Hey Warriors!

Years ago I came here for the very first time scared to death because I was just a ghostwriter (to many top gurus in the industry who found me on Elance) and I felt ridiculous trying to act as if I was one of them - a marketer.

But I did it. Over time, I struggled and flopped and made an utter fool of myself in many ways. I missed opportunities and at times, jumped on some things before anyone else and enjoyed some nice success.

Here I am 18 years later from starting to work online in 1999 and I'm a six figure marketer - have been for many years now. My income continues to increase. And yes, I still keep failing forward.

Thought I'd share some insight with you from what I've experienced...

#1 - Never stop learning. I buy courses and learn different points of view continually. I never want it to end. Even if it's a topic I already know, if a course comes out from someone I respect, I'll buy it to see their take on it.

#2 - Shop smart. I always hated people claiming they always get ripped off. That's more a buyer problem than anything. I don't get ripped off. Because I learn who to buy from and actually immerse myself in that person's free stuff before I shell out cash to them and if I like their style, I'm confident it'll be worth it.

And never buy stuff you can't afford. It (your desperation) taints your opinion right away into feeling like the product is lesser value than what it really is.

#3 - Pace yourself. I am the queen of hard work and burn out routines. I go balls to the wall on my work, then exhaust myself and turn into a hermit. It means my income can fluctuate by $7-8 thousand dollars in months due to my lack of pacing.

#4 - Do it afraid. Whatever "it" is that you're scared of - putting yourself out there on video, approaching people, whatever - do it anyway. Courage comes later. White knuckle it and do it. It (all things) get easier once you have it behind you the first time.

#5 - Take care of yourself. I've messed up royally right now. I let some emotional stuff (dad in hospice, etc.) get the best of me and I soothed with food and sleep. Now my business suffers because I'm tired - physically and emotionally. So now, I work - but it's a struggle. So now I have to fight my way back to tip top form so I can compete in a way that lets me rip my competition to shreds. As we all should.

#6 - Accept offers to help you brand yourself. As you start sharing with people, if your sharing is helpful, your peers will approach you to interview you. Don't turn them down. I started off being interviewed by big names and it built my list. Then I went hermit and said no to everything - global speaking engagements, webinars, etc. Just didn't feel like being in the spotlight. It builds your list and expertise. DO IT, even if you don't feel like it.

#7 - Blog. I blogged and got great feedback and engagement. Then I started only blogging privately (password protected for my subscribers). I don't know why. I just did. Mistake. Blogging needs to be consistent and open to help you build a list and gain expert status.

#8 - If something's working for you, think hard before quitting on it. I have multiple streams of income (affiliate marketing - tangible and digital, PLR sales, Kindle fiction and product launches). I let my foot off the gas in 2017 and even though my income grew by $20k with the other methods, I gave up about $30k in product creation income just because I didn't feel like going to the effort.

#9 - If you're selling something, do it right. That means above and beyond product creation that wows people, recruitment of affiliates the proper way - early, the right people, the right perks), and make an effort in writing your sales copy. I tend to go hermit and launch and have people contacting ME saying, "Did you launch something? My list might like that..."

Foolish. I should be approaching people routinely. I get lazy. I spend like 5 minutes writing sales copy - a headline, subhead, and what's in the product. Wrong. I need a good 48-72 hours reserved solely for sales copy so I do it right. Think about the message. My lack of dedication to this aspect of my business not only lets ME down, but my affiliates, too.

#10 - Work on your mindset and planning. I have to get my go getter brain back in line. I have years where I'm a deadly competitor in some areas, and years where I couldn't care less if everyone passed me by. Consistency is key and I have to fine tune my mindset to crave that competitive edge on a regular basis.

#11 - Be transparent. I cried on my FB live stream today. I hate it. Feel like a dork. I hate being emotional. It detracts from your authority. But in other ways, it adds to your credibility because your audience doesn't mind seeing that you're vulnerable IF you are sharing how you're fixing your problems.

Nobody likes a whiner, but if you're simply sharing what your path is in a way where others who are also struggling can relate and follow you to better outcomes, then it's worth it and the end result is success and INCREASED authority. (ie: I'd rather learn how to lose weight by someone who's been fat and lost it all than someone who never struggled in the first place).

#12 - Ask for help. I posted here a million times when I was confused about stuff everyone else knew. Who cares? There were things I ended up knowing that they didn't. It's all a give and take. If you're lost, first do some research to see if you can get unstuck by yourself. THEN, if you can't, put out an SOS and see if someone can lend a hand. Always be willing to help others out, too.

Tiff