I'm taking some time off from the forum to focus more on my 2nd business, bro. I'm handing my primary one off to my dad as soon as everything is automated. Sales dropped from $2k a day to $200 a day at one point because I didn't do my due diligence, but the problem has been fixed and I'm slowly growing back to $2k a day. The whole journey will be discussed at C&B.
Okay I always say take action daily, but you have to be laser focused and execute smartly about it. Don't research every possible industry, that takes too much time. You need some filters so that you can quickly weed out the industries that you should avoid.
Pick lucrative industries that have lots of money flowing around. Preferably an industry that is growing, not contracting. Make sure that you can reach the business owners by phone. E-mail is not personal enough and it's very difficult to find pains unless you pick up the damn phone.
Don't worry about pre-selling right now. At the core it's very simple and all about building rapport, creating trust, and establishing credibility. If you actually get to the point of getting the guts to pick up the phone and talk to people to find the pain, I'll show you the process I'm currently using to pre-sell $20k among 10 people. It's sorta like a JackEdwards angle.
But yeah, don't worry about pre-selling. There's no point in knowing how to pre-sell if you don't have a pain in front of you to solve. You don't need to know the 99 steps ahead of you...you only need the first 2 steps. So pick an industry based on the filters that I just gave you then start calling them.
There is a good chance that someone will want equity partnership in your company simply because they gave you the idea. Politely decline. This is a sign that they are a rookie entrepreneur and have never experienced the real roller-coaster of emotions that being in business puts you through. When you take your first business to $100k, you will realize that the idea is worth 10% and the other 90% is pure hustle. You'd be surprised how far you can get by simply taking action daily.
The amount of satisfaction you will have with your life is directly correlated with how much uncertainty you are willing to stomach. So learn to be okay with uncertainty. I consider lack of clarity to be good in a way because that means you are now questioning your old reality and are slowly welcoming a new, better reality into your life.
Chances are a whole ton of emotions are going to rise to the surface and start messing with your head in the process unless you are an emotionless robot. This is where you start to realize that the idea is almost insignificant and that process is everything. Remember this: when you are in a state of confusion, there is usually an unconscious emotion blocking you. Learn to identify what those emotions are and master it.
“I’m scared to take the wrong action. I feel like I need to be prepared before doing anything.”
“People don’t take me seriously, I’m too young, not qualified enough, etc.”
“People will think I’m trying to cheat them.”
“This is too hard. There’s too much information out there. I don’t know where to start.”
“I don’t have enough money to get started.”
If you are having mindset issues just send me a PM and I'll do my best to walk you through sorting your head out. You can have all of the steps for a successful business laid out before you, but if you cannot condition your mindset to that of a go getter, the future obstacles may overwhelm you or even paralyze you into taking zero action. Mindset is everything.
Throw your TV on Craigslist for free and have someone pick it up immediately. Instead of spending 1 hour on TV each night, spend 1 hour copying some Gary Halbert sales letters to learn copywriting. You need to master these 2 things bro:
1. Learn to identify pain points that can scale.
2. Learn to create a compelling and convincing offer that you can market to the masses. That's what copywriting is for.
This is up for debate, but I would choose a need that I may have some interest in even if that means less money. If I'm going to be involved with a business for the next 3-5 years then I want to be at least somewhat interested in the topic on some level. I'm not saying that I have to be ultra passionate for it, but there has to be some genuine interest.
Like most things worth pursuing in life, this requires effort on your part. If you are willing to work harder than you do in your 9-5 then the universe will reward you for it.
I'm not sure how old you are or if you have a gf/wife, but hopefully she supports the path that you are taking. Most people will think you're nuts.
Take action daily. Get the ice cream.
You are half man/half amazing and possess superhero powers to solve the needs and pains of others. That is your sole purpose. You are not chasing money, you are a pain solver. All that you want is to leave your mark on this planet and leave the world a better place than when you entered it by solving the pains of others. That is all. It's not about money. Money is nothing more than a reflection of the amount of value you give to the world.
You are at peace with who you are. You are not seeking validation from others, including the business owners you are contacting. You give yourself permission to be your true self...a guy who only wants to solve the pains of others, with zero attachment to personal gain. When you approach them with sincerity and show your authentic flawed self with them, they will do the same and admit their pains and needs to you. That is all you need...to love others.
For it is in giving that we receive…and that is the true essence of the Fastlane. It’s not about you. It’s about them.
