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Not long ago I brought you a special episode recorded on a flight with your friend and mine, John Lee Dumas. John and I were flying to a friend’s wedding when we recorded the first Planecast. We had such a blast chatting and sharing some entrepreneurial gold with you we wanted to do it again.

On this second edition of Planecast, John and I recorded an episode while flying to Vegas. We talk about podcasting, why not to outsource (too early) and why monetization should never be the reason you start any new endeavor. We dive into all of that and more on the 262nd episode of The Solopreneur Hour!

More About Planecast with John Lee Dumas

If you missed Planecast episode one you can check it out here. John and I had so much fun on the first one we decided to do another one! For the first portion of the show we talk about how to know when to walk away from a new endeavor, how to know if something isn’t working and you need to scrap it.

Although we specifically discuss new podcasts, the same principles apply to any new business whether it’s a podcast or any other platform. If you’ve been something for awhile and aren’t seeing any results, it’s time to take a good hard look at your project. Maybe it’s a new podcast and you simply haven’t nailed the brand. Perhaps it’s a new product and you just haven’t gotten it exactly right. Find the lesson in the experience, tweak what you’re doing and go forward.

If you really find yourself thinking you’ve failed and you feel stuck remember this: hundreds of TV show pilots get made every season but only a handful get picked up. Keep making your pilot until it’s one that gets picked up. You’ll find something valuable in every attempt, just keep at it.

You’ll also hear:

• Why does John still edit his own show?
• How I made $200k in the first 12 months of this show.
• The most important step most entrepreneurs miss when starting something new.
• Why you need to do what DOESN’T scale.
• What would John do differently today if he were launching a new show?
• And much, much more!

John and I also discuss why you need to do the unscalable parts of your business, and every aspect of your business, before you start outsourcing any of it. If something goes wrong or someone doesn’t show up when you need them you need to know how to do what they were doing for you. You can’t do that if you outsource everything from the very beginning.

Once you’ve done every aspect of your business and you’re finding you have more time than money, then and only then can you look at outsourcing certain pieces of your work.

Another key point we discuss is the fullback brand concept. It’s something we’ve covered in previous episodes but the essence of it is this: let your brand do the heavy lifting for you. When you get your brand really dialed in it will carry your message to your audience so clearly they will know exactly what you stand for and what you are providing. When that happens you’ll connect with the right people who want what you have.

John and I both have evolved our brands, which is why we discuss this concept. Pay attention to the progression of both of our brands: neither of us started out with our names in the actual branding message. And there was a reason for that: we didn’t have a strong presence or platform already in existence so very few people knew us or what we were about.

So we created brands that spoke to our audiences and communicated what we were offering. As people have gotten to know us as the face behind the brand we’ve rebranded and evolved to include our names in the overall branding message. But our first foray into the marketplace didn’t include our names, it focused on what we were offering to people.

John and I also talk about the steps I took when starting The Solopreneur Hour, how I built it into a multiple six-figure platform and the important points you can take away to apply in your own endeavors. There is loads of info in this one so check it out!

Thanks to John for co-hosting again and to you for lending your ears! We’ll see you next time on The Solopreneur Hour.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY: What can you talk about for hours? Is that what your business is about? If not, why not?