Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Busy Solopreneurs Trade Stress for Freedom

Being a business owner is hard. So is being a parent. So why don’t we hear more about how to do both well? Fret not – that’s why I brought Kim Caloca-Madden onto the show. 

We dive deep into why business owners with kids should build systems and how automation can be a game-changer for busy parents. Kim shares her personal journey from being a stay-at-home mom needing to generate income to becoming a powerhouse in business automation.

We also cover how automation enhances consistency and efficiency in your business, practical steps to start automating today, even if you’re a newbie, Kim’s favorite tools for streamlining tasks and managing time, and balancing parenthood and entrepreneurship without losing your sanity.

Want to get a head start on your automation journey with my free Automations Database? Go tohttps://streamlined.fm/freebieto download it. 

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Show Notes

The summer had one lasting effect I didn’t notice until recently: I made my schedule pretty open for anyone who wanted to meet. I didn’t want them to be limited to my limited availability, so I tried to be as open as possible. But over the last 2 weeks —really since my episode with Conny, I realized that I’ve let everyone else control my calendar.

I’ll take a meeting with almost anyone bc I feel they are the best way to form relationships, but I’m not vetting those people. I’m not creating boundaries for my meetings either. I even have a calendar that’s totally open for friends — but I’ve sent it to more than friends.

If you’re a busy solopreneur — especially a parent or someone with other obligations — this can kill productivity.

So how do we fix it? That’s what we’re talking about today.

Get your free automations database at https://streamlined.fm/freebie

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My love-hate[but mostly hate] relationship with social media is well documented. It feels like a time-suck where you get into arguments with people who don’t care about anything you say. People tell me it’s great to grow your business…I just don’t see it. 

But Katie Brinkley has changed that for me. She elevates CEOs to become thought leaders and disruptors in their industries. And she does it mostly through social media. 

By the end of this episode, she’ll give you strategies for choosing the right social networks, posting (3-4 times per week max), as well as how to waste less time and make more sales. 

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where Katie and I talk about brand social media vs. personal social media? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

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It’s easy for people who live unconstrained lives to give advice. “Just meditate for 2 hours each morning.” “Hustle.” “Get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy.” 

The truth is that most people have some constraints to live by. Whether it’s kids, work, or other obligations, we can’t just drop everything to follow the latest guru. 

That’s why I like Conny Graf’s approach. Conny has many credentials, but the one I like best is “certified clutter-clearing practitioner.” And today, she’s going to tell you how you can reasonablydeclutter your life to turn chaos into peace.

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where I  talk about the chaotic day leading up to this interview? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

Top Takeaways

Chaos is when you have too many things going on, a cluttered environment, and a packed calendar that leads to stress and lack of focus. Recognize the early warning signs that you're slipping into chaos, like feeling agitated or nervous.Be intentional about your priorities and learn to say no more often. Not everything is equally important - focus on the "glass balls" in life like family and relationships. Give yourself grace when you can't be at your best.Declutter your physical spaces a little bit each day. Create designated spots for things like shoes and papers. Optimize your environment to support your daily activities and prevent stuff from piling up.Finding peace is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Make small adjustments over time, reflect on what's working and what's not, and continuously optimize your life and business. Focus on progress, not perfection.

Show Notes

Do you hate social media as much as I do? Some experts will tell you that you need social media to market,  but that’s increasingly not true. Gone are the heady days of Twitter, where you can tweet a link and people would actually see it. 

That’s why I brought on Emily Aborn, a Content Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host. She’s also a wealth of information on how to market by making sure you have a great product, and much like her, a ton of personality. 

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where Emily and I discuss the importance of a strong personal brand? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated.

Top Takeaways

Having a high-quality product or service that solves your target audience's problems is the foundation of effective marketingCollaborating with others in your industry can help expand your reach and build trust with new audiences. Focusing on marketing strategies that align with your strengths, interests, and values can lead to more authentic and effective marketing efforts.

Show Notes

I made an unexpected $300 over a weekend in September. And I know that doesn’t sound like a lot — but it’s money I didn’t have, that I have now. That is the power of launching messy — something my friend Stacey encouraged me to do, and what I want to talk about today in a solo episode with some freshly minted segments:

One Big Problem: How to get over the fear of making something perfect before launching itOne Small Fix: Using Tella.tv to easily create videos as a way to update my productFeedback: Send yours in at https://streamlinedfeedback.com

Top Takeaways

Overcoming Perfectionism: Don't let the pursuit of perfection prevent you from launching your product. Follow the advice of creating a minimum viable product (MVP) and iterate from there. This helps you get real feedback and make improvements based on actual user experience.Soft Launching: Consider soft launching your product to a small group of users. This approach allows you to gather essential feedback and make necessary adjustments before a full-scale launch. Offer early access discounts as an incentive for early adopters.Find the right tool for the job: I got so caught up in making it perfect, that I overlooked the real value of Podcast Navigator: advice and access. With Tella, I’m able to easily provide both to my customers.

Show Notes

I’ve been thinking a lot about the notion of starting simple (or messy) vs. starting perfect. And while I definitely fall more on the side of “start messy and iterate,” there are a few places where you shouldn’t skimp. 

A good home studio is one of them, which is why I brought on my friend Junaid. He’s a “Home Studio Architect,” and he’s a wealth of knowledge. We talk about why you need at least good audio, how to improve your setup without breaking the bank, and the absolute non-negotiables. 

By the end of the episode, you’ll know exactly what you need to sound more authoritative with your content.

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode whereJunaid and I talk about our specific setups? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

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Recently my friend Justin asked on X, “How do you define success?” I said, “Can I knock off for a day at will  to spend time with my family?”

The world constantly tells us we need to hustle to be successful – but that can’t be true. If you’re a parent, for example, hustle is just not an option. 

That’s why I’ve brought on Terry Toh. Terry helps business owners successfully run their side business while maintaining a full-time job. But as you’ll see, much of what he has to say can apply to busy solopreneur who may have other obligations – like family, volunteer work, or other interests outside of work. 

It’s all about finding your non-negotiable. 

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where Terry and I talk about Silicon Valley Hustle Culture? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

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Ever wonder how to make your podcast stand out in a sea of content? After a serendipitous conversation at Podcast Movement 2024, I uncovered a game-changing strategy that could revolutionize your approach. Spoiler alert: It involves segments.

I'll break down why rethinking your podcast structure can make a big difference. We'll explore how segments can help you give more value to your audience, make your show more accessible, and even repurpose content more effectively. Plus, I'll share different segment ideas that work for both interview and solo episodes, ensuring you never run out of compelling content.

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode whereI talk about a cool new opportunity, and building community? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

And check out my other podcast, https://podcastworkflows.com

Top Takeaways

Implement Segments in Your Podcast: To create a more engaging show, think about incorporating segments. Just like how late-night shows have defined parts, segmenting your podcast can make it more consumable and structured. You can dedicate parts of your episode to different topics or formats, such as opening monologues, interviews, and specific segments tailored to your audience's interests.Structure for Solo Episodes: If you're worried that solo episodes might become stale, develop a clear structure. For instance, discuss a main topic, then showcase an interesting tool related to that topic, and finish with an automation tip. This keeps the solo content engaging and valuable.Balancing Personal and Professional Content: For busy solopreneur parents, combining personal experiences with actionable business advice can create a relatable and impactful podcast. Consider dedicating a segment to how you manage parenting alongside your entrepreneurial duties.

If you’re anything like me, you probably think about ways you can appreciably scale your business. Part of streamlining, after all, is taking things off your place. 

That’s why I brought on Joel Oliver. Joel is the editor for all of my podcasts, including this one. I’ve been with him since he was a freelance editor, and now he’s grown to have a team of editors to help him work on more shows. 

Listen in as we discuss structuring the business to stay a solopreneurship, while also creating processes that seamlessly hand off tasks to team members. We’ll talk about everything from picking tasks to delegate, to training! 

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where Joel and I talk about what it's like editing my process and adding video? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

Top Takeaways

Delegate to Scale: As a solopreneur, it's crucial to delegate tasks that are not central to your core business functions. This frees up time to focus on strategic activities and growth.Creating systems and processes is vital for effective delegation. Use checklists and workflow systems to ensure tasks are completed consistently and to a high standard. This approach helps maintain quality control and accountability among team members.Mindset of Letting Go: Letting go of tasks and trusting others to handle them is a significant mindset shift for solopreneurs. 

Show Notes

It’s the end of the summer and the end of our experiment to keep our kids home instead of sending them to summer camp. So today I’m going to answer 3 questions:

1. How did it go (including giving it a grade)
2. Was it worth it? (and if yes, would it have made it **not** worth it)
3. Will we do it again?

In Accelerated, I talk about why I want to create a more scalable business while remaining a solopreneur, and we do a time-tracking check-in. Sign up to get ad-free, extended episodes early over at https://streamlined.fm/join

Takeaways

I think failing to give a good presentation is an incredibly missed opportunity. You have everything: a captive audience, borrowed credibility, and a place to deliver yourmessage your way. 

But there are a lot of places where your presentation can fall down. Most people will focus on not capturing the audience quickly enough, or pacing. Maybe not rehearsing. 

But what about your slides? The actual visualpart of your presentation. The visual storytelling is as important as the words you deliver. Not enough context? Your audience is lost. Too much text? Your audience is too busy reading to hear your message. 

That’s why I decided to have Emily Schneider on the show. She’s a visual storyteller, and her canvas is PowerPoint presentations. 

Intrigued? I was too. 

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where I take Emily’s advice and roast my own recent talk slides? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated.

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Do you have offerings for people at any level of their journey? That’s the importance of having a well-defined product ladder. A product ladder provides multiple offerings at different price points and levels of engagement to meet potential customers where they are at.

Today I’ll talk about how I have struggled with this in my own business, with offerings that didn’t clearly communicate how I help my specific target audience of busy solopreneurs with podcasts.

Then, I give you a walk through (walk-up?) of my Product Ladder!

Want to hear my poke holes in my product ladder and give a general update on Podcast Navigator and my business? You can become a member over at https://streamlined.fm/join

Top Takeaways

As a solopreneur, it's important to have multiple offerings at different price points to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Some offerings should be scalable and not require a lot of your time.Your product ladder should clearly communicate how you help your specific target audience and micro-segments achieve their goals. Be focused rather than trying to be everything to everyone.Map out your product ladder from low-priced "assistance" offerings like courses, to mid-priced "accountability" offerings like group coaching, to high-priced "acceleration" offerings like done-for-you services. Have something for customers at every stage.Your core offering that you want to sell the most should be in the middle of your product ladder. For me, that's my Podcast Navigator tool.Constantly evaluate and refine your product ladder based on customer feedback and your business goals as a solopreneur. Don't be afraid to make adjustments as you gain more clarity.

Show Notes

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless options for hosting your online business? The decision between a hosted platform like Squarespace or a self-hosted solution like WordPress can be daunting, especially for solopreneurs juggling multiple responsibilities.

And while the conversation feels like it's been done to death, I was recently reminded that even seemingly simple platforms can shut you down for no reason.

There are a lot of merits to going with a hosted platform. But there's also a lot of danger. Let's explore.

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where I talk about my experience choosing the wrong platforms, and how I’m trying to fix it? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated.

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When I first started my business, I was 14 years old. My income was pretty light, and my expenses were even lighter. Heck – I didn’t even pay for hosting. I hosted my few client websites on a web server in my bedroom (don’t tell my old ISP). 

But even then, I knew the importance of keeping track of my income and expenses, which I did in an Excel sheet. I’ve always had an interest in accounting, which I thought served me well. 

Then I hired Rachel Stas. She made some fantastic changes to my business that ended up saving me money AND lowered my tax bill. And while everyone is different, I know the advice she gives today will be great for any solopreneur*. 

Want to hear a longer, ad-free version of this episode where Rachel and I talk about my business, and I ask her specific questions about my books? Become a member ofStreamlined Solopreneur Accelerated. 

Top Takeaways

Finally, I believe that investing time upfront to properly track finances and get professional accounting help pays off in the long run in taxes saved and peace of mind. Don’t wait until your business gets big to implement good accounting practices.

Show Notes

My newsletter has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but something that's been steadfast is promoting the latest episode of this podcast at the beginning of the week. And that made perfect sense when both the newsletter and this podcast talked about largely the same thing.

But now this show talks about running a solo business generally, while the newsletter is supposed to focus on podcast processes and systems.

They both make the same promise, but the audiences are different.

I've tried splitting the baby, so to speak, by promoting the episode, and then something behind-the-scenes look at that episode.

But it doesn't work. You know...don't talk to more than one audience, yada yada.

As a result, the newsletter isn't growing the way I'd like. And that’s what we’re talking about today.

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I remember the first time I got an affiliate payout. I didn’t even know it was coming. The money just showed up in my account. 

“What is this from?” Then an email followed. A hosting company I had written a blog post about paid my affiliate commission for the last 2 months. 

Since then, I’ve been stumbling through, clumsily trying to make affiliate income an appreciable part of my income – but it’s never worked as well as I hoped. 

So I brought in an expert: my friend Justine. She’s been doing affiliate programs forever and currently leads ConvertKit, as well as consults through her own business, Brilliant Affiliate. She’s the perfect person to talk to. 

Justine not only sets me straight, but she offers a TON of fantastic actionable advice for how to make the most of affiliate programs, how to find the right ones, and how they can live harmoniously (and even help) with sponsorships.

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A common thread on the show this year has been the push and pull of finding the right tools while also balancing our time and money as solopreneurs. 

A while back I invited my friend and fellow podcaster Sarah St John onto the show. She’s the host of the Frugalpreneur podcast, and at first, I thought we’d share podcasting war stories. 

But then everything went wrong. We were having both hardware and software issues. So once we got everything squared away, I thought we could refocus the conversation. See, I have a tech background, and sometimes forget that troubleshooting and working with tech isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. 

So we decided to dive deep into managing your tech stack without spending a fortune. We share our top tips and personal experiences on how to choose the right tools, avoid unnecessary expenses, and leverage platforms like AppSumo for amazing lifetime deals. 

Whether you're a tech newbie or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you streamline your business operations and save money. 

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I remember the first time after my wife and I started dating that a mutual friend of ours became pregnant. I was the first one to find out and got to relay the message to her.

"Amy's pregnant," I said. My wife then asked a series of questions: "When is she due? What is she having? How is she feeling?" I had the same answer to every question: "I don't know."

All I knew was that Amy was pregnant. My wife later went out and found this information for both of us. All these details were crucial to being a more present and supportive friend.

So why am I telling you this? if you are running a business, especially a solo business where your time is so important, and you are not time tracking, it's kind of like knowing just the bare minimum.

You might know you completed a project, but you should really know how long you spent on it, where you are spending most of your time, and how you can use this data to improve your business.

