When first starting, many of us have problems with being an entrepreneur in one way or another. Our main issue, many times, is we simply don’t know where we fit. We’re told to “find your niche” and often times, we find it hard because we could do so many things. However, we need to learn what it is that we do well and hire out for things we’d rather not.
Over at Fizzle, for example, Chase and Corbett hired in Steph Crowder to help with customer support back in 2015.
Steph, having worked at a few startups by that point, knew how to interact with clients on a one to one basis. It was something that Chase, who’s the main creative at Fizzle, and Corbett, the business brain, didn’t have the resources to do themselves.
In our interview with Steph in 2016, we learned that she was expecting soon.
They had to get a fill-in for her while she was on maternity leave.
Today’s guest, Emily Kelly, was the hero for Fizzle during that time.
But, just because she was with them temporarily, doesn’t mean she was bad at the position.
In fact, it was part of her new role as as a virtual customer support specialist. She has taken the phrase “find your niche” seriously.
In this interview, we find out about her journey to become a virtual assistant, what she recommends to folks coming right out of college to keep them from getting burnt out at work, and some pointers in putting emotion into writing.
If you’re thinking about about starting your own business, perhaps being a virtual assistant first might just be in the future for you as well.
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
What kind of career did she envision as she was going to school? 8:02
Which creative influences did she have in her life growing up? 10:52
What it was like to have her dad working remotely growing up. 13:15
When was the first time Emily had experience with entrepreneurship herself? 14:47
What was it like to work at a startup vs where she previously worked? 18:13
What advice would she give someone who’s coming out of college so they don’t get burnt out? 21:37
Which mindset did Emily utilize while working for a startup? How did she use the advice “Find your niche”? 27:15
What is some advice that she’d give someone to get more emotion into their writing? 37:04
What are some things to look for when hiring remote help? 39:28
3 Influencers or teachers that have helped Emily get to where she is today. 44:38
One gift that she likes giving others. 45:17
Something she believed as a 21 year old but doesn’t now and why? 45:46
If she could place an ad anywhere in the world cost free, what would it be and where? 46:19
Who does Emily think of as a success and why? 48:29
What are some ways that someone can improve their customer support? 49:53
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AoL-Podcast-FB-Logo-Master-Image-session69.jpg6281200JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-01-05 10:24:262020-05-30 15:07:10Emily Kelly on Finding Your Niche, Working Remotely, and Mastering Empathetic Writing (AoL 069)
People will come up with a million excuses not to do something. But it takes one good one – one why – to actually go and accomplish a big lofty goal.
Case in point – Jesse Winton, had never made a movie before. But yet, his first one, made it national.
Sure, he could have psyched himself out by saying that his goal was unattainable, but instead, he chose to kick those thoughts to the side and go after this goal.
In this session, learn from Jesse how he was able to get his idea off the ground, what his perception of Millennials are when it comes to how they’re viewed, and how he handles discomfort during the middle of a project – aka The Gap.
Enjoy!
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
How did his homeschooling background contribute to where he’s at now? 6:01
Were his parents supportive of his aspirations? 8:07
What kind of specific knowledge or training did he have to get his ‘Targeted’ off the ground? 11:16
Jesse’s perception of Millennials vs what others view them as. 15:34
How do we convert more Millennials to become creatives? 21:03
What sparked Jesse to create the film? 25:07
Why Jesse identifies with Libertarians. 28:27
Why did Jesse create Wintons Motion Pictures? 33:00
What goes into preparing for pitch meetings? 35:34
How Jesse went national with his documentary. 31:33
Was there any fear in reaching out to influencers? 42:29
How did Jesse and his dad find interviewees for the documentary? 46:26
How does he handle discomfort that comes up during the middle of a project? 51:57
What’s coming next for Jesse? 58:50
Who are three influencers that have helped him get to where he is today? 1:01:17
Top Favorite Books that he recommends 1:02:22
Smallest decision he’s made that has had the largest impact on his life 1:03:18
What is one thing that all high school students must know… even if it involves Dane Maxwell. 1:04:08
What’s it mean to live a life of abundance? 1:06:14
What can people do to live an inspired life? 1:07:15
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/AoL-Podcast-Logo-Master-Image-session66.jpg700700JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2016-12-14 22:11:472018-12-27 15:24:58Jesse Winton: Making Movies, Millennials, and Learning to Mind the Gap (AoL 066)
McDonald’s just mentionedthis past week that they’re going to be introducing automation to their restaurants in a big way this next year.
I shared it on Facebook and the overwhelming thought process is that the world is moving to a more and more automated society.What does this mean for people who work the jobs that are affected by automation?
Well, here in Indiana, it’s meant that many of those displaced workers have had to go to school and get taught a new set of skills for a changing economy.
In this post, I’m going to share with you the 4 Levels of Learning and how we all should navigate them to master our new skills.
Why This is Important
You might be thinking, “JC, I know if I know something or not. Why do I need labels?”. The truth is that you might not need labels.
But some of us – me included – want to decipher the world that’s going on around us. I like to categorize people by their personalities, their strengths, their age, and their education level because I know that each one of those things will tell me a little about where they’re coming from.
That’s just one example of breaking down a complex system into smaller ones. It helps me relieve stress in trying to figure out where people are coming from. With those labels, I kind of know what to expect.
Same thing is true when it comes to labeling where you are in your learning journey. It helps you realize where you are in your process so you know whether or not you have more things to learn or if you’re ready to help other people know what you know – if that’s your type of thing. 🙂
So, let’s get started:
Level 1: A grandson getting to see what biking is all about.
Level 1: Unconscious Incompetence
Do you remember the first time that you found out that something existed and you had to find out more about it? Probably not. When was the last time? Probably today, huh?
That state that you were in before you found out that thing existed was you being unconsciously incompetent. In other words, you didn’t know what you didn’t know.
In this state, you might have a sense of wonder, awe, and excitement – just like the grandson in the image to the right.
Level 2: Starting out on his first bike ride
Level 2: Conscious Incompetence
Ok, so you know this entire new world exists now of this new thing. Let’s say it’s riding a bike.
You might have seen all the big kids do it in your neighborhood. Heck, they might have been doing tricks on them.
As you start trying to start to ride a bike, you realize that you can’t even keep the damn thing up – let alone jump.
There’s just so much to learn and to do.
The thing with this phase is to know that you’re going to suck for awhile. You might even hate it and stress out a bit.
Learning to pedal and steer on training wheels all the way up to learning to keep balance. These were all things we had to learn to ride.
But in retrospect as someone who’s learned to ride now, you realize that you needed to “embrace the suck” in learning to ride a bike.
How many times did you fall off your bike when you were learning to just ride it?
I know I started laughing so hard everytime I fell off. I didn’t know what hurt more – my chest from laughing or my stomach from getting hit from the handlebars! 🙂
Level 3: A more seasoned vet saves himself from a spill.
Level 3: Conscious Competence
After enough practice, things to get a bit more fun. You’ll begin to realize that you know the basics of what you’re doing and you’re aware of what’s going on.
When I was learning to ride my bike, I didn’t really care about doing jumps. I just wanted to learn to ride FAST! Once I figured that out, I then wanted to get better at using my gears to get up hills better. Later, as I picked up riding again in college, it was going down small stairs and popping small hops to get on sidewalks.
In your situation, it might take you a shorter time than a year plus to figure out your new skill. It might take you more time. Again, it depends on how often you practice your skill (once a week vs 10 days straight) and how focused you are when you’re doing it.
Level 4: A young master working on his craft.
Level 4: Unconscious Competence
By the time you reach level 4, you’ve hit a certain level of mastery of the skill. You might not have everything down, but you’ve learned enough that new people are coming to you because you just seem to have the answers. Your skill is really just a part of who you are at this point.
