The Solopreneur Hour Podcast - First 50 Episodes Michael O'Neal

The milestone of episode 50 is here Soloists and I’m thrilled to share it with you. I brought on my new friend Dan Miller, owner and operator of the insightful and successful 48 Days online community and podcast. 

Dan is a former radio jock turned podcaster, author and coach. He gave up hosting a very high profile radio show when he saw the way the world was responding to online media. He left the show behind to start his own venture: 48 Days.net, a place devoted to helping people create work they love.

Part of his 48 Days offerings include a weekly podcast; he values the authentic connection and intimacy podcasts create with his audience.

On our show Dan talks about the path of the solopreneur.

Having held only one “real job” in his entire adult life, Dan truly understands the solopreneur aspirations. He knows what it’s like to see the possibility of time and financial freedom, and to be ruined for all employment thereafter.

He has walked his talk, and that’s one of the reasons his podcast, his community forums and his events are so sought-after.

In this episode he shares his walk and his talk including:



* Why systemizing is so critical to everything you do as a solopreneur.

* How you can change your life in the next 6 months with this one simple action.

* Why saying “no” is the key and the strategic question Dan asks himself before saying it.

* Why Dan fears NOT changing far more than he fears change – and why all thriving solopreneurs feel the same way.

* The ONE key to your entire solopreneur career. This and nothing else can make or break you.



Whether you have a podcast or not, Dan’s insights and time-tested wisdom will continue to usher you on your solopreneur path. If you feel stuck in a rut or are unsure of what to next or how to make your next move, take a listen and you’ll hear what you need to guide you.

If you’re looking to revolutionize your next 48 days, find him on Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dan-Miller-Career-Coach-Author-of-48-Days-to-the-Work-You-Love/147834932132

https://twitter.com/48DaysTeam

Resources from this episode:

https://48days.net

https://iwantsololab.com

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

https://www.48days.com/category/48-days-podcast/

https://www.48days.com/blog/

https://www.udemy.com

What an episode this is! Soloists… get your Evernote ready for this one. My friend Ryan Skelly and I talk about what it takes to make it in business. He is in full agreement with Gary Vaynerchuk’s philosophy “You can’t scale caring.” He also reiterates something Adam Carolla said when he visited The Solopreneur Hour, the value of over-delivering to your clients in the early stages of your learning curve.

Ryan and I don’t stop there. We also dive headlong into the nitty-gritty of Facebook advertising success. He is the self-admitted left-brained partner of another Solopreneur Hour co-host, Shane Johnston. The dynamic duo are true Facebook ads ninja experts and in this show Ryan spills his secrets.

Growing up as a football and basketball player and being raised by a self-employed father, Ryan saw early on the hustle it takes to make it in the real world. He learned quickly you’ve got to log your time to become a success in anything you do.

After spending some time working for others, including his dad, he reconnected with his former UConn college buddy, Nick Unsworth. And after seeing Nick crush it online, Ryan joined in one of Nick’s webinars. He was blown away by all of Nick’s incredible content. He took his newfound knowledge, struck out on his own and it was full-speed ahead from there.

One of the keys to his success along the way has been investing in himself, like he did when he purchased Nick’s webinar. As Ryan says in the show, “…when you invest in yourself, crazy sh*t happens.” And that crazy sh*t led him to his now Facebook ninja partner-in-crime Shane Johnston.

As you listen to the show you’ll get an earful of just how passionate Ryan is about Facebook. He gives you the down-and-dirty details on:



* Why business is no longer built on sell, sell, sell but give, give and give.

* The step by step breakdown of what a sales funnel is and how it works with your Facebook advertising.

* Why you should be transparent in everything you, including everything you do for your clients.

* How deep to niche your Facebook advertising – including how to advertise to just ONE person!

* The three keys to finding and marketing to a specific target audience on Facebook



Whether you have a successful Facebook page, or want to have a more successful Facebook page or are just starting your page, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

Get your Evernote open, get your pen & paper out or whatever it is you take notes with, get it ready and turn it up. Then hit repeat, you’ll want to hear this content a few times just to let it all sink in.

Love what you heard from Ryan Skelly? Of course you did.  Check him out here:

https://smarturl.it/facebooksuccess

Resources from this episode:

https://solopreneurhour.com/40

https://solopreneurhour.com/28

https://solopreneurhour.com/30

a href="https://solopreneurhour.

Food is obviously a vital part of our day. But have you considered that your eating choices could be slowing you down in your business? Abel James joins me to talk about all that and more in episode 48. He’s got a great podcast where he’s interviewed Tim Ferriss, Lewis Howes, and many more notables.

Successful solopreneur and fellow podcaster Abel James of Fatburningman.com chat about our backgrounds in music and how musicianship has influenced our solopreneur careers, the impact nutrition has had for both of us, and the lost art of being Renaissance Man.

From an early age, Abel has been a hustler and an innovator. As he says in this podcast, he didn’t grow up with much money so he had to create it “from nothing”.

His foray into internet marketing came in the late 90s, and he hasn’t looked back since then. His early start came via buying & selling on eBay, and today he creates podcasts, books and apps, including launching an app ranked #6 (ahead of the popular “Angry Birds”).

Listen in as Abel and I share invaluable ideas on:



* Why it’s so vital as a Solopreneur to model yourself after people who are socially, morally and ethically responsible

* His sure-fire tips for getting healthy without denying yourself.

* The value in living as a Renaissance man or woman and why it’s become a lost art.

* Why saying you don’t have time for something is a cop out.

* The number one way to set yourself apart from everyone else.



I had a blast with this show. Abel and I have jam-packed this episode with tons of value – and lots of laughs. It’s clear Abel is a man who walks his talk from the way he eats to the way he runs his solopreneur endeavors.

I need your help!

Please Nominate the Solopreneur Hour as the “Best New Podcast” for the 2013 Stitcher Awards

You can vote every day until December 22.  Thanks!

Ready for more of Abel’s stellar abs, easy-to-use nutrition and great business sense? Connect with him Soloist style on Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/fatburningman

https://twitter.com/fatburnman

CLICK THIS LINK TO TWEET ABEL SOME PROPS

Resources from this episode:

https://abeljames.com

https://www.fatburningman.com

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

Guide to Farmer’s Markets around the US: https://www.farmersmarket.com

Fat Burning Man iTunes App

It’s that time again! Another month has passed (I know, I know…sorry about that.) and we’re back with an episode of “Find Your Swing”.

In these shows, you, our fearless soloists, send us your questions about how to put your talents, skills and passions to  use. Together with the talented and uber-bad ass Dawn Marrs, we make every attempt to answer your questions with ideas and suggestions on how to fire your boss and live the life of a successful solopreneur.

So many of you wrote in that we now have two shows worth of great questions! We hope to publish the second one shortly,  but for now let’s dive into the nuggets from this episode:

Topics we cover in this show:



* We debate whether to hone in on a particular niche or let your audience come to you – and what it means for your business.

* The safe and simple nutritional plan for injury recovery and ideal health.

* Is it ethical to teach people to become locksmiths? What does it mean for you?

* Why any musician can and should follow in the footsteps of successful giants like Mike Johnston.

* The benefits of mastermind groups and why every solopreneur needs to be in one.

* What would your next step be if you earned as much in your first month of your solo biz as you had in your previous year of working for The Man? We advise one such listener.

* The tips we give a PGA pro on leveraging his current relationships for his future Soloist endeavors – are there relationships in your life you are overlooking?

* Why you should always ask, even when you think the answer’s going to be no.



This episode was a fun, informative session for us, and we hope it is for you too. We love getting your questions, learning about you and helping you Find Your Swing™. To send us your questions or comments for future Find Your Swing episodes go to https://solopreneurhour.com/contact/ and drop me a line.

Ready for more of Dawn’s wit and wisdom? Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/dawnmarrsdotcom

Tweets by dawnmarrs

Resources from this episode:

dawnmarrs.com

Solopreneurhour.com/NME

Voteforsolohour.com – Stitcher Awards (link to Best New Podcast)

Dawn’s Academy – LINK

solopreneurhour.com/SoloLab

J, J, J, Right Hook – LINK

solopreneurhour.com/38

Isagenix – LINK?

Social Media Ninja Tactics LINK

Solopreneurhour.com/35

marketingeasystreet.com

iwantsololab.com

Today a website is as necessary as a company phone number; you really don’t have a business until you have a website. Despite being so common, websites are one of the most fundamental, yet most-often underutilized tools in a solopreneur’s toolbox. Having a website that “converts” is the most important trait a website can have, and most of us have sites that don’t do a very good job at that.

In episode 46,  Alex “The Optimizer” Harris prepares you to change all that. He joins us to share his plethora of knowledge about website optimization.

By trade, Alex is a web designer, and has been a very successful one for 11 years. He specializes in marketing optimization: taking a web site, making it more user-friendly for greater customer satisfaction and greater profits.

In this episode, he dives into the nitty-gritty of how to make your website work for you and your customers. He can share all of this because he walks his talk: he is a solopreneur who recently began a podcast on marketing optimization. Now every week he brings on experts and together they discuss the details of fine-tuning your site for the biggest ROI.

And he did the same for The Solopreneur Hour. He digs into topics like:



* Why you should stop learning and get going right NOW.

* What is matched messaging and why you should care.

* The two key ingredients to a successful client relationship on the web.

* UVP, clarity and consistency: why your site MUST have all three (and what they are).

* Why testimonial videos are absolutely key – yet so few people are utilizing them.



This show is a real-life lesson on web site and marketing optimization. Alex is the teacher and he takes us to school as he relates his years of experience in easy-to-use suggestions and recommendations. If you have a web site, want to create a web site or just want your web site to generate more money for you then you absolutely must listen to this show.

In fact, Alex has generously offered a free review to the first 20 solopreneurs who drop him a note at alexdesigns.com/review. You don’t have to opt-in, just give him your info and get ready! He won’t hold anything back when he reviews your site – and you’ll thank him for it.

To reach out to him and thank him Solopreneur-style, find him on Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/alexdesignsllc

https://twitter.com/alexdesigns

Resources from Episode 46:

solohour.com/10

alexdesigns.com

https://www.google.com/analytics/

https://woothemes.com

Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition



Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World



marketingoptimization.tv

Just as a great Solopreneur makes their success look effortless so too does a great comic.  In episode 45 stand-up comedian and fellow podcaster Rosie Tran and I have an insightful and funny chat about the similarities in a stand-up comedian’s journey and a solopreneur’s journey to that place of making it look easy.

Some say solopreneurs are born, not made, and yet others believe anyone can be a solopreneur; the same arguments can be made about comedians. Rosie proves the latter to be true. She never dreamt of going into stand-up until a former boyfriend dragged her to comedy open mic nights because he wanted to be a comedian. At first she grudgingly went along to support him, but when he encouraged her to write material for him, a new path was forged.

Eleven years later she has since opened for well-known comedians such as Lisa Lampanelli, Gilbert Gottfried and Russell Peters. She recently created her own podcast, Out of the Box, (https://outoftheboxpodcast.com) where she interviews everyone who thinks “outside of the box” and bucks the mainstream way of living.

During those eleven years she learned invaluable lessons, lessons which solopreneurs can take to heart and remember along their path. Nuggets like:



* Take the feedback you get, tweak it and gather more feedback. Eventually you’ll hit your mark.

* If you haven’t eaten **it, you’re not a real comedian (nor are you a real a solopreneur). In other words take your lumps, it’s part of your experience and it fortifies you.

* It takes time, experience and wisdom to find your voice and, as we say on the Solopreneur Hour, to find your swing.

* Overcoming the “cute girls aren’t funny” audiences she encountered and how you can overcome any kind of mentality others throw at you.



This episode is a hilarious discussion about comedy, comedians and putting yourself out there doing what you love. Rosie is a laugh-a-minute who shares tales from the comedic trenches and what it’s like to be a female in a male-dominated industry.

Can’t get enough of Rosie’s humor? Find her on Facebook and Twitter too, give her a Soloist virtual high-five!

https://www.facebook.com/FunnyRosie

https://twitter.com/FunnyRosie

CLICK HERE TO TWEET AND TELL ROSIE SHE ROCKED IT!

Resources from this episode:

https://www.rosietran.com

https://outoftheboxpodcast.com

https://www.tarynandreatta.com  (NSFW)