ℹ️ Introduction

Welcome to another insightful episode of *Frugalpreneur* with your host, Sarah St. John. Today, we're excited to have Liz Wilcox back with us. Liz, known for her prowess in email marketing and her dramatic survival on *Survivor*, where she placed 4th, brings a unique blend of reality TV insights and business acumen. We dive into her strategic, albeit challenging, journey on *Survivor*, including her famous meltdown over an Applebee's reward, and how she's leveraged that experience to forge ahead in her entrepreneurial ventures. Discover how Liz has built a successful low-cost membership business, the significance of thoughtful pricing strategies, and the crucial role of adaptability and collaboration in both survival and business. Plus, hear Liz's invaluable tips on leveraging email marketing and sustaining a large-scale membership. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a *Survivor* fan, this episode is packed with lessons, laughs, and practical advice. Stay tuned as we explore Liz Wilcox's incredible story and strategies for turning challenges into triumphs.

List 7 key themes

1. Survivor Strategy and Challenges

2. Infamous Applebee's Meltdown Incident

3. Public Reaction and Cosplay

4. Coping and Moving Forward

5. Email Marketing and Business Model

6. Membership Pricing and Strategy

7. Reflection and Personal Insights

📚 Timestamped overview

00:00 I got 4th place on Survivor.

04:54 No one voted until final fire decision.

06:23 No regrets, wished practiced more fire challenges.

11:19 Survivor lessons turned Applebee's incident into publicity.

14:31 Maria cannot win survivor challenge; puzzle crucial.

16:02 Success comes from working smarter, not harder.

19:50 Seeking smarter work solutions with a membership.

24:36 Unique approach to email marketing services startup.

26:45 Prefer podcasts, improve product, achieved 4,000 members.

30:18 Fiji trip, lost weight, sales dropped, divided attention.

33:07 Marketing is repetition; consider client work alternatives.

36:38 Seeking predictable income through $9 memberships.

41:32 Ask: Is it easy? Is it fun?

42:21 Make it easy and fun to proceed.

❇️ Key topics and bullets

Comprehensive Sequence of Topics Covered in "Frugalpreneur" with Liz Wilcox

1. Introduction and Guest Background

- Host & Guest:

- Sarah St. John introduces herself and Liz Wilcox.

- Guest Experience:

- Liz's email marketing expertise.

- Her background on *Survivor*.

- Meeting Point:

- Previous meeting at PodFest in Orlando.

2. Liz's Survivor Experience

- Challenges Faced:

- Physical issue with wrists popping out of sockets.

- Intentional avoidance of fire-making practice.

- Strategic Mistakes:

- Recognizes the error in not practicing fire-making.

- Would approach it differently if given another chance.

- Infamous Meltdown Incident:

- Emotional reaction to missing Applebee's reward.

- Quick recovery and apology.

- Public Perception:

- Infamous meltdown leading to cosplay at Dragon Con.

- Engagement on social media related to Applebee's.

- Benefits from initial publicity and reaction.

- Emotional Resilience:

- Moving past setbacks in games and business.

- Advice for overcoming losses productively.

3. Interpersonal Relations on Survivor

- Helping Others:

- Assisting Kenzie in a challenge.

- Self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses.

- Misrepresentation on TV:

- Reality TV's edited portrayal versus actual relationships.

- Show filming logistics and bathroom breaks (code word: "Coconut Grove").

4. Business Insights

-...

Welcome back to another episode of Frugalpreneur, where we delve into the best tools and strategies for running a business on a tight budget. In this episode, we explore Captivate FM, a podcast platform designed to streamline your workflow and help you grow and monetize your show. Whether you're a podcasting novice or a seasoned pro, Captivate FM offers features that cater to all levels of experience.

Captivate FM is more than just a hosting platform; it's an all-in-one podcast management tool. From unlimited podcast creation and distribution to dynamic ad tools, Captivate FM is built with creators in mind. Discover how you can monetize your podcast through exclusive content, early access episodes, audio memberships, and even listener tips. Plus, Captivate FM's integrated guest booking feature and automatic show notes generation make podcast management a breeze.

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Don't miss out on this comprehensive breakdown of Captivate FM's features and how they can elevate your podcasting game. Tune in to learn more and check the links in the show notes for additional resources.

Episode Highlights:

1. Unlimited Podcast Creation and Distribution:

Manage multiple shows with ease and distribute them across various platforms without limitations.

2. Monetization Options:

Explore multiple revenue streams, including exclusive content, early access, audio memberships, and listener tips.

3. Dynamic Ad Tools:

Utilize industry-leading ad tools to promote your own products or sell ad space to sponsors.

