

Free Time with Jenny Blake
Jenny Blake
Set your time free through smarter systems so you can do more of your best work. Free Time launched in 2021 and releases on Tuesdays and Fridays. It's a Webby-nominated business podcast and winner of three W3 awards for best show and best host. Join Jenny Blake, author of three award-winning books—including Free Time: Lose the Busywork and Love Your Business and Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One—to explore our guiding question: How can we earn twice as much in half the time, with joy and ease, while serving the highest good? Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Bonus: please leave a review and share with a friend—word-of-mouth is the most joyful way to grow the show :) Subscribe to theTime Well Spent newsletter at ItsFreeTime.com, and share this episode at pod.link/freetime. Check out Jenny's other podcast, Pivot with Jenny Blake, on navigating change at pod.link/pivotmethod.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 20, 2022 • 41min
Building a Second Brain with Tiago Forte [BEST OF]
What is your relationship to information? Scattered and chaotic, or clear and navigable? Do you have streamlined systems for saving, distilling, and crafting original thought-leadership from what you encounter and store, or are you stuck when it comes time to create order from the chaos?Our guest this week, Tiago Forte, is here to teach you how to develop a second brain—a mindset that transcends toolset—through information-wrangling habits that will change the way you think and create.This episode originally aired on July 19, 2022.More About Tiago: Tiago Forte is a leading productivity expert who has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness. Today we’re talking about his new book, Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential. Learn more at Fortelabs.co, and subscribe to his Building a Second Brain podcast.🌟 3 Key Takeaways:
Building a Second Brain is not about any one piece of software; it is about acquiring a new set of tools in your relationship to information, such as the practice of distilling marginalia or highlights after you read a book or clipping articles you find interesting even if you don’t plan to do anything with them yet.
Apply the “campsite rule” to information in your business—leave notes better than you found them. You can do this by adding things like commentary, highlights, bullets a heading, etc.
“Only start projects that are already 80 percent done.” By the time you sit down to make progress on something, all the work to gather and organize the source material should already be done.
📝 Permission: Not to be everywhere on all channels. Pick just one place that best fits your personality and style. Treat that channel as a place for your unique artistic expression.✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: What do people ask you about most? Build out an FAQ by answering that question thoroughly, and posting it somewhere on your website, in Google Docs, or Notion. Then send future inquirers the link instead of one-off email messages.📘Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Building a Second Brain
🔗Resources Mentioned:
Tiago on the web, Instagram: @fortelabsco, Twitter, LinkedIn
Building a Second Brain Book Resources
Building a Second Brain Course
Tools Mentioned: Readwise, Notion, Evernote, Instapaper, Pocket, Loom
🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
034: Organizing Research and Ideas - Notion Walkthrough #1
036: Shaping Big Ideas - Notion Walkthrough #2
038: Tracking Progress Toward Finishing a Book (or Big Idea) with an Essay Tracker - Notion Walkthrough #3
101: Run Your Business with Exquisite Greatness and Tiny Art Projects with Alexandra Franzen
Pivot 135: The Bliss Engine with Jim Blake (aka Daddy-O!)
