Why I'm Dropping Out Of College

[MJ DeMarco]

Question, what would have been your focus of study at college? I didn't see that mentioned anywhere.

 

[GrayCode]

What Im saying is, is the job actually worth it or is the job a "glory" job? Is he working 30 hours a week for 8.50 an hour but gets to say I'm a badass MMA trainer? If so there are plenty of other less glorious jobs that you can walk in making more (deliver pizza, server, bartender other tipped wages) back to the "the harder you work the more you make or the harder you work the sooner you get off for the same pay) example of the 2nd sooner off for same pay: pest control, pool service, delivery driver, most places like this have a route and are salary pay and you usually get to go home when your done to work on your own thing. If you have to work, at least make it worth while...

I agree with you here. $8.50 to be an MMA trainer might not be worth it.

But he also did say he wanted to fight MMA, maybe this is why he is holding on to this job.

I'd love to know if he actually plans to make money fighting MMA or what the pay on that is.

I see OP is from Cali, could be making $20-$30/hr plus. He said "his studio".

If it's his studio he could be doing $50-$120/hr + interested to hear more. There are a lot of undefined variables


As for college. If that's how you react while sitting in class. Then it's not for you plain and simple, you made the right move there. @Ben S.

 

[GrayCode]

When we relocate, I hope to make an equity deal in which I can benefit from more members. As of now, I am just an employee.

I will blow up his business, and learn TONS in the process.

It seems like you could just open your own MMA Studio. You seem to be doing it all already. Why not feel the rewards for your work?

 

[Panamera Turbo S]

That's it. I'm done. I can't take sitting in class any longer. It's trash. Classes are trash. The system is trash. All for some useless trash degree.

"Yeah but you NEED a degree to be successful in life" my friends tell me...

1. You need it in order to get hired by someone ( But do I need one to hire someone?)
2. You need it for the connections you'll make ( So college is the only way to do this? Hmmm.)
3. It proves that you are dedicated and can see something all the way to the end ( HA! And creating and managing a business isn't a sign of dedication?)
4. You'll learn a lot and mature there ( Yes. Study what you're told during the week and escape into the drunk, partying nights of the weekend. For suuure.)
5. It's a good safety net ( Which you'll find yourself laying on, instead of working above)
6. People will respect you more and take you more seriously ( If a degree is how you assess somebodies intelligence or capability? I don't care for the respect of those people.)

I used to argue back. I stopped. Of course if you want to be a doctor, or engineer, or scientist, by all means, go to college. But if you want to become truly wealthy, stop wasting your time.

Im 19. Wrapping up my second year of college. I sit around the dinner table with my family. I spin the noodles of spaghetti around my fork. It's apparent. My mother has been working for 15 years at a job she hates. My father has a masters degree in Electrical Engineering. He worked for NASA. For JPL. Made military drones. Yet has been laid-off several times and unemployed for months at a time. Thankfully he works now. But I noticed something. Is it like this with everyone? They are not happy. The life is sucked out of them. No passion. No dreams. No goals. Just the same thing. Every. Single. Day.

It just blows my mind guys. We have one life. One huge opportunity. Why? Why the F*ck do we settle?

Why do we settle for anything less than our dream home?

Why do we settle for anything less than a classic Lamborghini Countach, Audi R8, and any other of our dream cars?

Why do we not nourish our bodies, and chisel our physiques into those of Greek Gods?

Mentally, spiritually, physically, we have so much room to grow. And yet so many choose to waste their lives to fit in and be average.

I want to see the northern lights. Get a skydiving license. Pass out drunk somewhere in Thailand. Run parkour across the rooftops of Brazil. Compete in MMA tournaments. Learn 3 languages. I want to help people. Inspire people.

You know when you reach the point where you simply can't do something a single second longer? Well, I reached that point with college. I've missed every class for the last two weeks. I stayed at home and read books on marketing instead. And guess what? I've learned more in that time than I have in my last two years of college. I'm done wasting my time.

