Once you set out on your own entrepreneurialpersonal mission, it’s important to know how you can actually be of value to those that you’re looking to add value to.
The best way that you do this is through market research.
However, what that actually means can differ depending on who you ask. In this post, we’ll look at some mistakes people make in their research, and how to make sure you’re asking the right questions.
Anti-Disruption: One Secret to Not Going Broke
When I was in grad school, I had the opportunity to judge business plan competitions a couple of times. As part of those business plans, students were to do some “market research”. This basically meant they got to use essentially academic research methods to learn about the industry in which they were going to bring “disruption”. Many of these methods are discussed in this article in a Entrepreneur Magazine post.
Haha. Talk about fun. 😛
Until I got into The Foundation, 3 years after I got out, this was the way that I thought ALL entrepreneurial endeavours started.
However, what I learned, and what many people make mistakes in is that your business doesn’t have to be disruptive at all.
In fact, if all you’re wanting to do is make an income via your personal mission, then trying to go for the home run your first go-around might not make the best financial sense.
Instead of going to go dig for gold yourself and potentially going broke in the process, why not build a strong foundation by first supplying the tools to those gold diggers? Some might be striking it rich, but there are many MANY more of them who are failing.
Don’t run those odds on yourself – play it safe and be a tool maker. Just like jean and shovel makers were needed in the actual gold rush for those going after the gold (and the most consistently profitable), people who are providing simple services are still needed today too.
Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Primary Research
In the above linked Entrepreneur magazine, primary research is briefly mentioned. Most of the article discusses SECONDARY Research.
What’s sad is that most aspiring and existing entrepreneurs do the exact same thing. They don’t do any consumer research!!
It’s like surveys and talking with one’s customers (or potential clients) directly is the last thing most business owners want to do – even though those same customers are the ones that are directly impacting their bottom line.
Another thing about secondary research is that many times it’s old data. You hear more talk about trends and being “where the market is going, not where it’s at” then you should. Some people really don’t know what that last statement is really saying! Sure it’s a great place to start, but it’s not going to ever you the full picture of what’s actually going on.
Getting it from the Horse’s Mouth
There’s an idiom that goes “straight from the horse’s mouth”. If you haven’t heard this before, well, chances are you aren’t near a farm. But basically, it’s referring to the fact that farmers want to check the mouth of a horse before they buy them from someone.
In our case, it means “to get information from the person most directly involved or best informed” or the customer.
Now I know what you’re going to say, “But JC, people hate doing surveys! How am I to get them to answer my questions?”
Good question.
As you know, there’s a few methods which can be done online or in person:
Interviews
Focus groups
Surveys
Questionnaires
I’ve listed them in the order that you’ll get the best results. If you actually get the chance to interview someone, you’re going to have great data. If you send someone a survey or questionnaire, there’s going to a much lower chance of getting results back.
Questions to Ask
Now, based on whether you’re developing something new or something you’ve already made, you’ll have different questions on what you’ll be asking those individuals.
If you’re planning on releasing a new product or service to a customer, there are 6 base questions you need to know the answer to.
If you were going to put these in a questionnaire, they might go like this:
What is the biggest challenge that they currently have in their work?
What are their long term goals?
How will achieving those long term goal feel?
Have they already tried in achieving that long term goal? Any failures or frustrations did they experience in getting there?
What are their goals right now?
What are they willing to change to achieve those goals this next year?
These matter for various reasons – but the main reason is that you’re looking to ask questions that they often don’t think about as often as they’d like. Also, if you’re going to be helping them, you need an emotional anchor in what they’re trying to achieve. This anchor is their Why for doing whatever they’re doing.
People don’t buy facts – they buy feelings.
However, I will add that the more personable you can make the experience, the more information you can collect and the more emotion you can tie to their responses.
That’s why it’s best to learn how to properly conduct an interview. Not only will these base questions be answered, but you’ll be able to get more clarification. If you get the chance, ask these questions as followups:
Can you describe your typical working day?
In your typical working day, where do you feel like you’re wasting the most time?
What factors do you consider when purchasing a certain product (or service)?
What do you like or dislike about current products (or services) currently on the market?
Any areas would you suggest for improvement?
What would be the smallest version of this product (or service) that’d you pay for?
What is the appropriate price for a product or service like this?
These are good questions because most often than not the answers don’t lie on the surface. (That’s why idea extraction has the name it does!)
Action Steps: Get Some Answers!
Depending on the type of work you’re looking to do, these questions will change. For example, if you’re looking to build a certain kind of software like The Foundation initially focused on, you’ll want to ask more software oriented questions. If it’s a service, lean that direction.
Sure, the more responses you have, the better. However, I would attempt to get 12 to 15 responses at first so you can start recognizing some patterns. The most used response – that needs to be included in your (minimum viable product). Anything after that validates what you’re already doing.
Let me know below how it works out for you or if you have any questions!
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Consumer-Research-The-Most-Important-Part-of-Understanding-Your-Market.jpg800800JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-06-20 15:31:222017-06-20 15:37:00Consumer Research: The Most Important Part of Understanding Your Market
Why am I here? That’s a question that a lot of people have asked themselves over the years. And because success looks different to different people, you might not not be able to recognize it if your career involved just formal education and getting a job upon graduation. In fact, if you’ve gone that traditional route, you might believe that those who have the most money or the most fame might be considered the most successful.
I believe that this model simply doesn’t fit in today’s new world. Sure, I might say that a majority of people still believe that to be considered successful, it just happens to you – but I and many other creators would say that success comes with achieving what you set out to do – whatever that might look like.
This book might sound familiar because Laila and I had the opportunity to speak with Mark Nathan about book back in session 23. It was also the book that “I helped re-publish” last year.
For me, a lot of things have changed since then – including learning how to really launch books and courses – but one thing stayed constant: I still hadn’t met the “other” co-author of the book.
Then I found out that he did a TEDx talk.
As I watched his presentation and got the chance to know jim, I realized why Mark had chosen him to help him write the book. He really is an impressive guy. He’s seems to have accomplished everything that he’s wanted to do – and through his own experiences, he really has a lot to teach others.
In this chat with David, Albert and I find out more about his mindset he used to land a job at the White House, how the entire process of writing the book with Mark went, how he got into international trading, and much more. We even ask him questions you guys submitted about finding one’s own mission.
If you’re a fan of the Delusion of Passion, or simply want to get to hear more about what it takes to really achieve your dreams – this session is for you.
Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
Why did David opt to do a TEDx in Austria and not the US? 8:10
Why did he choose to support his family growing up? 10:05
Does he feel that he still has credibility with his home community after achieving all the success he has? 12:30
How did David achieve his goal in working in the White House? 16:11
How did he team up with Mark Nathan to write their book? 19:31
What’s it like to flip the switch and start writing a book? 20:58
How’d they go about writing a second version of the book where they included their personal stories? 23:16
Why did they opt to write a book vs all the other options that are out there these days? 25:36
When did the talk about mission come into schedule – before or after writing the book? 28:00
How did David get into international trading and becoming a “futurist”? 28:37
How can someone find their mission if they’re not sure what it might be? 41:18
What does someone do if they’ve come to the end of their current mission? 46:44
What can you do if you feel people are constantly trying to pull you away from your mission? 50:32
How does someone get out of a job that they dislike, but they can’t because it pays the bills? 51:57
How can someone find their Why (as Simon Sinek is famous for discussing in his TED talk?) 53:44
What’s David’s near future looking like? 56:12
Who are his favorite top 3 influencers? 58:53
What’s the worst job he’s ever had? 1:00:07
What’s a life skill he’s amazed people lack? 1:00:37
David speaks with Till Gross about life and the book:
Pre-launch video of Delusion of Passion (from June 2016):
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AoL-Podcast-FB-Logo-Master-Image-session92.jpg6281200JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-06-15 16:52:332020-04-16 14:26:11David Anderson – Why Am I Here? – Why Discovering Your Personal Mission is Vital to Living a Purpose Driven Life (AoL 092)
We talked about a number of things, but one of the key points we discussed was how so many people would be better off if they could simply put a mission in their lives.
This is a phrase I learned from speaker and author David Anderson and it’s been resonating with me ever since I watched his TEDx presentation as part of my prep for his AoL interview.
Sure I had heard of businesses having missions, but I never thought about how it could apply to individuals. Not only that, but it encapsulates basically everything we know about passion and purpose.
If a person has a mission – I feel they have these two things figured out. So it’s not necessarily about helping people find their purpose OR their passion. It’s about helping folks find the combination of the two.
Since I’ll be releasing this chat with David this week as session 92, I thought I’d touch on a bit more about the topic – and look at how someone can develop their own mission.
Be Aware that there is a Choice
For the longest time in my life, I had this feeling that my purpose in life was designated by forces outside of my control. I felt like I was at the mercy of the world around me.
It’s easy to believe this because the world around us is setup to make us feel like that. It’s learned helplessness. In the podcast with Gregory, we discussed how a lot of this problem is started with our current form of academia.
It makes sense as your typical 9 to 5 needs you to be compliant to the organization at large.
(It was this mentality which let me spend so much time in a major that while it made use of my skills, wasn’t really meant for me.)
Followers are going to have problems in this next economy, if they don’t figure out their own mission.
Religion doesn’t Necessarily Help
Over this past weekend, I thought about this mission dilemma more and more. During my travels around the state, I listened to a few more podcasts of Lewis Howes. One where he interviewed Rob Bell and another with John Gray. From these conversations, I realized that some organized religions might make their believers feel this way as well.
People go to church when they need support. I think it’s a great place to start. What Lakewood Church has done, whether you agree with the doctrine, has made going to church actually kind of cool.
However, as Rob Bell talks about in his chat, Jesus was all about reaching out to those with needs – not waiting for them to come to “the temple”. Not only did he go out and try to help the people where they were, he was very interested in the viewpoints of the people he was with.
This is very interesting to me. It seems very much like how a good coach works with their clients. They go out of their way to find people to help and not tell them exactly what to do.
On the other hand, Rob also goes on to discuss how many churches seem to focus mostly on teaching those that are there – not actively seeking new membership or engaging with folks who might actually need the support.
Again, this is backing that follower mentality.
This mentality is all around us. I just want you to know that you do have a choice to break free and do what you feel is important.
(If you’re into the study of Christianity at all, you should check out both of these interviews – especially Rob’s. Several revelations were discussed that I don’t think most people know.)
Start Action on Your New Journey
If you do opt to start on your new journey, you actually have to take action to get moving. Just because you choose to go this different route, doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen. You have to take action to do it.
For many people, including myself, this is the hardest step. Taking action.
Indirect Inspiration
For about 4 years I had an opportunity to pursue a new path – but tried to stay in the status quo for as long as I could. I had spent so much time getting my degrees, I didn’t want that time to go to waste. But slowly and surely, my new path made itself ever more present. I was just too chicken to pursue it; to step out and be different.
As I mentioned on the podcast with Gregory, it usually takes a deep pain or significant loss in one’s life to move people from the “comfortable / follow the rules” path to one where they’re setting the standard.
For me, it was the sudden loss of my mom which affected me this way. Besides myself, she was the only one at that point that I felt I had to prove that my life up to that point wasn’t a waste of time. She, herself, had put a lot of time and energy into my career – I couldn’t disappoint her.
Even if I personally felt I wasn’t a good fit for what I had been pursuing. Then when she passed, I realized that following that path didn’t really pan out for her – so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake.
Direct Inspiration
That said, it might need to take a more direct action to nudge us out of our current path.
Lewis had another interview with Andy Frisella. Who found, in about 30 seconds, his life’s path had completely changed. He went from being a normal guy to having a violent brush with death.
After being disfigured from a knife attack, he had to figure out how to spin his new look in a way that people would remember him positively. This completely changed who he was.
In both cases – things were suddenly and radically different. And as Andy said, you can either spend your time trying to get things back to “normal” or you can go an entirely different route.
He and I chose to go entirely new journeys on new routes.
Shift Your Locus of Control
Those routes were both dependent of our new circumstances. And they both came to us in a matter we didn’t have any control over. But does that mean that a bad situation has to happen to anyone who wants to control their own path?
Now, as you know, I’m a huge proponent of entrepreneurship. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best course for everyone. Sure, I think anyone can do it (or be a part of it), but they need to believe they can perform in the arena themselves.
I feel, along with the other members of the New Inceptions team, that being an entrepreneur is a greatest example of someone expressing their own personal freedom when it comes to the work they do.
In a traditional 9 to 5, you’ll always have to report to a higher-up. But, at the same time, the success of the organization doesn’t solely ride on your ability to perform.
Whereas an entrepreneur, if they fail to perform and haven’t made the business passive income based, then the company is going to struggle.
So it’s really your decision on how much responsibility you want. For me, personally, I come from a family of movers and shakers, so it was fairly simple for me to make the leap once I had to make the decision.
