(upbeat music) Success looks so easy from the outside, but all successful people have had to overcoming enormous obstacles along the way. And in many cases, look failure right in the eye. Most successful people don't focus on the struggle and they rarely talk about it because that's not what creates success. Join us here. We're Will Chat with serial entrepreneurs, both men and women, and share the good, the bad, and the ugly of entrepreneurship. We'll talk about the obstacles we face and how to overcome them to reach the success that you desire. I am your host, Cammy Lehman, and this is She's Invincible. (upbeat music) - Hey everyone, thank you so much for joining us today on She's Invincible, and guess what? We have another Invincible one for you today, and we have He's Invincible. I am excited to introduce you to this Invincible one. His name is Levi Todena. He is the owner of Pod2Go, and he helps podcasters make podcasting easier. He lives in the Philippines with his wife, Kat, and they are currently living their best life together. Oh my gosh, as I say, he makes podcasting easier for podcasters. I can only think of myself and all of my students that have come through the She's Invincible podcast school. Levi and his team are the main reason for the success that we have coming out of the gate as we launch top podcasts out of our school. And so Levi, I'm so excited to have you here with us. I'm so excited to introduce you to our loyal followers. You've been working on my show since it started. So you were part of that, and now we're over four years. So welcome, we're finally getting you here, and there's so much to share. So welcome, I'm so happy and excited to have you with us today. - All right, Tammy, thanks for having me. It's quite a different feeling. Being on this side of the show, I'm usually just in, I guess, in the back rooms and doing all the editing. - I love that. And it's so funny because as we're going through, like, okay, this is how we're gonna roll. I'm like, oh my gosh, you've listened to 230-something episodes on She's Invincible. You know how we roll. And it's just so funny to have you here to, you know, I'm like, oh, I don't need to worry about edits today, right? I am the chief editor here. So, oh my gosh, let's jump in. Let's not make them wait any longer. Let's tell our listeners how in the world did you get where you are today? And what makes you invincible? - Oh, yeah. So I guess I'll start with how I got here. So my careers just started in the PPO, industry and the Philippines. I worked at a bank right after college. I got an opportunity to work at a bank in one of the call centers here in Manila, Metro Manila. And I've made the rounds. I've been there for five years. I've done all the calls. Hi, how can I help you, all that stuff? Even in training and management, handling other people. And after five years, I'll talk more about it, but I got a little tired of it. And I learned that people are working at home. And I kind of, I guess I didn't want to do the daily commute. I quit work and tried to get into what I'm doing now. And I started to get a job as a writer with no experience with some of them from the US. I started listening to podcasts and writing all these show notes and the ones that you're going to be reading down there, the bottom with all the links and stuff. I learned how to do that for absolute pennies. And then from there, I eventually got to work with an editor with Tammy and other clients. And eventually that editor moved on to other endeavors. And even if I didn't know how to edit, I saw the need for Tammy and the rest. And I said, maybe I'll take this opportunity, the opportunities right here in front of me. Let's do it. And I've been doing this whole podcast production for about around three years now. It's not just me, by the way. I say I edit in the background, but for Tammy's show specifically, there's a different person to edit. Shout out AR and shout out me for doing the show notes for this episode. So I've been working with a team. I've been with them for, I think, AR has been with me for three years, maybe I think two years. Also, I don't know if Tammy's heard this, but I have my mom helping out too. So she's also, I tell her to listen to the shows and listen for maybe some things that could be improved on. So if you're here, Ma, hello. So yeah, I've been working with her. Other people in the past as well have been very helpful to me for right now. We're a team of four people, yes. And Tammy's done so much to help me to have more clients be introduced to a lot of people they've been introduced into a couple of Camies power hours. It's just, I think it's just the time zone difference. That's just the main obstacle. Why can't it be there so often? 'Cause I'm from the Philippines. It is, I believe, 9/22 a.m. there. And it is 9/22 p.m. here. So we're like 12 hours apart. So that's pretty much it. And what makes me invincible? I guess I help other people be invisible through their podcast. - I love that. Oh my gosh, it's so great. Oh, you know, and one of the things I was gonna mention and I do wanna talk a little bit about it is the time difference, right? And for me, I love the time difference because I have all day to get all my work done and figure out what I need. And then as I'm going to bed, you're waking up. So like, it's so great because then I go to bed and I wake up and I have what I need. Oh my gosh, no better way. I love it. I would never wanna be in the same time zone as people that work with me because it works out perfect for me. So I love that. So thank you and thank you for all that you do and the way that you lead your team and the way that all of you support me and my team and all of our students here at She's Invincible, it's just amazing. So let's dive in. We have a lot to talk about today. Of course, we're gonna talk about podcasting. So let's start with this one. What are some of the best ways that you find as a production, running the production team that people can promote their podcasts and what kind of marketing should they do they be using as far as materials go? - Right, so for podcasting, so of course the episodes themselves, that's marketing itself already. If you have followers already, if you release the show, they're gonna listen to it. They're gonna learn more about you. Of course, you can drive more traffic into the episode through audiograms and video