Mood music for your listening pleasure as you read:
A lot of people envy me.
I’m not bragging, but the feedback and responses I’ve received from people over time tells me this. Same can be said of folks like Darren Rowse or Chris Brogan or Brian Clark. I run my own business from home, have plenty of free time to spend with my family or play WoW, I like what I do, and basically I can make as much money as I want.
To someone working a job, it seems as though a barrier exists between them and where I’m at.
My blog has readers, subscribers, commentors, social media love, and it ranks number one for my keywords. To many new bloggers, it seems like an impossibility to take their squeaky-new blog to that point. It may as well be on the other side of the planet, let alone the other side of the proverbial fence where the grass is a slightly improved shade of green.
In worse moments, this brings out telltale signs of belief in this un-closable gap because people say things like “you A-list bloggers {insert here whatever it is we A-list bloggers supposedly do}.”
Well, it’s all true. We are organized in a secret cabal, and we live in our orbiting crystal space station to plot more ways to be better and separate from you. In fact, I’m writing this from the crystal space station now (which looks exactly like Carl Sagan’s spacecraft from Cosmos, by the way). All that work at home stuff is a ruse so you don’t know I’m actually here. And yes, I realize that orbiting is redundant with space station.
Sorry, was just dreaming for a sec. 
I could say stuff like we’re all just regular people too. We put our pants on the same way you do, etc. But what I think would be useful is if you knew exactly how I got here, because then you could see that anyone else can do it, too. And by anyone, I mean you.
I’ve always liked computers, technology, and the internet. I got into this stuff early, and that helped, but now the barrier to entry has been lowered significantly. I’ve worked many different jobs over the years, with a heavy focus on retail (outdoor gear and natural foods, specifically, which is hilarious when you consider that there’s no way I’m hiking to Taco Bell).
But then in the mid 90s I got a job teaching other people how to use computers and software. I’ve been doing that in one form or another for over a decade now. It doesn’t really matter that the job involved computers because I already was interested in them. It helped that I became a teacher, but that’s not incredibly significant in the big picture. Having my finger on the pulse of technology meant that when blogging was born, I saw it and jumped on it.
What really made things change for me was that after looking at the way the economic/business/technological landscape was evolving, I decided to take advantage of it. I had been blogging already and I have always been interested in marketing so it seemed a natural fit to marry those two things. I had run a successful blog revolving around crazy videos and AdSense, so I figured I had the chops.
HIGHLY RELEVANT TANGENT: If you look back to the 70s and early 80s, you’ll find something both interesting and very revealing of human nature happened. The robots came. What I mean is, robotics in manufacturing happened. And everyone knew it was going to happen. People who worked in factories knew it was coming. Those workers had a choice: they could learn something/do something new to take advantage (or at least sidestep) the coming change (like go to to school for… oh, I don’t know… robotics), or they could do… nothing.
You know what most people did, right? Weird, huh? Like lambs to the slaughter, etc. Those people were responsible for families, too, who were then harmed by this fatalistic refusal to deal with the changing times. Sad.
OKAY, BACK TO THE MAIN POINT: The reason I mentioned the forlorn displaced factory workers is because we find ourselves in the same boat now. Only this time, it’s actually much, much bigger than robotic overlords taking our jobs. I believe the entire world economy is shifting to a new paradigm made possible by the internet and technology. In this new paradigm, working a “normal” job for someone else is the lesser path to take in life. Creating your own enterprise via the web and making that work is much more rewarding… and possible.
For several years I worked like a madman: I got up at 5 or 6 am, checked my mail/twitter, then got ready for work and left to go teach computer classes. I’d get home around 5:30 or 6pm and maybe after some dinner and family time I’d be online blogging and marketing my blog consulting business. At 1am or 2am I’d go to bed and repeat it the next day.
When my online income was trending to surpass my “normal” jobby-job income, I quit my job. There’s nothing in any of that which is extraordinary (except my working hours perhaps). If I needed to learn something, I searched for it and read up on it. I took some of my profits and invested in myself in the form of training programs because I knew that would pay off and I’d make even more money while providing great value for you guys (and not killing myself with too much work). And I have to say that you must make that leap of faith to invest in yourself too if you want to have any hope at all in succeeding in online business.
That’s how I got here, and it’s unique to me in many ways, but there are universal elements to my story that can help anyone else break through to the other side:
- Don’t quit your day job until you’re fairly sure you can get away with it (my move was a bit riskier than some are willing to do, but that’s cool, everybody’s different)
- Do something you’re good at
- Do something you like
- Be willing to learn and know how to learn (know how to search and get what you want)
- Put the hours in to make it happen as if it were a second full-time job (worked for me, your mileage may vary)
If you go read up on how some of the other “big” bloggers (cringe) got where they are today, you’ll find similarities. Most importantly, you’ll find that they all started out in some perfectly normal place and through their everyday choices managed to achieve success over time. What this tells me is that there is no barrier between you and any so-called “A-list” blogger or entrepreneur. None. In most cases, we just simply started earlier than you. One of my favorite sayings is this:
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is now.
