The "Astonishing Secrets" Thread

[StayPositive]

@IceCreamKid - this thread is freaking AWESOME.

I'm quite new here but I decided to go inside from the beginning, learn from pros and make as much contribution as I can.

What I have learnt from this thread in recent few days:
1) Focus entirely on customers and their needs. I knew that in theory, but subconsciously I was thinking about money I could get from them. I'm working on it. This is huge.
2) Take action even if you think it's too soon. The perfect moment is right now. This was real pain in my neck because I was procrastinating about talking to people. It's just out of my comfort zone.

And then, thanks to your posts, I decided to go all the way. Yesterday I was at the conference and I dared to talk to a big cheese, who has a lecture there. It was a nice conversation and within 3 minutes he revealed me one small pain. Of course I have to dig deeper but now I have some clues I will follow... And the phone call set up with him!

Thank you ICK!

 

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[IceCreamKid]

Live Dangerously Until The Day You Die

This post is a reflection on a speech I heard once upon a time.

One of the most dangerous things you can do is follow your heart. Wanna know why? Because everything will be a complete mess in the beginning when you do this. You take the path less traveled and make a ton of mistakes because nobody taught you what to do. You suck for weeks, months, years, before you start getting good.

But there is a positive side to all of this chaos…you are exercising the iron quality of entrepreneurs: courage. The experience was a complete mess, but you are GROWING. That is why you should do dangerous shit. The real value is not in the money that you get, but the person that you are becoming.

When you jump off that cliff and your only intention is to fly before you hit the bottom, you’ll learn how to be as focused as a high powered laser and become incredibly creative to make deals happen.

Most people walk to the edge of that cliff and stare down into the deep chasm until they’re 50 when they have a midlife crisis. At that point they decide they’ll never take the jump because they’re “trapped” by all of the “trappings” of society: a wife, kids, career, mortgage, etc.

If you just stand there still looking at the chasm below, for the next 25 years you will have a nagging thought in the back of your mind reminding you that you didn’t live up to the greatness that is within. You should’ve jumped and now you have to live with it.

Shit will seem crazy and not make any sense. Your heart will tell you to do it and you let go into the river of life. You will let it carry you and you will be okay with the challenges and failures…but you will be overjoyed by the success later on because you can call it your own. YOUR OWN FORTRESS.

You will learn to grow courage, commitment, and discipline. You will feel a sense of peace of mind with yourself because you listened to your heart regardless of what all the “trapped” people told you to do.

“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.”

Who cares. Do dangerous shit. I was the guy who was paralyzed by the thought of cold calling. I literally would take shots of vodka before picking up the phone. Holy shnykies batman it worked. The liquid courage worked hahah! After a while, I didn’t even need the liquid because I became a new ice cream kid.

Stop waiting, bro. Stop reading this thread, there's too much noise on this forum. The whole reason why you haven't taken a single action is because you're terrified by the thought of failure. I don't know how to tell you this, but you're not going to die. If you lose all your money, you'll still be okay. If you lose the house, the job, the lover, you'll still be okay. If you have your heart shattered, it's not going to kill you. Don't believe me? Ask anyone who walked the path. They're still alive bro. You have nothing to fear other than the thought of being 50 and feeling like you weren't true to yourself.

Start a business and fail. Have your heart broken by a girl then do it again. Go broke again and again. You just might be surprised that you won't die.

Jump off the cliff and trust yourself. Do dangerous shit until the day you die. You will become a better version of yourself, I guarantee it.

 

[RogueInnovation]

One of the most dangerous things you can do is follow your heart. Wanna know why? Because everything will be a complete mess in the beginning when you do this. You take the path less traveled and make a ton of mistakes because nobody taught you what to do. You suck for weeks, months, years, before you start getting good.

Good gracious, you just don't stop giving out the gold do you.

Never stop bro. Never ever.
Icecream forever yo!

 

[IceCreamKid]

$2.5M In Pre-sales In Just Months
http://www.thetileapp.com/

Not sure how I missed this one, but I am so glad to have come across it today. Guys, Tile risked very little by pre-selling and was able to get $2.5M in orders in just months.

You don't need money to get the ice cream.

You need focus. You need execution. You need process. You need commitment when shit gets hard(and it will btw).

Want to know the best way to pre-sell? Study the success of others who have pre-sold massively like Tile. Much like how I reverse engineered the dolphin mindset, I reverse engineered the pre-selling kids. Take tiny bits of what you learn from Tile and bits of what you learn from other pre-selling campaigns to make your own amazingly flavorful blend to offer to the people.

Check out Kickstarter and study the marketing campaigns very closely. How is their copy? What are the videos like? The fonts they use? Colors? Study everything like a hawk.

 

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[FastNAwesome]

Im drunk right now, I might regret it

I know how you feel man. And sometimes poison is a cure. So if you're gonna get drunk than do it. But don't make it into a habit. And don't regret it. If you're doing it, do it and enjoy.

And one friendly suggestion...don't do it alone in your room. Go to a bar, a pub and have a drink there. Why? Because you say you feel...

Stuck in the present (that mean - nothingness)

Go out! This will unstuck you. Physically, but emotionally too, trust me. Motion creates emotions. Change of location is change of destiny. Nothingness - that just means your mind is stale. Just as the air in your room. Air the room. And air your mind. Go out.

Why do I suggest pubs? Cheapest and freshest beer. And relaxed atmosphere where you might meet some really cool people. Intelligent, down to earth girls who might like you for you and not care if you're broke as a joke. You might also meet a programmer who you will need for your fastlane project. Or just some cool new friends. Hear new perspectives. FEEL NEW PEOPLE.

QUICKEST GUIDE EVER ON HAVING FUN IN THE PUB - even if you're going out solo:
As you go in, greet the waiter, ask how things are going (regardless of whether you know him or not). Also, if you see any nice girls, say HI to them too, with a little smirk. Pretty much like you already know them. This takes out ALL the weirdness and tension. So...now you can at any point approach them and just continue the conversation.

Sit at the bar, not table...so you can easier interact with people, and more smoothly move around. When drinking, toast with people near you. Then walk to those girls you greeted. Toast with them too Conversations will start flowing spontaneously. And all of a sudden you'll have a bunch of new friends, totally new crew And maybe even a new girlfriend who will inspire you to do something with your life.

I look for the future in my past, I cant let go of my past. Im kind of obssesed with my past.. I want things to be like they were

Once, an ex-gf sent me a text like this: "Let your achievements remind you of how much you are capable to achieve"

Past has passed, but future is in your hands. And if you were capable to make life awesome before (whatever it was that made it awesome) - You can do it again. And it will be even better. And...sometimes...when we're too much in the stale mode, we start idealizing our past, because we have nothing else to hold on to.

Turn your present into those fantastic moments you'll remember when you get old. There's still MUCH life to live, MUCH moments to make... Memories are nice, but don't get high on memories YET. It's not time for relaxing, it's time for working hard and playing hard.

Do someone ever thought/felt this way?

Yes man, and this is why I logged in to write you this. I wrote you this stuff from experience. And sorry if rambling here came off as some advice for some loner, or pickup guide. This was not my intention. It's just that I found that for new perspectives, for getting unstuck, for regaining motivation, one of the best things is being around people. Cool people...like minded people. Fresh perspectives. It can be in the pub, or some startup meeting in your city. Or both. Or somewhere else...

@IceCreamKid : Man...much respect, much love, big up...your posts helped me a lot, and mean a lot to me. I didn't even say "thank you" yet, because I made it a point to not login until I have some RESULTS to present to this forum. But I had to login for this post (and another one for non-native English speakers - but with that, I'm done

that this whole race dont have point?

Yes. But..you know it does. A member here has an avatar that says "You are somebody's reason to smile". You better believe you are. And this "no point" thingy...I had it many times...and I figured what it must be...

Your mind's sneaky way for giving up without the fight AND without taking the responsibility.

"I'm not weak, or loser, it's just that there's no point, so why even try". And we know my friend it's bullshit. There are people who want to see you succeed. There are people who want to be proud of you. There are people whose reason for smile are YOU. And don't you plan to one day have children? To pass on the wonderful gift of life. They'll also smile at you. There are tons of purpose. So there IS PURPOSE and there IS POINT.

I don't know what motivates you in life, but for me, I'm a simple guy, for me it's enough to see a stunning, attractive girl, and to momentarily feel ashamed of all my weak thinking. It puts me momentarily in fight mode and grind mode. If we met, would she like to hear my whining? Or would she rather FEEL power, happiness and deep inner strength just from the glance at my eyes?

It's not the only thing that motivates me, of course, there are more intimate ones, but you get the idea. Whatever drives you. And I know something does. Maybe motorsport. Maybe providing a better life for your family. You know best.

that he just dont belong here?

But you see you do. Everyone's cool here. Many like minded people. And there are even "weirdos" that feel similar sometimes....like myself

But to really feel belonging, you NEED to start mingling with people more in real life, and with like minded people. If you have no clue who that may be, then just mingle with people, and see where it takes you. Just socialize more.

 

[IceCreamKid]

Go out! This will unstuck you. Physically, but emotionally too, trust me. Motion creates emotions. Change of location is change of destiny. Nothingness - that just means your mind is stale. Just as the air in your room. Air the room. And air your mind. Go out.

You know what I noticed? People don't really need help finding another business strategy or a step-by-step plan. Those plans and strategies are everywhere if you look, including this forum.

