31 Jan Behind the Curtain: The 3-Step System to Becoming a Highly-Paid Expert
“The law of work seems unfair, but nothing can change it; the more enjoyment you get out of your work, the more money you will make.”
– Mark Twain
You’re Already an Expert – Start Acting Like it.
Everything we do at Live Your Legend is based on what all of you ask for – through surveys, emails, comments, tweets, snail mail, you name it – we are always listening for your biggest challenges and how we can build things to help.
As it turns out, the #1 most requested resource by all of you, by a long shot, is a tool to show you how to become an expert who people are willing to pay for your help.
Today we are going to answer that exact question, and I am very pumped about it!
About a year ago a friend introduced me to a guy she thought “I could learn something from.”
Despite the fact that I have more to learn than most, emails like that always tend to put my guard up.
But then, from a standing start, Jason Gracia went on to teach me some of my most powerful lessons in online business, and more specifically, how to build a very specific business around a passion, talent, strengths or expertise. His process blew my mind.
He’s been building businesses online and off, for longer than I really knew the Internet existed. Jason is the author of Shifting the Balance and creator of The Six-Figure Expert, where he specializes in helping people transform their passion or expertise into six-figure brands and businesses. The best part is he began his journey with just $35, eventually becoming a multiple six-figure expert with a worldwide audience. (It took me $67 to start LYL, so Jason’s got me by a huge margin!)
And to this day, I don’t think I’ve met anymore more genuinely open and helpful than this guy. When we first met I had just launched the Should I Quit test, and after excitedly telling him about it, he sent an email about it to his 60,000+ subscribers. I didn’t even ask him to do it. He was just being nice. That was only the beginning.
The guy gives on a level I’ve rarely seen, and our community and business is a lot bigger and stronger as a result of Jason’s generosity.
Today is a perfect example of that, which is why it’s an honor to introduce him as our guest expert today.
Rule #6 of our Revolution is We Are All Experts. Embrace and Develop it.
Every one of us is an expert at something. It’s on us to realize that expertise and find a way to constantly use it to make people’s lives better who most need our help.
The good news is that Jason has developed a proven process for turning that expertise into a career. He covers the process in detail below, and be sure to check out his free tool, The Six-Figure Formula, for a full breakdown.
Enter Jason…
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The Path from Passion to Paid Expert
Billions of words have been posted, printed, and published to help people do an incredible thing: discover their passion. And, for most, that’s enough. Finding the thing that lights them up inside satisfies the quest.
But a rare few want more than discovery—they want to live their passion. They want to break free of the mind-numbing routine that has become their life and spend each waking hour doing what they love most.
Easy to say, but how on earth do you make it happen?
Today I’m going to answer that question, taking you through the same steps my clients follow to turn their passion or expertise into a rewarding and profitable online business.
And we’re going to do it with Betty’s help.
Who’s Betty, you ask? Why, she’s our fictitious gardener living just down the road. She’s a sweetheart of a woman and deeply passionate about her topic. In fact, she knows more about gardening than anyone should be allowed to know. (Can you tell the difference between a male and female squash blossom? Betty can.)
In short, Betty is an expert. Like many of you, she has valuable information to share, but isn’t quite sure how to turn that knowledge and know-how into a business. This is what I’d tell her:
Step 1: Create an Expert Website & Lead Magnet
Betty and I would immediately set out to develop an “expert” website. Different from your typical site, an expert website’s primary job is to position you as the go-to authority in your field. Betty’s visitors must instantly conclude that she’s knowledgeable, highly respected, and in demand. How does she make this happen?
1. First, a powerful brand. To stand out in her market Betty can’t merely be the lady who likes gardening. She has to craft a unique, cohesive message about what she does and whom she does it for. I would give Betty the following assignment: First, tell me in one paragraph exactly what you do and why you do it. Then narrow that to one sentence. Then squeeze that into three words (Just do it). She wouldn’t necessarily have to use them in her branding, but the process would force her to clarify her brand message.
- QuickTip | Biggest Result: If you’re having trouble pinpointing your brand, think of the biggest result you offer. This approach is used by many companies, such as FedEx’s promise of overnight delivery. Another useful exercise is to think of the three adjectives that best describe your current business—or the business you hope to build.
- QuickTip | Be Consistent: A strong brand is not only clear but also consistent. The voice, the look and feel, the taglines and branding statements should all point to the same core message. They should also be consistent throughout your business: on your website, in your marketing materials, on your social media outlets, etc.
2. Second, a professional design. Some people say looks don’t matter. These opinions don’t matter. We are visual creatures and make snap judgments about people, places, and things based on a glance. Luckily for Betty, the web is full of professionally designed WordPress templates at low prices (From Scott: Check out this tutorial I created on exactly how to create your own WordPress site – in under 10 minutes).
- QuickTip | Headshots: Along with a professional design, I always recommend professional headshots. A few tips: Get high-resolution shots both for print and web use; along with profile pics, get action shots of you in your particular element (e.g. Betty gardening) as well as pop-outs (blank background for use in headers, products, etc.); and make sure you own the rights to all of your images.
- QuickTip | Templates: Woo Themes, Elegant Themes, and Theme Forest are great places to start for professionally-designed templates.
3. Third, authority triggers. I’d have Betty spread simple yet powerful cues throughout her site to communicate her expertise and standing. Among the dozens available, I’d tell her to gather detailed, before-and-after testimonials from readers, collect endorsements from the top gardening blogs, use any earned degrees or certifications in her title or bio, highlight the sites where she has guest posted, feature her social proof numbers (subscribers, fans, followers), and share her credibility story (her struggle, her search for answers, her discovery and resulting success).
- QuickTip | Testimonials: If you’re just getting started, offer a handful of free consultations (if it makes sense for your business) in exchange for case studies and detailed testimonials. This is also one of the best ways to develop your skills as an expert—nothing beats talking with actual human beings.
- QuickTip | Social Proof: Numbers can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Before reaching a substantial size, you don’t want to shine too bright a light on your total subscribers or fan base. When people visit a site that boasts a readership of 153 people, whether or not the content is solid, most will assume it’s not worth the time and click away. Pick the number that shows the best – other options could be monthly visitors or clients helped, for example.
4. Finally, a lead magnet. This is a free piece of content offered in exchange for a visitor’s name and email address (though a blog and social media are excellent ways to connect with your audience, nothing currently beats email). Lead magnets come in many forms, from simple PDF reports to videos, audios, and combinations of all three. For Betty, I’d suggest a beautifully-designed PDF with full-color photos or a video series from her garden answering her readers’ top gardening questions. For a real life example, you’re welcome to check out my free Six-Figure Formula Report.
- QuickTip | Blog Comments: The best lead magnets capture an audience’s attention, compel them to sign up, and offer valuable information that delivers a tangible result. One of the best ways to cover all three is to scan blog comments, yours and others in your field, for recurring themes and questions. What do people ask most often? What are their most pressing problems? What drives them absolutely crazy?
- QuickTip | Table of Contents: Looking for more ideas? Search Amazon.com for the best-selling books in your industry. Click the cover to see inside and read the table of contents. What are the chapter titles? What problems do they highlight? What questions do they promise to answer? The books are already proven winners with your audience, so you’re sure to come away with ideas that are guaranteed to resonate with your audience.
