Tiny Course Empire Podcast (Cindy Bidar)
Explore every episode of Tiny Course Empire Podcast
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 16 Sep 2021 | Your 20-Minute Overwhelm Elimination Plan | ||
Feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do to start or run your online business? Honestly, I'd be surprised if you didn't sometimes feel a bit overworked, burnt out, or just plain tired. Running a business isn't always a walk in the park, but there's help. In this episode, I'm going to give you a 20-minute action plan that's going to clear your head, create good priorities, and organize your to-do list so you can actually get it done rather than worry over it. Prefer a transcript instead? I got you covered right here. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 14 Oct 2021 | How to Learn Online Marketing Technology for Free | ||
When you're building an online business, knowing what you want to do is just the beginning. Knowing what technology to use to make it happen is an entirely different dilemma. In this episode, I'll teach you how to play digital detective to figure out which tools and software to use, how to build a better website, and even how to find great images for your blog. What you’ll learn in this episode:
Rather read the transcript? I've got you covered. Resources mentioned:
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| 31 Mar 2022 | Participating in Bundle and Giveaway Events with Val Selby | ||
Growing your email list continues to hold the top spot on most business owners’ project lists. We know it’s important. We recognize the value in it. We work on it every single day. And sometimes, it still feels like slow going. One strategy I’ve used (and that continues to work) to grow my list quickly is participating in bundle and giveaway events. The idea is simple:
Basically, you’re offering a highly valuable lead magnet to a targeted audience for a limited period of time, and the results can be amazing. I’ve added as many as 1,200 subscribers to my list in less than a week with this method. If you’re curious about how bundles work and why you’d want to join in, then listen up, because my friend Val has the inside scoop. She’s often the one behind-the-scenes pulling everything together so big events like this run smoothly, and she’s got some insights that will help you make the most of the next event you participate in. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 07 Apr 2022 | How Did You Build That? | ||
I get asked that question a lot, so in this episode of the podcast, I’m breaking down most of the systems we use to run this tiny empire. When I sat down to make the list, I realized I could talk for days about this stuff. There are a lot of pieces that all work together to create what you see on the blog, as a customer, or in the member site. I can’t possibly cover them all in a single episode, so this episode focuses on the big players. If you have questions about something not mentioned here, post them below. I’m happy to answer any questions you have, or help you choose your own online business technology. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 14 Apr 2022 | How to Use Time Blocking to Get Stuff Done | ||
How many items are on you to-do list right now? You probably have products to create, affiliates to meet with, blog posts to write, Facebook groups to moderate, clients to serve, taxes to file… The list is endless, and we haven’t even touched on personal projects yet. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with it all, that’s to be expected. But what if I told you I have a simple system you can use to prioritize your projects and get everything done, without working 60+ hours every week? Would you be on board with that? Because that’s what time blocking has done for me. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been an on-and-off time blocker for years. I’ve abandoned the idea in favor of a “more flexible, spontaneous” approach to life, but I always come back to time blocking—usually after a particularly stressful month where I felt like I got nothing done. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, I’m breaking down exactly how I schedule my weeks, why I use my calendar as my to-do list, and how you can get more done, too. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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Other time-blocking resources you might enjoy:
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| 21 Apr 2022 | Four Steps to Choosing Your Perfect Content Platform | ||
As a small business owner, you probably know that content creation is a powerful way to grow your audience, but which style is right for you? Should you start a podcast? Launch a YouTube channel? Publish a blog? It seems like an easy decision, but the truth is, there’s more to consider than just your personal taste (although that does play a role). In this episode, I’m sharing a four-step process you can use to find the right content style for you and your growing business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 28 Apr 2022 | How to Create a Content Development System (and Never Run Out of Ideas Again) | ||
Build brand awareness. Develop stronger relationships with your customers. Stand out in a crowded marketplace. Earn a better return on your investment. Those are just a few of the reasons small businesses (especially the bootstrapping kind like you and I run) prioritize content marketing over other strategies. Even if you have the cash flow to invest in ads, you’ll likely find that organic traffic through content marketing offers a more sustainable plan. Even as the wearer of a multitude of hats, I consider content creation to be my most important job. I spend the better part of each day writing, whether it’s emails, podcast episodes, course content, or answering questions in the Six-Figure Systems member area. I’ve always known how important content is, but I used to worry about running out of ideas. Maybe you can relate? I’ve discovered something magical, though. The more I create, the more ideas I have. But you know me. I still like to have a system. It just makes everything easier and more efficient. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my content development system and showing you how I find an endless supply of ideas, keep track of them, plan my calendar for more effective marketing, and basically, never run out of things to say. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 05 May 2022 | Five Compelling Reasons to Mail Your List Every Day | ||
“Which day is best for sending email?” Sooner or later, every business owner asks that question about email marketing, as if there is some window of time during which your subscribers are impatiently clicking the refresh button and waiting for your email to arrive. Maybe that’s true if your name is James Clear. For the rest of us though, that sweet spot doesn’t exist. In fact, in this episode of The Tiny Course Empire Podcast, I want to make the case that the right answer to that question (for everyone but Mr. Clear) is: Every day. You should email your list every. Single. Day. Maybe you’re nodding along, knowing the power email has in your business. Or maybe you’re imagining a mounting list of spam complaints. Heck, maybe you’re even searching your inbox for my latest email just so you can reply and tell me how wrong I am (you wouldn’t be the first). But here’s what I know: Emailing my list more-or-less every day (I’m not perfect) is what has allowed me to build a multi-six-figure business. I can’t promise it will do the same for you, but I do know that a daily email habit will have a bigger impact than you can imagine, and I hope you’ll consider it. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 12 May 2022 | How to Create Your Course Outline Fast | ||
What if I told you that you don’t have to spend months (years!) creating your next course? That with nothing more than a pen and paper and an hour or so of focus time, you could develop a rock-solid course outline to take you all the way through to the finish line? What’s more, what if I said this process is actually the key to creating real transformation for your students? That’s what this week’s episode is all about. I’m going to take you from idea to outline in under an hour. By the time we’re done, you’ll have found your focus and you’ll have a map to follow as you create the rest of your course. All that will be left is to fill in the blanks, because you’ll have already done the hard work of nailing down that outline. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 19 May 2022 | 5 Questions to Ask Before You Hire Your First Team Member | ||
So much of the outsourcing advice I hear is… well, it might be doing you more harm than good, if I’m being honest. Don’t like to do something? Just outsource it. Don’t understand how that software works? Just outsource it. Don’t have the time or skills to write that sales page? Just outsource it. Now, I’m not saying you should never do those things. Of course you should. Freeing up your time for more important, high-leverage projects is how you increase profits and grow as a business owner. But there’s a catch. Jumping too soon into outsourcing to avoid doing things you don’t like or that feel overwhelming will often lead to disaster. You have to have a plan, and that starts by asking yourself just a few, simple questions. Answer these, and you’ll be in a much better position not only for outsourcing, but as a business owner on the way up. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 26 May 2022 | Disaster Prevention for Your Online Business | ||
In July 2021, our website server crashed. What started as an inconvenience quickly turned into a catastrophic failure, as we discovered that the recovery systems we had in place simply weren’t good enough. Four days later, all sites were still offline, as we were still putting the pieces back together. Better systems would have saved us so much time, money, and frustration. In this episode, we’re facing the hard facts about what it really takes to protect your business from this kind of disaster. I know so many small business owners who either don’t understand the risks, or who simply choose to ignore them. Because here’s the truth: Sooner or later, your server will crash. Your website, maybe your entire business, can be gone in a flash. Will you be able to recover quickly when it happens? Will you be able to recover at all? Listen in to find out what you can do right now to prevent (and recover from) this kind of disaster in your online business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 02 Jun 2022 | 7 Freemium Tools I Use Every Day to Run My Business | ||
