229. Christina Switches Up Her Business Model

Christina Larocco wants to build her business around big ideas, not just coaching services, and she’s wondering whether that’s actually possible or just wishful thinking. Christina helps nonfiction writers shaped by years of research wrangle their complicated projects into something sustainable. She joined the Hive searching for more coaching clients, but discovered her true passion is in honoring her identity as a public scholar. After a decade as an academic editor, Christina is ready to center writing, inquiry, and conversation in her work. We zoomed in on the challenge at the core of Christina’s next chapter: How do you talk about being an “idea person” when coaching isn’t your main offer? By the end of our coaching session, Christina landed on the “abundance paradox” as the umbrella for her work and found a new language to describe what she actually does, helping other thinkers make meaning in a noisy world. More than that, she left with a menu of concrete ways to monetize her ideas and a simple beta program to test with her existing email list. Let me highlight the clarity, strategy, and energy Christina and I uncovered in this conversation. Watch what happens when Christina admits she cringes before every email to her list, and see the moment she realizes she’s been solving the same “abundance” problem all along, just on a deeper level. **Key Takeaways** - **Lead With Your Core Curiosity:** When you orient your messaging around what you’re genuinely curious about, like Christina’s “abundance paradox”, you attract engaged followers who share your hunger for big questions. - **Business Models Beyond Services:** Building a sustainable business around ideas is possible by layering multiple income streams like podcast guesting, paid newsletters, workshops, VIP days, and retreats so your creative energy stays high and your revenue feels steady. - **Use Your List to Test Offers:** You don’t need a fully finished product to start. Email your audience and invite a few people into a small beta group to clarify both your messaging and your methodology as you go. - **Clarify Your Stance, Not Just Your Resum**rying to answer in public. - **Find the Right Village Square:** Instead of chasin**e:** It’s easy to talk about credentials, but what actually draws listeners and clients is knowing what you believe and the questions you’re tg “success formulas” on generic platforms, look for podcasts, newsletters, and communities where your people already gather and join the conversation there. **Timestamps & Key Topics** \[00:00] Christina’s bio and what she does for nonfiction writers \[01:44] Success with Bundlicious, but struggle with finding right clients \[04:25] Dallas reframes unsubscribes as wins for both parties \[05:32] Christina questions what kind of work truly lights her up \[08:50] Defining the challenge: want to build an audience around ideas \[10:01] Looking to Jenny Odell and Katherine May as models \[14:06] Dallas asks Christina to clarify her stance and curiosity \[15:42] Christina identifies the “abundance paradox” as a central theme \[21:07] Dallas outlines idea-driven business models: podcast, workshops, newsletter \[26:03] Options for monetizing ideas such as VIP days, retreats, courses, memberships \[38:50] Dallas gives Christina a next-step experiment to find her best offer \[44:50] Summary of how clarity and simple action beats waiting for a polished plan CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA: CONNECT WITH DALLAS: