Streamlined Solopreneur: Build Systems so Your Business Supports Your Life

Throughout this season, we’ve talked about create content to build an audience. And the best way to build that audience and interact with them is forms. Well, Naomi C Bush tells us all about some great ways to build helpful forms for users. This is a much more traditional episode of How I Built It and I’m excited. Naomi talks about how she’s built her business, then provides some actionable advice...

Jase Rodley has A LOT going on. In fact, since we recorded this episode, he stepped down from Rank Defender to run Dialed Labs. His energy and drive are apparent in the interview, where we talk about Making Resource sites. Essentially, he tells us how to make content to fill a demand, and make a little money along the way. I even put him on the spot and have him help me through an idea during the...

It has become a bit of a time-honored tradition for me to do gift guides around the holidays. I often get asked for recommendations on office, podcast, and pen gear. I write the gift guides up on my personal site, but this episode goes into a bit more depth for people who work from home, podcast, and more! Gift Guides How I Light my Live Streams Sponsored by: Hostinger | Yes Plz | iThemes ———— Str...

Joe Simpson did something that, in my opinion, is very difficult to do. He created a local community out of virtually nothing. Living in Castilla, CA, he built the WordPress Santa Clarita Valley meetup from scratch. And the way he did it, as well as his personal story, is fantastic. I’m so happy I got to speak to Joe on this topic; he offer a unique insight with takeaways for everyone! Joe A. Simp...

Virtual summits are all the rage these days, but my friend Dave Shrein was doing them before they were cool. I participated in his event last year for his agency Campaign Donut, and I thought it was so well-run, I had to have him on the show to talk about it. Dave's story is great and he offers lots of actionable advice. It's always great when I can take something from an interview and implement i...

Lately on this show we've been focusing on big picture stuff, but it's really the small changes that make a big difference. Proof of that is Bud Kraus. He was trying to grow his newsletter and got nowhere….until he made a small change that grew it over 1,000 people in one year. Bud spills is secrets in this episode and tells you how you can do it too.  Show Notes Bud Kraus What I'm Doing To Get Pe...

I love talking to Brian Krogsgard. And if you need proof, we had a SUPER long pre-show that I'm going to release as bonus content when I roll out the Build Something Membership.  And speaking of, that's the main topic for today's conversaiton with Brian: building membership through community. We talk all about how Post Status has changed since we last spoke, alll the way back in Episode 3. We get...

Monetizing your podcast doesn't just mean sponsors. There are methods you can employ to generate income from your show - whether it's direct dollars or warm leads. Here are 4 ways to monetize your podcast, from landing sponsors to generating commission. And if you'd like to learn more, check out the course Podcast Liftoff . Show Notes Get Podcast Liftoff (use BUILD at checkout for a 15% discount)...

Webinars can be a great way to grow your audience, but are a tough business. Today's guest, Emily Hunkler, is a pro! She is able to host consistent webinars and virtual meetups for GoWP at a time where it helps most. In this episode, Emily lets us in on how she does it.  Show Notes Emily Hunkler GoWP GoWP's Niche Agency Owners Facebook Group What to Focus on in a Recession with Brad Morrison 7 Way...

I have a confession that won't be much of a confession once you start listening to this episode. I'm a big fan of David Sparks. I think he does great work in several different areas an I'm excited to talk to him about how he does it. We also both happen to be big fans of Disney and Star Wars. When we spoke, he was just coming off his first ever Sabbatical - so we'll get into that and how he manage...

I'm really excited to take to Tracey Larvenz today - he's my content manager over at linkedIn Learning and he's so great to work with! Being a Content Manager at LinkedIn Learning, it's his job to make sure there's a steady stream of new course material coming out for members. We'll talk about how he decides what to put into the production queue, and with me being a LinkedIn Learning instructor, w...

Let me tell you about my friend Tessa. She is very passionate about her work. And what's her work? Well she finds people who are passionate about products! In this episode Tessa will give us tips and tricks for building an advocacy program - where you can connect with people who LOVE you product. And further…you know what? I'll just let Tessa tell you about it!  Show Notes Tessa Kriesel | LinkedIn...

Voice Search! Amazon Echo! Google! Chip Edwards knows a thing or two about all of these topics and let me tell you what I learned: We are all sleeping on voice search. Chip will tell us the importance of being on Voice Search, and why the earlier the better. Stay tuned until the end for a special offer just for listeners too!  Show Notes Chip Edwards | Twitter Create My Voice Choose Your Invocatio...

Lisa Laporte is the CEO of TWiT.tv and after a few weeks of talking about how to podcast and what it can do for your content, I thought she'd be the perfect person, to come on and talk about starting a network, as well as where podcasting is going. We talk about a lot of stuff - where podcasting was and the future, but we also have a great chat about tech and more. Lots of great advice here, so si...

One of the hardest things to do is put out daily content…and on top of that, making it helpful, timely, and in podcast form! This sounds like a ton of work, but Harry Morton of Lower Street does just that. In this episode, we'll explore how Harry can consistently put out a daily podcast about working from home - from planning to publishing. Show Notes Harry Morton Lower Street WFH Daily Podcast Mo...

Stephen Hackett is one of my favorite podcasters, and cofounded my favorite podcast network, Relay.fm. Back in 2018, I spoke to his co-founder Myke Hurley about starting podcasts. Since then, Relay has really ramped up their membership program and I though Stephen would be the perfect guy to talk to about putting out tons of content and deciding what to make free, and what to make paid.  I think t...

Before we get too deep into this season, I wanted to make sure you and I have a good baseline for creating content and engaging with the audience. Taylor Waldon, the Content Strategist for GiveWP, does a fantastic job of this. We talk about how they are expanding their niche and why creating the right content is crucial. This is a must list for anyone who's creating content for their small busines...

A few weeks ago we spoke to Andrea Zoellner on how to implement a good Instagram Strategy. Well, another social network that seems like a hidden gem for content is LinkedIn, so I've brought on Cara North to talk to us. Cara is in the eLearning space, and we definitely talk about that, but I also wondered how she always seems to be trending on LinkedIn! So we talk about the smart way to build your...

Just because you're a government organization doesn't mean you can't have a little personality. That's what my friend Joe Galbo proves day-in and day-out over at the Consumer Products Safety Commission. I've wondered for some time how they manage their social media strategy there and Joe's the brains behind most of the operation. We'll talk content, memes, data and more, as well as how he can get...

Have you every wondered how some people seem to do so much? Well this week I sit down with James Rose to unlock some of the secrets of one of my favorite topics: automation. We talk about what it is, how it works, and how you can use it to take some tasks off of your plate, and off of your mind. Show Notes James Rose | Twitter Content Snare James’ Zapier Mastery Course Zapier Airtable Calendly Tex...

Wondering how to build a following on Instagram? I was! It's my favorite social platform and I'm trying to be more intentional about the content. So I brought on Andrea Zoellner, who offered fantastic advice around IG strategy, taking great photos, and if those walls of hashtags actually work. Let's get into all of that and more.  Show Notes Andrea Zoellner Capsule Suitcase | Instagram Tailwind La...

We're at the half for 2020, which means the end of Season 8. I'm proud to say I learned a ton, and I hope you have too! There were three big topics of focus this season: Find the Right Clients, Productize Your Services (or at least make them more predictable), and Build Your Email List / Network. Show Notes Jason Resnick Sara Dunn Nathan Ingram Shannon Shaffer Maddy Osman Brian Cassel Matt Adams J...

We're at the halfway mark for the year and I've been trying out a lot of new tools and processes. In this bonus episode, I wanted to talk about WordPress plugins, digital products, and analog tools that have helped me be more productive! Show Notes Enroll in Podcast Liftoff! Use code BUILD at checkout WP Content Pilot Pro / AppSumo Deal ThirstyAffiliates Pro Six Colors Fusebox Hubspot CRM Apple No...

With everything happening during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession, it's easy to panic, cut costs, and coast until this all blows over. But that can kill your business. Instead we need to adapt, and in today's episode, Brad Morrison tells us what his agency is doing to work through what will be a seemingly tough economy. We talk about our experiences with the last recession, what's...

Recently, I launched my brand new course. Podcast Liftoff: Launch . A lot of work goes into creating an online course, and this episode peels back the curtain a little bit. You'll learn about the journey and decision making that took place, the research and audience building, and of-course, the process and tools.  Show Notes Get a special offer on Podcast Liftoff: Launch for listeners only Creator...