SPI 799: Building a Business WITH a 9 to 5 Job with Eric Chou
Jul 3, 2024
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Guest Eric Chou, a leader in a technical niche and former Amazon and Microsoft employee, shares insights on building a business while working a 9 to 5 job. Topics include growing a brand alongside full-time work, engaging followers, writing books on network engineering, generating passive income through technical content, balancing side projects with a full-time job, and leveraging online learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning.
Balancing a 9 to 5 job with building a business requires strategic decision-making and gradual transition.
Providing value and building authority in a technical niche through community engagement fosters brand growth.
Diversifying content formats and platforms fosters community growth and engagement, aligning with audience preferences.
Deep dives
The Importance of Streamlining Business Operations with NetSuite
NetSuite by Oracle is highlighted as a solution for businesses scaling up to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. It integrates accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, and more into a single cloud-based platform, offering cost savings and accessibility from anywhere.
Balancing Full-Time Work and Side Projects: Eric Cho's Journey
Eric Cho shares his experience managing a full-time job, side projects, and a podcast, highlighting the challenges of decision-making regarding transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship. He discusses the interconnectedness of his technical field business, focusing on providing value to a community and building authority in his industry.
Book Publishing and Technical Expertise
Eric Cho delves into his background as a network engineer and author, detailing his books on Python networking and translating technical concepts for educational content. He highlights the technical complexity of his blog posts and the importance of concise, direct content to engage readers effectively.
Building an Engaged Online Community
Eric Cho discusses his approach to community building through newsletters, videos, and audio formats, emphasizing the need to meet diverse audience preferences. He shares strategies for growing a loyal community on platforms like Circle and leveraging insights from the SPI community to streamline tools and foster engagement.
Striving for Financial Freedom and Decision-Making Process
Eric Cho reflects on his evolving life goals, including achieving financial freedom and maintaining strong relationships. He shares insights into managing risks associated with transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship, highlighting concerns such as health insurance and the continuous pursuit of financial security before making significant career decisions.
#799 Is it possible to build a business while working a traditional job? How do you know when it's time to go all-in on your side gig, and what are the things to consider before taking the leap? Also, what about growing a brand that complements your full-time work? These are the questions we explore in today's episode. My guest, Eric Chou of Network Automation Nerds, is a leader in his highly technical niche. He is an author and former Amazon and Microsoft employee leveraging his expertise to build a brand and community alongside his current high-paying job. Eric is applying strategies we often discuss on this show and within SPI Pro to engage his followers and readers in a big way. Tune in for this success story because some of his LinkedIn Learning courses have now attracted over ten thousand students. Enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session799.