Growing Steady | Intentional Creative Business Podcast
Business & Finance
About
Growing Steady is for online creators who want to grow their business without burning out. Each week, we (Jason & Caroline Zook) share practical lessons on building businesses that are profitable, predictable, and still leave room for a good life.
Episodes
- I'm climbing cringe mountain (again)
Learn more about Solo Content Studio at https://solocontent.studio After years of burnout and staying off camera (and content creation), I'm finally climbing Cringe Mountain. Want to come along for the ride with me? 😂 In this episode: The…
- Our first app of 2026 launches... tomorrow!
It's the night before our launch and I'm recording this from bed while Leon sleeps upstairs and Caroline finishes a few things with our SceneRoll sales page 😂. This is the quick story of building SceneRoll, from closing our coaching busin…
- Caroline's first solo unfiltered episode 🙈
Caroline's first solo unfiltered episode! 😱 Recorded while tidying the art room 😂... We're both more excited about business than we've been in years Leaning into AI with curiosity instead of fear has been one of the best decisions we've…
- I haven't been this excited in... 17 years 😳
Unfiltered episode recorded on a Sunday walk while Leon naps: Haven't felt this excited about building since iWearYourShirt in 2009 Claude Code (especially the Mac app) has been a game changer (way beyond what Lovable could do for us) Buil…
- Unfiltered thoughts from Jason about Teachery
Trying a new thing with our podcast! We're going to record and release unfiltered episodes. On my walk this morning I had some thoughts about Teachery I wanted to share: Where the business started The main 3 evolutions Teachery has had The…
- 257 - We’re back! As parents! Update + a look ahead…
After a few months away, we’re back behind the mic with a real-time life and business update. In this episode, we share what the first four months of parenthood have been like, how our parental leave actually played out, and where our work…
- 256 - Last ep before baby! What pregnancy has been like…
In this episode, we’re answering a handful of questions about our pregnancy journey so far (36 weeks as of recording!) We talk about everything from favorite (and least favorite) parts, to how Jason’s been helping, to what’s surprised us m…
- 255 - Our Final WAIM Launch: The FULL Recap...
We just wrapped our last-ever launch of WAIM Unlimited. All while 7 months pregnant, grieving the loss of two family members, troubleshooting a broken-down car, a 5-hour medical snafu, and somehow still exceeding our high goal for our laun…
- 254 - Real-time FINAL launch update (3 of 3, Jason only)
This is part three of our 3-part series sharing the real-time updates of our LAST-EVER launch of our un-boring coaching program WAIM Unlimited. As of recording this FINAL installment, we have just 12 hours left in the launch 😱. You’ll get…
- 253 - 10 most common questions we get asked
Since we've been running WAIM, certain questions come up over and over. In this episode, we’re answering the top 10 things we hear most from creative business owners who feel stuck and don't know what to do next. We cover: How to increase…
- 252 - Real-time FINAL launch update (2 of 3, Jason only)
This is part two of our 3-part series sharing the real-time updates of our LAST-EVER launch of our un-boring coaching program WAIM Unlimited. As of recording this second installment, we are 1 WEEK post-launch and have 1 week to go! (This i…
- 251 - The 3 human skills you need to be building in an AI content world
With AI rapidly multiplying the amount of content flooding every platform (40m vertical videos PER DAY 😬), we’re facing an era where information is no longer scarce... it’s commoditized . So what actually becomes more valuable in a world…
- 250 - Real-time FINAL launch update (1 of 3)
If you love hearing the behind the scenes of a product launch, then you are going to thoroughly enjoy this 3-part series for our LAST-EVER launch of our un-boring coaching program WAIM Unlimited. As of recording this first installment, we…
- 249 - How we're learning AI tools without overwhelm
If you’ve ever felt like you’re already behind in the world of AI (or like you need to try every new tool just to keep up) you’re not alone! In this episode, we introduce the idea of slow-learning AI: a calm, intentional approach to stayin…
- 248 - What’s changed with launches?
Are digital product launches dead? Not at all! But in 8 years, we’ve noticed a few changes and we wanted to share what we’ve seen firsthand. How many sales emails matter? Do you actually need launch bonuses? Is there value in using AI to w…
- 247 - 6 tools we *MIGHT* build next year
We are many months away from 2026 and the big shift in our Wandering Aimfully business, but we wanted to pull back the curtain and share how we ideate business ideas BEFORE they see the light of day. This episode, we hope you get to hear h…
- 246 - The Future-Proof Creator (what still works in 2025?)
