A thought leader is a trusted expert in their industry who moves and inspires people with their ideas.

If you want to be seen as a credible person in today's business world, you have to be liked and trusted.

The title of a thought leader isn't something that you can just give to yourself. Rather, it is something that is credited to you by others once you have demonstrated your value and expertise.

The world is hungry for cutting-edge knowledge and ideas. Are you ready to share your thoughts?

Watch the video below where I talk about how to master influence to make more money:

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Despite what naysayers may say, thought leadership matters.

In the business world, thought leadership has become a commonly discussed buzzword. However, I consider it to be a critical element for building credibility with customers and clients.

According to a recent LinkedIn survey, 45% of decision-makers said that thought leadership directly led them to decide to do business with the company, while 30% said it led them to remove a company from consideration. These numbers are proof that being a thought leader positively affects the bottom line of your business.

Everyone wants to be a thought leader, but not everyone knows what it takes to become one. It doesn't happen by publishing one winning article or giving a great talk. Rather, it is earned through a process of consistent effort and commitment to your craft.

Over the past 6 years, I've become a thought leader in the personal growth and development industry. I've created a multi-million dollar online business that has inspired hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. I am deeply humbled that so many people have received value from my work.

Once I received the position of a thought leader, I didn’t stop adding value. Rather, I worked even harder. This commitment to my craft is what has allowed me to achieve so much success in my business.

Let's talk about 6 ways to gain credibility as a thought leader in your industry.

1. Pick A Niche 

Every thought leader that has achieved massive success started by embracing a niche. Thought leaders play to their strengths. They choose a single area to be an expert in and then look for a niche that will complement it.

You can't be an expert at everything, so stop trying. The best way to showcase your expertise is by finding a small niche. Doing so will help you attract the right target audience for the message that you want to get across. Once you have established credibility, you can work your way into bigger niches.

When choosing your niche, ask yourself the following three questions:

• How can I utilize my strengths?
• Where can I best provide value?
• What problems can I solve? 

Judge Graham, a Texas-based entrepreneur and investor, argues that “businesses that serve a well-defined niche within an industry are strategically poised to demand a larger multiple, putting them in position to scale faster.”

2. Love Your Topic 

Being a thought leader will require that you write, speak and talk about your topic, over and over again. It can take years to become an authority figure. This is the sole reason why you've got to love your topic, inside and out.

If you don't believe what you are talking about, that inauthenticity will shine through in your work. Don't choose a niche just because you know it will make you a lot of money. That's the wrong approach to take and it will get you nowhere.

If you lack enthusiasm in your topic, it will be challenging to do anything of value in your business. Have you ever tried to pretend to enjoy something? It's draining.

Being in service of people should always be your first priority. This is how my journey started. Project Life Mastery wasn't meant to become what it is today. What started out as a hobby for me to share my story ended up becoming a multi-million dollar business and brand.

There's no way I could do what I do if I didn't believe in the mission behind my work. When you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. Rather, it becomes a hobby that you enjoy. What message do you want to share with the world and be known for?

3. Commit To Lifelong Learning

In my experience, the secret to lifelong success is a commitment to lifelong learning. The world is in a state of constant change. If you want to stay on top of the latest innovations in your industry, then you've got to continually expand your knowledge of them.

A lot of people claim to be experts at something. However, they have no experience or knowledge to back it up. They want to achieve credibility, without having to grow and evolve. If you want to become a thought leader, learning is a non-negotiable skill. You've got to know the topic that you specialize in, inside and out. I have yet to meet one thought leader who hasn't made it a priority to master their craft.

Thought leaders read books, listen to podcasts, take courses, and attend seminars. They make it a priority to gain as much hands-on experience as they can on a consistent basis. This is what allows them to become top performers in their industries. You can't tell people how to live their lives until you have walked the walk. People are great at smelling bullshit, so don't be inauthentic.

Learn for the sake of learning. Not only will you become a more intelligent person, but you will also enhance your creativity. By developing yourself, you will maximize your potential and accelerate your results in life.

4. Create Your Personal Brand

In today's world, building a brand is becoming less of a competitive advantage and more of a necessity if you want your business to thrive. If you don't have already have a brand, today is the day you create one.

A lot of aspiring entrepreneurs want to become an expert in their industry. Unfortunately, they approach it from the wrong angle. They ignore the asset that a brand can provide, long-term. Research shows that 89% of business-to-business marketers say that brand awareness is the most important goal, followed by sales and lead generation.

Think of your brand as your story; it defines who you are and what you stand for. My personal brand allowed me to differentiate myself within my industry. By connecting with my audience on a deeper level, I was able to create long-term relationships with them. This is one of the ways that I was able to establish my authority as a thought leader.

Lastly, a personal brand can help you build up your online presence. Doing so will only add to your ever-growing credibility as a thought leader in your industry.

5. Build Your Online Presence 

6. Build A Network  

How good is your network? There is nothing more powerful than building a network of influential thought leaders in your industry. It enables you to generate new ideas, tackle challenges and problems together, expand your influence, and have more impact in your industry.

Building a solid network takes time, effort, and energy. In today's busy world, putting networking on your to-do list can feel all-consuming, which is why it tends to fall by the wayside. However, if you want to become a thought leader, having a strong network is a necessity. Your network is a critical part of how you develop your craft and get things done.

One of the top things that hold people back from developing their network is not knowing how to go about it. I'm a big believer in the power of mastermind groups. This is one of the easiest ways to expand your network and collaborate with like-minded people. Imagine being a part of an empowering ecosystem of like-minded people who meet on a regular basis.

In Dale Carnegie's book, How To Win Friends And Influence People he says that “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” This book will better help you understand yourself and others. I believe that it should be a part of everyone’s reading list, no matter what industry they are in.

Similarly, I encourage you to also find a mentor(s) that you can learn from.

Find someone who has achieved the thought leadership position that you aspire to. In my opinion, it's important to approach a mentor from a position of adding value. Think to yourself, “If I want to be mentored by this person, how can I provide more value to him/her than the value that they provide to me?”

Before you start exploring outside sources, take a look at some of the current relationships in your life. Whom do you admire and relate to that is doing great work that you can learn from? Don't ever hesitate when asking someone to mentor you. There is no better compliment that someone can receive.

Do you think you have what it takes to become a thought leader?

Only time will tell. Becoming a thought leader won't happen overnight. It will take energy, time, hard work, dedication, and laser-sharp focus to develop and maintain this position.

When asked what a thought leader does, Skaled CEO Jake Dunlap, said it best – “They possess an innate ability to contribute to the conversations happening today, while also being able to speculate on what is going to happen tomorrow.”

If you can consistently create conversations that inform and shape peoples' thinking, you will continue to be seen as a credible expert in your field for years to come. Doing it the right way takes hard work and determination. However, I promise you that the payoff will be well worth it. Are you ready to become an expert in your industry?

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The online business journey is a thrilling, jam-packed roller coaster ride, filled with highs and lows.

If you want to become a successful entrepreneur, you need to know what you can expect, in order to determine if you are ready for it. You've probably come across some entrepreneurial success stories of people who have ‘made it big', which has inspired you to know how they did it.

What a lot of people don't see is the years of blood, sweat, and tears that entrepreneurs invest into building their dreams. I want to share with you what you can expect, some of the biggest challenges that you may face, and how you can leverage your time to increase productivity levels.

When you have a realistic perspective of what the online business journey looks like, it gives you a solid framework for understanding how you can move forward. Success is a journey. Are you ready to learn what this process entails, so that you can take action and start creating the online business of your dreams? 

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Are you ready to learn which online business model is best for you to start? CLICK HERE to take my quiz!

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When it comes to building an online business, people face a lot of challenges, one of which is time. I work with a lot of people that don't have a lot of time because they have a full-time job that has them working 40-60 hours/week. At the end of the day, they don't have the emotional bandwidth to do much of anything, let alone build an online business. On top of that, many people have families and loved ones that they need to spend time with and take care of, so it can be a difficult balancing act.

The tricky thing about the online business journey is that, in the beginning stages, you don't make any money. It takes time to build the foundation of your business, so you can't expect to see a return from your efforts right away. This is why you need a steady income to pay your bills, and then use that cash flow to invest it into your online business. I don't encourage people to quit their day jobs. This is a recipe for failure.

That being said, if you have the desire to build an online business, there are sacrifices that you are going to have to make. Anything of value in life takes time, hard work, commitment, and discipline. You need to know what you need to give up in order to have whatever it is that you desire most.

This means that you may have to put social time on the back burner and stop hanging out with your friends as much. Similarly, you may have to limit the amount of time that you spend with your family, if it means creating the life of your dreams. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't want to face this reality, nor do their loved ones. 

I would like to share what I learned along my online business journey.

