​Success must be earned. You have to pay upfront and you have to pay in full. You can’t get success for NOTHING. The necessary work must be put in. Because of this, the road to success can be long, frustrating, difficult and even lonely.
 
For those of you about to take this journey, or if you’re already on this journey and thinking about getting off, let me give you a perspective…
 
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HARD!
 
You’re not on the wrong path and the “success gods” aren’t sending you signs that you’re doing the wrong thing. Common sense should say that if this was easy, you would see a lot more successful people. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
 
There’s not 1 successful person walking this planet that hasn’t struggled in some way. There’s not 1 successful person that hasn’t had setbacks. There’s not 1 successful person that hasn’t been rejected, gotten discouraged and even lost something along the way.
 
I’ll give you just a few examples:

• Take Oprah Winfrey. She was demoted from her news anchor job. She was even blatantly told that she, “wasn’t fit for television,” a criticism that makes us laugh now.
• Steve Jobs was 30 when he was fired from the company he founded. This sent him into a state of semi-depression before he bounced back.
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. This hurt him so deeply that he locked himself in his room and cried most of the night.
• And everyone is familiar with Colonel Sanders, whose secret chicken recipe of 11 herbs and spices was rejected HUNDREDS of times. How many of us could face nearly 1,000 rejections and still persevere?

​These are just examples from people who have been extremely successful. There are millions of smaller success stories we’ll probably never hear about. But they’re all relevant because they all show the focus, drive and determination that are inside us. It just needs to be tapped into – it needs to be activated.
 
I don’t like feeling like I'm losing. It’s a terrible feeling. But there are times when that’s going to happen. How we bounce-back is what matters. Only when we choose NOT to get back up is when we truly lose.
 
This simple reality makes some people cringe. They want things easy. They want things handed to them. They don’t want to struggle and fight. And these are the people who don’t reach success because they don’t put themselves in the position to EARN it.

​How DEDICATED and COMMITTED are you? How much are you willing to sacrifice for your success? Are you willing to turn off your television and other things that waste your time? Making better use of your time is just 1 way you have to pay for your success.
 
Stop waiting and looking for the easiest and fastest way. Success is NOT about finding the easiest and quickest route, but rather continuing through the hardships and scary moments. Where you put your time and energy TODAY determines what happens TOMORROW.
 
So, is there a secret to success? From my person al study and experience along with nearly 15 years of speaking with successful people from every walk of like, I’ve come to the conclusion, there is. But, it’s not what you may think.
 
From my perspective, here’s the “secret” to success (which really isn’t a secret at all):
(1) DECIDE clearly about what you want;
(2) DISCOVER how to make it happen – form a flexible plan;
(3) Repeatedly make the SAME decision every day. You have to COMMIT.
 
Sound too simple? Well, if you have a job, what do you do to earn your paycheck? You’ve decided to get the job, you know what you have to do to keep it and you make the decision to go and do what’s expected of you. And you make that same decision every day you have to work.
 
Want to lose weight? Decide on a realistic goal weight. Research how you can exercise and eat better to obtain that desired weight. Then make the SAME DECISION to exercise and eat better EVERY DAY.
 
Want to increase productivity? Decide what needs to be accomplished. Write out a flexible list of what needs to be done and how to get it done. Wake up and commit to doing it every day.
 
Want to start a business? Clearly decide what business you want to do. Research what to do and how to do it. Commit to putting work into your business every single day.
 
So, if this is so easy, why did I say success is supposed to be hard?
 
It becomes hard when people are not CLEAR about what they want, they’re too lazy or scared to make things happen and they abandon their commitment when there’s any form of struggle.
 
If you’re not willing to go through setbacks, frustrations and growing pains, your chances of success are minimal. You didn’t pay the price, so you didn’t earn it and you honestly don’t deserve it. Think about it.
 
Until next time…

When I speak to aspiring entrepreneurs the conversation doesn’t take long to get into the subject of money. This is fine of course, what’s the purpose for starting a business if you’re not trying to make money, correct?
 
However, I think some people overlook something more important than money. And that’s a simple principle. What’s that principle? You have to give in order to receive.
 
The less you give, the less you receive. If you don’t give at all, you won’t receive very much at all.
 
You have to earn whatever you get in this life. If you go through life expecting something for nothing then you’re in for a very frustrating life. You’re giving up your power in hopes that things will work themselves out – and they seldom do. Anyway, back to business…
 
Consider for a moment if someone told you that on occasion you should GIVE away your service (or product) away for FREE. Some people shrink away from that idea. Just the thought of giving away something and not charging a single penny for it is almost an insult. But should it be?
 
Money comes from other people. And people that don’t trust you (or your company), won’t buy from you. People that are confused about what you do, won’t buy from you. People that feel as though they will be swindled or taken advantage of you, won’t buy from you. So what’s the big issue here?
 
The big issue here is TRUST.
 
People that trust you and/or your business are more likely to buy from you. You want more money? Then you must garner more trust. How do you get more people to trust you? You have to deliver an above average customer experience. And every so often, this means giving your service or product away for free.

Why would you do this? Because you want to build SOCIAL PROOF. People already trust other people they know, isn't that true? People enthusiastic to share their experience about you, with others, is what we want. When we're satisfied,  don’t we share that enthusiasm with others?
 
When you eat at an excellent restaurant, don’t you tell other people? When you see a great movie, don’t you tell other people? When you have a good experience, don’t you share it?
 
Entrepreneurs want to make money, but they skip a few key steps. And one BIG key step that’s usually skipped is the building of trust.
 
So they key here is to give. But you can’t just give ANYTHING. You have to give the correct thing. The thing that will allow you to EARN the trust of your potential customers or clients. The bigger and more known you are, the easier this is. But when you’re just starting, you have to MAKE this happen. You have to consistently build trust and garner social proof.
 
We can talk a lot about branding yourself correctly, having the right price points, how to create stronger marketing and advertising campaigns. We can also discuss correct presentation, thinking outside of the box, how to rise up in the search engines, and how to make better use of social media.
 
And while all those things are important and necessary, if no one trusts that you can deliver on your promise, then what good are those other things? Let me repeat, people that don’t trust you or your company won’t buy; and a confused customer won’t buy.
 
We give in order to serve our market (potential customers and/or clients). And while we’re doing this, we gain the TRUST of our market and accumulate social proof.
 
Yes, there’s more to this formula but this understanding is essential for anyone thinking about starting a business – or someone who has just got their feet wet.
 
If you can master this skill, because it is a skill – it’s something that can be learned, then you position yourself to receive more money. Money should not be the ONLY focus of your business. In fact, money is the effect of specific causes; it's the result of certain actions. And earning trust is one of the most important of those actions.

For those of you coming out this Saturday, see you then! For everyone else, see you next post...