{This post was also featured on the Huffington Post]
Yeah, we’re a different breed us online entrepreneurs. Instead of betting on “great” locations. We’re fling open our digi-doors on the most crowded street in the world – the information superhighway – (HA! Do you remember in the 90’s when the interwebs was actually called that?).
It’s a lonely road building a digital empire from the comfort of our sweatpants home offices. With friends and family staring blankly at us…”What do you do again?” “Isn’t that a scam?” “Why don’t you go out and get a real job”
….I’d rather eat my mouse pad. Thank you very much.
Here’s 26 other thoughts only us daydreaming, hard-working, rule breakers will get.
1. “I wish Gary Vee & I were best friends.
Gary Vee, the king of hustle and heart. Calling us out for watching Lost + House of Cards instead of doing the work. Leading by example. Building multi-million dollar companies, while consistently providing amazing free content. Plus he’ll tweet or snap you back.
2. “I have no time! How am I supposed to get alllll this done?”
You got two options: hire a virtual assistant or embrace my B^3 approach for dominating the interwebs – Batching, Blocking & Buckets:
Buckets: only cover 3-5 topics max
Blocking: physically block off chunks of time in your Google Calendar or planner to do certain tasks – (schedule the most important ones first!)
Batching: group like tasks together. Don’t create one quote image for Instagram create 15.
Bonus points for assigning certain activities to specific days of the week.
3. “I’m a freakin’ genius! This idea is the best ever! I better buy a bigger wallet!“
This always happens in the shower. Invest in this nifty Eureka Shower Proof White Board or set Siri to voice activated controls. (Just don’t be mad when “Take a note – invent cookie shirt” turns into “Call Uncle Kurt”)
4. “I hope you choke on your stupid bananas Mailchimp Monkey!”
Mailchimp the OG of email service providers. We start there because…well it’s free.But after trying to jerry rig content upgrade delivery, webinars signs up, and main newsletter list – we give up. Those bajillion lists don’t talk to each other and getting charged 4x for one subscribers blows. So,we jump ship to Active Campaign or Convert Kit.
But if you’re not really to give up on your first check out Chimp Essentials by the always entertaining and super smart Paul Jarvis. (He’s pretty easy on the eyes too 😉)
(Turns out the chimp’s name is Freddie)
5. “A funnel? Like the thing you make a beer bong with?
Okay, maybe you weren’t super rowdy in college. But when first stepping into the online space – you hear a buttload about funnels.
Funnels are the how you make money in your sleep. If you don’t have a funnel you’re a stupid-face. Funnels funnels funnels.
Funnels are a rather obnoxious toilet-like term for your plan to turn a some internet rando into a happy paying customer over and over again. (Usually with email)
Related post: How to turn subscribers into buyers without bugging’ them.
[bctt tweet=” “If you don’t have a funnel you’re a stupid-face.”” username=”Katedoster”]
6. “Who the hell am I to do this?”
The struggle could not be more real. Imposter syndrome, feeling unworthy and like a phony, creeps in our brains on a daily basis.
This Tony Robinson’s special on Netflix will help you out.
7. “I’m gonna be the next Oprah!”
Yeah we’re kinda bipolar that way. Thinking we’re never gonna make it one minute then fantasizing we’re going to be Oprah. It’s cool homeslice. I won’t tell anyone it’s on your vision board.
8. “What if nobody shows up to my webinar? It’s like lunchtime at high-school all over again.”
I heart webinars. I built my entire business around webinars and live streaming. Even with a skinny list, and less then stellar selling skills you can profit with webinars. And if nobody shows up – you just created yourself one value-soaked free mini-course opt-in.
9. “Take that Mom, the Buttfaces from Facebook & My 10th Grade English Teacher!!!”
Ah…the sweet taste of making your first dollar online. Shutting up the haters. Proving you could do it. It’s the best.
10. “What the hell is a pixel?”
We’re not talking camera pixels. We’re talking Facebook Tracking Pixels. That sweet-sweet piece of code letting us stalk remind website visitors we still have a course for sale, freebie to download or webinar to attend.
11. “Balls! Someone already created a course on that!”
Good. Being first is bad. Look how Tivo dropped the ball. People will still buy your course because you’re the one teaching it. Just make sure they know it exists. Speaking of that….
Related: See what fresh baked courses I’ve got cooking over here…
12. “Why won’t people my stuff? I worked really f―-ing hard on it!”
Did you build a product for your audience? Or are you trying to build an audience for your product? The first one works, the second – not so much.
Does your copy suck? Did you pay for ads? Do people know about it?
Are ya trying to polish a turd?
13. “I’m not playing on Facebook all day – I’m networking.”
It’s super easy to get sucked in the vortex of FB Land. Set a timer. Go in. Answer questions. Ask questions. Promote discovery calls and products when allowed.
14. “Why I am working 60-hours a week to creating stuff I’m giving away for free? “
If your free content doesn’t lead to paid products, services or affiliate deals. You’re doing it wrong.
If you’d rather crawl across broken glass naked then write don’t blog. Do videos or podcast.
15. “How do I get this stupid WordPress Theme to actually look like the picture?”
Hours and hours of youtube videos or upgrading to a paid theme.
16. “Hot darn! Someone brought my course!”
Best.Feeling.Ever
17. I’m never working a 9-5 ever again!
Once you see the possibilities of getting paid for your knowledge, passion and skills in your sweat pants – working for Dat Man loses all appeal.
18. Why won’t these people open my emails! I spent 7 hours writing rewriting that email, fighting with Canva to perfectly design that free surprise download and figured out how to upload + share with Dropbox. Buttfaces!
If 35% or more of your subscribers are opening up your emails. You doing waaaay better then most.
Don’t let your time go to waste. Create an autoresponder to automatically send that gold nugget to new subscribers instead of always creating weekly newsletters.
Related post: 6 Things To Send Your List They’ll Love
19. Should I start a Facebook Group?
Some coaches and course creators swear by ‘em. Just know at the beginning it’s a lot of work so you might want to find a friend to co-host with.
20. “What’s the difference between Leadpages and landing pages?”
Landing pages are dedicated newsletter or opt in form. They have one option – sign for your email list or leave that’s it. No sidebar or navigation. Just a headline, maybe some bullets and big beauty call to action button.
Leadpages is company…that sells landing page templates and other useful tools for growing your email list.
21. Do I really need to be on Snapchat?
Nope. But if you want to here’s a sweet infographic from JessBehr.com about Snapchat. Need Snap worthy content? Check out this article “5 Killer Ways To Use SnapChat to Market Your Business.” by Afton Negrea.
22. “Asana & Buffer. Where have you been all my life!?!?!”
Asana (a free project management tool) makes it easy to schedule out your to-do list, keep all the pieces of your project straight & assign tasks to teammates. Asana send you remember emails you had something due today. Coolest part? Complete 3 tasks in one day and you’ll get a unicorn.
Buffer has both a free and $10 paid version. Get it now. You can schedule Tweets, Facebook Post, Facebook Group Post and Pins (my traffic has doubled since Pinning with Buffer)
23. I’ll just listen to one podcast then write my blog post…
Done gets paid my friend. Don’t spend all day “learning”. But if you’ve got time listen to…
The Heart Soul & Hustle Podcast
24. “How’d my house get so messy?”
I’m a firm believer your first hire should be a housekeeper. Are scrubbing pans going to make you 1k or running a webinar?
[bctt tweet=””Your first hire should always be a housekeeper!” ” username=”katedoster”]Plus you’ll be more creative with a tidy house. It’s science.
25. “How do I get published on the Huffington Post?”
Email Arianna Huffington. That’s what I did.
26. “It’s all about the freedom.”
It really, really, really is. Now go out there and show the world who’s boss.
Which number hit closest to home? Got something to add? Comment below.
