Archive 2: 2017
390: Day Job Freedom: Get Unstuck, Fill the Creative Void, and Overlap Your Way to Entrepreneurial Growth with Sean McCabe
Sean McCabe writes over a million words a year. He is the author of Overlap: The ultimate guide to turning your side passion into a successful business. He's helped tens of thousands of students with his courses on copywriting, client work, pricing, and marketing. On a daily basis, he runs seanwes: a learning community for entrepreneurs looking to do fulfilling work.
Sean believes in generating income from the trifecta: client work, products, and training. He's also a huge fan of the 3 P's of accountability: public accountability, partner accountability, and personal accountability. Tune in to hear about his writing secrets, how to commit, and how to quit your 9-5 day job, step by step.
Click Here to Claim the "Overlap" Book
Quotes:
“Motivation isn't fuel for beginning; it's a result of taking action. When you show up and commit to showing up every day, you'll find that motivation comes after you show up.” – Sean McCabe
“The best way to get someone's attention is to repeat back what they just told you. They tell you something, and you say, ‘So what I'm hearing you say is this,’ and you feed it right back to them.” – Sean McCabe
“There's not really a wrong step. Any arrow you pick is forward progress.” – Sean McCabe
Takeaways:
07:35 Use the "trifecta" approach to business growth: start with client work, then move to products, and finally teach what you've learned.
17:07 Create accountability through public declarations, partner check-ins, and personal commitment to consistently take action.
19:21 Communicate your unique value by curating and simplifying what you share, making it easy for others to understand and remember your core offering.
24:42 Focus on one passion at a time, developing it fully before expanding to other interests, like carefully stoking one fire pit instead of spreading yourself thin.
31:40 Build your business gradually by using your day job as a financial foundation, allowing you to experiment and grow without immediate financial pressure.
Resources
- Sean McCabe (Official Site)
- Overlap: Start a Business While Working a Full-Time Job (Book, How To Quit Your Day Job)
- Sean McCabe (Twitter)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:13 — 34.1MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
389: Persistence, Dedication, and Speed: Play the Numbers Game with Serial Entrepreneur Jim Beach
Jim Beach is here to talk about failures, scaling, success, opportunities, and adding your unique twist. He believes that to have repeatable success, you should copy someone else's idea, execute it better, and start with little money. Listen in to hear about what he's built and what he's learned from his up's and down's.
Quotes:
“Changing the focus and definition of entrepreneurship allows millions of people to be entrepreneurs who otherwise would have sat it out.” – Jim Beach
“Entrepreneurs don't get scared off by ‘no.’ ‘No’ means no today, maybe yes next week.” – Jim Beach
“Do crazy stuff just for the story, because the story is worth telling, and you'll have a lot of fun that way.” – Jim Beach
Takeaways:
09:43 Passion should focus on lifestyle and entrepreneurial freedom, not just the product you're selling.
11:39 Copy successful business ideas, but execute them better and smarter than the original.
15:29 Start businesses with minimal investment (under $5,000) to reduce financial risk.
18:52 Partner with complementary skills and prestigious brands to increase your business's credibility.
21:11 Persistence and willingness to face repeated rejection are critical to entrepreneurial success.
Resources
- Jim Beach (Official Site)
- Jim Beach (LinkedIn)
- School for Startups (Book)
- Jim Beach (Twitter)
- Entrepreneurial DNA by Joe Abraham (Book, Four Types of Entrepreneurial Personalities)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:34 — 29.8MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
388: Your Business is a Live Expression of Your Strategy: Specialize, Differentiate, and Organize to Fill the Leadership Gaps and Get Transformational Change with Ron Carucci
Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, working with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries. He has a thirty year track record helping some of the world’s most influential executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization and leadership.
He's here today to discuss how you and your business can re-focus, avoid analysis paralysis, adapt, fill the leadership gaps, and do what you do best.
Quotes:
“The worst thing you can do is ask an organization to hope for change, then dash those hopes by not following through.” – Ron Carucci
“If you're a leader and don't have people in your face with dissenting points of view and disconfirming fact bases about how you see the world, you're in the most dangerous place you could be.” – Ron Carucci
“The longer you wait, the fewer options you have and the harsher your choices become.” – Ron Carucci
Takeaways:
04:05 Organizations must be strategic about change, focusing on comprehensive transformation rather than scattered small adjustments.
