So I was at a bar.
Not too unusual. It happens with frightening regularity actually…in a good way of course.
I stood with two other blokes, clutching my pint and listening in fear to the techy conversation that was going on round me.
I was at a Mastermind group session in a hotel near Wakefield. In fact the same mastermind meeting still happens and it’s great fun but that’s another story.
The two other blokes (and I’m sure they won’t mind me naming names) were John Sikora from GuruDaq and David Allen who now owns SimpleMemberPro and a bunch of other stuff.
This was quite a few years ago now…..
The subject was FTP – something with which I’d only recently come to mess around with, and I was interested in the subject with the fervour felt by a cross dressing rugby player who learns that a new range of Jimmy Choos is now available in size 13.
Except I was CRAP at it (not cross dressing, although I’m not good at that either)
I didn’t know how to create a subdirectory. I knew that if you put an index.html file in the main folder it showed up as a webpage. But how the Hell did you do the same thing for a subdirectory?
I’d Googled, Yahood and even Dogpiled but I couldn’t find an answer. It was so simple (as I now know) but I spent literally a couple of weeks trying to work it out.
Of course I was too proud to ask.
I wasn’t doing too bad – I’d just made around $30,000 from a single ebook if memory serves (One Month Magnate) and was considered to be quite ‘on the ball’ at the mastermind meeting.
Which is why I couldn’t bring myself to ask a simple FTP question. In case you’re wondering I’d been building ALL my sites with a dreadful sitebuilder package that cost me around $100 a year per domain. That was the only way I could create subdirectories, which I needed for opt-in pages, download pages etc.
So at the bar, fortified by beer and the knowledge that I NEEDED to have this info, I asked the lads quietly…
‘So when you’re FTPing, how do you make a subdirectory?’
They turned and the whole room went quiet.
I was sweating like a fat girl in a pie shop.
‘You just make a new folder, call it whatever name you want and stick an index.htm file in it’ they chimed and carried on with the conversation.
I honestly couldn’t believe I hadn’t worked it out for myself. I was incredibly relieved and that one piece of information has been directly responsible for thousands upon thousands of dollars in profit for me.
Why did it take me so long to get help?
I reckon it’s the same reason that men find it impossible to ask for directions when they’re lost.
PRIDE.
But it’s changed me. Now I can stick my hand up in a room of experts and newbies alike and say ‘I didn’t understand that can you please tell me again’
Anyone who knows me will tell you that one of my favourite phrases is ‘Tell me that again’
And I’ll tell YOU right now that my business wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful if I hadn’t learned to ask for help years ago. And more importantly to KNOW when I needed it.
And this is why I’m holding out my hand to take money off some of you right now.
I’ve just opened the doors on www.121mentoring.com
I’m offering my team of techies to work with you and mentor you in all things ‘complicated and technical’
In short, I want to help you cut through the crap that’s been holding you back. If your site doesn’t sell because it ‘looks wrong’ and it’s sapping your motivation then you need to do something about it. That’s what 121mentoring can do for you.
Likewise if you’ve got a half installed blog or a membership script that doesn’t work then you’re in danger of never getting to the REAL heart of your business, which is about making MONEY. The silly, complex, stupid little things that hold you back aren;t silly at all – the’re DANGEROUS because they can stop you FOREVER from establishing an online business.
A month or two using the team at 121mentoring and you can move forward more than you’ve done in the past year.
Over half of the slots have sold out in less than 24 hours…..and I’m NOT speaking to most of you here.
But the ones out there who have read this blog post twice and checked out the website. You’re the guys I’m looking at. Use my team correctly and you’ll make far more money than the subscription costs, and what’s more, you’ll finally be able to dig yourself out and get your business FLYING.
I have two great skills. One is the ability to make dogs bark by just looking at them, and the other (the one that means I’ll never work for anyone else again as long as I live) is the ability to realise when I need help and to ask for it.
What about you?
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You just answered my bugging question, I have been thinking how do I create another page on my website, now I know. Thanks.
Back to the subject of pride, I think it has to do with our mindset and it definitely make us think we can ask some people some questions but I have come to realize that no man knows it all. I am a Nigerian and there is this proverb in my language that say “he that has for direction will never miss his way” which simply means ask questions when confused…
Great post and oh so true. Some of the best advice you could pass out. Studying my broken down retirement budget to see if I can afford your mentoring. There are only about 3 or 4 people that I would even consider mentoring with and you just happen to be one of them.
BTW, not offended by weight-ish (probably need to be), cross dressing (no skin off my nose) macho behavior (are you kidding? I have a 38 year old son — enough said) and that is coming from a grandma that is definitely pass the baby boomer years.
