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If you have kids and you’re a solopreneur, you know how tough summer care could be — especially if you have small children. Today, I'm diving into why my wife and I decided to skip summer camp for our kids and how this big decision is changing how I’m structuring my business for the summer.Discussion Topics:Financial and Family Considerations: The high cost of summer camp motivated my wife and me to find a solution that allows us to save nearly $10,000 while providing more quality family time.Flexible Scheduling: My wife and I adjusted our schedules so one of us is always available to care for our kids, which highlights the importance of managing work flexibility as a solopreneur.Temporary Chaos: I anticipate that managing my kids full-time will lead to some chaotic and stressful days, but it's a worthwhile trade-off for the family time we cherish.Support Network: Leveraging support from family, friends, and babysitters is crucial to our adjusted childcare strategy, emphasizing the value of a strong support network.Deep Work Planning: I plan to maximize productivity by scheduling meetings on specific days and blocking off consecutive hours for focused work, illustrating the importance of proactive scheduling.Temporary Shift in Priorities: Recognizing that the summer period is temporary, I remind solopreneurs to take advantage of this time to make memories with their kids and cherish the flexibility our work allows.

One day in March I started getting regular inbound requests from my coaching form – I had no idea why. When I looked into it, it turns out that I was ranking at #2 on Google for “Podcast Coach.” Not to sound like a broken record…but I had no idea why. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything special. I didn’t do keyword research. I didn’t write content in a certain way. So I wanted to learn more. That’s why I sat down with SEO pro Lauren Gaggioli to get the real truth about search engine optimization in 2024. We cover a bunch of stuff from why quality human-written content will ALWAYS beat AI-generated stuff to the long-game SEO strategy that keeps paying off for years.Plus, I get Lauren's real talk on whether social media is even worth it for driving traffic in 2024. Her perspective will not surprise you.  If you're a solopreneur, blogger, or content creator feeling lost with SEO, you need to hear what Lauren has to say. Stop wasting time on strategies that don't work and start optimizing intelligently!Top TakeawaysSEO is about appealing to Google's bots and making your website discoverable for relevant search queries. BUT…Google prioritizes quality, human-written content over AI-generated or keyword-stuffed content.SEO is a long-term investment, and it's essential to commit to it for at least 12 months to see meaningful results. While social media can be useful for engagement, SEO is more effective for driving targeted traffic and revenue.Researching low-difficulty, high-relevance keywords and focusing on answering the questions your target audience asks is crucial for SEO success.Show NotesLauren GaggioliImperfect action will get you thereThe Marshmallow TestKeyword difficulty is more important than volumeMangools

Context is everything. It’s easy to think that if you have a salesperson who’s actively frustrating potential clients to the point where they never consider hiring you, you’d fire that salesperson. But what if your website is doing it? Would you fire your website? You should. That’s why I’m SO excited to have Monica Pitts on the show today. She’s going to tell us how we can save HOURS per month by making our website a member of our team (sound familiar?). We spoke for over two hours – and you’re getting the best parts of it. We cover everything from mindset to automation, and of course, we cover tools. Top TakeawaysYour website doesn’t need to just be a brochure site – it can actually take work off your plate. This is why you need to treat it like an employee, not just a static asset. Be cautious about relying too heavily on third-party automation tools like Zapier. Consider native integrations first for faster processing and a better user experience.A website is crucial for your business. It offers a reliable source of information compared to social media platforms and serves as a long-lasting marketing approach. Social Media is great to show people you’re alive, but you need a website to attract customers.Show NotesMonica PittsGravity FormsFormidable FormsConvertKitActive CampaignGreat Things Require Time Why You're Leaving Money on the Table with Email Automation with Kronda Adair 

I know this is going to sound like an Italian stereotype, but my mother makes the best chicken cutlets. They are thin cuts of chicken, perfectly breaded and seasoned, and taste amazing hot and cold. I’d watch her in hopes of learning how to make them as well (or at least close to it). She’d tell me things like, “You just know how much breading to use,” and “cook them until they look right.”  What she didn’t do was walk into the kitchen and get paralyzed over which pan to use, or the perfect wooden spoon for the job. She’d get right to work. As solopreneurs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “this tool will get me back on track,” but it’s often your mindset that needs adjusting first. That’s why today I’m talking to Rashelle Isip, The Order Expert. Much like me, she helps business owners be more productive and less stressed. But while I’m an implementer, she focuses more on mindset and taking a look at everything going on in her clients’ lives. Top TakeawaysTake a step back to evaluate the systems in place and reassess how they impact daily routines and overall life. This is crucial to putting the right system in place, and not just copying someone else’s, which won’t work for you.When adopting new tools, approach them with curiosity and intentional limitation to assess their effectiveness in streamlining systems, getting organized, and maintaining focus.Maintain a positive mindset, adapt to unexpected setbacks with flexibility, and remember to be forgiving and gentle with yourself when things don't go according to plan.Show NotesRashelle IsipThe Green Zone Conversation Book

There's an old adage in construction that you should measure twice and cut once. The idea being that cutting is a permanent action. If you cut a piece of wood, you can't put it back together. So you should measure where you're cutting, make sure you're measuring it right, and double-check your work before you take that permanent action.Now on the Internet, things aren't necessarily as permanent. Sure. Things that are online could be online forever. But as far as setting up a YouTube page or a podcast or a website, well, you can change them pretty easily. I just kinda made a decision and I ran with it. And now I'm kind of regretting that decision.But because nothing is permanent on the Internet, I am rectifying that.Top Takeaways:When rebranding your YouTube channel, focus on creating a clear and specific mission for your content. This will help the YouTube algorithm understand and recommend your content to the appropriate audience.Regularly review your analytics to see which videos are performing well and update those thumbnails and descriptions to optimize visibility. The title and thumbnail have the biggest impact on click-through rates.Consider the performance of your top videos and use that information to guide your content strategy. If specific topics or types of content are consistently performing well, consider creating more content around those topics to leverage your existing success.

I’m currently reading Stories that Stick by Kindra Hall. In it, she mentions that “story” has become such a common term that people use it for everything, even if it’s not a story. I feel the same thing has been done to the term “repurposing.” See, when you repurpose something in the real world, you take it, you make changes to it, and you give it new life. You don’t just lop a piece off of it and say you’ve repurposed it. But that’s what many people consider repurposing today. “I’m going to clip 1 minute of this 60-minute conversation and call it repurposed.” That’s why I’m excited to have Greg Wasserman on the show today. He helps us reframe repurposing, and talks about how AI can help us repurpose properly – and while I don’t agree with everything he says, I like exploring different ideas. Top TakeawaysRepurposing content isn’t just turning current content into other content. It’s taking conversations and turning them into content, products, and more. Get creative! Greg uses his coaching calls and repurposes them into courses. How can you take conversations you’re having and leverage them to get something tangible for your business? When it comes to leveraging AI, consider your creative comfort. Some people are more comfortable writing. Some feel better talking it out. Integrate AI into your current and best process! Show NotesGreg Wassermanlu.maDiscovering What Customers Really Want with Georgiana LaudiWhy Podcast Interviews are a Content Goldmine with Tom SchwabGrammarlyCastmagic.io

After 8 years, I'm changing the name of this podcast from How I Built It to Streamlined Solopreneur. Here's why. You can learn more at https://streamlined.fm 

The first documented parachute jump happened in the late 1700s, when André-Jacques Garnerin just from balloons at “only” 2000 feet. He no doubt prepared for this moment, testing his parachute and doing everything he could to mitigate risk. Today, skydiving is a sport and a recreational activity, with a lot of safety measures and technology to further mitigate risk. Why am I telling you this? Because human beings are, by and large, risk-averse…so doing everything we can to reduce it is incredibly important. When it comes to launching a business, it, much like skydiving, is much less risky than it was 200 years ago. Part of that is the ability to create applications – and therefore launch software-based businesses – without code. That’s exactly what Karla Fernandes is going to talk to us about today. And she should know. She’s launched over a dozen native apps, without writing a single line of code. Top TakeawaysWhen evaluating business ideas, prioritize those that solve user problems and gauge interest through pre-sales and feedback from friends, ensuring a user-centric approach and viability.Use no-code tools for faster product development, which allow you to validate, test, and iterate quickly.With no code solutions, you can test multiple product ideas simultaneously without significant investment, helping to hedge your bets and validate ideas quickly and affordably.Show NotesKarla FernandesMillion Dollar Weekend by Noah KaganNative App: FigmaBravo StudioAirtable

Today we have a good old fashioned feed drop from my friends at The Podcast Host, and their show, Podcraft. What really makes someone a successful podcaster? Is it a certain number of episodes, downloads, or reviews? Is it whether content creation has become their full-time job? Or could it be because they’ve been recognised with a prestigious award?That's what they'll discuss on this episode, and every episode this season. I hope you enjoy! Check out Podcraft wherever you listen. 

I love shuffling poker chips. In fact, I love playing poker…but there’s a fallacy in gambling that can get you into a lot of trouble. It’s the fallacy of sunk cost. Basically, you think you should continue what is ultimately a losing battle because you’ve already invested some amount of money in the pot.The same thing can be applied to lots of stuff. Have you ever finished a book or a movie you didn’t like just because you started it? That’s the fallacy of sunk cost.And I’m happy to say that 4 months into 2024, I successfully avoided that fallacy with something that, in January, I was all-in on: my “Be Everywhere” Strategy.Show NotesMy Experiment with Substack and Being “Everywhere”Taking a bet on Substack’s Network Effect with Nathalie LussierWhy I’m Killing my MembershipPodcast Workflows

I remember touring a Murano Glass factory on my honeymoon to Italy. Basically as soon as we stepped foot into the place, a man giving us the tour had us pegged. So when it came time to sell us something, he didn’t just ask us if we wanted to buy some glass art. He painted us a picture of a unique conversation piece that we can put in our home, to help us remember this time at the beginning of our marriage. To turn into a family heirloom for when we have kids and grandkids. He wasn’t selling us glass. He was selling us a vision of our future. And it worked like gangbusters. So how can we do that for our customers? That’s what Georgiana Laudi is here to talk to us about. She is the co-author of Forget the Funnel, a book that had a profound effect on my business – and today, we’re talking all about jobs to be done, research, and capturing the voice of our customers. Top TakeawaysUnderstand the "Jobs to Be Done": Customers aren't buying products themselves, but rather the solutions the products offer. Identify the specific jobs your product or service helps customers accomplish. Capture the Voice of the Customer: Conduct customer interviews to capture actual language and patterns from customer conversations. Continuous Customer Research: Regularly conduct foundational research every 6-12 months and ensure it's continually validated based on industry shifts. Show NotesGeorgiana LaudiGeorgiana on Forget the FunnelWhat are Jobs to be Done?Demand Side SalesForget the FunnelHow to be a Scrappy Researcher (to Actually Sell Products) with Becky Pierson DavidsonCopyhackersForget the Funnel Podcast

My grandfather came to the United States from Italy in 1949 and worked in New York City for much of his life — primarily in construction. For as long as I can remember, he had this big, metal toolbox. And when he passed away, he gave it to me, and I still have and use it to this day.Pop had that toolbox for decades. When he found something that worked for him, he held on to it and took care of it. There’s a hammer in there that has to be as old as I am.And when you think about it, the hammer is a pretty good analogy for our digital tools. It’s a basic device, but there are countless variations, purpose-built for specific tasks. Much like a task manager or notes app, you mostly know what you’re getting — but you may want something a little more specialized for your needs.While you don’t want to change tools all the time, it is good to evaluate your toolset from time to time. So I thought I’d check in and share the tools I’m using.Show NotesTools Check-in: What am I using so far in 2024?Tools for Podcasters (Podcast Workflows)When Do You Burn All of Your Processes Down and Start Over?My Stream Deck: How I’ve Configured it for Maximum Productivity and ProductionBecome a MemberTools mentioned: NotionRiverside.fmDescriptScreenFlowiZotopeCastmagicThings 3Bear NotesFantasticalCalendlyMimestreamTimeryArcChatGPTRaycast

