« Side Hustle School

EXTENDED CUT: The $400,000 "Being Boss" Podcast

2018-06-27

Go behind-the-scenes of the mega-popular Being Boss podcast and brand. Lessons include: set partnerships carefully, take a stand for something, and “choose your choices.” 

What are YOU working on? Write me at podcast@sidehustleschool.com or @chrisguilllebeau 

Share: #SideHustleSchoolShow notes: SideHustleSchool.com/extendedTwitter: @chrisguillebeauInstagram: @193countries

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hello greetings. What's up. My name is crystal about this inside us will score caught something special forty today this is an extended kite. I think it's, our third or fourth extended cut of your number two, this is different from our normal daily episode, which of course comes out today as usual, but this episode of something extra special, it's a deeper look into one of our most popular episodes this year and of Merced was number four hundred four. It was called business. Bf turned Skype cause into six figure podcasting book deal. It was also known as the four hundred thousand dollar podcast because it featured a podcast and brand that earn more than ten and fifty thousand dollars in net income on foreign two thousand dollars revenue last year if an episode, I've got a lot of questions about it and for some reason I heard from a lot of people who said he I, when I started podcast no
here. What people want to you that, after listening to an episode about somebody making multiple six figures from about gas now through that process, I got to know one of the two co founders of this pact casting brand and since in I've had two or three other conversations with her. I've mentioned her once or twice in that way, recapture recently so for those who want to know more about how works is a special feature with more details about how they built his podcast. I think there's some good lessons here for anyone who is hoping to do something similar now, if you knew too, this'll school or because it's been a month since our last one every month, or so we have one of these special episodes diving into particular topic. The topic usually comes from our listener frequent questions that I'm getting, or in this case, an episode that was particularly popular that had more than we could explore? And we started this? there is an early twenty. Seventeen some previous extended cuts have included how to build a website and ninety minutes how to recover from a site hustle disaster, how to get a big deal out of the market. Your book and also how to
got your own annual review, which is something I do every year in December, if you're interested in my check those out the links to all of them are successful. School dot com, slash extended ass, he s, T entity, eighty, all that content is
They re just like this episode today and we're gonna jump into today's episode. All about the special case study of a multi six figure podcast right after this message from our sponsor, which, by the way the sponsor allows us myself in our production team to bring this and all the other stuff. We do unsubtle school to you completely free. So I really appreciate them. Let's say thank you and in its look a bit more at this big success price, as mentioned, let's revisit a story that was very popular called s story. The turn. Fifty thousand our pie task, for, I think, was the forty thousand- are packed aspect tuner. Fifty thousand dollars of that was net income in for some reason, a lot of people are interested quick recap that episode to friends decide to record their business conversations.
Release them as a pod cast with no intention of monetizing, then sponsor comes calling and a lot of people start listening and they think hey. Maybe we should do more with this, so they pursue that further and you're one. They made a hundred thousand dollars. Then you're too it was twenty five thousand dollars gross income, and then you know you're three four thousand dollars for a net profit of around two hundred. Fifty thousand, as I said, one of the things we focused on that episode was their decision to close a facebook group. They started in this phase group had grown to more than twenty five thousand members, so it really taken off, but it had taken off in a way tat was kind of going beyond their initial purpose. They felt it actually. The Spaceboat group was a distraction more than it actually was it benefit, so they made the decision to close. That group push, as I said at the time, was contrary and an brave like to become the honest, I think it was the right decision to make. I clearly it wise, but I don't know that I would have been able to make the same decision because it's really easy to look
They like our while, like there's so many people here, maybe there's a way we can just take this, or maybe we just kind of go with it, but that decision was we're not going to focus on too much here I just kind of mission and to show how intentional I think Kathleen These two business partners are- and I dont know Emily S well, but I've had a lot of conversations with Kathleen both in terms of preparing that up and then also since then she just been very open with me and by proxy with you and the rest of our listeners. So why was there podcast so successful like why them when so many others aren't? This is always question. It's worth looking out when you looking at somebody's blog when looking at somebody's business, like whatever is. Why has this when taken off to a degree in which others haven't is to say from the beginning like there is some mystery to lock is always like a mystery element. I noticed that, as an author, like, I follow the publishing industry pretty closely, and I see a lot of great books come out that don't do so well and everyone's Doyle, I see a booklet really take off and I just gotta think to myself. I am not sure that book deserve to know as much success as a guide