If neither sound terribly great, you might prefer to be an intrapreneur (or something else in the middle). If you can find a company or institution which will allow to work at that capacity, it might be the best option for you. (That’s where several huge entrepreneurs started – so it’s not necessarily a one way ticket.)
Action Steps: Develop a Personal Mission Statement
Again, be sure to check out David’s TEDx talk if you haven’t to seen it yet. And this week when session 92 is published, you’ll find out that he actually has another one on top of the one he mentioned in his talk.
Also, if you have figured out what your mission is (without or without an actual written statement), I’d love to hear it below!
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/4-Steps-to-Discovering-Your-Own-Personal-Mission-copy.jpg800800JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-06-13 13:30:252017-06-13 13:30:254 Steps to Discovering Your Own Personal Mission
They say that any good professional coach is going to have their own coach. The reasoning why is that iron sharpens iron and it’s good to have that accountability of growth. This is especially true if you’re working directly with helping other people grow.
I learned of this when I was first getting into the John Maxwell Team back in 2011. As I look back now, we were lucky enough to have a coaching mentorship program.
There’s other large names that provide this service as well. For example, co-host Clay Green is a Certified High Performance Coach through Brendon Burchard. BUT – the thing with with that is that you have to have gone through High Performance Academy to be part of that.
To be frank, I hadn’t actually met anyone that specifically was helping other current coaches get better at just coaching.
That’s where today’s guest, Marc Mawhinney, is really starting to make a name for himself as being a coach’s coach.
Having started his newest business, Natural Born Coaches, he has amassed a heck of a following on Facebook with over 6000 people adding themselves to his group in a short couple of years.
Besides having a great niche to work in himself, Marc is also the host of a podcast where he brings on other folks who can help coaches get better at their craft too.
In our conversation today with Marc, Al and I discover how he ended up doing this work in the first place, what he really helps other coaches with, and some nuts and bolts about how he’s built his business including his Facebook group.
If you’re wanting to be a successful coach in a particular field, then Marc is a great guy to know.
Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
How’d Marc get started in Real Estate? 8:28
How did Marc make the transition from real estate to coaching? 12:50
What does Marc help his clients with? 15:51
What kind of things does his programs specialize in? 18:51
Why does Marc send daily emails to his list and believe it’s ok to do so? 20:46
Where does he get the inspiration for the content he shares in his group and his emails on a daily basis? 23:52
What’s some keys in starting a good Facebook group? 28:52
Did Marc have any influences in how he built his group? 32:27
Why did he personally opt to go with a podcast instead of doing videos on YouTube? 34:03
What are some of the cornerstones that a successful coach uses to build their business? 39:53
Three teachers who have helped Marc get where he’s at. 43:25
Hardest thing that he’s ever had to say no to? 44:13
What’s something that isn’t as bad as he thought it’d be? 44:51
What’s a service which doesn’t exist he’d gladly pay for? 45:28
Testimonials for Marc’s “Your First 5 Clients” Program:
Marc on Growing a Coaching Business through Online Courses:
Vanessa Talbot’s Q&A session with Marc:
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AoL-Podcast-Logo-Master-Image-session91.jpg700700JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-06-08 12:34:562018-12-27 15:05:04Marc Mawhinney – Performance Coaching for Coaches – Learning How to Make a Living as an Online Coach (AoL 091)
It might be me, but some of them seem to conflict with each other. For example, if you’re racing the sun, that means that you’re a morning person and you work until sundown. Well, what if night is your best working time? Can night owls make the transition to morning birds so easily?
I know for me, it takes me a bit of time for my mind to fully boot up in the morning. Usually I spend an hour just seeing what’s new on the web, having breakfast, and working out (yay for home gym equipment you actually use!).
This is completely different than how many people approach their days – and frankly when I approached my days like that back in high school, I was always a zombie until 3rd period.
Apparently, there’s nothing wrong with that, according to this session’s guest, Lisa Crilley Mallis.
People do have their own schedules and processes when it comes to being creative and getting things done.
She also acknowledges that many people’s day to day work life doesn’t allow them to actually be efficient in their own zone. While it might be expected of them, it’s by no means healthy or really productive for that matter.
In our conversation, we talk more about her mission, some of the things that she helps people with in her practice, and how you can keep focused in what’s important in your daily routine.
Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
What was Lisa doing before she started Impactive Strategies? 7:32
Was owning her own business something she always saw herself doing and how did she end up starting it? 11:21
What kind of material did she study as she was starting the foundation of her business? 16:46
What’s the secret to getting more done in a person’s day? 20:15
How can someone battle the busy work in their day? 24:11
What’s Lisa’s definition of true busy work? 30:04
How does she know when to say no about a opportunity? 34:40
What’s a simple way to keep people focused on what’s important? 40:23
What’s going on the rest of this year for Lisa? 43:24
Who are Lisa’s favorite teachers? 45:45
Something she wishes was still a thing? 46:25
What is the smallest decision that has had the greatest impact on her life? 48:08
Something she believed in her 20’s but now knows is completely inaccurate? 49:21
How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 51:16
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AoL-Podcast-Logo-Master-Image-session90.jpg700700JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-06-01 12:59:342018-12-27 15:05:20Work Smarter, Not Harder – How to be More Productive In Your Day Without More Discipline with Lisa Crilley Mallis (AoL 090)
Teenager entrepreneurs are blowing up around the internet these days. It’s crazy. It’s not uncommon to hear of 14 year olds making thousands, if not millions, of dollars in their businesses.
For me growing up, this was never an option. Even when I was in Amway, you had to wait until you were 18 to officially start. As the internet has evolved over the last few years – you just see more and more kids and teens being and doing more so much earlier. Sometimes I feel blessed that I grew up in the 90’s which I consider the ultimate decade to be a kid, but then I see kids like today’s guest and it makes me think – would I have started my own business online when I was starting high school?
For today’s guest, it was a no brainer. Like me, he got started in an MLM, but soon found out that he wanted to be an online entrepreneur as well. Today he’s a motivational speaker as well as a podcast guest and will soon be an author.
Through his podcast he aims to inspire other teens by hosting inspirational figures including entrepreneurs like Caleb Maddix (check out the show note extras), sports figures, and others to find out more about them.
In our conversation, we talk more about his beginnings, where he got the idea for the show, and what has him excited for the future.
If you know any teens struggling to find direction in their lives – perhaps it might be worth your while to have them check this interview out!
Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!
SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:
How has being a homeschooled student been a catapult in Easton’s success? 7:27
How does he balance his active sports life with his schooling and his business? 12:48
How does a homeschool student become part of a school team? 13:46
How did Easton become interested in starting his own business? 15:36
What caused him to pivot into motivational speaking? 17:41
Who have Easton’s mentors been as he’s been developing his podcast? 20:47
Where can someone find a mentor for themselves? 23:24
How can a teen help a friend of theirs find their own identity? 26:54
What are some steps that a person can take to achieve a goal? 29:07
What’s the book about that Easton is writing? 32:24
How did he write his book? 33:37
Anything else he’s excited about this next year? 35:35
Top 3 Favorite books he recommends to others? 36:18
Scientific Fact that he knows is real but still blows him away? 38:21
What is something that isn’t as bad that he initially thought it would be? 40:38
What’s a service that doesn’t exist that Easton would gladly pay for? 41:26
What does it meant to live a life of abundance? 42:04
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AoL-Podcast-FB-Logo-Master-Image-session89.jpg6281200JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-05-25 15:52:472021-11-22 10:02:50Teenagers with Attitude: Learning About Today’s Teen Entrepreneurs with Easton Allred (AoL 089)
Whether you call it living off your passion, living your dreams, or simply working your mission, it’s no secret that if you really want to be successful in life, you’re going to have to do what satisfies you.
Those that find that satisfaction in a traditional job (where they’re working for someone else) are increasingly becoming the minority.
A Forbes article in 2014 showed 52.3% of Americans are unhappy at work. Sure, we’ve been climbing back up since 2010 – but when you look at the entire picture, we’ve been on a slide since 1987.
This said, it’s simple to understand why more and more people are opting to work for themselves. It’s the one way we can control our day to day working lives.
However, there are certain questions that come up time and time again when starting on this path.
In this guide, I’ll be looking at some of the most common concerns folks have when starting out with their first business and everything you need to get over those humps yourself.
Let’s get started.
Chapter 1: Passion is Optional – But it Helps!
There are two people that many people think of when the term passion is discussed. On one side, you have Gary Vaynerchuk, who says that if you want to stick with a business through the thick and thin, then it helps to have found your passion before you get started.
