Working Sessions John Doherty and James Sowers

In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses, helpful lessons and scenarios to aid entrepreneurs in moving forward while standing strong amidst commoditized services. This highlights discussions of lessons about becoming competitively different which would prove useful to business that offers the same service and finding a competitive edge.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Overcoming slow pipeline and churn ratesCastaway recoveryConsider offering video editing with CastawayProductize updatesSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
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This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
Time Stamps and Key Ideas
00:04:59 Do what kind of works for you.Highlights individual pursuits where focus is on things that works for oneself like how to do things at your own pace.  00:09:34 Updates on EditorNinjaPipeline kind of slowed down and they had a little bit of churn however, EditorNinja is still slowly getting into it, constantly, steadily and healthily growing. Things came slower as they doubled prices around January or February, although sales process are tightened up, people are still closing deals. Services are priced competitively, providing quality services relieving people from the burden of doing things their own or hiring a full-time editor themselves.
00:13:50 Just Be Hard to KillContains a talk highlighting what Sam Altman said about a superpower of startups which is "just be hard to kill". Meaning, whatever the changing market throws unto you, one must be ready to change and look for opportunities to strive amidst the unforgiving sea of challenges and try to rides its waves. If one can, try to outlast everybody else until you're the only one standing by then getting hundred percent of the market's attention.
00:14:45 Catching Up Discusses a lesson that one should be greedy while others are scared and be scared when others are greedy. This tackles being competitive while also analyzing how to ride the market trends, not only just going to where everyone else is going but also striving to stand out instead of being drawn towards commoditization.
00:25:56 Updates on Castaway and ProductizeStill at a mild-mannered situation as James is still exploring on his preferred tool set, still recovering slowly and getting some clients back. Mainly focusing on produtize at this moment, updating the course and exploring community angle, slowly building a business ecosystem. James is thinking of acquiring a small business and layering it into Castaway like an editing so it could handle a full spectrum of podcast production and promotion. 

In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and share some insights about the idea of doing more in the aspects of business and work. This highlights the idea that in order to get uncommon results, live an uncommon life which is an essential reference for a business which is striving to do a lot better in the future, always aiming to surpass expectations while also putting emphasis on work and life balance. 
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Updates on EditorNinjaCastaway updates Emphasizing work and life balanceSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedbackWant more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedIn 
Thanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
TIME STAMPS AND KEY IDEAS(00:00:31) The idea of doing more, sometimes it requires more than you think. Discussions involve the idea that whatever you are doing or what your goal might be setting, one should multiply it by 10x because ultimately, you'll end up ahead, always striving to surpass expectations.
(00:01:07) Uncommon results : uncommon effortsSharing lessons from Hormo Z's book where he likes doing more volume to learn faster, work a lot faster which will eventually result to succeding a lot faster. Most of the time, people expect that they will get uncommon result even just doing the same normal things. However, it was emphasized that if anyone wants to get uncommon results, exert an uncommon level of effort and live an uncommon life. 
(00:02:50) Best practice is the baselineReviewed over the base line of the things that should be done and nothing more assuring than make the best practice a standard. Key to that is always striving to take action instead of just staying stagnant, doing more effort, practicing more to be able to the get work done even faster. Moreover, one must hold oneself to imposed standrads, and act accordingly as everyone are commiting and dedicating their entire life basically to the single pursuit of whatever they are trying to do.
(00:13:21) Allocate experience points like a game Compared skills updates on games with how work should be done. Increasing attributes is like allocating more experience, more hours and more focus on things which are important in a business. This is where productize and scale comes in because this will help in the idea of how to put people and processes in place. With productize, things can be brought up and turn into process rather than just randomly doing things.
(00:28:06) Focus on what is important Knowing what's the focus is an advantage and a strength as it would enable the business to pave a way for the things of great significance and make sure it is done and executed well. It is also what being productive is like, alloting much time to things which are in the higher heirarchy and allocating proportionate amount of time to each, for example, tasks giving it more time, based on importance.
TAKEAWAY LESSONDoing more with what you are doing is a good practice but upon working it is a must to consider a personal space as well. Strictly getting control and putting over boundaries between work and personal space is essential as to not exhaust the body and mental health. One must not bend ones life just so you can fit your employer's preferences, and remember to take into account a work and life balance. 

In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and feeding the greed and fear index where business encountered a place of uncertainty in the economy while sharing some helpful advice on how businesses and individuals can not only survive, but thrive during an economic recession. This includes talking about the recent economic downturn and some helpful insights which will let everyone view situations in different perspective. 
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Updates on EditorNinjaCastaway UpdatesFinding a competitive edge with CastawaySound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.

Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedIn 
Thanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
TIME STAMP AND KEY IDEAS(00:04:02) Pandemic RecessionThere are winners or losers in business. Some business might have gone outside the grid during the global economic downturn as their services are getting weak demands. On the other side of the globe, there are other business who found a way through the recession and came across great opportunities especially for alcohol, soap, disinfectant and hygeine focused companies.
(00:04:48) Invest in SkillsEven with the pandemic recession, some companies which had found an opportunity with the situation has been lacking with employees so they considered hiring people and reconsidering what their market looks like.  Business tend to find a person at the right time and should give the right offer for them - more like finding someone which can take the work and produce quality result.
(00:15:12) Manage Churn Tackled one of the things to be fearful of right now which is a retraction or churn. Sort of hassle to actually need more volume in order to get the same number of customers as preceding years but churn is what kills subscription and recurring billing companies. This highlights the important to be an account manager who actually cares and monitor to have more people use the service more.
(00:19:15) AI Taking OverAI is eating the SEO world and is commonitized. AI is somehow as good as Castaway where it can affect the business prices. This raises concern that there is a tendency to either lose business or find a competitive edge and there is no way losing is an option. Having a clear understanding of what your clients need are then it must be an easy way to go as this will open up opportunities for the business.
Lesson TakawayDespite everything, try not hitting the panic button immediately. There are plenty of people out there who can close better deals, it is not a necessity to sacrifice too much over little things and strive as not to get locked in a job you don't enjoy too much. 

In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and discuss the hiring framework to help business owners who are in the process of onboarding new talents. Came up with a few sharing of book lessons, experiences in our own hiring process to keep you guys informed on the things needed to focus upon delegating roles to save you some time, effort and money.
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Hiring and testing out VAs for EditorNinjaAnnouncement of EdNinja's launch of editing for ai created content serviceCastaway Updates Moving Productize and Scale website from WordPress Power to GhostJames planning to launch more coursesSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.

Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedIn 
Thanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
TIME STAMPS AND KEY IDEAS(00:03:03) HiringEditorNinja talk's about Dan's book where it was emphasized that upon hiring, one must think at what they are good at, and do the process in terms of an energy and money kind of access. To make it short, hiring is somewhat similar to buying back your time and putting it in other stuffs which are actually of significance in the business.
(00:06:14) Hiring is a bet on oneselfHiring is actually asking yourself if you can afford to hire somebody, or if you are in a position to actually bring somebody in. It's a process that needs to be delegated and outsourced carefully, looking for what's actually gonna move the needle. It was also tackled that oftentimes people make mistakes in hiring as they always focus on immediately hiring VA's or EA's without actually weighing in and asking themselves what roles am I delegating and I'm left to take on.
(00:08:46) Don't just delegate the task, delegate the roleIt is good to get people to keep an eye on a task which is discussed by Dan highlighting how you don't just delegate task, you delegate the role and then they become responsible and accountable for that particular area. Delegating the role rather than the task will buy your time back, because it is as if you are replacing yourself by turning over that particular role to them and you just kind of move on to another role saving you 15-20% of your time which can be invested on other important matters.
(00:10;56) Focus on something you are good at James talks about the idea of the accountability chart which kind of starts with picturing out what seats are needed to fill the in for the particular roles. Making a plan is essential and following a stairstep approach of hiring people to fill in those empty roles, as to only be left with ideally what business owners are good at. Basically focusing on what gives the highest value in the business and pouring attention into it.
(00:17:29) Updates on EditorNinjaEditorNinja is currently hiring and testing out VAs from different countries, basically observing the process for a month or so to see which one will do better. Announced the launch of editing for ai created content service, which has blown up pumping a higher demand for the service. In addition, the base price for copy editing and proofreading has been raised a bit - more or less 15-20% - but also considering on stepping up to a higher level, like adding AI content updating, developmental editing, and a full high touch level where customers give out content and EditorNinja will do everything for them.
(00:24:09) Updates from Ja

In this episode, we provide updates on our respective businesses and share couple insights to help business owners who are considering doing in-house business or hiring freelancers or an agency. This includes discussion about handling the "In-house" objection being stuck in the dilemma of doing things in-house or outsourcing talents, and tackling helpful instances which are important in weighing in its benefits and drawbacks while maximizing ROI at the same time. 
As always, we also provide updates on Castaway and EditorNinja, which include...
Hiring and closing bigger deals with Editor NinjaContent optimizationScoping out outbound campaign for CastawaysAnnouncing the comeback of productize PodcastSound interesting? You should give it a listen. We think you'll really enjoy it.
Want to support the show? [FREE]
Subscribe to future episodes in your favorite podcast appAsk a question or leave us feedback on this episodeLeave an honest review on your favorite podcast platformShare the show with a friend who might also enjoy itReach out to us on Twitter and give us your unfiltered feedback
Want more regular updates? Here are other ways to follow along:
Join Our Email Newsletter for early access and bonus contentCome and hang out with us in our Slack communityFollow James on Twitter and LinkedInFollow John on Twitter and LinkedIn 
Thanks & Recognition
This episode was edited by PodcastBuffs.
Time Stamps and Key Ideas(00:04:50) In house ObjectionThis conversation focuses on the discussion of doing things in-house vs. hiring a freelancer or an agency to do the job. Debates about the pros and cons and instances where hiring someone to get the work done be sometimes are considered an expense or an investment for the business.
(00:07:03) The benefits and drawbacks Discussed more on the benefits and drawbacks in possibly hiring people like a generalist or a specialist to get things done. Going over how to approach the idea of onboarding someone to do the work for you and how to make sure who you're hiring is capable of doing the job done, is it worth the cost, or will it save and buy your time back.
(00:19:01) Negotiating agreementThis part also includes ideas that it are important to consider like the best alternative to negotiate agreement which is not having to land a deal to sustain the business by defaulting to discounts. Highlights the idea to not easily slash prices in order to close a deal that could hurt the business, rather take into consideration that if you're gonna do a discount, it must be for an annual subscription or for a long-term commitment.
(00:25:03) Editor Ninja's updatesThis part covers a range of topics and discussions about getting on big themes with Ed Ninja like hiring, and the sales and services offered. Considering hiring somebody like a virtual assistant to do the work and buy back time where focus can be diverted more on the things he love like exploring new product stuff, new initiatives, sales calls and closing deals. Explore over content optimizations, couple updates and new strategies.
(00:37:03) Updates on CastawayFocuses around the current updates in castaway and productize. Discussing how everybody wants to do YouTube shorts and be Alex Hormo. Basically, sharing how James is trying to explore opportunities with emerging countries and take advantage of geo arbitrage in outsourcing talents. Also, scoping out what an outbound campaign looks like for Castaway, instead of relying on referrals, word of mouth, and personal postings.
(00:43:52:) Productize UpdatesAnnounces the comeback of productize podcast, scoping out a 12-episode season using Castaway to do the repurposing and promotions. James talks about how he's working on moving the productized course from WordPress and building out a directory for productize, monetizing through affiliate links or some referral relationships with brands. 

In this episode, we discuss our respective business goals for the new year, which include plans to attend conferences and launch marketing initiatives. We also touch on current and emerging trends, like AI tools, and explore the potential impact it might have on our work. Finally, we reflect on the lessons we learned over the past year and which ones we'll be carrying forward with us in 2023.
If that sounds interesting to you, you should give it a listen.
Timestamps:
[00:02:26] Discussing the concept of "Memento Mori"
[00:07:04] Chatting about Generative AI as a technological step-change
[00:11:50] Weighing the pros and cons of the "gold rush" around AI content
[00:14:04] Predicting increased important for human-generate content in the future
[00:20:55] Talking about outsourcing and the time cost of onboarding versus the time saved later.
[00:26:58] Balancing freelance and full-time workers to meet demand.
Key Ideas:
1. AI and its Current Status in the Industry
- AI is a step change technology but won't replace jobs yet
- AI Wrangler is a new role
- AI output is dependent on the quality of input and is still bland and lacks personality, opinion, and point of view.

2. Making the Most of Life and the Hype on Chat GPT
- Remind yourself to make the most of life
- Discussing the hype on Chat GPT.

3. Outsourcing and its Time Cost
- Consider the time cost of onboarding when outsourcing
- Outsourcing can save time later.

4. Human-Made Content will be Valued More
- AI tools will be valued less than human-made content in the future.

5. Balancing Freelance and Full-Time Workers and Hiring Writers
- Balancing freelance and full-time workers to meet demand
- Hiring writers with a bigger budget
- Subcontracting work.

6. Effective Strategies for Selling and Generating Revenue
- Successfully offering and selling a course, coaching, website audit, and lifetime membership.
- Generating almost $11,000 in revenue.

7. Unplugging and Recharging in January
- Unplug, enjoy, and recharge for January.

8. Time Flies When Raising Children
- Time passes quickly when raising children.

9. Forecasting Future Business Revenue and Growth
- Forecasting $150K revenue, 30% margin, launching a new product/service line, updating flagship course, 25K revenue from product ties.
- Consistent publishing cadence and repurposing productized podcast episodes to create a physical book.

10. AI Generated Content: The Potential "Gold Rush"
- AI generated content is a potential "gold rush" with short term gains but possible long term risks.