Business Models for Creators

Welcome to part two of my interview with adult voice actress and indie erotic writer, Becca!

In this episode, we’re going deeper into who Becca is and what makes her tick. Becca gets real and raw about how she started writing erotica, what she feels about competition, and how she got over her shame of voice acting erotica material.

A few highlights from our conversation:

• How Becca wrote her first piece of erotica at age 14 and what happened when she shared it with a friend
• Why Becca’s recommends that you be filthy!
• In what situations Becca suggests that you “quit”
• Why it’s essential to NOT feed romantic parasocial relationships
• How being vulnerable and unashamed helps other people overcome their shame

No matter what kind of creator you are, Becca shares stories and wisdom that will make you laugh, think, and motivate you to create!

*This episode was originally published August 6, 2023

If you have honest questions for Becca, you can contact her by email at [email protected].

 Be sure to check out part 1 of our interview here. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

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Do you believe that, just because you love what you do, you don’t deserve to get paid for it?

Think again!

“It’s okay to get paid to do what you love.” -Becca

In this episode of Business Models for Creators (part 1 of the interview), I’m chatting with adult voice actress and indie erotic writer, Becca, about the realities of making money as a creator. Some people still say that you can’t make money as an indie creator. Becca proves them wrong! (And so can you!)

A few highlights of our discussion:

• Why Becca was afraid of monetizing her audio erotica work
• Why it took her so long to start charging for her work
• What Becca actually does to make money and how she charges
• What Becca’s doctor said to her when she became overwhelmed with “too many” clients!
• How Becca has dealt with “artist’s guilt”
• The truth about needing validation for your work (Is needing validation really “bad”?)

Listen in to find out how Becca manages writing, recording, editing, marketing, and accounting while also mothering two young children. Learn what motivated Becca to get really good editing—something she finds exceedingly tedious. And discover how Becca’s background helps her improvise her audio performances.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

This episode was first published: July 2, 2023

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

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Join me as we revisit my very first episode of Business Models for Creators!

You’ve taken the courses. You’ve done the freebies. You’ve read the books. You know what you’re supposed to do in your business. But, as a creator, you’ve got to make your business fit you—your lifestyle, your goals, your dreams. That’s what I’m discussing today with my guest, copywriter Janelle Cook.

“You don’t need a special desk or a special green drink or a special yoga routine…. Just grab your laptop and get to work.” -Jasmine Love

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What Janelle and I think about morning routines
• What kind of content sparks Janelle’s creativity
• Why it’s okay to break a few business rules
• Why you have absolutely got to be hanging out with other creators

Janelle Cook is a copywriter and the owner of Scary Good Copy, where she helps e-commerce brands turn their customers into Superfans by writing copy that people actually want to read. 

This episode first aired May 2023.

Connect with Janelle

https://scarygoodcopy.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-cook-957774207/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

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Welcome to the 1-year anniversary episode of Business Models for Creators. Host Jasmine Love reflects on her journey starting the podcast over the past year!

Jasmine shares the top 3 lessons she learned from podcasting, as well as the top 3 lessons she’s learned from her guest.

Highlights:

1. Podcasting takes a whole village. Jasmine received help from her brothers, editor, first guest Janelle, and the entire community to get started and stay motivated.
2. From Jeri: "If you want to go to the moon, don't focus on the moon, focus on learning how to build rockets." - Focus on the craft, not just the end goal.
3. From Michelle: Apply the "Chanel rule" - Take something off your to-do list each day and ask where you can get help to avoid overwhelm.

Listen in to discover details about these lessons and the rest!

Jasmine is grateful for all listeners and looking forward to Season 2 after a summer break with replays of favorite episodes.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

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As a writer, you’ve heard it all: “You can’t make money as a writer.” “Writing is a hobby, not a career.” “Nobody’s reading anymore.”

First, no. Second, only if you want it that way. And, third, absolutely no.

In this episode of Business Models for Creators, I’m chatting with bestselling and money-making author, Juliette N. Banks. And, when I say “bestselling,” I mean hundreds of thousands of books sold bestselling. 

Juliette shares how she became such a popular author, how she became profitable as an author, and how she keeps her ideas (and the money) flowing.

“We write a book. We love writing it. We have fun writing it. And it ticks all our boxes for being a writer and an author. Then we have a product. And if we want it to be a business and make money, we have to think like that.” —Juliette N. Banks

Highlights from the episode:

• What is rapid release publishing?
• Why do you need to treat being an author like a business?
• How do you keep the ideas flowing?
• Should you go wide or exclusive as an author?
• Why would you choose self-publishing over traditional publishing?
• What do talking bananas have to do with selling books?

Juliette N. Banks is a bestselling romance author who has taken the genre by storm with her popular series The Moretti Blood Brothers, The Dark Kings of NYC, and The Dufort Dynasty. She writes both contemporary and paranormal page-turning romances with hot heroes you'll fall in love with. Juliette has a vast background in consumer marketing and was previously published with Random House. 

Connect with Juliette:

www.juliettebanks.com

www.instagram.com/juliettebanksauthor

https://www.facebook.com/JulietteNBanksAuthor

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

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How do you pick a niche when you love and are good at so many different topics? What happens  if you simply don’t pick a niche?

Can you  get more than 100,000 followers if you don’t niche?

These are just a few of the questions we’re exploring in this interview with multi-hyphenate content creator Lisa LaCroix.

A few highlights:

• What Lisa did (or didn’t do) to get more than 100K followers on TikTok
• Why she views some of her ADHD-like brain “issues” as superpowers
• What Lisa’s Lily Pad Model for content creation looks like (This is a game changer when it comes to the traditional wisdom to narrow your focus.)
• Why Lisa has a win-win philosophy when it comes to content creation and monetization
• How to motivate yourself to keep creating even when the world is burning and you feel as if you can’t make a difference

When I asked Lisa what she would do differently if she could start over from scratch, Lisa said, “You do what you do because that’s what you did. And, so, there wasn’t really any other choice.” 

Our discussion on managing the weight of the world led me to say: “If you make content that changes somebody’s day, then you’re counterbalancing the negativity in the world.” This is so important for content creators to remember.

We also discuss:

• How important it is to have an accountability system with another content creator 
• The benefits of recycling content
• Different ways to monetize your content

Lisa LaCroix is a TikToker, podcaster, speaking coach, and artful aging expert. She’s also a competitive ballroom dancer. 

Connect with Lisa:

lisalacroix.com

TikTok: Lisa_LaCroix

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

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If you missed part 1 of my interview with Cory Barton, please go back and listen to January’s episode!

In this often hilarious episode, we continue our conversation about marketing and monetization, and we “go deeper” to get to know more about Cory personally.

Of course, I already know Cory really well since he’s my baby bro! And that’s part of what makes this such an excellent episode—we have fun together! It also helps that Cory totally knows his stuff as an audio engineer, he’s an awesome storyteller, and he’s funny as hell.

Some highlights from the episode:

• When Cory recognized that he should stop doing work for free… and why he kept doing free work anyway
• Why Cory got a day job and still does his own work on the side
• What Cory would have done differently, if anything, in becoming an audio engineer
• How to get paid, when to ask for the money, and yet more money stuff
• How Cory set up the not-so-fun but oh-so-necessary legal aspects of his business
• The ongoing debate about morning routines and whether you really need one to succeed
• “Scientific” proof why today’s music actually sucks—or, at least, substantive support from the educated ear of an audio engineer that today’s music is not good

Cory Barton is an audio engineer for fiction podcasts and the founder of Kool Nerd Productions, an audio and music production company.

—

Songs mentioned in this episode:

Lyrics from Sleepy Hallow’s “2055”

Written by Tegan Chambers

Song released April 14, 2021

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

Watch Business Models for Creators on YouTube!

In this super-special episode of Business Models for Creators, Jasmine is chatting with her brother, audio engineer Cory Barton!

We’re doing something new on BMFC…  Cory isn’t the standard author or copywriter guest. But, as a creator in his own right, he’s got myriad insights into a totally different creative field. 

Cory has deep experience in the world of audiobooks and podcasting. So, if you happen to be a podcaster, you just may pick up a few tips to help with your editing. If you’re a writer, you may gain some insights on getting your writing made into an audiobook. And, if you’re a voice actor, you may learn about doing voiceovers for audiobooks.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Cory decided to be an audio engineer instead of a chef and why that choice ended up being not just a bit ironic.
• What Cory is reading right now, including graphic novels and The Will to Change by bell hooks.
• Some of the differences between an audio editor, an audio engineer, and a sound designer.
• Why you should ask for the role or title you want instead of just taking what you’re given.
• The fascinating steps that go into the making of a fiction podcast. 

You’ll also discover:

• Some of Cory’s daily habits as an audio engineer.
• What living fictional feeds are.
• Why you should invest in high-quality headphones to do audio engineering.
• A studio trick pro audio engineers use to make their clients happy when they ask for tweaks. (It’s pretty funny!)
• How to make money as an audio engineer.
• How audio engineers use algorithms vs AI. Note: Algorithms do not necessarily equal AI.

Cory Barton is an audio engineer for fiction podcasts  and the founder of Kool Nerd Productions, an audio and music production company.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

Watch Business Models for Creators on YouTube!

As a copywriter, you may have questions about freelancing vs taking an in-house job. If you work freelance, how do you determine your pricing? If you go in-house, how do you stand out from other applicants vying for the same job?

What about when you have a neuro-atypical brain, such as ADHD? What can you do to make working a full-time job easier?

In this episode of Business Models for Creators, my guest, Ashley Campusano, shares her experiences in freelancing and in a full-time position in-house with a tech company.

Ashley shares:

• A rule of thumb for pricing
• How to manage a full-time job with a neuro-atypical brain
• How to create stand-out resumes when applying for an in-house job
• The pros and cons of being an in-house copywriter vs freelance copywriter
• How forced positivity in the workplace creates a toxic environment

**NOTE: This is part 2 of Ashley’s interview. Please listen to the previous episode for part 1.

Ashley Campusano is a copywriter and copy coach for businesses looking to make money online. She is also an in-house copywriter in the tech industry. 

Connect with Ashley:

https://www.kitcatcopy.com/copy-makeover

[email protected]

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

Watch Business Models for Creators on YouTube!

Ashley Campusano went from working as a mental health counselor to thriving freelance copywriter and copy coach to working in-house in the tech industry. And she did it without selling out or losing an ounce of herself or her soul.

Ashley is a massive proponent of building a business around who you really are and taking a job only with a company that loves you for who you really are. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a business or a job you hate.

From the episode: “She [Ashley’s client] wanted to appeal to people who don't look like her. So she wanted to sound like people who don't sound like her. So I'm like, ‘Don’t do it, girl. Cause then you're going to hate your business. You're not going to want to do it. And you're going to get clients who are going to just, they're only going to be liking you for this fake version you gave them.’” -Ashley Campusano

Ashley lives what she teaches. Most of her clients were referrals from fellow copywriters who knew she’d be the right fit for these clients. And the company she works for found her on LinkedIn, reached out to her, and offered her more money than she asked for.

Ashley has used her coaching skills and copywriting skills to advocate for and promote people and products she is passionate about, especially businesses owned by people of color  and natural products. 

Whether you have your own business, work in-house, do freelance work, or are considering getting into copywriting, you will find something to inspire your path from Ashley!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why Ashley prefers the EPO framework of marketing and sales (empathy, possibilities and opportunity) to one of fear and shaming
• How Ashley stumbled into copywriting as a career after previously working as a mental health counselor
• What huge lesson Ashley learned from spending most of her first-year copywriting earnings on more courses, webinars, and trainings 
• How to use your copywriting skills for people, products, or causes you are passionate about
• How Ashley has coached her clients and colleagues to be 100 percent true to themselves at work and when building their own business

Ashley Campusano is a copywriter and copy coach for businesses looking to make money online. She is also an in-house copywriter in the tech industry. 

Connect with Ashley:

https://www.kitcatcopy.com/website-makeover

[email protected]

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest in this program are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host Jasmine Love or Business Models for Creators.

Watch Business Models for Creators on YouTube!