Pivot 281: Feeling Impostery? Become a Qualified Curator Instead of an Expert
Pivot 183: Cultivating Opposites and Checklists with Alexandra Franzen
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.❤️Consider joining Jenny’s private BFF community, where you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners.💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/111 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 16, 2022 • 40min
Top Ten Lessons from 💯 Episodes [BEST OF]
This best of episode is a replay of the 100th episode of this show since launching on March 21, 2021. I gave myself the tricky task of pairing down the top ten lessons learned this last year and a half. I wish I could’ve pulled an excerpt from every single guest, but alas! These are the lessons that stuck most, sparking new insights and ahas. This episode originally aired June 10, 2022. 🎁 We're bringing back BOGOGO! Give the gift of free time to yourself and others in the new year by participating in our Buy One, Get One, Give One bonus—back for a limited time. Here's how it works:
Buy One: Order the hardcover edition and submit proof of purchase at http://itsfreetime.com/bogogo
Get One: Within one business day, you'll get audiobook access via private feed and the Free Time Toolkit
Give One: You will get details on how to gift audiobook access to a friend :)
✨ Top Ten Lessons from 💯 Episodes ✨#1: See yourself as a star performer, and challenge yourself to delegate ever-more of the rest. [01:54]
006: Going Pro on Podcasting with Jordan Harbinger
011: Pitching Shark Tank with Sarah Apgar
019: Most Valuable Activities with Dave Crenshaw
#2: Focus on building process, not reactive replies, to reduce incoming noise. [04:39]002: Eliminate Email with Cal Newport#3: An abundance mindset is bigger than money; remember, we are “Funded by Source.” [07:27]029: Funded By Source with Ksenia Avdulova#4: Zoom out to see brand as an investment, not a cost. [09:53]
005: Brand Obsessed with Emily Heyward
045: Behind the Free Time Brand with Adam Chaloeicheep
093: How to Sell Your Online Business with Alexis Grant
#5: Build redundancy by stepping back from being the bottleneck; if you’re running a “body shop” find ways to leverage your IP to create greater scale and reach. [14:24]
057: You vs. You 2.0 with MBS
061: Scaling Boutique Businesses with Greg Alexander
#6: Say no to people-pleasing and invitations that don’t spark joy. [19:57]
003: Liberate Your Life Force with Christine Arylo
035: The Long Game with Dorie Clark
071: Cues - On Charisma with Vanessa Van Edwards
#7: Go beyond a launch project (after which energy inevitably fizzles) to create a more sustainable sales system. [24:59]012: Generating Personal MBA Momentum with Josh Kaufman#8: Buyer’s remorse is inevitable; create a strategic plan and supporting processes to address it. [26:43]083: Breaking through Buyer’s Remorse—Never Lose a Customer Again with Joey Coleman#9: You’re doing extra work if you’re not creating evergreen email sequences! Save your best newsletters as part of an ongoing welcome series for new subscribers. [29:45]069: Epic Evergreen Email Sequences with Allan Dib#10: When it comes to taking risks and taking on new projects, don’t worry about competition: ask what’s safe to try, and remember that there is room for you. [33:05]
081: DAOing and Prioritizing Progress over Perfection with Aaron Dignan
089: Is the Podcast Market Too Saturated? Featuring Megan Dougherty of One Stone Creative
📝 Permission: To keep hitting publish on your projects and ongoing public original thinking, no matter how awkward or imperfect. 📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One 💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe » 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/tools💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/100 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 13, 2022 • 1h 1min
Run Your Business with Exquisite Greatness and Tiny Art Projects with Alexandra Franzen [BEST OF]
How has Alexandra Franzen built two thriving businesses without social media? By delivering work with a quality I like to call “exquisite greatness.” She treats every marketing initiative like a tiny art project, something to get excited about rather than a draining chore to dread—and no, it doesn’t require social media. As Alex shares, according to a Nielsen study, 92% of customers purchase products or services because of a recommendation from someone they know.This episode originally aired on June 14, 2022.More About Alex: Alexandra Franzen is a bestselling author, award-winning editor, and entrepreneur based in Hawaii. She’s the co-founder of Get It Done, a company providing writing coaching, editing, proofreading, cover design, publishing, and distribution services for clients who want to write a book. She writes one of my favorite newsletters at AlexandraFranzen.com, and runs her popular Tiny Book Course. Alex deleted all of her social media accounts eight years ago as she describes in her forthcoming book, Marketing Without Social Media.🌟 3 Key Takeaways:
Being excellent at what you do is the best way to get more clients and revenue.
Do less and do it better. There is always another layer of simplicity you can reach with your work.
Flex your asking muscle. Remember that what you are asking for is usually a win-win and you will be giving as much as you receive.
