Escape from Cubicle Nation

How to develop an entrepreneurial mindset

For this week's podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gary Schoeniger, founder of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative. 

Gary has a really interesting story -- from dead broke desperate handyman to successful entrepreneur.

Over the last 15 years, he has interviewed hundreds of successful entrepreneurs to discover which skills are critical for starting and running a business.  Many are not what you think.

My favorite advice from the interview:  

"Find a problem.  Figure out how to solve the problem.  Find more people with the same problem and you have a business."

I like that Gary's views make me think.  I have been in "do what you love (and work and work and work and work) and the money will follow" mode for so long that the "problem/solution" model was very intriguing.

Listen in on the 40-minute interview here.

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Note to regular podcast listeners:  I have been veering off my "every 2 weeks" publishing schedule a bit as I am writing my book.  I need to do this in order to get the work done.  Once the book is turned in (September 15, come heck or high water), I will come back to a more regular schedule.  Thanks for your support and understanding!

Is there such a thing as a cool job?

My friend Alexandra Levit just wrote a book called "How'd You Score That Gig? A Guide to the Coolest Jobs- and How to Get Them."   Her book bubbled up from lots of conversations with friends at social gatherings where inevitably one person would describe a cool job that no one had heard of.

Despite what you may think of my opinion based on my blog's name, there are certainly times and places for a "job," rather than striking out on your own.  If you have to be your own venture capitalist for awhile, you might as well do it in an interesting profession! The more time that goes on, the more I see that feelings of liberation erupt from your own positive thoughts and beliefs, no matter your work configuration.

I interviewed Alexandra for my podcast where we discussed not just the contents of her new book, but also what it is like to be a successful self-employed writer.  She gives some tips for choosing book topics that are not just interesting to write, but that may pique the interest of publishers.

Listen in to our 33-minute conversation at this week's podcast.

Realistic expectations for making money in your startup business

Sometimes I feel a bit schizophrenic, on one hand encouraging people to not stress so much about leaving their corporate job to start a business, and on the other hand feeling extremely uncomfortable about all the "start a business in 30 days in your bathrobe" nonsense that permeates the internet.

Sparked by a blog post my good friend and fellow entrepreneur coach Philippa Kennealy wrote called Can you maintain your income as an entrepreneurial physician?, I invited Philippa as a guest for this week's podcast on realistic expectations for making money in your startup business.

Find it here - it is about 38 minutes long.

Like anything in life, you will have people at every end of the spectrum, some who get lucky making tons on money in their first year, and others who take a decade to make serious cash.

In this interview, I talk to Philippa about:

1. Her own experience building both a coaching practice and a coaching business (there is a difference, which she explains!)
2. What she learned by launching The Entrepreneurial MD, a coaching business focused on helping physicians learn business skills, enhance their medical practices and start new businesses
3. They key questions to ask before launching a business
4. Realistic time frames for getting your income flowing after launching your business  

Our advice may seem a bit conservative to some of you who have big plans to make a huge sum of money your first year in business.  My response is threefold:

1. If you can make a  huge sum of money your first year in business, do it.  Don't let us or anyone else stop you.
2. Faster is not always better. There are really great things that result from taking the time to plan and launch a business.  For people that have a lower tolerance for risk (financial and otherwise), slow and steady growth can be a lot less scary and more rewarding than an all-or-nothing 100 yard dash. 
   
3. If you think it is easy to make huge piles of money your first year in business, you may want to test your assumptions. Real world testing is the best ... launch a small product, do a consulting gig or two, try to get some new clients on the side of your day job.  I hope I am wrong and response #1 applies to you.  But I would rather you temper your optimism with realism than fall on your face and lose more than you need to.
   

I am curious what you think of the conversation. 

5 reasons entrepreneurship is the best personal development on the planet

If you want to grow as a human being, you could climb really tall mountains.  Or run marathons.  Or study the great written works.  Or study yoga in an ashram.

Or ... you could put your entire livelihood at risk and become an entrepreneur.

I don't think running a business is for everyone.  But I do think that it is the best way on the planet to learn about yourself.

In this 9 minute podcast episode, I list 5 reasons why I feel so strongly about this.  You can find it here.

Listen in to see if you agree or disagree, then share your opinion here! 

Pam's podcast calling in sick

Quick apology:  Last week I mentioned I was going to resume my podcast today.  Unfortunately, I got bronchitis, so I would at best sound like Lauren Bacall and at worst break into ghastly coughs in the middle of trying to explain my point.

Kindly grant me one week to recover, and I will be back at you on Monday the 25th.

Although it is hardly related to the subject of the podcast, the only topic I can think of at the moment is "Lessons learned from two months of watching germs float from one member of my family to the next, in an unending circle."

I have no answers, only seek advice.  Let's hope this is the end of it, and that your household is free of such misery. :)

Update on free calls and podcast

Free Monthly Calls

A number of you have been asking when I am going to resume my free monthly Escape from Cubicle Nation calls, where whoever feels like it jumps on the phone with me for an hour to discuss all things cube-fleeing related. The answer: right away!

I am hosting a call this Wednesday, February 6 from 3-4pm EST.  To sign up, send a *blank* email to escape-qa-feb08@aweber.com

As soon as you sign up, you will get a confirmation message.  Make sure you follow the link to confirm that you indeed signed yourself up for the call, then you will receive a message with the call-in details.  This is not to annoy you, but to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act rules.

If you can't make it but want to listen in, sign up anyway and I will send you a recording of the call.

Podcast

I took some time off from my podcast right before I had my baby.  I absolutely love to do them, but they can get very time consuming, as the podcasters among you can certainly attest!  I was also doing a weekly radio show with VoiceAmerica which was great fun, but tons of effort.

So here is what I am going to do moving forward:  Resume the bi-monthly podcast, and include both solo narratives and interviews.  This will make it a bit easier to manage on my end.  Thanks for your patience, and I look forward to getting back in the swing!  I will publish a new show on Monday, February 18.  To sign up for the feed, go here.

I appreciate that you have missed these two offerings since they have been gone. Seth Godin said on our call last week that *true* permission marketing is when people get mad when you don't write.  So the fact that you care enough to ask for them back tells me that I am on the right track.

Feliz Carnaval, meus amigos brasileiros!  Happy Mardi Gras my LA friends!

And remember USA'ers among us, go out and vote tomorrow, on Super Fat Tuesday.  :)
 

What to do when you hit the "starting a business is too hard" wall

Even the most optimistic and motivated aspiring entrepreneur will reach a point where frustration or anxiety grinds progress to a halt.  This is otherwise known as "hitting the wall."   

It can happen when doing things you hate such as:

• Making sales and marketing calls
• Trying to crank out a first draft of a book or product
• Filling out government or legal forms (my personal most hated activity)
  
• Creating a business plan

What can you do to not let frustration derail your dreams?  My five recommendations in this week's 7 1/2 minute podcast (found here) include:    

1. Scream, whine, wail, swear and complain
   Give voice to those screaming demons inside that say that they are frustrated, angry, dismayed, disillusioned or tired.  Just don't do it in a public place, or you may be arrested or lose your job.
   
2. Step away
   Remove yourself from the physical environment that is causing you stress as quickly as you can.
3. Find a source of immediate beauty or calm
   Get yourself to a full-body extra-sensory environment that invokes calm, physical relaxation and peace.  The more senses that you can engage in this exercise the better.
4. Reconnect with the reason behind your entrepreneurial endeavor
   Remember what excited you about this idea in the first place.  Was it lifestyle?  Contribution?  Meaning?  Money?  If the idea doesn't hold water anymore, let it go, and free up space for something else.  Also identify what resources you could use to make the endeavor easier for yourself.
   
5. Make a very clear and specific goal to complete one task
   Choose one thing that is very feasible to accomplish and do it.  Celebrate your success, and get back on the path of step by step progress on your plans.

We all get frustrated sometimes - it is part of the human condition.  Don't let a moment of frustration derail your dreams.

What do you do when you hit a wall?