Do you feel that you have “broken through to the other side?” How did you do it? If not, where are you in the process? You never know how much sharing your own story will help others. I encourage you to comment or even write your own post.
This was a very helpful article. It really made me think about faith and what I am doing to make my blog better. I think I may have just stumbled upon a great idea and that came from putting in the time. I have a long way to go but it is always nice to know that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things!
Susan, thank you and best of luck with your idea!
Really enjoyed this post (and the song–big Doors fan here). I'm surprised given the current climate that there aren't hordes of people rushing to the internet to start a new career. I'm actually excited at the opportunities I see out there.
I'm trying to carve out my own thing and I'm surprised at the amount of effort it takes to really set up properly, but it's no more effort than pounding the pavement for months, hat in hand, looking for a non-existent job.
I was watching some news interview yesterday and the interviewer asked some politician how the U.S. was going to get back to the days where one manufacturing worker could support their entire family. I was shaking my head watching this, thinking: “Um, never”
The politician then gave some fairy tale answer to the question, as if those days were actually going to come back.
I assume he rode back to Washington on his pet unicorn after the interview was over.
LMAO. Yeah, this is why I don't care about politics anymore for what it's
worth: It's too late.
There are lots of stories of people making this transition successfully.
Check out the Lemonade Movie, for example: http://www.lemonademovie.com/
<http: http://www.lemonademovie.com=“”>Also found on the about pages of hundreds of
</http:>
thousands of online entrepreneurs everywhere.
Hey, I'm not even a big time blogger but I feel the same way about my life. My friends and family always tell me how much they envy me even though I'm not doing anything that they couldn't do. I am the architect of my own future. (Yes that sounds corny to me too but sometimes corny things are true.) But I think we all are. And while I don't say that anybody can do “anything,” I do say that anybody who's willing to work at it and continue learning can do just about anything they want.
The “big time” bloggers got that way by having the same attitude you do. Keep up the good work.
I can really relate to this article, thanks for putting it out here.
It's always refreshing to read and be reminded that making something like this work does actually takes, well, work.
Just like building a business offline, building an online business requires that you put in the time to make it happen. Once I realized that there is no 'magic' solution and just started doing, my whole business plan changed and I started to see growth where I had not before.
I take that back, the 'magic solution' that I found was to invest in continuing my education + putting in the time to actually use that knowledge.
Thanks again,
Bret
As you point out, using the knowledge is key. Many people read books & blogs and buy training and then it goes nowhere. They satisfied their feelings with daydreams instead of action.
I know how that daydreaming can be. Especially when just starting out with the learning.
But that mental satisfaction definitely does not turn into financial satisfaction with out action.
Action = Financial Satisfaction
Just had to come over from reading this in my email subscription to thank you, Michael, for another swell breakdown of “it's hard but not impossible.”
Personally, I get all this already; but I forward these supportive prodding posts to a relative who's been stuck on executing a swell online education business for 2 years now… it's so frustrating to watch him wait and wait and… I want to just grab it and do it and then hand it back and say “here, keep going!” but we know that's not the way.
I think your title speaks to two layers of breakthrough: first you have to break through the “not doing” and start doing it before your hard work of doing it can help your online business have a breakthrough. *sigh* But no one can do the doing for you. Thanks.
Ouch…that relative of yours sounds like where I was a year ago. I've been trying to adopt the mantra “Done is better than perfect.”
Well thank you for reading and for sharing. Horses, water, etc.
The honesty of this article is another “secret” of your success. I get so tired of the hype we find everywhere and have been seduced by it more often than I care to admit — always looking for a faster, easier way to do things. Thanks to the value you offer day in and day out — and that of a handful of other mentors — I have finally launched a blog and online gift site that seemed, for the longest time, to be beyond my reach. It's still a work-in-progress, but I know that the best way forward is one step at a time, just like it was for you and all those people whom I respect. Thank you for this encouragement.
You're welcome and thank you for saying so. I wish you the best of luck with your new blog and venture! We are all “works in progress” yes?
I've been to your blog a couple of times before and have enjoyed the posts here all those few times. You make a damn good point here–inspirational and thought provoking
Why thank ya!
Hey Michael. You make some great points about work here. The economy, together with technology – especially social media – and people's expectations about work mean that it's changing dramatically and for good. It's so fabulous to see someone having cracked what their own lesser path looks like and to be working it.
