Podcasting for Small and Local Business

I'm filling you in today on specific steps you can take to get more local traffic to your business than you ever thought possible. Join me to learn more about improving your Google SEO! Show Highlights: How to use your “Google My Business” listing to get the most out of it Why improving your Google SEO will get your business in front of more people; the traffic is there, but do they see you? How Google gives “extra bonus points” when you put out a blog post regularly Tips to drive natural SEO traffic to your website (without creating original content): Use your previous blog posts to create audio for podcast episodes. Reversely, take previous podcast episodes, have them transcripted, and post them to your website as blog posts How you become less victimized by the changes in paid ad policies to Google, Facebook, etc. by repurposing content from one format to the other Resources: Let us help make your podcast more than you've imagined! If you need help with launching, strategies, or podcast production, contact us: http://www.teampodcast.com (www.teampodcast.com). 

Content creation can be an overwhelming part of the podcast process. What content should be free, and what should be paid for? I'm sharing hacks you need to know to add value for your listeners and make your podcast profitable. Join me as I clarify the options and point you in the right direction.  Show Highlights: Why you shouldn't give all of your content away for free  Why you need to “hold a little back” when you create new content How to have new added value content without a huge time commitment: Use the pre-chat with your guests for behind-the-scenes content. Record a bonus content chat after the podcast interview, The key is to create multiple pieces of content to archive as you go along. How to use one guest interview for three separate supplemental pieces of content These additional pieces can be used on a membership site or in a private, paid podcast feed. Knowing how to stock your toolkit when you start your podcast can help you make the most of your free content and paid content. Christy's tip: As you create content, hold back AT LEAST as much content as you give away for free. Resources: If you need help with launching, strategies, or podcast production, contact us: http://www.teampodcast.com (www.teampodcast.com).   The #1 critical key for success in your podcast is your podcast name. Name it once and name it right. Check out my Podcast Naming Secrets at http://www.teampodcast.com/name (www.teampodcast.com/name).  

Listen, you've got your own local business. Why in the world do you need to take time out of it to build your own platform with a podcast? Well, today I'm going to tell you all about the reasons why the most important reason is because it's gonna save you money in the long run.  Taking the time to create your own podcast allows you to build your own platform.  The Benefits of Platform BuildingYou build your largest organic traffic source for your business. You can spend less money on advertising. You can own your traffic and not get restricted from it. Why Paid Traffic is So Problematic for Small BusinessesIt seems like every paid traffic option for small businesses has a really obscure ROI. You don't need another traffic source where you can't determine what sort of ROI you are getting from your ad campaigns. Shift Your Marketing Budget to Content MarketingMost businesses that we build podcasts for, shift some of their marketing budgets to creating a podcast and that way they don't have to create a completely new budget for podcasting. Podcasting is marketing, so it makes perfect sense. Using Content to Find New CustomersBy using content to jump in front of traffic that is looking for your solutions, you can find tons of your ideal customers. When your ideal customers go to Google or YouTube to search for a solution to a problem, they are using intent based search and they pay more attention to your solution. If you are just trying to market on social media, you have to do a pattern interrupt to pull them away from their mindless streaming. Most of the time, they aren't going to social media to get answers, so it's harder to get them to respond to your marketing messages.  The more of your marketing you can move to intent based search, the higher your conversions will be. Need help launching your podcast? We're here to help! Just visit https://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast) to learn more!