This is kind of the mystery factor, so obviously we can't control that what is within the realm of our control? Okay, so why so successful? And the first lesson I think, is the combination of luck and commitment, and you may think I will luck is one of those things that you can't control and, of course that's true, but I think what you can all is what you do with luck. So in some ways they were lucky. Ok, Kathleen was a customer afresh books and in either the first episode or one of the first episodes of the petty cash. She talked about them as a resource and she was aid to do so, she just said like they I'm a customer. I like the service, it makes my life better and one afresh books. Employees was a listener, and in her the mention of that up a shout so soon after the company came to them and said, like hey, would you like to partner in some way? I can maybe your sponsor so as mentioned, they didn't intend demonetized the pie cast, but after signing up with fresh books, which they did, they said yeah. This is a great because we're talking about you anyway, we're happy to recommend you to our customers and art listeners. Then they got me
serious about its. We had this lock. They had this early momentum, they got featured in Itunes. They had that sponsor that came to them, so they were lucky, but then they capitalized on it. Ok, they end said in their luck. They double down on their good fortune. So, even though the high costs, game with no money making calls like once they realized it was taking off. They took it seriously and something that they are. The most product which I did mention before is that they ve never missed scheduled episode. Ok, they want their listeners know they can count on it like their their active listeners. Their true fans, like on the day the episode supposed to come out a lot of them are just waiting for it and like refreshing, their funds, and they want instil that loyalty that expectation that hey. We promised this to you and it's gonna come it's gonna happen. I really believe. There's power in a streak acacia having a streak like that of being able to say ok for three years, like we ve, never missed an episode or, if you're just getting started with something like what can you do for three weeks in a row or even just three days.
If it's just something really small, if, if you're trying to use social media who I'm just new to this social media platform, okay, well for the next ten days, I'm in a post once a day. Ok, that's not overwhelming! That's not difficult! That's a reasonable gall! And maybe when you post, you know days in a row, then you'll post for another ten days in a row. Can I get a thirty day call and make it a sixty day call and so on. So this kind of consistency builds trust, and it's also good for you. Later should not only about building that loyalty in other people. It's also just building the habit in you with scientists a school we recently had this glitch with apple pie casts some of you may be aware of it like I never stop producing the show that we do it every single day, but for whatever reason, there are some weird glitch with apple pie, cash where they didn't load the episodes, for. I think it was about two and a half days in a row, so the episodes we're coming up. They weren't being pulled correct they think they they got it all fixed and everything is fine, but for those two and a half days I've got a lotta notes from people we all of us. We will said like hey. Are you ok, like didn't get the episode like what's wrong? That made me think. Ok, I'm doing something right, because people are expecting this, their counting on it
I built a streak of more than five in our day says so I dont know MRS either, because that I would feel bad so the point. His luck is a factor in life. You know not just pack gas or not just precise us, those but for all kinds of things like the factor in life, but when you get lucky, don't get complacent, get to work towards the combination of locking commitment. First of all, second of, I think I think, had the right partnership going into this surviving mister. Even without knowing them? If you listen to an episode of their shower, if you read only about you can tell their skills are a good match. Its often go to work with somebody who has complimentary skills to you, So in an ideal world, that person has similar values and maybe a similar work style as well. So you can collaborate, but they are actually good at some things that you're not get out, and vice versa too, when it comes to being boss ass, the name of their project, thereby cast their brand to their annual event all kinds of stuff. I went back to my new friend catholic Who's, been very patient. With my questions, and I said: ok, how do you handle your division of labour because, with a project like this there's something different tasks like? How do you guys decide who does
So she sent me a long list of stock or just share some highlights with you here. She said when Emily first reach out to me about doing a pod caused. I was like cool, but I will never be able to do any technical staff, so Emily promised to cover that side of things and ever since then we ve had frequent conversations. But our strengths and weaknesses, what we actually want to be doing all day and where we have the most impact and jerry I'd, say: Emily is more methodical, analytical and loves systems, processes and automation. I take more of a creative director role together, we're both pretty creative, visual strategic and detail. Oriented Emily takes the lead on tee management and task management, so they use them. Software called Sana, which some listeners may be familiar with from their day: job and Emily kind of overseas, that process of coordination with other team members delegating tasks and so on.
She also takes the lead on web design and development. She handles systems and processes and also handles their annual events, which actually call yearly vacations, but these are vacations with seventy five people, so not really a vacation for Inland Kathleen, at least a dozen selling it to me. Meanwhile, Kathleen takes the lead on podcast content, media, sponsor relationships and negotiations, brand management and craved right soon and then, but production they wrote the book together, a Catholic took the lead on being to make contact with their agent their publisher and actually designing the book itself. She's also leading the way forward for book number two. So that's why they do separately, but together they collaborate on business, development, marketing strategy, brand positioning, all that extra kind of stuff and are constantly video chatting through new ideas in current projects. So you know all that to say: that's a lot of detail there, but all I just They had the right partnership. If you're gonna have a partnership with someone, it shouldn't just be someone that you like me, that's important, you're gonna have to work with this personal. I must also be someone who has these come
country skills. Like you share the vision. You share the values, but there's some things there good at that you're not and most likely, vice versa. Now, let's look at a couple of philosophical things case. We talked about luck. Inconsistency talked about right partnership and others was really interesting in one of my conversations with Kathleen. She said you know, if you're trying to building this kind of brand, you don't have to explicitly say who you're trying to connect with people we'll figure it out, but this is really can train as well. I mean the skylight closing a facebook group were twenty five thousand members. So once again, you know have to explicitly say who you're trying to connect with people or figure it out. I think what she means is that messaging matters and communicating the values matter more than saying
hey I'm out there trying to connect with women aged forty two, forty four, with a certain amount of education living in this part of a country with no two point: four kids in a dog. That kind of stuff think the point is to focus on your message on how you think you're gonna change the world and what kind of people in terms of behaviour in terms of values and psycho, graphics, perhaps psycho graphics, just being like shared belief. Systems are shared values, thinking a bit more about those things and about actual demographics. Okay, so she mentioned an example of another podcast. She didn't say with a name wise, but this pod cast was kind of using this phrase like we're a pot casper bad ass women now that being boss podcast all,
tracks, a lot of bad ass women. The Catholic said she would never use that phrase because she doesn't want to alienate men. She doesn't want to alienate women who are like you, I'm awesome, but I'm not bad asked or I don't know. I guess the point is that you can have to say, like we are, for these people, people what kind of figure it out. So I tried to do something similar or like. I try to state the values of cider school on a regular basis like the values or freedom security. The ability to decide or make your own choices are not going to stop them within those values. There's all kinds of people who could subscribe to them, you could be of any age, could be of any background. Like generally speaking, I am trying to communicate to people who have,
There are jobs for people who are not necessarily entrepreneurs like me, but of course we also have a lot of entrepreneurs. Another self employed folks listening to the show. So for me I think for them. The most important thing is just being clear about what you're about and trusting that the right people will find you from their. So the lesson was you don't have to explicitly say who you're trying to connect with people will understand. The next lesson is to take a stand for something you believe in that. I firmly believe that I think you know there are times in our society in our culture and our and our shared lives, where it's really important to speak out about something and doesn't mean it. You have to be a social commentator on everything it up
That's the point, but I do think from time to time is important to say, like hey here's what I believe about this thing and when you do that, I think what you gain interest will be far more than whatever you lose right besides like if you believe in something like shouldn't, you be willing to take a stand for it. So I'm talking about some fundamental issues of equality, of social justice, of being able to say that black lives matter are being able to say like he. Actually we want to create a fair society, for everyone is not really about being political. Odd. I think that's. Ok, too. I think there's there's no reason you shouldn't say what you political beliefs are. I think the whole concept of being like nine political nonreligious or non offensive is overrated, as I say, whatever you like. From sharing something you believe in is gonna, be offset by what you gain the trust of those people who do decide to stick with you, and I also think if somebody is offended at something you say you know, especially if it's like up mild stance or something, then there
relationships. Wasn't that close? To begin with- and this happens to me whenever there's a presidential election or major election like you- I do usually share on social media like no, but I believe in and whom supporting. I usually do. A pretty non judgmental way, and I say, like I'm, an independent voter, butler, into the issues- and this is the choice of making- and I do not often hear from me there like wow. Like you know, I can't believe it Chris. You have disappointed me so much and subscribing on following I'll. Never listened anything else. You say you know I'm kind of like ok. Well, I guess Our relationship with wasn't that strong to begin with, because I would never say that to you. In fact, I try to take pride in having friends in and connections of, people who are now believe of a variety of different things. So I don't wanna go off on attention on this. I just want to say that this is something that I think think Emily's you well and taking a stand
something you believe it is a strength, a case, not something that like, oh, you can do that, but then you're gonna lose something, and I think this actually solidifies that community support and it generates trust, especially from you know. If you are speaking about something, that's very personal to a lot of people- those people who are affected by that issue are gonna, be effected a lot by what you say and so dont be afraid to share able, you believe, took aim. So last but not least, definition of weekly recap recently. This phrase choose your choices. This comes from Kathleen and I liked it a lot of him thinking about it. You'll Kathleen says she works about thirty hours a week and you know she's got a family. She also wants to spend a lot of time at the gym. She's got other priorities like her business is not everything and her colleague Emily, like her business, either, but Emily has chosen to have a third business. Acacia Emily has her on business. She has the business that they now share, that being boss brand and she started a third business recently.
So the lesson isn't so much. You know that Emily's riding Kathryn is wrong or vice versa. The lesson is, it's all about your choice and being intentional. What is important to you? Why are you doing what you too? Why do you do this every day I used to have this little no wallpaper on my computer that every time I open up my laptop, it would say why do you do this every day we have to be careful, because in society were often presented with this, like dichotomy like here. You can choose a or b like you want a or b, and you very well may say I said I don't want to hear those things. I said I want to see or d or e, or maybe I want, Andy and a quota I had from Kathleen about. This was united. As we carry so much emotion around with us about things that we don't do. We have so much guilt. We have so much regret so when it comes to starting your business, your site, hustler whatever it is. You need to either do it or just decide that you're not going to do it and deciding how to do it as an acceptable outcome like if it is not the right time for you now than that's. Ok like just like that, you know, keep learning, keep absorbing and then, when the time is right, that's great
but if it is the right time and you dont do it, then you feel some regret over that too. So do at our door to choose your choices. Take control over your decisions that somebody else has not deciding for you and she also said remember that you're going to die one day which can be a very powerful reminder and motivator. I remember a few years ago, I wrote a book called the happiness of pursuit, and above was about me on question on every country in the world may also looked at lots of other people who are undertaking a quest like what do they have in common. Why do these people choose to do something? It's gonna take a long time. It requires and sacrifice, and trade offs like how are there lies affected by that, and so on. One of the things I saw that these people have in common least alot of people undertake a quest for a big project. Is they a kind of a keen awareness of mortality like either they ve suffered a loss in some way from a family member, a close friend where they just always like from a young age, been mindful of the fact that life isn't forever and so just caring
memory with? You is not meant to be like a sadder depressing kind of thing. It's actually meant to be a positive motivator to say, ok, what will I do with my life like? What is the point? I do have a lot of opportunity here. There is a lot of potential, so what I M going to make an end once again for the last time, haven't gonna make those choices that somebody else doesn't make those choices. For me as a super quick little recap, the less of the foreigner thousand dollar being boss, Pike asked less number one. Why so successful? I think it's a combination of luck and commitment, commitment, inconsistency. So, yes, luck is great, but then, when you get lucky what're you gonna do about it. Second, the right partnership matters a lot just not to say that every project should be a partnership in fact tend to feature lot more projects that aren't if you're gonna have a partnership is a key to get that right, because so much is gonna be built on that third, be really clear, unintentional about your messaging you'll have to explicitly say who you're trying to connect with people will figure it out, but do be clear about what your message is and what your values are. Next speaking about use don't be afraid to take a stand for something you believe then, because to flip that statement,
people even something. Why wouldn't you be willing to take a stand for it? Of course she shut and last but not least, choose your choices. So let someone else tell you there's only a and b there are lots of other letters. In fact, I think there's something like twenty six letters in the english language alphabet. The last I checked. I hope you like this special analysis. This extended cut if you'd like to see notes for it or a check out any of the other extended kites. I think we have about fifteen of them so far. All that stuff is free. You can just go to satisfy school dot com slashed extended and, of course, you do and check out Kathleen Emily's project will include links as well, along with lots of other stuff, hope you having a wonderful day I'll, be back tomorrow with the regular episode. Thank you for listening. I'm critical about four side are so small.
Transcript generated on 2020-04-28.