Podcast
Creator Scale
Hosted by Caleb Wojcik · EN
Creator Scale is a podcast for entrepreneurs in the creator economy who are ready to stop doing everything themselves and start building a business that actually scales. I’m Caleb Wojcik, the current CEO of Smart Passive Income and founder of Creator Scale, here to share what I’ve learned from 10+ years of running multiple solo businesses. Each episode, I’ll break down how creators are going smarter using systems, delegation, artificial intelligence, content strategy, and sustainable revenue models. Ready to scale without burning out? Let’s go.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Finding Clarity After Burnout: My 9 Year Entrepreneurial Story
May 24, 202400:19:59Tap to summarizeI get real about my burnout after finally achieving what I had worked for over the past decade. I had a family with three kids, paid off all my debt, and was running multiple successful businesses, but hit a wall.My story starts five years ago with the launch of SwitchPod on Kickstarter, where we raised over $400,000. Despite this success, personal challenges arose, like expecting our first child and balancing business with family life. The pandemic also hit and I had to quickly pivot my businesses without being able to travel.I talk about the craziness of 2022, juggling my biggest client project to date and the demands of a growing family, including newborn twins. Even though things were headed in the right direction professionally, a fallout with a major client led to a big loss of planned income, which also felt like a huge betrayal.During this time, I also faced personal setbacks, like a failed house purchase. With savings but no clear direction, I drifted and eventually sought therapy to process my emotions and past experiences. Therapy was transformative, helping me gain clarity and closure.After a year of reflection and support, I’ll share how I recovered from burnout and I hope this episode encourages you if you’re currently stuck in a velvet rut like I was.0:00 - It felt like a finish line1:05 - Let's go back to 20194:34 - My busiest year ever in 20226:56 - Client & subcontractor drama8:56 - What was I going to do next?10:36 - Drifting & procrastination11:11 - Seeking escape & therapy13:02 - Solid inner tube metaphor14:19 - Figuring out what was next16:03 - Anti-famous17:14 - Teasing the next episodes To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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What to Expect from Couch to $500K
May 15, 202400:11:04Tap to summarizeI'm excited to be back behind the microphone again after a long hiatus. The show will start with just me solo for a bit, but I plan to bring guests in from time to time too. I'll tell stories of failure and success. I will share real numbers and statistics. I'll laugh, but try not to cry. Next week, I’ll share my story of burning out and how I ended up on the hypothetical “couch” that I’m alluding to with the title of the show. But for now, here's a bit of behind the scenes on why I took a break from podcasting and why I'm back at it.0:00 - Shifting Towards Documenting4:09 - My History with Podcasting8:50 - What to Expect from this Podcast To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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2020 Annual Review
Mar 11, 202101:32:09Tap to summarize#101 - At the end of every year I do an annual review and usually publish them too (like I did in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018).And yes, I'm finally publishing this review in March because I took time off during Christmas break and played Playstation. That's the honest truth.The year before last, 2019, ended up being one of the biggest years of change or growth I’ve had since I started working for myself full-time because of SwitchPod’s Kickstarter launch and having our first child, but I didn’t make the time to create a public annual review. I could blame it having a two month old baby with colic, but really I was just taking any extra downtime then to catch up on sleep or urgent work after starting to ship SwitchPod worldwide just two months earlier.But 2020 was a YEAR. Actually it felt two to three years long.What started off as a normal year with plans to continue traveling for my video client work turned into basically staying home for 10 months straight. My wife and I took the pandemic and our potential exposure very seriously (because of her past cancer surgeries and her parents living nearby) and thankfully we haven't lost anyone we know to COVID-19, but it has majorly disrupted the lives of many, us included.“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”I’ll try not to mention any of the major world events from 2019 like the pandemic, the U.S. election, racial injustice, and more but it was definitely a harder year to stay focused on work and different events did impact my year financially, socially, mentally, and more.It makes me think back to 2008 and how in a way I took that economic downturn as a sign that I needed to choose myself to take care of myself, not rely on a company or economy to make sure I have a job or be in control of my income. I worked hard in college to get a job when I graduated with my two bachelor's degrees in May 2008 right before the recession.A few months into being a full-time employee I saw friends, coworkers, and family lose jobs, never land jobs, and be financially stunted. I also saw the company I worked for (Boeing) announce they were laying off up to 10,000 people. This made me start learning about entrepreneurship, how to make money online, and personal finance. It pushed to get my MBA right away. And overall, it made me not just trust that a large company would take care of me for 40 years and pay me a pension at the end.Because I took the risk and left my day job with solid pay and cushy benefits in 2011, I was able to build up the skills, connections, and multiple income streams that let me survive and even thrive financially in 2020 when the world was completely upended by coronavirus.If last year was rough for you and you felt out of control, try to use that as a wake up call for taking control back in your own life from whoever you've given it up to.Okay, I think that's enough preamble. Let's dive in.What I "Do" for WorkRight now I am running three different businesses day to day.A physical product business (SwitchPod)A client service business (Caleb Wojcik Films)A digital teaching business (online courses, YouTube, podcast, etc.).1. SwitchPodLet's start with SwitchPod since that has been the biggest change to my work lately. Since launching the Kickstarter campaign in January 2019, I'd estimate SwitchPod has taken up 50% or more of my time spent working. Some weeks more like 80%.2020 had some major projects for SwitchPod:Launched our 2nd & 3rd products, ball head and phone adapterCreated new stylized product photographyCompletely redesigned the Shopify website to be faster & more mobile friendly.Other than those larger projects, I spent my time reaching out to land more retailers to stock SwitchPod, fulfilling orders to Amazon and other existing retailers, marketing through social media, partnering with creators and companies on promotion, working on the less exciting admin bits (finances, taxes, legal, etc.), and handling customer support.It really isn't the type of business that I can let go more than a day or two without working on because systems will start to fall apart, customers and retailers will get upset by response time, etc.I think of it more like a garden I have to check in on every day. Some days I'm just pulling weeds or watering some things quickly. Other days I have to completely till the soil or plant a bunch of seeds which takes all day.I'm really proud of where the business is at. Could we be selling more units? Always. But the business is lean, very profitable, and has a lot of potential to grow. More numbers later.2. Client Services BusinessIn 2018 and 2019, my main client Smart Passive Income (run by Pat Flynn who is also my business partner on SwitchPod) accounted for about 50% of my service based business. The other half came from me flying around the U.S. filming courses and events for start-ups, authors, and more.In 2020, SPI and Pat made up almost all of my client revenue. I wasn't able or willing to travel due to COVID-19, work inquiries slowed down, events were cancelled, and more. However, we did do some editing on some previous client projects that had been pushed into 2020.The timing of becoming a father a few months before a worldwide pandemic meant I was able to be home more to help my wife with our daughter and not travel at all.Adjusting to the new reality of not traveling for work was actually quite nice. And financially I'm grateful that the timing of when SwitchPod could start paying me through a monthly salary and quarterly owner draws helped to more than off-set the decrease in other client work in 2020. This is the power of diversifying income streams and why I'm glad I've worked to set up so many different ways I make money.Project wise what we worked on for SPI was:we filmed and edited two courses (A to Z Webinars and Email Marketing Magic)helped with a bunch of live workshops they sellsupported Pat's YouTube channel which published 58 videos that weren't livestreamsHaving a steady client on retainer is a lifeline to a client business that is more prone to ups and downs. Even having just one can be the difference between making payroll one month or missing it. I highly suggest you try to pitch and convince clients to work with you monthly with a retainer.3. Digital BusinessI started 2020 all gung-ho with plans to make 1 video a week, 1 podcast a week, and 1 course a month. That didn't happen...Let's break down what I made and learned in 2020.My PodcastContent wise I was most consistent with my podcast in 2020 and released 25 episodes. I started the year filming the episodes, even doing in person 3 camera interviews for a month before the pandemic locked everything down. Eleven of the podcast episodes I did in 2020 have video versions.For how much I enjoy having long-form conversations with friends and guests on my podcast, the results just aren't there for the amount of effort they take to produce. Planning questions, setting up equipment, editing, publishing, and more take anywhere from 5-10 hours per episode and when they get less than a thousand audio downloads each or are viewed less than a thousand times on YouTube, I can't see myself continuing to do it with the limited amount of capacity and extra work time I have. It sucks to say that, but it's the reality.Just look at how 16 podcast interviews on my channel have performed 100x worse than 19 non-camera product reviews when it comes to views and revenue.I would maybe do an audio only podcast if someone else hosted it with me or I was getting more downloads. I've considered doing my podcast live on YouTube to see if getting guests & listeners on live would help grow it more, but I think lack of consistency and not having a more specific niche for the show other than "whatever Caleb wants to talk about or whoever he wants to have on as a guest" has hurt growth for the show. Right now having a podcast is just something I have to put on the shelf and leave there....
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What should I make next? (An Open Conversation with My Wife)
Sep 11, 202000:37:05Tap to summarize#100 - Have you ever reached big milestone that shifts you to be more introspective?I'm talking something big like turning an age that ends in zero, getting out of debt, or having a child.This is what happened to me when it came to planning and recording episode 100 of my podcast.Not only did I start to question what episode 100 should be, but also what content I even want to be making.I've stopped and started my podcast up again multiple times since recording episode 1 back in 2014. I've done plenty of interviews with video creators and taught a bunch of what I've learned running my video business the last 6 years.I tend to focus most of my YouTube videos on specific pieces of video or photo gear because that is what I think will get me more views, which leads to audience growth, more affiliate income, and more course sales. And for the podcast I feature other creators to share what is possible to accomplish with online video, but also to potentially reach some of their audience as well.I already run two profitable businesses, the first making videos for clients and the second being SwitchPod, and each equate to a full-time job themselves a lot of the time. This means the hopes, dreams, and plans for my free content and paid courses business always ends up being a third wheel.And what I earn from it is also the least of my 3 income streams, so it gets the least amount of attention.So why am I putting so much pressure on myself to make it "the thing" or compare myself to other creators online?In this podcast episode I discuss this and more with my wife Jen.We talk about what's next for me online, what kind of videos, podcasts, etc. I should be making, discuss my website redesign, and share an open and honest look at what it is like to be a creator online balancing multiple businesses, passions, and goals. To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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Choosing the Perfect Camera for You (At Any Budget)
Aug 21, 202000:58:46Tap to summarize#99 - The most common thing people ask me online is, "what camera should I buy?”When there are new cameras being released from every brand multiple times a year, it is really hard to do enough research on your own to figure out which camera is right for you and what you’re going to use it for.In this podcast episode I chat with Greg Farnum all about cameras and which ones we’d buy. We talk through what features really matter when choosing a camera, what accessories we’d recommend beyond just the camera body or lens, and finish by discussing what we’d buy with a $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $10,000 budget.Whether you're in the market for a new camera or you want to be reassured that what you have is good enough, this episode will help you out.Chapters / Timestamps0:00 — Introduction01:41 - Greg's Background05:14 - Important Camera Features17:07 - $500 Budget Recommendation23:36 - $1,000 Budget Recommendation28:47 - $2,500 Budget Recommendation44:22 - $10,000 Budget Recommendation47:50 - Invest in Lenses Not Cameras48:53 - Essential AccessoriesItems MentionedGreg's YouTube ChannelGreg's InstagramBenQ 4K Art Series MonitorZoom H6 RecorderSony RX100 VISony a6000 & 16-50mmCanon G7XFUJIFILM X-T30 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-55mm LensSony a6400 16-50mm LensPocket 4kPocket 6kSigma 18-35DaVinci ResolveCanon RPCanon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM LensPolar Pro 2-5 Stop Variable ND FilterSwitchPod - Handheld TripodSmall HD FocusAtomos ShinobiAtomos Ninja VBMPCC Tilta Modification Kit To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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Better Lighting for Your Videos On Any Budget