So in today’s episode, you’ll learn about the importance of time tracking for solopreneurs. Time tracking is not just about noting down hours; it's about understanding where your time goes, improving efficiency, and making informed business decisions.

Top Takeaways

Start Simple: Begin with basic time-tracking methods like pen and paper or simple apps. The key is to start noting down where your time goes, even if it's just approximate.Use the Right Tools: I recommend using tools like Timery (which sits on top of Toggl), Timing, and RescueTime. These tools can help automate the process and provide detailed insights into how you spend your time.Categorize and Tag Tasks: Break down your tasks into projects and use tags for more granular tracking. This helps in understanding which specific activities are taking up most of your time and allows for better analysis.Regular Reviews: Review your time tracking data regularly—weekly, monthly, and quarterly. This helps in identifying trends and making necessary adjustments to improve efficiency.Automate Where Possible: Use shortcuts and automation tools like Stream Deck and focus modes on iOS to start and stop timers automatically. This reduces the manual effort involved in time tracking.

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Just this morning I watched an incredibly interesting video that sent me down a rabbit hole. A 19-year-old kid was arm wrestling against a massive bodybuilder – and won, pretty easily. Thinking this could be rigged or fake, I looked at other matches this fellow – Maxim appears to be his name – competed in. And he won…a lot. 

See, while he is very strong (just not as big as the other guys), Maxim has great technique. 

What does this have to do with lead generation? Well, as you’ll hear from Jennie Wright, you don’t need a massive list to build your business. You don’t need to be smarmy. You don’t need to be showy. 

You just need to have good technique – and forge good relationships.

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Show Notes

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Perhaps the most important lesson I learned over and over again running a business is that it’s never about the tool – it’s about the solution to a particular problem. 

So while I recruited Mike Schmitz to talk about Obsidian, what we actually talked about was much, much deeper. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is much more about defining your approach, and intentionality and making time for the important things in your life. All of this creates balance, and space, for you to do your best work.

Mike also shares his 5 C's of his "creativity flywheel" for capturing ideas and creating valuable output, which is fantastic. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed by information and struggling to turn your ideas into reality, this episode will give you a framework to tame the chaos. Tune in for practical tips and inspiration to upgrade your PKM and productivity!

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Show Notes

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Tell me if this sounds familiar: you know you need to publish a blog post, video, or newsletter, but you have no ideawhat you’re going to talk about. And this isn’t the first time it’s happened. 

You definitely haveideas, but you can’t think of anything at the moment. That’s why you need a content calendar – and why I’ve brought on Kaitlyn Merola to tell us all about them. 

We're going DEEP on how to plan, organize, and execute on your content and social plan using a centralized content calendar. Here’s what we’ll cover:

👉 What exactly is a content calendar (and how it’s different from a social calendar) 

👉 Determining the right content cadence (why more != better)

👉 Repurposing content across channels (maximize that ROI!)

👉 Mapping content to the buyer's journey (awareness, consideration, sales)

👉 Plus, in Accelerated, we talk about the role of AI in content creation (spoiler: not what you think!)

Whether you're a solopreneur in a content feast or a content famine, this is for you!

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Show Notes

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If you have kids and you’re a solopreneur, you know how tough summer care could be — especially if you have small children. Today, I'm diving into why my wife and I decided to skip summer camp for our kids and how this big decision is changing how I’m structuring my business for the summer.

Discussion Topics:

Financial and Family Considerations: The high cost of summer camp motivated my wife and me to find a solution that allows us to save nearly $10,000 while providing more quality family time.Flexible Scheduling: My wife and I adjusted our schedules so one of us is always available to care for our kids, which highlights the importance of managing work flexibility as a solopreneur.Temporary Chaos: I anticipate that managing my kids full-time will lead to some chaotic and stressful days, but it's a worthwhile trade-off for the family time we cherish.Support Network: Leveraging support from family, friends, and babysitters is crucial to our adjusted childcare strategy, emphasizing the value of a strong support network.Deep Work Planning: I plan to maximize productivity by scheduling meetings on specific days and blocking off consecutive hours for focused work, illustrating the importance of proactive scheduling.Temporary Shift in Priorities: Recognizing that the summer period is temporary, I remind solopreneurs to take advantage of this time to make memories with their kids and cherish the flexibility our work allows.

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One day in March I started getting regular inbound requests from my coaching form – I had no idea why. When I looked into it, it turns out that I was ranking at #2 on Google for “Podcast Coach.” 

Not to sound like a broken record…but I had no idea why. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything special. I didn’t do keyword research. I didn’t write content in a certain way. 

So I wanted to learn more. That’s why I sat down with SEO pro Lauren Gaggioli to get the real truth about search engine optimization in 2024. We cover a bunch of stuff from why quality human-written content will ALWAYS beat AI-generated stuff to the long-game SEO strategy that keeps paying off for years.

Plus, I get Lauren's real talk on whether social media is even worth it for driving traffic in 2024. Her perspective will not surprise you.  

If you're a solopreneur, blogger, or content creator feeling lost with SEO, you need to hear what Lauren has to say. Stop wasting time on strategies that don't work and start optimizing intelligently!

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Show Notes

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Context is everything. It’s easy to think that if you have a salesperson who’s actively frustrating potential clients to the point where they never consider hiring you, you’d fire that salesperson. But what if your website is doing it? Would you fire your website? 

You should. That’s why I’m SO excited to have Monica Pitts on the show today. She’s going to tell us how we can save HOURS per month by making our website a member of our team (sound familiar?). We spoke for over two hours – and you’re getting the best parts of it. We cover everything from mindset to automation, and of course, we cover tools. 

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I know this is going to sound like an Italian stereotype, but my mother makes the best chicken cutlets. They are thin cuts of chicken, perfectly breaded and seasoned, and taste amazing hot and cold. 

I’d watch her in hopes of learning how to make them as well (or at least close to it). She’d tell me things like, “You just know how much breading to use,” and “cook them until they look right.”  

What she didn’t do was walk into the kitchen and get paralyzed over which pan to use, or the perfect wooden spoon for the job. She’d get right to work. 

As solopreneurs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “this tool will get me back on track,” but it’s often your mindset that needs adjusting first. That’s why today I’m talking to Rashelle Isip, The Order Expert. Much like me, she helps business owners be more productive and less stressed. But while I’m an implementer, she focuses more on mindset and taking a look at everything going on in her clients’ lives. 

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There's an old adage in construction that you should measure twice and cut once. The idea being that cutting is a permanent action. If you cut a piece of wood, you can't put it back together. So you should measure where you're cutting, make sure you're measuring it right, and double-check your work before you take that permanent action.

Now on the Internet, things aren't necessarily as permanent. Sure. Things that are online could be online forever. But as far as setting up a YouTube page or a podcast or a website, well, you can change them pretty easily. I just kinda made a decision and I ran with it. And now I'm kind of regretting that decision.

But because nothing is permanent on the Internet, I am rectifying that.

Top Takeaways:

When rebranding your YouTube channel, focus on creating a clear and specific mission for your content. This will help the YouTube algorithm understand and recommend your content to the appropriate audience.Regularly review your analytics to see which videos are performing well and update those thumbnails and descriptions to optimize visibility. The title and thumbnail have the biggest impact on click-through rates.Consider the performance of your top videos and use that information to guide your content strategy. If specific topics or types of content are consistently performing well, consider creating more content around those topics to leverage your existing success.

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I’m currently reading Stories that Stick by Kindra Hall. In it, she mentions that “story” has become such a common term that people use it for everything, even if it’s not a story. 

