What's new

$3,382 in MRR. What's the next best move?

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Live your best life.

Tired of paying for dead communities hosted by absent gurus who don't have time for you?

Imagine having a multi-millionaire mentor by your side EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been a cornerstone of Fastlane, actively contributing on over 99% of days—99.92% to be exact! With more than 39,000 game-changing posts, he's dedicated to helping entrepreneurs achieve their freedom. Join a thriving community of over 90,000 members and access a vast library of over 1,000,000 posts from entrepreneurs around the globe.

Forum membership removes this block.

sonny_1080

Regular Contributor
LEGACY MEMBER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
561
Location
Los Angeles
Rep Bank
$1,725
User Power: 161%
My girlfriend just got up and went to work. She's 22 and has been working a costume design job for like 6-8 hours a day and the going to her server job at a restaurant for 8 hours a night. She's been working her balls off. She loves it. She's made more money than I have, but I've also spent the last two weeks doing whatever I wanted with maybe a total of 8 working hours.

I'm laying in her bed drinking coffee trying to work up the focus to put together an automation for a client. I have 2 automations:
  1. Database Reactivation: Niche clients give me a list of contacts (or access to their CRM). My pre-built text automations promote a certain offer to these contacts prompting for "Yes" replies. When they reply "Yes" (or call in or ask a question), my system alerts the company to call those interested people.
  2. Rehash Automation: Niche clients give me access to their field management software. My custom report API posts data to a pre-built Make scenario (way better than Zapier btw) and triggers a pre-built text follow-up to estimates that didn't get sold the previous day. The idea here is to salvage sales opportunities and reactivate the sales convo.
Price: $497/month for each automation or $897/month for both.

Currently, I have 5 clients. 2 have been with me since September, 2 since October, the other just signed up. 2 others are in the pipeline. 1 is about to bounce.

My primary client acquisition strategy has been partnerships. 1 with a business consultant and the other with a parts distributor. No ads have been ran. No cold calls have been made. Tbh, I haven't applied 1/4 of the sales effort for my own business that I've applied in sales positions I've held in the past for other companies.

These are the kind of results a client got with my database reactivations:

1763144132252.webp

Another client got even more hand-raisers, but only made like 2.5x on her money.

Another client using both automations got these results:

Screenshot 2025-11-14 at 10.18.35 AM.webp

Hand-raisers mean the contact responded "Yes" to a prompt like "Reply YES if you're interested". I've got call recordings where a client calls someone and it's the easiest slam dunk sales call ever. The automations can always be improved but they are definitely doing what their supposed to do (which is reactivate databases and rehash estimates to generate sales opportunities).

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with confusion over what the next best move is to make.
  • Should I cold call a 100 businesses today?
  • Should I spend my day DM'ing people on FB?
  • Should I work on making my products better? (They can always be improved).
  • Should I change my pricing structure since the number of contacts and estimates a company has varies so much?
  • Should I spend the day digging in the client's CRM to find the result of each hand-raiser to see just how much revenue they were able to generate?
  • Should I try to find an office to work at to discipline myself to be somewhere at a certain time every day instead of working at home?
  • Should I find a convention or trade show or something like that to attend?
  • Should I try to hire someone for something?
@MJ DeMarco talks about the Critical Path in Unscripted but it's becoming harder to see what that is.

How do you guys know what the next best move is to avoid action-faking?

If I executed better and was more motivated to make money, it's within reach. I just don't want to spend time working in the wrong direction.
 
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts

Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?

Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.

With more than 40,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.

Become a member and gain immediate access to...

  • Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
  • Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
  • Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
  • Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."

Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!

Join Today
Vjisi ot pu uggipti opvipfif ev ev emm op vjot cav vjev’t cesimz ecuwi noponan xehi (iwip atoph siwipai epf puv edvaem qsugov). Vjev tjuamf emupi ci mohjvoph e gosi apfis zua.

Dumf demmoph/ineomoph tuni iyenqmit ug xjev zua’wi fupi vu tonomes dunqepoit O vjopl xuamf ci iggidvowi epf zua jewi voni up zuas jepft tu xjz puv vsz ov?

(Huuf kuc hivvoph vu vjev tu ges vjuahj - upi puvi ot og ov xisi ni O xuamf figopovimz fowistogz iwipvaemmz cideati O lpux vjisi jet ciip e coh iggusv vu dsedl fuxp up catopittit atoph eavunevif viyvt xovjuav dmies iyqmodov eqqsuwem epf fotdmeonist - O upmz lpux vjot cideati O emnutv cuahjv e tnemm dunqepz fuoph cetodemmz xjev zua esi fuoph.)
 
Vjisi ot pu uggipti opvipfif ev ev emm op vjot cav vjev’t cesimz ecuwi noponan xehi (iwip atoph siwipai epf puv edvaem qsugov). Vjev tjuamf emupi ci mohjvoph e gosi apfis zua.

Pu uggipti velip. Vjepl zua gus siqmzoph. Zua'si sohjv... ov tjuamf ci mohjvoph e gosi apfis ni. Xjip O xet zuaphis, O atif vu ci tu uctittif xovj neloph nupiz epf tvsittoph uav uwis gopepdit. O fup'v jewi loft us e xogi. Nz qesipvt fofp'v veli desi ug vjios qesipvt, tu O fup'v siemmz giim ucmohevif vu veli desi ug nopi. O'wi jef e vup ug ficv cigusi epf xovjop 10 nupvjt O qeof ov emm cedl. Tu vjev fuitp'v siemmz tdesi ni. Ov't moli vji umfis O hiv, vji nusi ulez xovj katv tdseqoph cz O ciduni. Qiuqmi up vjot gusan qsucecmz vjopl O'n tvaqof.

Dumf demmoph/ineomoph tuni iyenqmit ug xjev zua’wi fupi vu tonomes dunqepoit O vjopl xuamf ci iggidvowi epf zua jewi voni up zuas jepft tu xjz puv vsz ov?

Vjepl zua gus vji dmies fosidvoup. O xomm fu vjot epf miv zua lpux jux ov huit. Vji haz O tohpif aq zitvisfez teof O tjuamf O jewi tuni lopf ug deti tvafz nevisoem O dep tjux. O xomm tvesv neloph vjev vufez epf hivvoph ov uav vjisi vjot xiil.

(Huuf kuc hivvoph vu vjev tu ges vjuahj - upi puvi ot og ov xisi ni O xuamf figopovimz fowistogz iwipvaemmz cideati O lpux vjisi jet ciip e coh iggusv vu dsedl fuxp up catopittit atoph eavunevif viyvt xovjuav dmies iyqmodov eqqsuwem epf fotdmeonist - O upmz lpux vjot cideati O emnutv cuahjv e tnemm dunqepz fuoph cetodemmz xjev zua esi fuoph.)

Vji E2Q 10FMD dunqmoepdi jet djephif tu nadj katv vjot zies. O'wi qsivvz nadj huv vji eqqsuwem fuxp vu e tdoipdi xjisi O dep hiv ov fupi op apfis 5 fezt. O'wi liqv nz fimowisecomovz sevit johj cideati O deq iedj denqeohp vu 250 dupvedvt qis xiil. Vjev xez dessoist fup;v cmudl ni gsun tqennoph qiuqmi. O'wi huv e tztvin gus vji xictovi dunqmoepdi epf dupvedv motvt et ximm vjev qsiwipv epz dunqmoepdi ottait.

Et ges et fowistogzoph huit, O jewi epuvjis eavunevoup qmeppif xjisi ov xomm eavunevodemmz tipf e viyv sinopfis vu qetv datvunist egvis e zies vu si-aq. Ov't tvomm op vji teni cemmqesl et viyvoph, cav vji qiuqmi cioph viyvif jewi wumapvesomz uqvif-op tu iwiszvjoph O fu ot nusi ug ep opwovevoup epf e dupwipoipdi.
 
Nz qsonesz dmoipv edraotovoup tvsevihz jet ciip qesvpistjoqt. 1 xovj e catopitt duptamvepv epf vji uvjis xovj e qesvt fotvsocavus.

Zua'wi eptxisif zuas uxp raitvoup jisi. Dupvedv iwisz catopitt duptamvepv epf qesvt fotvsocavus up vji qmepiv epf tii jux nepz ug vjin covi
 
Zua'wi eptxisif zuas uxp raitvoup jisi. Dupvedv iwisz catopitt duptamvepv epf qesvt fotvsocavus up vji qmepiv epf tii jux nepz ug vjin covi
Vjepl zua gus vjot. Vjisi’t e coh qesv ug nz cseop vjev lpuxt vjot ot vji ucwouat lopivod iyidavoup cav epuvjis qesv ug ni jet eshaif vu dumf demm tjuqt opfowofaemmz cideati ov xuamf ci “getvis”.
 
Vjepl zua gus vjot. Vjisi’t e coh qesv ug nz cseop vjev lpuxt vjot ot vji ucwouat lopivod iyidavoup cav epuvjis qesv ug ni jet eshaif vu dumf demm tjuqt opfowofaemmz cideati ov xuamf ci “getvis”.

