What Works

EP 196: Building An Empire One Piece of Content At A Time With Bonnie Gillespie


Listen Later






The Nitty-Gritty:



* How Bonnie Gillespie started building her content empire before she even started a business* Why a 3-ring binder was all the evidence she needed to know it was time to write her first book* How she used an automated Twitter account to build her audience and produce a new product from repurposed content* And, why Bonnie doesn’t buy into guru culture—despite being a leader thousands of people look to for guidance





Writer’s block—most people who write have experienced that crushing feeling of having nothing to say.



And if finding new customers, convincing them to buy, and developing new products depends on your ability to produce great content, writer’s block can feel worse than an empty bank account.



But what if everything we believe about writer’s block and our business’s dependency on a steady stream of new content is wrong?



This month, we’re examining the stories of business owners who have planted a seed, watered it, tended it, and helped it grow.



In this episode, you’ll learn how Bonnie Gillespie, the author of Self-Management For Actors, planted a seed before she even started her business. Her bridge job as a show business industry columnist blossomed into an empire that is still rooted in the words she wrote over 20 years ago.



Email by email, article by article, blog post by blog post, book by book, even tweet by tweet, she’s strategically pieced together her body of work.



Bonnie and I talk about how she realized her first book was waiting to be born, the way she used an automated Twitter account to develop a new product, how she stays in dialogue with her audience to fuel the content she publishes, and why she doesn’t buy into guru culture.



Do you have a story about planting a seed in your business?



Have you run a small experiment and watched it transform your business? Have you taken a small step and put yourself on a whole new path? I’d love to hear your story.



Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #explorewhatworks and tag me, @tara_mcmullin. We’ll be sharing your stories throughout the month! And, you’ll be entered to win a free lifetime membership to The What Works Network. For full rules and giveaway instructions, go to explorewhatworks.com/aprilgiveaway. Giveaway closes April 22, 2019.



Now, let’s find out what works for Bonnie Gillespie!





What Works Is Brought To You By







Mighty Networks powers brands and businesses – like yours! – that bring people together.With a Mighty Network, online business owners just like you can bring together in one place:



* Your website* Your content* Your courses* Your community* Your events online and in real life* And charge for them…all while building YOUR brand.



Visit mightynetworks.com to see more examples of brands bringing people together and taking their businesses to the next level.







It’s tax season… and that means you’re thinking about whether your books are in order.



If you’re ready to stop stressing about cleaning up your business finances yourself, it’s time to get Bench.



Bench combines easy to use software with real human beings who do your bookkeeping...
★ Support this podcast ★
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

What WorksBy Tara McMullin

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

235 ratings


More shows like What Works

View all
On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

On Being with Krista Tippett

10,271 Listeners

Tara Brach by Tara Brach

Tara Brach

10,443 Listeners

Sounds True: Insights at the Edge by Tami Simon

Sounds True: Insights at the Edge

1,840 Listeners

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast by Pat Flynn

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

3,456 Listeners

The Amy Porterfield Show by Amy Porterfield

The Amy Porterfield Show

4,585 Listeners

Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

Good Life Project

3,314 Listeners

Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood by Antrese Wood

Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood

870 Listeners

Creative Pep Talk by Andy J. Pizza

Creative Pep Talk

1,974 Listeners

Happier with Gretchen Rubin by Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

12,910 Listeners

The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business by Jenna Kutcher

The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business

12,046 Listeners

The Marie Forleo Podcast by Marie Forleo

The Marie Forleo Podcast

1,642 Listeners

The Jasmine Star Show by Jasmine Star

The Jasmine Star Show

2,576 Listeners

Moonbeaming by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener

Moonbeaming

1,160 Listeners

We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle and Audacy

We Can Do Hard Things

41,410 Listeners

Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen by Elise Loehnen

Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen

1,055 Listeners