Podcasting Experiments

Leslie Samuel joins us today to share his journey and experience with blogging. You can connect with him on his website (Become a Blogger) or on Twitter.

Leslie started back when he was teaching high school. He started with freebie-trading, making some money, and then showing others how to do what he was doing. In August, 2008, he learned about blogging. He joined a course about blogging.

Whatever you are passionate about or building a business about, you can build a blog, create content, inspire other, and change the world.

[Tweet "You can build a blog, create content, inspire other, and change the world. - @lesliesamuel"]
Why did you decide to leave your job as a professor to pursue blogging full-time?
Because of his blog, Leslie was able to land his "dream job" as a professor. As a result, he got too busy between teaching, pursuing a PhD, and building his online business. He evaluated his situation, and realized that he could not leave his online business and the influence that he's built up.
How did you deal with people that were negative or doubters?
Leslie didn't really care about those opinions. One thing that was clear to him was that he going where God wanted him to go. He weighed the options carefully. The people that were close to him and knew him were very supportive of the decision.

If his wife or family was doubtful, this would not have happened.
What are some tips for someone trying to increase their traffic and engagement?

Have a very clear understand of who you are targeting.
Be clear on what problem you are trying to solve. Get as detailed as you can.
Start creating that content! Write down a list of 50 questions, then start writing answers to those questions.
Let people know about it.

Social media is not for just self-promotion. Work at connecting with people in a real way. Then you can share your content.
Connecting with other bloggers and grow together with them.

What kind of topics would someone cover when they start blogging?

Think of your target market. What questions would they have? They want to be educated about the process.
Look for other things that your target market is looking for.

What are some top ways people can try to monetize their blog?

Affiliate marketing
Create your own products
Ads

What kind of expectations should someone have regarding time and money as they get started blogging?
If you are trying to seriously build something, look at 10 hours a week.

When Leslie started blogging the second time, he hired out some work so he could focus on other aspects.

Financially, it depends on what you are trying to do. There are a lot of things that you can do on your own to save some money.
Become a Blogger

Articles
Podcast
Become a Blogger University

You gotta take action! You'll learn from your mistakes. Keep taking consistent action and you'll be surprised where that will take you.

[Tweet "Keep taking consistent action and you'll be surprised where that will take you. - @lesliesamuel"]

The post Leslie Samuel gives practical tips to take your blog to the next level (1-12) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Leslie Samuel joins us today to share his journey and experience with blogging. You can connect with him on his website (Become a Blogger) or on Twitter.

Leslie started back when he was teaching high school. He started with freebie-trading, making some money, and then showing others how to do what he was doing. In August, 2008, he learned about blogging. He joined a course about blogging.

Whatever you are passionate about or building a business about, you can build a blog, create content, inspire other, and change the world.

[Tweet "You can build a blog, create content, inspire other, and change the world. - @lesliesamuel"]
Why did you decide to leave your job as a professor to pursue blogging full-time?
Because of his blog, Leslie was able to land his "dream job" as a professor. As a result, he got too busy between teaching, pursuing a PhD, and building his online business. He evaluated his situation, and realized that he could not leave his online business and the influence that he's built up.
How did you deal with people that were negative or doubters?
Leslie didn't really care about those opinions. One thing that was clear to him was that he going where God wanted him to go. He weighed the options carefully. The people that were close to him and knew him were very supportive of the decision.

If his wife or family was doubtful, this would not have happened.
What are some tips for someone trying to increase their traffic and engagement?

Have a very clear understand of who you are targeting.
Be clear on what problem you are trying to solve. Get as detailed as you can.
Start creating that content! Write down a list of 50 questions, then start writing answers to those questions.
Let people know about it.

Social media is not for just self-promotion. Work at connecting with people in a real way. Then you can share your content.
Connecting with other bloggers and grow together with them.

What kind of topics would someone cover when they start blogging?

Think of your target market. What questions would they have? They want to be educated about the process.
Look for other things that your target market is looking for.

What are some top ways people can try to monetize their blog?

Affiliate marketing
Create your own products
Ads

What kind of expectations should someone have regarding time and money as they get started blogging?
If you are trying to seriously build something, look at 10 hours a week.

When Leslie started blogging the second time, he hired out some work so he could focus on other aspects.

Financially, it depends on what you are trying to do. There are a lot of things that you can do on your own to save some money.
Become a Blogger

Articles
Podcast
Become a Blogger University

You gotta take action! You'll learn from your mistakes. Keep taking consistent action and you'll be surprised where that will take you.

