With some potentially nasty shenanigans in the rear view mirror, my mind turns to marketing.
Why marketing? Isn't that what I'm doing right now? Isn't blogging the very essence of marketing? This is turning awfully philosophical already.
Well, it struck me yesterday that most of what I've learned to do, been instructed to do, and have tried, hasn't worked. The one thing that has worked is James Schramko's Own The Racecourse system, but the difference being where his OTR installation earns him an annual eight-figure income, mine earns me an annual four-figure income. Yeah. And it's not like I've got the IQ of a fishbowl.
Without any sense of what it really takes to get myself and my products out there (one and the same?), I feel like all I'm doing now is spinning my wheels trying things. Again. And, I'm honestly not comfortable with the next 10 years of my life being the same as the last 10. I'm looking to create something drastically different.
I will keep the fulfillment and joy I got out of creativity and writing. That part was good.
Losing my church, my faith, my business, my girl? That part wasn't so good. I say that as though this only happened once, but I lost two churches, two businesses, and three girls. At least. I lost two grandmothers last year too.
This is not some sob story schlock. Express your sympathy if you will, I will not stop you. But there's something I'm getting at.
Since I've begun questioning what I only pretend to know about marketing (okay, I'm being a bit hard on myself here), I felt like it was time to start forming some new hypotheses.
First, let's be clear on the goal. The goal is to earn $120,000 per year from my own business, not someone else's. I have done enough work to have earned and deserved it long since. I will certainly not argue with more, and it's okay if I have a bit of income from other projects I pick and choose. But that six-figure income is the first step onto what I really want to create in life. And that can't take 10 years. I need it to take one to two years at most, because there's more to accomplish.
Now, as I was saying, what I've done to this point has only worked to varying degrees. It hasn't led to the results I've been looking to create.
I'm not lazy or stupid. I can admit that I'm average in every way possible, but my products are good, my content doesn't suck, and my ethic and persistence is far above what most would even consider reasonable. No one tries writing for Medium for nearly two years straight without any signs of success. Or so I'm told. Even with an average brain, there's no possible way I wouldn't have built a bigger following by now. But it's not growing. It feels like it's shrinking instead. Gee, thanks big G, you've really done me a solid here. Care to stick it up my rear end again, you liar?
So, the only conclusions I can come to are that:
- There aren't any issues with my product, content, or marketing (sure, I miss the mark now and again, but on the whole, it's cohesive)
- If there aren't any issues with my product, content, or marketing, there must be an issue somewhere else
- I'm emotionally retarded and don't know how to express myself, so I'm the hold-up
- Until I conquer myself, I can't conquer my business
- Success isn't about hard work, persistence, or even intellect
- I spent the last year learning that every result is available in communication, but I don't think it's true for someone who is fundamentally traumatized, repressed, and doesn't know how the hell to say everything that's on his mind
- My success won't come from copying what anyone else has done (though I can always learn from them)
- Feelings matter more than actions (when you feel good, all tactics work; when you feel bad, nothing works)
- I must feel as though I already have what I want, and then it has no choice but to show up
- Focusing on what you want must be done obsessively, to the point where you're euphoric and don't even know who or where you are
That mostly poured out of me free-form but it is probably truer than not.
It sounds like woo-woo nonsense, and it could be. But until I try it, I won't know for sure. This is my new hypothesis.
And if it turns out that all that's really required is increasing my daily content output, well I'll be a dim-witted monkey's step uncle. Trust me, I'm willing to create more if that's all it takes.
But this is the best I've got right now. It really is. I've injected this post with emotion, humor, and brutal self-transparency. I'm not sure what more you could want, world.
According to my hypothesis though, I need to feel as though I already have what I want. I can't focus on the lack.
So, thank you. I have reached $120,000 per year in my business and it's all thanks to you. I can give back as I never have before. I have, and can continue to make the world a better place, one artist at a time.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Drop a comment so I can follow you and connect with you personally.
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