Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Eric Yaillen, Owner of CogniLogicFX, located in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My coaching business is called CogniLogicFX. It's a mash-up of the words "cognitive," "logical," and "effects." It's the process that best describes how I approach problem-solving. I use my cognitive thinking skills to find logical solutions that generate positive results.

From this, I have created unique methods, processes, systems, and frameworks, including my strategic approach to branding called "the Brand Identity Lifecycle" and my 4-step framework for businesses to stake out a claim as market leaders called "the MegaFluence Method."

As a coach, I am primarily a problem-solver. Customers range from people needing guidance in starting a business to established businesses that are "stuck" and need to figure out how/where they need to improve.

Typically businesses need help in the following areas:

  • creating a cohesive brand strategy
  • having systems, processes, and procedures
  • understanding who their primary target customer is and how to communicate effectively with them
  • implementing the right automation tools to help them scale.

Tell us about yourself

I had my first entrepreneurial venture as a high school teenager when I created a freelance PR firm. My first client was the founder of Manpower International. Upon graduating from college, I purchased my first computer...and that was in 1984. In my first j-o-b, among 40 other regional marketing directors, I was the only one that was computerized, and I very quickly saw the value of automation as I was the only person to ALWAYS fulfill my reporting obligations.

Not only was I among the top performing RMDs (as evidenced by performance bonuses), but I also was able to leverage my productivity to have the most time off. I was working smarter...not harder. Eventually, I joined a small software company in the sports industry, where I negotiated a lucrative contract with the PGA of America and its 41 regional section offices.

From there, I launched my own software company that developed the first windows-based systems for managing member-based clubs primarily in the health/fitness niche. Our clients grew to include over 100 Fortune 500 corporate fitness centers and hundreds of high-end hospital-based and independent fitness centers, tennis clubs, dining clubs, yacht clubs, etc.

I had enough of that industry and decided to return to the golf business and went to work with the Oregon Golf Association as its Director of Marketing and Communications, where I again implemented much of what I had done with the PGA of America, including creating the systems, processes, and methods to managing their data.

Among other things, I convinced the United States Golf Association to create a CRM initiative for all State/Regional Golf Associations that their Executive Committee heralded as the second most important initiative in the 100+ year history of the organization.

In 2014, when I was the Executive Director of the Southern Nevada Golf Association, my world came to a sudden stop when I was diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer. To make a long story short, that and many other related health setbacks made any work impossible. Due to pain and prescriptions, I was incapable of sitting in a regular desk chair, had "brain fog" that clouded my cognitive abilities, and struggled to even stay awake.

That changed on New Year's eve of 2020, when a new pain treatment gave me a new lease on life. I was able to cut pain medications by more than 80%, which lifted the brain fog, and I felt physically better. My overall health and necessity to deal with doctors still prevented going to work in a traditional sense, but being the type-A go-getting person I was, I wanted to find something to do but didn't know exactly what that was. I first looked at some network marketing opportunities, but that wasn't for me. I then considered affiliate marketing but soon figured out that it also didn't align with my personal brand.

I then had an opportunity to work with two of the most internationally acclaimed digital marketers in helping them with their software development projects which I did for a while, and while doing that, I found where my passions truly existed. That's when I decided to get into business coaching and to help other entrepreneurs and businesses by sharing the wealth of knowledge I had accumulated.

I quickly had a couple of coaching clients but decided that before going further, I wanted to write that legacy book which is called "The MegaFluence Method." The book itself, with be the foundation for all other aspects of my business going forward.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

That's a difficult question. It's like asking, "which child is your favorite?" I've had too many great experiences and accomplishments to be proud of over a career spanning several decades, and I've had the opportunity to meet or be mentored by the greats, including "the father of modern public relations," Edward Bernays
"the father of special event marketing," Ben Barkin "the godfather of digital marketing," Perry Belcher, "the Queen of the Pitch," Forbes Riley, among others.

BUT....if I was forced to come up with something, I'd have to say it's simply having fun. Too many people slog through the drudgery of life, dreading going to work every day. I haven't had much of that, and now I have a relatively new lease on life after having to deal with cancer that I greatly appreciate.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Knowing that you can help someone but having to say no.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Find something that you truly enjoy, and that is fueled by your passions.
  2. Don't put the cart before the horse and jump into something before you are ready. Create the right foundation and understand the basic principles you need to effectively run a business, and be sure to have mentors to help you, especially in those areas where you need help. Be aware of what you know and what you don't know.
  3. Create systems, processes, methods, and checklists around what you do so that you can easily duplicate and replicate your activities to maximize your productivity. This is the basis to allow you to grow, scale and automate your business.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Anyone interested in getting a free excerpt of the "The MegaFluence Method" prior to publishing can visit this Link.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.megafluence.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyaillen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyaillen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cognifx
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eyaillen/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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