Ever say “yes” to a client when you really wanted to say “No! NEVER! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!”

Maybe they didn’t want to pay your full rate…

Maybe you didn’t like the specific project…

Or maybe you just didn’t like the client…

No judgment here, but the bottom line is: you said yes, when you wanted to say no.

BECAUSE YOU GOT BILLS TO PAY!

And then, you dread the project, from start to finish. Every call is a chore. Every piece of work takes twice as long. And the list goes on.

It just plain sucks, and you can’t help but think, “How did I end up in this position anyway?”

Here’s The Real Problem That Plagues Most Service Providers

At first, you might think, “I just need better prospects,” but that’s a temporary solution to an everlasting problem…

…because you will always need MORE clients.

I mean, think about it. Even if you mostly get great clients. There will come a time when you’re bombarded by a bunch of idiots and you’ll be STUCK.

And that’s the core problem.

When you run a service-based business, you rely on a single source of income. YOUR SERVICE. Even if it goes well most of the time, you’re still on the endless treadmill of getting paid to do work for other people.

But imagine if you had a second source of income.

A second source of income that you could fall back on when you find yourself bombarded with bad prospects.

A second source of income that continued to pay you… even if you went on vacation.

A second source of income that would pay you when you worked… and when you weren’t working.

Sounds like a pipe dream, right?

Maybe…

But consider this:

How Smart Service Providers Add A Second Source Of Income To Their Business

Hi, I’m Derek Halpern, and I’m the founder of Social Triggers. I’ll never forget when I relied on providing services for income. It was a bad situation, too. Even though I “worked for myself,” I still felt like had a boss. And sometimes that boss was a dick.

The worst part?

The BIG majority of my income came from a SINGLE CLIENT!

I mean, I made a lot. But what if that client disappeared? I’d be LOST. And that’s why I knew I needed another source of income.

But I had a BIG problem:

My main client took up the bulk of my time. So I couldn’t just go find more clients.

I had to find something that would take a minimal amount of time…

And since I had a lack of time, I had to find something that wouldn’t require me to learn anything new.

So, what could I do?

I knew I needed a product. And I had a few ideas for products. But none of those products dealt with anything I already dealt with. It was in new industries where I would have to establish a foothold and I just didn’t have time for that.

What else could I do?

Well…

That’s when I had a conversation with a friend that changed my life. My friend had launched an online business that created and sold online courses. He was previously doing some consulting work, but he decided to go the “create a course” route… and he was killing it.

I know.

It seems so trivial.

And you probably heard about creating and selling online courses and either decided that you’ll do it some day… or you decided that you’ll never do it…

But bear with me a sec.

My friend created courses that dealt with the same problems he solved as a consultant!

So, all he really did was this: instead of providing a one-on-one service, he would create an online course that solved the same issues his service solved… except he would teach people to do it for themselves.

At this point, I’ve heard about it the opportunity to create and sell online courses, but I never pursued it. I came up with all sorts of reasons why it wouldn’t work for me. Reasons like:

“I never created an online course before!”

“Why would anyone buy a course when they can get information for free?”

“Am I even qualified to teach this stuff?”

“All the good ideas are taken!”

And the list goes on and on and on.

Then, one day, I said screw it. I knew the opportunity was real. And I knew that I had to break free from the “trading time for money” trap.

So I created an online course.

And here’s what happened.

How I Made More Than $28,000 From A Simple Online Course

Yes.

Really.

I made more than $28,000 from a simple online course…

…and it looked like a complete disaster.

See for yourself.

What do you see?

The videos are low quality. I had awful handwriting. And I apparently couldn’t afford a haircut…

(And what you can’t see is that I used Velcro to attach the whiteboard to the wall because I didn’t have a stand… sigh).

Clearly, I wasn’t “ready” to create a polished course.

But guess what?

NOBODY CARED.

I looked like hell. The course content wasn’t polished. And nobody complained.

Why?

Because the ONLY thing that matters with an online course is this: do you solve the problem that you promised to solve?

And I did solve it.

So I barely received any complaints.

I Sold This Course For About $100 – Here’s Exactly What I Gave People

This was a simple online course. And I sold it for around a hundred bucks. If I take inventory of what I delivered to people, it was this:

• 3 helpful training videos (each helping people solve a specific problem).
• A recorded screencast presentation
• A worksheet that helped people implement what I just taught them

I know it doesn’t feel like a lot. And if I’m honest with you, it didn’t take that long for me to create.

But here’s the deal…

The reason why I was able to create this content so quickly, and so succintly is because I had a TON of experience in my field.

After all, I was providing services solving these problems for people regularly. So all I really did was pretend like the camera was a client with a specific problem… and I told them exactly how I’d fix it.

And that’s when everything changed.

Since I made so much money from this course, I decided to reinvest the profits into making the course better.

I added more content.

I hired a professional videographer.

I added more worksheets.

And I increased the price of the course from about $100 to $200.

Then, everything changed.

Yes everything looked a lot nicer.

See for yourself:

And yea, I apparently spent some money on a tie. And a haircut.

But this new course went on to make $178,684 in sales.

A SIZABLE amount of revenue.

It was all pretty ridiculous.

I was a six figure consultant, and now I was making close to multiple six figures from an online course.

AND I DIDNT HAVE TO DO ANY OF THE WORK.

Things went so well I ended up double downing on creating and selling online courses.

And here’s what happened.

Here Are My Real Revenue Numbers By Income Source – And How They Changed

Take a look at this revenue chart…

The blue bar is income from “services.”

The green bar is income from “courses.”

As you can see, things started slow. In 2011 most of my income came from providing online services. But in 2012 things started to change. And in 2013 things completely changed. I went from focusing on providing services to just providing online courses. And I made more than I ever made ever before.

Now you might be thinking, “But Derek! You went from one source of income… to two sources of income… back to one source of income.”

And you’re right.

BUT…

In 2013 my revenue was diversified across multiple different online courses. Not just one.

Fast forward to 2017, I now have created 7 online courses, and even went on to create a downloadable software product and a saas product too.

ALL BECAUSE I TOOK A CHANCE AND CREATED MY FIRST ONLINE COURSE!

But do you know what I love most about this entire “create and sell” online courses industry?

It’s this…

It’s the CLOSEST thing to “passive” income that you’ll ever see.

Here’s why:

When you create an online course, much of the work is done “before” you create the course. Then, when you’er done, all you have to do is sell the course.

So, take a look at this revenue chart:

Join the 12PM Live Training

Join the 8PM Live Training

This is a one-time event, and it all goes down on March 6th. It’s going to be a lot of fun, so make sure you register for the call right now.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I’ll be here to answer them for you.

Over the last 6 years I changed my business from providing services to selling courses. And I learned a lot. I also had the pleasure of working with many different students – and they are beginning to see remarkable success as well.

Now I’d like to show you how you can do it too.

source http://feeds.socialtriggers.com/~r/SocialTriggers/~3/X1IufZttRL8/

What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Become a Blogger

What are the realities of building a business with a blog? What does it really take to get started?

There are a lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to blogging as a business.

Blogging is something that has changed my life, and it’s something that I’m extremely passionate about. But when someone comes to me and wants to know more about blogging, I want to make sure that I give them the real picture and don’t mislead them.

So this week’s live episode is all about what to expect when you’re expecting to become a blogger.

1. Expect Hard Work

Expect Hard Work

This is the first thing you should know. You’re gonna work hard.

When I first started my blogging business, I got so into it that I was like the Energizer Bunny: going…and going…and going…

There’s no way around it. It’s going to be hard work.

In some ways, what I do today is harder than the work I was doing when I had my job. Why? Because there are so many more things to think about than when you’re working for somebody else.

2. Don’t Expect to Make Money Quickly

This might be something you don’t want to hear. So many people will sell you on a program that will make you thousands of dollars in just six weeks!

Don’t Expect to Make Money Quickly

But for most people, that’s not reality. A few might get lucky, but for most of us, that’s not how it works. I didn’t make money right away, either.

You’ve got to build your audience. As you grow your audience, it’ll get easier and easier in many ways to make the kind of money you want to make.

I started blogging in 2008, and I left my job in 2014. That’s six years of building my business while I was still working full time. And when I left my job, it wasn’t because my blog was doing so amazing that I didn’t need to worry about money anymore.

It was a tough road. Three years later, I have no complaints. But you have to be prepared to pinch those pennies for a while.

3. Expect to Create Content Consistently

Let me tell you about my friend Mitch, who has a sports betting blog. We started blogging around the same time.

Create consistent content

At the start, Mitch was 100% focused on the content. He was putting out new content every day, and he built up a following really quickly.

At the time, a few of his blogging friends tried to encourage him to monetize, to take advantage of all the traffic he was getting. But Mitch hesitated. He didn’t want to monetize right away because he wanted to focus on the content.

And guess what? Today, Mitch has one of the most popular blogs on the internet, and he’s making a significant amount of money. That’s a big deal.

He put in the time to create content consistently. And now he has a team of people who create content consistently.

As a blogger, you’re a content creator. That’s what we do. That’s what you’re signing up for.

4. Expect to Become a Marketer

Expect-to-become-a-marketer

I know, I know! “Marketing” can seem like a dirty word…

But if you have a product or a service that you’re providing, and it can really help people, you’re cheating people if you’re not putting it out there.

If I find something that I absolutely love, I want people around me to know about it! You’ve gotta put your great content in front of the people it could help.

5. Expect to Learn About Business

A blog doesn’t make money. A business makes money.

Learn About Business

If you don’t build a business around your blog, you won’t make any money. End of story.

It’s not just about creating content. You have to start learning about affiliate marketing, advertising, product creation, sponsorships, and other things that will make you money. You’ll also have to learn about taxes and insurance and expenses…

Building a business takes work. Building a blog takes work. But there’s an upside: if I’m going to spend all that time building something, I’m going to choose a niche that I absolutely love.

So when you start building your blog, and building your business, build yourself something that you’ll love to wake up to every day.

Infographic

What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Become a Blogger

The post What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Become a Blogger appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel.

source http://www.becomeablogger.com/24355/what-to-expect-become-a-blogger/

Need an idea for an online course? HERE YOU GO!

The online course market hit $187.5 billion just a year ago… and it looks like it’s going to grow to $244 billion by 2022.

And that’s why you see so many people creating – and selling – online courses about all sorts of weird topics.

• People sell courses that show people how to use excel for small business. They show people how to create remarkable reports that help business owners run their business better – and they do well doing it.
• People sell courses about how to take better pictures of your newborn baby. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Not everyone can afford to hire a professional photographer for pictures, so might as well teach people how to do it themselves.
• People sell courses that show landlord owners how to properly screen their tenants. It’s important too. There are a lot of people who own property and rent it out. This course helps anyone who’s ever had a problem collecting the rent.

And the examples go on. And on. And on.

Now, I know you probably have questions. Questions like:

“What if I don’t have an idea for an online course? What can I do?”

“What if I never created an online course before?”

“What if I’m not expert enough?”

#1 If you want to create and sell online courses, you’ll need a good idea.

That much is true.

I already showed you why you need to start small, but let’s take it a step further. Let me show yo how to come up with a concrete online course idea in 15 minutes or less.

I have 3 strategies for you.

Strategy #1: How do you help people right now?

How do you help people right now in your life?

What do people already ask you for advice about?

Do they ask you for relationship advice? Tech help? Do they bounce ideas off you? What do your friends see you as?

Let me show you an example…

Camille Holden and Taylor Croonquist teach people how to create remarkable powerpoint presentations. How did they start doing it?

Here’s the full story…

Camille and Taylor worked for a company, and they quickly noticed that people would always ask them questions about Powerpoint.

Even people who weren’t their boss would come to them for advice about powerpoint.

And then one day, they realized something, “We have a skill that we can teach other people. And we do it already when people ask us questions about powerpoint.”

So, they decided to create a course about it. And they went on to become successful.

And that’s the first strategy.

The key?

They already had a skill that people wanted to learn. And when they thought about their life, they saw first hand that people were already asking them how to do what they did.

So, instead of trying to pull an idea out of thin air, if you want to create a profitable online course, you should think about the people who currently ask you questions in your life.

Maybe people aren’t asking you for advice about powerpoint. But maybe friends always ask you for relationship advice. Or maybe colleagues ask you for advice about fitness.

Whatever it is people ask you about, if you want to find a course idea, one of the BEST ways to do it is to figure out what people already ask you about…

…and then create a course about JUST THAT.

Now maybe you’re having trouble coming up with an idea.

And that’s okay.

Because here’s ANOTHER strategy you can use to find a good idea for an online course.

Strategy #2: What questions do people ask you over and over again?

Maybe you’re a freelancer, a coach, or a consultant. Or maybe you’re a blogger, an author, or a professional speaker. Well, many people who read Social Triggers are just like that.

Well, do you ever find that people come to you with the same problems? Over and over again? Maybe they ask the same questions. Maybe they just have the same issue countless other people have had too?

Probably, right?

Well… you could create a course that solves those problems.

And that’s exactly what David Cooper did.

You see, David Cooper was an accountant for small businesses, and he noticed that small businesses kept asking the same questions over and over again.

So, he created an online course that answered those questions and offered it to his clients. And before you knew it, people started to view him in a much more positive light.

Plus, they started to turn to him for all sorts of business advice… not just accounting… because he proved to them that he had their back.

Now, of course, a course won’t be able to solve these problems for people as good as you would be able to solve them one on one…

…but not everyone can afford to hire one on one help.

And when you create a course, that gives you the opportunity to help people in a way that they can afford you… and also in a way that doesn’t require you to trade your time for money.

Now think about it.

Do you find people often have the same problems that other people have? And these are problems that you believe you can solve?

That could ALSO be an online course idea.

And finally, let’s say people don’t ask you for advice. And let’s say you’re not a consultant (or maybe you are) but you can’t come up with an idea.

Well, that’s where this last strategy comes into play.

Strategy #3: ‘Find The Pain – And Eliminate It.”

You see, you may not have skills like Taylor and Camille did with Powerpoint. And maybe you’re not a consultant like David Cooper.

Maybe you just want to start an online business selling online courses, and you want to make money doing it.

What can you do?

That’s why you should “Find the Pain – and Then Eliminate It.”

Here’s how it works…

Just because people don’t ask you questions or bring you problems doesn’t mean problems don’t exist. So at this point, that’s when you can go out into the REAL world and RESEARCH problems.

And that’s the “Find the pain” portion of the technique.”

How do you find the pain?

Well, my favorite strategy is this:

Step 1: Find 3 or 4 best-selling books on the topic.

Step 2: Read the 5-star reviews and the 1-star reviews and look for “trigger phrases.”

A trigger phrase is an example of someone describing a problem in their life

A trigger phrase is also an example of someone bragging about a success in their life.

(If you’re confused, don’t worry. I’ve got an example).

Step 3: Start to compile a list of “Pain points” and “Solutions.”

That’s it.

Now let me show you this in action…

The topic is relationship advice for women.

When I searched that out on Amazon, I found 4 books. You could pick any books that have a decent number of reviews. I just happen to choose these 4 randomly…

“Ignore the guy, Get the guy”

“Why men love bitches”

“The soulmate experience”

“the 5 love languages”

NOW, GO THROUGH THE REVIEWS OF THESE BOOKS AND FIND THE TRIGGER PHRASES.

And while doing it, I found these examples of people describing problems in their life:

“I just went through a pretty rough patch with a man I thought cared about me where I was easily set aside when anything else interesting came up. ”

“I wish I would have read this for the ex before the last. I did everything wrong!! He must think I’m a total wimp and he’s now got an even bigger ego.”

“My relationship unexpectedly fell apart, and I found myself very distraught and alone…”

If you’re looking to help people with relationship problems, finding these problems helps you understand where your ideal customer is coming from. It helps you see the pain they’re going through so you can hopefully solve it.

Now that you’ve found the pain people experience… your goal is to figure out what a potential solution might “look” like.

So, I want you to imagine a friend came to you with this exact problem. What would you tell them?

If a friend told you, “My man always sets me aside,” you’d tell your friend, “Well, don’t let him do that. Make him put you first.”

If a friend told you, “I’m distraught and I’m alone,” what would you say? “You just got out of a relationship. You should be single and happy about it!”

Right?

Do that for each pain.

Just like this…

And as you can see…

“I just went through a pretty rough patch with a man I thought cared about me where I was easily set aside when anything else interesting came up. ”

The solution?

Never be second choice. How to make a man put you first.

“I wish I would have read this for the ex before the last. I did everything wrong!! He must think I’m a total wimp and he’s now got an even bigger ego.”

The solution?

Never be second choice: How to stand up for yourself and win respect in your relationship.

“My relationship unexpectedly fell apart, and I found myself very distraught and alone…”

The solution?

Why I’m happily single (for now): How to Get Past A broken relationship

NOW DO YOU SEE HOW THIS IS TAKING SHAPE INTO A POSSIBLE ONLINE COURSE?
You start with pain. You know the solution. And that’s where your course comes in. You can help people go from pain to solution.

And bam.

You’ve got your first online course idea.

If you’re at a loss for what to do to solve the problem, it’s time to start researching. Look for people who had the problem and solved that problem – and SEE WHAT THEY DID. Synthesizing good ideas is just as important as creating good ideas.

And that’s it.

Those are the three strategies to find an online course idea in 15 minutes or less.

Now, of course, this is something I show you how to do, in-depth, inside my new course Seven Figure Courses. Including how to find the idea, how to turn that idea into a profitable idea, and most important, how to VALIDATE the idea…

…but this should get you started.

So, for now…

If you’re thinking about finally creating an online course, I want you to use each of these 3 strategies, and leave a comment with what you come up with.

Do it right now.

Don’t delay.

If you don’t use all 3 strategies, just use one. And leave a comment sharing. I’ll pop in to provide feedback throughout the day…

…but make sure you leave your comment before tonight.

source http://feeds.socialtriggers.com/~r/SocialTriggers/~3/TgQqUIjcARo/

27 Hard-Won Lessons about Writing from New York Times Bestselling Authors

Writing tips are like beer nuts.

They’re addictive.

No matter how many you have, you always want more.

But do you ever get the feeling that the writing “experts” who are dispensing the tips barely have more experience than you?

Which usually means their advice is either second-hand or second-rate.

And maybe that’s why it fails to hit the spot, and you find yourself reaching robotically for the next tip.

The thing is, sometimes you have to go back to the source to find the real stuff — wisdom borne from personal experience, not well-meaning guesswork or threadbare philosophical hand-me-downs.

So we’ve collected some truly valuable writing advice from authors whose books have achieved what few others’ have — landing on the coveted New York Times Bestseller list.

#1. There is No Muse

Source: Nora Roberts’ Top 7 Tips for Writers and Authors

#2. Ignore the Rules

Source: Lee Child and the “Long Game”: Lessons on Success From One of America’s Favorite Authors

#3. Knowledge is Poisonous

Source: Siddhartha Mukherjee: ‘A positive attitude does not cure cancer, any more than a negative one causes it’

#4. Writing Is Your Exhale

Source: Goodreads: Glennon Doyle Melton Quotes

#5. No Telephones, TV or Videogames

Source: Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers

#6. Writing is Hard but Coal Mining is Harder

Source: The Art of Motherfuckitude: Cheryl Strayed’s Advice to an Aspiring Writer on Faith and Humility

#7. Everything is Relevant

Source: Interview With Anthony Doerr, 2014 National Book Award Finalist, Fiction

#8. Force Yourself to Finish, Even If It’s Garbage

Source: Jodi Picoult: The million-selling novelist on carving out time for writing and the influence of Gone With the Wind

#9. Never Make Them Read a Sentence Twice

Source: Ken Follett: Masterclass

#10. Stop Making Improvements and Start the Next Book

Source: Neal Stephenson’s writing advice for students (and everyone else)

#11. Everyone Has to Work a Day Job First

Source: Interview with Jim Butcher

#12. Write Even When Your Kids are Sick

Source: Kristin Hannah: FAQ

#13. Daydreaming Isn’t Writing

Source: Quora Question: Andy Weir Gives Tips for New Writers

#14. Don’t be Afraid of Radical Surgery

Source: Words of wisdom for writers from Jojo Moyes

#15. Discover Where the Lies are Buried

Source: Book TV: Michael Eric Dyson on Writing from In Depth

#16. Writing is Simply a Matter of Discipline

Source: How the ‘queen of the beach novel’ became a best-selling author after her first 4 books flopped

#17. Rearrange Your Life

Source: So you want to become a published writer?

#18. Talent Won’t Get You Published

Source: Gillian Flynn: How I Write

#19. Stop Trying to Edit Your Curiosity

Source: Malcolm Gladwell on writing

#20. Commit to a Goal

Source: 7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Liane Moriarty

#21. You Don’t Need a Degree in Writing

Source: Clive Cussler FAQ: Frequently Asked Question and Answer

#22. Rewrite It Fifty Times If You Have to

Source: 5 Writing Tips from Tana French

#23. Being Stumped is Essential

Source: Five Tips for Reaching Your Creative Potential

#24. Everybody Sucks at First

Source: Writer’s Digest Interview with Patricia Cornwell

#25. Abandon Good Ideas for Better Ones

Source: Feeling Stuck? Good Ideas Hide in Plain Sight, Says Novelist Jonathan Safran Foer

#26. Write, Even If People Think You’re Crazy

Source: Writing & Publishing Advice from Louise Penny

#27. Write Until the Water Runs Clear

Source: ‘Hamilton’ Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Key to Writing and Fulfilling Disney Dreams with ‘Moana’

Slipstream the Success of These Bestselling Writers

Not all writing advice is created equal. Nor every writer.

But the lessons from this list are based on countless hours of experience accumulated by writers who rose to the top of the pile.

Not every example will resonate with you, but you can be sure those that do are grounded in the practical realities of becoming a successful writer.

So it’s time to stop chasing new tips and start applying the battle-tested advice of the true experts.

Because the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll have a shot at joining this league of celebrated writers.

So… which lessons will inspire your future success?

About the Author: Glen Long is the managing editor of Smart Blogger. He lives in London with his wife and two young boys (one human, one canine). Catch him on Twitter?

source https://smartblogger.com/writing-lessons/

Why You Never Finished Your Online Course (And How To Fix It)

When I asked people if they were interested in creating and selling an online course, 96.73% of people said yes.

And who could blame them?

I believe creating and selling online courses is one of the smartest ways to start – and grow – an online business.

The problem?

People go about it the wrong way.

I’ll explain…

Most people learn by watching what other people do. So when you watch someone like me create and sell an online course, here’s what you see:

1. You see that I create bigger courses that last between 4 and 8 weeks.

2. You see that I use multimedia, including: videos, screencasts, worksheets, and more.

3. You see that I do big product launches that include webinars, sales pages, and more.

So, naturally, you think, “I need to do all that too!”

And that can be overwhelming.

A huge 8 week long course? VIDEOS? SCREENCASTS? WORKSHEETS?

Uhh…

I DONT HAVE THE TIME FOR THIS!

Some people will judge you for saying this. They’ll say, “REALLY? YOU DONT HAVE THE TIME? YOU MUST HATE YOURSELF!”

But let’s get real.

Anyone who tells you to “hustle your face off with no sleep” is living in a dream world. You need rest. And the truth is, you’re already spending your time on something else.

Maybe you’re looking to start your first online business, and you want to sell courses. That means you likely have a fulltime job already.

Maybe you sell some kind of service, but you also want to sell online courses too. That means you spend your time… doing the servie you sell… not creating a course.

Maybe you’re an author. A speaker. A software maker. A coach. A real estate agent. Anything.

The bottom line is this:

Yes, you want to create and sell an online course. But you can’t drop everything you’re doing right now to start doing it.

So…

What can you do?

The answer is simple.

THINK SMALL.

Take my first online course.

It was a short course.

It contained maybe 3 videos and a worksheet.

When I look back, It probably took me a few weeks to put together from scratch.

I recorded the videos in front of a whiteboard.

And as you can see first hand.

THESE VIDEOS AREN’T THAT NICE.

And my hair?

*FACE PALM*

Also, what you can’t see in the picture: I attached the whiteboard to the wall with patches of velcro.

LOL.

But here’s the thing…

It was good enough to get started.

The content was good.

The videos were okay.

And I sold it for around a hundred bucks.

That’s how Social Triggers got started.

I didn’t start with multi-week courses. I didn’t start with professional videos. I didn’t start with huge product launches. I started with a small online course… and the rest… as they say… is history.

And that’s exactly how you need to start selling courses, too.

START SMALL.

Now of course there’s a lot that goes into this. And over the next few weeks, I’m going to deliver more content to you that helps you start small.

But for now…

Here’s what I want to hear from you:

What kind of SMALL online course can you create? Do you have any ideas percolating? Leave a comment right here.

source http://feeds.socialtriggers.com/~r/SocialTriggers/~3/6BQS0GO492M/

How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Niche

What does thought leadership mean to you? Should bloggers be thought leaders?

What is a thought leader?

Wikipedia says that “A thought leader can refer to an individual or firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field and whose expertise is sought after and often rewarded.”

That last part is really important: their expertise is “sought after and rewarded.”

Are bloggers thought leaders?

They can be. It all depends on whether what they are “recognized as an authority in their niche” and whether their expertise is being “sought after and often rewarded”.

To me, that sounds like a really effective blogger. That sounds like someone who’s providing great value, putting awesome content out there on a regular basis, and helping people.

Why should we care?

Three reasons:

1. Thought leaders have the ability to influence others.

Thought leaders are great influencers

How significant is your content if it’s not influencing anyone?

2. Influence helps bring about change.

You know my tagline: Changing the world, one blog at a time.

Change doesn’t have to be really deep. The problem I’m struggling with could be as simple as not knowing how to cook. So if you have a cooking blog and you help me learn to cook, you bring about a change in me.

3. Thought leaders are often rewarded.

Can’t ignore this one! You can get paid for using your expertise to help people.

How to become a thought leader in your niche

I’ve got four steps to help you get started.

1. Choose a niche.

When you’re choosing your niche, make sure you’re thinking about a few things:

What are you good at?

Where can you provide value?

What problem can you help solve?

Some people start blogs just to make money, but you’ll be most successful if you ask yourself these questions when it comes to choosing a niche.

2. Strive to become the best at something specific within your niche

Read books on a regular basis.

This is the tricky one. It goes beyond the superficial advice that you usually hear. It’s a lot of work.

A lot of people settle for just basic knowledge, but I want you to push beyond that. Why? Because that’s where the magic happens.

There are a few things you can do to achieve this goal:

a. Be a continual learner. Read books on your topic on a regular basis. Take courses online. Read blogs. Listen to audio books. Consume the content that’s out there. Actually study and learn.

If you want to be a thought leader, you gotta work for it.

Some resources I use:

Books, obviously. I also use Audible to listen to audio books.

Lynda.com is a great resource for courses on all kinds of topics. I pay about $25/month to get access to all kinds of great stuff.

Udemy also offers great courses.

Search and learn new skills at Udemy

Khan Academy is a free resource to help you catch up on some background information that you might need to know.

iTunes University has great content, too.

iTunes University

There’s no excuse not to educate yourself in 2017!

b. Study the history of your industry.

Not just the theory, but the history. Why? Because context is important.

c. Stay on the cutting edge.

Read the news in your niche. Keep up on the blogs. Follow the trends.

Industries are always changing, and the last thing you want is to be left behind.

d. Network with people in your industry.

No man is an island. When you learn from other people, and you’re sharing your knowledge with other people, there’s so much magic that can happen as a result.

e. Attend industry events.

Of course time and money are factors. But you have to push yourself beyond what you normally do in order to grow. If there’s an event that you can get to, get there!

3. Demonstrate your expertise.

Now, you could take in all that knowledge and just know a lot of stuff. But in order to be sought after and be rewarded, you have to show people your expertise.

Demonstrate your expertise

One way to demonstrate your expertise is to create relevant content consistently. You should be a consistent, relevant source of content in your niche.

Another thing to do is to present at speaking events or do interviews. Start small, and grow from there. As people start to recognize you as a thought leader, you’ll be invited to bigger and bigger events.

Finally: create, create, create.

What do people see when they search your name?

This one takes time. You have to build up a body of work. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s so important. Create, create consistently, and create content with a ton of value.

I’ve been doing this for over nine years. And I don’t even consider myself anywhere close to the level I want to be at. I’m still learning every day.

If you really commit for the long haul, that takes care of everything else. When you’re committed to providing value within your niche, you will be continually learning. You will demonstrate your expertise by sharing what you’re learning. And you’ll be creating great content on a regular basis.

A Final Point

This isn’t about being able to say you’re a thought leader. Quite frankly, it’s kind of annoying when people do that.

It’s about you being able to provide value and help people within your niche. And if you really want to build a business that way, commit to it for the long haul, gain that knowledge, and create content consistently.

Resources Mentioned

• Audible – where you can purchase, download, and listen to a variety of audio books.
• Online resources that you can go to to learn new skills:
  • Lynda.com
  • Udemy
  • Khan Academy
  • iTunes University

Infographic

How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Niche

The post How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Niche appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel.

source http://www.becomeablogger.com/24283/thought-leader/

Fear and Success: Are They Related?

Do you ever deal with fear when it comes to building your business?

One of the major points where I really felt that kind of fear was about four years ago. This was when my wife and I decided that I was going to leave my job.

After making this decision, there was one day when I started freaking out. I actually enjoyed what I was doing. There was security in it. I thought, “What in the world am I doing?!”

I was hit with fear like I had never experienced before.

Eventually I got past that fear, and I’ve been blogging full-time for almost three years. I can’t complain. The business is doing great.

But I realized that I was feeling another kind of fear.

It was the fear of success.

That was a much sneakier kind of fear. And the result of that fear was that I didn’t do some of the things that I knew I needed to do to build my business.

If something like that is mentally holding you back, it can really block your success.

Ten Steps to Conquer Your Fear

Here are some of the things that I did in order to get past my fear.

1. Accept the fact that fear is a normal part of life

Accept that FEAR is a part of Life

That’s just the way it is. You’re gonna experience fear.

When you think about the most successful people out there, I guarantee you they have all experienced fear. It’s about being outside of your comfort zone.

But guess what? The magic happens outside your comfort zone.

If something really freaks you out, that’s an indication that you’re pushing yourself beyond what you’re comfortable with. And that is a great thing.

2. Answer the following question: What’s the worst that could happen?

Sit down. Think about it. Write it down.

What specific things are you afraid of? When I was leaving my job, it was about not having money to pay my bills or buy diapers or food.

3. Then answer this one: If the worst thing were to happen, what could you do to fix or rectify the situation?

Ask yourself questions

So let’s say that I couldn’t pay my bills or couldn’t buy food. What could I do?

Well I could get another job. I could work nights at McDonald’s. I could even get another teaching job.

Write does those things down, too.

4. What’s the BEST that could happen?

Just like you did with the worst case scenario, write it out. What’s the best case scenario?

Make a list of all the amazing things that could happen. Be just as diligent in answering this question as you were with the worst case list.

As you start to make this list, I think you’re going to get really excited imagining how great things could be.

5. Compare the two. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

If you can answer YES to that question, then move on to step 6.

6. Create an ACTIONABLE plan

In other words, what are you gonna do about it?

How do you make it so that the best happens? How do you move in the direction of the best case scenario?

If you don’t know how to make that plan, take some classes or read a book or talk to someone who’s done it before.

Take the First Step!

A goal without a plan is just a wish. Make a plan.

7. Take the first step

Go to your plan, and do the first thing!

8. Take the next step

Repeat as necessary. Keep on moving.

If you’re standing still, you’re actually moving backward. Keep going. Take a step, and then the next step, and the next step.

9. Surround yourself with great people and talk to them

Surround Yourself with People Who Support you

No one is an island. We need people around us.

But if we have the wrong people around us, that can influence us in the wrong direction.

You need to find people who are thinking big and doing great things. That motivation will be so essential to finding your success.

I could not do what I do without seeing people ahead of me and seeing their success.

10. Have faith

All things are possible through Him who gives me strength. If God wants me to do something, it will happen. I just have to get out of His way.

At a certain point, it becomes bigger than you.

Have faith in yourself. Have faith in God.

(It’s okay if you don’t believe in God. But at least have faith in yourself.)

Infographic

Ten Steps to Conquer Your Fear

The post Fear and Success: Are They Related? appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel.

source http://www.becomeablogger.com/24242/fear-and-success/