What people really need help with is getting "unstuck". People are "stuck" in their minds, fears, emotions, and all that psychological stuff. The greatest obstacle is themselves, and that is why this entire thread is vague as hell in terms of business strategies but more focused on mindset.

Once you are free from the chains of your own self and finally decide to go all in by jumping off the "cliff", things somehow end up working themselves out and you develop a laserlike focus combined with action. Wish I could explain the feeling into words, but it's not quite describable until you experience it yourself.

 

[KLaw]

If I Lost Everything And Had To Start All Over With Zero Ideas And Zero Dollars…

I would start a religion. For those of you who know what’s up, the Catholic Church is the #3 largest land owner in the world, possessing 177 million acres of land throughout the globe.

Okay in all seriousness, I wouldn’t start a religion because I’d get tired of guys like KLaw constantly asking me to show proof of my product. It’s really hard to prove that there is a man in the sky watching over us making sure that we will descend into the fiery pits of hell to hang out with Satan if we commit sin.

If your goal is to create a business instead of a religion with zero ideas and zero dollars then this is what I’d recommend for you to do.

1. Re-wire your mindset. In the famous words of Z, “Do want to be right, or do you want to be rich?”. Mindset is everything because business is naturally a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs are super high and the lows can be quite low. You can hand a successful business to someone, but if he has the wrong mindset then there’s a good chance that the business will be wrecked within 12 months. You don’t have to look very far as MJ’s limo company to see proof of this. Mindset, mindset, mindset.

Read up on the fundamentals of business. You need both mindset and fundamentals. Read through this thread to get the basic foundation of mindset then start hanging out with successful people who know what it takes to build a successful business, they will give you the fundamentals. You’d be amazed by how much you will change simply by hanging out with people who run their lives according to a different code.

Rid yourself of the victim mentality people in your life. If I got a gallon of ice cream for each PM that I get from depressed people, I could probably feed a small nation by now. Are your friends the type who play the blame game? Do they take responsibility for their lives? Do they complain about problems rather than wanting to fix them? Do they seek approval rather than seeking results? Shifting the mind will shift your life.

2. Grow a pair and talk to people. I find that whenever I come up with my own ideas, they usually suck bigtime. Instead, I learned to talk to people and shut up. I let them spill out their problems to me. Guess what happens? The ideas come. Most are not viable business ideas, but if you dig enough then you will find something.

Go to the top players in your niche and find out what their needs/problems are. By dealing with the biggest players, you’re more likely to get LARGE orders simply due to the fact that they do big volume bro! Maybe one day I’ll get some really big guts and talk to the biggest player of them all, the United States Government.

3. After you have found the idea by talking to people, create a prototype or demonstratable example of what you have to offer. This comes directly from zen*******'s course about how to raise capital. That course is worth the INSIDERS subscription alone. You should probably send him $100 rep bank minimum for that course.

Anyway, in the course he interviews a guy who discussed the importance of showing physical examples of what your product has to offer. This is far more effective than just throwing ideas out because the customer will then have something that he can see and feel. The value provided appears much more real. Why else do you think Costco gives out all those yummy free samples?

4. Use the prototype or demonstratable example of your product to pre-sell and validate demand. Alright this might spark a lot of controversy here. You don’t absolutely have to get pre-sales to validate demand, but I think that if you are able to get some then it’s a fantastic sign that you’re on the right track. On top of that, it lowers your risk. There’s nothing worse than spending $20k to develop a product, only to find out later on that there’s no demand for it.

5. Get creative with manufacturing/development of your product. There are ways to acquire the product more affordably, just think outside the box. It is very possible to start a business with zero dollars. There are books on this stuff. Read them.

6. Scale in the most efficient way possible. Webinars, facebook ads, Craigslist, hiring salespeople across the country. Try to delegate the tasks that don’t utilize your time very well. Scale out your time.

7. Accept that the road is hard. Holy shnykies, this is a big one. Just keep pushing. "If you're going through hell, keep going."-Winston Churchill

8. Drink top shelf alcohol only. Grey goose, Belvedere, Ketel One, Patron, Avion, Cazadores, Maker's Mark, Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal. If you drink the low quality crap that has only been filtered once, you will wake up with a hangover and the entire following day will be wasted. Business is a serious gig and if you waste one day, your a$$ will be kicked by a competitor who worked diligently while you were passed out in front of the toilet.

Seriously, take care of your body. Stay away from too much sugar intake and high carbs. This will spike your insulin which causes you to get food coma and feel sluggish. I cannot stress how important it is to take care of your physical self. You need to feel energetic if you want to operate on full throttle and think with clarity.[/quote
I asked you once about your product (before i knew was so taboo on here) and twice about ur claim of throwing money off of a building. I was asking out of curiousity and looking for some validation. Be cool my friend and good luck.

 

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[ExecutionisKing]

Live Dangerously Until The Day You Die
One of the most dangerous things you can do is follow your heart. Wanna know why? Because everything will be a complete mess in the beginning when you do this. You take the path less traveled and make a ton of mistakes because nobody taught you what to do. You suck for weeks, months, years, before you start getting good.

But there is a positive side to all of this chaos…you are exercising the iron quality of entrepreneurs: courage. The experience was a complete mess, but you are GROWING. That is why you should do dangerous shit. The real value is not in the money that you get, but the person that you are becoming.

When you jump off that cliff and your only intention is to fly before you hit the bottom, you’ll learn how to be as focused as a high powered laser and become incredibly creative to make deals happen.

Most people walk to the edge of that cliff and stare down into the deep chasm until they’re 50 when they have a midlife crisis. At that point they decide they’ll never take the jump because they’re “trapped” by all of the “trappings” of society: a wife, kids, career, mortgage, etc.

If you just stand there still looking at the chasm below, for the next 25 years you will have a nagging thought in the back of your mind reminding you that you didn’t live up to the greatness that is within. You should’ve jumped and now you have to live with it.

Shit will seem crazy and not make any sense. Your heart will tell you to do it and you let go into the river of life. You will let it carry you and you will be okay with the challenges and failures…but you will be overjoyed by the success later on because you can call it your own. YOUR OWN FORTRESS.

You will learn to grow courage, commitment, and discipline. You will feel a sense of peace of mind with yourself because you listened to your heart regardless of what all the “trapped” people told you to do.

“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.”

Who cares. Do dangerous shit. I was the guy who was paralyzed by the thought of cold calling. I literally would take shots of vodka before picking up the phone. Holy shnykies batman it worked. The liquid courage worked hahah! After a while, I didn’t even need the liquid because I became a new ice cream kid.

Stop waiting, bro. Stop reading this thread, there's too much noise on this forum. The whole reason why you haven't taken a single action is because you're terrified by the thought of failure. I don't know how to tell you this, but you're not going to die. If you lose all your money, you'll still be okay. If you lose the house, the job, the lover, you'll still be okay. If you have your heart shattered, it's not going to kill you. Don't believe me? Ask anyone who walked the path. They're still alive bro. You have nothing to fear other than the thought of being 50 and feeling like you weren't true to yourself.

Start a business and fail. Have your heart broken by a girl then do it again. Go broke again and again. You just might be surprised that you won't die.

Jump off the cliff and trust yourself. Do dangerous shit until the day you die. You will become a better version of yourself, I guarantee it.

I really hate posts like this, because it becomes impossible for me to pick a favorite line, or even paragraph...

Absolutely amazing stuff. I don't have much of a rep on here yet, so I know that doesn't mean much from me, but all this straightforward, honest, motivating, eye-opening and killer truth you're giving away is the kind of thing I have to leave open on my phone for a week, and read daily, so it all sinks in.

Thank you. So much.

 

[IAmTheJeff]

I am pondering making a cash offer to meet ICK, zen, MJ, and a few others to a nice dinner and a chat. Lol

 

[MorgothBauglir]

Todays lesson

Get drunk
Jump off a cliff

I'm in

 

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[HarryR]

Todays lesson

Get drunk
Jump off a cliff

I'm in

literally jumping off cliffs is fun too. you can find them almost anywhere. Ive jumped in honolulu, vancouver, and some remote spot in oregon. booze probably makes it even more fun, but I did it because i had a minor fear of heights and i wanted to conqueror that sober. I still havent done the mega cliffs.. nothing over 50 feet, but someday Ill get to those

 

[RogueInnovation]

I am pondering making a cash offer to meet ICK, zen, MJ, and a few others

Thats the weirdo way to approach it. I'll save you the cash by explaining it out for you a bit now.
Buy an INSIDERS subscription, be humble, join a beer and pancakes meetup or whatever. Socialise, have good questions, and don't hog their time (it is what is valuable to them, and it needs to be weirdo free) that is what seems to be best for them.

They will not have a dinner with you and solve all your issues by involving themselves in your life.
At least, not the way you are imagining. What they will do, if you approach them rationally, is insist you stop evading the grind, that you work on your business, and get active.

That is what they say to everyone if you pay attention, there is no difference between what you are suggesting and the path they have clearly laid out before you, except the way you offered is unrealistic and the one they offer is a much more comfortable way for them, that will not rob them of time.

What people really need help with is getting "unstuck"

Then they solve their own problems by connecting the dots, matching up things that work for them and drinking vodka before phone calls. "so much icecream!"
Dive dive dive! Expose your vulnerable points and with enough forward momentum they will transform.

