Is entrepreneurship right for you?

Maybe you're thinking about quitting your 9 to 5 job and becoming an entrepreneur.

Or maybe you've had an online business for a few years now and you're contemplating changing your career altogether.

Wherever you are right now, I want to help you get clarity on whether or not being an entrepreneur is the right path for you.

Entrepreneurship is 80% psychology and 20% skill, meaning that it takes a certain type of mindset to become a successful entrepreneur.

The entrepreneurial advice that I'm about to give you will help you make a decision once and for all…

Watch the video below:

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Are you ready to become a successful entrepreneur? CLICK HERE to take my 60-second quiz to find out which online business model is the best for you to start your online business!

I've been an entrepreneur for over a decade now.

Over the years, I've observed a lot of people who have made attempts to become entrepreneurs. Many of them have either given up because they found it to be too hard, or they came to accept that it just wasn't for them.

While I believe that everybody is capable of becoming a successful entrepreneur, not everybody is willing to go down that path. It's not a matter of “can you”. Rather, it's a matter of “will you”. Success isn't about ability; it's about mindset.

Successful entrepreneurs possess a mental blueprint, comprised of similar character traits, habits, and belief systems. Some people are natural-born entrepreneurs. However, everything you need to be a good entrepreneur — experience, grit, luck, discipline, knowledge, etc. — you can earn for yourself.

Anybody can alter their belief systems and change their lives for the better by committing to personal growth. I am an example of someone who did this. When I first started on my self-development journey, I was depressed, shy, lazy, and negative. I didn't have an empowering bone in my body.

However, through self-development, I was able to change every area of my life. In turn, I ended up overcoming some of my greatest challenges, one of which was crippling social anxiety. I had the motivation to tap into my potential. Self-development made me believe that I could become more. I knew that anything was possible if I just believed in myself.

That's what I did. Fast forward to today and I have gone on to become a successful 7-figure entrepreneur. I am a coach, a motivational speaker, a content creator, and an influencer who has over one million subscribers on YouTube. I'm not telling you this because I think I'm special.

I was just willing to do what was hard.

The vision that I had for my life trumped any obstacle that I faced along my journey to success. If you have yet to cultivate the skills that are required to become a successful entrepreneur, ask yourself… do you have the motivation to learn these skills?

I see a lot of people dive into the world of entrepreneurship thinking that it's easier than a 9 to 5 job. As someone who has been both an employee and an entrepreneur, I can say for certain that this is far from true. A lot of people want success. However, they aren't willing to make the necessary changes within themselves to create success.

There are pros and cons of being an entrepreneur. The pros being that you can be your own boss, make passive income, retire early, travel the world, and live the laptop lifestyle, to name a few things. The cons include working harder than ever before and making sacrifices to build your business the right way.

There is always some level of risk and uncertainty involved with being an entrepreneur. The business world is constantly changing, which means that you have to constantly make sure that you are on top of your game.

At the end of the day, what will determine whether or not you decide to become an entrepreneur is if you decide that the pros are greater than the cons.

I decided that it was worth it, which meant that I was willing to do anything and everything to become successful. Are you willing to embrace the cons in the short-term to create your dream life?

You won't know the answer to this question until you start a business.

If you're still not sure if you should become an entrepreneur, I encourage you to reflect upon what your nature is. This is something that I learned from Tony Robbins. He believes that there are three different business natures or identities.

The first nature is the artist. This is someone who is very creative and who has a specific skill set. An example would be an actor or a musician.

The second nature is the entrepreneur. This is someone who is a risk-taker and an innovator. They create something new from scratch. In effect, the entrepreneur loves to create a start-up and build systems that come with scaling a business. 

The third nature is the manager/leader. This is someone who loves to build a team and manage people. They motivate and inspire people to follow in their vision. Also, they can easily hire and fire.

Keep in mind that you can embody all three of these natures. However, there will be one that you will relate to more. Which nature is that for you? The best advice that I can give you is to commit to working on your true nature.  Once you know who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are, there is no limit to how much you can achieve in life.

Are you ready to dive into the world of entrepreneurship?

You'll never really know if this path is right for you unless you take action and give it a shot. Check out my Online Business Mastery YouTube playlist for my best tips and strategies on how to start an online business. 

If you're willing to not give up, I truly believe that you can be, do, and have anything. At the end of the day, all that matters is that you are happy and that you find your mission in life. Stay patient and trust the journey, no matter what path you take.

Are you ready to become a successful entrepreneur? CLICK HERE to take my 60-second quiz to find out which online business model is the best for you to start your online business!

How good are your time management skills? 

If you are building a business and you have the desire to get more done in less time, you've come to the right place.

Entrepreneurs must prioritize time management. In the world of business, time is money.

Your ability to effectively master your time will determine your success and the speed with which you achieve your business goals.

If you're ready to master time management, keep reading to discover 12 strategies that will TRIPLE your productivity!

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This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefited from personally. Thank you for your support!

Time is a depreciating asset.

You can never buy your time back. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't value their time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. What you do with the time that you have makes all the difference in your life. If you want to be in control of your life, you must become a master of your time.

Successful people value their time. They associate different thoughts, feelings, and emotions with the time that they have. Thus, they can maximize each day to the fullest. If you struggle with time management, I want to help you shift your core beliefs.

How important is your time? A lot of people spend their time doing things in their business that are less than what their earning power is. In the beginning stages of building a business, entrepreneurs fall into the trap of not outsourcing.

They make the mistake of doing EVERYTHING on their own. As a result, they end up engaging in low-income generating activities with the time that they have. If you're too busy working IN your business, then you're not working ON growing your business.

In my opinion, this is a waste of time. Also, a lot of people mistake activity with achievement. They think that being busy means that they are being productive. Not true. You can be busy, but get nothing done.

The most productive people are those that “own their day” versus letting their day own them. Instead of being busy, they maximize the time that they have. When you start to value your time more, you will start focusing on things that matter.

As an example, act as if one hour of your time is worth $480.

If you believe that and take that on as a new mindset, it will change what you do throughout your day. Focus your attention solely on the activities that will move the needle forward in your business and delegate everything else.

I have been able to achieve so much success in my online business because I've been smart with the time that I have. My business is complex. There are a lot of moving pieces. I can't do everything on my own.

Once I got clear on the tasks that would generate the biggest impact in my business, I focused on my strengths and outsourced everything else. You want to make the shift from being a business operator to a business owner.

I want to share 12 strategies that will make a huge difference in your productivity levels. The more that you implement these strategies in your business, the faster you will accelerate your success. These strategies have transformed my business and my life.

1. Master Tracking Your Day

How you use your time has a huge impact on your success in life. The big lie that people tell themselves is that they don't have time to do things. This is just a story. In fact, they are just wasting their time on mindless tasks.

A simple exercise that I recommend is to keep a journal throughout your day. Track, hour by hour, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, all of the activities that you engage in. If you track your activities over one week you will start to notice where your time is going.

When I started tracking my day, I started noticing a lot of things that were holding me back. A huge part of getting what you want is knowing what you have to give up. For example, I went many years without owning a TV.

One of my mentors, Jim Rohn, taught me that a TV is an electronic income-reducing machine. I learned that the more time that you spend watching it, the less time you spend living your life. 

As an example, let's say that you spend 3 hours every day watching TV. Spending 3 hours per day over several weeks or months adds up. Don't get me wrong… it's okay to enjoy some relaxation after a long day as a reward for accomplishing something.

However, if you don't keep track of the time that you're binging on your favorite shows, you'll end up wasting precious time. Try cutting your watch time. Spend 1-2 hours watching TV and spend the third hour engaging in a meaningful task. If you make this slight modification, you will make significant progress in your life over time. 

What is one mindless task that you can reduce or remove from your life that will give you more time to be productive? When you go through your list of things that you do on a given day, I want you to determine the cost-benefit ratio of each activity.

For example, if the cost is one hour, what is the benefit that you're receiving from that hour? The key is making sure that you're getting more benefits from whatever it is that you're doing. 

2. Master Your Beliefs 

Your beliefs determine your actions and behaviors. The biggest limiting belief that people have around time is “I don't have time.” This is B.S. The reality is that everyone has enough time.

On a given day, all of us have 24 hours. All that matters is what you are doing with the time that you have. People will spend time complaining about not having time.

Oftentimes, people are looking for something to justify why they aren't doing what they know they should be doing. As a result, they create a story about not having time. They come to believe that story as truth when in reality they're just afraid of failure. 

Going back to the example of building a business, at some point you need to determine what it is that you're willing to sacrifice to achieve success. In the short term, are you willing to not hang out with your friends or not watch TV, if it means having more time to build your business?

In the beginning stages of building my online business, I dedicated 3 years of my life to creating passive income. Over those 3 years, I had to make a lot of sacrifices. I knew that if I was willing to invest the majority of my free time building my business, I would be able to enjoy all of the free time that I wanted to in 3 years.

I was willing to pay that price upfront to get my freedom and time back in the long term. Today I have an abundance of time. Only you can determine what price you are willing to pay to achieve success.

There are people in this world who are much busier than you and me. However, they still dedicate their time to getting important things done. It's never a matter of how much time you have. Rather, it's how committed you are to getting things done.

In the words of Steven Covey, “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” The belief system that I empower you to adopt is “I make the time for whatever I am committed to.” There is always time if you are willing to look for it. 

3. Master The Power of Leverage 

You'll always be able to get more done through other people. Don't get me wrong… success requires hard work. However, I think that a lot of people overutilize this muscle. Working hard will only get you so far.

Eventually, you've got to learn how to work smart by leveraging and outsourcing. As you achieve more success in life, you want to figure out ways to get more done in less time. Efficiency is power. If you can outsource or automate something, do it!

Back in the day when I was building my website, I had to learn HTML or hire a programmer to do it for me. It was timely and expensive. The amazing thing about the Internet is that there are so many tools, like ClickFunnels or WordPress, that can automate things for you.

Similarly, on a site like Upwork, you can search for literally any task that you want to outsource to a freelancer. Don't let the saving mentality hold you back from making decisions that will move the needle forward in your business.

Why waste your time trying to learn something when you could hire someone who is skilled in that task? You can't do it all. Outsourcing is working smart. It allows you to focus your energy on revenue-generating activities that will grow your business. 

4. Master Your Energy

A lot of people aren't getting the most out of their day because they are always tired. They are walking around as if they are half dead. Most people need to utilize stimulants to get a boost of energy. There's nothing wrong with caffeine. However, if you drink coffee in excess, it can wear out your adrenals.

You cannot create success in life if you do not take care of your physical body. This is why it's so important to have an empowering morning ritual that you practice each day. Whatever you put into your body will affect your energy.

If you wake up tired (even after getting 8 hours of sleep) your body is working overtime digesting food. Eating foods that force you to expend a lot of energy to digest will make you feel more lethargic. 

I like to eat plant-based water-rich foods that are more cleansing. Also, I like to do intermittent fasting. If I fast 14-16 hours per day, my body gets an opportunity to rest. As a result, I have more mental clarity. When you fast, your body stores fat for fuel. 

I have the most energy when I'm doing a ketogenic diet. This is when I'm training my body to burn fat for fuel, rather than carbohydrates and sugar. You get an immediate boost of energy with carbohydrates, which is great if you're doing high-intensity training. However, you'll crash shortly thereafter.

This is why you'll end up needing more carbohydrates to sustain your energy. If you change your body to burning fat for fuel, it's like burning coal. It's a slow and steady energy burn that will last throughout the day.

If you want to learn how to get your body to burn fat for fuel, I suggest that you read the book Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster By Exercising Slower written by Stu Mittleman and Katherine Callan.

5. Master Weekly And Daily Planning

Most people are reactive throughout their days. In this state, it's easy to get sucked into others' demands. It's called the vacuum effect. If you don't have boundaries around your time, you will waste time engaging in activities that aren't empowering for you.

If you don't have a plan for your day or your life, you'll end up fitting into someone else's plan. Their plan for you is going to be what benefits them most. This is why I like to plan out my days and weeks in advance.

At the start of every week, I use Evernote to make a list of the most important tasks that I want to accomplish. I'll schedule everything inside of my calendar. I like to write down what my outcome is for each task and why those outcomes are important to me.

While tasks are the building blocks of work and productivity, an outcome is the most nutrient-rich version of a goal.

Let me give you an example of what this would look like. On a day like today, my outcome is that I want to be in an incredible state.

I want to add value to people's lives so that they can accelerate success in their businesses and their lives. This is important to me because I want to put my knowledge and skills to the higher good. By sharing what I know, I can help people solve similar problems that I have faced in my life and business.

Second, I want to continue building my brand and create raving fan customers.

Third, by sharing what has worked for me with others, I can reintegrate this knowledge into my life in a new and empowering way. Now that I know what I want and why I want it, I write down what actions I need to take to make sure that I achieve those outcomes. 

Once I've got my action plan in place I determine the most important task that I need to accomplish that will contribute to achieving my outcome. Keep in mind that a plan is not set in stone.

When you plan out your week, all that you're doing is giving yourself a framework. However, that doesn't mean that you can't modify your plan. Adapt and adjust your plan when needed.

6. Master Elimination And Focus

You need to identify what is distracting you from what you're trying to accomplish, whether that's answering your phone, checking emails, or scrolling through social media apps. 

On average, it takes about 20 minutes to get your attention back once you've become distracted from a task at hand. This is why you must create a distraction-free zone and stay focused.

Whether you're working from home or in an office, tell your family members or colleagues to not disturb you while you're working. It is critical that you have boundaries with your time. You have to learn how to say “no.” 

In my business, I have a lot of distractions. If I don't have a plan in place, I will open my computer first thing in the morning and react to a multitude of demands. This is why I mute all of my social media sites and apps at the start of my day.

By eliminating these distractions, I can focus all of my attention on the most important tasks that I need to accomplish. Later in the afternoon, I dedicate time to responding to emails and responding to my team members. 

7. Master Your Routines And Rituals 

I'm a big fan of having routines and rituals. I like to wake up at 5 or 6 am because I  can accomplish more in the morning. There are fewer distractions. By the time it's 10 am, I've already got so much done.

Each morning I nurture my mind, body, and spirit. I engage in rituals like meditating, journaling, exercising, and reading. By intentionally putting myself in a peak mental and emotional state, I'm able to accomplish so much more throughout my day.

Moreover, when challenges arise, I'm able to handle them proactively instead of reacting and getting overwhelmed. Create a ritual that works best for you and your life. When you start your day in an empowered state, you are guaranteed to end your day in an empowered state.

8. Master Your Musts

As an entrepreneur, there is never a shortage of things that you can focus on. However, having a successful day doesn't mean that I have to do 10 million things. When you wake up each morning, identify the top 3 musts that will make the biggest impact in your business.

These are your non-negotiables. A lot of people overwhelm themselves with a long to-do list. They get overwhelmed because they believe that they have to accomplish everything on their list.

When you simplify your list to 3 high-leverage activities, you will change your criteria for success and transform your productivity levels. My 3 high-leverage activities include filming my live streams, recording YouTube videos, or working on a project that will make a difference in my business.

If doing 3 things feels like too much, stick with one thing. Don't be so hard on yourself. Simplify as much as you can. I recommend that you do your 3 high-leverage activities first thing in the morning. You've got the most willpower early in the day.

In her book, The Willpower Instinct, Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal says that throughout the day your willpower gets depleted. This is why you are inclined to have less energy and be less disciplined later in the day.

9. Master Your Speed And Urgency

A lot of people don't achieve much because they move too slowly. In short, they aren't efficient with their time. There's one thing that I learned from my step-brother about speed and urgency that I've never forgotten.

He used to have a renovation business. I worked for him now and then doing construction. I'm not going to lie… I hated the work but I needed the extra money. I noticed how fast my brother worked in comparison to myself. 

Not only that, he never took a work break. The faster he worked, the faster the job got done. As a result, he completed more jobs in one year than most renovation business owners. He taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic.

A simple strategy that I use for being more efficient with my time is setting a timer for every task that I engage in. Say to yourself, “I will work on this part of my business for X amount of time.” The act of setting a timer will increase your urgency. You'll work faster.

Once your timer hits zero, you'll know that you have to move onto the next task. If you're a perfectionist, a mind hack like this will trick you into being OK with doing a good enough job.

10. Master Immersive Deep Work

There are two ways to work on something in your business. The first way is through spaced repetition. This involves doing something once per day, once per week, or multiple times per day or week.

For example, you can learn Spanish by taking a class once per week or 3 times per week. That can help you become more proficient. The second way is through immersion. This is when you immerse yourself into something for an extended period.

Going back to the example of learning a new language, immersion would involve traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. By immersing yourself in the Spanish culture, you'll learn the language so much faster.

The same concept applies to your business. As an example, there are some projects that I have to immerse myself in if I want to accomplish them. I can't just work on a particular project for one hour per day. Rather, I need to dedicate an entire week to it, with zero distractions.

As a result, in one week I can finish a big project that may have normally taken months to complete. If you are someone who has kids and a family, why not get an Airbnb and spend one weekend working solely on your business!? It's amazing what you can accomplish in a short period when you're able to fully immerse yourself in a task.

11. Master Celebration And Reinforcement

When you are hyper-focused on achieving your long-term goals it's easy to forget to acknowledge the small changes that you make along the way. Whenever you have a productive day, make it a priority to celebrate yourself. Maybe this means taking a day off, treating yourself to a nice dinner, or spending time with friends.

Whatever you decide to do, treat it as the reward for having a productive day. When you do this, you train your mind to link pleasure to positive behavior. By rewarding yourself, you will be motivated to engage in the behavior again. 

12. Master Accountability 

If you're only accountable to yourself, it's easy to break your commitments. The only consequence is that you'll let yourself down. Your self-esteem will take a hit because you won't trust yourself.

You will always get more done when you're accountable to someone else.

Having an accountability partner or being a part of a Mastermind group will motivate you to take action to achieve your goals. You'll be more likely to follow through on what you say you'll do because there will be consequences to NOT doing so – you'll be letting someone else down.

As an entrepreneur, having an accountability partner is non-negotiable for me. You are your boss, so it's a lot harder to hold yourself accountable. An accountability partner can be a friend, a coach, a member of a Mastermind Group, or even someone in the Project Life Mastery Global Facebook group!

These are 12 strategies for mastering time management and TRIPLING your productivity.

If you commit to applying these strategies in your business and your life, I promise that you'll see massive results. While you're in the process of building your business, I encourage you to maximize your abilities and be as productive as possible.

Once you start making a good amount of money, start outsourcing. Hire people to work IN your business so that you can work ON your business. Use leverage to scale your business. This is the smartest way to create the financial freedom that you desire.

What are the 1-2 strategies that you can immediately apply to your life? Write them down and practice taking action on them every single day!

Do you want to dive deeper and watch the full version of this video? CLICK HERE to get access to it inside of my Online Business Mastery Accelerator program!

Do you need motivation to build your eCommerce business? I'm here to help you to take action.

A lot of people have a desire to start an eCommerce business, but they don't know where to begin. This is where I come in.

I've built a 7-figure online business from scratch. I know what works and what doesn't when it comes to building a business.

The potential to make money in the eCommerce world is huge right now.

Ready to find out how you can take advantage of this huge opportunity? Keep reading!

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Do you want to know John Lee Dumas‘ keys to becoming a successful entrepreneur?

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview my friend. He is the founder of the award-winning podcast, Entrepreneurs On Fire.

In our interview, he talks about the common traits of successful entrepreneurs and shares insights from his new book, The Common Path To Uncommon Success.

Ready to discover what it takes to truly embody success? Listen to John's advice!

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Want a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment? CLICK HERE to pre-order John Lee Dumas' new book, The Common Path To Uncommon Success!

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!

John Lee Dumas has built a multi-million dollar podcasting business.

John hosts an interview with a successful entrepreneur, seven days per week. On his podcast, John has interviewed over 3,000 of the world's best-known entrepreneurs. Some of these people include Tony Robbins, Tim Ferris, Barbara Corcoran, Jack Canfield, and Gary Vaynerchuk.

John's new book, The Common Path To Uncommon Success, is based on thousands of interviews from his podcast. Inside, he outlines a 17-step roadmap that entrepreneurs should take if they aspire to achieve financial and lifestyle freedom. In our interview, John talks about what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. Let's dive in!

Do you mind sharing a little bit about your story and how you get started with Internet marketing?

I was born and raised in a small town in southern Maine. My upbringing was very traditional. I went to college on an Army scholarship and spent 8 years as an officer in the U.S. army. When I was 23 years old I went to Iraq and did a 13-month duty as a tank platoon commander.

I was in charge of 3 tanks and 16 men in a time of war. Those were pretty intense times. After my time in the army, I tried law school thinking that was the next logical move. I hated it from day one and dropped out after the first semester, so I took off for a little Eat, Pray, Love moment.

I traveled the world with the intention of “finding myself.”

When I came home I thought I was ready to get serious so I tried corporate finance with John Hancock in Boston. That lasted for one year before I quit, After that, I tried real estate, both residential and commercial. Overall, my 26-32 year range was what I call “the 6 years of struggle.” Frankly, I wasn't finding any success or happiness.

I started my Internet marketing journey when I was 32 years old. During that time, I started reading self-help books, like Think and Grow Rich and The Four-Hour Workweek. I was also listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks. Podcasting was a medium that I clicked with right away.

I planted a seed that eventually led to me launching Entrepreneurs On Fire. This was the first daily podcast that interviewed successful entrepreneurs 7 days a week. The uniqueness that I was able to acquire within the daily podcast world led me to get some momentum, authority, and influence.

I ended up hosting 2,000 episodes in 2,000 days!

To date, I've hosted over 3,000 interviews with the world's most successful entrepreneurs. There have been over one hundred million listens of my podcast, and one million listens of the show every single month.

This is my passion project and something that I've been able to turn into a great financial machine. We just crossed our 91st month in a row where our net profit has been over $100,000. It's been quite the journey.

After interviewing over 3,000 incredible entrepreneurs, who have been the most impressive people that you've interviewed? What were the key lessons that you've learned from them?

I've learned from every single one of my guests. These interviews have allowed me to build friendships and grow my network. Equally as important, these interviews have given my audience the ability to learn from these amazing mentees of mine.

If you are an entrepreneur who is on fire, you've been on my show.

People like Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jack Canfield, and Brian Tracy, to name a few. Such a slew of inspiring people. I have found three commonalities that exist amongst all successful entrepreneurs.

First, they are productive individuals. Being productive means that you are producing the right content. You are giving a real solution to your audiences' real problems. If you're doing that, you're being productive. Conversely, if you're doing what 99% of people do every single day, you're just being busy.

Second, they are disciplined. As an entrepreneur, you have to be disciplined. This means that you are a disciple of a plan of action. Entrepreneurs on fire do the right things within that plan of action.

Finally, successful entrepreneurs can focus. That is an acronym for “follow one course until success.” If you can focus, you will win. Those who focus go one inch wide and one mile deep. Because of this, they become the best at that one thing.

People want the best. They don't want the second best. Although I was a terrible podcaster back in 2012 when I first started, I was still the best. I focused on my daily podcast until I was successful.

From all of the interviews that you've done thus far, what have you found drives a lot of successful entrepreneurs?

Back in 2015, I was doing financially well with the podcast. I interviewed someone during that time who said something that has always stuck with me which is, “You have to find a way to go from success to significance.” At the time, I had achieved the success that I thought I had wanted. However, I knew that something was missing.

For the last six years, I've been focused on creating significance in my life.

When you ask a lot of people what they are working towards, they respond with, “I want to make more money.” I get that, but when does more stop? Unfortunately, for some people achieving more never stops until it's too late.

Today, I live in Puerto Rico. I work hard 5 days per month. The other 25 days of the month I am working on my health, my relationships, my wellness, and exploring the world 75-90 days a year with my girlfriend.

We prioritize other aspects of our life, other than just work. Our business could have hit $10 million last year if we sat down and did nothing other than 30 days of hard work. However, even though we only do 5 days of work out of the month, we are still able to hit $2-3 million per year. We have enough.

I don't want to stop making money, but my lifestyle is important. That's my version of uncommon success — financial freedom, and fulfillment. I know what that looks like because I've created it.

Why did you decide to write your new book, The Common Path To Uncommon Success? What is the core message of your book that you want to share with people?

When I came up for air from my season of working hard I started to design the lifestyle that I wanted. I've learned so much from interviewing 3,000 uncommonly successful entrepreneurs. In 2019, I sat down and started writing down all of the similarities that they had in common with one another.

When I boiled it down, I was looking at 17 core foundational principles.

Every single entrepreneur that I've interviewed has gone on this exact same path within their life and their business. I decided to create a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment.

I've never written a book before, but I saw 17 chapters staring back at me. I knew that it needed to be written so I took the traditional publishing route and got Harper Collins to spot me a $350,000 advance. In 2020, while we were quarantined, I got to work writing.

My version of work was spending time writing my book during the first two hours of every day. It took me 8 months and 480 writing hours to write 17 chapters. I'm so proud of the final result.

Of the 3,000 people whom I've interviewed, I thought about who best exemplified each of the 17 steps. I reached out to those people and they ended up contributing an amazing section to the step that best embodies their Zone Of Fire.

What are some of your favorite steps from the book?

Step 1 is identifying your big idea. This is a sad truth… so many people are going to die never even knowing what their big idea was. It was inside of them all along, but they chose to not share it with the world. When you know what your big idea is and you embody it, you live inside your Zone Of Fire.

This is when you're living every day doing what you should do, where you should do it, with whom you should do it.

Step 2 is about discovering your niche. Find a void within your big idea that is not being met. Another way of saying this is to find a problem that has yet to be solved within your big idea. That is how you will get the ball rolling.

And skipping ahead a bit, step 7 is creating a content production plan. The reason why I am such a prolific producer of content is that I once sucked at content production, but I fixed it. I work 5 days out of the month because I have perfected my content production plan.

Do you aspire to become an entrepreneur on fire?

There is no reason why you can't have financial and lifestyle freedom. However, you must be willing to work hard for it and strive for significance.

I highly recommend that you read John Lee Dumas' new book, The Common Path To Uncommon Success. I'm halfway through and it and it's nothing short of amazing. When you pre-order John's book, he gives you 5 once-in-a-lifetime bonuses, valued at over $1,300!

To give you a sneak peek… one of the free bonuses that he will give you is his Freedom, Mastery & Podcast Journals. For those of you who live in the USA, he will ship the journals directly to your door, free of charge. Those of you who live outside of the USA will receive digital packs.

I'll leave you with one of John Lee Dumas' favorite quotes by Albert Einstein, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

As you move along your entrepreneurial journey, make sure that you don't fall into the trap of chasing success. Rather, find ways to add value to peoples' lives, create an impact, and share your message with the world. That is a testament to true success in life.

Want a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment? CLICK HERE to pre-order John Lee Dumas' new book, The Common Path To Uncommon Success!

Are you curious about how I've been able to successfully grow my business using Fiverr?

Inside this blog, I explore 7 of the best Fiverr gigs that will help make your life easier.

Fiverr is an online marketplace where you can find freelancers from all over the world who offer a variety of services.

As an entrepreneur, you need to wear many different hats in your business. I know all too well how overwhelming this can be. By outsourcing tasks, you have more time to work on your business instead of in it.

If you're ready to find great Fiverr gigs that will help you move your business forward, keep reading…

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

Have you been looking for a marketplace that will help you grow your business inexpensively? CLICK HERE to sign up for Fiverr!

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!

Fiverr makes life easier for entrepreneurs.

