It’s time to talk team!In the last 6 months, it’s been a staffing bonanza: I’ve hired four of the five full-time positions on my team. And boy, has it been a whirlwind, filled with mistakes, wins, fears and A LOT of excitement.But through the process, I’ve identified 7 big distinctions to help you build your own team. Now, I’m not saying go out and hire right now! At this point, all you might need is an amazing VA, or a part-time contractor to help you out. I’m tackling this subject as well, so stay tuned.Building your team—the right kind of team—is essential to the growth of your business, to eliminate some of the stress and overwhelm, to make a bigger impact, and yeah, to make more money! So if you’re a business owner growing your business, this will be a must-listen for you. (44:34)With the right team on your side, the sky’s the limit!So, join me as I share with you how I built my “Small, But Mighty” team, and how I figured out what I needed and what I didn’t need. I’ve also got an awesome freebie for those of you starting to build your team virtually—you can get my “7 Make or Break Questions When You’re Interviewing for a Virtual Position” here. Let’s get started!This episode is brought to you by:Gravy—my very own 24/7 engagement team who contacts my customers within hours of their failed payment, captures updated billing information and saves the customers I worked so hard to acquire. If you have a subscription model business or offer payment plans, you’ve got to check out Gravy!Check out these highlights: Who is on my team—what each team member does—and when I started building my team. [5:29] Why I wanted local team members (and how I ultimately changed my mind!). [15:26] About those trial periods (yes, they’re a bit corporate, but they work!) [20:39] So, what if they’ve got the skill set but not much of the right personality? [23:34] When it’s OK to hire even if they don’t have all the experience (and what to do). [31:37] My fave hiring tools. [35:17] Hiring a referral vs. hiring from an ad. [37:36] Getting over the fear of hiring [45:07]

My husband Hobie and I had a great time recording this episode!It was extra special because a couple weeks before recording the episode, I asked my audience to send in questions for me to answer: business, personal, silly, or whatever. The hook was that I couldn't look at any of the questions in advance. Hobie was the only one that got to look at them. He went through all the questions. He said there were a bunch of great questions and that they were pretty hard to narrow down. Perhaps we’ll have a Part 2 at some point!Thank you to all of my awesome fans for sending in such great questions. You truly are the best!Well, as you can imagine, I was a bit nervous because I had no clue what was coming at me. I told this to Hobie and he assured me that I was, and I quote, “definitely going to be uncomfortable on a few of them.” Great! Just great!Alright, I’m going to list out the questions here and give you a bit of a teaser on each one, but I invite you to tune in to my podcast to hear our full conversation (just press the play button at the top of this page). : )QUESTIONS: YOU ASKED AND I’M TELLING HOW DO YOU FIND A FAMILY AND BUSINESS BALANCE WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SANITY AND FEELING GUILTY? —NATHALIA MELO WILSONMy answer has to do with having an understanding husband who speaks up when he needs to.WILL YOU GIVE IN AND MOVE OR RETIRE TO TENNESSEE? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW. —SHANTELL BRIGHTMANHobie and I dream of a lake house in Tennessee one day!WHAT WAS THE BEST VACATION YOU EVER HAD? ~ TRACY GREEN CAINESLet me just tell you, the mini-pool on the balcony overlooked the ocean! Ahhhh….CAN YOU SHARE WITH US A CHALLENGING PERIOD IN YOUR LIFE AND HOW YOU GOT OUT OF IT? ~ MYKAO THAOA time when I wanted to wrap Hobie up in bubble wrap every morning. I know the suspense is killing you, isn’t it?!IF A WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, HOW CAN YOU TELL YOU’RE GETTING IT RIGHT? ~ MICHELLE ONYANGOI actually get into this topic in an episode that airs shortly after this one (it will be episode 210...be on the lookout). My answer in this episode has a lot to do with the happiness of my family.HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR DOG’S NAMES: GUS AND SCOUT? ~ SPURGEON PERKINSYou'll have to tune in to the show to hear how we came up with their names.WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR AMY PORTERFIELD? ~ RACHAEL WATSONDoing videos, writing, meetings, family time, exercise. If you’re interested I did an entire “Week in the Life” type episode that you can listen to here. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR BUSINESS, OR THE SINGLE BEST THING YOU’VE DONE? ~ AMY WAREWithout a doubt, taking the leap to do what I do now!HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO NOT RESPOND TO NEGATIVE COMMENTS? ~ NIKOLINA ANDRICI’m pretty good here, but Hobie’s another story. ; )DOES AMY SHARE THE COVERS, HOBIE? OR IS SHE A COVERS HOG? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW. ~ NICOLE WALTERSHobie shares why he nicknamed me “The Alligator” when it comes to hogging the covers.IF YOU WERE JUST GETTING STARTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA, WHAT ARE THE THREE TOP PLATFORMS YOU WOULD FOCUS ON BUILDING AN AUDIENCE? ~ TAMMI HARRISYouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.Well, I have to admit, I may have been a little nervous at first, but that was super fun. If there are any Pittsburgh Steeler fans out there, you may want to tune in to the last part of the episode for a good Steelers story.**********And that's a wrap! Maybe Hobie does have a future in podcasting after all! 😍AmyP.S. If you'd like to hear more from Hobie, listen in to this episode where we talked about how to make love and business work. 

