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How do I avoid becoming a guru?

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

JCS

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If this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it!

So I'm in the middle of writing a script for a youtube channel I will beginning in the very near future.

I'm confident enough in my understanding of marketing to feel that I can hit the ground running at the beginning and keep the flow steady.

My eventual, long term goal is to become a public speaker, and building this channel up will be a means of cultivating reputation and credibility (only 22, so I think starting now will be hugely beneficial to me).

The channel will primarily focus on self actualization, lifestyle, and what it takes to become a stronger, better, more prepared person. I know I'm young and have very limited life experience myself, but I truly believe this is something I'm great at and have a knack for.. but here's my biggest concern:

I don't want to be a guru.

I don't want to just spout overly generalized advice that can be applied to a multitude of situations, I wan't the things I say and discuss to have practical application for people in their lives. I want them to be able to take the topics and ideas I present and really be able to use them within their circumstances, so that they can genuinely better themselves.

Of course I'm motivated by my own self interests. The potential money, fame, connections, etc are all appealing and very seductive in their own right. But I truly, genuinely, and unashamedly want to make a difference in others lives, provide them with value, and be able to say I am proud of how I impacted them. That is the primary driving force behind starting this at all. I just want to make sure I go about it the most authentic way I can.

I would love some insight from you guys. Thanks for reading, and thanks for replying.
 
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JCS

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To avoid being one of those 'gurus' you must practice what you preach.

Make your millions first, go through the hardships. then start speaking about it

I appreciate the reply! However I'm not looking to spout advice on what it takes to become a millionaire as much as I am trying to convey what it takes to achieve fulfillment and self confidence. Think along the lines of Alan watts, just a tad less woo-ey.
 
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JCS

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Your biggest concern should be getting your first followers, not that you'll become a guru.

While this is a concern, it isn't as immediate. I've already proven to myself that I can build a following, I just want to make sure I'm providing real value to peoples lives.
 

SteveO

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The majority of my life has been spent as a troubleshooter. While training, the main point that always seems to elude is to start with step one. This is usually a statement such as "check for a damaged power or ground wire and the 10 other checks before going to the flux-capacitor"
 

dave773

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I read your post and all I could see was 'I' . 'I want this' 'I am doing that'.

Look at youtube now.. The most successful youtubers are always giving content that is entertaining.

For e.g. look up the channel Improvement Pill. His videos are animated to visually engage and entertain the viewer - then he uses that to get his message across.

You could have the most valuable information to offer the world.. but it does not mean anyone will receive it.

And if you are starting youtube to become a millionaire. You are already starting for the wrong reasons.

@SteveO lol. I will admit I did not understand your post the first time I read it.
 
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JCS

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I read your post and all I could see was 'I' . 'I want this' 'I am doing that'.

Look at youtube now.. The most successful youtubers are always giving content that is entertaining.

For e.g. look up the channel Improvement Pill. His videos are animated to visually engage and entertain the viewer - then he uses that to get his message across.

You could have the most valuable information to offer the world.. but it does not mean anyone will receive it.

And if you are starting youtube to become a millionaire. You are already starting for the wrong reasons.

@SteveO lol. I will admit I did not understand your post the first time I read it.

I love improvement pill! And believe me, that isn't the reason for starting the channel. If becoming a millionaire was the goal, youtube definitely wouldn't be the first place I'd start..
 

JCS

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The majority of my life has been spent as a troubleshooter. While training, the main point that always seems to elude is to start with step one. This is usually a statement such as "check for a damaged power or ground wire and the 10 other checks before going to the flux-capacitor"

Admittedly, I didn't understand this at first.. but I actually really like this advice! You're probably right in saying I'm getting ahead of myself..
 

Andy Black

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Want to be known as "The XYZ Guy"?

Help people with XYZ.
 
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SteveO

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Admittedly, I didn't understand this at first.. but I actually really like this advice! You're probably right in saying I'm getting ahead of myself..
Yes, I did not word this very well. Plus, you need to be a Bugs Bunny fan in order to get the reference.

There is more enjoyment to life when you are not looking at tomorrow. The current moment is where "everything" is happening. The rest is just noise.
 

jon.a

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AndrewNC

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I don't want to be a guru.

This is not going to be a popular post on this forum...and I won't apologize in advance to anybody who I will offend in the process.

The problem you have is the anti-guru mindset, and this is something you're going to have to shed NOW if you want to have success with your business.

@JCS - There are two types of people out there.

There are the people who read something in a book, repeat textbook information, but have zero experience in what they are taking about. They go off spitting advice that is not based on real-world experience, and anybody who listens to them is going to be seriously f*cked over if they do. Even if the information from the very things they read in the book was great advice, their interpretation of the good advice turns into advice that is disastrous and holds their readers/viewers back.

@jazb - did a great job of summing up how 99% of this forum preaches when it comes to the topic. In fact 99% of the forum will give you this same exact advice.

To avoid being one of those 'gurus' you must practice what you preach.

Make your millions first, go through the hardships. then start speaking about it

"Make a million dollars, go through the hardships, and then start speaking about it."

The worst mistake you can make if your'e going down this path is to listen to people who didn't walk this journey before you. Do the people on the forum who preach this to you have years of experience helping people with self-actualization, lifestyle and learning what it takes to be a stronger, better, more prepared person?

"There are the people who read something in a book, repeat textbook information, but have zero experience in what they are taking about."

@jazb - Do you have years of experience helping people with self-actualization, lifestyle, and learning what it takes to be a stronger, better, more prepared person? Or did you just read something in MJs book and repeat something he said?

I'm only quote you here because most people here will say the same thing.

"Make a million dollars, go through the hardships, and then start speaking about it."

I listened to this advice, and believed it.

I spent a year of my life not fully running forward with my own business of helping others through my blog, books, and youtube channel because I listened to it. Not from the person I quoted, but by the people I surrounded myself with as well.

Then, I decided to say f*ck it.

To stop listening to people who sell physical products on amazon and start listening only to advice from people who have some actual experience in what I want to do...

My 2 years of experience doing what you want to do:

Context - In 2013 I built an iOS app company that eventually led me to making passive income, allowing me to quit my job and travel. On the outside, I was living the type of life most people dream of living. Passive income, freedom, experiences, etc.

Despite already having success in my field, I still listened to people who bombarded my mind with this 'you should do more before you talk about anything' mentality.

I was not the millionaire mark - but I wanted to help so people build businesses too, so I was where you are right now. The people near me said I wasn't qualified to talk about business until I reach that $1,000,000 figure.

From my experience: Listening to them did nothing but held me back. I feared that judgement from others if I started talking about anything, before I had that $1,000,000 on the outside. So I didn't do anything for a while and I got zero results from it.

Then I started to talk about all the success I was having - I read somewhere in a book that you want to paint a picture of the life your audience wants to live, and they will jump after it. So I did this. I told stories about making passive income, traveling the country, living that dream life, and everything else my audience wanted. But that approach wasn't working. Despite doing this because I wanted to grab people's attention and help them realize it's possible for them; People thought it came off as bragging and I lost rapport with my audience.

So I adjusted my approach.

I then began giving advice. But the people who followed me didn't know where my journey began. The problem I faced was that I didn't emotionally connect to them. They didn't know who they were learning from.

Then, I began sharing my stories of the struggles I pushed through.

"This is what I was facing. This is what I did. Here was my result."

By sharing these stories, and documenting the journey as I go along, I was successfully able to #1 - emotionally connect with my audience because they were facing the same struggles I was going through. I started the journey where they were. #2 - Then I talked about what I did when I faced their struggles. and then #3 - I shared where it led me.

The important part about #3 is to talk about your failures as well. This helps connect more with your audience, since they will relate to you better than being the guy who is 'always self-actualized'.

By following this approach, I have been very effective in making the changes in their lives, and I get emails every week saying how great I impacted them.

Do you notice what I did there?

The second part of this message was from me sharing my experience along the journey you are walking, and telling you about the results I got. I didn't give you a single piece of advice.

The first part of this message is me giving out advice because I am someone who has walked this path and achieved your stated goal (impacting the lives of others). I went through the struggles. I failed. I then eventually found out what worked. Now, I am in a position to flip the script and give advice on this specific topic.

Which brings me to my next point...

If you look at my instagram account. I have maybe 300 followers at best. I am 100% confident that I can give advice on changing peoples lives when it comes to getting started on their journey, taking action, and creating change in others through my words/writing.

But not when it comes to building an instagram following.

become a specialist


I specialize in getting people to move forward and take action, and it is this specializing which allows me to get noticed for what I do. When you need brain surgery, you don't go to a general practitioner. you go to a specialist.

Below is an article that has helped so many of my followers on their journey...just in the same way you can help yours.

Pay attention to how not a single piece of this is giving advice.

Share the journey..

Or listen to the people who don't have any experience in this field and tell you to wait years before you get started...the choice is yours.

Making Sacrifices

To be honest, the first two years of this journey were nothing more than one of the greatest struggles of my life.

There I was, having these dreams of being an entrepreneur and seeing all these people live the entrepreneur lifestyle.

They were making money and I was stuck.

Stuck working a 9-5 job, in a cubicle, doing work that I hate.

The people I surrounded myself with at work didn't share these same goals and ambitions. To wrap it all up, they all seemed content.

They were content in a life that limited them.

They woke up to the sound of a noisy alarm clock, worked for a company throughout the day, and then went home to watch TV, or go out and party on the weekends.

They live for the weekends.

"What are you doing Friday night?" was the question. Friday night was the time when they could finally unwind from a long stressful week at the office.

All the while, I started making friends on Facebook with all these millionaires who are posting pictures of their exotic sports cars, month-long vacations on the coast of Italy, and on top of all that; all the YouTube videos.

Those were the worst.

I remember watching one where this guy spent 90 days backpacking through another continent.

I had no clue how he did it, but I assumed he was an entrepreneur. I would play the video in the background of my work, listening to the music which gave me the hope and dream that one day it would happen to me.

Then came the sacrifices.

I was told by my mentors that I would have to make sacrifices.

While I spent my days telling my coworkers about my dreams, this type of lifestyle was too far out of their scope of reality to relate to, and I felt alienated.

At night, I went home and turned on the computer.

Six hours of being on the computer; after I got home from a long day at work.

After a few months, I stopped going to the gym.

The amount of time I spent on my business suddenly became more important than working out. I needed to put in as much time as possible for my business in order to make those dreams a reality.

Then, I cut out the weekends.

When my friends went to the bars and clubs; I told them I was going to work on my business.

"Andrew, there is something seriously wrong with you." One girl said to me, as she tried to schedule an intervention.

She didn't get it.

The only people I could relate to were a few others like me who shared these same ambitions. They were few and far between.

When I was always tired and drained from my day job, I used to tell myself that I didn't have the time.

By cutting out the gym, my nights, my relationships, my friendships, and my weekends, I made the time.

Then I stopped cooking my own food. Fast food added more time to my work, so fast food is what I ate.

All of a sudden, I probably spent just as many hours in front of my computer as I did at my day job.

I sacrificed so much, and this continued for a year of my life.

My mentors told me that I needed to make sacrifices, but there was only one problem with the sacrifices I was making...

I wasn't working.

Do you know those feel-good tasks?

The things you can do where you think you're working, but you're really not?

In this year, I read a lot of business books. Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Millionaire Fastlane , The Four Hour Workweek, Cashvertising, Built to Sell, you name it. I made it through fifty books in the first year alone.

I did the things that were comfortable.

I taught myself how to code.

When I learned how to do that, I coded one website after another, making them look as pretty as possible. I made them pretty, I made them functional, but I wasn't doing anything past that.

As soon as I reached the point where I had to learn something new and uncomfortable, such as marketing or sales; I stopped what I was working on and defaulted back to my comfort zone.

The next pretty-looking website with zero visitors, and the next shipment of books from Amazon.

Imagine spending a year of your life knowing that this dream of yours is possible, not being able to relate to anybody around you, slaving away at a job you hate, sacrificing every area of your life; all resulting in nothing to show for it.

One year wasted.

I called myself an entrepreneur, but I wasn't even working.

When I did the only thing that resembled some accomplishment of any kind, it was the pretty-looking websites I coded. When I coded those websites, I was like a lonely artist who paints one beautiful portrait, and then puts it in the back of a closet; never to see the light of day.

Never to be featured in an art gallery.

Never to be put out for sale.

I sacrificed my life, but I had nothing to show for it.

My mentors told me I needed to make sacrifices, but I forgot to understand that when I do make those sacrifice with my time; I have to do something with it.
 

theag

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Didnt read the thread, but to answer your question from the title: by building a real business instead of that coaching bullshit.
 

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