Community and Audience | MMO mastermind

The Art of the Unforgettable Interview with Andrew Warner

September 5, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Andrew Warner: And so, when you came on the first question I said to you, the first thing I brought up was I said I didn’t have you on because passive income just felt so phony to me. It felt like, “I’m going to show you how to make money while you sleep,” and in reality anyone who cares about making money while they sleep doesn’t have the heart to do the work while they’re awake. And then, it was only through time that I got to know what you were about and that I had tremendous respect and I felt that I was wrong in doing it. But I wanted to bring up the Passive Income name. I wanted to understand that, and so I brought that up. Pat Flynn: You are listening to Andrew Warner, host of the very popular podcast and show, Mixergy, which you can find […]

Top 10 Book Recommendations from the SPI Book Club!

August 3, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Looking for books that challenge and inspire your life and business? Look no further than these top-shelf recommendations from the SPI Book Club! Pat Flynn August 3, 2018 Last month, I sent out an email to the SPI Book Club asking for book recommendations to share here on the blog. Here’s what I asked: What is one book you read this year that you’ve really loved? And what is the number one reason you recommend the book? I started receiving book recommendations almost immediately after I sent the email, and I’m so grateful. Thanks so much for sharing your current book favorites with me, book club members! There were so many amazing book recommendations to choose from, including one book we picked for the August edition of the book club: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss as recommended by Matt (@mds on Twitter)! [Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, I […]

How to Be an Amazing Coach with Michael Bungay Stanier

July 4, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Today’s guest is Michael Bungay Stanier, author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller: The Coaching Habit—my choice for top business book of 2017. Why, you ask? Because everyone is a coach. Seriously. Think about it. If you tell anyone how to do anything, you are a coach. If you are helping anyone else in any sort of way, you are a coach. But here’s the trick: You aren’t supposed to just tell someone what to do, if you want to be a great coach. You have to listen and ask the right questions. I’ve directly applied lessons like these—not just in AskPat and this podcast—but in every aspect of my life, personal and business-wise. I’m just going to say it: This is the most useful book I’ve ever read. In today’s episode, we’re going to dive into the principles of the book and I’m going to ask some followup questions. This […]

A Huge Announcement (& Lessons on Evolving Your Business)

July 2, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Today we have a very special and important announcement from ConvertKit’s founder Nathan Barry, who’s here to talk about how to evolve your business by making critical decisions and getting uncomfortable . . . which ties in perfectly with the big news that Nathan’s about to drop. Stay tuned! [Full Disclosure: I’m a compensated advisor and an affiliate for ConvertKit.] Last time I had Nathan on the show (Session 244) we talked about how he bootstrapped ConvertKit from nothing into one of the best email service providers out there (the best email service provider out there, in my opinion). And actually, Nathan was on the show all the way back in Session 75 (!) talking about how he was making six figures by self-publishing books. ConvertKit reached an incredible goal recently, hitting $1 million a month in monthly recurring revenue. If you want to read more about how Nathan got […]

My April 2017 Monthly Income Report

June 2, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Welcome to my April 2017 Monthly Income Report! As always, I create these reports to share the latest happenings with my online businesses, including the wins, the failures, the lessons learned, and the income generated along the way. If this is your first time stumbling upon these reports, check out the income report page to see my income history dating back to October 2008, which is when I first started to monetize a website (InTheLeed.com then; now GreenExamAcademy.com) dedicated to helping people pass an architectural industry exam. Since then, I’ve created many more websites, brands, and products ranging from courses to software to books. And, as always, I’m happy to share the inside scoop on what I’ve learned so you can be better prepared for your own online business journey. Without further ado, here’s the April 2017 report. Latest Goings-On As shared in last month’s income report, March was an […]

My March 2017 Monthly Income Report

June 2, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Welcome to my March 2017 Monthly Income Report. Fun fact: This is the 102nd monthly report published here on the blog. As always, I’m happy to share with you what happened during the past month, from the actions taken to the lessons learned, and, of course, the earnings report and where it all comes from. March was an extremely busy month, but also very exciting. A lot of hard work from the past six months paid off in March, and I’m stoked to talk about the results of two course launches that happened. Yes—two courses. 🙂 Am I crazy? Probably, but also very excited to be moving forward with the goals I set for myself and the business. With no more delay, let’s get right into it. Important Goings-On in March Two courses? Yes. Let’s start with the one that’s more well known, Smart From Scratch, which opened up for […]

Will It Fly? Becomes a Bestseller! Shout-Outs to All Who Helped

June 1, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

My new book, Will It Fly?, is now a bestseller! It hit #1 in all business related categories on Amazon this week, including #1 in Entrepreneurship, #1 in Startups, and even #1 in Self-Help/Motivational. Furthermore, the paperback copy of the book got up to #80 Overall Best Seller (out of all books!), and the Kindle version climbed to Top #22 Overall Best Seller in the Kindle Store. And at one point, both the Kindle and Paperback copy were both #1 and #2 in the Entrepreneurial category, which was super cool to see: It’s still pretty crazy to me to see it do so well in the rankings, surpassing several authors who I admire and very well-known books that have been around for ages. Of course, I’m coming off the excitement of the launch and the true test is how well will the book do over the long haul, but based on many of the comments […]

