Chan with a Plan

Building an Email list for your side hustle: How to get your first thousand Emails

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Liz Wilcox, a serial entrepreneur who specializes in Email marketing and helps turn your Email marketing initiatives into a converting machine. Liz talks about how to develop a target Email list that wants to buy from you immediately, the best Email marketing software to start off with and how collaborating with other professionals in your field is the best tactic to accelerate your Email list building efforts. 
 
QUOTES
 
“You don’t want an Email list that’s full of, I call them, freebie seekers, they only want the freebie, that’s what they’re there for, they probably, you know, maybe they’ll download the freebie, maybe not. After a couple of months, they forget who you are, those are terrible leads.” - Liz Wilcox [15:46]
“[When it comes to getting buyers] My framework is first you have a follower, then you have a friend and then you have a customer.” - Liz Wilcox [19:59]
“The biggest way to grow an Email list, and grow an Email list of people that are engaged, that actually like you, they're not freebie seekers, is to build a network of people that are doing the same thing as you.” - Liz Wilcox [34:51]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[0:59] Meet Liz
[13:46] The proper way to generate revenue from an Email list without needing a large Email list to do it
[17:14] Discussing gated content (providing content in exchange for an Email address) and its effectiveness
[19:30] Liz’s Email welcome sequence to convert her Email subscribers into buyers
[26:08] Intro products you can sell to your Email subscribers to convert them to first time buyers
[28:16] Using Max’s career coaching business as an example of introducing an intro product to his Email list
[34:36] Building your Email list from scratch
[37:37] Using Max’s career coaching business as an example on how he would start building an Email list from scratch
[41:19] Liz’s recommendation on the best Email marketing software to start off with in growing your Email list
[42:56] The foundational tools for proper Email capture for your side hustle
[45:37] Contacting Liz
[46:51] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
Liz Wilcox's Official Website
Liz Wilcox on Facebook
Liz Wilcox on Instagram
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at work and living to your true career potential

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Diana Alt, a career strategy coach who utilizes the skills she’s gathered throughout 20+ years in corporate product development roles to help people manage their careers and business. Diana discusses in depth about imposter syndrome from what it is, to the long term consequences it will have in one’s career if they don’t manage it. She discusses strategies and tactics on how she helps her clients overcome imposter syndrome to propel their career forward in the right direction.
 
QUOTES
 
“[Imposter Syndrome] is a phenomenon where high achieving individuals have an internalized fear that they’re going to be exposed as a fraud, in other words they’re constantly worried about being found out as not being good enough for the promotion or not being capable of delivering what their boss’ or their friends or their family expect them to deliver.” - Diana Alt [4:10]
“Analysis paralysis goes right hand in hand with perfectionism and perfectionism is one of the leading indicators that someone might have imposter syndrome.” - Diana Alt [16:37]
“I would like my clients to think about [the open position like this], would I like it, can I try it, what’s the worst that would happen if I hate it. I would rather have them think about [being proactive and] let’s give it a whirl and then if it doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out the next move.” - Diana Alt [34:28]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[1:12] Meet Diana
[4:00] Diana’s explanation of imposter syndrome and signs you may have it
[7:56] How qualified you should be before you apply for a job posting
[9:54] Imposter syndrome in Men vs Women and how it affects their career trajectory and career decision making
[14:54] The long term cost and consequences of letting imposter syndrome take over your career and affecting your decision making
[16:47] Max and Diana share their own experiences with imposter syndrome 
[23:50] Strategies to help you overcome imposter syndrome
[30:50] If there is imposter syndrome for professionals that want to move down in position and pay 
[33:04] How you should evaluate a new opportunity and the benefits of trying it out vs not trying at all
[35:38] Why you shouldn’t look at your career as a straight ladder up
[41:51] Top tip on overcoming imposter syndrome
[44:18] Contacting Diana
[46:59] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
Diana Alt's Website
Diana Alt on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to build your first online course and start generating revenue immediately for your business

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Leslie Cason, founder of The Creative Enclave, a tech studio specializing in helping course creators build profitable online schools on Teachable and Kajabi. Leslie shares the fundamentals of creating a profitable online course, from finding the right expertise to monetize, what content should be in a course and how to ensure that your first course launch is a successful one.
 
QUOTES
 
“The reality is [when it comes to finding the right free information is], that people are busy, they don’t have the time to go scouting all of this information on their own and you can’t really know who to trust because you can go on Youtube and find 20 different videos that are going to tell you 20 different things.” - Leslie Cason [6:03]
“Video is going to be the best way to deliver your [course] content supplemented by downloads and text and PDFs and maybe even a community if you want to add that in.” - Leslie Cason [9:45]
“What matters is not so much the amount of content [in a course] that you’re giving them but the end result, the end result is the most important thing in a course” - Leslie Cason [11:12]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[1:12] Meet Leslie Cason
[3:30] Benefits of creating an online course
[4:25] How to find what expertise is worth creating a course on
[5:43] Why would someone pay you for your expertise in your field when they can get similar information somewhere else for free
[6:57] How to create demand for your course
[9:17] The foundational materials when it comes to content for a course
[10:53] Discussing the amount of content you should put into your course to justify the price
[12:21] Average price to charge for a course for someone starting out in course creation
[13:23] Difference between hosting your course on a third party site compared to hosting it on your own website
[14:40] Researching a course idea that is in demand
[15:50] Increasing engagement on your course sales page to generate more conversions
[17:56] What additional upsells/add-ons can you create to supplement your main course sales
[19:49] Evaluating what would be considered a successful course launch for first time course creators
[21:33] Summarizing the planning to execution of a successful course launch
[23:53] Contacting Leslie and discussing one of her successful course creator clients
[26:15] Outro 
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
The Creative Enclave
The Creative Enclave Instagram
The Creative Enclave Pinterest
The Creative Enclave Facebook
Leslie Cason on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan On LinkedIn
 

How to build a personal brand on LinkedIn to get more job opportunities

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Joel Hansen, an entrepreneur who has grown his personal brand on LinkedIn over the past few years, generating over 30,000 followers and has collaborated with top brands such as the LA Clippers, Translink, Best Buy, Vancouver Canucks, Prezi and Adobe to develop initiatives that drive brand awareness and media attention. In this episode, Joel shares his LinkedIn journey, his learning experiences, the opportunities he has gotten along the way and provides advice on building the foundation and staying focused to ensure long term success on the LinkedIn platform. 
 
QUOTES
 
“[When it comes to starting on LinkedIn] I think the biggest step is just enjoying and learning from the process and not getting too connected to the outcome and so for me it was just the relationship building that came with the community.” - Joel Hansen [8:19]
“A theory I have about passion projects or you know, new habits [that end up falling off] is I think it really comes down to the value alignment they have with the project and the accountability structure they have set up to succeed, and I think one of those two things has to fall flat for them to give up.” - Joel Hansen [12:07]
“By not having a presence online, you're diminishing your chance at being a trustworthy source for the topic that you are passionate about.” - Joel Hansen [21:43]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[0:42] Meet Joel Hansen
[2:35] Joel’s start on LinkedIn and his journey on how he grew his personal brand on the platform and his learning experiences along the way
[11:39] The reasons why people that start their personal branding journey on LinkedIn end up dropping off and not sticking with it for the long term 
[13:29] Why working professionals need to invest in personal branding
[14:56] Pushing past imposter syndrome to grow your own personal brand online
[16:03] How a mid-career working professional can set their foundation up for personal branding success on LinkedIn
[17:39] Opportunities that Joel has generated from building a personal brand on LinkedIn
[19:10] The 3 most common questions Joel’s been asked when it comes to building your personal brand
[19:38] Most common questions Max has been asked when it comes to building your personal brand
[20:10] Discussion on the future and importance of personal branding and its impact on your career
[21:52] The importance of LinkedIn and the role it plays in the evaluation of a candidate by the recruiter 
[24:02] How to navigate the perception of building your personal brand on LinkedIn as a current employee of a company where people may assume you are active on the platform because you are looking for another job 
[25:29] Common mistakes people make when building their personal brand 
[26:21] Being consistent and staying focused and what Joel does to stay on track
[30:22] How to keep going even when you don’t see the results and progress you want right away
[31:46] Contacting Joel
[33:19] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
Joel Hansen on LinkedIn
Joel Hansen on Twitter
Personal Brand Brief
Leverage LinkedIn Course by Joel Hansen
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan

ATS / Applicant Tracking System explained and what you need to know about it to land your next job

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Jon Heise, President of Covert Recruiting. From popular assumptions to key features, they go in depth about the applicant tracking system (ATS) and how significant of a role it plays in the job application process and how it affects job seekers when applying online. They also discuss additional strategies to get in front of decision makers, to help you land an opportunity at one of your target companies.
 
QUOTES
 
“[As a recruiter] we generally look at almost all the resumes that come through [the applicant tracking system] no matter if they’re perfect, spot on fit or if there’s something that’s not a fit at all.” - Jon Heise [5:30]
“We don’t expect people to be perfect resume writers or have everything exact but there are a number of bits of information that you probably need to have a couple of [on your resume]” - Jon Heise [14:39]
“[When it comes to networking effectively] you hop on LinkedIn, you find XYZ company that you’re excited about and you find your peers, the people that you could potentially be working with, their managers and your next job is to reach out to them.” - Jon Heise [22:32]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[0:49] Meet Jon Heise
[3:09] Overview of the applicant tracking system (ATS) and how it helps recruiters manage applications from candidates
[4:00] Discussing popular myths about the applicant tracking system (ATS) and what it actually does
[6:41] Does timing of your job application matter or is it more important the fact that the job ad is still open to applications
[8:36] Applying to multiple positions at once in the same company
[9:50] Thoughts on applying to another company for a higher position than you are currently at
[11:01] Key features of the applicant tracking system (ATS) that recruiters use to help make it easier for them to screen and organize candidates faster as well as what candidates can do to make it easier for recruiters to evaluate their resume
[13:29] The effectiveness of these resume online optimizer tools that are being marketed to job seekers to improve their resume score
[14:57] The importance of having quantifiable metrics in your resume to tell a good career story
[16:41] Proper format and structure of a resume
[18:01] Online pre-screening questions during the job application process and how they work when it comes to filtering candidates for that role
[21:10] Strategies for job seekers to get in front of decision makers that go beyond the standard online job application process
[25:04] Contacting the recruiter on LinkedIn about a job posting they posted on the platform
[26:17] The etiquette of bypassing the recruiter about the job posting and contacting the hiring manager directly
[28:24] Contacting Jon and discussing the importance of communication and transparency between job seekers and companies during the hiring process
[31:46] Outro 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Jon Heise on LinkedIn
Covert Recruiting
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan

College degrees and how to maximize them to land your dream job

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Chris Cornthwaite, who’s the founder of Roostervane to help students build amazing careers with whatever degree they’ve got. Chris talks about discussing assumptions made about how hard it is to land corporate jobs with liberal arts degrees and how to navigate this, the importance of soft skills in the workforce and how networking is the key strategy to even the playing field when it comes to job hunting with any degree. 
 
QUOTES
 
“A degree is still mandatory for a whole lot of fields, I mean if you apply for a corporate job with only a high school diploma, certain jobs you wouldn’t be able to get in. A degree would still be in a lot of cases the mandatory minimum cut off for actually getting into one of these jobs.” - Chris Cornthwaite [4:56]
“Universities are increasingly going to be offering internships, so if your university has an internship program, some kind of arrangement, I would definitely consider doing an internship. I think that’s a perfect way to get a foot in both worlds and get some practical experience and in many cases when students do internships, they end up getting hired at that company after.” - Chris Cornthwaite [12:40]
“I just tell people to network, that’s really the secret sauce [to getting a job] and if you just obsessively try to connect with anybody you possibly can and when I was leaving University after my PhD, I talked to everybody [to find opportunities].” - Chris Cornthwaite [27:23]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[1:05] Meet Chris Cornthwaite
[3:07] Discussing the assumptions made about the difficulty of landing a corporate job with a liberal arts degree
[5:57] How universities are trying to connect their degrees to work to make them more valuable
[7:27] The impact of the pandemic and how it evens the playing field between traditional education at universities/colleges compared to alternative online education such as bootcamps and online courses
[9:02] The importance of soft skills in the workforce
[10:47] Setting yourself up for success as a 3rd/4th year student to land a job right out of university/college
[15:07] Networking tips
[18:51] Creating thought leadership content to open more career opportunities
[20:01] Assumptions made by recruiters on Masters of Arts and PhD degree holders when applying to corporate jobs online and how to align your experience to what they are looking for
[25:23] How to effectively transition from academic researcher into corporate and what to expect
[27:23] Chris’ experience and strategy on networking and how it has helped him build his career outside of academia
[30:47] Contacting Chris
[31:48] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
Chris Cornthwaite on LinkedIn
Chris Cornthwaite on Twitter
Roostervane
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

Job search strategies for recent college graduates to help you land your next job

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Casey Welch, Co-founder and CEO of Tallo, a digital platform and app that’s connecting over 1.3 million students and professionals to opportunities offered by colleges, companies and organizations. Casey provides job search and career tips catered to Generation Z that have recently graduated from university/college in one of the worst economic climates in recent memory. He discusses building a robust online professional presence, how starting at the bottom of a Fortune 500 company can give you immense opportunity to move up quickly and what to look for in your next job to ensure you are stepping through the right door to achieve career fulfillment. 
 
