Build a Referral System That Works for You

When you started your business, you probably weren’t dreaming about cold calls, sales funnels, or scrambling for leads. You were dreaming about impact. Freedom. Being in charge of your time and using your gifts in a way that mattered.

But somewhere along the way, it got noisy.

The pressure to be everywhere. The hustle. The burnout.

That’s why this conversation with Tiffanie Kellog felt like such a breath of fresh air. Tiffanie is a speaker, author, and referral expert who doesn’t just talk about building a business. She lives a life full of purpose, joy, and meaning and helps others do the same.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re working way too hard for the results you’re getting, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

Why Networking Isn’t Getting You Referrals

Here’s the truth most people miss: networking and referral marketing are not the same thing.

Tiffanie explained it in the clearest way I’ve ever heard. Networking is where you go to meet people. It’s the introduction. Referral marketing, or as she likes to call it, relationship marketing, is what happens after that first handshake or DM or coffee chat.

It is about building trust. It is about showing up for the right people consistently. And it is about doing it with intention, not exhaustion.

You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be present where it counts.

You Don’t Need Hundreds of Leads

This one might surprise you.

Most entrepreneurs are focused on building massive networks. Tiffanie flips that idea. She says you don’t need hundreds of people sending you referrals. You need four. Maybe six. At most, eight.

That’s it.

Think about that. Imagine having just a few deeply aligned relationships with people who serve the same audience you do. People who love what you offer. People who gladly introduce you because they trust you and believe in your work.

It’s not only doable. It’s sustainable. And it’s powerful.

These core referral partners become the heartbeat of your business growth.

How Loss Taught Tiffanie What Really Matters

Tiffanie’s story is a big part of why this conversation hit me so deeply.

Back in 2003, her life changed in an instant. She lost her job. And her mom, who had been battling cancer, was given a terminal diagnosis.

In that moment, Tiffanie chose to step off the treadmill of chasing success. She took the severance package, moved home, and spent those precious final months with her mom. Not working. Just being together.

That time changed her. It reminded her what matters most.

She started her business with a desire for freedom. At first, that meant cold calling. Seven days a week. Sunup to sundown. It worked, but it was draining.

Then came the shift. One day she walked into a networking event and realized that building real connections could grow her business without burning her out. She never looked back.

The Missing Piece Most Entrepreneurs Ignore

So many of us say we want time freedom. But when we look at our calendars, it tells a different story.

We fill our days with busy work. We say yes to things that don’t align. We put off joy for someday when things are less chaotic. But that someday keeps moving further and further away.

Tiffanie has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs who are chasing their goals but feeling more tired than fulfilled. That’s why she created her upcoming book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to More Free Time, to help us find that time now, not later.

She shares practical ways to get back your hours and use them with more intention. Not so you can work harder, but so you can live better.

Even if it’s just a few extra minutes to hug your kids, call a friend, or take a breath. That time is priceless.

Let Go of Balance. Choose Harmony.

One of my favorite takeaways from this episode is the idea that balance is kind of a myth.

Trying to give equal weight to everything all the time is exhausting. Instead, Tiffanie invites us to think about harmony.

Some days your work will need more of you. Other days, your family or your creativity or your rest will take the lead. That’s not imbalance. That’s life. That’s living with awareness.

The goal isn’t to juggle perfectly. The goal is to feel proud of how you’re spending your days. To look around and say, “This is what I chose. This is what lights me up.”

You Don’t Need to Hustle Harder

If there’s one thing I hope you walk away with, it’s this: more results do not require more hustle.

You do not need to be louder. Or everywhere. Or burned out to earn your success.

You need clarity. You need the right relationships. And you need to give yourself permission to slow down long enough to be intentional.

Tiffanie’s approach is proof that when you build your business through service, connection, and love, the kind of love that prioritizes joy, freedom, and showing up fully, it all gets to work better.

Not just for your business. But for your life.

Chapters List

00:00 Introduction to Tiffany Kellogg

02:19 The Significance of Socks in Branding

03:13 Tiffany's Journey to Entrepreneurship

06:18 The Power of Networking and Referrals

11:48 Introverts and Networking Strategies

13:41 The Entrepreneur's Guide to More Free Time

17:27 Connecting with Tiffany Kellogg

Full Transcript

Tiffanie Kellog (00:00)

I'm an introvert and I network. I don't love it but I do it because it works. Introvertism?

not an excuse not to network y'all.