The first part of your post here relates to where I was a year ago. With your help I now rank page one and indeed item one for a number of my key phrases. Slowly something I couldn't figure the hell out of is turning into a living, vibrant being that has legs and is starting to generate business. It's hard work, but it's there if you're prepared to put the effort in. I'd encourage others thinking of jumping aboard to quit thinking and get the hell on with their journey!
And it's not even ALL that much work, to be honest. But it can be messy sometimes because we thrash around in our own chaos while we try to figure things out. And nobody can force us to experience insight, we have to let that process happen. But being brave and being open to it is the first step.
When my first website was making more than $300 a month on auto pilot, I started a second site. My second site profited much faster. When that site was making $500 a month, I started a third. Many people will say, 'why didn't your just invest more time in your first site instead of more irons in the fire?' The answer is simple for me. One, I made MANY mistakes with my first site that I didn't care to go back and spend time and resources on fixing. That is why I see profits sooner on my additional sites. I apply what I learn from mistakes I've made. Two, it keeps me from getting entirely bored talking about just one topic ALL the time. I switch it around a little, spend a little time here, a little time there and love what I do.
Hey if it's working nobody can argue with it, right? Good job and good luck! Turn your process into a product and YOU TOO CAN BE AN INTERWEBZ GURU.
LOL.
A big mistake I see budding internet business owners make is trying to be something online that their not offline.
Your suggestion to take something you're already good at and find ways to make money from it online was the key to me finally getting some traction online.
Plus finding programs that added accountability made a huge difference in my productivity.
You are so right. Don't chase money, chase dreams. Or as Cory Doctorow says, “Follow your weird” (a riff off the old line “follow your bliss”).
I liked this post very much and DID write a post about what forces in my past have helped me to get where I am today. Was sad about the part where people KNEW that they needed to change but were unwilling or unable to make those changes. VERY thought provoking!!
Awesome, thank you! So glad to hear you were inspired to write.
This is my first time at your blog, great story. It shows there is no short cut to anything you want to be successful at. Hard work and discipline work every time. doing someting you like is often overlooked.
Yes it makes the hard work seem not so hard and turns discipline into desire, which makes things seem natural and less forced.
Thumbs up to this article!
I started trying to make money on the internet two years ago. I had lost my job and couldn't find another one. I needed something to do and kind of fell into marketing on the internet.
Two years later, I'm still looking for a job, but I work about 60 hours per week on the internet. I'm making a little money, but not enough to live on – not, yet. But, I will! Your article gave me a lot of encouragement. Thanks!!
You're so welcome. Make sure you check out the comment above about the lemonade movie too. I think you'll be really inspired by that.
I am doing to make my blog better. I think I may have just stumbled upon a great idea and that came from putting in the time. I have a long way to go but it is always nice to know that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things!
Really, “ordinary” people are the only kind we have, so if you think about that, you realize that ALL extraordinary deeds were done by ordinary people.
I like this post. In my opinion, people just give up too early. The key is persistence and the only way to be persistent is by thinking persistent thoughts. So instead of thinking things like “this will never work,” “that guy is just smarter, more charming, [insert adj. here] than me,” or “I'm too old, young, broke, fat, [insert adj. here],” trade that crappy thought in for one that inspire you to keep going. On foot in front of the other. Start today and you'll be closer than you would be if you had given up.
Yes absolutely persistence is vital. It's often what separates the winners
from the losers when everything else (talent, skill, money) is equal.
Just got caught up on your site, spending probably 45 minutes here off and on, looking at the comments.
When I was disconnected from being of service to others, and all about myself (say, 33 out of my 34 years, with the 1 year being spread out in 1 month chunks), it was then that I was burnt out all the time and I dreaded my inbox.
Not saying that that's the case. just saying that without a mission that's outside of myself, it's impossible for me to stay even sorta sane.
As a realtor, I'd set appointments and not bother to show. Dumb. But, it was because my internal thoughts were all about me. And the dread, the dread.
Being Dad helped me realize that that focusing on others and what they need is the only path to peace. I hope I can continue to posess this knowledge.
Man, how I would also like to play WoW all day long… haha
Right now I'm basically moonlighting until business starts rolling in. Most people don't know its a long process to getting your website to compete on the first page and actually start making money; i'm sure its the same with blogging. So hopefully with all this hard work, it'll pay off! Good luck!
That's right, Mike. It can take time, often more time than we would like.
What really speeds things up is having a large, vibrant personal network of
friends you can call upon to spread links to. To get there also takes
time… and a lot of unselfish giving.
Great article, that is a crazy schedule but you push hard and made it work. That is awesome! Congrats on all your hard work paying off!
I'm trying to carve out my own thing and I'm surprised at the amount of effort it takes to really set up properly, but it's no more effort than pounding the pavement for months, hat in hand, looking for a non-existent job.
If your significant other decides it is time for you both to “take a break” then get ready to run! Taking a break never works and it is best to break-up!