2016 was the year that I transitioned fully from the corporate jail cubicle to 100% online business and income. However, the part of the story that never is as glamorous to tell is the few years of struggle beforehand. I penned a couple of worst-seller eBooks—I think between the two of them, they’ve maybe sold fifteen copies total.
It wasn’t because they were bad products, they were actually quite good, but there was no demand. A hard lesson to learn after pouring heart and soul into a book. However, it’s important to illustrate the point that it’s not always what it appears on the outside. While a new reader to my site would look at it and call me a lucky son-of-a-bitch for catching a break with online business, the reality is that he hasn’t seen the thousands of hours poured in behind the scenes.
With that being said, here’s some differences between in-person and online business that will hopefully give you a realistic outlook on trying to break free of the rat race.
1. Brand Is Always An Easy Sell
This is true in-person, and to an extent, online. In college, I worked at a “high-end” audio company whose name aptly told people to Buy Other Sound Equipment. Even though the products themselves were at best mediocre, it didn’t matter. The name sold that product based off of the name alone more times than I could count.
People would just walk in and say, “So, you guys are the best. A, B, and C person told me so. I want a $300 pair of headphones please.” And that was that. They wouldn’t even try them on in a lot of cases. It’s the low-end equivalent of buying a car without bothering to take a test drive. How many car companies can make a sale like that? You could probably count the names on two hands.
The point is, the name behind a product is everything. When you’re doing smaller-time online business, you have no name. You cannot ever expect people to buy just because you are you—you have to prove yourself and sell whatever it is you’re selling. Speaking of…
2. Selling Is A Different Animal
When I worked in that audio store, it wasn’t just the brand that made things easy. It was being able to analyze the tiniest of details about how a person was feeling based off of the words, gestures, and triggers from me. I look back now, and realize that this sales job was what gave me a leg up in regards to game. I was able to apply that same system into having success with girls—and that’s what game is, when it boils down to it. Selling yourself to her.
Selling in the flesh is much easier because you can read a person, and have an intimate, face-to-face conversation with them. When you’re dealing with online business, you’re miles apart on all levels. They might be from a different country and 10 hours ahead. They might have zero interest in your offering because they found you “cold”. It’s the equal of someone who was “window shopping” at the speaker store—it was infinitely harder to turn that person into a paying customer than the example I used above. Even if they had more money than sense.
What I learned: Sure, you can write good copy and try to hit those same emotional triggers that you can utilize in person, but it’s never going to have the same effect. When it comes down to it, we as humans have a need for face-to-face interactions. It’s why the majority of people (granted, there are some weirdos) actually do go meet people from online dating. If you have the skills, selling to someone standing in front of you will always be easier than someone across the world on an LED screen.
3. Health, Wealth, Relationships
The three evergreen products, always. But there’s a problem with the fact that they’re not evergreen. What could that problem be? Products like these will always be in high demand. Everyone wants to get ripped. Everyone wants a million bucks. And everybody wants to have sex. You might be able to add travel to this list, but in many cases it’s because people have dreams of heading to the beaches and having sex with exotic girls, such as Brazilian women. The problem then becomes is that everyone puts out a product centered around these three core topics.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, because ROK itself is a good example. It is important to note though for those starting out, that breaking into these fields is going to take significantly longer. If your goal is a blog, it’s going to take several years of consistent publishing (think 3x a week minimum) and a lot of networking and self promotion before you’re making a comfortable income. And to be frank, most people don’t have the mental fortitude to get through that—I’ve seen it countless times.
Of course, if you have a massive ads budget and an understanding of how that industry works, you can accelerate that process. However, those with those skill sets are generally going that route with massive, high-end products rather than trying to start a general information and advice blog.
What I learned: Information products don’t sell in brick and mortar shops, whereas online business is chock full of them. If someone gets dumped and wants to get ripped, do you think an easier sell is in person, where they can see the home gym in action, or an eBook? Physical products are often easier to move.
4. Start Small
The best advice I can give is to start small—my niche site UkraineLiving.com is an excellent example of it. I took photos, information, and content that I got from my time in Ukraine and turned it into a mini little guide. I wrote 30 or so posts, and then turned them into an eBook and threw it up on Amazon. It’s nothing special but it became a best seller, and as of writing this—is still the #1 book about Kiev on Amazon. It doesn’t sell much, but it makes enough pay for a date or two abroad every week.
