Entrepreneurs in Motion

How am I organizing my workload and managing goals and objectives this year? That's the topic of today's episode, and I'm going to describe two practices I've adopted that are working well for me when it comes to planning and productivity. If you've struggled in the past with implementing complicated goal-setting systems, or with organizing the many different tasks that have to get done, these two simple strategies may be just what you need. Comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/practices/

It's past time for the year in review episode... and it's also been a whole year since I published anything at all on this podcast. The explanation is simple: 2020. Practically nothing more needs to be said, right? I know a few listeners have written in and said you've missed the Entrepreneurs in Motion podcast, and I've missed doing it! But this was a year in which my responsibilities had to get pared back to the absolute minimum, and since this podcast is a side project for me, I had to put it on pause.  Today I'll share a summary of the past year: How COVID affected my business What went well in 2020 What didn't go well in 2020 And as always I'll pull out some takeaways or lessons for you, the listener. Come comment and let me know how your year went! Check out my past year in review episodes: Year in review 2019 Year in review 2018 Year in review 2017

It's the final episode of the year... time to look back, reflect and report on how it went! Today I'll share five things that went well, three things that didn't, and what my theme for the year was. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/review2019/

I decided to do a simple Black Friday promo, and today I'll be sharing exactly what I did, the strategy, and the results. Listen in to learn advantages and disadvantages of Black Friday sales, why I don't normally discount my products (but why I decided to do so now), and the specific messaging I used to inform my audience about the sale... and, of course, the numbers! Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/bf/

Last month I made the long journey to Bangkok for a conference of fellow location-independent entrepreneurs. Here are my top takeaways from the event - one about the conference itself, one more tactical plan for my business, one insight about my life, and one consideration for the long term.

Do aggressive and manipulative marketing tactics make you squirm? In today's episode, my guest Sarah Santacroce explains how to implement "gentle business" principles in order to create a more genuine human-to-human connection (which is still effective in making sales!) We talk about revealing yourself and what you stand for to your prospective customers, as well as sales calls and last chance emails, and how you can use those tactics in a non-slimy way. If you, like me, want your marketing to be in line with your values, then you'll really enjoy this conversation. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/gentle

Although I don't offer coaching or consulting at the moment, I'd like to help more entrepreneurs by talking through business challenges together! If you want to get my perspective and advice about anything in your business, we'll record the conversation and publish it as a case study on this podcast. Fill out this form and tell me about your business and your current struggles - so I can see how I can help you and if you'll be a good fit: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/guest/

What would you do if your business disappeared overnight? This is exactly what happened to today's guest, and he had to rebuild everything from the ground up. I'm talking with Ray Blakney, who not only managed to recover from that disaster and grow his main business to a solid seven figures, but he's also started multiple other businesses on the side - some successful, others not so much. In this conversation he tells us all about building businesses with a long-term perspective, how he manages to juggle several projects at the same time, and his method for testing a business idea or product idea to see if it gains traction. There's also some great advice for hiring and making that transition from doing everything yourself to delegating things to a team. http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/ray

How are my digital habits looking 3 months after I reduced my screen time to a minimum? Today I'll talk about whether or not the changes I made to my use of digital devices have endured. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/detox2

Since I started my YouTube channel 7 years ago, it has grown to 366,000 subscribers and nearly half a million views per month. But I've never had ads on my channel... until now. Listen in as I explain the rationale and factors that went into making this decision. I hope these "behind the scenes" episodes help you navigate decision-making in your own business! Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/ads

Welcome to part 2 of my conversation with Daniel Walter Scott, who runs a very successful online course business as well as a newer SaaS business (that's software as a service). Last week we got into the details of online courses, and in this episode we'll focus on Daniel's journey as an entrepreneur - why he feels like it has taken him a long time to build his business, the surprises when he later started a software company, plus advice for hiring well and why he publishes his revenue numbers publicly. I hope you'll enjoy this interview as much as I did.