Aug 14, 202000:58:15Tap to summarize#98 - In my opinion, lighting is one of the most underrated skills and underspent categories of gear when making high quality videos.If you understand how to light a video well and have the proper gear, your videos can even look better than someone that has a camera that costs 5 or 10 times as much as yours.In this podcast episode I chat with Tommy Callaway about how to improve lighting in your videos. We discuss common mistakes people make with lighting, what you can do to improve your lighting setup for under $100, what specs you should pay attention to when researching a light to purchase, and what lighting gear we would recommend at low-end, mid-range, and professional level budgets.Whether you're looking to invest money into new lights or just modify your current lighting setup with a few DIY solutions to improve how it looks, this episode is full of helpful tips.Chapters / Timestamps0:00 - Introduction0:40 - Tommy's Background04:12 - Choosing to Focus on Lighting07:25 - Working with Big Brands08:09 - Common Lighting Mistakes on YouTube11:40 - Lighting Upgrades Under $10024:35 - What Matters When Buying Lights32:40 - Gear Recommendations for Any Budgets50:56 - Learning How to Shape LightItems MentionedTommy's YouTube ChannelTommy's Twitter FeedBebob MICRO V-Mount BatteryIntellytech Pocket-V 98Wh Li-Ion BatteryGodox SL-60 LED Video LightNeewer Soft BoxAputure 120DAputure MCFalconEyes F7Aputure Nova p300cLupo Superpanel Soft Full Color 30 1x1Velvet Light Evo 2Intellytech Fast Frames To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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How to Record Better Audio on Any Budget
Aug 7, 202000:57:46Tap to summarize#97 - Everyone always wants to talk about the latest cameras that just came out, but the better way to spend your money is on making your videos sound better. And even if you don’t have any extra budget to put towards a better microphone or audio recorder, there are a lot of tips and tricks for capturing better sound.In this episode I chat with Curtis Judd about how to record high quality audio, what gear he recommends for both the cheapest and high-end budgets, and common audio mistakes to avoid when making videos.Chapters / Timestamps00:00 - Introduction01:21 - Curtis' Background04:52 - Choosing to Focus on Audio & Lighting11:27 - Audio Gear Evolution23:23 - Tips for Hiding a Lav Mic26:34 - High Quality Audio on a Low Budget32:00 - Upgrading to a Medium Budget39:30 - Curtis' Favorite Microphones48:53 - Most Common Audio Mistakes to Avoid53:30 - Final ThoughtsItems MentionedCurtis Judd's YouTube ChannelCurtis Judd's WebsiteCanon C100 Mark II CameraCaleb's Review of the C100 Mark II Rode NTG3 Shotgun MicMix Pre 6TAKSTAR SGC-600Rode VideoMic NTGDeity V-Mic D3 ProCurtis' Video About How to Boom Your Camera Shotgun MicDPA Microphones 4017BSennheiser MKH 8050Shure TwinPlex TL48Shure SM7BEarthworks SR314BElectro-Voice RE20 To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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Money Lessons Learned from Getting Out of Debt Twice
Jul 17, 202000:32:01Tap to summarize#96 - Most people are afraid to talk about money.If I had to guess the reason I'd say it is because they are truly embarrassed about where they are financially. They would rather flaunt flashy cars or homes the debt they owe a bank actually owns then discuss the deeper going ons of their savings for retirement or their net worth.“But Caleb, what does this have to do with creativity, using cameras, and making videos?”Everything.You can't do your work, make your art, or run your business if you can’t get your money right.I think money shouldn't be something you're ashamed of or hide from, no matter where you are at financially. There will always be someone further in debt or with a larger net worth than you.And instead of hiding where you’re at, coming face to face to your reality of not being where you wish you were with money might be the wake up call you need.So as my wife and I just hit a financial milestone we're proud of, I wanted to record a podcast episode about my financial journey from getting out of debt two different times in completely different ways. The first time by being frugal and cheap, the second by building businesses to help me earn more (while spending to live the life I want to live).I also discuss what I'm calling the "money ladder". It describes the stages of getting out of debt and saving for the future that you should work your way up, one rung at a time.If money has been something you’ve been afraid to deal with yourself or talk about with the people close to you, I hope this episode will help to feel more comfortable being open and honest about it so you can work toward financially healthy.Chapters / Timestamps00:00 - Why We're Talking About Money03:34 - Balance Sheet Rich vs Income Statement Rich05:52 - My Debt Story18:12 - Climbing the Financial LadderItems MentionedThe Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley Ph.DI Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit SethiYour Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki RobinGet Rich SlowlyThe Simple Dollar To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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How to Get More Views & Subscribers on YouTube (The Technical Way)
Jul 10, 202001:02:24Tap to summarize#95 - In this podcast episode I chat with Tom Martin about what a YouTube channel should do behind the scenes if it wants to get more views through search and suggested recommendations.Tom's experience working on large YouTube channels for companies like the BBC and advising smaller independent channels has led him to be a leading expert in the technical aspects of YouTube. I brought him back to the podcast to share what really works on YouTube to get more reach, gain more subscribers, and ultimately earn more money through the platform.We discuss how to research keywords for your video titles and tags, how to make sure your other videos show up in the suggested area when someone is watching your videos, how long YouTube videos should be, how frequently you should publish, tips for creating thumbnails, and more.If you have a YouTube channel that isn’t performing how you want it to, this conversation is for you.Chapters / Timestamps0:00 - Introduction1:50 - Tom's Background4:19 - Managing Large Channels11:37 - Recommendations for Small Creators29:19 - Keyword Research36:19 - Best Way to Gain Subscribers37:23 - How Long Your Video Should Be40:03 - How Often You Should Publish a Video46:12 - Making Videos You Want to Make vs What YouTube Wants55:20 - Tom's Current Projects57:32 - YouTube Isn't for EveryoneItems MentionedTom's WebsitePro Channel ManagerMr. Bean YouTube ChannelvidIQTubeBuddyWordtrackerAhrefsYoutube defaultsText ExpanderVideo Insiders PodcastPro Channel Manager Podcast To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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How Sarah Beth Turned Teaching Yoga on YouTube into a Six Figure Business
Jul 3, 202001:16:22Tap to summarize#94 - In this podcast episode I chat with Sarah Beth, a yoga teacher on YouTube, about how she grew her channel to almost a million subscribers and built a thriving online business over a span of nearly ten years of uploading videos.We dive into everything she has learned about content strategy & release cadence on YouTube, figuring out which videos her audience really wants to watch, how she experimented with one off digital courses at first, and then how she ultimately built a paid membership app with a bustling community behind it.If you're wanting to turn YouTube into a full-time business, this episode is full of great advice, stories, and experience shared about what tactics and mindset changes it takes to achieve results.Chapters / Timestamps0:00 - Introduction2:50 - When Sarah Got Started with YouTube10:34 - Starting to Make Money on YouTube14:23 - Growth on YouTube20:18 - Trying to Play with the Algorithm22:18 - Having Others Work On the Channel27:22 - Deciding to Use an App for Membership34:47 - Fitting into the Youtube Space40:03 - Finding Future Content42:42 - Batching Videos1:00:18 - What's Next for Sarah1:07:13 - Advice for Building a Channel1:12:34 - Sarah's ResourcesItems MentionedSarah's YouTube ChannelSarah's InstagramSarah's WebsiteThe Four Hour Work Week To learn more about me and what I offer, go to CalebWojcik.com. Cheers.
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