Thomas Strider

Business Coach & Content Writer

The Stride Forward Show

The Stride Forward Show discusses creator businesses: how to successfully launch an online business, the lessons learned along the way, and the personal growth journey one experiences through digital entrepreneurship and putting their lives online.

The Stride Forward podcast is hosted by Thomas Strider, with a mission to encourage everyone to tell their story online. Thomas Strider hosts creative entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and industries to share their stories and what we can all learn from them.

Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stride-forward-show/id1668418718

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0rcrQ5gkkTDd63HjOpZ0jY

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThomaskStrider/featured

Podcast Host

Goodway Group

Goodway Group is an independent and remote-first media and marketing services firm with a 90+ year history and a start-up feel.  

With teams in the U.S. and the UK, Goodway includes a diverse team of digital strategists, media practitioners, technologists and data scientists. Employees have won the most prestigious awards for innovative marketing technology, impactful work and inclusive remote-first places to work.

Goodway Group was named the #1 place to work by AdAge in 2023. 

This role leads Goodway’s annual budget and rolling forecast process, evaluates the financial performance of all clients, while also supporting monthly reporting across all entities by preparing budget vs. actual reporting.

FP&A Analyst

Medium

Top writer in productivity, entrepreneurship, ideas, future, and advice.

Founder of Digital Tycoons.

Editor of The Orange Journal & Anyone Can Write Online.

www.medium.com/@thomaskstrider

Writer

Motion

Supporting Motion’s Executive, Finance, and Operational Leadership by contributing to world class financial analyses and providing value-added insight. Primary focus of supporting the Automation Intelligence, Canada, and Mexico Operating Groups’ financial performance.

MainStreet Family Care

Accounting Analyst

BBVA

Senior Financial Consultant

Financial Sales Advisor

Regions Bank

Financial Relationship Specialist

Business coach for content creators & freelancers | I’ll help you build a strong personal brand, then turn it into a $100k+ business

I help content creators and freelancers make more money online. Want to start a side hustle or work for yourself full-time? Visit https://www.Thomaskstrider.com/coaching
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I am a business coach and writer that helps creators and freelancers build their following and increase profit 💰

Some people understand marketing and branding. Some understand data and finance. I understand both.

Hi 👋 I’m Thomas, 

My mission is to help others grow as a person, improve their career, and build their business.

I am a business coach and have consulted with 1,000+ small business founders and freelancers, helping them with growth strategies, content marketing, and establishing financial KPIs to run their business with increased purpose and clarity.

On LinkedIn, I post daily writing, content creation, and business tips. Oh! Sometimes I post my dog, Archie 🐕

My primary goals are to inspire people to chase their dream life, and to teach them how to make it happen!

Sign up using the link below so we can become internet pals 😎 

www.ThomaskStrider.com/newsletter

Solopreneurs fail because they prioritize the wrong things. 
 
They'll spend weeks: 
 
- Building a fancy website 
- Figuring out how to get a business license 
- Learning design so they can make a fancy logo 
- Going through way too many books and courses 
 
All you really need to do: 
 
1) Take one skill  
2) Turn it into one offer 
3) Build a simple landing page/portfolio 
4) Email and call people that need your skillset and service 
 
Then close business. 
 
Worry about the fancy stuff later. Get going and make some money first.

Too many people hate their jobs. 

Counting down the days until they no longer have to work. 

That’s sad.

Working (the right job) brings purpose and fullfillment. 

If you find yourself:
- dreaming of retiring
- counting down until Friday 
- waiting impatiently for holidays

It doesn’t have to be that way. 

1) Find something you’re genuinely curious to learn

2) document everything you can about the topic

3) Start sharing content online and build your personal brand around that topic

4) Pay attention to what problems or questions start to come your way

5) Turn those questions into a problem solving offer

Who knows, it might just become something big one day and you can step away from that job you hate. 

At the least, you’ll find some work you actually enjoy and make a little money on the side. 

Win-Win.

Helping service-based solopreneurs land clients and grow their audience | Interviewing your favorite creators on The Stride Forward Show 🎤

11 straight to the point tips on building your brand and a business as a creator (without BS "hacks"):

P.S. I'm totally aware of the typo but did you even notice? 😂 

Most content creators make these same 3 mistakes:

- Share other people's content instead of their own
- Take the easy growth route of posting selfies
- Give generic advice anyone could write

All of which grows a follower count but establishes 0 authority and does nothing to prove your expertise.

What do you think is better?

1) Sharing awesome work someone else did, giving your thoughts, and dropping a smiling face?

2) Sharing awesome work YOU did and sharing the insights on why it worked? And allowing the content to speak for itself?

It's clear which option would convert at a higher rate.

Keep that in mind when crafting your own content 😎 


The best LinkedIn story you'll read this week:

ft. Archie. My dog.

How We Saved Archie's Business

7 reasons to write every day (and enhance your life):

1) You hate your job 
2) Build your personal brand 
3) Work through difficult times
4) Feeling uncreative
5) Lacking purpose
6) Clarify thoughts
7) Improve ideas

Even if you’re not a “writer” doing it daily brings massive benefits to your life. 

The best daily habits I’ve built involve writing, including journaling and posting on LinkedIn. 

Would love to know how writing has changed your life. Sound off in the comments.

Content Creation doesn't have to be hard.

But in order to simplify the process, you need the right tools.

This is everything I use to generate ideas, organize, create visuals, and distribute my content to all platforms.

Do you have a favorite tool you can't live without?

#contentcreation #linkedin #solopreneur #content 

Business coach for content creators & freelancers | Educating creators & turning personal brands into businesses | Interviewing your favorite creators on The Stride Forward Show 🎤

My Content Creator Tech Stack

This is what LinkedIn looks like when you start posting (and why you shouldn’t stop):

This is one of my first posts on LinkedIn.

*crickets*

There are creators magnitudes larger than myself on this platform,

But I want this to be a reminder we all start in that same place. 

Of posting and getting ~nothing~

If you’re going through this right now, it doesn’t mean your content sucks or your ideas aren’t worth sharing. 

It’s just the pain of getting your community off the ground. 

But keep going. You got this ✌️

P.S. the one comment was a sales pitch 

An alternative way of finding your niche (for guaranteed long-term success):

- Demand
- Skillset
- Interests

1) Demand comes before your interests.

You must first look to niche into an industry that is growing. A decaying topic will crush you.

Some recent examples we've seen of exploding industries are AI tools, Web3, and gaming.

I chose to pivot away from local small businesses and shifted to helping content creators and freelancers. 

Why? Between the globalization of service businesses, the ability to learn any skill online, and the rising cost of living, more people are turning to the internet to make money.

People will continue to see the value in building their personal brand and starting their own businesses, especially as people learn the "safe" 9-5s aren't as safe as they were led to believe.

And I'm uniquely suited to help them...

2) Skillset

It is possible to pick a niche, learn as much as possible, then start helping those 1-2 steps behind you...

But it's 10x easier if you're already highly-skilled at what you plan to offer.

Between my own freelancing businesses, my MBA, my creator journey, and the years of consulting, I already have what it takes to directly help my target audience.

Be honest with yourself about your knowledge and lean into that as much as you can.

3) Interests

The final piece is leaning into your curiosities as much as possible.

If you pick a topic or industry that you'll likely be bored of within a few months or weeks.

That's not your niche. Keep looking.

Don't be afraid to dive head first into your biggest interests. It will only help you attract the right clientele as they are massively interested in the topic too.

Combining these 3 will set you up for long-term success. And keep you going through the tough times since you'll be providing great results and stay genuinely interested and engaged in what you're doing.

How I led my company in sales 3 straight years (without being aggressive):

How to sell without sounding "sales-y"

The key to success on LinkedIn?

Results-based thinking.

Here's how you'll get there:

- Clarity
- Attract
- Convert

1) Get crystal clear on who you serve.

- What problems do they have?
- What do they do for fun?
- How old are they?

The above are example questions. The more specific you get, the better.

Clearly defining who you help allows you to build the right offer and make content that appeals to them.

2) Building demand organically cannot be understated.

You can run paid ads, sure... but nothing beats the trust that comes from content. And the money you save once you've grown an audience is INSANE.

Create a content strategy that attracts the right people.

3) End of the day, all content can be measured by conversions.

Not likes.
Not shares.
Not people complimenting how pretty the background is in your selfie.

Conversions.

Define your goal:
- Newsletter signups
- 1:1 coaching signups
- Lead magnet downloads

Whatever it is, create a seamless experience to get people to that point. 

Provide value in a way that naturally flows them to that next step in your funnel.

That's how you'll build a successful business from your content.

P.S. Get instant access to my content system and receive weekly tips by signing up to my newsletter. Link in the comments.

No context selfies bring likes. 

But they don’t drive business. 

Showing your face is great from a branding perspective, but here’s what happens when you drive your growth based on selfies:

People engage, but you aren’t viewed as an authority at all. 

😔 Your audience doesn’t feel understood. 
😔 Your audience gets 0 help from you. 
😔 Your audience is less targeted. 

You get a bunch of followers then you release a product that no one buys. 

So use selfies sparingly as part of your growth strategy and to become a familiar face. 

Don’t use them in every post. 

Let your content stand alone and speak for itself.

Don't let being a creator lead you to mindless social media consumption.

It's easy for anyone to spend hours scrolling a feed, and even moreso for creators that want to actively engage or come up with new ideas.

This is not only detrimental to your mental health, but your own content.

Try this instead:

1. Pick 10 creators that are crushing it
2. Ring the bell
3. Every time they post: show up, comment, and get inspired

You'll figure out what's working on the platform faster than scrolling and seeing a bunch of random posts.

And you'll save yourself a ton of time in the process.

P.S. Who's a creator you think is crushing it right now? Would love to follow some new people 👀 

Great content does not start with an idea.

Great content starts with a target audience. 

Before your idea even matters, you need to know who the message is for and how they benefit. 

Consider the:
- purpose
- emotion
- takeaway 

For your ideal reader before and after hitting that post button. 

Create with intent. 

P.S. building landing pages is fun af. Can’t wait to share the one I’m working on now 😃

Ignore the "LinkedIn Secrets."

Ignore the algorithm.

Do this instead:

Study your audience. Learn all about them and their problems.

Create amazing content centered around those problems and provide a ton of value in a concise way.

Focus on:
- Inspiring
- Educating
- Entertaining

Algorithms change all the time. 

And if you place 100% of your focus on creating great content, impressions and connecting with the right people will work itself out anyway.

“My degree is in accounting so I guess I’m stuck doing taxes forever…”

Wrong. 

Whatever your degree is in doesn’t matter. 

What matters is the path your create for yourself.

I graduated with a degree in Sociology. 

I’ve worked in a bowling alley, as a pharmacy tech, as a part-time counselor and as a courier. Some more odd jobs here and there too...

But look at my profile and what I do now. It’s none of those. 

I’m now driving on a road that I love. 

It took a lot of work. But in the end it’s incredibly worth it given I’ve found a career and side hustles that I truly enjoy. 

Never stop chasing happiness, friends.

We should talk more about the addictive nature of social media.

The highs and lows of publishing every day are intense. 

You know that dopamine rush you get when someone likes your post or the disappointment you feel when no one does? 

Content creators feel that times 100… especially if their business depends on inbound leads. 

It can quickly cause mood swings in some people. Or lead to overstimulation and burnout. 

These things can happen at the same time too…

Simultaneously addicted to the rush of social and creating, but also burnt out from the never ending chase of business and audience growth… 

If you’re a creator, understand it’s ok to step away sometimes.

You won’t lose everything you worked for because you took a vacation ✌️

There are no roses without rain.

Hard times are what makes us who we are.

In the content and business world, this is our unfair advantage.

- Share your story
- Embrace vulnerability
- Allow people to understand why you do what you do

Want to truly connect with your audience? And them *actually* believe you understand their pain points?

Share how you overcame those exact problems.

Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!

In 2018 I grew my side hustle photography business to $65k in revenue.

Yes. A side hustle making $65k.

Here's how I did it:

1) Portfolio came first. I needed proof of work.

I grabbed 5 friends and did photoshoots for them for free. 

I edited 5 photos for each of them and created a portfolio in Google Drive.

2) I started networking and reaching out to every other photographer I could find in the area.

I sent them 3 things:
- A warm email explaining I'm a fellow photographer that would love to connect
- Showed them a couple sample photos from my portfolio
- Asked them if they'd like to connect and refer each other business if we were unable to take a client

Here's the kicker: When you look to establish a business connection with someone like this, YOU have to take the first leap.

Everyone that responded (a few) I would send them a "small" client first to let them know I was serious. Think 30 minute portrait shoots, etc.

This led to massive opportunities later, such as second shooting weddings, events, and more.

3) Brainstormed the best ways to do outreach.

Ask yourself, "what are the biggest reasons someone would need my services?"

In photography, common reasons: graduations, weddings, events, wanna-be influencers, etc.

I sent emails to people that fell into these buckets.

And that's it. The 3 step method I did that took about an hour per day + 3-4 on weekends for a crazy successful side hustle.

✅ Proof of work
✅ Network (genuinely)
✅ Outreach every single day

That's the blueprint.

Now, if I was to do it all over again, I would also add content creation to the mix. 

Can't stress enough how much easier that would've made things.

P.S. Rented the camera in the photo. Sony > Canon.

Personal brand growth = business growth

If people care about ~you~ they'll also start to care about and pay attention to your business.

Want leads?
→ Build your brand

Want referrals?
→ Build your brand

Want to gain trust?
→ Build your brand

Building your personal brand and growing an audience is the best way to attract opportunities.

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