The Kim Doyal Show

LOTS happening in today's episode!

I recently started private coaching with a new client (I'm coaching her) and had decided I would write up "What I'd Do Different if I Were Starting My Business Today" for her, then realized it would make a great topic for the next podcast episode and post. So here we are! ;-)

I'm writing the post show notes before I actually record the podcast, which may sound a little backwards, but going back to do show notes after I record doesn't always happen as quickly as I'd like and then it becomes a much more tedious process, whereas doing it this way I work from my hand written outline and my show should have a nice flow (like how I threw in that little disclaimer *should*  have a nice flow?). I'm looking at my hand written notes and really hoping I can keep this to an hour... yea, I get a little chatty. ;-)

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Shout out

I'm taking this idea directly from ThePodcastAnswerMan (Cliff Ravenscraft) who does a weekly personal plug on his show. I love that he shares other peoples content and highlights what they're doing (oh how I wish some old school marketers would grasp this). So this week's shout out goes to Ben Boykin of EmergentInteractive.com. If it weren't for Ben reaching out to me on twitter about Flyhweel hosting I would probably be pulling my hair out right now. Ben put me in touch directly with the team at Flywheel and within a week and a half I was migrated over and pulled the trigger last Friday! I've since engaged more with Ben on twitter & Google+ and he's just a great guy (who also creates awesome Genesis WordPress sites).  So thanks again Ben!

You'll hear more about Flywheel in an upcoming episode and post, so stay tuned for that. I want to get the guys from Flywheel on so you can hear about their company, what they're doing, why they're doing it, etc. directly from them. Not only is my site WAY faster, but their support is FANTASTIC! While away at a conference they still took the time to get back to me, answer my questions and make sure everything was working. Nice!

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In this episode I share a little bit of my story with you (why I didn't do this in the first episode, I'm not sure. ;-) ) and how I got to where I am today. I'm sharing this with the hopes of inspiring you and showing you that no matter what you've been through, you CAN do this. It's been a long and very difficult road at times, but I am in such a wonderful place in my life now and am truly grateful for everything.

The evolution of The WordPress Chick has also been an interesting road (and one I had no idea existed when I started my business). My business and brand has evolved quite a bit over the last five years (and will probably look very different five years from now).  I couldn't  have imagined this when I started, but I stayed open to what showed up and have learned to trust my gut which is paying off more than I thought possible now.

The 7 Things I'd Do Different

There are probably more than 7 things I'd do different if I were starting my business today, but these are the primary things that I would recommend to ANYONE who is starting an online business today or is ready to shift what they're doing and how they're doing it. I go into much more detail in the podcast, but here are the 7 things:

1) Focus on my content/my business first

2) Build my list strategically and measure what's working

3) Have something to SELL as soon as possible (and no, I don't mean throw up junk. Something of value)

4) Trust my gut & simply be myself

5) Focus on relationships, connections and how I can support other people

6) Be as absolutely transparent as possible (the more you do this the easier it gets)

7) Treat my business like a business

The last point I made in the show, which really ties in with the first item on this list, is that you have to find a way to manage doing the things that will pay off in the long run WHILE you do the things tha...

LOTS happening in today's episode!

I recently started private coaching with a new client (I'm coaching her) and had decided I would write up "What I'd Do Different if I Were Starting My Business Today" for her, then realized it would make a great topic for the next podcast episode and post. So here we are! ;-)

I'm writing the post show notes before I actually record the podcast, which may sound a little backwards, but going back to do show notes after I record doesn't always happen as quickly as I'd like and then it becomes a much more tedious process, whereas doing it this way I work from my hand written outline and my show should have a nice flow (like how I threw in that little disclaimer *should*  have a nice flow?). I'm looking at my hand written notes and really hoping I can keep this to an hour... yea, I get a little chatty. ;-)

[sws_divider_line]

