The Solopreneur Hour Podcast with Michael O'Neal

As a solopreneur we have to follow our instincts and often, because of our entrepreneurial view of the world, following our instincts means zigging when the rest of the world zags. And one of the biggest zags any of us can make is to walk away from a lucrative job or job offer, simply because we know we are unemployable and can't work for anyone else. Our guest for episode 170 did just that. About a year ago, he turned down an extremely well-paying job offer because he knew in his gut it wasn't right. He didn't know what was next, but he knew that job offer wasn't it. Here to discuss what that experience was like and how he became a professional podcaster as a result is our friend, Chris Cerrone of The Chris Cerrone Show.  A fitting chat for National Podcast Day. More About This Show When Chris said no to that position, he had no idea what he was going to do next. Not a clue! He had already had success running a cafe and in real estate so he knew he could go back to that, but something inside of him said there was something else out there for him. And then a light bulb clicked: he loved talk radio, he listened to podcasts and he was an avid fan of Howard Stern's show. So why not podcast? And why not do it the way it was meant to be done? That was it for him: he was going to be a professional podcaster. And so began his journey into podcasting. Today Chris's The Chris Cerrone Show is quickly becoming one of the top-rated shows out there. On this episode, we talk about how he's grown and how the show has grown, what he thinks about the state of podcasting in general and advice he has for people getting into the medium. Although much of this show is about podcasting (after all, it was National Podcasting Day when we recorded this), the same rules apply to whatever medium you're using to spread your message and build your empire. At the beginning of his podcasting experience, Chris readily admits he had to learn the art of being on the microphone. As we both agree, most people (prior to the recent popularity of podcasts) who were on a microphone were professionally trained. When you turned on your car radio, you heard someone who had gone to broadcasting school and had learned the art and the craft of radio broadcasting. Not so today. Today many people simply pick up a mic, a few other bits of gear and think they're on their way to becoming a podcaster. Having grown up on talk radio and Howard Stern, Chris was not among those people. He knew the value of being a great interviewer, including how to make a proper introduction of your guest. And on this topic again, Chris and I both agree: you don't simply ask your guest to tell your audience a little about themselves. Instead, you take every piece of information you can get about them, boil it down for your audience and then craft your introduction around that. It's like the scene in 8 Mile when Eminem takes the mic: he takes everything his fellow rapper can use against him and uses it first, leaving his opponent with no ammunition. Obviously your guest isn't your opponent but the concept is the same: if you want to get something fresh, new and invigorating out of your guest then you need to take their bio, read and listen to their answers to questions they've been asked before and give that to your audience in the opening moments of your show. They're left with only new stories, and new experiences to share; they can't rehash the same topics and coast through your show. Instead you'll get them to talk about things they've never talked about before, and your audience will get an interview like nothing else out there. The finer details of the show include: * Who has the most shows in the Top 10 of podcasts on iTunes? * What signature accessory is now part of Chris' brand? * What was Howard Stern's first show? * What's your goal as a speaker?

One of the most exciting parts of being a solopreneur is the freedom it gives us. We have the freedom to do with our time as we choose and we have the freedom to create the income we desire, we have no boss who caps how much we can make. And we also have the freedom to live where we choose. Our guest for episode 169 recently went on her own location freedom voyage and she's here to tell us about it and what it was like to change gears from a successful life coach to being a culinary student. Vasavi Kumer, formerly of episode 43 of The Solopreneur Hour, joins us to talk about all of that...and so much more! More About This Show If you missed her first appearance on the show, you can listen to it here. In that episode, we covered her life as a female child growing up in an Indian family, her bipolar disorder and depression, her rise above to be an amazing life coach featured on the small screen. When we left Vasavi at the end of that episode, she was about to embark on a new journey in her life. She and her husband, and their dog, were moving to Austin so she could pursue her dream of attending the Culinary School at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts! Also since her first appearance, she was featured in a short documentary called Good Food, Good Mood.  She just spent 2 months in India, and now has a new show coming up on the Food Network, Food Truck Face Off. Discussing her move to Austin, Vasavi gives us a great example of what it means to set a goal without knowing the "how". Don't worry about how you're going to make something happen, just choose it and things will begin to fall into place. She didn't know how she and her husband would move, but she went for it anyway. The finer details of the show include: * Did she have first day jitters at culinary school? * What did she do about her "day job"? * Food can be one of three things, what are they? * The life lessons she learned from the kitchen. * Why your education doesn't have to be your vocation. * And so much more! Once she worked out the logistics and they settled into life in Austin, she threw herself whole-heartedly into her culinary education. It was something she was doing for herself, and that gave her the motivation to be in school all day and experience the grueling life of a restaurant cook and kitchen worker. Despite what her friends and family believed, she didn't have any interest in taking her culinary education to the commercial food world. She was content to be there to learn, educate herself and nourish her soul (pun intended). In 2014, she had committed to herself that was going to do things that were just for her and not do things simply out of obligation or social constructions. And the six months she was in class were completely fulfilling and helped her reconnect to herself. So much so that she began a daily practice of loving herself as a result. She now finds ways to nurture herself every day and she has a new relationship with food; she doesn't have guilt when she eats certain things, she's removed the stigma she used to attach and foods have stopped being "bad" and it is once again simply food. After her experience at culinary school, she and her mom went to India to live in ashram for a few months. Vasavi wanted to continue to develop and build her loving relationship with herself, and a visit to India seemed the perfect way to do so. Though the ashram wasn't a fit for them, they continued their stay in India and Vasavi took an Ayurvedic course. She learned about the Ayurvedic model of healing in the Eastern world. If you don't know what Ayurveda is it is the 5,000-year old healing system used in the Eastern part of the globe.

Today's Friday Q & A on The Solopreneur Hour is brought to you by Godaddy, and by my buddy Nick Unsworth.  I'm grateful they sponsored the show and I'm grateful to all of you for sending in your questions. There'd be no A's without your Q's so thanks for chiming in! I always love these Friday Q & A shows, and today is no exception. Let's jump right in to episode 168 and hear what you asked, and what I answered.   More About This Show * Jessica Rhodes Someone asked me this today and thought it was great so I'll ask you. Michael, what in your business are you most proud of? * Kathleen Kelly This is Kathy from the Special Mouse Podcast. I'm collaborating on a paid webinar with another person as a "beta test" for a potential business idea. Neither of us own a business, however, we each have our own websites. How do you recommend we proceed? I'm leaning toward using Lead Pages and developing a splash page for the webinar. Thanks, Michael! * David Ralph Here is a question for you.....how do you know in business if you should deviate from the values you set yourself when starting. You start with saying you wont do something and then get offered a lot of money....do you a; take the money and feel cheap b: stay true to yourself and allow the cash to pass you by * Van Shumake Jr. I have an idea for a 2nd podcast. Although I am new in the podcasting world, I have multiple passions. The initial show is one but I want to build another show but not: A - blend the shows together B-  NOT become generic in the way the show is (not sounding like the other show) What I'm saying in a longer question is..... Do I build out, running 2 shows simultaneously? Or do I do 1 and keep that "niche-focused"? * Scott W. Mulvaney Where do you put your $ first when you are in a startup/tight budget, like in an entrepreneur's phase 1? This is relating to building your online brand and presence. You've mentioned doing FB ads and such. Plus you've done a great job with helping us understand the value of clarifying your "brand" before investing too much in logo design such. However you and other entrepreneurs have mentioned how an initial brand morphs and changes quite often in the early stages as you build the audience and learn more. So in summary, I'm just looking for your best practices when you are helping people envision the average first 3 steps for tight budget investment. * Brian Lofrumento I'm launching my podcast on 12/1 about successful and inspiring entrepreneurs' journeys and more importantly how they overcame the fears and pseudo-barriers that the other 99% let stand in their way. John Lee Dumas is already lined up as a guest, among others. Are you in? I'll tune in on Friday to find out! * Brent Danis In your last episode you briefly touched on the importance of a FB group, I couldn't agree more as I see how engaging your two groups are. I will be driving everyone in my target market to my group. Why do FB groups seem to get more engagement than business pages?   * Sue Faunt If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, living, dead or fictional, who would it be? * John Gregory Are there any "big rocks" you're currently unable to fit in your jar? * Lara Loest All right I'll kick it off. If you could witness one famous event from history, what would it be and why? * Timothy Dwight Moser Beyond the simple F.O.R.M. topics, what is a really good subject to start a conversation with a cool person you've just met, right out of the gate? (It's often easy to kick off a conversation based on something in the environment, e.g. someone who just walked by, some sort of smell in the air, or even (please no) the weather, but are there any other stock openers e.g.

What is the flow state and can anyone get into it? How does being in it help solopreneurs like us? Over the last year or so, I've heard the phrase "in the flow" over and over again...but always wondered how to GET in the flow. With this show, we dig into exactly how to reach that elevated level of focus and consciousness.  Our friend and previous co-host Andy Murphy is back to tell us how to get into the flow, what it actually means to be in the flow and why we want to be there..and a whole lot more on episode 167 of The Solopreneur Hour. More About This Show For those of you new to the show or if you simply missed Andy's first episode, check it out here. I loved talking with him the first time and couldn't wait to have him back. He's a defacto neuropsychological expert who admits to "nerding out" on the science side of how and why we do what we do. It's always a fascinating conversation when talking with him on any topic, but especially on neuro-related topics. Our conversation for today's show runs the gamut from car racing and sugar addiction to brain wave patterns to our main focus: the aforementioned flow state. He shares with us some of the background and connection between being in the flow and being productive. He has rituals and habits he has created to get himself into the flow easier and to get more done as efficiently as possible. But before sharing that ritual with you, Andy tells us what exactly is the flow state. He says being in the flow is being present and laser-focused on what you're doing, without what you're doing being forced. And he says there's a trick to getting there, it doesn't happen all at once but in steps and stages. The key to moving through those steps and stages into the state of flow is being aware of yourself: your body, your mind and your surroundings. The finer details of the show include: * How to build unconscious repetoire: an example. * Open loop: what is it and how do you use it? * The primal urge behind our need to feel the need connected at all times. * Where to put your phone the next time you need to focus: Andy's trick. * How Andy breaks down his day for maximum productivity. * One trick to creating amazing experiences in nearly every day of your life. Once you have that awareness, there are a few things to keep in mind so you can stay fully focused when you're there. Turn off notifications on your computer and your phone. In fact, put your phone where you can't see it and you won't be tempted to check it. Andy puts his in another room and he says he gets more done because of this. He also organizes everything via his calendar; he schedules his down time, his work time, and he gives us a full breakdown on what he does each day including his morning routine. Now that your distractions are minimized, Andy gives us these steps to getting into and out of the flow state. Your objective with this set of steps is to go in and out as needed. The more often you practice doing this, the faster and easier it will be to get in and out of the flow. * Get an app to get your brain into the beta waves. Beta waves are the frequency where you are most productive. There's a link to the app Andy uses in the show notes. If you choose a different app, you'll want something with binaurial beats so you can set your brain to the proper beta brainwaves patterns. * Meditate for a bit with your app. Andy does this for about 5 minutes so you don't need a ton of time, just a few minutes to get into beta wave territory and then move on to the next step. * Have a to-do list. Have your list ready to go with items you need to do in that period of time you're going into your flow state. Create weekly goals, monthly goals and 90 day goals to work towards, then write down the things you need to do to make those goals happen. Once you have your tasks ready,

