The Solopreneur Hour Podcast with Michael O'Neal

Matt Rockwell is a buddy of mine from the network marketing company I'm in,  Isagenix. Prior to Isa, he was in the corporate of corporatest jobs, the US Healthcare system.  This was a great chat...despite the fact that we never got into pro/audiophile sound systems, Matt dropped knowledge bombs all over the place...especially if you're in the direct sales world! Matt had made his millions in the corporate world before repeating that task within Isagenix...he was one of the first millionaires of the company.  Despite that, he's one of the most humble down to earth dudes you'll ever meet. We talked meditation, the history of the HMO system, the #1 strategy for direct sales success, and a bunch more in the 155th edition of The Solopreneur Hour. More About This Show Matt spent 12 years in the Navy before entering the corporate world as an electrical engineer. Throughout his corporate journey his work played a role in the creation of many systems and structures, including the HMO system (HMO stands for health maintenance organization). He made a success of his corporate life and reached a point where he was set financially. Not being one to sit around idly, Matt worked as a consult which meant long hours of travel and always being "on". The stress level was fairly high, but it was something he had grown accustomed to. When his wife was diagnosed with a terminal illness after nearly 30 years of marriage, all of that changed. He chose to be a care provider for her, which was completely incompatible with traveling for his consulting work. He poured all of his heart, his time and his energy into being there for his wife. In a short period of time, he put on a lot of weight and added a tremendous amount of stress. His health was in the pits, until a friend brought him a box of something and told him he was going to eat it. Trusting his friend, Matt ate the products in the box and saw amazing results. He lost 60 pounds, decreased the impact of stress on his body and felt great. Because the products had proven themselves, Matt was intrigued to better understand the business model behind the company. He knew it was network marketing and as he researched, his eyes were opened to the business model. Being the engineer he is, he dove further into research mode until he ultimately decided to start his own business with Isagenix. You'll also discover things like: * History is written by ________. Matt fills in the blank for us. * How meditation can speed up your success journey. * What "ah ha" moments are really about. * Wealth gives you options. Who said it and does Matt agree? * What really moves the needle in direct selling. * And lots more! That was nearly 12 years ago and Matt has been and continues to be a leader with the company. As he's grown his business, he's discovered quite a lot along the way. We discuss a few of those nuggets in this episode, including what it really takes to move the needle in the direct selling industry. We start off talking about the role of meditation and Buddhism in his life and his success. Matt has been a practicing Buddhist and a meditator for 25 years. He typically meditates for 30-60 minutes (or more) twice a day and he goes off to month-long retreats once a year. If you're interested in meditation, he suggests finding a beginner group to join and learning together. There's power in learning something new with a group in the same boat you are in. Much like a mastermind, you're learning things and growing together. Along that same line, Matt believes in self development, but not as the key to success in network marketing. He says the simple truth in the direct sales industry is this:  your paycheck boils down to the newest additions in your business. It's the opposite of the corporate world but the lesson applies to solopreneurs. For example,

If you're like solopreneurs everywhere, you use any number of social media tools to promote your business. Whether or not Instagram is one of those businesses, you're going to learn plenty from our guest for episode 154! Sue B. Zimmerman is affectionately known as the Queen of Instagram, a fairly recent title bequeathed to her. In this episode you'll hear the story of how she began using Instagram and then how she focused on teaching it before finally declaring it was to be her niche. She also shares a ton of knowledge in the manufacturing, licensing and the importance of creating an experience for your clients. More About This Show Sue has been in the business world for over 30 years. She started as an enterprising young girl on the Cape Cod coast, always with her eyes open for opportunities to sell her wares. Her father also taught her a great deal about business, relationships and the value of connection. He was a successful businessman running an auto parts store who supported her as she started and expanded her businesses. The first business she created was a custom screen printing boxer shorts company. Sue was a recent college grad whose post-graduation job had fallen through, so she opted to start her own company. Her dad helped her with the collateral so she could buy what they needed to be up and running. She had clearly learned a great deal from her dad and her experiences on the coast as a young girl because she did over $1 million in sales in her first year! Over the next few decades, Sue ran a variety of businesses that provided her with tons of opportunities; she even had a spot on QVC! In the last six years or so, she had been teaching social media in the Boston area. Instagram became part of her repertoire when she noticed her teenage daughters scrolling on their phones. They warned her not to start using Instagram because then she would start teaching it! Though they didn't know it at the time, her daughters had planted a seed. Sue started using Instagram for her summer boutique in Cape Cod and saw some astronomical numbers early on! That seed was given its full chance to grown when she attended Brendan Burchard's Expert Academy; it was there that Instagram became "the thing" for her. She got home from the conference, after teaching Instagram to everyone she came in contact with, and literally put a stake in the ground to signify her commitment to becoming the Instagram Queen. You'll also discover things like: * How much did her boutique's sales increase when she started using Instagram? * What's the most rewarding thing for her? * What people should get immediately upon viewing you on Instagram. * Why you should NEVER buy followers, according to Sue. * How and when to track your Instagram stats. * And lots more!   Since that definitive stake-in-the-ground moment, Sue has gone on to become an expert in the world of all things Instagram. In this episode, she hands out some serious knowledge she's learned along the way! She explains what to do once you have 500 followers and why that's such a powerful number. She also helps us share links with people and how to create a funnel to get your followers from Instagram to your mailing list. It's pretty simple and she dials it all in during this show. She also offers some feedback on the best ways to promote a podcast on Instagram like shooting a quick 15 second video to promote an upcoming show or remind people about a show that's already gone live. Even if you don't have a podcast, you can still use this technique to promote any piece of content to your followers. Sue also tells us the best way to use hashtags on Instagram and how to ...

Today we're celebrating the one year anniversary of The Solopreneur Hour! What a year it's been. Thank you all for participating, whether you're a long-time listener or this is your first time tuning in. In this episode, we talk about Podcast Movement, what it was like to meet SoloLab members in person, my thoughts on branding and rebranding and finally we answer your questions in our usual Friday Q&A session. If you want to submit a question for the next solo episode, join us in SoloLab or in our Facebook group, Proudly Unemployable. Thanks again for being here, I'm excited to share this show with you! More About This Show For the one year anniversary of the show we're doing a live broadcast from Studio 86! Myself and Lara talk in the studio about Podcast Movement, our trip to the Dallas Cowboys stadium, how to boost your podcast rankings and finally, we get to your questions. Podcast Movement was an incredible event, we were all so happy to be a part of it! I presented twice and was able to prep for my Life After 8 Weeks program by doing a session on that very topic. Many of you SoloLabbers were in attendance and it was awesome to spend the weekend with all of you. For many of us, it was our first chance to meet in person and we hit it off - tons of camaraderie, laughs and bonding all around. We kept it going on Monday after the conference and gathered for a personal VIP tour of the Dallas Cowboys stadium. Most of you know I am a diehard Steelers fan but even I was impressed. We talk about the story behind this episode's photo and how I got a selfie with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Another topic you'll want to listen for is the importance of subscriptions in boosting your podcast's rankings and how to rebrand once you've established a presence in your marketplace. In terms of podcast rankings, I did a little experiment you can see in the Proudly Unemployable group. In essence, I focused on getting new subscriptions just to see what would happen. And it made a HUGE difference! We jumped up into the top 10 of business - something that never happened before! And the show was ranked 85 overall out of EVERY show on iTunes. On the tail of that, I also discuss the importance of branding and rebranding. When you're first starting out, you can use your name in the brand but don't make it the primary focus. Most of us don't have the name recognition necessary to carry a show with just our names. But once you've established a presence in the industry, then you can rebrand and that's what I'm in the process of doing. And finally we dive into your questions! Thank you all for sending them in, keep 'em coming. In the mean time, have a listen to the questions you all asked this week. Tony Manzo Your thoughts on including the host's name in the logo for branding purposes. Thanks! Timothy Dwight Moser  Do you like to cook? Lara Loest  If you had the top pick in SoloLab's fantasy football draft, who would you choose and why? Danielle K. Lambert I have a website - SnoutSchool.com - where I teach social media for veterinary hospitals via blogs, short videos & membership courses. It's pretty established - 700 hospitals get my email tips. However, I'm interested in starting a podcast that focuses on social media/marketing topics for veterinarians. Problem is that I can't decide if I should brand the podcast to the same Snout School name or have it be it's own separate entity. I guess I'm worried that without the word "veterinary" in it, no one will stumble upon it in iTunes. Thoughts, Mr. Branding Wizard? Thanks in advance! Dave McGuire Give me the details of what your latest subscribe request did for your rankings in iTunes.

One of the most challenging obstacles for solopreneurs, entrepreneurs and anyone working in the online space used to be creating sales funnels or squeeze pages. But with the advent of LeadPages, that problem was solved. One of those happily satisfied online marketer solopreneurs was one Tim Paige. Today he sits down with us for a live conversation from Podcast Movement 2014 and we chat about going from customer to co-leader...and how being a musician paved the way for his present day success. Join us for episode 152 of The Solopreneur Hour to hear all of that and so much more. More About This Show Tim Paige is known in many circles of solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, online marketers, affiliate marketers and the like. Everyone in that world knows him as one of the kick-ass dudes bringing us LeadPages and their podcast, ConversionCast. And when you hear him talk about opt-in pages, conversions, and email tips & tricks, you'll instantly hear the passion in his voice. He loves his work because it helps people like you do what they love most. But before he joined the team at LeadPages, Tim was a musician, an affiliate marketer and a voiceover artist. A man of many talents, he shares with us some of the lessons he's learned from all of those endeavors. In particular, we dive into what his days as a touring musician were like and what it was like for him to be on TRL on MTV and the Warped Tour. For those of you who aren't familiar with TRL, MTV or Warped Tour, let's explain. TRL stood for Total Request Live and it was a show on MTV where the biggest bands and musical artists came to perform their music live in the MTV studio in New York City. So being on it was kind of a big deal! Tim says the experience of TRL prepared him for being a solopreneur in many respects; he learned the value in saying yes and going after something you want, whether you think you'll get it or not. His TRL experience came on the heels of Van's Warped Tour. In fact, they appeared on TRL just four days after coming off their performance at Warped Tour! Warped Tour is an international outdoor music festival. Though it began by featuring punk rock bands, today it showcases alternative rock and bands from other genres. Again, it was a pretty big deal when his band got to perform on the tour! You'll also discover things like: * How Tim's band landed their spot on Van's Warped Tour. * Why you should be a "yes" person. * How Tim has taken the ConversionCast list to 95,000 subscribers. * His microphone tip for all podcasters. * What happens when you give someone too many choices? * And lots more! Tim explains his visit to Warped Tour was the kind of experience that shaped his perception and his belief system. If he could get his band on that tour and then perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people, what else could he do? Anything, so long as he said yes and he went for it. He's taken those lessons with him into all of his projects and endeavors since then. As we mentioned earlier, he does voiceovers for podcasters and was an affiliate marketer before joining the gang at LeadPages. He got to know Clay from LeadPages and he later told Tim he wanted him to run a podcast for their brand. Tim was thrilled; he and Clay mapped out a plan together and Tim got it off the ground. It started as a daily show but eventually Tim discovered a weekly show best suited their content and their audience. In fact, he kept his loyal listeners when he made the shift AND his opt-in rates went up significantly! His audience let him know they loved once-a-week episode style. Over time, Tim really honed in on what works and what doesn't work in both podcasting and conversion rates; I made sure he gave us a few golden nuggets on this show!

The Solopreneur Hour brings you a special edition for show 151. We're coming to you live from the first annual Podcast Movement! Joining us today is  a Who's Who of podcasting. This elite guest panel features eight fabulous co-hosts: Natalie Sisson and Jaime Tardy, Greg Hickman and Molly Richardson, Chris Cerrone and Kirsty Bartholomew, then we finish up with John Lee Dumas and Kate Erickson. I like to call them The Great Eight! I chat with each duo for 15 minutes and we cover everything you've ever wanted to know about podcasting, as told from eight different perspectives. Hear what it's like for new podcasters and veterans alike. Join us for this fun, informative and live episode of The Solopreneur Hour. More About This Show First up is Natalie and Jaime. Both have been guests on the show (see the resources section for links) previously and it is a pleasure to have them back with us. These lovely ladies you may recognize: Natalie's brand is The Suitcase Entrepreneur and Jaime Tardy is the woman behind the scenes at The Eventual Millionaire. Jaime is well on her way to being an eventual billionaire and Natalie has been on the road living out of her suitcase for four years now! She's slowing down a bit and spending four months in New Zealand soon. We talk about where Jaime was living when she got her start, what Natalie and Jaime both use for their set up. Natalie shares how she lands her guests (she tells us if getting a slinky dress helps her cause at all) and how far in advance they both record their shows. Next up Greg and Molly take the stage. Greg has been with us on The Solopreneur Hour before (again check the resources section) and Molly is a new addition. Greg is the man at the helm of the Mixed Media, a brand all about the advantages of mobile media. And Molly is the co-host of Ok 2 B LGBT, a podcast for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. She's also a member of SoloLab. Molly shares what it's like to ride the wave of New & Noteworthy and what her show has planned after those eight weeks, how it will be evolving into an interview style format. You'll also discover things like: * What's up next for Natalie and Jaime? * Why you need to build community before you monetize. * Who joined The Trunk Club first: Greg or Pat Flynn? * Why talking to yourself helps you create your ideal avatar. * Of the 694 quotes he's heard, which describes John the best? * And lots more! For our third set of co-hosts we have Chris Cerrone of The Chris Cerrone Show and Kirsty Bartholomew of The Untrapped Life. Both are podcasters (obviously, that's why they are on this panel) and are also members of SoloLab. Chris does some of the best interviewing of anyone out there today and Kirsty made the trek all the way from England to be with us! Kirsty shares what it was like to take her branding experience from "rubbish" to nailing it, it was NOT easy! And Chris tells us how his show has evolved from a one-man show to a dynamic, co-hosting interview session. And we wrap up with the one and only Entrepreneur on Fire team of John Lee Dumas and Kate Erickson. John has visited the show three times in the past making this his fourth appearance and Kate joins us a second time. Kate chats with us about how her podcast came to be, what fears she faced and how she's made the transition from being the queen behind EOF to having her own voice out in the world. John's newest addition to the podcasting world, what he had to do to get to Podcast Movement and why he's wearing sunglasses during the entire conference. With John and Kate, we talk about John's hustle and where his genius lies. He's not afraid to fail, he simply goes for it and makes adjustments as needed. He does everything he can to provide value to their audience and the world at large. Kate shares the long-term view for her podcast: she says you can't determine what som...

...Or Something. It's the 150th edition of The Solopreneur Hour! For this episode it's another round of yours, mine and everyone's favorite: the Q&A show. I spend this hour answering your questions. Whatever topic you want to ask about, I weigh in and give you my thoughts. I love hearing from you and love giving you as much knowledge and actionable content as I can. If you want to submit a question for the next solo episode, join us in SoloLab or in our Facebook group, Proudly Unemployable. This week, you guys REALLY brought the thunder.  You served me some toughies.  I hope you get some value out of my answers.  If I've used your question, do me a favor...click "share" on this post, and share it with your friends! Now without further delay, let's jump right in and get to your questions. More About This Show Sean Ackerman What has been your biggest challenge since starting your podcast, and how did you overcome it? Cause the audience loves a story Michael. Arista Hageman What social media tool has helped grow your business the most? Which ones do you not bother with. Why? Simon Knapp If you had to, which would you give up: the Steelers or the Porsche? Lisa Cummings We all know that you study comedy. If you had to come up with two funny ice breakers for meeting new people at Podcast Movement, how would you "break into" a group of already-chatting-with-each-other minglers? I know you don't claim to be a comedian, but...you know...improvise for fun. Timothy Dwight Moser Do you study only current comedy, or do you spend time on some of the older classics, e.g. Monty Python (my favorite)? Mike Kelley What are your predictions on the future of podcasting? How do you think it will evolve and change over the next few years? Scott Webber If you could be a professional race car driver or a professional drummer what would you choose ? Vagarro Willie If you could sit down and have a beer with your parents today about the solohour podcast, how do you think the conversation would go? What would be their opinion of the show? Brent Danis Whats the best way to offer value to someone who you are not connected to yet? Jennifer Ellis We've heard that podcasting is one way to build community, what other effective ways do believe could build community other than podcasting and blogging? Dwain Scott What process do you like better: Recording then adding the intro and outro or doing it all as one straight show? How much time did this take away from post production. Jeff Stephens What type of product delivery have you found most used by members of your training/solo lab? Is it pretty even between video, documents/PDFs, checklists, tutorials. What has been your findings with your audience? Is there an overarching trend? Thanks man, keep up the awesomeness! Craig Morrison What are the best first steps for building your audience from scratch? For example guest blogging offering a free ebook. Chris Davis I'm trying audible as a sponsor and they suggest that I use "audible trial dot com / my URL." Is that better, the same, or worse than using " my URL dot com / Book" or should I buy a brand new domain altogether? I'm not sure how to do this properly. Is one way better? Thanks Michael! Miriam Ortiz Y Pino Can you tell us what platform and about the delivery of your training products - Social Media Ninja - how the download pages connect to your shopping cart etc. I am getting ready to launch my Streamlined Solutions (audio + workbooks) and want the buying and delivery to be as easy as possible for people. What I have set up now - WP, 1Shopping Cart, with an AWeber form in there somewhere, is a little bit clunky. Thanks!

I'm excited to share with The Solopreneur Hour listeners that today's guest is one of the all time great studio and live drummers: Mr. Mark Schulman. Mark has been playing in touring bands for Cher, Pink, Foreigner, Billy Idol, Destiny's Child...the list goes on and on! Not only is he amazing on the drums, he's also a sought-after speaker and author on the topic of stage fright and human performance. Today we're talking about lessons from drumming (of course), and also how to overcome stage fright/performance anxiety when speaking, presenting or performing in front of a crowd. Please join me in welcoming Mark to the show for episode 149. More About This Show Mark has long been someone I wanted to have on the show, not just because he's a fantastic drummer but also because he's taken his knowledge to other venues: speaking engagements and authorship. He's also a volunteer who generously gives to charities; he's an all-around great guy and I was thrilled when we lined up a chat. On today's show, we first talk about Mark's experiences in the drumming world. He's been touring the world with bands for quite awhile and has an impressive resume to show for it. As this show airs, he's about to tour again with Cher. He was also part of Pink's 2013 tour which grossed nearly $171 million dollars and sold out 111 out of 114 shows. I also asked him what some of his favorite moments were, those "pinch me" kind of moments. He named a few: the Staples Center (he grew up in Los Angeles), the uber-famous Wembley Stadium and the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where the Beatles played. You'll also discover things like: * What was his nickname while touring with Pink? * The Van Halen M&M legend: true or false? * What are road map charts? * Why it's actually good to be nervous before going on stage. * How drumming prepared both of us for supporting and leading roles. * And lots more!   Including those highlights and all the other times he's graced the stage, Mark has played for over a billion people! Naturally he's learned a few things along the way, especially about stage performance, stage fright and overcoming anxiety. And that's what led him to write his book, currently called Nerve Breakers: Conquering Life's Stage Fright. He knew he had a message in him and he wanted to share it. But it's not about "his message", there's no ego involved in anything he does. For him anything he creates and brings into the world simply comes through him. The foundation for his book comes from the three Cs: clarity, capability and confidence. He wanted the book to explain how these three concepts applied to performance. His wife Lisa suggested he interview top performers in every industry and create a book around the 3 C's and the interviews. And that's what he did. Mark spoke with people from all walks of life including Tony Hseih from Zappos, Jeremy Piven the actor (who also happens to be a drummer), Guy Fieri the chef, Alan Bean from Apollo 12 (also the fourth man to walk on the moon) and about 46 other people. Fifty people were interviewed by Mark and their stories, lessons and insights were shared in this book. He says what they gave him in their interviews was simple, yet effective in allowing them to become the best performers in the world. When Mark isn't drumming, writing or interviewing inspirational performers, he's spending time with his family or speaking. If that sounds like a full schedule, it is. Mark admits to having the entrepreneurial bug and rarely having a dull moment in his life! And he loves every bit of it. Please join me in giving thanks to Mark for spending an hour of...

What's the first thing you think of when I say Badunkachunk? Is it cookies? If not, it soon will be! Meet our guest for show number 148, Mrs. Bridget Throneberry. Bridget is the lovely and talented Chief Cookie Officer at Badunkachunk, a cookie company about to take over the world. Ok I just made up her title, but her cookie company is rocking and rolling. They are based in San Diego, but ship around the globe. And Bridget is here to share with us the secrets in her recipe to success. On this episode of The Solopreneur Hour we talk about Bridget's background, how it influenced her cookie business, and the mindset that has brought her success in all she does. More About This Show Bridget grew up in the South with fond memories of her German grandmother's cookies, cakes and candies during the holiday season. Her love affair with food wasn't the only thing she inherited from her grandmother. Always decked out in matching red lipstick and nails, Bridget's grandmother also showed Bridget importance of presenting yourself in the world and the impact it can make on others. That lesson was further driven home when Bridget went the traditional Southern route of pageantry. Coming from a family without a lot of money, Bridget was determined to pay for her college education herself and pageants provided a means to do so. Through pageant participation, Bridget learned how to articulate herself, communicate and interact with others (she is an only child), and how to present herself appropriately. She never won, but she consistently finished in the top five which gave her enough money to pay for college. Having earned enough money to attend and having been accepted into college, Bridget chose the path of marketing with an emphasis on management. Always one to stay ahead of her competition, Bridget wanted to do whatever she could to get a leg up on her classmates. So she decided to find a job in her chosen field, while still in school. She landed a telemarketing job in a corporate office selling fixed loans to people with adjustable rate loans. It certainly was a product she believed in, and that helped her persevere through all the "no"s. She never let a rejection stop her, like any good solopreneur worth their salt, she kept on til she got another yes. She became so good at this work that she was promoted to warm leads after a year then after a year with warm leads she was promoted to management. Her management position was during her senior year of college, she was well ahead of the curve exactly as she had planned. You'll also discover things like: * Where did she get the name of her company? * How important branding is to her success. * How to tell if someone is right-brained or left-brained with one question. * What makes a sales letter great? * True or false: she was an aerobics instructor while in high school. * And lots more! After college, her first gig was an outside sales job. It was pretty cushy: paid car, paid phone, paid laptop and she could work from home according to her own schedule. But she faced a hurdle that first year: she had to learn to sell face to face, not something she had done before. And she struggled, she didn't grow her territory one iota that first year. It was uncharacteristic of Bridget not to reach her goals and she knew she had to do something to create a shift. So she began learning micro expressions, reading books like Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. With the help of her new tools and her expanded understanding of people, Bridget was now able to succeed in her role. By the time she had taken on her fourth sales position, she was excelling at what she did. She truly was an exceptional sales person, and she was miserable. It was time for something new. Through a stroke of good fortune and savvy business acumen,

Welcome to another addition of The Solopreneur Hour. Today we're doing another installment of answering your Facebook questions. This is exactly what I do with my coaching clients, either private or in SoloLab. So if you want a taste of that, chime in with your question and I'll do my best to answer them on these shows. And I love hearing from all of you so keep asking! And in this episode I've got a special treat for you at the end...so stay tuned!   More About This Show There are tons of question so let's just jump on in! Here we go...   Ronsley Vaz I love these episodes... big big value. My question is "What is the best way to create partnerships with brands that are serving the same or similar target markets? And, what's the best types of products to partner with?"   Steve Gilchrist Can I reserve a desk at your future solowarehouse google campus type office garage house thing??   Brent Danis What is the best way to land speaking gigs after releasing an Ebook?   Sean Ackerman What is the best way to drive engagement? Or stated differently how do I bring listeners out of there shells? I feel like the avalanche will start but I need the first few small snowflakes to kick it off!   Mike Kelley How about discussing how you find people to interview for your podcast? With putting out a podcast almost everyday I would think that it could become difficult finding a constant source of good people to interview... or is it pretty easy?   Molly Richardson What is the best way to cross promote podcast interviews? So if I am on someone else's show and then they hop onto our show.. do you just do completely separate episodes/promoting like normal?   Christine Kaczmar Would love to see you hold a weekend mastermind event for solo lab members. Any plans in the works? If so, would love to help out in any way. Thanks, Michael.   Chris Small I want to know what your typical week looks like. I know you say you aren't that structured but I've got a feeling there are some patterns to what you do. The more specific the better.   Ryan Skelly When are you going to have me back on? haha - but in all seriousness - how are you structuring your weeks now-a-days? And when is your course going to be done - so I can promote it bro!?   Thom Singer What makes you decide someone "not known" should be a guest on your show?   George Cuevas Pros and Cons of having a subscription based info/education product VS a large one time purchase.   Rey Brown Between doing your own podcast, being a guest on others, and rocking out on your drums what do you do to rest your vocals. Speaking of drums, I soooo want you to do a Black Keys cover. Maybe "Tighten Up" "Turn Blue" or "Howlin' For You"!   Jon Wilson What can the beginner podcaster expect in terms of time commitment for a new, once per week show. I am figuring each episode will be about 45 minutes. Granted, I know "it depends," but rough estimate for show prep, show notes, booking, post production, etc. Am I close with an estimate of 3x show length?   Luke McClure * How did you invite guests when you were first starting out? * What 5 steps would you say are the top 5 keys to launching a successful podcast?   Dwain Scott When are you going to have David Ralph on as a guest?!   Sue Faunt San Diego is a great place to live, but if you were to move, what would be your next location choice?       Kathleen Kelly What, in your opinion, is the best business model for a service-based online business? (And when is the next Find Your Swing episode?!)   Ryan Skelly Do you even lift bro?  

Once in a great while a book is published that not only changes the face of its genre, but that of an entire industry. It becomes a book that transcends what it means to be a book and takes on an impactful life of its own. One of those books is The E-Myth Revisited by Mr. Michael Gerber, who joins us for episode 146 of The Solopreneur Hour. During this show, Michael talks to us about the origins of the book, why it is such evergreen content, and what's coming up next for him. More About This Show As one of the Sexy Six books I recommend for all of you Soloists out there, I hope by now you've read Michael's The E-Myth Revisited. If you haven't, you can get it on Amazon (the physical book) or Audible (audio version). Considered one of the most influential business books of its time (perhaps of all time), Michael says the origins of this book are quite simple: he was looking for a way to transform the state of small business worldwide. Consumed by the pursuit of this transformation, he soon uncovered the concepts and the fundamental truth of which this book is based on. With that foundation in place, The E-Myth Revisited was born. At its core, this book is about why most small businesses fail - and how to avoid that failure. Michael says the majority of businesses fail because they are started by people who simply want to get rid of their bosses, rather than people who have a dream or a vision of something greater than their own needs and desires. Instead of creating for ourselves another job where we are the boss, we should find what that dream, vision, purpose and mission is within us and then create a business around that. He has uncovered the process by which we do that, a process he calls The Dreaming Room. It's what he's at work on now and what he is currently bringing into the world. You'll also discover things like: * What does it mean to him to be a creator? * Why the status quo kills off the creative, compelling instinct we are all born with. * Who the dreaming room is specifically designed for. * What was the business landscape like when he wrote the book? * His answer to the question: what would your last meal be? * And lots more! Visit Today's Sponsors: Freshbooks - Easy Invoicing For Solopreneurs  Evoice - Phone Numbers For Small Businesses enter promo code "solo" for a free trial Michael also explains what he means by epic entrepreneur and how we can go from The Dreaming Room at the base level up to being an epic entrepreneur, which is the pinnacle of our potential. Most of us won't get to that epic place because we're stuck. We're stuck financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually and we must become unstuck to have a chance at achieving that epic level. The first step to getting unstuck is his dreaming room. Another interesting topic we discuss is the education system. Because Michael believes we are all created in the image and likeness of God, he believes are all creators just as God is a creator. It isn't until we enter the public school system that that creativity gets sucked out of us. We all have a natural, compelling instinct to create but it's taken from us by the public school system and the status quo. He goes on to say he would not educate his child in the public school system, but instead would send him/her to a parochial school or a charter school. And definitely not to a higher education system where only false promises are made and never realized. He believes in having people educate themselves and ...

In studio today is former teacher and basketball player turned internet business instructor and solopreneur, Omar Zenhom. We talk hoops, how messed up iTunes is for Podcasters, how get got a bunch of haters by giving away a free webinar on Podcasting, why the teaching profession is screwed up, and how to get the equivalent of a $135,000 education for just $100! Omar and his fiance Nicole have a great podcast called "People Who Know Their Sh*t", and they are about to launch the $100 MBA Show. More About This Show Like so many great solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, Omar has taken lessons from the different areas of his life and applied them to his business pursuits. As a young man, he was a track and basketball athlete both of which taught him the value in perseverance and to focus on your own improvement, not how you stack up against others. Omar has taken that attitude of perseverance and personal betterment into his work life, from his previous career was as a teacher to his online endeavors. Previously, he taught at both the high school level and at the university level. Though he thoroughly enjoyed teaching and the students in his classroom, and was quite successful at it, he became disillusioned by the education system. He believes it strips teachers of their creative license at the door and everyone suffers for it. He taught for over 10 years until one day he discovered the possibilities of the Internet and new path was opened! You'll also discover things like: *  What did he learn when his first podcast was removed from iTunes? * Why you need to be YOU in the marketplace. * How his company's name, Business Republic, was born. * The #1 misconception he hears from his audience - Omar debunks it. * Why a great idea is worthless. * And lots more!       In 1998, Omar began playing around in the online world. He explored eBay and making money there as well as creating web sites for other people. It took him about 8 months before he resigned his teaching position to pursue his online endeavors full-time. Still feeling insecure as an entrepreneur, Omar applied for the Wharton School of Business and was accepted. During his first semester, his marketing professor pulled him aside and asked him why he was there. Omar told him - he wanted to be a great entrepreneur and his MBA schooling would provide that. His professor responded by saying an MBA was not the way to become a great entrepreneur. Instead he offered Omar a list of 40 books to read that would help him on his way and told Omar to drop out. Omar did leave after his first semester because he understood he was at Wharton simply to bolster his confidence. He felt insecure about being in the online marketplace without the letters behind his name, not because he needed the schooling to be a great entrepreneur. Seeing the opportunity in his experience, Omar and his fiance Nicole created their $100 MBA program. It's a course designed to give entrepreneurs an MBA education, without the time and monetary investment of an actual MBA. With Nicole's New York Film Institute education under her belt, they designed a series of eight core courses laid out in video format and complemented with written notes and checklists as well as an online forum for their participants to meet other like-minds. Building off the success of their course, Omar and Nicole are soon launching their $100 MBA podcast. The format will be a short podcast aired 5 days a week with all content, no fluff. It's designed for the listeners to tune in, learn something and then go apply it. The topics discussed will be covered in chunks, meaning marketing will be the topic for podcast number 5-20, sales from 21-35, etc.

