Famous Ashley Grant Appears on Uploading By CastMagic

Famous Ashley Grant Featured on Uploading By CastMagic Blog Banner

What’s up my bloggy friends? I’m so excited to share that last week I was featured on an awesome podcast hosted by my bloggy friends over at CastMagic in an episode titled “Write to Connect: Ashley Grant from RSS & GoDaddy on Engaging Audiences with Content“.

Please note - This post does contain affiliate links that provide me a commission if you buy a subscription with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Blain and Ramon of CastMagic welcomed me onto their show Uploading to dive deep into all things content creation. We kicked things off by chatting about my background, from how I got my start freelance writing back in 2007 to my journey writing for a variety of publications and businesses over the years.

One of the key topics we dug into was what makes a piece of great content. My biggest piece of advice? Write for your audience, not yourself. Think about what value you’re providing them and craft your content around answering their questions and meeting their needs.

Related: Start your own podcast for free today!

We also talked about the importance of infusing your own unique voice and story into your content, even when writing for a business. People connect with authentic stories, so don’t be afraid to get personal and share yours over and over. New audience members may not have heard it before.

Another hot topic was how to balance writing for SEO with writing content that truly engages readers. My take is that you need a blend of both – include the keywords and information people are searching for, but focus on showcasing expertise and fostering a real connection too.

Of course, we had to discuss how AI is transforming the content landscape. Using AI tools like CastMagic to repurpose your own unique content enables you to efficiently create a variety of content pieces that are authentic to your voice, as opposed to just using AI to generate generic, random content.

I had a blast nerding out about all things content with Blaine and Ramon. Be sure to check out the full episode below and subscribe to Uploading for more great conversations! And as always, keep writing to connect with your people.

Check out the full episode here:

Time stamps of the key takeaways from this episode

00:00 My accidental business card success story.
03:09 I started with a local restaurant story, and then pursued writing for various publications and websites, including famousashleygrant.com, RSS.com, Godaddy, and about.com.
07:50 Summaries at the beginning of articles drive attention. Bloggers are removing fluff to provide concise answers.
10:22 Emphasizes storytelling, audience connection for content.
13:20 Personal branding is about sharing your unique story to create a genuine connection with your audience.
19:45 Leverage CastMagic for content repurposing to save time and reach wider audience.
22:51 Google update targets spam content, domain penalties, unique AI-powered content creation.
24:38 Written and existing media need authenticity and can be used collaboratively for distilling thoughts.

What IS CastMagic?

CastMagic is an all-in-one transcription and AI-powered content creation platform designed for content creators and businesses. It offers a wide range of features, including transcription in over 60 languages, customizable AI-generated content outputs, and seamless integration with various media sources such as audio, video, YouTube, Vimeo, RSS feeds, and more. With CastMagic, users can quickly and easily turn their long-form content into valuable assets like show notes, summaries, blog posts, social media posts, and email newsletters. The platform caters to diverse use cases, from podcasting and YouTube content creation to meetings, coaching, sales, and customer discovery, making it a versatile tool for professionals looking to scale their content production efficiently.

Click here to get started with CastMagic and create show notes and blog posts from your podcast episodes in seconds!

Until next time, may your page views be high, and your bounce rate be low.

Book Review of Empire – A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business

Book Excerpt From Empire - A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business

In this book review, I’m sharing my thoughts on “Empire – A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business” by Kim Hendren.

This post might contain affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links, my website will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks in advance for your support!

A Road Map to Success for Creative Business Owners

Kim Hendren has been a creative entrepreneur for more than two decades. She’s a Michigan girl turned Florida transplant, and is a multi-passionate creator. Her new book Empire – A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business serves as a road map to, well, starting a creative business.

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy. While I did receive this book for free, all opinions are my own.

Who’s This Book For?

Anyone who has ever thought about starting a creative business. That is who Kim wrote this book for. Her goal is simple – help you take her years of experience, and put you on the fast track to launching a creative business of your own.

What qualifies as a creative business? It could look like selling:

  • Novelty t-shirts, totes, mugs – anything that can have something printed on it
  • Artwork (printed photographs, watercolors, mixed media on canvas, etc…)
  • Floral arrangements
  • Handmade goods (crafts, jewelry, garments, etc…)
  • Music
  • Websites
  • Graphics

You get the idea…pretty much anything that requires creativity that can be bought and sold – that can make up the basis of a creative business.

Related: Read my post 101 Ideas to Make Money From Home.

As she says,  “For the sake of simplicity, these steps are geared toward creative home businesses or small maker businesses…” Still, many of the steps can be applied towards any type of business.

Kim’s Steps for Success in Launching a Creative Business

Empire - A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business - Book Cover

1. Her first step is to “find your bliss.” In the beginning, she gives you a worksheet to come up with your perfect business idea. No complicated business plans – just a few questions to help you get clear on what you want.

The rest of the steps look like this:

2. Choose your business name

3. Choose a niche

4. Business colors & logo

5. Getting a domain

6. Setting up social media

7. Business bank account stuff

8. Legal things to know about

9. Expenses and making money

10. The difference between wholesale and retail

11. Options for selling

12. Pricing your stuff

13. Branding

14. Kim’s marketing strategies

15. Kim’s photography tips

16. Shipping & Supplies

17. Labels & printers

18. Manufacturer advice

19. Business ideas – if you’re stuck about what to do

20. How to gain knowledge

21. Battle cry – It’s time to build your empire, and where to go from here.

What Else is in the Book?

This book is about more than just the steps to launching a creative business. It also features checklists, worksheets, and her battle tested tips for everything Kim has gone through in running her own digital empire.

When you buy Empire – A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business, you’re buying more than a how to guide. You’re buying the brainstorming and testing Kim has worked on for more than two decades.

One of my personal favorite features of the book is the journal section of it. Why? Keeping a record of our journeys along the way helps us see how far we have come. It helps motivate us to keep going as we chase our dreams.

I won’t lie, running a business – especially a creative business – it’s hard work! There’s going to be good days and bad days and really crappy days. But, I know for me, I wouldn’t change it for the world! I love what I do, and wish I had a book like this when I was first starting out.

Empire - A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business - Book Excerpt Selling Options Page

Where to buy EmpireA Step By Step Guide to Starting a Creative Business: Grab the paperback copy of the book directly from Kim’s Website, or purchase the eBook on Amazon.