Hey Friend!

Do you dream of starting a successful online business? Or do you have an online business, and it’s time to grow, scale, and actually make money? If you are ready to have a business that is searchable, successful, and sustainable, you can’t afford to miss today’s blog. Welcome to part two of the Productivity + Business series! Join me and my two business besties as we dig into the number one thing which has simplified everything so you can grow your online business and make money from home. 

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The Number One Thing you Need to Simplify and Grow Your Online Business in Less than Two Hours Per Week

First, if you haven’t read part one of the Business + Productivity Series yet, go back and give it a read! We give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek into our businesses. We also share our biggest lessons, and how a new task management system changed everything. But in case you missed it, let me introduce myself and the two other amazing women from my personal, peer-led mastermind. 

If you’re new around here, Hi, I’m Stef Gass! I’m a podcast and business coach for Christian women, and I help them start a podcast and make money online. My two biz besties are Polly Payne, founder of Horacio Printing, and host of the Dream Planning Podcast. And Chelsi Jo, host of Systemize Your Life Podcast and CEO of ChelsiJo dot Co. 

In this three-part series, we are going behind the curtain of our mastermind and business to show you how you can create a successful, simple, and sustainable online business.

The number one way to organically reach people and grow your online business

How Stef grew her business

Stef: Whether you have on your heart to start a business, a ministry, or you have a business – a network marketing business, selling a planner or product or coach, it doesn’t matter. When you start a business, there are two things that you are focused on.

1. Reaching people and growing an audience: how do we make money in an online business if we have no one to sell to? We want those people to listen and begin to trust us, so they become a lead.
2. Giving them an offer that helps them and thus makes you money in your business. 

When we look at the first thing, growing an audience, we think we have to show up on social media. And we’ve all done that, every one of us, at some stage. But what I learned the hard way is that it’s too saturated. People aren’t there to lean in, learn and grow. Imagine a stadium with 20,000 people holding their offer and screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s so chaotic there’s no way for you to be seen, heard, and make real connections.

So, after a lot of trial, error, and praying, I finally heard from God in 2018 to start a podcast. And this podcast has allowed me to quickly grow a fruitful and successful business. Within a year, I’d reached 100,000 downloads and had grown an almost six-figure business. Not to say it’s exactly the same for everyone, but it changed my life. And I was convicted to teach podcasting to other women and show you how to grow your online business. 

So that was the answer for me, and it was such a waymaker for Chelsi and Polly.

How Polly grew her audience

Polly: Well, I started on Instagram, and I still am with my businesses, but what worked for me in 2014 is not working anymore. And God gave me Stefanie at such an important time because I needed to make that pivot if I was going to keep growing an audience organically.   

When I began in 2014, and I was selling these planners out of my New York apartment, Instagram worked, which was exciting. I kept putting all this time and excruciating investment into Instagram and ads, but by 2019/2020, Instagram wasn’t what it used to be. As you know, the algorithm changes, and it feels like a big hamster wheel; you’re not getting anywhere, and that’s when I met Stef. I knew I needed something evergreen and organic. I was also in the process of a huge change in my business from offering just products to offering products, services, and courses.  

So the podcast was the tool that helped me to continue to grow my audience, email list, and revenue, and grow more leads for my courses while connecting with more people who were going to benefit from what I do.

It was scary at first. I was doing a hundred different things, so it felt like there was no way I could add something else. I thought it would be so much work, but being ‘Impulsive Polly’, I decided to do it anyway. Thankfully it took a lot less time than I thought it would, and after two years, it’s grown to over 150,000 downloads which has been amazing! I’ve also slowed down the number of episodes I’m putting out each month, and it’s still growing exponentially. The growth and the downloads have been so exciting, especially as I head towards adding more courses and other things.

What Chelsi did to grow her online business

Chelsi: Funnily enough, when I started, I was a full-time sign language interpreter, and I was running an event-based wedding and floral design business on the side. I was a single mom with a 2, 3, and 4-year-old until I met my husband, and we got married and had another kid. And everyone kept asking me, what in the world are you doing? How are you making all this work? Which made me think, okay, there must be something to this. 

All I wanted to do was teach others to do exactly what I was doing, so I decided to start a blog. I bought a blogging course to make a little money because I wanted to be home with my kids. My sign language career was corporate, so I kept being pulled away from things, and if I wasn’t working, I wasn’t getting paid, and I needed to be making money for my family.   

Starting a podcast is a game changer

It was really hard. I wanted to work, but I also wanted to be a mom at the same time. Unfortunately, blogging took painful, long hours of typing, and no one was reading it. And then I found Stefanie Gass. Stef convinced me that even though I didn’t want to, I was going to start a podcast. Now, my podcast has over one million downloads three years later, and people can find me. People can go to their podcasting app and type in organize, schedule, time blocking, cleaning, or anything to do with what I’m doing, and my podcast will pop up in the top one or two shows. It’s literally changed my life. 

I no longer interpret, and I’m with my kids full-time. For example, last week, my entire family got sick, and I was able to stop and not do anything except take care of my family. So many things are different about my life because I decided to take a chance on this true desire and calling I had to show up and give something I was passionate about. To serve others and teach them. And the way I can exponentially do that and scale that is through my podcast.

How did you know what to do and who to serve to grow your online business? 

Chelsi: Initially I knew I wanted to talk to moms because every time I saw a mom struggling, I wanted to go and speak to her, but I had no idea what I was doing. I was listening to every single episode Stefanie had. I had no money, but all I wanted to do was to be one of her coaching clients because I would hear her coaching episodes on the show, and I could hear the magic that was happening, and I needed it.   

So, I worked like a dog and won a free 15-minute call with Stef. And in that call, she told me I was going to be Systemize Your Life. And I said, no, I’m not; that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! Nobody likes systems; that’s boring! I was so mad, but now, I’m Systemize Your Life. It’s my whole brand. 

I was terrified to start a podcast and had no idea what to say! I didn’t know how to do any of it. The tech terrified me. Yes, it was horribly hard, but with Stef’s help, I was able to conquer it, and now it’s my baby. I love it so much. She will show you exactly how to grow your online business and make it feel easy!  

Getting super clear about the person I am helping

Polly: Honestly, I was daunted by podcasting. What was I going to say? How am I going to come up with fresh content each week? I’m already coming up with a weekly email. But after going through the process and getting super clear about the person who will show up and listen, who I am going to help and what’s keeping them up at night, how they are struggling, and how I can support them.

I got into the headspace of what they needed and were asking for. I also looked back at a younger version of Polly and what got me from there to now. Everything around dreaming, conquering dreams, and starting a business. I was able to get into this flow state, and by the time I launched the podcast, I already had a hundred episodes drafted. They were all written in a journal, but if I’d had Chelsi’s system back then, I would have had them in a system! 

Focus on the one person you are helping

Then I was able to start it with such confidence. I knew exactly who I was talking to and what she was dealing with. I didn’t worry about what I sounded like or if I sounded like an idiot because I was focused on her. Focusing on the person I was helping took away the fear of it. Obviously, there were still some nerves to get out at the beginning, and the first couple of episodes aren’t going to be grand slams. But you just keep doing it, and you get better.

I was able to step into that new venture confidently, and it became this incredible tool that has taken precedence over many other marketing strategies I was doing. It’s so much less time than, say, Youtube. I don’t have any makeup on, and I’m so glad I didn’t have to get my hair done. It’s simple, and it’s easier, and that is awesome!

Where to find the time to use a podcast to grow your online business.

Does this all sound amazing? You’d love to simplify and grow your online business using podcasting, but you have no idea when to find the time to start a podcast? Podcasting only takes each of us two hours per week, but if that even sounds like a lot of time, you can’t miss tomorrow’s blog! 

Tomorrow we cover in depth how you can carve out those two hours plus more. Chelsi Jo helps you find 5-10 hours per week simply by getting your house in order. So if you want to discover how to get more time for yourself or stop being overwhelmed and get organized, join us again tomorrow.

Want to learn more about how to grow your online business?

Firstly, if you’re curious about starting your own printing business, sign up for Polly’s Print School! You can save $100 with the code STEF20. 

Or if you’re starting a new business and want to know the nuts and bolts behind starting a business, The Faith-Filled Blueprint is for you! Use code STEF20 for 20% off. It covers everything you need to know to start a business using God-centred principles. Including what type of business to start, bookkeeping basics, launch plans, marketing strategies, email marketing, websites, and more. 

You can then plug this into Chelsi’s systems which we covered yesterday and will cover more tomorrow by checking out her free time management workshop and the Systemize Your Life Academy! You can save $100 with the code STEF100. 

And once you’re ready to discover what you are called to do and what your business should be about and then start a podcast, come check out the Stefanie Gass School, where you’ll discover how to get clarity, start a podcast, and scale your online podcasting business. 
As you’ve seen today, podcasting is the number one way you can grow your online business in less time. Podcasting is simple and easy and builds an evergreen organic audience. It also serves your ideal clients and builds trust with your audience, making them more likely to buy from you. If you are ready to start or take your online business to the next level, it’s time to start a podcast.

Check out the rest of the Productivity + Business Series: 

Part 1: CEO Retreat Recap With Stefanie Gass, Chelsi Jo, and Polly Payne 

Part 2: Grow Your Online Business & Make Money Online By Doing This ONE THING (you are here)

Part 3: How to Have Better Time Management in Home & Business

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

P.S. Also, listen to podcast episode 563 for the full training on Productivity & Business Series: #1 Way to Grow Your Online Business & Make Money Online.

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Before you go, be sure to watch the free workshop!

This free workshop is for you if you want to grow an online business in less time.

It will teach you how to explode your audience without the social media hustle, make consistent sales using a podcast, and plan, record, and launch a podcast with ease!

RELATED EPISODES:

How to Know if You’re Ready to Start a Podcast

10 Steps to Start a Podcast & Launch in 30 Days or Less

Simple Ways for New Podcasters to Get Faster Podcast Growth

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Podcast

How to Make Money With a Podcast. 3 Ways to Monetize Even With a Small Audience!

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