Paid in Full #003: Your first $100 in revenue

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The first person I ever helped land a job was my little sister. It was 2018 and she had spent 4 months struggling to break into the workforce. She sat down with me and shared how disappointing the job-hunting process was. I promised I would get her a job within a week. While I made calls and scouted opportunities for her, we also tightened up her resume and prepped for interviews. Ten days later, she started her new job as a project manager at a marketing startup. Over the next year, I helped my sister's friend, my brother, my girlfriend and her best friend all land new jobs.

While I was fortunate enough to find a job right out of school, many people I cared about were experiencing a problem I not only avoided, but had helped others solve. In 2019, I was at lunch with a friend when she said, "Do you know that people pay for what you do?" That was the beginning of 3Skills. In this issue, I will break down how we made our first $5,000 (without fully knowing what we were doing). But first – a guiding principle that helped me get over the fear of starting.

Guiding Principle:

Don't despise the days of small beginnings.

Society has conditioned us to only celebrate milestones and special achievements. But we should celebrate small beginnings too. Many of us hesitate to start something because we think, "Who would even like this?" or "Nobody is going to buy it." We fear that our attempt may be too insignificant even to be noticed. Here is something I want you to remember: what may seem small to you may be life changing to someone else.

Even if only one person shows up, even if only one person buys your product or books time with you – that's evidence that it might work. We often overestimate what it takes to truly impact someone's life. One conversation might be all it takes. At the same time, we underestimate how powerful our contribution to the world can be. You choosing to help someone might change their entire generation. So as you start this journey, don't be embarrassed about how small you're starting. The journey IS the destination.

Easy as 1-2-3

Whether you are starting a side hustle like I did or signing up for a different paid-in-full plan, the path to your first $100 will be pretty similar. Making money is a skill of its own. You have probably seen people on TikTok ads telling you how they make over $1,000,000 working three hours a week with dropshipping. It's tempting to think you can recreate this (and you might be able to), but it's very likely that you won't. Assume you are not that good yet! Just like learning how to code or speaking a new language, this requires practice and failure. You are a beginner and that's why this simple 1-2-3 system will get you going. Here is the simple process we used to start making money with 3Skills in less than 30 days:

]Find ONE problem worth solving

The first thing you want to do is find a problem – but not just any problem. It could be something you have experienced yourself or something people around you struggle with. It has to be a problem worth solving. What I mean is that it must come with a pain point. When I saw my family and friends struggling to find jobs, I knew it was a problem. But I understood it was a problem worth solving because I saw what the constant rejection did to their confidence, their mental health, their sleep, their finances and their relationships. The problem came with a pain point – that's how I knew it was worth solving.

Action Item:

Write down every problem you can think of that you or the people around you have experienced. Remember what your best friend has been complaining about. Think of the most frustrating moments you had this year. Call a few people to jog your memory. You can even create a Google form survey and post it on social media to get more concrete results (Pro tip: Make sure to collect first names, emails and phone numbers in the survey – you will need them later).

My friend Maggie Arai is a Policy Researcher, and in 2022, she noticed people around her were struggling to build friendships in Toronto. It was a problem that came with the pain of loneliness. So she decided to throw a "Make Friends in Toronto" event. Maggie found a venue, planned games including get-to-know-you cards and improv, brought light snacks and beverages - and charged $30 per person. Even though she was hoping to hit the venue’s capacity of 30 people, only 13 people bought tickets. But remember what I said about small beginnings! Maggie posted a TikTok video about the night and it got picked up by the Toronto Star! Then she created a second event in respond to the demand she started receiving, and sold all 50 tickets in under a week. This was the beginning of Maggie's very fulfilling side hustle – helping adults make friends.

Help TWO people solve that problem

This step requires a bit of courage but it's going to provide you with the validation you need. You don't necessarily need paying customers at first. What you need is to prove that the problem you found is worth solving. Your two volunteers can be family members, friends, or even strangers. Your job will be to try solving their problem and relieving their pain. By working with two people at once, you can take what you learn from one situation and apply it to the other. This will help you get results sooner. This could be helping them rework their resume, build a new website for their business, help them pass a test – anything. Helping people save time, reduce stress, or make more money will always be desired.

Once you get the result they want, ask them to give you a testimonial. This could be a text message or video sharing how you helped them succeed. This will give you social proof and get other people to take a chance on you too.

The 3Skills first testimonial was from my friend, Liz Ojo. She landed 5 interviews in a week after I worked on her resume with her. Then she sent a video testimonial for me to share online.

Tell at least THREE people about your solution

A lot of people get started on a good idea, get the result they were looking for and then tell nobody what they are doing. I believe many of us are scared of being rejected by our friends or being seen as salespeople. But I need to tell you a secret: If nobody knows how you're helping people, nobody will ask for your help. You have to tell people what you are working on so you get customers! When I say tell three people, I mean just mention it to them. Don't try to sell them on it. You can even share it on your social media.

When we started 3Skills, I posted on my Instagram story that I had helped five people land jobs and that I wanted to help five more. Fifty people messaged me – so we decided to host a free workshop. Thirty people showed up and at the end of the session. Twenty people paid $250 to get our help with the rest of the job hunting process.

Once you make that first dollar, the gates are open. Rinse, repeat and collect more testimonials. To recap my 1-2-3 system to your first $100 in revenue:

1. Find ONE problem worth solving
2. Help TWO people solve that problem
3. Tell at least THREE people about your solution

Small beginnings.

Recommendation of the week:

Read ?Atomic Habits by James Clear ?or ?Listen on Audible .

This book showed me the power of consistency and how results compound over time when you start small. Building the right habits and being patient with your growth is key to getting Paid in Full. I hope this book gives you the inspiration and guidance you need to slowly start building your path to freedom, like I did.

If you found this helpful, share it with someone that might find it valuable too!?

I'll see you next week!

Tobi

Whenever you need it, here's how I might be able to help you:

1. The Paid in Full Blueprint: Start building a second stream of income WITHOUT quitting your job. This in-depth course will teach you the exact process I used to generate my first $50,000 online – outside my full-time job (Launching April 3). Join the Waitlist

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