In the biking example, I can think of the process it took me to learn how to ride, but that process was over many years as I needed to learn bits here and there. As I was learning them, I wasn’t thinking of the process it took me to get to that point.
All masters have this problem.
That’s why I say you should make it a usual practice to meet and engage with people who are just one or two steps ahead of you. They can teach you things better than if you were talking with a master. In fact, that’s exactly why, I’ve had to tune out Pat and other experts more recently. It’s not that I don’t think they know what they’re talking about. It’s simply that they’re so far up in their experience that they’ve gone into what I call “professor mode”. Thankfully Pat still explains things now in 2016 like he always has, but I’d really like to be talking to 2011 Pat as he was discovering things that I’m discovering myself today. Thankfully that Pat is still available in the archives (via the Wayback Machine.)
Bonus! Level 5: Shared Competence
You might have heard that the quickest and easiest way to learn something is to try and teach it to someone else. I heard this all the time as I was going through college and it wasn’t really until my first time as a lab TA that I found out what this really meant. I was used to teaching my friends who were closer to me in skill, but when it came to teaching freshman students, wow – there was definitely a difference!
If you are trying to become an expert in a field or someone who is trying to teach to others how to do something, you’re going to have to break down what you already know into steps your audience can follow. The higher your expertise, the trickier that’s going to become.
That’s why the best way to do it is to think of a transformation you want someone to go through and then make a 5 to 7 step process that they’ll make that transformation in.
That way, you’ll have it in small enough bites that the new person doesn’t get mind blown by all there is to know and you’ll be able to keep on eye on their progression easier.
How would you teach someone to ride a bike? What would those 5 steps be?
Action Steps:
So I hope that this process gives you a little more of an understanding of where you are in learning your new skill in whatever it is that you’re learning to do.
I think if you know that these are all part of doing something new, then you’ll probably have less stress about the small stuff… (unless you’re in engineering in college. Than it’s always going to suck until you graduate! Lol. jk!) Having less stress about learning something new will empower you to embrace who you are even more and just take things in stride a bit more. Below I’d love to hear from you guys where you’re at in your journey of learning a new skill. Have you learned to embrace the suck? Do you find it hard to explain certain things to newbies? Let me know!
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/The-4-Levels-of-Learning-The-Secret-to-Hacking-New-Skills.jpg800800JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2016-11-29 14:18:552016-11-29 14:25:42The 4 Levels of Learning – The Secret to Hacking New Skills
When it comes to getting started making a living on something you love to do, it can be hard to determine where to be begin. For many of us, we will have many interests and we’ll try to involve all of that into what we’re doing.
Depending on how exactly you do that, you can have one of two results. It can either differentiate you from the pack, or, what tends to happen most of the time, is that you spread yourself too thin when it comes to others understanding how you can help them.
So, the trick, is to fixate on one segment of your life like today’s guest, Joe “Woo” Rychalsky has done.
Joe has many interests that he could have pursued as a business. But he didn’t. Instead, he decided to take it upon himself to help others do something he wasn’t able to – find and fit into the right job and career for them.
Trying to find that niche that you can help others with can be tough, and there’s a lot riding on the decision we finally make. So, in this chat we’re going to help you make that decision by walking you through his story of becoming a coach and what all he has considered while making the decision to help others figure out their dream career.
We’ll also talk about what you need to look for when choosing your own coach, and we briefly talk about his podcast entitled The JoeWoo Career and Life Show.
