The Future Of The Podcast Is Something I’ve Been Thinking About A Lot Lately.If you’ve been wondering what’s up with the podcast… join the club. After doing this for so long, I was really thinking that maybe it was time to turn the page and put it to bed.But the more I thought about it, the more I knew that that decision wasn’t coming from the right place.The last thing people would say about me is that I’m indecisive.In fact, I’ve probably made a lot of decisions quickly that could have used a little more processing time to weigh the pros and cons, but that’s really not how I operate, so I’ll leave that one alone.The past 6-8 months have fascinated me when I step back and examine what’s happened and how my mindset has shifted (read ‘grown’).Transform Ideas Into Action – Subscribe To The SPARKI attribute this to a few things:Experience – having been in this game for a long time, I know enough that in times of uncertainty or the need for clarity, it’s best to be patient.Age – there is something so freaking delightful about getting older and caring a whole lot less about what other people thinkLife changes—The move back to California in February 2023 was right for me, and now I’m heading back to Costa Rica. People have asked how long I’ll stay there, and I honestly don’t know. I want to stay put for a while (which, to me, is 3+ years). Ultimately, I’d like to buy there, but we’ll see where the economy goes.A little history about the podcast:I started podcasting in 2013 when I was “The WPChick” and the podcast was “The WPChick Podcast.”There were maybe 5 other WordPress podcasts at the time, so getting some traction was pretty easy. I alternated between solo shows and interviews, which was a smart strategy because it really grew my audience.I think the years between 2019 and now were so challenging personally that to host interviews and truly show up for other people felt like a lot of work… work that I didn’t really have the energy for… until now.During that time, I went through some extremely challenging situations with my son, and then my Mom passed away unexpectedly in 2019, and my world was turned upside down.Then, we all know what happened in 2020, when I decided to move to Boise, ID, followed by a move to Costa Rica in 2021.So… needless to say, the last 5 years have been a lot (with other things happening in the background, but I’ll save that for my therapist).Here’s the thing with all of this: To some people, this may not seem like a lot, and to others, it may seem overwhelming. I’ve been so incredibly hard on myself for things I’ve done, not done, not done enough of, woulda’, shoulda’, coulda’…. the judgment is what’s really gotten in the way.None of us get through this life unscathed, without messing up, losing people we love, and without challenges and struggles.That’s life.It really is how we handle what happens to us that makes all the difference.SO… all that being said… I’ve been incredibly hard on myself for the inconsistency with the podcast and, in many ways, my lack of excitement about doing it. It felt like a chore as opposed to the thing I loved doing.A handful of things have changed for me (which I’ll share), but specifically, it’s my decision to fully #JustShowUP again.No more censoring myself, no more worrying about what other people think (well, at least not feeding that, because that may always be part of my process), and doing the work.Here’s what that means for the podcast:Way more interviews: but with a bit of a twist. I’m currently scheduling the interviews for the Women & Money series, which I’ve wanted to do since the beginning of this year.Conversations: There are a lot of conversations I want to have with friends who have been in this space for a long time, and we’ve seen each other grow, pivot, and stick it out. There’s so much power in sharing experiences.Other series: I love the idea of focusing on a topic as a series – I can already see doing one on AI, one on Costa Rica (living and working there), and one with SaaS founders. I’m getting more and more excited as I write this!Video: I have a lot of podcasts already recorded on video. It’s time to ramp up my YouTube channel and make the podcast feed available through YouTube as well.I’d also like to do some live streams and free workshops with some of the companies whose tools I use and recommend.All of this has me completely fired up.Especially since there seems to be a return to long-form content (not that it ever went away, but just like everything else online, things are cyclical. I will be doing a post and/or podcast on this soon).Side note: You know how I know I’m on the right path with this? I’ve written almost 1000 words without even looking up. Everything has just flowed as I’ve been writing. I write directly in the editor, whichever editor I use (WordPress, beehiiv, etc.).So to look up and see how effortless this has been has made me a little giddy.The other way I always know I’m on the right path is when I get goosebumps… this happens a lot when I’m coaching someone or helping someone work through something. When I get “lit up” and feel goosebumps, I know it’s right.My goal is to complete the women and money series interviews by the end of June. If I can’t, I can at least start publishing them. I plan to publish them consecutively so you can follow the series.I’ll do a before and summary episode to sort of ‘bookend’ the series (I will do this with any series I do). In fact… I think I may just jump into this whole ‘series’ thing and start planning the second series while recording the first.Hmm… I think AI will be the next series.What I’m Focusing OnGrowth.More specifically, my email list.The move to beehiiv has been great (my open and CTR have both gone up), but I know I need to get very specific with my list growth strategy.I think this will also include some paid traffic (so I can target my ideal customer to a certain degree).I’m also in the process of lining up some email swaps to support other creators and grow my list through the exchange. I’m participating in an upcoming summit and it’s for a new audience that I’m excited about getting in front of.My goal is to have an organic + paid strategy that complements each other.I am SUPER fired up about my new content strategy and attribute some of my enthusiasm to GaryV’s new book: Day Trading Attention.Say what you will about Gary V – he knows his stuff. This book is incredibly tactical and it’s helped me reframe how I think about content and social on a whole new level.Which, not surprisingly, completely supports “Everything Is Content.”I’ve spent too much time overthinking things (we already talked about ‘what other people think, ‘ so I won’t go sideways with that here) and trying to ‘get it right’ that it has prevented me from simply being me and following my gut.The irony is that it’s through doing the work that we become clearer and better at our craft.I’ve let a handful of my own ‘rules’ get in the way: I hate using my phone for editing (there’s a workaround for everything), I don’t want to ‘waste time’ on social, I don’t know what to post (never been true, I just held myself back), organic doesn’t work, blah, blah, blah.What’s been incredibly helpful for me is realizing the numbers game isn’t what we think it is.Meaning you don’t need massive followers, likes, or other vanity metrics to create a business you love that serves the people you want to serve and supports the lifestyle you want to live.Whether you want to live simply or extravagantly, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for how you want to live your life.Back to growing my list.In addition to some email swaps and paid traffic, I will also run my first giveaway.I discussed this in a recent newsletter issue and have decided it’s time! I’m going to let this run for a few weeks with the goal of adding at least 500 quality subscribers to my list (this will be based on the engagement of the follow-up series and who is still subscribed after the giveaway is over).One task with my organic strategy is ensuring that ALL my links on all social go directly to the newsletter opt-in page.I’m also editing my bio on each platform and including my hashtag for #EverythingIsContent wherever I can (on the graphic and in the bio). I want to be known for #EverythingIsContent (this still trips me out that this is an actual searchable hashtag… because I’m telling you that it wasn’t before I created it. #justayin—clearly someone needs some credit or validation, haha).To feel as excited as I am about my business again feels amazing.And, as esoteric as it might sound, I think it’s because I’m choosing to trust myself. I’m going with my gut and not playing small anymore.I’m crystal clear about the things I want to do, the things I don’t want to do, and the things that I need to work through the discomfort of doing to create the life I want.I give much credit to this internal shift to Dr. Benjamin Hardy and his book ‘Be Your Future Self NOW.’And, of course, my mentor/therapist and our work together.But most importantly, I’m giving myself credit where credit is due.I’m pretty sure that part of my DNA is that I’m tenacious. I’d rather spend the rest of my life betting on ‘Me’ than give up.And I hope it inspires you to do the same.