One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of entrepreneurs face when growing their businesses is that they try to do everything themselves. From personal experience, this is the fastest way to burnout. Understand that you can't do everything by yourself, nor should you.

Successful business owners maximize their strengths and talents and hire people who are better at fulfilling the objectives they are weakest in. If you want to grow your business the right way, I encourage you to outsource your tedious, everyday tasks.

Some of these things may include answering emails, scheduling, research, and development, content writing, or graphic design. Yes, you could learn these skills on your own, but you've only got so much time in the day to work on your business. Outsourcing saves you time, energy, and money. You only want to focus on learning high-income generating skills.

On Fiverr, you can search for literally any task that you want to outsource to a freelancer. Some of the most popular services to outsource include web and mobile design, voice-over, WordPress setup, logo design, and dropshipping.

One thing that I love about Fiverr is that you're able to see how many reviews someone has. When you're outsourcing this gives you a level of certainty that you can expect something of quality. Every freelancer will charge a different rate for their services, based on their skills and number of reviews.

I've been using Fiverr for many years now. Below are the 7 best Fiverr gigs that I've paid for that have helped me grow my business. 

1. Protecting your brand with a U.S. Trademark application

In my business, I own a lot of different trademarks for different brand names that I have and use. I used to be able to file a trademark myself through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. However, they've changed the rules.

Today, you have to be a U.S. resident to be able to file your trademark. If you live outside of the U.S., which I do, you have to hire a trademark attorney to do it for you. I decided to hire a trademark attorney via Fiverr.

It cost me $300 and the lawyer that I hired delivered my trademark application in 7 days. This route was a lot cheaper than if I had found an attorney elsewhere.

2. Designing an eye-catching eBook or Kindle cover

You can hire high-quality designers on Fiverr to design a book cover fairly inexpensively. When I'm preparing to publish a book, I'll hire three different people to design the same cover for me.

This will allow me to determine who designs the cover that I like the most. It may cost me $30-40 total for the three covers, but it's worth it. I can test the covers on different platforms to see which one converts the best.

When it comes to designing a book cover, you don't want to be stingy. People judge your book based on the cover. It is the first thing that people see so you want it to be enticing. Make sure that you have an engaging title, clear text, a professional font, and a good choice of colors.

3. Formatting a Kindle, eBook, or paperback book

Formatting a book is a very tedious task. It requires a lot of trial and error until you finally get it right. When it comes to people reading your book, first impressions are everything.

The last thing that you want is bad reviews as a result of a book formatting issue. There are so many better things that you can be doing in your business that can make you more money.

4. Designing a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation

Putting together a high-quality PowerPoint can be a lot of work. Whenever I'm giving a speech I like to hire someone who can convert my presentation notes into a PowerPoint.

Outsourcing a task like this allows me to focus solely on my talk instead of worrying about the design component of the presentation.

5. Sharing your site to SEO bookmark sites

Getting bookmarks is beneficial for SEO so that your content and website rank better in the search results. 

Be mindful that there are some blackhat gigs on Fiverr that can get you into trouble, especially when it comes to SEO. If someone is using illegal software or blasting your website with thousands of unnatural backlinks, it can hurt your website.

Do your research and make sure that a freelancer is using whitehat SEO, meaning any practice that improves your search rankings on a search engine results page, while maintaining the integrity of your website and staying within the search engines' terms of service.

6. Writing a press release 

Creating a press release is a great way to build your brand's reputation or get media attention for a new product or service that you want to promote.

A press release can be very time-consuming to write. Hence, this is why it's great to leave this task to a content writer who specializes in helping businesses and entrepreneurs grow their brands.

7. Paying Instagram influencers to do a shout-out for you

Shout-outs are a smart influencer marketing strategy. This is a totally legit service. It doesn't involve buying followers. Basically, it's like getting promoted by a top Instagram user.

You can find people who have 500,000+ Instagram followers and pay them $5 or more to make a story about your content and tag your handle.

This is a great way to increase your following, boost your engagement, grow your brand, and inevitably make more money selling whatever it is that you're offering. 

These are the 7 best Fiverr gigs for building your business.

Fiverr is an amazing platform that helps you save time and money. Experiment with different gigs and find what works best for you and your business. When you get your mindset around this new way of delegating and working, there is no limit to how successful you can be.

Have you been looking for a marketplace that will help you grow your business inexpensively? CLICK HERE to sign up for Fiverr!

Can you make money on Amazon even if you don't have any money?

This is a question that my fiancée, Tatiana, and I get a lot from our YouTube subscribers and followers.

Selling on Amazon is a business. Like any business, there are investments that you will need to make to get it up and running.

If money is an issue for you right now, Tatiana and I want to share with you some other great opportunities to make money on Amazon's platform.

If you want to know the untold truth about what it takes to build an Amazon FBA business, keep reading…

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

[smart_track_player url=”https://www.buzzsprout.com/9299/6470617-plm-825-how-to-make-money-on-amazon-with-no-money.mp3″ background=”default” ]

Do you want my blueprint for building a $50,000 per month Amazon business? CLICK HERE to get instant access to my FREE Amazon FBA Training!

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!

How much money do you need to start an Amazon FBA business?

A lot of people underestimate the costs that are involved with an Amazon business. Tatiana and I want to break down the process for you so that you know exactly how much money you will need. When starting an Amazon business, there are up-front costs.

The biggest cost will be your inventory, which you will order from a manufacturer, in bulk. The number of units that you order will be determined based on your manufacturer's minimum order quantity. The majority of your money will go towards investing in inventory.

Amazon receives your products at their fulfillment center. Amazon has hundreds of fulfillment centers all around the world. You will need to pay the FBA fee and the referral fee for using their centers. Also, you need to consider what the fees will be for marketing your products.

You can't just launch a product on Amazon and hope that you magically generate sales. That's not how it works. Yes, there are ways that you can start your business with less money. This may involve finding a product that doesn't cost a lot of money to source from, placing a smaller inventory order, and/or saving on your marketing expenses.

However, if your goal is to make a lot of money on Amazon, starting with less money will be an uphill battle. In reality, it's only setting you up for disappointment and struggle.

On top of that, less money means a limited number of products to pursue. This means that you will have to settle for products that may not have the best profit margins or demand. In an already competitive market, this is not the best idea.

This is why we recommend that you start an Amazon business with a couple of thousand dollars.

If you don't have that money, we want to help guide you in a better direction. The goal is to be financially secure enough to start an Amazon business the right way. Before you even consider starting any type of business there is one thing that you need to accept and understand – you're going to fail and make mistakes along the way.

This is why Tatiana and I are big believers in investing in an Amazon training program. Learning from others who have been where you want to go will help prevent you from losing money and making unnecessary mistakes. In turn, you will be able to better leverage the power of Amazon and catapult your success.

Another thing to take into account is that building a business is a long-term investment. You won't see results right away. It's not like a 9 to 5 job where you get paid for the 40 hours of work that you put in. If that's what you were expecting, this may not be the business for you.

You can put 1,000 hours into any online business and still not make any money from your efforts whatsoever. It's not about the amount of time or money that you invest in your business. Rather, it's about what you create and the amount of value that you add.

