Archive 2: 2017

326: Thinkific: Create an Online Course to Build Your List and Generate Income with Sid Bharath

June 6, 2017

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:46 — 25.4MB) | Embed

Sid Bharath is the creator of Thinkific, a platform that allows you to host your own online courses. It's used by over 6,000 companies including people like Grant Cardone and John Lee Dumas. It hosts courses of all kinds, everything from hoola hopping to flying drones.

Thinkific is a great solution because you don't have to setup your own hosting and shopping cart. You can use this platform and be up and running in minutes. You can start on the free plan of Thinkific and work your way up. You can start with your own free courses to build your list, then work your way up to paid courses. Thinkific hosts your videos, and you can add drip content, quizzes and surveys, as well as grading and discussion.

Sid also talks about ways you can drive traffic to your course once you've created it on Thinkific, such as paid ads (Google and Facebook), organic traffic (guest posting, Quota, Facebook & LinkedIn groups), and live broadcasting (YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live).

Quotes:

“Perfection doesn't matter to your students and it shouldn't matter to you.” – Sid Bharath

“Put something out there. It doesn't have to be perfect, because you can always update it later.” – Sid Bharath

“Using data is a more scientific process than making assumptions up front and aiming for perfection.” – Sid Bharath

Takeaways:

01:51 Creating an online course doesn't require complex technical skills or massive upfront investment.

06:42 Online courses can start small with one hour of content and grow to extensive multi-week programs.

16:52 Don't aim for perfection when creating a course; start quickly and improve based on student feedback.

19:39 Use multiple free organic traffic channels to promote your online course consistently.

21:33 Commit at least two hours daily after work to build and market your online course.

Get An Account with Thinkific Now

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:46 — 25.4MB) | Embed

325: The Perfect Day Formula: Structure Equals Freedom! Have a Clear Vision and Laser-Focused Goals By Implementing The Five Pillars of Success with The World’s Most Disciplined Man Craig Ballantyne

June 5, 2017

Craig Ballantyne is the author of The Perfect Day Formula which shows you how to get the most out of every day and be as productive as possible, as opposed to putting out fires or just going through the motions. Craig has a number of proven strategies and easy hacks to win the day.

For example: know what you can control, limit your decision making (i.e. Mark Zuckerberg wears the same hoodie and grey shirt every day), have a vision (clear picture) of where you want to be in the next 3-5 years, have laser-focused process goals instead of huge unattainable ones. Know yourself and use "self rules" (but not laws) to stay on track, i.e. if you're looking to lose weight, keep junk food out of the house. These are just a few of the tried and true methods Craig recommends.

Craig's Five Pillars of Success

Have the same bedtime and wake time every day
Have 15 minutes of uninterrupted productive time (Stephen King writes 2,000 words a day)
Perform an activity daily for your health (i.e. meditation)
Focus on your #1 wealth building activity every day (such as recording a podcast or writing a book)
Have a not-to-do rule to limit backsliding

Quotes:

“Creating rules for your life is like having a really effective operating system in your iPhone or MacBook. That operating system within our electronics allows them to do amazing things.” – Craig Ballantyne

“It's not about the hour you get up; it's about what you do with the hours you are up.” – Craig Ballantyne

“You can't change the past. You can only control what you can—your thoughts, words, and deeds.” – Craig Ballantyne

Takeaways:

02:59 Having a clear three-to-five-year vision allows you to make targeted, purposeful daily choices.

11:52 Creating personal rules helps reduce decision fatigue and builds a strong life operating system.

15:14 Accountability and public commitment increase the likelihood of sticking to personal rules.

20:02 Quick recovery from setbacks matters more than perfect performance.

25:44 Focus on process goals you can control, rather than outcome goals that might be unpredictable.

Resources

The Perfect Day Formula (Free Book)
Craig (Instagram)
Craig Ballantyne (Official Site)
Early to Rise (Website)
Turbulence Training (Weight Loss Product)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:35 — 28.0MB) | Embed

324: Evergreen Organic Rankings and Traffic: Build Backlinks Using HARO and Guest Blog Posts with Adam White

June 2, 2017

Adam White from SEOjet is an SEO professional who has optimized over 350 websites. He says that to get noticed, stay relevant, and bring massive traffic to your website, you should be using Help a Reporter Out and guest posting. Search engines (like Google) trust big brands (like Apple and Amazon) and to get them to trust your brand, you must create power pages (2000+ words) and stay on top of your backlinking and outreach.

Quotes:

“Your number one goal when doing SEO should be to build brand trust with Google. Once Google trusts you as a brand, it's very simple to get anything else to rank.” – Adam White

“When doing link building, the majority of your time should be spent building your brand, and only a small portion should go toward targeting key phrases.” – Adam White

“If it's easy, it's probably not something you should pursue, because not all links are created equal.” – Adam White

Takeaways:

05:29 Building brand trust with Google requires using your brand name or URL in 80-95% of backlink anchor texts.

14:01 Respond quickly to HARO requests with unique, credible insights to increase chances of getting published.

19:23 Guest posting on relevant blogs and using Help a Reporter Out (HARO) are powerful strategies for gaining high-quality backlinks.

22:07 Create long-form "power pages" with 2000+ words to attract and support strategic link-building efforts.

23:35 Start with higher domain authority sites for guest posting, then fill in with lower-authority sites to create a natural link profile.

Resources

SEOjet (Management Software)
Guest Post Tracker (Find Blogs In Need Of Your Content)
Help a Reporter Out / HARO (Connect With Journalists Who Need Content)
FastCompany (Website)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:00 — 28.4MB) | Embed

323: Website Planning for Small Businesses: Get a Clear Roadmap for What You Want, Manage Expectations and Avoid the SEO Geek-Speak with Veteran Web Professional Ben Seigel

June 1, 2017

Ben Seigel is the Principal of Versa Studio, which is a web design team that specializes in diving deep into your business where you can engage deeply in the process.

In our discussion today, Ben explains what people need to know going in when hiring a web design team, how to manage expectations, as well as his thought process when managing complex web projects. He and his team can provide you anything from a multi-page website to a custom solution such as a podcast site.

Quotes:

“Many design shops have great portfolios, and visuals are very important. But a portfolio doesn't really show what problems a project solved or how the process went.” – Ben Seigel

“Without a solid plan, without a solid process or steps you're going to follow, you're just kind of flying by the seat of your pants.” – Ben Seigel

“If you want to get a good result that aligns with your business needs, rather than just any result, you really need to dig in, find answers to the hard questions, and collaborate.” – Ben Seigel

Takeaways:

01:06 Website planning requires deep collaboration, not just a cookie-cutter approach that slaps features together.

