10 years here. Curious what had the most impact on you

[Spenny]

Everything I've learned from you has already been mentioned, but the ones that stand out to me:

"What do you need to do to make a sale?"

I remember asking this after months of tinkering, and I proceeded to move a lot quicker to get a sale after asking this question. I say it to friends, too, and it helps them cut directly through all the faff to what matters: cash flow, sales, and happy customers.

I still ask that, but now alongside, "Can I sell 100x widgets with this process? How can I remove myself? How can it be quicker?".

A lot of times I comment on threads and then ask before pressing POST, "Would Andy Black approve of this terse, tough love response? Would this be something Andy would say?"

EXACTLY this. Thanks for putting a name on it. I try to be conscious of what I post on the forum, as I understand that recklessness may give people a poor image of me. Future connections, opportunities and my reputation can go down the drain if I don't ask, "Would Andy speak to me this way?" & "Am I providing value to people reading here?" & "Do I want my face next to this response?"

I've never liked the slam-dunk approach to members who don't know better. You'll sometimes get posts that get a lot of likes and a couple of laughs, but the person feels embarrassed that ten people liked a comment directly critiquing what you do. It then gets the top post of the day, and more people are dogpiling.

• It doesn't make a difference to the person.
• It doesn't encourage discussion and thought.
• It pushes new people away from posting.

It's easy to do the slam-dunk approach because we've seen the exact "Is SMMA viable" question a million times, but sometimes it's best to be compassionate rather than nasty.

When I've not asked this question, I sometimes get lost in the moment and smack out a response. When I ask this question, I'll proceed to backspace all of it and say, "It's not worth my time," OR make it far more compassionate.

 

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[AceVentures]

For me it's not a thread, one-liner or tips in particular that had the most impact.

But in the spirit of the thread I think it's worth sharing: if I could boil down what had the most impact on me, it would be the Fastlane Summit I attended in 2020.

It was the first time I got to interact with a bunch of other genuine human beings who shared similar values.

None of the books or tips or threads come close to the impact I felt when, for the first time, I could see myself in the eyes of these other entrepreneurs.

It's when I realized they're not some alien creature I only read about in fantastical business books or watch on podcasts. But they're regular human beings, just like me.

That's when the fire was lit, and for the first time, I began to believe that I too could succeed.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

The third thing that came to my mind was some of the patterns of behavior that you exhibit that have been a really good example for me to follow (and I think this is probably a huge factor playing into why this forum is an awesome, wholesome place to be). Here are some of my observations of how you conduct yourself.

• You drop hints - you point the way and let people figure it out for themselves rather than hand-holding or spelling it all out. This gives people agency and a role, which is awesome.
• Short posts - you don't pour endless amounts of time and energy into verbose posts. I'm sure this helps keep you from getting burnt out.
• Positive tone - you keep pointing the focus back to opportunity and possibility rather than negativity or doubt.
• Impartial - It doesn't seem like you have "favorites" or a "clique."
• Peacemaker - I've seen you drop in on a thread and drop a gentle reminder where things were getting heated, and it works!
• Figuring things out - your threads have a ton of value as we watch your thought process in trying things, whether it's paid newsletters or twitter or Google Ads.
• Wicked smart, but not boastful - I remember thinking multiple times (e.g. watching you whiz through a custom-coded spreadsheet, or hearing your observations, such as the one about the person shopping with their tea vs their credit card) that you were absolutely brilliant - and yet you don't flaunt it at all.
• Unflappable - I've never seen a time when you were provoked into any kind of display of impatience, and I know that wasn't for lack of opportunities!

I grew up fatherless. Andy would have been the father I wish I had.

 

[ZackerySprague]

I grew up fatherless. Andy would have been the father I wish I had.

Or Greg, he's been very helpful through my journey.

He helps you see the positive in life when stressful situations seem gloomy.

Perspective. Even my brother in jail teaches it.

 

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[Andy Black]

I grew up fatherless. Andy would have been the father I wish I had.

Whoa. That means a lot MJ. I'll explain why...

Someone asked what favourite quote I'd have on my tombstone. It would probably be the Mother Theresa quote in my signature. Help people one at a time. Start with the people closest to you. That means the people you're interacting with here and now (on this forum). And when you log off it means the people you're in the same location as, which is often my sons, step-son, nephews, and nieces.

The other quote that I try to live by as a father is "Be the man you want your sons to grow up to be." That one hit me hard when someone said it to me, especially when he told me that "If you don't figure it out then you leave it up to your kids to figure it out."

To me that mostly meant living Unscripted , so my kids can spend as much time with their kids when they're growing as I have with mine. It also means figuring out how to live life positively, and leaving people better off for meeting you.

My wife asked our then 14 year old who his super hero was. He said "That's easy. Dad." That's more important to me than anything.

 

[Spenny]

To me that mostly meant living Unscripted , so my kids can spend as much time with their kids when they're growing as I have with mine. It also means figuring out how to live life positively, and leaving people better off for meeting you.

My wife asked our then 14 year old who his super hero was. He said "That's easy. Dad." That's more important to me than anything.

If that isn't winning, I don't know what is, it warms my heart to hear this. You deserve it!

 

[Andy Black]

Diesel and coffee, who have you helped, and allways a helping word. Thanks Andy!

Diesel and coffee is one of my favourites too. I even bought the domain but don't quite know what to do with it!

Well no, I haven t succeeded, but I learned lot.

What does succeeded mean though? You're here. You're working to better yourself. That's pretty good in my book.

 

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[Andy Black]

The first thing that came to my mind was how you scheduled a call with me right when I was brand-new to the forum. It really blew my mind that you'd spend time on a stranger like me. That call was really encouraging to me at a time when I was really insecure about taking steps forward into getting my first client, and I often think back to the fact that you not only met me on Zoom, you brought me business more than once. You're not just talk, you've got action behind it, and I've never seen you treat anyone with anything less than kindness.

I remember that call. I couldn't tell you how many times I've hopped on calls with forum members to try and help them get unstuck, and give them a bit of encouragement and support.

I do less of those calls now than I did a few years ago. The kids go to bed later now so my evening work slot got squeezed. It's a bit of a shame because I enjoyed doing them.

The second thing that came to my mind was some of the one-liners that I've heard you say to people again and again. I know some of these have already been mentioned above, but the ones that came to my mind were...

- Diesel and coffee
- Who have you helped?
- What if you already know enough?

I love how these little micro-scripts take hold. Thanks for letting me know which your favourites are.

The third thing that came to my mind was some of the patterns of behavior that you exhibit that have been a really good example for me to follow (and I think this is probably a huge factor playing into why this forum is an awesome, wholesome place to be). Here are some of my observations of how you conduct yourself.

• You drop hints - you point the way and let people figure it out for themselves rather than hand-holding or spelling it all out. This gives people agency and a role, which is awesome.
• Short posts - you don't pour endless amounts of time and energy into verbose posts. I'm sure this helps keep you from getting burnt out.
• Positive tone - you keep pointing the focus back to opportunity and possibility rather than negativity or doubt.
• Impartial - It doesn't seem like you have "favorites" or a "clique."
• Peacemaker - I've seen you drop in on a thread and drop a gentle reminder where things were getting heated, and it works!
• Figuring things out - your threads have a ton of value as we watch your thought process in trying things, whether it's paid newsletters or twitter or Google Ads.
• Wicked smart, but not boastful - I remember thinking multiple times (e.g. watching you whiz through a custom-coded spreadsheet, or hearing your observations, such as the one about the person shopping with their tea vs their credit card) that you were absolutely brilliant - and yet you don't flaunt it at all.
• Unflappable - I've never seen a time when you were provoked into any kind of display of impatience, and I know that wasn't for lack of opportunities!

So I wasn't expecting this sort of feedback. My main goal was to see if it's worth cataloguing and packaging my threads and one-liners, and how to help more people with them. I think there's a whole new angle of threads I've not even thought about or thought of creating about how and why I do what you've pointed out.

Thank you.​

Andy Black, thanks for being such an amazing human being and for all the MANY ways you've benefited and touched the lives of those who have come across your path (including mine).

Here's to the next decade of your story being amazing, fulfilling, and full of rewards. You've planted countless good seeds along the way, and I can only think it's natural that there's a huge harvest of good things coming your way - and my hope is that that harvest will be abundant in all the ways that would matter the most to you.

Ah, thanks @Bekit. Appreciate your well thought out response.

 

[Andy Black]

I remember lurking the forum ~10 years ago when you were starting to get traction here. So much so that I remembered your name when I got curious and scoped the site out again a couple months ago, and I wasn't at all surprised to see your name popping up left and right.

I think that's what did it for me. Seeing the folks who stuck with it and actually did something monumental. You, Johnny Boy, Fox, SinisterLex and wayyyy too many others to name.

That's what stands out to me - the people who just stayed in the game.

Thanks to those threads I'm finally pot committed to the game and I'm not looking back. Much respect and admiration to all of you who shared your progress and stuck with it all the way through.

Keep chipping away BlueMonday. We win the game by staying in it long enough to win it.

BTW... I can't say I've done anything monumental business wise over the last 10 years. Plenty of people who've posted less or stopped posting will have done more business wise, so don't discount people with low post counts or who've just joined.

 

[Andy Black]

The three examples from @heavy_industry are perfect. I class one of your pep posts as a short informative post which reminds me of simple fastlane aspects like, "Don't focus on profit, focus on helping".

Also, I like reading some of your replies to new users, these often pep me up!

Got it. Over the years I think I've got better at saying the right things to help people, and in less words.

 

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[Andy Black]

You help people grow free of charge and improve yourself along the way. What a beautiful philosophy! What makes you most VALUABLE is the fact that you are still here with us. A live teacher we can interact with!

Not just you Andy, but YOU too! The reader and all the other legendary contributors of this community!

Which of the said quotes would you want engraved on your stone @Andy Black ?

This forum is my guilty pleasure. It's late on Friday evening and I planned on doing some client work. Instead I've popped into my favourite townhall and am chatting to folks online. NOT logging in is hard for me to do.



Hmmm... which quote would I have engraved on my headstone? It's currently a toss up between:

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person closest to you."
(Mother Theresa)

and

"Be the man you want your sons to grow up to be."


I'll have to go through my list here:

GOLD! - MINDSET - Andy's Favourite One-Liners

I love collecting quotes and boiling thoughts down to one-liners. I've had this list for a few years and always meant to expand on each. They're not organised, and I need to attribute them. I'll do this over time. Thought I'd drop the list in here in case some of them resonate with you. Let...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Andy Black]

"What can you do to make a sale?"

I remember asking this after months of tinkering, and I proceeded to move a lot quicker to get a sale after asking this question. I say it to friends, too, and it helps them cut directly through all the faff to what matters: cash flow, sales, and happy customers.

I still ask that, but now alongside, "Can I sell 100x widgets with this process? How can I remove myself? How can it be quicker?".

Great questions. I remember hearing that the job of a good leader/entreprenuer is to ask good questions and get them answered, and figure out what needs done, and get it done. (Note how I didn't say "answer it" or "do it".)

EXACTLY this. Thanks for putting a name on it. I try to be conscious of what I post on the forum, as I understand that recklessness may give people a poor image of me. Future connections, opportunities and my reputation can go down the drain if I don't ask, "Would Andy speak to me this way?" & "Am I providing value to people reading here?" & "Do I want my face next to this response?"

I've never liked the slam-dunk approach to members who don't know better. You'll sometimes get posts that get a lot of likes and a couple of laughs, but the person feels embarrassed that ten people liked a comment directly critiquing what you do. It then gets the top post of the day, and more people are dogpiling.

• It doesn't make a difference to the person.
• It doesn't encourage discussion and thought.
• It pushes new people away from posting.

It's easy to do the slam-dunk approach because we've seen the exact "Is SMMA viable" question a million times, but sometimes it's best to be compassionate rather than nasty.

When I've not asked this question, I sometimes get lost in the moment and smack out a response. When I ask this question, I'll proceed to backspace all of it and say, "It's not worth my time," OR make it far more compassionate.

There's two things that wind me up: rudeness and bullying. Sometimes I think newcomers are bullied. I try to pop in and drop a word of encouragement to help the newcomer, and maybe stop the "dogpiling" (we'd call that a "pile on" in the UK... interesting how similar that is).

 

[Andy Black]

Or Greg, he's been very helpful through my journey.

He helps you see the positive in life when stressful situations seem gloomy.

Perspective. Even my brother in jail teaches it.

You mean @Runum?

 

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[ZackerySprague]

You mean @Runum?

Yes!

 

[Shono]

I grew up fatherless. Andy would have been the father I wish I had.

You and me both… a select few members here I could say similarly about, Andy most definitely being one of them.

 

[Kevin88660]

Pitch only to those who raised up their hands.

 

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[heavy_industry]

This thread and the amount of positivity it generated are a testament to the amount of value you bring to this forum.

What @MJ DeMarco said about fatherhood almost made my eyes tear up.

---

Unfortunately - but expectedly - this positive energy attracted a negativistic unhappy socialist Reddit user and prompted him to try and bring his misery over here.

This thread is wonderful and I will not spoil it by fueling a flame war over here - so I'll use the Andy Black Test and refrain from naming names or using (my usual) stronger language.

All I am going to say is the following- and please take this to heart:

1. This is NOT a "forum of strangers" - this is the Fastlane family.
2. This WAS the right time to start this thread and ask this question. Happy 10th anniversary!
3. You do not have to explain yourself to anyone.
4. The value you provided is real and tangible - perhaps even quantifiable. If someone is blind and cannot see it, that's their problem.

 

[Andy Black]

This thread and the amount of positivity it generated are a testament to the amount of value you bring to this forum.

What @MJ DeMarco said about fatherhood almost made my eyes tear up.

---

Unfortunately - but expectedly - this positive energy attracted a negativistic unhappy socialist Reddit user and prompted him to try and bring his misery over here.

This thread is wonderful and I will not spoil it by fueling a flame war over here - so I'll use the Andy Black Test and refrain from naming names or using (my usual) stronger language.

All I am going to say is the following- and please take this to heart:

1. This is NOT a "forum of strangers" - this is the Fastlane family.
2. This WAS the right time to start this thread and ask this question. Happy 10th anniversary!
3. You do not have to explain yourself to anyone.
4. The value you provided is real and tangible - perhaps even quantifiable. If someone is blind and cannot see it, that's their problem.

Often people project their own motives or thinking onto others. As psychiatrists say: "If you spot it, you got it."

Does it mean it's true in this case? It doesn't matter. Me believing what people write reveals what's going on in their mind allows me to respond compassionately because I'm now trying to help someone change beliefs I think are harmful for them.

 

[Andy Black]

You and me both… a select few members here I could say similarly about, Andy most definitely being one of them.

You're making me realise this community adds a lot more value than I previously thought. People (especially youngsters and those new to business) pick up ways to think, communicate, act, interact, and so many other things I'd not really thought of.

Not sure what to make of that at the moment, other than to encourage people to think about the effect of what we write and how we write it.

 

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[Andy Black]

Pitch only to those who raised up their hands.

Yes! This is very important in sales.

Start by selling to the people already looking to buy.

Other lines that spring to mind:

"Wrack the shotgun."
(Perry Marshall, explaining that if you wrack a shotgun under the table in a loud bar then the people who's heads whip round are the ones who recognise that sound. You've got them to "raise their hand".)

"Help the people in motion."
(Amy Hoy)

"Sales is a screening process."
(Blaise Brosnan)

 

[rankyourlist]

First wish you congratulation for your remarkable work. its a huge time to maintain that such a thing. hope i can learn something for you with this community . i am so glad that we are here to share our knowledge .

 

[ZF Lee]

Wow what a thread.

I think we will have 'favorite' threads and one-liners for the different stages and seasons of our Fastlane journey.

For my current stage:

1.Lex's threads on freelancing (especially the one where he busted into Upwork again after deleting his profile) enabled me to stop spinning my wheels looking for a 'miracle' idea...and just do business. I hardly use Upwork these days (and started getting MORE referrals)...but at least I know I can always find ways to 'eat what I hunt'.

I remember there was a big debate on whether freelancing was wasting time that could be used on a Fastlane business.

I feel nothing is wasted as long you can stack up skills and know-how along the way. And sometimes you just need a few good clients to teach you more than a job of 50 years could ever do.

2.Almost everything MJ says is gold, but I think this video hit hard on a logical process for folks starting from nothing-- and complaining they just 'can't find the steps'.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_58zPgArb4&t=414s


Talks how to evolve from a job...to a specialised skill...which could fuel a specialized unit business.

Even MJ took this pathway...web design turned into the limo leads aggregator service.

3. @MustImprove's thread here:

GOLD! - MINDSET - Save Yourself Years Of Frustration; It Worked For Me!

Dear newly minted Fastlane member, Good News! With “just“ a focused attitude, relatively minor action (in terms of your life), little money, and without any formal qualifications whatsoever…. …(it’s true)…. …. you can set yourself on a verified road to financial freedom that will astound...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

" ”All” I did to win another great deal was solve the right problem at the right time for the right person ONCE BEFORE."

It works. Remind me again to write in INSIDERS on how it happened...especially for running into mentor-figures.

4. Kak's stuff. Especially this:

GOLD! - Think Big, and Then Think Bigger Than That.

About Texas Central This got me going today (my poor wife ;)) I think it’s interesting. The facts are... -The project will cost upwards of $15 billion. -It is a private Texas based company and it has never built a high speed railroad before. -They have the finances to complete the project...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Also it is comforting and inspiring to see another Christian breaking out in business-- even in today's faith that is struggling between the two extremes of 'total surrender' vs 'total materialism'. Kak showed me it is possible to do very well in life without turning bitter in the heart and soul.

5. Vigilante's reminder on empathy, lifting others up as you go

GOLD! - Ever wonder how people end up in dead end jobs at 40?

This is a long, rambling story I wanted to share with you after I was troubled by something I saw the other night. It's almost written as a short story. If you don't like a little introspection, or are reading for a business plan, skip this thread. Someone out there needed to hear this...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

I used to be very angry at the system in the first months (and years) after reading MJ's book.

But now I realise...what good would anger do? Better to build resources and a fortune...and then go out into the world to help others. Free them from the SCRIPT, show them how to think more critically and live more freely. Help them even though they can't pay you back.

I also wonder if that anger also clouded me from spotting Fastlane opportunities.

6. @IceCreamKid from the Astonishing Thread: ' Love the HECK out of others' or something like that.

7. @ZCP always asking us 'How can we help/mentor someone today' whenever we complain the world is ending because generations are growing weaker...

 

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[ZF Lee]

- What if you already know enough?

Diesel and coffee is one of my favourites too.

I think these sum up the best of you Andy.

For my case, 'diesel and coffee' is more of 'Grab ride and bak kut teh (a traditional pork-and-rice dish for Chinese labourers)'

Also, I think this one takes off the stress on going all slick on copywriting and marketing (coming from someone who does all these for bread and butter now):

NOTABLE! - HOT! - MARKETING - The biggest landing page mistake

What's the single biggest landing page mistake? This mistake is almost universal. This mistake causes people to do all sorts of stupid things with their landing pages. I see this mistake made over, and over, and over again. I'm going to try and save you from making this mistake, whilst...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

We are at a point where sales pages can be just as short as a few bullet points, and the bulk of the selling is done with shorter Tiktok videos or emails. Personally it's a lot healthier mentally to know you are selling stuff that actually helps people.

 

[Awakened2022]

@Andy Black, the one-liner that has become a part of my thought process is:if you don't sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice.
You said this about being away from family most of the time as people try to make more money to take care of their families.

I was forced to evaluate what I wanted: kids who grow up feeling loved.
Therefore, I cut out part-time work and sent the maid packing, so I could make sacrifices for my kids. From what I can see, we are much happier. Thank you for this.

I also remember you getting surprised that I had posted a lot of stuff using a smartphone. You also asked if I had ever thought about monetising my writing skills. That was the validation I needed, and though I am yet to earn my first dollar writing online, I now have an account on Medium and people are starting to engage with what I write.

I am not sure if it was you or @lex who said: I am sorry, but...
More often than not, I find myself correcting my statements to avoid " but".

On the whole, as @Bekit said, thank you for being the voice of humanism on this forum. You add 80% value to any thread you comment on.

And it was you that marked my thread gold.

May you continue inspiring us here on this forum.
Aura.

 

[ElDiablo]

On a personal note, thank you @Andy Black for sharing what you know and inspiring others through your experience and life philosophy.

Although I have not met you in person, you are among the few people I’ve been fortunate to “meet” who genuinely walk the talk.

I appreciate that despite having moved quite far in your journey, you still offer your attention to those starting in entrepreneurship and have a way of delivering the messages we need to hear in a direct yet profound way.

A good example is whenever new members make a post about a generic, cringy, trolling, or naive question. While most people shred them to pieces, you still make the best effort to guide them and reflect on their intentions. You’ve stated that it’s not only for their own good but also for others in similar positions who are too afraid to ask, given the responses they may get.

I admit that I haven’t seized everything you’ve told me on LinkedIn, but I never lose sight of the part about “a business is all about people and everything it entails about making a genuine connection with them.”

Helping others, even in a small way, with no strings attached.

You’re the closest example I’ve seen of “the man who gave so much that he needed so little in return.”

I also wished I had more role models like you when I was growing up.

I think I would have learned to be less stubborn and learn a couple of life lessons much more smoothly hahaha

Thank you again for everything you do here, Andy, and I hope we can still learn from you in the years to come!

 

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[parabolic]

You have shared so much value that it's hard to narrow it down. I definitely agree with the examples mentioned so far.

Here is another one of my favorites that nobody else has shared yet:
"I take a different tack. No is No and Maybe is No. 'Sales is a screening process.' (Blaise Brosnan) I only want to work with people who bite my hand off down to my ankle." - Andy Black, December 2, 2023

Then again:
"Maybe don't try to 'convince' people. Instead find people who'll bite your hand off." - Andy Black, February 19, 2024