Work Less, Earn More

One of the toughest parts about being “young and broke” is not having the money to do some of the responsible things you know you should be doing. Stuff like: buying (and eating) healthy food regular maintenance on your car extra insurance regular dental exams hiring a bookkeeper for your business   I hope you’re in a place right now where you can afford most of these things... because I know how tough it is to do without them. Both because they’re helpful basics, but also because you know you should be doing them, and it’s stressful to be “letting things slide” -- even when you don’t have much choice.   But if your business is still in its infancy, you might still be cutting a few corners, sticking to a tight budget, and DIY’ing, well… everything.   Kudos to you. Seriously.   The early stages of building a business are tough, but if you can stick them out (and I know you can!!) they will eventually be worth it.   But what’s to be done in the meantime??   Especially when it comes to managing your finances, you can’t just ignore that aspect of your biz until you’re earning enough to hire a pro.   Because let’s face it… if you do that, you might never get to that point at all.   Fortunately, you have options.   On this week’s podcast episode, I interview Mark Butler, CPA and the founder of Let’s Do the Books, a bookkeeping service for brand new companies.   In the episode, Mark shares exactly how to DIY your bookkeeping -- and how to do it right. So that when you eventually are ready to work with a pro, you’ll be PROUD to show them your books and there won’t be any awkward conversations.   shulaconsulting@gmail.com The biggest mistake new business owners make with their business finances Mark’s advice for opening your FIRST business checking account How to set up a SUPER simple spreadsheet to track income and expenses in your business The basics of bookkeeping and accounting that EVERY entrepreneur should understand—especially when you’re in a growth phase The difference between the business profit and the money you take from the business to pay yourself (and how it impacts your books)   Learn more about Mark Butler: letsdothebooks.com @letsdothebooks   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

One of the toughest parts of building a successful YouTube channel is just getting your first 1,000 subscribers.   Once you hit that coveted 4-figure mark, the algorithm takes over and (as long as you keep posting consistently...) practically grows your channel for you.   But how can you get those first thousand??   Everyone does it slightly differently, but hearing their stories can help you figure out the best path for YOU.   On today's podcast episode, I'm interviewing YouTube creator Marissa Romero, who's successfully grown a channel of 120,000+ subscribers in a competitive niche.   We'll talk a little about the strategies she's using to grow it these days... but we're going to focus mostly on how she got started.   After you listen, I'm sure Marissa would appreciate hearing what you got out of the episode! You can reach out to her @marissaeromero on Instagram.   Listen to the full episode to hear: What Marissa did to get her FIRST 1,000 subs The mistakes Marissa made when she was first getting started with YouTube The role really good keywords and affiliate links were to getting consistent traffic in the beginning-and what she's focusing on now with over 150K subscribers Why using the algorithm to your advantage right away is ESSENTIAL to growth Why Marissa has prioritized her thumbnail strategy (and how overall channel branding makes a HUGE difference)   Learn more about Marissa Romero: marissaromero.com Connect with Marissa on Instagram Marissa's YouTube channel     Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

As you’re likely aware, we’re currently in the process of guiding a group of 130 students through the VALIDATE accelerator program, helping them figure out whether or not there’s demand for their business ideas.   I shared a lot last month about why this process is so essential--including the fact that it protects you from possibly wasting countless hours (even years) of your life on an idea that never pans out.   I’ve seen one (or 100…) too many entrepreneurs wind up feeling like failures because they can’t turn their business idea into a success -- when, in reality, they aren’t the problem at all -- they’re just trying to build the wrong business.   What makes it even worse is that this problem is 100% avoidable.   I know not everyone was able to participate as a student in VALIDATE, so today on the podcast I’m doing something very special: offering a crash course on how to do the validation process for yourself!   If you’re a DIY’er then you’ll love this episode. Not only is it the “do it yourself” guide to testing your biz idea, but it’s also going to ensure that all your future business DIY projects have much greater chances of being successful!   Listen to the full episode to hear: The biggest mistake most people who want to become entrepreneurs make The 6 steps to validate your business idea Why you need to figure out if people actually WANT what you’re trying to sell… and why you need PROOF The difference between a business and a business idea   Learn more about Gillian: Free Validate Checklist Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

What's more profitable, online courses or self-published books?   A lot of people who are interested in making money by selling information (either as a course creator or author) consider these two options.   To some, the choice is obvious.   Of course it's online courses!   After all, everyone knows that "authors don't make anything."   And we've all heard plenty of stories of course creators who are killing it online.   Here's the thing -- while it's true that courses tend to be more profitable than self-published books, this question ("What's more profitable?") kind of creates a false dichotomy.   In other words: it makes it sound like you have to pick one or the other.   But, in reality, these two strategies can work together to create far better results than either typically does on its own.   (It's like asking, "What's better: YouTube or email marketing?" And the answer is, "Neither, they're just different. They serve different purposes in your marketing.")   This week, on the podcast, I interviewed my friend Chandler Bolt, founder and CEO of Self-Publishing School, a $15M Inc 5000 company.   Self-Publishing School primarily sells online courses -- and it's one of the biggest and most successful such companies out there!   So, how'd Chandler do it? Well... by practicing what he preaches: self-publishing books on Amazon!   Chandler's been a friend of mine for the past three years (I first met him in San Diego at Hal Elrod's "Best Year Ever" event) and it's been so cool to watch him scale his company so incredibly fast.   If you don't already know Chandler, I'm honored to introduce you. But, either way, I know there's a LOT we can all learn from his story.   Listen to the full episode to hear: The whole story of how he built his company from the ground up (starting with no connections, no credentials, and no capital) How he used self-published BOOKS as a big part of his growth strategy Exactly how you can copy his approach (even if you think you "don't have time" to write a book) to grow your own business   Learn more about Chandler Bolt: Receive a free copy of Chandler Bolt's bestselling book, Published self-publishingschool.com   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Behind every successful entrepreneur… there is a team supporting them.   In my first few years of business, it was just me – wearing all the hats, doing all the things, and responsible for everything.   But, as my business grew, I knew that I needed help; both so that I could keep my sanity and to be able to continue to grow.   After several failed attempts to hire help (mostly VA’s that I didn’t know what to do with), I finally found a few contractors who supported me by editing my videos, taking care of tech work, writing content, and other small projects.   Then, in 2019, I knew it was time to get a new kind of help: management help. Otherwise, I was going to find myself working more than ever before, managing the people who were supposed to be reducing my work load.   Enter Cortni Loveridge.   I hired Cortni to be my project manager and “integrator” (a concept I explain in this episode) -- but she turned out to be so much more than I’d anticipated. She stepped into my business and immediately started organizing everything from top to bottom -- making it SO much easier to run things in far less time and take on more profitable projects than ever before.   In fact, the year that followed – 2020 – was our best year to date.   Today on the podcast, I’ve invited Cortni herself to join me in sharing exactly what we did in 2020 that had the biggest impact on the company’s bottom line.   I hope you find the episode very insightful and that you’re able to use these strategies to turn 2021 into your BEST year yet. Listen to the full episode to hear: What projects we took on that produced the most revenue Which marketing strategies we saw the most success with How we were able to increase efficiency, so that we could work less -- and (of course) earn more! The exact strategies that led to our half-million dollar year Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

