Missing Out On The Journey

Over 20 years ago, Garth Brooks released a single called “The Dance”  that would ultimately become one of his greatest all time hits.  For those of you not familiar with the song, the premise is that had we avoided the pain of this life, we would have also missed out on those defining moments.   In the end it is the pain and struggle that makes the dance worth partaking in.

So what does this have to do with your business?   I’m glad you asked.

The Fallacy Of The “Easy Button”

I interact with people every day who are looking for ways to make money online.  Many of them have never owned any type of business, much less had any experience with internet marketing.  One thing that is fairly typical is that their circumstances have them in an uncomfortable place and they need to make some money fast.

Before I go any further it is important for me to note that I understand this.   I came online in much the same condition.  Three years ago I was attempting to turn around a once thriving church that was in terrible shape organizationally, spiritually and financially.   In the end myself and my staff found ourselves unemployed, sacrificed so the congregation could keep their buildings.   Now as a minister, I’m considered self employed, so I was not eligible to receive unemployment.   I decided to start a new church in the skid row area of Corpus Christi, even though I had no financial backing.    To make matters worse I still had an unsold house in Pennsylvania that had already been on the market nearly 2 years (It was 4 years and 8 months before it sold).   I burned through my retirement and savings in a matter of months and began looking for ways to generate income that would allow me to still control my time.   Ultimately this led me to network marketing and the internet.

Now I would love to tell you that within 90 days I was making 5 figures per month and that we lived happily ever after, but that wasn’t the case.   Within 2 months of entering this arena, my family and I became homeless, about the same time I was earning my first $15 check.   My Co-Pastor and his family invited our family to live with them and having seen that I could actually make money online, I continued to push forward.   For the next 20 months I continued pushing forward, slowly but surely growing my marketing list and my commission checks….all while my family and I lived in someone’s spare bedroom.   The commission checks were reinvested into the business as much as possible, but that wasn’t always possible.   When we would get an unexpected check or donation, I would scale up and buy another tool (some of these tools I waited months for).   There were events I wanted to attend, but I just couldn’t; however, I new that I could not quit moving forward.  Finally, after almost two years of blood, sweat and tears I was able to achieve two milestones.  I was able to attend my first event in Orlando, FL in October and more importantly I was also able to move out of my Co-Pastor’s home and into a condominium near my kids school.   Am I fully back on my feet yet…absolutely not, but I’m moving forward.

That being said, so many of the people I talk to want the easy button.   They want that magic pill, potion or formula that allows them to reap the rewards while avoiding all of the pain and struggle.   When they jump into something new, they rarely even give it 30 days before they quit and move on to the next thing.  Still hoping that somehow they will reap where they have not sown.

For those of you hoping to find that easy solution to making money, I’m about to burst your bubble.  There isn’t one!  Building an online business requires a learning curve in the school of experience.   In the end this school may require a few years of your life and some financial investment as well, but for those willing to go through the process the potential is unlimited.

The Importance Of The Journey

In the end, the journey of establishing an online business, a network marketing business or any business for that matter is a process.  In this process an entrepreneur develops skills, talents, insights and wisdom that cannot be taught in any other setting.   Without the process, the business owner is unprepared for the realities of running a profitable business enterprise.   Even more importantly they are ill equipped to steward the rewards of their hard work, because their is no appreciation of the process it took to get there.

My son is currently in his 3rd week  of Navy boot camp in Great Lakes, IL.   No one goes to boot camp overjoyed about the 9 weeks ahead of them; however, they understand that the only way they earn the title of Sailor is to complete the process.  The process is meant to remove the things that would hinder them and in return instill the foundations that will ensure their success.   The journey of building a business is no different, you must learn to embrace the process.

The motivation for embracing the process comes from the final outcomes.  In my life, my family and I decided that I needed to have freedom with my time, so that I could effectively minister to those God has placed under my care.   Even as I have toiled to build my business, I have gotten small tastes of what this will ultimately look like.  I am now at a place where I can take a week off to spend with my family and my business still runs.   I can have lunch with a friend or counsel with someone  who is hurting without worrying over whether my business will suffer.  With each passing day, this ability grows just a little bit more.

I decided to write this today, because many of you are coming to this blog, looking for answers (and easy buttons).   I want to encourage you to stop what you are doing and take a long hard look at what is truly required.   If you are serious about the dreams and aspirations of your life then the journey is worth the effort, no matter how long or how hard.