If you have an online business or an email list that you communicate with, you’ve probably heard the rumblings around the internet about the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (let’s just call it GDPR, shall we?). This new regulation goes into effect May 25, 2018 and in an effort to understand what it is, what it means to online marketers, and what we need to take action on, I’ve invited Bobby Klinck, an intellectual property attorney, to help us navigate all things GDPR. Bobby is not only an attorney, but he is an entrepreneur himself, so he really has his finger on the pulse of what online entrepreneurs need to do to protect themselves.Let’s dive in and figure this all out!6 principles of the GDPR#1: Data shall be processed “lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner.”#2: Data shall be “collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes.”#3: Data processing shall be “limited to what is necessary” for the purpose.#4: Data shall be accurate, kept up to date, and corrected.#5: Data shall be kept so it identifies a person “no longer than is necessary.”#6: Data shall be “processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security.”Let’s break down all 4 options: Opt-in Page: You can add a voluntary checkbox/dropdown menu on your opt-in page. This would clearly be consent if you do it right. It must be voluntary and it cannot be the default. You can’t force them to agree and you can’t have the agreement as the default. If you are going to do this, try to use a drop-down menu vs a checkbox. That way they have to choose “Yes or No” - so they have to make a choice and you are not forcing the “Yes.” With a checkbox for “Yes”, they can easily miss it and skip it all together (since it can’t be forced!). Sandwich Page: Include a one-click upsell page between opt-in and thank you page that asks them to subscribe. “Hey! One more thing before we finish.” - It’s essentially a sales page for your newsletter. This gives you the chance to sell the benefits of being on your list. They are presented with this option all on its own, so it’s compliant. Delivery Email: You deliver the email as usual that gives them the lead magnet as promised. Include language in the email to sell them on joining your list and include a call to action (example below). Depending on how your system works, either send them to a separate opt-in or use click to segment the list. In the Lead Magnet: Add a paragraph at the end of your lead magnets selling them on your list with a clickable link. This is sufficient consent and it gives them a reminder if they look back at your lead magnet later. What’s Next?Check out Bobby’s Free GDPR Training: I’m breaking my rules a bit here because you all know I’ve had a policy for the last year or so of not sending podcast traffic to someone else’s sign up page - I’ve talked about that strategy on my show before. HOWEVER, this information is important and I want you to protect yourself. So I’m making an exception. I want to encourage you to check out Bobby’s FREE mini-training all about the GDPR. The goal of his mini training is not only to make sure that you, as an online entrepreneur, understand the legal requirements but also to give you the tools and practical advice you need to thrive in a GDPR world.THANK YOU, Bobby, for your time and generosity in helping us understand GDPR. I truly feel I now have what it takes to move forward and implement to get compliant before the deadline! -- Amy

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss: When you’re looking into creating a course—and this is especially true when you’re just starting out—you’ve got a TON of information to choose from. Maybe you’ve been working on this material for 5 or 10 years, or you’ve been consulting a while and you have a ton of stories, examples and exercises. Getting all of that out of your head can be difficult, to say the least. Whenever I sit down to create a new course (like I’m doing right now) it can be both exciting, and excruciating. Which is why I wanted to bring on Gina Onativia, a content and course expert who is in the trenches every day with her clients, building their courses. Gina has a super practical post-it exercise she’s created to help her clients figure out some pre-details before diving into course creation. I think of her process as kind of like a “prelude” to my own...and I think you’ll find it extremely helpful in your own course creation process. By the way, if you’re NOT in the midst of creating a course, you can also use this exercise for any type of content creation. AND I want to make sure you download the freebie—which has the exact steps we are going to talk about in this episode. In the freebie, you’ll see a real post-it exercise from one of Gina’s clients that you can use as an example to guide your own process (and I LOVE great examples!). (9:01)With your freebie at the ready, get ready to dive into your course creation here.This episode is brought to you by: In my free masterclass: How to Confidently Create Your First Online Course in 60 Days, I will walk you through all of the pieces it takes to create a stellar online course. Save your spot