Streamlined Solopreneur: Easy Productivity & Tech Systems for Solopreneurs

A few weeks ago, we heard from John Warrillow about why we need to make subscriptions a core part of our businesses. Someone who's done that really well is a marketer and fellow creator Corey Haines. As we recorded this, he was going through the biggest change his membership has seem: consolidation of offerings, niching down, and increasing the price. And it was the best month of the membership to date. Listen on to find why and how he did it. Plus, in what I think is the best Build Something More yet, we talk about pricing: how to price as a creator, offerings, and price to value ratios.

Top Takeaways:

• On subscription fatigue: Don't conflate consumer subscriptions with business subscriptions. Consumers get fatigued more than businesses.
• Early on, as a creator you could basically just ask for money and people would support you. Now it's about the right value proposition. If you don't get it right, you won't survive.
• Niching down allows you to focus, get the right value prop, AND charge more.

Show Notes:

• Corey Haines
• Corey on Twitter
• Li Jin article creator economy
• Morning Brew
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

It's the 2021 Gift Guides episode! This year I revamped the guides to be clearer, including more tools for people who work from home and podcasters, and offering more options for people looking for the perfect pen. In Build Something More, I talk about the transition from Beaver Builder to Gutenberg - why I did it, and how it went.

Show Notes:

• Gift Guides
• Work From Home Video Walkthrough
• Podcast Guide Video Walkthrough
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Accessibility Checker by Equalize Digital | Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Something I (and perhaps you) feel I do terribly is email marketing. I'm worried I'm not segmenting my list the right way, that I email them too much, and that what I send is not aligned with what they signed up for. But let me tell you, after this conversation with Samar Owais, I feel a lot better. Samar is an email expert, and we cover a lot of ground, from setting up a welcome sequence, to when you should sell to your list, to how to segment. This is a mini masterclass in email marketing and one of my favorite episodes to date. Plus, in Build Something More, how Apple is changing the way we measure email marketing success.

Top Takeaways:

• When someone signs up for your mailing list, your welcome sequence needs to align with your offer and your promise...also, you should have a welcome sequence!
• When it is too soon to sell to your list? The very first welcome email. Everything else is fair game so soft sell, sew seeds, or even just mention.
• Segmentation is SO important. You're forming a relationship with your email subscribers, and you can't properly do that if you don't know anything about them.

Show Notes:

• Samar Owais
• Samar on Twitter
• Samar on Linkedin
• ConvertKit
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Subscription services are increasingly popular and for good reason. On top of creating more predictable income for your business, they allow you to really focus and serve your subscribers instead of constantly trying to grind out new sales. Plus, it makes your business more sellable. We'll talk about all of that and more in this week's episode with John Warrillow, best-selling author of Built to Sell, The Automatic Customer, and The Art of Selling your business. And in Build Something More, we'll even talk about what it's like to write a best-selling book!

Top Takeaways:

• Subscriptions make your business more predictable, more sellable, and place less pressure on your sales process. One Sale → One Payment vs. One Sale → regular monthly payments.
• You need to go all-in for a subscription business to work. Giving people a choice between one time and subscription will usually result in fewer (if any) subscriptions.
• When it comes to subscription fatigue, you need to demonstrate value in a tangible way. A 10% discount won't do that. But showing 10x more value will.

Show Notes:

• John Warrilow
• The Art of Selling Your Bussiness: Winning Strategies
• The Automatic Customer
• Jodie Cook: Built to Sell Radio
• How to Hire a VA That Actually Helps with Matthew Yahes
• Launch by Jeff Walker
• Growing a Multilingual Newsletter (on the side!) with Maciek Palmowski
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Sensei | Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

You've heard me say time and time again - build your list! If you want to grow your business, whether you sell products, services, or are a creator, you need to get people on your email list. And today's guest, Maciek Palmowski, has definitely done that. He and his wife started the only Polish-language WordPress-focused newsletter (quick a niche) and grew it into quite a popular English-language newsletter. The format and process for putting it together are interesting too - making this a fantastic episode for those struggling with (or struggling to start) their newsletter. In Build Something More, we talk about what it's like being an ESL programmer in an English-dominated market.

Top Takeaways

• The Twitter community can be a great place for finding news and growing your list!
• The secret to growth: stay consistent and put in the work. People will come, and share it!
• Trial and error is super important. Try things out and see what works. See what doesn’t. Iterate quickly.

Show Notes:

• Maciek Palmowski
• Maciek on Twitter
• Delicious Brains blog
• wpcontent.io
• Mailchimp
• Newsletter Glue
• Gutenberg Times
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

As an elder millennial, TikTok as a platform scares and upsets me. I’m not really sure how to use it to grow my audience (if it even can) and I’m worried it’s just going to be a huge time suck. But according to Rebecca Simon, if your business isn’t on Tiktok, it’s a huge missed opportunity. SO naturally, I asked her how a small business owner can make the most of the platform; Rebecca offered some of the best advice I’ve heard for any social network! So if you’re wondering how you can grow your audience through TikTok, this episode is for you. Plus, in Build Something More, I ask Rebecca how some of my favorite Tiktoks were made.

Top Takeaways

• It's important to have the right SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in place with VAs, employees, or even just yourself.
• The direction all social media is moving in is video. Instagram rebranded as a "video" platform, and TikTok is leading the charge. That's why it's so important to be there.
• The biggest benefit is TikTok is pushing you to new people. Discovery is much better on that platform that on follower-centric platforms like Instagram.

Show Notes:

• Rebecca Simon
• Rebecca on Tiktok
• Rebecca on Instagram
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

It's another live coaching call! This time I have podcaster and WordPress site builder Nathan Wrigley. We chat about how I format this show, record the bumpers and the intros, and the benefits (and potential pitfalls) of batching. Then we roll into making money: how to find and land sponsors, and when to think about monetizing your podcast. Nathan has been a podcaster for a long time, so it was great to field his questions as well as get his perspective. Plus in Build Something More, we talk about what it's like to run a virtual summit.

Top Takeaways

• Have a good process for outreach to guests and sponsors. You can better track, schedule and batch!
• Should you think about monetization before you launch your podcast or after? It's a great question! You should think about why you're starting your podcast and how you can monitize. But you should wait to launch until you have a money making plan.
• One this is absolutely necessary though: Build your email list!

Show Notes:

• Nathan Wrigley
• Nathan on Facebook
• Can Solo Developers Exist in WordPress?
• The First Stuff You Should Know Episodes Were 6 Minutes Long
• ConvertKit
• Build Your List Using ConvertKit with Angel Marie
• Newsletter Glue
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Sometimes you know you're destined to run your own business. You work for companies and realize that you can't really work within the confines of a corporate structure. It's something I realized pretty much in high school. And it's something today's guest, Lauren Kennedy, has known all her life. Realizing then, she took her drive and built a marketing automation company…with a twist. While both marketing and automation can be terms associated with the impersonal, she's set out to build a people-first company. And that's the main focus of our discussion today. Of-course, it didn't stop me from asking about marketing automation. And in Build Something More, we talk about being active and helping people on social media, including Reddit.

Top Takeaways

• Sales is the authentic exchange of knowledge - you're showing people what you know, and what you can do. Put another way, your knowledge is not proprietary. Your ability to do it is.
• The goal of marketing automation is to get as much done with as few resources as possible. You can make sure you communicate personally and properly with the right automations.
• Be a sponge. Take every opportunity to learn and absorb - about your craft, about your clients, about your employees. Then squeeze it back out.
• Pre show release - how hard it is to come up with an elevator pitch for yourself, imposter syndrome

Show Notes:

• Lauren Kennedy
• Lauren On Twitter
• Lauren on Linkedin
• Lauren on Facebook 
• Building and Evolving Profitable Project Plan with Jennifer Bourn
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Often, when it comes to launching, writing, recording, building funnels, or whatever else it is we need to do, it's easy to start because we're motivated. But the longer a project goes on, the harder it can be. The more frustrating it can get. And the more likely quality starts to go out the window. Well, today's guest, Elizabeth Pampalone, has a solution: get it all done in 1 day. From launching websites to writing a full year of blog posts, Elizabeth's process of blocking off a whole day and walking with her clients through a tried and true framework has proven successful. Here is how she does it. Plus, in Build something more, we chat about early businesses and how to handle premium products for clients.

Top Takeaways

• Implementing is the hardest part of the work for most people - building that into a day, and into your schedule helps you ship.
• You need a "Deep Work" style day to get the work done. Eliminate distractions and context switching.
• Checklists are a huge help. They reduce the mental energy of figuring out what to do next so you can just do.

Show Notes

• Elizabeth Pampalone
• Elizabeth on Facebook
• Elizabeth on Instagram
• Elizabeth on Linkedin
• How Your Content Strategy can Grow Your Business with Jean Perpillant
• Monster Contracts
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Hey everybody and welcome to episode 234 of How I Built It, the podcast that offers actionable tech tips for small business owners. Today's sponsors are TextExpander, and Nexcess. Jason How knows a thing or two about ads, start with this: don't start with Ads. Jason gives us a couple of important aspects of running ads you think to think about before actually running the ads - like how to get your offer to a place that will compel people to actually click on ads.

Top Takeaways

• BEFORE you run any ads, you need to get your offer right. Figure our whom you serve and do the research to make sure your offer is a good one. 
• The messaging will be completely based on the offer. 
• Get people into your funnel with a clear CTA, and have a good confirmation page.

Show Notes:

• Jason How
• Jason on Linkedin
• Jason on Facebook
• Jason on Twitter
• Agency J on Linkedin
• ZipMessage
• S.I.N. Offer by Todd Brown
• Hyros
• Creator Crew

Sponsored by: Nexcess | TextExpander

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Streamlined Solopreneur helps solopreneurs stop doing it all themselves, with simple systems that give them their time back.

Each week, Joe Casabona shares one practical idea — a system, tool, or strategy to help you get your time back without having to make another decision, hire employees, or sell your soul to AI.

Looking for a place to start? Take the Solo Systems Starter Quiz. 60 seconds, 8 questions, and I will tell you what system you should build first, and exactly how to build it (so YOU don't need to make another decision). https://streamlined.fm/quiz 

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/