Stage 2 of the small business roadmap is about moving from “how can I possibly do this” to “how could I possibly not do this!?”
We’re talking about connection, which, in layman’s terms, is nothing more than making friends with other entrepreneurs.
Jim Rohn loved to say that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
What do you think would happen to your business if you spent more time with people who were working hard on their own businesses?
In this episode we discuss 7 steps you can take to build connection, complete with a few over the top (and mostly bad) Scottish accents from yours truly. Enjoy!
(If you’re new to the show and you’re not afraid of making business fun you may want to subscribe in itunes so you can get the next episode in your sleep.)
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“Connection is about moving from “how can I possibly do this” to “how can I possibly not do this!?””
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Connection Steps
Several of these are Fizzle-specific, but you can extrapolate the idea out to a public forum of some kind.
The real meat of each of these items is in the conversation. The items below are meant as simply a placeholder while you listen to the episode.
- Complete your Fizzle community profile (or LinkedIn profile, etc.).
- Start a progress journal and introduce yourself.
- Like/answer/comment on posts to help other Fizzlers (or Quora, Reddit, etc.).
- Post questions of your own for other Fizzlers to answer.
- Attend a Fizzle Friday, Office Hours or in-person meetup.
- Join a mastermind group with 1-4 other Fizzlers: How a Mastermind Group Will Help You Reach Your Goals.
- Make a list of people you want to meet in your industry: 5 Steps to Land Your Dream Clients: The 10-10-10 Strategy.
Connection. http://t.co/o8ktP7ABIS pic.twitter.com/cqDBOgyNpp
— Fizzle (@Fizzle) April 7, 2015
The Roadmap Episodes:
- Clarity (episode 100)
- Connection (101)
- Planning (102)
- Build (103)
- Money (104)
- Scale (105)
- 4 Updates (106)
Show Notes
CreativeMornings | Breakfast lecture series for the creative community
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The Top 10 Mistakes in Online Business
Every week we talk with entrepreneurs. We talk about what’s working and what isn’t. We talk about successes and failures. We spend time with complete newbies, seasoned veterans, and everything in between.
One topic that comes up over and over again with both groups is mistakes made in starting businesses. Newbies love to learn about mistakes so they can avoid them. Veterans love to talk about what they wish they had known when starting out.
These conversations have been fascinating, so we compiled a list of the 10 mistakes we hear most often into a nifty lil' guide. Get the 10 Most Common Mistakes in Starting an Online Business here »
Have definitely spent the past year in this stage, nailed it. (Huhhmm) I found creating your own meetups to be wildly successful. I recommend going to a few first and taking a look at what the popular ones have in their page copy. You will get sign ups with good copy, but don’t expect everyone to show up at first. Think of it like a new restaurant or night club, no one wants to go and find out if it’s popular straight up, they’ll hang back and see if people start talking about it
Great idea, Nathan.
Nailed it!! Think I might need to listen to this episode about seven times and then have some of the instructions tattooed on my head, permanently. Thank you! :D
:) but then you’ll have to tattoo over those when you get into the next stage!
Oh yeah, didn’t thunk of that. Wait.. there’s a next stage? Oooooohhhh! :D
I’m in this stage and IT FEELS LIKE CRAP. First of all, I’m not 100% clear on my brand. And yet I’m networking. I wonder if all this networking is going to waste since no one really “gets” what I’m doing. Also, it triggers me to compare myself to other people’s success way too often — something I am working on not doing, by God’s grace. On the bright side, it pushes me to get past my insecurities. Instead of just being all alone in my own head, I get new ideas, new inspirations, and sometimes even make new friends.
The toughest part about this stage is the consistency required in order to gain traction. I’ve watched OTHER people use your techniques consistently. Daily. Several times a day. It works. However, I feel so busy. I go to school, go to work, have clinical rotations, and I have ADD. I help others EVERY CHANCE I GET, but I’m not always on facebook or twitter or someone else’s site to do so. Sometimes I’m on, but focused on doing MY OWN STUFF because I need to.
This stage just feels like crap. And I don’t know how to feel organized about it. I don’t know how to ensure that I am leveraging everything I can. I don’t know if I should start an excel spreadsheet of all the people I’m helping/connecting with. And I don’t know how this is supposed to organically grow my site when my site is not 100% clear. I’ve been in this stage for 2 years. I’m really exhausted.
This stage is tiresome, socially awkward, and is starting to depress me.
#negativenancy
“I wonder if all this networking is going to waste since no one really “gets” what I’m doing.” Wow, really well put. I think what *IS* happening is they are interacting with *you*, who you are, what you’re like. And that matters a great deal because your “brand” will change over time… and all the best people and relationships will always see something deeper than the details.
“On the bright side, it pushes me to get past my insecurities. Instead of just being all alone in my own head, I get new ideas, new inspirations, and sometimes even make new friends.” YES!
“This stage just feels like crap.” I really hear you on this, Udo. And I wonder if your expectations are unrealistic about this stage. What if it was a very gentle simmer in the background for the next 5 years instead of something to win?
I just want to shout out a Thank You! The value Fizzle provides is Amazing, I appreciate what y’all are doing here. THANK YOU’S! :o)
Thanks so much, Tosha.
Here’s what I got out of this episode…
Pertaining to the forums:
– Ask clarifying questions to help other fizzlers find the answer inside themselves
– Ask for quick specific answers rather than a “here it is”
What I need to do now:
– Join a mastermind with people that are slightly ahead of me
– Update my progress log weekly
– Practice the above in the forums
I think this step is where I need the most work…
Tim, *awesome* list.
Regarding the mastermind: the other people don’t necessarily need to be further than you. Massive progress in my business is made just by talking to people, by forcing what’s in your head out into words, and by saying “before we meet next week I’ll have done these three things…”
And as to the progress log: listen to this podcast episode if you haven’t and do it daily in tiny, easy to spit out doses. http://fizzle.co/sparkline/2-experts-share-exactly-how-to-use-a-productivity-journal-increase-productivity-by-23-fs099
I love you guys, congratulations :).
Also… I seriously want to party with Party Paul. I could literally imagine Chase pissing himself laughing at that message.
Party Paul never Poops at the Party!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjwofYhUJEM
The more I listen, the more I’m drawn to Fizzle. There’s something that keeps calling me back in each episode! I seriously need to join soon.
I’m writing this because you guys asked for feedback. This may fit more with the first episode but something you said in this one made me think of my question. You guys were talking about not feeling like an expert and how you establish yourself as one in your field, etc. But, what if you already are an expert, you know your niche, you just don’t know what the “business” will look like? I still haven’t figured it out and I’m just stuck in this place. I know what I don’t want to do but I don’t know what I DO want to do. I’ve been connecting with people but just like someone else said, my “what I do” is still fuzzy. I unfortunately have to resort to my 9-5 which is really just a transition at this point.
Secondly, even if you are an “expert”, what if it doesn’t really matter to many consumers? For instance, you’re more likely to consult a lawyer for legal advice than Joe Shmo next door. But, I’m in the health and nutrition space and “everyone” is an expert. People are seeking advice from people who only know what worked for them personally and don’t have any real training or education in the field. I don’t want this to be misinterpreted, there are many people who have valuable insight that aren’t credentialed or have received training. I don’t believe a credential makes you an expert. But at the same time, this field is so massive that I’m up against both true experts and faux experts. Maybe that’s why I’m stuck here. Ok I’ve gone on long enough… help!
‘what I do’ I’m sure will come up in planning (as Corbett alluded to in ep 1) which I think we’ll cover this: http://fizzle.co/sparkline/10-business-archetypes-choose-business-model-makes-sense-money-fs091
Essentially, take a look at what the boys define as business archetypes and see where you would like/do fit.
Thanks Nathan! That was actually my favorite episode! I even have it bookmarked. But even with that I couldn’t make a decision. Maybe I’m not ready to make a decision, I don’t know. I’m working on it.
And Chase that would be awesome! I know I’m not the only one with this issue :)
Great questions, Jamila! I think we may just use your question as the basis for a future Fizzle show :)
Till then, Nathan’s advice is a great place to start!
Man that beer looks good. What kind was it? Congrats on pushing through that 100 barrier!
It was special connection beer. Good stuff.
Well guys, I’m pretty sure this is where I’m stuck.
My site is up and running, the design is good and it is as focused as I can think of. I know the pains (from my experience) and how to solve them (ish), but now it is time to move out of myself – connect…..
The problem is that I have no experience in doing so at all, I’m very much a man of solitude, even my site is aimed at people who choose to go for the outdoors solo – so what to do?
I never been a forum guy (barely even read any), no social media until I started my site (and still have no idea what to do with them), even in social events I find my beer and thoughts more interesting than others around me – so how can such an extreme introvert connect?
I’m going to listen to the podcast again and try some baby steps to connect, thanks.
“I’m going to listen to the podcast again and try some baby steps to connect, thanks.” You answered your own question better than I could on this one.
Maybe a different angle would be to find a few folks you really admire online… either because of their business topic (maybe things in your topic, or more specific like climbing or trail running or something), or the way they do business, etc. Then take a baby step with them each month… in a year you may have some interesting friends (though probably not more interesting than beer).
Cheers, Gilad! (PS. Your voice is coming up at the end of episode 105 I think).
