AskPat 2.0: A Weekly Coaching Call on Online Business, Blogging, Marketing, and Lifestyle Design

#1240 Some problems are great to have, even though it might not feel like it. When the businesses we’ve been putting valuable time into start to take off, it can get overwhelming. Matthew Usherwood has an office job and a family with two young kids. His brand, Distance Hiker, is growing like crazy, and he needs help figuring out what to focus on. In this coaching call, we reverse engineer what the company could look like based on Matthew's ultimate goal of taking it full-time. He is dealing with a bit of Squirrel Syndrome, so I help him prioritize the strategies that can work best for him. Matthew is also reluctant to rush into monetization and come off as salesy. You’ll hear me share my perspective about products that offer true value and how to get them in front of people the right way. Join us to learn about the tools we can leverage to stay on top of our growing businesses. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1240.

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#1239 In business, different is sometimes better than better. Keith Hayden, is a prime example of this. He is an author and is doing incredibly unique things online to promote his fiction book. Keith has come up with a fantastic audiovisual "book experience" that breaks his novel down into bite-sized chunks for social media. But how should he go about getting more eyeballs on his content? We talk about building word-of-mouth, which is vital for any book release. We also discuss Keith creating these “book experiences” for other authors as a side gig. The inspiration for a lot of what Keith is doing is the sense of belonging he felt when he was military. He wants to recreate that for his superfans, which is very smart. This is an inspiring chat for all of us looking to build loyal, targeted audiences. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1239.

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#1238 What can people get from you that they can’t get from anyone else? This is a vital question that many beginner entrepreneurs can't answer. When I asked Joe Casabona about his unique offer, his reply blew me away. So what does he do? Joe helps podcasters earn their first $10,000 off of their shows! In this coaching session, we talk all about lead magnets. Joe wants to grow his email list, and he and I brainstorm some ideas to take the freebies he’s offering to the next level. Joe also hosts Make Money Podcasting and wants to reach a larger audience with the show. I talk to him about getting guest spots on other podcasts and how to maximize the impact those appearances have. I had a blast on this call with Joe, and we covered a lot of ground with plenty of tips for you along the way. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1238.

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#1237 Do you even need to use social networks at all? Social media is what we make of it, that’s why it’s vital to have a conscious approach if we decide to use it. Natasha Carrillo has been off social networks for the past ten years and is struggling with that decision. She co-hosts the Black and Brown Make Green podcast and wants to spread her message to more people. In this coaching session, we talk about social media as a broad-asking system instead of a broadcasting system and what that means exactly. We also discuss specifics like how much time to put in, how often you should post, and where. Many podcasters struggle on social media because they don’t have the right mindset. So we get into some podcast-specific tactics today as well. Natasha asks all the right questions in this episode, and this is a great one to help us protect ourselves against the pitfalls of social media. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1237.

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#1236 In this "Where Are They Now?" session, I’m chatting with Cassidy Tuttle. She’s been a student of mine for a long time, and I actually had her on the SPI podcast way back on episode 283. Cassidy's Succulents and Sunshine is booming right now, and she needs help handling the growth and success of her business. Often when we first start delegating tasks to free up time, we end up giving ourselves a new job as a micromanager. Cassidy wants to become more comfortable letting others run with her ideas and things not turning out exactly how she envisioned them. She also understands that she can’t always be the face of her brand but doesn’t want to disappoint her audience. As our businesses grow and change, we sometimes just need to get out of our own way. So listen in, get inspired, and take your business to the next level! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1236.

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#1235 It can often be overwhelming to think about how we could grow our businesses. But one easy way to scale is to go just one level beyond what’s expected of us. In this coaching call, I’m chatting with Dustin John Staats of BGE's Tabletop. They sell board games online and have also opened up a brick-and-mortar store recently. Dustin wants to provide more value to his customers and keep them coming back. He’s already doing some really smart things, like sending a Bonjoro video with every order to make the buyers feel special. We talk about defining value for his target audience and putting the spotlight on his community. Dustin and I brainstorm some cool ideas for his store that will inspire you to apply this kind of approach to your business as well. We also get into Deep Pocket Monster, and I talk about the strategies I use to stand out in the crowded Pokemon space and serve my audience there. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1235.

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#1234 As a solopreneur, what do you do when your business idea finally takes off? If you don’t see a problem here, let me explain. You’re planning the next move, you’re creating content, you’re working on new products, you’re doing customer support and filing taxes. You’re doing everything! That’s where Chris Gilmour is at right now. He’s been a student of mine for a long time. He went through Smart From Scratch, our beginner entrepreneurs course, and explored a couple of ideas before landing on ChrisOutdoors.ca. His business is booming, but Chris is doing everything himself and feeling overwhelmed. So how should he grow his business from here? Listen in on this coaching call to hear us brainstorm strategies that would help him free up his time and bring in more customers. I walk Chris through everything from mastering the most relevant platforms right now to letting go of certain tasks and starting to hire out. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1234.

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#1233 A mistake many entrepreneurs make is to undercharge for their products. We want to help as many people as possible, if we don’t charge our worth we’ll never land on a sustainable business model. I’m chatting with Aneliya Manolova and Pierre Debraux today. They run Sci-Sport.com, where they provide clear and objective information about sports and exercise science. They have the PhDs to back them up but are afraid to start charging. I felt the same way when I first started selling and I walk them through a few thought experiments to figure out the best pricing strategy for them. We look at how the perception of value would change and the kind of clients they’d attract at different price points. I also help them see their offering in the larger context of what their target audience members are buying to get similar results. Lots of takeaways today. Enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1233.

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#1232 Today, we're back with another Where Are They Now? session. Back in episode 1181, Wendy Lewis had a book coming out, and she was creating her first online course. She was feeling overwhelmed, so I gave her some tips about starting small and keeping things simple. Something I said really stuck with her: “Fail small to win big.” I should say that more often. So how has Wendy been taking action? She’s a board-certified reflexologist and taking that kind of business online can be difficult, but she’s been doing a fantastic job. We talk about her ups and downs and hear about the amazing beta launch she just did for her course. We also talk about all the fun things Wendy has planned for her business and how SPI Pro is helping her stay motivated. Make sure to listen in on our call and use the inspiration to take action in your own business! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1232.

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#1231 As entrepreneurs, we provide value in our niche through great products and services. But what if your target audience never buys anything from you? What if someone else is making the actual purchase? Jeff Gargas is dealing with this in his business, Teach Better. They market themselves to teachers with free content, but then it’s school administrators or curriculum directors who pay for their premium offerings. This type of business model comes with some challenges but also some opportunities that Jeff and I explore today. He has new courses coming out all time and a membership site. We go through a few thought experiments and land on several options that would expand this side of his business. Jeff has a lot of knowledge and asks some deep questions about pricing. We zero in on finding the strategy that would best serve his audience and bring in more revenue. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1231.

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