What is the Best Type of Pet for a Busy CEO Or Business Owner?

January 31, 2023 FamousAshleyGrant

I was curious so I reached out to a bunch of people to ask “What Is the Best Type of Pet for a Busy CEO or Business Owner?” In this post, I’m sharing the answers I received.

The Best Pets for CEOs and Business Owners

From several dog breeds to a turtle, here are some of the answers I received to the question, “What are the best types of pet for a CEO to have, and why?”

Dogs
- Australian Labradoodles
- Labradors
- Border Collies
- Pugs
- English Mastiffs
- Pomeranians
- Goldendoodles
Fish
Hamsters
Cats
Rats
Turtles

Dogs

As the CEO of a pet insurance company, I believe that any type of pet can be good for a CEO, as long as it fits into their lifestyle and they are well taken care of. However‌, I’m biased and think that dogs are the absolute best pets to have. I truly believe my dogs have made me a better person and think that they can help strengthen many qualities in a CEO that will help them back in the office (patience, loyalty, trust, empathy).

Ultimately, the best pet for a CEO will depend on the individual’s lifestyle, preferences, and the ability to provide the pet with proper care. We advocate for responsible pet ownership and recommend that any pet owners, including CEOs, research the specific needs and characteristics of the pet they are considering before deciding.

My pups Cider and Lou:

Trey Ferro, CEO, Spot Pet Insurance

Australian Labradoodles

My Australian Labradoodle, Sonny, is the greatest pet and fits my personality as a CEO perfectly. I love the fact that he doesn’t shed, so I don’t have to worry about getting dog hair in my car or on my dress clothes.

Taking him for a walk after work is a great stress reliever, and I never think about work issues when we’re playing together. Sonny is about 40 lbs in size, which makes it very easy to take him with me when traveling in the car, and it’s not an issue for others to watch him if we are traveling by airplane. Here is a picture of Sonny from my wedding last year:

Evan McCarthy, President & CEO, SportingSmiles

Labradors

Dogs are proven to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. They are also extremely loyal and will protect their family if they sense danger. I have a Labrador Retriever named Cumbia, who has been really good for me lately. He’s helped me get out of the house more, which is great for my mental health. I’ve also noticed I have less anxiety since he’s been around.

Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely

Border Collies

For a CEO who may have a high-stress job, a dog is a fantastic source of emotional support and comfort. Having a dog-friendly office also enables your colleagues to pet your dog during a stressful day, which offers better psychological comfort for the entire team.

Having a dog provides an opportunity for the CEO to take a break from work and engage in physical activity, such as taking the dog for walks or runs, unwinding the mind, and thinking over some challenging problems during a long walk.

Dogs make you get more physical activity, which means a more stress-resilient and healthy life. In addition, dogs can also be great icebreakers. They can help CEOs to build relationships with colleagues, clients, or other business contacts.

This is Pepina, our CEO’s Border Collie female, resting in our office:

We always say that she is our CDO (Chief Dog-Therapy Officer).

Marketa Chalupnikova, Co-Founder & COO, Tolgee

Pugs

I had a pug for many years, and it has been proven to be a great pet for CEOs. They offer so much love and support when you need it, but are also quite lazy and content, so a busy CEO doesn’t have to be too concerned with entertaining them and taking them places.

They are friendly, playful dogs that can help you escape the life of a CEO, but also just sit with you on the couch as you catch up on work on a Thursday evening. I’d recommend a pug to any CEO, entrepreneur, or busy professional who wants a pet!

Shaun Connell, Founder & CEO, Credit Building Tips

English Mastiffs

Known for their size, demeanor, and strength, English Mastiffs have a rich history that dates back to Roman times, when they were dogs of war. Today, they still protect flocks of animals in England from predators, as well as in South Africa, where a pack of Mastiffs can hunt lions at will.

For the avid CEO, a Mastiff is a gentle, loving, and loyal giant that will repel intruders from your home and be your best, drooly friend forever. Don’t overlook these majestic creatures. Be forewarned, they’ll set you back about $5,000 for a purebred with a master lineage (ours did).

Michael Lazar, Executive, ReadyCloud

Pomeranians

While smart and incredibly energetic, Pomeranians are some of the most notoriously difficult dogs to potty train. Sometimes, potty training a Pomeranian can take an exasperating four months. But when you manage to successfully potty train them, they rarely get it wrong moving forward.

I think grit is one invaluable virtue CEOs can learn from the effort of potty training a Pomeranian. Repeatedly seeing your Pomeranian get things right after the rigors of training will practically reinforce the value of delayed gratification.

Also, these fluffy darlings are innately rebellious and commonly only submit to a firm and caring leader. Being with a Pomeranian will train a CEO on the emotional intelligence needed to know when to display strength and toughness and when to display empathy.

Lotus Felix, CEO, Lotus Brains Studio

Goldendoodles

Being a lifelong dog owner has inspired many of our brand’s core values that help us keep world-class talent. One of those is to “protect the pack,” meaning that we are all responsible for supporting and uplifting one another to ensure our collective success.

This supportive environment makes everyone, no matter their role, comfortable asking for help, seeking and giving feedback, and lending a hand. It inspires empathy and fosters bonds among our team members, much like the emotional connections many pet owners claim their pups make.

Josh Weiss, Founder & CEO, Reggie

Fish

I recently adopted Taiwan’s native fish, the swallowtail lionfish, as my pet. It’s a curious and low-maintenance species that makes an ideal pet for busy CEOs. Not only is it elegant with its bright orange skin and distinct black stripes, but also its relatively small size, so I can easily keep it in my office.

With minimal noise and odor levels, my little friend can keep me company without being disruptive during meetings. I’ve named him Robert since he is often swimming around with a distinguished air about him; just like a good CEO should!

Ludovic Chung-Sao, Lead Engineer & Founder, Zen Soundproof

Hamsters

I’m a firm believer that successful CEOs should have pets to manage the daily stress that comes with their line of work. My pet of choice is a hamster, which I lovingly named “Dottie” because of her cute polka-dot coat.

Hamsters can be independent and content with their own little corner, ideal for busy people who may not have time to devote long amounts of time to taking care of a pet. They are great at entertaining themselves with toys like exercise wheels and hammocks, while taking up barely any space. Hamsters require some commitment—daily feedings and cage cleaning is essential—but overall they can be an easy pet to enjoy day after day.

Derek Bruce, First Aid Training Director, Skills Training Group

Cats

The best type of pet for a CEO to have is undoubtedly a cat. Why? Well, for one, they are a heck of a lot less effort than a dog. My cat, Reggie, likes to come to visit me most days, which provides a stressed MD with a little love and “away-from-screen” time.

