[Editor’s Note #1: This post, by Laura Roeder, was written a LONG TIME ago and I’m an idiot for not posting it sooner.  Anyway, since writing this, Laura has moved to Venice Beach and become one of the most sought-after social media consultants in the industry.  She’s virtually “blown up” on the tech scene (speaking at numerous conferences including SXSW and BlogHer) and is definitely a rising star.  I highly recommend you subscribe to her newsletter and check out her new video blog.]

[Editor’s Note #2: This post is part of my Liberation Stories Project.  Click here for more information.]

Laura’s Liberation Story

I had just been at my first job out of college for a little over a year. I felt like wanting to quit was irresponsible. I was surrounded by people telling me to "pay my dues" and "put in my time."  It’s not even the old cliché of the corporate ladder, I was a designer and enjoyed a creative job at a small company. By most accounts I enjoyed my job just fine. But I wanted something more. I loved being able to speak with clients, be invited to presentations, to brainstorm about strategy. However in my role as a junior designer I only got a limited glimpse. I knew I would have to work my way up to art director before I got to be fully involved in all these aspects. And I knew that would take five more years at the VERY minimum if I was a superstar. Just getting through the next five years, not doing the things I really wanted to do did not sound very appealing to me.

There was something else. . . . (more…)

[Note: In my last post I left you with a cliff hanger. I resolved that cliffhanger yesterday on my private email list.  I had originally thought that I was ready to publicly make a certain announcement.  But I just wasn’t.  Big things, however, are on the way. (I’m certainly not telling you this to coerce you to join the list – because even if you joined the list today you wouldn’t receive yesterday’s email).]

My business outlook changed forever the day I learned what I’m about to teach you. . .

In fact, the stuff I’m about to show you has resulted in the biggest increase in profits I’ve ever seen.

Note: I would highly suggest you watch this video in full-screen mode.

P.S. Click here to download the spreadsheet shown in the video.

Note: So far hundreds of people have downloaded the Business Ideas Litmus Test and I’m receiving the first round of reviews. If you haven’t downloaded it, consider it. If you have, I’d love it if you went here and sent me feedback.

The Problem With “Tricks”

You can’t build a long-term internet business on quick and dirty internet marketing “tricks.”  Or loopholes. Or B.S. “secrets.”  (Of course, if you’re unscrupulous and lack moral fiber, you can make a fortune by telling other people that these tricks exist and then selling them . . . but that’s not what I’m talking about).

Anyway, so many aspiring entrepreneurs are never able to leave their day jobs because they treat online business like a glorified hobby: it’s become a video game and they’re looking for the cheat codes (and that’s unfortunate).  They want to “talk shop,” hear “war stories,” and engage in bullshit debates about the finer points of SEO or social media or whatever new and shiny thing is currently being launched.

They want the tricks and get distracted when it comes to substantial (but less “shiny”) business strategies that have worked for decades.

But the people I know who have quit their day jobs aren’t fucking around.  And if you really want freedom, you shouldn’t be fucking around either.

All of this brings me to . . .

The Mindset You Need to Win

Here’s an absurdly simplified overview of steps I’ve found helpful for starting any business venture.

1. Find a market – that you can be passionate about – with low competition and high demand.
2. Figure out exactly what you have to do to dominate that market, and decide whether or not you think it’s worth it
3. Work your ass off until you become profitable.

The problem is that most people don’t know how to do items #1 and #2, and that’s why they never ever follow through with item #3.

Put another way, most people never put in the hard work necessary to do well with their online business ventures because they never know two things: (a) what the return is likely to be, and (b) what they’ll need to do to beat the competition.

Most aspiring internet entrepreneurs are running a race with an unknown finish line and without knowing how fast they have to run to beat their competitors. So they don’t run very fast at all, or (most likely) they quit the race altogether.

The mindset one needs to win in business is one of focused determination. The problem is that most people don’t know how determined they should be, and what they should focus on.

What I Do to Motivate Myself

When I need motivation (and just can’t work anymore) I don’t listen to peppy songs, I don’t visualize myself driving a fancy car, and I don’t look at what competitors are doing and get angry.

What I do is simply look at my market research, get reacquainted with just how big of an opportunity I’m faced with, and get back to work.

Fortunately, I can’t build my motivation on blind faith: I need cold, hard data.

To me, solid data about market opportunities – and about what I’ll need to do to become profitable – is the most motivating thing of all.

But if you don’t know how to build a roadmap to your desired outcome, then it’s hard to get motivated.

Where This Blog Might be Heading

So as you might have guessed, I’m working on something.  At least I was working on something (even though it’s not a product in the traditional sense).

This thing (that I stopped working on) was about how to (1) find a market with low competition and high demand that you’re passionate about and (2) figure out exactly what you have to do to dominate that market, and and (3) test that market to do as much as you can to test profitability before you risk time and money developing a product, a blog, or a marketing plan.

But I stopped working on the product altogether because . . . (to be continued tomorrow).

One of the most “successful” phrases in the history of direct sales copywriting is this: “it’s not your fault.”

Fortunes have been made with this phrase.

Billions of dollars have been collected by telling people that their obesity, their poverty, their unhappiness, their dysfunctional relationship patterns aren’t their fault (and then selling them the “cure” that can fix everything).

There are all kinds of reasons why you don’t follow your deepest purpose.

Let’s see . . .

• Your passion might a require a large commitment of time and money (and and then fail)
• There’s uncertainty in starting a venture or launching a product
• You might fail and look like a loser in front of your spouse, children, and family (who didn’t think you’d make it in the first place)
• You’re afraid that if you follow your passion, you won’t be able to feed and house your family
• You’re afraid it’s going to take a LONG time before you reach profitability
• You don’t want to be in your mid-forties, driving a shitty car, and living in two-bedroom apartment with your family
• You’re afraid that you’ll end up a bum in the street, destitute, and in debt with no savings, no food, and no health insurance
• You’re afraid that you’ll be left out in the cold with no security
• You’re afraid that if you leave your job and start doing what you were born to do, that it will flop and you’ll have to re-enter the job force in a bad economy and that you’ll won’t be able to compete with younger guys who learn faster and will work for less money
• You’re afraid you’ll lose your house
• You’re scared about having enough money for retirement

Well, I have news for you. . .

. . . you might not have unlimited money, but you do have unlimited resources.

Your time IS now.

Your spouse might briefly hate you if you go for it, but over the next 5 years she’ll come to resent you even more after you’ve become jaded, passionless, and have lost your way.

There is no price too great for freedom. There is no price too great to pay for coming alive.

The time IS now. Your time is now. And if you don’t do it now, you probably never will.

Your time is now.

You know the thing you’ve been putting off the longest? That thing you’ve been procrastinated for the last 10 years? That’s the thing you need to start doing today. That’s the thing you need to start before going to bed tonight.

I can’t tell you it will be safe.  But doing shit you have to do because you’re afraid of the alternative: that’s the quickest way to lose respect: not just the respect of your spouse and children and everyone who believes in you or once belied in you – but also your self-respect.

And you’re children, they’re going to have enough to eat. They might not have all the latest bullshit toys, but they’ll have something better at home: an example of courage and life.

(And trust me… your spouse and kids would rather have in you a courageous “failure” than a cowardly “success”).

Putting off that thing you were born to do. That’s not safe.

Nothing is safe.

And if you’re too good to sacrifice for a bit, drive a shitty car, not eat out, and rent instead of buy . . . then you might not deserve the thing you crave.

You might not have unlimited money, but you have unlimited resources. And you know it.

The barriers to entry for nearly every endeavor you or I can think of are lower than they’ve ever been in the history of mankind.

Yes, you have a partner and children and mouths to feed. But they need a LOT more than food and money and some bullshit false notion of security. They need YOU.

Not the version of you that secretly hates 65% of his life. Not the version of you that gets up every morning unexcited about the upcoming day.

They need to version of you that is courageous, uncompromisingly true, HUNGRY for life, and ready to live and die giving your all to them and the world.

If this doesn’t describe you, then it’s probably your fault.

I would rather be a courageous (so-called) “failure” than a cowardly “success.”

Which will you be?