I searched the internet and traveled the world looking for an answer to this question.
When I began, I looked at online gurus courses, their webinars, and all of the things they had to say about starting an online business.
Unfortunately I even hired a business coach who I thought would help me with this answer, but I am grateful that wasn't a more costly mistake or a reoccurring nightmare that I am seeing many others face on the online environment today.
And while the title of this post may go in direct violation of what many of you believe or what has become a positive enlightening value judgment by so many well-respected fastlaners here, I have to point out out this truth:
Providing Value DOES NOT Equal Money
What I like about the fastlane is that so many of you are focused on this offering of value. @SinisterLex's recent post about the online gurus and their cult followers and the continued attempts to help out @AndrewNC are among the ones that warm my heart with their good intentions.
Yet, let's get down to a truth that I would like to bring light to (for the purposes of my own reflection and that to which I might be able to help another person not make the same mistake I made).
I have been doing some consulting, coaching, and training sessions for over 3 years now. I've wanted to discover "the secrets" to business all along, but I've become disenchanted by them, even disgruntled.
Following the advise of gurus or whoever else, I led with if I provide people with value then I will be rewarded with money. To this end, I taught a training class every week, sometimes twice a week. I grew a community of people in two different cities and when I wanted to travel I even took the sessions online.
To be fair, I did have people approach me for my services which I profited from, yet something was missing.
I studied Rockefellar, Carnegie, and the Rothchilds. I learned some pretty cool things and also sensed there was something more in their wealth acquisition. Sure, it could be argued that they provided value to a lot of people. I noticed this, yet this didn't line up with current online gurus, politicians, the government, or people who were actually failing their customers.
For example, I had a friend who did Russ Ruffinos client on demand. He would be proud Lex, it's exactly like you described. He told me of the processes that they go through after he is accepted in the program. For Russ to do a million dollar month, he has to come up with 100 clients at his $10k price point, or a little less figuring that some go on to his higher price tier. Nonetheless, my friend told me that only about 1 out of 10 people make it.
This means that about 90-99 people are not receiving the value that they signed up for. They are not receiving their $10,000 worth of value. To a contrasting viewpoint of one forum member (I forget who this was), they are selling a dream, and they are profiting from it immensely.
To this end, it made me look at this belief that "Providing value = money". This cannot be true. Because if this is, then the more value I provide then the more money I will make. If Russ somehow gets his clients to 3/10 who succeed, he is not going to make any more money. Did he provide more value? To this I would say yes.
The problem with value is that it is subjective and in the eyes of the beholder. I find it a fantastic aim for those here at the forum and the intent of it all here is positive, yet it has me at odds with how to really make it financially in the world.
My breakthrough happened last week when my advisor told me not to do any free online trainings anymore. This was a change long overdue and something that I knew I had to do. But immediately when I did it, it reinforced more of my thinking, specifically Providing Value DOES NOT Equal Money.
I told them on the call that I would now be charging a monthly fee. It wasn't a surprise when 1/5 signed up for my monthly paid training and then it hit me:
Convincing Others to Give You Money = Money
It really is as simple as that.
The reason that 20% of my students gave me money is because I convinced them to. The reason Russ Ruffino has a business that is (looks) successful is because he convinces people to give them money. If you are reading this and have a job, you get money because you (or someone else) convinced your employer that you should get that money.
There are some amazing people here that are all about giving value and I applaud that. In addition to this, there are some people who are spreading their message, making millions, and who are not all about giving value.
I've heard Russ argue or at least imply that if he can change the life of one business owner, then it was the price of the others who he didn't serve was worth it. Simply put, I'm trying to provide value for you all, but only a few will be able to accept it.
What really is the answer to it all?
You have to find your own answer on what you do and where you will go, but if you want to find a model for making money this is it. Sometimes value, real value that you can actually provide will get you money, but this is when someone is convinced enough of that value they will get to give you money. Do not be mislead, value can lead to money, but it is not absolute.
If you doubt this, you can look all around. One of the masters of persuasion of our time is Tony Robbins. The value he provides is subjective and often times untangible, but what cannot be denied is that he has convinced a lot of people to give him a ton of money.
This has been a post that has been weighing on my heart and something that I believe has been holding me back. The nature of things are to constantly evolve. While there is a part of me that wants to go against those gurus who do their webinar thing, it also should be the case where the rich getting richer inevitably turns out better for humanity.
Sometimes I feel like my ethics get in the way of becoming like rich governments and politicians, yet I also wonder, if it is survival of the fittest, where am I.
Convince Others To Give You Money = Money
When I began, I looked at online gurus courses, their webinars, and all of the things they had to say about starting an online business.
Unfortunately I even hired a business coach who I thought would help me with this answer, but I am grateful that wasn't a more costly mistake or a reoccurring nightmare that I am seeing many others face on the online environment today.
And while the title of this post may go in direct violation of what many of you believe or what has become a positive enlightening value judgment by so many well-respected fastlaners here, I have to point out out this truth:
Providing Value DOES NOT Equal Money
What I like about the fastlane is that so many of you are focused on this offering of value. @SinisterLex's recent post about the online gurus and their cult followers and the continued attempts to help out @AndrewNC are among the ones that warm my heart with their good intentions.
Yet, let's get down to a truth that I would like to bring light to (for the purposes of my own reflection and that to which I might be able to help another person not make the same mistake I made).
I have been doing some consulting, coaching, and training sessions for over 3 years now. I've wanted to discover "the secrets" to business all along, but I've become disenchanted by them, even disgruntled.
Following the advise of gurus or whoever else, I led with if I provide people with value then I will be rewarded with money. To this end, I taught a training class every week, sometimes twice a week. I grew a community of people in two different cities and when I wanted to travel I even took the sessions online.
To be fair, I did have people approach me for my services which I profited from, yet something was missing.
I studied Rockefellar, Carnegie, and the Rothchilds. I learned some pretty cool things and also sensed there was something more in their wealth acquisition. Sure, it could be argued that they provided value to a lot of people. I noticed this, yet this didn't line up with current online gurus, politicians, the government, or people who were actually failing their customers.
For example, I had a friend who did Russ Ruffinos client on demand. He would be proud Lex, it's exactly like you described. He told me of the processes that they go through after he is accepted in the program. For Russ to do a million dollar month, he has to come up with 100 clients at his $10k price point, or a little less figuring that some go on to his higher price tier. Nonetheless, my friend told me that only about 1 out of 10 people make it.
This means that about 90-99 people are not receiving the value that they signed up for. They are not receiving their $10,000 worth of value. To a contrasting viewpoint of one forum member (I forget who this was), they are selling a dream, and they are profiting from it immensely.
To this end, it made me look at this belief that "Providing value = money". This cannot be true. Because if this is, then the more value I provide then the more money I will make. If Russ somehow gets his clients to 3/10 who succeed, he is not going to make any more money. Did he provide more value? To this I would say yes.
The problem with value is that it is subjective and in the eyes of the beholder. I find it a fantastic aim for those here at the forum and the intent of it all here is positive, yet it has me at odds with how to really make it financially in the world.
My breakthrough happened last week when my advisor told me not to do any free online trainings anymore. This was a change long overdue and something that I knew I had to do. But immediately when I did it, it reinforced more of my thinking, specifically Providing Value DOES NOT Equal Money.
I told them on the call that I would now be charging a monthly fee. It wasn't a surprise when 1/5 signed up for my monthly paid training and then it hit me:
Convincing Others to Give You Money = Money
It really is as simple as that.
The reason that 20% of my students gave me money is because I convinced them to. The reason Russ Ruffino has a business that is (looks) successful is because he convinces people to give them money. If you are reading this and have a job, you get money because you (or someone else) convinced your employer that you should get that money.
There are some amazing people here that are all about giving value and I applaud that. In addition to this, there are some people who are spreading their message, making millions, and who are not all about giving value.
I've heard Russ argue or at least imply that if he can change the life of one business owner, then it was the price of the others who he didn't serve was worth it. Simply put, I'm trying to provide value for you all, but only a few will be able to accept it.
What really is the answer to it all?
You have to find your own answer on what you do and where you will go, but if you want to find a model for making money this is it. Sometimes value, real value that you can actually provide will get you money, but this is when someone is convinced enough of that value they will get to give you money. Do not be mislead, value can lead to money, but it is not absolute.
If you doubt this, you can look all around. One of the masters of persuasion of our time is Tony Robbins. The value he provides is subjective and often times untangible, but what cannot be denied is that he has convinced a lot of people to give him a ton of money.
This has been a post that has been weighing on my heart and something that I believe has been holding me back. The nature of things are to constantly evolve. While there is a part of me that wants to go against those gurus who do their webinar thing, it also should be the case where the rich getting richer inevitably turns out better for humanity.
Sometimes I feel like my ethics get in the way of becoming like rich governments and politicians, yet I also wonder, if it is survival of the fittest, where am I.
Convince Others To Give You Money = Money
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