I feel the same thing has been done to the term “repurposing.” See, when you repurpose something in the real world, you take it, you make changes to it, and you give it new life. You don’t just lop a piece off of it and say you’ve repurposed it. 

But that’s what many people consider repurposing today. “I’m going to clip 1 minute of this 60-minute conversation and call it repurposed.” 

That’s why I’m excited to have Greg Wasserman on the show today. He helps us reframe repurposing, and talks about how AI can help us repurpose properly – and while I don’t agree with everything he says, I like exploring different ideas. 

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After 8 years, I'm changing the name of this podcast from How I Built It to Streamlined Solopreneur. Here's why. 

You can learn more at https://streamlined.fm 

The first documented parachute jump happened in the late 1700s, when André-Jacques Garnerin just from balloons at “only” 2000 feet. He no doubt prepared for this moment, testing his parachute and doing everything he could to mitigate risk. Today, skydiving is a sport and a recreational activity, with a lot of safety measures and technology to further mitigate risk. 

Why am I telling you this? Because human beings are, by and large, risk-averse…so doing everything we can to reduce it is incredibly important. When it comes to launching a business, it, much like skydiving, is much less risky than it was 200 years ago. 

Part of that is the ability to create applications – and therefore launch software-based businesses – without code. That’s exactly what Karla Fernandes is going to talk to us about today. And she should know. She’s launched over a dozen native apps, without writing a single line of code.

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Today we have a good old fashioned feed drop from my friends at The Podcast Host, and their show, Podcraft.

What really makes someone a successful podcaster? Is it a certain number of episodes, downloads, or reviews? Is it whether content creation has become their full-time job? Or could it be because they’ve been recognised with a prestigious award?

That's what they'll discuss on this episode, and every episode this season.

I hope you enjoy!

Check out Podcraft wherever you listen. 

I love shuffling poker chips. In fact, I love playing poker…but there’s a fallacy in gambling that can get you into a lot of trouble. It’s the fallacy of sunk cost. Basically, you think you should continue what is ultimately a losing battle because you’ve already invested some amount of money in the pot.

The same thing can be applied to lots of stuff. Have you ever finished a book or a movie you didn’t like just because you started it? That’s the fallacy of sunk cost.

And I’m happy to say that 4 months into 2024, I successfully avoided that fallacy with something that, in January, I was all-in on: my “Be Everywhere” Strategy.

Show Notes

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I remember touring a Murano Glass factory on my honeymoon to Italy. Basically as soon as we stepped foot into the place, a man giving us the tour had us pegged. So when it came time to sell us something, he didn’t just ask us if we wanted to buy some glass art. 

He painted us a picture of a unique conversation piece that we can put in our home, to help us remember this time at the beginning of our marriage. To turn into a family heirloom for when we have kids and grandkids. He wasn’t selling us glass. He was selling us a vision of our future. And it worked like gangbusters. 

So how can we do that for our customers? That’s what Georgiana Laudi is here to talk to us about. She is the co-author of Forget the Funnel, a book that had a profound effect on my business – and today, we’re talking all about jobs to be done, research, and capturing the voice of our customers. 

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My grandfather came to the United States from Italy in 1949 and worked in New York City for much of his life — primarily in construction. For as long as I can remember, he had this big, metal toolbox. And when he passed away, he gave it to me, and I still have and use it to this day.

Pop had that toolbox for decades. When he found something that worked for him, he held on to it and took care of it. There’s a hammer in there that has to be as old as I am.

And when you think about it, the hammer is a pretty good analogy for our digital tools. It’s a basic device, but there are countless variations, purpose-built for specific tasks. Much like a task manager or notes app, you mostly know what you’re getting — but you may want something a little more specialized for your needs.

While you don’t want to change tools all the time, it is good to evaluate your toolset from time to time. So I thought I’d check in and share the tools I’m using.

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I abhor hustle culture. Telling someone to work a full-time job, then go home and work more all for some goal that keeps changing is, in my opinion, how to lead an empty life. I’m worried that, even in 2024, we continue to fetishize making money and hustling. So I decided to take it to Khe Hy. 

Khe, if you don’t know, worked hard – as he puts it, he hustled for 10 years of his life. He worked on Wall Street, becoming the equivalent of a junior partner in a law firm, and earning a 7-figure salary. But he left that job, and he’s built a life he enjoys.   

But he makes it very clear: sometimes you do need to hustle. Life is full of seasons – and recognizing that seasonality is important. We cover a ton of topics in our short time. 

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What do you want your life to look like? Last week I talked about how not being intentional is kind of like driving a car without the GPS. But goal setting without knowing what you want – that’s a bit like driving a car without having a destination in mind. 

Well, today, Tanya Alvarez is going to help us figure out the destination – you can think of her as your own GPS. And much like that Google Maps car, she’s well-traveled and has a ton of experience to back up her advice – from funding her first startup with credit cards to completing a Half Ironman and traveling to 42 countries, she’s done it all. And now she wants to help you do it too, by sharing her system for prioritizing your goals.

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Not being intentional in your business is a bit like getting in your car and driving without the GPS. Sure…you generally know where you’re going. But what if a road is closed? What if there’s avoidable traffic? A GPS can help you navigate around those things.

When you’re intentional about your business, you go from wandering aimlessly, taking any work that makes ends meet, to setting and achieving your goals. And today, I’m going to talk about how I’m being more intentional in my business, and why that decision has led me to end my membership.

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Take the time to identify tasks that provide the best returns on your time investment. Focus on work that aligns with your income goals and brings you closer to achieving your business objectives.Take control of your schedule by tracking your time and evaluating the effectiveness of your tasks. Use tools like time tracking apps to make data-driven decisions and maximize your productivity.Reflect on your business goals and values, and make decisions that align with them. Ensure that your business endeavors are in sync with what matters most to you and contribute to your overall happiness and success.

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Do you really need social media to build a following? To build expertise? To be successful? It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot. I think lots of creators are too. The rote advice that you see from the ultra successful people just doesn’t work for most of us. And it doesn’t have to. What if I told you there was a better way. 

As it turns out, today’s guest, my friend and Amazon best selling author of the book start a binge-worthy podcast,Krystal Proffitt, agree: starting a podcast is a great way to build your business. 

In today’s conversation, we talk about why podcasting is the best way to build expertise and trust, why there aren’t too many podcasts, and how you can start a successful one. 

Plus, in the pro show, we talk all about how to do interviews the right way. 

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During the pandemic, we were told one thing seemingly over and over again: You need to start a membership. You need a community. That’s the only way you can scale your business. And to be honest, I fed into it. I believed that a membership was the key to stop trading for hours for dollars. 

But the truth is I was trading more hours for fewer dollars. See, what most solopreneurs don’t realize (what I didn’t realize for a long time) is that you’re always trading hours for dollars. That’s what work is. The key difference is how many hours you're trading for how many dollars. And that’s what Maggie Patterson is here to talk to us about today. 

See, when the pandemic ended, we both noticed something: many of those people who were preaching the importance of basing your business off a community or membership were going back to one thing: services. Because when you do services right, you can make a lot of money. 

Today, Maggie, who has over 15 years of experience successfully selling client services, tells us the key to unlocking more income: selling strategy. 

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Choosing the right platform can feel like an impossible task sometimes. There are so many options, from services to creating your own website and owning everything – how do you choose? Well, Nathalie Lussier and I have both been around the block. She owns a popular WordPress-based LMS called AccessAlly, and I’ve tried dozens of platforms for memberships, including ones I’ve built myself. 

