The Longest Product Launch In History
Jun
On a chilly autumn day almost 5 years ago, I sat down at my computer and started typing my first ever blog post. Roughly 30 minutes and 27 grammatical errors later, I was officially a blogger and ready to take the Internet by storm.
Yes, EndingTheGrind.com was born on October 11, 2010 along with my hopes and dreams of one day becoming a blogging superstar standing next to the likes of Jon Morrow, Yaro Starak, and Darren Rowse.
Little did I know that my path would be so windy and have so many cliffs!
I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’ve loved every minute of my blogging journey, even when things were looking bleak. I’ve had some big wins, crushing defeats, an truly found a home in the online realm.
Since starting my journey to creating a full-time income from my online exploits, I’ve managed to accrue the following:
- 250 blog posts published
- 40 guest posts published
- More than 5,000 comments
- More than 250,000 unique visitors
- 22 Podcast interviews with some great people and thought leaders like Seth Godin, Penelope Trunk,and Marcus Sheridan
- 2 website hacks
- A library of 200 e-books on blogging and online business
- The experience of taking Danny Iny’s Audience Business Masterclass program
- Dozens of coaching calls with experts in business, marketing, and product launches
- Wait for it……….
- 0 products launched
So what stood out in this list?
It seems that someone desperately wanting to build an online business, doing all the right things, and talking to the right people would have something to sell, right?
I’ve seen it, read about it, and lived it; the fear of success in action along with a heaping side of paralysis by analysis.
After all the work I put into creating a brand, a personality, and a thriving community, I literally had nothing to sell. Now this isn’t a bad thing if blogging is intended to be a hobby, but for me, it was my dream to be an Internet Entrepreneur.
You know, they guy inspiring millions of people worldwide whilst sitting on his couch in his underwear, typing away.
Yea, that guy.
A Product….Finally!!
But times have changed and about 7 months ago, I started a second website called SingleDadFitDad.com. And since that time, I’ve poured almost all of my heart and soul into creating a resource for single dads looking to get their life back on track emotionally and physically.
And it’s working.
But once again, I found myself thinking waaaayyyy too much and producing too few results. But enough was enough and I finally told myself that if I don’t get my shit together right fucking now, I may as well go back to a 9-5 job.
Fuck that.
So I set out to create something that would be useful, valuable, and targeted directly to those who need it.
And I did.
So I’m elated to share with you all the release of my first ever product called The Fit Dads Guide To Pre-Workout Supplements.
At $7, I’m not looking to set the world on fire or break any sales records, but I am hoping that it will help as many guys as possible avoid wasting time and money on supplements that don’t work.
The Longest Product Launch Ever!
In order to keep myself from becoming depressed at the fact that it’s taken me so long to create something capable of earning money, I like to look at this as the 5 year product launch.
Yes, it’s pretty anti-climactic, but I had to start somewhere.
It’s also a great lesson not only for me, but also for all of you who are interested in becoming a blogger/freelance writer/Internet entrepreneur/lifestyle designer, etc.
Make sure you set goals, take action towards them, and build a business. It’s far too easy to make this a hobby and as you’ve seen here, a month turns into half a decade in a blink of an eye.
If I had to do it all over again, I would have certainly taken a different path.
I hope this post has opened your eyes to a few things and of course, I’d love it if you purchased my book.
What about you?
What are your thoughts on the fear of success, being caught up in too much thinking and too little action? Has it happened to you?
Clare
I admire your tenacity and i came.by way.of listening to penelope trunk’s interview. It is clear to me a great deal of time.and effort has gone into this site and blog….however, i cant help but wonder if a more tangible and traditional business model would be better for you, or if entrepreneurship is even something you should.be doing.
I have known a few entrepreneurs both successful.and.not, and not a single one.of them ever ever mentioned wanting to be with their family as a reason to be self.employed. it seems like you don’t enjoy working for others, but you kept your.jobs usually, and if im.not mistaken.you quit out of.your own volition. Most of the entrepreneurs i know drift in and out of regular employment and get fired a lot.
It is because they have such as strong sense of self autonomy…they mess.up in the regular structure.of corporate life. My ex boyfriend for example would get fired for taking long lunch breaks and.not showing up. He is a great businessman.Most people hate working life but do not get fired at every job they work. Good workers that keep their jobs do not make good entrepreneurs.
Those are totally different skill sets. The vast majority of people want more.free.time, more.money and more.time with their family. You aren’t special that way. Succesful entreprenership typically is born out of survival….like it is for many immigrants that come to.north.america that have no choice or people that are unemployable…or people with big big visionary ideas…and.if you were one those you would.know by.now. entrepreneurship shouldnt be the natural result of hating work…if you do experiment with.more.fields of.work. and for heavens sake.pay.closer attention to your myers briggs.
Steve
Hey Clare,
Thank you for such a well thought out comment, I appreciate it. First off, yes, I have spent a ton of time and energy on this blog although I have really scaled back the time I spend writing here as I have started a fitness business.
When you say a more traditional business model, what are you referring to? To be honest, I have often questioned if entrepreneurship is for me. I do hate working for others but am lacking certain skills that help in owning and running a business although I am working on it every day.
I have been self employed for over a year and there are plenty of struggles, but I’m doing OK.I’ve also done a ton research regarding self awareness and personality type testing. I’m in a good place now, far from where I was during that interview…
Clare
By traditional business, I was thinking about a business that provides tangible products or services that people are familiar with for money that dosent require amazing marketing to sell. For example, starting a new social media company isn’t necessarily familiar to people, and it isn’t clear how much profit is to expected. Running a neighbourhood hair salon is.
People know what to expect when they come in, and you have a good idea of how much you need to survive, and how much other hair salons are making. A business with really weird hours that is traditional might work better for you if you want to spend time with your girls. Basically a job that requires you to be awake when others are asleep. Maybe even a normal IT job like something to do with database security. You seem like a kind person that takes criticism well, I don’t see you having trouble with customer service.
Your fitness business is more suited for you if you are physically showing up to clients houses or studios but it is a very limited growth industry. However, fitness people have the best networks, you could use it to piggy back off something else. I’m not sure if I can see you bossing multiple people around and enjoying it, but you’ll need to expand a traditional business model company. Your best bet is to settle for a middle income sole proprietor company job that does things other people don’t want to do, or can’t and get into something with more flexible hours.
There is also nothing stopping you from running several businesses, and working like 70 hours a week, but making sure the rest of the hours allowed you to see your girls. Like if you worked from 6 to 4 pm everyday, but the hours after 4 required nothing from you, that could work. And I mean, there is nothing stopping you from getting lucky, just make sure your businesses arent super risky like a new dance club. Pick boring low barrier to entry traditional businesses with a predictable client base and income stream. You’re not looking to be the next steve jobs and your goal is to have flexible hours and see your girls.
Steve
Interesting points here, Clare. To be honest, I am more of a traditional business model type person and am still struggling with breaking free from the employee mindset.
And you’re right, training clients in person is what I’m nest at but it’s not scalable and will never provide the life and freedom I want. I Having my online business is a really challenge for me and it tests my discipline every single day. It’s so easy to just show up to a job and get paid but wen we’re building something of our own, it’s so much different.
I usually work from 7am to 9pm with breaks in between for food, exercise, and traveling to clients, but that’s it. There is always something to do. When I did that interview with Penelope, I was still married and looking to maximize my time with my girls but now I am divorced and things are much different.
I see my girls every weekend and spend as much quality time with them as possible. I don’t see them during the week at all, so I use this time to build my online business. My personal training business brings in enough money for me to live as I continue to build the online piece of it, which is where I ultimately want to be be..
Davidd
Yeah, a product to sell. That’s the tricky part, isn’t it? And it’s something all the online business blogging gurus tend to gloss over. “Find a need, recognize your unique strengths, create a product or service to fill those needs.” Sounds straightforward, but… what? Sit at the kitchen table pondering until you come up with a product, generally an Info-Product, that a niche, but still significant, market will want? I can see this process taking five years, easily.
Have you considered making your ebook available through the Amazon Kindle store in addition to through your web site? The process is surprisingly easy. It’s one more way to raise your profile and offer more “entry points” into your “funnel.”
Steve
Yea David, I’ve listened to dozens of Internet “guru’s” and have heard all the marketing tactics, sales funnel, and lead generation ideas I can stand. After 9 months working on my SDFD site, it’s still early. For me, this is going to be my main source of income in the future and am looking at it as such.
I’m only interested n creating products/services that are useful, instead of things that just make money. There are enough average fitness products out there and the world doesn’t need another one.
I have friends that sell average products but are amazing marketers and are making serious money, but I’m not interested in that. If I was, I would have just stayed at my old job and made a ton of cash there. I think there is a real need for programs and services directed specifically at dads and single dads and I’m working hard at finding out the best way to create them and ultimately, sell them.
Fay Nicole
Oh gosh, don’t I know about thinking and not acting! I quit my 9-5 in December (in fact, it was 8-5 but they never count the evenings and weekends when they’re clocking you in). Had a whole lot of great stuff lined up, actually valued a couple weeks’ hiatus to work on prospecting and materials but then – paralysis! At least I’ve also signed up to train to follow my passion of being a fitness trainer too because the lack of business suddenly depressed me when I thought ‘shit! I’m going to have to go back to the grind!’.
I read a couple of your articles today including the one on ‘Office Space’ and it really, really helped.
My career started out unexpectedly but I was having fun (I wanted to be a Psychologist not be in corporate!). I was doing marketing research on fun products across the Caribbean. There were 3 of us in the company but I was never in the office. And on evenings, I worked at a fancy restaurant. So I totally didn’t sign up for the grind!
Thanks for every reminder that life can be different! We 40-some year olds have had 20 years of bullshit and can’t bear the idea of another 20!
Time to grab my life back, thank you very much!