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What you really need to know about owning a business…

January 9, 2012 By 1 Comment

It’s funny. As a business owner, you hear a lot of the same things all the time. You need to keep pushing forward, be smart with your money and come up with new an innovative ideas. There are books that are dedicated to these facts as you try to find your way through the journey of making your ideas reality.

However, one of the biggest driving forces in business that brings you to those “next levels” is generally one that now one really talks about. I find it ironic…but I also understand why. I do not thing it is something that people want to talk about. So what is it?

To make the big gains, you have to step outside of previous comfort zones.

Ok…I know…right now you are thinking, “Robb…yes, we already know that. This is not new news so why are you treating it like it is?” And you would be right, but I am not talking about gingerly taking on new stresses like calling a new client for the first time, stepping out there and talking in public or finally deciding on a new logo. What I am talking about her is stepping WAY outside of where you feel comfortable to the point that you almost feel like you are in the wrong spot.

Anyone can make small gains by staying relatively comfortable and edging that circle out slowly, but the owners that make the big gains jump outside that box with both feat ready to take on new challenges. They take on the projects that they are not sure they can handle.  They get tasks done in timelines that were thought to be impossible. They reinvest back into the company through capital and education.

Bottomline…to make big gains in business (and in life for that matter), you need to make big, sudden gains in expanding what you consider normal and your area of expertise.

It is all about taking that calculated risk to achieve the impossible. Are there new markets you need to attack that has a risk of failure? Is there the next capital reinvestment gain that could land you more opportunities (for site owners…redesign…for brick and mortar…expansion…for consulting…new markets and clientele)?

Some of the more stressful situations in trying to make those big gains is wondering if the risk is going to pay off. But…when it is done right…they pay off in a big way and even if they don’t, you learn more about the process to insure success for the next time around.

There is one thing for sure though, you do not get anywhere by sitting still and staying completely out of risk as you sit safely in your comfort zone. It is time to get out and see what you are really capable of.

Note from Robb: As you can probably tell by the article and how I treat content in general, I write this sort of content when I need it the most as well. Sometimes by saying it outloud…you force your own hand at getting the job done and hold yourself accountable.

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Sometimes Our Worst and Darkest Times Are Actually Gifts

June 17, 2010 By 21 Comments

Many of you have read my post on “5 Years Ago Today – Things Were Much Different“. Here we sit…6 years past that infamous day that has forever changed my life and presented the path across which I walk now. After another year under my belt and careful recollection during this time of year, I yet have another point to present as we get busy living instead of getting busy dying.

Every year around this time I feel an amazing sense of gratitude for what I have and hope for the future. No…not some stupid logo and tagline to try to get elected for something, but true hope that progress and effort lead you down a path that is positive and life changing. For many people, they can not pin their lives on a single moment where everything changed. I can…and this is what I take away from it.

Sometimes Our Worst and Darkest Times Are Actually Gifts

There are periods or moments in our lives that feel terrible when you are entrenched in the grasps of darkness. Maybe you lost your job, your relationship fell apart or…like in my case…the wreckage of your life finally caught up to you in a split second moment. During this time, your only thoughts and feelings are negative. How am I going to get out of this? Can it really get any worse? I don’t know if I can handle this…

Somewhere in the bottom of despair, human survival instinct kicks in and we start the good fight. We start the job search, we get back out on the market or we start to assemble the wreckage and make something better of ourselves. With time, this effort does not go unnoticed and one day we turn around to find out all of our dreams have now come true. Everything we thought we had lost is now come back better than before through hard work and dedication to the cause.

None of this would have been possible if we were just floating on in life. It was built out of necessity as we had no choice. It was fight or flight time as that period or moment in our lives defined the coming years without us even knowing it. When we look back with hindsight 20/20, we now become thankful for one of the worst times in our lives as the gifts that were presented later down the time-line are some of the best we have ever received.

I say we in this article because I am not the only one that has experienced this. Whether it be small or drastic, each of us can pinpoint a moment in our lives that altered our path for the better when we thought we were actually at a roadblock.

What Has My Darkest Time Given Me?

Honestly…more than I could even dream of. I am now married to a beautiful, caring woman who is much smarter than I am. We have two dogs that keep us laughing day in and day out. I have an incredible circle of family and friends. I am the owner of a business that is growing by the day that is directly involved in everything I love.

Robb and Jenn in New York

Hemi and Hans

The future is bright for all of us. We just have to be willing to put in the work necessary to make our dreams a reality. We have to continue to fight forward using our past as a learning experience for the future. It doesn’t have to take a drastic event, but if you are in one of those or crawling your way out…know that the light at the end of the tunnel makes it all worth it.

Life is not perfect. There will be bumps in the road. But with a positive outlook and the willingness to put forth the effort…you will find that your wants and dreams were actually short sided as you receive more than you could have ever imagined. This is our one and only life…as such…we should always treat it that way.

To quote a friend of mine that beat Hotchkins Disease last year and is getting married this weekend…

I just breath different air now.

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One Leg At A Time

April 8, 2010 By 10 Comments

I was putting on a pair of my new Dockers pants yesterday when I noticed they had a saying inside the waist band, “One Leg At A Time”. It got me thinking about my life and blogging, so stick with me on this ride as I attempt to explain.

I’m not sure who first coined the phrase, but if you think about how that tagline applies to your life outside of actually putting on pants, it can be rather profound. Let’s take a look…

Tackling Your Life One Leg At A Time

For many people, the timeline of their life can be overwhelming. I speak from experience on this one as sometimes my long term goals can seem too large to tackle or stepping out of that comfort zone is being stopped by usability to take that first step. At that point in time, I remind myself that every step in life and business is taken one leg at a time.

Most projects, business decisions and general blogging is tackled in steps…not all at once. Do you see yourself jumping straight into your pants both legs in one shot?! Sounds hilarious when you really think about it but so often bloggers try to tackle the big tasks in their blogging all at once.

When you start to plan projects, you need to lay out the steps necessary to achieve your goals. You then take on each of these steps and watch them add up over time.

Applying The Phrase To Self Image

Unless you are a cocky SOB that thinks you are utterly wonderful and the world is graced by your presence, you have probably had certain “I’m not like those guys” or “I’m not good enough” feelings as it pertains to success.

Many people will look at more successful people in life or business and wonder what the secret is…what did they do differently…how to I get on that gravy train? The secret…they put their pants on one leg at a time everyday and they do that consistently.

What most people don’t realize is that what separates the successful from those that aren’t is the ability to try over and over again without being scared of the result.

Applying This Theory To Blogging

As you start to look at how you can apply this theory to your blogging, you need to take a serious look at your plans and your goals.

  • Where do you want to be by the end of the year, month, week?
  • What is it going to take to get there?
  • What time requirements are there?

Now that you have laid it all out, start taking the steps down one leg at a time. You will be surprised at the result as you are working your plan, just like you do every morning when you get dressed and don’t realize it.

After you start eliminating the barriers to success, you have to start realizing that there is nothing special to “top bloggers” in your field. They took the same steps you are to get where they are today.

With the willingness to believe you can actually make it and you are good enough…you will be unstoppable. The enemy of most bloggers is their own mind in the pursuit of their dreams.

In the end, we are all doing this “one leg at a time” regardless of niche or business model. Hit it up!

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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.

Image by GonchoA
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2010 Is YOUR Year

January 4, 2010 By 17 Comments

2009 is but a distant memory and 2010 is a 365 day span of a blank canvas waiting to be painted. 2009 came with its own sets of challenges, fears and accomplishments. As one of the most difficult professional years of many people’s lives, we saw a sharp contrast between extreme success and utter failure as we navigated the uncertain economic times. We made it out…we pushed through and we used this frustration to further develop and enhance our own lives. Why? Because other people, places and things are not going to determine our moods and our success.

2010 Is YOUR Year

All of the sweat, tears, long hours and frustration are going to pay off in 2010. All of that work you did while others were complaining is going to add up if it has not already. 2010 is the year we all push forward with our goals to reap the rewards of hard work during a time where others sat back to wait. All of the time you have been putting into your blogs, businesses and stepping that one more step in front of your co-workers or competition is going to see huge rewards in 2010.

We are at the bottomless apex. We are on the verge of greatness. We are ready to continue the push as we have made it out of the wreckage. We are smarter for it and we have no excuses.

Are you going to waste all of the time in 2009 by being lazy in 2010? Do you have your new goals set? Are you ready to attack these next 365 days like they were your last? It is up to you, me and everyone else who fails to concede to the opposition. Are you going to let another individual continue to determine your worth in 2010? Are you going to keep the same complaints and excuses?

Now is the time. The time to get up and make 2010 YOUR YEAR. It is yours to take…and yours to give away…

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There Will Be Those Days…

November 20, 2009 By 8 Comments

They hit you out of the middle of no where. Those days where being a business owner and entrepreneur is not all it is cracked up to be. As much as we like to portray online living and owning your own business as this oasis of freedom and the ability to do whatever the hell you want…it is still running a business and you are still going to have those days when you want to sell everything off, hang it all up and call it a day. Luckily, unlike a 9-5, those days are much farther apart (if you are running your business correctly) and you actually have the control to do something about it (unlike a 9-5)!

Over the course of your new career lifestyle, you are going to have to make tough decisions that are not exactly fun. You are going to have to plan for the future and continue to grow the empire to keep a sustainable model for the future. During that time, there are people that are going to let you down…projects that don’t go exactly the way you wanted them to, income sources that will come and go…

As you continue to hit road bumps in the road, there are two things that are going to keep you successful and not another “I had a business back in the day” statistic.

  1. Your ability to adapt to changing conditions.
  2. Your ability to push through the tough times to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.

No matter what anyone says, every day is not going to be this perfect land in make believe. You have to take each situation in stride and make smart decisions for you and your business for future growth and sustainability. In simpler terms…if owning your own business and making the “internet lifestyle” was that easy…everyone would be doing it and we would all have more money than we could have ever imagined.

What makes the successful online business owners successful is the ability to treat their online ventures like a business so they can push through the rough times with smart, calculated decisions. They do not run back to the life they used to complain about just because a little pressure hit the table. Successful online business owners continue to push towards their goal in the face of adversity.

Are you going to fold under pressure and give up your spot to someone else just because you couldn’t hack it? When things get a little difficult, are you going to go back to someone else choosing your worth with a paycheck? Are you going to let your dreams of being self sufficient fade away just because it is not fun 100% of the time?

Keep your long term goals in mind and continue to achieve and celebrate short term goals that lead to the life you want to build for yourself. This is your one and only…make it worth it.

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"One Day" Is Too Late

November 10, 2009 By 8 Comments

We have all said this line at one point in time…I know I have multiple times…

One day, I am going to…

Sounds good at the time. You have some day off in the future that you are going to accomplish some task that is going to drastically improve your lifestyle. You would do it now, but there is too much going on so you do not have the time. Just wait though…at that future date you are going to have the time and it is going to be great!

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You Are Lazy

November 3, 2009 By 6 Comments

You are lazy. When it comes to getting work done or watching your favorite TV show…you watch your favorite show. You have had a long day, don’t you deserve to relax a little? You know you should be getting something else productive done, but you push aside those feelings in favor of becoming a vegetable in front of a lit screen that projects pictures you have already seen a thousand times. That’s right…it is a re-run of a show that aired 5 years ago, but you still can’t seem to turn it off and do something that actually might make your life better.

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What We Can Learn From Stewart Smalley About Blogging

October 28, 2009 By 1 Comment

Blogging is an interesting beast. It can bring you the most joy in the world and it can be defeating as you pour your heart and soul into a project that – eventually – someone is going to disagree with. A successful blogger has a thick skin and can let trolls roll of their back but also appreciate a difference in opinion. Is everyone going to think you are the best thing ever? Absolutely not…if fact, it is some people’s mission in life to put down others in an attempt to make themselves feel better. So how to we tackle the blogging blues and keep moving forward? [Read more...]

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