So it was interesting timing when we both decided to start publishing on Substack in late November/early December. Today, we’re going to trade notes, going over why we decided to move there, what migration was like, and what we like and dislike about the platform. For members, we’ll discuss our timing to move within the context of a bigger controversy surrounding Substack. 

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One of my favorite Disney+ shows is Loki. It’s a truly fascinating look at time travel, predetermined events, and controlling your own destiny.

And now I’m going to give you a major (if not very simplified) spoiler, if you haven’t seen it.

In the finale, Loki masters the ability to “time slip,” or transport to any time, any place, in any timeline (for all intents and purposes, a timeline is a parallel universe). This also allows him to relive events over and over again.

So as all of existence faces eradication, he can take as much “time” as he wants to learn how to save everything and everyone, on every timeline.

He continuously, over thousands of years, learns everything he needs to learn, and practices, through trial and error, to improve his process, and his odds of saving everything and everyone.

And while we don’t have thousands of years, or the ability to time travel, we do have the ability to take a step back and consider the question, “What’s missing?”

Read the full article here

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It was Christmas Eve, and I was waiting in line for bagels.
As someone who grew up in New York now living close to Philly, I’m admittedly a snob about the quality of the bagels I eat. But there’s a bagel shop not 5 minutes from my house that makes the best bagels I’ve ever had outside of NY/NJ.
And they offer preorders for Christmas Eve. It’s become a bit of a tradition in our house to get those bagels and do a Christmas Eve brunch.
They also have a select stock for people on a first come first serve basis. People who preorder can buy from this stock. The many preorders combined with the select stock creates a long line. After-all, these bagels are superb.
So we waited.
And during that wait, there were some people who complained about the wait1.
But no one left the line or cancelled their order. After all, if all they wanted was bagels, they could have gone to the grocery store a few doors down and buy bagels immediately.
But those are not even good bagels. And we wanted great bagels.
See, there’s a dirty little secret that no one wants to hear these days:
Great things require time. And they’re worth the wait.

Read the full article here

In the PRO show,I explain how I plan for conferences, and how I measure direct ROI from events. Join here.

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I sweat bullets over finding the right tools. Some might say I am an Overthinker.

And that is an asset to me. But occasionally, it causes crippling analysis paralysis. I’ve spent every day of this very young year, thinking about the implementation for my membership, even though I know the simplest solution is to use Substack. And last week, I would have told you that’s the end of the story. But it’s not.

So today, I’m going to tell you about a journey that led me to Substack and grossly overcomplicating my publishing process. And why that could be a good thing.

For members, we discuss how I’m managing multiple publishing places, why “Be Everywhere” is so important to me, and my goals for this experiment.

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It was a wild year for social media in 2023. Twitter turned into X. Meta launched Threads. And LinkedIn started off the year as a promising platform for engagement and growth before tweaking the algorithm and tanking all of that. 

Matt Clark, founder of The Virtual Edge, host of the Rainmaker Show, and expert in sales argues that we shouldn’t treat LinkedIn like a social media platform because it’s not one. It’s a professional networking platform. 

That means we need to treat it more like a networking event if we want to make the most of it. And today, he’s going to tell us how.

In the subscribers-only show, Matt and I talk more about building a lifestyle beforeyou build your business. We touch on how people like Alex Hormozi oversimplify how they do things in order to push how "easy" it is to build a business. We also talk about the difference life choices we've made, and how our businesses support that — and what you should consider as well!  

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The word 'Control' evokes various thoughts and emotions, many of which are negative. Control is often associated with an excessive desire to dominate or dictate every aspect of a situation.The bad guys in movies and in real life desire control at almost any cost. Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars said the only way to improve life in the galaxy was for him to seize control. Thanos said the only way to save the universe was to control the population by controlling the infinity stones.

Countless dictators and wannabe dictators have justified taking control because they’re the only ones who can save us.

It sounds micro-managy, almost authoritarian when you say, “I want to be more controlling.”

But Control at the right scale is super important. If you don’t control your car, bike, or other vehicle, for example, you will end up hurting yourself or someone else.

In thinking about my next yearly theme, a recent conversation I had with my therapist was top of mind. I told her that I didn’t feel like I was in control of anything. Not my health. Not my money. Not my time or schedule.That's why my 2024 Yearly Theme is *The Year of Control.*

For members, we discuss the themes I didn’t choose, how the membership will work in 2024, and the direction of the podcast in general. You can join here.

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Over the last few weeks, you’ve heard from multiple guests about the importance of research – Dappz talking about calculated risks and doing research for the actual calculation. Nikki Rausch talking about speaking your potential customer’s language. Adriana tells us to do research when we’re guesting on a podcast. 

But that begs the question: how? How do we make sure we’re doing the right kind of research to yield helpful information – especially if we’re not a huge company? 

We need to do scrappy research – which is why I brought in my friend, Becky Pierson Davidson. She’s an educator, speaker, and community-driven product strategist who’s focused on helping people like us simplify our customer journey, improve retention, and increase customer LTV. And she’s got the receipts, working with diverse clients, including personal brands, fortune 500 companies, creative service agencies, and startups.

So I thought there was no better way to close out the year than to talk to her about scrappy research. 

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A few weeks ago, I ruffled some feathers on social media. I said, “Telling people you wrote your book with AI is like telling people you ran a marathon with your car.” 

Wow. People took umbrage with that statement. And while I stand by what I said, I thought it would be a good idea to talk to an AI expert. So I reached out to Bryan McAnulty of Heights Platform to see me (or everyone else) straight. And you know what he told me? 

We’re all doing it wrong. We shouldn’t use AI as a proxy for Google. We should use it as an actual assistant. And for that, we need to give it a ton of context.

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Imagine that you’re going to give a talk on a topic you know really well. You spend time on the presentation, rehearse it 100 times, dial in the slides, and you’re feeling great. You get the conference, deliver the talk, and you think you nailed it. But when you ask for questions, one person raises her hand and says, “Nous ne parlons pas anglais.”

That’s right. You just delivered your talk in English, and the entire audience speaks French. You made an assumption that you knew that audience. And the conference host made that same assumption. 

Now the effects, or embarrassment, may not be as strong if you guest on a podcast, but they can cut against your credibility, and potentially waste your time…and the audience’s time. That’s why you need to be prepared. 

And that’s exactly what public speaking coach (and fantastic guest) Adriana Baer is going to talk to us about today. We chat about everything from research to storytelling, and she even has a few bonus tips. Be sure to stick around until the end for a special bundled deal we’re offering.

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Recently, I sat down to dinner with my family when the doorbell rang. It was a door-to-door HelloFresh salesman, who wanted to make dinner easier for us (while ironically preventing me from eating dinner). I immediately got frustrated for two reasons: 

It was dinner time and the interruption was unwelcomedI had already told this guy’s partner “no” several hours earlier. 

It was a conversation that not only was unwelcome but was already flat-out rejected once before. 

This sort of tactic is what gives sales a bad name, and why folks like us hatesales. But today’s guest, Nikki Rausch, is here to tell us that’s not at all how sales should work – and what we should do instead. 

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Social media advice these days reminds me a bit of the parable of the Emperor with no Clothes. See, it's easy for anyone to display how smart and successful they are. They say things like, "Here's your content strategy for 2024: Post three times on X daily, post one thread on X daily. Create three LinkedIn posts per day and one LinkedIn carousel per week." 

People read that and think, "That's easy to understand," without realizing that just posting content is not a strategy at all. 

I often think about how people perceive me and my show because I consider myself a successful podcaster. But I also feel conflicted – I don't feel I've done a good job of leveraging this show to grow my audience. So, I've decided to have my friend, Zach Swinehart, come on to talk about how I can improve my conversions for this show.

However, it almost feels a bit like the emperor has no clothes. Am I putting myself out there? Am I letting myself be too vulnerable? I guess you’re about to find out.

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How much help is too much help? When do you go from the actual worker to the visionary? And where does AI fit into all of this? Over on LinkedIn, I said using AI to write your book is like using a car to run a marathon. 

People took issue with that. So my friend Alastair MeDermott and I decided to have a good old fashioned debate. 

You’ll hear a nuanced discussion around:

If you’re feeling uncertain about how to responsibly and effectively leverage AI tools like ChatGPT in your business and content creation, don’t miss this lively exchange of perspectives. Tune in now to help shape your own ethical framework.

Check out Alastair's podcast over at https://therecognizedauthority.com/ 

Imagine making $70,000…from your bedroom…in one night. 

That’s exactly what Matt “Dappz” McGuckin did with his online trading cards shop. He got his start “breaking” – that is, buying and opening boxes of cards live online, and selling the contents…all on TikTok. 

Sounds risky? It is! But today, Dappz Sports is the Live Shopping Company on TikTok in the U.S., making over $20 Million in gross sales. So the risks have paid off. 

Now maybe it seems like too far-fetched to say you’ll make $70K in one night, but it’s not too far-fetched to say that making calculated risks will elevate your business. 

It’s a proven strategy and Dappz, and today, he’s going to tell you how you can do it too. 

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Over the years, I’ve published a great many gift guides on my blog. From freelancers, to podcasters, to working from home, and even my hobbies — like pens and cigars. And this year is no different.

But given my relatively new focus on helping solopreneurs (and the fact that the “Work from Home” guide is starting to feel a little stale), I’ve decided to change things up in 2023.

That's why this year, I'm introducing the Solopreneur's Gift Guide. Enjoy! 

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Recording / Video Conference Gear

Home Office

At Home Tech

Productivity

Comforts of Home

Travel / Outside the House

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Do you remember the most awkward moments of your life? One for me was definitely the day I was defending my master’s thesis. I was explaining a complex algorithm, when my advisor interrupted me and said, “Well…that’s not really how it works.”  In front of my classmates, other faculty, and a number of friends who showed up out of support.

As you can imagine, I was mortified – until recovered, finished the presentation, and said, If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Unless it’s about that one algorithm. They you can ask Dr. Bishop.” 

That got laughs, and I finished strong. I learned an important lesson that day: awkwardness will happen. It’s how you handle it that has a lasting effect. And that’s exactly what Dr. Henna Pryor is going to talk about with us today. She’s a keynote speaker, and her best-selling book, Good Awkward, came out in September with endorsements from people like NFL Quarterback Russell Wilson. 

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A family walks into a talent agency, and says, “Have we got the act for you…”

If you’re familiar with this opening to a joke, you may have had a visceral reaction to it — either you think it’s hysterically funny, shamefully disgusting, or both. It’s the opening to the joke, The Aristocrats, and if you have a weak stomach, I don’t suggest you look it up.

See, the point of this joke isn’t actually the punchline, which is right in the title. The point is to see how long you can improv a shocking, disgusting, offensive story.

You can think about it as a secret handshake among comedians, that became not so secret after a 2005 documentary came out about it.

It going me thinking about the importance of telling a story.

This week, I got to speak to my friend Nick Benson’s college classes about Digital Storytelling.

Don’t worry, I didn’t tell The Aristocrats.

Instead, I spoke to them about why storytelling is so important in any content you create, especially podcasting.

Read the article here: https://podcastliftoff.com/podcast-storytelling/ 

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In a way, the chaotic start to our interview, followed by a calm, cool conversation, is a metaphor for Jordan’s business journey this year. 

See, this isn’t just a story about how to hire good people for your business. It’s a cautionary tale, and proof that running a business is about always learning and adjusting. 

Jordan runs an agency of high-level remote assistants. 

Today, she’s telling us her own trials and tribulations with making what seemed to be the right hiring call but ended up plunging her business into a few chaotic months. 

Don’t worry though, through patience and vigilance, she came out on the other side in a much better position. Plus, in the PRO show, we talk about what she’s doing for me…and why she’s contributed to me potentially leaving Airtable for Notion.

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It's podcast swap time! Except I'm telling you about another podcast of mine: Podcast Workflows. It's a daily podcast that focuses on how to help podcasters improve their processes. Every Wednesday, I do a deep dive into someone's process, and that's what I'm bringing you today.

Learn more at https://show.podcastworkflows.com/

Arielle Nissenblatt eats, sleeps, and breathes podcasts.

She loves podcasts so much that she, along with her co-host Tim Villegas, produce a podcast about podcasts. Well really, about podcast trailers specifically. It’s called Trailer Park.

You might think that this is too niche, but they got 10,000 downloads in just a few weeks. Their outreach process was crucial to achieving that goal. Read on to learn how they did it.

IN THIS EPISODE

Read the full article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/trailer-park-podcast/

If I wanted to cater to the current algorithm gods, I’d probably talk about how this interview is all about what AI can and cannot do for us. But it’s so much more than that. 

Much like the problem with leveraging AI to do all of the heavy lifting, me positioning this episode as “about AI,” would be inauthentic. And authenticity…well that’s really what this episode is about. 

Tom Schwab is someone who believes at his core that you’re just One Conversation Away from a profitable…and perhaps quite successful…business. So that’s what he helps people do. He helps them have conversations. 

And today, you’re going to learn how to get better at having the right conversations, as well as how to leverage those conversations to build your authority…authentically. 

Plus in the PRO show, Tom and I exchange podcast interview horror stories!

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Did you know that Netflix is also a gaming platform now? That Apple make TV shows? That Disney own a number of YouTube channels withoutthe Disney branding? It’s because they know what Steve Woodruff knows. 

If you’re a podcaster, you might think the competition is other podcasters. If you make movies, you might think the competition is another movie. You’d be wrong. 

See, what Netflix, Apple, Disney, and Steve know, is that the competition is everything. People are assaulted every day by stimuli, and if you want to cut through all of the noise, you need to stand out by being an effective communication designer. And there’s no better person to tell us how to do that than the King of Clarity himself. 

Plus, in the PRO show, we talk about using AI to write books, and Steve’s process for writing his latest book, The Point. 

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Imagine running a high 7-figure business with over 300,000 followers on social media, then launching a podcast. How many downloads would you expect? 100,000? 150,000? What about…10? 

We’ve all been there: we spend a TON of time pouring blood, sweat, and tears into a project just to have it launch to crickets. That’s exactly what happened to Yong-Soo Chung with his podcast. Despite the social following, no one cared about his show. 

But instead of wallowing in self-pity or shutting the show down, Yong-Soo took action. He reactivated his 12-year dormant Twitter account, and started basically from scratch, growing to 20,000 followers in less than a year. 

Now he has a great process for getting people from Twitter to his newsletter, to his podcast.

We’ll cover his entire journey and more. Plus, in the PRO show, we exchange notes on our production processes!

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Cohort-based courses are on the decline if the tastemakers are to be believed. And it makes sense. Now that people aren’t stuck at home, they probably don’twant to spend time interacting online when they can interact IRL. But that doesn’t mean that CBCs have no utility. 

