Get to the Point
This is a highly technical, detail oriented post. The summary is digital scheduling tools are an important aspect of any business, be it solo, nonprofit, or larger. While you can rely on others to have a good tool set-up, that's not always the case

There are many benefits. There are many tools available, many for free. (my favorite four-letter word!) It does generally take a bit of tech/digital know-how to get these systems set up well for your personal needs. 

Your Turn!
Have you found a calendar scheduling tool that you like? Easy set-up? Love to hear!

If you're considering setting up some tech tools for your nonprofit or business to increase your visibility but aren't sure where to start, Let's Chat or message me on LinkedIn or Substack!

Key Networking Strategy

In these post-COVID days, many of us have become adept "zoomers" to do business online. It's expanded our network potential internationally. It offers a quick way to meet others from the comfort of home—safe space—in a pretty focused (short) time typically.

Is This INSTEAD of In Person Networking?
Nope! "Coffee chats" can be online and in person and there are benefits to both options.

How Do We Find These Opportunities?
Fortunately, there are many ways to discover and create opportunities. Many networking opportunities shared in these blog posts here, here, and here can easily lead to coffee chats. 

To save bouncing around blog posts, here's a round-up of ideas.

• Online events: If a webinar or event offers a visible guest list, capture those names for follow-up later. 
• LinkedIn events: These events in particular, if you click that you plan to attend, whether you attend or not, the profiles or people are visible to you to reach out to. 
• Networking events: These events are designed for follow up after the meeting. These can be in person—we all know the business card "sneeze" events!—but hopefully you're finding events that are more thoughtful and measured. You may leave with less contacts but better quality time spent.
• Conversation follow-up: Whether you're messaging through social media platforms or have met someone in person, a coffee chat provides a way to simply continue the discussion and get to know someone a bit more deeply. 

How Do I Set Up A Coffee Chat?
These work whether they're in person or online conversations. 

• Pull out a calendar: Old-fashioned yet effective! Set a time for in person or online in the moment, together, with calendars ready.
• Discuss options: Many are less dialed into tech options, so a little back-and-forth is needed to find the right day and time, bearing time zone in mind. This can get tricky with international conversations, but there are readily available time zone convertors found on any search engine. 
• Tech options: There are options to connect your online calendar and an online meeting platform (Zoom for example) to be share a link with someone where they can review calendar options. Calendly is a common option but there are actually a variety of services available. We'll review these next week. 

What Do I Even SAY?
Ah, I can hear the panic now! No need - let's walk through some strategies to keep this painless for all involved. The best approach is a planned approach. 

• ​Is this someone you want to spend time with? You don't have to like or want to chat with everyone! Some are open to chatting with everyone they meet with the "You just never know" mentality. You never know where the next connection, collaborator, or opportunity to serve per this blog post may be! Others have limited time, bandwidth, or comfort for this type of networking. It's not necessary to do coffee chats to connect with folks!
• Do your research! Politely "stalk" who you plan to chat with by learning about them, finding resources about them, and interacting before you even meet. Check for websites, social media sites to follow or connect, comment on their posts, and see what their "digital footprint" is. Maybe they've been a regular podcast guest or have a show! Maybe you grew up in the same state or attended the same alma mater! Maybe they have pets and so do you. Find commonalities as conversation starters.
• Introduce yourself. Offer an even advantage before your coffee chat—help them get to know a bit about you if you haven't already covered that. Share an email or message on socials with links to your website and any additional socials you have, maybe note a couple of commonalities you've already discovered.
• Be ready with questions! Questions will move your conversation forward to future conversations. Have a few in mind. Business coach Renee Hribar is a master of the "two statements and a question" technique which really makes sense to me—always continue the conversation with a short, focused question.
• Keep it SHORT. Focused chats will get you much further than long, drawn out sessions where you feel like you could send them a Christmas card. No one has time for or needs an hour-long exploratory wandering chat. Be focused, for your own sanity and those you're meeting.
• Have a plan for ending the chat. If you're going to spend time researching someone and chatting with them, you likely have some idea it's a potential relationship to connect, collaborate, or serve. Depending on how the conversation goes:
  • That was nice, but... Have a way to gently agree "Hey, it was great to meet you - thanks for the time! I'll keep my eyes open for (opportunities that may suit them, people to connect them with). Have a great day!" - and done. 
  • Continue the conversation. Have your next steps ready and calendar the next call before you hang up! If this may be a potential client or collaboration, give them homework as a reason to meet again—they need to gather links or material to move to the next step, they will be sending you potential interview questions if you may guest on their podcast. Keep the conversation active! (this idea is completely thanks to Renee!)

Get to the Point
Coffee chats are simply another marketing tool available to you. One on one networking may be less stressful for introverts than facing a group. These are a way to go more deeply into meeting someone without taking a ton of time out of your day. 

Setting up a chat can be as easy as getting out your calendar and planning to meet at a Panera or Starbucks. 

You can also go a bit more high tech and set up a calendar linking app to share for meeting set-up. 

And sometimes, "coffee chats" are simply that—an opportunity to get to know someone better. No more—and no less. Grab your coffee or tea and settle on the couch (figuratively) to chat for a few minutes. You're at the "getting to know you" phase of a relationship—not prepping a wedding or long-term engagement!

Your Turn!
Do you set aside time for coffee chats? Prefer in person, online, or both?