📝 Permission: Give yourself a raise! If you are excellent at what you do, significantly increase what you charge. ✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: If you’re stressed by social media, take a break; stop for a week and see how it feels. It’ll be fine. It might even be great, allowing you to focus on creating tiny art with your business communications instead. 📘 Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Marketing Without Social Media: 100 Marketing Ideas (No Social Media Required) for Business Owners, Founders, Freelancers, Authors, Artists, Musicians, and Creatives
The 3-Day Effect
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Alex on the web, Get It Done, Tiny Book Course, Marketing Without Social Media Program
Ben Wendel
Brand Strategist: Jennifer Kem
Erin Haag: Pricing Overhaul
Video: Adele on Oprah
Related Podcast Episodes:
183: Cultivating Opposites and Checklists with Alexandra Franzen
076: On Plan Z, Creative Finish Lines and the Graceful No—with Alexandra Franzen
075: Coaching Through the Free Time Framework with Wade Brill
020: Pricing Psychology with Jacquette Timmons
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »❤️ Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review. Consider becoming a podcast BFF and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny, a private feed, and access to a community forum with fellow Heart-Based Business Owners.💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/tools 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/101 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 9, 2022 • 39min
Top 10 Free Time Principles {BEST OF}
Just a few days after launch, Free Time topped many Amazon charts! Although "making the lists" is not something I lose sleep over, it does go a long way toward raising awareness and generating lasting launch momentum. Here are some early category stats—I couldn't do any of this without you!
#1 New Release in Time Management
#1 New Release in Small Business
#1 New Release Organizational Change
#1 New Release Business Structural Adjustment
Enormous thanks to all of you who have read the book and posted reviews on Amazon and Goodreads already! Every one has warmed my heart. ❤️This episode originally aired on April 1, 2022. 🎁 We're bringing back BOGOGO! Give the gift of free time to yourself and others in the new year by participating in our Buy One, Get One, Give One bonus—back for a limited time. Here's how it works:
Buy One: Order the hardcover edition and submit proof of purchase at http://itsfreetime.com/bogogo
Get One: Within one business day, you'll get audiobook access via private feed and the Free Time Toolkit
Give One: You will get details on how to gift audiobook access to a friend :)
⭐️ Key Takeaways:
Make a list of how you’re spending your time for a week. If you see repeated tasks — those are prime candidates for automation.
Notice the mortifying moments in your business. We all have them, and as uncomfortable as they are, they are great chances to fix our systems.
Are your processes and systems ready for a big break? If Oprah came out of retirement and wanted to talk to you tomorrow — could you meet the increase in demand that would ensue?
💌 Permission: Relinquish your role as all-seeing question answerer. Let someone else answer the questions (and maybe your email!) — you are juggling way too much to remember all of the little things.✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Double it! Double how much you delegate. What is your comfort zone for allowing other people to take things over? Stretch it to accommodate more. 📘Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain
Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Client Retention
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
The Four-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Review Writing Quick Start chat
Leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads
Free Time Dashboard VIP Group
Free Time Coach: Chris Wilson
Podcast: Entrepreneurs On Fire
Podcast: Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Article: The Saturday Morning Test by Neil Pasricha
Podcast Production: One Stone Creative
Related Podcast Episodes:
Free Time Episode 62: Made By Monday On Content “Frog” Batching
Deep Questions Episode 157: JENNY BLAKE: Help Me Do Less!
❤️ Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review. Consider becoming a podcast BFF and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny, a private feed, and access to a community forum with fellow Heart-Based Business Owners.💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/080 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 6, 2022 • 53min
Eliminate Email with Cal Newport [BEST OF]
“Stab the Hydra in the heart.” Cal Newport is not pulling any punches with his latest treatise on how we can combat Hyperactive Hive Mind with smarter systems for communication. Email has become a constant source of guilt and stress for so many of us — listen in for strategies to reclaim your peace and focus.This episode originally aired on March 21, 2021.About Cal Newport: Cal Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University. He is the author of six books, including Deep Work, which argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the modern workplace. His latest, A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload, is in many ways his magnum opus on the topic of technology and the workplace. Be sure to also check out his podcast, Deep Questions.Key questions:
How can you approach email as a process observer (and architect), not a do-er?
What people or workflows can you put in place to eliminate email?
Where are you still reacting to the Hyperactive Hive Mind? What experiment can you run this week?
❤️ Enjoying the show? Please leave a rating or review. Free Time is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call:📘 Books Mentioned: Pivot, A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, Deep Work, So Good They Can’t Ignore You🔗 Links Mentioned: Cal on the web...and he’s not on Twitter! Or Facebook.🎙Related Podcasts: 122: Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport, 29: Deep Work: Ditch Cognitive Junk Food with Cal Newport💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts:📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! http://itsfreetime.com/episodes/002 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 snips
Dec 2, 2022 • 22min
150: 💸 3 Strategies to Set Your Time Free in 2023!
What steps can you take now to free your time far into the future? Long-time listeners know this is one of the central questions and strategies throughout Free Time, my book that helps you build the muscle of continually freeing more of your time. Today I’m sharing three strategies to set your time free in 2023. For added accountability in freeing your time in the year ahead, I encourage you to check out the Free Time Leader Kit—you can work through the sections of the book with your team or in a mastermind group (or join us in BFF!) for even more support.🎁 Give the gift of Free Time! Buy the book for your team members and business besties. We’ve reopened our BOGOGO promo for the holidays: Buy One, Get One, Give One. 🌟3 Key Takeaways:Set a Time Goal first, then work backward. How much is your time worth? Calculate it. What is your billable rate if you break down your income on an hourly basis? Here is how I estimate:
How much would you be *thrilled* to earn this year? ________________
How many work hours per week is *ideal* for you to achieve that? ____
Multiply that number by 42 weeks (to account for time off) = ______
Divide line 1 (a) by line 3 (c) to get your ideal billable hourly rate: _________
Fill in Strategic Goals within your time framework: How can you achieve them in half the time? Identify a friction area, then work through the Free Time Framework: Align, Design, Assign
Design your Calendar for the entire year ahead (now) with DNS Blocks: Parkinson's Law is the old adage that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion, first coined by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in a humorous essay he wrote for “The Economist” in 1955.
📝Permission: Aggressively block off time for the entire year ahead, only making exceptions in the moment for what’s joyful from week to week. ✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: Pick one area that’s important to you but where you’re experiencing friction. Fill out the Free Time Framework guide to work through improvements resulting in greater flow, joy, and ease. 📘Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss
🔗Resources Mentioned:
Free Time Toolkit, Leader Kit, Free Time Framework Quick Reference worksheet
Private BFF Community
Holiday BOGOGO promotion—Buy One, Get One, Give One
Parkinson’s Law
Paul Graham on Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule
🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
148: How to Build a Business Operations Dashboard
149: Tips, Tools & Must Have’s for Content Creators with Kim Kaupe
126: Creating Time Buffer—7 Strategies for Spacious Scheduling
134: How I Prepare for In-Person Speaking Engagements
056: Set Your Compass—Systems vs. Goals
Pivot 277: Expansive Impact and Spacious Scheduling with Sarah Young
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »🌟 Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.❤️ Join Jenny’s private BFF community for access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners.💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/150 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 snips
Nov 29, 2022 • 57min
149: Tips, Tools & Must Have’s for Content Creators with Kim Kaupe
According to SignalFire, the fastest growing type of small business is one that revolves around content creation, also known as the creator economy. In this conversation, Kim Kaupe and I explore favorite tips and tools for designing our calendar to support creative work, strategies for staying consistent, paying for accountability, “fishing where your fish are,” batching to get more done in less time, and how Kim prepared for her successful Shark Tank pitch several years ago. Watch the full conversation via video (YouTube) and our previous conversation on Time Blocking.🧰 If you want more help getting organized for the year ahead and freeing up dozens of hours each week, get your Free Time Operations Dashboard »More About Kim: Kim Kaupe is an accidental entrepreneur, who at 24 years old researched how to start a company. Fast-forward ten years later, she’s worked with Oprah and secured 4 out of 5 sharks on Shark Tank. On her Coffee with Kim show, she has meaningful conversations with fascinating, thought-provoking and successful CEOs, celebrities & influential individuals in business. She is an educator, speaker, and chocolate chip cookie aficionado who believes in hard work, short emails, and showing others how to showcase their strengths.🌟3 Key Takeaways:
Set up creative blocks on your calendar, and collect inspiration prior to those sessions. Create a cloud-based Collection Bucket if you don’t already have one.
For high-stakes situations: Find people who have recently done what you’re trying to do and “copy their homework.” How did it go? What surprised you? What helped you most? What were you unprepared for?
As far as where to publish content, ”You’ve got to fish where your fish are.” What pond are your people swimming in?
📝Permission: Pivot away from projects that are no longer a fit. People do business with people, not any one product. ✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: Open your calendar and block off the time you want to be unavailable before during and after holidays and other annual events. Make those blocks recurring so that your rest and relaxation time will be built in next year.📘Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Life After College
How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking by Sönke Ahrens
🔗Resources Mentioned:
Kim on the web, Bright Ideas Only, IG: @kimkaupe, LinkedIn, Facebook
Kim’s podcast: Coffee with Kim
LinkedIn Learning course Creator Mode
Video: Kim’s Shark Tank pitch for ZinePak
Newsletters: Kim’s Copy My Notes, Sarah Young’s Friday Favorites, #PivotList, The What
Article: Paul Graham on Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule
Tools: Captio (iOS), Superhuman, Boomerang, Kajabi, ConvertKit, Notion
🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
011: Pitching Shark Tank with Sarah Apgar
111: Building a Second Brain with Tiago Forte
069: Epic Evergreen Email Sequences with Allan Dib
Jenny on Coffee with Kim: Time Blocking: Creating More Free Time With Jenny Blake, Freeing Up Time In Your Life & Business with Jenny Blake
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »🌟 Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.❤️ Join Jenny’s private BFF community for access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners.💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/149 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 25, 2022 • 26min
148: How to Build a Business Operations Dashboard
Your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit got you here. Smarter systems will take you there.There is less friction in your operations and a greater focus on joyful work.There is a spacious calendar where you are free to dedicate time to your most compelling, strategic projects — the ones that best express your unique talents, powered by a Delightfully Tiny Team.It’s time to stop working full time and start working free time: by applying agile operating principles toward building smarter systems, starting with a centralized business operations dashboard if you don’t already have one.Today I’m sharing the key elements that a strong dashboard has; you’ll know because it makes running your business much easier—to the point where you may even find that you don’t need as many team members to power your operations. You and your team will know exactly how to find what you need and run the business smoothly, reducing pressure, removing yourself as Chief Everything Officer, and preventing “death by a thousand question cuts.”🌟3 Key Takeaways:
Make sure the software you choose to run your dashboard is searchable, customizable, and interlinkable.
5 must-have elements: centralized task tracker, manager manual (with SOPs), content calendar, business areas, and meeting notes.
7 nice-to-have elements: CRM, client tracker, gift tracker, operating principles, metrics scorecard, idea collection bucket, and weekly updates.
📝Permission: Not to build this dashboard yourself! It’s already done for you :) Check!✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: Learn more and start freeing your time today » Apply promo code PODCAST for 10% off📘Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Client Retention by John Ruhlin
🔗Resources Mentioned:
Done-for-you Free Time Operations Dashboard
Free Time Toolkit with Manager Manual Entry and Weekly Updates templates
Private BFF community
JB’s 4-minute Collection Bucket walkthrough
🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
088: Why I Moved from Asana to Notion for Task and Project Management
104: Save Someone Next Steps
125: How to Create Your Own CRM with Alex Sherwood
002: Eliminate Email with Cal Newport
034: Organizing Research and Ideas - Notion Walkthrough #1
036: Shaping Big Ideas - Notion Walkthrough #2
038: Tracking Progress Toward Finishing a Book (or Big Idea) with an Essay Tracker - Notion Walkthrough #3
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe » 🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.❤️Consider joining Jenny’s private BFF community, where you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners. 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/148 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 22, 2022 • 51min
147: How to Set Up Brand Partnerships with Justin Moore
If you’re a business owner thinking, “My platform is too small to land sponsors,” today’s guest will encourage you to think again. Instead of counting yourself out purely because of the numbers—consider shifting your mindset from how you can help brands to how you can serve your audience best. In this conversation, sponsorship coach Justin Moore shares his hard-earned wisdom on forming mutually beneficial partnerships between brands and creators. He shares tons of tactics on the power of specificity, creative partnership approaches, why you shouldn’t put prices in your media kit, the halo effect, and so much more. As Justin says when it comes to working with brand partners, “You’re not just a creator, you are a consultant.”More About Justin: Justin Moore is a Sponsorship Coach and founder of @CreatorWizard, a school and community dedicated to teaching others how to find and negotiate dream brand deals. He has a unique perspective on how brands choose which influencers they will partner with and those they will not. Justin is on a mission to enable creators to land 1 million paid brand partnerships by 2032.🌟 Key Takeaways:
What brands will help solve the problems that you know (from asking them!) that your audience has? The brand can become the conduit to help solve those problems via your community’s relationship with you.
Pricing for sponsorships depends on which of three goal types the brand has in mind: conversions, content repurposing, or brand awareness. Do not list prices in your media kit! Instead, you can include three tiers of deliverables (good, better, best) and first ask for their budget range for those tiers.
If you believe brand partnerships are an important marketing tactic for your business, develop in-house competency in negotiating and delivering the deals.
📝Permission: Take a breath and think about the present moment. Celebrate the business success you have already achieved. ✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: Conduct a survey or run a poll on IG to ask your audience about their lives: What is keeping them up at night? Where are they consuming your content? What brands and products are you using and loving right now that might help your audience with where they’re at? 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One🔗Resources Mentioned:
Justin on the web, YouTube, IG: @creatorwizard, Twitter, Facebook, newsletter
CreatorWizard Courses: Brand Deal Wizard, Gifted to Paid
Tools: ConvertKit, The Sponsorship Wheel: 8-Step Framework
🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
139: Paid Newsletter Secrets and Organizing Knowledge with David Elikwu
020: Pricing Psychology with Jacquette Timmons
107: How to Know When You’ve Gotten Pricing Wrong with Jacquette M. Timmons
The Nathan Barry Show: 068: Justin Moore – Game-Changing Newsletter Sponsorship Strategies
Pivot 262: Why I Decided To Run Ads
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.❤️Consider joining Jenny’s private BFF community, where you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners.💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/147 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 18, 2022 • 18min
146: New? Help Us Welcome the Next You (A Message for Your New Team Members)
There’s a missing chapter in Free Time that, over the course of editing, got condensed down into a single bullet point. When someone new joins your team, even part-time, those first few days, weeks, and months have potential to transform your manager manual—in ways that you would otherwise miss. I encourage you to share this episode with your new team members as they join!🌟Key Takeaways for New Team Members: The business owner is up to their ears in responsibility. Improving onboarding documentation is a huge gift (and quick win) you can give to your new team. Make sure your questions “live three lives.” 1. The first time you ask (if you’ve already checked all internal documentation and external help centers first), 2. Capturing the reply internally, and 3. On any public-facing pages to help clients or community.📝Permission: Business owners, not to have everything buttoned up and perfect before bringing someone into your business. Team members, you have permission to take the reins of the onboarding process, whether or not you’re being asked. ✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: New? Help us welcome the next you: Look for ways to improve our onboarding documentation as you get up to speed. With fresh eyes, you are best equipped to update processes that are out-of-date and add new FAQs and answers to questions that we didn’t previously think to include. What else would the next new person find helpful?📘Books Mentioned:
Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
🔗Resources Mentioned: Done-for-you Free Time Operations Dashboard, Free Time Toolkit🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
104: Save Someone Next Steps
086: The Cyrano Strategy for Delegating Important Comms
066: Tasks vs. Templates
092: Train the System, Then the Person
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe » 🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.❤️Consider joining Jenny’s private BFF community, where you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners. 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/146 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