I abhor hustle culture. Telling someone to work a full-time job, then go home and work more all for some goal that keeps changing is, in my opinion, how to lead an empty life. I’m worried that, even in 2024, we continue to fetishize making money and hustling. So I decided to take it to Khe Hy. Khe, if you don’t know, worked hard – as he puts it, he hustled for 10 years of his life. He worked on Wall Street, becoming the equivalent of a junior partner in a law firm, and earning a 7-figure salary. But he left that job, and he’s built a life he enjoys.   But he makes it very clear: sometimes you do need to hustle. Life is full of seasons – and recognizing that seasonality is important. We cover a ton of topics in our short time. Top TakeawaysThere are seasons to life. It’s important to recognize that and adjust for the season you’re in. If you’re working to eventually gain more time, ask yourself if you can cut some costs and gain that time now. Sure, someone could pay you $10,000 for 5 hours of data entry – but do you want to do data entry, or would you rather have those 5 hours free?There’s a difference between revenue and profit. Most people share top line revenue, but what are they really taking home?Show NotesKhe HyRevenue Hub's interview with Tiago AraújoRadReadsThe magic of doing $10,000 per hour workAre you a Post-Achievement Professional?

What do you want your life to look like? Last week I talked about how not being intentional is kind of like driving a car without the GPS. But goal setting without knowing what you want – that’s a bit like driving a car without having a destination in mind. Well, today, Tanya Alvarez is going to help us figure out the destination – you can think of her as your own GPS. And much like that Google Maps car, she’s well-traveled and has a ton of experience to back up her advice – from funding her first startup with credit cards to completing a Half Ironman and traveling to 42 countries, she’s done it all. And now she wants to help you do it too, by sharing her system for prioritizing your goals.Top TakeawaysTake the time to define and rank your personal values. Understand how these values shape your goals and prioritize them to ensure alignment with your desired outcomes.View your goals as hypotheses and break them down into manageable time frames. This approach provides flexibility for adjustments while promoting focused and effective work periods.When faced with multiple business ideas or tasks, evaluate them based on effort, impact, and activity categories. This can help you understand your capacity and prioritize tasks effectively.Show NotesTanya Alvarez

Not being intentional in your business is a bit like getting in your car and driving without the GPS. Sure…you generally know where you’re going. But what if a road is closed? What if there’s avoidable traffic? A GPS can help you navigate around those things.When you’re intentional about your business, you go from wandering aimlessly, taking any work that makes ends meet, to setting and achieving your goals. And today, I’m going to talk about how I’m being more intentional in my business, and why that decision has led me to end my membership.Top TakeawaysTake the time to identify tasks that provide the best returns on your time investment. Focus on work that aligns with your income goals and brings you closer to achieving your business objectives.Take control of your schedule by tracking your time and evaluating the effectiveness of your tasks. Use tools like time tracking apps to make data-driven decisions and maximize your productivity.Reflect on your business goals and values, and make decisions that align with them. Ensure that your business endeavors are in sync with what matters most to you and contribute to your overall happiness and success.

Do you really need social media to build a following? To build expertise? To be successful? It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot. I think lots of creators are too. The rote advice that you see from the ultra successful people just doesn’t work for most of us. And it doesn’t have to. What if I told you there was a better way. As it turns out, today’s guest, my friend and Amazon best selling author of the book start a binge-worthy podcast, Krystal Proffitt, agree: starting a podcast is a great way to build your business. In today’s conversation, we talk about why podcasting is the best way to build expertise and trust, why there aren’t too many podcasts, and how you can start a successful one. Plus, in the pro show, we talk all about how to do interviews the right way. Top TakeawaysPodcasts are a great, intimate way to get your content in the hands of your ideal audience. And, as Seth Godin put it, they are the generous act of showing up. You differentiate your podcast by making sure your audience feels seen and heard. This could (and should) be through relatable stories, and by engaging with them through feedback. The first thing you should think about, before you every consider which mic to buy, is what’s your message? Without a message, you don’t have a podcast. Show NotesKrystal ProffittMy interview with Krystal on Podcast AutomationAmy Porterfield

