MTF needs a slumpbuster: Too many swings, no hits.

[Andy Black]

Problems are actually stepping stones in our path. We overcome them them one at a time, and that's how we progress on our journey.

I don't know if you ever watched this little video, and the one by our son when he was 5...

MINDSET - What's Your Problem?

What's Your Problem? Do you know what your biggest problem is? If you can’t decide then these short videos might help. Andy Black’s Video (2 mins) Apologies for the hushed voice. All the kids were in bed by the time I did the audio. I’ll only ever record audio during the day going forward...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

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[Andy Black]

I like creating businesses way more than running them.

This isn't unusual. How can you lean into it and keep creating/adding to the same business?

I like creating something (solving a problem) and moving onto the next problem. What I'd love is if the problems I solved stay solved. E.g. build a steady stream of daily visitors to a page, then move onto the next step of getting them onto an email list, then move onto the next step of building an autoresponder series. Etc.

Even better if I can create a flywheel out of it so each subscriber or customer brings three more.

How can you satisfy your urge and use your talent for solving new problems AND keep adding to what you've already built?


Lol. For some reason I'm compelled to tag @Lex DeVille

 

[MTF]

Also, consider (quickly) building a machine/funnel that gets a steady stream of visitors like clockwork, and then trying different money nozzles on the end to get revenue. That's you finding a product for the market rather than a market for your product.

Just my 2c. Lots of ways to skin this cat.

I like this idea, thanks.

I don't know if you ever watched this little video, and the one by our son when he was 5...

MINDSET - What's Your Problem?

What's Your Problem? Do you know what your biggest problem is? If you can’t decide then these short videos might help. Andy Black’s Video (2 mins) Apologies for the hushed voice. All the kids were in bed by the time I did the audio. I’ll only ever record audio during the day going forward...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

I just watched it. Your version was pretty nice. Your son's version was hard to understand

I like creating something (solving a problem) and moving onto the next problem. What I'd love is if the problems I solved stay solved. E.g. build a steady stream of daily visitors to a page, then move onto the next step of getting them onto an email list, then move onto the next step of building an autoresponder series. Etc.

Even better if I can create a flywheel out of it so each subscriber or customer brings three more.

How can you satisfy your urge and use your talent for solving new problems AND keep adding to what you've already built?

So sort of like looking at individual aspects of a business as little businesses themselves with one goal (say, get visitors, or move them through an autoresponder, etc.).

Lol. For some reason I'm compelled to tag @Lex DeVille

As far as I know Lex also prefers creating to running businesses.

 

[Kak]

I appreciate this a lot, Kyle. I know we have our differences (with @Antifragile as well) but I always imagine you two guys as people who have it all figured out, absolutely love your businesses, and never really struggle much.

This is very important food for thought for me so thank you for that.

I haven't tried to hide this fact.

I do love business, in general. All business is the same to me. Sell and distribute chemicals, own a lawn mowing empire, use technology to solve a problem for government... Whatever... They are all just systems to me. I enjoy general business. The point of a business is to create value, not entertain my desires. I'd have a business that cleans sewer lines (or insert undesirable activity) if it made more sense than my current business.

What I don't enjoy is specific problems thst rise up. They needle at you and make you feel like a POS failure if you let them.

If you add up all the failures and bullshit I've waded through, I'm probably in the running for the biggest POS failure on this forum. But then I start to realize what all that glowing failure (mixed with the "dull" successes) somehow did for me. I'm incredibly and unnaturally blessed with both time and resources.

Failure and mental health is the ugly side of entrepreneurshup and I've tried pretty hard to be an open book on this, particularly on my radio show where we did some deeper dives. What you are experiencing isn't unique to you. Some days I still fall and drive to the gas station to bathe my brain in nicotine.

But what choice do I have? I chose entrepreneurshup as a career path. I'm completely unemploy-able at this point. No one will pay what I think is necessary to sell them my hours.

I'm pretty convinced, the most successful entrepreneurs are also the biggest failures out there. I have even said it before on my show, the more success someone has, the more they have likely failed.

Success is directly correlated to how much failure we are willing to endure.

Thankfully, as you continue to fail, the failures seem like less and less of a big deal and you can start to enjoy what you built. So, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

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[Antifragile]

I appreciate this a lot, Kyle. I know we have our differences (with @Antifragile as well) but I always imagine you two guys as people who have it all figured out, absolutely love your businesses, and never really struggle much.

Show me one person who "never really struggles much" and I'll show you a lier.

We all have our battles in one way or another.

Why do you think I was a fan of your Discomfort Club? Because my life was all sunshine and roses comfortable?

No. Because I could relate to struggle and that success was only possible through discomfort. As in, it was a prerequisite for growth.

There is no success without growth. Personal, spiritual, financial - all of it.

This is very important food for thought for me so thank you for that.

Good luck. I really mean it, hope you get a few wins soon.

 

[MakeItHappen]

Not a single successful business person I know had it easy. Any entrepreneur could, if not careful, spiral into a depressive mindset.

Amen!

Winning doesn't build character. If you keep winning you have no resistance that will make you grow stronger. And you need to get better all the time to compete successfully in the marketplace.

Weightlifting Example:
Person A: tries to bech press 80kg the first time in the gym and succeeds... and keeps winning at benching 80kg for the next 12 months

Person B: tries to bench Press 80kg and fails miserably... he tries to bench 70kg and still fail...now he start researching how to lift properly and how to grow musclew... he starts at 60kg and succeeds and increases the weight by 1kg each week... sometimes he fails at the higher weight, sometimes he succeeds... he keeps trying failing quite a lot during the next 12 months...

After 12 months Person A and Person B compete 1 on 1 in a bench press contest and... Person A crushes Person B

Setbacks are how you level up in business.

Btw, If you barely fail while pursuing your goals you are likely not giving it anywhere close to 100%.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I eventually made enough money to buy a big lot in the countryside. We searched for it for almost 2 years. In the end we bought by far the best land possible that wasn't originally for sale. My parents moved there after about 2 years of construction and have enjoyed their retirement since then.

This is incredibly impressive. I have even more respect for you than before, and yes, I already had immense respect for you despite your struggles.

But more so, this little story identifies your core issue is that you are driven by purpose, specifically, a purpose that is derived from being helpful and caretaking to others. That type of purpose compels you to work through problems and struggles.

This is also why if you were working for someone, but still on your terms, you follow through and do great work. I think Fox mentioned you worked with him and did great work.

Everything points to helping others and being accountable to their outcomes, which in effect, will make you accountable to your own.

Without a defining external purpose, it's easy to abandon a sinking ship (or any semblance of trouble on the ship) and climb back aboard your comfortable yacht.

 

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[MTF]

Thank you, MJ. I've said it many times on this forum but let me say it again: none of this would have ever happened without your book and the forum.

But more so, this little story identifies your core issue is that you are driven by purpose, specifically, a purpose that is derived from being helpful and caretaking to others. That type of purpose compels you to work through problems and struggles.

This is also why if you were working for someone, but still on your terms, you follow through and do great work. I think Fox mentioned you worked with him and did great work.

Everything points to helping others and being accountable to their outcomes, which in effect, will make you accountable to your own.

Without a defining external purpose, it's easy to abandon a sinking ship (or any semblance of trouble on the ship) and climb back aboard your comfortable yacht.

I've been thinking about this today.

I can't disappoint other people. I can disappoint myself but I can't disappoint other people.

I feel I need a business where, as you're saying, I'm directly accountable for someone else's success. And there's no accountability in simply writing content.

I'm now helping my girlfriend with her business. I'm more invested in her success than in mine at the moment, even though she doubts herself. I tend to be much more supportive of and believe in others way more than in myself. So this would only prove what you said.

 

[Jon822]

Thank you, MJ. I've said it many times on this forum but let me say it again: none of this would have ever happened without your book and the forum.



I've been thinking about this today.

I can't disappoint other people. I can disappoint myself but I can't disappoint other people.

I feel I need a business where, as you're saying, I'm directly accountable for someone else's success. And there's no accountability in simply writing content.

I'm now helping my girlfriend with her business. I'm more invested in her success than in mine at the moment, even though she doubts herself. I tend to be much more supportive of and believe in others way more than in myself. So this would only prove what you said.

Perfect. Achieve your dreams or you'll disappoint me. Don't let me down.

 

[Kak]

Thank you, MJ. I've said it many times on this forum but let me say it again: none of this would have ever happened without your book and the forum.



I've been thinking about this today.

I can't disappoint other people. I can disappoint myself but I can't disappoint other people.

I feel I need a business where, as you're saying, I'm directly accountable for someone else's success. And there's no accountability in simply writing content.

I'm now helping my girlfriend with her business. I'm more invested in her success than in mine at the moment, even though she doubts herself. I tend to be much more supportive of and believe in others way more than in myself. So this would only prove what you said.

It's pretty universal that people thrive when they are responsible to others. This does not have to look like a job.

There's no true business where you aren't responsible to others in some form or fashion. Lean in and take up some responsibility you wouldn't have historically taken. Sure it will be uncomfortable, but I'll tell you my business journey has been mentally the equivalent of David Goggins running 40 miles in wet socks. Discomfort, in the sense of doing things you dont want to do, helps you overcome. (Not in the sense where you do permanent damage to your progress just to be "tough.)

