The future of earning
The era of passive income is over (but what’s coming in it’s place pays even higher dividends)
I remember that time (okay, too many times to count) I tried to figure out how to get rich quickly.
The coaching journal. The imagination explorations. The unbecoming book club.
I had this dream of the 21st century equivalent of eating grapes on a chaise lounger and watching my bank balance go up like a rocket ship.
I fantasized about putting in a little bit of effort to come up with some treasure that people on all corners of the internet were willing to pay for.
And now after a few good years as an entrepreneur…I know this dream is a farse.
There is no such thing as passive income!!
Maybe money that makes money (a la rental properties or the stock market) … but this notion of truly passive income is not a thing. It’s an unattainable, capitalism-fueled pipe dream.
The entrepreneurs that seemingly make money by “doing nothing” in fact have insanely strategic businesses that are constantly attracting people into the top of their purchase funnel. They then diligently & strategically convert them into paying customers of their supposedly “passive income” products.
In other words, they spend countless hours getting people to buy their products in quantities that merit calling it “income”. The same goes for any sort of influencer partnership or paid advertising income, hate to break it to you.
I also think these folks spent/spend significantly more hours marketing their products than I do to land the few coaching clients I need each month to pay the bills.
And I don’t mean that in a “I have a thriving business” way.
But in a “my business model is fundamentally different” way. And is the only business model I see as surviving as we move forwards in this crazy world we live in.
So what’s my business model? Let me tell you.
I form deep relationships. Almost 100%(!) of my work comes from people I have spent at least 30 minutes speaking to - in DMs, in courses, or live - (for free) prior. People work with me or purchase from me for what *I personally* give them, just as much as what my products & services give them.
I create for me, and I share for you. My work is work that I have personally used. On myself. It’s something I create or is a skill I acquire because I need it, and then amazingly… I learn even more as I offer it to my people (in exchange for financial compensation, of course).
And my prediction on the upcoming era of earning is related to these two foundational cornerstones.
I believe we are entering an era of dreaming up offerings (small business, self-development & otherwise) that are rooted in personal value — but provide collective impact.
There will be financial reward in offering these things, but even more so there must be *personal gain* in creating them.
You grow while your people grow.
And if that isn’t worth its weight in gold… I don’t know what is. Because as we all know working a 9-5 might feel stable and pay well, but it sucks your skills dry and puts its growth above yours 99% of the time.
I should mention that there is one caveat to these personally motivated creations…
It’s that we can no longer assume our offerings & businesses will be something that create personal and/or collective value forever. And by forever, I mean… even a short period of time.
If you’re able to sell the same or similar product or services 2+ times… you will be a diamond in the rough. In this era of constant change… aiming to create a product or service that is still “valid” one day, month or year to the next is just distracting you from creating for your current personal needs.
An evolution of the product might be possible, of course. But a product that doesn’t change at all?
Well - sorry my sisters - but I can smell stale from a mile away. And in this era of technological scale growth, stale is not worth paying for.
I don’t tell you this to demotivate you. I tell you this to get you moving.
If your creation is only going to last 6-12 months in whatever form you publish it in… what does that change?
For me, it allows for speed. For flying by the seat of my pants. For trusting the universe. For faking it til I become it. For accepting that this crazy thing called life is too short to stumble at the first step.
But mostly — I do not want any more of us to try and create any more one-size-fits-all-passive-income-inspired solution.
What I do want is to be able to taste your way of living, and allow it to change mine.
So please, create for you. Today.
And share it with me. Tomorrow.
I believe we are entering an era of dreaming up offerings (small business, self-development & otherwise) that are rooted in personal value — but provide collective impact. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