Step 2: Attract Your Target Audience
With her website up and ready, it’s time for Betty to build her audience—but not just any audience. The myth of quantity over quality has been around the Internet since its inception, but Live Your Legend readers are smarter than that. We both know the importance of speaking to the right people, not the most people; many times in my career I’ve had greater success with lists of 10,000 than lists with 150,000. There are dozens of traffic techniques available to experts, many of them effective and efficient, but for the sake of ease and speed, I’d help Betty carry out the following strategy.
1. First, discovery. Betty’s first assignment would be to find where her prime audience has already gathered. Yes, she can and should engage with people one on one to build authentic relationships, but the key to rapid growth isn’t shaking solitary hands; it’s speaking to the masses. She would need to discover where gardeners gather online. What are their favorite websites, blogs, or forums? What are the biggest gardening conferences or seminars? Magazines and journals? And who are the big hitters in the industry who have already done the heavy lifting of creating an audience? Where do they gather offline?
- QuickTip | The Network Effect: Want to find traffic sources fast? It’s as easy as taking advantage of our connected web and figuring out who your industry leaders connect to. Chances are they’ll follow, like, or link to similar audiences—your audiences. Start by looking in the footer or sidebar of the major sites in your space; often people will link to fellow experts, giving a virtual “shout out” to friends and partners. Head to Twitter and find out who the major players are following. You can do the same with Facebook (which people or places do they like?) and LinkedIn (which people do they connect to?).
- QuickTip | Spreadsheets: One of my favorite tools is the spreadsheet. (If you want to be a successful online expert, you’ll learn to love them too.) I would help Betty build a spreadsheet to compile and coordinate all of her sources, including the name of the site or organization, the name, email, and social media accounts of the contacts, audience size, and any connections or reference points associated with each group. (From Scott: many of the details of building genuine connections are covered in our How to Connect With Anyone course & community, which we now only offer on a referral and invitation-only basis. Get on the waitlist here).
2. Second, attention. Once she found the best sources of gathered gardeners (or hopeful green thumbs), Betty would need to get in front of them. I’d suggest creating tailor-made content, including guest posts for top- and second-tier blogs, custom videos, audios, or reports created specifically for particular sites (which the site owners would then share directly with their audiences), and interviews with the major gardening experts.
- QuickTip | Guest Posts: Getting your work featured on other expert blogs and outlets should be part of every expert’s toolkit. If you’re new to the game, start by identifying sites from your initial research that feature outside content (check their archives). Then closely study their style, uncover their audience’s needs, and always abide by the stated guest-posting guidelines. And don’t forget, content producers want nothing more than to find and feature great content – you just have to provide it for them!
- QuickTip | Offline Outreach: Want to take it offline? Many organizations publish a monthly newsletter for their members—newsletters that need to be filled with content. If your area of expertise falls into this category, contact the major associations and organizations in your field and work to get your material featured in their next issues.
3. Third, attraction. Betty knows where her audience is and how to get in front of them. The next step is to draw them back to her site. How does she do it? With a simple call-to-action within her free content. At the beginning, middle, or end of her guest posts, custom content, and interviews, Betty would include a short promotion for her free lead magnet. This will attract a percentage of readers to her site where they’ll request the magnet and join her email list.
- QuickTip | Features vs. Benefits: The promotional copy placed within your content needs to highlight the major benefits—not features—of your lead magnet. In other words, focus on the holes in the wall and not the drill bits. Getting people to take a specific action isn’t easy, so you need to make a promise they can’t resist. Features are often resistible; the right benefits are not.
- QuickTip | Know Your Number: If you don’t know your numbers, you’re bowling in the dark, clueless as to what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to be done next. In the case of building her audience, Betty needs to know three numbers: How many people visit her lead-magnet description page, how many people sign up, and the resulting conversion percentage. With that, she’ll know if future changes help or if they hurt.
Step 3: Package & Promote Your Expertise
Betty has an expert site, traffic, and a growing audience. To complete the puzzle, she needs something to sell. Notice, though, that packaging and promoting her expertise is last, after establishing a solid foundation and delivering value to the marketplace. This is the real secret to my success. If you start a business solely to pry your way into wallets, you’ll fail. But if your objective is to deliver value, which I’m certain it is, you’ll naturally make the right decisions and find yourself with a profitable brand and business you can be proud of.
1. First, the needs of the market. Betty must uncover the core needs of her gardening market. What do they want? What do they struggle with? What are their goals? What will they pay for? What do they already pay for? She started gathering the answer while building her site and lead magnet. It’s time to finish the job. I’d have Betty survey her community using Survey Monkey or Google Docs, keeping things short and sweet—just a few questions, just a few possible responses. I’d then have her study her social media and blog post comments—what do people repeatedly ask? Finally, I’d suggest she research her market at large, visiting ClickBank.com, Amazon.com, and other online marketplaces to see what gardening programs and services are already proven winners (and what people have to say about them in their reviews).
- QuickTip | Surveys: What people say they want and what they actually buy can be miles apart, which can lead to a product or service that gets love in the surveys but nothing in sales. Fortunately, avoiding the problem is easy. Create a sales letter for the program you’re thinking about developing (based on your survey results). At the bottom, include a “buy” button that, when clicked, opens a page that says the program isn’t available yet. If a high percentage clicks to buy, you’ll know you have a winner.
- QuickTip | Market Research: Along with studying the best-selling solutions at sites like Amazon or ClickBank, you can skip the middle man and go directly to the websites of other experts in your field. What are they selling? Which programs have the best reviews or testimonials? Which outside products do they advertise on their sites?
2. Second, creation. Once Betty knows the solutions her market wants and is willing to pay for, it’s time to package her expertise into a product or service. There are many options. She could write a gardening book, record an audio course, film a video course, launch a membership program, offer personal coaching, or even hold live events. In Betty’s case, I’d suggest creating a multimedia course, leaning heavily toward video trainings and live demonstrations from the garden.
- QuickTip | Product Format: Offering all of your products as digital downloads or online trainings cuts costs and boosts convenience—for you. Many people prefer physical products by mail, which is why you should consider providing both formats. With services like Disk.com or Kunaki.com, it couldn’t be easier to create high-quality, professionally-packaged solutions.
- QuickTip | Rapid Creation: If you’re looking for a product that doesn’t take weeks or months to develop, paid webinars or teleseminars are a great choice. You simply create content for a one- to two-hour training, sign up with a service to deliver the program, (GoToWebinar and Instant Teleseminar are among the most popular), and let your people know about it. Even better, you can package the recordings from the event and sell them as a stand-alone training forever after.
3. Third, promotion. Betty has the solution her audience wants. All that’s left is to effectively spread the word. While she could turn to paid advertising, selling through affiliates, or orchestrating a full-blown product launch, I would most likely have Betty start with a soft launch to her email list. This would entail an early announcement that something is coming, several pieces of high-quality content related to the product, a frequently-asked-questions email or video to overcome possible buyer objections, and a grand announcement when the doors finally open with a link to her sales video.
- QuickTip | Honest Scarcity: If you’re like me, you’re tired of seeing people claim there are only 17 copies left … of a digital program. Scarcity is an incredibly powerful sales tool, but it must be used with honesty and integrity. To inject a little scarcity into your sales process, and do so with your character intact, offer a fast-action bonus for the first group of buyers or an early-bird discount that expires after 24 hours.
- QuickTip | Outside Experts: The highest-converting sales letters always include irresistible bonuses. You can and should create a series of your own to fill in the gaps of your program, but outside help is equally powerful. You not only improve your offer with extra value, but including other experts boosts your credibility and authority. For Betty, I’d suggest reaching out to second-tier gardening experts for contributions that compliment her course. She wouldn’t pay them (you never should), but they would get ongoing brand exposure as well as a chance to promote their programs inside their bonus content—more than enough incentive to make a donation.
In three steps, Betty transitions from knowledgeable gardener to an expert living her passion and earning a profit. If you have valuable information to share, there’s no reason you can’t do the same. Create your website and magnet, attract the right audience, and give them what they want.
The rest is just details.
This article was written by Jason Gracia, author of Shifting the Balance and creator of The Six-Figure Expert. If you’re ready to turn your five-figure business into a six-figure brand, visit http://www.jasongracia.com/
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From Scott: A huge thanks to Jason for sharing his expertise with our world – a perfect fit with all we strive towards at Live Your Legend. You’ve taught me more than you realize. What you’ve created for us, both in this post and in your in-depth free Six Figure Formula download, is proof that you prioritize helping people over all else. That’s a rare and refreshing thing to see online.
Thank you for leading by example.
And to the rest of our community, I cannot wait to see what you do with it!
-Scott
For the comments: Tell us your expertise! Don’t think you have one? Then tell us what you think it could be. Give us something. 🙂
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Image courtesy of the ever talented James Clear
Zebastian Malm
Posted at 02:19h, 31 JanuaryWoah, what a great post!
I really like how Jason uses Betty’s story along the post. It’s story where we all can relate somehow – makes reading and understanding his point a lot easier. Even his quick tips are more helpful than most of “professional business tips” out there.
We all have some talent and this post is almost everything you need to know about turning from amateur to paid expert. If Jason can pack this much information to a medium size blog post, I can’t wait to read his eBook The Six-Figure Formula!
Thank you Scott for being awesome and introducing Jason to my life. You guys rock 🙂
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:25h, 31 JanuaryGlad you seemed to have dug it as much as I did Zebastian. Jason added an awesome piece of pillar content in this post. LYL is no doubt a lot stronger (and more helpful) as a result!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 14:38h, 01 FebruaryZebastian,
I never expected such a warm welcome…this audience rocks.
I’m happy to hear that the story made it easier to follow; when talking about starting an online business, the details can get in the way and turn a dream business into an overwhelming ball of stress. Betty made sure that didn’t happen. 🙂
I very much look forward to your thoughts on my report, The Six-Figure Formula. I hope you find it as valuable, if not more, than the post.
Jason
Thomas Wooldridge (@twool9)
Posted at 04:46h, 09 MayYes I love how he tells the story. It’s a much better way to put it into perspective
Jason Gracia
Posted at 04:14h, 31 JanuaryTo Scott & the Live Your Legend Community,
Call me crazy, but I set an alarm to be ready to leave a note early on letting everyone know that I’ll not only read every reply, but also respond with a detailed answer to every comment or question.
Whatever you’d like to know about turning your passion into a successful “expert business,” or taking the one you have to the next level, ask away and I’ll reply as quickly as possible.
This community is unlike anything I’ve seen online, which is a testament to Scott’s unwavering commitment to his audience and mission as well as proof that he’s gathered only the best and brightest within his tribe. It is truly an honor to have my work shared with each of you.
I look forward to reading and replying to your thoughts below!
Jason
Joan Harrison
Posted at 10:12h, 31 JanuaryI am an absolute ‘newbie’ from England and my passion is therapy and has been for the past twelve years. I have a temporary blog set up waiting and learning ready for a new one. Would really appreciate some guidance on how to sell my ‘product’. Strangely enough I found Scott purely by accident on the Tedx site after attending a Louise Hay conference in Scotland – which is not really strange at all as that is how the world works! There is definitely a spiritual thread running through us all, helping us to find the connection. When someone gives as much as Scott, then it is so natural for him to receive more in return. Thank you Jason and of course Scott.
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:23h, 31 JanuarySounds like you’re making awesome progress Joan – Congrats on that! As for the details, I’ll let the Expertise Expert jump in on that ;). Over to you Jason!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 12:22h, 01 FebruaryJoan,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, your story, and your appreciation. Scott is one of kind, without a doubt. After twelve years running online businesses, I have yet to meet someone so connected to and compassionate about his audience. It’s inspiring.
What’s also inspiring is you. Congratulations on wanting to share your expertise with those who need it most!
Here is what I would suggest…
1. Find a professionally designed WordPress template online. Searching for the phrase will bring you to dozens of established firms offering hundreds of themes at great prices.
2. Then I want you to tap into your market: When it comes to your passion and expertise, therapy, what are people looking for most? What do they need? What do they hope for, but rarely find? The answers will come from your own experience but also from listening in on Twitter, Facebook, forums, etc.
3. Once you know five of their top questions or concerns, shoot a video/write a report/record an audio answering them fully. Infuse as much value as possible into your content. (Scott is a prime example of giving incredible value with his Career Toolkit.) This will serve as your “lead magnet.”
4. With your lead magnet complete, create a landing page on your website (also called a capture or squeeze page, names which I avoid at all costs; we shouldn’t be squeezing anything out of our audience–we should be serving them). This is the page where you will offer your lead magnet in exchange for a visitor’s name and email. Clearly explain what they’ll receive, talk in terms of benefits, and speak directly to their desires (What’s in it for them?)
5. Once these pieces are in place, it’s time to spread the word. Get in touch with other therapists in your field and build true relationships. Visit blogs and websites that cater to your ideal audience and engage in the posts. Join therapy forums, Facebook groups, etc. Dive into the subject matter, offering more value (which you must have a great deal of after twelve years) and offering your lead magnet for those who are interested in learning more. There are dozens of other tips to bring people to your landing page, but these should get you started (you can email me at jasonmgracia@gmail.com for additional ideas).
6. You build the base, you create the value, and you welcome people to your front door. Once they are subscribers and part of your loyal tribe, find out what they need, in particular, and how they need it. This will lead you directly to the products or services you should produce. You may have to look beyond their words to get to the true desire, but the answer always comes from listening to the people we are meant to serve.
Thank you again for dropping in and good luck with your expert business! I’m always here to help, so if you have more questions, please let me know.
Jason
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:19h, 31 JanuaryJason – it’s quite obvious that you poured your heart into this post and we are all very grateful for that. What you’ve taught and continue to teach so many others means more than you’ll realize. And a huge thanks for taking it a step further and answering questions. I can’t wait to see what I learn from your responses. So fun to have you a part of what we’re building. Much gratitude!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:33h, 01 FebruaryFor you, my friend, it truly is all my pleasure.
Iris Barzen
Posted at 12:51h, 31 JanuaryWow, that’s some commitment to providing value. Thanks Jason.
One question: When you’re still in the process of becoming an expert, how do you balance sharing your journey authentically and being seen as an authority?
I have a blog about personal development, I’m a lot further down the road than most people in my audience, but I’m still in the process of figuring things out. For example, I’m a college student and on my way to doing work I’m passionate about and earning enough money to support myself, but I’m not there yet. I want to use my blog as a platform to generate leads for my coaching practice. How do I draw the line between “I wanna make money with this thing right here and you’re my target customer so look, I’m a cool expert” and “This is such an exciting adventure, I don’t know where it will lead me but I’m getting there”.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 12:36h, 01 FebruaryIris,
This is a brilliant question.
