Hi everyone . We made it to the end of season one and my well is full . As mentioned in my host introduction , which was the 22nd episode , season one wraps up mid-November , and that is because I want to be able to focus on family over the holiday season .
For 13 years , I owner operated a holiday lighting business , with an insane peak of work during the holidays , so when I started this podcast , I made a conscious decision to take a break between Thanksgiving week and the new year . I'm really proud of myself . I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone repeatedly this year and it has been an incredible season .
To my guests , thank you for trusting me and for sharing your time , knowledge and stories . And to our listeners , thank you for listening in , for emailing , commenting and sharing your own stories with me and making this process so rewarding . My heart is literally bursting , so a million thank yous . Starting a podcast was more meaningful than I expected it would be .
For anyone who's curious about the back end of how I produce my show my show is hosted on Buzzsprout , I record on Zencaster and I use Adobe Audition to do the sound editing . The season has had many mistakes and breakthroughs and I just wanted to share some of those .
So my second episode with Mac Skinner of Two Rock Amplifiers is one I still want to re-record because his recording experienced a latency delay with less than ideal results in the audio quality . I learned what the mistake was , which was two computers in the same location on the same Wi-Fi network using an online recording studio . That just didn't work .
It makes much more sense to just record directly onto my computer . Record directly onto my computer . Another breakthrough Jason Feifer , the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine , doesn't do any pre-planning of questions when he interviews , and that is an aspiration .
Something else I noticed is that for the highest consumption I think I need to keep my episodes to 30 minutes , but I see value in the longer episodes . So I may try to go for a happy medium and reduce interviews to , say , 45 minutes , and offering bite-sized episodes featuring key takeaways between full length episodes is a possibility for the future .
I'd like to highlight a few listeners that I've heard from . I spoke on the phone with a teacher on the East Coast who started and is running a nonprofit snack shop with his students as a learning tool , and he was very appreciative of the style of the show , with the introduction interview and then key takeaways , which he said is like taking notes in a class .
A woman who started a bookkeeping business a few years ago reached out and said I find it very interesting and inspiring . Thank you for doing this . Another , who helps passive investors create wealth through real estate , wrote in I love your podcast . So well done . And a message from another podcaster said been listening to your podcast and it's frigging F-R-I-G-G-I-N .
Awesome , really great tone and a nice listen across the board . You should be very proud If you've listened in . You know a few guests have said to surround yourself with positive people . I can tell you that these moments of support that I've received from listeners really do give a boost . So thank you again for the support .
How I Built my Small Business is an indie show and the North Star has been and continues to be to simplify business know-how , share expertise , give ideas for making money and to impart life . Thank you . I told someone the other day that I feel like the podcast kind of happened to me .
The decision to start one was a split moment at the dinner table one night in August last year and a few days later I bought microphones and started figuring out the how . I didn't start this for external validation .
I did it for me , my kids and to live my life in the legacy of my dad who passed away , and that just means with more heart and to help people .
Entrepreneurship and investing were the two biggest tools that led me to early financial freedom , and so I also started this show for anyone who is an entrepreneur , aspires to be one , and for listeners who want to take control of their income . You see , they're calling a "silver tsunami .
More than 50% of small business owners in America are expected to retire and want to exit their businesses within the next 10 years , and this is a major opportunity for anyone who doesn't feel they are making enough in their corporate jobs and want to maybe consider a pivot into entrepreneurship .
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy because they drive economic growth , innovation and create jobs , so let's support small businesses Also . With stagnant wages , rising costs and fewer opportunities for upward movement , the American middle class has been shrinking over the past five decades .
This is a domino that , collectively , we should be aiming to address . The middle class is a major driver of consumer spending , accounting for about 70% of the US economy . A robust middle class not only fuels growth , but also sustains local businesses and services .
This creates a cycle we should all be mindful of if we want to see vibrant boutiques , mom and pop shops and thriving small businesses in our communities , rather than a landscape dominated solely by big box stores and corporations .
The entrepreneurs I've interviewed have shared their stories , which have lessons and anecdotes , straightforward advice and their best selected life wisdom . Some of the guests are public speakers and they get paid $30,000 , $50,000 , $100,000 to speak on stage for an hour and as a listener , you're getting a free ticket to attend .
There's so much value for both you and me . Here are some of the key takeaways and unforgettable moments from season one that I'm just going to let out in a popcorn style . So here we go . If you don't know what to do , spend time learning new skills .
Be adaptable , because the business you think you're going to start may not be the business you end up running . If you're going to partner with someone , do your own due diligence , verify their information and make sure your values align . People don't buy your why . They buy their own Why .
