"I underestimated my value and so did my audience" with Debbie Arcangeles
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Debbie is a remote entrepreneur and host of The Offbeat Life. A podcast where she interviews individuals who are location independent and remote entrepreneurs. She is an expert at turning hobbies into profitable businesses and monetizing podcasts. Debbie is also the founder of Howtocreateapodcast.com, an all in one resource for learning how to start and take your podcast from hobby to profitable business.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Hi, my name is Debbie Arcangeles and I am the founder of The Offbeat Life, a website and podcast that helps people how to become a remote worker and entrepreneur. I am also the founder of Howtocreateapodcast.com, a site where I share helpful resources on how to start, grow, and monetize a podcast. Before I started my podcast, I was unhappy with my 9–5 and wanted to find a way to gain more freedom through location independence. A year and a half after I started my show, I was able to leave a full-time job to become a full-time content creator. This new path has allowed me to work from anywhere, travel the world, and learn how to turn my hobby into a profitable business.
What inspired you to start your business?
I started my business from my personal need to be able to leave my 9-5 and create freedom for myself as a remote entrepreneur. I knew that if I had this issue, others would have it too, so in order to help myself and others like me, I created a site and podcast that helps others learn how to become remote workers and entrepreneurs. Little did I know it would grow into a sustainable business and would help thousands of people transition to a life they truly want to live.
Where is your business based?
I am usually based in NYC, but you can find me anywhere in the world at any given time since I am location independent!
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
The first step I took was to figure out my niche and to understand my ideal audience so I can provide valuable information.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I have found that the most effective way of raising awareness for my business is by getting exposure from other creators and doing collaborations. It is a great way to tap into other people’s audiences that are similar to mine in a short amount of time.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Before starting my current business, I had already failed three. One of the biggest challenges that I had to overcome is wanting to make everything perfect. The website had to be perfect, the logo, and everything else. I kept waiting to launch and it stopped me from going forward and making a profit.
Another obstacle that I faced was being afraid to ask for money and thought that giving valuable information was more important. Although giving valuable information is definitely crucial, asking to get paid for your expertise is just as important. I underestimated my value and so did my audience. As time passed, they expected all my content to be free, which made it harder for me to sell my products.
With my current business, I have been able to learn the balance between free content and paid so that my lifestyle and business will be sustainable and profitable.
How do you stay focused?
It can definitely be hard to stay focused every day. But what I found to be helpful in creating a solid routine for myself and to make a daily checklist that I need to accomplish. This allows me to stay on task and be more accountable for my actions.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
There will always be another person out there who will do something similar to your business. But what makes my business different is me. My experiences, my capabilities, and my personality. Aside from myself, I also run a business that shares tons of proven methods and strategies that my audience will be confident to use because it has been tried and tested by myself or other experts!
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
One of the most effective marketing strategies that I have used is to collaborate with other creators in a similar niche. It has been a great way to tap into other people’s audiences and get brand awareness that is more organic.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Stay persistent, focused, and trust your instincts. It can be easy to get distracted and give up when things are not going well, but persistence and focus is the key to longevity in any business. Instead of giving up, think of ways to change the strategies that are not working for your business, ask for help, and always trust your gut.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
The books that I absolutely love are “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss, “Secrets of a Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker and of course “4 Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
The tools that I have used to help me are Evernote, Trello, Google sheets/docs, and Gmail. I use these tools every day to create my checklist and communicate with my team.
Who is your business role model? Why?
A few of my business role models are some of my closest friends such as Esther Julee and Jacob Fu who are the founders of LocalAdventurer.com. Another business role model I have is Marissa Anwar who is the founder of DarlingEscapes.com. They have taught me so many valuable lessons about a business that are crucial to my success.
I am also very much in awe of Melanie Perkins who is the founder of Canva. Not only is her idea genius but everyone I know uses that amazing tool!
How do you balance work and life?
Balancing life and business can be extremely hard but I have learned the hard way that success does not amount to much if you do not have the people you love around you. So, I always make it a priority to connect with close friends and family several times a week and do date nights with my fiancé every week.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I love binging on Netflix shows, read a good book, or just take naps.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
In the next 6-months, my team and I are systemizing and marketing our digital products and virtual offerings to our audience that will help them land remote gigs, and start podcasts.
How can our readers connect with you?
I would love to connect with everyone on Instagram @theoffbeatlife, Facebook @theoblife
If you want to find remote gigs and listen to my podcast you can visit theoffbeatlife.com
If you want to learn how to start a podcast visit howtocreateapodcast.com
Feel free to say hello, I’d love to connect with you!
