When Nishant Joshi, a medical student in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, realized cricket bloggers’ voices weren’t being heard, he took action. He assembled 20 of his favourite cricket bloggers to submit content for a book which he called “The Alternative Cricket Almanack”. He then published the book thirty days later.

Decisive action has its reward.

The book marked the birth of a new publishing brand, Alternative Cricket, that has grown like a weed over the past couple of years. Tens of thousands of fans tune in every day to hear what Nishant Joshi has to say on events happening in the cricket world.

Nishant didn’t care about whether he was “experienced”, what his background was, or whether he would fail or succeed. He didn’t care what the world would think about a cricket book published by a medical student in the Czech Republic (where cricket’s not played much). He just started. Just like that.

Whatever your situation is, just start. It’s the only way to make things happen.

Here’s what you’ll learn in the case study:

How Nishant spotted an opportunity and decided to fill the void.

How he built an audience of 37,000+ followers on Twitter, 20,000 podcast listeners, and 6,000+ fans on Facebook.

Why he rejected over £20,000 worth of advertising offers.

How he uses reader feedback to tweak the brand’s message and make it more coherent.

How he manages his time as a medical student and cricket publisher.

3 Actions you can take to start a side project, no matter what your situation is.

Christopher Taylor’s first job out of school was to sell beer on the beach. When he got ‘serious in life’, he joined a large corporation and worked in Marketing. He’d recently started a family and had a mortgage to pay, so predictable income was very important to him. But still, he wondered whether spending his life selling co-branded credit cards for SUVs in the middle of a debt and environmental crisis was worth it.

So what did he do?

Well, he took one little step. And that’s all it took to start a chain reaction that ultimately resulted in the co-founding (along with partner Victor Johnson) of Playtend, a mobile apps business focused on creating apps for kids. That was in 2008. Today, Playtend has around 70 apps* (including Build A Train, Monster Coloring Book, ABC 123 Blocks, Build A Zoo, etc.), millions of users and hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

The beauty of this story is that Chris is a regular person like you and me. You can create a story like this for yourself. All you have to do now is take the first step.

Here’s what you will learn in the case study:

How an everyday, mundane event can lead to a viable business idea.

Chris’ detailed, 4 step process of going from full time 9-to-5 employee to full time entrepreneur. (This one’s a gem).

The one thing you need to do even before you start your business (It may seem like a small step, but it’s huge).

Why Chris’ employer loved the fact that he was working on a side business. 

Why Playtend releases Paid apps before releasing Free apps.

How Playtend went from generating a dollar a day to hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

The dynamics of running a multiple mobile-app business (Hits vs. misses, Paid vs. free apps, app creation strategy, customer feedback, and SO much more).

3 Actions you can take to start your own mobile app business.

Lots of people working 9-to-5  jobs are unfulfilled in their careers, yet learn to deal with it. Kelly Gurnett calls this ‘the way things are’ syndrome. Everyone around you is dealing with it, so you do too.

When Kelly worked at a day job she didn’t particularly enjoy, she couldn’t cope like everyone around her did. So after years of living a life of quiet desperation, she took action, started a blog and chipped away at building her writing business. Two and half years later, as of May 2013, she officially became a full-time business owner.

That’s not all. In the process she found what she truly loves to do – her true calling. And now does more and more of it. You can make this your story, too. All you need to do is take the first step.

Here’s what you will learn in this case study:

How to work out an arrangement with your employer so you can work flexible hours.

An easy way to stand out from the crowd.

How to start a freelance writing and editing business.

How to quickly build an audience that supports you and comes back for more.

The secret to quitting anything (it’s not what you think).

How to find out what your true calling is (it’s easier than you think).

3 Actions you can take to go from 9-to-5 day jobber to hustling business owner.

I invited Phil Morse to the show because he’s the co-founder* of the legendary institution Tangled, Manchester, U.K.’s longest running club night (celebrating 20 years in September), featuring popular artists such as Groove Armada, Above & Beyond, Gareth Emery, Way Out West, Plump DJs and many, many, more.

I was curious to know how the DJ and nightclub business models worked, and how to get started in these businesses. There’s plenty of info about those models in this case study with Phil, but I observed a  bigger picture midway through my chat.

As Phil told me his story, I noticed he had constantly changed his business models based on his interests, age, profit potential, market trends and desired lifestyle. Oftentimes we think that once we start a business, we have to continue doing the same thing till death do us part. But no, you change your business model based on what your objectives are. And oftentimes, a business model that actually works appears years after you start your business. My point? Go start, and don’t be afraid.

*Not the founder as I mention in the show. 

Jon Thornton teamed up with someone he hardly knew during the summer after undergrad to work on a parking-based business idea together. The idea was to work on the business idea till the end of summer and see what happens. Seven years later, after several twists and turns, Jon and his partner Aashish Dalal are still in business together. They recently raised their first round of venture capital and are ready to take on the world.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this case study:

How Jon found freelance work while working on his side hustle, and what he did to keep the freelancing pipeline full

Why your first idea almost always won’t work, and how to keep experimenting and iterating to find one that does

A smart way to find a co-founder, especially a technical one

How to get LOTS of publicity from mainstream media without really sweating it

Why having lots of competition is NOT a bad thing

3 Actions you can take to start and build a side business of your own, no matter what your background is.

I get lots of emails from people asking me about first steps, i.e. how to get their business off the ground. It can be nerve-racking, especially if you haven’t done it before. But it doesn’t have to be. All you need to do is take one step. And another. And another.

You won’t have all the answers on Day 1, but if you’re persistent, it’s very likely you’ll figure them out as you go along.

That’s what Peter Morgan of The DJ Podcast is doing. He digs electronic music and DJing – hobbies that he’s now turning into a business. He hasn’t hit the big time yet, but that’s not the point. The point is to show you how an enterprising young individual is building a name for himself through deliberate, consistent action. One step at a time.

And yes. So can you.

If you’ve been searching for freedom from corporate hell by looking at examples, inspiration and success stories, you’ve probably come across Pat Flynn (he’s everywhere), founder of the highly popular blog Smart Passive Income and author of the new bestseller, Let Go.

Pat was laid off from his architectural 9-to-5 gig despite being one of the best performers in the company. He started several online businesses and now earns around $50k per month. 

Pat’s been interviewed a gazillion times and then interviewed again. I wanted this case study to be slightly different, so I dive deeper into not only his successes, but his mindset, habits, challenges, fears and failures. In the midst of all that, you will hear Pat talk about his core philosophy in business. It’s so simple yet powerful. More importantly, it can be applied to your business. So start listening and create your own freedom.

In this case study, you will learn:

How Pat cultivated an entrepreneurial mindset after he was laid off from his corporate job, and how you can too.

The key habits Pat developed during and after the transition from cubicle life to entrepreneurship – habits that every new entrepreneur should adopt to succeed in business.

How to differentiate yourself from your competition (even if you’re doing business in a hyper competitive industry) and why you have an edge coming in late. 

Why he wanted to give up on his blog Smart Passive Income SIX times within the first year, and why and how he stuck around.

A practical way to face your fears and do what you have to do to grow your business.

His single biggest challenge in business (Hint: It has absolutely nothing to do with business).

3 Actions you can take to transition from an unfulfilling 9-to-5 corporate job to entrepreneurship.

Have you ever wanted to be a writer? Was that your answer all those years when someone asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

It’s easy to dismiss wild thoughts such as, “I want to be a writer someday” and “I will be my own boss someday” and go about living the rest of your life in a 5×5 cubicle. Go back and read the last sentence again. It’s SO easy to dismiss wild, silly and ridiculous thoughts. Especially when there are bills to pay.

But what if you could give those thoughts a shot, in a very practical, methodical and non-risky manner? Would you try?

That’s what my latest guest, the brilliant Joanna Penn did. She had a day job she was miserable in. She desperately wanted out, so she experimented like crazy and started several businesses on the side. She fell flat on her face one time too many, until the day she decided to pursue an old, ignored dream of being a writer.

This is her story – the story of a dogged author-entrepreneur who can now say, “I’ve always wanted to be a writer. And I finally became one.”

In this case study, you will learn:

How Joanna maneuvered her way around early business failures

Her take on the best path to starting your business and escaping corporate life 

How to write a non-fiction book even if you know nothing about the topic you wish to write about

The business model behind a successful author-entrepreneur, and how you can generate consistent income by self-publishing your works

The problems with mainstream media and why you shouldn’t waste your time trying to promote and sell your products on national TV

3 Actions you should take before starting your journey in self-publishing

And lots more…

Today’s case study is a good one as it illustrates that no matter how long you’ve had a corporate job, it’s still possible to escape and create your freedom. Bruce Rodgers escaped corporate life after nearly 30 years when he finally ventured out to start his web design and development business.

Here’s what you will learn from Bruce’s story:

The first steps Bruce took when he realized his health was failing due to workplace stress

How he evaluated his skills and figured out the right business idea

How he differentiates his business although it’s in a hyper competitive industry

Why he wasn’t too stressed out when he quit his job and wasn’t generating income from his newly started business

What 30 years in the corporate world taught Bruce about running a business

Top 3 tips for those looking to break out of 9-to-5 and start a business (especially if you’ve been there for way too long)

I hope you’re enjoying these case studies by now, because I surely am. Every week it feels like I learn something new and go one step closer to creating a life and career that is exciting, interesting and fulfilling.

That’s what this is all about.

I spoke to the founder of Prolific Living Farnoosh Brock last week, and boy was it an eye-opener or what? Here’s someone who was a corporate superstar, making serious moolah and living the good life. And then she gave it all up to start a blog about careers and health. Here’s what you will learn in the case study:

How she built a thriving business despite being financially conservative, and why you don’t need a ton of money to start and build an online business

How her search for distractions from her corporate career led to a breakthrough, and how you can adopt this simple yet powerful idea

The various experiments and trials prior to her “game changer” product; how inventiveness and persistence almost always leads to results

How she keeps her brand cohesive and focused, even though she explores diverse and specialized topics within Careers and Health

Exactly what to do and the questions to ask if you’re unhappy with your career and want a change

3 key tips to start a side business or ‘side hustle’ whilst keeping your day job.