[Tweet "Keep taking consistent action and you'll be surprised where that will take you. - @lesliesamuel"]

The post Leslie Samuel gives practical tips to take your blog to the next level (1-12) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Dustin Hartzler is the host of the podcast, Your Website Engineer, where he has taught people about WordPress for the last several years. He is also an Happiness Engineer for Automatic, the company behind WordPress.com. He has a passion to teach people how to use WordPress. You can connect with him on his website or on Twitter.

Thanks to everyone that has left a rating and review on iTunes. Please click the button if you haven't done this yet and are enjoying this content:

Review in iTunes!

Dustin's job at Automatic is a success story as a result of his podcast. It really helped to not only show his knowledge of WordPress, but also the community that has grown around him.

WordPress is designed so that dealing with the code is not necessary (although it can be helpful).
What are some of the other Content Management System's that you have used?
Drupal and Joomla are two of the other CMS's that Dustin has used. His experience is that both of these were more complex than WordPress, especially for the user that is not a programmer. He ultimately decided to be a specialist in just one platform, so he went with WordPress.
What are some aspects of WordPress that new users should watch for?
While WordPress is generally easy, people can still get lost. For example, there are a lot of menu items, but most of them can be ignored. You mostly just need the "Pages," "Posts," and "Media Library."

There are many "undo" features built into WordPress, so there are many mistakes that can be fixed. There are some things, though, that may cause more problems, such as changing your theme.

Can you explain

With any website, there are several parts:

Content
Design
Actions

A general rule is to keep the actions/functions separate from the design.

There is a "functions.php" file that you can add to in order to include additional features beyond the theme. However, when you change you theme, or the theme is updated, the added code will be deleted. It would be better to keep these things in plugins.
What are a couple plugins that you would like to highlight?

Jetpack - it has a lot of different modules inside of it, giving a lot of different additional functions for your website.
iTheme Security - helps to keep your website secure.
Backup Buddy / Back WP up - helps to do a backup of your site and database in case of emergency.

Dustin has a list of 50 plugins that he highlights in a free e-book on his site.
WordCamps
Look into attending a WordCamp near you. A WordCamp is a place to learn more about WordPress as well as a chance to network with others. There are also different giveaways that take place.

The post Dustin Hartzler helps us dive deeper into WordPress (1-11) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Dustin Hartzler is the host of the podcast, Your Website Engineer, where he has taught people about WordPress for the last several years. He is also an Happiness Engineer for Automatic, the company behind WordPress.com. He has a passion to teach people how to use WordPress. You can connect with him on his website or on Twitter.

Thanks to everyone that has left a rating and review on iTunes. Please click the button if you haven't done this yet and are enjoying this content:

Review in iTunes!

Dustin's job at Automatic is a success story as a result of his podcast. It really helped to not only show his knowledge of WordPress, but also the community that has grown around him.

WordPress is designed so that dealing with the code is not necessary (although it can be helpful).
What are some of the other Content Management System's that you have used?
Drupal and Joomla are two of the other CMS's that Dustin has used. His experience is that both of these were more complex than WordPress, especially for the user that is not a programmer. He ultimately decided to be a specialist in just one platform, so he went with WordPress.
What are some aspects of WordPress that new users should watch for?
While WordPress is generally easy, people can still get lost. For example, there are a lot of menu items, but most of them can be ignored. You mostly just need the "Pages," "Posts," and "Media Library."

There are many "undo" features built into WordPress, so there are many mistakes that can be fixed. There are some things, though, that may cause more problems, such as changing your theme.

Can you explain

With any website, there are several parts:

Content
Design
Actions

A general rule is to keep the actions/functions separate from the design.

There is a "functions.php" file that you can add to in order to include additional features beyond the theme. However, when you change you theme, or the theme is updated, the added code will be deleted. It would be better to keep these things in plugins.
What are a couple plugins that you would like to highlight?

Jetpack - it has a lot of different modules inside of it, giving a lot of different additional functions for your website.
iTheme Security - helps to keep your website secure.
Backup Buddy / Back WP up - helps to do a backup of your site and database in case of emergency.

Dustin has a list of 50 plugins that he highlights in a free e-book on his site.
WordCamps
Look into attending a WordCamp near you. A WordCamp is a place to learn more about WordPress as well as a chance to network with others. There are also different giveaways that take place.

The post Dustin Hartzler helps us dive deeper into WordPress (1-11) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Doc Kennedy is a  filmmaker and fellow podcaster. He's loved film since he was a kid and was always enthralled with motion picture. He got started with video a few years ago through his church. In two years, he went from knowing almost nothing to being one of the directors. You can connect with him on his website and on Twitter.

What does someone need for just getting started with video?

Identify what you want to do
Figure out if you need to hire someone or if you can do it yourself
If you do it yourself, don't get so obsessed with equipment that you forget about the story you're wanting to tell.
Doc likes to use Canon products (he has a Canon 60D). It does video and still pictures.
Look for higher megapixels (18+)
You can use your iPhone. There are competitions that solely use iPhone. If you turn the iPhone sideways, it shoots in 1080 HD.

[Tweet "Don't get so obsessed with equipment that you forget about the story you're wanting to tell."]
What about editing?

Remember that there comes a point that good enough is good enough.
Doc uses Adobe products. They have a cloud version where you can have access to the entire Adobe suite.
iMovie could be used on a Mac.
You could also shoot the video yourself and then hire someone to do the editing for you.

[Tweet "The difference between pros and amateurs comes down to lighting and audio quality."]
Other resources:

Vimeo School
No Film School
BH Photo Video
Adorama

The post Doc Kennedy shares his experience creating videos (1-10) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Doc Kennedy is a  filmmaker and fellow podcaster. He's loved film since he was a kid and was always enthralled with motion picture. He got started with video a few years ago through his church. In two years, he went from knowing almost nothing to being one of the directors. You can connect with him on his website and on Twitter.

What does someone need for just getting started with video?

Identify what you want to do
Figure out if you need to hire someone or if you can do it yourself
If you do it yourself, don't get so obsessed with equipment that you forget about the story you're wanting to tell.
Doc likes to use Canon products (he has a Canon 60D). It does video and still pictures.
Look for higher megapixels (18+)
You can use your iPhone. There are competitions that solely use iPhone. If you turn the iPhone sideways, it shoots in 1080 HD.

[Tweet "Don't get so obsessed with equipment that you forget about the story you're wanting to tell."]
What about editing?

Remember that there comes a point that good enough is good enough.
Doc uses Adobe products. They have a cloud version where you can have access to the entire Adobe suite.
iMovie could be used on a Mac.
You could also shoot the video yourself and then hire someone to do the editing for you.

[Tweet "The difference between pros and amateurs comes down to lighting and audio quality."]
Other resources:

Vimeo School
No Film School
BH Photo Video
Adorama

The post Doc Kennedy shares his experience creating videos (1-10) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Jim Woods is the co-author of Ready, Aim, Fire! and Hit the Mark! (with Erik J. Fisher). He is an accountant that is transitioning into writing full-time. You can connect with him on his website and on Twitter.

Describe the process you go through when writing.
Jim likes to brainstorm and get a game plan for what he's going after. If you just go on emotions, you're starting things but not going anywhere.

He's starting to study about having multiple passions.

If he's driving, he'll use Dragon Dictation to capture ideas.

As he approaches an e-book, he looks at like a bunch of blog posts, but closely connected.

Jim has tried to use Evernote, but it doesn't work well with his personality. He just e-mails the different files (audio, text, etc.) to himself, making sure to put a subject line that is descriptive.

He knows that he can't handle too many projects at once, so he does one big project and one smaller project.

Use what works for you. There is no one-size fits all.

[Tweet "It is good to also have a physical and digital way to capture ideas. - @jimwoodswrites"]
What brainstorming and research tips do you have?
Research is dangerous because you can over-research.

Use as few resources as possible. Steven Pressfield recommends 3 really good resources.

See how the research applies to you or someone else. Tell stories.

Just follow the "beginning, middle, end" format.

[Tweet "Don't overthink the brainstorming idea. Don't let it stop you from starting - just dive in. - @jimwoodswrites"]
How can we use goals with content creation?

Jim and Erik J. Fisher co-wrote the book, "Ready, Aim, Fire!" that talks about goals.

Jim recommends to buy the book, "Do the Work" by Steven Pressfield.

If you're not sure of something, join the club. Doubts are common - it's just a matter if we admit it.
Parting advice
Creating art is a hard life. We want to be accepted, but be sure to start with yourself. Make sure you really like what you're doing, and everything else will fall into place.

If you're struggling too much, it's okay to back away.
Do you have any processes or tips for creating content?
Thanks to those that left a 5-star review in iTunes: Greg Hickman, Missionary on Fire (Joe Consford), and filmmakerdoc (Doc Kennedy).

The post Jim Woods talks about his process and tips for creating content (1-9) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Jim Woods is the co-author of Ready, Aim, Fire! and Hit the Mark! (with Erik J. Fisher). He is an accountant that is transitioning into writing full-time. You can connect with him on his website and on Twitter.

Describe the process you go through when writing.
Jim likes to brainstorm and get a game plan for what he's going after. If you just go on emotions, you're starting things but not going anywhere.

He's starting to study about having multiple passions.

If he's driving, he'll use Dragon Dictation to capture ideas.

As he approaches an e-book, he looks at like a bunch of blog posts, but closely connected.

Jim has tried to use Evernote, but it doesn't work well with his personality. He just e-mails the different files (audio, text, etc.) to himself, making sure to put a subject line that is descriptive.

He knows that he can't handle too many projects at once, so he does one big project and one smaller project.

Use what works for you. There is no one-size fits all.

[Tweet "It is good to also have a physical and digital way to capture ideas. - @jimwoodswrites"]
What brainstorming and research tips do you have?
Research is dangerous because you can over-research.

Use as few resources as possible. Steven Pressfield recommends 3 really good resources.

See how the research applies to you or someone else. Tell stories.

Just follow the "beginning, middle, end" format.

[Tweet "Don't overthink the brainstorming idea. Don't let it stop you from starting - just dive in. - @jimwoodswrites"]
How can we use goals with content creation?

Jim and Erik J. Fisher co-wrote the book, "Ready, Aim, Fire!" that talks about goals.

Jim recommends to buy the book, "Do the Work" by Steven Pressfield.

If you're not sure of something, join the club. Doubts are common - it's just a matter if we admit it.
Parting advice
Creating art is a hard life. We want to be accepted, but be sure to start with yourself. Make sure you really like what you're doing, and everything else will fall into place.

If you're struggling too much, it's okay to back away.
Do you have any processes or tips for creating content?
Thanks to those that left a 5-star review in iTunes: Greg Hickman, Missionary on Fire (Joe Consford), and filmmakerdoc (Doc Kennedy).

The post Jim Woods talks about his process and tips for creating content (1-9) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Matt McWilliams blogs about life, leadership, and changing the world. Through the years, he has learned and used some great principles for networking. He shares some of that today. You can connect with Matt on his website or on Twitter.

 
Why is working on our network important?
The old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Matt takes it beyond that:

It is how well you know them.
What are some of the big outlets to try to build our  networks?
Matt has four tenets:

Quarterly reach-outs: Twice a week reach out to your network based on last name (i.e this week could be letters D and E).

Don't ask a question in the e-mail, otherwise they'll feel an obligation to respond.

Hand-written notes: thank you, congratulations,
Birthdays, holidays, life events, etc.: Birthday calls vs. birthday cards - more personal.
Being helpful: look for ways to help.

What kind of financial and time commitments could be expected?

Matt's rule is 5% of his work time looking for his next job. This includes interacting and building your network.
He suggests 2-4 hours a week. This will vary based on the size of your network.
Financially, he recommends about $1,000 to invest in networking. This could cover cards, flowers, meals, etc.

To access all the blog posts that Matt has done regarding networking, you can do that here.

[Tweet "Always have networking on your mind. - @mattmcwilliams2"]

[Tweet "It's not what you know, it's not even just who you know. It is how well you know them. - @mattmcwilliams2"]
What are your thoughts about networking?

The post Matt McWilliams talks about his principles for networking (1-8) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.

Matt McWilliams blogs about life, leadership, and changing the world. Through the years, he has learned and used some great principles for networking. He shares some of that today. You can connect with Matt on his website or on Twitter.

 
Why is working on our network important?
The old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Matt takes it beyond that:

It is how well you know them.
What are some of the big outlets to try to build our  networks?
Matt has four tenets:

Quarterly reach-outs: Twice a week reach out to your network based on last name (i.e this week could be letters D and E).

Don't ask a question in the e-mail, otherwise they'll feel an obligation to respond.

Hand-written notes: thank you, congratulations,
Birthdays, holidays, life events, etc.: Birthday calls vs. birthday cards - more personal.
Being helpful: look for ways to help.

What kind of financial and time commitments could be expected?

Matt's rule is 5% of his work time looking for his next job. This includes interacting and building your network.
He suggests 2-4 hours a week. This will vary based on the size of your network.
Financially, he recommends about $1,000 to invest in networking. This could cover cards, flowers, meals, etc.

To access all the blog posts that Matt has done regarding networking, you can do that here.

[Tweet "Always have networking on your mind. - @mattmcwilliams2"]

[Tweet "It's not what you know, it's not even just who you know. It is how well you know them. - @mattmcwilliams2"]
What are your thoughts about networking?

The post Matt McWilliams talks about his principles for networking (1-8) appeared first on Creative Studio Academy.