Amanda Kaufman (00:26)

Well, hey, hey, welcome back to the Amanda Kaufman show. And today I am going to be sharing a amazing spirit with you. Tiffany Kellogg caught my eye when I was at a live event, and this lady knows how to project her brand in a really magnetic way. Tiffany Kellogg is the socket to him, success strategist, and she's been electrifying the entrepreneurial world since 2003.

She's known as the speaker in socks with her signature colorful themed socks on stage and with her passion for empowering others, which I have already experienced firsthand. Tiffany delivers high energy presentations that inspire audiences to make money, save time, and of course have fun. As an accomplished author of several books, including the highly anticipated The Entrepreneur's Guide to More Free Time. Yes, please.

set to hit shelves in 2025, very shortly after the release of this very show. Tiffany shares actionable insights to help entrepreneurs master referrals and networking, and to achieve remarkable success in their business, reclaim their time to truly enjoy life. And her vibrant style paired with her gift for turning ideas into e-Tiffanies, which are epiphanies inspired by Tiffany, she keeps audiences engaged and eager to take action.

Tiffany's journey has taken her across the globe in the internet, working with thousands of entrepreneurs through keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and exclusive programs. And her unique ability to mix strategy with fun ensures that every interaction leaves her clients with the tools and motivations to create real results while enjoying the process. My mission is simple, Tiffany shares, to help people achieve their dreams, make more money in less time, and have an amazing time doing it.

Tiffany, welcome to the show.

Tiffanie Kellog (02:19)

Thank you so much for having me today, Amanda.

Amanda Kaufman (02:21)

I'm so glad that you're here. Okay, I just must ask, what's with the socks? Tell me about that.

Tiffanie Kellog (02:28)

So when you see me on stage, am in, like this is one of my speaking dresses. I'm wearing my normal speaking outfit, so I look like everybody else. However, I'm usually wearing like knee high, bright, colorful socks and a coordinating pair of chucks or converse, which are the same thing, just called differently. And so it really makes me stand out.

in a crowd. I mean, I'm the only one to my knowledge that is on stage rocking the socks. That's a lady that you can see them. Yeah, I don't know of anybody else doing it. And so it's A, way more comfortable wearing the low converse than wearing the heels and B, it's memorable. People don't have to see my face to know who I am. They could see me across the room. They see the socks. Tiffany's here.

Amanda Kaufman (03:13)

So good. So good. And I mean, you are clearly very passionate about helping people to succeed in their business and to use their time really, really effectively. I've gotten to experience that firsthand as we've developed our relationship. Genuinely, though, like, why? What's driving your obsession with helping people to not only make more money and have more time, but why the fun? Why is that so important?

Tiffanie Kellog (03:36)

Thank

Well, it's interesting. I had no intention in my life when I was younger that I was gonna be an entrepreneur, that I was gonna be a professional speaker or any of that. I actually was going to school to be a genetic researcher. I wanted to do genetic engineering. Like that was where I wanted to go. And after I figured out what all that would entail, I'm like, nah, business major, yay. So I got my business degree in marketing and then I went out there and got that first J-O-B that had, you the salaries and all the fun things. And then in March of 2003,

things happen that dramatically impacted me being here. That job that I had, the board of directors got together, did some restructuring, and guess what was no longer part of the organization? Me.

And I was very nicely offered a severance package or demotion. The other thing that happened that month is my mom, who had been battling breast cancer for the previous 17 months, she was given a terminal diagnosis and maybe a couple weeks left to live. And so, like, it so worked out because I took the severance package and it gave me the opportunity to be able to spend each and every single day with my mom. Sometimes I would just crawl into the bed with her. She was at hospice at home and we'd watch TV. Occasionally she'd feel good enough to get out and I

was really able to spend that time with her and it wasn't a few weeks, it was actually a few months. She hung on, we had a huge celebration for her 47th birthday, which is kind of freaking me out this year because I'm 46, so I'm getting ready to next year be older than my mom ever was. It's such a weird mind thing. But so she hung on, we got to spend so much amazing time together and then I got out after I lost her and it's like, what am I going to do with my life? I've lost my mom, my best friend. I had lost my job, my career.

Amanda Kaufman (05:06)

oof

Tiffanie Kellog (05:18)

But I kind of put that on hold and like, what am I going to do now?

So there was a friend of the family, Jackie, and she would come over and visit like 10 on a Monday morning or three on a Thursday afternoon when everybody else was coming over in the evenings and the weekends because they had that J-O-B. And I'm like, and she's like, own my own business. So I'm like, I want to be a business owner. So I picked up, moved to Florida because why not, and started a business at 24. And what I found is just because you have a business doesn't mean you have any business. I had zero business and I had to spend the next two years cold calling.

Amanda Kaufman (05:50)

Woof.

Tiffanie Kellog (05:50)

And I don't

like it, I'm good at it, but I don't like it. And I got invited to a networking group. It was my very first time and I walked in and I'm like, the clouds parted. There was a room full of people to help me grow my business. And I'm like, this is brilliant. Cause I was working seven days a week. Get up, work, have breakfast, work, lunch, work. Like never ending. I go to sleep, dream about work and wake up the next day exhausted. Cause I dreamed all, you know, I worked all night and

When I found networking, was like, my gosh, there's people to pass me referrals. I don't have to do cold calling. This isn't like just sucking my whole life out. And finally, I was able to create that harmony that I looked for when I started my business because I didn't go into business to work all the time. And I see entrepreneurs do that so often. But we don't know what's going to happen. For me, I got a few extra months with my mom and that was brilliant. We all saw that the world can change pretty quickly back in 2020.

let me do this when I'm older, let me do this when I'm retired. We don't know what's gonna happen. And so how do we create that harmony in our life of the work and the play so that we can enjoy every day?

Amanda Kaufman (06:58)

absolutely beautiful and thank you so much for sharing your backstory. You you are, you went from being like a cold calling expert to a referral marketing expert. Well, you were good at it.

Tiffanie Kellog (07:09)

Well, I was good at cold cooking. I don't know that I'd call it an expert, but I was good at it. Or was young

and dumb enough to just keep doing it.

Amanda Kaufman (07:17)

Hey, that's why I did my first business as well. I'm like, poem book, you know, let's go starting with a. Yeah, yeah, so younger listeners, there used to be this book, it was full of phone numbers, fabulous. I don't mind dating myself, it's fine. So so I'd love to.

Tiffanie Kellog (07:22)

Yes, it's literally the phone book.

That's I was just thinking.

When I started my business, was no social

media. Everybody's like, go talk about it on social media. There was no social media. I was going to the library to check out books to learn how to do this business thing. Old.

Amanda Kaufman (07:44)

Totally, totally, and what a gift

it is. mean, as an expert on referral marketing, what do you see as an opportunity most business owners have that you encounter that, you know, maybe they're doing the referral thing a bit, but there's an opportunity?

Tiffanie Kellog (08:01)

So what I find is most entrepreneurs combine and think that networking and referral marketing are the same thing. And they're two different things. Okay.

Amanda Kaufman (08:09)

Ooh, say more about that. How are they different?

Tiffanie Kellog (08:12)

So when I think of referral marketing, which I truly believe needs to be renamed relationship marketing, because you're not gonna get the referrals without the relationship. So to me, relationship marketing is the things that we do after we've met you. Networking is where I go for a lot of different things, but where I go to potentially meet those potential referral partners.

Amanda Kaufman (08:22)

Hmm.

Tiffanie Kellog (08:35)

Networking is not let me go and sell my stuff because nobody like it's always funny You know when I talk to people when you go to networking events, how many of you go to buy? No hands raised how many of you go to sell and everybody's like yeah I want to sell and I'm like there's some incongruency here. So we got to straighten that out so for me one of my favorite reasons to go networking is to meet those potential referral partners and I wanted to share that but that is not what most excites me about answering this question

Here's where I think entrepreneurs make this harder than it has to be. Most entrepreneurs think, who are the hundreds or thousands of people out there that could be passing me referrals? And I'm like, who are the right four, six, or eight that can pass you referrals all day, every day? That's all you need for most of us.

Amanda Kaufman (09:18)

Mm-hmm. So when you're looking for one of those people, you know, and you're focusing in and I love that because I'm a big believer in the Pareto principle, you know, like if you if you can you can focus on the things that really do move the dial, you're going to get way outsized results as opposed to getting all your energy diffused by focusing on what doesn't matter or doesn't make a big order of magnitude impact. So.

Talk to me about how do you identify who your core four, six, or eight referral partners might be? How do you know that that might be a relationship that you want to pursue?

Tiffanie Kellog (09:54)

Okay, so there are a number of factors, but let me give you the most important ones. Number one, we have to be the right people in the right professions. Because here's the thing, it's not as much about what you do, but it's about who you serve. And to me, the number one thing, I have to find people that are in a non-competing industry with the same target market.

And so a lot of times people will say, Tiffany, what's the best referral source for insert profession here? And it's really not about that. It's about that ideal client. And so for me, it doesn't matter, if I love you to death, Amanda, and you and I have a very different clientele, we're not gonna make the best referral partners. Doesn't mean we can't refer, but there's not as much opportunity. Whereas if you and I serve the same clientele, and we're not competing, then almost all of my clients can become your clients and vice versa.

And so to me, the number one thing is, are we in those non-competing industries with the same target market? If you're not that, it doesn't mean that you can't have amazing referral sources that don't check that box, but they're not gonna be in your top four, six, or eight. And I'm saying your top four, six, or eight, and that's kinda like your starting lineup. So if I can give your listeners a little...

Amanda Kaufman (11:06)

That's so interesting.

Tiffanie Kellog (11:13)

to do or will do, I highly encourage people to make a list of the names, not professions, not industries, not companies, the names of their top 12 referral sources. That's going to be where, that's kind of our full team that we want to pick our top four, six, or eight through.

Amanda Kaufman (11:30)

I love that. you know, dear listener, if you are just like starting out, this is reminding me of when I very first started my business, I was not good at friendly yet. And it's not because I was a jerk. It was just that I had a lot of conditioning around being an introvert and you know, being a little captain laptop and you know, I still kind of am a little bit, but I did learn some social skills. So that's good news. But.

Tiffanie Kellog (11:48)

I'm in.

So can we talk about

being an introvert and networking?

Amanda Kaufman (11:58)

One million percent. And what I was going to say is if you're very, very first starting out, you might not have a list of the referral partners yet, but you for sure have champions and you have people that do like you start with just talking to them. So back over to you. Let's talk about introvertism and networking.

Tiffanie Kellog (12:15)

I'm an introvert and I network. I don't love it but I do it because it works. Introvertism?

not an excuse not to network y'all.

I actually find introverts can be better at networking because it's a it's not a fun game. No, it's not fun insofar as we're just getting to connect. You just have to have an intention. In my first book, Four and a Half Networking Mistakes, these are the things that the experts tell you to do that you shouldn't do. I talk a little bit about the fact of you could have a tag team networking partner. So you go with somebody, you spend the entire time with them. You don't talk about yourself, they do.

Versa and so you're networking together the whole time So I usually like to grab an extrovert to be my partner So then I make them introduced to all the strangers because I don't want to go talk to strangers But they do and I'll keep us focused and on task and getting down what we need to get done

Amanda Kaufman (13:05)

I love that. was actually, was like, it's like you're using an extrovert as a human shield, you know, and it's just like.

Tiffanie Kellog (13:10)

Yeah,

I am totally like, you use your energy, I'm gonna let you do it. Like, yeah, maybe not a shield, but it's a good power partnership. Yeah, we're working on each other's strengths. And what I find and I love about tag team networking is almost everybody prefers to promote other people more than talk about themselves.

Amanda Kaufman (13:18)

Yeah, that's so good.

Mmm, that's super new.

Tiffanie Kellog (13:30)

The narcissists want to talk

about themselves, but for the majority of people, they would much rather promote an amazing person like, let me tell you about Amanda versus let me tell you about me.

Amanda Kaufman (13:41)

My God, I mean, you've got the whole like idea behind my show, right? It's like it's the Amanda Kaufman show. But, you know, I do have solo episodes and majority of them are actually promoting other people and having the conversation with other people. So you're so right about that. Amen. So good. So talk to us about this new book. Like you're you're going to. So first of all, congratulations on another book like that is really, really, really exciting.

So what's inspired you with this new book and what can we look forward to when it's released?

Tiffanie Kellog (14:14)

So I'm gonna take us back a little bit further if that's okay.