In fact, I think that there’s a great way we can make CBCs even better, by employing a tactic that has been explored in the K12 and higher education settings: the flipped classroom.

In the episode we’ll: 

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I love Hibachi. I love the food. I love the experience. That seems a lot like building in public, right? After all, the chef is literally cooking in front of us, building our meal. But according to Kevon Cheung – a guy who’s built his entire community by building in public – Hibachi is entertainment. 

In order to build in public, you need to take your audience on a journey with you. That’s why he believes building in public is more like Omakase. This is where the chef will choose the foods for you, involve you in the process, and tell you a story about the food you’re eating. 

That’s what Building in Public truly is, and today, we’re going to learn how to leverage it to build great communities and better products.

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You need to tell a good story, no matter what kind of content you create. This is obvious in fiction, but it’s just as important in non-fiction. Don’t believe me? Take it from Emmy Award-winning producer, Cody Sheehy. He creates documentaries, and today he tells us why storytelling has been crucial to his work, and is crucial to yours too. In the PRO show, I couldn’t resist: I asked what it was like to win an Emmy. 

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If you think about social networks as people, LinkedIn is TikTok’s dorky older, more professional sister…that the younger, more hip sister needs to borrow money from. That’s how Kathleen Celmins sees it, and she’s very effective at selling on LinkedIn. In fact, she says that if you’re just trying to grow your follower count on LinkedIn, you’re doing it wrong. Instead, it’s all about the connections. How do you convert those connections into clients? That’s what we get into during this call. Plus, in the PRO show we talk about the danger of creating tools that rely on social media. 

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I used to think that promoting my podcast was a matter of tweeting it (Xeeting it?) and hoping for the best. And while I’ve learned a TON over the years about what to do, and what not to do, Deirdre Tshien still blew my mind as we talked about her traffic pyramid. As the co-founder and CEO of Capsho (an AI tool to help create promotional assets), she knows a thing or two about how to market and grow your podcast. We’ll get into that, plus podcast discoverability tips that change my approach to this very show, and my audits. Plus, in the PRO show, we talk about what it’s like building niche commercial AI tools. 

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It's the summer and I just came off a ton of travel, so this episode is a mishmash of things and a little rambly. Strap in! We’ll talk about a contract position I have, plus some new partnerships I’m excited about. Then we’ll move to my summer of travel and how I’m managing the workload before moving onto the main event: 5 tools I’m trying out this summer. 

In the pro show, I talk about what I’m using Notion for, more about my new position, Luma, and seeing a therapist. 

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“I don’t need to write it down because I’ll remember” is hopelessly naive. Sorry if that stung, but it’s true. You need to write things down, as Andy Ayim MBE learned when he started his digital journal.  He’s a father, husband, creator, thinker, investor, and founder of The Angel Investing School. He has invested in over 17 gap-closing startups. And he would be completely lost without what he calls his “Tracker” - a digital journal he keeps in Notion. In fact, he believes his Tracker is so crucial, that he considers it DIY coaching and counseling too. So let’s dive into why YOU need to keep a digital journal, and how to make it happen. Plus, in the PRO show, we talk about investing, single-vs-multi-focus, and how Andy invented Spotify, and I invented Facebook…

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They say fortune favors the bold, and that’s definitely the case for Brooke Janousek. After decades in the marketing industry, she decided to strike out on her own and needed to take any opportunity she could get to help her business grow. So she took her shot by asking Sara Blakely’s (founder of SPANX) husband, during his talk, in front of 800 people, for a chance to meet her. 

According to Brooke, you need to be bold in your own business- “if you don’t have a seat at the table, you need to make one.” Those bold moves turned her into a successful fractional CMO. And if you’re wondering if this path is right for you, you need to listen! 

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If you’re a parent, you’re probably familiar with something that’s been recently reintroduced into my life. It’s 2 am, and my 7-month-old son wakes up and is in need of a new diaper and bottle. So I get up and head into his room. I’m half asleep, I need to undo his PJs, change the diaper, and redo the PJs. And there is one type of PJ's that are head and shoulders above the rest: the reverse zip PJs. So good in fact, that I’m certain they were designed by parents that had the same exact experience I’ve shared.

Link: What Baby Clothes Can Teach You About Understanding Your Customers

Are you missing the boat on user-generated content? User-Generated Content (UGC) isn’t just for getting testimonials on social media. In fact, today’s guest, Tory Gray, says we can use it for almost anything: SEO, user research, social proof, FAQs, and so much more. And she should know! Tory is a highly experienced digital marketing consultant and the Founder of The Gray Dot Company. With more than 15 years of experience in SEO and growth strategy, Tory has helped numerous businesses achieve their goals through digital strategy with a focus on technical and strategic SEO. On top of the great advice, we walk through a scenario: building a landing page from scratch with UGC. Don’t miss it! Plus, in the PRO show, we talk about the mother of all UGC websites: Reddit.

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A few weeks ago Jay Clouse wrote about Experimentality on his blog. This is a concept I love because experimenting is the only way to know if what you're doing works as best as it can.

I've been experimenting a lot with my podcast, content, and automation. I like writing about what I'm trying for my members...I think it's a big benefit of the membership.

I thought I'd give you a little peek into two experiments I'm running now.

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“I despise social media.” This was my first impression of Tim Stoddart, and I was hooked. If you're feeling frustrated and discouraged by the lack of engagement relying solely on social media posts, you are not alone! But you, like me, might be taking the wrong approach. Tim says long-form content is king, and he should know. He’s the CEO of Copyblogger and writes prolifically. If you’ve been struggling to make an impact through short-form content, this interview is a must-listen.

Get the top takeaways, show notes, and transcript at https://howibuilt.it/323

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Earlier this month I made two decisions about the newsletter that you may have noticed:

I got rid of the “Quick Hits” section (which was mostly my own content) in favor of a 300-500 word section on some top-of-mind topic.I added a monthly digest of all the content I put out during the month, sent on the last weekday of the month.

The two are related. I still want a way to let my newsletter subscribers know about the content I’ve put out, in case they missed it. But it also serves 2 other purposes:

It allows me to promote the month’s podcast episodes one more time.The sponsors get one more mention in the newsletter each month.

After putting it together manually, I knew there had to be a better way, so I built version one of a Monthly Digest Engine, designed to aggregate and format all of my links, which I can then add to ConvertKit.

Here’s how I built it.

Sign up at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe

https://casabona.org/2023/06/building-a-monthly-digest-engine/ 

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What do you get when you follow the pack instead of doing what’s best for you? A bad content strategy. A year ago, I decided to focus on short-form content because I saw all the “thread Bois” doing it and thought it would help my business. 

It didn’t. But luckily, you can course-correct your strategies. And thanks to some key talks and inspiration from CEX and Craft+Commerce, I’ve decided that long form is the best strategy for my business (and probably yours, too). 

Get the top takeaways, show notes, and transcript athttps://howibuilt.it/322

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Picture this: it's 2020. Your spouse is a nurse. You have one small kid with another on the way. You know child care will fall full to you for at least half the week.

Oh, and you're trying to run a business. What would you do if your work week was effectively cut in half?

I knew I needed to get help in my business, so I found a VA. Over a few episodes, I'll talk about working with my VA, starting with how I decided I needed one and where I found her.

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We live in an age where everything needs to be fast, easy, and in high volume. I’ve seen people say, “I’m going to write 8 books this year.” Josh Bernoff thinks that’s a load of crap. See, if you want to write a good book, just like anything of quality, you need to spend time on it. Josh’s new book, Build a Better Business Book, is a master class on how to do that. And today, he’s giving us the best parts of that book. In the PRO show, things get real as we talk more about the charlatans of writing, as well as ghostwriting.

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Apple is rarely the first to market with a product, and for good reason. Here are 4 lessons you can learn from Apple introducing the Vision Pro at the beginning of the month.

Link: Thoughts and Lesson from the Apple Vision Pro Presentation at the WWDC

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Are you a “Field of Dreams” marketer? Someone who thinks, “If I build it, they will come.” I was for a long time. Sometimes it feels like I still am. That’s why I was excited to talk to Julian Garsdean. He blends psychology and business in a way I haven’t seen before to help business owners stand out and sell more. As creators, we can learn a ton from addressing the 6 basic needs in our own content and products. Listen for these top takeaways:

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About a month ago I went on a quest to find the perfect webinar software. I create a spreadsheet and everything.

But at CEX, I had a great conversation with Luria Petrucci of Live Stream Pros and I asked her, “What do you think is the best way to run a webinar?”

Here's what she said, and why.

It would be a dream of mine to grow a newsletter from 0 to 8,000+ in less than 6 months. But that’s exactly what Chenell Basilio did. The way she did it? Deeply researched, super-helpful content. See, she teaches people how successful creators grew their newsletters to 50,000+ subscribers. And today, she’s going to tell us all about her process. And in How I Built It PRO, we talk about money and goals for the next 6 months.

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There are LOTS of great tips on LinkedIn these days, especially in the carousels. But the problem: you can’t easily get data out of the carousels. That means you can’t put them in your notes app, or even click on the links for more details.

Here are 2 ways you can do it: one using macOS’s native image-to-text feature, and one using a great shortcut by David Sparks. 

Links

Pitching the media is tough. After all, you’re competing with basically anyone who has something to say. So how do you make yourself stand out? That’s what Christina Nicholson is teaching us today. She’ll cover everything from coming up with an idea to landing the media spot to converting those viewers to your audience. This one is a MUST listen. 

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In Part 3 of my Stream Deck Series, I'm covering Page 3 of my Stream Deck XL. Let's Dive in! 

- Screenshot of Stream Deck XL Page 2
- eCamm Live
- How I've Configured my Stream Deck
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A Rube Goldberg machine is an overly complex device that performs a simple task through a series of chain reactions. If you’re not familiar with automation, it can often feel like building a Rube Golberg machine. But it doesn’t have to! Today, I’m going to tell you how automation can be simple, and give you 12 examples from my own life that prove the point. In the PRO show, I tell you all about why I moved to Thrivecart, and how my “writing on Medium” experiment is going.

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When I went back to Twitter, one of the first things I wanted to look into was how I can easily post…most ideally across multiple platforms.

And as I’m using these channels to grow my own audience, I always want features like auto-DM and auto-plug. 

Hypefury fits the bill perfectly.

To grow your podcast you need…Facebook?! That’s what Philip Better, self-described podcast mogul, says. But that’s just one piece of advice he offers, as we exchange notes and thoughts on things like YouTube, lead generation, and growing your podcast audience. In the PRO show, we talk about automation on social media!

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Today I'm tackling Apple Music vs. Spotify, and why I seemingly inexplicably use both!

https://casabona.org/2023/04/using-spotify-more/

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In my opinion, there’s nothing better than brainstorming ideas with a fellow Automator, and that’s exactly what today’s episode is all about. Chris L. Davis is a marking automation expert, and he’s done a few things that have wowed and inspired me. Today, we’re breaking down what exactly email automation is, and how everyone can leverage it to understand and grow their business. In the PRO show, we espouse our love for Airtable.

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In Part 2 of my Stream Deck Series, I'm covering Page 1 of my Stream Deck XL. Let's Dive in! 

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Nowadays, there are tons of automation tools out there, thanks to the Chat GPT and Generative AI Revolution. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the options available that could potentially help you do your job better. But let me tell you, there’s a difference between using Generative AI tools to create content or creative assets and using automation tools that can actually perform tasks and make your life easier.

So, in this Automated Solopreneur segment, I’m going to spill the beans on my top 5 favorite automation tools. And if you tune into the x`PRO show, I’ll also share why I decided to give Twitter another shot and how automation tools made my experience on the platform a whole lot better.

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If you've been following me for any amount of time, you will know that I take my note taking and idea capture very seriously. And last year, I made a decision that Craft would be my one and only notes app.

I don’t think that’s working out for me. Mostly because I have 3 kinds of notes:

Big planning notesRandom thoughtsResearch notes

Craft has been great for the random thoughts and research but I think is best suited for Big Planning.

So I’m going to switch back to Bear Notes for random thoughts to see how that works out.

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Lots of people are becoming creators now. In fact, Craig Chavis Jr. describes being a creator as sharing your expertise. But does that make you a business owner? Not so fast! That’s a completely different thing. And in today’s episode, we dig into what those differences are, finding the right message for your business, and how creators can become business owners. In How I Built It PRO, we talk about putting yourself into a corner, and how owning a business is kind of like surfing. 

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Just how important is writing? According to YouTuber Mark Ellis, your career depends on it. And as someone who’s grown his audience to 1 million monthly views in just a couple of years, he knows a thing or two. That’s why he’s going to take us through his process for creating content, repurposing, and how you can start! In How I Built It Pro, we talk specifically about growing his YouTube channel and podcasting on YouTube.

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I'm starting a short series here on how I've configured my Stream Decks! Today, the Stream Deck+. 

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While there have been big leaps in membership software in the last 5 years, membership sites are still some of the hardest to create and run properly. That’s why I brought in Melodie Moore. She’s been building, maintaining, and scaling 7 & 8-figure membership sites for the past 10 years. Her team kills shiny object syndrome and creates massive success in less time by utilizing psychology, state-of-the-art tech, and effective systems. Today, you’re going to learn her process, and how to launch a successful membership.

In How I Built It Pro, members got to hear us talk about parenting, general thoughts on Twitter, and…improv?! Get this and every episode ad-free, and extended, over at https://howibuilt.it/pro

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When I left Twitter, it wasn’t on a whim. I had been considering it for a long time…like middle of the pandemic long. As people jumped ship from Twitter, Mastodon seemed to be the clear front-runner for replacing Twitter.

I’m hesitant at best, but Tapbots (from the makers of the incomparable Tweetbot), have put out a Mastodon client called Ivory, and I’ve decided to give it t try for a bit.

Links

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If you create online courses, you won’t want to miss this very special discussion! I’ll be joined by Ronnie Burt, Business Lead at Automattic, who’s overseen development of the Sensei LMS plugin. We’re going to cover:

- Managing emails for your online courses
- A.I.’s role in assisting with online course creation.
- Sensei’s upcoming A.I. Quiz Generator
- A.I.'s impact on society
 
This is a audio version from a live stream we did on April 17th, 2023.

This live stream is presented by Sensei. Learn more here: https://howibuilt.it/sensei

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It’s another Automated Solopreneur episode! Today I’m telling you 4 types of tasks you can automate – as well as questions you can ask yourself to determine what you can automate based on what you do on a daily basis. 

Those 4 types of tasks? 

In How I Built It Pro, I talk about when you might be automating too much, plus my plans for making the membership more automation-centric. 

Show Notes

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One of my favorite things to do is easily automate input and idea capture from my Stream Deck. I've got two, plus a Stream Deck Pedal, so I try to make the most of them!

I've greatly improved my process for creating social media content in a centralized place with a Stream Deck automation I'm going to tell you about today. 

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