Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• If you’re anything like me, you love to see behind the curtain, to what’s really going on with successful entrepreneurs.
• Many of you have been asking me (for a while) to map out my day—what I plan to do, what I actually get done, how I use my time.
• Well I’m taking it one step further and talking through an entire WEEK.
• You’ll hear about my struggles. How I get into the flow. And when I couldn’t get it together. Oh, and the one podcast I’m obsessed with right now.

The truth is, my processes and habits are a big part of what makes my business successful. I’ve got BIG chunks of time carved out where I can stay hyper-focused and get what might take another person weeks to do. And I know that many of my students want to do that too. So I’m hoping you’ll learn a little something about how to optimize your routine with this episode...

Here’s How the Episode Breaks Down:
I’ll start the week with my Sunday session.

From there, each day I’ll check in during the Morning and talk about what the day is going to look like.

Then I’ll check back in during the Evening to chat about what actually happened.

Check Out These Highlights:

• My personal and professional goals for the week (including my battle with one food that makes me feel sick). [7:08]
• How I approach a new content project. [18:45]
• My workday shutdown ritual. [24:47]
• All about my co-working space and how it helps my business. [30:50]
• My quality time with the hubby, Hobie. [34:51]
• The 3 roles I play in my business. [38:06]
• My new favorite podcast featuring one of my business idols. [41:23]
• Jasmine Star and my first InstaLive. [43:00]
• Where I ended up at the end of of the week. [1:03:01]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Today this dog lover (me!) is talking cat grooming—but it’s not what you think :). I’m highlighting cat grooming as the starting point of what has become a lucrative business empire for my student and new friend, Danelle German.
• Danelle started with one simple question (5:07) —and grew that focus to a business that now generates $12,000 a month on evergreen webinars ALONE. That’s not counting her speaking, curriculum deals, physical products and certification program.
• Danelle is here to teach us: If you really want to make money in this online marketing world, you need to drill down and serve a specific audience.

You never know who you’re going to meet at live events, right? And I am so pleased that I got the opportunity to meet Danelle at a recent event, because she is the perfect example of starting small and scaling slowly and intelligently. (During today’s episode, you’re going to hear me say “genius” A LOT.) I encourage you to “listen beyond the cat grooming” and absorb how Danelle uncovered new opportunities to consistently build her business.

Check Out These Highlights:

• The question that Danelle’s audience REALLY wanted answered. [5:29]
• How difficult it was to focus on a small niche like cat grooming (when starting out)... [7:37]
• Why you don’t need massive amounts of customers. [12:12]
• How Danelle was able to avoid any tough competition. [14:45]
• The secret element that made Danelle’s business so effective in the early days. [18:19]
• Why it’s crucial to shed light on the problems your audience faces. [19:24]
• How Danelle added a non-cat grooming audience to her repertoire. [22:33] And where she found them (so you can add your own sub-audience!).
• Danelle’s experience on how she used Webinars That Convert to lock in her success.[29:05]
• Why she switched to evergreen webinars. [32:30]
• The unbelievable show-up rate Danelle sees on her webinars. [34:43]
• How to find and nail your niche. [41:38]

Danelle on the Value of Staying in Your Zone of Expertise:
“If I am 100% confident in what I am talking about and what I am teaching and, ultimately, what I am selling to people, I am going to do a much better job. The further I get out of the scope of my area of expertise and skill set, that confidence begins to diminish. I keep it real tight around that skill set and that knowledge base and then grow from there.”
—Danelle German, Online Marketing Entrepreneur, National Cat Groomers Institute

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• This year I made a big decision to open up what is typically a B-School bonus event, and do two one-day live events for ALL of my students.
• There is something incredible about holding live events—the connections with your audience, the relationships you build, the amazing team building.
• Which is exactly WHY I wanted to go behind the scenes and share the big learnings, and a few misses.
• I know some of you are thinking about holding your own events, so I wanted to give you some steps to making sure you hold your own ultra-successful event. And for me, it all starts with the connecting opportunities. (18:02)

So if you have been thinking about using events as a great upsell, or a VIP experience, or maybe a new revenue stream, you will want to listen in to all the takeaways from this episode. For each point I walk through, I made sure to provide a “take action” piece for you so you can immediately apply it to your own event planning.

Let’s get started making events work for your business.

By the Way…
I mention Marie Forleo’s B-School and my over the top bonus package (with a free live event!) for those who signed up via my affiliate link. I rarely do live events so if you don’t want to miss it in 2018, click HERE to sign up for the wait list and get all the details once it launches.

Check out these highlights:

• WHY I decided to open my events to all of my students. [2:18]
• The art of layering elements for a fabulous experience (in other words: gifts!). [7:39]
• The feeding frenzy I created—and how to get people to stay in the room and connect. [10:42]
• Thinking about inviting guest speakers? Check out these criteria to help you choose. [16:30]
• Why you should consider including a VIP experience.[20:00]
• There’s always room for improvement… [21:22]
• How to make Q&A time meaningful for everyone (and not have it drag on!). [23:35]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• At the end of 2016 it hit me: I was working for my business instead of my business working for me. Can I get an “AMEN”?
• So I had to make a BIG decision and explore an entire year of evergreen for my business this past year (2017) and limit my number of live launches.
• In the spirit of pure transparency, I’m looking back on how the year went, and putting it all out there for you: the good, the bad, the (at times) ugly so you know how I made this decision, how I executed, and what I learned from the entire process. And how proud I am of my “bold move.”

Spoiler-alert for this episode: I thought my year of automation would be much easier than it was. I took a leap of faith, and now regret NONE of it. In fact, I’m a better leader and business owner because of it. Today I’ll break down the positive results, and some of the learnings along the way.

To make it truly actionable, I have broken this episode into four parts:
Part One: How I approached the year of automation [4:38]
Part Two: What happened and the results [10:58]
Part Three: What I learned [14:46]
Part Four: How I plan to move forward [24:55]

Check Out These Highlights:

• The original vision for going evergreen. [7:54]
• How long it REALLY took to get the funnels where I wanted them. [11:53]
• The factors that slowed us down in building the funnels. [14:45]
• How much the funnels ultimately generated for my business. [16:17]
• Why it’s not always about the money. [18:07]
• The things I didn’t love about my year of automation. [18:32]
• All about my recent launch of List Builder’s Lab. [20:20]
• Let’s talk about product fatigue for a minute. [21:15]
• My big “aha” about my Webinars That Convert program audience. [22:08]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• What IF instead of looking at Pinterest as just another Social Media platform, you saw it as a powerful search engine that can drive traffic for your business?
• That’s exactly why I invited my guest today—photographer, podcaster and savvy business woman Jenna Kutcher. Because she has experienced the kind of amazing impact Pinterest can have on your business—in fact, Pinterest is the platform that drives the MOST traffic to her site: More than 5,000 unique visitors every single month. (Yeah, I couldn’t believe it at first either!)
• Pinterest also (at times) gets a bad rap because it may not be the first site you think of to reach your core clients, which also couldn’t be more wrong.
• I think first and foremost, a mindset shift around Pinterest is in order, starting here.

Yes, Pinterest can be THAT effective. And what I love about Jenna is that she holds nothing back. She’s the kind of gal that says what she’s thinking, or feeling, at any moment. I feel like this episode is in that same spirit—open, and raw. I think you’ll maybe change your mind about Pinterest, and find a new friend in Jenna.

Check out these highlights:

• Why it’s so important to be vulnerable with your brand. [8:13]
• Should you care about your number of followers on Pinterest? [19:06]
• The first step you want to take with your Pinterest strategy. [21:35]
• How to look like you are active on Pinterest (and make the algorithm work for you!). [25:12]
• Proven ways to get the most mileage out of your content. [27:54]
• Jenna’s favorite Pinterest tool (for scheduling AND checking your links). [31:16]
• This one tip will guarantee you engagement on Pinterest. [35:11]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• It’s time to talk about your blog (or even your show notes for your podcast)—are you seeing the traction you really want? If not, today’s special guest has answers.
• I asked expert blogger Julie Solomon to come on the podcast and talk about what’s working, the mistakes bloggers make, and how to make sure you have a truly healthy blog.
• Spoiler alert: Julie doesn’t actually blog every week, which I found VERY intriguing... And you can find out exactly how often she DOES blog. Jump right into that part of our chat right here. [33:00]

In the world of online marketing, all of the people I follow and look up to—and who I know are financially successful in their business—they all have a central hub where they create content on a weekly basis. And for most of them… it’s a blog.

So look no further for the connection between blogging and having a thriving business. Now I want to make sure you are using the strategies that really get results (v. blogging to crickets)—and that’s where Julie is the master. Let’s start your makeover.

Check Out These Highlights:

• Find out why Julie calls her blog “the headquarters”.  [12:17]
• Why it’s so important to know your avatar’s favorite Margarita flavor. [14:06]
• The five core values a great blog post stems from.  [19:22]
• Julie’s steps to stay consistent (it may not be what you think!) [23:13]
• The biggest mistakes bloggers make. [27:10]
• Julie’s favorite tools to promote her blog posts. [35:22]
• How to know if you have a “healthy” blog. [38:02]
• How your mom can help you optimize your blog. [41:53]
• Trigger words: what are they and how you can use them. [45:00]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Rick Mulready is back to give the scoop on Social Media ads—but with a TWIST! We’re taking a break from Facebook ads (but don’t worry—much more to come as always on those!) and shining the light on his Social Media sister, Instagram.
• Now just because these two are related, don’t think one size fits all when it comes to working with these platforms. Rick and I walk through the nuances of the difference between the two (especially when it comes to imagery, videos and placement).
• Just in case you don’t think Instagram ads are worth for your business—keep in mind that there are 800 million Instagram users right now that are up for grabs.
• AND if that’s not enough, if you have a product or service, Instagram can be an incredibly powerful platform for you. Just take a listen to these stats that Rick throws out. [7:39]

I gotta tell you, I love Instagram and feel that it’s a great time to grab your audience’s attention. So I’m shifting gears with Rick today so we can help you capitalize on the Insta Opportunity. I want you to dive in...and help me figure out the big question: Emoji or emoticons?

A special Easter Egg for today’s episode:
It turns out you DO need 10,000 followers in order to have the swipe up feature. (And on that same note, follow Rick on Instagram @rickmulready so he can get the followers he needs!) If you want to know what I’m talking about, check out our sidebar conversation on this.[21:00]

And a few great Instagram examples (including that story ad I ran):

Check out these highlights:

• Let’s start this off with WHO exactly is on Instagram (so you know if you should be there!). [3:20]
• What are the best days and times to post on Instagram? [5:00]
• Where and how to set up your ads (on Facebook and Instagram). [10:39]
• Which ad type would be best for your business and customers—and the parameters for each. [12:03]
• The big differences between Facebook and Instagram (Here’s a hint: you CAN’T just repurpose one for the other). [13:17]
• With Insta, do you have the same targeting possibilities as Facebook? [19:22]
• How to take advantage of story ads (and what happened after I ran my first one for my List Builders Lab promo). [22:10]
• Why you need to add text and emojis to your InstaStories. [28:16]
• How to choose the right objectives when creating your Instagram ad campaigns. [28:59]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• I’ve talked extensively about my epic fails with webinars—and I’ve also shared how I picked myself back up, practiced a ton—experimented—and just went for it. It wasn’t any different for my friend, video rockstar Luria Petrucci, who has an incredible webinar success story that you need to hear.
• I want this episode to inspire you to take action on your own webinars. Because if Luria can do it (and spend only $600 on Facebook ads in the process!), you can too.
• If you are a student of my Webinars That Convert program, this is the episode for YOU as Luria (a fellow student) highlights exactly which tips and insights worked well for her.
• And if you don’t have anything to sell yet, you can use the exact strategy Luria used to put an offer out there. 

You may remember Luria from Episode 168 (The Easy Start Guide to Live Video), and I know I don’t usually bring guests back so quickly. But after hearing Luria’s story I knew you had to hear it too! So get ready. I really want you to take everything Luria learned to heart and think about how YOU can stretch yourself with webinars to get to the crazy results she proved weren’t so crazy after all. Also: Make sure you stay until the very end to learn how Luria kept her webinar attendees super engaged!

And one thing I want you to take advantage of...

If you are looking to up your webinar game, I have a must-see training where I take you behind the scenes of my actual webinar creation process: How to Create Your First Wildly Profitable Webinar (Even if You Don’t Have a List). That’s right, I literally open the gates wide open and show you all of my webinar creation secrets, including example after example of my own webinar strategies. I absolutely know this will be incredibly valuable for your own webinar creation process, so make sure to book a time to watch.

Check out these highlights:

• Why Luria was skittish about doing webinars at first. [2:30]
• How “stealing” made Luria thousands of dollars on her webinar. [9:05]
• How to align your content with your offer. [11:14]
• Get a detailed walk-through of Luria’s amazing results after her webinar strategy overhaul (and a little mix-up with conversion rate numbers!). [17:30]
• Our big-game changer webinar strategy. [24:58]
• The best way to get your audience to connect with you on a deeper level and want to take the next step. [29:47]
• Struggling with your own webinars? Luria has a few final thoughts. [36:50]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Time to hit the ground running for your 2018 planning. And I mean starting TODAY.
• This episode is meant to be your goal-setting workshop in a box—I’ve got everything you need to plan for 2018: How to do it, the questions to ask, and plenty of examples to inspire you to take action.
• If you have felt like in the last year you are flying by the seat of your pants, or you have been frustrated with your promotions, or you have no idea how you’re going to make money NEXT YEAR, then it’s time to listen up and take action. [1:15]
• By the way, the focus is on the first six months only, because you may want to repeat some of the success you saw in the first half of the year. I’m all about the rinse and repeat! Also: Opportunities will come your way, and I want you to have some flexibility in your planning for those.

Rules of Engagement Upfront:

• I want you to take an entire day to do this process. I know, I know. No bellyaching. I don’t want you to feel rushed or pressured to get it done.
• Pick a “special spot” to do this. If you want extra credit, book out a hotel room or a co-working space. If you’re going to do this at home, promise me you’ll send everyone away so you have the space to create, focus and think.
• Don’t do this alone. Engage your virtual assistant or anyone on your team (either via Skype or fly them out!). I understand that you may be a “one-person show”—I encourage you to then find a friend or a peer that can be your sounding board.
• Grab a whiteboard or a big sticky board. You’ll need a space to put your notes.

The freebie for this episode is EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAN:

You’ll hear me map out this entire process on the episode. Then, when you are ready to do your own plan, grab the step-by-step cheat sheet so you can work through this process for your own business. With this worksheet, you’ll know exactly how to plan for your 2018.

Check Out These Highlights:

• Why your “non-negotiables” are crucial to your business success. [9:48]
• The power of “declaring your number” and why it can drive your entire success for the New Year. [11:54]
• How to get clarity on the past so you can plan for the future. [13:32]
• The metrics you should come to the table with. [14:15]
• What to ask yourself when you calendar your big promotions—a.k.a “the fun stuff.” [18:43]
• Ways to make money in the next six months (to help get those creative juices flowing!). [19:52]
• Don’t make this one mistake when planning out your promotions! [27:38]
• Why you need white space between promotions. [30:45]
• How to not let FOMO take you down in your planning process. [34:58]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Do you ever have that feeling like creating your content is taking over your life? That no matter what you do, you are dealing with your podcast, or your blog, or your video series EVERY SINGLE DAY?
• It shouldn’t be this way—and today I have your solution: It’s called Mega-Batching (an idea sparked by Michael Hyatt) and it has transformed the way I deliver this podcast.
• I’m going to walk you through, layer by layer, how I create at least six episodes at a time with my team so you can take advantage of this time- and sanity-saving process. It will also help you fall back in love with creating content (especially if you have had a falling out!)
• Not to mention that once you focus on this strategy, you will have the time to spend on Your Business Wish List and experience that white space to be truly creative.

Now if you’re thinking—this seems like too much work, I don’t know if I can handle this. Trust me, I get it. However, as a business owner, I don’t want you to get bogged down on details that don’t serve you. I want you to have the freedom and flexibility to focus on things that will really move the needle in your business. And I promise that mega-batching will help you get there.

Check Out These Highlights:

• The 5 sessions I use for each batch. [9:35]
• How I break up the recording of my podcast. [13:38]
• Some of my favorite aspects of mega-batching. [16:41]
• Tweaks I want to make for the future with this system. [18:58]
• What I have planned for the podcast in 2018. [19:43]
• Two final thoughts to help you start your own mega-batching efforts. [21:17]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• There’s more to running a business than just steps and strategies. You’ve got to master your inner game: your core beliefs and thoughts.
• There’s a big (and all-too prevalent) myth when it comes to your time and money: That the secret to success is to work hard and hustle. [6:47]
• No one is exempt from dealing with money issues. So it’s time to face them.

“We gotta talk about money.” That’s what my dear friend and mindset maven James Wedmore said when I told him I wanted him back on the show to talk entrepreneurial mindset. James and I both think that money is a huge block when it comes to your business. So today I want to chat about some of the beliefs or blind spots that just might be holding you back from finding real success for your business. Do me a favor and just see if they feel true for you…

Check out these highlights:

• The real 80/20 percent split when it comes to being an entrepreneur. [7:52]
• We all have a relationship with money just like we all have a relationship with our mom, dad, spouse, friends, etc. [10:08]
• One of my biggest money (limiting) beliefs, which stems from my childhood. [12:46]
• Contrary to popular belief, money does not come from effort. [14:22]
• Why  believing in abundance is an absolute for entrepreneurs like us. [15:48]
• The easiest way to create new beliefs. [20:02]
• How to get “passionately curious” and “play the scientist role.” [21:58]
• This is WHY you really want things in life. [26:17]
• A few ways to practice the power of gratitude. [30:27]
• Final money mindset shifts from James. [32:57]

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• On today’s episode I’m going to walk you through seven collaborations that I’ve done over the years that range from my very first time collaborating, and even feeling a little shy (but learning so much!) all the way to collaborations with some of the biggest names in online marketing.
• I’m giving you the inside scoop into how those actually came to be, and some of the lessons I learned from each of these amazing experiences.
• And here’s a BIG note to remember: The key to successful collaborations is found within your relationship with the person – not on what that person can do for you or what you can do for him or her. [13:24]

I know this from experience: Building your business for the long term is much easier when you can find peers and collaborators that you can build amazing relationships with. When you’re first starting out and you may not have much of a list or presence, you want to find collaborations that can help you find an audience for your business. So I hope you enjoy as I walk through my own experiences, and how I cultivated some of the best business relationships I have to this day.

The freebie for this episode is SO GOOD:

I’ve got the Top 10 questions you should ask YOURSELF if you’re considering any collaboration. It’s a checklist of sorts, where I talk about the criteria I personally use when I think about partnering with someone. If you get honest with these questions, you will save yourself a lot of stress and potential “business heartache” - it’s a thing, trust me.

Download it here and run through them the next time you’re thinking about a collaboration.

Check out these highlights:

• Collaboration #1: My very “first time”: how I went in, what I learned from it and what I wish I’d done differently [4:14]
• Collaboration #2: When and how I learned the real special ingredient for collaborations (here’s a hint: it’s all about trust) [9:50]
• Collaboration #3: How I landed a key influencer [15:37]
• Collaboration #4: The most successful affiliate marketing relationship I’ve ever had. (Spoiler alert: It’s all about B-School with Marie Forleo!) [20:50]
• Collaboration #5: How I moved things into the real world (think small live event) with a weekend workshop collaboration [24:42]
• Collaboration #6: I get asked all of the time about adding guest experts inside of your paid course…here’s a full explanation of what I typically do, with Jasmine Star as my shining example [32:24]

Collaboration #7: And I just couldn’t leave this one out… If you’ve ever wondered how Rick Mulready and I started working together, maybe you’d like to hear about the coffee date I didn’t really want to go to. [39:10]

I am a firm believer in changing things up, breaking a pattern, switching gears…

Today I’m doing all three.

Because I know it’s time.

The truth is, I’ve been holding back for a while.

I have finally decided that I’ve had enough of the BS, and the fear.

To know me is to know I don’t love being on video. And I have given a lot of excuses around that.

Time to come clean:

I hate video because I’m embarrassed about my weight.

Wow. It felt freeing just typing that.

So this podcast is my very open letter to you, dear listener. Because I owe you this openness—so I can (perhaps) also inspire you to come out and call out what’s been holding you back. And even give it a name.

This episode was a tough one to record. But worth it. 100% worth it.

Here I go.

Amy

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Right at this moment you should be thinking about your list building efforts. I want you borderline obsessed with list-building! This episode is key to your obsession, as today you’re getting every single one of my tested and tried tips and tricks for list building.
• List building starts with a great idea for a lead magnet, and a great idea for a lead magnet always starts with your ideal customer avatar. And there is ONE big question I ask when I'm thinking about my ideal customer avatar. [6:14]
• There’s a new player in the list building game that’s getting off-the-charts results. It’s VIDEO and when done right, it will boost your list growth—it’s all how you use it—and that’s part of today’s episode.

I know I’ve talked about list-building many times before, but here’s the thing: list building—when done right—can dramatically change your business (I should know, since it completely changed mine). So I want you to listen, then take immediate action of one or two of the strategies I mention.

Stay tuned for a NEW, FREE and LIVE webinar with yours truly ;-)

This is a training I’m doing by myself, and LIVE: “The Ultimate List-Building Catch-Up Plan.” If you’ve ever felt behind in your list building, I’m going to show you how to get caught up quickly in terms of what to do inside your business to create a list-building foundation that can run on autopilot.

Check out these highlights:

• How to come up with a great idea for a lead magnet. [5:08]
• How to embrace video when it comes to list building. [10:06]
• Confirmation emails—there’s so much more you can do with them! [17:25]
• The right strategy for your nurture sequence. [21:33]
• How calls-to-actions can make all of the difference with your campaigns. [24:45]
• The tools I use (and how I use them) for my own list building. [27:05]
• How and why I link my original free content to my list-building efforts. [40:11]

The Ultimate List Building Catch-Up Plan: My Proven 3-Stack System For Leveraging The Most Powerful, “What’s Working Now” List Building Strategies (without the stress, tech confusion, or crazy overwhelm)

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Being productive is really not about “getting things done” and MORE about doing what’s inside your desire zone.
• You’ve got your big “time savers” like productivity software, your smartphone, your hacks—but how is that all working out for you? These “resources” are actually cutting into your time!
• You can transform your entire routine by defining your Ideal Week [26:39] (I know because I did it!).
• There are four rituals you need to set yourself up for success. My guess is you are doing maybe one or two of these (at best) right now. So let’s UP your game.

What if you stopped telling yourself you needed to be more productive, and instead, focused on being free—to focus, be present, spontaneous, to do nothing. I know, kind of crazy, right? But that’s EXACTLY what my very special guest, Michael Hyatt, and I tackle today.

A quick bonus for listening:
I wanted you to see how the Ideal Week exercise (listen here to understand the concept of an Ideal Week) is working for me, including my morning and workday rituals. Click play below to watch how I am now planning out my week.

So many times you are doing things in the name of “productivity” that are actually making you feel more overwhelmed and discouraged. I want you to start making real progress and feel in control. Michael will talk all about that and more in his free training, “The 7 Deadly Sins of Productivity: The Hidden Habits Undermining Your Performance (And How to Change Them).” Sign up here for free before it’s too late!

Check out these podcast highlights:

• You want to live your life in ONE out of four zones. [5:42]
• How to provide a “positive no.” [12:22]
• Tips to automate tasks (beyond just using technology).  [15:44]
• How to really structure your morning routine. [16:22]
• The first step to optimizing delegation that so many miss. [22:22]
• Your different “stage times” and how to allocate time for each. [26:51]
• The power of “batching your meetings” to create more white space. [27:22]

Why you’ve got to listen to today’s episode:

• A podcast can dramatically change your business by connecting you with your audience in a new and intimate way, each and every week.
• Having a comprehensive system (and proven project plan!) can help you streamline your delivery of consistent weekly content.
• You can truly scale your content efforts—and save a TON of time—if you use a little system called “batching” when planning.
• There’s one list-building tactic that’s on my MUST list: freebies, or content upgrades. There’s definitely an art and science to implementing these the right way. [26:28]

Today I’m bringing together two of my passions—podcasting and systems—in the ultimate behind-the-scenes of my podcast episodes. And I’ve spared no detail. It’s all here—from how I come up with my topics, to how we publish the finished recording, I walk through it all.

And you’ve got to get today’s freebie:

It’s too good for words: a complete project plan of our process, ready for you to use at any time. I walk you through each of the six stages of podcast production, and even sprinkle in some insider notes. If you want to streamline your content creation, this one is a must for you.

And another quick bonus for today:

I made you a quickie video to walk through my podcasting equipment essentials. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how simple my set-up is! Click play to watch now.

Check out these highlights:

• My star podcast team members, and the roles you need for your own production [4:44]
• One of the best and most prepared podcast guests I have ever hosted [9:36]
• The new strategy I am using to get more content done in concentrated amounts of time [13:37]
• Why your titles are so crucial in your production timeline [20:43]
• How and why I am changing up my show notes [23:54]
• The podcast and social media promotion: How I am experimenting [29:50]
• The lowdown on all of the imagery I use for the podcast [33:55]
• The advanced strategy I employ for Instagram [42:37]

You asked, and I’m bringing it: My story. And I mean ALL the details, of how I went from corporate to consulting to where I am today: courses.

My intention here is not to relive the old days—I’m doing this because you likely can relate to one of the three scenarios:

• You currently are working in a corporate job, with thoughts of starting your own thing.
• Your dream business is currently your #sidehustle and you’re looking to make it your full-time gig.
• You no longer are tied to your J.O.B however your business model is not exactly what you’d like it to be. You want to move into online courses sooner than later.

Anyway you approach it, there are opportunities in front of you right now that you may not see as relevant to where you want to go. But that’s not true. Every step counts.

If I hadn’t taken a job at Harley Davidson, I wouldn’t have seen what building a community, or movement, looks like and thought, “That’s what I want.”

If I hadn’t worked for a matchmaking service, I wouldn’t have figured out that I hate sales.

And if I hadn’t said, ‘yes,’ to working on Tony Robbins’ creative team, I’m not sure any of what followed would have happened.

Speaking of working for Tony, I wanted to share the five core lessons I learned while working for Tony, from creating content, to making big decisions as a business owner, to shaping your mindset. I’ve put the lessons all down in my brand new freebie.

So, I’m breaking down my journey for you in five phases. In each one, I’ll tell you what I learned and the turning point that helped me move to the next phase. This is how each one breaks down:

Phase One: Corporate (or being “on the clock”)

Phase Two: Consulting (or really doing the Corporate thing for multiple bosses instead of just the one)

Phase Three: Courses (without a niche—so this was more of an experimental time)

Phase Four: Courses (with a niche nailed down)

Phase Five: Product Suite (or courses that can scale and ultimately put my business in the fast lane)

The biggest thing I want you to take away from my story is you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to move forward in any way you can, and from where you are now.

So let’s get into it … I was born on a rainy night in December … Ha! No, we’re not going that far back.

Let's start from my (career) beginning...

P.S Find out more about my live event, The Entrepreneur Experience at amyporterfield.com/events. The dates are October 21st or December 2nd, so don’t delay!

When it comes to working smarter and not harder, you know the conventional wisdom: Manage your time, take breaks, get enough sleep, tackle the big projects when you feel the most focused, and the list goes on.

You know all this stuff, but why is it so hard to act on it? And even if you are applying some of those strategies (which are all good), you still find yourself with more work than you can possibly get done in a single day.

Enter Carey Bentley. She’s a productivity and accountability expert. Along with her husband, Demir, they founded Lifehack Bootcamp, a program designed to get you working more efficiently so you can create the lifestyle you want.

Now, Carey and Demir weren’t always experts at this—in fact, they once were raging workaholics, but they had to figure out another way because the way they were working was literally affecting their health.

Their secret is practice—hard, intentional, sweaty practice. You know, the way pro athletes practice. So think of productivity less like a class where you’re studying to pass an exam and more like a craft that you’re working to get better at all the time.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The four phases of productivity and why you’re ultimately shooting to be like LeBron James. (Check those out at 11:54)
• The four layers of accountability—with a coach, with a team, with a buddy, with your community—where you are closing off all escape routes by making yourself feel the pressure from all sides. (Carey starts to break down those levels at 16:19)
• How to create a “Champagne Moment” that literally has you popping open a bottle every week (metaphorically, but you can take that literally too!).

Download this week’s freebie for a step-by-step walkthrough of this process. (You can think about your own moment at 15:18).

You’ll also hear Carey and I talk about the five limiting mindsets (OK that’s just really a nice way to say “excuses”) people adopt to NOT get things done. Have you ever complained about not having enough time or having too much on your plate? Yeah, me too. It’s time to shut that down. Carey and I talk about the first two on the show. You can get all five (and the “Champagne Moment” exercise) by downloading this week’s freebie.

No more procrastinating—time to move forward.

And as if this isn’t enough, Carey grabbed her hubby, Demir, and filmed an extra special video for your eyes only on steps to beat decision fatigue.

The deep dive into all things Facebook Ads continues with part two of my mini training with Rick Mulready.

In part one we discussed the importance of mapping out a strategy before you jump into scheduling your ads, as well as knowing how to target your ideal customer and build custom audiences using the Audience Insights tool. (Missed Part 1? It was SO GOOD and you can listen here.)

We’re going a little deeper in today’s second part by telling you how to set up your ads using the Power Editor and how to assess your performance by focusing on a few key metrics.

PART TWO
Getting to know the Power Editor. A Facebook ad consists of three elements— campaign, ad set and ad. The campaign is where you set the objective of the ad, such as page post engagement or website clicks. The ad set is where you select the targeting, budget and schedule for the ad. And the ad is where you have the image and text for your ad.

How to Create a Campaign:

Using metrics to evaluate ad performance. First, don’t look at anything related to how your ads are doing for 72 hours. Then, take a look at these numbers by going to the ads manager, clicking the performance dropdown menu and selecting customized columns to choose the stats you want to review.

These are the metrics to pay attention to:

Cost per lead (or conversion): In general, shoot for $9 and under on a lead. Sound high? You’ve got to be real about what’s happening with Facebook. It’s super competitive and that means it’s getting more expensive—yet it’s still the most cost-effective ad platform.

Landing page conversion rate: Your goal is at least 20% conversion. If you’re not there, look at the consistency between your ad and the landing page. Are you using the same text, color scheme and other graphical elements? Is the messaging consistent?

Click-through rate: If it’s less than 1%, that’s a sign that your ad is not resonating with your audience.

Relevance score: The closer you are to 10, the better. If it’s low, that means your ad isn’t relevant. The problem could be with your ad or with the audience you’re targeting.

Frequency score: If you’re at a 4 or higher, that means people are seeing your ad too many times and won’t look at it anymore. Try changing up the type of ad you’re showing.

If you’re happy with the metrics, start to scale. If not, use the data to figure out your next step. For example, if you’ve got a 2% click-through rate and a decent relevance score, but your cost per lead is high, that might mean something about your landing page isn’t consistent with your ad. Use the data to troubleshoot your campaign.

Remember: Become a student of Facebook ads! Research the strategy that works for you, and don’t be afraid to dive in and take some risks for your list-building efforts. Now is the time.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve dabbled with running a Facebook ads campaign, I want you locked into this jam-packed two-part episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast.

My good friend Rick Mulready, who knows Facebook ads better than anyone I know, helps me cover everything you need to know to get your Facebook ads off the ground.

PART ONE

Have a strategy. One of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs lose faith is because they put a bunch of money into ads without a plan, and then get disappointed when there are no returns.

Rick has a lot of great advice here, including why working backward from your end goal is the ultimate way to set yourself up for success.

We also explore questions like:

• How do I convert Facebook fans into email subscribers?
• What’s the key to attracting paying customers?
• Can I build my list using Facebook ads, even if I don’t have anything to sell?

Target, target, target. You’ve got to get specific on your audience. This is one of the biggest advantages of using Facebook ads, and I want you to spend some time here. For example, if you’re a personal trainer, go beyond simply targeting people who exercise and target audiences that fit specifically within your areas of expertise or certain specific interests.

You can do so much more to refine your audience by looking at where they shop, what brands they like, how they exercise and more.

One of my favorite tools within Facebook Ads is Audience Insights because it allows you to educate yourself on the characteristics of your audience, based on people who already like your page. By doing this, you can better cater to the needs of existing customers and scale your business by targeting new potential customers with similar characteristics. (Check out my video below on how I use it in my business!)

Also, don’t miss Rick’s breakdown on how Facebook wants you to target. One thing we all know for sure is the more you do things Facebook’s way, the more the social media giant will like and reward you.

In part two, we get into the ins and outs of the Power Editor and what metrics you should be paying attention to. Don’t forget to check out the links below to other podcasts Rick and I have done on Facebook ads.

Let’s get back to basics.

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.

If you think being an entrepreneur is tough, try being married to one.

Just ask Hobie Porterfield (as I do in this episode).

You’ve heard me talk about my hunky husband from time to time, and just how important he is to the success of my business. But I’ve never really talked about what that means exactly.

In isolation, running a business and keeping a marriage together are tough. Together?

It’s an entirely different beast. The fact is, entrepreneurship brings a very different dimension to a marriage.

People with 9-to-5 jobs usually work in organizations that provide support, training and resources. Entrepreneurship can be isolating, which is one reason we often turn to our spouses or significant others for support.

So today, Hobie and I are talking about what the road has been like for us.

In this episode we reveal:

• Why Hobie thinks the significant other is 40% of your business success
• My recent ‘aha’ moment about what it means to REALLY spend time together
• How we give each other what we need, EVEN during the most stressful times
• The five most important things we do to make our marriage work

We’re in a pretty awesome place now, but it wasn’t always that way, and we figure out something new every day, including us coming up with a trigger word (it’s a celebrity name - can you guess which one?) to bring me back to him when my iPhone has got me sucked in!

This is every bit as important (probably more) as planning your next big launch or creating a new marketing funnel. You’ve got to nurture your personal relationships with the same care, intensity and passion as you do your business.

Go listen here now, your main squeeze will thank you for it, I promise ;-)

Here’s the thing: businesses evolve and grow. Mine has (and so will yours). And what worked a few years ago for my website is no longer reflective of where I am today.

If you know it’s time for a website revamp, let this serve as your roadmap of sorts. While you may make different decisions than I did, the overall message you should take away is the same: You need to be intentional and strategic about every part of your site.

For example, deciding what to feature on the homepage will influence so many other things like navigation, the sitemap, overall user experience, and ultimately, conversions.

(If you simply don’t have the bandwidth to take on this kind of project right now, listen to this episode as a resource you can use when you’re ready (make sure to download the freebie and save it to your computer!).

Here’s how the episode breaks down:

Part 1—Planning: Learn some of the questions you MUST have answers to before you even think about development.

Part 2—The Map: Why you have to plot out every page (and I walk you through why my homepage is laid out the way it is).

Part 3—The Miscues: My five biggest flops, like not including my team in the process. Yeah. Smooth move, Amy.

Part 4—Your Decision: Find out the elements my designer, Jessica, says you must have for success.

PLUS, don’t forget to download the 10 Essential Elements for Your Website freebie. It’ll save you some headaches, I promise!

One last thing—if you can, go to my website’s homepage (amyporterfield.com) as you listen so you can see some of the elements I talk about during the episode.

When you’re just starting out, you can manage everything on your own. And you probably have to—until you’re generating revenue. As soon as that happens, things change. Priorities shift. To-do lists grow. New ideas, projects and opportunities pop up every day, all of which are left for you to juggle with.

What if you had the right support to help keep you and your business not only in check, but growing?

Imagine that new email campaign copy you’ve avoided writing for days has been broken down, researched and organized in such a way that it almost feels like you’re just filling in the blanks.

Imagine you’re no longer prioritizing and checking off each box of your to-do list, rather it’s a document that lives with someone else, somewhere else—far, far away from you.

Imagine you’re no longer the gatekeeper of every new project, launch, contractor or task. Your project manager (or PM) is handling it all for you.

On this podcast episode I start the conversation about why this role is (or will be) essential for your business.

By the end of the episode you’ll know:

• What a PM could do for your business (immediately and long term)
• Where to find a PM
• When you’re ready for a PM (and how much one costs)
• Why “TEA time” with your PM is crucial for success

Plus, I’m lifting the curtain to show you how I found, hired, trained and integrated my crazy awesome PM, Chloe, into my business.

Do me one quick favor before you start listening: Download this week’s freebie, and get your Project Manager Hiring Toolkit. Job description? Check. New hire survey? Check. Even if you are not ready to hire just yet, GET IT NOW to have when you need it!

You know how intense launches are from start to finish, right? You’ve heard me say here repeatedly that you’ve got to think through every part of it. And in so many ways, once that cart opens, you’ve got to double your efforts to save sales. Then once those carts close, you have to get scrappy to keep those new customers happy, and rescue any potential refunds.

There are going to be so many people who just can’t make a decision about you. Even after you’ve given everything by building a superior course or program, with every bell and whistle an online student could wish for.

However, the doubt surfaces because most folks are just looking for a way out (revisit Episode #156 with my good friend Russell Brunson later for more).