SPI 313: Building a Strong and Healthy Brand with Michelle Tam from Nom Nom Paleo

April 13, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Today’s guest is the author of two of my favorite books, and they’re not entrepreneurial books, they’re actually cookbooks! Her name is Michelle Tam, the author and creator of Nom Nom Paleo. She’s here to talk about her story and the strategies she’s used to launch her products, books, and merchandise. You might have seen her books at Whole Foods. Today we’re talking about how Michelle grew her business, but also how she’s able to balance her business with family life, even incorporating her family into her business in really unique ways. I really look up to her for that—as you know I’m a family man and always looking for new ways to get my family involved in what I do. This episode is full of great tactics if you’re thinking of launching a business or a product of your own. Michelle’s story really is a classic online business story, […]

SPI 310: The Secret to Superfans in Two Words

March 27, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

What exactly is a superfan? Glad you asked! Today I’m offering some tips and blueprints for building a thriving community of superfans who will boost your online business to the next level. I also have two guests toward the end of this episode—Matt Barnett and Oli Bridge from Bonjoro—who are going to talk about how their tool will help surprise and delight your audience. It’s a fantastic resource for making a solid first impression, and I highly recommend it, whether you’re just getting started or already have a business up and running. [Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through this link.] I also have a special giveaway to announce! All you have to do is find three people in your audience to surprise and delight. You can surprise and delight each of them in the same way, or three different ways—up to you. Just leave […]

SPI 305: The Funnel After the Funnel with Nicole Walters

March 26, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Today’s special guest is Nicole Walters of NicoleWalters.tv, who’s talking about the funnel after the funnel, what that is, and why it’s so critical to her mindset and success. We’ll also be talking about how she quit her job . . . in front of a live audience! Since then, she’s built a seven-figure business while being an amazing mother too. She’s here to talk about all that and more, today on The Smart Passive Income Podcast. There are things that we purposefully focus on that help us grow and scale our businesses. For Nicole it’s her incredible community. We’d spoken at an event together—Business Boutique with Christy Wright, in Nashville—and after the event I swear we didn’t go ten feet without someone stopping Nicole to ask for a selfie or an autograph. The value Nicole provides for her community is incredible and her journey is inspiring. From a high-level […]

SPI 303: How a Loan Signing Agent Built a $30K per Month Business

March 25, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

As outlined in my book, Will It Fly?, validation is key, and with me today are two guests who have used that strategy to build an incredible business: Mark Wills and Roman Rosario of Loan Signing System. [Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through this link.] What started as a simple idea turned into a robust online business that’s changed the lives of tons of people, earning Mark and Roman over $30K per month as a result. This episode is a lot of fun, loaded with tips and strategies for online courses, validation, and building an online business organically. How Mark and I connected is kind of a funny story—Mark was actually the agent who oversaw me signing documents for our first rental property. Through that meeting we discovered that we have a love of building online courses. I have both Mark and his business […]

SPI 302: Coaching vs. Teaching—What I’ve Learned Since Investing in the Art of Coaching

March 25, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

In this episode you’re going to learn about the difference between coaching and teaching, what I’ve learned since investing in the art of coaching, the seven questions you need to ask when coaching, and why this is important for you and your business. Whether you’re just getting started with coaching or are looking to take it to the next level, this episode is critical listening! Why is the difference between coaching and teaching so critical? Coaching is an exceptional way to help people develop skills and abilities and boost performance. There’s crossover of course, but the big difference is that when you’re teaching, the focus is on you and your knowledge. Coaching is about the individual; it’s two-way, collaborative communication. And it’s very, very personal (that’s why coaches can charge more). When it comes to your business’ content, you have a lot of options. You can offer content in a […]

SPI 301: How a Data Scientist Pivoted into a New Brand (And Won a Tesla Roadster)

March 25, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Affiliate marketing isn’t just for recommending hosting companies or your favorite company on Amazon. Today I’m talking to Ben Sullins, the founder of Teslanomics. He tuned into the signals his YouTube channel was giving him, making a complete pivot into the Tesla space and creating a successful online business. And, he was able to refer so many people to Tesla (sixty-seven purchased Teslas!) that he actually won a brand new Tesla Roadster! Ben’s story is one of a kind. He started with a career in data science—consulting with Silicon Valley giants like Facebook and Mozilla—while creating online courses in the meantime. Eventually he decided he wanted more flexibility and time when it came to his income, so he left his corporate career behind. What happened next was a surprising pivot for Ben—one video led to a complete shift in his YouTube channel and a successful online business. This is an […]

The Stage is Getting Bigger! My Biggest Keynote is Happening Next Month

March 25, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

I know I can make an impact on people through my blog, podcast, and video channel on YouTube, but when you’re on stage and people can see you in person, you have the capacity to affect them on an emotional level. That’s why I’m so excited to announce my biggest keynote ever! Pat Flynn January 8, 2018 My Biggest Keynote Ever Just this past November, I spoke in front of an audience of 3,000 people—the largest number ever for me—at Christy Wright’s Business Boutique event. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Everything is amplified in a room with that many people—from the applause to the laughter and even the silence. When you’re on stage, by yourself, standing in front of an audience of that size, all the senses are heightened. It’s both electric and magical. And guess what? I’m going to do it again. But […]

SPI 293: My Top Performing Affiliate Marketing Products, and Why They Performed So Well

March 23, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

This month is affiliate marketing month, and we’ve covered a lot of ground so far. We’ve talked about strategies—long and short term—and last week we even talked about the dark side of affiliate marketing and how to avoid it. But this week we’re keeping it a little lighter: I’m sharing my top performing affiliate marketing products (that aren’t mine) and breaking down exactly why they’ve performed so well. These products are all fantastic tools that I’ve recommended over the years. They’ve all done well for various reasons, but there are some common threads. These patterns fall right in line with a lot of the rules we’ve talked about, as far as how to win with affiliate marketing. These are great case studies that really embody what we’ve been talking about for the last couple of weeks. This episode is all about the personal experience I’ve had putting my affiliate marketing […]

SPI 292: The Dark Side of Affiliate Marketing (and How to Do It Right!)

March 23, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Everything has a sort of yin and yang, dark and white, and affiliate marketing is no different. It’s important to understand the light and the darkness, so let’s go a level deeper on our affiliate marketing journey; let’s talk about the dark side of affiliate marketing. I don’t want you to be scared of going down the affiliate marketing path; that’s not the purpose of today’s episode. I want to equip you so you know what to look out for, because affiliate marketing can be abused if you take an income-first—rather than a serve-first—approach. For a long time it had a very negative connotation, but affiliate marketing can be done in a legit way that’s a big win for everyone, so I want to change that perception. Personally, I’ve earned over $2.5 million with affiliate marketing and have had wonderful experiences doing so. I feel that it’s my personal responsibility […]

A Blueprint for a Successful Short-Term Joint Venture Affiliate Campaign

March 23, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

November is Affiliate Month here on SPI. Last week we talked about long-term affiliate relationships, so today we’re going to be talking in depth about how to create a successful blueprint for a short-term JV (joint venture) affiliate promotion. How is a short-term affiliate opportunity different, and how can you plan your campaigns to take advantage of the opportunity in a shorter time span? Often there are times when you have the opportunity to promote a product that has some scarcity involved. Maybe it has limited access, discounted prices for a short time only—your goal is to crush it and become the top affiliate. Depending on the promotion, these opportunities can be golden, and you don’t want to waste the short time that you have. I’ll be talking about the different kinds of short-term affiliate opportunities available, how to get involved, and how to stand out from the other affiliates […]

SPI 290: Affiliate Marketing: An Insider Look at My Most Successful Long-Term Campaigns

March 22, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

This whole month is all about affiliate marketing here on SPI and I couldn’t be more excited about today’s episode. Affiliate marketing is something I’m incredibly passionate about: It’s helped me make millions of dollars and it’s absolutely changed my life. Today I’m taking you through my process for getting started. I’ve learned so much in my time as an affiliate marketer, and most importantly I’ve learned how to do it right—and by do it right, I mean doing it in a way that isn’t slimy. That kind of affiliate marketing annoyed me when I was getting started; it just didn’t feel right and it made me feel that people didn’t know what I wanted. But through my journey I’ve discovered that my early experience doesn’t have to be the affiliate marketing experience. If done the right way it can be a huge win for everyone. In this episode, I’m […]

SPI 289: How Live Video Can Play a Role in Your Business (and How It’s Helped Mine)

March 22, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Today I’m addressing a question I keep getting asked: What am I doing with my new live video studio? Why did I set it up, what’s my plan for it, and should you be investing money in live video? Today I’m answering all those questions. We’ll be talking about live video strategy, but also how to set up a space to record in. I knew for a while that video was going to be part of my entire business strategy, especially because courses were going to be so integral. Live video can be a game-changer—it’s a really organic way to connect with your audience. And it’s especially potent on Facebook. If you go live on Facebook, you’ll get more reach than with a text update, or even an image; Facebook’s really favoring live video right now. Investing in live video is smart. Experts say that by 2020, about 90 percent […]

My September 2017 Monthly Income Report

March 22, 2018 Pat Flynn Leave a comment

Welcome to my September 2017 Monthly Income Report! We had a lot of firsts this month, and I’m excited to share them with you today. Before I go on, if you’re looking for the archive of income reports dating back to October 2008, please visit the income report page here. As always, I’m excited to share not only my income sources and total income generated from this past month, but also the lessons learned at the same time. I’m pushing hard through the rest of the year, but I’m having a ton of fun at the same time. Here’s what happened in September. My First Time in Europe, Ever! I checked a major item off my bucket list in the beginning of the month: I finally made it to Europe! I was invited to perform the opening keynote at the DNX Conference for Digital Nomads & Lifehackers in Lisbon, Portugal, […]