#42 | Amanda Goetz | The Messiness of Finding Your Content Niche & Going Independent
This week, John sits down with Amanda Goetz. Amanda is a 2x founder, 3x CMO, and now a full-time brand builder and creator on personal and professional growth inspiring 150k people each week through social and her weekly newsletter, Life’s a Game.
Amanda shares insights and experiences on:
- Her experience transitioning to full-time content creation (and she’s worked through the anxiety that induces).
- How/why finding validation and proof points, such as audience growth, engagement, and revenue, are important in building a successful content creation business (and how she founder hers).
- How she’s balancing content creation with consulting to provide financial stability while pursuing creative endeavors.
- The operational side of going independent, i.e., purchasing health insurance, setting up your LLC, etc.
Timestamps
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (02:11) - Leaving Corporate America
- (05:06) - Dealing with Doubts and Anxiety
- (06:02) - Navigating Fear and Self-Doubt
- (07:00) - Identifying Inner Voices and Overcoming Anxiety
- (08:00) - The Reality of Content Creation
- (08:59) - Motivation and Inspiration for Starting a Newsletter
- (09:56) - Passion for Writing and Personal Growth
- (10:54) - Setting Goals and Writing a Book
- (12:23) - Motivation and Drive as a Parent
- (13:18) - The Business Side of Going Solo
- (14:14) - Navigating Health Insurance and Financial Stability
- (15:13) - Overcoming Challenges and Learning New Skills
- (16:39) - Building in Public and Overcoming Blockers
- (18:56) - Building a Side Hustle and Going Full-Time
- (21:17) - Proof Points and Taking the Leap
- (22:16) - Building a Newsletter and Monetizing
- (24:11) - The Dangers of Comparison and Unrealistic Expectations
- (26:03) - Building in Public and Sharing Vulnerability
- (27:31) - The Reality of Content Creators and Financial Success
- (28:30) - The Importance of Authenticity and Alignment in Sponsorships
- (30:24) - Choosing the Angle of the Newsletter
- (32:20) - Finding Newsletter Topics and Brainstorming
- (34:40) - The Iterative Process of Writing a Book
- (37:32) - The Importance of Messiness in the Creative Process
- (43:13) - Betting on Yourself and Going All-In
- (46:11) - The Book's Tone and Direction
- (47:07) - Exploring Different Directions for the Book
- (47:33) - Closing Remarks
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This episode of Louder Than Words is brought to you by Riverside, my preferred tool for recording and editing podcasts. Right now, Riverside is offering a 15% discount to Louder Than Words listeners. Just visit riverside.fm and use the code LOUDER during checkout to lock in your discount.
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Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode, the promotional clips, and handling the overall production of Louder Than Words.
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Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode, the promotional clips, and handling the overall production of Louder Than Words.
Riverside is offering a 15% discount to Louder Than Words listeners. Just visit riverside.fm and use the code LOUDER during checkout to lock in your discount.