13:06 A thorough needs assessment and competitive analysis can reveal unexpected insights about market positioning and client expectations.

14:10 Understanding your business goals is more important than blindly following trendy marketing tactics like social media campaigns.

20:20 Technical skills alone aren't enough; translating complex requirements into clear client communication is crucial for successful web projects.

26:52 Clients often underestimate the time and complexity involved in creating a custom website, similar to renovating a kitchen.

Resources

Versa Studio (Website)
Website Planning for Small Businesses (Discount Code "robertplank")

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:16 — 33.2MB) | Embed

322: Ardor SEO: Build Links, Boost Your Search Ranking and Think Outside the Box with Reputation Engineer and Authority Marketer Kris Reid

May 31, 2017

Kris Reid is the founder of Ardor SEO. He's developed several tools to build backlinks and increase website ranking. Listen in to discover his advice about search engine optimization, including quick wins and low hanging fruit (for example, buy an aged domain, or increase your ranking on links on place #11 or #12 to bump yourself up to the first page).

Quotes:

“We win when you win. It's in our best interest to get you a positive ROI as quickly as possible.” – Kris Reid

“Digital marketing is like any other form of marketing. You can spend a million dollars a month on it, or you can spend $10—it depends on what your goals are.” – Kris Reid

“You really want to try to understand the customer's goals, work out a plan, and show them how to achieve it.” – Kris Reid

Takeaways:

05:12 Google constantly updates its algorithm to push websites toward creating better, more user-focused content.

14:23 Search results are personalized based on location, search history, and user context, making global ranking comparisons tricky.

20:35 Creating authentic testimonials and content about products or services you genuinely use can be an effective link-building strategy.

25:28 Focusing on improving rankings from page two to page one can dramatically increase website traffic with minimal effort.

28:17 Booking a free strategy call with an SEO expert can help businesses understand their digital marketing potential.

Resources

Ardor SEO (Kris' SEO Agency)
Kris Reid (Personal Site)
Mob Warrior (Online Game)
Ahrefs (All-in-one SEO toolset)
Moz (SEO software)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:07 — 26.7MB) | Embed

321: Coaching Certification: Create a Coaching Program, Bootcamp, or Course and Make Small Adjustments for Massive Business Success with Jessica Nazarali

May 30, 2017

Jessica Nazarali teaches people how to coach through her coaching certification training. If you like the idea of charging money to help others reach their goals in health, relationships, mindset or business, then you'll want to listen in to discover how you too can create a coaching program of your very own.

Quotes:

“If you don't have the skills to work with a client, it doesn't matter how great your funnels are; it doesn't matter how great your marketing is.” – Jessica Nazarali

“You need to be able to say the price of your program out loud, without hyperventilating, without going into a story of ‘nobody's going to pay this.’” – Jessica Nazarali

“When people are confident in their product, what they're offering, and their ability to work with clients successfully, that's when they get more glowing client testimonials.” – Jessica Nazarali

Takeaways:

00:21 Building a successful coaching business starts with having deep expertise in a specific field before becoming a coach.

07:17 Price your coaching services at a rate you can confidently state, starting around $500-$1000 per month, and gradually increase as you gain experience.

11:37 Begin coaching with one-on-one sessions to understand your audience and perfect your program before scaling to group formats.

22:29 Plan to cap your one-on-one client load at 8-15 clients, then transition to a group program for business growth and time management.

29:31 Your previous professional experience is a powerful differentiator and should be strategically integrated into your coaching narrative.

Resources

Jessica Nazarali (Official Site)
Coaching Mastery certification (Coaching Site)
Business Mastery certification (Get New Clients)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:17 — 30.5MB) | Embed

320: Credo: How to Hire an SEO Consultant or Agency with John Doherty

May 29, 2017

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:24 — 32.4MB) | Embed

John Doherty is a Denver Colorado based entrepreneur and marketing consultant. He's the founder of Credo, which helps you find the best SEO or digital marketing agency for Facebook ads, SEO audits, content marketing, and more. Listen in as he explains what information you need in order to hire an agency, why Credo exists and what he's learned about search engine optimization and hiring a team for your website.

Quotes:

“You'll think an expert is expensive until you hire an amateur.” – John Doherty

“Hiring the wrong agency or consultant can be a really expensive mistake. If you hire the wrong one, it's not only about money, but also time.” – John Doherty

“SEO is a long-term play. It's a marketing channel that works for everyone. It can take a solid three to six months to really start seeing any tangible gains.” – John Doherty

Takeaways:

02:00 Hiring cheap SEO services often leads to poor results, so invest in quality experts who understand your business needs.

12:24 Marketing strategies like SEO and Facebook ads require patience - give them 3-6 months to show meaningful results.

16:27 Vetting marketing professionals is crucial - look beyond surface-level claims and verify their actual work and client results.

20:49 Entrepreneurs should focus on their core strengths and hire specialists for tasks outside their expertise.

29:17 When seeking marketing help, be prepared to discuss your budget openly and understand that professional services require significant investment.

Resources

How to Hire an SEO (Website)
John F. Doherty's Blog (Blog)
Credo (Site)
Calendly (Site)
John (Twitter)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:24 — 32.4MB) | Embed

319: Live Events, Non-Profit Fundraisers, Sponsorships, Partnerships, Referrals and More with Small Business Consultant and Event Manager Melissa Forziat

May 26, 2017

Melissa Forziat is the founder and principal of Melissa Forziat Events. She's run live events of all shapes and sizes, from Rugby World Cups to fundraisers for non-profits. She works with clients to develop possible opportunities for growth, for example, partnership marketing (a photographer could send business to a videographer and vice versa.)

She also discusses how to make those calculated risks (look at the upside, pain of not doing it, and reward for doing it), developing confidence, and knowing your value.

Quotes:

“You can learn the skills you need to. Sometimes, you just need to be motivated by what you're doing.” – Melissa Forziat

“When you get creative, you can probably find another business or influencer to collaborate with, so you can mutually help each other gain more exposure, more clients, and more income.” – Melissa Forziat

“You have to know your value, because if you're getting less than your value for the thing you're providing, you're going to feel it.” – Melissa Forziat

Takeaways:

02:53 Skills from one career can transfer successfully to another with creativity and motivation.

12:56 Live events are just one of many marketing options for small businesses.

21:47 Partnership marketing offers powerful ways to expand business reach by collaborating with complementary businesses.

