Imagine yourself lying on an operating table in an operating room.
You have a life threatening illness, but a major surgery can save your life.
Then the surgeon enters the room, and as you are about to be knocked out by the sedative the nurse whispers in your ear:
“He isn`t a real surgeon, he`s a fraud…”
That would be like experiencing a true nightmare, right?
Well, something similar happened to me.
I was actually dying.
Not physically, but mentally and spiritually.
Feel bad for me?
Please don`t.
That was just a stroll in the park compared to what came next.
When I realized that I was about to die, I knew that there was a solution…
…a surgery that could save my life.
However, when I tried to search for surgeons (read experts), I couldn`t find any – all I discovered was frauds, a bunch of them.
I will come to that part a little bit later.
It`s time for a little disclaimer.
I am now going to talk a little bit about the boring me-part.
Sorry, I have to include it in order to tell the story and to prove my point.
Hang in there (I feel for you).
Then over to…
When I Realized I Was Dying
I used to work for one of the biggest companies in Norway, where I was the system administrator of the SAP-solution (an IT system).
Sexy title?
Not so much.
Just thinking about it makes my body twitch and almost start to become impotent.
So, I assume, I have to stop thinking about it then.
* Pinching my arm *
“Tor, think about something else. NOW!”
I`m sorry about that last part, but I had to snap out of it for the sake of my better half, Sara, and the future generations.
My team and I were running payrolls for about 30 000 people each month.
In addition to having a supervisor role where I was planning and approving all major and minor changes to the system, I was doing programming as well.
For those of you who are familiar with the IT-industry, I was having two type of roles / positions.
Why?
I was originally a SAP IT-consultant, programmer and system developer, and I was quite good at it too. After 1,5 years of working for a smaller consulting firm, I was headhunted to this big company.
When I was hired, I was told that I was going to become the SAP guru for the whole company. My role was going to consist of about 70-80 % hands-on developing (programming) and 20-30 % administrating.
When I started in the new position, I was on fire. I liked programming and I felt that it was my dream job, and that I would stay with the company for a very long time.
But things have a tendency to change.
And they did.
After 3 years, my workday consisted of about 90 % administrating and barely 10 % programming. The workload was 150 %, which meant that I would NEVER be able to catch up with my original schedule.
Most of my time was spent on being the Mr. Fix it guy and putting out fires.
In the IT-world the word fire can be defined as a high priority issue that have been unsolved for so long that it has reached a critical point, or a medium issue that someone, who doesn`t really have a clue, THINKS is a critical issue.
As you can have guessed, most of the problem solving was of the latter part.
Are you still with me?
If so, a big high five to you.
* SLAP *
I will wrap this part up.
As you can imagine, my to do list was never-ending, people were always throwing new issues at my table, my stress level was through the roof, and to be quite honest…
…I was unhappy.
My passion had disappeared, and I was a zombie, a living dead, trapped in a 9-5 rat race (even though I worked a lot more than 9-5).
Then it dawned on me.
Everything was not lost. I was not dead.
At least not yet.
I realized that…
A Surgery Would Save My Life
I just knew that I had to leave my job.
I had to escape.
But to what?
The grass isn`t always greener on the other side of the fence.
So, I knew that If I actually was going to change career path, I didn’t want to go back working for another company.
That would just be the same crap in different wrappings.
However, when you are changing venue, you are a complete greenhorn in the new field.
It`s like being in fairy tale, where you are wandering into the unknown wilderness.
You have to be careful.
There can be dangerous predators out there, and they prey on your life.
I know, I have encountered some of them.
Be vary of…
The Fake Experts Who Didn`t Know Sh*t And Tried To Kill Me
I had spent my evenings and weekends studying internet marketing for about 2 years.
To be completely honest, I had taken several crappy courses where the outcome was one or several of the following:
– they didn`t know what they were talking about
– they were making it WAY too hard for people to learn the material
– they just didn`t teach you the stuff you really needed
I will of course mention no names here, but to those people, I just have to say:
“Shame on you!”
I hope that karma will bite you guys in the as*.
It`s a bad thing that they steal people`s money by selling wrapped-in, good-looking crap to innocent customers who doesn`t know any better (yup, that includes me too).
What`s even worse, is that they are actually misleading people and ruining people`s time and lives.
People who are new to internet marketing and who have encountered these frauds, may even start believing that there are no real good-hearted and knowledgeable people out there.
