#1249 This week on the show, we're back with another Where Are They Now? session. My guest, Chris Roy of Doobert.com, is doing amazing work connecting animal shelters with transportation for rescues, foster homes, and more. When we last spoke, we explored several options to help Chris generate funds for Doobert. He had his entire team listen in on our chat as a starting point for new ideas. We now get to learn about the exciting pay-it-forward model they landed on. Chris gives us an inside look ...
Nov 24, 2022•22 min•Ep. 1249
#1248 Many of you know I got laid off from my dream job in 2008 and started teaching architects how to pass the LEED exam as my first niche business. Luis Duque is now doing something very similar in the engineering space. He loves his job but also wants to share his knowledge and help others in his industry pass an exam. Luis hosts a podcast and shares resources and courses through his brand, Engineering Our Future. So, when you're not looking to build a massive audience, how do you engage peop...
Nov 17, 2022•27 min•Ep. 1248
#1247 What should you do when you don’t even know where to start in business? One thing you shouldn’t do is get so caught up with steps eight, nine, and ten that you lose focus of steps one, two, and three. Today, I’m chatting with Dr. Damaris Grossmann of Mindfully Integrative. She is a veteran who has overcome serious health issues and is now helping others do the same. But, with a lot of stuff going on, it’s easy to start worrying about the little things and forget the very real impact we hav...
Nov 10, 2022•24 min•Ep. 1247
#1246 Getting to a point where there’s more demand for your services than you can handle is a dream come true, right? But what happens when you want to focus on building something bigger than yourself and have to turn down one-on-one clients to free up time? Today, I’m talking to Sybil Ackerman-Munson of Do Your Good. She works with philanthropists to help them figure out the most effective ways to donate money. We’re talking millions of dollars! But here’s the thing. Sybil’s expertise applies t...
Nov 03, 2022•26 min•Ep. 1246
#1245 I love sharing these Where Are They Now? episodes because the progress is often incredible. This session is no exception. Back in episode 1190, Gillian Tietz introduced us to her amazing podcast. Through Sober Powered, she helps people understand and overcome addiction. Her show is growing fast, but Gillian has her sights set on something even bigger. You’ll hear it from her, but she is building a legit empire. The Sober Powered Media Network brings podcasters in the addiction space togeth...
Oct 27, 2022•19 min•Ep. 1245
The Business of Community Summit is a one-day virtual summit focused exclusively on the business thinking, decisions, and strategies needed to reach the economic potential of community for your business. You'll walk away with a clear roadmap for launching your own community this year ! Visit SmartPassiveIncome.com/BCS to register for free. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Oct 21, 2022•5 min
#1244 Something powerful happens when we connect with a targeted audience using the right language. Our products start flying off the proverbial shelf when we niche down and articulate specific problems and solutions. Case in point, Julie Browne coaches people through unexpected identity loss. If that doesn’t paint a picture, think about unpredictable events like divorce, job loss, or maybe a health situation. Many people are left questioning who they are after losing a big part of their lives. ...
Oct 20, 2022•24 min•Ep. 1244
#1243 Often we create excuses for ourselves to mask the fear that’s actually holding us back. Azreer Gill lives in Cambridge Bay, Canada. He’s within the Arctic Circle, and, as you can imagine, that comes with some challenges. But are these obstacles a legitimate reason not to start a business that could save lives? Like many people in his community, Azreer has struggled with addiction. He is now seven years sober and wants to help people by sharing his recovery story, but he needs a push to get...
Oct 13, 2022•21 min•Ep. 1243
#1242 What happens when you experiment with different tactics in your business to see what works? Usually, a few strategies pan out, while most don’t. But what do you do when suddenly everything you throw at the wall starts to stick? How do you zero in on the path that grows your business without taking up all your time? Bill Henry is an elementary music teacher and founder of Mr. Henry's Music World. He also co-hosts The Music Podcast for Kids, and runs an incredible music education YouTube cha...
Oct 06, 2022•28 min•Ep. 1242
#1241 As you know, I’ve written several books over the years. The support from readers has been phenomenal, and I’m massively grateful for it. Of course, it’s still important to look back at my book launches and think about what I would do differently now. That’s exactly what my returning guest, Jadah Sellner, wants to know. Jadah is an entrepreneur, business mentor, and host of the Lead with Love podcast. She has already released a recipe book but is now in the final stages of copy-editing her ...
Sep 29, 2022•31 min•Ep. 1241
#1240 Some problems are great to have, even though it might not feel like it. When the businesses we’ve been putting valuable time into start to take off, it can get overwhelming. Matthew Usherwood has an office job and a family with two young kids. His brand, Distance Hiker, is growing like crazy, and he needs help figuring out what to focus on. In this coaching call, we reverse engineer what the company could look like based on Matthew's ultimate goal of taking it full-time. He is dealing with...
Sep 22, 2022•31 min•Ep. 1240
#1239 In business, different is sometimes better than better. Keith Hayden, is a prime example of this. He is an author and is doing incredibly unique things online to promote his fiction book. Keith has come up with a fantastic audiovisual "book experience" that breaks his novel down into bite-sized chunks for social media. But how should he go about getting more eyeballs on his content? We talk about building word-of-mouth, which is vital for any book release. We also discuss Keith creating th...
Sep 15, 2022•24 min•Ep. 1239
#1238 What can people get from you that they can’t get from anyone else? This is a vital question that many beginner entrepreneurs can't answer. When I asked Joe Casabona about his unique offer, his reply blew me away. So what does he do? Joe helps podcasters earn their first $10,000 off of their shows! In this coaching session, we talk all about lead magnets. Joe wants to grow his email list, and he and I brainstorm some ideas to take the freebies he’s offering to the next level. Joe also hosts...
Sep 08, 2022•22 min•Ep. 1238
#1237 Do you even need to use social networks at all? Social media is what we make of it, that’s why it’s vital to have a conscious approach if we decide to use it. Natasha Carrillo has been off social networks for the past ten years and is struggling with that decision. She co-hosts the Black and Brown Make Green podcast and wants to spread her message to more people. In this coaching session, we talk about social media as a broad-asking system instead of a broadcasting system and what that mea...
Sep 01, 2022•26 min•Ep. 1237
#1236 In this "Where Are They Now?" session, I’m chatting with Cassidy Tuttle. She’s been a student of mine for a long time, and I actually had her on the SPI podcast way back on episode 283. Cassidy's Succulents and Sunshine is booming right now, and she needs help handling the growth and success of her business. Often when we first start delegating tasks to free up time, we end up giving ourselves a new job as a micromanager. Cassidy wants to become more comfortable letting others run with her...
Aug 25, 2022•27 min•Ep. 1236
#1235 It can often be overwhelming to think about how we could grow our businesses. But one easy way to scale is to go just one level beyond what’s expected of us. In this coaching call, I’m chatting with Dustin John Staats of BGE's Tabletop. They sell board games online and have also opened up a brick-and-mortar store recently. Dustin wants to provide more value to his customers and keep them coming back. He’s already doing some really smart things, like sending a Bonjoro video with every order...
Aug 18, 2022•21 min•Ep. 1235
#1234 As a solopreneur, what do you do when your business idea finally takes off? If you don’t see a problem here, let me explain. You’re planning the next move, you’re creating content, you’re working on new products, you’re doing customer support and filing taxes. You’re doing everything! That’s where Chris Gilmour is at right now. He’s been a student of mine for a long time. He went through Smart From Scratch, our beginner entrepreneurs course, and explored a couple of ideas before landing on...
Aug 11, 2022•30 min•Ep. 1234
#1233 A mistake many entrepreneurs make is to undercharge for their products. We want to help as many people as possible, if we don’t charge our worth we’ll never land on a sustainable business model. I’m chatting with Aneliya Manolova and Pierre Debraux today. They run Sci-Sport.com, where they provide clear and objective information about sports and exercise science. They have the PhDs to back them up but are afraid to start charging. I felt the same way when I first started selling and I walk...
Aug 04, 2022•22 min•Ep. 1233
#1232 Today, we're back with another Where Are They Now? session. Back in episode 1181, Wendy Lewis had a book coming out, and she was creating her first online course. She was feeling overwhelmed, so I gave her some tips about starting small and keeping things simple. Something I said really stuck with her: “Fail small to win big.” I should say that more often. So how has Wendy been taking action? She’s a board-certified reflexologist and taking that kind of business online can be difficult, bu...
Jul 28, 2022•19 min•Ep. 1232
#1231 As entrepreneurs, we provide value in our niche through great products and services. But what if your target audience never buys anything from you? What if someone else is making the actual purchase? Jeff Gargas is dealing with this in his business, Teach Better. They market themselves to teachers with free content, but then it’s school administrators or curriculum directors who pay for their premium offerings. This type of business model comes with some challenges but also some opportunit...
