Building a Team for Your Online Business

Welcome to the 23rd episode of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! These numbers are getting pretty big... in just 3 more episodes that means we'll have been making podcast episodes for half a year! So crazy. On to the episode!

This week, Bjork had a conversation with Melissa Lanz, the CEO and founder of The Fresh 20, a meal planning service. They talk a little bit about what her business does, and a LOT about how her business does it.

Melissa Lanz wasn't always an entrepreneur. In fact, she started out as a "miserable, but comfortable" corporate worker making well over $100k per year. So she started her own business - and it grew to the point that she simply couldn't do it all on her own.

So, she hired some help. And in the years since, she's become a master at hiring, firing, running her online business, and helping others do the same.

In this awesome interview, Melissa shares:

• What her husband said that helped her change her direction in life to pursue her own business
• How she afforded to quit her job and pursue her own business full time
• Where she found the time to start her new venture
• How she perfected her product using friends' feedback
• When she realized she needed to hire someone, and where she found help
• How systematizing the team's work allowed the Lanz family to take a 5 week vacation last year
• How giving team members authority made sure all bases were covered
• How to determine whether your hires should be employees or contract labor

Resources:

• The Fresh 20
• Zendesk
• Jing Screen Capture Tool
• BaseCamp
• Infusionsoft
• Melissa Lanz & Co
• service@melissalanz.com
• foodbloggerpro.com/one

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

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