Note: I have created an Experts Qualifying checklist that has helped me to avoid many fake experts.
Click the button below to get it for free (normally I just give them to my coaching clients).
Click Here to Get Your FREE Checklist
So, frankly, I was starting to lose my faith about internet marketing, and I found it really hard to identify who the good guys were.
But, I also started to doubt myself.
I do consider myself as a hard-working and intelligent guy being able to climb any ropes that I choose.
However, when you actually can`t see any sturdy ropes to climb.
What then?
I felt like a damsel in distress. I needed to be saved.
And then came…
The Expert In Shining Armor – Yaro Starak
I happened to stumble upon Yaro Starak`s website, and I had seen his face appear on several other websites.
On some websites he was being featured as an expert giving a testimonial about a well-known product.
My logic told me: “Okay, other experts are featuring Yaro as an expert. Hmm…that should be kind of reassuring.”
Then Yaro`s name appeared in Rich Schefren`s Internet Manifesto.
That made me think: “Okay, this Yaro guy, he is the real stuff.”
Then a bit later Yaro was mentioned again.
This time in Jeff Walker`s book “Launch”.
That made it crystal clear for me. Okay, no more signs needed. This Yaro Starak guy is the bomb! (Yeah, in a positive way.)
I contacted him through email with a few questions regarding the blog I was trying to set up on my own (it was another website).
When he replied to me, I was literally flabbergasted. To be quite honest, I didn`t expect him to answer me at all.
Not only did he answer me, but he took the time giving me some really good advice for free.
I was thinking: “Okay, so he is responding to me, a complete stranger and a nobody on the internet, giving me good advice for free…”
The next question appearing in my head was: “If he gives me THAT good value for free, what wouldn`t he be giving me, if I was paying him?”
I was sold.
I joined his EJ Insider community, and later bought his Blog Mastermind course.
Both of them are excellent, by the way.
The thing with Yaro, is that not only is he a very successful internet marketer, he does walk his talk, and he has a great way of explaining complex topics in a simple way.
But most important, I really know that he cares about his students` success. I can feel it deep down in my heart.
Okay, I`m starting to get a bit emotional here.
Praise To The Expert Who Saved My Life
Yaro truly did save my life, and it`s important to give praise where it`s due.
I will show you the email I sent to Yaro, praising him for his work as a great individual and as an expert.
I just have to give you a little bit of information regarding my email to Yaro.
After quitting my six-figure corporate job, I was a co-founder and CEO of a promising marketing and event company. However, I later found out that it wasn`t truly my real passion, so I decided to leave the company.
That was a very hard and painful choice, but a correct one, nevertheless. That might be a story for another time.
Here`s an excerpt of the mail I sent to Yaro:
“Hi Yaro, how`s it going?
First of all, let me start by giving praise where it`s due.
Regarding your blog post “I Killed Almost All My Income Streams, And I Did It On Purpose…”, I have to say that it just hit me straight in the heart.
Trust me, I`m not easily moved, but I got to admit that I was moved to tears.
Why?
Because when you shared your struggle and you told us about you having lack of self-esteem, and that you had to consider if you were really going to continue on the “helping bloggers”-path.
I was moved to tears because I know for a fact, that if you didn`t continue on your path, I would probably not have met you.
Furthermore, I would probably NOT have left the start-up in order to follow my passion with my blog. I do believe that things do happen for a reason.
So, I have to honestly say, Yaro, that your decision have changed my life in a positive way, and for that I`m forever grateful.
And hey, I`m just at the beginner stage 😉
I know that when I got you in my corner, I know that failing is not an option.
It`s only the hard work on my part that remains, before I will become on of your success stories.”
Here`s an excerpt of the reply that I got from Yaro:
“Hi Tor, Thanks for the kind words about my blog post.
You are quite right, if I didn’t make that decision to return to this teaching path there would be no EJ Insider and there would be no Tor the productivity expert either!”
Well, this doesn`t happen often… but I am kind of speechless.
* Silence *
I assume that I don`t need to say anything more about Yaro.
You get the point. He is the real deal and he saved my life. End of story.
But let me also take advantage of this opportunity to give praise to other experts which I have been so fortunate to stumble across.
These people are also experts in their fields, and they do truly care about helping other people as well, in addition to actually knowing their stuff.
The Good Guys – 33 Experts You Should Follow
Yaro Starak – Entrepreneurs-Journey
My mission is to help you create a blog and turn it into a platform to sell your products and services, so you too can live the laptop lifestyle.
Evan Carmichael – EvanCarmichael
I #Believe in entrepreneurs.
Jon Morrow – BoostBlogTraffic
CEO of Boost Blog Traffic, Former Editor at Copyblogger.
Derek Helpern – SocialTriggers
Investor & Founder of Social Triggers, which reaches more than 400,000 entrepreneurs each month. I’m 99% useless, but that 1% when I’m not, I’m dangerous.
Pat Flynn – SmartPassiveIncome
Lead by example. Be honest. Hold nothing back.
Ramsay Taplin – BlogTyrant
Sold a blog for 5-figures in college. Now blogging full time from the couch.
Glen Allsopp – ViperChill
I run an SEO company and help people build their own Marketing Inc.’s.
Sue Anne Dunlevie – SuccessfulBlogging
Helping beginning bloggers succeed online. Lover of my cat, ShihPoo pup and (milk) chocolate!
Rich Schefren – StrategicProfits
I Teach Entrepreneurs How To Have More Money, More Business, More Time Off. Love My Girls, My Biz, My Team…MY LIFE!
Jeff Walker – JeffWalker
Internet Marketing, Product Launches, mountain biking, skiing, whitewater, tennis, guitar, my family.
Frank Kern – FrankKern
Frank Kern is an internet marketing consultant. Frank Kern is the creator of Mass Control and List Control.
Brendon Burchard – BrendonBurchard
Brendon is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books include The Motivation Manifesto, The Charge, and Life’s Golden Ticket.
Marie Forleo – MarieForleo
I’m here to help you make a difference & be your happiest, wisest & most loving self. Want to be sure to reach me? Write info at marieforleo.com XO.
Adam Connell – BloggingWizard
Use my tips to increase your traffic by over 400%. Founder of BloggingWizard. Fan of Firefly and Chinese takeaways.
Melanie Duncan – MelanieDuncan
A serial entrepreneuress, and Pinterest marketing expert, I now teach others how to grow their online businesses.
strong>Carol Amato – CarolAmato
I’m an online entrepreneur living in Tampa, Florida, and love bein’ a wife and mother.
Ryan Biddulph – BloggingFromParadise
Author of the Blogging from Paradise eBook Series. Blogger. Coach. Internet Lifestyle Junkie. Owner of BloggingFromParadise.
Skip Prichard – SkipPrichard
Growth-oriented CEO. Blog: Leadership Insights & interviews with #authors.
Marc Andre – ProfitBlitz
Internet Marketing Blogger.
Ashley Faulkes – MadLemmings
WordPress Dude and Online Marketer, focusing on making you look awesome & getting you customers while drinking too many lattes!
Kevin Duncan – BeABetterBlogger
My goal is to help you be the best #blogger you can be. I serve a great God, love a great wife, and create things that are sometimes great.
Jim Dougherty – LeadersWest
Writer about social media and tech at leaderswest.
Don Purdum – UnveilTheWeb
I consult and coach businesses on how to identify and connect with their audiences through marketing and sales. I also do business coaching for web designers.
Thai Nguyen – TheUtopianLife
Formerly a professional chef, and international kick boxer, Thai is now a writer helping you become the best version of yourself, so that you can live the best version of life.
Craig Jarrow – TimeManagementNinja
Time Management Ninja – Helping You Win the battle against wasted time, disorganization, and all other things evil…
Laura Vanderkam – LauraVanderkam
Author of Their Own Sweet Time (Portfolio: 2015), What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (2013), and 168 Hours (2010).
Mike Vardy – Productivityist
Husband. Father. Writer. Speaker. Founder of Productivityist. Author of The Front Nine, The Productivityist Workbook, and Beyond Trying.
Aaron Lynn – AsianEfficiency
Productivity Master. Global Citizen. Efficient Asian. I do fun stuff at AsianEfficiency.
Adrienne Smith – AdrienneSmith
Serious Blogger | Traffic Builder | Engagement Superstar | Mom to Kayla | Loves People | Serious Brownie Eater | Giving Heart.
Donna Merrill – DonnaMerrillTribe
Blogging and Social Media Coach, Loving the life I live on the beach.
Enstine Muki – EnstineMuki
Blogger and PHP Developer For tips to earn more money online, visit my blog enstinemuki.com.
