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It's Like I Am Giving Up Before I Even Started

March 29, 2011 By 14 Comments

Last night, my wife and I were sitting around watching reruns of “How I Met Your Mother” when a line on the show hit me like a ton of bricks.

One of the main characters, Ted Mosby was starting up his on architecture firm. In the process of the first couple of days, he had done everything in his power to distract himself from the task that ultimately brought business in…calling potential clients. At the end of the show, he tells a story about an architect to builds a library and it was the perfect building…the only problem is that the building sunk several inches a year and was eventually condemned. The architect forgot to account for the weight of the books.

That is when the quote that hit me over the face really drove home.

The longer I put off starting my own firm the longer it can remain a dream and not something  I screwed up at. It’s like I’m giving before I even started.

He was so worried about “forgetting the books” that keeping on meaningless tasks was his way of putting off failure even if it could be the best first step he had ever taken.

Wasting Time On Things That Don’t Matter

Ok…now back to reality. This line…while in a TV show…is very real. All of you start with the hope of one day owning your own business that gives you the freedom to work when you want to from where you want to. It is an incredible dream and entirely possible. However, owning your own business also comes with stresses and tasks that are not “the internet lifestyle”.

For a lot of you (me included), it isn’t so much about the working freedom as it is about not relying on the opinion of someone else to determine your worth and how much money you bring home every week. When you are your own boss, you determine your own future. This is both exhilarating and scarey as hell at the same time for most entrepreneurs even if they don’t say it.

Even worse, there is a misconception that everything has to be perfect.

The reality (even if it doesn’t look like it from the outside with other entrepreneurs) is that you are going to mess up. You are going to make mistakes and that will affect other people. You can not get away from that fact and it happens in your daily work life already. The only difference…it reflects someone else’s brand name and you just work your 9-5 to fix it as best you can. Once you go home, you try to wash it off and move on. When you own your own business, it is completely on you and your name.

That is a scarey thought at times, but you have to remember…it is how you pick your pants up after they fall down that counts…not the fact they fell down. Sometimes in life we are given more credit on how we handle ourselves through harder times than if everything were perfect. By righting wrongs, we build solid foundations and a business you can be proud of at the end of the day. You are going to “forget the books” from time to time…and that is ok.

When I started oneninety8, Bike198 and Blogging Labs…I had these same fears and did these same “meaningless tasks”. Eventually, you have to kick yourself in the ass to really get things done and kick-start your dream.

So as you go throughout your day finding tasks to complete that really don’t matter…

…and you find yourself saying things like…

  • I’ll do it when my design is perfect.
  • I’ll start when I have x,xxx subscribers.
  • I can’t do that because I’m not big enough like those other blogs and businesses.

…just remember, you might be shooting yourself in the foot just so you can keep the dream a great dream instead of your reality. Success is brought forth through actionable steps that foster growth. The more you waste time on things that don’t matter, the longer you will be telling people about your dream instead of living it.

Do not quit before you even start.

 

 

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The Stress For Me Would Be NOT Owning My Business

December 1, 2010 By 10 Comments

I was sitting having lunch yesterday around a bunch of executives. This group of high ranking employees and business owners were talking about several companies in their industry that had gone out of business over the last year and what caused their eventual demise. While some were based on the economy or stiff competition, there was one company that apparently had bad business management from the top due to the inability to run an efficient business by the owner. During this conversation, one of the business owners said something that really hit home with me as I was eavesdropping on their conversation…

I don’t think he could handle the stresses of owning his own business. For me, the stress would be not owning my business.

I guess they saw my ears perk up because after that line I was invited into the conversation.

The Stresses Of Business Ownership

I think a lot of people have the misconceived idea that owning your own business (online or not) is just a walk in the park as you go towards the friendly oasis of palm trees and pools of money (there’s an old school Duck Tales reference for you). Like a horse with blinders, they see all of the positive aspects with business ownership without taking into consideration what goes on behind closed doors.