 

[rogen]

@FastNAwesome thanks man, Im trying to move everyday, Its not like Im completely alone here

Too bad most of my friends are working in factories/other 'just to get by' jobs, so we only hang out on weekends drinking beer in parks and hiding from police lol. I live in small town, there is nothing, the only pub is empty almost everyday (except for friday, and it dont look like pubs in movies.. its more of a restaurant)

My plan is to start the god-damn business, presell things, talk to right people, bloggers, press etc and get my ball rolling, then move out to bigger city, scale my biz as biggest I can and then.. I will think about it when the time for this will come.
My biggest problem is jumping off the cliff, I left school, so now I HAVE TO move forward.. but It was a year now since I left school and I still didnt accomplished anything (because I was overthinking my past).

I feel momentum now, I have good feeling.. you can see stories everywhere of people starting biz without money.. I still have no idea what I will do,
I just know it will be:
-digital product
-I will kickstart/indiegogo it (presell)
-I will outsource it

As for what motivates me, it is providing better life for my family, If I was wealthy right now, I would tear down wall of poverty which was always present in my family in last few generations, also I would be real life example that everyone here lives imaginary life (go to school, work for 5 days a week for 300-500$ a month, die) and I would be proof that there is another way

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

@RogueInnovation, I certainly wasn't meaning to be creeper-ish, and to this point, I couldn't ACTUALLY afford to do that anyway lol. It would be pretty cool to have an opportunity like that, but it's highly unrealistic anyway.

Thanks for not disregarding my comment and offering a meaningful response! What you said actually got me thinking about how I could actually add value to what I say and what questions that I have that aren't answered on a regular basis regarding mindset and business acumen. I'm very appreciative of your suggestions! Hopefully within a few *ahem* paychecks, I'll be in a position to go to the Inside!!

 

[IceCreamKid]

My biggest problem is jumping off the cliff, I left school, so now I HAVE TO move forward.. but It was a year now since I left school and I still didnt accomplished anything (because I was overthinking my past).

Bro, sometimes you gotta just do it. Just focus, execute, focus, execute. One little action will fork into more action later on. The reality is this: most of us already know what needs to be done. Making money isn't ultra complicated...we make it out to be complicated in our head.

The thing that's actually complicated is fixing our heads and getting unstuck from the beliefs that we don't even realize are unconsciously controlling us.

Look at going to the gym as an example. EVERYONE knows that they should go to the gym, but why is it that only 5% of the population goes to the gym all year round? It's all mindset. I'd say an even smaller percentage of the population have the right mindset to keep a business running.

Once you have the mindset game locked down, the money game takes care of itself. I promise you that.

 

[randomnumber314]

One little action will fork into more action later on.

As usual ICK hones in on the right thing. After I sat here and read hundreds of posts by the "who's who" of the forum I started taking action.

I bought a paint sprayer off craigslist flipped it on ebay and made $375 last week. The guy I bought it from told of a business I should get into...hydrographics. I'm not going to, but think about that. I made cash, and got business insight from someone with INSIDERS knowledge, all from actually doing something.

Another example, I've been calling people--who I will be competing with--to glean INSIDERS knowledge of the industry I am opening a company in. Guess what they all said, yes do it, you will be so busy and make so much money. My competitors were telling me that there is so much ice cream out there that they can't eat it all, and they are educating me on how to get the ice cream so it doesn't go to waste.

They also complained, and in those complaints there is room for improvement in the processes they have all built. My competitors told me how they suck at what they're doing, how there's too much ice cream for them to handle. I now have a market where I know there's room for me, and I know how to do it better.

Many also offered to partner up, because they're so busy they can't get all the ice cream. My competitors are handing me the ice cream they can't eat.

I should note that this is all preseason--meaning it's all talk so far. In a couple/few weeks actual sales will need to happen. But how much better positioned am I today, because I picked up the phone (anyone every seen zen mention this 1,000 times?)

Speed++ ICK

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

Wait a second....

They are giving out free ice cream?!?!?! Blasphemy!!!!

Seriously though, I've had the same experience in the past, which I STUPIDLY DID NOTHING WITH!!! Imagine the permanent bruises on my forehead! Granted, I wasn't in a position to do anything with the information then, but I could have figured out a way instead of thinking "these people are idiots for telling me this stuff!"

 

[IceCreamKid]

DUDE I had the exact same experience!

People would straight up give me well thought out business ideas over the phone haha

Yo, listen here fellow ice creamers...I've started I think 8 businesses in the last 8 years. Some of those businesses were just outright stupid. 7 of those businesses that failed had ONE thing in common...they were all my idea.

The one that succeeded? The idea was given to me by a bunch of women.

Bro, pick up the phone. They will tell you their pain...all you have to do is connect the dots to solve that pain for them. Put the puzzle pieces together.

 

[LisaK]

@RogueInnovation, I certainly wasn't meaning to be creeper-ish, and to this point, I couldn't ACTUALLY afford to do that anyway lol. It would be pretty cool to have an opportunity like that, but it's highly unrealistic anyway.

Thanks for not disregarding my comment and offering a meaningful response! What you said actually got me thinking about how I could actually add value to what I say and what questions that I have that aren't answered on a regular basis regarding mindset and business acumen. I'm very appreciative of your suggestions! Hopefully within a few *ahem* paychecks, I'll be in a position to go to the Inside!!

Wow, I am impressed with your diplomacy. It's not that much to become an INSIDERS Member and it is totally worth it for the extra material and threads you will see. I've seen a couple people get slammed in these forums and I'm always a little surprised (@RogueInnovation) I think it is a great goal to want to have dinner with the heavies...why not? I think the point here is that we need to surroud ourselves with successful people and model successful people's success. I know I am impressed with those you named and want to have dinner with; I'd love to be at the table. I certainly didn't take your comment as "a wierdo way to to approach it". Maybe I misunderstood what you meant but I think I got it. There are no short cuts. Well, actually, no there is...The Fastlane Forums and the book will help us all cut out some BS as we pursue our goals. Let's hit the Fastlane and make some new friends. Until then,ICK, Zen, MJ, are always gracious, direct and filled with supportive and excellent guidance for us on these forums. I would think they would be happy to know they are our Mentors and we hold them in great esteem. Maybe we will be them some day and when some inspired member wants to take us to dinner ...maybe, we'll let them.

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

@LisaK, I appreciate your kind words, and yes - it's something to aspire to. In the future, I hope that I am one of the people that is held in high regard. One day, I will be as knowledgeable and helpful as each of them. Not yet, and that's okay. For now, I'll read and absorb as much value as I can.

INSIDERS isn't much cost, but some things prevent it, so I'll suffer with just the vast amount of knowledge in the general forum. All kidding aside, soon enough I will go Inside and get on the REAL fast track. Just what's available to everyone is so valuable, I can't IMAGINE what's in there!!!

 

[RogueInnovation]

Thanks for not disregarding my comment and offering a meaningful response! What you said actually got me thinking about how I could actually add value to what I say and what questions that I have that aren't answered on a regular basis regarding mindset and business acumen. I'm very appreciative of your suggestions! Hopefully within a few *ahem* paychecks, I'll be in a position to go to the Inside!!

Thats great that I helped get you thinking, that was what I was gunning for rather than letting it hang. Btw, you don't need to rush going to the inside or anything, just when you are ready and if you feel inclined.
With mentors I try to always consider three key things to add value and get a response from them:
- Am I exhausting all their offers? Can I find preexisting advice to match what I am looking for (is it in line with them or their enemies)? If I ask for additional information, can I clearly indicate the context, and will they be able to enjoy bouncing what I have asked for back to me?
- Will my response be predictable, consistent and positive? Am I "just add fuel", or am I "add fuel, drive, and don't forget my dry cleaning", "hey you are not as good of a driver as I thought"? They want to reduce eyeballs on them usually, and just be treated warmly because they add value, make sure you think through the details so they don't lump the weight (weight will shorten their response and patience).
- Where are they aiming to go with mentees and are they overwhelmed?

Then you respond, with direction, light weight, warm, informed and on their side. They only need to add fuel, and poof away you go!
Some other tips are to prioritise empathy, be aware of timing (because they can get tired), and try not to objectify their skill level (it isn't a thing to attain, it is a sense of worth and understanding you learn to respect).

The more you respect mentors, the more you yourself grow when hanging out with them.
And when you guys have fun together (not too much, as they don't give advice to close friends), talking business will be innevitable, and timed based upon when they think it will have the most impact.
Be ready when those times come, and do MORE than they expect you to do, but don't overshoot.

That the basics of it because there is loads of icecream out there for all

 

[RoadTrip]

I think this is the first time I am posting on this forum, so about time as well considering how much information I’ve already taken from here.

Since reading TMF (2 years ago) I am spending a lot of spare time working on a business. I did not succeed YET, probably due to the fact that much time got wasted in mental masturbation or working on stuff that was not validated.

The last few months I am finally making process because I am taking action. I haven’t found a need yet but already did quite some cold calling. Because I started a new job and was get getting stuck I haven't been taking any real actions the last month. I am now back on the road again however.

I actually did some idea extraction calls today and am really motivated to be working on my dream again on a daily basis (next to my day time job). Thanks ICK and the others for sharing such motivational and action triggering content!

To give something back, I am sharing the summary I have mad of this thread so far for those interested: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FAFOb4eu3E2zClt-wOVB9IHPl-msVBIsXsFJkaeLQXI/edit?pli=1

@IceCreamKid, I hope you are OK with me posting this summary. If not, pls let me know and I’ll delete it.

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

Thats great that I helped get you thinking, that was what I was gunning for rather than letting it hang. Btw, you don't need to rush going to the inside or anything, just when you are ready and if you feel inclined.
With mentors I try to always consider three key things to add value and get a response from them:
- Am I exhausting all their offers? Can I find preexisting advice to match what I am looking for (is it in line with them or their enemies)? If I ask for additional information, can I clearly indicate the context, and will they be able to enjoy bouncing what I have asked for back to me?
- Will my response be predictable, consistent and positive? Am I "just add fuel", or am I "add fuel, drive, and don't forget my dry cleaning", "hey you are not as good of a driver as I thought"? They want to reduce eyeballs on them usually, and just be treated warmly because they add value, make sure you think through the details so they don't lump the weight (weight will shorten their response and patience).
- Where are they aiming to go with mentees and are they overwhelmed?

Then you respond, with direction, light weight, warm, informed and on their side. They only need to add fuel, and poof away you go!
Some other tips are to prioritise empathy, be aware of timing (because they can get tired), and try not to objectify their skill level (it isn't a thing to attain, it is a sense of worth and understanding you learn to respect).

The more you respect mentors, the more you yourself grow when hanging out with them.
And when you guys have fun together (not too much, as they don't give advice to close friends), talking business will be innevitable, and timed based upon when they think it will have the most impact.
Be ready when those times come, and do MORE than they expect you to do, but don't overshoot.

That the basics of it because there is loads of icecream out there for all

To be very honest, until I read this reply, I was (and I'm sure many others were) not even sure of the role a mentor was. I was afraid to ask for fear of feeling like an idiot lol. This place is like Christmas morning at all times, day and night! @RogueInnovation was Santa today!

Seriously, that is a wealth of information, and that's definitely worthy of some Rep$.

Thanks Rogue!

 

[Happy*go*lucky]

I could still be watching...waiting for that day...the day that might never come. The bulk of my knowledge came while I was taking action after I got sick of my life.

Don't wait for that perfect moment. Take a moment and make that shit perfect.

Oh guess what it's Aloha Friday! We're setting up disco balls in the ice cream shop so put on your dancing shoes, let's take action and dance!

Stay drunk, my friends.

p.s. I'm curious. How's everybody doing? What are you guys struggling with? What are your biggest concerns? Relationship issues? Self-esteem issues? Having trouble finding an idea to get you some ice cream? What's up?

In the ice cream shop we address mental issues immediately because the longer you sit on them, the more difficult they become to deal with.

Ladybirds and gentledudes! The ice cream flavored marketing thread is now open...only on the INSIDE though.

You've been on the fence about coughing up $80 to show thanks to MJ for everything you've learned. Cancel a few trips to Starbucks so you can save some money and get an INSIDERS subscription. You'll learn more about business in there than you ever would in business school. Trust me, I went to business school LOL I learned nothing actionable there...and I spent thousands of dollars for it. $80 sounds more than fair, yea?

I just bootlegged moonshine to make my $80! Ready to learn!

 

[Jak]

Just finished this thread! I gotta say, it's exactly what I needed. I don't care about making huge dollar amounts anymore. Money had such a hold on me. I would procrastinate paying bills even when I had more than enough money, simply because I was so focused on the idea of losing it. I have a nice comfy savings account with extra cash in it. Time to risk it. It isn't about the money!

If you're having a hard time breaking this money fixation, then just start doing things for people while refusing payment. I'm not talking about telling them they look nice, or buying someone lunch. I'm talking about offering to mow their lawn or paint their house. Do something that inconveniences you in order to help them. And don't accept payment.

I am saving up that money for something extremely important to me. But I know that if I'm not willing to risk all of it to help others, then I will never be able to continue growing.

@IceCreamKid Thank you for sharing your wisdom with all of us. You have helped me fix my mindset and got me into phase II. I am committed to building my website (content wise, not coding. I'm outsourcing that crap.) and helping others. Also, I want to apologize for the PM I sent you. If I had just read all of this thread first, I would have already found the answers. I'm really looking forward to meeting you and everyone else at C&B.

@zen******* I'm not sure if it was in this thread or somewhere else, but somewhere you said (and I'm paraphrasing here) "Take a leap of faith as if there is a safety net waiting for you below." This is so profound. To everyone else, everything works out in the end! Fear will get you nowhere. Procrastination will get you nowhere. Taking action and FAILING will get you somewhere! You can never fail so hard that the experiences gained from that failure cannot lift you up higher than you were before.


Okay, I need to find my wallet around here somewhere so I can go ahead and get an INSIDERS's pass.. After that, back to building my website. I can smell some ice cream in there.



EDIT: Just got done writing an entire chapter for my website today. I've never done that much in one day before. It feels amazing!

 

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[IceCreamKid]

The ONE Thing That You Need

Does this sound like you? You spend months figuring out every detail about a niche that you can. You go to meetups to network with others, spend money on seminars hopefully to find more info on what to do, read more books, blogs, and podcasts on your project. 2 years pass and you have nothing to show for it. Perhaps you set up your website, an LLC, etc. but you haven’t taken any real action towards getting a customer.

You tell all of your friends that you're an entrepreneur. My man, stop lying to yourself. The truth will set you free...but it will seriously piss you off first.

You know deep down what the problem is. Somewhere deep in your subconscious, you feel that you don’t deserve to get rich. You say you want to become a millionaire…shoot, everybody does. But deep down you have doubts about yourself. Afraid to fail, afraid to fly.

Bro, I’ve started 8 businesses in the last 8 years. 7 out of the 8 failed for various reasons. Somewhere down the line, I realized something. Despite all of the failures, I wasn’t dead. My world didn’t come to a screeching halt and my friends didn’t say, “I told you so”. Actually a few of them did, so it was nice to be able to learn who to cut out from my life quickly. =P

I no longer fear failure in business because I’ve becoming quite skilled at failing. Failing doesn’t hurt so much anymore because I conditioned my brain to deal with it. Don't get me wrong, I still would rather succeed 100% of the time but that's not how business works. I don’t resist the possibility of failure like many do. Taking action daily is automatic. Zero f**ks given.

Failure is the foundation of success. It is the soil that the seed of success drops into.

So fail hard. Fall flat on your face. You need to fail fast so you can finally get to winning.

Dude, get that ONE customer. That ONE customer is all you need. Getting that first sale will clear the uncertainty, doubt, and fear. It will be confirmation that your plan just MIGHT work because someone saw enough value in your product/service to actually pay you money for it.

You know what’s emotionally, mentally, and physically draining? Thinking about doing something. It’s easier to think about taking action instead of doing it, but if you think for months or years about taking action then eventually you’ll become more tired from that than if you simply took action. Action brings clarity to the questions lingering in the back of our mind.

So don’t even focus on making the next big business. Just get that one customer first. The 1,000 other customers can come after that lol.


“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” –MLK

Take action daily. Get the ice cream.

 

[jon.bianco]

pick 1 thing and get good at it.
Video? do 10 a week or 40 a month, until your an expert.
copy? write write write.

paid traffic?
spend more. be more analytical.

do one thing. and do it until you master it.

your like drilling oil wells all over 1 square mile.... only 6 inches deep, lots of little holes.

real oil. is 1 mile DEEP. 6 inches wide.....

Drill deeper

Z

This defines me to a T and frustrates the heck out of me. Learn PHP (two weeks go by) no learn Magento (...), no learn to program Mobile apps... And so on...

I'm writing this down to read every day to remind me that mastery is the key. Thanks Z!

 

[funkj25]

@IceCreamKid

Just want to give you a personal thank you in the thread here. Between you, Zen's INSIDERS call I listened to the other day (getting me pumped more than anything) and JasonR's Facebook advertising call I have finally gotten some traction and made some sales on my e-com store. Needless to say it's a huge relief/really exciting to finally start to "get it" and actually see some results.

I'll be detailing more of what I've been doing the last month in my own thread on the inside in a few weeks as more data rolls in so I can hopefully be of help to someone myself, but for the time being I just wanted to say thanks for sharing this thread and really putting in free time to help the newbs.

 

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[IceCreamKid]

@IceCreamKid

Just want to give you a personal thank you in the thread here. Between you, Zen's INSIDERS call I listened to the other day (getting me pumped more than anything) and JasonR's Facebook advertising call I have finally gotten some traction and made some sales on my e-com store. Needless to say it's a huge relief/really exciting to finally start to "get it" and actually see some results.

I'll be detailing more of what I've been doing the last month in my own thread on the inside in a few weeks as more data rolls in so I can hopefully be of help to someone myself, but for the time being I just wanted to say thanks for sharing this thread and really putting in free time to help the newbs.

That's some cool stuff, my brother! Leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind so others can learn to blaze their own path too.

Because you can.

 

[Roland]

The truth will set you free...but it will seriously piss you off first.

You know deep down what the problem is. Somewhere deep in your subconscious, you feel that you don’t deserve to get rich. You say you want to become a millionaire…shoot, everybody does. But deep down you have doubts about yourself. Afraid to fail, afraid to fly.

That defines me so well. It is EXACTLY what happened to me. I have started a lot of projects based on my ideas and all of them failed. I got so pissed off because I couldn't get a customer when I thought my ideas were great.
Then, when I eventually decided to stop, step back a look at the bigger pictures, I changed everything in my way of taking action and everything is starting the change so quickly now as I said in my last progress thread. A new way of working and to see things is born and this is partly thanks to you so Thank you @IceCreamKid