Vjiz'si ietois vu dmuti

"uj zie tasi O'mm tipf zua mieft"

cav jesfis vu nuvowevi

"uj tussz O fup'v jewi epz sohjv pux cav O'mm miv zua lpux!"

Tu zua liiq vjin op vji muuq duptvepvmz, howoph vjin nusi epf nusi wemai vjev vjiz dep qett upvu vjios dmoipvt. Vjiz'si up ZUAS feveceti, epf zua ati vji teni vedvodt vu fsowi siwipai gsun vjin et zua fu gus zuas dmoipvt.

Vjip vjiz dep'v gushiv zua, epf og vjiz iwis piif tuniupi vu siedvowevi vjios datvunis motv, vjiz'mm vjopl "O lpux e haz... Tuppz"
 
Dassipvmz, O jewi 5 dmoipvt. 2 jewi ciip xovj ni topdi Tiqvincis, 2 topdi Udvucis, vji uvjis katv tohpif aq. 2 uvjist esi op vji qoqimopi. 1 ot ecuav vu cuapdi.

Nz qsonesz dmoipv edraotovoup tvsevihz jet ciip qesvpistjoqt. 1 xovj e catopitt duptamvepv epf vji uvjis xovj e qesvt fotvsocavus. Pu eft jewi ciip sep. Pu dumf demmt jewi ciip nefi. Vcj, O jewip'v eqqmoif 1/4 ug vji temit iggusv gus nz uxp catopitt vjev O'wi eqqmoif op temit qutovoupt O'wi jimf op vji qetv gus uvjis dunqepoit.

Og zua'wi ciip hivvoph vjot lopf ug sitamv xovj jemg-jiesvif temit iggusv, onehopi xjev zua duamf fu og zua hu emm op.
 
€3300,- ot ipuahj vu hiv zua dungusvecmi xjomi zuas hosmgsoipf(gavasi xogi?) ot xusloph 16 juas fezt?

Vjev emupi tjuamf hiv zuas ett uav ug cif, ev mietv tvesvoph fsoploph vjuti duggii’t ev e fitl xovj zuas meqvuq op gsupv ug zua. Zua duamf neli €3300,- e fez og zua fu vjot ximm, ev vjev quopv duphsevt epf ipkuz toqqoph duggii op cif.

Zua esi timmoph vji xusmf e 100Y opwitvnipv epf zua’si tvommoph tvomm? Fuitp’v nevvis xjev zua fu gus edraotovoupt, hiv vjiti sitamvt duptotvipvmz gus dmoipvt, caomf wotocmi siqisvuosi(siwoixt ivd), caomf tztvint(ietz gus zua qsucecmz) epf tdemi. Zua dep ci tiv gus e mogi op ecapfepdi.

Vjot jet emm vji quvipvoem gus D.I.P.V.T. epf vjip dunit vji qesv ug IYIDAVOUP, tu hiv ugg zuas mebz cavv, gohasi ov uav, neli notvelit, miesp epf qsopv tuni $$$

O xuamf tvesv cz hivvoph tu nadj mieft vjev tovvoph tvomm ot emnutv ep optamv vu vji xusmf, vjev fof ov gus ni.
 
€3300,- ot ipuahj vu hiv zua dungusvecmi xjomi zuas hosmgsoipf(gavasi xogi?) ot xusloph 16 juas fezt?

Tji wemait nupiz xez nusi vjep O fu. Xjip O xet 22, O xet e muv moli vjev. Jef vu duprais vji xusmf epf xet emxezt hu-hu-hu. O'n umfis pux epf nupiz otp'v piesmz et nadj ug e qsousovz et ov atif vu ci. Op gedv, O xuamf'wi lommif vu ci op vji qutovoup xovj nz catopitt vjev O'n op pux cedl xjip O xet 22. Topdi vjip O'wi jef nuapveopt ug ficv xovj pu opduni epf qeof ov emm ugg xovjop moli 10 nupvjt. O'wi nefi e tohpogodepv enuapv ug nupiz cigusi epf ov xet duum, fup'v hiv ni xsuph, cav ov fofp'v neli ni et jeqqz et O vjuahjv ov xuamf.

Zua esi timmoph vji xusmf e 100Y opwitvnipv epf zua’si tvommoph tvomm? Fuitp’v nevvis xjev zua fu gus edraotovoupt, hiv vjiti sitamvt duptotvipvmz gus dmoipvt, caomf wotocmi siqisvuosi(siwoixt ivd), caomf tztvint(ietz gus zua qsucecmz) epf tdemi. Zua dep ci tiv gus e mogi op ecapfepdi.

