In this episode, we’re going to take a look at evergreen funnels and live launching. These are two different marketing strategies you can use to sell courses online. Both evergreen funnels and live launching can effectively be used to sell hundreds of thousands (even millions!) of dollars for an online course. And to this day, I continue to use both in my business.However, they’re much more effective–and much more profitable–when you use the right one for your situation. And that means choosing the right strategy both for your product and for your personal goals.Listen to the full episode to hear:How a live launching uses discounts or limited availability to incentivize buyersThe potential downsides of using limited-time offers on your productsHow to use evergreen funnels to combine live launching and steady sellingWhy I still use both strategies in my businessWhy evergreen funnels aren’t always effective at getting sales for new businessesLearn more about Gillian:100K MastermindSmall Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Welcome to the second episode of The 100K Method, a limited podcast series about how to strategically scale your online course to six-figure success. I created this series because when I started my online business, I was broke, living paycheck-to-paycheck, and my biggest goal was to create a consistent stream of passive income, but I had a really hard time figuring out how.In this episode, we’re going to jump in a time machine and go way back to 2018, the year I took my business from 0 to $100,000.Listen to the full episode to hear:Where I was at the start of 2018 after two years in businessThe strategies I used to grow my YouTube audience and my email listWhy I hosted live workshops on a variety of topics for the first five months of the yearHow I used content I had already created to support the launch of Startup SocietyThe real numbers that brought me over the 100K markLearn more about Gillian:100K MastermindSmall Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Welcome to the first episode of The 100K Method, a limited podcast series about how to strategically scale your online course to six-figure success.I created this series because when I started my online business, I was broke, living paycheck-to-paycheck, and my biggest goal was to create a consistent stream of passive income, but I had a really hard time figuring out how. Lots of people were talking about passive income, but what they shared was vague, theoretical, and frequently overhyped. What I wanted and needed was practical, hands-on advice from someone who had successfully done what I wanted to do.After a lot of research, I determined that digital courses and membership sites were going to be the best way to reach my passive income goals. There are certainly other options out there, but most either require a lot of money up front or simply don’t have a very high earning potential.Online courses and memberships, on the other hand, can be put together with only a small budget and marketed strategically to turn into six- or even seven-figure streams of passive income. And that was exactly what I was looking for!I’ll share the story of how I built my first $100K funnel in the next episode (and we’ll also look at the 100K method itself later in this series), but, in this episode, I’d like to start our conversation by examining the basic strategy of using evergreen sales funnels to passively sell online courses. We’ll also take a look at one of my 100K funnels in action, so you can see how this strategy works in the real world. Listen to the full episode to hear:A breakdown of the 100K funnel behind Creator Fast TrackHow the “show up” sequence boosts workshop attendanceHow the “win-win” webinar method works to convert leadsTwo email sequences to take customers from “not yet” to “yes”Learn more about Gillian:100K MastermindSmall Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you are really multi-passionate, it's likely that researching your ideas, weighing the pros and cons and other methods of analysis will still leave you undecided about what niche to choose. Because the problem is that you love all your ideas and you can't stand the thought of scrapping any of them.Today, I’m sharing three strategies for overcoming your indecision, and finally picking a niche.Listen to the full episode to hear:How to use “practice mode” to figure out if you really want to build a business around an ideaWhy you should date your ideas before you commit to marrying one of themHow giving yourself total freedom can actually help you nail down your nicheLearn more about Gillian:100K MastermindSmall Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Can't pick a niche? Do THIS instead.

When I had my first two kids in my early twenties, maternity leave was really rough. It kind of happened, it kind of didn't, and a lot of things went wrong.But when I was pregnant with my third baby, I completed a couple of projects that made a massive difference in my income and allowed me to take three full months of paid maternity leave.So today, I’m sharing that story and telling you what happened and what those projects were that enabled me to take paid maternity leave.And whether or not you’ll ever need maternity leave, these strategies are still relevant for any situation where you know you’ll need to be able to take a chunk of time off without sacrificing your income.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why I couldn’t take much time off with my first two babiesHow my third pregnancy pushed me to finally get moving on generating passive incomeWhy I batch plenty of content before going on maternity leaveLearn more about Gillian:100K MastermindSmall Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

In a lot of ways, the opportunity of today's creator economy reminds me of the California Gold Rush. While some early adopters were able to make a lot of money, most people were very skeptical of the idea that you could make money as a content creator.Fast forward a few years, and people have caught on that this is a real thing. But now they might be wondering if success is only for the lucky few who got in at the right time and all the big money has been made.They might be thinking that the market is saturated, that there’s so much content out there on YouTube, or Instagram, or on blogs that there’s no space for one more creator in the market. They’ve gone from not believing it’s a real thing, to believing they’ve missed out.But this is not the case at all. More and more people are getting started as content creators every month, building their audience, and creating a living as creators. And not only that, the journey from zero to earning $10,000 per month or more, is getting shorter and shorter.How is that possible?Today, I’m sharing what I’ve learned in my five years as a successful content creator about strategies that work, so you can shorten your journey from zero to earning a living from your content.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you need to focus on just one platform when you’re starting outHow to layer monetization strategies to raise your income fasterPros and cons of affiliate marketing and sponsorshipsLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll know that I’ve interviewed people about a variety of different business models, which may leave you wondering what the best one really is.The truth is, there is no such thing as the best business model because different things work for different people. It all depends on your goals and even your personality.For some people, rather than courses or group programs or memberships, it makes the most sense to continue to work directly with clients. Maybe they enjoy building relationships, the accountability of client deadlines, or the certainty of getting paid for their work.And just because you’re not going for a passive income model doesn’t mean you can’t work less and earn more.Perhaps the most obvious way to do that is to get higher-paying clients, but how do you land those clients?Today, I’m talking with Ruth-Joy Connell about how to pitch to and land corporate clients.Ruth-Joy Connell is the CEO and founder of RJC Consulting Global — a Corporate Consulting firm specializing in helping service-based entrepreneurs, price, pitch, and close corporate contracts. Her goal is to help entrepreneurs serve and earn at their highest level so that the work they do can have a generational impact. When she’s not collecting coins, you can find her shopping at Winners, watching re-runs of 90s TV shows, or traveling to new countries.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why taking your work to corporate clients doesn’t mean reinventing the wheelHow to clarify the client and consumer for your workThe best platform for marketing to corporate clientsFive steps to creating a list of prospects to reach out toLearn more about Ruth-Joy Connell:RJC Consulting GlobalLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:The Ultimate Guide on How to Find your First or Next Corporate Client

In just a few weeks, I'm going to be turning 30 years old.This last decade has been such a crazy one filled with so many adventures, starting with getting married at 20, then having my first baby the following year, and buying our first house the year after that. And since then, we’ve gone on to buy a couple more houses.I had four more babies, started several businesses, and visited 12 countries. It’s been a really packed decade and God has taught me so much both through all of these different projects that I've done and also through all the challenges that I've faced, both personally and emotionally. There have also been external challenges like tackling growing a business or buying a house.So I thought that today would be such a good opportunity to reflect on some of these lessons that I've learned, both to remember them and to share them with you guys.Listen to the full episode to hear:The most important lessons my twenties taught me about earning money and building wealthThe physical and emotional factors that help me stay healthy and happyWhat my twenties taught me about supporting my mental healthWhat I’ve learned about trust, faith, and my relationship with GodHow my relationships in my twenties taught me about commitment, security, and reaching outLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today, Julia Ross

Financial freedom is a common goal and an amazing thing to experience, but it often gets tied together with the idea of penny-pinching today so that you can save for the future, with the end goal being to amass as much money and stuff as possible.Regular people call this saving for retirement. Others take it to an extreme and call it F.I.R.E: Financial Independence, Retire Early.And some people don't save at all and just hope for the best. But a lot of us somewhat goal-oriented folks at least feel like we should be making sacrifices today so that we can eventually retire fabulously wealthy.Whether or not we successfully do that, of course, is up to our personal motivation, willpower, and ability to strategize.But is accumulating money and stuff even truly the highest ideal? Should it really be our priority? Do we really need to feel guilt over not making those sacrifices today?Listen to the full episode to hear:How feeling financially secure is a moving goalpost with diminishing returns on your happinessFive priorities that guide the way I save for the futureWhy you have more control over what you earn than what you can saveHow to make your spending intentional rather than emotionalHow I shifted my mindset to being a good steward of my financesLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

I have a new baby!Surprised? So was I!Meet Ezra Perkins. He’s almost three weeks old and he arrived three weeks early, so he truly was a surprise for us.Today I want to take a few minutes to share the story of Ezra’s birth because it’s kind of a funny story.Listen to the full episode to hear:How Ezra surprised us on our 10-year anniversary trip to the beachLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Have you ever had a moment of clarity when you suddenly realized that your life doesn’t have to be the way that it is?Maybe it’s when you see someone else’s life, or something on Instagram, and you see how beautiful it is and you wonder, why doesn’t my life look like that, or feel like that?Sometimes it’s the moment when we realize the only reason our life is the way it is–that we live where we live, have the friends we have, eat the food that we eat–is because we’re in the habit of doing them.The good news is that regardless of whatever led you here right now, you can start making different decisions and completely transform your life.And it doesn’t have to take years. In as little as six months, your life could look dramatically different.So today, I’m sharing the fundamentals that will take you from where you are now to where you really want to be and make dramatic changes in your life.Listen to the full episode to hear:Six ways to categorize and clarify the changes you want to makeHow to decide what area of your life to focus on firstThe major mindset shifts that will help you make big changesWhy setting quantifiable goals is essential to making plans and staying motivatedLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

There are two big reasons I wanted to talk to Jereshia Hawk.First, a few years ago she overhauled her business to make it more streamlined, a move that has proved wildly successful. I wanted to know what that looked like from the inside, what simplifications she made that had such a big impact, and if there were other factors that contributed to the way her business took off like a rocket.Secondly, I wanted to nerd out about sales funnels and sales systems. I love getting into the nitty gritty details with people who have really successful sales systems. Jereshia has a system that is driving her multimillion dollar business, so obviously something is working, and I wanted to get the scoop on how her systems work, how she’s getting leads, and how she’s turning those leads into customers.Thankfully, she agreed to do a deep dive with me and I’m so excited to share it with you.Jereshia Hawk is a sought after business coach and sales expert who grew her business from $0-2 million in less than 4 years with organic marketing, a lean team, and high profit margins. She helps high-achieving experts launch and scale leveraged group coaching programs by packaging and positioning their intellectual property and strategically repurposing live videos to generate new leads. Jereshia’s mission is to help narrow the racial wealth gap by helping 100 women of color (and their allies) per year build and run million-dollar online coaching businesses that contribute to a ripple effect of positive impact and lasting legacy.Listen to the full episode to hear:How simplifying the business solidified how her audience perceived her, and why that translated into salesHow Jereshia made the call for which offers to drop, and where to put her focusHow she validated the demand for Leverage before committing to the programWhy Jereshia says a more personal, human approach to sales is necessary for higher price point programsThe three simple steps in Jereshia’s sales funnelLearn more about Jereshia Hawk:jereshiahawk.comInstagram: @jereshiahawkLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Is bigger, always better?The point of running a business is to make money. Making more money means your company is more successful. And a bigger business makes more money, right?Well, not always. Turns out the profit margins on big businesses can be razor thin, or even non-existent.It can be easy to get caught up in messages that you should grow your business to be as large and as successful as possible. But is that really your goal? Not if you’re like most people who want to run their own businesses. You probably started your business because you wanted freedom, a flexible schedule, to be your own boss, and to create a better lifestyle for your family.So how do you achieve those goals? By taking a minimalist approach.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why bigger business can mean higher costs, more effort, and less profitHow simplifying your revenue streams and offerings actually helps you earn more money, with less time and effortWhat minimalism means for your businessLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:The Minimalists

I frequently get questions about affiliate marketing, and it’s something that I do myself.If you’re not familiar with affiliate marketing, the short version is that you promote someone else’s products in exchange for a commission whenever you make a successful sale.But there is a lot of confusion and false perceptions about what affiliate marketing is, who it’s a good option for, and how it could fit into your business strategy.So today, I’m going to give you a complete rundown of affiliate marketing so you can really understand whether or not it’s the right fit for you that will make the best use of your time, and will make you the most money.To help me, I’ve got Startup Society and 100K Mastermind member, Denise Wilbanks. She’s going to interview me with all of her questions about affiliate marketing, so you can learn along with her.Denise Wilbanks is the boss babe behind This Is My Everybody, where she is passionate about helping overwhelmed women to simplify their life, home and business so that they can start creating a life filled with what matters most to them.Denise believes in living a life you love, pursuing your biggest dreams, and surrounding yourself with what matters most to you. Living a simple life clears a path to get you there.Listen to the full episode to hear:The differences between affiliate marketing, referrals, sponsorships, and ad networksWhy successful affiliate marketing serves your business and your audienceWhere to start when you’re looking for affiliate programsQuestions to ask yourself when you’re thinking about adding affiliate marketing to your business strategyLearn more about Denise Wilbanks:This Is My EverybodyYouTube: This Is My EverybodyFacebook: @thisismyeverybodyInstagram: @thisismyeverybodyPinterest: @thisismyeverybodyLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Studies have shown that email marketing, when done right, earns about a dollar per subscriber, per month. So if you have a thousand subscribers, you could earn $1000 per month. And the more you grow your list, the more potential you have to earn money just from your email marketing.So are you hitting that mark?If not, the sequences I’m going to share with you will help you get more strategic with your email marketing and convert more of your subscribers into paying customers.And even if your list is still small, implementing these strategies now can help ensure that you don’t leave money on the table as your list continues to grow.Today, I’m going to walk you through four email sequences that will help you consistently make money without having to constantly hustle for clients or run live launches. Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you need a welcome sequence for new subscribersHow to set up an evergreen sales sequence so you have consistency in your revenueWhat your abandoned cart emails need to say to your customerHow a cold subscriber sequence improves your open rate and saves you moneyLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you’re running a business these days, it’s pretty much standard that you’ll do some kind of social media marketing.But the unfortunate truth is that most small business owners don’t have any real strategy for their social marketing. They’re just randomly posting content or trying to copy their competitors.The end result? They don’t see any impact on their bottom line and it becomes a massive waste of time.Today, I’m going to share the process that I use to develop our social media strategy every year, which has grown our audience to over one million followers. It’s also the strategy we teach inside Startup Society, that helps members develop social media strategies for their businesses.Listen to the full episode to hear:The two biggest mistakes people make when they’re creating a social media strategy for the first timeWhy you need to get as specific as possible with your goals for your social media presenceWhy you should review the actual data on your past and current posts’ performance rather than relying on your own impressionsWhy going to the platform where your customers are isn’t necessarily the best adviceThe two systems you need to stay consistent with your strategyLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Everyone has had the experience of meeting someone who you think might be a good fit for your product or service, but you’re not sure how to shift the conversation from a casual chat to talking about what you do or what you offer, and getting their interest.So today, we’re talking with Nicole Cramer about how to start conversations that lead to sales. She is an Exactly What to Say Certified Guide, and she’s going to share that method for making sales while you’re making conversation.Nicole Cramer is a high-vibe sales coach for female health and wellness entrepreneurs and CEO of Healthy Steps with Nicole. She specializes in how to start conversations that lead to clients through her proven sales system and she is also one of only twelve Exactly What to Say Certified Guides, making her a specialist in sales language and conversion. Nicole’s focus is on high-touch, relationship based selling where making the customer is more important than making the sale.Listen to the full episode to hear:How planning for the critical conversations in your business can help you stay in the momentWhy you need to bring curiosity and empathy to your sales conversationsHow asking questions keeps you in control of the conversationThree rejection-free ways to open a conversationLearn more about Nicole Cramer:Healthy Steps with NicoleInstagram: @thenicolecramerLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact, Phil M Jones

If you’ve ever thought about launching a membership site, today’s episode is for you.I’m talking with Laura Watson, who participated in our Validate accelerator program earlier this year, about her experience beta launching her membership site, the Watercolour Garden.We’re going to chat about how she did it, what some of her biggest challenges were–and some of her biggest wins–and we’ll get into the nitty gritty details and numbers behind her beta launch, so you can see what’s possible for you, too.Laura Watson is a botanical artist based on the west coast of Canada. She is the founder of The Watercolour Garden, an online community that helps watercolor painters create botanical paintings using her 3 step painting method. Laura has a diploma with distinction from the London Art College in Botanical Painting, and her paintings are in private collections worldwide.Listen to the full episode to hear:How leaning on her peers and the structure of the Validate program helped Laura take the leap to launchHow she structured the webinar funnel and follow-ups that landed her a 50% conversion rateWhy Laura wanted to shift from selling courses on third-party platforms to hosting her own membershipThe two biggest mental hurdles she had to overcomeLearn more about Laura Watson:WebsiteInstagram: @laurawatsonartistYouTube: Laura Watson Art Learn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

While there are a lot of different ways you can make money online, creating and selling digital products has got to be one of the very best. And it's certainly one of my favorites.It gives you so many of the advantages of making money online–the flexibility, the huge potential for profit etc.–without a lot of the disadvantages that can come when you're selling physical products or services.Now of course selling physical products or services can be amazing businesses as well.But my personal favorite, and the one that I really think is the best in a lot of ways, is selling digital products.I also know that it can be intimidating to get started with, and I think that's one of the biggest things holding people back. They just don't really know what the process needs to look like. It feels like it's very complicated.But it doesn’t have to be. Which is why I’m sharing seven steps to creating and selling a digital product so you can see how simple it can really be.Listen to the full episode to hear:What the substance of a digital product really isWhy you should always start with the minimum viable productWhen you might need to hire an editorPros and cons of using a third party platform versus your own website to sell your productWhy you want to keep your price point low when you’re just starting outLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

I’m a huge fan of digital products.I talk about courses a lot of the time, because they’re what have allowed me to earn passive income online, enabling me the flexibility in my schedule so that I can work from home, homeschool my kids, and enjoy a really nice lifestyle.But while I love online courses and I think they’re an incredible opportunity, they do take a lot of time and effort to create and market.So today, I’m going to share with you eight digital product ideas that still have really good earning potential, but are a lot simpler to create and market.Listen to the full episode to hear:How you can use smaller scale, lower-priced workshops and products to earn moneyIdeas for passive income if you have an eye for art or designHow to use your software or platform skills to earn passive incomeLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

You’ve probably heard that when you’re starting your business it’s super important to pick a niche, the more specific the better.If you want to grow your business and your brand, it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, right?But if you’ve tried to follow this advice and found yourself feeling frustrated and pigeon-holed, you’re not alone.A lot of people struggle with this when they’re first starting their online business. I know I did. And I regularly talk to people inside Startup Society and other programs we run who are going through it too.So what do you do?Today I’m going to share what the process of choosing a niche really looks like and help you take some of the stress and pressure out of it so you can build your business.Listen to the full episode to hear:How niche means different things to different peopleThe differences between industry, value, and nicheWhy you probably won’t really develop your niche until you’ve already worked with lots of customersThe two biggest mistakes people make when choosing a nicheLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you want to start your own business, the very first, most important part of the process is just deciding what business you want to start.You can’t move forward, and you can’t begin to grow your business at all until you make that crucial decision.So in today’s episode, I’m going to share with you exactly how you can make that decision, whether you’re stuck because you have too many ideas and you just can’t choose, or if you’re stuck because you don’t have enough ideas.Listen to the full episode to hear:The three different kinds of businesses you could startThree lists to brainstorm business ideasThree ways to score your ideas and narrow down your listWhy you need to have an idea of what a day in the life of your business would be likeLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:100 Digital Product Ideas – Free Download50 Service Business Ideas – Free Download

Last month, I was teaching a class about how to start a business. And even though most of the participants hadn’t yet started their businesses, all of them had worked on the branding for their business.So even though they hadn’t done almost any of the other steps of setting up their business to make it legal or to start making money, they’d designed their branding.Of course we get really excited by new ideas and want to start doing things that feel satisfying and that we can see right away.But when you’re starting a business, the things you can see aren’t necessarily the most important. And there are a lot of things behind the scenes that we have to do before we can actually start a business.Today, I’m covering six practical things you have to do before you can start your business.Listen to the full episode to hear:Two places you need to register your businessHow to start handling your business financesWhy you should create a separate email account just for your businessWhy you have to validate your business idea before you invest time, energy, and moneyThe simple marketing plan you need to start generating leadsLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

To make money with your business, you need to make sales. To make sales, you need leads. But where do you get those leads?One of the most popular places on the planet to get leads is through traffic from Google. That traffic is usually directed to content on your site, which makes Google SEO one of the most common aspects of a content marketing strategy.But Google SEO can be complicated and you might have questions about what it is, how it works, and how to get your content to rank, especially if you’re just getting started.Today I’m talking to Brandon Gaille about how to get started with Google SEO, what your first steps should be, and how to build a system for getting your content to rank on Google, so you can tap into that source of leads.Brandon Gaille is an SEO expert who has been studying Google SEO for well over 10 years. He’s also the founder of Rank IQ, one of the top SEO tools on the market. He hosts the popular podcast, The Blogging Millionaire, where he teaches SEO strategies to over 20,000 bloggers.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why keyword research is the foundation of your content strategyHow to use AI tools to generate post topicsTips for optimizing your contentHow to get backlinks to your siteHow often you should be postingLearn more about Brandon Gaille:Rank IQThe Blogging MillionaireLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:AhrefsSemrushFraseGoogle Search ConsoleHAROApple PodcastsChartableGoDaddy Auctions

When I was first trying to get my business started, I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos about how to start an online business and about business strategies.I also listened to podcasts, read blog posts, and subscribed to dozens of newsletters.I was hungry for advice about how to get my business started and making money.I got a ton of advice from mentors from afar during that phase, and I appreciate what I was able to learn.But the problem with taking in all of that information and advice is that you get so many different ideas about what you could be working on or what you should be working on, it can make it really difficult to know what you should really be focusing on when you’re first starting out.Today, I’m giving my best advice for what made a difference, what was a distraction, and what you really need to focus on when you’re getting your online business going.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you need to make decisions and stick to themHow to streamline your branding so it doesn’t eat up your timeWhy quality content is more important than being everywhere at onceWhy making your first sales has to be your primary focusLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

The other day, I was talking to my sister-in-law, who wants to start a business as a wedding planner.She already has a lot of experience doing it for free, but the prospect of making it official and legal so she can get paying clients is overwhelming her, so she hasn’t taken those steps yet.And I know she’s not alone.A lot of people who want to start a business feel the same way. They’re overwhelmed by the things they need to do, or they feel like they don’t even know what they’re supposed to do, so they feel overwhelmed by the unknown.If that’s you, keep listening. Because today, I’m going to break down seven basic, but necessary, steps to make your business official.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you don’t need an official business plan to get the process startedThe first step to making your business legally officialWhat you need for taxes and financesWhy branding your business mattersLearn more about Gillian:Funnel MasterclassStartup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:How to Start Your Own Business (and make it LEGAL)Register your business, Small Business Administration GuideWave AccountingQuickBooksXeroWordPress.orgSquarespace

The initial appeal of passive income is to make money without any effort.But with a greater understanding of what passive income is and how it really works, you can get a more realistic idea of the power and potential of this alternative way of earning a living.It’s not necessarily an easy way to get rich, but instead a strategic way to diversify your income and create greater financial freedom.But creating streams of passive income does take effort. Quite a lot, in fact. But the long term gains will make that effort worth it.What’s the best way to earn passive income?Should you sell courses, publish a book, set up a drop shipping website, start a membership program? Or even build a business and sell it? Or simply invest your savings into an existing business or dividend-earning stocks?Today, we’re looking at seven of the best passive income options. These are all strategies that are easy to get started and proven to be able to earn at least $200 every day.Listen to the full episode to hear:Three key elements to a successful membership siteHow you can earn money from a YouTube channelHow to earn money from your blog or podcastTwo ways to stand out and make money in the creator economyWhy layering your strategies leads to the best resultsLearn more about Gillian:Funnel MasterclassStartup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

These days, there are so many ways to monetize your knowledge.You could write a book or an ebook. You could create a course that people can go through at their own pace. Or you could run a live program where you guide people through the material and help them apply it. You could provide coaching or consulting or even a service where you use your knowledge to help others.Over the last five years or so, I've monetized my knowledge in almost all of these different ways. And some of them took a lot of effort and time and didn't pay very well. And then others have been extremely profitable.So today I wanted to share with you what has worked best for me and has allowed me to build the multi six figure information business that I run today, and also what I would recommend someone do if they’re interested in getting started in the information industry.Listen to the full episode to hear:The first two steps to turning your knowledge into a businessThe research questions you need to ask when you’re developing your ideaWhy you need to sell your product before you create itHow to go small to make salesThe two sides of automating your business Learn more about Gillian:Funnel MasterclassStartup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:100 Digital Product Ideas

Ever since people started lending other people money thousands of years ago, it's been possible to earn passive income.But things have changed a lot over the centuries and they’re changing all the time now as technology advances.That means there are so many different ways you can earn passive income beyond the old fashioned way of collecting interest on a loan.So how does passive income work nowadays?It can sound too good to be true. It sounds like making something out of nothing. And a quick google will pull up hundreds of stories of people who say they’ve been wildly successful at it.So how do you know what’s real?Here’s the reality. We’re not creating something out of nothing. We are investing time or money into creating this stream of passive income for the future.Let’s dig into what that really means.Listen to the full episode to hear:What passive income means at its most basic in the real worldWhy passive income is never passive to start out withHow to weigh effort versus return and risk versus reward when investing time and moneyFive steps to starting a passive income streamLearn more about Gillian:Funnel MasterclassStartup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you are thinking about creating your first course, this is the episode for you.From generating leads with no audience or a small audience to launch strategies to pricing to turning your leads into paying, satisfied customers, I’m going to cover it all with Jess Catorc from Teachable.Teachable is a course hosting platform that has been around for nearly a decade and has worked with thousands upon thousands of course creators. They’ve got the data, the tools, and the expertise to help make your course a success, and Jess is a major part of that.Jess is an award-winning brand strategist and leads Launch Creator Initiatives at Teachable. She’s been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, ABC television network, and has spent the last 8+ years working with creators and startups to expand their reach and revenue online in the Creator Economy. Listen to the full episode to hear:How to collaborate to grow your audienceWhy using lead magnets and microproducts helps you validate your course ideaWhy your first launch is about collecting data on what worksHow to build a simple sales funnelWhat you need to consider when you’re pricing your courseLearn more about Jess Catorc:TeachableInstagram: @jesscatorc @teachableKeep the Receipt podcastLearn more about Gillian:Funnel MasterclassStartup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you’ve heard people talking about repurposing content, you’re probably heard something like this:Plan and film one video, then edit it and turn it into 8, 9, 10 pieces of content! One video turns into a YouTube video, a podcast, a blog post, social media posts, a newsletter, and more! The gurus will tell you this is a smart, time-saving way to multiply your efforts so you can show up everywhere online.Sounds great, right?The only problem is, it doesn’t work.Which is why today I’m sharing my content repurposing strategy that makes effective use of my content and my time.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why posts from standard repurposing advice fall flatHow I create content that works for multiple platforms based on my YouTube videosWhy promoting your content isn’t the same as repurposing itLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

This podcast is called Work Less, Earn More and pretty much the whole premise is figuring out which activities, tasks, or projects actually make your business the most money, focusing on those, and letting go of the rest.That way you can earn the most, with the least amount of time and effort.And you would think that since I’m doing YouTube and this podcast, I would have figured out by now which one actually makes me more money and which one I can let go of, because they’re both pretty time-consuming.So why do I keep doing both? And which one actually does bring in more money?Listen to the full episode to hear:A breakdown of how I make money from YouTube and the podcastWhy the podcast is a key piece of the customer journey, even though it has less overall traffic than YouTubeLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

One of the most common questions I get here and in real life is “how do you do it all?”How do you balance your schedule as a mom who also runs a business? How do you run a business and homeschool your kids and cook meals, exercise, and, and, and?Well, the short answer is that phrase “you can have anything but you can’t have everything.” Or to paraphrase, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.It really comes down to making decisions about what your real priorities are, then making judgment calls about how to actually prioritize the things that are important to you and saying no to basically everything else.But I know a lot of you would like some more practical details of what that looks like in real life. So that’s what I’m sharing in this episode. I want to paint a picture of what my real days and weeks look like to help you understand how I do all this.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why I’ve chosen to budget more money for things that buy me more timeHow I prioritize self care, and what that really means for meWhy keeping it simple is keyWhat a typical day in my life looks likeLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

In the last few episodes, we’ve been talking about how to find and land your first clients in your online business. So today, we’re replaying an interview with Jay Clouse about how to start a freelancing career.More people than ever before are taking the leap to work for themselves.There are a lot of potential upsides. A flexible schedule. Freedom of choice in who you work with and what you work on. Security. And of course, no limit on your potential earnings.But most people are also painfully aware of the challenges of getting started.Is your personality a good fit for freelance work? What business should you start? Will anyone even want to hire you? And how can you find your first client? To help you answer those questions and more, today on the podcast I’m bringing you Jay Clouse. Jay is the founder of Freelancing School and the Unreal Collective, and his speciality is helping people make that transition from creative-stuck-in-a-day-job to freelancer, then from freelancer to CEO.Listen to the full episode to hear:How Jay’s career evolved from startup cofounder to product management to freelance service provider and beyondA mindset shift around work, employment and compensation that will expand how you think about contract workThe relationship of leadership, expectation setting, expertise and pricingSteps for building your freelance portfolioLearn more about Jay Clouse:JayClouse.comFreelancing School 20% Off!Instagram: @JayClouseTwitter: @JayClouseCreative ElementsLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Gillian Perkins on YouTubeBusiness Plan Template

In the last episode, you heard the story of how I got my first clients and customers and finally started attracting the right customers.Now I want to share the stories of several other business owners and how they got their first customers and how those clients led them to where they are today.Emily Banks works with online business owners to help elevate their brands, products and marketing materials through strategy based design.Tiffany Pichardo of Virtually Simple is a Virtual Assistant who specializes in customer service and YouTube growth. Samantha Harris is a Lead Generation and Sales Strategist for online business owners. She focuses on developing organic strategies to help her clients reach more of their target audience so they can sell more of their offers.Tony Rulli is the Co-founder and Head of Advertising at Intentional Spark, a digital advertising agency dedicated to helping online business owners grow their businesses through digital marketing. Tony and his teams focus on Facebook and Instagram ads, but also manage all ad platforms for their clients. Listen to the full episode to hear:How Samantha used Instagram and Facebook to network her way into her first clientsHow being engaged in private groups and chats for small business owners landed Emily her first clients, without having to pitch her servicesHow Tiffany built her skill set in another position that led to her first clientsHow providing value, support, and free consultations through networking groups helped Tony fill his client rosterLearn more about Emily Banks:Emily Banks CreativeInstagram: @EmilyBanksCreativeLearn more about Tiffany Pichardo:YouTube: The Happy HomeschoolerLearn more about Samantha Harris:TheSamanthaHarris.comInstagram: @TheSamantHarrisTikTok: @TheSamantHarrisLearn more about Tony Rulli:Intentional SparkInstagram: @IntentionalSparkLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Work Less, Earn More Ep 118: How I Finally Found My First Customers

Getting momentum from zero is almost always the hardest part.That first hundred dollars, first thousand dollars that you earn is some of the hardest money you’ll ever make.And the same thing goes for finding your first clients.How do you go from zero to finding your first client or your first handful of clients?I know that when I first started it felt like a mystery. I had no idea where to start.In my first business, I overcame that hurdle accidentally and gained clients through word of mouth. But when I started my online business it was a whole other story.But I knew that if I was going to succeed with my online business, then I needed to find those first customers. So I started working on it.Here’s what I did, what didn’t work, and how I finally got my first customers.Listen to the full episode to hear:Four things that didn’t work and what I learned from themThe mistakes I made with my earliest paying clientsThe strategy that finally built momentum in my businessSeven principles for getting your first customers and building momentum that apply to any businessLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEGet on the waitlist for Creator Fast TrackProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

When I was fresh out of high school, I was already pretty dissatisfied with the different career options that were out there.And I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do or what I wanted to be when I grew up, but after getting some inspiration, I set out on my own to make an alternative option.I wanted to work a four hour week. I wanted to leverage my investments and make passive income.It all sounded great on paper. But in the real world, it wasn’t working at all.Because I was trying to follow instructions from books when I didn’t even have a way to tell people what I was doing, what service I was trying to offer, what product I was trying to sell.I had no audience.But I overcame that roadblock and today I’m sharing four principles that enabled me to start making money online, even before I had an audience.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you might not want to play the long game of organic growthThe two major investments your business needs, and how to choose where to startHow to leverage your connections without feeling sleazyLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEGet on the waitlist for Creator Fast TrackProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

What would I do if I lost my whole business?If my email list got deleted and my YouTube channel was shut down? If my website was erased and maybe even my professional reputation was lost, how would I start over from zero? What would I do first? How would I make my first sale? How would I get the momentum I would need to grow a new business into a reliable source of income?Here's what I do. If I had to start over.Listen to the full episode to hear:What type of work I’d look for and how I would pursue clientsWhat my first goal would beWhy I would still choose quality over quantity when creating contentHow I’d start planning to scale upLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEGet on the waitlist for Creator Fast TrackProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Abby Ashley

Maybe you have a goal of starting a successful YouTube channel.But you can only reach that goal if you’re clear on what that really means.From the outside, it might look like YouTube is easy. All you have to do is record a video each week and post it, right?But the reality is that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of building a successful YouTube channel.Today, I’m going to share from my six years of experience on YouTube, the mistakes I’ve made, what I’ve learned, and what really matters when it comes to building a successful channel in 2022.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you need to approach starting a channel like starting a businessHow choosing a broader topic can actually help you more than finding a narrow nicheWhy you need to be clear on what value your videos bring to your viewersFour action steps for starting your channelWhy you should set smaller, short-term goals in the beginning Learn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEGet on the waitlist for Creator Fast TrackProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:3 Secrets to Reach 1,000 Subscribers on Youtube

I recently posted a video where I broke down four phases to take you from zero to $100,000 dollars over the next 12 months.And in the comments, there were a lot of questions about phase three of that process.So today we’re diving into more detail about how to use systems and automation to scale your business.These are systems that will allow you or your team to guide people to find out about your products and to deliver those products without dropping what you’re doing for every single sale.I’ll tell you what those systems are, how they should work, and give you some tips for building them for yourself.Listen to the full episode to hear:How to automate your sales systemWhy you need to scale your traffic system to scale your businessWhy your production process matters, even if you’re selling servicesThe most important system you need to have in place to scale your businessLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:How to go from $0 to $100,000 in 2022Creator Fast TrackVideo Creator AcademyDownload The Easiest Business Plan Ever

The security and protection of our businesses and our customers’ information is so important, but a lot of us don’t know that much about how to go about making those things as safe and secure as possible.Especially with rapid changes in technology and new threats to cybersecurity that come up.Which is why today I’ve brought in an expert.Todd Mitchell has over 25 years of experience in using risk-based assessments to create and enforce cyber security policies that keep data safe while ensuring the information gets to the correct decision maker at the correct time, intact and unchanged.Todd has a Master of Science in Cyber Security Policy, as well as a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Ethical Hacking.Listen to the full episode to hear:The biggest mistakes people make with their payment processorsThree key ways to keep your customers’ information more secureThe kind of scam that makes up 94% of all attacks on small businessesThe number one cause of data breachesTwo things you can do right now to make your business more secureLearn more about Todd Mitchell:Cybersecurity 4 BizFacebook: @cs4bizTwitter: @cs4bizInstagram: @cybersecurity4bizLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you only had 20 hours to work in your business each week, what task would be at the top of your priority list? Why?That’s the question I asked four of my most trusted business connections, friends, and mentors.Today, you’ll hear from Lucy Griffiths, Ashlyn Carter, Lacy Boggs, and Ashley Gartland in the first of a new format we’re calling Roundup, where I invite my business friends and mentors to answer a question, and you get their insights and experiences on that topic.Today, they’ll tell us what tasks they prioritize in their business and why, and you’ll get insight into why you might want to shift your priorities so you can do more with less time.Lucy Griffiths is the creator of Confident on Camera. Her incredible sales funnel has sold over 30,000 copies of one of her online courses. Lucy focuses on strategies that give her really big results with the least possible effort.Ashlyn Carter is conversion copywriter and marketing strategist specializing in wedding & creative industries. Her launch funnels have generated results for clients including upwards of $1M in revenue in a single week and her courses teach people to write their own effective, sales-generating copy, all while working half-time.Lacy Boggs is a content strategist and the director of The Content Direction Agency. She helps small business owners fill their program or practice by generating organic demand through content marketing.Ashley Gartland is a business coach who helps busy small business owners and online entrepreneurs simplify and streamline their business so they can grow more and work less. Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Lucy focuses her energy on audience building and relationship buildingHow Ashlyn uses the Pomodoro technique and batches her days to stay on trackWhy Lacy keeps sales and marketing at the top of her listHow Ashley builds and maintains relationships to run her business in 20 hours per weekLearn more about Lucy Griffiths:LucyGriffiths.comConfident On Camera CourseFollow Lucy on YouTubeLearn more about Ashlyn Carter:Ashlyn WritesInstagram: @AshlynCarterFacebook: @AshlynWritesYouTube: Ashlyn WritesLearn more about Lacy Boggs:The Content Direction AgencyInstagram: @LacyLu42Facebook: @ghostbloggergbLearn more about Ashley Gartland:AshleyGartland.comInstagram: @AshleyGartlandFacebook: Ashley Gartland CoachingLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Work Less, Earn More Ep 42: 30,000+ Courses Sold in Just 18 Months (and with a Small Audience!) with Lucy GriffithsWork Less, Earn More Ep 16: Copywriting Secrets for Converting More Customers with Ashlyn CarterWork Less, Earn More Ep 39: Building a Quarter-Million Dollar Agency in 20 Hours a Week with Lacy BoggsWork Less, Earn More Ep 13: Three Systems to Maximize Your Productivity with Ashley Gartland

I got an email recently with a really good question. The email went something like this, “I know you don’t have a crystal ball, but what is a fair estimate for how long it will take me to start making consistent monthly income. Some sort of ballpark to help me set my expectations would be helpful. The number I have in my head is 12 to 18 months from now that I should be covering my monthly expenses and making at least a little beyond that.”This person’s expectation right now is that after working on her business for a year, or a year and a half, that she should be breaking even, maybe a little more.The thing about goals and expectations is that whatever target you set your course toward will affect everything you do to try to reach that goal. So when you expect the break even in 18 months, your actions will–consciously or not–take you in that direction.It’s like the saying, aim for the moon, and even if you fail you’ll be among the stars.Which is why I don’t want that person or you to be setting your sights on just breaking even after a year or more, because it is possible to do so much better than that.So today I’m taking you through exactly what you can expect in the first year, how you can make predictions for yourself and your business, and what your first goal should be to set yourself on the trajectory for success.Listen to the full episode to hear:What you can expect in your first three to six months in businessWhy your first $1000 is the first milestone you need to aim forHow the validation process supports you on the path to growthLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Resources:Online Business Quickstart GuidePredict Your Profits Workshop

Have you heard of the Employee Retention Credit?If you haven’t, you’re not alone.The ERC is part of a COVID relief program created by the US government to provide assistance to business owners who have been impacted by COVID-19.Your business could be eligible for a substantial credit but most entrepreneurs and business owners aren’t aware of it, which means there’s a significant amount of funding going unclaimed.So today, I’m talking with Mark Sullivan, CEO of ERC Specialists about the ERC, who is eligible, how to apply and how to work with an ERC specialist to make the process as easy as possible.ERC Specialists is a specialty payroll company exclusively dedicated to understanding and maximizing the CARES Act Employee Retention Credit (ERC) for small businesses affected negatively by COVID 19.Mark has a wealth of knowledge on this topic, and he is really passionate about helping entrepreneurs to take advantage of this unusual opportunity that has been created.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you probably haven’t heard of the ERCWhat kinds of businesses qualify for the creditThree key ways your business may qualifyLearn more about Mark Sullivan:ERC SpecialistsLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Too often, choosing your business model isn’t a conscious decision and you accept whatever the default seems to be for your industry.But choosing your business model is a really important decision.The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.Today I’m talking to Nathalie Lussier about the Software As A Service model and her business, AccessAlly.Nathalie Lussier is an award-winning entrepreneur who has been making web sites since she was 12 years old. She graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and a job offer from Wall Street, but she turned down this job to start her own business right out of college.As the founder of AccessAlly, the powerful digital course and membership solution for industry leaders, she believes that access to education can help defy stereotypes and make the world a better place, while providing a sustainable livelihood for enterprising teachers.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Nathalie made the leap from hands-on coaching and consulting to developing softwareHow software as a service provides stability for business ownersWho to partner with if you have a great idea but don’t have software development experienceWhy AccessAlly stopped paid advertising and focused on content marketing How Nathalie and her team evaluate adding new features and services to AccessAllyLearn more about Nathalie Lussier:YouTubeTwitter: @NathLussierFacebook: @AccessAllyTMPinterest: @AccessAllyConnect with AccessAlly on LinkedInLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Choosing your business model is a really important decision.The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.But too often, it isn’t even a conscious decision, but just accepted as the default for whatever type of business you’re building or the industry you’re in. It doesn’t have to be that way.Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.Today I’m talking to Jordan Gill about her business, Systems Saved Me.Jordan helps burned out service providers convert their monthly retainers to virtual VIP Days. Her program Done In a Day™ has helped over 270 students create and sell their first VIP Days. She also has a podcast called Systems Saved Me with over 300 episodes all about how business owners navigate success with systems.Listen to the full episode to hear:How Jordan shifted her business entirely to VIP Days in 2017 and never looked backHow she structures her client onboarding to maximize the productivity of the VIP DayHow Jordan cultivates win-win referral sourcesThe systems and automations that give Jordan a three-day work weekLearn more about Jordan Gill:Systems Saved MeInstagram: @SystemsSavedMeSystems Saved Me PodcastLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.Choosing your business model is a really important decision.But too often, it isn’t even a conscious decision, but just accepted as the default for whatever type of business you’re building or the industry you’re in.So let’s change that.Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.Today I’m talking to Natalie Gingrich about her business, The Ops Authority, where she certifies and mentors women who leverage their natural skillset of operations and administration. She's driven to help women earn an income with ease while doing what comes most naturally to them.Natalie has merged her corporate career background with her entrepreneurial learnings to create the Director of Operations Certification Program, the only strategic operations certification for leaders.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Natalie landed on developing a certification program rather than strictly a courseHow Natalie began marketing to her networks and why relationship marketing is still a key strategy for her todayHow her podcast functions as the top of her sales funnel, and why it works for her audienceWhere Natalie spends the most of her time and money in her business, and which sales avenues provide the best conversionLearn more about Natalie Gingrich:The Ops AuthorityFacebook: @TheOpsAuthorityThe Ops Authority PodcastLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Over the next several episodes, I'm going to be interviewing a series of online business owners about their business models, how their businesses make money, their biggest expenses, how much time their businesses take to run, how big or small their teams are, and more.Today I’m interviewing Anna Wolf, the owner of Superscript Marketing, a small agency that sells a productized service, meaning they sell a service that looks very similar for each of the different types of clients they serve.We’ll talk about why she chose this model, how it works and some of the additional considerations that this type of business can create, as well as the pros of selling a simple service rather than responding to each individual client’s specific needs.Listen to the full episode to hear:The legal, financial, and psychological reasons behind using a mix of contractors and employeesWhy Superscript’s highly specialized niche means they don’t have to spend a lot of effort bringing in new clientsWhy Anna has chosen to remain a boutique firm rather than scaling up, and how she is branching out her businessWhy professional development and team bonding are significant line items in her budgetLearn more about Anna Wolf:Superscript MarketingConnect with Anna on LinkedInLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!