I know it’s only October, but I’m already thinking about how to boost my business in 2016. And one of my biggest goals is to do more video.Video is a complex issue for a lot of entrepreneurs. You know that it could help you make an amazing connection with your audience. But all the tinkering that goes into it--the lighting, the camera setup, the script--is a surefire way to fry your brain.Now, you actually may be killing it with video right now. Maybe you have a natural eye for what looks good on camera, you’re a master of improvising quick, witty nuggets of wisdom on the fly, and talking into a lens brings out all the warmth and sparkle of your personality (instead of turning you into a cardboard cutout like…um…some people I know).If that’s you, my hat is off to you. But if not, maybe you're more like me —you’ve made some videos, it went okay, you know you can do better…but it's easier to just save it for another day. (Or year.)My good friend James Wedmore dropped by the other day, and we started chatting about video, and before long I had to ask him if we could turn the conversation into a podcast interview. He has so much great stuff to share about why video is important, and how to make it really practical for your business.Our interview was OUTSTANDING video tips and tricks. I want you to listen to the whole thing so you don't miss any of it. I also want you to make sure to access the three-part FREE series he put together just for you on how to make great videos for your business.LEARN MOREHere’s just a tease of what we covered:Five Video Marketing MistakesShoddy camera work You don’t have to be Martin Scorsese or anything, but you do have to avoid those black bars on either side of your video—they’re a huge turnoff to your audience. (Easy fix: record video with your camera or phone held lengthwise, not up-and-down.) Other no-no’s include shaky camera action, bad framing, and fuzzy focus.(If these no-no’s are already breaking you out in hives, relax. All of these are easy, one-step fixes that James spells out.)LightingNewer cameras and phones can correct for this, but it’s worth it for everyone to learn how to set up quality lighting. The bedroom lamp is just not going to cut it. Nothing makes your video (and your brand) look instantly amateurish like bad DIY lighting. James gives the name of his favorite lighting kit that's cheap and reliable. Click to listen.AudioJames says stop using your in-camera microphone. Doesn’t matter if you have the fanciest phone or DSLR out there…the onboard microphones will not pick up quality audio and your beautifully shot video will either sound like it’s coming from the bottom of a well OR sound like your grandmother shouting over a long-distance call.Again, just a little bit of cash outlay will get you a great-quality lapel microphone that connects into your camera or phone. Your audio will get instantly synched, and you’ll be able to talk in your normal tone of voice without worrying that the mic isn’t picking you up.Don’t Be BoringA lot of people protest that they can’t do video because they aren’t funny, they aren’t loud, they can’t talk fast, they aren’t an extrovert.Well, guess what? You don’t have to be any of those things to have an engaging video. As James puts it,"The opposite of boring doesn’t mean funny."What you do have to be, James says, is passionate. And…well, just listen to what else he says. You’ll have no reason to doubt your “interestingness” ever again.Not Doing VideoIt’s not a rule that “he or she who has the most video wins.” (In fact, it’s definitely possible to do too much video, especially if you have no strategy.) That said, there are five types of video everyone should be doing in their business.Learn more about what each of these videos accomplishes, and how you can pull them off seamlessly by signing up to get the free three-part video series James created on how to do videos. 

My guest today is a New York Times bestselling author, as well as a speaker, blogger, and recognized expert on the topic of happiness.A happiness expert? Oh yes, there is such a thing. Gretchen Rubin takes the topic very, very seriously. She put her Yale education to work with the goal of finding out systematic ways that people can cultivate, achieve and maintain happiness in any facet of their lives.The book that came out of her study, The Happiness Project, took the world by storm. Book clubs adopted it, college professors assigned it, psychiatrists recommended it to their clients. This topic really resonated with everyone who read it. It’s an amazing title and I strongly recommend you give it a read.Not surprisingly, my talk with Gretchen turned out to be one of my favorite interviews ever. It went in some surprising directions, offered tremendous food for thought, and really hit home for me in terms of how to define success.Honestly, this interview is so rich that I don’t want to summarize it too much here. You really should listen to the whole thing.In the meantime, you can download our free giveaway for this week, which Gretchen herself designed. It’s a PDF guide called “Working Better Than Before,” and it’s meant to help you understand your work habits and gain insight into how you can maximize your creativity and productivity. (You can also use it to help your clients!)As soon as you can, click here to listen to the full episode. Gretchen’s insights will help you set a foundation that makes every aspect of your business stronger…and makes you a lot happier in it!And don’t forget to download the freebie for this week, “Working Better Than Before". It helped me a ton (which I talk more about in the podcast) and I know it will do the same for you.EPISODE FREEBIE Get Gretchen's PDF "Working Better Than Before" FREE DOWNLOAD 

If you’ve been listening for a while, you've heard me mention the word Scrum. When you hear this word, you do one of two things: Feel your heart surge with pride and joy because, as a fellow Scrummer, you know how amazing this approach is for running a small business. Scratch your head / do a Google word search / roll your eyes because you have no idea what I’m talking about. Listeners in both these camps are going to love today’s episode, because I’m going to talk about this amazing project management method and how it has revolutionized the way I get my business done.To start off, Scrum is not my own made-up word—I got it from a book called Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time. (Sounds pretty good, right?)And basically, the concept of Scrum is just that: managing a team of employees and contractors in the smartest way possible.I used Scrum throughout the process of creating my newest product, “Webinars That Convert.” Basically, I set up a checklist of every single thing that needed to get done on this product—from creation to promotion to sales to management—and my team and I “Scrummed” our way through it!Not coincidentally, it’s the same checklist I used for promoting the Profit Lab last spring. That’s why I’m offering the same giveaway this week—the step-by-step project plan checklist that puts all the chaos of a new product launch into sanity-saving order.This checklist goes hand-in-hand with today’s topic—download it and you’ll be well on your way to Scrumming your first project.Why Scrum? There are the four main ways that Scrum really helps my business reach its productive sweet spot:It increases your team’s speed to completion. My team is able to get through projects so much faster now that we use Scrum. The Scrum approach really pays attention to the work people are getting done and gives them the ownership on that performance. People are empowered to make decisions. This is probably my favorite part of Scrum—it allows us to make sure everything is working smoothly. When it’s not we fix it instantly. How Scrum Works#1: The Project Backlog#2: The Sprint#3: The Sprint ReviewThe bottom line is, if you don’t take the time to communicate well with your team, it will cost you money because they will do it wrong. And Scrum is an amazing way to keep that communication alive.Best of all, the Scrum method gets easier and more efficient every time you use it! It’s kind of intense, it’s all-consuming, but when it’s over, it’s completely done and you’ve got a completed project.Grab the free PDF project backlog (if you haven’t already) and start warming up to Scrum in your business. And let me know how it works for you!EPISODE FREEBIE Get The Project Plan Checklist FREE DOWNLOAD 

I know I have talked about copy many times. But can you blame me? It’s a hot topic!Many of you that are growing your business online or have been growing your business for a while now still struggle with copy.Believe me, I get it. I have definitely struggled for years with writing good copy for my business. And when I finally felt like I got that "copy mojo," things started to become easier in every aspect of my business.That's why I'm so excited to bring you my guest today -- Nikki Elledge Brown. Along with being a proud military spouse, a mom, and a former park ranger, she's an amazing communicator and businesswoman. Nikki went from teaching communications at college-level to running a business that broke multiple six figures in under 18 months. (Wow, right?)And the heart of her business is teaching entrepreneurs (like you and me) how to write their own copy, better than ever!Nikki's approach to copy is putting it into "recipes." Sales pages, blog posts, video scripts, About pages...she breaks them all down into specific, doable steps that make copywriting easier than a "just add water" cake mix!Today's show is packed with ridiculously simple recipes for every piece of copy you'll ever have to write, along with a few to help with your mindset around copywriting.Stuff like... How to write with purpose The value of YOUR voice (+ how to use it in your copy) Sales page tips (how to make it easy for people to buy from you) Sample blog post recipe Sample blog VIDEO recipe How to write a great headline in under 10 minutes What to do when you're not sure what to write about How to avoid sharing TMI (too much information) How to master your mindset around copywriting Nikki also put together our freebie today, which is--you guessed it--a "recipe book" of copywriting formulas. Click here to get it now!EPISODE FREEBIE Get Nikki's "A Course About Copy Class Notes"FREE DOWNLOADAs I mentioned, Nikki has built a hugely successful business in an amazingly short amount of time on her way with words. She had over 90 new clients sign up with her in her first two months of business!And in her words, the key to this kind of growth is not just being good at helping others communicate, but being able to communicate her own brand clearly to potential clients."You are losing money if you aren’t communicating effectively."Find out Nikki's recipes for maximizing your revenue potential with easier-than-ever techniques for communicating with your audience. Her free PDF is about to become your copywriting "Joy of Cooking"--an indispensable guide to everything you'll ever need to write for your business. Click here to get it now!

What a difference a tweak makes!If you've spent any time on this blog (or podcast) in recent weeks, you know how firmly I stake my belief in webinars. Webinars offer a platform that lets you connect with people on an entirely new, personal level you just don’t get with most marketing strategies.And what other marketing strategy can offer the opportunity for consistent on-the-spot revenue?If you’ve done successful webinars in the past and are looking to make even bigger revenue, OR if you’ve never done webinars before or maybe have just dabbled with them in the past, today is going to be quite a pleasant surprise.Starting with this number: $62,000As the title says, just three little webinar-related tweaks made a $62,000 difference in my bottom line. I knew they'd have an impact, but the size of that number surprised even me.See, I knew there were aspects of my webinar strategy that could use a shot in the arm. I wanted more sales generated from my webinars I wanted more people to show up live during my webinars I wanted to attract a new audience and grow my email list with the webinars. Whenever you want to reach a new goal, you know some parts of your strategy are going to have to change.So I set to work making adjustments, starting with:Tweak #1: The Sales PageThis might surprise you, but I always do a sales page for any promotion I put together. Where some people might drive webinar attendees right to their product order form, my style is to give people extra information, especially if they are on the fence.In the past we used to send people directly from the webinar to the sales page to read all about the product and then buy. But over time, we realized I wasn’t getting as many sales on the webinar as I had thought I should.And that's how this simple tweak came about. I still use the sales page, but I'm using it smarter. That single change resulted in instant sales from the very next webinar, as well as a bigger boost of those instant sales.(Click here to listen to the full episode and find out the simple tweak that boosted instant webinar sales!)Tweak #2: More Webinars During PromotionI want to give a shout-out to a member of the mastermind I used to be in. He's the one who suggested this tweak to me.He said if webinars work really well for me, I should be capitalizing on that.This idea--do more of what's already working for you--was so simple, it was revolutionary.In the past, I'd do one webinar for each promotion. But at his suggestion, I stepped up my game.It took a while for this tweak to hit its stride. But once it did, I saw amazing results.Tweak #3: Facebook AdsThis is one I learned from my amazing coach, Todd Herman.I found that when I'm running Facebook ads for a webinar promo to a cold audience that probably doesn’t know much about me, that ad needs to look a whole lot different than an ad to a warm audience (my fan base, my own email list, or a retargeting list).Here are some examples:The warm-audience adThe warm-audience ad is more "talky" and personable. It has a lot more of my branding in it, in terms of colors and design. These people already know me and like me, so it plays on that familiarity we have.Compare that to...The cold-audience adThe cold-audience doesn't have a lot of branding to it. The text is short, punchy and blatant: "This is what we have going on, sign up here." Because this audience doesn't know me, I keep it much more generic.Find out more about how to tailor your Facebook ads to different audiences. Click here to listen to the whole episode.

I love these opportunities to answer your questions directly. And lately, the questions have swirled around a specific theme. (It seems we're all on a very similar wavelength right now!) What's the theme, you ask? How to grow your business to the next level.  Whether you're just getting started or have been in business for years, the steps that take you from where you are to where you want to go remain pretty consistent. In other words, we have a lot in common, you and I. Question #1: What is the first thing you do before you start a brand new project? The answer here may surprise you...unless, of course, you've participated in one of my programs in the past couple years. (I kind of can't shut up about it.) It's incredibly simple and incredibly effective cornerstone of every project that makes my process absolutely fly by. I can't live without it. ...and neither should you! Sign up for my free training to own this strategy for yourself! EPISODE FREEBIE Get My Free Training Video: How I Organize My Dropbox Folders for Ultimate Success FREE DOWNLOAD Question #2: What is the biggest struggle in your business right now? Glad you asked. This is something I've been thinking a lot about. It feels like I'm missing something important in my team--some vital role isn't being filled. As a result, it feels like there's a "chokehold" in my business.  After much deliberation, I think I've figured out what it is. Question #3: What’s one challenge you have overcome this year? I am really proud of this answer. (And guess what? It involves you.) And in overcoming this challenge, I've learned that it's not always a matter of changing something in order to make the challenge go away. Sometimes it's a matter of changing the way you look at the challenge. Question #4: I've noticed you haven’t been traveling much lately. Why the change? Aren't you observant? It's true--I've scaled way back on the travel commitments. And no, I didn't develop a fear of flying or lose my interest in participating in big events. Instead, it was a shift in my focus, and a commitment to doing even better at the things I do best. Question #5: When you were first starting out did you feel a bit alone in your business? Not at first--I was so relieved to be out of the busy corporate environment, a little isolation was fine. But over time, yes, I felt the need for more company in my solo-preneurship. Feeling alone squashes your creativity...so don't go there! (Click here to listen to the full episode, where I break down my strategy for keeping good company.) EPISODE FREEBIE Get My Free Training Video: How I Organize My Dropbox Folders for Ultimate Success FREE DOWNLOAD  

Next time you're networking with a group of entrepreneurs, keep your ears peeled for a certain word floating above the conversation.The word is "mastermind," and it's a concept that is trickling down from the multimillion-dollar start-up set to homegrown entrepreneurs like you and me.If you're not familiar with the term, the term "mastermind" can have a very "Great and Powerful Oz" sound about it. Simply put, a mastermind is a small, very focused group of business owners who meet regularly to sharpen and strengthen their business strategies.One of the biggest advocates around for mastermind groups is Jaime Tardy, founder of EventualMillionaire.com. Jaime is the kind of person anyone would want in their mastermind group--she has razor-sharp focus, unwavering commitment to her goals, an insatiable appetite to learn...and she's also a lot of fun to talk with!Jaime joined me this week to talk all things mastermind, and the takeaway is hugely informative. If you've been thinking about creating or joining a mastermind, or even if this is the first time you've the term, this episode is going to spell out exactly what the benefits are, what kind of mastermind you should be looking for, and how to conduct operations once you get started.Jaime also put together a worksheet for forming your own mastermind, complete with email scripts for contacting potential members. Click here to download it so you can get started right away!EPISODE FREEBIE Get the 6 Easy Steps for Forming a Mastermind FREE DOWNLOADShould I Pay to Join a Mastermind?"Peer masterminds," as they're sometimes called, have these advantages over paid groups: You have equal say to everyone else in the group--no single person is controlling it. They tend to last longer than paid subscription-based groups. It's easier to form true friendships with others in the mastermind. Should My Mastermind Only Have People from My Niche?Definitely not! Jaime is in a mastermind with a financial advisor, an internet marketer, and a professional sword swallower! What they do have in common is a high regard for systems and processes, and a level of success that they're trying to reach.How Do I Know if My Mastermind Is Working?The same way you know if any relationship is working--if you feel mostly positive effects from being involved with it.There are definitely masterminds that are not a good fit for you, that just don't offer what you're looking to get out of it.Or perhaps it's going great for you, but someone else in the mastermind is routinely late to meetings, participates minimally, or contributes negative energy.In either case, a few meetings is usually all it takes to know that something's not working right.Get Jaime's insights for keeping your mastermind on track! Click here to listen to the full interview now.  Commit to Your Own SuccessIt can take one or two tries to find the right group of people for your mastermind. But from my own experience, I can tell you that my entire business changed when I finally locked into the right group.I want you to have the same experience, so if this is something you have been thinking about for a while, commit to yourself:"In 30 days I will have created my own small mastermind of five people."Best of all, forming your mastermind is so incredibly easy if you follow Jaime's step-by-step worksheet. Click here to download it now!EPISODE FREEBIE Get the 6 Easy Steps for Forming a Mastermind FREE DOWNLOAD 

If you’ve sought out training to help you build your business, or tracked the success of other entrepreneurs, you have firsthand experience of the power webinars have to not only engage and excite an audience, but to convert them to into paying clients.Maybe you’ve even been one of those people who signed up for a webinar to get a little free education, and ended up making a purchasing decision that you were genuinely excited about!So why does the idea of putting on your own webinar have you quaking in your boots?Let me guess... You don’t mind a little grunt work, but you doubt your ability to string together all that technology. You love the idea of delivering content in a highly personal way to your audience, but you hate the idea of a sales pitch at the end. You’ve got a foolproof concept in mind . . . however, you’re not sure how you’ll pull together an audience since your email list and sales funnel are still a work in progress. Busy entrepreneurs (like you and me) don’t have a SECOND to waste on activities that aren’t directly linked to profit. If you’ve ever tried creating a webinar before, you know that sinking feeling of waiting, as the seconds tick by, for your sales to pick up speed. (Ugh! It’s the worst, isn’t it?)In my experience, I’ve found that four major myths are to blame for a poor conversion rate.I’m going to debunk those myths for you, and show you how to replace them with truly effective practices that will not only reward all your hard work, but have you out of your chair with excitement.Myth #1: Webinars are just a marketing strategy (and not a whole system).Myth # 2: Webinars are a TON of effort and involve too much expensive technology.Myth #3 - I’m fine; I learned about webinars a few years ago.Myth #4 - It’s too late. I already missed the boat on webinars.If you’re reading this post RIGHT NOW, then you’re in a unique position to catch wind of this new strategic approach before anyone else in your niche does, and in doing so, claim your stake in the rich blue ocean ripe with sizeable and scalable profits.So chances are that even if your competitors are already using webinars (the old way), you can gain a competitive advantage by being the FIRST to build a complete webinar funnel based on the proven frameworks, techniques, and strategies that I’m about to share with you.Keep reading . . . now that you know the 4 webinar myths, I've created a DETAILED, free cheat sheet to help you with your first (or next!) webinar . . .My wish for you is to sidestep the countless traps that make most webinars epic disasters, and instead learn how to create a masterpiece.I’ve been doing webinars for over 5 years now and I’ve made MANY mistakes along the way. You don’t need to do the same! I’ve compiled a list of 5 of my biggest webinar mistakes over the years and how to avoid them before your first (or next!) webinar. Click here now to get that list!EPISODE FREEBIE Get the Cheat Sheet: "5 Rookie Webinar Mistakes" (And How To Avoid Them)FREE DOWNLOAD

Learn the essentials of blogging for busy entrepreneurs, including balancing work and family. Discover how to create content that builds trust, develop compelling blog post titles, and the importance of providing valuable free content to connect with your audience.

A lot of you have asked me if it's a good idea for you to start planning live events. You see the entrepreneurs you admire staging weekend retreats where they get up and set their audience on fire with excitement, education and motivation. Maybe you've even been to one and thought "Hey, I could do that!"The short answer is Yes! I started planning and participating in live events very early in my business, and while my inexperience made it a little terrifying at first, I couldn't deny the powerful boost it gave me--not just in terms of leads, but also in terms of confidence.That's why I invited Rich Brooks to join me on the show today. Rich is a small business owner who just happens to be an event-planning powerhouse. I asked Rich to let me pick his brain for the fundamentals of planning a successful live event.The Who and the WhyIf you've ever attended Rich's amazing Agents of Change conference in Portland, Maine, it may surprise you to learn that his live event track record began with a simple lunch meeting.The purpose of a live event isn't to wow everyone with your multimedia presentations and dynamic speeches. Those are great bells and whistles to add as you gain experience, but the real heart of a live event is to do four things: Get your name out there and establish your credibility Differentiate yourself from competitors Generate leads for business Turn a profit The more you work on your online marketing, the more you start to notice how crowded it is out there. It's getting harder and harder to get noticed in people's social media feed, no matter how valuable your content is. So why not get the edge on your competitors and take your message directly to your audience, face to face?Yes, it takes more time and effort to plan an event than to post something on Facebook. But, Rich says,"A live event could be that thing that really separates you and raises you above all of the other people out there in your industry. If you are looking to kind of change up the way you engage with people, a live event may be the perfect thing for you."EPISODE FREEBIE Get the "7 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning a Live Event" FREE DOWNLOAD3 Phases of a Live Event: Speakers, Sponsors and SeatsRich says that all live event planning boils down to these three phases. Speakers - Getting people to offer valuable content for your audience Sponsors - Getting people to contribute to your audience's experience Seats - Getting people to show up in your audience First Things First - Who Is This For?Before you start worrying about getting people to show up (we'll talk about that later), spend some time thinking about who you want to show up. The key thing here is quality over quantity. Here's what Rich has to say about it:"The #1 is that you are putting on an event for people. Who is this audience? What do they look like? Who is your avatar? What kind of information do they want to consume? What are they looking to accomplish? What are they looking to do?"As in all other forms of marketing, you need to narrow in on your ideal audience member, and design the perfect event for them. I know it's counterintuitive, but being super specific will actually help you attract more people.Once you know who you're planning this event for, you'll have a firm foundation to build on with the three phases.Phase 1: SpeakersPhase 2: SponsorsClick here to download this week's free giveaway.EPISODE FREEBIE Get the "7 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning a Live Event" FREE DOWNLOADPhase 3: SeatsFind out more ways to fill the seats at your live event! Listen to the full episode here....And Just One Two More ThingsWhat do I charge?How much should I promote?Try to time your more obvious promotions around FOMO-inducing moments in the sales process. Announcing Early Bird discounts, One Day Only specials, "Seats Are Rapidly Selling Out!" messages, etc. are perfect opportunities to jog people's memories that they want to attend.