Lex's Digital/Physical Product Group Accountability Thread

[Lex DeVille]

I'm curious why you always tend to gravitate toward these "gray area" niches that cause you so much trouble.

Is it deliberate because it's harder to operate in them?

Or are you just a true real world villain with an evil laugh and an evil empire to build?

Man, there's no good way to answer that. My honest answer is pretty grim.

I don't care about wealth, or about success or building an empire anymore.

It's all pointless, so I do what seems fun.

But I can't just do what's fun, because I have mouths to feed and bills to pay.

So, I try to leverage my eccentricities into ideas other people who are like me will be drawn to.


Progress:
My ads are live and running. Traffic is reaching my site. I'm only advertising to the United States, but I've had users from all over the globe today. I don't know how they're finding me. I don't think my site should rank on Google yet, but haven't checked. I've had people reach both the cart and checkout pages today, but haven't landed that first sale yet.

I recorded 15 videos today. So far, I've added five of them to the site. Hopefully, those will add a personal touch. I'm on the fence about purchasing ActiveCampaign, Memberium, and FOMO again. I think they're all really useful, but all of these damn SaaS companies have shitty policies when it comes to pricing, and customer loyalty. I'll probably still invest in them again, but maybe not until I earn my first sale.

 

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[Earthgirl]

Man, there's no good way to answer that. My honest answer is pretty grim.

I don't care about wealth, or about success or building an empire anymore.

It's all pointless, so I do what seems fun.

But I can't just do what's fun, because I have mouths to feed and bills to pay.

So, I try to leverage my eccentricities into ideas other people who are like me will be drawn to.


Progress:
My ads are live and running. Traffic is reaching my site. I'm only advertising to the United States, but I've had users from all over the globe today. I don't know how they're finding me. I don't think my site should rank on Google yet, but haven't checked. I've had people reach both the cart and checkout pages today, but haven't landed that first sale yet.

I recorded 15 videos today. So far, I've added five of them to the site. Hopefully, those will add a personal touch. I'm on the fence about purchasing ActiveCampaign, Memberium, and FOMO again. I think they're all really useful, but all of these damn SaaS companies have shitty policies when it comes to pricing, and customer loyalty. I'll probably still invest in them again, but maybe not until I earn my first sale.

Woah, that's great progress with the videos!

The salesfunnel software I have bought has equivalents of the plugins you mention included but it is taking forever to set up. I have been learning about sql databases and I've also had a 2 hour support call where the developers also couldn't set up the software it's really slowing me down so I will give it to the end of the week then go to shopify.

My progress so far
1. set up site except products - waiting on SF
2. finish creating product range
3. set up products on website
4. learn about google ads - done
5. set up google ads
6. set up etsy shop
7. problem solve/improve website/improve ads/improve etsy shop

This week I have just been learning so far - need to take more action to get things set up and moving.

 

[Ludachris]

I don't care about wealth, or about success or building an empire anymore.

It's all pointless, so I do what seems fun.

But I can't just do what's fun, because I have mouths to feed and bills to pay.

So, I try to leverage my eccentricities into ideas other people who are like me will be drawn to.

That's funny Lex, your answer to the question resonates heavily. I still think of success, wealth, and building an empire - not really as a self defining goal, it's turned into more of a subconscious mantra, wrapped with a little bit of acknowledged hyperbole. It's still just a quest of being financially free, and not being dependent upon an employer to live life the way I want to.

Like you, I too want to work on things I enjoy. It's not so much about pursuing passion, it's about enjoying the process and the journey, because who knows if the particular work I'm doing is going to get the results I'm hoping for... it's the journey I have to embrace and find joy in every day - the learning and growth, the progression, the execution. I find myself constantly trying to mesh the value I'm working to provide with something that I can enjoy focusing on day in and day out, and things I'm good at - as you say, leveraging my eccentricities.

I too have mouths to feed and people to be present for in my life, so I have to be mindful of my time usage, as there are other regrets that could be even more haunting down the road if I let myself be constantly consumed by it all (and sometimes I am). That grounds me to constantly question my focus and decisions. It's a matter of finding the right problems to solve and value to deliver to millions, without falling into the trap of chasing niches or naively pursuing a passion that doesn't bring value to a given market. There's a thin line between pursuing passion and applying your strengths and interests (and/or eccentricities) to a legitimate business opportunity. I just have to make sure I'm being honest with how I'm looking at it.

