S2 Episode 13. BYOB with Andrew Ford - James McCracken

Written By Andrew Ford

In this episode of Build Your Own Business (BYOB), I reconnect with my longtime friend and former colleague James McCracken, an expert mortgage broker coach. James shares his journey from corporate roles at Sensis and Hewlett-Packard to becoming a dedicated business coach helping mortgage brokers grow and scale their businesses.

James and I talk about his transition into entrepreneurship, the challenges of starting his own business, and the key lessons he has learned along the way. He explains the importance of coaching not just for operational success but for personal and professional transformation. Through group-based coaching and one-on-one consulting, James helps mortgage brokers elevate their businesses by fostering the right mindset, strategic decision-making, and leadership skills.

A significant theme in our conversation is the evolution of James’ career. He delves into his early entrepreneurial ventures, including selling cupcakes as a child, his experiences working abroad in Canada and Turkey, and his passion for personal development. James highlights how his corporate experience in sales and training shaped his coaching philosophy, emphasising the value of continuous learning and adaptability.

We also explore business development, the power of networking, and how embracing an abundance mindset has transformed James’ approach to entrepreneurship. His perspective on scaling a business while maintaining consistency offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to grow their own venture. One of the most insightful pieces of advice James shares is: "Creating a mindset of abundance is essential. The people who have an abundance orientation tend to see and create more opportunities, and that optimism helps them embrace challenges with confidence."

James also gives us a glimpse into his latest initiatives, including his upcoming business summit in Thailand, where he merges business coaching with unique networking experiences. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a business owner navigating growth challenges, or someone interested in personal development, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration.

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Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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S2 Episode 12. BYOB with Andrew Ford - Iyari Cevallos