5 Skills You Need to Create Passive Income

I've been talking a lot about semi-passive income opportunities lately (yes.... I say SEMI-passive because most of us 'aint born with a mouth full o' trust fund binkie).

Like "rockstar" money we hear about so often, these are the things that you create ONCE, and then pay you again and again.

I'm talking info products, courses, consulting packages, JV or affiliate partnerships, and taking your "online" money to invest in offline opportunities that pay back big.

I've developed many of these throughout my career - and helped lots of clients do the same.

For example, I created the Escape Velocity program for the world's best freelance business coach Kevin Rogers. It's a program which teaches copywriters how to launch a freelance business from scratch.

Then I launched my own Advertorial 101 Training Program for writers who want to get paid for helping clients (or themselves) convert more cold traffic and lower their traffic costs.

And most recently, I helped A-list copywriter Henry Bingaman build an amazing course showing libertarians how to make money online.

He's using it to "retire" from done-for-you client work, and use those 300-million-dolla copywriting skills to put all those sales into his OWN pocket instead.

Those are just the most recent ones. I mean... I know I LOOK like a tender spring chicken (in my head at least) – but I've been at this for over a decade now.

In that time I've learned there are a few skills you need if you want to transition from 'freelancer' to 'business owner' and create offers that supplement (or replace) your "done for you" client work.

I've also learned that MOST freelancers don't have 'em.

There’s a big difference between using your skills to help grow someone ELSE’S business… and growing your own revenue and offer stack instead.

(Ever tried to write your own bio or "About" page? You know what I mean.)

Like most things in the entrepreneurial world - There’s no "one path" or "right way" to do things...

But here are 5 skills that will help you shift from "hired gun" to profitable business owner, and build offers that create more freedom, flexibility, and options in your biz:

#5 The ability to implement

Everyone has ideas, but few make them happen.

Look, it may not always FEEL like it, but you don't have to have it all figured out to move forward.

You can start small... but just START.

If you can't implement by yourself, then partner with or hire someone who can. (This is literally what people hire me for.)

Otherwise, you'll be left behind as you see YOUR genius ideas birthed into the world by someone else who took action.

(Hint: if someone makes it happen before you do, it's no longer YOUR idea at all.)

#4 - Sleuthing

Also known as - "Googling your way to success."

Also known as "try literally just typing questions into the internet and reading things before deciding you can't do something."

Most writers and marketers are already great researchers – use that!

You can learn almost anything for free on YouTube, Reddit, Google, etc.

If you don't know the answer - someone out there does and is talking about it on the magical interwebs. Go find them.

#3 - Building your authority

This is the secret to making your time extremely valuable, and getting people to seek YOU out instead of the other way around.

You want to be seen as a valued expert. A specialist. To do that - just start sharing what you know!

It doesn't have to be mind-blowing, and it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, authentic is better than polished 9 times out of 10.

Write an article on LinkedIn, create a video and post it to Youtube, publish a Facebook post backing up your opinions with proof, start a blog on a platform like medium.com.

Again - doesn’t have to be perfect, or profound – You just need to speak confidently, and consistently.

Here's the trick with this one... most people won't do this, and out of those who do... most will only do it for a little while, then stop.

If you do it consistently and keep at it, you'll be seen as a sought-out expert in no time.

#2 - Learning to let things be "done" rather than perfect.

Are you sensing a theme here? Get out the simplest version first… then improve later.

The good news is... no one is paying as much attention as you think they are. They won't remember your mistakes. Just get the thing out there and make improvements along the way.

#1 - Learning to identify GREAT ideas and opportunities, and saying no to everything else.

The most valuable skill you can have as an entrepreneur - and the HARDEST one to master - is the skill of saying NO.

Turning down "good" opportunities 'aint easy.

But every time you say "yes" to something, you’re saying "no" to a dozen other things.

So you’ve got to be really selective with your "yeses".

It took me a long time to learn this (Like... 34 years... and I still need constant slaps upside the head from good 'ole life)...

But finally, I’m at a point where my default answer is no.

An opportunity has to WORK to get a yes from me now.

Because my time and attention have become so valuable, I only want to spend it on opportunities that bring more freedom and flexibility into my business. (Like strategic partnerships and semi-passive income offers).

For some people, this skill is natural. It's easy for them to say "no" to anything that doesn't give them a "hell yeah."

I 'aint built like that (people pleasing childhood trauma anyone?)

Of course, first you need to learn how to identify those "out of the park" ideas that are worth investing your valuable time and resources into.

It's easier to say "no" when you have a clear idea of where your "yeses" should go.

This "opportunity vetting" skill is all about creating clear criteria that helps you separate the "good" from the "great," and saying "no" to anything that isn't a a 10/10...

We talked about this a lot in a workshop I recently taught for the American Writers and Artists Institute.

We learned how to develop and use this skill to build semi-passive income products and offers that you create ONCE... but pay you again and again.

We had such a good turnout, and people loved the training so much, that I've been thinking about creating a whole training program about how to develop these skills, and use them to create and scale semi-passive income offers of your own.

If that's something you'd be interested in, let me know here.

One of my rules for vetting ideas is "don't create anything before people tell you they want it."

So if you're interested in learning more about how to create your own info products, courses, and consulting packages so you get paid for your IDEAS rather than done-for-you work.

Click here and I'll add you the list.

If I get enough interested, I'll do a live coaching workshop soon and make sure you get an invite.