Let’s tackle the elephant in the room: “Why do 99% of marketers fail to make a job-replacing income online?” This isn’t just another clickbait question. It’s a soul-searcher that’s been haunting my thoughts and keeping me up at night. But hey, if you’ve dabbled in online marketing, you’ve probably wrestled with this question too. So, let’s go down this rabbit hole together, shall we?
The Mirage of Instant Riches
When I kicked off my marketing journey, I was drowning in $114,000 of student loan debt—with no degree as a life preserver. Desperate? You bet. I wanted money, and I wanted it yesterday. Sound familiar? We often start with dreams of quick bucks, thinking only of the magical word: conversions. But trust me, this mindset sets you on a never-ending merry-go-round of start-stop-failure-repeat. That was my “Groundhog Day” from 2012 to 2018.
The Shelf of Broken Dreams
Ah, the infamous learning phase. I bet you’ve been there—stuffing your shelves with self-help books, cramming your hard drive with online courses, and maybe even splurging on high-ticket programs. Me too. But despite the mountain of wisdom at my fingertips, I was a serial non-finisher. Books collected dust, courses remained half-watched, and mentorship calls went to voicemail. Let’s just say, I was the poster child for non-commitment.
I was hoarding all this information without taking the time to implement, digging myself deeper into debt. I’ll be honest, I was hurting and needed money to pay off my debt so I tried to sell anything and everything to anyone who would respond in messenger… Yep, I was that guy.
The Aha Moment of 2019
Then came 2019—the year I finally gave my past self the pink slip. I made a solemn vow to wrestle back control of my life, both time and money. With control came the kind of clarity I’d never had before. And guess what? I stopped looking at people as walking ATMs and started to truly connect.
The Unlikely Formula: Connections Over Conversions
Ironically, the moment I let go of my conversion obsession was when conversions actually started happening. Why? Because I shifted from being a salesperson to becoming a “people person.” I started listening, understanding, and, dare I say it, actually caring about people.
The Real Deal: The 5 C’s of Success
If you’re nodding your head and thinking, “Hey, that’s me,” then stop. Take a deep breath. Quit chasing the money dragon.
..and STOP seeking conversions.
What I realized is that….
- You can’t get conversions without connection.
- You can’t get connection without curiosity.
- You can’t get curious without clarity.
- You can’t get clarity without gaining control.
- You can’t gain control without making a commitment.
By making a commitment to myself, I took control of my situation (time and money).That allowed me the space to actually get clarity for the first time in my life. This helped me have full conviction in what I would do next which is become curious about others and truly connect with them. Not just look at them as a possible sale.
Connections = conversions, especially when you stop expecting it.