Carol Smith
Hi Tony,
Thanks for making me smile, your blog posts always have an element of fun in them, something missing from many others.
I did check out the link but in all honesty after trying to make something work online for 4 years I have come to the conclusion that some folks just don’t ‘have it’ and I am one of them. After losing my job (that hated word) and therefore my income, my home and even my dog, I am going back to looking for a boss, cos this online business idea is just not working for me.
I would still like to stay on your list, I like your fun posts and need something to make me laugh occasionally. Thanks for all the previous hints and tips, and best wishes to you and the family.
Katie
I’m like Katie. Nothing works for me. Also been trying for a long
time to get something up and running and finally am running out of
money and incentive. Made myself a promise a few days ago that I
would stop buying system after system and pay the bills instead. So
far I have resisted the temptation to try something else and the
thought of all the Christmas presents still to be bought has made me
stick to my promise. Unsubscribed to a great many things so that
my emails are now quite sparse. Takes much less time to get
through them. You make me laugh too Tony and we all need
somebody who makes us laugh. Almost anything is bearable
when spiced with humour. Take care. Best wishes Barbara.
Hi Tony,
What you talk about in your Blog probably relates to plenty of people especially men. I’m someone who has to be told a few times before actually taking something in i’m trying to learn. I think the 121 idea is good but for me the cost is prohibitive. I would be interested initially, in a scheme whereby you could pay as you go for the 1st couple of months so basically if I got stuck on something I would pay per question. Obviously once some income is being produced the monthly fees would take care of themselves. I’m signed up for the Kickstart course but have not really got to grips with it yet. I am looking to restart it in the next couple of weeks over the xmas hols as I have them all stored up ready. I’m working a couple of jobs at present just to cover basic requirements so £150/mth commitment is more than I could presently cover especially if I did not need to use the service certain months. I like the concept though if it could be tweeked a little? Thanks for the down to earth blogs you provide. I like the way you keep it simple and straight forward.
I’m determined that 2010 will launch my internet business properly and produce results!
cheers,
Steve.
I never liked the technical aspect of IM things. I remember when I got started back in 2006, I had to code the html, spend hours to fight with the pluggins for my wordpress blogs, etc.
Today, I’m nothing close to a geek. Marketing and outsourcing is my thing. As for tech stuff… AARRGH.
Franck
the Body Guard marketer
Great idea Tony…
Being the non techie myself…I often have a question or two about the techie stuff or want a quick blog put up for me.
As an alternative, would you consider instead of the committed, dreaded, monthly fee that most people hate…just a pay as you go for a question that you have???
Much less intimidading and more affordable,I’m sure for most folks…
Thanks, Thea
http://www.getoutofdebtnow.com
Hi Tony,
Fun post! Thanks! Is your mentoring just as much fun? 🙂
Anyhow, thanks for sharing. I’m going now to check out your mentoring link.
All the best,
Laurie
Bloody brilliant, as usual, Tony! I’m constantly amazed at how much more experienced IM’ers forget what it was like to be a greenhorn. They leave money on the table by shooting over the heads of their audience way too often. Thanks for the reminder that what seems easy as pie to a lot of us is still voodoo magic to many. At least until they also see how easy most of this truly is. Great idea, mate!
John
hi tony
like other comments above i have often been stoped by the lack of technical knowledge still cant do a proper file transfer
however i like your deal but dont do enough business to cover the $197.00 a month but would you consider doing business on a job by job bases
For exp i needed to put up a oto pageand add apaypal button things like that or up load videos to utube etc
please give me your throughts on this suggestion
i enjoy your blog its a good informative read from a guy whose actually made online money the holy grail of the rest of us
many thanks
peter mcgrath
Hi Guys,
We’re REALLY taken your comments on board here.
This ain’t over!!
Tony
Ha! Hey, Tony! Are you following me? I mean I am, at this very moment eyeball deep in FTP. Just DL’ed Core FTP Lite to try to figure out that same thing as a way to test my half-assed first page I’m assembling. And then I get an email from twitter, and yes you are following me. But, how the hell did you know I needed help here? You are spying on me, aren’t you? Just kidding.
Thank you for making me laugh my ass off, btw. Loudest outburst coming from the silence and the sweating… And thanks for two good points: teaching us, at no cost of a major hurdle for you, well worth working out–understanding the index.html subdirectory thang, (which, I’m assuming, enabled you to then tweak your pages into submission) and the overcoming of the throwing of sh*t in the game. Probably the biggest lesson that I’ve picked up from reading sales letters: That determination necessary to get over hurdles and to the next level is vital, key, and turns nights long. But there is a dawn. I can see twighlight, now…
My expertise: copy; editing and proofing… if you ever want to outsource some va work, or trade out some services, let me know…