If you're you're in a creative field , consider offering your services for free to an organization that is meaningful to you , to start building a portfolio and reputation as you're developing skills . Who you work for is more important than your job title . Disconnection is the greatest epidemic of our time . Connection over transaction , collaboration over competition .
Break down your goals into tiny steps , the smallest steps possible . For example , I wanted to get my show in more listeners ears , so I thought being mentioned in the media as an expert would help drive traffic to the show . So I set up a profile on Quoted . That's Q-W-O-T-E-D , and my tiny step was to pitch one reporter every two months . Tiny steps work .
There's a lot of noise in the world and what you think is your competition is most likely noise . You can start a business in just about any niche and turn it into a million dollar business in America . Focus on branding and the customer experience and doing it better than all of the noise out there .
The key to being a good salesperson is getting to know the person you're selling to and building relationship and connection .
Seek mentors If there's someone living a life you want to be living or running a team or business the way you'd like to invite them out for coffee and ask them how the world is full of problems and businesses are solutions to those problems . So start paying attention to all the problems you see in the world . Align your head , your heart and your gut .
Traditional success is outdated . If you're a parent , we need to get our kids to focus on personal development , executive function and financial literacy . Your business is only as successful as your team , so focus on your team . We're still at the beginning of AI . Think the early days of the internet , when people questioned if businesses really needed websites .
Don't get left behind and make sure you're experimenting with AI . It's not what comes from external validation that matters , and you may chase that for a while , but when you get that external validation it's empty and you'll have to get it all over again on the inside . I could go on and on and on , but I'll stop for now .
I've had several people ask me why I think my show has become so popular , and I shared a mental map on Instagram at Anne McGinty host to show you how I approached getting my show and more listeners ears . It's been about taking micro steps and I think if you look at my diagram , you'll understand .
Putting my work out there into the world and in front of people that I don't know and that I do is intimidating and scary because you have to be vulnerable and won't know what the response will be .
But what I've leaned into is that if I'm making my best effort to create an educational show , then all that really matters is that I'm proud of my own work show . Then all that really matters is that I'm proud of my own work that doesn't remove the jitters . So thank you for your kindness , for your support and for listening .
Podcasting has been a powerful tool for personal growth and has been deeply fulfilling . After every single interview I feel like I've just made it to the top of a mountain and I'm pretty sure . And body releases a bit of dopamine .
And because I feel uplifted , inspired and emotionally connected after interviews , I suspect that oxytocin , the bonding hormone , and I also come into play , and I recently learned that oxytocin can counteract the effects of cortisol and help mitigate stress . So "No when ? say my ! well is full , that is the part of podcasting that I didn't expect .
I've gotten more than I hoped for from this wwwannemcintycom process . So why is season one ending mid-November ? My time with my three kids , my husband and my family is the most important to me , and so the holiday season for me now is about slowing down , enjoying cooking , being together and relaxing , so that is my main reason .
The other reason is that I want ample time to get my overall plan for season two ironed out , and so , while episodes won't be dropping over the holidays , I've already started recording season two interviews and am actively thinking about who I want to bring on as guests and why yes , and why .
Working far out in advance keeps this whole process stress-free and allows me to focus on keeping it creative and rewarding . Season two will drop the week of January 25th , once again in honor of my dad .
My season two opener is the world's number one hiring expert and New York Times bestseller , jeff Smart , and if I had known what he teaches in that one episode , I think I could have grown my previous business from 20 employees to 40 to 60 and on , but I didn't know what I didn't know until I spoke with him .
Other upcoming guests include a hypnotherapist that works with Academy Award winning actors and CEOs . Andy Hunter , the founder of Bookshop , an incredibly innovative business model that supports indie bookstores .
A woman who started and exited five businesses totaling over nine figures by the time she was 30 , and is going to provide insights on growing from six to seven figures , or seven to eight , and the founder of Moondance , an outward bound program that sends thousands of kids on life changing experiences every year . There are so many fascinating topics in businesses .
I would like to do a series on unique but scientifically based longevity and wellness concepts and continue with special episodes featuring no college . No problem . If there are any topics that you think listeners could really benefit from , please reach out to me through my website , wwwannmcintycom .
It's A-N-N-E-M-C-G-I-N-T-Ycom , and if listening to full episodes is a challenge with time , you can sign up for my newsletter that gives a quick overview of the episode of the week . You can find a link to that on my website .
Also , just so that you know , in the last three minutes of every episode I outline the key takeaways , so if you're ever in a pinch and want the nuggets of gold , you can go there . I do think the learning sticks deeper if you hear the stories that accompany the takeaways . But I also understand when listening time is an issue .
Time is our greatest asset , so I get it . Please continue to reach out with feedback , stories or suggestions for season two , as always . Thanks for being here . Have a great day .