I listened to 10 Years of Episodes (600+) in 2023

I was introduced to Amy Porterfield through Marie Forleo in 2019.  I listened to a few of her podcast episodes, but I didn’t stick with it.  It had nothing to do with her podcast in particular; I wasn’t a regular listener of any podcast.   From the few episodes I did listen to I learned enough to purchase her signature course Digital Course Academy (DCA) in the fall of 2020, even though I knew I wasn’t ready to do anything with it. (I’m a Planner. See Episode 502). I didn’t even know what my side hustle was going to be!  I completed the course to have it in mind as I developed my business ideas. 

When I heard Amy had a book coming out, I knew I had to read it. I started reading Two Weeks Notice on February 24, 2023. 

As I started reading the book, I thought I should revisit her podcast.  At that time, I was still listening to zero podcasts.  I felt like I had missed so much by not listening to them sooner.  Then an idea hit me.  Since all the OMME episodes are still available, why not go back to the first one and listen to them ALL?! And that’s what I did.  I spent the next 5 months bingeing on Amy Porterfield’s podcast.

What is the OMME podcast all about?

Amy’s intro states her intention of providing “simple, actionable, step-by-step strategies” to help listeners “create a business that makes an impact and a life you love.”  Amy does that and so much more.   Through the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, Amy offers practical help, demonstrates what she teaches, shares lessons learned and personal struggles, introduces her students to other experts and their resources, and provides inspiration and encouragement.

 

1.      OFFERS PRACTICAL HELP

 

Specific Help for Online Marketing

Many of the episodes provide step-by-step guides with helpful show notes and downloadable freebies to refer to.  Topics have included things like planning a photoshoot (Ep. 281), tips on hiring (Ep. 503), creating lead magnets (Ep. 271), and creating a content calendar (Ep. 409). 

Here is a list of some of my favorites in this category:

• Episode 536 with Shade Zahrai - 2 Million Followers in 2 Years: The Power of Video to Explode Your Brand
• Episode 572 with Emily Hirsh - ChatGPT, AI & How to Use It in Your Marketing
• Episode 599 How to Use AI to Expand Your Online Course Topic (with free guide)

These are typical things you might expect from listening to the intro – “simple, actionable, step-by-step strategies.”  But there’s more.

 

General Entrepreneurship

Besides the step-by-step guides for technical aspects of creating an online business, Amy offers resources to help with things like mindset and understanding personality.  She takes you behind the scenes (Ep. 283) and shares things like her ideal work week (Ep. 177 & 433) and tiger time ritual (Ep. 102).

My Favorites:

• Episode 402 with Jonathan Fields The Innovative Strategy for Avoiding Burnout
• Episode 464 with Ian Morgan Cron What your Enneagram Results Really Mean About You As An Entrepreneur
• Episode 363 with Jamie Kern Lima How to Silence Your Inner Critic & Commit to Success

 

2.      DEMONSTRATES WHAT SHE TEACHES

 

A Model to Follow

Amy not only offers online marketing education directly through the episode mini-trainings and freebies, but she also teaches indirectly by example.  If she tells you to do XYZ before you launch a course, you better believe you’ll see her doing those exact things.  You can read her emails and pay attention to the podcast content right before DCA launches to see her pre-launch blueprint in action.

By simply paying attention to what Amy does, you can learn so much!  She models what she teaches.

Example of Learning & Growing

You can also watch her learn and grow.  She learns on the spot from the people she interviews.  For example, when she interviewed Neil Patel (Ep. 221) she didn’t even have an SEO strategy.  Listen to that episode and watch how she learned about SEO from him in the interview. 

One of my favorite episodes is 259 Seven Secrets to Talking About Your Product Like a Pro.  In this episode Amy shares how she learned this marketing strategy by watching Jamie Kern Lima talk about her cosmetics in an infomercial!  She recorded, transcribed, and analyzed the infomercial.  Do you see what happened here?  She noticed, learned, and implemented the strategy, and made a podcast episode out of it! 

A more recent example where you can see her learning and then implementing is Episode 603 with Nicole Burke of Gardenary: Use Your Smart Phone To Boost Your Digital Course Sales.  Listen to that episode and then head over to Instagram to see what she posted after that.  She put her new knowledge to use right away.

