Business Tao with George Kao

Years ago, I championed the idea that all knowledge should be freely available online, aiming to accelerate humanity's progress. When I actually tried it, I learned two valuable lessons -- (1) free courses resulted in lower engagement and commitment from participants, and (2) my motivation waned without the reciprocal energy of paid exchanges. This experience, coupled with the disappointing experiment in using Patreon, gradually shifted my perspective. I now seek a middle way. I hope to integrate generosity and sustainability. I now advocate for (fair) pricing of courses. It's important for boundaries, self-worth, and the support of small creators. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

My gentle launches are simple: Early bird for 1 week, then regular price for 1 week before the course begins :) Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Watch/listen to this episode first… Follow-up question I received: "So let's say we have an offer like with your example, 3 're-works' over 6 weeks... once you've got the most response from whichever one... when would you actually then launch what you'd been talking about? Would that be your next offering? Or would it be a few months out? What do you typically do? " My response: I would go ahead and launch (as the very next thing) the offer test that did the best. Basically, sell it while it's hot 😄 because it could be something in the culture or timing that's making your audience more interested in that one right now compared to the others, so... don't wait, assuming it'll be hot later (or that you'll be interested later!) Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

This principle has been essential to my success. How do I make great content? By making more content, and observing what spreads. How do I improve my skills? By working with more clients, and noticing who grows the most. True learning comes from action — we build muscles by doing things, not just reading about them. It takes *quantity* of action to develop quality of results. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

how to feel ready to put your work out there? begin, explore, publish, repeat. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Even if you haven't been actively posting on social media or creating content, don't let it stop you from gently launching new offers and services to your audience. I appreciate hearing from people I've hired, even if it's just a few times a year to let me know about their new programs or specials. In this video I also discuss how often to post content vs. how often to sell something on your social media. I assure you that even a small announcement -- after a long time of not posting -- is usually appreciated. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

In this video, I discuss a different perspective on pricing -- charging based on "enoughness" and compassion -- rather than the common advice to charge what you're worth or what the market will bear. It's important to consider our own lifestyle needs and determining what is "enough" for us. By minimizing our lifestyle costs, we can charge less, serve more people, and do so with less financial pressure. I also discuss the idea of charging with compassion for our clients and customers, while still ensuring that we have a bit more than enough to invest in our future. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Get all the info here: https://www.georgekao.com/instagram If you have any questions about the course, ask it here. Wishing you a good day and weekend! 🌞 Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Of all the things that I do in my business, the most important thing—and I hope to inspire you to consider this for yourself as well—is to stay in a consistent rhythm of creating, both free content like this video, and paid offers as well. Just as our bodies rely on consistent rhythms to stay alive and thrive, our businesses need a steady flow of creativity to flourish. I've made nearly 2,000 videos on YouTube, published over 300 blog posts, and launched more than 30 courses. I wish I had developed a sense of urgency for generating free content earlier in my career... In this episode, I discuss common limiting beliefs that hinder content creation, the importance of gaining experience and clarity through the creative process, and the need to embrace imperfection and let algorithms and audience engagement guide your content improvement... Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

1. Don’t beat yourself up :) because at least you have a vision! Many people don’t. And we’re all in the journey of learning how to properly motivate ourselves. 2. Got human accountability? Simplest is to use Focusmate. Join my focusmate group here: https://www.focusmate.com/signup/georgekaocommunity 3. Got a clear workflow process? Write it down. “Hat manual”. 4. Unsure what the workflow process should be? Come to a Q&A call and let’s talk :) or talk with a friend, colleague, or coach to help you sort it out. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Here, I talk about the faith that I have in the potential of my content to make an impact -- and hope to inspire *you* to take on that kind of belief for your content creation efforts as well... Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Here's what I would tell my younger entrepreneurial self -- ditch the quest for a huge audience and social media fame. I made that mistake. Within two years of starting my business I hustled and grew my email list to thousands of subscribers... but then realized that most of them didn't really care about my content or journey. I ended up deleting over 90% of them. I now realize you can only authentically serve and commit to a small group of people you truly know. So start there. Get to know your first 30 or 50 followers deeply. Apply your skills to help them specifically. Marketers don't teach this counterintuitive relationship-first approach, but I've learned caring for a few is far more fulfilling than chasing clout. And as you grow your audience you'll be able to create content & offerings that are much more aligned to what they care about. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

1) more focused hours, 2) way more breaks than most people take, 3) constant reparenting of myself... In the video I also mentioned that I'd share the format of my work retreats. Here it is -- http://smpl.ro/CoWorkRetreat Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

I have a strong stance on how “attractive” one needs to be in their brand, website, and social media presence, in order to attract ideal clients… I’ve worked for a decade to slowly and steadily build what I would call a "loyal" and "true fan" audience for my business… an audience that feels connected to me not through flashy marketing or clever persuasion, but through shared values and an appreciation for my authentic presence. So what I share with you in this video comes from years in the trenches developing my approach. May you find something here to be valuable for you as well. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Authentic marketing means that we practice en-joying the experience of showing up for our marketing. How? By bringing our energy/focus to expressing our values & heart in our marketing actions, and holding loosely to our attachment to the results. By doing so, we learn to deeply en-joy the experience, which then encourages us to show up consistently, which then brings better results naturally... Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

For years I tried narrowing my business to a niche, but having interests for multiple areas, I struggled. Now after 14 years of successfully providing myriad services, I want people to know - do not limit yourself. Have diverse offers. Customers will hone in on whichever resonates. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

See my newsletter examples: https://www.GeorgeKao.com/monthly Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Authentic marketing avoids showy tactics and aligns with a deeper purpose and higher mission. 00:41 Authentic Marketing is the process of a business finding its calling. 01:09 Avoiding empty steps and focusing directly on soul's work eliminates the waste of time and life in the marketing process. 02:14 Every business action should be deserving of the soul's attention and contribute to a greater connection to the divine. 02:44 Marketing essentially boils down to content and offers, both of which should align with one's soul's work. 03:09 Content creation should be an exploration of the soul in service to humanity, targeting the intersection of what resonates with both you and your audience. 03:47 Offers should also be an extension of your soul's work, framed in a way that meets your audience where they are at. 04:17 Market research becomes meaningful when it's about understanding soul-to-soul connections, focusing on what your audience cares about. 04:53 Aligning what you care about with what your audience cares about creates a meaningful, soul-fulfilling offer. Get full access to Authentic Business for Solopreneurs with George Kao at georgekao.substack.com/subscribe