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
What gave Joe the mind of a creator. 6:41
Which parent did he strive to please growing up and how. 9:09
What went into Joe choosing his major in college? 11:52
How well did Joe survive as a square block in a circle hole? 14:13
Was realizing that he wanted to be a career coach a single moment or a series of moments? 15:18
What did it take for him to make the transition from working in the corporate world to becoming a career coach? 17:13
What kind of clients does Joe like working with? 24:04
What need is he solving with his courses? 27:11
What do people need to look for when searching for a coach that can help them with a particular issue? 29:31
What’s the difference between a therapist, a psychologist, and a coach? 31:14
How Joe knocks people out of patterns that he sees. 33:52
How does someone go about becoming a coach themselves if they’re interested? 35:38
What’s the purpose behind Joe’s podcast? 38:19
What’s Joe’s interview style? 45:05
What are some of the things that Joe’s looking forward to in 2016. 49:47
3 of Joe’s Favorite Podcasts 51:53
What he would do as his 10 year old self if all his memories were intact? 52:27
What is something he believed as a 35 year old and doesn’t believe it anymore. 52:57
What is one thing that costs under $100 that changed his life? 53:43
What does it mean to live a life of abundance? 55:43
What are three steps that someone could take to change their career? 56:51
What Joe Got out of his Firewalk Instructor Training:
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/AoL-Podcast-Logo-Master-Image-session61.jpg700700JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2016-11-10 23:32:062018-12-27 15:30:19Joe “JoeWoo” Rychalsky: Helping Others Find Their Right Career Path by Being the Example (AoL 061)
When people think about starting a podcast, they believe that they need something that’s super duper professional and expensive. That’s truly not the case.
Back in 2012, Pat Flynn was one of the first to share his setup for his award winning podcast.
That post was just over 4 years ago.
In this first of three posts, I’ll be sharing with you my setup for starting a podcast. It includes reviews from two other sources, Pat’s tutorial, and Chase Reeves of Fizzle.co, as well as what I’ve found on my own after 50+ episodes of doing the AoL Podcast.
Please note that there are Amazon affiliate links in this post!
If you want to get better deals or aren’t an Amazon Prime member, you can always check and see what you can find on eBay. However, if you’re on a schedule and you need to start as soon as possible, you might want to buy new from Amazon. I had to send several items back in the process of setting up my show. Took me a few weeks longer than I would have liked.
Most people who want to start a podcast these days will more than likely stumble onto Pat Flynn’s podcast tutorial.
It’s a great tutorial. In fact, I used it to get started on the first podcast I produced. But as with anything on the web, time passes and things needs to be added to or altered in some way.
Pat’s done a great job in changing it up since he created it in 2012, too. There’s tons of great information there that I think will prove beneficial to you!
However, one thing that many podcasters who are just starting out might not have is an abundance of money to pay for everything that Pat recommends in his tutorial.
Let’s Start with the Mic
Take for example, his recommended microphone, the Heil PR-40. It sounds great! But, it costs $300 or more depending on where you get it. Whereas the mic that I found via Fizzle’s Chase Reeves Microphone Shootout, the Audio-Technica AT875R, was $169.
When you factor all the additional hardware pieces that you have to get for each setup to get to the point where you’re ready to hit the record button, Chase’s “Best Buy” solution comes out to about half the price.
And, in my opinion, if you listen to the Fizzle Show, you can hear that it produces great quality.
Here are the two videos for you to compare even more. Pat’s is very too the point, where Chase’s Shootout is very technical – almost MythBuster like!
Check it:
Pat’s Podcast Tutorial Video 1: Equipment and Software
Podcaster’s High Quality Microphone Shootout:
Beginner’s Best Buy:
By the way, if neither of these mics are in your price range, a really great option that sounds pretty decent (if you tune it correctly), is the Audio-Technica atr2100 for $79. It’s a USB AND XLR compatible mic that I have many folks grab as their first mic. The great thing about it is that you don’t need a mixer for it to work. You can just plug it in via USB like many mics you might be already used to.
Other Hardware
Mixers:
The mic isn’t the only piece that you’re going to need to get started. In fact, both of the ones that Chase and Pat recommend need what’s called a mixer.
You heard me also mention XLR – this is where that comes into play. It’s the three pronged connection type you see most professional mics have. It’s an old analog connection. Meaning if you go with a professional mic, you’ll need a mixer.
Pat’s mixer for his tutorials was the Behringer Xenyx 1002FX, priced at $90. What Chase recommended for Fizzle members was the Mackie Onyx Blackjack, priced at $99. (I got mine used from eBay at $80.)
Arm Thingy / Stands / Booms:
Along the mixer and the mic, you’ll also need that arm thingy. These are called boom stands, and you’ll need to order one for where you intend to use it. As you saw in Pat’s video, there are booms that are specific for certain mics, but there’s also generic ones.
Oh and there are taller ones if you want to stand up or while doing some video work (you can use the same mic over your head). I got this one by Griffin for my course videos sometime down the line.
Headphones:
Now, this is something that Pat didn’t talk about in his hardware piece. It looks like he had some sort of Beats headphones, but not being super familiar with that brand before it was bought by Apple, I went with what Chase recommended in one of the videos inside of Fizzle:
If you see a better deal on eBay and they’re from China, don’t be afraid to get them. Just remember that it might take up to three weeks for them to come in vs 3-5 days with Amazon.
A Headset Option:
When I first started my podcast, I thought that my Turtle Beach gaming headset would be good enough for me to use when I’m podcasting. Unfortunately, I realized practically right away that the quality I was getting was horrible. That’s when I started looking to see what others used.
Eventually, though, I wanted to give myself a traveling option. So, when I realized that Lewis Howes uses a headset for his interview, I had to find out what it was. Here it is:
Needless to say, I don’t use this option all the time because I use my permanent set up with the boom and at875r. However, it has proven to be a great asset when I’ve had to be on location.
Computer:
Now, this is something that neither Chase nor Pat talked about in their review because they probably think you already have one of these.
However, the truth is that they both use Macs to do their work. You can tell in Pat’s tutorial he uses Garageband (I’m not sure what he has his editor use now these days) and Chase uses Logic Pro X. We’ll get to those in a minute.
If you’re in the market to get whatever’s easiest to do the job, I recommend getting a Mac. The software is just that much easier to work with.
Where do you get an Inexpensive Mac?
Not at the Apple Store!
First, let’s just get one thing straight. I don’t ever by brand new technology unless I’m forced to.
That means computers just as much as it means cars.
The only way I’d pay for an expensive new piece of tech is if it was a custom piece. A custom computer… or a custom car. Like a Tesla.
If you listen to Dave Ramsey or Robert Kiyosaki, you know that technology and cars are not assets, they are liabilities. So buy them as low price as possible.
That said, a great site to buy used Macs from is GainSaver. They generally get their older macs from offices or colleges that always have the newest and best gear.
Personally, I have a 2010 Mac Pro (Model: MC561LL/A) that I do most of my work on and it runs like a champ. Also, I don’t have to worry about it overheating with intense use. Many people primarily use Macbook Pro’s for all their work, but I had two of them burn-up in the same year.
So, I primarily use my laptop for small projects and browsing the web.
Also, you might be wondering why I don’t have a newer Mac Pro? Here’s an image to show you why:
I’m not sure about you, I don’t need all that junk cluttering up my desk.
Speaking of Upgrades
If you want to upgrade one of the computers on Gainsaver (or Apple’s site for that matter), you can do that. But just like at popcorn at a movie theatre, they’re going to charge you even more than you’d expect
Recommendation? If you’re somewhat technically gifted (meaning that you’re the go-to person in your family that everyone comes to tech help), or have access to someone who is, go to a site like Other World Computing, find out what you need for your specific model, go over to eBay, and find it for a great deal.
RAM and hard drives are CHEAP compared to just a few years ago!
Best names in memory as of this writing is Kingston and Crucial. In hard drives, they’re HGST and Western Digital.
And they’re really easy to install in a Mac Pro. I promise.