Shout out

I'm taking this idea directly from ThePodcastAnswerMan (Cliff Ravenscraft) who does a weekly personal plug on his show. I love that he shares other peoples content and highlights what they're doing (oh how I wish some old school marketers would grasp this). So this week's shout out goes to Ben Boykin of EmergentInteractive.com. If it weren't for Ben reaching out to me on twitter about Flyhweel hosting I would probably be pulling my hair out right now. Ben put me in touch directly with the team at Flywheel and within a week and a half I was migrated over and pulled the trigger last Friday! I've since engaged more with Ben on twitter & Google+ and he's just a great guy (who also creates awesome Genesis WordPress sites).  So thanks again Ben!

You'll hear more about Flywheel in an upcoming episode and post, so stay tuned for that. I want to get the guys from Flywheel on so you can hear about their company, what they're doing, why they're doing it, etc. directly from them. Not only is my site WAY faster, but their support is FANTASTIC! While away at a conference they still took the time to get back to me, answer my questions and make sure everything was working. Nice!

[sws_divider_line]

In this episode I share a little bit of my story with you (why I didn't do this in the first episode, I'm not sure. ;-) ) and how I got to where I am today. I'm sharing this with the hopes of inspiring you and showing you that no matter what you've been through, you CAN do this. It's been a long and very difficult road at times, but I am in such a wonderful place in my life now and am truly grateful for everything.

The evolution of The WordPress Chick has also been an interesting road (and one I had no idea existed when I started my business). My business and brand has evolved quite a bit over the last five years (and will probably look very different five years from now).  I couldn't  have imagined this when I started, but I stayed open to what showed up and have learned to trust my gut which is paying off more than I thought possible now.

The 7 Things I'd Do Different

There are probably more than 7 things I'd do different if I were starting my business today, but these are the primary things that I would recommend to ANYONE who is starting an online business today or is ready to shift what they're doing and how they're doing it. I go into much more detail in the podcast, but here are the 7 things:

1) Focus on my content/my business first

2) Build my list strategically and measure what's working

3) Have something to SELL as soon as possible (and no, I don't mean throw up junk. Something of value)

4) Trust my gut & simply be myself

5) Focus on relationships, connections and how I can support other people

6) Be as absolutely transparent as possible (the more you do this the easier it gets)

7) Treat my business like a business

The last point I made in the show, which really ties in with the first item on this list, is that you have to find a way to manage doing the things that will pay off in the long run WHILE you do the things tha...

This is "officially" the first interview for my podcast! I say "officially" because I had recorded another interview last fall but wasn't ready to get the podcast going, so I'll be re-recording an updated version of that interview for an upcoming podcast.

Back to "The Business of Web Design" interview with Nina East.

Nina and I connected a few years ago through this site (well, a previous version of this site. ;-)) when she contacted me to have me create a banner for her site that was similar to my previous banner that had my "Chick" in it (she had a different "Chick"). Mind you, Nina had to remind me because for the life of me I could NOT remember how we had connected. We've stayed in touch over the last few years, have a book we're working on together (think the "little book that wouldn't quit"... I think I can, I think I can...) that will be coming out later this year and have simply supported one another in our businesses through the years.

When Nina asked me if I'd like to participate and support "The Business of Web Design" we hopped on Skype immediately so she could tell me more about the event, the speakers and find out how I could contribute. Once we started chatting and I heard how passionate Nina was about truly helping people I decided it would be great if we did a podcast interview so you could hear where she was coming from.

One of the BIGGEST benefits to attending a multi-speaker event such as "The Business of Web Design" is that you're getting different perspectives on the same business! Each speaker is speaking about a different element of Web Design, but you may find that you resonate with one model or method more than another and finally get that piece of "A-HA!", I'm NOT the only one who wants to run my business this way or I'm not the only one who has had pricing issues (and I don't know anyone in business who hasn't had pricing issues at one time or another).

