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200: Side Hustles: Part-Time Entrepreneurial Ideas, The Sharing Economy, and Just-in-Time Learning with Nick Loper
Nick Loper is an entrepreneur and digital business expert known for his work in side hustles and online income strategies. He runs the popular Side Hustle Nation blog and podcast, where he interviews entrepreneurs and shares insights about part-time business ideas. Nick is also the author of "Buy Buttons," a book that explores various online marketplaces and strategies for making extra money. He has built multiple online businesses, including a footwear comparison shopping site, and has become a respected voice in the entrepreneurial community for helping people explore alternative income streams.
Nick Loper from the Side Hustle Nation podcast is the king of side hustles: low-risk entrepreurship, for-profit hobbies. Thanks to marketplaces like iTunes, Fiverr, eBay, Craigslist, and other sharing economy sites, the universe has shrunk, and now is the time for you to jump in:
- Find a marketplace that uses the sharing economy (such as Uber, Airbnb, DogVacay, Turo for P2P car rental, Prosper for P2P loans)
- Use your unique skills (freelancing)
- Buy low and sell high
- Create your own products
Quotes:
“I think of side hustles as a lower-risk form of entrepreneurship. You don't have to quit your job, but if you have an extra 5, 10, or 20 hours a week and want to do something productive with that time, consider it like for-profit hobbies.” – Nick Loper
“We've underutilized assets in our lives—our car, spare bedroom, and even various platforms to generate money.” – Nick Loper
“Realistically, the biggest failure is often cash flow. Businesses fail because they don't bring in enough money or make enough sales.” – Nick Loper
Takeaways:
01:53 Marketplaces like Fiverr, Amazon, and Airbnb provide built-in audiences and easier entry points for new entrepreneurs.
04:13 Treating a side hustle like a real business, with persistence and willingness to learn from failures, is crucial to success.
22:17 Side hustles offer a low-risk path to entrepreneurship, allowing people to earn extra money and learn new skills without quitting their day job.
29:40 Small, incremental earnings can grow into significant income streams when approached with patience and strategic thinking.
37:39 Successful side hustlers focus on one platform or skill at a time, building momentum through consistent small actions.
Side Hustles Mentioned
- Turo (rent out your car)
- CuddleUp (charge money for cuddling -- yes, really)
- Fiverr (provide any service you want)
Resources
- Buy Button (Book)
- Side Hustle Nation (Podcast)
- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson (Website)
- Steve Scott (Website)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:27 — 43.4MB) | Embed
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199: Financial Gravity: Lower Taxes and Higher Profits with John Pollock
John Pollock is the CEO of Financial Gravity and an expert in tax planning for entrepreneurs and small business owners. He is the author of a book about the 10 biggest tax mistakes small business owners make, which is available for free through his website or by text. John has also created a program to train accountants and financial professionals in tax-saving strategies.
John Pollock from Financial Gravity wants to help you save on your taxes, since accountants and bookkeepers aren't trained for that. He has some unique insights on how you can get a tax blueprint to proactively plan your finances.
Be sure to text "TAXBOOK" to phone number 33-4444 for a free bonus.
Quotes:
“If I can show you ways to save on federal and state taxes, you'll also gain savings on payroll taxes and sales taxes, leading to a compounding effect.” – John Pollock
“The tax code is not designed for the rich. It's actually designed for the small business owner.” – John Pollock
“The IRS is a collection agency. That's the stark reality, and collection agencies are going to go after people that don't know the tax code, not people that do know the tax code.” – John Pollock
Takeaways:
02:08 Many business owners are surprised by big tax bills, and most accountants are not trained to help lower taxes.
06:00 There are thousands of pages in the tax code that can help business owners save money, but most people don’t know about them.
08:32 Using legal tax rules does not make you more likely to get audited.
14:00 Changing how you handle your business taxes can save you a lot of money.
20:08 Having a clear tax plan, like a “tax blueprint,” helps you know what steps to take to pay less in taxes.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:24 — 27.8MB) | Embed
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198: Practice Happy Now: Tap into Your Subconscious Mind, Crack the Ego Code, and Discover Emotional Laws with Rene Brent
Rene Brent is a certified clinical hypnotherapist with over 25 years of experience as a registered nurse. She is an international speaker and faculty member at the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy. Rene is the author of the international bestselling book "How Big is Your Butt," which offers practical exercises for understanding and overcoming mental blocks. Her work focuses on helping people tap into their subconscious mind and break through emotional barriers using scientific approaches to personal development.
Hypnotist Rene Brent, from Practice Happy Now, is a professional garage door opener. She believes that your brain is running an old program and can help you to get rid of false beliefs. She wants you to allow your subconscious mind to move you away from pain and towards pleasure.
Quotes:
“Hypnosis is like being a professional garage door opener—I help people open that garage door, hold the flashlight, and let them figure out what's blocking the door.” – Rene Brent
“The subconscious mind defines and runs about 95% of your day. So if you don't know what's going on in that garage, then someone else is driving the car, for sure.” – Rene Brent
“Your body acts as your emotional GPS, which is why we use expressions like gut-wrenching, sick to my stomach, or heartbroken—it's your body's way of communicating with you.” – Rene Brent
Takeaways:
01:46 Your subconscious mind runs 95% of your daily actions and can be redirected through specific mental techniques.
08:07 Breathing and accepting emotional sensations can help release stress and gain mental clarity.
12:09 Visualizing your desired day and emotional state before waking up can help set a positive mental framework.
16:06 False beliefs formed before age 10 can significantly impact your current perception and behavior.
20:23 Procrastination is often a protective mechanism driven by fear of failure.
Resources
- How Big Is Your BUT (Kindle Book)
- Practice Happy Now: 2 free meditations (Book)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:30 — 24.3MB) | Embed
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197: Million Dollar Platform: Create a Dream Business, Find Your Specialty, and Scale Your Business with Newsletter Guru Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer is a marketing and business building expert who helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses. He is the founder of the Dream Business Academy and the Dream Business Coaching and Mastermind Program. Jim hosts Dream Business Coach TV, a web TV show, and Stick Like Glue Radio, a weekly podcast. He is also the author of the book Decide. Jim is known for creating No Hassle Newsletters, a program that helps businesses with their newsletter marketing.
Jim Palmer is the Newsletter Guru and Dream Business Coach. He believes marketers should setup a Million Dollar Platform that includes email marketing, ezines, newsletters, and more. Many people lack focus and aren't finding their best customers. You should also mail a 4-page physical newsletter once a month to your best customers to retain those customers and get yourself some repeat, high-ticket sales.
Quotes:
“Starting a question with ‘Can I just’ is a limiting thought, as it implies you're already doubting your ability to do it all or your willingness to take it on fully.” – Jim Palmer
“The largest cost that most businesses have is the cost of acquiring a new customer.” – Jim Palmer
“People don't necessarily want to read everything about your business and what you do. It's important to have a balance of what can be considered relevant and non-relevant material.” – Jim Palmer
Takeaways:
02:31 Many business owners struggle because they try to do too much and don’t focus on what works best for them.
09:01 Doing many types of marketing, like email, books, and video, helps reach more customers because everyone learns differently.
13:10 Outsourcing most tasks lets you spend more time on important work that grows your business.
20:41 Sending a printed newsletter every month helps keep your business in customers’ minds.
28:24 Spending money to keep your customers is important because it costs more to find new ones.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:08 — 29.4MB) | Embed
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196: Generate Targeted Leads and Put Sales in the Pipeline: Outbound Email Marketing, Phone Closing and Objection Handling with Dan Englander
Dan Englander is the founder of Sales Schema, a company that helps agency owners and project-based businesses get more clients and grow their accounts. He was the first employee at the animation studio Idea Rocket, where he played a key role in growing the business from the ground up. Dan is also an author, having written "Mastering Account Management" and "The B2B Sales Blueprint." He lives in New York and works with creative agencies, especially those offering services like websites and video production.
Dan Englander from SalesSchema.com has some great information for you about marketing funnels and automation. Dan lands many new clients using outbound email marketing, virtual assistants, and phone closing.
He also has used some unique strategies to land new business. For example, he's contacted up-and-coming tech companies mentioned on CrunchBase or checking job posting on sites like Indeed and AngelList, who needed services such as animation videos. He also walks us through his process of qualifying his process, getting those leads to the proposal stage, feeling them out with test closes, handling objects and feedback, and more.
Quotes:
“It's very hard to completely and to automate human empathy, and that's really what sales entails.” – Dan Englander
“Sales calls quickly reveal your position in the market, often much faster than any number of survey funnels can.” – Dan Englander
“If I can learn, teach, or sell something every day, I’ll progress much faster than if I isolate myself from the world.” – Dan Englander
Takeaways:
01:50 Using sales tricks like fake deadlines in one-on-one emails can hurt trust if you don’t have a real reason for them.
06:02 Building your own list of leads is better than buying a pre-made list because you learn more and get better results.
14:57 Personalizing emails, even with simple details like recent company changes, makes your outreach more effective.
18:27 It’s better to ask someone if they can chat before sending a calendar link, so it feels more personal.
21:52 On the first call, make sure the person has a real need, is a decision maker, has a budget, and is ready to start soon.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:26 — 30.6MB) | Embed
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195: Rock, Paper, Simple: Create a Marketing-Focused Website in Seven Easy Steps with Joshua Adams
Joshua Adams is the founder of Rock Paper Simple, a company that helps businesses create websites that focus on marketing and results. With over 14 years of experience in web design, marketing, and branding, Joshua works with business owners to make sure their websites do more than just look good—they help bring in customers. Joshua often speaks at events and colleges about web design and marketing.
Joshua Adams from Rock Paper Simple wants his agency to help you create a marketing-focused website that's them-centric, with clear navigation, that speaks directly to visitors and makes conversions. Be sure to claim his free self audit worksheet to find out how your website measures up.
Seven steps to creating a marketing-focused website:
1. Shut up and listen (know thyself, benefits, goals)
2. Plan for results (design, words, pages)
3. Direct traffic (differentiate value of pages, decide on three most important services, call-to-action on homepage/sidebar)
4. Them-centric copy (wording that's beneficial to them)
5. Convert (phone number, working form, less fields)
6. Simplify navigation
7. Rock the visuals
Quotes:
“People really don't care who you are or what you know until they know that you either care about them or have value for them.” – Joshua Adams
“If you don't plan, you're just not going to get to that end goal. If you don't have a destination, you'll never get there.” – Joshua Adams
“Marketing serves as the intermediary step leading to sales. While the ultimate goal is achieving sales, marketing is driven by the intention to fulfill a specific purpose.” – Joshua Adams
Takeaways:
01:16 Focusing on marketing when building a website helps businesses get better results.
05:31 Making your website about your customers, not just your business, is important.
19:31 Setting clear goals for your website is a key first step.
25:05 Make it easy for visitors to take action, like buying or signing up.
36:35 Simple and clear navigation helps people use your website without confusion.