I'm really excited to bring you today's interview because it was such a great conversation. My guest is Daniel Walter Scott, and he is making over a million dollars a year teaching online courses that are low-cost (like less than $100) and high-volume, mainly focusing on software tutorials. So if you, like me, do not sell a premium-priced product, like a $2000 program or a $1000/month piece of software, you will find Daniel's story fascinating. I've actually split the interview into two parts; today's episode is going to focus more specifically on the world of online courses - how Daniel distributes his courses to thousands of students, how he uses both a one-time purchase AND a monthly subscription model, and what has worked for him in terms of getting more students and customers. And next week we're talking more broadly about the business side of things and entrepreneurship in general, so definitely stay tuned for that. Let's get started.

There haven't been any new podcasts in the past month because I've been working hard to finish and launch a new course... only to give it away for free during the month of September. Why on earth would I do that? In today's episode I'll explain my rationale, describe the results so far, and detail important dangers to avoid when considering giving something away for free in your business. Highlights: How this new course came from my oldest discontinued product Two reasons I'm giving it away for free, and what I hope to accomplish with this giveaway Limits I placed on the free offer in order to avoid sabotaging my business Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/giveaway

The first few years of a new business can be rather messy and disorganized as you experiment with your products, branding, strategies, pricing, etc. - but if you want to grow and scale, then you need to get your house in order. Today's guest is Meryl Johnston of Bean Ninjas, and she shares exactly what she did to give her company a great foundation for growth. We also talk about how her own role in the business has evolved, and how she has adapted to running a business while being a new parent. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/beanninjas

What things do you believe to be true... or act as if they were true... but haven't tested or examined? Assumptions often creep in subconsciously - but let's take a closer look to see if they actually reflect reality. Today I'll give you examples of assumptions I've held about my business and life, and describe some other common ones that may have crept into your thinking as well. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/assumptions

Once your business hits the six-figure mark, it's all easy street after that... right? You might want to re-think that after hearing the story of today's guest, Tommy Griffith. He left his job to go all-in on his company, called ClickMinded, and also become a digital nomad. And that's where he began facing problem after problem. I love how Tommy shares the low points, the tough decisions, and the simple way that he and his co-founder ended up righting the ship and developing ClickMinded into a much stronger business. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/tommy

Today I'm talking with Emma Jakobi - she's an English teacher with a YouTube channel of over two million subscribers, as well as a somewhat unconventional product that's now at the heart of her business. Listen in to learn about how Emma's YouTube channel has changed significantly from her original idea, and the various mindset shifts she has made - and is still making - as her business develops. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/emma

Many of us up and coming entrepreneurs are either struggling to make our first hire - that was me earlier this year - or maybe we've made a few missteps and things haven't worked out when we've tried to hire or outsource in the past. Today's guest is Noel Andrews, and he has a lot of experience to share when it comes to making hiring decisions, avoiding common mistakes, and building relationships with your team. Noel also makes a strong case for why your next great hire might be from Eastern Europe. Links, comments, and show notes: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/noel  

I reduced my work time and screen time to a minimum in June. How'd it go? Today I'm sharing specific stats and describing how the experience felt. I'd highly encourage you to try a similar experiment! Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/detox

Do you struggle with things pulling you away from your work, and feeling like you're not as productive you could be? While it's a privilege to have such flexible schedules, it can be frustrating when family, health, and unexpected issues often get in the way of our work. Today I'm going to give you some mindset tips and an exercise that'll help you walk this tension between wanting to work and be productive, but having things come up that prevent it. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/interfere  

After you attend a conference, participate in a mastermind, read books, or listen to podcasts, how do you process and organize all that business input and turn it into action? Many of us are constantly taking in info, but if you don't have a system or process for organizing and implementing it, then you'll either forget or fail to use it effectively. I also feel tempted to implement EVERYTHING RIGHT AWAY, but it's not possible - so today I'll explain my method for processing business advice and integrating it into my plan for the near future.

Last month I launched a new product for the first time in a while - and in today's episode I'll be unpacking the whole process, sharing my traffic and sales numbers, and giving you some useful takeaways that can be applied anytime you're planning to put a new product or service out into the world. No magical formulas here - just real-life lessons learned! Highlights: 7 different ways to promote your launch without being repetitive (7:26) What to base your sales projections on (10:12) An often-neglected step that can really help you improve your products and conversions (15:31) One challenging but important thing to do after your launch is over (19:11) Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/lastlaunch/

Lately I've been reflecting on some business lessons that have been brought to light by parenting my 1-year-old. If you're not a parent, these lessons are still useful; if you are a parent, you might resonate a little more with the specific child-rearing experiences, and I hope you can apply the principles to your business. With each lesson, I'm going to give one example from each side - parenting and business - so you can see the parallels. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/parenting

Lately I've been feeling "over-saturated" when it comes to screen time - so I'm taking a magnifying glass to my use of digital devices. In this episode, I'll explain why I want to be more selective about my online activity, describe what I view as healthy vs. unhealthy screen time for me, and talk about how exactly I'm implementing big changes in the coming month. Highlights: How much time I've been spending on my phone daily (2:16) Two thought leaders that have influenced my views on screen time (3:47) "Good use" vs. "bad use" of technology in my life (8:36) The specific limits I'm setting for myself in June (12:29) Re-setting default behavior (17:30) Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/screen/

Highlights: Optimizing the first 60 seconds of customer interaction How to dramatically improve your testimonials Personal interaction vs. automation Why your leads might be confused (and you don’t even know it) How can you help prospective customers “try before they buy”? Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/austin2

I just got back from a fantastic conference of entrepreneurs, a weekend full of meetups, workshops, talks, masterminds, and great conversations! Today I’m sharing three things that struck me about this event. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/austin

We recently celebrated our daughter's first birthday! In today's episode I'm reflecting on how juggling entrepreneurship and motherhood has gone throughout the first year. There have been three distinct stages for me, and life / business has looked very different in each one. Listen in to learn about my experience keeping my business running while having an under-1-year-old. Highlights: The best business decision I made regarding the first 3 months How I struggled emotionally with losing my productivity When I eased back into work (and travel!) The two most important things to do when you have an older baby Links: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/baby

This is the third episode in my series about how I hired my first employee - an assistant who is now replying to the bulk of my e-mail, saving me over an hour a day. Today I'll talk about what I did in the two weeks leading up to her start date, what we discussed on the training call, how her first day went, and how having an assistant has affected my own work. I also describe why I'm glad I waited so long to hire, and a number of key takeaways from the hiring process.

The whole process of hiring my first assistant was uncharted waters for me - I felt completely inexperienced! In today's episode, I'll take you through the process I used to bring in a huge number of candidates and then narrow them down. You'll hear about the various elements of my job ad, the criteria I used to sort the applicants, and the "why" behind each interview question I asked. Whether you're looking to make your first hire or hoping to improve your hiring process, I hope you'll learn something from my experience.

For seven years, I resisted hiring. Sure I hired freelancers for a few temporary projects, but I couldn't bring myself to take on anybody to be a regular part of operations. Deep down, I had some resistance to hiring, some mental barriers that just wouldn't let me take the plunge. So I kept putting it off - until recently. In today's episode, I'm going to tell you about these roadblocks that held me back, and how I got past them. 

It's time for one of my favorite episodes - the year in review! I love to reflect and evaluate the past year, and in this episode I'm not just going to ramble about myself, but I'll also try to draw out some key principles or takeaways that any entrepreneur can apply. Tune in to hear 5 things that went well for me, 3 things that didn't go so well, and my theme for 2018.

Last episode I said I'd take a month break, and now half a year has gone by - what gives? Listen in to find out why I haven't been producing new episodes and what the plan is for this podcast going forward.

You might be thinking, "I thought entrepreneurship was all about hustling - what's this about taking a break?!" In today's episode I'll give you three compelling reasons why breaks are essential, and describe some strategies for taking time off on daily, weekly, and yearly time frames.

My guest today, Christina, was on the podcast a little over a year ago in episode 45, when she was talking about expanding her niche beyond her original target audience in order to get more buyers. Since then, Christina's made a ton of progress - and she attributes a lot of it to the coaching programs she's joined. In this conversation, we talk about why Christina started working with coaches and how she got into the mindset to make the leap and invest in coaching, as well as the changes and breakthroughs she's experienced in her business. If you've ever been on the fence about hiring a business coach, you're going to find this interview quite illuminating. Highlights: - Why Christina started working with a coach, and what finally got her to take the plunge - Impact of the coaching in Christina's business - Christina's tips for finding a good coach and getting the most out of the experience Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/coach

In the early years of building a business, we all want to grow bigger as fast as possible! But what about when your business reaches the point of supporting your lifestyle comfortably - what reasons might we have to pursue further growth? In today's episode I explore six stages of business growth and share some thoughts on what to do when your business is profitable beyond your wildest dreams. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/big

A lot of entrepreneurs struggle with getting their business to the point where they can make sales on autopilot. This is honestly one of the hardest parts of building a lifestyle business, but it's also got one of the sweetest payoffs in the form of unlinking your time from your business income. In today's episode, I talk about the two steps to automated sales which are simple in theory, but challenging in practice. Highlights: - Examples of multiple possible selling strategies - How can you know if your funnel is "working"? - Two ways to automate - Where to hire motivated, flexible people Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/autosales

My guest Ben McAdam is an expert in all the different numbers and metrics involved in running a business, and in this episode we talk about how to ensure that your business has a solid financial foundation and healthy profit margins. Ben also shares some insight into pricing strategy, as well as how to reinvest confidently in your business, even if you're bootstrapped. Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/numbers/

How to convert more customers - it's what we all want, right? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are some best practices. It's true that people will buy if your product or service meets their needs, but there's another less straightforward factor - people buy from companies they know like and trust. Today's episode is a brainstorming session about things you can do to increase the know/like/trust factor on your website and in your communications, so you can build a relationship and make people more likely to buy from you. Highlights: - How "providing value" can go beyond just information - Specific ways to make any product/service crystal clear - Three different types of stories you can share - How to be accessible and trustworthy - Following through on your promises post-purchase Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/trust

Today I'm talking with Grant Eilertson of Raise the Bar Training. He has a passion for helping people increase their fitness level - especially busy people who want an effective way to work out. In this conversation we explore how Grant started and grew his business, with some key breakthroughs and turning points along the way. Grant also shares some fitness tips at the end of the episode. Highlights: - How and why Grant switched to a different business model in the same niche - Factors that helped him get his first paying clients - What he regrets and wishes he'd done differently in his business journey - 80/20 fitness tips for busy entrepreneurs Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/grant

Whether it's your very first product/service or whether you're adding a new one to your business, beta-testing and pre-selling are two great strategies to validate market demand as well as get feedback on and improve a new product or service. In today's episode I share some best practices for getting the most out of your beta test or pre-sale. Highlights: - What's the difference between a beta test and a pre-sale? - How many people to bring into a beta test and how to invite them - How you should spend the next three months after closing sign-ups - Key ways to build trust and excitement in a pre-sale - Responses to common hesitations when it comes to pre-selling Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/beta

Copy is one of the most important elements in your online business, and in today's episode you'll learn how to evaluate and improve the messaging on your website and sales page. My guest is Liz Theresa, and she has some great tips for writing effective copy that connects with your target audience and convinces them to invest in your products or services. Highlights: - What exactly is "copy," and why is it so important? - Elements that make for good and bad copy - Effective sales pages - how to describe the problem and present the solution - When should you write copy yourself vs. hire a copywriter? Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/goodcopy/

This year something happened that forced me to get even more organized and intentional about how I run my business and manage my time - I had a baby! My daughter is absolutely wonderful, but the first couple months with a newborn are quite demanding - so I knew I had to plan ahead when it came to running my business. Here's how I reduced my workload to an absolute minimum and gave myself some maternity leave. Highlights: - How much can you get done with a baby, anyway? - Separating the essential from the extraneous - Why I decided to keep e-mail on my plate - How everything is going so far Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/autopilot/

Are you struggling to build a sales funnel that actually works? Today's guest, Miles Beckler, has a ton of valuable insight - and his experience comes from nearly a decade of running a business in the meditation and spirituality niche. We discuss sales funnel best practices, elements to test and tweak, and the roots of customer psychology. Make sure to listen to the end to hear the conversion numbers that Miles uses as a benchmark in his own business. Highlights: - What Miles' business sells and how the sales funnel works - Where he would recommend starting your first funnel - What should you do if your funnel's not working? - How can we avoid over-promising our products' benefits? - Specific conversion numbers that Miles uses as a benchmark

When you want to improve or add something to your product, customers will love it! But what if you want to take something away? When you need to discontinue a feature or change the direction of your product or service, you might fear angering your current and previous customers. I'm currently phasing out a long-established feature of my products, and in today's episode I'll tell you how I made the decision to proceed and what the reaction from my audience has been. Highlights: - Two reasons why I decided to remove this product feature - Various potential solutions I considered, and how I chose my final course of action - Aftermath of the feature removal (you might be surprised) Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/remove/

My guest today is Madeleine Lambert, and her company is called Content Refined. She is less than two years into her entrepreneurship journey, but in that relatively short time she has managed to create a successful content marketing agency - so she's got a team of writers and a steady stream of paying clients. In this conversation, Madeleine gives some great advice on hiring, delegating, and growing your team while keeping the overall business steadily profitable - it's not an easy balancing act! You'll learn a lot from her experience. Highlights: - How Madeleine's hiring process gets great team members - Was it hard for her to delegate paid client work? - Managing the balance between marketing and delivery - Madeleine's advice for entrepreneurs at an earlier stage of the journey Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/contentrefined/

So you've got a product or service that you're already selling... how can you make it better? Today I'll give you some practical suggestions for testing out potential new offers and gathering and processing customer feedback, as well as five ways to up the quality of your products. Improving the experience for your customers and clients leads to more referrals, more sales, and the benefit of knowing you're making people's lives even better! Highlights: - Ways to test a new product idea (and one pitfall to avoid) - How to get feedback from your previous customers as well as competitors - Five specific ways to increase the quality of your products and services Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/refine/

Having a well-defined brand is a really important element of a successful business, and today's guest is going to help you build one. I'm talking with Robyn Young, and in this interview you'll learn how branding is more than just "design" as well as some concrete steps for getting to the core of your company's brand. Robyn also talks about the biggest branding mistakes entrepreneurs tend to make, and she shares a case study from her own business on how refining the branding resulted in major growth and clarity. Highlights: - Why is branding so important, anyway? - DIY steps to defining and establishing your brand - The worst branding mistakes business owners make - How Robyn accelerated her own business' growth through good branding Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/robynyoung/

I use email marketing extensively in my business, and much of it is automated - emails go out completely hands-off, and the sales keep coming in. Today I'm going to talk about three automation sequences you should be using, regardless of what type of online business you have. Hopefully it'll give you some ideas for taking your automated e-mail marketing to the next level! Highlights: - Why e-mail is STILL king (with real stats) - The dual purpose of your initial autoresponder - don't neglect either of these aspects - How tagging and segmenting can help you customize your e-mails better - Six different e-mail ideas for your customer follow-up sequence Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/automatedemail/

So your customer has made a purchase and you've delivered the product or service as promised. End of story, right? Wrong! Today's guest will teach you how to craft an amazing experience for your clients and customers that exceeds their expectations and leads to rave reviews and referrals. I'm talking with Lynne Reznick, a wedding photographer who has added some very special touches to the service she provides her clients. This is a fascinating episode and I know it'll get you thinking about how to surprise and delight your customers. Highlights: - The specific elements that Lynne has added to craft an amazing experience for her clients - What's the line between delivering extra value vs. overwhelming the client or overworking ourselves? - Results and impact from providing these special touches Links and comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/clientexperience/  

A listener asked me about my morning and evening routines - and I actually don't have any! I prefer habits - things you make a part of your life/work so that you practice them naturally and consistently, without necessarily following a rigid set of steps. In today's episode I describe five of my own habits that keep me feeling great and performing at my best as an entrepreneur. Highlights: - Two reasons I don't do routines - Hacks for managing my health and fitness - Ways to practice gratitude and positivity - My preferred working rhythm - A fairly recent habit that makes me more productive Comments: http://www.entrepreneursinmotion.com/routines/