Welcome to a new approach to goal setting and personal growth. As we prepare to step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what might be missing from your current business plan and decide on what to implement if you're a new business owner. I’m sharing strategies for creating a plan that feels authentic and motivating.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Insights into setting focused and achievable goals for 2025
2. How to stay open to change and new ideas in your business journey
3. Understanding the value of KPIs in guiding your business decisions
4. Creating quarterly focuses that can keep you on track

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

RESOURCES:

1. Annual Business Plan Worksheet
2. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
3. Get notifiied 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

Have you ever taken a moment to look back on where you’ve been and how far you’ve come? Lately, I’ve been doing just that, reflecting on my journey throughout 2024. It’s been a year filled with growth, unexpected challenges, and valuable lessons. I'll be sharing a few insights from my experience that might inspire your own reflections as you look ahead.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Insights into balancing personal well-being with professional goals
2. How personal experiences can impact business and life
3. Strategies that led to revenue growth and a successful book deal
4. The importance of evolving business strategies with market and social media trends
5. Aligning business goals with personal values for holistic success

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

RESOURCES:

1. Annual Business Plan Worksheet
2. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
3. Get notifiied 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

In this episode, you get to hear my full live training, “5 Steps to Legally Protect Your Online Business Before 2024 Ends.” I’ll give you the five steps every entrepreneur needs to take. We’ll cover shifting your mindset, registering as the right business entity, protecting yourself in case of a lawsuit, getting your contracts and policies in place, and staying within your scope of practice.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. 5 things you must have in place before accepting even $1 (more) online
2. Exact steps to form your business
3. Should you become an LLC or sole prop?
4. Why you NEED to have business insurance (it’s so worth it)
5. An actual method for figuring out what you can (and cannot) do online or when you’re NOT working under your professional license
6. Your 2024 To-do List: things to do before Dec 31st to make your biz legally sound

RESOURCES:

1. The Ultimate Bundle® is on sale through Nov 1, 2024. If you buy it before Oct 30, 2024, you’ll receive 3 bonus templates + my last live call of the year.
2. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
3. Get notifiied 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

Knowing when to take a break is important. I am listening to my own advice and taking a break from the podcast. I need time and mental space to finish my book.

In this episode, I explain my thought process. I also explain where listeners can find my educational resources while I am out. Check out the Resources links below to my YouTube, Substack, etc.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why I am taking time off from the podcast to finish my book and rest
2. The power of zooming out to see the big picture when looking for clarity
3. Where listeners can find past episodes and other educational resources

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

RESOURCES:

1. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
2. Search past podcast episodes at SamVanderWielen.com/podcast
3. Check out my YouTube channel
4. Get notifiied 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

The other day I received a comment on social media about how I did not look great in a video. In the past, I would have been reactive. Instead, I just laughed out loud.

In today’s episode, I share my practice in becoming more confident and comfortable with myself and my online business.

It has been a journey, and it is definitely still ongoing, but if this Philly-born, 90s era-raised girl can do it, so can you.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why perfectionism is the enemy of content
2. How changing the stories you tell yourself can make you less reactive to negative comments
3. The importance of practicing detachment from your business

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

RESOURCES:

1. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
2. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
3. Sign up for my free weekly email “Sam’s Sidebar”
4. Get notifiied 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

In the last episode, I talked some smack about social media: It’s bad for your mental health, your content won’t have great longevity or searchability, etc. So this episode I cover what to do instead, or in addition to, social media.

First, I break down discovery vs. nurturing. Then, I explain why email is a great nurturing platform. And finally I talk about when social media can be an effective marketing tool, if you still really want to use it.

I hope you’re enjoying these “Online Business Summer School” episodes, including the background sounds from beautiful Long Island!

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. The difference between discovery vs. nurture platforms
2. Why email is a great marketing tool
3. Where social media can be helpful

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

RESOURCES:

1. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
2. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
3. Get notifiied 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

Social media is designed to be addictive. Summer can be a great time to evaluate your social media usage– both consumption and creation.

In this episode, I describe my experience scaling back on social media and scaling up in other areas of my personal life and business.

I give you tips in case you want to do the same. I cover delegating to team members, pivoting towards more evergreen content, and re-evaluating your production approach.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why you might want to scale back on social media
2. The power of evergreen content like blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos
3. How to approach the social media content you do decide to make

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

RESOURCES:

1. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
2. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
3. Sign up for my free weekly email “Sam’s Sidebar”
4. Join the Free Legal Workshop to learn how to get your business legally protected today!
5. Watch “Walking you through my CALM, social media-free, marketing strategy” by Art By Louise (YouTube)
6. Get notifiied 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

Welcome to the first episode of the Summer School series! This summer I’ll be creating short weekly episodes on the go- while I’m at the gym, on a walk. etc. In each one, I’ll share one lesson I’ve learned about business and life.

Today’s lesson: Find a balance between creativity and strategy in your business content creation. Don’t let strategy strangle your creativity and joy. But, of course, don’t get too far away from your business objectives.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. What you can expect from the Summer School series
2. The importance of finding balance between creativity and strategy
3. Why you need be clear on what you’re doing and how you’re doing it

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

RESOURCES:

1. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
2. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
3. Get notifiied 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

Today’s episode is a recording of my new free legal training “Five Steps to Legally Protect and Grow Your Online Business”. I share the step-by-step plan you need to do to set the legal foundation to protect yourself, your business and have the ability to grow and scale successfully.

Step one is adjusting your mindset. Step two is how to register as the right kind of business entity. Step three is getting business insurance in place so you don’t owe anything if you get sued. Step four is how to protect your boundaries with contracts. And step five is knowing your scope of practice. Don’t worry, I will explain each step in-depth.

At the end of the episode, I take time to answer frequently asked questions about The Ultimate Bundle® and how it’s built to help you with these steps.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why you need to register your business
2. What business insurance protects you and your business from
3. Why a scope of practice is important

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

RESOURCES:

1. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
2. Grab the Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
3. Get notifiied 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 are often surprised when I tell them they might not own the content they create on Canva. That’s why in today’s episode I give a quick overview of what you should be aware of in terms of content creation, including AI generated content, and copyrights.

I walk through Canva, ChatGPT, and a few other tools, explaining what to look for in their licenses.

As a business owner, the buck stops with you. You’re the one responsible for ensuring your business’s content is legal and protected. I hope this episode gives you a little better understanding of content creation, copyrights, and ownership.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. The three things you should know about AI and copyrights
2. Understanding what Canva retains ownership over
3. How what to look for in creation tools’ licenses

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

RESOURCES:

1. Join the waitlist for my book “When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy: A Practical, No BS Guide to to Successful Online Entrepreneurship”
2. Sign up for my free weekly email “Sam’s Sidebar”
3. Get notifiied 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