Podcasts are a great way to engage your customers, and share interesting information with them. They can help you build lasting relationships with your clients and provide an avenue for customer feedback. Podcasts also offer a unique opportunity to reach new potential customers through appealing to a global audience. There is no denying that podcasts have become very popular in recent years, but many small business owners struggle when it comes to coming up with content ideas for their podcast episodes. To make this process easier I am going to share the 5 Pillars of Podcast Content Creation: 1) PeopleSharing your origin story for becoming a business owner, as well as introducing your audience to the people behind your business will build loyalty. After all, your people - the human capital of your business - are the greatest asset your business has. 2) ProcessesNo matter what type of business you have, much of what separates you from your competitors has to do with your processes. It could the processes you use to ensure quality work is being done, or it could be the processes you use to manufacture or create high quality products for your business. Sharing these unique aspects of your business will help differentiate your business from all of your competitors. 3) ProductsWhether you are making your own products or selling products created by others, highlighting the uniques aspects of the products that you carry can be interesting to your customers, as well as educational. The more you can explain why you use the raw materials that you choose, or why you source products from certain vendors, the more it will endear your customers to your products. 4) ProblemsShowing your customers the problems you solve for people just like them is incredibly important. Sometimes you can educate your customers about small aspects of these problems that they can solve for themselves without having to call on you. The more you can educate your customers, the better your customer will become. Giving your customers actual case studies or before and after images of the way you are making their lives better will help solidify in their mind that they should call you when they have this exact problem arise. 5) PromotionsIt's your podcast and you absolutely have permission to create promotions to share with your audience. The more dependent you can make your audience on actually promotions and specials you offer through your podcast, the less money you will have to spend on advertising. By controlling your messages to your customers via your own platform, the lower your advertising costs will be. Since much of what you spend on advertising has an unknown ROI, it only makes sense to minimize your costs by building out your largest source of organic traffic to your business - your podcast! In conclusion, I hope you find these content ideas helpful in creating new podcast episodes for your own business! Remember: People, Processes, Products, Problems and Promotions are all important pillars of content creation when it comes to podcasts - so make sure they're a part of every episode you publish! Need help launching your podcast? We're here to help! Just visit https://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast) to learn more!

It seems like everyone is creating content these days, but is all content created equal? There are so many different types of content - audio, video, live-streaming, blog, vlogs, etc.- that is can be confusing to know exactly what a podcast is and why it's different than all the other channels. Podcasts are defined by their unique RSS feeds. In order for a show to be a true podcast, an RSS feed must be present. Uploading videos to YouTube does not require an RSS feed. Livestreaming does not involve an RSS feed, so it is not a podcast. Don't get me wrong, videos uploaded to YouTube can be repurposed into a podcast, just as videos uploaded as livestream sessions can. A podcast that has an RSS feed can be either video or audio, but most commonly, they are audio podcasts. Creating an RSS feed has gotten a lot easier over the last 10 years. Now, we simply set up an account with a podcast hosting company and they create the RSS feed that is compliant with all distribution platforms, and they host those chunky audio files. Then you distribute that feed by submitting it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and tons of other places. Each time you publish a show, your RSS feed is then updated across all platforms. You can expect to pay around $20 a month for your podcast hosting service. We recommend https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=christyhaussler3 (Captivate.FM) for podcast hosting. https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=christyhaussler3 (You can get a free trial of the service here.) You can gain a worldwide audience for your show by distributing it across all of the main podcasting destinations. If you are wanting to develop an online audience around your products or services, you can easily set it up so that your podcast can build an online platform to begin generating revenue online. Besides a podcast host, you just need a little bit of hardware to begin a podcast. USB mics have come a long way and some of the best mics are: https://amzn.to/3fhJCIv (Shure MV7 - $249) https://amzn.to/3zWJxCb (Rode PodMic - $99) https://amzn.to/3lhSMJ2 (ATR 2100X - $99) If you are recording more than one person on a computer, you can't connect to USB or USB-C mics to one computer, no matter how many USB ports you have. So you will need an audio interface to make this type of recording happen. We recommend this interface: https://amzn.to/2VeaHWf (Scarlett Focusrite 4i4 - $229)

The success of your local business podcast is directly proportional to the success of your marketing campaign.   We are blazing new trails by building local business podcasts as a way to achieve your business goals.   In this episode, I lay out an effective marketing plan.  You are only limited by your creativity, so take this plan and take action.   This podcast is sponsored by http://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast.)  The one stop shop for all your podcast support! jK5KRfLbODuwpJkcxAnI

You heard it here first!  Podcasting is the best new tool for local business marketing.   In this episode, we talk about the nuts and bolts of getting a podcast up and running for your local business.  The start up costs may surprise you.  The results you get will be dependent on your internal marketing program. We tackle the start up phase in this episode.     This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast.)  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.  

Local businesses can benefit greatly from having a local podcast to build a loyal following.   In this episode, I can't be more excited to share with you my vision for taking podcasting to the local business level.  I think there is a huge need and I have a great vision for what it can do for a local business. It's like having your own business reality show, where you control the content.  You share the stories of your business and the people of your business with you customers and potential customers.  In doing so, you build a tribe of raving fans. I am excited to start this series of local podcast guides with a guide for local restaurants.     This podcast is sponsored by http://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast). The only support team you will ever need for your podcast.  Team Podcast, we take your work seriously! 

Celebrate the small wins in every aspect of your business.   Christy has much to be thankful for and she uses this episode to give you updates on where her business is.  The pier, well it is rolling along like you would expect.  There are highs and lows that any roller coaster would have.   Christy is most excited about her work with clients through Team Podcast.  Making a difference in the quality of lives through providing support feels great.   Christy has plans to continue to market Team Podcast in a way that would allow others to find her.  Supporting other businesses is very rewarding work.   This podcast is sponsored by http://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast.)  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.

Sometimes you have to be willing to give up a small amount of success, so that you can achieve greater things. In this episode, Christy interviews Angie Swartz.  Angie has built a successful social media marketing firm, helping local businesses with their social media strategy.  But along the way, she knew that she wasn't living up to her true calling.  She had to walk away from a successful business, in order to truly find the right path for her life. Angie now spends her days coaching others to be able to leave their doubts and fears behind and really achieve their dreams.  Angie is also the host of the Life Purpose Advisor Podcast, where she talks to other professionals about finding their purpose in life.  Angie talks about the failures along the way, as well as the lessons learned.  Angie has a coaching class starting in May and she has generously offered BAM Reporter listeners $200 off the program.  It's the best investment you can make in yourself.  Claim this  discount before April 30th, and save $200.  You can sign up for her class http://www.lifepurposeadvisor.com/how-to-discover-life-purpose/group-programs/ (here).  The coupon code for $200 off is BAMR200.  Take advantage today and I guarantee you won't be sorry.   You can find Angie and her Podcast at http://www.lifepurposeadvisor.com/ (Life Purpose Advisor).   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcsat.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for done-for-you podcast support services.  Pay one fee and get everything you need done.  It can't be simpler.

Constantly changing and evolving in your business is critical for survival. After a year of doing a 5 day a week podcast, Christy announces some changes to her podcast format.   There's a new direction that is much needed that she will be taking with the Brick and Mortar Reporter podcast. Listen to this episode for all the details on the changes.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for "done-for-you" podcast support services.  Free your time to create great content.  

Patrick Conlon started a brick and mortar store to figure out how to run it effectively, and then build an online presence.   Patrick was able to do what so many local business owners want.  He was able to work himself out of his business by spending several years working ON his business.   He started Shuphoric to fill a need in his community, and he alway knew he would take it online.  Over the years, Patrick has developed an expertise in helping local businesses get online on multiple platforms that are integrated.  This means that a local business can sell on their own website, their own physical location, their own ebay store, and their own Amazon store and have everything completely integrated.   Now that Patrick has worked himself out of his business, he is taking his passion for local business and helping other business owners get online too. If you need Patrick's help setting up your local business presence online, you can find him at: http://sellingonlinetoday.com (Selling Online Today) You can also find Patrick on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Selling-Online-Today/591977644248105 (Facebook) and https://twitter.com/shuphoric (Twitter.)   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for done-for-you podcast support services for one low price.

It's hard to have a gloomy outlook when you live in Key West. Business at Mallory Square is crusing along as expected.  There hasn't been a huge peak yet, but it will come.   Christy shares how her online business is going and also gives a sneak peak into some of the guests she has coming on the podcast.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for "done for you" podcast support services.

Zig Ziglar said it best when he said, "You can get everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want."   The importance of building relationships was never really evident through all of my years working for other people.  So, I have had to learn this lesson the hard way.     The impact of these lessons is really starting to hit home with me.  I feel like I am really starting to "get it".  I have seen it in practice and watched others do it skillfully.  Now, the power of relationships is having a positive impact on my business.     In this episode, I reveal how building relationships and giving before you get, are playing out in my business right now.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.  

Seth Godin calls it the dip.  I call it one bad week.   If it is the "dip" then that is great news, because statistically, the rebound is coming.  Every business has good weeks and bad weeks.  If you know your business is sound, the bad weeks won't make you question your  sanity.   A slow week in business does give pause to reflect.  By looking around you can see what other businesses are doing.  If they are down too, there's not so much to worry about.  If they are having the best week ever, then it is really time to take a second look and figure it out. No matter the ups and downs of my business at the Pier, I am reminded of a quote I heard awhile back.  "A bad day working for yourself, still beats the best days working for someone else!"  That still rings true with me.   This podcast is sponsored byhttp://www.teampodcast.com ( Team Podcast).  Theone stop shop for all your podcast support services.  One price, and all the service you need.  

The Brick and Mortar Reporter Podcast celebrates one year! Without much fanfare, the Brick and Mortar Reporter Pdcast launched on March 1, 2014.  We didn't know what we didn't know, so those first few months were slow going.  We are thankful for the support of friends and family who have been with us since the beginning. What a journey it has been.  Building anything of value takes time.  We don't quit, so we keep learning so we can make the podcast better.  We know so much more than we did a year ago, but still have so much to learn. In our 12th month of existence, we will hit our all time download record by breaking 11,000 downloads in a month.  We are also seeing much more engagement on social media through both Facebook and Twitter.   There is still muchwork to do.  There are so many great stories of small businesses to tell, and we will continue to share their stories.   We can't thank our followers enough for their support through all the ups and downs of 2014.  We only hope we can be of value to you, as you have been to us.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.  One account manager, one monthly payment, all of the support tasks done for you.

As a natural introvert, I am scared of networking.   Don't judge.  It's more common than you think.  Networking doesn't come naturally to me, but even beyond that, I miss more than half of the networking opportunities that come into my life because I am not looking for them.  I sit idly by and the opportunity passes and never even hits my networking radar.  Maybe I don't even have a networking radar.  I need to work on cultivating that. I have found a few things that take the edge off my anxiety around networking.  I am much more comfortable making networking about the other person, than I am about myself, so that is what I do.   Having a purpose in going to networking events, for me look like, "I want to come away with 3 people whose business I can help promote." Instead of trying to get people to promote my business.  That change in paradigm is the saving grace of my networking endeavors.  It takes the spotlight off of me and puts it on others. I have an aversion to the slick and schmaltzy networking that is nothing more than self-promotion.  This causes me to handle networking situations very differently than many business owners.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.  

When your business is doing well, it doesn't mean that there aren't areas to improve.   Maybe it's just me, but I am constantly fiddling with things.  I can't help myself.  Many times, I am doing it to try to drive a positive change in revenue.  Other times I am trying to lower my cost or create something that tastes incredible, and sometimes it is to become more efficient or solve a problem that I have just been dealing with. It is important to continue fine tuning your business.  It keeps your creativity working and it opens you up to new possibilities.   In this episode, I share what tweaks I have been happy with and which ones I would love to be able to make in the future.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all your podcast support services.

For any business to survive, providing stellar customer service must be a core value.   It's actually painful to see the dis-service that so many companies are doing to customer service.  Bad customer service affects a business, but it can also affect the businesses in a surrounding area.   If you are in a tourist area, you have no choice but to provide great customer service to your customers.  People will not pay premium prices to visit a tourist area, if they are not appreciated and treated with the utmost respect. Taking on those that are hurting your reputation or the reputation of your community is mandatory.  Raise the standard for customer service.  It can be your competitive edge.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.

"Find a way" is one of my favorite Diana Nyad quotes.     This has been my mantra as I rebuild my life into what I want it to be.  After seeing Diana's one woman show called "Onward", I am even more inspired by the life of Diana Nyad.   So many business lessons can be learned from overcoming the obstacles and impossibility of accomplishing her goal.  Most of us give up way to early.  Most of us let ourselves off the hook so that we can take an easier route.  You can take the easy route or the rewarding route.   I'm all about taking the rewarding route.  It might take longer to get there, but I am on my way.  How about you?   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast.)  You get all the podcast support you need for one monthly fee.  Introductory pricing is in effect.  Lock in these prices forever, by taking advantage now.

No one likes to focus on their weaknesses, but sometimes you can't avoid them.   Planning is not Christy's strength.  Taking action, well she has that down to a science.  But there is no sense in going through life taking action willy nilly, when the outcome could be so much different with a little planning. Christy reveals some interesting ways you can tell if you are weak in the area of planning.  She isn't trying to meddle or step on your toes, but if you struggle with this, your life is littered with the baggage.  She shows you how to look for the tell tale signs.   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  They provide all the podcast support services you need, for one low monthly price.  Introductory pricing is in effect now, so check it out.

