Work Less, Earn More

To celebrate our reaching 100 episodes of Work Less, Earn More, I’m revisiting some of my favorite episodes all this week.I went all the way back to the very first episode and pulled out the ones that stood out to me as must-listens, ones that I think even if you've heard them before, would be worth listening to again. Then I had to narrow it down from 20 or so episodes to 5.To do that, I needed a theme or a topic, and I landed on doing a whole week of episodes all about funnels and launching.First up is Episode 20 with Mariah Coz. Mariah is a wizard with evergreen funnels and in this episode, she breaks down how easy creating a successful evergreen funnel can be, even when it goes against conventional wisdom.Mariah Coz has been creating and selling online courses, building webinars, and crafting funnels for years. In that time, her company has helped hundreds of people create and sell courses about everything from watercolor painting, programming, decluttering, football, and everything in between.She is a veteran course creator and creates high-converting webinars, funnels, and launches for herself and her clients using cutting-edge strategies that no one else is teaching.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why it’s “mean to not go evergreen,” for your customers and for youHow your evergreen funnel fuels your live launchesThree things that might be holding you back from building an evergreen funnelTwo ways to effectively create urgency without being sleazyOne simple thing to put on your webinar landing page that will increase salesLearn more about Mariah Coz:Mariahcoz.comFree Evergreen Sales Funnel MasterclassAccelerator ApplicationInstagram: @mariahpcozYouTubeLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Welcome to Episode 100!For this milestone episode, I thought it would be fitting to share some of the things that I’ve learned over the course of the last hundred episodes.I took on this project with some knowledge and strategy, and I’d been creating content on the internet for years, but I still had a lot to learn. So today, I’m going to share the top three things I’ve learned over the last two years of running the podcast.And I’ll be joined by Tara McMullin, my friend and one of the producers of this show. Tara is a podcasting pro and has the inside story of what’s happening in podcasting, what’s changed in the last two years, and strategies for running a successful podcast today.Tara McMullin is a coach, community builder, podcaster, producer, and writer. She’s the founder of What Works, a digital platform for small business owners who are building strong, resilient, and sustainable companies. She’s also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a podcast production agency that helps entrepreneurs create standout podcasts that grow their businesses. Tara’s podcast, What Works, has been downloaded over 2 million times and boasts over 300 interviews with thriving small business owners.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why your podcast shouldn’t be your primary visibility strategy, but it can establish you as an expertHow COVID leveled the production playing field between big studios and indie podcastsWhy limited series are on the rise and pros and cons of making and marketing them for your podcastWhy your “new episode” social media post isn’t workingLearn more about Tara McMullin:What WorksThe What Works PodcastInstagram: @tara_mcmullinYellowHouse.MediaLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

If you want to turn your side-hustle into your full-time gig, you need two things: products and customers.Of course, it’s not actually that simple.There are a lot of variables depending on the kind of business you want to run, and a lot of ways for things to go wrong.So today, I’m sharing the real secret to turning your side-thing into your main thing so you can have a steady, predictable income from your business.Listen to the full episode to hear:The systems you need to have in place for steady incomeWhy starting a business is more than setting up shop with a website and a tax filingLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

There are plenty of great reasons to want to increase your prices, and I’m guessing you’ve thought of a few of them.There are also plenty of concerns you might have about the process.If those concerns are holding you back, this is the episode for you.We’ll talk about reasons to raise your prices, why you haven’t done it yet, and I’ll share the secret to confidently raising your prices and executing the changes in your business.Listen to the full episode to hear:How to balance raising your prices with a possible loss in overall salesPractical concerns around raising your prices, and one that might be all in your head3 case studies to help you consider your pricing strategyThe real secret to confidently raising your pricesLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

The majority of the time, I run my online business from my desktop computer and when I’m traveling, I’ll use my laptop.Working from my phone isn’t my preferred way to do it. I’d much rather be at my desk in a focused environment, but sometimes there’s no avoiding it.Being able to use my phone also gives me additional freedom and flexibility to bring my office with me when I need to.Today, I’m sharing five apps that make it much easier to run my business from my phone.Listen to the full episode to hear:My favorite app to keep work messaging separate and organizedThe project management app my team and I use to stay on top of tasksHow we create our Instagram storiesHow I update YouTube on the flyMy three favorite tools in G SuiteLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

You can watch a video or read a blog post about how to make money online and think, well, that looks easy.But you’re almost never getting the whole picture.What you see in those videos and blog posts is a snapshot, usually of all the things that went right, not everything that went wrong before it started to get better.You won’t see all of the potential hazards and challenges that come with those business models because you’re not being given the full breadth of the real-world experience of running that business and what it took to make it a success.So today, I’m talking to online business’s self-labeled Crash Test Dummy, Pat Flynn.Pat has tested out so many different ways to make money online, and he’s going to let me pick his brain and do a deep dive about what worked, what flopped, and how profitable they really were.Pat Flynn is a father, husband, and entrepreneur who lives and works in San Diego, CA. He owns several successful online businesses and is a professional blogger, keynote speaker, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and host of the Smart Passive Income and AskPat podcasts, which have earned a combined total of over 65 million downloads, multiple awards, and features in publications such as The New York Times and Forbes. He is also an advisor to ConvertKit, LeadPages, Teachable, and other companies in the digital marketing arena.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why asking what model you should start with is the wrong question, and the questions you should be asking insteadHow his audience informed Pat’s initial venture into online businessWhy you should think of affiliate marketing and sponsorships as providing a service to your audienceHow books and speaking can support your brand and create incomeThe business models that have the highest ROI and profit margins for PatLearn more about Pat:Smart Passive IncomeSmart Passive Income PodcastAsk Pat PodcastInstagram: @PatFlynnTwitter: @PatFlynnWill It Fly? How to test your next business idea so you don’t waste your time and moneyLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Business owners are always hearing and talking about growth and scale.You want your business to succeed and make money, which means doing more business, right?But you’ll probably have to make some major changes or pivots along the way to make growth sustainable.Today’s guest has gone through those major pivots and changes as her business has grown. She’s even gone through several iterations of her business model to land where she is now.Hannah Murphy is a productivity strategist and owner of With Hannah & Co. She helps entrepreneurs create a profit-focused schedule that eliminates unnecessary task switching, long nights and never-ending to-do lists.Having been through the long hours, seven days a week trying to grow her client list style of doing business, Hannah realized she needed to rethink what a productive schedule looked like. Once she did, she was able to achieve the growth she was looking for and more.I wanted to talk to her about the changes she’s made in her business, from starting as a virtual assistant to becoming a productivity strategist and what that means, and the motivations behind the pivots and phases of her business.Listen to the full episode to hear:How Hannah approached developing new skills and pitching her ideal clientsHow a simple referral program grew her business from 3 to 27 clients in just a few monthsWhy prioritizing systems and recognizing her weak points helped Hannah make smart hiring choicesHow her productivity coaching grew out of her existing clients and when she realized creating a course would help stave off burnoutLearn more about Hannah:With Hannah & Co.Instagram: @WithHannahAndCoLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

You’ve got your messaging down, now it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty.Part three of The Easiest Business Plan Ever breaks down your marketing strategy.This is where you’ll get down to the fine details of your customer’s demographics and psychographics so you can figure out how you’ll get the word out about your business and how you’re going to tell people about your products so you can start making sales.This is where you’ll really start generating that to-do list of action items to get your business up and running.Listen to the full episode to hear:How overly wide demographics water down your message and hurt your salesQuestions to help you find the key psychographics your customers will have in commonWays to estimate the size of your target marketHow to build brand visibilityThe two parts of your conversion strategyLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!The Easiest Business Plan EverResources:Business Planning DEEP DIVE (Pt. 1)Business Planning DEEP DIVE (Pt. 2)FREE 6-Part Business Planning Video Series

Your business has a name, an address, a legal structure, and a clear description of what you do. What next?Part two of The Easiest Business Plan Ever covers your marketing messaging.This is where you take that clear, concise description of what your business does, and turn it into persuasive messaging that makes people want to work with you or buy from you.Getting your marketing messaging down means you know who your customer is, what their problems are, and how your product or service solves those problems.And that sets up your business for success.Listen to the full episode to hear:Questions for getting clear on your customers’ problem and the result you offerWhy your customers need to really understand how your offering solves their problemHow the story of your company and why you do what you do strengthens your messageKey questions to differentiate yourself from the competitionHow to turn your product or service into a systemLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!The Easiest Business Plan Ever

Creating a solid strategic plan for your business doesn’t have to be a long arduous process.Four years ago, I created the Easiest Business Plan Ever and it’s since been downloaded by literally thousands of people.But up until this point, I've never gone very deep with any one section of the plan, so starting today, that’s going to change.I’ll be breaking down the business plan, section by section, step by step over the next three episodes to answer your questions about how to use the template to easily create a business plan and strategy that works for you.We’re starting today with your business overview and all of the pieces you’ll need to have worked out from your business’s name to something called the chart of accountability.Listen to the full episode to hear:Four things to keep in mind when naming your businessWhy your business might need multiple addressesKey considerations when choosing a legal structureQuestions to help you write a clear, concise description of your business and its missionWhy you should create your chart of accountability even if you’re a sole proprietorLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!the Easiest Business Plan Ever