So many of us feel we have to be finished before we share. We want to present a polished, perfected package to the world for fear that any ragged edges will detract from our place in the market.
And you’re right, it’s a fine line to walk. We can’t hop in the rescue boat with them and say, “I don’t know what to do either,” and hope to be seen as a respected authority. But we can certainly say, “I’ve been there, and even struggle myself from time to time, but I’ve found a way out and I can’t wait to share it with you.”
In your case, I would do two things. First, I would focus in on the people I can help best. It sounds like you’re already heading in the that direction, which is fantastic. As experts, it’s all about value, so we have to ensure we’re working with the people we can actually help. Examine what you’ve achieved, and where, and then reach out to the people starting where you once were–not where you want to go.
Second, I would offer free coaching sessions to build your credibility and your chops. Do so in exchange for an honest appraisal of your skills and expertise. If you’ve got the goods, which I’m sure you do, you’ll receive glowing testimonials. These will serve as incredibly powerful exert triggers.
Overall, I would use your ongoing journey as a benefit. We are all looking for someone who can relate to us, who have been in our shoes and have taken steps forward. This positions you perfectly. As long as you’ve achieved results that your audience is after, you can honestly say, “I’ve been where you are and shared your struggle. Here’s what I did next.”
More than anything else, I tell my clients they have to provide true value; there is no skipping this step in the expert puzzle. So I want you to stick to the areas where you’ve made progress, then extend your expert reach as you grow.
As you reach new benchmarks, you’ll welcome in a new class of client who wants to achieve the same results. In this way, your business will grow as you do.
Thank you for asking such an insightful question and please let me know if you need any further information or advice. I love what you’re doing and know you’ll be a huge success, Iris.
Keep it up.
Jason
Tai Goodwin
Posted at 07:52h, 31 JanuaryJason & Scott, this was an excellent post! This is the 2nd time I’ve come across Jason’s brilliant wisdom in the last two three weeks and I really enjoyed the structure of your ebook. My expertise & passion: Showing people how they can pursue their purpose-based passion without quitting their day job. I’ve got a growing online community and following through my weekly podcast and blog – I’d love to hear your thoughts on where I can focus off-line. I am working on a book and gearing up to do more face-to-face speaking and teaching – any recommendations for live events I can start to reach out to? And Jason, thanks for being willing to share your brilliance this morning.
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:32h, 31 JanuaryI love your focus Tai! That is such a powerful place to help people. Some don’t feel they can leave their job and some don’t even want to – you are going to help in a huge way. Can’t wait to see it unfold!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 14:54h, 01 FebruaryTai,
Thank you so much for your compliment and for following my work. Hearing words like yours never gets old!
First of all, I LOVE your topic. The fact is that most people won’t quit their jobs to pursue their passion–it’s too risky, too scary, and sometimes too irresponsible. People assume, then, that passion is no longer an option.
We’re not talking in terms of wispy ideas separated from reality–I could ask ten people right now and they’d all say their jobs make pursuing passion impossible.
You show them it is possible. You open a door they didn’t even know existed. You change lives that never expected to change. Tai, this is exceptionally important work you’re doing. Thank you, sincerely.
As to your question, I would start small, initially, and then use that experience and those contacts to move up the ladder. Your local library, community center, rotary clubs, neighborhood associations, toastmasters, etc. would be great places to begin.
I just thought of this idea, and it may be tricky to pull off, but what about putting together a package for local businesses in which you speak to their people about pursuing passion–while keeping their jobs, of course–thereby bringing more joy and drive to their lives, making them more efficient and effective employees? If you could make this angle work, every brick-and-mortar on the block would be a potential speaking/business opportunity.
Keep us posted. This is a topic I am VERY interested in.
Jason
Dawnielle Castledine
Posted at 08:46h, 31 JanuaryAwesome, easily digestible, and very motivating. Thank you!
I am finding more and more my passion is urban design. This can be a little daunting because the normal route for a professional career is to go get a degree in urban design (which is really unstructured and varies widely for each program) and then go get a job with a city or a design firm.
I don’t want to do that. I just graduated and going back to school isn’t something I can afford to do. I work 40 hours a week to pay off debt doing some work I care about enough for it to keep me motivated and other work that I have to fight the urge to walk out daily. So, lately, I have started meeting people that share my passion and are actually doing projects where I live, regardless of pay or “expertise”. Guess what? It turns out I have a unique knowledge base to them and have actually been providing value to the conversations! I had no idea this was true, and realizing it absolutely lights up my days now. I am hoping to, someday, form these people (or at least some of them) into my design team to work on projects with.
So here is my question: would you still recommend trying to follow these steps above in order to start something that is a little more hands on? Or should I instead provide all the knowledge online (for money, once I am there) and have my goal be to inspire and inform those who are also passionate about changing their environment? Or could I do both?
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:30h, 31 JanuaryI’ll let Jason chime in on the specifics of this question Dawnielle but I had to say huge congrats on your experience!! Isn’t it one of the best feelings in the world to realize that you have real unique value to offer to others – that they will thank you for (and eventually pay you for once you decide to ask)?! So excited for you!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 15:10h, 01 FebruaryDawnielle,
Congratulations on finding a way to live your passion unconventionally! You didn’t let the obstacle of an expensive degree keep you from charging forward. That’s rare and commendable.
(The reason that it’s commendable, of course, is that you are still offering true value. We don’t want people thinking they can skip education and be a highly-paid expert!)
The first thing I would do is write out your dream scenario in detail. For many people, running on online “expert business” makes perfect sense as their topic and their dream lend themselves to sharing and selling information digitally.
But if your dream lies in getting out and meeting people, helping them with projects, getting your hands dirty in the real world of urban design, an online business might not make as much sense.
Then again, it might be perfect.
It all depends on your ultimate desire for your expertise.
Is there a large market of people wanting to learn about urban design online? If so, you could position yourself as the urban design diva and welcome them into your world, offering tips, tricks, strategies, and more to help them thrive.
Email me at jasonmgracia@gmail.com and share more details about your goal. I’ll then be able to offer concrete advice and help you take this passion to the next level. Then we can return here to share the progress!
Jason
Anita
Posted at 11:19h, 31 JanuaryThis is such a great post! Thank you LYL 🙂 Perfect timing for me. I’m off to write my 3 branding words…
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:27h, 31 JanuaryYES! Then please come back and share them with us Anita 🙂
Anita
Posted at 13:07h, 31 JanuaryHa! This was such a great exercise. I am in the process of setting up as a personal brand coach. I followed the advice and came up with two words: Be Outstanding. This is amazing – I was bogged down in pages of random stuff until I did this. Yay. Thank you!!!!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:48h, 01 FebruaryAnita,
Thank you so much for your kind words. You just made my day. 🙂
What made my week (possibly my month) was your response to Scott. You not only read the post, not only shared your thoughts, but you went above and beyond and actually did the work. THAT is phenomenal.
It’s easy to read, easy to nod in agreement, but it’s something far different when you take real action. So proud of you.
Love the branding statement. Amazing how getting to the heart of things removes the film of confusion and overwhelm from our eyes.
Can’t wait to see where you take this!
