I Make a Living

Latest Episodes:

The Art of the Side Hustle- Rich Jones Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Do you find your brain buzzing when you look at your to-do list? Rich Jones knows that feeling. As host of the personal finance podcast Paychecks and Balances, creator of the podcast consulting business Showstarter, and as internal communications manager at Google, Jones has a lot on his plate. On this week's episode, we do a deep-dive on the tools he uses to make sure that everything gets done.
Jones suggests doing a bit soul-searching to figure out what's important to your business, and which tools might help—they might not be the ones everyone else is using. He uses tools like Slack, Evernote and Trello, along with automation software Zapier, in order to streamline communication and tasks. He's also thinking creatively about his networks: by introducing affiliates to his business model, Jones creates value for his ability to connect people with the products and services they need. Overall, he takes an experimental approach, and doesn't focus too much on mastering the programs he uses. As long as they're doing what he needs them to, it's good for his business.

Self Care During a Pandemic- John Kim Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

When you're trying to manage stress levels, tapping into simple strategies can make a big difference. In this week's minisode, John Kim of The Angry Therapist talks to us about why we're feeling worried, and what we can do about it. He touches on why getting some exercise can help structure your day, why a flow state can be the best kind of distraction, and how we can use this time to connect with audiences online. It's self-care for the shelter-in-place entrepreneur.

Resources:

Stages of Grief- https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/

Guest:

John Kim's Website- Texts from the Angry Therapist

$1M- 1 Person Business Secrets- Elaine Pofeldt Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

Can you get your business to one million dollars in revenue without any employees? Not only is it possible, but Elaine Pofeldt has written the blueprint. As the author of The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business, Pofeldt tapped into years of experience writing about business, and running her own successful business, to give a guide to scaling up.
Pofeldt started as a staff writer, and launched her writing business in 2007 in order to balance the needs of her growing family against her bottom line. She spent the first two years of her independent business learning the ropes: being open to retainer arrangements, asking for deposits, and diversifying her services to include ghostwriting, coaching, and editing. “If you think of how you can be of service to people,” she says, “people will come to you.” We dive deeper on why saying yes to everything can sometimes backfire, why you should outsource work, and how to consider investing your profits back into professional development.

Guest

Elaine Pofeldt- Website

From Vision to $250M Business- Ankur Nagpal Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Everyone knows something: whether it’s mortgage expertise or breastfeeding advice, we all have pockets of knowledge that make us everyday experts. Imagine being able to reach an online audience with that info, and charging them to learn it. Ankur Nagpal has this vision, so he created Teachable to help people earn money from what they can share with others.

Nagpal, whose background includes both real-life teaching and tech development, was a Forbes’s 2019 30 Under 30 Education honoree. This week, we talk to him about how to keep a relatively sane work-life balance (no all-nighters is a personal rule for him), how to hire and retain great employees (including an unorthodox stable of engineers), and how he’s come to recognize what Teachable really offers its clients. “We always say, No one wants your course,” he explains. “What they want is the outcome. They want the transformation. Your course is a way for them to get there.” He shares some of his knowledge with us, free of charge.

Transformative Storytelling- Michael Kass Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

On this week's episode, we chat with Michael Kass, the founder of Story and Spirit. Kass has tapped into his deeply varied background—think theatre, financial management, breath work and vision quests—and now uses the power of storytelling to help people and businesses transform.
The importance of storytelling as a business tool has been highlighted by Harvard Business Review and Google as a key skill for success. It goes past the “why” of the business and into the “who,” as in how who you are drives what you do. We chat about why, while telling those stories might take a big cultural shift, doing so helps democratize how we know and learn about each other and our work. In childhood, Kass was moved by the realization that fairy tales hardly ever included regular people; as an adult, he's working to change that, and making a successful business along the way.
We talk about the power of certification, the 80-20 rule, and defining success when you’re the first one on your path. Kass also walks us through the basics of a breath work exercise designed to help release emotion and get grounded when things seem turbulent.

Guest

Michael Kass- https://www.storyandspirit.org/michaels-story.html

Transitioning to a Virtual Workspace- Jeni Wren Stottrup Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Gritty Birds Podcasting has been developing podcasts since 2014. Owned by producer and artist Jeni Wren Stottrup, Gritty Birds started as a music podcast interviewing label runners, lawyers, magazine owners, booking agents and more in the PNW community sponsored by Vortex Music Magazine. Wren had been deeply active as a singer, journalist, festival producer and in media sponsorship, with a desire to explore how create a successful career in music and audio production.

Guest- Jeni Wren Stottrup

Join Jeni for a free workshop- http://grittybirds.com/freefridays/

The Business of Podcasting- Jeanine Wright and Fatima Zaidi Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

NOTE: In light of the Covid-19 outbreak and the current landscape for entrepreneurs, and small business owners, we are working hard to bring you more resources and conversations to get you through these difficult times. Stay tuned for some special episodes in the coming days and weeks. Stay strong, you are not alone! Follow our community at facebook.com/groups/imakealiving

We know you like podcasts, but have you ever thought about starting one? On this week's episode, we talk to two women with ample experience in the field. Jeanine Wright is the COO of Simplecast, which helps launch podcasts, and has a special focus on analytics. Fatima Zaidi co-founded Quill, which connects podcasts professionals to folks with a dream in order to get a project off the ground. We get the inside story on what goes into podcasting after the microphone is turned off: podcasts are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to companies, but they also need to find their own path to success. As Zaidi asks, “What kind of brand do you want to be seen as?”
We also talk to Wright and Zaidi about their experiences on opposite ends of the investor spectrum. Zaidi weighs on the value of running a bootstrap operation, while Wright shares her three criteria for considering an investment opportunity. Both also offer insight into their experience as women in a male-dominated sector, where there are opportunities to break new ground and create a work-life balance that works for you.

Guests-

Jeanine Wright- Simplecast

Fatima Zaidi- Quill

Empowering Female Leaders- Lisa Carmen Wang Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Lisa Carmen Wang has spent a lot of time falling and even more time getting back up. As a rhythmic gymnast, she took home Pan-Am Games gold and was the US National Champion for three years running. In 2015, she founded SheWorx, a platform devoted to launching and scaling female-headed businesses. In this week's episode, she talks to us about her newest project, The GLOW.
“How do you get your foot in the door when you aren’t born in a rich family and you aren’t born into these Silicon Valley circles?” she asks. SheWorx provides part of the answer: networks of mentors, peers and allies who can help guide and amplify women's voices in the entrepreneurial space. But Wang knew that the business side was only part of the answer. The GLOW—which stands for The Global League of Women— takes a holistic approach to female success, training women to love their voice, their bodies, and their spirit. The end result? Boosted confidence and what Wang calls "enoughness." In our chat with Wang, we touch on the importance of resilience, how men can be great allies in business (and in life), and the power of a good self-care ritual.

Cultural Heritage and Diversity in Business- The Lopez Family Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

James Beard award-winning restaurant, Guelaguetza in Los Angeles’s Koreatown, puts Oaxacan cuisine and culture at the forefront of today’s dynamic culinary scene.

Bricia Lopez - Bricia Lopez is an entrepreneur, cultural ambassador, and a key figure in Los Angeles’ gastronomic scene. The New Yorker called Bricia the “Queen of Mezcal.” This year she opened Vegas’s first ever mezcal bar – ‘Mama Rabbit” inside The Park MGM. Launched the Super Mamas Podcast with Paulina, that has become a lifestyle media company, complete with annual events, and corporate partnerships with major brands. Bricia Lopez was appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles to the Board of Convention and Tourism Development on March 2019.

Paulina Lopez-Velazquez - CFO and Director of Catering and Special Events. Super Mamas Social, a parenting festival that takes place yearly in Downtown Los Angeles. Paulina currently sits on the Board of Directors of City Charter Schools, a K-12 Los Angeles Based School organization that promotes diversity, culture, and bilingualism. Most recently, Paulina was awarded Women of The Year in the Council District 54, by Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas.

Monetizing Your Skills- Carmelia Ray Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Something we've heard a lot from the female entrepreneurs at our I Make A Living live events, is that so many of you have trouble with sales. Even though we know what we have to offer we sometimes feel uncomfortable asking for what we’re worth.

Carmelia Ray is an internationally acclaimed matchmaker for high achieving men and the quality women they’re searching for. She’s also a renowned TV personality from Mom Vs. Matchmaker, The Real Housewives Of Toronto, and A User’s Guide to Cheating Death (Fall 2018).

A frequent media contributor, Carmelia’s advice and expertise have been featured in notable outlets including AskMen, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, OK! Magazine, Global News, Cupid’s Pulse, The Marilyn Denis Show, CHCH News, Elle, Playback, and countless others. Her wealth of wisdom and experience has also attracted in-demand partnerships with major dating companies including Match.com, Lava Life, Instant Chemistry, and more.

Carmelia is a great example of selling confidently and being bold about getting paid for the value she offers others.

Here’s a summary of what Carmelia taught us today:

Focus your sales pitch on the value proposition for your clients rather than minutia of the product or service and try not to sound desperate even if you are
Get organized and plan as much as you can
Always incorporate time with family and loved ones into your schedule, no matter how busy your business gets
Network like you would make friends - the more relationships you build, the more robust your sales network
Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate

See what Carmelia is up to at CarmeliaRay.com or on social media @carmeliaray.

Guest

Carmelia Ray- Website

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