27:21 Taking calculated risks and believing in your business value is crucial for entrepreneurial success.

29:39 Undercharging early in your business can lead to long-term resentment and burnout.

Resources

Melissa Forziat Events (Website)
Melissa (Facebook)
Small Business Marketing on a Budget (Free E-Book)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:39 — 29.9MB) | Embed

318: Add Storytelling to Your Marketing for Amazing Results in Any Startup Pitch Meeting, Stage Presentation, or Job Interview with The Pitch Whisperer John Livesay

May 25, 2017

John Livesay is The Pitch Whisperer which means you should use micro-stories in your presentations, at job interviews, or perhaps at a pitch meeting where you're seeking funding. Every good story contains exposition (who, what, where, why), a problem, solution, and resolution.

You can discover your own stories by thinking about your family or vacations you've traveled to. Then fit that interesting material into a narrative. For example, Johnny Walker uses a rags to riches story in its marketing and Prudential uses a rebirth story. Think about your origin story of tenacity and perseverance, what inspired you, and then test that material on others to get feedback.

When you're speaking and pitching, people are asking themselves: do I trust you and do you make eye contact? (gut), do I like you and do you display empathy towards me? (heart), and will this work for me? (head) You can also build your confidence by being prepared: know your opening, closing, and takeaways to bring to that presentation.

Quotes:

“Storytellers rule the world. Forget selling—tell stories instead. Then you'll pull people in, get hired, gain new clients, or secure funding.” – John Livesay

“A good story has four elements: exposition (who, what, where, when), a problem, a solution, and a resolution.” – John Livesay

“People buy emotionally and then back it up with logic. If all you're doing is talking numbers, you're going to bore people.” – John Livesay

Takeaways:

05:28 A good story has four key elements: exposition, problem, solution, and resolution.

11:02 Everyone has interesting stories to share, often found in family histories or personal experiences.

15:01 Practice and preparation are critical for building confidence in high-stakes presentations.

19:47 When pitching, focus on building trust through eye contact, showing empathy, and demonstrating how your solution works.

21:24 People make emotional decisions first and then justify them with logic.

Resources

The Pitch Whisperer (Official Site)
The Successful Pitch (Podcast)
John Livesay (Twitter)
John Liveway (LinkedIn)
Text "PITCH" to 66566 to overcome the three mistakes with preparation, confidence, and correction

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:22 — 25.1MB) | Embed

317: Business Building for Musicians and Rockstars: Use Your Website, Email Marketing and Social Media to Build a Following with Female Entrepreneur Musician Bree Noble

May 24, 2017

Bree Noble is a female entrepeneur musician who noticed that musicians share quite a few similarities with entrepreneurs in other niches: they all tend to be plotting/crafting/tweaking but are stuck on a path of creating new projects without finishing them. As a result, they've spent most of their time recording an album but very little time marketing, and as a result, their business somewhat half-baked.

Bree explains that musicians need to setup a real web presence, especially a homebase. That doesn't only mean posting on Facebook... it also means creating a modern looking blog with a .com domain name and landing pages. It means building an email list with a squeeze page, running Facebook ads, recording behind the scenes videos, posting on Twitter and Instagram, possibly using crowdfunding, and using Facebook Live to build that following.

Quotes:

“They've got all these ideas coming into their head all the time—new songs, ways you can market, shows you can do. Those are cool. Those are great. I don't want to stop you from having those. But if they don't have anything to do with your 90-day goals, I want you to write them down, put them in what I call an inspiration vault, and save them for later.” – Bree Noble

“The CD does not create fans. Your fan base is your vehicle to sell CDs, do live shows, and actually make money—not the actual recording of the CD.” – Bree Noble

“They don't realize that if they don't work on the marketing side, they're eventually going to run out of money and won't be able to keep doing the thing they love.” – Bree Noble

Takeaways:

02:22 Musicians must treat their music career like a business, not just a creative pursuit.

12:09 Focus on one big goal for 90 days and create a clear plan to achieve it.

33:06 Spend 80% of your time marketing and 20% creating content to build a successful music career.

07:14 Build a fan base before expecting industry professionals to discover and support you.

17:54 Create a strong online home base with a well-branded website that represents your music and allows fans to connect.

Resources

Female Entrepreneur Musician (Official Site)
19 sources of income for musicians (Website)
NoiseTrade (Website)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:51 — 35.6MB) | Embed

316: Run Your Business and Your Life with P.I.E.K. Efficiency: Organize, Experiment, and Course-Correct Your Path to Freedom and Success with the 5 Dollar Dinner Mom Erin Chase

May 23, 2017

Erin Chase from 5DollarDinners.com is a busy mother who realized she could help others live their lives by becoming more organized through PIEK efficiency: Plan, Implement, Evaluate, Kill.

Listen in as she explains how she grew from affiliate ads into paid classes and membership sites. She explains how she made her course and membership site different compared to "recipe" or "meal planning" sites as well as how she developed the software to make it truly stand out.

Quotes:

“When you go from spinning backward to spending forward, you can use all that emotional and mental energy on whatever else in your life you need to spend it on, instead of food.” – Erin Chase

“I want you invested in this, and I want you to succeed. The best way to do that is for you to invest in it.” – Erin Chase

“I've always been a bit obsessed with efficiency—more so than productivity. I’d call myself a pretty productive person, but I want things to be efficient, both in my own work and within our team.” – Erin Chase

Takeaways:

06:36 Efficiency and productivity are critical skills that can be developed and applied across personal and professional life.

14:58 Creating a list of 20 family-favorite meals helps break routine cooking patterns and expands meal variety.

21:46 Small morning decisions and organizational habits can prevent a cascade of stress and poor choices throughout the day.

25:08 Developing software or tools should focus on intuitive design that allows users to navigate without extensive instructions.

28:49 Many entrepreneurs struggle with implementing plans and evaluating project progress, which hinders business growth.

Resources

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:14 — 28.6MB) | Embed

315: Delete, Delegate, Do: Defeat Overwhelm, Maximize Your Revenue, and Create Time with Business Productivity Expert Nancy Gaines

May 22, 2017

Nancy Gaines is a business productivity expert who wants to remove your stress, give you more time in the day, and help you live up to your full potential by becoming your best self. Done is better than none, so you need to throw out that to-do list and find a better way of getting things done. Nancy can help you to free up one hour in the day, overcome fear/overwhelm, chunk light tasks together, and so much more. Make money, save, then systematize.