In regards to that website—I picked out good keywords, and the site is closing in on cracking the top 1 million sites in the world. It makes a little bit of money every month, but the real value is in what I could potentially sell it for. I recently had the site evaluated for a cost, and it came back at about $2,000. I estimated that I’d spent 30 hours working on the site at that point, so that comes out to $66/hour. Not too shabby.
Now, it’s important to get expectations into check on this. Guys like Pat Flynn have been pumping niche sites for years now. In most cases, they aren’t going to make you rich. They will, however, be a nice little piece of the pie in the grand scheme of things. Many times it’s just a matter of doing the work.
What I learned: Diversification is important, much like investing. Putting all your eggs into one product, one site, or one idea that may not pan out is a bad move. It takes guts to keep trying new things, but eventually things begin to pay off.
5. Always Solve A Problem
This is the best advice I can give is to always solve a problem. A website that just provides entertainment, but no problem-solving, is a website often doomed to the grave of abandoned blogs. Of course, there is a breaking point to this once you’re big enough and can sell ads at a premium price. However, until you reach that point you’re bound to be frustrated.
Focus on solving the problems that people face in their lives. In the case of my Ukrainian website, it’s all about helping people who want more information on Ukraine. Sure, there’s plenty of great articles scattered throughout the internet, but time is money. In my case, I saw an opportunity to compile all the information I’ve gained about Ukrainian women, the language, culture, and more into one site. Someone looking to book their first trip to Ukraine could make that site their one-stop shop as opposed to haphazardly throwing information together from multiple sources.
What I learned: If you solve people’s problems, the sky can be the limit. However, if you push your own problems off on other people, you’ll never reap the rewards (and rightfully so). And let’s face it—everyone in the world has problems. That’s the only lesson about demand that you need.
To see the growth of the site mentioned in this post, check out Ukraine Living. What key ingredients are missing from your dating life? Learn how to build a harem like the kings of old with Kyle’s book, King’s Code. To learn more click here.
Read More: The Pitfalls Of Being A Digital Nomad
You’re doing it wrong, Kyle. All you have to do is hire a bunch of good looking girls and a villa with a swimming pool. Put the shorts on and surround yourself with the girls while you’re all having a good time around the pool. Pretend you’re super rich and start spitting wisdom of how you got there.
Publish the videos and watch the money pouring in.
I laughed.
Your post made me think of the Tom Vu’s infomercials from back in the 90s. He did exactly what he said and probably made millions doing it
He’s a professional poker player now!
Always wondered what happenned to this guy!
http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=30206
Haha, exactly and this one is even funnier
Thai Lopez is the new Tom Vu
He rented a home and passed it off as his own:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mbal_Hfj5Q
Solving a problem is indeed critical to online success. And traveling abroad – and banging a broad – are two very important pastimes for men. So whenever you travel, it’s wise to sound like the natives, before you actually arrive at their locale.
So now it’s time for “Uncle Bob’s Accent Class for Red-Pill Men”…
I’ll bet you don’t think that you can pull off an Australian accent.
Ha – guess again.
Say this – “rise up lights”.
Now say it again – “rise up lights”.
That’s how you say “razor blades” with an Australian accent.
(You’re welcome.)
Good article Kyle. I think we need more articles about entrpreneurship on this site rather than “Girls are Fucking Their Dogs.”
As true as the latter may be, I find these articles focusing on what’s possbile rather than whinning about the sad state of affairs in the West are much more useful to men of all ages.
Starting my own “Bricks & Mortor” type business at 35 with no experience whatsoever was both exhilarating and a bit scary at times.
You seemed to have hit two main components one must have to succeed in any business.
1) There must be a demand for the product or service you will offer. A no brainer but I’ve seen many businesses fail for not seeing this reality.
2) Selling is your # 1 goal if the previous condition is met. It’s easy to get distracted but I’ve found that answering that phone when it rings and getting those quotes out before others return a call will get you most business that’s out there.
I’d add 3) Quality and execution. If your faster, smarter and better than your competitors you can charge more and will always have a viable business. Many customers that want these things more over a “cheap price.”
4) Find your nieche…Don’t do things the way others are doing them…I’ve found mine and it provides a nice little living while my competitors do things the same way they’ve always done them hoping for good results in an increasingly crowded field. This is the definition of “stupidity” IMO
More articles Kyle..We need more of this type here.! Cheers..
Thanks man, appreciate the compliments + additions.
I agree. As a young man my first jobs were selling stuff at flea markets, and I got a kick out of it. I can’t wait to start my own business again.
I’ve sold shit at flea markets as well. Not a bad way to use a hangover Sunday, offload some shit and make coin..
