Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Business Owners Grow Without Burnout

I’m ending this season of How I Built It by geeking out about audio stuff with my guest, Ryan White. He’s the US Product Specialist for Rode Microphones - a company that makes great gear, and who has an increasingly bigger presence in the podcasting space. We talk gear, room acoustics, and more. AND you can hear their newest product, the Rodecaster Pro, in action (if there’s anything to hear, that is). All of that and more, after a word from our sponsors. Show NotesRyan WhiteRodeRodecaster ProRode PodmicOther Rode Mics: NTK, NT1-A, NT-USBGetting Good Room AcousticsAurulex Sound Panels | DeskMax$20 vs. $12,000 micTesting out the Rode Podmic Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

I was excited to reconnect with my friend Colin Devroe on this episode. We met through the WordPress community in Scranton and I just the co-working space he and his business part Kyle created. In this conversation, we get back to basics, and talk blogging. With the ever changing landscape of the web and social media, how important is it to have your own blog? Let’s find out! Show NotesColin DevroeJujamaBarleyWriting is How I ThinkBad Reasons to Not BlogColin's personal blogging tipsZeldmanSeth GodinMicro.blogRepurposing Your Content with Jaclyn SchiffIndieWebChris Lema and Managed WooCommerce HostingThe Future of BloggingMastodonThe Talk Show | Daring FireballBullet JournalSend your feedback for 2020!Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

The 2019 holiday season is here! Many of you are business owners, remote workers, and freelancers - so I thought I'd put together a bonus episode based on my 2 popular gift guides. Here are some great gifts for podcasters, and people who work from home! Show NotesEnter the 1 Million Downloads Celebration Giveaway!Great Gifts for People who work from Home (updated 2019)Gift Guide for Podcasters (updated 2019)ATR2100Logitech C920Logitech BRIORode PodMicRode ProcasterFocusrite Scarlett Solo InterfaceAirPods ProAudio-Technica ATH-M50sThe FOCUSED CalendarAeropressHamilton Beach Thermal Coffee MakerBaratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee GrinderRook CoffeeCarlin Brothers CoffeeUNTUCKitStitch FixMack WeldonmeUndiesParks ProjectTOPO MatImprint CumulusPRONFC TagsWeMo Smart PlugsSonos OneWestern Digital My BookBackblazeNomatic BackpackeBags Professional Slim Laptop BackpackTech GridYETI TumblersAnker PowerCore SlimAnker PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45WWall Charging 5-Port HubAnker 30W PIQ 3 ★ Support this podcast ★

This interview is a little different than most. See, Svetlana Kouznetsova is an accessibility consultant who’s also deaf. Our interview was conducted completely using Google Docs. The voice you’ll hear on this episode is Erin,  my wife, who graciously agreed to do Svetlana’s side of the conversation. Svetlana’s story is an interesting one. We talk about how she immigrated to the US from Russia, and what it was like growing up deaf there vs. in the US. We also discuss the importance of accessibility at events; why it’s a must and not just a “nice to have.” Show NotesSvetlana KouznetsovaSvetlana on TwitterCode of Professional Ethics for Captioners and Interpreters - Audio AccessibilityI want to hear from you! Leave your feedback here.Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

Nathan Beckord is the CEO of Founder Suite, a group of tools to help those seeking venture capital, as well as tools for venture capitalists. We talked all about how he built this after spending a decade helping startups raise their own VC. We also cover how to seek VC funding, and if business plans are even useful anymore. It’s a fun conversation in an area I’m only loosely familiar with - so I learned a lot. I think you will too! Show NotesNathan BeckordFoundersuiteCodequestHow I Raised ItLet me know what you want to hear in 2020!Sponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

Jaclyn Schiff made her way onto the show because she’s authentic. She reached out recommending another guest, in a real way. Then, throughout the course of the conversation, we decided she’d also be a good guest for the show! She's a master of making the most of your content. We talk all about repurposing - something I could do a little better - as well as that cold outreach she’s good at. We also talk about productizing services, which is something I’m doing at the moment. So lots of great stuff here! Show NotesJaclyn SchiffPodReacherPodcast MovementAlex McClafferty & Productize.coThe GMail GeniusThe HustleTemi.comProductized StartupsTurning the Tables: Joe Casabona & How I Built ItOvercastPodcasting is the new BloggingSponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

Tevya Washburn reached out to me over the summer and asked if I might be interested in having him on the show - it turns out his timing was great. See Tevya created a WordPress plugin to help gather and display social proof, and I had just finished read a book that talks about the importance of social proof. So we chat about how he came up with the idea, why he built it, and of-course, how. This is a pretty traditional episode of the show, and I hope you enjoy it! Show NotesTevya WashburnStarfish ReviewsTrust PilotSPI 378: Amazon Book Marketing—Everything You Need to Know with Dave Chesson from KindlepreneurGet your free podcast workbookSponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

Greg Koberger is easily one of the most interesting guys I talked to this year. Not only do we talk about team building with escape rooms - a super cool concept, by the way - but we touch on mental health, the startup culture, venture capital, and lots more. Greg is a pretty open book here and it makes for an amazing interview. It's chocked full of great advice, so enjoy! Show NotesGreg KobergerReadMeSwagger (Open API Spec)Escape Room FinderRon Swanson loves puzzlesAllie Nimmons and Freelancing / Mental HealthStartup Escape (Greg's Escape Room)Want to start your own podcast? Get our free Podcast Workbook!Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

Micah Rowland isn’t your everyday builder. He doesn’t build homes, cabinets, or even software. As COO of Fountain, Micah builds people, teams, and processes. He offers a wealth of advice on building and scaling teams, and the importance of documentation. But what we talk about isn't just applicable to building teams - it's applicable to anyone building a business that will eventually scale. Show NotesMicah RowlandFountainEpisode 54: The GiveWP TeamSponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★

Brian is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and angel investor. Due to his firm belief that data recovery shouldn't be a prohibitively expensive service, Brian founded Gillware, where he and his team specialize in cyber risk assessments, data recovery, and incident response. Today we spoke about his journey in business growth, as well as how to protect yourself from hackers, providing actionable tips that you can put into practice today! Show NotesBrian GillGillware2FA | 2FA plugins for WordPressEquifax PaymentFacebook FTC SettlementSponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon ★ Support this podcast ★