The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

Turn Your Expertise Into Content That Pops with Chris Lysy

·36 min·3 clips

Chris Lysy uses crude stick-figure cartoons to capture attention in the data evaluation field, where polished stock photos are the norm.

The episode begins with an ad for Indeed sponsored jobs, followed by Pat Flynn introducing Chris Lysy as an SPI Pro member who uses cartoons to get in front of people. Chris describes himself as an independent consultant who designs websites and reports, merging data analysis with graphic design. He explains that many in the data field lack design skills due to academic training, and he works with those experiencing a creative reawakening. Chris started by blogging and creating an aggregate blog called Eval Central, which led to drawing cartoons at conferences and sharing them on Twitter. His crude drawings stood out because they felt authentic in a sea of professional stock photos. The cartoons tap into the absurdities and struggles of the evaluation profession, making them relatable and shareable. Chris's audience grew from these cartoons, and he later monetized through consulting, training, and web report design. He emphasizes that consultants should focus on project budgets rather than hourly rates, packaging services into tiers like $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000. Chris shares his own experience of overcoming the mental hurdle of charging too much by proposing a $100,000 project, noting that organizations already budget for full-time employees. He advises setting project minimums and being selective with clients to maintain freedom. Pat Flynn frames Chris as a 'micro-entrepreneur' who builds a sustainable business with a few high-value clients. The episode concludes with Chris sharing his websites and a lead magnet of all his cartoons, and Pat promoting SPI Pro for community connections.

As heard by us

A clear look at how visual humor can open up evaluation ideas.

This episode makes a tidy case for cartoons as a way into evaluation thinking. The conversation centers on how a simple visual joke can surface questions about expectations, causality, and evidence without turning them into a lecture.

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Why you'd press play

You want to turn a hard-to-explain idea into something people can picture, connect with, and share.

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