While flying during our vacation the other day, I was reading a Forbes Magazine article about Ashton Kutcher as an investor, and something really struck me.
While the world knows him as an actor in dumbed-down comedic roles, he is actually brilliant in the world of tech start-ups, venture capitals, and investing. He goes beyond the usual celebrity approach of the "I will endorse you in return for a stake in your company..."
He manages money. He invests his own. Millions. Skype, Airbnb, Uber, Pinterest, those are just 4 of dozens and dozens he and his business partners have invested in since 2007.
He said that when you build a reputation as someone who is productive and who contributes, opportunities find you.
Most of all, what struck me were these numbers:
They are looking to invest in 60 to 70 more companies, expect 4 to be wildly successful, 50% of them to break even, and 25% to fail.
This is what I would like to bring to your attention.
Coaching and consulting (online-business), is a $7 billion dollar industry (online courses actually a $100 billion), yet majority of coaches, experts, are broke, or make less than $30k/yr. Also, I've been noticing a trend where people either respect those who have built success for themselves, or bash them - for being an overnight success, fraud,... Want an example? Just go to Facebook groups and look up "I made $10k in 10 days" type of a post...
So, this is not going to be one of those posts that social media is overflowing with (and that I used to hate): you know, the "I made $10k in 10 days". But it might ruffle some feathers...
...and you need to hear it if you are you working hard, busting your tail off for what it seems a 24/7 effort... and if the results you want to reach keep slipping away... These are the words that received enormous reaction from my followers on the social media.
Here's my take on it...
For full disclosure, since we're on the money topic, I’ve had $21k days, and $5k weeks, and almost-$10k months, as well as those closer to a flat zero… (and I've seen those who've had $180k, $300k months). It all depends on how you look at it: booked or banked? Gross or net? But that’s not the point I want to make right now.
The factors that determine ones success and elements that one can build on, are strategy, structure, systems and support, and sales.
And we know that sales is a numbers game. So if you know your goal is to make $10k or $50k or $3k per month, and you break that down:
- How many clients do you need?
- How many sales conversations you need to have?
- How many invitations you need to make?
- How many people you need to get in front of?
- What do you need to do?
That now becomes marketing, and to execute it successfully and consistently, you need the right support and systems. And even before that, a solid strategy...
And finally: what are your shortcomings? You can only fix what you know about, and can only know about it if you track it.
So, the point I want to make is that success takes work and it takes time!
It took busting my a$$ off for months to get back in the driver’s seat after I nearly lost it all to postpartum depression!
In fact, it took hustling since I started my business in 2011!
It took upleveling and reinventing it a few times, all the trial and errors, tens of thousands invested in business and personal development, countless of hours of networking, relationship building, practicing sales calls, perfecting the message, adjusting the processes, developing and improving the offers, and months of putting myself out there.
And giving, giving, giving. You get the idea...
No, there is no magic switch from what I can tell, but there are shortcuts one can take with the right guidance and support. And, by making a decision and by taking (the right) action.
So, what do you and Ashton have in common?
- Dedication
- Hard work
- You are here to serve
- You are continuously learning and improving
- You do not give up
Keep going!
To your success, expansion, and peace of mind,
Sara
P.S.: And, of you need help with your strategy, structure, support and systems, and sales, I can help.
