A few words about Setting Myself Up For Success. From using my ‘Beginners Advantage’ inside the Affiliate System Platform.
- We are our own enemy. We sabotage our business futures in many ways.
- Why…we don’t meet our expectations and give up.
- It becomes hard and overwhelming and we give up
- Someone says your crazy and we give up
- Do We let our fears control us?
This doesn’t mean there is something wrong, it means I need to keep moving forward and plow through the obstacles I face. Being strong and persistent is really the key. Not giving attention to the nay-sayers and friends that don’t understand what I’m trying to accomplish.
Even your, partner in life, significant other, spouse, your closest friend, can and do have an impact on your attitude toward how you conduct your business.
I have run into several obstacles since I have begun this journey going on 5+ years. Even my own wife has had questions about my sanity. Although, she is always by my side and has full faith it will turn out alright and we’ll finally make money, but she doesn’t understand the what and how’s of online businesses.
Having her own brick and mortar business (child care) she understands that it does take time to develop your place in the business world. She started in 1989 and it took almost 6 years before she had full enrollment and a waiting list for placement in her school. Up until that time it was day to day just to stay in business. Today, 34 years later, she has the number one reputation for all day cares in our region.
So you see, this didn’t happen overnight? There were hours, days, months, and years of work to make it successful. No giving up, no feeling sorry for yourself, no excuses. Tirelessly handing out flyers to cars in parking lots, doctors’ offices, bulletin boards in supermarkets placing free ads in newspapers. Ya, back in the day that was THE “media” we had to work with.
Did she ever want to quit? Every day. Did she doubt herself? All the time. Did she listen to the nay-sayers (me sometimes)? No.
I’ve come to see that I am blessed to have a wife such as this. You could say that I have a built-in role model to follow. She is strong and unwavering in her conviction to get things done. Couldn’t ask for a better coach for persistence and consistency. Two key elements to have a successful online business.
Learning how to get out of my own way is paramount to moving forward with my business. Just posting a blog at least once a week is a push forward for me, anyway. I have done this for about six weeks now. This has been a very difficult thing for me to do on a regular basis. This is not my favorite activity for me to do, but it is a necessary step to learn discipline and persistence. I do know that the more I write here, the easier it will get. Putting out there my thoughts and progress is important to let others know they are not alone. This is my purpose, my why. To show it can be done.
The ‘Beginners Advantage’ is doing just that. Showing me how to get it done and be successful, one step at a time. My goal right now is to get better each day/ week / month. Small steps for sure, but it is necessary to learn this the correct way. No overnight successes here, just solid progression each day.
If all this goes as planned and I will become better at what I do. Dean has hit a home run with the Affiliate Systems platform. It has given me a new lease on life to build my business online.
I believe the results will be realized down the road when I see my list building efforts grow. With this list I will gain an audience that knows, likes, and trusts me. This will give me the opportunity to show them the exact same path that I am taking now, that will give them the successes they are looking for.
Knowing what I know now, it comes down to this. If I fail 99 times and succeed just once, is it all worth it? Is it worth all the Ass Pain and struggling, worrying, the long day/nights, the fails, and restarts? I have to say that this is my last stand and YES, it will be worth it.
Stay tuned for the next chapter, Week 9, The saga continues.
Lenny
Hi Lenny,
It is great to have a supportive wife. The fact that she is an entrepreneur herself certainly helps. I admire your persistence. Despite running into several obstacles for 5 years, you didn’t give up.
I agree with you that progress is made one step at a time. Being patient is the key.
Continue moving forward and I’m sure your breakthrough will be coming soon. All the best!
Alan Lim recently posted…Are You Losing Affiliate Sales Without Realizing It?
Thanks Alan for your comments. With all the support we have It should be a no brainer to succeed. We just need to utilize it more.
Hi Lenny!
The obstacles are real, and the patience sometimes runs thin! Having a supportive person makes it a bit better to keep the faith and continue the process. Consistent effort…consistent effort…I’m looking forward to seeing how your journey unfolds in future posts!
All the best!
Milissa Neirotti
Milissa Neirotti recently posted…From Grading Papers to Growing Profits: A Teacher’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing
Hey Melissa, thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Yes, My wife is my main Reason I’m still here. And, not many are as privileged like we are to have found the support system we have in IP an Dean. He has truly invigorated us to get off our butts and get this done.
Lenny
Lenny, it’s so great that your wife has gone the path of creating a business before you. You’ve got her example to follow. It sounds like she is supporting you in the same way you helped her. Fantastic! The “not feeling sorry for yourself” is the part I have trouble with. I didn’t even realize I was doing it! I get so mopey when I’m doubting myself! I slug forward very much like a slug having so much trouble doing whatever task I’m trying to do. Now, I can step back and give myself a little laugh at myself, and encourage myself forward. I’m trying to enjoy the process. I think someday I will look back at this time and be very proud of myself and wish I’d had enough confidence in the process not to be so miserable. I imagine my future self cheering me on and letting me know it’s all okay. No need to stress! Onward and upward! I’m looking forward to your next post! You are definitely succeeding in letting me know I am not alone in this 🙂
Thank you Lenny for this inspiring post.
Nobody outside the circle of people doing what we’re doing understands what we go through daily just to keep going.
It is awesome to have a partner with that experience of consistency and persistence to achieve their goal and now a role model for you!
Many of us probably can only rely on a coach who is there for us and has been there and sharing their best self and knowledge.
I am grateful to be in this latter category after many years of searching on my own.
You are that coach for the many who are struggling and will benefit from your knowledge and experience.
Eleanor Hope recently posted…Facing Your Fears in Stormy Weather
Thank You Eleanor for the kind words. It is true there are soo many trying to make a buck online and just not making it. As you and I know jumping from program to program is a fools errand BC there are too many charlatans.
We, by the grace of God, have found ‘The One’ that can and will make a difference in our lives.
We may get discouraged and question our sanity at times, but sticking to the ‘process’ that Dean talks about is the recipe to success. He did it and so can we. His story is our story.
Lets learn by it,
Lenny
Great post Lenny,
Can I borrow your wife please, my husband is slowly slipping back on me saying this isn’t going to work and Dean only wants our money. It’s getting tough.
I enjoyed reading your post, it’s so true, it’s a business you have to build it, it might not be a brick and mortar store, but it’s a store non the less. Keep up the good work, you and I will get there..
thanks Sandy
Sandy, Also my wife’s name,
I’ve been into Affiliate Marketing for over 5 years. That’s to say that my wife still has her doubts, and worries as we are trying to create an income stream for retirement. She may not always understand the what I do or how I do it, but she does support it. After all if it’s not this…then what are we to do?
You husband’s feelings are normal and I do understand his frustrations, I have them every day…my wife has them every day.
We gave our spouses a vision of making money online. So we need to show them we are right. Will it happen overnight? No. That’s the part that is the hardest to understand.
In the 5 years of doing this, I have run into charlottes and gurus promising a $ky full of fortune$. All lies of course. If it wasn’t for them and all things were on the up and up. We all would be millionaires by now. Unfortunately this is not the case.
Lets get to work, Lenny
Your wife is your mentor! Bravo!
Ya, well, Its been said, “Behind every great man is a woman”. My Why I’m in the game. Happy Wife, Happy life.