mean, it sounds similar. You might be a little ahead.
88 00:12:33.550 ⇒ 00:12:35.820 Jon Blake: But it’s a hundred $70 a month.
89 00:12:36.370 ⇒ 00:12:42.209 Connor Fenn: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I just sold the same package for 10 grand a month. So.
90 00:12:42.210 ⇒ 00:12:45.299 Jon Blake: Yeah, no, I know. I know. I know. That’s what’s like.
91 00:12:45.943 ⇒ 00:12:48.726 Jon Blake: For for 5 grand a month.
92 00:12:51.420 ⇒ 00:12:56.650 Jon Blake: for 5 people, I mean just in our world to recoup that.
93 00:12:57.360 ⇒ 00:13:01.290 Jon Blake: Yeah, a lot. Because you guys don’t have big commissions on the deals like that
94 00:13:01.290 ⇒ 00:13:07.689 Jon Blake: different right? It’s not. It’s, you know, even if you sit down with somebody making a million dollars right.
95 00:13:09.350 ⇒ 00:13:10.009 Connor Fenn: Yeah. It’s that ever.
96 00:13:10.010 ⇒ 00:13:12.830 Jon Blake: Month. I don’t think we could recoup that cost.
97 00:13:13.380 ⇒ 00:13:16.169 Connor Fenn: Okay, yeah, I’ve been working with a lot of
98 00:13:16.860 ⇒ 00:13:31.489 Connor Fenn: it’s actually 2 teams. One of them is like a brokerage team at Cbre, and then another is like a private investment firm. But for them it’s like they’re looking more for contacts for buildings. So they sell one building. They make handful of millions. It’s.
99 00:13:31.490 ⇒ 00:13:45.480 Jon Blake: Right, I mean, or even I mean honestly, even from a realty standpoint. Right? If you got one a month, you know, at at 2030, $40,000 commissions on 1 million dollar homes like, okay, fair right? The amount of volume. And you can get that with us, too.
100 00:13:46.115 ⇒ 00:13:54.750 Jon Blake: Very easily. I mean, if if I could sit down in front of 2, 3 people making a million dollars a year. Yeah, for sure.
101 00:13:55.180 ⇒ 00:14:02.899 Jon Blake: Right? The barrier, I think, for us, most of those people already have relationships.
102 00:14:03.130 ⇒ 00:14:11.460 Jon Blake: And so that automation isn’t isn’t enough to get the end to have that conversation because you’re buying, planning services. You’re not buying a structure.
103 00:14:11.830 ⇒ 00:14:29.279 Connor Fenn: Yeah, no, fair enough. I was just like I was going through and kind of thinking about like that process that we talked about. And I was like it when I was learning about. All this is like I would have used this in the job like, for sure. But after talking, I guess that makes sense.
104 00:14:29.280 ⇒ 00:14:30.609 Jon Blake: Yeah, I don’t think that
105 00:14:31.470 ⇒ 00:14:47.279 Jon Blake: the again like. And I told you this kind of interview process, this business man. It’s just different than it’s it’s so much different from everything else there in the sales world again, super lucrative. But the end to get to the conversation we need
106 00:14:49.810 ⇒ 00:15:00.319 Jon Blake: is is just a different ball game. Now, Nick Packler, fastest 5 Star Pathfinder guys making millions of dollars a year killing. It took him 5 years to get there, that’s all he does is Linkedin reach outs
107 00:15:00.880 ⇒ 00:15:07.950 Jon Blake: right? But he’s got a team, you know what I you know what I mean, and that’s that’s literally. That’s how he built his brand. He does about 60 approaches a week.
108 00:15:10.130 ⇒ 00:15:11.100 Jon Blake: But
109 00:15:11.450 ⇒ 00:15:18.409 Jon Blake: you know, and I’m not sure he’s probably using an automated system as well. Probably very some something similar to what I’m using.
110 00:15:19.790 ⇒ 00:15:21.680 Connor Fenn: You said that was called Carolyn.
111 00:15:22.220 ⇒ 00:15:26.699 Jon Blake: Heroin Legion. Tell you what it is.
112 00:15:26.840 ⇒ 00:15:29.610 Connor Fenn: No, I I just never heard of it. I wanted to look it up.
113 00:15:33.410 ⇒ 00:15:35.189 Jon Blake: If I go to bookmarks.
114 00:15:36.980 ⇒ 00:15:38.850 Jon Blake: Okay, I found it. Did you find?
115 00:15:38.910 ⇒ 00:15:40.069 Jon Blake: Can you find out.
116 00:15:40.420 ⇒ 00:15:44.650 Connor Fenn: Yeah, I’ll take a look at this. I’m curious what they’re doing.
117 00:15:46.300 ⇒ 00:15:50.563 Jon Blake: I mean I fuck. I can just log in and show you I don’t care
118 00:15:51.440 ⇒ 00:15:57.560 Connor Fenn: No, I I’m just curious what platform they use to build this out, what they’re or how they’re doing. All.
119 00:15:57.560 ⇒ 00:16:02.530 Jon Blake: Well from like a linkedin perspective. It’s they run it through sales. They connect it to sales. Navigator.
120 00:16:04.010 ⇒ 00:16:04.750 Connor Fenn: Okay.
121 00:16:05.980 ⇒ 00:16:13.330 Jon Blake: Yeah. And so I have my campaigns, my prospects. I can reply through her program and platform. Once they respond where I can go online to deal.
122 00:16:14.229 ⇒ 00:16:25.530 Jon Blake: You know. But so like, this is director sales and real estate. So 20 complete. It takes the 4 steps, 1, 1,800, you know so many contacted?
123 00:16:25.710 ⇒ 00:16:30.870 Jon Blake: 89 connections from that? Who replied, who do you know what I mean? Replies and things like that?
124 00:16:31.500 ⇒ 00:16:36.730 Jon Blake: So I run 3 campaigns at a time, typically looks like I only have 2 on right now.
125 00:16:37.610 ⇒ 00:16:42.520 Jon Blake: I like, like, for instance, this one. I shut off the founders because, like
126 00:16:42.630 ⇒ 00:16:46.180 Jon Blake: I’m not now, if I was an advisor I’d have that one on all day.
127 00:16:46.709 ⇒ 00:16:50.030 Jon Blake: Right? And it’s and you can see it’s it’s
128 00:16:50.740 ⇒ 00:16:53.260 Jon Blake: It was significantly less
129 00:16:54.250 ⇒ 00:16:58.990 Jon Blake: because they needed to be a founder of a company, but as an advisor, and I got 4 connections out of it.
130 00:17:00.154 ⇒ 00:17:01.680 Jon Blake: I only sent out 6, like.
131 00:17:01.930 ⇒ 00:17:08.630 Jon Blake: you know. I think the hard part is like, even for an advisor. If I were to give you any advisors to talk to
132 00:17:08.970 ⇒ 00:17:19.589 Jon Blake: maybe one single person. 1st of all, and most of them do know about this platform. And and like I said I, I do. I think it’s 180 whoops. I think it’s 180 bucks a month.
133 00:17:20.170 ⇒ 00:17:27.340 Connor Fenn: Yeah, well, that one’s a little bit. Yeah, it’s it’s different. We it would be like
134 00:17:27.579 ⇒ 00:17:35.324 Connor Fenn: 10 different, like sales, navigator type tools integrated side by side, filtering those.
135 00:17:36.448 ⇒ 00:17:41.220 Connor Fenn: Yeah, no worries. I appreciate you at least hearing me out on it, I thought
136 00:17:41.820 ⇒ 00:17:43.809 Connor Fenn: might be an opportunity, but.
137 00:17:44.450 ⇒ 00:17:47.269 Jon Blake: I don’t. I don’t know if the the engagement wise it’d be tough.
138 00:17:47.720 ⇒ 00:17:57.550 Connor Fenn: Yeah, no worries. It’s it’s kind of like the more of this side business that we’re in right now. Anyway, he’s doing stuff with data. That’s kind of.
139 00:17:57.550 ⇒ 00:18:15.169 Jon Blake: But I think you guys could. I mean, it’s just I, I mean, if it’s something that you know you talk to him about now, the hard part is your other clients find out that you’re giving advisors a different deal. That might be a problem. But maybe it’s a skim down version. We might not need all of those things. From an advisor, you know.
140 00:18:15.170 ⇒ 00:18:17.150 Connor Fenn: Like the time for him to be honest with you.
141 00:18:17.150 ⇒ 00:18:18.120 Jon Blake: Yeah, yeah.
142 00:18:18.120 ⇒ 00:18:27.990 Connor Fenn: Yeah, they. They’re actually doing really well, surprisingly, they’ve doubled prices on everything since I’ve worked here. And it’s only been a month, just because of how it’s all taken up. So.
143 00:18:28.240 ⇒ 00:18:28.860 Jon Blake: Good.
144 00:18:28.860 ⇒ 00:18:31.656 Connor Fenn: But yeah, man, I appreciate it.
145 00:18:32.030 ⇒ 00:18:32.410 Jon Blake: Awesome.
146 00:18:32.410 ⇒ 00:18:33.729 Connor Fenn: Hopefully. I’ll see you around.
147 00:18:33.730 ⇒ 00:18:35.719 Jon Blake: Yeah. Sounds good. If you ever need anything, give me a call.
148 00:18:35.720 ⇒ 00:18:36.560 Connor Fenn: Alright. I’ll see you.
149 00:18:36.560 ⇒ 00:18:37.420 Jon Blake: Bye, bye.