Data says that stroking a cat can reduce stress levels, and I certainly feel that, as managing digital marketing projects can be quite full-on. Cats are full of character and attitude. They have no qualms about leaping up onto your desk during a Zoom call with clients. They are not interested in kowtowing to stuffy protocol, and that’s a good thing in my book.

Their friendly but irreverent behaviors will ultimately show your clients and teammates another side to you, an authentic human who is loved and who loves, as opposed to just a bad-ass marketing robot whose only joy in life is an increase in click-through rate. Not a bad thing..so long as they don’t walk on the keyboard.

Phil Gregory, MD, Peak District SEO

Cats have been shown to have a calming effect on their owners, which can help ease stress and anxiety in a high-pressure work environment. A cat is a low-maintenance pet that requires minimal attention, which is ideal for a busy CEO.

Cats are independent animals that can take care of themselves for extended periods, allowing the CEO to focus on their work without worrying about the pet’s well-being. They are also low-noise pets, which is beneficial for CEOs who work from home or have an office in the home.

My cat’s name is Micia:

Stefano Lodola, Owner, Think Languages

Rats

Rats make the perfect pet for CEOs who have little time to spend on animal care. These intelligent and playful rodents are relatively low maintenance and require minimal effort to keep them happy.

They can be taught to do tricks and interact with humans, which is a great way to take breaks throughout the day if you’re working from home. Rats are also relatively easy to train, and can be taught to respond to commands like “Come” when called and even play games.

Although they are social animals that need interaction, they don’t require daily walks or constant attention, making them an ideal pet for busy executives.

Mark McShane, Marketing Director, Leeds First Aid Courses

Turtles

A turtle is an excellent pet for a busy CEO. Not only are they inexpensive to purchase and maintain, but they also require little to accommodate them amid a high-pressure corporate environment.

A turtle is also easy to take care of—as long as its tank remains clean with enough water and food, it will thrive and remain healthy throughout its multi-decade lifespan. In addition, turtles are unique animals that can help bring tranquility from the hustle and bustle of the office; since they don’t make any noise or need attention, taking them out for brief breaks will help calm even the most overworked executive.

Nadzeya Sankovich, Regional Manager, Health Reporter

Protected: How to start a blog in 8 steps (in 2023)

January 23, 2023January 19, 2023 FamousAshleyGrant

Happy New Year! 2023 Musings

January 3, 2023 FamousAshleyGrant

In 2023, I’m planning to do things differently. Well, for now, I’m planning that at least. We’ll see where the year takes me…

Normally with a new year, I come up with all these wild ambitions and goals. I set all these expectations for how the year should go and I put an enormous amount of pressure on the “new beginnings” and the “fresh slate” of it all.

This year, I didn’t do that. This year, I just let the number 2022 slide past like it was no big deal. No pomp and circumstance. No partying (in part because I was nursing a head cold – but I somehow think this was by design…) No list of resolutions. No crazy big expectations and plans and dreams and wishes.

I just allowed 2023 to come into existence for me without pressure. It felt so much calmer than I normally feel. Today, I’m still nursing that head cold, and still not completely ready to get back into the hustle and bustle of the work I need to do. I’ve been trying to ease back into work and utilize my word of the year – GRACE. Though part of me is feeling a little guilty that I didn’t do all the things I normally do in a new year, I’m glad I’m not in freak-out mode like I have been during the first week of every January I’ve experienced for as long as I can remember.

I confess, it feels weird to just be taking the minutes as they come. And part of me keeps feeling like I should sit down and make some goals and lists and plans already. But instead, I’m consciously choosing to take my to-do list one item at a time, and not allow myself to freak out.

I feel LOTS of resistance to this way of thinking, but I’m hoping that it will lead to a calmer 2023. I’m hoping that somehow less stress and less “hurry up” mode will actually help me move the needle on the things I’ve been talking about for years. Clearly what I’ve done in years past hasn’t worked. So maybe it’s time to try another way. Maybe it’s time to let the chips fall where they may, and just be present as much as I can – taking things as they come rather than worrying about what could be, should be, or would be.

I’m not sure if this is coming off coherently or if these words sound like a rambling mess. But I guess I just wanted to share what I’m going through and feeling in the hopes that it helps someone connected to me feel a little less guilt over trying to do all the things…

If you’re still reading this post, thank you. Thanks for listening to me. I appreciate you and hope that 2023 brings us all the blessings we desire, with less stress, more calm, and a hell of a lot more GRACE ❤

Tips for Moving During the Holidays

December 16, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

If you’re moving during the holidays, things can get hectic FASTER than with a normal move. The tips in this post might just save your sanity. Though this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

5 Tips to Help You Stay Sane While Moving During the Holidays

Moving can be stressful enough on its own, but when you add the holidays into the mix, it can turn into a complete nightmare. The pressure of getting your move done and being able to spend quality time with family and friends is immense. I know because two Christmases ago I was pulling my hair out trying to keep up with everything on my to-do list, visit family and friends, and get ready to drive 800 miles from Tampa to Kentucky.

Because what’s wrong with uprooting your life of 30-plus years in the middle of a pandemic at Christmas? Needless to say, I wish I had thought things through a heck of a lot more than I did. So if you will be moving during the holidays, hopefully, these tips will help you stay merry and bright!

1. Prioritize and Plan Ahead

First things first – prioritize your tasks and make a plan ahead of time. Make sure to break down each task into smaller steps so that everything is organized and manageable. This way, you’ll be able to stay focused on what needs to get done. Also, don’t forget to leave yourself some extra time in case something unexpected happens!

What does prioritizing tasks look like when moving during the holiday?

When it comes to moving, no one likes the idea of having to prioritize tasks. After all, it’s hard enough trying to remember what you need to do in the first place! But when you’re up against a deadline or have limited resources, prioritizing tasks can be a lifesaver.

The key is finding out which tasks are essential and which ones can wait until later. The best way to figure this out is by asking yourself two questions: Is this task urgent? And does it require immediate attention? If the answer is yes on both counts, then chances are that task should be at the top of your list of priorities.

On the other hand, if something isn’t as important or doesn’t need to be done right away, then it’s probably better off being pushed down the list for now.

For example, when I was planning my move in December 2020, I knew that certain things could wait while other things were urgent. So, I sat down with a spreadsheet and created a few columns:

Urgent
Semi-urgent
Low-priority
Can wait til the move is complete
Done

Under “Urgent” I included things like:

Declutter the apartment (so we would have a better idea of what we needed to pack)
Buy moving supplies (boxes, packing tape, bubble paper, etc…)

Under “Semi-urgent” I included things like:

Book our moving truck
Call the utilities company to set up services at new place

Under “Low-Priority: I included things like:

Close P.O. Box Account
Empty Fridge

Under “Can Wait” I included things like:

Get “we moved” postcards
Set up cable service

Then, as tasks were completed, I moved them to the “Done” column so I would have a space to let me know what was taken care of in case it popped in my head again.

