The One Change That Led to Success in My Lifestyle Business

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2011 was a rough year. It was the year that I woke up and decided to chase my dream, but I had no clue what I was doing. I tried to research but all the information online just overwhelmed me. I listened to the advice and tried seven different ways to make money in my lifestyle business with limited success.

2012 and 2013 were building years. I made some progress and even enough money to leave my bread delivery job. But, the real breakthrough in my lifestyle business came in 2015. That was the year I stopped trying to chase the online audience and went after the mainstream audience.

Go Mainstream

I know a lot of people who have been building a lifestyle business for years but haven’t made the progress they’ve wanted to make. I know people who have tried everything but the money never seems to come. Almost every time, the reason can be traced to a lack of audience or the lack of a non-crossover audience.

Think about this. In the online space–the space where there are influencers, income reports and a lot of the same kinds of conferences–there is a ton of crossover. The same people listen to the same podcasts; they attend the same conferences and read the same blogs. When it’s time for this audience to spend a little money, they usually buy a program or services from someone at the top.

Going after a mainstream audience puts you in a completely different space. 218 million people read the Huffington Post every month. Spend a minute and think about that number. There isn’t mush crossover in that audience. It’s the same for all the largest websites in the world. Writing for large media publications, consulting at companies, speaking at mainstream conferences are a few ways to go after a mainstream audience.

In 2015, I stopped chasing the crossover and went after a fairly untapped audience. It made all the difference in my business. My business exploded so much it caused me to enter a funk with all the interactions. I have also gotten bigger and more interesting opportunities by focusing on a mainstream audience.

This Can Make a Difference  

I’m not telling you that you should never guest post, get interviewed on a podcast, or try to sell to people in certain groups. I’m telling you that you can reach a fresh audience that’s hungry for your content and will buy some of the things you sell.

Start by identifying mainstream opportunities that are relevant to you because this isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of situation. Don’t let self-limiting beliefs convince you that it’s not possible for you or your business. It is. Start adding a few of these opportunities to what you’re already doing. You will be surprised with the progress.

Have you tried going after mainstream opportunities?

Photo: Flickr/MauronB