The Gently Mad: Life, Business & Entrepreneurship Without The Bs

Rob Walling is a man of many talents. Over the course of his career he has been an programmer, a freelancer, a bootstrapper,  a business owner, an author, a speaker, a podcaster. The list goes on... A few years back he founded  Drip (and email marketing company), which he later sold to LeadPages. It's a path that many of us aspire to. But what I loved about Rob's story was his realization that there are different kinds of freedom, and what we think will make us happy in the beginning, almost never does, and changes dramatically with the passage of time. We talked about the struggle of finding meaning and purpose in our lives and how that relates to our work, as well as Rob's own realizations about what really matters and why it takes so long to figure that out. I thought we were going to talk a lot about entrepreneurship and building meaningful business. And while, we did talk about that, our conversation ended up being a littler more philosophical (which are my favorite kinds of conversations). I hope y

Matt Giovanisci is one those guys that I can talk to for hours. We have a ton in common, but just enough differences that it stays interesting. A lot has changed since his first appearance on the show, which you can listen to back in episode ??. I feel like we've both changed in some very similar ways since then. Where last time there seemed to be a lot of doubt and questioning, now there's assurance and confidence. And I think some of that only comes with certain amount of life experience. We talked about all the different projects we've both been involved in and, what the ultimate point of it all is, and how all these different interests and projects are connected. If you think of yourself as a generalist, or as the kind of person who really enjoys doing a lot of different things, this episode is for you. I'm definitely that kind of person and sometimes it can feel like I'm trying to do a million different things, and doing none of them well. We got into that exact issue and wether or not it's even pos

Justin Jackson is no stranger to this show. Technically this is only his second appearance (check out his first episode nearly four years ago), but there are hours of recorded conversations floating around my hard drive. I always enjoy talking to Justin. Despite how much we have in common, he always helps me see things from a fresh and different angle. And his episode was no exception. Every time we talk, it's like catching up with an old friend. And even though we only just met in person for the first time at MicroConf in Las Vegas, he is indeed someone I would consider an old friend. Justin's career has spanned the gamut of the product, start up and SaaS worlds. He's an author, podcaster, educator and most recently a SaaS founder. There's no bonus episode this week because I decided to release the entire conversation. At just over 120 minutes, it's a long one, but worth listening to. Our conversation ranged from parenting, to business building, to the things that hold us back as entrepreneurs, to why e

The Gently Mad is a podcast about meaning, disguised as a podcast about entrepreneurship. It’s a bright-eyed and sweary look at what it takes to make a living on the internet (and still sleep at night).

Paul Jarvis is back! This is third or fourth time I think. We always have a lot of fun and this conversation was no different. Paul is a long-time web designer turned author and product maker. He has handful of great courses you should check out. We talked a lot about the difference between an idea and an actual business, what makes our businesses sustainable for the long haul, and the discipline it takes to do something well. Like last week, the bonus episode was as long as the main episode and we covered the specifics of how Paul uses podcasting to grow and engage his audience. As well the specific strategies he's using to make a full-time living from his courses. Enjoy! If you want access to this bonus episode and all future bonus episodes, subscribe below. If you’re on your phone, you can subscribe be texting the word “TGM” to 345345.

In this week's episode of TGM, Brian and I talk about "idea fatigue", what to do when when your idea is the same as some else's, as well as why Brian believes that a productized service is *still* the fastest way to start generating revenue. Brian has been around the block with more than a few businesses. His newest, AudienceOps, helps businesses with done-for-you written content. But he's also expanding into done-for-you podcasting. In fact, I had a bit of a mini freakout when he first announced the new service, because it was so close to Podcast Royale (which hadn't been launched yet). We talked about that and what to do when your idea is very similar to something that already exists. I really enjoyed the part of the episode where Brian talked about how he come up with the idea for AudienceOps and launched quickly. A lot of great inspiration in there. Don't forget to subscribe for access to the bonus episode. We did a deep dive into productized services, podcasting, what Brian would do differently if he

Janelle Allen is the founder of ZenCourses.co and is an expert in Instructional Design and online learning. We talked a lot about entrepreneurship and why it's so important to not only know your why, but to own it. Don't forget to subscribe for access to the bonus episode. We did a deep dive into online course creation, what's working, what's not, mistakes to avoid, and, of course, how to create profitable online courses in 2018. What we covered in the bonus episode 1:30 - Can someone still create a profitable online course in 2018? 5:50 - Why passive income is bullshit 8:55 - How do you resolve the disconnect between creating something once vs guided programs and ongoing 10:30 - How do you create a course that gets result? 13:10 - What do you do when your course has multiple outcomes and/or goals? 16:00 - What kind of courses work the best? 18:25 - What’s the difference between course goals and outcomes and why does it matter? 21:35 - What video link is best? 23:40 - Is it easier to sell a smaller

I’ve been a fan of Derek Webb for as long as I can remember. But’s it’s only been in the last couple years that I’ve gotten to know him a little bit more personally. He was a guest on this show a few years ago and that time we talked a lot about the music industry in general and how it’s changing (for the better) for those who want to make a living as an independent artist. A lot of sh*t has gone down since then. Both for me and for Derek. And one of the reason’s I love him and his music so much is that our stages of life seem to have a weird sort of symbiotic relationship. Usually whenever I’m going through something, Derek releases a new record and it’s exactly what I needed at that time. That’s certainly true for his latest record, Fingers Crossed. It’s an album about the loss and grief that comes with change and the hope we have to find within ourselves if we’re to grow rather than wither within the sadness of life’s turbulence. To use Derek’s own words, “It’s a sad as sh*t record”. But it’s a kind of *ne

Ok folks this was like a mini sales masterclass. Not what I intended, but I'm always down for a pleasant surprise. Lots of tips to be gleaned just from listening to the stories of a guy who has been doing this indieprenuer thing for a long time and knows what he's talking about.  It was a good one. Enjoy. 

