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The Solopreneur Wake-Up Call I Didn’t Know I Needed · Substack Writers Salon

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SPEAKER_01: And we are live.
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SPEAKER_01: Hi, everyone.
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I have with me someone who I've been following for a while,
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maybe,
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I don't know,
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for two years.
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I'm so happy to have the amazing,
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prolific writer,
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Maya Say,
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who joined us today from Bulgaria.
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SPEAKER_01: And for those who don't know Maya,
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SPEAKER_01: and I'm sure everyone knows Maya,
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SPEAKER_01: actually,
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SPEAKER_01: it was on Substack.
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SPEAKER_01: I was doing a live Substack last week,
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SPEAKER_01: and the creator that I was talking to,
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SPEAKER_01: he said that he became a solopreneur after reading Maya's essays.
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SPEAKER_01: So that was... Wow.
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SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that was fascinating.
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SPEAKER_01: Really?
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SPEAKER_01: You're talking about...
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SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, yeah.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: Wow, that is insane.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: I love his work.
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SPEAKER_00: I love what he does, so that's awesome.
0:51
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'll send you the live with Anne-Marie, but that was awesome.
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SPEAKER_01: The universe is telling me something.
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SPEAKER_01: I have to talk to Maya.
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SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
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SPEAKER_01: So for those who don't know Maya,
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she's a monetization strategist who worked with 2,000
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solopreneurs one-on-one.
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SPEAKER_01: She's featured in Business Insider, Metro UK, and others.
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SPEAKER_01: She helps writers and solopreneurs monetize their skills.
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SPEAKER_01: All right, Maya.
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SPEAKER_01: So let's start with how do you define a solopreneur?
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SPEAKER_01: It's like a fancy word people throw here and there.
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SPEAKER_01: What is a solopreneur?
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SPEAKER_00: Wow.
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SPEAKER_00: I love this question.
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SPEAKER_00: I think definitions are so important about how we approach things.
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And the funny thing is that a solopreneur,
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if you Google it,
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has a lousy definition.
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SPEAKER_00: It's literally, it says that a solopreneur is an entrepreneur who
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SPEAKER_00: who works alone,
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SPEAKER_00: who doesn't have employees,
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SPEAKER_00: who usually doesn't have an office or something like that.
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SPEAKER_00: It had to do with not having employees.
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SPEAKER_00: And I thought this was so funny.
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You don't define a singer by saying they're the person in the
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band that don't play
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SPEAKER_00: an instrument.
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SPEAKER_00: It's an insane definition, right?
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So a solopreneur really,
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it's such a new concept and it's been made popular with
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technology.
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SPEAKER_00: It really is someone who delivers the core value of their business alone.
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So if you're a writer,
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it means that you are the one who does the writing.
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SPEAKER_00: If you hire a virtual assistant or even someone,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: like to do bookkeeping,
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SPEAKER_00: to ask for your emails or do scheduling or whatever,
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SPEAKER_00: even like a PR person,
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SPEAKER_00: You're still a solopreneur, right?
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SPEAKER_00: You're just outsourcing some of the tasks if you do the writing.
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SPEAKER_00: But if I'm like a copywriter,
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SPEAKER_00: for example,
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and I have so many clients that now I hire other copywriters to
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do writing,
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that I run an agency because I've outsourced the core function
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of my business,
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SPEAKER_00: which is writing.
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So this means that now I probably have to spend more time
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managing the other
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SPEAKER_00: copywriters,
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SPEAKER_00: managing my client's expectations,
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SPEAKER_00: selling,
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SPEAKER_00: etc.
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SPEAKER_00: So this is an agency, even if the writers are also freelancers.
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So there are plenty of agencies these days who work not with
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full-time employees,
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SPEAKER_00: but with other solopreneurs.
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SPEAKER_00: So it's a very tricky definition.
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SPEAKER_00: But to me,
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I feel like the best definition is someone who delivers the
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core value of the
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SPEAKER_00: business on their own.
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SPEAKER_00: Now, what's the core value of the business?
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SPEAKER_00: That's another story.
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SPEAKER_00: But I'll let you do the questions.
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SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
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So let's say I hire someone to help me with like social media
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or whatever.
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SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
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SPEAKER_01: Does this still make me a solopreneur?
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SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm hiring freelancers.
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SPEAKER_01: Like, where do you draw the line?
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SPEAKER_01: And my business is also registered as an LLC.
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SPEAKER_01: So does this also make me a solopreneur?
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SPEAKER_00: It doesn't really matter in terms of registration.
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SPEAKER_00: I think I also have a company.
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I feel like it's the smarter decision after you grow past a
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certain point just
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SPEAKER_00: because,
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SPEAKER_00: and obviously this differs from country to country.
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SPEAKER_00: But in Bulgaria,
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SPEAKER_00: for example,
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SPEAKER_00: if you are self-employed,
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you have 10% expenses that the government sort of accepts that
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you make 10%
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SPEAKER_00: expenses and everything else you pay tax on.
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SPEAKER_00: But as you have a company,
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SPEAKER_00: you can obviously,
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SPEAKER_00: you can have invoices and expenses and pay less tax,
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SPEAKER_00: et cetera.
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So it makes more sense when you grow after a certain point and
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you actually do have expenses.
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SPEAKER_00: For example, I pay for software.
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SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I also pay for freelancers.
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SPEAKER_00: So it just makes sense for me.
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SPEAKER_00: I don't think this changes a lot, I think.
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And in terms of hiring people for social media,
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it really depends what's your business.
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SPEAKER_00: So if...
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SPEAKER_00: Your business is, for example, content creation.
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SPEAKER_00: And you create the content,
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but then you hire someone to take the content you've created
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and break it down and
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then publish it consistently on social media or edit your
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videos or turn your posts
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SPEAKER_00: into videos or whatever.
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SPEAKER_00: You are still delivering the core value yourself.
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SPEAKER_00: It's still your ideas.
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SPEAKER_00: It's still your content.
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SPEAKER_00: It's still you out there with your face, right?
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All that you're hiring out is just getting a virtual assistant
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or a freelancer or
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SPEAKER_00: whatever to do the actual busy work.
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SPEAKER_00: So that's still a solo.
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SPEAKER_01: Okay.
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SPEAKER_01: Got it.
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SPEAKER_01: So you've been a solopreneur for, I think, 10 years or so?
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SPEAKER_00: 11 now.
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SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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SPEAKER_00: You're going fast.
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SPEAKER_01: Okay.
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So that's pretty...
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If I think of it,
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you're like a trendsetter because...
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We started hearing about solopreneurs maybe in the past five
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years and slowly
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SPEAKER_01: people are getting into it and embracing it.
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Like if I'm here in the suburbs with the suburban mom having a
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drink and I'm saying
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SPEAKER_01: I'm a solopreneur,
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SPEAKER_01: I think the majority would know what that is.
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SPEAKER_01: But that was not the case, let's say, five years ago.
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SPEAKER_01: So how did you get into that?
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SPEAKER_01: What made the mind shift and how did you embrace it so early?
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SPEAKER_01: What made you such a trendsetter?
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the mind shift thank you for that that's quite the compliment
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the mind shift was
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the most difficult thing to do and it actually came years after
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i started so in the
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beginning i wanted to be a life coach slash business coach uh i
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was very very
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confused i was obviously i was like 26 year old life coach so
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as you can imagine i
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had tons of clients no like okay at least struggle like the
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first year was really
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SPEAKER_00: difficult
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And then as I was trying to figure out coaching and having a
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business of my own,
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SPEAKER_00: I stumbled upon copywriting.
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I got like a marketing slash copywriting course,
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which was supposed to help me sell coaching.
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SPEAKER_00: And it did.
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SPEAKER_00: But what it also did was I got really excited about writing.
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SPEAKER_00: I just loved what they were teaching me.
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SPEAKER_00: And I wanted to do that.
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And I started offering this as a service with the idea of like
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getting people...
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SPEAKER_00: to become copywriting clients and then offering them business coaching.
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But then the copywriting side of things exploded so much that I
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actually stopped
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SPEAKER_00: coaching and I became a copywriter.
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SPEAKER_00: I didn't call myself a solopreneur back then.
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SPEAKER_00: I had no idea what I wanted to do.
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SPEAKER_00: It was so strange.
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SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think it's a great question because it's such a new thing.
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And I knew that I didn't want to have an agency or a business,
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but there was a brief moment.
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SPEAKER_00: And I'll tell you what, it was when I had my first five-figure client
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When I said to myself,
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oh,
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I can't possibly be good enough to do this myself.
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SPEAKER_00: Like, I need to hire a team, get an office.
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If I'm going to get clients like this,
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like,
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I need to be an agency,
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right?
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SPEAKER_00: I just didn't believe to be a solopreneur and do this.
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SPEAKER_00: I got, like, a $12,000 client.
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SPEAKER_00: And I was like, whoa, I can do this.
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SPEAKER_00: And...
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SPEAKER_00: And I had the agency for like six months.
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SPEAKER_00: I hired an office downtown.
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SPEAKER_00: I hired a couple of girls.
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SPEAKER_00: It was like, oh, they're trendy.
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SPEAKER_00: And it was so not my thing, Natasha.
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SPEAKER_00: Oh, my God.
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SPEAKER_00: I can't even tell you.
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SPEAKER_00: I was always in meetings.
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SPEAKER_00: I didn't even write anymore.
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SPEAKER_00: I was always in meetings.
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SPEAKER_00: I was talking to people, explaining to people what was needed.
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SPEAKER_00: I did a lot of research and a lot of user testing,
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SPEAKER_00: which is involved in offering this high-level copywriting service.
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And I said to myself,
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you know what,
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first of all,
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I want to do a lot less meetings.
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SPEAKER_00: I want to do a lot more writing.
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And I don't also I don't really feel like I actually need those
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people to help me
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SPEAKER_00: with with clients like this.
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I just need to pace myself because what happened is,
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oh,
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now I have a team.
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SPEAKER_00: So now I need to get more clients like this.
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SPEAKER_00: And then I went out and got a couple more clients like this.
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SPEAKER_00: And it was a whole long sales process, et cetera.
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SPEAKER_00: And I was just so busy with other things.
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SPEAKER_00: And I was like,
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SPEAKER_00: actually,
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SPEAKER_00: if I just work with one or two clients at a time of this caliber,
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SPEAKER_00: right,
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SPEAKER_00: I'm doing okay.
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SPEAKER_00: And if I don't pay salaries and rent for an office, et cetera, et cetera.
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And then it was about like,
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I actually,
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you know,
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I had to let the girls go.
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SPEAKER_00: I had to let the office go.
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SPEAKER_00: I had to like,
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SPEAKER_00: and I felt really bad because I like,
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SPEAKER_00: it was like going back and forth and back and forth.
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SPEAKER_00: But no one back then, as you said, no one told me, oh, you know what?
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There's this thing called solopreneurship and you don't
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actually have to go run an agency.
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SPEAKER_00: You can do whatever you want to do.
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SPEAKER_00: And that's what I'm trying to do now.
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SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to show to more people that it's okay.
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SPEAKER_00: Like this is a new thing.
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SPEAKER_00: And it's sort of neither a job nor a real business.
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SPEAKER_00: People are still like, you're doing what?
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SPEAKER_00: Like get a real job.
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SPEAKER_00: What are you talking about?
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SPEAKER_00: But it's real and it's pretty cool.
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SPEAKER_01: Okay.
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SPEAKER_01: So you yourself, how do you monetize?