grams take a one minute snippet of your show that really drives home like the main point of your episode and that could pull people in. Sometimes in my experience, I just listen, I, you know, the internet goes, they feed you these random videos from other creators, other influencers, other people, other business people and you get hit with the words that people are seeing and then, oh, I'm gonna listen more to what this person's saying. And click follow, click subscribe and now you're in that ecosystem whether you're in the network already and that could be something that you could do for podcasts to help it grow, help your business grow as well. - I love that. And that's one of the things I wanna talk about that I think is important for other podcasters and that is, you know, if you wanna grow your show, one of the best things to do is ask people to follow the show because when people follow the show, they automatically get your new episode every single week. So that's something that you wanna make sure that you're asking either in your episode or in your outro is to have them follow the show. Some of the biggest podcasters like Steven Bartlett, he actually does a little commercial that ask people, you know, I know you're listening and if you love what you're hearing, please follow the show because it helps reach more people. And I think that's so important. So I'm so glad you brought that up. And those are automatic downloads. So those followers are your loyal listeners and then everyone else you're gonna be working hard with these graphics and marketing events that you're doing that will help bring on new people which I love. And I love what you said, like you get sucked in, right? You're scrolling and all of a sudden you hear that little snippet or you see that video gram. So, you know, I know it goes back and forth. Some platforms, video is better. Some platforms, audio is better. What is it that attracts you personally when you're scrolling? Do you have a preference? Like does the audio just kind of blend in with the background and the video pop out? Or what would you say is the most for you? - Right, personally, I'm not sure how if people are different for one another, but in my personal use case 'cause I like to use Instagram. So I scroll through the Instagram reels. So it's more a video if I see someone talking and sometimes with the captions are in there as well, I could read off from what they're saying that that's really helpful for me to stay watching 'cause if it's just a static image, although it has to catch me first. So the visuals matter to me as well. - Got it. Yeah, I hear a lot of different things and different platforms. And so what do you think about YouTube and podcasting? Do you ever watch podcasts on YouTube? - I do actually 'cause my use for podcasts are they vary from one to another 'cause I listen to a variety of podcasts. Sometimes I listen to podcasts that are educational, sometimes they're motivational, sometimes they're more educational and teaching you more specifics of like, let's say, for example, maybe about computers or apps on the phone that could help you do your job better. And sometimes I also listen to podcasts that are more on the more of just as a form of entertainment. So if it's 'cause I'm working, I have two monitors in front of me right now. What I usually do for other podcasts is I open up YouTube, I open up a podcast. If it's a podcast that has video on it, I open it on YouTube, I put it on the other monitor, it's playing on the side. But on other podcasts, maybe on educational video, I wanna focus more on it or maybe I'm taking a walk. I would prefer to have it on audio so I could just put my headphones in and just while I'm walking, I'm listening to the podcast. So it really depends on what you would imagine your podcast to be. If you try to imagine what your listeners will be doing, when they're listening, do they need to focus like 100% to it or in what I mentioned earlier, maybe they'll just put it on the side and have it motivate them or make them laugh. And depends on what your content would be. - Yeah, oh, that's so good. That is such a good, that's such good advice. I love that. Okay, let's talk about why podcasters should not be editing and making graphics and being on Canva and creating show notes on AI, why should podcasters not do that themselves? - Right, so Mike, I believe that if you really want to do it first, you can, but I understand that it takes a lot of time to do, especially if you're just starting your own podcast, you gotta learn how to edit, you gotta learn how to write. And when you go on your keyboard and you start to write, how do I write something compelling? And if you're gonna edit, how do I make all of this work together, all these click and click on the keyboard and the mouse, right? And that could take, it's not just a day. It could take you days, weeks, even months to perfect. And even as you're going through it, you're learning more and more. And I don't really think that it's a good use of your time to spend all of that, all those hours and days, googling, you're watching YouTube videos, how to learn how to do it. And if you're only just really passionate about, recording the podcast, getting your message out, presenting your values to the world and giving value to your audience, if that's what's important to you, I think I believe that you should be putting or investing your time more into that, instead of getting your buckling down and learning all these different things. Of course, I understand that people could be perfectionist, but that is the problem. It's better, I mean, it says this, it's better to be done than perfect. There's a thing called analysis paralysis, in psychology studies, right? That you think so much about it, that you end up not doing anything. Or in this case, maybe you're not doing as much, because you're thinking too much about it. And if you really want to reach more people, you've got to put your stuff out there and maybe just learn along the way and maybe have other people to help you out, and not wink, wink. That's us, we could help you get your message out there in less time. And you might think that you're going to be investing more money into this because you're going to be paying people to do it, right? But at the end of it, right, your time is money as well. If you're spending months learning about it, maybe you're better off spending for hiring people to help you out. - Yes, I agree 100%. When you look at how much you earn and you look at how much you're going to pay to let someone else do the work, it'll take less time, and that time is money. And for me, I knew right off the bat, when I was starting a podcast, there was no way I was going to do any of that myself. I still can't do Canva. After four and a half years of a podcast, I still can't do Canva, but in our school, I teach our students enough that they can save themselves. So what that means is I teach them how to upload an episode on their host if they need to in an emergency. I teach them little things like that so they can save themselves because I think you need to know something. But I do not allow my students to do their own editing as they go through the school because we have an intense 30-day program and they're lucky they can learn everything they need to learn about podcasting in 30 days yet alone, all the other things. And what I think is really important in podcasting is consistency. So if you're learning, then every week is going to be different. You're going to be trying new things. And so I love that your team just takes it. Like people are amazed when they ask me about it because I'm like, yeah, I just record it. That's the part I love. I love the conversation. And then I never see it again until it goes on the platform and it shows up on Monday morning. And that is my perfect life in the podcast world. So I never want to think about it. I don't want to see it again. I can't wait to see it on the platform and that's when I see it. And I think that is a beautiful way to stay in your own lane and do what serves you best in your own business. Of course, we're teaching entrepreneurs so they have their own business anyway. They don't have time for all that stuff. But it amazes me how many people come to me because they're not happy with where their podcast is. So they'll come to my school to see if I can help them. And my first question is, you know, who's your podcast producer? And most of them don't have one. And then I'm like, well, that's why you're not happy with your podcast, right? So I just think I can't be grateful enough. There are no words to say how much we lean on you and how grateful we are and that it really is you and your team that are helping us put out these top-rated podcasts. And I'm so grateful for that. And I know my students are as well. So thank you, thank you. Let's talk about some tips of podcasting. So one of these things that you had mentioned to me is like, just be yourself, right? So let's talk about what that looks like as a podcaster or even as a guest because you've heard millions of podcasts. - Right, yeah. So the idea of just being yourself, right? Because we're so used to seeing all these people on social media. We all know that that's not their whole life, right? We're all guilty of this, right? But stuff on the internet that we choose the best ones, right? Or sometimes, of course, not so good ones to make a point. - Yeah. - And ultimately, and then it's to present something good to the people. And being ourself, even in podcasts, we could be like that as well 'cause people connect with people that we relate to. And people know that people would understand, people could sense that someone's not being genuine, right? And even if you could do it perfectly, if you could fake it, that would lead to burnout 'cause you're doing theater. Like in the entire podcast episode, you're doing a theater act, that's tiring. It's a difficult thing to do. And if you're just yourself, it's a lot easier to do. And there's this idea of our social relationships in social media and social media, mostly on YouTube, wherein the audience of a creator, an audience of an entrepreneur online would feel very connected with them because they always see the creator, they always see the person on the screen, they get to hear about their day, they hear about their values, how they do business, how they treat other people. And that kind of creates like a one-sided relationship, right? So before we know that Tammy doesn't know all you guys that are listening, right? They don't know everyone in a personal level. But you guys know Tammy somewhat in a personal level 'cause you get to hear all about these 100 episodes, if you listen to all of them, you get an idea of who Tammy is and you're kind of close to her in such a way. And that kind of relationship builds, you know, strengthens your audience, strengthens your bond, your network. And we all know that that's really what makes business is good, right? Your community and your relationships with the people around you, your audience, your listeners, your peers, right? And so yeah, that's my take on being yourself on social media, on podcasts. That's really what would make you stand out from the crowd 'cause you're real, makes you consistent. And because you're consistent, the people who like you will come back and they'll see the same thing over and over again. Really, they relate with that. They keep looking to keep coming back. So it's like when you're in a, 'cause if you're being fake, like it's like when you're in a meetup, then you meet some new people, you try to impress them, they ask you, have you watched this movie so or so and just to impress them? Yeah, yeah, I've seen it, it's great. And then when they ask you questions about that movie and you haven't really watched it, you don't know what to say. And that really turns people off, right? So just be real, just be your true self in the podcast, even if you're awkward, even if you don't know how to phrase things. I have people, I'm working with podcasters that I listen to the show. In my opinion, they, they're not really good speakers. I'm not gonna say ooh, of course, but I admire them for what they're doing 'cause they're putting their message out to the world and they're not shy about it. And that makes me, even if they don't phrase stuff in the way that is, plays nice to the ears, I still am drawn to their message. I'm still drawn to what they're saying because I know that what they're saying is true and they have passion and they're passionate about what they're saying or teaching. I love that, that's such good advice. I mean, how many times have you met someone? Like, you know, or followed them and like you thought you knew they were and then you meet them in person and you're like, they're nothing like they are on, you know, on their show or on social media. And it's disappointing, right? Because you like the person that you met there, you know? And then they show up as somebody different. I say that about photos too. Like stop using your 20 year old headshot. - You look like you're 30 and you're 50, right? And you show up and I'm like, oh my gosh. So I think that there's so many things that fall into that category, but I love what you're saying here. And consistency is the key all the way, you know, across the board. And people are gonna love you for who you really are, not who you're hoping to pretend to be. So, oh, that's so good. All right. So let's talk about this living life slowly. Like, so, you know, we're in the U.S. and we're all like, ah, you know, frantic and chasing the dream and we're just going 150 miles an hour, 24/7. So let's talk a little bit about this concept of living life slowly. - Right. So living life slowly, there's so much more to life than our business, right? 'Cause I'm saying that in your business because where I'm in an entrepreneur podcast, I'm in a top ranking podcast in business. So I'm saying that, but whatever you're so involved in, there's so much more to life than what you're really involved in, right? We have your own values, right? You can't be just, your life is not just to, you know, to generate money, to make money. You're gonna have to remember your family, your friends, you remember yourself even, right? If you have some people have their own faith, some people believe in something, you have to remember all these things, right? Because there would be no real reason to why you're so more focused in your business than other than your life, right? 'Cause you're living your life here. But your life is much, much bigger than your business. And on the topic of podcasting, there's also a concept of living or taking things slowly, right? When you're podcasting, especially when you're starting, 'cause sometimes when you're learning things, as I mentioned earlier, there's so many things to learn, right? Even if you have someone like us to handle the production side of things, even as you're recording, when you're already talking to the guests, oh, I didn't practice this in my head, how to say the intro, I didn't know. I talked too quickly. I didn't know that there would be any, what to do for internet problems if the other person on the Zoom call or is having internet problems. What do I do? There's so many things to learn, but the important thing is, the important thing is that we don't, we take things slow, take things one at a time, we learn as we go, as long as we have the basics covered, as Tammy said, if you need to upload an episode on your podcast platform ASAP, and it's maybe an all, maybe it's Sunday, and you have to have one out, and we can't really do it in that amount of time. And that's what's the basic that you gotta get covered, but as I mentioned earlier as well, right? If you try to think too much, if it's too fast, everything is so fast, you get burnt out, you kind of freeze up and like, oh, what do I do first? What do I choose first? It's like when I moved into this new house and all of the stuff from the old house has been transferred into this new home. And as you know, I'm assuming most of the people here have moved, right? There's so many things around in the house that I need to get all of this done. But if you think of all the things in the house, you're not gonna start. Oh, where do I start first? So I started a kitchen, started a bedroom. You just gotta pick one thing up and then start from there. Start to do it, learn as you go, that the idea of learning as you go. That's, I guess that's a branch of living life slowly. - I love that. Yeah, and one of the other things that we had talked about was like the creating duplicatable systems, right? So that we can be consistent and we don't get stressed out in the process is to create a system which we have done in the podcast school. And I kind of was saying this before we hit record to Levi is that, you know, we, for us, it's really easy because we have a system that's already done. And it's the same system with every student. So for the last two years of launching top podcasts, I teach them what they need to learn. We turn it over to Levi and his team and they produce everything. And no one has to be taught or learn anything new. And so I think it's important that you do create that duplicatable system and teach it to the people that are supporting you in each different area and everyone knows what they're doing. It relieves so much stress. I don't think about it and it's funny, the students are like, but what if this? And I'm like, yeah, that never happened. But what about this? Yeah, yeah, that never happened. It doesn't happen with us because we've been doing it for so long and we know. Did you tell him that? Nope, I don't need to. He already knows. Like, oh my gosh, the freedom that comes with that is hard to even express, but it's like, there's nothing to think about. Just go do what you need to do. And I love that. I love that so much. And I love the whole, you know, just be yourself because I think that's important too. And especially for a new podcast host. Like if she's trying to be something different, that's not going to work. She's the easiest thing to be is yourself, right? That's the easiest thing. And as you said, it's not going to be different every time. And I just, I can't even stress it enough. Well, let's do this Levi. Let's tell our listeners where they can find you because I think we pretty much convinced them that if they have a podcast, they may want to seek you out. So tell them where they can find you. All right, so of course, we have LinkedIn pages and Facebook pages. I think I got to work on this more because I'm not really active in all those. I'll try my best 'cause I'm already here in the episode. I'm already here on the podcast where it's gonna go out on Monday. I'll try to get the website up that I've been working on for two years now. I guess I'm not working on it right now 'cause it's paused, but it's already, the driver's already in there. I'll put it up there so you guys can see it. It should be there in the show notes by then. In LinkedIn, it's Levi Taddena. Pod2Go also has a page there. And on the one I'm mentioning on Facebook, or at least also Pod2Go, the link should be there in the show notes. - Great, yeah, you'll take care of that, right? (laughs) I'm sure. Oh, and to answer your question about your mom, you didn't tell me, but one of my students told me, and I was like, "Yay!" So I just love that. I just love that. And I think that you had sent me a message at one point saying that she said this one episode was her favorite one or something like that, that she really liked one of the episodes on my show. So I kind of knew that she was listening in, but hi mom, wherever you are, I hope you're listening. So, but that's so cool. And I love that you're able to bring your family into the business like that, because that gives her work too, right? And so it also gives her a part of what you're doing, and I'm sure she's so proud of you to see the work that you're doing in the company that you've grown and how you are evolving as well. So thank you, thank you, thank you for that. Another thing I just wanna add that we didn't talk about is why entrepreneurs might wanna have a podcast. So I think we should just jump on that for two minutes and just talk about that. So what I see in podcasting is that it is the number one preferred method of marketing right now. People, more people are listening to podcasts than getting information anywhere else. People love it because it's not censored so they can talk about whatever they wanna talk about, whether it's proper or not proper, right? You know, according to standards of the world. And so I see them doing that, but the thing that we teach in she's a municipal podcast school is that entrepreneurs should start podcasts to use them to attract their ideal clients by having conversations that attract their ideal clients and being in a niche and then putting their message out in front of all of those people that are your ideal avatar. So we teach that, we also teach advertising, how to advertise on podcasts for both people, right? For entrepreneurs, the advertiser business. And also for the podcast host to earn additional income through selling advertisement, which right now is one of the hottest ways to get your business out there. So we do have some studies on that. I have that written in my book, Heart Centered Marketing. I have a podcast chapter called Mike Drop. And we talk about those things and why podcasting is the hottest. But Levi, tell us what you hear because you're hearing all different podcasts and they're all different genres and they're drawing different people on different topics. What do you feel is the thing for you as an entrepreneur? - Well, yeah, 'cause what you said, it is a good way to do marketing. I feel like some other people, they look at podcasting as a way to get money. And I don't think that's a really reliable way to get money unless you're like a super big personality. Otherwise, why we'll be listening to the show. You already have this so much money. But yeah, if you're using podcasts for your business, you could use that as a show to get exposure, right? You get people to know that you know what you're doing so that they avail of your products, your services. You need to establish authority in your niche. So you'll get more visibility, right? Some of the people I work with, they do real estate. Some of them do help new divergent kids. Some people have talked about health, some people like in Cammie's, the business entrepreneurship to motivate you. So whatever you're doing, it could be a way for people to understand, oh, this person knows this. So I will put my trust in them, I trust that if I give them my money, I'll get my money's worth, right? And the content creators are watching are different from, sorry, I was driving the idea that some people might be worried that, oh, so and so is already talking about this. There's so and so is already doing this. So I can't do that. But the content creators that I watch are the podcasters I listen to, they're, it's different for one person to another. Like, let's say for in business, right? So how many podcasts are in business, right? How many pod, how many podcasts talk about how entrepreneurs do what they're doing? There's so many of them right there and there's bound to be a listener, at least one listener for that podcast, right? So it doesn't matter that other people are in this space. If it matters to you, right? If you believe it, if you're passionate about what you're doing, then why not? Sorry, Puckus, talk about what you're doing. You can be that person for other people. Let's say, for example, I listen to Cammy to get my business tips or entrepreneur tips to learn about it. Other people may listen to you, 'cause maybe, as I mentioned earlier as well, if you're being yourself, if they relate to you more, they might, they may choose to listen to you compared to another podcaster. So just be yourself. If it matters to you, use your podcast for your business. So don't worry about it. Just start that podcast right now. It'll do wonders for your business. I love that, I love that, and it's, you know, no one can do what you do the way you do it, right? So there are different levels, you know? There are people that are along the journey and they're looking for the next level. So you might just be that next level. Maybe you're not the Bernay Brown, right? But you're that next level. And so I, and I love that in podcasting, I can give free value. So if I talk to someone and, you know, they can't afford to invest in coaching with me, then I would send them to my podcast and say, listen to my podcast, it's totally free. And if you do all the things that we're talking about there, you'll be able to afford to invest in coaching, right? So it's a way, like just like a book, it's a way to give that free value and be able to help people along in their journey as well. So I love that. Thanks for sharing that too. I love your perspective on that. - You have moved from fighting cancer to discovering how to live beyond it. But what now? With so many emotional side effects still unknown, as a new survivor, you find yourself in a void as you navigate through the isolation, fear, and an uncertain future that can overshadow you and your family for years to come. Instead of focusing on the uncertainty of cancer, consider how strong and determined you are and think of the strength demonstrated by those who stood beside you through it all. Consider this. You now get to choose who you want to be and what your