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Have you ever poured your heart into cranking out product after product, only to watch your sales drop instead of soar? I’ve been there, and it turns out, I was stuck in what I call “creator mode.” In this episode, I’m sharing how I learned (the hard way) that sometimes what your business really needs isn’t another new thing to sell, but for you to step up and put on your CEO hat! Trust me, getting out of my comfort zone as a creator and actually leading my business has made all the difference, and I’m breaking down exactly why.

We’ll dive into what creator mode really looks like for digital product sellers. Think dreaming up new ideas, designing, tweaking, and all the fun stuff we love. But then there’s CEO mode, which, let’s be honest, probably feels a lot less exciting: reviewing data, analyzing your numbers, and making strategic decisions that actually move your business forward. I’ll talk you through the big mindset shift I had to make, and why hustling in creator mode without direction can leave you feeling burned out and discouraged, even if you’re busy every single day.

Most importantly, I’ll walk you through the practical systems I use now, like my monthly CEO days and simple time blocking tricks, to make sure I’m not just creating into the void. You’ll hear why both roles matter, how to balance them, and some gentle but firm encouragement to look at your own calendar. If you haven’t given yourself CEO time lately, this is your nudge to finally make it happen. Your business, and your sanity, will thank you!

00:18 – The danger of staying stuck in creator mode
01:42 – What creator mode actually looks like
03:18 – Why CEO mode matters for business growth
06:21 – How I use time blocking for CEO and creator tasks
08:40 – Simple steps to start your monthly and weekly CEO habit

Links & Resources:

• Episode 161, I Said Yes When My Gut Said No
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode163

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

I've been watching everyone panic about switching email platforms lately - Flodesk ending flat rate pricing, Kit raising prices, Mailerlite making changes. But here's what's making me cringe: almost every post I see is driven by one thing - price. And as someone who's switched platforms 5+ times (embarrassing, I know), I had to share why not the way you should be making this decision.

Your email platform is one of the most important pieces of your business. Before you jump ship to save a few bucks, there are hidden costs and better alternatives you need to consider. Instead of chasing the cheapest option, I'm sharing what actually matters and how to invest that switching energy into better email marketing results.

02:00 - The email platform price increase drama everyone's talking about

03:15 - Hidden costs of switching that no one mentions

04:30 - My embarrassing platform-switching confession

05:15 - What actually matters when choosing an email platform

06:30 - Smart alternatives to switching platforms

08:00 - My 90-day cold subscriber automation that saves money

Links & Resources:

• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• Rate & review The Savvy Seller on Apple Podcasts

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

This summer I found myself racing toward burnout, and it made me stop and ask, “What if I slowed down instead of keeping up this crazy pace?” That question led me to what I call minimum viable marketing, focusing only on the few essentials that truly move your business forward and giving yourself permission to let go of the rest during busy seasons. In this episode, I’m sharing what that looks like in my own business, why I’m taking September off from podcasting, and how you can create a plan that keeps your business sustainable without burning yourself out.

01:28 - Recognizing the signs of burnout and why slowing down is actually smart business

03:00 - What “minimum viable marketing” really means and how to identify the essentials that move your business forward

05:25 - The difference between scaling back vs. needing a true break and my plan for September

07:40 - Tools and strategies for sustaining minimum viable marketing

09:23 - Giving yourself permission to step back and why it’s smart for long-term business health

Links & Resources:

• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode162

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

Have you ever said “yes” to a business opportunity when your gut screamed “no”? In this episode, I share real-life stories of ignoring those instincts, from messy collaborations to draining clients, and reveal the costly lessons I’ve learned about protecting your “yes.” We dive into why we override our gut (hello, FOMO and people-pleasing), red flags to watch for, and simple, practical ways to set boundaries and say no without burning bridges.

01:20 - Why we say yes when our gut says no

02:52 - Red flags that I’ve experienced with collaborations and clients

06:33 - How to say no gracefully while keeping relationships intact

07:52 - Practical boundary-setting tips that will help you trust your gut in business

Links & Resources:

• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Episode 128, Success Your Way: A Different Approach to 2025 Planning
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode161

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

Have you ever thought, “Maybe I could write a book someday,” and then immediately shut it down because… where would you even start? Same here. That dream has been in the back of my mind for years, so I brought in someone who could help both you and me finally figure it out. Meet Kate Allyson—book coach, editor, and encourager of aspiring authors. Whether your book idea is business-related or deeply personal, Kate’s here to show you it’s absolutely possible.

In this episode, Kate walks us through the book-writing process in a way that feels doable, even for busy entrepreneurs. We talk about organizing your ideas, the types of books that support your business, and what publishing actually looks like today (hint: it’s way more accessible than you think). More than anything, this episode is your nudge to finally explore that book idea you’ve been holding onto, because someone out there might really need to hear your story.

Links & Resources:

• Kate’s free Book Map Template
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode160

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

You know that feeling when you open your WordPress dashboard and see a plugin list a mile long—some you don’t even remember installing? I’ve been there too. But after managing a dozen WordPress sites for my own business, I’ve figured out exactly which plugins are worth using and which ones just slow things down. In this episode, I’m sharing the five plugins I always install and why they’re non-negotiable for things like security, SEO, performance, and overall peace of mind.

These tools are doing some serious behind-the-scenes work, from protecting your site from hacks to improving your search rankings and speeding up your pages. I’m also sharing my favorite drag-and-drop builder, why image compression matters more than you think, and the plugin I built myself to make daily backups and updates effortless. And if keeping up with all of this sounds like one more thing on your already-full plate, don’t worry, my WordPress Care Plan covers it all, with a team that’s got your back 24/7!

Links & Resources:

• WordPress Care Plan
• RankMath
• Imagify
• Solid Security
• Elementor
• Episode 104, 11 Best WooCommerce Plugins: What to Install and What to Skip
• Episode 141, Website Spring Cleaning: Improve Website Performance, Security, and Sales in 30 Minutes
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode159

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

If you're only using AI to crank out social media captions or email copy, you're leaving a ton of its power on the table. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on three creative ways to use AI in your business, none of which involve sounding like a robot or churning out cookie-cutter content. These are time-saving strategies that keep your voice and help you stand out in a sea of sameness.

I’ll walk you through how I use AI to turn messy voice memo brain dumps into organized, unique content plans, including the exact process I used to create this very episode! Plus, I’m sharing how my team builds streamlined SOPs using nothing more than a Loom video and an AI-generated checklist, and how I’m using AI to analyze customer feedback and uncover hidden gems that drive my content, product updates, and marketing. Spoiler alert: It’s like hiring a really smart assistant who never sleeps.

And because business and life aren’t separate, I wrap things up with a few fun personal uses too, like diagnosing my sad-looking plants, generating hotel gym workouts, and even planning family travel. Whether you're brand new to AI or already dabbling, this episode will give you a fresh perspective and inspire you to try some truly creative ways to use AI in your business.

02:15 - AI for content organization (do this if you want to stand out!)

05:18 - How to easily create SOPs with AI

07:50 - Using AI to analyze customer feedback

10:11 - Fun ways I’m using AI in my personal life

Links & Resources:

• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Episode 157, Are You Making These Expensive AI Mistakes?
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode158

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything

Send us a text! (Your number stays private)

AI is everywhere these days, and while it can be an amazing tool, it's also becoming a minefield of costly AI mistakes for business owners. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on some of the most common missteps I’m seeing digital product sellers make when using AI. From letting AI tools write your legal policies (please don’t!) to blindly trusting AI-generated website code, these mistakes might seem small but can lead to big problems with your credibility, performance, or even legal compliance.

I walk you through why you should never use AI for things like privacy policies or contracts, and why AI code (though convenient) can easily break your site if you don’t fully understand what it’s doing. I even share a behind-the-scenes example of how my own excitement about an AI-built automation backfired. The bottom line? If you’re not double-checking AI’s output or editing it to reflect your actual brand voice, you could be hurting your business more than helping it.

This episode isn’t anti-AI - far from it! I use it all the time. But we need to be savvy about how we’re using it. So if you’ve been tempted to copy-paste AI copy, take its “facts” at face value, or let it take the reins on your tech without oversight, this is your nudge to pause and rethink your approach. Tune in to hear what to avoid today, and come back next week for the creative, strategic ways I do recommend using AI in your business.

01:24 - Using AI for legal content like privacy policies or contracts

04:00 - Letting AI generate website code without understanding it

06:52 - Trusting AI-generated “facts” without verifying

08:34 - Copy-pasting AI-generated copy without editing for brand voice

Links & Resources:

• Termageddon
• WordPress Care Plan
• Episode 148, The 15-Minute Weekly Plan: How AI Helped Me Stop Wasting My Best Brain Hours
• Follow me on Instagram @kristendoyle.co
• Check out my Everything Page: a one-stop shop for savvy selling!
• The Savvy Seller Collective
• Join my private Facebook community: Savvy Teacher Sellers
• More resources for growing your TPT business
• Rate & review The Savvy Teacher Seller on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode157

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to do to grow your digital product business? Take the Savvy Seller Quiz and find out exactly what to focus on right now to actually move your business forward.

➡️ Take the quiz at savvyquiz.com

Check out my Everything Page at https://kristendoyle.co/everything