The Smart Passive Income Podcast: Online Business | Blogging | Passive Income | Lifestyle

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I talk about an incredibly powerful productivity tip that can help you get more and better results faster - however, it's one of the toughest strategies to implement, especially for someone with an entrepreneurial mindset, like myself. What is this tip? Work in small, but complete batches, taking one thing at time. This is something you've probably heard of before, or some variation of it, but there are a number of different levels to the "work on one thing at a time" strategy that I wanted to discuss today. This episode is relatively shorter than the rest, but it's an important message that I wanted to hone in on, especially since many of us are gearing up for Niche Site Duel 2.0. How does this episode apply to NSD2.0? After Tuesday's post (which received over 1,200 comments within the first 24 hours!) I received a number of emails from people who said they are totally committed to participating in NSD2.0, but they wanted to create multiple niche sites at the same time, instead of just one. This may seem like a good idea, since you could target several different keywords in different niches at the same time, build out many different websites and then end up with multiple sites each with the potential to earn an income, but after listening to this episode you'll have a better understanding as to how and why each project should be done and completed one at a time. A lot of this is inspired by Eric Reis's book, The Lean Startup (affiliate link), which I just recently finished reading. I wasn't sure what to expect from the book since it's related to the startup world - which I'm not really in - but almost the entire book applies to what I and everyone else here does as bloggers and online entrepreneurs. A lot of what you'll hear in this session sounds counter-intuitive, which is what makes it so hard. Our intuition tells us something else is actually better, when in reality it's the opposite. But, this is also what makes the ideas in The Lean Startup so interesting and so powerful. These tips also provide a lot of insight into just how much time is actually wasted while we transition from one task to another. Not only do we tend to allocate our time to many different projects and/or tasks, but we're actually losing precious time during those transitional periods when we switch from one project to the next - perhaps seconds on the micro level, but in the grand scheme of things it's potentially hours, days or weeks of time that we are losing. In this session, you'll hear me talk about two different ways to create wedding invitations and which one is better. You'll hear me talk about how I've applied these same strategies in projects that I've worked on - even though on the outside it may seem like I have more than a handful of projects going on all at the same time. You'll also hear about one of my very first jobs working in a Halloween Costume factory and how that made me feel, and finally I'll go over an example of what happens when you try to create three niche site at the same time, versus just one. Right click here to download the MP3 Resources Mentioned in this Podcast Include: The Lean Startup by Eric Reis Eric Reis Google Talk about Lean Startup Methodology Stuffing Envelopes Video Question or Feedback? Leave Me a Voicemail! If you have a question you'd potentially like answered on the show, or just feedback in general (constructive criticism and praise is absolutely welcome!), feel free to visit my voicemail page to quickly and easily leave me a message. Thank you! Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you can get updated sessions delivered right to you as they come out. Finally, if you haven't done so already, I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick (and honest) rating and review of the show on iTunes by clicking on the link below!

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I'm honored to interview Neil Patel, founder of the popular blog QuickSprout, and co-founder of CrazyEgg and KISSmetrics. Neil's resume is beyond impressive. By age 21, the Wall Street Journal nam...

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, we welcome Spencer Haws, founder of Niche Pursuits and creator of the popular keyword research tool, Long Tail Pro. This particular episode, along with a few other upcoming episodes and posts, are a part of an ongoing research phase that I'm conducting for the upcoming Niche Site Duel 2.0 challenge. Before I start building another website from scratch and sharing everything that happens along the way with you (I did this once before here), I want to make sure I'm up to date on everything I need to know before diving in - and of course you're coming along with me every step of the way. So far, I had a chat with Alex Becker who shared some very interesting, almost controversial strategies to rank websites for himself and his clients. The interview, which went up last week, has nearly 300 comments at the time I write this post. Today, we have Spencer from Niche Pursuits who recently built a brand new website that is now ranking #1 in Google for his target keyword, and the site is now generating more and more income each month. I wanted to bring him on the show to share exactly how he made that happen with us. Spencer has a long history with building niche websites. He's built hundreds and has earned well over 5-figures a month from his sites - that is, until he was banned from Google Adsense last year. We talk a little bit about that in the podcast session as well as what he did to get most of his income back. Spencer provides us with another account of what seems to be working in SEO and Keyword Research today. Please note that I am still in research mode and some or all of the NSD2.0 related strategies and methods mentioned during this session, or any other podcast session, post or video, may not necessarily align or become the same strategies that I end up using myself. You will hear more about my specific strategies and tactics soon, which will be based off of my own knowledge of building websites and search engine optimization, as well as what I am learning from others. More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: How Spencer turned his hobby of building websites into a business. The light bulb that went off in Spencer's head that allowed him to finally start seeing results with his work online. Exactly how many websites Spencer had when he quit his job in 2011, and the range of income he was earning from each. How Spencer "manages" a large number of websites at the same time. How Spencer's business model has changed since he first started. One of the most common mistakes when conducting keyword research. Spencer's exact parameters and exactly what he's looking for when analyzing keywords. Specific strategies for finding 'seed keywords' to put into tools like Market Samurai and Long Tail Pro What Spencer looks for when it comes to the competition for a particular keyword with search and traffic potential. Tools to help you determine how authoritative a competitive site may be. The start to finish process that Spencer used to rank a site in the survival industry, including the exact keyword he built a website for. What 'juice page links' and Page authority are and how to determine if a niche is too competitive to build a site for. Spencer's content plan and what he did to stand out from the rest of the competition. How Spencer built links to his site. Plus a whole lot more! Right click here to download the MP3 Resources Mentioned in this Podcast Include: Niche Pursuits (Spencer's blog) Long Tail Pro ($30.00 discount available for SPI readers & listeners ONLY - this is an affiliate link) SEOMoz (you can sign up for a free account) Elance.com Point Blank SEO by Jon Cooper The SPI interview with Alex Becker. SlideShare DocStoc Spencer's Niche Site Project CLICK HERE to give some love to Spencer on Twitter and let him know you enjoyed the show. $30.

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I interview mobile marketing expert Greg Hickman of MobileMixed.com. We talk about everything that we as bloggers, online business owners and entrepreneurs need to know about our growing mobile audience and how to better serve them to get better results. Beyond sharing exactly why mobile is so vital to our online businesses, he also gives us a ton of actionable tips and how-to strategies that we can implement right now to better utilize (and also grow!) our mobile audience. Even though Greg and I have only recently met, he and I have become extremely good friends ever since we hung out together at New Media Expo in Las Vegas this past January. Besides being extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic about mobile marketing, he's probably one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. I connected with him so well because like me, he really wants to help other people succeed. He also likes to rap battle me on Twitter from time to time. Greg has been a mobile marketer since 2005 - this was a couple of years before the iPhone was introduced, just to give you some perspective. He worked with the New York Jets, the Florida Marlins and a handful of other teams. He's also done some consulting on using mobile technology for small to medium-sized businesses. Now, Greg is here to help us. When you really think about it, by not being ready for a mobile audience you are actually doing a huge portion of your audience a big disservice. Often times, the first experience people will have with your brand will be through a smartphone or tablet device. If you don't cater to them, there's almost a 50% chance that these potential readers, subscribers and customers will leave and never come back. More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: What "going mobile" in your business actually means and why it's so confusing to a lot of people. Why mobile marketing is the most personal form of marketing today. How podcasting and video play a role in mobile marketing. The number of people who have visited SmartPassiveIncome.com via mobile in the last 30 days and a surprising finding about their visits. The idea behind responsive design and how to make it happen on your own site. How to cater to "fat thumbs", like mine. The impact of mobile on local search and how that benefits local businesses. The percentage of people that connect to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube via mobile and how that impacts the visitors to your website. The number one thing you should do as a blogger or online business owner to "go mobile". The hierarchy of mobile needs. Why "pinching and zooming" does not count as being mobile friendly. How to convert people to your email list using mobile. Greg's thoughts on the WP-Touch Wordpress plugin. The incredible impact of mobile on email marketing and tips for getting people to read and click the links in your email on their mobile devices. How to use text messaging to continue the experience your audience has with you after a podcast episode or presentation. Plus a whole lot more! Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: Greg's site, MobileMixed.com Brad Frost Interview on MobileMixed ThinkTraffic.net (example of responsive design) PatFlynn.me (another example of responsive design) Michael Hyatt's mobile-responsive theme Gumroad.com Gumroad being used on Nathan Barry's website Mogreet Also, CLICK HERE to give some love to Greg on Twitter! Question or Feedback? Leave Me a Voicemail! If you have a question you'd potentially like answered on the show, or just feedback in general (constructive criticism and praise is absolutely welcome!), feel free to visit my voicemail page to quickly and easily leave me a message. I'll feature you and your question on the show! Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast, and finally,

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I re-record the live presentation I recently did at Social Media Marketing World, a conference that took place here in my hometown of San Diego earlier this month. As many of you know, me and tech...

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I reminisce while having a chat with Douglas Linn from QuietSpeculation.com, a website and community that serves those who are interested in the popular card dueling game called Magic the Gathering, or MTG for short. More specifically, he and his partner's site provide a platform and information for selling, trading and price forecasting of MTG cards used in the game. A lot of you know I was (and forever will be) a marching band nerd ever since high school. Well, in addition to that, I was also a hardcore Magic the Gathering player throughout middle school and high school. Now that I think about it, maybe that's why I didn't have my first girlfriend until my sophomore year of college… Anyway, joking aside (sort of), MTG an awesome game and I'm not afraid to admit that I played. Over 12 million other people know where I'm coming from, and although this was a hobby for me, for some people it became so much more. Expert players have made a career out of it. For Doug and his partner, the game has allowed them both to take a hobby they love and monetize it to earn some decent cash on the side. They each still have their full-time jobs, but the site is growing steadily and more than that, it allows them to get paid to do what they love and bring people together to share the experience. When it comes to monetizing hobbies, we've already been inspired by people like Lain Ehmann (from Podcast Session #37) who is making an incredible 6-figures in the scrapbooking industry. Doug and Kelly's monetization model, specifically for a hobby niche, is something we haven't yet covered on the SPI podcast. Their shift from a free blogspot blog to what is now a self-hosted, membership website is extremely educational, and I think it's useful to hear it from the vantage point of someone who still has a full time position elsewhere. In this session you'll discover: How QuietSpeculation.com progressed from a blog with free information, to a membership site and how that affected readership. How Doug and Kelly get their members to stay paying members for an average of 2.5 years! Why a staff of writers is extremely important - for themselves as the owners, the community of paying members, and the writers too. Analytics and calculations used to determine the health of their business. Pricing strategies for old and new members for a hobby community. Why Doug refuses to use exclamation points in his emails!

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I'm excited to have a chat with successful mom blogger, Meagan Francis from TheHappiestHome.com! The mom blogger community is a huge force with incredible klout in the blogosphere. When I was working as the web and social media director for Crooked Arrows, part of our marketing strategy was specifically geared towards targeting mom bloggers because we knew just how much influence they could have. Together, they can take something that's relatively unknown and make it world-famous in a short period of time. The dynamic and also perception of the mom blogger community is really interesting, so I was excited to have a chance to speak with Meagan, a mom blogger who is also an author, public speaker, and she just had her first six-figure year last year. We talk about how she got started, as well as how she and others in her community are getting traffic, marketing and monetizing their blogs. There are definitely some great lessons to be learned here, no matter what kind of business you might have. She told me that her work life and personal life has never melded so well together, and she's having a blast doing exactly what she wants to do, which is awesome! Here is a picture of Meagan and her lovely family! In this session you'll discover: How Meagan got started online by "pitching magazines" and freelancing, and how those who are just starting out and looking for money now could do something similar. Why Meagan initially saw no potential for income from her mom blog and what she did to turn that around. Meagan's progression from 0 readers to thousands after deciding to start her blog, and how she got traffic to come to her site. Exactly how Meagan is monetizing her blog, and how bigger brands play a major role in that. How Meagan is continuing to add value to her readers while monetizing at the same time. How agencies play a role in brand and sponsorship opportunities. How mom bloggers became such a critical mass in the blogosphere and the history behind the community. Why it's not too late to start blogging, and tips to help you stand out right from the start. The important of conferences to meet and connect with people in your industry. Thoughts on the "apologetic tendencies" of those in the mom blogging community when trying to sell something and make money. What's working right now for mom bloggers that other industries can adapt. Plus much more! Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: The Happiest Home (previously TheHappiestMom.com) The Kitchen Hour (Meagan's podcast!) Meagan's Personal Blog Clever Girls Collective (A marketing agency to sign up as a parenting/mom blogger and get brand and sponsorship opportunities) The Sits Girls (Another marketing agency, similar to above) Pinterest Shopping, Showers and Self-Sacrifice: The Lesson of the Blue Dress Question or Feedback...Leave Me a Voicemail! If you have a question you'd potentially like answered on the show, or just feedback in general (constructive criticism and praise is absolutely welcome!), feel free to visit my voicemail page to quickly and easily leave me a message. I Need Your Help! Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast! If you enjoyed this session, please click the link below to show some love to Meagan and thank her for taking the time to be a guest on the SPI podcast: Thank Meagan by Clicking Here 

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I'm incredibly excited to talk about creating successful startups and life as an entrepreneur with visionary serial entrepreneur, John Saddington from John.do. I recently discovered John and his work when I met and connected with him in person at the Platform Conference in Nashville this past February. Here is why I love John and was really interested in having him on the show: He has several successful projects under his belt. We're talkin' idea to execution to getting acquired, multiple times. We only talk about a few of these examples on the show, but he has many more, and it doesn't look like he's slowing down one bit. Like myself, John is a family man. He presented at the Platform Conference and shared some great images of his family life at home and I totally connected with both the joys and challenges of being a husband and a father while also being an entrepreneur. Like me, he loves to experiment with stuff. Try something - if it works, awesome (and then he writes about it), if it doesn't work, awesome (and then he writes about it). He's totally honest and transparent about what he does, which you'll hear in today's episode. He's a coach and advisor for other businesses and startups, so he has a ton of great experience and advice to share. At the Platform Conference, John said the following during his presentation: "A shift in perspective radically changes the use of objects and ideas - and that is entrepreneurship." This quote totally resonates with me, and you'll hear how John has taken some things that were a part of who he was, things that were a part of his everyday life, and without reinventing the wheel how he was able to create something valuable, useful and "acquire-able". And like I said, he's done this several times now. A more recent example of this shift in perspective can be found in a Kickstarer campaign for something called PressGram, an Instagram inspired Instagram alternative, which is gaining quite a bit of buzz in the tech space right now. In a nutshell, it's an Instagram inspired Instagram alternative that will allow you to take images and apply filters (like Instagram), but publish them on your own Wordpress site so that you maintain full control of when, where and how your images are used.  As a result, all of the pageviews, as well as conversations around the images you share are on your own site. Views of your images become your own pageviews again, which could be huge for any online publisher. John touches on Pressgram a little bit at the tail end of the show, and you can read more about it here in case you're interested. It was organically finding this kickstarter campaign that re-connected me with John and what he does, and I got so inspired that I just had to get him on the show. In this session you'll discover: Why John loves to build software based businesses as opposed to anything else. How he started developing software solutions for large corporations at the age of 14. What John did to build his first company, and why it was important even though he never had any clients. Why becoming an executive at a Fortune 50 company felt like a "living death" Why it's okay to invest in yourself and explore opportunities "on the side" and you don't need to take a giant leap right away. How the ordinary and mundane can turn into business opportunities. How being an adopted, South Korean twin helped him create his first commercial success, and how it all started with just one email. How Warcraft inspired him to create his second major exit. The idea that innovation can be very small and you don't have to create anything ground-breaking. Why the key to successful marketing is a great product to market with. Why when blogging for business opportunities, you should blog about what you are interested in, but not what you're passionate about. Why John is rebranding his site at Tentblogger.

