The Dollars and Roses Podcast: Blogging | Online Marketing | Social Media

Steve Kamb, better known as the leader of the nerd rebellion at NerdFitness.com, has an amazing blog with an even more amazing community behind it. In this podcast you'll learn how Steve hustled his way to growing his blog to a full-time gig while also traveling the world. Resources: The documentary I first learned about Steve:  I'm Fine Thanks Steve's Rules of the Rebellion  

Recently a Dollars and Roses reader asked us if they would be able to build a successful blog if they were to blog anonymously. Since both Mandy and I come from two different blogging niches, I thought it would be good to get perspectives from us both. In the personal finance niche I’ve seen some bloggers that have been able to build a good following, even though they’ve never revealed their real identify; but in Mandy’s space, blogging anonymously isn’t impossible, but definitely makes it much more difficult. Listen to the latest Dollars and Roses podcast where we answer the question, can you build a successful blog while blogging anonymously?  

This podcast was a first for us on many fronts. We cried, we laughed and we were so inspired by this amazing guest. Cliff Ravenscraft, known as the "podcast answer man" at PodcastAnswerMan.com left the security of a family owned insurance company to purse his dream. Even though he had been podcasting for several years before he took the plunge, the next 9 months of self-employment proved to be the toughest financially and emotionally for him and his family. He never stopped believing in himself and his wife encouraged him to continue on. The result is nothing short of amazing as now Cliff brings in on average $20,000-$50,000 a month from his online business. Cliff's story isn't about the money, though.  It's about his ability to witness to thousands of people and really make a difference in their lives. Cliff is an amazing individual and I feel blessed that we had a chance to interview him. **** Note: this is one of our last podcasts where we were still trying to figure out our recording setup. My voice at the beginning is a bit muffled because my mouth was way too close to the mic. Doh! Cliff's audio is amazing though and I promise it's worth listening to. Thanks for your patience in us trying to figure this podcasting thing out. :) What You'll Learn in This Podcast  How Cliff's love for my favorite TV show of all time got him into podcasting How that one podcast led into him into creating several other podcasts How Cliff made monetized his first podcast (a little different than what you think) Learn what his wife suggested he do regarding his day job which was cutting into his podcasting time Despite only making $11,000 of personal income learn how he was able to make it work (hint: most financial planners wouldn't approve of this!) How Proverbs 15:22 help him make it through An amazing quote that encompasses Cliff's journey from the book Rework:  Overnight Success How Cliff was able to connect with one his long-term mentors that resulted in him tripling his income. One of the most amazing stories that has ever been shared on a Dollars and Roses: The Other Check.  Resource Mentioned in This Podcast Cliff's blog:  PodcastAnswerMan.com Cliff's Free Course on Podcasting:  LearnHowtoPodcast.com Cliff's Online Podcasting Coaching Course:  Podcasting A to Z Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

It's time for the monthly income report. Each month “The Wife” crunches the numbers on our earnings while I, “The Husband”, puts together a recap of what happened in our online business. A dangerous combo! As a reminder, this is why we do the income reports: Accountability. These will allow us to finally keep track of our total online revenue - something that I've been horrible at but seeing improvement. You can go here for all of our previous blog income reports. Progress. Now that we have it documented, we'll be be able to chart our progress as our income increases. (thankfully it has) Truth. To show people that you really can make money online and in a non-scammy way. Transparency: We want others to see how we do it so that others can do it, too. Wait....Why 2 Months?  By now you've probably noticed that this income report includes both November and December.   On top of that, it's also a podcast.  If you're wondering what gives, here's the dealio: The holidays are a busy time around the Rose household with 3 crazy boys.  That cuts into blogging time. I've been busy with my financial planning practice dealing with existing and new clients. I've been busy with my blog launching the Grow Your Dough Throwdown and my next blog movement. I was sick for 6 days in January. Mandy has been busy learning guitar and with Happy Mommy Box (which continues to kick butt!) And we spent an amazing 5 days in Cozumel, Mexico. (see picture below) So yes it's been a busy time here but that doesn't mean we don't love you.  :) Here's a look at the numbers..... Income Breakdown for November Good Financial Cents Adsense: $1,282.76 Adspeed: $1,333.60 Commission Junction: $1,324.72 Link Offers: $200.00 Media Net:  $77.54 Personal Capital: $1,200.00 Consumer Track: $320.00 Linkshare: $892.50 YNAB: $6.00 Total: $6,637.12 Dollars and Roses GoDaddy:  $155.28 AWeber: $14.40 Lunar Pages: $0 ShareASale (Thesis Theme and Genesis Theme): $139.89 Total: $309.57 Other Niche Sites Adsense: $150.60 Media Net:  $27.29 Main Niche Site Revenue: $4,518.83 Direct Advertising: $0 Total: $4,696.72 House of Rose Blog BlogHer Ads: $474.03 Sponsored Posts: $550.00 Direct Advertising: $100 Adsense: $150.87 Lijit Media: $81.81 BlueHost: $1,150.00 Total: $2,506.71 Freelance Writing Equifax: $200.00 Other:  $150.00 Total: $350.00 Total Revenue for November: $14,500.12 Now look at the next month.... Income Breakdown for December  Good Financial Cents Adsense: $1,295.49 Adspeed: $1,761.16 SEMRUSH: $27.98 Betterment: $120.00 Commission Junction: $275.00 Link Offers: $207.65 Media Net:  $119.78 Personal Capital: $1,500.00 Consumer Track: $705.00 Linkshare: $1,312.50 Capital One: $1,965.00 Total: $9,290.06 Dollars and Roses GoDaddy:  $10.39 AWeber: $26.39 Lunar Pages: $70.00 Lead Pages: $59.10 ShareASale (Thesis Theme and Genesis Theme): $133.90 Total: $299.78 Other Niche Sites Adsense: $70.08 Media Net:  $52.83 Main Niche Site Revenue: $14,934.00 Direct Advertising: $0 Total: $15,056.91 House of Rose Blog BlogHer Ads: $348.63 Adsense: $184.29 Lijit Media: $131.11 Reward Style: $117.50 BlueHost: $840.00 Commission Junction: $1,115.00 Total: $2,736.53 Total Revenue for December: $27,383.28 (new record monthly high!) December 2012: $18,572.57 Total for 2012: $115,289.16 Running Total 2013: $230,784.29 Closing Out 2013 2013 was an amazing her for the Dollars and Roses team.  Combined we started two podcasts, published a book, launched a new business, doubled our online revenue, grew our blogs and communities, kicked butt along the way and loved every minute of it. It's been an amazing journey and we're excited to continue to inspire you to grow your online business.

There's so much that goes into starting a blog:  picking a theme, choosing a host, writing content, and on and on and on.... One the things that most bloggers never think about are the legal issues that surround starting a blog. Yikes!  Legal issues? Even if you're blogging for fun you still need to be aware of certain things. How do I know?  Because I found myself the hard way. John Corcoran from SmartBusinessRevolution.com who is an attorney took some time to answer some our reader questions.    I also share the first scary incident I had from my blog. Be sure to check out our previous interview with John here. What You'll Learn on the Podcast How do you protect yourself against a libel suit? What should you do if you receive a cease-and-desist notice? Do disclaimers limit our liability? Does it make sense to hire an attorney to write a disclaimer and terms of use for my site? What should you trademark and how do you do it? Best way to handle a copyright infringement issue if the site owner repeats issues after previous DMCA? What kind of liability can we incur by giving financial advice in our articles? How can we protect ourselves? Does it make sense for a blogger to setup up a LLC? Thanks John for taking time out of his day to answer our questions! If you're looking  to expand your circle, be sure to check out John's free ebook on networking tips.

Hey Mr. President.... John Corcoran used his networking skills to land a job at the White House (yes, the White House!) and build up a very successful law practice. He's now taking those skills online with a successful podcast and blog Smart Business Revolution. What You'll Learn in this Podcast How John stumbled into blogging for business How networking has been the staple for growing his business and brand The right and wrong ways to network How to make strategic alliances with the top influencers If you're looking  to expand your circle, be sure to check out John's networking tips.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones (but words will never hurt me)." How many times did you hear that as a kid? Most people start a blog because they have a story they want to share and usually want to help others. And, of course, making a little money on the side doesn't hurt either. ;) What people don't expect from starting a blog is the online hater. Oh yes, they do exist. We've both had our fair share of haters. In this podcast we share our experience with haters and how we've dealt with them. Enjoy!

This is Part 2 of our interview with J. Money from BudgetsAreSexy.com.  Be sure to check out Part 1 here. J.'s other sites: Love Drop Rock Star Finance J. Money.biz

If you were to write anonymously what would your pen name be? Whatever name you would choose, there's no way it would be cooler than the blogger we get to interview for latest podcast. J. Money from BudgetsAreSexy.com is by far one of the hippest bloggers that I've ever met. If you read one of his blog posts, you'll get an immediate sense in how much fun this guy is.   J. was laid off from his job a few years ago and he used that opportunity to focus on his online empire full-time. He's proud to say he's never looked back. This is part of 1 of 2 of the interview.   Be sure to check out Part 2 here. What we learn on this episode. How buying a house on a whim led to his blogging journey Site J. Money was inspired by to start his blog: My Money Blog Learn how his blog grew from a 20 minute a day commitment to 2-3 hours per day Learn how he was able to publish a post on the day he got married (this is funny) It took 3 months blogging 5 times a week for him to make his first $50.  A few months later he made $700. Learn how he bought his first site for $4,500 and sold it back to to the original owner for $20,000. J.'s other sites: Love Drop Rock Star Finance J. Money.biz

Starting a blog is a huge (and scary) first step for many people. Most first time bloggers quickly realize there's a lot more than goes into blogging than just writing posts. Between writing, tweaking your site, social media, taking pictures, widgets, email lists, Pinterest and on and on and on....many bloggers wonder what they should actually focus on. Can you relate? We know one D&R reader can and does because they left the following review and question in iTunes: Want your question answered?  Be sure to leave us a review in iTunes.  :) Discussions of This Podcast Jeff talks about how he did a ton of research his 1st year of blogging. He also suggests you have to publish posts to see if you really like it. The 100 post rule test. Mandy wished her earlier posts would have benefited her readers more. We share strategies and our opinion on posting frequency. The right mindset when trying to network with other bloggers. Blogs mentioned: SocialTriggers.com MichaelHyatt.com Fiverr.com Hope you enjoy it!!

This is the 2nd part of Sean Malarkey's interview. In case you missed it, here's part 1.

Some people are super successful because they work 24/7. Other people like to just have fun. Sean Malarkey has found a way to have both. Sean is a amazingly fun dude that loves to surf and take pictures. On top of having fun he has built a thriving online business. Like SUPER thriving. Here's what you'll learn in Part 1 of Sean's interview. You can check out Part 2 here. Learn how Sean got introduced to the world of marketing in a mortgage business Sean's hobby Twitter blog that generated his first online income Learn how his first webinar only generated $100, but.... By making a small tweak with the same webinar generated over $13,000 How important email marketing is and the reason he has over 150,000 email subscribers Sean's business currently generates over $2m in revenue. 

I read somewhere that over 100,000 new blogs start every single day.  Insane! With so many new blogs starting up, how do you get your blog to stand out from the rest? Getting your blog to stand out can be tough, but not impossible. In this week's podcast we share how were able to make our blogs stand out and then share examples of other bloggers standing out in their niche. How We Were Able to Stand Up in Our Niche Writing From Your Heart (Mandy)  -  Example post:  Why I haven't read 50 Shades of Grey Expanding Your Blogging Horizons (Mandy) - Learning to use a camera better,  posting a Home Tour page, and speaking about adoption. Having a Professional Designation (Jeff) -  Being a CFP® gave me a leg up. Massive Guest Post Launch (Jeff) -  Guest posted my face off.  Are you guest posting enough? Incorporating More Video (Jeff) - YouTube is where it's at baby. Here's some video tips to get started. Launching Blog Movements (Jeff) - Roth IRA, Life Insurance, and The Debt Movement. Examples of Other Bloggers Who Stand Out We're not the only ones (obviously) that have found out a way to stand out in their respective niches.   Here's a few that we highlight during the podcast: Adam and Courtney Baker from ManVsDebt.com Natalie from TheBusyBudgetingMama.com Pat Flynn from SmartPassiveIncome.com Phil Taylor of PTMoney.com and FinancialBloggerConference.com Lindsay and Bjork of PinchofYum.com What are your favorite blogs that have figured out a way to stand out from the rest?  Share your favorites in the comments below.

This is the second part of Carrie Rocha's interview from Pocket Your Dollars. Be sure to check out Part 1 of her interview first.  

Carrie Rocha (pronounced Haw-shuh) used her story of paying off $50,000 of debt into a thriving online business. Her passion of helping others get out of debt was the catalyst behind her blog, Pocket Your Dollars, getting tons of media attention as well as inking her first book deal. Make no mistake success did not fall into Carrie's lap.  One thing that is very evident is her ability to hustle. And boy did she hustle! This post is the first part of her interview.   The second part can be found here. Enjoy!  Cool Highlights From This Interview Carrie was compelled to start her blog to help people get out of debt 10 days after launching her blog, she was contacted by a local news station to come on the air That one local interview turned into over 100 interviews in the next year Carrie lost her job and her blog ended up being their families only source of income Learn how she positioned herself as the "go to expert" in her area. Links Mentioned Carrie's Blog:  PocketYourDollars.com Carrie's Book:  Pocket Your Dollars This video shows the shaving mirror technique that I used to do solo recordings: