Streamlined Solopreneur: Automate Your Business, Take Time Off Worry-Free

It was Christmas Eve, and I was waiting in line for bagels.As someone who grew up in New York now living close to Philly, I’m admittedly a snob about the quality of the bagels I eat. But there’s a bagel shop not 5 minutes from my house that makes the best bagels I’ve ever had outside of NY/NJ.And they offer preorders for Christmas Eve. It’s become a bit of a tradition in our house to get those bagels and do a Christmas Eve brunch.They also have a select stock for people on a first come first serve basis. People who preorder can buy from this stock. The many preorders combined with the select stock creates a long line. After-all, these bagels are superb.So we waited.And during that wait, there were some people who complained about the wait1.But no one left the line or cancelled their order. After all, if all they wanted was bagels, they could have gone to the grocery store a few doors down and buy bagels immediately.But those are not even good bagels. And we wanted great bagels.See, there’s a dirty little secret that no one wants to hear these days:Great things require time. And they’re worth the wait.Read the full article hereIn the PRO show, I explain how I plan for conferences, and how I measure direct ROI from events. Join here. Sponsored by Liquid Web————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

I sweat bullets over finding the right tools. Some might say I am an Overthinker.And that is an asset to me. But occasionally, it causes crippling analysis paralysis. I’ve spent every day of this very young year, thinking about the implementation for my membership, even though I know the simplest solution is to use Substack. And last week, I would have told you that’s the end of the story. But it’s not.So today, I’m going to tell you about a journey that led me to Substack and grossly overcomplicating my publishing process. And why that could be a good thing.For members, we discuss how I’m managing multiple publishing places, why “Be Everywhere” is so important to me, and my goals for this experiment. Sponsored by Liquid Web————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Sales expert Matt Clark discusses the limitations of LinkedIn's best practices and highlights the importance of treating it as a networking platform. He advises optimizing profiles for clients, running polls to engage connections, and focusing on intentional connection growth. The podcast also touches on the value of research, mindset, and respecting the sales process. Additionally, it covers using AI and automation, conducting market research, and creating content that addresses client pain points on LinkedIn.

The word 'Control' evokes various thoughts and emotions, many of which are negative. Control is often associated with an excessive desire to dominate or dictate every aspect of a situation.The bad guys in movies and in real life desire control at almost any cost. Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars said the only way to improve life in the galaxy was for him to seize control. Thanos said the only way to save the universe was to control the population by controlling the infinity stones.Countless dictators and wannabe dictators have justified taking control because they’re the only ones who can save us.It sounds micro-managy, almost authoritarian when you say, “I want to be more controlling.”But Control at the right scale is super important. If you don’t control your car, bike, or other vehicle, for example, you will end up hurting yourself or someone else.In thinking about my next yearly theme, a recent conversation I had with my therapist was top of mind. I told her that I didn’t feel like I was in control of anything. Not my health. Not my money. Not my time or schedule.That's why my 2024 Yearly Theme is *The Year of Control.*For members, we discuss the themes I didn’t choose, how the membership will work in 2024, and the direction of the podcast in general. You can join here. LinksMy 2024 Yearly ThemeFavorites of 2023Cortex 2024 Yearly Themes Sponsored by Liquid Web————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Learn the importance of research in product development from Becky Pierson Davidson. Discover how to simplify customer journeys and increase customer value through scrappy research methods. Understand the significance of diversifying data sources and creating personalized strategies for different customer segments. Gain insights on conducting user research interviews and identifying primary target audiences for product creation.