Quotes:

“Anything you do in your business more than twice should have a repeatable system. Anything you do more than three times should be automated, so it runs by itself.” – Nancy Gaines

“Done is better than none. Most people are too afraid to take action because it's not perfect.” – Nancy Gaines

“Everything can be undone. There are very few things in life that you can't undo.” – Nancy Gaines

Takeaways:

04:28 Focus on your highest and best use of time by outsourcing tasks that cost less than your hourly rate.

08:46 Chunk similar tasks together to reduce time wasted switching between different types of work.

14:33 Use the "333" method: delete three tasks, delegate three tasks, and focus on three priority tasks.

17:50 Create systems for any business task you do more than two times to increase efficiency.

21:22 Take action, even if it's not perfect, because "done is better than none."

Resources

Nancy Gaines (Official Website)
HireMyMom.com (Website)
Full Contact: (Get Additional Information About Your Leads)
InfusionSoft: (Small Business CRM Software)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:38 — 26.2MB) | Embed

314: Day Job to Dream Job: Have a Plan B, Become Your Own Boss, and Enjoy What You Do While Making Money with Kathy Brunner

May 19, 2017

Kathy Brunner says that you must have a Plan B where you hope for the best but plan for the worst. She's an expert in helping people either change career paths or retire and become full-time entrepreneutrs. 70% of her clients end up starting a business and 30% simply need a career change. Many times, her clients initially come to her feeling burned out, a disconnect, or no way to control her work day.

Her solution is to ask a series of thought-provoking questions, such as:

What decisions in the past have you regretted? (very few, so take the risk that improves your life)
What decisions have you made based on the opinions or suggestions of others? (most likely ones that you're unhappy with today)
What decisions are you glad you made? (usually, those that involved taking a leap of faith)

If you're ready to break the cycle of being too comfortable, then listen in to what Kathy has to say.

Quotes:

“Sometimes people need to leave a job because, even if they've had expert training in it, done it for many years, and done it well, they just don't have a passion for it anymore.” – Kathy Brunner

“The number one thing that holds many people back is what their mind tells them they can't do.” – Kathy Brunner

“For many people, what someone else has already planned for them is what they've settled on for themselves.” – Kathy Brunner

Takeaways:

01:37 Always have a Plan B, as job security is never guaranteed.

07:57 Passion and skills can be transformed into successful business opportunities.

10:55 Burnout often stems from feeling underappreciated and lacking control in your work environment.

18:46 Your mindset is the biggest barrier to making significant career changes.

23:46 Identify past decisions driven by others' opinions to break free from limiting beliefs.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:13 — 26.7MB) | Embed

313: CPA on Fire: Market Yourself, Setup the Proper Legal Business Structure, and Save More of the Money You Earn with Josh Bauerle

May 18, 2017

Josh Bauerle is the CPA on Fire. He provides accounting advice and services for many successful entrepreneurs such as John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur on Fire. Listen in as he explains what entrepeneurs need to know (choose the right business entity, don't want until tax time, separate your business and personal bank accounts and credit card) as well as how he's marketed himself online and discovered his unique hook.

Quotes:

“Anytime you can show people exactly how it's going to correlate to their money and put more money in their pockets, that gets people interested.” – Josh Bauerle

“You have to constantly be willing to fail. You have to constantly be willing for people to say no to you. And every once in a while, it's going to work—and when it does, it makes up for all the no's and all the failures, and more.” – Josh Bauerle

“You need to have those numbers. You should be able to go at any point in the year and say, ‘Okay, year to date, I've made this much, I've spent this much. This is what I can do to improve.” – Josh Bauerle

Takeaways:

06:01 Separate your business and personal finances to track expenses accurately and maximize tax savings.

10:07 Choose the right business entity based on your income level to potentially save thousands in taxes each year.

19:20 Build your business by providing value to other entrepreneurs' audiences through podcasts, blogs, and strategic partnerships.

21:53 Understand your business numbers to make smarter financial decisions about reinvestment and personal income.

24:45 Always be willing to fail fast and test new business ideas with minimal upfront investment.

Resources

CPA on Fire (Website)
Four Finance Lessons Entrepreneurs Can't Afford to Miss (Free Report)
Contact Josh: josh@cpaonfire.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:01 — 28.4MB) | Embed

312: Create a Magical Solution, Entertain Your Prospects to Make Sales, and Build a Huge Online Influence with the Ultimate Weight Loss Coach Nagina Abdullah

May 17, 2017

Nagina Abdullah from Masala Body is a weight loss coach who lost 40 pounds through an interesting weight loss method (replacing sugar and other unhealthy substances with spices such as cinnamon and turmeric). Listen in as she explains her journey to monetize that passion with an online bootcamp and coaching program.

Quotes:

“Weight loss is 80% food, so you don't really need to exercise in the beginning—it just comes off.” – Nagina Abdullah

“Instead of telling people everything, tell them one thing they can do. Simplify it, break it down, and give them one simple thing.” – Nagina Abdullah

“People actually listen when they're paying money for something. They don't listen to free advice as much.” – Nagina Abdullah

Takeaways:

02:02 Simplify complex advice into one actionable step to help people take initial action and build trust.

15:35 Charging premium prices creates client commitment and increases likelihood of achieving desired results.

26:49 Develop multiple income streams while maintaining job stability to reduce financial risk.

30:42 Build genuine media relationships by showing authentic interest in their work, not just seeking personal exposure.

33:47 Continuously refine your business offering based on client feedback and market response.

Resources

Three Recipes to Banish Late Night Cravings (Gift For Listeners Of The Robert Plank Show)
Masala Body (Nagina's Official Site)
Spice Yourself Skinny (8 Week Program)
Food 2B Fit (10 Week Jumpstart)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:11 — 34.0MB) | Embed

311: Disruptive Advertising: Boost Organic Search Engine Rankings, Master Pay-Per-Click Ads and Optimize Your Site with Chris Dayley

May 16, 2017

Chris Dayley from Disruptive Advertising is an expert when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and conversion optimization. Many SEO agencies are short sighted and simply look for a "trick" to provide their clients, such as ranking them in Google.

However, Chris and his agency like to make data-driven decisions. A "great" looking website is an essential ingredient, but they also run A/B tests, think about what the customer is expecting to see on the page, improve load time, and use the data from heatmapping software (HotJar) to change navigation.

Additionally, Chris says that every website needs to have: a value proposition (identified by the audience), a call-to-action (that they can identify in 2-3 steps), content (watch how much they're consuming), clarity/conciseness/readability, removal of all diversions/distractions (such as banner ads), and handling any anxiety people have when visiting that website.

