Is it actually possible to support your family over the long-haul with an independent online small business?
Like, is it actually possible?
Or are we all just kind of hoping that our blog or podcast or freelancing business will last?
Steve Maxwell maxes and relaxes making his online business with that old-ass macbook… this is long before the 4 hour workweek methinks 🙂
Well this episode right here is your answer. In it we learn exactly how possible it truly is… AND we get to hear from a real buddha of online biz; a mentor to many of us because he’s been doing it for so much longer than most of us.
Creating your own business is not about making it easy; there is still going to be work that needs to be done. That said, it is POSSIBLE to create a life that is less stressful, more prosperous, and purposefully designed to support your dreams and your family all at once.
Steve Maxwell is the founder of Bailey Line Road Chronicles, and he’s been supporting himself and his family through his writing and web work for almost 25 years now.
Steve and his family live on an island in Canada. An island! He’s like a less creepy, more wood-worky Richard Branson
Steve shares his journey with us, and how he has transitioned over the years, from typewriter, to fax, to building an email list that is truly your own.
We also dive into the conversation of what it means to understand what the market wants and learning how to build your own dream in the big, open ocean instead of splashing around in someone else’s fishbowl, unfulfilled and unsatisfied.
(Note: this fishbowl thing will literally stay with you forever once you hear it.)
It IS possible to sustain yourself and your family over the long-haul with your indie business. Learn exactly what that’s like in this episode. Enjoy!
“Is it possible to support your family from an indie business? Yes. Just listen to this.”
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Key Points From This Episode:
- Constantly keeping up with the changes in technology to gain a competitive edge. [0:11:55.0]
- The biggest changes in social media platforms over the last year. [0:13:51.0]
- The importance of your email list, and why that connection is critical for business. [0:23:50.0]
- How to build a successful business and live the life you actually want to live. [0:25:38.0]
- Understanding the concepts of being in the fishbowl versus the open ocean. [0:27:49.0]
- The analogy of ‘getting the boxcar rolling’ and giving your ideas time to grow. [0:33:31.0]
- Identifying your core motivation for making your business success. [0:36:40.0]
- Why growing your business should be like growing an oak tree, not a radish. [0:38:23.0]
- Advice for starting your business on the side while still working a day job. [0:43:49.0]
Powerful Quotes from this episode:
“My income, as a digital peasant, has supported our family exclusively since 1998.” — @baileylineroad
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“My approach was: I’m not going to let a job determine where I live. I’m going to decide where I live and then the job’s going to have to follow me.” — @baileylineroad
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“You’ve got to figure out what the marketplace wants; what you can do that’s of value for someone else.” — @baileylineroad
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“When you look at the money that you earned during a month, that’s really just a reflection of how much real value you created for someone else.” — @baileylineroad
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“I’ve never had a job as an employee where I felt eager to get out of bed and to go to that job.” — @baileylineroad
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“I’ve tasted life in the fishbowl, and I do not like it.” — @baileylineroad
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“It’s easy to mistake a good idea for failure just because it takes longer to grow than you thought.” — @baileylineroad
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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
“Is it possible to support your family from an indie business? Yes. Just listen to this.”
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The Top 10 Mistakes in Online Business
Every week we talk with entrepreneurs. We talk about what’s working and what isn’t. We talk about successes and failures. We spend time with complete newbies, seasoned veterans, and everything in between.
One topic that comes up over and over again with both groups is mistakes made in starting businesses. Newbies love to learn about mistakes so they can avoid them. Veterans love to talk about what they wish they had known when starting out.
These conversations have been fascinating, so we compiled a list of the 10 mistakes we hear most often into a nifty lil’ guide. Get the 10 Most Common Mistakes in Starting an Online Business here »