Rivera’s mission entails “bringing healing where there is suffering, hope where there is doubt, and courage where there is fear in the world.”

The bulk of Rivera’s work occurs on Facebook, within her Millennial Mastermind group. She is constantly responding to comments, reviewing applications for new membership, and updating the page with enriching content–particularly via Facebook Live.

“It’s like having a party at your house,” Rivera says. “You can’t just say here are the hors d’oeuvres, now fend for yourself. You have to be checking up on people making sure everyone’s ok. You really are the host of your Facebook group if you want to do it right.”

When Rivera runs advertisements for her group, free live-streamed content is the focal point. Group members get access to frequent goodies like 1-hour talks led by prominent industry figures and thought leaders.

Joining the group is like opting-in to free content, which tends to convert group members to paying customers at some point down the road.

Part of what makes Facebook Live so effective is its format of active video engagement. Studies show video promotion is 600% more effective than print and direct mail combined, and that two out of every three people are more likely to watch a video than read text.

Since launching her Facebook group, Rivera has attracted dozens of new and recurring clients for her business, as well as pioneered a successful marketing model for others to follow.

Below, Rivera shares the key strategies behind using Facebook Live for business marketing.

1. Let members know in advance when you’re going live. Rivera posts a weekly schedule of live speakers on the cover banner of her group. Doing this generates excitement and anticipation, as well as guarantees far more viewers per video. Design your schedule as a graphic with plenty of pictures, eye-popping text, and attractive headlines. Finally, consider offering free email notifications to let members know days, hours, and minutes before their favorite talks are going live.

2. Curate your group to represent your target customer. Be selective and intentional about who joins your group. Consider requiring new members to apply for their spot; Rivera says she only accepts 1 of every 5 new members who apply. You’ll want the bulk of your members to represent your target market, so that they’re likely to be interested in what you post and will invest in paid content.

3. Feature guest speakers who enhance the value of your group. Populating your group with enough quality content can be overwhelming if you’re trying to do it all on your own. Instead, reach out to figureheads and influencers in your industry to feature their content on your page and appear on Facebook Live. It’s a win-win for you both: they get free promotion, and your group becomes more valuable, increasing the appeal for new members to join and motivating existing members to stay active.

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Fresh out of college, Finnigan found himself broke and in debt, with all his credit cards maxed out and nowhere to turn. “I had this moment where I was like holy cow I just went to college and in theory I should be set financially, what’s going on?” he says. “It was kind of this panic moment where I realized I had to make money.”

Like many new graduates in this position, Finnigan was eager to start paying down his debt and immediately got a job. Over the next seven years, he would dedicate nearly all of his energy to getting promotions and salary raises until his financial insecurity faded to a distant memory.

Step by step, Finnigan climbed the corporate ladder to the position of Vice President, managing a $36 billion portfolio for his investment strategist company. His salary was abundant and he occupied a luxury apartment in NYC… yet something was missing.

“I would sit at my desk and think, do I really want this? I had this moment of yeah, I had succeeded in what I wanted to do, but what I had been working towards it turned out wasn’t the thing that was actually fulfilling for me,” Finnigan reflects.

Upon that realization, Finnigan decided it was time to make a change.

He still depended on his job as a source of income, so he didn’t just quit on the spot. Instead, he began investing all of his free energy into his lifelong passion for writing, which he never pursued because he didn’t believe it could be profitable. Within several months of studying the art of copywriting, Finnigan felt confident he could monetize it and quit his corporate job.

Today, Finnigan has created a livelihood around copywriting and has become one of the most sought-after contractors in his industry, running six and seven figure campaigns for many multi-million dollar clients. But the doubt and uncertainty that accompany making a major career change were not lost upon him. Below, Finnigan shares how you can succeed in making a similar transition.

1. Learn from others. Immerse yourself in the stories of others who have already made this transition and are thriving on the other side. Listen to podcasts and seek out news articles to encourage, motivate, and inspire you to do the same. You’ll begin to feel like it is possible for you, too, and you’ll benefit from learning from their mistakes and advice.

2. Ask for help. Ditch the mindset that you need to figure it all out on your own. “For me it was a matter of pride,” Finnigan says. “Have humility–you can make it much faster with help.” Asking for help might look like reading books, enrolling in courses, or finding a mentor. Guidance and accountability are essential to your success.

3. Hustle on the side. Use your current job as a safety net so you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to “figure it out,” which can actually be counterproductive. Be reasonable and give yourself time to develop your new skill until you feel confident that it will be able to provide for you financially. Be prepared to put in the hours both for your current job and your emerging passion. “I worked 4 to 5 hours a day in addition to my job,” Finnigan recalls.

4. Understand success isn’t linear. Unlike working in a corporate job, success isn’t linear when working for yourself. “It’s not like plug away for a few months and get your first paying customer, then in another few months get your 5th paying customer,” Finnigan says. “It’s frustrating coming from the corporate world, where you work hard and get a bonus at the end of the year.” While you may struggle at first, don’t be discouraged. Keep at it and be mindful of how you measure success–fulfillment is equally as important as profit.

5. Create your own urgency. “If there’s no urgency on your end, no one’s going to create it for you,” Finnigan says. Develop a timeline for your goals to keep yourself on track and be willing to let go of whatever may be holding you back.

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