Once you’re far away in your journey to build and sell things that look like you online, you’ll get two things. One of them good, one of them inevitable:
1) Sales
2) Haters
The other day, I got someone saying “I reckon he made his first million telling people how to make a million……just another fkn con artist” in my notifications.
We’ll get back to sales a bit later in this post, but let’s talk about haters first! I’ve talked about the fear of being seen earlier, but this topic is just too good to ignore. So…
Here’s why I love haters:
- They provide unlimited content ideas and fuel for thought
- They question your motives, leading to a greater self-awareness
- You know exactly who you don’t want in your life in any form or shape
Thinking at the mentioned notification alone, I got three ideas to learn from, reflect on, and write about: How to deal with haters, in general, who am I to build and sell any of my courses, and, finally, how to actually make a million dollars.
And what to talk about?
My God, obviously the last one: How to make a million by telling others how to make a million!
Okay, time for some transparency here. I haven’t made a million dollars. Not even close.
I also haven’t made a million with any of my other ventures.
Not even combined.
In other words, I am a disappointment to that guy in my notifications!
But I sure wouldn’t mind making a million.
Here’s where we get to the motivational zone.
I love selling information. It’s just a great business model. And some people truly master it! Here, take a look at Mr. Vassallo, who has a far better attitude about building and selling info online:
You know what he’s selling in his “portfolio of small bets” cohort?
Build a lot of things with limited downside and unlimited upside.
It’s the same thing, just different wrappings. Start building stuff on the side. Tinker with podcasts. Network with like-minded people. Master your mindset and learn to deal with failure. Maybe you’ll make money, maybe you won’t, but at least you’ll learn.
Side business is just self-growth in disguise!
Personally, I’m still fine-tuning my messaging around side business: I am not a big fan of the word “side hustle”, and “side business” also just doesn’t roll out the tongue quite like “small bets” does.
But I’ll figure it out some day (on my way to the million dollars).
…which brings us to the second issue:
Here’s my plan to get to a million dollars with a side business:
Just in case this is not clear yet: It’ll not be by teaching others to make a million.
It will be with scalable education (aka selling information, in a bit more actionable form).
I’ll create a course bundle, price it $1500, and sell it to 700 buyers. I will sell it to academic research groups, teaching evergreen soft skills: Time management, focus skills, team management with state-of-the-art tools, and using technology to get better work done faster.
$1500 is literally nothing for the right buyer, and there are tens of thousands of groups to offer this to.
Some will buy, some will not. Or who knows, maybe I’ll price it higher and sell to fewer groups? Doesn’t matter. You don’t have to have it all planned.
What matters is you start.
Ok, but just to simplify this to the all naysayers of the world, here’s my plan above in a “let me tell you what to do” format. You also get it for free:
How to make a million dollars online, simplified
- Focus on evergreen topics that will always be needed
- Price your teaching $1000 or higher
- Sell it many times
I know, I know it’s not that simple.
But on the higher level, it is. It is just math.
It is a formula and a mindset.
Step by step we go.
One by one.
Let the haters on your way motivate and challenge you!
And I hope to see you back here next week!
Simo