 

3.      SHARES LESSONS LEARNED & PERSONAL STRUGGLES

 

Lessons Learned in Business

Amy shares her lessons learned.  She provides wisdom you can use and not make the same mistakes!

Check out Episode 439 9 Things I’d Do If I Started My Business All Over Again.

In Episode 247 Why I’ve Agreed to Fail 100 Times in 12 Months (January 24, 2019), Amy talks about ending her business partnership in 2018.  There is a noticeable shift in Amy’s voice in 2019 after the end of her business partnership.   She is much more confident.  And this is after 10 years of being in business!

 

Personal Stories & Struggles

Amy is not all business.  You get to know a little of her personal life – husband Hobie (Ep. 270 & 407), dog Scout, home in Nashville, lakehouse, etc.  She shares her struggles with weight (Ep. 239), being on video (Ep. 179) and mental health (Ep. 230 & 516).

 

4.      INTRODUCES HER STUDENTS TO OTHER EXPERTS & THEIR RESOURCES

 

Amy introduces her audience to other entrepreneurs and their resources.  I have many bookmarked pages!

Here are some of my favorites:

• Susie Moore: Episode 405 Overcome Overwhelm & Secrets to Being Your Own PR Rep
• Donald Miller: Episode 556 How To Take Your Small Business To Multi-million Dollar Success
• Jamie Kern Lima: Episode 314B From Rejection to a 1.2 Billion Dollar Entrepreneur
• John Lee Dumas: Episode 369 Common Strategies For Uncommon Success
• Stu McLaren: Episode 453 Why Memberships Are the Future of Online Businesses

Here are the books I’ve read so far this year because of listening to OMME:

• Let It Be Easy by Susie Moore
• Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima
• The Common Path to Uncommon Success by John Lee Dumas
• How to Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller (and a subscription to businessmadesimple.com LOVE LOVE LOVE this!)

I highly recommend each of these books.  They are practical and inspirational!

Amy mentioned other books that I had already read and found useful.  Here are a few:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear (Ep. 295)
• Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt (Ep. 258)
• Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo (Bonus Episode August 27, 2019)

Check out Amy’s list of favorite books in Episode 400.

 

5.      PROVIDES INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT

 

Stories

Throughout the episodes Amy inspires and encourages you as you create your online business.  She frequently reminds you that you don’t have to have it all figured out before sharing with the world (Ep. 592 10% edge).

Some of my favorites in this area:

• Episode 308 with Jennifer Allwood Courage: Your Gateway Drug to Confidence
• Episode 569 Embracing the Cringe: The Cultural Movement That’s All About Owning The Most Awkward Parts of Yourself

So many of the interviews are inspirational.  The student stories are amazing!  Not all are stories of people creating multi-million-dollar businesses.  These students are people you can totally relate to.  They demonstrate how different your business idea can be and still be successful.  Amy’s love for her students is apparent. 

My favorite one is Episode 331 with student Andrea Olson: Go Diaper Free 6 Figures & 5 Babies: How She Did It with Only 3 Hours a Day.

 

Mantras & Quotes

I picked up some great mantras and quotes from listening to OMME. Besides the many Tony Robbins quotes, here are some of my favorites:

• Episode 57 “Pursue simple. Get fancy later.”
• Episode 192 Don Draper “Make it simple but significant.”
• Episode 217 with Brooke Castillo “B-minus work can change people’s lives. Work that you don’t produce at all, does nothing in the world.”
• Episode 577 “Everything that is meant for me will find me.”

 

What now?

What a fantastic learning experience this has been!  This review does not begin to explain how valuable this podcast and Amy’s other resources have been to me.  I feel so much more equipped to create the business of my dreams!

I will keep tuning in to the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast, continue to explore the resources Amy and her guests have shared, and implement what I’ve learned. 

If you’re “an ambitious entrepreneur or one in the making” I highly recommend checking out Amy Porterfield’s resources.  Listen to the OMME podcast, subscribe to her email list, follow her on social, download the freebies she offers, attend any webinar or live video she offers – all for FREE!  Her book Two Weeks Notice and her bootcamps are very low cost high value options.   Start building your email list!!  Take her List Builders Society Course for help with that.  Learn to create a digital course with Digital Course Academy.  It’s worth every penny.

May you “create a business that makes an impact and a life you love.”  That’s what I’m doing.  Thank you Amy and Team Porterfield. 

“Bye for now.”

Lisa C Reid