Work Less, Earn More

The very first video I posted on my YouTube channel went viral. It wasn’t professionally shot, I was nervous on camera, and I filmed it in my living room with the camera on auto. So what made it take off?

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how that video went from a handful of views a day to hundreds of thousands of views, why it took months 
before it finally caught on, and the three things you need to do if you want your own videos to be much more likely to go viral. Viral videos aren’t just a nice bonus on YouTube. They’re one of the biggest drivers of channel growth, and the process behind them is simpler than most people think.

If you want to learn how to get views on YouTube even when you’re starting with zero subscribers, check out my free YouTube growth strategy class here: https://creatorfasttrack.com/workshop-registration

In This Episode, I Cover:
Why viral videos are essential for growing a YouTube channel, not just nice to have
How YouTube tests a brand new channel’s videos with small audiences before pushing them out widely
Why you shouldn't give up on a video that doesn’t take off right away
The two types of research that helped me find video ideas I knew would perform well
The free tools I use for keyword research
How to create a thumbnail and title that are clear, eye-catching, and a little bit intriguing

Free Resources to Grow Your Online Business:
YouTube Growth Strategy Class: https://creatorfasttrack.com/workshop-registration
The $100K Method (free private podcast): https://www.gillianperkins.com/100k-method-signup
Small Business 101 (free course): https://gillianperkins.com/free-training-small-business-101/

Work with Gillian Perkins:
Startup Society: https://startupsociety.com
$100K Mastermind: https://gillianperkins.com/100k-mastermind

Connect with Gillian:
Website: https://gillianperkins.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gillianzperkins/

What happens when you get everything you worked for and it still isn't enough? That's exactly where this week's guest, Sam Vander Wielen, found herself. Sam spent years building a career as an attorney, only to discover that the title, the salary, and the respect that were supposed to make her happy left her miserable instead. So she walked away and built a business from scratch — one that's since made over $10 million from a single digital product. In this episode, Sam and I dig into what she calls "the happiness trap": the belief that once a certain thing happens, we'll finally feel happy, worthy, or at peace. We talk about why that belief rarely holds up, even when the thing you were chasing actually comes true, and what to do instead if you're waiting for "someday" to start feeling better about your life.
If this conversation has you thinking about finally starting the business you've been sitting on, my free Small Business 101 course walks you through exactly how to get started: https://gillianperkins.com/free-training-small-business-101/

In This Episode, I Cover:
What the "happiness trap" is, and why almost all of us fall into it without realizing it
Sam's story of chasing a law career for the status and security, only to find it made her miserable
Why even wild success in her own business didn't automatically deliver the happiness she expected
The reason we tend to revert to the same baseline of happiness no matter how much our circumstances change
How negativity bias explains why one nasty comment can undo ninety-nine kind ones
The "arrival fallacy," and how it can trap you twice — once chasing a career, then again chasing the business meant to replace it
Sam's practical steps for building happiness now instead of waiting for "someday," including her "five-second rule" for trying new hobbies
Why Sam believes it isn't your job's — or your business's — job to make you happy
Her advice for anyone sitting on a business idea right now, and how to find out if people actually want it before you build it

Connect with Sam Vander Wielen:
When I Start My Business, I'll Be Happy: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/book/
On Your Terms: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samvanderwielen/
Free live class (her last one of 2026, Monday, October 19) on how to start an online business legally, plus what's changing with AI disclosure policies and ADA website lawsuits — sign up for free access and the replay here: https://samvanderwielen.samcart.com/referral/oct-live/rOhbxf8KbgOnMbqq

Free Resources to Grow Your Online Business:
$100K Method (free audio course): https://www.gillianperkins.com/100k-method-signup
Small Business 101 (free course): https://gillianperkins.com/free-training-small-business-101/

Work with Gillian Perkins:
Startup Society: https://startupsociety.com
$100K Mastermind: https://gillianperkins.com/100k-mastermind

Connect with Gillian:
Website: https://gillianperkins.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gillianzperkins/

I used to believe raising my price would scare buyers off. Then I tried raising them, and... my conversion rate went from 6% to 13%!

This episode breaks down what happened during our second $100K Mastermind launch. Second launches are usually the weakest, because they don't have the hype of a first launch or the momentum of the launches that come after - and I've definitely experienced that! But this one broke that pattern. In fact, it became my best launch to date, netting $164,464.40 in just two weeks! So, today, I'm excited to walk through exactly how we made it happen.

In This Episode, I Cover:
Why raising my price increased my conversion rate instead of hurting it
Why people tell you your product is "too expensive" (because that's rarely the real reason they don't buy)
A simple addition to our offer that made it almost impossible to say no to
Why I didn't send a single email to my full list for this launch
The one number thing that separates webinars that convert from those that just falls flat
What happened when we got 4,000 people registered for two webinars

FREE Resources to Grow Your Online Business:
The $100K Method (free audio course): https://www.gillianperkins.com/100k-method-signup
Small Business 101 (free course): https://gillianperkins.com/free-training-small-business-101/

Work with Gillian Perkins:
$100K Mastermind: https://gillianperkins.com/100k-mastermind
Startup Society: https://startupsociety.com

Connect with Gillian:
Website: https://gillianperkins.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillianzperkins/

Screenshot this episode, share it to your Instagram Stories, and tag @gillianzperkins. I love seeing which lessons resonate most.

Until next week, stay focused and take action!

I put all my effort into building an amazing course and thought that alone would be enough. Well, it wasn't- and it cost me a year or two of spinning my wheels before anything sold.

In this episode, I'm breaking down everything I wish I knew before I ever tried to sell an online course. After almost ten years of doing this (eight of them actually profitable), I've learned the hard way what makes some courses actually sell while others just sit there. This one's for anyone who has an online course idea, is building one right now, or already has one that isn't converting the way they hoped.

In This Episode, I Cover:
Why a great course is almost never enough to make it sell on its own
The real reason people buy a course (and it's NOT the content inside it)
Why cramming in more modules and bonuses usually backfires
Why pricing based on your hours of video is quietly costing you money
The uncomfortable truth about giving away your best material for free
Why your first launch is guaranteed to teach you more than it earns you
The one thing that can quietly wipe out your course business's profit margins

FREE Resources to Grow Your Online Business:
Free Audio Course ($100K Method): https://www.gillianperkins.com/100k-method-signup
Small Business 101 (Free Course): https://gillianperkins.com/free-training-small-business-101/

Work with Gillian Perkins:
$100K Mastermind: https://gillianperkins.com/100k-mastermind
Startup Society: https://startupsociety.com

Connect with Gillian:
Website: https://gillianperkins.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillianzperkins/

Screenshot this episode, share it to your Instagram Stories, and tag @gillianzperkins — I love seeing which lessons resonate most.

Until next week — stay focused and take action.

In this episode, podcast coach and God-Led Business host Stefanie Gass joins me for an honest, unscripted conversation about the changes we've each made in our businesses over the last year - new platforms, overhauled teams, and product lines we simplified (or didn't, lol). If you're running an online business and wondering whether it's time to shake something up, this one is for you.
In This Episode, I Cover:
Why Stefanie added YouTube after years of podcast-only growth, and what changed when she did
The real reason we both overstaffed our teams, and how we knew it was time to cut
Why offering a cheap "dip your toes in" option is quietly costing you sales
What happened when Stefanie stopped niching down on a specific topic... and let faith lead her content instead
The unstructured, no-slide format that still converts better than anything polished
How to know when one product has earned the right to become your whole business

Stefanie's Free Podcast Bootcamp:
5-Day Profitable Podcast Bootcamp, free with code GILLIAN: https://stefaniegass.com/gifts
Listen to God-Led Business: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-led-business-make-money-online-work-from-home-passive/id1437868374

Gillian's free $100K Method audio course:
https://www.gillianperkins.com/100k-method-signup

Connect with Gillian:
Website: https://gillianperkins.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gillianzperkins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillianzperkins/

Connect with Stefanie:
Website: https://stefaniegass.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stefaniegass

Screenshot this episode and share it to your Instagram Stories - tag @gillianzperkins so I can see it.
Until next week - stay focused and take action.