How to Start & Grow an Online Business

I got started selling online in 2002.

My son was four months old and I decided to stay home with him.

This is us:

I decided to turn a hobby of making soap (yes, SOAP) into a Bath & Body Business. It was called Rainkissed. I still miss it. It was like my first "baby". But that's besides the point.

This is my dad and I wrapping soap for a big home show we decided to sell at:

In that business I learned how to sell online. I put up an online shopping cart, I took photos of the products, I learned how to find buyers, I learned how to copywrite (because Luxurious Relaxing Lavender Soap sells better than Lavender Soap).

When my son was two years old I became a single mom. That just made me even more determined to succeed, to be my own independent woman.

And I just kept learning and growing and exploring and changing for the next 21 years.

Fast forward to today and my business is teaching people how to turn what they know into an online business. That is what I do.

All my programs are geared towards helping you turn your skills into courses, digital products and recurring income streams that let you live life fully on your terms.

You can't get this kind of experience from artificial intelligence. This is why I'm not worried. I've built up my skillset and I'm very confident in my unique life experience being something of high value to others who want to follow in my footsteps!

So in this email I'm going to give you THE THINGS I do to build this life and I'll direct you to the the products I've created to help YOU get there, too.

If you're in a position where you think you'd like to go ALL-IN on my trainings and offerings and really just grab everything I've got just email me, I might have an offer or two for you that fits better than going piecemeal.

Let's go....

How to Build an Online Business by Turning Your Skills Into Income:

First of all let me tell you that you can do things in ANY order you like and if you're looking for a plug and play system this is not the place for you.

You are unique, your business is unique and the best way I can figure is that you do you, boo! That means that you won't ever fit into someone else's pre-created system. BUT you can create your own and if you do that you'll ALWAYS be able to do that - and you'll have no only freedom but you'll have an unshakeable way to ALWAYS make money - you'll be unbreakable (that means during pandemics, down economies, changings in technology, etc).

Below you'll find my business wheel. I created this for my coaching clients so that they can see the simplicity of what we do to build this business. It's a few things done over and over again.

So I give you moves here in a fairly logical order - but feel free to mess with them however you like! Jump into the cycle wherever fits you best.

Freedom Step: Build Your Website

I like to start with my business website and brand. Now I will tell you this is ALWAYS a work in progress and often evolves. But start where you are. I teach  Make Websites from Scratch  ($300 paid in full or payment plan available) to help you build the amazing skill of website setup and creation. It's a powerful thing to know how to do yourself!

Freedom Step: Build Your Community

Naw, I don't mean Facebook Followers. I like to think of my community as my Email Subscribers and My Customers. Those are my people.

Start building that list and selling those products ASAP. I mean you totally could even do it BEFORE you build your website.

I took a 1.5 year break from social media. I see a lot of people now warning about the dangers of building your community on there. I've heard of people getting YouTube shut down, Facebook accounts closed, Twitter banned, Pinterest traffic bottom out and so much more. You have no control over those spaces - Email is your ASSET.

So, yea I love email as my community connection - and beyond that I love using Heartbeat for my customer group for community discussions and chatting.

Here are my products that help you with community:

•  Email Practice Club  - only $20 and this price is going up soon. SO much support on sending emails that create sales and your lifestyle business.
•  Build Your List with Bundles  - only $45 or get it free in EPC (Email Practice Club)
•  Build Your List with an Affiliate Program  - $45 or free with EPC
•  Build Your List with Challenges  - $45 or free with EPC
•  Write Emails Faster  - $25 or free with EPC
•  Email for a Living  - $450 - Full course on how to make email marketing your source of income.

Freedom Step: Create Offers to Sell

I went for a year and a half without recurring income. I DO NOT recommend that ever again. So the first thing I'll recommend is that when you are ready and sure you have an idea you can sustain, I highly advise towards getting recurring income in the door!

I currently have recurring income from a Courses and my Membership (Email Practice Club). I teach how to launch a membership like mine in  Quick Class-Based Memberships  ($300).

Having growing recurring income streams allow me to not feel chaotic! When you're constantly scrambling to make money it makes for a hard way to use creativity, logic and planning.

I test out my offers by offering smaller offers FIRST. This is where classes or masterclasses come in and I teach how I do this in  Masterclass Launched in 3 Hours  ($200) << I love selling stuff BEFORE I create it, too, and this is what you learn in that training.

Another great way to test how your community responds without having to do much work at all first is to sell affiliate offers.

If you're thinking of creating a product on, say, email marketing and you start sending out emails helping people create their email list and signing up for affiliate software like ConvertKit (that's the one I use), you'll find out if your people are interested. Then you might want to move forward further with creating your own class or course or membership on it! My  Affiliate Marketing Winner  program ($200) can help you with affiliate marketing.

I don't have a course on how to create courses, YET, but that's coming out this year ASAP. I'll let you know when it's ready for sale. ;)

Another occasional offer I like to make is turning my assets into income. Because I know how to build sites I somethings throw up hobby sites or I start a business that I then don't continue to grow. This is how I got out of $24k in debt (that's a product coming up, too).

If you'd like to know what I've learned over many years of buying sites I see, turning them into an income and selling them for more then you can check out  Website Flipping for Fun & Profit  for $45.

Freedom Step: Optimize Your Business

This step covers everything from planning, to making little tweaks to salespages, to organizing your graphics and more.

It's the things you do to manage your business, keep it running smoothly and increase profits.

Here are my programs to help you with that:

•  Outrageous Goalsetting  - I heard a quote on one of my daughter's shows that said this: "If your dreams don't scare you then you're not dreaming big enough". I love that and agree! This $25 class will help you dream and aim bigger! Also free in  Email Practice Club  which is just $20/month.
•  Find Anything Anywhere  - This is a minimalistic training for business disguised as an organization course. I will encourage you not to hoard courses, graphics, products, etc and give you a really simple and very effective system for full business organization. Also free in EPC.
•  Finish Strong  - How to plan out your year. Think big picture. See what needs to be done. Also free in EPC.
•  Mindmap Everything  - Mindmapping is my best tool for organization, idea prompting, remembering ideas, sorting my thoughts, planning my products and more. This course is live-launching as version 2.0 on Feb. 28th! If you don't have this program now is the time to sign up before the price goes from $140 to $240. There is a payment plan, too!

Again, if you like everything you see here then hit me up via email by hitting reply. I have two potential offers to save you big bucks over buying all of these programs separately!

I also have more programs planned for launch this year that you will get included in my bigger offers. Or you can buy what you need when you need it!

Here are some things on my MINDMAP of plans this year ;)...

• ThriveCart Kickstart - Teaching you how to use ThriveCart
• Salespage Training (name TBD)
• Live Launch Courses (name TBD or it could be that)
• Canva for Business Training (name TBD)
• Growing Library of Training on Email Marketing with  EPC  < only $20 to join!

My vision for what I will do with Living Lifestyle Freedom as a brand over the next few years is very clear.

I've been creating courses and memberships since 2008 and I intend to help you create a business that stands the test of time like mine has, even though all the changes over the years.

Having an eye to spot what is a FAD and what will last you long-term takes time. I've been able to hone my skills in that as well and this is what I bring you in my courses, my coaching and my emails like this one.

I wish you ALLLL the very best and a highly successful business that you love while creating a life you NEVER feel is in second-place. Life First, Then Business.

Cheers!