Quotes:

“The hardest part for a lot of businesses is, number one, actually doing it, and then number two, it can kind of be a blow to the ego.” – Chris Dayley

“When there are a lot of offers, people can get really overwhelmed, and it's much less likely that they will click on the one thing they want.” – Chris Dayley

“The hardest part for a lot of businesses is, number one, actually doing it, and number two, it can be a blow to the ego.” – Chris Dayley

Takeaways:

03:21 Traffic without conversion is pointless for business growth.

12:56 Always test website elements scientifically before making major changes.

17:30 Small website changes can dramatically improve sales performance.

20:27 User behavior data matters more than personal website design preferences.

28:40 Mobile websites should be customized, not just made responsive.

Resources

A/B Testing Starter Guide (Website)
Disruptive Advertising (Website)
HotJar (Website)
Visual Website Optimizer (Website)
Google Optimize (Google Optimize)
Diesel Power Gear (Website)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:21 — 29.6MB) | Embed

310: Become an Online Superhero by Creating a Socially-Focused Business with Leon Jay

May 15, 2017

Leon Jay is the author of How To Become A Superhero: Build A Better Business And Help Save The World" and his website is SocialPreneur.tv. He quickly realized the money isn't everything, and that it's all about the 4 R's: reduce, reuse, recycle, and restore.

In our discussion today, Leon shares how you can not only find that higher purpose that's greater than money, it can actually make you more money and give your business that "differentiator" to stand out in the marketplace. Your Purpose leads to your Passion, which leads to the right People, and you discover the Place you need to be, which leads to Profit.

Quotes:

“In every problem lies an opportunity within its solution. So if you look around and see all the problems in the world, we're surrounded by opportunities in finding solutions for those problems.” – Leon Jay

“If each of us tries to focus on solving one specific problem, then with seven-plus billion people on the planet, we would eventually make some serious impact.” – Leon Jay

“All the best heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary.” – Leon Jay

Takeaways:

03:37 Every business problem contains an opportunity for creating a meaningful solution that can positively impact the world.

10:13 Successful businesses can differentiate themselves by matching product quality while adding a social or environmental mission.

17:33 Entrepreneurs should prioritize purpose over profit, starting with understanding what truly matters to them.

31:21 Fear often blocks people from pursuing their true purpose, but taking the first step is crucial to making a difference.

25:24 Businesses currently contribute to global problems, and conscious entrepreneurs must work to reduce their negative impact.

Resources

How to Become a Superhero (Book)
SocialPreneur.tv (Website)
EcoStore cleaning products (EcoStore Website)
Zen Bags (Reusable Shopping Bags)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:37 — 31.7MB) | Embed

309: Fail Less and Grow More: Focus on Your Marketing, Discover Your Buyer’s Journey, and Use Both Tactics and Strategies with Growth Partner Chris Deardorff

May 12, 2017

Chris Deadorff from The Market Compass (contact him at info@themarketcompass.com) is a marketing professional from Boulder, Colorado. His business model is to become a "growth partner" with startups who need a more strategic approach.

Chris noticed that many startups are focused too much on tactics (i.e. a case study or video) and are missing the strategy side. Startups need to know their objectives, find their target audience, and understand the buyer's journey. They can start that process with a simple 2-page marketing plan.

Quotes:

“Marketing is about truly growing your business by telling a compelling story about why your product or service will make your customers' lives better.” – Chris Deardorff

“I can't emphasize enough the importance of being strategic about marketing. It doesn't have to take a lot of time, but it will save you a ton of time and money, and make your marketing more effective.” – Chris Deardorff

“If you want to have good marketing, you have to provide some sort of incentive. To really get their attention and to get them to engage, you have to provide some sort of incentive.” – Chris Deardorff

Takeaways:

00:30 Startups need to view marketing as a growth engine, not just advertising.

02:59 Strategic marketing matters more than random tactics for startup success.

07:13 Create a simple two-page marketing plan that outlines clear objectives and quarterly goals.

18:23 Pay for quality market research to truly understand your customer base.

23:43 Build marketing systems that can run with minimal manual intervention.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:49 — 23.6MB) | Embed

308: How to Quit Your 9-5, Motivate Yourself, Experience the Entrepreneur Lifestyle, and Take Action with Ryan Grant

May 11, 2017

Ryan Grant from the Online Selling Experiment decided that working for someone else (as an accountant) simply wasn't for him. In order to make "the jump" from a corpoate 9-5 to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Ryan decided he needed to have the following in place:

$500-$1000 per month income from 10 hours per week (which he could 4X if he had to in an emergency)
A cushion of money (savings)
A stream of real estate income (Ryan occupied one end of a duplex, rented out the other end, and found a roommate to share his unit as well)

Since going full time, Ryan has built and scaled a business (with employees) with Amazon FBA. He started with retail arbitrage, then expanded to wholesaling and private labeling. Listen to what he has to say about system thinking, self motivation and avoiding bright shiny objects.

Quotes:

“Ideas are only worth something once they're executed, and you won't really know what you're capable of or what's possible until you try.” – Ryan Grant

“The only person to keep you motivated and to keep you going is yourself.” – Ryan Grant

“Most people tend to bite off more than they can chew. I've taken that approach and found that it doesn't actually lead to results in very many places. It leads to doing a bunch of things at a fairly low level.” – Ryan Grant

Takeaways:

04:03 Start planning your business exit strategy while still working your day job to ensure a smooth transition.

16:51 Proactively manage potential isolation in entrepreneurship by intentionally creating social interactions and networking opportunities.

18:28 Systematize one business method completely before adding new income streams to prevent spreading yourself too thin.

22:45 Avoid chasing multiple shiny objects simultaneously, which leads to doing many things poorly instead of excelling in one area.

25:36 Take small, concrete actions to test a business idea, like scanning product barcodes with a free app and investing $50-$100 in initial inventory.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:02 — 25.7MB) | Embed

307: Elevate Your Brand, Create Evergreen Podcasts, and Build an Audience with Podfest Founder and Tampa Event Planner Chris Krimitsos

May 10, 2017

Chris Krimitsos has run over 1700 live events in the Tampa, Florida area, created the Florida Podcaster's Association, and most importantly, runs the PodFest conference for podcasters in Orlando every year. He explains to us how he built a following for his live events and how to get your branding right (start with problems and people instead of keywords).

He also has a very concept called evergreen podcasts: look at the 5-10 frequently asked questions (FAQs) on your sites and create a podcast episode answering each of those questions in order to have a podcast that promotes your offers forever.

