The $100 MBA Show

YouTube: ignore it at your peril. It’s the world’s second largest search engine, and its content often dominates the results of that other search engine. It’s a powerful marketing channel, as powerful as any blog or social media account.So how do you get started?Today, we’ll explain how to get your own YouTube channel up and running with minimal hassle. With step-by-step instructions and loads of online resources, you can claim your space on this increasingly vital platform.We’ll discuss how to manage realistic expectations, and how “standing out” on this very crowded platform is less important than finding your niche. With a reasonable investment of time and effort, you can reap major traffic from YouTube — even if you’ve never shot a video before.  Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Standing out as a writer is tough. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to shoot for the New York Times’ best-seller list. You just have to find your audience, and grow it. But for today’s authors, that begs the question: does Amazon help with that, or hurt?Or both?It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners is a fiction author who’s not sure whether to even build their own website, since Amazon…y’know, exists. After all, most books are sold on Amazon, right? Is it worth the time and effort to build a site that just forwards people to The Everything Store anyway?Spoiler alert, budding authors: do not rely on Amazon.We get into the details on today’s episode. We’ll discuss why Amazon is helpful for authors, and the price you pay in return. We’ll explain how important your own website really is, and what you lose by not having one.  We’ll also explain why even if you are selling books on Amazon, your own separate corner of the Internet is still a must..Plus, we’ll discuss how the difference between physical books and e-books factors into the overall equation.Amazon is a useful resource for writers and entrepreneurs of all kinds, but that doesn’t mean you should only market and sell there. Find out why, plus learn where to get some affordable help in setting up your own website. Click Play!To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No matter what you’re selling — product or service, physical or digital — a great video can be a marketing game-changer.Videos are an efficient way to get attention, get your message across, and nurture leads faster. As content goes, video is almost as important as the written word these days, and will almost certainly keep trending up.And by the way: it’s ok if you’ve never made a demo video before.Today, we’ll explain how to craft short, effective, professional demo videos for your product. We’ll go through each step in the process, and take the intimidation factor out of the equation for anyone with something to sell.We promise it’s easier than you think!We’ll explain how to plan and execute your video with conversions in mind, and of course we’ll offer recommendations for hardware and software that makes it all a snap.A good short video can be far-reaching and seriously impactful. Take the time to produce one or two, and you just might make it an integral part of your overall marketing strategy. Start with this lesson. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You’ve heard of B2C and B2B. But H2H is still important, no matter what kind of business you run.Angela Henderson is a business coach, keynote speaker, and podcaster who helps women business owners from around the world earn consistent 5-figure monthly revenue and multiple 6-figure years… without burning out in the process. Her focus on the human aspect of lead nurturing and customer relationships might sound a little analog, but that’s exactly what makes it effective.Today, she’s here to help us understand how there’s no substitute for the personal touch.If you’re looking to stand out in your marketing, and turn customers into lifers, H2H may be the ingredient you haven’t considered. People’s human interactions with your brand can define it in the long term, regardless of everything else you’re doing to grow your business.In other words, while outsourcing, automation, and staffing are important for efficiency, those tactics have their limits.Tune in, and let Angela explain why that phone call, that check-in, and all the ways you personally show up can make all the difference – even though you’re busy. Click Play!Finlee + MeAngela Henderson ConsultingBuiltWithNerdyDataDiscover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://lm.fm/GgRPPHiSUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You’ve built a business. Congratulations! Now, it’s time to stop building it.Seriously.One trap entrepreneurs fall into is failing to take Marshall Goldsmith’s old advice: “What got you here won’t get you there.” In this case, it means hanging on to responsibilities that shouldn’t be yours anymore — things you handled at the beginning, but only because there was no one else.In other words, it’s time to let others work so you can lead.Today, we’ll discuss what tasks you should be handing off to your team. Your role as founder has to be sharply defined, or you’ll end up being sucked into endless day-to-day stuff that keeps your business running, but doesn’t move it forward. If you’re not ready to expand your team accordingly, that’s ok too. We’ll discuss alternatives, as well as how to map out a long-term plan for making the right hires. The goal: to have everyone in your company — including you — doing only what they’re best at, not just what needs to be done.Plus, we’ll offer a few tips on where to turn for even more help, inspiration, and advice for finally, truly taking the lead. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens to your company’s Customer Support during holidays? More importantly, what happens when it’s a holiday for some of your employees or customers, but not for others? It’s a global economy, and if you run a global business like ours, this becomes an issue. With a couple dozen employees and thousands of customers scattered around 4 different continents, the holidays can be a puzzle..Fortunately, we like to experiment.We’ve tried different ways of handling the whole holiday thing over the years. Most recently, we tried a new approach this past Easter. Frankly, we were a little scared to try it. But in the end, we learned something pretty valuable. As our team and user base grow, it’s becoming more challenging to accommodate everyone. It’s also becoming more necessary. Today, we’ll discuss everything you should consider when plotting out your holiday strategy. By doing a little homework, strategizing, and communicating clearly, you can keep your business functional while respecting everyone’s culture and downtime. Customer Support can be your company’s biggest differentiator. Make the effort to get it right, and it will pay off. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’re anxious about letting employees go, you are not alone.Unemployment rates are at absurd levels, as company after company is forced into mass layoffs. Small businesses are no exception. The only difference? Axing team members can hurt more when the team is small.Timing can make a huge difference. When you let employees go affects how you let them go, and the difference can be life-altering.It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who’s considering two options: rounding everyone up and laying them off at once, or staggering the layoffs to keep some people for as long as possible. Both options have their ups and downs. But one may be the lesser of two evils.Tune in, and we’ll discuss the arguments for and against both approaches, and share our recommendation. Learn how to layoff in the most ethical, damage-mitigating way possible — because things will be normal again some day, and how you treated your team during COVID-19 will matter long after the virus is under control. Click Play!To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Whether you blog or vlog, work in words or graphics, it’s time to turn the content machine up to 11. Like, now.It’s not just a way to pass the time while we’re all cooped up inside. For all the downsides, the current lockdowns aren’t just a way to save lives — they’re a business opportunity no entrepreneur should ignore. You not only have time to create more content; your audience has more time to consume it, engage, and take action.Of course, you should have a plan.Today, we’ll discuss how to  create a production schedule that keeps you consisten, and build up your content marketing asset stockpile. We’ll identify 3 reasons it’s so crucial to ramp up content production now, and how the effects of doing so will last long after the pandemic is over. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of our favorite authors is back with another mindset-altering book we can’t wait to share with you. Ryan Holiday’s Stillness Is The Key is required reading for anyone looking to be their best in business and life. No, it’s not a meditation instruction manual. It’s a guide to addressing the overwhelm and anxiety common to running a business, and finding the calm you need to make the right calls.In other words, anxious minds make anxiety-driven decisions.This book is profound, but accessible, wide-ranging but practically applicable. Today, we’ll discuss how its lessons can help entrepreneurs and small business owners specifically. It’s not about being falsely stoic or emotionless. Rather, it’s about finding an internal stillness that allows you to navigate crazy situations — timely, no? It’s the perfect guide for dealing with the high stakes of independent business, and a sobering reminder of focusing on what truly matters most. Click Play!Stillness Is The Key by Ryan HolidayDiscover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cybersecurity has never been more important, as COVID-19 forces more and more business online. As we learned from the Zoom debacle, leaving your business vulnerable can lead to some serious losses, potentially losses you can’t recover from.Let’s protect your baby.There are three online “gates” cyberjerks can hack their way through, if you let them. We’ll discuss each way in, and how to properly secure it before nefarious actors have a chance to strike. No matter what kind of business you run, cybercrime can happen to you — and it’s kind of a booming business right now.In the early days of our business, we learned the importance of cybersecurity the hard way. We’d prefer to pass those lessons on to you before you have a crisis of your own.The good news? Getting solid security in place isn’t that difficult or time-consuming. By investing a few hours of your life, you can make sure that all your hard work isn’t compromised. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.