Jason
Nick
Posted at 11:40h, 31 JanuaryThis post has so much amazing content in it…I have tons of different actionable steps I can take from it. I feel like a lot of people charge for info like this, so I really appreciate it. I really love the survey and test marketing because I agree with the fact that many people are confused on what a customer will actually PAY for as opposed to what they say they want…
Good Stuff!
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 12:27h, 31 JanuaryA crucial nuance for sure Nick – figure out what they will actually pay for! Easy to miss that one…
And sure, perhaps Jason and I could charge for stuff like this, but where would be the fun there?? Enjoy it!
And just wait until you see our Ultimate Mastermind Workbook going live in a couple weeks. Also a free gift for all you!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:43h, 01 FebruaryNick,
Thank you so much for your comment.
It’s often said–and ignored–but it really is true that if you give your best to the people you serve, the money will come. So Scott and I are happy to over deliver on value…because it’s the right thing to do, because it’s what we love to do, and because the return is ten times the investment, financially and otherwise.
In the end, it’s all about helping people make the most and best of their lives.
What a great point to pick up on! People run surveys, ask friends and family, etc. all in the hopes of finding out what people want to buy. Sadly, it rarely works that way.
What we say and what we do are often continents apart. You have to observe what people actually purchase to know what they’ll buy, regardless of what they say. It’s not that people are intentionally misleading us; it’s merely a case of people making a free and easy comment versus pulling out their credit cards. Big difference.
As my dad always says, to test is best. : )
Jason
Iris Barzen
Posted at 12:44h, 31 JanuaryI know you’ve used that picture before Scott. It had me star at it for ages when you first posted it and it was the same this time around. Now what does this tell us about how much I hang out at this site? 😀
My expertise is getting people to understand their situation and problems asking a few powerful questions. I love it. That’s why I’m studying psychology and becoming a coach.
Scott Dinsmore
Posted at 23:12h, 31 JanuaryHaha. I was hoping no one would notice! But it makes me kind of happy that you did :). That pic was just too good to pass up. James Clear is a damn good photographer!
Sounds like a pretty powerful expertise you’ve got there Iris. I hope to experience it first hand one of these days!
Paige - Simple Mindfulness
Posted at 23:24h, 31 JanuaryIris,
I thought the same thing about the picture at the top. Ha! Almost thought the article was a re-post.
I’ve spent the past two years executing all the steps you’ve outlined here, Jason. My expertise is in applying mindfulness in our lives to be happier. I released my first program a couple months ago that covers how to be healthier and lose weight using mindfulness. My next program will be on relationships.
The process has been quite a journey that I’m totally loving. I’m always learning something new and helping others – either my readers or other bloggers. All the people I’ve met are amazing and I can’t ever imagine quitting.
I still work a full-time day job where I feel like I’m making a real contribution and have a husband and three little kids. My life is totally awesome and I’m so grateful for all the people and opportunities in my life now. The LYL community totally rocks!!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 14:11h, 01 FebruaryPaige,
This is awesome! I’m so proud of you for taking your passion and running with it so fully and successfully.
So many people are on the edge of action, wanting more than anything to dive into their passion and do what they love for a living. It’s people like you, with stories like yours, that give them that extra shot of motivation they need to stop hoping and start doing.
And that fact that you run your business along with a full-time job and a full-time family? Simply incredible. You take away the excuses and prove that it’s all possible.
I’m blown away, Paige, and thrilled to be sharing this expert journey with people like you.
Jason
Mike
Posted at 15:54h, 02 FebruaryGreat article Jason! All the better because I’ve discovered some awesome sites like Paige’s in the comments. Like her, I’m trying to balance a full-time job, family, and my own site (plus, finishing a dissertation)! It is encouraging to see the successes out there! I guess I need to start thinking of myself as an expert at accomplishing multiple meaningful projects and pursuits!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 00:11h, 04 FebruaryMike,
If you have expert knowledge, you definitely want to position yourself as an expert in your market.
I recently wrote a post for Think Traffic about how to quickly position yourself as an expert (given that you actually have valuable experience and knowledge–value first!). You can read it at the link below. I hope you can use some of them to help you on your way!
http://thinktraffic.net/position-yourself-expert
Jason
Jason Gracia
Posted at 14:04h, 01 FebruaryYou’re hanging out in the right places. 🙂
RebeccaTracey
Posted at 13:57h, 31 JanuaryAwesome, well done Jason!
I’m an expert at helping people get super crazy clear and confident about their purpose and the way they impact their world. I am an expert at making the life they want feel EASY and attainable for them.
I’m an expert at this because its what just comes SO naturally to me. I feel like I cant NOT do it – it’s just within me. That’s a HUGE part of recognizing where your expertise lies.
Thanks for the reminder Jason!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:59h, 01 FebruaryRebecca,
You hit the nail on the head. It’s the things that come naturally to us, the things that our hearts and minds were wired to do, that we should master and share with the world.
A painter who finds herself strapped to a cubicle needs to paint. A writer hauling boxes from this corner to that needs to write.
It’s not always possible to immediately leave these 9-5s, but it is necessary and always possible to pursue our passions. Then, when the time is right, cut the cord and share your gifts.
Great point, great example. Thanks, Rebecca!
Jason
Patrick
Posted at 14:13h, 31 JanuaryMy expertise/interest is about Princess Diana, but I don’t know how that translates into helping solve somebody’s need. It’s not like have personal finance expertise or something that offers tangible benefits.
CSoncrant
Posted at 14:22h, 31 JanuaryDude! There are at least 10 people in this world that want to know about Princess Diana at any given time (exact figures escape me at the moment haha), so I say just put up a blog and start sharing what you know! You could help countless people who need/desire the info you have, and who knows who you could end up connecting with in the process. Not only but the journey of creating a blog could be very rewarding and exciting (and start you on another path to expertise). Put it out there you Princess Diana expert you!
Patrick
Posted at 19:48h, 31 JanuaryThanks so much for your encouragment! Truth be told, I have had a blog about royalty since last March. Currently trying to figure out how to monetize it.
Now I’m inspired to tweak the blog description to create its unique selling point.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 14:58h, 01 FebruaryPatrick,
CSoncrant offered great advice. There are millions of people interested in the Royal Family, both their past and their present.
Though this topic would be harder to monetize through products and services, you could definitely build and audience and earn income through on-site advertising.
Imagine a website where they take us into the fascinating history of the Royal Family, videos sharing unknown tales and endlessly interesting tidbits. Perhaps even going on location and walking us through the steps of kings and queens, princes and princesses.
This is a site millions would visit. And, in turn, advertisers would want to get in front of those eyes.
Jason
Patrick
Posted at 20:41h, 03 FebruaryJason,
Thank you sooo much for taking the time to actually reply and to give useful advice. I’m so touched that someone like you would help little old me. Hopefully, I can someday earn a full-time income from this blog!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 22:31h, 03 FebruaryPatrick,
In the end, we’re all in the same boat. Take away our positions, our bank accounts, and our fancy titles and we’re left with human beings trying to make the most of the time they have.
I’m not big and you’re not little; we’re both good people trying to great work, like everyone at this blog and beyond.
Always happy to help.
Jason
Curtain Fabrics
Posted at 21:49h, 31 JanuaryCurtain FabricsThank you so much ! You are sharing awesome article and information. i like it. Great Work !
