Living For The Long Term
I need to write. There is something missing from not blogging, talking and sharing things that has really been eating away at me. I haven’t posted much of anything since going into a hole and kicking our new startup off the ground. Posts at GYRS and RSLD have suffered. Numbers are down, affiliate sales are slumping and I just feel like I am missing out on some great people and chats.
Today I had to get back on track.
This week I am headed to Vegas for CES and Affiliate Summit (holler to link up!). Even though I’ve been hiding the world around us has been constantly changing. As it does, I feel that there are some extremely important things to discuss going forward that impact you, the way you do business and the way you plan your future.
First a quick recap. Lifestyle design itself is a trend. Nothing but a buzzword and I jumped on it. In fact at one point I conquered it. Through doing all the crap everyone talks about from guest posting to writing authority posts to knowing SEO better than most I had the number 2 Google ranking for lifestyle design (I think I’m still there but who’s counting or caring).
To further prove this, Norcross wrote a killer post yesterday on the Hate Lifestyle and how most LD bloggers and people were doing dumb shit to follow a trend that doesn’t make sense, or that has a distinct road map ,or that sees its members release rehashed eBook after eBook and move to Thailand/Australia/wherever. You need to read it if you are in this space and truly decide who you are preaching to and what you really want them to accomplish.
Matter of fact, you need to redetermine your own purpose and where you want to go long term. Like after the snowboard season ends.
Are you writing for the same people that are writing the same thing as you?
Are you selling the same passion, passion, passion, travel, blah, blah blah that doesn’t do anything to develop a long term lifestyle, business, wealth, value or relationship?
Who The Heck Are You?
This week I had the amazing pleasure of handing out with Dan Gasby and B. Smith. They are the A-List of class and lifestyle in New York City. From being Blackberry pals with Barack to running the only African American owned restaurant in the Hamptons to having over 300 licensed products in Bed, Bath and Beyond, they are the authority on lifestyle.
Not some 25 year old kid. Not Snookie. Not Miss Lohan. Not Mr. Ferriss (who I do enjoy reading).
At one point Dan turned to me and said, “what can a 27 year teach me about lifestyle? …nothing.”
The truth has been spoken. Just because you made a lil chedda from an eBook that allowed you to travel for a year or 2, doesn’t make you a lifestyle expert. Living life, having experiences and building something that matters does. (yes, that includes me)
Yes, selling information is the best business in the world. But selling water to a well needs to be left to Jigga. Build me something. Show me results.
What Am I (And What Should You Be) Popping Tags On?
I took a survey last week from someone in this community that was getting ready to launch a new eBook/course/whatever and was asking for what we wanted to learn.
I was super honest. I don’t give a shit about installing Wordpress.
- Show me what you did to make money.
- Show me how you incorporated overseas.
- Show me how you deal with taxes, saving money and cutting costs.
- Show me what banks you are using to move money between countries.
- Show me how you are dealing with currency exchanges.
- Show me how you are investing for the future.
- Show me how you are growing your portfolio with your earnings.
- Show me investment opportunities in all these countries you are visiting.
- And so on and so on…
This market is sooooo over the do what you love and make a shitty overnight business that makes $30k a year and that everyone is pitching with the same “I don’t want to sell you, but I am selling you attitude.”
Yes there is always a beginners market, but…
Grow some friggin balls. Make a great product and sell it. Be proud to charge $500 (or whatever monetary b/s price) for it and don’t worry about the jackasses that can’t afford it or think that you suck for making such an absurd profit on an info product. But add value. If you can’t, then you aren’t ready. Keep working.
I am learning this everyday. That’s why I haven’t, and won’t launch anything in this arena until I am ready. Until I have something to really add. And that includes spending a metric shit ton of my hard earned money on more education, consulting sessions and masterminding with the people that can help me answers the questions that matter to me this year.
- How do I take my new company from $1 million to $5-10 million this year?
- How can I add value to thousands of bloggers to help build our brands?
- How can I look like T.O. while working hours like The Donald?
- How can I learn about the economy to move my assets and money into assets that appreciate?
- How can I invest and grow my portfolio so when anything happens to the dollar, or any craziness, I can put some veggies on the table?
- How can I not just survive, but build real wealth in the long term?
- How can I leverage technology, people and places to get back more time for me, my health and my family?
- How can I help use what I know to help people all over the world?
That’s what we are going to talk about in the coming weeks and months. There will be no install Wordpress and blog your way to making fast money. No scheming. Just talking about the future and how to be a radically ambitious son of a bitch who is taking friggin prisoners for their own future.
It’ll be one hell of a ride.
What do you think? Am I being an asshole or is it time to really take responsibility for our futures as people, as entrepreneurs and as young leaders?
-G
P.S. If you will be in Vegas, you better holler, because it will be a week to remember! CES floor on Saturday, speaking with Brogan on Sunday, 3-6 Mafia on Monday. Oh boy!!
Great article, Greg. You nailed it!
You ask a lot of great questions, looking forward to future posts. Unfortunately I won’t be making ASW, sounds like you’ve got some great stories and insight on long term business strategy and other fun topics.
Greg,
I’m fairly new to your blog, and definitely like what I’ve seen so far. Are you as down on Tim Ferriss as this post led me to believe?
Jason
@Chase - Thanks man. Wish you could have made it out to Vegas, going to be a great week with some exciting minds.
@Jason - not at all, I’m a big fan. Got the new book on day 1. I am really just saying that we need leaders beyond the passion, passion, passion and ebook, ebook, ebook path that he is not so directly responsible for. He is a great marketing mind and his ability to life hack at such a young age is incredible.
Wow…I haven’t seen this WP theme in a while
Thanks for mentioning the post, and for going further with the idea. Especially considering you are in that space yourself. It’s one thing for me to talk shit being on the outside, but it’s a whole different animal when you call YOURSELF out like that. Give’em he’ll man, and let’s catch up when you get back.
Still tracking with you man.
There have to be some holes in my daily routine that are keeping me from getting to the mountain top. I am guilty of signing up for email lists and getting a lot of ebooks and pdfs that all say the same thing. I think that’s where paralysis by analysis comes in. Surely there is nothing wrong with continuing to learn and educating yourself. But it backfires when you’re reading the same stuff over and over.
I feel you.
Bravo! You really summarized some things I’ve been thinking for a while now.
Btw, I could be on crack here, but I think I am seeing some stirrings of anti-LD becoming the LD trend of 2011 (ironically enough). Let’s just hope that it turns into something worthwhile, and not the same old re-hashed e-book bonanza all over again. REALLY tired of the precocious clone army of lifestyle designers we’ve been seeing in the blogosphere in the past couple of years.
Personally, my buzzword would be “reality hacking”. Lifestyle design is a subset for sure, but hardly encompasses all of it.
Btw, there were some really cool “lifestyle design” subcultures way before Ferriss[1] was around. Perpetual Travel for instance. Or how about the Permaculture movement? The 4HWW ain’t the be-all end-all.
[1] I’m not dissing him, in fact the entire fifth issue of our magazine was dedicated to him.
Hi Greg,
You are right in that LD is a trend (that can work well for some) but for the most part doesn’t tell us how to make a shit load of money. We need to study entrepreneurship and work hard. Once we’re making money, we can set up systems for the business to take care of itself, while we follow our LD.
Hope you have a great 2011!