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Pat Flynn Rocks at Smart Passive Income & You Can Too!!

Brooke Ferguson — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:26:00 +0000

You ever see a cool new car -and all the sudden- you see it everywhere? That’s kind of how it is with Pat Flynn. I first came across him in an interview from John at JetSetCitizen. After that, I saw him EVERYWHERE. It makes you wonder… was the car there all along? For the record, Pat has been there for quite awhile, and since I’ve realized how fantastic his information and business model is, I wanted to share it with you. He’s got great blog tips, amazing downloads, and a fantastic newsletter (that doesn’t try to sell you anything!!). Want to find out how he does it? Read on!

Can you tell us a bit about SmartPassiveIncome.com?

SmartPassiveIncome.com (or SPI for short), is a blog I started when I began to see my existing online businesses take off. On it, I discuss various online business and blogging strategies that I use and how they have either helped or didn’t help my businesses. I’m totally “tell it like is it” and transparent with everything I do, so as not to misguide anyone who may be searching for answers about how to do business online.

What’s unique about what I do online and what I teach is that they primarily revolve around generating a passive income, which means they are businesses that are almost entirely run on auto-pilot. This kind of business model frees up valuable time in my life that I can spend doing the things I love, like hanging out with my family. I’m not trading my time for money, rather I’m investing my time now so I can see continually returns in the future.

You have an impressive online presence and visibility, I feel like I see you everywhere. Can you give the readers some tips on how you do this?

Sure! In fact, I just wrote a post about how I’ve expanded my brand, which gives people the illusion that I am indeed “everywhere”.

To sum it up, I’ve made sure that I just didn’t stick to writing on my blog, but ventured out onto other media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook (to name a few), and I’ll also be hosting an upcoming podcast as well. This allows me to reach people who I may not have reached otherwise, while expanding my brand and image to those who already know about me.

In addition, the number one tip I can give you is to always provide fantastic content, no matter what media platform(s) you’re using. If you take a little bit of extra time to over-deliver, you’ll get noticed by people and things will start to happen from there. We can do all we want to promote our own sites, products and brand online, but what really makes a huge difference is promotion from other people (like raving fans), who have more influence upon people who you may have never reached before. It all starts with helping others, and it usually pays you back in one way or another.

Of all of the newsletters I’ve subscribed to, yours is my favorite. How do you do it?

I appreciate that! I’ve actually heard that from a lot of people before, and I think it’s because I don’t use my newsletter as a way to earn more money. Again, you should always strive to provide excellent, over-the-top content, and that’s exactly what I give my subscribers. No hype, no sales pitches, no aggressive marketing tactics – just written content that I would want my friends to read. When I do recommend a product, it’s because it will help my subscribers (really!), not because it will help me earn an extra dollar or two.

I try to write my newsletter emails like I would write to my best friends trying to become successful online as well. I wouldn’t dare to be a weasel and try to make a buck off of them.

I’ve found your Income Reports very helpful. A sizable amount comes from iPhone applications. Please share a bit more about that.

A friend and I started an iPhone app business a little over a year ago, mainly as an experiment to see if it was possible to generate passive income from building apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. We heard of some amazing success stories at the time (people making $20k a DAY with some applications), so we just had to give it a shot.

I don’t understand programming language, and although my business partner does, we decided to outsource our applications because we knew we’d be able to get more done in a shorter period of time. Plus, the quality of applications would be much better than if we gave it a shot ourselves. So, we took some crazy ideas we had, found some developers, and have since built 18 applications that are now live in the app store.

No, we’re not making $20k a day, but we are generating a nice, virtually passive income from Apple because of the applications that we developed. In May of 2010, we hit record earnings for a single month, nearly breaking $10k in profits. We have more apps in the works as we speak, and we’ll see where it takes us.

If you’re interested in iPhone apps, I definitely recommend reading one of my more popular blog posts: 5 Things You Should Know About Creating Your Own iPhone Apps

One of your keys to success has been multiple income streams. What tips do you have for the readers who want to grow this area in their business?

It’s important to realize that at any given moment, one income stream can suddenly disappear.

I realized this when I was laid off in 2008 from a 9 to 5 job that I really loved – in a career that I thought I was going to be a part of forever.

The same thing can happen online, which is why we should strive to diversify. I have about 15 to 18 different income streams that all work together to provide an income for myself and my family. If one or two of those go away, I’ll be fine and be able to keep my head above the water. If I only vested my time, effort and money into one particular income stream, then if for some reason it disappeared, I’d be screwed.

For example, let’s say all I did was iPhone apps. We’re generating a steady income now, but what if Apple decides to come out with a new product and apps become obsolete? Or, maybe Apple get’s bought out by another company and changes their whole business model? (Which is highly unlikely, but I think you get the idea).

This is why I like building passive income streams, because I can work on a project until it’s automated, and then move on to the next project – thus diversifying my passive income portfolio. It’s hard to diversify a 9 to 5 job, because there are only so many hours in the day.

How do you manage your time between sites, products, and building applications?

The trick is, at least for me, is to make sure I do one thing at a time.

Luckily, the passive income business model allows me to work on multiple projects at the same time – so for example while I’m waiting for iPhone apps to be completed by our outsourced development team, I can add content to an eBook I’m writing or create videos for YouTube. Also, many things that I earn an income from are on auto-pilot, which means they don’t require very much time from me, if any at all. Again, this is thanks to the passive income business model.

Final thoughts, inspiring words?

Sure – I have a few things that I always tell people who are interested in doing business online, or taking their existing businesses to the next level.

First, is that you should not be afraid of failure. Failure is good!, because it means you’re at least trying something out, and if it doesn’t work, you have that much more knowledge about what you should do next. I’ve learned from each and every one of my (many) failures. Looking back, I’m glad I failed because they’ve helped me get to this point in life.

Secondly, is that you should never try to be perfect. So many people spend hours, days, or even years trying to make their online businesses perfect. The problem is, they spend so much time trying to make things perfect that they miss out on everything that could have happened if they had just put something out there earlier! No one cares if you’re perfect – nobody is. Get something out there now, and worry about perfection later. Like I always say, “Everyday you don’t have something for sale online is a day of potential profits lost.”

Lastly, I’d just like to say that I am nobody special. I’m not an expert, and I never had any special training. So honestly, anyone can become successful online too, as long as they have the passion and drive to succeed.

If you don’t believe it can happen, it never will.

Be in touch with Pat!

Homepage: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/smartpassiveincome

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/patflynn

Questions?? Comments?? Leave them below!!

You ever see a cool new car -and all the sudden- you see it everywhere? That’s kind of how it is with Pat Flynn. I first came across him in an interview from John at JetSetCitizen. After that, I saw him EVERYWHERE. It makes you wonder… was the car there all along, or am I just now starting to realize it? For the record, Pat has been there for quite awhile, and since I’ve realized how fantastic his information and business model is, I wanted to share it with you. He’s got great blog tips, amazing downloads, and a fantastic newsletter (that doesn’t try to sell you anything!!). Want to find out how he does it? Read on!

Digital Nomad Blog Carnival

Brooke Ferguson — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:45:08 +0000

Hello Readers! I’m happy to host this month’s edition of the Digital Nomad Blog Carnival. The traveling online carnival that’s hosted at a new blog each month for readers interested in the live-anywhere, work-anywhere lifestyle.

Read the carnival posts, and then check out some more Location – Lifestyle – Nomadic posts below. These are posts that I really enjoyed this month, and that others liked too. Make sure you submit your posts for next month’s carnival by clicking here. Read on, and enjoy your life, business, and travels!

Blog Carnival Submissions:

Simplicity is All About Abundance – Meditations on an Ugli Fruit

Carmen Bolanos from NuNomad explores the theory of abundance in our lives. Are we missing what’s right in front of us because we are looking for something else? Read this for insights on seeing the abundance that is in your life.

An Encounter With Cross-Country Vagabond Sean Robinson

Sometimes we happen upon people just when we need to. Emily Gerson from Maiden Voyage had the opportunity to interview Sean Robinson who’s living the life of his dreams in a totally different way. Check out her account of his adventures in this interview.

Introducing: State Lines for iPhone

Traveling across the country? Cherie Ve Ard presents an app that you might find helpful. Follow their adventures at Tales from Technomadia.

My Favorite Reads This Month:

Should We Really Strive for a 4 Hour Workweek?

Eric from My 4 Hour Workweek explores the concept of aiming for a reduced workweek. Is this what we really want? Is this what we should really be working towards? Read more to find out…

Thoughts on Art-Making & Creating The Life You Want

Brought to us by Cath Duncun from Mine Your Resources. This is maybe one of the coolest videos I’ve ever seen, paired with an inspirational blog that really gets you to think about putting your creative self out there.

High Points, Low Points, and The Perfect Trip

Chris Guillebeau from The Art of Nonconformity highlights some of the roller-coaster experiences of travel. Is there such a thing as ‘the perfect trip’? Read his opinion here.

13 Quotes to Inspire Nomadic & Location Independent Lifestyle

Need some inspiration? Let’s face it, running a business remotely can be difficult. Rasheed from Present Day Nomads offers some great thoughts of encouragement.

One Last Thought from a Beach Pillow I was Relaxing On…

Hope you have found these posts as fantastic as I have. Thoughts? Comments?? Leave ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!

Going Global: Notes From Chris Guillebeau’s 279 DAYS TO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS

Brooke Ferguson — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:00:44 +0000

Every so often I come across something brilliant that needs to be shared. Download this, read and learn, print it and wear it, but whatever you do, don’t pass it over…don’t tell yourself, “Oh, I’ll download it later,” because you won’t; just DO IT NOW and thank me later!

Chris Guillebeau’s 279 Days to Overnight Success:
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/overnight-success

There are three reasons why I find this information so incredibly important:

I have been trying to sort out how to organize my schedule (i.e. life) around the new role of being a successful writer and social media expert. This information clearly spells out many of the “How To’s” and should help you get there faster.
Chris is a trusted source; I know from meeting him and spending time writing back and forth online that he is true to his word. He is NOT an egomaniac, only wanting an audience to self promote and sell, sell, sell—as many people in my field are (and I not so secretly loathe).
The steps are doable. Many times when I read a How To Download, I am overwhelmed and conclude that there is no way to pull it off. With this info, you are sure to get where you need and the reason WHY I’M PASSING IT ON is because I AM DOING IT, Too!

I have done my best to pull featured quotes and info from the download, but you will be best served to go through the original and pull out your own gems. Block quotes are taken directly from his article and the rest of the information I have pulled together to help you determine how to fit it into your schedule and actualize your road to success…

“For me, I relate money to happiness and freedom. Right now I spend
about 10% of my time on activities that are directly related to generating
income. The other 90% of the time I’m writing, connecting with cool
people, traveling the world, and drinking coffee.”

How did Chris get there? By Taking Daily Action and writing to a Specific Audience.

Step 1: Determine Your Niche Market, Writing Topics, and What They Care About

Niche and Grow Rich—Part of Going Global is determining a Niche, or a specific audience that you can focus your time and attention to. Readers will immediately know if they identify with your information, or they will move on. This is why it is so important to pick who your audience is and make specific and direct posts.
Writing Means Nothing if You Have No Readers—Determine a few themes that your audience will care about and try to keep your posts specific to those topics. For example, in my blog, I focus mainly on Streamlining Your Business, Travel, Living Your Ideal Lifestyle, and Spiritual and Personal Growth. Chris recommends making sure the reader gets what they want by providing solutions.

“I try to think of only a few individual people and pretend I’m writing directly to them.”

What Do Your Readers Care About? Take time to interact with your readers to see if you are answering their basic questions of Why, What, and How. This ensures buy in, understanding, and steps towards a solution.

Step 2: Building Writing and Follow-up Into Your Schedule

I know as a business owner that your first concern is time. I have outlined some of the areas that Chris focuses on and recommend you actually BUILD TIMESLOTS INTO YOUR CALENDAR to make this happen.
When to Write—Chris writes daily. I really admire this philosophy and am going to work it into my schedule. Currently, I have been using the style of “Information Camel” where I think and muse on a topic for, um, ever, then I sit down and write four articles at once. I like the idea of building writing into a daily routine because it means you are taking yourself seriously as a writer.

