Resonance – Episode 53
Verbatim Transcript
Speaker: Viktoria Levenberg
This is one of the best investments I’ve made in my entire life. Before Business by Design, I was
really busy. I was doing a lot, but I was going nowhere, if I’m completely honest with myself. I had
no idea what I was doing, you know. Making these kind of big leaps in life is really scary, and
there is no way that I could have done this without my business coach. Enter Mr James Wedmore
and Business by Design.
If you’ve ever wanted to start your own business, or maybe you’re already running one, but you
know you could get where you’re going faster and more efficiently, listen up. In today’s episode,
I’m gonna give you an exclusive sneak peek behind the curtain at how I built my business from
scratch and the pivotal role that my business coach, James Wedmore, and his program, Business
by Design, played in this process. You’re in for such a goody. Enjoy the episode.
Welcome to Resonance, the podcast for high performers and entrepreneurs who want to do life,
work, and success differently. I am your host, Viktoria Levenberg, and I’m obsessed with
efficiency, productivity, and planning in a way that harnesses your energy and your natural
rhythms while keeping you in alignment and integrity. Because I have figured out that lasting
success is not about the hustle. It is about being in Resonance. Let’s begin.
Alright, you are gonna love this episode, especially if you’re someone who’s, like, been
contemplating entrepreneurship, or maybe you are already in the digital space. Maybe you’re
doing coaching or courses, programs, you know, memberships, all the things. And so, I’m really
excited to bring this information to you because I literally, at the time of airing of this episode,
just closed doors to Efficiency Made Easy again, which is my signature group coaching program,
um, that I have now launched for the second time. It is my official third launch overall. You know,
as, um, if you’re new here, basically the TLDR is I pivoted niches, um, mostly because I’m still
serving the same people. I just realised I can serve them more effectively, and there is no way
that I could have done this without my business coach. Um, now his name is James Wedmore. I
love him to bits. He’s amazing, and he just wrapped up his free three-part live experience, which
is amazing. If you missed it, I think the replays are up for a couple more days, so I wouldn’t sleep
on it. And he’s opening doors to Business by Design this week. He only opens doors once a year,
and it is basically the Lego instruction manual that you need to run a digital business, course,
membership, program, coaching, etcetera. Honestly, this is one of the best investments I’ve made
in my entire life. It is right up there with Relaxed Money, which I’ve spoken about on this podcast
before.
So by the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how I started my business, how my growth
accelerated since I joined BBD, so that you can experience the freedom, peace, and satisfaction
in your life that you desire when you also chase your dreams, pursue your passions, follow your
calling to be of service, and bring your gifts to the world. So let’s begin.
Alright, so the background to kind of me and entrepreneurship is that I actually grew up in a
family of entrepreneurs. Like, my father started his business the same year I was born. Um, my
mother was also, you know, always in consulting and doing different projects here and there. And
I think it was probably, like, my rebellious side that wanted to go out into the corporate world,
um, and kind of prove to them that I could do it differently and better and be in the same
executive position as they were, but, like, in much bigger companies. I don’t know. It was some
weird subconscious, unconscious stuff going on. Um, and you know, if you haven’t listened to an
episode that I published a couple weeks ago or my OG story, the long story short is, like, I had a
massive life awakening. A lot of illnesses and things happened that kind of help push me back on
track, um, and realized that entrepreneurship has always been in me, and it’s always been kind of
a passion that I wanted to pursue. Like, I always knew that one day I would run my own business.
It’s just that that one day was, like, projected into my retirement ages, which is really cute. It’s
like, hey, actually, carpe diem. Just seize the day.
And, you know, another thing about me that, again, if you’re new here and you haven’t been kind
of around from the OG days, is that I am so incredibly passionate about health and wellness, and
so much so that, like, I made it my life mission to study and become an expert in all the things,
you know, including going back to university. And originally I was on a path for a Master’s of
Science, and there was even a moment where I was considering going down the PhD route,
cause Doctor Vik would sound really cool, um, but I realised that that part was actually it. It
played a really important role, and I’ll speak to that in just a moment, um, but it was my excuse to
pivot out of the corporate world, um, because, you know, making these kind of big leaps in life is
really scary.
And I had it drilled into my brain that I was Corporate Vik. I was on a fast-track corporate career
to be one of the biggest leaders, get there as fast as I can, be the most amazing manager, be the
most amazing mentor, and I didn’t realise that I was, you know, living someone else’s life. I was
going completely against my passion, my purpose, for the wrong reasons.
And when I realised that, it was really scary because my entire identity was wrapped up in work.
Like, I was the ultimate high achiever, go-getter, and I had no life outside of work. Like, that’s the
honest story. And I, again, I won’t dive too deep into that cause I did just publish an episode on
this a few weeks ago. But being a high achiever, going back to university was a really safe kind
of—not exit strategy—but it was a really safe pivot. And even though I started my business
around that same time, like honestly, I was dabbling, um, and it all played a role.
So that was kind of the before BBD. Um, so before I joined Business by Design, I had already
started my business. Um, and bless me. Like, with all my experience in project management and
planning and growing up with entrepreneurs and having a business management degree, I kind
of knew what to do. I was able to write up a business plan and kind of get going, but if I’m
completely honest with myself, I had no idea what I was doing, especially when it comes to, like,
digital products and this online space because the digital world is so different to, like, a brick-and-
mortar business. And that’s the part I think that I was really missing. I just, I had no idea what I
was getting myself into, um, and so, you know, it took a couple years. I was testing and learning
some things and figuring things out myself, getting stuck, getting overwhelmed, all the things that
you do, um, you know.
Like, one of the biggest mistakes I made was—huh—I didn’t even write this one down for my
notes to share with you, but it was, um, setting up a stall at a festival, like, two months into
business to provide services that are so not suitable for, like, a festival environment. And I did it
all on my own with, like, oh my God, I had this, like, tiny little gazebo, and it was windy and rainy,
and the gazebo went everywhere. And then all of a sudden I was, like, at the last minute buying a
high-quality gazebo, driving there, driving back, setting up the tent, doing it all myself, lugging all
the stuff there and back, and, like, it was so cute. I was so focused on the wrong things, but
anyways, it played a role.
So that was one of the big mistakes I made, is, like, trying to promote a digital business service in
a festival environment. That had to—2 and 2 had absolutely nothing to do with each other.
And then another example is, like, I spent 3 months building a lead magnet, haha. Um, and so for
those of you that are in the industry, a lead magnet is basically, like, a freebie that you give away,
um, right, to nurture your audience. So, um, I actually still have it, and I recently improved it and
made it so much better. It’s called Living Presence, which is Eight Days to Mindfulness, and that’s
kind of the niche I was in at the time. Um, I’ll link it up below just in case you do want it, but it
was funny because I spent all this time, I poured my heart and soul into this thing, um, and then,
like, three people signed up for it, and one of them was my mom. Um, so that’s kind of, like, one
of the things that James tells you not to do because that was a waste of my time. Um, but by the
way, speaking of which, I did use one of his processes, um, which is called Program by Design, to
do the lead magnet, to do the course, um, because I was able to, like, purchase it for a really low
price at the time. So James was already in my world even before I joined Business by Design. He
actually helped me get that lead magnet up and running, but because he wasn’t my business
coach, I had the strategy and the order etcetera all wrong. Like, so much so that I had my Kajabi
subscription, which is my hosting platform for all courses, etcetera, for, like, 7 months before I
actually published anything on there, which is really embarrassing because it’s really expensive.
So anyways, the long story short, before Business by Design, I was really busy. I was doing a lot,
but I was going nowhere.
Enter Mr James Wedmore and Business by Design.
So I first heard of James in 2024, um, through Kate. So she was my money coach and, um, she
knows James. They’re really good friends, and I saw him and I kind of, like, tuned into some of his
stuff, and I knew he was my guy, um, but I was still really very much in my money healing era. You
know, I was still at uni. I knew I had a lot of things to get done there, so it wasn’t quite the right
time.