Your job is to not let them find a way out, and the best, most effective way to do that is to meaningfully connect with your customers as much as possible. This episode is loaded with strategies on how to save potential sales during your next promo and ensure you don’t get a bunch of refunds, including:

• How to hone your refund policy. (Ever wondered why mine is so strict? I talk about it in this episode.)
• Why your webinar Q&As are critical to your promotion success.
• How you can empower and engage new students with your onboarding emails.

Because I’m covering A LOT of ground with this episode, I want you to download the freebie so you have a handy list of the 5 Strategies to Save Your Sales and 7 Ways to Rescue Potential Refunds. I’m also giving you the exact phone script I used when I offered a 1-800 number during a launch. That’s TWO great reasons to download, so make sure you secure that freebie and put it in a safe place for your next launch.

Also: Stay on until the end because I’m going through the pros and cons of whether you should drip the content in your program and how that decision can impact your refund rate.

I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person who loves to pick up a book I’ve read a bunch of times already, read it again, and find new takeaways.

I love doing that, because I know every time I’m reading that book I’m in a different place in my life, making me see the insights in a new light.

In that same spirit: There was such an overwhelming response to the original episode I recorded on creating compelling bonuses, that I wanted to rebroadcast this episode, with a new take.

So not only am I teaching you the bonus strategies that have worked for me and my business, but I’ve got an all-new insight that I wanted to share that’s made a BIG difference in my launch results.

Here’s a little of what I’ll cover in this mini-workshop all about creating bonuses:

• Strategies that have worked to drive sales for me over and over again
• How to incentivize buyers to buy on cart open day (instead of waiting!)
• The best bonuses to offer for an affiliate launch

Then I want you to implement what you’ve learned in this workshop and download my worksheet—I give the five steps for creating extraordinary bonuses for your product EVERY TIME. This is a must have exercise to help you create bonuses that convert.

I also give you a new full-pay bonus strategy that worked for me recently. As promised in the episode, here is how I positioned the three group coaching calls:

And since I do not explain the live small group coaching calls on the webinar, I made sure to include some details about the bonus on the sales page:

So whether you are offering a full-pay, fast-action or 48-hour bonus, if you want to position your program or product to demand higher prices, get more customers into your program, and have a compelling way to get potential buyers off the fence, make sure to walk through this mini-training.

In online marketing, no one knows how to build a movement better than super entrepreneur Russell Brunson. You’ve probably heard me talk about his very popular software company ClickFunnels, but he’s also got a coaching company, a supplements company and he’s a best-selling author with a new book out called Expert Secrets (get your free copy at amyporterfield.com/secrets).

In this episode of the podcast, Russell shares some of the book’s juiciest concepts, including:

• Why 1,000 true fans are all you need to build a movement through your business.
• How to create a sweet spot in the market you serve and how to find new opportunities in it (because that’s where all the gold is).
• The rules you must live by to play like a boss.

You’ll find an amazing amount of practical strategies; from identifying your ideal market niche and leading them to create new opportunities, all the way to understanding the REAL reasons why people buy your stuff and why charging what you’re worth actually shows you care more than anything else. Through it all, Russell is soooo good at breaking down the consumer psyche and giving you the confidence needed to build the business of your wildest dreams.

I loved this book so much and I know you will too—that’s why I’m giving it to you for free. All you have to pay for is the shipping and handling. So make sure you go to amyporterfield.com/secrets to get your copy now. This offer won’t last long so make sure you do it NOW.

Facebook ad expert, Rick Mulready, is back to talk about a tremendous new Ad tool that he’s already leveraging to drive major results in his business.

If you’re starting to hear more about Facebook Messenger Ads, it’s for good reason. You’re probably one of the billion people who use the Messenger app to chat with family and friends instantaneously every day.

But what if an ad popped up from your favorite clothing store and just by clicking it you could ask about one of their new products? Better yet, what if a rep from that store gets back to you immediately.

BAM. That’s the beauty of Facebook Messenger ads for your customers. (It’s the first ad type that gets your ideal customer avatar talking with you instantly.)

Now for you, this means being able to answer questions or address objections to your programs and courses in real time, like during a launch when you’re trying to close more sales.

Today Rick and I go inside why this new format is climbing the charts and how you can take advantage of it right now.

In the episode, Rick talks about his experience using Messenger Ads for the first time. Make sure to listen to get all the details about how this ad below performed for him!

I’ve also included some screenshots of what the interface looks like when you’re creating the ad inside of The Power Editor. It’s super easy. You can check it out step by step below.

Step 1: Go to ads creation in Ads Manager or Power Editor.

Step 2: Choose the Traffic objective and complete your Campaign name, adset name, and ad name.

Step 3: Under the adset level, select website or messenger. Continue by Choosing your audience, budget and placement.

Step 4: At the ad level, Choose the Page you want to connect

Step 5: At the ad level, select your image/video and copy. Choose a welcome message. When people click on your ad, they will automatically be directed to Messenger and receive a copy of your ad and the welcome message.

*You can select any call-to-action button, in addition to ‘Send Message’. A Messenger icon will appear next to this call-to-action button in the ad.

*NOTE: Your ad to open conversations in Messenger won’t appear to people on mobile who don’t have the Messenger app.

So ready to tackle a new world of Facebook Messenger ads? Get all the starter details here—and don’t forget to sign up for Rick’s brand new webinar, “How to Create an Automated Facebook Ads System That Gets Leads & Sales Every Day.” I think we all need a bit of that magic!

Don’t you wish for a button you could push to get your creative brain synapses firing when it seems like they’ve gone on vacation?

While we’re waiting on that magic, I’ve got something to bring you back into the light because we’re all human, right? You may be the most creative person EVER, but for whatever reason, there are times when content inspiration is elusive and it is a battle to come up with something new.

This is especially true when you’ve been in the game for a while and feel like you’ve covered every angle of your industry. The good news is there are always more directions you can explore.

Here’s a quick tease of the strategies I talk about on today’s show to help you create new content when you feel less than gung-ho:

• I’ll tell you about how I just dusted off some old content and gave it a new fresh spin (and how you can do the same thing with your own pieces!).
• The sure-fire way I ALWAYS am inspired to create new content (it involves me first and foremost stepping away from my laptop…).
• You’re not alone in creating your content. In fact, you have a HUGE resource for new content that you may not have thought of...

Make sure you stay on until the end when I reveal the process I use to ensure I am always delivering top-notch content. If an idea doesn’t make it past one of these phases, I don’t do it. Period.

And check out my ‘10 Days of Inspiration’ one-pager freebie because, unfortunately, you can’t always wait for inspiration to hit you. You have deadlines. Sometimes, you have to hunt that inspiration thing down yourself. This will help get the ideas flowing, I promise!

You know that feeling after you’ve just poured blood, sweat and so many tears into building something, like, say, an online course?

There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment that comes with building a course! So of course you want to make sure you are marketing it effectively.

Enter Victoria Gibson, online business coach and mentor extraordinaire. She’s all about helping entrepreneurs get BIG results with their online courses and coaching programs. One of her clients built a 7-figure business in two years following the principles she is going to talk to us about on this episode.

Here’s a quick preview:

• Is your program loaded with videos, downloadable audio and PDF worksheets? What about actual one-on-one time with you? That’s right. Your course may need more of YOU. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean endless hours spent Facetiming.

• If you’re just starting out, you may be thinking, “Well, how could I possibly charge more than $97 for my course?” When the REAL question may be how could you not charge MORE?

• Feeling repetitive? You’re doing it right. Your customers need to hear your core message a lot. Plus, being consistent and clear is what will later allow you to expand once you’ve nailed your message and built a mighty (no matter what size) community that loves what you’re giving them.

Get ready to hear all of the crucial course-selling knowledge Victoria is dropping.

*Correction: Stay tuned for my next amazing interview with Rick Mulready in Episode 155

When a new opportunity comes along, do you immediately jump for joy to be a part of something new and exciting, or are you cautiously weighing your options?

The thing is: Are you choosing things that are really driving your business forward or do you have a case of FOMO (fear of missing out)?

And trust me, I’m your girl when it comes to all the various ways FOMO can creep into how you’re operating and end up costing you in the long run.

After a few expensive missteps (one to the tune of $20,000; more about that here), I’ve gotten really good at saying, “No,” to the things that don’t fit the stage of growth I’m in with my business right now. Did you read that last part?

I said, “RIGHT NOW.”

And that’s important because we’re not talking about how to say, “No,” on this week’s show. We are talking about how to intelligently evaluate those shiny, fun, killer sounding opportunities that come your way and make everything inside of you shout, “Hell, yeah!”

But is it really “Hell, yeah!”, or is it more of a “maybe later”?

To help you figure it out, we’re talking about the 3 critical questions I ask myself every time a new or unexpected opportunity comes my way.

Listen to the show and then download my new One Page Evaluator freebie. It helps you figure out how to answer those questions, and includes a few extras that will really help you drill down the next time you have a big decision to make.

Let’s rewind for a sec. Back in episode #146, I dished on Facebook groups. This is one of the bold moves I want you to consider making in 2017, because if you take the time to do it thoughtfully, it could be a tremendous game-changer for your business.

No one knows that more than Jill and Josh Stanton. In just two years the Facebook group they built for their ‘Screw the Nine to Five’ business has skyrocketed from less than 7,000 members to nearly 40,000.

You’re going to hear us talking about a lot of wicked smart strategies they are using to maximize the impact of the group on their business—list-building, selling, cross-promoting, sexy funnels and more.

BUT, pay attention to me here because I don’t want you getting overwhelmed. Keep your eyes on the prize as you listen to the podcast (and lose your mind over all the cool things that Jill shares).

The point of a Facebook group is engagement. The more you do that, by asking questions, listening and showing up in general, the more you’re going to know about what your audience wants and needs.

That’s the magic fairy dust your group will sprinkle so you really can see, hear and feel your audience, as well as show them mad love by delivering content that will make a difference in their lives.

Some of the topics explored include:

• Cracking the code on how to find out what your group members truly WANT. (Hint: Polls are everything.)
• Using the group to build your email list and cross-promote your other programs. (For example, the Stantons market their membership site inside the group, which serves as an entry point for their sales funnels.)
• Striking a harmonious balance between free content shared in the group with paid content in a membership site or whatever you’re selling.
• Keeping content organized inside of the group.
• Managing the group, especially the bigger it gets. The kind of support needed, as well as how often you need to get involved.
• The role Facebook Live can play in the group. (You’ll love the unique way Jill and Josh are using it OUTSIDE of their group too!)

This episode is LOADED. Listen up.

Oh, and one more very exciting thing. I did my first ever ‘after show’ with Jill and Josh. There was just so much to cover. Download it here and listen to more of our chat on their Facebook group do’s and don’ts, why the group should be about YOU and the value of connecting your members.

EPISODE FREEBIE

You know how I feel about having a pre-launch strategy—it’s crucial for success. Last week’s episode was all about the nuts and bolts of creating a successful pre-launch strategy.

Today’s episode makes that plan truly actionable, as I deliver a case study of what that blueprint looks like in the real world.

I talk to my good friends Terri Cole and David Vox who implemented a pre-launch strategy well in advance of their launch . . . and guess what followed?

A wildly successful 6-figure launch they can now implement over and over again, and expect amazing results.

Just a little background: Terri is a New York-based psychotherapist and founder of the Real Love Revolution, which has helped thousands of women transform their lives. David, Terri’s business partner, is a marketing and branding expert who’s produced over 150 transformational coaching programs.

Get your notebook (or laptop) ready because not only are we talking about the seven specific steps they followed, we geek out on numbers—email open rates, webinar sign-ups, sales conversions, total revenue, social media and email list growth, Facebook ad spend (which will blow your freakin’ mind), and more.

Take notes. AND stay on until the end because that’s when we talk about some of the things they won’t ever do again and what they’re planning to do next time around.

Also: If you haven’t downloaded my 90-Day Pre-Launch Blueprint freebie, you might just want to grab that while you listen along to this week’s episode.

These are the key steps they followed:

Step 1: Launch a pilot program.

Step 2: Survey your list.

Step 3: Built a main platform (Terri and David chose YouTube).

Step 4: Create a launch freebie.

Step 5: Create a free, closed community inside of Facebook.

Step 6: Create a 21-day challenge for that private Facebook community.

Step 7: Cart opens—launch with a multi-webinar strategy.

*NOTE: Steps 1 through 6 are all PRE-LAUNCH SPECIFICS.

Let’s dive in!

Once you’ve listened to this episode, go back and listen to last week’s and make sure you download my 90-Day Pre-Launch Blueprint freebie. These are some next-level goods. Get moving!

Here’s the truth: Planning your pre-launch is JUST as important as preparing your actual launch strategy.

And the right pre-launch ramp-up will help you set the stage for a successful launch.

While there are many ways to execute a pre-launch strategy, sometimes it’s nice when you can cut through all of the noise and follow a single, no-nonsense, proven blueprint that’ll get you where you want to go.

That’s what I have for you today: A 90-day pre-launch roadmap that you can follow to create the momentum you need for an effective launch.

Today’s plan is broken up into three months of specific strategies that build on each other.

There are three key concepts:

• CREATE and post original content weekly
• CONNECT with your audience with a Facebook community
• COMMIT with a 21-day Challenge

I also have a comprehensive guide to the 3 Cs to help you execute your plan. You can get that here.

EPISODE FREEBIE

Over the next 90 days of this plan you will learn:

• How to get into the habit of creating consistent content every week (and how to get the most leads out of that content!)
• The best place to set up your opt-in
• How to segment your audience
• How to run a Facebook group that truly engages and conditions your audience to hear from you

Check out that step-by-step blueprint now!

Facebook ad targeting is the trickiest thing!

I hear this in my private groups everyday. There are so many targeting combinations available for you on Facebook, it’s hard to know where to start to get out of the weeds.

I’m walking you through it all with the help of my go-to Facebook ads expert, Rick Mulready.

By the end you will be able to answer:

• Am I sure the problem is my targeting?
• What’s new that I’m not yet doing?
• Are my targeting groups set up correctly?

Facebook ads are changing constantly, and by changing they are evolving — think about how much Facebook Live has grown in the last year and then consider all the ways that retargeting might be possible in those avenues…

If you’re feeling confused, you’re in the right place. Rick and I are breaking it all down for you.

We are going to walk you through 3 ways to fix your Facebook ad targeting—and the first way will surprise you.

We are going in deep on ad copy, relevance scores, new audiences to retarget, and of course the basics.

Rick and I break down how you can leverage many different custom audiences and groups. You will be confident about where you should be putting your time and energy after you listen.

We even walk you through how to set yourself up to tackle your changes one step at a time so you can understand what’s working and what’s not working.

By the end you’ll know exactly how to apply these 3 tips to work for you.

Start listening here!

Once you’ve heard this episode, click back to this page. The images below will be helpful to get a snapshot of the new-ish Facebook Page engagement targeting. It’s a cool feature you will likely want to check out once you get the details here.

Today I’m talking about the ONE THING that could be holding you back in your business.

This is a real obstacle that can STALL your business growth.

I know this because it stunted my own growth.

Today I’m talking about the low-value bullsh*t questions you ask yourself that make you feel stuck. These are the questions that suck the soul out of you and can make you feel that you are not cut out for this entrepreneurial life.

The scary thing is that you likely don’t even know you’re doing it! But if you feel discouraged by your progress and “not enough” in your business, you are for sure doing it.

It’s time to find some new, alternative questions, don’t you think?

To help me tackle this very important topic, I’ve asked my own mentor and former business coach (and one of my favorite guests!), Marie Forleo, to help me make this into something extremely tangible and actionable for you.

I put five “low-value” questions—the kind that make your heart sink—in front of Marie and I asked her to turn them into questions that will lead you down the road to bigger results and successes. And boy, did she deliver. We also have some fun in the process, so take a listen here.

Before we dive into those 5 crucial low-value questions and their empowered high-value counterparts, one last note: Marie has released a free video training series—and it’s exceptional.

It answers the question I hear ALL THE TIME: “How do I know I’m working on the right strategies and focusing on the right things to make my business work?”

So this has become a must-watch for me, and my students.

Here are the five questions Marie is making over in today’s podcast:

LOW VALUE QUESTION #1:

What if no one buys what I'm selling?

LOW VALUE QUESTION #2:

What if they think I'm a fraud?

LOW VALUE QUESTION #3:

I don’t have enough __________ (experience/time/money/know-how/exposure) so how can I possibly compete against X?

LOW VALUE QUESTION #4:

I’m too far behind! Why didn't I get into this online marketing game earlier?

LOW VALUE QUESTION #5:

This is taking too long. Why am I not finding success more quickly?

Check out the NEW high-value questions here—and then starting USING them to shift your mindset to get bigger results in all you do.

Let’s get rid of the limiting beliefs and negative self-talk that may be holding you back—time to get inspired and raise your business game, for good.

You might of heard me say that one of the bold moves you can make in 2017 is to build your very own, private Facebook Group to include with your course package. But, there’s one thing I haven’t told you yet...

How to do it!

Today, I’m breaking down how to not only set up your group, but how to make it grow for the long-term.

This week’s mini training is all about what it takes to create a successful private Facebook Group to support the students inside of your paid programs.

I’ve been doing these groups for a long time and today I’m sharing the behind the scenes details about what works—and what doesn’t.

Also, make sure to grab my step-by-step how to guide for setting up for your first private Facebook group. It includes REAL LIFE EXAMPLES of others doing great things in their own groups and I’ve also included directions for how to set up your own private group. Download here.

Get ready to strengthen your impact, leadership and profits with specialty Facebook Groups - I’ll give you the entire scoop here.

Launching your first webinar is a pretty exciting feeling. You’re running on adrenaline and diving into slide decks, email copy, webinar platforms, and so much more.

And because I know you’re likely juggling a million things right now (that’s normal, right?!), I’m here to help you take the first BIG step in webinar planning: Identifying a perfect webinar TOPIC and then crafting it into an irresistible TITLE.

Now once you nail that title (as I know you will!), I also give 13 questions that will help you REALLY KNOW if you’ve nailed it.

But what happens if you listen to my latest mini-training, come up with your topic and title and then realize you totally missed the mark and it’s just not working for you?

In my freebie of the week, I’ve not only included those 13 CRUCIAL QUESTIONS, but also some solid troubleshooting tips to get you through any challenges you might come up against. Just grab it below.

EPISODE FREEBIE

Your webinar topic and title needs to be irresistible and actionable. It needs to instantly grab your audience’s attention, while focusing on just one thing.

Let me walk you through how to get it done, so you can get to the finish line a heck of a lot quicker.

Have you been seeing the ultra-successful challenges that many smart marketers have been implementing in their business? Are you curious about how it all works?

Then this powerhouse mini-training is for you.

Online challenges are a fantastic tool for building your email list. However, there’s actually an incredible benefit that most marketers hosting challenges don’t take advantage of.

My guest today is revealing his action-packed plan that shows you how you can actually make money from your first challenge — in addition to growing your email list.

Zach Spuckler is no ordinary business guy. He’s 22 years old and already an online business expert with a long list of tried and true success stories to show for it, including a $22K+ 5-Day Challenge strategy he is sharing on my podcast today.

Click to learn Zach’s flawless plan that you can leverage to execute your own 5-day Challenge.

Like anything, when it comes to Challenges, you need a system. A plan that will get you started.

That is what I’m giving you today. A detailed, exact plan for conquering your first challenge. You can use this plan again and again.

Zach is also giving you a free resource guide where you will find all the specifics of his well-executed challenge so that you can take action immediately. Listen now.

Add depth to your 2017 online business plan by not only hosting a challenge, but conquering it! Get started here.

You are a rock star, a risk-taker, and your course content is awesome. You know this because you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into making it great. Yet . . . .

You’re finding yourself wondering, does my course content justify my price?

You’re not alone.

Course creation is one of my favorite topics, but it can be incredibly tricky to lay it all out there — especially for your first course.

I’ve not only created multiple courses, but I’ve helped so many entrepreneurs who are struggling with their online courses turn them around and enable them to sell confidently.

This week I’m sharing with you how to know if you’re offering enough value for the price point you’ve set.

I’m also sharing 7 WAYS TO SAVE YOUR ONLINE COURSE. If you created your course outline and feel that something’s missing OR maybe you’ve completed your entire course and something just feels off, I’ve got the FIX for you.

In this episode, I give you 7 detailed strategies that you can use to actively save your course and see success with selling it at the price point you’ve set. Get my free detailed checklist that outlines exactly what you can do to save your course and make it even better. Download it now.

EPISODE FREEBIE

The question I am answering in this week’s episode, is: Do you have enough value to justify your price point?

Maybe you’ve seen courses similar to yours offered at a lower cost or you’re having second thoughts about your higher price. This is gut check time and this week’s episode will bolster your confidence around your price.

Does the value you’re offering in your course justify the price? Click here to find out.

There are several strategies for knowing if you’re offering enough value for the price point you’re charging.

I’m giving you my sure-fire tip for the best way to outline your course in a way that continuously keeps it fresh — and why this is so important to the overall success of your course.

Then, I give you a list of 12 questions to ask yourself that will help you confidently determine the quality in your course content.

These questions will help you be the risk-taker you are, examine your offer as a whole, and lay it all out there for your students.

You will want to use these strategies not only to identify what pieces of content you may want to change (or add), but to ensure that you feel confident in your product and have added all the value you can (without overwhelming your students!).

Boost your confidence, find out how your course value rates. Click here!

Forget your resolutions. Instead, let’s focus on making ONE BOLD MOVE in your business in 2017.

I have seven ways for you to put a stake in the ground and inject new life into your business starting NOW. Most of these seven I have done myself, so I know they can boost your business, give you a shot of confidence and be a massive game changer.

For a little extra push and motivation, I want you to also check out my freebie: my must read list to build momentum in 2017. I can’t think of anything better than a great book to help bring me new perspectives and ideas. Also, when I need inspiration, I turn to books. So for me, diving into some good books is CRUCIAL if you want to propel your business forward.

EPISODE FREEBIE

As for the 7 bold moves, I carefully picked each of them because I know they will help drive growth for your business, and can be implemented with little cost on your part. In fact, I’ve include how you can take action for each move.

Amongst those seven, I have ways to revolutionize your content, launch a new community, find a group of mentors, help you drill down on your business, and more. I think there is a little something for everyone—check it out and pick your bold move for the New Year now.