Jul 21, 2022•30 min•Ep. 1231
#1230 Two things will change the game for you when you're scaling your business: relationships and stories. So how do you leverage them the right way? Today I talk to Caelan Huntress. He has a book coming out called Marketing Yourself, so we get to go into the nitty-gritty of expanding your reach. Caelan is planning a podcast tour for his upcoming book, which is really smart. But how should he message podcasters he’s not connected with yet? I get a lot of requests, so we dive deep into what work...
Jul 14, 2022•26 min•Ep. 1230
#1229 Junaid Ahmed has been behind the camera for three decades, but after meticulously setting up his home studio and sitting in front of the camera for the first time the words just wouldn’t come out. He managed to solve his problem and is now busy helping others do the same. The thing is, as a father of three, time is limited. How does he scale up from one-on-one coaching and grow his business? Today we talk about the special mechanisms coaches can use to have more impact. We brainstorm some ...
Jul 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 1229
#1228 Today we're speaking with Sally Sparks-Cousins, who has an amazing brand that helps entrepreneurs build, measure, and optimize their sales funnels. You can find her at Sparkle Class Academy or TheFreedomFunnelFormula.com . Our focus today is hiring, because Sally is both a visionary and an integrator. She has great ideas as a visionary. And as an integrator, she wants to plan and execute and get her hands dirty building things. There are a lot of things Sally wants to hold onto—but a lot o...
Jun 30, 2022•25 min•Ep. 1228
#1227 How do you create passive income as a coach who spends a lot of time teaching your clients directly? That's what we're talking about today with Maxine Shapiro , a coach who also has a customer experience podcast called Let's Talk About CEX . She's feeling like she can't branch out into passive income because the business revolves so much around her. We explore some things she might do to expand her brand and start generating passive income. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1...
Jun 23, 2022•21 min•Ep. 1227
#1226 Today we're speaking with Dave Donahue from GuitarACO.com . He's a guitar teacher with a private student base, as well as a YouTube channel. Dave just launched a new member community with his initial group of about 20 “alpha” members. I help him figure out how to structure his course to create the best experience for his students. We also discuss YouTube ads and other potential ad platforms that could help Dave get more members. We even talk a little branding. Show notes and more at SmartP...
Jun 16, 2022•28 min•Ep. 1226
#1225 Today we're speaking with Tim Phillips from Sober and Happy . He's getting started on his journey with a business that helps people get sober and build the life they want. Tim has his foot in many different places, as far as content creation, social media, and building community. In this episode, we're going to narrow things down and figure out where Tim should—and shouldn't—be focusing his energy. He's drawn to blogging and podcasting. Should he focus on just these channels? Show notes an...
Jun 09, 2022•30 min•Ep. 1225
#1224 Today, we're speaking with Toni Weiss, a screenwriter from Germany. Tony has an idea to help other screenwriters with his own online course—but he's got a limited amount of time because he has to direct and produce a new movie of his own. He's almost done filming and editing his screenwriting course, but what kind of a course should it be—fully prerecorded, or with some live training? Should he use a cohort-based course model? How should he price it and market it? He doesn't have really ha...
Jun 02, 2022•29 min•Ep. 1224
#1223 Today I'm excited to chat with Matt Woicik from ml2solutions.com and digitalmarketingextreme.com . Pre-pandemic, Matt connected with a lot of local businesses in person through places like his local Chamber of Commerce. But once in-person connections shut down—and many businesses starting struggling just to keep their doors open—Matt found his leads starting to evaporate. I help him brainstorm creative ways to generate more leads for his business and get in front of new audiences. Show not...
May 26, 2022•27 min•Ep. 1223
#1222 Today we're speaking with Phil Hayes-St Clair of philhsc.com . He's a girl dad, serial entrepreneur, and educator. He owns a talent for relationship building. He's been so successful at making connections that he's had a lot of people asking him how he does it. So, he created a course with the help of our Heroic Online Courses course, and he's already got a beta group of students learning from him. But how should he scale it without taking away from the other important things in his life? ...
May 19, 2022•23 min•Ep. 1222
#1221 Greg Langston from CollegeFlightPlan.com is today's guest. His business helps teens (and their parents) understand their values, purpose, and superpowers so they can make good decisions about their education and career. This is stuff I wish existed when I was in high school, and I'm sure many other parents have understood just how powerful this kind of support can be, especially if it can save them tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. So what does Greg need help with? Well, he has...
May 12, 2022•24 min•Ep. 1221
