As I sit here writing this, I can’t believe I’ve completed 2 full years of self employment. I think another shocking revelation is I’m actually doing pretty well. This has been a strong growth year for me, and I’ve got a lot more clarity in what I’m doing, and what I need to do.
(more…)Back in December I published the WordCamp US Speakers that have been on my podcast. This weekend I’m heading to WordCamp Miami, so I’ve decided to continue the tradition. WordCamp Miami has a killer lineup of speakers, and there are quite a few that have been on my podcast. If you’re heading to the conference and want to learn a little more about them, listen to these episodes.
(more…)I’ve been lucky to have some fantastic guests on my podcast, How I Built It (over 100, in fact)! Many of them are active in the WordPress space, and a select few will be speaking at WordCamp US this weekend. If you’re traveling to Nashville, take some time and listen to them talk shop with me. Whether you’re stuck in a plane, train, or automobile!
I started my first business in high school, making websites for anyone who’d give me a shot. It was a great way to make money that I carried through college, grad school, and my adult life. I even did it full time a little after college, but lack of benefits and the need to learn more forced me to find a full time job. For pretty much that entire time, the stakes were different – and not very high. I didn’t have anyone except myself to support and I didn’t require too much.
That changed when I got married and had a daughter. I thought my chances at full time self-employment were dramatically lower as a result. However, today marks the anniversary of me leaving my full time job to pursue my side business full-time. I’d like to reflect on the first year.
I’ve spent more than one post on this blog talking about podcast sponsorships. Today, I wanted to talk about podcast listeners. There are a lot of stats out there for website users – where they came from, what they do on the site, how long they stay, and a lot more. While there have been strides in the last few months surrounding stats on podcasts, I feel like I still don’t know much about my listeners. I’ve tried surveys in the past, but they didn’t go well. So I’m switching things up a bit.
The first time I learned how to burn a CD was mind-blowing. It was 1999 and YouTube didn’t exist. Most of the web was brochure sites with marquees and hit counters, so there wasn’t a great place for learning how to do
literally anything. Instead, my cousin came over and showed me. He brought a blank CD, opened software on my computer, dragged the songs I wanted into this window and clicked, “Burn.” A few minutes later, BOOM. I had my very own mix CD. What jumped out at me the most was how easy it was when someone was there to show me the way. I felt
accomplished. That experience did 2 things for me. It allowed me to have a very successful mix CD business in high school, and it made me realized I just needed to try things in order to learn them. I felt
empoweredby the fact that someone showed me the way.
I want you to feel empowered too.That’s why I
started on Patreon.
. Because of that, I put out a bunch of free content. My weekly podcast, YouTube videos, blog posts, and eBooks to name a few. I’d love to do a lot more of that. I’d actually love to focus on the full time! I’m lucky enough to work for myself. I support my family with sponsorships, online courses, and freelance work. With your support, I can switch focus away from freelance work, to creating more great content. I want to make better resource for learners and educators, spend more time researching interesting topics, and tell more great stories.
Great question!
Patreonallows people like you to support content creators like me by making monthly pledges, or donations. Usually, there will be multiple pledge levels, and rewards for each level. You can set spending limits and stop at any time. Basically, you get to empower and support content creators directly.
I have a confession. Asking for donations has never come easy for me. But I’m also really passionate about teaching, and Patreon is a great way to get the freedom to do that more. For just $1/month, you can get access to not only incredible content, but more access to me. $12/year is like one month of Netflix! There’s a big
butthough. You should only donate if you find value in what I’m doing. There’s lots of great content out there, and lots of people vying for your hard-earned money. I only want you to donate if you dig what I’m doing. Rest assured, my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel will continue to have quality free content. Donating (and reaching my goals) just means more.
Speaking of…if you do decide to donate, you’re in for a treat! I want you to
feelthe value you’re adding. I think the best way for you to do that through great rewards at all levels.
I wouldn’t be able to do this at all without the incredible support I’ve gotten so far from family and friends, guests, sponsors, and of-course, you!
7 months ago I took my business full-time. Being a freelancer for most of my life, and even doing it full-time for a while after college, I thought I had a pretty good handle on how things would work. But as it turns out, the product space is a lot harder to work in than the services space (for me). I’ve lamented over the last few months that it’s easier for me to sell one person on a $5,000 project, than 100 people on a $50 course. But after attending CaboPress and participating in an amazing Master Mind group, I was able to get some perspective and readjust. The Autumn and Winter have been much better than the Summer.
But what does that have to do with a new site I launched called Creator Courses? Everything! I decided that as well as do an intro course on Gutenberg, I would launch a new brand. Here’s how I did it, and why.
Season 3 isn’t wrapped yet, but I’ve already started thinking of better ways to deliver for Season 4, coming in January. When I started How I Built it, I didn’t think I would see the success the show has had. It’s a formidable part of my income, it’s got over 100,000 downloads, and it’s growing in popularity.
When you first start anything, you are just finding your sea legs. Over a year in (and a fun obsession with this project), and I’ve got my bearings. I’m ready to go to the next level.
One year ago today, I launched Episode 1 of How I Built It, the podcast I started to learn from other business owners. I announced it by telling the story of Il Duomo, which I had seen in person 2 months prior. That’s still a great story that gets at the heart of what I’m trying to do on the podcast: learn from other people. I knew when I launched that it would be successful if I got great advice from people who’ve built great things. What I did not expect was the other successes I’ve seen. A year in, I have over 72,000 downloads. Each episode gets downloaded at least 1200 times 2 weeks after launch. And podcast sponsorships have become a major part of my income.
Over the last few months, I’ve interviewed dozens of people, asking a pointed question: “How did you build that?” In that time I learned common tools, business decisions, and generosity. Recently I gave a talk where I went through the most important lessons I learned, and some tools to get the job done.
You want to build better systems, but you don’t know where to start. That ends today. Get 4 systems every solopreneur needs, the exact tools to create those systems, and automations + AI prompts and skills to get you to a calmer, more reliable business faster.
That ends today. The Solo Systems Starter Kit will give you 4 systems every solopreneur needs to run a less chaotic business, the exact tools to create those systems, and automations + AI prompts and skills to get you to a calmer, more reliable business faster.