Latest / The Life-First Solopreneur / 248. AI Funnels, Printables & Passive Income…But Without the Scams

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248. AI Funnels, Printables & Passive Income…But Without the Scams · The Life-First Solopreneur

• 0:00
  Carly Ries: If your Instagram feed has been shouting at you about AI funnels, chatbots that sell for you, and making money while you sleep, well, you're not alone. And I've been getting those ads nonstop too. So today, I'm finally getting answers. In this episode, I sit down with digital product powerhouse Becky Beach, who turned a miserable nine to five, a new baby, and zero guidance into a thriving solopreneur business using simple digital products, smart email strategy, and yes, AI powered funnels that actually work. She gets real about the early mistakes, how she built a loyal audience without a huge following, and what she had to learn and unlearn over ten years of growth.
• 0:37
  She also clears up the biggest misconception that this isn't magic, it isn't instant, and it definitely isn't a scam, but it is doable if you know where to start. You're listening to the Aspiring Solopreneur, the podcast for anyone on the solo business journey, whether you're just toying with the idea, taking your first bold step, or have been running your own show for years and want to keep growing, refining, and thriving. I'm Carly Ries, and along with my cohost, Joe Rando, we're your guides through the crazy but awesome world of being a company of one. As part of LifeStarr, a digital hub dedicated to all things solopreneurship, we help people design businesses that align with their life's ambitions so they can work to live, not live to work. If you're looking for a get rich quick scheme, this is not the place for you.
• 1:25
  But if you want real world insights from industry experts, lessons from the successes and stumbles of fellow solopreneurs, and practical strategies for building and sustaining a business you love, you're in the right spot. Because flying solo in business doesn't mean you're alone. No matter where you are in your journey, we've got your back. Becky, we are so excited to have you on the show today. I told you offline that this is actually a topic that I am very curious about, and I think it's because I've been getting, I don't know what I clicked on on Instagram to be targeted with this topic, but so I get ads, I get influencers, just so many things. I can't wait to dive into it. But before we do, we have an icebreaker question for you. And that is, what do you wish you would have known before becoming a solopreneur?
• 2:11
  Becky Beach: Well, I have to be opening a business bank account because I had my finances in one bank account when I started my business. I started making money for my business. It was all going into my personal too. And then when it came time for taxes that year, It was hard to decide what was business and what was personal.
• 2:30
  So I think if you're trying to start a business, you really need to have a business bank account and then a personal bank. like divide your finances because otherwise it could be hard. Not everybody knows this, especially if they've never been a business owner. I come from a family where nobody's an entrepreneur. Everybody was just a nine to fiver like in my entire family. Nobody really knew to give any pointers on how to start a business.
• 2:55
  Carly Ries: Yeah. Such good advice. And I think you are one of the masses that falls into that trap when they are first becoming a solopreneur. So definitely put that in the back of your brains, listeners. But let's get into the meat and potatoes for today.
• 3:10
  You have been very successful with AI powered funnels, IG chatbots and such that service passive income. And like I said, I've been getting targeted with this idea on social media. And I think a lot of other solopreneurs are curious about this, but are also kind of skeptical about this and like, can this be real? So can you explain your processes and how you actually do this and how somebody can actually make income from these funnels and these chatbots.
• 3:41
  Becky Beach: Oh, sure. Well, first and foremost, you do need to have a social media, like at least a social media account to get started with. And also, open up an email service provider like I use kit.com. I recently did a workshop with kit, with a trainer that they employ . And it went really well.
• 4:00
  So during the training, I was saying that you just gotta get your email, your email pro started up because you don't own your social media. So you could have like a million people on your social media, but you don't own that. So you really need to start an email list. It's really important. So I advise everybody to get an email list started up.
• 4:16
  And then from there, you could then begin to sell products to that email list. And on social media, you could create Instagram reels and TikTok videos. Both of them get really high reach. And they'll even reach people that are not following you. So it's really important to get those videos out.
• 4:30
  And you could just use your phone and just talk about your product. and then say, like, go to my profile for a link to my product in the video and super easy, like anybody could do this.
• 4:42
  Carly Ries: How did you get started with this? Like what piqued your interest and persuaded you to hit the ground running?
• 4:49
  Becky Beach: Well, at the time, I had a new baby. And I was working a dead end nine to five job. Well, not really dead end. It was my career. I was a senior web developer and I just hated that job.
• 5:02
  I did go to school for graphic design but I couldn't find a graphic design job. So, I decided to teach myself coding and and development so I could get a job and move out of my dad and stepmom's house. So, I just had a really miserable time at these jobs and then I got this really horrible job when I had a new baby And the boss hated that I went off on leave for three months. So then when I got back, he just made my life a living Like, H E Double hockey sticks, like he was just giving me all this work and telling me that I needed to, you know, step up and I didn't deserve my title and I was worthless.
• 5:34
  Like, he would say the utmost horrible things and I thought, I just don't want to live like this. I have a young baby now and I can't keep doing this. You know, it was fine before I had my child but now I got my child. I don't need time for him. I'm only spending like maybe an hour or two with him each day because I'm working sixty hour weeks and serving this ungrateful boss and he would come to work drunk. he was just a really miserable guy and I just had to leave and so I thought, what can I do? I need to, make money somehow because I'm like the sole breadwinner. My husband doesn't make enough to support us. So then that night, was looking online for just ways to make money, and I stumbled upon this guy. Like, he makes 30,000 a month from his blog.
• 6:12
  I thought, you know, that's a really interesting way to make money. Maybe I could, start a blog. So then I started one, and just that's how it came about.
• 6:20
  Joe Rando: So Becky, what year was that?
• 6:22
  Becky Beach: Oh, that had to be like let me think. Like, my son was born in 2015. So around 2015 to 2016 is when I got started with with my blog. And now it's ten years old and, but I wasn't really making much money from the blog at first because I was just relying on ads and affiliate income.
• 6:43
  It wasn't until I started selling products like printables, like printable planners and financial spreadsheets. that's where I really started to earn good income.
• 6:53
  Carly Ries: so it sounds like you freed up a lot of your time to be a mom but also make a good income. How do you find the products that you're selling?
• 7:01
  Becky Beach: Oh, sure. Well, I like to use Etsy as a way to just see what's currently trending on there and also Google Trends. I use this app called Sales Samurai. I'm also an affiliate. If you go to Sales Samurai and type in PLR Beach, you'll save $2 a month.
• 7:16
  So it's a really good way to look to see what's trending on Etsy and also Google trends. And it gives me so much product ideas like you just type in printable and all these trending printable ideas come up. There are lots of sub niches of printables. And as right now, we're headed into q four. So, like, a lot of holiday printables are selling like Halloween planners and Thanksgiving planners and then Christmas planners, you know, Christmas party planners, and Christmas games because, you know, people need games to do at parties and, like, those type of printables are really hot selling right now.
• 7:49
  Carly Ries: So are these affiliate links that you use from Etsy and you find the products that you want and then use the affiliate and send out through an email and then on your social? Is that how it works?
• 7:58
  Becky Beach: No. I may make them myself. I did graphic design in college. I'm like a trained graphic designer. So I'll make them myself and then use Canva to create the printables.
• 8:08
  And I also hired a VA who also makes the products too. Or shoot, you can. If you don't have any design experience, you could use Etsy affiliate program to promote other people's printables, which is fine.
• 8:22
  Carly Ries: So because Etsy is such a crowded I would say like Etsy, Shopify, those are crowded spaces. I mean anywhere on the internet is a crowded space right now. So how do you stand out from the other holiday printables, the other templates that you can create?
• 8:39
  Becky Beach: Well, you just have to make them very user friendly. Because when I was doing web development, I also hear user experience design to make sure the apps were properly user friendly and everybody can use them. But, you'll get some printables on Etsy and they're not user friendly at all. Like, they're confusing. You don't know what to do and there's no instructions and even some people will put images on writable areas.
• 9:00
  You can't even use it really. It's kind of a waste of money. So I make my printables very user friendly. I highly recommend everybody try that. You know, just make sure your printables are easy to navigate and understandable, and then people will just keep buying from you. I have customers on Etsy that are repeat buyers and also sell the printables on Shopify and also have lots of repeat buyers as well.
• 9:22
  Joe Rando: So Can I ask a favor just to kinda, you know, the dumb question? define a printable. What is a printable?
• 9:29
  Becky Beach: Oh, sure. Well, a printable is like a PDF of a planner or just something that you could write on or use it to plan or even there are checklists, there are trackers. And you print it off on your home printer. And you don't have to go to the store and buy an expensive notebook or planner. I bought this planner over there in Conjuring and it's like a $50 planner.
• 9:51
  But you can actually buy a printable planner that's dated. Like, I actually sell a dated printable planner. And you could get that instead and print it out and only sell it for $7 and get hole punched and then put in a three ring binder or get it bound and you have a planner for the whole week. This is a weekly planner too, and it was $50. So a lot of people don't have the money to spend on expensive printed planners.
• 10:14
  They'd rather just use their home printer to just print things out.
• 10:18
  Carly Ries: so you put it on social, but you also say that you email every day. So what does that email look like? But also how did you build that list? Oh, sure. Yeah. like today before this call, actually sent out three emails. because now I have four email lists, because I now have four different businesses. And I didn't get a chance to email my mombeach.com list yet.