06:35 Leaders need to create clear strategic identity and understand exactly how they will compete and win in their market.
12:37 Entrepreneurs and small businesses should start strategic planning early, not wait until they're "big enough".
18:05 Successful businesses constantly monitor external contexts and remain adaptable without losing core strategic focus.
25:31 Courageous leadership means soliciting honest feedback and being willing to hear uncomfortable truths about your organization.
Resources
- Navalent (Agency)
- Leading Transformation: An Owner's Manual (Site)
- Ron A. Carucci on Amazon (Books)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:39 — 24.4MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
387: Meet Edgar: Up Your Social Media Content Marketing Game, Build a Library of Content and Enjoy Automated Evergreen Traffic with Laura Roeder
Laura Roeder is the founder of Edgar, which automates your social media posting on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. With Edgar, load up your favorite RSS feeds AND use the tool for content research. Browse your favorite links and articles to create libraries (categories) that you queue up into your favorite social media channels for consistent, automated posting.
Quotes:
“Use software for what software is good at—to automate and schedule—and then spend your time doing what software cannot do, what only humans can do: forming that relationship with your audience.” – Laura Roeder
“Your audience is seeing the end result. They don't know or care whether you typed it on your phone, your desktop, or used this tool or that tool. It's all the same to them.” – Laura Roeder
“If someone's following you on social media, they've chosen to be there. They want to hear from you, they want to hear your stuff, so don't be shy about linking to your stuff.” – Laura Roeder
Takeaways:
04:03 Automated social media posting doesn't reduce authenticity; audiences care about content quality, not how it was posted.
15:37 Resharing content multiple times increases visibility, as most followers never see a single post the first time.
20:46 Shares are the most valuable metric, showing which content truly connects with your audience.
23:29 Even platforms with low traffic are worth using, as they provide another way for potential customers to find you.
25:37 Regular posting keeps your social media accounts alive and prevents losing followers who want active content.
Use Edgar to Automate Your Social Media Content Marketing
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:20 — 28.7MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
386: Strengthen the Discipline Muscle: From Overworked, Overscheduled and Overwhelmed to Focused, Confident and Accomplished with Rita Emmett
Rita Emmett is here to help you amp up your productivity, de-clutter, remove stress and dread. If you'd like to overcome procrastination, fear (of making mistakes, of failure, of success, of perfectionism), and you'd like to form new successful habits, then listen up. Rita can help you strengthen your discipline muscle, become present, enjoy your activities and find fulfillment in what you do. Her system is called S.T.I.N.G. and is as follows:
- Select one task you've been putting off
- Time yourself doing it (for one full hour)
- Ignore everything else
- No breaks allows
- Give yourself a reward after completion
Quotes:
“As long as fear is in our subconscious and we can't get ourselves to act, it has the power to immobilize us—to paralyze us. But once we identify that fear, it loses its power.” – Rita Emmett
“There is great power and reward. A lot of people's rewards are things they could have anyway, but they don't allow themselves to receive them.” – Rita Emmett
“As my procrastination diminished, I became more present—more into the now, more into just really enjoying the moment.” – Rita Emmett
Takeaways:
04:28 Breaking big tasks into small, manageable chunks helps overcome the overwhelming feeling of procrastination.
11:42 Creating a reward system is crucial for building motivation and completing tasks you've been avoiding.
22:50 Identifying the underlying fears that block your progress can help you break through procrastination barriers.
29:33 Writing down your obstacles and bringing subconscious blocks to light can reduce their power over you.
33:13 Developing a disciplined approach requires consistent practice, similar to building a muscle.
Resources
- Rita Emmett (Official Site)
- Rita Emmett (Amazon)
- Rita Emmett (YouTube)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:15 — 35.9MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
385: Sell on Amazon in Europe for More Traffic, More Sales, More Exposure and More Money with Marketplace Superhero Stephen Somers
Stephen Somers says that, when it comes to selling on Amazon FBA, you're leaving money on the table unless you're selling in Europe. You can mail inventory to the UK and enjoy listings in Amazon marketplaces like the UK, France, Italy, Spain. Stephen explains what you need to know about setting up your European business identity and VAT tax compliance.
Just imagine if you applied the "Rule of Five" and sold 5 products, in 5 countries, 5 units per day, at 5 dollars each. That totals $18,750 in 30 days or $225k in a year, so why wouldn't you list your products in multiple Amazon marketplaces? He also believes that your products should be B.E.S.T.: Boring, Established, Sustainable, and Tangible.
Quotes:
“We're not just sellers—we're investors. We're so painfully focused on the numbers because the numbers matter. I used to think they were boring, but when they started putting dollar signs, pound signs, and euro signs in front of them, it became really exciting.” – Stephen Somers
“The core of any business is taking a simple product, selling it over and over again at ever-decreasing costs. When you do that, you've got a formula for a powerful business.” – Stephen Somers
“We typically sell what we call B.E.S.T. products, which means they're boring, established, sustainable, and tangible.” – Stephen Somers
Takeaways:
09:51 Selling on Amazon in Europe offers massive untapped potential with less competition and a larger combined market than the United States.
19:50 Understanding local market nuances, including language and consumer behavior, is crucial for successful international selling.
22:16 Focus on "boring" products that are established, sustainable, and tangible instead of chasing trendy, short-lived items.
33:24 Always calculate your numbers carefully, prioritizing profit margins over total revenue.
38:48 The "Rule of Five" strategy can help entrepreneurs scale their business by selling five products in five countries, creating multiple small revenue streams.
Resources
- Marketplace Superheroes: Build a Global Amazon Business (Website)
- Muloot (Get Help Setting Up in Europe)
- KeywoodTool.io (Tool)
- Translated.net (Site)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:28 — 42.5MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
384: Splitly and Profit Peak: Split Test Your Amazon FBA Pricing, Images, and Product Listings with Andrew Browne
Andrew Browne is the co-founder of Splitly, which is a tool that allows you to split-test your Amazon Seller product listings. Listen in to hear as Andrew explains what Amazon selling is, what split testing is, how to use their tool to split test on Amazon, and what low hanging fruit to split test for amazing results.
Split testing on Amazon is essential for you and your business, since unlike Google, Amazon rewards increased sales with higher rankings. That means if you improve the conversion rate on your product's page, Amazon will reward you with a higher ranking and increased traffic to your FBA products.
Quotes:
“A big part of selling on Amazon is driving traffic and sales so you move up the search rankings. Amazon rewards you, and then you make more sales.” – Andrew Browne
“The hard part of split testing is actually coming up with the ideas—that's where the work comes in.” – Andrew Browne
“Always focus on what's most profitable. Always try to optimize your winners and get that extra few percent out of them.” – Andrew Browne
Takeaways:
04:33 Split testing on Amazon isn't just about changing things randomly, but about systematically improving your product listing with data-driven decisions.
05:53 Small changes in conversion rates can create massive compounding effects in your Amazon business, boosting both immediate profits and search rankings.
14:05 Amazon's search algorithm rewards sales performance differently than other platforms, making strategic optimization crucial for sellers.
18:20 Even if you're a new or small Amazon seller, split testing can help you incrementally improve your product listings with minimal risk.
23:16 Focus on testing your best-performing products with significant changes to get meaningful and faster results.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:26 — 26.0MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
383: 10X Travel Hacks: Travel at a Discount (or For Free) Using Manufactured Spending, Churning, Credit Card Rewards, and Travel Points with Bryce Conway
Bryce Conway is the founding editor of 10xTravel and the Author of Takeoff: How to Travel the World for Next to Nothing. He writes about travel, personal finance, and entrepreneurship. If you'd like to hear about travel hacks (how to travel at a massive discount) then listen in to today's stories and strategies.
Quotes:
“The reason these bonuses exist is because most Americans, statistically, have a significant amount of credit card debt and are paying a large amount of interest on it. That's financially a really bad move.” – Bryce Conway
“Your credit score is almost certainly going to improve by opening more cards and using them responsibly. Of course, the emphasis is on using them responsibly—don't change your lifestyle at all.” – Bryce Conway
“People don't realize the huge upside of the points they have. They end up cashing them in for really poor redemptions.” – Bryce Conway
Takeaways:
04:00 Travel hacking can dramatically reduce travel costs by strategically using credit card rewards and points.
11:10 Credit card sign-up bonuses can provide significant travel opportunities with minimal out-of-pocket expenses.
12:51 Responsible credit card management is crucial when pursuing travel rewards to avoid financial pitfalls.
16:39 Start small by learning from online communities and resources before diving into complex travel point strategies.
22:01 Always research and maximize the value of your travel points to get the most beneficial redemptions.
Resources
- Step-by-Step Process to Travel in Luxury for Next to Nothing (Free Report)
- Takeoff: How to Travel the World for Next to Nothing (Book)
- Churning Sub (Reddit)
- FlyerTalk (Site)
- Credit Karma (Credit Reports)
- 10X Travel (Bryce Conway's Official Site)
- How to Travel the World for Next to Nothing (TedX Talk)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:58 — 23.8MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
382: Native Advertising and The Penny Hoarder: How to Create a Movement, Scale It, Deliver Massive Value and Make the Most Money from Your Website with Vishal Mahtani
Vishal Mahtani is VP of Business Operations at The Penny Hoarder, one of the world's largest personal finance websites with 16+ million monthly readers. In addition to the day-to-day execution, he is integral to developing long-term business strategy, establishing partnerships with key brands and distribution partners, and creating a proprietary ad tech platform. Listen in to discover some of the amazing things they've been doing recently with performance marketing and native advertising.
Quotes:
“It's about putting in the elbow grease to get there, recognizing when you've arrived, and scaling quickly. At the same time, when you have an idea, there's probably a thousand other people having the same idea.” – Vishal Mahtani
“It's really about defining a different way and being a first mover—not necessarily inventing an industry, but finding that secret sauce, that one thing that makes it unique.” – Vishal Mahtani
“We're about putting money back in people's pockets, so it's all about growing, saving, and earning money.” – Vishal Mahtani
Takeaways:
01:05 Native advertising works best when it tells authentic stories that genuinely help consumers make informed decisions about earning, saving, or growing money.
05:09 Performance marketing thrives when content directly addresses advertiser needs and provides real value to readers.
10:59 Entrepreneurial success comes from finding the intersection between emerging technology and current societal needs.
18:43 Continuous experimentation and measurement are critical for refining business strategies and content approaches.
21:19 Successful digital businesses require quick identification of a unique market approach and rapid scaling before competitors catch up.
Resources
- The Penny Hoarder (Website)
- The Penny Hoarder (Facebook)
- Vishal Mahtani (LinkedIn)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:08 — 22.1MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
381: Reprogram Your Habits, Defeat Overwhelm, Remove Excuses, Find Inspiration and Discover Your Own Path with Derek Doepker
Derek Doepker is a former rock guitar player turned 7x bestselling author, speaker, and coach on mind, body, and business success.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:10 — 27.6MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
His goal is to help people break through their BS and amplify their productivity, profit, and performance by sharing clever mind games, life hacks, and the secrets of success found in music. Information does not equal transformation, and Derek says that you need to follow this three step process:
- open the floodgates to an idea: lower your standards about what a bad idea is, think about what's possible, and realize the "slingshot effect" (i.e. the gym makes you weaker and then you grow stronger)
- transition: sift, sort, preocess, narrow, filter, mix ideas
- completion: eliminate, edit, deadlines
Quotes:
“Breakthroughs often don't come from looking at new things. They come from looking at old things in a new way.” – Derek Doepker
“Information doesn't create transformation. Information without implementation—most people would say common sense—won't get you very good results, or any results at all.” – Derek Doepker
“One of the best ways to create really great work up to a high standard is to start by lowering your standard.” – Derek Doepker
Takeaways:
02:39 Personal development advice is universal, but its true power lies in making it specifically relevant to your unique personality and goals.
07:39 Information without implementation leads to zero progress. Learn something, then immediately put it into practice.
13:21 State management is critical - prepare yourself mentally and physically before tackling important tasks to maximize productivity.
20:22 Creativity isn't just about generating ideas, but also about filtering, structuring, and completing those ideas through a deliberate three-phase process.
26:21 High achievers often need external structure like deadlines to unlock their most innovative work and prevent endless exploration.
Resources
- Derek Doepker (Official Site)
- Free book: Why You're Stuck (Free Book)
- Derek Doepker (Facebook)
- Derek Doepker (uDemy)
- Derek Doepker (Amazon)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:10 — 27.6MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
