How To Build Your Business Faster (or Why Proven Success Formulas Don't Work) - pet peeve alert- Anke Herrmann

In Audio Format

If you prefer to listen .. it's an episode of the Don't just learn, CREATE! podcast ..

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There is one thing that winds me up every time I open Facebook and come across an ad aimed at people building their own business.

If you're building your business I'm sure you've clicked on the odd one yourself and were invited to a free masterclass that masterfully describes the dilemma you're in – you have an idea, a mission, something you're passionate about, but in order to turn that into a thriving business there is so much to learn and do that you're either stuck in “analysis paralysis” or find yourself working all hours but running in circles, without making enough progress to justify the effort you put in.

Enter the “6 Steps To 6 Figures In 6 Weeks Proven Success Formula”

Turns out they have THE solution for you .. if you just join their program and follow their “6 Steps To 6 Figures In 6 Weeks Proven Success Formula”.

It's incredibly tempting ..

They promise quick results – our “instant gratification monkey” loves that (Never heard of the instant gratification monkey? You can learn about it, and have a good laugh, in Tim Urban's TED Talk “Inside the Mind Of a Master Procrastinator“).
They promise certainty – our minds LOVE certainty and will go far to avoid uncertainty and the unknown.

That's why people keep signing up for those programs. Maybe you have too.

The outline usually looks something like this ..

Module 1 – nail your business idea
Module 2 – nail your niche
Module 3 – nail your message
Module 4 – nail your offer (which no doubt involves a “x step proven success formula” because that's what people buy ..)
Module 5 – nail your funnel
Module 6 – order piña colada on the beach

You get started full of enthusiasm. But soon one of two things happens for most people.

What Happens After The Initial Excitement Wears Off

You reach module 3 and realize that without your niche nailed you can't move forward and you're nowhere near having your niche figured out so you fall behind and eventually forget about the course without ever finishing it, or ..

You diligently go through all the modules, do all the exercises but at the end you're x amount of money lighter but no further ahead in your business.

That's when doubt sets in, when you wonder what's wrong with you, whether you're good enough, whether you're even cut out for being an enterpreneur, or whether you should just “get real” and get a job.

The thing is, there is nothing wrong with you. There is something wrong with those programs.

3 Reasons Why “X Step Proven Success Formulas” Don't Work

It's not that they never work. There comes a point in the journey when you just need to hear one thing/have one insight for things to fall into place and your business to take off. If you happen to be in that place when you sign up for the program it may well seem that the program brought you the success. It's easy to forget that all the work you've done until then has played an at least equally important role.

Unrealistic Expectations

But for most people these programs set an expectation that just isn't realistic – just like “Learn Spanish in 30 Days” is a load of b..sh..t for anyone looking for more than the basics to order a beer and find the way back to the hotel.

I've talked about this topic in a video about how long it really takes to make a living from your sewing (or whatever) business.

The essence of it is a paragraph from a Forbes artice saying, “What most people call an overnight success is really just the market suddenly realizing the value of a great product or service that'd been kept in obscurity for too long while its owner stubbornly refused to give up.”

Building A Business Is A Creative Process

And .. these programs ignore the fact that building a business is a creative process.

They ignore that creating something new is never a straight line from A to B where you can just follow a pre-defined path.

Creating art isn't paint by numbers.

To figure out each step is a creative process in itself that takes time to unfold and evolve, it's a process that requires you to dive deep, to have the courage to do stuff you're not comfortable with or good at, to experiment, to fail, to adjust.

You're Missing Out

If you're following someone else's footprints hoping they'll get you to your goal faster you'll miss out on …

the power of your own unlimited creative potential. It's not about reinventing the wheel. Learn what you need to learn and remember – the magic happens when you close the books
your own knowledge and experience, as well as your intuition, the wisdom beyond your intellect, which you can access at any time
the fun and personal growth that comes with embarking on a big adventure

You Have What It Takes

Your innate creativity, wisdom and resilience make you perfectly equipped for building your own business.
You don't have to have it all figured out. You will always know enough to decide on the next step.
Iterating through the natural phases of the creative process will take longer than 6 weeks but it's a lot faster than chasing one shortcut after another.

If you're ready for an exciting adventure, full of trials, errors and triumph, if you're ready to play full out and enjoy the journey, building a business will be on of the the best things you've done in your life.

If you get the sense it'll be easier with an experienced guide by your side get in touch. I can help.