When I was in my early 20's, I had to sacrifice a lot in order to build my online business. My health definitely took a toll, but I knew that it was a short-term sacrifice that I needed to make if I wanted to be successful. I thought about the big picture and knew that paying this price meant that I would be able to one day create my ultimate dream lifestyle.

A lot of people aren't willing to make sacrifices, and that resistance is what holds them back. 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.”

Luckily, I didn't have a family to take care of, but while everyone was going out and having fun, I was sitting in my room, building my future. I had to learn how to say no a lot because I was so hyper-focused on building what it is that I have today.

There was a lot of learning curves that I had to go through. When I first started, everything was new to me. I didn't even know that creating an online business was possible, let alone what blogging or email marketing was. I was programmed and condition, as many of us are from an early age, to believe that success meant going to school, getting good grades, and finding a great job that would allow you to retire comfortably. That was my blueprint for success.

When I discovered that I could make money on the Internet and that I could model and learn from other successful people through online training, courses, and seminars, I was hooked. Putting the time, energy and money into building something of my own, versus spending an insane amount of money on a college education, was the best decision for me. 

That being said, I started off with some huge disadvantages. I was a C- student in high school. I struggled with writing and public speaking because I suffered from extreme shyness and social anxiety. However, the one advantage that I did have was that I had strong computer skills. That was the greatest benefit of playing a lot of video games when I was younger.

This is why I am a big believer in the power of personal growth and development. If you want to build a successful online business, you need to be resourceful and commit to lifelong learning. There is no better investment that you will make in life. You may be wondering, “Why is investing in yourself so powerful? Well, When you’re willing to take a leap of faith and do whatever it takes to build your future, the Universe listens and provides you with life-changing rewards. Keep in mind that nothing works unless you do. 

It all starts with believing that you deserve greatness. As Dr. David Hawkins explains in his book, Letting Go, “The unconscious will allow us to have only what we believe we deserve. The more we hang on to our negativity and small self-image that results, the less we think we deserve.” When it comes to learning new things, make the choice to adopt a growth mindset and focus on what is possible.

If you don't know how to do something, learn how to do it. Don't dabble and stay on the surface. Rather, go deep with your learning. When the going gets tough, push harder. Masters know that repetition is the mother of all learning. This is what is going to help you accelerate your success even more.

When you adopt an attitude of curiosity and dive into the world of online business, it can be really exciting because you make all these new discoveries that you've never heard of before. For example, I was blown away that I could become a self-published author, have my book live on Amazon in 24 hours and start making money from it. This is so far from some people's reality, but it's possible!

When it comes to learning, a common mistake that I see a lot of people make is that they try to do too much at once, which results in information overload. They don’t have a step-by-step guide in place for how they can apply what they learn. 

A lot of people make the mistake of jumping too far ahead in their online business journey.

The result? Frustration, anxiety and overwhelm. In short, you end up getting nothing done because your brain can't process all of the information. In a paper published in Psychological Science, Bar and Baror describe how “conditions of high load” foster unoriginal thinking. When our brains are overwhelmed with thoughts, they pursue well-trodden paths of least resistance, with the goal of bringing order to the onslaught of information.

You need to master each step in the process. Don’t expect to understand how to complete step 5 if you haven’t even completed step 1. You need to learn and then apply, and then keep recycling that process. To add to this, in the beginning stages of building an online business not everyone has a lot of money to invest into training, which is why you need to go broad when it comes to learning new skills — whether that's email marketing, copywriting, creating content, doing SEO or PPC's, building a WordPress website, or working with software.

Unfortunately, I see a lot of people who stay broad and never end up becoming an expert at something. I believe that all of us should have a master skill. Any master throughout history is really good at ONE thing, whether that's Charles Darwin, Lebron James or Stefan Curry.

In his book, The Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell spoke about the 10,000-hour rule, citing it as “the magic number of greatness.” On average, it takes 10 years to master something, so you can't master everything. Once you've learned a variety of online business skills, I encourage you to step back and ask yourself, “What are the one or two things that I am going to do deep with and commit to mastering?” 

For myself, it was content creation. Once I committed to mastering this, it was a game changer for my online business. I love sharing my message with the world, writing, interviewing people, learning new things and sharing it with my audience. That is what I spend the majority of my time doing in my online business.

You want to pick a high-paid skill that is hard to replace. If I could go back in time and do something different, I would have found a freelance job that I could go deep with and learn from, while building my online business. You need to practice and cultivate the skill that you want to master, every single day.

With regards to managing your time, you need to become diligent and treat your online business like a real job. Oftentimes people struggle because they have no accountability – they don't have a coach, a boss, or a mastermind group that is in their corner, cheering them on and making sure that they follow through with their goals.

When you have a 9-5 job you have to show up on time and do the work. If you don't, you will likely get fired. If you treat your online business the same way, you will get results, but you need to be hyper discipline. This means that when you are working on your online business, you can't have any distractions. Distractions are a great way to derail you from a task altogether. In fact, one study shows it takes about 25 minutes to get back into the swing of things after you’ve been interrupted.

You also need to enrol the support of your family friends, when it comes to the vision that you have for your online business. If you've got people holding you back from achieving your goals, it's going to make the process so much harder for you. If you know that people are going to criticize you, then don't share with them what you are doing. It's not worth the stress. You need all of the emotional and mental strength that you can muster, in order to take your online business to the next level.

One of my favorite ways to build my online business is through the power of immersion. I'll take a few days during the week where I work 16 hours each day. What you get done during that time is probably more than what you can ever get done in a month or two. I'll put myself in a new environment, whether that means renting an Airbnb or taking a weekend trip somewhere, and I will lose myself in my work.

I like to set a timer when I work so that I know how much time that I have in order to accomplish something. When the timer hits zero, I move on. Don't waste your precious time. That urgency forces me to work faster and more efficiently with the time that I have. Everyone has a different amount of time, but as long as you are committed, you will get where you want to go. Become a master at time management. When you do, your online business will thrive.

Are you ready to dive into your online business journey?

There will be a lot of ups and down along your online business journey, but trust me when I say that it is so worth the ride. Sure, there will be times when you will feel like you're slipping, but if you stay committed to the process, you will start moving again and creating the momentum that you need in order to thrive. Once you've built your first successful online business, you will become inspired to keep creating more!

It's an exciting process and one that you will reap massive rewards from if you don't give up and stay focused. In the words of Tony Gaskins Jr., “If you don't build your dreams, someone will hire you to build theirs.” Are you ready to build your dream business?

Are you ready to learn which online business model is best for you to start? CLICK HERE to take my quiz!

Are you ready to learn how you can navigate the entrepreneurial roller coaster ride? CLICK HERE to check out the article that I wrote on Medium!

I want to share with you 5 ways to get motivated. Motivation is the energy that inspires you to set and achieve your goals. It is one of the most important predictors of success in life. Without it, results are impossible.

Anything of value in life requires an immense amount of commitment, hard work, patience, and sacrifice. In other words, the most successful people in the world persevere, despite pain and discomfort. 

Can you think of a time when you felt like you were in a slump and had zero energy to do anything? If so, you aren’t alone. Even the most motivated of people can feel unmotivated at times.

Motivation is power; it gives us the ability to shape and create our destinies. Tony Robbins said it best, “Change is never a matter of ability; its always a matter of motivation.” What motivates you to work hard and achieve your goals?

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Motivation is the foundation of all action in life. Getting motivated can be challenging at times, which is why having success strategies in place to support you will help make the process more manageable. Below are 5 ways to get motivated:

1. Create A Vision For Your Life

Motivation becomes strong when you have a clear image of what it is that you want to achieve. Pursuing my goals doesn’t require motivation. Why? Because I have a clear vision for my life.

Take a moment, go beyond your current state of living, and visualize what your ideal life would look like. Imagine the type of environment you live in, the partner that you have, the experiences you are having, and the type of work that you are doing.

There is no right or wrong. All that matters is that your vision motivates you. At the end of your life, what matters most is not what you acquired, but who you became. Don’t settle.

2. Find Your ‘Why’

Your ‘why' is your purpose; it is what inspires you to get out of bed every day. You need to determine the reasons why your vision is important to you.

For example, let's say that you want to build an online business. What is your ‘why' for wanting to do that? It could be to experience freedom, to be your own boss, or to be able to take care of your family.

Whatever your reasons are, they are what will pull you towards the accomplishment of your goals. When you find your ‘why', use it to channel your motivation.

3. Adopt A Learning Mindset

In an ever-changing world, the single best investment that you can make in life is a lifelong commitment and curiosity for learning. Lifelong learners are motivated to grow because they want to.

Read books, watch videos, invest in training programs, attend seminars, workshops, and networking events – these environments will give you the motivation to make things happen.