Today’s co-host is an architecture major turned “sudden entrepreneur”.  From his time teaching tennis, to running a t-shirt company, to working his way through the Facebook marketing ranks with various companies, he has always felt the entrepreneurial bug.  Building a successful Facebook fan page business from his dorm room, he did over 70k in revenue…while his friends were doing keg stands, he was watching his Paypal account skyrocket. A voracious reader who distills 3 books a week into his brain, he founded heyo.com in 2010.  Heyo isn't just a cool-sounding name, it's a platform to create mobile-optimized contests and marketing campaigns for Facebook.  He is certainly living the proudly unemployable lifestyle! We’re happy to have him on today, ladies and gentleman, Nathan Latka. More About This Show Even as a youngster Nathan was blessed with the entrepreneurial spirit. He took a job as a tennis coach because he wanted the money, but most importantly, he wanted the connections. The job was at one of the most elite tennis clubs in his area and he knew he could build relationships by being there and being a great coach to his students. That same forward-thinking led him to create Heyo when he was just a college lad. Being a financially-conscious guy, when Nathan overheard 5th year architecture students say they were having a hard time getting a job he got spooked. Despite being in the top architecture school in the country, Nathan understood in that moment all he wanted was to be in control of his financial future. He didn't want to be dependent on anyone else, so he created Heyo. Out of the confines of his dorm room, his new company was born and it was off to a great start. He generated $70,000 in revenue and today he has taken Heyo to its current corporate offices in southwest Virginia. They employ between 20 and 25 people and are aiming to have 500,000 businesses or more as clients by 2017, setting them up to be a $15 million a year company. The finer details of the show include: * Who did he recently have dinner with? * Knowledge is most powerful when? * What are his flow states and how can you use this same strategy? * How many Facebook pages did he initially sell at the start of Heyo? * 3 ways people learn and how to leverage those to connect with your target audience. * The night of the week Facebook's changes are implemented - do you know when it is?     And if all of that wasn't enough, Nathan is a mere 24 years old! It's simply a matter of time until he has a Ted Talk, a book and does the rounds on the speaking circuit. He's truly a man with a vision and a thought leader not only of his generation but for all solopreneurs everywhere of any age. One of the habits that has gotten him to that thought leader status is his habit of reading. Nathan reads three books a week - three! Most people don't read three in a year, let alone in one week. And he doesn't just read them, he studies and commits them to his knowledge bank. When he reads, he does a few things that ordinary readers do not. First, he underline notes that he deems important. Second, he circles any interesting names or concepts to keep in mind for potential reading topics in the future. Third, he puts quotes around any articles or books mentioned so he can read those in the future as well. He doesn't stop there: when he finishes a book, he writes a summary of it on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and then reads that summary every morning, then every week, then every quarter. If you want to know for how many days, weeks and quarters - or any other info about his process check out the Resources section for a link to his blog post that details his reading strategy.

Welcome to our weekly Q&A on The Solopreneur Hour! This is our traditional Friday show where I answer the questions you send in via our Facebook groups. You submit your question on Wednesday or Thursday and I answer it for the Friday show; ask about business, relationships, comedy, cars, music, whatever you want to know about and I'll do my best to answer. Today we cover your questions/my answers, an upcoming speaking engagement I have with Outlier, the latest and greatest on IsaLab and our burgeoning Isagenix Solopreneur Hour family and a new piece of equipment I got that I love. Join us for all of that and so much more on episode number 165. More About This Show Before we get to your questions, I also update you on the Outlier conference I'll be speaking at October 22-24 of this year. It's being held in beautiful Zion National Park in Utah. Check out the Resources section for links and more info. Speaking of events, I recently applied for a press pass to a local racing event and I thought I should remind all of you with podcasts and blogs to do the same. If you have a good-sized audience, find out how to apply for a pass. Submit the info they ask for and see what happens, it's worth looking into. On a semi-related note, if you spend a lot of time at your desk like I do when I'm recording shows and being interviewed by other people, I found a cool way to get in a bit of a workout. I've got some new heavy resistance bands from Amazon (the red ones are about the equivalent of 25 pound dumbbells) and I use them while chatting. Staying on the topic of health, you may have heard me talk about Isagenix in the past and I'm ramping up my business again with IsaLab. If you want to use the products or start a network marketing business and do it the right way, contact me to get in on the action. And lastly, before we get to your questions, I picked up a new mixer at the suggestion of some professional broadcasters. It works great for podcasting, especially if you record in a noisy room. It's the DBX 286S, it's a fantastic device. If you listen to a few previous shows and then this one, you'll hear how my sound quality went from good to great. It's worth investing in if you're a podcaster. With that, let's get to your questions! Steve Bader  Hi Michael, I have a podcast called NowIsAGift at NowIsAGift.com. I am working on a relaunch of the interview/conversation style show to be published weekly or bi weekly. But my question is about a short 3-5 min daily podcast that I am launching called NowIsAGift Daily. Is there a way to add a new podcast to the same website & still take advantage of the new and noteworthy time period for that new show? Thanks for everything you do! #GoBrowns Ozeal DeBastos  What's up Michael! Personal finances can be challenging especially in the early stages of entrepreneurship. What did your early financial planning look like? And, What advice/resources would you give solopreneurs looking to get their finances organized before making the big jump? Thanks! Lara Loest If you had the chance to have a drink with three famous people (alive or dead), who would you pick and why? Rey Brown Tell us more about your upcoming Creative Live. Sean Ackerman What is the average time you spend on an episode? How much of the work is outsourced? What do you dislike the MOST about the post interview process? Brent Danis What are affective ways to get your self on other people's podcasts? David Chadwick What company/business has your favorite marketing campaign at the moment? Darren Casey  I've got one... where does taking care of YOU fit into your daily list of 'things to do' it seems like an obvious one, yet so many kinda 'skip' this step... and why do you think that is… 