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And for those of you who pay attention to these things, you may notice that this podcast came out on Tuesday instead of Monday.  Let me just say that walls don't just come up when you are starting a business.  It never ends.  Thank god for the cheap therapy of podcasting!  :)

Striking a balance between being rich and being famous

People are drawn to entrepreneurship for a variety of reasons including work/life flexibility, the opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the world, the chance to make a lot of money or the platform to get known as an expert in your field.

Regardless of your intentions, chances are you want to make money at what you do, and use the benefits of press and publicity to market your business.  In my shorthand, I call this getting rich and famous, even if in your humble definition this means being able to pay your light bill on time and getting a one-line mention in your local paper.

Many first-time entrepreneurs struggle to balance the effort it takes to get rich with the effort it takes to get famous.  So in today's just about 8 minute podcast, (listen here) I share 5 tips including:    

1. Spend time defining your niche       
   So that you know exactly who you are trying to target, and which problems they have.
2. Create a product road map       
   So that you define what you are going to develop in what order and focus your efforts.
3. Create the infrastructure to support your product from first contact to product delivery and follow up       
   So you don't alienate your hard-won customers with crappy service.
4. Tie your fame-garnering efforts to your niche       
   So that you don't become known as the boring, generic person who knows a little about a lot of stuff.
5. Always direct people to your product page       
   So that you leverage media exposure to make sales AND get famous.

It really is a challenge to make sure that you have quality products and services AND that people know you, like you and trust you enough to buy them. 

How do you balance your "getting rich" efforts with "getting famous?"

How to go from vague idea to concrete business concept

A blog reader recently wrote an email and shared his frustration at being stuck in a corporate job and hating it, but not knowing how to begin a new business in a new field.

To answer this question, in this week's podcast (6 1/2 minutes -- go here to listen), I outlined a number of steps you can take to go from vague and fuzzy idea to concrete business concept, highlighted here:

 
1. Step 1:  Wrap your arms around the field. Learn as much as you can about all the ways this field is expressed in business, so that you know which area to focus on.
 
2. Step 2:  Choose a small "neighborhood" to explore.  Once you see all the different possibilities in the field, choose a particular area of interest.
 
3. Step 3: Identify the hotshots that are doing the work successfully.  These should be people who not only have technical expertise that you admire, but also complimentary values and thriving businesses.
 
4. Step 4:  Carve a niche.  Choose a particular area to work in that represents your best work, and a particular group of people to work with that would energize and engage you (and would pay you -- we are talking about a viable business!)
 
5. Step 5:  Shake a tree.  Get moving with a marketing plan, selling services and meeting with potential customers.

If you break things into steps and deal with one at a time, the prospect of entering a new field won't be so overwhelming.

I would like to extend a special welcome to any listeners who came here via Duct Tape Marketing's podcast, which is now (or will soon!) syndicate this podcast on their channel.   

Use classes and workshops to get stuff done

This week's podcast is short (just under 4 minutes) and focuses on a good way for you to learn and get things done in your business.  Listen here. 

Most small business owners have big plans to develop new services, re-invigorate marketing efforts or enhance online offerings. But if you are working alone, sometimes the tasks seem overwhelming.

Participating in a group class or workshop can be a great way to:

• Develop a supportive network of peers that can provide insight, encouragement and motivation for your project
• Get expert advice from your instructor which can ensure you don't make costly mistakes and do things right the first time
• Build in some accountability to get things done, since you have specific assignments and deadlines

Personally, I am hopeless without a deadline, so the final point is of particular importance.

Some resources mentioned in the podcast:

• Google your topic of interest, + teleclass or workshop
• Coachville's www.teleclass.com
• Classes at www.passionforbusiness.com

And if you have a service or consulting business and consider yourself a good teacher or trainer, you might want to add a teleclass or virtual workshop series to your offerings.  It is a great way to expand your market and bring in some extra cash.

If you have been a participant in a teleclass or workshop, what are your good and bad experiences?  Do you know of any other good online directories that people can use to search for classes? Please share!

Escape Podcast: Cash flow is king

Catch this week's podcast episode here.  It is about 7 1/2 minutes long.  Here is what is covered:

For all of you who have just made your first sale, congratulations!  You should jump up and down and dance a jig at your accomplishment.

Very soon, however, you will discover that a closed sale does not equal money in your bank account.  Based on personal experience and that which I have learned from smart friends, I share some guidelines for making sure that you plan and contract for a stable cash flow in your new business.  They include things like:    

1. Carefully study your client's financial terms, conditions and processes    
2. Plan contracts carefully, with payment milestones clearly identified and contingency plans developed if the scope changes    
3. Treat your accounts payable contact with ultimate deference and respect, lest you reap the wrath of an accountant scorned

I won't share the gory details of what I am dealing with now in my hubbie's business, but trust me that I am very hot on the topic of cash flow today.  Please share your horror stories, best practices and tips for how you manage cash flow in your business, or what every newbie entrepreneur should know about it.

Escape podcast: Networking tip - use the phone!

We all get comfortable using email to introduce ourselves to people we find compelling or share common business interests with. It is a quick and painless way to connect with people all over the world. But with the influx of email in everyone's inbox these days, as an alternative, why don't you try picking up the phone?

In this episode, I cover some tips for phone networking so that you:

• Know how to professionally and quickly get to the point of the call
• Respect the other person's time
• Make sure it is a mutually beneficial conversation

It is about 4 minutes long, and you can listen or download it here.

I certainly don't advocate dispensing with email altogether.  I couldn't live without it.  But every once in awhile, to make a more personal connection, pick up the phone!

What are your thoughts about phone vs. email for initial introductions?

Escape Podcast: Cut through work paralysis by replacing "perfect" with "good enough"

Click here for this week's 6 1/2 minute podcast episode:  Cut through work paralysis by replacing "perfect" with "good enough."

If you are anything like me, you sweat the details of your business, wanting to make sure that everything is flawless and of the highest standards.  The problem is, in a rapidly moving world and life, it is impossible to be perfect at everything you do.  In fact, you will most likely stress yourself out and get little done if your standards are so high that you get paralyzed.

In this podcast episode, I invite you to redefine your relationship with perfectionism and invite "good enough" as a new standard for releasing work and getting things done.  In order to do this, you will have to:    

1. Define different standards for your work
2. Prioritize your tasks
3. Make tough choices

By doing so, you will not only get more done, you will have more fun doing it.  And learn more!

I have challenged my own perfectionist tendencies this week by not publishing my podcast on time (due to the wretched nausea I described yesterday) and incorrectly stating that a marathon is 26.5 miles, when in fact, as many readers pointed out, it is 26.2 miles (since corrected).  It certainly is not the first time I have made a typo, but I have to say that as time goes on, I get more comfortable with them.  I am trying to move to more action and accomplishment, and that sometimes involves screwing up.  Don't worry, I am not recommending that you become sloppy and careless, perhaps just a bit less obsessed by details.

If you have struggled with perfectionism and have some insight, please share!

Escape podcast: Interview with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing

I have written about Duct Tape Marketing in the past, as it is a well-known and respected small business marketing resource.  I had the good fortune to interview its founder John Jantsch for my podcast and ask him all kinds of questions that I get from my readers all the time such as:

• If I have never marketed myself before, where do I begin?
• What are the pieces of a total marketing system?
• Why is it so important to define a specific target audience or niche for my services?  Won't that narrow my opportunities?
• What if I loathe marketing?
• Should I launch my brand name if I am not 100% sure I like it?
• Should I start a blog or podcast to market my new business?

John has been in the business for over 23 years, so you can bet he has seen and heard most all!  Join our 33-minute interview by clicking here.

Escape podcast: Take the brute force out of your fears

All aspiring entrepreneurs have fears about starting a business.  These fears pack tremendous emotional punch and can stop you in your tracks if you aren't careful.  Listen to my 7 minute podcast on the topic by going here:  Take the brute force out of your fears by dissecting them. 

Fears can be:

1. No one will ever buy my product or service
2. I do not have enough experience to start a business
3. All my competitors have superior products (besides which, they are smarter and/or better looking)

Some people stay paralyzed and never move forward, while others find ways to overcome their fears and experience success. In this episode, I walk you through a specific exercise that you can use to diagnose and alleviate your fears.

You may want to listen to it when you are sitting at a desk where you can scribble notes, or in front of your computer where you can create a simple table.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast feed, you can sign up here.

If you do this exercise, please let me know how it works, ok?  If you share your learning here via the comments, everyone can benefit.  Thanks!

Escape podcast: Interview with Martha Beck

The first of my interview podcasts is now available:  Interview with Martha Beck:  Your left toe holds the clue to your right life.   It is about 40 minutes long.

Martha is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Finding Your Own North Star:  Claiming the Life You are Meant to Live and a monthly columnist for Oprah's O Magazine.

This discussion centers on the premise that in order to discover the right business to start, you first must get in touch with the work you are meant to do.  Martha has some insightful and surprising advice, including tidbits such as:

• How your left toe may lead you to marry a different person than you intended
• The technique of "shackles on, shackles off"
• What is really contained in the "and" from "Do what you love and the money will follow

I will post a transcript of the call here a little later on this evening.

Readers shared some great questions for the interview (see comments on this post).  I got so carried away that I only asked one official question, but I think she provided insight that will help to answer many of the questions submitted. For those that weren't, I have tagged them for future blog posts.

I shared a few weeks ago that I wanted to include longer interviews with my personal entrepreneurial heros every other podcast, to be able to dive deeper into the brief subjects I talk about in my usual 5-7 minute format.  I welcome input about this change, as well as suggested guests (the next lined up are John Jansch from Duct Tape Marketing and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki.)

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Since I have been sharing my learning about podcasting as I go along, I did notice a few things about my first interview:

• I have the severe need to exorcise the phrases "kind of" and "you know" from my speech.  I never realized how much I said them until I listened to a playback of the recording.
• My questions can be too complicated (just ask one of my coaching clients who told me the other day after a particularly long-winded question "Can you rephrase that?" --translation -- What the heck are you talking about?)
• The "um humms" that we use everyday when talking to someone on the phone to let them know that we are listening to them are deadly on recorded interviews.  I had about 25 of them in this 45-minute interview, and I had to have the tape professionally edited by the pro Tim "Gonzo" Gordon.  (The very patient Anna Farmery from the excellent podcast The Engaging Brand was kind enough to try to walk me through the audio editing process over Skype.  My time ran out, as I have a lot to learn, but I plan on practicing what she shared for future episodes.)
• Finally, I discovered that despite all the things I have to learn and improve, I LOVE to conduct interviews.  This has even led me to enter into discussion about my own radio show -- stay tuned for more about this.  (And I have to give total credit for exploring this idea to my buddy Robert who is perhaps the most encouraging person on the planet.)

I hope you enjoy the interview.  Please share your thoughts about it!

Escape podcast: When is your branding "good enough" to start marketing?

If you are just starting to market your business, you might feel a little exasperated when trying to choose a perfect brand name.  It may feel like until you do this, you can't move forward with any marketing plans and you feel stuck and frustrated.

Go here to download or listen online.

In this episode (7 1/2 minutes or so), I cover:    

1. What a good branding process should look like    
2. Which marketing activities you can undertake before your brand is fully baked    
3. Which marketing activities you should hold off on until you are 80% or more satisfied with your brand

I also mention a few resources:

• My second podcast First plan your life, then plan your business
• Great brand naming resource:  namedevelopment.com
• Example of a great brand:  Legal Sanity
• Guy Kawasaki's book Art of the Start
• Marketing/branding resources for coaches: Andrea Lee's book Multiple Streams of Coaching Income and Suzanne Falter-Barns' site getknownnow.com

Oh yeah, and I didn't mention it in the podcast, but I did have some fun writing about branding before:  What's in a brand name?  More than you think

To subscribe to this podcast feed, go here.

I know not all of you will agree with what I have to say ... let your ideas rip here, ok?

Input on expanded podcast for 2007

I got a huge brainstorm last week as I was thinking about ways to expand on and improve my podcast for 2007.  To this point, I have kept it very short and succinct, with the idea that busy corporate employees don't have hours of time to spend listening to recordings.  It seemed like the 5-7 minute timeframe was just about right for a quick hit of information and encouragement every other Monday.

At the same time, I have been hearing from many, many readers that there are some deep issues that they want more information about.  Things like "How do I figure out what kind of business to start?" and "How do I sell and market my services if I have never done that before?"

So I had a brainstorm:  what if one of the the two podcasts a month was in a longer, interview format where I could ask some of my "entrepreneurial heroes" their perspectives on these deeper issues?  I figured the interviews could last about 45 minutes - 1 hour and could focus not just on the expertise of the interviewee, but also some of their personal stories about building a business.  That is always what fascinates me.  The people I hold in high regard not only have thriving businesses, but also very cool and healthy lives.

So I jumped on email and started poking around, and lined up the following guests:

• Martha Beck in January for an in-depth look at how you figure out the work you are meant to do, and hence which business to start.  Martha is a long-time idol of mine and wrote the very useful book "Finding Your Own North Star." She also writes a monthly column for O Magazine.  She is the most profound coach I know, and was a huge influence on me finding my own path.  Besides which, she is hilarious.
• John Jansch of Duct Tape Marketing for February, on the topic of where to start with small business marketing.  I just blogged about John and know that he will be a font of information about all things marketing.  I am especially interested in marketing for people who have never done it, or who don't consider themselves "extroverted."
• Guy Kawasaki for March about ... I'm not sure just yet.  He just announced that he is writing a book about getting venture capital so this would be an obvious topic, but he also has an interesting perspective on a lot of different things. 

I plan on creating an "open questions" post a week before each interview to solicit your questions and find out what you would like to know from the interviewee. 

The other person on my "dream list" is Jim Collins, a long-time hero from the world of academics and publishing, who wrote Built to Last and Good to Great.  I know that I want to talk with Jim about discovering work you are meant to do and creating a life plan, as when I heard his  personal story at a Fast Company conference in 2000, I was completely blown away.  If anyone is buddies with Jim and can make an introduction, I would be extremely grateful.  If not, I will do it the old fashioned way:  grovel and beg!

What do you think about this idea?  Would you listen to longer podcasts if they had these kinds of interviews?  Who would be fascinating to hear from?

I really value your input.  Thanks!

Escape Podcast: The customer likeability factor

A conversation with a client last week got me obsessing about ways to further support and encourage him in his entrepreneurial endeavors.  And as I spent more and more time thinking about it, I had a deep insight:

The fact that I care so much about this client is a great clue that I am in the right business!

It  led me to create this week's podcast episode:  The customer likeability factor.  The description:

Knowing what business to start is a huge question for many aspiring entrepreneurs.  Aside from examining your own passions and interests, you can gain great insight into this question by thinking about your ideal customer in the following dimensions:

1. Who would I genuinely like to work with?  What characteristics do they share?

2. What impact would my product or service have on their life?  How does it feel to know I am having a positive impact?

3. How would I feel talking about my business with these customers?

How has this factor impacted your business decisions?  I would love to know.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast feed, go here.  I publish every other Monday.

Escape Podcast: Reduce your marketing dread

It's that time again!  I publish the Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast every other Monday.

Go here to listen.

In this episode, I cover three things that help new entrepreneurs overcome their dread of all things marketing:

1. Readjusting your marketing mindset
2. Clearly defining a niche
3. Selecting and creating a marketing plan

In case you can't scribble fast enough while listening, I reference two helpful marketing experts:

Robert Middleton from www.actionplan.com and John Jansch from www.ducttapemarketing.com

Do you dread marketing too?  What has helped you to get over the dread?  And if you know of any other good small business marketing resources or experts, please add to the comments.

If you want to subscribe to this podcast automatically, here is the feed. 

Escape Podcast 3: How do you decide which business to start?

It's that time again!  I just posted the third episode of the Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast.  It is about 6 1/2 minutes long and covers the following topic:

Many people have questions about which business to start.  But most approach the task from the wrong angle, believing that if they just think about it enough that the answer will magically appear.

In this episode, I cover:

1. A myth about the process of deciding which business to start
2. Insight into why it is such a difficult quest for veteran corporate employees
3. A (fun) homework assignment to get some insight into the best business idea for you

I have changed my hosting format and now have the podcast episodes on Libsyn (short for LIberated Syndication - I chose them based on recommendations from readers, plus their name  ... how could I resist?).

To listen or to download the mp3 file, click here.

Here is the RSS feed for those of you who want to subscribe automatically:  http://feeds.feedburner.com/EscapeFromCubicleNationPodcast

I will add the RSS button to my blog tomorrow (babysitting time ran out before I finished everything!).

I mentioned in my first episode that podcasting was all new to me so I was going to upgrade my show step by step as I learned more.  This time, I did the following things differently:

1. Recorded using Audacity, free recording shareware (word to the wise:  if you go this route, make sure you first dowload lame-3.96.1, unzip it and save it to your drive.  You will need this when you decide to save your recording.  And instead of save, choose "Export to mp3").  I haven't figured out how to edit audio yet, so I will play around with it next time.
2. Hosted the podcast on Libsyn.  I just used their bare-boned post layout and will jazz it up soon with a better banner, and expanded categories
3. Published the feed with Feedburner.  I use them to track my blog subscribers and really like the service so I went with them for the podcast as well

My aim for next time is to:

1. Include a piece of intro music.  Any suggestions?
2. Maybe have a pre-recorded introduction of the podcast.  What are your feelings on this?  Should it be my voice or someone else's? 
3. Get all episodes up on iTunes and hope for some new listeners

Thanks in advance for listening, and for your suggestions.  Please leave comments on the topic of the podcast here!

Podcast episode 2: Plan your life, then plan your business

This week's podcast is on the topic of the importance of thinking about your ideal life before you get busy writing your business plan.

It is just under 4 1/2 minutes.

I included a simple exercise you can do when you have a few minutes time.  Please let me know how it goes, if and where you get stuck, and how it changes or impacts how you are thinking about your new business.

I had many people offer generous assistance to take my podcast to the next level .. .thanks in particular to Alex and Matthew for your great advice and information.

I will implement some of their recommendations in the next edition on September 25.  For now, I used the same low-tech approach.

The Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast is broadcast every other Monday and will have subscription information available on September 25.

Announcing Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast Episode 1

Greetings everyone!

I am pleased to introduce my first, raw, unedited and low-techno version of the Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast.  It runs about 7 1/2 minutes.

I have been thinking about doing a podcast for a long time, not (just) because it is the hip thing to do, but because I love the idea of speaking directly into people's ears about the type of things we discuss on this blog.  The kinds of topics I want to cover are:

• How-to's for things like choosing a business,  getting funding, making a marketing plan, creating a brand that reflects who you are, researching your market and dealing with the fear of change
• Interviews of people who have made the transition from employee to entrepreneur successfully (or unsuccessfully - that would be interesting too) since I think there is a lot to be gained from real, live examples, not just theoretical concepts
• Interviews with experts that have a unique perspective on entrepreneurship and are interesting to talk to.  What a great excuse to call up people whom I have always wanted to meet!

I would love to hear your suggestions for topics.

This first episode introduces me and the idea behind the podcast for those that have not been regular readers of the blog.  It is about 7 and 1/2 minutes long.  I will keep the episodes to 10 minutes or so, unless there is a really interesting interview that must go on longer.  From what I have been reading, anything longer than 20 minutes is too long.

This is my birthday present to myself since I am 40 years old today!  I can think of no better way to spend my time than to kick off something that has been on my "want to do list" for a long time. 

I will get a sound editor to clean and tighten things up a bit as I go down the road, as well as provide the RSS feed for regular subscriptions.  I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do!

P.S.  I had to share the picture that my Mom sent to me for my birthday ... taken by my Dad about 38 years ago.  I guess writing has been in my "master plans" for a long time!  (click on the photo to enlarge)