With AI taking off like wildfire, algorithms shifting like crazy, and tactics expiring faster than ever… what actually still works in 2025? In this episode, we’re cutting through the chaos to ground you in what remains true in online busin…
- 245 - We asked AI to interview us...
If you’re like us and using GPT (or Claude, etc) on a daily basis, then you have an AI that is gaining context about you constantly. With that in mind, we decided to ask AI to come up with questions they thought would be compelling for us…
- 244 - Back on Instagram after 3 years: Month 1 recap + Month 2 plan
We’re one month into our return to Instagram after a 3-year break, and in this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what’s working, what’s not, and how we’re approaching Instagram in a way that actually feels good (and sustainable).…
- 243 - How we’re (currently) prepping/planning our parental leave
With just a few months to go before our Tiny Zook 🐣 arrives (!), we’re sharing how we’re approaching parental leave—not as a step-by-step guide, but as a real-time snapshot of our intentions, plans, and mindset. Whether you’re expecting,…
- 242 - Why we're ending WAIM Unlimited (part 2)
This is the second part of our discussion about retiring our WAIM Unlimited coaching program. We are going to do ONE final enrollment period in a few months and we answer some of your questions about this decision. The questions we answere…
- Minisode (Jason Only) - Does everything feel messy right now?
See what we're up to: https://wanderingaimfully.com/now Try Teachery for free: https://teachery.co
- 241 - 5 signs it's time to pivot your business
How do you really know when it’s time to move on from an offer you’ve built your business around? In this episode, we’re sharing the four indicators that helped us make the decision to wind down WAIM Unlimited—insights we hope will help yo…
- 240 - Why we’re ending WAIM Unlimited (part 1)
After six incredible years, we’ve decided to retire our flagship program, WAIM Unlimited (after one FINAL upcoming launch). In this episode, we’re walking you through exactly why we’re making this sizable change. Retiring WAIM Unlimited di…
- 239 - Spring 2025 Launch Recap (lower sales, big lessons, and future shifts)
Our latest WAIM Unlimited launch was smaller than expected, but instead of panicking, we’re using it as a chance to adapt, experiment, and pivot. In this launch recap episode, we’re breaking down: The details of our Spring 2025 launch (ami…
- 238 - We’re having a baby! 😱 (Fertility journey update)
This episode is a special one—because we’re pregnant! 🎉 We want to share our journey so far, from navigating fertility struggles to getting our positive test (on New Year’s Eve, no less!), and what the first trimester has been like for bo…
- 237 - 4 steps to make your next launch feel CALM
This episode goes out to anyone who has felt stressed during a launch! We want to help change that for you and we have 4 steps that ensure your launches are calm, profitable, and feel effortless. THE biggest mistake we see folks making whe…
- 236 - Business is overcoming these 6 roadblocks
Whether you’re JUST starting a business or you’re making a pivot, there are 6 roadblocks that likely get in your way. Are you stuck at just one of them or do all 6 have you in their grips right now? In this ep, we explore the thoughts that…
- 235 - 7 changes in online biz you shouldn’t ignore
When we started Wandering AImfully in 2018 the online business landscape was in a lot of ways the same, but in some ways VERY DIFFERENT. In this episode, we share 7 huge changes/shifts we’ve seen in the online business space. Some are obvi…
- 234 - We built an accountability app with NO CODE!
If you can’t tell, we are pretty bullish on no-code tools right now and we’re excited to share this episode talking about how we built an accountability app/game for our membership community! We walk through why we think creating tools is…
- 233 - Is NOW the right time to diversify?
With all the hullabaloo around the TikTok ban, it’s got us thinking about the topic of diversifying your marketing versus focusing. Is it smart to put all your eggs in ONE marketing basket? How can you create safeguards for your business?…
- 232 - Tools for managing self-sabotage
Ahhhh, self-sabotage, otherwise known as overthinking or just unintentionally getting in our own way. We’re all guilty of it, but how can do it a bit less? Whether it’s hiding in your “creation cave” or avoiding sending sales emails so you…
- 231 - Invent a new social media app? (and other Qs!)
If we could create an entirely new social media app, what would we do? Do creators have a responsibility to share their failures? What are our biggest business risks we’ve taken? These questions and more came from our podcast producer (GPT…
- 230 - The BEST tool we've used in years!
Today we’re excited to share what we feel is the biggest game-changing AI tool since OpenAI released GPT a few years ago. We’ll talk about why this tool has consumed all our free time and how we think it can be impactful for your business…
- 229 - Predictions for 2025...
We don’t normally do prediction episodes, but this year we thought it would be fun! At the end of 2025 we can look back and see how right/wrong we were (spoiler alert: we will probably be wrong in all of them — lol). This year, Caroline wi…
- 228 - Our 2024 review and 2025 preview
2024 is in the rear view mirror and we have an episode reviewing what went well, what didn’t go well, and our look ahead at 2025! We love doing these reviews and hope you enjoy hearing about the good, the bad, the disappointing, the tough,…
- 227 - How'd our first Black Friday deal in 7 years go?
It’s hard to believe we haven’t sold anything on Black Friday/Cyber Monday in 7 years! But, this year it made sense for us and we break down why and how things went. We cover: What we sold, what it took to put the sale together (emails, sa…
- 226 - A (real) messy convo about social media
We went back and forth on sharing this episode, as it’s one of our more “real” and honest conversations. While we love sharing polished thoughts with you all, our relationship with using social media is SUPER messy and so we figured we’d j…
- 225 - Top 5 marketing tactics to use in 2025 (draft style + Thanksgiving!)
When this episode goes live it’s Thanksgiving in the U.S. and we’re drafting our Top 5 dishes we’d want on our plates. We keep the draft fun going by also drafting our Top 5 marketing tactics we’d use if we had a brand new business we were…
- 224 - We're back from 5 weeks of travel in the U.S....
The Zooks are back behind the mics! After a 5-week trip back to the U.S. that included two hurricanes, two doctor’s visits, three bouts of sickness, and some sticker shock at prices and quality of things, we’re sharing how it all went. In…
- 223 - Our fertility journey (so far) | Two early miscarriages in 3 months
TW: miscarriage, pregnancy loss, chemical pregnancy, infertility In this episode, we share our personal story of trying to conceive (TTC) earlier this year, which resulted in two very early miscarriages, also known as chemical pregnancies.…
- 222 - Our Fall Launch recap (sales #s and takeaways!)
It’s time for a recap of our latest launch of WAIM Unlimited! We share the sales numbers, the lessons learned, and what changes we are/aren’t making for the next launch. Spoiler alert: For the second launch in a row, we did NOT hit our low…
- 221 - Teachery's Lifetime Plan experiment results
Who wants to pull back the curtain and hear about a BIG experiment we ran with Teachery this summer? You do?? Then let’s dive into it! In this episode, we talk about a huge shift in direction for Teachery as a business. What might seem sim…
- 220 - Deconstructing our pre-launch strategy
If there’s ONE thing we believe makes every launch successful, it’s having a pre-launch strategy. Specifically, we like using a 4-week email lead-up series based around a few key themes. Over the past 10 years, we’ve used pre-marketing to…
- 219 - $1m+ in digital products as an intuitive creator (Michelle Rohr interview)
What if you didn’t have to use all the standard tactics and strategies to make millions of dollars selling digital products? We interviewed Michelle Rohr, founder of Secret OWL Society, to find out how she harnesses her intuition to sell c…
- 218 - Are Done-For-You courses the new thing?
Is the future of digital products and selling information online moving towards Done-For-You? We believe so and we’ll share why and what we’re doing about it (and what you should do too!) In this episode, we talk about a big shift we’re se…
- 217 - From 7 sales to $30,000 launch (Wayne Fick interview)
We are doing something we’ve NEVER done before in 200+ episodes of our podcast… having a guest! We are excited to share this chat with our friend Wayne Fick, who, over the past two years, he transitioned from working with clients, having z…
- 216 - Evergreen vs Launching 👀
Evergreen sales are often painted as the ultimate dream: you fall asleep, wake up to sales, and money magically deposits into your account without lifting a finger. Sounds perfect, right? However, the reality of Evergreen is far from this…
- 215 - This is the #1 key to getting MOMENTUM
Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been on a mission to help more entrepreneurs build businesses that allow them to live a balanced life. We initially thought the key was giving our members one thing to focus on each month through our…
- 214 - 4 tips to never have a FAILED launch again
Have you ever had a product launch flop? If you haven’t but want to avoid ever having a “floppy” launch 😅, this episode has four actionable tips for you. We know firsthand the excitement and hard work that goes into creating a digital pro…