1521: [Part 2] Why I Finally Quit My Job And 8 Life Lessons I Learned In The Process by Steve Chou on Entrepreneurship

[00:00:00] Brauchen wir wirklich noch einen Computer? Alle wahrscheinlich nicht. Aber wenn du Musik mit der Power eines Neuralprozessors neu erfindest oder unterwegs Migrationsmuster mit einem ganztägigen Akku analysierst oder deine Ideen mit dem KI-gesteuerten Co-Creator zum Leben erwächst, dann kann ein Co-Pilot Plus PC einen Unterschied machen. Nicht alle brauchen einen leistungsstärkeren KI-Computer. Aber wenn du versuchst, die Welt zu verändern, auch wenn es nur deine eigene ist, haben wir einen für dich entwickelt. Microsoft Co-Pilot Plus PC mit Snapdragon. Die bisher schnellsten und intelligentesten Windows-PCs. Die Akkulaufzeit variiert hier nach Nutzung und Einstellungen.

[00:00:30] This is Optimal Work Daily. Why I Finally Quit My Job And 8 Life Lessons I Learned In The Process. Part 2 by Steve Chou of MyWifeQuitHerJob.com

[00:00:42] Do something different and better. Do not follow. While I love the opportunities that Amazon has presented to us in the e-commerce space, I found that there are way too many people out there just throwing up MeToo products online. Go on Alibaba. Find a product that has a decent profit margin.

[00:00:59] Import said product as is with no changes. List the product on Amazon and make short-term money. While this formula does in fact work right now, it's definitely not a good long-term strategy. If you sell stuff and don't make it your own, it's just a matter of time until someone will find the exact same vendor and copy you.

[00:01:17] So instead of throwing up a bunch of easy-to-source products, take some time to design a better mousetrap. Take some time to create your own design or to provide a value add that no one else is providing.

[00:01:28] Do something different and don't follow everyone else.

[00:01:31] The same principle holds true with all of the how-to advice on selling online that is circulating around the web.

[00:01:36] If you follow the same rules for niche research and sourcing as everyone else, you'll end up selling the exact same products as everyone else.

[00:01:43] So take all of the guidelines and strategies you learn with a grain of salt and find your own path.

[00:01:49] The best way to succeed is to care about others.

[00:01:53] First off, I want to emphasize that it's impossible to run a successful business in a vacuum.

[00:01:57] Your ability to achieve your goals will largely be dependent on your network and your ability to work with others.

[00:02:03] That's why I'm such a huge believer in attending conferences.

[00:02:07] Even though I have two kids and run four businesses, I still find the time to travel to four to five conferences every year.

[00:02:13] In fact, none of my businesses would have taken off had I not put myself out there to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.

[00:02:19] But establishing new contacts at networking events is only half the battle.

[00:02:23] If you truly want to foster lifelong relationships with your peers, you have to care.

[00:02:28] What does it mean to care?

[00:02:29] It means being willing to help without expecting anything in return.

[00:02:34] It means trying to get to know someone personally instead of treating them as a resource.

[00:02:38] It means delving deeply beneath the surface of small talk.

[00:02:42] If you want to grow your business, start by helping others first and let reciprocity take its course.

[00:02:48] Be bold and amazing and people will seek you out.

[00:02:51] I spent the first half of my blogging career as a complete unknown and no one gave me the time of day.

[00:02:57] Why?

[00:02:57] It's because my content was pretty bad and I focused on quantity over quality.

[00:03:02] I wrote middle-of-the-road pieces that regurgitated what other entrepreneurial blogs were already writing about.

[00:03:07] In fact, it wasn't until I started writing more personal posts that people started taking notice.

[00:03:12] I started expressing my opinions more and incorporating my personality into my writing.

[00:03:16] In short, I stopped caring about pleasing everybody and just let the words flow.

[00:03:20] So today, I try to be different and write whatever comes to my mind instead of the watered-down fluff that a lot of other entrepreneurial blogs put out.

[00:03:28] And whenever I reach out to influencers with larger audiences than my own, I usually go all out and take a few risks.

[00:03:33] Here's an example of an email I wrote to Tony Horton of P90X to make myself more memorable.

[00:03:39] Editor's note.

[00:03:40] If you aren't familiar with Tony Horton, he created P90X, which is one of the best-selling workout videos of all time.

[00:03:46] Quote.

[00:03:47] Hey, Tony and Shauna.

[00:03:49] Awesome interview today.

[00:03:51] Unfortunately, as a podcaster, I'm forced to perform extensive due diligence on all of my guests.

[00:03:55] And here's what I uncovered after just a tiny bit of Googling.

[00:03:59] Shauna, you were incredible in helping arrange the interview, but I'm not sure that I can air the episode in light of the following scandal.

[00:04:05] See press release below.

[00:04:07] Sincerely, Steve.

[00:04:08] Tony Horton caught in junk food scandal.

[00:04:11] Fitness career over.

[00:04:12] Brentwood, California, April 1st, 2015.

[00:04:15] PR Newswire.

[00:04:17] Tony Horton, the award-winning creator of the home exercise hit P90X, was spotted today on an epic junk food binge.

[00:04:23] Tony, pictured, was photographed chomping down on McDonald's french fries in a room littered with dirty junk food wrappers.

[00:04:30] Judging by the amount of trash in the room, experts estimate that he'd been consuming filth for approximately four weeks.

[00:04:36] First I gave up carbs, then I stopped eating sugar, and enough was enough, Tony was quoted as saying as he shoved a handful of fries into his mouth.

[00:04:42] His fitness career over, Tony was last spotted trying out for the Chippendales Senior Citizen Tour.

[00:04:48] Maintaining an impeccable body and being a role model for men's health was too much for Tony,

[00:04:52] which just goes to show that even well-known fitness stars don't always have their act together.

[00:04:57] About Tony Horton Fitness.

[00:04:58] Tony Horton's mission is to help millions of people stay in shape and eat right.

[00:05:02] His next book, Eating Like F***, is due to hit bookstores later this year.

[00:05:07] End quote.

[00:05:08] The moral of this story is to be bold, stand out, and don't fear the consequences.

[00:05:13] Let your personality shine and stop playing it safe.

[00:05:16] The difference between success and failure is just a decision to keep trying.

[00:05:21] This last lesson is definitely a cliché, but it's the most important lesson of them all.

[00:05:25] When I first started my blog, I had zero readers for over a year.

[00:05:29] In fact, it took me well over three years to generate any sort of meaningful income.

[00:05:33] If I had given up early, I would have missed out on making $700,000 last year.

[00:05:37] When I first launched my online store, I had very little sales for the first month.

[00:05:41] My wife and I wanted to give up and call it a day.

[00:05:44] But we kept with it and managed to replace my wife's salary in a single year.

[00:05:48] The key to succeeding in business is not to give up at the first roadblock,

[00:05:52] or the second, or the third.

[00:05:54] Give yourself a three-to-five-year time horizon

[00:05:56] and understand that it's a marathon and not a sprint.

[00:06:03] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:06:05] Why I Finally Quit My Job and Eight Life Lessons I Learned in the Process

[00:06:09] by Steve Chu of mywifequitherjob.com

[00:06:12] And thank you again to Steve.

[00:06:14] And one thing I didn't mention yesterday when I was telling you more about him

[00:06:17] is that he also started his own podcast.

[00:06:19] It's called the My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast with Steve Chu.

[00:06:23] It's all about entrepreneurs who quit their jobs to start successful online businesses.

[00:06:28] Through a series of personal interviews,

[00:06:30] Steve uncovers the exact strategies that led to their success.

[00:06:33] Again, that's called the My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast with Steve Chu,

[00:06:37] and you can find it wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:06:40] And that's going to do it for today.

[00:06:41] Thank you so much for being here on this Friday edition of the show.

[00:06:44] Enjoy the rest of your day,

[00:06:45] and I'm going to see you back here over the weekend

[00:06:47] where your optimal life awaits.

[00:06:49] Matthias.

[00:06:49] Thank you.