You may have noticed that this month here on the blog, the content has been all about how entrepreneurs break the rules.

From adopting a profit-first mentality to acting like a beginner to taking action in spite of fear, entrepreneurs are constantly busting myths about how to succeed as you build your personal brands.

What we haven’t touched on yet is WHY the most successful entrepreneurs always appear to be breaking rules.

You might think you already know: to achieve different results, right? To find status or attention for their groundbreaking ideas?

Well, yes. Sometimes. But that’s only part of the story. The real reason to break the rules is much simpler…and much more complex.

There ARE No Rules

I think we all know this, to be honest, but none of us really believe it. After all, there have to be SOME rules, right? There has be to some authority out there telling us what we’re all “supposed” to do in business so that when someone does it differently, it makes the news?

Nope.

It’s The Matrix all over again, you guys. There is no spoon, and there are no rules. When you find your tribe, you can succeed doing anything you want and in any WAY you want.

I’m serious. There are entrepreneurs out there flourishing as professional cuddlers, as reading coaches for literate people, and as shippers of snow. Do you think these people would’ve ever gotten started building a successful business if they’d listened to the rules?

The same is true for you.

In fact, I’d wager that the more rules you try to find and follow, the less likely you are EVER to succeed in business.

Don’t misunderstand: you need not have a crazy, unheard-of idea in order to qualify for “not following the rules.” It doesn’t matter what kind of business you want to grow; what I want you to understand is that you have to build your business your way. Even if there were rules (which there are not!!), they wouldn’t apply to you.

Well, What Do I Do Now?

I get why rules are such a comfortable idea. They can make you feel safe when you’re considering a major thing like starting or growing a business, and it’s reassuring to think that if you follow the rules, you’re assured of success.

Well, for better or worse, that’s never been and never WILL be the case, my friends. No one who’s ever succeeded beyond their wildest dreams ever got there by sitting back and wondering, “What do the rules say about this?” Can you imagine Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos knowing or even caring what anyone else was doing?

This means that the next time you’re considering a major decision, there’s very little measurable benefit in googling “What should I do about X?” or “What did [insert famous entrepreneur here] do about Y?” You’ll find lots of great answers about what OTHER people have done, which can be nice for context and inspiration, but I caution you against doing what they’ve done just because they’ve done it and written about it.

They’ve found a way that works for them, and that’s fantastic, but that doesn’t even come close to predicting how much success you’ll have with the same approach.

Instead, try this: when you need to make a decision, just make it. That’s how it becomes your rule.

Too simple? That’s exactly the point!

The only way to get comfortable making decisions is to make decisions, and the more you build that muscle, the more you become the authority you want to become in your space. Besides, if you’re relying on someone else’s “rules” to make those decisions for you, you’re not building your own business anymore. You’re building theirs.

A Thought Experiment

The next time you see an article about someone “breaking the rules,” ask yourself what the rule was in the first place. I’ve done this a few times, and the answer is always laughable because you’ll see very quickly how they don’t exist. When Bezos created Amazon, was the rule, “Don’t create an online company?” Of course not, though his story is often framed that way. In reality, the rule didn’t exist because the context didn’t exist.

The same is true for you. Every decision you make becomes a rule, and your specific set of rules will work for no one else but you.

If you enjoyed this post, please let me know on my Facebook page or via Twitter. And… if you have some likeminded friends, I’d love for you to share it with them. Thank you!

Not so long ago I published a video post on the subject of the YouEconomy and how every entrepreneur (regardless of industry) should and can claim their own piece of this new, booming segment of the business world.

Perfect for entrepreneurs such as coaches, consultants, speakers, authors, bloggers, podcasters and experts – the interest on carving out a solid slice of the YouEconomy pie should be a focus.

To elaborate things further, I put together this infogaphic, which I think showcases exactly how important the niche industry is, and just how easy it to to get hold of what’s yours!

To further support this infographic, I strongly suggest you check out my Youpreneur Community. Along with finding ‘your people’ and delving into high-impact mastermind groups, you’ll also learn everything you need to, to start taking all your efforts as a Youpreneur to the next level.

Other Related Content:

• The ‘Chase it Down’ Miniseries on my YouTube Channel
• How to Become the Best ‘Coach of Coaches’ You Can Be
• 5 New Words for Entrepreneurial Fear
• 5 Daily Habits to Grow Your Business FREAKISHLY Fast!

Did this infographic help you? If so, please consider sharing it and be sure to tweet me and let me know your biggest takeaway!

Facebook has predicted that the web will go entirely video-based in the near future, so my question for you this week is, are you making any money from video blogging yet? If you’re NOT, sit back for a few minutes to learn how to monetize your online videos, and turn that train around.

Ready. Set. Go!

1. Sponsorships

If you’re a vlogger with a decently sized audience, you can approach potential sponsors and request their support for your show. They might sponsor a single episode, support a whole or partial season, or compensate you for published reviews of their products or services.

If you want to work with a brand, put together a comprehensive proposal that outlines who you are, what your vlog is about, why your expertise and theirs align, and some potential collaboration opportunities. They may have their own process as well for dealing with vloggers, so be open to the process and see where it leads.

2. Your own merchandise

Some vloggers sell branded merchandise, products, and/or services to support the costs of running the show. This is a unique and fun way to expand your relationship with your viewers since it means they can take their appreciation of the show beyond the show itself. Merchandise could be as simple as a T-shirt, so don’t get too worried that you’ll have to get completely crazy, but do take the time to select quality merchandise that represents your brand.

As for selling products and services, this is kind of like seeing your vlog as a webinar of sorts. You’ll spend the bulk of your time teaching and connecting with your community, sharing what you know generously and in the spirit of service. At the end of your show, or on the occasional special-edition episode, you’ll devote some time to explaining the kinds of products and services you have available for purchase. Remember that you’re providing a service by making your expertise accessible to as many people as possible. It would literally be a DISSERVICE to keep quiet about your products and services.

3. Ads

Different from sponsorship relationships, you can set up your YouTube channel to play standard-issue ads before your show. A Google AdSense account is completely free to set up, and your revenue will relate directly to users’ engagement with the ads themselves.

4. Viewer contributions

Many content creators have set up accounts with Patreon, which is basically like crowd-funding your vlog revenue. They can donate once or on an ongoing basis, and their direct support is wonderful evidence that you’re contributing to their lives and their goals, just as you set out to do!

Charge What You’re Worth

Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed monetising your podcast, your blog and now today, your online videos. However, I have one last parting thought on monetization and pricing in general that I want to share with you… be sure to charge what you’re worth – and don’t apologize. People will gladly part with their hard earned cash if you’re providing them value and affecting positive change in their lives.

Did you enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook!

Okay, so you’ve got a podcast, right? If so, I want you to know something important: you absolutely CAN make money from it—some even make a very nice full-time living this way! But it’s important to know how to monetize your podcast in the right way.

How do we do it, Chris? I hear you ask..

Check out these steps below to help you monetize your own podcast!

1. Make a list of potential sponsors.

Think of the brands you like and use, and think of the sponsors on shows you currently listen to. Write them all down, and note the similarities and differences between them. I bet you’ll notice that they aren’t all necessarily related to the topic of your show. And that’s OK! Some brands are super specific in their marketing efforts, while others are keen to advertise on a variety of podcasts.

2. Make brand contact.

Step away from the form letter, friends! Please do not ever send a form letter request to a bunch of brands asking them to sponsor your show. It’ll get almost automatically deleted, I can guarantee it. Instead, making contact with a brand is very much a personal (and personalized!) effort. If you can’t get a direct introduction from a friend or network contact, see if you can make a personal connection on social media or over email.

3. Consider your existing network.

If the bigger brands aren’t responding to your outreach efforts, they’re not the only options available to you! Consider your own network of fellow entrepreneurs and business owners. Might they be interested in getting into the advertising space? You can’t possibly know until you ask, and this could be a really great opportunity to strengthen and build some of your existing business relationships.

4. Ask listeners to sponsor you.

The patron model of supporting podcasters is getting more and more popular these days. If you haven’t heard of it, check out Patreon, where avid fans or a creator’s work can sponsor that creator on a one-time or even ongoing basis. Your listeners can contribute directly to your show, and you can build a Patreon community with them right there where you can share exclusive info, connect listeners to each other, and really take your podcasting to the next level.

5. Monetize indirectly.

Does your podcast have to make money all by itself? Maybe, maybe not. I know of some podcasters out there who run the show completely pro-bono but have a killer conversion rate when it comes to getting listeners to sign up for their mailing list. And we all know what happens when someone signs up for your mailing list—you just got a great opportunity to serve that person with even more of your content and solutions, including the paid options.

Monetizating doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you know how to monetize your podcast the right way. Use these tips as you get more serious about leveling up, and let me know how you get on!

Enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook – and… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone

Now if you’ve never made money online before, monetizing your blog is basically the Holy Grail of online business right now. It’s incredibly doable if you’re excellent at what you do and dedicated to pursuing it until it pays off. And it will pay off, I know that much. But, like most things, when you have a proven system to follow it makes everything easier and THIS is my process on how to monetize your blogging.

1. Get comfortable!

The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is choosing a niche to blog about and then getting tired of it and switching niches. I know of people who’ve started dozens of blogs over the years, only to abandon them when they changed their minds. And then they wonder why they aren’t successful at monetizing.

Friends, don’t make this mistake! The success of your blog depends to a HUGE extent on your willingness to dive DEEP into a topic for a long period of time. You’ve got to become THE guy or gal who knows everything about your area of expertise, so much so that you’re the ultimate authority every time someone in your audience thinks of that topic.

2. Start a mailing list!

Blog traffic is great, and it’s fun to watch those numbers go up when you share valuable content, but the real monetization of a blog comes from creating an email list. If you’re not already familiar with this, it means offering blog visitors an opportunity to receive regular emails from you by inputting their email address on your site. It’s easy and free to set up through MailChimp, and I also like Constant Contact for blog-specific mailing lists.

3. Ask your readers what they want to buy!

When you’ve grown a blog audience and mailing list that loves your content, the next step is simply to reach out and ask them what they would be willing to invest in if you created it. This can be an open-ended question or a multiple choice format if you already have a few ideas in mind. Don’t be surprised if your audience tells you they want you to write a book, develop a course, host a conference, or launch a mastermind. Your audience believes in you BIG TIME, and their willingness to share big dreams might be just the fuel you need to get creating.

4. Give the people what they want!

If your audience’s needs and requests line up with what you can and want to create, well, bingo! Create the thing they’ve told you they want, and offer it to them at a great price. Take their feedback and suggestions, improve the product, and continue doing that in a solid, on-going fashion. This is exactly how to launch your products and courses into the world. Simply solve people’s problems. It’s this easy.

Repeating steps 3 and 4 is your path to a monetized blog, my friends. And more importantly, it’s your path to a growing and sustainable community of readers who trust you for your expertise and turn to you for all their challenges, when it comes to your chosen topic of focus.

Remember we want to become somebody’s favorite. That’s it. Become a favorite and your readers will return to you over and over again – creating more opportunity for you to serve them over and over.

Did you enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook – and… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone

We’ve covered how to write your first book in a previous post and after putting in all the work, you finally have it completed. So what’s the next step? It’s time to go into how to LAUNCH your first book! Because let’s face it, a completed book won’t do you any good until you get it out into the world, will it?

I launched my first book, Virtual Freedom, to #1 bestseller status on Amazon in 4 different categories, and I plan to better that with my next one, so I can tell you with all seriousness that launching your book is AS MUCH, if not MORE, work than actually writing it. However, if you take this phase seriously, you have serious potential to become a bestseller yourself. Here’s what I did, and what I recommend:

Building Buzz

Build pre-launch buzz. It’s never too early to think about launching your book. In fact, when you’re still writing it, you can get moving on several marketing ideas that will make the launch even more successful. This step is all about making connections with as many people as possible so that word of you and your book spreads far and wide.

Set-up Your Book’s Site

First up, you want to devote a page on your site to the book itself. On the page, you want to have a promo kit available, which will include things like your author bio, book summary, sample chapters, possible interview questions, and early testimonials. Things like this make it easy for podcasters and bloggers to get a handle on you and your book as easily and quickly as possible.

Share Your Journey

Second, you want to be open and transparent about the writing process while it is still happening. Hop on social media regularly to share what you’re writing, how it’s going, and how early readers can get involved—offering sneak peeks, early order incentives, and whatnot in exchange for reviews is a win for everyone.

Reach Out to Your Network

Third, make active connections with people who can help you spread the word. This means reaching out to podcasters, bloggers, and content creators who operate in the niche you’re writing in. Show them how your book can help their audience, and try to get some coverage through their platforms. Remember to make your every interaction about THEM—this is about serving others, not about promoting yourself.

As you wrap up the writing and editing process, following these strategies will help ensure you’ve got a good groundswell of attention once your book is ready to go out into the world.

Treat Your Book Like an Event

The real secret at this point in the launch is to make book marketing your full-time job! I’m serious here, guys. You will get out of your launch what you put into it. If you’ve built up that buzz in the last step, you’ll be ready to launch with things like a podcast tour (I was on over 40 shows in a month!), live and online workshops, guest blog posts, and maybe even an official launch party (who can remember that silly hat I wore when we launched Virtual Freedom on a Google Hangout!?).

If it sounds like a lot of work, it is, but remember, you’ve already made all those connections in the last step, and this is where you get to cash in! You’re going to be a bestseller before you know it.

Did you enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook – and… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone

Now, every personal brand entrepreneur has heard this at some point: a book is the best business card you can give out! And it’s true!

So, if you fancy a piece of the book pie and as a direct result, establishing yourself as an industry expert pretty much the day it’s published. Here’s a crazy simple process to follow tofigure our how to write your first book:

1. Define your audience.

As with any endeavor you pursue as a personal brand entrepreneur, you must begin by identifying your audience. Who are you writing for? Why do they need your book? What do you want them to learn or act on once they finish?

2. Define your purpose.

Why are you writing a book? Sounds like an obvious question, but I assure you that it’s not. You must know the purpose behind your book and the effort of writing it before you begin. You need an inner reason.

3. Draft an outline.

An outline is basically your future book’s table of contents, with a few bullet points under each “chapter heading” to help you make sense of how your book is unfolding from beginning to end. It’s a great way to get a bird’s eye view of your book.

4. Flesh out the bullet points.

Add more detail to the bullet points in your table of contents. Go a little deeper in your thinking, draw some conclusions, and move things around as it makes sense to do so. You’ll find that you DO have an intuitive sense of your argument, even if you don’t consider yourself a writer.

5. Turn those bullet points into sentences and paragraphs.

This is the step where you essentially trick yourself into writing a book. It’s where your bullet points become sentences and paragraphs and individual essays, and where, before too long, you have an actual rough draft down on paper (or screen, as the case may be).

6. Edit for overall message and clarity.

Read through your manuscript with an eye to how it sounds as a complete document. Does it make sense? Are there any gaps in logic? Do you “prove” your argument?

7. Get a fresh perspective.

Whether you hire an editor or engage a few beta readers from your network or community, you absolutely must get a fresh pair of eyes on your book right about now. By this stage, you’ll be too close to the manuscript to see it objectively anymore!

8. Writing is rewriting.

There will be lots to do with the feedback you receive from your editor and/or beta readers. Be prepared for a revision process that takes as long or longer than the actual writing. However, this is a good thing and it’ll end up with you having the BEST possible version of your book entering the world!

See what I mean here, guys? You’re just 8 steps away from writing your first book!

Okay, maybe that’s oversimplifying it a bit, but I want you to know that you CAN do this, and you can do it well. This is the process that best-selling authors follow, including me and it’s the one YOU can follow as well.

And when you’re done… be sure to send me a signed copy, will you? 🙂

Enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook – and… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone

As someone that has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs on their outsourcing strategies, one of the biggest stumbling blocks that I’ve come across is simply just getting started.

If you’ve been on the fence about building a virtual team to help you run, support and grow your business, I’m going to share a very simple exercise to show you how to build a virtual team that will help you on your way to becoming a super productive and successful entrepreneur.

The Art of Letting Go

The fact is that getting started on building a team actually doesn’t need to be as painful as a lot of people envision it to be. Once you get over the fear of letting go of certain tasks, you will actually start looking for more tasks to get off your plate, freeing up more of your time that you can spend growing your business.

My homework for you today comes directly from the pages of my book, Virtual Freedom. It’s called the 3 Lists to Freedom exercise and it’s going to change your life forever. To get started, all you need to do is to grab a piece of paper and draw two lines down, creating three columns.

1. Things You Hate Doing

In the first column, list down all the things you hate doing on a day-to-day basis. These are tasks that you might put off all day long but they are essential to your business and quite frankly, your business is demanding that you do them.

2. Things You Can’t Do

In the second column, list down all the tasks you can’t do. As entrepreneurs, it’s tough to admit that someone else out there can do a task better than us. This is the time to be really honest with ourselves and acknowledge that there are plenty of things we struggle.

3. Things You Shouldn’t Be Doing

Finally, the third column. This is by far, is the single most important list because it really gets you thinking. List down all the things as a business owner that you feel you shouldn’t really be doing on a day-to-day basis. Now I want you to think long and hard here – there might be tasks that you enjoy doing, there might be tasks that you are really good at doing but the million dollar question is: as a business owner, should I actually be doing them?

Can my time be better spent on more high-level activities such as strategizing for growth, spending more time with my top 20% clientele, creating and launching new products and services, traveling to conferences, networking… or maybe just playing a little more Lego with the people that you love? 🙂

Now once you’ve created these three lists, you’ll fundamentally have a roadmap where you can go ahead and start grouping these tasks together to create new roles that you can plug into your business to start making everything so much easier.

Did you enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook – and… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone

Public speaking scares the living daylights out of something like, oh… 99.999% of the population! So if you are part of that special group of people who are brave enough to pursue or accept a gig in the first place, you’re already ahead of the game, my friends.

But accepting speaking engagements isn’t the same as actually being on stage now is it? Here’s a handful of quick tips that’ll help get this right both before and during your presentation so that you can rock that stage like a pro. Yes. today, we’re talking about how to prepare for a speaking gig!

Pre-Show Rituals

Start off by doing something weird backstage. Not too long ago, there was a lot of buzz about doing the Wonder Woman pose before hitting the stage, in private of course as it infused people with all sorts of confidence and authority, which helped them perform better when they got out on stage.

In fact, almost every successful speaker I know has SOME kind of ritual they do before going onstage. Some have a prayer or mantra they say, others listen to the same song each time. Find something that both energizes you and calms you down, and make it part of your pre-show ritual.

Don’t Forget to Hydrate!

Now the air inside most venues is dry, and if you haven’t done a lot of speaking before, you may not be used to how the air can affect your voice over a long presentation. Bring something right up on stage with you to eliminate any embarrassing coughing fits – a bottle of room temperature water is my jam on this one!

Eyes on the Prize

Next, let’s talk about the audience. Being on stage can be intoxicating. You may want to make incredible statements that apply to everyone in the room, however your talk will be a lot more impactful if you make repeated eye contact with just a few people, and speak directly to them. This will not only make the experience feel more like a conversation than an Official Presentation, but it’ll have the added bonus of making your audience nod along in agreement as you go. Try it… it REALLY works.

Keep the Conversation Going

And lastly, don’t forget to keep the conversation going after your talk. Your audience is there to hear you speak and learn more about you, so do them the favor of making it easy for them to find you after the presentation is over. At the very least, add a finishing slide to your presentation, with your social handles and website. If you want to take it up a notch, add a special bonus offer for anyone who was there to see you live, that focuses on creating even MORE value, and converting them onto your email list at the same time!

When you think about how to prepare for a speaking gig, some of these tips might pop into your head, some might not. Either way, I reckon that, with ’em in hand, you’ll be pretty much ready to take the stage by storm… and take your brand to the next level.

One last tip for you: have fun up there! There’s nothing better than being center stage, with a captivated audience in front of you,  it’s an incredible feeling!

Did you enjoy this episode of #DuckerZone? Let me know on Twitter and via Facebook – and… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone