What does it really take to build a successful business from nothing?
There are a lot of people out there selling their success stories—literally offering to share their secret 10 step system to success for 4 easy payments of $19.99. Let me just tell you right off the bat: That’s not what this is about. I'm not interested in making a quick buck. (In fact, I'll soon be releasing some 100% original content that anyone else would charge a premium for, but that's not my style.)
To tell you the truth, I’m so sick of all the “success gurus.” I’m sick of the dishonesty. On social media, especially, people only ever want to show off their achievements. They want you to see pictures of their fancy new watch or their trip to Miami. They want you to see their victory dance when they launch their new product.
However, they never lift the veil to show you what's really going on. They don't show you their mountain of credit card debt or the loans they got from their parents.
Even if they've truly achieved success, they don’t want you to see all the missteps that led up to that point, and they definitely don’t want you to see when they outright fail to achieve what they set out to do.
I wanted to tell you that it’s all bullshit. I wanted to tell you that there’s so much more you’re not seeing, but then I realized something: It’s one thing to tell you; it’s another thing to show you.
That’s when I first got the idea to set this challenge for myself.
I’m going to take a business from $0 to $1 million in revenue over the course of one year. All the while, I’ll be documenting every step of the journey—the highs and the lows, the celebrations and the disappointments. I’m not holding anything back. Everything will be on display for you to see.
It won’t be glamorous. It certainly won’t be easy, but I can guarantee you that it will be one hell of a ride.
The Challenge
One year.
One million dollars.
Zero excuses.
Here are the rules:
I’m starting from scratch here at our marketing agency, Michaels Wilder, and I'm creating a new business line with all new initiatives and new processes. It will be as if I’m creating a whole new business within our existing agency.
To mirror what it’s like to start from square one, I’ll begin with a very limited budget, and I’ll be trying out a lot of new ideas. My main resource will be my 15 years of experience with building businesses.
The challenge will begin on the first day of the new year, and I'll have 365 days to take this new business from $0 to $1 million in revenue.
Are You In?
I’m predicting that, if you’re reading this post, you’ll have one of three reactions:
- You’ll say it’s not possible, or maybe you’ll say it’s not possible for you. You’ll come up with excuses for why other people attain success but why it isn’t possible given your own circumstances.
- You’ll tell me that I’m not setting my sights high enough. Maybe you realize, like a lot of young entrepreneurs, that making $1 million dollars isn’t as rare as it used to be. Maybe you’re talking a big game about becoming a billionaire before you turn 30, and you want to tell me that I’m wasting my time when I could be cashing in on something bigger.
- You’ll join me on the journey.
Obviously, that last reaction is the one I’m hoping for, but first, let me talk directly to the other two groups:
To those who think it isn’t possible...
I want to prove you wrong. I want you to see that anyone can be successful because it’s something that I so passionately want for every single one of you. I didn’t come from the easiest upbringing myself, but I want to be the type of inspiration that my teenage self could have looked up to.
To those who think I’m not taking this far enough...
I want to show you the value of patience. I want to show you that it’s not all about cashing out quickly. I’m building the processes that will not only create revenue in the short term, but also help to scale the business and multiply our profits in the long term. I know a lot of people who are in the business to get rich quick, and I’m going to tell you upfront that this process isn’t for them. It’s for the people who want to really grow and develop their business into something they can be proud of.
To all of you...
I want you to not only follow what I’m doing, but also take the lessons I’m learning and make them work for your own lives. The content I’ll be sharing throughout this journey will be for everyone. I don’t care if you’re a sophomore in high school or a retiree from corporate America. I want to provide you with value that you can take into your daily life. This is for everyone who doesn’t mind doing things a bit differently and has the drive to keep going when things get difficult.
Sure, you could come up with excuses. You could try to call me out. Honestly, I've heard it all before, and it doesn't bother me. In fact, I see it as an opportunity to turn the doubters into followers. So, go on ahead. You can tell me I'm full of it.
Or you can join me.
It's a Win-Win
The thing is, this isn’t even about making 1 million dollars. Sure, that's the objective I'll be working to achieve, but it’s not really the point.
The point is to show you, whoever you are, the value of setting those goals for yourself.
So, maybe I’ll make it to my goal of $1 million. Maybe I’ll only reach $800 thousand, but guess what? If I only reach 80% of my goal, I'll still be running laps around the people who never left the starting line or who wasted their time making excuses.
I'm not thinking of this in terms of win or lose. For me, any outcome is a win.
If I reach my goal of $1 million in 1 year, I'll have successfully shown you all how to set a high goal and smash the hell out of it. On the flip side, if I fall short, I'll get the chance to learn from those failings and pass that knowledge onto you.
Either way, I'm looking forward to showing you what it's really like to grow a business from the ground up (and, trust me, you'll see that it's not all it's cracked up to be). That's a win for me, and, if you choose to join me on this journey, it'll be a win for you too.
How to Get Involved
Whether you have dreams of owning your own business or you just want to climb the corporate ladder, I promise that you'll find value in what I have to show you. I want to help each and every one of you navigate the punches that life throws at you. Knowing that you all are watching is going to motivate me and keep me on my toes through the next year.
That's why I want to encourage you all to be an active part of this $1 million challenge. Hit me up if you have questions on how you can apply the steps I'm taking to your own life. Talk to me about the so-called "impossible" goals you're setting for the new year.
I want to hear it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. That's what this is all about. It's not about being a follower. It's about being an active participant, not just in this group but in your own life.
So, reach out to me on social media if you're up for joining me on this journey. I'll be coming up with ways for the community to get involved throughout the year, so keep an eye open for that as well.
It all starts on January 1st, 2018. Are you in?