When guests arrived at ROI: The Millionaire Summit, they saw a gleaming convention center, ocean views, and a luxurious VIP lounge. They enjoyed a seamless experience—from the opening reception to the closing dance party. They saw diverse speakers onstage with professional lighting and mics, dropping gems of million dollar wisdom.
What they didn’t see …
… is the work that happened behind the scenes to make this event possible.
I have great respect for entrepreneurs who spill the tea on how they achieve enormous goals. How they really pulled it off. The effort, the faith, the experiments that worked, and the ones that did not.
Today, I’m spilling the tea for you.
This is the honest story of how we produced ROI.
The roadblocks. The shocking twists. The sleepless nights when I wondered, “What have I gotten us into?” And, what it took to make this event a smash-hit success.
Enjoy this behind the scenes info…
The Hurricane
Shortly after we decided to do ROI in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the island was ravaged by a hurricane. We watched, heartbroken and angered, as government leaders failed to provide adequate support. We took action and dedicated a portion of ROI revenue to relief efforts.
Then, we faced a difficult question: “How can we inspire people to buy tickets for an event in Puerto Rico … right after there’s been a natural disaster?”
It’s not easy to convince people to leave their cozy homes and get on a plane. It’s even harder when people feel nervous to travel. This was the first challenge we faced with ROI.
How we solved this challenge:
We reminded our community about the greater mission behind ROI.
We told people, “By coming to ROI, you’re not only buying a ticket for a life-changing event. You’re also showing up for the people of Puerto Rico and providing support at a time when it’s needed most. We can’t rely on the government to step up. We have to step up for each other. And, we have to build a world where historically excluded people have more wealth and power. That is what ROI is all about.”
The Economy
Right when we began selling tickets for ROI, the news was filled with doom and gloom about the economy. “Imminent recession!” “Stop spending!” “Now is the time to trim your budget!”
With this fearful atmosphere in the news, we knew that many in our community would feel reluctant to purchase a ticket that costs around $2k.
How we solved this challenge:
We spread a message of empowerment rather than fear, and told people, “You can make great money no matter what’s happening in the economy. We can teach you how to do it.”
We showed people that purchasing a ticket for ROI is not a frivolous expense, but a smart investment: “At ROI, you learn from business experts, get tons of new money-making ideas, network, and meet new friends and clients.”
The Speakers
We wanted to book world-class speakers for ROI. Diverse entrepreneurs who run multi-million dollar empires. Olympic athletes. Top authors. You know what? Those kinds of people are very in-demand, very busy, and difficult to pin down.
How we solved this challenge:
Pure tenacity!
We had to reach out, follow up, circle back, and exert tremendous effort to get speakers confirmed and contracts signed.
The Cost
We planned to spend $1 million to produce ROI. In the end, the event ended up costing closer to $2 million. When you’re producing an event for 1,000 attendees, things have a way of ballooning beyond what you initially predicted!
How we solved this challenge:
We scrutinized the event budget closely and made difficult decisions as a team. What event expenses do we absolutely want to keep, and which could be cut, and why?
We also had to double-down on our belief and faith. We had to remind ourselves … This event is worth doing. This experience will change lives. This investment will pay off and help our company grow. How can we be sure? Because we will take whatever action is necessary to ensure that it does.
The Final Sprint
ROI began on January 23, 2023. On January 3, we still had a LOT of work to do. It felt dizzying.
How we solved this challenge:
From January 3 to 23, we did a 20 day sprint.
This means, for 20 days in a row, every Hello Seven team member was 100% focused on ROI, only ROI, and nothing but ROI.
Marketing focused on selling the remaining tickets. Operations double-checked every detail and made sure that ticket-holders were successfully downloading the ROI event app. Coaches met with ticket-holders in a Facebook group to get people pumped and ready for the event.
All other business priorities were temporarily put aside for 20 days. We brought our undivided attention to ROI. We knew, “We need to go ALL IN to make this event a success.”
The Outcome
In the end, the effort paid off. ROI was beyond our wildest expectations. It was a HIT!
People told us:
“Thank you Rachel Rodgers for creating a safe place. Thank you everyone else for your support, kindness, brilliance and love. I am so thankful for countless Shmillies. Brainstorming, running numbers, dancing, laughing, sharing life stories, and creating memories this week has brought me so much joy.” – Katie Hall
“I left Puerto Rico grateful for this experience, full, inspired, energized by all the things. I truly felt like I was owed nothing and then I boarded my connecting flight home and had the honor and privilege to sit next to a fellow Shmilie and beautiful woman Allison that inspired me more by coaching me the entire plane ride. She called me on my sh!t but in the most loving way.
Thankful for the visionary, Rachel and the entire Hello Seven team. Both during this event and after relationships have been developed. I will forever be grateful.
I feel seen. I am AFFIRMed.” – Shavon Peterson
“Rachel, thank you for investing in us by providing a lavish conference. You didn’t cut any corners and for that we’re all grateful. May you receive all you’ve given us…pressed down and overflowing!! Praying avalanches of prosperity over your life and those connected to you. See you in 2024!” – Erica Nicholson
The Take-Away
When you set an ambitious goal—whether it’s producing an event for 1,000 guests, writing a bestselling book, or making a million dollars—you can’t just wing it and hope for the best.
You need a plan. You need a schedule. You need a team. You need friends that you can text when you’re having a meltdown. You need to continually remind yourself WHY you are doing this. Why achieving this goal will change your life and many others.
Most of all, you must face every roadblock with creativity. When a setback arises, rather than panicking, you need to immediately shift your thinking. Say to yourself and your team, “This block can be cleared.” “Let’s brainstorm solutions.” “How can we turn this setback into a win?” “What’s the next move?”
As a company, ROI was the hardest business project we’ve ever done—and also the best. Weeks later, we’re still glowing. Still getting emails from people sharing how ROI changed their lives.
Don’t set a goal that is too small for you.
Choose a goal that is worthy of pursuit.
xo,
Rachel Rodgers and The Hello Seven Team
PS. Are we doing ROI again in 2024? YES WE ARE! ROI 2024 will be even more luxe, epic, and transformational than 2023. Claim your ticket before it’s sold out.