Today's guest is the one and only Sean McCabe of seanwes.com. Sean just published his new book, Overlap about how to get unstuck in your life and business and it's great. I read it and have alreaday re-ead several sections several times. If you trying to do this whole "indiepreneur" thing, it is worth every minute (and penny)!  Sean is giving away the audiobook for free until September 14, 2017, so make sure and head over to OverlapBook.com and download it. We had such a great conversation. Seriously, one of my favs so far. I know you're going to enjoy it.  I'd love it if you would take a minute to leave me a rating and review in iTunes. It's super helpful in getting the show noticed by other people and I'd greatly appreciate it. Don't forget to head over to TheGentlyMad.com and subscribe, if you're into that kind of thing. And, as always, see you next time!

Decided to drop another teaser with some clips from upcoming episodes. Why? Because I like making teasers. ;) Hoping to drop the first full episode next week.  Enjoy!

After a VERY long hiatus, we. are. back. I’m super excited to kick off some stuff. I’ve been recording for the past couple of months and new episodes will be dropping soon. Head over to http://thegentlymad.com and subscribe to be notified when they do.

Thank you so much for listening and supporting TGM during what I'm now calling "Season 2". If you don't know yet, I'm taking a break from the show to get my new show and course off the ground. As well as record some more conversations for Season 2 of TGM. You can subscribe to the new show and, if you feel like being awesome, leave me a rating and review. Enjoy the show!

Amy has created a very successful business teaching people about online marketing and we spent a lot of time talking about the ins and outs of that. This is definitely an atypical episode because I really wanted to dig into some tactics, given that I’m going through my own product launch at the moment. Nevertheless, we did touch on some of the bigger issues, such as burnout, the pursuit of freedom and the bigger purpose behind what we do. Enjoy the show! Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show Chris Ducker TGM28 w/ Pat Flynn Tony Robbins Mike Stelzner Michael Hyatt Marie Forleo Jeff Walker Brad Martineau Invisible Selling Machine ~ by Ryan Deiss More About Amy @amyporterfieldAmyPorterfield.comProfitLab Course

He knows how to work hard, but how to take breaks and have fun as well. He seems happy and content with his work and is able to change it up when he needs/wants to. Basically the opposite of everything I did when I was a full-time freelancer. In all seriousness, though, Paul and I talk on a fairly regular basis and it’s great when we’re able to record a conversation like this—about meaning, happiness, what we like, what we don’t, what we wish were different. This is my favorite kind of TGM episode. And Paul is a great, no-nonsense guy to learn from. He lives near the beautiful Canadian west coast and has purposely surrounded himself with the peace of nature, but still has a thriving career as a designer, writer and teacher. Enjoy the show! More About Paul @pjrvspjrvs.comthecreativeclass.ioPaul's books on Amazon

Nate is a Grammy-nominated musician, whom I met when I was 12. We started one band together when we were teens and then later in my mid-20s I joined his current band as the drummer. After one album and a couple years of touring I ended up leaving the band, but Nate has stuck with it and continues to put out music that just gets better and better. Besides being one of my best friends, Nate’s story is a perfect example of sticking with a dream even when it practically kills you. Lots of ups and downs both financial and personal, but he’s stuck with it and I admire him for that. I’ve never had someone on the show that I have this much history with or known for so long, so, honestly, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. But I’m glad we did it because it turned out great. Despite all my curmudgeonly attempts to not be inspirational, this one definitely veers into that territory. He may not admit it, but I think Nate is an optimist, and like he says, you really can do whatever it is you want to do with your li

Our conversation was one of the first in-person interviews I recorded and certainly the first with an artist that has had such a huge impact on my life. I’ve been listening to Jars of Clay since their first album was released in 1995 and can attach specific songs to specific experiences as a teenager, college student and, later, husband and father. It was truly amazing to get to sit down with him in Sputnik Studios in Nashville for an hour and talk about the history of the band and his personal evolution as a person and musician. Enjoy the show! Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show Sputnik Sound Noisetrade Greenville College More About Dan Dan on TwitterDan on WikipediaJars of ClayThe Hawk in ParisBlood:Water Mission

Omar is an incredibly hard worker, that much is clear. But, as I said in part 1, I was continually struck by his perseverance. He’s the kind of guy who keeps working, long after many of us would have quit. I hope you enjoy part 2 of Omar’s incredible story. Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show Robert Kiyosaki Michael Port - Book Yourself Solid Mark Zuckerberg Noah Kagan App Sumo More About Omar Omar on TwitterThe $100 MBAWebinarNinja

There’s something to the idea of continually re-inventing oneself. Omar currently runs The $100 MBA and WebinarNinja, but he’s spent many years trying (and often succeeding) at many other things as well. As someone who has often missed opportunities because of various fears and self-doubts, it was incredibly encouraging to hear the story of someone who has made those leaps and found that the other side isn’t so bad after all. Enjoy the show. Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show Robert Kiyosaki Michael Port - Book Yourself Solid Mark Zuckerberg Noah Kagan App Sumo More About Omar Omar on TwitterThe $100 MBAWebinarNinja