Courses are the backbone of my business, and I’ve helped thousands of other people run and sell legally legit courses in their businesses.

Even if you aren’t offering courses, much of the advice I give here is going to apply to memberships or other passively-purchased products. We’re going to talk about what course contracts you need, how you can protect your content, and how scope of practice applies to courses. I’ll also go over the most common PITA problems you might come up against so you can avoid them completely.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 08:05 - What makes courses unique legally
2. 09:15 - Keeping up with changing legal considerations
3. 12:29 - Having the right contract
4. 19:52 - Using your contract to protect you
5. 26:05 - How to protect your course content
6. 29:46 - Applying scope of practice to your course
7. 31:22 - Common legal issues with courses—and how to avoid them

And here’s our review of the week! sarahhhsss writes: “Incredibly useful and packed with value!! Hands down the best resource I’ve found as I’ve thought about starting my own business!! I follow so many people but this has been the most valuable resource yet!! She does a great job of providing exactly the info you need, no more and no less! I am feeling much more confident about starting a business! I also feel much closer to pulling the trigger as she answers all of my most pressing business questions in one easily digestible forum! Would absolutely recommend!!!”

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Episode 2. Scope of Practice for Coaches (What You're Legally Allowed to Do)
2. Episode 12. ​​How to Find Clients for Your Online Business (without ads!)
3. Episode 13. How to Create a Program That Sells Itself
4. Episode 14. How to Market Your Evergreen Product (+ Which Platforms You Should Be On!)
5. Episode 27. The Tech Tools That Helped Me Grow My Business (& What I've Ditched!)
6. SamCart (affiliate link)
7. ConvertKit (affiliate link)
8. Kajabi (affiliate link)
9. Asana (affiliate link)
10. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

People ask me all the time: “Do I really need a business coach?” And my answer usually surprises people. There are plenty of great business coaches out there—but there are also a lot of bad ones. This is more my thoughts on the industry rather than individual coaches. It’s important to be discerning about who you get help from in your business and have clarity on what you actually need.

I’m going to share tips on when you should and shouldn’t have a business coach, what to look for, my personal experience working with business coaches, and what I thought was worth it or a total waste.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 03:01 - The problem with business coaching
2. 08:08 - A story about learning along the way
3. 13:14 - When business coaching is helpful
4. 17:50 - Why I don’t work with coaches and what I do instead

Now let’s share our review of the week! Kelseyanne13 wrote: "Great resource!

Sam is real and honest, which I love. This podcast has been a helpful resource to me as I begin building my nutrition coaching business. She talks about relevant topics to me and doesn’t embrace the hustle culture which I so appreciate!"

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. shinewithnatasha.com
2. Episode 36. How to Grow Your Business on Instagram (Guest Episode with Natasha Samuel)
3. creatorlymedia.com
4. Episode 38. How to Start a Podcast or YouTube Channel with Katie Steckly
5. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

Trigger warning: This episode talks about cancer, loss, and grief.

When you’re running a business, you still have to manage to live your life alongside it. And when things happen in your life that demand your attention, you want to be able to give it the attention it needs. This came up personally for me when I had to take a sudden leave from work. Thankfully, I have systems in place that allow me to do this and still keep the business running smoothly.

I share what happened in my life to prompt my break, tips for setting up the systems I had in place to allow for a seamless and sudden period of leave, and the push/rest concept that I have been thinking about for quite some time.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 03:41 - A life update from Sam
2. 28:56 - Having people behind you to support you
3. 31:04 - Giving yourself time to rest
4. 36:04 - Creating a system to give yourself time off
5. 48:36 - Times to push and times to rest

And now our review of the week! Jenna_RD writes: “I have been listening to Sam for a while now, and have enjoyed every single one of her podcast episodes. I love the natural, down-to-earth way she presents information, and I really appreciate her consistent reminders that growing my business can be done on MY terms. I've used her Ultimate Bundle® of legal templates to get my business up and running, and it has relieved so much stress knowing I'm set up from a legal standpoint. Thanks Sam!”

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Check out my Emergency SOP Instagram Post and Reel
2. Blog Post: 6 New Streams of Revenue to Add to Your Business Right Now
3. Episode 12. ​​How to Find Clients for Your Online Business (without ads!)
4. Episode 13. How to Create a Program That Sells Itself
5. Episode 14. How to Market Your Evergreen Product (+ Which Platforms You Should Be On!)
6. Episode 32. Should We Always Be in Growth Mode in Our Biz?
7. Episode 38. How to Start a Podcast or YouTube Channel with Katie Steckly
8. Episode 45. Four Tips for Sending Legally Legit Emails
9. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

A while back on Instagram, I posted about something I do to save money at the grocery store and someone commented: “Why do you care about saving money? Doesn’t your business make a ton of money?” There are a lot of misconceptions baked into that comment that relates to building an online business and that’s what I want to dig into today.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 00:43 - You are not your revenue
2. 03:01 - The fiduciary duty of any business owner
3. 04:45 - Why saving money is villainized
4. 06:32 - Growth vs. lifestyle businesses
5. 16:34 - The privilege baked into online business advice

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

When you’re used to sending emails person to person, nothing could be more straightforward. But when you’re representing a business – even if that business is just you – things get a bit trickier. In this short episode, I’m going to share with you four tips you can implement right away in order to ensure the emails you’re sending on behalf of your business are legally protected.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 00:39 - Why you need to send emails legally
2. 02:14 - Making sure you have an unsubscribe link
3. 05:59 - Having a mailing address for your business
4. 06:57 - Including your business name
5. 08:14 - Only sending emails to people that want them

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. The Ultimate Bundle®
2. Click here to watch the free workshop so you can get legally protected right now!
3. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

Legalese can sometimes feel like a different language altogether, and let’s be real, all of the symbols you see everywhere don’t help! What's the deal with ™️, ©, ® symbols? What do they mean, what do they do, and can you use them in your business? We’re going to break it all down and translate these strange glyphs into a language that you can understand.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 03:01 - Getting your symbols straight (and why it matters)
2. 04:54 - The copyright (©) symbol
3. 13:12 - The trademark (™️) symbol
4. 17:34 - The registered trademark symbol (®)

This week’s review of the week comes from Bethica83 who wrote: “These podcasts have been perfect for me as I work through the multitude of angles, starting Honeybee Health Coach PLLC, and protecting myself as I provide diabetes education and help patients navigate the complicated world of health care and realize their full health potential. This is a great tool to accompany her legit legal package.”

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Go to copycatschecklist.com to get my free PDF guide on keeping content thieves off your back!
2. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

As business owners, we work hard to make our businesses run, from our websites to our social media content to our copy. But what if someone else saw your work and thought, “Wow, this is great! Nobody will notice if I use it for my business, right?” What would you do?

I’m going to tell a juicy story that I’ve never shared in full before, about when I had my entire website stolen by another attorney a few years ago. It’s a wild story, and parts of it are hard to believe, but it’s completely true – which means it could happen to anyone. I’m sharing this story to show you how these situations play out in real time, and what steps you can take to get through it.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 06:25 - Why business theft seems to be so prevalent
2. 08:24 - The two problems that always come up when you protect your content
3. 10:17 - That time I got my whole website stolen by another attorney
4. 23:56 - The importance of memorializing agreements

In our listener review of the week, Samantha Burmeister said: Perfect for the next-level entrepreneur. This podcast has been a godsend for me as I seek resources that are for someone that’s already established in their business. It’s beyond entry-level info, but not too over my head. As Goldilocks said, “This podcast is juuuust right.”!

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Go to copycatschecklist.com to get my free PDF guide on keeping content thieves off your back!
2. Episode 19. How to Legally Share Content (Don't be a Copycat!)
3. Get notified when each episode of On Your Terms® comes out

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

I get so many questions (and hear so much bad advice floating around) relating to business insurance. One of the worst things that could happen is thinking you’re fine, only to find out your coverage won’t do anything for you. That’s not what I want happening to you! Let’s break down the myths, teach you what business insurance really is, how it works, and what some of the most common mistakes are for people who already have it.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 03:17 - What business insurance actually is
2. 06:40 - The different kinds
3. 13:44 - Why not having business insurance is a mistake
4. 16:10 - Making sure you get the right kind
5. 17:27 - Not being fully covered
6. 20:12 - Knowing your business insurance exclusions
7. 22:00 - Looking at your declarations page

In our review of the week, DiamondA2021 says: “Oh my goodness, I am a new fan of Sam’s podcast 100%!! Sam is so down to earth while being so knowledgeable and wise at the same time. Many of her episodes speak directly to my heart and help me to become more confident as a Gospel fitness trainer and business owner. The episode: “What Other People Think Of Your Business- Does It Really Matter?” especially spoke to me!! For the longest I obsessed over unfollowers!! But Sam is right in encouraging us all to celebrate our wins and make a difference in our own ways.”

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Episode 33: What Other People Think of Your Business – Does it Really Matter?
2. Episode 35: What to Do if Your Business Gets Sued
3. Click here to watch the free workshop so you can get legally protected right now!

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

Are you not where you want to be in business? Either you feel like you’re not making as much money as you should be, your social media isn’t getting the attention you’d like, or you just don’t have as many clients as you’d like? We’ve all been there – including me.

I’m going to help you learn how you can process those feelings and what to do with them. I have six tips to adjust your outlook and overcome this business-blocking mindset.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 03:15 - Two things that make us feel off track
2. 09:41 - The hard side of feeling behind
3. 14:23 - Why you need to focus on what’s going right instead of what’s going wrong
4. 20:14 - Creating your own rubric for success
5. 23:43 - Expanding your definition of success
6. 26:32 - Comparing where you are to where you were
7. 30:49 - Producing more than you’re consuming
8. 32:19 - Don’t chase; attract
9. 34:55 - Letting the pizza dough rest

Here’s our listener review of the week! claireflip13 says: “I listened to Sam’s podcast on caring about what people think about your business & I loved it! I don’t have a business but I’m a content creator so I could relate to a lot of what she was saying. She had a great perspective on internal validation vs external validation, and she reminds me to keep doing what I love because we aren’t going to make everyone happy.”

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Amy Porterfield "Mantras" episode: https://www.amyporterfield.com/2022/04/448
2. Click here to watch the free workshop so you can get legally protected right now!

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER

Rounding out my three-part series on marketing your business with evergreen content, I wanted to address the elephant in the room: Facebook ads. Helping me with that is my friend and personal ads expert, Frannie, owner and creator of Elevate Her Marketing. If you want to grow your business without the need to be working in your business 24/7, ads are the secret sauce. We’re going to address some of the misconceptions people have about ads, who should or shouldn’t run ads, and the importance of taking the long haul approach.

In this episode, you'll hear…

1. 05:46 - What Elevate Her Marketing does
2. 10:08 - When to start running Facebook ads in your business
3. 27:33 - Why Facebook ads are vilified
4. 37:21 - Common advertising mistakes people make
5. 48:13 - Debunking common ad myths

If you’d like a shoutout (and a chance to win a $20 gift card), just leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot of it to me on Instagram via DMs!

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. elevatehermarketing.com
2. Instagram: @elevatehermarketing

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER