How I Built It

YouTube has been a regular topic on the show this year, and for good reason. More people need to build trust to make their business work, and as the second largest search engine, YouTube is a great place to do it. This week, marketing coach Nicole Osborne tells us why she started a YouTube channel, her process for publishing, and how it’s helped her business. In Build Something More, we talk about how marketing and web design changed over the past 20 years.Top Takeaways:Don’t compare yourself to the big names today. Pick a content creator, look at their first video, and then understand it’s a process that takes time.Content creation is experimentation. Try different topics, recording processes, and approaches. See what works and what resonates with your potential audience.You need to make time to make content. Treat it as a client project and put time on your calendar to work on it.Show Notes:Nicole OsborneWhy You Need to Publish Content to Have an Expertise with Rochelle MoultonWorking Through Different YouT

How often should you publish? Should you use affiliate links? DO those 30-day challenges really help? Alastair McDermott and I are both at the relative beginning of our YouTube journeys, and we’re each taking different approaches — hopefully, ones that suit our needs and goals appropriately. Listen in as we talk about what we're doing, how we’re doing it, and of course, why. We’ll also tell you why your phone is the best camera for you and your channel. In Build Something More, we talk about when we’ve each bartered for work.Top Takeaways:YouTube is a content channel that can help you build trust quickly because people can see you. You have the ability, and the opportunity, to show people what you know and how you can help them.When it comes to making money, most people can make more bringing in new clients with their videos, as opposed to running ads to monetize. Alastair said he’ll likely never run those ads because it could affect his credibility!The thing that keeps people engaged after clicking through i

Since leaving the classroom in 2016, I've missed one aspect of teaching more than any other: connecting with students in real-time, as I teach the material. And while I love creating evergreen courses, today's guest has a better way to teach online. Wes Kao, a co-founder of both altMBA and Maven, tells us about Cohort-based Courses (CBCs), and I am all in! She'll tell us how CBCs have better completion rates, allow for much less upfront work, and allow you to charge more. If you want to create an online course in 2022, I strongly recommend you consider them. Plus, in Build Something More, where does YouTube sit with all of this?Top Takeaways:Most online learning is one direction. The teacher pre-records a video and teaches. But Cohort-based Courses offer bi-directional learning, which is huge in the online space. It allow instructors to get real time feedback and pivot when needed.When deciding what to teach, you need to consider what you're an expert in. Ask yourself, "If Harvard were asking me to guest lect

One of the core beliefs at Apple is telling a good story; it’s weaved into everything they do — every product, service, and publication. Something you’ll notice with their commercials is that they open by telling you it was shot on iPhone 13 Pro. And in-fact that story they told at the iPhone event in September, about iPhone 13 Pro, was that it’s for movie makers and cinematographers. But who is the iPhone really for? And what other great tools are out there for creators? That’s what we’ll explore in this episode.Top TakeawaysIf you are a content creator, the iPhone 13 Pro is for you. It allows you to look like the pros, without dropping thousands of dollars of gear like the pros.The simplest solution is a tripod for your iPhone with a remote or timer. You’ll also want good lighting; since this is such a mobile setup, you can likely find some good natural lighting.Finding the right tools is tough, which is why I’ve put together Creator Toolkits: simple lists to help you know which tools you should use when cr

Exactly how important is your marketing funnel? Ask R.T. Custer, who's built a funnel that allows his company, the Vortic Watch Company, to routinely sell out of watches that are priced between $2,500 and $10,000. In this conversation, R.T. tells us all about how he and his business partner came up with the idea to repurpose old pocket watches into all-American-made wristwatches, and how his 200-day email funnel is the key to their success. Part of the secret sauce: getting influencers to drive traffic…not to buy the watches, which are usually only available one per day…but to sign up for their mailing list to get notified when a new one drops.Top Takeaways:People say email marketing is dying, but that could not be further from the truth. R.T. knows their nurture sequence needs to be 200 days because it takes 4-8 months to build enough trust to sell a $4,000 watch.As a creator, the affiliate marketing route can be a great way to get paid as an influencer, as long as your find the right brand.Knowing your wort

Finding time as a busy creator or small business owner can be tough. But what about being a single mom, running a content business, in a competitive space, and making money doing? That's exactly what Christine Pittman does, running her hugely successfully cooking blogs and podcasts. Tune in to get tips about starting, staying consistent, making money, and the important role analytics plays in all of it. Plus, in Build Something More, we talk about what it's like cooking for our kids as business-running parents.Top Takeaways:Batch your content! You want to plan ahead, build a stock pile, and release it slowly. That way you can create consistently and build your content empire.Analytics is the key to everything. You will best serve your audience by understanding what resonates most with them, and putting out more content like it. Christine found her niche in a crowded field by focusing in on a couple of specific food types.Repurposing content allows you to reach more people based on their preferred way to consu