What they do not see is all of the back end management that goes into running a successful business. Especially for online entrepreneurs, we are now wearing all of the hats of the business. We are inventory control, production (content or physical goods), engineering (coming up with ideas), accounting, management and owner all in one day. The juggling of all of these hats at one time can get the best of any entrepreneur with a great idea. The trick is to balance time between all tasks to run an efficient and profitable business over time. Remember, you are setting your self up for life…not just next week.

The Stresses Of The 9 To 5

On the flipside, the stresses of the 9 to 5 can be overwhelming as 99.9% of us already know. You have bosses that you are accountable to, your paycheck is determined by someone else, you often have to go along with ideas and plans that you completely disagree with, bad decisions by other workers can directly affect your livelyhood…the list goes on and on.

But…most of the general public puts up with these stresses to gain the security, repeatability and low responsibility rate that goes with being an employee. In the big scheme of things, going into work from 8-5, doing your job and then heading home is just good enough to provide for the family and live a happy life.

The Entrepreneur Mindset

For me, the stresses of not owning my business far out weigh the stresses involved with running it. When I started oneninety8 and all of my blogs, I started them with the goal of taking this show full time. The stresses of having to go along with decisions I didn’t agree with and relying on someone else’s opinion of me to drive my income were stresses that I could no longer bear. The entrepreneurs mindset is one that is willing to make the sacrifices in their life to gain the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

When I want a raise…I work harder on new ideas.

When I want to take a vacation…I take one.

When build up new assets…I am setting up my future.

This is the life I wanted. Living the 8-5 life is one that was stressing me out to the point that I was not sleeping, not eating well and adding all of that up to shorten my life over time. Owning my business…for me…is not about working only 2 hours a day and making millions…it is about having the ability to fully control my future and watch my ideas grow into something I can be proud of. It is about accepting the personal responsibility for my future and not relying on others to hand me what I want in life.

Every employee thinks they are underpaid and under appreciated because you are. It is the companies job to get your skills and productivity for the lowest price they can while it is your job to try to squeeze out the highest wage. This conflicting set of goals creates an environment where you have to either be promoted internally or change jobs to increase your income over time. When you own your business, that goal is under your control…and that comes with certain new responsibilities.

You can keep the grind for a paycheck every week. While that might create a less stressed, happy life for others…that just isn’t for me.

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Performance Anxiety and How to Beat It

August 2, 2010 By 8 Comments

In this guest post by Andrew Rondeau of WeBuildYourBlog.com, Andrew takes a look at how to beat performance anxiety which is a common occurrence among new and experienced bloggers. At some point in time, we all need a kickstart.

So. You have a great blog up and running, you’ve had lots of visits and a number of comments.

Now, you’re starting to worry. How can you keep people interested in what you have to say?  Is someone going to leave a comment telling you that you’re completely wrong? Everyone who visits your blog is judging you on what you write, right?

It’s performance anxiety rearing its ugly head

Performance anxiety is the feeling you get when you start to worry you won’t meet your readers’ expectations, just like an actor about to go on stage or a businessman waiting to give a big presentation for a new contract. We all suffer from it at some point in our lives; it’s normal.

Don’t panic. You can use this natural fear as a source of motivation. Everyone, from Hollywood actors right through to best-selling novelists and rock stars suffer with performance anxiety. It’s a great way of keeping an eye on what you’re writing, and keeping you on your toes. If you always feel some level of nervousness as a blogger, then you are more likely to take care over what you write, and do the best job you can.

Keeping abreast of what your customers are looking for

How do you know what your visitors are expecting, anyway? People keep dropping in to your blog to read what you have to say because they are interested. They like the way you write. Relax, and don’t start comparing what you have just written to something you wrote last month, that got you loads of comments. That was another day and another blog post. Have faith in yourself and in what you have to say.

One of the best ideas I have heard is to inform your reader of what you are saying, rather than trying to persuade them. You are your own expert, so have the confidence in your own abilities to complete the job you set out to do.

If you are running a business blog concentrating on an aspect of your working life then make sure you use the most up to date information you can. Have a browse around to identify what other great bloggers are doing. You know your industry inside out, so have faith in your ability to write with authority. If your blog is a personal one, then don’t be afraid to write up your opinions.

Going forward after researching your niche

Now you’ve done some research, have the courage of your convictions. You know what you have to say and you are the best person to say it your way. Whether you’re writing on a business subject or offering up insights in to your personal life, be confident with what you want to say.

If you sound like an expert in your field, you’ll encourage people to visit your blog regularly. Ask people to comment on what you have posted, as discussions on a particular subject will give you fresh inspiration and guide you to cover subjects which your readers are interested in.

Being positive and confident works wonders when it comes to writing authoritatively on your chosen field of expertise. By overcoming performance anxiety and being confident, you’ll have the ability to engage your readers, share your knowledge, and ultimately engage and retain a wide readership.

Andrew Rondeau blogs over at WeBuildYourBlog.com on blogging and provides a service to setup your own successful blog. You can check out his free Blogging Guide.

Cropped image by akhater

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Sooner Or Later, You Have To Jump Into The Deep End

March 15, 2010 By 15 Comments

I was driving with my wife yesterday talking about blogging and why some people are successful with it and others are not (I know…stimulating conversation for a wife to listen to…she puts up with a lot being married to me). After thinking out loud for about 15 minutes, it hit me like a ton of bricks. There is something that every single successful entrepreneur does that other people that do not realize this success never do. There is one common theme that runs throughout people’s lives…both professionally and personally…that almost guarantees success…or failure. But, it is a requirement for success.

You Have To Jump Into The Deep End

Remember when you were a kid learning to swim? If you don’t, think back to the last time you were watching a kid learn to swim. The deep end was a scary place. The pool floor seemed too deep down to fathom. Your feet had no chance of touching the bottom should the worst happen. You are completely reliant on your ability to keep afloat with the distracted teenage lifeguard on watch.

The butterflies hit your stomach and it becomes go time. It is either hit the water or walk away ashamed knowing your fears just got the best of you. You have the swimming ability and it is time. You jump…splash…kick your legs…reach for air…hit the ladder and you are out! Seriously! It’s that easy?! Now your parents can’t get you out of the deep end when it is time to leave in the same day. You conquered your fears and realized it wasn’t half as scary as you had in your head and you had the skills to get the job done.

Where Most Beginning Entrepreneurs Go Wrong

So where do most entrepreneurs go wrong? They take the beginning steps by getting the education, studying the market and do all of the thought processes required to make their own living and the life of their dreams. It is all in their head as they have the theory down pat to the point they can recite it to passers by as they look forward to their promising future. They step up to the deep end, take  a look at the water and…

…Never Step Off and Jump Off

How many people do you know with great ideas that were never followed up on? How many people do you know that are always telling you about their great ideas but they never seem to come to fruition?

Becoming a successful entrepreneur is all about taking that leap of faith into the water. You are taking that leap with the realization that things could go wrong, but with the trust that your training and your ability will make this jump successful. Are you going to swim perfectly to the ladder the first time? Absolutely not! But…with time, that trip continues to get easier and easier and…before you know it…you are a pro.

Trusting your instincts and your ability to succeed are vital to beginning success. More importantly, your belief that you will be able to pull through any mistakes and learn from those to apply them to future successes is was stops the freeze at the edge of the pool. 99.9% of successful blogging, life experiences and owning a successful business all starts with that leap of faith. The vast majority of people will allow that leap to freeze, unwilling to try.

I see business owners all the time that are extremely successful that…honestly…I can’t see how they do it. They don’t have the skills of other people I know…they don’t have the connections…they don’t even have the ability, but they take that step off the pool everyday and those that have all the talent…don’t. That is what separates the successful from the laborers. That ability to take the first step off the cement edge and hit the water unsure of the result on a daily basis.