here!Check out these highlights: The first area course creators get tripped up when starting out. [8:42] How to start your post-it exercise. (If you’re an office supply junkie like me, get excited!) [9:31] Why it’s so important to know what your avatar is feeling. [13:59] How to brainstorm your overarching steps. [14:50] What to do if you’re stuck. [16:27] The final step: Your roadmap. [19:15] How do I sell just a piece of my course as a standalone? [24:04]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss: The fear of not being good enough is a tough feeling to shake. If you struggle with this fear, I know it can show up way too often. Now, I can’t promise that it will ever completely go away—but I am proof that you can silence that voice A LOT. If this fear comes up for you, then this is the show for you. Today I’m going to introduce you to a powerhouse named Rachel Hollis—an amazing entrepreneur who manages a lifestyle website with almost two million readers each year and over 800,000 actively engaged followers on social media. Together, we’re talking about the pressures that you face as mothers and fathers and husbands and wives and employees, and of course, entrepreneurs. We’re talking do’s and don’ts for entrepreneurs-in-the-making, and specifically, how to break through some of those major fears that we are constantly up against as you put yourself out there on social media, and in videos, and everything else you do to build your online business. (2:25) Now, if you read the title of this episode and said something along the lines of, “Well, I’m not really sure I can call myself an entrepreneur…,” this is what I have to say to you: If you’re showing up, if you’re building your business, if you’re working hard toward your goals—you are legit! You are an entrepreneur, so it’s time to own it! So, if the fear of not being good enough, or that you’re not doing enough, or that you’re not doing it right, if those fears come up for you, then this is the show for you. Listen in.This episode is brought to you by: My incredible and free masterclass, “The Ultimate List Building Catch-Up Plan,” where you’ll learn my proven 3-stack system for leveraging the most powerful, “what’s working now” list-building strategies. You can sign up here.Check out these highlights: Why comparison is the death of joy. [5:39] What to do if you’re feeling guilty about taking time for your business.[7:34] Here’s the truth: Nobody cares about your dreams (it’s not as sad as it sounds, and it’s actually a good thing!). [10:33] Rachel’s story of being a fighter and pushing forward no matter what… [12:01] How to find your tribe (a.k.a. those who’ll build you up!). [13:58] Installing daily habits to emphasize your goals. [16:45] The real magic behind writing down goals. [21:35] About finding yourself in (or out) of balance… [24:30] Links mentioned in this episode:Rachel’s book, Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss: One question I get asked a bunch: How do I transition from my 9-to-5 to an online business full-time? What are the exact steps? There are a lot of different ways to get there, but I wanted to bring in one of my students who did it in a less-scary and less-painful way that you can learn from and model. Melissa Norris will share with us ONE roadmap for how she got to where she could quit her day job and live out her dream business. Melissa’s story is filled with amazing insights and a-ha moments that many of you will be able to use for your own journeys—especially if you are interested in investing your time and money into webinars! (25:30) Now here’s the kicker for today’s ep: Melissa’s business is all about the pioneering lifestyle! I’m talking full functioning homestead with pigs and cattle, grinding your own flour, canning vegetables… things you’ll probably NEVER see me doing (and for good reason!). The fascinating thing is she was able to use the same marketing principles and strategies (that you can use, too) to find her tribe, build her business and quit her day job. So if you’ve been wondering how you can ditch your J-O-B, this episode is the right one for you! Listen here to get Melissa’s step-by-step plan.This episode is brought to you by:Free Masterclass: How to Create and Deliver Your First Wildly Profitable Webinar (Even If You Don’t Have a List)Check out these highlights: Melissa’s incredible story about a full functioning homestead [4:24] The importance of (sustainable) baby steps—and how to find the time to take those first steps. [13:28] The inevitability of having to hustle, at least for some time. [17:08] What scaling looked like after quitting her day job. [23:06] Melissa’s hit “seasonal webinars” and what she learned from them. [25:30] How Melissa runs her membership site. [29:44] A few amazing sales sequence a-ha moments! [37:47]

Learn how successful entrepreneurs tackle the challenge of standing out in a noisy online world. Discover the importance of mindset and belief in achieving online success. Explore the qualities of a relentless entrepreneur and the importance of staying focused on a main goal. Find out how to cultivate a relentless soul and build real connections with followers.

