Last week I used some of my work time to read and respond to all the various comments that people left on resources I released in the build up to Membership Site Mastermind opening.
Although I spent several hours reading over 500 comments and writing about 50 of my own, it’s worth the time invested. I learn so much about my audience this way, which helps me better serve you because I understand where you are coming from. Any chance you get to do research like this, you should take it.
One of the things you have to come to terms with when you run a teaching business is that you will receive the same questions over and over and over again.
Each new person who becomes exposed to your work is new and usually has the same common questions and challenges as everyone else. Their experience is unique to them as an individual student trying to learn how to do something, while for you as a teacher, you repeat yourself with each new student. The more people you help, the more you repeat.
I bring this up because it’s clear many people are struggling to deal with the same issues and tell themselves the same false truths when it comes to starting an Internet business. This is the fundamental reason why only a tiny percentage of people actually make the kind of money they want to from their business, while most people do not. It’s the people who choose not to believe these things and who do it anyway, who get a result.
If you believe something that stops you from getting what you want, then you have a built-in failure mechanism. Why guarantee your own failure? If you want something so badly, who do you make a choice to see the world in a way that automatically prohibits you from ever having what you want? That’s just silly.
Three Lies You Need To Stop Believing
The following three beliefs are repeated to me by students again and again, especially when you are stepping into the entrepreneurship game for the first time. You need to understand these are beliefs only, not truths, however if you hold on to a belief they become true for you, so you need to be careful.
If as you read the following points you find yourself on some level agreeing with them, then you need to stop and start taking steps to change the belief. If you don’t, it will always hold you back. Most problems can be solved with smart persistence, as every successful entrepreneur knows, so why not apply that belief to these situations instead?
1. You can only make money teaching/writing/blogging/selling how to make money
This one really bugs me. It’s such a short sighted view of the world to see only what’s directly in front of you.
This problem I believe stems from the natural process a new entrant into the world of Internet marketing goes through. First they look for methods to make money online and find a ton of resources, some which are good and some which are not. They notice that although lots of great free content is released, most of the people who give away this information seem to only make money by also selling products that teach how to make money, or by talking about the subject on a blog. It’s easy to get jaded by this.
This is how I make a lot of money online now, so I’m a perpetrator and certainly have had to face my fair share of people attempting to call me out as a fraud, only profiting by teaching how to make money. Although the fact that you make money teaching how to make money isn’t exactly fraudulent, it does cause people to be suspect of the quality of your information.
The truth is that the make money online niche, while good, is far from the best. If you really want to make big money enter the dating, weight loss, health, investing or real estate niches.
There are so many possible niches to make money in, but why you don’t hear about them as much is because of two reasons –
- Those making money in other niches are not teaching how to make money, so there’s no incentive for them to talk about how they do it, that’s just not the business they are in.
- You have your focus so squarely on how to make money you spend all your time studying within this niche only, which naturally means you are exposed predominately to how to make money products and blogs. If you want to see other realities, pretend for a moment that you want to lose weight, or cure your panic attacks, or learn how to improve your golf game, and go search for products in these areas. You will realize how many niches there really are where people make money using the exact same systems as those who sell how to make money online products.
If you want proof, just head to the Clickbank Marketplace and browse around for a while at the top selling products. There are so many niches within niches within niches that are hugely profitable you can only begin to imagine the possibilities if you look outside the make money online niche.
And if you don’t believe me, then you must believe to make money online you have to sell make money online products, so just start doing that and see how you go (read this for help if you are serious – How To Make Money Teaching People How To Make Money).
2. Technology is too hard so I will never succeed
This has to be the catch-cry for every baby boomer out there who’s taken their recent retirement money and looked online to start an Internet business. If simply reading and sending email is challenging, how on earth can you expect to “have a blog” or “sell a product online” or “launch a membership site” if the technology will stop you from even getting off the ground?
Here’s the truth – technology is a bitch. It’s the biggest pain in the butt for most Internet marketers and we all struggle with it from time to time, but that shouldn’t stop you from leveraging it to make millions.
The problem is that you believe you need to learn how to do it yourself and you want courses that show you how to do every little step, so if you just follow the steps you make money. That might work, but why on earth would you spend so much time learning something you’re not good at and don’t enjoy?
Technology is not your problem, choosing to handle it yourself is.
All you need to do is hire someone, show them what you want and tell them to build it for you. This can be as easy as finding a website like what you want created and then telling your tech person to build it like that, or have them go through a course for you and tell them to handle the tech parts of the project.
3. Thinking that you have to be the best expert
This problem really is about two things –
- Your lack of direction
- Your lack of confidence
If you want to base a business on expertise, and you want to frame yourself as the expert, the path is easy – pick a topic, study it and practice it and then teach it. Stay one step ahead of your students and you’re providing value.
If you don’t want to be the expert, then you need to either focus your business on a product that doesn’t require an expert, or hire an expert to create your products for you. If you go to Guru.com you can find experts in pretty much every niche you could think of, who would gladly create ebooks or write courses for you for as little as a few hundred dollars.
The insidious part of this situation is that until you commit to something you tend to take on most projects half-assed, resulting in not so amazing outcomes, thus reinforcing your belief that you’re just not good enough. What you need to do is get focused, pick something and do it long enough to get a positive result (even just making one sale is good) and then build up from there.
I was making $5,000 a month from blogging but I still didn’t believe I was good enough to teach how to blog because people like Darren Rowse were around. Who needed me if Problogger.net had all the answers for free already?
You know when I finally believed that I was good enough to be a blog teacher? The day someone emailed me and told me that my advice was helpful. I realized then that the world is huge and the Internet is vast, you can always find your tribe if you’re willing to give back. Expertise is simply a perception created when one person helps another.
Are You Ready Now?
I hope that I’ve helped swot away some of the limiting beliefs you might have about your potential to make money online. There are a lot of “traps” you can fall into when starting a business, and most of them originate in your mind. The tools are everywhere, but most people just don’t know how to use them or self-sabotage themselves.
It’s my job as a coach to help as many people as I can start successful Internet businesses. I get more enjoyment from seeing someone make a full time income from something they create and enjoy doing than anything else that I do, which is why I love blogging and teaching my courses.
When I created Membership Site Mastermind my goal was to teach a formula for creating and launching a membership site based on simplicity. The reason for this is because when I created my own membership sites I faced the same challenges as you.
Here are some things I dealt with –
- Technology has been a roadblock for me too, so instead of struggling, I went with simple solutions, with fewer moving parts, less things to configure and fewer things that can go wrong. That’s the same system I teach inside Membership Site Mastermind, which pretty much just uses WordPress (no special membership plug-ins required!) and AWeber.
- Another issue I have had to deal with, and I know you do too, is creating content. I’m a prolific content creator, but I can’t write materials for a blog, an email newsletter, free reports and membership sites all at once. It would kill me. Nor am I prepared to create an entire membership site’s worth of content BEFORE launching. Instead, I follow a process that means you only need to produce about 10% of your product before launching and selling it, and once you finish creating it all, you can keep selling it, doing relaunches whenever you want to. This is exactly what I teach inside Membership Site Mastermind.
- I also like to do things by myself. Yes I know if you really want to grow a huge business you need help, and I don’t want to contradict my own advice, you should have other people do things you are not good at – like technology – but still, if possible the fewer humans involved in the projects, I find the smoother things go. In the case of how I run my business today, which could easily scale to a seven figure enterprise, and is already half way there now, I don’t need that many people. Once you’ve built your empire, it can run reasonably automated, which once again, is the principle behind the system I teach inside Membership Site Mastermind.
The course lays out how you can set up membership sites, or any information product like an online course, and launch with only 10% of the content finished, how you can keep your technology requirements very simple and do it all without the need to hire any full time staff, which most “normal” businesses require.
This is a truly beautiful system to make a living from the world wide web, if you’re willing to build it. Before you can build it, you need the roadmap, which is exactly what my coaching course is.
If you want more information or you are ready to join, go to this web page –
Remember, I offer a money back guarantee. You’re protected by Clickbank (my payment processor) for a full 60 days, so if you don’t like the course, you can quit and get your money back.
And if you can’t study it now, as long as you complete your payments you have lifetime access to all the materials, so you can do it next month or next year, I won’t take away your access.
I look forward to working with you!
Yaro
Coaching
Great post Yaro. I have been telling people for awhile now that successful blogging is all about your mindset. If you know you can be successful and you have the right frame of mind going into your project, there is literally nothing that can hold you back.
Unfortunately, we are normally the ones that get in our own way.
Yes, mostly because the “you never gonna make it” thing, unfortunatly.
Yeah I hate that. People need to not listen to other people when it comes to negative comments with no backing. I am all for constructive criticism to improve your plan…but just being a downer for the sake of putting people down is uncalled for in my opinion.
I sure as hell didn’t listen to those people!
Good or bad you shouldn’t care too much about what people say. Just keep focucused and relax 🙂
Ive been looking for a solution for a membership website for local restaurants and Ive signed up for the guide to look it and post back when I apply the information.
Thanks
To get people to believe in #1 there has to stop being so much incest between internet marketing people. Most guest posts on sites are from other internet marketing or MMO people trying to sell stuff. They all tend to interview each other as examples of being successful online.
Rather than general articles or motivation pieces, it would be far, far more valuable to show case studies. In this article, you didn’t give one example of someone actually making money in another niche. You just made links to your own make money online stuff. Pointing to Clickbank doesn’t mean that people are actually making money from it.
If you want people to stop thinking that you can only make money by telling people how to make money, then it is up to YOU to prove it. If you can’t show examples, why should people believe it without evidence?
Hi Gary – Each category in Clickbank is full of products that sell, that’s how their business works. If the products didn’t sell, then Clickbank wouldn’t exist.
In terms of examples from my students, I have a few I can show you –
Fran Kerr makes money in the how to treat acne niche – http://www.highonhealth.org (about $4000 a month – she just launched her first membership site)
Leigh Peele makes money in the how to remove fat niche – http://www.leighpeele.com (she told me she is about to break the six figure mark for the firs time and also just launched her membership gaining 379 members)
Mitch makes money in the college sports niche – http://www.sportschatplace.com/ (he just started monetizing with affiliate programs and told me he made about $15,000 to $20,000 in the last few months)
Krizia makes money in the healthy eating niche – http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/ (she has a case study including details of how much she makes: https://yaro.blog/1455/the-power-of-purposeful-action-krizia-blogging-case-study/)
I have more examples, but these are just off the top of my head. You can also dig into my podcast archives to find interviews with people who are not my students and make money in niches like investment advice (Tim Sykes) and David Risley has a PCTech websites where he makes over six figures.
There’s also Alborz Fallah, who has a car blog which is now a company with investors and staff, valued in the millions.
These are people in my world, a very very tiny slice of the overall pie. As I said, this is just a limiting belief that if you are choosing to see and reinforce, then you are only harming yourself and others who are trying to make a start in online business.
I agree entirely with the first paragraph from Gary. Yaro, you usually point out the pros and cons of various things, and mostly include your own personal experiences to back up your arguments. An open invitation to leap into Clickbank is unlike your style.
Is this a promoted link?
Your readers would be well advised to check out http://www.clickbankscam.com/ or other alternative information sources first before leaping in.
I quote from the above website:
“Online consumers always need to be wary of the products they put their money in, and this is no different on Clickbank. A simple Google search including “Clickbank BBB” will yield results with information regarding the company’s not so great reputation with the Better Business Bureau.”
I went to Clickbank, and looked under the category “Fun and Entertainment”. The results at the top of the list were:
1) SatelliteDirect – Highest Converting Tv To PC Product
2) Earth4Energy – Diy Solar And Wind Power
3) Hottest Online Tv Affiliate Program
4) GreenDIYenergy (New) Solar & Wind Energy Diy Guide
5) Power4Home
Hardly entertainment related products!
The google search for “Clickbank BBB” also returns some very disturbing items. Check for yourself.
Caveat emptor applies as always. Caution is not always a limiting belief.
Francis – I point to Clickbank merely as a reference to show that there are people making money in non-internet marketing niches.
Are there scammers out there, does Clickbank have some dodgy products in it for sale? Yes of course, but that’s the nature of the Internet, because it’s full of humans 🙂
See the examples from my students I replied to Gary above with, all of whom are making money providing information in non-money making niches, who are not scammers if you don’t like the Clickbank examples.
I won’t argue regarding what appears in each category in Clickbank and whether it belongs there…Do I think “satellite TV” should be in the entertainment category? Maybe, and there may not be any other appropriate category either.
The only point I was making is to destroy the myth that the only people who make money on the internet sell how to make money products. The list of products you replied with in your comment alone proves this.
Wonderful post,Yaro.You stripped away all the limiting excuses.Perhaps some of us are really afraid of what success demands.Thanks.
Your Message Thks for the great post. Beliefs are so important AND beliefs, although we somehow think they are written in stone, are actually quite changable. Think of the person who “believes” they have enough money in their bank acct. and goes to the shops to spend it. Once denied by the debit machine, they realize, much to their dismay, that their belief was flawed. They are then required to take ACTION. A person who believes they are not gaining weight,until they have their yearly checkup and find out in fact they gained 18 pounds. Their beliefs about themselves are required to change and ACTION is taken to adjust.
If we can respond to new ideas with an openess to change and take action if needed, the challenge to our “beliefs” will be far less painful. Thanks again!
I agree with Robb and you Yaro. Most of us have a lack of self confidence when it comes to building a niche blog network. Such as me, who scared at first to build a self-development blog. The first question that always kills me is “Can I do it?”, “Will people listen to my advice?” “Will they reading my information?:.
After reading this post, I realize that when we want to build a blog. We are back to zero again. Where we need to study + posting a content (what we have learned) and finally we will become expert at the niche that we choose.
This post was helpful and I’m looking forward to breakthrough my mind so that I will be somebody in my areas of blogging.
Thanks Yaro 🙂
Belief number three is definitely my problem. I grapple everyday with lack of confidence in my ability to be an expert in my niche, primarily due to the amount of competition. But, your point about you vs. Darren Rowse just slapped me in the face and made me realize how foolish I am have been.
I have been on the fence about taking the leap into your Blog Mastermind program for this very reason. No more excuses, time to take action and make it happen. Thanks Yaro.
I must say that the first email I received just to say thanks, without asking something in return, was the niciest moment since I started blogging 6 years ago.
Great post, Yaro.
This is an excellent and oh so true blog post! When we started out, I knew absolutely nothing about blogging or building a website. Had I not worked through my fears, we would not be where we are today and able to help millions around the world!
Well said Yaro!
Membership sites with WordPress? Really? Wow.
You can do whatever you want with WordPress!
Very true about WordPress but with WordPressDirect you can do even more.. My site is still in the infant stages and probably in need of a few tweaks here and there compared to the way that Yaro and his crew teach but the automation capabilities of WP and WPD are amazing. I’m not using AWeber yet tho. I need to start…
To Health And Success,
ODI
Follow Me On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TheDatingindex
Yaro, thanks for your blog post today. All of what you say rings true…just gotta get in there and do it.
Wayne Bennett, the former (very successful) coach of the Brisbane Broncos, in his biography said he jumped head first in to a coaching role years ago…his attitude was to bite off as much as he could and chew like buggery!
I have signed up yesterday for your MembershipSiteMastermind. I have my work cut out for me, and look forward to your conference calls.
Yeah Wayne has quite a rep here in Brisbane, it’s a shame he left though. I always remember the title of this book – “Don’t die with them music still inside you”.
Yaro – are you even real? Sometimes I think you’re some strange figment of my imagination I made up to encourage myself! 😉
http://www.blogtrafficschool.com/forums/blogging-chat/7520-road-mastermind-course-i-ll-install-wordpress-you.html#post30843
I’m getting into your course, and I’m going to help some others get where they want to go on the way there!
Usually people belief that he or she have to prepare and good in everything before do a first step. The true is, we learn as we walk.
Good content Yaro.
I have all of these limiting beliefs.
I know I do. They’re emotionally wired in. Getting rid of them is much harder than getting them. It’s the unlearning that’s a b!tch.
Thanks for reading all the comments. That’s a huge chore. I don’t get that many (5-10 per day), but I can feel the work it takes.
Yaro,
I’ve read a lot of what you have written…….This was the best,
why? So much truth.
Thank you very much.
Yaro, Thanks again for your insight!
Thanks, Yaro.
I appreciate the way you present complex motivational issues with clear and simple form. It’s like using ‘smart persistence’ as a writing skill. Kudos. You model confidence and focused direction so your students learn by example as well as content. Sweet!
Particularly #3…right on! Brogan recently posted a great video talking about how competition has nothing on you…no one wins a race looking sideways he said, which I thought was brilliant. You can’t be constantly looking at what others are doing if you want to win. You have to listen to yourself and push yourself. It’s all you. It’s about just doing it. That’s what the leaders in any field are doing…and it’s definitely true you can make money in any niche 🙂
Whether you realize it or not you have a mindset when it comes to business, money or success of any kind. Your current mindset needs to be change to a success mindset if expect to any real success. Your current mindset with regards to success is been created by your experiences, surroundings, attitudes and the people or parents that raised you since birth.
Good post Yaro
Fantastic post with great content and ideas,look forward to your next post.
Cheers
Derek Overington
Hey Yaro,
I always believed that making a perfect blogging career you must have a perfect blogging mindset.
You were right in the post where you made the comment that our lack of confidence makes it impossible for us to succeed.
This post of yours have made it really clear for the newbies and the pros about the Dos and Don’ts of blogging.
For me business blogging reflects the “Walk the walk and not just talk the talk, mindset.” Blogging about a business product or service can help you stay intimately connected to the values of what you’re offering.
Hi Yaro,
Just a comment on
Clickbank Marketplace
you have to be very selective in what products you promote
95% of all clickbank products are junk and do not make any money…
just a point to consider
Overall liked reading your Artcile!
Yes, that’s why you have to test them first. If they’re ok, you will get a good ROI.
There are many ways to promote Clickbank products: video, articles, PPC, CPM, forums, e-mail advertising. No matter which marketing method you choose let me give you a tip that hardly any affiliate ever takes advantage of. When you find a product you like contact the merchant and ask for help promoting the product. I do it all the time and they’ll often provide you with free content, keywords and phrases that convert, video, text and banner ads and I’ve even had them help me prepare my marketing. I’ve written up marketing pieces and they’ve given me in-depth feedback helping me fine-tune my pitch for optimal conversion rates. After all, they’re experts when it comes to their product, so use them for their expertise. Most of them will be delighted to help. Take advantage of it.
Thanks Yaro,
I greatly enjoyed this post. Much of what you related resonated with me and served well as a reminder to me that I need to just do it. Also that I don’t need to follow the crowds that I’ve seen, compare myself with others, nor be an expert in any particular field. I just want to blog about my life experiences with a lot of honesty and truth with the intention that my stories will help others. And, oh yeah, I want to make money from it, too.
I am new to your site and newsletters, yet already I “percieve” that you have a lot of genuine value to offer. Its a shame that so many people think that just because a person promotes himself and his products and is openly trying to make money that he is fraudulent or has no real value. Its as if they believe making money is evil and those who make (more than the average by doing something other than average) are the spawn of evil.
Thanks again…
really good article. i like it, or maybe i almost what the article said.. lot things to fix
thanks…
Loved the ‘expertise’ admonition!
I believe that we all learn things as we go and that each of us has a unique point of view that will be valuable to someone!
Thanks for this!
MAS
Excellent info, Yaro. We limit ourselves with self-doubt and fear. I really like what you said about being an expert,
“pick a topic, study it and practice it and then teach it. Stay one step ahead of your students and you’re providing value.”
The one thing all of us are looking for on the ‘net is value. Provide that and the rest will take care of itself, almost!
Yaro,
I am so happy that you decided to start a blog training business. Your posts are “spot on” and your insight is invaluable. These limiting beliefs can hold you back but I am glad to hear that I am not the only battling these – especially the lack of confidence issue.
However, I will say this – I do believe any niche can monetize a blog BUT the way you were able to monetize your blog may not work as well in other industries. There are several niches that do not have the 50% affiliate nor recursive affiliate structures. Moreover, certain niches (e.g. health) walk a thin line between advertising and editorial – therefore certain monetization strategies are more heavily scruitinized in these audiences. If you ever have the opportunity, it would be good to analyze and present data on different types of niches and the best monetization strategies for those particular niches – maybe survey your students?. I believe strategies are endless it just that different niches need to focus on unique strategies.
Hi Ghostwriter – I believe the best way to monetize a blog is to sell your own product. That way you own the product, can have affiliates, you usually get the most margin and it helps build your business, not other people’s. Creating a product is an option in any niche that has buyers, so you shouldn’t have to rely on affiliate programs if there aren’t any in your subject – instead, create one yourself!
This is another great effort from Yaro’s stable that proves he is a guru in deed. Would it not be better if you stress more on keywords, adsense etc and their applications. Kudos to you all the way – Ade
I know people question success, that’s a good thing but I will gladly do a testimonial for Yaro any time he likes and include my Google Stat or whatever if people still doubt this stuff works.
I went from 3 hits a month to 100’s of thousands of unique visitors a month in a little over 1 year by doing less than half of what Yaro taught me, I can only guess what the results will be when I finally finish with everything. Yaro provides more than enough to get things going and with your effort, it works. Like anything good, your work is required, it isn’t magic and by doing the program people don’t just automatically flock to your site and hand you their wallet but if you put in the effort, it can and will happen for you. I am proof.
While I’m not a member of your programs, you do share some great advice. As a published author of three “how-to” photography books, and a fourth on the way, I decided to give my fifth book away for free. We plan to release it very soon. Funny thing, I went to Adobe and downloaded their InDesign, 30-day free trial and still have 12 days left. It was free, my book will be free, and just wanted to share this with your readers, as you don’t have to buy any programs to design a free book if you feel you can do it in 30-days.
Some advice, write it first in a word program, get your graphics together, then download the free design program, that will save you time. If anyone wants a copy, just go to http://www.freephotographybooks.com and enjoy, email not required, though I use Aweber too. Thanks, rg.
Hello Yaro,
Good post. Self-confidence is probably the number one element holding many entrepreneurs back. I know it has held me back. I run a gift basket business. I want to help businesses grow with with referral marketing and promotional event ideas. I love marketing and read several books, blogs and magazines. I love marketing and always wondered how other. businesses build their credibility. It is hard doing this when you are starting out. I know realize that while I am thinking who will view me as an expert if I am doubting myself. I realized my problem. Thank you for writing this post and reminding me of something very important.
Hiya Yaro,
Cool name and loved your advice. I have a request, I wish to join but I want to take advantage of the discount by paying in one lump sum. Problem is that I have some money coming only in or before mid October. Anyway, to get an extension on the payment?
Hey John, I’m assuming when you said mid-October you mean November? I can’t extend the opening date for you because it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else who has joined this week, however my program will reopen in 2010 so you will have another chance.
Out of the 3 limiting beliefs, number one was the question that usually had. you cleared it up
thanks
Hi Yaro!
Great blog – the online world is an amazing place with amazing things happening, I realised recently that system may work for one but not for another due to their experience and that flexibility is essential, rather to learn new ideas rather than hanging onto gospel beliefs…thanks for developing the point…makes sense!
best
vic
Yaro,
I had a good laugh when I read your first limiting belief. My hand went up on that one. So glad to hear it debunked.
And I’d like to offer this food for thought for your readers: approaching this from the perspective of ‘learning’ new beliefs rather than ‘unlearning’ old limiting beliefs is much less labour-intensive. So here’s to new horizons. Cheers!
I agree Katherine. My blog is designed to help people with everyday problems and save time and money. I too wondered if I would be spinning my wheels since it’s not just about internet marketing. Glad to hear there is room to make money with other subjects that excite me. Thanks again to Yaro.
Many people are reluctant to the “make money online” niche, but it is one of the best niches out there in reality.
Think about this. I have sites in the “Launguage” niche, and a few others, but the cost per visitor in the “make money online” niche is second to none.
I can earn up to $16.00+ per UNIQUE visitor. I’ve yet to see this in other niches. It’s more like $0.10 per visitor.
However, it’s a little bit hard to start in this niche for beginners, except if they have some cash to invest.
Franck Silvestre
Internet Business Coach
Hi Yaro… My biggest hurdle to get started was the realization that I didn’t have to know more than anyone else in the niche I chose. All I had to do was focus on the people who hadn’t yet gained the level of knowledge that I currently have. They are where I am before I learned better.
I think it’s a dynamic aspect of teaching. You help people grow, you grow, everything expands and changes. Everybody wins.
Hi Yaro!
Your post was especially interesting to me, as I can honestly say that by reading your blog, I have overcome these 3 lies about two months ago.
First, most people don’t access the Internet for money making tips. I can vouch for that as a student. In my too many years of college, I go back to sites that deliver information related to my studies. (I believe college math is an ever open niche, as different students like different types of info). I swear by Dr. Math and the Web Musuem of Art.
Second, IT has become so automated that it is possible to find whatever you are looking for ready made, as well as often free of charge. And if you want to tweak it, there are infinite sites full of info that even this blonde can put to use. (as a current IT student, tech is focusing a lot on ease of use, and automation; it sells products easily). Gideon’s videos are an excellent example of this.
Third, I’m new to the blog community, but have gotten the feeling that the blogosphere is really a community of artists. The great thing about that is there is enough audience for a variety of artists. As a lover of arts, I don’t limit myself to just one or one genre. The same with Internet users.
Ever heard the person who says: “why win the lottery? the government takes half?” which overlooks that half of 5 million is still 2.5 you didn’t have before;) I am a firm believer in doing what you can with what you have available; it’s better than doing nothing.
Thanks very much for the much needed advice and encouragement!
Best,
Lily
Hi Yaro,
I always look forward to your posts because they always highlight points that seem pertinent to me – but really they are pertinent to practically everybody trying to make a buck online.
The three false beliefs you have pinpointed are indeed crucial to understand, before you can move forward and start making progress.
Thanks again Yaro, I’ve been able to reflect, cogitate and continue on my journey.
Andrew.
Yaro!
Yes! Yes! Yes!! As someone who does teach people how to make money online, I truly appreciated your post and will be sharing it with my clients. When I first started full-time in the online business arena I shared these false beliefs and no matter how much I worked (and I worked constantly!), I just couldn’t seem to get anywhere! My information was GOOD; I was helpful and I was diversified, so I couldn’t understand what the problem was.
Two things changed. And, just coming across the “right” people (meaning, the right people FOR ME) to learn from, made everything seem to instantly “click” in my head. 1st I realized my mindsets were wrong. 2nd. I was TOO diversified! I needed to shave the fat off my niche and really get focused.
I can honestly say just with that one instant “click” of changes in my own head…. everything started to move for me, at an exponential rate! It’s been awesome! I love what I do!!!! And, even more, I love helping other people do the same.
One thing I wanted to mention about the “expert” part of your article: Not only is the internet vast, but you can hear the same thing from 50 different people, and it’s the 51st person who says it, just a little bit differently, that makes it click for you. I’m proof! What makes us experts? Not just our success and our skills, but also the fact that NO ONE explains things in the same exact way. And your “tribe” will be the people who connect with how you share things.
Awesome post (as always). Blessings, Deanna
Well.. a shameless thank you and shameless plug. I couldn’t have asked for a better endorsement as to why I started my blog support business.
I use marketing folks to help me with that piece ’cause it’s outside my normal expertise. This is just the flip side of the coin, for those who are marketers and content generators dealing with the tech issues is a time suck that absorbs valuable bandwidth.
Yaro – thanks so much for this unintentional plug!
All one needs to succeed is the will to do so.
Yaro,
Thanks for another great post. For the longest time I had a blog but I resisted being the “expert” or “teacher” due to lack of confidence. I am enrolled in Blog Mastermind and since following your tactics my blog has grown and almost daily now I get emails from people telling me how much I have helped them finally start taking action. It feels so good. It has definitely helped me overcome the confidence issue. I absolutely relate to the competition piece ~ there’s another marketer who I felt was very similar to what I’m doing. However, she’s a totally different person than I, and it ends up we’ve been able to collaborate on a few projects and that has worked out great for both of us!!
Excellent message Yaro=)
I agree with your list of 3 things. I too was one of those a couple years ago who was concerned with woes and my ability to make my ideas a GO! Thank goodness I’ve learned how to overcome it. Unfortunatelly like you said tho, many have yet to do this and continue to struggle.
I think many of us pre programmed to expect the worst and we tend to allow that thinking to limit our beliefs.
I’m sure many of you reading this have had run ins with people that just don’t feel that working online is as legit and worthwhile as it’s promoted by IMers. Infact I’m quite certain many of you, like myself, even had family doubt your abilities and your so called expertise.
This can be the knife in the back that ruins our way of thinking permanently.
Overcoming your fears and removing these limits are the key to your success..
Again, Excellent Atricle Yaro.. Keep ’em coming=)
Follow My Rambles On Twitter… If You Dare! twitter.com/cominback
Hey Yaro!
Always great material. I’ve been playing the keyboard since the age of 4 and now I’m 41. I started putting a site together, but REALLY got bogged down with the technicals. I’ve only written one article and someone posted that they can’t leave a comment. I have no idea where I need to go to get this thing really ironed out as far as getting it up and running. Is it http://www.guru.com that can help me with technicals? I’m ready to get this thing going and show people how they can learn to play like I do.
Hi Yaro,
Enjoyed reading the three limiting beliefs … I think that at some point all of us – OK, maybe most or some of us, have fallen prey to these beliefs, mostly when our attempts aren’t delivering the results we were looking for. I know I certainly have and periodically have to give myself a quick kick up the side when I find myself in state of mind. It works!
There is another limiting belief that I run across so often and that is that you have to get everything perfect before you “launch” yourself/business on the internet. A close associate of mine started her blog a year ago, but has not gone “live”. She’s been finagling with the look of her blog, getting the right products, and pre-writing her blogs so that when she launches she won’t have to worry about finding and putting up fresh content all the time. I think this belief is just an excuse and people who think this way, have already given themselves a “good” reason to not start, to not fail (how can you fail if you have not started). It is like the professional student who has more degree designations behind his name but has yet to go out into the real world and apply all that he has learned so that he can earn a living. …. It just drives me up the wall!
best……………valentina
Great post – I think the technology element can really stop some people in their tracks. This can form a large part of an overwhelming range of fears when starting something new. I have met many people who have had great ideas, but just don’t know how to get started in implementing them. When starting up my businesses, I have outsourced the technology (and found that outsourcing specialist skills has worked well). BUT, you still have to understand it to guide it strategically!
To help new entrepreneurs with skills or expertise gaps, I have started a forum at http://startuppartners.org to put like minded entrepreneurs in touch with each other, so they can partner up to get going. Giving them the confidence and technical skills they are missing.
Oh man, this post hurt! I’m guilty of all three on a chronic basis. And the sad part is that I’m a writer’s coach myself. Lesson Number One for all my clients – you learn best by doing, so write! I should listen to myself sometimes…
I do have a blog and the only reason is because of something you said in one of your posts,Yaro – “just start.” I still run into problems, as you say, but since they come up one at a time for the most part, you can always handle them or at least find a way around them. Help tools are getting better and more user-friendly all the time.
A very smart man well-known here in Colorado, Joe Sabah, ends all his emails with this saying: “You don’t have to be good to start; you just have to start to be good.” Thanks to you for reminding me!
Dear Yaro,
Thank you for all your information. I’m not quite sure how to use it to the max, though. My niche isn’t exactly profitable to begin with and I certainly lack the budget to promote. I will try the hardest to follow your advice from this post and from the Blog Profits ebook. Maybe someday I’ll be able to earn enough from my blog and join one of your courses.
Cheers.
Yaro,
#3 is really the killer. People get caught up in “Who would listen to me?” and “What do *I* have to offer?” and “I’m not a master yet, so…”
Once you realize that you only have to be 1 or 2 steps ahead of someone in order to offer advice or training, you can go out and be a really valuable and contributing person; and get paid for it!
And since we officially live in the future, where we can have things like laser-improved vision and 20 foot tall televisions, it’s really nice and easy to hire a Guru or elance freelance expert to help you fill in any gaps you might actually have in your knowledge. You don’t have to know everything in order to get started.
The only thing that limits people from going out and being succesful is their own chatter about how they’re not “quite” ready yet.
Once you can quiet the voice that stops you, you can go and be amazingly succesful
So, go… Get IT Started!
Cheers!
Toby
Great post Yaro. I’m really liking your ideas. I always find myself agreeing with the same things. Thanks for writing this. It was very eye opening and to the point. It’s the kind of conversation that I understand.
I recently started writing a book and your words serve as an inspiration to drive on!
Best Wishes
Way to go Yaro. Bang on! I cannot even begin to tell you how many people I meet who think the only way to make money online is to write an ebook about how to make money online. It drives me nuts that so many people believe this. I do however, really enjoy teaching them that this isn’t so.
This post should be stop number one or two for a person who is just entering the internet marketing phase of their lives.
Thanks for the post. It’s always a pleasure stopping by.
Richard
Totally agree with everything you have said Yaro. When I talk to friends and family, its astonishing just how many limitations they put on themselves. – I couldn’t do what you’re doing, I don’t understand technology, I’m too old to learn new things. I keep saying to them that in the internet business is something anyone can do – you just have to focus on what you want and go for it.
Great post as always Yaro. A struggle in the mind will always cause problems in the business. Thanks for the good advice in getting rid of some of these limiting metal blocks.
Hi Yaro
Great post thank you, causing my first reply! Limiting beliefs and lack of confidence – they seem to be the things that stop a lot of people from achieving in so many areas in life, not just internet business building.
There are plenty of ways of overcoming them – a couple I find useful are:
Focusing on the outcome, the ‘why’ of what you’re doing, and knowing where you’re heading can help. As is paying attention to ‘limiting language’ – the words you say help to create your reality. Even if we’re not YET great at something, we don’t have to say we’re ‘bad’ at it.
Thanks for your inspiration!
Good post,Yaro. You’re right you don’t have to be the best to be successful, but you do have to go above and beyond what you promised to deliver. Being accessible to your clients is also important.
Great post. So many people get held up on their journey to build an online business with these limiting beliefs that they have created in their minds. Thank you for bring them to the awareness of all your readers. It is a pleasure as always to read your posts. Thanks again for the great things and value you are adding to everyone.
God Bless!
Yaro, you possess atypical wisdom for one your age. Each time I visit [via email invitations extended] I derive value for my time.
This topic is no exception. I especially appreciate your choice of wording. You keep it simple and direct – truly ‘channeling’ your perspective as a leader, leveraging both your time and your readership’s ability to break free of self-imposed psychological chains that serve to thwart their progress. I am familiar with much of what you reveal, albeit not specific to their application to the internet. Nonetheless, I greatly appreciate your flair with words. You are indeed a craftsman, able to render plain to one’s understanding the meaning and significance of issues that are often deemed irrelevant by those who lack such understanding.
In short, you are an effective conveyor of meaningful practical knowledge. Thank you. Very well done.
Glenn, you can praise my work anytime, I like your style too 😉
Yaro,
I’m sure at one time or another, almost everyone encounters all three of these misbeliefs. In the IM niche, success can also be delayed by information overload (especially poor information overload).
When someone is confronted with one of the situations you’re mentioning in this post and they try to go it alone, they can make things worse by following bad advice. With the rampant influx of newbies trying to make money selling how to make money, it’s no wonder so many people go astray.
Your experience, insight and truthfulness make your blogs and courses worth every moment and dollar well spent.
Keep up the good work!
Howard
Yaro, what you said about being an expert is really helpful for me, until now it is the biggest mental obstacle for me. I often found myself knowledgeable in many fields but cannot claim myself “expert” in any of them.
Hey Yaro,
You have just smashed down a brick wall for me when I read what you used to think about having to be an expert in your niche,
“I still didn’t believe I was good enough to teach how to blog because people like Darren Rowse were around. Who needed me if Problogger.net had all the answers for free already?
The day someone emailed me and told me that my advice was helpful. I realized then that the world is huge and the Internet is vast, you can always find your tribe if you’re willing to give back. Expertise is simply a perception created when one person helps another.”
I now have the confidence and boldness to move forward.
Big Thanks,
Randy
Had a look through the site and there’s some really useful info and not just for bloggers!
We’re looking at ways of boosting ranking / traffic / sales to our site (it’s quite new) so you hear the usual stories of “it takes weeks / months” to get even listed. Maybe it does if you don’t put the effort in you never know.
Dear Yaro,
You write so well about something which affects so many of us. We are our own worst enemies, we pick ourselves apart far more critically than others do and if we do this before we even start on our journey, whatever that may be, we make it that much harder to accomplish anything.
I recently was given someone to contact with regard to a joint venture. When I read his profile – a first at Cambridge, followed by an extensive career winning award after award – I was intimidated. I thought, why would a genius at the top of his game want to have anything to do with a nobody like me. But then I remembered, my interest is tangential to his so I don’t need to compete because we’re operating in different realms, i don’t need to be scared because I’m good at what I do and he’s good at his thing. Who knows what will come of this, but nothing ventured nothing gained.
So I endorse what you write and encourage everyone to be brave, hold faith and take the plunge.
Best wishes,
Kimberley
Thanks for the tips, I have been making money off blogging on Stocks so I prove one of these wrong.
Yaro,
Do you have any examples of successful membership sites of your students or other people you know, where the product offering or training they are selling is NOT some form of internet marketing?
Martin – see my reply above to Gary where I list four of my students who are in different niches making money.
Are you planning about opening again within the first months of 2010 Yaro?
Self-doubt is a big problem with new bloggers because you feel there’s all that big world out there to ‘please’ but if you get past it and jump right in…. the mistakes make the lessons learnt valuable, the rewards (intangible and tangible) make it all worthwhile.
Thanks Yaro for the great advice, as always. Also agree with the ‘doing it yourself’ issue..If most of the content is from you, regular readers will tell because it has your
fingerprint’ on it…
@ Stocks on Wall Street: the limiting belief is the word ‘only’ in # 1
Mistakes are a part of life. Don’t just accept that truth. Embrace it, and your life will be a whole lot happier and filled with accomplishment. Remember, the people who are laughing at you as you’re falling down are pointing at you to keep people from looking at them!
Mistakes are part of the life, yes. The problem comes when you don’t learn from them.
Yes we all have fallen down on these beliefs/
Nice one Yaro. If we start blogging with something that truly interests us instead of writing because of money, it won’t be long before we become successful to our chosen path.
I like it when you questioned “why guarantee our failure?” — definitely we should not!
Apart from blogging about what we like and enjoying from it, we will increase our knowledge on that particular niche we’re on, as we will make researches and experiments that will help us to get more knowledge.
That’s one of the great things about blogging.
Wow.. this is really something that is helpful
You really point out great things.
Thanks so much for that
Yaro, I appreciate this post a lot! You are spot on.
Thanks!
Yaro,
Among all the many interesting ideas in your post, #2 is the most convincing argument I’ve read on the goodnesses of outsourcing.
Cheers,
Jose
Good post, and good for you to admit to being a perpetrator of what I think of the “Amway method” of success. You can make money selling the soaps, but the real money is in selling the system to others. And as I research all these “systems” like SiteBuildIt, Mastermind and so on, it’s obvious that almost all of the people selling a system do exactly as you say,
“…although lots of great free content is released, most of the people who give away this information seem to only make money by also selling products that teach how to make money, or by talking about the subject on a blog. It’s easy to get jaded by this.”
So as I mull over my business plan, my content, my list, my blog, my keywords, my SEO, all the things all these systems say I need, I can’t help but wonder if I’m just being lulled into a false belief that I can follow my dreams and make (part of?) a living online.
Anyhoo, this is a great post, and I do learn a lot from your blog, thanks!
Excellent point on repetition – those who have the patience to keep answering the questions will get stronger in their role, where as those who don’t have the patience will forever be the people asking the questions. I like it!
Good article Yaro
Really good , this is what Yaros mastermind activity again.
A comprehensive and intelligent post (as per usual, I have to add) that serves as the final call for enrollment to the Membership Site Mastermind course, which is seriously good value for money. I like the fact that you point out that there are many other ways to make online money, apart from teaching/writing/blogging about it. Identifying your niche and staying one step ahead of your followers without having to do a degree in whatever your niche is makes great sense to me. It takes the fear factor out of the “authority” that you need to do your thing. You really don’t need to know everything, but sure will learn as you go along.
Good article and it really rings true over here.. especially the third point about thinking you have to be teh best expert to offer assistance. I constantly get myself trapped into that frame of mind.. and it’s not an easy one to get back out of
Great observation, it’s true that without proper attitude, clear goals and positive state of mind you won’t be able to achieve much, at least not for a longer period of time. I have personally witnessed a few blogs disappear because of the author’s attitude.
I really chuckled when I saw the point about answering the same questions over and over to a group of newbies… 🙂
Dr. Michael Quadlander
http://www.CarAccidentLosAngeles.com
______________________________________
Hey yaro, I’m a friend of Arlene DeWinter, who sent me to u…I’ve just decided I want to become an entrepreneur! Great videos! Thank u!
This is such a great eye opening article. Many people are built to fail and are afraid to succeed. They don’t know what to do with success. This article is also part of the reason I changed my blogging topic and went with what I know best, photography instead of niche marketing. Things are going so much better since I changed blog topics.
When is the next podcast coming out Yaro? need my lunch walking podcast. 🙂
Thanks,
Larry
I should have a new podcast for you late this week Larry, once the Membership Site Mastermind launch closes up for the last time.
Yes it is too bad that people have these beliefs right from the start. if you’re going to go into business, you have to be open minded. You can’t just follow the crowd and try to do exactly what some other people are doing. You need to get your feet wet and see what works for you. There are many ways to make money online. Not all of them are right for everyone though.
Great article, Yaro! I really love your no-nonsense approach to internet business issues. I’m learning so much from you! Thank you for all you contribute!!!
Mara :o]
Yes we are all definitely learning a lot from Yaro. It is great to hear all of the things that he has overcome to make his business succeed. It makes it that much easier to know what kinds of things we need to work at changing to have a better chance at success. Our mindset and assumptions can definitely get in the way of our business if we don’t control them better.
This is really an eye opener. Just dont be afraid to be fail. Nice one.
Thanks so much for this Yaro. This was one of the things that i have struggled with and felt that I was a bit off on.
Steve
Yaro,
I see in your post above where you’ll be reopening your program in 2010.
I’m very interested, and would like to receive an email when that time
comes.
Thanks,
Sabrina
Hi Sabrina – As long as you are on the email list at https://www.laptoplifestyleacademy.com/ you will know when the doors open again.
I have many domain name to sell , these are my product. so rather than starting marketplace for others I will sell my own products,but I am just waiting to collect more and more visitors as well to make them my lovers. so I am not in the blogging business to earn quick money. I will wait and watch for the big deal, even I am not earning too much today but its enough to survive for the next 1 year. once i survive I will start my next step.So help from the mastermind is essential.
The “make money online” niche (or rather, a small industry by itself by now) is full of newbies trying to teach newbies how to make money. Newbies are passing themselves off as gurus. The niche is lucrative to the extent of what the financial community call “the greater fool theory” “. The “Make Money Online” industry corresponds to this theory as only those at the top of the food chain makes real money. They feed on everyone below. The ones at the bottom feed on those lower then them hoping to move up the hierarchy. The whole bubble will bust when everyone tries to sell everyone else their “make money” formula and there are not enough real newbies coming into the industry to buy these junk.
The Malaysian LIfe
You mentioned great point’s Yaro. To some extent #3 is my problem however I believe all three lies you mentioned are reality. No one can deny these facts and if someone wants to make money then one has to take these 3 simple steps into consideration. An Entrepreneur should make plans and stick to them for a long time for a profitable outcome.
Hi Yaro,
Thanks for a great article. You are so right about all three!
The biggest one I had was the “being the expert”. That stopped me writing for a long time. And that is very sad, sad that such a fear was stopping me.
I guess when you look at all of these really they all come to FEAR. Fear of failure. This is a big challenge we have today. It’s something that is getting worse in our world as we try and be right rather than wrong and trying.
Anyone reading this I would say just start walking. Just start walking towards your goals and you will be astonished how far you can go by making mistakes.
Also remember that anyone successful got there making mistakes along the way, they literally “failed” all the way.
if your goal is to make it online I can say that Yaro’s blogmastermind course is what you may want to look at. It costs money and is worth it!
Go for your dreams and goals.
Great message about mindset on this blog. I love being around positive people and people who believe in themselves. Yaro is real and down to earth and we all can learn alot from him. Keep those articles coming. Thanks Yaro!
Yaro,
I’ve read a lot of what you have written…….This was the best,
why? So much truth.
Thank you very much.
Wow Yaro, even though this is an older post it has real value. I love it when I can go and run around a blog and find a wealth of info hidden. This is exactly the blog I am going to forward to a friend of mine who is thinking about working online but has no direction. Thanks.
Thanks for a great article. I particularly like your first point about people thinking they can only make money by selling info on ‘how to make money’.
It’s amazing how often you will see a newbie on an internet marketing forum ask for help with their website, and then it turns out their website is all about how to make money online. You kinda wonder how they are in any position to be giving this advice since they more than likely have never made a dime. The sooner people realise they need to target a niche and stay away from the ‘How to make money’ trap the better.