 

[Earthgirl]

I'm in a different situation, I love my job and would probably do it for free if I had enough money. But that job might not be there forever, everything changes over time. So I want to start building a business that will give me freedom in the future if I want it or need it.

My progress so far
1. set up site except products - waiting on SF
2. finish creating product range - done
3. set up products on website - not done
4. learn about google ads - done
5. set up google ads - not done
6. set up etsy shop - done
7. problem solve/improve website/improve ads/improve etsy shop - started

So the salesfunnel software thing really slowed me down with getting a website set up. I spent hours on skype calls trying to sort it out (being called Sir). Got etsy shops and my first product range sorted in printify and in etsy. The easiest thing will be to list product in the UK market as this is what it defaults too. Then I can set up for USA/ rest of word when I get time to figure out the rules and shipping.

My goals for this week:
1. new product range (same niche)
2. create website/shopify
3. set up products on the website / shopify
4. set up google ads
5. problem solve/improve website/improve ads/improve etsy shop (seo etc)

So whilst I did get slowed down a little, I am now currently able to sell my product range 1 on etsy, and I know enough (I hope ) to catapult me forward next week.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

I'm struggling a bit. Balancing everything is getting tricky. School is back in. Work is consuming a lot of my brain power. Learning piano, German, etc. all takes time. So I'm going slower than I intended on this idea.

Sales
I spent $100 on G ads with nothing to show for it. My search terms have over 6,000 searches per month, and I'm getting clicks, but I think the offer isn't quite right for the searcher.

The Offer
I'm ditching the low-ticket offers for now. I'm pivoting to a single high-ticket offer for an experience closer to what people are searching for. I set up a sales page over the weekend. It's mostly finished. I still need to record a video for it. Once the page is ready, I'll run ads and see if anyone joins. The page leads to book a sales call where I'll offer a product over $3,000 on a live call.

The Product
Most of the product will remain digital and automated, but part of the product will include an item that is physically mailed to the customer. Later, I may build out some courses for my audience if it seems like they'll buy.

Next Steps
1. Record sales page video.
2. Set up call booking.

 

[jarvisdiego]

Launched first digital product last friday (Jan 19). Created website on Shopify. Created GA4 and Google Ads ($10/day) accounts (and set up conversion tracking). Created product in about 1-2 days.

Kept it super simple, as Lex mentioned: Google Ads -> Website -> $$$

Time to launch: ~ 7 days (and I was procrastinating, thinking if it was even worth trying this, so could've launched sooner).

Results: 74 clicks, $62 spent, 7 days, and no conversions.

I had it at a price of $47. Today, I lowered it to $7. I'll give it another 30-50 clicks and if it doesn't bring in any sales, I will kill it.

I already created 2nd product. This one is more specific to a niche. I need to create the website. I already have domain.

I'll keep you guys updated

 

[Lex DeVille]

Update
So far, my idea is telling me the market isn't on board. I haven't switched to the high-ticket version because I don't think I have time to make it work. I adjusted the low-ticket version to be more aligned with what people are searching for. They do use the low-ticket product, but they don't make a purchase. I'm going to give this another week, and then I'm going to shut it down and move on. I'll explain why in the next section.

Work
Carrying a 9-5 is one of the most awful, depressing things I've done in the last decade. Three days a week I sit in a room with a gray glow, no windows, and mostly in silence. My mind is atrophying. By the end of the day, I'm physically and mentally exhausted to the point I can't even look at a computer screen to work on my own projects. The benefits are good. The pay is good. The people are friendly. But what it's doing to my head...every fiber of my existence is screaming to quit and go back to freelancing immediately.

I'd rather not return to copywriting as the landscape has changed a lot over the past year. I'd need a new approach. But in the 9-5, I feel like I'm just passing time until I die. Everyone is on about their retirement... "How do I set up my benefits so 40 years from now I can afford a nice casket??" It has an upside, of course. It pays bills consistently, and the longer I stay, the more money I build to invest in business ideas, but the way my mind feels after 8 hours of mind-numbing work is like I'm on antidepressants. I'm emotionally numb, tired, and lack the cognitive energy to even think of new ideas or to map out a plan for escape.

Escaping
I have a tenant in my rental home. That's roughly $400 per month in passive income. I also still have dwindling income from both YouTube and Udemy to the tune of between $300 - $500 per month. The minimum I need to live on is $3000 per month which doesn't seem like much, but I struggled to come up with it before I had this job.

- Copywriting: Can probably still work, but I may need to change my approach. Also, takes up a lot of time and brain power.

- Passive Income Ideas: These were originally my plan for escape, but so far haven't gone how I envisioned. There are at least three products that I am 95% sure could bridge the gap *given enough time* to get them up and running. I've sold all three in the past. The hard part now is I don't have the mental energy or clarity to work on them.

- Service Business: This seems like it could be the fastest way to claw my way out of this hellscape and maybe even create a Fastlane business. My biggest concern is I'll invest a bunch of money in equipment and then lose interest or motivation in a month. Since this has already happened in the past, I have no reason to think it wouldn't happen again.

Three Advantages
Since I live in a much larger city, more opportunity exists around me than before. Since I moved here with my ex, I'm not carrying the full weight of parenting while providing any longer. Since she just accepted a federal position that pays as much as mine, there is a buffer if I leave my 9-5. I don't want to rely on her income, but it might help in making an escape as soon as I figure out which direction to go.

 

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[John Clancy]

@Lex DeVille I was going to send this as a DM, but then realised:

1. Your DMs are closed
2. This isn't something that needs to be shared privately

I've been following along with this thread, and wanted to reach out after I saw your most recent post.

I'm sorry you're having a tough time right now.

I'm not the first one to say this, but it's still worth saying:

Thank you for all the value you've provided over the years.

From one person to another, thank you.

Your OG Upwork content is what helped me get started back in 2016 when I was a confused college kid with no skills, no money, and no clue what I wanted to do.

Rather than following the Ascended Guru™ Playbook, you played it straight.

No BS. No fluff. No hiding behind mounds of theoretical frameworks or abstract nonsense that sounded good, but had clearly never seen the light of day.

You called it like you saw it. And shared simple, to-the-point strategies that worked.

Sure, you had existing skills to leverage. Intelligence, work ethic, and a world-class ability to jump in and get started (something 98% of people lack).

But you didn't dress it up like it was anything other than what it was. And that was a breath of fresh air.

--

There's a lot of water under the bridge since then. For you, for me, for everyone.

But as time has passed, think of all the people along the way that you've impacted positively. Side hustles, mindset, writing, positioning, branding, funnels, spotting gurus in the wild, self-belief, taking action. I can't even estimate how many people your presence must have impacted over time.

That's not to just say "look on the bright side!!". Issues are issues - they don't disappear just because we ignore them.

What I'm getting at here is that, while you might feel you're at a low point in your journey now, that doesn't mean you'll stay there. That things can't come back around, or be even better than they used to be.

(They might be different. But different doesn't mean bad.)

--

So, again:

Thank you.

And as a parting thought, three "how might you" questions that could be helpful to consider:

• How might you change how you think/relate to your job such that it doesn't exhaust you, leave you numb, and drain you of your cognitive energy?
• How might you "return" to copywriting - and do it in a way that doesn't take up so much time and brainpower?
• How might you find the mental energy and clarity to get your passive income ideas working as they should?

They're open-ended questions - and not necessarily easy to answer. But in sitting with them, you might see a path forward that's been hiding in plain sight this whole time.

Bottom line:

If there's something you need, ask.

Even if you never share question with another person, it's still worth asking.

Because it's only in asking that we can find an answer.

 

[Lex DeVille]

@Lex DeVille I was going to send this as a DM, but then realised:

1. Your DMs are closed
2. This isn't something that needs to be shared privately

I've been following along with this thread, and wanted to reach out after I saw your most recent post.

I'm sorry you're having a tough time right now.

I'm not the first one to say this, but it's still worth saying:

Thank you for all the value you've provided over the years.

From one person to another, thank you.

Your OG Upwork content is what helped me get started back in 2016 when I was a confused college kid with no skills, no money, and no clue what I wanted to do.

Rather than following the Ascended Guru™ Playbook, you played it straight.

No BS. No fluff. No hiding behind mounds of theoretical frameworks or abstract nonsense that sounded good, but had clearly never seen the light of day.

You called it like you saw it. And shared simple, to-the-point strategies that worked.

Sure, you had existing skills to leverage. Intelligence, work ethic, and a world-class ability to jump in and get started (something 98% of people lack).

But you didn't dress it up like it was anything other than what it was. And that was a breath of fresh air.

--

There's a lot of water under the bridge since then. For you, for me, for everyone.

But as time has passed, think of all the people along the way that you've impacted positively. Side hustles, mindset, writing, positioning, branding, funnels, spotting gurus in the wild, self-belief, taking action. I can't even estimate how many people your presence must have impacted over time.

That's not to just say "look on the bright side!!". Issues are issues - they don't disappear just because we ignore them.

What I'm getting at here is that, while you might feel you're at a low point in your journey now, that doesn't mean you'll stay there. That things can't come back around, or be even better than they used to be.

(They might be different. But different doesn't mean bad.)

--

So, again:

Thank you.

And as a parting thought, three "how might you" questions that could be helpful to consider:

• How might you change how you think/relate to your job such that it doesn't exhaust you, leave you numb, and drain you of your cognitive energy?
• How might you "return" to copywriting - and do it in a way that doesn't take up so much time and brainpower?
• How might you find the mental energy and clarity to get your passive income ideas working as they should?

They're open-ended questions - and not necessarily easy to answer. But in sitting with them, you might see a path forward that's been hiding in plain sight this whole time.

Bottom line:

If there's something you need, ask.

Even if you never share question with another person, it's still worth asking.

Because it's only in asking that we can find an answer.

Thanks John, I appreciate reading that.

Your post means a lot. It reminded me of where I've been and who I am. I can't lose that person.

I'll turn this around or die trying.

 

[NervesOfSteel]

Update: Half past midnight, 4th Feb, 2024.

Send my free product demo to many clients for their feedback. The humblest comment was disappointing!

I was devastated because I had a Lambo expectation tied up with this product.

With $48 worth of ads on FB, and twice on Instagram, I was able to sell only USD 100 worth of my product.

It made no sense.

Meanwhile, I encountered a massive problem and spent countless hours ... smoothening out the issues.

So I converted the problems that I faced and its solutions into a product and developed an AI model around it.

@Lex DeVille inspired me to think out of the box. And I did it as an experiment.

Results:

Total investment to date = 18000 USD.
Old sales, Gain = -(Negative) 45USD, excluding 18000 USD investment.
New Product = Sales worth 9000 USD with 3 clients, 4500 USD as advance received in first 3 weeks. Only B2B model.

Let's see how it rolls out. I will update you later.

 

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[jarvisdiego]

Results of 1st product:

- 5 subscribers
- 0 conversions

View attachment 53866

I thought it was going to get sales since there's a lot of people searching for this. I was wrong. I gave up on this product.

2nd Product:

Got my first sale Tuesday! I created the whole product with chatGPT and it's a 14-pg PDF.

View attachment 53867

I've got 53 clicks and 1 sale. Now, since I got 1 conversion, I'm thinking of making one change to the website (CTR is good so I'm not going to mess with the ad copy right now) and giving it another 50 clicks and see what type of results I get.

View attachment 53869


3rd Product:

I'm already working on the 3rd product in case this one does not bring in more sales

Keep you guys updated.

 

[Timmy C]

Escaping
I have a tenant in my rental home. That's roughly $400 per month in passive income. I also still have dwindling income from both YouTube and Udemy to the tune of between $300 - $500 per month. The minimum I need to live on is $3000 per month which doesn't seem like much, but I struggled to come up with it before I had this job.

Any way you can use these already existing income streams to bridge the gap?

If your time and energy goes here, will it be worth it do you think?

I probably already know the answer, otherwise you would already be doing it, or you have other reasons for not going down that path.

Yeh man I empathise with you on your struggles, just do the best you can and take care of your health.

You have options, maybe not options you like, or on the timeline that you like, but you do have options.

You can always change Jobs that can free up more time for example.

Maybe a job that has even more benefits and higher pay, freeing up energy for your other pursuits.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Any way you can use these already existing income streams to bridge the gap?

If your time and energy goes here, will it be worth it do you think?

I probably already know the answer, otherwise you would already be doing it, or you have other reasons for not going down that path.

Yeh man I empathise with you on your struggles, just do the best you can and take care of your health.

You have options, maybe not options you like, or on the timeline that you like, but you do have options.

You can always change Jobs that can free up more time for example.

Maybe a job that has even more benefits and higher pay, freeing up energy for your other pursuits.

The last time I built up Udemy I brought a large audience, but freelancing turned out to be a terrible topic. Udemy might bridge the gap if I find the right course topics and go all-in with it for a while.

As far as jobs go, I applied to one I think could become a great Fastlane business.

The industry is towing, the job is repo.

The barriers to entry are high because you need training, equipment, experience, and grit. The company I applied with offers base + commission on each car repossessed with no cap, so I could get paid well while training, gaining experience, and building up a deposit to buy a wrecker. I plan to call other places this week if I don't hear back from the first place. This may become a separate progress thread soon.

Beyond that, I made the decision to exit my position within the next week or so. Either I'll land work in the new field or I'll take my chances with Udemy and freelancing, then decide if I want to find a different route into a repo business if I don't get hired.

 

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[Andy Black]

The last time I built up Udemy I brought a large audience, but freelancing turned out to be a terrible topic. Udemy might bridge the gap if I find the right course topics and go all-in with it for a while.

As far as jobs go, I applied to one I think could become a great Fastlane business.

The industry is towing, the job is repo.

The barriers to entry are high because you need training, equipment, experience, and grit. The company I applied with offers base + commission on each car repossessed with no cap, so I could get paid well while training, gaining experience, and building up a deposit to buy a wrecker. I plan to call other places this week if I don't hear back from the first place. This may become a separate progress thread soon.

Beyond that, I made the decision to exit my position within the next week or so. Either I'll land work in the new field or I'll take my chances with Udemy and freelancing, then decide if I want to find a different route into a repo business if I don't get hired.

You've an incredible ability to go from zero to one very fast, and to grind out results over the years, in surprisingly unrelated fields.

Do you sometimes deliberately overload yourself? If I recall correctly you're learning a few languages while maybe finishing off a degree/advanced degree, while having moved city, got a new job, etc.

Can you lean into all your experiences, knowledge, and incredible ability to become world-class in new things super-fast? As well as your tendency/desire to do new things?

 

[Lex DeVille]

You've an incredible ability to go from zero to one very fast, and to grind out results over the years, in surprisingly unrelated fields.

Do you sometimes deliberately overload yourself? If I recall correctly you're learning a few languages while maybe finishing off a degree/advanced degree, while having moved city, got a new job, etc.

Can you lean into all your experiences, knowledge, and incredible ability to become world-class in new things super-fast? As well as your tendency/desire to do new things?

Part of why I do so many new things is because I want to do all the things, including things people say are impossible (like doing all the things lol).

I don't have a clear picture of what leaning into it as a business would look like. If we're talking about a YT channel or course business, I think I'd get lost in the noise of wannabe motivational and time management channels and courses.

Any courses or products I make will probably target B2B, so I'm not sure how that fits together exactly.

 

[John Clancy]

The last time I built up Udemy I brought a large audience, but freelancing turned out to be a terrible topic. Udemy might bridge the gap if I find the right course topics and go all-in with it for a while.

As far as jobs go, I applied to one I think could become a great Fastlane business.

The industry is towing, the job is repo.

The barriers to entry are high because you need training, equipment, experience, and grit. The company I applied with offers base + commission on each car repossessed with no cap, so I could get paid well while training, gaining experience, and building up a deposit to buy a wrecker. I plan to call other places this week if I don't hear back from the first place. This may become a separate progress thread soon.

Beyond that, I made the decision to exit my position within the next week or so. Either I'll land work in the new field or I'll take my chances with Udemy and freelancing, then decide if I want to find a different route into a repo business if I don't get hired.

IIRC, part of the issue with your freelancing audience was that a large percentage of them were from poorer countries (places where freelancing was the best chance at a decent income for many), and they weren't great candidates for anything more lucrative, right?

Like @Andy Black said: you've gone from zero to one in a lot of niches before. To me, that suggests two teaching opportunities, assuming you wanted to take Udemy and run with it:

1. Teach people to develop that skill for themselves - metalearning.
2. Leverage that skill to learn a new topic (something unrelated to freelancing)

Think of everything you've been involved in previously.

Luxury candles. Laser engraving. Building sheds. Debt collection. Making LEGO portraits. Creative writing. Publishing. Copywriting. Marketing strategy. Web design. Membership businesses. Funnels. Email marketing. Local services. Community. Coaching. Consulting. Digital products. Passive income products. YouTube content creation. Audiobook narration. Music. Hypnosis. NLP.

(I've probably missed a few.)

Think of the dozens of micro-skills you needed for each of those.

Think of the amount of knowledge you've accumulated over time.

Now, think of how many other markets those skills could be deployed in - if people had someone to show them the way.

For instance, imagine instead of just releasing courses on freelancing, you could package up your knowledge on the following:

• How to start a laser engraving side hustle
• Luxury branding
• High-ticket positioning for service providers
• Building a home studio for music/audiobook narration/YT etc.
• Identifying opportunities for businesses you could start locally
• Building digital products (over-the-shoulder style content)

Or any combination of skills you've picked up over time.

And you're not just stuck with making courses. Maybe this looks like consulting, DFY options, or something else.

--

The repo job sounds interesting.

You have experience working collections in the past. If you think that returning to the field is a step up from where you are now, then that's fair enough.

But if you think that you're likely to encounter the same challenges as you did previously, that's something to bear in mind.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

For instance, imagine instead of just releasing courses on freelancing, you could package up your knowledge on the following:

• How to start a laser engraving side hustle
• Luxury branding
• High-ticket positioning for service providers
• Building a home studio for music/audiobook narration/YT etc.
• Identifying opportunities for businesses you could start locally
• Building digital products (over-the-shoulder style content)

Or any combination of skills you've picked up over time.

And you're not just stuck with making courses. Maybe this looks like consulting, DFY options, or something else.

I get it, there's a lot to pull from. Maybe that's part of the problem. It's hard to look back over all of the things and try to piece them into something, especially when I don't have reason to believe it will pan out over time.

I'm looking at Udemy courses because I know they will sell, and once a course is launched, I can predict, within reason, about how much it will earn over the next several years even without input from me.

Anyway, I'll sit with this and do some research to see if there are opportunities I'm overlooking.

The repo job sounds interesting.

You have experience working collections in the past. If you think that returning to the field is a step up from where you are now, then that's fair enough.

But if you think that you're likely to encounter the same challenges as you did previously, that's something to bear in mind.

I'm probably caught up in another interest high. That said, repo is a dirty business with guaranteed returns if you're willing to put in the footwork. For the most part, you pull up, grab the vehicle, take it to a lot. That's $350 in your pocket. Do that a couple times a day and you've got a $300k+/yr solo-operator business where your customers are other businesses.

There are unique challenges, but I see opportunity because of my background. For instance, in a week, I could have the best local website with the best copywriting and branding ranking at the top of Google because repo places don't have a clue about that stuff. I can run ads for leads, and make content around a topic that isn't full of gurus because most repo guys aren't marketers. Once my following grows, I can make courses on how to make $1k/day repo business etc.

Another aspect that appeals to me is how this fits the darker side of my personality. Repo is part of society's underbelly. People don't like to think about it, and most people wouldn't consider doing it.

 

[Andy Black]

Sinister Repo.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Okay, I've committed to a decision. I'm quitting the 9-5 tomorrow morning.

After that, I'll focus all of my efforts on Udemy courses rather than freelancing because the goal is freedom.

To do that, I'll start a new Udemy account from scratch, and I'll set it up as a business rather than as a solo instructor so I can make videos without the expectation of my face being on screen, that way I can cover basically any topic.

From there, I'll use a combination of Udemy and Google research to determine good topics that haven't already been covered on Udemy. I'll use ChatGPT to outline the courses and maybe even to provide the script. I'll use Canva and Google Slides to create presentations.

I'll aim to produce at least two courses per month (more if I can make my courses good enough without sacrificing quality) with a goal of adding an additional $500 to $1,000 in revenue each month.

Repo is still on the table, because I still need a Fastlane business.

So that's that. Here we go!

 

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[Andy Black]

Okay, I've committed to a decision. I'm quitting the 9-5 tomorrow morning.

After that, I'll focus all of my efforts on Udemy courses rather than freelancing because the goal is freedom.

To do that, I'll start a new Udemy account from scratch, and I'll set it up as a business rather than as a solo instructor so I can make videos without the expectation of my face being on screen, that way I can cover basically any topic.

From there, I'll use a combination of Udemy and Google research to determine good topics that haven't already been covered on Udemy. I'll use ChatGPT to outline the courses and maybe even to provide the script. I'll use Canva and Google Slides to create presentations.

I'll aim to produce at least two courses per month (more if I can make my courses good enough without sacrificing quality) with a goal of adding an additional $500 to $1,000 in revenue each month.

Repo is still on the table, because I still need a Fastlane business.

So that's that. Here we go!

I love it.

Especially this part:

I'll set it up as a business rather than as a solo instructor so I can make videos without the expectation of my face being on screen, that way I can cover basically any topic.

 

[AmazingLarry]

Okay, I've committed to a decision. I'm quitting the 9-5 tomorrow morning.

After that, I'll focus all of my efforts on Udemy courses rather than freelancing because the goal is freedom.

To do that, I'll start a new Udemy account from scratch, and I'll set it up as a business rather than as a solo instructor so I can make videos without the expectation of my face being on screen, that way I can cover basically any topic.

From there, I'll use a combination of Udemy and Google research to determine good topics that haven't already been covered on Udemy. I'll use ChatGPT to outline the courses and maybe even to provide the script. I'll use Canva and Google Slides to create presentations.

I'll aim to produce at least two courses per month (more if I can make my courses good enough without sacrificing quality) with a goal of adding an additional $500 to $1,000 in revenue each month.

Repo is still on the table, because I still need a Fastlane business.

So that's that. Here we go!

Looking forward to following your progress.

I need some of this quick decisiveness in my life haha!

 

[cornishpasty]

Okay, I've committed to a decision. I'm quitting the 9-5 tomorrow morning.

awesome

After that, I'll focus all of my efforts on Udemy courses rather than freelancing because the goal is freedom.

To do that, I'll start a new Udemy account from scratch, and I'll set it up as a business rather than as a solo instructor so I can make videos without the expectation of my face being on screen, that way I can cover basically any topic.

your action-taking abilities are second to none! always enjoy seeing your tweaks and pivots - looking forward to seeing where this one goes. what's made you choose Udemy over other course platforms?

 

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[Lex DeVille]

awesome

your action-taking abilities are second to none! always enjoy seeing your tweaks and pivots - looking forward to seeing where this one goes. what's made you choose Udemy over other course platforms?

The main reason is because I already know Udemy works. I've built a passive income to the tune of about $5k/mo on their platform in the past with courses that continue to send cash into my bank account every month to this day. If I had chosen better course topics and put more effort into marketing, my profits would almost certainly have stayed higher longer, but I still enjoy cash deposits of around $400 to $500 every month.

Other reasons:

• It's free to create courses on Udemy
• Their platform works well
• They handle marketing and advertising
• The platform is well-known and trusted
• It's fast for me because I'm familiar with their platform
• Doesn't require a website or third-party accounts
• They handle video hosting
• They handle payments

 

[Andy Black]

The main reason is because I already know Udemy works. I've built a passive income to the tune of about $5k/mo on their platform in the past with courses that continue to send cash into my bank account every month to this day. If I had chosen better course topics and put more effort into marketing, my profits would almost certainly have stayed higher longer, but I still enjoy cash deposits of around $400 to $500 every month.

Other reasons:

• It's free to create courses on Udemy
• Their platform works well
• They handle marketing and advertising
• The platform is well-known and trusted
• It's fast for me because I'm familiar with their platform
• Doesn't require a website or third-party accounts
• They handle video hosting
• They handle payments

If you create a course that sells well on Udemy, are you able to then try selling it from your website via other marketing channels?

Are you able to get student's email addresses?

 

[Lex DeVille]

If you create a course that sells well on Udemy, are you able to then try selling it from your website via other marketing channels?

Are you able to get student's email addresses?

I can, but for now I think it's better to focus on finding good topics and publishing related courses quickly. I look at Udemy in a similar way as authors used to look at KDP. Create, publish, repeat. That's enough to build a nice passive income that lasts a long time even without an audience.

Udemy can change its model anytime, and if they go crazy, I'll have lots of data about which topics work well (and access to my Udemy email list). For now, I'll focus exclusively on creating the materials and getting them published. Once the machine is turned on, then I can look at ways to make it work better.

 

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[Andy Black]

I can, but for now I think it's better to focus on finding good topics and publishing related courses quickly. I look at Udemy in a similar way as authors used to look at KDP. Create, publish, repeat. That's enough to build a nice passive income that lasts a long time even without an audience.

Udemy can change its model anytime, and if they go crazy, I'll have lots of data about which topics work well (and access to my Udemy email list). For now, I'll focus exclusively on creating the materials and getting them published. Once the machine is turned on, then I can look at ways to make it work better.

Do you automatically get the emails of students or do you have to try and get them yourself somehow?

 

[Lex DeVille]

Do you automatically get the emails of students or do you have to try and get them yourself somehow?

Udemy collects emails for every student and I can email that list X times per month, but if I want access to the emails I have to incentivize students to provide their email outside of Udemy.

In other news...

I'm officially unemployed again!

 

[Andy Black]

I'm officially unemployed again!

Congrats, I think. Lol.


I just remembered @Timmy C mentioning recently he checked his PayPal and had money there from monthly Skillshare deposits he forgot he gets.

I've practially forgotten I make about $500/mth from my own courses hosted on my own domain too, and I haven't updated them in years.

 

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[MTF]

I can, but for now I think it's better to focus on finding good topics and publishing related courses quickly. I look at Udemy in a similar way as authors used to look at KDP. Create, publish, repeat. That's enough to build a nice passive income that lasts a long time even without an audience.

That's my favorite business model. I love businesses that are almost purely a numbers game.

The adventures of repo man would probably work well on TikTok or as YouTube shorts but not sure how you could monetize it.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Yesterday got weird.
In the morning, I went to work at my scheduled time. My supervisor wasn't in, so I slipped my resignation letter under the door to his office and left, expecting that he'd find it when he arrived. Unfortunately, the supervisor must have decided to telework... Later, the supervisor called my phone, but I didn't answer because I didn't want any awkward goodbye conversations. I've barely been there two months, and what's done is done.

The thing is, when I introduced myself in the office a few weeks ago, I made a joke about relocating with my ex-wife and that if I didn't show up one day, come looking for me just in case she off'd me lol. Well... since they hadn't seen the resignation letter, I guess they took my dark humor seriously and called the police. Then the police called me and I had to explain how I'm not dead and all is well.

Udemy
I researched a variety of topics and came up with a few to test as initial courses. I created a fresh Udemy account, set up the first course, created and uploaded a promo video, and got roughly half of the course scripted through ChatGPT. I'll begin narrating scripts later today. I think I can have the first course ready by this weekend.

The adventures of repo man would probably work well on TikTok or as YouTube shorts but not sure how you could monetize it.

I have a lot of ideas for directions this can go. There are a few repo channels on YouTube with 40k+ subscribers.

Something I learned about yesterday is called "Voluntary Surrender" (AKA Voluntary Repossession). Apparently, this is a thing where people schedule a repo person to pick up their vehicle at a designated time and place.

That got me curious if I might create a website that focuses on voluntary surrender that gets people to bring their vehicles to me and hand over the keys. I could pay for their ride home if needed and drive the vehicle to the lender without owning a tow truck. If nothing else, it's a service I'll add to my website if I make progress with repo as a business.