Q1 Podcast Recap! What Happened in My Life & Business?

Hey Friend!

In today’s episode, I am sharing my first quarter podcast recap with you! What happened in my personal life? What happened in my business and what is life really like as Stef Gass? Lol. Buckle up.

If you want to know who the woman behind the scenes of this show is and what it really takes to build a top .5% podcast along with living actual life (with 2 boys, a new puppy, hard seasons & new levels new devils) – this one is a must-listen.

I hope that you enjoy, laugh, and glean some knowledge about what the reality of building your online business can look like.

I pray this blesses you.

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:00):
Hey, friends! What is up? It is a happy Thursday over here. I can’t wait to share with you all of the incredible things and hard things and weird things that happened in Q1 of 2022 for me.

I can’t wait to share the numbers with you and give you a sneak peek into the back end of my business.

(00:21):
And kind of go through all of those little pieces with you. It’s gonna be so great. But before we go into the depths and the details, I wanna let you know that there are two spots left for Podcast to Profit.

It’s literally starting next week, April 14th, which is crazy.

(00:40):
This is your absolute last chance to go and get registered. And if you guys have been accepted to the program, but haven’t completed your tuition, then this is your last call to do so.

(00:52):
We are closing down the entire application process. We will be taking no one else into this round of the program on Monday, April 11th. So 3, 2, 1, go! Two spots left, podcasttoprofitmastermind.com.

This is my all-in immersion mastermind program for podcasters who wanna have my exact business model.

(01:14):
You guys wanna have the crazy numbers that I share with you today on the show, in your own life?

Let’s do the things. This is gonna teach you how to grow, scale, and create a passive income stream for your show.

(01:28):
Optimize keywords, podcast pitching, and Pinterest marketing. I really focus on how you can have a big profitable systemized organized business and work less time while making more revenue.

That’s my entire goal for you and you get to do it with other faith-led people, kingdom entrepreneurs, just like you.

(01:51):
So you’re not alone. You have tons of accountability. I power coach you every other week. You’ve got my team helping you during office hours.

It is so legit. So again, two spots. I know, there are two of you that are called to do this.

(02:05):
You just have to take a big leap of faith and say yes, because it’s your time to just leap in and scale that show. Again, podcasttoprofitmastermind.com.

(03:17):
Stefanie Gass is an amazing woman for Jesus. She genuinely cares about the success of her listeners and keeps Jesus at the center of it all.

(03:25):
God has specifically used Stefanie’s podcast and her incredible teaching to deepen my relationship with Him, get clarity on my business based on his calling for my life and repivot my business.

(03:36):
So that it not only serves the kingdom but aligns with who I am and how I’m wired. Stefanie is biblical, practical, thorough, and on target with everything she does.

(03:46):
Thank you so much for that testimony, Jen! And I am just cheering for you. I’m so happy for you. And it just blesses me so much that you took the time to leave this testimony.

Friends, if you like Jen, there is something about this show that has challenged you, inspired you, stretched you, or poured into you in some capacity.

(04:06):
If you would just take 30 seconds for me right now and pause this episode, scroll down to the leave a review.

Click the little leave a review icon on your Apple Podcast app, right inside of my podcast area, leave a five-star review and a testimony.

(04:23):
It would truly mean the world to me to hear from you. I am so honored. You have no idea how much it lights me up to know A) that you’re actually listening, but B) that this is actually landing.

(04:35):
Did you know that I have no idea what you think of this podcast until you tell me? I don’t if you’re liking it, I have no idea what you love. I have no idea the things and the episodes that are your favorites.

And the only way for me to know is for you to tell me, and I would love for you to take 30 seconds to do that for me.

(04:52):
It would be a huge thank you to me for the 400 and something hours of free content that we have put into the world thus far, which is absolutely crazy but also to help the show, reach more hearts, more ears.

(05:06):
And I believe that I know that God has asked me to specifically do this podcast so that I can help more women step into their calling to work for his glory.

And so if you can be a part of that by hopping on over there and leaving that review, I would just thank you.

(05:22):
Thank you so much. It means so much to me. And it means so much to the woman who’s gonna find the show. And then secondly, if that’s not your jam or you don’t know how to leave a review and you can’t figure it out.

(05:30):
Or even if you feel called to do this second thing, take one of your favorite episodes, click that share button and share it with a friend, somebody that you think that episode could help.

This is how we spread the message of God’s kingdom work.

(05:44):
Of how women can do this in a different way of how they can do it without social media, without the hustle, and truly grow something sustainable organic, and for his glory.

