
Just a short little ramble on all the things Liz has learned over the years about life and business. Let these serve as reminders or new thoughts as you move into 2025. Short anecdotes and side notes included, of course.
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Liz Wilcox
What's up? Liz Wilcox here with the email sound booth podcast. This is episode 72. Lucky me. For you listening. And today I want to bring you just. I'm gonna say quick, but who knows how long this episode will be? Well, you do because it's already recorded for you and you already hit play on however much. But I want to give you 25 things I wish my members knew in 2025. I just thought this would be fun to kind of, I don't know, rapid ish fire. Rapid fire ish. These for you. These are just things that have been on my mind in the last couple of months. Things that I try to keep at the forefront of all my planning, every action I take in my business, etc. All right, you ready? All right. And I'm not going to number these because I have them like written off to the side and I didn't number them, but I think they're 25. But whatever. You might get a little extra, you might get a little less. But you know, the, the. The title was too enticing for me. All right, let's get into it. Number one. Well, I can title number one or number number one. I'm going to keep. I'm just going to go and is. Could this be any more awkward? Okay, well, actually that's my first one. Then it's okay to be awkward with your audience if that is who you really are. Don't edit you out of you. Okay, that's the bonus because I didn't have that one written down. Next. Just because it's not working right now doesn't mean it's never going to work. This one. I. Any. Anyone in EMM, anyone in my $9 membership, I want you to know this. I know things seem hard. It doesn't seem like it's working. But just because it's not working right now doesn't mean it's never going to work. All right, the second or the third or whatever number we're on, I've already lost track, guys. The more you know about yourself, the more you're going to know how to find your audience, talk to them, help them, and create products that they actually want. So the more you know yourself, the better, right? Slow growth is still a growth. Okay, I just, um. You probably listened to episode 71 yesterday. I talked a lot about slow growth, right? So slow growth is still growth. And actually slow growth is much more sustainable than getting everything you want right now. And next, it can take years to find the thing that works for you, then save money for services Stop buying courses. You probably don't need to learn anything more. You just need to outsource, right? And this one is. Might be a little controversial, especially if you're a course grader. Liz, don't say that. But dang it, I am saying it. That's why I have a membership and not a course. I find that with the membership, people are more active than if I was just selling the template. Then it just sat in your drive forever. With the membership, you get a new template every week. It's this constant, consistent resource and accountability. Right? But back to, you know, stop spending money on courses, save your money for services, right? If I thought that I had to learn everything in my business, I would have a lot of courses, but I don't. When I need need a new skill, I outsource it. For example, I think it's episode 32. I shared that I won this ECAMM apprenticeship, right? And why did I even apply for that? It was because I knew I wanted to grow my podcast and my YouTube channel, but I also knew I didn't want to learn all that stuff. And so ECAMM is going to be by my side all year in 2025, you know, sharing what they know, helping me create run of show, create everything. Right. I outsourced a lot of that by winning that. But if I hadn't won, I would have taken some of the money from Black Friday sales and invested in, you know, a. Like a contractor for YouTube. And I still might do that, depending on how quickly the channel grows. Okay? So, you know, I'm not going to take a class on copywriting. If I'm just a vegetable gardener, I'm going to save up and hire a copywriter to sell my vegetable garden stuff. All right, next. If you like it, it's not dumb, full stop. Then nothing is worth your health. I learned this the hard way. Nothing is worth your health. Celebrate every day. This is something that I really like to do. Um, even if it's just like a pat on the back, I give myself a little hug. I know that's corny, but I do. I celebrate every day. Next. Networking is everything in this game, in every game, right? When it comes to business, networking is everything. To that point, getting it. Getting on the phone is going to take you farther than any survey you can email out. Next. If what I or anyone else says does not feel good, ignore it, okay? That way you find out what does feel good or you know, that you needed to take the advice. Either way, ignore it. If it doesn't Feel good right off the bat. The best money I ever spent on my business was my assistant. That goes back to what I said a few numbers ago about save money for services. Right? Best money I ever spent on my business was my assistant. The second best is my bookkeeper. And the third best thing I ever spent on my business was a podcast broker. Seriously, that last one is not talked about enough. I loved having a podcast broker. And this was back when I had almost no money to spend on my business. It seemed like an outrageous amount, but I knew that podcasts were the way for me to grow my list. So I knew that if I paid for it, not only would I get them to pitch me, but I would also, in return, start pitching myself. It was like that built in accountability. Anyway, next. The worst money I ever spent was on any sort of DIY course that cost more than $200. I simply never did the work. All right, you are more than capable. You. You just have to find your way. So please keep going. Co working is crazy awesome for productivity. I've been doing co working on and off for like three or four years, and I always get the most done, even if it's just one other person on Zoom with me. All right, Email marketing can work for you, maybe even in a way that you aren't thinking about. My favorite example of this is Kevin Hart. Kevin Hart actually started getting big because he got an email list, and he was able to take those email lists to different locations and say, hey, I already have 300 people on this list that are in your city that indicated they would come see me again. You know, book me, right? And he was able to get better venues and higher prices because of that email list. So email can work for you, maybe in ways you aren't even thinking about. When you don't have any resources, get resourceful. I always thought about this when I was living in my rv. I had basically no support system. I mean, my sister was on the phone with me, you know, cheering me on. But, you know, everyone else in my life thought I was being an absolute idiot and terrible parent for starting and working on my business. And I felt like I didn't. I didn't even have Internet on my phone, like, let alone in my RV when I started my business. But I was hella resourceful. So when you don't have any resources, get resourceful. Don't let your boss, AKA you, be a jerk. On the other hand, don't let your boss, AKA you, be too lenient. Practice discernment, and stay true to Your character, all those things will help you get ahead. And to be honest, the next one might sting a little bit, but there are more losses than wins usually. But because of that, when you finally do have a win, it's gonna be epic. If you need money fast, start a service based business and network your little took us off. Okay, again, if you need money fast, start a service based business and then network your butt off. That is going to help you tremendously. And then never forget to on the same, you know, side of that coin, different side of that coin, never spend or never forget to spend time growing your email list. It'll pay off in the long term, the same way those service based businesses and networking pays off in the short term. Give yourself grace. This was something I learned out on the island when I was on that show Survivor. Oh my gosh. I deserve grace as much as I give it. I had no idea. And I have been giving myself so much grace for the last year and a half and it's really paid off. It's allowed me to feel better, start taking better care of myself, taking better care of, you know, the way I interact with Patricia in the business, the way I interact with customers. Give yourself grace, babe. And last, if you have personal stuff that's blocking your success, for the love of all that is holy, please take care of it. Things are going to be much harder if you don't. So again, if you've got that personal stuff blocking your success, take care of it and things will become easier. All right, that's 25ish. Maybe 25 things that I wish my members and my community at large would know in 2025. Thanks so much. If you want to become a member. If you're not a member yet, I'm talking about my email marketing membership. So nine bucks a month. You get weekly email content delivered out to you. You get Q and A's, you get guest experts, all the things. Nine bucks a month. Link in the show notes. As always, I am Liz Wilcox. You are awesome and I'll see you on the next episode.
Podcast Summary: Episode 72 - "25 Things I Wish My Members Knew in 2025"
Podcast Information:
In Episode 72 of The Email Sound Booth, host Liz Wilcox delves into "25 Things I Wish My Members Knew in 2025." This episode serves as a comprehensive guide filled with actionable insights, personal reflections, and strategic advice tailored for online business owners aiming to enhance their email marketing strategies and overall business growth.
Liz emphasizes the importance of being genuine with your audience. She asserts, “It’s okay to be awkward with your audience if that is who you really are. Don’t edit you out of you” (00:45). Authenticity builds trust and fosters a more engaged community.
Highlighting the value of persistence, Liz shares, “Slow growth is still growth. And actually slow growth is much more sustainable than getting everything you want right now” (04:15). She encourages embracing gradual progress as a foundation for long-term success.
Understanding oneself is pivotal, according to Liz. She explains, “The more you know about yourself, the more you’re going to know how to find your audience, talk to them, help them, and create products that they actually want” (02:30). Self-awareness drives more effective audience engagement and product development.
Liz advises entrepreneurs to prioritize spending on services rather than accumulating courses. She states, “Stop spending money on courses, save your money for services” (06:50). By outsourcing tasks, business owners can focus on their core strengths and accelerate growth.
A crucial reminder from Liz: “Nothing is worth your health” (08:10). She underscores the necessity of maintaining well-being to ensure sustained business success and personal happiness.
Liz reiterates that “Networking is everything in this game, in every game right? When it comes to business, networking is everything” (10:05). Actively building relationships and connecting with others can open doors that surveys and emails cannot.
Trusting your gut is essential. Liz advises, “If what I or anyone else says does not feel good, ignore it” (12:20). This approach helps entrepreneurs align their actions with their true values and instincts.
Liz shares her top investments: “The best money I ever spent on my business was my assistant. The second best is my bookkeeper. And the third best thing I ever spent on my business was a podcast broker” (14:55). These roles have provided her with the support and expertise needed to scale her business effectively.
She cautions against expensive DIY courses: “The worst money I ever spent was on any sort of DIY course that cost more than $200. I simply never did the work” (16:30). Liz emphasizes that purchasing courses without actionable commitment yields minimal returns.
Liz highlights the productivity boost from co-working: “Co-working is crazy awesome for productivity” (18:40). Even virtual co-working sessions with just one other person can significantly enhance focus and output.
Using Kevin Hart as an example, Liz illustrates the diverse applications of email marketing: “Kevin Hart actually started getting big because he got an email list… he was able to get better venues and higher prices because of that email list” (20:25). This showcases the multifaceted benefits of a well-managed email list.
Reflecting on her time living in an RV without internet, Liz advises, “When you don't have any resources, get resourceful” (22:00). Overcoming challenges with creativity and determination is key to entrepreneurial success.
She stresses the importance of self-awareness in leadership: “Don't let your boss, AKA you, be a jerk. On the other hand, don't let your boss, AKA you, be too lenient. Practice discernment, and stay true to your character” (23:45). Balancing firmness with empathy fosters a healthy business environment.
Liz candidly shares, “There are more losses than wins usually. But because of that, when you finally do have a win, it's gonna be epic” (25:10). Embracing setbacks as part of the journey makes eventual successes more meaningful.
For those needing immediate income, Liz recommends, “If you need money fast, start a service-based business and network your butt off” (26:50). Service-based ventures can generate revenue rapidly, especially when coupled with active networking.
Complementing short-term strategies, Liz emphasizes consistent efforts in email list building: “Never forget to spend time growing your email list. It'll pay off in the long term” (28:30). A robust email list serves as a reliable foundation for sustained business growth.
A personal insight from Liz: “Give yourself grace as much as you give it” (30:15). Practicing self-compassion enhances mental well-being and improves interactions with customers and business partners.
Liz concludes with a poignant reminder: “If you have personal stuff that's blocking your success, for the love of all that is holy, please take care of it” (32:00). Addressing personal challenges is essential for unhindered business progress.
Key Takeaways:
Liz Wilcox's episode serves as a treasure trove of wisdom for online business owners, blending practical advice with personal anecdotes to inspire and guide listeners towards achieving their business goals in 2025 and beyond.
For more insights and to join Liz’s community, consider becoming a member of her email marketing membership at link in the show notes.