Work Less, Earn More

If you only had 20 hours to work in your business each week, what task would be at the top of your priority list? Why?

That’s the question I asked four of my most trusted business connections, friends, and mentors.

Today, you’ll hear from Lucy Griffiths, Ashlyn Carter, Lacy Boggs, and Ashley Gartland in the first of a new format we’re calling Roundup, where I invite my business friends and mentors to answer a question, and you get their insights and experiences on that topic.

Today, they’ll tell us what tasks they prioritize in their business and why, and you’ll get insight into why you might want to shift your priorities so you can do more with less time.

Lucy Griffiths is the creator of Confident on Camera. Her incredible sales funnel has sold over 30,000 copies of one of her online courses. Lucy focuses on strategies that give her really big results with the least possible effort.

Ashlyn Carter is conversion copywriter and marketing strategist specializing in wedding & creative industries. Her launch funnels have generated results for clients including upwards of $1M in revenue in a single week and her courses teach people to write their own effective, sales-generating copy, all while working half-time.

Lacy Boggs is a content strategist and the director of The Content Direction Agency. She helps small business owners fill their program or practice by generating organic demand through content marketing.

Ashley Gartland is a business coach who helps busy small business owners and online entrepreneurs simplify and streamline their business so they can grow more and work less. 

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why Lucy focuses her energy on audience building and relationship building
• How Ashlyn uses the Pomodoro technique and batches her days to stay on track
• Why Lacy keeps sales and marketing at the top of her list
• How Ashley builds and maintains relationships to run her business in 20 hours per week

Learn more about Lucy Griffiths:

• LucyGriffiths.com
• Confident On Camera Course
• Follow Lucy on YouTube

Learn more about Ashlyn Carter:

• Ashlyn Writes
• Instagram: @AshlynCarter
• Facebook: @AshlynWrites
• YouTube: Ashlyn Writes

Learn more about Lacy Boggs:

• The Content Direction Agency
• Instagram: @LacyLu42
• Facebook: @ghostbloggergb

Learn more about Ashley Gartland:

• AshleyGartland.com
• Instagram: @AshleyGartland
• Facebook: Ashley Gartland Coaching

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!
• Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Resources:

• Work Less, Earn More Ep 42: 30,000+ Courses Sold in Just 18 Months (and with a Small Audience!) with Lucy Griffiths
• Work Less, Earn More Ep 16: Copywriting Secrets for Converting More Customers with Ashlyn Carter
• Work Less, Earn More Ep 39: Building a Quarter-Million Dollar Agency in 20 Hours a Week with Lacy Boggs
• Work Less, Earn More Ep 13: Three Systems to Maximize Your Productivity with Ashley Gartland

I got an email recently with a really good question. 

The email went something like this, “I know you don’t have a crystal ball, but what is a fair estimate for how long it will take me to start making consistent monthly income. Some sort of ballpark to help me set my expectations would be helpful. The number I have in my head is 12 to 18 months from now that I should be covering my monthly expenses and making at least a little beyond that.”

This person’s expectation right now is that after working on her business for a year, or a year and a half, that she should be breaking even, maybe a little more.

The thing about goals and expectations is that whatever target you set your course toward will affect everything you do to try to reach that goal. So when you expect the break even in 18 months, your actions will–consciously or not–take you in that direction.

It’s like the saying, aim for the moon, and even if you fail you’ll be among the stars.

Which is why I don’t want that person or you to be setting your sights on just breaking even after a year or more, because it is possible to do so much better than that.

So today I’m taking you through exactly what you can expect in the first year, how you can make predictions for yourself and your business, and what your first goal should be to set yourself on the trajectory for success.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What you can expect in your first three to six months in business
• Why your first $1000 is the first milestone you need to aim for
• How the validation process supports you on the path to growth

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Resources:

• Online Business Quickstart Guide
• Predict Your Profits Workshop

Have you heard of the Employee Retention Credit?

If you haven’t, you’re not alone.

The ERC is part of a COVID relief program created by the US government to provide assistance to business owners who have been impacted by COVID-19.

Your business could be eligible for a substantial credit but most entrepreneurs and business owners aren’t aware of it, which means there’s a significant amount of funding going unclaimed.

So today, I’m talking with Mark Sullivan, CEO of ERC Specialists about the ERC, who is eligible, how to apply and how to work with an ERC specialist to make the process as easy as possible.

ERC Specialists is a specialty payroll company exclusively dedicated to understanding and maximizing the CARES Act Employee Retention Credit (ERC) for small businesses affected negatively by COVID 19.

Mark has a wealth of knowledge on this topic, and he is really passionate about helping entrepreneurs to take advantage of this unusual opportunity that has been created.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why you probably haven’t heard of the ERC
• What kinds of businesses qualify for the credit
• Three key ways your business may qualify

Learn more about Mark Sullivan:

• ERC Specialists

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Too often, choosing your business model isn’t a conscious decision and you accept whatever the default seems to be for your industry.

But choosing your business model is a really important decision.

The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.

Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.

This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.

Today I’m talking to Nathalie Lussier about the Software As A Service model and her business, AccessAlly.

Nathalie Lussier is an award-winning entrepreneur who has been making web sites since she was 12 years old. She graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and a job offer from Wall Street, but she turned down this job to start her own business right out of college.

As the founder of AccessAlly, the powerful digital course and membership solution for industry leaders, she believes that access to education can help defy stereotypes and make the world a better place, while providing a sustainable livelihood for enterprising teachers.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why Nathalie made the leap from hands-on coaching and consulting to developing software
• How software as a service provides stability for business owners
• Who to partner with if you have a great idea but don’t have software development experience
• Why AccessAlly stopped paid advertising and focused on content marketing 
• How Nathalie and her team evaluate adding new features and services to AccessAlly

Learn more about Nathalie Lussier:

• YouTube
• Twitter: @NathLussier
• Facebook: @AccessAllyTM
• Pinterest: @AccessAlly
• Connect with AccessAlly on LinkedIn

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Choosing your business model is a really important decision.

The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.

But too often, it isn’t even a conscious decision, but just accepted as the default for whatever type of business you’re building or the industry you’re in. 

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.

This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.

Today I’m talking to Jordan Gill about her business, Systems Saved Me.

Jordan helps burned out service providers convert their monthly retainers to virtual VIP Days. Her program Done In a Day™ has helped over 270 students create and sell their first VIP Days. She also has a podcast called Systems Saved Me with over 300 episodes all about how business owners navigate success with systems.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How Jordan shifted her business entirely to VIP Days in 2017 and never looked back
• How she structures her client onboarding to maximize the productivity of the VIP Day
• How Jordan cultivates win-win referral sources
• The systems and automations that give Jordan a three-day work week

Learn more about Jordan Gill:

• Systems Saved Me
• Instagram: @SystemsSavedMe
• Systems Saved Me Podcast

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.

Choosing your business model is a really important decision.

But too often, it isn’t even a conscious decision, but just accepted as the default for whatever type of business you’re building or the industry you’re in.

So let’s change that.

Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.

This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.

Today I’m talking to Natalie Gingrich about her business, The Ops Authority, where she certifies and mentors women who leverage their natural skillset of operations and administration. She's driven to help women earn an income with ease while doing what comes most naturally to them.

Natalie has merged her corporate career background with her entrepreneurial learnings to create the Director of Operations Certification Program, the only strategic operations certification for leaders.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why Natalie landed on developing a certification program rather than strictly a course
• How Natalie began marketing to her networks and why relationship marketing is still a key strategy for her today
• How her podcast functions as the top of her sales funnel, and why it works for her audience
• Where Natalie spends the most of her time and money in her business, and which sales avenues provide the best conversion

Learn more about Natalie Gingrich:

• The Ops Authority
• Facebook: @TheOpsAuthority
• The Ops Authority Podcast

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Over the next several episodes, I'm going to be interviewing a series of online business owners about their business models, how their businesses make money, their biggest expenses, how much time their businesses take to run, how big or small their teams are, and more.

Today I’m interviewing Anna Wolf, the owner of Superscript Marketing, a small agency that sells a productized service, meaning they sell a service that looks very similar for each of the different types of clients they serve.

We’ll talk about why she chose this model, how it works and some of the additional considerations that this type of business can create, as well as the pros of selling a simple service rather than responding to each individual client’s specific needs.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• The legal, financial, and psychological reasons behind using a mix of contractors and employees
• Why Superscript’s highly specialized niche means they don’t have to spend a lot of effort bringing in new clients
• Why Anna has chosen to remain a boutique firm rather than scaling up, and how she is branching out her business
• Why professional development and team bonding are significant line items in her budget

Learn more about Anna Wolf:

• Superscript Marketing
• Connect with Anna on LinkedIn

Learn more about Gillian:



• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Over the next several episodes, I'm going to be interviewing a series of online business owners about their business models, how their businesses make money, their biggest expenses, how much time their businesses take to run, how big or small their teams are and more.

Today I’m talking to Marie Poulin, creator of Notion Mastery, her hybrid online course that mixes self-paced study with office hours and community support.

Marie helps solopreneurs and small teams streamline their digital systems, processes, and workflows, so they can spend more time on what matters.

Notion Mastery is an online course and community that helps folks use Notion to live and work better.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why having live calls and office hours was instrumental to developing Notion Mastery
• How a hybrid course plays to Marie’s strengths, personality and how she wants to show up in her business
• Why leveraging interest in an existing tool like Notion or YouTube is a great beginner strategy for developing courses
• The real costs in money and time of running a hybrid course and community

Learn more about Marie Poulin:

• Notion Mastery
• YouTube
• Twitter: @MariePoulin

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Over the next several episodes, I'm going to be interviewing a series of online business owners about their business models, how their businesses make money, their biggest expenses, how much time their businesses take to run, how big or small their teams are, and more.

Today I’m talking to interior designer Candice Prather about how she blends her offerings to capture very different types of customers in a service-based business.

Candice Prather is a Maryland-based Interior Designer and Realtor at Keller Williams Preferred Properties. She is a proud member of The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), and The National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why you have to think like your customer when developing a marketing strategy
• How Candice uses a detailed questionnaire to prep potential clients for their sales call
• How she manages client workload across her two primary offerings
• What add-on products boost Candice’s bottom line
• How Candice envisions scaling her business

Learn more about Candice Prather:

• CandicePrather.com
• Instagram: @CandicePrather

Learn more about Gillian:

• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!

Over the next several episodes, I'm going to be interviewing a series of online business owners about their business models, how their businesses make money, their biggest expenses, how much time their businesses take to run, how big or small their teams are and more.

Today I’m talking to Cher Hale about how she’s built a micro-agency by design, serving a very specific demographic and market that aligns with her values and passions.

Cher Hale is the founder and director of Ginkgo PR, a boutique agency that believes in using public relations to help historically-excluded authors and entrepreneurs take back their narratives.

As a Taiwanese-Black American woman, Cher is passionate about leveraging the power of media to tell diverse stories through online, print, TV, and podcast mediums so she can play a role in reshaping how our society views social justice, feminism, and multiculturalism.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How Cher mixes a limited number of traditional retainer clients with consults and a membership option
• Where the biggest chunks of her money and time go as a micro-agency
• What she loves about her hybrid business model and one big disadvantage of a longer contract

Learn more about Cher Hale:

• Gingko Public Relations
• Connect with Cher on LinkedIn

Learn more about Gillian:



• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!