Coffee or tea for you? (tea for me, please, with honey!) If you'd like to chat, I'd be thrilled to get to know you better! Shoot me an email or fill out the online contact form or message me on LinkedIn or Substack. 

What Is A Community?

Excellent question as there are a variety of communities, in person and online. We're going to touch on both here.

A "community" is basically a group or "tribe" of people with similar interests. This can refer to both your potential clients and your colleagues. 

This week, we'll focus on colleague communities. There may be potential clients in these communities! But they're less obviously your client market and typically not your purpose for joining.


Why Consider Communities
Many in my audience work solo or with the assistance of very few. 

• It gets lonely out there on your own!
• Colleagues are very good sounding boards to work through challenges and ideas.
• Communities can inspire you to achieve goals with an "in it together" attitude and possibly group challenges to incentivize you to make progress on those goals.
• Education opportunities may be available.
• Networking opportunities are everywhere, including with colleagues. 

Connect, Collaborate, and Serve
Per this blog post, this philosophy is perfectly suited to community membership.

• Connect: Colleagues in communities can connect you with business assistance and potential clients.
• Collaborate: Communities are a natural place to build collaboration opportunities to mutually build visibility.
• Serve: While the purpose of communities isn't necessarily to sell each other on services available, it's a natural group that develops a familiarity with you, your services, and your expertise which may be useful to members. 

What Communities Are We Talking About?
We'll share ideas related to each of my client types here. 

Nonprofits

• Nonprofit Tech for Good: The website is linked as a starting point. The right side bar has a number of ways to connect for resources including a weekly newsletter and courses. The social links are at the footer of web pages. More of this community lives in LinkedIn groups and a Facebook group. This organization has the most active groups on LinkedIn that I've seen and includes four different focal points. Search LinkedIn groups for "nonprofit organizations" and you should find them. Email me if you need a hand to find them. 
• Nonprofit Hive: This organization offers weekly free 1:1 networking opportunities with nonprofit organizations and those supporting nonprofits. The website shares additional resources as well. 
• PLAI (Purpose Led AI): This community focuses on AI training and use for nonprofits. If you're interested in learning more about bringing AI into your nonprofit, this community offers a number of free resources. 

Solopreneurs

• LifeStarr: This organization offers a number of free resources from blogs to events to podcasts, but the biggest advantage is joining their free community. 
• GeekPack: I've noted GeekPack in other blog posts. This is an excellent community of fellow solopreneurs, supportive of helping each other out and brainstorming. 
• Facebook and LinkedIn groups: I have discovered a few that focus on email marketing and female entrepreneurs. I highly suggest searching groups on these platforms for options that my interest you. Pay attention to the Follow or notification options to check your preference for how often you wish news from each group. Facebook remains king in group options available. Just be careful to see if the group shares your mindset and drama threshold. LinkedIn groups can be hit or miss for type of activity (can feel spammy or salesy rather than collaborative). It feels like LinkedIn admins forget about checking their groups for new interest to the point where requests to join are simply ignored.
• Alignable: I'll admit I only just discovered this community but it looks promising! There are in person groups around the US. They do note it's free but also have a monthly fee option. I've been assured by many that the free discussion board and events are perfectly fine as resources. 
• Meetup: This is a great place to enter search terms for your location or topic. I've connected with a couple of local small business groups here and my weekly library author group uses this service. It's an app that shares in person meetup activities within your interest area.

Authors

• Local author/book groups: Search your local region and your writing genre to see what may pop up. 
• Libraries: Libraries often host writing sessions or author visits to meet others in the local community.
• Co-working online: No need to stay local or in person if times don't suit you! There are some groups that only meet online as a way to get writing done with chatting time at the start and end of the sessions. 

Topical
There are a number of fabulous communities that may not neatly fit into my client profile niche but may be very useful depending on your business challenges. 

• LinkedIn: Lynnaire Johnston, John Espirian, and Scott Aaron have paid membership communities to help you with LinkedIn best practices.
  
• Email marketing: Liz Wilcox has an amazing paid membership community that's very affordable that's hugely supportive, includes co-working sessions, and a library of resources to optimize your email strategy.
  
• Business practice: All of us "sell," whether we have a business or not. I've shared this on a prior blog post after reading a Daniel Pink book. However, when you're talking about your business, there's a lot of mindset to work through. Outside experienced eyes are helpful for you to sell in a way you're comfortable. Renee Hribar and Tracy Beavers have communities at both free and paid levels with a ton of resources to help you move forward. 

Get to the Point
I'm in a variety of communities for a myriad of reasons, each serving as resources for me to Connect, Collaborate, and Serve. I enjoy a mix of in person and online networking communities. Many of these communities live on apps such as Circle, Mighty, Skool, or Slack which you have access to once registering or signing up in some way.

Some communities are free, others paid, and still others offer a mix of free and paid versions. You definitely get what you pay for, meaning if you're paying to be a member of a community, you're likely going to receive high value from the resources and the conversations inside. However, many offer a lot of connections and resources for free.

I have a paid membership with a couple of communities for resources beyond their free level, but my focus tends to be free options. I find them extremely useful, for my business and frankly my well being. Being part of a community brings me great joy.

