5. Your book is a great resource for people looking to start their own business. What resources do you recommend? (e.g. online tools, other books, blogs, etc).
That’s great to hear you say, my guiding mantra in writing the book was that everything in had to be "insanely useful and immediately actionable." So, I ended up included 100s of links to resources. Here are a few great ones:
- ProBlogger.net -- For great tips and strategies in launching and growing blogs
- ChrisBrogan.com -- For the latest on social media and conversation marketing
- Google Insights For Search -- For fast, free market research and idea testing
- Bubbl.us -- Free online mind-mapping tool, great for brainstorming ideas
- Popurls.com & Digg.com -- To get a pulse on what people are buzzing about
- WiseBread.com -- For killer ideas on personal finance and productivity
- CopyBlogger.com -- To learn how to write compelling content
- SmallBizTrends.com -- For small business strategies and marketing advice
6. What are some of the most interesting online business success stories that stick out in your mind?
One guy I interviewed in the book, Bert Ingley, was a married dad with a full-time job that was killing him. And, he had this secret passion for playing sports-oriented video games, especially John Madden Football. He dreamed about ways to play video games for a living, but everyone around said he was nuts.
But, he was determined, so he decided to go renegade and look at different ways to "monetize" that passion. He realized there was a huge community built around gaming that was hungry for information.
So, he started writing down every strategy, tip and tactic he discovered to advance more quickly in the games he was playing. Then, he turned that information into ebooks and launched an online business selling them at MaddenTips.com. It took a few years, but he has now grown that business into a six-figure online business, working part-time from home.
Another great story is Brian Clark, from Copyblogger.com. While most bloggers eke out a minimal income from ads, he took a different approach. He built his blog into a huge, devoted readership by delivering consistent, high-value, focused content. Then, he created a separate membership site, called TeachingSells.com, that teaches people how to build subscription-based interactive learning environments.
He then launched Teaching Sells largely to his blogging audience and it’s been a smash hit. In fact, Brian blew everyone away at last year’s Blogworld Expo in Vegas when he shared that he now earns seven-figures from secondary business that grew out of his blog.
I detail both strategies in Career Renegade, then share a bunch of resources to let people follow in their footsteps.
7. What are some of the common characteristics of the successful career renegades? (i.e. are they all risk takers, are they all really teach savvy?)
The big one is a desire to stop living by someone else’s rules and finally build or rebuild your career around what makes you come alive. Very often, there is some precipitating event that wakes someone up to the fact that a career isn’t something to suffer through, it’s something to revel in. For me, it was a medical scare. These days, for millions, it’s the anxiety about the future or outright job loss.
Career Renegades also don’t always end up working for themselves. Many do, but I also interviewed plenty of people who were able to find the right company, people, setting and activities working for someone else.
And, if you are inclined to create your own business, no doubt, a certain amount of risk tolerance and tech savvy helps. But, you don’t need to know nearly as much or be as risk tolerant as you had to even a few years ago. Because, technology has become so much easier to learn and, by tapping technology, we can test business ideas and even launch companies for next to nothing.
8. What are some of the biggest mistakes you've made in your own career switching process?
Assuming, as an entrepreneur, that you are your market is a mistake I’ve made a bunch of times. Just because you love something doesn’t mean other people want to buy it. I am a huge believer in building your career and business around what makes you come alive. But, you’ve also got to find or create a hungry market for what the product or service or want to sell. And, with the wealth of online tools, that’s become easier and more affordable than ever.
Not building my personal brand sooner. These days, it’s incredibly easy to tap blogging and social media to establish yourself as a go-to person in your area of interest. I didn’t start doing this until about a year and a half ago. The stronger your personal brand is, the more doors you can open, whether it’s working for someone else, joint-venturing or starting your own business.
9. One of the most important things in online business success is self promotion. Do you have any tips for our readers about how to promote themselves online?
Creating what I call a "Brand of One" is critical in today’s job and online business world. In fact, it’s so important, I actually devoted nearly a third of the book to it. The starting point for everyone, though, should be a blog.
Start your own blog on your own domain, focus in on the niche you’d like to establish credibility in and write highly-targeted, high-value content that showcases your knowledge, skills and abilities in that area.
The second stop on the Brand of One train is Twitter. A lot of people still don’t get Twitter, but it’s been a tremendous asset for me. Twitter gives you a level of access to people that would hard to get in the offline world and let’s you continue to expand and build your community and reputation. If blogs are the concert and IM and e-mail are the backstage pass, Twitter is the after-party. A worldwide water-cooler where anyone can join in the conversation, once you know where it’s happening.