Editing and Recording Software:
Mac Options:
Ok, so moving back to software.
If you go with a Mac, you get Garageband for free. It’s a great little app and frankly, really all you need for conversations. Your show’s quality won’t sound like The Fizzle Show, but it might sound like the early shows of SPI.
Nothing wrong with that!
Garageband
Let me tell you, as a beginner, Garageband (which is free with a Mac) is much easier to use than Logic Pro X is. The reason I use Logic now is because I see it as a personal challenge. I see it as a skill and artI want to develop. And, as of this writing (at almost 60 episodes), I’m still learning what I need to know to produce a show that sounds great.
If you don’t want to go through that process, go with Garageband.
PC Options:
If you go with a PC, there’s a couple of options I know of. One is a free app called Audacity (which I use for different things time to time) and a more professional option is Adobe Audition.
Audacity
While Audacity isn’t my go to application, you can get the job done with it.
As far as Audition goes, I personally don’t know too much about it. But with everything else, you can always find out how to use it via YouTube.
Recording with Guests and/or remote co-hosts
Now, if you find yourself hosting an interview based show, then you’re going to want to consider a few more pieces of software because you can’t do everything you want to do with what I’ve already discussed.
In fact, before you go editing with the other programs, you’ll need to record with what I’m about to tell you.
To record online for free, you’ll want to use Skype.
You can have multiple people on and the sound quality is pretty decent compared to other options – like YouTube Live, Hangouts, or Facebook Live (I’m not even entirely sure if that’s possible – but it might be!)
Skype has been around for years. That means that there’s plenty of other apps that you can plug and play with it – which, in this case, you’ll need to do to actually record.
Another option is Zencastr if you want to keep things super basic (but don’t mind the compression that any online recorder will render on the raw audio/video).
Mac Skype Recorders:
Quicktime audio recorder
You have two options here. And honestly, I use them both when I’m recording. The first is another free app that comes on Macs only – Quicktime. Most people know that this can play video files that are on their computer. But what they might not know is that it can actually record screen recordings (webinars anyone?) and whatever is spoken into the mic.
Great little tool to have.
Ecamm Call Recorder
The only problem is that it doesn’t record what’s coming from the other side of the conversation. So for that, you’ll need another application called Ecamm Call Recorder for Skype.
It’s pretty straightforward, once you have it installed. Just hit record when you’re about to start and then hit stop when you’re done. Same with Quicktime’s audio recording.
PC Skype Recorders:
Ok, so I’m going to admit that the reason that I’ve never had a PC is just the complexity that many apps have to do something that it’s fairly simple to do on a Mac.
In this case, you’re going to need to get a program called Pamela. Like the Ecamm Call Recorder, you install it and it’s pretty close to being ready to go. However, the default settings are not set up in a way that would benefit you as a podcaster. To do that, you’ll need to set the recordings to stereo as well as change the format it records in. Here’s a video to do just that.Pamela currently retails at just under $28.
Pamela for Skype
Also, something else to note is that from what I understand, PC’s can only record in one application/program (sorry, I use those words interchangeably!) at a time. So make sure that Pamela is working before you start your show!
Action Steps
If you’ve decided that you actually are starting a podcast, here is my call to action for you this week:
Get a feel for how much you’re going to want to spend on this project. With a new Mac Pro (or Macbook Pro), that budget might be upwards of $1800 – $2000. But that Mac Pro will be useful for everything else in your business AND you can list all of this as tax write offs for the year. (Be sure to get at least 2 monitors if you don’t have them already.)
Make a list of the parts that you need yet to get your podcasting show started on the hardware and software side of things. Think of it as a grocery list.
Get stuff ordered.
