Stay at Home dad: mission be great father/husband and create fastlane business

[LittleJohn]

Dude, infants are easy. They just sleep. All the time.

Get a standing desk, and you can work while the kid naps in the baby carrier.

I started my first business on paternity leave.

Absolutely on infants being easy. Up until about 2 they generally just eat, sleep, you know what. When they start getting their personality and testing their limits plus throw in a sibling is when things start really shaking up.

 

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[LittleJohn]

I am working on getting out of the 'learning loop' as it is known.

"I tell myself that I have all the tools to create a business that serves over 1 million people. These tools are the CENTS formula, copywriting formula, what I call the winning entrepreneurial mindset, and crazy commitment."

I am taking action every day to ingrain the CENTS formula and really understand copywriting. Maintaining the proper mindset and staying committed each day is also a part of that.

My goal is that through acting on these things each day the market I choose to serve will reveal itself and REAL action will begin.

This is where I am at now. Call me out for action faking and circle jerking but this is what I see right now..

I remain thankful to this forum among many other things. Im starting to believe success (BIG) is inevitable for anyone who really wants it.

To me I am obviously putting a Positive spin on everything while I figure out what the heck I can create and pursue..

 

[amp0193]

Call me out for action faking and circle jerking

That's exactly what I wanted to do when I read your post.

The best way to learn is by doing.

Get a client, write them copy. Any niche, doesn't matter.

Have you written copy for anyone yet?

Get a gig by Friday.

 

[jcvlds]

My goal is that through acting on these things each day the market I choose to serve will reveal itself and REAL action will begin.

..

The “market” will never just ‘reveal’ itself.. as if by magic..

But maybe I’m not understanding what you’re saying.. what do you mean it will reveal itself just because you practice copywriting daily?

How would it reveal itself?


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[amp0193]

How would it reveal itself?

The products for my first business "revealed" themselves to me after I spent 40 hours looking for products to sell.

No products revealed themselves in the 3 previous years I spent reading about other people who sell products.

 

[jcvlds]

The products for my first business "revealed" themselves to me after I spent 40 hours looking for products to sell.

No products revealed themselves in the 3 previous years I spent reading about other people who sell products.

I see. Good point.

Just to add though. I feel that by you actively looking for products to sell, you were thinking about the customers (the market).

Whereas just practicing copywriting, while valuable and necessary to do so, in my mind can be viewed as passive. He wouldn’t be talking to customers to see which market is most keen to buying a good copywriting service. How will the market be aware of one’s offering if one is just secluded practicing?


You mentioned your products revealed themselves to you while you were actively looking, but the product is the solution, and not the same as the market.


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[amp0193]

I see. Good point.

My post was agreeing with your point by sharing a related anecdote.

but the product is the solution, and not the same as the market.

In my case, it was both.

 

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[jcvlds]

My post was agreeing with your point by sharing a related anecdote.

*embarrassed*


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[LittleJohn]

The “market” will never just ‘reveal’ itself.. as if by magic..

But maybe I’m not understanding what you’re saying.. what do you mean it will reveal itself just because you practice copywriting daily?

How would it reveal itself?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great question and aside from the obvious thing (selling) we know having copywriting skills can help us with it was what your asking that that has me focused on learning copy.

Basically, IceCreamKid has a couple threads on here that seem to have been wildly popular overtime that talk about the value that copywriting skills can bring. I'll paste some snippets from each of them below to illustrate. Also, while down that rabbit hole someone posted to check out the Dane Maxwell (founder of The Foundation and very successful entrepreneur) reddit AMA and in there he too was very recommending of learning the copywriting skill as a way to position needs within markets. Although Danes' admittedly (after reviewing my notes) seems to be saying copy is good once have a market in mind and are trying to figure out how best to position your service/solution to that market vs. copywriting can help you find a market or business to pursue. But like ICK, the sentiment I took from Dane was that copywriting is one of the most valuable skills to learn in his opinion.

Feel free to correct/challenge my interpretation to what these guys are saying or share your perspective. You wouldn't be the first person who suggested (read: insulted) me by telling me they think I would blindly follow people without using my own thought process. But that's a different topic

FWIW I think I can start to see how copywriting might be able in fact to help identify a good market to evaluate and then position yourself advantageously in the limited study in copywriting I have done thus far.

ICK: I didn't sell my copies. I only used my copywriting knowledge as a way for me to help filter what separates good businesses from the bad. Good copy is likely to include elements of instant gratification, social proofing, addressing concerns of the customer, and many more things. Too many to list out on here.

I basically used a lot of those elements in determining what business to start. The real work begins after learning copy. Copy is the easy part. That's why I was telling people to take action simultaneously while doing the Gary Halbert 30 day challenge. There's no point in spending 30 days to learn copy if you're not likely to do the work to get the ice cream afterwards. This is where most people get stuck, bro. They get stuck in the constant learning loop and never take action. Don't be that guy.

put another (similar) way ICK says: Learning copy will help me create mental filters that will help me decide which businesses will work and which ones won't. Some are more scalable than others. Copy will help you figure that out.


Dane: When I started to learn the patterns of great copywriting and marketing. The world became infinite potential for me. Here's an example pattern I learned from a great book by Eugene Schwartz: "Tap into existing desires of a market and channeling it into your product."

When I learned nuggets like this, I then asked myself what are the desires of my target market?

Does this answer your question? What are your thoughts?

 

[LittleJohn]

The products for my first business "revealed" themselves to me after I spent 40 hours looking for products to sell.

No products revealed themselves in the 3 previous years I spent reading about other people who sell products.

My choice of wording most likely wasn't the best. Im thinking that while actively looking/considering markets to enter the copywriting skills would be helpful by increasing the likelihood of selecting a market with good probabilities for success.

I mean c'mon I believe in the law of attraction but shit isn't going to manifest magically out of thin air

But after going through my notes when responding to the question posed by jcvlds I think maybe what ICK and Dane Maxwell may be really talking about his how copywriting can help one choose the right business to enter in a particular market.

 

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[amp0193]

I think maybe what ICK and Dane Maxwell may be really talking about his how copywriting can help one choose the right business to enter in a particular market.

When you understand copy, you understand positioning and competitive advantages.

Then, when you see markets, you are able to think about how you could create a product that would be uniquely positioned in that market to skew the value in your favor.

 

[LittleJohn]

When you understand copy, you understand positioning and competitive advantages.

Then, when you see markets, you are able to think about how you could create a target that would be uniquely positioned in that market to skew the value in your favor.

Ok - so understanding copy most likely won't help in finding markets but pursuing those markets competitively.

How well do you rate yourself to understand copy?

 

[amp0193]

Ok - so understanding copy most likely won't help in finding markets but pursuing those markets competitively.

Right. You just look at a bunch of different markets that interest you, and search for a gap. Somewhere you can add value.

How well do you rate yourself to understand copy?

7/10

 

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[LittleJohn]

Right. You just look at a bunch of different markets that interest you, and search for a gap. Somewhere you can add value.



7/10

You make it sound so easy. (Maybe this is part of my block - if I have a block) Search for a gap...

FYI I didn't pull the trigger for first order on my first product idea (after 2 samples) because:
1.) the hook wasn't going to work in drywall like I planned. (biggest differentiator)
2.) the only difference was the finish compared to the other products on amazon and I was scared I would outlay additional $1-2K more for a flop. (I created a listing and it was on page like 7 and I thought because there was a few sellers it would be on first 2)

There I said it - FEAR.

Hindsight maybe I should have done it for the experience and the stuff I would have learned going through with it.

Would like to share that product idea and sample images with you if you are still open to it (maybe DM to avoid being publicly laughed at) as I am curious what your reaction and thoughts would be.

Also, I have to tell you I was reading your emails from this summer when you 'took me over the shoulder' as you looked for products on amazon. When I do it it doesn't seem as straight forward as when you do it.

But, FWIW I like the idea of a product/brand based business online. I think it fits my temperament. Or maybe I like the how the model separates me from time. (sales while sleeping kind of thing)

For some reason I think deep down my mind and soul says having this product based business and brand is way beyond little John. like wtf?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Thanks for the update, great to cya back.

 

[amp0193]

You make it sound so easy. (Maybe this is part of my block - if I have a block) Search for a gap...

It's not easy. It's also not hard. It's like anything, you get better with practice. The more gaps you find, the more gaps you see...

Hindsight maybe I should have done it for the experience and the stuff I would have learned going through with it.

Hindsight, you made the right choice by not doing it. You said it yourself, the only difference was the finish. Doesn't sound like something worth pursuing to me.

Would like to share that product idea and sample images with you if you are still open to it (maybe DM to avoid being publicly laughed at) as I am curious what your reaction and thoughts would be.

Sure, always happy to help.

For some reason I think deep down my mind and soul says having this product based business and brand is way beyond little John. like wtf?

Limiting belief.

 

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