This post won’t be long.

It probably won’t share any break-through information.

But that’s the point.

I’ve been working in the world of online marketing for six years now and have looked up to a lot of people because of their “success”.

I’ve also looked DOWN on a lot of people and organizations because of their “success”.

I was inspired to write this post this evening because of some excellent insight from Leo Babauta in an article titled “Why I Don’t Care About Success!”

These paragraphs couldn’t be any more clear:

If all you’re striving for is money, you’ll do horrible things to get it. If all you want is a successful business, you’ll screw people over to get it. If all you want is fame, you’ll give up your dignity to achieve it.

I could probably get a book on the New York Times best-seller list if I really tried, but it’s not something I care enough about, and I know I’d have to do things I wouldn’t be happy doing in order to get there. I’d have to make promises I couldn’t deliver on, sell something to people who are looking for answers I don’t have, trick them into buying the book.

I could make a lot more money than I make now, if I capitalized on all the readers I have and pressured them into buying more things. But I don’t think buying a lot of things is a good thing, so I’d feel crappy doing that. It’s not worth it.

It was interesting and ironic to stumble upon this article today: I’m also reading a book by Ken Blanchard titled “The Power of Ethical Management“.

In the book it addresses business ethics (and ultimately success) with 3 simple check points:

1. Is it legal?
2. Is it balanced?
3. Does it make you feel right?

I have a feeling that if people and organizations used this 3 step ethics check, their decisions may not always lead them down the “successful path” they are currently on.

So what is true success?

Do you have to be “un-ethical” to get there?

Defining Success

Leo hit a home-run with his definition of success:

Success isn’t about achieving something in the future, but about doing something right now that you love.

AMEN! AMEN! and AMEN!

If you want to be truly “successful”, focus on what you love and then go and do that.

Am I Successful?

After reading Leo’s article and expounding on it here, I asked myself this very question – Am I “successful”?

I’d like you to ask yourself the same thing – Are you successful?

To assess my current situation, I made the following list based on Leo’s definition of success:

• I love teaching.
• I love baseball, soccer, and clogging.
• I love online marketing, but not every aspect.
• I love to write and share information in a straight forward, simple approach.
• I love business partnerships and joint ventures where the sum is greater than the parts by themselves.
• I love being with my family.
• I love entrepreneurship.

What I’ve determined is yes, I am successful. I’m doing things right now that I love.

Are YOU successful?

What do YOU love to do?

Are you doing those things right now?

HEADS UP: This post doesn’t necessarily follow anything I generally talk about at Moller Marketing; however, it shows that running a business takes work and effort, characteristics that it appears Darryl Strawberry doesn’t have anymore – he quit the Apprentice because he was tired.

As many of you know, I’ve been an avid New York Yankee fan since I was born (and I’m from Idaho for crying out loud).

I’ve followed the Yanks through the thick and thin.

But what happened tonight on The Apprentice really let me down for a former New York Yankee super star.

Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is a former American baseball player who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off of it. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the game, known for his prodigious home runs and his intimidating presence in the batter’s box with his 6-foot-6 frame and his long, looping swing that elicited comparisons to Ted Williams.[1] During his 17-year career, he helped lead the New York Mets to a World Series championship in 1986 and the New York Yankees to three World Series championships in 1996, 1998 and 1999. (bold added for emphasis) Wikipedia

What Darryl Strawberry did tonight was far from an “intimidating presence”. Controversial isn’t even a great description.

What Darryl Strawberry did for his charity of Autism and for his reputation as a baseball player and person overall was flat out GUTLESS!

It’s kind of funny, this blog actually started back in December of 2006. I’d just watched the Apprentice and saw Michelle Sorro QUIT before she got fired by Mr. Trump.

I wrote a post titled “Michelle Sorro, The Apprentice Quiter” which got me over 1,000 unique visitors in one day as a brand new blog.

This episode tonight, in my opinion, was even WORSE.

Michelle Sorro was and really still is a no-body.

Darryl Strawberry, on the other hand, is was a baseball icon, someone that people looked up to.

Now, he’ll have an asteric next to his name like other baseball players of his era.

Darryl, if you read this, I send you my condolences for making a crucial “error in the World Series” of an autistic persons life.

I can’t do this…

That costs too much money.

This takes too much time.

I can’t find wholesale suppliers.

I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.

I thought I could make money overnight.

I didn’t think I’d actually have to DO anything.

If you’ve ever heard these excuses or been the culprit of saying them yourself as you build your 1st online business, CHANGE NOW or forever be stuck in the rut you’re in.

Yes, unfortunately, I’ve heard all of these excuses multiple times as I teach clients how to start an online business.

At first, I just laughed them off or ignored them.

Then, I would repeat what they just said in the form of a question.

Now, I flat out call them on the stupidity of such statements.

I know, maybe a bit harsh, but I’d rather be honest up front.

Cold Hard Facts about Starting an Online Business

• Running a business is hard work.
• It’s not for everyone.
• It takes WORK.
• It takes creativity.
• It takes ambition and the ability to break your fears about the unknown.
• It takes a positive attitude.

Have you ever read this story?

As I was thinking about this topic, I found this funny video on YouTube. It reminded me about how some people, no matter what they get “thrown at them“, always have a positive attitude and keep moving forward (which is what you HAVE to do if you want to succeed with an online business).

If you’re reading this blog post in an email and want to see the video, visit MollerMarketing.com.

Here are some tips.

7 Tips to a Positive Attitude

1. Be yourself. When you constantly try to be the person others want you to be, you cheat yourself out of individuality and your own dreams. What do you want out of life? Once you can answer this question, the next step is to plan your daily routine to include at least one or two elements that bring your goals closer.
2. Even if you can’t control outside circumstances, you can control your reaction to them. If you’re currently working in a dead-end job with a boss who is demeaning, make a conscious effort to tell yourself that his poor behavior can make you upset only if you allow it.
3. Leave your work at the office, mentally that is. When you step outside after a trying day’s work, tell yourself that you have all day tomorrow to deal with the problems and mentally switch gears by thinking something positive or planning your next vacation, even if it’s months away.
4. Slow down. When constantly pressed to finish tasks, you can develop a negative attitude towards life. If time is a commodity, figure out how you can schedule your chores more efficiently. Just by rising 15 minutes earlier each day, you will have the time to eat breakfast, enjoy the fresh air, and plan the day.
5. Learn something new every day. What have you learned today? As a child, your curiosity led you to explore and learn. Recapture that feeling today by taking a night class, studying a new language, learning to garden or anything else that interests you. Subscribing to this blog via email could be one way to learn something new :).
6. Focus on the Positive. What are great things that have happened to you today? Include achievements. Make a long detailed list of everything that you do well or at least that is not negative. Read the list when you need a mental boost.
7. Help others. Extending a helping hand to those in need makes you feel needed and worthwhile. Make it a habit to volunteer for charitable organizations. Helping others allows us to be thankful for the blessing we have and helps us maintain a positive attitude.

How do you plan to apply these tips (and the Laughing Baby example) to your online business building experience?

Do you really have to fail to succeed?

Or is that just one of those stupid cliches that people tell you to keep you motivated?

What are some of your biggest accomplishments?

In life?

In business?

In whatever?

Were you a first time phenom?

Or did it take a bit of time before you finally “made it” to the top of your “game”?

Starting an online business is HARD WORK! It takes self-motivation and persistence that some people just don’t have.

You have to set goals, monitor progress, and work hard through hard times.

So how do people do it?

Watch, listen, learn and apply!

How do you plan to apply this?

What’s a failure you’ve made today that is leading towards success?

I help clients start online businesses via wholesale solutions, dropshippers, affiliates and blogging.  I then help them market these projects online with search engine optimization and social media strategies.

I’ve worked with clients who are very internet saavy.

I’ve worked with clients who are in the “older years” and need a bit more hand holding.

What I’ve found through these experiences can be summed up by a famous American:

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well. – Abraham Lincoln

So what does this really mean?

While doing my daily routine today of reading and commenting on blog posts, working on Twitter, etc. I found this cool video courtesy of @chrisbennett.

You don’t have to watch the whole thing (up to 3:11 is enough) to get the gist:

You can do WHATEVER you set your mind to!

Now watch this video!

6 Year Old Proves You Can Do Whatever You Want

Questions to Consider

Do you think this little guy was initially scared to hit those jumps?

Do you think he wiped out a few times?

Do you think this skill was developed overnight?

Do you think he had to practice a lot?

Running a successful online business is so much like this snowboarding video.

How to Make Money Online

You have to break fears.

It takes failure over and over again + learning to deal with it and move forward.

It takes time.

It takes practice.

And eventually, with persistence, you can succeed.

Notice I DIDN’T say you WOULD succeed. I said you CAN succeed.

Your initial idea my not be the “Million Dollar Maker”. In fact, it may completely flop.

Johnny B. Truant shared his philosophy on the ultimate formula for success as an new online business owner:

For many (maybe most) beginners, the surest way to begin building a good income online is to focus on networking and business principles, not push-button systems and arbitrage.

• How do you network?
• What are business principles?

If you have these questions, your first assignment is to find the answers, probably BEFORE you even start your first business!

My biggest recommendation for success with an online business boils down to this simple statement:

But be persistent and BELIEVE YOU WILL SUCCEED!

I believe Johnny’s formula backs up my words of wisdom:

The one and only one true formula for success

1. Try.
2. Repeat step 1 until the desired result is achieved.

How does this cool video help you believe in your abilities to be an online entrepreneur?

Are you meeting your potential with your new online business?

What are things you’ve done TODAY to make a sale on or off line?

Are you where you want to be with your start-up? Why or why not?

These are all questions I’ve considered many times, both for my own businesses and for the clients I’ve worked with over the last 4 years.

On a recent business trip I was reading a magazine and found some tips that I thought really applied to running a successful online business. The article I read talked about why people don’t reach their potential.

I’ve picked out 4 of the main reasons and added my thoughts in relation to building an online business.

What’s Holding You Back?

1. Choices:  “…the choice you make…makes you.” How many people do you know who have been blessed with so many talents and specialties, but they aren’t very successful? The choices we make with our talents are what help us become successful. What I’ve seen is you can chose every day to do things towards the success of your business. “Small success leads to Big Success!” is the Moller Marketing Mantra for a reason: it’s the little things that we do (or don’t do) everyday that ultimately lead to our success (or failure) with a new business.
2. Shortcuts: THERE ARE NO REAL SHORTCUTS TO SUCCESS! Often times people don’t reach their potential because they have no idea how long the process will really take. There is a saying by Saadi that says,
   “Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.”
   No matter what project or goal we have in our lives, we need to stop “microwaving” them. Instead, we need to “Crock-Pot” our ideas – let them simmer and soak. Shortcuts NEVER pay off in the long-run. I have learned that there are quicker ways to do things but it still takes work and planning to succeed in anything.
3. Cost: Yes, success has a cost. You have to give up something for everything you gain. It could be time; it could be money; it could be a combination of both. But the bottom line is, we have to give up something very important to us to achieve something much more worthwhile. Fred Smith said the following:
   “Human nature tempts us to stay where we’re comfortable. We try to find a plateau, a resting place, where we have comfortable stress and adequate finances. Where we have comfortable associations with people, withouth intimidation of meeting new people and entering strange situations. Of course, all of us need to plateau for a time. We climb, and then we plateau for assimilation. But once we’ve assimilated what we’ve learned, we climb again…Many times, our challenges in life are not in understanding; they are in doing.”

   There’s a gap between knowing something and then DOING it. Our attitude affects our ability. What is success with your online business worth to you? Do you have a strong enough reason WHY you want/need to be successful?

4. Problems: Problems have a way of holding us back. There is a difference between problem-spotting and problem-solving. Most people can EASILY spot a problem. Problem solving, on the other hand, comes from those who maximize their potential. A great habit to get in to is, when you spot a problem, before you tell someone about it and complain about why it just won’t work, come up with three suggestions for solving the problem. One of the solutions has to involve YOU! It’s amazing to see a person’s attitude change when they are held accountable for their own solutions.

Now What?

Well, one of the things I plan to do with this information is work hard to be a better problem SOLVER instead of a spotter. I plan to come up with three suggestions for solving a problem, one of which includes ME.

What do you plan to do with this information?

If you’re just starting your new online business, welcome to the world of late nights and hard work!