For example, if you want to build an online business, read books about people like Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, Sam Walton, and Elon Musk. The stories of successful people like this will inspire you. Investing in your learning is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself.

4. Find a Mentor or Hire A Coach

The best way to harness the power of motivation is to surround yourself with people who have high standards and who are achieving great things in life.

In his book, The Power of HabitThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg suggests that the people you surround yourself with can play a role on your habits and behaviours. 

Find a mentor or hire a coach who can motivate and hold you accountable. I have many coaches and mentors in my life. These people have helped me achieve my goals faster. In the words of John Crosby, “A mentor is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”

5. Fall In Love With The Process, Not The Results

The most successful people in the world understand how to shift their attitude about the journey, so that the process towards achieving a goal is just as fulfilling as actually achieving it.

In order to attain mastery, you need to fall in love with the process. A lot of people want to achieve success, but they aren't committed to taking the steps in order to get there. If you only attach yourself to the results, your motivation will dwindle.

Carl Rogers said it best, “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.” Learn how to fall in love with the learning process, because that is where the magic happens.

I hope these 5 ways to get motivated have inspired you to master motivation and find the drive that you need in order to achieve your goals. Are you ready to take your motivation to a whole new level?

Do you want to know 7 business models for making money online? CLICK HERE for instant access to my free course!

I have some exciting news! Warren Buffett has revealed his best investment advice. Known to be worth $75 billion dollars, he is one of the most successful self-made investors in the world.

Warren is a role model for any entrepreneur, investor, or business person that aspires to achieve financial greatness. Referred to as, “The Oracle of Omaha”, Warren Buffett had an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age. As a young adult, he was always looking for innovative and creative ways to earn money, which is how he made a net worth of $6,000 at the age of 15.

Many of the most successful people in the world attribute their success to sheer determination and commitment to their goals. While this speaks true, Warren Buffett offers a different perspective. Although the end goal of success usually equates to making money and getting rich, it isn’t what matters most in life.

You may be wondering, “How does one man become so successful?” The answer may surprise you. Are you ready to learn how to invest, the ‘Warren Buffett way?’

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Do you want to learn cutting-edge tools and strategies for mastering all areas of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!

Warren Buffet believes the single best investment that he ever made was a lifelong commitment and curiosity for learning. In his own words, “Invest in as much of yourself as you can, you are your own biggest asset by far.”

When Warren Buffett was young he was terrified of public speaking. He wanted to master this fear, so he attended a Dale Carnegie public speaking class that ended up changing his entire life. Even to this day, he has his public speaking diploma hanging on his wall in his office.

You never know how one book, course, or seminar can change your entire life. Live with that positive anticipation that there is always something good that will come from having an optimistic mindset.

Chris Munger, the Vice Chairman of the Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Corporation, once said this about his colleague:

“Warren Buffett has become one hell of a better investor since the day I met him, and so have I. If we had been frozen at any given stage, with the knowledge we had, the record would have been much worse than it is, so the game is to keep learning.”

If you want to become the best that you can be, you need to adopt the mindset of a lifelong learner. I attribute most of my success in life to my love of learning. It has brought so much joy to my life, and it has allowed me to grow and evolve my online business at a much greater speed. If you look at my May 2017 Monthly Goals Report, you will see how much I invest in myself.

Who I am today is vastly different from the person that I was many years ago. I was a shy, depressed, insecure teenager who was broke and struggling, BUT I was committed to investing in myself.

If I wanted to master all areas of my life, I knew that I had to stop doing what I had always done. I found mentors, read books, attended seminars, went to workshops, and created networking events, all with the purpose of learning. I realized that what one man can do, another man can do.

Finally, Warren Buffett also believes in the power of investing in an index fund, otherwise known as a type of mutual fund with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500).

From a historical standpoint, the stock market has always gone up, no matter what is going on in the world. The beauty of index funds is that they allow you to own 500 of the biggest companies in the U.S. There is no better way to create a simple plan for building your retirement savings.

How much time and money do you invest in yourself? The reality is that the more you learn, the more you earn. When asked to reflect on Warren’s success, Charlie Munger said, “Warren is one of the best learning machines on this earth. The turtles who outrun the hares are learning machines. If you stop learning in this world, the world rushes right by you.”

If you are already investing in yourself, awesome. If you have yet to start, I hope Warren Buffett’s investment advice has inspired you to do so. It all starts with you.

Do you want to learn cutting-edge tools and strategies for mastering all areas of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!