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SPEAKER_01: Because you teach people how to monetize.
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SPEAKER_01: But where is your income stream coming from?
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Okay,
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so I have multiple income streams and I'm actually in a
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transition period.
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SPEAKER_00: So I am, what is fair to say, I'm a multi-passionate entrepreneur.
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SPEAKER_00: So it does mean that I like to try different things.
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SPEAKER_00: And for a long time,
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I was blaming myself for it because I do think that you should
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be focused and
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SPEAKER_00: devoted.
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SPEAKER_00: um,
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SPEAKER_00: and,
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and intentional about your business and not just opportunistic
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and sort of jumping
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SPEAKER_00: from one thing to another.
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SPEAKER_00: That is not what I mean when I say I'm too passionate,
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SPEAKER_00: but when I'm really interested in something and want to try it out,
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SPEAKER_00: like it's just,
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SPEAKER_00: it's not leaving me alone.
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SPEAKER_00: Um,
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so I still have a lot of clients because when I first started
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out as a copywriter
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SPEAKER_00: and I still work with a lot of clients and most of my
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SPEAKER_00: Okay, probably not most now.
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SPEAKER_00: Let's say half of my income is still coming from clients.
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SPEAKER_00: And I'm at this stage,
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I'm lucky enough to be at the stage where I actually have a
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list of regular clients
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and they're also recommending me to other people so I don't
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need to actively go out
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SPEAKER_00: and look for clients.
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SPEAKER_00: That's pretty cool.
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SPEAKER_00: And again,
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SPEAKER_00: when you're a solopreneur,
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it works out this way because you can't really serve 100 people
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at a time.
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But it's okay to have time if you charge them well and if you
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know your processes.
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SPEAKER_00: So that's another thing.
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SPEAKER_00: And then actually, so...
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SPEAKER_00: The newsletter and my products,
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SPEAKER_00: I first started,
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SPEAKER_00: I first tried digital products on Gunroad last year.
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SPEAKER_00: And they worked really well,
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but I'm actually upgrading them now a little bit because I just
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tried a few small
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SPEAKER_00: products.
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SPEAKER_00: But the products and the Substack and the medium,
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SPEAKER_00: because I also used to make some money on medium,
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SPEAKER_00: not so much anymore.
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SPEAKER_00: are like maybe 10% of my income, 10 to 15%.
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SPEAKER_00: And I recently started a real estate flipping business,
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SPEAKER_00: which is again,
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I still call it a sole entrepreneurship thing because I'm not
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the one doing the
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SPEAKER_00: renovation,
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SPEAKER_00: right?
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I have a contractor,
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I'm a real estate broker to sell the property I have.
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SPEAKER_00: So it's still me, right?
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SPEAKER_00: Like I have the money to do this.
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SPEAKER_00: Now, like how cool is this?
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SPEAKER_00: Obviously I also have some,
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like loans etc it's not like oh I'm just buying property so I
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still write but the
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idea is that I'm a good candidate for a loan because I've had a
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business for so
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long so I went to the bank like you know what I want to try
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real estate flipping
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SPEAKER_00: and I said okay
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SPEAKER_01: That is pretty cool.
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And it's cool to see that banks actually see you as a
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legitimate business and trust
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SPEAKER_01: you to give you a loan.
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SPEAKER_01: So that's a good tip.
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SPEAKER_01: Okay, do you worry about...
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SPEAKER_01: being a jack-of-all-trades if you do more than one thing.
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SPEAKER_01: Because,
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SPEAKER_01: you know,
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SPEAKER_01: like the gurus always advise you like,
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SPEAKER_01: oh,
12:47
SPEAKER_01: have one offer,
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SPEAKER_01: one problem to solve,
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SPEAKER_01: one audience,
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SPEAKER_01: like the one,
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SPEAKER_01: one,
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SPEAKER_01: one.
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And do you feel that if you like dabble in many things that you
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will fall into that trap?
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um the jack of all trades this is such a good question and i
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did feel like this for
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a long long time and then you know what happened i don't know
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if you've heard marie
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SPEAKER_00: forleo um she's like this amazing business coach yeah yeah
13:18
And I've bought some of her courses and I've been following her
13:22
for many years now.
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SPEAKER_00: And I've been to some of her group coaching sessions.
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SPEAKER_00: And I love her story.
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SPEAKER_00: And she's the one who actually sort of set me free with this.
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Did you know that she has a relationship book called Make Any
13:40
Man Want You or
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SPEAKER_00: something like that?
13:41
SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
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She's a New York Times bestseller,
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which is like half memoir,
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half self-development thing.
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SPEAKER_00: She has a coaching program, well, a course that is about B-School.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: It's about businesses.
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She has Time Genius,
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which is about time management and psychology and all that.
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And she has the Copyhackers course,
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which is about copywriting and marketing.
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SPEAKER_00: And she's still on freaking Oprah, like, almost every month.
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SPEAKER_00: And she's super successful.
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SPEAKER_00: I mean, who's to say that you only have to do one thing?
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What I should say is that whatever I do,
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I always make sure that I can give...
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SPEAKER_00: 100% of myself in the time when I do it.
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SPEAKER_00: So if I'm going to write one post a week on Substack,
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SPEAKER_00: the moment I sit down to write this post,
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SPEAKER_00: it's all about this post.
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SPEAKER_00: Like I put my phone away.
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SPEAKER_00: I don't deal with contractors.
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SPEAKER_00: I don't deal with anyone else.
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SPEAKER_00: I research, I write, whatever.
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SPEAKER_00: But the moment I,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: I get up from the desk,
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SPEAKER_00: I'm like,
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SPEAKER_00: okay,
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SPEAKER_00: like,
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SPEAKER_00: I can't really sit still for a long time.
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SPEAKER_00: Like, let's go see how the property is doing.
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SPEAKER_00: Or let's talk to someone.
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SPEAKER_00: Let's talk to a client or whatever, you know.
15:00
SPEAKER_00: And it's fine.
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SPEAKER_00: And obviously, you don't start by doing four things.
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SPEAKER_00: You start by doing one.
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SPEAKER_00: So in the beginning, I was a copywriter, and that's all I did.
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And then it took me like,
15:13
I think it was five or six years before I even discovered
15:17
Medium.
15:17
And that's when I started writing about business and personal
15:20
development,
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etc.
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SPEAKER_00: And then I started Substack a couple years later.
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SPEAKER_00: And it was a whole new skill,
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SPEAKER_00: because Substack is not only about writing,
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SPEAKER_00: it's also about building.
15:29
building a newsletter which some people don't understand how
15:33
different platforms
15:35
and different types of businesses require slightly different
15:38
skills so they're like
15:40
oh but this doesn't work here well some things do some things
15:43
don't so obviously
15:44
medium is a bit more there's like a big audience there they'll
15:48
read anything the
15:50
SPEAKER_00: platform is different they are they have their own agenda and
15:54
SPEAKER_00: Substack is different.
15:56
So all of this was,
15:58
it took me years to go from one to the next,
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to the next,
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to the next.
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SPEAKER_00: And now I'm at this point where I can accommodate all of these things,
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SPEAKER_00: but it didn't start this way.
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SPEAKER_00: Like if I had started this way, I'd gone crazy.
16:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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SPEAKER_01: Okay, so you're a monetization expert.
16:16
SPEAKER_01: What do you tell people about monetization and the monetization
16:26
SPEAKER_01: Trends keep changing, right?
16:28
Let's say during the pandemic,
16:29
it was online courses and cohorts and blah,
16:32
blah,
16:32
blah.
16:33
SPEAKER_01: Now, you know, and maybe before that, it was like YouTube ads.
16:36
SPEAKER_01: And now what is, let's say the biggest trend in monetization these days?
16:43
it really depends on what you want to do i don't believe in
16:47
trends so let me say i
16:48
don't think that that this is a way to um to build a
16:54
sustainable business because
16:55
obviously trends will always change um when i when i approach
17:02
and you mentioned
17:03
SPEAKER_00: that i've worked with 2000 um
17:06
solopreneurs this actually happened on fiverr so what happened
17:10
on fiverr is this is
17:11
where i built my business and i've had a lot of plans for like
17:13
big companies um and
17:16
startups etc but i've also had like most of i've worked with
17:19
about 3 000 plans on
17:21
SPEAKER_00: fiverr over the 10 years that i've been there most of my plans there were
17:25
SPEAKER_00: solopreneurs like coaches um authors writers etc um and
17:33
What happens is always they come to me at this point where
17:38
nothing else worked.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: And they're like,
17:40
SPEAKER_00: I need you to write this great sales copy that's going to sell my offer,
17:45
SPEAKER_00: whatever it is.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: And they want me to do magic, basically.
17:52
SPEAKER_00: And what I discover usually just based on marketing knowledge,
17:55
SPEAKER_00: because I was in marketing before I became a solopreneur also,
18:01
SPEAKER_00: and then obviously tried to market my own business.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: is a copywriter can't sell an unsellable offer.
18:08
SPEAKER_00: Or no offer is really unsellable, but a confusing offer.
18:12
An offer that doesn't have a who,
18:15
that doesn't have a what,
18:16
that's not powerful.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: It's not driven by what people want.
18:20
SPEAKER_00: It's not driven by the opportunity that's already there.
18:23
SPEAKER_00: And whatever business you're in,
18:24
SPEAKER_00: whatever platform you're in,
18:26
SPEAKER_00: there is opportunity there,
18:28
SPEAKER_00: probably more than you imagined,
18:30
that you haven't really figured out probably if you're not
18:35
succeeding the way you
18:35
SPEAKER_00: want to succeed yet.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
18:39
SPEAKER_00: When I was on Fiverr and I tried to do website copy, no one bought it.
18:44
SPEAKER_00: And then when I did about pages, everyone bought it.
18:48
SPEAKER_00: That's the gig that exploded.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: That's what made me a copywriter was people were like,
18:52
I cannot write about myself in a way that makes me sound good
18:56
without lying.
18:58
SPEAKER_00: Like people are always overblading, et cetera.
19:00
SPEAKER_00: And when you're like,
19:02
SPEAKER_00: when you're not writing about yourself,
19:04
SPEAKER_00: when someone else is writing for you and they hear about your experience,
19:07
SPEAKER_00: your credentials,
19:08
SPEAKER_00: your passions,
19:09
SPEAKER_00: your desires,
19:10
SPEAKER_00: whatever.
19:11
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, this is actually a pretty cool person.
19:13
SPEAKER_00: Let me write their about page.
19:15
And it worked out like everyone was like,
19:16
oh my God,
19:17
I want to work with myself now.
19:19
SPEAKER_00: This is amazing.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: It's not even a lot.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: It's all true.
19:21
SPEAKER_00: But people don't see themselves this way.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: so that was, that was a monetization opportunity there.
19:27
SPEAKER_00: And then from that, it was like the point of breaking.
19:30
Like it was a moment where the doors opened and now I was able
19:34
to sell everything
19:35
SPEAKER_00: else to those people.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: I was like, Oh, you want to do a sales page?
19:38
SPEAKER_00: You want to do a homepage?
19:39
You want to do an entire website,
19:40
Facebook ad article,
19:41
whatever,
19:42
let's do it.
19:43
SPEAKER_00: And they said, yes, because obviously they were, they were happy.
19:47
SPEAKER_00: Um,
19:48
SPEAKER_00: And now on SubSec,
19:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm finding that I'm getting a lot of messages of people who are like,
19:53
SPEAKER_00: let's do a sponsorship.