Matt Vader  Michael, I am involved in the local food movement and am worki...

Every time you turn around, someone is launching a new podcast (or so it seems). But how many solopreneurs out there are really nailing it as podcasters, doing it the way it is meant to be done? In my opinion none can top our guest for episode 164, Mr. David Ralph. David is a long-time listener who took the bull by the horns and began his own show called Join Up Dots. Seven days a week he publishes top-notch conversational interviews with fascinating guests. Join us as we talk about his consummate British D.J. voice, how and why he got into podcasting, what our thoughts are on the components of a great interview and how all of this relates to being a solopreneur in any industry. More About This Show When I first connected with David it was through this show. He first left a comment on the show notes page of one of the very first shows. It was the type of comment every podcaster wants on their show notes page; it was insightful, witty and thoughtful. In one brief paragraph David summed up the show, its content and his takeaways. David continued to listen and to leave comments like his original one, and one day he even left a message using the SpeakPipe app. I was blown away by his presence, his vocal tonality and how professional he sounded. And I told him so on our 8 Steps to Becoming a Successful Solopreneur episode with Dawn Marrs.com. David was chuffed (as the English say) by the positive feedback, enough so that his idea to create his own podcast took root. You'll also discover things like: * Who are the only two people to do Yoda impressions on this show? * How many shows has David done in one day? * Why you can't fail forward at podcasting. * David still works a 9 to 5: true or false? * The last two words of an intro are what? * And lots more!   Once that idea took hold, it was never far from David's mind and he set out to make that idea a reality. Always one who believed in taking action, he came up with the show's concept, and the branding message he wanted to convey. With a little trial and error, he had the logo made and secured the proper, professional audio equipment to create a great-sounding show. But David, like the great podcaster he is, didn't stop there. Since his first episode he has always been focused on creating an entertaining and valuable show. On today's episode we talk at length about what it takes to make a great conversational podcast and why I think he's so brilliant at it...and not everyone else is. David has really honed in on his preparation techniques for any show he does. He does massive amounts of research on his guest and then he spends at least 30 minutes writing the intro before recording the show. And his intros are possibly the best I've ever heard from anyone. He says these are the key to his conversations; his introductions are so in-depth that they cover nearly everything that guest has ever talked about on another show. He does that so he and his guest get all the bare bones out of the way in the beginning, and they can dive into an actual conversation. He doesn't give his guests wiggle room to simply regurgitate their About page from their web site or to retell the same old stories they've told on every other show. He keeps his interviews lively, fresh and engaging, because he cares about his audience and giving them a show unlike all the others out there. David does this because he knows he has one chance to nail it; if someone is brand new to his show and they hear the same story they've already heard on another show they won't tune in again. But if they hear a guest who shares something they've never said anywhere else, odds are good they'll be back!  And that's been pivotal in the success of Join Up Dots. On this show,

