The Kim Doyal Show

Sacred Simplicity is a term I heard in a song recently, and I love it. I'm applying it across the board in my business and life. That's what this episode is all about. This freestyle episode is all about embracing what I like to call "sacred simplicity" in both our personal and professional lives. 06:41 A Busy weekend led to a much-needed rest.09:11 Appreciate health because it can be fleeting.11:52 Woman shares emotional video, regrets, seeks comfort.15:21 Working for a year, not just privilege.18:40 Experiences shape us and make us strive for self-actualization.21:27 Regret over past, compassion for self, insignificance.24:04 Prioritizing joy, learning, and mastering paid traffic.27:10 Uncertainty about shift, preference for simplicity explained.32:50 Tangible benefit motivates discussion of white labeling.33:43 Offer writing, content, SEO services, validate organically.39:07 Discussing lead gen and content strategies for ads.40:42 Optimize traffic ads, capture leads, and test.43:45 Focusing on quality work and living with ease. A Time of Transition and Reflection I’m currently in a season of significant change, counting down the months until my move to Costa Rica. As part of this transition, I've been tackling the task of decluttering and sorting through years of accumulated belongings at my dad's house, now up for sale. This process has been both physically demanding and emotionally revealing. It's amazing what we hold onto over the years, isn't it? During a weekend dedicated to clearing out my storage unit, I realized that some boxes hadn’t been opened since my move from Boise in March of 2021. Items were still labeled "go through before Costa Rica," a reminder of postponed decisions. Yet, this clean-up wasn’t just about sorting through physical objects but also about reassessing what’s essential in my life. This is where the concept of sacred simplicity really comes to life—finding clarity and joy in the essentials, shedding the excess that no longer serves us. The Refreshing Break from Digital Clutter The physical labor of sorting and moving boxes provided a much-needed break from the digital clutter of my daily life. There’s something profoundly liberating about stepping away from screens and focusing on physical tasks. It allows for a mental reset, which is increasingly rare in our hyper-connected world. This disconnect from digital work brought a surprising freshness to my thoughts. It reminded me of the importance of balance and taking time to enjoy simple pleasures—like the perfect weather we had, which was a crisp 76 degrees of pure sunshine. It was a reminder of the beauty of living in the moment, appreciating the small, simple joys that life offers. Learning from Vanessa Lau: A Lesson in Sacred Simplicity During this time, I watched a video by Vanessa Lau, an influential content creator who recently returned from a sabbatical. Vanessa chose to step back at the height of her career to prioritize her well-being—a decision that resonates deeply with the concept of sacred simplicity. It’s about making life choices that honor our deepest needs and values, rather than constantly pushing for more. Vanessa’s courage to choose herself over perpetual business growth is a powerful testament to the strength found in simplicity. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves and our businesses is to take a step back, reflect, and recalibrate. Sacred Simplicity in Marketing In the realm of digital marketing, sacred simplicity can transform how we approach content and engagement. It’s about stripping back the unnecessary and focusing on what truly matters—connecting with our audience in authentic and meaningful ways. For instance, my philosophy of "Everything is Content" is an embodiment of this simplicity. It’s about seeing the value in everyday interactions and experiences and using them to engage with your audience more naturally and effortlessly...

This episode is brought to you by Cloudways.Get 20% off for two months with code KIM20FOR2 I think it's safe to say most content creators are using AI for content creation these days. But I thought I'd go deeper, specifically with how I use it. There are a few different 'camps' when it comes to AI, and some of them are totally over my head. In other words, I'm not sure I really care how it works, what LLMs are doing, which companies have completed a new round of billions of dollars invested, or whether Nvidia or AMD is producing more chips. All I care about is how I can use it in my business to do one of two things (I'll go deeper with each of these below): Get clarity and create Cut down the time it takes to complete things I haven't gotten into much in terms of automations or having AI do tasks I don't want to do, but that's mainly because I don't have a significant need for it right now. My primary focus with AI right now is on using it for content creation. I write all of my podcasts, blog posts, and emails. In other words, none of this is generated by AI (probably obvious, but you know what they say about assuming). I've created one post with the help of AI (you can read that here) because I wanted to test creating an outline, seeing what the output was, and then adjusting from there. It was a good experience and process, and I'll use it again for a couple of more in-depth tutorial posts I'm working on. For example: I'm in the process of moving from ConvertKit to beehiiv (at the time of writing this post). As beehiiv continues to grow, I know a lot more people will be making this move, and I think it's a great way to get traffic to the site, attract new subscribers (people making this move are definitely my target market), and make some affiliate commissions along the way. Here's the prompt I used to start this post: Good afternoon! I'd love your help writing an epic blog post (that I'll create a video for as well) on the process of moving an email list, subscribers, newsletter, and automations from ConvertKit to beehiiv. Is this something you can help me with? I want this to be super clear, easy to understand and highly optimized for SEO. I'll convert the blog post into a PDF that people can download as well. What do you need from me to get started? By the way, that's one of my favorite ways to start a conversation with ChatGPT (yes, I call them conversations). I give simple context about what I want to accomplish, then ask what it needs from me to get started to accomplish what I've asked for. I don't want to get into the weeds with detailed prompts (I think I may start doing some video on this), but I want to give you an example of how I'm using it) - but the initial question of "what do you need from me" will help you get the best result possible. OK, let's look at the first of the two bullets I mentioned first. Using AI for Content Creation to Gain Clarity and Create First, I treat ChatGPT (or Chatty as I call her) as more of a partner than a tool, which is why I write in a conversational manner as opposed to simply imputing prompts. I find the entire process way more enjoyable, and the relational nature works for my brain. So, I talk to ChatGPT rather than dictating to it. Here are a handful of things I've used ChatGPT/AI for this week for clarity and creating content (btw, I use ClaudeAI and have started playing with Gemini. I tend to default to ChatGPT out of habit more than anything). Images: I LOVE using DALL-E inside of ChatGPT. I'm publishing regularly (aiming for daily) on Medium and will create a unique image with DALL-E. I stick with illustration-style images and tend to go for a Pixar look (I have to entertain the kid in me somehow). Lead Magnet: I'm running ads on Facebook via Laurel Portié's teaching and need to come up with a new lead magnet (she calls them value bombs). My videos are performing well,

