As a new entrepreneur, back in 2013, I really had no idea what I was doing. So, I sought out all of the information I could get my hands on. I followed all the “experts”, so I could learn how to be successful at doing business online.
I certainly learned a lot. Yet, something always felt “off”.
In 2017, my friend, George Kao, published a short –but, wonderful!– eBook called, “Authentic Content Marketing“. It’s full of practical tips for how to let go of the usual methods of marketing, and for how to adopt authentic marketing practices.
Upon first reading George’s book, I absolutely loved it, and his ideas deeply resonated with me. I 100% bought into what he was saying — at least, in my heart. Yet, in my head, I was skeptical.
I feared that if I didn’t do what the mainstream marketing ‘experts’ said to do, I wouldn’t be successful, nor would I make the money I so desperately needed. As such, George’s method was just too risky for me to try; I needed a “safer” option.
But here I am, 3+ years later, and I’m little better off than I was.
Am I saying the ‘experts’ are wrong? No, not necessarily. I’m simply saying that it seems what works for them doesn’t work for me.
I’ve tried their methods. I’ve watched the webinars, signed up for the trainings, read the books, watched the videos, and I’ve done my best to implement what I’ve learned. That is, until recently…
I’ve been diving into why I have so much resistance to certain things. And I found my answer: These “traditional” marketing methods just don’t fit with my values and my preferred way of doing things.
So, I’m giving them up, and I’m opting for a more intuitive and organic approach. No more scarcity, or fear-based marketing. No more sales funnels designed to lead people to a purchase. No more cleverly-designed opt-in “freebies” used as bait, just to get an email address for my mailing list.
Now, I still believe in learning from others, obviously — I do it all the time! Yet, there comes a point where you know enough (the basics), and you just need to do what works for you.
And, part of this is trial & error. I had to try the other methods in order to know what does and doesn’t work for me (and, in the process, I found my Life Purpose!).
When you align what you do with who you are, business (and marketing!) becomes joyful, and you begin to really come alive!
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