Learnings from 3,000+ PMs with fellow forum members

[Andy Black]

To date I've had 700+ PMs with fellow forum members.
(EDIT: 3,500+ PMs now.)

I PM to give thanks for following me or for giving me rep. I always ask how things are going, and strike up a brief conversation.


I've noticed some common themes from these conversations (especially with people trying to get started or trying to "get traction").

My main learnings are that:

1. People often over-complicate things.
   
   
2. People often get in their own way.
   
   
3. People often believe they can't give value to the forum yet (saying nice things like "I'd love to give back when I can add value.")

Sound familiar?


There's been some classic GOLD threads addressing this, and here's a few:

• Save Yourself Years of Frustration; It Worked For Me! (Thanks @MustImprove)
  
  
• Getting started is this simple... (Thanks @RHL)
  
  
• The "Astonishing Secrets" Thread (Thanks @IceCreamKid)

I wrote a post along similar lines:

• "Clarity of Purpose"

And Justin Jackson wrote a great article here:

• Quit trying to attract a crowd and just help people

In my opinion:

• Over-complicating things, getting in your own way, and not believing you can add value are all symptoms of the same thing.
  
  
• Each of the posts listed above are trying to address this exact same thing.
  
  
• The symptoms above are all related to being "me" centric, and the posts above are all ways to stop being "me" centric.

If your goal is to help others, then things get a lot less complicated.

If your goal is to help others, then you're less likely to get in your own way - because you're not even in the picture anymore.

If your goal is to help others, then you'll realise that giving thanks to other forum members can add a lot of value to their lives, and to the forum. (We know we should give to receive, but I'd no idea of the power of "giving thanks" until I thanked so many people in the forum.)



A few months ago I decided to "learn to create talking head videos".

I got tangled up that first evening, because my goal was wrong.

My goal was to create a video.

My goal was not to say "thank you" to @SinisterLex for the videos he was adding to the forum.

I screwed up.

I over-complicated things.

I got in my own way.

I believed I couldn't add value to the forum.

All because I was thinking about "me", and not thinking about Lex.


After I gave myself a stern talking to, I created my very first talking head video.

Here it is (and it's very relevant to this thread):

I've done 16 videos so far, and it's not until this evening that I've noticed a common theme.

Here's another video that might help you:

Here's another where I talk about my "founding story"... a story from 2009 that still sends shivers down my spine when I remember it:

I talk a bit more about that story in this radio interview.

Who will you help this week?

Who will you thank today?​

 

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[Andy Black]

Someone just PM'd me after reading this post, asking how to learn to give without expectation of anything in return.

Here's my reply:


How to learn to give without wanting anything in return?

Baby steps.



Smile first.

Say hello first.

Say thank you.

Give a Like.

Send some Rep.


Strike up a friendly conversation with someone who looks bored or is having a bad day at work.

Hold a door open for someone.

Help someone with their shopping.

Give some money to a homeless person.

Tip a waiter or waitress bigger than normal.

Give a hitch-hiker a lift.

Double back and give a hitch-hiker a lift.

Drop them further towards their destination than you needed to.



Make someone smile.

Have a laugh with someone.

Put your hand on someone's shoulder and look them in the eye when you say sorry.

Put your phone down when someone talks to you.



Start small.

See the effect your actions have on others.

Feel those nice feelings within yourself for doing it.

Create an imbalance in the world.

If you got something back each time you helped someone, then each transaction would be complete.

Have faith it will come back to you.



Like everything, just start.



It's been said I live in a "sunny little world".

I didn't realise I did until they'd said it.

I didn't realise some people lived in dark little worlds.

My world revolves around making other people's days a bit sunnier.

I smile first.

They smile back.

I live in a world of smiling people.

That's pretty good for starters eh?

 

[AndrewNC]

People often believe they can't give value to the forum yet (saying nice things like "I'd love to give back when I can add value.")

EVERYBODY can add value.

I get the same thing as you do all the time from people I help saying "I wish I could add value someday, I have no skills to offer". What most people don't know is that the help I give them...turns out to be a chapter in my book. Helping them actually helps me because it gives me clarity of what I should write about.

They are helping, even if they don't know it.

Now, being on the other side of the spectrum...

I met Kelsey a week ago and we've been on a number of dates. Her dream is to be a snowboarding instructor.

She gave me free snowboarding lessons. I could have said to myself "I have no value to give back in snowboarding." But she is getting experience helping me...which will make her a better candidate for jobs later. And then I later realized she does network marketing - I gave her some sales training advice that is helping her.

...just because you don't have value to give in ONE context....the person you're talking to can benefit from YOUR area of expertise in other contexts: Cooking/fitness/health/relationships/etc.

 

[Andy Black]

This reminds me of a story that has influenced me to this day.

Back when I was a party animal living it up in London, I remember staggering home from Leicester Square.

I was heading up Oxford Street, and even in these wee hours in the morning it was pretty busy with other revellers making their way home.

The guy ahead of me stooped down and, without breaking his stride, shoved a twenty pound note into the outstretched hand of a homeless guy sleeping in a doorway.

The homeless guy shot awake and jumped to his feet - staring in disbelief at the note in his hand.

He started shouting "Yes. Yes.", doing small fist pumps to himself as he gathered his belongings to go find some shelter or food somewhere.

I hadn't even spotted his dark form in the doorway.

It wouldn't have occurred to me to give him any money, never mind a whole £20 note.

Wow.

I looked up to watch the reaction from the Good Samaritan... only to see his back as he continued walking briskly away.

He didn't even glance over his shoulder.

He might not have heard the guy shouting "Yes. Yes."



He hadn't been generous to be a hero to this guy.

He hadn't performed a good deed to even see the effect it had.

He did it anonymously, and kept going before the homeless guy even saw him or had a chance to say anything.

No-one else saw it either. It was done in a split second.

I only saw it because I was walking directly behind him.

The guy not stopping is what I remember most.

 

[Andy Black]

Who can you help? What can you help them with?
(Originally posted here.)


I knew I'd never sit with a manual and go through it step by step when I wanted to learn how to build websites. Instead, I found someone who desperately needed more work, and offered to build them a website. (You can read that story here, and watch the video here.)

I've progressed by constantly trying to help people, and observing where my help has had the biggest impact.

Think about who you have helped in the past, and who you enjoy helping.

What did you help them with? Are there more people who need that help too? Is anyone getting paid to help them?


Demonstrated Cashflows

Some people might say their market is all the women in New York between the ages of 25 and 45 who love tennis and have kids. That's not a market though, that's a demographic.

One of the podcasts on www.tropicalmba.com defines a market as a "demonstrated cashflow".

Some businesses/people use Shopify as their eCommerce store. Being a Shopify customer means they are already dipping their hand in their pocket every month. That is a demonstrated cashflow. Hence the emergence of "shopify ninjas", etc.

I stick with B2B, since business owners can (often) see spend as an investment. If they make/save $2k when they spend $1k with you, then that's a good argument to buy.

World-wide, businesses pay a lot of money to generate new business. They hire sales and marketing people. They spend money on websites, paid advertising, PR, content marketing, etc.

A few years back I heard that Google makes $100m/day revenue from AdWords. That's a big demonstrated cashflow that I can attach myself too. If you're spending on AdWords, you often don't mind spending a bit more to get more bang for your buck.

Follow "demonstrated cashflows".



Product-Founder Fit

Dan Norris mentions this in his book "The 7 Day Startup". (Great wee book btw.)

He thinks too many people just think of product-market fit, and don't think about their own skill levels, experience in business, strengths/weaknesses, and likes/dislikes.

Think about what you tend towards, and what ends up on the bottom of your to-do list even though it's important.

Think about what activities give you energy, and what drain you.





Additional reading

• Finding your focus
• Clarity of purpose

 

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[StevieB]

I am guilty of seriously over-complicating things but I realized it was due to a few things.

1. I make the decision of 'what idea I want to execute on' way to big of a deal. I feel like I've only got 1 shot so don't want to screw it up. This has caused me to execute on almost nothing.

2. As a part of number 1 I fear losing money on a pursuit that will not have any return.

So I end up way overthinking things and do nothing.

Now I realize I don't have to dump tons of money into an idea before I can find out if it works, so I'm just going with the one that I think *might* be best.

 

[Andy Black]

I was recently asked in one of those PM conversations:

"What would you say have been the most influencing factors, ideas or strategies that have lead to your success?"



Here was my answer:

"The most important things that have led to my success?

