Streamlined Solopreneur: Build Systems so Your Business Supports Your Life

Big news in the WordPress space today: GiveWP, makers of the extremely popular WordPress donation plugin has been acquired by Liquid Web. I got to interview the founders and co-authors, Matt Cromwell and Devin Walker. We cover questions like how the acquisition came about, what this means for current customers and nonprofits, plans for the future, and even some sage advice regarding the acquisitio...

If you've ever worked for a bigger company, you know that it's easy to get bogged down by software and other restrictions in the name of security. Heck, I was once told I couldn't work off-site because of it, and we had a VPN! Well, Jason Meller was sick of that and he suspected others were too, so he started Kolide. We talk all about what inspired him to take the leap and start a company, how he...

Promoting your book can be a tough road - I know because I'm currently on it. On top of establishing trust, you need to demonstrate that you're worth investing in. Plus, unlike online courses, it can be tough to build and keep an audience if people are just buying your book off Amazon. Luckily, a podcast can help. We'll get into all of that in this episode. Plus, in Build Something More I'll tell...

Pricing is one of the biggest issues that freelancers and small business owners face. The worry that pricing too high will lose sales tends to outweigh the fact that pricing too low is actually worse for your business. Well, Stephen King is here to tell us why the latter will sink you - not the former. And in Build Something More, we'll talk about how to be prepared for an economic recession - whe...

Apple has officially announced Apple Podcast Subscriptions, a way for podcasters to offer paid podcasts directly through the Podcasts app. We’ll cover all the fine details (how it works, pricing, and some of the finer details) and they I’ll give my thoughts, and we’ll do some price comparisons.  Show Notes The YouTube Video Apple Press Release Macstories Coverage The Fine Print, Six Colors The Fut...

When just starting your business, it feels like the only financial question you're asking is, "How can I make enough money to stay afloat?" And while that is a SUPER important question, it's not the only question. In fact, today's guest, Kathy Svetina, gives us several questions we should ask ourselves to better answer the question, "How can I make enough money?" Her financial security framework i...

One of the most important things a course creator needs to do to sell courses is establish trust. Indeed you've probably heard that a customer needs to know, like, and trust you. Well, there's no better way to get someone to do all three of those than by starting a podcast. We'll discuss that and other benefits to starting a podcast, whether you've already launched, or are planning to launch, a co...

When you run a company focused on software for live events, you have no choice but to pivot when live events cease basically overnight. Hazel and Zach tell their fantastic story of how they were able to pivot a team of 50 people to focus their live events software on virtual events (spoiler alert: it's not easy). In Build Something More, we talk all about Liquid Web's acquisition of The Events Cal...

I LOVE automation, so when Mang-Git Ng reached out and wanted to talk about what he learned by launching a start-up fully focused on digitizing paper processes, I was hooked. If you've bought a house, done taxes, or any other document-heavy task, you know what a pain it can be. Mang-Git's company aims to solve that problem, and he tells us everything he's learned. In Build Something More, we answe...

One thing the global pandemic taught us is we need to have a great online presence. This is especially true if you need to sell online - and let's face it, we all do now. Well Patrick Garman of Mindsize has the knowledge and experience to help anyone launch and improve their eCommerce store. And he gives us some of his best stuff in today's episode. Plus, Mindsize went through a bit of a rebrand,...

Have you ever wondered why your product or service didn't get much traction on social media even though you post all the time ? According to Michelle Knight, it's all about your personal brand (or lack thereof). Maybe you've heard the term before, but what does "personal brand" really mean? Luckily, Michelle has us covered! She'll tell us all about why you need a personal brand and how to craft on...

Starting an eCommerce just a few years ago was a hard task. You needed to set up a website, figure out how to accept payments, manage inventory, figure out shipping and fulfillment, and so much more. Thanks to Amazon and other tools, things have gotten a lot easier. Michael Begg tells us all about how using Fulfillment By Amazon and grow your business. Be sure to check out Build Something More thi...

In my experience, starting out, hiring a Virtual Assistant(VA) can take up more time than you're saving. While this is true for any employee, part of the reason to hire a VA is to make more time in your schedule to focus on your business. So how do you do it right? Matthew Yahes answers this question, plus where to find good people, and how to properly onboard VAs. In Build Something More, we talk...

Going on podcasts can be a great opportunity for small business owners. You're getting in front of a new audience to tell your story and show your expertise. But did you know there's a whole other avenue you can explore? Kristin Molenaar does, and she tell us all about it! Plus, in Build Something More, she walks us through forming your podcast pitch. Show Notes Kristin Molenaar Kristin on LinkedI...

There are a lot of aspects to consider when creating a membership site. Aside from the tech stack, you need to determine what you're going to offer and why it's compelling. In some cases, like a monthly subscription box or access to education resources, the offer is clear. But what about for content creators? Well, I just rolled out my membership and here's everything I put into it. Plus, in Build...

Back in 2017, I tried launching a Patreon for this very show, after hitting 50,000 downloads in 9 months. It was an epic failure! As a relaunch memberships for this site 4 years later, I reflect on the Patreon: how I overpromised, how I underdelivered, and what lessons I carried into my new membership, Creator Crew.  Show Notes 50K Downloads & More Coming to How I Built It I’m Doubling Down on...

Accessibility is an important of often overlooked aspect of web development. While some view it as an added expense, many don't even know they're doing anything wrong. Well today's guest, Amber Hinds, aims to change that by making accessibility less daunting through her agency and their new plugin, Accessibility Checker.  Show Notes NOTE: Around 4:30, Amber said Section 508 of the Telecommunicatio...

The global pandemic has forced a lot of businesses to change their processes and practices. One major drawback of not being able to meet in person is when we pitch new clients or customers, it has to be done digitally. That is a big change from being in the same room as you and your potential clients. Luckily Alex Price, owner of the 93digital WordPress agency, has some great tips for us.  Show No...

We've heard about flipping houses, but what about flipping blogs? Chelsea Clarke has built an entire business on just that. She teaches us what to look for when buying a blog, and the steps we need to take in order to sell. Listen in for an interesting and unique way to generate income for your business!  Show Notes Free Resource - Profit and Loss Template Chelsea Clarke | Instagram Mediavine Join...

Jennifer Bourn has been successfully running Profitable Project Plan, her training program for freelancers and small business owners, for several years. But it wasn't something that instantly made her a ton or money, and it's evolved over time. We're getting back to basics here in 2021, so Jennifer and I talk about what you'll learn in Profitable Project Plan, but we'll also talk about how she bui...

One of my favorite things to do at the end of each year is plan my Yearly Theme . It’s becoming a bit of a tradition and I’ve even got my wife in on the action this year. I find it’s better to have a guiding set of principles than a number of promises I may or may not 1 complete. 2020 caused many people to change how they do things, and I was no different. that’s why for 2021, my yearly theme is g...

It’s that time of year again! I round up my favorite media and tech picks of 2020 - but this year I’m doing it a little differently. Over on Casabona.org, I’ve written blog posts for the past several years, but I’ve never recorded my thoughts. So this year, along with a blog post, I decided to do a podcast episode too - this lets me ramble a little more and add some thoughts on 2021. I hope you en...

Well 2020 was unlike any year I’ve lived through, and I’m sure it’s the same for you. When I decided to come up with a theme for Season 9, which started in July, we were a couple of months into the global pandemic. I wanted focus on topics that could help you (and me) grow at a time where we were traveling less, seeing less foot traffic, and had to change in some way to make ends meet. I settled o...

In September 2020, my 4th book published by a publisher (6th overall) came out. It's called HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide and it's a (very) beginner's guide to learning HTML and CSS. The process was long and at times frustrating. I wanted to go through how I wrote it, from inception to hitting the shelved. Show Notes HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide MindNode Procreate Sponsored by: Co...

Winstina Hughes is an Assistant Regional Planner for the Maryland Department of Transportation but she's coming to us today as a member of the wordpress community! Throughout the interview we talk about all sorts of things - life, WordPress, the New Jersey Transit…and it call comes back to the main takeaway for this episode: writing what you know and creating opportunities to share your insight. T...