intentional, fulfilled life can look like. You made it through treatment. We can help you define yourself as a survivor. We're here to help you through this moment, to walk beside you as you shift your mindset from counting the days of life to creating a legacy. For more information, visit www.adventuretherapyfoundation.org or contact us at info@adventurefound.org. - Oh my gosh, Levi, you know, and she's invincible. We promise our listeners that we're gonna bring them fierce entrepreneurs. Oh my gosh, how you evolved from being in a bank and doing banking in all those different areas and then being a show writer and now running an entire production team. And I have watched you teach yourself. I've watched you self teach yourself on so many areas of POD to go, which I just love that you do that. And I love that you're motivated and driven to be better at everything you do. And I love that you're here talking about it. I think that's another thing that makes you invincible. And we promise our listeners we're gonna bring these invincible entrepreneurs and these fierce, fierce people. And we're gonna share their experts own of genius. And I think you've done that so well today, but we're not done because you know, you get to edit them all. And you know that we're also gonna pull back the curtain as we talk about just be yourself. We'd love to pull back the curtain. We'd love to show the authenticity. We make it look so easy when we talk about the journey, but we know it's not easy. So we're about to pull back the curtain. We're gonna share some stories about your journey. And I would love for you to share a little bit about the good, the bad and the ugly. So are you ready for these stories? - Right, yeah, I'm ready. I'm finally my turn to hear, right? - It is your turn. Amen, brother, it is finally your turn. You get to let it all out. Let us know the truth. So tell us a story about the good or the greatest part of your journey so far. - Right, so the, well, the greatest part of the journey is I guess it's right now as I mentioned in my bio, right? Living my best life after going through so much, after learning all these different things, I've finally been able to live the life that I ever since I graduated, I've been envisioning to live a life that I could do what I want, be able to support my family and have a life that I could support as well. And then I mentioned I moved into this house. This is my first home, we bought this house and it's been such a big blessing, Tammy and the people we're working with. This is really, it's not a, when I say the greatest life right now, that's not an overstatement. This is the, I guess, the peak of my life as it is and more willing, it keeps going up, going up. - Can you imagine that it could even get better than this? That's the best part about life is that just when you're in the greatest moment, you have to stop for a second and think, I can't even believe it's gonna even get better, right? Because you're low on the journey here, you're young still and you have so much in front of you and it just brings me so much joy to hear you say, you know, that you're living your best life right now. And then one thing I wanted to mention that I did and I'll do that now is that, you know, one of the things that I just respect so much about you is that when you were getting married and when you were moving, 'cause you moved two different times over the last two years, when you were moving and when you were getting married, I never knew there was no dip in your consistency. You were, you put out the work just like you always did, you were not overwhelmed. And I think like that goes back to that living life slowly is that you didn't get all in a half, you figured it out and you were able to manage both. And I never once knew until you told me and you didn't even tell me you were getting married. One of my students told me that. So like I would have never even known because I didn't see any changes going on with you or the business or the production or anything. And I'm thinking, how are they getting married? Like, he's not even frantic. So I want to tell you that I really, really admire that about you and the way that you do business and manage your team and how you work with us. And I love that. Thank you. - Thank you. It's all based in the team as well. Of course, God's been helping me a lot who just journey the ups and downs. I got AR working with me. I got me as well as a writer. My mom as well as helping me out. If some stuff I can't do, I have them cover for me as well. And when you say living life slowly, is I the type of person to get overwhelmed too quickly? So I really try my best to take things one at a time. I do, I am with frantic, right? I do, I do get the whole, I'm getting married. What do I do? What do I do? They're moving so many steps. I get to move again after one year. I'm moving again. But as you mentioned, setting these systems up, having these people that help you out, that really takes so much of the load off your shoulders, even if you're a person like me that gets crazy when there's too much things happening all at the same time. - Yes, yes. Well, you're doing it great. Nobody would ever know and yay for you and your best life is gonna even get better and I'm so excited for you. And that was such a fun conversation, but now we gotta talk about the bad. So we're gonna save the ugly for last, but tell us a story about the bad part of the journey. - All right, so the bad part of the journey was, 'cause I mentioned earlier that after I graduated college, by the way, and this is not supposed and this plays into the story later, but I graduated from one of the top universities in the country and the job that I got after, I graduated 'cause I, my mom had a connection in one of the big companies in Metro Manila and I got into a company, but I wasn't really that satisfied with the job, but eventually I did learn to enjoy the job. I learned a lot of the skills actually that I use now. It was a customer service job, so I did all the calls. The way I talk now is probably developed through that, the years that I've been doing that, the way I manage the numbers in the business as well. I learned to do that as well, the magic that happens like in Excel or Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. I learned from there as well, how I try to simplify things, setting the systems up so that I don't get frantic. I learned from there as well. Even how I deal with the people I work with, the AR in May and how I try to, I guess keep them happy. Are you guys happy, by the way, AR? Now May, I feel like they are 'cause I get to talk to them and I see their posts on social media. All right, not the bad, right? The bad part of the story is that as I decided to leave that line of work in 2019, I guess, December before all the COVID stuff happened. So after all these years in this big company, I learned that, as I said, I wasn't learning anything anymore. So I wanted something new. My growth was so stunted and the opportunities that I was looking for in that job, it felt like they were years away from me and like I couldn't get to them and I had to wait so long to get to them. So I left. So I didn't want to have to go through the waiting phase and I wanted something new like immediately. So I left it in the pursuit of working from home 'cause I don't like doing the daily computers. I said earlier, but the problem was that I was entering in a new field, getting into the thesis freelancing, right? 'Cause I work with different science in the US and Canada, some of the people I working with now are from Israel from before I had people in Australia so many different places, right? But when you're starting in that field, it's essentially, you're starting from zero, right? The diploma or my university degree doesn't really matter to them 'cause they don't know the name of my school. Even if it's a top university year, they wouldn't know anything about it. I had this five year experience in the bank but I'm not doing banking from home. I'm not, of course there are skills that are transferable into those but if people in this field, they're gonna say, how long have you been doing this work? And if you have zero years, it's like you're a fresh graduate. So I had to start from zero again and the pay wasn't really good 'cause you're from zero. As I mentioned last time, the first time I got into working in podcasts, I was writing these show notes for pennies. Well, not really pennies, like maybe a couple dollars but the pay didn't really compare to the salary that I was earning way back. And for me to get to the big jobs, I had to grind some experience. I had to spend some years all over again. So at that point, then I was thinking that what's the point of me leaving? I had to wait again for me to get some progress and it really felt like the five years including my own, my fancy university degree was all for nothing. So that was a really bad part of my journey for me to learn that progress or growth for your business or for your career, if some of you might not be even in business if you're on the nine to five, the success that you're looking for can't just happen immediately, right? You just gotta, you have to wait and I had to learn that the hard way. - Yes, but look at you now. Now you're in control. Now you can earn as much as you want. You can work as long as you want. Take on as many clients as you want. Grow your company as big as you want. You wouldn't have that freedom in the bank. You'd still be waiting all these years later. You'd still be waiting for the next thing and the next thing and you wouldn't have the freedom that you have today. Isn't that amazing? - That's right, that is amazing. And it's so great because, you know, you're like living proof of that, you know? I talk about it all the time, but look at you. Look where you are, you are living proof of that. And I love that. And you wouldn't be living your best life at the bank. I know it, I just know it. I love it. All right, now we gotta go ugly. Tell us a story about the ugly part of this journey. - Right, so the ugly part of the journey, right? 'Cause we've just come back from the bad part of the journey. So I, it's just right beside each other, right? Because I quit the job. I found this writing job, writing show notes for podcast episodes. And I was, although I'm set frustrated with the growth is not what I expected it to be, I was enjoying listening to the podcast and the podcast episodes and writing show notes, learning a lot, writing, developing my skill as a writer. And eventually it did, the thing, the stuff did pick up. I eventually got more jobs, I got paid more. And I was doing, doing so much actually. I, things were going great for about three to four months with considerable growth amount in pay, but also in workload, right? There's more pay, more work to do. And I was getting burnt out so badly that I wasn't spending time with my family, my girlfriend and now my wife. And that was also in during COVID, right? So I couldn't really go out. So I was just doing, my face was in front of the computer just typing my life away. And I did, I remember asking my boss at the time to help me with the workload. And they say that they were gonna try to hire another writer to help me lighten up the load. But while that was happening, the company that I was working for, they started to have some problems. And the things that were happening was just not aligning with how I felt. It just didn't align with me, myself anymore, my values or what I thought should be done. I don't really know the specifics of what happened, but I just felt like this is not where I should be anymore. And to make the shorter story, I had to leave again. So things were going up, and then I had to cut that short again. And I had, and the months from me leaving my banking job to me finding this new company, this writing the show notes job, that was just around like, I guess like two months to two, three months apart. And then, but here when I left, I hear what I am expecting that, okay, I was gonna wait a couple months again, I'll find another one, but I did not find a new thing for myself in that time. Granted, I had you guys, I was already working with you guys by the time. I had to go for like six to eight months, just scraping by, but I'm lucky to be able to work with a few clients. Again, you guys and the editor that was working with, shout out, Mina, if you're listening to this, hello, but I was just writing, I wasn't editing at the time as this writing, and the show notes don't really make that whole that much. And some of the, and one of the other clients allowed me to give me the opportunity to write blog posts for them. And that's pretty much what I've been doing while I was job hunting for six to eight months, but