What Works | Small Business Podcast With Tara Mcmullin

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Nicole Antoinette pivoted her business to focus solely on her podcast, Real Talk Radio* The question she asked herself to ensure the longevity of the podcast once she started it* Why she chose a community-funded business model through Patreon* How she structures her Patreon tiers, pricing, and rewards* What’s working to grow the number of patrons supporting the show Fill in the blank: I wish I could just get paid to __________. Maybe you said “make art,” “have great conversations,” or “write books.” Maybe you dream of being able to focus on world peace, doing sketch comedy, or telling stories about the world’s great philosophers. Plenty of creative, passionate business owners have the work they wish they could focus on and the work that pays the bills. The result tends to be a business model that is a bit fractured and unwieldy. You end up doing a bunch of little things to make it all add up at the end of the month. What if you could clean it all up and just

The Nitty-Gritty: * Tara shares why it’s important to clean things up–but not get caught up in making things perfect* Why the mess exists–and how that’s a feature, not a bug* How to use hypotheses instead of discrete goals to learn more about what works for you* How to create adaptable plans based on your particular mess and your goals Businesses get messy—old products, defunct systems, cluttered inboxes. And we’re talking about how to clean up your business all this month. You’ve already heard from Jereshia Hawk who took mess of offers and streamlined her business to just one product. You just heard from Mindy Totten who figured out how to clean up her schedule and work just 3 days per week. You even heard from me about 3 ways I’ve been cleaning up my business over the last 2 years. But, I think it’s also important to say that… Your business will always be a mess. The mess is a feature, not a bug. Sure, we want to make sure there isn’t excess clutter or wasted money—but we al

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why bodywork practitioner Mindy Totten decided to take her 6.5-day per week business and turn it into a 3-day per week business* How specializing on a single modality helped her earn more while working less* The internal shift Mindy needed to go through to make the 3-day work week possible* The process she used to put her clients on her schedule—instead of theirs I started my business when I was a stay-at-home mom. I had to fit my work in during naps, evening writing escapes, and breastfeeding sessions (luckily, there were plenty of those). When I decided to take the business full-time, I was convinced I would get so much more work done. I’d be able to do all the things I used to dream of but couldn’t fit in. Well, I was wrong. You see, when I started working full-time hours, I had a lot more breathing room. And while that sounds great, what it really meant was that I didn’t have to be so focused or productive anymore. I could approach my work with a much more lais

The Nitty-Gritty * What makes for a vibrant and engaged online community or group* The workflows that Audra Lindsey has used to save time and streamline how she manages large communities* The importance of getting members to talk to each other* How doing less to manage a community or group can create a more valuable experience* Why Audra focuses on building a culture around sharing experience—not sharing advice Don’t let the term “community building” fool you. This episode is all about how we bring people together as small business owners. Whether you’re building community in a small group, on a membership site, through in-person events, or even on social media, the act of gathering people together is often a core activity today’s small businesses. Unfortunately, there’s been so much hype about automation, scale, and getting hands-off with your business over the last 5 years that many small business owners have made a mess of their people. They’ve kept them at arm’s length. They’ve dev

The Nitty Gritty On Streamlining Your Business Model: * Why Jereshia Hawk quit trying to build a suite of products and streamlined her business model to just one offer* The mindset challenge she had to overcome to make the decision to retire her old offers* The exact process she used to retire her offers and pivot her business* How Jereshia markets and sells her only offer to insure she has a steady stream of sales More is more when it comes to building products and making money, right? Well, that’s what I thought at the beginning of 2016. I can distinctly remember creating a spreadsheet of everything my company was going to offer throughout the year. There was a course on selling, a coaching program on course design, a high-end mastermind program, our signature business coaching program, a retreat, and more. I was planning a sales campaign every 6 weeks for 12 months straight. My goal? To cross a huge revenue threshold that I’d been working toward for years. Maybe it goes without

The Nitty Gritty: * Why taking the time to tidy up your business is so important * The 3 ways Tara has cleaned up her business over the last few years* Information on The What Works Network Spring Cleaning Virtual Conference* Plus, a sneak peek of interviews coming out in March Does your business spark joy? Or are you overwhelmed by the piles of business clutter that have grown up around you over the years? Maybe you have dusty products in one corner of your business, crusty old marketing assets in another, and a mess of outdated prospects in another. If you’re like me, that kind of business clutter can weigh heavy on your mind. Six months after I started my very first website, I had the opportunity to purchase a website from a friend who wanted to get out of the blogging scene. She had a much bigger audience and a global platform. I seized the opportunity and used it to catapult my ambitions into the big time. But a few years after that initial purchase, I had moved on to other

The Nitty-Gritty on Finding Clients on LinkedIn: * How career coach Kerri Twigg is using LinkedIn to find clients and generate more than 30 requests for services per day* The process she uses to vet new connections and establish a relationship with the people she connects with* How she creates content that immediately communicates who she is and what makes her different* How she manages a waitlist of prospective clients who want to work with her What if there was a social media platform that’s main mission was to help you connect with other professionals? What if that social media platform also helped you build a digital representation of your best work? What if it helped you see the incredible people you’re just one introduction away from? Would you use it? Of course you would! It probably sounds like the holy grail of social media. Now you might have already guessed… that social media platform is LinkedIn—an often forgotten option in the digital marketing world. Well, despite

You might think of me as a fairly gregarious entrepreneur who delights in inviting strangers on to this very podcast for conversations about life and business. But… In many ways, I’m a walking, talking introvert meme. I’m a bit of a loner. I would much rather do things on my own than rely on others for help. Parties, conferences, and even coffee dates make me anxious and sweaty. And yet… the relationships I’ve developed as a small business owner are some of the deepest and most valuable I’ve experienced in my whole life. Moreover, those relationships have been key to any and all success I’ve experienced over the last 10 years. Despite knowing this, I still find networking and relationship-building to be difficult. But I work at it. I work at it and work at it and work at it. This month, the members of The What Works Network have been talking about how they meet new people, expand their professional networks, and nurture their existing relationships. I am constantly in awe of t

The Nitty-Gritty: * The moment Lauren Caselli knew her event planning business (and her life) needed a fresh approach* Why she chose “seen” as her word for 2018 and how that philosophy helped her make significant changes to the way she does business* Why taking her business seriously has allowed her to rest more, take on fewer events, and receive more support* How her mindset has changed now that she’s taking her small business seriously There’s what you think your business will be when you start it… …and then, there’s what you know your business can be once you’re in it. Very few small business owners start out with a clear vision of the potential for their business. I know I didn’t! I didn’t even realize I was starting a business. I thought I was starting a blog. Well, part-time blogging grew into full-time blogging. Full-time blogging turned into offering web design services. Web design grew into business coaching, strategy, and training. It’s really only been in the last few year

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why Shannon Siriano Greenwood decided to explore lifestyle design by bringing people together at Rebelle Con* How she is currently expanding her professional network and meeting new people to support her* The #1 mistake Shannon sees people make while networking for their small businesses* What surprised her about the way attendees network and build relationships at Rebelle events* How Rebelle Con is expanding this year to help even more small business owners near Richmond, VA build their personal networks Behind every major or minor success in my business is a relationship with someone who inspired me, challenged me, or hooked me up. So despite the fact that professional networking excites me as much as a root canal, I wouldn’t be here without the relationships I’ve built. What I’ve learned over the last 10 years is that I can make business networking work for me. I don’t have to attend cocktail mixers or even meet up with strangers at conferences. What’s worked for m

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why Maria Rodriguez started Fear Her Fight Athletics–and the surprising results of her initial product launch* How Maria centers her mission to empower people of all shapes, sizes, and identities in the gym* The key question Maria asks of herself and her community before designing new products* How Maria is doubling-down on her mission and exploring new territory with her 2019 business goals Many businesses get started because someone asks what they want from a business. Plenty of other businesses get started because someone asks what customers want from a business. Far fewer businesses are the result of asking both questions. But at the intersection of these two questions is fertile ground for starting a business that is both personally fulfilling and in high-demand. This week, my guest is Maria Rodriguez, the founder of Fear Her Fight Athletics. I was introduced to Maria and Fear Her Fight by digital strategist Evan Leah Quinn because she thought I would appreciate t

The Nitty-Gritty * The many ways Tara McMullin’s business and brand has changed over the years* Why she finally feels able to be 100% honest with her brand and content* How to nurture community culture that affirms the contribution of every member* Why CoCommercial has become The What Works Network At the end of 2016, I decided I wanted to do business differently. I wanted more for our customers, our followers, and our listeners than talking heads and internet business celebrities. I wanted to honor the unusual, unconventional, and diverse ways that small business owners like you make things work. I wanted to affirm your resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. I wanted to leave plenty of room for “it depends” and “this might sound weird, but here’s what works for me.” Most of all, I wanted to make sure that more small business owners had access to the kind of insider information that gave me the info I needed to make important decisions about how I did business myself. In

The Nitty Gritty: * What Jennifer Louden has learned about hosting & selling retreats in the 20 years she’s been running them* How far in advance Jen starts planning for a retreat–and how far in advance she starts marketing a retreat* The core role retreats play in Jen’s business model* How Jen structures each retreat to create the best experience for herself and her guests Every time I go to Glacier National Park, I can feel myself expand. I take up more space, I dream bigger, I breathe more deeply. I’ve had breakthrough ideas about who I am, what I do, and how I want to run my business winding up and down the Going To The Sun Road. I’ve seen glimpses of my full potential hiking through the woods or above the tree line. So when I saw a new hotel go up in my favorite town outside the park, it was an easy decision to bring a group of small business owners there for a retreat. What wasn’t so easy… was figuring out exactly how to do that. Luckily, I had hired a fabulous event p

The Nitty-Gritty on Kyla’s Coaching Business Model: * How business strategist Kyla Roma created a new coaching business model that combines both her needs and her clients’ needs* Why Kyla decided to change things up and what constraints inspired her to innovate on what was working* The unique coaching program structure and technology Kyla uses to respect her clients’ lives as “rich tapestries”* How much time delivering personalized coaching services takes in her new model (it’s less than you’d think!)* Why Kyla decided to narrow the scope of her program to just a couple of key outcomes It’s easy to think that, as a life, business, or health coach, there’s a specific business model that you’re supposed to follow. In fact, I’ve been hearing exactly that from business owners for years. First, they work on getting 1:1 services dialed in, then they jump into group coaching, then they start building out their programs into online courses or workshops. Eventually, they plan to retire 1:1

Well, we’ve nearly made it to the end of another January. As of today, I’m 24 days into my first Whole30. I’m 4 weeks into a new training program. I’m 14 posts into committing to writing and sharing more often on Instagram and LinkedIn. I’m 4 weeks into bullet journaling. As you might guess, I love January. I love the potential, the possibility, and the opportunity of the new year. I love setting new intentions and goals. Of course, not everyone feels this way. “February is the new January” memes are popping up everywhere. There’s a January backlash that’s been gaining steam over the last few years. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share my take on why this is… but I need to do it, as per usual, with a fitness metaphor. When I was a young athlete, I loved the fast burn. I was always itching to steal second base, to sprint across the finish line, or to take a fast break for a lay-up. When I started training as an adult, I approached things the same way. Even if it hurt or ruined me for t

Meagan Francis, founder of Life, Listened, discovered a whole new entrepreneurial mindset as she made the transition from the owner of a content marketing business to the employee of a marketing & communications firm to the head of her own podcasting business.Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty Gritty * Margy Thomas, Ph.D. and founder of ScholarShape, supports academics and researchers in telling their stories through what she calls the Story-Argument concept. This tool or strategy, applied to her clients’ work, turns their text into “both a functional machine and a pleasing work of art.”* Why Margy’s so passionate about academic writing, plus the reason Margy works with clients across different specialties instead of niching down* How Margy turned the “magic” of the way she works into a repeatable process — and how that changed the way she works with her 1:1 clients* Why she uses tarot cards to better understand what she already knows and look at things with a new perspective It’s tempting to think that to do your best work, you have to hunker down in your creative cave, scratch out your brilliant thoughts by the fire, and only emerge once you’ve had your eureka moment. In fact, I know plenty of thinkers and entrepreneurs who have tried to do exactly that.  Sometim

The Nitty Gritty: * Why Facebook ad costs have risen so dramatically and what we’ve been doing that contributes to the problem* The metric that Amanda Bond encourages her clients and students to prioritize instead of Cost Per Lead* How skewed expectations for conversion rates have led to declining ad performance* The 3-part customer journey that Bond advises for excellent customer experience and profitability Have you heard? The sky is falling!  Okay, the sky isn’t actually falling. What is being talked about by every Chicken Little out there is how much Facebook ad costs are rising.  Recode, Business Insider, Adweek, Adespresso, and more have been talking about declining inventory and rising costs for the last year. Small business owners are catching on too. Inside our network, we’ve been watching as members scratch their heads about the cost of clicks and leads. We’ve been promised clicks and leads for less than a dollar by every Jeff, Ryan, and Frank out there with a Porsche and a

After over 10 years in this business, I’ve seen a lot when it comes to social media. I’ve been around for Blogspotting and LiveJournaling. I’ve seen the rise and fall of the Twitter empire. I remember when organic reach on Facebook was a given and I watched as Instagram morphed from iPhone snaps to carefully posed and perfected images. Much has changed about the way small businesses approach social media, too. Some marketers are still trying to be everywhere at once while plenty of others are focused on one, favorite platform. Some are sharing highly curated content and others are sharing whatever floats their boats. Perhaps the answer to the question “What works in social media marketing?” has never been more ambiguous. This episode is the finale of our 5-part series on trends shaping small business in 2019. If you haven’t caught the first 4, check out our feed on your favorite podcast player or at whatworkspodcast.com. My prediction for 2019 is that this is the year when many small b

A few weeks ago, Derek Halpern—who has made millions of dollars selling online courses—announced that he was quitting information marketing. He said he was burnt out. He’d lost track of why he was in the business in the first place. His information marketing business didn’t light him up. He announced a sort of digital fire sale of all his courses, one final time, and then took them off the market. Over the last 3 episodes, I’ve been running down what I see as the top trends shaping small business in 2019 based on the interviews I’ve done over the last few years. Because of my behind-the-scenes view here at What Works (and yours, too!), I often get to see trends happening before they tip into the mainstream. Today’s trend is no exception. I can relate to Derek and the circumstances that prompted his decision. Two years ago, I was burnt out on advice culture and information marketing, too. I felt pressured to be constantly turning my personal experience into something useful for thousands of people. And? It ju