Christian

Hustle, Make Mistakes, Abandon Perfectionism and Don’t Buy Get Rich Quick Crap

By Christian

Here’s a rant. First video ever. If you’re reading this in a feed that doesn’t support video, click here to view…

What do you think? Have you spent any time looking for the “right” business, or the “best” technique to grow your business, instead of just putting yourself out there? Are you afraid of making mistakes? Think I’m wrong about this? Let me know how you feel!

Awesomeness is Not Required to Meet Your Potential

By Christian

Quick thought for the day: You don’t have to be the best in order to succeed…don’t let misgivings get to you. Look at all the big companies out there selling crappy junk products to the masses. This is proof you don’t have to be awesome to succeed in business.

I’m not saying to sell crap! I’m just saying success in business does not require you to be perfect. Oddly enough, when we’re just getting started in business, we often feel that we need to be perfect in some aspect in order to compete and truly make our mark, but as you become more successful you start to complain about how so many people expect perfection from you when it’s clearly not possible. That’s when you’ve come into your own.

Big companies win in their way. You’re not in that game (most likely anyway, if you’re reading this post), so don’t play by that set of rules. Small companies win via a completely different paradigm. You have to care, you have to love what you do, you have to be good (and getting better regularly), and you have to work hard every day. But don’t let the fact that you may or may not be the best in the world at something stop you from rocking it.

Besides, the best way to truly become the best is by putting yourself out there in a big way, every day. Get out there and work very hard, and you just MIGHT become the best. Sit back and doubt yourself if you want. But that’s a 100% GUARANTEE that you won’t meet your potential. Your choice 😉

You dealing with any self-doubt lately? Any tips on how to “snap out of it”? Let me know what you think!

Gary Vaynerchuk Rocks Chicago

By Christian

As I’ve said before on Next Level Blogger, investing in your business is key. One of the biggest returns I get is when I take the time to hit the road for a minute and physically go meet people. Internet business is people business. Period. No substitute. You have to rock, and the best way to rock is in person.

I met Gary Vaynerchuk last night at his #crushitchicago event, and I’m damn tired today, but it’s all good…for one reason. Even though I’m tired, I’m energized.

Take aways from last night:

I heard some great ideas that I’m already applying to take my new business to the next level.
I met great people, drank great wine, had a blast.
Gary said his number 1 goal is to make sure his daughter knows she is the greatest person alive, which shows me it’s 100% possible to “crush it” and remain grounded at the same time.
I was reminded that hard work is something we’ve literally gotten away from. We think we work hard, but we have no idea what hard work is. Hard work is coming back in a big way. It’s time to put a seatbelt on and get to it.
There are massive rewards and fortunes to be built over the next decade…truly massive. But that doesn’t mean everyone is going to get their fair share. Some of us WILL be left behind. Make sure it’s not you.
Got a copy of Crush It. If you don’t have it…I highly recommend.

Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Success in Social Media?

By Christian

social-media-strategy-for-business-success — What does it take to be successful in social media? I hope to offer you some helpful thoughts in this post. Let me know what you think!

I’ve spent time with a number of you by now. I’ve had a great chance to learn a lot about my own business and how to grow, but I’ve hopefully learned a bit about how I might be able to help as well. One thing I’ve encountered more than anything else is insecurity. A lot of people out there feel social media marketing for their business is not something that’s going to work for them. Sure it works for Gary Vaynerchuk, and it works for Brian Clark, and it works for Michael Martine, and it works for thousands of other business owners, but it’s not going to work for YOU.

If this sounds like you…if you feel you may not have what it takes to be successful using social media to grow your business, I’d encourage you to look at the facts.

Social Media For Business: Fact #1

A lot of my clients shy away from social media for business marketing, because they fear an exorbitant time commitment, but this is a huge misconception. Yes, you can waste time with social media…you can waste time doing ANYTHING. Fear of wasting time is not a reason to avoid a valuable tactic for growing your business…it’s simply a reason to make sure you do it effectively. Does this makes sense?

Social Media For Business: Fact #2

Social media is a constant learning experience. That’s what this is…a constant learning experience. It’s true for you and me, and it’s true for everyone out there. There is no such thing as a “social media expert”, and if you come across someone claiming to be one, run in the other direction. Someone who actually knows everything there is to know about social media…are you kidding me? Twitter has only been around for a very short time…there not been enough time for anyone to become an actual expert. Find people who’ve had success, people you want to model. Learn from them and find your own path.
One thing I’ve seen holding people back is the idea that they want to get everything figured out, and then they’ll dive in. It’s unlikely that will happen, because the platforms and rules are always changing. The way to get results is to just get started.

Social Media For Business: Fact #3

Social media is a magic bullet. A really slow bullet…

Can social media change your business inside out? Yes
Can social media open up new revenue streams you never even thought of? Yes
Can social media make you more effective, in less time than ever before? Yes
Can you accomplish all this in a short amount of time by paying someone else to “take care of it”? Nope.

If there is one concept that many people need but don’t like, it’s accountability. The success of Chris Brogan’s Trust Agents is a perfect testament to this phenomenon. Fact is, building a social media network means building trust. And trust is a funny little bugger. It simply cannot be manufactured. Can’t be done. It has to be built. One tweet at a time. One post at a time. One comment at a time.
I get asked to “do social media” for clients somewhat regularly. Yes, some clerical tasks can be delegated, but social engagement cannot be diverted to someone else. You’re either accessible to your community or you’re not. If you’re not, you’re missing out on huge opportunities, and social media tools allow you to leverage your time considerably, so you CAN be helpful and accessible to your audience. It’s a win-win.

Social Media For Business: Fact #4

You have what it takes! Can you do it? The answer is “yes” 🙂

It doesn’t require a high degree of techiness or nerdiness.
It doesn’t require knowledge of html, or any of that web programming crap. They have tools now that take care of all that.
It doesn’t require that you even know what Twitter is. Just a willingness to learn.
It doesn’t require that you have any expensive equipment. If you’re reading this article (unless someone printed it out for you, lol), you already have what it takes to get started and go quite far.

And here’s a bit of what it WILL require:

Paradigm shift, plus go ahead and put your seatbelt on, because you’ll have another total paradigm shift real soon. I experience one at least once a week.
A realistic budget. I really struggled with putting this on the list. If I’m being honest with you though, approaching a totally new and very dynamic marketing strategy and expecting to do it for free (as many do for some odd reason…go ask your local newspaper for a free ad, and see how far that gets you) is not a strategy I advise. Many of these tools are free to acquire. Acquisition is one thing. Effective implementation over the long term is an entirely different thing. Social media highly effective? Yes. Free? Not usually, unless you’re a veteran and highly, highly competent. And even the vets in this industry get help and use premium tools daily.
Time. Yes that’s right! Social media is not a space ad. You can’t slap something up and get results. It’s about networking, building relationships. Results will come, and they can blow your mind, but they will not come overnight.
Willingness to learn new skills, consistently.
Help. This relates to “realistic budget”, but not all help needs to come from an outside consultant. Much help can be obtained through free sources like online forums and reading other blogs. Looking to others for solutions…people outside your immediate organization, will need to become a regular event.

Can you afford to ignore the fact that almost all your customers are online looking for you already…talking about you? Stepping into the conversation is welcome and encouraged, and that’s all social media is in a nutshell. It’s just people talking.
Do you have what it takes? The answer lies in your social competency. Have you ever shook hands or had a nice conversation with someone? If the answer is “yes”, then yes…you too can be successful at social media marketing!
Does social media marketing scare you? Have you implemented it in your business yet? How is it working? Are you getting the results you want? Post questions or comments…in the comments! I’m happy to respond and will even cover questions in future posts if called for 😉