Yes, there are such things as “Turn Key” and “Get Rich Quick” opportunities; in fact, if you’d like to be part of a great business opportunity, call me today (just kiddin’ – I love getting emails like that from old high school “friends” or even better, an old neighbor that talked to me maybe one time and now, all of a sudden, “…we should get together.”)

Sorry, got off on a bit of tangent there. So my clients know, I don’t do MLM or Network Marketing – just not my thing.

Anyway, one of the things you may have realized by now is that starting something new can be a bit scary.

• What if you FAIL?
• What if no one buys what you’re offering?
• What if you just can’t do this?

What is failure really?

Tony Robbins said this about failure:

I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.

Amen! Without failure how will you even know what success is? How many times did you fail to walk as a child before you actually figured it out? Did you give up or quit then?

To me, fear of failure can do one of two things for a person:

1. Motivate to take action and do something different. As the quote says, “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.”
2. Hold a person back from changing their life, their income, or whatever.

Here’s an example of how I helped my 4 year old overcome his fear of getting his hair cut in addition to me practicing with iMovie on my Mac (you don’t have to watch the whole thing, just the first part):

(Audio works now thanks to @codykeith)

What can we learn from this?

1. To overcome fears, JUST DO IT! I’ve been hesitant to use movie at my dance bag website, mostly because I’ve never really uploaded or edited film much. As you can see by this amateur video, I’m breaking my fears and actually liking it!
2. Failure can be a big step towards HUGE success! Since this experience, my little boy has had no problem letting me cut his hair. It’s the same with running an online business – once you get one started, other ideas start coming too and there are no limits (just stay focused for a bit before you overwhelm yourself with so much that you get nothing accomplished.)
3. Set specific goals to break a fear every day! This is a fun challenge that I would love to hear feedback on. What’s a fear you recently broke and how did it help you see results shortly after?

I’m excited to hear about how you break your fears and the positive results that come from getting over the Fear of Failure as you start an online business.

I’ve got to quit my job and focus on my business full time…

I’ll be so much happier when I can just work from home and not have a JOB…

Are you saying these things?

Is working for someone else a means to an end?

Would you rather be “Free” to do what you want when you want?

First off, welcome to reality!  Running a business, both on or off-line, is HARD WORK!  The best most profitable businesses took time, dedication, and WORK, WORK, WORK before they ever made money.

Granted, some ideas can get your there quicker than others, but the bottom line is, you have to pay your dues to succeed in anything.

I met Gary Vaynerchuk at Blog World Expo 2008 and he’s confirmed what I believed all along:

Success comes to those who are ready for it.

I’ve worked with hundreds of clients for the last 3 years.  Many of them want to walk away from their jobs and run a successful online business.  Some of them have.  Others have simply given up or quit when they realized that running their own business was actually, at times, more difficult than working for someone else.

The truth is, you can do both: run a small business and work for someone else.  In fact, especially at first, I think it’s important you don’t completely drop your day job.  The more pressure you put on yourself to provide for your family with just your “Dream Job”, the less likely you’re mind will be clear and the less likely you’ll achieve your overall objectives.

Here’s what Gary has to say about working for someone else and running their own business:

Comments welcome. How does this idea effect your mindset for starting an online business?

Do you take no for an answer?

Where has taking no for an answer ever gotten you?

What do never taking no for an answer and having a positive mindset have in common?

How does having a positive mindset have a direct result on your success or failure in business and life?

Check out this 1st class example of not taking no for an answer and having a positive mind set:

(See the Kurt Warner Update below for the REAL Kurt Warner Story but this one is a fun read.)

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4.  Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful.  She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled  softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left.  He looked at her card, BRENDA.  He walked out only to see her start walking up the road.  Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted.  When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work.  She simply said it wasn’t possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter.  Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.  That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, “Well, let’s take the kids with us.”

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed.  Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children.  She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair.  He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, “I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?”  Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities – just like her first husband and father of her children had done.  Kurtis was not ordinary – – – he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him.  When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back.  The kids loved Kurtis.  At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.   Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl?  Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl.  Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NLF’s Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.

What more can I say?  Not taking no for an answer gave Kurt Warner the chance to show his true colors to his future wife.  If “no” was enough to frustrate him off, this great story wouldn’t even exist.

I had a client once tell me:

No is the first two letters of “Not yet!”

Starting an online business can be hard! You’ll probably hear no quite a bit before you get that first Yes.  But you have to persist, you have to consider no as a “not yet” and stay positive if you want to succeed.

The Kurt Warner story goes further than not taking no for an answer though: Kurt’s positive mindset is the biggest key to his success, both in the NFL and most importantly, with his family.  That mindset is what all internet business owners have to have if they ever want to achieve their full potential and see the best results with their new internet business.

Best of luck to Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals on their persuit of the 2009 Super Bowl and thanks for his example of true success!

UPDATE: I actually called Kurt Warner’s office today to see if I could get this article published on his site and had a great conversation with one of the secretaries.  I directed her to MollerMarketing.com to verify that everything I posted was “accurate and publishable”.  She recommended going to Snopes.com and searching “Kurt Warner”  to find the real story about Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Warner.  Here it is:

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/warner.asp

What can we learn from this?

Viral marketing emails, which is how I got this story in the first place, can be full of fluff.  If they are interesting, touching, inspiring or funny, though, they’ll be passed around all over the internet and could really help promote what you’re doing. 

This story made me actually want the Cardinals to beat the Eagles :).

What viral marketing campaign are YOU working on?

I’ve mentored hundreds of clients.

I’ve seen some of them achieve things beyond what I ever expected; I’ve seen others fail miserably and never even get things off the ground.

But I’ve come to one overall conclusion: Online Business Success is for those who are ready for it.

3 Reasons Why New Internet Business Owners are Successful:

1. They are opened minded and teachable:  to be an new internet entrepreneur, you have to be open minded and teachable mainly because you don’t know any better. 🙂  I know I was in that very place about 5 years ago as a new internet business owner.  Luckily I had a great mentor who showed me the ropes, answered all my dumb questions, and believed I could succeed (even though honestly he probably thought I was crazy for starting a clogging website).  Newbies have to be willing to test things without really knowing if it will work; they must be willing to take a step in the dark.  Thanks, clients, for being open minded and teachable!
2. They have strong motivation: if you don’t have a stronger “WHY” than “I want to make a lot of money” you’ll probably chase every fly-by-night that comes along.  Making money online has to be one of the reasons you look to start a business, that’s obvious, but it must go deeper than that.  I’ve been on my soap box for quite some time now about doing what you love to do.  Besides that, you must ask yourself, “What am I going to do when I do make the money?”  “Who will it help?”  “What good cause will it go to?”  If you’re just in this business to get filthy rich and sit on a beach drinking tequilas, the motivation isn’t probably strong enough yet.  One of the top success stories I’ve associated with started her business for one main purpose – to put her two daughters through college, and she did just that.  She then went on to sell the 3 year old online business for over $125,000.  Her motivation was key to her success (and she was doing what she loved too – ballroom dance!)
3. They don’t give up or quit: all successful business owners know that failure is a “no-brainer” step to success.  You have to fail before you ever really know what true success is.  Giving up and quitting is pathetic.  Like the quote I shared in my last post stated, “People always say “never give up.” But how do you not give up when things are working right? Simple, you readjust your plan.”  I worked with a client once who was attempting to sell clocks (hope he’s reading this).  He did most of the work I suggested, made some effort, but when the money didn’t come flying in he just stopped.  He didn’t keep asking questions, he didn’t test the recommendations I gave, he didn’t seem to think outside the box, he didn’t implement the strategies I shared, he just QUIT!  I admit, I’ve never sold clocks before so I didn’t have the “turn-key” answers to selling clocks.  But I would think there is a lot more demand for clocks than clogging shoes for pete sake, and I have figured out how to sell those pretty consistently.  Anyway, quitting is a LOSE/LOSE.  I felt bad for the client, and he obviously wasn’t happy that he couldn’t be sitting on the beach drinking those coveted tequilas.  So please, don’t quit! Thanks, clients, for not giving up or quitting!

I am preparing a couple case studies that will be coming up in the next week or so about two specific clients that have implemented these strategies with perfection.  Stay Tune…

How have these tips helped you as an online business owner?

photo courtesy of abundancehighway.com