• For introverts, it's totally fine to "lurk" and learn. There's zero pressure to post comments or initiate anything. You can jump in where and when it feels comfortable for you.
• For extroverts, you can choose to be as active a contributor as you like and have time for! Most community or group leaders (or "admins") are grateful for assistance to whip up excitement and conversation. 
• It's a great way to test out ideas for your business. Communities typically have a broad range of experienced people, from those starting out to others who have been on the path for years. You'll find yourself ahead in your journey compared to others and plenty of mentors to learn from.
• As a solopreneur, you miss the "water cooler" chats of being in an office. Community chat boards and online networking sessions fulfill that need to get out of your head and share experiences.

Your Turn!
Are you in communities within your niche? Any recommendations or suggestions of communities you adore?

​Love to hear them - Let's Chat, leave a comment, or message me on LinkedIn or Substack!

Organic Growth

I've had the amazing fortune to meet a couple of fabulous coaches who share my business philosophy and have helped me clarify words for it. Many thanks to Renee Hribar and Tracy Beavers for their inspiration! 

Never One for Hustle Culture
I enjoy conversations - a lot - all day, every day. These conversations help me get to know people, their needs, their motivation, and how we may be able to assist each other. 

I'm not here to simply earn a buck. I'm here for the conversations, relationships, and to help you shine.

What Is An Email Service Provider?

Let's make sure we start on the same page. If you're going to send emails to a "large" group of people, it's far easier to use an email service provider than simply sending by cc or bcc from your personal email. 

I had heard a few years ago that Google/Gmail limits the number of names you can have on a "to" line. On a search, apparently that's not accurate - they list no hard number limit. I've known many who seem to have issues with emails bouncing or never being delivered with a group of more than 50 which is surprisingly easy to hit for even small groups, and this has been the case for a number of years.

It becomes more an issue of how the email providers communicate with each other, each having their own spam flags. Unfortunately, even using a paid email service provider is no guarantee you won't end up in someone's spam folder to never be seen. 

What Are the Benefits of Using An Email Service Provider?

• Professionalism: Seeing a message sent through an email service provider conveys you're spending intentional thought (and quite possibly intentional budget) to share your work.
• Data/Analytics: Email service providers generally track numbers for you that you can then track over time—how many emails are getting through, are there blocks or unsubscribes happening, what's the "click" rate of folks engaging with buttons on your message or simply opening emails. This feature may be the difference in a free vs paid tier for an email service.
• Artistic element: many email service providers offer template designs with drag-and-drop styles, making it convenient to personalize your message in a stylized way than simply sending a text email.
• FUN! Creating emails with some design elements may not be for everyone, but if that does excite you, it can make a needed task more fun to manage.

Is It Necessary to Use An Email Service Provider?
Nope!

I'm beginning to see a trend of folks that I know have large email lists sending basic ol' text emails to thousands and tens of thousands of folks. No added graphics—just a chatty bit of news you'd send a friend. 

• Sending email this way may necessitate breaking the large group into smaller ones and hitting copy/paste/send repeatedly as most email servers can only handle so much info on their "to" lines.
• Your personal email may also need to send large amounts of emails in a staggered fashion to not overwhelm sending or receiving providers. 
• In spite of less artistic emails, most I'm familiar with still use an email service provider due to the sheer number of emails they send.

Are Newsletters ONLY By Email?
​Nope! I touched on a couple of other ways to share a "newsletter" with others on this blog post, which includes LinkedIn and Substack.

However—and this is a big however!—"rented land" is definitely a concern for how you communicate with your audience should the social platform go away or shut you down for whatever reason, whether legitimate or not. Unfortunately, there are far too many stories of creators being blocked from access to their account and stuck in limbo for some first-line AI agent before you get to a person for some resolution, if you get any response at all. 

YOU are given permission to use someone's personal email address to send them news. That does not rely on the whims of social media platforms and gives you a means of continued communication.

So Which Email Service Provider Should I Use?
This is a loaded question with a number of factors for you to consider:

• How large is your email list currently? Add a buffer for growth over the next few months to a year before you need to research and consider changing your email provider or plan.
• How often do you anticipate emailing? Most providers multiply the size of your list by your frequency to determine the plan for you.
• Do you want access to the analytics or data? That can make the difference between a free and paid service.
• Are there additional features you may use that the provider has available? Many are now bundling the option of a text messaging service or hosting your website, all for additional pricing. 
• Are you a nonprofit? Many offer a nonprofit discount of varying levels by contacting their Support option and sending proof of your EIN. Even $1-$2 off per month adds up over time!

Options Available
This was a challenging topic to tackle as email service providers seem to change pricing regularly and new servers develop along the way. You're welcome to start with this list, but I suggest you do some additional searching including finding groups that may have useful input for you.

I reviewed nine different platforms for this post. I'll link each to their pricing page and share my favorites of those listed. I'm going to focus on those with pricing for 500 or less contacts, much larger lists, and one very small option. The name of each service is hyperlinked to their pricing page. 

• Kit: Free option for up to 10k on your list, jumps to $33/mo if you want to also text, not seeing a nonprofit discount.
• Mailtrap: Free up to 500 contacts, sending no more than 1.5k/mo (gives you up to 3 emails/mo to 500), no nonprofit discount noted. This can be a good option if you're just starting to send group emails. 
• Sender: Smallest plan accommodates up to 1,000 contacts (generous) and 12k/mo sends (up to 12 x 1000 on your list if you max out the contacts or allows for more sends for a smaller list), $7/mo - one of the most affordable, nonprofit discount of 25%.
• Email Octopus: Free option up to 2,500 contacts and sending up to 10k/mo. Analytics are saved for one month on the free plan OR you can pay $9/mo for ongoing analytics. No texting service but they do offer a 20% nonprofit discount. This is the service I currently use for my business. I have the paid service for ongoing analytics. 
• Brevo: Free option allows only 300 messages sent over one month. If you have a small list and don't anticipate emailing often, it may work for you to start. Their paid tier is for up to 500 contacts and up to 5k/mo sending rate for $8.08/mo. Texting is available for an additional monthly fee and a nonprofit discount is available up to 20% off.
• MailChimp: I've used this service for many years for a number of organizations on free and paid tiers. Whatever price you start with, they're very good at generally locking you in at that rate, "grandfathering" you in. The price has gone up quite a bit over time. Between the number of contacts, sending rate, and price, this is definitely lower on my list of recommendations these days. Their starter plan is up to 500 contacts and no more than 5k sends for $8/mo for the first year, then $9.50/mo. It's a big jump to their next tier of services - up to 10k contacts and up to 150k sends per month, but the price is $25/mo for the first year and $30/mo thereafter. Texting is available for an added fee and there is a nonprofit discount.
• Mailerlite: This service recently had some price and plan changes. There is a free version for up to 250 contacts and no more than 2.5k sends/mo. If you're just starting out, this may be a good option for you! The price begins to climb rapidly beyond the free numbers. 
• Omnisend and Constant Contact are more expensive than I feel comfortable recommending, but their pricing pages are linked for you to investigate further. 

​If you prefer visualizing charts, I'll share my findings below.

Get to the Point
I highly recommend investing in an email service provider for your nonprofit or business group emails or newsletters. 

• If you or someone on your team is at all artistic, designing a newsletter may be very creative and satisfying. Many of them have drag-and-drop templates to make it easy to create and can generally be updated with your brand colors. Once you create a style you like, you can update the messaging content and quickly hit "send."
• Even if you send only full-text emails, it's a convenient way to send the same message to many people.
• Analytics (numbers) are extremely useful to determine how your message is landing. 
• Discounts are common for nonprofits by sending Support or Sales your EIN. 
• List size and services can grow as you grow! 
• You can upload a number of contacts at once as a .csv file (spreadsheet) or individually.
• Select a plan that leaves you with room to grow into rather than max'ing out your email or delivery numbers. 

Your Turn!
If you send email news to your customers or members, do you have a favorite email service provider? If so, who and what made you select that one?

Here's to a community that lifts each other!  Let's Chat or message me on LinkedIn or Substack!

What IS a Podcast?

Let's start with the basics and not make assumptions "everyone" knows what a podcast is.

Per a basic Gemini search:
"A podcast is a digital audio or video program made for on-demand listening, like a personal radio show you can play anytime. It comes from the words 'iPod' and 'broadcast'." (note: the word origin is news to me!)

Podcast Lingo

• Episodes: each show is an "episode" that you can stream or download to listen at your convenience
• Topics: basically anything you can think of—just start searching in your favorite podcast player
• Feeds: "subscribe" to a show for new episodes to be available automatically for you to download when you wish or receive alerts for new episodes

How Popular Are Podcasts?
Let's look at some statistics straight from Podcast Statistics for 2026:

• As of January 2026, there are 4.58 million podcasts available worldwide.
• Around 584.1 million people across the globe listened to podcasts.
• In the U.S., about 158 million people tune into podcasts every month.
• One in three people in the U.S. listen to podcasts on YouTube, making it the most popular platform for podcasts.
• The global podcast market is estimated to be worth $39.63 billion.
• On average, podcast listeners spend about 7 hours per week listening to their favorite shows.
• About 86.1% of people prefer to listen to podcasts on their mobile phones.
• The average podcast episode usually lasts between 20 to 40 minutes.

This indicates there is definitely a market to both create a podcast and simply seek opportunities to be a guest on someone's show, which brings us to our next question...

How Hard Is It?
Let's look at this from both sides of the matter. 

What Does It Take to Host a Podcast?
Surprisingly little in its most basic form, however, this is a very basic list. To do this well in the competitive market, I suggest referring to this Buzzsprout post for a more complete yet focused reference to get started. It also offers some great gut checks to determine if you're really ready for the commitment.

• ​Microphone
• Recording device: phone, laptop
• Headset/earbuds for optimum audio
• Software for editing and recording

What Does It Take to Be a Guest on a Podcast?
If committing to a regular schedule as a host or the decision of solo vs guest format is too much, there's a lot to be gained from being a guest on podcasts! ​

Is Being a Guest Worth the Effort for My Business?
Statistics on Omniscent confirm that's a resounding yes! A couple of stand-out stats:

• The average guest-to-client conversion rate on B2B podcasts is 10%.
• Podcasts lead to 25x more conversions than blogs.
• You can produce a large number of content pieces for your social media, blog, and website by sharing a podcast appearance. 
• Your voice (and face if video is created) helps create know, like, and trust authority. Podcast listeners feel they know you, at least a little bit, after an episode and tend to want to learn more.

You will get much further with "warm" pitches when possible. 

Connect with a podcaster for a program you regularly listen to that's related to your client market. You'll be better able to highlight the benefit you have to offer the host and audience. Per Podchasher related to 2026:

• Acceptance rates range from under 1% to 40%, depending entirely on relevance and targeting rather than volume.
• 68% of producers name AI-generated template pitches as the top reason for an immediate no. Mail-merge outreach, unpopulated [First Name] tags, and sterile tone are now an active liability, not just an ineffective tactic. 

Also from Podchaser:

• Pitch an episode, not a guest. The strongest pitches propose a specific episode concept tied to the show’s recent topics, rather than asking the host to feature a person. Producer and podcast production agency owner Doug Downs, who runs more than 20 podcasts, calls this being the “blue M&M” in a bowl of identical red ones.
• Remove the producer’s homework. Winning pitches include a concise, human bio, suggested questions tailored to the show’s format, and ready-to-use assets like headshots and links to past appearances. Easy-to-run pitches get run.
• Match the show’s format before pitching. The report’s “4A’s” framework sorts shows into Analytical, Anthropological, Aspirational, and Actionable. A pitch that fits the show’s actual style converts far better than one built for a category.

Where Do I Find Podcasts?
If you haven't discovered podcasts, there are free and monthly fee services that curate shows featuring a variety of topics.

• Spotify: offers music, radio, and podcasts
• Apple Podcasts: offers podcasts, videos, and shows
• YouTube: podcasts, music, videos, shows, and movies
• Podcast Addict: I'm a long-time user of this app and very happy with the free option
• LinkedIn: not necessarily podcasts but online events, live and taped, very podcast-like
• Substack: similar to LinkedIn with audio and video options

You may actually find it easier to connect and message hosts on LinkedIn and Substack rather than by email!

Get to the Point
Podcasts are an amazing tool in your marketing tool kit! You'll get noticed as a host and as a guest. 

I will note if you decide to host a podcast, it takes a commitment to your audience and yourself to maintain a schedule. It may also come with a financial cost for equipment, streaming services, and editing or recording tools to really sound good. Hosting should not be taken lightly! 

Some podcasters connect with a service such as Buy Me A Coffee or Patreon to offset production expenses, especially if they have monthly subscription fees for recording and editing tools. 

I heartily recommend jumping at any opportunity to, at a minimum, be engaged on LinkedIn and Substack in podcast or live audiences to be seen with active interest. There is often an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise with helpful comments. You can become a "regular" with some shows and develop friendships, strengthen bonds with connections, and continue to make new connections. 

Once you get some comfort at that level, consider reaching out to hosts of your favorite podcasts that would also appeal to your potential clients.

Your Turn!
Have you hosted a podcast or LinkedIn/Substack events? Are you still doing it? Love to hear your suggestions to get started or why you may have stopped!

Have you been a guest on podcasts or LinkedIn/Substack events? Are you looking for those opportunities? 

Let's help each other get connected, as hosts or guests! Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn or Substack!

How Should I Get My Book Published?

While my focus is on marketing and not book publishing, this is a rather common question as a starting point. I've been grateful to spend time with many authors and publishing affiliated folks to become familiar with the basics of the options available.

I am the first to admit, I am no expert on this nor profess to be, but I'm an amazing researcher and am happy to share my discoveries and resources.  

Also bear in mind, publishing options change—plan to do a bit of research on the matter when you're ready to publish for the most current info.

First Book - Where's A Good Start?
Excellent question! Let's start by defining the global options available with thanks to Books.by for their tutorial and an amazing comparison chart:

• Marketplaces: you publish on their store, they have the customers, you receive a percentage of the sale - they keep 30-65% of the sale (Amazon, Barnes and Noble) 
• Distributors: they make your book available to retailers who then sell your book, gets you into stores you may not otherwise have access to, multiple middlemen means lower royalties, and you still don't own the customer relationship (IngramSpark, Draft2Digital)
• Direct sales: you sell directly to readers through your own processes, you own the customer relationship, highest royalties; however, you must generate all of the traffic, PR, and granular business aspects such as shipping and taxes (Books.by, Shopify, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy)

​Chart below is courtesy of the same Books.by 2026 self-publishing guide:

Focusing on Amazon
My dear friend Gillian Whitney, author, podcaster, book coach, and publisher (with her husband), hosted a fabulous podcast February 25, 2025 discussing ISBNs which led to a discussion about Amazon publication options. She has transcribed the podcast into an article you can find here along with the option to listen to the podcast if you prefer. Above is her LinkedIn, here is her website.

Gillian's recommendation for first-time authors: "[I]f you are a first-time author who is unsure whether publishing is going to stick, the free ISBN [with Amazon] is a perfectly reasonable starting point. There is no shame in it. You can always change your mind later — it is just more work if you do."

ISBNs (each book format's individual book number of record) are needed to publish and sell books. A different one is needed for each book format. Purchasing them individually can be expensive, but they are sold in bundles a bit more affordably if you plan to publish in multiple formats or author multiple books. Gillian has plenty of detail in her article. Let's return our focus to Amazon, probably the most frequently used by independent authors.

Amazon's Free ISBN: The Pros and the Cons
Per Gillian's article: "Amazon (through Kindle Direct Publishing) offers a free ISBN for paperback and hardback editions. For Kindle eBooks, no ISBN is required at all — Amazon simply does not ask for one. Neither do Apple Books or Barnes & Noble Press for ebooks, though aggregators like Draft2Digital and IngramSpark do require them." The pros and cons are taken directly from her article.

