This episode was a bit of a beast in that I attempted to answer a big question in a limited amount of time. Part of my new requirements to run an MVP (minimum viable podcast).  I'm seeing more criticism about the practices of the unregulated online business industry and how we attribute the success of the business owner or company to a sign that they deliver on the promises people buy from them.  A recent article from the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/oct/06/life-coaching-brooke-castillo-unregulated-industry takes a critical position on the Life Coach School and how it can blame the student for not getting results of running a successful life coach business.  That had me questioning whether the owners who become fixated on growing their business take their eye off of customer service and their proof of delivering value becomes more about how big them are becoming, as if that's all the validation and proof they need.  In this episode I also talk about the three foundations that will lead to success and the ultimate one which is customer service.  I'm inviting anyone who's thinking about, launching or currently has a membership to join me in my new free community on Facebook to continue having these and other important conversations. https://www.facebook.com/groups/membershipsitemasterywithlisa Perhaps memberships are a solution to some of the questionable sales practices we are seeing online today. 

Scaling Deep with Lisa Princic

#137: Do you have to have had success to be successful

My approach to work as changed a lot lately from thinking I needed to do the growth activities to sitting back a little and realizing that I could do less and think it through more.  Yes all the marketing activities have to happen to gain any visibility and therefore sales but instead of setting arbitrary goals that result from desire, I'm more interested in creating systems.  Systems that create results consistently. This is not brand new thinking, it's more of a re-focusing from getting outcomes to fine-tuning the process. Getting one sale because of a system that can be repeated is way more powerful than getting 10 sales and not knowing how to do that again.  I'm moving away from setting any goals or having any expectations about revenue right now to figuring out the systems to create a sustainable business model. One that only supports growth that will not lead to burnout. Join me on this journey!

#136: Influencing growth by creating systems not setting goals

Sometimes what's in front of us isn't clear until we take a step back from it for a while. I've been super busy since I put the podcast on pause. A healthy East Coast vacation, a hectic Summit and a fairly mellow launch, all things considered.  Despite all that, I recognized that I still have a lot to say, to teach and share and the podcast is my medium.  But it's not going to be the same as before. It's low tech, low time and just me. I'm sharing my new "chill" approach to business growth and scaling to a one to many model.  You'll get plenty of behind-the-scenes talk as I open the kimono and share what I'm learning and applying in real time to make a great business and life. I hope you stick around. And check out the Profitable Membership Club here: scalingdeep.com/club/  

#135: The BIG little podcast comeback - thriving with an MVP approach to everything

Having been in 'vision mode' since the previous episode, I've been thinking very carefully about my visibility activities. When I began the Scaling Deep podcast, it was with a real intention to improve my visibility. But I recently realized my podcast was more of an engagement activity! This has led me to consider my plans and activities for the coming months, and to really think about what I want to focus on in my business. So obviously, I share my thinking here by engaging with you on the podcast! The result of all this deep reflection had led to the decision to put my podcast on pause for a while. I need to free up some of my time for visibility activities. Since I do love the medium, I'll likely be seeing you here again with a more low-key version of it with lots of behind-the-scenes, and as-I'm-working-on-it shares! You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/hacking-visibility.

#134: Hacking visibility and the future of the Scaling Deep podcast

I keep returning to the theme of values-based positioning on the podcast this year, going all the way back to episode 109 in February 2021. This is so important to think about, whether you're making the move into thought leadership or just want to build a brand that reflects your values and your authentic self. But aside from creating an ethical brand, do you think about how the people you have in your team can make your business more impactful? My guest today is Meaghan Lamm. She has been in the online business world for 6 years, helping impact-driven female business owners to build their 'dream team'. Meaghan works as a Hiring Strategist and Team Leadership Consultant, helping to ensure businesses are hiring teams that share their visions and values in order to grow, build great partnerships, and create real change. This was the right conversation for me at the right time. I'm definitely in vision mode now! You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/inclusive-business-meaghan-lamm.

#133: How to build an inclusive business & team with Meaghan Lamm

As your business grows, you may need to hire an assistant or two (or more) to deliver your service. But if you're not a natural manager, how do you begin to manage people, especially if your team is made up of remote workers? My guest today is Oxana Romanyuk. Her company is Remote Rockstars, which provides expert virtual executive assistant services to individuals, entrepreneurs, and small to medium-sized companies nationwide. Oxana has trained countless virtual assistants and has helped multiple entrepreneurs grow their businesses, reach more people, and impact the world. It was great to talk to her and I gained a lot more confidence about working with my own team. So if you're growing your business, or if you have a business that depends on hirees to deliver your service, you're definitely going to get a lot out of this episode. You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/manage-remote-team-oxana-romanyuk.

#132: How to manage a team when you’re not a manager with Oxana Romanyuk

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Launch Strategist TaVona Denise Boggs. Since I first became aware of her on Clubhouse she has taught me so much and now she's my new favourite person! TaVona teaches entrepreneurs how to achieve their goals, without the hustle, overwhelm and burnout. She's an Atlanta-based business accelerator and life coach, with certifications in life, weight and wellness coaching. She helps healthcare professionals end the burnout-boredom cycle and smash glass ceilings. TaVona shares some beautiful secrets today. Her mic was a little distorted in places but it shouldn't matter because the wisdom is there. If you're launching anything and you're in my crowd, you will feel so much more confident about launching after hearing what she shares today. You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/launch-strategy-tavona-denise.

#131: The best asset to use when you're launching to an audience of any size with TaVona Boggs

For my first solo episode in a month, I wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes view of what I've been busy with during that time. Firstly, I got away into nature, which gave me time to reevaluate what is important and to simplify my focus. And following this, I now have a really clear plan for my business for the next year - FULL DISCLOSURE: I can get anxious if I don't have a plan! Since then, I've rebranded my website to give it a more professional design. Adding to the two main strands of my business - VIP Business Design Days and the Profitable Membership Club - I wanted to have some packages which will give me more freedom - details in the podcast. Alongside this, I'm moving away from marketing and focusing specifically on memberships. The idea of having it all is about doing the work that I love but being able to step back when needed, and without my business suffering as a result. I'm really excited to share the plans for my business - I hope you'll come along for the ride! You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/behind-the-scenes.

#130: Behind the scenes at Scaling Deep - focused offers, clear funnels & an upleveled brand

I recorded this episode a few months ago with Kendra Swalls for her 'Girl Means Business' podcast. Kendra is a mompreneur, photographer and educator who started her podcast (and the 'Girl Means Business' brand) to help women build their own life-changing businesses. Kendra launched her own membership program twice and failed, so she wanted to know what she did wrong, what she could do differently and what the foundation pieces should be for launching a successful membership. Although this interview has already been published by Kendra, I wanted to share it here as I thought it would be a useful way of giving you ideas and hope for creating your own membership schemes. We talk about launching membership programs and the problems she encountered when launching her own scheme. Thanks to Kendra for being so open in sharing the issues she faced. You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/membership-fail-kendra-swalls.

#129: How to know you’re ready to launch a membership with Kendra Swalls

If you're ready to connect with your audience on a deeper level, this is going to be a great episode for you, as I share an amazing interview with Liz Wilcox. Liz is an email marketer whose aim in life is to make writing emails easy for anyone. She knows a lot about two things: how to quickly write newsletters that connect with the people on your list, and how to get people on your list to buy your products. This episode is aimed at experienced professionals who know their work well but need help formulating their email subscription model. It's for people with big visions who just need pointing in the right direction. We discuss technical details, core elements, and the ultimate service you deliver, to enable you to be confident with your pricing, messaging, and audience. You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/launch-subscription-liz-wilcox.

#128: Using email to find founding members for your subscription with Liz Wilcox

This episode began as a business-design coaching session with my client Tiffany Hawk but mutated into a wide-ranging discussion about visibility. As well as this, it's almost a summary of the main topics we've been covering on the podcast recently - including values-based positioning, thought leadership, and bold messaging. Tiffany runs a coaching and editing business, working with journalists, writers, and entrepreneurs who have a meaningful book inside them. However, her desire to work deeply with clients who have found her through referrals and blog traffic has meant that she has been struggling to keep up with demand. And then she earned the opportunity to work on a passion project which is very close to her heart and core values. As Tiffany says here, "The universe is saying that it's message time." You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/passion-project-tiffany-hawk.

#127: Coaching episode - How to share your passion project with your business audience in a meaningful way with Tiffany Hawk

This episode follows on from last week's podcast where I shared my bad experience with online sales tactics. Now I'm talking about the opposite of marketing, and how the way you design your program can replace the need for traditional sales strategies. I share the five key elements that you should include in your membership program which will mean that your members will love you and your program, becoming your biggest cheerleaders. And what better form of marketing is there than a referral? You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/membership-program-design.

#126: Program design - make your membership indestructible with these 5 elements

I've always been a truth seeker so it comes as no surprise that something that hasn't sat well with me is the questionable ethics of the online business industry of influencers and influence. 2020 was obviously a difficult year for everyone, but I hope that one of the positive things to come from this shared experience is a greater sense of honesty and transparency. It allowed different voices to be heard and appreciated in a new way. A recent personal experience I had fuelled a desire for greater ethical sales tactics in the online business industry. I want to find a solution to the problem - there is hope! You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at https://scalingdeep.com/questionable-online-sales-practices.

#125: How to take a stand against BS sales tactics of online businesses

I've always had a "love-hate" relationship with email. It's great for communication but using it in my business - especially for sales - just seemed like one more thing for the to-do list. If you feel the same way, Kate Doster is here to persuade you that your email list is your best sales and marketing tool. As the host of the Inbox Besties Podcast and creator of the Love Your List 2.0 email marketing course, Kate empowers entrepreneurs to write emails dripping with personality without having to act like somebody else. By changing your mindset you can be writing emails that convert in no time at all. You can find complete show notes and resources for this episode at scalingdeep.com/email-marketing-kate-doster.

#124: Email marketing that creates real connection and real sales with Kate Doster

As you begin to establish your business, it's only natural to want to make it as successful as possible. And if you're lucky, and it starts to gain traction, you'll hopefully start to see some serious money coming your way. So far so good, right? But the trouble with this is, the longer it goes on, it can get harder to get off the treadmill. And this is when the hustle culture can kick in and you get stuck in a growth for growth's sake cycle. My guest today is Chris Bello. Chris began his career in oil and gas but never felt comfortable with being micromanaged. So he decided to launch himself as a realtor, using his Entrepreneur Motivation Podcast to track his journey. He has now achieved the rare distinction of being a realtor whose business success is entirely independent of his location, and which fits around the life he wants to lead. In this conversation, Chris and I go deep on hustle culture, superficial goals, and negotiating different models of success to reconnect with what's important to you.

#123: How much is enough in the quest for success with Chris Bello

Do you often wonder if successful business owners skirt over the real reasons they got traction? Are you curious about what they’re doing to get heard above all the noise? And which marketing strategies brought in revenue? In this podcast I interview small business owners who’ve truly mastered their craft and leveraged that for growth WITHOUT relying on mass media. We have down to earth conversations focused on unearthing the real business models, philosophies and action steps that've helped these service-based entrepreneurs break the 6 figure and multi 6 figure revenue marks. I ask them to share core practices that've allowed them to gain visibility, hit their goals and build a brand that matters.

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Scaling Deep with Lisa Princic

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