You don't need a huge following or constant access to your private life to build a profitable business. You need to be known for solving a specific problem. In this solo episode, I break down the difference between influence and authority, and between visibility and exposure. I share the questions I ask clients before we talk about anything they don't want to do, starting with what they actually want to be known for. I walk through the three layers of sharing, how I decide what stays private, including how I've approached sharing my journey as an autism mom, and a simple boundary exercise you can use before you post. Then I cover four ways to build authority without becoming a lifestyle influencer: the teacher, the curator, the practitioner, and the connector. We close with how to pick one discovery channel and one owned channel, what consistency really looks like, and how to connect your content to a paid offer you can test.

Highlights Include

• [00:00] Why a profitable brand doesn't require a huge following
• [01:40] The difference between an influencer and a business owner
• [02:20] Why my business keeps earning when I step away from Instagram
• [05:55] Being famous vs. being findable
• [08:15] The first question to answer: what do you actually want to be known for?
• [13:15] Visibility vs. exposure, and how I handle sharing my autism mom journey
• [18:00] The three layers of sharing: expertise, experience, and personal access
• [22:10] A boundary exercise and the question "What will this yield?"
• [26:15] The four ways to build authority: teacher, curator, practitioner, and connector
• [36:00] Discovery channels vs. owned channels, and why social media is rented attention
• [41:05] The three jobs every piece of business content should do
• [44:30] Why you should launch before you feel ready, even if you launch to crickets
• [49:30] Five questions to answer this week

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Podcast Moguls coaching program: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode, I break down why so many people are starting shows right now, drawing on 10 years of running Side Hustle Pro, which I launched in 2016 and have grown past 10 million downloads.

I walk through three things a podcast can be: a networking tool, a bridge from where you've been to where you want to go, and a launch pad. I share how I grew the show with a small paid promotion budget, landed my first $4,000 sponsorship while working full time at NPR, and was found by producers from the Today Show and TEDx without pitching.

I also cover how I started Side Hustle Pro after graduating from business school without a job, how Ryan Clark used his podcast The Pivot to move into his next chapter, and how to give people a clear reason to listen so your show can grow and earn.

• A podcast is a networking tool that opens doors a cold coffee request would not.
• Your show can be a bridge to the field you want next, even before you know what it is.
• Specificity grows a show; "life and everything in between" gives no one a reason to listen.
• Start before you need it: a podcast can work as your work insurance plan.

• [00:00] What Michelle Obama, Jalen Brunson, LeBron James, and I have in common
• [02:03] Why podcasting is the most powerful networking tool
• [04:40] Podcasting from home as an introvert
• [06:55] Podcasting as a bridge to where you want to go
• [12:05] How I grew Side Hustle Pro with $5 to $10 per post in paid promotion
• [15:00] Landing my first $4,000 sponsorship
• [18:50] Using your podcast as a pivot tool
• [22:50] How Side Hustle Pro started after business school
• [26:30] How the show led to the Today Show and TEDx
• [27:25] Ryan Clark, The Pivot, and your work insurance plan
• [29:45] Why "life and everything in between" won't grow your show

• Podcast Moguls: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323

Podcast Moguls, my coaching program for podcasters, is open. If you want to start your own podcast or grow your current one, I'll coach you on making your show more visible, more marketable, and an actual business. Join at sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I kept putting off this solo episode because I did not want to get camera-ready. So I took the camera out of the picture. This audio-only life update is about the changes that helped me feel like myself again, a year after sharing that I was burned out.

I share how I started building my business around my life as a mother, why I am focused on Podcast Moguls and SHIFT, and what I learned from launching the first group cohort of SHIFT this summer.

I also talk about returning to therapy, the impact of postpartum on my mental health, and making room to rest. Next up: building systems that require less of my energy and asking what I can take out of the picture when I feel stuck.

• Design your business around your life instead of designing your life around your business.
• Identify the part of a process that is keeping you stuck, and ask whether you can remove it.
• Focus on the offers that fit your life, and build systems that reduce unnecessary work.
• Protecting rest and getting professional support can change how you work and how you feel.

• Why this episode is audio only and what I removed from the picture
• Where I was last year compared to where I am now
• Building my business around motherhood, with most of my work on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Deciding what belongs in the business after a year of experimenting
• Recommitting to Podcast Moguls and keeping it current
• Launching the first group cohort of SHIFT in July
• Why Podcast Moguls and SHIFT feel aligned with this season
• The next chapter: systems, systems, systems
• Changing my relationship with business and my sense of worth
• Therapy, postpartum, and getting support for my mental health
• The year I centered myself and redefining wealth

• FREE CLASS: Start the Podcast that Builds Your Exit Plan: https://sidehustlepro.lpages.co/your-first-1000-downloads
• Join Podcast Moguls: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls
• Apply for the SHIFT Coaching Waitlist: https://sidehustlepro.co/shift
• START Your Next Chapter: A Woman's Guide to Taking the Leap with AI by Nadeen Matthews Blair: https://amzn.to/4z2AZs8

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.