On Your Terms®

When I met with my stylist, there were things I noticed about each of the clothing items I loved and the ones I hated. I started to realize that there were consistencies in any of the items I liked wearing, enough so that it became really easy to get rid of anything that wasn’t similar to my beloved items. Tune in to hear how noticing these same types of patterns in your own business’s messaging and content will help you to easily determine what’s working, and what isn’t, so you can spend more time pursuing those things that help drive your business forward.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why the things you’re doing in your business right now are working (or not)
2. Where to focus your efforts to find the greatest returns on your goals and vision
3. The importance of understanding what elements you need to build an audience, and have them stick around
4. How practice makes perfect, and why analyzing your successes and failures will help you grow your business

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

RESOURCES:

1. Order my book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy: A Practical No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship
2. Conni Jespersen on Instagram
3. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
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

When you first start a business, much of your day may be spent casually networking or binging all of the free content related to entrepreneurship (that was me! 🙋🏻). It's very tempting to get caught up with consuming rather than doing, so it's important to check in with yourself and determine if what you're filling your days with in the now will help to build your business in the long run.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. The mindset shift I needed to implement early and often to build a successful business
2. Why it's vital to have measurable, concrete attainable goals spelled out
3. How finding your focus in your business will help yield your biggest steps forward
4. What it really means to silence your self-doubt and become your biggest promoter

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

RESOURCES:

1. Pre-order my book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy: A Practical No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship
2. Sign up for my free weekly email “Sam’s Sidebar”
3. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
4. Click here to watch the free workshop so you can get legally protected right now!
5. 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 (potential) TikTok ban has been making waves, and as creators and online business owners, we can’t afford to ignore its potential impact. In this episode, I’m diving into the latest updates on the TikTok ban, whether you will still be able to have the TikTok app if it gets banned, and what it could mean for creators and entrepreneurs who rely on the platform to grow their businesses. Whether you use TikTok to build your audience, sell your products, or connect with your community, this episode will help you understand what’s at stake—and what steps you can take to protect your business in a shifting social media landscape.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. The current status of the TikTok ban and how we got here
2. Whether you’ll still be able to use TikTok in the event of a ban
3. Key reasons behind the ban and who it targets
4. Who would be penalized for breaking the ban
5. Why I think a TikTok ban shouldn’t impact your business

RESOURCES:

1. Pre-order my book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy: A Practical No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship
2. 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

After becoming BFFs with Google, I learned all I could about email lists, freebies, and landing pages; my mind was overflowing! Now I’m eight years and almost 45,000 subscribers into my legal business, and I can confidently say that my email list is the foundation of my business’s success. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned along the way to help you build your own email-driven success story (and I’m also very excited to fill you in on how you can get my new book when it drops this spring!).

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why it’s vital to determine who your audience is and why they’re following you
2. The type of content you need to create to get more people on your email list
3. How to make sure your content gets seen by your future followers
4. And how you can get your hands on my new book! 😊

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

RESOURCES:

1. Pre-order my book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy: A Practical No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship
2. Grab The Ultimate Bundle® on Sale
3. Sign up for my free weekly email “Sam’s Sidebar”
4. Annual Business Plan Worksheet
5. 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 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