More and more, we're hearing about why businesses should be on TikTok. As a creator, this can be a new place for you to gain an audience…if you do it right. And today's guest, Alex Rossman, knows a thing or two about TikTok. His agency, Rossman Media, is currently moving many of his B2B clients to the platform with great success. Today, Alex will tell you why you should be there, and how to make the most of being on the platform…from building community to generating more leads. In Build Something More, we talk about what it's like being a musician (we both play the drums), writing songs, and there's a heavy dose of The Beatles in there too.Top Takeaways:TikTok has accelerated a lot faster than other social media platforms in growth and maturity. They even have a managed services to help business grow through trends.1/10 of your videos will have some viral component to it. That doesn't mean millions of views, but it could mean 10,000. So it's important to be there, and be consistent.Alex recommends having a re

Word of Mouth has long ruled the lead-generating roost for freelancers and small business owners. But that’s an untenable, unscalable business model. What does work, you wonder? Ask web designer Jess Freeman. 60% of Jess’ leads come from content creation alone; 40% from her blog and YouTube. While many view YouTube as a place for entertainment and influencers where only the most popular channels make money, Jess shows us that’s not true. And she shares some fantastic tips on how you can leverage YouTube to build trust and generate leads. Plus, in Build Something More, we talk WordPress vs. Squarespace.Top Takeaways:Don’t expect to get rich overnight with content. It’s a long game that helps you build better trust with prospective clients.Jess tells us about 2 types of YouTube content: connection (get to know me better) and educational (teaching something). Be sure to teach your target audience!Consistency is key, so come up with a cadence that works for you. Batch your content and release it on a predictable

They say one of the best ways to grow your audience is by getting in front of other people’s audiences, and today’s guest is an expert in helping you do that. Brittney Lynn understands how to pitch the media - both established media like publications and TV, and newer media, like podcasts. Today, she gives us some fantastic advice for finding and pitching podcasts, as well as what to think about if we’re going to pitch TV and publications. In Build Something More, we chat about the time I hired Brittney to help with my PR, what worked well, and what I should have done better!Top Takeaways:Since podcasts are weekly, and more selective about their content, you really need to hone your pitch. Spend some time doing your research, finding good fits, and then pitching a topic that works for the show.Look at recent guests and their topics. If yours is too similar, wait 6 months. Most hosts don’t want to cover the same topic in multiple episodes close together.There are lots of places to find shows. Apple Podcasts an

How do you become an authority in your field? What's the key to unlocking rewarding work and more sales with less selling? According to Rochelle Moulton, it's publishing. And Rochelle knows a thing or two. Not only has she been helping people become authorities in their fields since 2007, but her book, The Authority Code, will give you the blueprint — and the right prompts — to help you too. Rochelle and I have a great conversation around niching down, spending your time wisely, and publishing to become an authority in your space. Plus, in Build Something More, we compare notes on the book writing and publishing process!Top Takeaways:There's a difference between being an expert, and being an authority. Experts are good at doing a thing, and get paid do to it. Authorities, whose mindset is publishing, command respect from a much wider audience, and can make money in a variety of waysTo build authority, you need to have a niche. You want to be able to talk to your people and offer them solutions and outcomes. I

In 2021, there was a lot of good, but there was also a lot of stress. In fact, there was a lot of everything. Seems like a year or less would do me good. But not really less of everything. I need to do less of something specific — over-commitment. So I’ve come up with The Year of Retreat.Show Notes:CortexMy 2022 Yearly ThemeCreator CrewSponsored by: Nexcess | Ahrefs | TextExpander ★ Support this podcast ★

I knew from a young age, I wanted to play the drums. I got my first small kit when I was five and when my friends and I started a band, heavy quotes, I played paint buckets. When I was 15 years old, I knew I needed a real kit. It's the last episode of 2021, and it's a little different: I'm going to share with you my favorite Christmas story. I'll also tell you where the show is heading in 2022. Show NotesRead the Story at Casabona.orgJoin Creator CrewRate: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PodchaserGet Free Airtable templates (00:00) - Introduction (01:07) - My First Drum Set (07:27) - Thank You Alan (08:10) - How I Built It in 2022 (11:57) - Thanks for a Great 2021 ★ Support this podcast ★

Back in October, I wrote a blog post called, "We Need to Talk About Speakers and Virtual Events." I outlined how I believe speakers should be treated when it comes to virtual events; See I feel like too many virtual event organizers treat speakers as their marketing arm too. Shortly after, my friend Nathan Wrigley reached out. See, he is a virtual event organizer. In fact, I've spoken at his events! We wanted to have a debate of sorts, so we recorded it. It was a truly fantastic conversation. I certainly learned a lot, and I think you will too!Top Takeaways:Be communicative with your speakers and manage expectations. Doing the affiliate program well can net a lot of money for you without a TON of effort.It all depends on where you are in your speaker journey, and what your ultimate goal for speaking it. One peice of advice: choose events wisely. Show Notes:Nathan WrigleyNathan on FacebookCreator CrewSponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander ★ Support this podcast ★

This year, I made a concerted effort to have a good Black Friday sale. I started thinking about it early, put in a good sequence of emails, and promoted it more than I've promoted anything. The result? My best sale ever. So how did I do it, what were the numbers, and what did I learn? Listen to find out. Plus, in Build Something More, I share the actual revenue, and my thoughts on affiliate programs.Top TakeawaysPreparation and messaging were instrumental. I started thinking about the sale in October - what the offer would be and the direction my business would go in for 2022. Right before the sale, I redesigned the home page to really push the benefits of the membership.Don't be afraid to send too many emails. I sent 9 emails over 5 days, with 4 coming on the last day. Each lead to at least one sale.I also paid attention to how things were going. When I found the membership to be a lot more popular than initially though, I changed the last few emails in the sequence to highlight the benefits of that instead

Sometimes it feels like Facebook gets a bad wrap. Of course, sometimes it feels like Facebook gets exactly what it deserves…so where should we, as small business owners, fall on how to use Facebook? Today's guests should help. Jono Petrohilos is a personal trainer and online educator who has a $1 Million online course business. He also runs huge Facebook groups, including one specifically for online course creators. Jono is SUPER passionate about FB groups -so much so that he made me excited about them. He offers a ton of tips for how to start and grow a FB group, and how one can build your business. In Build Something More, we talk about the Facebook outage and how it affected him (and how he has a backup plan!)Top Takeaways:Spend time in similar Facebook groups and communities, participating and adding value. This will help build a network of 100 people you can invite to your group.The goal of the FB group is the community. It's not about "me" it's about "them." In that vein, encourage participation at ever

A few weeks ago, we heard from John Warrillow about why we need to make subscriptions a core part of our businesses. Someone who's done that really well is a marketer and fellow creator Corey Haines. As we recorded this, he was going through the biggest change his membership has seem: consolidation of offerings, niching down, and increasing the price. And it was the best month of the membership to date. Listen on to find why and how he did it. Plus, in what I think is the best Build Something More yet, we talk about pricing: how to price as a creator, offerings, and price to value ratios.Top Takeaways:On subscription fatigue: Don't conflate consumer subscriptions with business subscriptions. Consumers get fatigued more than businesses.Early on, as a creator you could basically just ask for money and people would support you. Now it's about the right value proposition. If you don't get it right, you won't survive.Niching down allows you to focus, get the right value prop, AND charge more.Show Notes:Corey Haine

It's the 2021 Gift Guides episode! This year I revamped the guides to be clearer, including more tools for people who work from home and podcasters, and offering more options for people looking for the perfect pen. In Build Something More, I talk about the transition from Beaver Builder to Gutenberg - why I did it, and how it went.Show Notes:Gift GuidesWork From Home Video WalkthroughPodcast Guide Video WalkthroughCreator CrewSponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander ★ Support this podcast ★

Something I (and perhaps you) feel I do terribly is email marketing. I'm worried I'm not segmenting my list the right way, that I email them too much, and that what I send is not aligned with what they signed up for. But let me tell you, after this conversation with Samar Owais, I feel a lot better. Samar is an email expert, and we cover a lot of ground, from setting up a welcome sequence, to when you should sell to your list, to how to segment. This is a mini masterclass in email marketing and one of my favorite episodes to date. Plus, in Build Something More, how Apple is changing the way we measure email marketing success.Top Takeaways:When someone signs up for your mailing list, your welcome sequence needs to align with your offer and your promise...also, you should have a welcome sequence!When it is too soon to sell to your list? The very first welcome email. Everything else is fair game so soft sell, sew seeds, or even just mention.Segmentation is SO important. You're forming a relationship with your em

Subscription services are increasingly popular and for good reason. On top of creating more predictable income for your business, they allow you to really focus and serve your subscribers instead of constantly trying to grind out new sales. Plus, it makes your business more sellable. We'll talk about all of that and more in this week's episode with John Warrillow, best-selling author of Built to Sell, The Automatic Customer, and The Art of Selling your business. And in Build Something More, we'll even talk about what it's like to write a best-selling book!Top Takeaways:Subscriptions make your business more predictable, more sellable, and place less pressure on your sales process. One Sale → One Payment vs. One Sale → regular monthly payments.You need to go all-in for a subscription business to work. Giving people a choice between one time and subscription will usually result in fewer (if any) subscriptions.When it comes to subscription fatigue, you need to demonstrate value in a tangible way. A 10% discount w

You've heard me say time and time again - build your list! If you want to grow your business, whether you sell products, services, or are a creator, you need to get people on your email list. And today's guest, Maciek Palmowski, has definitely done that. He and his wife started the only Polish-language WordPress-focused newsletter (quick a niche) and grew it into quite a popular English-language newsletter. The format and process for putting it together are interesting too - making this a fantastic episode for those struggling with (or struggling to start) their newsletter. In Build Something More, we talk about what it's like being an ESL programmer in an English-dominated market.Top TakeawaysThe Twitter community can be a great place for finding news and growing your list!The secret to growth: stay consistent and put in the work. People will come, and share it!Trial and error is super important. Try things out and see what works. See what doesn’t. Iterate quickly.Show Notes:Maciek PalmowskiMaciek on Twitter