In the show you're going to hear Nina talk about how her business evolved (this is always one of my favorite pieces... I love hearing how people went from where they were to where they are! ), what she's learned along the way and how the telesummit came about.

You need to head over to "The Business of Web Design" to get the full line-up of speakers and schedule, but here's a brief overview of some of the things you're going to learn:

Creating Passive and Leveraged Income

Steps to Success

Building Your Brand (by moi)

Growing your business into a 6-Figure Business (with multiple players)

Critical Legal Issues

Business Finance!

Mistakes to Avoid

You can see that this is a GREAT line up of topics, being presented by some awesome speakers who have paved the way and learned through trial and error so you don't have to!

As always, I'd love your comments, feedback and a review in iTunes if you're up for it! (And I apologize in advance that my audio isn't that great. Like a ding dong I used my logitech headset for this skype call instead of my mic & headset that I use for the regular podcast. Total brain fart! But you can hear everything clearly).

[button_square color="grey" url="http://thewpchick.com/web-design-telesummit"] Register for The Business of Web Design Here [/button_square]

This is "officially" the first interview for my podcast! I say "officially" because I had recorded another interview last fall but wasn't ready to get the podcast going, so I'll be re-recording an updated version of that interview for an upcoming podcast.

Back to "The Business of Web Design" interview with Nina East.

Nina and I connected a few years ago through this site (well, a previous version of this site. ;-)) when she contacted me to have me create a banner for her site that was similar to my previous banner that had my "Chick" in it (she had a different "Chick"). Mind you, Nina had to remind me because for the life of me I could NOT remember how we had connected. We've stayed in touch over the last few years, have a book we're working on together (think the "little book that wouldn't quit"... I think I can, I think I can...) that will be coming out later this year and have simply supported one another in our businesses through the years.

When Nina asked me if I'd like to participate and support "The Business of Web Design" we hopped on Skype immediately so she could tell me more about the event, the speakers and find out how I could contribute. Once we started chatting and I heard how passionate Nina was about truly helping people I decided it would be great if we did a podcast interview so you could hear where she was coming from.

One of the BIGGEST benefits to attending a multi-speaker event such as "The Business of Web Design" is that you're getting different perspectives on the same business! Each speaker is speaking about a different element of Web Design, but you may find that you resonate with one model or method more than another and finally get that piece of "A-HA!", I'm NOT the only one who wants to run my business this way or I'm not the only one who has had pricing issues (and I don't know anyone in business who hasn't had pricing issues at one time or another).

In the show you're going to hear Nina talk about how her business evolved (this is always one of my favorite pieces... I love hearing how people went from where they were to where they are! ), what she's learned along the way and how the telesummit came about.

You need to head over to "The Business of Web Design" to get the full line-up of speakers and schedule, but here's a brief overview of some of the things you're going to learn:

Creating Passive and Leveraged Income

Steps to Success

Building Your Brand (by moi)

Growing your business into a 6-Figure Business (with multiple players)

Critical Legal Issues

Business Finance!

Mistakes to Avoid

You can see that this is a GREAT line up of topics, being presented by some awesome speakers who have paved the way and learned through trial and error so you don't have to!

As always, I'd love your comments, feedback and a review in iTunes if you're up for it! (And I apologize in advance that my audio isn't that great. Like a ding dong I used my logitech headset for this skype call instead of my mic & headset that I use for the regular podcast. Total brain fart! But you can hear everything clearly).

[button_square color="grey" url="http://thewpchick.com/web-design-telesummit"] Register for The Business of Web Design Here [/button_square]

To say the last couple of weeks has been a wild ride would be an understatement, but it's all been good. Definitely ups and downs, but fortunately the downs haven't been bad. Just contemplative. I've been contemplating a lot about my business lately so I decided it would be a perfect topic for my next podcast.  You can read more about what spurred all this in my recent post, "Is it time to move on?"

Don't worry. It's not a bitch fest. I save those for good friends and family (I don't go there with my therapist... she'd call me on it too quickly).

I've been doing this for almost 5 years now - and when I say 'this', I mean my business.

In this episode I talk about my recent WordPress Genesis for Beginners class, what I went through with pricing, promoting and wondering if I had pigeonholed myself into a niche (focusing on StudioPress Genesis).  All of this brought about a LOT of questioning about my business (especially after I created a free StudioPress Community Resources guide and let one annoying person get under my skin, as much as I'd like to think I didn't)- so much so that I even considered giving up my brand and selling this site!

Don't worry, that's not going to happen. I did think about it for a day or so then realized that I was not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak.

Instead, I'm going to be incorporating my name into the brand.

Here's what the new logo / header looks like. I've already started using this in my newsletter but it won't be unveiled on the site until I flip the theme (which should hopefully be in the next week).

Pretty fun, huh? Not too far off, I'm keeping my colors, The WordPress Chick and am just going to be expanding what I'm doing.

Next up will be new photos... I realized I have ONE photo that appears everywhere, so it's time to get some new pics done. I just want to make sure they don't look like I'm posing for a Realtor shot or a "Glamour Shot" (remember those photo stores in the mall? holy moly!)

In this episode I also talk about one thing that has been a HUGE focus for me and that is Building Relationships!

This is one of those things that you've heard over and over (and I think I said that in my "Marketing Isn't A Spectator Sport" post) and is SO absolutely important. My point in this episode is that not only do you need to build relationships, but you should be building the RIGHT relationships for YOU! Don't be a sheep and spend time trying to connect with Guru's or people you think might be important (of course since you're a reader of mine I know that's not who you are anyways... ;-) ).

Connect with Like Minded People.

Create Awesome Content.

Provide Value.

Have Fun.

Sounds simple enough, right?

It is. You just need to trust yourself.

Recommendations from this Episode:

1) Plugin: nrelate Related Content

You can see what this looks like at the bottom of this post ("Here are some other posts you might enjoy"... I need to change that text. It just doesn't sound like me, but you get the point).

Download nrelate Realted Content here (or click the image below)

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2) Post on ProBlogger: The 3 Emails You Must Send During A Launch... and a Fresh Alternative for Bloggers

LOVE this site (Fearless Launching). The post is a great example of providing value- there's a TON of content in this post that you can implement right away!

Read The 3 Emails You Must Send During A Launch... and a Fresh Alternative for Bloggers

To say the last couple of weeks has been a wild ride would be an understatement, but it's all been good. Definitely ups and downs, but fortunately the downs haven't been bad. Just contemplative. I've been contemplating a lot about my business lately so I decided it would be a perfect topic for my next podcast.  You can read more about what spurred all this in my recent post, "Is it time to move on?"

Don't worry. It's not a bitch fest. I save those for good friends and family (I don't go there with my therapist... she'd call me on it too quickly).

I've been doing this for almost 5 years now - and when I say 'this', I mean my business.

In this episode I talk about my recent WordPress Genesis for Beginners class, what I went through with pricing, promoting and wondering if I had pigeonholed myself into a niche (focusing on StudioPress Genesis).  All of this brought about a LOT of questioning about my business (especially after I created a free StudioPress Community Resources guide and let one annoying person get under my skin, as much as I'd like to think I didn't)- so much so that I even considered giving up my brand and selling this site!

Don't worry, that's not going to happen. I did think about it for a day or so then realized that I was not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak.

Instead, I'm going to be incorporating my name into the brand.

Here's what the new logo / header looks like. I've already started using this in my newsletter but it won't be unveiled on the site until I flip the theme (which should hopefully be in the next week).

Pretty fun, huh? Not too far off, I'm keeping my colors, The WordPress Chick and am just going to be expanding what I'm doing.

Next up will be new photos... I realized I have ONE photo that appears everywhere, so it's time to get some new pics done. I just want to make sure they don't look like I'm posing for a Realtor shot or a "Glamour Shot" (remember those photo stores in the mall? holy moly!)

In this episode I also talk about one thing that has been a HUGE focus for me and that is Building Relationships!

This is one of those things that you've heard over and over (and I think I said that in my "Marketing Isn't A Spectator Sport" post) and is SO absolutely important. My point in this episode is that not only do you need to build relationships, but you should be building the RIGHT relationships for YOU! Don't be a sheep and spend time trying to connect with Guru's or people you think might be important (of course since you're a reader of mine I know that's not who you are anyways... ;-) ).

Connect with Like Minded People.

Create Awesome Content.

Provide Value.

Have Fun.

Sounds simple enough, right?

It is. You just need to trust yourself.

Recommendations from this Episode:

1) Plugin: nrelate Related Content

You can see what this looks like at the bottom of this post ("Here are some other posts you might enjoy"... I need to change that text. It just doesn't sound like me, but you get the point).

Download nrelate Realted Content here (or click the image below)

[sws_divider_line]

2) Post on ProBlogger: The 3 Emails You Must Send During A Launch... and a Fresh Alternative for Bloggers

LOVE this site (Fearless Launching). The post is a great example of providing value- there's a TON of content in this post that you can implement right away!

Read The 3 Emails You Must Send During A Launch... and a Fresh Alternative for Bloggers

HOLY MOLY! I really should have video recorded myself doing this first podcast... it would have provided some comic relief for you to say the least. I lost count with how many times I started then deleted just the introduction! Forget the few times I recorded up to about 10 minutes then scrapped the whole thing.

 Here's the crazy thing...

IT WAS TOTALLY FUN! I really had a ball recording my first episode and am already looking forward to the next one.

I had already planned out what I was going to do, but I think I need to do the show notes prior to recording- as in full show notes, not just an outline. Who knows... I can tell you I won't be reading from a script... ever.

Here's my full 'arsenal' of plugins from Episode 1 of the WordPress Chick Podcast. 1) Akismet: If you've done a WordPress Install, you're familiar with Akismet. This is the built-in spam filter that comes with WordPress (so the plugin itself is free). You do need to register for an API key  (once you activate the plugin it will ask you for your API key).

2) Author hReview: There is both a free and premium version of this plugin (I'm using the free version). Author hReview creates a review box in your post where you can list the name, author, version number (if applicable), rating and brief summary. I've adjusted this plugin so it shows at the bottom of my post as opposed to the default top right of the post (it was too crowded with my featured image).

You can view the premium version and the free version to see what's right for you.

 3) Blubrry PowerPress: Blubrry PowerPress is an all in once podcasting plugin. There are a handful of podcasting plugins available, but I chose this one because it was recommended by The Podcast Answer Man (Cliff Ravenscraft) and is also the plugin my business partner, Steve O'Sullivan uses. I've recorded screenshots and am doing a step-by-step set up guide for the plugin (it's pretty involved). This plugin (FREE) comes with everything you need for podcasting, including iTunes specifications & submission.

4) Complete Gallery Manager: I've done a full post with video on the Complete Gallery Manager, so you can check that out if you want more details, but this is a great responsive photo and video gallery plugin. This is a premium plugin through CodeCanyon, but it's truly worth every penny. Here's my post and video on the Complete Gallery Manager.

5) Custom Social Profiles: this is my free plugin that allows you to upload custom social icons (both regular and hover icons) that link to your social profiles (these are not sharing icons where people can share your content) so people can connect with you on social networks. You can subscribe on the site for a free copy (top right sidebar of this page).

6) Easy Digital Downloads:  Like I mentioned in the podcast, this is one of my favorite new plugins! And yep, its free! It was created by Pippin Williamson. The plugin works great as is, right out of the box. There are free and premium extensions available to add additional functionality and options. Youll be hearing much more about this plugin in upcoming months from me, but for now I recommend you download it and test it out (yep, just the free version will get you going). Keep in mind this is for digital products only. Get Easy Digital Downloads here.

