The Get Paid Podcast: The Stark Reality of Entrepreneurship and Being Your Own Boss

Jason Zook and his wife Caroline spent eight years building Wandering Aimfully into a coaching program doing over $30,000 a month in recurring revenue. Then they shut it down — on purpose — at the peak. In Part 1 of this conversation, Jason walks Claire through how he and Caroline started working together (it involves lion makeup), the pricing shift that took them from $5K to $30K a month, the "enough number" exercise that's been guiding their business for years, an important apology, and the decision to close it all.
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2, where things get... messier.
This Week on the Get Paid Podcast:
How Caroline pitched herself into Jason's business (and the lion makeup that started it all)

The pricing model shift that more than doubled their recurring revenue and gave them a multi-year run

Why they shut down a $30K+/month business at its peak — and the 20-month plan that gave them the runway to do it

The "enough number" exercise Jason swears every business owner should do (and the link to his full breakdown)

The side project that's quietly done $1.5M while helping course creators earn over $30 million

A first taste of Jason and Caroline's experiments in vibe coding — including the $20 pre-launch vote that funded their newest app idea

About Jason Zook:
Jason Zook has been building businesses online for nearly 20 years. He's the co-founder of Wandering Aimfully (a now-retired coaching program that brought in $2.5M in total revenue) and Teachery, a course platform that's done $1.5M as a side project while helping creators earn over $30 million. Jason and his wife Caroline recently launched two new vibe-coded apps and live in Portugal with their daughter Leon.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Wandering Aimfully Enough Number breakdown — wanderingaimfully.com/330

Teachery — Jason's course platform - https://www.teachery.co/ 

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Claire met Ellen Yin at a conference last year — and despite Ellen's podcast Cubicle to CEO crossing over a million downloads, Claire had never heard of her. Months later, Claire stumbled onto one of Ellen's offers on Instagram and bought it without thinking twice. "Take my money," she said!
In this episode, Ellen shares how she built Cubicle to CEO into a media company, the brand partnership structure that has her landing campaigns with Fortune 500 names like Uber and Amazon, and the bespoke offer she launched right before Black Friday that brought in 28 partners.
This Week on the Get Paid Podcast:
The decision Ellen made in 2022 that completely changed how her business makes money

What it actually means when Ellen says her podcast IS the product (not a marketing channel)

The minimum budget Ellen requires to even consider a brand partnership — and what brands get at the higher end

Why Ellen stopped publicly sharing her annual revenue after five years — and the number she tracks instead now

About Ellen Yin:
Ellen Yin is the founder of Cubicle to CEO, a media and education company best known for its top-ranked podcast of the same name. Cubicle to CEO has served over 14,000 students, partnered with Fortune 500 brands like Uber, Amazon, ADP, and Indeed, and crossed over a million downloads on the show. Ellen is also a speaker and one of the most financially transparent founders in the online business space.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Cubicle to CEO 

Cubicle to CEO Podcast (premium subscription)

Revenue Report Files (Ellen's private podcast feed of five years of public income reports)

Dielle McMillan — forthe23percent.com

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Claire just got back from Miami, where she sponsored Dielle Charon''s Millionaires of Color conference for the first time — and she's sharing the WHOLE story. The stress spiral, the question she asked Dielle that completely changed how she showed up, and the unexpected moment that made every dollar worth it.
Plus: her best tips for getting an actual ROI out of any in-person event — whether you're a sponsor, going solo, or still on the fence about live events.
This Week on the Get Paid Podcast:
Why Claire said "I'm never doing this again" at least three times before she even got to the airport

What sponsoring gave her that two years of attending never did

Claire's exact tip for making networking feel effortless at any event (she's been using this one since 2014)

The two women at the conference who met as strangers last year and are now besties with businesses that took off

Mentioned in this podcast:
Dielle Charon — forthe23percent.com

Everything Sales and Money (Dielle's membership)

Craft + Commerce by Kit — kit.com/conference (June 10–13, Boise, Idaho)

Episode: How My Brain Sabotaged My Business for Eight Plus Years  (for more conference tips!)
Now it's time to GET PAID
Thanks for tuning into the Get Paid Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, rate, and leave your honest review. Connect with me on Facebook, YouTube, andInstagram, visit my website for even more detailed strategies, and be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media.

Vix Meldrew is one of those people who has actually lived multiple internet lives — and somehow turned all of it into a business that sells memberships and group programs at scale.
In this episode, Vix breaks down how she went from being a sex + dating blogger (while teaching primary school!) to building a membership with hundreds of members… and then making the decision to close it when Reels changed everything.
We talk audience growth, offer evolution, what happened during a launch that started as a total flop (two sales on day one) and how she turned it around, and the real behind-the-scenes of building a business while going through IVF, pregnancy, and postpartum.
This Week on the Get Paid Podcast:
The unexpected origin story behind Vix's business (and why she had a pseudonym)

How she grew a membership fast — and what made her community so hot early on

How Reels changed everything (and why she shut down recurring revenue)

The launch that started with a faceplant… and the pivot that saved it

The organic growth strategy she's using now (and why it's not "post more")

What motherhood + postpartum actually did to her business ambition and capacity

About Vix Meldrew:
Vix Meldrew helps course creators, coaches, and membership owners grow their audience and sell their offers through organic marketing and launches. She's the creator of Volume (focused on audience growth) and Sales Spice (focused on scaling courses, memberships, and group programs through launches and organic funnels).
Mentioned in this episode:
Get Paid Marketing (GPM)

Connect with Vix:
Instagram: @vixmeldrew

Website: vixmeldrew.com

Volume: vixmeldrew.com/volume 

Sales Spice: vixmeldrew.com/sales-spice



Now it's time to GET PAID

Joe Sanok started a podcast in 2013, when almost nobody in his niche was doing it. Today, Practice of the Practice generates close to a million dollars a year through podcast sponsorships, a membership community, consulting, and done-for-you podcast launch services. In this episode, Joe breaks down how he validated one of his highest-ticket offers by asking 15 people three questions, then sending a single email that brought in nearly $80,000 in signed contracts within 24 hours—before he had even built the delivery team.
 
This Week on the Get Paid Podcast:
How Joe used 3 questions to validate a high-ticket offer and sell nearly $80K before building it

How Practice of the Practice grew into a near-million-dollar business through sponsorships, membership, and consulting

Why Joe's membership model removes extra buying decisions and lets clients level up without friction

How Joe built a podcast system that lets him record and walk away while his team handles the rest

Why he tracks positive exits and negative exits inside his membership

How Joe structures his schedule so he mostly works Tuesday through Thursday

About Joe Sanok:
Joe Sanok is the founder of Practice of the Practice, a business that helps therapists in private practice grow through community, consulting, and education. He's a former marriage counselor, the host of a podcast with more than 1,300 episodes, and the author of Thursday Is the New Friday and Dating After Betrayal. Joe lives in northern Michigan and leads a team based across the U.S. and South Africa.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Practice of the Practice https://practiceofthepractice.com/ 

Podcast Launch School https://podcastlaunchschool.com/ 

Now it's time to GET PAID
Thanks for tuning into the Get Paid Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, rate, and leave your honest review. Connect with me on Facebook, YouTube, andInstagram, visit my website for even more detailed strategies, and be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media.