Growing Steady | Intentional Creative Business Podcast

Latest Episodes:

You have to be willing to do ENOUGH selling (one week from launch) May 14, 2020

Show notes

We're getting really close to the final launch of our (un-boring) coaching program for 2020. In this week's episode of The Uncertain Times, we share what last-minute tasks and to-dos we're working on plus some mindset tips on doing ENOUGH selling.

More important than the tasks and the to-dos, we talk a bit about selling in general. Most people undersell their offerings because they don't want to feel "sleazy" 😤or like they're 😬overselling.

We've sold enough stuff in our 10+ years of entrepreneurship to know you HAVE to do ENOUGH selling to hit your revenue goals (and your goals *don't* have to be 6-figure launches).

👋 Our hope in sharing this series is that it a) makes YOU feel a little less alone in the worries or questions you have through all of this and b) it gives you some ideas or inspiration about how to make decisions in your own life and business that will help keep you afloat as we surf this tidal waves of uncertainty.

How do we manage a BIG project (tasks, to-dos, priorities, and mindset), The Uncertain Times - Ep 7 May 07, 2020

Show notes

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of how we manage a big project (like our upcoming 2-week launch for our coaching program). We share the details of how we break down a big project into bite-sized pieces and how we stay sane throughout!

If you've ever launched anything before you know it's about 10x harder than it looks. There are more to-dos than you think. Each to-do takes twice as long as it should. And, you have to manage the roller coaster of emotions that goes along with selling something.

We break down the specific process we've honed over years of selling and launching a myriad of different products (and services). In this episode, we'll also talk about the importance of reframing WHY you are creating certain content. As Caroline put it, "is this being done for the LIKES or for the SALES?" There's a really important distinction you have to make and be okay with when the content you're creating is going to get lower viewership (as long as it's being viewed by the RIGHT people!)

We finished things out with our two recommendations of the week:

👩🏻‍🦰 - The book "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle: https://amzn.to/35zGOAH

👨🏻‍🦲 - The YouTube channel "You Suck At Cooking": https://www.youtube.com/yousuckatcooking

What we're doing to lead up to our FINAL launch, The Uncertain Times - Ep 6 Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

One of the biggest things that are helping us navigate getting ready to do a launch of our Un-Boring Group Coaching program (this will be our FINAL enrollment for the year) is the subtle mindset shift of "we're pushing our launch on someone" to "we're offering our launch to the right person." If you're feeling uncomfortable about selling right now, maybe that shift can help you?

We also break down the next steps we're taking for our launch: Creating an affiliate program for our current members and giving them all the information possible to help them succeed. As well as getting all our sales emails, social media content (QuarCon), and plans in place so that our launch has a sense of ease about it when the time comes.

Caroline shares a big mental repositioning as it relates to working during this pandemic. Oddly enough, the pressure of something looming larger has removed the normal heightened pressure of work. Are you feeling any of that?

If our episode got you excited about our final enrollment of our coaching program you can watch our free session on optimizing your website at https://wanderingaimfully.com/free

🎥 Subscribe to our Wandering Aimfully YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wanderingaimfully

🎙 Subscribe to our podcast if you want to listen to this show on the go: https://wanderingaimfully.com/podcast/

📬 Jump on our email list to get the 👨🏻‍🦲his/👩🏻‍🦰hers weekly version in your inbox: https://wanderingaimfully.com/newsletter/

If you want to learn more about our businesses:

Wandering Aimfully (WAIM) - A 6-month Un-Boring Coaching Program for creative business owners looking to focus on ONE aspect of their business each month. Learn more here: https://wanderingaimfully.com/join/

Teachery - A very easy to use online course platform that helps you create and sell whatever skill or idea you have: https://www.teachery.co/

Dealing with the ups and downs during COVID-19, The Uncertain Times - Ep 5 Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

This past week we embarked on a new idea 💡 to give back to our online biz owner community while also trying to do something interesting leading up to the launch of our coaching program. In usual Zook-fashion, we bit off more than we could chew with this new idea and it led to a small "breakdown."

After navigating our emotions Caroline brought up the thought that's been going through all our minds, which is just being more present right now. Not getting overwhelmed by all the *what ifs* of the future and what COVID-19 looks like down the road, but focusing on what we can control right now.

