The DollarSprout Podcast

My first business was... not entirely successful. But it taught me a lot about myself, what I enjoy doing, and what I want my life to look like. After 4 years working part-time in my business, I decided to close shop for a while so I could figure out my next steps. Now I'm back on the horse charging head-first into my brand new business.  Today, I'm sharing with you 7 things that I'm doing differently in my business the second time around. Some of them are mistakes that I made and am avoiding in my new business. Some of them aren't so much mistakes as they are just lessons and wisdom that I've picked up along the way. And some are advice from our guests from this season and how I'm implementing their wisdom into my business going forward.

Today's guest is Instructional Designer Melody Johnson. Melody helps course creators develop customer success strategies that get them more and better customer success stories (AKA testimonials). And you know what they say – testimonials are the best marketing material. Online courses and memberships can be a great way to build a flexible lifestyle business. We've talked about how to launch an online course in a previous episode with Lexi Merritt. But what if you've never created a course before? How do you organize and structure your course content to make sure that the course you create gets your students their desired result? The last thing you want to do is waste time creating a crappy course that no one finishes, that doesn't get results for your students, or worst of all, your students complain about and ask for refunds for. As an Instructional Designer and a Certified Virtual Customer Success Manager, Melody's specialty is helping you get your customers better results. And as I said before, better results equal better testimonials. And better testimonials equals more revenue in your business. A little about Melody before we jump into the show… Melody has a  Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts with a concentration in performance and directing. She has a passion for musicals and makes it a point to learn every new Disney princess song. (Me too, Melody. Me, too.) She brings the same sassy theatrical excitement to every client and every project. Melody also studied early childhood education and taught young children before going on to get her Master's Degree in Instructional Design. She then moved on to corporate training for several years before starting her own business, The Course Consultant, where she helps small business owners create, grow, and scale their online course curriculum. When it comes to course design, Melody is the real deal, and I'm so excited and grateful to have her on the show today. Links and resources: Episode Show Notes and Key Takeaways The Digital Product Toolkit Melody's Inspired Courses Facebook Group Melody's TikTok Account Melody on LinkedIn The Course Consultant Podcast The Course Consultant YouTube Channel Melody's Retention Calculator Melody's 1-on-1 Customer Success Intensive Blog Post: Why Customer Success Matters for Small Businesses Tool mentioned: Tawk.to (free help desk software)

Ever wondered what's the fastest way to make money in an online business (without selling a service? Affiliate marketing might be the answer. Ben Huber and Jeff Proctor have made multiple 7-figures in revenue from affiliate marketing alone in the last five years of their business. In this episode, they talk about what you need to start making money with affiliate marketing, how to connect with thousands of your favorite brands at once, and their best tips to increase your conversions and build a loyal, trusting audience. Links and resources: Episode shownotes Free DollarSprout Facebook Group Blog Post: 3 Top Affiliate Marketing Networks We Use to Make $20,000+/Month Blog Post: 8 Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Drive Massive Sales Podcast Episode: Is Blogging Dead? Here's How Blogging Has Changed in the Last 7 Years

Today's guest is Content Strategist Marisa Jo, also known as MJ. You might have read her story on HuffPost or Good Morning America of how she left her full-time corporate career in 2020 to become an entrepreneur and full-time content creator. Today, Marisa helps creatives and coaches create a TikTok strategy to get seen, heard, and paid. She's also the co-founder of Spacetime Monotasking, which offers virtual coworking focus sessions. If you're someone like me who gets distracted easily and sometimes just needs the accountability of other people, then Spacetime Monotasking was created with you in mind. And if you're a coach, a content creator, or any service-based business owner, I highly recommend you go follow MJ. She posts super helpful tips on content creation, mindset, and business. And she's just really relatable and a genuine person. She's not afraid to talk about the not-so-pretty parts of entrepreneurship, like burnout and unlearning hustle and productivity culture, which I always love and appreciate. Her TikTok is @itsmarisajo. Links and resources: Episode Shownotes and Key Takeaways MJ's TikTok: @itsmarisajo MJ's Free Exercise: Bottomless Content MJ's Co-Working Business: Spacetime Monotasking (Get your first session for free) Book: Deep Work by Cal Newport

Today's guest is Launch Strategist Lexi Merritt. I first found Lexi on TikTok, and I'm just gonna say this upfront: if you're a creative business owner, or interested in launching an online course, or you just appreciate fun and relatable content from REAL people, then you're gonna want to go to TikTok and follow Lexi. Her TikTok is @leximmerritt. Lexi has worked in marketing for over 8 years. She was the Director of Marketing and Online Course Development for Rachel Simmons, best-selling author of books Odd Girl Out and Enough As She Is.  Lexi founded the Pretty Decent Internet Café, where she teaches creative thinkers how to turn their dreams and ideas into businesses.  Her two main offerings right now are a VIP Day, where she helps creatives outline a sustainable product or service offering and design a strategy to sell it. And her second offer is The Study, a private membership space for creative business owners, freelancers, and people who like to make things. I really admire the way that Lexi has structured her business. She gives herself a 4-day workweek, taking Thursdays off to have what she calls an “intuition day.” And she built her offers around things that she loves, which are teaching and working with other creative business owners. Lexi's content speaks to my soul, and I'm so excited to have her on the show. I hope you enjoy. Links and resources: Episode Show Notes and Key Takeaways Lexi's website: PrettyDecent.org Lexi's TikTok: @leximmerritt The Pretty Decent Podcast: Apple Podcasts Spotify Book: The Artist's Way

Is blogging dead? Should you start a blog today? How long does it take to make money with a blog? DollarSprout's Co-Founders, Ben Huber and Jeff Proctor, discuss how blogging has changed in the last 7 years, what it takes to make money blogging today, and who should consider starting a blog. Links and resources: Episode Show Notes Free DollarSprout Facebook Group Blog Post: These 5 Millennials Started Blogging 12 Months Ago. Now They're All Making $1,000+/Month Blog Post: How to Start a Blog Blog Post: How to Make Money Blogging for Beginners: A Complete Guide to Your First $1,000

Today's guest is High Performance and Mindset Coach Carrie Veatch. Carrie helps ambitious entrepreneurs bust through their self-doubt so they can create wildly profitable online businesses. She has a Master's degree in counseling psychology, which led to her working as a therapist before starting her coaching practice at Set Yourself Free. Carrie now runs two online businesses, including her coaching practice, both built around her core value of freedom – including time freedom, financial freedom, and location freedom. Because of the way she's built her businesses, she's able to enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle she loves. She spent the last 4 years traveling around Asia and I believe is now in Mexico. In this conversation, Carrie talks all about the mental blocks that hold so many would-be entrepreneurs back and how to bust through them so you can create the freedom-based business of your dreams. Episode shownotes Set Yourself Free (Carrie's website) Why Perfectionism is Fear in Disguise and What to Do About it (Carrie's podcast) Navigate Your Visibility Fears While Still Making More (Carrie's podcast) Feel Like a Fraud? Listen to Why It's a Good Thing! (Carrie's podcast) Why Going ALL In is the Difference Make if You Want to Make More Money in Your Business (Carrie's podcast) How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Now (Carrie's podcast) The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks (book that talks about how to find your “zone of genius”) Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review (study) Thinking your way out of imposter syndrome by Valerie Young (video)

Today's guest is Jen Smith. Jen is co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast, which I highly suggest you check out if you haven't already. Jen and her co-host Jill are so funny, you'll literally just feel like you're having a conversation with two of your best friends. They're amazing. And on top of having a very successful podcast, Jen has done a lot of other things in her business. She's been a freelance writer and blogger, she's sold online courses, written and sold eBooks, she and Jill host an online summit called The Future of Frugal Summit. We'll include links for all of those resources and more in the show notes for this episode so you can go and check them out. There was just so much that I wanted to talk to Jen about on our call because she just has so much experience and wisdom in all of these areas. Some of the things we touch on are: Jen's story of getting laid off at her job, while pregnant and about to give birth, and how she was able to build her business during that stressful time. How you can diversify your business while maintaining a simple business model How to attract the right people to be in your audience (and repel the wrong ones) Understanding the purpose of every piece of content you create The number one mindset shift that has improved Jen's life and business the most. (And it might surprise you coming from a frugal living podcaster.) And of course just so much more that I'll let you find out yourself without rehashing our entire conversation. Don't forget to stick around to the end of the episode to hear my key takeaways, thoughts, and action items you can take away from this conversation. Links and resources: Episode show notes and transcript The Frugal Friends Podcast Financial Freedom Mentorship Waitlist The Future of Frugal Summit Frugal Friends YouTube Channel Modern Frugality Book: The One Thing Book: Essentialism

This week's episode of The DollarSprout Podcast features Jeremy Enns, CEO of podcasting agency Counterweight Creative. He and his team help with “podcast strategy & production for scrappy brands looking to punch above their weight” → I had to quote that line from their site directly because I love it so much. Jeremy has many titles – audio engineer, podcast producer, CEO. But above all else, he's a creative. In today's episode, Jeremy shares some of his biggest lessons and tips from over 10 years as a creator and 6+ years growing Counterweight Creative, including: How to come up with an unlimited number of ideas (for your business, content, writing, or any creative endeavor) How to stand out and make more money on Upwork A surprisingly important trait required for success in podcasting, blogging, and business As always, stick around to the end of the episode to hear my key takeaways and some action items you can start implementing today. Side Note: Jeremy was extremely transparent about the number in his business, which we always appreciate! The first ~15 minutes of today's episode is about his revenue, profit, email list size, and other business metrics. Links and resources: Show notes and transcript Jeremy's favorite resources: An incredibly thoughtful page with links, tools, and resources just for DollarSprout listeners. Jeremy's Creative Wayfinding Newsletter: Where each issue "explores the question of how to navigate the wilds of meaningful creative work with clarity, purpose, and confidence." (I signed up. You probably should, too.) Jeremy's Twitter Podcast: Akimbo by Seth Godin

This week on The DollarSprout Podcast, we're joined by Leadership Coach Raina Willick. Raina helps freelancers and entrepreneurs create a work-life balance and schedule they love without sacrificing their most important goals. She's a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) of the International Coaching Federation, and a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching McLean, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Raina uses the neuroscience-based Positive Intelligence framework to help her clients make lasting changes by building mental fitness, purposeful productivity, fulfilling focus, and a happy entrepreneurial life. On today's episode, Raina teaches us: How to step into the CEO role in your business (even if you're a 1-person show), The top 2 things you need in your business that make every decision easier (and how to create them), and Simple ways you can start to develop more self-trust so that you can make decisions in your business from a place of confidence rather than fear As always, stick around to the end of the episode to hear my key takeaways and some action items you can start implementing today. Links and resources: Episode show notes and transcript Free Exercise: Raina's Vision Journal Prompts Raina's website Raina's Coaching Offers PositiveIntelligence.com (learn about your saboteurs, positive intelligence, and mental fitness) Book: Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours by Shirzad Chamine) Video: Morning Pages Exercise Book: The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron (creator of Morning Pages exercise)

On today's episode, we talk with podcaster, blogger, YouTuber, and niche site creator Pete McPherson of Do You Even Blog. Today, Pete runs a lifestyle business that most people only ever dream of. He wakes up whenever he wants, works about 15-20 hours per week, and takes time off to spend with his family and kids whenever he feels like it. But it wasn't always like this for Pete. In fact, it took him 40+ failed business ideas before he found success in Do You Even Blog. During our conversation, Pete shared some of his biggest lessons learned in his decade of online business experience. Stick around to the end of the episode to hear my key takeaways and action items you can start implementing today. Links and resources: Episode show notes and transcript Do You Even Blog (Pete's website) The Do You Even Blog Podcast (see season 1 for some beginner online business gold) Book: The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin Blog Post from Pete: My Failure Resume: A walk through 40+ failed blogs and biz ideas Blog Post and Podcast from Pete: How to Create Digital Products (The CrissCross Drill for Discovering Product Ideas)

Welcome to The DollarSprout Podcast! This episode is all about the who, what, and why of this show. Tune in for: 3 things that set a lifestyle business apart from other businesses The story of how I (Megan, your show host) got into the online business world (and awkwardly stalked DollarSprout co-founders Ben and Jeff until they gave me a job), and What else you can expect from season 1 of The DollarSprout Podcast.