7 Mistakes Beginning Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Make

by | Aug 17, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog

Over the last 4 years I’ve had the privilege of getting to know, hundreds, if not thousands of budding lifestyle entrepreneurs.

In that time, I’ve seen an equal number of “lifestyle design” blogs that have come and gone (can we ditch that term yet?)

There’s a harsh reality with these type of blogs that’s kind of tough to ignore. Usually they start out because of a major shift in someone’s life; either they were laid off, or decided to quit and perhaps travel for a year. They read the 4 Hour Workweek and proceed to “design their life.”

Step one: start a blog! Woohoo!

Do they want to be a blogger? Probably not. Do they know what the long term goal of the site is? Nah. It’s just a good way of justifying taking time off and traveling, or in some cases, collecting unemployment and becoming disturbingly good at Call of Duty.

What happens then? Well, they finish their travels, run out of money, (or a combination of both) and eventually go back to getting a real job, letting the blog die a slow and unmemorable death.

Now, obviously not everyone can relate to this story, and there’s dozens of people in Location Rebel who have had huge success building a real lifestyle business.

BUT, most people don’t. Most people make some crucial mistakes early on, that are pretty much setting them up for failure over the long term.

Today I want to see that change. I’ve made all of these mistakes myself over the last 4 years in one form or another. What’s important is you recognize what’s happening, and change course as quickly as possible.

So based on years of research (ok I may be using that term a little loosely), and thousands of conversations (true), here are the biggest mistakes I see people make when it comes to starting a lifestyle business.

1) Don’t try and Recreate someone else’s lifestyle

Now that Tim’s book has been out for the better part of 7 years, there are thousands of examples of people building successful businesses and living happier, and potentially more profitable lives in the process.

The problem with this is I’ve seen a lot of people try and emulate the path of someone else. They haven’t figured out what their dream is, so they try and live out someone else’s.

There are all kinds of problems with this. For one, that’s someone else’s passion, not yours. If you aren’t totally into hang gliding, then how can you expect to make it through the long startup process to open up that kind of business in Brazil. Oh, you want to do SEO freelancing to free up some time so you can….oh wait, you don’t know what you want to do?

You’ll be even more miserable than you were before.

No one can recreate my business or anyone else’s for that matter. It’s my unique story and 4 years of blogging/traveling/learning that makes Location 180 and related businesses what it is today.

Before you make a leap, understand what you’re leaping towards, and why you’re leaping towards it. You’ll be more successful, happier, and you won’t piss off the dude whose business your copying.

2) Start with the basics

That’s awesome you want to create a hundred niche sites, oh, and you’re going to do it all in the next 30 days? With no background in SEO or marketing?! Sweet, I’m sure you’ll make one miiiillliooon dollars off of that.

Right.

How many times have you seen that one work out? Very rarely.

What’s the problem here?

Often people who go this route, aren’t starting with the basics. Until you have the skills and confidence to be able to pull something like that off, you’re just going to be wasting your time. So how do you start with the basics?

Here’s the three step process we teach:

  • Learn Skills
  • Find Freelance Clients
  • Apply to your own projects

Are there other ways to do this? Of course. But in my experience this is the one that guarantees results.

Learning the basic skills, things like WordPress, copywriting, and SEO, will give you a solid base for whatever online or lifestyle venture you get involved with.

Then, by picking one skill and freelancing it, you’re building confidence and a base of income that will help ensure you’ve got some money coming in when you’re moving on to step 3.

Finally, once you’ve got some confidence, then you apply all of your skills to your own projects. Anything from e-commerce to membership sites, or niche sites. All are great business opportunities under the right circumstances.

And even once you’ve moved onto all of those ideas…100 niche sites, as great as it sounds, still probably a bad idea.

3) You Can Have It All, But Not All at Once

These days I’m a pretty firm believer that you can have anything you want, if you want it bad enough. If my life goal was to own a Ferrari, I could make that happen – but I’d most likely be sacrificing a lot in order to achieve that.

This works on a much smaller scale as well.