4. Integrated Podcast Management:

Plan episodes, research topics, manage interviews, and book guests directly through Captivate FM.

5. Private Podcasting Features:

Secure and private podcasting options available with every plan.

6. Marketing Tools:

Powerful yet easy-to-use tools to help you grow your audience and save time.

If you're a podcaster, you know that managing a show can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor. From hosting and promoting your episodes to monetizing your content, the process can often feel overwhelming. But what if there was a platform designed to simplify all these tasks while helping you grow and monetize your podcast? Enter Captivate FM.

Captivate FM is a podcast platform built with creators in mind. Whether you're managing a single show or juggling multiple podcasts, Captivate FM offers unlimited podcast creation and distribution. But it doesn't stop at the basics. This platform is all about making your podcasting experience easy, professional, and profitable.

One of the standout features of Captivate FM is its flexible monetization options. You can sell exclusive content, offer early access to episodes, or create profitable audio memberships. The platform also allows listeners to tip you, providing an additional revenue stream without the commitment of memberships. If you're ready to take things to the next level, Captivate's dynamic ad tools enable you to promote your own products, services, and events, or sell ad space to sponsors.

But Captivate FM is more than just a hosting platform; it's an all-in-one podcast management tool. You can plan episodes, research topics, manage interviews, and even book guests directly through the platform. The fully integrated guest booking feature saves you time and effort, and Captivate FM will even generate show notes for you.

For those looking to create private or internal podcasts, Captivate FM has you covered with secure, private podcasting features included in every plan. Plus, their...

💡 Guest bio

Joe Casabona, a software engineer by training and a natural extrovert, has found his true calling in podcasting. With a mind that operates like a computer, Joe harnessed his unique skill set to carve out a niche in the podcasting world. The pivotal moment came during the pandemic when Joe, who then had one small child and a wife working long hours as a nurse, experienced a personal crisis. In November 2020, faced with dwindling podcast production and a significant loss of income, Joe had a panic attack. Motivated by this challenging period, and now a father of three, he decided to double down on his podcasting career, recognizing its vital role in his family’s livelihood.

ℹ️ Introduction

Welcome back to another episode of "Frugalpreneur," where we explore the art of running a business on a bootstrapped budget! In today's episode, our host Sarah St John sits down with Joe Casabona, a seasoned podcaster and software engineer who specializes in streamlined workflows for solopreneurs. We dive deep into the nuances of guest collaboration, the challenges of ensuring cross-promotion, and the importance of extracting unique stories from podcast guests. Joe shares insights on his preference for Make over Zapier for cost-effective automation, his use of Notion for organizing podcast tasks, and the advantages of Cal.com for scheduling. We also explore Joe's editing philosophy, from preproduction to post-production, and his take on effective social media promotion. Joined by audience member Lynette, who offers her own perspectives, this episode is packed with actionable advice for podcasters looking to optimize their processes and keep their content engaging. Tune in for an enlightening conversation filled with tips, tools, and techniques that could transform your podcasting journey!

📚 Timestamped overview

00:00 Background in software, extrovert, podcast income panic attack.

06:10 Found video editor, now releasing videos efficiently.

08:05 Front loading and tools help structure and edit.

11:26 Setup, conflict, resolution: addressing marketing in journalism.

14:12 Pre-call steps: Google Doc, Notion, email reminder.

19:28 Zapier's automation costs $20/month annually, $30 monthly.

21:08 Using Notion and YouTube to grow mailing list.

25:32 Automate post-event follow-up: use Airtable only.

28:42 Recommend hiring editor; Descript eases solo podcast editing.

31:32 Family compromise: we'll get a dog.

35:11 Movies require post-production; live shows require pre-production.

37:41 Adapt content to suit the intended platform.

42:23 Encouraging guests to promote podcast cross-promotion.

46:28 Focus on unique moments, not traditional interviews.

48:25 Developers interviewed; same questions repeated; interest declined.

❇️ Key topics and bullets

Sequence of Topics Covered in the Episode

1. Introductions and Guest Welcome

- Introduction of Joe Casabona

- Noting Joe’s distinctive hats transition from fedoras to a Castro cap

2. Joe's Background and Entry into Podcasting Workflows

- Software engineering background and extroverted nature

- Balancing work and family life through podcast workflows

- Importance of automation and delegation

3. Automations and Delegation

- Extensive use of automation tools

- Delegating tasks to a virtual assistant

- Personal responsibility for recording and writing intros

4. Podcast Editing and Early Experience

- Initial self-editing challenges

- Finding and switching editors

- Current editor handles both audio and video

5. Cost of Production

- Average monthly cost for editing services

6. Handling Podcast Editing and Guest Collaboration

- Lynette's manual podcast editing