And, as things changed in terms of priority level, I could easily cut and paste them into other columns.

If the organization part of moving isn’t your strong suit – hire someone who specializes in moving tasks. Or, consider buying a template/checklist on Etsy or a similar platform. Loads of people have gone before you, and if they can save you time, it’s a win as far as I’m concerned!

2. Start Early – Earlier Than You Think!

If you’re moving within the same city, about eight to twelve weeks before your move should be plenty of time to get everything organized and packed up. But if you’re relocating long-distance, then it’s best to give yourself at least six months so that nothing gets rushed or overlooked.

I wish we had taken more time to prepare for our move. Though we got it all done, we crammed in way too much considering Christmas and New Year’s week was the week of our move. If we had planned things earlier on, we could have enjoyed our holidays a LOT more than we did!

3. Hire Professionals (We Didn’t and it was a BIG MISTAKE!)

Nothing makes you a Scrooge when moving during the holidays quite like half-baked jerks breaking your favorite pieces of furniture and tchotchkes.

I’ve spoken many times about this on this blog before, but if I could go back, the number one thing I would have changed would have been hiring professionals like the ones at Online Movers & Storage to make my move easier.

Enough can not be said about the importance of working with pros! We hired movers, sure, but we only hired them to pack the truck, and we didn’t do our due diligence in vetting the people we chose as much as we could have.

Had we used pros like the ones from Online Movers & Storage, we could have had a much merrier experience!

Related: Check out my post “10 Things to Look for In a Moving Company.”

4. Ask for Help

This Goes BEYOND hiring professional movers. If I could go back, we would have:

Utilized meal delivery kit services
Asked friends to help us declutter – heck, we would have given away more stuff instead of trying to sell it on FB Marketplace
Taken advantage of free shipping for moving supplies and other organizational stuffs
Taken the doggos to doggy day care/left them with a friend for the craziest days

We also would have booked in more massages and other self-care activities. I know this probably sounds strange, but there’s so much that goes into moving that every sanity-saving activity goes a LONG way!

5. Utilize Time-Saving Strategies

We did use one incredibly helpful time-saving strategy. We meal-planned like crazy in the weeks leading up to the move. We didn’t have time to figure out what to eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And, we also were trying to get everything we could out of the fridge, freezer, and pantry. So, creating a meal plan not only saved us the time and decision fatigue that comes with meals, but it also help us to use as much as possible before the move (which saved us money too!).

Other time-saving strategies I wish we had used:

Using colored duct tape for the different rooms (i.e. red tape for living room, blue for bedroom, green for kitchen, etc…) Spending time writing out those room names prior to the move, and then looking for the labels when unpacking takes more time than you would expect
Dropping off donations instead of trying to sell as much as we did – this took WAY more time and energy than it was worth
Decluttering more than we did – we spent too much time packing crap we didn’t need to keep
Planning meals and snacks for moving day – Moving is hungry work – having something close by will save you precious minutes (and calories!) Instead of taking a break to eat out or order takeout, we could have snacked on something simple like granola bars or trail mix while finishing up.
Keeping all documentation in one spot – Gather utility bills and other paperwork early to ensure everything is taken care of before your move date. This way you won’t find yourself frantically searching for documents while trying to unpack!

These are just five tips to help you keep your sanity while moving during the holidays, but it’s far from an exhaustive list. I’ll update this list as more ideas come to me.

If you have a move coming up, and you’re in the Coral Gables area, consider checking out my bloggy friends at Online Movers & Storage. These Coral Gables Fl Movers are pros at what they do, and their reputation speaks for itself.

And, if you are moving during the holidays, I feel for you. I honestly wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But, hopefully, this post gave you some ideas to make it a less painful experience.

How Do You Start a Successful Podcast? 14 Tips

December 7, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

Man Podcasting at Standing Desk - How Do You Start a Successful Podcast

How do you start a successful podcast? We asked experts in the field to chime in with their best responses to this question. Below, we’re sharing what they had to say!

14 Tips for Starting a Successful Podcast

From collaborating with podcasts that cater to your audience to being a little less professional, here are the 14 answers experts submitted to us to the question, “What are some tips you have for starting and growing a successful, money-making podcast?”

Collaborate With Podcasts that Cater to Your Audience
Launch Your Podcast With a Few Episodes
Go Niche and Build From There
Create Content that Provides Value to Your Listeners
Ask Listeners for Reviews
Sell Merchandise
Invest in Good Podcasting Equipment
Offer a Premium Content Channel
Brand Yourself
Focus on Podcast SEO
Research and Prioritize Audience Pain Points
Be Passionate
Avoid Inconsistency
Remember Your Listener’s Familiarity Level

Now that you know the rough idea of our expert tips, let’s break them down further in hopes of helping you start a podcast that is super successful!

Collaborate With Podcasts That Cater to Your Audience

Growing a podcast boils down to how you spread the word and get more and more listeners interested in what you have to say. And what better way to reach your target audience than find them on podcasts that are in a niche closely related to your own?

It’s a foolproof strategy that ensures you’re reaching the right people, on the right medium. In fact, catching them on the right platform really matters because users scrolling through short-form content may not be interested in a podcast at that moment, but someone who’s already listening to a podcast definitely will be.

Harry Morton, Founder, Lower Street

Launch Your Podcast With a Few Episodes

On the launch day of your new podcast, publish a few episodes instead of one. This way, your listeners will have the content to engage with during the first days and won’t forget about your podcast so quickly, and you will reach better results with your promotion.

For example, a paid campaign for a single episode might have little to no results, while promoting a podcast with three episodes will interest more people and give you more followers.

Eventually, it would be best to publish your episodes regularly. For example, every Wednesday at 5 pm—this will help your listeners remember when to look forward to them.

Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing & Outreach Manager, US Visa Photo

Go Niche and Build From There

If you think you can start a podcast about true crime or sports talk and make it big, I want a hit of whatever you’re on. For major thematic topics, like sports, cooking, and crime, the podcast market is insanely saturated.

That is why I would say if you are dead set on starting a podcast and making some money doing it, get niche.

You absolutely have to find a specialty where there is little to no competition. I’m not saying you have to create a podcast on insects found in the American southwest. Let’s not get ridiculous. But you need to carve out a niche where you can build a name for yourself as a thought leader and voice of expertise. Start narrow and build up from there.

John Ross, CEO, Test Prep Insight

Create Content That Provides Value to Your Listeners

One tip for starting and growing a successful, money-making podcast is to focus on creating content that provides value to your listeners.

Make sure you’re covering topics relevant to your niche and providing valuable advice or insights in each episode. By doing that, people will recognize your expertise and be more likely to support you financially.

Additionally, make sure that everything you produce looks and sounds professional. Invest in good equipment, work with a professional editor if necessary, and put out content that is consistent in quality.

Amira Irfan, Founder & CEO, A Self Guru

Ask Listeners for Reviews

At the beginning and end of each podcast episode, ask your listeners to subscribe and review your show, as it positively impacts your reach. You will also see that some subscribers who find a lot of value in your podcast will feel compelled to leave a review of their own accord. The more reviews you have, the more likely other people will notice and give your show a listen.

Cesar Cruz, Co-Founder, Sebastian Cruz Couture

Sell Merchandise

Selling merchandise is one solid way to grow and make money through a podcast. Fans love merchandise and having a lot of options for it is a great way to raise brand awareness.

Merchandise is also a win-win for marketing because when a fan wears a t-shirt or hat, they are advertising the podcast for free. This gives the podcast some free exposure to whoever sees them wearing it.

Kevin Callahan, Co-Founder & CEO, Flatline Van Co.

Invest in Good Podcasting Equipment

While you don’t have to spend a fortune on innovative recording hardware or software, you need at the very least a good microphone to begin with. After all, a podcast with subpar audio is probably not going to be very successful. Nobody wants to strain their ears just to hear you and your visitors. A good microphone, a headset, and some simple audio editing software can significantly improve the sound quality of your podcast.

And whether you will be successful in your new career as a podcaster will depend on how professional you seem. It is a simple decision because the initial investment is negligibly small compared to the potential rewards.

A microphone is the most crucial component you need when creating a podcast. There is typically at least one USB port on desktop and laptop computers, allowing you to connect accessories like an external microphone. The good news is that a USB microphone with respectable quality is available for less than $50 USD.

Raviraj Hegde, Head of Growth, Donorbox

Offer a Premium Content Channel

My one tip to make money from podcasting is to release premium content. Although premium material can really be anything, some typical ways podcasters provide premium content include a look behind the scenes, ad-free versions of the content, early access, and live content. It could also include the ability for listeners to ask the hosts questions, allowing their personal queries to be heard and answered by professionals they trust.

I think that live content is best paired with a Q&A, as listeners can have their questions answered live. As well as this, it also feels much more personal as it allows them to hear you unedited.

This is great for the travel industry, as getting to know who you are listening to and their personal tastes informs you of their personal outlook and helps you to know that you can trust their opinion.

Aiden Higgins, Sr. Editor & Writer, The Broke Backpacker

Brand Yourself

Even though it might initially appear contradictory, your best bet may be to stick with something more straightforward when branding your podcast.

This stage is like search engine optimization (SEO); most of your audience will find you through a Google search or via iTunes/Spotify, so going with a straightforward name and logo while incorporating a few keywords might not be such a bad idea.

Just be careful not to go overboard with the ton of hashtags and phrases, because that will probably have the opposite effect.

Kurt Uhlir, Chief Marketing Officer, Kurt Uhlir

Focus on Podcast SEO

Unless you belong to the Kardashian family, you must focus on the visibility of your podcast on search engines.

It is interesting to note that 13.6% of today’s listeners search Google for new podcasts to listen to. Therefore, you want to boost your SEO to take into this delicious Google cake.

Aside from strategically integrating keywords into your podcast episodes, you want to maximize your podcast metadata. Ensure relevant and high-volume keywords are inserted into the meta titles for your podcast pages.

After this, it is crucial to invest in building a healthy portfolio of backlinks to your site. Get quality linking from some of the most reputed podcast directories and strive to appear on other top-notch podcasts.

Lotus Felix, CEO, Lotusbrains Studio

Research and Prioritize Audience Pain Points

If you already have a niche, congratulations. Now you need to use platforms like Quora, Reddit, and Twitter and filter the searches to see what topics or issues keep your potential audience up at night. After that, prioritize the cases/pain points in order of urgency and create podcast episodes.

The monetization part starts when your listeners identify with the pain points you address. From there, you can begin doing product tie-ins and affiliate marketing.

For example, besides making natural placements in your recordings, you can transcribe each episode, optimize it for SEO and publish the text as a blog post at the bottom of each recording. In the article, you can then place your affiliate links.

Ernest Bio Bogore, Content Strategist, Creatory

Be Passionate

To have a successful podcast, speaking about something you’re passionate about is crucial. Choosing to embark on topics you care about illuminates your energy, a necessary factor to draw in new listeners.

You build an engaged and loyal listener base by tapering your podcast towards a niche audience and delving deep into the content you’re passionate about. And as your podcast grows in popularity, so will your opportunities to generate revenue and influence an even larger audience. And the best part is you won’t get bored!

Mina Elias, Founder & CEO, Trivium

Avoid Inconsistency

People are attracted to consistency; they want to know what to expect out of their interests. Therefore, a podcaster should stay as consistent as possible by establishing an obvious message from the moment of the podcast’s first air date.

It’s crucial to remain as consistent as possible with your podcasting style, schedule, and theme. Consistency means that you stay on topic, you stay true to your beliefs, and you stay true to your brand. This will help your listeners know what to expect from your podcast as a whole, and what to expect from new episodes.

Being consistent also helps you connect with your listeners. Listeners that understand who you are and what you talk about will form a connection. While it may not be a face-to-face connection, it’s a connection nonetheless.

Listeners who feel connected become regular listeners, effectively driving up your number of listeners and building brand awareness, two very important elements of a successful, money-making podcast.

Ana Codallo, CTO, Key Opinion Leaders

Remember Your Listener’s Familiarity Level

With setting up a podcast that is about something professional, such as a specific type of business or industry sector, I think it’s really important that you don’t overfill the podcast with industry experts.

While this is a good idea for you to engage people you would have already engaged, it may end up turning off the more casual listener, or somebody who is not at the same level in your industry.

Having a co-host who is not as much of an expert can be extremely beneficial for that podcast, as they will ask the questions that the typical viewer might want to be asked, allowing them to understand more of what is being discussed and making the podcast more human and engaging for everyone.

For example, in a legal podcast, having somebody who might interject asking for more information about the words being used can really help the listener gain more from the podcast than two experts assuming their listeners know all the official lingo.

Martin Gasparian, Attorney & Owner, Maison Law

Protected: A Wicked Good Time – A Review of the Musical Wicked

January 23, 2023August 12, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

50 Things I Like About Myself

July 24, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

I was challenged by my therapist to write a list of 50 Things I Like About Myself. Here’s what I came up with. I hope it inspires your own list!

My Therapist’s Challenge

Recently, my therapist challenged me to write a list of 50 things I like about myself. I struggled with this because self love is not something I’m very good at. But, I managed to get 20 on the list by the time we had our next session.

She pressed on though and kept encouraging me to write the other 30. This has been going on for a few weeks, but I kept resisting. I just didn’t think I could fill out 50 things I like about myself.

For the last several days, my homework was to do some self reflection. She said for 15 minutes a day, go into a quiet space (without your phone!) and just sit with your thoughts. Another thing I’m not good at – sitting with my thoughts generally sends me into a panic and before I know it I’m scrolling Facebook and TikTok.

Still, a deal is a deal and I promised myself I was going to give this a fair shot. So, today is the fourth day in a row that I’ve left my phone on the desk and sat in a chair staring into the abyss. The first day, I unexpectedly just started crying through most of my 15 minutes and it actually turned into a couple of hours of self reflection.

Day two – well, I only sat for 45 minutes, but I started to gain some clarity on myself and what I want from this crazy thing called life.

Day three – that ended up being quite a doozy because it brought up some thoughts that turned into a roughly four hour discussion with my husband about things we want to do and things we need to do.

Then today – for some reason, the list of 50 things I like about myself was heavy on my mind. So heavy in fact, that I sat outside in a chair staring at the sky stumped about what I could add to my journal before my next therapy appointment on Wednesday.

When I got hot enough from the sun switching positions and hitting my skin, I came inside, and I opened my mind even further.

A Moment of Inspiration

I decided to read some lists others have written about self love to inspire me to think more deeply about things I actually like or love about myself.

I was surprised as I started thinking about myself how much more easily I wrote out 30 more things I like or love about me. I added my full list of 50 things to a special sheet to re-read in moments of self doubt.

Below is my list of 50 things I like about myself. I share it in hopes that it will inspire you to write your own list. Self love is important, and we all need to learn how to love ourselves. I’m still very much a work in progress, but I feel like this is the best start on my path I’ve had in years!

Finally! 50 Things I Like About Myself

My cooking. I’m a damn good cook. My husband and I barely like to go out to eat anymore because we prefer my cooking
My creativity. I love how creative I am in business and in life
My boobs. 😆 it feels funny to say that, but I’ve always loved having bigger boobs
My smile. When it’s an authentic one, I feel prettier
My bright blue eyes.
How I take care of my dogs
I’m good at drawing from examples. Like I can look at a cartoon and draw the characters pretty well.
I like that I’m pretty good at talking to strangers
I want to help other people
I am always trying to learn something new
I like that I’m always trying to think of ways to make my life easier and better
That I advocated for myself to try therapy again
That I’m trying to improve my life and mindset
That I’ve not given up on life
I love how much I love to laugh
I love my ability to make others laugh and feel better
Though my feet hurt right now (I have plantar fasciitis), I love that they have carried me through life so far
I love my hands that type out my blogs and articles for myself and my clients.
I’m loyal, though I fear I’m too loyal at times
I like that I always want to do the right thing even when I don’t know what that is
I’m always looking for an easy solution to complex problems – thinking outside of the box is a good thing
I like my desire to see the world – I like that I’m open to seeing and trying new things
I like my sense of adventure – even when it’s not as open-minded and free as I would prefer
I like my ability to take random ingredients and come up with new dishes
I like that I don’t want to just quit people or projects
My legs that have supported me and been strong for me
My cute haircut and my willingness to randomly chop off all my hair when I want a change
I like that I care so fiercely for others – my open and loving heart is a good quality
I went against what others told me and married my husband when I did. We celebrate 16 years Friday 7/29/22
I like that I try new things even when I’m uncomfortable
I like my rhythm and the way I can move my body when a good beat comes on
I like my singing voice most of the time 😆. I love learning songs and then singing them
My ability to retain lyrics and movie lines and blurt them out at random
I like my sense of humor. I find some things funny that other people don’t, but that’s okay. Life is more fun w/ laughter
I love my ability to love others
When I do ask questions to get answers to things I don’t know/understand. Even when I feel silly asking questions, I like what the answers reveal. I want to ask even more questions and feel comfortable asking
I like how many chances I give people. Though sometimes I shouldn’t with some people, I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt
I’m looking for the good in others – I want to believe everyone has good in them
I love my curiosity – I want to know alllllllll the things
I love that I want to share the success stories of others. I want everyone to succeed, and I love sharing the cool things they are doing
I love that I’m able to take care of myself. I am grateful I can wash my body, brush my teeth, cook for myself, etc…
I love my woo woo and witchy ways. I abandoned that side of myself for too long, and now I’m embracing my inner witch and loving it
I love that I always try to finish what I start. Though I have abandoned many projects, I’m grateful and proud of the ones I completed!
I like that I got my college degree. Even though I don’t really use it, I’m proud of myself for completing my education to the level I did, and honestly think about getting my masters and PhD someday
I like that I am 37 years old. While it bugs me I haven’t accomplished as much as I want to by now, I feel fortunate to be 37 because it wasn’t that long ago (in the grand scheme of things) where women and men didn’t make it to this age
I love that ideas pour out of me as effortlessly as water from a waterfall. I’m a constant source of ideas
I like that I take risks. Some of my big risks have blown up in my face, but some actually turned out okay
I love that I have achieved many of my goals. I REALLY want to work on remembering this when I’m feeling down or like a failure – I’ve actually accomplished a lot – some things that people dream about and never achieve I have done
I love my commitment to making my life better. I will never stop trying to make things better
I love that I have survived 100% of my bad days and will continue surviving!!!

Your Turn – Write Your Own List!

Like I said, my hope with sharing this list is to inspire you to think about what you love about yourself. Here are some links to some of the posts I read that inspired me to finally complete my own list:

— 100 Things I Love About Myself by Olga Phoenix

— 40 Things I Love About Myself by Niklas Göke

— 65 Things I Love About Myself by Mindy of This Fairy Tale Life

— 20 Things I Freaking Love About Myself by Sara of Fabulous & Fatigued

How Video Can Help Build Your Brand and Grow Your Online Presence

December 22, 2023May 5, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

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Do you ever feel like you’re invisible online? You post great content, but it seems like nobody’s noticing. The good news is that there are things you can do to help people see you and your work. One of the best ways to get noticed and build your brand is using videos.

According to Wyzowl’s recent research, 93% of marketing personnel that use video says it helped them increase brand awareness. People are also interested in learning about new products and services through videos. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said they’d prefer watching a short video rather than reading text on the page or listening to an audio version.

Video is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal, but many people are unaware of how to make use of it or what it can do for them. In this blog, I’m going to show you how it can be used as an effective strategy for building brand awareness and growing your online presence.

Video Content Ideas

Unlike traditional text-based content, videos are visually engaging and help capture potential viewers’ interest. To create effective video content, you need to come up with various interesting ideas. Here are some content ideas to get you started:

1. Introduce yourself and your brand

With regard to growing your online presence, nothing beats a great video introducing yourself and your brand. Regardless if you’re just getting started or an old business looking for new exposure, video can be a key component in exponentially growing both yourself as well as what it stands for.

First, think about what makes your brand unique. Are you known for your high-quality products? Or maybe you’re known for offering excellent customer service? Either way, focus on highlighting those key strengths in your video. Once you’ve imposed who you are as a brand, it’s time to introduce people to your team members.

If possible, try to get interviews with your employees to showcase their talents and personalities. Add some dynamic music or cool graphics if you want to really ramp up the energy level of your video. And most importantly, be sure to hit all the big takeaways at the end so that viewers remember what makes you special.

2. Showcase your products or services in action

This could be a short commercial explaining how your product works. Keep in mind that potential customers will be watching your video, so you want to make sure that they come away with a positive impression of your business.

You can also do a live stream product demonstration. This is an excellent way to show off your product in real-time and answer any viewers’ questions. People generally have short attention spans, so you want to make certain you can hold their attention throughout the entire video.

Remember to test your device camera before you do the live stream. You don’t want any unexpected issues popping up while you’re on live. And finally, make sure that you have good lighting and sound quality so that viewers can see and hear what you’re doing clearly.

3. Share customer testimonials

Many businesses are choosing to rely on video testimonials as a way to showcase the positive experiences of their customers. These videos allow potential customers to hear firsthand accounts of how well your product or service works, and they serve as an effective tool for promoting brand awareness.

Furthermore, video testimonials engage viewers uniquely and personally, allowing them to connect with others who have used your product in question. When selecting customers to feature in your testimonial videos, choose those that are articulate and have a strong story to share.

4. Make videos that are funny or entertaining

Funny or entertaining videos are a great way to create a buzz online and promote your brand. After all, who doesn’t love to laugh? While you want to make sure that your video is entertaining, you also don’t want to lose sight of your overall message.

Your video should be related to your brand in some way, so be strategic about the topics you choose. For example, if your company sells cat toys, try creating a funny commercial or sketch that incorporates cats somehow.

The key is to think creatively and find ways to approach your content from an unexpected angle. Just make sure that it’s still on-brand! You can even consider doing a live stream of your employees doing something silly; just be sure to keep it light-hearted and fun.

5. Create a behind-the-scenes video

People like getting a behind-the-scenes look at how things are being done. Your customers will be interested in seeing what you’re all about, so don’t be afraid to give them an inside peek.

You can do this in multiple different ways. For example, you could create a video that takes viewers on a tour of your company headquarters or production facility. If your business is online-only, you can still share a behind-the-scenes look at how the product is being made and shipped to customers.

Related: Check out Veed.io and learn about their AI Video Generator!

Creating a Successful Strategy

Let’s say you now have your video content in place, and you’re ready to get started. Now what? The first consideration should be your overall strategy. Here are some tips to make sure that you’ll get the most out of your video content:

1. Upload your videos to YouTube and other video sharing platforms

By uploading your videos to multiple platforms, you’ll be able to reach a wider range of people. Not only will this give you a larger audience for your content, but it can also help you to attract new viewers and subscribers. It will also give you a chance to interact with other brands and build up your network.

2. Optimize your videos for search engines

Just like with written content, there are a number of ways to make sure your videos are as search engine friendly as possible. Start by doing your research and using keywords throughout your video title, description, and tags. You’ll also want to make sure your videos are high quality and engaging – after all, that’s what people are looking for when searching online.

3. Embed your videos on your website and blog

By embedding them directly into your content, you allow visitors to easily and quickly engage with your videos without leaving your site. Furthermore, the more visitors watch and interact with your videos, the better they will rank in search engine results. This helps to boost traffic to your site, increase brand awareness, and grow your audience overall.

4. Share your videos on social media

Start with the platforms you’re already using. If you’re active on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, share your videos there first. Find some relevant hashtags and use them when you post. This will help people searching for specific content find your videos more easily.

Bottom Line

When people see faces and hear voices, they get a sense of who you are and what your brand is all about. This is why video becomes such an important tool if you want to grow your online presence and build your brand.

By producing engaging video content and creating a successful marketing strategy, you’ll be on your merry way to increasing views and engagement across the board. And with all the benefits video offers, there really isn’t any reason not to start planning your shoot today.

About the Author Jennesa Ongkit is a content writer for VEED.IO. She has a passion for writing and enjoys exploring new ways to communicate ideas. Jennesa has a background in marketing and advertising, and she loves using her skills to help businesses grow. When she’s not writing, Jennesa enjoys spending time with her family and playing with her pets.

Student Loan Costs: Are You Feeling the Crush?

April 19, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

Feeling the crush of student loan costs? This guest post from Money.com may help.

Maybe you’re a high school senior looking forward to graduating and attending a fab four-year college next fall. Or a college grad hoping to maximize your skills base and earning potential by pursuing a graduate degree. I don’t blame you—or your parents, if they’re helping to finance your education—if you’re stunned by the cost of higher education today. Or perhaps you’re just one of the 43 million Americans who currently carry student debt and wake up every morning wondering how you’re going to manage to pay off your loans. The average college graduate in the US today has somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000 in student debt.

That’s a big nut to crack. But by most accounts, it’s worth chewing on. A recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education revealed that college graduates are likely to earn more than $1.6 million in their lifetimes than their high school graduate friends. That’s a big incentive for getting that diploma to hang on the wall.

But like a million ads for a million different products have asked before, “Why pay more?” Whether you’re just investigating college costs or already sitting on a bunch of student loans, you need a strategy. The goal? Paying as little as you can for the high-quality education you deserve. Let’s take a look at a few of the steps you can take to put that plan into action.

Best Tip of All: Let Someone Else Foot the Bill

No, we don’t mean your parents—though many students do rely on their folks for financial support while they’re pursuing their degrees. And that’s okay! Moms and dads want to do their best for their kids. Let them do their loving parent thing. It’s why you were born. But keep in mind that you can reduce the financial burden on them—and yourself—by pursuing scholarships, fellowships, and other financial awards. The organizations that fund these scholarships run the gamut from colleges and universities themselves to corporate entities like Coca-Cola to labor unions and professional societies. According to a 2022 report, more than 1.7 million such grants are awarded every year. Private scholarships alone total of $7.4 billion annually. Students who receive scholarships receive an average of more than $7000 per year. So do yourself a favor. Seek out websites that aggregate and organize scholarship information for you. Put your name on some scholarship alert mailing lists. And make friends with the financial aid officers at the university you choose to attend. When you’re trying to fund your college education, free money is the best money.