On the other hand, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame says that many of the folks that he’s talked to over the years have found out that they’re good at doing a certain job. After doing that the job for awhile, the passion follows.
For me, I’ve come to the conclusion that passion is nice to have. BUT – it’s not everything.
Find Your Mission
What is everything is an idea that David Anderson shared in his TEDx talk. He says that we need to have a mission in our life. Figuring out what this mission is for ourselves is truly how we’re going to succeed in whatever we do; we’ll make our career decisions based on that mission.
Now, to to find that mission you’ll have to put some time in and try some things out and see if you like them. You can’t just say “Oh, hey, yeah – I like to do <insert cool thing here>. You’ll really have no idea.
It’s important to go take dumb action, or what I like to call it, perform self-experimentation. You need see what you like to do, and then mold your mission around what you’ve learned from that action.
That’s really what you should be doing in the first 20+ years of your life: testing the waters. I believe that’s why many kids who have guided their own homeschooling properly are set up for success. They get to figure out what they like to do as opposed to formal education telling them.
Chapter 2: How to Start a Business without a Degree?
They say that experience is the best teacher. So I make it a point to pay attention to people who have results that I want.
I’ve been doing this since college because I learned back then that there are definitely folks who teach things that they have no experience at. There were professors who taught business, even though they had never left academia. It was pure speculation or hearsay that’d they use to power their courses.
Likewise, in the rest of the world, there are people who never graduated college who are some of the best business teachers.
Recently I’ve been learning more about Russell Brunson and his Clickfunnels empire. In his new book, Expert Secrets, he wrote about how even he had the imposter syndrome early on. But now, 10 years later, he’s considered by many to be one of the big experts in online business!
Unless you’re going to start working with something that is highly specialized and regulated, then yes, you probably should get training before hand to do it. This would include some doctors, lawyers, dentists, construction, trainers, engineers, etc.
While not all of these require the same amount of education, they all should know what they’re doing before they get started.
Just in Time Learning
As a Creative, it’s important to practice Just-In-Time Learning.
Now, if you’re starting a business on something that doesn’t require previous education to get rolling, then you have the ability to be only one step ahead of the people you’re trying to serve.
In fact, when you’re getting going, that’s probably as far as you want to be. Because if you have much more, you might overload your brain with information you might not be ready for.
The way to do be only one step ahead of the folks you’re trying to serve is called Just in Time Learning. Note: You can also apply this method of learning to anything in life, not just what you’re helping clients with. If you’re looking to build a new skill, then practice it then. If you’re learning how to be more social – that’s a great time as well.
Note: If you’re interested in learning things quicker, then you should check out Jim Kwik.
When I was still studying at Purdue’s Burton Morgan Center, one of the things that came up again and again were business plans. In fact, it became so popular that there were business plan competitions. I’m sure there still are.
Truth be told, unless you’re partnering up with some folks, whether as co-founders, investors, or key clients, then you’re not going to need a traditional business plan.
However, what you’ll need to do is make sure you have focus and clarity in what you’re actually helping people do.
Also, for the times when you need to express what you’re doing in a summary format, you can use the Business Mission Formula.
In this post, I shared a formula that goes like this:
I help X (your “niche” audience): _____________
Do/Understand Y (something you’re good at helping people with): _____________
So that they can Z (a benefit your audience would want): _____________
Which then, for me, I turned into:
I help aspiring and veteran entrepreneurs, artists, and experts
Discover, share, and monetize their life’s work
So that they can live a lifestyle they’re truly proud of.
Not only do you get a simple mission, but you also get an elevator pitch that you can share with others about what you actually do.
Wait, There’s More!
One more thing that I want to share with you guys from Fizzle is this awesome post where they shared 10 Steps to Start a Business. It’s a good follow up piece that I think you need to consider when starting your business.
Fizzle’s 10 Steps to Start a Business
Chapter 4: How to Know When It’s the Right Time to Start
Check out Kate Erickson’s Perspective on why you should start NOW
There is no right time. Period.
Ok, so those of you who know me, might realize that this is something that I struggled with for years. It never seemed like it was the right time until… it wasn’t.
I finally started working on New Inceptions full time when I decided to leave my post at AMS as a day to day content director. Now in my second year of development, I’m almost 100 episodes into the AoL Podcast and have just as many (plus a few more) blog posts.
I feel that I’m finally in the creative groove – that I’m no longer experimenting.
In fact, there’s been some local opportunities that have started to pop up because of my continual focus.
That said, had I moved onto another job right after leaving AMS – or something that took up my creative time (like teaching a ridiculous subject to college kids) – then I wouldn’t be as far as I am.
LYL’s Article on 6 Money Myths when Starting a Business
Actually, you couldn’t be further from the truth on this one. Some of the wealthiest entrepreneurs I know of started with nothing.
Take Dane Maxwell, known for starting The Foundation (TF), for example. The dude practically taught folks how to start businesses for free – it’s just knowing how to do presales and coming up with a really REALLY good idea for a business.
Of course getting the training from TF wasn’t cheap – but the knowledge that I got from there is practical to just about any idea out there.
There’s a post over at Live Your Legend that I thought would be of benefit to you if you’re struggling with this part as well.
In the post, Leah Hynes and Nazrin Murphie talk about 6 Myths that relate to money being a problem when it comes to living your dreams.
Chapter 6: How to Scale the Manpower of Your Bootstrap Business
Check out Pat Flynn’s Book, Will It Fly, If You want a Step By Step Procedure of Starting a Business
There are two beliefs which are very predominant in the psyche of new entrepreneurs. Either they feel they need to hire a staff right away to do what they’re doing or they feel that they have to do everything.
Here’s the thing. While you can, you don’t have to raise big money to get that business off the ground.
If you’re just starting out, you can just start out with a bootstrap business – which might be just yourself.
If this is the route you choose, then you really need to start knowing yourself well.
Who you are and what you’re capable of.
If you can make an income from providing value on your own, then scaling is going to be much easier.
But find out if your thing, whatever it is, can actually support itself. If not, you can adjust easier as one person than you can as a “startup” with a team of people. From there, that’s when you can start thinking about getting help as you start to scale your services.
Start Small
At first when you do get help, start small. Starting with a VA is probably the best choice you have if you do online work.
You might be wondering, how will I know if I need help?
If feel there are two ways to know if you need help.
If the work that you’re doing over and over is something you could teach a high schooler to do in a week or two, then it might be time to find that high schooler.
If the work you’re doing doesn’t lie in your creative arena. Then that might be a sign as well.
If you answered yes to either one of these, then it might be time to think about getting some assistance.
If for some reason you don’t think that your budget would warrant bringing someone on, even as a VA, that’s ok.
Don’t forget, as someone who is running a lean business, bartering is an option. While it can be somewhat of a headache, it’s totally possible.
Or, perhaps there’s a college near you who has some students who might like to get internship experience.
Don’t overlook these other opportunities.
How to Not Get Superman Syndrome
For years, Pat Flynn would hire random VA’s to help him do some work here and there. But it was pretty sporadic.
After repeatedly being told by his friends that he needed to have a more permanent staff, though, he finally took the plunge and started Team Flynn.
Chapter 7: You Don’t Have to be the Next Gary Vaynerchuk – #Anti-Hustle
Back in 2016, Gary really started making a big name for himself. His videos were everywhere. In fact, they were so well known that to many in the online entrepreneurial space, that mostly everyone thought that if they weren’t living and breathing their business all the time, then they’re not going anywhere.
Eventually, even the Fizzle Squad had to come and answer this issue:
Here’s the gist, though. If you’re not enjoying the rewards of your work, then you better LOVE the work you’re doing. Even so, there’s a thing called burnout. That’s a place you really don’t want to go – believe me.
In Gary’s case, I really believe he gets satisfaction of his 24/5 grind. It’s 24/5 because he doesn’t work on the weekends. In fact, somewhere I heard him say the reason his accounts go dark over the weekend is because that’s when he spends that time with his family.
Action Steps
So, there you have it. 7 different concerns that keep people from pulling the trigger all answered.
I hope that does a good job of answering them for you. If not, I’d love for you to comment below or shoot me an email.
If you don’t have any further questions, let me know which one(s) you had to deal with before you finally decided to get started.
P.S. If you want more info about starting your own business and want to get to it right away without wasting time, check out my FREE eBook, the 6 Cornerstones of a Successful Business.
Cheers!
https://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/How-to-Live-Your-Dreams-A-Definitive-Guide.jpg800800JChttps://www.newinceptions.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NI-Web-Logo8.20165.pngJC2017-05-23 15:45:392017-06-05 15:18:54How to Live Your Dreams: A Definitive Guide
