The past couple of days I took a step back to really reflect on where this site is going.
Quite honestly I had to question what the hell I was doing. Who am I to write about how to build a business.
I have a business but it haven’t generated enough income to support my family by doing that business full-time.
Over the past couple of days I slowly came to the realization of something that was staring me in the face but not very obvious, well I guess it was obvious but I just didn’t want to admit it to myself – I just don’t care enough about my consulting business to make it successful.
I finally realized that it is that very reason why I have always struggled to build it to the point where I can make a full-time living from it.
My heart is not in it. There may be some people out there who can build a business that they are just not that into. Not me.
I have this nagging feeling inside to do something that really means something, something that truly helps people on a deep level.
I’ve always justified my consulting because it was something that I did enjoy and I am good at. But enjoyment and being good at something really aren’t great reasons to build a business, at least not for me.
I want a business with a deeper purpose than helping companies streamline their technology and reduce costs. That’s cool stuff and there are a lot of great companies out there that do that stuff and they are needed.
But again, it’s not for me.
So once again, for like the eight hundred thousandth time I am questioning what kind of business I should build.
How can I provide tons of value? What is it that I know really well that I can teach or help people with that will provide tremendous value to their lives?
I’ve learned that in business, just as in life, the more value you put out into the world, the more value you receive. It’s that karma thing. Do good and good will come back to you. I truly believe in it.
I’ve also learned that we are all part of something greater that is very good and when we connect with that goodness, we are the best version of us. The best “us” we can be. It’s such an amazing feeling, it actually gives me the chills up my spine when I tap into it. It’s really incredible.
Whoever reads this site may be questioning where the hell I am going with this and why I’m talking about tapping into “goodness” instead of business stuff.
The reason is because I think it’s possible for everyone to experience this amazing feeling and to be able to experience it through their work.
It’s actually the real reason I started this blog in the first place. I went to a coffee shop to think about what type of business I wanted to build around a blog.
When I tried to buy my $1.50 coffee with a debit card, the miserable girl at the register told me they don’t take cards for such a small amount and that I’d have to pay cash. Coincidentally, I had learned a few days earlier that vendors who do that can actually lose their right to accept Visa, Mastercard etc.
But instead of calling her out on it, I decided to do what I thought was the right thing and go across the street to the ATM and get dinged with a $2.00 surcharge.
When I came back I sat there with my coffee and wondered why there are so many miserable people. I thought “she’s probably just miserable about her job and would rather be doing something else”.
Then I thought, “if only everyone could be doing something they love for a living, this world would be a much better place, people would probably be a lot happier”.
It was that realization that made me want to start a site that would teach people how to create a business around something they love.
So I started this site to journal my path to creating a business I love and somewhere along the way I tried teaching things that I probably shouldn’t be teaching. Sharing my experiences is one thing, teaching what I think is the “best” way to create a business is another. I have no “cred”.
If I put myself in the shoes of someone out there in the world who happened to stumble upon this site for the first time, I probably would not hang around for more than 2 seconds.
So the past few days I just took a step away from this site and really tried to relax and let the answers come to me. Some awesome things have happened.
I just read 2 manifestos that have completely re-energized me and given me inspiration to go out and create something amazing. Something that allows me to be myself and bring my uniqueness to the world to help people improve their lives in some way.
I enjoyed these Manifestos so much that I did something I never do, I printed them out and put them in a binder and then I highlighted, made notes and outlined them. At some point I think I’m going to put a page up on this site to encapsulate the amazing content in these 2 documents.
The 2 manifestos are:
“18 Months, 2 Blogs, Six Figures” by Corbett Barr
http://www.freepursuits.com/18-months-2-blogs-six-figures
And
“279 Days to Overnight Success” by Chris Guillebeua
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/overnight-success/
The past 6 months have had my head spinning with all the stuff that goes into creating an internet business and the marketing side of it at times is a bit concerning. There is a lot of really compelling stuff out there that makes you want to open your wallet and drop a bunch of money on programs and information but I wonder how much value you really get from some of these programs.
It was really calming to read about who these guys are and how they are making a living online. These guys are such good people and it really comes out in their writing. It made me feel at peace to know that it is completely possible to be yourself and make a living doing something you love…..without using any potentially questionable marketing or sales tactics.
Anyway, I haven’t quite figure out exactly what it is I’m going to do but I do know one thing. I want to create deep meaningful relationships with the visitors to my site and I want to provide amazing value that truly helps them in their lives.
I’ve kind of got this f’ all the rules and do it the way I want to doit thing going on which feels scary but at the same time, it feels right.
So here goes. I’m not sure where exactly this site is going but I’m thinking it may be my platform to show people who I am and what I’m all about.
For now I’m going to keep trying until it feels right and I know that when it feels right, I have succeeded.
Last Thing. I have to give a shout out to Pat Flynn from the www.smartpassiveincome.com blog.
I found out about Corbett’s Manifesto through Pat’s newsletter and Corbett’s Manifesto led me to Chris’ Manifesto so without Pat, I probably never would have come across either one.
Pat, is the man. The information he puts out is top-notch and he’s one of the most genuine and sincerely good people out there in the internet business world that I’ve come across. That’s the beauty of the internet, get connected with the right people and they will connect you to more of the same type of people.