Hmmm... Good question... Thanks for throwing it right back at me and making me think!

Realising that I already have the skills. That I already have the knowledge. That I am smart enough. That I am good enough. That I know enough. That I *am* enough.

That realisation allowed me to be happy with my own path. To start listening to myself. To be at peace. To be grateful for what I already have. And to enjoy the journey.

I came over all peaceful last year.

I'm still driven, but not to prove myself to anyone else, or to myself.

It's given me permission to ignore advice, even from smart people.

To follow my own path."


.
.
.



Your definition of success might be different from the next person's.

Your path is definitely going to be different.

Follow your own path.

"You are enough."

Go!

 

[Vigilante]

Someone just PM'd me after reading this post, asking how to learn to give without expectation of anything in return.

Here's my reply:


How to learn to give without wanting anything in return?

Baby steps.



Smile first.

Say hello first.

Say thank you.

Give a Like.

Send some Rep.


Strike up a friendly conversation with someone who looks bored or is having a bad day at work.

Hold a door open for someone.

Help someone with their shopping.

Give some money to a homeless person.

Tip a waiter or waitress bigger than normal.

Give a hitch-hiker a lift.

Double back and give a hitch-hiker a lift.

Drop them further towards their destination than you needed to.



Make someone smile.

Have a laugh with someone.

Put your hand on someone's shoulder and look them in the eye when you say sorry.

Put your phone down when someone talks to you.



Start small.

See the effect your actions have on others.

Feel those nice feelings within yourself for doing it.

Create an imbalance in the world.

If you got something back each time you helped someone, then each transaction would be complete.

Have faith it will come back to you.



Like everything, just start.



It's been said I live in a "sunny little world".

I didn't realise I did until they'd said it.

I didn't realise some people lived in dark little worlds.

My world revolves around making other people's days a bit sunnier.

I smile first.

They smile back.

I live in a world of smiling people.

That's pretty good for starters eh?

Imagine how great this forum would be if people follow this advice.

This advice can change the world one person at a time.

 

[Andy Black]

it is a shame you don`t have your own blog..

Thanks @eekern.

Yeah, I do have my own blog, but I didn't know what to do with it. It was all about AdWords, so I ran out of steam posting on it.

It's not since I've been posting about all sorts of non-AdWords stuff in TFLF that I've realised I can add value to the world in other ways - so I'll start dropping non-AdWords stuff into my blog too.

Oh, and before everyone bounces on my head, I'll "build an email list" and all that stuff that I currently don't do. In fact, I'll then be newbie boy asking dumb email marketing and social media questions. Haha.


I make money by selling my AdWords service to businesses.

I never expected to get work from fellow forum members. (I don't expect forum members to be spending $10k - $100k+ per month (or day!) on AdWords.)

But what's happened for me is that I've got work THROUGH forum members who have referred me onto business owners who DO have significant spend on AdWords. (Plus the occasional wee client from here - hi guys!)

... all because I just wanted to share the knowledge I'd gained so that others in here didn't have to lose their shirt to acquire the same knowledge.



There's a lesson in there somewhere I think.

 

[Andy Black]

Bump.

A few people wondering how to start.

It's very simple - if they would just get out of their own way and stop over-thinking.

(Over-thinking - the art of solving problems you don't have.)

 

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[scott.legendre]

funny that I just read this thread.

There is a woman in my town who has been going around for the last 2 weeks picking up trash off the streets for the city I live in voluntarily to help clean it up. I reached out to her to offer up some free goodies as a thank you for what she has been doing.....

...2 hours later and she's going to start working for me on Monday.

 

[UncleIroh]

Thanks for posting this, Andy.

I really enjoyed the video that you tell the story about you helping your friend.

Where is the place you show in your videos? Looks beautiful and relaxing.

I wanted to share some quotes said by Uncle Iroh, my avatar, who is my favorite fictional character. He just goes out of the line to help other people.

"Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else."

"Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel, you can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place."

"[...]It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place it become rigid and stale[...]"

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but it’s source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"While it is always best to believe in one’s self, a little help from others can be a great blessing."

"You know, Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday."

"It’s time for you to look inward and start asking yourself the big question: who are you and what do YOU want?" (This one really changed me, I would ask all myself this every day)

"There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you, help you. Not that I love you. I just met you"

"Even in the material world, you will find that if you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see."

It's just crazy how good this "kids" show is.

You reminded me of Uncle Iroh.

My goal in life is to become someone like him.

 

[pfalcomer]

Thank you for this post Andy. You really hit the nail on the head about what it is that holds so many people back from just starting. I recently had a major mind shift regarding the process of getting started. I understand clearly now what MJ means in the book when he states solve problems first then the money will come. For a long time I've spent so much time thinking about how to make money and inevitably this leads to "paralysis by analysis" - what if it doesn't work, what if they don't like my idea etc. Sitting in the car with the engine on but not pressing the gas!

I've got family in Italy (My Father's side is Italian) and I keep in touch with my older cousin frequently asking how my aunts and uncles and extended family are doing. My cousin owns a few large franchises which import, sell and service American made cars in Italy. From sports coupes to SUV's to restored classics. In passing in one of our conversations he told me he was revamping his website and adding the option to view it in English as well as Italian. I mentioned to him that if he ever needs me to help with any translation from English to Italian or vice versa I would be more than happy to do it for him. Here is the mind shift - I was merely trying to help him and not expecting anything in return. We started out with his marketing department sending me single page in Word which I translated for him. He was pleased and sent me another page the following day. This took all of thirty minutes for me to do. Then... I get an email from him asking me going forward how much it would cost if I could do this for him on a regular basis! Value creation!

I went online, looked at a few translation websites and their prices and made a simple price list based on price per word or price per page. I made my rates slightly lower than the average price offered. I was then faced with the issue of how to get paid. Living in South Africa, international transfers can take awhile to get here and even using a linked PayPal account there are costs involved that eat away any profits you make (and I hate the idea of a PayPal account linked to my bank account - too dangerous). So I went online and did some research and found out about Payoneer. I can accept payments from anywhere and anyone, I get a linked debit card that I can use to buy or draw cash as I need and the costs for transferring to my bank account are lower than PayPal and it only takes 1-3 working days.

So the process for me looked like this: provide value - service / job created - payment solution - both parties happy!

I've been doing this work now for over a month and it's outside of my normal web development work. I would even dare to refer to it as a "side hustle", it doesn't bring in millions but the money that does come in covers all my expenses and the weaker my currency gets, the more I earn. My cousin has also referred me to some friends of his and I've gotten more and more jobs. I'm in the process of setting up a simple Italian website that he can recommend to anyone in Italy that's looking for online translations that outlines my prices, how to pay and expected turn around time. It's by no means Fastlane as the work is still tied to my time but I now look at things completely differently in terms of value creation and subsequent wealth creation.

As MJ mentions in the book, there are everyday problems everywhere that need solving, we just need to look. Solve one person's problem, you have validation. Solve a million people's problems and you have massive wealth creation.

I hope this post helps someone else experience the same shift I did.

Thanks again to Andy for this post and Thank You MJ for this forum and all the golden nuggets you leave us online and in the book.

Bump.

A few people wondering how to start.

It's very simple - if they would just get out of their own way and stop over-thinking.

(Over-thinking - the art of solving problems you don't have.)

 

[Roli]

I am guilty of seriously over-complicating things but I realized it was due to a few things.

1. I make the decision of 'what idea I want to execute on' way to big of a deal. I feel like I've only got 1 shot so don't want to screw it up. This has caused me to execute on almost nothing.

2. As a part of number 1 I fear losing money on a pursuit that will not have any return.

So I end up way overthinking things and do nothing.

Now I realize I don't have to dump tons of money into an idea before I can find out if it works, so I'm just going with the one that I think *might* be best.

What you're displaying is a cognitive bias I like to call (because I couldn't find it named anywhere else) is anxiety-avoidance bias; whereby our brains put a higher premium on avoiding embarrassment, which in turn causes us anxiety, over getting a good result. I wrote an article about it here, it's centered around sports trading, but I've given a couple of good tips which should help anyone in your situation.

 

[eekern]

it is a shame you don`t have your own blog..

 

[Andy Black]

Video where I talk about PMing 700+ forum members:

 

[Vigilante]

it is a shame you don`t have your own blog..

He does. Expect to see some information on that over the next few weeks.

 

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[Andy Black]

Amazing post Andy.

Simple words. Simple truth.

Thanks Aaron.

"Simple" seems to be a common theme recently.

I like simple. High praise indeed.

 

[RogueInnovation]

Yeah, become dynamic and a liittle "sticky" rather than "too polite"
You just do it very lightly and with positivity
Having a bit of "stick" helps with sales and getting to know your audience

Think of it like tires getting traction on the road, you want those tires warm, so they can help you hug those curves better.

... regarding be selfless...
It gets complicated, but I think initially that is the go to plan you want to adopt in order to get away from the "me me me" trap which drowns you in self doubt (will you ask "do I deserve this" if you are sacrificing to help others?).
Later on the selfless thing can be tricky because you can build an ego around THINKING you help people more than you do, but in reality most people in business are just not thinking of you and utilising you as a tool to get something done without thinking about it. So in that sense you become a medium for greater efficiency, which helps grease the wheels of society, but you aren't santa claus. And you shouldn't need to be oprah; handing out cars and tvs. You then need to accept a role as a producer or as a ligtning rod, or whatever role you have.

Even if you are an innovator like Nicola Tesla, your inventions won't necessarily be appreciated or anything. No one is going to worship you, because the calculation in using products is a very cold one. People respect competancy, so if you are competant and generous, you can be half santa claus, but you'll never be fully him.

It is hard to get into business, but I think a lot of that has to do with how we put it on a pedestal. We don't feel motivated to be a cog in a wheel, so we are like "why do I care about business, I want to spend less time doing that", and then that lack of motivation forces us to think "oh but I need money therefor business is everything I need". If you put things on a pedestal because you LACK inherent motivation, you wind up squeezing out the opportunity you have to find REAL motivators. Being selfless helps you re-inject real motivators, and real motivations lead to realistic expectations, and so you can function.

My point is "real motivation" turns into "real action"
But the forced idea that you must do something causes paralysis

It is the difference between creating harmony in what you do, or creating chaos
If you create harmony, even boring things become interesting
If you create chaos, things you love will bore you

So create harmony, real motivation etc, and it will protect you from setting up bad expectations

 

[Vectra1]

Thanks Aaron.

"Simple" seems to be a common theme recently.

I like simple. High praise indeed.

This is so true in so many aspects of life. Why do people try to over complicate things?

This is a very difficult habit to break and we are all guilty of this most of the time.

In my line of work unfortunately most people over complicate a multitude of things to look or sound intelligent or to actually try and look like they know what they are doing and unfortunately with devastating consequences.

In my line of work clear SIMPLE communication is vital and without clear SIMPLE communication the consequences can be fatal.

My advice to all the complicated people that cross my path is keep it SIMPLE not everyone that crosses your path today or tomorrow will understand what you are trying to say or what you are trying to achieve.

Make sure you understand something to the point you CAN make it sound SIMPLE. Keep it SIMPLE, so a child can understand it.

I know this is not quite the same as what you are saying @Andy Black but I believe this lends its self to that or its at least a good place to start.

Thanks for the PM yesterday @Andy Black, I enjoyed our chat, you are a true gent, keep spreading the love

 

[Andy Black]

Thank you for this post Andy. You really hit the nail on the head about what it is that holds so many people back from just starting. I recently had a major mind shift regarding the process of getting started. I understand clearly now what MJ means in the book when he states solve problems first then the money will come. For a long time I've spent so much time thinking about how to make money and inevitably this leads to "paralysis by analysis" - what if it doesn't work, what if they don't like my idea etc. Sitting in the car with the engine on but not pressing the gas!

I've got family in Italy (My Father's side is Italian) and I keep in touch with my older cousin frequently asking how my aunts and uncles and extended family are doing. My cousin owns a few large franchises which import, sell and service American made cars in Italy. From sports coupes to SUV's to restored classics. In passing in one of our conversations he told me he was revamping his website and adding the option to view it in English as well as Italian. I mentioned to him that if he ever needs me to help with any translation from English to Italian or vice versa I would be more than happy to do it for him. Here is the mind shift - I was merely trying to help him and not expecting anything in return. We started out with his marketing department sending me single page in Word which I translated for him. He was pleased and sent me another page the following day. This took all of thirty minutes for me to do. Then... I get an email from him asking me going forward how much it would cost if I could do this for him on a regular basis! Value creation!

I went online, looked at a few translation websites and their prices and made a simple price list based on price per word or price per page. I made my rates slightly lower than the average price offered. I was then faced with the issue of how to get paid. Living in South Africa, international transfers can take awhile to get here and even using a linked PayPal account there are costs involved that eat away any profits you make (and I hate the idea of a PayPal account linked to my bank account - too dangerous). So I went online and did some research and found out about Payoneer. I can accept payments from anywhere and anyone, I get a linked debit card that I can use to buy or draw cash as I need and the costs for transferring to my bank account are lower than PayPal and it only takes 1-3 working days.

So the process for me looked like this: provide value - service / job created - payment solution - both parties happy!

I've been doing this work now for over a month and it's outside of my normal web development work. I would even dare to refer to it as a "side hustle", it doesn't bring in millions but the money that does come in covers all my expenses and the weaker my currency gets, the more I earn. My cousin has also referred me to some friends of his and I've gotten more and more jobs. I'm in the process of setting up a simple Italian website that he can recommend to anyone in Italy that's looking for online translations that outlines my prices, how to pay and expected turn around time. It's by no means Fastlane as the work is still tied to my time but I now look at things completely differently in terms of value creation and subsequent wealth creation.

As MJ mentions in the book, there are everyday problems everywhere that need solving, we just need to look. Solve one person's problem, you have validation. Solve a million people's problems and you have massive wealth creation.

I hope this post helps someone else experience the same shift I did.

Thanks again to Andy for this post and Thank You MJ for this forum and all the golden nuggets you leave us online and in the book.

Fantastic story, thanks for sharing.

It reminds me yet again of my favourite business quote from Mother Theresa of all people:

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

 

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[Andy Black]

I should change the title to 1,500+ PMs now.

Also... now that I'm venturing out there into www land (the Wider Wild West)... this is soooo common.

My goodness but are people all tangled up thinking about themselves, what they like, what skills they have, the things they don't know, the courses they need to take, overcoming procrastination, overcoming perfectionism, how to manage time, how to stay motivated, how to find an accountability group, blah, blah, blah.

Wow. Seriously wow.

Am I missing something?

Is getting started really as simple as just putting others first?

 

[TKDTyler]

See the effect your actions have on others.

Feel those nice feelings within yourself for doing it.

Create an imbalance in the world.

If you got something back each time you helped someone, then each transaction would be complete.

Have


It's been said I live in a "sunny little world".

I didn't realise I did until they'd said it.

I didn't realise some people lived in dark little worlds.

My world revolves around making other people's days a bit sunnier.

I smile first.

They smile back.

I live in a world of smiling people.

That's pretty good for starters eh?

I love this outlook. I am guilty of not seeing and accepting my own value and effect on people in the world due to coming from a background of humility in my sport. I never liked to take credit for my own achievements and most certainly for making others feel good.

Instead of pushing away appreciation, I should embrace it and use it as fuel to provide more value. Thanks for that Mr. @Andy Black

 

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[Delmania]

I love this outlook. I am guilty of not seeing and accepting my own value and effect on people in the world due to coming from a background of humility in my sport. I never liked to take credit for my own achievements and most certainly for making others feel good.

That's not humility, that's meekness. Humility is when you can take credit for your work, but not laud it over it over people. Meekness is based off low self-confidence. You don't think you are worthy of your work. Humility is based on self-confidence. You know you are worthy of your work, but also know you have faults and weaknesses, and that your work needs to be useful to someone.

 

[Andy Black]

Here's a post along the same lines:

• Launch and Learn

 

[Michael Moore]

If you are struggling with teaching or breaking things down or making things very clear but simple then I suggest you find a local club sports or coding or whatever and offer to teach older members of the public to code or kids how to play sports.

Everything complicated goes out the window including big words and your ego as you have to understand very quickly to whom you are speaking and trying to get the message across too or the consequences are dire.

A kid who cannot score a basket a pensioner who gave a donation to an Algerian prince for instance ;-)

Do not take yourself too seriously and remember to have fun.
In the end none of us are getting out of here alive ........ so enjoy.

 

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[Andy Black]

Thank you Andy ...great thread.
Learnt something vital today :Help Others !!

Thanks Again.

And start simple by giving thanks.

Well done. ;-)

 

[Andy Black]

Andy, a sincere thank you for this post. I have been trying to figure out how to get out of my own way to accomplish what I want for my kids' sake, but have always struggled with dealing with day-to-day management of, well, anything. I get bored if I don't have a new problem to solve, but how selfish of me!

I have spent a long time trying to figure out why I can't get things done myself, but after reading Traction by Wickman, I finally understand. I'm the 3% of the people who are visionary, and I need what is called the integrator to make stuff go beyond a certain point. Apparently I'm not unusual for my type, lol. So I'm done beating myself up for not getting things done. And I'm done listening to people who say I should be able to do everything myself- I've tried and failed, and know it just doesn't work for me. Doing the same thing over again and expecting different results truly is insanity.

Intuitively I knew all this was true before reading Traction. I found a guy months ago through LinkedIn who owns an engineering/small manufacturing firm who has agreed to partner with me for my products, and I just figured out last week to get the capital from crowdfunding (duh).

His company can engineer the product design details, make the stuff (until orders are sufficient to move manufacturing to his China partners), manage the day-to-day, and fulfill orders until there are too many. Crowdfunding gives instant customers and shows traction to the retailers so I don't have to really sell the product to the big boxes, it will sell itself (I would hope). I'm a marketing person, but not really a salesperson because I stumble over finding the right words to communicate ideas (common for visionaries). This is such a problem, I'm now reading Pitch Anything. I hope it helps, because I really want my stuff in the big boxes and not just Amazon.

I would love to know if you have any suggestions or comments on my attempt at a solution for someone like me, who gets 10 new ideas each day, but would literally rather have teeth pulled than do paperwork. I do believe genes can get in the way of things- my son is so bored in first grade (he's nearly 4th grade in math) he is literally in tears and the school hasn't fixed anything in 5 months of me hounding them/giving suggestions/asking the previous teacher to help/getting the principal involved. So we are changing schools in the fall.

Again thank you for this thread- I will now more fully consider what part selfishness has in "what I like, what skills I have, the things I don't know, the courses I need to take, overcoming procrastination, overcoming perfectionism, how to manage time, how to stay motivated, (and) how to find an accountability group." I don't think it's always pure selfishness, but it can certainly play a big role if you let it, and I don't want it to define me, regardless of the way my brain is wired.

Sorry for the non-linearness of this post- it's typical for me! LOL.

I have lots of ideas every day too. If one keeps coming up then I add it to a Trello list of “Biz ideas on hold”. This allows me to stay focused on a few things I’m working on. Those things are all related to each other though. They’re all different legs to the same stool.

It’s hard to get traction if we don’t keep going with the same thing(s). The good stuff happens when get really deep into a niche.

Entrepreneurs see opportunities everywhere. That needs to be harnessed lest we spin our wheels.

For me, providing the same service to clients in different verticals gives me variety while still applying the same skills and experience.



Figure out how to “grow what you know” and keep stacking your skills and experience on top of each other?

Try to build a high ground rather than keep moving to what seems like greener pastures?



BTW ... everything is a moot point if we can’t make sales. I’m not into physical product design so can’t advise on your chosen route. I’d want to start with baby steps probably.

Personally, I’d steer clear of anything I couldn’t create and sell within 7 days. Dan Norris calls this “product-founder fit”. Does it fit *you* to be selling this product or service? Do you have the skills, experience, and resources to pull it off?

 

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[Delmania]

Oh, and before everyone bounces on my head, I'll "build an email list" and all that stuff that I currently don't do. In fact, I'll then be newbie boy asking dumb email marketing and social media questions. Haha.

In the spirit of giving back, as you have made a difference in my life, I can answer this one. You're an expert in AdWords, so you can create a mini-course (set of videos, an ebook, etc) that you can offer as a lead to people who visit your site to get their email address. As for the content itself, don't fret too much about it, sending out a simple email that informs people of new posts or a digest. If you want to do more, take a look at the 5 Bullet Friday by Ferris.

Don't worry about copywriting or social media, or any of that crap. In your words, just focus on providing value in an email.

 

[Andy Black]

you have made a difference in my life

Wow. That's amazing, and humbling. Thank you for saying that @Delmania

Don't worry about copywriting or social media, or any of that crap. In your words, just focus on providing value in an email.

That made me laugh. I called it "crap" too in my video post-mortem of the sales-pitch I screwed up.

 

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