The Smart Passive Income Online Business And Blogging Podcast

#492 We've got a fun one for you guys today. Connie Neal is on the show and boy, is she a character. And I mean that literally . . . Connie creates amazing content for kids as a character she created called Grandma Goodie, and she does a phenomenal job. First, we're going to be going back in time a little bit because Connie wasn't always a for-kids YouTube content creator. A while back she had an idea for something else that she actually mailed to me, but it didn't pan out. Still, Connie pushed forward with relentless optimism and now she's starting to really find her groove. We'll chat about how she got to where she is now and where she's going next, with a couple of fun stories to boot. Let's get started! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session492See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did you know that there's a Museum of Failure? For the final installment in season 1 of Flops — the brand-new podcast my team launched this year — hosts Karen Beattie and Ray Sylvester sat down with the museum's director, Dr. Samuel West. What followed was a fascinating conversation around normalizing failure, how different cultures approach it, Dr. West's criteria for deciding what gets displayed in the museum, and more. Plus, stick around until the end for a special "mini failure" story from yours truly. And if you haven't listened already, all 8 episodes of the first season of Flops are now available for streaming. Learn more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/flops.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#491 As entrepreneurs a lot of us develop this idea that we need to hustle now, grind out the hours, and our families will understand. But this is the opposite of what I would advise. Nothing can replace lost time that you could have used to develop a strong relationship with your children, your partner . . . I've seen the other side of the "hustle now" mentality. Trust me, it isn't pretty.Today I've got Jim Sheils on the show with a life-changing conversation about how to schedule time to connect with your family, why it's essential that you do so, and the rules he follows to get it right. His company, 18 Summers, is devoted to this topic and Jim's also the author of The Family Board Meeting, which I highly recommend you check out. If you want to learn how to succeed as an entrepreneur and have a great relationship with your family, this is the episode for you! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session491See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1

#490 Earlier this week I interviewed Kevin Espiritu from Epic Gardening for session 489 of the show. He's absolutely killing it in his space and I've taken a few notes from him in terms of content creation. In talking with Kevin and interacting with him outside the show, I was reminded of some of the things I've seen other successful people do. I'll tell you all about them today, as well as something that I think it's critical all entrepreneurs realize: you have to take a stand at some point. I'll illustrate this for you today with an experience I had hearing Ramit Sethi speak back in the day. A few quick but impactful lessons in here for you today, so don't miss out! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session490See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#489 The pandemic put a lot of entrepreneurs on high alert and changed the way we work or do business. But some businesses thrived, and today's guest has a business that pretty much exploded during the pandemic. I first got connected with him because I (like a lot of us!) decided to try and start a garden. And when it comes to learning about all things gardening and plants, Kevin Espiritu from Epic Gardening is the man to go to. But Kevin's success wasn't just due to the pandemic. He poised himself for explosive success. Over time Kevin's built up a massive following on YouTube, published two books, expanded his brand, and created incredibly valuable product and affiliate deals. You'll learn all about how he did on today's episode, so don't miss out! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session489See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#488 Earlier this week on episode 487 I got to interview PJ of GoatMilkStuff.com — it'll be one for the ages for sure. And it reminded me of something, an episode from way back, episode 122 with Shane and Jocelyn Sams. In fact, I'm going to share a clip from that episode today as well. And in having my memory jogged, something crystallized for me around being an effective podcast host. We're going to get into all of it today, so take a coffee (or tea, or water) break and let's chat! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session488See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#487 PJ Jonas started making goat milk soap in 2008 and has since grown the business into the family business. Seriously, her entire family is involved with everything from actually making the soap to social media and more. And they don't just make soap anymore, they've added lip balms, lotions, and more to the products they ship worldwide. How did she scale the operation, how did she recruit the whole family into the business, and how do the Jonas's keep a sense of work life balance? PJ's giving us the full rundown today, so whether you're a seasoned or aspiring entrepreneur or just want to hear an amazing story, you're in the right place! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session487See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#486 Sometimes our competitive edge can prevent us from finding a critical link with someone who, on paper, might look like a competitor. Well, I'm here today to encourage you to find a buddy, someone you can build up and who can encourage you as you progress, even if (again, on paper) you might look like competitors. Press play for a bit of encouragement from me and an important call to action! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session486See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#485 The pandemic has taught all of us about the importance of flexibility. Chris Ducker, a great friend of mine, is here to tell us his experience, how his business is doing, and what he's learned making major business decisions in these times. How we respond to major shifts like these are often the ultimate test of ourselves and our businesses. Chris's key learnings can help us all better plan for the future and cultivate the right mindset for the next big pivot. There are some amazing nuggets on this episode — don't miss it! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session485See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#484 When I was a kid, when I was in school, I was afraid to ask questions. I worried that I'd look silly in front of my friends, that I'd get made fun of, or that I'd reveal something I didn't know (that I should). I'm here to tell you that your entrepreneurial journey shouldn't be like that. Asking questions, particularly at the start of my own journey, was a huge part of why I was able to go on and have success. It's just you and me today, so let's dig in. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session484See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#483 Today's guest is a student of mine who has a podcast and a book called Turn Autism Around. She's on a mission and she's here to tell us how she's started to realize that mission through books, courses, and more. She'll also share some of the strategies she learned for writing her book, launching her show (now with over 400,000 subscribers), and how she handles criticism online. Mary's story shows us just how positive the ripple effect can be — it's super-inspiring for anyone, especially if you're at the beginning of your business journey. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session483See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#482 I've got a great tip to share with you today — especially if you're an introvert like me. This goes way back to my first conference. If you've ever been to one of these events you know that networking is a big part of the appeal. The ability to walk up to someone, introduce yourself, and strike up a conversation can lead to incredible opportunities. But way too often we end up psyching ourselves out of making the first move. Often the answer . . . is action. So we're going to dig into this topic a bit today, just you and me. Let's do it! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session482See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#481 Chris Voss is the CEO of The Black Swan Group Ltd. and the author of Never Split the Difference — an amazing book on negotiation that I'd highly recommend everyone read. I'm so grateful that Chris joined me on the show to talk about negotiation, how he got interested in the topic, as well as his in-depth advice on negotiation. We talk about how to great a lasting last impression (and why that's more critical than a first impression), setting yourself up for success, why negotiation is ultimately about collaboration, and we even get into Chris's thoughts about having the right kind of mindset for successful negotiation. Everyone uses negotiation to some degree in their life or business and man, this is one for the books. Let's do it! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session481See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#480 If you're an entrepreneur, at some point you're inevitably going to compare yourself to the other entrepreneurs out there. Maybe you wish you had success like theirs, maybe you're envious because their success seemed to happen overnight. But some comparisons are healthy, like if you're trying to pull inspiration from someone or compare yourself now to where you were in the past. How can we approach those thoughts in a healthy way?I've been there, and over time I've developed a few mindset shifts and thought experiments that have helped me a lot. Let's chat! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session480See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#479 John Lee Dumas is here today to share the story behind his book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success: why he decided to write it, why he went with a traditional publishing deal, and all the strategies he used to make it come together. Whether you've written a book before, want to compare notes with John, or just want to learn more about this amazing book, stay tuned! Learn more about the book by going to UncommonSuccessBook.com. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session479See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#478 For today's Follow-Up Friday, we're going one-on-one so I can tell you about my own first experiences with memberships, going all the way back to the days when I was a newbie with Internet Business Mastery. There's a lot you can learn from my experience and what it taught me about the power of membership communities, how to set them up so that members feel heard and taken care of, and providing students and learners with an amazing experience. Let's dig in! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session478See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#477 Creating a membership community has been one of the best decisions we've ever made at SPI! Maybe you've thought about creating a membership community of your own, or maybe you're just curious. Either way, you're in the right place!Today's episode is essentially a masterclass in membership communities. I'm honored and thrilled to have Stu McLaren on the show today, someone who has over 10 years of experience launching, cultivating, and empowering people through online membership communities. We're not just skimming the surface or laying out steps for getting started. We get into some advanced strategies and tactics on everything from onboarding to ensuring the longevity and health of your membership. Definitely take notes for this one! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session477.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The podcast team at SPI has been cooking up something very exciting: a brand-new podcast called Flops! Flops presents an honest portrait of entrepreneurial failure in its numerous forms. When we hear entrepreneurial stories, we often glorify the big wins and brush over the failures that had everything to do with why success occurred. Flops turns the atypical success story on its head. Here to chat about the concept for the show and how it came about are co-hosts Karen Beattie and Ray Sylvester — after our short conversation you'll hear the first full episode of Flops: "The Pyramid Scheme." Learn more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/flopsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#476 We hear phrases tossed out around the word "value" all the time. "Provide value," "give value," "massive value," etc. Sometimes that can sound a bit challenging, but Michael Hyatt — who was an amazing guest earlier this week on episode 475 of the podcast — has taught me a way to provide huge value to people in a really simple way. This isn't a superpower by the way, although Michael is obviously phenomenal at doing this thing (which I'll reveal in the episode). This is something everyone can start doing right now, and I'm going to challenge you to start today. I want to tell you how helpful and amazing Michael has been in my own life so that you can hopefully follow his example. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session476See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#475 Is it even possible to win at work and life? It's the so-called "double win" — succeeding at work and life simultaneously — and Michael Hyatt's here to explain some of the strategies he uses to achieve it. He has a new book out on this very topic, which he co-authored with his daughter, Megan: Win at Work and Succeed at Life.In this episode, you'll hear Michael and I talk over strategies and mindsets for achieving balance and freeing yourself from the cult of overwork. Michael details how to embrace constraints, how he structures his workday, and how to curb workaholism. This episode will inspire you to find that crucial balance in your own entrepreneurial journey — let's go!Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session475See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.