Can be a lot of fun!
And surprisingly, it can be a good way to meet chicks.
No man, we need more Trump articles on this site.
Cause Trump is the holy messiah, defending jewish supremacy, attacking the Anti-Israel UN resolution, marrying his daughter to a jew.
Of course he will solve the JQ!
On the other side no articles about pizzagate on ROK whatsoever.
ROK really has the priorities in check.
Make it viral
https://i.sli.mg/eoWIeB.jpg
When I hear stories of kids going missing or young teens being kidnapped near national parks, I usually suspected foul play from the government even though there are also possibility of sick roamers out there.
You’re free to submit articles that meet the guidelines posted on the About page, if you feel that a change venue is needed here.
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I disagree with point number 1) – there was no demand for the iPhone before it was introduced. Henry Ford once remarked something along the lines of “If I asked my customers what they wanted, they’d say they wanted a carriage pulled by ten horses.” And who the hell ever thought they would “need” a Facebook account fifteen years ago?
Point is, people often have no idea what it is they want – if you can figure that out by creating a need and filling it, you’re on to something.
The overwhelning majority of entrepreneurs will never “re-invent the wheel” by inventing an Iphonesque device so will have to focus on what’s already out there.
That being said not an absolute so good point! I mean someone can often make small improvments to somehting (product or service etc) already in the market and make a fortune..
Probably .001% of the population will have an idea like that.
But I admire the dreaming.
So you make a bit of money on the side, but you certainly don’t seem anywhere close to wealthy, based on the info you’ve provided. How much debt do you carry? And go ahead and enjoy your 20’s, but make sure to save some money on the side.
$0 debt.
Thats the way to do it! Too many men in their 20’s going to university and walking out with big, often crippling debts they’ll be paying off well into their 30’s..
It doesn’t help that a degree is in no way a gurantee of employment these days either..
Looking back I wish i had started becoming an entrepreneur rather than college. I still ended up wanting to just the same despite my degree , and the world is now much harder on men.
It depends what the degree is in. All my friends who went to medical schools got employed as soon as they finished their studies. All 18 of them work as doctors. 100%
Right, medical school, dentistry and engineering.
I wouldn’t disagreee there.
But far more have degreees in the Arts, like me, and, unlike me, didn’t make 50K few years to pay off their debts.
They are prisoners to this debt..
“Looking back I wish i had started becoming an entrepreneur rather than college. I still ended up wanting to just the same despite my degree , and the world is now much harder on men.”
I hear ya!
I wish I had been more entrenuerial even in collge. I had an opportunity to buy a 6 plex for 150,000 in 1997 a few blocks fro the Prime Minister’s house (Canada).
They are easily worth $1 million each. Nobody wanted them because they were old. There were 7 on a hilly street this also deterred would be buyers I guess? Now they would sell for cash..
I blue pilled out. I could have borrowed the downp[ayment from familly. I had work lined up that would have satisfied the bank. I was living in the fucking thing!!! My em,ployers were trying to sell them offf one at a time for a quick proffit..
But no I kept going to school for my “future.”
This is a perfect example to younger men. Strike when the metal is hot!!
Yes, there are some hard lessons learned along the way, and your last sentence is exactly one of them. I phrased it as “You snooze, you lose” in one of my articles here.
Looking back when you’re older and seeing things differently makes us prone to feel foolish at opportunities that would have made us millionaires (possibly) but I’ve come to a different set of ideas regarding this:
1. We’re so conditioned to do some false sense of the “right thing” (going to college, etc., never consider going out on our own in a business, etc) that we just can’t “see” another way until later we understand we were sold a lie.
2. I can’t speak for everybody, but where I grew up there is basically no ambition to chase bigger dreams – the mindset is one of earning a paycheck, getting fat, driving a truck or midsize car, and that’s pretty much it.
So, in other words, we weren’t the same person back then that we are now, and sadly probably weren’t ready for some opportunity in front of us.
It took a lot of changes and finally listening to that little voice inside that always tortured me, telling me that my life and the usual 9-5 wasn’t all that life had to offer. Then opening my mind to other possibilities, and discovering I was right to feel that way all along.
We have to spread the ideas about the possibilities, and push back against the norms which keep young men in their place and let them know that there is more out there, should they be willing to pursue the knowledge and work hard.
Even with a degree I now kind of envy men who have a vocational certificate or degree, because often they are their own boss and have their own business, while I’m stuck in the usual 9-5…until I one day escape forever.
1> “We’re so conditioned to do some false sense of the “right thing” (going to college, etc., never consider going out on our own in a business, etc).”
Totally me I was supposed to be a teacher because it was a good “career.” After an intinerant 6 years overseas teacing English, which I have no regrets about, I returned home at 31 realizing that I didn’t want to teach but start a business. 4 years later I did…
2. Agree with everything you wrote once you take the “Red Pill” and get beyond the brainwashing from parents, the education system, not sure it should be called that, you realize what’s possible and are happier!
I am much happier in a trade runing my own show than I’d ever be as a teacher doing what others wanted that’s for sure!
We need to get this out there to young men especially as our society is a bag of degenrate shit and not functioning properly!
Hey there, great response.
If I succeed in getting out on my own (and I WILL!!) I plan on 1) putting the word out and helping other young men see why they should do the same, and 2) give them some helpful, honest starting points.
Tough story to hear that.
On the flip side I almost plunked down $300k on a condo when I graduated college (2012).
Very glad now I didn’t.
“Tough story to hear that.”
It gets better at the time they were renting 2bdm units for $550 + hydro. One year later after paint, new appliances and refinished hardwood floors, $780 + Hydro.
10 years later $1300 +, now $1600+ I’m sure..
Water under the bridge thought!
I hope others, especially men in their 20’s, can learn from these platitudes though..
Codos are shitty real estate invesmtent IMO becuse they have fees that will only go up and never go away.
Better multi familly and put it under property manamgent if you are remote or work on it yourself then do so when you travel…
Could also keep a unit for yourself.. It’s nice tio have a home..
300K wow? There are many market sin the US where that would make a good entry point for rentals..
In case you haven’t noticed they are my real passion.
Good read and congrats on your exodus from corporate America to living life on your terms.
Thanks much man!
Here’s an offline biz that’s growing- Bombshells restaurants!
http://newsvader.com/id/16446094777
Its a double entendre !!
A great read Kyle. Your next book should be about entrepreneurship.
Thank you Charles.
Definitely need solid experience-based, & realistic opinions and info from men who have succeeded.
When I got started looking into what it takes to make money as an online entrepreneur, I discovered that there’s a ton of resources trying to get you to buy a program, etc. Not so many legitimate sources intended to help starting entrepreneurs who just need help and honest info.
Why do you insist on calling yourself “retired”?
He no longer works in that industry?
BTW, you say you spend 30 hours on doing that website and your work would be valued as “$66/h”? Did you do everything exactly from scratch, or did you you use tools, code and learnt from previous projects? If it is the latter, you would have not generated “$66/h”. You are not that different from all the annoying spambots that post on disqus.
I don’t know, sounds like a lot of work.
Just make apps instead.
😉 😉
Buy Other Sound Equipment – Hilllarious!
“No highs, all lows….must be Bose!” or so I heard said, somewhere many years ago.
It was actually true, at least for Bose factory car audio systems I used to have to pull and and replace with aftermarket parts when they failed (inevitably).
They had poor treble response, and weird 1 ohm speakers usually, with an amplifier module mounted on each speaker.
Never was impressed.
I know the story – plenty of that crap installed in Mercedes applications 10+ years ago. All proprietary designed, too – have to pull the whole system to make any real improvements.
I had a feeling somebody here would know a bit about it!
So true!
😉
Kyle – good article. And yet there’s so much more that can be said about this subject!
But I’m always grateful to hear real opinions & lessons learned from men who have succeeded in breaking free from the chains that is a conventional career “back home.”
It’s fascinating to hear stories like I hear from the Travel Like A Boss podcast and others.
It’s my dream too, and I’ve started doing the most important part: taking action.
The advice that you mentioned about starting small is something I’ve heard several times so far from successful men living the dream and earning money from online sources.
I’ll take a peek at your site as well (Ukraine) as my dream is one day be able to travel and live in a few places and meet – and most importantly – live amongst beautiful women in foreign country, free of the terrible societal norms that are now here in the USA.
Things have changed so much in the last 20 yrs in western countries, and I plan to succeed with a variety of entrepreneurial projects and help other men to do the same.
(I’ve gotten some good, real-world info as well as great motivation from both this guy (Johnny FD) and the people he interviews)
http://www.travellikeabosspodcast.com/
Thanks very much — yes, there is a lot to be said about it all. I try to be transparent.
My main site is https://thisistrouble.com. Make sure to check it in addition to the Ukraine site. A lot more business focus on Trouble.
Thanks – I will definitely check out that site too, and pass it along to others as well.