Organic traffic still works. It's not that I thought it didn't, but in many ways, I think I had resigned myself to thinking it was so much harder than it used to be. In some ways, it is harder, but in other ways, we have so many tools at our fingertips (AI) that there's no reason you can't test and try things much faster. You can get data in 90 days that will tell you what's working. Depending on how long you've been online (i.e., you're not starting from scratch), you may get results much faster. I've seen some pretty fun results in only a few weeks. Let's get into it. After 16 years online, you would think I would have learned to "never say never"... but here I am, changing my tune. Fortunately, I'm pretty transparent about these little lessons I go through and have no shame in sharing that I've changed my mind. Ideally, when we know better, we do better, right? Mind you, things change so quickly online (especially with AI now) that we better learn to be comfortable changing our minds and trying new things (once we have the fundamentals in place, anyway). The best part of what I'm experiencing right now is that this is all happening because of ONE thing. And I'm on a mission to help you figure out your ONE thing. And no, this doesn't mean you only have 'one thing' in your business (I'm speaking to all of you multi-passionate entrepreneurs who, bless you, can manage multiple offers, directions, or businesses). I'm talking about starting with one core content idea that is part of your foundation. For now, let's call this "One to Many." Let me back up a bit and explain how this relates to organic traffic still works. I won't go too deep into my journey, as I've shared it multiple times on the podcast. You can get a snapshot of that on my About page. Over the last 16 years, I spent the first 10 years as 'The WordPress Chick,' pivoted to my personal brand, started focusing on content marketing, launched a content planner (with a strategy, not a fill-in-the-blank), added email marketing and newsletters to the mix, and have come back to content marketing as my core focus. My 'complementary' categories to content marketing are email & newsletters and using AI for content marketing. Now, let's talk a bit about social media. Which I've always had a love/hate relationship with. Because of the clarity I've gained with my ONE thing (for now, let's call it Core Content), I've jumped back in full force and am happily gaining some traction and, thankfully, traffic. I attribute the results I'm getting to a few things: Not starting from scratch Having a presence on most platforms (regardless of recent engagement) LOVING what I'm doing again This isn't to say you can't start from scratch and get results because, of course, you can. It just might take a little longer. But here's the thing: time is going to pass whether you do the work or not, so you may as well do it now. And the work I'm referring to is creating, publishing, and promoting your content. Which will always differentiate you from people who want to do things quickly and easily. Especially with AI... I LOVE using AI in my business - but I also know what I'm doing, who I'm talking to, how I want to serve them, and what my business goals are. I'm not under any illusion that AI can replace my voice. What it can do is help me define, iterate, and dig deeper with ideas. OK... let's get back to the ONE thing and how I've used it to start getting some great results with organic traffic again. My ONE Thing For anyone who is listening to or reading this and is feeling resistance to the one thing (even though I stated that it doesn't mean you only do one thing in your business), stay with me! I used to have a massive resistance to this, too. Here's a perfect example. There's a book called "The ONE Thing:The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results" b...

This episode is brought to you by Omnisend. Send email & SMS that really sell.Try Omnisend free here today. .stk-7347416{height:67px !important} There is something so absolutely freeing about getting older. I was texting with a friend in Costa Rica the other day to set up a time to chat. I had been hoping to go down in April to bring some stuff down before my move in July, but with my Dad selling his house, I decided not to. In our text conversation, we both said that we would put it on our calendars and put sticky notes everywhere so we didn't forget. Last time we set a time to chat, we both spaced. This was what I said to her: I don't think much about how much time and energy I've spent worrying about things that don't matter. That's a complete waste. I do, however, make conscious decisions every day to choose my thoughts. To make today different than yesterday. I was listening to a video with Dr. Joe Dispenza (who is amazing, by the way, if you're remotely interested in neuroscience and being able to change your life with your thoughts), and he was saying that the hardest thing to do is to make sure you don't think the same thoughts you had yesterday. 🤯 The absolute best way to do this is to tune out the things that no longer serve you. I have always been fairly transparent about what I'm doing in my business, including sharing the challenges and struggles. In fact, I've probably been more transparent about those than the wins. God forbid I toot my own horn. As I've gotten older and hit, ahem, mid-life (no one tells you that no matter how old you are, you still feel like a younger version of yourself), I've come to the realization that I better start tooting my own horn. Especially as a woman. In addition to learning to be fiercely protective of my goals and dreams, I've also become fiercely indifferent to others' opinions. My old self included If I can share my lessons, challenges, and hell, yes, my wins... and it inspires even one person on their journey, it's worth it. It's probably also because I feel that so much of what we've been taught and is accepted in society has been structured around what works for men. It's bullshit. But I don't want to go sideways here with any of that. All it will do is piss me off and get me worked up, which doesn't help anyone. What I want to focus on in this episode is the massive progress, clarity, and focus I have in my business in hopes that it will inspire you to do the same. What The Old Me Would Have Been Embarrassed to Admit Trying to summarize this in one clear statement isn't as easy as I thought, but I want to give you something so you know where this episode is going. It feels like I FINALLY "Get it." As in, I'm finally fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together in order to create a business I love on my terms and get it working like a well-oiled machine. And yes. It's taken 16 years to get here. This is probably also why I've adopted the phrase "It takes what it takes" (seriously, good quotes hit my soul deeply). This isn't to say that I've been waffling for sixteen years or didn't know what I was doing. I truly believe that everything I've done had a purpose and brought me to exactly where I am today, which, quite frankly, is FIYAH. I did a visual of my journey in 2022 and since I have more to add to it, for now, here's a quick synopsis of my timeline 👇: .stk-144f0d9{--line-accent-bg-color:var(--global-palette1,#d53371) !important}@media screen and (max-width:767px){.stk-144f0d9 .stk-inner-blocks:after{top:16px !important}}March 2008 .stk-8fe90c9-container{margin-top:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-bottom:0px !important;margin-left:0px !important} Started my business and launched 'The WordPress Chick' - blogging and building websites. .stk-9378074{--line-accent-bg-color:var(--global-palette1,#d53371) !

This episode is brought to you by Omnisend. Send email & SMS that really sell.Try Omnisend free here today. Someone has to go first. I don't remember where I heard that (or read it), but it certainly struck a nerve. I wrote it down because I knew it would be a podcast episode the minute I read it. Before we go into that, though, let's do a quick catch-up and recap, shall we? .stk-f2e8262{height:30px !important} .stk-1a6a835 hr.stk-block-divider__hr{background:var(--global-palette1,#d53371) !important} .stk-0fc2447{height:30px !important} I'm kind of tripping out that we're almost halfway through March already. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I looked at the weather for the next ten days, and after a couple of days of potential showers and clouds, it's all blue skies, sunshine, and warmer weather (mid to upper 60s). I feel like I've been quiet lately because I had the "Everything is Content" episodes ready to go (even if the last two didn't go out when I had hoped). I'm going to do a full break-down of Everything is Content now that I've: Published the email series and blog post Published the email series as videos and podcast episodes Republished the series on Medium Hosted my first live workshop I am about to offer the first live cohort This is all part of a long-term strategy for me, and hot damn if it isn't working. The gas is about to be poured on this using Laurel Portié's $ 5-a-day ad strategy, and I'm beyond excited to see how this all unfolds. On the personal side of things... I shared that I'll be moving back to Costa Rica this summer sometime last month (maybe that's why I'm tripping out that it's mid-March already), and as the time gets closer, I'm getting more and more excited. But there's a lot to do in the meantime. My Dad has finally decided to list his house for sale and is looking at moving down to the city where my siblings live (the same city where I raised my kids). We're hoping to get the house up for sale before the end of the month. Which means decluttering and getting the house ready for staging, photos, and viewings. Keep in mind there are 56 years of stuff in this house. 😳 We've already started the process, and my siblings are coming up to help, so we should be able to knock things out by the end of this weekend. And between you and I... I'm kind of hoping I'm not here for the actual move. I have done so much moving in the past five years I wouldn't mind skipping this one (although I'll be doing a lot of packing and purging before I leave). That's the beauty of moving back to Costa Rica... all I have to do is take my clothes, my dog, my computer, and any decor I want for my place. It's completely furnished (although I will be hauling another mattress down). OK... I think we're all caught up now. Let's get into "Someone Has to Go First" First, what I'm referring to here isn't about being 'first to market' or 'first to adopt' (although I do think the 'first to adopt' comes into play here). This is specifically related to content and the creator economy as we know it today. When I was getting started in 2008, it felt like everyone was new to the online marketing space, and we were all figuring it out as a collective. Of course, some direct-response marketers were much more seasoned and had brought their offline skills online, but for the most part, it was a fairly new space at the time. Social media was new, blogging was still new, and earning a living online was like the Wild West. I think we need to pretend it's those early days again. And not because of AI (which I love), saturated markets, pay-to-play social media platforms, or algorithms. Because of the massive amounts of information at our fingertips, it feels like someone is already doing what we want to do or everyone already knows what we know. I will assume I'm not the only one with those thoughts,

As we wrap up our incredible journey through the "Everything is Content" series, I want to take a moment to reflect on the profound concept we're diving into today: zigging when everyone else is zagging. Throughout this series, we've explored various elements of content creation, but today, we're tackling the essence of differentiation and the power of personalization in our content strategies. There was a time when it was pretty easy to create semi-decent content and get picked up by search engines. Those days are behind us (which, in many ways, is a good thing... content needs to be better. Especially since we're competing with AI). The BEST differentiator is who you are, your experiences, and your perspective. Why do we zag when others zag? At the core of every successful content strategy is a unique voice, a distinct perspective, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. It's about finding what resonates with you and, by extension, connecting more deeply with your audience. During this series, we've established that all platforms work and all strategies can be effective. Still, the magic happens when you align your content creation with your personal passion, consistency, and the joy of sharing your story. This alignment isn't just about being different for the sake of it; it's about embracing what works for you and amplifying it. Let's debunk a common myth: the idea that certain marketing strategies or platforms are "dead." You've heard it before – "Email marketing is dead," "Blogs are out," "Social media is oversaturated." 🥱 Here's the truth – for every strategy declared extinct, there's someone out there proving it wrong, thriving and creating impactful, meaningful content. The key is not in the platform or the strategy itself but in how you use it to convey your unique message and connect with your audience. Consider this: While some may argue that ad costs are soaring and traditional methods are fading, I've seen friends launch successful businesses solely through Facebook ads, targeting cold traffic with innovative, low-cost strategies that captivate and convert. Their secret? Understanding their audience, refining their offer, and staying true to their vision. Moreover, the debate between long-form and short-form content, videos and podcasts, and blogging and microblogging often misses the point. The medium is just a vessel; your content's heart and soul come from your personal experience, your voice, and your passion. So, how do you find your unique path in this crowded content landscape? Start by choosing one or two types of content that feel natural to you. Commit to consistently creating, whether through Instagram reels, blog posts, podcasts, or any medium that sparks joy in you. Give it time, be patient, and watch as your unique voice starts to resonate with an audience that's been yearning for something different, something authentically you. Remember, the goal isn't to churn out content for the sake of visibility. It's about creating content that matters, content that makes a difference in someone's life, even if it's just one person. As we've explored throughout this series, "Everything is Content" isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a mindset, a reminder that our stories, experiences, and insights are valuable and deserve to be shared. As we wrap up this special series, I invite you to join me in embracing the power of personal content creation. Let's not just follow the trends; let's set them. Let's not just create content; let's create connections. Most importantly, let's remember that in a world where everyone is zagging, the ziggers are not just seen—they're remembered, celebrated, and followed (I couldn't resist using "ziggers" 😉). Here's to creating content that's as unique as you are, to find your voice in the cacophony, and to the incredible journey of zigging when the world zags.

Welcome back to part 4 of our enlightening series, "Everything is Content." This episode is all about documenting, but with a twist. First, thank you for following along. If you're just tuning in, I suggest checking out the first three parts—they all intertwine beautifully. Part 1: Connecting Through Vulnerability Part 2: Telling Your Stories Part 3: Creating Content Karma Today, we're exploring the art of documenting, but not in the way you might expect. In this series, we've covered a lot, from marketing principles to deeper dives into mindset. It's all about crafting a business and life you adore on your terms. Marketing, remember, is a journey meant to be enjoyed, and I'm here to guide you through it, ensuring you never forget that you've got this, no matter the challenge. Today's twist on documenting is inspired, in part, by Gary Vee's mantra, "Document, don't create." While I appreciate the simplicity, not all of us have a D-Rock in our lives or have daily routines that make for captivating content. 😉 Despite this, I've found a way to make my seemingly mundane activities not only interesting but also profitable. Take, for example, my recent decision to switch from ConvertKit to beehiiv for my email marketing. This wasn't a decision made lightly, but upon hearing about beehiiv's updates and improvements, I knew it was time. I decided not just to make this switch but to document the entire process, turning it into an invaluable resource for others—and a profitable asset for myself. This documentation will be an epic blog post detailing the why, the how, and the integration processes with other tools like Convertbox, Zapier, and Integrately. The aim is not just to share my journey but to guide others through their own transitions, making the process as seamless as possible. Moreover, by leveraging AI tools for creating outlines and SupaDemo for screen recordings, I'm ensuring this post is as informative and user-friendly as possible. This isn't just about sharing my experience; it's about creating a comprehensive guide that others can follow step by step. But here's the twist: by making this move and documenting it, I'm attracting my ideal audience. Those interested in this transition are likely already engaged with email marketing, understand its value, and are my ideal subscribers. This documented journey isn't just content; it's a magnet for like-minded individuals who are perfect for my community. Additionally, this content will be optimized for SEO, ensuring it reaches a wider audience. By providing massive value through this evergreen content, I'm setting the stage for long-term relationships, affiliate opportunities, and even potential product offerings related to email marketing and content creation. I'm also considering driving paid traffic to this post. Because this post can be monetized (as an affiliate for beehiiv), it makes sense to create this 'epic post' (really a complete guide on moving from ConvertKit to beehiiv) and put a little money behind it. As well as a solid social campaign. I'd probably start with a simple ad on Facebook and Instagram and see if I can target ConvertKit users, beehiiv (not sure if that audience exists on Facebook yet), and email marketing. I'll also convert the blog post into a downloadable PDF with screenshots and links to any relevant videos, including my beehiiv affiliate link. Depending on how long the post is, I may repurpose it and post it on Medium as well (side note: Medium is a great place to repurpose written content because people on Medium are readers! They're much more likely to become subscribers as well). Because this post has affiliate links, it also has the potential to become a profitable asset. In wrapping up, I encourage you to think about how you can apply this twist to your documenting efforts. It's not just about sharing your day-to-day; it's about finding th...

Embracing the Concept of Content Karma Today, we're diving into a concept I'm super excited about—let's call it "content karma" for now. The concept isn't rocket science, but it's an incredibly easy way to publish when you're getting started or even when you're stuck for ideas (or simply trying to find your voice). I've actually been thinking that I'm going to schedule in some time, every morning, to focus solely on engaging and sharing other peoples content. You can also do this with tools, platforms, and things you use to run your business. Sometimes, it's easier to get momentum by sharing what other people are doing... plus, it's goodwill and feels good. 😉 Side note: If you haven't read it, I highly recommend Matthew Dicks' enlightening book, "Storyworthy," which revolutionized my view on storytelling and content creation. The idea is simple yet powerful: We're all storytellers, and by harnessing this innate skill, we can endlessly craft engaging content. Why Highlighting Others Works Wonders Highlighting and sharing others' work has been a key part of my journey, especially during my early days as the WordPress Chick. I had a lot of 'imposter syndrome' when I was "The WPChick" because I wasn't a coder or developer. I was simply sharing my journey into the internet marketing space and my love for WordPress. I found it a lot easier to share the tools I was using, people who were doing great things in the WordPress space, and friends I had connected with. I not only carved out my niche but also discovered a formula for content creation that felt both comfortable and authentic. A huge turning point for me was when I launched "The WPChick Podcast." This allowed me to amplify others' voices and, in turn, my own. This approach is not just about creating content—it's about building connections and community. With a podcast (or video) where you're interviewing and highlighting someone else, you're basically saying, "Let me use my platform to share your message." This will more than likely create some incredible new friendships/connections that will support your growth as you continue on your own journey. That being said, give and do this with zero expectations. A Project Close to My Heart Here's another example of something I'd like to do (similar to this special series of "Everything is Content." I've been digging into my own sort of 'money reinvention' and have found some incredible women I'm learning from (books, podcasts, etc.). I want to do a series where I interview up to 10 women in finance and entrepreneurship. Obviously, I'll gain something from this beyond content (because I'm super interested in talking with them and learning more about their own journeys). Still, the goal really is to share their impactful messages with my audience. Besides just having valuable content and sharing their messages, I'll also gain insight into the interest level of my audience when it comes to talking about money and finance. How You Can Make Your Own Value Deposits Creating value deposits, or what I like to call "content karma," is about sharing, highlighting, and promoting the work of others. Here are some ways you can start making your own deposits: Roundup Lists: Compile lists of people, tools, and resources that have influenced you. Mentors: Share the work of both official and unofficial mentors whose teachings have impacted your journey. Content Sharing: Promote content that resonates with you, whether it's through newsletters, social media, or personal recommendations. Engagement: Actively engage with others' content to help increase its visibility. The Ripple Effect of Giving By focusing on giving rather than receiving, you create a win-win situation: your audience gains valuable insights, and you help boost the visibility of others within your community. Whenever I think of doing things like this (kind of like a 'good deed'),

Telling Your Stories When Content Becomes Personal: My Journey Through Storytelling I'm thrilled to dive deep into a topic that's close to my heart and crucial for creators, coaches, and course creators everywhere: the power of personal storytelling in content creation. In the world of copy and content, there's a prevailing notion that it's all about the reader, not about us, the creators. But let's face it, that's only half the story. The truth is, we're in the business of connection, of building relationships with our audience through the stories we share, the experiences we recount, and the vulnerabilities we expose. I've always believed in the magnetic pull of Telling Your Stories They're the threads that weave the fabric of our connections, making our audience feel seen, heard, and understood. That's why I've anchored my content creation around a core content value: I want people to feel better for engaging with my content. Whether through learning something new, enjoying a moment of levity, or feeling a heart-to-heart connection, it's about enriching the lives of those who stumble upon my work. Take, for example, my journey through one of life's harshest realities: loss. In 2003, life threw me a curveball that would forever change my trajectory. I was widowed at 32, left to navigate the world as a single mother of two small children (my kids were 6 & 2 when their Dad died). This part of my story, a marker of my resilience and transformation, was something I initially kept close to my chest, mentioned briefly on my About page, yet it was a pivotal chapter in my life. It wasn't until 2017, on the anniversary of my husband's death, that I chose to share this deeply personal story with my audience in an email titled "In Loving Memory and a Personal Message of Hope." The outpouring of responses was overwhelming, a testament to the power of vulnerability in forging deeper connections. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: our stories, no matter how often we've shared them, are always new to someone in our audience. They provide hope and remind us that we're not alone in our struggles. But sharing personal stories is not about airing every detail of our lives; it's about finding the balance between personal and private. It's about sharing those moments that illuminate our humanity, that make us relatable, that show we're more alike than we are different. For instance, a seemingly trivial incident like falling down the stairs while distracted by my phone became a metaphor for the importance of staying present, of paying attention to what's right in front of us. The 'falling-down-the-stairs' story I shared with my audience wasn't just a humorous anecdote; it was a reflection on mindfulness in both life and business. You might be wondering what the whole point of that email was. Sure, there was a pivot and a call to action—though I can't quite recall what it was, whether it was to click through to a podcast, a blog post, or an offer. The real value, however, lies in the fact that we're all human. I don't take myself too seriously, and that aspect of my personality makes me more relatable and approachable. Sharing personal stories and experiences is invaluable because, like many of you, I find myself far more creative when I'm inspired or feel a genuine connection. While keyword-based articles, how-to guides, and case studies certainly have their place in content creation—a place that's not disappearing anytime soon—I believe their presentation will evolve with AI. It's crucial to remember that you are the differentiator in everything you create. Your energy, your voice, your humor, and even your highs and lows are all uniquely yours. Dr. Seuss said it best: "No one is You-er than You." This is precisely why sharing personal stories and experiences is so important. This post, part of a five-part series,

Connecting Through Vulnerability - Part 1: A Special Series Hey, guys. What's going on before we get into today's episode? This is a special series that I'm doing this week. It's a 5 part series based on Everything is Content. Now you might remember, I don't know, a month and a half ago, six episodes or so ago, I did an episode on Everything is Content 2.0. And I'll link to that in the show notes for this. I'm actually hosting an Everything is Content workshop, and so this is kind of a preview for that. This was a 5 part email series that I have since turned into videos, and now I'm doing this as a podcast. So you'll get a taste of the 5 part framework. But I'm actually hosting an Everything is Content workshop, and so this is kind of a preview for that. I know this sounds a little meta, and we're getting a little into the matrix here, but I watch how I do this, but this is a taste of the framework itself. And again, you can go to kimdoyal.com/eicworkshop if you wanna join me in the live workshop I'm doing. It is on Wednesday, March 6th. So, depending on when you're listening to this, if if that date has come and gone, then I'm going to be continuing to either do this live, or you'll be able to get the workshop itself. Again, go to kimdoyal.com/eicworkshop. Alright, now here is part 1 of Everything is Content. Hey there. It's Kim Doyal, and welcome to my show where digital marketing meets real stories, experiences, and strategies.You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at what's working and not working in my business, as well as other experts who show up and share their stories. As much as I love talking about tangible marketing principles and tactics, we'll dig a little deeper with the mindset and explore what's required to create a business you love on your terms that also supports your life. I wanna help you understand the why behind the how. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just dipping your toes in, remember that marketing is a journey, and the goal is to enjoy it. I desire to guide you on your journey and remind you that no matter what life throws at you, you've got this. Hey, guys. What's up? Kim Doyal here, and I'm doing a 5 part series called Everything is Content. Now, I came up with the hashtag Everything is Content back in 2016. I'm not going to repeat that whole story here. Still, if you want a little more behind-the-scenes of how that came about, I did a whole podcast episode recently, and it was Everything is Content 2.0, which is an easy guide to getting started, you know, got to use those, what you call it, good headlines, right? But this is all based on a 5 part email series where I'm giving actual examples of everything as content to show you how you can apply this to your own business and how it can translate into conversions, whether that's leads or sales. Now, we're going to go a little bit deeper with this. I'm also working on an ebook that I hope should be done within a month or so. I might do an audio version because I clearly love doing this, but these are what I do with this, so let me back up a little bit. So, Everything is Content is based on the idea that I'm one who I hate keyword research. I know there's value in SEO. I'm not negating that at all, but with AI, I feel like that's kind of a race to the bottom, and who knows where it will be a year from now? But my whole goal with Everything is Content is to get people just to start creating, right? And seeing that there are content ideas all around us that fit under this umbrella in our business. You don't need to only talk about email marketing or for me, email marketing or content marketing. Right? Or I love using AI for content, but not necessarily to write for me. There's a whole other marketing element that I use it for. But sometimes I want to talk about, hey, guess what? I'm moving back to Costa Rica. I am. Or, you know what? This is what I do when I feel out of alignment. Or,

