Arias WebsterBerry Reveals What Most Marketers Get Wrong

In Season 3, Episode 8 of Building Leadership Community, Coach Dora Mendez sits down with Arias WebsterBerry, entrepreneur, Certified Scrum Master, and founder of WebsterBerry Marketing and Ignite Funnels.

Arias has generated over $112 million in client revenue and mentored more than 400 professionals. In this conversation, he shares what entrepreneurial leadership truly requires: disciplined risk evaluation, systems thinking, and community as a leadership stabilizer.

This episode explores:
• Why entrepreneurs fail without preparation
• How systems protect time and energy
• The connection between leadership and community
• Why risk must be evaluated through opportunity cost

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
04:24 Leadership Journey
08:13 Global Expansion
11:43 Community in Leadership
21:28 Risk and Preparation
24:15 ROI Mindset

Guest Links:
https://IgniteFunnels.com
https://IgniteFunnels.ke
https://WebsterBerryMarketing.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back, amazing leaders, to another powerful episode of Building Leadership Community Podcast. I'm your host, Coach Dora Mendez, and today we have an episode that is going to light a fire under your entrepreneurial spirit. We are thrilled to welcome a guest who embodies the intersection of innovation, strategy, and impact, a digital marketing powerhouse who has generated over $112 million in revenue for his clients, mentored over 400 professionals, and continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in business. Our guest today is none other than entrepreneur, author, certified scrum master, and the founder and CEO of Websterberry Marketing. Arius Websterberry. By the end of this conversation, you will walk away with actionable strategies to scale your business, a clearer understanding of how to leverage technology and automation, and the confidence to build a brand that doesn't just sell, but truly connects. This episode is a catalyst to innovate strategically, boldly, and with systems that support sustainable growth. So settle in, take a breath, and get ready. Hello and welcome to Building Leadership Community. I'm your host, Lord Amendment. I'm the founder and CEO of Coach Dor LLC. It can be lonely at the top. It doesn't have to be. It means so much to us that you join us week after week for these conversations, that you continue to show up for season three. It can be lonely at the top, but it doesn't have to be. That is why we started this podcast. If you are new to Building Leadership Community, we are so glad that you are here. Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe, hit those buttons at the bottom of your screen so you never miss an episode. Say hi in the comments. We have some great resources to share with you today. If you're thinking about starting your own podcast, check out our mini course, The Entrepreneurs Podcast Blueprint. I've partnered with my husband and co-producer Dylan Rogers to create five easy to follow video modules along with a workbook that you can download and follow along at your own pace. And you get a very handy AI prompt sheet that will make getting your episode out there into the world a breeze. The link is in the description. Also, this video includes affiliate links. If you purchase through them, it helps us keep bringing you amazing, inspiring content. Now let's dive into today's conversation with a visionary entrepreneur. I can't wait for you to meet him. Hold for applause. Hi, how are you? I am doing amazing, Dora. How are you? I'm great. Can you um pronounce your name for us? I want to make sure I get it um right for our audience.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Absolutely. Uh my name is Arius Websterberry.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

And I want to thank you for being here. I'm I'm so over the moon. Most of our guests um are people I know are referrals. And this season has been new for us because people are finding our show. We just hit 16,000 views on YouTube, and your team found us. Um, and this is the first season where we have opened it up and opened our um, you know, the guest chair, the guest microphone, virtual microphone, to folks that I've I've met through social media and who have and people who have reached out to us. So I want to thank you so much for finding our show, for your folks that were, your team finding our show. And I'd love for you to share with our listeners and our viewers your leadership story.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Um yeah, I I came to leadership and entrepreneurship um kind of in a roundabout way. Uh I didn't, you know, I didn't seek out being a leader. I didn't seek out um where I've landed and the things that I've created. It just kind of went through osmosis. Um, but for me, I've always uh had an entrepreneurial spirit. Uh I started my first business, I want to say, when I was uh probably like 10, somewhere around there, was a dog walking business. Uh and it We gotta start somewhere, right? That's absolutely. Um and you know it it it was a short-lived business. It it survived for a day. Um, once my mom found out that I was knocking on strangers' doors asking to walk their dogs, uh, she freaked out and she shut it down. I was profitable though. I think I made like 20 or 25 dollars, which you know, at the age of 10 that I was rich. So um, but over the years I I got deeper and deeper into this thing and realizing um that to really succeed in entrepreneurship, uh, you do have to be a leader. And uh I personally believe that it starts by leading yourself. Uh it's very hard to handle the mood swings, the um personalities, the communication styles of people if you can't uh master yourself, right? Uh so I've done extensive work to try to handle me and keep me uh in the lines, so to speak. And um, you know, I also had the benefit of working in corporate America for you know decades and being a manager there. I was a sales manager for a really long time. Uh so I've been through all the training programs on, you know, various personality types and the dynamics between them and uh you know how to de-escalate uh and and you know support and you know have tough conversations. Actually, I got a whole bookcase full of management books and stuff over there. So um it's been a ride, and and I've I've somehow figured out how to parlay that into a business that's doing pretty well now.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

So um your leadership extends beyond marketing. Um, you've you've been an executive producer of acclaimed hip hop 101 music and arts festival, earning a commendation from Los Angeles City Council for your cultural impact, um, which uh experience, you know, I'm sure your experience also has been shaped by travel. Because when we first spoke, I think you were talking about traveling to um sub-Saharan Africa and that you've been to 25 countries, 35 US states, and you really, it seems like you have um, you know, you really combine your strategic vision um or storytelling. And I would love for you to share a little bit more about that, because you know, I'm so glad that you share that you're continuously learning and improving. That's something that we do here at Coach Dora. We really do believe in, you know, continuous learning, continuous improvement, and that growth mindset. So I'd love for you to share a little bit more about, I mean, clearly, um, we share that philosophy. So I'd love for you to like a you know, share a little bit more about your travels and how you incorporate that continuous learning into your your leadership.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Absolutely. Uh, and actually, um, update, I'm I'm at 30 countries since the last time we talked. Um so um all right.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

And uh actually I'm I'm gonna be adding 31 to the list um in like two, three weeks. I'm gonna be in Kenya for our official expansion of uh Ignite Funnels. We're expanding internationally. Um but you know, I I have been uh fortunate and fortunate enough to do a lot of things in my life. I've had a lot of odd jobs, um, and I've started many companies that have failed. Um and I did do a several years as a concert producer and festival producer, like you said, uh my biggest event being the uh Hip Hop 101 Music and Arts Festival, where we had headliners uh such as uh Janelle Monet, which at the time she was a very little-known artist, and now she you know huge and doing movies and things. Uh, we were actually her very first uh performance in an actual stadium. It was the largest uh audience she had ever been in uh at that point in her career. And uh we also had Ludacris, which is a Grammy-winning artist, and uh Common, uh, who is a Grammy-winning artist and and you know, award-winning actor. Um, and Carrie Hilson and Mixed Master Minds from the BC Boys and a whole bunch of other artists. And you know, yeah, I've worked with tons of artists since uh when I was in that that space and since um and you know, leadership in those spaces is always interesting because you have to deal with such big egos, um, people who have lots of money, uh, have lots of uh connections, who who are used to getting their way and and negotiating for uh honor, respect, and and people to hold up their end of the bargain is always tough. Um, but a testament to those that can navigate. Um you know, I I think that that leadership is is um is one of those critical things that no matter where you are uh in your professional role, no matter where you are in your life, it's something that everybody needs to take seriously. Whether you're leading yourself, leading your household, uh leading uh at work, leading in your peer group, you know, having great morals, great character, and the ability to stand up for something and know when to sit down for some things is is absolutely critical.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

That's such a great segue to um our next conversational prompt because because uh we often say here leadership is not a job title. Um and it means different things to different people. So I I would love first of all, you know, you you when you said Jan Janelle Monet, I I had it in my head because uh our kids uh or we watch we're we just watch hidden figures. So here is so that was in my head because you know, um she's a sweetheart. Um uh and and we're we're such big fans of not only her music but her acting and her activism. Uh but um that's a great segue to what we always discuss here, and and it's what does community mean to you? Because leadership can be, you know, lonely and isolating. And we'd love to hear what community means to you, and maybe and this is your opportunity to share a bit about maybe some wellness tips, because you know, as we say at the top of our show, it can be lonely at the top, but um, it doesn't have to be. So, what does community mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 11:43

Yeah, you know, community is huge, especially as a leader. Um, you know, you're not meant to lead alone. And um in my time, I've found that systems they scale your impact, but community, it sustains the human. And you know, leadership can be incredibly isolating, especially the higher you rise and the more you accomplish. Um, and especially if you're a mission-driven founder, it can be isolating. Um, you're the visionary, you're the decision maker, um, you know, you're the one people lean on. But what we don't talk about enough is how lonely um that becomes, right? Wearing all these hats and and bearing the weight of all these people. And that's why I say that community is it isn't optional in leadership, it's it's essential. So I, you know, I believe that systems can keep your business uh or your position running, but community keeps your spirit intact. And um, you know, leaders need spaces where they don't have to be strong and they don't have to perform and they don't have to have all the answers, and more importantly, they don't have anybody asking them questions, right? Um, because everyone needs time to decompress and everyone needs time to heal, and healing doesn't happen typically in isolation, and neither does sustainable impact.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

So, what do you do to you know to maintain your wellness? Because I will share that um, you know, I switched to I pivoted my career to becoming an entrepreneur, really solopreneur, um, about like two years ago. And I'm so lucky to have the support of my husband and comes to the show. And um systems, like you said, I know that you're the creator of launch um ignition AI. And um, you know, systems, of course, help us. Like I know I couldn't um do what I do without AI now. I mean, I've just I'm really proud of becoming more AI fluent and really helping people do do the same from wearing my HR and my coach, my career coaching hat, like helping them do that. But I went on a retreat this year to Hawaii and it just changed my whole perspective. Um uh and then, you know, I kept, I realized it's not selfish to take time for myself. And it's not, it's not that I I actually I needed it. I really needed that like reboot. Um, and then I felt selfish because you know, I left my my husband and my kids at home, and the kids were like, how come we can't go to Hawaii? Um so and I was like, I had to get over like self-care is not selfish. I had to do all that, all that stuff. And I realized that wellness is really essential. And we start, I started, I decided to launch a club for other for leaders, no matter where you are in your career trajectory, just to really a space to connect and decompress and share tips and tools. Um, so what do you do to to take care of your wellness and well-being? Because you obviously you're busy, you have so much, you're going all over the world, you're doing so much. What do you do to to take care of yourself?

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Um, travel is a is a big one. Um, you know, I love traveling. It is something that um, you know, you hear everybody wants to take trips and go on vacations and stuff, but um it's one of the rare times where I'm not fully in control of everything. Uh it's one of the times where I don't have the answers to everything. I don't know people everywhere. Um, so it allows me to really kind of detach in and be um childlike in my exploration, uh in you know, experiencing things for the new for the first time like a child. Um and um I don't have to be as as guarded, uh, you know, here in the States, uh, you know, I do podcasts, I'm on the news, and and you know, I know a lot of people, especially in the areas that I live or have lived, so I I have to kind of be a little bit more on guard. And when I'm traveling, uh, I have less of that, you know. I I can just kind of be me.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

I can just um so you're a traveler as opposed to like a tourist, right? So in that and that's kind of how you refresh because you kind of you're out of your um I love that. I love that. Um, I mean I know that I guess that's like like a lot of retirees will go cruising and like they will leave space and explore. So um, so I guess for your wellness, because of your business, which is so high profile, leaving the states and traveling and exploring and kind of um uh being able to blend in and just explore and enjoy different cultures is how you sort of rejuvenate and reflect. If did I get that right?

SPEAKER_01 17:15

And and my fiance, she loves it too because you know, when I'm here, we go places and everywhere we go, people are like, oh hey, uh you know, they want to talk and they're like, Oh, I saw this, and you know, can you help me with that? Uh, we're out of the country, nobody knows who I am, nobody cares. Uh, you know, we sit in peace. So um, yeah, I I definitely rejuvenate, I definitely reflect, I decompress, um, and I get to um re you know build up my energy, you know, for the next round of of work.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

So that's a that's a great segue to our last conversation prompt, which is um what advice would you give the next generation of leaders? Maybe something you may have wanted to know yourself, your you know, tell your younger self.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

That's a good one. Um I would probably say that uh you need to make sure that you are one doing something that that you love, right? Um leading people is tough, many times it's thankless work. Uh so is if you're not doing something that you truly enjoy, have a passion for, and uh can find a way to play in and and enjoy, right? You have to have some element of play in your work, otherwise it just it it drains you, right? It it it it takes pieces of you and eventually there's nothing left. So I think that that's a big thing. Um But you know the leaders who change the world aren't usually the ones that uh burn the brightest, they're usually the ones that last the longest. And that's why I say that it's important that you have some kind of joy and play in what you do, because if you enjoy it and you're playing, well, you can do it for forever.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Um so that's kind of like uh so joy and play. Um, and that's sort of if you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. Um, that's something that I've that I have come to find. And it's part of the reason why I, you know, pivoted to entrepreneurship. Um, I was I I got tired of working so hard for other people. And I and I only I really wanted just to do the things that I love to do, that I was good at, and um sharing my expertise so it didn't drain me as much. I'm not saying you don't work hard and it's not hard work and there isn't stress or fric friction, but at least it's it's for myself. Like I'm it's it's for myself, um, and not making like rich people richer or um, you know, um enriching enriching myself through joy. And you know, it's part of the reason why I love this podcast because I get an opportunity to talk to interesting people like yourself and our audience and listeners get so much insight and inspiration. When I think of the next generation of leader, you know, you mentioned earlier how you were just like an entrepreneur from a young age. It was just like a it was just like a natural thing for you. You just had that sort of get up and go, and you've had businesses fail and rebuild. And so I would love for you to share like about risk taking. I would love your perspective on risk taking because and someone told one of our guests told us how uh being an entrepreneur is really limitless. You're not limited by someone else's like judgment, or that doesn't mean you don't work hard, doesn't mean all the money comes all the time. There's you know, but I I would just love to hear someone who has done it um over again so successfully. I think that our audience and listeners would really love your perspective on risk taking.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Yeah, I mean, every business is a risk. Uh it requires um time, which is the most precious thing on earth. It requires money, uh, it requires your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams, sacrificing a lot of things. So um risk is is a prerequisite to entrepreneurship. There's no way around that. Um, I think the biggest thing is making sure that you are properly prepared. You get really good at asking questions and trying to see around corners. Many times uh entrepreneurs end up losing because they don't ask the right questions. Um, they they don't stop and think um do I know enough about this to get into it, right? Whether that's the business itself or or you know spending money on various things, you need to educate yourself before you decide to to jump into something. And many times in in today's day and age, things move so quickly, a lot of people don't feel they have the time to stop and ask questions. But it's it's absolutely critical for you to be able to manage risk. One of the things that that I believe I do very well is um I am a uh I'm a cynic.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Cynic, a cynic or a critical thinker or a critical thinker.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

Uh they they say there's no difference. Um, you know, I uh people say things to me and I my I don't know what it is, my brain just goes wide, right? I it gets a container and I just kind of see the holes in it. So I start asking questions. And I know that that's not everybody's immediate kind of gut reaction. So, you know, I would say whenever you are faced with a risk, you need to kind of make sure you got a lay of the land before you decide to make any decisions, and that that's what we've focused on. Um, you know, and the other thing about risk is because you know, we I I run a digital marketing agency in a in a tech business. A lot of times when we're talking to entrepreneurs, um, they see uh marketing stuff or they see various opportunities as just an expense.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

I'm sorry, as as a uh I see they don't they don't understand the return on investment, the ROI exactly the ROI. They don't understand that you there's a there's a return on investment right um with uh with it's an investment rather than an expense.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Exactly, because they don't look at the other side of it, right? If somebody can't, I there's I never forget this. I was watching Russell Brunson. I don't know if you if you know who Russell Brunson is. Uh he is a legendary, legendary digital marketer, probably the best digital marketer on the planet. Um and he went on stage and he had a cell phone and he told the crowd, he said, before the end of my talk today, one of you is gonna give me a million dollars for this cell phone. And I was just like, that is a bold claim. You're doing the Babe Ruth thing, you're pointing in the stands, right? And and he said, If I told you that this was a million dollars, how many of you would give it to me right now? No one put up their hands. And then he started going through all the things that were in the phone. He said, Hey, I have over a thousand different books, business books that are in this phone. I have over 2,000 podcast recordings that are in this phone. I also have my entire contact list of all of my clients and all of my investors in this phone, along with a whole bunch of other stuff. Then he asked, Who wants to buy this phone? Right? Tons of hands shot up. I think he ended up selling like three or four of them. He made like four million dollars, right? Off of a cell phone. And that's the thing. If you're looking at it and you say, hey, a cell phone for a million dollars, wouldn't do it in a million years. But if you look at the opportunity cost, right, what you can actually stand to gain from what's inside of it, well, then a million dollars seems like a steal for everything that's in it. And when it comes to risk, you have to look at what you stand to gain, not just what you stand to lose.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

So I really um I I kinda I like that analogy about where you stand to gain rather than where you stand to lose. So if you could boil down sort of your leadership ph philosophy into like one sentence or a phrase, or what what would that be? I'm putting you on the spot now.

SPEAKER_01 26:30

Leadership in one phrase. Um get rich or die trying.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

Get rich or die trying.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

I think it's okay to die on the field, man.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

You know, that's uh that's uh oh, I like that movie too, right? Isn't that isn't that a movie? Yeah, I'd love to leave the microphone open to you to share how people can get in touch with you, can learn more about you, learn more about your business. Um, you have so many things going on. Um, what would you like to leave our audience and viewers with?

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Yeah, I think um in this day and age, most people are trying to figure out how to make more money, keep more money, uh, get more of their time back um while still making you know money or increasing it. And um at one of my companies, Ignite Funnels, that's exactly what we built our software for. We built it to help businesses uh generate more leads and turn those leads into dollars and help them uh manage their businesses easier without having to add more employees in crazy expenses. Um, you know, because what I've learned, and you said it many times, that I I do run several businesses and and I have you know tons of employees and and lots of initiatives. I couldn't do any of those things without systems. You know, building systems is what allows me uh to protect my peace. Um so you know, ignitefunnels.com, if you're in the States, uh we're we're getting ready to launch in Kenya. So if you're in Kenya watching this or you're in in uh on the continent of Africa, you can go to ignitefunnels.ke. Um, and we give away um you know two weeks to a month's worth of of um access to the platform for free. So you can try it before you buy it. Um but yeah, I think that systems are are the critical thing um in community, right? Communities builds um building a community, it reminds you who you are, right? Surround yourself with impactful people uh because you know your impact require doesn't require you to erase who you are, it just requires you to be intentional about who you are and what you want to get accomplished. And you know, keep in mind that you're allowed to grow and still be human while you do it.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

Thank you so much for sharing that. I feel like I could talk to you more forever and ever about all kinds of things. I mean, I think what you're doing with Ignite Funnels is amazing. I know that uh I shared with you I took a trip to Kenya years ago in my college days. Um, and how much I and um just uh when you visit, be careful for the altitude. Um, I was like short of breath, and I was this was years ago when I was much younger and healthier. And I'm like, why am I out of the breath? Like, why am I out of breath walking upstairs? So um just prepare yourself for the the difference in altitude when you visit. And um, I think the work that you're doing is amazing. Um, I we will share those website links in the description of this program, Ignite Funnels. Um thank you so much for being here. Uh, if you can hold on for a moment as we roll our closing credits, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

You've been listening to Building Leadership Community launch on YouTube at Coachdoor and listen wherever you get your content. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube at postdoor and visit me on the web at postdooramendez.com. Hosted by me at all amended. Produced by foramendez.