My dad is old school.
He has been in business for himself longer than I’ve been alive.
He’s an amazing businessman, and 100% grounded offline.
Since Jocelyn and I started our online business, he’s always saying stuff to us like “y’all need to get yourself an office, somewhere to work and meet with people.”
It blows his mind that not only do we work at home, but we don’t even have an official “office” in our house right now.
We started (and still run) our entire business from our laptops.
Jocelyn’s favorite place to work is on our couch.
I like to work in the dining room at the table.
Our podcasts? We record them in the kids’ playroom.
It’s the quietest room in the house (when Isaac and Anna Jo are asleep haha).
Actually, we do a lot of our work in the passenger seat of the car driving on trips or even around town running errands.
That’s what is crazy about online business.
You don’t have to wait until you have the perfect office, the perfect equipment, or even the perfect website.
You just have to get started with what you have!
Even if all you have is a laptop and an idea, that’s really all you need to start selling stuff online.
Let’s go back to our podcast for example.
We basically ordered a $50 microphone from Amazon and a shock microphone mount, set it all up and hit record.
We’ve recorded over 100 podcasts and videos with this exact setup.
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on expensive equipment.
We spent less than $100 and just STARTED.
Same thing with products.
Our first successful products were not even complete.
Jocelyn created a month of lesson plans, just to see if they would work.
When people bought the first ones, she made more.
If she had tried to create an entire year all at once, she probably would never have finished or made any money online.
I created a practice plan for football coaches.
The first edition barely had any pictures and I didn’t even really proofread it — it made over $7000 in a month.
Once I knew it was a viable product, I edited it and made it better.
I think a lot of people think they have to spend months creating a product, a ton of money on a website, and even more money setting up a perfect work space.
I’m here to tell you, that’s 100% not true.
“It ain’t gotta be perfect…”
It’s just gotta get started. It’s gotta be out there, online, available, as soon as you can get a minimum viable product done…launch it and see what happens!
You’ve just gotta try!
So if “perfection” is holding you back. Don’t let it!
You’ve got a computer, you’ve got your dreams, and you’ve got YOU — that’s all you need!
Put something out there and something good will come out of it. What do you have to lose?
We’ve made thousands of dollars online from imperfect websites, imperfect podcasts, imperfect products, and imperfect plans.
If we’d have waited for perfect… we’d still be waiting.
Stop waiting for “perfect.” It doesn’t exist!
What can you do right now to start making your online dreams a reality?
Let us know in the comments!
You can connect with S&J on social media too!
Thanks for reading! If you liked it, make sure you share it with your friends and family! Our goal is to help as many families as possible change their lives through online business. Help us by sharing the show!
If you have comments or questions, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post. See y’all next week!
Robert says
I discovered you guys from the recent SPI podcast you did with Pat Flynn and your story is quite inspiring! I’m trying to take my 30 years as a psychologist and create some digital products that others would find helpful. I know the need is out there because I get so many calls from people who need help. I will very likely sign up for your course and get some help creating my first digital product. Thanks so much for what you do and especially for the course to get the rest of us started.
Bob
Shane Sams says
Thank you Robert! Awesome vision you have for helping people! Anxiety is such a problem in the modern world, very cool! I think you could create an epic digital product…maybe an ebook to help people, followed up by a video series or even online consulting. You could impact serious lives! Very cool 🙂
–
Our next course starts September first and registration is open now. You can learn more about it here: https://flippedlifestyle.com/flipyourlife
Thanks again for reaching out!
-Shane
Paul says
Hey guys,
I, too, found you on Pat Flynn’s SPI podcast. I have a degree in business and online marketing and both you and Pat have me blown away! I know education isn’t a wast but I truly feel like I wasted time, effort and money that I could have using to make myself happier and financially secure.
I find my problem to be that I try to know at least a little about a lot of different subjects but I wouldn’t say I know any on thing so specifically that I’d be able to create a product to sell in a teachable way. Do you guys have any suggestions?
Shane Sams says
I totally understand where you are coming from Paul! Once we took off, we felt the same way. But I wouldn’t trade our experience or education away…its always there if we need it and it helped us become the people we are! Use that education, make it your unfair advantage and let it help you make your dreams a reality.
You dont have to be an expert at anythign….you just have to know more than the people you are trying to teach! Waht do you know about…make a product about that! You don’t have to know everything, just something. I don’t know everything about football, but I know more about certain topics than SOMEBODY else. Be expert enough, that’s all.
We explain this more in Podcast 5, should be out this week https://flippedlifestyle.com/podcast5
Paul says
Just an FYI, Shane, but your link is dead. I appreciate the feedback. I think I just need to get over the fear of doing everything just right, and just do SOMETHING.
Joey says
Thank you for saying this! This quote really hit me cos I’m a typical perfectionist who really cares about smallest details that nobody bothers, such as margin-bottom (CSS) applied under social icons, etc, hahah. I would keep adjusting such small details before publicly opening a website. I’ll keep this quote somewhere visible all the time!
bob brennan says
Shane and Jocelyn, just heard your podcast on Pat Flynn. I just wanted to say Hi quick. We met in San Diego. I just wanted to say how excited I am to hear about your “July”. I almost spit my coffee through my nose when I heard what you did in the month of July. I’ll try to promote this site anyway I can and more than likely will be come a member/client. Hope all is well. I’m hoping to go to Cebu-Phillipeans in March.
Take care.
Jocelyn Sams says
Thanks Bob! It’s good to hear from you. Hope things are well for you! 🙂 I am assuming you’re talking about Tropical Think Tank? We are considering it as well, but I think it might have been moved to May!