Quotes:

“Audio strategically placed well within the podcast medium makes it searchable online content that people might stumble upon.” – Chris Krimitsos

“Keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars. Take action and prioritize what truly needs to be done.” – Chris Krimitsos

“If you have a business and want people to truly understand what you do, replace the FAQs on your website with a five- or ten-episode evergreen podcast.” – Chris Krimitsos

Takeaways:

05:02 Networking and personal connections can be more effective than broad marketing strategies.

13:37 Most podcasters are introverts who prefer speaking into a mic without seeing their audience.

18:29 Build your brand by understanding what unique experience or information you can provide to your target audience.

22:06 Create podcast content that addresses specific audience pain points and provides clear value.

27:53 Marketing your content is just as important, if not more important, than creating the content itself.

Resources

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:46 — 30.0MB) | Embed

306: Success, Positioning, Aspiration, Inspiration, and Perspiration: Start a Movement with Giving Back Podcast Host Rob Lowe

May 9, 2017

Rob Lowe has interviewed over 100 social entrepreneurs in the Giving Back Podcast to bring attention to the charity-based movements created around the world. He shares how he built his podcast, as well as the common threads he's discovered while interviewing these experts who are giving back.

Quotes:

“Passion is crucial. Things will get tough—really tough. The one thing that will carry you through hard times is your passion.” – Rob Lowe

“For the most part, or sometimes entirely, these organizations are made up of volunteers. A key aspect is engaging them and presenting opportunities.” – Rob Lowe

“I'm not really smart enough or wise enough to be a coach or a mentor, but what I do bring is that I am a very good accelerator.” – Rob Lowe

Takeaways:

03:14 Finding and highlighting unsung heroes who are making a difference can inspire broader community involvement and create meaningful social impact.

08:00 Inspiring others through personal action can create a ripple effect of community engagement and positive change.

17:19 Success in social impact follows similar patterns to business success, requiring passion, focus, and perseverance.

21:47 Organizations thrive when they genuinely listen to volunteers and match their skills with meaningful opportunities.

26:58 Building a successful movement requires connecting people, resources, and helping them accelerate their goals.

You can contact Rob by emailing him at givingbackpodcast@gmail.com and enter "Heard of you on the Robert Plank podcast" in the subject line.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:36 — 28.0MB) | Embed

305: Boost Your Confidence, Get More Opportunities, and Discover Deals with Negotiation Consultant Kwame Christian

May 8, 2017

Negotiation consultant Kwame Christian from the American Negotiation Institute wants to give you the confidence (competence breeds competence) to get what you want in your business relationships with others. Go into negotiations with information beforehand, ask open-ended questions, then adjust (be flexible). Use curiosity to find the right deal, and discover if a deal exists. Spend 70% of your time listening and 30% of your time speaking.

Quotes:

“Negotiation isn't the art of deal-making; it's the art of discovering deals.” – Kwame Christian

“Competence breeds confidence. Success or failure in negotiations isn't determined by your ability to think quickly and deliver witty retorts; it's rooted in thorough preparation beforehand.” – Kwame Christian

“Every negotiation begins with an ask. We need to articulate our needs, and that's where most people stumble.” – Kwame Christian

Takeaways:

01:49 Negotiation is about discovering deals, not forcing predetermined outcomes.

09:33 Research your counterpart thoroughly, like you're preparing for a first date.

14:59 Practice "rejection therapy" to build confidence and overcome fear of asking.

17:50 Create high-value service packages with multiple elements to expand client budgets.

21:49 Ask open-ended questions and listen 70% of the time during negotiations.

Resources

American Negotiation Institute (Website)
Negotiate Anything podcast (Podcast)
Kwame Christian (LinkedIn)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:09 — 24.9MB) | Embed

304: Don’t Be Forgotten or Passed Over Online, Create a Membership Site Instead

May 5, 2017

Do you fear being "forgotten" online? What if you put in all this time, money, and energy, and it doesn't lead to making money?

What if, 1.5 years from now, you look back and realize that all the work you've done building an internet presence, putting in the work day-in and day-out, pursuing your dream, all amounted to nothing? (scary)

I'll be completely honest. You SHOULD be afraid of time running out, and going out of business, but (possibly) not for the reason you think...

Worried About Online Competition? You SHOULD Be!

YouTube users watch over 1 billion hours of video content per day, and according to the Wall Street Journal, that's set to eclipse TV viewership in 2017.
Over 6,000 books are published PER DAY according to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), (1200 in China and 800 from the U.S. alone -- every single day)
As of late 2016, 60 million business are actively marketing on Facebook (4 million of them using paid ads)

Are You Worried About Giving Up, Burning Out, or Quitting?

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are 28.8 million small businesses in the United States, and only one-third survive ten years. 82% of businesses fail because of cashflow problems, either not being cashflow-positive or from mis-management.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that: 400,000 new businesses appear every year, but in that same year, 470,000 close up shop!

The good news is: being a lean startup or "one person business" is easier that ever. According to a study performed just a few years ago, 8.6% of the U.S. workforce consists of solopreneurs and is expected to grow to 24 million people by 2018. Compare that to a McDonald's franchise that costs $750,000 in LIQUID assets to start-up, in addition to about $1 million in startup costs and now you're forced to pay up to 12% in gross sales back to that corporate office... no thank you.

And, I'm sure you've experienced those moments of doubt, uncertainty, and panic about what you're doing with this "Internet" stuff.

Are You Worried That Your Internet Business Will Eventually Fail, Leaving You With Nothing To Show But A Lot Of Wasted Effort?

I'm sure that you have way more ideas in your head than you have time to implement in just 24 hours every day
Chances are, you've started more projects, websites, and membership sites, than you've finished
I imagine that, like me, you've seen one or two sites out there and been JEALOUS that they beat you to the market -- and -- probably set something up better than you had imagined
It is my hope that you've skipped right past the low-baller stuff like affiliate marketing, CPA, solo ads and banner ads and instead looked to the low-hanging fruit of making money online: membership sites

Now, have you thought about this?

What If, Without A Guide, You Sort Of "Fudge It" And Crank Away From Membership Content?

Again, without anyone to guide you, what if you created a "sales letter" and added some stuff to get people to buy?

What if you only "guessed" about price points, where to get traffic, how to setup drip content, weren't sure about membership software or where to host your site, your design (website theme)? Doesn't that seem like only 1 possible way to go right and about 200 ways to go wrong?

(In the same way you might embark on a cross-country road trip with GPS vs. no map and no direction... how likely is it, with random trial-and-error, that you'll arrive at your destination?)