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss: In the past few years, as Facebook has evolved, I’ve begun to think about Facebook groups in a whole different way. I believe groups—and not pages—are the key to building the kind of communities that allow you to truly connect with and grow your audience. And it’s not just me! Many of my peers are having the same experience in discovering the incredible potential of Facebook groups. One superstar, in particular, is my friend Caitlin Bacher—who has grown her private FB group to more than 30,000 members in 3 years! Caitlin is with me today to answer the question I get asked all of the time with my students: How do I boost engagement in my Facebook groups when I’m starting from zero? Tune in to learn how to make Facebook groups one of your most effective social platforms! And Caitlin shares ALL, including the #1 mistake she sees entrepreneurs make with groups... [6:06] Yes, I know it sounds like things just got trickier with the Facebook algorithm and the announcement that Facebook is going to focus more on “meaningful social interactions.” But don’t panic! This is actually great news for those of you who are using (or want to use) Facebook groups for your business. There are so many options. From Facebook groups that are tied to your paid content, to free communities that are tied to your bigger messaging and brand. It all begins here.This episode is brought to you by: Master Class: How to Confidently Create Your First Profitable Course in 60 Days www.Amyporterfield.com/freeCheck out these highlights: Why Facebook groups and why someone would decide to do only Facebook groups? [4:14] The importance of getting really good at selling one thing first. [8:55] Everything you need to know about closed free groups. [17:57] Some of the best type of content you can create for your own communities. [28:00] What about Facebook groups created for paid courses? [34:01] Using an email series to boost engagement within your Facebook group. [37:08] How to use the group to help you solve for buyer’s remorse (for your paid content). [39:48]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss: Yes, today’s topic may seem a bit off-brand for me, since to know me is to know that I love love love webinars. However, today I’m mixing things up to present a few different strategies to make money online. I STILL think webinars are the most powerful way you can drive your online business…but I wanted to share 5 ways to make money online that do not include a webinar training and that can set you up for bigger strategies to bring in bigger bucks. Not only am I dishing out several ways you can make money, but I’m also talking about the actual offers you can craft to then promote the strategies I’m sharing. I am a big believer in baby steps, and you may not be ready for webinars in your business—YET. So I’m going to talk about some simpler strategies you can use in your business until you’re ready to take the “webinar leap.” Let’s start making some money...Check out these highlights: How I started out with Facebook page reviews (and why). [6:12] The right time for creating customized plans for clients. [10:38] How to create customers for life. [13:50] Hear about my friend Tyler J. McCall’s success with online workshops. [15:40] The goldmine of done-for-you plug and play products. [26:10] How two friends from Tag Team Party Peeps put together a very successful email campaign. [33:46] Challenges that actually lead to sales. [39:55] How to successfully market your high-priced offers. [44:53] A can’t miss strategy using Facebook Live. [47:33]

It’s the 200th episode! Cue the confetti and champagne! If you have been listening to me since I first aired in 2013, THANK YOU! It’s been 5 AMAZING years and I couldn’t have done it without you! To celebrate, I have asked some of my closest friends and peers to share quick pieces about something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately… How do you zig when others are zagging? How do you “go against the grain”? When do you take a risk and change things up? And I couldn’t think of anyone better to tackle this topic than my small group of much-cherished and loved peers. I hope you enjoy listening to these as much as I have. Get ready to make some zigs happen for your own business! If you’re wondering if it’s a right time to “zig” for your business, listen up to my four scenarios to help you decide. Want a personalized message from me on instagram? And if you want that new “outtake” of me sharing my personal story of zigging, make sure to 1) take a screenshot of this episode 2) post it on Instagram (feed or stories) and use #200withamy and tag me when you post it. Then I’ll slide into your DM with a link to this clip! That’s right, I will personally DM you... Here’s a sneak peek of each of my amazing group of peers: Jasmine Star gives us the inside scoop into how she invested a year of heart, soul and money into a launch that got her … an underwhelming amount of students. But then she decided to “knock on some digital doors” ... [12:50] Ray Edwards shares the personal touch he provided for each person who bought one of his high-end programs. [18:25] Pat Flynn starts off with a life-changing story from his childhood, then talks about how giving away a study guide for free became the launching-off point for Smart Passive Income. [20:03] Diane Sanfilippo on why you need to be focused on creating paid content and programs. [26:30] Julie Solomon offers up her own version of “Pitch Perfect” and how she took the initiative to start monetizing her blog. [32:01] Tarzan Kay shares how she broke ALL the rules of launches, and executed a simple (no stress!) promotion that netted her five figures. [39:59] James Wedmore gives us multiple examples of zigging, and asks a series of questions to help you come up with your own different “out of the box” ideas. [45:36] Russell Brunson talks about how one T-shirt helped to reduce his ClickFunnels churn by 23 percent (!)—and build a powerful community in the process. [51:03] Rick Mulready walks his own talk and tries his hand at Facebook Messenger for feedback about this podcast. The results may surprise you—because they surprised him! [56:51] Jenna Kutcher gets real (as always) and tells you why she decided to go completely transparent with her messaging. [1:01:18] Links to learn more about my special group of friends: Jasmine Star: www.jasminestar.com/ Ray Edwards: www.rayedwards.com/welcome/ Pat Flynn: https: www.smartpassiveincome.com/ Diane Sanfilippo: www.balancedbites.com/ Julie Solomon: www.juliesolomon.net/ Tarzan Kay: https://tarzankay.com/ James Wedmore: www.jameswedmoretraining.com/ Russell Bruson: www.russellbrunson.com/hi Rick Mulready: www.rickmulready.com Jenna Kutcher: www.jennakutcher.com/