• The Pros of Using Amazon's Free ISBN
  • It is genuinely free — no cost for paperback or hardback editions
  • Amazon handles registration for you — no metadata entry required on your part
  • Available to authors worldwide, not just in the United States
  • The book shows as "independently published" on BookWire — not as Amazon-branded
• The Cons of Using Amazon's Free ISBN
  • You cannot take it with you — the ISBN belongs to Amazon and cannot be used on any other platform
  • Amazon is listed as your publisher, not you
  • If you later want to move to a different platform using that ISBN, you will need to unpublish, apply for your own ISBN, republish, and then ask Amazon to transfer your reviews to the new listing

Buying Author Copies on Amazon
On behalf of a client, I asked Gillian about options for authors to purchase (affordably) printed copies of their book for distribution at meetings as a beautiful "business card" or to even sell independently off Amazon. I wasn't sure if there may be regulations about potentially inflating sales numbers if the author is the one predominantly purchasing the books. 

Here's what she had to say: "When an author publishes their book on Amazon, they have the ability to order Author copies at cost. You can order as many copies as you like (up to 999 per order) and sell them independently yourself at whatever markup price you choose. Many authors sell their author copies at conferences, speaking engagements, etc."

Very good to know—thank you, Gillian!

Get to the Point
There are a number of ways to consider publishing your book! We have only scratched the surface here, but we've laid the groundwork for future posts and tackled a decent summary about Amazon to get you started.

This post focuses on Amazon as it's one of the most popular means for authors aiming to publish independently rather than through traditional publishers whose process can take months and may ultimately not be accepted in their printing calendar. 

Gillian Whitney is a fabulous resource for authors looking to get published! She has published six books now and is involved on the publishing side of things with her husband. Her weekly podcast is roughly 30 minutes, hosting many guests related to the publishing and marketing process for books. She hosts monthly events on LinkedIn with featured guests for an hour where Q&A is available. 

Some authors prefer the broad distribution and authority of working with traditional publishers. Others prefer the speed and independence of independent publishing options.

As an independent author, you do have some input in the price that will be charged depending on whether you're aiming for a profit or prefer to "freely" share your information. Amazon has a rock-bottom price point of slightly above the cost to print a book or $0.99 minimum for Kindle books.

Your Turn!
Have you published a book yet or thinking about it? Any stumbling blocks along the way?

A book is an amazing asset to have for your business to demonstrate your thought leadership and expertise! It's a fabulous calling card for authors, solopreneurs, and even nonprofits interested in broadening their reach.

I'd love to hear your experiences! I'd also be very happy to help you put the finishing touches on your nonfiction book with proofreading/editing skills. My favorite part of publishing is the marketing before and after your book is published--Let's Chat! You can also find me on LinkedIn and Substack! 

What Is GeekPack?

​GeekPack per the LinkedIn company page "is a business education company built for online business owners who are technically excellent—but revenue is inconsistent. We work with coaches, course creators, service providers, and agency owners who have the skills, the systems, and the clients—but not a predictable pipeline."

Founder Julia Taylor, self-professed introvert "who'd rather be behind the screen than out in front," is a "business coach for tech-savvy women" (although I've seen a few gentlemen in the group), "helping you stop hiding in the backend & build predictable revenue."

Special thanks to Julia Taylor for allowing me to interview her!

Julia began GeekPack in October 2018, but started her first business in 2016. On becoming a military spouse with multiple moves, Julia started her business to manage her own career progression with flexibility to work from anywhere. As she shared on social media about her journey—teaching herself how to code, build websites, location independence with the RV life—she began hearing "I want to be able to do what you do—can you teach me how to do it?" 

“I wanted everything I did to be based around a supportive & encouraging community" as any time she asked any tech questions, she was made fun of. “I wanted to teach people how to build websites and start a business, but I wanted to wrap it around community—supportive, encouraging, and geeky," thus GeekPack was born.

Who Is This For?
Following and participating in the GeekPack programs are useful for solopreneurs, authors (writing books is your business!), and even nonprofits. 

I have seen a number of fellow nonprofit leaders in the GeekPack program. I asked Julia how she sees the match in her programs for nonprofit founders. “There are many parallels with nonprofit leaders and business owners—selling a service or funding, storytelling, marketing, letting others know you exist, have conversations, build relationships, networking—it's all the same. The only real difference is owner vs nonprofit, but I would argue most nonprofit leaders feel like owners, because they're probably the ones who started it, so there's not a huge difference. There are a lot of similarities.”

GeekPack offers a number of programs:

• 6-week free foundation program thanks to a grant partnership with Verizon Small Business Digital designed to help you think through your brand: the Who, What, Why, Where, and How of your business plan. Entry is open to all with an application process and new cohorts regularly starting.
• Revenue OS (Operating System) is the GeekPack flagship paid program where you work closely with Julia for personalized guidance as you move forward with your business plan. The focus is on creating habits that will help you build predictable revenue. While this sounds more geared to the solopreneur, the concepts absolutely translate to nonprofits as well. 

Get to the Point
I recently completed my second iteration of the 6-week foundation program--completion certificate achieved!

I initially completed the program a year ago, year 3 of my business, where I gained insights that guided me forward, to ensure my business foundation was in place. Admittedly, I participated half-heartedly, thinking I knew more than I did and more focusing on the day-to-day of what I was doing in my business to build connections.

I gained insights but not nearly as many as I did this year with many thanks to my instructor in GeekPack, Glenna Garcia.

This time on year 4 of my business, I'm taking a step back to check my business foundation, and listening—truly participating this time each and every week—showing up live 2x/week with the cohort, watching the Verizon videos accompanying each lesson, doing the homework, and engaging with my classmates—all fellow solopreneurs.

This year was more of an intermediate program—perfect for where I am in my business and for others in my cohort.

• The next-level frame of reference was refreshing.
• I was also tapped to be an "Ambassador" during the session which totally got my attention, focus, and tapped into my existing business service of social engagement. I made a point to be present and participating! Who knows—a future business opportunity for me with GeekPack! At a minimum, deeper connections with a program I already love.

What's Next?
The timing for the most recent GeekPack/Verizon program was perfect to commit to investing in Revenue OS, which I also highly recommend. It is not necessary to take the GeekPack/Verizon program before jumping into Revenue OS, however, I found the programs a good match for me.

Revenue OS provides:

• Personalized 1:1 interviews or chats with Julia Taylor to map your business plan, mid-program status check, and solidifying your ongoing plan.
• A handy app to track daily progress with an opportunity to reflect on your week's activities—what worked, what didn't, what to consider adjusting in your strategy. (Julia is an app developer and a whiz at it—the app alone is gold!) This is where you build the daily, weekly, and monthly habits that will lead to more stable revenue.
• Inclusion in a group of like-minded business owners also going through the program. It's a fabulous resource to bounce ideas off of, share challenges and successes, and get out of your own head which is useful when you're predominantly working on your own as a solopreneur, author, or small nonprofit. (a number of folks in the GeekPack programs lead small nonprofits!)

Want More?
Head here to sign up for GeekPack/Julia Taylor's email at a minimum. This will keep you posted of upcoming opportunities to join programs or learn about new options available.

Head here to apply for the next GeekPack/Verizon program.

Head here to learn more about the Revenue OS program. 

Your Turn!
Have you found any business development programs you like and have participated in? 

Love to hear about them! We all grow by sharing resources! Let's Chat or message me on LinkedIn or Substack to share!

Have You Heard Any Good Podcasts Lately?

I'm a huge fan of podcasts! Audio options are my daily exercise companion. Podcasts have the advantage of fitting in a variety of time windows you may have, anything from 10 minutes long to 30 minutes, an hour, or more. Podcasts are fun and educational! I'm always keeping my ears open for new podcasts that mentors I admire recommend and often have on their podcasts. 



Podcasts for Nonprofits
These are a number of podcasts available for those of us in the nonprofit sector. Most of these are on my To Listen list but I've seen good reviews.

• Nonprofit Deep Dive by Nonprofit.courses/Matt Hugg: nontraditional style, this is basically a NotebookLM "podcast" sharing of website content. I've personally met Matt Hugg and he's a wealth of information and experience!
• Nonprofit Hub Radio
• Nonprofit Nation with Julia Campbell
• The Nonprofit Podcast with Jena Lynch, Brittan Stockert, and Cara Augspurger

Podcasts for Authors
There is only one favorite on my podcast feed particularly for authors. Definitely check out my friend Gillian Whitney's Easy Peasy Books with her weekly podcast! She has additional content including monthly deep dives along with great articles on her LinkedIn.

​Podcasts for Solopreneurs/Business Tactics
I have a number of favorites here on a variety of topics.

• AI
  • The Artificial Intelligence Show: hands-down favorite follow on the topic, my every Tuesday and occasional Thursday listen (special episodes)
  • AI Explored with Michael Stelzner
• General
  • This Old Marketing with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose: the best for topical marketing news of the day but mostly just a fun listen with their banter, my every Friday listen
  • Selling Your Expertise with Renee Hribar: I can't get enough of this podcast right now as I'm working my way back through all of her content
  • The Aspiring Solopreneur with Joe Rando & Carly Ries of LifeStarr: a new favorite of mine, posts 2x/wk, great general content for solopreneurs
  • Marketing Mentor Podcast with Ilise Benun: practical general marketing ideas 
  • Ditching Hourly with Jonathan Stark: recent discovery on pricing structure, moving from hourly to value based
  • The Amy Porterfield Show with Amy Porterfield: great general marketing content, most of her high-income business information is applicable to the general majority of us—why not aim high!
• Email
  • Easy Email Marketing with Yael Keon: focused, list-style content every 2 wks; very practical, hands-on information
  • Do This, Not That! by Jay Schwedelson: a regular short favorite with quick notes 3-4x/wk on email topics
  • Create Online Business Success - Email List & Leads Growth by Tracy Beavers: a recent discovery focusing on how to grow your email list through your social media and website
• Social Media
  • Informed with John Espirian: focus is on LinkedIn, short bits of Q&A plus updates on LinkedIn
  • Social Media for B2B Growth - LinkedIn Strategy for BTB Marketers with Michelle J Raymond: great suggestions with a heavy emphasis on company page strategy
  • Rocky Mountain Marketing - Digital Marketing for Entrepreneurs with Katie Brinkley: general coverage of news and strategy on all the social platforms
  • Networking and Marketing Made Simple with Scott Aaron: focus is on LinkedIn strategy
  • The LinkedIn Branding Show with Michelle B Griffin and Michelle J Raymond: great team perspective balancing personal and company page profile suggestions
  • Write Build Scale with Jari Roomer, Sinem Gunel, & Philip Hofmacher: ideas and tutorials on developing your Substack

Your Turn!
This scratches the surface of my podcast list. I've tried to focus on those I've actually listened to, although my nonprofit list is predominantly sharing available resources I have not heard yet as it's a rather niche podcast topic to find. 

