You can watch a video or read a blog post about how to make money online and think, well, that looks easy.

But you’re almost never getting the whole picture.

What you see in those videos and blog posts is a snapshot, usually of all the things that went right, not everything that went wrong before it started to get better.

You won’t see all of the potential hazards and challenges that come with those business models because you’re not being given the full breadth of the real-world experience of running that business and what it took to make it a success.

So today, I’m talking to online business’s self-labeled Crash Test Dummy, Pat Flynn.

Pat has tested out so many different ways to make money online, and he’s going to let me pick his brain and do a deep dive about what worked, what flopped, and how profitable they really were.

Pat Flynn is a father, husband, and entrepreneur who lives and works in San Diego, CA. He owns several successful online businesses and is a professional blogger, keynote speaker, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and host of the Smart Passive Income and AskPat podcasts, which have earned a combined total of over 65 million downloads, multiple awards, and features in publications such as The New York Times and Forbes. He is also an advisor to ConvertKit, LeadPages, Teachable, and other companies in the digital marketing arena.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why asking what model you should start with is the wrong question, and the questions you should be asking instead
• How his audience informed Pat’s initial venture into online business
• Why you should think of affiliate marketing and sponsorships as providing a service to your audience
• How books and speaking can support your brand and create income
• The business models that have the highest ROI and profit margins for Pat

Learn more about Pat:

• Smart Passive Income
• Smart Passive Income Podcast
• Ask Pat Podcast
• Instagram: @PatFlynn
• Twitter: @PatFlynn
• Will It Fly? How to test your next business idea so you don’t waste your time and money

Learn more about Gillian:



• Startup Society
• Get on the waitlist for VALIDATE
• Profit Planning Challenge
• Get in touch!