Before we get too much into discovering and defining Your ONE Thing, I want to preface this by saying that it isn’t about only doing or having ONE thing.Even though that level of focus is pretty amazing (and is something I’m working towards, it’s a process).This is about creating the ONE thing you’re known for.Not a niche (swear I’m not anti-niche, I’m anti-ONLY-niche), but more of a brand philosophy and mantra that people associate with you and your business.And if you’re a personal brand, ideally, people associate your ONE thing with YOU personally.I’m hosting a free workshop next week, so I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek and preview what we’re going to cover and why this is crucial to differentiate yourself in a very noisy world filled with AI content.And for what it’s worth, I LOVE AI and use it all the time.But what sets you apart is who you are.If you have even a little understanding and knowledge of copywriting, marketing, direct response, and content, you can use AI pretty easily and get decent output.What AI can’t do is be YOU (and hopefully not in my lifetime because, let’s face it, that’s a little creepy to even think about).You can absolutely train it to sound like you, write in your voice, use the type of language you use, but you still have to train it.That’s where Your ONE Thing comes in.I have a 6-step framework for “Your ONE Thing” – so let’s jump into it.Be sure to register for the FREE workshop here. The LIVE Workshop is on Wednesday, May 15th at 11:00 PDT. It will be recorded, but you need to register.If you get this after the live workshop, you can register and watch the on-demand workshop for free with the same link (and my goal is to run this live more than once while I continue iterating and refining everything).Your ONE Thing FrameworkHere’s the 6-step framework, with more detailed explanations below:Core Discovery DiveAudience AlchemyIdea IncubatorReality CheckIdentity ImprintLaunchpad Lift-OffLet’s dive deeper into each one.Core Discovery Dive (self-assessment & reflection):This is the self-assessment and reflection step of the framework. You’re going to want to dive deep into the core of your personal and business identity to uncover the unique elements that define you. Self-awareness is key here. This step also requires a certain level of courage and commitment to showing up genuinely as yourself and letting go of what people think.Understanding your strengths and passions will make creating more authentic and engaging content much easier.Audience Alchemy (market and audience analysis):This involves a combination of market research and analysis and knowing your ideal target audience, including psychographics (which are just as valuable, if not more valuable, than demographics).You want to hone in on what excites them, their desires, and the specific problems they have that you can solve uniquely.Understanding market trends and audience preferences can help refine your unique selling proposition to meet your audience where they’re at.Idea Incubator (ideation & concept development):This is where we will start brainstorming potential “ONE Things” for you and your business. I love all the steps, but this is probably my favorite. There are a couple of different methodologies for doing this, including the SCAMPER method (which I just discovered) and my Umbrella method.The Umbrella method is an easier place to start, and then, as you get clearer, you can iterate and move on to the SCAMPER method if you want to go deeper.Reality Check (validation and testing):This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Once you have “Your ONE Thing,” – you want to start testing this with your audience via email, social, and content. I did this with Everything Is Content and have shared that before (mind you, I knew this resonated with people because I had already used it before). It was a 5-part email series that then became 5 videos, 5 podcasts, a long-form blog post, coaching sessions, and a workshop.There are a handful of ways to test this, but the key is to do what feels most natural to you that you can deploy quickly – you don’t want to overthink this (and bonus if you can create a hashtag of it, but it’s hardly necessary).Identity Imprint (definition and documentation):Now that you have your ONE thing, you want to explain in a clear and compelling manner what it is (clear is better than clever here) and map out how you can integrate it into all aspects of your content and, quite possibly, your business.We’ll document and standardize this core concept across all business channels and content (for example, I’ve integrated “Everything is Content” onto all my social profiles) so your messaging is consistent and clear.Launchpad Lift-Off (implementation & promotion):Here’s where you’ll create a plan (mini-campaign?) to integrate your new core message into your current marketing efforts.Your plan should include some storytelling and personal elements and give a little behind-the-scenes look at “Your ONE Thing” and the impact you hope to create with it.

Today, I’m coming to you not from my usual studio setup but rather from the driver's seat of my car. This freestyle episode is all about embracing what I like to call "sacred simplicity" in both our personal and professional lives.06:41 A Busy weekend led to a much-needed rest.09:11 Appreciate health because it can be fleeting.11:52 Woman shares emotional video, regrets, seeks comfort.15:21 Working for a year, not just privilege.18:40 Experiences shape us and make us strive for self-actualization.21:27 Regret over past, compassion for self, insignificance.24:04 Prioritizing joy, learning, and mastering paid traffic.27:10 Uncertainty about shift, preference for simplicity explained.32:50 Tangible benefit motivates discussion of white labeling.33:43 Offer writing, content, SEO services, validate organically.39:07 Discussing lead gen and content strategies for ads.40:42 Optimize traffic ads, capture leads, and test.43:45 Focusing on quality work and living with ease.A Time of Transition and ReflectionI’m currently in a season of significant change, counting down the months until my move to Costa Rica. As part of this transition, I've been tackling the task of decluttering and sorting through years of accumulated belongings at my dad's house, now up for sale. This process has been both physically demanding and emotionally revealing. It's amazing what we hold onto over the years, isn't it?During a weekend dedicated to clearing out my storage unit, I realized that some boxes hadn’t been opened since my move from Boise in March of 2021. Items were still labeled "go through before Costa Rica," a reminder of postponed decisions. Yet, this clean-up wasn’t just about sorting through physical objects but also about reassessing what’s essential in my life. This is where the concept of sacred simplicity really comes to life—finding clarity and joy in the essentials, shedding the excess that no longer serves us.The Refreshing Break from Digital ClutterThe physical labor of sorting and moving boxes provided a much-needed break from the digital clutter of my daily life. There’s something profoundly liberating about stepping away from screens and focusing on physical tasks. It allows for a mental reset, which is increasingly rare in our hyper-connected world.This disconnect from digital work brought a surprising freshness to my thoughts. It reminded me of the importance of balance and taking time to enjoy simple pleasures—like the perfect weather we had, a crisp 76 degrees of pure sunshine. It was a reminder of the beauty of living in the moment and appreciating the small, simple joys that life offers.Learning from Vanessa Lau: A Lesson in Sacred SimplicityDuring this time, I watched a video by Vanessa Lau, an influential content creator who recently returned from a sabbatical. Vanessa chose to step back at the height of her career to prioritize her well-being—a decision that resonates deeply with the concept of sacred simplicity. It’s about making life choices that honor our deepest needs and values rather than constantly pushing for more.Vanessa’s courage to choose herself over perpetual business growth is a powerful testament to the strength found in simplicity. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves and our businesses is to take a step back, reflect, and recalibrate.Sacred Simplicity in MarketingIn the realm of digital marketing, sacred simplicity can transform how we approach content and engagement. It’s about stripping back the unnecessary and focusing on what truly matters—connecting with our audience in authentic and meaningful ways.For instance, my philosophy of "Everything is Content" is an embodiment of this simplicity. It’s about seeing the value in everyday interactions and experiences and using them to engage with your audience more naturally and effortlessly. This approach not only makes content creation more accessible but also makes it more relatable to your audience, who sees real-life applications of your teachings and insights.Feedback and Iteration: The Heartbeat of SimplicityAs we navigate through business and life, gathering feedback and being open to change are crucial. This episode itself is an experiment in simplicity—no script, no bullet points, just raw and real conversation. I would love to hear from you about how this format works for you. Does the spontaneity add to the authenticity, or do you find a more structured approach more helpful?Your feedback is invaluable as it helps refine my approach and ensure that the content I provide aligns with your needs and preferences. This iterative process is simplicity in action—cutting out the noise and honing in on what genuinely adds value to our conversations.Concluding Thoughts on Sacred SimplicityAs we wrap up today’s episode, I encourage you to think about how you can incorporate sacred simplicity into your own life. Whether it’s decluttering your physical or digital spaces, taking a sabbatical to focus on personal growth, or simplifying your marketing strategies, remember that there’s profound power in reducing complexity.Thank you for joining me on this freestyle journey. I appreciate each and every one of you for tuning in and sharing this space with me. I’m excited to continue exploring these themes and more, always striving to find that sacred balance that enhances our personal lives and professional endeavors. Let’s keep the conversation going. Until next time, embrace simplicity, seek joy, and live with purpose.