All too often, I see people who want everything in their business when they are starting out. I received an email the other day from someone still in their day job that said something to the effect of:

Sean, really excited about getting my new business up and running. I’ve got all kinds of stuff in the works, including:

  • A blog with 3 blog posts a week
  • A new podcast
  • 3 niche sites
  • A free pdf product
  • A membership site
  • A you tube video blog

Oh and I’m getting ready to travel through SE Asia when I quit in a few months.

The guy had all of about 2 blog posts done and hadn’t done any work on his theme.

Classic example of trying to do too much, too quickly.

All of those things are great…but not when you’re starting out.

Focus on maybe two of those things. Figure out what your main goals are, and then work relentlessly on the things that will get you closer to those goals.

You can totally travel through SE Asia, work on a blog, and maybe one other thing, but if you’re going to attempt all of that at once, you’ll half-ass everything and never make any real progress towards the ultimate goal of making that your full time work.

4) Don’t Be Afraid to Spend Money

This one, I get. I can be a bit of a cheap ass at times, and I totally was early on. BUT, hindsight is 20/20 right? There are certain small investments that can pay off in spades, and are necessary.

Best example?

A premium blog theme. I used the free version of Arthemia for two years before finally investing in a good looking custom site design (Props to Andrew and Andrew). But you don’t even have to take it that far.

Buy a premium theme from Woo Themes or Theme Forest. They have solid frameworks, and make it so easy to customize your site and make it look however you want.

With free themes, nothing is ever easy, and if you do find a good one, you’ll probably find a thousand other blogs that look just like yours.

Afraid to spend $19/month for Aweber? Get over it. It’s the best $19 you’ll spend on your business.

The old addage “You’ve gotta spend money to make money” has a lot of truth in it. Sure, you can bootstrap the hell out of your business and spend very close to zero dollars, but you’re going to make your life a lot more difficult than it needs to be.

Stay in an extra night a week and take the money you saved and invest in yourself and your business – you won’t regret it.

5) Building a Brand is More Important Than You Think

Often times when I see people skip mistake #2 above (start with the basics) they jump right into building an info product or niche site, and they skip one very, VERY important step: establishing a brand.

I used to call it having a “hub of location independence”. By having a website and building a brand online you’re opening up so many opportunities that simply wouldn’t be available to you otherwise. It establishes credibility, and makes it easier to get in touch with more influential people and businesses. It allows other like minded people to find you which in and of itself should be enough of a motivator for you.

Sure being a lone ranger can be fun, but having a brand will allow you to scale things infinitely faster.

How do you do this?

Many people view a brand as synonymous to having a blog. While I think a blog can be a valuable asset, it isn’t 100% necessary.

Simply having a basic WordPress site up, with some solid info on who you are, and what you’re all about can go a long ways. If I were you, at the very least I’d have a blog component in order to establish expertise. Even if you only right once or twice a month, it gives people a little more insight into who you are and exactly what you do.

Not sure how to do this? Don’t worry, this post has all you need.

Your brand and things associated with it, is also one of your biggest assets. If all you’re doing is creating niche websites, one Google algorithm change can wipe out your business.

Even if everything I have online was deleted and I had to start from scratch, there’s still value in the Location 180 name, my email list, my reputation etc. Bottom line, for me personally, without the brand, there is no business.

6) Take Your Work Seriously

If you’ve recently quit or are traveling around the world, a new blog or business can seem like an awesome little side project. One of my best friends, Ryan, started an awesome blog that was quickly gaining traction and making him some money. But he never took it seriously as a business.

What happened?

He let the site sit for a year, somewhere along the way, it got hacked, and then he didn’t want to pay the hefty fee to get it fixed once he finally noticed what happened.

By now he could have had a thriving business and community, but he never took it seriously. Caveat: He loves his life as a tour guide right now, but it’s still definitely a missed opportunity.

Sorry bud, but had to call you out on this one.

Moral of the story? If you’re serious about building a business, act like it.

Build routines around your work. If you’re working on your venture full time, figure out what hours you’re most productive, and sit your ass down in your chair and do the work.

If you’re doing it on the side, do the same thing. Figure out when you can work, and actually do it.

If you treat your business like a fun side-project, that’s exactly what it’ll be. If you take it seriously, and treat it as your new day job, in time, you’ll be right where you want to be.

7) Dont Work in a Vacuum

I’ve said repeatedly over the years that if you want to be successful doing this, you have to find a supportive community. For as many people as I know living out their perfect lifestyle, the concept still isn’t mainstream.

If you tell many of the people close to you that you want to start a business on your own, they’ll probably give you a myriad of reasons as to why that’s a bad idea.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a solid support system while you’re working through things.

This is one of the most common mistakes I see as well. People will hole up in front of their computers and treat the whole thing like they are in a vacuum. They won’t go out and meet other entrepreneurs, and often won’t even try and communicate with likeminded people online.

Not only are you doing your education a disservice, but it won’t be long before your sanity wears thin, and you scrap the whole thing.

This is probably the most important thing I’ll say in this post, if you’re serious about building a successful lifestyle business find a supportive, like minded community as soon as possible.

Here’s a great one if you need a push in the right direction.

Are you Making These Mistakes?

None of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes no matter how hard we try not to. Consider this post a reminder. It’s easy to let things get in the way of our dream lifestyles, but focus on continually improving your business, and you’ll thank yourself later on when you have full freedom in your life. When you don’t have to miss things like your kid’s first steps because you were at work, or when you meet the person of your dreams while traveling through the French Riviera.

That’s why we’re doing all of this anyway, right? To live a life where we can do more of the stuff we like to do, on a daily basis.

Reblogged from Sean Ogle\’s website www.SeanOgle.com

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Going Deeper With Social Media

by | Aug 14, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog

Social media is everywhere. If you’re like me you know you have to be engaging on it. I confess I’m not always on it and I do social media marketing and management for a living. Crazy Huh. I feel lately there is so much content out there on social media that what I have to say isn’t new. I want my content to be engaging and relevant and new. So I’m on a mission. My mission is to go deeper on my blog, with social media and in my life. So join me!

So how in the world am I going to do that in a culture that is on information overload. Heck, I feel like I’m an information junkie. Do you ever feel that way? I’m going to start with engaging. I’m going to ask you a point blank question; Are you engaging with your list and your various connections on the social media platforms? What are you doing to engage them? So here are my 3 steps for engaging.

1. Talk to them not at them! I’m learning this over and over again is that when I talk to them by adding a human element, I get a response. No one likes to be talked at. An example of what not to do, (and I’ve been guilty with this one) is don’t always write “Read my Blogpost” or “Attend my webinar”! It is essential to provide a safe place to nurture a two way conversation.

2. Provide valuable content and encourage your audience to give feedback. One of my favorite things to do is my video social media tip and I always ask things like “Does this work for you?” or “What are your thoughts on this?” This really starts the conversation rolling.

3. Look for ways to always start a conversation by focusing on them, and their needs. I love to ask questions to find out what my audience needs. I love to find out some of the things that they are doing in their business. One thing I did a couple of weeks is I posted a challenge on my video tip on a Friday to implement on Monday. I asked them to tell me how the implementation went. Had a great response.

The biggest thing for me with engaging more is to create relationships with the people I come into contact with, rather if it’s online or offline. What do you do to engage more on social media?

Read more by Lorraine on her website BizGoneSocial

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What Creates Results?

by | Aug 12, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog

What ever goes on within the confines of your mind will surely reflect on your outside actions. What does that mean? What you think about and how you think about them will determine the level of income you earn, the type of house you live in, the type of car you drive, the type of relationships you have, etc. Take a look at what you have right now. Everything that you have around you will tell you what type of thoughts you grant attention to.

This can make a real impact on your life. Since your most dominant thoughts will determine the type of actions you take which will determine the type of lifestyle you live, it would be best to expand your mind by learning all that you can. A person who only knows of working for wages cannot hope to attain the millionaire mark. But by learning and applying different and honorable ways to earn income, the chances of attaining such a mark increase. I know we all have thought, “I\’ve heard that before. It’s nothing new”. But that is precisely why so many people still work for wages and a small amount earn giant amounts of income. Because one may have heard helpful information before, doesn’t mean that one utilizes it.

It is not enough to just “know” about something. It’s useless if you don’t put it to practical use. Here is one secret to success: Listen from those who have gone to where you want to go (i.e. books, mentors, programs, seminars), apply those steps to your own venture, and leave nature no choice but to send success your way. This alone will entirely change the way you think. Therefore, changing your actions and creating a different set of results you wouldn’t have gotten if you didn’t apply the one secret to success. This also works on other aspects other than money. The bottom line: Expand your mind in the direction you want to go, exceed your limits, and create desired results.

Reblogged from the Success Coach Corner

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5 Skills of Really Amazing Listeners

by | Aug 10, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog

Most people like to think what they have to say is important. If you or I make the effort to share thoughts, feelings, or knowledge, then we want to believe the intended recipient is listening. But honestly, many people are too distracted to really take it all in when someone else is doing the talking. What\’s worse is that so many just watch mouths move, waiting for the chance to chime in.

Great leaders understand the value of active listening and get the most benefit from what others have to share. They understand that if you want to be heard and understood, the first step is learning how to listen yourself. The following are actions shared by those who truly know how to listen. Integrate them into your conversational behavior and you might be surprised what you learn.

1. Be present. Being \”in the moment\” is not just for yoga or Grateful Dead concerts. If you are going to take in what someone is saying, you have to truly focus your mental awareness on the person. Push distractions aside. Give a person the gift of your attention. Put down the smartphone, turn off your computer screen, put down the book or magazine, and look at him or her with a neutral or pleasant expression. Most people are so accustomed to having half of someone else\’s focus at any given moment that this gesture alone will make them feel important and it will allow you to actually hear what they are saying.

2. Turn down the inner voice. Internal analysis of any conversation is unavoidable and necessary, but often it\’s at the expense of objectivity. That voice can actually take over in your brain to the point at which you are no longer listening to the person talking and instead simply listening to the diatribe in your head. There is plenty of time after a conversation to assess the value of what you heard, but first you have to hear it. One technique for quieting the inner voice is simple note taking. Writing down even key words or short phrases will force you to absorb the information coming in. Then you can process it on your own outside the presence of the speaker. As an added benefit, you\’ll have a more accurate representation of what was actually said for later discussion.

3. Hold up a mirror. This is a technique many psychologists and counselors recommend to help alleviate conflict. When the opportunity arises, speak up and describe for the person what you have just heard him or her say. It is OK to rephrase in your own words. Be sure to end with a request for confirmation: \”So what you\’re most concerned about is that the new hires lack training. Is that accurate?\” The speaker then knows you are paying attention and fully engaged.

4. Ask for clarification. During a conversation, hunt for areas of interest where you might further inquire. Without derailing his or her train of thought, ask the speaker to expand and clarify: \”What do you mean by \’interesting?\’\” or \”Why do you think that is so important?\” The speaker will appreciate the interaction, and you will gain better understanding of the person\’s perspective as well as your own perception of the information.

5. Establish follow-up. At the end of any conversation, discuss and determine if there are action steps required. This check-in will alert speakers to your actual concern for what they said, and help them assess their own relevancy to your needs. Express appreciation for their sharing, and let them know what you found to be valuable from the conversation. Making them feel heard increases the odds they\’ll truly listen to you when you have something to say you believe is important.

reblogged from Inc.com. For more articles by Kevin Daum sign up here.

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Go For It: 3 Ways Women Can Bridge The Confidence Gap

by | Aug 7, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog

This morning, I was on the phone with one of the most dynamic women I’ve ever met. We were talking about a joint venture based on her initial success with clients of a particular product she launched. She then uttered the words that I’ve heard time and time again from women, including myself:

“I’m just not sure that I’m credible enough yet to lead this. Have I done enough in the industry to show that I’m the right person to do it?”

And that, my friends, is the key to what holds us back. While it’s a generalization, of course, it’s one that I’ve seen throughout my career. Women remain steadily focused on competence, while men are focused on confidence. When offered an opportunity, we women wonder: ,”Am I good enough? Do I deserve this? Do I have enough expertise in this area?” While men, when offered that same opportunity, tend to jump up and volunteer — even when they don’t know what they’re talking about. They say yes first, and figure it out later.

Competence is an amazing and necessary thing. But, as you grow in your career, ask yourself if you’ve worked as hard on your confidence as you have on your competence. Granted, there’s no MBA in “confidence,” but it is a skill that most certainly can be taught.

Here are a few ways to build up your confidence:

1. Set a MVC metric.
Knowledge is key, but we often hide behind needing to “know more” before we act. What is the minimal amount of competence that you need on a subject before you can push forward? Figure out the Minimum Viable Competence (MVC) needed — then go get that. You can (and should) continue to learn, of course, but once you have MVC, it’s time to go for it.


2. Ask for feedback.
Look for people who are invested in you and ask them what it is about you that makes you great. It’s not fishing for compliments; it’s building your tolerance for hearing great things about yourself without cringing. Even better? Also ask for areas of improvement. Work on those, but don’t stop pushing forward as you’re doing that hard work. Learning how to take constructive feedback (both positive and negative) is vital.


3. Dream big.
Imagine what your life and career would be like if nothing was holding you back. No barriers, no politics, nothing. Write it down. Then ask yourself: Why on earth you are letting anything stand between you and what you really want? Aren’t you worth that dream? Aren’t you competent enough to execute against that dream? If not, why not? Find out if it’s an actual physical challenge — or if it’s just negative self-talk and lack of confidence that’s holding you back.

 

By the time I had finished my call with that brilliant young woman I spoke with this morning, we had hatched an idea for a business that will hopefully be a great success for her. It may, of course, fall flat on its face. But one thing is for sure: There’s nothing in the world holding her, or anyone else, back from just going for it.

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Staying Focused

by | Aug 3, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog

So, I spent some time last week up at Star and Snake, an artist retreat in NH that my sister is developing . I periodically need time to get away and reflect on events of my life and my desires for the future. It is part of how I stay on my A game for my clients and of course it is essential to my own well-being.

I noticed something while I was holed away in this beautiful environment with a fire roaring and torrential rain coming down. I noticed that there were some areas of mental hygiene that needed to be addressed. I am not sure to say whether I was surprised by this or not but I can say that I was pleased. I was pleased because as soon as I saw it I new right away what needed to shift. That is what I will be writing about today.

Before leaving for my retreat, a client mentioned that she had started listening to Abraham Hicks and that she was finding the messages to be helpful. This was the second client to say this to me in a short amount of time so upon arriving at my retreat , I downloaded some of their work to see why this was coming to me at this time.

In doing some editing on my upcoming book Apathy is Noxious, I reread a chapter in which I talked about determination. Specifically, I talked about my determination as a child. I said that staying focused and moving towards my goal was what was most significant and the outcome was actually never doubted.

Unwavering focus is definitely a key ingredient to creating what we want. For those of you familiar with Abraham Hicks you know that they are a big proponent of focusing on what you desire.

With these two pieces of information up front in my mind, I began to look back over the events of the last month or so. Was I focused on what I wanted?

I consider myself pretty skilled at holding positive intent, seeing possibility, and seeing opportunities. I make regular time to get clear on what I want from each day, week and year. AND, I saw some room for improvement.

What a gift to have this time and to have these nudges to get refocused in a way that serves me!

So, here is what I saw: There were a couple key areas where I was off my game. I had started to focus on problems rather than solutions. So, I did a little writing and got refocused on what I really wanted to create rather than the problems that distracted me.

That is my suggestion this week: What are the problems that you are paying too much attention to? Can you refocus on what you WANT instead of focusing on the problems themselves?

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