Resources
- Web design agency: Rock Paper Simple
- Case study: Sorensen Moving & Storage
- Self Audit Worksheet
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:54 — 35.6MB) | Embed
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194: The Voice Formula: Captivate the Room and Become a More Interesting Speaker with Tracy Goodwin
Tracy Goodwin is a voice expert and the owner of Captivate the Room, where she helps people improve their speaking skills and confidence. With over 20 years of experience and two master’s degrees, Tracy has coached hundreds of clients worldwide. She hosts a podcast and offers a free video series called The Voice Formula, along with online courses and group programs.
Tracy Goodwin from Captivate the Room can help you become a better speaker by improving your voice. Tracy says that your voice's muscle memory can be trained. You can retrain those good speaking habits that you might have previously lost over time and rediscover your real voice.
Many people have incorrectly tempered their voice, leading to that "stuck in the back of your throat" speaking style with dropped endings on sentences. Others forget to have tempering variety and still others forget to breathe when speaking.
Tracy wants you to speak with a pattern of unpredictability, to show vulnerability and be authentic. Break down your speaking strengths and weaknesses into the five elements of variety:
1. pausing
2. elongation
3. pitch
4. volume
5. speed
Quotes:
“We are all essentially born speaking in our true voice, rich with beautiful nuances, but as we grow older and accumulate experiences, we tend to hold that back.” – Tracy Goodwin
“The voice is your most powerful tool, as it breathes life into your words and distinguishes you from others.” – Tracy Goodwin
“Research reveals that every 90 seconds, the brain signals us to disengage. When our vocal delivery becomes predictable, we inadvertently give our audience the green light to lose focus.” – Tracy Goodwin
Takeaways:
02:02 Many people hold back their real voice because of past experiences or fear of judgment.
07:50 Common problems with speaking include holding your voice in your throat, not using enough variety, and forgetting to breathe.
13:03 Setting a moderate pace, pitch, and volume helps make your speaking more interesting.
22:27 Using pauses, elongation, pitch, volume, and speed adds variety and keeps listeners interested.
32:54 Tracy offers a free voice assessment if you send her a short audio or video clip.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:36 — 37.2MB) | Embed
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193: Madly Chasing Peace: Use 3×3 Focused Meditation to Find Inner Peace and Wisdom with Dina Proctor
Dina Proctor is a life and business coach and the best-selling author of "Madly Chasing Peace: How I Went from Hell to Happy in Nine Minutes a Day." She created the 3x3 meditation technique, which means meditating for three minutes, three times a day. Dina’s work focuses on helping people use short, focused meditation to improve their lives, health, and mindset.
Dina Proctor, author of Madly Chasing Peace, wants you to meditate in short bursts: just three minutes, three times a day. Dina was battling clinical depression, planning her suicide and dealing with alcohol addiction when she began to sit still and focus on her breathing for just a few minutes a day.
After eight weeks, that nagging inner voice in her head was gone and she was able to focus on every activity at hand. She found that inner peace and wisdom, and wants to show you how to do the same.
Quotes:
“Anything we want to manifest in our external world starts within. We don’t always need to know exactly what we want, because our higher guidance already knows what will truly fulfill us.” – Dina Proctor
“I truly believe that meditation, for me, isn’t an activity—it’s a state of being.” – Dina Proctor
“If you’re playing full out, it works. But if you’re half texting and half meditating, it’s not going to be effective.” – Dina Proctor
Takeaways:
00:55 Using short, focused meditation several times a day can help change your mindset and life.
02:48 Giving your mind a simple task during meditation, like counting backwards, can help quiet busy thoughts.
08:31 Building a meditation habit is like building a muscle; it gets easier with practice over time.
19:31 Even a few minutes of meditation, done regularly, can lead to big changes in how you feel and think.
26:07 If you don’t take care of your inner self, outside achievements can feel empty.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:03 — 27.5MB) | Embed
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192: Create Fearlessly: Get a High Converting Website for Your Business with Stephen Christopher
Stephen Christopher is the founder of Sequest Digital Marketing, a company that helps businesses improve their online presence through services like SEO, pay-per-click advertising, and web design. He is also the host of the Business Revolution podcast, where he talks with entrepreneurs and shares advice about business growth. Stephen has experience running several businesses and is known for focusing on what his company does best, while also making sure his clients are well taken care of.
Stephen Christopher from Seequs.com wants to help you with your organic search results, pay per click advertising, and web design.
Choose the top one to three objectives for your website: that's usually for your hot, warm, and cold leads. For example, your hottest prospects who want to buy right now could be looking for a phone number, the warm leads might fill out a contact form to request service, and the cold leads might only want to signup for a video or short report.
Don't take anything for granted, be super persistent (failure leads to perspective). Change the "bad" things about your business.
Quotes:
“Client success is not optional. We’re committed to providing as much guidance as possible because their success—both within our work and overall—is essential to us.” –Stephen Christopher
“Never give up. There is always a way to make what you want happen. What you're doing right now might not be the right approach, so if you fail, it's time to shift your perspective.” – Stephen Christopher
“Sometimes you might be doing something with the potential to succeed, but it’s not aligned with who you are or who you’re truly trying to become.” – Stephen Christopher
Takeaways:
01:02 Focus on what your business does best and let go of the rest.
06:17 Make your website easy for visitors to take action, like calling or filling out a form.
12:32 Good communication and customer service are very important for keeping clients happy.
21:53 Learn from mistakes and use them to build a better business.
26:53 Set clear company values and use them to guide your decisions.
Resources: Seequs SEO agency, Business Revolution Podcast, Business Revolution Facebook Group
Case studies: Petri Plumbing and Hal Elrod
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:00 — 32.0MB) | Embed
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191: Power and Bliss: Find Clarity and Focus Through Self-Care, Meditation and Consistency with Avalaura Gaither
Avalaura Gaither is an intuitive consultant, life coach, and author with a background in psychology and social work. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work from Howard University. Avalaura is the author of two books, "Power" and "Bliss," which focus on reclaiming personal strength and living a life filled with passion and purpose. She also runs Avalaura’s Healing Center and is active as a speaker and meditation guide.
Avalaura Gaither has a background in psychology and social work. She found herself trapped in her career and became an entrepreneur by becoming a guide for others in the areas of daily self-care, meditation, and stress relief.
Quotes:
“Get your mind right, your business will be tight.” – Avalaura Gaither
“The painful stuff—that’s where the magic is. It’s where you discover your true purpose and what will set you apart from everyone else.” – Avalaura Gaither
“People bring things out of you that you can't bring out of yourself.” – Avalaura Gaither
Takeaways:
01:37 It’s important to know yourself and your reasons before starting a business.
09:57 Doing personal work and asking yourself honest questions helps you figure out what kind of business fits you.
19:08 Reading about self-care is not enough; you have to take daily action to see real change.
20:01 Meditation can be adjusted to fit your schedule and needs, not just done one way.
25:27 Having a coach or guide can help you find the right approach for your personality, instead of just following a book.
Resources
- Avalaura's Healing Center (Website)
- Bliss: A Practical Guide to Living a Life of Purpose & Pleasure (Website)
- Power: Escaping the Fear from Within (Website)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:25 — 30.6MB) | Embed
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190: Love Yourself Successful: Network Using Offline Events, Profit from Social Media and Jumpstart Your Business with Katrina Sawa
Katrina Sawa is a business coach known as the "Jumpstart Your Business Coach." She is the author of the book "Love Yourself Successful" and the creator of the Jumpstart Your Biz in 90 Days system. Katrina helps entrepreneurs, especially those who are not tech-savvy, grow their businesses both online and offline by focusing on practical marketing strategies, networking, and building supportive relationships.
Katrina Sawa has a lot to say about networking, social media, landing speaking gigs, and making money doing what you love. She gets 60-65 speaking gigs per year. She says you should become a member of multiple speaker associations and private message prospects on Facebook and LinkedIn using her templates, and later move them off social media to help them and their businesses.
Quotes:
“Your website is your most important marketing tool—it should be the central hub of your business, where everything flows in and out.” – Katrina Sawa
“If you can meet people in person, it's often faster to build relationships and move them to the next step than if they’re just an online friend or follower.” – Katrina Sawa
“If you want to delegate, it might only cost a few hundred dollars a month to offload tasks, allowing you to be more consistent.” – Katrina Sawa
Takeaways:
02:01 If people around you are not supportive, you need to either communicate better, set boundaries, or move on.
06:48 You don’t have to learn every technical skill—hire someone to help with things like websites if it’s not your strength.
13:42 Every business website should have an opt-in box, a freebie, and some kind of email marketing.
16:00 Reaching out to people on social media and moving the conversation to a phone call can lead to speaking gigs and new business.
24:32 Being consistent with your marketing and getting help from a team, even if it costs a little, is important for business growth.
Resources
- Three Business-Building Gifts (Website)
- Love Yourself Successful (Free Gifts)
- Jumpstart Your Marketing (Katrina Sawa's Products)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:45 — 26.3MB) | Embed
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189: Live With Purpose, Overcome Limiting Beliefs and Focus on One Thing with Author, Entrepreneur, and Speaker Joe Apfelbaum
Joe Apfelbaum is the CEO and co-founder of Ajax Union, a digital marketing agency based in Brooklyn. He is a public speaker, certified Google trainer, and a published business author. Joe also hosts the CEO Mojo podcast and runs a weekly video show called GrowTime.tv. He is currently working on his book, "Average Joe to CEO."
Joe Apfelbaum, CEO of Ajax Union, has had quite an entrepreneurial journey and wants you to live a life of purpose, on purpose. Topics covered:
- how to get past the rough years, discover your reason, develop an abundance mindset
- the difference between being "satisfied" (a temporary solution to hunger which is a slow painful death) and being fulfilled (self aware and successful with perspective)
- how to focus on one thing: how Joe went from being spread too thin with seven side businesses, to making a lot of income in a short amount of time (less is more)
Quotes:
“Don't just have a purpose—live with purpose. Even when you breathe, do it with intention. Take a deep breath, fill your lungs completely, and breathe with purpose.” – Joe Apfelbaum
“Success looks different for everyone. Most people don’t actually know what success means for them because they’re too busy measuring it against someone else’s.” – Joe Apfelbaum
“People will either love you or hate you, but most are just stuck in mediocrity.” – Joe Apfelbaum
Takeaways:
00:58 Being passionate about your business is important for long-term success.
03:07 If you want to make money, focus on adding real value to others.
06:39 The people you spend time with can affect your mindset and success.
12:31 It’s good to feel fulfilled, but you should always keep your hunger to grow.
15:31 You need to find a balance between working hard and enjoying the moment.
Resources
- Ajax Union (Facebook)
- Joe Apfelbaum's (Blog)
- CEO Mojo (Website)
- Ajax Union(Website)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:20 — 33.3MB) | Embed
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188: Take Inspired Action and Use Boundaries to Create More Freedom with Petra Monaco
Petra Monaco is an author, entrepreneur, and coach who helps women build confidence, take action, and create the life they want. She is known for her book about dreaming, believing, and taking action, and she also runs a blog at PetraMonaco.com where she shares advice on mindset, boundaries, and self-care. Petra has experience as a single parent and has overcome personal challenges, which she now uses to guide others through coaching and online courses.
