The Smart Passive Income Online Business And Blogging Podcast

#620 How do you measure your success? Many entrepreneurs are stuck in a loop, their minds always going through the list of things they haven’t done yet. So how can we rewire our brains and pursue goals effectively? This is another fantastic Teaching Friday episode. We love inviting members of the SPI Pro community to share their expertise with us and provide actionable tips that can take our businesses to the next level. Michael Bauman is the CEO of Success Engineering. He helps entrepreneurs optimize their mindset, habits, and productivity through coaching and masterminds. In this session, Michael gives us a new perspective on enoughness and shares the strategies we can use to encourage healthy, powerful thought patterns. So how can you feel enough as a business owner, a parent, or a spouse? How can you feel like you’ve worked hard enough? Listen in on today’s talk to understand your emotions and how you can harness them to propel your life and business forward. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/

#619 It might surprise you that the highest-earning online communities are actually very small. Almost all of them have fewer than three hundred members. Many of them have fewer than one hundred members! In this episode, we dive deep into what it takes to build a thriving digital community with Andrew Guttormsen. He co-founded Circle, which now hosts over seven thousand memberships! Andy has access to trends and analytics that you just couldn’t get from anywhere else. In fact, the teams at SPI and Circle are coming together for an all-day online summit on October 25th to share these insights with you. The Business of Community Summit is completely free and will give you the step-by-step direction you need to start or grow a membership. So how do you set up a community business? How do you attract new members and keep them coming back? How do you run a community and build a sustainable team around it? Find out today! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session619.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c

#618 How do you know your course is worthy of the price tag? What are the solutions you provide, and what are the transformations your students can expect to see? What do you want them to say about you and how you served them? Today’s guest host, Marla Bainbridge Martinez, will walk you through her REFOCUS system to help you answer these questions and take your courses and testimonials to the next level. These Teaching Friday episodes hosted by SPI Pro members are always jam-packed with actionable tips, so make sure you listen in. Marla’s business, Refocused Income, helps course creators build learning experiences that deliver results and lead to glowing reviews. In this session, she walks you through exercises that teach you how to organize your content optimally. She also helps you understand the strategies you can use to supercharge your social proof through testimonials and referrals. Enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session618.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Calif

#617 One thing that’s true about content creation is that consistency breeds legitimacy. But what if you keep putting in the hours and still don’t gain any traction? With no likes and no views coming in, what should you do? Vanessa Lau quit her Fortune 500 job to become a YouTuber, but finding her niche wasn’t easy. She now has over 600K followers and runs a multimillion-dollar company helping entrepreneurs and creators build businesses using social media. Vanessa and I start right at the beginning with the strategies you should use to find a niche. We compare platforms and discuss the vital importance of market research for beginners. We also talk about why Instagram is the best platform to get clients on when you’re just starting. Vanessa even shares some game-changing tricks I had no idea about, so this chat is valuable for entrepreneurs at any level. Make sure to listen in on this one! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session617.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

#616 Often we look at success stories, and it almost seems like they came out of nowhere. Yet when we dig deeper into what it takes to become an overnight success, we almost always find years of hard work leading up to it. I’m so excited to share a huge milestone with you today! Many SPI listeners are already following my journey in the Pokémon space through Deep Pocket Monster on YouTube. So what’s the big news? Well, that channel just hit 250,000 subscribers! What?! 250K subscribers in under two years is insane! But the truth is that everything I learned about videos since 2009 went into it. This “overnight success” has been more than a decade in the making. In this episode, I want to share three essential strategies I use to grow Deep Pocket Monster. You can apply these tips to any platform, so join me for a special episode to learn all about them! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session616.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv

#615 Things are not like they used to be. You've noticed, I'm sure. But the best ways of adapting to an ever-changing business landscape are less than obvious. So what should you do to reach more people? What are the marketing strategies that actually work right now? I’m so excited to have Amy Porterfield back on the show to share her expertise with us. Amy is among the most knowledgeable marketers you will ever listen to, and she absolutely delivers in essential this episode. This chat is jam-packed with golden nuggets for entrepreneurs at any level. We get an email marketing masterclass, an in-depth look at webinars that convert like crazy, and podcast growth tips galore. Amy and I also go deep on video content, courses, surveys, quizzes, and much more. This is one of the most valuable podcast episodes to listen to, so enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session615.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#614 As you listen to this episode, I want you to go through a quick exercise with me. You can just do it in your head, but the real magic happens when you put pen to paper. My good friend, Chris Ducker, calls it the 3 Lists to Freedom. As the name suggests, we’ll be creating three lists to help us move forward in our businesses and have more time for the things we love. I’ll walk you through each step, but pay close attention to the final one. That’s going to be the “money list” that can make the difference between a scrappy entrepreneur and a CEO. We talk about why and how to remove yourself as a bottleneck in your business, even though it might be hard to let go of certain tasks you might be great at. This is a valuable exercise that has saved me countless hours. I can’t recommend it enough! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session614.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#613 One of the best ways to help your audience is to write a book based on your knowledge and experience. However, the key to connecting with readers is going from what you know to discovering your true message. But what does that even look like? How do you go from just sharing information to inspiring and motivating people to take real action? My guest, Azul Terronez, teaches people how to do exactly that. He is the CEO of Authors Who Lead, where he and his team help leaders write and publish the kinds of books that take brands to the next level. In this episode, we discuss the book landscape today and the business behind it. We also look at Azul's incredible company and how he's removing himself as a bottleneck and allowing other coaches to teach his method. This is a great episode for you if you’re looking for strategies to elevate your brand and stand out. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session613.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1

#612 As I was listening to Alex Hormozi talk about his content creation method at Grow With Video Live in Las Vegas, I was kicking myself. Why haven’t I been doing this?! We’ve already shared this strategy in the first issue of our fantastic weekly newsletter, Unstuck. That’s where you can get quick, powerful tips to help you move your business to the next level. People are raving about it, so make sure to join us there as well. Alex's process is a tactic I like to call crowdsparking. Inspired by crowdsourcing, it’s essentially sharing your ideas and thoughts publicly as you come up with them. The goal is to test their potential and to see which of them spark conversations and gain traction. This allows you to put your time behind content ideas that you know your audience is excited about. I've been doing this on Twitter, and it’s fantastic to get instant feedback and know where I should focus my energy. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session612.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a

#611 We've all been guilty of this at some point—setting goals and having a vision for our lives but not backing it up with the beliefs and plans to make it a reality. That's exactly what I’m chatting about with my fantastic guest, John Assaraf. You’ll hear all about his entrepreneurial journey, how he went from earning $1.65 an hour to founding companies worth billions. He is also a behavioral neuroscience researcher, best-selling author, and one of the top success coaches in the world. John gives you the science-backed tools you need to start rewiring your mind for success today. We talk about setting goals the right way and how to achieve them by avoiding the four obstacles that stand in your way. John and I also discuss belief systems, confirmation bias, and impostor syndrome while giving you the strategies you need to win big. I can't wait for you to hear this episode and apply these tactics! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session611.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali

#610 What is the number one strategy you should focus on in the coming years? At SPI, we believe that community is a massive part of the future of entrepreneurship. I'm pulling back the curtain today and revealing the exciting things we've been working on behind the scenes. Joining me are three brilliant members of our team. Jillian Benbow is the Community Experience Director at SPI. You’ve heard from her in episode 495, but today she introduces you to our newest community managers. David Masnato manages SPI Pro, while Ashley LaGrow is at the helm of our brand new Learner Community that we can’t wait to unveil! We talk about what it is and who it's for, and we give you a sneak peek at what we have in store for our members. You also get a look at our entire community strategy, with takeaways to help you future-proof your business. Whatever level you’re at, we have you covered at SmartPassiveIncome.com/community. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session610.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr

#609 As entrepreneurs, we often have legal questions but don’t even know where to start looking for answers. That’s why I wanted to create a go-to resource for us and shed some light on the common issues we might encounter in our businesses. I’m very excited about this episode because I’m chatting with my attorney, Mark Stansbury. He is a partner at Stansbury Weaver, where they’re rejecting the traditional law-firm model and have come up with fantastic new ways to serve entrepreneurs and startups. So when is the right time to register an LLC, and what about trademarking a name? What if someone is already using a similar name? Can you use other people’s content in your videos or podcast? And what can you do if someone else is using your content and making money off of it? Make sure to join us for this incredibly informative chat with Mark to find out more. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session609.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/

#608 I'm not afraid to admit when I make a mistake, and that’s exactly why I’m publishing this episode. You’ve heard me say this, “Nobody wakes up in the morning wanting more emails.” I was wrong about that, and I’ll tell you exactly why. There are newsletters that contain valuable niche content that people are excited to see pop up in their inboxes. James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter, the Hot Pod newsletter for podcast industry news, and Morning Brew are great examples of this. The team and I have been hard at work to create something similar for the SPI audience. Today I want to introduce you to the Unstuck newsletter. With concise, five-minute lessons to help you get unstuck, this will be our weekly email that you can’t wait to read. Every message contains a story that will inspire you, and we’ll provide the resources you need to move to the next level in your business. We’re very excited to hear what you think! Show notes and more a SmartPassiveIncome.com/session608.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr

#607 What would you be able to accomplish if you had a second brain helping you? And no, science hasn’t found a way to clone your brain yet. What I’m talking about is a digital system that allows you to manage information and deliver high-quality work with less effort. Today’s guest, Tiago Forte, is a knowledge management expert. He helps thousands of people get more done through his unbelievable productivity course, Building a Second Brain. We talk about everything from finding the right software tools for your needs to Tiago’s CODE and PARA systems for note taking. He’s a big fan of acronyms, but you’ll find out what this all means and how these systems can revolutionize your work-life. This is a fascinating chat with Tiago, and we get into the step-by-step process you can use to take your productivity to the next level. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session607.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#606 What is our most important job as marketers? The number one thing we should do is help people make decisions. When potential customers come across our products they need to be able to understand if what we’re offering is right for them or not. So how do we do that? We’re talking about my OREO marketing strategy in this great Follow-Up Friday episode. That sounds delicious, I know, but OREO stands for objection, rebuttal, example, and outcome. I’ll give you an in-depth look at each of these four steps today, and you’ll be able to apply this simple tactic to your products and services. Once you understand the objections you hear and you address them directly with facts and real-life stories from your audience, you’ll get clear yes or no decisions from potential customers. So listen in on today’s episode for some tasty tips that will take your sales to the next level! Show note and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session606.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt

#605 What happens if your business idea takes off, but you still don’t get the lifestyle you want? Many people quit traditional 9-to-5 jobs and start their entrepreneurial journey to have more freedom. But if we’re not baking that into our businesses from the start, will we ever get there? That's what my special guest and I talk about today. I had to have Richie Norton back on the show because his new book, Anti-Time Management, could be a game-changer for many of us. We get into the false promise of time management, its history, and what it was originally designed for. Richie talks about and shares the tools to help us start our business with our ultimate purpose in mind and build around it. This is a deep conversation that hits at the core of how and why we work. Listen in for some valuable insights and a new perspective on time management. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session605.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-no

#604 There are many tools out there that could make our lives easier as entrepreneurs. But how do you know which ones are right for you? This is something I used to struggle with. I would buy software or equipment before I had any concrete use for it. Little by little the costs would add up. It got to the point where I was almost afraid to keep track of my spending. So I have a challenge for you today. I’d like you to run an audit of the tools you’re paying for right now and think about which ones are vital for your business. The ones that aren’t? Consider cutting them out for the time being. Ask yourself — "Do I need this right now? Is this going to help me, or is it just distracting me?" Listen in on today’s episode to hear about how I was finally able to tackle this issue. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session604.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#603 One of my favorite things is to invite people on the show who have special access to information we can’t get from anywhere else. I’m talking about analytics and strategies we can all use. My guest shares all of that with us today and more! I’m interviewing Drew Dillon, the founder of Burb, in this episode. If you have an online community, you can use Burb to understand more about what's happening in that community, and create data-backed systems to improve the experience your members have. So how do you engage folks, and what are the rituals that keep people coming back? Drew gives us an inside look at what works and what doesn’t. He shares the strategies that many of his most successful clients use, and we dive deep into things like onboarding and events. This is a perfect companion episode to my interview with Jillian Benbow, our Community Experience Director at SPI Pro. By the way, we’re putting a cap on SPI Pro. If you’re not in already, now is the time to apply. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveI

#602 Today I'm spilling some truth and sharing things that are going to upset a few people. We'll be discussing three things that people, friends, and even mentors and coaches told me to do. This is common advice that you might hear as well and that I decided to ignore. We’ll talk about the push-back I received when I first started the podcast and wanted to have John Melley, the awesome voice-over guy, read a fun fact about me in each episode. We’re also going to discuss focusing on one thing and one thing only in business. This is advice that I followed for the longest time, but have since come up with a different rule that works better for me. Finally, I'll share the advice I got about content creation and how following it led me to burnout. You’ll hear all about what I’m doing now instead. And yes, ironically, I’m sharing lots of advice in this episode. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session602.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com

#601 How do you build trust with someone who’s just visiting your website? How do you connect and convert them into paying customers right then and there? In business, we often have so many big ideas that we forget to go back to the tried and true fundamentals, like gathering testimonials from our audience. Today I’m chatting with Casey Hill, the Head of Growth at Bonjoro. They've created a testimonial tool that I think is absolutely revolutionary. Imagine this, you send a link to a customer of yours, and it then prompts them with the exact questions that lead to the most fruitful text or video testimonials and case studies that you could ever ask for. But what does a good testimonial even look like? When is the best time to ask for testimonials, and what are the precise questions you should ask? Casey shares all of this along with some massive tips you can use in your business, no matter which tools you use. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session601.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv