When asked what you do, what do you say? "I build websites" or "I am a web developer". Heck even "I build websites in the XYZ industry". Sounds nice and nichey right!? Well maybe not. Alex Curtis joins us today and shares his own experience of niching down.

He shares what he does, who he does it for and the all important ingredient that defines your business, the end result.

Spoiler alert: The niche is the who you help and the result they pay for. And he points out that what you do to GET those results is not necessarily as important to clients, nor to hang your entire marketing around.

In episode 400, Adam and I talked about becoming a generalist in a changing world, and perhaps a niche is not so important. Yet in this episode, even with AI, automation, machine learning and Donald Trump, Alex shares how you can be a "generalist" within a niche.

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/what-you-do-isnt-the-niche/

I having banged on for years about niching down have to admit that today's epic guest, young Adam Lowe is right when recommends we consider becoming a little more generalist! Why? Because like it or loath it, AI, machine learning, automation and other tools are making building websites a commodity and we might wanna consider become the "glue" that holds our client, their team and systems together.

Don't drop your niche straight away tho! Listen to the show as it should inspire you to add other services or fill other gaps within the industry or industries you serve as a good starting point! There is still a LOT going for niching especially if you do have a wider skill set than making a site look pretty.

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/uno-reverso-niche-o/

"Why are most WordPress developers musicians" was a throw away comment from Zack during a random online natter. What was likely meant in jest sent my mind in circles. If it was a movie you'd see flashbacks of all the podcasts I have done in the past and behind most folks being interviewed, hanging on the wall would be a guitar, or a keyboard nearby. "YES.... WHYYYYYY".... and with that I invited the old chap onto the show for a completely random chat to see if we can make any sense of this riddle.

I actually thought this would be a laugh a minute (there are a few laughs don't get me wrong), but we went deep! And I mean REALLY deep! The sort of deep that leaves you staring blankly at the shower wall for 30 mins.

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/why-most-wordpress-devs-are-musicians/

Feeling stuck, and don't know how to get... well... unstuck!? What does stuck even look like? How do you know you're stuck? Why is this opening so confusing? What's with all the questions?

Let's face it, running a creative business is hard work. We wanna do that thing we love (be creative) but we own a business. The business has SO many demands on our time and attention that we can no longer enjoy the creative bit. If we do, we can't see the wood for the trees when it comes to developing our business.

Over time this robs us of our joy, our passion and we're soon wondering about giving it all up! Remember I was at that point with this very podcast!?

In this episode we meet Philip VanDusen, who you may recognise from waaaaay back in 2018! He helps us recognise what being stuck looks like, and how to get unstuck! Simple as! Really worth a listen because this is a ridiculously frank and practical episode.

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/how-to-get-unstuck/

Finding it a slog to market your business, plugin or theme? You might be missing the secret ingredient... Passion. In today's episode I chat with my good pal Davinder where he unpacks his experience of creating content focused on WordPress and how it naturally grew into a profitable business model that pays well, allows him to do what he loves and brings real value to the community as a result.

As you heard in episode 395, when your passion or joy is being robbed, things feel like a slog. For Davinder, it was a joy and the results are super encouraging. Have a listen, it's a cracking chat between to old (literally) mates!

Oh, and Davinder old me to use my affiliate link so here it is. Beaver builder if you wanna jump on the stability bandwagon!

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/your-passion-can-make-it-pay/

AI streamlines your processes and makes you more productive right? I learned the hard way that it can seriously affect the quality of my output, my happiness and my reach! In this episode I share how AI nearly led to me completely shutting this podcast down, and how my relationship with AI is evolving and changing for the better.

No hate toward it (AI), but this is a warning to myself and others not to over rely on automation and lose what makes you special!

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/does-ai-help-or-hinder/

You know that thing you love doing that lights you up? What happens when it becomes your job and you feel completely overwhelmed by it? In this episode I share how Trailblazer FM once fulfilled me, then became a burden. How trying to monetise a hobby robbed me of the joy of creation, and led me to burnout, to the extent I felt I had no choice but to stop podcasting.

Thankfully the story doesn't end there! I am back, and in this episode I share what's changed, why I am back and how I intend to retain the JOY of my hobby rather than feel the pressure of a "job".

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/when-your-hobby-becomes-your-job/

Overwhelmed, overworked, on the brink of burnout? Agency life is known for its fast pace and demanding clients, and I know from personal experience how burnout can completely de-rail you. As I slowly return recovery, I invited Cat Burchmore onto the podcast to help me learn how I could prevent burnout as a business owner by leaning on automation more.

In this episode we explore how implementing automation strategies can help you avoid burnout and take control of your well-being. Cat shares her insights on how automating tasks like client onboarding, invoicing, and project management can free up your time, reduce stress, and improve your overall work-life balance.

Of course automation isn't just about making your life easier – it's also about providing a better experience for your clients. Cat shares how automation can help you deliver a more personalised and efficient service, without sacrificing the human touch. Heck in this day and age we all need a more human touch!

Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/can-automation-prevent-burnout/