What are your favorite podcasts right now and why?

Love to hear - Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn or Substack!

What is "Networking"?

Let's make sure we start on the same page. According to Merriam-Webster, networking is "the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions, specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business."

That's a bit more broad than I had in mind, but that's fine. 


Forms of Networking
Networking is simply any interaction with other humans. Pulling a few sources together from an online search, a rather varied list develops:

• Operational Networking: Build relationships within your current organization.
• Personal Networking: Engage with people outside your company for personal professional development, referrals, and long-term career opportunities.
• Strategic Networking: Connect with people who can help you achieve business goals.
• Informal Networking: Casual interactions, such as chatting while getting coffee, attending hobby-related events, or connecting via social media, which can lead to professional opportunities.
• Virtual Networking: Engage in online platforms (LinkedIn, virtual meetups, webinars) to connect with people online.
• Event-Based Networking: Attend organized gatherings such as seminars, conferences, career fairs, or happy hours to meet professionals. 

To me, it all comes down to two types:

• In person
• Virtual/online

Which is Better - In Person or Online?
It depends.

If you can manage opportunities to meet in person, all the better. However, online offers opportunities unimaginable until recently to connect with people from around the world!

Event-Based Networking Opportunities
These are available in person or online. The more in person opportunities you can create for yourself, the more satisfying it tends to be for folks. 

• Seminars: Most education opportunities include networking time in their agenda—the best of both worlds! These can be free or low cost to definitely needing thoughtful budgeting for the expense. 
• Conferences: These tend to be more expensive, often a price break for those who purchase annual membership, and tend to last longer, on the order of days. 
• Career fairs: These are designed for purposeful networking. If you're actively in the job market, this is a great way to meet hiring representatives in person to cut through online job application systems and connect names with faces. This enables your personality to shine!
• "Happy hours": This is the most casual of organized networking. These can be after work or coffee/tea meet-ups. They can also be in person or online!

But I'm an Introvert!
Start small. One event at a time. Start with smaller events and work up to larger events. Many larger events, especially online, host networking "rooms" for a small group atmosphere.

Some event hosts provide discussion topics to start conversations. Consider jotting your own conversation starters if you feel like you freeze when it's time to talk; these will help you feel more prepared. 

I've met a few self-professed introverted trainers on LinkedIn that you may wish to connect with as resources.​Greg Roche, The Introverted Networker, is a great resource sharing on socials, a newsletter, and a podcast. (LinkedIn is hyperlinked; Substack newsletter is here)

Human Connection - the AI Differentiator
Networking and human connection will be what ultimately sets us apart from AI providers. AI can and will be able to do many of the tasks and services each of us provide. Some of our potential clients will be just fine or even prefer the output or convenience of AI providing services.

Those are not the clients we're looking for.

Networking is already a key deciding factor for employers when hiring staff. It's the primary way many in the job market are getting job opportunities currently. This article from OpenArc from October 2025 has a number of fascinating statistics. 

• "85% of available positions are never publicly advertised on job boards or company websites."
• "Online job applications have an average success rate of approximately 2%, compared to significantly higher rates through networking."
• "...referred candidates are hired at a 30% rate, while all other application methods combined yield only a 7% success rate—that’s a 4.3× advantage."
• "According to LinkedIn and HubSpot studies, an incredible 85% of all jobs are filled via networking."
• "Referred candidates move through the hiring process 11% faster than those from other sources. Additionally, referred employees tend to stay with companies 70% longer than those hired through other channels."

What's the difference between you and AI? Human connection. Personality. Interaction. A sense of humor. The unique experiences that you bring to the discussion.

Where Do I Start?
You may consider an AI chat to help you focus your energy on where your ideal client may be. You'll likely want to consider in person and online opportunities depending on your business, time, and energy!

• Local events: Chamber of Commerce, business associations, conventions, community groups (where you live, social media groups, HOA groups), NextDoor, Eventbrite, or MeetUp options in your target audience. Book fairs are great options for authors, and local nonprofit events are perfect for those in the nonprofit realm.
• Library events: Your local library and community centers likely offer low to no cost meet ups or groups that align with your client market. If you don't find a group that interests you, consider working with the facility leaders and offer your services as an instructor to create an event! 
• Online networking: Some social media platforms create events for the purpose of networking. My friend on LinkedIn, Sigrid de Kaste, offers an online networking opportunity every two weeks with a free trial option before membership. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Substack event and group options abound, as varied as your interests. The Nonprofit Hive courtesy of Tasha Van Vlack is a fabulous opportunity I recently discovered. Ilise Benun, Lynnaire Johnston, John Espirian, Felipe Cofiño, Roy Kowarski, and Joe Rando of LifeStarr offer networking communities as do many others on LInkedIn. 

I've Networked - Now What?
Build those new-found friendships and relationships! Keep in touch personally and in group activities. Consistent, regular participation builds your networking muscles and helps you be seen as a trusted resource. 

You won't typically find your new best friend in networking events, but you'll generally develop at least a passing awareness of others (if not deeper) to be able to chit-chat on occasion, refer client leads and opportunities, and support each other on the socials with comments and post engagement. You'll learn along the way, as many networking events are bundled with education opportunities—the best of both worlds in my book. 

Your Turn!
Do you prefer in person or online networking events? Do you have a favorite resource or group to suggest to others?

Love to hear about your networking journey! Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn or Substack!