I love HGTV. It’s easy to get hooked watching JoJo and Chip Gaines on “Fixer Upper” transform an old ranch home into something SPECTACULAR (with shiplap of course!), and I’m always picking up little tips that I can DIY along the way.

Because sometimes DIY is best.

A professional web designer or developer isn't always the answer.

And neither is a seasoned copywriter or Facebook ad consultant.

Here’s the truth: You’re an entrepreneur.

Which means, by nature, you’re a DIYer.

In fact, you probably started your business because you knew you could do something better yourself. You’re likely great at wearing many hats—owner, marketer, writer, developer, etc. AND, you may have to do things yourself for awhile because you don’t have a big team or a big budget (yet!).

I’m here to say, “You’re on the right track!”

I think there are some things you just have to DIY, especially when you’re a rookie entrepreneur. In the long run, your business and your tribe will be better off for it.

BUT, there aren’t enough hours in the day, week or month for you to do every single thing yourself. So these are the five things I believe are crucial for you to take on in the beginning:

• Website (Listen in at 4:40)
• Copywriting (Listen in at 11:05)
• Marketing (Listen in at 16:25)
• Facebook Ad Campaigns (Listen in at 21:16)
• Money (Listen in at 26:55)

None of these might seem like small potatoes—and they’re not—but I’ve got some resources below to help ease the learning curve.

Also, hang out with me until the end and I will answer the question that crosses every entrepreneur’s mind on this topic: How long do I need to keep doing these things myself?

Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

It’s so incredibly easy to get caught up in busywork or to let your phone or email start controlling your schedule. Before you know it, a whole day (or several) has gone by and you don’t have anything real to show for it.

Let that happen too much and you lose serious momentum—not to mention not getting tasks done that will actually grow your business.

I don’t want that happening to you. So I’m sharing the five strategies I use to stay or get back in the zone whenever I start drifting off.

Here’s a brief summary:

#1: Set your priorities daily. Sometimes it seems like every action item is crucial, but that’s not true. Responding to emails and recording new videos for your course do not rank the same. I’ll share some advice from my good friend Michael Hyatt, who puts a limit on the number of big tasks he works on every day.

#2: Be clear about WHAT and WHY. You’ll hear me talk about how a lack of clarity kept me from getting one project done.

#3: Power up. I’ll talk about how I get my creative batteries to reach a “full charge.”

#4: Schedule your day for success. Devoting an hour here and there to a big project means you may not be finishing it anytime soon. I’ll share the strategy I use to make sure I have focused time.

#5: Say it out loud. Making a bold, public statement, like I did about  reworking List Builders Lab, forces you to deliver. I’ll go over the best way to make this kind of public commitment.

And then, of course, I’ve got a bonus strategy that I share at the very end of the show. It’s a way to pick yourself up when things get a little tough.  

It’s time to shove those distractions to the side and get focused.

Isn’t running a business like giving one pitch after another? Think about it. You’re an entrepreneur. That means you’re constantly pitching potential and existing customers, students and fans.

So as intimidating as pitching an editor at Forbes or the Huffington Post may sound, you’re already doing it to some extent in other parts of your business.

Landing more media opportunities will do a lot of great things for your business, like help you grow your email list, establish more street cred, and create more demand for your products and services. That’s why it’s more than worth your time to figure out how to pitch yourself successfully to media organizations and outlets.

The question is: what’s the difference between a knockout pitch and the thousand other pitches that find their way into the trash?

I’ll tell you exactly how. And to help me, I’ve got my friend Jennifer Berson joining me on this podcast episode. Jennifer was a lawyer working at a prestigious firm before she decided to follow her inner creative voice and start Jeneration PR, an ultra successful public relations and social media marketing firm.

Jennifer shares all the amazing tips, tricks and tidbits that will get you closer to landing the podcast, blog or social media show you’ve always dreamed about being featured on.

And, don’t forget to download this week’s freebie. It’s a pitch template, based on the formula Jen delivers during the show. All you have to do is fill in the blanks and you’re that much closer to landing your next big media hit.

Today Jennifer is helping me answer questions like:

• Why is it so important that you know the RIGHT way to pitch? 
• Where do you start?
• How do you position yourself as an expert without a large following or customer base?
• How should you structure your pitch?
• What are the biggest pitch mistakes?

Let’s start pitching.

Video is where it’s at, folks. That’s why this latest episode is coming from my brand new studio—which, by the way, has taken me FAR outside of my comfort zone. But I wanted to take my video content to a higher level this year and that’s exactly what I’m doing, with help from my good friend Luria Petrucci of Live Streaming Pros.

After Luria (and her partner David Foster) set up my studio, I wanted to hear all about her approach to video, including her recommendations on everything from equipment to tips for preparation and overall content flow.

First, Luria and I break down the four different levels of live streaming, talking about what they entail, along with the pros and cons. (These levels are so insightful, I can’t wait for you to hear about them and decide which level you are operating at currently.)

By the way—don’t forget to download my video gear guide freebie. You’ll find out what I’ve got going on in my new studio, as well as different alternatives if you are just getting started.

You will also learn some tips for being your most natural self on camera along with Luria’s formula for rocking out a mobile live stream.

Luria and I cap it all off with the 3-part strategy for how to create video content that really engages with your audience.

Go listen to this episode about all things video now.

The one thing nearly every entrepreneur I know, including myself, NEVER does is STOP. You’re in the fast lane practically all of the time because there’s so much to do!

The problem is that because you’re going a million miles an hour, you often sacrifice important parts of the creative process of any endeavor or business: creating the space needed to slow down and imagine what could be for your business.

So this week, I’m going to put aside all the talk about Facebook ads and webinar funnels to pause for a moment and answer a question that’s equally as important.

How are you feeling about your business right now?

Now, I know. You’re saying, “Jeez, Amy. I don’t have time to think about that. I’m too busy actually running my business.”

I totally understand. I don’t check in with myself and answer that question nearly enough either. Today I’m giving myself permission to not only do that on this podcast episode but to also share my answers with you.

As I go through and reveal where I am in my business right now, I want you to be thinking about or writing down where you are at the moment too. I’ve given you a freebie—a quick cheat sheet—to help you do just that.

First, I’m going to do a gut-check on the four major categories that are (hopefully) driving your business forward.

Then, you’re going to do something really fun—IMAGINE WHAT’S POSSIBLE.

I’ll tell you about the big jump I’m making right now (and it’s definitely putting me outside of my comfort zone), as well as some of the smaller things I’m doing to keep things fresh.

Lastly, I’ve got a SUPER important question I ask myself every single quarter (that I want YOU to start asking every three months).

Don’t forget about the freebie; you’ll want it to take stock of how you are doing with six months to go in 2017.

Gut check time. See you there.

I had to eat a big slice of humble pie recently when it came to reworking one of my courses. It was ALL worth it, because today I get to share with you the exact steps I used to rework my List Builder’s Lab (LBL) program.

I love LBL, however I knew it was time for a change when I realized my students weren’t crossing the finish line like I wanted them to. So I had to swallow my pride and get to work.

And I’m sharing the entire process with you today.

This episode is all about figuring out when it’s time for a rework, how extensive it should be, and managing the process so you get it done and roll it out as efficiently as possible. By the end of it you’ll be able to answer:

• When is it time to re-work my course?
• Do I need to re-work or update my course? And what’s the difference?
• How do I start the process? (You’ll learn my 5-step process here.)
• What’s the timeline? How quickly can I get this done?
• What about my existing students? Do they get the latest version for free?

As a preview, my first step is to survey my students. Listening to them is the most critical part of this whole process. To make it easier, I’m giving you the survey I used for reworking List Builder’s Lab.

In addition to the questions I asked, I’ve added some extra commentary on why I asked those specific questions.

Let’s go check out those 5 steps.

There are a ton of moving parts in pulling off a successful webinar. The good news is, with so many variables, there’s a lot you can do to turn your webinar into a hit. You’ve just got to get really good at investigating what may have gone wrong.

I’ve got you covered on how to do that in this week’s podcast. Even better is the freebie that goes along with it.

If you’ve ever wished for a webinar checklist to keep you on track, consider it granted with Your Webinar Problem-Solving Toolkit, a series of checklists, organized by category, to help you zero in on trouble areas.

Along with the deep dive I’m about to do on your toughest webinar challenges, I’m also talking about a strategy I’m using right now in my business. This is the first time I’ve shared it. You don’t want to miss this part because it basically shows you how to identify anything and everything that could go wrong in a webinar campaign or any other kind of marketing effort you’re doing.

But before I get to that, I’m covering:

Challenge #1: My Facebook ads aren’t getting traction! Get ready to hear a lot about targeting and retargeting.

Challenge #2: My webinar registration page isn’t converting! You may need to refresh the look and feel with something simpler. Here’s an example of one of my reg pages that I talk about in the episode here.

Challenge #3: My webinar isn’t converting! You don’t want to miss this part because this is where I share the thing I’ve never talked about before and it’s been a game-changer for my business.

Here’s a bit of advice as you listen.  Do NOT try and implement all of the things I tell you to right away. Just focus on ONE. Whether it’s tweaking an image in a Facebook ad or redesigning your registration page, you’re taking baby steps.

Don’t forget to download the freebie, either after you’ve listened or before.

OK, let’s go troubleshoot.

Nothing will grow your business faster than sharing your expertise through blogs, podcast episodes, Facebook Live broadcasts, freebies, and more. All of that is content gold that you give away for free.

The key question here is how do you know where to draw the line between free and paid content? AND, is it possible to give away too much for free? I answer those questions and more in this episode of the podcast.

By the end of the show, you’ll know:

• My three core differences between free and paid content
• The key principles I use for free vs. paid content
• Examples of how I do this in my business with my courses, using my podcast, and other kinds of content

And if you are feeling like your creative pipeline is beginning to dry up, you’re really going to enjoy this week’s freebie. It’s my new and improved “10 Free Content Triggers” guide for developing cheat sheets, blueprints, checklists and more. I’ve reworked this into something that’s pretty hot and trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Ready to learn how to differentiate your free and paid content? Get all of the goods here.

Do you know who’s visited your website in the last 24 hours? What about who visited your most recent blog post but while visiting your site did not sign up to get your latest freebie? Do you know who’s watching just for the first few minutes of your latest Facebook video but then moving on to something else?

Welcome to Facebook Pixel Optimization. Don’t be nervous! We’re going to ease into all you need to know with my Facebook ad guru Rick Mulready, who can break down the Power Editor like Stephen Hawking does the universe.

These are the questions Rick and I tackle in this episode:

• What is the Facebook pixel? What does it do?  (Yes, a few fundamentals just in case you are new to this environment!)
• How do I set it up?
• When do I use it?
• What are event codes?
• How does it measure efficiency? Where can I see the data?
• What’s the difference between a Facebook account pixel and a conversion pixel?
• Why do I have to put the pixel on specific web pages when it’s already on my website?
• How is the pixel related to retargeting?
• Why do my Facebook conversion stats differ a lot from my LeadPages notifications for the same campaign?
• What are the essentials for running an effective retargeting ad campaign?
• How can I use retargeting for people who watch my Facebook Live videos?
• After someone views a blog post with the pixel, how long do I have to retarget them?

Phew. That’s a lot, right? And that’s not all! Download Rick’s article, “The Complete Guide to the Facebook Ads Pixel,” and you will become a pixel master in no time.

As quickly as Facebook changes, there are some things that are as true today as they were a few years ago:

• Facebook cares more about its users vs. the marketers.
• Likes, comments, shares, views, and clicks are gold—the more, the better.
• The more personal you are and the more you do to generate real and valuable interaction, the more your fans will engage (by liking, sharing, etc.).

Now, HOW you accomplish those three points has changed A LOT. Why? Well, there are few reasons.

You’ve heard me talk about the infamous Facebook algorithm, and while I’m not going to nerd out on all of its particulars (there are hundreds), it does have everything to do with how many of your fans are actually seeing your posts.

If you start to understand just a little bit about how it works, you can get smarter about the kind of content you’re creating. Feel me?

I’m going to tell you how to do that by sharing my:

• Three truths about what’s working on Facebook TODAY (including why your post has to perform well from the minute it goes live)
• Five new rules of Facebook marketing (and the one thing you should STOP doing right now)
• Three words to live by as you experiment with and test these new ways of driving engagement (and they actually apply to all parts of your business!)

Along the way, you’ll hear me talk about how I’m implementing some of these new rules in real time, like video. Creating more video is a HUGE priority for me this year (so much so that I’m even building a studio in my house—pics to come on Facebook and Instagram soon!).

Starting this week I’m doing weekly Facebook Live videos (go to facebook.com/amyporterfield to find out when) where we’ll talk about some of the content on the podcast and more. And I’m going to be incorporating more video into my posts.

You already know that video is huge with Facebook. What kind of video to create is also critical—and an important part of this episode—because the more you make viewers stop, watch and unmute your video, the more Facebook will reward you by pushing your videos out to larger segments of your community.

For examples of what types of videos to model, make sure to download my 2017 Ultimate Guide to What’s Working Now on Facebook. It’s loaded with examples of video you can use to start reimagining your Facebook engagement strategy right NOW.