Um, and then I came back into his world in 2025 and joined his three-part training that he shares
for free, which literally is the one I was just mentioning before. You know, and I was totally in it.
Like, I was 100% engaged. I did the exercises. I was an A+ student, and then all of a sudden I’m,
like, seeing momentum. All of a sudden I’m, like, seeing people respond in my audience
differently. All of a sudden I’ve got this next level of clarity and visibility as to exactly what I
should be doing rather than just trying to figure it out as, like, hmm, I don’t know, this feels good,
let’s throw this at the wall and hope it sticks. Um, and so that felt really cool.
And then, of course, you know, after he did his free three-part live training, he offered BBD, or
Business by Design, and I had all the objections that you would have. You know, it’s like, I thought
I was too busy. I thought I didn’t have the money. I thought it wasn’t the right time, and I was,
like, in my head about it. But what kept drawing me back was that in those three days of his free
training, I felt more seen than I had in two to three years of pursuing business on my own. I was
like, this guy finally gets it.
And the thing about James is that he isn’t, like, one of those bro marketer coaches, you know?
Oh my God, I had so many of those DM me on Instagram, like, “You want the 20K months?” No,
no, no. Oh my God, those guys just make me wanna go ugh. I, like, puke, um. No, like, James is so
tapped, and he is so authentic. He is such an amazing person, um, you know. We joke in the BBD
community that he’s, like, Mr Meta Wedmore, um, because he does go into the meta, you know?
Like, he works with 3D and 5D realities, and his wife, Jenny Wetmore, um, is freaking amazing as
well. She does a lot in the program. She’s super active in the community.
Um, and what really stuck with me was that he actually cared. So, like, he’s not the type of
business coach that’s gonna be, like, “Here, rip people off so you can make 20K a month.” Like, if
that’s what you want, BBD isn’t for you. But if you’re the type of person that really cares about
people, you want to help people, and you’re just feeling stuck or, you know, things are
progressing slower than you know they could, James is the person for you.
And so here’s, like, a little timeline of everything that unfolded in my life and business since I
joined Business by Design.
In June, that was kind of the time when I joined. It was incredible. Like, for the first time, I started
to get out there on the social media more consistently. I was talking to my people. I got out of my
head and just, you know, started delivering actual value, and who would have thought it? People
started to respond.
Um, and then in July, I followed James’s process called Monetize Before You Make It, which is
basically a, um, process to test a new offer. And by the way, like, a little side tangent, like, of
course, no wonder, you know, I wasn’t making any sales. I wasn’t selling anything. I was, like, just
posting inspirational quotes on Instagram. It’s like, I had a couple clients here and there, but, like,
yeah, I had zero clue about sales and marketing, and, you know, I had all these limiting beliefs
around it being sleazy and weird and all the things, and so yeah, James played a huge role in just
making that disappear basically overnight.
So yeah, July, I was following the Monetize Before You Make It process. I also hired my very first
VA who edited this amazing podcast episode that you are listening to right now. And here is the
coolest thing.
James has a step-by-step process in Business by Design where he literally shares his screen and
walks you through, step by step, how to hire your first virtual assistant. And I followed the steps
step by step. I did everything he did, and I have got the most amazing virtual assistant in the
history of the world. Alan, you are the best. Thank you so much for being part of my business and
of this team and of my life. I’m so, so grateful. And if it wasn’t for James, Alan wouldn’t be in my
life, you know? And, like, Alan loves doing what he does. I mean, at least I hope so. He’s still here,
you know, um, and so, like, he wouldn’t get to do what he’s doing if it wasn’t for James. So I just,
like, whoa, I just went meta with him more for a moment of, like, the ripple effect of the big
picture of this, right?
Um, and July of last year was also the first time that I started posting consistently on social media
where I think now I’m up to, like, over 40 weeks of consistent week daily posts. Like, that is my
most consistent streak ever, and I ain’t breaking that streak. Um, so that was really cool as well.
But that was just the beginning, my friends. So that was June, July. This is, like, my first couple
weeks inside BBD.
August. Come August, I finally launched my podcast. So my goodness, there’s just no way I could
have done that without James either because my VA played such an integral role in that process,
and, dare I say it, there is a process inside BBD for launching your podcast. So I followed that. I
used the tools. I used the strategy. I built out the standard operating procedures because, again,
the mantra in BBD is that the more structure you have in your business, the more freedom you
have in your life. And so that’s kind of very much in alignment with my view of the world anyway.
So I was, like, building the standard operating procedures. My VA was doing an amazing job, and
as we moved into kind of Q4 of last year, I had the privilege of, um, being in, like, a private
mastermind with James where I got personalised advice on how I was approaching my first offer
and some of the marketing, sales, messaging strategies, which, like, really changed the whole
thing for me. Um, it really helped me design my first offer in a way that it was sellable and that
actually did sell because in October of last year, I then actually opened doors, you know? Cause
it’s one thing to follow a process. It’s a whole other thing to actually sell the thing, um, and so I
did the whole shebang, you know? The landing page, the launch, the pricing structure, the
emails, the promotional schedule. By the way, all of these things are literally listed out step by
step by step, how to do it, where to do it, what you need in BBD. And I’m not just talking, like, the
software or any of that. Like, it’s, “Here is the open cart email sequence that you need. Here is a
swipe file you can use as an example. Here is the messaging structure that you can follow.” Like,
that is the level of depth that is available to you when you join Business by Design.
And then come November, I filled my first beta. So that is, like, my very first offer or program. I
invited incredible three founding members into The Stress Reset, and then again, we were
writing standard operating procedures as we were delivering the thing, you know? Building the
course portal, creating the members area, facilitating the replays, doing all the things. All of it was
in BBD.
And then December came. In December of 2025, ah, it was, like, a pivotable—pivotable. I don’t
think that’s a word, but it was, like, a quantum leap moment for me, um. I met James in person,
uh, at BBD Live. So he usually hosts an annual event once a year, um, and it was so energetically
expansive that I struggled putting it into words.
The depth of care and love and integrity that this man brings into every single coaching call, into
every single coaching conversation, into everything that he does—experiencing and witnessing
that in real time, in real life, was just, it was out of this world.
And, you know, Jenny was there as well. So Jenny Wedmore, um, who is James’s wife, and she’s
very intuitive and very diligent, and I’ve been recently, you know, really tapping into and opening
my intuition. And, like, I’m gonna say this with a little disclaimer. Any of you listening who are,
like, super anti woo-woo and don’t believe in any of the 5D stuff, you’re about to have your mind
blown, or you’re just gonna think that I’m blatantly lying to you, which I’m not, um, but for those
of you watching the video, I’ve got real life proof of the fact that the power that cultivated inside
that room allowed me to bend stainless steel. Um, not just, you know, rubber or anything, but
like, look at this thing.
So if you’re listening to the podcast, I’m holding the spoon that I bent at BBD Live, and it has
literally got two twists in the middle, um, and I vividly remember, you know, Jenny facilitated a
specific process for us as we tapped into the energetics, and I remember bending it. I remember
it just moving so malleably, and there were specific life lessons that I received from this
experience as well around the power, the limitless potential within me, within every single one of
us, and, um, so this little artifact, ha ha, lives on my desk so that I can have a little reminder every
single day of the actual potential that lives within every single human being.
And that’s your bro marketer coaches ain’t got nothing on James and Jenny because these two
human beings are tapped into something so much more powerful and true that follows universal
principles and goes in alignment with life, with the universe, that it makes your success truly
inevitable.
And so December of 2025 was also when I decided to work a little bit closer with James. So, um,
made a humongous investment in myself and in my business and, you know, thanks to all the
work that I’ve been doing in those six months now of being in BBD, the actions I’ve been taking,
the people I’ve been speaking to, I learned so much about my audience. You, my amazing
listening high performers, high achievers, I hear you, I see you, you are amazing, I love you so
much, and I started to pick up, you know, a little bit more about what you wanted, what you
didn’t want, which is then what led to kind of this big pivot that I shared, um, you know, just
recently a few months ago.
Cause if you’ve been with me from the OG days, you would have seen me, you know, speak
about health and wellness, and I was really on the health coaching train, and my first beta was
The Stress Reset, you know, like really working with people in their nervous system and their
stress metabolism and all those things, which is amazing and it is what we all need, and yet I
realized that there’s another gift that I was given that is going to be more effective at helping you
eliminate some of the stress that’s causing you to be so burnt out so that you don’t actually have
to get there in the first place.
So that’s kind of, that was the birth of Efficiency Made Easy, um, so come February I kind of, I
wrapped up my first offer. I started the launch runway for Efficiency Made Easy, again following
the process from James and the coaching from him and the amazing coaches inside Business by
Design, um, and then in March I, you know, expanded my learning. Like James even has stuff on
like learning ads and what to do in this specific scenario. Like the support of him and the
community and the step-by-step Lego instruction manuals is so valuable. Like it’s so hard to put
into words because when you’re starting something new, especially like a business, you just don’t
know what you don’t know.
And then when you don’t know what you don’t know, and you open the thing you don’t know
and you’re like, “Oh my God, is there so much more to this than I ever realised.” It would have
taken me lifetimes to figure this out.
And so through April I delivered, um, you know, my new beta, Efficiency Made Easy, which I have
just closed doors for for the second time, which is really exciting. Um, and I got to connect with
James and my BBD family once again in the States just a few weeks ago at the time of recording
of this episode, and it’s like an energetic upgrade, haha, in a way. Just being around him is really,
it’s like kind of like plugging back in and readjusting and being on course, um, because it is, if
you’re a coach, an entrepreneur in the digital space, you know it can get lonely sometimes and it
can feel like it’s just you and you’re in your head and you’ve got to constantly make all these
decisions and you’re constantly, um, you know, one of my friends from BBD said it’s like, it’s like
you’re inviting people to a party and no one shows up and, and man, like that can have a toll on
you, on your mental health, on your emotional health.
And so having James and Jenny and the amazing community in BBD is just like, it’s a family I
didn’t know I had.
And so as I look ahead, you know, in May I’m prepping for my webinars, which again there’s a
process for inside of Business by Design that literally, James has got like a 100-page PDF that runs
you through start to finish everything you need to do. He even has templates. He even has the
outline for your slide deck. Like Business by Design is the Lego instruction manual for running a
digital business that you didn’t know you needed. All you need to do is bring your purpose, your
work, your dharma into the space, plug it in, and let the magic happen.
And let me tell you something. There is no way that I would have been able to achieve even 10%
of what I’ve just shared with you if it hadn’t been for James’s support. And like what I love about
him, and that’s what was like a big permission slip for me to start working with him, is, you know,
he’s been in this industry for 20+ years. He’s a veteran. Like he was running webinars back when
like the only software was GoToWebinar, which is like Zoom didn’t even exist, um, and he went
from being a broke bartender to making over $10 million a year in sales. He’s now accumulated
over $100 million in total business sales online, and just the integrity that he shows up with and
the care of meeting you where you are.
So he will meet you in any stage of business, whether you don’t even know your niche yet,
whether you’re making zero dollars, whether you’re making 10,000, 100,000, 1 million, or 10
million dollars. He works with entrepreneurs from all scales of life, and now that I’ve been in his
world for a few years, I can just see how that’s rippling out and how he is the guide that is like
your business bestie and tailors his coaching style accordingly, telling you what you wanna, what
you need to hear based on the stage of business and life that you’re at.
And, you know, it’s not just the step-by-step processes. Like he doesn’t just leave you high and
dry and be like, “Here, go do this.” Like the real game changer when you join BBD is the
community, um, so of course there’s like a private community group where we all get to share
our wins and support each other through our challenges and all the things, um, and he also has
like a specific coaches' corner where you can get coached by a BBD-trained coach. Um, there’s
live calls both with him and office hour calls with his trained coaches.
