How I Built It: Recent Episodes
Joe Casabona
How I Built It is the podcast that helps creators and small business owners create engaging content that drives sales. Each week, host Joe Casabona talk about how you can build good content faster to increase revenue and establish build authority.
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.
Top Takeaways
- Everything comes down to having a good character. Your audience needs to associate with the character for them to feel connected to your content (this is why long-form> short-form).
- While Joseph Campbell’s formula is great in theory, it doesn’t fit perfectly in the real world. But you still need to take elements from it to craft something compelling.
- Finishing strong should feel like you’re running through a house, closing all the doors. Your character needs to grow and you need to close most, if not all, of the open threads.
Show Notes
- Cody Sheehy
Sponsored by: Lulu | Sensei
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- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
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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.
Top Takeaways
- While every other social network is super content-heavy, LinkedIn is different. If you post more than once a day, you’re competing with yourself.
- Followers on LinkedIn are a vanity metric. Your goal is to fill your calendar with calls…so create connections and see if those connections are a good fit.
- Your LinkedIn Profile is your sales page. Optimize it for your offer, and start connecting with people in your niche.
Show Notes
- Kathleen Celmins
- How to NOT Burn Out While Using Social Media with Alex Marshall
- Waalaxy
Sponsored by: Lulu | Sensei
Sponsored by:
- Lulu: Sign up for free today and sell your book.
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
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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.
Top Takeaways
- Look for the 4 tiers of getting traffic to your content: passive, and active organic marketing, leveraging other audiences, and paid ads
- There are lots of ways to improve podcast discoverability, including optimizing titles, descriptions, and even artist names for the words your niche is searching for.
- The name of the repurposing game is dripping out clips from your show and giving the episode a long life. That’s why Deirdre started Capsho in the first place!
Show Notes
- Deirdre Tshien
- MoPod
- Podpage
- Creative Studios
- Voxalyze
- Making Money on Marketplaces with Maddy Osman
Sponsored by: Lulu | Sensei
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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.
Show Notes
- Arc Browser
- Voxalyze
- AudioPen
- Quillbee
- Capsho
- Luma
- RSS.com
- My YouTube Channel
Sponsored by: Lulu | Sensei
Sponsored by:
- Lulu: Sign up for free today and sell your book.
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
Get your FREE copy of my Automations Library
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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…
Top Takeaways
- “You’re never really failing if you learn from it.” Your digital journal is like the “Google Analytics of your life.” You can keep track of what you do, how do feel, and lots of other data points to help you learn.
- This can also be an eternal source of content. If you’re logging books, thoughts, and ideas, you can reference your digital journal when you’re feeling stuck to look for inspiration.
- Get started the way that works best for you. Andy started with a Google Doc before moving to Notion when he understood what he needed.
Show Notes
- Andy Ayim
- Small World Books
- Cortex Podcast
- Atomic Habits
- Building a Second Brain
Sponsored by: Sensei
Sponsored by:
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
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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!
Top Takeaways
- Fractional leaders are becoming increasingly popular. They allow companies to bring on a high level of expertise without having to hire a 6-figure salary employee.
- You build credibility as a fractional leader by showing results. If you can clearly articulate results to a potential client, you’ll get hired.
- This all goes back to being bold. If there’s something you think you should do, and it makes you uncomfortable, it’s probably the right move. Brooke says, “ asking is overthinking” and I love that.
Show Notes
- Brooke Janousek
- Brooke on Linkedin
- Brooke On The Grow
Sponsored by: Sensei
Sponsored by:
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
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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
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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.
Top Takeaways
- You can create full pages of content from UGC, from photos to social proof to FAQs.
- Your process for collecting UGC doesn’t have to be complicated. You can have a Google Form or Doc with some pointed questions, or a swipe file.
- If you’re not sure where to start with a new product, look at UGC for similar brands and products. People are already asking questions online. Do a social media or Google Keyword search!
Show Notes
- Tony Gray
- Tony on Linkedin
- How to Get a Trademark with Rian Kinney
Sponsored by: Sensei
Sponsored by:
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
Check out Calm History at https://calmhistory.com
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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
Sponsored by:
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
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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 at https://howibuilt.it/322
Sponsored by:
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
- Gapscout: ChatGPT insights, but for market research
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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.
Top Takeaways
- To write a good book, your idea has to be big, right, and new. This will make it distinguishable from everything else, and increase your impact and influence.
- A good business book consists of two things: answers to reader questions, and case studies. Your book is nothing if you don’t have case studies to back up your claim.
- Are you a planner, or a panter? Panters write by the seat of their pants, which creates a long, rambling, incoherent book. Planners start with what Josh calls a “fat outline,” so they know the story they’re telling before they ever put pen to page.
Show Notes
- Josh Bernoff
- Josh on Twitter
- Josh on Facebook
- Josh on Linkedin
- Build a Better Business Book
- Blitzscaling
Sponsored by: Gapscout | Sensei
Sponsored by:
- Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA
- Gapscout: ChatGPT insights, but for market research
Get your FREE copy of my Automations Library
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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:
Top Takeaways
- Businesses aren’t just transactions. They are run by people, for people. The sooner you realize that the sooner you’ll connect with your potential customers.
- Establish your identity. Being too general means you’re not connecting with anyone. Doing a deep dive into your identity, and the persona of your customers, makes them relate to your more.
- The key to negotiations is…you guessed it…understanding the needs of the person on the other side of the table. Do that, and you’ll be able to quantify your value in something other than numbers.
Show Notes
- Julian Garsdean
- Julian on Linkedin
- You Need to Form Good Writing Habits with Dickie Bush
- The RIGHT Way to Pitch Sponsors for Your Content with Justin Moore
- $100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No
Sponsored by: Gapscout | TextExpander | Sendinblue
Sponsored by:
- Brevo: Get 50% off your first 3 months with code JOE
- TextExpander: Save 20% off your first year
- Gapscout: ChatGPT insights, but for market research
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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.
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Sponsored by:
- Brevo: Get 50% off your first 3 months with code JOE
- Gapscout: ChatGPT insights, but for market research
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.
Top Takeaways
- Creating unique, long-form content can be a boon to your website or newsletter; people want something good and helpful!
- Quick capture is important. Chenell uses Apple Notes because that allows her to quickly open and dictate notes while she’s listening to podcasts.
- Chenell will only do deep dives on creators who’ve built an audience since 2018. That way she can cover techniques that still work today, making the content relatable.
Show Notes
- Growth in Reverse
- Chenell on Twitter
- Chenell on Linkedin
- How the best newsletter operators grow to 50K+ subscribers
- Podchaser
- Listen Notes
- TweenMax
- Readwise
- Github: Video Speed Controller
- Chrome Video Speed Controller
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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
- YouTube Video
- Blog post on MacSparky
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Sponsored by:
- Brevo: Get 50% off your first 3 months with code JOE
- TextExpander: Save 20% off your first year
- Gapscout: ChatGPT insights, but for market research
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.
Top Takeaways
- Pitch your story by following the “new, now, next” framework. You should be able to answer what’s new about your story, why it needs to be covered now, and what’s coming next to pitch effectively
- This is a long game. Earned media is not about immediate ROI, because earned media is forever. So think of this as a long-term investment, not a get-rich-quick scheme.
- Every time you go into an interview, you need to think of the end goal. What you want will determine not only your CTA but also what kind of media you’ll pitch.
Show Notes
- Christina Nicholson
- Christina on Facebook
- Christina on Instagram
- Christina on Twitter
- Christina on Linkedin
- Christina on YouTube
- Christina on TikTok
- BecomaAMediaMaven Podcast
- MediaMaven on IG
- Boomerang for Gmail
- How To Build a $1000/year Membership with Jay Clouse
- earnmedianow.com
- Media Mentoring Program
Sponsored by: Gapscout | TextExpander
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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
- Get Your Own Stream Deck
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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.
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I wax poetic on a number of automation-based topics, like switching from Zapier to Make, how ChatGPT can help creators (and exposes a gaping hole in the education system), and rebranding the YouTube channel to focus on automation tools. In PRO, I'm thinking of switching off of Castos, and sales numbers from my latest launch.
Show Notes* Join How I Built It PRO * Make vs. Zapier: Why I Moved * ChatGPT is Exposing Our Broken Education System * The Automated Solopreneur | YouTube
Sponsored by: The Solo Creator Club | Groundhogg | LearnDash
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I was Considering a Different Calendar App. After testing BusyCal, Cron, and Calendar 366, while also looking at several others, nothing comes close to Fantastical. Here's why.
There’s nothing better than good gear and automation talk, and that’s exactly what we’re getting today. Cat Mulvahill is one of my favorite YouTube creators because she has shown me so many cool things about eCamm Live. But it turns out we’re both also huge Stream Deck nerds. So if you’ve been looking to get the most out of your Stream Deck (or need a compelling argument to buy one), today’s episode is for you.
Top Takeaways:* Cat uses her Stream Deck with eCamm Live to do transitions, lower thirds, and more during recording. Because of that, she barely has to edit her videos. It’s like storyboarding your whole video in advance! * She and I both use our Stream Decks for more than just streaming though. One of Cat’s cool actions in a multi-action that sets up her entire bookkeeping workspace. This cuts down considerably on the amount of time she spends on the actual accounting stuff. * When it comes to creating content, she picks topics that are interesting and solve a problem. That usually generates comments and questions, that in turn, leads to more content ideas!
Show Notes:* Cat Mulvihill * Cat on YouTube * Cat on Twitter * Cat on Linkedin * eCamm Live * Stream Deck * Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: The Solo Creator Club | Groundhogg | LearnDash
RSS has been such an integral part of my life basically since Google Reader. And since Google Reader shut down, I have been on a bit of a quest to find a good replacement. I think Reader by Readwise is that Replacement.
This clip is brought to you TextExpander
How do you grow a newsletter to 20,000 subscribers in less than a year? Try this ONE trick! Want to 5x your YouTube downloads? DO THIS! These are both titles I could have given this episode — and taking the advice of Jake Thomas, I should have! See, Jake studies YouTube titles to see what makes people click. And while he gives some away for free in his newsletter, he also has a whole searchable database that you can pay to get access to. So today, Jake tells us how he built his subscriber base up to 20,000 in a year, as well as the importance of good titles, not just on YouTube, but everywhere.
Top Takeaways:* Titles and thumbnails are super important because if they don’t get people to click, no one watches. So spend time on them — and use Jake’s tips! * You DO still need good content. Both Jake and I have been considering more quality over quantity lately. Instead of super timely stuff, make it evergreen, really good, and dial in the titles. * If you’re getting started, find your niche, and look at similar channels (and adjacent niches’ channels). See what’s working for them, and put your own spin on it.
Show Notes:* Jake Thomas * Jake on Twitter * Creator Hooks Newsletter * Film Booth * Cortex Podcast * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: The Solo Creator Club | Groundhogg | LearnDash
I had a t-shirt in college that was my prized possession. It read: "There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't." The joke being that 10 or “one zero” in binary is actually “2” in decimal.
I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find my college ID from freshman year, where that shirt is featured. The shirt is top-of-mind because I saw a post on LinkedIn that made me think of it. It made me realize: There are two types of people in the world. Those who ask for answers, and those find them.
If you’ve ever heard me say, “I’m a recovering WordPress developer,” you’ve also heard me credit today’s guest, Kronda Adair. And while she started in WordPress, she quickly moved into one of my favorite areas of expertise: automation. Specifically, Kronda’s an email automation expert. And today, she’s going to tell us the RIGHT process for automation, how to test, and why your business depends on email automation.
Top Takeaways:* Automation is employing technology to improve your processes. You can vastly improve how you work, and your customer’s journey if you automate the right things. * To start, step away from the tools and focus on the process. Map what you need to do with pen and paper. Once you do that, you have a job description. And you need something to fulfill that job. That’s when you look for the tools. * Two things you need to do with automating email: do it manually first; this helps you make that job description. Next, go through the automation yourself. See what the subscriber will see. This may be their primary interaction with you — so make sure it’s good. * Intro: Getting into automation
Show Notes:* Kronda Adair * Kronda on Linkedin * Kronda on Facebook * Kronda on Instagram * Kronda on Twitter * Kronda on Tiktok * Automation Bridge * All Systems Go! Podcast * Email Marketing Heroes: Rob and Kennedy * CaboPress * Preventing the Famine with Jason Resnick * Jotform * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: GoodGames | Groundhogg | LearnDash
Last week I told you about the best way to create an only course...but what's the best way to sell it? I firmly believe tools like Teachable and Kajabi are overpriced. When looking at LMSs, I turn to WordPress. And these days, Sensei is doing the coolest stuff, as it attempts to retake the title of best WordPress LMS.
This clip is brought to you by Sensei - Automatic
There’s an old adage that more people are afraid of public speaking than of death, meaning that at a funeral, more people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. I suspect that when push came to shove, most people would actually choose the eulogy, but that’s beside the point. Public speaking is hard. And truth be told, most people are bad at it…if you feel that way, don’t fret. Mike Pacchione is here to help. He’s coached people like James Clear, Amy Porterfield, and Donald Miller on public speaking, and today, he’s teaching us his best stuff.
Top Takeaways:* The greatest gift you can give your audience is to be completely present with them. That means don’t memorize! Know your stuff, practice your talk, and be with them in the room! * Most people say too much. Embrace silence and be concise. Silence lets a point land, and communicates to your audience, “hey. That was important. Remember it.” * The best speeches are not the ones you’ve given the most. Back to the first point, they are the ones where you’ve practiced and are present for the audience.
Show Notes:* Mike Pacchione * Mike on Instagram * Glo Atanmo * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: GoodGames | Groundhogg | LearnDash
Too many people create online courses the wrong way. They go into a cave for 6 months, develop the course based only on what they want to teach, then announce it's for sale...to crickets. Sound familiar?
There's a better way! A way that will save you time, validate your idea, and make you money faster.
This clip is brought to you by Sensei - Automatic
Marley Majcher, The Party Goddess turned Profit Goddess, was running a business but not making money — despite her degree from Georgetown. But she managed to turn it around with this “one weird trick.” OK — so that sounds clickbaity, but it’s true. See, Marley didn’t have a system in place for her business. She, like many creators I think, wasn’t spending her time wisely. So, she decided to do something about it: she decided to learn how she was spending her time, organize those tasks, and figure out the crucial ones that actually made money. And it all started with the one “Weird” trick: Time Tracking.
Top Takeaways:* Revenue goals are not profit goals - You can make $1M but if you’re spending $1.1M, you’re going in the wrong direction. * Most creators don’t think they need to time-track because they don’t do client work. But they are WRONG. You need to know if you’re spending 2 hours on a video or 8 hours on a video to know if that’s a profitable activity for you. * Aside from just understanding tasks, time tracking can hold you accountable. You’ll see where you’re wasting your time, and be more mindful of it. And your devices have some tools to help you do that automatically.
Show Notes:* Marley Majcher * Marley on Linkedin * Marley on Instagram * Marley on Facebook * Marley on Twitter * But Are You Making Any Money Ebook * The E-Myth Revisited Book * Mowing Your Lawn Blog Post * Analog by Ugmonk * Timery for Toggl * Timing Automatic MAC Time Tracker * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Groundhogg | Ahrefs | LearnDash
Paid Memberships Pro is the lifeblood of my main product offering, The Podcast Liftoff Playbook. So in this first bit of 2023, I want to tell you everything I love about the plugin, and why I thought it best for my membership/learning site.
This clip is brought to you by Paid Memberships Pro
It's episode 300! I thought I'd wax poetic on the top 10 things I've learned from both running this show, and the guests I've had on. After that, I talk a little bit about what's in store for How I Built It, and where I'd like it to go in the future. Plus, in the PRO show, I talk about what life without Twitter has been like.
Become a ProTop 10 Lessons1. Build Your Email List 2. Talk to your customers 3. Experiment 4. Niche/Specialize/Focus 5. Don't be afraid to say no 6. People care about the problem you're solving. Not you, not the tech you used. The problem 7. Tell Good Stories 8. Do things that don't scale at first 9. Ship what you have and iterate 10. Don't be afraid to ask
Show Notes* ConvertKit * Podcast Liftoff * Learning Management and WordPress: LearnDash with Justin Ferriman * Making Better Leaders with Chris Lema * Designing the Profitable Project Plan with Jennifer Bourn * The Best Way to Build Community is Easier Than You Think with Drew Dillon * The Most Important Thing You Can Do as a Creator with Marie Poulin * Turning WordPress Sites into iPhone Apps with Scott Bolinger and AppPresser * Join How I Built It Pro
Sponsored by: Groundhogg | Ahrefs | LearnDash
Most attempts to start a community these days feel a lot like the approach the Underpants Gnomes from South Park took in making money. Step 1: Launch a Discord, Step 2: ???, Step 3: Community! But it’s not like that at all. And Drew Dillon, founder of Burb and community expert, is here to set the record straight.
Top Takeaways:* You need to think of the community as a business. Create a reason for people to care and engage. And close the look by making sure the community isn’t just about you - it’s about people connecting. * Start with a hypothesis. Ask what you think your audience has in common and why they might want to come together. Then test and iterate. Start with a Zoom call first and see if people want to connect after. * Do things that don’t scale at first. With 10-20 members, you can really get to know them and understand their needs (and those of the community). Around 50, you’ll likely need to start automating.
Show Notes:* Drew Dillon * Drew on Twitter * Drew on Linkedin * Burb on Linkedin * SPI 603: The Secret to Building the Best Community interview with Drew Dillon * How To Build a $1000/year Membership with Jay Clouse * Burb Blog * Garbage Day Newsletter * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash
Molly Keyser made half-a-million dollars selling a 15-page, $59 eBook without spending money on ads. How do you ask? She created something SUPER valuable, that immediately made the buyer money. And throughout this episode, Molly is going to tell us how she went from professional photographer to online educator making digital products, all by knowing and serving her niche. There’s A LOT to unpack, and I know you’ll find a lot of actionable tips here.
Top Takeaways:* Clearly define your niche so you can serve them, and stay true to that niche. Remember: Just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you should teach it. * For your digital products, you need to solve a problem for your audience. Painkillers sell better than vitamins most of the time. And bonus points if you can point to immediate ROI. * If you (or you from 2 years ago) aren’t your ideal client, immerse yourself in communities of your ideal clients so that you can learn their biggest pain points.
Show Notes:* Molly Keyser * Molly on YouTube * Molly on Facebook * Molly on Instagram * Molly on Tiktok * Product Ladder by Chris Lema * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash
We’ve been told for years that creating an “ideal customer avatar” is the best way to understand your audience. But the truth is that’s just guessing on your part. Do you know how you actually get to understand your customers? Have customers! Talk to them, and then write content for them. That’s what Will Shultz recommends. And as a Sales and Marketing coach, he knows a thing or two.
Top Takeaways:* You need someone in-house to make your content. That’s how you’ll create great content that shows a deep understanding of your customer and their journey. * If you’re having trouble coming up with content, take what you’re creating for a specific client and generalize it. That way, you’ve written for someone. Chances are there are similar folks out there. * Don’t worry about giving too much away for free. You differentiate yourself by becoming trusted and valued. You do that by showing people you deeply understand their problems.
Show Notes:* Will Shultz * Will on Linkedin * Free Virtual Consulting Sessions * Upgrade 438 * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash
I know what you’re thinking. Budgets? That’s what you’re going to base your entire year on.
I know this because that’s what my wife said. But fear not, my friends. Like Transformers™, it’s more than meets the eye.
Show Notes:* My 2023 Yearly Theme * Cortex Podcast * Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash
Earlier this year, Amazon announced the Kindle Scribe -- their competitor to the reMarkable 2. It's more affordable, they had an initial deal for Prime members, and a good trade-in price for my Kindle Oasis. SO the $500 device got down to $238. I bought it. Here are my initial impressions.
Show Notes* Kindle Scribe * reMarkable 2 * Read my initial thoughts * Want to see a video demo? Join How I Built It Pro
The show is on break, but that's not preventing me from adding a bonus episode or two! It's no secret I love automation, and invariably those automations spill out into my personal life. I view the holidays as a great opportunity to flex some home automation muscles. Here's what I did, what I use, and some improvements.
In the PRO show, I get into the gory details, share my shortcuts, and talk about Matter and the future of home automation.
Show Notes* Become a PRO member * Phillips Hue Color Bulbs * Phillips Hue Play Color Smart Lights * Phillips Hue Go * Phillips Hue Light Strips * Meros Smart Plugs * Meros Outdoor Smart Plug * Wemo Smart Plug
It’s the time of the year were small business owners and creators have some extra time to tinker with (or fully redesign) their websites. I’m here with Copywriter Ame Proietti to tell you to skip the new design and focus on the copy instead. We get into what makes good copy, blog posts vs. sales copy, and we finish out with how to write good scripts. As you prepare for 2023, good copy will be at the heart of what you do thanks to Ame’s advice. Plus, in the Pro show, we broke down the sales page Ame wrote for me.
Top Takeaways:
- Where blog posts are meant to share and educate, copywriting is meant to convince people to take an action. Ame calls it “assembling” words and sections in the best way for your target audience
- To get the best copy, you need to talk to customers. Ame recommends interviewing 3 customers and gathering testimonials to learn how you people and the language they use, which you can then mirror in your copy.
- Bringing in someone else can help you get the best results. They are objective and don’t know what you know. They’ll also the right questions and allow you to gain a better understanding of your offer too.
Show Notes:
- Ame Proietti
- Ame on Twitter
- Ame on Linkedin
- How To Build a $1000/year Membership with Jay Clouse
- Don't Make Me Think
- Join Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander | LearnDash
It’s a good old fashioned podcast swap with Good People, Cool Things! I really enjoy this show, and the interview we have queued up for you is great.
This is a conversation with Jessi Burg, who started Outgrow Your Garage so she could answer the questions and develop the resources for small business owners that she wished she had when starting out as a business owner. Some of the top highlights include how to overcome common struggles for business owners, the benefits of online courses, and why she encourages an airing of grievances among employees. Be sure to stick around until the end for a good question and a corny joke!
In Build Something More, I give you a behind-the-scenes look on how this happened, and the future of the members-only part of this podcast (don’t worry. It’s not going away).
Show Notes
- Good People, Cool Things
- Ways to Grow Your Small Business with Jessi Burg
- Podcast Swaps Grew My Show by 21%
Sponsored by: Ahrefs
How I Built Bits is back, and better than ever! The focus on the show moving forward will be highlighting helpful tools and processes for creators to run a better business. And I'm excited that the first episode is presented by Groundhogg.
Groundhogg is an open-source CRM & Marketing Automation suite for serious agencies, small businesses, content creators, eCommerce experts, and WordPress professionals. Let's take a deep dive into what it is, how it works, and why it could be perfect for your creator business!
Show Notes
- Get Groundhogg (20% off with code HOWIBUILTIT)
- Interview with Adrian Tobey
With the Podcast Liftoff Playbook out, and Jennifer Bourn’s Profitable Project Plan is open for enrollment right now, I thought it would be a great time to re-air her interview where she talks about running a cohort-based course, and how she built the PPP. I listened to it again as I was looking for inspiration and best practices to realize the Playbook fully. And let me tell you, this episode really holds up! For members, I talk about how my webinar → paid members sales to funnel went.
Top Takeaways:
- Online courses are NOT passive income. If you want your course to be successful, you need to evolve it.
- Offering a PRO version was a big mistake for Jen because people bought the non-Pro version and tried to get the Pro benefits. The lesson has one offer OR makes the Pro benefits totally different.
- Running live workshop events are a great way to add accountability and more value to your self-paced courses. You're ensuring your students take action now, instead of procrastinating.
Show Notes:
- Jennifer Bourn
- Jennifer on Twitter
- Profitable Project Plan
- Content Camp
- Jennifer Bourn and Profitable Project Plan
- Company of One
- Introduction to the Block Editor
- 2021: The Year of Opportunity
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | LearnDash
In May, I was at a bit of a crossroads. I wasn't sure what I should do with the many things I was working on, and I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions. I couldn't focus on one thing to help take my business to the next level. So I decided to focus on Podcasting. The path from them to now lead me to cutting away a lot of projects (including projects I like doing), all in the service of growing my business. And the centerpiece: my brand new Podcast Liftoff Playbook.
So today, we're getting back to the roots of the show, and I'm going to tell you how I built this hybrid membership/course site.
Top Takeaways
- Think about what your MVP is. Don't spend too much time thinking of every possibility for a new project. You'll never launch. Instead, launch quickly, and get feedback.
- Don't answer questions people aren't asking. I could have added in a bunch of features I thought were cool, but they would have delayed launch, and frankly, as far as I knew, no one would use them.
- Spend more time marketing than building something new. Get in front of new audiences and explain the problem your new project solves for them.
Show Notes
- Special offer on the Playbook
- Playbook Walkthrough
- PaidMembershipsPro
- Kadence
- ConvertKit
- SearchWP
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | LearnDash
We must make content to serve the almighty algorithm to make money on YouTube, right? Wrong! Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve heard from creators who are doing a video that works for them — and today’s guest is no different. Hannah Smolinski is a Fractional CFO who grew her YouTube channel to 38,000 subscribers and doesn’t pay attention to analytics. Instead, she answers questions her target audience has, is generous with her time and her knowledge, and knows it’s all about the long game, not getting rich quickly.
Top Takeaways:
- Don’t make money for Adsense. It’s too unpredictable. Instead, create good content and get people to know, like, and trust you.
- Doing videos on free resources helps get people onto your list. From there, you can continue to provide value, promote new videos, and form relationships with potential customers.
- The beautiful thing about consulting and YouTube: it allows people to really warm up to you. Hannah says most of her calls are with people who are already ready to hire her thanks to YouTube.
Show Notes:
- Hannah Smolinski
- Hannah on YouTube
- Hannah on Facebook
- Hannah on Instagram
- Hannah on Linkedin
- Hannah on Tiktok
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | LearnDash
It’s easy to think your content will get better if you just have the right gear. Alas, a $1000 camera can’t save you if you’re not spending time on the content. But that doesn’t mean you can’t look and sound good. So today brought in Dan Bennett, who’s built his business on making people look and sound great on camera. Spoiler alert: This almost never results in buying new gear. Instead, we talk about small tweaks you can make. Then we talk about the growing importance of videos for podcasting.
Top Takeaways:
- Audio is king. If you can only upgrade one thing, make it audio. And remember that you don’t need the top-of-the-line mic. In fact, you can sound great on a $40 mic if you have the right technique and environment.
- Looking good doesn’t require an expensive camera. Lighting is a big part of it - get a few white lights and position them properly to give yourself the best possible picture for your camera to capture. Oh, and a little makeup to reduce your face shine goes a long way too.
- But really, it’s about story-telling and getting your reps in. You can’t make a good video if you don’t make video. So use the best of what you have and start recording!
Show Notes:
- Dan Bennett on Antipreneur
- Dan Bennett on 1 Minute Media
- Dan's Website
- Sony a6400 video
- Blue Yeti
- Riverside
- Envato Elements
- Motionarray
- The Secret to Finding Yourself
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ve heard this lesson 100 times: ship with what you have. Ship what you have. In other words, don’t waste time looking for the perfect tool or process. Instead, ship quickly and iterate. And no one embodies this credo better than Marie Poulin. As one of the best Notion instructors out there, Marie has illustrated time and time again that shipping early and iterating leads to success. We chat about how she uses Notion from delivering her course, gets feedback earlier, and leverages YouTube to grow her audience and make sales…around 90% of her sales come from there! Plus, in Build Something More, We chat about my potential switch from Airtable to Notion.
Top Takeaways:
- Delivering her Notion course in Notion allows her to launch her course quickly without fussing with so many tools and allows her students a quick win by forcing them to log into Notion.
- Feedback is SO important. Too many people are afraid of it, but it will ultimately save you time and make your product better in the long run.
- Ship and iterate. Launching something imperfect is better than not shipping.
Show Notes:
- Marie Poulin
- Marie on Twitter
- Marie on Instagram
- Marie on Linkedin
- Notion Skincare Thread
- You Need to Form Good Writing Habits with Dickie Bush
- Building a Second Brain
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | LearnDash
How do you get the NY Times (or the WSJ) to publish your article? Do you just email them and hope for the best? Well…you can, but according to Stephanie Lee, you shouldn’t. See, Stephanie is a media strategist who’s been published in the NY Times, and has gotten her clients into publications like Entrepreneur…through cold pitching! She says the important thing for you is to build clout markers to show you are trustworthy. And today, she walks us through how to do that using her Slingshot method. Plus, we answer the question, “Will PR outreach make me rich?” In an extra long build something more, we chat conferences, World of Warcraft, and…Scranton? Like from The Office?
Top Takeaways:
- Most people ignore this fundamental thing about the media: they work with people they can trust. Just like we buy from companies and brands we trust, the media needs to know you really know what you’re talking about. They are staking their reputation on it.
- You can build up trust by following the slingshot method. Don’t go for the NY Times at first. That’s like trying to pitch in the World Series. Instead, start with a trustworthy industry blog and build from there.
- When you are ready to pitch, do come out with the ask right away. Read an article and send a compliment. Open a dialog, then pitch what your article is about and why it’s important to write about today.
- Bonus: this, like everything good in life, takes time.
Show Notes:
- Stephanie Lee
- Stephanie on Twitter
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
Most brands don’t care about your numbers! It’s true, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Justin Moore knows a thing about brand deals. He’s done 500 himself, and over 1,000 through his agency. Today he teaches creators how to get paid brand deals through his cohort-based course, Brand Deal Wizard. And in today’s episode, we cover a lot, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Top Takeaways
- You need to be able to articulate why brands should pay you — and it’s not just about your numbers. Most brands want to pay me for access to your audience.
- There’s tremendous power for brands to be aligned with key voices in their industry.
- Don’t just put brands in a box that is your pre-defined offers. Get on a call (YES — get on a call), ask them what their goals are, and come up with offers that align with what they need.
Show Notes
- Justin on Twitter
- Creator Wizard on YouTube
- Brand Deal Wizard (Justin's Cohort-based Course)
- Creator Wizard Newsletter
- Don't be a Jealous Creator
- Join Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
Starting a business has never been easier. We can now sign up for a free ConvertKit account, get a nice-looking landing page, and even start selling products in mere minutes. Because of that, it can be tempting to jump into “making” the business without thinking about why your business exists. According to Cara Chace, that is a recipe for disaster. Listen on to learn why. Plus, in Build Something More, Cara tells us about her previous career as a special agent.
Top Takeaways
- You need to define why you’re doing what you’re doing. This will be the guide for your decision-making. And here’s an important tip: define success in a metric other than money.
- When you feel like you’re in the “messy middle” and don’t know what to do, create a brain dump of everything you’re doing in your business. Keep what you need and eliminate the rest. It helps to ask, “Would the CEO of my company be doing that 10 years from now?”
- Don’t rely on someone else’s playbook for your own business because they usually have a WOW factor that you don’t have yet.
Show Notes:
- Cara Chase
- Cara on Instagram
- Cara on Pinterest
- How You Can Do $10,000/Hr Work
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
“Get a real job.” “If you’re going to start a business, you need to grow.” “Hustle.” If you’re starting a business, you’ve probably heard this “advice.” You’ve also probably heard that you need to do exactly what someone else did. But all of that is poison to our creator businesses. And Dr. Shante Cofield has the antidote: Moar You. If you want to know the importance of values-based marketing, how to be vulnerable enough to grow, and the seasonality of life, this episode is for you. My conversation with Shante is real — and it’s important for anyone who works for themselves to hear.
Top Takeaways:
- On imposter syndrome: We need to get objective and trust the data. It’s easy to get down on yourself, not want to brag and feel like you’re not the real deal. But you need to listen to what people are telling you. If you help them, you are helpful.
- It’s easy to want to talk implementation of your new business or content because that’s concrete. But you need to define your values first. Without values, you are directionless.
- On values: value-based marketing is not shouting your opinion on Twitter. Values are verbs. They are things you do, vs. the things they say. They are how you build your best life, and they need to be at the core of your business.
Show Notes:
- Shante Cofield
- Shante on Instagram
- The Bridge Framework by Chris Lema
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
Perhaps it’s fitting that today’s interview is a play in 3 acts. After all, I’m talking to Melanie Deziel, speaker, author, and founder of Story Fuel. It makes sense that we talk about creating good content in 3 acts: idea generation, brand deals, and coming up with headlines. This discussion is completely packed with fantastic advice to help up your content creation game.
Top Takeaways:
- When it comes to content, we often focus too much on the format, and not the actual message. instead, determine what you’re saying first. Then figure out how to best say it. The “how” drives the format and where you’ll publish.
- Brand-sponsored content is being created in collaboration with or on behalf of a brand that wouldn’t be created otherwise. They are leveraging your trust, so find overlap between what the brand wants to say and what your audience wants to hear.
- When writing headlines, remember they are a formula. Ask “What’s the purpose of this headline,” or put differently: what is this content doing? That should help you determine the type of headline to write.
Show Notes:
- Melanie Deziel
- Melanie on Linkedin
- Melanie on Twitter
- Melanie on YouTube
- Melanie on Instagram
- Say it Again: Your Business NEEDS to be on TikTok with Alex Rossman
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
Imagine being perfectly positioned to deal with the pandemic from a k-12 school's standpoint. That’s Jeff Utecht. Instead of just being in the K12 space, he specializes in technology implementation for K12 schools. But he didn’t just fall into that. He spends years building a brand, understanding his audience, and giving away content. How has that helped him? Listen to find out! Plus, we get deep into education during the pandemic in Build Something More.
Top Takeaways:
- You create great content by understanding your niche and your audience. Jeff and his team know what their audience is asking, and created content to answer those questions.
- Their podcast is a big piece of their sales funnel. Every time they put out a free guide, they do a podcast episode and encourage people to download the guide, which requires an email list. As a result, they have a great list to sell directly to (as well as continue to provide free value).
- If you’re going to leverage social media, make sure to be where your audience is, and further, find the right hashtags people are following. Doing that allows you to target the right people and grow your audience!
Show Notes:
- Jeff Utecht
- Jeff on Twitter
- Jeff on Linkedin
- Jeff on Instagram
- Jeff on YouTube
- Jeff on Facebook
- Shifting Schools Podcast
- Building in Canva
- Creating Better Online Courses (That You can Charge More for) with Wes Kao
- Learning Management and WordPress: LifterLMS with Chris Badgett
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
When I was in college, building a community felt pretty easy. Have some event, get free food, people come, people talk. Maybe they will bring some of their friends. This happened all the time – campus events, weekends at the bar, over the summer. So I thought building a community online would be similar. Easier even! There are no geographic boundaries. I would just invite people to come to my community, and they'd go and hang out.
But that didn't happen. In fact, my community was a baron wasteland. And in July, I decided to shut down that aspect of my membership. So what went wrong? Well, I think there were a few reasons...and that's what we'll talk about in today's episode.
Top Takeaways:
- Think about community as you start a new endeavor. I thought about mine too late and most of my students were already done with my content and had no reason to come back.
- You need to help your members with the habit of going to your community every day. You can do that by doing more events, or even having content exclusive to your community platform.
- It’s up to you to drive the community. People won’t just go to an online community and start conversations at the beginning.
Show Notes:
- SPI 603: The Secret to Building the Best Community Online with Drew Dillon
- Circle
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Moft | Nexcess | LearnDash
Today’s episode is a little different. Sara Loretta and I met through Jay Clouse’s Creative Companion Club. I mentioned I was offering free podcast coaching for episodes of this show, and she pitched coming on to talk about podcast guesting. While I thought we were going to talk about her advice for being a good guest, what we ended up doing was having a great conversation about our experiences. But don’t worry: it gets tied together at the end. Because we’re constantly told that online business owners need to be on brand. But the truth is being open, and showing the personal side, establishes the like and trust factors. And ultimately, that is how you be a good podcast guest.
Top Takeaways
- It’s up to the podcast host to reach out to you with a topic in mind. They need to come up with the topic and questions based on what best serves their audience.
- As a potential guest that’s pitching yourself, you should have a few topics ready to send out to people. Podcasts are, after all, a great way to establish authority and expertise.
- Have a few stories to tell that reinforce your points and add background to your topic. Personal stories help people connect with you. And while you won’t win over everyone, you shouldn’t try to.
Show Notes
- Sara Loretta
- Sara on Instagram
- Sara on Twitter
- Sara Loretta at Notion
- Why We Succeed Podcast
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
It’s another live coaching call. Scott Cowan runs a podcast called Explore Washington State. It’s part of a greater site all about Washington. The podcast publishes 3-4 times per week, and he’s looking to grow his audience and potentially increase his output to 5 times a week. Listen in as I give Scott advice about SEO, website improvements, and pointing his enormous Instagram following to the show.
Top Takeaways:
- Having a good website with easy-to-speak URLs is the best way to send people to your podcast. Easy to share on social media, and easy for listeners to share too.
- Optimize titles and descriptions. Use them to tell people what the episode is about, and use keywords that will help the episodes show up in searches.
- Instead of trying to grow your podcast directly, grow your newsletter and social media followings. Then share your show with those audiences — your newsletter especially can be ripe for growth and promotion.
Show Notes:
- Scott Cowan
- Scott on Facebook
- Scott on Instagram
- Scott on Twitter
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Moft | Nexcess | LearnDash
Interested in starting or growing a podcast that actually generates revenue? Check out my new show, Make Money Podcasting!
Listen to all of the episodes and subscribe at https://makemoneypod.com/
We all deal with grief. It could be the loss of a loved one. Maybe the loss of a job. Or the feeling that you’ve lost control of your life or your business. Throughout the pandemic, many of us experience grief in one way, shape, or form — and Dr. Sherry Walling is no different. But she decided to write about her grief. First, it was just for her. Then she shared it. Then she decided that her writings could help countless people and turned them into a book. I’m grateful she took the time to talk to us today. We get into how grief affects us, what creators can do, and the book writing process.
Top Takeaways:
- When you experience grief, writing is a helpful exercise. It helps you process your feelings, but it also allows you to write a new reality for yourself.
- Life doesn’t necessarily stop, but you have more space and time than you think. It’s OK to slow down for a while.
- Reconnecting to hope happens in tiny moments, like getting up, hugging a loved one, and even making a meal. Listen to your body and do what is best for you.
Show Notes:
- Sherry Walling
- Sherry on Twitter
- Sherry on Instagram
- How the Great Grief Led to the Great Resignation | Fortune
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Moft | Nexcess | LearnDash
Grow your audience. Get leads. Sell your thing. Make money. This seems to be the formula for creators…but these are just nebulous ideas. How do we actually implement them? That’s what today’s guest, Anna Tutckaia, is here to talk about. She’s the Head of Marketing at ManyChat, and she’ll tell us all about how we can find leads by learning about our audience, how their virtual event garnered thousands of potential customers and helpful tools for personalization. In Build Something More, we answer the question, “Should you really move from Facebook to Circle?”
Top Takeaways
- To find leads, you need to understand the product you’re selling and the audience you’re trying to sell to. You learn that by going where they hang out online and learning about their pain points, as well as their interests outside of your product.
- Talking regularly to current and potential customers is a must. Conversations make them feel heard, and you can understand your messaging and improve your content.
- Using automated tools to connect and serve customers can allow you to free up your time, answer common questions quickly, and even ask them pointed questions for better personalization, which in turn helps you get better leads and create impactful content.
Show Notes
- Anna on LinkedIn
- ManyChat | Twitter | Instagram
- Chartable
- TweetHunter
- Building and Evolving Profitable Project Plan with Jennifer Bourn
- Join Creator Crew for Ad-Free, Extended Episodes
What’s the difference between making money on the side, and running a business? There are probably dozens of ways to answer that, but if I had to answer, I’d say that it has to do with how you manage your money. Early in the WordPress space, people were learning they could make money with their work, but we’re managing it properly. I think we’re seeing something similar in the creator space, so I’ve brought in Profit Expert Nev Harris to tell us the 4 ways to find hidden profit in your business and get your finances in order.
Top Takeaways:
- People say, “you have to spend money to make money,” but Nev says, “spend smart money to make money.” Buying the latest and greatest CRM, microphone, or computer will actually make you money. But hiring a VA might.
- You need to find profit in your business by getting out of the dark. Nev says you need to focus on 4 areas: Revenue, Profit, Expenses, and Efficient. Start slow and pick one per quarter.
- When it comes to efficiency, If you’re spending too much time doing the work, you’re chasing pennies and leaving dollars on the floor. Get to a place where you only do what you need to do.
Show Notes:
- Nev Harris
- Nev on Linkedin
- Nev on Twitter
- Stroop Effect
- Profit First
- Agile Development
- Free Expense Killer
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
A drum I’ve been beating for a while is you don’t need sponsors to make money podcasting. In fact, it might not even be the best way to make money. What if you had a product so perfectly aligned with the audience of your podcast, that you could get your listeners to buy it? That’s exactly what Sam Munoz does, and her approach to free content is admirable. If you have ANY business where you’re creating content, you need to hear this conversation. Plus, in Build Something More, Sam and I exchange stories about the time we wrote code for robots.
Top Takeaways:
- It’s OK to get paid for your thoughts. Whenever Sam thinks about free content, she tries to connect it back to her paid offerings. After all, if you’re doing something for your business, what you’re doing should be in the service of making your business succeed.
- You need to spend your time wisely. When you don’t have the margin to think about how your content, which is a lot of work, serves your business or your paid offerings. This hurts you, and your audience, who should benefit from your services.
- Sam’s podcast serves as the top of the funnel for her mentorship. The audiences align perfectly, and her consistent call to action provides enough repetition for people to turn into students. This works perfectly for her because everything aligns so well!
Show Notes:
- Sam Munoz
- Sam on Twitter
- Mighty Networks
- How Making Helpful Content is the Right Way to Sell Products with James Laws
- The Intentional Bookshelf
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
Creating a course isn't just about making a series of videos. It's about doing it in a way that gives the students skills or knowledge they can use at the end of the course. Troy Dean calls that taking a student from "zero to win."
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/027
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by Sensei
I’m going, to be honest with you: I’m squarely anti-hustle culture. I think it’s unnecessary and puts too much pressure on people to make “Gary Vee money.” So when I saw Dickie Bush’s Ship 30 project, I thought we had more of that narrative. Well let me tell you, I could not have been more wrong. Dickie’s approach to writing and his frameworks can help anyone become a better writer, and Ship 30 helps brand new creators go through the roller coaster that is content creation faster, and with a better support system. There are TONS of gems in this episode, so you won’t want to miss it. Plus, in Build Something More, Dickie and I talk about competitive gaming.
Top Takeaways:
- Twitter is a “home run-based” platform that allows you to go viral with the right stuff. Generally, that’s content Dickie called “Reach” content; these are tweets or threads that everyone can relate to.
- Dickie says creating content isn’t coming up with 1000 different ideas. It’s coming up with 1000 different ways to use the same idea across different platforms, so it resonates with different people.
- If you’re struggling to come up with content, do the 2-year review: look at everything you learned over the last 2 years, and then write content for you, two years ago.
Show Notes:
- Dickie Bush 1
- Dickie Bush 2
- Dickie on Twitter
- Dickie on Linkedin
- Otter.ai
- Typeshare
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
Coming up with content can be a tough task, especially across multiple channels. But Nathan Ellering of CoSchedule gave us the perfect advice in episode 20: answer customer questions.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/020
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by TextExpander
“All of the worlds is experienced through code.” This is a statement Marcus Merrell makes on today’s podcast...and it’s absolutely true. See, even if you sell the most niche handmade thing, you probably sell it online, which means someone’s code is powering your business. And your buyers are experiencing your business through code. So the worst thing for your business is bad code because that makes for a bad experience. And I know what you’re thinking: “What if I don’t write code?” Well, if you’re listening to this show, you probably create user experiences. And today, Marcus tells us how we can do it better; we should all listen. Our businesses depend on it.
Top Takeaways:
- Even if you sell physical products it needs to interface with some code. The exciting thing about the no-code movement is that you as a creator or business owner can focus less on testing that code, and more on business-related activities...as well as honing the experience.
- Products are good and improving, but not as fast as people’s expectations. People say they won’t wait at all if something is broken. They will leave and find an alternative.
- You don’t need to deeply test everything, but you do need to make sure the experience for the vast majority of your users is rock solid. Are people mostly signing up for your membership? Make sure that it is a perfect experience.
Show Notes:
- Marcus Merrell
- Marcus on Linkedin
- Marcus on Twitter
- Sauce Labs on Linkedin
- Sauce Labs on Twitter
- Sauce Labs Whitepaper
- Making Your Website Accessible with Amber Hinds
- A Book Apart
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | LearnDash
“Creator” is a word that has really come into focus in an industry in the last few years. But content creation is nearly as old as the internet itself. And building businesses from your content…that’s not new either. Just ask Chris Coyier, the founder who recently sold his hugely popular blog, CSS Tricks, to Digital Ocean. We talk about his journey, how he made money, and answer the question: are we seeing an uptick in content acquisitions as more companies realize it’s a great way to establish trust.
Top Takeaways:
- Kickstarting the CSS Tricks redesign generated a lot of revenue, but ended up resulting in a loss. Still, it did its job: it gave Chris capital to build the business.
- CSS Tricks has always been about ads as a way to make money. It started off as handshake deals at conferences, but the process became more formalized.
- The best thing you can do for advertisers and offer packages. Get them in front of all of the eyeballs you have access to. You can charge more and deliver better results.
Show Notes:
- Chris Coyier
- Chris on Twitter
- WP Jukebox
- Kickstarter CSS Tricks
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
When you write content, who are you writing for? It’s an important question to consider— you need to have someone in mind when you write. But there’s another audience you should have the robots. Specifically, search engines. If you’re not writing for both, you could be missing out on traffic, signups, and sales. Luckily, Maddy Osman and her new book, Writing for Humans and Robots, is here to help.
Top Takeaways:
- When writing for humans, you need to appeal to the people you’re writing for. This is where stories, empathy, and consistency come on.
- When you write for robots, you need to consider what your content is optimized for: keywords, good headlines, and spoiler alert: What humans what to know.
- The right headline can satisfy both humans and robots. Write something that gets people to click and search engines will recommend your content to more people.
Show Notes:
- Order Writing for Humans and Robots
- Maddy on Linkedin
- Maddy on Twitter
- Maddy on YouTube
- NaNoWriMo
- Anyword
- Keywords Everywhere
- Keyword Surfer
- ahrefs
- CoSchedule
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
Jeff Sheldon does what he does extremely well. But he's also expanded his business from clothes to coffee and paper products. How does he do it without burning out? Listen to today's bit to find out.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/013
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
Over the last few weeks, I have been interviewing experts on communities, newsletters, referral programs, and more. As a result, I've taken some of my favorite advice and I've started implementing it. So today is going to be a solo episode where I'm going to tell you everything I've been doing to grow my audience. We'll take a look at some tools I've been using, some techniques I've been implementing, and perhaps the most important thing that I can do to grow my audience. In Build Something More, I tell you my next short-form podcast and what I liked from WWDC.
Top Takeaways:
- Niching down to podcasting only has allowed me to focus my messaging and all of my energy and resources.
- I’ve been promoting my newsletter, which I’ve also focused on podcasting. All of my opt-ins now point to Podcast Tips, an evergreen newsletter that helps people grow and monetize.
- I’ve been using Tweet Hunter to plan and schedule useful tweets for folks. Using Dickie Bush’s advice, I put out helpful podcasting tweets designed to gain followers and send people to my newsletter.
Show Notes:
- ConvertKit
- Connecting Revue to ConvertKit
- Newsletter Glue Tips
- SparkLoop
- Tweet Hunter
- Justin Moore’s Creative Wizard Newsletter
- Calm History
- Recut
- Pod Cards
- Join Creator Crew
Sponsored by: WP Wallet | Nexcess | LearnDash
Chris Lema knows a lot about a lot. But did you know he was doing no-code well before it became the movement it is today? In this bit, he tells us a little about how to successfully build a web app without code.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/012
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
Can you build a business off of a Twitter challenge? Perhaps it’s not as simple as that, the core concept is there: create something for people to rally around, and you have a community. Participate with them and you have engagement. Jay Clouse knows a thing or two about building communities and successfully launched his own membership called Creative Companion…by basically starting with a Twitter challenge called #Tweet100. After comparing notes on how we manage our podcasts, we get into the crux of the matter: using Twitter in a helpful way, then building your business. We talk about mission, pricing, engagement, and tools in this absolutely packed episode. In Build Something More, we talk about workshops vs. course creation.
Top Takeaways:
- Twitter is the ultimate experiment ground. You can get an idea out fast, it garners quick feedback from people, and it can be statically significant, given your audience.
- When it comes to positioning your membership, you need to have alignment with what you’re offering and who you’re offering it to. This will allow you to offer a high-price membership with meaningful engagement.
- When you build a community around something, you need to eat, sleep, and breathe it. Consider that as you go off and launch your own membership/community.
Show Notes:
- Jay Clouse
- Jay on Twitter
- Jay on Instagram
- Podpage
- Tweet Hunter
- Convertkit
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
Chris Coyier is a man of many hats and has successfully started and sold websites, wrote books, and has a great tech startup. In today's bit, he offers some advice that is the key to his success.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/006
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
What is stopping you from creating content? That’s the question that Alban Brooke and I set out to answer. But it didn’t start that way. I thought we’d talk about podcast stats and what creators can do to make money. But there is no making money if there is no content. So we get back to basics. And if you’re stuck, this is a conversation you need to hear.
Top Takeaways:
- it’s really easy to see the end result you want: a book, a hugely popular YouTube channel, or a podcast with millions of downloads. But it’s not easy to get there.
- Instead, you need to find your niche. Fly a flag you’re deeply interested in and people will come. 80% of your addressable audience is better than 1% of the unengaged general population.
- The best path to making money is niching down, showing your expertise, and selling your product or service. Your podcast is a marketing tool.
Show Notes:
- Alban Brooke
- Alban on Twitter
- Buzzsprout Global Stats
- Apple Podcast Creators Will Soon Be Able to Access Follower Metrics
- Why Gear is Least Important
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: WP Wallet | Nexcess | LearnDash
Carrie Dils was building communities before it was cool. And was actually doing the building! In today's bit, Carrie tells us about how she built her podcast community and the pros and cons of doing your own dev work.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/005
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
LinkedIn Learning is a force in the online course space, with hundreds of courses, millions of learners, and a well-oiled machine for putting out great content. I, along with today’s guest, Carrie Dils, are fortunate to be long-time instructors for the platform. I invited Carrie on to catch up, and I thought it would be fun for us to exchange notes on how we come up with ideas for, and then record, our LinkedIn Learning courses. In Build Something More, it gets even more fun as we talk about the courses we thought would do SUPER well but turned out to…well…not.
Top Takeaways:
- Carrie and I both followed in the footsteps of people we learned from; if you have an appreciation for learning, teaching is a great next step!
- Carrie likes to pitch ideas for courses on topics she wants to know more about. In order to teach something well, you need to know it well!
- We both shared our love of recording in LinkedIn Learning’s campus booths. Having a stellar process, and the right environment for instructors is a big win. If you’re creating courses, the advice we share in this episode can help you figure out what works best for you.
Show Notes:
- Carrie Dils
- Carrie on Linkedin
- Carrie on Twitter
- Morten Rand_Hendrikson on Twitter
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: TextExpander | LearnDash
Cory Miller dolled out so much great advice in Episode 4 that we're getting a twofer. He tells us about how one of iThemes' most popular products came out of solving a big problem they had. Then he tells us the importance of maintaining an email list.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/004
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
A few weeks ago we talked to Louis Nicolls about the importance of having a good newsletter that helps people — some targeted, educational resource. Brennan Dunn knows a thing or two about that and has built an empire around segmentation and personalization. The last time he was on the show, we talked about Right Message. Today, we talk to him about email templates and newsletter strategies that we can implement with his new tool, Palladio.
Top Takeaways
- Brennan equates emails to sales pages multiple times. Yes, they are a great way to establish trust and be a resource for subscribers...but we also want them to stand out and make them memorable for when we need to sell.
- Instead of doing educational emails, pausing them and doing a sales sequence, Brennan recommends mixing in targeted sales messages through your emails. This allows you to show helpful resources at a time the subscriber is ready to buy...making it a win/win for both of you.
- Evergreen, or “Shadow” newsletters as Brennan calls them, are a great way to build a resource, be consistent with your newsletter, and focus on other tasks around marketing or building your list.
Show Notes
- Brennan Dunn | Brennan on Twitter
- Palladio
- Create and Sell Newsletter
- CaboPress
- How to Actually Sell to Your Email List with Samar Owais
- Building a Newsletter People Will Actually Read (and Recommend) with Louis Nicholls
- Join Creator Crew for ad-free, extended episodes.
Sponsored by: WP Wallet | LearnDash
When you have a membership or subscription, your goal is to prevent churn, or people leaving. The best way to do that is to deliver value. But it's also a matter of how often you ask your subscribers to evaluate the value they get. Here's what Brian Krogsgard recommended.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/003
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
Most people who start a business hate it when they get away from the actual work and move towards managing — the business and the people. But not James Laws. James has started several successful businesses and his favorite part is building the culture, ensuring employees are happy, and ultimately making sure everyone feels fulfilled…so much so that he wants to help more founders do just that. And he plans to, with tools, software, coaching, and more. But that’s a long game. It all starts with his podcast. Tune in to learn how James is using his podcast and blog to establish authority, build an audience, and learn about this new field.
Top Takeaways:
- Building an audience in a brand new space is hard! You need to essentially learn the “rules” of the field and play by them to gain a following and trust.
- If you’re trying to establish expertise, but do interviews, think of them as exchanging notes to help establish authority while also getting perspective.
- The first step to making money with your content is to build an audience so that you share future endeavors with them. The key is to solve their problems with your free content...then you’ll understand them (and vice versa) making your paid products worth it for them.
Show Notes:
- James Laws
- James on Tiktok
- James on Twitter
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander | LearnDash
Too many people decided they want to make an online course, spend 6 months making it, and launch to crickets. Rebecca Gill knew better, and her advice from Episode 2 can save you a ton of time (and heartache).
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/002
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
It’s the first-ever feedback episode! I read a couple of reviews — one good, one bad, and how I’m adjusting — and then answer listener questions. It’s a fun episode! We cover getting started in content creation, growing your audience, configuring a Stream Deck, and podcast interviews.
Show Notes:
- My Live Stream Kit
- My Stream Deck blog post
- My Stream Deck video
- A specific use case for launching apps
- Masters of Doom
- Feedback
- Join Creator Crew
Sponsored by: WP Wallet | Nexcess | LearnDash
Jason Coleman was the very first guest on How I Built It, and he started the show strong with a ton of fantastic advice. Here's my favorite: a bit about why charging monthly might not align with the value you deliver, as well as how to handle negative reviews.
Listen to the entire episode at https://howibuilt.it/001
Be sure to subscribe at https://howibuilt.it/subscribe
This clip is brought to you by WP Wallet
How good is creating niche content? How about understanding the purpose of your content and focusing on providing value? Alexis Grant, founder, and CEO of They Got Acquired, understand the importance of both of these things. She has launched not one, not two, but 3 content businesses — successfully selling her previous ones. Today she’s here to share her insight on why she started They Got Acquired, doing research to produce good content, and how sponsorship is playing a bigger role than she expected.
Top Takeaways:
- They Got Acquired has a very specific niche in mind: businesses that have sold for between $100,000 and $50M. All of their content is focused on telling those stories and helping similarly positioned businesses.
- They are using their podcast of the same name to build trust and grow their audience. Allowing people to hear them forges a better connection and gives the business more identity
- Sponsorship has played a bigger than expected role! They are increasing the output of their newsletter and will monetize their podcast for season 2. Lexi’s advice: ask for too much at first. You can always come down if they say no.
Show Notes:
- Alexis Grant
- Alexis on Linkedin
- Alexis on Twitter
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Tailor Brands | Nexcess | TextExpander
Have you ever seen a great talk, video, or even podcast episode that dolled out some fantastic advice, only for you to forget it before you implement it? Maybe that feeling is amplified when you go to a conference. There are so many great takeaways...how can you remember it all?
It's almost like you need a TL;DR for when that happens.
And How I Built It has been going pretty much weekly for nearly 7 years! As we approach 300 episodes, I wanted to surface some of the best advice from asking "how did you build that" over all that time.
So I'd like to introduce How I Built Bits, a weekly clip show that aims to be around 15 mins, replaying some of the best clips from How I Built It. New episodes come out on Saturday mornings.
If you'd like to learn more, head over to https://howibuilt.it/clips. And of course, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
What if I told you the answer to better organic traffic isn’t more content…it’s less content? That’s what today’s guest, Farzad Rashidi, argues. That when it comes to SEO, link building, and organic traffic, quality outperforms quantity every time. And he doesn’t stop there. He provides a process for figuring out what content to write, and how to get people to it.
Top Takeaways:
- Quality is better than quantity. Instead of spending 5 hours on 5 blog posts, spend 5 hours on one blog post and make sure it answers a question people are asking.
- The 80/20 Rule for content marketing, according to Farzad, is 20% on writing the content, 80% on marketing it.
- The name of the game for backlinks is relationships. Form relationships with people who have similar-sized sites and work with them to present valuable resources to their...and your...audience.
Show Notes:
- Farzad Rashidi
- Farzad on Linkedin
- Marketing Strategy Ebook
- The Google Story (Google's PageRank)
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Tailor Brands | NitroPack | Nexcess
5 years ago, email was dead. Now it’s not only growing, it’s the life’s blood of the creator economy. As a creator or small business owner, without a good, helpful, and nurtured email list, you’re leaving money on the table. And to tell you why Louis Nicholls from SparkLoop is here this week. We talk all about what makes a good newsletter, what mistakes to avoid, how to come up with good content, and how to make money. It’s a packed episode, and totally worth your time — especially if you’re an independent creator.
Top Takeaways:
- Your email growth goals are way smaller than they should be. You can double or triple your subscriber list if you approach it professionally — with a plan in place for growth. The people who fail to grow their list treat it like a hobby.
- When it comes to content, start with who you’re writing for. Talk to people in your target audience and answer their questions. By the time you’re ready to launch the newsletter, you should know of at least 50 people who would sign up for it.
- When it comes to making money, high ticket items are your best bet. Your worst bet? Low-priced subscriptions. Louis says that memberships for creators are like a golden hampster wheel. Sure it’s recurring revenue, but there’s also the pressure of delivering each month.
Show Notes:
- Louis Nicholls
- Louis on Twitter
- SparkLoop App
- Morning Brew
- Create&Sell
- Free Tool: Magic
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Tailor Brands | NitroPack | Nexcess | TextExpander
Jack Kitterhing has been in the WordPress space for a while; you can say he deeply subscribes to the ethos that owning your own platform is one of the most important things a creator can do. That a SaaS, like Teachable, won’t be there for you like an owned platform, like WordPress + LearnDash, will. We have a good discussion about the merits of both. Is it really easier to set up a course on Teachable? What are the benefits of your own platform? We’ll get into all of that and more.
Top Takeaways:
- Finding the right tool comes down to skill and comfort level. WordPress (and other open platforms) are cheaper. A SaaS will save you time.
- You also need to think about your users. What best serves their needs? Make a list of must have features and seek the best tool for that...but be a little forward thinking. Teachable, for example, doesn’t do memberships well. If you never want memberships, that’s great. If you do, Teachable might not be best.
- Spinning up your own WordPress site is a lot easier than it once was. The promise of Nexcess’ StoreBuilder and WP QuickStart products are the easy of signing up for a SaaS with the flexibility of WordPress.
Show Notes:
- Jack Kitterhing
- Jack on Twitter
- Toolkit for Self-hosted vs. Owning
- Building Pages for Micro-Segments by Chris Lema
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Tailor Brands | NitroPack | Nexcess
There are a few chains freelancers in the WordPress space carry if we’re being honest. Not charging what you’re worth is one. Not wanting to niche down is another. And thinking you need to grow to an agency to make “real” money is another. Tara Claeys bucks all of these trends, and we have a great discussion about it. How she decided to find a niche (and how her podcast helps her establish authority!), and why she doesn’t want to become an agent. In Build Something More, we talk about the new Macs.
Top Takeaways:
- Niching downs forces you to learn an industry — which allows you to better serve them completely. That allows you to charge more
- Niching also means having a higher close rate. By the time potential clients come to you, they are likely already sold on you.
- It’s OK to not want to grow from freelancer to full agency. And you don’t have to be an agency to make good money. People are willing to pay for your expertise.
Show Notes:
- Tara Claeys
- Tara on Linkedin
- Design TLC
- The Incredible Journey from Agency to Solo Business Owner with Paul Lacey
- Choosing the Right Niche with Sara Dunn
- The Importance of Niching Down, Part 2 with Sara Dunn
- Building a Better Business Part 1: Understanding Your Customers
- Jennifer Bourn Content Camp
- What Baby Clothes Can Teach You About Understanding Your Customers
- 12 Week Year
- Mindful School Marketing
- The Daily Stoic Podcast
- Why You Need to Publish Content to Have an Expertise with Rochelle Moulton
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: NitroPack | Nexcess | TextExpander
"We need to de-stigmatize lending money to friends and family." It's one of the first things Brian Bristol said to me in today’s episode. See, Brian is the co-founder of Pigeon Loans — a place where anyone can set up a private loan, backed with tracking, interest, and a legally binding agreement. And this ethos is as interesting as the approach they are taking to content: show people that everyone has a story about lending or borrowing money. So today, we talk about the Pigeon Loans content strategy and the important role their podcast, The Chrip, plays in de-stigmatizing money lending. In Build Something More, we talk about the incredible importance of talking to customers.
Top Takeaways:
- There's a weird stigma that it's bad to lend money to friends and family. The Chirp aims to tell stories that show people there shouldn't be.
- The number of loans between friends, family, and loved ones in the US alone is $200 Billion. There needs to be an easier, more accountable way to track the loan. This makes more people likely to help those in need.
- Brian is a y oung guy who’s thrown himself into his start-up…but he’s mindful of burnout too. Find a way to unwind. You’ll come back with a new energy and clearer head.
Show Notes:
- Brian Bristol
- Brian on Facebook
- Brian on Instagram
- Brian on Twitter
- Brian on Linkedin
- Chirp Podcast
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs
YouTube has been a regular topic on the show this year, and for good reason. More people need to build trust to make their business work, and as the second largest search engine, YouTube is a great place to do it. This week, marketing coach Nicole Osborne tells us why she started a YouTube channel, her process for publishing, and how it’s helped her business. In Build Something More, we talk about how marketing and web design changed over the past 20 years.
Top Takeaways:
- Don’t compare yourself to the big names today. Pick a content creator, look at their first video, and then understand it’s a process that takes time.
- Content creation is experimentation. Try different topics, recording processes, and approaches. See what works and what resonates with your potential audience.
- You need to make time to make content. Treat it as a client project and put time on your calendar to work on it.
Show Notes:
- Nicole Osborne
- Why You Need to Publish Content to Have an Expertise with Rochelle Moulton
- Working Through Different YouTube Strategies with Alastair McDermott
- Leveraging YouTube to Build Trust and get Leads with Jessica Freeman
- GoWP Facebook Group
- Nicole’s Agency Growth Secrets eBook
- How to Get Guest Spots on Podcasts
- Live Stream Kit
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander
How often should you publish? Should you use affiliate links? DO those 30-day challenges really help? Alastair McDermott and I are both at the relative beginning of our YouTube journeys, and we’re each taking different approaches — hopefully, ones that suit our needs and goals appropriately. Listen in as we talk about what we're doing, how we’re doing it, and of course, why. We’ll also tell you why your phone is the best camera for you and your channel. In Build Something More, we talk about when we’ve each bartered for work.
Top Takeaways:
- YouTube is a content channel that can help you build trust quickly because people can see you. You have the ability, and the opportunity, to show people what you know and how you can help them.
- When it comes to making money, most people can make more bringing in new clients with their videos, as opposed to running ads to monetize. Alastair said he’ll likely never run those ads because it could affect his credibility!
- The thing that keeps people engaged after clicking through is good storytelling. You need an arch, with tension that keeps people watching. This is possible with just about any video, if you do it right!
Show Notes:
- Alastair McDermott
- Alastair on Linkedin
- Alastair on Twitter
- Alastair on YouTube
- Alastair on Instagram
- Live Coaching: Launching a Course & Growing a Podcast with Alastair McDermott
- Why You Need to Publish Content to Have an Expertise with Rochelle Moulton
- How to Make Your a6400 camera a Webcam
- YouTube/LiveStream Setup
- Creator Toolkits
- Current Desk
- Alzay Calhoun: Coveted Consultant
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs
Since leaving the classroom in 2016, I've missed one aspect of teaching more than any other: connecting with students in real-time, as I teach the material. And while I love creating evergreen courses, today's guest has a better way to teach online. Wes Kao, a co-founder of both altMBA and Maven, tells us about Cohort-based Courses (CBCs), and I am all in! She'll tell us how CBCs have better completion rates, allow for much less upfront work, and allow you to charge more. If you want to create an online course in 2022, I strongly recommend you consider them. Plus, in Build Something More, where does YouTube sit with all of this?
Top Takeaways:
- Most online learning is one direction. The teacher pre-records a video and teaches. But Cohort-based Courses offer bi-directional learning, which is huge in the online space. It allow instructors to get real time feedback and pivot when needed.
- When deciding what to teach, you need to consider what you're an expert in. Ask yourself, "If Harvard were asking me to guest lecture, what topic would they invite me to teach?" You should also survey your audience to understand where they are at and what they want to learn.
- CBCs are best when they are interactive. You should shoot for 75% interactive, 25% knowledge transfer. Think about how your students can learn something, and practice it right now; this allows them to reinforce what they learn, and get real time feedback from you and fellow students.
Show Notes:
- Wes Kao
- Wes Kao on Twitter
- Wes Kao Podcast
- 10 YouTube Statistics That You Need to Know in 2021
- The Future of Education is Community: The Rise of Cohort-Based Courses - Forte Labs
- Maven: Create and teach cohort-based courses
- MasterClass
- Morning Brew
- Seth Godin
- Building and Evovling Profitable Project Plan with Jennifer Bourn
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Riverside.fm | Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander
One of the core beliefs at Apple is telling a good story; it’s weaved into everything they do — every product, service, and publication. Something you’ll notice with their commercials is that they open by telling you it was shot on iPhone 13 Pro. And in-fact that story they told at the iPhone event in September, about iPhone 13 Pro, was that it’s for movie makers and cinematographers. But who is the iPhone really for? And what other great tools are out there for creators? That’s what we’ll explore in this episode.
Top Takeaways
- If you are a content creator, the iPhone 13 Pro is for you. It allows you to look like the pros, without dropping thousands of dollars of gear like the pros.
- The simplest solution is a tripod for your iPhone with a remote or timer. You’ll also want good lighting; since this is such a mobile setup, you can likely find some good natural lighting.
- Finding the right tools is tough, which is why I’ve put together Creator Toolkits: simple lists to help you know which tools you should use when creating projects.
Links
- Who is iPhone 13 Pro Really For?
- Creator Toolkits
Sponsored by: Riverside.fm | Nexcess | Ahrefs
Exactly how important is your marketing funnel? Ask R.T. Custer, who's built a funnel that allows his company, the Vortic Watch Company, to routinely sell out of watches that are priced between $2,500 and $10,000. In this conversation, R.T. tells us all about how he and his business partner came up with the idea to repurpose old pocket watches into all-American-made wristwatches, and how his 200-day email funnel is the key to their success. Part of the secret sauce: getting influencers to drive traffic…not to buy the watches, which are usually only available one per day…but to sign up for their mailing list to get notified when a new one drops.
Top Takeaways:
- People say email marketing is dying, but that could not be further from the truth. R.T. knows their nurture sequence needs to be 200 days because it takes 4-8 months to build enough trust to sell a $4,000 watch.
- As a creator, the affiliate marketing route can be a great way to get paid as an influencer, as long as your find the right brand.
- Knowing your worth is super important. It allows Vortic Watches to be sold at the price their sold...it will also allow you to get paid what you deserve.
Show Notes:
- R.T. Custer
- Campaign Monitor
- Products Worth Talking About on YouTube
- Lewis Howes: The School of Greatness
- Start With Why
- Building a StoryBrand
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Riverside.fm | Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander
Finding time as a busy creator or small business owner can be tough. But what about being a single mom, running a content business, in a competitive space, and making money doing? That's exactly what Christine Pittman does, running her hugely successfully cooking blogs and podcasts. Tune in to get tips about starting, staying consistent, making money, and the important role analytics plays in all of it. Plus, in Build Something More, we talk about what it's like cooking for our kids as business-running parents.
Top Takeaways:
- Batch your content! You want to plan ahead, build a stock pile, and release it slowly. That way you can create consistently and build your content empire.
- Analytics is the key to everything. You will best serve your audience by understanding what resonates most with them, and putting out more content like it. Christine found her niche in a crowded field by focusing in on a couple of specific food types.
- Repurposing content allows you to reach more people based on their preferred way to consume. Christine has thousands of recipes she can resurface thanks to her podcast, which she uses to drive traffic to her blogs.
Show Notes:
- Christine Pittman
- Christine on Instagram (cookthestory)
- Christine on Instagram (thecookful)
- Christine on Pinterest (cookthestory)
- Christine on Pinterest (thecookful)
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- Semrush for Keyword Research
- AdThrive
- The Time Mangement Insider Podcast
- Auphonic
- Human Connection Digital Marketing Agency
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Riverside.fm | Nexcess | Ahrefs
More and more, we're hearing about why businesses should be on TikTok. As a creator, this can be a new place for you to gain an audience…if you do it right. And today's guest, Alex Rossman, knows a thing or two about TikTok. His agency, Rossman Media, is currently moving many of his B2B clients to the platform with great success. Today, Alex will tell you why you should be there, and how to make the most of being on the platform…from building community to generating more leads. In Build Something More, we talk about what it's like being a musician (we both play the drums), writing songs, and there's a heavy dose of The Beatles in there too.
Top Takeaways:
- TikTok has accelerated a lot faster than other social media platforms in growth and maturity. They even have a managed services to help business grow through trends.
- 1/10 of your videos will have some viral component to it. That doesn't mean millions of views, but it could mean 10,000. So it's important to be there, and be consistent.
- Alex recommends having a record day where you create 30 days worth of content in a sitting. Then you can plan and schedule it out. Using some free analytics, you can see what's trending and ride those waves to growth.
Show Notes:
- Alex Rossman
- Rossman Media on Facebook
- Rossman Media on Instagram
- Rossman Media on Twitter
- The Beatles: Get Back Documentary
- Ringo's Masterclass
- Why Bussinesses are Missing out on Tiktok with Rebecca Simon
- Maneskin
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander
Word of Mouth has long ruled the lead-generating roost for freelancers and small business owners. But that’s an untenable, unscalable business model. What does work, you wonder? Ask web designer Jess Freeman. 60% of Jess’ leads come from content creation alone; 40% from her blog and YouTube. While many view YouTube as a place for entertainment and influencers where only the most popular channels make money, Jess shows us that’s not true. And she shares some fantastic tips on how you can leverage YouTube to build trust and generate leads. Plus, in Build Something More, we talk WordPress vs. Squarespace.
Top Takeaways:
- Don’t expect to get rich overnight with content. It’s a long game that helps you build better trust with prospective clients.
- Jess tells us about 2 types of YouTube content: connection (get to know me better) and educational (teaching something). Be sure to teach your target audience!
- Consistency is key, so come up with a cadence that works for you. Batch your content and release it on a predictable schedule.
Show Notes:
- Jessica Freeman
- Jessica on Instagram
- Jessica on Facebook
- Divi
- TubeBuddy
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs
They say one of the best ways to grow your audience is by getting in front of other people’s audiences, and today’s guest is an expert in helping you do that. Brittney Lynn understands how to pitch the media - both established media like publications and TV, and newer media, like podcasts. Today, she gives us some fantastic advice for finding and pitching podcasts, as well as what to think about if we’re going to pitch TV and publications. In Build Something More, we chat about the time I hired Brittney to help with my PR, what worked well, and what I should have done better!
Top Takeaways:
- Since podcasts are weekly, and more selective about their content, you really need to hone your pitch. Spend some time doing your research, finding good fits, and then pitching a topic that works for the show.
- Look at recent guests and their topics. If yours is too similar, wait 6 months. Most hosts don’t want to cover the same topic in multiple episodes close together.
- There are lots of places to find shows. Apple Podcasts and Listen Notes, looking at shows competitors have been on, related podcasts, and even competitor press pages.
Show Notes:
- Brittney Lynn
- Brittney on Instagram (brittneylynn)
- Brittney on Instagram (humanconnectionagency)
- Brittney on Twitter
- Brittney Lynn Workshop
- Smart Passive Income Podcast
- Listen Notes
- Podchaser
- Publer
- National Day Calendar
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander
How do you become an authority in your field? What's the key to unlocking rewarding work and more sales with less selling? According to Rochelle Moulton, it's publishing. And Rochelle knows a thing or two. Not only has she been helping people become authorities in their fields since 2007, but her book, The Authority Code, will give you the blueprint — and the right prompts — to help you too. Rochelle and I have a great conversation around niching down, spending your time wisely, and publishing to become an authority in your space. Plus, in Build Something More, we compare notes on the book writing and publishing process!
Top Takeaways:
- There's a difference between being an expert, and being an authority. Experts are good at doing a thing, and get paid do to it. Authorities, whose mindset is publishing, command respect from a much wider audience, and can make money in a variety of ways
- To build authority, you need to have a niche. You want to be able to talk to your people and offer them solutions and outcomes. In fact, as an authority, that's exactly what you're selling: an outcome. How will your perfect client's life change after working with you?
- Publishing is the key to building authority. That can be through email, blogging, podcasting, or video. Pick one that works for your audience and start helping people. Then, your content does the selling.
Show Notes:
- Rochelle Moulton
- Rochelle on Linkedin
- Rochelle on Twitter
- Rochelle on Instagram
- Book: The Authority Code: How to Position, Monetize, and Sell Your Expertise
- How to Position, Monetize & Sell Your Expertise with Rochelle Moulton - The Recognized Authority
- Join Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs
In 2021, there was a lot of good, but there was also a lot of stress. In fact, there was a lot of everything. Seems like a year or less would do me good. But not really less of everything. I need to do less of something specific — over-commitment. So I’ve come up with The Year of Retreat.
Show Notes:
- Cortex
- My 2022 Yearly Theme
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander
I knew from a young age, I wanted to play the drums. I got my first small kit when I was five and when my friends and I started a band, heavy quotes, I played paint buckets. When I was 15 years old, I knew I needed a real kit.
It's the last episode of 2021, and it's a little different: I'm going to share with you my favorite Christmas story. I'll also tell you where the show is heading in 2022.
Show Notes
- Read the Story at Casabona.org
- Join Creator Crew
- Rate: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser
- Get Free Airtable templates
Back in October, I wrote a blog post called, "We Need to Talk About Speakers and Virtual Events." I outlined how I believe speakers should be treated when it comes to virtual events; See I feel like too many virtual event organizers treat speakers as their marketing arm too. Shortly after, my friend Nathan Wrigley reached out. See, he is a virtual event organizer. In fact, I've spoken at his events! We wanted to have a debate of sorts, so we recorded it. It was a truly fantastic conversation. I certainly learned a lot, and I think you will too!
Top Takeaways:
- Be communicative with your speakers and manage expectations.
- Doing the affiliate program well can net a lot of money for you without a TON of effort.
- It all depends on where you are in your speaker journey, and what your ultimate goal for speaking it. One peice of advice: choose events wisely.
Show Notes:
- Nathan Wrigley
- Nathan on Facebook
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
This year, I made a concerted effort to have a good Black Friday sale. I started thinking about it early, put in a good sequence of emails, and promoted it more than I've promoted anything. The result? My best sale ever. So how did I do it, what were the numbers, and what did I learn? Listen to find out. Plus, in Build Something More, I share the actual revenue, and my thoughts on affiliate programs.
Top Takeaways
- Preparation and messaging were instrumental. I started thinking about the sale in October - what the offer would be and the direction my business would go in for 2022. Right before the sale, I redesigned the home page to really push the benefits of the membership.
- Don't be afraid to send too many emails. I sent 9 emails over 5 days, with 4 coming on the last day. Each lead to at least one sale.
- I also paid attention to how things were going. When I found the membership to be a lot more popular than initially though, I changed the last few emails in the sequence to highlight the benefits of that instead of the fact that a la carte courses were going away.
Show Notes
- Creator Courses
- Why Subscriptions are Crucial to Your Business with John Warrillow
- Site Wide Sales
- ConvertKit
- WooCommerce
- LearnDash
- How to Manage Your Email for a Sane Holiday Season
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander
Sometimes it feels like Facebook gets a bad wrap. Of course, sometimes it feels like Facebook gets exactly what it deserves…so where should we, as small business owners, fall on how to use Facebook? Today's guests should help. Jono Petrohilos is a personal trainer and online educator who has a $1 Million online course business. He also runs huge Facebook groups, including one specifically for online course creators. Jono is SUPER passionate about FB groups -so much so that he made me excited about them. He offers a ton of tips for how to start and grow a FB group, and how one can build your business. In Build Something More, we talk about the Facebook outage and how it affected him (and how he has a backup plan!)
Top Takeaways:
- Spend time in similar Facebook groups and communities, participating and adding value. This will help build a network of 100 people you can invite to your group.
- The goal of the FB group is the community. It's not about "me" it's about "them." In that vein, encourage participation at every opportunity. Introductions, questions emailed to you, and anything else you think the group would benefit from
- The name is SUPER important. It should be clear and searchable.
Show Notes:
- Jono Petrohilos
- Jono on Facebook
- Jono on Instagram
- Jono on Linkedin
- Do we REALLY Need to Own Our Platform?
- Fitness Education Online | US Site
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander
A few weeks ago, we heard from John Warrillow about why we need to make subscriptions a core part of our businesses. Someone who's done that really well is a marketer and fellow creator Corey Haines. As we recorded this, he was going through the biggest change his membership has seem: consolidation of offerings, niching down, and increasing the price. And it was the best month of the membership to date. Listen on to find why and how he did it. Plus, in what I think is the best Build Something More yet, we talk about pricing: how to price as a creator, offerings, and price to value ratios.
Top Takeaways:
- On subscription fatigue: Don't conflate consumer subscriptions with business subscriptions. Consumers get fatigued more than businesses.
- Early on, as a creator you could basically just ask for money and people would support you. Now it's about the right value proposition. If you don't get it right, you won't survive.
- Niching down allows you to focus, get the right value prop, AND charge more.
Show Notes:
- Corey Haines
- Corey on Twitter
- Li Jin article creator economy
- Morning Brew
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander
It's the 2021 Gift Guides episode! This year I revamped the guides to be clearer, including more tools for people who work from home and podcasters, and offering more options for people looking for the perfect pen. In Build Something More, I talk about the transition from Beaver Builder to Gutenberg - why I did it, and how it went.
Show Notes:
- Gift Guides
- Work From Home Video Walkthrough
- Podcast Guide Video Walkthrough
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander
Something I (and perhaps you) feel I do terribly is email marketing. I'm worried I'm not segmenting my list the right way, that I email them too much, and that what I send is not aligned with what they signed up for. But let me tell you, after this conversation with Samar Owais, I feel a lot better. Samar is an email expert, and we cover a lot of ground, from setting up a welcome sequence, to when you should sell to your list, to how to segment. This is a mini masterclass in email marketing and one of my favorite episodes to date. Plus, in Build Something More, how Apple is changing the way we measure email marketing success.
Top Takeaways:
- When someone signs up for your mailing list, your welcome sequence needs to align with your offer and your promise...also, you should have a welcome sequence!
- When it is too soon to sell to your list? The very first welcome email. Everything else is fair game so soft sell, sew seeds, or even just mention.
- Segmentation is SO important. You're forming a relationship with your email subscribers, and you can't properly do that if you don't know anything about them.
Show Notes:
- Samar Owais
- Samar on Twitter
- Samar on Linkedin
- ConvertKit
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
Subscription services are increasingly popular and for good reason. On top of creating more predictable income for your business, they allow you to really focus and serve your subscribers instead of constantly trying to grind out new sales. Plus, it makes your business more sellable. We'll talk about all of that and more in this week's episode with John Warrillow, best-selling author of Built to Sell, The Automatic Customer, and The Art of Selling your business. And in Build Something More, we'll even talk about what it's like to write a best-selling book!
Top Takeaways:
- Subscriptions make your business more predictable, more sellable, and place less pressure on your sales process. One Sale → One Payment vs. One Sale → regular monthly payments.
- You need to go all-in for a subscription business to work. Giving people a choice between one time and subscription will usually result in fewer (if any) subscriptions.
- When it comes to subscription fatigue, you need to demonstrate value in a tangible way. A 10% discount won't do that. But showing 10x more value will.
Show Notes:
- John Warrilow
- The Art of Selling Your Bussiness: Winning Strategies
- The Automatic Customer
- Jodie Cook: Built to Sell Radio
- How to Hire a VA That Actually Helps with Matthew Yahes
- Launch by Jeff Walker
- Growing a Multilingual Newsletter (on the side!) with Maciek Palmowski
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
You've heard me say time and time again - build your list! If you want to grow your business, whether you sell products, services, or are a creator, you need to get people on your email list. And today's guest, Maciek Palmowski, has definitely done that. He and his wife started the only Polish-language WordPress-focused newsletter (quick a niche) and grew it into quite a popular English-language newsletter. The format and process for putting it together are interesting too - making this a fantastic episode for those struggling with (or struggling to start) their newsletter. In Build Something More, we talk about what it's like being an ESL programmer in an English-dominated market.
Top Takeaways
- The Twitter community can be a great place for finding news and growing your list!
- The secret to growth: stay consistent and put in the work. People will come, and share it!
- Trial and error is super important. Try things out and see what works. See what doesn’t. Iterate quickly.
Show Notes:
- Maciek Palmowski
- Maciek on Twitter
- Delicious Brains blog
- wpcontent.io
- Mailchimp
- Newsletter Glue
- Gutenberg Times
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
As an elder millennial, TikTok as a platform scares and upsets me. I’m not really sure how to use it to grow my audience (if it even can) and I’m worried it’s just going to be a huge time suck. But according to Rebecca Simon, if your business isn’t on Tiktok, it’s a huge missed opportunity. SO naturally, I asked her how a small business owner can make the most of the platform; Rebecca offered some of the best advice I’ve heard for any social network! So if you’re wondering how you can grow your audience through TikTok, this episode is for you. Plus, in Build Something More, I ask Rebecca how some of my favorite Tiktoks were made.
Top Takeaways
- It's important to have the right SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in place with VAs, employees, or even just yourself.
- The direction all social media is moving in is video. Instagram rebranded as a "video" platform, and TikTok is leading the charge. That's why it's so important to be there.
- The biggest benefit is TikTok is pushing you to new people. Discovery is much better on that platform that on follower-centric platforms like Instagram.
Show Notes:
- Rebecca Simon
- Rebecca on Tiktok
- Rebecca on Instagram
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
It's another live coaching call! This time I have podcaster and WordPress site builder Nathan Wrigley. We chat about how I format this show, record the bumpers and the intros, and the benefits (and potential pitfalls) of batching. Then we roll into making money: how to find and land sponsors, and when to think about monetizing your podcast. Nathan has been a podcaster for a long time, so it was great to field his questions as well as get his perspective. Plus in Build Something More, we talk about what it's like to run a virtual summit.
Top Takeaways
- Have a good process for outreach to guests and sponsors. You can better track, schedule and batch!
- Should you think about monetization before you launch your podcast or after? It's a great question! You should think about why you're starting your podcast and how you can monitize. But you should wait to launch until you have a money making plan.
- One this is absolutely necessary though: Build your email list!
Show Notes:
- Nathan Wrigley
- Nathan on Facebook
- Can Solo Developers Exist in WordPress?
- The First Stuff You Should Know Episodes Were 6 Minutes Long
- ConvertKit
- Build Your List Using ConvertKit with Angel Marie
- Newsletter Glue
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
Sometimes you know you're destined to run your own business. You work for companies and realize that you can't really work within the confines of a corporate structure. It's something I realized pretty much in high school. And it's something today's guest, Lauren Kennedy, has known all her life. Realizing then, she took her drive and built a marketing automation company…with a twist. While both marketing and automation can be terms associated with the impersonal, she's set out to build a people-first company. And that's the main focus of our discussion today. Of-course, it didn't stop me from asking about marketing automation. And in Build Something More, we talk about being active and helping people on social media, including Reddit.
Top Takeaways
- Sales is the authentic exchange of knowledge - you're showing people what you know, and what you can do. Put another way, your knowledge is not proprietary. Your ability to do it is.
- The goal of marketing automation is to get as much done with as few resources as possible. You can make sure you communicate personally and properly with the right automations.
- Be a sponge. Take every opportunity to learn and absorb - about your craft, about your clients, about your employees. Then squeeze it back out.
- Pre show release - how hard it is to come up with an elevator pitch for yourself, imposter syndrome
Show Notes:
- Lauren Kennedy
- Lauren On Twitter
- Lauren on Linkedin
- Lauren on Facebook
- Building and Evolving Profitable Project Plan with Jennifer Bourn
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
Often, when it comes to launching, writing, recording, building funnels, or whatever else it is we need to do, it's easy to start because we're motivated. But the longer a project goes on, the harder it can be. The more frustrating it can get. And the more likely quality starts to go out the window. Well, today's guest, Elizabeth Pampalone, has a solution: get it all done in 1 day. From launching websites to writing a full year of blog posts, Elizabeth's process of blocking off a whole day and walking with her clients through a tried and true framework has proven successful. Here is how she does it. Plus, in Build something more, we chat about early businesses and how to handle premium products for clients.
Top Takeaways
- Implementing is the hardest part of the work for most people - building that into a day, and into your schedule helps you ship.
- You need a "Deep Work" style day to get the work done. Eliminate distractions and context switching.
- Checklists are a huge help. They reduce the mental energy of figuring out what to do next so you can just do.
Show Notes
- Elizabeth Pampalone
- Elizabeth on Facebook
- Elizabeth on Instagram
- Elizabeth on Linkedin
- How Your Content Strategy can Grow Your Business with Jean Perpillant
- Monster Contracts
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
Hey everybody and welcome to episode 234 of How I Built It, the podcast that offers actionable tech tips for small business owners. Today's sponsors are TextExpander, and Nexcess. Jason How knows a thing or two about ads, start with this: don't start with Ads. Jason gives us a couple of important aspects of running ads you think to think about before actually running the ads - like how to get your offer to a place that will compel people to actually click on ads.
Top Takeaways
- BEFORE you run any ads, you need to get your offer right. Figure our whom you serve and do the research to make sure your offer is a good one.
- The messaging will be completely based on the offer.
- Get people into your funnel with a clear CTA, and have a good confirmation page.
Show Notes:
- Jason How
- Jason on Linkedin
- Jason on Facebook
- Jason on Twitter
- Agency J on Linkedin
- ZipMessage
- S.I.N. Offer by Todd Brown
- Hyros
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
Look. I get tons of backlinks and cold outreach every day. It’s frustrating and annoying. It’s frustrating and annoying because it’s blanket cold outreach. The people reaching out don’t know me and are just swinging wildly. There’s gotta be a better way, right? That’s what Andy Cabasso is here to talk about. How can YOU get effective with your cold outreach to grow your traffic and your business? It’s a great conversation. Plus in BSM we talk about domain authority.
Top Takeaways
- People doing outreach need to recognize that content creators are getting pitched to constantly. It's SUPER important to personalize to prove you actually did the research.
- When it comes to cold outreach, one of the most important aspect is the follow up!
- When you create content, you should spend as much time promoting it as you did creating it. Organic SEO is great, but competitive.
Show Notes:
- Postaga
- Andy on Twitter
- Skyscraper Technique by Brian Dean
- Sam Brodie & Selling Your Business
- Semrush
- Ubersuggest
- WP Owls
- Deliverability Podcast on SPAM lists
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
It's a listener questions episode! I thought it would be fun to round out the summer by answering some questions you've asked about how to run and grow a podcast. I hope you enjoy! in Build Something More, I tell you all about what I learned at Skip the Grind and how it's shaping my business, and this podcast, moving forward.
Top Takeaways
- The biggest way to grow your show is by having a clear Call to Action and a strong show notes page.
- BUILD YOUR LIST! No matter what you're trying to do - build a community, sell products, sell a course or service - your email list is the life's blood of your business and your podcast can help you grow it.
- There are 2 million podcasts but only about 65% are actually active. For comparison, There are over 37 million YouTube channels.
Show Notes
- Send in Feedback or Ask a Question!
- Why Course Creators Should Start a Podcast
- Course Creators Community Podcast
- How Skip the Grind Showed Me to Focus my Business
- Next Steps for How I Built It
- Podcast Subscribe Buttons
- Podcast Stats from BuzzSprout
Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander
Today's Episode is a little bit different. See, my friend Alastair McDermott has a couple of problems he'd like to solve: launching and promoting an online course, and growing his podcast. I believe these 2 things go hand-in-hand. A podcast is a great way to establish trust and expertise, which in-turn helps you sell more courses. So instead of Alastair dropping knowledge on us (which he does anyway...) we flip the script in this live coaching call, and he asks me a bunch of questions! This is one of my favorite episodes of the year - and highly educational for both of us!
Top Takeaways
- Beta testing your course is a great, lower-risk way to get your information out there and get real feedback.
- A podcast is a fantastic way to grow your audience, estabilish trust and expertise, and sell your courses.
- One way to grow your own podcasting audience is to guest on other people's podcasts!
Show Notes
- Alastair McDermott
- Alastair on Twitter
- The Recognized Authority Podcast
- Building and Evolving Profitable Project Plan with Jennifer Bourn
- How to Hire a VA That Actually Helps You with Matthew Yahes
- Authority by Nathan Berry
- Pricing Creativity by Blair Enns
- Want to participate in a live coaching episode? Leave a Message Here.
Sponsored by: Nexcess | Termshub | TextExpander
All too often, we hear only the success story. The Olympian who won the goal. The successful millionaire who launched a business from her dorm room. It's easy to assume these stories are without struggles. But what we don't see is the sacrifices the olympian made. We don't see the dozen other ideas and years of work the successful millionaire put in. Today we get to hear it all. Paul Lacey is as generous with his time as he is with his story. See, Paul has gone a long way in his travels as a web developer, from the pre-dot-com burst to crashing an agency and bouncing back. And he's learned a ton along the way that he generously shares with us in today's episode. So I just tried to get out of the way and tell his story. I think you'll love it.
Show Notes:
- Paul Lacey
- Paul Lacey on Twitter
- WP Builds
- Fourth Doctor
- How Giving Back saved my some gig
- Ron Gijsel Episode
- Company of One
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Podcast Liftoff | TextExpander
Google has recently rolled out a new set of metrics to help website owners create better websites. They're called Core Web Vitals and understanding how they work will be important for building your website, and getting it ranked better. Luckily we have Andy Schaff. He's the Development Architect and Portent and we have a fantastic chat about how to make your website more performant, from the ground up. We get pretty technical - but don't worry because I rain down analogies like it's my job. Andy drops a ton of knowledge about backend performance and gives both developers and small business owners starting points for making websites faster - and why your Google PageRank depends on it. Plus, in Build Something More, we talk about what it's like going through an acquisition from the employee's POV.
Show Notes:
- Andy Schaff
- Andy on Twitter
- WebPageTest
- Page Speed Insights
- Google's Lighthouse
- Pingdom
- The Page Speed Optimzation Hierarchy
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Podcast Liftoff | TextExpander
If you're anything like me, you feel like there's not enough time in the day. Maybe you're take on too much, or maybe you're doing things you don't need to do. Either way, you (and I!) both need a change - and that's where Reinart Bacalso comes in. He specializes in helping business owners reclaim their time by automating what they can, and putting the right processes in place. And today he's going to give us his framework. Plus, in Build Something More, we talk all about his toolkit.
Show Notes
- Reinart Bacalso
- Agency Rocket Fuel Facebook Group
- Using Systems to Run a More Efficient Business with Shannon Shaffer
- Range
- Zapier
- Timery
- How to Hire a VA That Actually Helps You with Matthew Yahes
- Loom.com
- ZipMessage.com
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Termshub | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
AmyJune Hineline has lots of perspectives. Not only does she have a background in nursing that she's brought to the open-source world, but she also actively works with both WordPress and Drupal. That sort of experience is exactly what helps communities grow. AmyJune has dedicated her time to helping people get involved in open source, and she offers great advice here for people who want to contribute, as well as mentors in the space. Plus in Build Something More, we talk about what Drupal and WordPress can learn from each other.
Show Notes:
- AmyJune Hineline
- AmyJune on Twitter
- AmyJune on LinkedIn
- AmyJune on Instagram
- Matt Jetpack on Twitter
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Linode | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
Let me tell you something: I'm not great at social media. I KNOW...totally shocking. But you know who is? My friend Jean. In fact, we had a SUPER long chat all about content strategy and social media. It was super helpful and we covered a lot of ground, from growing your audience to TikTok. Plus there's a Build Something More pre- AND post-show. We talk about parenting in the pre-show and accents, culture, and repurposing in the post-show.
Show Notes:
- Jean Perpillant
- Jean on LinkedIn
- Jean on Facebook
- CaboPress Blog Post
- Pexels
- Elements Envato
- Music for Makers
- Design Pickle
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Linode | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
Michelle Frechette knows a thing or two about building a community. Not only does she do it for multiple WordPress businesses, but she's cultivated quite the community on Twitter! As someone who's trying to grow my own community, I had lots of questions for Michelle and she generously answered them all. Learn all about what it takes to grow a community today. Plus in Build Something More, how to help those underrepresented in your community.
Show Notes
- Michelle Frechette
- Michelle on Instagram
- Works by Michelle
- GiveWP
- Matt Medeiros Episode with Michelle
- Big Orange Heart
- Underrepresented in Tech
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Linode | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
In January, I rolled out the Creator Crew, a membership that allows people to support the show directly in exchange for more, ad-free content. 6 months in, how do I think it’s going? Find out about this behind-the-scenes episode. And in Build Something More, we’ll talk about exact numbers, metrics, and what I’m measuring.
Show Notes:
- Failed Patreon Experiment
- Creator Courses
- Build Someting Club
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
You've heard multiple guests on this show talk about the importance of building your email list...but what do you do with that list once you have it? Well, copywriter Matt DeFeo tells us: we need to tell stories. Matt gives lots of actionable advice for how we can improve our email copy and start selling more without annoying our subscribers. Plus, in Build Something More, he tells us how he went from law enforcement to copywriting and the story is incredible.
Show Notes:
- Matthew Defeo
- Matthew on Facebook
- Matthew on Twitter
- SPF and DKIM Tutorial
- Honey Copy
- Middle Finger Project
- Lemlist
- App Sumo
- CopyHackers
- NeverSpam
- Writesonic
- Content Row
- Impact Plus
- SEO Pressor
- Swipe-Worthy
- Millo
- Justin Goff
- Marketing Examples
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
Continuing a series on finances this year, today we tackle how to handle debt and invest in yourself and your business. Travis Hornsby took himself from being deep in debt to be able to support him and his family through his own business - and he gives us the framework so that we can do the same thing. Plus in Build Something More, we talk all about investing.
Show Notes:
- Travis Hornsby
- Travis on Twitter
- Total Money Makeover
- Student Loan Planner Podcast
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
Podcasting can be like your own personal stage. If you're a speaker, you have the opportunity to create your own portfolio of work, allowing potential event organizers and audience members to see what you know and you speak. This can lead to more paid speaking gigs and a following. But that's not the only reason speakers should start a podcast.
Show Notes:
- Should You Start A Podcast
- Creator Crew
- Podcast Liftoff
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
The feast and the famine are two staples in running your business, right? It's doesn't have to be! That's the message from Kelsey Kerslake, who went from $200 to $16,000 in her bank account in 3 months! Kelsey shares her story, tips, and what you need to do to grow your business and avoid that feast and famine stress.
Show Notes
- Kelsey Kerslake
- Kelsey on Instagram
- Kelsey on Facebook
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
A few months ago we heard from Amber Hinds about the importance of accessibility and how her WordPress plugin can help you create more accessible content. She also said that you need a human being to catch most accessibility issues - that's where Bet Hannon comes in. Bet tells us all about what to look for when auditing your website, and how to execute a sampling audit. We also talk about a TON of tools. In Build Something More, listeners get a pre-and post-show. The pre-show is all about beer. The post-show is about database queries.
Show Notes:
- Bet Hannon
- Bet Hannon on Twitter
- Bet Hannon on Linkedin
- Bet Hannon Blog
- WordPress.tv
- Linkedin Learning
- Deque
- Wave.WebAim
- Axe Lighthouse
- Making Your Website Accessible with Amber Hinds
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
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 acquisition process.
- GiveWP
- Give's Announcement
- Episode 54: The GiveWP Team
- Better Audience Engagement for Your Content with Taylor Waldon
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 and his team built the software and the honest security manifesto! In Build Something More, we talk about cybersecurity and fear-mongering.
Show Notes:
- Jason Meller
- Jason Meller on Twitter
- Kolide on Twitter
- Honest Security
- Company of One
- Heroku
- Baby Clothes Blog
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander | The Events Calendar
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 you all about my experience with both self-publishing and going through an actual publisher.
Show Notes
- Should You Start a Podcast?
- Why Course Creators Should Start a Podcast
- HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 - whether it's this one or the next.
Show Notes:
- Stephen King
- Stephen King on Twitter
- Stephen King on Facebook
- Stephen King on Linkedin
- Why Your Business NEEDS Financial Planning to Succeed with Kathy Svetina
- Profit First Book
- Value Pricing by Ron Baker
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 Future of Apple Podcasts, Nathan Gathright
- Memberful Pricing
- Castos
- Apple Podcast Directory Issues
- Creator Crew
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 is one every business owner, from freelancer to agency should think about. Plus, in Build Something More, we dive into tax planning, charts, and financial planning!
Show Notes:
- Kathy Svetina
- Kathy Svetina on Linkedin
- Jennifer Bourne Episode
- Rian Kinney and Trademarks
- Spotlight Reporting
- Fathom
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 course. Plus in Build Something More, I tell you about how this podcast started, and why I pivoted.
Show Notes
- Should You Start a Podcast?
- Podcast Liftoff
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 Calendar in late 2020.
Show Notes
- The Events Calendar
- The Events Calendar on Twitter
- The Events Calendar on Linkedin
- The Events Calendar on Facebook
- Otter.ai
- Mucow List
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 answer the question, "Are big cities like San Francisco and NYC dead?"
Show Notes
- Mang-git Ng
- Mang-git on Linkedin
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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, and we talk all about it in Build Something More.
Show Notes
- Patrick Garman
- Patrick on Twitter
- Mindsize on Twitter
- Lindsey Miller and Partnership Programs
- Post Status
- Laravel Valet
- Query Monitor
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 one. In Build Something More, we talk Star Wars in the pre-show and social media dos/don'ts, traveling, and schooling in the post-show. This has been one of my favorite conversations so far this year!
Show Notes
- Michelle Knight
- Michelle on Instagram
- Michelle on Facebook
- ConvertKit
- VidIQ
- Answer The Public
- Keywords Everywhere
- Gear blog Post
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 this week - we talk negative review, review scams, and more!
Show Notes
- Michael Begg
- Michael on Linkedin
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 about how to let go of those tasks you're holding on to!
Show Notes
- Matthew Yahes
- Loom
- AppSumo.com
- The Mythical Man Month
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 LinkedIn
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Mindsize | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 Something More, I tell you how I evaluated membership plugins, and what further benefits can look like.
Show Notes
- Sign Up for Creator Crew
- My Failed Patreon Experiment
- Restrict Content Pro
- Castos
- ConvertKit
- Why You Shouldn't Use Tags to Segment Your List
- Uncanny Automator
- bbPress
- Memberful
Sponsored by: Outgrow | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 Patreon
- Patreon
- Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Outgrow | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 Telecommunications Act. She has relayed to me it should have been Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
- Equalize Digital | amber@equalizedigital.com
- Accessibility Checker
- WCAG
- WAVE
- Hotjar
- a11yrules podcast
- Accessibility Resources from HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Outgrow | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 Notes
- Alex Price | Twitter
- Email: alex@93ditigal.co.uk
- 93digital
- Get Rich in the Deep End
- Positioning
- Sara Dunn and Niching Down
- Pliim Pro
- Simple Streaming Kit
- Join the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Outgrow | Restrict Content Pro | TextExpander
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 the Creator Crew
Sponsored by: Outgrow | Restrict Content Pro | Hostinger | TextExpander
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 built it, and how she evolved it to make it the perfect program for anyone who wants to build a better business.
Show Notes
- Jennifer Bourn | Twitter
- Profitable Project Plan
- Content Camp
- Jennifer Bourn and Profitable Project Plan
- Company of One
- Introduction to the Block Editor
- 2021: The Year of Opportunity
Sponsored by: Outgrow | Restrict Content Pro | Hostinger | TextExpander
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 not1complete. 2020 caused many people to change how they do things, and I was no different. that’s why for 2021, my yearly theme is going to be The Year of Opportunity.
Show Notes
- Read the post on my blog
- CGP Grey’s Theme Video
- Theme System Journal
- My YouTube Channel
Sponsored by: Restrict Content Pro | Hostinger | TextExpander
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 enjoy!
Show Notes and Picks
- Tech Pick: Elgato Stream Deck
- How I Configured my Stream Deck
- Honorable Mentions: iPad Magic Keyboard, Kindle Oasis, Drums
- App: Milanote
- What I’m Using
- Testing Out Milanote for Research
- Honorable Mentions: eCamm Live, iOS 14
- Thing I Learned: How to hire more
- I’ve Been Hiring A Lot
- Brittney Lynn
- Honorable Mention: marketing messaging, PR outreach
- Book: The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
- My 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge
- Honorable Mention: Marketing Made Simple, Dooku: Jedi Lost
- TV Show: Ted Lasso
- Honorable Mention: The Mandalorian (again)
- All the Disney Investor Day Announcements
- Music: First to Eleven, Lewis Capaldi
- Movie: Hamilton
- Warner Bros. Says All 2021 Films Will Be Streamed Right Away
- Podcast: Advisory Opinions
Sponsored by: ConvertKit | Hostinger
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 on coming up with good content, and using that content to evolve memberships, and build communities. If you didn’t catch every episode, here are the highlights.
- Check out all the episodes mentioned
- Podcast Liftoff
Sponsored by: ConvertKit | Hostinger
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: ConvertKit | Hostinger
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. This was such a fun conversation where we covered a lot of ground. I enjoyed it, and I know you will too.
- Winstina Hughes | Twitter
- WordPress NYC Meetup
- Winstina on WordPress.TV
- Winstina on Hallway Chats
- HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide
Sponsored by: Hostinger | Yes Plz | iThemes
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 for us.
- Naomi C. Bush
- gravity+
- Gravity Forms
- Episode 55: Alex Cancado & Gravity Forms
- ConvertKit
- Build Your List Using ConvertKit with Angel Marie
- RightMessage
- Brennan Dunn and RightMessage
- HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide
Sponsored by: Hostinger | Yes Plz | iThemes
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 episode. So listen for that and more - and let me know what ideas you come up with!
- Jase Rodley | Twitter
- Dialed Labs
- ahrefs
- Screaming Frog
- The 4 Hour Work Week
- Episode 8: Joost de Valk and Yoast SEO
- The 2020 Gift Guide!
- HARO
- Should SEO audits be part of your ongoing maintenance?
- Keyword Discovery: Produce Creative Content to Be Seen
- How to Write a Great Blog Post
Sponsored by: Hostinger | Yes Plz | iThemes
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
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. Simpson Jr. | Twitter
- WordPress Santa Clarita Valley Meetup
Sponsored by: Hostinger | Yes Plz | iThemes
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 it, and I did just that with Dave.
Show Notes
- Dave Shrein
- Campaign Donut
- How to Identify Your Ideal Customer Avatar | Marketing Made Easy
- Dave's Free SEO Course
- Topic Clusters | Hubspot
- How A Podcast Can Replace A Live Event
- Allie Nimmons and Freelancing / Mental Health
- Unleashed Summit
- eCamm Call Recorder
- ThriveCart
- eCamm Live
Sponsored by: ExpressVPN | Yes Plz | iThemes
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 People to Sign Up For My Newsletter
- Build Your List Using ConvertKit with Angel Marie
- HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide
- ConvertKit
- Mailchimp
- LearnDash
- Restrict Content
- Uncanny Owl
- Gravity Forms
- Gravity View
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 into building the membership, innovating, and what keeps your members from churning.
Show Notes
- Brian Krogsgard
- Post Status | Twitter
- Commerce Journey
- Ledger Status
- Episode 3: Brian Krogsgard and Post Status
- Episode 4: Cory Miller & iThemes
- Professional WordPress Development
- Marketing Made Simple
- Growing Your Audience on Instagram with Andrea Zoellner
- Sony a6400
- Google AMP
- Wirecutter
- WooCommerce Memberships
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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)
- Sign up for Build Something Weekly
- ConvertKit
- My Pitch Deck
- Podtrac
- Memberful
- Wishlist Member
- Substack
- ThirstyAffiliates
- YOURLS
- Amazon Affiliate Program
- Target Affiliate Program
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 Ways Your Clients Can Benefit From Podcasting
- Improving Customer Relationships with John Vuong
Sponsored by: ExpressVPN | Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 manages to put out what must be dozens of hours of field guides while also running a law practice.
Show Notes
- David Sparks
- Macsparky Field Guides
- Mac Power Users
- Focused | #104: Sleep and Sabbaticals
- Automators
- Myke Hurley and Relay FM
- Find the Right Podcast Membership Benefits with Stephen Hackett
- Teachable
- Airtable
- DEVONthink
- Better Touch Tool
- Setapp
- MindNode
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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, we'll get into the course creation process a bit!
Show Notes
- Tracey Larvenz | Twitter
- LinkedIn Learning
- Joe's courses on LinkedIn Learning
- How to Get More Comfortable Recording
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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
- Devocate
- WWDC
- Pantheon's Heroes Program
- CaboPress
- Superfans by Pat Flynn
- Net Promoter Score
- Traackr
- Mention
- Awario
- Chris Lema | 1st Episode | 2nd Episode
- Hover
- Twitter API Team
- 5 Years with the iPhone
- Join the Build Something Weekly Newsletter
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 Invocation Name
- The Blind Blogger
- Rian Kinney and Trademarks
- Apple, Google, and Amazon are teaming up to develop an open-source smart home standard
- Schema.org
- Why Homophones Matter
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 sit back and enjoy!
Show Notes
- Lisa Laporte | LinkedIn
- Twit.TV
- Artisanal Agency
- IAB
- Neilsen
- Cloudflare.tv
- Build Something Weekly Newsletter
Sponsored by: ExpressVPN | iThemes | TextExpander
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 Movement
- Notion
- The Pod News
Want to start your own podcast? Check out my course, Podcast Liftoff. Use the code BUILDIT for a listener-exclusive discount!
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 they're doing a fantastic job over there, and Stephen's inspired me to reconsider my own membership program for this show. Have a listen - I know you'll get some great ideas too!
Show Notes
- Stephen Hackett
- Relay.fm
- 512 Pixels
- Myke Hurley and Relay FM
- That time Phil Schiller tweeted a link to my blog
- MacStories
- 5by5
- Flashback
- Will it Fly?
- MPU #537: The Photos Field Guide and Apple Photos
- CGP Grey: Exploring TEKIO
Want to start your own podcast? Check out my course, Podcast Liftoff. Use the code BUILDIT for a listener-exclusive discount!
Sponsored by: Yes Plz | iThemes | TextExpander
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 business, no matter what you do.
- Taylor Waldon
- GiveWP | Blog
- Episode 54: The GiveWP Team
- ahrefs
Sponsored by: iThemes | CircleCI | TextExpander
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 network, add shareable content, and maybe even make a few worthwhile connections.
Show Notes
- Cara North | Cara on LinkedIn | Twitter
- Buffer
- Automating Social Media
Sponsored by: Boosted | iThemes | CircleCI
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 it all done at the federal level.
Show Notes
- Email Joseph: jgalbo@cpsc.gov
- Consumer Product Safety Commission
- CPSC on Twitter
- Department of Energy Podcast
- Space Heater Tweet
- Lifehacker Article
Sponsored by: Boosted | iThemes | CircleCI
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
- TextExpander
- Integromat
- IFTTT
- Keyboard Maestro
- AutoHotKey
- Zapier Ideas
- Automators Podcast
Sponsored by: Boosted | iThemes | CircleCI
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
- Later
- Buffer
Sponsored by: Boosted | iThemes | CircleCI
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
- Jessica Lawlor
- Matt Medeiros
- Angel Marie
- Vito Peleg
- John Vuong
- Marketing Made Simple
Sponsored by: Podcast Liftoff | CircleCI | TextExpander
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 Notes
- Milanote
- Canva
- Stream Deck
- Key Light
- Magic Keyboard
- Field Notes
- William Hannah Notebook
- Pen Addict Podcast
Sponsored by: CircleCI | TextExpander
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 different, and what you can do to adapt.
Show Notes
- Brad Morrison
- GoWP
- GoWP Niche Agency Owners Facebook Group
- My Gear Kits
- Productizing Your Services with Brian Cassel
- Start Local
- Pam Aungst and Your SEO Process
- Ugmonk
- Pivoting for COVID-19
Sponsored by: CircleCI | TextExpander
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 Courses
- ConvertKit
- MindNode
- Podcast Liftoff Mindmap
- My recording process | Video Resources
- Video Recording Gear
- Screenflow
- LearnDash
- WooCommerce
- WooCommerce Memberships
- WooCommerce Subscriptions
- Vimeo Pro
Sponsored by: CircleCI | Ahrefs | TextExpander
John Vuong know SEO. But he knows relationships even more. AT a time where connecting with people face-to-face has become harder, John offers some fantastic advice for forging better relationship through communication - both with your current clients, and the ones that will soon be clients.
Show Notes
- John Vuong
- Local SEO Search | Facebook | Twitter
- The Pumpkin Plan
- Building Your Mailing List with Angel Marie
- Avoiding the Famine with Jason Resnick
?Podcast Liftoff is Out! As a Listener, you'll get an additional 10% off the already discounted launch price.
This link will automatically apply the coupon.
Sponsored by: CircleCI | Ahrefs | TextExpander
I know what you're thinking - another podcast doing another episode about COVID-19. But now that we're in the thick of it, and we know it's not just "a few weeks at home," I wanted to reach out to some businesses and see what they were doing differently. There were some really great ideas. And you'll get 3 tips to help you think outside the box.
Show Notes
- Shannon Shaffer | Listen to her episode
- Jason Resnick | Listen to his episode
- R. Alexander McManus, Esq.
- Ross Johnson
- Maddy Osman | Listen to her episode
- BobWP | Listen to his episode
- Laura Byrne Cristiano
- Start Local
- Calendly
- Ship Your Podcast
- Webinar Series
- YouTube Channel
Sponsored by: CircleCI | Ahrefs | TextExpander
Let me just tell you right off the bat: my business has grown from my mastermind group. And Ken Wallace…well he really knows what he's talking about. If you need some extra business support (especially now), you're not alone. In fact, Ken has bet his own business on it.
In this episode, you'll learn what a Mastermind Group is, how it works, and some ideas for conducting one. There's a little something for everyone, so let's dive in.
Show Notes
- Ken Wallace
- MastermindJam
- Starting Your Own Mastermind Group
- CaboPress
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander
In August 2018 I was challenged to automate more. Now, nearly 2 years later, I've removed myself from core processes because of it. I'm saving lots of time, which allows me to focus on the important parts of my business. While I'm always looking to improve, I'm happy with what I've implemented so far.
In this solo episode, I'm going to tell you about how you can start automating, how I automate, and some of my favorite tools.
Show Notes
- Casabona.org Automation Series
- YouTube Channel
- Zapier
- IFTTT
- TextExpander
- Siri Shortcuts
- Hazel
- Automators Podcast
- MacStories
- Siri Shortcuts Field Guide
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander
As more businesses are starting to do commerce nearly exclusively online, it's important to know how your customers are finding you and how they make decisions. Enter Ronald Gijsel, the Community and Partnerships Manager at Yith.
He's going to tech us all about the customer's journey and FREE tools to help us figure it out. His tips will help us understand our customers to, sure, sell more, but more importantly, create a better experience for them. I learned a lot here and started to implement his advice shortly after we recorded. I'm excited to start seeing results.
Show Notes
- Ronald Gijsel Twitter
- Yith
- Enable e-commerce data in Google Analytics
- All in One Export
- Build Your Email List using ConvertKit with Angel Marie
- ConvertKit
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander
Last week we heard from Maddy Osman about how to make money on marketplaces - and at the core of that is being able to productize your services. Now sure how to do that? Well, Brian Casel has you covered. His advice has inspired me to start offering a new service myself, and I know he'll do the same for you. Now is a great time to start looking at how you can make your business more predictable, and Brian can help.
Show Notes
- Brian Cassel
- AudienceOps
- ProcessKit
- Productize Course
Sponsored by: Ahrefs
Maddy Osman has a unique approach to her business and agency - and it’s mostly around getting gigs on FIverr and other marketplaces. When she first told me about that, I was blown away! I didn’t think someone state-side could make a good income off of Fiverr. Maddy has proved me wrong - and offers fantastic advice how you can get started too.
Show Notes
- Maddy Osman | Twitter
- How to Make Money on Fiverr
- CGP Grey
- Using Systems with Shannon Shaffer
- LearnDash YouTube Channel
- How to write a kickass blog post
- Skillshare Workshops
- Million Dollar Consulting
- Maddy's WCUS Talk on UX Audits
- Get your FREE Podcast Workbook
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander
Sara Dunn is one of my favorite people to talk to, and for good reason. She’s fun, honest, and has a lot of great insight! Today we’re following up on episode 69, where we talked about her starting to niche down. Now, 2 years and nearly 100 episodes later, she’s fully into her niche business. We talk about making some tough decisions, and how to stay motivated. I truly think this is something every freelancer and small business owner should hear!
Show Notes
- Sara Dunn | Twitter | Instagram
- Sara Dunn and Niching Down, Part 1
- My Fountain Pen Collection
- Show It Website Builder
- Profit First
- Company of One
- Automation Blog Posts
- Using Systems with Shannon Shaffer
- Optimizing Your Time with Erin Flynn
- Get your FREE Podcast Workbook
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander
Vito Peleg runs a very popular WordPress plugin called WP Feedback, but did you know he also runs a community under the same name? In this episode we talk all about the importance of community in growing your business. Now, during this episode we talk a lot about in-person events, and as I record this intro, there aren’t a whole lot of events going on right now. But digital communities are on the rise and they can be just as powerful. Take Vito’s advice to heart because it’s good, and important!
- WP Feedback
- Download Festival
- BuddyBoss
- Vova Feldman and Freemius
- Get your FREE Podcast Workbook
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander
I’ve known Matt Adams for the better part of a decade - we’ve worked on some interesting projects together, which we’ll reminisce about as we dive into how he’s built an agency out of what started as a freelance career. We talk a lot about something that’s hard for a lot of freelancers to talk about: cashflow. Feast, Famine, and Client Relationships have been themes of this season and they all relate to the same thing: managing your money properly so you can survive as a business. Let’s hear how Matt does it.
Show Notes
- Matt Adams | LinkedIn | Twitter
- Hourly Rate Calculator
- AIGA
- Profit First
- When by Daniel Pink
- PandaDoc
- Get your FREE Podcast Workbook
Sponsored by: Ahrefs | Yith | TextExpander
Nathan Ingram is a fantastic freelancer, educator, and coach. I met him doing iThemes Webinars and he always manages to ask the right questions and tee up the right talking points. I’m excited to talk to him today about how to manage client relationships. Last week we heard from Erin Flynn about her process for working less and mentioned the importance for finding the right clients. Nathan is going to dive deeper into that. We’ll talk about his book on this very topic, and then we’ll talk about a new project he recently launched to help freelancers.
Show Notes
- Nathan Ingram
- Monster Contracts (get 20% off with code HIBI)
- Dealing with Problem Clients | WordCamp Talk
- WordCamp Miami
- Trademark and Copyright with Rian Kinney
Sponsored by: Yith | TextExpander | FreshBooks
Erin Flynn is one of my favorite people to talk to. We are in a Master Mind group together and her insight and approach is always appreciated. Today, we’re talking about how she’s managed to build a business around literally working 2-4 hours a day. Recently she tweeted that she worked 1/4 the “normal job” hours and still hit her income goal. We’re going to talk about how she does it, and how you can do it too. Then we’ll chat a little bit about a big change we’re both getting ready for this summer.
Show Notes
- Erin Flynn | Instagram
- Erin Flynn and Teaching Online
- Jackie D'Ellia and What We Learned Podcasting
- Fighting the Famine with Jason Resnick
- Using Systems to Run a More Efficient Business with Shannon Shaffer
- Hourly Rate Calculator
- Book: Start With Why
Sponsored by: Yith | TextExpander | FreshBooks
Last week, you heard from Angel Marie about the importance of building your list, and how you can use ConvertKit to do it. Today, I decided to pull back the curtain and tell you exactly how I use ConvertKit.
Show Notes
- Get ConvertKit
- Building Your Mailing List with Angel Marie
- How to Set Up a Landing Page with ConvertKit
- Pointing a Custom Domain to a ConvertKit Landing Page
Sponsored by: Yith | TextExpander | FreshBooks
I’m so excited to be talking to Angel Marie, the Creator Educator over at ConvertKit this week. And we’re talking about one of my favorite topics: building your list. I’ve become a huge proponent of this over the last couple of years, and the contributing factors have been this podcast, my move into products, and the educator I got from people at ConvertKit like Angel. This is such a rich episode I’m excited for you to hear it.
Show Notes
- Angel Marie
- ConvertKit
- ConvertKit on Facebook | Instagram
- How to Set up a Free Landing Page with ConvertKit
- Get More Clients Using Content with Jessica Lawlor
Some Housekeeping: Angel mentions a link specifically for me later when talking about how you can get a free ConvertKit account. That’s an affiliate link and I may get a kickback for you using that. Don’t worry though - it won’t cost you anything else. And as a matter of fact, the second housekeeping item is this: Since we recorded this episode, ConvertKit has updated the offer that comes with this link - on top of the benefits Angel mentions, you’ll also get 100 free subscribers and broadcasts.
Sponsored by: TextExpander | FreshBooks
Ben Collins’ story is an interesting one! He went from forensic accountant to creating and selling online courses about Google Sheets - talk about niching down! But we talk about more than that. We also talk about location independence, and what it’s like moving from an office to working from home, with a family. Lots of great stuff in this episode, so let’s dig in.
Show Notes
- Ben Collins | Twitter
- Teachable
- Have a Daily Schedule when Working from Home
Sponsored by: TextExpander | FreshBooks
Shannon Shaffer is the founder of Purple Finch Studios, a small agency she runs in Pennsylvania, and today we’re talking about the systems and automation she put in place to make her and her team more efficient. But more than just her team benefits - her clients get a much more delightful and clear on-boarding process, communication doesn’t falter, and her projects get off to a great start. The systems she’s put in place can help us all get projects off to a great start, then keep them on track.
- Shannon Shaffer
- Twitter | LinkedIn
- Get More Clients Using Content with Jessica Lawlor
- Liquid Web
- Dubsado
- Zapier
- Clickup
- Milanote
- Loom
- Gusto
Sponsored by: TextExpander | FreshBooks
As tools for podcasting have evolved, the question of, “Can I start a podcast” has changed to, “should I start a podcast?” And importantly, will it help you grow your business? We’re going to talk about all of that and more in today’s episode. We’ll go over why podcasting is getting easier, some of the basics, and why YOU should start one. At the end of the episode, I’m going to tell you about a new online course I have coming out that will give you everything you need to launch your own show. Let’s get to it!
Show Notes
- Podcast Liftoff Course
- Growing your Business through Podcasting with Matt Medeiros
- Edison Research's Podcasting Stats
- Your First Podcast Setup
- Podcaster's Gift / Gear Guide
- Start with Why
Sponsored by: TextExpander | FreshBooks
Today I’m talking to my good friend Matt Medeiros. We both share a passion for podcasting and content creation in general. On top of talking about getting involved in local businesses, and legacy, we dig deep on putting content out into the world. First you learned about content strategy from Jessica Lawlor. Now you'll learn more about one of the big important mediums for creating content in 2020: podcasting.
Show Notes
- Matt Medeiros | Twitter
- Southcoast.fm
- Pagely
- Missing WPWeekly podcast, YoastGate, and 2020 plans! - The Matt Report
- Start with Why
Sponsored by: FreshBooks | Creator Courses
If you've been freelancing or running a small business for any amount of time, you've learned a few things you probably wish you knew from the start. In this episode, I've asked a few of my freelancing friends (as well as Twitter), "What's one thing you wish you knew when you started freelancing?" There's lots of great advice, so let's get to it!
Show Notes
- The original Twitter Thread
- Jean Perpillant | Twitter
- Sal Ferrarello | Twitter
- Topher DeRosia | Twitter
- Birgit Pauli-Haack | Twitter
- Jonathan Bossenger | Twitter
- Getting Back to Blogging with Colin Devroe
Check out the memberships over at Creator Courses
Sponsored by: SaneBox | FreshBooks | Creator Courses
Jessica Lawlor is a content manager and strategist. Your content plan is integral to your small business, as I’ve learned over the past couple of year. I’m being a lot more intentional this year, and in this episode, Jessica talks about how you can too. We chat about content calendars, answering important questions regarding your goals, and how to create content even if you’re strapped for time.
Show Notes
- Jessica Lawlor | Twitter
- The Write Life
- Airtable
- Click Up
- Nathan Ellering and CoSchedule
- Repurposing Content with Jaclyn Schiff
- Repurpose.io
- ConvertKit
- OptinMonster
- How to get More Comfortable Recording a Podcast
Become a Creator Courses Member
Sponsored by: SaneBox | FreshBooks
This year, 2020, the show is going to focus heavily on Freelancers and small business owners. And to kick things off, I’m talking to long time freelancer and educator Jason Resnick. He’s the founder of the Feast community and Live in the Feast podcast, and today he’s going to tell you how to set yourself up to prevent the dreaded famine that often comes with freelance work. We’ll talk about niching down, vetting clients, and so much more.
Show Notes
- Jason Resnick | Twitter
- Live in the Feast
- WooCommerce
- Diversifying Your Income as a Freelancer
- The Imagineering Workout
- Curtis McHale
Become a Creator Courses Member
Sponsored by: SaneBox | FreshBooks
Lots of people like to make resolutions around the new year. Fresh calendar, fresh start. I've gotten away from doing that and instead talking about a yearly theme - an idea I got from the Cortex podcast. In this episode, we'll talk about my yearly theme, how it affects the show, and how you can pick one.
Show Notes
- The Theme System
- Cortex Podcast
- My 2019 Yearly Theme
- Pat Flynn’s AMP’d Up Podcasting
- MacSparky’s OmniFocus Field Guide
- Podcast Liftoff
I’m ending this season of How I Built It by geeking out about audio stuff with my guest, Ryan White. He’s the US Product Specialist for Rode Microphones - a company that makes great gear, and who has an increasingly bigger presence in the podcasting space. We talk gear, room acoustics, and more. AND you can hear their newest product, the Rodecaster Pro, in action (if there’s anything to hear, that is). All of that and more, after a word from our sponsors.
Show Notes * Ryan White * Rode * Rodecaster Pro * Rode Podmic * Other Rode Mics: NTK, NT1-A, NT-USB * Getting Good Room Acoustics * Aurulex Sound Panels | DeskMax * $20 vs. $12,000 mic * Testing out the Rode Podmic
Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon
I was excited to reconnect with my friend Colin Devroe on this episode. We met through the WordPress community in Scranton and I just the co-working space he and his business part Kyle created. In this conversation, we get back to basics, and talk blogging. With the ever changing landscape of the web and social media, how important is it to have your own blog? Let’s find out!
Show Notes * Colin Devroe * Jujama * Barley * Writing is How I Think * Bad Reasons to Not Blog * Colin's personal blogging tips * Zeldman * Seth Godin * Micro.blog * Repurposing Your Content with Jaclyn Schiff * IndieWeb * Chris Lema and Managed WooCommerce Hosting * The Future of Blogging * Mastodon * The Talk Show | Daring Fireball * Bullet Journal
Send your feedback for 2020!Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon
The 2019 holiday season is here! Many of you are business owners, remote workers, and freelancers - so I thought I'd put together a bonus episode based on my 2 popular gift guides. Here are some great gifts for podcasters, and people who work from home!
Show Notes Enter the 1 Million Downloads Celebration Giveaway! * Great Gifts for People who work from Home (updated 2019) * Gift Guide for Podcasters (updated 2019) * ATR2100 * Logitech C920 * Logitech BRIO * Rode PodMic * Rode Procaster * Focusrite Scarlett Solo Interface * AirPods Pro * Audio-Technica ATH-M50s * The FOCUSED Calendar * Aeropress * Hamilton Beach Thermal Coffee Maker * Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder * Rook Coffee * Carlin Brothers Coffee * UNTUCKit * Stitch Fix * Mack Weldon * meUndies * Parks Project * TOPO Mat * Imprint CumulusPRO * NFC Tags * WeMo Smart Plugs * Sonos One * Western Digital My Book * Backblaze * Nomatic Backpack * eBags Professional Slim Laptop Backpack * Tech Grid * YETI Tumblers * Anker PowerCore Slim * Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45W * Wall Charging 5-Port Hub * Anker 30W PIQ 3
This interview is a little different than most. See, Svetlana Kouznetsova is an accessibility consultant who’s also deaf. Our interview was conducted completely using Google Docs. The voice you’ll hear on this episode is Erin, my wife, who graciously agreed to do Svetlana’s side of the conversation. Svetlana’s story is an interesting one. We talk about how she immigrated to the US from Russia, and what it was like growing up deaf there vs. in the US. We also discuss the importance of accessibility at events; why it’s a must and not just a “nice to have.”
Show Notes * Svetlana Kouznetsova * Svetlana on Twitter * Code of Professional Ethics for Captioners and Interpreters - Audio Accessibility
I want to hear from you! Leave your feedback here.Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Nathan Beckord is the CEO of Founder Suite, a group of tools to help those seeking venture capital, as well as tools for venture capitalists. We talked all about how he built this after spending a decade helping startups raise their own VC. We also cover how to seek VC funding, and if business plans are even useful anymore. It’s a fun conversation in an area I’m only loosely familiar with - so I learned a lot. I think you will too!
Show Notes * Nathan Beckord * Foundersuite * Codequest * How I Raised It * Let me know what you want to hear in 2020!
Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Jaclyn Schiff made her way onto the show because she’s authentic. She reached out recommending another guest, in a real way. Then, throughout the course of the conversation, we decided she’d also be a good guest for the show! She's a master of making the most of your content. We talk all about repurposing - something I could do a little better - as well as that cold outreach she’s good at. We also talk about productizing services, which is something I’m doing at the moment. So lots of great stuff here!
Show Notes * Jaclyn Schiff * PodReacher * Podcast Movement * Alex McClafferty & Productize.co * The GMail Genius * The Hustle * Temi.com * Productized Startups * Turning the Tables: Joe Casabona & How I Built It * Overcast * Podcasting is the new Blogging
Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Tevya Washburn reached out to me over the summer and asked if I might be interested in having him on the show - it turns out his timing was great. See Tevya created a WordPress plugin to help gather and display social proof, and I had just finished read a book that talks about the importance of social proof. So we chat about how he came up with the idea, why he built it, and of-course, how. This is a pretty traditional episode of the show, and I hope you enjoy it!
Show Notes * Tevya Washburn * Starfish Reviews * Trust Pilot * SPI 378: Amazon Book Marketing—Everything You Need to Know with Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur
Get your free podcast workbookSponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Greg Koberger is easily one of the most interesting guys I talked to this year. Not only do we talk about team building with escape rooms - a super cool concept, by the way - but we touch on mental health, the startup culture, venture capital, and lots more. Greg is a pretty open book here and it makes for an amazing interview. It's chocked full of great advice, so enjoy!
Show Notes * Greg Koberger * ReadMe * Swagger (Open API Spec) * Escape Room Finder * Ron Swanson loves puzzles * Allie Nimmons and Freelancing / Mental Health * Startup Escape (Greg's Escape Room)
Want to start your own podcast? Get our free Podcast Workbook!Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Micah Rowland isn’t your everyday builder. He doesn’t build homes, cabinets, or even software. As COO of Fountain, Micah builds people, teams, and processes. He offers a wealth of advice on building and scaling teams, and the importance of documentation. But what we talk about isn't just applicable to building teams - it's applicable to anyone building a business that will eventually scale.
Show Notes * Micah Rowland * Fountain * Episode 54: The GiveWP Team
Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Brian is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and angel investor. Due to his firm belief that data recovery shouldn't be a prohibitively expensive service, Brian founded Gillware, where he and his team specialize in cyber risk assessments, data recovery, and incident response. Today we spoke about his journey in business growth, as well as how to protect yourself from hackers, providing actionable tips that you can put into practice today!
Show Notes * Brian Gill * Gillware * 2FA | 2FA plugins for WordPress * Equifax Payment * Facebook FTC Settlement
Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
I had the pleasure of speaking to Tim Campos, former CIO of Facebook and founder of Woven - a calendar that actually accounts for your life and your free time. We talk about his experience at Facebook and how it lead him to the idea of creating Woven, stats on how people spending their time and schedule meetings, and more. If you want some incredible insight into how people manage their time, this episode is for you. But first, a word from our sponsors.
Show Notes * Tim Campos * email: tim@woven.com * Woven * Lean Startup
Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Recently Pat Flynn talked about the “new, hot marketing tool” that isn’t new but is often forgotten: email. Well today’s guest, Ajay Goel, has built a business around the fact that there are lots of people who haven’t forgotten it, and for the scores of people who are remembering its importance. Ajay buil GMass, a gmail extension that allows you to send marketing campaigns right in the interface we all know and love. We get to talk marketing, development, and much more, so stay tuned!
Show Notes * Ajay Goel * GMass * Gmail * Episode 3: Brian Krogsgard and Post Status * JangoMail * Inbox SDK * Gatsby.js * G-Lock
Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
That was Josh Garofalo and let me tell you: I loved this conversation. He’s a marketer and research and we dig deep into the latter. He tells us how important it is to do your research when you’re writing copy for you website. You want to solve your customers problems, and there are a few ways Josh talks about to help us communicate that.
Show Notes * Josh Gorofalo * Sway Copy * Branding and Positioning for Store Builders * Checklist Manifesto * Hotjar * Dealing with Problem Clients * Tom's Planner * Hubspot * Rev.com * Balsamiq
Get a FREE podcast workbook to launch your own show. Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Adrian Tobey is a young, energetic entrepreneur who’s build a pretty cool WordPress plugin in Groundhogg - something to help with yout marketing automation. On top of creating the plugin we talk quite a bit about college and higher education. He talks fast and offers some great advice so be sure to pay close attention (or slow the episode down!)
- Adrian Tobey
- Groundhogg
- Infusionsoft
- Formlift WordPress plugin
- WooCommerce Subscriptions
- Easy Digital Downloads
- Elementor
Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Tracy Rotton is a longtime friend of mine from the WordPress space - we met because we happened to be writing similar books around the same time! Well, Tracy has gone on to do some very cool things - one of which is leaning a WordPress development team for the Federal Government - specifically to completely redesign state.gov - the State Department's website. We talk about lots of stuff, from the actual development, to working for such a huge organization, and how to handle working with different corporate cultures.
Show Notes * Tracy Rotton | Twitter * taupecatstudios.com * State.gov * Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro * ACF Pro * Underscores * State Department Website archives
Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon
Podcast Movement is a giant podcast conference and expo where 3,000 attendees come from all over the world to talk podcasting. It’s 4 days of events, talks, and networking opportunities. If you’re never, been, I recommend it. I had a few goals going into the conference, and as a result I had some pretty fantastic, and related takeaways. Let's get into my 5 biggest takeaways from Podcast Movement.
Show Notes * Podcast Liftoff Workbook * Podcast Movement * Patreon * Patt Flynn (SPI) * Superfans * Bonjoro
One more thing! Did you like this style of episode? Yes | NoSponsored by: Ahoy! | Pantheon
Gordon Stannis, like last week’s guest, Colin, helped create a smart lighting system. But where Colin wanted to improve our homes, Gordon wanted to improve our experience in parking garaging. This is a super interesting conversation where we cover both hardware and software, mesh networks, and much more.
Show Notes * Gordon Stannis * Twisthink * Lutron
I want to tell you about a new resource I have for podcasters called Podcast Liftoff. I’m coming fresh off of Podcast Movement 2019 and lots of folks were interested in how I started my show - and I know many of you are too. So I want to tell you about a free workbook I created to help you take those first steps into launching your show. You’ll answer questions about your topic and format, get show script and notes templates, checklists, and more. Just head over to howibuilt.it/liftoff to get your free download.Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Pantheon
Colin Billings has built something that I’m incredibly interested in generally: hardware that contributes to home automation. He built Orro, the first truly responsive lighting system, out of his own frustration with lighting’s adverse impact on his wellness and sleep. Now the Orro Switch adds the computational power of an iPhone XR inside the walls of a home. It detects your presence in a room and adjusts the lighting automatically to bring out the most natural light, reducing artificial light exposure that disrupts your body and sleep. Within a week, Orro learns your preferences and handles 95% of all the lighting adjustments, so you don't have to think about your lights anymore.
Show Notes * Colin Billings * Orro * Flux * Contentful
Rate the ShowSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon
Jessica Hall is the VP of product strategy and design at 3Pillar Global, and today we are going to talk about something that made a bunch of news a couple of months ago - the Accenture/Hertz case, where Hertz paid a bunch of money (like $32M) and got nothing. With some time since the story broke, we sit back and look at how this happened, and Jessica tells you how it can be avoided.
- Jessica Hall
- 3Pillar Global
- Accenture/Hertz Case
- How to Avoid a $32 Million Flop
- Agile Manifesto
- 101 Videos
- Landing Page School Podcast: Always Be Testing
- Hotjar
- Google Optimize
- Marvel
Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon
Alex McClafferty has a wealth of business experience to share with us this week. Not only did he build a successful business within the WordPress space - WP Curve - he ended up selling it to GoDaddy. That experience showed him that the number of resources for selling your business were scarce, and now he’s doing that - completely embracing the “teach what you know” mentality.
Show Notes * Alex McClafferty * Productize.co * WP Curve * Flippa * Disney buys Marvel * Apple buys Lala * Microsoft sunsets Sunrise
Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon
Over the last 2 weeks, we discussed mental and physical health as it relates to freelancing and self-employment. To round out this trilogy of overall happiness in your career, I’m talking to Kirsten Bunch, who is a reinvention coach. She helps those folks who are mid-career but need a change. She offers some fantastic advice on how to determine if you’re ready for a chance, and the steps you should talk in order to figure out what to do for your next career move.
Show Notes * Kirsten Bunch | Change the World in a Hot Flash * Kirsten's Book: Next Act Give Back * Gotham Writers * Atomic Habits * Episode 23: Scott Bolinger and AppPresser * Profit First * Richest Man in Babylon
Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon
Michelle Schulp is a fantastic web designer in the WordPress space - you make have seen her work on the WP Hierarch chart. Recently she’s launched a new initiative talking about fitness and freelancing. Last week we touched a bit on mental health. This week we’re going to dive into physical health, especially when running your own business.
Show Notes * Michelle Schulp * Marktime Media * Fitness & Freelance * Wholly Obsessed: Whole30, 80 Day Obsession, Progress, and Perfection * 10 practical habits to balance Health with Hustle * Book: Atomic Habits
Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon
Allie Nimmons is a freelance web designer with an unique perspective to my own. She made the transition to freelancing after losing her job, but still needing to make money. We talk about what that’s like, as well as how she’s be able to hone her offerings based on what her target customers need. We also talk about mental health, and what it’s like to be black, and female, in a white male-dominated space.
Since recording this, Allie has been hired to work at GiveWP, providing tech support to users of this awesome plugin. She has minimized Pixel Glow to focus purely on providing WordPress maintenance. She can be found most often at her blog - allienimmons.com Show Notes * Allie Nimmons * Pixel Glow Web Design * WordCamp Miami * Josepha Haden's WC Miami Talk * Grace Hopper * Sherry Walling & Choosing Self Employment
Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon
We got lots of great advice over the course of Season 6. Over the course of about 10 minutes, we're going to distill all of that advice into 3 overarching themes. Take a listen to find out what they are. Here are the best trade secrets of 2019.
Show Notes * Sponsor the Show * Subscribe to How I Built It! * Nathalie Lussier and AccessAlly * Mike McDerment and FreshBooks * Andre Gagnon and ProjectHuddle * Laura Elizabeth and Design Academy * Brennan Dunn and RightMessage * Brad Touesnard and SpinupWP
It takes the right combination of bioscience knowledge, marketing intelligence, lead generation strategies, operational insight, product R&D expertise, and personal drive to fuel the business development of any life science firm. For almost 2 decades, Susan Goebel has been leveraging these core trails to deliver multi-million-dollar revenue generating initiatives with global reach. Now Susan has turned her focus to supporting others in their ventures into bioscience businesses. From helping doctors bring new medical solutions to market, to connecting investors and inventors, Susan helps shape the future of health, wellness and bioscience.
Show Notes * Susan Goebel * Bioscience Board Room * Mike McDerment and FreshBooks * Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation * Clickfunnels * Wix
Sponsored by: Soshace | Plesk | Pantheon
Patrick Campbell was curious about how people price products, and how pricing affects conversion - so he built ProfitWell. We discussed pricing, estimating time, tech stack, and so much more. His insights into how to price are fantastic.
Show Notes * Patrick Campbell | Twitter * ProfitWell | ProfitWell Report * Django * Atticus
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Jan Löffler is the CTO of Plesk, which is fantastic server management software. They're rapidly growing set of sophisticated tools is inspiring., In this episode we'll talk all about the history of Plesk, as well as what it's like to manage software that powers hundreds of thousands of websites.
Show Notes * Jan Löffler * Plesk * Interview videos * Cloudfest Hackathon * Hover DNS Course
Sponsored by: Weglot | Plesk | Pantheon
Jay Gibb is the founder and CEO of CloudSponge - a B2B SaaS company that sells an address book widget. We talked about growing an audience, research good opportunities for building a product, and Jay gives some fantastic advice for cold outreach.
Show Notes * Jay Gibb * CloudSponge * BuddyPress * Invite Anyone * Quora
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
If you've ever wondered what goes into creating a fantastic affiliate program, Lindsey Miller from Liquid Web has the answers for you, starting with one simple rule: your affiliates are partners. We talk about lots of stuff like content creation and working with your partners to help them help you. We also discuss how to come up with rates. Don't miss this episode!
Show Notes * Lindsey Miller | Twitter * Liquid Web's Managed WooCommerce Hosting * Episode 4: Cory Miller and iThemes * iThemes * This is Marketing * Chris Lema and Managed WooCommerce Hosting * Kolbe Personality Test * iThemes Training * iThemes Hosting
Check out my online courses tech stack.Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon
Brad Touesnard is a well known developer in the WordPress community, and CEO and Founder of Delicious Brains, a company that makes fantastic WordPress products. You might know them best from WP Migrate DB Pro, but they do lots more! Brad tells us all about their new product, SpinupWP, why they decided to solve this problem, and lots of other great advice for both business and development.
Show Notes * Brad Touesnard * Delicious Brains * SpinupWP * Kim Gjerstad and MailPoet * Connected * Curtis McHale's iOS Development Guide * Spinning up a WP Install Series * Chris Lema and Managed WooCommerce Hosting
Check out my podcasting course | Online Course Tech StackSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Mihran Papazian is the CEO of Brushette, a company that plans to revolutionize...toothbrushes! In a rare episode, we cover what it's like creating a physical product, from the deep research they did, to visiting over 1,000 factories in China to find the right manufacturing partner. Mihran's experience and deep knowledge means there's lots of great takeaways here - no matter what you plan to make.
- Mihran Papazian
- Brushette
- Prodental
- Brad Dowdy and Nock Co.
Check out my podcasting courseSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon
James Kemp is the founder and lead developer of Iconic, a popular WooCommerce extension shop. James has managed to do well in an increasingly saturated space. His approach to solving problems and determining if there's a market for his new ideas is an interesting one. He offers lots of great advice on everything from research to development, and launching.
- James Kemp
- Iconic
- Freemius
- Vova Feldman and Freemius
- The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained (CGP Grey)
- WooCommerce Ideas Board
- What is the GPL?
- Composer
- Bitbucket
- Gulp
- Freemius Deploy MPM
- Daniel Espinoza and Wearing Many Hats
- Nancy Hildebrandt and Creating Great Documentation
Check out my podcasting courseSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Stephanie Scapa is the Co-Founder and CEO of WEYV, a platform that aims to compete with Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. They have a unique business model to help them do it! We discuss running a large-scale project, what deep product research looks like, and how they came up with the pricing plan.
- Stephanie Scapa
- WEYV
- Altair
- Amplitude
- Joe's Podcast Course
Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon
Yuriy Popov is the Customer Success Manager at KeepSolid, where they make a suite of apps. The most popular is VPN Unlimited. We dive deep into how KeepSolid pivoted to focus on where they saw the industry going, from the Snowden revelations to the continued support for better online privacy. We also talk about the importance of listening to your customers, a recurring theme on this show!
- Yuriy Popov
- KeepSolid
- Check out my podcasting course
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Before Sam Brodie founded OffSprout, he successfully sold a niched business that focused on websites for lawyers. Sam generously shares his advice and experience with us, from niching down to how to properly keep your books. There's tons of great advice in this episode, so make sure to listen to the whole thing!
- Sam Brodie
- OffSprout
- JurisPage
- CaboPress
- WP Influencer Project
- Sara Dunn and Niching Down
- Sam's Udemy Course
Check out my podcast courseSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon
Andre Gagnon has SaaS/Subscription fatigue and decided to do something about it. He helped create and launch ProjectHuddle, a WordPress/plugin-based competitor to the likes of InVision. At least, when it comes to getting design feedback. The tech in this episode is super interesting, and we get philosophical about owning your products and data!
Show Notes * Andre Gagnon * ProjectHuddle * Medium Adds a Paywall * Video: Syncing Medium with WordPress * Wes Bos' React Course * Backbone JS * Levenshtein Distance
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Jan Thielemann is a plugin developer who got his start as a digital nomad who wanted to make enough money to fund his adventures. So he started a small side business selling plugins for Divi, where he found a good niche. He offers great advice about starting on your own, and the difference between truly passive and "half-passive" income.
Show Notes * Jan Thielemann * Divi Sensei * Freemius * Jan's Travel Blog * Divi * Elegant Marketplace (Jan's page) * Vova Feldman and Freemius
Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon | Hover.com
Every so often on this show, I will have somebody who knows lots of something I know very little about, and Amanda is one of those people. She is a live captioner. We talk all about what it's like being a live captioner, her the stenographic keyboard, and more. I like her journey and all of the information that she gives us in this episode.
- Amanda Lundberg (email)
- White Coat Captioning
- WordCamp Central
- GutenReady for the Gutenpocalypse
- Photo of a Stenographic Keyboard
- Open Steno Project
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Brennan Dunn is a freelancer, educator, and founder of RightMessage, a personalization platform. It's used by people like Pat Flynn to make sure their website is targeting the proper audience. We talk about how he built RightMessage and the importance of personalization and segmentation.
Show Notes * Brennan Dunn * RightMessage * Double Your Freelancing * CaboPress * Landing Page School * ConvertKit * OptinMonster * Pat Flynn
Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon | Hover.com
Dan Stocke knows marketing, and knows the pain of using the Facebook Ads Manager. So he created an easier way to do it. We'll talk about how he took his idea from need to launch, talk to developers, and refined the process based on feedback.
Show Notes * Email Dan Stocke: dan@buzzfrenzy.com * Buzz Frenzy * WordCamp Minneapolis * Book: Contagious
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Laura Elizabeth is a fantastic designer who wants to "teach design to developers." Her story from consulting to products is fantastic, and her method for building buzz and tension around her course worked perfectly. This is a fantastic case study for people who consult, but want to move into selling online courses or selling products.
Show Notes * Laura Elizabeth (on Twitter) * Client Portal * Design Academy * CaboPress * WooCommerce * Sensei * Vimeo Pro
Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon | Hover.com
Mike McDerment is the founder of the incredibly popular accounting software FreshBooks. His story is an interesting one - where he started with an MVP and then built it up from there. His journey relatable, and I'm really excited to talk to him today.
Show Notes * FreshBooks
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Nathalie Lussier is has created a unique, powerful LMS plugin for WordPress that people seem to love. That's because Nathalie, on top of using the product herself, listens to her customers. In this episode, she'll give us lots of great advice for how to grow our business and improve customer relationships.
Show Notes * AccessAlly * 30 Day List Building Challenge * Autologin Links
Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon
I focused a lot on automation in 2018, so I was really excited to talk to today's guest, Chris Bintliff, on how he used automation for his client-onboarding process. Chis is a fantastic, energetic guy and offers a lot of great advice here. If you're looking to save time through automation, this is for you.
Show Notes * Chris on Twitter * The Automated Consultant * Not Really Rocket Science * Zapier * Typeform * Pipedrive * Chris Lema and Managed WooCommerce Hosting * RightMessage * Podia
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
Anton Kraly is the founder of Drop Ship Lifestyle and has an incredibly story of how he got to where he is today. I'm grateful for Anton's time and for sharing both his story, and his tips on how we can get into drop shipping.
Show Notes * Anton on Twitter * Drop Ship Lifestyle * The 4 Hour Work Week * Alibaba * Alexa * Architect Theme * Membirium * Infusionsoft * Sensei LMS * Vimeo Pro * Invision Power Boards
Sponsored by: Plesk | MailPoet | Pantheon
Myke Hurley is a well-known podcaster and founder of Relay FM. To kick off Season 6, he gives us some fantastic advice on starting shows, sponsors, and lots more. His story is incredibly interesting and I think it's a great way to start this season and the new year.
- Myke on Instagram | Twitter
- Relay FM
- Brad Dowdy and Nock Co.
- 5by5
- Stephen Hackett / 512 Pixels
- The Best Advice I Never Took
- Libsyn
- Megaphone
Sponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon
In the last episode of the year (and a bonus one, to boot), my friend Jeff Large interviews me as a follow up to the 100th episode. Jeff is a great interviewer and I really enjoyed the conversation we had – he even gets me to say, “trade secret…” I think you’ll like it too!
Show Notes
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Joe Casabona
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Creator Courses
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How I Built It
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Jeff Large
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Come Alive Creative
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Podcast Byte
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Episode 58: Jeff Large & Podcasting for Your Brand
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Transcript
Intro: Hey, everybody. Welcome to a special episode of How I Built It. My 100th episode came out earlier this year, and my original plan for it was to have somebody interview me, turning the tables where they are the host and I’m the guest. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get something like that done in time, due to schedules and a bunch of things. But my friend Jeff Large recently reached out to me and asked if it was something I’d be interested in doing. Naturally, I said yes. He listened to the 100th episode and then asked me a bunch of follow up questions, digging into my history as a web worker, a podcaster and an educator. And of course, he asked me if I have any trade secrets, and it’s a good one that I haven’t shared on this show before. If nothing else, be sure to listen to at least the trade secret part. That’s it. There’s no sponsors or anything like that in this episode. This is a bonus episode. And with that, I will turn it over to Jeff.
Jeff Large: Hello, Welcome to How I Built It. The show where we interview product owners and developers about how they built specific products from idea to execution. I am your honorary guest host and podcaster, Jeff Large. My guest today is someone you know and love if you’ve been listening to this show for any amount of time. He is a college professor, online course teacher, web developer of over 17 years, and the otherwise normal host of How I Built It, Joe Casabona. Joe, welcome to your show.
Joe Casabona: Thanks, Jeff. I’m happy to be here.
Jeff: This is funny. We jumped on– Just for context for the audience, we’re friends in real life, and we were talking on slack. I pitched the idea to him that to end the year we did an interview, and then you were just telling me that you wish you would have done this. Or, you wish you had reached out to me already for episode 100.
Joe: I had this grand vision of somebody interviewing me for episode 100, but then a lot of things happened and I was delayed, and I was like, “I don’t want to have to try to schedule somebody, and rush,” and stuff. So I did a scripted version of that. But I’m happy that we get to do this, because I would love to answer questions that people have about the show.
Jeff: 100%. Especially if you have listened to episode 100 already, I just listened to it and used it a little bit as a launching point. But we’re definitely going to get into, you and I were talking beforehand. I want to get into more of your actual business. The podcast is one side of it, and I have a feeling that it’s a little more of the marketing piece as opposed to the actual moneymaking business parts of it itself. For you to be running this show for so long and to be interviewing so many amazing people, I assume that your listener base would like to know a little more detail than y...
In the run up to the release of WordPress 5.0, I created a mini-series on Implementing Guteneberg on my YouTube channel. This episode combines the 4 interviews for your listening enjoyment!
Justin Sainton In Episode 1, I talk to Justin Sainton about how his agency, Zao, used Gutenberg to create a custom light fixture builder. You can find Justin: * On Twitter * At His agency, Zao
Rene Morozowich In Episode 2, I talk to Rene Morozowich, a self-employed WordPress Developer, about how she dipped her toe in the waters of Gutenberg by doing a low-risk, brand new site for a client new to WordPress. * Rene on Twitter * Rene's Website
Bill Erickson With Episode 3, I talk to Bill Erickson, a WordPress Developer who's implemented Gutenberg on several projects. We wax poetic about what Gutenberg is really great at, and some things to look out for - Bill's an excellent developer and I really appreciate him taking some time to share his experience over the last several months. Links * Bill Erickson * Bill's blog post on building a Gutenberg site
Alonso Indacochea Finally, with Episode 4, we hear from Alonso Indacochea. He is the founder of the agency behind Block Party, a set of data visualization blocks for Gutenberg. We talk pretty high level about getting into the Gutenberg product space, and what that could mean for the WordPress ecosystem. * Alonso on Twitter * Block Party
- Check out my courses on Gutenberg here.
- Watch the interviews on YouTube.
Vova Feldman started one of the most popular plugin marketplaces in the WordPress space. His story is one that came out of filling a need, but also a realization: while there are a lot of people selling plugins in the WordPress space, we can be doing better. He offers advice on building your business, and a community around it, and much more.
Show Notes * @VovaFeldman | Email: vova@freemius.com * Freemius * We Used to Hate WordPress Page Builders – Now We Decided to Use One
Join the Facebook CommunitySponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Kim Gjerstad is one of the founders of the popular newsletter plugin, MailPoet. In this episode we talk about how he’s been able to build a successful product and company with a fully remote team. Kim gives great advice about on boarding, tools, and building a company culture.
Show Notes * Kim Gjerstad - kim@mailpoet.com * MailPoet * Buffer’s Open Blog * Matt Mullenweg on Remote Environments * We Work Remotely * Angel.co * StackOverflow
Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Daniel Espinoza is a man who wears many hats: agency owner, product seller, family man, and more. In the episode we get into how he manages keeping everything running smoothly. This is a fantastic conversation for anyone who wants to diversify what they do, without getting too overwhelmed.
Show Notes * Daniel Espinoza * Grow Development * Shop Plugins * Beka Rice and Jilt * Start with Why * Easy Digital Downloads * Freemius * ProsPress * StudioPress * Total Money Makeover
Question of the week: Why haven't you launched your plugin? Let me know on Twitter @jcasabona or joe@howibuilt.it Discuss with others over on the Facebook Group!Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Liam Martin is the founder of Time Doctor. In this episode, we talk all about how he founded the company, from idea to how it's grown to the massive user base it boasts. We also talk about how long it takes for companies to become overnight successes, and how to set yourself apart from other services.
Show Notes * Liam Martin * Time Doctor * Running Remote * SXSW
Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Chris Lema is a man who knows how to build a good product. And in this episode, he's going to tell us all about how he helped build Liquid Web's Managed WooCommerce Hosting. We'll talk about what eCommerce shops need, the importance of performance, and he'll give us lots of great tips. Show Notes * Chris Lema | Twitter * Liquid Web * CaboPress * Bryce Adams and Metorik * Brian Richards and WooSesh * PerfMatters * WP Rocket * Jilt * Beka Rice and Jilt * Glew * Astra Pro * Beaver Builder * Email Chris: chris@liquidweb.com * How to Speed Up Your WooCommerce Store | Part 2
Sponsored by: Loxi | Pantheon
I can't believe we've reached episode 100! This episode is an introspective (retrospective?) on how I built How I Built It. I'll go over the idea, what I've learned over 2 years of podcasting, some pretty sweet automation, and more. I want to everyone who's listened, shared, came on, and sponsored the show. I wouldn't have been able to get here without all of you!
Question of the week: Why haven't you started your podcast? Let me know in the comments or at joe@howibuilt.it Show Notes * Joe on Twitter * Calendly * Zapier * Blue Yeti | Rode Procaster * My Podcast Setup * Hazel * Libsyn | PowerPress * How I used SearchWP and Monochrome Pro + Genesis / Monochrome Pro: https://casabona.org/sp-monochrome * + SearchWP: https://casabona.org/searchwp/ + Github Repository: https://github.com/jcasabona/hibi-mods * Build Your Podcast Website in 3 Days
Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Joe Howard is the founder of WP Buffs and has lots of experience managing a fully remote team, building a business on Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), and of-course, offering top notch support to those who need it. In this episode we get deep into a lot of different topics surrounding those area, and much more. Show Notes * Joe Howard * WP Buffs * WPMRR Course * Turn the Ship Around
Check out my new podcast website course and get a special offer!Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Brian Richards is officially the first repeat guest on the show, and this time around he's talking about his online conferences, WordSesh and WooSesh. Brian talks logistics, speaker selection, and of-course, the tech stack. It's a super interesting conversation. Plus, if you're interested, WooSesh is October 18-19, 2018, and it totally free! Show Notes * Brian Richards * WooSesh * WordSesh * WPSessions * Episode 11: Brian Richards and WP Sessions * Patrick Rauland and Building a WooCommerce Shop * WooConf * Crowdcast
Also check out: My new Podcast Website course | Facebook Community
Question of the week: What are you doing with eCommerce? Let me know on Twitter (@jcasabona) or at joe@howibuilt.itSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Max Seelemann is one of the founders and developers of Ulysses, one of my favorite Mac and iOS apps. I am excited to talk to him today because it is a different perspective on the software developing process. Ulysses is software I use nearly every day to write up show notes, scripts, articles, and more. I was keen to hear how they built it and the decisions they made throughout the 15 years(!) of development. Show Notes * Max Seeleman * Ulysses * Relay.fm * AppStories / MacStories
Question of the week: What app do you use it for writing? Let me know on Twitter @jcasabona or e-mail me at joe@howibuilt.it
Join the Facebook Community / Check out the ShopSponsored by: Backblaze | Pantheon
PJ Taei is the founder of Uscreen, a video on demand service for people who are serious about selling videos. Whether it's your online course or a video series, they have you covered. In this episode, PJ and I talk about controlling your platform and making videos as easy as possible. Show Notes * PJ Taei * Uscreen * Vimeo * LearnDash
Sponsored by: Backblaze | Pantheon
Mark Zahra, among other things, recently released the EDD Bookings plugin for Easy Digital Downloads. I was excited to talk to him about this because it's something that I thought of doing myself back when I was teaching multiple classes at the University of Scranton. When I was on campus to help manage a fluid schedule for my own office hours, I deemed that project was maybe a little over my head for the amount of time that I had. It's very cool to see that it's come to fruition a few years later. Mark also hosts Mastermind.FM and worked over at WP Mayor. Show Notes * Mark Zahra * EDD Bookings * Mastermind.fm * WP Mayor | WP RSS Aggregator * Pippin Williamson and Restrict Content Pro
Checkout the How I Built It Shop for t-shirts and more. And make sure to join our Facebook Community!Sponsored by: Techmeme’s Ride Home Podcast | Pantheon
Jeremy Green is a developer and founder of Zeen 101. They created an interesting product called Leaky Paywall, which is a plugin that allows you to put content behind - you guessed it - a paywall. Jeremy also has some really interesting insight on how people consume information. And, of-course, we get into some development details. Show Notes * Jeremy Green | Twitter * Leaky Paywall * Zeen 101 * Jeremy on Post Status Draft * Beka Rice and Jilt
Be sure to check out: * The new t-shirt shop * The Facebook Group
Question of the week: Have you considered adding a paywall to your site? Let us know on Twitter @jcasabona or via email, joe@howibuilt.it.Sponsored by: Techmeme’s Ride Home Podcast | Pantheon
Closing out this miniseries on SEO is Lindsay Halsey. She’s the co-founder of Pathfinder SEO and in this episode we talk about how her product basically combines a lot of what we talks about over the past month – automated tools and stats, with a coaching component that can really help you up your SEO game for you or your clients. She has a really great analogy for it that I don’t want to spoil! Show Notes * Lindsay * Pathfinder SEO * WebShine * Zeek Interactive * Landing Page School Podcast
Be sure to check out the new shop: https://howibuilt.it/shop/ and the Facebook GroupSponsored by: Pantheon
So far this season we've looked at starting an SEO agency and an SEO product. But what we haven't looked at was a good strategy - especially when it comes to Pay per Click and the like. Well that changes this week with our guest, Pam Aungst. She's an SEO expert with her own agency that wants to make sure SEO is a personalized strategy. She tells us how in this episode. Show Notes * Pam Aungst * Pam on Twitter * Stealth * Hallway Chats * Episode 21: Liam Dempsey and WordPress Meetups * Lighthouse for Chrome
Sponsored by: Traitware | Pantheon
John Doherty is the founder of Credo. I met John at CaboPress, an incredible business mastermind week, and we got to talking about the marketing and SEO side of things. Know I don’t know much about that, but Credo is definitely something that can help me in a unique way. In this episode we talk all about the importance of finding the right people to help you in your business. Show Notes * John Doherty * John on Twitter * Credo * CaboPress * Episode 12: Chris Lema and Beyond Good * Jennifer Bourn and Profitable Project Plan * Episode 1: Jason Coleman and Paid Memberships Pro
Question of the week: Have you ever had a business coach or mentor? Let me know on Twitter at @jcasabona or email me, joe@howibuilt.it.Sponsored by: GravityView | Traitware | Pantheon
Jeremiah Smith is founder of SimpleTiger, an SEO company that focuses on SaaS companies. This episode is going to kick off a miniseries about SEO and I’m happy that Jeremiah is starting it off. He offers so much incredible advice about SEO and life in general. I love his story, and I think you will too. Show Notes * Jeremiah Smith * SimpleTiger * Danny Sullivan / SEO Land * Sara Dunn and Niching Down * Nick Eubanks
Check out my new show, Creator Toolkit and join our Facebook community. Question of the week: What’s the best piece of SEO advice you’ve ever gotten? Let me know on Twitter at @jcasabona or email me, joe@howibuilt.it.Sponsored by: GravityView | Traitware | Pantheon
Today we’re talking to Zach Tirrell from Modern Tribe. We talk all about how they re-imagined that plug-in as Software as a Service called Loxi. We go over how they decided on which features to support, the importance of good design, and the tech stack, like using React. Speaking of React, We also talk a bit about Gutenberg. Show Notes * Zach Tirrell * Modern Tribe * Loxi * Gutenberg * Gutenberg Courses * React Article by Sam * Creator Toolkit
Sponsored by: Traitware | Pantheon
Bryce Adams is creator of one of my favorite tools, Metorik. Bryce tells us about the path the led him to making Metorik, his view on e-commerce, GDPR, and how he’s using some cutting edge tools. We also talk engagement and stats. Be sure to stick around until the end of the episode - I have a new show I want to tell you about! Show Notes * Bryce Adams * Bryce on Twitter * Metorik * WooCommerce
And be sure to check out my new show, Creator Toolkit, on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Tessa Kriesel is a developer, community advocate, and educator. In this episode we get into our approaches to teaching, why it’s important, and the importance of giving opportunities to underserved areas and groups. We also discuss our “aha” moments – that time where programming suddenly clicked for us. Show Notes * Tessa Kriesel * Pantheon * Outspoken Women * Coders of Tomorrow * Coder Dojo * CodePen * W3Schools * Josh Koenig and Pantheon
Sponsored by: The Events Calendar | Pantheon
Jennifer Bourn is the founder of Bourn Creative and creator of the Profitable Project Plan. She's also a freelancer who’s doing it right. She has worked out the perfect system to get and manage client projects; in this episode we're going to talk all about how she built it. Show Notes * Jennifer Bourn * Profitable Project Plan * Bourn Creative * Jen's A/V Setup * Blair Williams and MemberPress * Episode 18: Pippin Williamson & Restrict Content Pro * Delightful Downloads * Zoom Webinars * InfusionSoft * Rev * Volt Heated Slippers
Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Abbey Perl started the Diverse Gaming Coalition to help combat online bullying through video games and modern pop culture. In this episode, I talk to her about why she started it, how she went about starting a non-profit organization, and much more. Show Notes * Abbey Perl * Diverse Gaming Coalition * Twitch.TV * @Ninja
Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Seth S. Scott's story is an interesting one. He up and moved to New York City to pursue a career in game development. He tool a game design boot camp and left with his first commercial game, Membrane. In this episode we talk about risk and how he built a video game. Show Notes * Seth S. Scott * Seth on Twitter * MEMBRANE * MEMBRANE on Twitter * Unity
Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon
Scott DeLuzio is a WordPress plugin developer who likes to scratch his own itch on some pretty heavy topics, and his latest is no exception. We talk about one of this summer’s hottest topics: GDPR. Scott and I spoke about this just days before the regulation took hold, so we were working through what it is, how it affects us, and of-course how his plugin can help. I should remind you that we are not lawyers. Show Notes * Scott DeLuzio * PrivacyWP * What is GDPR? * How to Prepare for GDPR * Rian Kinney and Trademarks * CARROT Fitness * FightCamp
Sponsored by: MailPoet | Pantheon
Rachel Cherry is a front end developer and lead organizer of WPCampus, a WordPress conference focused on Higher Education. In this episode, we talk about what goes into putting on this conference, from scouting a location to day-of logistics. Show Notes * Rachel Cherry * WPCampus * Chris Lema on How I Built It * Liam Dempsey on How I Built It * CrowdCast
Sponsored by: The Events Calendar | Pantheon
So we just wrapped up Season 4 a couple of weeks ago and it was my favorite episode for a lot of reasons. I got to talk to great people, the sponsors were fantastic, and we even had a miniseries on starting your own business. Plus, there were a lot of takeaways. I got a lot of immediately actionable advice from my guests. So hopefully you did too. Here’s some my favorites.
Sponsored by: WordSesh | Jilt | Liquid Web
Closing out Season 4 is Beka Rice, Head of Product at Jilt! After an entire season about hearing about Jilt, Beka and I dig deep into how it was built, how to be effective with your abandoned cart emails, GDPR, and much much more. It's a great way to close out the season and I'm very excited to have her on the show! Show Notes * Beka Rice * Jilt * SkyVerge * Product Cart Titles * Memberships * Prospress * GDPR
Sponsored by: WordSesh | Jilt | Liquid Web
Thomas Umstattd is a plugin and agency owner who's has great success in crowdfunding his products. His take is a fantastically interesting one and he offers lots of great advice - so much that we even have a bonus over on Patreon. This is definitely one of my favorite conversations - I learned a ton here that I was able to immediately apply to my own crowdfunding efforts. Show Notes * Thomas Umstattd * Author Media * My Book Table * Thomas' original Kickstarter * The WordPress Philosophy
Get Part 2 of our interview with Thomas on PatreonSponsored by: WordSesh | Jilt | Liquid Web
Stacy Kvernmo is a UX/UI Developer at OddBird. I met Stacy on another podcast and was really excited to talk to her about a number of tools and views she has about creating good code while working on a team. We talk about process, UX, and more in this episode. She and here team are doing some really cool things in Frontend Development, and it was very interesting hearing about all of it. Show Notes * Stacy Kvernmo * Stacy on Twitter * OddBird * Lunch with Brad * Herman | on Github * True * Embracing Code Reviews - WP Sessions
photo creditSponsored by: WordSesh | Jilt | Liquid Web
Evan Calkins created Hoban Press & Hoban Cards after he bought his first letterpress machine. He's a master of his craft and I was really excited to talk to Evan because I'm very interested in that creaft. He creates fantastic looking business cards and sationary, and even did my cards! We'll talk about what it's like doing a highly specialized thing in the real world - a physical product, and hear some good stories along the way. Show Notes * Hoban Cards * Evan on Twitter * Hoban Press * Briar Press
Support the show on PatreonSponsored by: WordSesh | Jilt | Liquid Web
Nancy Hildebrandt has a lot of experience in documentation and software systems, starting back in the Sun/Java days. In this episode, we talk all about building out a good support system and what that process looks like. We also talk about the importance of creating good documentation, listening to your customers, and so much more. It's a great conversation, and one that everyone can benefit from, no matter what the role. Show Notes * Nancy * Beaver Builder Knowledge Base * Episode 54: The GiveWP Team * Help Scout * How I Built It Patreon
Sponsored by: Jilt | Liquid Web
Dejan Markovic and Tina Todorovic are two halves of the Social Web Suite dream team. They are some of the hardest working, passionate folks I know in the WordPress community and an absolutely joy to talk to. I love the tool and and hearing the evolution of the project and how they work was fantastic. Show Notes * Social Web Suite (use code JoeLoveSWS for a discount) * Laravel Spark * WordCamp Toronto
Sponsored by: Jilt | Liquid Web
Craig Hewitt is a guy who knows podcasting, so I was super excited to talk to him about his acquisition of Seriously Simple Podcasting. He took a relatively focused WordPress plugin and turned it into a SaaS, and that's what we talk about in this episode. Lots of great advice here! Show Notes * Craig Hewitt * Craig on Twitter * Castos * Podcast Motor * Interactive Advertising Bureau (IBA) Podcast Guidelines * Libsyn
Sponsored by: Jilt | Liquid Web
Beth Soderberg is a self-taught Front End Developer and speaker, and in this episode I get to talk to her about how she learned her craft. It was fun exchanging stories of our different learning experiences. Beth offers truthful and encouraging words for if you want to start on your journey to web development. Show Notes * Beth Soderberg * I Learned to Code Through WordPress and So Can You (slides) * DCFemTech * John Duckett's Books: HTML & CSS | Javascript & jQuery * Joe's HTML & CSS Course * Javascript30 by Wes Bos * Lynda.com * Web Hosting for Students
Sponsored by: Jilt | Liquid Web
Brad Williams of WebDevStudios knows a thing or two about client relationships. In this episode, We start at the beginning with finding a client, the proposal process, and touch on things like having a Discovery phase. It puts a nice cap of what we've been talking about for the last 3 weeks - the importance of building relationships. Show Notes * Brad Williams * Brad on Twitter * WebDevStudios * Lunch with Brad * How Much does a Website Cost? * Check out Brad's bonus episode on Patreon
Sponsored by: Checkout for WooCommerce | Jilt | Liquid Web
Jen Jamar is a marketing strategist who currently works for Modern Tribe. Jen really knows her stuff, which I loved because I learned a ton. And the best part? We talk about a strategy for marketing that won’t cost you thousands of dollars in Facebook Ads! In this episode we cover all sorts of stuff like Field of Dreams marketing, how to properly connect with people, and establishing your authority online. Show Notes * Jen Jamar * Jen on Twitter * Modern Tribe * Rebecca Gill & DIY SEO Courses * Freemius * ROI of WordCamps
Sponsored by: Checkout for WooCommerce | Jilt | Liquid Web
Nicole Kohler is a Growth Marketer at Automattic; most of her job revolves around building and publishing content for her team and her main product, Jetpack. So in this episode, I talk to Nicole about Content Strategy. This is something I struggle with, and usually just publish when I think of stuff. Nicole provides us with some great advice from her time at Automattic, working with both the Jetpack and the WooCommerce teams! Show Notes * Nicole Kohler * Nicole on Twitter * Jetpack * WooCommerce * Buffer * WP Tavern * Nathan Ellering & CoSchedule
Sponsored by: Vast Conference | Jilt | Liquid Web
Rian Kinney is an intellectual property lawyer and today we talk about the legal side of starting a business She's been on Office Hours to discuss contracts so I wanted to talk about IP - copyright and trademark. How it works, what the process for getting a trademark is, what the right text for your footer is, and more! It was a very educational episode for me and I hope it is for you too! Show Notes * The Kinney Firm * Rian on Twitter
Sponsored by: Vast Conference | Jilt | Liquid Web
Continuing our series on How You Build a Business, today I get to talk to Sara Dunn about niching down. She’s been pretty public with her process, starting a YouTube channel to discuss her decision making. I loved chatting with her about this because it can be tough and scary to decide to limit your potential client pool, but I think Sara is doing it the right way. Show Notes * Sara Dunn * Sara on Twitter | Instagram * Sara's YouTube Channel * Sara Does SEO * Sara on Office Hours * Rebeca Gil * StudioPress
Check out our Patreon!Sponsored by: Beaver Builder | Jilt | Liquid Web
This is Part 1 of our mini series, "How You Build a Business"
In today’s episode, I get to talk to Dr. Sherry Walling. She’s kicking off our miniseries on how to build a business and she helps us answer a very important question: “Am I ready to start my own business?” Sherry is a fantastic person to talk to and a wealth of knowledge. We talk self-publishing, self-knowledge, podcasting, and much more. Show Notes * Zen Founder * Zen Founder Podcast * The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together: How to Run Your Business Without Letting it Run You * ZenTribes * Episode 34: Shawn Hesketh
Check out our Patreon!Sponsored by: Beaver Builder | Jilt | Liquid Web
Josh Koenig is the founder of Pantheon. He is energetic, passionate, and knowledgable in his field. That’s a killer combination you love to see in company leaders. We talk all about the technologically cool stuff Pantheon is doing, so if you’re a developer, you don’t want to miss this one. Show Notes * Josh Koenig * Pantheon * Mythical Man Month * Think with Google * Fastly * Course: Hover & the DNS
Sponsored by: Beaver Builder | Jilt | Liquid Web
In today’s episode, I chat with Blair Williams, a WordPress veteran with lots of great plugins. We’ll talk specifically about MemberPress and what it’s like creating that, the decision making that went into their pricing, wp-cron, and lots more. Show Notes: * MemberPress * Blair's other plugins * wp-cron() * COBOL Tutorials * Pledge on Patreon
Sponsored by: Beaver Builder | Jilt | Liquid Web
Peter Hollens is an incredible artist and creator. You may have seen some of his videos on YouTube. Today we’re going to talk about what goes into making them, as well as his online courses at Hollens Creator Academy. Peter’s incredibly passionate about this project and it shows. I feel like we’re both cut from the same cloth (minus the singing - I wish!) so this is a great (albeit it slightly longer) episode. Show Notes * Peter Hollens * Hollens Creator Academy * Peter on YouTube
Sponsored by: Event Espresso | Jilt | Liquid Web
Patrick Rauland is a WooCommerce expert who joins us today to talk through everything you need to think about when setting up an e-commerce site. So this is less asking, “how did you build that,” and more, “how would you build that?” It’s a great conversation and Patrick offers some great advice and insights when making an online store, especially with WooCommerce. We discuss building trust, content marketing, conversion rates, and more. Show Notes * Patrick Rauland * WooCommerce * Let's Encrypt * Stripe * Mailchimp * Convert Kit * WP Engine * Liquid Web Managed WooCommerce Hosting * WP101's WooCommerce Quick Start Guide * Product Lighting Box * Storefront * Premium Themes by StudioPress * Lift Off Summit Content for How I Built It Listeners
Sponsored by: Event Espresso | Jilt | Liquid Web
Brady Dowdy is a podcast, manufacturer, and most important, pen addict. I’m a big fan and Brad and everything he does, and in this episode, we’re wading into very non-techie waters. Brad and I talk about what it’s like building a physical product – from prototyping to manufacturing. It’s a fantastic conversation and I definitely learned a lot. I like it so much, that we did a bonus episode, for Patrons only. Hear more about that in the show! I think you'll love it. Show Notes * Brad on Twitter * Nock Co. * Pen Addict Blog * Pen Addict Podcast * BOgear Bullpup * Tom Bihn Travel Bags * Get the bonus episode on Patreon
Sponsored by: Event Espresso | Jilt | Liquid Web
Cody Landefeld is the co-founder and director of Mode Effect, a company that specializes in WooCommerce. In this episode we talk about how he and his company built those Disney quizzes that are so addicting. On top of that, we discuss working with Enterprise level clients like Disney and of course, e-commerce. This episode kicks off a 5 episode set of e-commerce-based episodes! Show Notes * Cody on Twitter * Mode Effect * Disney Quizzes on Oh My Disney! * WPwatercooler
This is Episode # 64, the first episode of Season 4.Sponsored by: Event Espresso | Jilt | Liquid Web
In this very special live episode, I had the opportunity to interview WordCamp US attendees and ask them 3 questions: 1. What advice for Frontend Development optimizations do you have for us? 2. How do you level up your skills? 3. If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Special thanks to everyone I interviews, and to Pantheon for sending me to WordCamp US and making this episode possible!Sponsored by: Pantheon
Morten Rand-Hendriksen is an incredible developer and teacher who brings it all to his online courses. In this extra long Season 3 Finale, Morten and I run the gamut on topics, including courses, empathy, technology, WordPress, and more. I strongly recommend you give this one a good listen because it's a great episode. Thanks so much for a great Season - see you in January! Show Notes * Morten Rand-Hendriksen * Morten on Twitter * Lynda * Morten in LinkedIn Learning * Episode 5: Carrie Dils * Javascript Essential Training Course + Javascript and jQuery + Javascript for Web Designers * How I Built It on Patreon * How I Built It Facebook Group
Sponsored by: LifterLMS | Liquid Web
Neill is the President of SiteLock, and has spent a lot of time building a successful company. They are not only good at what they do, but deeply dedicated to the community. In this episode, we talk all about security for your website, who's most at risk, and what can happen if you ignore simple site security. Of-course, we also talk about prevention. Show Notes * SiteLock * Deleting 3 million spam comments from your WordPress database * How I Built It on Patreon * How I Built It Facebook Group
Sponsored by: LifterLMS | Liquid Web
I met Nathan at WordCamp DC over the summer. We got to talking about a really cool project of his, Staging Pilot, so I asked him to be on the show. It's a very interesting conversation because we get pretty developery, which I totally love to do. We talk about this smart algorithm to figure out differences between the production and the staging site, and a whole bunch of other things. Make sure to put your developer hat on for this one because it is a doozy! Show Notes * Nathan on Twitter * Staging Pilot
Sponsored by: WP-CRM System | Liquid Web
Jeff and I talk about one of my favorite topics: podcasting. Jeff is a professional podcaster; he does it for other brands, so he doesn't just have his own. He is hired to help people set up their own podcasts. Whether it be to promote their brand or other things that you could do with your podcast that don't necessarily make direct sponsor money. We also geek out about hardware and stuff like that too, so it's really really fun episode. Show Notes * Jeff Large * Come Alive Creative * 9 Ways to Determine ROI of Your Podcast * The Absolute Beginners Guide to Podcasting: Equipment * Bonus episode with Jeff on Patreon
Sponsored by: ProsPress | Liquid Web
Jack McConnell of Made with Fuel talks about his plugin, Better Notifications for WordPress. We talked about scratching your own itch, and getting in there and coding. We also talked about the long game a little bit, so he talked about how he front-loaded a lot of research to make sure that the plugin was worth pursuing. He also talks about hiring out. It's a nice take that developers are sometimes resistant to, but he wanted to make sure he didn't waste as much time spinning his wheels. Show Notes * Jack on Twitter * Made with Fuel * Better Notifications for WordPress
Want to engage with other listeners? Check out the Facebook Group!Sponsored by: ProsPress | Liquid Web
Amir Salihefendic is the founder and CEO of Doist, maker of the popular Task Management app, Todoist. Today we are talking about their new chat app Twist, which was create as a way to combine email and Slack-like functionality. We talk about all sorts of great topics, but most notably, Work/Life Balance and how always being connected with apps like Slack are unhealthy. Thus, the idea for Twist came to be.
It's a great episode, and if you like it, you can catch Part 2 over on Patreon, where we talk more about the making of Todoist and adapting in an ever-changing technological landscape. Show Notes * Amir Salihefendic * Doist * Twist * Part 2 on Patreon
Sponsored by: SIteLock | Liquid Web
Gravity Forms is one of, if not the, oldest premium form builders for WordPress. Alex Cancado, one of the founders, and I talk about the research that went into creating such an integral part of any website. We also talk about refactoring, automated testing, what it was like creating add-ons for Gravity forms and a whole lot more.
If you like this episode, you can catch a bonus episode with Alex where we talk about business, copyrights, and more over on Patreon.
Show Notes * Gravity Forms * Gravity Form Add-ons * Jeff Matson's How I Built It Episode * Bonus Interview on Patreon: Alex and I go deeper about pricing model, the price of support, copyrights, the importance of Paypal, and more.
Sponsored by: SIteLock | Liquid Web
GiveWP is a plugin that helps you accept donations on your WordPress site. I got to talk to Matt and Devin about all sorts of other stuff though, like collaboration on a large team and the importance of great support. Show Notes
- GiveWP
- GiveWP on Twitter
- Scaling your WordPress Support for Growth
Sponsored by: SIteLock | Liquid Web
Ben Meredith is a WordPress man about town, working with lots of great folks in the community like GiveWP, and putting out his own plugins. In this episode, Ben and I talk about Better Click to Tweet, a fantastic and free WordPress plugin he created. Show Notes
- Ben Meredith
- Ben on Twitter
- Better Click to Tweet
- GiveWP
- In Memory of Jesse Petersen
- Episode 34: Shawn Hesketh and WP101
Sponsored by: Access Aerial | Liquid Web
Brian Hogg is a Canadian, WordPress Plugin Developer, Educator, and more. He has a few great courses on how to create WordPress plugins and a very informative newsletter to go with them. In part 2, we talk all about what to put in free vs. paid, build tools, and more. Show Notes * Brian Hogg * Event Calendar Newsletter * Brian's Courses * Using Git with the WordPress Plugin Repository * Ways to Handle Pro and Free Versions of Your WordPress Plugin * Episode 43 - Justin Ferriman & LearnDash
Sponsored by: The Events Calendar | Liquid Web
Brian Hogg is a Canadian, WordPress Plugin Developer, Educator, and more. He has a few great courses on how to create WordPress plugins and a very informative newsletter to go with them. In this 2 part episode, we discuss his plugins as well as general plugin development; this includes build tools, SVN, submitting to the WordPress repository, and more. Show Notes * Brian Hogg * Event Calendar Newsletter * Brian's Courses * Using Git with the WordPress Plugin Repository * Ways to Handle Pro and Free Versions of Your WordPress Plugin
Sponsored by: StagingPilot | Liquid Web
Mike Rohde is a designer and founder of the Sketchnotes Army! He's also a twice-published author and Green Bay Packers fan. In this episode, we talk about how he came up with sketchnotes, why it helps with retention, getting published, and tons more! Show Notes * Mike Rohde * Mike on Twitter * Sketchnotes * The Pen is Mightier than the Keyboard
Sponsored by: Seriously Simple Podcasting | Liquid Web
Andy and I continue our conversation from last week, about general theme development. We discuss our favorite tools and learning resources, plus much more! If you're interested in making WordPress themes, these episodes are must-listens! Show Notes * Part 1 * Andy Wilkerson * Parallelus * UpThemes * Theme Forest * Google Trends * WordPress.org * Jade * Grunt * Episode 10: Beaver Builder * Runway * Underscores * Creating a WordPress Theme * Joe's WordPress Theming Course * Some Nutsi Fan Theories - Stuff You Should Know
Sponsored by: Liquid Web | Project Panorama
Andy Wilkerson is a theme developer and theme shop owner that made a name for himself on Theme Forest. Now he's working on all sorts of projects, not just for themes, but for podcasts and more! In this 2-parter, he and I talk about his story and general theme development. This episode, Part 1, focuses primarily on how he built his business. Show Notes * Andy Wilkerson * Parallelus * UpThemes * Theme Forest * Google Trends * WordPress.org * Jade * Grunt * Episode 10: Beaver Builder * Runway * Underscores * Creating a WordPress Theme * Joe's WordPress Theming Course
Sponsored by: Liquid Web | Project Panorama
Sean Blanda is a long time friend, journalist, and Editor-in-Chief of GrowthLab and I Will Teach You To Be Rich. He has an excellent newsletter that focuses in on specific topics and takes an objective approach to writing. In this episode, we discuss what an full stack Indy publishing platform would look like, and why it's important. Show Notes * Sean Blanda * Sean on Twitter * GrowthLab * I Will Teach You To Be Rich * 99U * Technically * Shop Talk Show: News Publishing with Rebekah Monson * Medium and the Reason You Can't Stand the News
Sponsored by: Liquid Web | Project Panorama
James Rose is an Australian agency owner who creates websites for a living. In this episode, we talk about his brand new product, Content Snare. Content Snare is a software product built to drastically cut down the time and headache wasted on chasing up clients for website content. I think anyone who's made websites can get behind this. We also talk about being a good developer, and how to create a product people will actually use. Show Notes * James on Twitter * Content Snare * Aktura * Glip * Jira * Rework
Sponsored by: FacetWP | Liquid Web
Ryan Sullivan is the founder of WP Site Care, a business that helps service and maintain WordPress sites. In this episode, we talk about building a business that meets a need and defines expectations, some great tools for running a support business, and what customer care really means. Show Notes * Ryan on Twitter * WP Site Care * Help Scout * Basecamp
Sponsored by: SIteLock | Liquid Web
Russell Aaron is a backend developer working for WebDevStudios and working out of Reno, NV. He's done lots of work within the WordPress community, including work on the plugin Maintainn Tools, which he uses to help troubleshoot websites.
Show Notes * Russell Aaron * WebDevStudios * Maintainn * Maintainn Tools * Pluginize * Query Monitor
Sponsored by: WP Site Care | Liquid Web
This is the second of a 2-part series called Educational WordPress! In the last episode, I spoke to Chris Badgett. Today, it's Justin Ferriman
Justin Ferriman is the owner of the LearnDash LMS for WordPress. In this episode we talk about building an audience first, scratching your own itch, and listening to your customers. He provides some great advice on making sure you have people to sell to before selling, and lots more!
Show Notes * Justin Ferriman * LearnDash * Moodle * Video Course Progression
Sponsored by: WP Site Care | Liquid Web
This is the first of a 2-part series called Educational WordPress! Over the next 2 episodes, I talk to two of of the biggest names in a WordPress LMSs and WordPress in the educational space. Today, it's Chris Badgett.
Chris Badgett is a software company owner, a world traveller, and first and foremost, an educator. In this episode, we get to talk all about empathy, teaching, and scratching your own itch. He offers some great insight on running a company, connecting with customers, and how there are some things you can't outsource. Show Notes * Chris Badgett * LifterLMS * Sterling Audio ST51 * Episode 34: Shawn Hesketh * The Lean Startup
Want to get early access to ad-free episodes, extended interviews, video tutorials and more? Check out our Patreon.Sponsored by: WP Site Care | Liquid Web
Kiko Doran is a veteran, developer, musician, teacher, and so much more! In this incredibly interesting interview, Kiko and I talk about how he created the iBook, Learn Pharrell Williams' Happy for Apple's new Tuniversity project. We talk about how the innovative new idea evolved, what it was like working on this high profile project, breaking the music down, learning iBooks Author, and so much more in these 24 minutes. Make sure to check out the extended, 17 minute interview that's for Patreon backers only! Show Notes * Kiko Doran on Twitter * Tuniversity * Learn Pharrell Williams' Happy * Modern Tribe * Prestige Conf * Part 2 on Patreon
Sponsored by: WP Site Care | Liquid Web
Jeff Matson is a WordPress man about town, making contributions to several big plugins and projects, and even WordPress itself. In this episode, we talk all about development, knowing when to cut your losses, developer tools, and much more. It was great having Jeff on the show! Main Project: Heartbeat Control Heartbeat Control is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to easily manage the frequency of the WordPress heartbeat API with just a few dropdowns. Show Notes * Jeff Matson * Heartbeat Control * Gravity Forms * Visual Studio Code * Tom McFarlin * Local by Flywheel * Vue.js * WordPress Heartbeat * Code Complete
Check out our PatreonSponsored by: Liquid Web | Hover.com
Stephanie Wells is a nurse turned coder who launched her own WordPress-based online business. Starting off in client work, she quickly moved into the product space, where she makes Formidable Forms. I was stoked to have Stephanie on the show and we talk about all sorts of great topics from scratching your own itch to family and more. Show Notes * Formidable Forms * Blair Williams * PressNomics * CaboPress * Girl Develop It * Operation Smile
Spoiler Alert! I reference a show that hasn't been released yet :-)
Check out our new Patreon – be one of the first 20 to pledge $10 and get a free t-shirt!Sponsored by: CodePen Projects | Liquid Web
Or: "How I Met Your Mummers" In this first episode of Season 3, Tracy and I talk about doing client work vs. product work, owning an agency in Philly, and moving from the free to freemium pricing model. We also talk all sorts of non-computer stuff like raising children (being parents and business owners), Philly lingo, and How I Met Your Mother.
Show Notes * Tracy Levesque * Tracy on Twitter * YIKES, Inc * Easy Forms for MailChimp * Jason Coleman * Chris Lema * CaboPress (yay I'm also going!) * Github * Grunt * WordPress Development with Git/GitHub - Jeremy Pry * TortiseSVN * Gitbox * PHPUnit
Check out our new Patreon - be one of the first 20 to pledge $10 and get a free t-shirt!
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Liquid Web
We close out Season 2 talking to Michael Sacca of Crew and Unsplash. Crew has since been acquired by Dribbble, but the story of how they got to where they are is great! We discuss startups, finding the right balance, and how a simple side project can be the thing that changes your main business. It's a great way to end Season 2, so have a listen! Show Notes * Crew * Unsplash * Michael Sacca * Rocketship.fm
Sponsored by: Level Eleven Art Department | BoldGrid
David Bisset is a WordPress developer who also happens to plan one of the biggest WordCamps in the United States. Their 9th one happened recently so I sat down and talked to David about what goes into planning a WordCamp, especially one this big! Show Notes * David Bisset * David on Twitter * Make WordPress * WordCamp.org * BuddyPress * Episode 21: Liam Dempsey and WordPress Meetups * Caring Enough to Give Back to Your Community * Organizer Handbook * WPCampus * WPTavern * WordCamp & BuddyCamp Miami 2017: My Thoughts and Plans * Results of my Live "Rate my Talk with Emoji" from WPCampus
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Hover.com
Diane Kinney is a WordPress Developer, Designer, and Marketer. And soon, she'll be adding author to that biographical line. She and Carrie Dils are working on a book called Real World Freelancing that talks all about what it really takes to be a freelancer. In this episode, she and I talk all about the writing process, decisions for self-publishing, and more. Show Notes * Diane Kinney * Diane on Twitter * Real World Freelancing * Carrie Dils on How I Built It
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Hover.com
Shawn Hesketh is a good friend of the show and an excellent educator and mentor. His widely popular site, WP101, teached thousands of folks how to use WordPress. In this episode, we get pretty deep into the woods on how he built WP101, and in typical Shawn fashion, he imparts some great advice all along the way. This one is a little longer that usual, but it's packed full of fantastic content, including his recording setup. Show Notes * Shawn Hesketh * Shawn's Twitter * WP101 * Bill Erickson * Blue Snowball / Yeti * Shure SM7B * Duet by Apogee * Preamp: Grace Design M101 * Limiter Plugin * Canvas by WooThemes * Chris Lema * LifterLMS * Jetpack Course * Zac Gordon * WooCommerce * Yoast SEO
Sponsored by: ProsPress | BoldGrid
Erin Flynn is a freelancer and educator based on Colorado. In this episode we talk about how she found her way into the product space, all the twists and turns of freelancing, and how she creates courses and keeps her sales funnel on point. Show Notes * Erin Flynn * Rethink.fm: Tips for Mastering Client Communications * Streak for GMail * Teachable * Rain Maker * Unstoppable Courses * ConvertKit
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Formidable Forms
Tom is a man of many hats! He's a WordPress user, avid blogger, developer, editor for Envato, and much more. He also takes the approach that he'll scratch his own itch if he needs to. In this episode, we talk about how he tackles problems, why and how he built the plugin Page Template Dashboard, and his development tools. Show Notes * Tom McFarlin * Tom on Twitter * Page Template Dashboard * Adopt a Plugin * WordPress Coding Standards * SVN * Visual Studio Code * Git GUI: Tower * SNV GUI: TortoiseSVN, Versions * Wordpress Stack Exchange
Check out my new WordPress Theme Development course & get 20% : How to Build WordPress ThemesSponsored by: ProsPress | BoldGrid
In this episode, Ty and I discuss a few great topics! His company, Cantilever, focuses on strong client relationships that elicit enough trust to try cool, experimental projects, like what they did with Rustic Pathways. We talk about integrating the REST API in an interesting way, the importance of communicating with clients, and why trying a project as "just a project" might not be the best way to grow your business. Show Notes * Ty Fujimura * Cantilever * Rustic Pathways * WordPress REST API
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Hover.com
In this episode, Andy and I discuss some of the specific challenges and rewards of developing WordPress sites for non-profits, why empathy is so important, and why you should never say never when choosing the right tool for the job. Show Notes * Andy Stitt * WP for Non-Profits * How to Use WordPress to Build Your Non-Profit Site - WordCamp Baltimore * The Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Society * Have Empathy While Teaching - Joe Casabona - WordCamp Lancaster * Genesis Framework * Divi
Sponsored by: ProsPress | Formidable Forms
In this episode, we get pretty heavy into servers and server setup! Jonathan talks about how he got the idea for WP Stagecoach. We also discuss some of the difficulties with spinning up and simulating multiple server setups, how good coding can go a long way, and much much more. Show Notes * WP Stagecoach * What is a Staging Server? * What is a Script Kiddie? * Apache III
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Pantheon
In this episode, Daniel and I get pretty heavy into development tools and using WP CLI, automated testing, and the future of WP-CLI and Open Source. We go a little long, but it's a great conversation no matter what your background is. Show Notes * Daniel Bachhuber * WP-CLI * Hand Built * WP-CLI on make.wordpress * Behat Automated Testing * Unit Testing * Laravel Valet * Harvest
Sponsored by: BoldGrid | Formidable Forms
In this episode, Troy and I have a great conversation about developing online courses, creating scarcity, and keeping students engaged. If you've been looking to start an online course or develop a great online community, this episode should not be missed! Show Notes * Troy Dean * WP Elevation * RockStar Empires * Running Lean * Social Learner * Learn Dash * Episode 9 with Zac Gordon * Teachable * Headspace App
Sponsored by: Formidable Forms | Hover.com
It's Episode 26, and JJJ and I talk all about getting an idea and running with it. His plugin Publishiza has a funny origin story that decided to develop. We also talk about publishing where you're comfortable, seeing your work get used by actual people, and of-course, deep bar thoughts. ?⛈️ Show Notes * JJJ | JJJ on Twitter * Publishiza * WordCamp US * BuddyPress * BBPress * What is a Tweetstorm? * Jetpack * Keyring * PHP wordwrap * 100 ∞
Sponsored by: Pantheon | Hired.com
In this episode, Bob and I get back to WordPress basics and talk all about blogging! Bob talks about how he built his blog, using plugins (60+!), coming up with good content, and a lot more. This is an excellent episode for anyone who uses WordPress or wants to start a blog. Show Notes * Bob Dunn * WP Ecommerce Show * Episode 12 with Chris Lema * Create a Custom Blog with WordPress course * Yoast SEO | Episode 8 with Joost De Valk * Genesis * CoSchedule | Episode 20 with Nathan Ellering * Cigars Section of Casabona.org
Sponsored by: Pantheon | Hired.com
Logan and I talk about what it's like to sell royalty free music with Easy Digital Downloads, as well as the music-writing process, good sound editing, and tips for recording. This is a great episode because Logan is not necessarily in the WordPress space, but he is using WordPress to sell his music. Show Notes * Music for Makers | Pricing * Logan on The Matt Report * Unsplash * Easy Digital Downloads * DIY Acoustic Foam
Sponsored by: Liquid Web | Social Web Suite
In this episode, Scott and I talk all about extending WordPress beyond the web, Javascript frameworks, the REST API, and a lot more! It was great to hear about AppPresser's transformation and where it's heading! Show Notes * Scott Bolinger * AppPresser * State of the Word 2012 * Ionic * Angular 2 * React * WordPress REST API
Sponsored by: Pantheon | Hired.com
In Episode 22, Topher and I discuss building HeroPress, sticking with a project when it's important enough, and giving a voice to people in the community who don't always feel like they have one. Show Notes * Topher DeRosia * HeroPress * Kickstarter * GoFundMe * WordCamp London
Sponsored by: Social Web Suite | Hover.com
In this episode, Liam and I discuss what goes into making a good meetup. As the organizer of one of the most popular (and active) WordPress meetups in the Northeast, and a 2 time WordCamp US organizer, he shares lots of wisdom about what works, what doesn't work, and ultimately that secret sauce for a successful meetup. Show Notes * Liam Dempsey * LBDesign * Philly 'Burbs Meetup * WordCamp US
Sponsored by: Hired.com | Project Panorama
It's episode 20! Woo! This season has been pretty developer heavy so far, but my chat with Nathan is anything but, and there's a ton of great stuff I learned. We talk about CoSchedule, coming up with content, and all about marketing. It's definitely something I could use some great advice on, and you'll find it in this episode. Show Notes * Nathan Ellering * CoSchedule * CoSchedule Blog * CoSchedule Podcast * ReQueue * How to Engage Social Media like a Team of 30 * Headline Analyzer * Click to Tweet Plugin
Sponsored by: Social Web Suite | Project Panorama
It's early in the year and something to think about is security! Dre Armeda is here to tell us all about that - the full history of his company, Sucuri, where they've been and why they are kicking it up a notch. Super informative and important to anyone doing business on the web! Show Notes * Dre Armeda * Sucuri * Sucuri Blog * What does Zero Day mean? * Massive Internet of Things Hack
Sponsored by: Project Panorama | Hover.com
It's the first episode of Season 2 and I'm glad to be back! Leading off, I got to talk to Pippin Williamson about resurrecting Restrict Content Pro, what it's like being in the WordPress product space, pricing, developing, finding balance, and lots more in this jam-packed half hour. Show Notes * Pippin's Plugins * Restrict Content Pro * Easy Digital Downloads * PayPal Documentation * Stripe Documentation * Sublime Text * Sandhills Brewing * Pippin's WCUS Talk
Sponsored by: Social Web Suite | Project Panorama
It's the end of Season 1! In this 2-part episode, Jackie and I cover everything we've learned while starting a new podcast. In this part (part 2), we go over finding guests and sponsors, choosing the right tools, using iTunes, and more. Show Notes * Part 1 * Jackie D'Elia * Rethink.fm * Clapper Board * Rethink.fm with Diane Kinney * James Laws & Ninja Forms * Bluberry Podcast Plugin * Seriously Simple Podcasting * Podcasts Connect for iTunes * Rev.com * Let's Encrypt
Sponsored by: Anchor Host | Creator Crew
It's the end of Season 1! In this 2-part episode, Jackie and I cover everything we've learned while starting a new podcast. In this part (part 1), we go over the ideas for each podcast, some early trial and error, pre- and post-production, tricks of the trade, and more. Show Notes * Jackie D'Elia * Rethink.fm * Audacity * Fiverr * My Podcast Gear * Rode Podcaster Mic | Bundle * eCam * Libsyn * Camtasia * Screenflow
Sponsored by: Anchor Host | Hover.com
In this episode, James and I talk about breaking into the WordPress forms space, early decisions and pivoting, and building 3.0 from the ground up. Learn about how they built a following, evolved the product, and how they tested and migrated their customers to a brand new, fantastic build of the plugin, and what it could mean for the future. Show Notes * James Laws * Ninja Forms * Mastermind.fm * User submitted posts using Ninja Forms | Chris Lema * Zapier
Sponsored by: Project Panorama | Hover.com
I get to talk to Corey Maass, a WordPress develop who's delved into several different products. His most popular plugin, Kanban for WordPress, turns WordPress into a project management system based on the popular Japanese method of displaying cards and showcasing progress. We discuss the challenges of pricing, updates, and staying focused. Show Notes * Corey Maass * Kanban for WordPress * What is Kanban? * Agile Manifesto
Sponsored by: Sucuri | WP Stagecoach
Jeff and I talk about picking names, following your passion, and his great attention to detail in this episode of How I Built It. In a usually saturated market, Jeff has build a great business on t-shirts and other clothing. His insight is fantastic! Show Notes * Ugmonk * Ugmonk Journal * Square One Coffee (sold out) * Chemex Collar
Sponsored by: Sucuri | SiteGround
Chris and I talk about all sorts of stuff in this episode, all surrounding his site Beyond Good. We talk about tools, automation, and being a one-man show doing the work of a small company. Chris also shares some exclusive advice on creating content. Make sure to listen until the end!
Show Notes * Beyond Good * Hosting with WPEngine * Genesis * Beaver Builder * WooCommerce + ProsPress Subscriptions + Skyverge Memberships * MemberPress * Zapier * Lob * Startup Threads * Agile CRM * Chris Lema [dot com]
Sponsored by: WP Stagecoach | Hover.com
This episode goes a little longer than normal, but it's chocked with some great information! We discuss hacking systems (but not in the way you'd expect), how he created WPSessions by basically asking, and why he wanted to bring the WordCamp feel to the online community. We also discussed the need to constantly evaluate if something is working and pivot where necessary. Show Notes * WPSessions * MySQL Chapter 12: Data Types * Setting Up YouTube Live
Sponsored by: Sucuri | Brandbucket
In this episode, Robby and Justin from Beaver Builder discuss creating a great product, the importance of feedback from your users and the community, and where they see page builders going. Show Notes * Beaver Builder * Pippin's Page Builder Review * Gulp JS * Joomla! * React JS * GoDaddy Now Includes Beaver Builder Lite * How I Built It Patreon
Sponsored by: WP Stagecoach | Hover.com
In this episode, Zac and I get deep about how he built his online learning course, Javascript for WordPress! We discuss the tools he used, coming up with content, and how often the best course of action is to pay the pros to get the high quality work. It's a great episode, with lots of show notes. Show Notes * Zac Gordon * Javascript for WordPress * LearnDash * Wistia * Screenflow * BadgeOS * BuddyBoss * Course Access Manager * How I Built It Patreon
Sponsored by: Sucuri | Brandbucket
In this episode, Joost and I talk all about his incredibly popular Yoast SEO plugin. Running one of the most popular plugins globally is hard work and it shows in the Yoast SEO team's development process. We talk about everything from good readability and supporting multiple languages to the rigid development and testing processes. We also wax poetic on the evolution of the development and how it is affecting the WordPress community. Show Notes * Yoast SEO * Yoast SEO Plugin
Sponsored by: WP Stagecoach | Hover.com
In this episode, Matt and I discuss how he built PluginTut, coming up with content, choosing the right tools for the job, and more! Show Notes * PluginTut * PluggedIn Radio * Matt Report: Nathan Barry * Matt Report: Rob Walling * Canva * My Business Card by Hoban Cards
Sponsored by: Hoban Cards | Brandbucket
In this episode, I get to talk to Chris Coyier, we talk all about CodePen: the idea and execution, the interest tech stack and how it was coded, the challenges of certain features, and even a bit on taking VC funding. Definitely a great one to listen to! Show Notes * CodePen * CodePen Radio * Chris' book: Practical SVG
Sponsored by: Creator Crew | Hover.com
In this episode, Carrie and I talk about the evolution of her podcast, the Office Hours Community, and the value of just trying stuff and see what works! Take a listen. Show Notes * Carrie Dils * Office Hours FM * The Office Hours Community * Real World Freelancing - the new book Carrie hinted at on the show!
Sponsored by: Brandbucket | Creator Crew
In this episode, Cory and I have a great conversation about all of the things iThemes does, how they got there, why they do things, and the most important aspect of any business. Show Notes: * iThemes * BackupBuddy * iThemes Security * iThemes Sync
Sponsored by: Themetry | Hover.com
In this episode, I talk with Brian Krogsgard about how he started Post Status, deciding to take full time, getting members, making decisions, and of-course, the tools he used to built out the website!
One of my favorite parts of the interview is around 7:20, where Brian talks about his method for researching his stories.
Show Notes: * Post Status * Thesis, Automattic, and WordPress (on copyright) * WooCommerce * MailChimp * Slack * WP Career Starter
Sponsored by: Creator Crew | SiteGround
Rebecca and I talk about building an online course, the necessary dedication you need to be able to teach, and some great tools for setting up your own online course!
Links from the show: * DIY SEO Courses * SEO Bootcamp * LearnDash * Follow Up Emails for WooCommerce
Sponsored by: LearnDash | Creator Crew
Jason Coleman, CEO and Developer of Paid Memberships Pro talks about what he did to get started, some of the challenges of breaking into the WordPress plugin scene, how talking to others helped him set revenue expectations, and offers great advice on how to handle the inevitable negative feedback that comes with supporting 50,000 users.
Check out his excellent plugin, Paid Memberships Pro and use the discount WP1Mo to get 25% off. Sponsors WebsiteSetup.org: A site for freelance writers, small-businesses, new bloggers and creative people who want to expand their online presence, WebsiteSetup.org offers great tutorials on getting your site up and running. Check out their latest free guide on how to create your own blog at http://websitesetup.org/create-blog/ Sponsored by: Creator Courses | SiteGround
Welcome to Episode 0 of How I Built It! In these few minutes I introduce the show, what my goals are, and what to expect. There's a wealth of knowledge out there from people who went through what you are going through. You just need to learn to ask the right folks! Most people are willing to share their experiences, as you will see in Season 1. Sponsored by