The "Astonishing Secrets" Thread

[Wolfman]

zen******* posts are like the Bermuda Triangle. Most won't understand, but those that do, see the GOLD.

Hi Bowden, I'm sure it's very deep and dangerous stuff but what I'm asking is where do you find them. Greg

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[amp0193]

What is "zen...."'s thread/forum.
I like your vibe Ice and I agree w/ everything you said so far (hahaha) Thanks, Greg

Zen is a banned forum member.

 

[Wolfman]

Zen is a banned forum member.

Hi amp, Thanks for the response. Now that is true irony. Greg

 

[DeletedUser052]

Sincere Thanks @IceCreamKid. For all the love and value you showered on us.

All My Rep For Your Posts/values.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Saiful]

Real secret for entrepreneur.

 

[Saiful]

I really appreciate all that you do.
I enjoy spending time with you.

I can’t wait to see you.

 

[Yussef]

What’s up guys. Some of you may remember me from my thread in which I thanked zen******* for dropping wisdom bombs all over the world. If you haven’t checked that thread out, please take a look at it and get moving with learning copywriting so you can learn how to print your own money(legally).

I’m starting this thread because Z told me to share the ice cream with others. I have mad respect for the guy so naturally it had to be done. By golly, all I used to have was a little pint of ice cream for myself and now I have an ice cream factory for everybody to eat from! There is a seat reserved for you at the table of abundance, but it’s up to you to work for it.

I will be explaining the secret Zen side of the Dolphin that he never speaks of, but has become glaringly obvious to those who study the WHY and HOW behind his posts.

But before I dive into giving you some ice cream, a little bit about myself…

27 years old. Was a wantrepreneur for a long time, but didn’t even know it. Yup, I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Started a bunch of different businesses for all the wrong reasons so I ultimately failed at each one. A few years into it, I finally hit the bottom and got sick of the sh*t life I was living so I wrote into my journal and started reflecting. It went something like, “I’m tired of who I am. Tired of the life I’m living. Tired of seeing all my friends get ahead in their corporate job while I’m here trying to figure things out. Just sick of my life in general”. Bottom line, I was at my lowest point and the fire under my a$$ was burning so hot that I had no other choice but to take some dedicated immediate action to get real results…or risk being forever frustrated in the hamster wheel of the 9-5.

Studied zen*******’s posts very closely and began to read in between the lines of what he was saying. I wasn’t looking for business strategies. I wanted to know and understand the mindset behind the madman. Why was he doing X? How was he doing Y?

Started learning copy. I read some books and copied some sales letters by hand for a few months. My day looked something like this: Work the 9-5. Go home pissed as hell at my boss. Drink, write copy, drink, write copy, pass out drunk. Repeat for a long time until I got a good grasp of writing copy. I don’t recommend drinking to learn copy…ice cream seems to work pretty well too. Drinking is fun though…I’d rather burn as bright as a 1,000 watt bulb and burn out in 10-minutes than live life like a 10-watt bulb for the next 40 years.

Armed with my new knowledge of copy, I set forth to start a software business. While interviewing many different people in many different industries, I discovered a real need that couldn’t be solved online but could be taken care of offline…I prefer offline businesses anyway so I jumped into it head first. You can start an offline business faster because you don’t have to spend months on software development.

30 days later my sales were in the low 5-figure range. Let me tell you…when you go from making crap money and barely scraping to get by, to suddenly making 5-figures a month the feeling is sweeter than a gallon of ice cream.

That’s my story in a nutshell. I left out a lot of the details of the mental struggle: broken heart, angry parents, isolated friends, etc.

I will respectfully decline any requests to disclose what my business is. This forum was once a close knit group of homies, but with the success of MJ’s book there are now tons of new members and a few took the liberty of stealing from some of the greatest contributors here. The mindset is 80% of the game anyway and that’s what I’m trying to teach here.

On to the lessons…

Good to see you still growing strong. I remember when you joined.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[AnAverageJoe]

Zen is a banned forum member.

I just found this thread and I was immediately intrigued by who Zen was. Now I'm going to waste all day trying to figure out what happened.

 

[mindfulimmortal]

I just found this thread and I was immediately intrigued by who Zen was. Now I'm going to waste all day trying to figure out what happened.

Don't waste your time with Zen. In a nutshell it was kind of like growing up as a kid and believing in Santa Clause but then one day you find out Santa isn't who you thought he was!

 

[KimSemiglia]

I should also mention that using the phone gives you an advantage over younger entrepreneurs who grew up in the digital age and only know how to text and email.

Most entrepreneurs younger than 30 simply don't consider the phone as an option. Do what others won't.

I know this post is old, but might this advice change for a target audience that is under 30 years old? (thus grew up in the digital age)

I work for a small company selling travel packages and the target audience's age restriction is 18-30 (for legal reasons).

After reading one of the threads here about blogs, I've started my own travel-related blog recently targetting the same audience age(different country).

The company I work for hardcore believes in picking up the phone and dialing, in fact, we get in trouble if we're caught sending an email to discuss anything.

The company isn't doing badly from what I know, but my natural instinct feels like being able to email this specific audience or have a chat feature might drive sales up.

However, I also can't tell if it's because all of us just suck at over the phone sales. (since a lot of the workers are new-ish at sales)

My natural instinct sometimes sucks though.

Two of my main questions from this post:
1) Is phone still the preferred method for an audience that grew up in the digital age?

2) How can I tell if the lack of results through the phone is because of the phone's ineffectiveness to the target audience or due to bad sales skills?

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

The company isn't doing badly from what I know, but my natural instinct feels like being able to email this specific audience or have a chat feature might drive sales up.

Yes absolutely -- if your audience is young people, the best communication is the method that young people prefer. That would be text, followed by email. Messages should be tailored for audiences.

 

[KimSemiglia]

Yes absolutely -- if your audience is young people, the best communication is the method that young people prefer. That would be text, followed by email. Messages should be tailored for audiences.

Thank you for the explanation

 

[ToddD]

I was providing an opportunity to improve a family's safety at home. I sincerely want them to be safe. I went back out (-12 degree windchill thinking NO ONE will open their door).....and people were happy to pay for what I offered.

So true! And a powerful mind shift in that as well. I am working on that shift as well right now.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[ToddD]

You don't need to come up with ideas. Make yourself present to others and the ideas will come to you. Don't push for ideas. Pull for them. How do you become present to others? Love them. Truly.

Man, this is what I feel like I've been doing for so long! So "me" focused and pushing hard for ideas to come to me.

 

[Yussef]

Zen is a banned forum member.

It's crazy that I remember Zen and his post.

 

[thore]

The greatest lesson of all...

LOVE THE HELL OUT OF OTHERS AND YOU WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE ALL THE ICE CREAM YOU CAN EAT.

The hell? This is a @zen******* secret? It is, and let me prove to you why.

When you love others with a genuine heart, you become more present to their feelings which include their pains and needs. You approach them from the position of, “How can I improve this person’s life? How can I add value to this person’s life?” as opposed to, “Where can I get money? COME ON GIVE ME THE MONEY!”.

This is the mindset I see a lot of people have: “The XYZ market is a $50B market and is about to explode 30% within the next 2 years. I’m going to get into that and get a piece of the pie!”. The ice cream shop has the right to refuse service to anyone and does not serve those with that mindset. We only serve ice cream to those who love others and solve their pains. Well, maybe we’ll offer plain vanilla to the 99% who don’t.

Do you think someone will tell you their pains and needs if you genuinely show them that you want to help improve their lives? Or are they more likely to tell you their pains if you approach them from the angle of, “Hey would you buy this product from me? Come on, buy it!”

When you love the hell out of others, you begin building a brand with a noticeable heart. Customers WILL notice this and you will develop a loyal following. They will tell their friends and post it all over Facebook. You notice how In n’ Out Burger has a loyal following of fans? That’s because they show love for their employees and love for their customers by striving to always satisfy everyone’s needs. It’s a hamburger joint with a friggin’ culture. I love it. The employees are always joyful as hell. The company has HEART and SOUL. Compare that to the majority of other fast food joints who are just a cold cash taker.

Sometimes it’s not always about profit. Love others first and the ice cream will come.

I’ve never met zen******* in person but his whole vibe OOZES of love, heart, honor, and integrity. He wants to help you better your life. He doesn’t fear the success of those he mentors. I would trust that guy with a $100,000 personal loan. He obviously doesn’t need my money, but you get my point. I bet you a bunch of people bring him deals and opportunities to partner up simply because of his vibe of love and integrity.

Love others. Drop the greed because it will blind you to opportunities for more ice cream around you. When you harness this mindset for a long enough amount of time, you will see the abundance of possibilities and realize the ice cream is everywhere. Fear and scarcity WILL be replaced by confidence and abundance.

@JackEdwards wasn't lying when he said, "The moment you stop caring about money is the moment you start making money". Respect to you, good sir.

Incredible amount of notions and teachings.
priceless
rep+

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[thore]

MJ’s Book Did A Lot For Me, But When I Did Just This ONE Thing…Wow. Even I Was Shocked By The Results!

I want to dive deeper into how effective having not one, but MANY accountability partners can be.

I have WAY more effectiveness in getting my peeps to take action in my offline world. I would say roughly 80% of them end up taking action. Online in this thread, you see we got 12k views and you can see how many have taken action.

There are a few reasons for this, but the biggest is having accountability partners.

I have a weird talent for being able to help people see and embrace the greatness that is within themselves. I hate to say it, but most people are doubtful. Nobody thought that you could put a man on the moon. We did it. Nobody thought man could fly. The Wright brothers did it in 1901.

Then people tell me that I’m a liar when I say that you can start a business with zero money. We could put a man on the moon in 1969 and fly 100 years ago, but starting a business with no money is just waaay too revolutionary of a thought. Dang…people need to go back to their childlike roots and become dreamers once again. They need some friggin ice cream in their bloodstream. It’s all about being childlike…the curiosity, the willingness to fail, the lack of fear paralyzing you, etc. Trust, I’m not trying to hate on you guys. Just trying to help you understand how outrageous an excuse like “I don’t have money” really is. I wouldn’t waste my time hating on people when I got a business to run bro!

I like taking people who feel hopeless and magnifying the 1% of hope that they have left in themselves so that they feel outrageously courageous to the point where they can’t help but take action. Then I help them develop the focus of a high-powered laser to keep them taking action daily.

Want to know exactly what I do to have this effect on people in my offline ice cream shop?

I created a cultlike environment in the offline ice cream shop, sorta like what you see in the movie Fight Club.

1. EVERYONE in the crew MUST go to the gym 3-5 days a week and lift weights. If they do not do this, they are no longer allowed to chill with us until they get back into the routine again. I enforce this rule adamantly because it develops the habits of success. If you can’t develop the habits to go to the gym regularly then that’s a huge red flag as an entrepreneur because success is all about good habits and taking action daily. 100% commitment. In my offline ice cream shop it is VERY easy to commit to 3-5 days because the peer pressure and fear of loss in mentorship is STRONG.

BTW, you can tell a lot about how a person will fare as an entrepreneur by how they attack the weights. There are those who don’t give a sh*t and attack the heavy weights immediately while others are very timid and want to build up to that point gradually.

2. In my offline ice cream shop, I repeatedly remind everyone of how much greatness and potential they have. I convince them that their past has ZERO effect on what they can do today or tomorrow. This is essential because some of them have been sooo damaged in the past to the point where they feel permanently shackled from taking action.

YOUR PAST FALLS OFF AS SOON AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE ICE CREAM SHOP. You can make the choice TODAY if you want to change the direction of your life. Who’s stopping you? Yourself, perhaps?

You will not believe some of the peeps we got chillin in the offline ice cream shop:

a. Single mom going to school and working 2 retail jobs. Fighting to make things work.

b. Burned out father who works in a factory building solar energy panels. He always wakes up in the middle of the night trying to figure out how to pay for the private school tuition of his kids.

c. Former drug dealer from San Francisco. Guy has 4 felonies on his record so nobody wants to hire him. He has no choice but to create a business. Guy has tons of swag to be a killer salesman.

d. College students trying to figure things out.

A lot of them are just your everyday citizen too, but the point I’m trying to illustrate is that it doesn’t matter where you’ve been. You can make that choice right now if you want to change the direction of your life.

3. Every Monday is what we call “Make A Difference Monday”. Everyone in the ice cream shop is required to GIVE BACK TO THE PEOPLE. This is to develop the mindset of abundance. It doesn’t matter how big or small, you just gotta do something. They are required to document what they do and report back to me. Some will just buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind them while others tend to go big with it and buy stuff like 100 Subway sandwiches.

4. Friday is “Face Your Fear Friday”. Everyone has to do something that scares them on this day. Ask a cop to handcuff you, ask a girl out on a date, go skydiving, etc. This gets everyone comfortable with taking action in the face of fear. This stuff can be difficult to do, but when you got the peer pressure on level 10 it’s a bit easier to bust a move.

I could go on and on about the different routines I have everyone go through to develop good habits, challenge their fears, re-wire existing limits, etc…but the bottom line is this: having an accountability partner works.

Take action...GET THE...ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER.

and the ice cream.

Woooow
You make my day!
Rep

 

[redrenegade]

I'm actually up to page 14 of this thread however I thought I'd post as I have a problem that keeps coming up.

I know people here don't think passion is the way to go for the fast lane, it's more about how you can help others. That's basically the gist of what I am getting.

To keep a long story short, I'm a little bit lost. I am a online marketer specialising in SEO and content marketing. The last two places that I worked with almost killed me (not literally) but it really did emotionally as they were completely toxic workplaces. I stopped working so I could recuperate from these terrible places for several months and I decided that I would build up my personal reserves and do what I enjoy and try new things. So for example, exercise like dance class, singing lessons. I also travelled a little bit, started learning how to create really basic AR (augmented reality).

While I was building this basic AR app, I thought "Ok I feel a lot better now what's the next place I'm supposed to work at?" Believe it or not, that day I got a call from an old colleague who said she was going back to study and she was trying to figure out who would be trustworthy, reliable, and could basically replace her. She thought I would be a perfect fit because not only do I have the skills, I also fit into the company culture because they primarily work with organisations that help people (like social causes). I would only be there once a week as a freelancer/subcontractor and then do the rest of the work at my own leisure.

TBH I didn't want to take the job because I felt like agency work wasn't for me and I was tired of it. I felt I was more useful being dedicated to that one company where I could make a bigger impact on getting their name out there online. However after a while I relented because I realised that I did just out of the blue ask myself what's next and that I was ready and maybe this was just a stepping stone to somewhere else.

Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier with this company. I absolutely love that place and the people are SO GOOD. The clients are typically pretty awesome cos I guess the vibe of helping the community attracts likeminded clients. It has been a really soft place to land. My confidence is up. It is a role that is different to the norm as I normally am not a salesperson but now I am. And I've actually made sales which is pretty cool.

So what's the problem?

1) I am my own department of 1, and I am really their marketing arm. They have no intention of hiring more marketers, the boss basically told me that she sees me as another business owner and it willing to build my company up. She's just grateful she has someone she can actually rely on that delivers results especially when it comes to SEO as they've apparently had quite a number of companies over the years who said they could do it but just sucked at it.

2) I actually hate SEO. lol I don't hate SEO as in don't believe in it. I definitely think it's a worthy investment. I just hate doing the off-page (backlinking and outreach).

3) I don't really know if I even want to own an online marketing company. I would rather write. I know my writing of this post is a bit all over the place since it's a mind dump, however I actually was quite well known as a writer before returning back to Australia where my confidence just went down cos of all these really bad things that happened. I realised that I wanted to go back to writing after watching some shows my ex-colleague and friend produced. I worked with her when I worked overseas and just watching her shows inspired me to want to tell stories that actually meant something. Just like how I used to.

So I'm reading IceCreamKid's posts where he's basically saying don't follow your passion (which for me is writing) and figure out how you can love others instead. Well okay, I guess in my current situation how I can love others is by providing them more traffic to their websites. What if it's not really my jam and I'm just doing it because I'm rolling along with what life has thrown at me?

 

[TheOrchestrator]

1) I am my own department of 1, and I am really their marketing arm. They have no intention of hiring more marketers, the boss basically told me that she sees me as another business owner and it willing to build my company up. She's just grateful she has someone she can actually rely on that delivers results especially when it comes to SEO as they've apparently had quite a number of companies over the years who said they could do it but just sucked at it.

2) I actually hate SEO. lol I don't hate SEO as in don't believe in it. I definitely think it's a worthy investment. I just hate doing the off-page (backlinking and outreach).

3) I don't really know if I even want to own an online marketing company. I would rather write. I know my writing of this post is a bit all over the place since it's a mind dump, however I actually was quite well known as a writer before returning back to Australia where my confidence just went down cos of all these really bad things that happened. I realised that I wanted to go back to writing after watching some shows my ex-colleague and friend produced. I worked with her when I worked overseas and just watching her shows inspired me to want to tell stories that actually meant something. Just like how I used to.

Are you not able to write on the side? What's stopping you from writing?

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[redrenegade]

Are you not able to write on the side? What's stopping you from writing?

Great question. There's nothing stopping from writing on the side except for time.

I think it's more about the expectation of having an online marketing company. The role I have at the moment isn't FT. Whenever I try to plan what is expected of me i.e. going from subcontractor to full on doing it that there's always a stumbling block. Like for example I'm going through Michael Port's book about being booked solid and for some reason I always end up writing something else not quite related to the role I'm in right now.

 

[Niptuck MD]

Let me tell you, the right woman in your life can be the greatest motivator in the world.

@IceCreamKid i hope i get this soon brother; thank you for your words of wisdom;

 

[Marvel]

Thanks for the mindset. Its 5am as I finish reading this entire thread. I'm going to take some action as a sign of thanks and make some calls before I fall asleep.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[GuestUser6117]

Wow man, my mindset has been the polar opposite of what it should be. I am doing what I am for all the wrong reasons. Thanks for the eye opener @IceCreamKid

 

[Geekour]

Well I'll be damned. You made my ice cream melt this thread is next level. @IceCreamKid

I never read this since I joined. Big mistake.
It clicks with me so much because there is a very deep "entrepreneurial" spirituality to it.
This should have been the first thread I read.
Thank you so much.

Since I joined I have been chasing ideas and asking the wrong questions. Chasing after money.

I have learned a lot here I believe it is crucial to any new/rising entrepreneur like me to understand. Especially when there are so many people on Youtube and social media trying to tell you a step by step guide to success.

I will self reflect on some thoughts and maybe it will be useful to someone.

Stop trying to listen to all the noise and frequencies you hear. You will just get lost. Tune in to your own radio station and expand on it. Relying on others to give you a secret sauce forever will only set you back and slow you down. Rely on yourself more. Your creativity and ingenuity. Unfortunately since I have joined I was chasing that secret sauce and I have come to realize it this past week. But I think we all chased a secret sauce when we first started or joined this forum.

Focus on your own business. There is no one size fits all. There is no ONE answer to every problem. If there was then that would be the end of entrepreneurship. The moment you full on copy someone else is the moment you just F*cked both your business and yourself.

If you have X business maybe direct mail is your next step. Ask yourself who your target audience is. Will they even be on instagram to find your service or product? Again, rely on yourself to ask these questions and seek the help of others then but do not chase a secret sauce.

So much noise in the world that it is so damn hard to filter through the pile of shit. Quite frankly, whoever finds this forum should feel blessed. I mean that sincerely. Before I joined and read MJ's books I was lost watching Youtube videos of shopify/oberlo dropshipping gurus giving me the secret sauce. The threads here help me regain focus and have taught me so much and I am still learning. I never knew entrepreneurship was this vast.

It is so easy to get lost and become a lamb among lambs but in the world of entrepreneurship we are the shepherds and must pave our path individually and help the lambs find their way.

I hate calling entrepreneurship as business. It is just too formal. This is a journey of the self to reach a higher self. Having a business is only a result of this endless path of learning.

There is no best niche. No best product. No best software. No best marketing tactic. It is all VARIABLE.

It gets better though! There IS a best value for said market. You just have to ask the right questions and the right people. Once you convince your customers and they are happy enough to actually take whatever action you intend them to take. Only then have you put the puzzle together (or at least part of it).

Psychology of self and customers is huge in entrepreneurship. Gary Vee knows this damn well and that is how he gets emotions out of viewers. Always focus on the customer. How will they find me? Will they want this? How can I make them FEEL my brand? But remember, Validation is key. You need to do your own digging around and validate your market.

Writing this just make me realize I need to learn how to validate markets need next. I guess this goes to show you guys how focusing on our own frequency (journey) leads to action after action. There is so much to learn on this journey. Be patient and love every bit of it.

Sorry if what I am saying is repetitive on the forum but believe it or not it takes time for these fundamental concepts to reprogram the scripted mind how we think of the journey of entrepreneurship and life.

You may tell yourself you have it all figured out but you don't. I thought I had it figured out after reading MJ's book but I am still a wantrapreneur. I admit it and you should too. Learning never stops.

Don't try to rush the fastlane journey. It will come. I say this not from experience yet but from what I have seen with people here. They enjoyed the ride. Even the bumps in the road. Spend time learning about yourself and your business. Build that foundation and things will come.

It really is true. The universe has it's ways to give back to those that give value.
I just did a good deed the other day and the next day I got bonus pay at my J.O.B to invest later.
Coincidence? Eh. Maybe. OR maybe there is more to this than we thought we knew..

 

[Required]

Well I'll be damned. You made my ice cream melt this thread is next level. @IceCreamKid

I never read this since I joined. Big mistake.
It clicks with me so much because there is a very deep "entrepreneurial" spirituality to it.
This should have been the first thread I read.
Thank you so much.

Since I joined I have been chasing ideas and asking the wrong questions. Chasing after money.

I have learned a lot here I believe it is crucial to any new/rising entrepreneur like me to understand. Especially when there are so many people on Youtube and social media trying to tell you a step by step guide to success.

I will self reflect on some thoughts and maybe it will be useful to someone.

Stop trying to listen to all the noise and frequencies you hear. You will just get lost. Tune in to your own radio station and expand on it. Relying on others to give you a secret sauce forever will only set you back and slow you down. Rely on yourself more. Your creativity and ingenuity. Unfortunately since I have joined I was chasing that secret sauce and I have come to realize it this past week. But I think we all chased a secret sauce when we first started or joined this forum.

Focus on your own business. There is no one size fits all. There is no ONE answer to every problem. If there was then that would be the end of entrepreneurship. The moment you full on copy someone else is the moment you just f*cked both your business and yourself.

If you have X business maybe direct mail is your next step. Ask yourself who your target audience is. Will they even be on instagram to find your service or product? Again, rely on yourself to ask these questions and seek the help of others then but do not chase a secret sauce.

So much noise in the world that it is so damn hard to filter through the pile of sh*t. Quite frankly, whoever finds this forum should feel blessed. I mean that sincerely. Before I read joined and read MJ's books I was lost watching Youtube videos of shopify/oberlo dropshipping gurus giving me the secret sauce. The threads here help me regain focus and have taught me so much and I am still learning. I never knew entrepreneurship was this vast.

It is so easy to get lost and become a lamb among lambs but in the world of entrepreneurship we are the shepherds and must pave our path individually and help the lambs find their way.

I hate calling entrepreneurship as business. It is just too formal. This is a journey of the self to reach a higher self. Having a business is only a result of this endless path of learning.

There is no best niche. No best product. No best software. No best marketing tactic. It is all VARIABLE.

It gets better though! There IS a best value for said market. You just have to ask the right questions and the right people. Once you convince your customers and they are happy enough to actually take whatever action you intend them to take. Only then have you put the puzzle together (or at least part of it).

Psychology of self and customers is huge in entrepreneurship. Gary Vee knows this damn well and that is how he gets emotions out of viewers. Always focus on the customer. How will they find me? Will they want this? How can I make them FEEL my brand? But remember, Validation is key. You need to do your own digging around and validate your market.

Writing this just make me realize I need to learn how to validate markets need next. I guess this goes to show you guys how focusing on our own frequency (journey) leads to action after action. There is so much to learn on this journey. Be patient and love every bit of it.

Sorry if what I am saying is repetitive on the forum but believe it or not it takes time for these fundamental concepts to reprogram the scripted mind how we think of the journey of entrepreneurship and life.

You may tell yourself you have it all figured out but you don't. I thought I had it figured out after reading MJ's book but I am still a wantrapreneur. I admit it and you should too. Learning never stops.

Don't try to rush the fastlane journey. It will come. I say this not from experience yet but from what I have seen with people here. They enjoyed the ride. Even the bumps in the road. Spend time learning about yourself and your business. Build that foundation and things will come.

It really is true. The universe has it's ways to give back to those that give value.
I just did a good deed the other day and the next day I got bonus pay at my J.O.B to invest later.
Coincidence? Eh. Maybe. OR maybe there is more to this than we thought we knew..

I love your concrete and on spot summary.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

Well I'll be damned. You made my ice cream melt this thread is next level. @IceCreamKid

I never read this since I joined. Big mistake.
It clicks with me so much because there is a very deep "entrepreneurial" spirituality to it.
This should have been the first thread I read.
Thank you so much.

Since I joined I have been chasing ideas and asking the wrong questions. Chasing after money.

I have learned a lot here I believe it is crucial to any new/rising entrepreneur like me to understand. Especially when there are so many people on Youtube and social media trying to tell you a step by step guide to success.

I will self reflect on some thoughts and maybe it will be useful to someone.

Stop trying to listen to all the noise and frequencies you hear. You will just get lost. Tune in to your own radio station and expand on it. Relying on others to give you a secret sauce forever will only set you back and slow you down. Rely on yourself more. Your creativity and ingenuity. Unfortunately since I have joined I was chasing that secret sauce and I have come to realize it this past week. But I think we all chased a secret sauce when we first started or joined this forum.

Focus on your own business. There is no one size fits all. There is no ONE answer to every problem. If there was then that would be the end of entrepreneurship. The moment you full on copy someone else is the moment you just f*cked both your business and yourself.

If you have X business maybe direct mail is your next step. Ask yourself who your target audience is. Will they even be on instagram to find your service or product? Again, rely on yourself to ask these questions and seek the help of others then but do not chase a secret sauce.

So much noise in the world that it is so damn hard to filter through the pile of sh*t. Quite frankly, whoever finds this forum should feel blessed. I mean that sincerely. Before I joined and read MJ's books I was lost watching Youtube videos of shopify/oberlo dropshipping gurus giving me the secret sauce. The threads here help me regain focus and have taught me so much and I am still learning. I never knew entrepreneurship was this vast.

It is so easy to get lost and become a lamb among lambs but in the world of entrepreneurship we are the shepherds and must pave our path individually and help the lambs find their way.

I hate calling entrepreneurship as business. It is just too formal. This is a journey of the self to reach a higher self. Having a business is only a result of this endless path of learning.

There is no best niche. No best product. No best software. No best marketing tactic. It is all VARIABLE.

It gets better though! There IS a best value for said market. You just have to ask the right questions and the right people. Once you convince your customers and they are happy enough to actually take whatever action you intend them to take. Only then have you put the puzzle together (or at least part of it).

Psychology of self and customers is huge in entrepreneurship. Gary Vee knows this damn well and that is how he gets emotions out of viewers. Always focus on the customer. How will they find me? Will they want this? How can I make them FEEL my brand? But remember, Validation is key. You need to do your own digging around and validate your market.

Writing this just make me realize I need to learn how to validate markets need next. I guess this goes to show you guys how focusing on our own frequency (journey) leads to action after action. There is so much to learn on this journey. Be patient and love every bit of it.

Sorry if what I am saying is repetitive on the forum but believe it or not it takes time for these fundamental concepts to reprogram the scripted mind how we think of the journey of entrepreneurship and life.

You may tell yourself you have it all figured out but you don't. I thought I had it figured out after reading MJ's book but I am still a wantrapreneur. I admit it and you should too. Learning never stops.

Don't try to rush the fastlane journey. It will come. I say this not from experience yet but from what I have seen with people here. They enjoyed the ride. Even the bumps in the road. Spend time learning about yourself and your business. Build that foundation and things will come.