I've been training on referral and networking marketing for two plus decades. However, a common complaint that I heard from my clients was how do I find the time to go to the networking events? If I'm doing relationship marketing, it takes time because you have to pour into a relationship. Where do we find the time? So was 2017, I finally took all my tips out of my brain and created a 13 week program. It used to be called 13 months a year because you get 13 extra hours a week times

52 weeks is like 676 which is 28 days so it's a February. But that's a very long explanation and crazy. So to simplify we have turned it into the Entrepreneurs Guide to More Free Time. And so I've taken all of the content I've you know worked in fine tune over the past eight years and then put it pen to paper or typing but pen to paper time sounds better. Pen to paper and got it done and so this book is meant to be a guide for entrepreneurs

Amanda Kaufman (15:11)

It really does.

Tiffanie Kellog (15:18)

Not in so far as you have to go step by step to get there But here are the adventures that you can go on here's all the different ways that you can save time Because for me as I mentioned earlier, you know, I shared here's why I do what I do We don't know what time we have with people and I want to make sure that I'm making the most of it And so my hope is can I free up more time for the entrepreneurs out there? even if it's just a few minutes to spend with your your your kids or your partner or your

your parents or your spouse or your fur babies if you're like me, whatever it may be, like we wanna enjoy life and I don't believe that balance is...

long-term feasible. Sometimes I'll make people stand and balance. The average adult can only balance for about 45 seconds. And why are we trying to create a life of balance if it's hard? And so for me, it's about creating the harmony of loving what I do, loving what I do for fun as well, weaving them together and just living a life where it's not like,

What do I have to do at work today? It's like, I can't wait. I'm super excited. I get to talk to Amanda today. You know, I get to do these fun things and just really loving and enjoying life.

Amanda Kaufman (16:32)

I don't know an entrepreneur that didn't get into it because, know, double negative-ing all over the place. every entrepreneur that I know did so for freedom reasons. It was like freedom for how to contribute or freedom to create or freedom of time or freedom of money or all of the above, freedom of location. There's a lot of reasons why people choose this.

And, you know, I really do share your mortality motivation of like, we don't know. We don't know. And, you know, we all have our reasons for not knowing. But I think, you know, that that whole autopilot thing, you know, living the same year over and over and over again. And, you know, maybe someday I'll do something that I actually like, or maybe someday I'll finally, you know, take on that project that's going to unlock that financial freedom.

And that maybe someday thinking, think, it really gets people into trouble, doesn't it?

Tiffanie Kellog (17:27)

It does because then the someday doesn't come or other things come up or whatnot and it's like well I always wanted to and Like I get you can't you got to pay the bills. You got to pay the mortgage You got to put the food on the table. You have to be responsible for the future But how can we make the most of it each and every day?

Amanda Kaufman (17:45)

So beautiful. Tiffany, what's the best way for people to connect with you and find out what's next?

Tiffanie Kellog (17:50)

So because I'm of that age of the first generation of social media, I am easy to find because my name is spelled a little funky. So Tiffany, T-I-F-F-A-N-I-E, Kellogg, K-E-L-L-O-G. I've got the website, TiffanyKellogg.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, no, not even Twitter. I mean, no, not Twitter. Instagram, YouTube, it's all Tiffany Kellogg. Makes it easy to find. And you can find me on Amazon as well. I think I'm still the only one there too.

Amanda Kaufman (18:17)

I it, I love it. And by the way, dear listener, we've got the show notes with all of Tiffany's links so that it's really easy for you to follow her and find out what's next. Tiffany, thank you so much for being on the show.

Tiffanie Kellog (18:31)

Thank you so very much. And I know it was like such a great timing since the book is out and free this week to be able to be here and share that. So I so appreciate you let me share that and share some thoughts on referral and relationship marketing.

Amanda Kaufman (18:45)

I love it, so useful. And in fact, before you go to your listener, smash that subscribe button so you don't miss another episode. And also, I am certain there's someone in your network, maybe two or three someone's in your network, who would really love to hear some of the things that Tiffany shared on today's show. So go ahead and grab the link to the episode, however you happen to be listening or watching, and send it over on text, on mail, on carrier pigeon, but be sure to share it with your friends so that they get the benefit of this conversation.

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So thank you so, so much for doing this and being here with us. And until the next episode, be sure to do what matters.