How Much & How Often—On average, he writes about 1,000 words per day. This takes me about an hour and a half without editing, formatting, or tweaking in Word Press. All told, one blog post (for me) probably runs about 2.5 hours. Add an additional hour if research is involved. Chris posts two or three blogs per week. These also go out to subscribers through email or RSS feeds.
Following Up with Readers—I’m guilty of not doing this and it will change Now  Chris spends about two hours a day building and maintaining relationships online. Part of this is by reading other sites, welcoming new people, connecting and responding to other people. I love this one, and it is true:

He Answers Every Email.

Step 3: Growing Readership Through Social Networking and Marketing

Leveraging Social Networking—Many business owners I talk to are confused by social networking and it’s purpose. Generally speaking (and as a newcomer, myself) I see it as a great way to reach out to your niche audience by giving information, sharing tips, and connecting with people you otherwise would not have met.

” I do this mostly through Twitter, LinkedIn, site comments, 100+ emails a day, and occasional phone calls and in-person meetings
Writing my affiliates to discuss their marketing efforts
Building relationships with journalists — perhaps through Peter Shankman’s
Help a Reporter Out service or people I already know”

Chris’ Five Marketing Actions—

Almost every day, I try to take five actions that will help promote myself, promote a product, or otherwise bring in new readers.
…a selection of actions could include:

1. Publishing a “Daily Ass-Kicking,” passing on good information

2. Connecting with people through Twitter

3. Sending out review copies of my products and manifestos

4. Reaching out to other experts, colleagues, and readers

5. Scheduling and outlining a product launch

Step 4: Products and Final Thoughts

There is a good deal of information in the article about product creation, management, and (my favorite) promoting and releasing FREE INFORMATION. Chris suggests eJunkie, PayPall and using a “No Sell Philosophy.” I love this approach… honest and not pushy, at all…

…actually I have nothing to sell to you. Sorry. I do have a few products on my site, and you can take a look if something suits you. I also have an anti-marketing policy, which means that you should keep your money unless you have a compelling reason to buy something from me.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations—As a business owner, consultant, and “Entrepreneur- Turns- Blog-o-preneur”, I have a few recommendations that will help you work these seemingly daunting ‘to-do’s’ into your schedule. If you were following the math of about how much time it takes to go this route, I added up approximately 22 hours/ week. This is only the writing, posting, follow-up, and some social networking. I would add more time if you are just starting to grow your readership, create products and learn new technology. With that, I’d like to answer your Inevitable Question:

“HOW AM I GOING TO FIT THIS INTO MY SCHEDULE?!?!?”

Put new time blocks into your schedule for: writing, editing/posting, social networking, follow-up and outreach. I like to lump my tasks together so I can be efficient and stay in the same mode. For example, I write several articles at a time, post and schedule them all at once, and spend separate blocks of time on networking sites.
Set a goal for How Much and How Often you want to write. Currently, mine is once per week until my readership grows.
Set a Goal to Increase Your Readership through Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites. I get a lot of comments by posting my blog links to Facebook. You can integrate and update all of these tools at once by using www.Ping.fm.
Reach out to your contacts to Find Opportunities to Write and Publish your articles. You can write on other blog sites, contact journalists, and write to reporters. Helpful links can be found on the download.
If your goal is go create a product (Book, eBook, or Workbook) I recommend spending time BEFORE you start to write and come up with a detailed outline for your writing topics. I advise my clients to have 10-12 topics and then bullet point 3 or 4 subtopics below. Each of the subtopics can become a blog post and it will help you immensely to have this organized for compiling, tagging, and finalizing your product. I am in the final stages of my products and know it would have taken a very long time to generate my work another way. BTW: stay tuned for my eBook releases:

Return on Life: Reclaim Your Business and Your Life
Spiritually Rich: Building a Business to Help Others

…and my Book and Workbook are coming soon, too!!

Be in touch if you need help with any of this and definitely check out and subscribe to Chris’ site. For now, I’ll end wit a quote I pulled from his article:

“Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.” –Oscar Wilde

Got Questions or Comments? Don’t be shy, post ‘em below!!