This was such a fantastic episode! I haven’t gotten to the other episodes this week but I can’t wait to listen. It was interesting to hear that you grappled a bit with putting together this roadmap but I’m so glad you did!
I am absolutely one of those Fizzlers who has/is benefiting tremendously from the community you’ve put together. I listened to the show for over a year before joining Fizzle, and I did so just because I wanted to go through your course on podcasting. I didn’t honestly expect to be a longterm member.
But after the first Office Hours I attended, I was hooked for life (and I really do expect to be a lifelong member). Being in that setting with people on this same path as I am, struggling with similar or maybe different things but still working their asses off, it’s something I’ve never found in other communities. I’m in a whole bunch of Facebook groups and that’s why I didn’t think the Fizzle community was something I would really benefit from since I could bounce ideas off other people with an easy Facebook post.
But there is NO posturing in the Fizzle community that I’ve found. There’s no “but what will they think of me if I ask this question.” So when I needed to vent about something that had crushed my entrepreneurial heart, I felt like I had nowhere to turn. Even my business owning husband wasn’t going to understand completely.
And then I remembered Fizzle. And the response has been amazing.
The reason my new course is finally for sale on my site is because of specific advice from Barrett and Chase. My only regret about Fizzle is not having joined sooner! And now I need to go through the rest of the steps here and get my progress log up and into a mastermind group.
Thanks again for everything. FIONA!!
“Being in that setting with people on this same path as I am, struggling with similar or maybe different things but still working their asses off, it’s something I’ve never found in other communities.” FIOOONAAA! That’s a great point, Claire. I never thought about how simply being a part of a Fizzle Friday webinar would reinforce the “holy shit these are my people!” feeling.
Thanks so much for writing, Claire.
Yup, Fizzle Fridays are a must-not miss. Sometimes I worry I’m taking up someone else’s spot since space is limited but what can you do?
Hello Claire!! I really resonate with you and I have been waiting for the “right time” to join fizzle..perhaps now is my time? Thank you for your simple words of clarity and I certainly hope we bump into one other again. I’ll be looking for you on the boards when I take the leap.(I mean politely, not to be crazy or anything..haha)
DO IT, HARVEY! Today my invoice for Fizzle came into my inbox and I thought “how many of the things I pay for am I this thrilled to be spending my money on?” Such a good investment. And definitely gimme a shout-out on the boards! See you there.
Awesome episode, and not just because my dulcet tones could be heard at the beginning!
You’ve re-invigorated me to get stuck back into Fizzle and get going with my progress log and interacting will all the amazing people in there. I’ve spent the past couple of months in procrastination mode, and am feeling pretty scattered with all things business right now. Thanks for the virtual kick up the butt.
Oh, and from someone with a REAL Scottish accent, haggis does NOT taste like sawdust…
“Oh, and from someone with a REAL Scottish accent, haggis does NOT taste like sawdust…” I was trying to find my way out of a riff! (please forgive me for all the terror I must have caused you in these episodes, Angela.)
LOVE LOVE LOVE. All I can say. But I will say more! Great episode and it put all of things into perspective for me. And I like what I see! So, I was stuck in Stage 1 for the most past of 13 years, starting 18 businesses and websites, never finding the clarity of what was my thing. You read right. 18 websites/projects! Some of them mildly profitable, but none of them I would dare call an actual “business’. And then I finally found the clarity I needed, got to work, created a good community of followers and a decent income. In less than a year I went from being stuck in Stage 1 to killing Stage 2 in a just a few months!
Am I done with “Connection”? Hell no! But yes I do feel great of where I am (I am in Stage 3) and the success I’ve had during Stage 1 and Stage 2 is driving me through Stage 3 with confidence. Yay! And Fizzle is there to help.
I was waiting on GotoWebinar for Fizzle Friday the other day… I was so excited… it was going to be my first Fizzle Friday… I waited and I waited… then I realised I had the time all wrong!! Bloody Australia, being 112 hours ahead of California! But I will catch you guys this coming Friday (now I know it’s Saturday 5am here!). Can’t wait, and Chase, will you do an Italian accent for me? Cheers!
Awesome to hear, Manu. See you Friday :)
(No promises on the italian.)
For sure!!!
Holy mother!!! This is great guys!
I’m a Fizzler and this series is totally aligning my focus.
Great job guys. I also found that my stopping point was not reaching out to community. I need a Mastermind group and the progress accountability.
I’ve been noodling around in the forums and trying to find my place.
THANKS FOR THE ROADMAP GUYS!!
Hey there guys – a former Fizzler here (still sending love, but needed family time and such before heading back into the entrepreneur space). I am gearing back up for working my business and I just LOVE to listen to you. YOu are so motivating. Keep up the great work!