I’m actually doing one of his coaching certifications at the moment as well just because like I see
the amazing transformation that he provides for people, and I can see how I can apply it to be a
better coach for my students, um, plus, you know, he speaks about things like profitability, team
structure, scale, every launch process you can imagine in the history of the world, and most
importantly he brings it back to you and the person you need to be, the person you need to
become, the identity you need to step into, and the future you need to live into to be the leader
that your people need you to be.
And so if you’re the type of person right now that’s thinking, “I don’t think I have the time for
this. You know, I just, it sounds great Vik, but now is not the right time,” I’m just gonna say, if you
are still listening to this episode, you don’t have the time not to do this.
Look at what’s happening in the world. The cost of living continues to rise above wages. The K-
shaped economy is gonna keep getting more and more K-shaped. K-shaped. The disparity is
getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and it’s not even just about the money. It’s about the state
of the world right now because let’s be real, whatever gift it is that you have to give to this world,
it’s probably gonna change lives, and if there is something in you that is ready to be birthed, that
is ready to come out, there’s something nudging you in this direction, just know that the dream is
in you and it is for you.
And so it really all just comes down to, you know, this metaphor that James uses as well. If
someone was drowning and it was just you on the beach and the person drowning, would you
jump in and save them or would you do something to help them?
And if your answer is a yes, that’s what business is like too, cause there is someone out there
who needs your help. It is your responsibility to jump in and help them, and honestly James is the
support that you get to leverage to make that process so much smoother, so much more fun, so
much more enjoyable because, as he says, the more structure that you have in your business, the
more freedom you get to have in your life.
And so this is my story. This is like a real sneak behind the curtains of what I’ve been up to doing
this now for three years. Honestly, in the few months of being in BBD, I made more momentum
than I did in all that time combined and uh, it just continues to accelerate, which is really exciting.
And so if any of this, it’s just like, “Oh, I think there’s something to it,” make sure that you join
Business by Design. The doors only open once a year, and that time is right now. So make sure
you click the link in the show notes below. Even if you’re unsure, just have a look, see at the sales
page, have a look at everything he’s got to offer.
James is the most generous person I have ever met. Gift giving is his love language. So it’s like
honestly, it is, it’s ridiculous how much he gives away even if you just get into his world and follow
him on the socials for free. Like, he’s also got a podcast called the Mind Your Business Podcast. I
listen to it on the regular. Um, so yeah, tune in to his world. He’s amazing. I highly, highly endorse
and recommend him.
And if you’ve got any questions about what it’s like to work with James, you know, if you want to
dive any deeper, you want me to elaborate on any parts of my story, just send me a DM on
Instagram as well and we’ll have a chat.
And in the meantime, thank you so much for listening to this episode. I can’t wait to see you next
week. Bye for now.
If you’ve ever had an idea for a digital product, course, or business, maybe a coaching program, a
membership, or maybe you already provide services like these online and you’re ready to take it
to the next level, you will love James Wedmore’s Business by Design.
It is the Lego instruction manual to run a successful, profitable digital business that I literally use
myself. From sales and marketing strategies, to hiring a VA, to creating a webinar, to everything
else in between that you didn’t even know that you needed to know about, BBD has everything
and then some.
My business coach James Wedmore only opens access to this once a year, and that time is right
now. So if you are interested, make sure to check out the link in the show notes below or simply
send me a DM on Instagram. I would love to have a chat, answer any questions that you’ve got,
because BBD changed my life.
The views and opinions expressed by guests on Resonance are their own and do not necessarily
reflect the views of me, Viktoria Levenberg, LVNHealth, or anyone working within the LVNHealth
brand. This space welcomes a diversity of ideas, experiences, and stories, and part of Resonance
is learning to take what aligns and gently leaving the rest.
Also, while I am a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and deeply passionate
about well-being, this podcast is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only.
Resonance does not substitute personalised medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Always
seek guidance from qualified professionals for any physical, emotional, or mental health
concerns.