Are you going to let your fear win? Are you doing to let uncertainty cripple you from being successful?

Don’t Choose The Outcome Before It Happens

These same people who do not take that jump into the deep end are the same ones that can tell you outcomes without experience to back it up.

“They won’t buy it anyway so I don’t think I’ll even bother.”

“There are too many of those in the market already, so I don’t think it is a good idea.”

“That’s a great idea, but I don’t see how you are going to make any money at it.”

All of these are negative feelings towards fear related to uncertain outcomes. You can either run through your life as a victim of circumstances or you can actually try things out for yourself and not be afraid to fail. For that matter…you also can not be afraid to succeed.

So…what are you doing today to take that first step off the cement and into the deep end?

Image by Powerhouse Museum
Filed Under: Blogging, Generating Cash, Lifestyle Design, Tutorials/How To Tagged With: , , ,

My Zero Tolerance Policy

February 17, 2010 By 33 Comments

Ok…before we jump into one of my psychological rants where you get a peek into the psyche of Robb Sutton (I know…on the edge of your seat aren’t you?!), I want to go ahead and warn you. This following dialogue might put off some people, but it is one of those things that I feel needs to be said…especially to those in the blogging world. If you only listen to one thing that jumps off your screen that I happen to throw up there, let this be the article that kicks you in the ass to get going. The rest of what I put on RobbSutton.com is purely fluff if you do not take this one article seriously. So are you ready?

My Zero Tolerance Policy

I have absolutely zero tolerance or compassion for lame ass excuses. I think a lot of this stems from the experiences that I have had in my life where I have shown myself that you can get out of any situation through action. No matter what you do in life, you are not going to get anywhere by making excuses. You only see and realize success through taking action.

I hear so many bloggers, semi-entrepreneurs and employees whine about how bad they have it…how hard things are…what they deserve and don’t get…the list goes on. There are more people in this world that will whine and complain instead of actually taking the first step of action to change their outcomes. There are also more people that would rather stick there selfish hand out looking for something free even if it means that their “free” comes at the expense of someone else.

If you really want to make a run at making money online, starting your own business or even getting that raise you have been bleeding for…it is up to you to take the actions necessary to get the job done. No one owes you a damn thing.

There are so many people in the blogging industry that want to talk about how they are going to create the next big thing. The reality…99.9% aren’t willing to put in the effort to actually get it done. Do they have the ability? They might…but we will never know because they are full more excuses of why it didn’t happen than they are with action that is at least trying. That’s ok though…these same people make marketers rich by buying “next big product” that is going to bring them to the next level. So what do they do? They spend their money, read the great content and then do not apply a single bit of it to their blogging. They just sit on it and wait for that next big product.

So who’s fault is it today? Who didn’t give you the promotion you needed? Who didn’t just help you get over that last step? Why were you too busy? Why is it so hard? Why wouldn’t we understand?

The human brain is capable of fantastic things. I have seen people you would think would never amount to anything get to the top of the world, so don’t tell me that the successful ones are smarter or got better breaks than you did. In all reality, they probably had to overcome bigger obstacles than you could even imagine and it is your jealously that is labeling their journey as “easy”.

This might not be you. You might be taking the steps right now to insure your success down the road. But I challenge you to have a zero tolerance policy with yourself. By minimizing excuses and pushing forward with action, the windows of opportunity that will open to you are endless. It just takes the willingness to put in the work and taking responsibility for your own future. You are not a victim of circumstances…you choose and define your own future and destiny.

Zero Tolerance Image by nimboo

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What Do You Do When All Of Your Cards Are On The Table?

January 25, 2010 By 6 Comments

It is the bottom of the 9th, 4th quarter and you are all in. You size up the situation around you…look at your competition…read your opponent…dig deep within your gut and make a decision. You make the decision to fold or go for it. This decision is made in a split second based off of facts that are nothing but educated guesses. You go for it…hit it big and enjoy the reward…or you sit back and wonder what could have been. Either way…the decision was yours…you made that decision and now you are the one that has to live with it. Success or failure…it is all on you as you move forward.

What Do You Do When All Of Your Cards Are On The Table?

Pressure does different things to different people. How we react to a given situation varies depending on variables weighed in at the time. Do react differently when the risks are higher? Absolutely! The question is when do you make the decision to hit the risk when everything isn’t on the line.

Many times, we get stuck in a pattern. We hate our jobs but don’t do a damn thing about it. Why? Because it is a steady income stream and you hope and pray that it will get better over time. You put off the risks of today in favor of the sure thing. It is a difficult situation to contemplate as you move forward in life, but what separates the really successful from the routine employee is that willingness to step outside of the box and take that risk.

This risk is not always monetary in nature. Maybe you are stepping out of your comfort zone by really putting yourself out there for the ridicule or praise of others. Maybe you are stepping into a new, unknown field where you will have to learn a new trade all over again. Maybe you are just taking that risk to push for that promotion or raise.

As you look at your business and life decisions, you need to ask yourself a question. How would I approach this situation differently if my life was on the line?

In all reality, our lives are on the line each and every day. We do not know with 100% certainty that we are going to be here tomorrow, so why do we treat all of our decisions like they can just be handled later? As you go through your blogging or business building, are there certain decisions you have put off until tomorrow because you are afraid of the reaction? The result could be life changing, but you put it off out of fear of rejection, losing it all or just the fear of actual work?

If you would handle the situation differently if you suddenly lost your job or got a massive pay cut, then you should probably analyze the current situation and ask, “why not now?”.

Why would you treat the situation differently if all of your cards were on the table and what can you do now to further enhance and better your life through action? Tomorrow is too late and today is the day to start living. Complacency and laziness will keep you trapped. Motivation and the willingness to take calculated risks will catapult you into another world.

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6 Figure Blogging – Is it still possible or a pipe dream for new bloggers?

October 8, 2009 By 12 Comments

6 figure blogging…it’s the dream…it’s the goal…it’s what new bloggers and long time bloggers alike dream about at night. Imagine it…the 2 hour work days, doing what you want when you want, having the financial freedom to go where you want. Sounds like the perfect life. That is because it is. Who wouldn’t want to retire early and actually live the rest of their life instead of slave for it? So…as you keep after that dream of making it big with your blog earning big figures while your friends still slave away for a paycheck…is that dream still alive or is it just a pipe dream that keeps hundreds of blogging based companies in business? Well, I have news for you, and you aren’t going to like it.

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RobsWebTips.com Interviews Robb Sutton About Being An Entrepreneur

October 3, 2009 By 1 Comment

Last night, I did an email interview with RobsWebTips.com about my life online. What started off as an interview about my sites took an interesting turn into what it really means to be an entrepreneur. Of all the interviews so far, this one has to be the most unique I have done to date as the subject of product reviews and getting over $100k worth of free product for my blog was not the main focus.

Being a blog owner that is successful enough to make a full time income requires having the mindset of a business owner and entrepreneur. You can not expect to treat your blog as part time income and have it turn into a full time living. You have to start from day one with the thought processes of a true business owner, and that is the kind of information we went over in this interview on RobsWebTips.com.

Interview with Robb Sutton on RobsWebTips.com

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Are You Just Skating By?

September 17, 2009 By 2 Comments

Are you just skating by and taking life as it comes? It is an easy trap to get into as we continue our daily route without a thought in our mind that we could actually shake things up and change our outcomes. A surprising major of people go throughout life on the bleeding edge. They are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck just hoping that someone will realize the greatness that in bodies who they are and reward that with more cash that they can spend faster than they make. When in reality, they are not oozing out greatness…they are doing just enough to get by so they won’t get fired. There no real reward for being extraordinary…just more responsibilities to increase the bottom line for someone else. This creates the “only do enough to get by” mentality that plagues most workers.
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