Start putting it together and experimenting with it
It’ll end up looking something like this… (depending on how many monitors you get):
To be Continued…
Ok, so that’s it for part 1 of this 3 part series. Next week, in part 2, I’ll continue with a few recording tips that have either changed or weren’t covered in Pat’s 2012 tutorial. I’ll be sure to include some of the more detail stuff that I have to do to get a podcast produced and ready to go out the door.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/How-to-Inexpensively-Start-a-New-Podcast-Equipment-and-Software.jpg800800JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2016-10-18 16:54:112020-04-03 14:24:10How to Inexpensively Start a Podcast: Equipment and Software
One huge risk in modern small business is to spend months or years working on a project only to release it… and find nobody wants it.
That’s one of the issues that The Foundation tackles head on.
When I first heard it’s founder (and today’s guest) Dane Maxwell discuss the matter with Pat Flynn on the SPI Podcast, it blew me away.
Not only did he promote not having the initial idea, but he also said you can build this product with no money of your own. (Meaning, if you do it right, you don’t need money to make money!)
Ever since then, I haven’t looked at business the same way.
However, one thing that I realized about the way that Dane approached business was that he was using it as a method to make an income, sure.
But was it his calling?
Today, we find him entering into another point in his life – becoming a musician.
Daniel and I were really interested to find out more about what he was up to when given the opportunity.
In this conversation with Dane, we talk about way more things than the transition. We also discuss what he’s learned about people during his time running The Foundation, why many people struggle to find worth, and more about his style of music and the message he wants to convey with it.
This is a great listen if you’re a fan of Dane’s or genuinely want some good soul food.
Enjoy!
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
What has been Dane’s perspective on being one of the most influential online entrepreneurs in recent years? 7:08
Was music something Dane always wanted to pursue? 9:56
What does “born to sing” mean to him? 12:54
Why he loves singing in nursing homes. 16:49
What was Dane’s childhood like? 19:16
Why he believes many people struggle to find out their meaning, purpose, and worth. 21:04
Are there any ways for someone to find their worth? 25:24
What’s the process of articulating stress in your life to get over it? 27:38
What are some musicians that have inspired him? 28:16
When did he know it was time to pursue music? 30:16
What was the 8 months of vocal lessons like? 34:19
How would Dane describe his style of music? 39:12
Why he feels people don’t have the discipline to get things done they want to in their life. 41:30
What is the cause of all the amazing things that happen in his life? 47:08
Does he believe in luck? 47:30
Why Dane repeatedly says there is 100 million people in his heart. 57:18
What are some of the patterns that Dane sees in music that he did in business? 57:00
What’s the message with his music? 1:29
Why he really started The Foundation for. 1:14:58
One gift Dane likes giving others. 1:20:07
One thing he believed when he was 25 but now realizes is wrong. 1:20:16
Three truths he’d like to share with others. 1:21:09
Who does he think of when he thinks of the word success? 1:22:46
Andrew Ferebee interviews Dane About Integrity and Being a Great Man
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
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In the last post, I talked about Just In Time Learning. This is something that I’ve been learning quite a bit about recently.
Before I was focusing on building New Inceptions, I would always just listen to whatever the influencers had to say. Many times just because it was actionable information.
But, I never took action and therefore it was really just entertainment.
Once I did start focusing, however, I was able to actually apply what I was learning. And then I would naturally have more questions that needed answers. And the process would keep going.
This process has lead to me mastering skills and abilities that I didn’t know I’d even have before starting on the journey of building a business.
Want to know my strategy for mastering parts of my business? Here you go:
Step-by-step process: How to Make a Personal Development Plan for Your Business that You’ll Be Sure to Stick To
I’m going to walk you through all six steps here. Follow along and do what I do.
Step 1: Brainstorm
Using a mind map, I want you to think of 10 to 15 things that you believe that you could that could take your business to the next level.
Before you think of those items, I want you to give yourself 4 different categories that will help you with your thinking.
These 4 different categories are things that would help your business grow. So, for example, here are 4:
For example, if one of your items is learning how to use a certain type of social media (because one of the 4 topics we listed was engaging with potential clients), then you’d learn that social media, when it comes to business, is a form of marketing.
However, another one of our topics was “a website”.
Would it make sense to market your services first or have a place on the web (or in the real world for that matter) where people can find out more about you?
That’s where a website is needed. Marketing and engagement should come after actually having somewhere for people to find out more about what you’re doing.
Again, get the 6 Cornerstones eBook to help with this part.
Step 4: Evidence of Accomplishment
So let’s say that you pick doing a website now because you accept what I said in the last step.
How will you know that your website is done enough that you can start marketing it?
What does “Done” look like here?
That decision is going to be up to you. You might just opt for a long one page solution. Or, you might feel that you want to create different pages that that have different jobs. What’s best for what you’re wanting to do?
You have to start with the end in mind of what you want to achieve before you go looking for how you should do it.
Examples of things that might be considered “done” in my book would include:
My New Product is available.
I have a landing page for that new product.
Or if I wanted to work on traffic and leads:
How many new followers do I need to have in order to get X traffic?
Knowing what you’re looking for will help you do the next step…
Step 5: Find and List 10 Resources or People That You Might Be Able to Learn it From
Ok, so how do you find someone that has the knowledge (free or for a premium) that will help you do what you want to do?
I have 5 suggestions you can to with increasing cost to get what you’re looking for:
Search YouTube – You’ll find the free options here. Many times, though, they’re previews of the main course.
Subscribe to Fizzle – Only $35 a month and it covers all the bases of what you need to know at any given time while building a young business. (Use this link for 2 weeks for free!)
Here’s the main page of Fizzle’s library of courses. Now you see why I recommend them!!
Go to a site like Lynda.com or uDemy to find specific skills for your business.
Buy a big ol’ course from a lead influencer. These usually have the best results because they’re so rich in details, but you will be paying through the nose for it. (These can typically cost anywhere from $500 – $5000 per course!!) You’ll hear about these courses from big mediapreneurs like Pat Flynn, Jordan Harbinger, and Lewis Howes.
Buy a course from a lesser known person through a site like Producthunt.com. Results might definitely vary here, but you might find a bargain!!
Step 6: Implementation through Accountability
Learning about some new topic, strategy, or skill, won’t mean anything unless you put what you’re learning about to use.
Some people like to buy the higher cost courses just because the higher cost will keep them more accountable to implementing what they’ve learned.
However, many of those courses are time sensitive and will expect your full focus right away. Often times you get to meet others through these courses and help each other accomplish more together.
…
Side Note: If you’re wondering how much a product that is currently being hyped will cost – the more hype combined with the more results a free portion of the product will yield, the more you can expect the final program costing.
So a great example of this was the recent Ryan Levesque’s Ask Method. He was on several shows giving great quality in-depth pointers in how to actually do something. He was also mentioned several times in email campaigns by other folks as affiliates. The actual cost of the program is unknown to me, but I would go out on a limb and guess it was easily $2000 to $5000 per participant. And if people wanted to work with him in a small workshop type of function – that could easily start that price at $10k for the entry price.
Personally, I’ve been through two programs like this: The John Maxwell Team Certification Program and The Foundation. My networks have blossomed greatly because of my involvement with both.
…
Other resources that are available all the time won’t require as much focus and chances are their price points won’t be in the thousands.
However, you won’t be getting built in accountability with it.
If you have a network already in place of people who are ready to be accountable with you in whatever you want to work on, then you don’t need that extra price
Pick 5 topics or skills that you’re going to learn about within the next month or so by the end of this week. Then start learning about the first one next week. It might take you longer than a week to learn and do as much as you can for each one. How quickly you learn them is completely up to you.
But you’ll have focus because you’ll know what you’re supposed to be learning about!
And, of course, the bright side of that is that you won’t go crazy trying to convince yourself you need to be doing 20 different things!
Let me know how it works out for you below!
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