Episodes
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses, helpful lessons and scenarios to aid entrepreneurs in moving forward while standing strong amidst commoditized services. This highlights discussions of lessons about becoming competitively different which would prove useful to business that offers the same service and finding a competitive edge.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Overcoming slow pipeline and churn ratesCastaway recoveryConsider offering video editing with CastawayProductize updatesSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedbackWant more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedInThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
Time Stamps and Key Ideas
00:04:59 Do what kind of works for you.
Highlights individual pursuits where focus is on things that works for oneself like how to do things at your own pace.
00:09:34 Updates on EditorNinja
Pipeline kind of slowed down and they had a little bit of churn however, EditorNinja is still slowly getting into it, constantly, steadily and healthily growing. Things came slower as they doubled prices around January or February, although sales process are tightened up, people are still closing deals. Services are priced competitively, providing quality services relieving people from the burden of doing things their own or hiring a full-time editor themselves.00:13:50 Just Be Hard to Kill
Contains a talk highlighting what Sam Altman said about a superpower of startups which is "just be hard to kill". Meaning, whatever the changing market throws unto you, one must be ready to change and look for opportunities to strive amidst the
unforgiving sea of challenges and try to rides its waves. If one can, try to outlast everybody else until you're the only one standing by then getting hundred percent of the market's attention.00:14:45 Catching Up
Discusses a lesson that one should be greedy while others are scared and be scared when others are greedy. This tackles being competitive while also analyzing how to ride the market trends, not only just going to where everyone else is going but also striving to stand out instead of being drawn towards commoditization.00:25:56 Updates on Castaway and Productize
Still at a mild-mannered situation as James is still exploring on his preferred tool set, still recovering slowly and getting some clients back. Mainly focusing on produtize at this moment, updating the course and exploring community angle, slowly building a business ecosystem. James is thinking of acquiring a small business and layering it into Castaway like an editing so it could handle a full spectrum of podcast production and promotion. -
In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and share some insights about the idea of doing more in the aspects of business and work. This highlights the idea that in order to get uncommon results, live an uncommon life which is an essential reference for a business which is striving to do a lot better in the future, always aiming to surpass expectations while also putting emphasis on work and life balance.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Updates on EditorNinjaCastaway updates Emphasizing work and life balanceSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedbackWant more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedInThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.TIME STAMPS AND KEY IDEAS
(00:00:31) The idea of doing more, sometimes it requires more than you think.
Discussions involve the idea that whatever you are doing or what your goal might be setting, one should multiply it by 10x because ultimately, you'll end up ahead, always striving to surpass expectations.(00:01:07) Uncommon results : uncommon efforts
Sharing lessons from Hormo Z's book where he likes doing more volume to learn faster, work a lot faster which will eventually result to succeding a lot faster. Most of the time, people expect that they will get uncommon result even just doing the same normal things. However, it was emphasized that if anyone wants to get uncommon results, exert an uncommon level of effort and live an uncommon life.(00:02:50) Best practice is the baseline
Reviewed over the base line of the things that should be done and nothing more assuring than make the best practice a standard. Key to that is always striving to take action instead of just staying stagnant, doing more effort, practicing more to be able to the get work done even faster. Moreover, one must hold oneself to imposed standrads, and act accordingly as everyone are commiting and dedicating their entire life basically to the single pursuit of whatever they are trying to do.(00:13:21) Allocate experience points like a game
Compared skills updates on games with how work should be done. Increasing attributes is like allocating more experience, more hours and more focus on things which are important in a business. This is where productize and scale comes in because this will help in the idea of how to put people and processes in place. With productize, things can be brought up and turn into process rather than just randomly doing things.(00:28:06) Focus on what is important
Knowing what's the focus is an advantage and a strength as it would enable the business to pave a way for the things of great significance and make sure it is done and executed well. It is also what being productive is like, alloting much time to things which are in the higher heirarchy and allocating proportionate amount of time to each, for example, tasks giving it more time, based on importance.TAKEAWAY LESSON
Doing more with what you are doing is a good practice but upon working it is a must to consider a personal space as well. Strictly getting control and putting over boundaries between work and personal space is essential as to not exhaust the body and mental health. One must not bend ones life just so you can fit your employer's preferences, and remember to take into account a work and life balance. -
Missing episodes?
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and feeding the greed and fear index where business encountered a place of uncertainty in the economy while sharing some helpful advice on how businesses and individuals can not only survive, but thrive during an economic recession. This includes talking about the recent economic downturn and some helpful insights which will let everyone view situations in different perspective.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Updates on EditorNinjaCastaway UpdatesFinding a competitive edge with CastawaySound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedbackWant more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedInThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.TIME STAMP AND KEY IDEAS
(00:04:02) Pandemic Recession
There are winners or losers in business. Some business might have gone outside the grid during the global economic downturn as their services are getting weak demands. On the other side of the globe, there are other business who found a way through the recession and came across great opportunities especially for alcohol, soap, disinfectant and hygeine focused companies.(00:04:48) Invest in Skills
Even with the pandemic recession, some companies which had found an opportunity with the situation has been lacking with employees so they considered hiring people and reconsidering what their market looks like. Business tend to find a person at the right time and should give the right offer for them - more like finding someone which can take the work and produce quality result.(00:15:12) Manage Churn
Tackled one of the things to be fearful of right now which is a retraction or churn. Sort of hassle to actually need more volume in order to get the same number of customers as preceding years but churn is what kills subscription and recurring billing companies. This highlights the important to be an account manager who actually cares and monitor to have more people use the service more.(00:19:15) AI Taking Over
AI is eating the SEO world and is commonitized. AI is somehow as good as Castaway where it can affect the business prices. This raises concern that there is a tendency to either lose business or find a competitive edge and there is no way losing is an option. Having a clear understanding of what your clients need are then it must be an easy way to go as this will open up opportunities for the business.Lesson Takaway
Despite everything, try not hitting the panic button immediately. There are plenty of people out there who can close better deals, it is not a necessity to sacrifice too much over little things and strive as not to get locked in a job you don't enjoy too much. -
In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and discuss the hiring framework to help business owners who are in the process of onboarding new talents. Came up with a few sharing of book lessons, experiences in our own hiring process to keep you guys informed on the things needed to focus upon delegating roles to save you some time, effort and money.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Hiring and testing out VAs for EditorNinjaAnnouncement of EdNinja's launch of editing for ai created content serviceCastaway Updates Moving Productize and Scale website from WordPress Power to GhostJames planning to launch more coursesSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedbackWant more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedInThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.TIME STAMPS AND KEY IDEAS
(00:03:03) Hiring
EditorNinja talk's about Dan's book where it was emphasized that upon hiring, one must think at what they are good at, and do the process in terms of an energy and money kind of access. To make it short, hiring is somewhat similar to buying back your time and putting it in other stuffs which are actually of significance in the business.(00:06:14) Hiring is a bet on oneself
Hiring is actually asking yourself if you can afford to hire somebody, or if you are in a position to actually bring somebody in. It's a process that needs to be delegated and outsourced carefully, looking for what's actually gonna move the needle. It was also tackled that oftentimes people make mistakes in hiring as they always focus on immediately hiring VA's or EA's without actually weighing in and asking themselves what roles am I delegating and I'm left to take on.(00:08:46) Don't just delegate the task, delegate the role
It is good to get people to keep an eye on a task which is discussed by Dan highlighting how you don't just delegate task, you delegate the role and then they become responsible and accountable for that particular area. Delegating the role rather than the task will buy your time back, because it is as if you are replacing yourself by turning over that particular role to them and you just kind of move on to another role saving you 15-20% of your time which can be invested on other important matters.(00:10;56) Focus on something you are good at
James talks about the idea of the accountability chart which kind of starts with picturing out what seats are needed to fill the in for the particular roles. Making a plan is essential and following a stairstep approach of hiring people to fill in those empty roles, as to only be left with ideally what business owners are good at. Basically focusing on what gives the highest value in the business and pouring attention into it.(00:17:29) Updates on EditorNinja
EditorNinja is currently hiring and testing out VAs from different countries, basically observing the process for a month or so to see which one will do better. Announced the launch of editing for ai created content service, which has blown up pumping a higher demand for the service. In addition, the base price for copy editing and proofreading has been raised a bit - more or less 15-20% - but also considering on stepping up to a higher level, like adding AI content updating, developmental editing, and a full high touch level where customers give out content and EditorNinja will do everything for them.(00:24:09) Updates from James
Sharing about how James is hiring three different roles which include writers, audio, and video editors then finding it quite challenging especially with the audio editor, since most entries sound almost the same with every applicant. In addition to hiring new talents, castaway is getting more opportunities from affiliate and referral relationships that can earn through promoting products/services. Another highlight is that James is trying to find a competitive edge or point of differenciation for castaway. As we encounter more of a commoditized product and services in the market, it is best to find a competitive edge over everyone else and make use of what makes a business unique and different from those catering the same service.(00:34:29) Productize and Scale Updates
James discussed how he plans on moving Productize and Scale website from WordPress Power to Ghost because there is a theme with a more suitable directory. Also talked about planning to continue offering courses and launch sales fundamentals for founders which will be tackling more on sales. -
In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and share couple insights to help business owners who are considering doing in-house business or hiring freelancers or an agency. This includes discussion about handling the "In-house" objection being stuck in the dilemma of doing things in-house or outsourcing talents, and tackling helpful instances which are important in weighing in its benefits and drawbacks while maximizing ROI at the same time.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Hiring and closing bigger deals with Editor NinjaContent optimizationScoping out outbound campaign for CastawaysAnnouncing the comeback of productize Podcast
Sound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedbackWant more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedInThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
Time Stamps and Key Ideas
(00:04:50) In house Objection
This conversation focuses on the discussion of doing things in-house vs. hiring a freelancer or an agency to do the job. Debates about the pros and cons and instances where hiring someone to get the work done be sometimes are considered an expense or an investment for the business.(00:07:03) The benefits and drawbacks
Discussed more on the benefits and drawbacks in possibly hiring people like a generalist or a specialist to get things done. Going over how to approach the idea of onboarding someone to do the work for you and how to make sure who you're hiring is capable of doing the job done, is it worth the cost, or will it save and buy your time back.(00:19:01) Negotiating agreement
This part also includes ideas that it are important to consider like the best alternative to negotiate agreement which is not having to land a deal to sustain the business by defaulting to discounts. Highlights the idea to not easily slash prices in order to close a deal that could hurt the business, rather take into consideration that if you're gonna do a discount, it must be for an annual subscription or for a long-term commitment.(00:25:03) Editor Ninja's updates
This part covers a range of topics and discussions about getting on big themes with Ed Ninja like hiring, and the sales and services offered. Considering hiring somebody like a virtual assistant to do the work and buy back time where focus can be diverted more on the things he love like exploring new product stuff, new initiatives, sales calls and closing deals. Explore over content optimizations, couple updates and new strategies.(00:37:03) Updates on Castaway
Focuses around the current updates in castaway and productize. Discussing how everybody wants to do YouTube shorts and be Alex Hormo. Basically, sharing how James is trying to explore opportunities with emerging countries and take advantage of geo arbitrage in outsourcing talents. Also, scoping out what an outbound campaign looks like for Castaway, instead of relying on referrals, word of mouth, and personal postings.(00:43:52:) Productize Updates
Announces the comeback of productize podcast, scoping out a 12-episode season using Castaway to do the repurposing and promotions. James talks about how he's working on moving the productized course from WordPress and building out a directory for productize, monetizing through affiliate links or some referral relationships with brands. -
In this episode, we discuss our respective business goals for the new year, which include plans to attend conferences and launch marketing initiatives. We also touch on current and emerging trends, like AI tools, and explore the potential impact it might have on our work. Finally, we reflect on the lessons we learned over the past year and which ones we'll be carrying forward with us in 2023.
If that sounds interesting to you, you should give it a listen.
Timestamps:
[00:02:26] Discussing the concept of "Memento Mori"
[00:07:04] Chatting about Generative AI as a technological step-change
[00:11:50] Weighing the pros and cons of the "gold rush" around AI content
[00:14:04] Predicting increased important for human-generate content in the future
[00:20:55] Talking about outsourcing and the time cost of onboarding versus the time saved later.
[00:26:58] Balancing freelance and full-time workers to meet demand.
Key Ideas:1. AI and its Current Status in the Industry
- AI is a step change technology but won't replace jobs yet
- AI Wrangler is a new role
- AI output is dependent on the quality of input and is still bland and lacks personality, opinion, and point of view.
2. Making the Most of Life and the Hype on Chat GPT
- Remind yourself to make the most of life
- Discussing the hype on Chat GPT.
3. Outsourcing and its Time Cost
- Consider the time cost of onboarding when outsourcing
- Outsourcing can save time later.
4. Human-Made Content will be Valued More
- AI tools will be valued less than human-made content in the future.
5. Balancing Freelance and Full-Time Workers and Hiring Writers
- Balancing freelance and full-time workers to meet demand
- Hiring writers with a bigger budget
- Subcontracting work.
6. Effective Strategies for Selling and Generating Revenue
- Successfully offering and selling a course, coaching, website audit, and lifetime membership.
- Generating almost $11,000 in revenue.
7. Unplugging and Recharging in January
- Unplug, enjoy, and recharge for January.
8. Time Flies When Raising Children
- Time passes quickly when raising children.
9. Forecasting Future Business Revenue and Growth
- Forecasting $150K revenue, 30% margin, launching a new product/service line, updating flagship course, 25K revenue from product ties.
- Consistent publishing cadence and repurposing productized podcast episodes to create a physical book.
10. AI Generated Content: The Potential "Gold Rush"
- AI generated content is a potential "gold rush" with short term gains but possible long term risks.
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In this episode, we share our thoughts on whether we think entrepreneurship is a trait that's primarily driven by "Nature" (Ex: inherited through genetics) or "Nurture" (Ex: Self-taught or learned through non-familial environments). We also share business updates that cover a range of topics from conversion rate optimization to testing new ad channels.
If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, you should give it a listen!
Timestamps:
(0:00:05) - Nature vs. Nurture in Entrepreneurship
(0:06:44) - Risk-Averse Entrepreneurship
(0:12:36) - Editor Ninja's Yearly Update
(0:19:32) - Optimizing Conversion Rates
(0:27:47) - Strategies for Growing Businesses
(0:35:08) - Testing Advertising Channels
(0:43:53) - Progress and Catch UpKey Ideas:
(0:00:05) - Nature vs. Nurture in Entrepreneurship (7 Minutes)
We explore the debate around nature versus nurture when it comes to entrepreneurship. It is suggested that, while there are certain innate tendencies that could lead someone to be an effective entrepreneur, it is the environment and people around them who will ultimately put them on the path towards entrepreneurship. It is proposed that, if someone was born into a household where entrepreneurship is already present, they will have a greater chance of becoming an entrepreneur themselves. The conversation further suggests that, while both nature and nurture have a role to play in entrepreneurship, the research on the impact of having entrepreneurial parents is yet to be seen.(0:06:44) - Risk-Averse Entrepreneurship (6 Minutes)
'Risk aversion' and 'willingness to take risks' were discussed in the context of entrepreneurship. It was suggested that taking big risks can be dangerous as most of them crash and burn. There was also discussion on the importance of being a 'polymath' or having diverse interests, being able to learn from different areas, being okay with delayed gratification, and finding joy in the process rather than the outcome. Furthermore, the impact of parental entrepreneurship on children's entrepreneurship was discussed, citing a study from University of Chicago that found that parental entrepreneurship increases a child's probability of becoming an entrepreneur by 60%.(0:12:36) - EditorNinja's Yearly Update (7 Minutes)
Editor Ninja' updates are discussed, with the speaker providing an overview of the business since the beginning of the year. Revenue has exceeded expectations, with three months in a row of around $8,000 in cash collected. The goal of creating a six-figure side hustle has been achieved, with volume increasing three times in the last six weeks. New offerings are being tested, along with a challenge to post content on YouTube shorts. A new conversion path was put live but is not working, prompting the speaker to consider how to rejigger it.(0:19:32) - Optimizing Conversion Rates (8 Minutes)
This conversation covers a range of topics related to optimizing conversion rates on a website. It is suggested that the call to action should be more descriptive and that the highest burden for conversions would be if customers are asked to pay fifty dollars to start. It is also recommended to streamline the process by having customers sign up for an account, submit a document, and then have the opportunity to upgrade their account or switch to a different service package. To test this, three versions of the homepage with a different call to action should be tested. Lastly, it is suggested to offer a discounted cost or free document to get customers to try the service'(0:27:47) - Strategies for Growing Businesses (7 Minutes)
This conversation focuses on the processes of conversion and automation, and how best to approach them. It looks at the importance of getting customers to take their first step with a business, and how to nurture them afterwards with automated emails and segmentation. The conversation then moves to the current situation of Castaway and Productize & Scale, and how leads and conversations are increasing, though difficulty arises when it comes to closing the deal. The two discuss the Black Friday promotion of Productize & Scale, which has almost reached the figure of last year, and how the funds could be used to reinvest in ads for Castaway.(0:35:08) - Testing Advertising Channels (9 Minutes)
The conversation focuses around running ads for businesses and the experience of running ads for Editor Ninja. It is discussed that Google Ads can be a great tool for driving traffic and conversions, but that it is important to be mindful of the budget allocated. It is mentioned that newsletter sponsorships can be effective, but can also be costly. The importance of understanding the market and setting realistic expectations is discussed, as it can often take longer than people think to see results. Lastly, it is suggested to not give up too soon, as success can be just around the corner' -
In this episode, we discuss platform risk and how to protect and hedge against it when building a business. We also chat about the importance of diversifying lead sources, experimenting with different channels, and building an "owned audience." Finally, we share updates on our respective businesses, including the importance of delegation, the current trend of vertical video content, and increasing revenue by offering on-demand services instead of just subscriptions.
If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, you should give it a listen.
Timestamps:
(0:00:05) - Risks of Relying on One Platform
(0:10:50) - Business Owners Balance
(0:17:00) - Exploring YouTube Shorts for Content Creation
(0:21:58) - Video Content Marketing
(0:30:35) - Increasing Revenue With on Demand Services
(0:35:11) - Building Out Offer Ladder for CustomersKey Ideas:
(0:00:05) - Risks of Relying on One Platform (11 Minutes)
This conversation is about platform risk and how to protect and hedge against it when building a business. It is important to diversify one's efforts and move from rented platforms to owned platforms to reduce the impact of unexpected changes. The example of Twitter's recent changes and the impact that it has had on businesses is discussed. Additionally, the importance of diversifying and hedging against risk is emphasized, alongside the idea of experimenting with different channels and building one's own platform. The example of Slack communities and how they can be used to acquire leads, build relationships, and land jobs and clients is also discussed'(0:10:50) - Business Owners Balance (6 Minutes)
This conversation discusses the varying opinions on utilizing one versus multiple channels for marketing and reaching a milestone of one million dollars. The speaker suggests a balanced approach in which one channel is firmly in the wheelhouse and two others are more experimental. The speaker also advises listeners to take into account the risk profile, the length of time available, and the perspective of the person giving the advice. Finally, the speaker mentions the milestone of one million words edited and sets a goal of four to five million words edited for the upcoming year'(0:17:00) - Exploring YouTube Shorts for Content Creation (5 Minutes)
This episode focuses on the importance of planning and delegation. The speaker has recently rolled out a new homepage and has noticed that having customers in their Slack channel keeps them engaged and increases their lifetime value. They have also been using Codeable to hire WordPress developers for focus tasks and projects. The speaker also discusses YouTube Shorts, a new feature on YouTube that allows people to post stories and get hundreds of thousands of views. The speaker is considering playing around with it, but is curious to hear what the participant thinks of it'(0:21:58) - Video Content Marketing (9 Minutes)
This conversation covers topics related to the current trend of short and vertical video content. It is discussed how short form video can be used as top-of-funnel content for service businesses, and how storytelling techniques can be used to create engaging videos. It is also noted that some videos with looping content may not be as successful, and that repurposed content may not perform as well as natively created videos. Additionally, the participants discuss the upcoming December for Castway, and how MRR is expected to reach $4,000.(0:30:35) - Increasing Revenue With on Demand Services (5 Minutes)
This conversation focuses on the progress made towards reaching a one year revenue target of one hundred thousand dollars when taking the podcast seriously. The nine months of progress have seen fifty to fifty-five thousand dollars in revenue, and there are three months left to get back on track. Additionally, the conversation discusses the upcoming launch of on-demand services, which will offer one-off services at a three-figure price point and a service catalog for recurring revenue. Lastly, a Black Friday offer is being prepared and a sponsor is lined up for a twelve-episode podcast'(0:35:11) - Building Out Offer Ladder for Customers (5 Minutes)
This conversation centers around building an offer ladder, selling single documents and subscriptions, and introducing a free tier with a login feature. The speaker proposes using a credit card authorization system to make it easier for people to submit one-off documents, as well as upsells and menu options. In order to maximize customer lifetime value and dynamic segmenting, the speaker suggests pairing an onboarding survey with an affiliate program and marketing automation. The speaker also notes that it will take several weeks to a couple of months to launch the catalog and start messaging it' -
In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and share some advice for how small business owners can not only survive, but thrive during an economic downturn. This includes reviewing a viral post from Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell) about how business owners should be changing their mindset/behaviors, given all of the uncertainty in the market right now.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
New homepage and editor profiles for EditorNinjaInsights from a round of customer interviewsAnnouncing James' acquisition of Productize & ScalePlans to add on-demand services to CastawaySound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and discuss how we use customer research to help prioritize projects related to improving our existing services or launching new ones. We cover how to recruit participants, interview them, analyze those findings, and translate them into actionable insights.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Experiments with pricing models and amountsExploration of a new sales/onboarding flowA big financial investment for CastawayHesitancy around working with "boomerang" clientsSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and share how we qualify prospects for our services during the sales process. It's tempting to take the "easy money" of a new client, especially in the early days, but it's better to focus on right-fit clients from the start to set your business up for long-term success.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Another new hire for EditorNinja!Setting benchmarks for performance before investing in sales/marketingContinuing to iterate on offers until you find the right optionUsing "slow periods" to dial in your operational efficiencyGearing up for a podcast promo tourSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and discuss which metrics or KPIs we're tracking – and how. It's easy to spend all day refreshing your dashboards, so we provide some advice for striking the right balance between knowing your numbers and getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
New hires and new pricing models for EditorNinjaHow John is increasing traffic to key pages on his siteA freemium offer to attract more EditorNinja prospectsHow to make the most of time away from workEmerging trends in the content repurposing spaceSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and talk about the value of coaching in our lives and businesses. James hasn't had a serious coach since high school, whereas John has hired multiple coaches to support him in various areas.
We discuss the merits of hiring a coaching, but also the risks or downsides of hiring the wrong coach. If you've ever considered working with one yourself, this episode should be excellent pre-work to help you make a smart decision.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Letting go of your first team memberA ranking update on the top-level service pages we made last timeHow to evolve your offerings based on market demandsA whale client is in the pipeline for CastawayWhat to do when competitors start to go silentSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and discuss how much hand-wringing about business growth is healthy. It's easy to get emotionally attached the performance of our business, so we share thoughts around when to separate yourself from your company.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Whether or not John should hire an operator for ENHow to build top-level pages that convert wellWhat to do when your sales pipeline dries upThe Four Burners theory of managing your time and energyA new Fractional CMO opportunity for JamesSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and discuss how to build a resilient business. There are a number of things that can hurt your performance – war, economic downturns, new competitors, platform risk – so how do you set your company up to thrive in any environment?
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
How to deal with challenging times as a business ownerThe importance of regularly testing your pricing modelWhy listening to your customers and adapting to their needs is criticalThe growing momentum behind content repurposingHow to balance recurring revenue with one-off projectsSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on TwitterThanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodPanda.
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In this episode, we start by brainstorming a few ways that early-stage business owners can attract prospective customers, even when their time, money, and resources may be limited. Part of the conversation is a friendly debate about how you should distribute your effort between short-term strategies (Ex: paid ads) and long-term strategies (Ex: SEO, Content Marketing).
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
When to bring on development help and how to find trustworthy providersDoubling-down on marketing strategies that show promiseWhy churn isn't always a bad thing (in fact, it's probably healthy)How to use research, feedback, and observations to home in on "right fit" customersSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on Twitter -
In this episode, we start by talking about how to know when it's the right time to "cash in" and sell your business. When is the right time to open your mind to selling the company? How do you know when an offer is an okay deal versus a no-brainer? What can you do today to prepare yourself for an eventual sale? We share our thoughts on each of those point and more.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
What to do when a marketing decision kills your sales call/demo volumeHow to structure your website navigation when you offer numerous servicesWhether you should be a niche specialist or an end-to-end solutionWhere to start with process and training documentationHow to build a personal brand to drive new leads for your businessSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on Twitter -
In this episode, we start by talking about how to balance "learning" with "doing" as an entrepreneur. It's important to continue to invest in professional development, but if you spend too much time learning, you'll never make as much progress in your business as you'd like.
So, how do you find the right combination of learning new skills and applying those skills to actually grow or improve your business? That's the question we hope to answer in this conversation.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
How to manage capacity as your team growsWhat a quiz funnel is and if it might be a good option for your businessWhy investing in client experience can pay big dividendsIdeas for generating leads for a new service businessSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter -
In this episode, we start by talking about a recent post from TestimonialHero's Sam Shepler, in which he suggests that selling subscription services isn't always the "no-brainer" that it's made out to be. John and I share our thoughts on the matter, considering both of our companies current sell subscription offerings.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Year-to-date revenue updatesNew service offerings (bundled word count and personal branding)New team members (editors, video editors, and editorial leads)The need for better project management "plumbing"Sound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on Twitter -
In this episode, we start by talking about how first time entrepreneurs are more likely to take a "do it yourself" approach to business for longer than experienced entrepreneurs – and what that might be costing them.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
How bundled services vs. subscriptions impacts forecastingWhy webinars are working well as lead generationChoosing between instant purchase vs. applications vs. sales calls/demosHow to A/B test different offerings with Google OptimizeWhy you should always triple-check your Stripe notificationsSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want to support the show? [FREE]Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on TwitterFollow John on Twitter - Show more
