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🚨 Warning: This is not a feel-good post. It contains some harsh truths, a little ranting and venting, and is sprinkled with profanities. If you're not ready for a reality check or prefer your advice sugar-coated, you might want to sit this one out. For those ready to face the truth, let's do it!
I have been doing business consulting for almost 20 years now, and I have noticed a disturbing trend over the last few years that only seems to be getting worse.
This is something I have been speaking about for quite a while now, but last week was my final confirmation! I am now on a mission to help as many people as I can get off the fucking hamster wheel and start getting real about creating a successful business.
The proverbial hamster wheel I'm talking about is the snake oil salesmen infiltrating our society (primarily on social media) and messing with people's minds and emotions. They give false hope, leaving individuals worse off mentally and emotionally than they were before, except now they're also broke. Many of them spend money they didn't have, putting all their faith and hope into these supposed solutions, thinking this would be THE answer that would catapult their business into the stratosphere of success.
I am going to share with you my personal story that sent me on this mission, and more importantly, I will share how to stop the stress and anxiety of trying to find the "magic bullet" and what to do instead.
Let me start by hitting you with a harsh reality. According to the US Department of Commerce, only 7.2% of solopreneurs ever reach the six-figure mark, and a mere 0.1% make it to the seven-figure mark. Yet, there are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of "coaches" or "gurus" out there claiming to have the secret formula to get you to that elusive six or seven-figure mark.
I have personally hit the six-figure mark with multiple businesses as a solopreneur, and I can tell you that it wasn't because of any course or online program.
I work with business owners every day who are struggling just to keep their businesses going and provide a decent living for themselves. Yet, many of them are not willing to do what it takes to succeed, instead opting to continue their search for the course or program that will finally give them the "magic" answer.
Please listen and really hear this: THERE IS NO MAGIC ANSWER.
Now, I want to clarify that I am NOT saying you should not be looking for answers or solutions that will help you in your business. The key is to know where to look and more importantly, who to listen to.
Even though I have had a very successful 20+ year career as an entrepreneur, I am always still looking for new and relevant information to not only share with my clients but also use for my own business. No matter what level of success you are at, you should never stop learning and growing and never presume that you have all of the answers.
I have recently added social media marketing to my service offerings and although I am already very knowledgeable in social media, when I randomly came across a "coach" who was offering 18 courses on digital marketing and social media for under $100 I decided to purchase their marketing pack, hoping that I would find at least a few new tips or pointers to help me out.
Long story short...I did not!
What I did find instead was a pack of fluff, hacks, and tricks that I had heard a million times before, along with a LOT of attempts to sell me other products and services.
I also received a barrage of emails trying to sell me additional courses and programs.
UGH...it's shit like this that makes it nearly impossible for me to break through all the bullshit and noise and reach people with solutions that can actually help them succeed in their business.
While I was a little irritated that I had wasted $100, I wasn't surprised!
What took me beyond irritation and sent me into a state of infuriation was one simple sentence (a piece of advice) contained within the courses I had purchased:
"Find Hungry Buyers Desperate for Solutions in a Lucrative Market."
This, in a nutshell, is what it all comes down to for many of these "coaches" and "gurus." HUNGRY buyers DESPERATE for solutions.
It's not about helping people; it's about preying on their desperation!
The final straw came when another "guru" popped up in my Instagram feed. This is often the case when you buy one program—the algorithm goes into full attack mode and feeds you more and more content promising to give you the answers you seek. Or more appropriately, it feeds you more and more content that preys on your desperation!
This particular one was a woman claiming she had made $11 million (yes...ELEVEN MILLION) selling her courses over just a few years, making $3 million last year alone. Curiosity got the best of me, and I went to her IG feed to find that every single post was basically the same thing: how she made $11 million and how you can too...if you buy her course, of course! What I also found very interesting was, as I scrolled pretty far down in her feed, she didn't have very many likes on her posts. The average was around 10, with 37 being the most I saw.
You would think that someone who has made $11 million helping people succeed in their business would have a huge following of adoring fans!
As I did a deeper dive online, I found over a dozen terrible reviews of this program. The costs quoted in these reviews ranged from $15,000 to $24,000. And what did they get for that money? The same recycled advice they had heard everywhere else, very similar to what I heard in the course I mentioned above.
Find hungry buyers desperate for solutions, then create hooks, landing pages, and sales funnels, automate the process, and SATURATE social media to prey on your desperate market!
THIS IS INSANE! And, I am making it my personal mission to stop this insanity!
I am on a mission to shake people up and separate the minority of true entrepreneurs from the majority who want to take the easy way out. People who aren't willing to put in the work and think they can buy a course and immediately have all their problems disappear by getting rich quick.
Let me tell you something...the only two groups of people who are getting rich are:
#1 People trying to convince you that their program or course will provide THE answer to instant success!
#2 People who understand the true fundamentals of business and who have the willingness, tenacity, and work ethic to do what it takes!
THAT IS IT...PERIOD!
And let me drop another truth bomb on you. The minority of people who DO invest in a course or program that happens to be successful for them...I guarantee you that they would have found a way to be successful even without the course or program because these are the people who understand the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to build a successful business.
You may wonder why I am so passionate about this, why it has become my personal journey. There are a few different reasons.
First, many of my clients have spent large sums of money, often money they didn't have, on these courses and programs. I have seen firsthand the aftermath of having their hopes and dreams elevated only to be sent crashing down.
Second, I am sick and tired of people bitching and complaining about not seeing results in their business but who aren't willing to put in the work. Case in point: I recently had a potential client who I did a free consultation with, and she was on the fence about moving forward with my services. I understand this—it was a large investment, and this is something that should be carefully considered. This didn't bother me. What bothered me was that during a second free consultation I offered as a courtesy, she went on and on about her big dreams and aspirations for her business while also complaining about how frustrated she was that she couldn't gain any traction and wasn't seeing results. Towards the end of our conversation, I asked if she felt ready to move forward with my help, to which she replied that she just didn't think she could make the investment right now. No problem, I understood that. So, I proceeded to give her some helpful advice on how she could do some of these things herself, to which she exasperatingly replied, "I don't have the time or mental capacity to do it myself." WTF??? How can I help someone like that? Bottom line...I can't!
I can't help you if you don't get it! I can't help you if you don't understand what it takes, and I certainly can't help you if you aren't willing to put in the work.
The fact that there is a new crop of "coaches" and "gurus" popping up every day, feeding everyone a bunch of bullshit and recycled information, and leading them to believe that they can quickly and easily become successful "entrepreneurs" is infuriating! It takes away from people like me who have put in the work, overcome the obstacles, and have the receipts to back it up.
Business is like a game, and it's a game I love to play. But like any game, it's most enjoyable and rewarding when played with others who are equally dedicated, skilled, and passionate. I want to play with players who are at my level or who genuinely aspire to reach it. It's not about being better than anyone else; it's about surrounding myself with people who share the same drive and commitment to excellence. When we all bring our best to the table, we can push each other to new heights and achieve incredible success together.
All of that being said, the MAIN reason I am so fired up and passionate about this topic is because of its broader societal effects. This issue goes beyond just business and entrepreneurship—it's about the kind of society we are becoming. I have experienced my own existential crisis, grappling with the realization that our society has become a place where it's common practice, even accepted, for people to focus on taking advantage of others for their own gain.
This deeply troubles me. We are fostering a culture where preying on the desperation and hopes of others is normalized, and this is profoundly damaging. It's not just about individuals losing money on worthless courses or programs; it's about the erosion of trust, the exploitation of vulnerability, and the perpetuation of a cycle where genuine support and guidance are overshadowed by greed.
WHERE TO BEGIN TO MAKE THE SHIFT
I don't claim to have all of the answers but I do have a few things that you can do to break free from this cycle and start on the right path to success.
Shift your mindset:
I know you desperately want to see success in your business, but you must truly accept the fact that this is going to take hard work, consistency, and patience. Embrace the journey and understand that there are no shortcuts.
Keep searching for answers, but know where to look and who to listen to:
There are legitimate options and solutions out there. I have listed a few blog posts below that can help:
These posts will help you differentiate between those who truly care and want to help and those who are trying to prey on your desperation.
I want to be part of the solution and help those who truly want to be helped.
That's why I am offering FREE resources including online courses and downloads that will help you to start, run, and grow a highly profitable and successful business.
I could easily sell these courses but I want to make the knowledge and information you need readily available so, they are my gift to you!
Enjoy and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need anything!
xo
Gina
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