The myth of the “fast” online success story

I see it all the time, and I’m sure you do too…

Guru coaches dazzling us with stories of how they made $100,000 (or more) online – their first year in business.

It’s easy to get excited by the possibilities for your business in the online world…

An automated business
A big list
Making money while you sleep

But then you realize it’s not as easy as it sounds. And you wonder, “Is it just ME? How they heck is everyone else making all this money with so much less effort than I’m putting out?!”

I’m here to say NO – it’s not just you. It’s a myth that you can quickly build a 6 figure online business. And it makes me angry when I see marketing gurus getting their followers to set unrealistic expectations.

I bet you’re thinking, “Wait, Amy, aren’t YOU an online marketing expert? Don’t you teach health coaches how to build an online business?”

Yes, I am an online marketing strategist, and I believe in the power of the online world, but I also think it’s vital (especially in the beginning) to leverage offline marketing strategies.

I teach both offline and online marketing, because I believe it’s using the power of BOTH of these worlds that you can build a sustainable, profitable business.

Building a successful online business is like running a marathon…

Most people (especially if they’re not an experienced long-distance runner) don’t get up in the morning and, out of the blue, decide to run a marathon that day. I’m not much of a runner, so you can bet that if I tried this, I wouldn’t get very far before collapsing!

I’ve never trained for a marathon, but I know many people who have. They were successful because they followed a training regimen over many months. They knew it was something that would take time to build up to.

Building a successful online business is the same. It’s totally possible to do, but it takes time.

What if you want (or need) to make money now?

I know that it’s frustrating to hear that it takes a while to build an online business – especially if your hopes and dreams were based on this. The truth is that you CAN make money *now* if you focus on offline marketing, while laying the foundation for the online world.

While it may not feel as sexy, I want you to consider this…

Would you rather have a stream of paying clients now, or wait for a year or two while you build an online business? Does it matter how you find clients, as long as they’re the right clients for you, you love working with them, and you’re writing yourself a regular paycheck?

I’ve heard from countless coaches who were ready to throw in the towel on their coaching business because they focused all their efforts online and weren’t bringing in enough money to make ends meet.

This is why I resent coaches who convince all of us that we can “make six figures by the end of the year.” I feel strongly about dispelling this myth, because I want you to be able to grow a profitable business that lasts. I know it sounds cliché, but you are needed! I don’t want you to give up on yourself and your business.

Should I give up on growing an ONLINE business?

Not at all! I get that with everything I’ve shared, you may be wondering where that leaves your plans for growing your list and an online business where you can help people around the world.

As I said earlier, I *do* believe in the power of online marketing. I’ve seen it work for me, countless clients, and colleagues. You can reach more people and start “making money while you sleep.” It is possible, but it takes time.

Grow your online business, while you focus offline.

There’s no need to choose between online and offline – when you can work on both at the same time. I know your time is limited, so you’ll want to be strategic about what projects you undertake. (It’s actually a really good thing to have to be selective about which strategies to implement. It means you’ll work smarter and not harder.)

In both my health coaching business and my current business, the first 6-12 months, I built momentum and got clients by marketing myself offline. I didn’t start with a fancy list, a blog, or leading webinars.

In the beginning, if you need to bring in money in the next 60 days, you’ll focus more on offline strategies, such as giving local talks. In the meantime, you can create a free opt-in gift that you add to your website so you can start building your list. If you already have a free opt-in gift, you might look for opportunities to write a guest blog post that helps you further grow your list.

You see, you can make money now, and grow a successful online business. I’m not promising you a 6 figure online business in 12 months, but I’m truly excited for all the possibilities that are out there for you. I know you can have everything you want.
Now I’d love to hear from you.
Where have you been focusing your energy – online or offline? Are there any changes you like to make as you move forward?