If you’re trying to grow your audience on social media, then you KNOW that there’s one thing that matters more than just about anything else…   Engagement.   It doesn’t matter what platform you’re on, the algorithm cares about the same thing: how much people engage -- or don’t -- with your content.   More engagement means people are paying more attention to your posts (good!) and the algorithm rewards that with more reach (good as well!). And that then results in more followers.   The GOOD news is that more people see your “best” posts.   The BAD news is… even if you’re sharing something valuable, important, and potentially impactful… if people don’t actively engage then your results will be lackluster (to put it gently).   Engagement. It’s the name of the game.   The big question is… how do you get more of it??   Well, that’s where my friend Kat Gaskin comes in.   She’s known around the internet as “The Content Planner,” because that’s what she helps entrepreneurs do: plan their social media content.   But when I reached out to her about coming on the podcast, there was something a little different I wanted to talk to her about:   HOW has she built such an incredibly engaged community of raving fans??   ‘Cause Kat doesn’t just have followers on Instagram.   Nope. Her audience is full of the hard-core, ride-or-die type.   And I wanted to know how she’d done it.   You’re welcome. ;)   Listen to the full episode to hear: How Kat developed an irresistible physical product and personal brand on Instagram—with 52K followers and counting Why Kat recommends picking only two social media platforms and her hashtag strategy for getting content in front of different audiences The struggles Kat went through with content planning—and why she developed the Content Planner to make it 100% easier to create content Why focusing on who her customer is becoming rather than focusing just on solving a problem creates an amazingly engaged fan base The four recurring content pillars that Kat uses to engage her Instagram followers (and teaches to all her students)   Learn more about Kat Gaskin: thecontentplanner.com @katgaskin on Instagram @katgaskin on Twitter the salty pineapple shop   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

First off, isn’t it so cool that we live at a time when information is so readily available?   The answer is out there to any question you might have… and it’s probably even just a Google search away!   But with more content created every day than you could ever possibly consume, this abundance of information can also be… overwhelming.   Information overload is real. And it can really hold you back.   You’re trying to build your business, but there are millions of articles, podcasts, and courses all giving you different [conflicting!] advice.   How can you possibly decide which advice to take or what’s your best next step?   If you’ve ever struggled with this, I can relate. And… I can also help.   Turns out, there’s a framework for exactly this. A simple, 2-step process for figuring exactly which aspect of your business you should work on next in order to reach the next level of growth… and I’m going to walk you through everything in this episode.   Listen to the full episode to hear: I walk you through the exact process of this helpful process so that you can figure out exactly what’s the weakest area of your business and decide what your next step should be How to use what you learned from the framework to be able to use your time and use your resources as efficiently as possible and make the biggest progress and reach the biggest results with your business Identifying where you’re struggling the most—or your weakest link—and what to do about it   Learn more about Gillian: Free Validate Checklist Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

One of the toughest parts about being “young and broke” is not having the money to do some of the responsible things you know you should be doing. Stuff like: buying (and eating) healthy food regular maintenance on your car extra insurance regular dental exams hiring a bookkeeper for your business   I hope you’re in a place right now where you can afford most of these things... because I know how tough it is to do without them. Both because they’re helpful basics, but also because you know you should be doing them, and it’s stressful to be “letting things slide” -- even when you don’t have much choice.   But if your business is still in its infancy, you might still be cutting a few corners, sticking to a tight budget, and DIY’ing, well… everything.   Kudos to you. Seriously.   The early stages of building a business are tough, but if you can stick them out (and I know you can!!) they will eventually be worth it.   But what’s to be done in the meantime??   Especially when it comes to managing your finances, you can’t just ignore that aspect of your biz until you’re earning enough to hire a pro.   Because let’s face it… if you do that, you might never get to that point at all.   Fortunately, you have options.   On this week’s podcast episode, I interview Mark Butler, CPA and the founder of Let’s Do the Books, a bookkeeping service for brand new companies.   In the episode, Mark shares exactly how to DIY your bookkeeping -- and how to do it right. So that when you eventually are ready to work with a pro, you’ll be PROUD to show them your books and there won’t be any awkward conversations.   [email protected] The biggest mistake new business owners make with their business finances Mark’s advice for opening your FIRST business checking account How to set up a SUPER simple spreadsheet to track income and expenses in your business The basics of bookkeeping and accounting that EVERY entrepreneur should understand—especially when you’re in a growth phase The difference between the business profit and the money you take from the business to pay yourself (and how it impacts your books)   Learn more about Mark Butler: letsdothebooks.com @letsdothebooks   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

One of the toughest parts of building a successful YouTube channel is just getting your first 1,000 subscribers.   Once you hit that coveted 4-figure mark, the algorithm takes over and (as long as you keep posting consistently...) practically grows your channel for you.   But how can you get those first thousand??   Everyone does it slightly differently, but hearing their stories can help you figure out the best path for YOU.   On today's podcast episode, I'm interviewing YouTube creator Marissa Romero, who's successfully grown a channel of 120,000+ subscribers in a competitive niche.   We'll talk a little about the strategies she's using to grow it these days... but we're going to focus mostly on how she got started.   After you listen, I'm sure Marissa would appreciate hearing what you got out of the episode! You can reach out to her @marissaeromero on Instagram.   Listen to the full episode to hear: What Marissa did to get her FIRST 1,000 subs The mistakes Marissa made when she was first getting started with YouTube The role really good keywords and affiliate links were to getting consistent traffic in the beginning-and what she's focusing on now with over 150K subscribers Why using the algorithm to your advantage right away is ESSENTIAL to growth Why Marissa has prioritized her thumbnail strategy (and how overall channel branding makes a HUGE difference)   Learn more about Marissa Romero: marissaromero.com Connect with Marissa on Instagram Marissa's YouTube channel     Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

As you’re likely aware, we’re currently in the process of guiding a group of 130 students through the VALIDATE accelerator program, helping them figure out whether or not there’s demand for their business ideas.   I shared a lot last month about why this process is so essential--including the fact that it protects you from possibly wasting countless hours (even years) of your life on an idea that never pans out.   I’ve seen one (or 100…) too many entrepreneurs wind up feeling like failures because they can’t turn their business idea into a success -- when, in reality, they aren’t the problem at all -- they’re just trying to build the wrong business.   What makes it even worse is that this problem is 100% avoidable.   I know not everyone was able to participate as a student in VALIDATE, so today on the podcast I’m doing something very special: offering a crash course on how to do the validation process for yourself!   If you’re a DIY’er then you’ll love this episode. Not only is it the “do it yourself” guide to testing your biz idea, but it’s also going to ensure that all your future business DIY projects have much greater chances of being successful!   Listen to the full episode to hear: The biggest mistake most people who want to become entrepreneurs make The 6 steps to validate your business idea Why you need to figure out if people actually WANT what you’re trying to sell… and why you need PROOF The difference between a business and a business idea   Learn more about Gillian: Free Validate Checklist Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