Petra Monaco from PetraMonaco.com wants to give you more confidence and a bigger vision, so you can push yourself further. She also provides coaching for authors to deal with mindset, accountability, and excuses. She sells a course about how to start an Etsy e-commerce store selling handmade goods.
Quotes:
“Boundaries are a form of self-care, not something that's going to constrict you or make you rigid.” – Petra Monaco
“If something is draining you, ask yourself: Is this really something I need to be doing, should be doing, or even want to be doing?” – Petra Monaco
“You can't change a habit or adapt to a new routine in just a week. It often takes two to three weeks to fully implement.” – Petra Monaco
Takeaways:
01:11 Everyone struggles with confidence and motivation, and it’s normal to have ups and downs.
03:08 Focusing on what you can do in the next 90 days helps keep goals realistic and manageable.
07:43 Building new routines takes time and commitment, and it’s important to decide what matters most.
09:37 Setting boundaries in your schedule is a form of self-care and helps prevent burnout.
20:00 Journaling about your fears can help you understand and challenge what’s holding you back.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:17 — 23.2MB) | Embed
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187: Blog Monetization and Inbound Marketing: Build a Library of Content to Gain Trust and Authority with Douglas Karr
Douglas Karr is the founder of the Marketing Technology Blog and the CEO of DK New Media, an agency that helps marketing technology companies with their inbound marketing strategies. He is also the author of "Corporate Blogging for Dummies," where he shares his expertise in the world of corporate blogging and online marketing.
Douglas Karr from The Marketing Tech Blog stops by to talk about monetizing a blog. The game has changed, and search engines now reward quality over quantity.
This means that to build trust and authority, you should spend more time on your content, republishing and update content as needed. Educate your customers early, and inform them about helpful tools or how something in your business was created. Create an editorial calendar with 12 subjects and 4 subtopics to keep your content marketing consistent.
Quotes:
“Everything we do online revolves around authority and trust. You need to establish authority first, and once you earn trust, people will be willing to do business with you.” – Douglas Karr
“If you have exceptional content, you'll consistently attract attention, no matter the source.” – Douglas Karr
“Stop focusing solely on constant production, as it can wear you down and lead to a decline in quality.” – Douglas Karr
Takeaways:
02:31 Good blog content should be updated and improved over time instead of just making new posts all the time.
05:36 Most conversations about your blog now happen on social media, not in blog comments.
08:43 Building trust and authority with your audience is more important than just posting a lot.
14:13 Updating old blog posts with new information can help them rank higher in search results again.
26:37 It’s important to have a clear call to action on your blog so readers know what to do next.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:58 — 30.2MB) | Embed
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186: Six Figure Writing and Virtual Assistant Secrets: How to Start and Scale Your Freelancing Income to Create the Lifestyle You Want with Laura Pennington
Laura Pennington is a former inner-city teacher who transitioned into a successful career as a freelance writer, virtual assistant, and project manager. She is the owner of Six Figure Writing Secrets and Your Way to VA, where she helps others build sustainable freelance businesses from home. Laura is also an author and course creator, offering resources and training for aspiring writers and virtual assistants.
Laura Pennington left her job as a 7th grade teacher to become a freelance writer and virtual assistant. She has advice about getting initial clients, scaling your business, and filling your schedule with nothing but your ideal clients.
1. evaluate your own experiences: you don't need to have been good in the past (office skills, data entry, phone calls)
2. work samples (logos, write a white paper, write blog posts)
3. marketing plan (job boards, contracts)
4. long-term marketing (cold calls, chamber of commerce meetings, trade shows conferences)
Quotes:
“The days of working at the same company for 30 years and retiring with a pension are gone. At this point, we don’t even know if Social Security and Medicare will be there when we retire.” – Laura Pennington
“The way you build your business and the clients you choose to work with play a crucial role in shaping your lifestyle.” – Laura Pennington
“Once someone finds a good freelancer, they have no reason to look elsewhere. Not only will they continue to order from you, but they’ll also refer to their friends.” – Laura Pennington
Takeaways:
04:42 Freelancing can start as a side job and grow into a full-time career if you want it to.
07:26 Picking the right clients and saying no to bad fits helps avoid burnout and low pay.
12:35 Focusing on repeat clients and steady work makes freelancing more stable.
15:07 Choosing a specialty or niche lets you charge more and stand out from other freelancers.
28:28 Raising your rates over time is important so you don’t get stuck working for too little.
Resources
- Your Way to VA (Website)
- Six Figure Writing Secrets (Website)
- Laura Pennington's Courses on Teachable (Courses)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:12 — 32.2MB) | Embed
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185: The Book Activation Method: Overcome the Fear of Publishing and Create the Perfect Book to Boost Your Business with Deborah Ager
Deborah Ager is the founder of Radiant Media Labs and creator of the Book Activation Method workshop. She is an author who has written and co-edited several books, and she helps experts turn their knowledge into published books to grow their businesses, gain visibility, and attract more clients. Deborah has a background in both marketing and writing, and she uses her experience to guide business owners through the process of planning, writing, and using a book as a business tool.
Deborah Ager from Radiant Media Labs and creator of The Book Activation Method wants you to embrace your fear and use it to move forward. She also wants to get a book out of you in the following steps:
1. master market and idea
2. align with mission: book sales, speaking, which publisher, authority
3. mining your material: blog posts, existing presentations, themes and ideas
4. mark out the tools: find the time/space to write, calendars, Evernote
5. map your mind: get messy with a mindmap
6. brain to book: break to-do list into do-able chunks, word count or time goal, schedule, write or speak
7. marketing
Quotes:
“We’re not fighting fear or trying to eliminate it. Instead, I’d rather embrace it because it’s going to show up no matter what.” – Deborah Ager
“When we're experts around our own topic, it's hard for us to see it with fresh eyes.” – Deborah Ager
“When you share stories, especially case studies, people feel more connected rather than feeling like they’re being sold to.” – Deborah Ager
Takeaways:
02:26 Many people are afraid to start writing a book, but taking small steps every day can help move past that fear.
05:02 Before writing, it’s important to know who your book is for and how it will help your business.
08:31 A book doesn’t have to be long; even a short book can be useful if it shares your main ideas clearly.
10:49 It’s normal to feel nervous as you finish your book, but looking back at your past work can help you feel more confident.
13:04 Using your old blog posts, talks, or presentations can make writing your book easier.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:50 — 23.6MB) | Embed
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184: Time Really is Money: Scale Your Business to $5,000 Per Hour with Rob Slee
Rob Slee is an author, investment banker, mentor, and business owner who specializes in helping entrepreneurs and freelancers increase the value of their time. He wrote the book "Time Really Is Money," which explains how people can scale their businesses and focus on higher-value activities to earn more per hour.
Rob Slee, author of Time Really is Money, wants to help you scale to a:
- $50/hour business (where you are the value proposition)
- $500/hour (where you manage employees)
- $5000/hour (where you only deal with the culture, niches, and business model)
- $50k/hour (changing industries)
- $5m/hour (changing the world)
Quotes:
“Working the hardest and putting in the most hours doesn’t necessarily equate to value—it often just leads to early heart attacks.” – Rob Slee
“The higher you go in the value ladder, the fewer hours you work, but the more value you create.” – Rob Slee
“We all settle at our comfort level, sticking to tasks we know how to do—sometimes better than anyone we could hire. As owners of our time, whether we run a business or manage our own schedules, we tend to fall into familiar routines.” – Rob Slee
Takeaways:
01:53 If you own your time, you should focus on the tasks that create the most value, not just work harder.
04:43 Spend your time on high-value activities and let others handle the lower-value tasks, even if they don’t do them perfectly.
08:24 Build simple systems or checklists for tasks you outsource so you don’t have to keep explaining things.
18:36 Write down how you spend your time for a week to see where you can make changes and focus on higher-value work.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:43 — 22.6MB) | Embed
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183: Scale, Build Your Team, and Outsource Remote Workers with Nathan Hirsch
Nathan Hirsch is a serial entrepreneur and expert in remote hiring and e-commerce. He is the founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com, a platform that connects businesses with reliable remote workers, and the co-founder and CEO of Portlight. Nathan started his entrepreneurial career by selling textbooks in college before building a successful $7 million Amazon drop shipping business.
Nathan Hirsch from Freeeup.com has several insights about outsourcing your team in the departments of biz-opp, e-commerce, marketing, and web development. Nathan began his entrepeneurial journey wiht a business that re-sold textbooks, and has since branched out to supplying workers for e-commerce businesses.
Quotes:
“If you can identify businesses that people rely on but that fail to satisfy the end consumer, that’s a great opportunity to step in and create change.” – Nathan Hirsch
“If you're not making your end customer happy, eventually someone else is going to find a way to do it.” – Nathan Hirsch
“I'm all about calculated risk. If this business is doing well, why not pursue it? I can always go back and apply for jobs later.” – Nathan Hirsch
Takeaways:
01:14 Starting a business by solving a problem you see around you can lead to success.
04:58 Making customers happy should be the main focus of any business.
06:21 Doing all the work yourself at first helps you understand your business before hiring others.
13:26 Hiring can take a lot of time, so finding a faster way to get good workers is important.
23:05 Always have training materials ready so you can easily replace team members if needed.
Visit the Freeeup Marketplace Page on Facebook
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:17 — 25.0MB) | Embed
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182: Strategic Social Media Marketing and Paid Traffic with Corinna Essa
Corinna Essa is an internationally recognized expert in social media marketing and the owner of Social Media Worldwide, a company that helps businesses grow their online presence without having to manage the day-to-day work themselves. She is known for her practical approach to social media, focusing on building real connections and providing value before making sales. Corinna is also an author and shares her knowledge through her blog and YouTube channel, both named Social Media Worldwide.
Corinna Essa from Social Media Worldwide wants to help you and your social media marketing efforts. She has a unique strategy when it comes to social media, which involves spending $1000 on an initial ad campaign to a free offer with no call-to-action, to then retarget (cookie) your best prospects and run ads to that already-engaged-audience.
Quotes:
“When everyone starts doing the same thing, then it stops working. Marketers destroy everything, because they overdo things and then it stops working for everyone else who jumped on it a bit too late.” – Corinna Essa
“Getting cold traffic is easy—almost every social network now offers advertising tools. Getting clicks and traffic isn’t the hard part; the real challenge is driving conversions.” – Corinna Essa
“People forget the importance of warm traffic, and they don't take the time to turn cold traffic into warm traffic.” – Corinna Essa
Takeaways:
00:52 Social media works best when you focus on giving value and building trust before trying to sell anything.
04:42 Paid ads should first send people to useful content, not straight to a sales page.
12:33 If you post for free, aim for about 80% helpful content and only 20% promotion.
16:01 Using retargeting lets you show sales ads only to people who already showed interest in your first ad.
21:49 Turning cold traffic into warm traffic takes time and money, but it leads to better results in the long run.
Resources
- Social Media Worldwide (Website)
- Social Media Worldwide (Blog)
- Social Media Worldwide (YouTube)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:58 — 21.9MB) | Embed
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Re-Take Control of WordPress Using the “Website Remote” Website Management Tool
What would you do if suddenly, tomorrow, you were no longer allowed or able to use WordPress for your websites? And you had to go back to HTML, FTPing files... sounds terrible, right?
Well... there is a secret "new frontier" for you and your WordPress sites and that's managing them remotely. You can see all your sites in one place, update all sites, 1-click login to any WordPress site, compare sites and add plugins...
I could never go back to NOT using a tool to manage all my WordPress sites in one place (such as Website Remote) -- it's like being without WordPress, or without GPS, or without a car to drive...
AND -- Lance, myself, and our team have been adding some cool new features to our Website Remote tool:
Website Remote: Manage Your WordPress Sites in One Place
1. Website Groups: you can now "bunch up" your sites and say... let me only update this group of my 10 client sites. Or install this one plugin on my 25 test sites...
2. Cloud Storage: we now give you 1GB of free storage with Website Remote so you can store your favorite plugins in one place (perhaps premium plugins or maybe free plugins that are hard for you to find, or you forget to find) -- and choose a plugin in that cloud storage and send it off to one, all, or some of your websites
3. Plugin Packages: you can also "bunch up" your plugins... and say, here are my 5 bare essential plugins for SEO and security... here are the 10 plugins I use for a membership site, here are the 20 plugins I use on a test site...
You can mix and match plugins in a package. You can choose 3 of your plugins from the cloud and combine them with 10 free plugins, for example...
So -- that means you can login to Website Remote today, click the "Essentials" and "Membership Plugins" packages (bunched up plugins that are some you uploaded and some free ones) -- and maybe click the "Client Sites" and "Membership Sites" groups you created...
And basically install 15 plugins on 35 of your WordPress sites, without having to login, remember passwords, or upload each and every time...
This is HUGE (yuuuuge), we believe this changes the way you'll use WordPress forever, and it's only 99 cents to get started today:
Claim Your Website Remote 99 Cent Trial
181: Seven Principles for Building a Company Culture That Works: Culture is the Bass with Gerald Leonard
Gerald Leonard, author of The Culture is the Bass, has advice for you on developing a company culture that works. If you're tired of miscommunications and employee turnover, and you want a team that works together, then you'll want to tune in to discover the seven principles you could be missing;
- vision: interest in a goal or dream
- values: actionable items that govern behavior
- buy-in
- stories
- best practices
- environment
- execution
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:10 — 29.4MB) | Embed
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180: ClickFunnels: Done-For-You Product Launches, Lead Capture, and Conversion with Larry Becht
Larry Becht from The Expert Media Group has a lot to say about ClickFunnels, his preferred tool of choice for setting up landing pages and funnels, especially since it now includes "Backpack" for running an affiliate program and "Actionetics" for tracking your visitors. Larry specializes done-for-you website setup and you'll want to hear his thoughts about hiring a professional to setup your pages quickly.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:11 — 24.9MB) | Embed
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179: Strategic Content and Advertising: Increase Social Media Presence with Marty McDonald
Marty McDonald from Bad Rhino Inc. stops by to share some interesting social media marketing strategies that can apply to any business, online or offline. Marty shares some case studies with Victory Beer and Blind Squirrel Apparel and how he's been able to track improvement with his clients while being entertaining with his content and marketing specific calls-to-action.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:28 — 27.9MB) | Embed
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Too Many Ideas? Drain the Website Swamp and Don’t Make Your Site Fancy Until Tomorrow
Can you relate to having "too many ideas" and you're not sure if any are any good?
Maybe you've done the legwork for this website or that website... registered some domain names, setup an empty WordPress blog that will "one day" hold your membership site... maybe you've bought some resale rights content...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:17 — 12.2MB) | Embed
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Maybe you've recorded some interviews, videos, audios, or written some sort of report down that you one day want to put into a membership site... a site where someone pays you to get access.
And then what happened? Life got in the way, right?
Something came across that was more urgent and you had to switch gears to make money now...
Or you came across something more exciting and you said... I'll put my current hopes and dreams on the "back burner" to try something else...
I'm not sure about your current situation, but many people that are currently struggling with making money and creating a profitable membership site have this problem:
-- not enough time, too distracted, too overwhelmed, too stressed out
-- confusion about what to do next or what to "click" and generally getting FRUSTRATED with websites in general
And even worse, the "sting" every time you check your internet marketing business on your phone or your computer. I'm sure you know what the sting is:
- there's a little of bit of that sting or that anxiety when you check your email, stats and sales and the number is either at zero or you wish it was way higher
- another bill for that web host, a quick charge for those handful of domain names you didn't use... should I continue renewing those domain names every year or cut some of them loose? And then what was I paying that yearly domain fee for?
- thinking about or browsing through the massive clutter of half finished projects, ideas, websites, and files... just a huge mess... sting
- wondering if this will all be worth it and feeling the "lifetime cost" of all the little e-books and things continues to pile up and sting...
Can I tell you what my personal opinion is (which you can say is either right or wrong) about you, your upcoming membership site, and the future of you and your online business?
You may have heard that you should narrow your focus down to just one website at a time, dedicate X days or X hours to getting it done...
Maybe you've also heard that you should make the simplest, ugliest, most no-frills site as possible that DOES have a buy button, so you can get just one member and go from there...
And... what is/was very reassuring to me is that after you FINISH that first money making site (FINISH meaning you get one single paying member) then not only does it become a lot easier to make your next site (because you've done it before), it's actually more fun because you now know this money making thing "works" and isn't just a hobby...
So can I tell you what I "think" you should do today?
Unsolicited Piece of Advice #1: Drain the Website Swamp
Your previous websites, business expenses, half finished sites, etc. don't matter. If you have a mess of a folder, a mess of 10 half finished sites and you aren't making progress on any of them, isn't it time to clean up the mess and drain that huge "swamp" of stuff? Get some simplicity, clarity, focus?
I'm no neat-freak, but if I sit down on the couch to relax and there's papers or "stuff" on the counter, I get huge amounts of anxiety... enough where I can't calm down and I can't think... not a good mental place to be. I'm the same way with any clutter on my desk OR if I have a ton of files on my desktop OR a ton of dangling unfinished projects...
Put it all away. You can bring "the mess" back to the forefront after completing just one membership site... so how do you do that?
Unsolicited Piece of Advice #2: Make it Pretty and Perfect "Tomorrow"
Priorities. What do you need in order to take payments online?
- a domain name (.com name such as membershipcube.com that people can type in to find your site)
- a website and landing page (a simple sales letter, we include Paper Template in our Membership Cube course)
- a way to take payments (we use PayPal and if you want something fanicer, switch out that piece later)
- a membership site to take payments, control access and provide content (PDFs, videos) -- we provide this in Membership Cube as well
What about... 1-click upsells? Downsells and OTO Fancy graphics? Professional videos? An affiliate contest on social media? Those are nice to haves and not must-haves...
Here's what I think... setup your membership site today with Membership Cube (we provide the 1-click template so it's done in seconds) and don't worry about that fancy stuff until "tomorrow"... just get that functioning membership site completed today.
Your membership site is done today in one click and by the time tomorrow rolls around, it will be "today" again and time to focus on the important stuff... filling up the membership site with content in a day (module two) -- and you can save the fancy graphics and everything until "tomorrow" (which is still a day away at that point)...
Day three... you could jump into module three of Membership Cube which is the one to beef up your sales letter and make it easy for others to join your site -- but guess what? Fancy graphics and procrastination land is still "tomorrow" at that point...
Unsolicited Piece of Advice #3: Don't Plan, Course Correct
Finally, many people think they need a master plan of some kind. They can't make membership site #1 because they want to know what membership site #10 is going to be...
If that has been your way of thinking up until now, how has that been working out for you?
Sure seems like a recipe for stress and being spread too thin, if you ask me.
The problem with mapping out your entire life is that the sales and feedback you get from the mini-launch of your next membership site will completely change the trajectory of your internet business moving forward.
For example, you might setup that quick golfing membership site and it leads to a couple high ticket coaching clients that wouldn't have paid you unless they find you through that single-payment training course they bought from you (membership site) first...
Or maybe you whip up a single-payment quick weight loss membership site and it leads to you setting up some sort of monthly auto-ship service where you mail your members a bottle of pills or a some sort of algae liquid through the mail. You wouldn't have scaled your business to that point unless you had that validation -- sales of the weight loss course to prove that your idea works. Stepping stones.
Perhaps you create a training course about drone flying and you realize that there is a huge demand for an additional membership course about drone racing. Your "first wave" of members actually ask you to create something for round two, and they buy it.
What Your (Attainable) Goal Needs to Be
It's good to have a goal, but if you don't have cashflow in your business, your goal is very simple: to just make one sale of ANYTHING, even something that's 10 or 100 bucks. Once you see how easy that is (and maybe you've been making it too complicated without even realizing it) you might say:
- that was fun, I want to do it again
- I want to scale my business so the next site makes even more money
- this small success gives me an idea for the next thing that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise
- I finally see the value in focusing and finishing what I start as opposed to being spread too thin or spinning my wheels
There definitely is value to trying out a couple of things (think of it as "career day" or that "starter income") and then look back and think... did I enjoy that? Did I make enough money and if not, what small steps will I take so that not only make more money, but I generate that doing the things I enjoy doing?
To make sure you're on the right track,
look BACK at your past mistakes
in addition to looking FORWARD
so that you don't continue making the same mistakes.
Setup a membership site quickly so that your thinking doesn't have time to get in the way of you taking action. Making money is more important than being 100% perfect and planned out, and this is the path you can jump on right now to flesh out your idea, click a button and set it up using our template, and have a site ready to take orders... not in three months from now, not in three weeks from now, TODAY:
Claim Your Access to "Membership Cube"
and Get All The Training, Tools and Templates
to Create a Membership Site All in One Place
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:17 — 12.2MB) | Embed
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178: Financial Alchemy: Overcome Money Limitations and Increase Your Happiness with Morgana Rae
Morgana Rae, author of Financial Alchemy, gives us a healthier, and more productive, approach to handling our relationship with money in the following steps:
- Uncover the Root Cause of your financial situation (hint-it’s never really about money)
- Personify the root cause into your "Money Money"
- Get rid of your Money Monster by any means necessary
- Meet your new relationship with money—your "Money Honey"
- Dialogue with your Money Honey
- Take concrete, measurable action
Resources
- Financial Alchemy: The Book (Book)
- Morgana Rae's Website and Blog (Website and Blog)
- Does Money Love You? (Website)
- Money Honey App (Website)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:45 — 34.6MB) | Embed
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