Askpat 2.0: A Weekly Coaching Call On Online Business, Blogging, Marketing, And Lifestyle Design

#1220 Julie DeLucca-Collins of GoConfidentlyCoaching.com started her coaching business during the pandemic, when she lost her job. She realized she wanted to support others in stopping the overwhelm, getting focused, and building their business. Julie and I talk about how she's working with her clients now, and some of the issues that are coming up for her. She has multiple offerings, but some of the newer things she wants to offer don't seem to fit quite right—at least not on the surface. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1220.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1219 Michelle Mozes of MichelleMozes.com helps people with their branding, and business is going well. A big part of her success is that she's kept herself at the center of her brand, which lets her stand out from her competitors. Michelle has managed to 4X her revenue, but she's also feeling the urge to do more… she's just not sure exactly how, or as you'll learn today, why. She thinks she should create her own online course, but she's not convinced it's the right move, and she's feeling stuck. Through our conversation, Michelle has a small epiphany that helps her get perspective on what to do next. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1219.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1218 Ling Yah Wong is the host of So This Is My Why, a cool podcast that draws some amazing guests. And she wants to know, how can she best leverage these big names? She wants to do it the right way, by using these big names to help grow her audience and create a win-win for everyone. So, how can we “name drop” in a way that feels authentic and not slimy? Doing things authentically and ethically is exactly what we want, especially as we're growing—because that's often where people fall off. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1218.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1217 Today we're talking with Michelle Waters, who has two businesses, reThink ELA and reThink Your Lifestyle. She's a former teacher who is noticing a big shift happening in the teaching world, with many teachers thinking about moving on and creating something new, either on the side or full-time. She's created reThink Your Lifestyle to help teachers figure out what kind of business they should start based on what they love the most about teaching. Meanwhile, with reThink ELA, she creates lesson plans for English teachers who want to better connect with their students. She's trying to balance these two brands and not sure how to best manage them both. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1217.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1216 Today we're talking with Karthik Vijayakumar of DesignYourThinking.com. Karthik is a member of SPI Pro, and through his participation in the community has found a new direction for his business that he's really excited about: sales page copywriting. But he's having a dilemma around leaning in to who he is—especially because he gets a lot of inspiration from myself and from Team SPI. He's struggling with how to balance being inspired and motivated by somebody, but not wanting to step on their toes or make it appear like he's blatantly copying them. We talk about the difference between emulating vs. copying others, and we dig into the strategy and psychology of pricing your services. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1216.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1215 Today I'm talking to Matt of SkylandersCharacterList.com, who's in an interesting niche—and an interesting predicament. (You may also remember Matt from episode 10 of The Community Experience!) He started a business in a very focused niche: selling collectibles for Skylanders, a toys-to-life action-adventure video game series that's no longer being made. It's been going well, but Matt is worried that his market might dry up. Matt started one inch wide and one mile deep. So should he go wider, or deeper? That's what we discuss today. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1215.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1214 This might be one of the most useful episodes of this podcast you've heard in a long time. Michelle Krieg does a lot of work in the yoga space, and she's had a long journey to get to where she's at, with a lifestyle that she loves for the most part. But she's still feeling held back. Through our conversation, Michelle realizes she needs to let go of some of the thought patterns she's been operating with recently. She realizes she needs to let go of her regret that she's not using the degree she worked for as a yoga teacher. And she also needs to let go of the hustle-and-grind mindset that got her where she is, but isn't serving her anymore. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1214.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1213 Today we're speaking with Alexandra Mannerings of Merakinos, a data services and analytic education company devoted to helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations amplify their impacts through data. Alexandra is trying to transform the way nonprofits use data and analytics to be more successful with their chosen mission. Her services cost a lot, but she doesn't want to exclude organizations that can't afford the services of a data analyst. I help Alexandra brainstorm how she can validate the unique “consortium” model she has in mind for making analytics more accessible to the nonprofit world. She leaves with some interesting questions, ideas, and experiments to run. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1213.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1212 Today we're speaking with Ashton and DC, a wife-and-husband combo with a real estate business called REI Remodel. They're creating educational materials for would-be real estate investors, and they also want to build a "club" or community for these folks. As you know, at SPI we're all about the power of community, and I talk with DC and Ashton about the iterative process they can use to know exactly how to build that community. We discuss how they can find and talk to their target audience, to learn about their desires and pain points and how they talk about them, and go from there. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1212.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1211 Today, we're speaking with Jodi Gregory from SeekInfo.com. Jodi helps people with advanced research strategies—way more than just a simple Google search. She's been doing this for twenty years now. And recently, she's had an inclination to teach people how to do what she's been doing through a cohort-based course. But she's feeling stuck with how to get the course up and running—and especially how to find students for it. I help Jodi nail down just who this specialized course may be for, and how she can position it. Jodi's also a member of our latest Heroic Online Courses Bootcamp, and I talk a little in this episode about how the bootcamp gives you the tools and support you need to create a course students will rave about. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1211.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1210 Today I'm talking with a self-proclaimed introverted entrepreneur, Mark Wilson, who has a company called Sales for Introverts. Yes, he helps introverts become better salespeople. I think it's an awesome niche, and not just because I'm an introvert myself. I know the mindset struggles of making sales and growing a business when you don't feel naturally extroverted. Mark has overcome his own introvert sales struggles and put what he's learned into an online course—and now he wants to do a better job selling it. We dig into whether he should focus his efforts on just one approach because of his limited time. We also unpack whether Mark should be selling his course to consumers or other businesses. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1210.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1209 Today we're speaking with Dan Bennett, known as The Antipreneur. He helps entrepreneurs make better videos, tell better stories, and build better businesses. Dan has a lot of experience on YouTube and building audiences. He does a great job connecting with people in person, and he needs some help bridging the online and IRL worlds. We talk YouTube and storytelling, quizzes and lead magnets, the awesomeness that is SPI Pro, and even live podcasts. There are a lot of golden nuggets you'll pick up in today's episode, little things that can change the game for your audience-building and community-building efforts. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1209.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1208 Today, we're talking with Trixi from SewASoftie.com, a not-for-profit charitable opportunity that helps kids learn how to sew. Sew A Softie has been growing tremendously. Trixie's challenge now is figuring out what to do next and how she can grow her brand awareness and reach even more people. The catch is that Sew A Softie is a one-person show, so Trixie is limited in terms of how much time she can devote to new projects. One key opportunity might be to find others in the arts and crafts space she can partner with. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1208.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1207 Today we're speaking with Chris Tiley from Never Too Old to Lift. He's a physiotherapist (physical therapist, in US terms) who works mostly with older folks who want to move and feel better. Chris's approach to helping people feel better and get stronger is through strength training—hence the name of his business. But as we talk about today, strength training may be what people need to feel better. So how do we guide people from what they want to what they need? That's what we tackle today. We also discuss how Chris can balance creating and launching an online course with the time demands of his physical practice, as well as being a father and a husband. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1207.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1206 Today we're talking with Kim, who runs GentlyBeing.com and the YouTube channel of the same name. She creates these really cool spiritual, meditative videos that relate to the season we're in, like the winter solstice, the full moon, and other times of year. She has over a thousand subscribers, and she's in the middle of trying to understand how she can scale up and do even better. We go through a few different ideas for Kim's YouTube strategy, including using playlists smartly, and how she can start monetizing her channel. Kim also doesn't want to be in front of the camera too much, and she's worried this will hold back her channel's growth. So we talk through how she can create a successful channel without actually being in the videos. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1206.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1205 Today we're talking to Jim from Spanish and Go, who joined us in episode 1,151. Jim and his wife and business partner, May, run a business that connects English speakers who want to travel to Spanish-speaking countries with people in those countries, to help them learn the language and culture. Unfortunately, Spanish and Go was incredibly affected by the pandemic in a not-so-great way. Jim and May had to cancel several Spanish immersion retreats they'd lined up right before the pandemic began and refund everyone who had signed up. Their YouTube ad revenue was slashed in half. And they had just started a podcast with a membership component to create some extra income. We talk about some of the things Jim and May did first in the wake of this shock. And we'll talk about the moves they've made since and where they are now. I think you'll find this one helpful if your business has been struggling lately, from the effects of the pandemic or otherwise. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1205.See

Today, we have another person who's been on the show before, back in episode 1116: Jake Lang from TheEntrepreneurRideAlong.com and author of StepOneBook.com. At the time of that first conversation with Jake, he was focusing on so many different business ideas. So I suggested he narrow things down a little bit. He took my advice, and seems to be hitting his stride. I love the new direction he's taking and how he's both getting time back and putting more dollars in his pocket as a result. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1204.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1203 Happy New Year, and welcome to episode 1,203 of AskPat 2.0! We have another "Where are they new?" episode today. Sam Gavis-Hughson has been an AskPat 2.0 guest not once, but twice before. His company, Byte-by-Byte.com, helps people get their dream jobs as software engineers. The way Sam's business has progressed since we first talked to him has been really incredible, going from a single $37 course to a nearly $4,000 program. What does Sam's business look like now? How did he pull that off? That's what we'll unpack today. This episode could be a great one if you're considering how you might take something you started with and turn it into a high-ticket item that serves fewer people, but does so more deeply and makes you more money.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1202 I'm excited to bring back Steve Collins of TeachHoops.com, who joined us in episode 1013. His target audience is other basketball coaches at all levels, and when we last spoke, he was building his membership site. Well, Steve has made some even bigger strides since then. He's building out his YouTube channel. And get this—he has not one, not two, not three, but four podcasts. Yes, four. How does he manage production for four separate shows? That's one of the things we talk about today. And his plans for the future are incredible and inspiring. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1202.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1201 In today's “Where are they now?” episode we're chatting with Tarun, a dentist who was with us in episode 1,035. Back then, I helped him through his hangups about creating his own recorded content after his in-person dental work over at 3d-dentists.com was affected by the pandemic. This is a fun episode, and I think you'll be surprised and impressed to hear what Tarun's been up to. Although his work-life balance has been a bit of a challenge, he's moved on to some really exciting new stuff. He's up to something especially cool when it comes to live events—something that gets my own wheels turning about a similar idea I have. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1201.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.