We wrapped things up with a short chat on taming our egos (especially Jason) but also about appreciating STAYING SMALL. The irony of writing that in all caps, is not lost on us 😉.

🎥 Subscribe to our Wandering Aimfully YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wanderingaimfully

🎙 Subscribe to our podcast if you want to listen to this show on the go: https://wanderingaimfully.com/podcast/

📬 Jump on our email list to get the 👨🏻‍🦲his/👩🏻‍🦰hers weekly version in your inbox: https://wanderingaimfully.com/newsletter/

If you want to learn more about our businesses:

Teachery - A very easy to use online course platform that helps you create and sell whatever skill or idea you have: https://www.teachery.co/

What 5 movie characters would you want to be quarantined with? The Uncertain Times - Ep 4 Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

This week we (obviously) shared our “Quarantine Five” but before that, we went over a few housekeeping items.

We reflected on our overall mindset and how we’re managing each day as it comes. Some days are great, productive, and our outlook is positive. Some days are the complete opposite. Both are okay and completely normal right now!

Jason shared Twitter poll results based on people’s spending behavior right now for digital products. The results were *somewhat* surprising, even though Caroline guessed them. Here is the tweet and the survey results.

Then we discussed a new idea we’re going to embark upon for the next 4 weeks (both on YouTube and via our email newsletter). What was initially an idea to redesign people’s websites live has turned into a series we’re going to call “Growing Through It” (formerly Stay-At-Home-Space/Page 😅). Look for the first installment of that series coming soon!

👩🏻‍🦰 CAROLINE’S QUARANTINE FIVE:

1. Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) from Bridesmaids
2. Marmee March (Susan Sarandon) from Little Women
3. Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) from The Proposal
4. P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) from The Greatest Showman
5. Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) from Chef

👨🏻‍🦲 JASON’S QUARANTINE FIVE:

1. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) from The Martian
2. Julia Child (Meryl Streep) from Julia & Julia
3. Fred [Mr.] Rogers (Tom Hanks) from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
4. Bic Mitchum (Kevin Hart) from The Wedding Ringer
5. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) from The Hunger Games

Honorable mention: Any character played by The Rock (except he eats too much)

Is baking sourdough bread everyone's new normal?? The Uncertain Times - Ep 3 Apr 05, 2020

Show notes

We share with you how we're settling into new routines and taking each day one step at a time. We also talk about how running any type of business is hard (be it a client-service business, a digital products business, or a software business). They all have their "shit sandwiches" you have to eat at one point or another and if anyone tells you differently, they're lying to you.

Back in 2011, Jason surprised Caroline with a birthday trip to NYC ✈️ 🍎 . We took a few minutes to reflect on that trip and all the fun we packed into 48 hours. How could Jason forget about seeing Ricky Martin live on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show?? Enjoy a quick walk down memory lane.

Last but not least, the sourdough bug 🍞 hit the Zook household and you get a look at Jason's first loaf. You can watch the Instagram story behind it in Jason's highlights: https://instagram.com/jasondoesstuff

🎥 Subscribe to our Wandering Aimfully YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wanderingaimfully

🎙 Subscribe to our podcast if you want to listen to this show on the go: https://wanderingaimfully.com/podcast/

📬 Jump on our email list to get the 👨🏻‍🦲his/👩🏻‍🦰hers weekly version in your inbox: https://wanderingaimfully.com/newsletter/

If you want to learn more about our businesses:

Teachery - A very easy to use online course platform that helps you create and sell whatever skill or idea you have: https://www.teachery.co/

This is our first pandemic, The Uncertain Times - Ep 2 Mar 29, 2020

Show notes

We're navigating COVID-19 the best way we can but that way may not be the right way for you (and that's OKAY).

🎥 Subscribe to our Wandering Aimfully YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wanderingaimfully

🎙 Subscribe to our podcast if you want to listen to this show on the go: https://wanderingaimfully.com/podcast/

📬 Jump on our email list to get the 👨🏻‍🦲his/👩🏻‍🦰hers weekly version in your inbox: https://wanderingaimfully.com/newsletter/

If you want to learn more about our businesses:

Teachery - A very easy to use online course platform that helps you create and sell whatever skill or idea you have: https://www.teachery.co/

How we're working through coronavirus, The Uncertain Times - Ep 1 Mar 22, 2020

Show notes

What questions are we asking ourselves? How are our priorities shifting? How are we staying sane and hopeful through a trying time?

Our only hope in sharing this series is that it a) makes YOU feel a little less alone in the worries or questions you have through all of this and b) it gives you some ideas or inspiration about how to make decisions in your own life and business that will help keep you afloat as we surf this tidal waves of uncertainty.

You can consume our "The Uncertain Times" series in whichever way you prefer:

🎥 Subscribe to our Wandering Aimfully YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wanderingaimfully

🎙 Subscribe to our podcast if you want to listen to this show on the go: https://wanderingaimfully.com/podcast/

📬 Jump on our email list to get the 👨🏻‍🦲his/👩🏻‍🦰hers weekly version in your inbox: https://wanderingaimfully.com/newsletter/

If you want to learn more about our businesses:

Teachery - A very easy to use online course platform that helps you create and sell whatever skill or idea you have: https://www.teachery.co/

Stuff we mentioned you should check out:

Little Fires Everywhere - https://www.hulu.com/series/little-fires-everywhere-bce24897-1a74-48a3-95e8-6cdd530dde4c

Untamed by Glennon Doyle - https://amzn.to/398ECjx

Dave - https://www.hulu.com/series/dave-ac3a96f0-9614-46af-b524-f59c7d281946

The Enigma Cube by Douglas E. Richards - https://amzn.to/3dlWPxG

10 key decisions that doubled our business growth during our toughest year Dec 15, 2019

Show notes

In January, Caroline 👩🏻‍🦰 came down with the most debilitating season of anxiety she'd ever experienced. She dealt with symptoms she'd never had before with such severity, things like depersonalization, acute tension headaches, vertigo, extreme sensitivity to light and sensations, and all of this left her completely unable to work, much less get out of bed. After months of these symptoms, trying to simply rest and recuperate and nothing changing, depression started to set in and she no longer recognized the person in the mirror. It was terrifying for both of us.

Meanwhile, Jason 👨🏻‍🦲 was not only trying to support Caroline in every way he knew how, but he was also trying to keep the business afloat while we weathered the storm. There is so much freedom and flexibility in being online business owners, but there is no steady paycheck to rely on to keep you on solid ground when you’re going through something tough.

👉👉 Flash forward to today as we write these words and we’re closing in on the final weeks of 2019. We can’t express to you how drastically things have improved since those darkest days earlier this year. Not only is Caroline's health much improved (physically and mentally) but our business feels stronger than ever.

We're extremely grateful we were able to Wandering Aimfully alive, but actually THRIVE, despite the challenges we’ve faced this year is not only something that surprised the heck out of us, but it’s something we’re really proud of.

We hope the lessons we share here might help you if you're going through you're own rough patch in life and biz 🙌.

If you're looking for (un-boring) business coaching to help you grow your business, gain more free time, and have more fun, join our 6-Month Group Coaching program. You can get your first month for 50% OFF if you use the code "casper" at https://wanderingaimfully.com/join/

FaceApp old age photos, societal stigmas, and our coffee shop grudge match Jul 24, 2019

Show notes

What are the implications of uploading our photos to a random app and should we be concerned about the privacy implications?

👴🏻 You can view Jason as an old man here: https://twitter.com/jasondoesstuff/status/1151246452368142336

What about the societal norms of men and women when it comes to aging? Can we do something to counteract the stigmas associated with getting older?

We also chat about Cat & Cloud Coffee getting sued by Caterpillar (yes, the billion-dollar construction company is suing a small neighborhood coffee company over a trademark). It's pretty crappy when a small business gets attacked by big business so we wanted to share our thoughts and ask for your support too.

🙀 Cat & Cloud Getting Sued article: https://sprudge.com/the-plot-thickens-between-caterpillar-and-cat-cloud-143970.html

Cat & Cloud Founders talk about getting sued: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-sued-by-caterpillar-inc/id1021859870?i=1000438846894

Cat & Cloud Founders talk about getting sued (part two): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lawsuit-life/id1021859870?i=1000440454388https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-sued-by-caterpillar-inc/id1021859870?i=1000438846894

👉 Support Cat & Cloud by picking up something from their site: https://catandcloud.com/

We hope you enjoyed this more random episode. Should we do more episodes like this?

🤔 COMMENT: Do you think we need to be concerned about things like FaceApp having our photos and being able to use them? Is it as important as bigger privacy issues?

If you want more updates from us...

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