I sat down with Addison Best to discuss the Realities of AI in Content Creation. 00:00 Sending random rants, reconnecting with authenticity. China.05:31 Embracing ignorance, shifting perspective, and embracing fun.09:13 Balancing organic and paid traffic for brand.11:49 Challenges with apps integration, user demands, burnout.15:38 Frustration with big companies and their rules.17:23 Generic ebook platform with AI and marketing features.22:43 Seeking genuine connections, not just building tools.23:53 Favor real connections over forced opt-ins.29:14 Long journey to clarity and productivity.32:46 Custom GPT creation for sales page writing.33:34 Task manager helps stay on track, API potential.38:28 AI tool not useful, unclear beneficial use case.42:15 Draft article based on conversations, structure content.44:29 Focus on actionable, personalized content for improvement.49:51 Simplify your website strategy, focus on writing.51:10 Newcomers face overwhelming and confusing landscape.53:54 Big platforms need better customer support. Thanks! Kim [00:00:00]:Hey there. It's Kim Doyal, and welcome to my show where digital marketing meets real stories, experiences, and strategies. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at what's working and not working in my business, as well as other experts who show up and share their stories. As much as I love talking about tangible marketing principles and tactics, we'll dig a little deeper with mindset and explore what's required to create a business you love on your terms that also supports your life. I wanna help you understand the why behind the how. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just dipping your toes in, remember that marketing is a journey, and the goal is to enjoy it. My desire is to guide you on your journey and remind you that no matter what life throws at you, you've got this. Hey. Kim [00:00:44]:What's going on, everybody? Welcome to another episode of the Kim Doyal Show. It's been a while since I've done a I was gonna say live interview, but it's live for us. So we'll go ahead and run with that. And I'm excited because I think this conversation is gonna go in directions that neither of us are really aware of, but it's gonna be really fun. My guest today is Addison Best. So first of all, Addison, thank you so much for being here. Addison [00:01:06]:Well, thank you for having me, Kim. It's I think we talked about a little bit before this started. I haven't spoken to anybody in, I feel like, a decade. I used to have an English learning podcast with my brother, but that was all audio. Now, I'm just looking in my camera, and I feel like a deer in headlights, and I'm just kind of like, oh, wait. This is how I look? And I'm kind of freaked out, but I'm gonna try to calm down and carry on, I guess. Kim [00:01:30]:Yeah. Well, you know what's funny is it's almost like because I wanna do the eye contact thing, I'm like, well, I'll just go ahead and look at the camera and not worry about seeing myself or whatever. But, yeah. No. This is gonna be fun because first of all, for a little backstory about, you know, Addison had reached out to me. And this just goes to show you guys in the fall, and I was not getting the notifications from Gravity Forms. So it was like, oh my god. I've missed all these but before we get into a lot of the meat of what we wanna talk about, which we're gonna kinda go down this AI and and the impact it has on content and email, I love the backstory, Addison. Kim [00:02:12]:So if you could share your backstory with listeners, that would be great. Addison [00:02:14]:Well, it's funny. Yeah. I've been sending Kim, random emails that are kinda rants recently, so I didn't even know if she was getting it or she thought this guy's a bit nuts or whatever she was thinking. But I do it anyway because I'm trying to get back to my roots and being authentic and just having fun with different people and thinking and hoping that maybe they feel the same kind of thin...

Simplifying your business to increase sales might seem counterintuitive, but it's far from it. The funny thing is if someone had told me five years ago that I wanted to simplify my business, I'm pretty sure I would have disagreed with them. I was reminded of this last weekend while working on my new site. I'm using KadenceWP (which I absolutely LOVE), and because it's been a long time since I've done a new theme, I forgot about the domino effect that happens when you start touching things. The domino effect is when you touch one thing; it creates a ripple effect (and multiple dominos start falling that have to be dealt with). Here's what I mean: I started with the homepage of my site and have two areas that highlight what I do and how people can work with me. The problem with these is that since they're only highlights, there's a learn more button that people click on to go deeper. So everything from the homepage that has a "learn more" button needs an additional page (I know, I'm stating the obvious, but go along with me). I've been working on the site for a while, so it's been a process. I didn't create a sitemap first (which would have solved some of this), but I also have a lot of pages and content on my site that I need to go through to delete or update. I've also gotten some much-needed clarity about my business over the last few months, so things have changed slightly. It wasn't until listening to a podcast after working on the site (and internal pages that need to be linked to) that I realized I was probably making things more complicated than they needed to be. I was listening to the podcast episode on the 'Get Paid Podcast' with Clair Pelletreau. She was interviewing a woman I hadn't heard of named Kirsten Roldan. First, I LOVE discovering new people (anyone else go down the rabbit hole when they listen to podcasts?), and I LOVE this woman. She made $350k in her FIRST year in business! Yes, it was her first year. The two things I love about her: She wants people to find peace in their business and stop complicating things She does that primarily through teaching email marketing and business systems She had me at email. When I went to her website to check things out, I realized she only had a few offers. She has an agency (first offer, DFY) and two primary offers. That's it. Talk about simple, right? Which made me think about my site and offers. I do coaching and have courses. Easy enough, right? Well... I'm not so sure. All the courses I'll be listing are already created and are relative to everything I do (email, content, newsletters, AI). And I'm only selling things that are recent-ish. But...the bigger question is whether or not this aligns with my bigger goals and where I want to be a year from now. Because of this, I realized I needed to edit the homepage... again. This isn't a big deal because I'm essentially combining two things (Newsletters & Email Marketing) and combining them into one (I know, duh). So, it will become three columns instead of four in the section "How I Can Help." I'm using KadenceWP, so creating another block of three columns and dragging the content into the column will be super easy. Back to simplifying (because I've gone a little sideways here). I started thinking about the different offers and had to get real with myself for a minute. Here are a few thoughts I had: First, just because you've already created it doesn't mean you have to keep selling it. Even if it's relative to what you're doing, does it really align with where you're going? 🤔 Is this the stuff you WANT to be doing/talking about/selling? Are you going to continue creating content around all of this so that what you talk about aligns with your offers? What if it were easier? What if you only had three offers like Kirsten Roland... and ALL your energy went into promoting those?

There's nothing like pissy internet trolls to help you get crystal clear about who you engage with and that you don't owe anybody anything. Not to mention the joy of choosing to block these people from your life. My friend Karen Michaels (a brilliant social media strategist) repeatedly repeats that it's vitally as important to curate your feeds as it is to post and engage. I won't get into a bunch of details here- because the entire exchange was, quite frankly, a little wackadoodle. I re-posted something on Facebook about the Barbie snub of Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie not being nominated for Best Director or Best Actress. The FB repost was a quote from Bette Midler. To which a friend replied that it was typical of Amercians to lie and omit only to advance a narrative. Um... excuse me? What I should have done was delete him and block him immediately. But because this person was a "friend" (we've had actual conversations on Zoom, I've interviewed him, etc.), I was pretty respectful in my response. Why a white male from Canada has a dog in the fight when it comes to American women feeling this was unjust (and just a little bit ironic considering the context of the movie) is beyond me. Little fact for you: In the 100 years of the Academy Awards, only EIGHT females have been nominated for director, with only three winnings. Either way, it was a ridiculous exchange and out of left field. After I deleted all of his comments and blocked him, all I could think was that this person must have something deeper going on and decided to pick a fight. I'm all for differing opinions, provided you can be respectful. The implication was also that because the movie received other awards, people (i.e., women) shouldn't be upset. Here's the thing: I'm at a point in my life when I'm done trying to appease idiots. I don't need to justify or explain myself to anyone. That being said, I'm pretty sure social media isn't the place where meaningful change is going to happen, especially with someone shows up just to be a dick. It makes me think of the Maya Angelou quote: "When someone shows you who they are the first time, believe them." Maya Angelou Here's another internet troll story from last week that happened with a friend. I'm going to be a little cryptic since it's not my personal story, but you'll get the gist of it. A friend posted on Twitter that he was deleting a large quantify of cold subscribers from his email list that had come through one specific growth strategy, then asked if people could guess what it was. Someone from a company that sells this growth strategy jumped in with what appeared to be an attempt at a diplomatic reply, only to end up basically blaming the issue on the creator/business owner not having a good onboarding sequence. Sigh. Huge opportunity missed for creating a conversation about doing better. My friend is pretty brilliant when it comes to email marketing, growth, data, and automations. By the way, the growth strategy that was called out was referral programs. I'll go on the record now and say that if these programs don't improve, in other words, stop shoving 3-8 more opt-ins in someone's face after they subscribe, a lot of people will stop using them. I also think advertisers will stop paying for sponsorships in newsletters with big subscriber lists and crappy conversion rates. Moving on... WAY too many people are running their businesses with their egos driving the bus. Internet trolls aren't going anywhere anytime soon. It always comes down to how we handle what shows up. And even then, we're all human and have bad days, engage when we probably know we shouldn't, and get riled up by people... especially when you think the troll was a friend. Ideally, though, we move on. This also validated my goal of mastering paid traffic this year. 😉 A Content Strategy for 2024

Clarity & Cash flow are vital to the success of any business. There is nothing like a little avoidance to force your hand on getting some much-needed clarity. Especially when the priority is cash. Let me back up a little and share what brought me here. I spent a lot of last year trying to remove things from my business, or so I thought. On one hand, I created some incredibly solid habits that have stuck, but I feel like I still haven't moved the needle on things that will have the biggest impact on my business, at least not as much as I had hoped. And honestly, who's to say what's enough? Could I have done more? Sure. We always can. But I also know that last year was a lot. Being back in California, my Dad's health challenges, and more time with family & friends (which was great, but when everything is a 2-hour drive, one way, it can throw your schedule for a loop), and my own recovery from back surgery made for a long year. So, even though my goal was to simplify and remove things, I can't say I was super successful. I've accepted the fact that part of who I am is about exploring new ideas. This is fine, provided I keep the new ideas in the "exploring stage" and not in the "pivot and implement" stage. The two things (outside of life in general), that threw me off my path were AI and then hosting the retreat in Costa Rica. Neither of which I regret. Both were totally worth it, but both brought up deeper questions and a certain amount of evaluating what I want my business to look like. But let's not go sideways with that. This episode is how I realized I was more frustrated than I thought and how I found the much-needed clarity I didn't even know I needed. Which will lead to more cash flow. Avoidance At Its Finest Unless I'm out of town or have other plans, I usually do a little work every Sunday just to get ahead of my week. I look at my calendar, plan my week out, and try to get ahead of a few things if I'm in the mood. This past Sunday started out like every other Sunday that I chose to work, but after my first cup of coffee, I couldn't get into any sort of rhythm. I found myself going from thing to thing and then from one idea to the next. Then, I had the brilliant idea that I should "create a plan." I know you know what kind of plan I'm talking about. One of those "big picture" plans that looks pretty, presents itself as the ultimate organization for a "beautiful mind," and represents all things fabulous about your business. But in reality... it's just a HUGE distraction. It's the epitome of activity disguising itself as productivity. Even though I wasn't sure what to do next, there was no fooling me this time. I knew that would be a waste of time, and I wouldn't be any clearer on what was going on. So... what did I do? I stepped away from everything for a while. Then it hit me. I didn't need to make a plan to accomplish everything; I needed to do a brain dump, pick my top 3 priorities, and then make a list of things I could "put aside" for a while. Here's what that looked like: Here are the categories of my brain dump: Website Content High Level Paid Traffic Courses Coaching Community Priorities Hopefully this won't be too boring, but I'm going to share what I scribbled under each of these and will go into more detail in the podcast, and then I'll explain the three priorities. Website: Switch to my new theme (Kadence, which I LOVE) Finish copy Add shop Update coaching & courses pages New tools & resource page Check SEO & Google indexing, update older content for SEO (if relevant to current content) Content Podcast: schedule the special series interviews, get a few episodes ahead Newsletter: update posts on the website with featured images, VA adding to Medium, content flywheel (for promotion), add Content Snacks segment Blog: 2 posts a month,

Choose one primary marketing objective. And it should be email; the rest is just icing on the cake. But, before we get into that... One thing that has me really excited about the New Year and 2024, in general, is that there seems to be a broad desire in the marketing space for things to change. Hallelujah! A few things have contributed to this. The last 3+ years have been a little nuts across the globe, which in turn has made people feel weary. Of course, it's not all been gloom and doom, even if we have to make a conscious effort to seek out what's good (which is totally worth it). But I think we can all agree that it's "been a lot." In terms of the digital marketing/creator space, the bottom line is that the space has matured. People are more educated about how everything works; they're burnt out from hype promises, big launches, and the idea that you have to strive towards millions (and no judgment if that's what you want, ya' girl does, but you won't see me driving any lambos or posting pictures of mansions). With a massive distrust of government and media, we're learning to rely on ourselves. Which is a beautiful thing because that's where real strength comes from. I've seen a lot of New Year's posts about people wanting to remove things as opposed to "kicking ass and taking names" (something I've said myself on more than one occasion). Every year, I choose a new word. I chose my word for 2024 in December of last year. This is something that's sacred to me and isn't something that I have any desire to share, but rest assured, it's a positive word. This year, I've also chosen a "money" word. I was listening to a podcast episode with Kendall Summerhawk yesterday, and she explained how she does this and what her word is/has been. She suggested the first word that comes to mind (and it's ONE word, not a phrase or sentence). The first word that came to mind for me? Ease Which is something I want across all areas of my life. You might be thinking that this is something most people want - and to a certain extent, I agree. Of course, most people want more ease. But more often than not, they don't want to change anything or do anything to achieve it. My therapist said she read something that said that 90% of people don't want to change. 🤯 Which is a little mind-blowing to me. When you're hardwired or have spent the last 30 years constantly learning and growing, it's a hard concept to grasp. At the same time, I get it. Unless you've realized there is another way to do things (to live, to be, to feel, to earn, etc.), how do you know what's possible? This is why I've started signing off my emails with "Stay curious." Most entrepreneurs I know are curious, they do want something different or they wouldn't be in business for themselves. And now even the 'different' looks different. Back to ease and how that translates to money. For as long as I can remember, money has felt hard for me. My parents raised my siblings and me with incredible work ethics (and were both hard workers their whole lives. My dad still has a hard time doing "nothing"). I had no other concept of earning or having money other than you had to "work hard." No one taught us (or them) about compound interest, investments, and the role money played in our lives (and here I am, at 53, doing a deep dive on ALL of this). It's not that any of these are new concepts to me at this stage in my life, but I guess we don't "get it" until we get it. 😉 When I had a job, I maxed my 401k and did "all the things" I was supposed to. But unless you see that there's another way to do things or have a strong enough "why" for making change, it's probably not going to happen. The two things that shifted everything for me were: When my therapist said I needed to stop being a victim when it comes to money (ouch! But also, AMEN!)

Lessons Learned and Finding My Voice Again resonated much more than doing a typical year-in-review post (at least how I've done them in the past). And for what it's worth, that's kind of the theme for this next year: both with business and my life. In other words, doing things differently. Initially, I was excited to do a year-in-review podcast. I've always enjoyed doing my look back on the year and seeing what worked, what didn't, and how that would impact the coming year. So much happened in 2023 that much of it feels a bit like a blur. In so many ways, the year really felt like "a lot." The contrast I experienced in moving back to California from Costa Rica felt overwhelming at times. The first contrast might seem obvious, and that was the weather. Having grown up and spent the majority of my adult life in the Bay Area, I didn't think it would have such an impact on me, but it did. It didn't help that I moved back during a crazy, heavy winter with massive snow (I've been at my Dad's since moving back, and it's about an hour southeast of Lake Tahoe). Beyond my short stint and one winter in Boise, Idaho, I've never lived in the snow. I have zero intention of doing that again when I leave here. I also forgot how incredibly dry it is here. Costa Rica is humid, but it's not like Orlando. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I acclimated to that climate after a while. Not to mention, my skin felt fantastic. As much as I missed the seasons (to the extent that Northern California actually has seasons), winter is the season I like the least. Snow is pretty, and I love how quiet it makes everything, but I'd be fine if my only experience of snow moving forward was a weekend visit. The Biggest Adjustment of All People. My Dad will be 80 this year, and his health isn't all that great. You wouldn't look at him and think so, but he has a handful of issues (his heart is the main issue) that are somewhat serious. His health and missing family are the primary reason I moved back. The secondary reason was that the last year there was more trying than I realized. I had visitors every month for nine months, with only one month break during that time. As much as I was super appreciative that people came to visit, it interrupted my life and work in a way that impacted my income and my energy (again, hadn't really realized this while I was experiencing it). All my guests were people who were close to me, so it wasn't like they were difficult. This just validated what I already knew about myself, and am going to be firm about in the future. I require a good chunk of time to myself. Boundaries are key for me - regardless of whether they make sense to other people or not. It took a few "come to Jesus" moments with my Dad also for him to "get" that just because I'm at home working doesn't mean I'm available for midday chats, errands, questions, or whatever else he thinks of. That being said, it's a good thing I did come back. We had three trips to the ER this year (all via an ambulance) because of his health. My siblings are both two hours away so my Dad would have been on his own until they could have come up here. I had given myself until the end of June (2024) with him, hoping that he'd start thinking about moving. It looks like that might be coming to fruition this year (he's started looking at retirement communities and downsizing the house). We'll start looking with him when Spring rolls around. In the meantime, I'm on a mission to help him get rid of things, so when the time does come, it's not a massive undertaking (my kids are grateful I'm somewhat of a minimalist). I've also spent a lot more time with family and friends since coming back, which has been great. It also means a decent amount of traveling down to the East Bay (Bay Area), which is a four-hour round trip. I try to pack in as much as I can when I go down (I stay at my sister's),

Do you want to Grow and scale in 2024? This episode is for you. I know you might be thinking, "Um... duh Kim, who doesn't." But I will take this in a different direction than you might expect. At least compared to trite advice, you might see popping up at this time of year. Like everything I'm doing moving forward, this episode is going to be a mix of things that speak to both the tangible (tasks) and intangible (thoughts, beliefs, mindset). I'll share the only way to grow and scale in 2024; then I'm going to share a story with you that was the inspiration for this episode. The point of sharing the inspiration is to piggyback on the last episode, "Everything Is Content, 2.0." I want you to start finding content ideas and inspiration from all areas of your life. So first, here's the ONLY way to grow and scale in 2024: Take complete and total responsibility for everything in your life. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? Contrary to how that might feel when you hear it, I promise you that when you truly step into owning responsibility for everything in your life, it creates massive freedom, which then opens all kinds of doors. Besides showing you that "Everything Is Content," the story that led to the inspiration for this episode is also an example of me walking the walk. Because it's going to be much less about the contrast that showed up and much more about how I caught myself playing the victim, feeding old beliefs, and then stopping that bullshit as soon as I realized what I was doing. Here's what happened. I recently had a conflict with someone I love very much. It went sideways, some heated things were said, and then a resolution was reached (sounds so formal, but truly, the details aren't what matters here). Like all of us, I did the normal regurgitation of things in my head. You know what I'm talking about... "I should have said this, yea, but, if only, blah, blah, blah." After having returned home from the holiday and a fairly good night's sleep, although not enough, I found myself rehashing things within minutes of waking up. Two things to note here: even though I was home and had slept pretty well, it was less sleep than I needed, and I was pretty worn out from the previous four days. Because I woke up earlier than I wanted to, in some ways, I 'woke up on the wrong side of the bed.' The house was pretty cold (52), so I got to work to get a fire going right away after getting the kettle going for my coffee (I use a French Press and enjoy this slower process of brewing my coffee in the morning). While I was doing all of this, my mind started going a million miles a minute. Replaying the conflict, wishing I had said things differently (or not at all), and really working myself up. It only took me about 30 minutes, but it was like someone had splashed cold water on my face. I instantly thought, "What the hell are you doing to yourself?" Which was then followed by a firm and resounding "Fuck this!" I realized how quickly my ego had jumped in to take the wheel, and I was feeding that little shit as though I was a helpless victim to what was going on in my own mind (humans really are fascinating creatures!). I'll come back to this realization in a moment, but before that, I'm going to get a little meta here, and I want to share why this victim realization was so powerful to me. The first time anyone called me a victim was in 2011. It was my therapist/mentor (who I still speak with/work with today), and while I don't remember the exact context of the conversation (it had something to do with losing my husband eight years prior at 32) and she lovingly said something along the lines of me not being a victim (because I was acting like one) and my mind was blown. A victim is the last thing I would have ever thought of myself as but here it was. Obviously, losing my husband in a car accident was something that happened to...

I came up with Everything Is Content back in 2016. I turned it into a hashtag: #everythingiscontent, and now you can find that hashtag used across social media. Was I the original creator of that hashtag? Who knows, but when I started using it, you couldn't search it. I created it because I discovered how incredibly true it was. This was after I had been writing as The WordPress Chick for eight years and knew I was moving towards pivoting to my personal brand. Two primary factors contributed to growing my personal brand, even before I made it official. Both were because of writing: My podcast (The WPChick Podcast => The Kim Doyal Show) My 'almost daily' emails I'm going to go more in-depth with both, so sit tight. I've said this before, and it's a hill I'm willing to die on 👇: The BEST thing you can do to grow and scale your business online is to learn how to write and do it as often as possible. You don't have to want to become a writer, but if you're going to create the type of business that supports you without trading time for money, you need to create assets that work for you when you're not working. In other words, content, courses, ads, etc. Even if you only want to produce audio or video content, you still need to know how to write compelling copy to attract the right people. Off the top of my head, here is where good writing comes into play online: Content (your website) Emails Social content Website copy Sales page copy Email sequences Courses Podcast posts (show notes) Engagement Worksheets Ebooks Video headlines and descriptions I'm sure I'm missing plenty on that list, but you cannot grow an online business without learning to write. Period. End of story. And if you're listening to this and feeling resistance (i.e., maybe you're feeling a bit pissy?), then it's time to do a little entrepreneurial adulting and get really honest with yourself. How badly do you want this? In other words, are you willing to do the work? I'm not preaching hustle here; that's not what I'm talking about. I mean, are you willing to get comfortable with being uncomfortable? I have yet to meet a single creator/entrepreneur who doesn't experience fear. It's part of the journey. I also haven't met one who doesn't have to write (even if you have a ghostwriter or your content is primarily audio and/or video, you still have to write headlines, captions, descriptions, etc.). When I was getting started, I had plenty of fear but was so ignorant of the entire online marketing space that it was much easier to stay out of my head. I wasn't terribly worried about other people's thoughts because I didn't know many people online. Ignorance was bliss. As my business and brand grew, I worried a little more, but it wasn't until I felt like I had to "niche" down that I started really getting in my head. I ranted quite a bit about this in episode 121, where I referenced Dan Koe's video "The Most Profitable Niche Is You. So, instead of ranting more here (as fun as that can be), I want to give you a more straightforward guide on how to get started with "Everything Is Content, 2.0." A quick backstory on Everything Is Content I actually taught a workshop on this (it was a paid workshop, and yes, I'm doing a brand new and completely updated version of this in January 2024) because I was so passionate about it. I had begun using the Everything Is Content hashtag because of my 'almost daily emails' (I called them almost because I didn't always send emails on the weekends). My 'almost daily emails' was something I decided to do after having been a subscriber of Ben Settle's for a year and watching how he did it (and because of that, I became a customer of his Email Players physical newsletter). I committed myself to figuring out email marketing regardless of the results.