The Wild World of Student Loans

Granted, you might not be able to fund your entire college education through scholarships. That’s when borrowing money comes into play. The vast majority of students take out student loans. In fact, 79 million Americans have taken out student loans. Students borrow an average of $30,000 over the course of their college careers. Some loans are funded privately, but many students also take advantage of federal student loans. Each type of loan has its pros and cons

So what’s the best kind of student loan for you? That depends on a few factors.

Federal Loan Perks Explained

A well-qualified workforce drives the US economy so it’s no wonder that the federal government supports higher education. How much support? There are about 1.7 trillion dollars in federal student debt out there. Students flock to federal loans because they offer some significant perks. Let’s run through them.

Applying for a federal student loan is easier than applying for a private loan. Forone thing, there’s no need to supply a credit history when you apply. That’s especially important for younger students who have not accumulated or paid off any debt. Most high school seniors don’t even have a credit score yet.

You don’t need a co-signer to apply for a federal student loan. So if your parents or another family member can’t back you up on a loan, you can still get the money you need to pursue your degree.

Federal loans come with fixed interest rates. That means you can lock in a rate for the term of your loan. Interest rates are relatively low right now, but they’re predicted to rise precipitously—and soon. So it’s likely that locking in a low rate now can save you thousands over the lifetime of your loan.

Federal loan interest rates are typically lower than private loan interest rates. Right now, the rate is hovering around 3.73% for undergraduate students. Private loan interest rates vary according to your credit score and the term of the loan you take out. And they vary from day to day. For the month of April 2022, the average private student loan interest rate was 4.78%. The rates for a 20-year loan are higher than that. Federal student loans may offer loan repayment terms up to 30 years. If you choose a longer term, your monthly payments will be lower, but the lifelong cost of your loan will be higher.

The interest on a federal student loan may not begin to accrue until you graduate. That varies on the type of loan you take out. This feature is attached to Direct Subsidized federal loans only, which are granted on a needs basis. With most private student loans, interest begins to accrue from the date you receive your funding.

With a federal loan, your repayment options may be income-driven. So when you’re just starting out in your career and aren’t earning as much as an experienced employee, your monthly payments may be more affordable.

Federal loans may be more forgiving than private loans. For example, when the economy tanked at the beginning of the global pandemic, the government paused loan payments to give students and borrowers a chance to recover. Payments on federal loans are still paused. They’re scheduled to begin again this August, but some experts are predicting that the pause may last into 2023.

Federal loans offer deferment and forbearance options. Let’s say you hit a rough patch: you lose your job or suddenly have unexpected medical bills to pay. Federal student loans offer the option of suspending—sometimes for up to a year— while you’re resolving your financial problems. Keep in mind that interest may continue to accrue during this period.

So Why Would Anyone Take Out a Private Loan?

Given the many advantages that federal loans offer, why might you consider investigating private student loans? For one reason, it’s just good business to educate yourself on all of your options. But there are other reasons, too.

Private student loan rates range widely, even from the same lender. The interest rate you’re offered will depend chiefly on your creditworthiness. Sometimes, particularly if you have a co-signer with a terrific credit profile and take out a relatively short loan, a private lender may offer you a lower rate than the government can. Private student loans are best for borrowers with excellent credit histories.

Private loans have higher limits. The amount of money you’re allowed to borrow from the federal government may not cover the entire cost of your education. In fact, it likely won’t. As an undergraduate, you can borrow about $31,000 in federal money. Even if you attend a public university, you may have to spend considerably more than federal loan limits allow. If you’re attending a private college and have not secured any scholarships, that’s almost a dead certainty. With private student loans, you can typically borrow up to the full cost of your education.

Private loans offer greater term flexibility. If you’re in a position to take out a very short-term loan, you can pay a low rate and also decrease the overall cost of borrowing money for your education. Private lenders offer variable loan terms and there’s no penalty for early payment.

Private loans are available with fixed or variable interest rates. Federal loans are only available as fixed-rate loans. So depending on where interest rates go, you could wind up spending more as you repay your federal loans. If you take out a variable-rate loan through a private lender, your rate will fluctuate periodically. That can be a blessing or a curse. When interest rates go down, the interest you pay on a private student loan will probably decrease.

Managing the Debt You Already Have

Whether you’re mid-stream in your college career or mid-stream in paying off your loans, you can often find a way of shrinking the chunk of money you pay in student debt. It’s a good habit to periodically investigate whether student loan refinancing can save you some cash. When you refinance your student loans, your lender will pay them off. You can then start fresh with a clean slate.

You may find yourself in several circumstances that could make refinancing your student loans a smart move:

This one’s a no-brainer: you took out your student loans when rates were higher than they are now.
Your finances have improved and, along with it, your credit score. You may be earning more now. Perhaps you’ve been diligent about making on-time payments on all of your credit accounts. That’s the kind of thing lenders take positive note of and reward you for with lower rates.
You can afford higher monthly payments now. Refinancing into a shorter-term loan can earn you a better interest rate.

Next to a home mortgage, your student loans may well represent the largest debt you ever take on. Understanding the ins and outs of education financing will help you make better decisions for yourself, whether you’re taking out new loans or refinancing existing loans. There are vast resources available online to help you get up to speed. And if you can’t find the answers you need online, don’t be afraid to ask questions—whether you bring them to the financial aid office of the school you’re attending, your lender, or your financial advisor. And as you would when considering any large purchase, before you take out a loan, make sure you shop around.

Author Bio:

Susan Doktor is a journalist, business strategist, and principal at Branddoktor. She covers a wide range of personal finance topics, including debt and investing. Her contribution to this blog comes to us courtesy of Money.com.

101 Best Affiliate Programs for Bloggers

February 1, 2025April 12, 2022 FamousAshleyGrant

Are you a blogger who wants to earn passive income on the side? If so, it’s time to get into affiliate marketing! In this post, I’m sharing the best affiliate programs for bloggers.

Want to just jump to our list of the best affiliate programs for bloggers?? Click here!

How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs for Bloggers

When you’re just starting out as an affiliate marketer, you might feel a bit of overwhelm just trying to determine which products you should be promoting. You want to cater to the needs of your audience, and you also don’t want to waste time promoting things that won’t pay off for you.

There are several ways to go about choosing the best affiliate marketing program so that both consumers and you, as an affiliate, will feel as if your needs are being met. Financially, you want the best return possible for every review that you create.

But you never want to gain that money as a result of misleading or disappointing your followers. Choosing a reliable, high quality affiliate program will not only ensure that your promotions convert into sales, but it will prevent refunds that can take your commissions back as quickly as you earned them.

