All Episodes

That was Josh Garofalo and let me tell you: I loved this conversation. He’s a marketer and research and we dig deep into the latter. He tells us how important it is to do your research when you’re writing copy for you website. You want to solve your customers problems, and there are a few ways Josh talks about to help us communicate that. Show NotesJosh GorofaloSway CopyBranding and Positioning for Store BuildersChecklist ManifestoHotjarDealing with Problem ClientsTom's PlannerHubspotRev.comBalsamiqGet a FREE podcast workbook to launch your own show. Sponsored by: Gusto | Ahoy! | Pantheon

Adrian Tobey is a young, energetic entrepreneur who’s build a pretty cool WordPress plugin in Groundhogg - something to help with yout marketing automation. On top of creating the plugin we talk quite a bit about college and higher education. He talks fast and offers some great advice so be sure to pay close attention (or slow the episode down!) Adrian TobeyGroundhoggInfusionsoftFormlift WordPress pluginWooCommerce SubscriptionsEasy Digital DownloadsElementorSponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon

Tracy Rotton is a longtime friend of mine from the WordPress space - we met because we happened to be writing similar books around the same time! Well, Tracy has gone on to do some very cool things - one of which is leaning a WordPress development team for the Federal Government - specifically to completely redesign state.gov - the State Department's website. We talk about lots of stuff, from the actual development, to working for such a huge organization, and how to handle working with different corporate cultures. Show NotesTracy Rotton | Twittertaupecatstudios.comState.govRuined by Design by Mike MonteiroACF ProUnderscoresState Department Website archivesSponsored by: Cloudways | Ahoy! | Pantheon

Podcast Movement is a giant podcast conference and expo where 3,000 attendees come from all over the world to talk podcasting. It’s 4 days of events, talks, and networking opportunities. If you’re never, been, I recommend it. I had a few goals going into the conference, and as a result I had some pretty fantastic, and related takeaways. Let's get into my 5 biggest takeaways from Podcast Movement. Show NotesPodcast Liftoff WorkbookPodcast MovementPatreonPatt Flynn (SPI)SuperfansBonjoroOne more thing! Did you like this style of episode? Yes | NoSponsored by: Ahoy! | Pantheon

Gordon Stannis, like last week’s guest, Colin, helped create a smart lighting system. But where Colin wanted to improve our homes, Gordon wanted to improve our experience in parking garaging. This is a super interesting conversation where we cover both hardware and software, mesh networks, and much more. Show NotesGordon StannisTwisthink LutronI want to tell you about a new resource I have for podcasters called Podcast Liftoff. I’m coming fresh off of Podcast Movement 2019 and lots of folks were interested in how I started my show - and I know many of you are too. So I want to tell you about a free workbook I created to help you take those first steps into launching your show. You’ll answer questions about your topic and format, get show script and notes templates, checklists, and more. Just head over to howibuilt.it/liftoff to get your free download.Sponsored by: Ahoy! | Pantheon

Colin Billings has built something that I’m incredibly interested in generally: hardware that contributes to home automation. He built Orro, the first truly responsive lighting system, out of his own frustration with lighting’s adverse impact on his wellness and sleep. Now the Orro Switch adds the computational power of an iPhone XR inside the walls of a home. It detects your presence in a room and adjusts the lighting automatically to bring out the most natural light, reducing artificial light exposure that disrupts your body and sleep. Within a week, Orro learns your preferences and handles 95% of all the lighting adjustments, so you don't have to think about your lights anymore. Show NotesColin BillingsOrroFluxContentfulRate the ShowSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon

Jessica Hall is the VP of product strategy and design at 3Pillar Global, and today we are going to talk about something that made a bunch of news a couple of months ago - the Accenture/Hertz case, where Hertz paid a bunch of money (like $32M) and got nothing. With some time since the story broke, we sit back and look at how this happened, and Jessica tells you how it can be avoided. Jessica Hall3Pillar GlobalAccenture/Hertz CaseHow to Avoid a $32 Million FlopAgile Manifesto101 VideosLanding Page School Podcast: Always Be TestingHotjarGoogle OptimizeMarvelSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon

Alex McClafferty has a wealth of business experience to share with us this week. Not only did he build a successful business within the WordPress space - WP Curve - he ended up selling it to GoDaddy. That experience showed him that the number of resources for selling your business were scarce, and now he’s doing that - completely embracing the “teach what you know” mentality. Show NotesAlex McClaffertyProductize.coWP CurveFlippaDisney buys MarvelApple buys LalaMicrosoft sunsets SunriseSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon

Over the last 2 weeks, we discussed mental and physical health as it relates to freelancing and self-employment. To round out this trilogy of overall happiness in your career, I’m talking to Kirsten Bunch, who is a reinvention coach. She helps those folks who are mid-career but need a change. She offers some fantastic advice on how to determine if you’re ready for a chance, and the steps you should talk in order to figure out what to do for your next career move. Show NotesKirsten Bunch | Change the World in a Hot FlashKirsten's Book: Next Act Give BackGotham WritersAtomic HabitsEpisode 23: Scott Bolinger and AppPresserProfit FirstRichest Man in BabylonSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon

Michelle Schulp is a fantastic web designer in the WordPress space - you make have seen her work on the WP Hierarch chart. Recently she’s launched a new initiative talking about fitness and freelancing. Last week we touched a bit on mental health. This week we’re going to dive into physical health, especially when running your own business. Show NotesMichelle SchulpMarktime MediaFitness & FreelanceWholly Obsessed: Whole30, 80 Day Obsession, Progress, and Perfection10 practical habits to balance Health with HustleBook: Atomic HabitsSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon

Allie Nimmons is a freelance web designer with an unique perspective to my own. She made the transition to freelancing after losing her job, but still needing to make money. We talk about what that’s like, as well as how she’s be able to hone her offerings based on what her target customers need. We also talk about mental health, and what it’s like to be black, and female, in a white male-dominated space. Since recording this, Allie has been hired to work at GiveWP, providing tech support to users of this awesome plugin. She has minimized Pixel Glow to focus purely on providing WordPress maintenance. She can be found most often at her blog - allienimmons.comShow NotesAllie NimmonsPixel Glow Web DesignWordCamp MiamiJosepha Haden's WC Miami TalkGrace HopperSherry Walling & Choosing Self EmploymentSponsored by: Ahoy! | Creator Courses | Pantheon

We got lots of great advice over the course of Season 6. Over the course of about 10 minutes, we're going to distill all of that advice into 3 overarching themes. Take a listen to find out what they are. Here are the best trade secrets of 2019. Show NotesSponsor the ShowSubscribe to How I Built It!Nathalie Lussier and AccessAllyMike McDerment and FreshBooksAndre Gagnon and ProjectHuddleLaura Elizabeth and Design AcademyBrennan Dunn and RightMessageBrad Touesnard and SpinupWP 

It takes the right combination of bioscience knowledge, marketing intelligence, lead generation strategies, operational insight, product R&D expertise, and personal drive to fuel the business development of any life science firm. For almost 2 decades, Susan Goebel has been leveraging these core trails to deliver multi-million-dollar revenue generating initiatives with global reach. Now Susan has turned her focus to supporting others in their ventures into bioscience businesses. From helping doctors bring new medical solutions to market, to connecting investors and inventors, Susan helps shape the future of health, wellness and bioscience. Show NotesSusan GoebelBioscience Board RoomMike McDerment and FreshBooksBill and Melinda Gates FoundationClickfunnelsWixSponsored by: Soshace | Plesk | Pantheon

Patrick Campbell was curious about how people price products, and how pricing affects conversion - so he built ProfitWell. We discussed pricing, estimating time, tech stack, and so much more. His insights into how to price are fantastic. Show NotesPatrick Campbell | TwitterProfitWell | ProfitWell ReportDjangoAtticusSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Jan Löffler is the CTO of Plesk, which is fantastic server management software. They're rapidly growing set of sophisticated tools is inspiring., In this episode we'll talk all about the history of Plesk, as well as what it's like to manage software that powers hundreds of thousands of websites. Show NotesJan LöfflerPleskInterview videosCloudfest HackathonHover DNS CourseSponsored by: Weglot | Plesk | Pantheon

Jay Gibb is the founder and CEO of CloudSponge - a B2B SaaS company that sells an address book widget. We talked about growing an audience, research good opportunities for building a product, and Jay gives some fantastic advice for cold outreach. Show NotesJay GibbCloudSpongeBuddyPressInvite AnyoneQuoraSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

If you've ever wondered what goes into creating a fantastic affiliate program, Lindsey Miller from Liquid Web has the answers for you, starting with one simple rule: your affiliates are partners. We talk about lots of stuff like content creation and working with your partners to help them help you. We also discuss how to come up with rates. Don't miss this episode! Show NotesLindsey Miller | TwitterLiquid Web's Managed WooCommerce HostingEpisode 4: Cory Miller and iThemesiThemesThis is MarketingChris Lema and Managed WooCommerce HostingKolbe Personality TestiThemes TrainingiThemes HostingCheck out my online courses tech stack.Sponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon

Brad Touesnard is a well known developer in the WordPress community, and CEO and Founder of Delicious Brains, a company that makes fantastic WordPress products. You might know them best from WP Migrate DB Pro, but they do lots more! Brad tells us all about their new product, SpinupWP, why they decided to solve this problem, and lots of other great advice for both business and development. Show NotesBrad TouesnardDelicious BrainsSpinupWPKim Gjerstad and MailPoetConnectedCurtis McHale's iOS Development GuideSpinning up a WP Install SeriesChris Lema and Managed WooCommerce HostingCheck out my podcasting course | Online Course Tech StackSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Mihran Papazian is the CEO of Brushette, a company that plans to revolutionize...toothbrushes! In a rare episode, we cover what it's like creating a physical product, from the deep research they did, to visiting over 1,000 factories in China to find the right manufacturing partner. Mihran's experience and deep knowledge means there's lots of great takeaways here - no matter what you plan to make. Mihran PapazianBrushetteProdentalBrad Dowdy and Nock Co.Check out my podcasting courseSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon

James Kemp is the founder and lead developer of Iconic, a popular WooCommerce extension shop. James has managed to do well in an increasingly saturated space. His approach to solving problems and determining if there's a market for his new ideas is an interesting one. He offers lots of great advice on everything from research to development, and launching. James KempIconicFreemiusVova Feldman and FreemiusThe Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained (CGP Grey)WooCommerce Ideas BoardWhat is the GPL?ComposerBitbucketGulpFreemius Deploy MPMDaniel Espinoza and Wearing Many HatsNancy Hildebrandt and Creating Great DocumentationCheck out my podcasting courseSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Stephanie Scapa is the Co-Founder and CEO of WEYV, a platform that aims to compete with Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. They have a unique business model to help them do it! We discuss running a large-scale project, what deep product research looks like, and how they came up with the pricing plan. Stephanie ScapaWEYVAltairAmplitudeJoe's Podcast CourseSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon

Yuriy Popov is the Customer Success Manager at KeepSolid, where they make a suite of apps. The most popular is VPN Unlimited. We dive deep into how KeepSolid pivoted to focus on where they saw the industry going, from the Snowden revelations to the continued support for better online privacy. We also talk about the importance of listening to your customers, a recurring theme on this show! Yuriy PopovKeepSolidCheck out my podcasting courseSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Before Sam Brodie founded OffSprout, he successfully sold a niched business that focused on websites for lawyers. Sam generously shares his advice and experience with us, from niching down to how to properly keep your books. There's tons of great advice in this episode, so make sure to listen to the whole thing! Sam BrodieOffSproutJurisPageCaboPressWP Influencer ProjectSara Dunn and Niching DownSam's Udemy CourseCheck out my podcast courseSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon

Andre Gagnon has SaaS/Subscription fatigue and decided to do something about it. He helped create and launch ProjectHuddle, a WordPress/plugin-based competitor to the likes of InVision. At least, when it comes to getting design feedback. The tech in this episode is super interesting, and we get philosophical about owning your products and data! Show NotesAndre GagnonProjectHuddleMedium Adds a PaywallVideo: Syncing Medium with WordPressWes Bos' React CourseBackbone JSLevenshtein DistanceSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Jan Thielemann is a plugin developer who got his start as a digital nomad who wanted to make enough money to fund his adventures. So he started a small side business selling plugins for Divi, where he found a good niche. He offers great advice about starting on your own, and the difference between truly passive and "half-passive" income. Show NotesJan ThielemannDivi SenseiFreemiusJan's Travel BlogDiviElegant Marketplace (Jan's page)Vova Feldman and FreemiusSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon | Hover.com

Every so often on this show, I will have somebody who knows lots of something I know very little about, and Amanda is one of those people. She is a live captioner. We talk all about what it's like being a live captioner, her the stenographic keyboard, and more. I like her journey and all of the information that she gives us in this episode. Amanda Lundberg (email)White Coat CaptioningWordCamp CentralGutenReady for the Gutenpocalypse Photo of a Stenographic KeyboardOpen Steno ProjectSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Brennan Dunn is a freelancer, educator, and founder of RightMessage, a personalization platform. It's used by people like Pat Flynn to make sure their website is targeting the proper audience. We talk about how he built RightMessage and the importance of personalization and segmentation. Show NotesBrennan DunnRightMessageDouble Your FreelancingCaboPressLanding Page SchoolConvertKitOptinMonsterPat FlynnSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon | Hover.com

Dan Stocke knows marketing, and knows the pain of using the Facebook Ads Manager. So he created an easier way to do it. We'll talk about how he took his idea from need to launch, talk to developers, and refined the process based on feedback. Show NotesEmail Dan Stocke: dan@buzzfrenzy.comBuzz FrenzyWordCamp MinneapolisBook: ContagiousSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Laura Elizabeth is a fantastic designer who wants to "teach design to developers." Her story from consulting to products is fantastic, and her method for building buzz and tension around her course worked perfectly. This is a fantastic case study for people who consult, but want to move into selling online courses or selling products. Show NotesLaura Elizabeth (on Twitter)Client PortalDesign AcademyCaboPressWooCommerceSenseiVimeo ProSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon | Hover.com

Mike McDerment is the founder of the incredibly popular accounting software FreshBooks. His story is an interesting one - where he started with an MVP and then built it up from there. His journey relatable, and I'm really excited to talk to him today. Show NotesFreshBooksSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon