Where do I begin? I first founded AngelVision in May of 2001. My plan was to develop a process to make sales videos and tutorials. At the time, these were made individually and, therefore, at a very high cost. By developing an efficient process, we were able to cut the costs of production by over 75%.

Our sales soared and we were ranked as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in the US by Inc. Magazine for seven straight years. In that time, we were honored with over to 450 awards and received success stories from over 1000 customers. Times were good.

But around 2013, I started to become very ill. I didn't realize how sick I was because my sickness was misdiagnosed and developed slowly. When I finally saw a doctor, he was surprised that I wasn’t already in a hospital. The worst consequence was that my brain cells were not getting oxygen, which left me with a type of brain coma.

Unable to think, I began making bad decisions, then people around me began to take advantage of my situation. As a result of trusting those around me, my overhead exploded to over $400,000 a month, and despite our record growth, I was forced to close AngelVision in 2016.

It was a long recovery, but we’re back in business.

It was a long and tough recovery but, somehow, I made it. I'm back at 100% and after a few years, I am re-launching my business under the name, AngelCore. (By the way, the word “Angel” in AngelCore has nothing to do with the word “Angel” in AngelVision. It was simply a domain name that I had sat on for many years.)

The key to our success is Superior Messaging.

In 2011, I was named Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association and inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame. The Portland Business Journal called me a “Message Machine.” You can read more about these accolades in the next column.

I only mention this because, for the time being, I will be producing the messages personally. This includes conducting the interviews, writing the scripts, and creating the storyboards.

Less overhead = Lower prices

We returned to the business model that originally made us successful… small teams, more outsourcing and barely any overhead. As a result of this reorganization, our costs and prices are nearly half of what they used to be.

I’m back doing what I love to do most.

Most important, I am happy again. At AngelVision, I spent my time running a business and no time working with folks on their messaging and advertising strategies. This is my unique superpower and what I like to do most.

I’d love to hear your comments about anything on your mind. If you tell your friends about us, we’ll fill large buckets with karma and launch them in your direction. Better duck!

American Marketing Association