One of the biggest changes we’re making in 2021 is how we run the podcast. Instead of pre-recording and editing all the episodes before we release them, we’re now recording the show LIVE each week inside Startup Society, so that the members can listen in and participate by asking questions.   As I write this, I’ve just finished recording the first of these live sessions, and what a great interview it was!   In today’s episode, I sat down with Keina Newell, financial coach and founder of Wealth Over Now. Keina works with professional women and solopreneurs to create new possibilities with their money so they can save more, pay off debt, invest in themselves and stress less about money.   Keina is passionate about her work and finds no greater satisfaction than helping her clients start managing their money with joy because they’ve learned to feel possibility where they once felt shame, guilt, overwhelm, and anxiety.   We had a great discussion about how she’s built her coaching practice to $10K months -- while maintaining her full-time corporate job.   Keina shared a lot of great insights into how to market yourself as a coach (or freelancer) and how to balance a side-hustle with a full-time job. Listen to the full episode to hear: How Keina’s grown her coaching business from 0 to where she is today The systems Keina has in place so she can operate her coaching practice while working full-time How she's maximizing profits with a 1:1 business model Learn more about Keina Newell: wealthovernow.com Wealth Over Now on Instagram   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Will 2021 be any different?   Who’s to say…   Personally, as much as I’d love to think that 2021 will fix everything, what I really believe is that “a day is a day.” It doesn’t matter the label we put on it, it’s just a 24 hour period in which anything can happen; 24 hours we’re given to make the most of.   Or, in the words of Master Oogway:   “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”   Anyway, 2020 is one for the books, and to wrap it up, I’m opening up my books to show you how we fared.   I’d like to wrap this up by sharing that my hope for 2021 is that it is truly our best year yet. We learned SO much in 2020, and I know that if we apply those lessons this year then we’ll be in good shape. Listen to the full episode to hear: How much my business earned How much we spent How many hours my team and I worked to earn that money Plus a few of my biggest 2021 goals (including our income projection) Links: gillianperkins.com/validate Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Patience is a virtue, but that doesn't mean you can't be TOO patient. And you know what? A lot of people are.   A lot of people waste a lot of time (+ energy and money) because they're patient. And dedicated. And committed. And motivated.   ALL GOOD THINGS. But also potentially problematic.   My dad said it this way: "Don't be afraid of being a quitter. Be willing to quit when you realize you're in the wrong place."   You know who I see make the mistake of being "too patient" more than just about anyone else?   Entrepreneurs.   And it makes sense when you think about it. Not only do entrepreneurs tend to be extremely passionate, committed, and motivated, but there's also this idea out there that success has to take a long time.   ...which I don't entirely disagree with. It definitely takes a while to build a big, successful company. And if you want to build anything meaningful, you need to be committed and in it for the long game.   But too many entrepreneurs hear that and think it means that it will take years to make even their first dollar.   So, what do they do? They work for years... for nothing.   And I don't mean they invest years for an eventual payout.   I mean they waste years working on something that never pans out.   Please don't make this mistake.   Please take the time to figure out if your business idea is valid.   Research the market. Determine the demand for what you're interested in selling.   And don't just stop there... get proof. Share your product (with the right people) and see how they respond. Prioritize generating your first sales before you spend years trying to "build" your business. Listen to the full episode to hear: 3 questions to ask to figure out if your business idea is valid Why market research is essential to building a successful business How to tell if your business idea is valid and worth pursuing Why it might not take a long time to build a substantial, successful business Learn more about Gillian: Predict Your Profits Workshop Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

How much do you want to earn in 2021?   I used to really dislike that ☝ question... because I had no idea how to answer it.   “What do you mean, ‘how much do I want to earn’? As much as I can, of course!”   It’s a lot like when you’re shopping for something expensive and the sales rep asks you, “So, what’s your budget?”   Of course, sometimes we DO have a budget, but a lot of the time I just want to spend as little as I can to get the thing I need. (I’m sure I can’t be the only one…)   Any answer to the “how much do you want to earn” question just felt… arbitrary. I’d say a smaller number, trying to be “realistic” -- but it wasn’t [at all] what I really wanted. Or I’d say a BIG number, but it felt pointless because it seemed impossible.   If you can relate to this struggle between modest “realistic” goals and ambitious inspiring goals, then today’s podcast episode is for you.   Because here’s the truth: there CAN be a balance between those two extremes. And not just a compromise… you can actually set goals that are both realistic and inspiring. Listen to the full episode to hear: Two ways to set goals based on math My recommendation for setting your first growth goal What can get in the way of you growth What to do if your growth goals feel overwhelming How to set goals when you’re just starting out Learn more about Gillian Predict Your Profits Workshop Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Several years ago, when I ran a digital marketing agency, I met an incredible woman named Margo Carroll.   At first, I didn't realize how incredible she was -- she was just another client who was hiring us to run her Facebook ads.   But the more I got to know Margo, see her work, and learn from her, the more impressed I became.   Not only does Margo do everything she takes on with integrity and serious commitment, but I also discovered she has an area of unique expertise: sales psychology.   Margo understands the human mind and persuasion in a deep way, but, more than that, she's able to strategically apply that knowledge to connect with people and create highly effective marketing campaigns.   And, while Margo originally hired my company to help her advertise her business, over the years the tables have turned, and I've become the client. Margo has helped us conduct thorough market research, write sales campaigns, launch webinars, and strategize our funnels. Listen to the full episode to hear: How to use market research to learn more about your customers and more effectively sell to them Why market research is incredibly valuable to do when you're in the planning stages (deciding what to sell) to improve your copy and maximize your sales How asking a potential member questions before they join your Facebook group is a type of market research (and how you can use it in your future copy) The first steps Margo recommends if you haven’t done research in your business before Learn more about Margo Carroll: margocarroll.com Follow Margo on Instagram Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!