Don’t Go With the Flow

Image by Ed Karjala

The Problem

As a result of my recent post, My Master Plan, I’ve had people ask me how I created my plan and what planning techniques I find to be most useful. To be honest, I’ve been a planner for most of my life. I was writing goals when I was a teenager although they were often grandiose and unrelated to anything I was doing at the time. I expected that good things would just eventually happen to me someday and I would start living the life of my dreams. It was only years later that I realized that this wasn’t going to work and that I needed to re-evaluate my philosophy.

Connect the Dots

I started using the typical short-term, mid-term, and long-term goal strategy and although it got me thinking a little bit more about how to connect my goals, I still wasn’t turning them into a reality. It easy to write down something like: “buy a yacht,” but without a plan for achieving it the goal was useless.

It was during my time in the Army that I learned about backwards planning and the benefits of planning your life from the end state rather than the current state. Although the Army uses the strategy much differently, it dawned on me that the same process could be applied to my goals and dreams very similarly.

What I started doing was defining my perfect day in say 10-20 years down the line. Once I had the entire day mapped out, I started realizing what was important to me and what was not. I then started prioritizing the important things and identifying what I would need to accomplish having, getting, or being them. I set up three categories for the end state:

1. Things I want to do (live in a castle, sail Caribbean, backpack Europe)
2. Things I want to be (pro Triathlete, Good father and husband, author/musician)
3. Things I want to have (money, boat/car/whatever, investments, businesses, etc)

Having 10 million dollars sounds good, but what sounds better is knowing what I wanted to do with the 10 million dollars. Once I identified the 3 categories and what would fill them up, I started planning backwards from the perfect day. I went over every phase of my life, from waking up to going to bed. I set up 5 phases as my planning strategy and started moving backwards phase by phase until I reached my current state. For example, my goal of becoming a professional triathlete was part of my 5 phase plan, but I also broke it down further with a 3 step plan to becoming a professional triathlete. I also broke down my business goals the same way. I took the end state of owning business structures worth a certain amount and went backwards. I created income goals, levels of involvement, and investment/business building strategies along the way. Eventually, I reached my current state of being employed in the Army as a part-time webrepreneur. When I finished, I realized the beauty of the plan and the method. My entire future was written on a tablet in front of me and my destiny never seemed clearer. Not only did I have a clearly defined goal, but I also had a clearly designed and focused plan for how to get there.

Design Your Life

In my opinion, the key to defining and achieving goals is to connect them to where you are in life currently. I call it a personal business plan and everyone should have one. Without your own personal business plan, you are simply letting the current take you where it may.

You have to identify the steps needed to get from A -> B -> C -> D. Without that key connective ingredient, your goals will look like nothing more than far off fantasies. If you find ways to connect them step by step and prove to yourself what you’ll need to get there, you’ll find that not only are you more motivated, but the goals are much more realistic and easier to accomplish.

I have seen this work firsthand and the truth is that I am beating myself up for not realizing this key sooner. People tell you to create goals and to dream big, but what they don’t tell you is that dreaming big is the easy part. The hard part, and the part that pays off, is actually designing your life step by step. So take your current state, compare it to the end state that you desire, and figure out how to connect the dots. It is much easier than it seems and I promise you’ll enjoy it.

I’ll see you at the top.

By the way, if you are looking for some more great business ideas or how to make money online, check out my friend Chris Guillebeau’s Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself. It is a fantastic course with a great guarantee. I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t buy it myself and my opinion is that for the price, you will not find a better guide to making money.

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Approximately 1 month ago, I wrote a post about how to start a tangible online business and mentioned that I would keep you updated on my progress. Well, here we are about 1 month later and I’ve been so busy I barely have time to write this post.

Originally I was split testing two sites, one which was based on an Amazon Storefront, while the other was a simple Wordpress site with a Paypal enabled shopping cart. Initially, I expected that the Amazon store would start out slow but eventually outpace the Wordpress site. Boy was I wrong! It turns out that the SEO capabilities of the Wordpress site blew the Amazon store out of the water when it came to indexing and search engine traffic. Also, the colorful theme of the Wordpress store was preferred much more than the simple and easy to use Amazon store.

I expected that the store that was most user friendly and easiest to navigate would win out, but it turns out that the look and feel of the site was more important than usability. Both sites got equal prep, setup, SEO, bookmarking, and AdWords time and while the Wordpress site started selling immediately, the Amazon store never made one sale!

So, I have ditched the Amazon store (not worth the 60 bucks a month) and now focus all my effort on the Wordpress site. Aside from an early issue with a Paypal button, I have not had any issues with my shopping cart or the order process. Also, I’ve had orders in the range of $15-$200, with the average being approximately $50. I don’t want to get specific in terms of profit margin and ROI because this site is public, but I will say that the venture is working well enough to become my sole effort at the moment, with everything else taking a back seat.

Some things I’ve learned are that pictures are important, put up as many as you can. Also, try to capture the feel of your product in the website theme you choose. Also, as usual, organic traffic is the best converter. AdWords ROI was ok, but my organic and direct traffic was by far the most productive. With my strategy, I was able to get the site indexed in 2 days and started receiving 50 hits per day within a week. Lastly, you need to have a plan for customer service, keeping inventory, and managing shipping. Although I never had any massive problems, I did have to overcome some hurdles since customer service of utmost importance for me. Just make sure you are ready for orders to start coming in and to be able to handle any issues that may arise due to heavy traffic.

One additional strategy that pays off is to take your best selling items and offer them on Ebay as well. This gives you a chance to link back to your site and also get sales you might not have otherwise. With every Ebay order, I offer them a chance to order more from my webstore in order to save on shipping costs. I’d say that 50% of the time, people place another order.

I got part of this idea from an extensive course offered by my friend Chris Guillebeau, entitled The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself. During part of the course, there is a great audio session that gives you 24 immediate ways to make money online. He mentioned a simple way to make money that I hadn’t thought of, and instantly the light bulb in my head went off. After that, I was off and running with my idea. I talk about Chris often because of his persistence and dedication to changing the world, but if you haven’t heard about him or read his blog, you can check it out here: The Art of Non-Conformity.

Honestly, although I expected the business to pay off long-term, I did not expect it to take off so quickly. I am almost reminded of how Tim Ferris (of 4 Hour Workweek Fame) got his business started selling Brain Quicken. Now, if I could only find a cheap way to outsource the order prep and shipping, I would have something ready to scale. As it stands now, inventory, order prep, and shipping are the 3 greatest concerns of mine when it comes to scalability. I’ve got a few ideas in mind and I will keep you informed on the progress of that part of the project. In the meantime, get out there and make something happen, I am living proof that it can be done.

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Well, since I’ve claimed credit for the word (I may not be the first to use it, but I’ll be the one to use it most) I thought I should spend some time talking about my definition and perceptions of the word, as well as my intentions to brand myself with it.

The word “entrepreneur” is overused these days. It doesn’t mean anything anymore and it certainly does not carry with it the same passion that it used to. I want to change that, and I want to change it in a way that leaves the word as a shadow of itself.

In these days of web 2.0 and social media, the true superstars are those that are passionate about what they do. The people that truly represent what it means to be a webrepreneur are not those that simply know how to use Twitter or Facebook, although they might. The real webrepreneurs are those that operate without having to label themselves or force themselves into a niche. They simply flow from inspiration to inspiration. In the words of Soren Kierkegaard, “once you label me, you negate me.”

In my opinion, the true spirit of the webrepreneur is grounded in the man or woman’s ability to use technology and innovation and merge it with the will to succeed, in order to design a life for yourself that makes you happy. One of my favorite quotes happens to come from the work of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and voiced by the protagonist Howard Roark:

“I came here to say that I do not owe one minute of my life to any other man, the world is suffering from an orgy of self-sacrifice.”

This is not to say that one cannot benefit the lives of others in the process, but true innovation is inspired by man’s quest to find happiness for himself. You don’t owe your life to your job or any other institution. Life is too short to live unhappy and as long as your quest does not interrupt the ability for another man to pursue his, then you should be entitled to find happiness. It is your right.

Now, before I am accused of being a selfish and greedy capitalist I want to mention a few caveats. First of all, I do not equate happiness to wealth or material acquisition. Wealth is simply the vehicle that allows us to pursue our true goals. I also believe that the act of giving back and being an asset to society is part of finding happiness, however I do not believe that we have the chance when we are consumed by job-related or social responsibility.

Now, back to the original topic…the definition of a webrepreneur. If I had to define the term, and by now I think it is pretty clear I am against cornering a word by defining it, I would define it as such:

A webrepreneur is a socially minded entrepreneur that uses the world wide web to harness passion and innovation in order to further the social consciousness and reclaim the internet for the givers, rather than the takers.

Now, you might notice I did not mention one word about making money or creating wealth. Although I believe making money is part of the process, the money comes as a trade for the benefit you are offering the community. You will be paid for the value you offer, not the value you manufacture.

When I speak of social consciousness, I refer to the spirit inside of every man and women that desires to be free. People have been beaten down by their jobs or responsibilities. People spend their entire lives doing things they hate, and for what reason? The webrepreneur is capable of reminding people of this spirit inside of themselves and helping them harness it. I talk about him often, but Gary Vaynerchuk is the perfect example of this spirit. Chris Brogan is another example…his favorite topic is that of helping others.

We can’t all be motivators, but if we claim the Internet back from the scammers and those that don’t offer any value, then we can create a better environment for everyone to succeed. We all bring value to the table in one way or another. Although I may not be the most motivating speaker, I believe I can offer value by providing information via a variety of websites and businesses. If for one second I thought one of my ventures was ripping people off or not adding value to the noise of the Internet, I would cancel it and find another method.

Do I think that I can make a living with this model using such ambiguous terms and goals? Sure I do, in fact I have no doubt. The process is slow and steady, but anything worth achieving is worth working hard for, and honestly I have the most fun when I am working hard doing something I love. The simple answer is that if you give value to others, you will profit in one way or another.

I’d like to hear your opinion on the issue and would love for you to offer your definition of what a webrepreneur is to you.

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Over the course of this blog’s existence, I’ve shared with you a little bit about how I use the web to build businesses and make money. Although I am still far from my goal of becoming a full-time webrepreneur, the past few months have been very good to me both from a learning and experience perspective as well as from a monetary perspective.

This web thing certainly isn’t a walk in the park, but with a lot of hard work and focused effort, it is possible to crack the code. You know how sometimes you feel you are the tip of something big, but you just can’t quite see it yet? Well I’ve got that feeling right now and knowing what I have learned the past year and how the work I’ve planned is starting to come to fruition, I can sense I am on the verge of achieving my dreams.

What I’d like to do is share with you a little bit about my short and long-term plans for not only webrepreneurial success, but also a lifetime of success both on and off the web. I have created a 5 year plan that involves branding myself, creating investment capital and wealth building vehicles, and for the long-term an empire that allows me to follow my dreams without being tied down by a job I hate.

I won’t bore you with the details of the plan word for word, but I’d like to share the 3 major phases of the plan.

Phase I

Phase 1 consists of me building a network of niche sites on a variety of topics that I enjoy writing about, as well as a few retail sites that can provide a decent ROI. I want to dominate a few targeted niches that I can easily control and monetize in the short-term. During this time, I am also working hard to prepare for a flurry of Triathlons in the 2009-2010 season. During this time, branding will be a huge project as I intend to brand myself as a webrepreneur and as The Triathlon Man.

My income goal from the web during this time is a paltry $3,000 per month in profit.

Phase II

Phase 2 kicks off with the end of my Army career and a full-time foray into the realm of being a professional webrepreneur. During this time I plan on using the passive income from my web ventures as investment capital for the time and resources I need to work on various novels I have planned, as well as continue to build tangible businesses that can be sold for profit. I also want to travel the world with my family and create a lifetime of memories for my children. During the heart of this phase, I want to treat my family to a life of passion and experience.

By the end of phase 2, I plan to sell my network of niche sites and use the profit to invest in my branding business and other passive wealth builders. During this time I will also push very hard to solidify my career as a professional triathlete and show how any person can achieve any goal they put their mind to.

Income Goal for Phase 2: $10,000 per month

Phase III

Phase 3 is where the fruit of my efforts is realized and my business begins to run on its own as a unilateral brand. By combining my Triathlon image with the webrepreneur image I will be able to create my own triathlon and business related product lines, as well as publish a series of books that I will promote with my personal brand. By this time I hope to have created enough wealth so that I can invest heavily in non-internet assets such as real estate and formal business structures. I will also finally open a vegetarian restaurant that changes the way people view vegetarian food, even if I happen to be the only customer.

I’d also like to lend a hand to the future of science and technology by getting a Robotics Engineering Degree as well as lend some of my finances to my own scientific studies.

Lastly, I will have brought The Dharma foundation fully to life in preparation for the 2nd half of my journey.

Income Goal for Phase 3: $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year

The Second Half

Phase 4: The Hidden Phase

This final phase is the true purpose behind all of my efforts. Although I enjoy creating and managing businesses, as well as travelling the world to learn about other cultures, the true reason I want to create a base of wealth is so that I can spend as much of my life as possible spreading charity and seeking enlightenment. I find it unfortunate that you have to fall into the trap of the world in order to free yourself from it, but if I am careful and detached from material possessions, I believe I can navigate these traps and surface as a better man.

The Dharma Foundation is a true passion of mine. I don’t buy into all of the trendy new-age hype that has taken over many Eastern religions. The people of this world need to be understood and empathized with. In order to truly bring change in these dark times it will require more than good speeches and fancy rhetoric. Philanthropic efforts are what define a man, not the amount of wealth or material goods that he owns. During this phase of my life, giving back through aid and compassion will be the hallmark of my efforts.

As some of you may know, I am a practicing Zen Buddhist and I believe that if we spend our lives ignoring God and our fear of death, then we waste the opporunties we have been given to seek enlightenment. Everything in this world will pass and I feel I must use my time on this Earth to come face to face with God. I want to spend this part of my life learning how to face death with courage and live my life spreading the Dharma to others.

Recap

As time goes by, I will probably go into more detail regarding the 4 phases of my plan, but for now I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my life. My question to you now is, what do you have planned for the rest of your life? What goals will you refuse to give up on? How do you define success in this life or the next? We all have our part to play, it is our duty to play it out the best we can.

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Webrepreneur, Triathlete, Zen Buddhist, Author, and Musician

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve recently added a new banner to my blog (big deal right?). It may not be the most professional or the fanciest logo, but because I like to have a hand in every design on my blog, I decided to do it myself. It was important to me to be able not only put my face somewhere on the page, but also find a way to describe my blog in a few words so readers knew what to expect when they stopped in.

I know in order to brand myself and put my best foot forward, I’m going to need to show you a little bit of the person behind the blog. I feel that having my face in the header gives the blog a human feel that is lacking on other sites. There are tons of blogs about making money online, and although this blog talks a bit about that topic, I don’t feel it is the primary focus. Therefore, I decided to use some important symbols to help explain both my interests and the focus of the blog.

My long term goals are to use this blog as a platform to share my journey towards financial freedom, but part of that process will be sharing my writing, my spiritual beliefs, and eventually my music. If you haven’t heard, I am also sharing my quest for becoming a professional triathlete.

I want to use the term “Webrepreneur” as a symbiosis of future technology and business. I believe you can make a living online by offering real value and without stooping to shady tactics. I want the professionals to reclaim the Internet from the spammers and the snake oil salesmen, and I want pioneers and visionaries to continue to shape the way in which the world does business both online and off. More than anything, I want to show people how you can liberate yourself from a job by doing what you love. There are few greater rewards then getting paid to do what you love to do and having the time to do it.

Lastly, I want to show that the process of lifestyle design is powerful and effective. Too many people let the world dictate how they live their lives and I want to change that. I also want to give credit to my friend Chris Guillebeau for doing the same thing, but better. To borrow his phrase, we all want to be “World Dominators,” but many of us lack passion, direction, or dedication. However, if enough of us start the momentum there is no reason we cannot motivate others to follow.

I have a life plan, which I will share as the blog progresses, that moves me towards financial independence, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, and eventually world-domination. Our lives are far to short to accept any less.

One last thing, like many of you, my family provides me more motivation and inspiration than anything else could. I want to share my family journey with you at some point, but until then I want to say that there is no force more powerful than a loving family…I am very thankful for my good fortune and wish the same to you.

If you enjoyed this post, please use the ShareThis button below to pass it on to a friend. If you haven’t picked it up already, grab my free Monetization E-Book too.

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(This is part 2 of a continually building list, if you missed the first one, check out My Blog Hitlist)

I’ve already named a few of my favorite bloggers on a variety of topics, but who couldn’t use a few more to add to their reader?

1. The Technium - If you haven’t noticed, I have a peculiar fascination with the future of technology. The Technium is a blog written by Kevin Kelly, the founder of Wired. Excellent stuff.
2. John Chow - I’ve mentioned this guy a lot over the past few months, but it is because he is a perfect case study of how to become a professional blogger. This guy just made 30 plus G’s last month!
3. ProBlogger Darren Rowse - Another great example of a professional blogger. This guy really has the system down! Darren also has a photography site where he tests some solid monetization strategies.
4. Copyblogger - Great site for every blogger. Covers a variety of topics; I just found this one recently and am already hooked.
5. Dosh Dosh - I can’t explain the name, but I know the blog rocks. The blog is an Internet marketing blog that is very relevant and unique. Tons of good content there.

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Right now most of the world is running around making excuses for why their business is failing or why they should hold back on reaching for their dreams. I say screw that, now is the time to push harder! True pioneers take bold efforts when others are regrouping. True dream seekers take the negatives and turn them into positives. Don’t let this economy crap fool you into giving up on your dreams. This is the kind of time that separates the doers from the rest of the pack.

You Only Live Once

Even if you have lost everything, there is nothing to say you cannot operate on a shoestring and make something happen. If you’ve got even a little bit of time and money to spare, then you have time to start or build a business. You’ve only got one opportunity to make your dreams a reality before you go, so why let a rough year or two stop you? What’s the worst that can happen…rock bottom? You know what happens when you hit rock bottom? You bounce back up higher than you were. 

Patience and Vigilance

There is no rush to build wealth; it is a slow and managed process. That doesn’t mean you can relax. Now more than ever you have to tighten the belt and pay special attention to what is working for you and what isn’t. Fine tune your Ad Words account to increase your sales ratios. Throw some extra time into creating a better service than your competitors. You should be getting better when others get worse, that is how you can get ahead.

Zen Business

Realize that if you walk the path you are meant to walk, regardless of what it looks like early on, you will find success at the end. Success can be measured in different ways, but nonetheless it is waiting for you. Just stick to the path you are led to follow and keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when you’ll find an opportunity that could change your life.

By the way, if you haven’t picked it up yet, grab a copy of my free monetization E-Book here.

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