Scam Schmam… Why Be a Hater?
I am going to do EVERYTHING in my power to not turn this post into a rant or vent, I really don’t want to expend the energy on that kind of drama. Feel free to call me out if I get a little ‘ranty’ though, I can take it.
What I DO want to do is get you to think about all of this (what I’m going to talk about) in a different way.
Better yet, just BE OPEN.
O.K., so let me tell you how this all came about.
Story #1
You may or may not know that I’ve been part of a Mastermind group on Facebook for the past 6+ months, run by a good friend of mine, Adam Spiel. I mentioned this in my year in review post & podcast and it has absolutely changed my business (for the better). Adam and I met about 4 1/2 yrs. ago at a conference and have stayed in touch ever since then (skype, email, lunch when he’s in town, whatever). I can tell you without a second of hesitation that he is one of the nicest people I have been fortunate enough to meet and call a friend since starting my business.
Adam has had plenty of his own ups and downs in his business (you’ll hear about them in an upcoming podcast interview) and wasn’t handed anything. Nor did he do anything smarmy or remotely resembling a scam (btw, this isn’t a post about Adam or in defense of him, so bear with me, I’m getting to my point). Over the last year he really started focusing on Facebook and Facebook advertising. He tested it for himself, then started doing it for clients. Now, like any smart marketer, he’s teaching what he knows and does for a living.
So, in doing what he does best he posted an ad for an upcoming webinar he’s hosting where he shows people exactly what he’s done and what he’s doing. Being the good friend and dutiful student that I am I posted the link on my Facebook wall. No biggie. I had one person ask me if it was scammy because some people left comments on the registration page inferring that. I responded that no, it wasn’t a hard sell and there was definitely value simply in attending. I told her he would be offering his training, but simply attending the webinar was worth it (and I did read some of the comments and they all came across bitter, crabby and just miserable).
Story #2
After attending the live Fizzle workshop in San Francisco in December (November? The last two months of 2013 feel like kind of a blur now) I connected with some great people and have started working with someone who lives in the Bay Area also and is just getting his business going. He was sharing how he went to a local meetup in San Francisco hosted by a big blogger because I had mentioned I was going to try to go but couldn’t make it because of time.
His explanation of the meetup was priceless!
He said it was like a tea party at a Tony Robbins event.
Great people, not all were in business and simply a nice evening. WHICH IS GREAT… IF... that’s what you want and are looking for. He also mentioned that he talked to the organizer and said he thought there was some real danger in the idea that everyone can and should grow their business in a “build it and they will come” mentality (i.e, organic only and simply connecting with the right people. BTW, I’m totally paraphrasing here and being a bit ambiguous because it’s not my story to name names or be more specific, but I hope at this point you trust me enough to know this really occurred). The organizer then said there were a lot of people out there who were “scammy” and to be careful.
I get it.
There is a LOT of hype out there.
(see how I did that? I used red to make a point. Cause I’m kinda clever like that.. and a bit of a dork, I know).
A lot of hard core smarmy, sleazy people out there who don’t provide value and, in the infamous words of Steve Miller, “take the money and run” (who, if you don’t know is a musician who was pretty big in the 70’s.. which, now I totally want to listen to his greatest hits album! haha..).
But guess what?
There are also a TON of people who are KILLING it online *and yes, I’m referring to income here* (because there is NOTHING wrong with earning a great living doing something you love. I know, I know… rant) who are wonderful people and have worked their asses off to get to where they are! Just because someone shares real results in terms of income that seems outrageous to you, doesn’t mean they’re a douche.
So, here’s where I want you to be OPEN (remember my earlier request?).
- How about trusting yourself?
- How about NOT reading what other people write when it comes to making a decision that in your GUT feels right for YOU?
- How about attending the webinar, testing the software, talking to YOUR audience and trying and testing things? Regardless of what anyone else has said.
- How about deciding that even if you learn ONE thing from the webinar you decide that it’s worth it?
I heard two things that least week that I will probably expand on in an upcoming post or podcast (or both, you never know with me).
The first was from another fellow Mastermind member, Troy Broussard (and upcoming podcast interview). One simple phrase that I LOVED from Troy was
“Imperfect Action”
BAM!
That was like music to my ears. It does NOT have to be perfect. The magic word in that little phrase is “Action”. Just friggin do it. Try it. Test it. Whatever. Just get started.
The second was from a friend an cohort (in an upcoming podcast course we’re going to be teaching together), Allegra Sinclair. I mentioned to Allegra about the comment I received when I shared Adam’s webinar (btw, the comment was an honest question, it wasn’t rude or acccusatory). Allegra pointed out that the people who instantly went to ‘attacking’ or saying it was scammy had an “Immature Business.”
Brilliant.
The longer you’re in business the better you can navigate the scammy waters. You’ll understand that marketing and advertising are a part of BUSINESS. The methodology used by one person may not be the way you would do things but that doesn’t make it a scam.
Wow! What a delightful surprise to be mentioned by The Chick! You know, I think you’re a rock star and this post is a shining example of why I feel that way. The content is bold enough to challenge me and encourage me to check myself, the tone is funny so I’m diggin’ my time here and hardly realize I’m (gasp) learning, and the message is impactful and will absolutely change people’s lives if they let it. Three scoops of goodness! Thanks for sharing it and keep being you!
You’re most welcome Allegra! And you know I think YOU’RE a rockstar! 😉 It’s all about challenging & encouraging to keep us growing, right?
Here’s to a fabulous 2014 for you!