When I embarked on my online business journey, I was utterly lost.
I encountered all the same challenges that I witness others grappling with.
I couldn't make up my mind about my niche, skillset, offer, lead generation methods, and all the other crucial aspects.
I found myself trapped in a repetitive cycle of approaching local businesses, making decent money, yet deep down, I knew I wasn't creating any significant leverage.
With time, everything finally fell into place—just as it will for you—but looking back, I can't help but wish I had taken action sooner.
The C2C Business Model
We've all come across the terms B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) models.
B2B refers to businesses that provide services to other businesses, such as an agency offering marketing services to local companies. On the other hand, B2C involves businesses selling products directly to consumers, like an eCommerce store specializing in coffee sales to individuals.
In the ever-growing realm of social media, which serves as the lifeblood of digital commerce, the desire for human connection continues to surge.
Nowadays, most businesses recognize the significance of establishing a robust online presence. Practically anything you could ever need is available for purchase online, ranging from groceries and essential items to furniture and beyond.
This trend is already advancing rapidly, and I foresee it continuing to shift power into the hands of the individual, the creator.
While Amazon will undoubtedly maintain its massive competitive advantage, smaller brands will flourish in the realm of personalization.
Additionally, these brands have the option to leverage the reach of Amazon's platform if they choose to do so. The key lies in providing unique and personalized experiences that resonate with consumers, enabling smaller businesses to carve out their own successful niches in the market.
“There are 7 billion people on Earth. Someday, I hope in the future there are at least 2-3 billion businesses.”
Enter the C2C (creator to creator) business model.
This model thrives on the collaboration and interaction between personal brands and boutique shops. It was a revelation to me when I began cultivating an audience because it opened my eyes to the power of working with fellow creators who could provide solutions to my challenges.
Now, my entire approach revolves around collaborating with individual creators who understand my needs and can offer valuable insights and solutions.
The C2C model fosters a sense of community, allowing personal brands to tap into each other's expertise and support, resulting in mutual growth and success. It's an incredibly dynamic and empowering approach that has reshaped the way I navigate the business landscape.
The common misconception here is that creators only sell courses, coaching, freelance services, or other kinds of digital products and services.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, creators can offer a diverse range of physical products and goods.
For instance, there are individuals selling handmade cutting boards, herbal supplements, bodybuilding supplements, beef liver jerky, and virtually anything else you could find on Amazon.
They can sell their offers through their audience, email list, other digital assets, and any other free / paid traffic mechanism (Amazon, Google ads, Facebook ads, influencer and blog marketing, etc).
In essence, the C2C business model operates similarly to other business models, but with the added advantages of infinite scalability, reduced reliance on a large team or employees, and the freedom to have full control over your time.
It harkens back to the times of the Renaissance when merchants would trade their goods directly with the people of the city. However, with the advent of the internet, this model gains even more power and potential. It grants you the ability to reach anyone, transcending geographical limitations and connecting with a global audience.
The internet has amplified the reach and impact of the C2C model, providing unparalleled opportunities for individuals to engage in commerce on their own terms.
Why You Should Join The Creator Economy
It is growing like wildfire. More and more individuals are recognizing that personal brands wield greater influence than any other form of lead generation mechanism.
At its core, a personal brand functions as a lead generation mechanism for your products or services. The fascinating aspect is that building a personal brand entails sharing your interests, ongoing learning experiences, and expertise.
By authentically expressing yourself, you establish connections with people on a genuine human level. This human connection becomes a compelling reason for others to want to collaborate with you, as they resonate with your values and find a relatable connection that goes beyond traditional marketing tactics.
When it comes to what you can sell as a personal brand, the possibilities are endless. If you're just starting out and looking for quick cash, starting a freelance or coaching business can be a viable option.
Creators from various fields require a range of services such as:
Web Design
Email Marketing
Sales Closing
Performance Coaching
Masculinity Coaching
SaaS development
High-Quality Physical Products,
Virtually anything that would be valuable to a typical business.
The exciting part is that creators are often much more accessible than traditional businesses. Want to connect with them? Simply send them a direct message (DM). It's that straightforward and convenient.
The ability to establish direct communication with potential clients or collaborators is a significant advantage that personal brands enjoy in the digital age. (P.S. you can learn all of these skills, how to build a personal brand, exactly how to make your first $3K, $5K, and first 6 figures inside Modern Economic Mastery - Proven strategies and systems.
The most lucrative eCommerce brands are those that prioritize personalization. They offer products or services tailored to the specific interests and needs of individual customers. These brands even leverage personal brands and influencers who align with those particular interests to market their offerings.
When you possess the knowledge of starting and nurturing a personal brand, you bring that personal touch to your business. This uniqueness sets you apart and eliminates any saturation or competition in that space because no one can replicate your distinct personality.
By infusing your personal brand into your eCommerce business, you create a one-of-a-kind experience for your customers. Your authentic voice, values, and expertise resonate with your target audience on a deeper level, fostering trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships.
Your personal brand becomes a powerful asset that sets you apart from competitors, making your eCommerce business more profitable and sustainable. Remember, it is your individuality and personal touch that make your brand truly irreplaceable.
How To Join The Creator Economy Through Self-Improvement
Indeed, an effective approach to building a successful business is to pursue your own interests, address your personal life and business challenges, systemize the solutions, and offer them to individuals who are seeking solutions to different problems in their lives. By doing so, you can create a unique value proposition and position yourself in a niche where competition becomes less relevant.
When you focus on solving genuine problems and providing valuable solutions that stem from your own experiences and expertise, you establish a distinct advantage. This authentic approach resonates with customers who are searching for tailored solutions that align with their specific needs. Rather than competing directly with others, you create a niche market for yourself, where your unique offerings differentiate you from the broader competition.
By aligning your passion and skills with the needs of your target audience, you can carve out a profitable space for your business while enjoying a diminished sense of competition. Emphasizing your unique perspective and individual approach sets you apart, making you a go-to resource for those seeking specialized solutions.
Becoming a creator is indeed a deeply spiritual journey. Through self-reflection and self-awareness, you gain profound insights into human nature, the art of persuasion, emotional triggers, and all the elements that enable you to captivate and convert attention. It is crucial to let your intuition guide you in this realm.
Authenticity plays a vital role in allowing your true self to shine through. This requires detaching from faulty perceptions and identifications that may limit your growth and creative expression. By releasing these barriers, you tap into your natural strengths and embrace the flow of life and business.
When you approach your endeavors with a sense of alignment, inner wisdom, and self-awareness, you cultivate a powerful presence that resonates with others.
Your intuition becomes a guiding force that helps you make decisions, create content, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. By staying true to yourself and embracing your authentic voice, you invite meaningful connections, abundant opportunities, and a sense of fulfillment in both life and business.
The service business and online education routes have the lowest risk and lowest barrier of entry.
Here are the steps I would take to monetize any skill or interest as a creator, coach, freelancer, or digital product creator.
1) Study a skill or interest that somebody is already monetizing (and aligns with you).
Fact of the matter is, you can monetize anything nowadays.
Even better, if somebody is already making money from it, you can make money too.
Study a Skill or Interest with Existing Monetization. Identify a skill or interest that someone else is already successfully monetizing and aligns with your own passions.
It's important to choose a field or niche where money is already flowing. Remember, a solid personal brand eliminates competition, so it's beneficial to enter a space where others are already generating revenue. There is already money flowing in a “saturated” space. Don’t try to make money where money isn’t flowing.
For instance, if you follow fitness influencers and have a strong understanding of fitness principles and achieved personal results, that could be a viable route to explore. The same concept applies to other areas where you follow and learn from experts on social media. By leveraging your knowledge and expertise in these fields, you can help others achieve decent results and establish your own profitable personal brand.
2) Start creating content and understanding your social platform of choice.
I’m biased towards Twitter for a couple of reasons. One, because it’s a writing platform. You don’t need to learn how to design or record graphics or videos. Two, the retweet button exposes you to an entire audience. You can grow much more quickly than on other platforms.
Mastering the art of writing and refining your thoughts through consistent content creation not only offers personal fulfillment but also lays the foundation for monetization opportunities.
As you continue to create valuable content, engage with your audience, and refine your writing skills, you position yourself for future monetization endeavors, where your well-established personal brand and engaging content can attract potential clients or customers.
Learning how to grow and refine your thoughts through writing is rewarding in itself. When it comes time to monetize, it gets even better.
3) Connect with other people and help them.
All online business owners will agree when I say that money is made in the DMs. This is a key for growing your audience AND closing deals.
In the initial stages, it's important to reach out to others, connect with them, and provide valuable solutions for free. Offer tips and insights based on your expertise, have conversations with them, and genuinely understand their personal or business challenges. By offering genuine help and demonstrating your knowledge and willingness to assist, you establish trust and credibility.
In a future podcast, "College or Business?", I will delve deeper into these steps, gaining more insights and practical advice on how to effectively connect with others, provide value, and navigate the path to success.
4) Transition to Charging for Your Services
Once you have provided valuable assistance to people and gained significant experience and results, it's time to start monetizing your expertise. Consider setting a minimum price of $1000 or more for your services.
By recognizing the value you bring and establishing appropriate pricing, you position yourself as a professional in your field. This step marks an important milestone in your journey as a creator, coach, freelancer, or digital entrepreneur, allowing you to unlock your earning potential and further develop your business.
5) Increase prices and productize.
Once you have successfully established your credibility and landed several high-ticket clients, you can consider increasing your prices even further. Landing 3-4 clients per month at $5,000 each showcases the value you provide and allows you to explore new opportunities.
At this stage, you can start thinking about productizing your expertise. Transform your proven system that consistently delivers results into a digital product that can be sold to your audience, which you have diligently built over time. This step allows you to leverage your existing audience and expand your revenue streams beyond one-on-one services.
That is all I have for this letter.
I have so many topics to write on and I am excited to send them out to you each Saturday morning.
Thank you for reading – and thank you for being a supporter of this newsletter.
Have an awesome weekend, my friend.
Don
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