Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Business Owners Grow Without Burnout

Most attempts to start a community these days feel a lot like the approach the Underpants Gnomes from South Park took in making money. Step 1: Launch a Discord, Step 2: ???, Step 3: Community! But it’s not like that at all. And Drew Dillon, founder of Burb and community expert, is here to set the record straight.Top Takeaways:You need to think of the community as a business. Create a reason for people to care and engage. And close the look by making sure the community isn’t just about you - it’s about people connecting.Start with a hypothesis. Ask what you think your audience has in common and why they might want to come together. Then test and iterate. Start with a Zoom call first and see if people want to connect after.Do things that don’t scale at first. With 10-20 members, you can really get to know them and understand their needs (and those of the community). Around 50, you’ll likely need to start automating.Show Notes:Drew DillonDrew on TwitterDrew on Linkedin Burb on LinkedinSPI 603: The Secret to Building the Best Community interview with Drew DillonHow To Build a $1000/year Membership with Jay ClouseBurb BlogGarbage Day NewsletterJoin the Creator CrewSponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash ★ Support this podcast ★

Molly Keyser made half-a-million dollars selling a 15-page, $59 eBook without spending money on ads. How do you ask? She created something SUPER valuable, that immediately made the buyer money. And throughout this episode, Molly is going to tell us how she went from professional photographer to online educator making digital products, all by knowing and serving her niche. There’s A LOT to unpack, and I know you’ll find a lot of actionable tips here.Top Takeaways:Clearly define your niche so you can serve them, and stay true to that niche. Remember: Just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you should teach it.For your digital products, you need to solve a problem for your audience. Painkillers sell better than vitamins most of the time. And bonus points if you can point to immediate ROI.If you (or you from 2 years ago) aren’t your ideal client, immerse yourself in communities of your ideal clients so that you can learn their biggest pain points.Show Notes:Molly KeyserMolly on YouTubeMolly on FacebookMolly on InstagramMolly on TiktokProduct Ladder by Chris LemaJoin the Creator CrewSponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash ★ Support this podcast ★

We’ve been told for years that creating an “ideal customer avatar” is the best way to understand your audience. But the truth is that’s just guessing on your part. Do you know how you actually get to understand your customers? Have customers! Talk to them, and then write content for them. That’s what Will Shultz recommends. And as a Sales and Marketing coach, he knows a thing or two.Top Takeaways:You need someone in-house to make your content. That’s how you’ll create great content that shows a deep understanding of your customer and their journey.If you’re having trouble coming up with content, take what you’re creating for a specific client and generalize it. That way, you’ve written for someone. Chances are there are similar folks out there.Don’t worry about giving too much away for free. You differentiate yourself by becoming trusted and valued. You do that by showing people you deeply understand their problems.Show Notes:Will ShultzWill on LinkedinFree Virtual Consulting SessionsUpgrade 438Join the Creator CrewSponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash ★ Support this podcast ★

I know what you’re thinking. Budgets? That’s what you’re going to base your entire year on.I know this because that’s what my wife said. But fear not, my friends. Like Transformers™, it’s more than meets the eye.Show Notes:My 2023 Yearly Theme Cortex PodcastJoin the Creator CrewSponsored by: Paid Memberships Pro | Ahrefs | LearnDash ★ Support this podcast ★

Earlier this year, Amazon announced the Kindle Scribe -- their competitor to the reMarkable 2. It's more affordable, they had an initial deal for Prime members, and a good trade-in price for my Kindle Oasis. SO the $500 device got down to $238. I bought it. Here are my initial impressions. Show NotesKindle Scribe reMarkable 2Read my initial thoughts Want to see a video demo? Join How I Built It Pro ★ Support this podcast ★

The show is on break, but that's not preventing me from adding a bonus episode or two! It's no secret I love automation, and invariably those automations spill out into my personal life. I view the holidays as a great opportunity to flex some home automation muscles. Here's what I did, what I use, and some improvements. In the PRO show, I get into the gory details, share my shortcuts, and talk about Matter and the future of home automation. Show NotesBecome a PRO memberPhillips Hue Color BulbsPhillips Hue Play Color Smart LightsPhillips Hue GoPhillips Hue Light StripsMeros Smart PlugsMeros Outdoor Smart PlugWemo Smart Plug ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s the time of the year were small business owners and creators have some extra time to tinker with (or fully redesign) their websites. I’m here with Copywriter Ame Proietti to tell you to skip the new design and focus on the copy instead. We get into what makes good copy, blog posts vs. sales copy, and we finish out with how to write good scripts. As you prepare for 2023, good copy will be at the heart of what you do thanks to Ame’s advice. Plus, in the Pro show, we broke down the sales page Ame wrote for me.Top Takeaways:Where blog posts are meant to share and educate, copywriting is meant to convince people to take an action. Ame calls it “assembling” words and sections in the best way for your target audienceTo get the best copy, you need to talk to customers. Ame recommends interviewing 3 customers and gathering testimonials to learn how you people and the language they use, which you can then mirror in your copy.Bringing in someone else can help you get the best results. They are objective and don’t know what you know. They’ll also the right questions and allow you to gain a better understanding of your offer too.Show Notes:Ame ProiettiAme on TwitterAme on LinkedinHow To Build a $1000/year Membership with Jay ClouseDon't Make Me ThinkJoin Creator CrewSponsored by: Ahrefs | TextExpander | LearnDash ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s a good old fashioned podcast swap with Good People, Cool Things! I really enjoy this show, and the interview we have queued up for you is great.This is a conversation with Jessi Burg, who started Outgrow Your Garage so she could answer the questions and develop the resources for small business owners that she wished she had when starting out as a business owner. Some of the top highlights include how to overcome common struggles for business owners, the benefits of online courses, and why she encourages an airing of grievances among employees. Be sure to stick around until the end for a good question and a corny joke!In Build Something More, I give you a behind-the-scenes look on how this happened, and the future of the members-only part of this podcast (don’t worry. It’s not going away).Show NotesGood People, Cool ThingsWays to Grow Your Small Business with Jessi BurgPodcast Swaps Grew My Show by 21%Sponsored by: Ahrefs ★ Support this podcast ★

How I Built Bits is back, and better than ever! The focus on the show moving forward will be highlighting helpful tools and processes for creators to run a better business. And I'm excited that the first episode is presented by Groundhogg.Groundhogg is an open-source CRM & Marketing Automation suite for serious agencies, small businesses, content creators, eCommerce experts, and WordPress professionals. Let's take a deep dive into what it is, how it works, and why it could be perfect for your creator business!Show NotesGet Groundhogg (20% off with code HOWIBUILTIT)Interview with Adrian Tobey ★ Support this podcast ★

With the Podcast Liftoff Playbook out, and Jennifer Bourn’s Profitable Project Plan is open for enrollment right now, I thought it would be a great time to re-air her interview where she talks about running a cohort-based course, and how she built the PPP. I listened to it again as I was looking for inspiration and best practices to realize the Playbook fully. And let me tell you, this episode really holds up! For members, I talk about how my webinar → paid members sales to funnel went.Top Takeaways:Online courses are NOT passive income. If you want your course to be successful, you need to evolve it.Offering a PRO version was a big mistake for Jen because people bought the non-Pro version and tried to get the Pro benefits. The lesson has one offer OR makes the Pro benefits totally different.Running live workshop events are a great way to add accountability and more value to your self-paced courses. You're ensuring your students take action now, instead of procrastinating.Show Notes:Jennifer BournJennifer on TwitterProfitable Project PlanContent CampJennifer Bourn and Profitable Project PlanCompany of OneIntroduction to the Block Editor2021: The Year of OpportunityJoin the Creator CrewSponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | LearnDash ★ Support this podcast ★