Maybe the most appealing thing about launching an online business is the low start-up costs. There’s no inventory to buy or warehouse space to rent, no shipping fees or even staffing to worry about. All you need is a handful of software applications, and you can be up and running in less than a day, and for very little upfront investment. One thing that keeps costs low is the availability of “freemium” tools and software. I use many of them every single day to handle a variety of business needs, including:
What I love most about freemium tools is the upgrade path. They’re fully functional even on the free tier, and they grow with you as your needs change. No more changing platforms because you outgrew a tool (what a pain). And because the developers have a viable business model—meaning they make money—freemium tools typically have a good, stable track record as well. On this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, I’ll give you the inside scoop on the freemium tools I depend on every single day to keep my business running. I’ll tell you which ones I’ve used for free for years and have no intention of upgrading, and which ones I pay for and why. Listen in, and you might just find a few new favorites, or maybe some new uses for the tools you’re already using. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 09 Jun 2022 | 9 Little Known, Non-Scammy Ways to Promote Affiliate Links and Earn Commissions | ||
I’m a huge believer in having more than one revenue source. Multiple streams of income means when one is down, another is up, and your cash flow is smoother as a result. It’s what protects you from the inevitable downturns every business will face, whether it’s a global pandemic or a seasonal sales slump. One of my favorite income streams comes from affiliate marketing. I get to recommend the best tools and resources to my community, and earn commissions for doing so. Plus, there’s no products to create, no team to manage, and no customer service to handle. All of that makes affiliate marketing a big win in my book, but maybe the best thing of all is that I don’t have to be selling all the time to earn really good commissions. Instead, I’ve found other ways to promote affiliate links when and where they serve my community best. In this episode, I’ll tell you all about them. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 16 Jun 2022 | How to Generate Endless Course Ideas | ||
A customer asked me once if I thought I’d run out of course ideas one day. It can feel that way when you’re new, and sometimes even when you’ve been doing it for a while. But the truth is, there are endless ideas out there. You just have to know where to find them. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, I’m taking you behind the scenes as I research and brainstorm course topics. I’ll show you all the places I look for inspiration, and how you can use them, too. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 23 Jun 2022 | Sales Page CPR | ||
It’s pretty discouraging when you’ve worked really hard on a course or a product, and you launch it out into the world with lots of hope and excitement and then… crickets. Maybe you make one or two sales—or maybe not even that many, but pretty soon you find yourself questioning everything about the course. It’s the wrong topic for your audience. It’s not appealing enough. It’s the wrong time of year. Someone else just launched a similar product. You might even be tempted to scrap the whole project and just start over. I know that’s how I felt when it happened to me. But you know I’m all about problem solving and repeatable processes, so instead of scrapping what I knew to be a great product, I got to work fixing my key marketing piece – the sales page. In this episode, I’m offering you a glimpse into one of my most popular courses and giving you the tools you need to rescue a low-converting sales page. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 30 Jun 2022 | Publish More in Less Time With Content Repurposing | ||
Content is what drives your traffic. It brings in new subscribers and makes sales. If you’re a course creator or blogger, it’s also what you sell. That makes content creation both the most important thing you can do as a business owner, and the most time consuming. But what if it didn’t have to be? What if you could publish more content while putting in fewer creation hours? That’s what repurposing will do for you. In this week’s episode, we’re diving into the types of content that are ideal for repurposing, how to organize your content to make it easy, and how to reuse your content assets in a variety of ways. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 07 Jul 2022 | How Jono Petrohilos Turned a Failing Offline Franchise Into a 7-Figure Online Course Business | ||
Imagine being told your business—the one you’d put so much time, energy, and money into—was the worst performing franchise in the entire country. Pretty disheartening, right? You might be tempted to just give it all up and go get a job. Jono Petrohilos had a different plan. Instead of just giving up as many others might, he doubled down, determined to find a way to make it work. Along the way, he found a whole new career as an online course creator. Today he runs a seven-figure business offering continuing education to personal trainers and fitness professionals worldwide. Jono also mentors other digital creators through his courses, free Facebook group, and with his podcast. There are a ton of gold nuggets in this episode that you can use in your own online course business, so hit the play button and give it a listen. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 14 Jul 2022 | Should Affiliate Marketers Be Worried About Apple and Google Cracking Down on Third Party Cookies and Email Trackers? | ||
You’ve no doubt heard about some recent changes Apple and Google are making to their browsers and mobile devices. Maybe you’ve heard some scary things, like how those changes are bringing affiliate marketing to an end. If your’e an affiliate marketer, or if you run an affiliate program, that might have you in a panic. Like most things though, these rumors have been blown out of proportion. Your affiliate commissions are safe—at least for now. The truth is, the changes that Google and Apple have made are not aimed at affiliate marketers at all, but rather at advertisers who stalk you across the internet, showing unwanted ads that seem to know too much about you. You know the ones I’m talking about. I’ve got all the details in this episode of The Tiny Course Empire Podcast, including how you can test your links and your tracking for yourself to put your mind at ease. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 21 Jul 2022 | How to Be More Visible Online | ||
Here’s a hard truth new business owners sometimes struggle with: You have to be seen if you want to be successful. Once upon a time, when making money online was new and competition was nearly non-existent, you could start a blog, use a fake name and a fake photo (or none at all) and still attract traffic, fans, and cash. As competition increased though, and buyers became more savvy (or maybe skeptical is a better word), it grew more and more difficult to hide behind a computer screen—at least if you wanted to earn a good living. “Relationship marketing” was the buzzword. “Know, like, and trust” became so overused as to turn into a cliche. But that’s exactly what it takes to be successful online these days. Relationships with real people we know, like, and trust. And you can’t build that without being visible. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, we’re taking a look at what it means to be more visible online, some things that might hold you back, and how to choose a visibility path that works for you and your business goals. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 28 Jul 2022 | A Day in the Life | ||
What exactly does an online business owner do all day anyway? What should YOU be doing to grow your business? That’s the question that came up recently on a Six-Figure Systems Q & A call, and honestly, it’s something I struggled with in the beginning. It’s something a lot of new (and even more established) solopreneurs wonder about, too. The trouble is, there are so many things you could be doing, and it’s hard to know which ones are the most impactful. Not only that, but when you don’t know what you don’t know, you might worry that you’re missing out on some critical activities. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m breaking down how I spend my days (it’s probably not as exciting as you might imagine), and also helping you make better choices about where to invest your time, too. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 04 Aug 2022 | Listener Q & A | ||
One of the best parts of Six-Figure Systems is the Q & A calls. Twice each month I get to chat with members and answer the questions at the top of their minds. I help them make better business decisions, brainstorm ideas, get past technical hurdles, and choose the right tools and resources to grow their business. On this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m sharing a few recent questions, because I know if one person is asking, there are many, many more who can also use the answer. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 11 Aug 2022 | Entrepreneurial Math | ||
If recent poll numbers are to be believed, as much as 86% of people surveyed claim to hate math. They say it’s boring or they’re just not good at it. They think it’s too rigid and cold, or that the rules are too complicated. They’re frustrated with memorizing endless formulas. The list of reasons people give for resisting math is long. Maybe some of them resonate with you. Maybe you even have your own reasons for avoiding it. But love it or hate it, math skills are a must for entrepreneurs. You cannot successfully run a business without at least a basic understanding of concepts like profitability, income predictability, and conversion rates. Math is what allows you to make good business decisions. I don’t know a single successful business owner who, when deciding whether to hire a contractor or buy a new piece of software or invest time in a new business venture, doesn’t first pull out a calculator to see if the numbers work. Understanding which numbers matter and what to do with them is what this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast is all about. Join me as I break down the basic math concepts every successful business owner needs. I promise, it’s a lot easier than you think. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 18 Aug 2022 | Essential Traits All Successful Business Owners Share | ||
Do you ever wonder what makes one small business owner more successful than another? Do they have better contacts? More education? Smarter ideas? Faster computers? For more than a decade, I’ve been working with online business owners, first as a virtual assistant, then as an operations and marketing expert, and now as a course creator and coach. Here’s what I’ve learned. Success doesn’t depend on who or what you know. It’s not about having the best ideas or more education or even creating better courses or products. Success is about you and your unique mix of personality traits. That’s good news! It means you are in control of your success, not some outside force you may or may not have any influence over. And even if you think you don’t have these essential traits, it’s easy to get them. That’s what we’re talking about in this week’s episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 13 Apr 2023 | How to Start a Podcast | ||
Looking for a content marketing boost for your business? Podcasting is more popular than ever, and more and more listeners are discovering new favorite shows. I love podcasting because it gives you all the SEO benefits of a blog, without requiring stellar writing skills (perfect for the grammatically challenged, in other words). Plus, podcasts offer a level of “know, like, and trust” that you just can’t get with written content alone. After all, a podcast feels more like a conversation and less like reading a news article. Even email marketing (which you know I love) doesn’t offer the same level of connection a podcast can. But podcasts require a bit more intention and planning than a blog does. For one thing, there’s additional technology to consider, distribution channels to navigate, file hosting to worry about, and that’s before you ever record your first episode. Today I’m sharing how I started my podcast, some mistakes I made along the way (and what I think I got right), plus I have a plan you can follow if you’re interested in starting your own show. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 08 Sep 2022 | Six Ways to Validate Your Course Idea | ||
I’ve created more than 80 digital courses and earned more than $1,000,000 in revenue from them. But you might be shocked to know that my first course was a bit of a disaster. As in zero sales. A true flop. Looking back, I can see all the things I did wrong, but the biggest problem was I didn’t take the time to validate my idea before plunging forward. Today, I take a much different approach. While I can’t say they’ve all been best sellers, I can tell you that taking the time to validate my offers before I create them has massively improved my results. In this week’s episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m sharing some of the ways I’ve used to validate my course ideas. Which ones will you use to make sure your next digital course is a hit? Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 15 Sep 2022 | Increase Your Income With These Simple Split Tests | ||
Want to increase your income? You don’t have to create more or increase your marketing efforts or even grow your audience size. All you have to do is optimize what you’re already doing. That’s what split testing is all about, and in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m walking you through everything you need to know to create a simple split testing action plan in your business. Here’s what you’ll gain by implementing this strategy:
So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and let’s dive in. You might just be surprised at the results you can create when you add split testing to your online business toolbox. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 29 Sep 2022 | The Regrettable Mistake That Slowed My Success | ||
I forget to add salt to my bread dough (pretty tasteless, in case you’re wondering). I wash a hot pink shirt with a load of whites (oops). I overwater the plants in my office and invite a hoard of fungus gnats to set up housekeeping. But all of those are personal mistakes. No one ever knows about them but me (and maybe the husband, if he’s paying attention). In business, it’s a whole different matter. Mistakes made here are often done in public, where others can see. No one wants to make mistakes in public, so instead we only act when we know we have it perfectly figured out. And that right there is the biggest mistake of all, because making mistakes helps us improve. They’re what reminds us that next time, we should pay more attention to the recipe, or use more care when sorting the laundry. In the 11 years I’ve been in business, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in an effort to not make any mistakes. I’m sharing seven of them with you in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, in the hopes that you’ll give yourself permission to embrace your mistakes early on. It’s the best way I know to find success. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 06 Oct 2022 | Three New Ways to Think About Your Competition | ||
Have you ever thought to yourself, “There’s too much competition in this niche,” or “I’m too late to find success with this,” or “Everyone else does this better than I can”? We’ve all had those thoughts at one time or another, and it all starts with how we think about the competition. A few weeks ago, I received an email from a subscriber who wondered if she was making a mistake by promoting her potential competitors. Would it take away from her sales down the road? Would she lose customers? That got me thinking about what it means to compete with one another in business, and why we often see competition as a bad thing when in fact, it’s the opposite. In this episode, I’m challenging you to change how you think about the competition. I’ll give you three new perspectives to try on, along with some real-world examples to show you how each of them can actually improve your business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 20 Oct 2022 | 7 ways to earn an extra $1,000 this month | ||
In a perfect world, we’d have all of our expenses covered each month, and we’d have plenty of “fun money” stashed away in case we wanted to take a last-minute trip or buy a fancy laptop or splurge on a new wardrobe. For small business owners though, income ups and downs don’t always make that possible. That feast-or-famine cycle can cause havoc in your budget, and make it seem as if you’ll never get ahead. But here’s the good news: You have everything you need to earn an extra $1,000 (or more) whenever you need to! With just a little creativity, you can easily boost your revenue, and often in a very short time frame. You won’t have to say “no” And here’s the best news of all. Once you learn how to conjure up cash on demand, you’ll use that skill over and over again to grow your business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 27 Oct 2022 | How to Start an Affiliate Program | ||
Marketing. That’s the number one concern I hear from new (and even more established small business owners). How can they most effectively market their products—and where? It can feel like a constant struggle, and it’s one that many entrepreneurs aren’t equipped to handle. As one client said to me, “I don’t want to learn to be a better marketer. I don’t care about marketing. I care about being a better coach.” But what if you could get in front of a steady stream of new visitors who were not only interested in what you have to offer, but who come to you primed and ready to buy? That would tick all the marketing tasks off your to-do list, and let you get back to what you really want to do. Enter, the affiliate program. The concept is simple (and actually pretty brilliant). All you have to do is invite other marketers to share your offers with their audiences, then reward them for the sales they bring with a percentage of your profits. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’ll walk you through the five steps to start your own affiliate program. It’s easier than you think, and when you’re done, you’ll have new ways to effectively market your small business—without earning a degree in marketing. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 03 Nov 2022 | How to Save 10 Hours Per Week | ||
Did you know that knowledge workers (that’s us) waste up to 2.5 hours per day just looking for the information they need to do their jobs? That means that time you spend hunting down a password, or searching through your email for the link to a meeting that’s about to start, or wading through you Canva account looking for your logo adds up to as much as 10 hours every single week. It seems hard to believe, but those few minutes searching really do add up. Over the course of a year, you may have wasted as much as 12 weeks worth of your precious time. As a small business owner, that’s disastrous for a lot of reasons. First, because you didn’t start your business so you could work longer hours. You probably wanted more time freedom, not less. Not only that, but you probably went into business for yourself so you could do what you really love to do… and I’m guessing that hunting for lost logos isn’t high on your list of tasks you love. Finally, if you manage a team (even a tiny one) then your wasted time is their wasted time, too. When you can’t quickly put your hands on something they need, you end up paying them to wait while you look for it. So what can you do to get more organized and save those 2.5 hours per day? I have three tools that will help in today’s episode. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 17 Nov 2022 | How to Write a Sales Page Fast | ||
Does this sound familiar? You’ve put the finishing touches on your latest course or digital product, and you sit down to write your sales page, and… nothing. The words simply will not come. You don’t know what to include, or even where to start. You are definitely not alone. Even though writing sales copy is one of the most important skills for online business owners to master, it’s also one of the most difficult, and with good reason. Starting at a blank page is hard. It’s intimidating. Writing about your own products is uncomfortable. Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself you’re just not a writer. Whatever is holding you back from writing sales pages with ease, in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m going to help you get past it. I’ve got a simple framework you can follow that’s going to give you the confidence to write those sales pages, and to get them done quickly. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 23 Feb 2023 | How to Be More Confident on Camera | ||
There’s no escaping the camera when you run an online business. Video content continues to outrank other formats. Social platforms prioritize reels and live streaming. And let’s not forget podcast interviews, video-based courses, conferences (both live and virtual) and the many other opportunities involving a microphone and camera. For those of us with a bit of anxiety, stepping up and being seen in this new way is intimidating. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m welcoming a special guest to help calm those nerves and make you a better speaker, too. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 02 Mar 2023 | Boost Your Email Profits With Simple Segmentation Strategies | ||
It’s no secret that email marketing offers the best ROI (return on investment) for your promotional efforts. But did you know there’s a way you can earn even more from your email list…
That’s what segmenting your email list is all about, and it’s a technique every business owner can master. On this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’ll share some easy segmentation strategies you can use starting right now, as well as tips for getting started. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 16 Mar 2023 | Is an all-in-one course platform right for you? | ||
Let’s be honest. Creating a Tiny Course Empire is not for the tech-averse. There are just so many platforms to master, it can all feel overwhelming. You have to build and manage a website, design sales pages, master your email platform, figure out a shopping cart and payment processors, and make sure your students have easy access to their purchases, too. And you have to connect all of those systems together for better branding and a good user experience. All of that can make the ever-increasing number of all-in-one platforms sound pretty appealing. After all, they promise to do it all with a single login and no troublesome tech to hold you back. But are these all-in-one systems the right choice for you? I’ll help you decide. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 23 Mar 2023 | The Analog Tools That Run My Business | ||
Studies have shown that students learn more effectively when they take notes with a pen instead of a keyboard. I find similar results in my own life. I’m much more likely to remember things I wrote by hand. It’s also easier for me to solve complex problems on paper than it is with a keyboard. And sometimes, I just need to dump out all my thoughts into a notebook so I can see them. It makes whatever I’m working on easier to manage. Turns out that even when you run an online business, sometimes the best tool for the job isn’t digital, it’s analog. In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes at Cindy Bidar HQ to explore the analog tools that fuel my creativity, and that keep me organized and productive. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 30 Mar 2023 | Bootstrapping Your Digital Business | ||
One of the biggest appeals of digital course business—aside from showing up for work in your sweat pants—is that it takes very little cash to get started. You don’t need to save for years, or wine and dine angel investors, or wait for an inheritance to land in your bank account. You can get started right now, today, with nothing more than a few dollars shaved off your household budget. That’s what bootstrapping is all about, and in this week’s episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’ll share how I bootstrapped my own startup, and the steps you can take to do the same. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 06 Apr 2023 | Four Easy Content Upgrades To Grow Your Mailing List | ||
If there’s one question I hear over and over again, it’s “How do I build a mailing list?” There are a few tried-and-true strategies I’ve used, such as participating in bundles and giveaways or starting an affiliate program. But there is one method that consistently brings in high-quality subscribers to my email list, and that’s content upgrades. In this episode, I’m chatting with content creator Jeff Herring about four ways I use content upgrades. I love these methods because they’re fast and easy, and they offer loads of value for my subscribers, too. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 20 Apr 2023 | Why I’m not talking about AI | ||
Everywhere you turn today, people are talking about AI and how it’s making business so much easier. And it is, to a point. Unfortunately, there’s a subset of people who are taking it a step further, and claiming that tools such as ChatGPT can replace you. They can write your content, create your lead magnets and products, handle your customer service, build your website… everything. Just click a button, and head to the beach. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? If only it were true. Join me for a short, ranty episode where I’ll tell you why I’ve avoided talking about AI, some ways I’ve been using ChatGPT to help me create content, and how I think you should approach this new breed of tools for your business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 27 Apr 2023 | Three marketing lessons I learned this week | ||
One of the best skills any small business owner can develop is to pay attention to what others do. There are valuable lessons to be learned, both on and offline, if you just know where to look. This week as I walked my dog, considered selling putting our house up for sale, and unsuccessfully tried to make a purchase online, I saw several things that could be improved in my own business—and maybe yours as well. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 04 May 2023 | Encore: Stop Nurturing Your List | ||
Every good email marketer knows you have to nurture your new subscribers, right? But what if it turns out the whole “nurturing” thing has morphed into something it was never meant to be? What if instead of building stronger relationships, you’re actually hurting them by trying so hard to “add value” that you forget to sell to them at all? That’s what I’m asking in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, and I have to warn you, I may have been a little fired up in this one. Tell me in the comments below if you think I’m way off base or if you agree. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 11 May 2023 | 7 Hard Truths I’ve Learned About Running an Online Business | ||
I remember the first webinar I ever watched about starting an online business. It was about niche blogs, and how to find an SEO-friendly domain, research a few keywords, write a few blog posts, and insert Google Adsense ads and Amazon affiliate links. I was fascinated, and the whole process made perfect sense to me. Until I actually sat down to create the first blog, and I realized it’s just not as easy as it looks on a webinar. That was just one of the harsh realities I’ve learned about running an online business. In the past 12 years I’ve learned many lessons that I’m sharing with you in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 25 May 2023 | Simple Tips to Smooth the Self-Employment Income Roller Coaster | ||
It’s true that the economy right now is a bit topsy-turvy. Inflation continues to rise, making the cost of everything from a loaf of bread to a new car more costly than it was a year ago. Small business owners—even those who aren’t selling bread or cars—are feeling the pinch. Every week I hear from clients, customers, and friends who say their sales are down, their expenses are up, and they’re beginning to wonder if they’ll still be in business in a year. Now is not the time to panic. Instead, there are some smart, practical strategies you can follow to smooth out that income roller coaster we so often face as small business owners—and not only when the economy is on shaky ground, either. Listen in for tips you can use at any point in your business to take control of your finances, lessen the stress of unpredictible income, and recover quickly when things start to trend in the wrong direction. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 01 Jun 2023 | 4 Steps to Recover from a Sales Slump | ||
First it was supply chain disruptions that sent prices skyrocketing for everything from cars to toilet paper. Then inflation joined the party and drove prices even higher. Chickens across the US got sick, and suddenly eggs were the most expensive breakfast food you could buy (assuming you could even find them). Now, you might not be selling cars or toilet paper or eggs, but all of this economic weirdness we’ve experienced over the past few years is taking its toll even in the online space. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’ll share four steps you can take to get your business back on track if things have slowed down recently. And truthfully, even if your sales are humming along nicely, it makes good sense to have a plan. Just. In. Case. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 08 Jun 2023 | Can you give away too much free content | ||
If you give away a lot of information on your blog or podcast or YouTube channel, do you run the risk of diluting your sales? Will people just continue to learn for free and never pay you for your courses or coaching or services? That’s a worry that many small business owners face, and it sometimes causes them to play small, saving all the “best ideas” for their paid products. What they don’t know is that people pay for more than just information. When you add that to the equation, you might just change your mind about how much to publish for free. In this episode, we’ll dispell some myths about free content and discuss the most often shared advice for deciding what to give away and what to sell. Then I’ll explain my personal approach to deciding how much free content to publish. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 22 Jun 2023 | How to re-engage a cold email list | ||
Sooner or later, every email marketer finds themselves in a tricky situation. It’s been weeks, maybe even months since you sent your last email, and your list has grown a bit cold. Maybe life got in the way. Maybe your business changed. Maybe you simply ran out of things to say. Regardless of the reason for your absence, it’s time to re-engage your cold email list, but where do you even start? What’s the best way to get back in the game? In this episode, we’ll look at what you can do to revive a cold email list, including questions to ask before you start, and some ideas you can use when crafting that first email. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 29 Jun 2023 | Why I don’t have a big team | ||
I always thought that having a big team was the key to success online. That it would let me make more money and (more importantly) spend more time doing what I really love to do. Turns out, the size of your team has little to do with your success. In this episode, I’m giving you the scoop on how my thinking has changed, and why I prefer to run a tiny business with as few team members as possible. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 06 Jul 2023 | Encore Presentation: Marketing Without Social Media | ||