Welcome to another addition of The Solopreneur Hour. Today we're doing another installment of answering your Facebook questions. I love doing these shows, so keep those questions coming! Here's what you'll discover on this show: * If Google Plus is on the way out...or about to explode. * Should you hire a copywriting pro or trust your own instincts? * How to make the most of your brand with a blog. * What mile marker did the show reach in July? * What do you when someone buys your product, but does nothing with it? * A whole bunch more! So without further adieu, let's get to your questions... Steve G: Steve wants to know if I've updated my vision board. And the answer is if I haven't updated it, but I have an idea where I want the show to go next and where I want to go next. I capped off my five year growth period with the purchase of my watch but I haven't updated my vision board with the next item. However, I am focused on where I am committed to taking the show next. I want it to become a legitimate A-list show with the top actors, real estate agents, trainers, etc. The best of the best. That's my long-term vision for the show. For me personally, I want to buy a crappy old warehouse somewhere here in San Diego. I'll fix it up so I can drive my cars right into the warehouse and build out my living quarters with modern, industrial-type design. That'll be the back end and the front end will be a space with working stations, super high-speed Internet and conference rooms. It'll be a free co-working space and I'll have a local coffee cart sponsored by a local coffee shop and food trucks. Friday, Saturday and Sunday there'll be live jazz playing during happy hours. Steve G: His second question is about Google Plus: is it about to die or is it the next big thing? If you had asked me two weeks ago, I would've said it's about to die. But after having Michael Stelzner of The Social Media Examiner on the show (Episode 138), I'm inclined to say it has possibilities. Right now Facebook is all about monetizing, yet the engagement is so low. Couple that with the fact that everyone has a Gmail account and business accounts plus Google's search engine ranking capabilities makes it seem like Google Plus is a place worth exploring. Timothy Dwight M: What's the best way to get good sales copy written for your audience? Hire a pro or trust your own instincts for your followers? I was writing a bio for people who interview me for their podcasts and when I was done, I sent it to David Roth (Episode 25 and Episode 8) for his input and expertise. So I say - hire a pro. Find someone who is a masterful copywriter on Fiverr or Odesk and have them do it for you. Bob N: How good should I feel about wrapping a podcast in a blog? You should feel great about that Bob. The way I do The Solopreneur Hour is to upload the show to Libsyn, which then goes to The Solopreneur Hour.com blog which then goes to iTunes. What happens because of that is TONS of organic traffic and audience growth that reinforces the brand. This show is 11 months old and yet I feel completely confident I own the word solopreneur. So has that word grows in the world at large, this show's audience will only continue to grow. So you should feel great about wrapping your podcast within a blog! Rey B: Talk about monetizing when starting a business. I know for the first 90 days we should focus purely on audience-building.

There's a belief that as solopreneurs, if we just hustle and keep looking for it, opportunity and success will find their way to us. Our guest for episode 143 is a great example of that. Chandler Bolt is a best-selling author and marketer who trains others how to write and sell their ebooks successfully on Amazon. But his earliest inclinations were not of the writing persuasion and the path to his current endeavor is an interesting one. Today he joins us to talk about his early days as an athlete, musician and the path that led him to his present solopreneurial success. More About This Show Just a few years ago if you would have told Chandler Bolt he'd be a best-selling author and someone who teaches people how to write great books, he would not have believed you! Chandler was not an A+ English student and didn't enjoy writing in school. It didn't seem like a likely path for him to pursue. But one of the earliest influences that impacted where he is today was growing up in an entrepreneurial household; his dad ran his own construction business and his mom was a real estate agent. The time flexibility he saw his parents' businesses afforded them appealed to him in many ways, from the after-school competitions they always attended to the family vacations they all took together.  Even at an early age, Chandler knew he wanted that for himself. He didn't need much of a push beyond that. As a youngster, he began selling snacks to other kids and then ran a lawn care business that helped him pay for college. While in college in Charleston, South Carolina, Chandler went to work with the company called "School Painters". He learned the ins and outs of running a successful enterprise with them, from hiring and firing to marketing to selling to customer service. He learned it all in his first year and did over $100,000 in business. The next year he returned and helped three other solopreneurs do what he did in his first year: run a successful painting business. Again, he caught on quickly and did a tremendous job with his trainees. They all did over $55k in sales and were awarded spots on the company cruise. Chandler was well on his way. You'll also discover things like: * What does MVP stand for and how can you apply it in your business? * What are the 3 pillars of being a solopreneur? * Entrepreneurs don't make excuses, they make ___ ____. Chandler fills in the blank. * What are the benefits of having an accountability partner? * What is a weekly action doc and how can you use it? * And lots more!   His most recent successes are his ebooks, The Productive Person, The Productive Person Action Guide and Breaking Out of a Broken System. He was an Amazon best-seller with those books and did what any wise and savvy business owner would do: he created a course to show others how to have the same success he had with self-publishing ebooks. Today he has a 3 month program, Best-Selling Book System, that takes you from your book idea to an Amazon best-seller in 3 months. This program accelerates you through the writing and editing processes, and walks you step by step from idea to ebook launch. The great thing about this program, aside from the information it provides, is how it was created. Chandler didn't have it all locked down when he started, he knew what he wanted to cover but he hadn't created the content. Instead, he let his participants show him what they needed and they would customize based on their needs. And that's exactly what they did with their initial 41 group members, all of whom have been pleased with their experience.