19:55
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, really?
19:56
SPEAKER_00: In the beginning, I was like, really?
19:57
SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't do sponsorships.
20:00
SPEAKER_00: Like, I want to keep the content relevant to my audience.
20:02
SPEAKER_00: I don't want to, like, bombard them with that or whatever.
20:05
But then the last couple of people who messaged me were like,
20:08
really cool.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: They were products that I would buy, you know?
20:10
SPEAKER_00: And I was like...
20:12
SPEAKER_00: Why am I resisting this?
20:14
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is what's the situation right now.
20:17
SPEAKER_00: It's literally the platforms giving me signs how I can monetize better.
20:21
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, oh, I'm too fit for this.
20:25
SPEAKER_00: And the truth is, you can just do it your way.
20:28
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to do it if you feel like scammy or sleazy or whatever.
20:32
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to say no.
20:35
You just have to figure out how to do it without feeling these
20:39
feelings,
20:39
right?
20:40
SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
20:41
SPEAKER_00: A lot about monetization is that it's not exactly marketing.
20:45
SPEAKER_00: It's not exactly trends.
20:47
It's more about finding that match between what you want to do
20:53
and what the market wants.
20:55
SPEAKER_00: And it's a very specific thing.
20:56
SPEAKER_00: It could be very narrow.
20:58
SPEAKER_00: It's usually like this, literally like where...
21:02
SPEAKER_00: it's where the wall breaks.
21:03
SPEAKER_00: Like it starts with like a little hole,
21:06
SPEAKER_00: like a little crack and then it,
21:07
and then it breaks and it opens up and it opens up and it opens
21:10
up in this huge
21:11
SPEAKER_00: opportunity.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: Right.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: This is what I'm trying to find people,
21:16
help people find the specific thing that's going to help them
21:20
explode that the
21:21
SPEAKER_00: market is desperately needing and,
21:24
SPEAKER_00: and they have,
21:26
SPEAKER_00: and it just,
21:27
SPEAKER_00: there's no communication there.
21:29
SPEAKER_00: What is the market needing now?
21:32
SPEAKER_00: It really depends on what industry you're in.
21:35
SPEAKER_00: Let's give an example.
21:36
SPEAKER_01: All right, let's do a live example.
21:39
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I'm not sure how much you know about me.
21:41
SPEAKER_01: So I'm a journalist by training, author, and a ghostwriter.
21:47
Most of my income comes from ghostwriting memoirs,
21:51
and recently I started doing book coaching.
21:54
SPEAKER_01: And it became very organically.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: People started asking me, like, how can I write a book?
21:59
SPEAKER_01: And so I never thought of myself as a book coach, but it just happened.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: So that's basically the bulk of my income.
22:06
SPEAKER_01: I also go to write newsletters for corporations.
22:11
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I'm always looking to expand.
22:17
My biggest problem is not enough cash flow every month to
22:23
basically feel great
22:24
SPEAKER_01: about what I'm doing.
22:25
SPEAKER_01: Like, yeah, I conquered the solopreneurship game, one.
22:29
SPEAKER_01: And two, lead generation.
22:32
SPEAKER_01: I'm not really...
22:34
SPEAKER_01: Like,
22:34
I don't feel I am getting enough clients to sustain a certain
22:40
lifestyle where I can
22:42
SPEAKER_01: travel freely,
22:43
SPEAKER_01: like,
22:44
SPEAKER_01: you know,
22:44
SPEAKER_01: buy an island or whatever.
22:46
SPEAKER_01: But I think,
22:49
which is a bit frustrating for me because I have over 25 years
22:54
of experience and
22:55
SPEAKER_01: I'm working hard.
22:57
SPEAKER_01: It's just like, as you said, cracking that thing, right?
23:00
SPEAKER_01: That would kind of open the doors of heaven.
23:05
SPEAKER_01: So what would you advise me if we're like in the live now coaching?
23:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: What would you tell me?
23:13
SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you this.
23:14
You mentioned that you would love to get more clients and you
23:17
would love to go,
23:19
right?
23:19
But I also remember that a few days ago we posted a note where
23:23
it said that you are
23:24
SPEAKER_00: very tired and you did mention that you're doing a lot of things.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: I am doing a lot of things, yeah.
23:30
SPEAKER_00: writing for memoirs, you're doing sub stack, etc.
23:34
So my question is,
23:36
is it really about getting more in terms of more clients and
23:40
more work?
23:41
SPEAKER_00: Or is it more about getting more money?
23:43
SPEAKER_00: Because these are two different problems.
23:46
SPEAKER_01: I think the time,
23:47
SPEAKER_01: the work of solopreneurship is,
23:51
SPEAKER_01: as you know,
23:51
SPEAKER_01: you always have to,
23:54
SPEAKER_01: unfortunately sometimes you have to chase clients to pay you.
23:58
SPEAKER_01: And if you don't have the right clients, they might,
24:02
like postpone or they will like try to cheapen a bit where like
24:07
they they say ah
24:09
give me one month and i understand you know things happen but
24:13
that's unlike when
24:14
you're having a regular income you know like the end of the
24:17
month or whatever every
24:18
couple of weeks touching you know what to expect and and for
24:22
that there's always
24:23
SPEAKER_01: this kind of
24:25
SPEAKER_01: I'm on edge,
24:26
SPEAKER_01: you know,
24:26
SPEAKER_01: like when is,
24:28
SPEAKER_01: you know,
24:28
SPEAKER_01: when is the big client going to come and cover me for like 10 months,
24:32
SPEAKER_01: you know,
24:33
SPEAKER_01: where I can just relax.
24:34
SPEAKER_01: So that's why,
24:35
SPEAKER_01: like,
24:36
SPEAKER_01: I feel like I'm in a hamster wheel,
24:39
SPEAKER_01: you know,
24:39
SPEAKER_01: like just constantly running,
24:41
SPEAKER_01: trying to make it.
24:45
SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you this.
24:46
If you double your prices for whatever service that you want
24:52
to,
24:52
let's say the memoir,
24:54
SPEAKER_00: If you double your prices and you cut your clients by half,
24:59
SPEAKER_00: how much better would things look like?
25:02
SPEAKER_01: It will look much better,
25:04
but the problem is finding the client who's actually willing to
25:08
pay premium prices.
25:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I understand that.
25:13
SPEAKER_00: So let me tell you a story about that.
25:16
SPEAKER_00: So it is really, it comes down to asking.
25:20
And second of all,
25:21
it comes down to,
25:22
and this is a situation where you know what you can test.
25:27
I'm not saying that you know 100% what will work,
25:29
but you know the things that you can test.
25:31
SPEAKER_00: And it's,
25:33
SPEAKER_00: when I got this $12,000 client that I told you about,
25:36
SPEAKER_00: I,
25:36
SPEAKER_00: fuck,
25:40
SPEAKER_00: I did not believe that I could do it.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: And it was like, you got to try.
25:45
Like you,
25:46
you have an idea of like what you can offer and you,
25:51
you have to try and it worked.
25:53
SPEAKER_00: And the reasons that it worked is that
25:55
SPEAKER_00: I included things in the process that I knew that a client would want.
26:00
SPEAKER_00: For example, I included user testing.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: It was a copywriting thing.
26:04
SPEAKER_00: I included user testing.
26:05
There are platforms where you pay a couple hundred dollars and
26:11
200 people read your
26:12
SPEAKER_00: copy,
26:12
SPEAKER_00: and you can see where they stopped reading,
26:15
SPEAKER_00: whether they clicked the button or not.
26:17
They can read it,
26:18
and you can target the right people by demographic,
26:22
etc.,
26:23
SPEAKER_00: So I added this as an extra.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: And then I added a couple other extras.
26:27
SPEAKER_00: And it was really simple for me.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: Like it was literally just going on a user testing platform,
26:31
SPEAKER_00: paying 200 bucks,
26:32
SPEAKER_00: uploading the copy,
26:33
SPEAKER_00: done.
26:34
SPEAKER_00: And then I go back to the client and say, these are the results.
26:38
SPEAKER_00: This is the copy.
26:40
SPEAKER_00: And also when I was selling it to them,
26:44
SPEAKER_00: That's what I was doing, right?
26:45
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, it's not just writing.
26:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to user test this.
26:49
SPEAKER_00: And if the results are not this and this, you're not going to get it.
26:54
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to write another version, another version, another version.
26:56
SPEAKER_00: And this is included in the price.
26:58
SPEAKER_00: And they don't know how much it costs, how it's done, whatever.
27:01
SPEAKER_00: So I would say in your situation, definitely with your background, right?
27:10
SPEAKER_00: $20,000,
27:11
SPEAKER_00: considering that I know that I've got $12,000 for writing website copy,
27:15
SPEAKER_00: Natasha,
27:16
SPEAKER_00: with your background,
27:17
SPEAKER_00: $20,000 for memoir writing is not enough.
27:22
SPEAKER_00: So the first step here is big-ass confidence.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: Like, you've got to believe that you can get the money.
27:29
SPEAKER_00: It's not about that there are no clients.
27:31
SPEAKER_00: I know how it feels because I was there.
27:33
SPEAKER_00: I was like, no client gives me this much money.
27:36
SPEAKER_00: I was sure of it.
27:38
SPEAKER_00: But then I heard someone was making this much money and I was like,
27:43
SPEAKER_00: they're not better than I am.
27:44
SPEAKER_00: What the hell?
27:47
SPEAKER_00: Like it really worked positively in my case.
27:51
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like confidence, 100% confidence.
27:55
SPEAKER_00: And second of all,
27:58
Write up the process that you're using in a way where even you
28:03
would be like,
28:04
SPEAKER_00: fuck,
28:05
SPEAKER_00: $20,000 isn't enough for this.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: Like, look at my process.
28:08
SPEAKER_00: Look at all the things I'm doing.
28:09
SPEAKER_00: This is crazy, right?
28:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: And then go after the big guys.
28:14
Now,
28:14
I know that right now,
28:15
maybe you can't imagine how it's going to happen.
28:17
But the moment you decide to do it,
28:21
I am telling you somehow it's going to happen.
28:24
SPEAKER_00: I am telling you.
28:25
SPEAKER_00: Now, you said this is a coaching session.
28:27
SPEAKER_00: Now, if it were a coaching session, I would say, you know what?
28:31
SPEAKER_00: Give me your exact process.
28:33
Like when you start working with a memoir plan or when you're
28:35
pitching to them or
28:36
SPEAKER_00: whatever,
28:37
SPEAKER_00: what is the exact things that you do?
28:40
SPEAKER_00: What are the things that are most important to clients?
28:42
SPEAKER_00: What are the things that maybe they want and you don't do,
28:45
SPEAKER_00: not because you can't do,
28:46
SPEAKER_00: but because you're so busy,
28:48
SPEAKER_00: right?
28:48
SPEAKER_00: That would make this better as an offer.
28:51
SPEAKER_00: And then what can we do to test this?
28:54
SPEAKER_00: Because you've already sent cold pitches to people.
28:57
SPEAKER_00: Let's test it.
28:58
SPEAKER_00: Let's test it.
28:58
And then we can work through this coaching session after
29:01
coaching session after
29:02
SPEAKER_00: coaching session.
29:03
SPEAKER_00: And I'm telling you, I've seen this a hundred times.
29:05
And I've seen it as a copywriter,
29:06
too,
29:07
where it's like,
29:07
let's work on your offer.
29:09
SPEAKER_00: Let's change this and this and this.
29:11
SPEAKER_00: And then, boom, it happens.
29:13
SPEAKER_00: And it's not even the copy.
29:14
SPEAKER_00: They're like, oh, you're such an amazing copywriter.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: No, you just fixed your offer, you know?
29:19
SPEAKER_01: So where do you...
29:21
SPEAKER_01: find these clients?
29:23
SPEAKER_01: If people come to you and say, where would you start pitching?
29:26
SPEAKER_01: People say LinkedIn, LinkedIn.
29:28
SPEAKER_01: What would you tell people?
29:29
SPEAKER_01: Where do you actually find these clients?
29:32
SPEAKER_00: I do buyer-specific platforms.
29:35
SPEAKER_00: You've got to know where people go
29:38
to to look actively look for the work you do and truth is they
29:42
don't go on linkedin
29:43
a lot of like maybe some of them go on linkedin i've had people
29:47
message me on
29:47
linkedin and usually you know what they say they say i saw your
29:50
fiverr profile can
29:52
we work outside the platform that's why they're met on linkedin
29:55
not because they
29:56
find me on linkedin right okay so fiverr and upwork like fiverr
30:00
specifically is
30:01
SPEAKER_00: because i know it but i've also worked on upwork and i've made like
30:04
SPEAKER_00: I think about $30,000 to $40,000 in one year I made.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: But the process there is very intensive.
30:10
There's a lot of interviews,
30:11
a lot of meetings that clients expect even before they hire
30:15
you.
30:15
SPEAKER_00: And I just wasn't okay with that.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: So instead, I focused on Fiverr where it's a very productized service.
30:21
And it's easier to get clients fast and to create a process
30:26
where they agree to it
30:27
SPEAKER_00: and you send them a questionnaire,
30:28
SPEAKER_00: you get the answers,
30:29
SPEAKER_00: you get the copy,
30:31
SPEAKER_00: boom,
30:31
SPEAKER_00: it's done,
30:32
SPEAKER_00: right?
30:32
And then if there's something needed,
30:35
we can talk,
30:36
of course,
30:36
we can message.
30:38
But the thing is,
30:39
I think Fiverr,
30:40
the last time I checked,
30:41
had 4.5 million active buyers.
30:44
Active buyers means that they bought at least one service on
30:48
the platform in the last 12 months.
30:51
SPEAKER_00: And most people buy more than one service.
30:54
SPEAKER_00: So these are 4.5 million people who are actively looking to buy.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: They're literally, that's what they do there.
31:01
Like they go on the platform and they type out ghostwriting
31:05
memoir,
31:05
right?
31:06
SPEAKER_00: And that's what they're looking for.
31:07
SPEAKER_00: And by the way, you can go on Fiverr right now.
31:09
You can type this up and you will see that there are people who
31:12
are offering it.
31:13
SPEAKER_00: And don't be fooled.
31:15
SPEAKER_00: Don't be fooled if you see small prices.
31:17
SPEAKER_00: Let's see.
31:18
SPEAKER_00: platform works.
31:19
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
31:20
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
31:20
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
31:21
SPEAKER_01: So are you still on Fiverr?
31:24
SPEAKER_01: I am still on fiber, yeah.
31:26
SPEAKER_01: And you still get clients from there?
31:28
SPEAKER_01: You feel like Substack is not enough?
31:32
SPEAKER_01: So, like, Substack is not your main kind of business?
31:36
SPEAKER_02: It's very different.
31:39
SPEAKER_00: I am trying to do more on Substack, but Substack is a mission for me.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: And I think long-term... So that's another thing.
31:47
SPEAKER_00: Services are always the fastest way to make money.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: Correct, yeah.
31:52
SPEAKER_00: Right.
31:53
SPEAKER_00: So Fiverr is never going to die away.
31:55
SPEAKER_00: I have a profile there with like 2,000 positive reviews.
31:58
SPEAKER_00: So why would I want to leave that behind?
32:00
SPEAKER_00: That's true.
32:02
SPEAKER_00: Because now obviously I'm not the person who started.
32:04
SPEAKER_00: And I've increased my prices.
32:06
And I think the average price I'm working on there right now is
32:09
$800 to $1,000 for
32:11
SPEAKER_00: like a sales page or a few emails or something.
32:14
SPEAKER_00: I have bigger projects too.
32:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry?
32:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm just thinking.
32:19
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever thought of teaching people on Substack how to use Fiverr?
32:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I actually have a course.
32:28
SPEAKER_00: I have a mini course that I'm now working on updating.
32:34
relaunch it soon but i have a course and actually i've had
32:37
people tell me that
32:38
they've got the promise of the course is that you'll get your
32:41
first client within
32:42
one week and i've had people message me and say i got my first
32:46
client that was true
32:48
so again it really depends on like obviously memoir writing
32:53
ghost writing is huge
32:55
but if you want to do newsletter writing short story ghost
32:57
writing newsletter ghost
32:58
SPEAKER_00: writing article ghost writing like
33:00
SPEAKER_00: This is available, wildly available.
33:03
SPEAKER_00: And the thing for me is,
33:04
I never quite understood why people are trying to sell things
33:08
on platforms where no
33:09
SPEAKER_00: one's looking to buy.
33:11
SPEAKER_00: Actively looking... Like, I don't like...
33:15
SPEAKER_00: It just doesn't make sense for me.
33:17
SPEAKER_00: Even if you type in Google,
33:19
SPEAKER_00: ghostwriting,
33:20
SPEAKER_00: whatever,
33:20
SPEAKER_00: the first few results you will see are going to be Fiverr and Upwork.
33:25
And the last client that I got on Fiverr ended up being a
33:30
$40,000 client who works with the U.S.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: government.
33:34
SPEAKER_00: So when people tell me, oh, they're only cheap clients on Fiverr.
33:37
SPEAKER_00: No, they're cheap sellers on Fiverr.
33:40
SPEAKER_00: That's what's bugging you.
33:41
SPEAKER_00: So you go on Fiverr and you see people doing it for $5.
33:44
SPEAKER_00: This doesn't have to be you.
33:45
SPEAKER_00: Fiverr has a prorated category.
33:48
SPEAKER_00: It has reviews.
33:49
SPEAKER_00: It has recommendations.
33:51
SPEAKER_00: It has its own system of pushing you up if you're doing a good job.
33:58
SPEAKER_00: And why Fiverr not Upwork?
34:01
SPEAKER_00: This is my personal preference.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: I don't want to say that Upwork doesn't work.
34:06
SPEAKER_00: There are people who are doing great on Upwork,
34:08
SPEAKER_00: and I know that there are a lot of courses online,
34:09
SPEAKER_00: et cetera.
34:10
SPEAKER_00: I just know Fiverr better,
34:12
and I also know that Fiverr now gives golden plaques to people
34:16
who make over a
34:17
SPEAKER_00: million dollars,
34:18
SPEAKER_00: and there are three sets of plaques.
34:21
One is for over $1 million,
34:23
the other is over three,
34:24
and the other is over five,
34:26
I think.
34:26
SPEAKER_00: And they've given out hundreds of plaques.
34:29
SPEAKER_00: Right?
34:30
So to me,
34:31
it's like,
34:31
oh,
34:32
but Fiverr is only for cheap sellers or whatever.
34:35
SPEAKER_00: No, no, it really isn't.
34:36
SPEAKER_00: And then it's the same thing with TikTok.
34:38
SPEAKER_00: Like, do you try to sell your paid newsletter on LinkedIn?
34:41
SPEAKER_00: And you're like,
34:43
SPEAKER_00: I mean,
34:43
SPEAKER_00: yeah,
34:44
SPEAKER_00: sure,
34:44
SPEAKER_00: some people say like,
34:45
SPEAKER_00: oh,
34:46
SPEAKER_00: yeah,
34:46
SPEAKER_00: but people come to LinkedIn and become paid subscribers.
34:48
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but your newsletters are still on Substack.
34:51
SPEAKER_00: Like, it's not... Yeah, yeah.
34:52
SPEAKER_00: I just don't... Yeah.
34:55
SPEAKER_01: I think you raised a very good point.
34:58
It's like,
34:58
why are you trying to sell in places that people are not going
35:02
there to buy stuff?
35:04
So,
35:05
if someone puts their offer on Substack,
35:08
you don't think that's a good...
35:11
Business strategy because people on Substack,
35:13
they're there for the community,
35:15
for the writing.
35:15
SPEAKER_01: They're not there to buy services.
35:19
SPEAKER_00: Um,
35:20
I don't think that's entirely true because Substack is a lot
35:24
about creating your
35:25
SPEAKER_00: own audience.
35:26
SPEAKER_00: And once you create this audience, you can absolutely pitch them.
35:30
SPEAKER_00: I've had people buy services for me,
35:32
SPEAKER_00: buy products for me,
35:33
but on top of the paid news that are paid subscribers who also
35:36
buy other things for
35:37
SPEAKER_00: me.
35:38
SPEAKER_00: So it's your own audience.
35:39
SPEAKER_00: So that's the cool thing about Substack.
35:40
SPEAKER_00: It's not just a platform.
35:42
SPEAKER_00: It's not LinkedIn or whatever.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: It's your own audience.
35:45
You can literally extract these emails and put them in
35:47
MailChimp and email offers to people.
35:50
SPEAKER_00: Now, how they're going to respond is a different matter.
35:53
SPEAKER_00: But the thing is, you can sell on Substack, absolutely.
35:57
SPEAKER_00: And I do.
35:58
SPEAKER_00: My intent is absolutely to grow my Substack.
36:02
And it's driven by my desire to have more solopreneurs in the
36:06
world and to help them thrive.
36:09
SPEAKER_00: But I'm not selling my copywriting services on Fiverr, for example.
36:14
SPEAKER_00: I don't think that it's necessary.
36:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
36:17
SPEAKER_01: On Substack, you are interesting.
36:19
SPEAKER_01: You sell that on Fiverr.
36:21
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
36:22
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
36:23
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
36:23
SPEAKER_01: Interesting.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: All right.
36:25
SPEAKER_01: So one thing is how many paid subscribers do you have?
36:31
SPEAKER_01: And what is the best strategy to convert free to paid?
36:38
So like I have around 3,000 subscribers and only have five paid
36:43
subscribers,
36:44
SPEAKER_01: which is a very low conversion rate.
36:47
SPEAKER_01: Maybe I haven't been doing much to push that.
36:49
SPEAKER_01: What would you tell me to do to increase that?
36:52
SPEAKER_01: And how many do you have versus the free ones?
36:57
SPEAKER_00: Currently, I have 58 subscribers.
37:00
SPEAKER_00: I was close to 100 in the beginning of the year, and then I sort of
37:06
SPEAKER_00: just other things happen.
37:07
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter,
37:08
but I sort of dropped the ball there and I had a lot of
37:10
unsubscribers over the past
37:11
SPEAKER_00: six months.
37:12
SPEAKER_00: I recently wrote a newsletter about it.
37:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I saw that, yeah.
37:15
SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
37:15
SPEAKER_00: but currently I have safety and I'm actually going through,
37:21
and I would recommend everyone to do it if they've been
37:24
unsubscribed for a while.
37:25
SPEAKER_00: Like if you're a beginner, obviously you need to stretch your legs.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: You need to run a few miles.
37:29
You need to see what's happening and then you can worry about
37:32
like going back and
37:33
SPEAKER_00: organizing ideas,
37:34
SPEAKER_00: et cetera.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: But I've written about 200 stories on the platform.
37:38
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, okay, this has got to stop.
37:41
This constant writing and worrying that I don't have anything
37:44
new to say,
37:46
it has to stop.
37:48
And I went back and literally did this huge spreadsheet with
37:52
all my posts and
37:53
SPEAKER_00: tagged them by topic and tagged them by results.
37:57
SPEAKER_00: So one of the things I noticed is,
37:59
SPEAKER_00: first of all,
37:59
SPEAKER_00: sales emails work on Substack when you are selling the right thing,
38:03
SPEAKER_00: right?
38:04
SPEAKER_00: So,
38:04
SPEAKER_00: for example,
38:05
SPEAKER_00: when I was writing a sales email specifically,
38:09
SPEAKER_00: for example,
38:09
SPEAKER_00: to promote my paid subscription with a webinar,
38:12
SPEAKER_00: like I'm going to have a webinar next week.
38:15
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be for paid subscribers.
38:17
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be on this or that topic that I know my subscribers love.
38:21
SPEAKER_00: If you want to join, come join.
38:24
SPEAKER_00: And then you'll also get...
38:26
SPEAKER_00: everything else that the subscription, right, includes.
38:29
SPEAKER_00: These work great.
38:30
SPEAKER_00: And whatever,
38:31
SPEAKER_00: it's not just about a webinar,
38:32
SPEAKER_00: whatever it is that you want to sell that a specific offer,
38:35
SPEAKER_00: right?
38:36
SPEAKER_00: And it's purely a sales email.
38:38
SPEAKER_00: And this is very interesting to me,
38:40
SPEAKER_00: you know,
38:40
SPEAKER_00: I got to say,
38:41
SPEAKER_00: because as you said,
38:42
SPEAKER_00: I didn't expect people to respond so well to it.
38:45
SPEAKER_00: I thought people are on Substack to read cool stuff.
38:48
SPEAKER_00: They don't like being sold to.
38:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
38:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
38:51
If you do it tastefully and if you do it rarely and if you do
38:55
it because you
38:55
SPEAKER_00: obviously have something cool to share,
38:57
SPEAKER_00: right?
38:58
SPEAKER_00: Not just pounding my offer,
39:01
SPEAKER_00: but like honestly sharing,
39:02
SPEAKER_00: this is the thing that I want to do for you,
39:05
SPEAKER_00: but it's paid.
39:06
SPEAKER_00: So if you want to join, join.
39:07
SPEAKER_00: It actually works very, very well.
39:10
SPEAKER_00: Now, another thing is that I've separated my posts into five topics.
39:17
SPEAKER_00: And the data shows that two of these topics are my top earners.
39:21
SPEAKER_00: So whenever I send out a newsletter with regards to two of these topics,
39:26
SPEAKER_00: one or the other,
39:27
SPEAKER_00: it has a lot of paid subscribers.
39:29
SPEAKER_00: But I consistently over the past year,
39:33
SPEAKER_00: for example,
39:35
SPEAKER_00: I've sent newsletters on the other three topics.
39:38
SPEAKER_00: I don't know why.
39:39
SPEAKER_00: I feel like I've been phone deaf a little bit with my audience lately.
39:42
SPEAKER_00: And that's why this unsubscriber rate happens so fast, if you like.
39:47
So it's just because I sort of got really excited about
39:50
strategy and about trying
39:52
to help people be more intentional about their businesses and
39:56
not just go about and
39:57
SPEAKER_00: try things just because they want to make some money or more money.
40:01
SPEAKER_00: I don't want them to be
40:03
SPEAKER_00: I don't want them to be overwhelmed.
40:07
SPEAKER_00: I want them to work two hours a day, three hours a day.
40:09
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
40:10
SPEAKER_00: That's what I want for people.
40:12
And I feel like with the technology that we have and with the
40:15
skills that we have,
40:16
SPEAKER_00: it's totally doable if we go about it the right way.
40:21
So anyway,
40:21
I feel like if you know what your readers want,
40:25
it becomes easier.
40:27
And obviously,
40:27
and if you sell it,
40:28
like you got to sell it from time to time.
40:30
SPEAKER_00: You can't just hope that people there.
40:35
SPEAKER_01: So what do you offer your paid subscribers?
40:39
Okay,
40:40
so first of all,
40:41
my free subscribers typically get the first half of my emails.
40:47
SPEAKER_00: And then it's more about the what and the how is behind the paywall.
40:55
SPEAKER_00: And also my pay subscribers get a lot of tools.
41:01
SPEAKER_00: And I often actually, I frequently create tools.
41:06
SPEAKER_00: when I get inspired and write a post specifically for that post,
41:09
SPEAKER_00: for example,
41:10
SPEAKER_00: I'll develop a planner,
41:11
SPEAKER_00: an assessment,
41:13
SPEAKER_00: an AI prompt,
41:14
SPEAKER_00: a short video tutorial.
41:17
I wouldn't call it a course,
41:18
but like three-part video tutorial about something.
41:20
SPEAKER_00: So I will often create this for a specific newsletter.
41:25
I just want,
41:26
you know,
41:27
they get clarity and focus and confidence and know-how about
41:36
SPEAKER_00: I want to see everything in zoopreneurship,
41:37
SPEAKER_00: but probably not everything,
41:39
SPEAKER_00: but like about how do you go from a beginner to expert,
41:46
from someone who's struggling to someone who's making great
41:49
money and subscribers
41:52
SPEAKER_00: are just rolling in.
41:53
SPEAKER_00: No equity.
41:57
SPEAKER_01: So you mentioned tools.
41:59
SPEAKER_01: Where do you host these tools?
42:01
SPEAKER_01: Are they on Google Docs randomly or are they on Gumroad?
42:05
SPEAKER_00: Where is the home for these tools?
42:07
SPEAKER_00: Some are on Gumroad and then they're paid.
42:13
And then I would give a code for paid subscribers to either get
42:16
it free or with a discount.
42:19
SPEAKER_00: Some are on Google Docs.
42:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, some are on Google Docs with a link.
42:27
SPEAKER_00: But most are on Gumroad.
42:29
SPEAKER_00: Most are on Gumroad.
42:30
SPEAKER_00: And then some are actually included in the newsletter.
42:32
SPEAKER_00: So in the locked paywall part of the newsletter,
42:35
SPEAKER_00: there are like,
42:36
SPEAKER_00: for example,
42:37
SPEAKER_00: lines with questions and stuff like that.
42:38
SPEAKER_00: I still consider this a tool because honestly,
42:41
SPEAKER_00: as a coach,
42:43
SPEAKER_00: because I actually got a coaching certificate.
42:45
SPEAKER_00: I wasn't just a coach who called herself a coach.
42:47
I actually went out and paid a few thousand dollars to get a
42:50
coaching certificate
42:51
SPEAKER_00: to teach me how to ask the right questions.
42:54
SPEAKER_00: I've got to say that it worked out well.
42:56
SPEAKER_00: It's probably not that it's in journalism,
42:59
SPEAKER_00: but to teach me to ask these questions that make people think.
43:03
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes I just write them at the end of the newsletter.
43:06
SPEAKER_00: It's like, ask yourself this question, for example.
43:11
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
43:12
So when it comes to solopreneurship,
43:14
do you think it's here to stay or maybe not?
43:18
SPEAKER_00: A hundred percent.
43:20
I think Sam Altman was the one who said that he expects that
43:22
within the next few
43:23
SPEAKER_00: years,
43:24
SPEAKER_00: there's going to be a billion dollar one person business.
43:28
SPEAKER_00: Oh, wow.
43:29
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
43:30
SPEAKER_00: Because of AI.
43:32
SPEAKER_00: It's never been so effective.
43:33
SPEAKER_00: One-person businesses have been around for a while,
43:35
SPEAKER_00: but they never have the opportunity to be so effective.
43:38
SPEAKER_00: Like the research I do on a cloud project now, the speed is just insane.
43:44
SPEAKER_00: I can just ask anything and it'll give me links.
43:47
SPEAKER_00: It'll give me data.
43:49
SPEAKER_00: It'll give me graphs.
43:50
SPEAKER_00: It'll give me everything.
43:51
SPEAKER_00: Right?
43:52
SPEAKER_00: So that takes me hours and hours of work.
43:55
SPEAKER_00: which means I could take on more clients.
43:57
SPEAKER_00: And if I actually train my own AI agents,
44:02
SPEAKER_00: which I'm sort of looking into,
44:03
SPEAKER_00: but I'm not really an expert yet,
44:05
SPEAKER_00: so I don't want to discuss it,
44:06
SPEAKER_00: but I'm sort of looking into it,
44:09
SPEAKER_00: where the agent can actually,
44:11
you can train it to almost think like you in a certain regard
44:16
and do things instead
44:18
SPEAKER_00: of you.
44:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:19
SPEAKER_00: That's a massive multiplier of productivity.
44:23
SPEAKER_00: And let's not forget that literally the world has changed every time that
44:27
SPEAKER_00: productivity has skyrocketed.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: So that was what the industrial revolution was, right?
44:32
SPEAKER_00: Instead of doing things by hand,
44:33
SPEAKER_00: we now did them in factories with like,
44:37
SPEAKER_00: you know,
44:38
SPEAKER_00: a process that allowed us to do them fast.
44:41
SPEAKER_00: And now we're seeing this with AI.
44:43
SPEAKER_00: And I think solopreneurship is actually exploding, if anything.
44:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:48
SPEAKER_01: Do you ever entertain the idea of going back 9 to 5?
44:51
SPEAKER_01: No.
44:54
SPEAKER_00: No way, Kel.
44:56
SPEAKER_00: Is that happening?
44:57
SPEAKER_00: Like, I hope not.
44:58
SPEAKER_00: I mean, God.
45:00
SPEAKER_00: Who else is going to come tomorrow?
45:01
SPEAKER_00: But I really, really hope not.
45:03
SPEAKER_00: And it's not in my plans.
45:05
okay so the word solopreneur and the first word is solo okay
45:11
and i feel that being
45:14
a solopreneur if you work solo it's it's not gonna help you you
45:19
should not take it
45:20
literally you have to have a community like this here we're
45:23
learning from each
45:23
SPEAKER_01: other
45:24
SPEAKER_01: And who is your community?
45:27
SPEAKER_01: Who are the people that you admire, follow, aspire to be like?
45:33
SPEAKER_01: You mentioned Marie For... I forgot her last name.
45:37
SPEAKER_01: Marie Forleo.
45:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Marie Forleo.
45:39
SPEAKER_01: But who is,
45:40
SPEAKER_01: you know,
45:42
SPEAKER_01: who are your people that you want to be like,
45:46
SPEAKER_01: you want to emulate,
45:47
SPEAKER_01: they inspire you,
45:48
SPEAKER_01: you inspire each other?
45:49
SPEAKER_01: Who are these people?
45:51
SPEAKER_00: I think Marie Forleo is a good example if we want to aim big.
45:59
SPEAKER_00: I love David McElroy.
46:00
SPEAKER_00: I love Veronica York.
46:05
SPEAKER_00: I love Christina God.
46:06
SPEAKER_00: I love the bigger creators.
46:07
SPEAKER_00: Michael Simmons is amazing.
46:09
SPEAKER_00: I love...
46:20
Lenny Richitsky,
46:21
if you want,
46:22
like one of the biggest creators on Substack.
46:25
SPEAKER_00: And this is just on Substack.
46:26
SPEAKER_00: In terms of like in general, online creators, I like Nicholas Cole.
46:31
SPEAKER_00: I like Tim Denning.
46:33
SPEAKER_00: I like so many people, like so, so many people who have inspired me.
46:38
SPEAKER_00: And obviously Marie Forleo.
46:40
SPEAKER_00: So I love her.
46:41
SPEAKER_00: I know a lot about her work.
46:43
SPEAKER_00: And if you want to talk bigger, maybe Seth Godin comes to mind.
46:49
SPEAKER_00: I just love how he does things.
46:50
SPEAKER_00: And by the way,
46:51
SPEAKER_00: fun fact,
46:53
SPEAKER_00: Seth Godin sells his courses on Udemy,
46:57
SPEAKER_00: which is literally a platform where people go to buy courses online.
47:01
SPEAKER_00: So this is just something to think about.
47:03
SPEAKER_00: This is freaking Seth Godin.
47:05
SPEAKER_00: He can buy a Kajabi website and put a course there.
47:09
SPEAKER_00: So why are there on Udemy?
47:11
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's a good point.
47:16
SPEAKER_01: And that's why now I think of Gumroad.
47:19
It's like,
47:19
what I was doing putting all my lead magnets like God knows
47:23
where...
47:24
SPEAKER_01: when I can just easily put them in a marketplace.
47:27
And that was,
47:28
for me,
47:28
a complete shift where,
47:31
yeah,
47:31
well,
47:31
just put them in a marketplace.
47:34
SPEAKER_01: And,
47:35
SPEAKER_01: you know,
47:35
SPEAKER_01: like these,
47:35
SPEAKER_01: sometimes these small actions,
47:38
SPEAKER_01: you don't even think about because you're,
47:40
SPEAKER_01: as you said,
47:41
SPEAKER_01: you're overwhelmed,
47:42
SPEAKER_01: like,
47:42
SPEAKER_01: you know,
47:42
SPEAKER_01: posting this post or like running this webinar or fighting with the
47:47
SPEAKER_01: with the landing page,
47:49
not to realize that sometimes one tiny small shift can change
47:54
the equation for you.
47:57
SPEAKER_00: I do want to say, I'm sorry to interrupt.
48:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, go ahead.
48:01
SPEAKER_00: And I would say do less.
48:02
SPEAKER_00: Do less.
48:04
Choose the thing that brings you the most joy and maybe brings
48:07
you the most money.
48:08
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes these are the same thing.
48:10
SPEAKER_00: But if it's not the same thing,
48:12
I would lean towards what brings you the most joy and a decent
48:16
amount of money.
48:17
And try to really just focus and grow it and make it more
48:21
expensive and make it
48:23
more exclusive and make it more whatever it needs to be so that
48:26
it brings you
48:27
SPEAKER_00: enough money with less time.
48:31
Because we're solopreneurs and it's so important that we keep
48:35
our energy up,
48:37
up,
48:37
up,
48:37
up.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: It goes down, the business disappears.
48:41
SPEAKER_00: We don't have a team to back on.
48:43
SPEAKER_01: Correct.
48:44
So how does your day look like as a solopreneur and a mom and
48:48
all of that?
48:48
SPEAKER_01: How does your day look like?
48:50
SPEAKER_00: So get up, get the kids ready for school, drive them to school.
48:56
I usually take my computer with me,
48:57
take my laptop,
48:58
and then I go to like...
49:00
SPEAKER_00: Costa or a Starbucks or like a coffee shop, a local coffee shop.
49:06
SPEAKER_00: Two times a day,
49:06
SPEAKER_00: I actually first go,
49:08
SPEAKER_00: two times a week,
49:08
SPEAKER_00: I go to Pilates first and then the coffee shop.
49:12
SPEAKER_00: So I work a little bit there and then I come back home.
49:15
SPEAKER_00: I lunch with my husband who also works from home.
49:19
SPEAKER_00: Um,
49:19
SPEAKER_00: then I also do a little bit of work and I just go about like house tasks,
49:24
SPEAKER_00: like cooking and cleaning and laundry,
49:26
SPEAKER_00: so much laundry.
49:27
SPEAKER_00: Oh my God.
49:29
SPEAKER_00: And that's, that's, that's pretty much it.
49:31
So that's why I always tell people that I work two to four
49:34
hours a day and it's a must.
49:37
SPEAKER_00: Oh,
49:37
SPEAKER_00: and now obviously with the property business,
49:41
SPEAKER_00: I will sometimes before coming home,
49:43
SPEAKER_00: I will go to see what's happening there.
49:45
SPEAKER_00: And then with my husband, we can discuss in the afternoon, um,
49:48
SPEAKER_00: you know, things around the properties and stuff like that.
49:52
SPEAKER_00: But that's about it.
49:56
Any books do you recommend for solopreneurs who really were
50:01
life-changing for you?
50:02
SPEAKER_01: People always recommend Alex Hermosi's stuff.
50:05
SPEAKER_00: I'm curious what you recommend for your clients.
50:10
One second to find the book that I'm thinking about because the
50:14
name slipped right now.
50:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm here, guys.
50:17
SPEAKER_00: Just one second.
50:18
SPEAKER_02: That's okay.
50:25
SPEAKER_02: Do you know the author?
50:30
SPEAKER_02: We can find it here.
50:31
SPEAKER_02: The one person...
50:45
SPEAKER_02: Ah, Company of One.
50:46
SPEAKER_00: Sorry.
50:47
SPEAKER_00: Company of One by Paul Jarvis.
50:50
SPEAKER_00: I don't know how you pronounce it.
50:52
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
50:52
SPEAKER_00: Oh, Jarvis, let's see.
50:55
SPEAKER_00: So Company of One is a book where he talks about how a soul,
50:59
SPEAKER_00: like,
50:59
SPEAKER_00: well,
51:00
SPEAKER_00: it was written,
51:00
SPEAKER_00: I think,
51:01
SPEAKER_00: about eight,
51:02
SPEAKER_00: nine years ago.
51:02
So maybe the number is not specifically relevant right now in
51:06
this economy with the
51:08
SPEAKER_00: AI,
51:08
SPEAKER_00: et cetera.
51:09
SPEAKER_00: But his idea was that a soul opener is someone who,
51:14
intentionally limits growth to,
51:18
in his book,
51:18
he says to $500,000 per year
51:22
SPEAKER_00: And you don't grow past that.
51:24
So you're looking for ways to get to this level in a way that
51:28
works for you.
51:29
SPEAKER_00: Like maybe if you want to work more, you can work more.
51:31
SPEAKER_00: If you want to work less, work less.
51:34
SPEAKER_00: But up to $500,000 a year.
51:35
SPEAKER_00: And then past that,
51:37
SPEAKER_00: you know,
51:38
he claims that solopreneurship should either turn into a
51:41
full-blown business or it
51:43
SPEAKER_00: just becomes too overwhelming today.
51:47
SPEAKER_00: And just his whole idea,
51:49
SPEAKER_00: Company of One,
51:50
SPEAKER_00: is just,
51:50
SPEAKER_00: I think,
51:51
SPEAKER_00: one of these books that made me see that this is what I wanted to do.
51:56
SPEAKER_00: This whole idea about solopreneurship is exactly how I see it.
51:59
SPEAKER_00: It's just about because you hold the core value.
52:03
SPEAKER_00: It's your thing.
52:04
This is what we said with definition is that a solopreneur
52:07
delivers the core value
52:08
SPEAKER_00: of their business alone.
52:10
which means that you have full control over the quality of what
52:14
you deliver.
52:15
And I actually got into a little argument the other day on
52:19
Sookstack where I said
52:21
SPEAKER_00: that if you don't like personal branding,
52:23
SPEAKER_00: you can just not do it.
52:24
SPEAKER_00: And someone restocked my note and was like, no, this is bullshit.
52:29
SPEAKER_00: You've got to do personal branding or you're a commodity.
52:32
SPEAKER_00: No, you're not a commodity, let me tell you.
52:35
SPEAKER_00: It is so hard to find someone to do a good job online for anything.
52:42
SPEAKER_00: If you've ever looked for someone you know,
52:44
SPEAKER_00: if you've ever looked for like a designer,
52:45
SPEAKER_00: website developer,
52:46
SPEAKER_00: writer,
52:47
SPEAKER_00: virtual assistant,
52:47
SPEAKER_00: anyone,
52:48
SPEAKER_00: anyone who can really do a good job,
52:51
SPEAKER_00: who is devoted to their business,
52:54
SPEAKER_00: who knows what they're doing,
52:55
who genuinely wants to help you and doesn't just want to like
52:58
rip you off and move
53:00
SPEAKER_00: on.
53:01
it is hard to find these people so if you sell like i literally
53:04
i started selling
53:05
on fiverr and like the everyone wanted to work with me again
53:11
you don't have to
53:11
worry about personal branding i didn't even have linkedin i
53:14
didn't have an x or
53:16
twitter whatever its name is i didn't have a medium i didn't
53:18
have subset i didn't
53:19
have any of that nobody knew my name other than my clients and
53:23
they recommended me
53:24
to people and they liked working with me and i didn't need
53:26
personal branding
53:27
SPEAKER_00: So,
53:28
SPEAKER_00: of course,
53:28
SPEAKER_00: if you want to grow,
53:29
or maybe if you're in a market where your business depends on
53:34
selling a lot of
53:37
SPEAKER_00: units of what you offer,
53:39
SPEAKER_00: right?
53:39
SPEAKER_00: Because a service is an expensive thing.
53:41
SPEAKER_00: You need a few clients.
53:42
SPEAKER_00: If you offer a $50 or $100 product,
53:45
SPEAKER_00: obviously you need to sell it to a lot of people to make good money.
53:49
SPEAKER_00: So maybe then personal branding could work.
53:52
SPEAKER_00: Although I would argue that there are other ways.
53:54
SPEAKER_00: There are a lot of faceless businesses out there who are again utilizing
53:59
SPEAKER_00: sales-focused platforms.
54:01
SPEAKER_00: For example, there are people who go on Amazon and look for
54:06
SPEAKER_00: They're very good in finding the right keywords.
54:08
There are platforms for that,
54:09
specifically for keyword searching for Amazon.
54:12
SPEAKER_00: For keywords that have a lot of demand,
54:15
SPEAKER_00: but not a lot of competition,
54:17
SPEAKER_00: so not a lot of products like this exist.
54:20
SPEAKER_00: I will give you an example.
54:21
SPEAKER_00: I have a friend who did that.
54:23
SPEAKER_00: She is selling...
54:26
notebooks and journals for teenage girls and there are
54:32
literally like 12 20,000 or
54:34
30,000 search of notebook teenage girl or something like that
54:39
or related keywords
54:40
SPEAKER_00: on Amazon every month and they're like
54:45
SPEAKER_00: 10 options, for example.
54:47
SPEAKER_00: And she has these really cool quotes where it's like,
54:50
SPEAKER_00: for example,
54:51
SPEAKER_00: if my mouth doesn't say it,
54:53
SPEAKER_00: my face definitely will.
54:55
SPEAKER_00: And stuff like that that are super specific to teenage girls, right?
54:58
SPEAKER_00: It's not just about... Obviously, she has some qualities
55:02
like that makes over 10k no one knows her name no one knows her
55:06
name she doesn't
55:07
have social media she doesn't have anything so if you don't
55:10
want to do it don't do
55:11
it so that's another thing about my newsletter is it's not just
55:14
about monetization
55:15
in terms of oh let's do the trend or let's you know kill it on
55:18
Substack you can do
55:20
so many things it's literally like being an entrepreneur so
55:24
someone comes to me and
55:25
SPEAKER_00: tells me how do i make money by opening a business
55:30
SPEAKER_00: What does that mean?
