AskPat 2.0: A Weekly Coaching Call on Online Business, Blogging, Marketing, and Lifestyle Design

#1230 Two things will change the game for you when you're scaling your business: relationships and stories. So how do you leverage them the right way? Today I talk to Caelan Huntress. He has a book coming out called Marketing Yourself, so we get to go into the nitty-gritty of expanding your reach. Caelan is planning a podcast tour for his upcoming book, which is really smart. But how should he message podcasters he’s not connected with yet? I get a lot of requests, so we dive deep into what works and what doesn’t. We talk about leveraging existing relationships, cold messaging podcasters the right way, using stories to have a massive impact, and some neat tricks you can use to get in front of more people. Podcast tours are a fantastic way to grow your business. Caelan asks all the right questions, so we come up with some great ideas and lots of actionable tips in this session. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1230.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1229 Junaid Ahmed has been behind the camera for three decades, but after meticulously setting up his home studio and sitting in front of the camera for the first time the words just wouldn’t come out. He managed to solve his problem and is now busy helping others do the same. The thing is, as a father of three, time is limited. How does he scale up from one-on-one coaching and grow his business? Today we talk about the special mechanisms coaches can use to have more impact. We brainstorm some genius ideas to move his brand forward and free up the time he needs to spend with his family. Junaid admits he’s deep in the weeds and can’t see the whole picture. On this call, I help him zero in on a strategy that takes full advantage of the skills and strengths he’s developed. Show notes and more at smartpassiveincome.com/ap1229.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1228 Today we're speaking with Sally Sparks-Cousins, who has an amazing brand that helps entrepreneurs build, measure, and optimize their sales funnels. You can find her at Sparkle Class Academy or TheFreedomFunnelFormula.com. Our focus today is hiring, because Sally is both a visionary and an integrator. She has great ideas as a visionary. And as an integrator, she wants to plan and execute and get her hands dirty building things. There are a lot of things Sally wants to hold onto—but a lot of things she knows she'll get back if she hires the right person. So who does she hire, and how does she maximize her investment? Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1228.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1227 How do you create passive income as a coach who spends a lot of time teaching your clients directly? That's what we're talking about today with Maxine Shapiro, a coach who also has a customer experience podcast called Let's Talk About CEX. She's feeling like she can't branch out into passive income because the business revolves so much around her. We explore some things she might do to expand her brand and start generating passive income. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1227.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1226 Today we're speaking with Dave Donahue from GuitarACO.com. He's a guitar teacher with a private student base, as well as a YouTube channel. Dave just launched a new member community with his initial group of about 20 “alpha” members. I help him figure out how to structure his course to create the best experience for his students. We also discuss YouTube ads and other potential ad platforms that could help Dave get more members. We even talk a little branding. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1226.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1225 Today we're speaking with Tim Phillips from Sober and Happy. He's getting started on his journey with a business that helps people get sober and build the life they want. Tim has his foot in many different places, as far as content creation, social media, and building community. In this episode, we're going to narrow things down and figure out where Tim should—and shouldn't—be focusing his energy. He's drawn to blogging and podcasting. Should he focus on just these channels? Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1225.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1224 Today, we're speaking with Toni Weiss, a screenwriter from Germany. Tony has an idea to help other screenwriters with his own online course—but he's got a limited amount of time because he has to direct and produce a new movie of his own. He's almost done filming and editing his screenwriting course, but what kind of a course should it be—fully prerecorded, or with some live training? Should he use a cohort-based course model? How should he price it and market it? He doesn't have really have an audience for it yet, so how should he build one? Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1224.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1223 Today I'm excited to chat with Matt Woicik from ml2solutions.com and digitalmarketingextreme.com. Pre-pandemic, Matt connected with a lot of local businesses in person through places like his local Chamber of Commerce. But once in-person connections shut down—and many businesses starting struggling just to keep their doors open—Matt found his leads starting to evaporate. I help him brainstorm creative ways to generate more leads for his business and get in front of new audiences. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1223.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1222 Today we're speaking with Phil Hayes-St Clair of philhsc.com. He's a girl dad, serial entrepreneur, and educator. He owns a talent for relationship building. He's been so successful at making connections that he's had a lot of people asking him how he does it. So, he created a course with the help of our Heroic Online Courses course, and he's already got a beta group of students learning from him. But how should he scale it without taking away from the other important things in his life? We talk about a few strategies he could try, as well some he shouldn't. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1222.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1221 Greg Langston from CollegeFlightPlan.com is today's guest. His business helps teens (and their parents) understand their values, purpose, and superpowers so they can make good decisions about their education and career. This is stuff I wish existed when I was in high school, and I'm sure many other parents have understood just how powerful this kind of support can be, especially if it can save them tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. So what does Greg need help with? Well, he has two target audiences—students and parents—and he needs to know if he's on the right track with how he's marketing to both of them. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1221.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1220 Julie DeLucca-Collins of GoConfidentlyCoaching.com started her coaching business during the pandemic, when she lost her job. She realized she wanted to support others in stopping the overwhelm, getting focused, and building their business. Julie and I talk about how she's working with her clients now, and some of the issues that are coming up for her. She has multiple offerings, but some of the newer things she wants to offer don't seem to fit quite right—at least not on the surface. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1220.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1219 Michelle Mozes of MichelleMozes.com helps people with their branding, and business is going well. A big part of her success is that she's kept herself at the center of her brand, which lets her stand out from her competitors. Michelle has managed to 4X her revenue, but she's also feeling the urge to do more… she's just not sure exactly how, or as you'll learn today, why. She thinks she should create her own online course, but she's not convinced it's the right move, and she's feeling stuck. Through our conversation, Michelle has a small epiphany that helps her get perspective on what to do next. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1219.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1218 Ling Yah Wong is the host of So This Is My Why, a cool podcast that draws some amazing guests. And she wants to know, how can she best leverage these big names? She wants to do it the right way, by using these big names to help grow her audience and create a win-win for everyone. So, how can we “name drop” in a way that feels authentic and not slimy? Doing things authentically and ethically is exactly what we want, especially as we're growing—because that's often where people fall off. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1218.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1217 Today we're talking with Michelle Waters, who has two businesses, reThink ELA and reThink Your Lifestyle. She's a former teacher who is noticing a big shift happening in the teaching world, with many teachers thinking about moving on and creating something new, either on the side or full-time. She's created reThink Your Lifestyle to help teachers figure out what kind of business they should start based on what they love the most about teaching. Meanwhile, with reThink ELA, she creates lesson plans for English teachers who want to better connect with their students. She's trying to balance these two brands and not sure how to best manage them both. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1217.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1216 Today we're talking with Karthik Vijayakumar of DesignYourThinking.com. Karthik is a member of SPI Pro, and through his participation in the community has found a new direction for his business that he's really excited about: sales page copywriting. But he's having a dilemma around leaning in to who he is—especially because he gets a lot of inspiration from myself and from Team SPI. He's struggling with how to balance being inspired and motivated by somebody, but not wanting to step on their toes or make it appear like he's blatantly copying them. We talk about the difference between emulating vs. copying others, and we dig into the strategy and psychology of pricing your services. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1216.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1215 Today I'm talking to Matt of SkylandersCharacterList.com, who's in an interesting niche—and an interesting predicament. (You may also remember Matt from episode 10 of The Community Experience!) He started a business in a very focused niche: selling collectibles for Skylanders, a toys-to-life action-adventure video game series that's no longer being made. It's been going well, but Matt is worried that his market might dry up. Matt started one inch wide and one mile deep. So should he go wider, or deeper? That's what we discuss today. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1215.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1214 This might be one of the most useful episodes of this podcast you've heard in a long time. Michelle Krieg does a lot of work in the yoga space, and she's had a long journey to get to where she's at, with a lifestyle that she loves for the most part. But she's still feeling held back. Through our conversation, Michelle realizes she needs to let go of some of the thought patterns she's been operating with recently. She realizes she needs to let go of her regret that she's not using the degree she worked for as a yoga teacher. And she also needs to let go of the hustle-and-grind mindset that got her where she is, but isn't serving her anymore. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1214.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1213 Today we're speaking with Alexandra Mannerings of Merakinos, a data services and analytic education company devoted to helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations amplify their impacts through data. Alexandra is trying to transform the way nonprofits use data and analytics to be more successful with their chosen mission. Her services cost a lot, but she doesn't want to exclude organizations that can't afford the services of a data analyst. I help Alexandra brainstorm how she can validate the unique “consortium” model she has in mind for making analytics more accessible to the nonprofit world. She leaves with some interesting questions, ideas, and experiments to run. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1213.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1212 Today we're speaking with Ashton and DC, a wife-and-husband combo with a real estate business called REI Remodel. They're creating educational materials for would-be real estate investors, and they also want to build a "club" or community for these folks. As you know, at SPI we're all about the power of community, and I talk with DC and Ashton about the iterative process they can use to know exactly how to build that community. We discuss how they can find and talk to their target audience, to learn about their desires and pain points and how they talk about them, and go from there. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1212.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1211 Today, we're speaking with Jodi Gregory from SeekInfo.com. Jodi helps people with advanced research strategies—way more than just a simple Google search. She's been doing this for twenty years now. And recently, she's had an inclination to teach people how to do what she's been doing through a cohort-based course. But she's feeling stuck with how to get the course up and running—and especially how to find students for it. I help Jodi nail down just who this specialized course may be for, and how she can position it. Jodi's also a member of our latest Heroic Online Courses Bootcamp, and I talk a little in this episode about how the bootcamp gives you the tools and support you need to create a course students will rave about. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1211.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1210 Today I'm talking with a self-proclaimed introverted entrepreneur, Mark Wilson, who has a company called Sales for Introverts. Yes, he helps introverts become better salespeople. I think it's an awesome niche, and not just because I'm an introvert myself. I know the mindset struggles of making sales and growing a business when you don't feel naturally extroverted. Mark has overcome his own introvert sales struggles and put what he's learned into an online course—and now he wants to do a better job selling it. We dig into whether he should focus his efforts on just one approach because of his limited time. We also unpack whether Mark should be selling his course to consumers or other businesses. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1210.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1209 Today we're speaking with Dan Bennett, known as The Antipreneur. He helps entrepreneurs make better videos, tell better stories, and build better businesses. Dan has a lot of experience on YouTube and building audiences. He does a great job connecting with people in person, and he needs some help bridging the online and IRL worlds. We talk YouTube and storytelling, quizzes and lead magnets, the awesomeness that is SPI Pro, and even live podcasts. There are a lot of golden nuggets you'll pick up in today's episode, little things that can change the game for your audience-building and community-building efforts. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1209.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1208 Today, we're talking with Trixi from SewASoftie.com, a not-for-profit charitable opportunity that helps kids learn how to sew. Sew A Softie has been growing tremendously. Trixie's challenge now is figuring out what to do next and how she can grow her brand awareness and reach even more people. The catch is that Sew A Softie is a one-person show, so Trixie is limited in terms of how much time she can devote to new projects. One key opportunity might be to find others in the arts and crafts space she can partner with. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1208.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1207 Today we're speaking with Chris Tiley from Never Too Old to Lift. He's a physiotherapist (physical therapist, in US terms) who works mostly with older folks who want to move and feel better. Chris's approach to helping people feel better and get stronger is through strength training—hence the name of his business. But as we talk about today, strength training may be what people need to feel better. So how do we guide people from what they want to what they need? That's what we tackle today. We also discuss how Chris can balance creating and launching an online course with the time demands of his physical practice, as well as being a father and a husband. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1207.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1206 Today we're talking with Kim, who runs GentlyBeing.com and the YouTube channel of the same name. She creates these really cool spiritual, meditative videos that relate to the season we're in, like the winter solstice, the full moon, and other times of year. She has over a thousand subscribers, and she's in the middle of trying to understand how she can scale up and do even better. We go through a few different ideas for Kim's YouTube strategy, including using playlists smartly, and how she can start monetizing her channel. Kim also doesn't want to be in front of the camera too much, and she's worried this will hold back her channel's growth. So we talk through how she can create a successful channel without actually being in the videos. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1206.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1205 Today we're talking to Jim from Spanish and Go, who joined us in episode 1,151. Jim and his wife and business partner, May, run a business that connects English speakers who want to travel to Spanish-speaking countries with people in those countries, to help them learn the language and culture. Unfortunately, Spanish and Go was incredibly affected by the pandemic in a not-so-great way. Jim and May had to cancel several Spanish immersion retreats they'd lined up right before the pandemic began and refund everyone who had signed up. Their YouTube ad revenue was slashed in half. And they had just started a podcast with a membership component to create some extra income. We talk about some of the things Jim and May did first in the wake of this shock. And we'll talk about the moves they've made since and where they are now. I think you'll find this one helpful if your business has been struggling lately, from the effects of the pandemic or otherwise. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1205.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we have another person who's been on the show before, back in episode 1116: Jake Lang from TheEntrepreneurRideAlong.com and author of StepOneBook.com. At the time of that first conversation with Jake, he was focusing on so many different business ideas. So I suggested he narrow things down a little bit. He took my advice, and seems to be hitting his stride. I love the new direction he's taking and how he's both getting time back and putting more dollars in his pocket as a result. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1204.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1203 Happy New Year, and welcome to episode 1,203 of AskPat 2.0! We have another "Where are they new?" episode today. Sam Gavis-Hughson has been an AskPat 2.0 guest not once, but twice before. His company, Byte-by-Byte.com, helps people get their dream jobs as software engineers. The way Sam's business has progressed since we first talked to him has been really incredible, going from a single $37 course to a nearly $4,000 program. What does Sam's business look like now? How did he pull that off? That's what we'll unpack today. This episode could be a great one if you're considering how you might take something you started with and turn it into a high-ticket item that serves fewer people, but does so more deeply and makes you more money.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1202 I'm excited to bring back Steve Collins of TeachHoops.com, who joined us in episode 1013. His target audience is other basketball coaches at all levels, and when we last spoke, he was building his membership site. Well, Steve has made some even bigger strides since then. He's building out his YouTube channel. And get this—he has not one, not two, not three, but four podcasts. Yes, four. How does he manage production for four separate shows? That's one of the things we talk about today. And his plans for the future are incredible and inspiring. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1202.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1201 In today's “Where are they now?” episode we're chatting with Tarun, a dentist who was with us in episode 1,035. Back then, I helped him through his hangups about creating his own recorded content after his in-person dental work over at 3d-dentists.com was affected by the pandemic. This is a fun episode, and I think you'll be surprised and impressed to hear what Tarun's been up to. Although his work-life balance has been a bit of a challenge, he's moved on to some really exciting new stuff. He's up to something especially cool when it comes to live events—something that gets my own wheels turning about a similar idea I have. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1201.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1200 I'm excited to bring back another entrepreneur who's been on the show before: Meryl Johnston, the founder and CEO of Bean Ninjas, an accounting service for ecommerce businesses. Meryl was on episode 1,113 , when she was thinking of adding some new services and even creating an all-new brand. Not surprisingly, a lot has changed for Meryl since then. Her business has made some pivots, and she shares some big announcements that I'm excited to share with you. She's even started a family. Oh, and I also have a big announcement to share at the end of this episode. So stick around for that! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1200.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1199 In today's "Where are they now?" episode, David Orozco of OrozcoNutrition.com returns to talk about what's happened for him and his business since our first conversation in episode 1,141. Back then, he was balancing a couple of brands and trying to figure out which one to focus on and how to organize everything he was doing. Since then he's gone through a rebrand and narrowed down his ideal customer avatar. Today we talk about David's recent hires, as well as some strategies you can apply as you move forward and make decisions in your own brand. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1199.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1198 We're finishing up the year with a string of "Where are they now?" episodes to inspire you and get you excited for 2022. These are episodes where we bring back people who I've coached on the show before to talk about where they're at now. Today we're talking with Lela Burris, who is a professional organizer turned blogger. The last time we chatted with Lela, in episode 1,142, she was having some trouble. She was having identity issues related to what she should focus on with her brand. Should she focus on her audience of moms on her blog? Or should she continue her professional work, going into people's homes and helping them organize? Since then, Lela has made some big, clear decisions—and some amazing things have happened for her, which is what we'll be talking about today. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1198.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1197 This month we've been bringing back people who've been coached on the show before to see how things are going. And today we're reconnecting with Jake Gosselin of Churchfront, which helps ministries lead gospel-centered, tech-savvy worship. To this point, Jake's business has centered around a membership program and online course. He also has a popular YouTube channel under the same name. The last time he was on the show we discussed how he could potentially offer another, high-ticket item on top of the membership and course. Today we'll hear how everything's been going since then, as well as a new project Jake's got up his sleeve. Jake references my Pokémon channel, and we use that as a springboard to some crucial topics: how to focus on the things that matter, allocating time appropriately, so we can be there for our businesses and our families. There's lot of great stuff in this episode, and I can't thank Jake enough for coming back to give us an update because, wow, what an update it is. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1197.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1196 Today we're talking with Mark Savant, who I interviewed back on episode 1165. Flash forward to today, and Mark is doing such an amazing job. In fact, as Mark tells me, he's made more money in the past three months than he did the past three years! But like many entrepreneurs whose business starts taking off, he's encountered a new set of problems and decision points. The main thing Mark is trying to figure out is how to organize and position his many services: what's the best way to present them so his audience will pick up what he's putting down? Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1196See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1195 All this month, November 2021, we're doing “Where are they now?” episodes. These are my favorite episodes to do, because we bring back people who have been coached on the show before, and learn what they did, what they didn't do, what has happened since. Today we're talking with Rose Griffin, who has a business over at ABA Speech. She is a speech language pathologist who helps so many people, not just through her website at ABASpeech.org, but also through her podcast, Autism Outreach. And a lot of stuff has happened for Rose since the last time she was on the show. She's been making amazing strides in just the two months since we last talked to her. She's overcome the mental block around pricing that was keeping her from upgrading the cost of her evergreen course from $99 to $297. She's been getting into the physical product space. And she has an exciting opportunity related to her podcast that's starting to bear fruit. Oh, and she's even got a little thing going on TikTok. As you'll hear in this episode, Rose isn't just an action taker. She's a planner. She's thinking about the future. And most of all, she's here to serve her community and her audience. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1195.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1194 Today we're welcoming back Joaquin Elizondo of HollywoodEditingMentor.com. Joaquin helps people break into Hollywood as an editor. There's a lot of people online who teach editing, but Joaquin teaches the business of it and how to actually break into this industry, how to network and develop relationships. Joaquin's doing some amazing things, and he's a mentor to so many people. But he's gotten to a point where he needs some help figuring out his next move. We talk about what's happened for him since he was first on the show, and the struggle he's facing now. Because invariably when you make big decisions and start to grow your business, new problems crop up. And yes, what got you here won't get you there. That's the situation Joaquin is in, and it's what I help him figure out today. Joaquin is an amazing person who's truly in it to help people. We talk about everything from coaching to pricing, to his course, and scaling, and maybe most importantly, doing the work you love. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1194.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1193 We have another special "Where are they now?" episode today. Our guest was actually one of the very first AskPat 2.0 guests: Cathy Mazak of CathyMazak.com. Cathy is a tenured professor who has a business helping academic womxn find time to write so they can make an impact in their academic field and have a balanced, fulfilled life. (It's spelled that way because, as Cathy says on her website, the business is geared toward helping women as well as non-men and nonbinary folks "change the culture of academia from the inside out.") In just the second episode of the new AskPat 2.0 format, Cathy was in her first year of business. She had a lot of decisions to make, especially around how much money she should be reinvesting in the business. We talk about what Cathy was dealing with back then, and the completely brand new set of problems she's facing. That's what happens when you take action and find success: the problems don't go away. They just change. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1193.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1192 Today we've got a great conversation with Mike Lander from Piscari. Mike helps sales and account teams learn how to negotiate through his online courses and consultations. He's been productizing some of his services and started to diversify, but he needs help generating more income from his courses. We discuss not just how to diversify smartly, but how Mike can lean into some of his superpowers and position his digital course to generate more sales. Mike is in the B2B space, which is a little bit different from many businesses that work directly with consumers, but the strategies and principles we talk about can apply to lots of businesses. So if this Mike's situation sounds like yours, I think you're going to find some amazing information in this episode. In fact, at the very end, Mike says, "Wow, Pat, I have five or six takeaways I can implement right away." So I hope you stick around and listen to this episode, because this is one about superpowers. It's about diversification, productizing, and leaning into the things that make you you. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1192.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1191 Today we're speaking with Tracy Diane Jones, a geologist, author, and owner of the website Mini Me Geology. Not only does her business name have a nice ring to it, but Mini Me Geology is also a great resource for kids, teachers, and parents, to learn more about rocks. And Tracy does literally rock! She helps kids develop a love for geology through the kits, books, and activities available on her website. With the rise in interest in STEM education, Tracy's business was doing pretty well, but then some stuff happened in her personal life. She's been trying to get back on track, but she's finding that the old strategies for growing Mini Me Geology haven't been working so well lately. By the end of our conversation, you'll hear that Tracy pretty much knew what she had to do, but was a little scared or reluctant to embrace and take these necessary steps. So what are those steps? Make sure you listen all the way through to find out! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1191.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1190 Today we're talking with Gillian Tietz from Sober Powered. Gillian is an amazing person who's helping loads of people get sober with the help of her scientific background, through her podcast, website, Facebook group, and Instagram. I'm so proud of what Jillian is doing with her podcast and her platform, stepping up, being vulnerable and sharing her own story to help others. It's an amazing example of somebody who has gone through some stuff, who has found a solution, and is learning as much as they can and now wants to pass it forward. However, she's having a little bit of trouble connecting all of the pieces. Namely, her large following on Instagram and Facebook doesn't know her podcast exists or are not convinced enough to click play yet. That's what we're going to talk about today: how do we reduce the friction keeping people from getting from social media to our podcast? Because Gillian knows that when people listen to her show, it's changing lives. You'll hear a lot of good ideas today for drawing people in your community to your podcast, which you can hopefully implement if you have a podcast of your own! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1190.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1189 Time travel is one of my favorite things, and I love to incorporate it into AskPat by bringing people back to see how things have been going. Jackie Bolen of ESLSpeaking.org has actually been a guest on AskPat a couple of times before, in episodes 1003 and 1046. And she's been on an incredible journey. As you'll learn if you listen to her two previous episodes, she started out doing niche websites and helping people with ESL, and then doing some Amazon-focused stuff. She was going to partner with some people who were supposed to take a bunch of work off of her plate, but it didn't quite work out. Today we're going to dive a little bit deeper into what happened there and where things are now, and you're going to see this very nice story arc that Jackie has followed recently. Jackie is doing pretty well now, but she had to go through some messy stuff in the middle to find her way there. As her story shows, sometimes you don't realize how much you miss something or how good you had it until you don't have it anymore. Jackie's experience also shows the benefit of sticking with one niche and going deep, so you can build relationships and develop a much greater lifetime value (LTV) of each customer. Her story can be a great lesson for all of us, so check it out.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1188 Today we're talking with Stephanie Taylor from the UK. She and her sister have a business together at Rent2RentSuccess.com. That's essentially a way to rent a property from a landlord, then rent it out again. She and her sister teach others how to do this through their course and membership program. Things are starting to take off, but Stephanie is wondering: Now that we're here, how do we get to the next level? When you find a little success online, you might find yourself facing an even bigger challenge than the one that it took for you to get started. Now that you're making money, how do you make sure you don't lose it? How do you grow and scale the business? You have more options now, but you're faced with a fork in the road. How do you make the right decisions and avoid burnout or regret? How do you overcome the fear of success and growth because you're not mentally ready or don't know what to expect? All great questions we're going to tackle today! We uncover a lot of great things here, including how to get past some of the tricky psychology around making money, and we find some strategies to help Stephanie—and perhaps you—move forward. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1188.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1187 Today on the show we're talking with Rose Griffin from ABASpeech.org. Rose is a seasoned speech therapist who's helped many people. Her specialty these days is helping professionals who work with people with complex speech disorders or autism. She's doing great work, and she's already got a course and a podcast out in the world. So what's she struggling with? Well, she wants to know whether to make her course evergreen, or only make it available at certain times of the year. Should she create some FOMO for her target audience by opening and closing the course at regular intervals? Or is that going to be too much work? We also get into a discussion about pricing. When you get to the moment Rose announces the price of her course, you might already know what I'm going to tell her. But stick around to find out. We really dig into the ins and outs of course launch strategy, as well as the mysteries of pricing (because seriously, pricing is weird). This is a great episode if you've got a course that's doing well and you want to make the most of it, so give it a listen. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1187.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1186 Today I have the pleasure of talking with Daz Cater over in the UK. Daz manages two different blogs, plus he has a full-time job in construction along with being a husband and dad of two kids, and he's wondering whether or not he can balance it all. This is a really fun conversation, especially because of Daz's main interest and the focus of one of his blogs at retrogamerdaz.com: retro toys and collectibles. (I'll just say that his video background is one of the coolest ones I've seen in all my years of interviewing people.) His other website, nextstopwdw.com, is a Disney travel blog where he offers tips and documents his family's journeys through Disney properties. He's built up a decent following on both sites, but he's feeling stuck. Can he manage both, or should he focus on just one of them? That's exactly what we chat about today. I think you'll get a kick out of this one, especially if you love collectibles, Disney, or both! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1186.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1185 Today we're talking with Shira Kates from Snapdragon Strategy. Shira has a lot of experience in the corporate world and Silicon Valley. She's done a lot of really cool things, but she's ready for her next phase and wants to try something else. Is it coaching? Is it something else? She's got a few opportunities lined up, but she needs help focusing. She also wants to know how she can move in the direction of creating passive income, to give herself some time back and create balance in her life. Along those lines, Shira wants to know: is passive income even real today? Is it possible to easily create a passive income-driven business anymore? That's a really cool discussion we have, too. We also explore the importance of networking and keeping relationships alive throughout your journey. And on top of that, which is maybe the most important part of my conversation with Shira is, how do you leave a legacy, to your family and others? Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1185.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1184 Today we're talking with Kathy Walker, who was previously on the show in late 2019. She had won an award—the 2019 North Carolina assistant principal of the year award, and wanted to know she might use this award to get more assistant principals to find her show and build her audience. As you might recall, a lot has happened between late 2019 and now, particularly the COVID pandemic. As an assistant principal, obviously Kathy's line of work was dramatically affected, with the shift to virtual learning and supporting teachers and students through all the changes and challenges. Cool fact: Kathy was one of the regulars on the Income Stream, a 365-day straight live stream I did on YouTube. Kathy came in almost every day and was a big part of the community that built up around the show, and I got to know her and work really well. Today, we'll get a little insight on what life was like as an educator during COVID. And we'll also find out what happened to Kathy's brand and her podcast. I'm excited for you to hear this "Where are they now?" conversation. Let's dive into what's happening for Kathy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1184.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1183 Today's guest, Kimberly Reynolds, aka Dr. Kimmy of Productive on Purpose, is at a crossroads. She's created a thriving community built around helping women with productivity and overcoming procrastination. At the same time, she's been niching down and coaching women on building businesses and walking in their purpose. The coaching is taking off—to the tune of $50,000 in revenue in just two months. But she's feeling torn in two directions, and knows she can't commit to both focuses. What should she do? Can she find a way to serve both of her audiences? Can she transition away from managing her community without leaving people hanging? She's going to have to start making some pro-level, CEO, executive-type decisions in her business, and Pat is here to help guide her. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1183.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1182 William Barton from BootSpy.com has a really interesting question today. It's one you might have wrestled with in your own business: How do I launch something when I don't have a list or anybody out there who knows that I exist yet? How do I validate this thing? How do I ensure that it's going to work before I put all this time and effort into it? You may be familiar with a little book I wrote called Will It Fly?, which is all about how to test your next business idea so you don’t waste your time and money. We're going to discuss a lot of the principles, strategies, and techniques that I share in that book with William today. If you’re launching something, you want to build that audience and validate your idea first, so let's get into it. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/ap1182.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#1181 Wendy Lewis used to work as a writer at a marketing and ad agency. And she's still a writer, but she also has a new passion: reflexology, working with athletes and helping people regain function. She's excited to create her first online reflexology course, but she's feeling stuck. The whole thing seems a little overwhelming to her. I want you to pay attention to how Wendy describes an online course before we start talking about the solutions to making the online course creation process easier for her. Because as you'll find out, things are often a lot easier than we think they should be. And there's a lot of things that I've learned over the years that I pass on to Wendy in this conversation, that I would love to pass on to you as well. So whether it's an online course or something else that you want to create, let's get through it, and let's get through it together. Show notes and more at smartpassiveincome.com/ap1181.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.