There are thousands of people making a living on the internet.
It’s not a fad or a recent development.
While the pandemic brought new awareness to learning cohorts, video calls, and remote work, online marketing is not a recent development.
Prior to quiet quitting, there were many entrepreneurs who decided they wanted to create an online business that allowed them to make money from anywhere in the world.
The best part is that many of them are thriving.
…And here’s some amazing news there is room for you too.
Maybe you’re just looking to earn a few hundred dollars. Maybe you’d like to replace your income. Perhaps you have a dream of spending more time with family. There are endless motivations for starting an online business.
Let me share my motivation.
My oldest son just turned 19. I have three other children who are 17, 14 and 12. I want to make the most of the time I have and create an additional income stream that will allow me to make more memories with my family. Additionally, my parents are aging and I want to be able to spend more time with them without having to take time off work.
Beyond that, I have a desire to have more time available to serve couples who are in need of marriage enrichment. I want to be more involved in my community so that I can give back.
I also want my kids to realize they have options. They can get a ‘traditional’ job or they can create one.
I believe before you start your online endeavors, it’s important to identify your why. …but that’s just the beginning.
Near the beginning of your journey, you have to decide you’re going to commit. You have to be willing to persevere.
You may encounter resistance.
You may experience imposter syndrome.
You may feel a little lost.
You may feel like quitting.
You may feel like nobody’s paying attention.
You may feel like it’s too risky.
These are all possibilities … BUT what if you thrive?
What if you create a product that:
Gives someone else hope to create something.
Gives someone the hope to pursue their own dream?
Gives someone permission.
Gives someone a glimpse of freedom.
Will you persevere?
Maybe you’ve started and stopped, started and stopped again.
Maybe you’ve tried in the past and failed.
What’s different this time?
This time you’ll tap into the power of perseverence.
Let me give you 3 things to do right now that will reduce the risk of quitting.
- Get clear on the dream. Take 5 to 10 minutes right now and close your eyes. I mean it, close your eyes! What do you want? What is the dream? Maybe you want to start a blog sharing everything you know about public speaking. Maybe you want to create a podcast on organization. Maybe you want to create a YouTube channel where you teach music. Maybe you want to write a book on leadership. The options are endless but it needs to be yours.
- Find a coach. Is anybody else doing what you want to do? I’m almost positive the answer is yes. Do they have a book? Do they teach a course? Do they offer coaching? Do they have a social media presence? Dive into their content, and connect with them. Find ways to learn from them and be a part of their community. It may take some time but if you implement their teaching and share with them what you’re learning – they will notice!
- Create daily. If you want to write – write daily. If you want to record video – record daily. Whatever it is you want to do, do it daily. You don’t have to publish daily, but you do have to create daily. It’s called putting in the reps. When you begin you might be mediocre. If you commit to creating daily, over time you will improve. You have to commit to the daily work.
- Evaluate regularly. Identify the metrics you need to track. When writing, it might be the number of words written. It might be the number of blog comments. Identify something that will help you measure your progress. In 2020, I wrote 250 words for 200 days in a row – I was shocked when I realized I had written 50,000 words in about 30 minutes a day. What could you do with 30 minutes a day?
- Celebrate your wins. You will create connections and make new friends. You might get some sales. You might get recognition. Whatever it is – celebrate it! Go all out – you’re the rockstar – act like it!
As you commit to doing the work, you’ll find that you gain more confidence.
As you grow more confident, you will find your voice, and when you find your voice, you’ll find your fire.
When the fire comes people will be drawn to your light.
Shine brightly, my friend.
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