Orrin Hastings
Posted at 11:01h, 01 FebruaryThis is an absolutely fantastic and super practical post. Thanks very much for sharing
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:53h, 01 FebruaryOrrin,
Thank you! There are many authors and experts who flawlessly piece together moving sentiments and inspiring prose. I, on the other hand, enjoy getting down to business and offering actionable steps the people I serve can use within minutes.
Jason
Christina Walker
Posted at 15:15h, 01 FebruaryI’ve been a web writer for a while, but now I’m moving up in the world as a web copywriter. So instead of writing content for backlinking purposes, I create persuasive, powerful copy for websites and blogs that is optimized both for search and conversions.
So far the hardest part is trying to find clients who recognize the value of great web copy–and are actually willing to pay for it. Most businesses (in my experience so far) just want cheap filler content.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 17:06h, 01 FebruaryChristina,
Welcome to the conversation!
I’m really glad you shared your question, because I have terrific news for you.
It seems as though you’ve been fishing in the wrong pond. Copywriting is actually one of the most lucrative positions available. I know of many copywriters who have been paid $50,000+ for a single sales letter, with a percentage of sales.
Everyone online and off wants their copy to convert. If you are an expert at making that happen, you can quickly build an impressive Expert Business, without question.
This is the age-old problem of: My customers won’t pay high prices.
The problem isn’t the price–it’s the wrong customer.
The same is true in your case. Thousands of businesses are willing to spend a great deal for copy that converts. The wrong businesses aren’t. Your job is to find the right ones.
Depending on your particular area of copywriting, I would get in touch with the other experts in your field. Purchase a program or two (but don’t become the never-ending learner who never actually implements), pay $100 to pick their brains, offer help.
Once you get into the circles of the successful copywriters, you’ll begin to notice what type of clients they find and where they find them.
At the same time, you can contact sites you respect and offer to write a sales letter, free of charge, in exchange for a testimonial or case study. When you get positive results (as every expert should), ask them to refer you to three people they know who would like the same results.
You’ll get in the door with the introduction and get the client with your verified proof.
This is just one idea among many, but this should be enough to get you started.
Good luck!
Jason
Clayton Elliott
Posted at 17:13h, 01 FebruaryThanks Scott sharing this post, and thanks Jason for writing it! This step-by-step process has brought clarity to many of my blind-spots around building a successful passion-based online business.
My expertise is motivating and coaching others to “Live Life Wide”. Living Wide is not only about doing work that inspires you, but also about pursuing meaningful travel, seeking adventure in all shapes and forms, helping others and giving back, practicing life-long self-directed learning, and taking risks and exploring possibilities. I love inspiring others to regularly challenge and question their status quo, and supporting them to creatively disrupt it if it is no longer fulfilling them.
This post was beyond great and I look forward to taking in all the content in Six Figure Formula download!
David K
Posted at 17:43h, 01 FebruaryHow would you apply this to someone who’s goal is to become a full time artist? I understand the marketing value in sharing my art making expertise and have been doing that in bits and pieces, but ultimately I’m more interested in selling art, not teaching. I wouldn’t mind providing some educational materials to supplement the art income, I just don’t want it to become the primary thing. I’ve reached the point where I can’t not draw and paint and it sure would be great to escape from cubicleville so I can do more of it.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 17:51h, 01 FebruaryDavid,
Seth Godin talks about serving your tribe in a way that might relate to what you want to do. Instead of creating and something and saying, “Here, buy this,” you go to your audience and say, “What would you like me to make.” This gives you customers before the act of create has even begun.
Perhaps you could paint works directly for your audience, allowing them to dictate the subject. Or, perhaps, people could commission personal works of art for higher fees.
As my expertise is helping people share and sell information, this is out of my wheelhouse. Nevertheless, the Internet allows for such intimate contact with our audience that I still see a great opportunity for you.
Create great art, build and audience around it, and, then, create FOR your audience.
Jason
David K
Posted at 18:05h, 01 FebruaryThanks for the reply Jason, definately worth considering.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:46h, 03 FebruaryMy pleasure, David!
Tina
Posted at 07:11h, 03 FebruaryI think I read this article 4 times…and I will very likely read it four more. I love love love this kind of content and you provide it often! This makes me feel like you climbed in my head, saw exactly what I needed to move forward, and are now holding my hand and leading me along the path to success.
I’m an expert at hand holding! I guide people through the mental, emotional, and spiritual process of making transformational change in their lives. (One of my many “titles” declaring my expertise is hypnotist.)
Last summer I got promoted to what I thought would be my dream job …as a hypnotherapist with an office in a women’s health center on a hospital campus. Oh yeah,more advancement than most hypnotherapists get in a life time. But, it’s not really making me the “dream job” money I want. However, it is going a LONG way to promote my expert status.
I next turned my attention to writing, because I thought my real passion is in teaching, so I have started writing holistic continuing educational programs for nurses. Now that’s fun! (Marketing is a lot of work!)
THEN…I started getting asked to speak on my expertise. Whoa! Very fun!
Which leads to I’m writing a book! Yay! Now my dream life will be complete, until the Universe shows me what else is in store.
All of this is very wonderful and amazing, I see how all of it has connected to create my almost perfect life…and I say almost perfect because…I AM NOT MAKING DREAM LIFE MONEY!
So right now I am going back to recover that which I missed, revamping my website to showcase the benefits received from working with me instead of a list of boring features, spotlighting my speaking talents, making a splash about a forthcoming book, and getting paid.
I’m your biggest fan, keep sharing!
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:45h, 03 FebruaryTina,
WOW.
You are on fire! An unstoppable force that is charging straight ahead!
There are so many things I love about your message…you understand the importance of positioning, you are progressing personally and professionally, and you’re ACTIVE.
Most people create dozens of possible realities in their minds, never actually setting foot outside their door to make it happen. You are miles from this “pack of the average,” as are the rest of your compatriots at Live Your Legend.
That fact that you’re speaking, writing a book, and holding a title gives you insane positioning power. When pieced together in just the right way, you’ll be seen as the recognized authority within seconds.
As for money, I want you to begin with a thought toward value (as I’m sure you already are). So often when people want money, they forget about the more important side of the relationship: what they give to get that money.
Think of how you can serve your client, bigger and better than anyone else. If you can truly change their lives, and I’m sure you can and have, that is a skill people will happily pay high prices for.
On a tactical level, I want you to visit the website of successful experts in your field. Do a little digging to see which are actually earning a high income, and then study. What are they doing? How are they doing it? What are they selling? Coaching? Products? Both? What do they promise on their sales letters? What are their clients saying in testimonials? What are the pain points they’re targeting? The hopes and dreams?
Every expert industry is littered with successful models for us to learn from. No need to struggle, to reinvent, to make common mistakes when proof of a successful path is right in front of us…not to copy, of course, but to guide us in the right direction.
You are a true expert with a life-changing skill set. All you need is the right expert positioning and packaging to achieve the dream (although sharing your passion IS the dream…money is the result).
Good luck and report back your progress!
Jason
Sorrisi
Posted at 08:34h, 03 FebruaryThank you Jason, for an inspiring article and for the free pdf. And thanks a ton Scott – I’ve been reading here since the early days of RFYS. My passion is to help people to improve their vision. I’ve been learning and practicing a method which has enabled me to reduce my glasses prescription by almost 2 diopters. After 5 years of blogging on this topic and teaching my readers, I feel confident and want to share it with a wider audience.
My question is this – I wrote my blog under a penname – Sorrisi. As I’m now getting a website ready to launch, I don’t know if I should maintain my penname, or out my real name. Do you think it is possible to be an authority under a pen name or do I need to maintain my website under my real name? I work full time, as a technology consultant, and am a bit weary of my clients googling my real name and coming up with vision improvement stuff (which my type of client would probably consider quackery. It’s also not helped by there being a larger proportion of quacks offering vision improvement than teachers who genuinely help.)
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:34h, 03 FebruarySorrisi,
First, thank you for taking the time to read my article and share your thoughts. This truly is an amazing community and makes the digital world we all live in seem a bit smaller, a bit closer. You’re a big part of that.
I LOVE your topic. You reach into people’s lives and give them back their world. You make every minute of every day better, clearer, more vivid and vibrant. Few areas of expertise do so much for so many. That’s why I’m excite to hear that you’re ready to share what you’ve learned on a bigger scale.
Once the story is out, I think you’ll have no problem building an audience and sharing/selling your experience and expertise. If I had vision problems and read your evidence, I’d buy your report/video/product/service in a heartbeat.
It is absolutely possible to run a successful business under a penname. Many have done it and continue to do so. Personally, though, I prefer honesty and true connection with my audience above all else, which pushes me toward using your real name.
This isn’t the easiest of choices, of course.
I can certainly relate. I started in the self-help field, which also has more than a few “interesting” facets to it. But I figured, that’s the truth, that’s the reality. I did this and I have nothing to hide, especially when I was proud of the work I had done. (I eschewed the quackery and taught solid and proven principles of psychology).
It might not jive with prospects from my new audience, but that’s something they have to deal with. Yes, you may lose some people, but you’ll gain far more by being YOU…the real, authentic, open you…blemishes and all.
We can go through this life wearing many masks, but, in the end, I’d rather make my way proud of who I am and what I do, happy to share my name and face, wearing no mask at all (which is a lifelong process).
To sum up this long-winded rant: You help people see. That’s nothing to hide from.
Jason
Sorrisi
Posted at 13:24h, 07 FebruaryHi Jason, Thank you so much for your commitment to answer every question posted to this article. Your encouragement and enthusiasm is immensely helpful. In particular, your very last sentence put this question in perfect perspective.
Sorrisi
Jason Gracia
Posted at 14:23h, 07 FebruarySorrisi,
When I first began, I read comments from people in my position who said the satisfaction they get from helping others made it all worth it.
I thought…yeah, sure.
But it’s true. Helping people like you and everyone else who joined us in our little discussion is what I live for. You are all so kind, thoughtful, insightful, proactive, courageous, and good.
And if my experience can speed up someone’s success or help them avoid setbacks…that’s the greatest job on earth.
Thank you!
Jason
Joan Harrison
Posted at 09:35h, 03 FebruaryThank you so much for those pointers which I will follow and let you know the outcome. Symbiosis is the only word I can think of that describes what is going on here… and it is amazing. Joan
Jason Gracia
Posted at 13:14h, 03 FebruaryJoan,
I’m thrilled I could help. After struggling to figure things out for so many years, it’s my passion and pleasure to pass on what I’ve learned and save good people like you from the same obstacles or delays.
I can’t wait to hear of your progress and success!
Jason
Matthew G. Bailey
Posted at 14:08h, 03 FebruaryMy passion is in helping people push their limits and live more limitless lives. I’ve been doing it since 2004 and its the one thing that has inspired family and friends around me. I’m in the process of building livelimitless.net and should launch in around 2 months. I then want to take things offline and organize retreats around the world. Get rid of the “computer” for a time and build relationships around the world and help people in person.
Luke Middendorf
Posted at 15:26h, 04 FebruaryGreat information. Thanks for sharing.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 17:17h, 04 FebruaryLuke,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. These days, no one has extra minutes to spare, so I really do appreciate it.
Jason
Jason Gracia
Posted at 17:33h, 04 FebruaryMatthew,
If you can change one person’s life, that’s a life well lived. The fact that you’re dedicating your time to not merely changing one life but helping to lift thousands, even millions, is inspiring.
I’m behind you 100%.
Along with Scott, Chris Guillebeau is a genius at connecting with people offline. I have little doubt that you’ve already heard the name many times. When you get to the point of sharing your message with people in person, he is one I would definitely emulate.
When you’re ready to launch livelimitless.net, be sure to offer a lead magnet of sorts to gather names and emails to help you build an audience. You could even put up a page now with a ‘coming soon’ promotion to get people excited about the movement before it begins.
I also like the idea of creating a viral manifesto for those ready to live without limits…a one-page PDF that can quickly and easily be digested and shared and spread.
Best of luck, Matthew! You’re doing great work for a world in need of greatness.
Jason
AlexanderH
Posted at 19:41h, 04 FebruaryHey Scott & Jason —
This is an insanely good point and has a ton of food for thought.
Quick question: So we know that the way most bloggers go about building their online biz does not work. The basic crap content.
So let’s say you’ve got epic content down.
Now about epic promotion.
Aside from guest posting, what are other online strategies to get the word out?
I LOVE the piece of advice to find out where the ideal audience congregates, and get in front of them. I feel like this is a piece of advice that many people don’t know until they’ve “made it.” So thank you for drilling it in.
Also: regarding the lead magnet, my site is dealing with “health & fitness for people that have chronic health issues & chronic pain.”
I’m trying to figure out what to make my offer because my site covers many topics and It would take an entire class to create an offer on this stuff. So I went with a “shotgun approach” and made an assumption: a very high percentage of americans (and a very ihgh percentage of people with chronic pain) are overweight — so I’m going with a weight loss opt-in. Too scammy?
Thank you again —
Genevieve Parker Hill
Posted at 02:44h, 06 FebruaryI was so deeply touched by how much free expertise you shared in this post, Jason. After reading through almost every comment and response, I was even more touched by how much time you and Scott took to respond to everyone. This must have taken hours upon hours. Thank you! My expertise is in creative writing. I travel write on my blog, but I suppose the value is mostly for myself – so that I remember the adventures I’m having – and for people who want to know about the places I go and read sometimes entertaining or inspiring travel pieces. Like the commenter who posted about wanting to make art full-time, I’m wanting to do creative writing full-time. I also care about helping people live their dreams, but I see so much great information out there already (LYL, for example) that I’m not sure how much more value I can add to that area. I have a desire to help people, and I wrote my first book to help people declutter. I’m not sure how to balance my desire to provide helpful information to people and my desire to do creative writing (fiction, travel, memoir). I’d value your thoughts.
Jason Gracia
Posted at 22:12h, 07 FebruaryGenevieve,
Minutes are not easy to find. The fact that you and your LYL compatriots took the time to not only read my work but also share your thoughts…that’s something I don’t take for granted.
Though it’s said enough to sound cliche, I really am here, doing what I love, because of people like you. I try to never forget that.
We could dive into so many areas of your letter, but the one that calls out to me the strongest is your crazy notion that you have nothing to add to the space of helping people live their dreams.
This is a common fear of experts. Top three without question.
In response to this unnecessary fear, I have a few things to offer, facts that will quickly sweep that fear out of your mind and into oblivion.
First, the topic might be common, but YOU are not. Your experiences, your insights, your personality, your stories, your feelings, your heart and your mind are impossible to replicate–people cannot get YOU anywhere else.
This is why there isn’t one love story or one marketing guru or one coffee shop or one child per household. Each person is unique and brings unique value to the table. People may be able to get advice on living your dreams elsewhere, but there’s only one place they can get Genevieve’s perspective.
That is sacred and priceless.
If you have a message to share, share it. Don’t look around, lowering your head in fear that someone may call you out, may say that you’re doing what’s already been done. Instead, stand proud and say to the world, “This is my message and my mission.”
You can never go wrong when your dream is to help people enjoy their lives.
I say this all from experience. My field, before helping experts grow their brands, was in personal development as well. Crowded, to be sure, but that didn’t stop me from growing my business and reaching millions of people.
It won’t stop you either.
Jason
Debashish Das
Posted at 06:49h, 20 FebruaryHi Genevieve. I just joined LYL a few days ago and today I was reading this blog by Jason and I came across your comment. It is so uncanny that what I want to do is exactly the same as what you are doing (and want to do). Just had to write to you (yet another useful advice from Scott “to connect “) to tell you that I too want to do creative writing (fiction mostly) and I also want to help people find the real road to happiness. Seeing that you have progressed a little further than I have along this path, I’d love to hear from you about your experience so far. I’d be grateful if you could provide a link to your blog/website too. Hope to hear from you soon.
Debashish
Genevieve Parker Hill
Posted at 02:23h, 27 FebruaryHi Debashish, I’m glad that you reached out. My blog is http://www.packinglust.com. I think what you want to do is great. I’m taking Marie Forleo’s B-school right now (I think enrollment is still open if you want to join) to help me define my business more and focus (know what to do, and more important, what NOT to do). My email is on my blog. Let me know if you want to chat more about this.
Warmly,
Genevieve
Jason Gracia
Posted at 22:16h, 07 FebruaryClayton,
I LOVE your brand! What an exciting and rewarding way to help others. If you need any help getting started or growing what you already have, please let me know.
I can already tell you have the passion necessary to make this something great. I can’t wait to see it all unfold…
Jason
Clayton Elliott
Posted at 13:11h, 08 FebruaryHiya Jason!
I’ll def keep you posted when we relaunch our site. In the future we’d like to begin featuring the work of “wide” experts who help people build their online presence. Would love to share the good work you’re doing with our growing community when the timing is right!
Thank you again for this awesome post and for your encouraging kind words 🙂
Jason Gracia
Posted at 18:48h, 08 FebruaryLooking forward to it, Clayton. : )
Debashish Das
Posted at 16:04h, 19 FebruaryI can’t thank Scott enough for what he is doing. Putting together stuff like this is just amazing. This guest post from Jason is a shining example. After reading through some of the posts I’ve realized that these people not only tell you how to do it but actually do it themselves. I’m hooked.
Thank you Jason for helping people (including me) for showing how to go about doing this thing. I always have wanted to write but I didn’t know what form it should take. Now, with the help of you and Scott I am beginning to find my way. Keep up the good work.
Ailson De Moraes
Posted at 16:21h, 19 FebruaryMy passion is here – read the about of my personal website below.
(I am)Ailson is a Human Behavioural Scientist, is on a mission, one that has led him and his unique art of leadership and Creativity around South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. People from every corner of the globe have praised him as a “highly knowledgeable and inspirational speaker”. With experience as a lecturer, at a prestigious London University and several others as a guest lecturer, his success stems from his passion for student development. As an international speaker, Ailson has a variety of audience, from speaking to executives, professional teachers, young minds, teenagers and even primary school teachers and students, his simple but powerful approach makes him to be welcomed in any age group of creative minds. Ailson strongs believe in the human capacity at all age group.
Ailson consistently encourages each individual to achieve their potential, assisting them with constructive criticism and inspiring genuine dedication and determination throughout their lives. Combined with an inspiring personal history, that brings him from Brazil to Europe at the age of 20 with U$ 400 in his pocket and a powerful attitude, Ailson’s unique first-hand experience and interactive style has worked successfully for him not only as a lecturer in International Business and entrepreneur, but as both an international leadership and motivational speaker and philanthropist.
Ailson’s main mission is to create “powerful minds” in our global society and this he has constantly being achieving through his outstanding approach with people from all over the world.
Colleagues, past and present, have highlighted the uniqueness of experience. With several degrees and qualifications, from Bachelors to Doctorate level, Ailson has the added benefit of personally interacting with different cultures and being able to communicate in three different languages. His “deep values” and “strong global acumen”, inspired by the world’s most unforgettable individuals, have enabled him to successfully** uncover and explore those
possibilities that will thrust you into the next stage of your life, seamlessly propel your company forward into its next venture or help you achieve that perfect balance between family life and professional life.
Whatever change is needed, Ailson’s charisma, patience and style of communication can constructively develop and inspire you to take that necessary step in your career or give your employees that needed lift. His internationally respected insight and presentations have inspired many…be the next in line!
Ailson De Moraes is the founder and CEO of DE MORAES Global Leadership Ltd, a Training and Coaching Services firm that helps organizations to develop employees’s potential to become world-class individuals; Ailson also created the De Moraes Foundation for global young people, a non-profit organization that helps youthful to get education in order to become full potential and fulfilled individual leaders.
Any advice will be very welcome….
Thanks
Ailson De Moraes
Barry Friedman
Posted at 15:16h, 05 MarchThanks! I took this exact path with my expertise 5 years ago and it’s been a glorious ride – full of challenges and moments of conquest.
I’m a four-time World Juggling Champion (www.raspyni.com) and have performed at top-end corporate events (sales meetings, trade shows, awards banquets, product launches, etc) since 1982. After shattering my collarbone in a legendary mountain bike crash in 2007, I sat in recovery wondering, “What else am I good at?” The answer I came up with: I’m good at selling a juggling act for a lot of money!
That inquiry led to me start http://www.GetMoreCorporateGigs.com and since opening I have shown hundreds of entertainers how to master the business of show business. My membership site is filled with clowns, ventriloquists, jugglers, and magicians that found my lead magnet (7-day video training course) and decided to pay for more.
The whole journey wasn’t difficult to do. It took a lot of focus – it took seeing past the dark moments, technical challenges, holding space for judgment from the world-wide community that had never seen such a thing, there were who-the-hell-am-I-to-do-this moments, and fear of asking for help.
I since created a group coaching program that I opened to the community and have sold that out 5 times (15 people in each round at $1,997)!
I do all of this from a 10’x16′ Tuff Shed on the edge of my property that overlooks the Sierra Mountains in Northern CA.
Along the way, there were millions of reasons and invitations to get off the Progress Highway. Pressure to back on the road full time and forget about all this. I made a decision to take the accident as a sign that I had more to do in my life – and I didn’t quit. As a result, there are hundreds of entertainers in every corner of the world that are booking better shows, charging more money, and serving their clients in a way that has raised the bar.
This is the time to live your legend. Our buddy Seth Godin sums it up perfectly when he says, “How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?”
Thanks for this post, Jason. No doubt it will inspire thousands to imagine a better future. My hope, however, is that it inspires even ONE person to take definitive action that will affect even ONE other person.
Thomas Wooldridge (@twool9)
Posted at 04:45h, 09 MayIsn’t amazing how you can just simply put your expertise in process and somehow magically get paid for it.
Everyone has a gift inside of them. We all have the particular gift to do something good for the world. It is your responsibility to bring out the gift.
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