Progress​

Here's what I am doing:

• Working 30 hours a week as an MMA instructor
• Expanding my eBay business (started this 2-3 months ago)
• Reading and studying absolutely everything I can on copywriting ( Bought 9 books, read 3 so far)
• Smashing the gym 6 days a week

Here's my short term plan:

• Go full time at my job and expand our MMA studio
• Grow my eBay business into at least 3k a month of net profits
• Become proficient in copy and freelance my writing
• Move out of my parents' house (if they don't kick me out first for dropping college)

I don't care if I have to sleep on friend's couches or in my car. 10 years from now, who knows what'll happen? But I sure as hell won't be at the bar on a Friday night, bitching about my boss with my coworkers.

Tomorrow I have my first class of this week. Let the dropping begin.

Congrats bro! You choose the right road. I have 12 outstanding college, but my dad knows only about 2 of them. Telling him about all would mean sleeping under the stars.

So keep in mind this: Tell your parents what they want to hear (that you go to college and learn) but do what you have to be successful (drop out and work a few years of your life like most people won't so that you can spend the rest of your life like others can't).


Good luck!

 

[daivey]

Shame. You're not getting invited to my 2020 yacht party bro.

i doubt you'll ever own a yacht.

 

[Jeremy Groover]

Awesome. Thanks for that different perspective. I guess it is laziness if I"m being honest with myself. I'm going to start listing on amazon as well then. I suppose there are benefits to each platform (eBay and Amazon) that I can use.

Today's goal: List one of my products on Amazon!

How'd the goal go? Did you accomplish it? Today is almost over. How many products do you have? Are you using professional images or did you snap them yourself? Manufacturer images?

Still skeptical, but I'm cheering you on.

What are your moves that are getting you closer to the 2-3k month in sales goal? Are you marketing your product at all or "posting and praying"?

Have you started any social media pages for your niche/ products? If you work on Instagram, there is a app called "Crowdfire" that I personally like. You can mass follow from higher ranked/ followed same niche pages. That's what I did on a motorcycle page that I created a while back. Once I installed the app, I gained almost 100 followers from 700-78x in a little under 2 hours. I have since put that page on the back burner but the app works well. You can also monitor your page with who follows and unfollows as well as who are you following that doesnt follow back. You add a bunch of people from the similar niche pages and after a few days you delete everyone you followed. Also make sure you are liking every single pic from ever page you can get on.

Thats enough about that. Lets hear from you, its been over a week. What have you done? Hows it going? Are your grinding or sanding?

 

[SweetTooth]

Progress Update 2: Solid Plans
​

I am grinding. I've been waking up between 3:30 and 5 AM for the last couple weeks. Yes, even while I was in school. Now with a good chunk of "free time" it's easy to waste it. I'd consider myself very disciplined, but you can't argue with human nature. You remember Parkinson's Law? The time it takes you to do the things you need to do will expand to fit the time you have to do them. So I have a daily schedule:

• Wake up at 3:30 AM
• Eat and hit the gym while listening to business podcasts
• Meditate
• Begin 4 hours of working on "The absolute ONE THING I can do TODAY to achieve my long term goal." as well as other priorities
• 2.5 hours of Copywriting study (school substitute)
• Work 3:30 PM to 8:30 PM
• Asleep by 9:30 PM

I get a good 6 hours of sleep, which seems to work for now.

MMA Job​

You know how MMA is a "badass" "tough" sport? This studio isn't like that. Our primary students are children aged 3 to 13. What does this mean? I do not market to the kids, I market to the parents. And oh boy is there a huge market! Now, I haven't given the MMA much thought yet, because my priorities are in my eBay business and learning copywriting. Here are some jumbled thoughts:

My job as an MMA instructor pays...eh. $16.50 per hour. Which amounts to a little under $2k monthly. I believe I am providing enough value to ask for $17 an hour. I will do this soon. In fact, for all I do I should be getting paid WAY more. HOWEVER, I am not working it primarily for the hourly pay. I absolutely hate the idea of trading my time for any amount of money. So why? This will be the first business I use my copywriting skills for. Being a small business, I work with the owner (my boss). He has given me full permission to market his business however I like. I am re-designing the website. I am managing the Facebook page. He also offered me a bonus for any new members I bring in. Weather this is a percentage of their monthly payments, or a one-time bonus, I do not know. Essentially, this job is a HUGE project for me to work on. I will blow up his business, and learn TONS in the process.

• We are changing locations very soon. This means everything is NEW. Except for our students and a few pieces of equipment (punching bags, target gloves, etc). I will help source all of our new equipment, and get everything running.
• I will use Direct Marketing to build a better relationship with our current students, as well as pull in new students.
• I currently run a fitness class for the older students. Aged 16 and above. Some have asked me if I can personally train them. I don't have time, but it is a definite option to make extra $$$ on the side. My boss doesn't mind.
• I will create a new promo video, complete with go-pros in a Jiu Jitsu match, and an overhead drone during kids classes
• I will collect testimonials from very happy parents (We really do change their rowdy kids for the better)
• I will create tournament events, with entry fees to up our monthly revenue

I could be asking for more pay, but I want to show my value first. After results start coming in, then I will make better pay arrangements. My boss mentioned a partnership, or that I even take over eventually. I don't want this. It'll tie me down to a brick and mortar business. Ultimately my exit strategy is making a small equity agreement and occasionally assisting in marketing for the studio. If he gets around 100 members at our $200 monthly charge, a 2% revenue agreement should bring me a nice $4,000 monthly.

eBay Business
​

Nothing has changed. Still 5 products up. Still only 3 of one product has sold. I'm doing something wrong. I believe feedback is a huge part of my issue. I have 100% positive feedback but only 11 feedbacks. Today I will dedicate most of my time to finding what I'm missing here.

Copywriting​

I ordered 8 books. Currently reading "The Robert Collier Letter Book." The ones in blue I have finished:

• Scientific Advertising
• Cashvertising
• No B.S. Direct Marketing
• How to Write a Good Advertisement
• Tested Advertsing Methods
• The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
• 7 Steps to Freedom
• The Robert Collier Letter Book

Lets go!

Great job man, you're doing what you know you need to do. My advice is that you dramatically lower the amount of time you spend reading the copywriting books. Instead get on a contractor/client site and start actually writing copy. Upwork and Fiverr are the big ones. I say to drop the "studying" because it is a feel-good way your brain stops you from taking real action. It's mental masturbation. Of course you have to continue studying it. But you will get much farther way quicker if you actually start writing copy for people and get paid to do it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ben S.]

Imports​

Things that make me sad:

• Over $1,000 spent. Barely scraped back $350
• Tested 6 products, basically all sucked
• Closet full of useless trash Apple Watch holders (Anyone want one? Just pay shipping. Ha

Things that make me happy:

• I learned more in the process for $600, than a couple full semesters of college would teach me
• Of my 6 sucky products, 1 has the potential to be successful
• I get more material to put in my autobiography when I eventually reach my goals

I almost threw in the towel. I HATE giving up on something. But I wanted to dedicate more time to marketing the MMA Studio. That was my pussy justification.

I put days of research my sourcing of JUST 3 products. I took Udemy courses on importing. I read all the big import threads in the forum. I subscribed and listened to eCommerce podcasts every day. I applied copy techniques from books I'm reading. I bought a pro light box for fantastic photography. I used paid services to make killer listings. I offered stellar customer service. Still...nothing. Crap results.

The thing is, there's simply so many factors that it's extremely difficult to tell where you're missing something. Regardless, I decided to put more work into it. I will not give up. I will make this work.

What I've done:

Well, I invested more money of course!

1. I placed my first large order from my Chinese supplier for a total of $580 (takes me about a month to make this at my job) 50 units unbranded. 2 sample units with my private labeling. I sourced my logo from fiverr.
2. Created an Instagram page in that particular niche and took a Udemy course on Instagram marketing. Currently have 280 followers. This is growing daily.
3. Purchased a domain name and created my Shopify website.
4. Created a killer landing page to direct buyers from eBay to my website
5. Ran a profits projection. If marketed and branded correctly, I can sell each unit for $30. After all expenses, my profit per unit will be around $15. Solely on eBay, I expect to sell around 2-4 per day. I plan to expand to Amazon as well as make sales from my Shopify store. Ideally around 10 units per day total, within the first 2 months of launch. This should put me around $4,500 in PROFITS monthly. Set high goals so you get rekt later right? Right.

What I plan to do (by this Sunday):

1. Create 2 weeks worth of Instagram content in advance
2. Get to 1,000 followers
3. Create another landing page for Instagram followers
4. Polish up my website
5. Source 5 new products in my niche and add "Coming soon" to the products on my site
6. Write a short eBook, specifically relating to the purchased product. To direct eBay buyers of this product to my landing page and collect their emails.

Lessons learned:

• eBay pricing strategy: You cannot sell your samples of the item at target price. Since you aren't on the best match of results, you have to be competitively priced in order to get any views. This makes it hard to get an accurate idea how well your item will sell at the target price. With due diligence, make an order. I plan to dump tons of my item on eBay at cost, or even at a loss. Once my ranking is boosted, I will up the price and hopefully break even. Then sell my whole next order at target price and start making profits.

Next week I will explain my sales funnel. Hopefully I give you guys some ideas. And I hope some of the more experienced members can offer suggestions.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Ben S.]

MMA Marketing​

Things that make me sad:

• The job itself. Getting kneed in the balls by sweaty kids for $15 an hour isn't doing it for me
• The way the owner runs the business. Very disorganized. Poor employee management. If I can get him new students, can he retain them?
• I don't really know enough to teach. Every day I come in, I feel like a fraud.

Things that make me happy:

• He agreed to equity! I haven't talked percentages and I don't want to until I show him some results. Asking 10% without any tangible changes would be stupid. I will OFFER VALUE first. Then I will ask for 10% when he simply NEEDS me to continue what I am doing.
• I have full reigns of everything. My marketing expenses are going to be covered by him.
• Found a potential partner. He made 60k marketing for a gym. But he got paid an hourly with a little commission. That's life. Make money for your boss right? But he knows what he's doing. I gave him a list of all the copy books I am reading. He ordered them all immediately and started reading. The plan is to each market for a business of our own. (Me the MMA busines, him something else) Then we merge and form a partnership, and work on the next one together. We'll see.

What I've done:

1. Collected almost all current parent/ student emails. We didn't have any. Can you believe that?
2. Created a survey to ask about our current classes and what students like/dislike. I want all of our students to be happy before we look for new ones.
3. Scheduled a shoot for next Saturday for the studios new promo video. There will be 2 versions. One will play on a TV facing outside, so that we can get the attention of passerby's. This will just be the highlight reel. The other one will be complete with testimonials, class footage, voice overs, etc. This one will go on our social media and potential student email lists.
4. Training 10 of our best students for a charity event demonstration. This makes for good publicity and hopefully potential signups at the event.

What I plan to do (by this Sunday):

1. Finish getting ALL emails
2. Send out the email survey
3. Write the promotional video script ( Writer/Director Ben is what they call me)
4. Visit 5-10 studios to check on what other studios do. Also to verify our unique value proposition (UVP) for honest marketing .
5. Arrange charity event demonstration with the parents of our students

The studio relocates in June. This is when I will ask for the 10% Lets gooooo!

 

[daivey]

Here's what I don't get... if you're a trainer at the gym and hate it so bad, why not get some clients and teach them privately? Like someone said, $10 a session, get 10 people = $100. Setup 5 of those per week, that's $500, or $2000 per month. Work on scaling that... Do 2 courses a day...... rinse and repeat.

When you can't handle the work load, hire someone, pay them $30 to run a session.

Get the cash that way, build yourself a cushion.

Move out of your parents house.

Rinse repeat, save money and working the business on the side..

Most trainers ARE DOING THIS... They are trying to teach people on the side for cash. You need to build up you cash reserves so that spending $500 on a shipment from China doesn't break your bank account.

Your racing to be the CEO tomorrow... I can see it in your posts. It's like your frantic to become millionaire tomorrow. You're doing "profit projections" already..... frantic to show us that you got money coming in or to show us that you're not like every one else?

It reads like you're trying to be a super man... like ADD or something, maybe it's why you dropped out of school?

you don't want to trade money for time... but you realize you are doing just that right?

maybe school is a waste of time, but for some people it humbles them, helps them get some humility.

you said somehwere in your post that you feel like a fraud??? so are you, or are you not a trainer? are you skilled, can you actually train people??? why not try to get credentials in that so you can leverage it and make cash on the side???

learn copy, who cares. if you have a good product and some decent marketing knowledge, copy is a waste of your time. seems like the "instant stardom" button on these forums = LEARN COPY!!!!!!!!!!11111!!!! lol
step 1 learn copy.
step 2 bro down
step 3 profit!!

if your product sucks, no amount of copy will get people to buy it.. people aren't stupid clueless robots that just buy stuff online. They do research. They read reviews. They are looking for a product to fulfill a need at a good price.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Royael]

Great journey, will follow FOR SURE! I literally dropped out of college a few days ago - it was a no brainer for me! My reasons were 1. opportunity cost, 2. great income alternatives and 3. shift in education. Just published a post today on the blog with more details..

 

[IceCreamAction]

Initially reading your thread the first thing I saw was that your parents are both educated with good jobs. When you started talking about them giving up on dreams and one life my first thought was maybe you didn't appreciate them maintaining a 19yr old kid who after all the pain is trying to dropout of college.
Don't get me wrong as I maybe dropping out soon,but don't start hot and heavy to only fizzle out and burn, really looking forward to your progress.

Definitely look into private training or something else, why train building someone's business when you can do that with yours? You complained about trading your time for money yet the value you provide from training and marketing development is free?

Note I'm not trying to bash you.

I want to finish my Math degree but my dropping out may be more with necessity than choice. At its worst, if you can afford to do it, and mentally do it, then do it.
Or Fastlane this bitch! Either way you have my best wishes with your business and grinding, I hope to get invited to the yacht party.

 

[Daniel A]

I originally wanted to transfer to UC Berkeley to study business administration. When I thought about where that would lead, I really didn't see any connection to were I actually want to be. What would that degree give me? What does business administration even mean?

Maybe I'd go back to major in something more applicable...like computer science or engineering. I'd love to be a part of the major revolutions coming our way. Namely augmented reality, AI, space exploration.

This seems legit.

http://met.berkeley.edu/

"In a four-year curriculum, you earn two Bachelor of Science degrees in one program that combines the best of the top-ranked College of Engineering and Haas School of Business. You’ll choose between two tracks:

Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS) + Business
Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR) + Business
You’ll be in a small cohort, benefiting from close mentoring, a tight-knit community and opportunities to connect everything you’re learning in one integrated experience.

You’ll get hands-on practice turning great ideas into real-world solutions. Go ahead. Match your engineering talent with business expertise — and become the kind of innovative leader the world needs."

P.S. I joined the forum after having left college. I've since gone back and I'm close to finishing. I haven't posted much about my experiences or thoughts on it yet because I want to graduate first.

P.P.S. Wishing you the best of fortune bro.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Ben S.]

This seems legit.

http://met.berkeley.edu/

"In a four-year curriculum, you earn two Bachelor of Science degrees in one program that combines the best of the top-ranked College of Engineering and Haas School of Business. You’ll choose between two tracks:

Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS) + Business
Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR) + Business
You’ll be in a small cohort, benefiting from close mentoring, a tight-knit community and opportunities to connect everything you’re learning in one integrated experience.

You’ll get hands-on practice turning great ideas into real-world solutions. Go ahead. Match your engineering talent with business expertise — and become the kind of innovative leader the world needs."

P.S. I joined the forum after having left college. I've since gone back and I'm close to finishing. I haven't posted much about my experiences or thoughts on it yet because I want to graduate first.

Yep. I f*cked up. Never even saw this. Never cared to investigate. Thank you for this. This is something I didn't even know existed. After I make this current project work, this is the first program I'll look into.

I just wrote off college. I'm stubborn. But I don't regret my decision. I wouldn't be where I am now, if I had pursued college right out of high school. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's a bad thing. But I don't regret it.

 

[Ev1]

You need to get on Amazon yesterday. My sales went up (both in volume and in price sold) after switching. Ebay is a nice supplement, but it's really only a superior selling platform for more "individual" items. If it's mass produced, has a bar code, etc. then Amazon rocks.

I second MJ's question and would like to know how the parents reacted.

This^ Amazon in my opinion is a much better platform than ebay. Day in day out I see more people flipping over to amazon because they are making waves. Amazon wants drones, amazon wants huge distribution centers to cut down shipping times etc. When has ebay made the news lately? Not anytime recent.
And it's pretty much the same way of doing business, you're instantly doubling your audience with minimal effort.

Ebay, Amazon, depending on your product fire it up on the other social feeds, pinetrest etc.

+1 on wondering how the parents reacted. I would have tried to finish a 2-3 year program OR gone part time and balanced a steady job, school (mainly for contacts) and working on personal improvement (business and lifestyle). Hopefully the MMA job is paying you half decent, if not look for another job. I'm ALL for supporting yourself while doing a start up, in my opinion there is no other way unless you have a nice savings account to use as capital. BUT, there are jobs that could be paying you 2x the money for similar effort.

 

[Ev1]

A.A. degree from my Community college. I looked up the requirements and found that I would have to complete 5 more classes (16 more units) and to get an Associate in Science Business Administration Degree.

I don't think it's worth it. 16 units is a LOT of time. But at the same time if I chose not to do it, I will very likely have to leave my house. I do have plenty of time to decide. Next semesters classes don't begin until mid August. Until then, I'll hustle my a$$ off.

Will that A.A degree help you at all? How much $ to take the courses.

Can you take them part time and finish it over an extended period of time? OR Kick a$$ until August and then jump back into school F/T or P/T.... School is much more livable when you have steady income instead of steady expenses.

 

[Ben S.]

You have a flawed perception of trainers. Normal workout trainers will make $20 to $100 an hour with the right setup.

MMA trainers can make a lot more.

For example, let's say he opens up his own studio, and teaches 10 people at a time, $20 each. That's $200 an hour. There's tremendous potential here for a significant income that he can then invest.

When we relocate, I hope to make an equity deal in which I can benefit from more members. As of now, I am just an employee.

 

[illmasterj]

I was thinking about going on Amazon, but I have dedicated so much time to figuring out eBay that I stubbornly want to make it work. I have to find what I'm doing wrong here.

I think you have already summarized it. You may want to unlearn this trait. If something's not working for you, maybe you should be evaluating your alternatives?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Jeremy Groover]

You have a flawed perception of trainers. Normal workout trainers will make $20 to $100 an hour with the right setup.

MMA trainers can make a lot more.

For example, let's say he opens up his own studio, and teaches 10 people at a time, $20 each. That's $200 an hour. There's tremendous potential here for a significant income that he can then invest.

I think your reading my post out of context, or maybe I just wasn't clear. Where I was heading was "is the MMA job for glory or fun" if so what is he sacrificing for the glory and fun. If hes making all he can make per hour compared to other jobs in his area then by all means keep at it, if he's settling for less pay or hours just to say "I work for an MMA gym" then that is the wrong mindset, at least in my eyes. I wasn't suggesting that he's making pennies for glory but if he is then he needs to change that. Or is this an alternative education for something that he plans on doing? If that's the case learn the business part about it while your there, learn what works and what doesn't and keep chugging at it.

I'm just saying, if he showed up to class one day and was like "boom! F*** this place I'm out" maybe he needs to reevaluate the whole situation.

Maybe I chimed in a little early or didn't ask the right questions. Maybe I assumed too early. However, when a kid living at home that has an Ebay company for less then 3 months and works at a MMA gym doing who knows what as the job that shows up to class one day and is like "F*** it" makes me a little skeptical. I mean he even said "As opposed to spending hours differentiating between types of instrument tones for a Gen Ed music class." meaning 2ish months ago he signed up for this class as a filler. You don't have to sign up for pointless classes like that. You can pick electives that you can actually benefit from, not just look for an easy filler. Just saying...

I wish you the best bud, I truly do. It seems like your figuring you s*** out now which is what matters. Keep us updated, I'd love to see you expand that business of yours!

 

[drifter]

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
- Ben Franklin

Which credits do you need for the A.A.? Think about marketing if you can since that's what you'll need to grow whatever business you're into.

Also - consider completing those courses online - plenty of Universities offer their courses entirely online, so you don't have to go to B&M to complete the A.A. Check out degreeinfo.com - it's where I went for info and I ended up completing undergrad and graduate degrees entirely online (via Regionally accredited schools) through schools that were recommended / reviewed there.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[SBS.95]

I was thinking about going on Amazon, but I have dedicated so much time to figuring out eBay that I stubbornly want to make it work. I have to find what I'm doing wrong here. Would you suggest switching over to Amazon before I get too deep into the eBay game?

Nothing wrong with Ebay, I still use it. But Amazon == more traffic == more sales. There's really no reason not to use both.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[illmasterj]

While I agree, I have a question. How do you know why something isn't working? If it is some error of my own, then I can change it and adapt to make it work. If I look for alternatives too soon, then I'll keep switching instead of overcoming the speed bumps.