During the pandemic, we were told one thing seemingly over and over again: You need to start a membership. You need a community. That’s the only way you can scale your business. And to be honest, I fed into it. I believed that a membership was the key to stop trading for hours for dollars. But the truth is I was trading more hours for fewer dollars. See, what most solopreneurs don’t realize (what I didn’t realize for a long time) is that you’re always trading hours for dollars. That’s what work is. The key difference is how many hours you're trading for how many dollars. And that’s what Maggie Patterson is here to talk to us about today. See, when the pandemic ended, we both noticed something: many of those people who were preaching the importance of basing your business off a community or membership were going back to one thing: services. Because when you do services right, you can make a lot of money. Today, Maggie, who has over 15 years of experience successfully selling client services, tells us the key to unlocking more income: selling strategy. Top TakeawaysIt’s important to understand what kind of business you want to run. 1-to-1 business is a lot different from a 1-to-many business. And they require different strategies.The key is in pricing. Don’t just price on gut feeling. Tether it to some reality (like how much money you need to make to pay yourself, and run the business), and then listen for feedback. The market will tell you if you’re priced correctly. Too many solopreneurs give the strategy away for free in their proposal. They say exactly what they’re going to do. Instead, hold paid strategy sessions (sometimes called Discovery projects) where you get paid to truly understand the scope, and give the client something tangible. Show NotesMaggie PattersonReverse Salary CalculatorThe Best Advice I Never Took

Choosing the right platform can feel like an impossible task sometimes. There are so many options, from services to creating your own website and owning everything – how do you choose? Well, Nathalie Lussier and I have both been around the block. She owns a popular WordPress-based LMS called AccessAlly, and I’ve tried dozens of platforms for memberships, including ones I’ve built myself. So it was interesting timing when we both decided to start publishing on Substack in late November/early December. Today, we’re going to trade notes, going over why we decided to move there, what migration was like, and what we like and dislike about the platform. For members, we’ll discuss our timing to move within the context of a bigger controversy surrounding Substack. Top TakeawaysSocial Media for promoting and growing your work has been going downhill for a while now. But Substack has built in a number of features, like Notes and Recommendations, to incentivize sharing while also staying on the platform. One of Substack's best features is its interoperability. You can easily import email lists, content, and even paying subscribers through Stripe. And moving is easy too. Everything you can import, you can also export. The best way to leverage Substack’s network effect is to find your tribe – people who you can work with to restack, recommend, and follow on Notes. Just like any social network, don’t discount the “social” part. Show NotesThe Momentum MemoAccessAllyHow Knowing Your Customers Lets You Charge More with Nathalie Lussier

One of my favorite Disney+ shows is Loki. It’s a truly fascinating look at time travel, predetermined events, and controlling your own destiny.And now I’m going to give you a major (if not very simplified) spoiler, if you haven’t seen it.In the finale, Loki masters the ability to “time slip,” or transport to any time, any place, in any timeline (for all intents and purposes, a timeline is a parallel universe). This also allows him to relive events over and over again.So as all of existence faces eradication, he can take as much “time” as he wants to learn how to save everything and everyone, on every timeline.He continuously, over thousands of years, learns everything he needs to learn, and practices, through trial and error, to improve his process, and his odds of saving everything and everyone.And while we don’t have thousands of years, or the ability to time travel, we do have the ability to take a step back and consider the question, “What’s missing?”Read the full article here

It was Christmas Eve, and I was waiting in line for bagels.As someone who grew up in New York now living close to Philly, I’m admittedly a snob about the quality of the bagels I eat. But there’s a bagel shop not 5 minutes from my house that makes the best bagels I’ve ever had outside of NY/NJ.And they offer preorders for Christmas Eve. It’s become a bit of a tradition in our house to get those bagels and do a Christmas Eve brunch.They also have a select stock for people on a first come first serve basis. People who preorder can buy from this stock. The many preorders combined with the select stock creates a long line. After-all, these bagels are superb.So we waited.And during that wait, there were some people who complained about the wait1.But no one left the line or cancelled their order. After all, if all they wanted was bagels, they could have gone to the grocery store a few doors down and buy bagels immediately.But those are not even good bagels. And we wanted great bagels.See, there’s a dirty little secret that no one wants to hear these days:Great things require time. And they’re worth the wait.Read the full article hereIn the PRO show, I explain how I plan for conferences, and how I measure direct ROI from events. Join here.