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Visions, Goals, and Dreams for Online Business Success
When I was a teenager, I convinced myself I wanted to be a boxing magazine publisher. My world, at the time, seemed to revolve around the sport. My grandfather had been a hall-of-fame trainer. He worked with some world-famous fighters of his day, including the Heavyweight Champion of the World - Jersey Joe Walcott.
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Believe it or not, this was my introduction to the personal branding and marketing concepts that would impact my life years later.
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It was during the early years when I discovered there were two versions of "me." There was the motivated version... and the unmotivated version. I became a different person when I was excited about something. It could be an activity, a topic, or even a business opportunity. Once the excitement was there, so was the vision. And once the vision was there, so was the energy. And once the energy was there, things got done.
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Don't let the word "vision" trip you up. I'm talking about testing out an idea you can see yourself succeeding with, even if we’re just talking about moderate success.
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I'm guessing you can relate on some level if not completely.
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Having something that you're excited about working towards or having something that motivates you to move forward in life changes everything, doesn't it? Over the past few years, I think people have lost much of that.
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The challenges we face on local, national, and international levels are numerous - and that's putting it lightly. As a result -
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I've spent a Better Part of this Year Assessing the Threats to the Business World
I spent the better part of this year assessing the various threats in my market and similar markets. Let me add, that it was exhausting. You can only study the problems for so long. Ultimately, you have to switch gears and begin to refocus on some of the possible solutions.
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The Solutions
If you're in a saturated market (slow growth or no growth over the course of 24 months or longer), two options come immediately to mind.
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- Go all in to find an underserved sub-market in your existing market, and niche down.
- Experiment with bringing your existing knowledge and skills into new markets entirely.
I'm sure I could find more, but the above two will take some time to pursue - so this will be the starting point.
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Lastly, utilize AI to expedite the options listed above.
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Adaptability May Be Your Greatest Asset
Maybe I'm overstating this, but I'm beginning to think that adaptability may be one of the best assets to have for the time we're in. So far, the decade of the 2020s has been a crash course in how quickly things can change.
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As of the fall of 2023, selling services online continues to be hot. Selling courses, coaching, and information products are not. AI has changed the landscape. Learning how to write headlines, writing sales copy, etc. Writing almost anything is now being "outsourced" to AI.
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This, by the way, has opened to door to a few opportunities that I'm already taking advantage of. Creating good content is easier than ever. Until the average business owner embraces AI, it will continue to provide additional financial opportunities for those of us who are early adopters. (It's not too late to be an early adopter!)
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Getting the Excitement Back Again
All of the above leads to this last thought for today. And that is, it's time to get the excitement back again. It's time to renew the vision for a better tomorrow because when you can see an opportunity, and that opportunity looks and feels real to you - it will reignite the fire inside of you.
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Maybe you haven't experienced that in a long time? But I'm sure you remember what it felt like to be building something that, deep down inside, you could realistically envision being successful. That changes everything. The secret is - it has to be real to YOU.
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I'm not saying you should drop or abandon whatever you're currently doing to do something new. In most cases, that's not even realistic. What I'm saying is, why not look up and beyond where you are today and be open to other possibilities for growth or success?
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A Lesson from the Life of Charles Howard
Charles Howard began his career as a bicycle repairman in Vermont in the early 1890s. Later, he made his way to San Francisco, California, where he continued to pursue his passion for fixing bicycles. It was during this time that he became fascinated with the latest technology of his era - automobiles.
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While automobiles were not widely owned at that time, Charles Howard saw great potential in repairing them. He embraced his vision and took incremental steps toward a brighter future.
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Eventually, Howard became the proud owner of one of the first Buick dealerships in the country. From there, he embarked on an extraordinary journey that led him to become the owner of the iconic racehorse, Seabiscuit.
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Final Thoughts
You don't have to be a prophet to recognize that we've all lived through what amounts to the ending of one era and the beginning of another. Hindsight being 20/20, this should become increasingly clear over the next few years. Yes, there will be plenty of challenges. But, I also believe there will be enough opportunities for each of us on an individual level as well.
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In other words, there's no reason to believe you'll be a victim of chance.
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So, that's about it for now. Hopefully, this can give you a few things to think about. A better future for your business life is not out of reach.
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