How To Build A Profitable Online Business with Carla Biesinger | 310 - This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Summary

This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Episode: How To Build A Profitable Online Business with Carla Biesinger | 310

Release Date: May 19, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of This Is Woman's Work, host Nicole Kalil delves into the intricacies of building a profitable online business alongside Carla Biesinger, a seasoned business mentor and online course creator. Together, they explore strategies tailored for women entrepreneurs, emphasizing authenticity, sustainable growth, and balancing personal freedom with business ambitions.

Understanding the Landscape of Online Business

Nicole Kalil begins by addressing the overwhelming abundance of business advice available today. She highlights the importance of discerning which strategies are universally applicable and which are specific to individual business models.

“[...] what works for a brick and mortar boutique might be a disaster for an online coaching business.”
— Nicole Kalil [02:30]

Carla Biesinger echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that the "real magic" lies in identifying and implementing business strategies that align with one’s unique goals and circumstances.

Carla Biesinger’s Journey to Online Success

Carla shares her transition from running a seven-figure restaurant in Argentina to launching her first online course in 2016. Key takeaways from her journey include:

Financial Runway: Having a financial buffer of 6-12 months is crucial to alleviate stress and focus on business growth without immediate financial pressure.

“I think that's a really important factor to have when you're starting a business, because it's very difficult to build a business when you're in constant financial stress and scarcity.”
— Carla Biesinger [05:45]
Audience Building: Prioritizing audience growth before product development can lead to more informed and market-ready offerings.

“I spent the first six months really just building my audience. [...] People just started asking, how are you doing this?”
— Carla Biesinger [06:20]
Validation and Persistence: Securing initial clients, even if small, provides the necessary confidence and proof of concept to continue scaling.

“I had a goal of enrolling 10 people just to really get the validation that this is something that people want and I can continue going for it.”
— Carla Biesinger [07:15]

Common Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs

Nicole and Carla discuss several hurdles women often face when launching their businesses:

Fear of Visibility:
- Many women hesitate to present themselves publicly, fearing judgment or inadequacy.
- Overcoming this involves taking incremental steps, such as using filters or starting with audio-only content.
  
  “If you're not comfortable yet being in front of the camera, maybe just start taking videos where people can hear your voice.”
  — Carla Biesinger [09:00]
Shiny Object Syndrome:
- The allure of new tools and strategies can lead to scattered efforts.
- Focusing on core priorities and evaluating ideas based on personal relevance is essential.
  
  “Most ideas are good ideas or I wouldn't be interested. It's that if it's a good idea for me or if it's a good idea for right now.”
  — Nicole Kalil [13:00]
Fear of Technology:
- Navigating various online platforms and tools can be daunting.
- Practicing and gradually embracing technological aspects can mitigate this fear.

Strategies for Building an Online Presence

Carla Biesinger outlines effective tactics for establishing and growing an online business:

Identifying the Ideal Audience:
- Creating a detailed avatar helps tailor content and marketing efforts.
- Example: Designing marketing messages as if writing a letter to a specific person.
  
  “Whether that is a person they've made up [...] it's as if you're writing a letter to your friend.”
  — Carla Biesinger [17:00]
Prioritizing Engagement Over Size:
- An engaged audience often converts better than a large, passive following.
- Building strong relationships fosters loyalty and increases conversion rates.
  
  “If you work on building really strong relationships with the people that are following you [...] you're gonna have much better results.”
  — Carla Biesinger [19:08]
Leveraging Social Media and Email Marketing:
- Social platforms are vital for visibility, while email lists are essential for sustained communication and conversions.
- Combining both channels enhances overall marketing effectiveness.
  
  “Social media is great for visibility [...] once they're following me, I'm then pretty much immediately going to try and turn them into email subscribers.”
  — Carla Biesinger [20:15]

Email Marketing Best Practices

Nicole and Carla delve into building and maintaining an effective email list:

Providing Value Consistently:
- Regular newsletters with valuable content foster trust and anticipation.
  
  “Every Monday I send out this coffee and confidence [...] always read yours.”
  — Carla Biesinger [22:55]
Balancing Content and Promotions:
- Excessive sales pitches can alienate subscribers. A strategic mix of valuable content and subtle promotions maintains engagement without overwhelming the audience.
  
  “If you send out one email with a promotion, I immediately make so many sales on Instagram I have to work harder for it.”
  — Carla Biesinger [22:05]
Personalization and Storytelling:
- Incorporating personal stories and themes in emails can make communications more relatable and engaging.
  
  “I just told this story of how I still believe that even though I never joined the circus, I've kind of created my own version of Neverland.”
  — Carla Biesinger [25:10]

Effective Use of Paid Advertising

Carla shares insights into leveraging paid ads for business growth:

Start Small: Begin with a modest budget to test and understand what works before scaling up.

“I would much rather learn how to do it myself, put in a little bit of money, see what's working.”
— Carla Biesinger [28:10]
Quick Validation: Directing ads to webinars or immediate offers allows for rapid assessment of ad performance and profitability.

“I can very quickly see if they're working or not [...] see is this profitable or not?”
— Carla Biesinger [26:00]
Avoiding Overcomplication: Simplifying the sales funnel ensures that potential customers are not lost in complex processes.

Balancing Business and Personal Life

The conversation concludes with strategies for maintaining equilibrium between business pursuits and personal well-being:

Structured Flexibility: Designing a lifestyle where business activities are integrated seamlessly with personal interests and downtime.

“I block off weeks when I'm on vacation [...] I work around those.”
— Carla Biesinger [30:30]
Phased Approach: Adapting business efforts based on seasonal or personal cycles ensures sustained productivity without burnout.

“I'm in Lisbon during the winter [...] in the summer, I might only work two or three days a week.”
— Carla Biesinger [31:00]

Key Takeaways

Clarity and Consistency: Clear business goals and consistent actions are foundational to success.
Authenticity: Building a business that aligns with personal values and lifestyle leads to sustainable growth.
Engagement Over Numbers: Prioritizing an engaged audience can be more beneficial than chasing large follower counts.
Balanced Growth: Striking a balance between business expansion and personal freedom is crucial for long-term fulfillment.

Resources and Further Learning

Carla Biesinger's Offerings:
- Website: carlabiesinger.com
- Free Instagram Masterclass: carlabiesinger.com/instagram-masterclass
- Free Passive Income Masterclass: carlabiesinger.com/passive-income
Related Episodes:

Closing Thoughts

Nicole Kalil wraps up by reinforcing that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for online business success. Emphasizing the importance of aligning business practices with personal values and lifestyles, she encourages listeners to pursue profitable ventures without compromising their well-being.

“Success requires clarity, consistency, and the courage to keep going even when things don't go according to plan.”
— Nicole Kalil [33:00]

Join the Conversation:
To learn more about building a profitable online business and redefining "woman's work," visit nicolekalil.com.

Transcript

Nicole Khalil (0:10)

I am Nicole Khalil and you're listening to the this Is Woman's Work podcast. We're together, we're redefining what it means, what it looks and feels like to be doing woman's work in the world today. And today we're talking about how to build an online business. If you've ever googled how to build a business or walked into the business section of a bookstore, you already know we're drowning in advice. Some of it is solid and applies to every entrepreneur. Yes, you'll need to invest, take risks, find your target customer, market your ass off, and probably leverage other people's time and talents along the way. Some of the advice is debatable, like whether you really need to wake up at 4am to be successful. For the record, my advice? Know how much sleep your body needs. And do that because operating on too little sleep is the equivalent of being drunk all day, and I can't see how that's good for business. And also, I'm the president of the Wake up Whenever the Fuck I Want club. So know that if you'd like to join me. Anyway, my mini rant is over. Back to what I was saying. Some advice is great, some of it is questionable, and some may work brilliantly for someone else but be completely wrong for you. And while we're making a lot of progress, still most of what we learn about business comes from a very masculine perspective. Lots of grit, grind and tactical execution with very little focus on intuition, connection and sustainable growth. But here's the truth. There's general business advice and there's specific business advice. And the real magic happens when you figure out which one applies to the business you you want. What works for a brick and mortar boutique might be a disaster for an online coaching business. A strategy that's brilliant for a solopreneur may fall apart when you've got a team of 50 people. And if you don't pay attention to the difference, you'll spend a lot of time spinning your wheels and wondering why nothing is working for you. Or you may make the same mistake I have more than a couple times and blindly follow the advice of someone who's wildly successful without ever stopping to ask yourself if you even want the the business or the life that they have. Which brings us to today's topic. How to build a profitable online business. Because, let's be honest, the Internet has made it easier than ever to start a business. But building one that actually makes money? That's another story. And if you're here, chances are you either have an online business, want an online business, or just tired of pretending that your side hustle is only for fun. To help us figure out how to actually make money online, I've got Carla Bissinga here with me today. Carla is a business mentor and online course creator who helps women build profitable businesses using the power of Instagram and email marketing. After building a seven figure restaurant in Argentina, she took her expertise online and has since helped over 7,000 clients grow their brands and their audiences and their income. Her approach is all about authentic connection and attraction marketing. No sleazy sales tactics, no bro marketing nonsense. Because success isn't just about hitting seven figures. It's about creating the kind of freedom that lets you wake up every day and choose how you spend your time, who you spend it with, and what kind of impact you want to make. So let's get into it. Carla, first, thank you for being here. And I want to ask you how you knew it was time or that you were ready or what inspired you to create your first online course, because I'm sure there are people who are listening in who are wondering whether or not they could or should. So any advice of, like, how do we know when it's time to go from a wish or an idea to actually doing it?