7) Easy Digital Downoads - Amazon S3 Extension: If you have an Amazon S3 account and want to store you digital downloads for use with Easy Digital Downloads, then this is for you! I love my S3 account and any time I can use it without having to login to Amazon I'm all for it. This is a premium extension, but remember the plugin is free! (can't beat that!)

Get the Amazon S3 Extension here

8) Easy Digital Downloads - Aweber Extension: Want to add your customers to your list when they purchase from you through Easy Digital Downloads?  Don't worry, they still have to confirm their optin (and you set up a little checkbox for them to...

HOLY MOLY! I really should have video recorded myself doing this first podcast... it would have provided some comic relief for you to say the least. I lost count with how many times I started then deleted just the introduction! Forget the few times I recorded up to about 10 minutes then scrapped the whole thing.

Here's the crazy thing...

IT WAS TOTALLY FUN! I really had a ball recording my first episode and am already looking forward to the next one.

I had already planned out what I was going to do, but I think I need to do the show notes prior to recording- as in full show notes, not just an outline. Who knows... I can tell you I won't be reading from a script... ever.

Here's my full 'arsenal' of plugins from Episode 1 of the WordPress Chick Podcast. 1) Akismet: If you've done a WordPress Install, you're familiar with Akismet. This is the built-in spam filter that comes with WordPress (so the plugin itself is free). You do need to register for an API key  (once you activate the plugin it will ask you for your API key).

2) Author hReview: There is both a free and premium version of this plugin (I'm using the free version). Author hReview creates a review box in your post where you can list the name, author, version number (if applicable), rating and brief summary. I've adjusted this plugin so it shows at the bottom of my post as opposed to the default top right of the post (it was too crowded with my featured image).

You can view the premium version and the free version to see what's right for you.

3) Blubrry PowerPress: Blubrry PowerPress is an all in once podcasting plugin. There are a handful of podcasting plugins available, but I chose this one because it was recommended by The Podcast Answer Man (Cliff Ravenscraft) and is also the plugin my business partner, Steve O'Sullivan uses. I've recorded screenshots and am doing a step-by-step set up guide for the plugin (it's pretty involved). This plugin (FREE) comes with everything you need for podcasting, including iTunes specifications & submission.

4) Complete Gallery Manager: I've done a full post with video on the Complete Gallery Manager, so you can check that out if you want more details, but this is a great responsive photo and video gallery plugin. This is a premium plugin through CodeCanyon, but it's truly worth every penny. Here's my post and video on the Complete Gallery Manager.

5) Custom Social Profiles: this is my free plugin that allows you to upload custom social icons (both regular and hover icons) that link to your social profiles (these are not sharing icons where people can share your content) so people can connect with you on social networks. You can subscribe on the site for a free copy (top right sidebar of this page).

6) Easy Digital Downloads:  Like I mentioned in the podcast, this is one of my favorite new plugins! And yep, it’s free! It was created by Pippin Williamson. The plugin works great as is, right ‘out of the box’. There are free and premium extensions available to add additional functionality and options. You’ll be hearing much more about this plugin in upcoming months from me, but for now I recommend you download it and test it out (yep, just the free version will get you going). Keep in mind this is for digital products only. Get Easy Digital Downloads here.

7) Easy Digital Downoads - Amazon S3 Extension: If you have an Amazon S3 account and want to store you digital downloads for use with Easy Digital Downloads, then this is for you! I love my S3 account and any time I can use it without having to login to Amazon I'm all for it. This is a premium extension, but remember the plugin is free! (can't beat that!)

Get the Amazon S3 Extension here

8) Easy Digital Downloads - Aweber Extension: Want to add your customers to your list when they purchase from you through Easy Digital Downloads?  Don't worry, they still have to confirm their optin (and you set up a little checkbox for them to...