I won’t promise you a “7 figure income now,” and that’s why you want me as your business mentor.

JANNINE BARRON REGENERATIVE BUSINESS MENTOR

The digital marketing world is a billion-dollar industry. Most of those billions go to the 2% that created a great offer, then invested tens of thousands of dollars that they don’t mention, in teams, tech and advertising bringing in those incredible seven figures.

Scarcity and urgency is the currency of these course sales. Automated funnels and Facebook ads worth tens of thousands all contribute to their success. Oh, and it may have taken them two to five years to reach seven figures. Most overnight successes take that long.

I am not here to say don’t buy digital products. I’d just love you to be more discerning. To recognise when good funnel design is better than the actual content on offer so you make better decisions. My hope is that I can help you identify the relevance to your strategy of an offering, alongside it’s promise. If you are thinking that you don’t have a strategy, then I can offer you an on line course for that. Smile emoji.

It is difficult to get credible statistics, but anecdotally, online digital course sellers report on average that people rarely complete automated ‘evergreen’ courses. Most will stop before they are even 30–50% through the process. So you can stop feeling guilty about that course you purchased that you did not finish. Most of your fellow buyers did not finish it either.

So should you invest in online courses, coaching and mentoring to grow your digital business? Yes, absolutely, but only when this fits into a clear strategy.

The first step is to stop clicking on Facebook ads promising you the secret sauce. Whatever webinar you are watching, it will always come around again. Even if they say it won’t. Take note of the names and websites of people that interest you and then return when it’s the right time for you to learn that skill. Never be guided by shiny offers unless you really do need that now. Learn on your own terms, take full responsibility and leadership for your own business venture.

The second step is to create a strategy with an experienced business mentor or coach. A mentor is someone who has achieved what you want in business.You want someone who is experienced in doing what you are trying to achieve and who can give real-world advice on what steps are required and in what order. When you have this, you are less likely to be distracted by that next webinar with the secrets to your dreams.

Thirdly, once the strategy is clear, use low cost and free tech tools to help you create a digital presence and get some traction on your business dream. If you are stuck doing this alone, then an online course showing you the basics would be useful but this should not cost thousands, so be discerning. Get real results, no matter how small, at low or no cost. When you have proof of your business concept and are ready to scale, that is when you invest in tech tools and teams; not in the beginning.

Here’s my litmus test when you are tempted to watch another webinar.

1. Do I need this topic right now?

2. Will it be rerun despite the urgent sales offer? ( yes! 100%)

3. Can I wait then and check with my coach or mentor first ( yes! )

4. Will it absorb all the time and funds I have?

5. If I do this, what outcome do I expect?

6. Is this the right time?

7. Have I checked to see if this course fits my own right timing and strategy?

So how do you create a strategy that gives you that freedom and income you are looking for?

There are two critical answers to this question in my experience as a business owner of 25 years across four companies. The first is to find a community of like-minded business owners for general support. This is critical. You rarely meet a successful business owner who had no support. The second is to get yourself a personal mentor or business coach to guide you through the ups and downs and set you up with a realistic and sustainable strategy. Not only will the cost of your mentor be the same money that their excellent advice will save you, but in my experience of mentoring hundreds of people, personal mentoring is the most powerful way as you end up a strategy that is truly yours, not a template that worked for someone else.

Once you have these things, selecting the right online course and tech platforms for your business will unfold with good timing, good alignment and deep personal empowerment. You can return to those webinars and select exactly what you need.

This is the substance of a sustainable business model. Start small, prove your concept, ensure you have a market for your idea and communicate with integrity that will attract your ideal customers.

You will have many days when you don’t feel great as a business owner; you will feel successful one week and despondent the next. This happens less when you have support and this is where the real gold that a mentor offers you is priceless.

Going into business is definitely worth it. Some of your best and worst times will be remembered from the experience. If you have a strategy, backed by support and accountability, you will have business success. It’s that simple. How long it will take to get that success is down to your self-belief.

HOW TO CHOOSE A MENTOR THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU

For most of you, I won’t be the right business mentor. For some of you, I will be perfect. It’s not a shiny pitch, it’s a truthful one.

Here’s my full pitch, hold on to your seats and be ready to be turned on or turned off. I have started and sold four pioneering eco-companies. We made a lot of money and disrupted the baby industry internationally. Then we lost a lot of money, made a ton of mistakes and nearly went bankrupt. We survived two legal battles, did three rounds of successful fundraising across two companies in wholesale, distribution and retail. I’ve managed shareholders, staff and investors while creating IP on 33 products that are still sold after 20 years in the market. We imported, exported and rebranded 3 times with five different websites in 20 yrs. Somewhere in there, I experienced anxiety and depression and adrenal burn out. I then rebranded, built the company up again and sold it to an international investor.

I learnt that intuition is as important as strategy. I learnt that going at your pace in true alignment, is more important than fast success. I learnt that sustainable business is a personal achievement that needs support along the way. I learnt that you only make bad decisions when you are desperate. You make great decisions with a good support team. I learnt that without my mentors, I really don’t think I would have made it through.

I learnt that Money is brilliant but it’s not your only goal or measure of success, but it is necessary and fun so make it really important.

It’s not the shiny promise you may want from a business mentor but it’s real. I happen to think my mistakes and health issues make me one of the best mentors you could ever have. Personally, I vet my mentors to ensure they have had some kind of failure or breakdown, it tells me a lot about their journey, their fightback and their ability to empathise.

My clients know that I have their backs personally, as well as profitably. I will support you to play the long game, not the short game. I will help you build a sustainable business model and celebrate every win, no matter how small, to maintain your abundant and positive mindset.

If I am not for you, here is my advice for finding a business mentor that you need. Its not popular advice but it’s my best advice.

1. Interview three or four potential mentors.
2. Make a short list and have a second meeting with your top two.
3. Be completely honest about your fears as well as your goals and see how they respond. This will tell you a lot about their capability and style.
4. Notice if they have a systematic conversation process or an organic, approach, one will feel more suited to you than the other. Neither is better, it’s just finding your right alignment.
5. Don’t committ to more than three to six months with your first mentor. Change does not happen overnight and six months is probably the minimum for real change to show up realistically but a good mentor will know your success is their success so they won’t need to lock you in to a contract. If they do, they learnt to do that from an online course creator. Smile emoji.
6. Anyone wanting a 12 month commitment will be thinking of themselves more than you, but they may make you feel guilty that you are not committed. Say goodbye if you can’t negotiate a shorter contract.
7. Before you begin, look for someone that has that quirk of personality or intuition that will be aligned with your unique needs. You want to be pushed to be better but in a way that makes you feel uplifted, not guilty or shamed.
8. It’s always about you, it’s never about them. Remember it’s your journey, your way.
9. Price does not equal quality. Don’t pay for anything you can’t afford. There is always someone amazing more affordable.
10. Ask to speak to previous clients so you get a really good assessment of their style and capability.

My final advice is to NOT click on the next webinar add you see. Instead, select the three dots in the top right corner where you will find a drop-down menu that says, ‘ I don’t want to see these ads’ Give yourself a break and focus on your own strategy.

If this has helped you a lot today, let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts or share this with someone who would appreciate hearing this.

Jannine Barron, Business Mentor and ICF Accredited Leadership Coach