About developing YOUR unique expression through business to reflect elegant simplicity with depth and meaning.
1. Be nimble
Take a page out of the tech startup playbook and adopt a “rapid prototyping” mindset.
You have to start somewhere, and you won’t know until you take action, see results, and learn from real reactions from real people.
Don’t chase your tail around in circles, hoping all those marketing exercises will look perfect. Stop thinking that if you get approval from some business coach, your business will be bulletproof.
Hone your genius by doing a good job…and see where you excel.
Be willing to pivot. Commit to excellence, not convenience.
Don’t get too attached just because you’ve invested time and money in some training or certification. Everything builds to a final expression that is uniquely yours because you are bringing a unique combination of skills and experiences to the table.
2. Don’t overextend
We’ve been told a million things we need to “fill the funnel”: the giveaways, the tripwire, the ebook, the online course, the large group program, the small group program, the private training, and the event Live. .
When those trainers break down the numbers and show you how to get to “6 figures”, it sounds great… if you can do 7 things at once.
However, it is most likely not a genius at delivering all formats. He can suck on some and drag his butt over others…people can smell him from miles away if he’s not into it.
If it’s just something to cross off the list, don’t do it.
You don’t have to fill in all the “rungs” of what a “business model” should look like. You don’t have to offer everything that everyone sells.
You need to find the expressions that allow you to be in your zone of awesomeness as much as possible. And be good at it unapologetically.
3. Redefine “Leverage”
What about “leverage”? You may ask, because that’s another irresponsible sound byte that many are throwing around.
Irresponsible because it is fairly narrowly defined in most cases and often leads us down the rabbit hole.
Think outside the “leverage = 1:many” box in the form of digital products, online courses, or group programs.
(Keep in mind that you have to put in the time and effort to create that content before you even get paid… there’s always an opportunity cost. Is that the best way to spend your time and ingenuity? Have you done the work for make sure you don’t hear cricket when you pitch?)
Leveraging can simply mean you hone your skills, get insanely good at it, articulate value and relevance so you can command a premium.
4. Forget “Get paid what you’re worth”
This is my favorite big hobby.
Don’t link your self-esteem to what people pay you… how disempowering.
I’ve heard that trainers are told in any training that they have to get paid an incredible amount per month (even if they’re just starting out)… otherwise they’re not doing it right.
stop.
Before we talk about numbers, let’s talk about what numbers are all about.
It’s about what you bring to the table. It’s about how you create meaning and deliver value.
It’s about whether you can say it out loud with confidence and awareness.
Your rate is only as good as what people are willing to pay, and it depends on the confidence and sincerity with which you can articulate value and do a good job of delivering beyond your promise.
Those who charge $10,000 a month and make every penny worth it and more didn’t start there. They deliver and demand a fair exchange for the value they create for their customers.
Get to work. Don’t put yourself on the pedestal. Get in the trenches.
5. Get out of the bubble
All the coaching, programs, and training are putting us in the echo chamber.
It took me almost a year to get clean before I could hear MYSELF think.
Do what is right for you. Don’t get caught up in sound bytes and rhetoric.
We’re seeing a backlash to all the sales pitches, online courses, and training programs in this space. When everyone wants to sell you something that sounds like the next door, the market becomes jaded, skeptical, and resistant.
You need to be more certain than ever about what YOU and your business need right now before you invest. It’s not the rhetoric “if you’re not willing to invest in yourself (and take out the credit card now) you can’t expect others to invest in you,” which is selfish, fear-based nonsense.
It’s not just the money. It is TIME and mental space: if you dedicate time and mental space to one thing, you will not have it for others that really matter.
6. Be honest with yourself
At the end of the journey, YOU are what matters.
No more asking your friends in the Facebook group how to make your decisions. Don’t be intellectually lazy. Take responsibility.
Most of the people you meet on the road will eventually fall over; what you do must be meaningful to you.