This episode is brought to you by Cloudways.Now through December 1st, get 40% OFF for 4 months on ALL hosting plans PLUS up to 40 FREE Migrations!Use Promo code BFCM4040 .stk-23e49b9 hr.stk-block-divider__hr{background:#d53371 !important} Removing your ego from marketing is the fastest way to more fun, more data, and, yes, better results. But first, a story on this realization. My friends and I recently revived something we used to do years ago. But first, a little backstory about these friends... These are my high school friends, and still, to this day, are near and dear to me. I've known one of them since kindergarten, another since 6th grade, and the rest are all from my freshman year in high school. So these are lifelong friends. By this stage in life, we've been through a lot together. Graduations, careers, marriages, children, loss, heartache, joy, moving... you name it. There have been times when we've been super close and incredibly active in one another's lives and times when life was so busy that it felt like a challenge to have dinner together. This is just life. I get that, but I always miss them when I haven't seen them in a while. So... the thing we recently revived was our "ornament exchange." My Mom used to do this when I was a child, so in my early 20s, I started an ornament exchange with my girlfriends. The original ornament exchange was handmade ornaments; we made one for each person. This way, you'd leave with 6-10 ornaments, which was great when we were all starting our homes and didn't have kids. As life got busier, we changed things up and would bring one nice ornament (and we started buying the ornaments). I don't remember when we stopped doing this, but after finally getting together for dinner in October, we decided to revive it and make it happen. Even though not everyone could make it, it was soul-filling for me. However, I was struck by something. We did the normal catching up that you do when you haven't seen each other in a while (although this was less catching up since we saw each other a couple of months ago), and then, as the night progressed, the conversations got deeper. I felt deep sadness for some of the things my friends shared. Partly because of what they had to go through (or are going through) but also because they hadn't shared what they were experiencing during the most challenging part. And I know I've done the same thing. This is what being busy can do to us. And while I can't speak for my friends, I'm sure there's a piece of truth to this for them as well. And that is that you don't want to 'bother' people when you're in the middle of something challenging, especially if you haven't talked to or seen them in a while. The crazy thing is that I know I could pick up the phone and call any of these women if I were in a crisis, and they'd all be there for me. No questions asked. And the same is true on my end. There is SO much power in sharing, being vulnerable, and telling our truths. The only way to do this is to get beyond ourselves... and remove the ego. This brings me to how this plays a significant role in our business and marketing. I talked with another friend I hadn't talked to in over a year. This is a woman I connected with years ago online. She's on my email list, worked with me, and bought some of my courses. Over the years, we became friends (this happens with many of my coaching clients). She's in Europe; I'm in the States... It never ceases to amaze me that I have people I consider dear friends worldwide. Anyway, we've been friends for years, and she's seen my transition from the WordPress Chick into my personal brand. She said something when we were talking that I realized was kind of a superpower of mine. She also said she uses me as inspiration on her own journey, which I know is part of my purpose in this lifetime (to inspire).

This episode is brought to you by Cloudways.Now through December 1st, get 40% OFF for 4 months on ALL hosting plans PLUS up to 40 FREE Migrations!Use Promo code BFCM4040 .stk-2f70fdb hr.stk-block-divider__hr{background:#d53371 !important} Interview with Marko Schmitt Kim [00:01:22]: Welcome to another episode of The Kim Doyal Show. I always say I'm very excited about my interviews, and it's true because I only talk to people I know, admire, and respect, and this is actually our 2nd time talking. But The 1st conversation I had with my guest, Marko Schmitt, which I'll do an official introduction in a minute, it was like I felt like we could have talked for hours. I'm like, we need to do a podcast episode. So here we are. So, first of all, welcome my guest, Marco Schmidt. Kim [00:02:05]: Marko, thank you for being here today. Marko [00:02:08]: Oh my god. Kim, it's Such a pleasure to be here, and it's really true. I mean, every time we connect, I just feel like, oh, wow, sister. You know? We're doing crazy cool stuff together. Even though we're operating in different places, we're still, like, in the same universe. Kim [00:02:22]: Totally. Totally. And we connected just through Twitter and then saw each other in a Kavon co cohort. Marko [00:02:30]: Right. Yeah. Yeah. We both love Kavon Chung. He's He's such a super cool guy in terms of bringing community together. And so and then, yeah, we've, like, had, you know, tons of, like, back and forth on Twitter and stuff like that, and I just love what I do. And so yeah. Super happy to be here. Marko [00:02:45]: Thanks. Kim [00:02:47]: Thank you. So I love hearing the backstory. So for the audience's audiences, I've got plurals now. But for the audience, can you share your backstory and what brought you to where you are today? And then we'll get into your business and what you're doing today. Marko [00:03:01]: For sure. I'm happy to talk to all of your audiences. Kim [00:03:07]: You know what? Marko [00:03:07]: Hey. Look. Kim [00:03:08]: Swear to god. Yeah. I sometimes my my mouth cannot keep up with my brain, but go ahead. Marko [00:03:14]: And vice versa. Right? I mean, sometimes I find my mouth saying something that my brain is going, no. No. No. Anyways, my backstory, probably it Started in some ways with dropping out of high school to join the circus. And, you know, it's like one of those things. I was one of those accelerated kids I was, like, always in the smart classes and got to do, like, the crazy fun things, you know, like going to the factory and seeing how they printed newspapers or, You know, bringing odd guests in and stuff like that. And by the time I got to high school, I had really thought high school is gonna be super fun, like college, like, really exciting, and it was Boring. Marko [00:03:51]: It was super boring. I lasted for almost 2 whole years, and then I dropped out to start doing circus work and play in a rock and roll band. And, I actually moved out of my parents' house and, you know, it's like the great thing is is that I already had skills. I already knew how to, like, you know, hustle and sell things, and, I learned how to paint houses. I I did a bunch of things. So I was Financially self sufficient when I moved out, and it always gave me this sort of independent attitude that I don't have to work for the man. And I have to say, here it is, you know, all these years later. Part of what I do as a coach is, like, working with people who are super skilled at what they do, You know, who are experts and seasoned, but they're afraid to let go of the weekly paycheck or or their corporate affiliation. Marko [00:04:37]: They they know they're not getting paid what they're worth. They know they're being lighted. But they don't have that background that I have of, like, being able to go and dance on your feet, make shit happen, and, like,