It's the whole comfort zone thing. Growth happens outside of it. Responsibility to people outside of you works for you, you've seen it work, it's a proven entity in your life. Even though it's uncomfortable, it's a freaking great start for you.

Good job man.

 

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[Matt Sun]

I think you should reverse your vasectomy and then you would find motivation.



There, I said it.

 

[focusedlife]

Oh, and get quick wins @MTF.

Noah Kagan has a good little book on getting started in a weekend. Whether you follow his blueprint or not isn't the point. You should be able to make a sale in a weekend.

A sale means getting revenue.

A lot of your current activity seems very long winded and you'll only find out if you'll make any revenue in months.

That feedback loop is too long.

Echoing what MJ said, your steps seem very convoluted.

Want to get somewhere quicker? Start as close to the end as possible.

Your goal is to earn money (by providing value).

How can you do that quicker? How can you start as close to the end as possible?

Million Dollar Weekend is PURE GOLD!

Definitely think it's gonna be a perennial classic.

The distillation for me is getting comfortable with discomfort, "now, not how" and small wins you stack up on.

When I discovered it was all written based on iterative feedback he got from readers while it was being edited... I knewit was something I was gonna reread and implement from over and over.

Good stuff.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

@MTF - it's been a few weeks, come to any conclusions? New focuses? New commitments?

 

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[MTF]

@MTF - it's been a few weeks, come to any conclusions? New focuses? New commitments?

Thanks for asking, MJ.

I've been researching various stuff but without any commitments so far other than helping my girlfriend with her podcast (which is another confirmation for me how difficult the creator economy is).

I'm now primarily focused on my health as I need to fix it first before dedicating myself to anything. I have some mental and physical challenges that handicap me so I'm working on that.

I do have some conclusions, though:

1. I'm not planning to launch any content-based businesses anymore. I'm more pessimistic than ever about the viability of such businesses, at least from the Fastlane perspective.

2. I'm almost 100% certain that if I were to start anything new, it would be a B2B business. Just exploring things casually, I'm not sure what industry I could target, though, that I would understand without running a business in it.

3. At this point in my life I value my time freedom much more than money. So if I were to start anything new, I'd most likely quickly hire a contractor or two to help with the fulfillment side so that I'll be able to continue doing my own stuff.

As I mentioned in the solopreneurs thread:

I recently discovered Alex West who's behind CyberLeads | Recently Funded Startups Lead Lists

He's now making $600k a year with 3 VAs and one operator and he works on average 2 hours a day.

Here's his website:

Alex West

www.alexwest.co

His Twitter:

https://twitter.com/alexwestco/

Some interesting videos of his:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtE5BERNGQY

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAigd4b9jsA

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh17Kbx0QGA

I really love his philosophy and priorities. I structure my life in the exact same way so he's an excellent role model for me on what is possible while running a real business and not some money making scheme.

 

[whitworldwide]

No, nothing interesting happened here and this is all my fault.

There was a lot of good advice posted for people who are struggling with the business part of things so I hope at least that was useful.

But if your mental state sucks, then any business you start will be destined to fail which is why I haven't taken any action. There's no point as I'll just sabotage myself sooner or later.

Thanks @MTF for starting this thread. Like you said, it's helped some people who have been struggling recently (myself included).

I hope the thread is at least bringing you some value and sparking some ideas and motivation.

 

[IceCreamAction]

@MTF your publishing journey was one of the main stories I refer to for this forum. If I remember correctly, English wasn't even a strong suit.

Have to agree with most comments alluding to it being a mindset issue.
You are immensely talented and surely will bring about another success in due course. Never discount your own track record.

I look forward to the fruits of your motivation/mindset realignment.

 

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[buildpath]

I'm totally unknown and wrote a book. No list, no following. Some pretty shit videos on my IG. Sold over 8,000 copies so far. People love it and comment on my ads that they enjoy the book and found it useful. I would probably sell more if I could stomach putting it on Amazon again. It's not Fastlane money, but it's a start, and shows you don't need fame to sell.

Being famous definitely makes life easier. But a good product also makes like easier.

It's easy to look at others and say "it's so easy for them, so why try?". But if your products are good and there's demand (you need both, not just one), then it'll sell. You don't need an audience or a bajillion followers.

I started running ads for £3 a day. Why build an audience when you can buy for a few quid?

Hey Sam, I think you contributed greatly by sharing this. You only have 613 subs on your YouTube channel, yet you've sold 8k copies of your guitar books via instagram ads with a low budget. I love this! You are a great example to look to and shatter any excuse of not having a following!