• 10:40
  Becky Beach: That's my mom blog that I've been running ten years. So yes, I'll probably send that email afterwards. I'll email that just about every day. And I have a new shop called beckybeach.ai where I sell AI masterclasses. I got really involved in AI and then I also will sell GPTs in that store too and so I have an Email list for that store and I try to Email that one Monday through Friday.
• 11:05
  It just depends on the list and the plrbeach.com list sells PLR, commercially used Canva templates that people can customize and resell. And I'll email that list every single day even on weekends. And now I just got into a big habit of emailing that list. I just love that list. I mean, they're so receptive.
• 11:21
  They'll respond back to me as friends, and I chat to them like I wanna coffee with them. And I just love that list. Think that's my favorite list to write to.
• 11:31
  Carly Ries: And how did you build that list? Is that through platforms like Etsy or is that completely separate? Yes. Well, when you put out free content, like I would put out free blog content and then I had an email form that offered a printable of like a few pages and people would sign up. And then once they signed up to get that free printable since their email list, they would get prompted to get an upsell of a paid printable like bundle. And that paid printable bundle had like 7 to $17 and I'll make money on that like all day. I decided to throw the notifications for Shopify into a filter because my email was just flooded.
• 12:07
  Becky Beach: Because every time you get a sale, get an email. It was just flooded with Shopify payment notifications. So I had to, filter that out. And I guess that's a good problem to have. But you know, just hard to see the other emails in there.
• 12:19
  And, yeah, I'll do free content because if you put free value out into the universe, you'll get back, like, you'll get back money kinda like you get when you put something out there, you'll get it back. But if you just keep to yourself and don't wanna give out any free value and are selfish and just say, oh, I don't want to give out any free value. I just want to sell stuff. I don't want to, you know, give anything for free. Then you're not gonna get any money because people aren't gonna get a taste of what you have to offer.
• 12:44
  Because if your free content could help you help them in some way wherever your zone of genius is, like maybe you're an expert at teaching or you're really good at making printable products or you're good at making courses and just as everybody has unique things they could do. Even you, you probably have something really unique about you that you could offer that nobody else really can. And if you start, just giving a little taste of yourself, then you'll get people on your list. It will just happen.
• 13:10
  Carly Ries: So you've been in this now for ten years. What has changed? I mean, a lot has changed technology wise in the past ten years, in the past year. So how have you pivoted? What has changed? What have you had to do to change with the trends of these funnels, of these lists and everything?
• 13:28
  Becky Beach: Well, really had to get involved with AI. I started like about 2022 is when I really the the heavy AI content. I make AI courses and, you know blog posts, social media posts, podcast episodes, like geared towards AI. I got really involved into it. I noticed it was trending at the time when I was involved in it and not many people really trusting of it and a lot of people just disregard it saying oh it's just a newfangled trend that will go away.
• 13:54
  But now everybody and their brother I see is trying to do AI content out there. Like it's just gotten really saturated. And now well it kind of sets me apart because I got started so early. I'm more thought of as like an AI expert in today's space. You know, especially for entrepreneurs because I've been doing AI content for three years now.
• 14:16
  Even when I was working at Verizon, I did machine learning because I come from a web developer background. So I even knew how to use AI back then. I kind of bring a lot of expertise to the table, because you always need to have a unique mechanism to set you apart from your competition. Like something that you can offer that nobody else really can. I think because I have a really strong background in IT and also graphic design, I think that really helps helps me out, in my business.
• 14:44
  Carly Ries: So for the solopreneurs out there that are like, I don't have a list. I don't have a social media following. I wanna do this, it sounds great. it sounds like a good way to save some time, but also get some money in relatively quickly. What would your first piece of advice be for them?
• 14:59
  Becky Beach: Oh no. It's not a get rich quick scheme at all. Like you're not gonna be able to get money quickly doing this. I'll just tell you that right now. It takes time to earn customers trust.
• 15:08
  It takes time to build your list. it takes time to see what kind of products will work best for you. You have to determine what your niche is gonna be. Like it's really useful to niche down. I got involved in the mom audience when I had my child. And I obviously spoke to her mom, sold to other moms. So you need to pick a niche. You know that would really speak to you. And, that's really important. And to have something you're passionate about because if you just get involved in a niche that makes money, you're not gonna keep doing it if you're not making money from it. I wasn't making money I believe at all my first year.
• 15:43
  I was gonna quit because I just wasn't making enough money and I was actually spending more than I made that first year and my friends and family were saying, hey, you need to stop this. You're just wasting your time. i Mean, you got a promising career as this web developer. You're making 6 figures at your job. Like, why are you wasting your time doing this blog?
