EP83: Iron Sharpens Iron

Welcome back, my friends.

Good to have you here.

Let’s be very clear about this…

We all need to feel successful.

That would include…

You…

Me…

And…

Any person looking to transform themselves from who they are (presently) to become what they want to be.

As business owners, creative professionals, and marketers (especially marketers)…

We all need to create awareness, generate leads, make sales, fulfill our obligations to our clients and/or customers, and make a profit that keeps us in business.

That’s what we need.

But, what we want — more than anything — is this sense of control.

We want…

No!

Let me say this instead.

We need to know that what we do in our business, and the results we achieve (and our income) are stable, predictable, and scalable.

We need to know that through our efforts that next month, and those that follow, will be better than the present one.

And for me, and I believe for you too…

That the things we do that contribute to our community - that there’s going to be an opportunity to increase that value we contribute to the world, expand our horizons, our relationships, and our income.

That was a big statement.

It was big when my mentor said it to me - so I can only assume it will resonate the same with you too.

I want you to imagine what it would feel like to experience that.

Not today, or possibly in the next month, but sooner than you would expect.

What if you knew — really knew — that within the next few months, you could thrive month after month, year after year?

Is that not what you want?

In the back of your mind, isn't that what you think is a successful business?

Last week I mentioned that there are times when as marketers we may inadvertently concentrate on the right things at the wrong time.

Left alone, I'm afraid, we would all do that very thing more often than not.

Which is one important reason why I set my heart to become a teacher and a helper.

Not to get all preachy on you…

It brings to mind an important scripture that I find comforting.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 NIV

It helps me understand that we never, ever, achieve our goals alone.

I have mentioned before that it takes a village to accomplish our goal of becoming a marketer.

The knowledge needed to become successful does not come naturally.

While we may ALL think we can do everything alone, it simply is not true.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

There are skills we all need to become a gazillionaire if that is your goal.

These skills are needed because marketing is difficult.

After all, it is a business.

So, with proper training and good old-fashioned hard work, we can all pull a rabbit out of our hat, so to speak.

And…

Getting that “proper” training always seems like the right thing to do.

Until you try to decide what to train on.

You see…

You cannot fix what you don't understand.

Or, as I say all the time…

“You don't know what you don't know.”

But you know you need to do something, right?

You have decided to embark on an adventure.

To build your empire online.

Or at the very least, supplement your income, to be recession-proof, pandemic-proof, and may I even say idiot-proof?

I get it…

We're not all rich.

Nor do we have all the disposable income in the world.

If we were, we’d just buy a turn-key business, already generating revenue, and hire a team to manage it.

Wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am.

But, the reality is this…

For many of you, and many just like you, you must keep working at the “day job” until this marketing thing starts to pay off.

Are you following me?

So you MUST deal with the problems as they come along and just struggle in silence.

Thinking to yourself…

“How hard can it be to sell things online?”

If you had a drug problem, everyone would say to get into a good program and learn how to live clean and sober.

But when something as important as your future is on the line, most marketers just try to wing it.

Forget about asking a mentor for help.

Instead, it's easier to Ignore the problem of not knowing what to do.

Figure it out one problem at a time.

Until you are fed up and start looking for answers online.

The gurus just love you.

You're the reason they keep raking in the bucks.

You know, the bucks YOU need to flow INTO your bank account, not out of it.

I understand exactly.

It is why I am here.

As an equalizer, I try to help people get answers to their difficult questions.

Help them know what they should be doing once they get stuck.

Guide them on a pathway that MAKES SENSE - to them.

But at the same time…

I cannot do the push-ups for anyone, but I can be the light that shines on those dark and lonely pathways - known to many of us as online hell.

You know…

When you buy a course that was supposed to take your marketing to the next level but failed to live up to the hype.

When you followed a guru for what feels like forever, only to be more confused - wishing there was a simpler way.

When you find out that marketing online is NOT going to be that simple walk in the park, many “gurus” proclaim to the masses, to sell their products, courses, books, and memberships.

When you are ready to throw in the towel and walk away.

I know last week, I mentioned that I would share the minimum skills needed to become successful online.

But sadly, as I began thinking about it.

Really think about it.

I realized that, YES - there are minimal skills that can get you started on your journey to success…

But, it would be a disservice to you, unless we applied it to different aspects of marketing.

What you need to market via paid ads is not the same as what you need to market successfully with social media or a blog post, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or other forms of reaching an audience.

So, [in the next few podcasts & blog posts], I am going to try to give you a couple of different scenarios.

After that, you should have a better idea of the minimal skills needed.

But do not be fooled into believing that before your career online is over, you will have to learn enough to have a master's in marketing.

You will.

Minimal skills are just the beginning.

Do you think Olympic gymnasts only learn minimal skills to earn gold?

Do doctors, get to wear their white garments and heal the sick and dying, using minimal skills?

[I hope not!]

The answer is No!

Architects and engineers spend years learning their craft.

No overnight success with them as well.

Lawyers, nurses, and realtors are regulated.

But for some reason marketers, that have the potential to earn much more than doctors, architects, and lawyers, are free of regulation.

But the world is ever-changing.

There is a good chance that soon even marketers will be held accountable for the things they say, and how they say them.

The things they "Teach", and how they "Teach" them.

Possible through regulation, licensing, and apprenticeships.

Who knows?

Anything is possible.

That's it!

I'm going to call it for this podcast.

I have some work to do in preparation for the next one.

Be sure to come back.

Until next week.

James "Still Sharpening" Brown

P.S. - In the event, you DO find that once an episode has been produced and posted, that YOU really would like more information, just let me know. Use the Podcast Questions link, click on the link here. Or you can just leave a voice message here.