One week into "Season" and Christy shares some highlights and lessons she has learned.     Business is good! What a relief, it seems like the crowds are big and they are spending money.  While individual nights can fluctuate, overall Christy is earning above her minimum threshold every night.   A few observations from the first week: 1.  There aren't as many vendors showing up every night to sell as anticipated.  It would seem like "Season" would bring out everyone who ever wanted to sell at Mallory.  Instead, it is mainly the "usual suspects". 2.  Having the opportunity to make more money in the high season will make the low season much easier to handle, as long as some money is put away. 3.  Learning lessons in the low season and experimenting with food products is definitely a benefit.  Even though it was not fun to endure, so many valuable lessons were learned. 4.  You can't tame Mallory.  She will always be a beast that cannot be predicted and figured out.  One must show up each night to see what she has in store!   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all inclusive podcast support, without breaking the bank.  

Have you ever felt like you will never be able to have the life you truly want? It's easy to be completely overwhelmed by all of the steps between where you are and where you want to be.   Taking action is the key to getting what you want out of life.  How do you even know where to start?   These 10 steps will get you on the right path:   1. Identify what you want to eventually do.   2.  Map out what that would look like.   3.  Create a list of what is stopping you from living your ideal life.   4.  Make a list of what it would take to rectify each item on your list of what is stopping you.   5.  Tackle the list by starting with the easiest first.  Work up to the harder things.   6.  Find those who are doing what you want to do and learn from them.     7.  If at all possible, make your next thing your side hustle for a period of time.   8.  Set a target date for taking the leap from your old life to your new life.    9.  Be realistic.  You can't do this without being afraid.  You can't do it without taking any risk.  Do it anyway.   10.  Develop a support system that will help you succeed.  Maybe mentors, maybe a SCORE representative.  Maybe a family member.  Find the support you need to make it through the tough times.     This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  All the support you will ever need for your podcast for one low monthly fee.

Zig Ziglar said it best when he said, "You can get everything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want in life." It seems counter-intuitive to focus on helping other people when your business is in survival mode. The strange thing about it is that this is completely true. Christy reveals how this idea of giving value first did not come naturally to her. After missing scores of opportunities, Christy is geting better at keeping it on her radar in almost every interaction. Give in order to get. Help others in order to help yourself!  Get your free book, Ask by Ryan Levesque http://www.askformula.com/brick (here). Simply put in the coupon code BRICK2015 and your copy of the book will be sent to you at no charge. Need help launching your podcast? We're here to help! Just visit https://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast) to learn more!

It is no secret that these last 8 months have been a struggle for Christy's business.  We are now on the cusp of the busy season and this is the moment Christy has been waiting for.  As we ease into the heart of the season, there are a few things Christy needs to especially pay attention to.  She shares what they are and how you can apply them to your business as well.   Get a free copy of the new book, Ask by Ryan Levesque by clicking http://www.askformula.com/brick (here) and entering coupon code BRICK2015.

Ryan Levesque shares his new book, Ask.   The method for giving customers exactly what they want is a formula that Ryan has proven time and again to the tune of millions of dollars in revenue.  He has taken everything he knows about sales and flipped it upside down to provide a friction-less sales process.   Ryan has always been a little unconventional.  He wanted to study medicine, but realized he didn't have the chops for it.  After college, he took a lucrative job with a big name insurance company.  He advanced through the ranks and finally ended up running the Asia division in Shanghai, China.   Just as the economic crisis hit in 2008, Ryan knew it was time to make his own mark on the world.  He left to publish e-books.  After some failures and successes, Ryan built for himself a lucrative business. After a near death experience, Ryan set out to share all of his knowledge and help improve as many businesses as possible.  Ryan pulls out all the stops in Ask, and he shares step by step how to create a buying scenario that gives your customer exactly what they want.  Using the Ask forumla will revolutionize your business. Until March 1, 2015 Ryan is offering our listeners a free copy of the book.  A real book, not an e-book! To get your free copy simply click http://www.askformula.com/brick (here) and enter the coupon code brick2015 in the shopping cart.  Your free book will be on its way to your door!    