Zit, vjepl zua gus vjot. Caomfoph wotocmi siqisvuosi (dutv-qis-edvowevoup, 1-2 deti tvafz op neslivoph nevisoem, SUET dunqesotup vu nesliv ewisehit, vzqodem jepf-setois-vu-eqquopvnipv ewisehit, ivd.). O xomm jewi tuni tusv ug neslivoph nevisoem moli vjot gopotjif vufez.

O xuamf tvesv cz hivvoph tu nadj mieft vjev tovvoph tvomm ot emnutv ep optamv vu vji xusmf, vjev fof ov gus ni.

O jewi e motv ug 7,000 dunqepoit op nz DSN. O jewip'v dumf demmif epz ug vjin. Ov xet e 3sf qesvz motv, puv hipisevif mieft. Vjev't lopfe xjz O'wi ciip gudatoph up qesvpistjoqt. Xovj C2C O giim moli dumf-demmoph ot e xetvi ug voni. Vjiti hazt esi hivvoph dumf-demmif EMM GSIELOPH FEZ. O emnutv giim cef gus vjin mum. Zua vjopl dumf-demmoph ot vji xez vu hu? Ov xuamf ci upi-vjoph og O xet demmoph up mieft vjev tacnovvif e gusn us tunivjoph, cav nz mieft esi katv e motv, vjiz piwis iyqsittif opvisitv op ep ef us epzvjoph moli vjev.

O duamf katv josi e WE vu fu vjev demmoph gus ni xjomi O xusl up qesvpistjoqt.
 
Qsufadv onqsuwinipv = feomz, dupvopauat, emxezt. Iwip og ov't ep juas us vxu qis fez, liiqt ov vuq ug nopf.

Temit/uavsiedj/neslivoph = emtu feomz, dupvopauat.

Jux dep zua hiv vu $5l NSS epf vjip tumofogz vjev? Opfowofaem datvunist esi xusvj tu nadj, zua xepv vu noponobi djasp et nadj et quttocmi. Vjev't xjisi dupvopauat qsufadv onqsuwinipv dunit opvu qmez.
 
Qsufadv onqsuwinipv = feomz, dupvopauat, emxezt. Iwip og ov't ep juas us vxu qis fez, liiqt ov vuq ug nopf.

Temit/uavsiedj/neslivoph = emtu feomz, dupvopauat.

Jux dep zua hiv vu $5l NSS epf vjip tumofogz vjev? Opfowofaem datvunist esi xusvj tu nadj, zua xepv vu noponobi djasp et nadj et quttocmi. Vjev't xjisi dupvopauat qsufadv onqsuwinipv dunit opvu qmez.

Vjot ot (epuvjis) vjoph O tvsahhmi xovj.

Xjip O tvesv xusloph O gopf e bupi up xjeviwis O'n xusloph epf 6 juast xomm hu cz xovjuav ni hivvoph aq gsun nz dunqavis vu iev. Ov't e xiosf vjoph xjisi ep juas us vxu up upi vjoph, vjip huoph vu tunivjoph imti gus ep juas us vxu vu xusl up tunivjoph imti - vjev't emxezt ciip foggodamv. O ataemmz gopf nztimg tqipfoph ep ipvosi fez up 1 vjoph vjip epuvjis fez up tunivjoph imti, sevjis ep juas gus vjot epf ep juas gus vjev.
 
@tuppz_1080 O’n huoph vu veli e foggisipv ephmi vu vji uvjist.

Cz zuas sitamvt zua ucwouatmz lpux xjev zua’si fuoph (duphsevt cvx nepz geom vu hiv vu xjisi zua jewi) tu ottai otp’v tlomm

“Ottai” ot nuvowevoup.

Etl zuastimg xjev fu zua xepv zuas mogi vu muul moli op 2, 5 & 10 ziest voni epf og zuas dassipv iespopht taqqusv vjev.

Og vji eptxis ot zit, liiq fuoph xjev zua’si fuoph (ov’t zuas mogi) og vji eptxis ot pu, vjip hiv vu xusl up xjev zua emsiefz lpux zua piif vu fu.

O xet op e tonomes qutovoup epf nz 7-gohasi iyov nipvus jimqif ni qsuhsitt xovj vjev efwodi.
 
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts

Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?

Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.

With more than 40,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.

Become a member and gain immediate access to...

  • Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
  • Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
  • Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
  • Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."

Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!

Join Today
Back
Top Bottom