Pick Affiliate Programs That Have the Right Types of Products

If you are new to affiliate marketing, you have probably been instructed or instinctively believe that you need to pick an affiliate marketing program that will earn you the most money.

That is definitely an important aspect of being an affiliate marketer, but it’s not the most important one. If you fail to serve the needs of your followers, you will either not generate any commissions whatsoever – or the sales that you do convert will quickly be refunded for a lack of quality and relevancy.

You need to focus initially on finding the affiliate programs that have the right kinds of products for your target audience. Think about what pain points or obstacles they have in their life, and what products you feel can help them overcome those.

Another angle that you can focus on are the benefits or improvements that people want to enjoy in their lives. If you can find products that will give them better quality of life in some way, it’s a good sign that you can earn from your promotions.

Some marketers will oddly enough promote products that don’t have much to do with their target audience or their needs, just because they see it converting well in another niche.

There are many ways you can find crossover niche topics, if you are struggling to find many affiliate marketing programs in the overall broad niche that you chose. For example, if you are in the stress niche, you can find products for sleep, exercise, and other topics that tie in nicely with your original one.

Evaluate the Quality of the Product

Once you find the programs that have the types of products your target audience will find useful and relevant to their lives, you want to take some time to evaluate the quality of the products you are considering promoting.

Even though someone else has created and is selling the product, you will be acting as the middleman that connects a trusting audience with the vendor. So you will share the responsibility of whether or not this product is a viable option to spend money on.

As an affiliate, you need to think about how your loyal followers will feel after they have purchased a particular product and used it. If you are sending them offers for low-quality products, they will no longer trust your recommendations, and you will ultimately sabotage yourself and lose money.

If you are promoting info products, you can ask for a review copy that will allow you to go through the product and make a genuine recommendation or review about it. If it’s a tangible product, you may have to purchase it yourself, so that you can report on things like durability, ease of use, and so on.

Look Into the Reputation of the Vendor

Something that you may overlook, especially if you see a product on a bestseller list, is the reputation of the vendor. Many online entrepreneurs are awarded accolades and make hundreds, if not thousands of sales, regardless of the fact that their product fails to deliver in terms of quality.

Sometimes, it may not even be the quality of the product, but other reputation issues that you want to be aware of. Keep in mind that when you recommend a product to someone, you’re not just recommending the product itself.

That customer, the one you sent to this individual, is going to be put on their list and manipulated over the course of time. Sometimes, they are treated very well and they will appreciate that you connected them with a new resource.

But if the reputation of the vendor is one where they mistreat their subscribers, such as scamming them out of their money or making poor recommendations to them, you will need to shoulder some of that blame.

Not only do you have to look at the reputation of the vendor, but you need to look at whether or not they have had any problems in paying commissions to top-performing affiliates.

You want to make sure that you will be paid what you are owed, and that may include the prizes you have won in a contest. Sometimes, people will discuss this type of bad behavior on social media platforms, and sometimes they will name these unreputable vendors in forums.

Analyze the Type of Experience Your Customer Will Have

While product quality and reputation are both important, you also want to think about what the experience will be for your customer after they purchase a product from a specific individual.

Customer experience includes a wide range of things. It starts with their ability to see and navigate the sales page. You want to make sure that the sites and programs you are sending people to are mobile-friendly and that they load quickly for your subscribers.

The next part of the process will be the purchasing experience. Ideally, you want to go through this process yourself so that you can see if there are any obstacles to purchasing or downloading the product.

After they buy it, are they shown the one-time offer upgrade? Are they sent to a download page or are they emailed a download link? If any of these steps are skipped, you may want to reach out to the vendor and ask them to remedy the situation before you mail out your promo for it.

Another thing you want to consider is what the post-purchase experiences are like for the people that you are sending to this vendor. For example, is this vendor someone who is responsive to customer service questions?

What kind of emails are they going to be sent by the vendor after they purchase a product? You want to know if you are setting your followers up to be spammed incessantly or if they will be treated well by the new vendor.

You can’t micromanage every vendor on a regular basis. Predicting the future of how they will conduct themselves is out of your hands. But what you can do is look at previous behavior to see if there are any complaints about the experience others have had with this vendor, and go through the process yourself to see what you think.

Choose an Affiliate Program That Offers You the Best Compensation Opportunities

Now we get to the part that you are probably most interested in. Once you have ensured that your customer will have the best possible experience from start to finish, you can consider selecting an affiliate program that is based on your financial needs.

After all, you are becoming an affiliate marketer so that you can earn extra money online, whether it is from digital or tangible products. The first thing you want to look at is the percentage you will be paid by the vendor as an affiliate whenever you make a sale.

Most vendors will split the profits with you 50/50. You will usually see a 50% commission that you can earn across the board, which includes not only the front end but also the one-time offer upgrades and any downsells, too.

From time to time, you will have a vendor set your commission at 100% for a front-end product. They plan on offering a low ticket, front-end item so that they can get many sales and affiliates promoting for it.

They make their profits through the rest of the funnel, on higher priced upsells and downsells – not to mention future promotions that will go out to this buyer, who is now on a list as a subscriber.

In addition to considering the commissions you will be earning, you want to look and see how many items are in their funnel, and what you could be earning as a whole with each promotion.

Next, you have to look at the amount that the product is selling for. If the price point is $7, and you are earning 50%, that’s only $3.50. But if the product is $27, you stand to earn much more.

A lower price point is definitely okay if you are just starting out and want to gain some good statistics for your username on a specific platform. Or, if the vendor is willing to offer 100% commission for a lower price point, you might want to consider that as well.

Sometimes, neither of those are true, and you simply promote a low ticket, 50% commission product because you know it’s a perfect fit for your audience and you want them to be aware of it.

Another way you can analyze an affiliate program to see if you will make money through your promotions is by looking to see if they have one of two things: a cash prize contest, or some type of residual payment option that will pay you month after month, such as a membership.

Select Vendors Who Offer Support for Their Affiliates

Lastly, you want to choose affiliate marketing programs that will support you as a beginner affiliate. There are many vendors who will provide you with many resources that can help you hit the ground running.

Look for a JV (joint venture) page that includes demo videos or screenshots, swipe files that you can use in your emails, banner ads that you can place on your blog or in your e-mail when you write a review, and most importantly – their contact information so that you can reach out and get the support that you need.

By paying attention to these six factors when you are choosing an affiliate program to promote as a new marketer, you will increase the odds that you will have a profitable and successful career reviewing and promoting products to your target audience.

101 Best Affiliate Programs for Bloggers

Are you a blogger who wants to earn passive income on the side? If so, it’s time to get into affiliate marketing! Below is a list of 101 of the best affiliate programs for bloggers. Let’s dive in!