You need to get real with yourself and determine if you're willing to delay gratification and build an asset that will provide for you, long-term.

Now that I've given you the hard truth, let's explore the other avenues on Amazon that you can take advantage of if you aren't financially secure yet.

Publishing books on Amazon is a cheaper alternative to selling physical products.

This is a great business model for getting your feet wet and learning how Amazon works. If you choose to write your own book, the only cost involved is hiring someone to design a book cover. This is something that can be done fairly inexpensively via the platform, Fiverr.

That being said, I would recommend that you hire a book editor and invest some money into the marketing of your book. If you have a couple of hundred books, hire a ghostwriter to write your book for you. This will save you a lot of time and energy. You can find a lot of experienced freelance writers via the platform Upwork.

Although you won't make a lot of money with this business model, you can still expect to make a couple hundred to a couple of thousand dollars per month from an Amazon Book Publishing business.

A second avenue for making money on Amazon is by being an Amazon affiliate. You can start with very little money. This model gives you the opportunity to promote products on Amazon and earn an affiliate commission from that. However, in order to apply for Amazon's affiliate program, Amazon Associates, you will need to have a website.

There are some expenses involved in creating a website, like purchasing a domain name and setting up hosting.

I'll be honest, it can be challenging to make a lot of money as an Amazon affiliate. If you're interested in doing affiliate marketing, there are a lot of other better opportunities that you can explore. I created an affiliate marketing program called Affiliate Marketing Mastery that shows you how you can turn your passions into profits and create a consistent stream of passive income.

Alternatively, if you have experience in a skill like accounting, blog writing, video editing, or graphic design, you could always become a freelancer online. It's easy to promote your services via Upwork or Fiverr.

Companies will pay you for your services on a per-project or per-hour basis. If you have the desire to eventually build an Amazon FBA business, freelancing is a great way to start saving so that you can eventually invest in a business of your own.

If you are serious about building an Amazon business, I encourage you to follow Tatiana's YouTube channel where she shares her best tips and strategies for success with eCommerce.

This is how to make money on Amazon. But first, are you financially ready?

If money is tight right now, your #1 priority is figuring out what you can do to get your finances in order. If you can't do that, building an online business may not be for you. Trust me when I say that figuring out how to build a successful business is a lot harder in comparison to finding some extra work.

When you have a good amount of money to invest in an Amazon business, you will go so much further and faster than you ever would if you budget your way through the process.

At the end of the day, it always comes down to how bad you want success. If you are willing to make the necessary sacrifices and work as if your life depends on it, there is no limit to how far you can go and how much money you can make.

The question now is, how bad do you want it?

Do you want my blueprint for building a $50,000 per month Amazon FBA business? CLICK HERE to get instant access to my FREE Amazon FBA Training!

Is stock options trading the perfect lifestyle business?

I think we would all agree that the goal of making more money is so that we can build our dream lives. One of the best ways to do this is by investing your money wisely.

My good friend, Ryan Coisson, would attest to this. He is a successful serial entrepreneur, investor, and trader who teaches people how to create future-proof businesses.

If you want core principles and strategies for building a lifestyle business that gives you financial freedom, listen to Ryan!

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

[smart_track_player url=”https://www.buzzsprout.com/9299/6435037-plm-824-stock-options-trading-how-to-make-money-with-stock-options.mp3″ background=”default” ]

Want to discover the PERFECT lifestyle business that can allow you to create financial freedom? CLICK HERE to join Ryan and me in the upcoming “PB Code” training!

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!

Ryan has mastered the perfect lifestyle business.

He has built multiple 7-figure online businesses that only take him a few hours per week to operate. He truly lives the laptop lifestyle, travels the world, and spends a lot of his time in nature. To many people, this way of life may feel like just a dream.

However, his story is proof that anything is possible. In our interview, Ryan breaks down what the perfect lifestyle business involves and talks about how stock options trading can allow you to create your dream life. Let's dive in!

Do you mind sharing with people what you believe to be the perfect lifestyle business?

I've been at this for a long time. I started in the business world when I was 18 years old. This was pre-SnapChat, pre-Facebook, pre-YouTube. The world was a lot different. Honestly, it was a lot more challenging to build a successful business back then. We didn't have as many opportunities available to us. Today, there are so many things that you can do and be.

In the early 2000s, being an influencer didn't even exist. When I got my start I was very introverted. I'm still quite the introvert. I prefer to be out in nature and do my own thing, versus being in the crowds. People were talking about writing a book, becoming a speaker, buying investment properties, building an online business.

All of it sounded incredibly daunting to me.

It felt like you needed to be a technological genius. Honestly, I didn't even know at the time how to type on a regular computer. I had to take a typing class in my senior year of high school so that I could learn how to do that. My ears started to perk up when I heard about the stock market.

At the time, I knew nothing about how it worked. All I knew is what I had seen in movies, like Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd. As a young kid, I went to a private Lutheran school. We did a field trip to the Chicago Board of Exchange. Those were my real exposures to the stock market.

The foreign land of the stock market was intriguing to me, but I also knew that it could be challenging because I wasn't very knowledgeable in finance. I started to hear people talk about this tiny corner of the stock market related to stock options.

Immediately it piqued my interest.

The way it was explained was that you didn't need to have employees, have any overhead, or create anything from scratch. All you had to do is sit there and dial-up on a computer from the comfort of your home. All of these boxes started to get checked off in my brain. That business became the perfect business for me and what I wanted out of life.

What are stock options, and what is the strategy that you employ when it comes to trading? 

When you look at the stock market there are tons of different ways that you can do anything. There are a lot of Hedge Fund managers and corporate structures that are designed to sell you services or manage your money. A lot of people will tell you that they make the process sound confusing so that you think that you can't do it on your own.

They want that to be the case so that you hand over your money to them and they collect fees. There's nothing wrong with using a fund to have your money managed, depending on what you're doing. Not everyone is designed to manage their own money.

However, it is possible to do it on your own.

There is a series of great books written by market expert Jack D. Schwager. In his first book, Market Wizards, he interviews a variety of successful investors from different markets. All of these people have done a myriad of different things to make huge amounts of money in the stock market.

In his later book, Unknown Market Wizards, Jack talks about the best traders you've never even heard of before. These are people who are making hundreds of millions of dollars. When I started to figure out that stock options are something that you can use as an instrument to create leverage safely, I became very intrigued.

This is how stock options trading works. Say I was interested in buying Beckton-Dickson. This is a company that trades at $240 per share. If I wanted to buy 100 shares I've got to spend a fairly significant amount of money, roughly $24,000. Instead of buying those shares, if I think it's going to go up, I may buy a call option.

This gives me the right, but not the obligation, to buy those shares at a certain price. What's great is that you're going to pay far less money. Oftentimes, 5-10 percent, depending on the price of the stock and how much it moves.

When I'm buying an option, I don't ever want to exercise it.

All I'm doing is hoping that the premium goes up and that I re-sell it, just like somebody would hope a stock goes up, and then maybe they would sell it. With an option, everything becomes magnified. Maybe the stock would move a dollar. If the stock is $240, you're making the tiniest of percentage. However, your option, if the stock moves a dollar, might go up 10%.

There have been instances where every penny a stock moved, I would make hundreds of dollars. However, it wasn't because I owned all of these shares. Rather, it's how my options were working. You can start with small amounts of money and generate some real significant ROIs. That being said, a word of caution.

Options can be risky because they eventually expire. You choose the end date. Oftentimes, the layperson lets their options expire. I have never let an option expire because I have a rule. Again, keep in mind that I've been doing this for over 20 years. By creating this rule of always getting out 30 days before the expiration, I don't ever have to worry. Hence, I dramatically reduce the risk.

How much money and time do you need to start trading options, and how much money can you expect to make? 

Before I get into that, I would like to preface this. In one corner we have our business, vocation, or job that generates a paycheck or profit. No matter what, a portion of that money should always be invested in the long-term. At the end of the day, that's how you become wealthy.

With short-term investing, the same thing holds true.

When we look at how much money you need to get started, it will be different from one person to another. Even people who come to me that have millions of dollars in the bank, the most I ever tell them to start trading is $10,000. I want them to get their feet wet before they start throwing money around and make some crazy mistakes. You have to know how to walk before you can run.

When I got started, I was still in high school. I was working at Dairy Queen and teaching swimming lessons. It took me over one month to put together $1,000 dollars. One of the great things about trading options is that you don't need that much money to get started. Because you're not buying the outright stock, you're buying an option on it, you can get started for quite a bit less.

I was doing trades at $300-400 dollars at a time.

Fortunately, I took to it like a fish to water. Within my first 90 days, I tripled my money. I made $3,000. I used that money to grow my business. Today, I only spend 5 hours per week managing my trading business. I generate a pretty amazing ROI on the money that I have in my trading account, while still having plenty of time to do the other things that I want to do.

Can you share more about your course, The PB Code? Why did you create it, and what can people expect to learn when they show up for your free training?

I believe that we can all easily understand the stock market. It's merely a story. We all know stories. We heard them growing up. I started to think about how I could teach someone who knew nothing about the stock market how to not only understand it but also make a profit from it. With options trading, it was through understanding three primary stories. The cool thing about these stories is that they stand the test of time.

They are the same stories that I've been studying and using to profit since the early 2000s.

I've helped many people do the same. What's fascinating is that someone can use just one of the stories and a handful of companies, like Apple or Google, and be able to trade those companies for years to come. Once you understand how the story works and when to enter and exit the scene of the story, the pieces start to come together.

That's what I'm going to show people in my upcoming training class. I'm going to give them some incredibly transparent and real-life examples of my successes and my failures so that they can learn from both sides of the coin. As a trader, you don't have to win every trade. I focus on maximizing my winners and minimizing my losers.

Someone who doesn't have a trading plan or a process in place ends up doing the reverse. They cut their winners short because they are afraid to lose their profit and they always hope their losers will turn around. In the training class, I will walk people through the exact rules and principles that I follow that have enabled me to not only trade for as long as I have but to continue to do it successfully.

Stock options trading is the perfect lifestyle business.

If you have the desire to build a lifestyle business that affords you the ability to work less and live life every day on your terms, I highly encourage you to consider getting into the world of stock options trading. If you're serious about learning more about investing and trading, join us at our upcoming training. This is an opportunity that you don't want to miss!

Want to discover the PERFECT lifestyle business that can allow you to create financial freedom? CLICK HERE to join Ryan and me in the upcoming “PB Code” training!

If you want to become an online entrepreneur, you need to listen closely to what I'm about to say.

As many of you know, I've been in the entrepreneurial game for a long time now. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I've also learned from those lessons and gone on to achieve massive success.

The most successful entrepreneurs enjoy the journey, despite all odds. They grow from every obstacle that they face, always striving to become more.

I want to help you avoid the mistakes I made early on in my online business journey so that you can set yourself up for success from the onset.

I've got the best advice for becoming an online entrepreneur and I want to share it with you because you deserve to build a successful business.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

[smart_track_player url=”https://www.buzzsprout.com/9299/5500711-plm-811-best-advice-for-becoming-an-online-entrepreneur.mp3″ background=”default” ]

Are you ready to dive into the world of entrepreneurship and build a successful online business? CLICK HERE to take my FREE quiz to discover which business is best for you!

Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride.

A lot of people get disillusioned by fairytale entrepreneurial success stories. They assume that if they follow the get-rich-quick schemes for making money online, they will become rich overnight. Yes, some people get lucky and achieve success fast, but for the majority of people, entrepreneurship can feel like a grind, one that takes years of blood, sweat, and tears.

Eric Worre said it best, “Most people think that they deserve success as some sort of right, but here’s the truth. Success is something that you earn through effort.”

If you aren't prepared for the ride or aren't willing to do what is necessary to become successful, you'll end up ditching the ride halfway through. Get real and ask yourself, “How bad do you want success?” If you want it more than anything in this world, keep reading.

Here is my best advice for becoming a successful online entrepreneur.

1. Take Massive Action

A lot of people have the desire to learn and grow, but they aren't committed to taking action with the knowledge that they consume. In short, they become passive learners. Don't get me wrong… knowledge is powerful, but it means nothing if you don't do something with it.

In many cases, learning is a way to avoid taking action on the goals and interests that we say are important to us. Have you ever caught yourself doing this? This is the behavior of a dabbler and something that you want to be aware of and steer clear of at all costs.

2. Surround Yourself With Successful People

You will not improve yourself if you aren't willing to change your environment in a way that supports your growth. Your environment influences how you think and act. If you aspire to grow and become a successful entrepreneur, you have to surround yourself with people who demonstrate the qualities that you desire to emulate.

As Jim Rohn famously said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend time with.” When choosing the right people, look for values matches and gravitas. “Values match” means finding people who share similar values with yours. “Gravitas” refers to people who have greater skills in an area that you want to grow and improve.

If your environment contains negative people, you will feel energetically drained and have a difficult time experiencing any progress. You'll hold yourself back. That's the last thing you want. Now is the time to get real with yourself – do the people in your life support and uplift you to become more and achieve greatness? If not, it's time to find a new and empowering tribe of people who are going in the same direction as you. Sometimes the truth hurts, but the truth will also set you free.

3. Trust The Process

The reason why a lot of businesses fail is that entrepreneurs give up too quickly. Those that make it and go onto experience massive success embrace failure and use it as a tool to grow and become more. They trust the process and are willing to delay short-term gratification because they have an unwavering belief in their vision.

If they can't find a way, they make a way. Does this describe you? If not, it's time to rethink how bad you want success. In the words of Arthur Ashe, “Success is a journey, not a final destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” What matters most is not where you end up, but who you become along the way.

4. Invest In Your Personal Growth

A major reason why my fiancée Tatiana and I have achieved so much success is that we are constantly investing in our personal growth and development. We do this through a variety of different mediums, like reading self-help books, hiring coaches and mentors, buying courses, and attending seminars.

Learning from people who are more successful than we are has been key to leveraging our online business success. Don't be afraid to invest in yourself. It is the most important investment you will make in life. If you have the desire to build an eCommerce business, I highly recommend that you follow Tatiana's YouTube channel and her Instagram page.

She has built a 7-figure business selling on Amazon & Shopify. If you're serious about becoming an online entrepreneur and putting in the hard work, her content will set you up to win.

This is my best advice for becoming an online entrepreneur.

The next time you encounter challenges in your business, come back to this blog post. Remember why you started in the first place. Why do you want to be an online entrepreneur? What is your ultimate dream lifestyle? Remain steadfast under pressure and never lose sight of your goals.

Most importantly, don't quit. If you get tired take a break, but never throw in the towel. Your future is counting on you. I hope these words motivate you to build a sustainable business that affords you the life of your wildest dreams.

Let's face it… why not you? You deserve to have it all.

Are you ready to dive into the world of entrepreneurship and build a successful online business? CLICK HERE to take my FREE quiz to discover which business is best for you!

If you've been struggling to come up with a brand name for your business, I'm here to help you.

Your brand is your reputation. It communicates who you are and what you stand for. More importantly, it tells your customers what your business promises to deliver.

Did you know that 77% of customers make purchasing decisions based exclusively on the name of a company? This proves that the name you choose for your brand is critical to the success of your business.

In the words of Jeff Bezos, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room.” In short, your brand name is everything, so let's make it something that people won't forget.

If you want to know eight criteria for choosing a great brand name, keep reading!

Watch the video below:

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A brand name can make or break your business.

This is why I recommend that you do your due diligence and take the necessary steps to establish a great name. The last thing that you want to do is invest time, money, and energy into building a business around a name that someone else is already using.

Moreover, ineffective branding can turn people off, so much so that they forget what your brand represents altogether. Research shows that 51 percent of consumers will automatically unfollow a brand that does something they dislike, and 27 percent will block or report them as spam. This is why building and maintaining a positive brand reputation from the onset is so important. Let's talk about eight criteria for choosing a great brand name.

1. Be Memorable  

You want people to remember your brand name, in such a way that they associate meaning to it. This is why it's important to do research to understand who your target audience is. Think of your brand as a representation of what you have to offer them. Also, you want your name to be easy to understand, spell, and pronounce. These factors will give you a huge competitive advantage from the get-go.

2. Define Your Brand Identity 

When people hear your brand name, you instantly want them to know what your brand represents. Using keywords that are relevant to your target audience will spark curiosity, making people interested in learning more about what you have to offer.

Here are some examples of great brand names – App Empire, Strength Camp, and Campfire Guitar Star. The moment you hear these names, you immediately get a sense of what these companies are about. What do you want your brand to say and how do you want people to feel when they experience it? People become emotionally connected to a brand when it stands for something that is important to them.

3. Decide To Self-Brand or Establish A Company Brand

A question that I get asked a lot is whether or not people should build a brand around their personal name or a company brand name. Those of you who follow me know that I chose the alternative route. Instead of using my name, Stefan James, I chose to build a brand called Project Life Mastery.

The reason why I decided to go with a company brand is that I didn't want to build a business that was only dependent on me. If I decide to bring in other influencers, coaches, or speakers to educate my audience, under my brand, I can do so. Also, if I want to sell my business one day, there is an option for me to do that.

People are more likely to buy a brand name versus one that is purely dependent on someone's personal name. The decision that you make will depend on the long-term vision that you have for your business. If you decide to use a personal brand name, I suggest that you change your name slightly, if it's one that will be difficult for people to remember, pronounce or spell.

4. Create An Emotional Connection

A brand is a name that people recognize and associate emotions with. Your brand identity is comprised of what your brand represents, what your values are, and how you want people to feel. I encourage you to take out a journal and write down whatever words come up for you that you associate with your brand.

Those words will help determine what your brand name will be. When I was brainstorming ideas for my brand, Project Life Mastery, these words spoke to me – inspirational, motivation, success, mastery, transparency, and freedom. As I've built my brand and created content with my audience, people have come to associate these feelings and emotions to my brand.

5. Research Your Competition 

Make a list and analyze your competitors' brand names. These brands will be operating in the same target market as yours. Type in keywords that are related to your business and make a list of those company names as well. I recommend taking the words that your competitors are using and adding them to your list.

I would also make a list of whatever words resonate with you. Go to Thesaurus.com and explore other variations of a word that you could use as part of your brand name. When I originally thought about Project Life Mastery, I loved the concept of mastery.

Since 2012, I have made it my mission to continually improve every area of my life. That's what I call Life Mastery. Years ago, I read the book, The Game by Neil Strauss. Inside his book, he talked about a self-development house he created called Project Hollywood. This is where a bunch of guys lived together for the purpose of improving their dating and social skills.

In my early 20's I started my own self-development house called Project Vancouver. The concept of life mastery can feel intimidating for people. However, the word, project depicts life mastery as a journey that one embarks upon, which is both tangible and possible. This is why I decided to integrate that word into my brand name.

6. Get the dot com version of your brand name

When people think of a brand name, they usually google the dot-com version. If someone owns the dot-com version of the brand name you are considering, you could encounter problems down the road.

Let's say that you decide to settle on a dot-net version. As you grow your brand, a lot of your audience members will automatically go to the dot-com version of your brand name. In turn, you will probably end up losing some of your audience members and customers.

Ideally, you want to own the dot-com version of your brand name, as well as the dot-net, the dot-org, and the dot-ca so that others can't take them.

7. Do A Trademark Availability Search

I encourage you to research the availability of your brand name ideas to ensure that nobody else has already trademarked them. We all have the ability to trademark our brand name in any country. If you choose a brand name and later find out that someone else owns the rights to it, you will be violating a trademark.

This becomes a huge pain. Someone can file a cease and desist letter and force you to stop using the name. Even worse, they could sue you. On top of that, you will be forced to re-brand which will confuse your customers and audience. If you live in the U.S., you can do a trademark search or file for a brand name trademark on The United States Patent and Trademark Office website. Other countries will have their own trademark website.

Keep in mind that you don't need to own a trademark right away. If you're just starting out and don't have any followers or customers yet, there's not much to protect. Filing a trademark costs money. I recommend trademarking once you've built up your brand to the point that it needs protection.

8. Create a Brand Logo 

You can create a logo inexpensively at Fiverr. Alternatively, you can go to 99Designs where you can get logos, graphics, images, or artwork done for your business.

Also, I suggest that you set up social media pages for your brand name on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Reserve the name and get your accounts set up, even if you don't use the pages. Doing so gives your brand name an added level of protection.

This is how to come up with a great brand name for your business.

Your brand name is the face of your business. It represents who you are and what your business stands for. Instead of choosing a brand name based on what you like, consider the eight criteria that I spoke about above. If you do, I trust that you will be able to build a successful brand and business.

Do you want to know which online business can best help you build a brand doing what you love? CLICK HERE to get instant access to my FREE quiz!