QUOTES
 
“We’re seeing Gen Zers across the country, build a strong online professional presence, so it’s not just about your personal, make sure it’s professional. It’s a great way to get down your elevator pitch.” - Casey Welch [3:38]
“There are more opportunities and more pathways than ever before, it’s not just, you need to go to college you need to get higher ed, that is a path and that is a path that makes some. But you bring up about bootcamps, you bring up about certifications, credentials, so I think step 1 the most important thing, before you make that quick decision is to determine your career path then work backwards to determine your education pathway.” - Casey Welch [4:55]
“So you want to make sure that you’re making that right fit, that you have the skills, that they have the culture and they have the location and work environment. If you find those all, you are starting out, so far ahead of so many other people, in finding a career with a company that you can stay with, you can grow with and you can move up that ladder because you can love what you do but if you can’t live the lifestyle you want to live, it’s going to fall apart.” - Casey Welch [14:23]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[0:34] Meet Casey Welch
[2:16] Job search strategies and tactics for recent Gen Z graduates that they can implement to help position themselves as a standout candidate
[4:36] Discussing whether a recent Gen Z graduate should go back to school and get higher education due to the competitive job market
[6:21] The current landscape of whether companies still heavily invest in employees when it comes to furthering their employee’s education and up skilling
[9:24] What skills companies really want from their new hires that are hard to find
[10:49] Is freelancing a good option to gain relevant experience for your resume 
[12:44] What should you really look for when it comes to a company you want to work at 
[15:03] Contact Casey
[15:28] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
Casey Welch on LinkedIn
Tallo
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to start a side hustle and start making money immediately

EPISODE SUMMARY
 
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Vanessa Zamy, who runs her own consulting company, Your Vision’s Catalyst that coaches and advises 9-to-5ers on how to build a profit producing, purpose driven side hustle. Vanessa debunks common myths about side hustles and guides you on how to set up the proper foundation for success. We end the discussion on what is the right amount of monthly revenue you need to generate to start considering making your side hustle a full time venture. 
 
QUOTES
 
“You don’t need a 35 page business plan here. What you need is you need something to share with the world so they can understand what it is that you are delivering. So the 3 components of that, that I always tell my clients are who, what, how. Who are you serving? What problem do they have? And how it is that you help them?” - Vanessa Zamy [10:34]
“Don’t be sitting here doing DIY, if you try DIY stuff all your life, guess what, you're going to waste 5, 10, 15 years, which you could have done in 1 month, you going to end up spending 5 years trying to get it done. That’s what happens to the DIYers. So ensure you get the help and support that you need, whether it’s a mentor, whether it’s an expert, whether it’s a coach, whatever it may be, but get the guidance that you need, so you can ensure that you are successful and set up for success from the get go.” - Vanessa Zamy [17:35]
“The first income goal you want to reach [to consider going full time on your side hustle] is that you want to be able to in a month for your business reach a point where you have covered your business and personal expenses and then you want to be at least consistent with that.” - Vanessa Zamy [24:13]
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
[0:41] Meet Vanessa Zamy
[2:17] Overview of Vanessa’s side hustle program and how she helps 9 to 5ers start a side hustle
[3:54] Biggest myths about starting side hustles and what Vanessa’s advice is to help you navigate through them
[8:22] Going through an example of a restaurant business as a side hustle
[10:22] How to set up the foundation for a side hustle and going through an example
[14:36] When should you expect your first sale from your side hustle to validate your business
[16:16] What entrepreneurs aren't telling you when they are pushing their programs to show you how to make a lot of money in a short time
[17:33] Why you shouldn’t Do-It-Yourself (DIY) if you want to build a successful side business fast
[22:57] When you should consider going full time on your side hustle
[26:13] How to have the discussion with your family about quitting your day job to go pursue your side hustle full time
[28:09] Contacting Vanessa
[29:03] Outro 
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
 
Vanessa Zamy on Facebook
Vanessa Zamy on LinkedIn
5 Day Business Bootcamp For 9-to-5ers Program
Finish: The Solopreneur's Guide to Getting Stuff Done By Vanessa Zamy on Amazon
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn