Don’t let these mistakes hold you back
If you are happy writing away on the internet without results, this article is not for you.
But if you want to start a business from your writing.
Read this.
Creating content is not a business.
People like Justin Welsh make it look so easy.
Create content online. Get paid.
But here’s the problem: creating content is not a business.
Even if you pick an audience and use that content to grow a newsletter, you still don’t have a business.
You only transition from being a writer to a business owner when you sell something.
You sell something by picking your audience’s problem and fixing it for them. You could do that with a course, coaching, an ebook, or whatever you like.
But until you make the jump from creating content to selling something, you will stay as a writer never quite becoming a business owner.
The good news is that as a writer, you have a leg up on everyone else. You can create stellar content that gets attention, and attention is a key component of business ownership.
- Solve a problem.
- Get attention.
- Sell something.
But if you get stuck only getting attention, you’ll go around in circles, frustrated that you’re not making any money.
And it’s because you haven’t made the jump from writer to business owner by selling something.
You might not be good enough. Yet.
Everything changed in my business when I had this realization.
I am not as good as I could be.
I was young, cocky, and thought the world owed me because I was showing up to build my business every damn day. But that’s not how it works.
I accepted that I was an okay writer but could be better. I was okay at focusing, but I could do more to work on it. I was okay at selling, but I could dive in and work harder.
There are a ton of reasons why a business doesn’t work. And one of them might be that you aren’t good enough. That’s fine.
You can continually work on yourself and keep developing so that you will be the best one day.
But what’s certain is that accepting your current skill level is the best it will ever be will hold you back.
It will take a lot longer than you want.
This one sucks, no matter how long you’ve been in the game, when you start a new project you expect to see results quickly. It never works that way.
Because Mr. Get Rich Quick is wrong.
You aren’t going to build a business in 90 days for which you can quit your job.
You might not even build a business in 365 days.
But slowly, things will begin to click. You’ll start to gain a little momentum. A few sales will begin to creep through, and more and more will gradually appear.
But this only happens if you commit to staying the course long enough. You can’t try for a few months and then bounce to the next project. You have to keep on trying and let compound interest do its thing.
So, if you’re looking for a quick way to make money, go get a job.
But if you’re looking to build a meaningful new business, welcome to the party.
You need to reach escape velocity
Entrepreneurial projects need to reach escape velocity before they can succeed, at least, that’s what Mark Manson thinks.
You have to apply enough force and pressure for your project to take off and enter orbit. Then, you can work your 20-hour work week.
The same goes for becoming a creator. Once you are established as the authority in your space, you can chill out and let people come to you.
But you must have worked with enough blistering intensity to break out of orbit to get there.
You have to get comfortable selling
Part of the reason passive income is so compelling isn’t making money in your sleep.
It’s making money without having to ask anyone to buy.
Because it’s uncomfortable, selling is hard, and rejection sucks. But you must master it if you want to become a creator.
And I can promise you this. It hurts less the longer you do it.
The more you can practice saying to people, “Hey, I made this. Will you buy it?” the faster you will make money.
You can’t do it alone
I used to be entirely against networking. It seemed so stuffy and to be about swapping business cards.
But the reality is that networking is just connecting with people like you. And without people who are on teh same path as you around you, the loneliness will crush you.
I have a couple of buddies I talk to daily who are digital entrepreneurs and creators. You need someone to vent to and ask advice from and to pick you up when you’re feeling down.
So don’t be scared. Reach out to people who seem to be where you are on the journey. Set up a group chat and grow together.
Belief is everything
There are three beliefs you need to be a creator.
- I have something worth saying.
- I can make money online.
- I can help people.
And the stronger you believe these to be true, the more successful you will be.
If you don’t believe you will make money, you probably won’t.
If you don’t believe you have something to say, you’ll write beige content.
And a business is simply helping people solve their problems. If you don’t believe you can help people, you won’t solve their problems, and you won’t make money.
Believe in yourself. And know that I believe in you too.
If I can turn my writing into a creator business with no prior writing, marketing, or internet skills, then anyone can.
Leave a Reply