But that’s from their own giftings.

(05:57):
It is absolutely possible. You guys have seen it happen for me, for many of my students, and it is actually happening in your own life, right now.

(06:07):
Just because you’re here, you are not here on accident. So thank you for leaving a review. Thank you for sharing the show. Let’s do this. It’s time to talk numbers. Are you ready? I hope you’re ready, friend.

(06:21):
I’m gonna do a recap of January, February, and March. And I’m gonna talk to you, guys, at the end of that recap about what the actual numbers look like for Q1.

Overall vibes on Q1 is that was epic. And then at the same time, that was the hardest quarter of my life.

(06:38):
There’s so many great things, but there’s also so many hard things that I went through. So let’s begin in January, January was the ringer. Landon went into the hospital.

He had an emergency appendectomy where his appendix had ruptured.

(07:01):
We thought it was the stomach flu. If your kid has a four-day-long stomach flu, and everyone says, it’s the stomach flu, but they’re like my stomach hurts everywhere. Just go, just take him in because we did.

And our doctor sent us into the ER, just to get him checked out in the ER, had him do an ultrasound to discover that his appendix had ruptured and he was rushed into emergency surgery.

(07:24):
And friends, if you are a mama, it is the hardest thing ever to watch your tiny little five-year old baby cry and be afraid and go into emergency surgery unexpectedly and just pray with all of your heart, soul, and mind that your son comes out the other side.

It was just so hard and COVID was still kind of a thing in January. And so I was the only one allowed in the emergency room.

(07:49):
So I had to go through all of that by myself as my husband’s like, what is happening? It was a whirlwind. And then we got through the surgery and we thought we were gonna get out four days later.

I had packed up the whole room. I was ready to go.

(08:01):
And the doctors came in and said, his white blood cell count went up. You can’t leave. And so we had to stay another three days and then we were ready and I was packed up again.

And they came back in and said, no, sorry.

(08:12):
He has some more issues, I forgot what they were called, but he had some more issues going on where the infection pockets were still there. And that the white blood cell count just simply wasn’t going down.

(08:26):
We ended up having to get a CT, I believe, or an MRI, whichever one of those, which I was totally terrified about because of the radiation, anyways, crazy, very long story.

Short is that, praise God, he got out, we are all okay.

(08:45):
I made it through, I slept on a twin bed with my husband for 11 days. It was like such a testament. And at the same time, I was supposed to launch Podcast to Profit.

So, I told everyone I can’t launch it. I’m so sorry. I’m in the hospital.

(09:01):
And instead of being mad at me, we have 36 people this last round of P2P, no one was upset. Everyone was so loving. So kind.

And instead of being frustrated or upset that we were moving the timeline out, they sent me videos with prayer and encouragement.

(09:16):
And I just sat there, bawling my eyes out. I was like, what is happening? There was so much beauty in spending time with Landon in the hospital alone.

We had never actually spent time with him 100% alone for an extended period of time because we’re a family of four, we’ve got Miles and Landon.

(09:34):
And so we’re all always together while this was such a beautiful time for us to just play with him every day. Neither of us could really work.

So we were just playing board games and laughing and doing art. And they had an incredible kids unit, shout out to the University of New Mexico.

(09:51):
The kids’ wards or whatever they’re it was just so above and beyond, the staff, the nurses, you couldn’t ask for a better experience.

And I know God was just there. He was working. He told me that Landon would be okay and he was and all those pieces.

(10:09):
So that was really hard. Anyways, I made it through, here we go. Now at the same time as me sitting in this hospital room with my son, I had this awesome idea that Podcast to Profit should be totally redone because I didn’t have enough depth in the implementation part of Podcast to Profit.

(10:30):
So you guys know, my 90-day emerging mastermind program has been going for like a year and a half, maybe two years. And it’s so good. It is so strategic, but I felt like it was missing the really deep detail work.

(10:39):
For example, you are gonna go bust out a landing page, and do this thing. OK bye. Well, how Stef? Where’s the tutorial for that? Where’s the Excel template when you teach us to do this thing.

As I was sitting in the hospital room, I actually started, because I’m nuts, completely redoing Podcast to Profit.

(10:59):
And so that was happening in January, which was a very high stressor because I launched the program with 36 people while just getting out of the hospital.

And I had two weeks in between each training session of Podcast to Profit it to completely finish updating that week’s stuff.

(11:21):
That meant the slide deck, the training, the back office tutorials, and the Excel files. It meant all of the bonuses that went along with that week’s training.