What's more profitable, online courses or self-published books?   A lot of people who are interested in making money by selling information (either as a course creator or author) consider these two options.   To some, the choice is obvious.   Of course it's online courses!   After all, everyone knows that "authors don't make anything."   And we've all heard plenty of stories of course creators who are killing it online.   Here's the thing -- while it's true that courses tend to be more profitable than self-published books, this question ("What's more profitable?") kind of creates a false dichotomy.   In other words: it makes it sound like you have to pick one or the other.   But, in reality, these two strategies can work together to create far better results than either typically does on its own.   (It's like asking, "What's better: YouTube or email marketing?" And the answer is, "Neither, they're just different. They serve different purposes in your marketing.")   This week, on the podcast, I interviewed my friend Chandler Bolt, founder and CEO of Self-Publishing School, a $15M Inc 5000 company.   Self-Publishing School primarily sells online courses -- and it's one of the biggest and most successful such companies out there!   So, how'd Chandler do it? Well... by practicing what he preaches: self-publishing books on Amazon!   Chandler's been a friend of mine for the past three years (I first met him in San Diego at Hal Elrod's "Best Year Ever" event) and it's been so cool to watch him scale his company so incredibly fast.   If you don't already know Chandler, I'm honored to introduce you. But, either way, I know there's a LOT we can all learn from his story.   Listen to the full episode to hear: The whole story of how he built his company from the ground up (starting with no connections, no credentials, and no capital) How he used self-published BOOKS as a big part of his growth strategy Exactly how you can copy his approach (even if you think you "don't have time" to write a book) to grow your own business   Learn more about Chandler Bolt: Receive a free copy of Chandler Bolt's bestselling book, Published self-publishingschool.com   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Behind every successful entrepreneur… there is a team supporting them.   In my first few years of business, it was just me – wearing all the hats, doing all the things, and responsible for everything.   But, as my business grew, I knew that I needed help; both so that I could keep my sanity and to be able to continue to grow.   After several failed attempts to hire help (mostly VA’s that I didn’t know what to do with), I finally found a few contractors who supported me by editing my videos, taking care of tech work, writing content, and other small projects.   Then, in 2019, I knew it was time to get a new kind of help: management help. Otherwise, I was going to find myself working more than ever before, managing the people who were supposed to be reducing my work load.   Enter Cortni Loveridge.   I hired Cortni to be my project manager and “integrator” (a concept I explain in this episode) -- but she turned out to be so much more than I’d anticipated. She stepped into my business and immediately started organizing everything from top to bottom -- making it SO much easier to run things in far less time and take on more profitable projects than ever before.   In fact, the year that followed – 2020 – was our best year to date.   Today on the podcast, I’ve invited Cortni herself to join me in sharing exactly what we did in 2020 that had the biggest impact on the company’s bottom line.   I hope you find the episode very insightful and that you’re able to use these strategies to turn 2021 into your BEST year yet. Listen to the full episode to hear: What projects we took on that produced the most revenue Which marketing strategies we saw the most success with How we were able to increase efficiency, so that we could work less -- and (of course) earn more! The exact strategies that led to our half-million dollar year Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

One of the biggest changes we’re making in 2021 is how we run the podcast. Instead of pre-recording and editing all the episodes before we release them, we’re now recording the show LIVE each week inside Startup Society, so that the members can listen in and participate by asking questions.   As I write this, I’ve just finished recording the first of these live sessions, and what a great interview it was!   In today’s episode, I sat down with Keina Newell, financial coach and founder of Wealth Over Now. Keina works with professional women and solopreneurs to create new possibilities with their money so they can save more, pay off debt, invest in themselves and stress less about money.   Keina is passionate about her work and finds no greater satisfaction than helping her clients start managing their money with joy because they’ve learned to feel possibility where they once felt shame, guilt, overwhelm, and anxiety.   We had a great discussion about how she’s built her coaching practice to $10K months -- while maintaining her full-time corporate job.   Keina shared a lot of great insights into how to market yourself as a coach (or freelancer) and how to balance a side-hustle with a full-time job. Listen to the full episode to hear: How Keina’s grown her coaching business from 0 to where she is today The systems Keina has in place so she can operate her coaching practice while working full-time How she's maximizing profits with a 1:1 business model Learn more about Keina Newell: wealthovernow.com Wealth Over Now on Instagram   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Will 2021 be any different?   Who’s to say…   Personally, as much as I’d love to think that 2021 will fix everything, what I really believe is that “a day is a day.” It doesn’t matter the label we put on it, it’s just a 24 hour period in which anything can happen; 24 hours we’re given to make the most of.   Or, in the words of Master Oogway:   “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”   Anyway, 2020 is one for the books, and to wrap it up, I’m opening up my books to show you how we fared.   I’d like to wrap this up by sharing that my hope for 2021 is that it is truly our best year yet. We learned SO much in 2020, and I know that if we apply those lessons this year then we’ll be in good shape. Listen to the full episode to hear: How much my business earned How much we spent How many hours my team and I worked to earn that money Plus a few of my biggest 2021 goals (including our income projection) Links: gillianperkins.com/validate Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Patience is a virtue, but that doesn't mean you can't be TOO patient. And you know what? A lot of people are.   A lot of people waste a lot of time (+ energy and money) because they're patient. And dedicated. And committed. And motivated.   ALL GOOD THINGS. But also potentially problematic.   My dad said it this way: "Don't be afraid of being a quitter. Be willing to quit when you realize you're in the wrong place."   You know who I see make the mistake of being "too patient" more than just about anyone else?   Entrepreneurs.   And it makes sense when you think about it. Not only do entrepreneurs tend to be extremely passionate, committed, and motivated, but there's also this idea out there that success has to take a long time.   ...which I don't entirely disagree with. It definitely takes a while to build a big, successful company. And if you want to build anything meaningful, you need to be committed and in it for the long game.   But too many entrepreneurs hear that and think it means that it will take years to make even their first dollar.   So, what do they do? They work for years... for nothing.   And I don't mean they invest years for an eventual payout.   I mean they waste years working on something that never pans out.   Please don't make this mistake.   Please take the time to figure out if your business idea is valid.   Research the market. Determine the demand for what you're interested in selling.   And don't just stop there... get proof. Share your product (with the right people) and see how they respond. Prioritize generating your first sales before you spend years trying to "build" your business. Listen to the full episode to hear: 3 questions to ask to figure out if your business idea is valid Why market research is essential to building a successful business How to tell if your business idea is valid and worth pursuing Why it might not take a long time to build a substantial, successful business Learn more about Gillian: Predict Your Profits Workshop Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

How much do you want to earn in 2021?   I used to really dislike that ☝ question... because I had no idea how to answer it.   “What do you mean, ‘how much do I want to earn’? As much as I can, of course!”   It’s a lot like when you’re shopping for something expensive and the sales rep asks you, “So, what’s your budget?”   Of course, sometimes we DO have a budget, but a lot of the time I just want to spend as little as I can to get the thing I need. (I’m sure I can’t be the only one…)   Any answer to the “how much do you want to earn” question just felt… arbitrary. I’d say a smaller number, trying to be “realistic” -- but it wasn’t [at all] what I really wanted. Or I’d say a BIG number, but it felt pointless because it seemed impossible.   If you can relate to this struggle between modest “realistic” goals and ambitious inspiring goals, then today’s podcast episode is for you.   Because here’s the truth: there CAN be a balance between those two extremes. And not just a compromise… you can actually set goals that are both realistic and inspiring. Listen to the full episode to hear: Two ways to set goals based on math My recommendation for setting your first growth goal What can get in the way of you growth What to do if your growth goals feel overwhelming How to set goals when you’re just starting out Learn more about Gillian Predict Your Profits Workshop Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Several years ago, when I ran a digital marketing agency, I met an incredible woman named Margo Carroll.   At first, I didn't realize how incredible she was -- she was just another client who was hiring us to run her Facebook ads.   But the more I got to know Margo, see her work, and learn from her, the more impressed I became.   Not only does Margo do everything she takes on with integrity and serious commitment, but I also discovered she has an area of unique expertise: sales psychology.   Margo understands the human mind and persuasion in a deep way, but, more than that, she's able to strategically apply that knowledge to connect with people and create highly effective marketing campaigns.   And, while Margo originally hired my company to help her advertise her business, over the years the tables have turned, and I've become the client. Margo has helped us conduct thorough market research, write sales campaigns, launch webinars, and strategize our funnels. Listen to the full episode to hear: How to use market research to learn more about your customers and more effectively sell to them Why market research is incredibly valuable to do when you're in the planning stages (deciding what to sell) to improve your copy and maximize your sales How asking a potential member questions before they join your Facebook group is a type of market research (and how you can use it in your future copy) The first steps Margo recommends if you haven’t done research in your business before Learn more about Margo Carroll: margocarroll.com Follow Margo on Instagram Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Are you more “left-brained” or “right-brained”?   We all have some balance between the more analytical and the more creative/emotional sides, but most of us lean more one way or the other.   A lot of entrepreneurs -- especially visionary, founder sorts -- are extremely creative, always coming up with new ideas and solutions. Many even refer to themselves as “creative entrepreneurs.”   Those right-brain skills are KEY for entrepreneurial success… but they still have to be balanced out.   Because while creativity can get you started and keep you inspired… it’s analyzing the numbers that will allow you to stay in business long term.   Maybe “analyzing the numbers” sounds fun to you! (Where my nerdy friends at??)   But, on the other hand, if it sounds scary, hard, or boring… well, I just want to let you know right now that it doesn’t have to be any of those things.   Understanding your business’s numbers -- and making strategic decisions based off of them -- is an essential skill as an entrepreneur, and it can actually be quite interesting and easy!   To show you exactly how to do this for yourself, I asked Rita Barry to come on the podcast this week. Rita specializes in metric-driven marketing for online businesses, and she shared some really practical advice on how to get started making more strategic, numbers-based decisions in our businesses. Listen to the full episode to hear: How to keep your metric-driven marketing plan super simple The questions to ask when making your plan The best way to spot bottlenecks in your business and what to do about them How to find what’s working in your marketing and the best way to pull and read reports Learn more about Rita Barry: ritabarry.co Follow Rita on Instagram Connect with Rita on LinkedIn   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   This is the very last income report of 2020. I’m glad I committed to doing monthly income reports -- it gave me accountability to really look at the numbers regularly and see exactly how things were going.   Every month, I’ve felt like we didn’t do very well: like we didn’t earn very much, like we spent too much, and like we worked too much.   But when the month finally wrapped and I looked at the numbers… we’d done awesome!   That’s what I like about numbers: they tell us the truth. Unlike our subjective perspective, which is highly distorted by emotion.   So let’s dive into the numbers.   In every income report, I share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not). Listen to the full episode to hear: How we earned $37,530.08 in November What we learned from last year’s Black Friday promotion and what we did differently this year Why our income month-to-month isn’t always tied to that month’s activities Why we spent most of this month planning for 2021 Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

We all do it. We judge books by their covers… and also by their size.   Somehow we think that if a book has more pages then we’re going to get MORE out of it.   We do the same thing if we buy an online course: we think that if it was more expensive it’s going to be more valuable and that if we open it and it has more modules than we thought that we’re going to get A LOT more out of it. We assume, therefore, that it will be more useful.   I’m guilty of this thinking, too. Sometimes I find myself doing this with podcast episodes (like this one, for example!) “Oh, that episode’s only eight minutes long—it probably won’t even be worth my time.”   But we all know that sometimes the best gifts come in the smallest packages: the check for $100K, the engagement ring, the simple (yet powerful) advice of a mentor.   In the spirit of keeping it simple, today’s episode is only 8 minutes long. If you have that time to spare, give it a listen. In just a few minutes, I share some advice I got last year from one of my mentors that’s allowed me to work significantly LESS while increasing our revenue by over 80%.   Who knows, maybe it’s exactly what you need to hear to work less and earn more in your business, too! Listen to the full episode to hear: Why you should ALWAYS ask yourself: what would this look like if it were simple? Why more complicated strategies WON’T necessarily get us bigger and better results Sometimes more complex ideas are addictive—we feel like once we’ve identified them that we can’t live without them—but is that really true? Learn more about Gillian: Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!    

Two words: MIND. BLOWN.   I used to believe a LOT of myths about SEO, including: Google ranks websites higher if they’re frequently updated More content means your site has more chances of ranking well Adding target keywords to articles is the best way to tell Google what it’s about   And by “used to” I don’t mean years ago.   Nope… these are all myths I believed as recently as last week.   That is until I talked to Kim Herrington.   Kim’s an expert in SEO, search engine marketing, and digital marketing—and she’s the founder of a digital marketing agency where she helps businesses, entrepreneurs, and influencers harness the power of search engines while maintaining high ethical standards and simplifying the process.   On today’s episode, Kim shed a LOT of light on an often mysterious subject: how to get your website to rank well on Google. Honestly, she shared a lot of things that surprised me!   So… if your website is one of the main ways your business attracts customers, this is a can’t-miss episode. Listen to the full episode to hear: Can SEO tactics create predictable results? How complex is SEO? Is it something anyone can do or is professional help necessary? What SEO tactics create the biggest results? What are the first steps to getting a website to rank on the first page of Google? Learn more about Kimberley Herrington: Transform Your Business with Strategic SEO Guide to Get More Website Traffic Instagram   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!    

Sales funnels. You might be thinking: those are one of those complicated things everyone says you need in order to be successful, but really… they’re probably just a distraction from what you really need. Right? Actually… No. (Sorry, not sorry.) In fact, if there’s ONE thing a business needs -- it’s a sales funnel. Good news though! EVERY business (that successfully makes money) manages to check this box -- even if unintentionally. Sales funnels don’t need to be complex. Here’s the thing… a “sales funnel” is just the process that your potential customers go through to find out about your business, decide to buy your product, and then purchase. Donut shops have sales funnels. Hair salons have sales funnels. Coaching businesses have sales funnels. Software companies have sales funnels. Amazon has a sales funnel. Literally, EVERY business has one. But if you don’t intentionally design your funnel, then it’s unlikely that it will work very well. Listen to the full episode to hear: Why EVERY business needs a strategic sales funnel to make money Everything you need to know about funnels, including what they are, how they work, and how to set one up for yourself My best tips for creating a sales funnel that generates the max number of sales The four components you need in order for your sales funnels to be as SUCCESSFUL as possible Learn more about Gillian Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   They say “time flies when you’re having fun,” and that’s exactly what we experienced in the month of October.   Somehow, we managed to launch THREE new sales funnels… and not just “launch,” but create completely from scratch.   As always, I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on October 2020 and I’ll give you ALL the details on these new funnels. Because (::hint, hint::), if you aren’t making money in your business, it might be because you don’t have an effective sales process… Listen to the full episode to hear: The 3 new sales funnels we created from scratch in October How long it took me to prepare a new webinar funnel for Startup Society How much we earned from Startup Society, affiliate marketing, YouTube ad revenue, and tripwire products Why Facebook ads were our biggest expense so we can prioritize the ones bringing in the most profit (plus, all the other expenses we saw in October) Why we hired a new graphic designer and how we’re changing our content to provide even more value Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Facebook ads are everything right now—and whether you hire it out to an ad agency or you DIY, the goal of your ads should always be to make a profit… which is harder than you might think.   If you’re DIYing it, you might be boosting a post here and there. Those kinds of activities might get your post in front of your audience—but a boost doesn’t necessarily translate to new customers or sales.   And that’s just one beginner mistake you could make. But don’t worry! There are LOTS of smart, tactical ways to do FB ads right so that you get in front of the right people with the right message or offer and grow your business.   No doubt the FB advertising world can be super confusing. That’s why I invited my paid advertising genius, Tony Rulli of Intentional Spark, onto the podcast to demystify ads and help you understand why you might not be getting the return that you’re hoping for.   Tony runs the Facebook ads for Startup Society and my personal brand as well as many other well-known names, including Jasmine Star, Brooke Castillo, Acuity Scheduling, Convertkit, and many others. And there’s a good reason—he really knows his stuff! Listen to the full episode to hear: The most common mistakes that sabotage people’s FB ad success -- and how you can avoid them! The highest converting funnels that give you the best Return-on-Ad-Spend (so you can maximize your profits) What’s changed with paid advertising in 2020… and how you can survive and even thrive in these strange times! And finally: how big of a budget you REALLY need to be successful with FB ads. (I loved Tony’s take on this -- though it might surprise some people because it’s not your typical “you can start with even $5 a day!” optimism.) Learn more about Tony Rulli: Intentionalspark.com Follow Tony on Instagram Get Instant Access To Tony’s Facebook Ad Video Training Bundle   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Sometimes, the truth can be hard to swallow…   But knowing the truth empowers us to make the best decisions.   Here’s one of those truths: if you’re building an audience online, only 2% of your audience will EVER buy from you.   This goes whether you have 100 followers on IG, a million email subscribers, or anything in between.   Of course, we can work on improving that percentage, but we’ll never be able to change the fact that MOST of our audience just follows us for the free stuff.   And that’s okay! In fact, it’s a good thing, because it means we can impact the lives of a far greater number of people than those who are actually interested in pulling out their credit card.   BUT, it also means that if we want to increase our sales, then we NEED to prioritize growing our audiences.   (Yes, you 100% can be successful with a small audience… but you can be even more successful if you can reach more people.)   Social media is a great place to get exposure and reach new people, but we all know that email subscribers are the crème de la crème of an online audience, because those are the people you can reach most directly + predictably.   (Meaning… no need cross your fingers and HOPE an algorithm cooperates!)   In this week’s podcast, I share three email list growth strategies… and these aren’t just random strategies that sound good. These are the strategies that consistently WORK and have grown my email list to 98,000 subscribers.   (We’re currently adding 8,000 new subscribers every month with these tactics!)   I know what it’s like to wonder WHY your list isn’t growing; and maybe even to feel like you’re the only one. For the first several years of trying to grow my list, I really struggled:   These were the tactics that finally made the difference, and I want to share them with you.   Listen to the episode now (or download for later!) and start growing your email list a lot more quickly.   There’s no reason to keep struggling when the tools are available. I KNOW you can do this once you know-how!   Here’s to your success!   Listen to the full episode to hear: The 3 tactics I’ve used to grow my email list and add 8,000 new subscribers every month How I use Pinterest to supercharge traffic to my website and grow my email list Why YouTube is a key player when you want to grow your email list (and how to turn followers into email subscribers) The impact that appearing on other people’s podcasts has on your email growth   Learn more about Gillian: Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!   Resources mentioned in this episode: EP 33: Blog vs Podcast vs YouTube: Which Should You Start?  

A few weeks ago, I gave my Instagram account a good clean out. I unfollowed a couple hundred accounts that weren’t really what I wanted or needed in my life right now.   Goal: to see more of the things I really care about!   The next day, as I scrolled through my feed, I saw a post from my friend Lucy.   Hey, it’s Lucy!, I said to myself. Man, I haven’t seen her in forever. I wonder how she’s been! What’s she up to these days, anyway…?   I tapped on her profile pic to navigate to her bio.   ::reading bio::   Wait, what?!   She sold Thirty THOUSAND courses??   That, my friend, is a LOT of courses.   Naturally, I DMed Lucy straight-away to ask her to come on the podcast and tell us her strategy.   (I may or may not have been super curious to know myself.)   The story gets even better, though, because once we got on the phone, I learned that not only had she sold 30,000 courses… she’d done it in just 18 months.   If you’re as eager as I was to know how she did it, then go listen to the episode now, because it was SO interesting. Lucy explained her whole strategy and really didn’t hold back!   I loved this interview, and if you’re interested in selling online courses then I’m pretty sure you will as well!   Listen to the full episode to hear: The funnel Lucy's using to quickly grow her list— at a profit! How Lucy not only sells thousands of courses, but also maximizes the value earned from each customer Lucy's top traffic sources that ensure she never runs out of leads, even though her audience is small.   Learn more about Lucy Griffiths: lucygriffiths.com Confident On Camera Course Follow Lucy on YouTube   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

I’ve been a teacher for over 13 years now, and I’m confident this skill is part of my God-given purpose here on earth.   But for the first 8+ years of teaching, I didn’t earn a very good living from the work. I was tied down to my local area, my calendar was crammed with lessons, and I was barely able to support my family.   Eventually, I scaled my local business and things got a bit better -- but it still felt like an uphill battle. This was one of the key motivators for starting my online business: I wanted to work from wherever (be that my living room, the local Starbucks, or a Parisian café) and on my own schedule.   So when I learned about “membership sites” for the first time… I immediately knew I was interested.   A membership site would allow me to use my teaching gifts to have a positive impact on the lives of others while at the same time maximizing -- and stabilizing -- my profits by creating monthly recurring revenue.   Sign me UP!   It took a few years to figure out how to start a membership, what I’d teach, and who it would be for -- but eventually, I got it off the ground, and today my membership program is my businesses’ main source of revenue!   Listen to the full episode to hear: How much my membership, Startup Society, earns each month Fixed costs and variable expenses of running a membership site The biggest challenges I faced when I got the program off the ground Mistakes I've made and lessons learned   Learn more about Gillian: Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!   Resources mentioned in this episode: The Best $7000 I Ever Spent Access Ally: Membership plugin Flourish Online: They specialize in setting up membership sites  

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   It’s now October and it’s been two months since I returned from taking the summer off for maternity leave—and September’s income report shows that things are still trending downward which means it’s prime time to make some moves to change this and start, once again, growing!   (By the way, if you happen to be in a “descent” yourself, know that this is a natural part of the cycle of growth. Two steps forward, one step back is a very healthy and normal pattern. To try to force things to constantly spiral upward is unrealistic, ultimately impossible, and will only lead to stress.)   As always, I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on September 2020.   Listen to the full episode to hear: 3 specific strategies I’m implementing to INCREASE my income Why my income went DOWN the last two months Exactly how much time I worked and what I spent my time on this month How much my team worked and what they worked on   Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Creating content is hands down the MOST time-consuming work I do each week. Writing blog articles, filming videos, recording podcasts, posting on Instagram… the list could go on.   As a digital entrepreneur, you get it. Content creation is time consuming… and our TIME is limited.   But—and a big one at that!—content marketing works so well.   That’s why it’s so important to create helpful videos, articles and other content is the perfect way to attract your target customers.   What’s to be done??   Allow me to introduce Lacy Boggs, my guest on today’s episode. Lacy runs The Content Direction Agency, a multi-six-figure content market agency. If you and I think we have a “content creation as opposed to time available” ratio problem… let me tell you… Lacy has it way worse. That’s because a whole roster of clients depends on her small team to create their content.   Naturally, Lacy’s figured out a few tricks to maximize content-creation-efficiency so they can keep man-hours down and productivity up.   Regardless of the size of your team—though especially if you’re a solopreneur—you’ll find her hack and systems effective to do the same in your company.   What does this mean? You can get MORE visibility, attract MORE leads, and close MORE sales—all without working more at all.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How to pivot to find the business model that works for you and fulfills your personal goals How Lacy built her agency to the quarter-million mark working less than 20 hours per week A step-by-step process to follow to create a STRATEGIC content marketing plan Chasing engagement, vanity metrics, and what you should really be measuring   Learn more about Lacy Boggs: The Content Direction Agency Chasing Likes Blog Post Connect with Lacy on Facebook Follow Lacy on Instagram     Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

If you started your company, then most likely you are a VISIONARY leader. That's a unique gift! But we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and you might need "another half" that you don't even know you're missing.   That other half is called an INTEGRATOR.   Many visionary entrepreneurs have one behind the scenes—think Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, and Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, who both had operations managers. The visionary sets their sights on the vision and the integrators are the people who actually put these dreams and these plans into action.   In fact, I have an integrator here at Gillian Perkins International—and I’m going to share how I found Cortni, what she does in the business, and how it’s impacted the business and so much more in this episode all about integrators.   Listen to the full episode to hear: Visionary leaders vs "integrators" and why most companies need BOTH How an integrator can help you grow your business more successfully and easily What my integrator, Cortni, does at Gillian Perkins International How to find your own integrator and what to look for when you interview candidates   Learn more about Gillian Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!   Resources mentioned in this episode Amy Porterfield's podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters The Crystallizer Assessment

Imagine this: you can be a totally lazy entrepreneur yet create amazing, high-quality work and accomplish everything you want in business—and more.   And I don’t mean lazy in a negative way. I actually consider myself a pretty lazy person. Yet given the current hustle culture, being a lazy entrepreneur probably sounds hilarious at best and an impossibility at worse.   So how on earth can you be a successful entrepreneur and be lazy at the same time?   Most importantly, creating high-quality work is at the top. Being smart about where you spend your time is key, too. And, sometimes, running Facebook ads is the most efficient way to engage potential customers and sell your work.   In this episode, I’m chatting with Claire Pelletreau who is a self-proclaimed lazy entrepreneur. She’s also a Facebook and Instagram ad consultant, teacher, conversion optimization expert, and creator of Absolute FB Ads.   Claire spends her days writing about Facebook and Instagram ads, troubleshooting ad problems with her students, and managing campaigns for 7 and 8 figure business owners. She specializes in Facebook and Instagram ads that sell online courses and programs, but she’ll happily geek out with you on ways to test advertising for any type of business.   Claire also LOVES talking about money—profit, loss, the whole shebang. She asks her guests how much they charge—and how much they earn—on her show, the Get Paid Podcast.   Listen to the full episode to hear: Why social media may not be worth your time or effort Strategies Claire uses to consistently *make sales* without big launches or constantly posting on social Why spending money on ads makes sense... even if you're only breaking even How Claire has maximized the results she's gotten from investing in copywriting services   Learn more about Claire Pelletreau: Clairepells.com Connect with Claire on Instagram The Get Paid Podcast   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!   Other resources from this episode: Natalie Taylor from The Missing Ink

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on August 2020.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How not working much during the summer impacted our revenue Why I’m working no more than 15 hours a week Why I’d rather earn less and do things better than do everything myself Where I spent the majority of my time in August   Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!   Resources Mentioned: Tara McMullin and Yellow House Media Tony Rulli of Intentional Spark Self-Publishing School

It can be SO frustrating to start a business, put in the work, and still not make any money.   I get it: it took me a few years of trying before I finally “broke through” and starting making money with my online business. I recently shared a video on my YouTube channel about how I took my blog and business from $0 to $100,000 in revenue in 12 months. But, in the video, I made it extremely clear that those 12 months were not the first twelve months in business.   In fact, I’d already invested a few years into trying to grow my business, trying to make money online, and, in all honesty, completely failing and essentially making $0.   So what changed between now and then?   It wasn’t that my hard work finally paid off, even though that’s a common story you hear among the small business world. Instead, I changed some key things in my business that led to that financial success.   Listen to the full episode to hear: The 5 things I did wrong (and what I see people doing wrong all the time!) that can stop you from making any money in your online business Why too much "patience" can be a bad thing The first thing you have to have to be able to make money online How to tell if you're trying to sell the *wrong* product and figure out what your audience actually wants How long you should stick to ONE strategy before you decide it's time to try something new   Links: This ONE thing increased my income by 1000% (and it didn't cost anything) (YouTube video) Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Globally, there are over one million podcasts available—and growing! That is a HUGE number of podcasts.   Given the continuous growth of this industry, it’s no wonder that you’re considering creating one—or want to learn how to make your existing podcast even better than it is now.   There are countless resources available on HOW to start a podcast. That’s why I wanted to take a different approach with this episode and instead explore what determines the success of a podcast, how hosting a podcast impacts your business, and how you can make the most impact on your listeners.   Podcasting is relatively new to me and so that’s why I invited someone on the show who’s been in the game for awhile—someone who could share how to create a podcast that will not only be effective in terms of downloads and listeners, but will actually influence your business and revenue, too.   Tara McMullin is the host of the What Works podcast, founder of the What Works Network, and the co-founder of Yellow House Media. She’s been helping small business owners find what works for them for over a decade. Her goal is to push past the hype and facilitate candid conversations about doing business in the New Economy.   In this episode, Tara’s going to divulge all the ways in which we can make an impact in our communities through podcasting and so much more.   Listen to the full episode to hear: The #1 most important thing you need to figure out about your podcast for it to have the impact you're looking for How to stand out from OTHER podcasts that cover the same topic as your show How finding the right premise for you show makes everything else fall into place How to MARKET your show to build your listener-base and grow your audience   Learn more about Tara McMullin: The What Works Network The What Works Podcast Yellow House Media Follow Tara on Instagram Follow Tara on Twitter   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!   Other resources from this episode: How The Premise Of Your Podcast Can Make Your Business More Money by Yellow House Media

Getting results with content marketing takes time.   To put it in perspective, one of my 15-minute YouTube videos can take anywhere between 2-8 hours to finish and have it ready to publish. And one of my blog posts takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours to write, edit, and publish.   Not only does high-quality content take a lot of time to create but in order to get real results with it, you have to give it as much time and attention it needs so that you can actually get people to read it. It’s no small feat!   If you don’t do all of these things, then you’re wasting the time that you do invest because the content won’t be doing anything for your business. That’s why it’s even more important to choose the right channel for you to see real results.   But how do you choose which of the three types of content is right for you right now? And which will create the biggest results for your business? In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned from creating each of these types of content, some of the challenges that go along with each of them, and how they have impacted my business.   Listen to the full episode to hear: The pros and cons of blogging, YouTube, and podcasting The different *types* of results each of these types of content create The importance of focus and why you should pick just ONE type of content to create... at least at first   Links: EP 19: Courses VS Membership Sites & How to Decide Which Is Right for YOU Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on July 2020.   Listen to the full episode to hear: Why I'm working less than ever before How much my business earned while I was on vacation How much my TEAM worked while I was out of the office My new schedule and what's coming up in future months   Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

A CFO does more than look at numbers—they also look at the big picture to find patterns in the data. Finding those patterns is what leads you, as an entrepreneur, to making better, more informed decisions for your business.   You might dig into the numbers and find that one of your products takes up 80% of your time but only 20% of your revenue—while, on the flip side, you might have a product that takes up much less time and much more revenue.   So how can stepping into the CFO role of your business help you work less, make more money, and make better business decisions? Where should you start? And what steps can you take to create a meaningful strategy?   Enter Susan Boles. Susan is a Virtual CFO and Operations Advisor for agencies, consultants, and coaches at ScaleSpark. She focuses on helping businesses get clear on their numbers and truly understand their inner workings at a deeper level so they can make decisions from a place of intention and purpose—instead of panic. Susan has over a decade of experience as a CFO and software consultant and she's on a mission to help founders build sustainable, resilient businesses.   Listen to the full episode to hear: The ROLE of CFO, and why every business – no matter how small – should have someone doing this work What does "strategy" really mean? Where should our strategy be based? What data to track and how to use it to make more strategic decisions in your business The #1 question to ask yourself about EVERYTHING to improve your strategy and create better results Why you should be tracking your time first before your financials   Learn more about Susan Boles: scalespark.co Break the Ceiling Podcast @thesusanboles on Instagram @thesusanboles on Twitter @thesusanboles on LinkedIn     Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Being an entrepreneur and supporting yourself with your own business can mean that your income can fluctuate a LOT from one month to the next—and that can be scary and stressful, making it NO FUN to “be your own boss.”   BUT! There are things that you can do to create a stable cash flow month over month so you can work less and earn more.   You can diversify your income and develop multiple streams of revenue to really stabilize things. This also ensures that you’re earning a consistent amount of money every month and ultimately getting rid of the stress and enjoying the process of actually running your business a whole lot more.   However, there are some traps you can fall into as you try to create multiple streams of income. These mistakes can prevent you from successfully developing your multiple streams, keeping your business small, and ultimately wasting a lot of your time—and, in some cases, you might end up working MORE and earning LESS which is not what we want!   Listen to the full episode to hear: Types of income vs revenue streams A simple, step-by-step process you can follow to start developing multiple streams of revenue Big mistakes to AVOID so you don't waste your time on efforts that won't pay off Best revenue streams for people who are just getting started   Links: EP 19: Courses VS Membership Sites & How to Decide Which Is Right for YOU Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

When you think about public relations, what comes to mind is probably media mentions and magazine placements. But modern PR is about so much more than that. Today, appearing on podcasts is an essential way for small business owners to grow their brand.   Seriously: entrepreneurs who show up on key podcasts typically get more exposure, build their audience faster, and even get more sales immediately following a podcast appearance, according to today’s guest.   There are so many benefits to incorporating a public relations strategy into your small business—and, of course, I was determined to find out how to take advantage of the most powerful and most leveraged PR strategies that are out there today so that we can get the biggest results with the least amount of effort.   That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to my guest today, Brigitte Lyons.   Brigitte is the founder of Podcast Ally, a podcast booking agency that takes the hassle of researching and pitching podcasts off the to-do lists of their clients.   She originally came to this specialization by accident when her team booked a top podcast for a client and saw that it outperformed the magazines and online news sites her team was working with.   In addition to her agency, Brigitte also runs the Podcast Ally Pro Accelerator to teach other PR pros, talented virtual assistants, and internal teams how to book podcasts for their clients.   Listen to the full episode to hear: Why podcast guest interviews are the #1 PR strategy for busy entrepreneurs Ideas for how to position yourself as a podcast guest + what to talk about How to decide which podcasts are the best fit for you and your brand Best "pitching" practices to increase your odds of getting a YES   Learn more about Brigitte Lyons: Free Pitch List with 50 Podcasts Booking Thought Leaders and Founders podcastally.com Podcast Ally Pro Accelerator @podcastally on Instagram @brigittelyons on Instagram Get Booked On Podcasts Program   Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on June 2020.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How being out of the office for maternity leave has impacted expenses How June was our second best month yet even though I barely worked at all What “working almost not at all” actually means specifically How Q2 compared to Q1 and how it turned out to be our best quarter to date And an update on our Facebook advertising struggles   Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

I get it. I’ve been there. I wanted to be successful and I didn’t know how because I wasn’t successful yet. So I did what I thought was the right thing: I asked for advice. I found people who I considered to be successful and I asked them what it took to get to where they were—and what I needed to do. In truth, I was looking for a formula—but what I found was not only generic but incredibly unhelpful. I didn’t understand why these successful people wouldn’t just tell me what to do! Were they being stingy or is there simply not a formula for success? Do we all just need to “find our own way?” What I want to know is: is that the truth? Is there really only one way to success? Personally, I think there are two main reasons why people tell you that there isn’t a formula for success. The first one is that they don’t know the formula for success so they just declare that there isn’t one. They think that since they haven’t found it, it isn’t out there. The second reason—which is the real, deeper, bigger reason—is that if we are just looking for a formula for success and success isn’t defined, then the answer is that there isn’t a formula for success at all. At the heart of it, success can mean so many different things to different people. Listen to the full episode to hear: Why everyone *denies* there's a formula for success Why "self-taught" is a myth A simple framework for finding your success formula How to put your formula to work and take ACTION to reach your goals Links: Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

My membership site is the lifeblood of my business. I started it two years ago and it’s done nothing but good things for my business—and life—ever since. There are a number of benefits that membership sites offer for your business. First, they produce recurring income. This really helps to stabilize your business revenue and profits. Second, they provide ongoing support for your customers. This is incredibly powerful because you learn SO MUCH about your customers and thus are able to serve them better. Truly a win-win. Third, your membership site is active, alive, and constantly growing. It’s not something you launch once. It’s something you can actually build momentum with over time. If you aren’t sure if a membership site is a good fit for you, listen to episode 19 of the podcast where I talk about courses versus membership sites and how to decide between the two. And if you’re ready to dive in on membership sites, listen to today’s episode. Listen to the full episode to hear: The most important thing to consider BEFORE starting your membership site How to make sure a membership site is actually the right move for your business right now The most important steps to get your first members and ensure your program is a success Step-by-step how to put your membership together Links: Attract Paying Customers Action Plan Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

If you’re an overachiever, doing less doesn’t feel like the answer to earning more OR achieving your goals.   Because doing less feels counterintuitive to both of those things.   And by doing less—working less?!—you might feel guilty. You might even feel bad.   But according to today’s guest, doing less and scaling back doesn’t mean your business and life is going to fall apart. Instead, it could actually be the turning point you need to become more profitable and creative!   Kate Northrup is the bestselling author of Do Less, founder of Origin Collective, a membership site for female entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses while doing less, and mom of two little ones.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How Kate launched her membership site and got her first members Different launch strategies Kate's tried and what she's learned from them Pros and cons of having a larger or smaller team How asking "what would this look like if it were simple?" can change everything   Learn more about Kate Northrup: katenorthrup.com Kate’s new book, Do Less The Kate and Mike Show Instagram @katenorthrup Facebook @Kate Northrup Twitter @Kate Northrup YouTube @Kate Northrup     Learn more about Gillian: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

As my business grows, it’s going to get harder, right, Gillian?   Nope. In my experience, it gets EASIER—even with three kids AND a newborn.   Now, that’s not to say I haven’t faced challenges. Of course I have! And in your journey to grow a successful business, so will you!   And some of those challenges will relate to HOW you work and WHEN you work as you seek to balance family and business responsibilities.   Beyond the logistics of running a business and parenting, one of the MOST important things that really matters is that you truly enjoy what you’re doing.   Oftentimes, we simply assume that things are going to get harder the bigger our business grows. That in itself can hold you back from growing your business into its full potential.   But if you truly enjoy what you’re doing, you show up every day, get better at what you do, and grow through the challenges that creating and growing a business naturally brings.   In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through a few of my go-to tips and tricks on how to run a business while parenting (and homeschooling!) at the same time. And for those of you who aren’t parents—maybe you have a day job, maybe you’re in school, or maybe you have a side hustle—these tips apply to you, too!   Listen to the full episode to hear: My #1 habit for doubling my productivity every day Whether to multitask or not and how to get it all done when you simply DON’T have the time Simple tips for ensuring you have the energy to show up as the person you need to be to do what you need to do And how to approach that perennial question: should you use technology as a babysitter?   Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on May 2020.   Listen to the full episode to hear: What my team and I did when my daughter showed up early! Why I wish I would have paid myself an average monthly income from the very beginning and an easy way to figure out your monthly salary How much a new hire is costing the business and why we made that decision Why the entrepreneurial mindset is SO necessary as you deal with the ups and downs of business How our product sales compare to our best month ever—April—and what impacted the numbers this month   Links: Instagram: @gillianzperkins Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

When you’re selling online, most people assume that a bigger audience is better.   More people, more money, right?   According to today’s guest, a six-figure launch isn’t about your list size and it’s not just about how awesome you are—really! Instead, it’s about how you structure your offer, how you price it, and how you build a relationship with your audience. There’s a method behind it.   Tarzan Kay is an email marketing expert and former copywriter-for-hire who’s been able to generate massive revenue with a small audience. In this episode, Tarzan shares exactly how she did a $151,000 launch last year.   And, naturally, she shares all of her expert email marketing and copywriting tips on how she stands out in a crowded market—and how you can, too.   Listen to the full episode to hear: What counterintuitive pricing strategy to use if your list is small How you *structure* your offer matters and how sometimes it’s about more than your sales tactics What "small list tactics" you can use to maximize your sales when your email list is small Why you shouldn't WAIT to launch—and how it can actually be the best thing you can do to grow your audience   Tarzan’s Links: TarzanKay.com 10 Free Email Promo Sequence Swipes Instagram: @tarzan_kay The Must-Have Tool For Promoting To A List of Less Than 1000 Subscribers   Gillian’s Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Last year I spent over $20,000 on copywriters.   That is a lot of money by the standard of any small business, and it was a very significant chunk of my expenses last year.   You might think that it sounds crazy to spent $20,000 on copywriting services.  But consider this:  if you're earning $50k with a 1% conversion rate, you could bump it up to just a 3% conversion rate and generate $150,000!   That's a really big increase!   By improving my copy-–and increasing my conversion rate–by even a small amount, I can generate significantly more revenue and profit for my business.  So spending $20,000 on copywriting suddenly doesn’t sound so crazy.   In today’s episode, I want to share what  I learned through the process of spending so much money on copywriting services.   I’m going to break down whether or not it was worth it, as well as how to consider whether hiring a copywriter is a smart move for your business. I'm also going to share with you the impact that investing this money has had on my business – good and bad.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How hiring a copywriter can (potentially!) be a great investment but it can also have a lot of challenges 2 BIG copywriting projects I outsourced, and how each of them turned out What 5 big lessons I learned about copywriting, marketing, success, and taking shortcuts Whether or not I will work with copywriters again in the future and what I'll do differently   Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch! Episode 16 with Ashlyn Carter  

I’m not the only one who runs a successful business in less than full time. Every month, I’ll share a conversation with another business owner who is prioritizing working less and earning more. We’ll get into the choices they’ve made, the tools they use, and how they organize their businesses to maximize profit and minimize effort. Today, I'm bringing on my friend Lilah Higgins to share with us a little bit about how she runs her business in about 20 hours per week. Lilah is the co-founder of TheForge, a leadership training community for faith-driven business owners, along with her husband, Zac. Lilah is also a leader in the online business space where she uses her fine art training and strategic mind to work with her clients and students to create cohesive and effective brands, helping them find the confidence they need to become industry leaders. And she does all that while being a great mom to her two little kids. Lilah definitely needs to save time wherever she can, especially now that she’s shifting her business to prioritize more fun in her life. Lilah is a perfect case study for how you can strategically run your business in fewer hours, achieve real “success”, and meet your goals without compromising your values. Listen to the full episode to hear:How Lilah knew she was working too much and what she did to cut back on working time so she could prioritize her lifetimeHow and why Lilah’s making a conscious effort to spend more time on purely fun activitiesHow Lilah transitioned from working with 1-on-1 clients to selling digital products… and the impact that had on the number of hours she works per weekWhy Lilah works “on the margins” and how the time she spends working breaks down between clients and productsHer favorite tool for helping her company earn more with less effort Links:Lilah Higgins Brand Design & ArtTheForgeLilah on InstagramLilah on FacebookStartup SocietyGillianPerkins.com 

Selling digital products is a fantastic way to be able to work less and earn more.   If you run an online business or you're planning on starting one, chances are you are very familiar with digital products and all of the benefits digital products can bring to your business.   You already know that once you create the product, you can sell them for months, even years, without having to regularly invest more time and more money into improving them or additional inventory. Digital products are something that you can create in your business to generate profits for a long time to come.   Take courses and membership sites as an example.   Courses and membership sites are two types of premium digital products you can sell, and they both offer amazing opportunities. They both offer opportunities to increase your profits without having to continually increase your work hours.   So how, when both are potentially really smart things to invest some initial time and money into, do you decide which one is right for YOU?   In today's episode, I am going to explain to you the difference between these two digital products and help you figure out which of them is the best fit for you and your business.   I'm going to help you make that decision by sharing with you some of the pros and the cons of each, my experience with them, and which one is best for you, depending on your situation and your goals.   Listen to the full episode to hear: Courses and membership sites have a lot in common -- both good and bad Which digital product is simpler to build into your business Which option can be more profitable And which option is right for YOU   Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

Every month, I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing the ins & outs of my monthly revenue.   These income reports are an in-depth and honest look at how much my business earned, what it cost, and how many hours it took me to do it.   I’ll also share which tasks and projects really ended up paying me best so that you can see how I’m optimizing my business so that I can work less and earn more over time. Plus, you’ll get a time report, breaking down the time I spend on each activity and how that created a financial result (or not).   I hope that you’ll be able to learn from my trial and error, as I work to grow my business, my impact, and my income––all while keeping clear boundaries on my time and personal life.   Today, we’re looking back on April 2020.   Listen to the full episode to hear: What has contributed to us having our biggest profit month to date The changes to the income numbers that we have seen over the last 30 days What we have seen from the affiliate program that we launched with Teachable for course creators How our Facebook advertising access was unintentionally restricted and the frustrations of trying to get them to fix it How despite working more than I normally would in preparation for maternity leave I have been blessed with being able to spend more time with my family   Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!

There is a dangerous pitfall that we can fall into when we work to optimize our business so that we can earn more and work less. This mistake can steal our joy and force us to waste countless hours each week.   Growing up, my mom was really into healthy eating. She always wanted us to eat our vegetables and take our vitamins, and she tried to feed us as much organic food as possible. Before dinner, she would always put out a giant salad and we couldn't eat our dinner until we had finished it. And we certainly weren’t going to get dessert until we had eaten our dinner.   I don't think that this was a bad thing because, to this day, I am a fantastic vegetable eater, but something that I've noticed is that this eat-your-vegetables-first mentality has carried over into other aspects of my life.   Whenever it’s work or play, I always tend to focus on getting the work out of the way before I spend time playing.   In general, as you would expect, this is a really good thing.   It’s good to focus on strategies that help to achieve as much as possible with little time and effort.   It means that I get a lot done, both because I focus on getting the work done first, and because I'm working towards some sort of a reward – dessert, fun, or relaxation.   This is so important to me because I don't want work to take over my life. I want to make sure that I've plenty of time left over to really enjoy life – to spend time with my family and to do the things that I truly love.   In today's episode, I'm going to explain what this pitfall is, why you might be making these mistakes, and how you can work to reframe your mindset and restructure your schedule to make sure that you're getting the most out of every hour you work all while enjoying the process to boot.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How focusing on the goal of working less can kill your passion for the work that you are doing What mindset shifts you can make to enjoy your work WITHOUT letting it take over your life How to shift your schedule and find the right balance between fun and work Why work is a good thing and why we should embrace it in our lives   Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) Profit Planning Challenge Get in touch!  

Copywriting has such an incredible power to allow you to work less and earn more.   If you have put the time and energy into your copy and your website is converting – convincing more people to join your email list and buy your product – that means you don't have to put in the leg work to make each individual sale yourself.   If you set up your website do the heavy lifting for you, you can take some time off and keep making money – even if you're not in the office.   In this episode, we’re talking with the brilliant copywriter and my good friend Ashlyn Carter.   Ashlyn is a conversion copywriter and marketing strategist specializing in wedding & creative industries. She trains Fortune 500 clients in corporate marketing to bring in more than seven-figures. She has worked with creatives like Jenna Kutcher, Beth Kirby of Local Milk, Julie Solomon, Katelyn James, Hilary Rushford, Lara Casey/Cultivate What Matters. Her launch funnels have generated results for clients including upwards of $1M in revenue in a single week. She's been a contributing educator with Creative Live, ConvertKit, and HoneyBook, and has been featured in Forbes, Southern Living, Style Me Pretty, and more.   I wanted to have Ashland on the show so you can learn some of the copywriting secrets that will help you improve the writing that you do to market your business.   Listen to the full episode to hear: How to make your website do the heavy lifting for you so you don't have to work as hard How improving the words on your website can help you convert more customers and allow you to work less The #1 thing everyone can improve on their website to get visitors to STICK and be more likely to convert How to use a "heatmap" to figure out exactly where you need to fix your website's copy   Ashlyn’s Links: Ashlyn Writes Instagram Facebook YouTube   Gillian’s Links: Join Startup Society (promo code: earnmore) The Feedback Form  

The reason I wasn't making any money was that people can't buy your products if they don't know they exist.   When I first started my online business, on top of being a mom and working a day job to pay my bills, I was pouring a ton of time into my business every single week without seeing much results.   I had a solid product and I had built some great automated sales funnels that should have been able to produce sales. I was wondering why they weren't working. Why wasn’t this creating the results I was looking for?   What I finally realized was that it didn't matter how amazing my product was or how good my sales funnels were. If there wasn't any traffic flowing through my funnel, then the funnel wasn't going to produce any sort of results.   And because nobody knew that me, my business, or my products existed, this wasn’t going to change.   I had to figure out how to get noticed   Now in retrospect, this seems incredibly obvious. But at the time, when I finally realized that that was true, it was quite the revelation and I realized that I needed to shift my focus in my business. I needed to get that visibility or else my business wasn't going to go anywhere.   I didn't just need to work harder–I needed to change my strategy to get the visibility that I really needed.   In today’s episode, I'm going to share with you what I did to get people to finally start paying attention and the huge difference this made in my business. I am going to share with you the strategies that really took me from earning no money with my business online to earning multiple six figures.   Listen to the full episode to hear: Why people aren't paying attention to you or your business... yet How to make something worth paying attention to The uncomfortable but POWERFUL strategy you can use to directly reach your target customers How to reach the *right* people in MASS   Links: Startup Society Profit Planning Challenge Link The Feedback Form