I once found clarity.fm by accident...

It was back in 2017, and I still remember that day vividly.

I was extremely excited about this new start-up I had an idea for, and started researching everything I could on how to implement it the way I wanted.

sleepless nights turned into more sleepless nights...

...the passion I had for this project consumed my heart, and became a drug I couldn't let go of...

Every waking moment I was devising the best way to go about implementing it, until I realized something I was lacking that I couldn't get ahold of...

And what might that've been?

An entrepreneur that had already implemented something similar!

So where did I turn to next?

YouTube, of course!

I scoured YouTube, putting in keywords that would bring up videos similar to what I wanted to implement.

And you know what?

After countless searching, I finally found someone!

So I did the next most obvious thing: Emailed her asking if she can consult me on how I should go about structuring the idea that I wanted to bring to the market.

And then...the magic happened!

She gave me some obscure booking link to book a time with her, and can you guess what that link was?

Yep, a clarity.fm link!

And that's what started my journey down the delightful clarity rabbit hole.

So...what exactly is clarity.fm?

Haven't looked up their website yet, eh?

Clarity.fm is a website that allows you to connect with an expert who's "been there done that" in your chosen field, so you can get "clarity" on how to bring your start-up to fruition.

They are the same people behind startups.com, and their aim is to make the "start-up" process easier for all.

On their site, they have a 3 step process:

1. Find an expert
2. Request a call
3. Connect directly

Think of them like a Home Advisor or an Angie's List but for start-ups.

You can browse by category, or simply type what you're looking for in the search box as shown below.

Once you've found the industry you're looking for, simply browse through a large list of various professionals. Sort by "popular", "cheapest", "new", and a few others to tailor it exactly how you want.

Once you have it sorted, it's time to look at the reviews.

The great news about the reviews is you are only allowed to leave one after finishing a call with an expert. 

You can't fake the reviews, so you can expect the reviews to be honest and reliable.

Here's a sample of how their reviews look when selecting who to choose:

The review system is a five-star tiered system, and from my experience using it on several occasions, I've never been bribed or incentivized to leave great reviews.

You'll find a lot of the reviews favorable, simply because the experts give great advice.

How should you set up your call for success?

Did you finally find your expert?

If so, the next objective is to make the call as engaging and proactive as possible.

Try and set it up in a way where you can "squeeze as much as you can out of the lemon" before the five second countdown timer hits zero, figuratively speaking of course .

How do you do that?

Fortunately, clarity.fm allows you to send a message to the expert using Clarity's platform before you actually book the call:

This ensures you have the confidence the expert knows how to help you in your situation before choosing to book them.

After you have booked the expert (or even before your book them), you can continue messaging them inside the Clarity messenger chat.

This is where you go into overdrive mode.

• Define the issue you want solved.
• Send a short outline of the questions you will be asking the expert as well as a little bit about yourself.

Let them see it!

This will save wasted time during the call because you are charged for each minute, so you want to get into the meat and potatoes as quickly as possible!

You don't want the expert to ask you questions that he could've already seen on your outline.

• Prepare the short outline of your intro and what you want addressed strategically and methodically.

Here are a couple simple examples of what you can prepare an outline on:

1. If you are meeting with a brand strategy expert, consider sharing what the brand is about before the call, i.e. share a one minute video or write-up summary about the brand.  Do you already have the brand mission and purpose formulated? If so, include those in the outline instead of sharing them during the call. What other relevant info do you have to share about the brand? Include that as well!
2. Are you looking at starting a film production company alongside your agency or other brand? Explain in the outline why you are looking to start a film production company, and the questions you might have about it, instead of wasting time on the call saying it.      
3. Looking at getting into crowdfunding for an idea you have? What about crowdfunding interests you? How much are you hoping to get in funds? Why crowdfunding over other options? What's your business plan for crowdfunding? You might think these are good questions to bring up during the call, but they are better to put in the outline. It gives the expert time to contemplate a response and makes your discussions that much deeper!

See how simple that is?

As you strategically prepare your outline, you'll make the most out of the phone call, and won't be wasting precious time on stuff that could've been explained in the outline.

The phone call

Now you've made it to the best part...the phone call!

Let's understand the rate charges for phone calls:

1. You are charged per minute, but pay a minimum of 15 minutes up front. Example: You decide to consult with Fabian for brand strategy. He charges $7.50/minute, but you pay for the first 15 minutes up front ($112.50), since that is the minimum length you can request a call. 
2. Once the call starts, if the call is under under 15 minutes, you will be refunded the remaining balance. If it goes over 15 minutes, then at that point, you'll be charged an additional $7.50 every minute over 15 minutes. Makes sense? Here's a visual:

3. Same rules apply for 30 and 60 minute calls. If the call is under 30 minutes, you're refunded whatever remaining minutes you don't use. If it's over the time you chose, you're charged however many extra minutes you went over per minute, etc. etc. 

4. A safe rule of thumb is to always start at 15 minutes, since you don't get any extra discount purchasing a larger package time. In the end, the price will be the same. So if you aren't sure how long you'll be, start small!

When making the phone call, you're using Clarity's conference line platform to make the call.

Don't worry about being charged any more than what the expert has distinguished as their rate per minute, EVEN if you are international.

Why?

They provide toll-free numbers for the USA, Canada, and the UK. For some countries, they have local numbers so you aren't charged internationally. These countries with local numbers include:

• Australia
• Czech Republic
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Spain
• Poland
• Israel
• Belgium
• France

If your place of dwelling wasn't listed anywhere on here, FEAR NOT!

You can just call their 1-877 number using a VOIP or free platform such as VIBER or SKYPE. There is always a way around having to pay extra for the call.

And their support is great from my experience.

You can email [email protected] for any inquiries.

Can I Book A Team Call?

I get it!

A lot of you have teams and partnerships, so this is an important question.

Yes! You can book team calls.

The way it works is once you book the call, a conference line phone number and access code will be sent to you via email. Clarity allows you to share that conference line and access code with up to 8 other people.

So everyone can use the same number and code to connect with the expert on whatever the agreed upon date is.

Ever been on a conference call before whether at work or for a business meeting? 

It works exactly the same way.

Unfortunately, as of this writing, 8 (9 including you) is the maximum amount of people that can attend the call with you, so pick your team members wisely!

Oh and remember...

Last time I checked, Clarity.fm doesn't allow you to record the calls, they don't have that feature available. So if you have a team joining the call, the best method may be to have someone take notes if you want the call recorded.

If it's just you on the call, consider using an app in the background to record the call like I do.

If you choose this method, then obviously seek the expert's permission before doing so. You'll also need to check the laws in which you live regarding recording calls.

But as long as the expert agrees, then you are good to go!

Just one thing to keep in mind when booking with a team:

• The conference line you receive will be a US 800 number, so there can be fees for international participants. Be sure to clarify with [email protected] if you have questions regarding this

And of course, the no-brainers are:

1. Mute yourself as you would on Skype if you're not participating in the discussion
2. The person with the best connection should be hosting the call. You wouldn't want the transcription messed up cuz someone didn't have good connection

But those are obvious, no-brainers, right???

Does Clarity.fm deliver on exceptional advice?