It really is true. The universe has it's ways to give back to those that give value.
I just did a good deed the other day and the next day I got bonus pay at my J.O.B to invest later.
Coincidence? Eh. Maybe. OR maybe there is more to this than we thought we knew..

Excellent synopsis, really highlights why the most frustrating thing for me to hear is "I can't find business ideas!"

Translation: I can't find ideas that are sure things. I can't find ideas with an easy process that allows me to "have fun" or "follow passion." In other words, people can't find ideas because their "idea" of an idea is so f*cked up, they will never find something.

 

[SamRussell]

It's something I REALLY REALLY struggle with. Asian culture is huge on the whole idea of bringing honor to your family. They want you to be good at some musical instrument, have some cool title before your name i.e. Doctor, Lawyer, PHD, and they want you to basically support the family financially...and if you don't, you're an a**hole with no honor in their eyes. ugh.

Asian parents force their kids to play instruments they don't enjoy just so they can brag about how awesome they are as parents at family parties.

Even Disney understands the issue.

My pet peeve teaching guitar is parents who don't want their kid to learn an instrument, but want to brag to other parents that their kid is learning an instrument. I can spot that shit a mile off.

 

[KatLee]

I’m not going to post much for the next few days. I’m busy as hell…I think I have to buy a van or a u-haul to pick up product now because my Nissan Maxima can’t carry everything anymore. I end up taking multiple trips and it’s a pain to do that all the time.

Maybe I’ll rent a u-haul first and see how that works out. I hate spending money when I don’t have to. On the INSIDERS call yesterday, they were talking about how Sam Walton would buy folding chairs and fold out tables instead of real furniture…omg that’s awesome. The guy was truly on a mission.

Since I won’t be as available for the next few days to drop ice cream on the ground for you guys to lick off the concrete, I want to leave you with some homework.

Harness The Attitude of Gratitude

Have you ever started a morning on the wrong foot and everything else seemed to follow that overall vibe? By the end of the day, you’re drained because anything and everything seemed to not be going your way. You’re angry, tired, and frustrated. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. Here’s a trick to change all of that.

Every morning, write down 3-5 things that you’re grateful for. This will allow you to start your day from a mindset of abundance. When you do this first thing when you wake up, everything else that you do throughout the day will be done in support of that overall positive mindset. It sets the tone immediately.

You’ll find that you first start with very general stuff like, “I’m grateful for my 3 mistresses”. After a few weeks, you’ll run out of things to list that you’re grateful for so you’ll start getting VERY specific like:

1. I’m grateful for how Mistress A makes me feel when she smiles at me with her cute little dimples

2. I’m grateful for how amazing of a cook Mistress B is

3. I’m grateful for how Mistress C seems to really take the time to listen and understand me

You’ll start noticing all of the tiny details in your life that you can be grateful for. It’s a better feeling than shrooms, coke, and weed. It’s not better than sex though. Sex is better than ice cream, just my opinion.

Customers will notice your overall positive vibe and love you for it. I’m convinced Disney is such a powerful company because they have mastered the art of positive vibes and communicated it on a massive scale. They make you feel good. They make you forget all of the bullshit responsibilities that we have to endure as adults. They make you feel childlike again. Being childlike is key…that’s why ice cream and getting drunk is the common theme in a majority of my posts. Don’t take sh*t so seriously, it’s all just a game. Your job is to connect the puzzle pieces together.

I have a fat crush on the chick in this video. I hope the ladybird in my life doesn't read this haha. She's a fastlaner too, but made her millions in real estate development. She's the reason why I learned to love people. Let me tell you, the right woman in your life can be the greatest motivator in the world. With the wrong woman, you can work 24 hours a day and never get even close to building a smoothly running ice cream shop. Where are all the female entrepreneurs at, anyway??? I remember seeing a few around here...Determined, AroundTheWorld, where are the rest?

Mastering the art of gratitude is essential because you need it in order to get through the times of failure. Make no mistake about it, you WILL fail on your path to ice cream heaven. But you will fail better going forward. Fight to make it work and keep the faith. Developing an overall mindset of positivity and abundance is crucial because there are A LOT of roadblocks in Candy Land.

The gremlins in Candy Land are filled with hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism…they will try to steal the ice cream out of your hands while you are doing cartwheels and jumping jacks. They hate to see you so happy, but don’t let it get to you. They’re just hurting and frustrated inside. You still love them anyway. They just don't know any better. I remember MJ saying that someone even stole an INSIDERS subscription from him. How the hell do you steal in INSIDERS subscription, @MJ DeMarco ???

Believe in yourself. Because not truly believing leads to doing sh*t half assed. Half assing your work leads to failure. Failure leads to you not being able to give back to the world. I need you to develop an abundance mindset so you can get get an abundance of ice cream so that we can give back.

Isn’t entrepreneurship amazing? Not only is it the fastlane to ice cream, but it’s also the fastlane to becoming a better, stronger, happier version of yourself. Don’t you want to become a happier version of yourself?

We’re giving back to the people in Candy Land. Spreading it across the country. One scoop at a time.

See you all later. I'm almost done talking about mindset. After that, we're going to jump into marketing.

p.s. I'm still convinced mindset is everything. Get your mind right. Get drunk and be happy cuz they play some really good music inside the ice cream shop.

I think this post altered my mind in a minor way...Thank you!

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[LittleJohn]

What are you guys struggling with? Having trouble finding an idea to get you some ice cream? What's up?

In the ice cream shop we address mental issues immediately because the longer you sit on them, the more difficult they become to deal with.

Finding an idea. Which for people on this forum is probably ludicrous because ideas are every where and unless the work was perfect there would be no opportunities. (And I believe this too.)

Im totally onboard with having the right Premise - serving others and giving the people what they want (opposed to me chasing money) but something hasn't clicked for me yet..

 

[Exhosa]

Well I'll be damned. You made my ice cream melt this thread is next level. @IceCreamKid

I never read this since I joined. Big mistake.
It clicks with me so much because there is a very deep "entrepreneurial" spirituality to it.
This should have been the first thread I read.
Thank you so much.

Since I joined I have been chasing ideas and asking the wrong questions. Chasing after money.

I have learned a lot here I believe it is crucial to any new/rising entrepreneur like me to understand. Especially when there are so many people on Youtube and social media trying to tell you a step by step guide to success.

I will self reflect on some thoughts and maybe it will be useful to someone.

Stop trying to listen to all the noise and frequencies you hear. You will just get lost. Tune in to your own radio station and expand on it. Relying on others to give you a secret sauce forever will only set you back and slow you down. Rely on yourself more. Your creativity and ingenuity. Unfortunately since I have joined I was chasing that secret sauce and I have come to realize it this past week. But I think we all chased a secret sauce when we first started or joined this forum.

Focus on your own business. There is no one size fits all. There is no ONE answer to every problem. If there was then that would be the end of entrepreneurship. The moment you full on copy someone else is the moment you just F*cked both your business and yourself.

If you have X business maybe direct mail is your next step. Ask yourself who your target audience is. Will they even be on instagram to find your service or product? Again, rely on yourself to ask these questions and seek the help of others then but do not chase a secret sauce.

So much noise in the world that it is so damn hard to filter through the pile of shit. Quite frankly, whoever finds this forum should feel blessed. I mean that sincerely. Before I joined and read MJ's books I was lost watching Youtube videos of shopify/oberlo dropshipping gurus giving me the secret sauce. The threads here help me regain focus and have taught me so much and I am still learning. I never knew entrepreneurship was this vast.

It is so easy to get lost and become a lamb among lambs but in the world of entrepreneurship we are the shepherds and must pave our path individually and help the lambs find their way.

I hate calling entrepreneurship as business. It is just too formal. This is a journey of the self to reach a higher self. Having a business is only a result of this endless path of learning.

There is no best niche. No best product. No best software. No best marketing tactic. It is all VARIABLE.

It gets better though! There IS a best value for said market. You just have to ask the right questions and the right people. Once you convince your customers and they are happy enough to actually take whatever action you intend them to take. Only then have you put the puzzle together (or at least part of it).

Psychology of self and customers is huge in entrepreneurship. Gary Vee knows this damn well and that is how he gets emotions out of viewers. Always focus on the customer. How will they find me? Will they want this? How can I make them FEEL my brand? But remember, Validation is key. You need to do your own digging around and validate your market.

Writing this just make me realize I need to learn how to validate markets need next. I guess this goes to show you guys how focusing on our own frequency (journey) leads to action after action. There is so much to learn on this journey. Be patient and love every bit of it.

Sorry if what I am saying is repetitive on the forum but believe it or not it takes time for these fundamental concepts to reprogram the scripted mind how we think of the journey of entrepreneurship and life.

You may tell yourself you have it all figured out but you don't. I thought I had it figured out after reading MJ's book but I am still a wantrapreneur. I admit it and you should too. Learning never stops.

Don't try to rush the fastlane journey. It will come. I say this not from experience yet but from what I have seen with people here. They enjoyed the ride. Even the bumps in the road. Spend time learning about yourself and your business. Build that foundation and things will come.

It really is true. The universe has it's ways to give back to those that give value.
I just did a good deed the other day and the next day I got bonus pay at my J.O.B to invest later.
Coincidence? Eh. Maybe. OR maybe there is more to this than we thought we knew..

Thanks for sharing this. And since you said it was a big mistake for you to not read this thread for a long time, I started to read and I'm so glad that I did!

After this awesome thread I jumped to read others started by @IceCreamKid and they're all just great. Can't thank you enough.