"If you don't build your own dreams, someone else will hire you to build theirs."  This quote has been attributed to several people and it is a poweful quote!  So many people resonate with it because it describes their lives.   Have you thought about what is keeping you from building your dreams?  What is stopping you? You don't have to change everything today and go chase your dreams.  You can take small steps and still get to the ultimate goal.  If you haven't taken any action on building your dreams, today is a great day to start. You simply need to take some small action everyday in order to build the life you want.  No one is going to walk in your life and suddenly hand you the life you wanted.  It won't happen all at once.  It won't be an overnight change.   Getting to your dreams is simple.  Take one action today.  No matter how small it is, take one action.  Do something today.  Each day you do nothing, is another day you have chosen someone else's dream over your own.   The more steps you take, the more steps you will want to take.  Action begets action.  Before you know it, you will be taking massive action, rather than small actions. Then you will work your way into the life you have always wanted.  Your life, your dreams!   Start today!   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast.)  Free your time to create great podcast.  

Business can be predictably unpredictable. As business owners we make so many judgments throughout the course of our day.  We put labels on days, people and even strategies.  Many times these labels are simply an emotional reaction to our circumstances.   It doesn't take long to find that you may have misjudged an aspect of your business.  Maybe a customer that you thought had no money to spend ended up spending a lot of money at your business.  Maybe a day that you thought was going to be a bad day actually turned out to be one of your best days. Do yourself and your business a favor.  Don't try to put label on these parts of your business. Don't judge them.  Instead, just take each experience in the moment.  Work on creating the best customer experience that you can and you will be surprised at the result!   This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  All your podcast support in one place, for one price!

It is hard to believe that many of our unconscious habits can either set us up for success or failure.  Many of us start our day on someone else's terms, not on our own.  This sets up our day to be on someone else's terms, not ours.   Christy has the same struggles as everyone else in achieving a proper work life balance.  Even just having the time to incorporate fitness and meditation into her schedule was a challenge.   After reading The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod, Christy decided to take action.  Doing a 30 day challenge to test the impact of new habits on your life is a reasonable step.  Christy is incorporating exercise and meditation in her morning routine for 30 days.  It should be very easy to measure the impact of these small changes.   Get the book and get motivated to take control of your mornings!     This episode is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast.)  

If you think you can survive in business all by yourself, you are doing it the hard way. You may think that networking events are a waste of time, then figure out other ways to build relationships.  The key to success in relationship building is simple.  It can be summed up in this one phrase - if you want to get, then give. Get into the habit of adding value.  No matter where you are, look for ways to add value to others.  When you get in the habit of doing this, you will be surprised at how quickly your network expands.   Your business success will be dependent on the relationships you build.  So start building your relationships today.  The longer you wait, the more opportuity you will miss.  Capture as much as you possibly can.     This podcast is sponsored by http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast).  The one stop shop for all of your podcast support services.

Team Podcast Unveiled! http://teampodcast.com (Team Podcast) is officall open for business!  Christy talks about the work she has been doing behind the scenes to build Team Podcast.  As Team Podcasts' perfect customer, Christy has been able to craft a service that is badly needed in the rapidly growing podcasting world.  Christy reveals all the details about Team Podcast and the http://www.teampodcast.com/service (services it provides.) All Your Support for One Low Price Team Podcast is a one stop shop for all podcasting support services.  Finally, every specialty you need to produce a great podcast, in one place for one price.  From recruiting and scheduling interviews, to posting custom grpahics for each episode to social media, to editing your audio, to building your website, to integrating lead pages, to writing your show notes - Team Podcast does it all! You pay one monthly fee, based on the frequency of your podcast and you have full access to all of the services Team Podcast provides.   Put http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast) to work for you and turn your podcast into your business today!   http://www.teampodcast.com (Team Podcast)

10 months in to the life of this podcast, Christy reveals how the podcast is doing.  Success for a podcast is subjective, but Christy believes that in the long term, a growing and engaged audience is the best measure of the success of the podcast.   January 2015 was the first month that the podcast had more than 10,000 downloads in a month.  The podcast is averaging between 200 and 550 downloads a day and steadily growing.  Christy attributes this success to her use of social media and automation the promotion of past episodes.     Christy also joined a podcasting community in the past several months and she is learning what other successful podcasters are doing to grow their audience.  Christy takes action on all the tips that she can immediately implement.     Christy can take the podcast in any direction she wants.  At this point, the more she can be everywhere in the local community, the better results she will get from the podcast.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of ill will?  Somehow the universe just knows exactly when to bring kharma into the picture.  In this episode, Christy talks about witnessing kharma as another vendor struggles.  It doesn't matter whether you believe in kharma or not, it happens anyway.

Even when your business is running smoothly, there is always room for improvement.  There is no limit on the amount of tweaking you can do to your business.  By constantly testing new products, packaging, price points, and marketing, you can get direct feedback from your customers and really know what works.  Don't assume you already know what will and won't work.  Get the data by testing and tweaking.

Setting up shop in a new venue can be exhausting, but at the same time it can be rewarding and expand your business in ways you had not anticipated.  Christy was recently asked to participate in the Key West Artisan Market.  In this epsiode she share the lessons learned and the success she found through this new venue.

The universe has a way of validating an idea and reinforcing a decision that you may be thinking of making.  It always seems like the validation comes just at the right time.  The lesson in business is to run your data and trust your gut.  You are probably on the right track long before you are convinced it is the right track.

Before you make any investment in your business, you have to do a certain amount of number crunching.  The more granular you can get your numbers, the more accurate your projections will be.  Christy believes she has found something that can eliminate the main barrier to her business.  Now it's time to crunch the numbers.

Tearing down another business doesn't automatically improve your own business.  Legitimate business owners have so much work to do within their own businesses that they rarely have time to look up.  They also don't have the time and energy to waste on trying to tear down another business.  The universe is kind to those that work hard for success, and rewards them accordingly.  Those that rise to the top without putting in the effort, rarely stay on top.

Taking a peek into the lives of others can reveal many things about our own lives.  It can provide a view of what it takes to accomplish something.  Christy walks you through a typical day for her.  This is the life a an entrepreneur struggling to build a successful business.  

Christy is committed to tweaking any aspect of her business in order to move the needle.  After experimenting with the portion sizes and prices of one of her products, Christy has finally cracked the code.

Success is much more fun than failure.  The fear of failing keeps us from following our dreams far too often.  Taking action is what separates the successful from the failures.  Your ability to succeed will largely depend on your ability to take action.

There has never been a better time for a small business to get on the podcasting bandwagon.  Thousands of listeners are joining the podcast movement each and every month and it is a great way to establish your brand and connect with customers.  

Being comfortable with the status quo has ben the death of many a business.  There is always something to tweak in order to improve your performance.  Until you try multiple options, you won't know what is optimal.  Christy reveals what she is tweaking this time and why.

A local business owner can easily be consumed with their business.  Justin Williams reveals how he created systems to automate his business.  His goal is to always find a way to replace himself in his business.  This allows Justin to have time to spend on new projects and actually gives him a better quality of life.

Many times the key to success in business is just showing up.  That doesn't mean that "if you build it they will come" is always the case.  But many local businesses struggle with consistency with the days and hours they are open. It's easy to discount this as something that is obvious, but for so many businesses, trial and error with their days and hours of operation will cost them customers.

Creating a plan to have all the critical positions in your business covered seems like common sense.  There are businesses that cannot operate when one employee is out sick.  This is really no way to treat your customers.  Christy reveals some simple steps to make sure you are covered.

Do you have all of your bases covered?  Have you thought of every possible thing that could go wrong with your business and prepared for it?  Well, Christy thought she had too, until an eye opening conversation with a friend.  Christy reveals the gaping hole in her disaster plan!

It may not be the Dip that Seth Godin talks about, but surviving in the slower times of business is a necessity.  Building your projections around best case scenarios will lead to disappointment and discouragement.  Christy reveals her plans for surviving the next few weeks, until the "season" starts.

Sometimes the course you lay out for your business isn't the exact path that you take.  You have to follow the twists and turns and go where the business leads you.  Jen Edds did this for her business and she has been enjoying the ride along the way.

Running your own business is the fight of your life.  There is little else that you can do in life that will be as challenging.  If you aren't in the fight for the life you want, what will it take to get you there?  

Being in business for yourself doesn't shield you from people with bad intentions.  In fact, it makes you a target for those people.  Jealousy and envy can really take their toll on you whether you are in the work place or building your own business.