Can I Make It Simple For You?

First, decide who you are and what you do. What solutions you have to offer. How can you help "me" to get what I want? (With stock trading, real estate, WordPress, etc.)?

Seriously, don't skip this. What will I HAVE at the end of your course and your training? For example, if you teach me how to sell on eBay, I shouldn't end your course with "some ideas" on how to sell on eBay. I should end with actual SOLD ITEMS on eBay! An important distinction.

Setup WordPress (I want to show you that) and install a simple membership plugin (I'll give you Wishlist Member for free too), and take payments with something like PayPal (also free, they just take a very small percentage).

Create something called a sales letter that convinces people to join, and a button where they can join and pay you money.

They pay that money, and create an account in a membership site of yours (even if they made ONE single payment with nothing recurring) to get access to some downloads.

Now, this is important.

Please Avoid "tricks!"

Don't drip content or try to pad stuff, just deliver a simple solution to a simple problem that people have.

Membership sites, including creating content, making a sales letter, getting sales, preventing refunds, and producing evergreen income, is within your grasp, as long as you give yourself permission to finish what you start.

Look, I realize that these days, you have a ton of things distracting you. But! Here is what you should NOT do if you fear having a failing online business:

do NOT ignore everyone around you jumping on the membership site, online course, WordPress, passive income bandwagon. You will NOT wait it out! Membership sites and online courses are not fads, anymore than the Internet was a fad, or Facebook was a fad, or PayPal was a fad
do not run into panic mode and give your content away for free, or run to low-ticket offers, or delete your list and try to sell to a "handful of $5000 clients"... without name recognition, traffic, a huge list, affiliates and JV partners, and other offers, that simply won't work
do not continue on the path you're going now, hoping that things will stay the same. Imagine if you marketed online in 2017 with only a 2007 knowledge of how things are done? What about a 1997 mindset? You must keep up to date, and membership sites are the answer

Here's What You MUST Do Now:

Decide that you'll create a membership site (more specifically, a course) instead of "playing" with blogging (which takes years to pick up), coaching (best way to get a coaching client, hand-holding based on your course), or thinking about it without taking any action
Solidify what SOLUTION you could deliver to your people in four simple milestones of 60-90 minutes per milestone

These are just two of the actions you should take if you care about your future, your financial well-being, your legacy, and your family.

It's time for you to stop fearing success, stop fearing membership sites and create passive income (leverage) for yourself in 2017.

Quotes:

“Do not ignore everyone around you jumping on the membership site, online course, WordPress, passive income bandwagon. You will not wait it out.” – Robert Plank

“Membership sites and online courses are not fads—no more than the internet was a fad, or Facebook was a fad, or PayPal was a fad.” – Robert Plank

“It's time for you to stop fearing success, stop fearing the technical aspects of membership sites, and start creating passive income leverage for yourself—right now.” – Robert Plank

Takeaways:

03:20 Online competition is fierce, with millions of businesses fighting for attention across digital platforms.

05:15 Creating a membership site is the smartest path to building sustainable online income.

06:30 Focus on delivering clear, actionable solutions that help customers achieve specific results, not just provide vague ideas.

07:45 Stop waiting and start taking real action on your online business ideas instead of endlessly planning.

08:30 Membership sites and online courses are not temporary trends, but long-term business strategies with proven staying power.

Hop on this path to get started:

Membership Cube: Create Your Membership Site Today

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:35 — 9.7MB) | Embed

303: Ten Closely Guarded Membership Site Insights (Breakthroughs) to 10X Your Online Income

May 4, 2017

Here's what Lance Tamashiro and I have to say about membership sites:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:42 — 19.9MB) | Embed

This is perfect for you if you've been CONFUSED with all the overwhelm/choices when it comes to creating a COMPLETE and PROFITABLE membership site...

Ever heard anyone say: "just use one of these 10 plugins, one of these 10 themes?" And been left more confused when you started? Yeah, me too...

Membership Site Solution

What helps instead: is, first, have a clear plan of action. Use WordPress to host it on YOUR OWN website. We'll give you the theme (design) and plugins to take payments and do everything else.

We include a special tool inside our Membership Cube course that sets it all up in 1-click:
Your theme, plugins, and "framework" for content so you can edit to make it your own...

Worry about the "fancy" stuff later. It's easier to edit crap than air. Don't let yourself get bogged down with unnecessary choices.

Second, keep things simple. Don't get in your own way creating 2 months or 6 months of content out of the gate. What's the point if no one will see it?

Focus on completing that membership site and creating the BARE MINIMUM so that someone could join TODAY. If that means you only have time for a single web page (sales letter) with a one-time payment button for $50, that's something you'll put in place TODAY (a must-have) and improve on a rainy day if and when you feel like it (a nice-to-have).

Create a way for people to buy access first,
because you don't want to wait until the last minute to do that AND you don't know if you'll feel like it later...

Do It Before Your Time Runs Out

Third (and in keeping with having a clear plan and keeping things simple), do it FAST. Chances are you're the most excited about your membership site NOW and, six months from now, if a "membership site" is a burden that you never setup, you'll never finish. Do it NOW while it's still fresh on your mind...

Fourth, only focus on the things that matter (this is called "80/20"). Drip content, how "pretty" your site looks, are NOT things that could double or triple your income, so focus on the low-hanging fruit instead...

Fifth, sell something that solves a real problem, as opposed to what seems "interesting" to you. This alone is HUGE and most of your competition (most) doesn't get this...

what if you sold access to a membership site about how to knit your own cable knit sweaters? Is that an actually a DESPERATE problem people are willing to pay money for? (I doubt it)
how about a course on how to flip real estate or lose weight (Yes! People are asking for that, looking for that, and buying that, so you just have to add your own unique spin on it)
a course about how to get better grades, how to learn to play the tuba, how to save money couponing, how to quit your day job in 9 years... are people really asking for that AND looking to pay money for it?(Probably not)
on the other hand... drone racing, dating, weight loss (some very specific solution or method), stock market trading... people want those things

Have a Purpose (Don't Just Run Out the Clock)

What's great about having a real purpose, keeping it simple, doing it fast, focusing on what matters, and solving a problem: you can get to the money FASTER because you're not letting a bunch of things get in your way... you have course-correction. It's good to make mistakes in this case, because every mistake leads to more money...

Listen, I started with info-products and membership sites by teaching something super nerdy... computer programming... and was it a super sexy topic? Heck no, it wasn't...

I quickly realized that my buyers were made of up two groups: other nerdy programmers like me who wanted to pick up some new skills (who refunded often and didn't pay all that much)... and...

Actual business owners who had websites and wanted to use my plug-ins and templates to make more money with their online business. People who wanted some simple instructions on how to write copy for web pages, create podcasts, and so on...

The point is: put some stuff out there, see how people use it and adjust your business based on what those HIGH DOLLAR buyers use, and want. Not just what you "guess" will sell...

Do people care about how many years you've been in business, how many hours you put into creating videos or even how many hours of videos total? Not really... they care about the RESULTS that you will give them.

Technical Challenges Shouldn't Stop You

Six, and getting into technical terms here but not too much, membership sites are just "on" or "off." If someone buys, they have access. If they refund, they don't have access. If they pay you money on a payment plan (which you can add later), they get access. If they cancel that payment plan, it sends a signal to your membership site to cut off access. On or off. Simple.

(Also not getting technical, but membership sites allow you to have "levels" which means you can sell multiple products from just one site.)

Seven, everything is un-doable on the internet, and even moreso with membership sites. I know someone who has been "thinking" about creating a membership site for the last 6 years, and still doesn't have one, and I know the exact reason!

The reason: he thinks "the cost of members downloading content" will cost too much. He hasn't made progress on his membership site in 6 years because a problem that does not currently exist (no content AND no members). Don't become another statistic. Stop thinking about it, because most things that you think are problems, are NOT problems. (Your web host does not charge you when people download or watch content).

Eight, bring your students (buyers) from point A to point B (this is an "online course" that you'll sell for $100-$500 per person).

How much does a book cost? 99 cents on Kindle? How about an audio book? 9 dollars on Audible? What about a uDemy course? 20 bucks? Why?

Because, a regular "book" only contains chapters. Lists. Tips. That's "cheap"...

Instead, figure out where your course will END, and what people will HAVE at the end. Not what they'll learn or know, but what they'll have setup...

Then, break it down into four milestones. Example:

END GOAL: podcast is setup with episodes, traffic, and guests
Module 1: create and publish your first podcast episode
Module 2: add music, graphics, and more content
Module 3: rank your podcast
Module 4: promote your podcast with pre-selling, sponsors, and affiliate products

Each "module" is 60-90 minutes with an assignment (we call it a challenge) to make sure your people don't get overloaded with tips and possibilities. Instead, they take action.

Bonus: by having a membership site that has a clear end-goal (light at the end of the tunnel) -- and not useless monthly tips that last forever --

Nine, and speaking of taking action, DON'T create the content first. Don't launch with all the bellsand whistles like extra bonuses and training calls, software, and coaching.

Save that for the next time you promote your offer. That's a bonus you can add in. And, you can wait until you get some initial customers and ask a few of them (1-on-1 and privately) if XYZ bonus that you were thinking of adding would be welcomed. That way you're giving your best buyers what they want, again, instead of guessing... so...

Have a clear plan of action (so you know when you've arrived at your goal)

Keep it simple

Do it fast

Focus on what matters (don't spend too much time on upsells or video #20 if no one has joined and watched video #1)

Solve a real problem

Membership sites are just "on" or "off" (they're a member in good standing or they aren't)

Everything is un-doable with membership sites (don't stress out about future technical problems that may or may not happen)

Get your buyers from Point A to Point B (milestones)

Don't create the content first -- make the membership site first, including the buy button

And... the BEST thing I can tell you today to get up and running with your membership sites:

Ten, don't start with a "monthly forever" site right out of the gate.

It makes a lot more sense (to me) to create one solution that solves one problem. Charge one single payment. They pay, they get access. If they stop paying, they lose access.

That's the best bang for your buck right now. You can add payment plans, upsells, and monthly stuff later. What's important right now is that you create a membership site tonight, so you can get it in place, get that first paying member, make money --

Finally get rewarded for your online efforts (as opposed to continually starting new projects, not finishing, and not seeing any real results)...

Create a membership site. Keep it simple. Our Membership Cube course will get you to do that:

Join Membership Cube Now to Get Everything You Need for Your Membership Site
(in One Place)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:42 — 19.9MB) | Embed

302: Blogging, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Marketing, and Working from Home with Joseph Hogue

May 3, 2017

Joseph Hogue from My Work From Home Money is an online entrepreneur, and on the podcast, he explains how he built his business by spending 30 hours per week blogging plus 20 hours per week with freelance writing.

Quotes:

“Websites are real estate development in a digital format.” – Joseph Hogue

“You have to have a passion. You have to start with a passion for the subject, because the money won't be there immediately, and it's going to grow slowly over time.” – Joseph Hogue

“An online business is just that—a business. And you have all those other little parts that you have to learn and understand.” – Joseph Hogue

Takeaways:

06:09 Start with action and adapt quickly, rather than over-planning your online business strategy.

11:52 Maintain a structured daily work schedule to avoid procrastination and feel good about your progress.

17:57 Treat your online business like a real business, addressing all aspects including SEO, sales, and communication.

20:25 Use broken link building as an effective, scalable strategy to improve your website's search engine ranking.

27:57 Choose a niche you're passionate about, as money won't come immediately and you'll be writing about this topic for a long time.

Resources

My Work from Home Money blog (Blog)
Peer Finance 101 (Website)
Crowd 101 (Crowd Funding Blog)
Screaming Frog (SEO Spider Tool)
Ahrefs (Backlink Research)
BuzzStream (Track Conversations With Influencers)

Joseph's Schedule

7:30-10:30AM: Just write
10:30-11:00AM: Check traffic & emails
11:00-11:30AM: Blog commenting & sharing
Afternoon: Writing & products
1-2 hours: Reading, research, monetization, affiliates, ideas

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:52 — 29.2MB) | Embed

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Worried About Online Competition? You SHOULD Be!

Are You Worried About Giving Up, Burning Out, or Quitting?

Are You Worried That Your Internet Business Will Eventually Fail, Leaving You With Nothing To Show But A Lot Of Wasted Effort?

What If, Without A Guide, You Sort Of "Fudge It" And Crank Away From Membership Content?

Can I Make It Simple For You?

Please Avoid "tricks!"

Here's What You MUST Do Now:

Quotes:

Takeaways:

Membership Site Solution

Do It Before Your Time Runs Out

Have a Purpose (Don't Just Run Out the Clock)

Technical Challenges Shouldn't Stop You

Join Membership Cube Now to Get Everything You Need for Your Membership Site(in One Place)

Quotes:

Takeaways:

Resources

Join Membership Cube Now to Get Everything You Need for Your Membership Site
(in One Place)