there was pretty much little to no progress to whatsoever with the job hunt. I felt like I had this lucky break, you know, that old job that I had, and then this new one, but because of my, I guess my pride, right? I guess my pride, I wasted the opportunity. I really felt like my life wasn't going to amount to anything significant, you know, at that time. Of course, now it's not, things are different, but at that time, like, what is happening? There's, I thought things were going well. I thought I was gonna grow old, beating off from, you know, I was living with my parents at that time, and I'm just gonna live with them forever, feed off of what they're gonna feed me. And time was, it feels like time was running out, right? I guess from my, I feel, I was young at the time, but you guys know how it feels, right? Like my youth is running out, and I haven't done anything yet. And that's, it's funny to remember it back then, 'cause the year before I left my banking job, I told my girlfriend's parents that we were planning to get married. The back then, I have no face to show them anymore, 'cause I don't have a good job. So I, we got married a couple of years later, but at that time, I was really, I was really so, I guess, to put it simply scared for my life and what's gonna happen. - And look at you now, look at you now. And it's funny you're talking about this journey because I was the part of every part of that. I remember it. I remember when things got crazy. I remember when you left, I remember when I came and found you, I was like, you can't leave me now. And I love that you went on and just did this. And it's funny because I feel like you're where you're supposed to be and you're living your best life. And you had to go through all that scary stuff. So as people are listening, if you're going through something scary right now, I just wanna say, like scary can lead you to your best life. And I know it's happened to me. I've seen it happen to you, Levi, and just trust the process, right? Don't give up, just navigate the fear and keep going because there's always big, big, amazing things on the other side of that fear. But too many people give in. They give up, you could have went back to the bank, right? Like you could have went back to what was easy, what was normal and you didn't. And look at you now. You're doing things you never imagined you would do. You're living a life you did imagine, right? And that you created, but without pushing through, you would have never had that. And I just love this story so much. And it brings me so much joy every time you tell me about how your life is different, how your team's life is different because of the work that they're able to do. And one of the things that I wanna say about working with people in other countries is that you are all so grateful. And I don't see that here in the US. In the US, it's like, I did my job, give me my money. And you guys are like, yes, you wanna be paid for the work you do, but that next layer is how grateful you are for the opportunity that you can get through this vehicle that may not be available to you in your country. And I think that for me, it blesses me so much to know that I can bless others. And so when you share those stories with me, I just, I go tell everybody. I tell everybody, I'm like, oh my gosh, listen to what he said, you know, and they all love that too. So thank you so much. Thank you for being invincible. Thank you for being here and sharing your story. I just appreciate you so much and have such respect for the way you've taught yourself through this journey. And, you know, we've done it together. I feel like we both stumbled along the way, we've been like tumbling, I've been going through things. You've been going through things. And we're just, we're in it together, right? We're in it to win it. And I love that. So thank you for being here and for sharing this. And to our listeners, wherever you are, I mean, hey, if you've been thinking about a podcast, reach out to me. If you have a podcast, reach out to Levi. Let his team help you. It is seamless and it is so worth every bit of the freedom. And frees up your mind and your thoughts and your anxiety and all the things when you can just have the conversations and turn them over. So Levi, thank you. Thank you to the team, to everyone who's a part of Pod2Go. And also to all of our students who are utilizing your business, thank you for supporting Pod2Go as well. Any final words, Levi? - Well, I guess what I learned from all the things that happened to me is everything that happens to you is for a purpose, right? I remember like a part of the Scriptures that says all things work together for good to them that love God. As if the bad things that happened to me at that time, I was like, kind of you said, I wouldn't be here. If those bad stuff, the bad and the ugly didn't happen to me. If I didn't leave my old job, I wouldn't be here. If I didn't leave my job in the city, I would not have found my way here where I am now. - And if that company didn't close, you wouldn't have your own company either 'cause you would still be working for that company, right? And they would be paying you what they thought you are deserved and not paying you what you're worth. And so, I mean, it could just keep going, doesn't it? But you're finally in the driver's seat and what a sweet, sweet thing that is. Well, congratulations to you for all of your success. Big thank you for all of your support. And to our listeners, I don't know where you are and your life or your business. But man, you heard it today. If you're face down on the ground right now, get back up. Just get back up. You can do it. You really, I know it feels like you can't. It always feels like you can when you're in it. But I'm telling you, trust us, you can do it. Just keep going, get back up and take one more step. You can do it and the great, great, greatest life is on the other side of where you are, right this minute. So get back up, you are invincible. You can do anything. Thank you for joining us today. If you were inspired or learned something new, please follow the show. Submit a rating and review and share us with your friends. If you would like to chat to see if you can attract your ideal client and monetize your business through podcasting, please book a free call with me at cammyleman.com. I can't wait to meet you. [MUSIC PLAYING] (gentle music)