I Think It’s Safe To Say Most Content Creators Are Using AI For Content Creation These Days.But I thought I’d go deeper, specifically, with how I’m using it.There are a few different ‘camps’ when it comes to AI and some of them are totally over my head.In other words, I’m not sure that I really care how it works, what LLMs are doing, which companies have completed a new round of billions of dollars invested, or whether Nvidia or AMD is producing more chips.All I care about is how I can use it in my business to do one of two things (I’ll go deeper with each of these below):Get clarity and createCut down the time it takes to complete thingsI haven’t gotten into much in terms of automations or having AI do tasks I don’t want to do, but that’s mainly because I don’t have a significant need for it right now.My primary focus with AI right now is on using it for content creation.I write all of my podcasts, blog posts, and emails. In other words, none of this is generated by AI (probably obvious, but you know what they say about assuming).I’ve created one post with the help of AI (you can read that here) because I wanted to test creating an outline, seeing what the output was, and then adjusting from there. It was a good experience and process, and I’ll use it again for a couple of more in-depth tutorial posts I’m working on.For example:I’m in the process of moving from ConvertKit to beehiiv (at the time of writing this post).As beehiiv continues to grow, I know a lot more people will be making this move, and I think it’s a great way to get traffic to the site, attract new subscribers (people making this move are definitely my target market), and make some affiliate commissions along the way.Here’s the prompt I used to start this post:Good afternoon! I’d love your help writing an epic blog post (that I’ll create a video for as well) on the process of moving an email list, subscribers, newsletter, and automations from ConvertKit to beehiiv. Is this something you can help me with? I want this to be super clear, easy to understand and highly optimized for SEO. I’ll convert the blog post into a PDF that people can download as well. What do you need from me to get started?By the way, that’s one of my favorite ways to start a conversation with ChatGPT (yes, I call them conversations).I give simple context about what I want to accomplish, then ask what it needs from me to get started to accomplish what I’ve asked for.I don’t want to get into the weeds with detailed prompts (I think I may start doing some video on this), but I want to give you an example of how I’m using it) – but the initial question of “what do you need from me” will help you get the best result possible.OK, let’s look at the first of the two bullets I mentioned first.Using AI For Content Creation To Gain Clarity And CreateFirst, I treat ChatGPT (or Chatty as I call her) as more of a partner than a tool, which is why I write in a conversational manner as opposed to simply imputing prompts.I find the entire process way more enjoyable, and the relational nature works for my brain. So, I talk to ChatGPT rather than dictating to it.Here are a handful of things I’ve used ChatGPT/AI for this week for clarity and creating content (btw, I use ClaudeAI and have started playing with Gemini. I tend to default to ChatGPT out of habit more than anything).Images: I LOVE using DALL-E inside of ChatGPT. I’m publishing regularly (aiming for daily) on Medium and will create a unique image with DALL-E. I stick with illustration-style images and tend to go for a Pixar look (I have to entertain the kid in me somehow).Lead Magnet: I’m running ads on Facebook via Laurel Portié’s teaching and need to come up with a new lead magnet (she calls them value bombs). My videos are performing well, but no one is asking for the lead magnet. I took my Everything is Content ‘playbook’ (the original 5-part series), uploaded it, and worked with ChatGPT to turn it into something that was more of a workbook.Once I validate that people want this, I’ll add it to my site and integrate it into the welcome sequence for my newsletter.Content plan for a client, based on an SEO Ahrefs report: This was pretty genius if I say so myself. I manage content and social for one client. A friend ran an SEO report for me (I don’t have a paid Ahrefs account), so I uploaded the report and asked Chatty to give me 20 blog post ideas based on keywords and a detailed social plan (the prompt was a little more in-depth than that, but you get the idea).Social Media post for LinkedIn: I’ll share more on LinkedIn later (I never thought I’d enjoy that platform, but there is a LOT of opportunity there!)- but I had a hook from a LinkedIn tool (tools below), and asked for help writing a post and bullets for the hook I was using.LinkedIn Carousel, based on a Medium article I wrote: There’s another amazing tool I’m using for carousels, and I wanted to see if ChatGPT would give me better textual output (it did). I pasted the post in and it generated the headline and copy for each slide in the carousel.Podcast meta description: I copy and paste the entire written post into ChatGPT and ask for a 255-character meta description with my keyword (I use this for the ID3 tag for the audio and the SEO description).Custom GPT for Everything is Content: I’ve been working on my framework for EIC for a while and knew I wanted to show people how to use the framework with ChatGPT, so I created a custom GPT to get people started (I taught this in my first “Everything is Content” workshop).That’s just a handful of ways I’ve used AI (specifically ChatGPT) to clarify and create content over the past week.The clarity of piece of this may not be as direct as the content creation piece but in some ways it can be a little more fun.When I’m trying to flesh out an idea or concept, it can take a few sessions with ChatGPT to accomplish what I want, but that’s to be expected (hence the desire to get clarity).Often, I need to sit with something or revisit it the next day. I can tell when I need to do that because it feels a bit like I’m going in circles with ChatGPT. I’m not getting the output I want (or anything I can work with) because of the input (FYI: it’s safe to say that most of the time, it’s your input).Using AI For Content Creation To Save TimeI get that I’m stating the obvious here, but it only saves you time if you have a good base or foundation from which to work.It’s not that you can’t spit out content quickly, but if you do that without something solid behind you, you’ll end up with obvious AI-generated content that people (and search engines) can see through a mile away.You also run the risk of damaging your brand/business.Even as AI gets better (remember that it’s also learning to write in your voice the more you use it – when you’re consistent with the tools you’re using), you still need to make sure that what you put out sounds and feels like you.While it depends on what you’re creating, using AI as a starting point can significantly cut down your creation time.It’s also an incredible brainstorming tool.Take my initial example above, give it some context as to what you’re trying to accomplish, and then ask it what it needs from you to get this done.Just like anything else, the more you use AI, the more possibilities you’ll start to see. Then it becomes fun to test and try things – especially if you do it in a conversational tone and talk with it as opposed to copying and pasting prompts (BOR-ING 🤣).Suggestion:Pick 1-3 types of content and platforms you’re going to focus on.For me, that’s my own site, Medium, LinkedIn, and soon, YouTube (technically, that’s 4, but I’ve been doing this for a while).When you find what works for you, create your own process and customGPT if it makes sense.For example:This podcast episode becomes the following:Video for YouTube (and other platforms)Video shortsPost on MediumSocial contentEmail (to drive people back to listen)Because I have the original content and wrote it myself, it’s easier to edit any output I get from social (as opposed to starting from scratch with only AI-generated content).So, a great custom GPT for me would be a podcast repurposing GPT. I have a friend who wants to know how to create a custom GPT, and I told her I’d do a video for her. Think I’ll create this and use the podcast repurposing GPT as my example.This will allow me to open the customGPT and select one of four prompts:LinkedIn contentCarousel promptText prompt (to create a few different text posts for LinkedIn)YouTube headline and description for that podcast episodeEmail to promote the podcastYou see how this starts to feel a bit like the Matrix (or inception)… it gets a little meta when you start drilling down in different directions.If you focus on using AI for content creation for only a handful of things at first and make mastery of what you’re doing the goal (because you’ll want to measure how that content performs) – then there’s no where to go but up!OK, let’s talk about some of my favorite tools when it comes to AI for content creation.General writing:ChatGPT: obviously 😉ClaudeAI (Anthropic)Gemini: I’m still getting my feet wet hereNeuron Writer: Same; I want to use this primarily for SEO purposesCoSchedule Headline analyzer: I returned to this for headlines, and the AI is helpful.Reactor.is: This is a new tool by Rob Lennon that is pretty amazing. I plan on doing a full post on it as well.Video/Audio:Opus.pro (will probably cancel because RiversideFM will create shorts)Riverside FMJupitrr: Will be testing this againMunch: Looking at this, but probably not until I ramp up video (have tested it)CastMagicCanvaGraphics/SocialDALL-E (ChatGPT)Canvaai carousels (LOVE LOVE LOVE this tool)Supademo (doing an in-depth post on that too)Gamma.appMyMarky.aiTaplioChrome ExtensionsI had a great extension I was using for folders and removed it, sort of by accident. It added a second panel that I thought was something else, so I deleted it. Now I can’t find it again (I will keep looking for it).Most of the Chrome extensions for ChatGPT felt like they just added clutter and didn’t really save me much time (patience isn’t my strong suit).I’ve come across plenty and tried them and may revisit them in the future, but for now, my focus is elsewhere.There are plenty of other tools I share and have mentioned in my newsletter (which, if you’re not subscribed to, can be found at KimDoyal.com/the-SPARK), but there is only so much time in the day.My focus has to be on what I’m currently doing and whether a tool is a distraction that creates more work or helps me focus on what I’m doing.There are a lot of AI tools out there that focus on one element of content or marketing, but unless they have something unique (like Rob Lennon’s Reactor.is or Neuron Writer for SEO), then for the most part, I can do a lot of that directly in ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.AI tools are pretty fun to play with, so I have to reign myself in and not get sidetracked.The only other tool I want to really take a look at and test is Content at Scale, but for $249 a month, it may come later (I’d rather put the budget towards ads).And just like everything else in content, marketing, and business (well, life really), it takes consistent practice and use of the tools to get to a point where you’ve found exactly what works for you.We’re still in the very early stages of all of this, so the sooner you can adopt AI into your own content creation process, the better.Keep in mind that you certainly don’t have to adopt using AI for anything… but I have a feeling it will eventually become a situation of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

Organic traffic still works.It’s not that I thought it didn’t, but in many ways, I think I had resigned myself to thinking it was so much harder than it used to be.In some ways, it is harder, but in other ways, we have so many tools at our fingertips (AI) that there’s no reason you can’t test and try things much faster. You can get data in 90 days that will tell you what’s working.Depending on how long you’ve been online (i.e., you’re not starting from scratch), you may get results much faster.For me, I’ve seen some pretty fun results in only a few weeks.Let’s get into it.After 16 years online, you would think I would have learned to “never say never”… but here I am, changing my tune.Fortunately, I’m pretty transparent about these little lessons I go through and have no shame in sharing that I’ve changed my mind.Ideally, when we know better, we do better, right?Mind you, things change so quickly online (especially with AI now) that we better learn to be comfortable changing our minds and trying new things (once we have the fundamentals in place, anyway).The best part of what I’m experiencing right now is that this is all happening because of ONE thing.And I’m on a mission to help you figure out your ONE thing.And no, this doesn’t mean you only have ‘one thing’ in your business (I’m speaking to all of you multi-passionate entrepreneurs who, bless you, can manage multiple offers, directions, or businesses).I’m talking about starting with one core content idea that is part of your foundation.For Now, Let’s Call This “One To Many.”Let me back up a bit and explain how this relates to organic traffic still works.I won’t go too deep into my journey, as I’ve shared it multiple times on the podcast. You can get a snapshot of that on my About page.Over the last 16 years, I spent the first 10 years as ‘The WordPress Chick,’ pivoted to my personal brand, started focusing on content marketing, launched a content planner (with a strategy, not a fill-in-the-blank), added email marketing and newsletters to the mix, and have come back to content marketing as my core focus.My ‘complementary’ categories to content marketing are email & newsletters and using AI for content marketing.Now, let’s talk a bit about social media.Which I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with.Because of the clarity I’ve gained with my ONE thing (for now, let’s call it Core Content), I’ve jumped back in full force and am happily gaining some traction and, thankfully, traffic.I attribute the results I’m getting to a few things:Not starting from scratchHaving a presence on most platforms (regardless of recent engagement)LOVING what I’m doing againThis isn’t to say you can’t start from scratch and get results because, of course, you can.It just might take a little longer.But here’s the thing: time is going to pass whether you do the work or not, so you may as well do it now.And the work I’m referring to is creating, publishing, and promoting your content.Which will always differentiate you from people who want to do things quickly and easily. Especially with AI…I LOVE using AI in my business – but I also know what I’m doing, who I’m talking to, how I want to serve them, and what my business goals are.I’m not under any illusion that AI can replace my voice.What it can do is help me define, iterate, and dig deeper with ideas.OK… let’s get back to the ONE thing and how I’ve used it to start getting some great results with organic traffic again.My ONE ThingFor anyone who is listening to or reading this and is feeling resistance to the one thing (even though I stated that it doesn’t mean you only do one thing in your business), stay with me!I used to have a massive resistance to this, too.Here’s a perfect example.There’s a book called “The ONE Thing:The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results” by Gary Keller. Here’s how much I’ve resisted this whole concept.I purchased this book… TEN YEARS ago, and I am finally reading it. 🤦‍♀️What the hell, Doyal?All is well. This is probably a case of “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.”And ya’ girl is ready.This entire thing started when I was feeling frustrated on a Sunday when I was trying to plan my week. I went into more detail about this in a previous episode (you can listen here), but the TL;DR is that instead of trying to force myself to figure something out, I got up from my desk and did something else.Then, later that afternoon, I felt inspired to write an email series.Based on “Everything is Content.”The hashtag I created six years ago when I started focusing more on writing and turning stories into email, content, and ultimately, sales.This 5-part email series was sent Monday through Friday.I didn’t overcomplicate things, make a big plan, create a mind map, or do any research.I simply wrote one email a day out of inspiration and a desire to get back to something I loved.Before I get into how this has all evolved, I also want to say that this doesn’t mean it’s the ONLY thing in your business that you create content about from now on.Creating Core Content, which is based on ONE idea- meaning – it’s not necessarily pillar content from an SEO perspective (that’s a whole other conversation)- it’s about taking ONE idea and creating tons of content around it to get leverage and drive organic traffic.Leveraging The ONE Thing And My Content StrategyI received great feedback from the email series, which is part of the reason I ran with Everything is Content again.Plus… I really love the concept.There’s a level of freedom that comes with “Everything is Content,” which makes it super easy to keep creating. When I feel I can only create content on one topic (niche down!), I feel stifled and get bored.Starting in early March, I decided to start publishing on Medium again.I’ve been on the platform for a long time (2015?) and have primarily been repurposing content there (you can do this by setting the canonical URL).I also joined their partner program (you get paid when people engage with your stories when you set them as ‘Member Only’ content). I hadn’t done this in the past because I thought you couldn’t have affiliate links in your content.Affiliate marketing isn’t my business strategy, but I’m an affiliate for tools I use and like. It’s kind of like the icing on the cake.Turns out all you need to do is include a disclaimer that there may be affiliate links. Note to self: you know what they say about assuming. 😉My goal with Medium isn’t to create a full-time income with my writing. It’s to attract my ideal customer to me, create some new connections, and grow my list. The earnings are a bonus.Since I began this experiment less than a month ago, I’ve made over $40 on the platform. And, of course, previous articles continue to earn more engagement (reads, views, claps, and comments).I’m also actively engaging with other writers' work.I think by the end of the year, I could be up to $1k a month on Medium, which would easily cover my business expenses (excluding paid traffic).I’m going to create a separate landing page that I send Medium traffic to (for my opt-in), but for now, I’m pretty pleased. I have no doubt this is contributing to the increase in my website traffic, too.That’s in the last 30 days.The final kicker for me was when I logged into ConvertKit today to send an email and saw that the last 6 people to opt-in all came through my opt-in form on my site (my SPARK Popup).I’m still in the ‘Creator Network’ and get people through there, but many of them don’t stick around.I haven’t turned that off yet because I’ll just wait until I make the move to beehiiv (more on that in the next episode. I’m hoping to start that process later this week and be done by next week).We’ll see if the subscribers through beehiiv’s network stick around longer. Side note: I don’t think it’s the quality of the person subscribing but the method through which they subscribe.I think of these referral engines as barely one step above cold emailing.There’s so little context as to who you are or why they subscribed… even with the best of follow-up sequences.Back to leveraging the ONE thing.I’m now adding LinkedIn and YouTube into the mix.I’ve been on both platforms for years, but since pivoting from The WP Chick to my personal brand in 2018, I haven’t done much with either.Previously, I would push content to LinkedIn and post videos here and there on YouTube, but I didn’t want to jump back in until I was clear on a strategy.In other words, what I would be creating content about… consistently.Getting clear on my ONE thing (Core Content, which is “Everything is Content”... talk about getting meta), has made all the difference in the world.The other piece of this flow and focus I’m in now is how I’m integrating the personal with the professional (my business).Once I made the decision in January to move back to Costa Rica this summer (for the foreseeable future), I realized one of the things I miss most about living there was the ease and simplicity of my life.It really is “Pura Vida,” – which means pure life.I realized I could easily integrate that into my business as well.Not only are the photos on my site (background photos on pages) of Costa Rica (that I’ve taken or friends have taken), but I’m removing and eliminating things from my business that don’t give me that feeling.And I’m LOVING it.Streamlining, simplifying, and staying focused has been GOLD.I had been working on a website rebrand for a while but couldn’t put my finger on what was missing.As soon as I realized it was more of a feeling than a look it all came together.And it’s lit a fire in me to create my own strategy for growth.As You Can See, Organic Traffic Still Works.While I continue testing and trying things (everything will get at least a 90 day commitment, but honestly, my plan is to focus on a few things for the remainder of the year), I’ll be doubling down on “Everything is Content” with paid traffic too.One week into running my first set of ads based on Laurel Portié’s $5 a day strategy and I’m getting clearer and clearer.My lead magnet isn’t working (sharing my custom GPT) but I’m getting video views.What this means is that I’ll be turning off one or two ads while adding one or two more in. As soon as I’ve replaced the videos with a new lead magnet (Laurel calls these ‘value bombs’), I’ll continue iterating on the copy and the value bomb until I find one that’s working.I’ll also be doing more surveying of my list and audience.The best way to figure out what problems people are having is by asking them (I know, duh).Most people want to stay behind their screens though and not have actual conversations (And I’ll admit, I love me some no-call weeks), but when you take the time to talk to people you’ll understand where they’re stuck and find the exact language they use (helping you to speak in their own words).To make sure I’m on the right track I’ll be sharing updates on all of this once a month.It may be via email (so make sure you’re on my email list), a podcast, video or blog post.Guess it depends on what else is going on.Regardless, I’m incredibly excited to see how this all unfolds.All of the initial data is very promising, which is definitely inspiring me to keep going.

There is something so absolutely freeing about getting older.I was texting with a friend in Costa Rica the other day to set up a time to chat. I had been hoping to go down in April to bring some stuff down before my move in July, but with my Dad selling his house, I decided not to.In our text conversation, we both said that we would put it on our calendars and put sticky notes everywhere so we didn’t forget. Last time we set a time to chat, we both spaced.I don’t think much about how much time and energy I’ve spent worrying about things that don’t matter. That’s a complete waste.I do, however, make conscious decisions every day to choose my thoughts. To make today different than yesterday.I was listening to a video with Dr. Joe Dispenza (who is amazing, by the way, if you’re remotely interested in neuroscience and being able to change your life with your thoughts), and he was saying that the hardest thing to do is to make sure you don’t think the same thoughts you had yesterday. 🤯The absolute best way to do this is to tune out the things that no longer serve you.I have always been fairly transparent about what I’m doing in my business, including sharing the challenges and struggles.In fact, I’ve probably been more transparent about those than the wins.God forbid I toot my own horn.As I’ve gotten older and hit, ahem, mid-life (no one tells you that no matter how old you are, you still feel like a younger version of yourself), I’ve come to the realization that I better start tooting my own horn.Especially as a woman.In addition to learning to be fiercely protective of my goals and dreams, I’ve also become fiercely indifferent to others’ opinions.My old self includedIf I can share my lessons, challenges, and hell, yes, my wins… and it inspires even one person on their journey, it’s worth it.It’s probably also because I feel that so much of what we’ve been taught and is accepted in society has been structured around what works for men.It’s bullshit.But I don’t want to go sideways here with any of that. All it will do is piss me off and get me worked up, which doesn’t help anyone.What I want to focus on in this episode is the massive progress, clarity, and focus I have in my business in hopes that it will inspire you to do the same.What Old Me Would Have Been Embarrassed to AdmitTrying to summarize this in one clear statement isn’t as easy as I thought, but I want to give you something so you know where this episode is going.It feels like I FINALLY “Get it.”As in, I’m finally fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together in order to create a business I love on my terms and get it working like a well-oiled machine.And yes.It’s taken 16 years to get here.This is probably also why I’ve adopted the phrase “It takes what it takes” (seriously, good quotes hit my soul deeply).This isn’t to say that I’ve been waffling for sixteen years or didn’t know what I was doing. I truly believe that everything I’ve done had a purpose and brought me to exactly where I am today, which, quite frankly, is FIYAH.I did a visual of my journey in 2022 and since I have more to add to it, for now, here’s a quick synopsis of my timeline 👇:March 2008Started my business and launched ‘The WordPress Chick’ – blogging and building websites.Spring 2013Launched “The WPChick Podcast,” created an outsourcing company, and started coaching.Summer 2016Created the Facebook Group, Content Creators and start pivoting more into Content Marketing (less WordPress)Summer 2018Pivoted to my personal brand, redirect WPChick to KimDoyal.comFall 2018Partner with a friend to launch an e-commerce brand and physical content planner, the Content Creators Planner.March 2020Move to Boise, ID and the world shuts down. Spend one year in Boise (way too cold).Fall 2020Launch my #FtheHUSTLE Newsletter (an old hashtag I created years prior)March 2021I decided to move to Costa Rica instead of renewing my lease in Boise. Moved there June 1st, 2021. 🏖Spring 2022Think I’m going to go all in with #FtheHUSTLE. My focus now was on email marketing.January 2023Change the name of my newsletter to “the SPARK” and decide to move back to California.March 2024Still focused on the SPARK and have brought back “Everything is Content.” A hashtag I created in 2016. Decided I’m moving back to Costa Rica in July of 2024.If you’re only listening to this, I’ve added a visual timeline so you can see this trajectory.And, of course, this is the TL;DR version.There have been other things mixed in there along the way.Courses, coaching (still doing both), masterminds (participating and hosting), events, friendships, life struggles, heartache, you name it.But that’s life, isn’t it?Here’s what’s happened in my business since last May, which set everything in motion to get to what I’m sharing with you today.After moving back to California last February and being hit with some of the heaviest snow in years (I’m at my Dad’s, which is about an hour southeast of Lake Tahoe), I got sick and then got shingles (seriously, wtf, right? That’s what a little stress will do to you).It was a really rough few months, not to mention I was still healing from back surgery I had in Costa Rica in October of 2022.In May 2023, I drove to Oregon for a weekend away with two dear friends. I met them online years ago, and we had created our own mini-mastermind of bi-weekly calls. It was the first time we had met in person.I chose to drive because I love the time in the car listening to audiobooks or podcasts.On my drive home, I listened to “Be Your Future Self NOW” by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, which changed everything.When I got home, I wrote a letter from my future self, dated Dec. 31st, 2023. I also started bingeing as much of Ben Hardy’s content as I could and really started wrapping my head around prioritizing and setting a BIG goal.I created a simple journaling habit (that I have kept up since May of 2023) and kept plugging away.Then, in November, I was listening to a YouTube video by Dan Koe called “The Most Profitable Niche is You,” and it was like I had been struck by lightning.It was absolutely in alignment with “Everything is Content” and was about letting go of trying to ‘niche down.’That’s when things started coming together.In December, I wrote and recorded “Everything Is Content 2.0 – An Easy Guide To Getting Started KDS: 124,” and it was like I had opened a portal to what I was meant to do (how’s that for out there? Stick with me, this will all make sense).Some of this came from a question a friend had asked me.This is a dear friend who made a very conscious decision to trust herself and follow her heart. Because of that decision, she grew her business to half a million dollars in one year and is on track to hit a million this year.Her question to me was, “What do you really want to do?”I’ve always had a good mix of interest between the tangible and intangible.I love technology, the Internet, and the ability to create things online and connect with people all over the world—which is the ‘tangible.’I also love personal development, spirituality, mindset, and all the things we can’t necessarily ‘see’ – which are intangible.The truth is, I need both – most people do, regardless of what that looks like. For some, it might be spirituality and yoga; for others, it might be nature; and for some, it might be traditional religion.To each their own.What matters is that you listen to it.Here’s another amazing quote I read the other day. I absolutely LOVE this:“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.”Howard ThurmanPowerful, isn’t it?We do NOT need more of the same.I don’t believe that you have to start with the problem you solve for people.Which according to direct-response marketers, that’s pretty much blasphemy.I’m not saying that you don’t need to solve problems for people – that’s why people buy because you have a solution they need.What I’m saying is that trying to start from that point can create massive friction for people.You’re better off creating things you want to create, sharing them, and then seeing what resonates.I promise you your people are out there.Back To The Thing That The “Old Me Would Have Been Embarrassed To Admit.”I finally know what it is I’m supposed to be doing.For the first time in a very, very long time, I feel crystal clear.First and foremost, it’s claiming my skills, expertise, and how I can help people.I know my purpose in this lifetime is to create and inspire.I think I was just too worried about what other people would think if I combined this hybrid of tangible and intangible.It wasn’t enough of a “niche.”And as a reminder, plenty of people have created creator businesses without only talking about their niche.I’m calling it my “anti-only-niche.”I explained this in more detail in the “Getting Started with Everything is Content” episode, but it’s basically about coming up with one main category (niche) and subsequent categories that are of interest to you.Not just subsets of the primary category.Once all of this became clear, here’s what fell into place:I finally got my new website launched (current site, built with KadenceWP which is amazing)Decided to integrate Costa Rica into the brand (all my photos on my site are pics I’ve taken in Costa Rica, at least all the backdrop images)Took “Everything is Content” from an idea to an email series, to a workshop, coaching offer, and upcoming cohortI am eliminating and simplifying any chance I can get. For example, at the time of this recording, I’m moving from HighLevel to MemberVault because it was overkill for me. I don’t have an agency, don’t want one, and have no desire to white-label their softwareSince deciding to integrate Costa Rica into the brand (especially since I’m moving back), I’ve adopted the Pura Vida mentality in my business. I’m looking for any way possible to live “the good life” in everything I do.I might even bring a mascot into the brand, such as a cute sloth! How fun would that be?I’m simplifying my offersI’m letting go of tools and platforms I don’t likeI’m doubling down on my commitment to master paid traffic (more on that soon)I’m tuning out from anyone or anything that says how things are “supposed” to be doneI’m talking (creating) about what I want to talk aboutI’m going to promote myself and my work proudlyI will make sure that I’m selling something every dayI’m also in the process of making sure all my social channels are up to date, my messaging is clear, and my brand feels cohesive and consistent across all channels (regardless of how active I may or may not be on them).

Someone Has To Go First.I don’t remember where I heard that (or read it), but it certainly struck a nerve.I wrote it down because I knew it would be a podcast episode the minute I read it.Before we go into that, though, let’s do a quick catch-up and recap, shall we?I’m kind of tripping out that we’re almost halfway through March already.Mind you, I’m not complaining. I looked at the weather for the next ten days, and after a couple of days of potential showers and clouds, it’s all blue skies, sunshine, and warmer weather (mid to upper 60s).I feel like I’ve been quiet lately because I had the “Everything is Content” episodes ready to go (even if the last two didn’t go out when I had hoped).I’m going to do a full break-down of Everything is Content now that I’ve:Published the email series and blog postPublished the email series as videos and podcast episodesRepublished the series on MediumI hosted my first live workshopI am about to offer the first live cohortThis is all part of a long-term strategy for me, and hot damn if it isn’t working.The gas is about to be poured on this using Laurel Portié’s $ 5-a-day ad strategy, and I’m beyond excited to see how this all unfolds.On the personal side of things…I shared that I’ll be moving back to Costa Rica this summer sometime last month (maybe that’s why I’m tripping out that it’s mid-March already), and as the time gets closer, I’m getting more and more excited.But there’s a lot to do in the meantime.My Dad has finally decided to list his house for sale and is looking at moving down to the city where my siblings live (the same city where I raised my kids). We’re hoping to get the house up for sale before the end of the month.Which means decluttering and getting the house ready for staging, photos, and viewings.Keep in mind there are 56 years of stuff in this house. 😳We’ve already started the process, and my siblings are coming up to help, so we should be able to knock things out by the end of this weekend.And between you and I… I’m kind of hoping I’m not here for the actual move. I have done so much moving in the past five years I wouldn’t mind skipping this one (although I’ll be doing a lot of packing and purging before I leave).That’s the beauty of moving back to Costa Rica... all I have to do is take my clothes, my dog, my computer, and any decor I want for my place. It’s completely furnished (although I will be hauling another mattress down).OK… I think we’re all caught up now.Let’s Get Into “Someone Has To Go First”First, what I’m referring to here isn’t about being ‘first to market’ or ‘first to adopt’ (although I do think the ‘first to adopt’ comes into play here).This is specifically related to content and the creator economy as we know it today.When I was getting started in 2008, it felt like everyone was new to the online marketing space, and we were all figuring it out as a collective.Of course, some direct-response marketers were much more seasoned and had brought their offline skills online, but for the most part, it was a fairly new space at the time.Social media was new, blogging was still new, and earning a living online was like the Wild West.I think we need to pretend it’s those early days again.And not because of AI (which I love), saturated markets, pay-to-play social media platforms, or algorithms.Because of the massive amounts of information at our fingertips, it feels like someone is already doing what we want to do or everyone already knows what we know.I will assume I’m not the only one with those thoughts, so bear with me with the collective ‘we’ in this episode.This is how I decided to bring back “Everything is Content.”I created that phrase in 2016 and started actively using it in 2018.We used it with the first content planner brand, and after we closed that brand, I wasn’t really sure what direction I was heading in.My focus has always been digital marketing, content marketing, and, in the last few years, email and newsletters… but I felt ‘split’ between my personal brand and the content planner brand.However, I’ve always shared my own journey, personal stories, and interests along with business content (the more you practice a ‘mash-up’ of this, the easier it gets).Then I came across Dan Koe’s video “You Are the Most Profitable Niche,” and it felt like FINALLY! Someone else is saying what I’ve been thinking for years.And who knows… I’m sure there’s an element of awareness happening here.Meaning that once I became aware again of what I’m calling my “anti-ONLY-niche” stance, I started seeing it everywhere.It’s kind of like when you purchase a new car, and all of a sudden, you start seeing it everywhere.At the end of the day, though, none of that really matters.What matters is that this changes the content game.And I, for one, am here for it all.What’s Getting In Your WayThe biggest thing I see getting in people’s way is knowledge bias.Knowledge bias is “the curse of knowledge” or “the curse of expertise. It’s a cognitive bias where we incorrectly assume that everyone knows as much as we do on any given topic” (definition courtesy of Google).Here’s the kicker about knowledge bias: it’s usually accompanied by its even more annoying friend, Imposter Syndrome.Knowledge Bias causes us to undervalue our skills, knowledge, and expertise, believing that they’re not valuable enough or that we want to present something as good.Imposter Syndrome has us feeling like we’re not skilled or knowledgeable enough to contribute.Talking about both here is a perfect example.Plenty of people have already written about Knowledge Bias and Imposter Syndrome. I could have very easily decided that I didn’t have enough to say or assumed that someone else had said it better.The latter is absolutely possible.But to whom?This is based on the assumption that anyone listening to or reading this has the exact same experience as I do.It's a tad ludicrous when you think of it that way, isn’t it?I had a call last week with a woman who subscribed to my newsletter because she sent me this:“Kim,I love your newsletter!! I’m so grateful I stumbled on you while searching for ideas to start my own business towards the end of last year. I appreciate how real you are in your newsletters, the approach you take in business, and the guidance you share on living a happy life. You inspire me in every email—it feels like we are BFFs because of how you share your thoughts and feelings. Thank you for putting yourself out there and inspiring my belief that I really will be able to start my own business. I’m rooting for you and your success! 💕”Transform Ideas Into Inspired Action: Subscribe To The SPARKOvercoming Knowledge BiasSo, what do you about it?To quote author Susan Jeffers, you “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”I know that’s not super helpful, so let’s get a little more specific:Unique Perspectives Matter: We all have our own experiences, knowledge, and interpretations. That’s what makes us unique. What might seem obvious to one person is a mind-blowing experience to another. It is vitally important that you value your own experiences.The Long Tail of Interest: There are 738 billion people on the planet, so there is plenty to go around. The vast internet reach means there’s likely an audience for whatever you’re passionate about (where most people drop the ball is in promoting their work).Learning or Practicing in Public: This is some of the easiest content to create. You can’t get it wrong, and you’re never done. Sharing the learning process is just as valuable as sharing expert knowledge. Let go of thinking it might turn off a potential client or customer… it makes you relatable and trustworthy.Take Mr. Beast, for example.And confession… I’ve never actually watched any of his videos.I have, however, heard a handful of people talk about him.Dr. Benjamin Hardy talks about him in his book, ‘Be Your Future Self NOW,” when he tells the story of how Mr. Beast recorded a video from his future self, envisioning the growth he wanted for his YouTube channel.Mr. Beast bet on himself.He went from doing a little bit with his YouTube channel, where he posted uninspiring gaming videos, to a worldwide phenomenon (and an estimated net worth of $500 million).You don’t have to want to be as big as Mr. Beast (I certainly don’t. I don’t have the desire or energy, haha)… but you have to bet on yourself.How This Applies To “Someone Has To Go First”Once you’ve been in business for a while, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “being the same.”We do the same things our peers, coaches, and creators whose products we’ve purchased are doing.If it worked for them, we should be able to apply the exact same strategies and get the same results, right?Wrong.Solid marketing strategies work, especially when you apply them with the intention of creating and gathering data.“Fill in the blank” doesn’t work.This is my biggest pet peeve about writing templates.Using formulas that worked for one person whose brand and voice are nothing like your own probably won’t work for you, AND… you won’t enjoy doing it because it doesn’t feel right.And to reiterate a point I make over and over again: learning to write well on the web is the best thing you can do for your business.Someone Has to Go First: Progress and innovation require someone to go first. Take the first step; your audience is waiting for your unique voice and perspective. Breaking new ground doesn’t have to happen on a massive scale.The Ripple Effect: There are plenty of stories to draw from for inspiration from someone who started small (all of us, right?), and the idea took on a life of its own. The beauty of starting small is that it is how we learn and practice.The Iterative Process: I have fallen in love with this idea lately. It’s nothing new, but I finally “get it.” The nature of creating is an iterative process. The first attempt doesn’t have to be perfect. Each iteration is a step towards improving and finding your voice.Community and Collaboration: As the saying goes, no man (or woman), is an island. Communities and collaboration provide invaluable feedback. They also provide encouragement and support that help us overcome our own biases and fears.Imperfect Action Over Perfection: This might sound harsh, but claiming that you’re not hitting publish because you’re a perfectionist is an excuse. It’s how you keep yourself small. Starting is always more important than waiting for the perfect moment or idea or getting it ‘right.’The creator economy (and when I say creator, I’m referring to content creators, coaches, course creators, and agencies) is starting to feel like a lot of ‘sameness’.It kind of reminds me of home decor and trends, which, by the way, I’ve seen a lot of pushback on lately.The idea is that we’re supposed to decorate our homes for ‘future resale’ value instead of making them feel like a space we want to live in (unless, of course, your intention is to move in, renovate, and resell in a short period of time).Why wouldn’t you make it feel like YOU?!?!The house I rented in Boise (in 2020) was very cookie-cutter and had a gray theme (which, thankfully, is on its way out). After a while, the walls felt like I was in prison.The kitchen was beautiful, but that was about it. I added removable wallpaper to the office, so I had a little color (best invention ever, by the way).Your business should feel the same.Like YOU.Yes we’re supposed to know who we’re talking to and the problems we solve for them. Put aside some of the principles of direct marketing and copywriting for a hot minute.You need to be willing to listen to what feels right for you.And as a little disclaimer, remember that it may take time to find what “feels right.”Be careful not to use that as an excuse for not starting.Particularly if you’re not doing anything at all (in terms of publishing or driving traffic).Regardless of your market, niche, or industry, you need traffic. That can come via paid acquisition (advertising) or organic content.Ideally, you find a combination of both that works for you.Either way… don’t be afraid to go first.We need new voices and perspectives all the time.

As we wrap up our incredible journey through the "Everything is Content" series, I want to take a moment to reflect on the profound concept we're diving into today: zigging when everyone else is zagging. Throughout this series, we've explored various facets of content creation, but today, we're tackling the essence of differentiation and the power of personalization in our content strategies.Imagine walking into a room full of people all moving in unison, like a perfectly choreographed dance. Now, picture yourself moving to a different rhythm, creating your own steps, and standing out. That's what we're talking about today. In a world saturated with content, being the one who dares to be different isn't just brave; it's necessary.Why do we zig when others zag? Because, at the core of every successful content strategy, there's a unique voice, a distinct perspective, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. It's about finding what resonates with you and, by extension, connecting more deeply with your audience.During this series, we've established that all platforms work, all strategies can be effective, but the magic happens when you align your content creation with your personal passion, consistency, and the joy of sharing your story. This alignment isn't just about being different for the sake of it; it's about embracing what works for you and amplifying it.Let's debunk a common myth: the idea that certain marketing strategies or platforms are "dead." You've heard it before – "Email marketing is dead," "Blogs are out," "Social media is oversaturated." Here's the truth – for every strategy declared extinct, there's someone out there proving it wrong, thriving and creating impactful, meaningful content. The key is not in the platform or the strategy itself but in how you use it to convey your unique message and connect with your audience.Consider this: While some may argue that ad costs are soaring and traditional methods are fading, I've seen friends launch successful businesses solely through Facebook ads, targeting cold traffic with innovative, low-cost strategies that captivate and convert. Their secret? Understanding their audience, refining their offer, and staying true to their vision.Moreover, the debate between long-form and short-form content, between videos and podcasts, between blogging and microblogging, often misses the point. The medium is just a vessel; your content's heart and soul come from your personal experience, your voice, and your passion.So, how do you find your unique path in this crowded content landscape? Start by choosing one or two types of content that feel natural to you. Commit to creating consistently, whether it's through Instagram reels, blog posts, podcasts, or any medium that sparks joy in you. Give it time, be patient, and watch as your unique voice starts to resonate with an audience that's been yearning for something different, something authentically you.Remember, the goal isn't to churn out content for the sake of visibility. It's about creating content that matters, content that makes a difference in someone's life, even if it's just one person. As we've explored throughout this series, "Everything is Content" isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a mindset, a reminder that our stories, experiences, and insights are valuable and deserve to be shared.As we conclude this special series, I invite you to join me in embracing the power of personal content creation. Let's not just follow the trends; let's set them. Let's not just create content; let's create connections. And most importantly, let's remember that in a world where everyone is zagging, the ziggers are not just seen – they're remembered, celebrated, and followed.Thank you for joining me on this journey. Here's to creating content that's as unique as you are, to finding your voice in the cacophony, and to the incredible journey of zigging when the world zags.

Kim [00:00:00]:Hey, guys. Welcome back to part 4 of this special series called Everything is Content. First of all, thank you so much for listening this far this week. And if you haven't listened to the first three, I highly recommend them because they all kind of build on each other. But today, we're gonna talk about documenting. We're gonna talk about documenting with a little bit of a twist. And if you've not registered yet, I am hosting a live Everything is Content workshop next week, March 6th at 11 AM Pacific time. Or if you can't attend live, of course, there will be a recording.Kim [00:00:32]:And if you've reached this or listened to this, after March 6th, you can still get the on demand workshop. Alright, guys. That's it for now. Let's jump into today's episode. Hey there, it's Kim Doyal, and welcome to my show, where digital marketing meets real stories, experiences, and strategies. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at what's working and not working in my business, as well as other experts who show up and share their stories. As much as I love talking about marketing principles and tactics, we'll dig a little deeper with mindset and explore what's required to create a business you love on your terms that also supports your life. I wanna help you understand the why behind the how.Kim [00:01:13]:Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just dipping your toes in, remember that marketing is a journey, and the goal is to enjoy it. My desire is to guide you on your journey and remind you that no matter what life throws at you, you've got this. Alright, guys. Welcome back to video 4 of the everything is content series. Now today, we're gonna talk about documenting, but with a little bit of a twist. And I believe I I I'm gonna quote Gary v as saying document, don't create. I don't know if he's the originator of the statement. I'm gonna assume he is, but, and to some extent, I agree.Kim [00:01:49]:But unless you're you're somebody like Gary v or you have someone like Gary v. What was his his video guy's name was d rock? I don't know if he still does. I'm assuming he does, because he's pretty he's consistent. Right? When he believes in a philosophy, he's he sticks with it, and it's worked well for him. And I like him. He's a nice guy. I met him in an elevator one time, you guys. Just me and him.Kim [00:02:13]:He took a selfie. I didn't have my phone, and he emailed it to me. So he really is a nice person in real life, too. Anyways, for me, my day-to-day life looks a little bit boring. Even when I was in Costa Rica, and moving back there, I intend to be a little more interesting regarding what I share behind the scenes. But, you know, my day-to-day looks a little bit boring. So the only difference might be what I wear unless I decide to record 4 or 5 videos in a row, all in the same hoodie, but so be it. You know, people would be bored watching that.Kim [00:02:48]:So I wanna give you an example of something I'm documenting, and then the twist that I intend to put on this piece of content directly becomes it's because it's gonna become a profitable asset. And so I recently shared with my email list that I will move from Convertkit to Beehive for my email marketing. I made this decision just a couple of weeks ago, and I shared in an email that I was gonna do it, and that it would be done in phases. And so I'll go way more in-depth into the post but I have loved beehives since they first came out, but it didn't have the capabilities of doing a lot of stuff that you need email marketing to do. Like, I mean, you could do a solo broadcast, but at the same time, the tagging and the segments and automations and stuff. However, a lot of that is changing, and it just was not a full-blown robust email service provider. And out of the gate, it was incredible to publish newsletters, but there were just too many missing parts. So a little birdie told me about some updates.Kim [00:03:51]:They're adding, not to mention all the segmentations and automations that they have already added because from the original time that I saw, I mean, they deploy updates like nobody else I know. But when I heard this, I knew it was time to make a move. And I'm not here to bash on ConvertKit. I just I really do love Beehive. But because I will do this anyway, I figured why not document the process and create an epic blog post about it. And, so the epic blog post piece of it, there's a whole point where this becomes a profitable asset, but here's how I'm gonna do this. So I'm separating the why and the how, and then I went into chat GPT and I created an outline for this. Now, I've been working on the behind-the-scenes for this for a little bit because I need to make sure I'm not missing integrations.Kim [00:04:42]:So, as an example, I have a ton of opt-ins throughout all my content on my site using Convertbox. Well, I needed to make sure that because there's no native Beehive integration, there's probably a webhook, but I could do something with Zapier or, a tool called Integrately actually does this also. So that way I don't have to change the opt ins, I just have to change the code inside Convertbox. Anyway, I know it's a little, tacky there. By the way, if you download the PDF of Everything is Content, I'll put the link in the first comments again. I've got the link to the whole chat GPT thread that I walked through to create the outline for this post, right, and the structure of of creating the content. I'm not gonna use chat gpt to write the content. I don't ever do that for any of my content.Kim [00:05:28]:And not because it's good, bad, or indifferent. I just like to write my content. I just wanted an outline, which will probably then become the table of contents in the post, right, to structure the process and get started, right, and then there's gonna be edits. It's all about iteration, guys. Keep iterating iterating. So one thing to keep in mind is that, you know, we've heard the term build in public, and I have a good friend, Kevan, Chong who does this brilliantly, he's got an incredible cohort that I've gone through. I kind of think of this more as practicing in public, because when I think of building public, I think of having a finished product versus creating and practicing creating content publicly, if that makes sense. So maybe it's splitting hairs semantics, but I like to think of this as practicing in public.Kim [00:06:17]:And let me come back. I see this is what happens when Kim goes off script. But what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna make this move, document it, and work on the post. And then when all is said and done and everything's working, then I'll publish the post. Because I need to make sure it works. And by the way, I found an incredible tool that I'm gonna use in this post, it is called supadem0, s u p a d e m o, because with AI you just record your screen and it does the hot spots and the annotations like click here then do this. You don't have to record your voice. It picks up through the HTML, like, it is amazing.Kim [00:06:56]:Anyways, you'll probably see me using that for a handful of things with content. So once I have officially completed the move in the content, then I'll go ahead and publish the post. Now I will also convert the entire post into a PDF if people don't wanna have to come back to the post because the other thing you guys with super demo, you can export the screenshots and instructions into a document. So, well, I could embed the video and take them back to the site, but I could also put in the PDF the step by step instructions with the screenshots and the annotations. It's amazing. And then I'll have a a simple checklist to make sure that they have not missed anything, I e, I've not missed anything, like, did you check, you you know, which integrations? Did you check it with HighLevel? Did you check it here? Any other integrations, Thrivecart, like, where do you have integrations out on the web? So that way I create this really valuable asset. So here's where this becomes a profitable asset. The first and most obvious is that it is, I'll have my affiliate link, right? I I've referred, I don't know, 4 people or something to Beehive And with Beehive's affiliate, you get like half 50% for the 1st 12 months.Kim [00:08:07]:And so that's one way. Right? But here's here's the long term game that I want you to think about here. Throughout the post, I will have opt ins for for the guide. Right? The the convert kit to beehive complete playbook, migration or something. Horrible name off the top of my head but you get the point. And again it will have my affiliate link in it but the goal is to capture the email subscribers. But here's the thing, not just any subscribers, these are my ideal subscribers because one, if they're on ConvertKit they're already either using email, want to be using email and they understand the important importance of email marketing, and then both platforms have newsletters. So these are also people that probably have or considering doing a newsletter.Kim [00:08:55]:And so all of these things integrates email content and newsletters. Right? And then of course there's an element of chat gpt that I can tie into all of that. So the point is to get my ideal customer onto my list and serve them something, serve them, provide them something of value, but I know because of what I'm giving them that there's a definitive interest there. Right? Like I you have to be careful because the truth is, you know, I will also let them know they're getting the newsletter, the spark, but I also don't wanna get caught up in doing a ton of how to videos. Right? I I've got courses, everything is content, like, I'm teaching this stuff, but to be able to show you how to do the framework is gonna be a a paid product probably at some point. But the thing is, you have to be careful with how to because you can also build a list of freebie seekers who just want to learn from you for free. So there's a fine line there, and then at the end of the sequence once somebody opts in, the goal then of course is to have a low price product relative to the follow-up sequence. So here's what I'm gonna do too.Kim [00:09:57]:I'm gonna pour the gas on this. I'm gonna run paid traffic to this post. I am in Laurel Porter's $7 a month Facebook advertising, if you wanna get into Facebook ads, the value that Laurel provides is bar none, it's amazing what this woman provides for free, and her ad strategy is definitely for the long term, right, it's it's video views for content, which you will see me probably doing very shortly with everything is content. But I'm gonna test, like, $5 a day ads to this piece of content because the goal again is people who are interested in doing this probably aren't gonna wanna read and are who are interested in doing it are gonna want to read and see the videos and the step by step instructions. And so those people are my ideal subscribers. So we'll test, right, on and I'll see. I'd give it probably a couple weeks to test running, like, $5 a day ads to see how that works. And then the beauty is that once a post is done, it becomes an evergreen piece of content that provides massive value.Kim [00:10:56]:Now this post will be highly SEO optimized. I will make sure that I've got the right keywords, possibilities for ranking, you know, I have a, a blog post I did why happily chose BeHive over ConvertKit, it was for another newsletter, and that shows up on page 1. I forget what I had searched, but this is gonna be much more in-depth. Right? And then the other piece of this is there are additional ways I can support people through courses and coaching about email and newsletters and content, you know, because truth is it's unlikely they would be using Beehive if they weren't in this creator space, digital marketing space, and weren't interested in pursuing 1 if not all 3 of those things. So in other words, because I don't provide done for you services, I don't want to get back into the hamster wheel of a tonne of how to content. But if I can have a couple pieces of pillar content that pull my right audience to me, that's where I'm gonna run with it. Alright. And just like everything else I have talked about creating this content will be something I can repurpose into a multitude of ways for different platforms.Kim [00:11:59]:I'm thinking Carousel would be really good for this post. And then naturally, tag the beehive team every time I share it with, of course, the hope that they share it too. And here's a little hat tip, hat tip, ninja tip from my brilliant friend Jason Resnick, who if you wanna get, you know, into email automations and, a little bit advanced segmentation and really even setting up your ConvertKit account. Here's your guy. Anyways, this this was so brilliant. He suggested that I set up a zap so that anytime someone mentions ConvertKit and Beehive in the same tweet on Twitter, I can automatically tweet them with just a link to an article. I'm not selling them anything and talk about content karma. Right? Basically, it's here's an article that solves your problem for free.Kim [00:12:43]:And side note, if you're not on Jason's list, go to nurturekit.co and you can get all of his brilliance, like that zap and tweet strategy, but he's got all these great email strategies. I kinda think, like, we do regular calls and I think of myself as sort of the content story person and he's much more the, I'm more right brained, I think he's more left brained, although he does an incredible job writing too. So wrapping up you guys. Okay. I get that this post might seem like a lot of work, but I would rather do one really good piece of content that I get massive leverage from and I'm having to do it anyways. Right? So instead of just documenting stuff, think about what you're documenting. And I get it. Some people might wanna do, you know, documenting I'm going for a walk, all those things work too.Kim [00:13:28]:You have to test and try things out. So I'm doing this specifically with the intention of leads and sales. And the sales for me preference would be long term, but the there's a bonus that I can do it as an affiliate as well. You know, they're kind of the icing on the cake. So I know this was kind of meaty, there was a lot in this. And then last but not least, video 5, we're gonna talk about zigging when everyone else is zagging. So I'll see you in the next video. And again you can grab the full pdf of all of these videos in the first comments, I've got the link below.Kim [00:14:05]:Thanks, guys. If you're watching this somewhere else, it'll be in the description. So, again, we gotta repurpose. Right? Thanks, guys. Alright. That is it for part 4. Tomorrow, we're going to wrap up the special series on Everything Is Content. We're going to talk about zigging like everyone else is zigging.Kim [00:14:26]:How's that for a fancy title for you? Yeah. And if you have not registered yet, go ahead and go to Kim Doyal. com forward/workshop for the live everything is a content workshop that is happening on March 6th at 11 AM Pacific time. As always, guys, thanks for listening, and I'll catch you tomorrow for the last in this special series of Everything is Content.

Unleashing the Power of Content Karma in Your StrategyEmbracing the Concept of Content KarmaHey, everyone! Welcome back to the third installment of our "Everything is Content" series. Today, we're diving into a concept I'm super excited about—let's call it "content karma" for now. It's inspired by Matthew Dicks' enlightening book, "Storyworthy," which revolutionized my view on storytelling and content creation. The idea is simple yet powerful: We're all storytellers, and by harnessing this innate skill, we can endlessly craft engaging content.Why Highlighting Others Works WondersHighlighting and sharing others' work has been a cornerstone of my journey, especially during my early days as the WordPress Chick. By focusing on what others were doing, I not only carved out my niche but also discovered a formula for content creation that felt both comfortable and authentic. Launching a podcast became a turning point, allowing me to amplify others' voices and, in turn, my own. This approach is not just about creating content—it's about building connections and community.A Project Close to My HeartI'm currently working on a special podcast series aimed at amplifying women's voices in finance and entrepreneurship. The goal is to share their impactful messages with my audience, much like how we share our favorite novels or movies with friends. This project will result in a rich tapestry of content, including podcasts, videos, blog posts, and social campaigns, all designed to spread their invaluable insights.How You Can Make Your Own Value DepositsCreating value deposits, or what I like to call "content karma," is about sharing, highlighting, and promoting the work of others. Here are some ways you can start making your own deposits:Roundup Lists: Compile lists of people, tools, and resources that have influenced you.Mentors: Share the work of both official and unofficial mentors whose teachings have impacted your journey.Content Sharing: Promote content that resonates with you, whether it's through newsletters, social media, or personal recommendations.Engagement: Actively engage with others' content to help increase its visibility.The Ripple Effect of GivingBy focusing on giving rather than receiving, you create a win-win situation: your audience gains valuable insights, and you help boost the visibility of others within your community. This ethos of goodwill, or content karma, ensures that your efforts will eventually come back to you tenfold.Looking AheadAs we continue our series, remember that in the realm of content creation, everything—and everyone—is worth celebrating. Stay tuned for our next discussion on documenting with a twist, and let's keep spreading those value deposits far and wide.