What Makes Successful People Successful?

38 replies
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Why do guys like Patt Flynn, Darren Rowse, and John Chow deserve success any more than we do?

Were they just lucky?

Are they working harder?

Do they know something we don't?

It's funny how you could put in 16-hour days, 6 days a week and still not make enough money to pay rent, feed your family, and God forbit it, relax.

So we have these guys like Patt Flynn, Darren Rowse, and John Chow who all have very successful blogs, and we all look up to them for it.

But who's to say that they shouldn't be looking up to us?

Is there some ultimate secret to success we are unaware of?

We live in our definition of "poverty" while Supper Affiliates are living comfortably... but why?
#makes #people #successful
  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    Success

    George Wright
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    "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Well I have never actually heard of any of the people you mentioned.

    But success is there for those who really want it.

    'Want' is the key word there.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    They DO the things that others aren't willing to and so they GET the success others desire.

    Most unsuccessful people already KNOW what to do - they just don't DO it. How many times have people talked about buying WSO after WSO and they all stink or have said they already knew this rehashed junk.

    If they KNEW the rehashed junk, why weren't they USING it? Because they don't do what they need to do to succeed. They don't need a new secret they just need to do what they already know to do.

    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author alksense
    The sad truth is that most people do mindless work (if any work at all) when it comes to their own businesses and they just expect success to come to them. Then they get mad when they don't see results after a few weeks of playing around with a website for a few hours a day.

    The people who are successful with internet marketing (or any business for that matter) treat it as a real business and understand results aren't guaranteed and that they certainly take time to obtain.

    My first profitable business was an eCommerce store. It started making money it's first month online BUT I spent MONTHS of late nights meeting with my business partner at a local library planning out our business and how we were going to execute it. There was A LOT of behind the scenes execution that went on before we even came close to making a single dollar and at any point we could have said "there's no money in this, forget it" and moved on to the next shiny object. Instead we pushed through and put in the time it takes to plan and build a profitable business.

    What I'm trying to say is that you (and everyone else here) has the potential to earn just as much as the guys you mentioned (and even more) but it won't happen over night and it may take days and days and weeks and weeks and months of months of HARD work to get there. You just have to stick to an idea, make a business plan and give it your all. Don't give up and don't worry about small or no profits in the beginning. Stay motivated and stay focused!
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Successful people have different mind sets as opposed to unsuccessful people. The glass is half full, not half empty. They write out their goals, and follow them everyday
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  • Profile picture of the author Charles AK
    I once listened to Dan Kennedy talking about having brass balls, and that answered this question for me.

    I truly believe it's about work ethic when it comes down to it, I here a lot of people complaining about failing online, but they don't have the same work ethic as the guru's in our industry.

    It's also about mindset, there is a lot of tricks that these guru's do to increase productivity in their business, all of those guys you mentioned started from the bottom.
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  • Profile picture of the author alphalife
    Taylor,

    Thanks for motivating me to write a post on success building. I created a separate thread to help spread the knowledge further.

    I hope you find it useful. Let em know if you have any questions

    You can find the post here:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post7910950
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Kendo
    using your brain+ preparation+ planning+ hard work+ persistence+ prioritizing+ time management+ luck+connections=success
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    • Profile picture of the author Gary Clucas
      Originally Posted by Matt Kendo View Post

      using your brain+ preparation+ planning+ hard work+ persistence+ prioritizing+ time management+ luck+connections=success
      Seems pretty close to me.

      I think the importance of 'planning, prioritizing and time management' tend to get overlooked when you start out, because you generally have the time to do everything. But you reach a point where you suddenly realise you should have been developing good habits from the beginning.
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    I believe that successful people become successful because they work hard, and they find out how to succeed after initially facing failure. Persistence is the most important factor for their success.
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  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    Part of what made John Chow successful is that he knows how to deal with haters the right way. He turned some critics' hate to his advantage. Famous celeb blogger Perez Hilton did the same.
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    • Profile picture of the author ElGuapo
      The common trait you see among successful people is perseverance. I recall a newspaper article I read recently citing sociological studies that showed it is more beneficial to praise your child for their effort rather than lauding them for being intelligent or clever.

      A book I highly recommend is Tactics by Edward de Bono. He interviews successful people in a variety of fields in an attempt to identify the common qualities that made them champions.
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    Some people say I am lucky, as I have done well with many of my businesses, but lucky, that is bullshit.

    WHY? well I have worked hard, and followed my mentors advice, it was not easy and I am not even that smart.

    Want to know what my mentor said to me, it was simple.

    Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity

    So am I lucky? no way! I just work my ass off, and created the right opporutnities at the right time.

    Is it easy, no, but if it was everyone would have an online business and not work to make someone else rich.
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  • Profile picture of the author raffman999
    Having a clear plan, treating your work like a business and taking action.
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  • Profile picture of the author ATTEK
    I think It's the will to not give up, to keep fighting.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Clucas
    Initially it's about doing the simple things, discipline, not allowing yourself to get distracted, not giving in to your own self doubts.

    Once you have done the hard yards ,things just naturally progress.

    You start building your business, you stick at it, then you start making money, then your being interviewed, people start asking you how you did this? How you do that? You get invited to seminars, you create bigger and better products and it all just snowballs.
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    • Profile picture of the author barry500
      Regardless of whether you are trying to be successful in the IM niche or whether you are trying to be successful in other areas of your life -health, relationships, career, etc.

      The difference that will make the difference - is that people who achieve things have a big WHY!

      Most of us grasp the idea that you have got to know WHAT you want although sometimes even on this there can be fuzzy thinking. But the WHAT is only the ignition. The WHY is the fuel what will keep you breaking through barriers, your WHY is what will push you on when things seem insurmountable.

      Why are you doing what you are doing? How will you benefit? Who else benefit? What will you experience? What will change when you reach your desired goals?

      Get clear on your WHY. All the reasons that your must achieve your goals, become emotionally connected to these outcomes as they relate to your life and that of your family/friends - it is definitively the biggest difference between those who achieve what they want and those that merely get by.

      Barry
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Why do guys like Patt Flynn, Darren Rowse, and John Chow deserve success any more than we do?
    You're assuming that they're all huge earners, I think. You may be right. I don't assume that, though. If I had to guess, I'd say that two of those people earn more than me and one earns less. I may be wrong, of course, but you see my point, perhaps? We don't actually know how well they do.

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    Were they just lucky?
    My guess is that they were "lucky", but certainly not "just lucky".

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    Are they working harder?
    I doubt if any of them is working harder than I am, but again, we don't know.

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    Do they know something we don't?
    Clearly - but we also know many things that they don't. Such is life.

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    It's funny how you could put in 16-hour days, 6 days a week and still not make enough money to pay rent, feed your family, and God forbit it, relax.
    It's normal. The failure-rate with any kind of self-employment has always been very high, so that applies to plenty of people.

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    So we have these guys like Patt Flynn, Darren Rowse, and John Chow who all have very successful blogs, and we all look up to them for it.
    Some of us "look up" more/less than others, (I sometimes see some clearcut factual misinformation on the blogs of two of the people you've mentioned), and many of us "look up" without actually knowing how well they're doing, I think? I haven't examined their income-claims (if any) and am casting no aspersions on this front, I hasten to say - I'm not sufficiently interested in any of them to have examined this question in detail.

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    But who's to say that they shouldn't be looking up to us?
    Indeed. (Though I'd maybe need to put my highest shoes on, for them to do that ).

    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    Is there some ultimate secret to success we are unaware of?
    I think it's a big, complicated and very variable mixture of a huge number of both predictable and unpredictable factors, myself. But I know that I'm significantly out of step with the broad Warrior Forum consensus of opinion on this question, because I also firmly believe that "intelligence" (even as measured only in the formal, scientific sense) and "education" (even as measured only in the formal, traditional sense and in spite of all the very well-known and very widely-discussed exceptions) play a considerably bigger part - overall - than most internet marketers like to imagine they do.
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  • Profile picture of the author ltrain_riders
    You're only as successful as the people under you.
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  • Profile picture of the author competent123
    just 1 thing - successful people are not successful because they are running after success, they are successful because they loved what they do, period!

    take a look at the most successful people of all times, none was successful because they were running after success. but they were the best in their industry - be it sports, or movies, or making money ( incidentally, money comes with success as well .)
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  • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
    Successful people pay for marketing - including marketing about how successful they are.
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  • Profile picture of the author mootonandy
    Originally Posted by ttomp13 View Post

    I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Why do guys like Patt Flynn, Darren Rowse, and John Chow deserve success any more than we do?

    Were they just lucky?

    Are they working harder?

    Do they know something we don't?

    It's funny how you could put in 16-hour days, 6 days a week and still not make enough money to pay rent, feed your family, and God forbit it, relax.

    So we have these guys like Patt Flynn, Darren Rowse, and John Chow who all have very successful blogs, and we all look up to them for it.

    But who's to say that they shouldn't be looking up to us?

    Is there some ultimate secret to success we are unaware of?

    We live in our definition of "poverty" while Supper Affiliates are living comfortably... but why?
    Successful people are just people who are willing to fail more times than average people.
    Most people are only willing to fail a couple of times before they give up.
    The key is finding out why it went wrong and then correcting it IMO - and understanding that you are on a journey of trial and error.
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  • Profile picture of the author january14n
    One common thing about those individuals success is not all about luck and hard work but mere focus on what they wanted to achieve. Most of us were trapped reading a lot of stuffs that we tend to be mislead or not focus with what we wanted to achieve. Staying focus with what we wanted will make our target more easier to achieve.
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  • Profile picture of the author Danny Cutts
    I was told the other week that most people spend 90% of the time thinking and only 10% doing.... where as I spend 90% of my time doing and only 10% thinking.....

    I reckon this is pretty true... go out there and bloody start dont over think things... keep it simple and solve the ultimate question.... We are not splitting the atom or doing rocket science...

    Danny

    PS I am a mardy arse today so I apologise
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  • Profile picture of the author kencalhn
    we work hard to actually help people, with world-class content, positioning, and authenticity, with outstanding customer service. no secrets. just old fashioned 'add value over time to an audience you've earned the trust of'. i'm one of the top in my niche, it's a lot of very hard 12-16 hour days for years to make it of course, like any successful entrepreneur. and dont waste too much time on forums or other distracting activity. best wishes
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    • Profile picture of the author NewRiseDigital
      Success is made up of determination, persistence, effort and training yourself to have a good mindset. You reap what you sow, it's really as simple as that.

      I love the story about Gary Player being told by a spectator "I wish I could hit a golf ball like you", and Gary Player snapping back. "I get up before dawn hit 5000 balls until my hand bleeds, I go back to the clubhouse bandage my hand and go hit another 5000 balls, and all this before breakfast - that's what it takes to hit a golf ball like me".

      So can you go the distance or do you give up? Actually that's pretty much the secret of success, winners and achievers - can you get to the finish line or are you a quitter?

      Keep going, don't be lazy and take action. The only one that's going to get something done is you. It's your life - use it!
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  • Profile picture of the author a1pena
    Its all about gathering specialized knowledge, Unstoppable work ethic, determination, and stay focused. Not getting distracted by shinny objects. Set goals, reach goals, move forward. Grow, expand, learn
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  • Profile picture of the author Drew Trainor
    I honestly think the only thing stopping people from being successful is information overload. As soon as you pick a business model and stick with it you'll at least know whether it works or not, and if it works for other people there's no reason it can't work for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author nitesh
    You too can become successful if you have these attributes.

    Hardword
    Patience
    Honesty
    Market Knowledge
    Marketing Knowledge
    Niche Knowledge
    Good Resources
    and finally Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author fin
    I usually hate these questions because it's always said you only need persistence and the right mindset to succeed, which is a lot of crap.

    They've succeeded because they have what it takes.

    People should focus on getting better each day and they might eventually have what it takes, instead of doing the same crap every day and hoping persistence and mindset will pay off.

    It's downright cruel to give someone false hopes.
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  • Profile picture of the author classiqa
    You learn from your mistakes and then you work on correcting them in your next action.Perseverance is one distinction mentioned by as Elguapo hardwork, and the way you understand how things work go hand in hand.
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    www.rightwaysolution.com
    Business Development
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmilligan
    Banned
    Determination and drive, the willingness to get back up and try again after being knocked down.

    Not everyone is made to be successful in business, but most people can be with the right knowledge and mind-set. It might be a year, a day, a month... Even 10 years, before they ever have any kind of 'success'.. People might never reach it at all.

    That's where the whole 'want' thing comes in.. does the said person want to be a success so badly that they are willing to spend their time and money on something that isn't guaranteed to go the way they want it to go. If they do, at some point a venture will probably be successful, if not.. then they'll probably give up and waste the potential they had.
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  • Profile picture of the author joaquin112
    From all I have read about this topic, there are three real ingredients to success:

    Luck + preparation + determination

    Bill Gates was extremely lucky because he was born in the right place at the right time. If his university didn't have a powerful computer (at the time) he wouldn't have been able to learn programming and would have never created Windows.

    Similarly, if someone else had had the same opportunity as Bill Gates, chances are that he wouldn't have seized it.

    There are thousands of other examples. If anyone thinks that luck doesn't play an EXTREMELY important chance in success, you're wrong.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shaamj
    I agree that success is for those who really want it. Those that strive and have the right mindset for success will no doubt achieve it.....
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  • Profile picture of the author StevenJones
    It's all in the clothes they wear... And a bit of mindset.
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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    BUilding a real business online isn't about working the hardest at all it's about doing the right things, making strategic plan and creating a strategic business.

    The coolest part about the internet is you can design your business around how you want to live your life. Successful people like Pat and others do this very well. They only work on the most specific tasks that they have planned for themselves...
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by thedanbrown View Post

      BUilding a real business online isn't about working the hardest at all it's about doing the right things, making strategic plan and creating a strategic business.
      I nearly lost hope.

      Thank you!
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