It’s not a secret that organic reach on Facebook, Instagram and others is at an all time low. What’s worse, even if you’ve mastered a platform or two, it seems as if every week or so, there’s yet another algorithm update that threatens to destroy all the work you’ve put into it. Pinterest users are even feeling the pinch. The platform is often referred to as a search engine rather than a social network, and as such it’s been the go-to traffic source for bloggers in many niches for years. But now, even Pinterest has left some content creators feeling frustrated over a dramatic drop in traffic. But what can you do? How else can you get the word out about your latest course, or your new opt-in offer? Turns out, there are plenty of ways you can market your business without social media, and in this week’s episode, I’ll give you my top 21 suggestions. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 13 Jul 2023 | Encore Presentation: 6 Online Business Models to Try | ||
There are almost as many ways to make money online as there are people in the world who are doing it. In this episode, I’m going to break down six popular online business models, including what it takes to get started, the profit potential for each, and how to know which one is the right fit for you. Plus, we’ll talk about how to combine business models to create multiple streams of income in your business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 20 Jul 2023 | Encore Presentation: Eight Free Strategies I Used to Grow My List This Year | ||
What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 27 Jul 2023 | Encore Presentation: 14 Digital Products You Can Create in a Weekend | ||
I’ve watched students, clients, friends, and colleagues struggle with digital product creation—sometimes taking months or even years to create a single product. When you’re just getting started and not earning much (or anything) yet, that’s a bad spot to be in. It might be keeping you stuck in a day job you hate. It might erode your excitement about being in business at all. It definitely undermines your confidence about your future business growth. It’s also not bringing in any money. A quick win can make all the difference, so in this episode, I’m giving you 14 ideas for digital products you can create in a weekend, including plenty of real-life examples. All you have to do is pick one and get started. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 03 Aug 2023 | How to “Have it All” in Business (and in Life) | ||
Imagine having a beautifully organized home, a thriving business, healthy relationships with your family and friends, and a fit, healthy body, too. Sound like a pipe dream? It might if you listen to those who say it’s impossible to be successful in so many things, like Randi Zuckerberg claims. She says that you must choose only three areas of life in which you can thrive. All the rest? They’ll suffer from lack of attention. I have a different take, and in this episode, I want to explore some ways we can “have it all” without feeling overwhelmed and sleep deprived. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 10 Aug 2023 | Is it shiny object syndrome, or is it time to change platforms? | ||
We’ve all been there. A great looking new software solution comes along and promises to solve all our business problems. It will help us make more money, land more clients, create more content. What’s more, everyone is talking about it, and many of them are making the move, too. You’re tempted. Who wouldn’t be? But how can you tell if this is a good move to make, or if it’s just another distraction dressed up like progress? In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m going to give you a decision-making framework that will have you making better choices even when faced with a shiny new tool that seems to be on everyone’s must-have list. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 17 Aug 2023 | What’s a funnel, and do you need one? | ||
There are a lot of confusing terms in the online marketing space, and maybe one of the worst offenders is “funnel.” It means a lot of different things depending on who you ask and what their particular business model is. Just to add to the confusion, it also goes by many different names. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, we’re taking a look at funnels. You’ll learn what they are, how they’re used, and I’ll answer the big question: do you even need a funnel at all? Listen in to find out! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 24 Aug 2023 | One question that makes every business (and life) decision simple | ||
Decision matrices, SWOT analysis, pros and cons lists, cost/benefit analysis… there are a multitude of tools you can use to make decisions in your business. Whether you’re deciding on a new product line to create, a new marketing strategy to try, or even a new business model to explore, there’s no end to the advice you’ll hear on how to choose the right path. But what I’ve found is that one simple question is more important than everything else, and it’s often the one we never bother to ask. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m giving you the question I ask all my clients whenever they’re making a decision. It will help you decide, too. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 31 Aug 2023 | Overcome the confidence-crushing concerns that hold you back | ||
Overthinking. If you’re like me, that’s what you do when have a great idea for a new course, but you’re anxious about putting it out there for the world to see. Suddenly you’re filled with questions. What if you don’t know enough about the subject you want to teach? What if you get lost in a sea of others all talking about the same thing? What if what you make doesn’t live up to your own (ridiculously) high standards? Just who do you think you are, anyway? Creators in every niche can find these and other questions on endless repeat in our minds. If we’re not careful, they’ll kill our confidence and shatter our dreams. On this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’ll give you a new way to think about these and other confidence-crushers, and I’ll share my personal struggle as well. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 07 Sep 2023 | Recognizing and managing overwhelm | ||
You can’t focus on anything. You’re frustrated and out of sorts. Stress levels have peaked, and your to-do list gets longer every day. Welcome to the land of overwhelm, where small business owners like you and me work long hours without accomplishing anything, and where every new idea results in feeling even more stuck. It’s not a fun place to be, but there is hope. You can overcome the overwhelm, but first, you have to recognize it for what it is. That’s what we’re talking about today. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 14 Sep 2023 | How to ethically and effectively use PLR content in your business | ||
Branding concerns, tech troubles, clients to serve, a team to manage, email to answer, and don’t forget life, family, and laundry, too. Our list of things to do is long and seemingly endless. Oh, and somewhere in there, you’re supposed to be creating content. Blog posts, podcast episodes, opt-in offers, emails, and don’t forget courses and digital products to sell. It’s a lot, I know, and it leaves most of us looking for ways we can lessen the workload. Enter PLR, or private label rights content. These pre-written (and in some cases, pre-designed or even pre-recorded), rebrandable products promise to slash your content creation time while maintaining your quality standards, but do they really? And how can you use content that’s sold to hundreds of people and not sound like everyone else in the process? We’ll find out on this week’s episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 21 Sep 2023 | How to build an audience from scratch (Online Business Roadmap Step 1) | ||
Quick, what’s the most important thing you should be focusing on right now to build your business? Is it traffic? Starting an email list? Creating a product? Branding? Website? Keywords? Something else? Or maybe all of that, plus a dozen more “must do” projects. If that big pile of unfinished, disorganized ideas is weighing you down and causing you to rethink you goal of even starting a business, this episode and those that follow in this series are for you. Grab a notebook and a pen, sit back, and get ready to find your focus and nail those first critical steps towards a sustainable, profitable online business. You’ve got this. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 28 Sep 2023 | How to create your first opt-in offer (Online Business Roadmap Step 2) | ||
The single most important asset you have in your business is your mailing list. It’s more valuable than your followers on TikTok, more useful than a Facebook group, and more secure than the best SEO strategy. So why do so many of us wait so long to build one—especially when it’s as easy as this? Today we’re laying out a step-by-step plan you can follow to get your first lead magnet online and collecting email addresses. I’ll give you my top recommendations for useful offers you can create, the tools to use, and my three must-follow rules for creating a great lead magnet. When you’re all done (and don’t worry, this won’t take you more than a couple of hours, tops) I’ll show you exactly how to start promoting your new lead magnet. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 05 Oct 2023 | Create a newsletter habit (Online Business Roadmap Step 3) | ||
If I’m being honest, building your mailing list is the easy part. Staying in touch with those subscribers is much more difficult. Not in the tactical sense, but in the week-after-week practicality of it. It’s oh-so-easy to let another week slide by without sending an email to your list. Before you know it, they haven’t heard from you in months, or maybe even years. Believe me, I know. I’ve been there. Sometimes you feel like you don’t have anything useful to write. Sometimes you tell yourself you don’t have time. That next week will be better. Sometimes you worry that you’re just cluttering up your subscribers’ inboxes for no good reason. The problem with that line of thinking is that it leads to even more email procrastination. Even more self-applied pressure to do just the right thing, the perfect thing. But if you instead create a repeatable email system that’s easy to follow and quick to complete, you’ll find it’s a simple task to keep in touch with your subscribers, and build those relationships, too. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 12 Oct 2023 | Creating your first digital product (Online Business Roadmap Step 4) | ||
If I could offer you one piece of advice about starting an online business, it would be this: Don’t wait to create your first digital product. Sure, there are loads of ways you can make money from an online business. You can be a coach, or a freelance writer, or an affiliate marketer, or build websites or publish a Substack or write a blog. I even know of one couple who hunt for scorpions and tarantulas on their property that they then sell online. #onlyinarizona Clearly, you have a lot of options. But when it comes to leverage, digital products offer the most flexibility and potential for growth. They’re what building a Tiny Course Empire is all about. Here’s the kicker though. Getting started can feel hard. It can look overwhelming. It can come with a lot of self-imposed pressure to get it just right. And that’s the kind of thinking that will keep you stuck right where you’re at. I’ve watched brilliant people with solid skills spend years creating and then updating a “signature course,” while never quite getting to the launch pad, because it’s never good enough. It’s never done, at least in their eyes. There’s a better, more achievable approach, and that’s to create a simple digital product. Nothing fancy here. Just a solution your audience needs, in a format they can use, at a price they can afford. It really doesn’t get any easier. I’ll walk you through how to do it in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 19 Oct 2023 | How to write a simple sales page (Online Business Roadmap Step 5) | ||
If you find that asking people to buy what you’ve created feels a little icky, you’re not alone. Many of us have negative feelings about sales, and the people who make their living at it. After all, who hasn’t bumped into a pushy appliance salesman who just would not take no for an answer? Those unpleasant experiences often lead to discomfort when we’re on the other side of the desk, asking potential customers to hand over a credit card to buy something we’ve created. That means writing emails, hopping on a discovery call, or even writing a sales page is something we’d rather avoid. Here’s the problem, though. When you’re in business for yourself, it’s your job to sell what you create. That’s the only way you’re going to get paid. The good news is, even if you don’t enjoy sales, you can still craft a compelling sales page. All you have to do is follow a simple three-step process. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 26 Oct 2023 | Improving your content marketing results (Online Business Roadmap Step 6) | ||
Congratulations! If you’ve been following along with the last few episodes of this podcast, then you have made it through phase one building an online business from scratch. So far you’ve established a content publishing routine, created your first opt-in offer, build a newsletter habit, released a paid product, and written a sales page for it. Well done! With that foundation in place, now you’re in a great position to start growing, so in this episode, we’re going to circle back to your content routine, and look for ways you can improve your results. We’ll make plans for getting in front of a wider audience, driving more traffic, and refining your messaging to better appeal to your ideal customer. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 02 Nov 2023 | Improving your opt-in funnel (Online Business Roadmap Step 7) | ||
Running an online business is a continuous cycle of improvements. That’s how small startups become thriving businesses. That’s what phase two of the online business roadmap series is all about. In this week’s episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, we’re going to focus on some small improvements you can make to your opt-in offer so that it begins to turn new subscribers into buyers. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 16 Nov 2023 | Increasing engagement and making more sales with email marketing | ||
One of the biggest lessons I learned in business is that I don’t have to work harder to make more money. I just have to improve what’s already working. It’s all about turning up the dial in a few strategic places so that you can build your list faster, generate more opens, and get more eyes on your offers. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 24 Nov 2023 | Increase your product value and customer results (Online Business Roadmap Step 9) | ||
There are two ways to make more money in your business: You can either sell more products, or you can increase the price of the products you sell. In this episode, we’re going to talk about how simple improvements in your product offers can result in both more sales and in higher revenue. In many cases, you can even make these improvements without adding a bunch of extra work for yourself. How’s that for a win/win? Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 30 Nov 2023 | Five lessons learned on the way to 100 episodes | ||
Two and a half years ago I sat down to record the very first episode of this podcast. I’d been a podcast listener for years—right now I’m subscribed to about 25 different shows, and I listen to dozens more on an episode-by-episode basis. So when I decided it was time to really embrace content marketing as a tool in my business, podcasting was my first choice. I knew a few things going in. I knew I had to be in it for the long-run. Content marketing is all about long-term strategy, not quick wins, so I was committed to a long-term plan. I knew I had to be consistent. Probably more than any other content medium, podcasting benefits from a consistent publishing schedule. I knew I wanted to teach, not interview. I’ve never enjoyed listening to interview style shows, and I never wanted to create one, so I knew going in that this would be a solo show—just me and my thoughts about running an online business. I also thought I was prepared, but there are always things you can’t truly know ahead of time. In this 100th episode, I’ll share five things I learned (or learned again) over the past 27 months. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 07 Dec 2023 | How to start a business while you still have a day job | ||
According to Side Hustle Nation, 39% of employed Americans have a side hustle? And that 30% of those people hope to turn their side hustle into a full-time gig? If you’re building a business along side a more traditional jobby-job, you’re in good company. It’s how lots of small business owners (including yours truly) got their start. That doesn’t mean juggling a business and a job is easy though. There are some pitfalls to watch out for, and many people will stumble along the way. Recently a listener wrote in and asked my advice on how to manage a growing business while still working a day job, so let’s tackle that question together on this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 14 Dec 2023 | The 2024 Business Tools Roundup | ||
As online business owners, we’re no stranger to digital tools. We build websites, edit video, create graphics, develop courses, take payments, host video calls, and even sometimes use pen and paper to organize our thoughts. Always in the back of our minds lurks the question, is this the best tool? Is there something else out there I should be using instead? Is there something better? In this episode, I’m taking you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the apps and tools that are running my business, including what’s changed in the past year, and what’s due for a change in 2024. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 21 Dec 2023 | What to do about social proof when you don’t have any | ||
Congratulations on completing that brand-new course! Everything is ready to go—the videos are edited, the worksheets are beautiful, the transcripts are done, and you’re even proud of the sales page. There’s just one thing missing… testimonials. And that’s the sticky bit, isn’t it? I mean, how are you supposed to get testimonials when you haven’t sold anything yet? And how can you sell anything without testimonials? It’s a catch-22, online marketing style. The good news is that testimonials aren’t strictly required. Nice to have, for sure, but not a requirement. Some people—most maybe—will buy without them. But the even better news is this: You do have testimonials (or you can get them) even if you are brand new, even if you’ve never launched a course before, even if you just started your business this very morning. Listen up, and I’ll tell you all about it. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 28 Dec 2023 | Creating productive workflows in your business (four easy steps) | ||
The first time I realized that not everyone could easily break big projects into easily finished, bite-sized tasks was when I implemented (what I assumed was) a simple worksheet for tracking and completing a large project. My client—the beneficiary of the project worksheet—was so impressed he shared it with the rest of the team, and asked me to create more workflows for other ongoing projects. That was when I knew that not everyone thinks like me. Not everyone can look at a big project and see the smaller building blocks, and what order to complete them in for best results. Not everyone can easily see where the gaps are, and identify the things that can be safely eliminated. Turns out, that’s my superpower. If it isn’t yours though, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with this episode because I’m letting you in on my easy, four-step process for creating efficient, productive workflows in your business. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 04 Jan 2024 | Which content style fits your business goals? | ||
I’m talking a lot about content lately. It’s the first stop on the Online Business Roadmap, and for a good reason: It’s one of the pillars of your marketing plan. The only question is, what’s your content style? Will you be all business? Will you let your personality determine the direction you take? Or will you approach your content like a scientist, and follow the keyword data to find success? In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m breaking down the three distinct content marketing styles. I’ll share some examples of each style, plus I’ll give you the pros and cons, so you can find the right style for your marketing goals. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 11 Jan 2024 | Balancing creation and consumption | ||
One of my favorite podcasters, Mike Schmitz, has a rule for his kids: “Create more than you consume.” This is great advice not just for kids, but for all of us—maybe especially for online business owners. With a never-ending supply of webinars, courses, blog posts, TikToks, YouTube, books, and more, it’s easy to find yourself consuming more than you produce. That’s a dangerous path to follow when your income is dependent on the courses, products, and other content you create. But where should you draw the line between “need to learn” and “need to create”? That’s what we’re exploring in this week’s podcast episode. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 18 Jan 2024 | What email marketers need to know about Google and Yahoo! email changes | ||
Feeling a little confused about the upcoming Google and Yahoo! email changes? Hearing lots of scary-sounding acronyms and wondering what the heck they even mean? You’re not alone. A few months ago both Google (Gmail) and Yahoo! announced that beginning in 2024, they will impose new requirements on senders of bulk email—in other words, email marketers like us—and if we want to keep our email messages out of the spam folder, we’d need to shape up. What exactly are these new requirements, and how can you make sure your emails are compliant? That’s what we’re going to find out in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 25 Jan 2024 | 17 tips for easier content creation | ||
“It takes me forever to write a single email.” That’s what my friend Tish said when I casually mentioned I had written 10 emails that morning. It’s a complaint I hear from other online business owners, too. Content is such a critical part of doing business online, but yet we struggle to create it consistently. Sound familiar? In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I have 17 tips I’ve learned since I fired up my keyboard for the first time. Some will help you write faster, some will help you write better, and some will maybe just give you food for thought. But if you’re a writer (and you are) they’ll all help you improve your craft in some way. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 01 Feb 2024 | An SOP deep dive | ||
Imagine having the confidence to know your next blog post will hit the top of the search results. Or that your next sales page will convert well. Or that your ads campaign will bring in new subscribers. That’s what having well-maintained SOPs (standard operating procedures) can do for your business… so why do we not make them a priority? If you’ve ever said:
Then this episode is for you. We’re going to take a deep dive into creating better procedures and checklists, including how to write them, where to keep them, how to keep them updated, and more. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 08 Feb 2024 | How your comfort zone holds you back (and what to do about it) | ||
There’s something attractive about an online business, and it’s not just because you can work from home in your pajamas and fuzzy slippers. For many online entrepreneurs, anonymity is appealing. The thought—whether conscious or not—of hiding behind a laptop screen, never appearing in public, and even using a pseudonym in place of their real name makes introverted entrepreneurs feel safe. But is keeping a low profile, firmly sheltered within that comfort zone cocoon, really doing your business any good? And if not, what steps can you take to expand your cozy bubble, show off your brilliance, and earn what you deserve? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 15 Feb 2024 | Member Q & A replay | ||
Six-Figure Systems has been closed to new members for a while. We’ve made some changes behind the scenes and introduced some new pricing tiers, and to celebrate our re-opening this week, I want to share a recent Q & A call with you. This call recording gives you a sneak peek into what we do inside Six-Figure Systems, and the support we offer to both new and more established business owners. Give it a listen and learn about things like prioritizing your projects, growing your email list, and selling digital products on third-party marketplaces. Then come join us on a podcast-listener exclusive 7-day trial for only $7. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 29 Feb 2024 | Stretching is good for business | ||
This week, I’m joined by my friend, mentor, and one-time coach Kelly McCausey. You may recognize her as the creator of the Stretch Yourself Challenge, an annual event I credit with helping to launch a new era in my business. Kelly recently announced that she’s closing the doors on the content marketing side of her business so she can focus on full-time mindset coaching. To celebrate, she’s hosting one final Stretch Yourself Challenge event, so I invited her to come chat with me about content marketing. We talked about how she got started with creating content, the mistakes she sees some marketers making, and what’s next for her own content as she transitions from a B2B business into a B2C market. What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 13 Jun 2024 | Amy Kuphal’s easy email marketing strategy | ||
You’ve listened to me bang on about email marketing for a few years now. You know how important it is (crucial, in fact). You know how much I prioritize email above all other marketing channels (because it’s the only one you own and control). You know my thoughts on list-building and engagement and staying in touch with your subscribers. And I know that for some of you, my email marketing method feels a bit overwhelming—especially if you’re just getting started. That’s why when I met Amy Kuphal, I knew I had to introduce her to you. Amy is an email marketing ninja, but more than that, she’s a systems lover, and she wants nothing more than to make email marketing easy for everyone to do. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! Join me for this interview, and you’ll learn:
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| 08 Jul 2024 | How to be relentless | ||
Relentless. It might have a negative vibe to it, if it makes you think of kudzu, serial killers, and lava flows. Relentlessness is a powerful force for good, though. It allows athletes to train their way to gold medals, and novelists to land seven-figure book deals. It also allows entrepreneurs like you and me to create our own economies with nothing more than a laptop and an internet connection. Because contrary to what some people might tell you, there is no easy button for building a business. You can’t just hand it over to your favorite AI and walk away. You have to be a little bit relentless in your pursuit of success. Don’t worry though. Even if you weren’t born with a relentless streak, it’s pretty easy to develop. In this episode, I’ll give you seven tactics to boost your resolve and help you keep going even when you want to quit. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 15 Jul 2024 | How to decide | ||
You make as many as 35,000 decisions every single day: whether to get up or hit the snooze, what to wear, what to eat, which route to take to the store, which movie to watch. The list is almost endless. Most decisions are made in a fraction of a second without much thought. The choice between toast or cereal is, after all, pretty inconsequential. Some decisions are much more daunting than choosing breakfast, of course. That’s especially true when you’re embarking on a whole new adventure, like starting a business. The list of things you don’t know far outweighs the list of things you’re confident about, which makes deciding even more difficult. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’m taking on decision making, and offering up six simple frameworks you can use to make any decision, whether big or small. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 22 Jul 2024 | How a Framework makes your business stand out | ||
I was chatting with a friend recently about what makes some businesses thrive, while others seem to struggle to build an audience and make sales. Is it the charismatic leader? The innovative ideas? The six-figure ads budget? No, no, and no. Turns out, it’s as simple as the framework they’ve developed to help their clients and customers achieve a goal. Whether it’s to be more organized, reduce clutter, or get out of debt, this foundational piece is the thing all successful coaching and course-based businesses seem to have in common. In this episode, we’re taking a look at some popular frameworks and the creators who made them famous, plus how you can develop your own memorable, transformational framework. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 29 Jul 2024 | The habits that hold you back | ||
Rachel Rogers tells the story of Noah Kagan asking, “Why isn’t your business at $100 million yet?” She didn’t have a good answer. It’s a thought-provoking question and one I want to ponder (on a bit smaller scale), so I wrote a sticky note and stuck it on the wall above my desk. “Why aren’t we earning $1M?” It’s easy to blame the economy, the competition, or Mercury in Retrograde (whatever that means). It’s much harder to point the finger back at myself and ask, “Why aren’t we earning $1M yet?” One thing I’ve uncovered—or let’s call it RE-discovered—is that habits are what make or break you, both in business and in life. And I have more than a few bad habits holding me back. Maybe you do, too. Let’s figure out how to fix them. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 05 Aug 2024 | Yes, you’re ready to create an online course | ||
For years I told myself I wasn’t ready to create an online course. I didn’t have the skills. I didn’t have the audience. I didn’t know how to sell. I didn’t have anything unique or special to say. My list of reasons to not create a course was long and—I know now—meaningless. While I was waiting to build better skills and grow an audience and learn to sell and create a unique process, other, less-skilled entrepreneurs were making bank. I finally got over myself and discovered a few things about what it really means to be “ready” to create an online course. Let’s talk about it in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 12 Aug 2024 | How to get your spark back and other life lessons | ||
In 2006, Rachel Martin launched what would later come to known as an “OG Mommy Blog.” She wasn’t sure at the time where it would go, or if it would mean anything to anyone else. Today that blog has reached more than 50 million page views, and Rachel’s content has been featured in The Today Show, NPR, and many more—including the Tiny Course Empire podcast. This week, Rachel joins me to talk about how she built a community of more than one million followers on Facebook, how she sets and achieves big goals, and why she loves getting out of her comfort zone. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 19 Aug 2024 | Six Course Formats to Try | ||
Quick! What comes to mind when you think of a digital course? Is it a multi-module resource with videos and downloadable PDFs inside Teachable? A big production like Marie Forleo’s B-School? Or something else completely? When I started out online, I thought courses had to follow a specific format, and honestly, that thinking kept me stuck for a while. Later I learned that courses can take many forms, and the one you choose has less to do with you than with your subject matter and your students’ preferences. In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, we’re taking a deep dive into six different styles of online courses, the pros and cons of each, and how you can know which one is right for you. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 26 Aug 2024 | Courses vs Coaching: How to Choose Your Business Model | ||
You already know you have something big to share with the world. You’ve overcome an obstacle, or achieved a goal, or helped others to do the same. You’re excited about the impact you can have on the world, and looking forward to being your own boss. The only question that remains is, “What’s the best business model to choose? Should you create courses or become a coach?” That’s what we’re answering in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. We’ll take a look at what makes each model appealing, the big drawbacks you need to be aware of, and I’ll give you some pointers for choosing the best model for you, your goals, and your students and clients, as well. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 02 Sep 2024 | How to Price a Digital Course | ||
Pricing your digital course is surprisingly stressful. Charge too little, and you might end up feeling resentful about all the work you put into your training only to be “giving it away for practically nothing.” Price it too high, and you might feel self-conscious about it. Who do you think you are, anyway? So we try to apply some logic. We try to math, but when it comes to digital goods, math doesn’t work either. There’s no additional cost involved in delivering one more video download or one more PDF, so we can’t multiply the cost of goods sold by our markup to arrive at a retail price. What’s the answer then? Well, it’s one part art, one part intuition, with a dash of espionage and just a hint of a power pose thrown in for flavor. We’ll get into all the ins and outs of how to price a digital course in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 09 Sep 2024 | How long does it take to create a digital course? | ||
Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time available. For course creators, nowhere is this more true than in the launching of a new course. I’ve seen creators spend months or even years planning and developing a single course. They start with the best of intentions, but with no milestones to aim for and endless time available, progress—ironically—slows to a crawl. I spent several months creating my first digital course. That was far longer than I intended it to take, and a big part of the problem was that I didn’t have a timeline to follow. I didn’t know that I needed to compartmentalize my tasks to keep from muddying the project waters. I didn’t know how to prevent scope creep—or how badly it could derail my progress. I didn’t know the importance of single-tasking. Fast forward a few years and a few dozen completed courses, and I now have a plan that lets me create a brand new course in four weeks or less, without the backtracking, overwhelm, and rabbit trails that can make a product launch take longer than necessary. I’m sharing my course creation timeline with you in this week’s episode, so you can make Parkinson’s Law work for you instead of against you. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 16 Sep 2024 | Improve your online course completion rates | ||
Did you know course completion rates—and even the results your students achieve—can depend more on the design of the materials than the content you teach? I sure didn’t, but after speaking with learning design expert Lisa Tussey, it makes perfect sense. Learning design is all about making it easy for your students to be successful. I was thrilled to learn that we don’t have to radically change how we approach course creation either. Just a few simple tweaks is all it takes to transform a poorly designed course into one that has a real impact on your students. In this episode, you’ll hear Lisa’s best tips for improving video engagement, practicing inclusivity, and content development. Her backward approach to course design is a gold nugget you won’t want to miss—especially when she shares the dangers of including too much information. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 23 Sep 2024 | Increase course sales when you do these three things before you launch | ||
Congratulations! You’ve completed your course and it’s ready to launch. All that’s left is to roll out the red carpet, right? Let’s hit the pause button for just a minute. What if I told you that before you publish that sales page, there are strategies you can use to make it easier to sell your course, and that will increase your sales, too? These are the same ideas multi-million dollar sellers use to pre-sell everything from McRib sandwiches (remember those?) to the new, must-have SUV. In this episode, I’ll show you how to use strategies just like this to improve sales of your digital courses. In fact, you could even be putting some of these tactics in place while your course is still in the planning and production stage. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 30 Sep 2024 | 15 things I wish I knew sooner | ||
Do you ever look back and think, “Dang, I wish I’d known!” I’m not even talking about the big stuff, like the 2008 recession (although it can be argued that we all should have seen that one coming). What I’m talking about are things like, “Dang, I wish I’d known that I can wear whatever I want and no one will notice or care,” or “I wish I’d known that investing a tiny amount when you’re young adds up to big dividends when you’re old.” I’ve come across many of these lessons in business as well, and I’m sharing 15 of them with you in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. It’s my hope that you will both benefit from my hindsight, and learn to identify the ideas you have today that will later become “I wish I’d knowns.” Because when you spot them early, “I wish I’d known” becomes “I’m glad I did.” That’s a much better outcome, don’t you think? Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 07 Oct 2024 | 5 reasons I put content first | ||
“But shouldn’t I have something to sell before I start creating content?” That’s a question I hear often, and my response is always, “No. You should create content so you know what to sell.” Here’s the thing. Content invites conversation. It helps you to refine your processes and your unique stance on topics that matter to your audience. It forms a foundation upon which you can build (and market) a sustainable business. That’s just one of the reasons I put content first in my business, and why I advise all of my clients to do the same. Today on the podcast I want to tell you five reasons content comes first in my business. I’ll share how I leverage content to build relationships, make sales, and yes, decide what courses and programs I should be creating for my clients. And I’ll let you in on maybe the biggest benefit of content creation that no one else talks about. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 14 Oct 2024 | How to create standout content | ||
Crowded. Saturated. Red ocean. These are some of the words that might describe a difficult niche—one that’s so competitive it’s difficult for a new voice to gain traction. If those are the words you’re using to describe your niche, it’s easy to feel defeated before you even begin. You might think there’s no point in creating content, because no one will ever see it, and if they do, it will just be more noise for them. What if I said you have the power to stand out and make an impact even in the most competitive of niches? And what if I said it’s not even that hard to do? In this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast, I’ll give you three ways you can create standout content that grows your brand, no matter what niche you’re in. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 21 Oct 2024 | Overcoming perfectionism as a content and course creator | ||
Just one more revision. Just one more fact check. Just one more chapter. Then it will be ready to publish. Or will it? For content creators, perfectionism is a never-ending search for better, and the result is a backlog of content that’s never published. It’s never quite good enough. How do you set aside your perfectionism and start putting content out in the world that serves your audience and helps your community achieve their goals? I’ve got four ideas for you in this episode of the Tiny Course Empire podcast. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 28 Oct 2024 | Dealing with distractions | ||
Some days I sit down at my desk and I can barely sit still. I flit from email to my writing app to a video I’m editing to a course outline and back again, making no progress on anything. I get up to get coffee, or take a shower, or eat breakfast, thinking that when I come back I’ll find my focus. Sometimes it works. Other times, I sit down just as distracted as I was before. What the heck is going on? I decided to find out, and the research I found is disturbing.
While it’s comforting to know I’m not alone in my distraction battle, it’s concerning that distractions are such an issue—one that only seems to be getting worse. If constant distractions are preventing you from growing your business, making a difference in the lives of your clients, or accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself, you’ll be glad to know I’ve uncovered 14 ideas to help. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 04 Nov 2024 | The 2024 State of the Business Address | ||
This summer, we decided to retire all of the existing courses at CindyBidar.com. That touched off a flurry of questions from Six-Figure Systems members and others:
Today, I’m answering those questions and more. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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| 11 Nov 2024 | Content creation is easier when you use this framework | ||
Content is a critical part of your business success. Creating content is time-consuming. Entire industries have sprung up as a result of these two conflicting statements, from private label (done-for-you) content you can purchase for pennies to generative AI solutions and costly freelancers who handle all your writing needs. Honestly, I’ve tried all those solutions, and none of them worked for me. Done-for-you content didn’t sound like me (at least not without a lot of effort, and then what’s the point?). Generative AI is even worse. Ghostwriters—the good ones—are out of my budget. Not only that, but I enjoy creating my own content. I don’t want to outsource it, I just need a way to be more efficient with my time. That’s where a content framework shines. I use these simple frameworks to not only save time, but also to maintain consistency in my branding, ensure I’m not rambling or missing important bits (as I have a tendency to do when left unchecked), and they help me avoid the dreaded TMI trap. In this episode, I’m sharing my podcast framework, plus a simple three-part system you can use to build your own reuseable content framework. Prefer a transcript? Here you go! What you’ll learn in this episode:
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