On this episode of The Solopreneur Hour, we talk about the great weekend I had in Orange County at the Oddball Comedy Festival, with Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Marc Maron, and two VERY special guests. We also chat about the latest in Isalab, and then get to your questions! More About This Show For those of you who have listened to this show before, you know my story and how transformative the loss of my parents has been for me and for my life. And today marks the anniversary of the loss of my mom. It's a weird, bittersweet day for me because it's also Dexter's birthday. So today I celebrate the loyalty and love of Dexter, who has been through every up and down with me over the last 8 years and I also remember my mom who passed away 7 years ago today. In this episode, I also give you an update on IsaLab. You've probably heard me talk about Isagenix and network marketing. Isagenix is a company I belong to, and in general, I'm a big proponent of direct sales. I think it's a great industry, especially for anyone who wants to be a solopreneur but doesn't have the business idea of their own. Whether you have an interest in the biz side of things or just the products (Isagenix is a whole food nutrition company), I'm launching Isalab soon and I fill you in on the latest in this episode. Reach out and let me know you're interested here. And last, but certainly NOT least, I answer your questions! We had some wonky issues with iTunes last week so we moved Friday's Q&A to Monday. If you want to get in on the action, look for my post on Tuesday or Wednesday of the week on The Proudly Unemployable Facebook group. Let's check 'em out! Paul Smart  I have a question for you Michael and wanted to get in early. You are a social media ninja and I was wondering what are your thoughts on Snapchat as a marketing tool? Particularly for a winery? I asked Gary Vaynerchuk and he answered, but I don't really agree with all he had to say. I want a second opinion. The Gary Vee video, time stamped. Bob Trowbridge  Hey, Michael... Being a fellow drummer, I wonder who you think are the 3 best (living) drummers? 
Paul Smart  Favourite ice cream? 
Sonia Rodriguez  Hey Michael, I just found your podcast and I'm loving it so far...already making different and exciting decisions! I've decided that I need to change my logo but I also need to update my website (I'm a celebrity makeup artist and founder of a bridal makeup agency). The websites are obviously very important and I would have to invest in the designs as well as in the production of new images. In your opinion, does it make more sense to allocate funds towards the logo and branding first? It seems as though this will take a while if I am looking for someone to create something that can really grow and evolve with me. Both of these projects seem like huge undertakings...where do I start? Sean Ackerman  Michael, what is the best "go ahead" way that you've "um" found to "go ahead" get rid of habitual or repetitious comfort phrases? Sean - You Leading You ( lol!) Brent Danis  How do you feel after Thursday night's Steelers game? And I'm heading to my Alma Mater this fall for a speaking event centered around my book, do I film it to send to other event coordinators to help land other speaking gigs? P.S. SoloLab kicks ass! Alison Ginsburg Sokoloff  Would love to hear tips and tricks for using Google Hangouts - what's the best way to set it up? Browser recommendations? Audio? Etiquette, etc. Especially self-serving since I couldn't get on this past Thursday's call.... 

Lara Loest  What's your favorite childhood memory? If that's too general pick a holiday-related one.  

Today Natalie Sisson and I walk step by step through her latest product launch.  This episode is brought to you by Godaddy and my pal Nick Unsworth. There's a reason she's been featured in countless publications, and why her book is a bestseller on Amazon, Natalie walks her talk. She never teaches anything she hasn't done herself, still a rarity in the online marketing world and one of the things I admire most about her. Join us for episode 162 as we talk launches: from conception to strategy to execution. We talk about tons more, but you'll have to tune in.  Join us for this decidedly non-flirtatious episode of The Solopreneur Hour. (You'll get that if you listen to the first episode.) More About This Show One of my favorite things about the format of this show is having repeat co-hosts. Natalie graciously joined us for episode 12, which you can listen to here. Don't be swayed by Natalie's "easy on the eyes" presence, she's a badass business woman who has refined her skill set to a razor sharp edge over the last 4 1/2 years of traveling the world as The Suitcase Entrepreneur. After a bit of catching up, we talk through the entire anatomy of her current launch, The Freedom Plan which is set to open it's doors on September 15, 2014.  (Click this link to register for the free webinar). We discuss what she's learned from past experiences and launches, what she outsources, when she pulls the trigger and how she makes sure her content is what her audience wants and takes action on. Natalie understands what it takes to launch a product, especially when you're brand new to the online arena. With her first launch she did everything herself. She had to bootstrap it and she understands as a solopreneur, sometimes that's where you have to start. But as she's grown her business and her income, she's outsourced more and more of it. She often uses referrals to find top people to get the job done for her; she also uses content that already exists so she's not reinventing the wheel. That doesn't mean she uses anyone else's content, she asks her audience what their most pressing needs are and then she addresses those. She also creates connections with her audience by asking them to email her about themselves when they sign up for her newsletter. She's gotten to know them in a more personal way by doing so, it's a tactic she highly recommends using to create a lasting relationship with your readers/listeners. Because it's something I still struggle with, we dive into product launch-related topics: * What's the best way to drink Adam Carolla's wine/drink, Mangria? * What are the first steps? * How to repurpose your existing content. * Do we do it live, or pre-recorded videos? * Do we do it ourselves, or outsource some of the heavy lifting? * What do we give away on the webinar? * What comes first, the pre-recorded videos, or the live webinar training? * Am I going to New Zealand in December?   Natalie also shares her strategy for coming up with ideas. We both agree people are creatively stimulated in different ways, but she gets the most results from unplugging for a few days and being offline. She reads and swims and relaxes on the beach; her brain is overflowing with ideas soon after! While you may need a different type of stimulus to get your creative juices flowing, once you do have an idea it's time to get to work. Get feedback from your audience before creating your product; if you don't have an audience,

As solopreneurs we all make a ton of decisions, after all we are the boss! But when it comes to incorporating your business, how do you know what needs to be done? How do you properly cross your "t"s and dot your "i"s? There are lots of avenues to explore and options to consider when choosing your business entity. Here to fill us in on all the necessary details is Nellie Akalp, the mastermind behind Corpnet. Listen to this episode and hear Nellie and I discuss what it was like to grow up in an entrepreneurial family, how she manages her own family of a husband and four kids, and the six steps to starting and the six steps to starting a business from your home. More About This Show Nellie's first exposure to business began at an early age. After her parents emigrated from the Middle East, they opened an antique gallery in Studio City, California where they settled. After that business, they opened a kabob restaurant and then an ice cream franchise. Nellie became acquainted with a variety of businesses as a child. It's not a surprise then that she considers herself an unemployable solopreneur. She did work in some retail settings, but she always knew she wasn't meant to work for anyone else. And she believed in herself enough to strike out on her own, which is exactly what she did. Today she is a small business advocate and a busy mother of four who has found the time to write for Mashable, Forbes, Entrepreneur and many other notable publications. When she's not doing that, she's building out her flourishing company, Corpnet. Corpnet is a business filing service that handles as much of the business incorporation process as you want. If you simply want someone to trademark your business name, they will do that. If you want someone to handle every step of the filing process for you, Corpnet will. It's up to you. It's that flexibility and attention to customer service that has allowed Corpnet to become so successful under Nellie's watch. Another key to her success in both Corpnet and her other endeavors is her willingness and openness to grow. She believes in the power of change and the necessity of being uncomfortable. If you want anything in your life to change, YOU must change according to Nellie. And she has changed and evolved with Corpnet, with her family and with the other businesses she runs. You'll also discover things like: * The necessity of believing in yourself. * Why being uncomfortable is GOOD! * When to say yes and when to say no. * The low-down on incorporating: when and why you should or shouldn't. * Nellie is a lawyer: true or false? * And lots more! On today's show, Nellie and I also discuss her six steps to starting a business of your own at home. These six steps are based on a popular article she wrote for Mashable.com and you can find the full story in Resources section. Here's a quick rundown: * Select your business name. Choose your name, this is how you're going to move on to the next five steps. If you don't have a name, you don't have a business! * Register your name. After you choose your name, you'll want to register it. Do this so your business is separate from you. The main reason? To protect and separate your personal property from  your business holdings in the event of a lawsuit. * Get an EIN. This is like your business' social security number. Corpnet can help you get this number or you can do so on the IRS web site. But you'll need this number to file any additional paperwork and to open a business checking account for your company. * Registered agent. If you go this route, your registered agent will be someone who is available during normal business hours. Often business owners will choose someone else to be their registered agent so they don't have to deal with the necessary paperwork. Services like Corpnet can set you up with your own agent,

If I say the words "bucket list life", what comes to mind? Do you think about the things you want to check off your bucket list? Do you think about how your solopreneur journey is going to help you check those things off or do you just start daydreaming about what your next adventure is? For our guest on today's show, the bucket list life is more than a list of adventures, places and experiences to check off his list. For Kenyon Salo, thriller seeker extraordinaire and our co-host for episode 160,  it is his brand. Kenyon is a former pro snowboarder, professional BASE jumper, skydiver and father of two. Join us as we talk about what the the bucket list life means to him, how he arrived at the concept, the importance of branding in creating it, the five pillars we can all implement to lead our own bucket list lives and oh so much more! More About This Show Kenyon and I originally met through our mutual friend, JJ Collier who has previously been on the show. (Check the resources section for the link to his episode). Kenyon was a professional snowboarder when he and JJ became friends, but it wasn't until JJ was leaving for France and had a going away party that we were introduced. Fast forward a a few more years down the road: when I had returned from Europe and just read The E-Myth Revisited, I wanted to get involved in network marketing so I reached out to Kenyon. I knew he was doing something with an MLM company in the health industry. We chatted about it and Kenyon invited me to the company's annual convention in Anaheim. That one event turned everything on its head for me, I got on board with Isagenix and Kenyon and I became not only business partners, but fast friends. For the next three years, we built our Isagenix businesses together. But as life sometimes does, we went our separate ways. We were both searching for something and over time, we found it. I created The Solopreneur Hour and he created The Bucket List Life. Because nothing trumps relationships, we've since reconnected and today we share what it's been like for both of us to find our way to our respective brands. You'll also discover things like: * The science behind why one person is a thrill seeker, and another is not. * What was Kenyon's first branding attempt and how did it lead him to where he is today? * His 80/20 rule for social media. * When to boost Facebook posts and why: Kenyon shares. * The five pillars of The Bucket List Life: what are they and how can you implement them? * And lots more!     In this episode, Kenyon tells us the story of how his brand came to be. It's an important lesson for all solopreneurs because when you hear it, you'll understand how to know when you find your "it". Kenyon knew he'd found his "it" on Christmas Day at 3am of 2013. He was home alone, having dropped his two children off at their mom's and his then-girlfriend was off with her family. There were no holiday decorations up, no Christmas tree, not even a holiday card. Really questioning what he was doing and where he was going, Kenyon went to sleep for the night. At 2am he sat bolt upright in bed and asked himself: What am I doing? He still didn't have an answer, so he started writing. He wrote down all the things he loved and the words "bucket list" kept popping up for him because of his adventure background. And he thought the concept wasn't quite there because it was too focused on him, he wanted something that impacted others. And then inspiration struck: the bucket list life! It could be a brand devoted to inspire others to pursue their own bucket lists and help others check items off their bucket lists; it would be a brand about adventure and inspiration for others, whatever that looked like for them. Kenyon had found his "it".

It's that time of the week again! It's time for The Solopreneur Hour Friday Q&A session. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows to record. If this is your first listen to a Friday Q&A, we spend the hour answering the questions you submitted in our Unemployables Facebook group and in SoloLab. And you all ask a wide variety of questions! I love answering any and all of them, it's so great to hear from you and to get to know you. If you want to participate in the next Q&A, look for my post on the preceding Wednesday and send your questions in. For episode 159,  we also chat about some exciting guests coming up for the show and an awesome event in October! Have a listen to find out more. More About This Show Before we get to your questions, I share my thoughts on the importance of exceptional customer service and how my latest experience on a staycation set the bar higher than it's been set before. It's a great lesson in going above and beyond for anyone in any industry. Speaking of exceptional, I've been invited to be the keynote speaker at The Outlier Conference hosted by Outlier magazine. While this is excpetional in and of itself, the location is phenomenal: it's at the base of Zion National Park which is one of the most exceptional locations in the country. We're bringing as many Unemployables as possible so write these dates down: Oct. 22-24 and get there! And finally, I've got an update for you on the plan for Isagenix. This is the team we are creating for those of us who want to be in Isagenix, either as business builders or as product users. For the business builders, we're doing it right. I'm creating step by step training guides for all of you, let's break that MLM stigma out there and show everyone the best way to run a network marketing business. If you want to know more about Isagenix and what IsaLab will be all about, go to the Contact page on The Solopreneur Hour site and tell me you're interested. Now that we've covered all those bases, let's dive into your questions! Lara Loest  The childhood smell question...that's what I want to know. 

Thom Singer  If you were launching a podcast on Oct 1st (one month from now)... What three things would you do? (Oh- coincidently I am launching then).





 Vagarro Willie  Would you consider or do you see yourself incorporating your partner (Jessica) into your Solopreneur hour landscape. If so how do you see her fitting in and bring value? Sean Ackerman  If you weren't podcasting tomorrow for whatever reason, where do you see you putting your talents to use? 

Tony Manzo  Which state is the best to form an LLC in? Do you, Michael O'Neal, do it yourself or do you use a service like a "Legal Zoom" ? Thanks! Lisa Cummings  What are your top 3 destinations for your work-from-around-the-world plan? Damian Taafemcmenamy  How do you use opportunities to be on other people's shows or of articles written about what you are doing. Is there a strategy to leveraging these events? Rey Brown  If you were head engineer of Apple and you've been tasked with creating the iPhone 6. What capabilities would you give the phone? Dwain Scott  Dang Rey took my question! When developing a product do you think it is better to develop a single level or multi level product hoping that the customer picks the mid level? Three price points with more given at each higher price point? Neil Smith  Can I snort Isagenix? Jim Hrbek  Here is a podcasting question... I just read that the best days to have follower interaction is Mon, Tues, and Wed. But I heard a while ago the best days to post if you are doing 3 a week is Mon, Wed, Fri. I am less than a month away from my target launch date. I want as much interaction as possible, should I switch my days to Mon-Wed? Jonny Keeley  If time and money wasn't an issue what would you do to help chan...

One of the greatest benefits solopreneurs enjoy is freedom. On this show we always talk about the three pillars of freedom for solopreneurs: time freedom, location freedom and financial freedom. In today's episode of The Solopreneur Hour, our co-host Gary Arndt talks about location freedom. Gary is a world traveler and photographer who simply decided one day he was going to travel around the globe! On show 158, Gary and I chat about what he was doing before he made travel his career, how he makes a living as a globetrotter and what it's been like to spend 7 years without a home. More About This Show So often as solopreneurs one of the side benefits we enjoy is being able to work wherever we want. If you're wanting to fully explore the possibilities of location freedom, heed what Gary talks about on this show. One of the reasons I wanted to have him on was because he's been able to travel for the last 7 years, with no home base. He's gone to over 140 countries and has seen things most of us have on our bucket list. But Gary didn't always have the travel bug. He was a typical entrepreneur/solopreneur before traveling became a way of life for him. His former college roommate was one of the originators of Adobe Cold Fusion (the web application development platform) and Gary became one of the first Cold Fusion developers. Before long, Gary had more business than he could handle and he began building a team. Eventually he had 50 people working for him. In 1998, he sold the company and was fortunate to do so before the market tanked. He next bought a network of video game sites that was going under. Within a few years, Gary had turned it into a highly profitable business making multiple six figures a month in revenue. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky this time and the market crashed. Not sure what to do next, he considered going back to school and eventually did. He spent two years in Minnesota studying geology and geophysics. Studying that would come in handy shortly after when Gary decided he was going to travel the world. You'll also discover things like: * Gary is part owner of what NFL franchise? * What's a 5 bagger and is it a good thing? * Where did his business name come from? * What business is his 13-year old son running and how did he start it? * Why it's never going to be the right time...and you should go for it anyway. * And lots more!     Never being one to avoid risk, he went full force into planning mode and prepared his life to become completely location-independent. Gary sold his house, he kept his car in his mom's garage and basically got his belongings and lifestyle down to a minimalist level. Within 1.5 years, he was off on his adventures. That was 7 years ago! Since then, he's been to the Cook Islands, Easter Island, all over Southeast Asia, Trinidad/Tobago, Europe, Scandinavia; nearly anywhere you can think of, Gary's been there and many points you've never heard of. And in those 7 years and countless destinations, Gary took up photography. He's taught himself how to take great photographs (check out his Instagram feed, it's linked below) and how to run a successful web site while on the road. It hasn't been easy. In fact, it took awhile before Gary's site was seeing the kind of traffic that would generate income. The deciding factor that grew his site? Gary's decision it would be so. After about 9 months, he made the choice to hunker down and find out how to create a well-trafficked web site. No one was doing it at the time so he looked to the success of travel magazines for inspiration and found it! As Gary points out on this show, social media is highly visual and he's been able t...

As solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, we often have ideas pop up for all kinds of businesses even ideas for businesses we know nothing about. So was the case for our guest on episode 157. Jason Weisenthal is the CEO and head of Wall Monkeys, a wall decal company that produces images you can stick to any surface, with no damage and no marks left when you remove it. In this edition, we talk about how Jason created Wall Monkeys even though he had never worked in the print industry, where his solopreneur roots lie and where he sees his company going in the future...plus so much more! More About This Show Jason's solopreneur streak runs back a few generations. His grandfather ran a shoe store which was passed on to Jason's father. Growing up, his dad enlisted Jason in the business. He learned the good, the bad and the ugly from watching his father, working in the store and then later from business classes in college. After completing his degree, Jason continued working with his father. The shoe store had grown and had two locations, one of which wasn't doing as well as the other. Jason took that store over, bought it from his father and made it an incredibly successful shop. He did so by honing in on a niche: kids shoes, especially shoes for teens. It became the destination for the coolest shoes in his town; Jason had his ear to the ground and was immersed in that target market so he knew what his customers wanted. He supplied the teens with their shoe needs but also gave them remarkable customer service. The necessity of customer service was something he had learned from his father, a man who took pride in knowing customer's names, their children's names, etc. Jason's dad could make anyone feel at home and cared for within minutes of meeting them and that translated into loyal customers for his store. You'll also discover things like: * His shoe business made for an easy transition into e-commerce: yes or no? * What's a 5 bagger and is it a good thing? * Where did his business name come from? * What business is his 13-year old son running and how did he start it? * Why it's never going to be the right time...and you should go for it anyway. * And lots more! With the shop practically running itself, Jason's mind was always thinking of creative pursuits. He looked into franchising a business to business printing company, but it didn't feel right to him. He didn't like the guys he'd be buying the franchise from and would be in business with, but he did like the printers a lot. So on the flight home, he had an idea: there was a company that was creating life-sized wall decals of professional athletes for fans to stick on their walls. Kids loved these, the company was knocking it out of the park. And Jason thought: what if I could do the same but for stock images? He tossed around the concept and the strategy with his wife when he got home. They decided to run with it. Jason bought two printers, a back up in case the other one stopped working, and set about getting the rights from stock image companies like Corbis, Getty, National Geographic, etc. He caught his first real break when Fotolia said yes - he was stoked and knew they were on the right path. About that same time, the stock market plummeted. People were losing jobs left and right, North Jersey where he was located was no exception. And then another crippling loss hit Jason's company: his right-hand man died unexpectedly. It was devastating for the business and soon after, Jason had to close its doors. Always being an optimist, Jason knew something big was around the corner for him. He poured all his time and energy into making Wall Monkeys a success. Within just a few weeks of opening the business, he got a call from Darren Rovell (then of CNBC, now on ESPN and ABC Sports) asking him if he'd like to have his company featured on their Christmas editio...

One of the most important parts of growing your business as a solopreneur is going to events. And that’s what I’ve been up to the last two weeks! I’m super excited to share it with you in this episode of The Solopreneur Hour. We’ll chat about Isagenix, my network marketing company’s annual event and how being involved in that company led to this show. And, as per our usual Friday, we answer your questions in the 156th episode of The Solopreneur Hour. One last note before we dive into the show: if you haven't already, please pop on over to https://solopreneurhour.com/itunes, click the Blue "view in itunes" button, and then click "Subscribe". And now on to the show.... More About This Show It’s fascinating how one event can shift things for you, it did for me. A few years ago, after reading The E-Myth Revisited, I knew network marketing was worth looking at. Isagenix was a company several of my friends had had great results with so I explored it. I made it to their annual conference, and loved the business model but even more so, I felt I had found a new family. For the next few years I built a solid business and amazing relationships within the company and because of the company. Specifically, my friendship with Pat Flynn started because I was creating Social Media Ninja Tactics and asked him a question then sent him an iTunes gift card. Social Media Ninja Tactics is a social media training course which I developed as a result of building my Isagenix business on social media and then touring to help other network marketers do the same and do it the right way. Another pivotal connection and experience I had as a result of Isagenix, was being the producer for The Kick-Ass Life. David Wood approached me about social media and I suggested he do a podcast ... and so it began! Without those two experiences, this show would never have been born. So not only is it important to attend events - as many as you can - but it’s also important to pivot, grow and continue where the road takes you on your solopreneur journey. Speaking of pivoting, the second half of the show is when I answer your questions. So let’s see what you asked this week!   Lara Loest  1. If you could only listen to or watch one comedian for the rest of your life, who would it be? 2. If you could ask your mom and dad just one question each, what would you ask? 

Rey Brown  You and I are both prepping to release a product. You have experience with training products, I don't. What's a checklist or flow I should go through leading up to the launch date so I cross my T's dot my i's, build this thing right, market it right, and blow everyone's mind away. Bob Nolley  What's on your vision board now? Scott W. Mulvaney  Top examples of how to truly attract and grow your audience. I'm specifically asking about techniques and best practices in blog writing, or those themes in image posting, for example. Summed up, what do "you" look for in themes that attract and show you the writer/poster has a clue enough for you to follow them. For someone who doesn't have a heavy audience and is trying to grow organically and is already posting daily on FB, Twitter, and Instagram, this underlying knowledge/technique is important. Tony Manzo  Are there any headphones with the boom mic built in with sound quality good enough for a quality podcast? (under $250) Sean Ackerman  Michael, you've landed a fantastic guest, but the audio quality is subpar, even if you are tweaking it on your side. Do you still release the episode? Re- schedule and possibly lose the chance at this guest? Thoughts? 

Sue B. Zimmerman  Love this behinds the scenes pic.