In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali lays out a simple, four-part system to sharpen focus and build real mental toughness—especially for founders juggling clients, new offers, training, and family. He opens with a familiar scene of constant “urgent” pings stealing your evenings, then draws a firm line between a keep list and a kill list: meetings without decisions, fake-urgent tasks, doom scrolling, and using caffeine to mask fatigue. From there, Nickolas defines mental toughness as how quickly you return to the main objective after a hit, using a Mario Kart–style metaphor to illustrate “bounce back.” The framework centers on: extending your tolerance “fuse,” setting a pre-committed floor when things go wrong, installing a restart ritual to rebound, and doing one-line postmortems to adapt. He connects this to attention as an asset, the heavy cost of context switching, identity following behavior, and why recovery is an input, not an escape. He closes with a weekly cadence and a short list of cuts that protect deep work and output.

Takeaways

• Most people are not unfocused, they are overstimulated and under-decided.

• Build a kill list for meetings without decisions, fake-urgent tasks, doom scrolling, and excess caffeine.

• Treat rest as productive if it increases output on your one thing.

• Mental toughness = how far you “bounce” off course and how fast you return.

• Four-part system: extend your tolerance fuse, set a pre-committed floor, use a restart ritual, and add a one-line postmortem.

• Use “Because X happened, I will do Y differently next time” to turn setbacks into upgrades.

• Your attention is the asset; context switching creates costly decision debt.

• Decide faster; inaction for months is often more expensive than a well-informed decision today.

• Identity follows behavior; small controlled wins stack belief and reduce overreactions.

• Reframe results as data for improvement, not verdicts on identity.

• Recovery fuels output; sleep, nutrition, stillness, and social detox restore clarity.

• Weekly cadence: pick one thing on Sunday, daily 5-minute review, midday restart, nightly one-line postmortem.

  
  

Chapters

00:00 Intro and promise of a four-part focus system.

00:51 Founder overwhelm story and the cost of zero margin.

02:30 Keep vs kill list; meetings without decisions, fake-urgent tasks, doom scrolling, excess caffeine.

03:40 Rest as productive; training-day analogy for performance.

04:30 Mental toughness defined; Mario Kart bounce-back metaphor.

04:58 Core Four Part 1: Extend your tolerance fuse.

05:33 Core Four Part 2: Set a pre-committed floor after setbacks.

06:20 Core Four Part 3: Install a restart ritual to rebound.

06:50 Core Four Part 4: Adapt with one-line postmortems; Goggins reference.

08:00 Attention as the asset; context switching and decision debt in software and business.

09:20 Decide faster; identity follows behavior and small wins stack belief.

10:23 Reframing results as information; marathon example.

11:10 Recovery fuels output; stillness and social media detox.

12:43 Weekly focus cadence and daily checkpoints.

13:40 Cut list for the week; avoid busy work.

14:20 Final mantra and close.

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In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali breaks down the complete, step-by-step process for running Instagram ads that actually convert. Whether you’re brand new to paid social or looking to tighten your system, Nickolas walks you through how to turn strangers into followers, leads, and customers—without wasting ad spend. He covers how to select the right campaign objective, define your target audience, create thumb-stopping visuals, and write short, high-converting ad copy. You’ll also learn how to start small, test efficiently, and scale the right creative for consistent growth.

Packed with practical insights, simple formulas, and relatable humor, this episode helps demystify Instagram Ads Manager and equips you with the mindset and tactics to grow your brand faster. Nickolas also shares a free guide in the show notes detailing the exact KPIs to track during your first 7, 14, and 30 days of running ads, helping you set realistic expectations and make smarter optimization decisions from day one.

Takeaways

• Choose your campaign objective based on your end goal: followers, leads, or sales.

• Target effectively by using interests, behaviors, or custom/lookalike audiences.

• Use native-looking creative that blends in with organic posts for better performance.

• Craft ad visuals with a strong hook, a single clear idea, and a call-to-action.

• Keep copy short and direct—Instagram users scroll fast.

• Use the proven formula: Problem → Agitate → Solve → CTA.

• Launch with a small daily budget ($5–$20) and gather data before scaling.

• Test 3–5 variations of your ad creative to identify top performers.

• Focus on cost-per-result metrics, not vanity metrics like likes or comments.

• Cut underperformers after 5–7 days and scale winners gradually.

• View ads as paid learning—iterate, test, and improve consistently.

• Use KPIs from days 7, 14, and 30 to benchmark progress and expectations.

  
  

Chapters

00:00 The power of Instagram ads

00:31 Choosing the right campaign objective

01:10 Understanding and targeting your ideal audience

01:58 Creating magnetic, scroll-stopping visuals

02:45 Writing clear, short, and persuasive ad copy

03:25 Example breakdown of effective ad copy

04:00 How to launch small and optimize smart

04:55 Key metrics to focus on and avoid vanity metrics

05:14 Testing, learning, and scaling winning ads

05:40 Final thoughts and free KPI tracking guide in the show notes

Want to work with Nick?:

https://allthingsmediallc.com/

Free Resources Made by Nick:

https://nickolasnatali.gumroad.com/

Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate):

https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali

Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:

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In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali breaks down how to sell without feeling sleazy by reframing sales as service. He walks through a practical mindset shift—stop “selling” and start solving—then shows how to lead with curiosity, qualify both sides, and only make offers when you can truly help. Nick shares a reverse-close story that proves turning away misaligned business builds trust, and he explains how to present options calmly, de-risk decisions, and let prospects decide without pressure. You’ll learn language you can use on calls, how to create safety around yes or no, and why detaching from outcomes leads to better conversations and more closes. He wraps with a crisp recap and a free guide to objections and a simple sales framework. If you want ethical, effective sales that feel clean and honest, this one’s a blueprint.

Takeaways

• Reframe sales as solving real problems, not pushing products.

• Lead with curiosity: diagnose before you prescribe.

• Qualify both sides; ensure you can actually help.

• Be willing to walk away; it increases trust.

• “Reverse close” misfits and point them to better options.

• Present options calmly; avoid pressure or attachment.

• Give all info prospects need, then let them decide.

• Make it safe to say yes or no; de-risk with guarantees if you have them.

• Acknowledge fear of making a mistake; show empathy.

• Detach from outcomes; attach to showing up right every time.

• Trust is the ultimate currency that drives referrals and lifetime value.

  
  

Chapters

00:00 Why sales feels “sleazy” and the fix: sell as service.

00:35 Mindset shift: you’re solving, not selling.

01:10 Lead with curiosity and qualify both sides.

01:50 Only sell to people you can truly help.

02:30 The reverse-close story and why walking away builds trust.

03:20 Presenting options without pressure; key phrases to use.

04:00 Make yes/no safe; de-risk with clarity and guarantees.

04:45 Detach from outcome; attach to process and service.

05:22 Rapid recap: the five rules of ethical sales.

06:05 Free guide and call to action.

Want to work with Nick?:

https://allthingsmediallc.com/

Free Resources Made by Nick:

https://nickolasnatali.gumroad.com/

Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate):

https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali

Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:

https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali

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DM Nick on Instagram:

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