55:32
SPEAKER_00: What kind of business?
55:33
SPEAKER_00: It's the same thing with solopreneurship.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: There's so many doctors.
55:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
55:39
So I noticed you publish a lot of posts and they're cool and
55:44
different and they get
55:46
SPEAKER_01: a lot of engagement.
55:47
SPEAKER_01: How do you get your ideas for your notes?
55:50
SPEAKER_01: Do you have a system?
55:51
SPEAKER_01: Do you use AI?
55:53
SPEAKER_01: Do you write as you go?
55:55
SPEAKER_01: What is your kind of note-creating strategy?
56:01
SPEAKER_00: Do you talk specifically, are you talking about notes or post notes?
56:05
SPEAKER_00: Notes, not specifically.
56:07
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
56:09
SPEAKER_00: I don't have a system for notes.
56:11
SPEAKER_00: I have a system for my posts and then sometimes I get inspired.
56:16
SPEAKER_00: But typically notes is,
56:19
I find that the ones that get the most engagement are just
56:23
something that I think
56:25
SPEAKER_00: about right now.
56:27
SPEAKER_00: And either emotional or it's like a story that I want to tell.
56:32
And I feel like you've got to be...
56:35
It's just the society that we live in.
56:37
SPEAKER_00: And I don't want to sound like this.
56:39
SPEAKER_00: It's just a society.
56:41
It's just that we've been raised by...
56:43
Just look at the way that we've been raised.
56:47
SPEAKER_00: The internet didn't exist when we were kids.
56:49
SPEAKER_00: And there were rules.
56:50
There were so many rules of being in school and being at work
56:53
and how you are.
56:54
SPEAKER_00: And we have forgotten...
56:56
how to um think for ourselves and share the valuable parts of
57:03
our thinking i'm not
57:03
saying that you should share all the thoughts that run through
57:07
your head but
57:07
they're valuable things in your head right now happening right
57:12
i promise you and i
57:13
the biggest problem is that people don't get this they don't
57:16
allow themselves to be
57:19
SPEAKER_00: themselves
57:20
SPEAKER_00: And just open your mind and say, you know what?
57:23
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is a great moment here.
57:25
And I'm thinking,
57:27
why didn't I get more moments like this when I was at my job?
57:30
SPEAKER_00: Like, why didn't I quit earlier?
57:32
SPEAKER_00: Or whatever.
57:33
SPEAKER_00: And also, I think it's about...
57:37
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, just living life.
57:38
Just quit worrying about what you're going to post and how much
57:42
you're going to
57:42
SPEAKER_00: post and whatever.
57:44
SPEAKER_00: I mean, live life if you want engagement.
57:47
SPEAKER_00: And I do want to say that engagement doesn't always equal money.
57:49
SPEAKER_00: This is something that a lot of entrepreneurs are always surprising.
57:52
SPEAKER_00: That attention doesn't necessarily equal money.
57:56
SPEAKER_00: Subscribers won't necessarily get you.
57:58
SPEAKER_00: As you said, if you have a low conversion rate,
58:01
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't really mean anything.
58:02
SPEAKER_00: I have a medium that has 85,000 REITs.
58:08
SPEAKER_00: Didn't do anything for my income.
58:09
SPEAKER_00: Well, it made a lot of money at the time on medium.
58:14
SPEAKER_00: $2,000, I think.
58:15
SPEAKER_00: That was that.
58:16
SPEAKER_00: The money's long gone.
58:17
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's not... Getting viral is not the goal, right?
58:21
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
58:23
SPEAKER_00: Just be who you are often and try to filter it, though.
58:27
SPEAKER_00: Try to filter it through...
58:30
SPEAKER_00: Is this thought something that could help someone?
58:33
SPEAKER_00: Something that could lift someone else?
58:35
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't necessarily have to be help in terms of practical help.
58:38
SPEAKER_00: It could be emotional.
58:40
SPEAKER_00: You know,
58:41
SPEAKER_00: something that would make someone laugh,
58:43
SPEAKER_00: make someone see something beautiful,
58:45
SPEAKER_00: whatever it is,
58:46
SPEAKER_00: right?
58:46
The other day,
58:47
I kid you not,
58:48
I posted a note about how much fun I'm having with my kids.
58:53
SPEAKER_00: It was just this note of my kid, like, doing a puzzle or something.
58:56
SPEAKER_00: And how happy I am that I get to raise them this way.
58:59
SPEAKER_00: Because my mom was always worried about money.
59:01
SPEAKER_00: And she worked a bunch of jobs.
59:02
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes they didn't pay her.
59:05
SPEAKER_00: Just Bulgaria was a mess in the 90s.
59:08
SPEAKER_00: And I have this awesome life where I can get, I'm so grateful for it.
59:11
SPEAKER_00: I'm not singing at all, I have an awesome life.
59:13
SPEAKER_00: No, I'm like,
59:15
SPEAKER_00: I've suffered for it, guys.
59:17
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't easy.
59:18
SPEAKER_00: But now I get to take my kids outside and have fun.
59:22
And when they ask me to get them something,
59:24
I don't always get it for them,
59:25
but I could.
59:26
SPEAKER_00: If I wanted to,
59:27
SPEAKER_00: if they deserved it,
59:28
SPEAKER_00: if they did something good,
59:29
SPEAKER_00: if the thing made sense,
59:30
SPEAKER_00: whatever,
59:31
SPEAKER_00: I could get it for them.
59:32
SPEAKER_00: And I just made this note,
59:33
SPEAKER_00: made this picture,
59:34
SPEAKER_00: and someone became a paid subscriber out of this note.
59:36
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, does it even make sense?
59:40
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't advice.
59:40
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't credibility.
59:41
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't anything.
59:43
SPEAKER_00: People...
59:44
really are desperate for authenticity,
59:46
I think,
59:47
like people on the other end.
59:50
SPEAKER_00: And that's why I'm not a hustle bro.
59:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm not like, go, go, wake up at 5 a.m.
59:55
SPEAKER_00: Do a bazillion things.
59:56
SPEAKER_00: You don't need any of that.
59:58
SPEAKER_00: If you don't want to do that, don't do that.
1:00:00
SPEAKER_00: Forget social media, forget personal bragging, forget waking up at 5 a.m.
1:00:04
Go sell something on a platform where people are desperately
1:00:07
looking for it,
1:00:07
ready to pay you.
1:00:09
SPEAKER_00: After you sell the first few things, raise your prices.
1:00:13
Maybe work a little bit on your profiles on social media,
1:00:16
but don't necessarily post every day.
1:00:18
Just make your profile decent so then when people check you out
1:00:21
to see if you're a
1:00:22
SPEAKER_00: real person,
1:00:23
SPEAKER_00: because on Fiverr there are a lot of people who are not real people.
1:00:25
SPEAKER_00: So they do that.
1:00:26
SPEAKER_00: They go to check you out somewhere else, wherever it is.
1:00:30
SPEAKER_00: And then they message you there.
1:00:31
SPEAKER_00: I've had people message me on Facebook,
1:00:32
SPEAKER_00: on LinkedIn or whatever and say,
1:00:34
SPEAKER_00: oh,
1:00:34
SPEAKER_00: I saw your Fiverr profile.
1:00:35
SPEAKER_00: I just wanted to make sure you're a real person.
1:00:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:00:37
and that's it it doesn't have to be complicated and it can be
1:00:41
exactly what you want
1:00:42
to do and that's why i always say don't don't be like oh this
1:00:46
is what's trendy now
1:00:47
no do what you want to do because it's a solopreneurship thing
1:00:52
you are at the heart
1:00:53
of it if you hate it it's not gonna work so you mentioned notes
1:00:58
and but you said
1:00:58
SPEAKER_01: you have a process for your posts what's your process
1:01:02
SPEAKER_01: What's my process for my notes?
1:01:03
SPEAKER_00: Oh, you want to process, do you?
1:01:06
SPEAKER_01: For your posts, do you have a certain cadence?
1:01:11
SPEAKER_01: Do you publish whenever, I don't know, the inspiration strikes?
1:01:15
SPEAKER_01: What is it?
1:01:16
SPEAKER_00: No, I publish every Monday.
1:01:19
SPEAKER_00: It's an interesting story.
1:01:21
SPEAKER_00: I used to publish on Tuesdays.
1:01:24
And if you Google what's the best time to send out a newsletter
1:01:27
or an email,
1:01:27
for some reason...
1:01:29
SPEAKER_00: Tuesday and Thursday come up.
1:01:31
SPEAKER_00: Now, this is an old data though.
1:01:34
SPEAKER_00: And people are now getting a lot of emails.
1:01:37
SPEAKER_00: And so one time I watched an interview with this TV producer and he said,
1:01:44
SPEAKER_00: when you are launching a new episode of something,
1:01:48
SPEAKER_00: and especially at the premiere,
1:01:49
SPEAKER_00: for example,
1:01:50
SPEAKER_00: you're launching a TV show.
1:01:53
SPEAKER_00: If the competitor TV starts their show,
1:01:58
two minutes early or was it one minute early they're gonna get
1:02:01
more viewers it's
1:02:02
just because people are like on their couches like scrolling
1:02:05
through the tv it's
1:02:06
like oh this started and then they start to watch it and if
1:02:09
it's interesting they
1:02:10
just keep watching it so it's literally one minute i was like
1:02:14
this is really
1:02:15
interesting i wonder if it's gonna work for my newsletter and
1:02:18
start sending it
1:02:19
instead of on tuesday because monday you get to work a lot of
1:02:23
my subscribers will
1:02:23
SPEAKER_00: still have 95 jobs
1:02:27
SPEAKER_00: people get to work,
1:02:28
SPEAKER_00: they have a lot of things,
1:02:29
SPEAKER_00: and then on Tuesday,
1:02:30
SPEAKER_00: you're already in work mode,
1:02:32
SPEAKER_00: right?
1:02:32
SPEAKER_00: So you don't have time to read stuff.
1:02:33
SPEAKER_00: And also,
1:02:34
SPEAKER_00: you have newsletters who get sent on Monday,
1:02:38
SPEAKER_00: so now you have Monday newsletters to read,
1:02:39
SPEAKER_00: Tuesday newsletters to read,
1:02:40
SPEAKER_00: and then my newsletter comes in,
1:02:42
SPEAKER_00: and you're like,
1:02:43
SPEAKER_00: I've had enough,
1:02:43
SPEAKER_00: right?
1:02:44
SPEAKER_00: And I started sending it on Monday,
1:02:46
SPEAKER_00: and my open rate increased by like 5% or something,
1:02:51
SPEAKER_00: which is a lot for 8,000 people's newsletter.
1:02:54
SPEAKER_00: Like to increase your newsletter doing absolutely nothing,
1:02:57
to increase your output rate doing absolutely nothing else but
1:03:01
changing the day.
1:03:03
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying this, it really depends on what's your audience.
1:03:06
SPEAKER_00: So my audience,
1:03:07
I think they read my newsletter while they're at work or maybe
1:03:12
before work,
1:03:14
before they go to work because they want to sit down and write
1:03:16
or whatever.
1:03:17
SPEAKER_00: So it's a work-related thing.
1:03:20
SPEAKER_00: So if you're writing, for example, for fitness,
1:03:23
SPEAKER_00: Or whatever.
1:03:24
Maybe you send it on Saturday where people are like,
1:03:26
oh,
1:03:26
I need to work out this weekend.
1:03:28
SPEAKER_00: So it really depends on what type of person you're writing.
1:03:30
SPEAKER_00: Now, in terms of topics, as I said, I have a few topics.
1:03:34
SPEAKER_00: I've had them in my head for a while now.
1:03:36
SPEAKER_00: And now I've used them to regroup my posts.
1:03:40
SPEAKER_00: But I always try to vary them and think about...
1:03:44
topic versus the stage of development for the solo printer that
1:03:48
I'm going to write about.
1:03:49
SPEAKER_00: And I just tried to ideate going through this and come up with ideas.
1:03:55
And then whatever ideas I like best is just the next one that
1:03:59
I'm going to write.
1:04:00
SPEAKER_00: I also have a fierce habit of writing down my ideas.
1:04:03
SPEAKER_00: Like I literally have to stop in the middle of the street.
1:04:05
SPEAKER_00: Well,
1:04:06
SPEAKER_00: not in a car,
1:04:06
SPEAKER_00: but if I'm walking,
1:04:08
SPEAKER_00: I will stop in the middle of the street and write down my idea.
1:04:11
So usually I do have,
1:04:12
like I scroll down through my notes on my phone and I have a
1:04:15
bunch.
1:04:16
SPEAKER_00: And then the writing process is interesting.
1:04:19
So I like to structure ideas in steps and like the key,
1:04:24
the few key messages.
1:04:26
SPEAKER_00: So if it's a practical thing, it's step one, step two, whatever.
1:04:29
if I want to make a certain point is like why this point is
1:04:33
important right now to
1:04:35
SPEAKER_00: read,
1:04:36
SPEAKER_00: uh,
1:04:37
SPEAKER_00: what proof do I have that this is like that,
1:04:39
SPEAKER_00: what this means for you,
1:04:40
SPEAKER_00: how to put this in practice,
1:04:41
SPEAKER_00: et cetera,
1:04:42
SPEAKER_00: et cetera.
1:04:42
So I just will jot down the sections of it and then I will do a
1:04:45
lot of research.
1:04:46
SPEAKER_00: So I like to see what others are saying.
1:04:49
SPEAKER_00: And I also like to do scientific research.
1:04:52
SPEAKER_00: So I will ask, I won't just use that.
1:04:54
SPEAKER_00: Someone said in the comments, uh,
1:04:56
the a stands for artificial well yeah i know i don't use it for
1:04:59
writing i use it
1:05:01
for like research organization and like taking 200 posts and
1:05:06
getting summaries of
1:05:08
them you know like this is what i use it um but i will go to um
1:05:15
i usually use
1:05:16
perplexity specifically for scientific research because it's a
1:05:18
bit more accurate
1:05:21
SPEAKER_00: And I will ask them for academic work that talks about whatever.
1:05:27
SPEAKER_00: So I took a neuromarketing class in a school in the Netherlands.
1:05:34
SPEAKER_00: It's an online thing.
1:05:35
SPEAKER_00: I wasn't there.
1:05:37
SPEAKER_00: But it was super interesting.
1:05:38
SPEAKER_00: And I thought,
1:05:39
SPEAKER_00: oh,
1:05:39
SPEAKER_00: my God,
1:05:40
SPEAKER_00: like the things that I write about people,
1:05:42
SPEAKER_00: academics have actually researched them on a big scale.
1:05:45
Like they've done research with thousands of people with like
1:05:48
where they trap their
1:05:49
brains and look at how they read or what they buy or how they
1:05:53
choose or whatever.
1:05:54
SPEAKER_00: I want to know more about this.
1:05:55
SPEAKER_00: And and then I figured out I should do this kind of research more often.
1:05:58
SPEAKER_00: And I don't always talk about it.
1:06:00
In some of my posts,
1:06:01
I do because I feel like people some people find it boring.
1:06:05
SPEAKER_00: But I always do it.
1:06:07
SPEAKER_00: I always look at what entrepreneurs are doing and saying,
1:06:12
SPEAKER_00: what successful business owners are doing and saying,
1:06:14
SPEAKER_00: what academic science is doing and saying,
1:06:18
SPEAKER_00: with regards to what I'm writing about.
1:06:19
SPEAKER_00: And then I'll use this in the content.
1:06:24
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, then it's writing, editing, publishing.
1:06:28
SPEAKER_01: So I know we've been talking for over an hour now.
1:06:30
SPEAKER_01: Sorry, guys.
1:06:34
SPEAKER_01: No, no, no.
1:06:35
SPEAKER_01: It's been fascinating.
1:06:36
SPEAKER_01: But before we conclude, I want to talk about the future.
1:06:40
SPEAKER_01: What does the future hold for my essay?
1:06:45
SPEAKER_01: What are your future plans?
1:06:47
SPEAKER_01: What are you excited about creating?
1:06:49
SPEAKER_01: What is in store for you and for your audience as well?
1:06:52
thank you thank you for this question um i i am looking to
1:06:57
gradually move away from
1:06:58
client work um and maybe just do like consultations from time
1:07:03
to time for clients
1:07:05
uh from you know past clients regular clients and i want to
1:07:08
focus more on the news
1:07:09
that are um and i want to help more people become solopreneurs
1:07:14
i hope that i will
1:07:16
SPEAKER_00: I've probably hired this out to be completely honest,
1:07:18
but I want to show up on more platforms just to get more
1:07:21
visibility for it.
1:07:24
SPEAKER_00: I know that... I feel like the message that I have to share is important.
1:07:29
SPEAKER_00: I mean, everyone's message is important in some way.
1:07:33
SPEAKER_00: My message is important because I am a bit tired of men who are very...
1:07:45
let's say very hustle-driven and very result-driven and very
1:07:52
money-driven to define
1:07:54
SPEAKER_00: how entrepreneurship should work and could work.
1:07:59
SPEAKER_00: And I want to be one of the voices because it's not just me, obviously.
1:08:03
There are other people to say,
1:08:07
you know,
1:08:08
calm down and do this on your terms.
1:08:10
SPEAKER_00: And it can work.
1:08:11
SPEAKER_00: It will work.
1:08:12
SPEAKER_00: It can work.
1:08:13
SPEAKER_00: It's been proven to work.
1:08:14
SPEAKER_00: It's worked for many people.
1:08:15
SPEAKER_00: Not just me.
1:08:15
SPEAKER_00: I'm not special.
1:08:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm not interesting.
1:08:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm not like this is just me talking from experience.
1:08:20
SPEAKER_00: It's not because I'm also smart or whatever.
1:08:22
SPEAKER_00: Like this is just what's been happening to me.
1:08:24
SPEAKER_00: And it's taken me 11 years, but here I am, and it's been fun.
1:08:29
SPEAKER_00: And I also hope to write... I do have a book planned that I'm working on.
1:08:36
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure.
1:08:37
SPEAKER_00: I'm hoping 2026 will be the year to publish it, self-publish it.
1:08:42
SPEAKER_00: And it's going to be about... This is the first time I'm sharing this.
1:08:47
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be about local success.
1:08:50
SPEAKER_00: Because I'm just done with all the hustling and the hurrying.
1:08:55
SPEAKER_00: Why are we hurrying so much?
1:08:57
SPEAKER_00: I know that you guys want to make money fast,
1:09:00
SPEAKER_00: but the more you hurry,
1:09:02
SPEAKER_00: and I'm sorry,
1:09:04
SPEAKER_02: this is going to be really quick.
1:09:07
SPEAKER_02: If you feel...
1:09:10
outches about your business and uncertain and it sort of lives
1:09:15
off dopamine hits
1:09:17
and it's like this cool guy that you like where it's like oh he
1:09:22
looked at me or
1:09:22
whatever and it's like it's not good this is not the real thing
1:09:27
the real thing if
1:09:28
SPEAKER_00: you're married you know let's take the relationship as an example is this
1:09:33
cool calm joyful feeling where it's not means to an end it's
1:09:39
not an outcome that
1:09:41
you just wish he would call you or you wish he would compliment
1:09:45
you or whatever
1:09:46
it's just like he's there and you want to know more about him
1:09:50
and he wants to know
1:09:50
more about you and it's fun and it's just a slow burn and it
1:09:54
and it's always there
1:09:55
and sometimes he annoys you but it's still your guy you know or
1:09:58
your woman or
1:09:59
SPEAKER_00: whatever and it
1:10:00
SPEAKER_00: It should be the same feeling that you have for your business.
1:10:04
If it's crazy,
1:10:05
anxious,
1:10:06
dopamine,
1:10:07
impatient,
1:10:08
pain,
1:10:08
this is not the business for you.
1:10:10
SPEAKER_00: You're going to burn out.
1:10:11
SPEAKER_00: You're going to get a mental health crisis.
1:10:15
SPEAKER_00: Stop.
1:10:15
SPEAKER_00: You need to fix this.
1:10:17
SPEAKER_00: You need to have this thing where you set boundaries,
1:10:21
SPEAKER_00: you charge fair rates,
1:10:23
SPEAKER_00: you have a working business.
1:10:24
SPEAKER_00: You don't need that much.
1:10:26
SPEAKER_00: You're a solopreneur.
1:10:27
SPEAKER_00: You don't have a lot of the expenses that big businesses have.
1:10:30
SPEAKER_00: And you can do this, I'm telling you.
1:10:32
SPEAKER_00: So that's the message.
1:10:35
SPEAKER_01: That's great.
1:10:36
SPEAKER_01: So how can people get in touch with you, Maya?
1:10:38
SPEAKER_01: What's your, if you can, this is your shameless plug now.
1:10:42
SPEAKER_00: Phone printers,
1:10:44
SPEAKER_00: feel free,
1:10:44
SPEAKER_00: I'd be happy if you subscribe,
1:10:45
SPEAKER_00: follow,
1:10:46
SPEAKER_00: but even if you don't,
1:10:47
SPEAKER_00: feel free to message me or leave a comment here.
1:10:50
SPEAKER_00: I will go through the comments now and ask me any questions or whatever.
1:10:56
SPEAKER_00: I'm an open book.
1:10:58
SPEAKER_01: Okay, great.
1:10:59
SPEAKER_01: Before we conclude, anyone has any questions?
1:11:02
SPEAKER_01: Or if not, we can conclude this wonderful discussion.
1:11:09
SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much,
1:11:09
SPEAKER_01: Maya,
1:11:10
SPEAKER_01: for all your insights and for the free coaching,
1:11:14
SPEAKER_01: the free live coaching session.
1:11:17
SPEAKER_01: But I'm sure you can take it from there.
1:11:21
SPEAKER_01: And for everyone who joined us today, we had 41 people live.
1:11:26
SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much.
1:11:27
SPEAKER_01: And I will post this like maybe tomorrow.
1:11:31
SPEAKER_01: So for those who missed it can also watch it again.
1:11:35
SPEAKER_01: And thank you, everyone.
1:11:36
And please don't forget to subscribe to Maya's newsletter to
1:11:40
get all the goods and
1:11:42
SPEAKER_01: tips and advice about the solopreneurship life.
1:11:46
SPEAKER_01: And thank you very much.
1:11:47
SPEAKER_01: And until we meet again, ciao.
1:11:50
SPEAKER_01: Bye.
1:11:50
SPEAKER_01: Bye.
1:11:51
SPEAKER_01: Bye.