A few weeks ago, I ruffled some feathers on social media. I said, “Telling people you wrote your book with AI is like telling people you ran a marathon with your car.” Wow. People took umbrage with that statement. And while I stand by what I said, I thought it would be a good idea to talk to an AI expert. So I reached out to Bryan McAnulty of Heights Platform to see me (or everyone else) straight. And you know what he told me? We’re all doing it wrong. We shouldn’t use AI as a proxy for Google. We should use it as an actual assistant. And for that, we need to give it a ton of context.Top TakeawaysInstead of thinking of AI as a tool, think of it as an instrument. You need to learn how to play it and personalize it to play your kind of music. In the long run, you won’t be able to use AI to cheat, because what makes your content unique is your personal experiences. Since AI works on how you train it, You can have as many AI assistants as you want. It doesn’t just have to be one.Show NotesBryan McAnultyObsidianSmart ConnectionsCopilotCortex PodcastAll the News from Open AI's First Developer ConferenceHeights PlatformCreator ClimbSponsored by: Sensei Sponsored by:Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Imagine that you’re going to give a talk on a topic you know really well. You spend time on the presentation, rehearse it 100 times, dial in the slides, and you’re feeling great. You get the conference, deliver the talk, and you think you nailed it. But when you ask for questions, one person raises her hand and says, “Nous ne parlons pas anglais.”That’s right. You just delivered your talk in English, and the entire audience speaks French. You made an assumption that you knew that audience. And the conference host made that same assumption. Now the effects, or embarrassment, may not be as strong if you guest on a podcast, but they can cut against your credibility, and potentially waste your time…and the audience’s time. That’s why you need to be prepared. And that’s exactly what public speaking coach (and fantastic guest) Adriana Baer is going to talk to us about today. We chat about everything from research to storytelling, and she even has a few bonus tips. Be sure to stick around until the end for a special bundled deal we’re offering. Top TakeawaysPodcast guesting is a gift. While the rest of the world lives in 5 second sound bites, podcasts give us the time and space to flex our expertise.To be an effective podcast guest, you need to do your research. Understand who you’re talking to, and how you can help them. You need to tell good stories – you do that but having some prepared, but also by actively listening to the host. Show NotesAdriana BaerWhy Podcast Interviews are a Content Goldmine with Tom SchwabThe Digital Storytelling Aspect of PodcastingThe Solopreneur's Gift GuideSponsored by: Sensei Sponsored by:Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Recently, I sat down to dinner with my family when the doorbell rang. It was a door-to-door HelloFresh salesman, who wanted to make dinner easier for us (while ironically preventing me from eating dinner). I immediately got frustrated for two reasons: It was dinner time and the interruption was unwelcomedI had already told this guy’s partner “no” several hours earlier. It was a conversation that not only was unwelcome but was already flat-out rejected once before. This sort of tactic is what gives sales a bad name, and why folks like us hate sales. But today’s guest, Nikki Rausch, is here to tell us that’s not at all how sales should work – and what we should do instead. Top TakeawaysSales isn’t a one-way street. It’s a collaborative conversation that you have permission to enter into. And you get permission by asking. The person you’re speaking to has their own language – you need to tailor your offer to meet their needs and use their language. Never make assumptions! You can’t further a relationship without asking questions. Assumptions are driven by limiting beliefs. Questions lead to concrete answers.Show NotesNikki RauschWhat Prepared Plumbers Can Teach You About Winning BusinessThe Selling Staircase: Mastering the Art of RelationshipMastering the Sales ConversationSponsored by: Sensei Sponsored by:Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Social media advice these days reminds me a bit of the parable of the Emperor with no Clothes. See, it's easy for anyone to display how smart and successful they are. They say things like, "Here's your content strategy for 2024: Post three times on X daily, post one thread on X daily. Create three LinkedIn posts per day and one LinkedIn carousel per week." People read that and think, "That's easy to understand," without realizing that just posting content is not a strategy at all. I often think about how people perceive me and my show because I consider myself a successful podcaster. But I also feel conflicted – I don't feel I've done a good job of leveraging this show to grow my audience. So, I've decided to have my friend, Zach Swinehart, come on to talk about how I can improve my conversions for this show.However, it almost feels a bit like the emperor has no clothes. Am I putting myself out there? Am I letting myself be too vulnerable? I guess you’re about to find out.Top TakeawaysWhen it comes to determining your lead magnet, you should test a few to see which resonates.When you're testing calls to action or lead magnets in a podcast, you should try a few different spots with a few different links.Know who you're talking to and try to understand your audience by looking at their pain points and objections.Show NotesDouble Your Email List Growth Rate in 29 minutesCheck out the full interview over on Zach's podcast, Full Time CreatorPersonalization is the Path Forward with Brennan DunnSponsored by: Sensei Sponsored by:Sensei: Save 20% FOR LIFE with code JOECASABONA————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

How much help is too much help? When do you go from the actual worker to the visionary? And where does AI fit into all of this? Over on LinkedIn, I said using AI to write your book is like using a car to run a marathon. People took issue with that. So my friend Alastair MeDermott and I decided to have a good old fashioned debate. You’ll hear a nuanced discussion around:How to think about AI assistance in writing and content creationWhere AI can help versus replace in the creative processHow iterative prompting can shape the AI outputWhether AI will ever replicate truly original human ideasThe importance of the human editorial eye in approving AI-generated contentWhat we potentially stand to lose in fully outsourcing creative work to machinesIf you’re feeling uncertain about how to responsibly and effectively leverage AI tools like ChatGPT in your business and content creation, don’t miss this lively exchange of perspectives. Tune in now to help shape your own ethical framework.Check out Alastair's podcast over at https://therecognizedauthority.com/  ————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/