Jess Lively is the founder of Life with Intention online and host of the popular podcast, The Lively Show. Jess recently stopped by the Fizzle studios to sit down for a Founder Story. Founder Stories are long-form video interviews with founders of independent businesses we believe in. Founder Stories are a key part of our approach to helping aspiring entrepreneurs build their thing, along with the Fizzle Roadmap, courses, and the community of entrepreneurs who won't let you quit.
"I just don't understand," she sighed, visibly frustrated. "I did what 'the experts' say to do: I validated my idea. I built this product based on customer research. And yet, when I launched... nothing... crickets. What gives?"
Let’s be honest about two things for a minute: 1) we all procrastinate sometimes, and 2) procrastinating has benefits. When we procrastinate, we often work on things that are simply easier or more enjoyable than the things we’re putting off. Sometimes we play. Sometimes we nap. Sometimes we tackle another project that just seems more fun right now. These are all good things on their own.
"It’s not you, it’s me. I’ve bought so many courses and educational resources over the past year… I need to stop learning and start taking action. I’ll come back once I’ve made some progress."
If you're like the rest of us, you've probably found yourself daydreaming about the life of an entrepreneur: set your own hours, live where you want, make money from passive income while you sleep and wake up to the "cha-ching!" of a cash register as you check your bank account.
On this week's episode of Lifestyle Business Weekly, we answer a great question from listener Paul Minors: I’d love some help with growing product revenue. I’d love to hear your advice around the steps you would take after launching a digital product to get more revenue from it.
There is not a week that goes by without the Fizzle team hearing some version of a seemingly simple question: “How do I monetize my blog?” This question comes from would-be entrepreneurs making an honest effort to follow advice they find around the web. That advice goes something like this:
Do you know what the hardest thing about doing webinars is? Doing your first webinar. Seriously! In my experience of teaching webinar courses, live workshops and developing webinar software for over 6,000 people, I’ve learned that once anyone does their first webinar, it’s pretty much smooth sailing from there on in. It just gets exponentially easier and better each time.
A well-executed series of customer interviews can help you decide exactly what projects you should take on to grow your business. In other words, customer interviews are a secret weapon for smart entrepreneurs.
For those of us providing some type of service for a living (and that's 84% of businesses in the US), referrals can be the fuel that fires the engine of growth. The choice to become a customer is rooted in trust. When it comes to figuring out who we can rely on, most of us will place our business in the hands of someone recommended by a friend versus a complete stranger.