Zeke says
Shane and Jocelyn,
I discovered y’all’s (Im from Texas) podcast through your SPI interview and immediately became a fan. I seem to relate to you two more than most of the other online entrepreneur’s out there. I also, am married with young children and a full time job with very little time. I am ready to jump full force into creating a product but my wife doesn’t quite see the vision yet. Anyway, do y’all have any advice for “selling” this idea to your spouse? Thanks in advance!
Zeke
Jocelyn Sams says
Zeke, Thanks for your comment! You’re in luck – our next podcast is all about how to get your spouse on board with online business. Look for it on Tuesday. 🙂
chris says
My problem has always been the SEO numbers. Whenever I plug in my expertise niche into longtailpro there is never any volume. I always think i’ll be wasting my time putting together a product only to have no one interested. Very few searches going on for my niche. I guess I should go for it anyway?
Taylor says
Very inspiring! How many websites/products would you say you’ve put out?
carey says
Oh my! Also heard you on SPI during school pick up. After a year of slamming away at my computer, I was about to give up. I sent my CV off yesterday to apply for my first ‘real job’ in 13 years. Maybe I will give it one more go …. thanks guys. I’ll keep you posted.
Ray Hofstedt says
This fits perfectly with my guitar shop in the garage. It aint perfect, it’s kinda messy but I do get guitars built and sell at art shows once in a while. Your pod-casts are really helping me kick-start the process to scale it up online. Thanks so Much.
-Ray
Leah says
Go Ray-
Seems like products about repairing and making guitars could be a big hit for you!
I’m in the process of creating courses teaching women how to invest – something I know how to do that many others don’t.
I think the 29 day product creation may be just what I need to get it done and launched (as soon as I get back from vacation in early March).
Good luck to all- Leah
Shelley Hitz says
This is AWESOME! I love it and totally agree. I think this is a great post to come back and re-read every so often. It’s so easy to get caught up in having everything in place when sometimes we simply need to get started. I also like the idea of testing a product idea like you did. In the process of taking your advice on a new product of mine SOON! Thanks guys.
Michael Hawkins says
I’m with you Shelley! It’s too, too easy to get caught up in the details and NEVER make any progress.
That’s been my story — for too long!
I need to take my own advice and JUST. DO. IT.
Shane and Jocelyn have helped a LOT of people in a LOT of different ways. I don’t know them personally, but from all I’ve read and heard, they are super-awesome people.
And God bless them for helping other people become successful. I like that. A lot.
mary says
Any advice for someone (like me) that wants to desperately stop trading time for money, but cannot think of what product / service to sell? I honestly do not think I personally am knowledgeable at anything that can be of value to sell. Where does one start?
Michael Hawkins says
Mary – I had to reply to your comment.
Why? Because I’ve been in your shoes many times. And some days I’m STILL in your shoes! : )
You may not think you’re knowledgeable about anything or have any ‘expert’ advice that you can share with people.
But…(honestly) you’re wrong (and so am I). We DO have something great to share with others and that ‘something’ can be converted into a product that you and I can sell.
Do you know how to: cook, clean, sew, crochet, knit, train dogs, take care of young children, organize things, garden, etc., etc.,???
Pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit down at the kitchen table with a pad of paper and a pen. And just start listing all the things you know how to do. It make take a long time to get started….but I’ve found that once I come up with a few ideas, more ideas flow…
So….try that approach and see where it takes you.
I KNOW you have some good stuff that you can share with the world.
Best of luck to you!
–Michael
Evan says
Hi Mary! I’ve read this post many times (bc I need the encouragement) and I just noticed your comment and, like Michael above me, just had to reply.
What I first did was this: I thought about what people asked me for help with. Do you have friends or family members who routinely or even occasionally ask you for advice or help on a particular topic? Or, is there at particular thing that, when you are working on it, time just flies because you are enjoying yourself and are passionate about what you’re doing? Answering these questions is how I eventually chose my niche.
Trust me, I completely know how you feel when you say you don’t think you have anything valuable to sell, but I’m willing to bet that if you really think about it, you do! I’m by no means an expert or have a PhD in my niche, but I know more than most average people do, and I think (hope/pray) that is enough. Hope that helps 🙂 Best of luck to you!
Amy says
Great post, reminds me of this thought: “The one who watches the wind will not sow seed, and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4) – There is no sense in waiting for perfection.
Sarah Nancy Rand says
My name is Sarah. I just turned a dining room table (I never have the guests I dream about) into my work desk and moved my computer onto it. I started an imperfect blog. I’m not sure what exactly my product will be but I want to start by telling my story and it will help others. I live with mental illness and therapy/meds do help! I want to have my own business selling progress! I am taking classes at the nearby community college in business entrepreneurship, and it is so much better than any other formal education I’ve had. I am also on disability because functioning with schizophrenia is really, really hard. But telling my story is EASY.
I am looking far ahead, so I’m not ready to launch a business yet, but getting my story out in a clever blog is a start. I LOVE your podcasts and posts. You are helping me so much.
Shane Sams says
Awesome Sarah! Proud of you for getting started! Keep going, evolve, and just make it a little better every day 🙂
We are pulling for you! So glad our podcast can help!
Shane
Eric says
Two links are broken on this page (above) the podcast link and photo. Thought you’d want to know. 🙂
Gracie says
thanks for letting us know! it’s fixed. 🙂
Shane Sams says
haha, It ain’t gotta be perfect, right? lol Thanks Eric!