Critical analysis. Be brutally honest with yourself. Have you/are you:

• researched how to make a killer eBay listing
• providing a great product at a price that people value
• using an established eBay account with lots of positive feedback (if not, are you working hard to attain this)
• providing a great service (fast shipping)
• etc

I hear Amazon is a lot less lenient with service. They expect nothing but the best. So when I am confident that I can be a professional seller, I will switch over.

Again, listen to yourself. If you are struggling with eBay it may not be eBay that is the problem. Poor service is poor service no matter where I buy from. Provide an excellent experience to the customer and while some channels will sell better than others, your product and service will for the most part sell itself.

 

[MC Hammer]

I just want to say that if you are not very concerned about your grades, studying part time to get C's should be a cake walk. If it makes your parents happy it may be worth it, and you can keep almost all your focus on what you actually care about. Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[marklov]

I did the same and regret it.....finish college.

The endorphins felt nice for awhile...... until reality hit.

 

[Ben S.]

@Ben S.

I run businesses. One of them is on eBay. I will tell you my biggest regret. The stupidest move I made during the past decade plus...

I didn't set up on Amazon.

Why?

Because I was doing great on eBay.
Because Amazon was somewhat gated in certain categories.
Because I didn't want to learn another platform.
Because I didn't want to deal with UPCs.
Because I didn't like their product descriptions.

What do these things have in common?

Laziness. I was lazy. I was a lazy, stupid, fool.

Now I am on Amazon. I am making a shit ton more money than I was before. I do not even have as many products on Amazon as I do on eBay. Yes, I had to pass some gates. More gates have come down in the past year, too. Yes I had to learn another platform and figure out UPCs for products I invented. Yes, I had to learn how the website worked and how to write my descriptions.

Worth it.

Awesome. Thanks for that different perspective. I guess it is laziness if I"m being honest with myself. I'm going to start listing on amazon as well then. I suppose there are benefits to each platform (eBay and Amazon) that I can use.

Today's goal: List one of my products on Amazon!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Jeremy Groover]

Yeah, I would have to agree. Take more action and read later. You can always read later when you need more direction or inspiration.

All content is just rehashed.

Build up your empire, business, whatever. Research and learn every small task which you need to get to your "end goal". This is all you really need. IMO, the act and process of this is what made me semi-successful. Become a complete problem solver.

If you are deadset on promoting MMA Studios.. I would personally reach out to the other competitors in your area. Your current MMA owner screwed you and doesn't value your time. Send your services and help elsewhere. If you can't get the trust and interest of any of the owners then I would probably re-construct a new plan for immediate income. It takes two and if none of them are willing to stick their foot out for you then you're better off doing something which is more easily attainable.

IMO, regardless of what it is.. What I would do is focus on building some business, any business which can generate $3-6k/month which you can work your a$$ off to achieve and you can somewhat automate in the future. Once that's done then you can work on a bigger income business but at least your daily/monthly expenses are covered. At least, that's how I'm doing it.

I couldnt have said that better myself

 

[ZMan26]

Most people just go to college because most people just go to college...

Most of society sees people who have a degree as "educated " or what not and its just " the right thing to do "

If you want to be a lawyer, go to college.
If you want to be a doctor, go to college.

If your goal is to start an SEO company, why the F*ck would you go to college?
And dont give me that " oh well you develop as a person and get tones of education in college "

Because
1. you can get educated without getting into a jaw-dropping debt
2. if you study something that isn't relevant to what you'll do with your life, you're wasting your time.

Knoweldge is power when its relevant knowledge, if you spend your time reading about Kim's new boob job...how is that empowering you exactly?

Like Jim Rohn once said "
What a man reads pours massive ingredients into his mental factory. And this builds the fabric of his life."

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Ben S.]

Copywriting​

I ordered 8 books. Currently reading "The 7 Steps to Freedom." The ones in blue I have finished

Scientific Advertising
Cashvertising
No B.S. Direct Marketing
The Boron Letters
How to Write a Good Advertisement
Tested Advertsing Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
7 Steps to Freedom
The Robert Collier Letter Book

Lets go!

 

[Jeremy Groover]

bump?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[SLOE GRIND]

Keep song what you're doing! There is no right or wrong answer on what you should do. Relax ..

Just follow your heart and do what you think is best for you and keep that positive mindset ..

Stay focused on your goals and keep grinding like you've been doing and you will find your way ..

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.