Comic Con started in 1970 as a place where people who collected comic books would gather. That first year there were 300 people.  Forty four years later in 2014, there were 150,000 people who attended! And all of those 150,000 people cram into one little section of San Diego called the Gaslamp District. It's a pretty crazy experience, so much so I thought I'd take this show to share the nine lessons I learned from attending. Let's dive in: 1. Niche down. Don't be afraid to niche down deep and find exactly what you're passionate about, then go after it. The fans in attendance are hugely passionate about their favorite TV show, movie, character or actor. You can find something you love as much, you'll have no trouble creating a strong business around. 2. Over-deliver in value.  Comic Con itself provides so much you can't possibly take it all in at once. You'd need an all-access pass and John Lee Dumas to prepare and execute your itinerary for you to see everything available in the four days of Comic Con. And Comic Con continues to up their game and offer more every year, because they know their fans will appreciate them for it. 3. Strength in numbers. Remember the statistic about how many people came to the first Comic Con vs. 2014? You don't need those kinds of numbers to succeed but pay attention to the lesson at hand: when you have a rabid following, you can do anything. And the way you grow these numbers and get the muscle they provide is by doing the previous two steps. On a practical level, you grow your numbers by offering them something in exchange for their email address. Grow your mailing list by offering a giveaway, you're well on your way. 4. Building a strong brand trumps all. Think about brands like Star Wars, Bugs Bunny, etc. These aren't just movie or animated characters, these are brands that have stood the test of time. More than likely you could quote something from either of these two brands and they've been around for decades. It's worth investing time and energy into creating a strong, memorable brand that represents what you're doing. Make sure it's absolutely clear what you are promising from your branding. 5. The power of community is unmatched. Comic Con is a community in and of itself, as are all the subdivisions. I overheard so many people talking about how they met their new friend the day before and they've been inseparable ever since. Community happens when people connect based on their common interests. When that connection happens, it can last a lifetime. 6. Let your business morph and evolve. Start out with an idea of what you'll be doing and then let your audience tell you what they want, then morph and adjust what you're doing. For example, when I started SoloLab I did 40 Skype calls with people about what they would want from a mastermind group. I had an idea of what I would offer going into those calls, and it was completely changed by the time I finished talking to those 40 people. Another great example is TV vs music. Look at how TV has kept up with evolving media, technology and the way people want to view their shows. How many times have you watched your favorite show on your iPad or your phone - or some device that was not your television set? Music hasn't changed and they've been buried as a result. Keep up with evolutionary changes and keep your business growing. 7. Leverage celebrity! Everyone knows someone so if you can somehow attach a celebrity to your services, do it. And always ask for referrals - remember the power of community? This is a great way to leverage your people's people (and perhaps their people's people). Who are the reachable celebrities in your niche? Find them, connect and eventually you'll land someone. Once you get one, others will follow. 8. Hustle. The people who made Comic Con happen probably didn't sleep for a...

What if the concept behind Tom's Shoes (you buy one pair of shoes, one pair is donated to a child in need) was applied to a healthy food network marketing company? Would that concept intrigue you? It captured my attention, enough to bring my friend Bryon Jaymes on to this edition of The Solopreneur Hour. There are a number of lessons we solopreneurs can glean from the network marketing field, whether we are in it or not. And Bryon is bringing those lessons to episode 141. He's been a leader in several companies and is here to talk about what the social entrepreneurship concept behind his newest company, what he's learned in the trenches and how that applies to your business, whatever your industry. More About This Show When I first met him, Bryon was involved in his second network marketing and was doing very well for himself. He had figured out that people buy from people, not from companies. So he had created a brand for himself and his team, West Coast Movement. West Coast Movement had actually been started by Bryon when he was in his first company: Amway. Bryon got involved with Amway the old-fashioned way: someone he knew and respected introduced him. Bryon has always been committed to health and fitness so when his friend told him about the nutritional product options at Amway, Bryon was immediately interested for himself and for his personal training clients. Bryon spent five years building and growing his West Coast Movement team at Amway; he was making from $5k-$6k a month by that time and also earning yearly bonus checks of $20k or more. Despite his success, Bryon felt it was time to move on to a new company. There were a number of things that weren't in line with his own integrity and commitments, so after careful consideration he decided to find a new home for himself and his West Coast Movement team. He went through a fairly length selection process, he settled on a new network marketing company in the health and wellness field. He saw a real opportunity to influence where the company was going and he wanted to be a part of that. Again he built his team, bringing with him about 400-500 people from his previous organization. And for the next three years, that was where he hung his network marketing cap. It was also during that time that we met and became friends. You'll also discover things like: * Who was one of the first partners in EM squared? * What's the greatest thing about being a solopreneur? * What's the worst thing about being a solopreneur? * Why did Bryon build West Coast Movement and why does it matter to your business? * Which group is the most malnourished today and why? * And lots more! As fate would have it, that company was then acquired by another company. Bryon saw the writing on the wall and decided to pack up his West Coast Movement people and go elsewhere. Eventually he settled with his present company, EM Squared. The concept behind the company is like Tom's Shoes but applied to healthy food bars. When someone buys a box of bars from EM Squared, one box is donated to children in need. Right now they are only in Mexico and Central America but they have a vision to expand and help malnourished kids around the globe. The compensation side works like other network marketing companies: when you enroll someone, you get paid. When they enroll someone, you get paid and so on down the line. But with EM Squared, you can choose to donate what you earn to charities or to cash it out. It's up to you! And you can also take that box of healthy bars you bought and donate it to a local charity, homeless people you see, etc. Again, the choice is yours. It's social entrepreneurship at work and it's been working well for EM Squared. In their first 3 weeks, they fed over 10,000 kids! Imagine what they're going to do in their first three months.