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I'm really excited to talk all about my new multimedia book, Let Go, which just recently went live this past Monday! To get Let Go, download the Snippet App for iPhone or iPad (Android and Kindle version coming soon!), then download 'Let Go' and enjoy! So far, the reaction to the book has been amazing! Check out these testimonials on Twitter: #letgobook by @patflynn is a must read/watch. Inspiring experience that brought a tear to my eye and hope to my heart patflynn.me — Cynthia Sanchez (@OSPInteresting) March 26, 2013 #letgobook by @patflynn is a glorious rampage of the entrepreneurial spirit. If you want to experience success in your life, read it... — Chris C. Ducker (@chriscducker) March 26, 2013 Before it was able to go live this past Monday, a lot of things had to happen in order to get this book "on the shelf". From writing the book to hiring the team I didn't know I had to hire to help me complete it, to dealing with a brand new publishing platform and why I chose to publish on it in the first place - I cover all of this in today's session. Halfway through the show, I also bring on my 'Let Go Team' to chat with me about the entire process: Matt Gartland, editor and producer, and Caleb Wojcik, videographer. I couldn't be happier with the team and everything we've done up to this point. It's been an interesting, joyful, stressful and fulfilling experience for all of us, and we're so happy to be sharing something we are proud of with you! More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: How the brand new Snippet platform is revolutionizing the way we consume content beyond text. Why I jumped on this opportunity, in spite of the fact that I was in the middle of another book project! How the Snippet platform let me tell my story in a deeper way than I could ever do with just text or just video. My writing process and the tools that I used to help me along the way. Why I hired Caleb Wojcik and Matt Gartland, how I found them, and the roles they played in this project. Some of the marketing tactics I used to build buzz about Let Go. My creation of a personal site, outside of Smart Passive Income, to showcase this book and other projects. Why it was important to build an email list before the book was launched. Some of the hardships we all faced with this project, but what excited all of us about Let Go and the Snippet platform. Where we think publishing is headed in the future. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: PatFlynn.me/LetGo Scrivener Snippet Be Everywhere Caleb Wojcik Matt Gartland from WinningEdits.com Pat'sFirstBook.com HardBoiledGreg Caleb's website, Pocket Changed Matt's personal site Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast, and don't forget to download the Snippet App and get Let Go now if you haven't done so already! Lastly, I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for the podcast! Thanks again, and all the best! Cheers! :) p.s. look out for a blooper reel from filming Let Go next week! Transcript Click Here to Download the Transcript for Session 60 (PDF)

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I'm really excited to chat with Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at Wharton's School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of his new book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On. To sum it up, the book is about why and how stuff goes viral. Even though it's highly unlikely that we're going to have that one video, one article or one anything?that just spreads like crazy that takes us from nothing to world-famous in less than a day (although that could and does happen sometimes), there are principles behind why things go viral that we as business owners and content creators can use to get better and faster results. Jonah breaks down contagiousness into six specific principles: Social Currency Triggers Emotion Public Practical Value Stories Six STEPPS, if you will, which we talk about during our session together. More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: What exactly causes things to go viral and why that's important. The meaning of social currency and how content creators can use it. What motivates people to share things. What triggers are and how to use them in marketing. The importance of naming things. The role that emotion plays when it comes to the content people share. The definition of "practical value." How to differentiate between features and benefits. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: Jonah's website Jonah's book, Contagious:Why Things Catch On?(amazon affiliate link) The Tipping Point?(amazon affiliate link) Be Everywhere Let Go (my new book coming out next week!) If you liked this episode, let Jonah know on Twitter here. Also, keep in mind that 'viral' doesn't necessarily mean world-wide. Viral within a specific community or a niche market can have a significant impact on your business and bottom line, and for bloggers and business owners that becomes a more attainable goal. When I created GreenExamAcademy.com, most of the world didn't even know about it, but after Google picked up a lot of what I wrote and people started to share it on forums and blogs, it went viral for those who were interested in learning about the LEED exam - for those that mattered. Most of the world still doesn't even know what the heck the LEED exam is or about my website, but the world that matters does. Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast! If you haven't done so already please take a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below, it would be extremely helpful for the show! Click here to leave a review for the podcast! Thanks again, and I wish you all the best! Cheers! :) Transcript Click Here to Download the Transcript for Session 59 (PDF)

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast we have another success story interview for you, and once again the focus is on a building business outside of the blogging and make money online industries. Today's guest is Anthony Vennare, an SPI fan who has incorporated a lot of the strategies that I've taught to a business that he and his brother have started in the fitness industry. Now, I'm sure a lot of people could easily put online fitness into the same category as Internet Marketing and Make Money Online as far as how aggressive (and often times scammy) and infomercial-like marketing tactics become, however Anthony and his brother Joe are two truly genuine and honest guys who have a totally different approach to online business. Their approach focuses on giving away their training programs for free, and by doing so, they make an average of $400 - $600 per day simply by asking people to pay what they want. It's incredible. I dive deep into how they got started, how this business model works and other strategies they use to take their online business (which was once offline in a 12,500 square foot facility) to the next level. While their "pay what you want" business model may not work for everyone, it's a model that is very much like the model I use here at Smart Passive Income, and is very effective for certain industries as you'll hear.  More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: A different model for making money and why Anthony and Joe decided to use it even though it goes against conventional wisdom. How a family emergency changed the course of their lives -- for the better. How they transitioned from working for others to working for themselves. Their later transition from a 12,000 square foot gym to completely making money online. The primary sources of the traffic to their sites. How Anthony and Joe made 6 figures by giving away things for free. The ongoing effectiveness of guest blogging. Their SEO and social media strategies. How they were impacted by the Google Penguin update, and how they recovered from it. How leaving money on the table for the short term can lead to more long term income. Mistakes Anthony and Joe made along the way and how to avoid them. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: The Hybrid Athlete Race Day Domination Kettlebell Cardio The Hybrid Athlete Facebook Page Philosopher Notes 1ShoppingCart Additionally, in this session Anthony and I talk about how his site was hit by a Google Algorithm update and what he did to get back in the rankings. I tried to dive into how they were able to crawl back however Anthony basically told me that they hired someone to do it for them and clean up their backlinking profile, so he was unable to give me a ton of information about that. He did send me a report that a person he hired created that included a list of Tier 1, Tier 2 & 3 backlinks, very similar to what I outline in The Backlinking Strategy that Works, and after diving into those links for a little bit I believe the major change was the anchor link profile of his site. In other words, the anchor text from links pointing to his site were probably changed to be much more diverse, only using the primary keywords as the anchor text for those links less than 20% of the time - other times using anchor text that was both related and not related to that particular niche (non-related being anchor text like "click here" or "find out more"). I do plan to dive deeper into post-panda/penguin backlinking strategies by having experts come on the blog to share their wisdom, as well as test all of this out in a new niche site duel type challenge, which will probably happen at the start of the 2nd quarter this year. Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast. If you liked this episode, be sure to let Anthony know on Twitter here.

In this episode of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, I chat with a guest and good friend who used to be in a mastermind group with me. I purposely timed this particular episode to coincide with my trip to Nashville, where I’m speaking at Michael Hyatt’s Platform Conference. Nashville is known as, “Music City,” and today’s guest is from Nashville, is a musician and does marketing in the music industry. David Hooper has written several books on various topics, with his most recent project being a book for musicians called, Six Figure Musician. Although we talk about his book, we talked more about the parallels between the music industry and starting and running an online business. What is so interesting are the similarities between the two and what we can learn about online business, Internet marketing, and entrepreneurship through the music industry. More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: The 90% that goes into success that people don’t see. What separates successful people from unsuccessful people. How to take advantage of lean periods in your business. Lessons from Henry Ford. How innovation can come from outside of your industry. Why it's the best time to be a musician, or any creative person. How to stand out as a musician or creative person in a competitive world. How getting offline helps you online. Which of the five senses is the most memorable and how it relates to Internet marketing. How we make our blogs and websites "smell good." The good and bad of covers on iTunes and YouTube. The question you have to ask yourself over and over again in order to truly be successful. Why you need to use multimedia in your business. What R. Kelly, Van Halen and Kiss can teach us about reaching our goals. What we can learn from the Toyota and Honda Corporations. How "It all begins with a song." Why Taylor Swift is killing it, and how we can kill it too. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: MusicMarketing.com Six Figure Musician Music Business Radio Buzz Cason Fizzle.co Think Traffic Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast, and finally, if you haven't done so already I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for the podcast! Thanks again, and all the best! Cheers! :) Transcript Click Here to Download the Transcript for Session 57 (PDF)

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, by special request, we're bringing back a guest that I’ve had on the show before. Several people have asked me to bring back many of our previous guests such as Dane Maxwell from Podcast Session #46, which was the most downloaded SPI Podcast to date. I do plan to bring him back, along with some of the students from his training program that are doing some phenomenal things. Today, however, I’m happy to welcome back a great friend of mine and a great friend of the SPI community, Lewis Howes from LewisHowes.com. Lewis is doing some amazing things right now in his life and business. In this session, we talk about many different topics; from LinkedIn, to affiliate marketing, relationship building and even his role as a member of an Olympic team! It's as if we were just chillin' together at a cafe having coffee, which actually did happen last month. :) More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: How Lewis got started on LinkedIn. Why LinkedIn is powerful and how people who are not using LinkedIn effectively are missing out. Tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile. The #1 thing you MUST do on LinkedIn in order to be successful. Emailing a group on LinkedIn vs. emailing your regular email list and the benefits of each. How Lewis and others are making money from LinkedIn. What someone has to do to be likeable. Lewis’ interesting response to the question regarding why he thinks he’s so likeable. Tips for finding great affiliates, and how to get them to go all out when promoting your products. Lewis’ first business adventures with inventions. The struggles Lewis had bringing in money and the best advice he received for making money online NOW. The new podcast Lewis just launched and who he has coming on as a guest. Lewis’ goal of getting into the Olympics on the U.S. handball team. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: Lewis Howe's website Lewis' profile on LinkedIn Lewis' The School of Greatness podcast Become a Blogger Podcast episode #29 SlideShare Hootsuite The YouTube Video Handball Tricks and Goals #1 (see below) If you liked this episode, be sure to let Lewis know on Twitter here. Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast, and finally, if you haven't done so already I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for the podcast! Thanks again, and all the best! Cheers! :) Transcript Click Here to Download the Transcript for Session 56 (PDF)

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, we bring back another success story interview with someone who has built a successful online business outside of the blogging, make money online and social media niches. One year ago, Trevor Page was working a comfortable 9 to 5 job. Today, he's working for himself. Trevor is still in the "beginning stages" of his online business career, but for someone who is just starting out he's doing really well for himself. He's not making millions (yet), but he's extremely close to replacing the income he had working 9 to 5, and he's enjoying his work that much more. Trevor shares with us how he started How to Program with Java and what he did to get it off and running so quickly after launch. In less than a year he's built a massive audience, has received tons of traffic, authored a top selling eBook and is now accepting members to his brand new membership website. More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: The pieces of advice that Trevor picked up on Smart Passive Income that led to his success. Why he quit his very comfortable, well-paying job right after he created his site. How friends and family members responded to his decision to quit his job. Why his first entrepreneurial venture flopped in spite of 2 years of hard work and what he learned from that failure. The type of content that Trevor created when he first started his blog that helped his blog to be a success. How his health was impacted when he first quit his job and the words the doctor spoke to him that helped him recover. The simple 5-minute action that drove 38,000 visitors to Trevor's site when his site was only 2 months old. What he did to propel his Kindle book to the #1 spot in its category. The biggest keyword research mistake Trevor made. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: How to Program with Java Java PDF Java Video Tutorials Trevor's Twitter Profile Lifehacker Google Analytics Yaro Starak's Entrepreneurs-Journey THE Backlinking Strategy That Works Unique Article Wizard Market Samurai Security Guard Training Headquarters E-junkie Kindle KDP Select Program Camtasia Studio Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast, and finally, if you haven't done so already I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for the podcast! Thanks again, and all the best! Cheers! :) Transcript Click Here to Download the Transcript for Session 55 (PDF)

In this session of The Smart Passive Income Podcast, we talk all about a small, tiny little action that happens on our websites, but it's probably the most important action there is. What is it? A click. We click on links all day long, but how conscious are we about exactly what's going on? By understanding exactly why people click on links (or don't click on links) and what happens when they do, we can better fine-tune the experience our readers have on our websites. The fact is, you have total control of exactly how people view and navigate through, in and around your website - but unfortunately most people just throw links up without even thinking about it. Yes, I talk for 36 minutes all about clicks and links, but as I mention in the show, success comes in the details. More specifically, in this session you'll find out about: How archery inspired me to create this podcast session. The importance of reader and user experience and how clicks play a role in it. How a click, even one that doesn't seem to matter, becomes a "mini-commitment" and why that's important. The first impressions beyond your first impression. 3 specific strategies to fight the 404 error page and keep people on your site. The two levels of links and how to use them properly in your posts. The best color to make your links. Strategies behind the call to action, including when not to use them. How to decide when to (and when not to) open links in new windows when people click. The reason why people click on anything at all. Plus a whole lot more... Right click here to download the MP3 Items mentioned in this podcast include: SPI Podcast Session #51 with Tim Ferriss Google Webmaster Tools Broken Link Checker Wordpress Plugin Pillar Articles What is the BEST Color for High Conversion? SPI Podcast Session #28 - Be Everywhere Thank you all for checking out this session of the SPI podcast, and finally, if you haven't done so already I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for the podcast! Thanks again, and all the best! Cheers! :) Transcript Click Here to Download the Transcript for Session 54 (PDF)