How to react when we lose confidence in our future. - October 6th Edition

?? Let’s talk about how to react when we lose confidence in the future. ??

How to tackle those moments when self-employment isn't working. Mostly the issue is money, but at times it can be burnout or success without systems to deliver the work.

I've enjoyed times when my family life was great, the money rolled in, and chronic self-employment insecurity began to fade into the rearview mirror. Self-employment worked.

Have you ever had a business that took off like a rocket ship?

Have you lived this experience?

I’ve had two times where the sledding was downhill after a long climb up the mountain.

The first was when I scaled my family business from $2M to $6M in sales, tapping into a retail growth trend. The next was in the first few years of Kaul Sales Partners, back in the days when cold email and outbound calls worked for anybody with the right system.

We got that business to 7-figures into the second year. Does that world still exist?

Today’s big sled riders mastered social media. The copywriters, comedians, and content wizards that we follow.

My take-home pay for a few years was in the $400K annual range. Some social media coaches do as well, but the easy money won’t last like it did not for me.

It’s not easy to build a business that delivers long-term stability.?

How do regular folk, without that special social media sauce succeed in today’s crazy competitive marketplace?

Find a way to connect directly with people, make solid offers likely to convert, and know how to close business. Then build scalable systems that drive leads without direct sales.

Here’s the paradox. For much of this process, you won't feel like what you are doing will work.

Those who master this state of mind, learn to enjoy the pain, and stick to a vision without compromise get the big prize; long-term success.

It was a surprise that in 2020 my business did not blow up to be an overnight success. I'd studied successful social media marketers and had taken advice from the right people.

The result was not what I had been used to in the past. The money did not roll in on command. It was hard, hurt, and forced me into new places I'd never been to.

Here's what it takes to build confidence that transcends results, life circumstances, or validation from others. It's what I lacked in the past that I've got today at my core.

Imagine two solopreneurs who look alike.

How can you tell which will be successful or struggle to make a living?

It's easier than you think. I'll share my experience and how I set myself up for success.

Defining success comes first.

Is it money? Or security? Vision and purpose realized. Loving what you do, or maybe having more time with family.

It starts with income. If you can't cover your expenses, fixing that problem immediately is the only thing that matters.

Many of us had solid careers or successful businesses, but for all kinds of reasons don't have enough money to retire but enough in the bank to keep ourselves going. We need security.

My approach to building revenue comes from over twenty-five years of experience in hard-core lead generation. I'm using those skills today, but not like I did in the past.

I want to do work that I love, feel meaning in what I'm building, not work all the time, and stay connected to my family. I've got money, but not enough to feel long-term security.

When the house is on fire, you've got to put it out first, but it's also essential to think long-term, or you end up spending the rest of your life chasing after clients.

Here are the essential characteristics successful solopreneurs need to build a stable long-term foundation, as the immediate challenges, which must be solved, get resolved.

Reality-based thinking

"Embrace reality and deal with it" - Ray Dalio

The reality-based living concept is a core business skill, but many achievement-oriented people refuse to pay attention to what's happening and prefer to use self-hype to succeed.

You want to become a detached observer of yourself and realize that you are not the thoughts or feelings you have. Instead, you are the person having the thoughts and feelings.

This impactful video explains. When I began to enjoy the struggle, life changed for me. My approach was to look hard in the mirror at the market and my skill and resource gaps.

Delay gratification

My tendency toward emotionally reactive decision-making created all kinds of problems.

Are you struggling now?

Waste emotional energy on quick fixes to feel better, and in a few years, the futile struggle will feel like a familiar reality.

This feels like spinning in circles, judging success on recent client closes, or measuring progress based on feeling relief from pain.

Accept incompleteness

The paradox of this escaped me for years.

If the world approved of me, I was happy. If it didn't then I suffered. This success trap kept me chasing the cheese in the maze without looking up to think about why I was running.

We never get everything we want. Not caring feels like a superpower. One of my biggest struggles today comes from this high-achiever trap.

For the first time, I know that stopping to smell the roses matters, even though I'm often unable to smell them.

Open your mind

Successful people absorb new information and act on it immediately.

My need to be right sometimes trumps my desire to be successful and happy. It's a constant struggle but a battle worth waging.

Many spend their lives defending beliefs that no longer serve them and hold them back from success.

Suspend Judgment

People you find ridiculous or appear not to share your values merit a closer look.

Most people restrict themselves to a narrow circle of beliefs and morality that keeps them from expanding their expertise.

When you don't like somebody or an idea the answer to your problem could come from them.

Why is that person successful?

What is it about them that you need to learn from or emulate?

Realize that your deepest convictions may be wrong.

Exponential Growth Planning

Think big.

Dreams come true. Hard work is on the other side of opportunity.

Make that work fun. Enjoy the journey.

I've decided where I want to go and how I'm going to get there.

It takes not feeling safe, comfortable, or secure.

That's the price we MUST pay for quantum leaps to success.

Here are a few quotes that inspired me this week

People always say this, but when you look deeper, they aren't willing to change enough and won't leave old patterns that no longer serve them behind.

I'm chasing great things using the practices that I've shared above.

Anybody can do the same.

Here's what it's like to allow yourself to enter the world's top 1% of big dreamers.

?? Tell the world your truth and feel vulnerable to attack by those not willing to do the same

?? Spend your days building skills beyond your comfort zone, and feel uncomfortable

?? Fail constantly as the market rejects your new ideas and offers

?? Know you will get what you want with complete certainty

?? Find yourself surrounded by great people, and lose old friends

Not everybody gets what I'm saying.

Many get triggered.

Some feel inspired.

Beware of those who frame what you say in the context of what they already know.

Most people won't listen hard to what you say.

The danger for me is listening to bad advice from people who don't get what I'm doing.

Here's my offer to you for the week.

Register for the weekly workshop starting at 10 CST today using the link below.

Do you go to workshops or other free events?

#solopreneurinc #solopreneur #selfemployment #mindset #success