And I just did not know what I was in for, but it was too late cuz I had already started.

(11:35):
And I’m so excited because I am officially done with that project in two days and Podcast of Profit 2.0 was 100% finished and I am so freaking proud of it.

And I have never been more proud of a program in my entire life as I am about P2P.

(11:52):
And is nothing that I have ever seen out in the marketplace. I’m just so proud of it. I can’t believe the results we’re getting.

So I’m so happy it’s over. But I will say that January was really hard. Then we get out of the hospital in mid-January and both my boys get the flu.

(12:10):
So it was one thing after the other. We’ve had enough of January. In February. It was like February 10th. I told everybody I am starting over.

Stefanie Gass is having a new year, new you party over here in my PJs with my La Croix. And I’m like done.

(12:25):
I am bringing in a brand new year and I’m starting it over in February because January was pretty awful. So I started over the year in February and great news, February was so awesome.

(12:38):
I found out in February that I was in the top 0.5% of podcasts in the entire world, which absolutely blows my mind. I don’t even know how that is possible.

(12:49):
But God really is what it comes down to because half the time strategic as I can be and as clear as you guys think I am, sometimes I’m like, I don’t even know like what the heck am I doing?

(13:01):
And so it’s really interesting. I hope that you realize no one has it all together. No one knows exactly what they’re doing all the time.

And while this business has completely transformed in the last six-ish to eight months as my team has expanded, I’ve gotten the help that I needed and I’ve really optimized a lot of things.

(13:20):
Still, sometimes I don’t even know what’s going on. And I think that’s just a testament to growing and stretching and knowing, realizing that no matter how far you get.

No matter how big you grow there’s always a new level of hard and there’s always a hard level of new and it’s never going to change.

(13:39):
So anyway, that was really cool and exciting to find that wow, I’m doing something right over here. I also hired my first-ever employee. I had contractors this whole time and Nina’s been with me for three years and I had some other contractors come and helped me grow the Facebook group and those pieces.

(13:57):
And Ali, of course, has been my graphic designer for two and a half years as well. And then Lydia came on eight months to a year ago and now started in the Facebook community. She just blew that out of the water. I quickly realized that she had been a God thing all along.

(14:16):
You guys have heard that story, but anyway, I just felt so convicted again in the hospital. You know what’s so weird about this. There’s something to be said for totally slowing down.

I wasn’t able to do much of anything from that hospital room except think and pray, journal, think, pray, read, journal, eat.

(14:39):
I ate a lot. It wasn’t great, anyways. And I felt so convicted that Lydia was to be an employee and I wasn’t gonna hire her until next year, but I felt so convicted. She had earned it, she came in and she cleaned house, she built systems and she helped me manage people.

(14:59):
And she helped me launch an intern program and she came and she was just literally my right arm in this business.

And she’s added this level of organization and optimization and from the ground up thinking where I’m a top-down thinker, I’m a strategist truly.

(15:18):
I wear this big visionary hat. And it’s very hard for me to go into the detail work and go ground up. Well, that’s Lydia. So we have this perfect partnership.

And I told Lydia, my job is CEO of growth. Your job is really the manager of all operations, all student success.

(15:36):
You have to make sure that everything is running smoothly in this business. She didn’t take it lightly. And I can see people with potential from a mile away.

And so I made this happen. It was very uncomfortable to hire an employee.

(15:48):
Let’s just be honest. It was so hard. I had to do hard things. I had to figure out how to upgrade my whole tax team.

And that’s a big expense for us now and I had to figure out taxes in Texas and taxes in New Mexico and all these things and unemployment, this and that.

(16:05):
And all these pieces that come with hiring employees. And it was very hard and but I was able to give her that income that she deserved and that position that she had earned and really lock in a beautiful partnership that this company truly needs to go where God wants it to go.

(16:25):
So that was an absolute blessing on so many levels. I know you’re listening to this Lydia. I am beyond honored that I get to work with you every day.

And Nina beyond honored that I get to work with you every day and Ali and Christie.

(16:42):
And all of our amazing interns and our amazing Erica, our amazing Facebook strategist. I pray to God I’m not forgetting anybody, but that was really exciting.

(16:53):
I also, in February, decided to phase out of coaching. At the beginning of this year, I had decided to create a waitlist, thinking I can just phase down my extended coaching contracts, but the longer I sat with that waitlist, the less desire I had to bring on more people.

(17:16):
And I think the truth is that I just want more space in my life to focus on this beautiful season that I have with my boys.

And the coaching has been such a beautiful, instrumental part of getting me where I am. It was a six-figure revenue driver very quickly.

(17:35):
I think it was in six to eight months, definitely within the first year of podcasting. And then that allowed me to really learn what I offered.

It allowed me to get to know people, to really understand my Lola, my avatar, to help see a lot of people through to this place of transformation that they needed.

(17:55):
And it was really awesome, but it was too much. At the highest point, I think I had 36 recurring clients and I was just working. I was working probably 25 hours a week in my business coaching.

Now, fine, that’s all good and great. But what about the other hours I podcast?

(18:14):
And I run a business and I have an inbox and I have taxes and contracts and I need to grow. There’s all these other pieces of really running a big, scalable online business.

I also felt I was always working in the midst of my kids.

(18:33):
Because I had been coaching all day and then the kids got home. I had to run in and work for two more hours at night because I didn’t get to the inbox.

I just wanted more space, but I was afraid and God really spoke in my heart in February and just told me to phase down.

(18:50):
And so what that looks like for me, that I’ve decided to do after praying through this, is keeping my unstuck sessions available because I am obsessed with those.

They’re my favorite, helping people get through one quick problem or mapping out a brand for people, I live for it, it’s so much fun.

(19:08):
And then keeping on phasing out of the clients that I already had of course, and still offering coaching packages for my P2P students.

(19:19):
So when you join Podcast to Profit, you have a one-time offer to coach with me as you go through the program, which is so invaluable to be able to have me in your pocket for the 12 weeks that we are going through the program. So that is still available.

(19:34):
And what that allows me to do is coach on Monday and Tuesdays. When I did my schedule, you guys heard this, but Thursdays are all Podcast to Profit and then Fridays are project days. And that’s what I want.

(19:46):
And the beauty is, is I’ve been able to build this business in such a way that creating the schedule that I want is actually possible. It’s a reality, which feels so surreal.

(19:59):
And, believe me, I do not take it lightly that this is a luxury. And I know that you may be listening, going, Ugh, must be nice to phase out of coaching.

But the truth is, is you can and should be building a business based on the life that God is calling you to live.

(20:19):
I know that God is not calling me to work 30 hours with clients because then I can’t build out a bigger business where I can touch more hearts where I can help more people.

Where I can create more revenue for the kingdom where I can give more.

(20:34):
And I just know that He had me there for a season. Now it’s time to move into the next thing that God’s calling of me.

And so that was really exciting to have that peace, cuz I had been just really unsure of what I was gonna do with my coaching business until February.

(20:52):
So that’s pretty exciting. Now, if you’re listening, crying, you’re like, no, I wanted to coach with you. Become a Stef Gass student.

Number one, you can grab an unstuck session at any time. Those are not going away, at least for the rest of this year, probably longer because I love it.

(21:08):
And then secondly, when you join P2P, do not miss the opportunity to add coaching with it. I’m telling you is a game-changer.

(21:21):
In March last month and then I’m gonna give you guys the numbers. I completed the full out redo, rework of Podcast to Profit, which feels incredible. There was a massive weight lifted off of my shoulders.

That was such an immense amount of work along with all the stuff that happened in January. It was just super hard and that felt really great.

(21:47):
In January and February, we were also closing all the details on Call Her Blessed, which was my very first ever live retreat that I did with one of my best friends, Chelsi Joe Moore.

And so in March, the first week of March, we had our first ever live event and it was so cool. God moved in so many ways.

(22:10):
There were tears, there was breakthrough, there were strongholds broken. There was business breakthrough. We had fun.

We had taco night, we worked and we laughed and it was just so incredible all the way around.

(22:25):
I loved having this event so much and it felt like another weight lifted off my shoulder because you have no idea the level of work, unless you’ve done events, that go into an event. It’s extremely expensive, number one.

(22:41):
It’s a ton of work, number two and number three, it’s a ton of time. Now the outcome was totally worth it. But, my goodness, pile that on top of everything else that was going on for me in January and February.

(22:54):
I don’t even know how I’m still standing, but I can tell you right now that April feels like a breath of fresh air and I’m so excited to have no more projects hanging over my head.

I have completed two to three extremely difficult projects just Q1 alone, which is ridiculous.

(23:11):
You should never do that many projects at once. And noted, I will definitely be a better planner for the rest of the year and next year. So Call Her Blessed. It was amazing.

We are not sure if we will be doing one another one again.

(23:26):
I know a lot of you have been asking. We do have a waitlist up in case we do decide to do it again callherblessed.us. You are welcome to get on the waitlist.

We are both praying through this, but I don’t see it happening in the next 12 months just because we both need some breathing room.

(23:42):
It was just so much work. And to be honest, the profit margin in events is very small. So I am always asking myself, you guys, is what I am doing, creating the schedule that I want? Number one.

(23:55):
Is what I am doing scalable? Question two. Is what I am doing a specific call from God that I am called to do? Three. And then lastly, if it’s none of those things, how can I get rid of it or outsource it? Number four.

(24:11):
And if those questions are not all yes, it really has to be a God thing for me to move on it because I spent too many years of my life saying yes to too many things. And the point, the truth of the matter is, is that I built this business on purpose, for a purpose.

(24:28):
Wth a lot of intention behind it, about how to be more productive with less time, how to be more efficient and effective yet streamlined, how to automate, how to outsource so that I can still show up in my life and without the hustle and just pour into women all across the world, but in a way that serves God and serves my family.

(24:49):
So those are the things I still stand behind. That’s it. Last but not least, I got a new puppy. I know that it’s April, it’s April 6th, but I’m gonna go ahead and give you a spoiler for April’s Q2update.

(25:02):
I got a puppy. It’s a sheepadoodle. So you guys know I have Hugo, my co-host, he’s my old man pug. He’s like 12, 13 years old, his back legs be going out.

He’s like girl, my back, he is a hoot and he sheds everywhere. And so I told Brad, the next dog that we get will not shed and found this beautiful sheepadoodle on Facebook.

(25:24):
I reached out they’re like we only have one left, sent me a picture. I instantly fell in love. We went to meet him and basically, angels were singing and I’m like, I’ll take him, take all my money.

It’s fine. And so we are welcoming Boots to the family.

(25:38):
Boots Gass is the newest addition and he is precious. So I’m gonna post a picture in the Facebook group for you guys to see him. If you’re not a part of Facebook, it’s stefgasscommunity.com.

(25:53):
So Boots is actually in the last live that I did over there. And then secondly, I’m gonna post a picture for him for you guys. That’s it.

So let’s talk about the numbers. What actually happened, amidst all of that hot mess express.

(26:08):
What happened in my business? Surprisingly, a lot of good things. The podcast is up 10% for Q1. I am still on track to hit a million downloads by the end of the year, it’s gonna be close.

(26:24):
But I should be there, which would be really incredible. That was the biggest, far-away dream that I thought would take a decade. I mean, quite honestly, and here we are.

This year will be my fourth year podcasting by the end of the year. And to think a million downloads in four years, it’s beyond me.

(26:48):
The revenue for this quarter was up 18% against my goal. So the goal I had set for Q1, I’m actually above that revenue goal by 18%.

(27:01):
Now I do have a very long way to go to hit the annual revenue goal that I set, but that revenue goal has a lot of other variables and a lot of other growth things that have not happened yet that are gonna happen Q2.

(27:14):
So I’m still hanging on to my revenue projection for the year. And I’m feeling really good about where I landed Q1. Happy to be 18% over.

I mean, that’s amazing. And then the Facebook group is up 6% for the quarter, which I think is great.

(27:30):
So overall, all the numbers are up. Would love to see the podcast growing at a bit of a quicker rate and pace just because I have that goal on my heart, but I know that it’s God’s show and I’m just showing up for it.

(27:45):
Revenue’s feeling really great. And of course, we’re always pouring into the Facebook group. So those are the main metrics.

And, if you guys wanna hear my latest episode on KPI metrics, it’s the last one that I aired, which talks to you about what I actually track in my business and why. So that’s Q1.

(28:01):
I hope that this episode blessed you, kind of gave you a sneak into who I really am and the things that I really go through and that I’m just like you and my life is hard sometimes.

And it’s great sometimes. And it’s in the middle sometimes and I’m just here for all of it. I’m here for the journey. I’m here for the growth.

(28:17):
I’m here for the stretching. I’m here for the hard, I’m just here for all of it, because all I can do is look forward to glorifying God’s kingdom through my voice, through my work and through all of you, by helping you have the confidence to rise up into your purpose work. So that’s it.

(28:34):
I’d love to hear your feedback. Come on over to the Facebook group, stefgasscommunity.com and tell us what you think of today’s episode. Please leave a review if you haven’t. Truly, I’d be so honored and grateful for you if you would do that for me.

(28:47):
And, last but not least, if you’re one of my two people that is supposed to join P2P, come on over there, girl, cuz we’re waiting for you, podcasttoprofitmastermind.com. I’ll see you guys next week. Bye.