• 16:01
  And my husband said, I was living a pipe dream and so like everybody was against me because, I think I said before the call or during the call that I come from a family of nine to fivers and they didn't understand, entrepreneurship. Like they say, why is she doing this stuff, working so hard and not making any money and she's just gonna waste her time. so you really gotta put that in perspective too. Like you're gonna have family members and friends, they're gonna be against you if you're a new entrepreneur. See, you got to get into the right mindset and just say, hey, I'm gonna do this and I want a better life.
• 16:33
  I want freedom. I don't want some awful manager breathing on my neck and like making me do things I don't wanna do every day. who wants to live like that? I'm sorry, I'm just on a soapbox I guess, but yeah, I just was doing it twenty years and having, these horrible bosses, and you're kinda playing Russian roulette, but you don't know if your boss is gonna end up being a complete jackass too. Because what happens is sometimes you get nice bosses.
• 16:54
  Like, I've had really nice bosses. I'm still friends on Facebook with, you know, and it just depends.
• 17:00
  Joe Rando: Yeah. Can I add something? Then ten years later when you're successful like this, you got lucky. Right? Is that what they say now?
• 17:08
  Becky Beach: No. Not at all. Like, I have students that I've seen success. they're like, I have a business beach club membership, and I've
• 17:15
  Joe Rando: no, no, you misunderstand. I'm just saying, like, people that were naysaying they're telling you you're crazy to do this, then when you do it and you become successful, now they say well, got lucky. I've heard that one.
• 17:27
  Becky Beach: Oh, really?
• 17:28
  Joe Rando: Yeah. You know, like, oh, yeah. You know, first, they don't believe, you can do it, and then later, you got lucky. And, yeah, you can't listen to other people.
• 17:37
  Becky Beach: You can't listen to other people. Yeah. The friends and family that were telling me, you know, like, my sister now she's also doing what I'm doing with it, selling printables, and she's making enough money to leave her teaching job. And she was the one that told me that I was wasting my time, so I, taught her how to do this. And she's a teacher, now she wants to leave her teaching job.
• 17:56
  Joe Rando: She's a convert. There you go.
• 17:58
  Becky Beach: Yeah. Really. Because she sees how much money you could make.
• 18:01
  And especially if you are a teacher, you're making educational printables. Like, there's this platform called teacherspayteachers.com, and you make a lot of money. I've had people in my business beach club them like $10,000 from that a month. Like it's really easy to get started with that.
• 18:17
  Carly Ries: Yeah. it's funny you say that. I was talking to a friend of mine about that and what a great organization it is for teachers. Well, Becky, over the last ten years, you have found success for yourself, following these bundles, doing these printables, and that's so great. So we have to ask, which we ask every guest, what is your favorite quote about success?
• 18:36
  Becky Beach: Oh, sure. Yeah. Like every email that I send out each day ends with a quote. And it's usually based on, success. It just depends.
• 18:44
  I use Goodreads to find good quotes. And this one that really stands out to me is by Steve Mariboli. And he says, don't give up. It's not over. The universe does balance.
• 18:55
  Every setback bears with its seeds of a comeback. And that really speaks to me because I was going to give up my first year because everybody was against me. And they were saying, no, you're not going to be able to do this. so five years ago, ten years ago. People aren't making money with blogs anymore.
• 19:11
  You're just wasting your time. You focus on your nine to five and because you have a new baby and all that jazz. I didn't listen. I just kept on. And I made like 80,000 last month.
• 19:21
  And I just keep going and one month I made 100,000. I just don't let anybody, tell me what to do anymore. I just did everything. I mean, my husband tells me what to do, of course, but you know.
• 19:33
  Carly Ries: Yeah. Well, that is incredible. Becky, where can people learn more about all this? Where can they learn about you? Give us all the links.
• 19:40
  Becky Beach: Oh, yeah, you could go to coachbeckybeach.com/freebie and get a free workbook on how to sell your first digital product. It also comes with a GPT that will help you create a funnel to sell that product. So again, that's coachbeckypeach.com/freebie.
• 19:58
  Carly Ries: Love it. Well, thank you so so much for coming on the show today. like I said, I've been so curious about this and I know many others have too. And we actually haven't really talked about this on the show, Joe. This is a first time topic which is kind of rare.
• 20:10
  So thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 20:12
  Becky Beach: Oh, it's really exciting. Thank you.
• 20:14
  Carly Ries: And listeners, thank you so much for tuning in. As always, please leave that five star review. Share this episode with a friend that you think would think it's useful, which you should. And subscribe on your favorite platform including YouTube, and we will see you next time on the Aspiring Solopreneur. You may be going solo in business, but that doesn't mean you're alone.
• 20:34
  In fact, millions of people are in your shoes, running a one person business and figuring it out as they go. So why not connect with them and learn from each other's successes and failures? At LifeStarr, we're creating a one person business community where you can go to meet and get advice from other solopreneurs. Be to sure join in on the conversations at community.lifestarr.com.