I’m a huge consumer of content. It’s in my nature to want to learn and grow—always! I had a conversation with another business owner the other day about some of my favorite places to help me in my business and it made me pause. Sure, I have favorites. We all do! But what were my favorite kinds of online content—and where were my go-to picks in each of those categories.
That’s how this post was born. It’s my way to share some of my favorite content with you. Two things to know about this list: 1) It’s made up of only business-related content. But I do consume a good amount of content for personal reasons. 2) I forced myself to stick to a maximum of three sources for each category. And that was hard!
Oh, one more thing I should share: No one on this list knows that I’ve included them. So if you see someone you know, give them a shout out!
Podcasts
I love podcasts, but I’m a bit burned out on your traditional Q&A style podcasts. I like learning about other business owners, but I’d really like to learn about something that will move me—or my business—forward.
Recently I did a podcast purge and cut back on a lot of those I was subscribed to. Now I have only three regular go-to podcasts, plus a few others that I will listen to if the guest really intrigues me.
Pursuit With Purpose – Melyssa Griffin
Melyssa’s is a new podcast and she focuses on living your life and running your business with more purpose, instead of succumbing to the daily grind. I love that she gets so vulnerable about her own life and that her guests talk about how they find a balance between business and the rest of her life.
All Up in Your Lady Business – Jessica Stansberry & Jaclyn Mellone
Earlier this year, this podcast went through a format change and I absolutely love the new format! Each month, Jessica and Jaclyn focus on one big topic with one big guest. Then they dive in deep with expertise from their guest, taking questions from listeners and bringing on other guest experts to quickly give their own take on the topic. They also have their own jam sessions to focus on their takeaways from the guests. I learn something new every time I listen.
Online Marketing Made Easy – Amy Porterfield
Online marketing is my thing, so I’ve tried to find something that can really help me hone my craft. Right now, Amy’s podcast is it. She talks about webinars, Facebook, hiring, sales and, yes, marketing. The podcasts are usually just her talking, which means none of that, “Tell me how you got started” that more traditional podcasts include. You’re learning every minute!
Instagram
If you had asked me a year ago who I was following on Instagram, the answer would have been, “No one.” That’s because I wasn’t present there. As a writer, I thought the platform wasn’t for me and that it was a waste of time. Now it’s my favorite place to be. I’m obsessed with Instastories and have been getting more and more active on the platform.
Lauren Carnes @laurenlcarnes
I totally have a girl-crush on Lauren Carnes. Okay, maybe it’s a food-crush because BOY does she post some amazing food shots on her Instagram feed! She’s a photographer and communications strategist who documents both her amazing travels and her at-home life regularly. If you check her out, be sure to watch her Instastories too (they’re the best part of her Instagram presence)!
Crystal Hollman @crystalclear_creativestudios
I’m continually impressed with Crystal’s online presence, and I love the variety she includes in her Instagram feed (while still staying on-brand and relevant). She includes great tips in her posts and her Instastories are fun and engaging. And I love that she mixes these educational posts with some of her own work—which is exactly the right way to market yourself online!
MotherHustle™ @motherhustle
I’m a panel member of this new online magazine, but that doesn’t mean I’m biased. Emily Cretella, owner of the MotherHustle™ brand, posts real-life stories of moms who are managing a business, motherhood, and sometimes a 9-to-5 job. I love that she includes Instastories that truly speak to the real-life (and occasionally include an adult beverage).
Blogs
I’ll be totally honest here: I don’t read a lot of blogs (which is why I only have two on this list). Not because they’re not valuable (they ARE—SO valuable) but because I spend most of my reading time reading books. But when I do sit down to grab a blog post or two, it’s because they serve a deeper purpose for me. I’m researching for a client post or one of my own posts. I have a problem I need to solve—actually one of the best reasons to serve your audience with regular blogs!
When there’s something techie I need to solve, I always head to Jessica Stansberry’s website first. Every blog is a mini tutorial, with a video and screenshots, and she makes it so simple to figure out what I need and want to do. And if I ever run into a roadblock, Jessica is just a message away in her Facebook group (which I talk about below).
My favorite thing about Jessica Freeman, owner of Jess Creatives, is how real she is. She’s not afraid to tell you about her own struggles and she has regular series on her website and YouTube channel to help move your business forward. She has the heart for helping, which I truly appreciate!
Video
Video is a great way to add personality to your business, so your audience can see your face and personality. Your videos can be present on YouTube, Instastories, your Facebook page, or your Facebook group. It doesn’t really matter, as long as that’s where your audience lives.
I know I’ve already included Jessica on my list, but I love her videos so I had to include her again. Jess publishes her weekly podcast, Journeys in Business, on her YouTube channel, but she also posts tutorial and informational videos there regularly. I love that they’re short, sweet and to the point!
Sunny has been at the video game for years now. While some of the videos feature some old tech, she adds new videos regularly. She talks about branding, online marketing, YouTube help, and tech tools in a way that’s entertaining and easy to understand.
One of my favorite things about the Savvy YouTube channel is that it spotlights a wide range of entrepreneurs with various expertise. So whether you want to learn about ConvertKit, video editing, product sales, or something else, you can learn from one of the community’s guest vlog contributors.
Facebook Groups
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook groups. They’re great for networking and engaging with others, but they sure are terrible for staying on task. Going into Facebook is a gigantic time-suck and I’ve found that just browsing through a few groups sends me on a time-warp where I forget everything around me for hours on end. Okay, that’s a little dramatic. But seriously, I’ve turned off notifications or removed myself from many groups lately. Here are three of my current go-to’s.
Owned by Jessica Stansberry of Hey Jessica, this is also my go-to for any tech help I might need. I also turn to this group when I want to poll other business owners about a tool they might use. Jessica is nearly always available and when she’s not around (a girl’s got to sleep, I guess), there are many tech geniuses in the group to lend a hand.
Run by Adrienne Dorison, this group is all about growing as a business owner. She calls you out on your crap and pushes you to commit to results and success. I like that she’s super-active in the group (which is not common these days) and pops in for Facebook Lives from time to time. I’m enjoying the group!
90 Day Year
This is a closed, private group only for 90 Day Year participants. It’s full of business owners who want to grow through business with the help of Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year program. There’s no opportunity to promote yourself (thankfully) but every opportunity to ask questions and get feedback about what you’re working on in your business. It’s very no-nonsense, which I love.
Alrighty. You’ve got my list—now give me yours! What are your favorite places to consume content? Hit me up with your ideas!
