On Your Terms®

The online world can be a messy place for legal advice. I’m going to discuss some of the biggest and most dangerous legal myths I’ve seen, such as LLCs versus sole proprietorships, using free contracts when starting out, whether it’s true that the online world is a Wild West, and whether you really need an LLC or business insurance – or both.

In this episode, you'll hear…

1. 02:21 - The dangers of following anonymous online advice
2. 05:20 - Know-it-all Facebook ad comments
3. 07:50 - The myth of waiting
4. 13:58 - LLCs vs. sole proprietorship
5. 16:32 - Copy-pasting someone else’s contract
6. 21:36 - The internet is not The Wild West
7. 22:53 - The difference between LLCs and business insurance

RESOURCES:

1. Top Legal Mistakes to Avoid for Online Businesses (blog post)
2. Top Legal Mistakes to Avoid for Online Business Guide (PDF downloadable guide)
3. Episode #2: “Scope of Practice for Coaches: What You're Legally Allowed to Do” (podcast episode)
4. 7 Legal Myths Keeping You From Being Legally Legit (blog post)
5. Why Free Legal Contracts Wouldn't Cut It for Kristen Zavo (interview recording)

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

Let’s get personal. I’m sure there are people out there who are going through a lot right now – I’m one of them! In fact, the last three years have been the hardest of my life. Despite that, I’ve managed to grow my business immensely. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve made it happen. So how did I do it? You’re going to hear all about what happened to me when I left being an attorney, how I used that experience as rocket fuel for my own business, what’s happened over the last three years in my personal life while building that business, and all the tips and tricks I’ve used along the way to make it happen.

In this episode, you'll hear…

1. 03:22 - What happened when I left my attorney job
2. 11:05 - Making a decision during hard times
3. 12:56 - Letting go of what doesn’t work in order to grow
4. 18:09 - When you subtract, it’s time to add
5. 20:15 - Building creative outlets outside of your business
6. 22:24 - Getting the support you need
7. 25:24 - How to make your business smarter
8. 27:32 - Your questions about the topic

RESOURCES:

1. Why Adversity Is Actually Good For Your Business (blog post)

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

Scope of practice is one of the most requested topics in my community, and in my DMs, so we’re going to get down and dirty, talking about what you are, and are not, legally allowed to do as a coach.

First of all, you need to understand exactly what scope of practice is and which scope of practice covers what you do. This is where this episode starts. But there’s so much misinformation out there when it comes to scope of practice legislation that it can be a real minefield, and getting things wrong has the potential to land you in trouble, so I spend a bit of time myth-busting as well.

Once that’s out of the way, I get into how you can design your business in a way that’s safe, covered, and will let you sleep tight at night.

In this episode, you'll hear…

1. 02:09 - What scope of practice means
2. 04:08 - How it affects your business
3. 06:17 - The myth of unregulated industries
4. 08:17 - Where the confusion comes from
5. 16:04 - Do’s and don’ts of your coaching scope of practice

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

There can be so much pressure to engage with people offering the same professional services that you do online – especially when you’re starting out. I’m here to tell you that “community over competition” is BS. Don’t listen to it. That doesn’t mean you can’t be polite and friendly with other people doing what you do, but at the end of the day, they’re not your clients and they’re never going to be your clients. You only have a finite amount of time and energy to spend professionally, so why waste it on your competition? Taking a step back will be better for you in more ways than one. It can feel counterintuitive so here are my six tips for navigating online communities and social media and an explanation of why each one is the right thing to do.

I reached out for questions on this topic, so I also answer a few of those on this episode. I explain how avoiding consuming the work of your competitors will make you feel healthier in the long run and how it’ll lead to you doing better work and I also lay out how you can still be friends with your competition just because you’re not necessarily seeing their Instagram posts any more!

In this episode, you'll hear…

1. 03:16 - Engaging with your competition online
2. 09:45 - The pitfalls of being a follower
3. 14:43 - Dealing with analysis paralysis
4. 17:46 - Standing out from the competition
5. 21:50 - Outsourcing market research
6. 24:16 - Connecting with your ideal clients
7. 25:44 - What to do when your competition buys your product
8. 29:34 - Answering your questions

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Legal Workshop

Do you feel lost thinking about how to legally protect your online business? Head to mylegalworkshop.com to sign-up for immediate access to my free 1-hour legal workshop, 5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow your Online Business.

Legal Workshop

Hey, I'm Sam Vander Wielen, an attorney turned multi-seven-figure entrepreneur and the host of On Your Terms®, a podcast all about helping you legally protect your online business and learn the marketing strategies that will actually help you grow it.

I understand how overwhelming legal protection can be, and I'm here to help break down the legal stuff that you need to know in a no-fear, no-fluff, your-best-friend-just-so-happens-to-be-a-lawyer kind of way. And the vibes? Think cozy coffee shop instead of stuffy lawyer's office.

On Your Terms® is all about giving you marketing strategies that you won't hear many other seven-figure entrepreneurs talking about, mostly because they're holding it for themselves. And I'm giving you legal insights that are tailored specifically for what you're going through as an online business owner: From growing your email list to being uniquely yourself, I've got you covered.

Episodes drop twice a week, ranging from bite-sized tips to in-depth educational sessions to guest interviews, so you always have something to fit your schedule and needs. You'll also hear behind the scenes of how I'm building my business — from marketing, to scaling, to hiring and more.

Ready to join the Terminator Squad? (Oh, by the way, that's what I call my most loyal listeners!) Follow On Your Terms® wherever you listen to podcasts to be notified of new episodes, just like magic.

And if you're looking for a great place to start, check out episode one, where I tell you why competition is a good thing. Don't wait to start legally protecting and growing your online business. Grab a cup of coffee and come join us.

Resources:

• Learn more at samvanderwielen.com
• Listen to Episode 1. Community Over Competition is BS: Tips to Navigate Your Competition in a Healthier Way
• Connect with Sam on Instagram: @samvanderwielen

Produced by NOVA Media