*Not* Free Falling
Maybe you’ve seen?the TED talk ?given by Alex Honnold,?a guy – actually the?only?guy – to have ever completed a free-solo (i.e., no ropes) ascent of “El Capitan,” a 3,000 foot, vertical cliff in Yosemite National Park.
As a person who has trouble comfortably ascending a?ladder?to clean leaves out of the gutters, I can’t begin to understand how one climbs a half-mile-high rock wall, knowing that one mistake and it’s all over.
What if you sneeze? Or get a cramp? Or (unlikely) some kind of giant bird lands on your head?
I wish Alex no misfortune. It just seems to me that given the risks involved in his profession, this is not a man who is likely to pass from natural causes.
I don’t think you’ll be surprised to learn, then, that when it comes to running my business, I take the exact opposite approach:?There is no single thing that can happen – or not happen – that can cause everything to come tumbling down at once.
And while it may not be edge (or even middle) of your seat TED Talk-worthy, it strikes me as a pretty good formula for sticking around as a “free solo” for years and years.
Some specific recommendations:
Try lots of things.
One of the things I like most about working alone is that you don’t need to convince anyone else before taking action. You don’t need a proven idea, you just need?an?idea.
For example, I started publishing a newsletter back in 1999 because I liked writing and email was cool. And even though today it has evolved to become the main engine of all my marketing, at the time, I had no evidence to suggest it was worth the effort or money involved.
Are there things I try that don’t go anywhere? All the time. A few years ago, for example,?I put on an all-day workshop that was incredibly successful,?except for the fact that not a single person showed up. (On the bright side, I arrived home with lots of sandwiches.)
But it doesn’t matter. While often ego-deflating, few things you attempt will be fatal. As long as you keep trying new stuff, some of it is going to work.
Offer many different products and services.
If you’re just starting out, there’s no better strategy than a?narrow focus ?on one specific thing. That allows you to get really good at something and develop a reputation.
But there’s risk there too.?If that one thing flops or fades – for whatever reason – it’s a long way down.?
So, over time, I’ve tried to assemble a mix of things: live webinars, prerecorded programs, books, coaching, consulting, affiliate programs. They tend to wax and wane independent of one another, so the pendulum never swings too far in either direction.
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Work with more than one or two clients at a time.
About 20 years ago, I had one huge client. At one point,?they accounted for 70% of my monthly income.?The money was nice, but it was like having a job: One change in their strategy, budget, or whatever, and it could all end quickly. For the four years I worked with them, I was never able to relax.
Today, I work with 12 – 15 clients at any one time. Partly because I like the variety, but also because I love knowing that nobody has the power to push me off the cliff.
Here’s the bottom line.?
Every solo and small business professional I know has a pretty clear understanding of what they sell, how much they charge and, if hired, how they will go about doing the work.
That matters, of course.?But what people don’t seem to give much thought to is the?system?they are creating?in terms of how the various client and project pieces fit together.
Put another way, there’s a big difference between climbing a 10-foot wall and climbing a 3,000-foot wall. In any given moment, the actions you take may be exactly the same – but the?risks?involved are anything but.
I want to get to the top of the cliff as much as you do.?I’m just not willing to try it without a whole lot of rope tied around me.
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Discussion Questions:
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7 个月I've never had a large bird land on my head (thankfully). I'm like you, Michael, about not even liking to climb tall ladders. But I did use a rope swing a few times in my teens -- swinging out over a large creek and dropping into the water. It was fun ... and for some reason, never felt too risky. Jumped off a high-dive a few times too (as a teen) -- into a swimming pool. The ladder to that high-dive was probably the highest thing I've climbed. I prefer having at least 3-4 clients at any given time. I do have 4 now, but only 2 of those are "regulars" with consistent hours each month, so I'm hoping to get at least 2-3 more "regulars" soon.
Strategy Consultant for nonprofits and startups; Author of 'The Strategy Game: 41 Essays on Playing to Win for Competitive Advantage'
7 个月I like this one, Michael - avoiding any "single point of failure" risk... Can't say I've had a bird land on my head Highest I climbed illegally was the clock tower at my college... (not on the outside as some mountaineering club members have done - but inside involving picking a few locks... does that count?) Last visit to the college, they have opened the doors and give tours up there! Takes away some of the mystique. 12-15 clients at a time would overwhelm me... tend to look for 2 or 3 at a time as max - maybe resulting in 4-6 in a given year...