Dennis Seymour – DenSeymour
Full Stack SEO | Digital Marketer | #Muggle Born | @LeapFroggr Co-Founder. I also blog at http://denseymour.com/
Martina McGowan – MartinaMcGowan
Servant, MD, writer, minister, seeker, life strategist, Momi, Ma’Mere, blogger, occasional haikuist.
Do you have any experience by being led astray by fake experts? (No need to mention names, we are professionals, right?)
Perhaps you have met some good experts that are safe to follow? (Please DO mention names.)
If you liked this post, please share the love 🙂
Let`s share the experience so we can help other innocent lambs, showing them who to follow.
Here`s what to do next…
If you really want to avoid becoming a victim of fake experts, like I did…
Download your FREE Experts Qualifying Checklist, that will help you to find the good guys and gals.
Click Here to Get Your FREE Checklist
I help online entrepreneurs NETWORK with influencers and position their BRAND so they can attract the right CLIENTS fast. Award-winning blogger.
Hi Tor,
Thanks for including me in this list. It’s an honor to be mentioned along with many people that I know and respect. I’m not surprised that Yaro was a great help to you, I know he has had a major influence on many others as well.
Hi Marc,
thanks for stopping by to comment.
I really appreciate it.
Yes, Yaro is awesome 🙂
Tor
I dealt with more than 50 gurus back when I first started. I even attended seminars only to learn nothing, well, except that the guy didn’t really know what he was talking about.
I loved the story Tor. It’s great to see where you are now and I’m confident that 2015 will be a big one for you.
Thank you for the mention, I really appreciate it.
Sharing this out now! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Dennis, and for sharing your story.
They say that you don`t know what you don`t know.
I can say for sure that it was really painful and frustrating when I was a total newbie, not being able to separate the good from the bad.
2015 will be a great year for both of us, Dennis 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Tor
Thanks for the beautiful inclusion Tor. I’m impressed by your writing style. It’s fun to read with a smile.
Let’s connect for a better 2015 and beyond 😉
I know so many on the list. Or course a few are very new and I’ll grasp this opportunity to check them out 😉
You are such a writer 😉
Thanks for stopping by to comment Enstine, and for your kind words.
I do take it as a big compliment, especially when it comes from you 🙂
I love to connect with awesome people, it`s deal 😉
Thanks again for your compliments.
Tor
Thanks for including me in this great story, Tor! My mentors are also listed – Yaro, Jon and Ramsay. Thank goodness for great teachers 🙂
Sue
Hi Sue,
thanks for stopping by to comment, and thanks for the compliment 🙂
Yes, the people listed here are definitely the cream of the crop 😉
Tor
Great to see, I know half of these experts. That tells me I’m in good hands and good company.
Oh, and, do you know, you’re the 34th expert?
Okay, a sysadmin turned IM expert. 🙂
You’re helping anyone and everyone you meet, from going the wrong route.
But, let’s not wish anything bad happen to even the ones who did wrong.
Let our good wishes change their minds and they become good and help others.
Thanks a lot for your great awesome comment, Raspal.
If you are following any of these people, you are indeed in great hands 😉
Thanks a lot for the compliment. That made my day 🙂
We do indeed wish that people who have turned to the dark side, must get inspiration by some “Master Yoda” like character and convert to the good side 😉 (I had a little geeky Star Wars moment there.)
Let our good actions and intentions inspire others to follow the path of good-hearted people, who really care about helping other people and who has the expertise to do so, like the great people on this list 🙂
Tor
Tor, thank you for the inclusion. I’m honored. Somewhere in my draft posts I have a post about following the “right” people. What a critical leadership step – following the right people, sorting through the advice to find what works for you. Wishing you continued success!
Thanks a lot for stopping by to comment, Skip 🙂
A few years ago when I was training 8 times per week, kickboxing, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I trained with the best people in Norway. Some of them were former World Champions. In order to become the best, you have to train with the best.
The same goes for success in personal life and business.
They say that you will be earning the average of your five closest friends. You just have to have watch out that you are not the highest earner 😉
Thanks a lot, Skip.
I wish you much success as well 🙂
Tor
Great post, Tor!
When I studied sitar, my teacher told me something I never forgot: A guru is someone who has:
1) Studied for 20 years
2) Performed for 20 years
3) Taught for 20 years
And most of that is consecutively, not concurrently. Obviously not a rule of thumb in all things, but I think it stands as a better definition for guru than the $-see $-do model birthed by online cash empire. 🙂
Hi Anthony,
thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
I really appreciate it.
Your teacher does indeed sound like a wise person 🙂
Zig Ziglar put it very well: “When you help enough people get what they want, you will finally get what you want”.
The key to building long-term success is helping as many people as you can with creating a big change / result in their life, which will be done in a shorter period of time than they could have done by themselves.
I think that the last part of that sentence was inspired by Frank Kern in one of his latest webinars.
The positive thing about following the right people, is that when something rubs off, and it will, then there`s a good chance that it will be something clever 😉
Tor
Hello, Tor!
First of all, thank you for mentioning me along side so many wonderful entrepreneurs, I really appreciate it. Your kindness is a huge encouragement. 🙂
Wow, I probably could have written the first part of your article myself – as I’ve been disappointed and scammed myself. Glad you connected with someone that has integrity and could help you in the path you needed to take.
I will definitely have to get to know some of the folks on this list whom I don’t have the pleasure of being acquainted with yet, mainly Ramsay, Glen, Thai. Laura and Martina, which is pretty good consider your list is 33! LOL
I’ve had several coaches in the past and my current mentor is the absolute best I’ve ever had.
My first coach was knowledgeable and taught me a great business model, but scammed me out of thousands of dollars, so I can definitely relate to what you’re saying.
Have a great afternoon.
˜Carol
Thanks for stopping by, Carol.
It`s always a pleasure when you come to visit 🙂
Yes, I think many of us have been in a situation where we didn`t have a clue. A few years later our mind was filled with experience and our wallet was emptied.
Everything in life has it`s price. The same goes for knowledge and experience.
They say that the biggest difference between a successful person and one who isn`t, is that the successful person has been knocked over by life`s challenges, over and over again. However, the successful person got back on his feet, every single time.
Who`s the winner who will achieve their true potential and fulfill their dreams?
The one who always gets back on his/her feet.
In retrospect I`m glad that I failed a lot and in a short amount of time. That experience alone might have saved me for some bigger pitfalls down the road 😉
Thanks for sharing, Carol.
I wish you a great afternoon as well.
Tor
Hey Tor,
Boy can I relate to what you just shared here. I had actually been laid off eight years ago and I did NOT want to return to corporate America. I thought I was smart enough to figure this all out and make a go for it online only to be hit with what you were as well. People after my hard earned money and not sharing all the information with me that I needed to learn in order to actually have some success.
I felt cheated and I started to lose confidence in myself. Who wouldn’t? You think you’re learning from gurus, or so they claimed, and you’re doing what your told but not having the same results. You start thinking you’re just an idiot and things start going downhill.
Luckily the ones that stick with it because they know this is where they belong will come through after having found some people with integrity and are genuine in their efforts to want to help others. I found some as well and I’m so honored to be included on your list. You’ve mentioned some really big heavy hitters here so to be mentioned along side them really does help me believe that I have come along way and boy was it worth it.
Thank you again so much for this post and for sharing with us some of what you’ve had to endure in order to get here too. I wish you the best of luck moving forward.
~Adrienne
Hey Adrienne,
awesome of you to stop by.
Thanks a lot for your great comment 🙂
I really appreciate you sharing your experience as well.
I must say that I feel kind of relieved that my situation might be more common than I initially thought.
It is inspiring to hear that you have been going through the same trials of fire, survived, and grown.
Obviously, you are doing very well, Adrienne, since I have put you on this list 😉
I think that all entrepreneurs in some way has to be a little bit crazy.
It is a HUGE step to go from having a well-paid job to be completely on your own.
The good thing is that only you can control your destiny.
Therefore, in this “from ashes to phoenix” phase, we struggle with fears, doubt, insecurity and an unknown future.
However, when we do the right activities and have a burning passion – showing people that we are real. That we are here to stay! In addition, that we are going to continue to deliver amazing value, no matter what.
I believe that other people will see that we are the good guys, sooner or later.
We just have to keep on supporting each other, and keep on sowing the seeds.
When we have given enough value, helped enough people and really given all we got…
…the great harvest WILL come.
Thanks again for stopping by to comment, Adrienne 🙂
Tor
It is a LOT more common than you realize Tor and it’s still happening to so many people today. I think that’s why so many of us truly want to help others because we’ve been there, we’ve done that, it’s not fun but we know it’s possible.
I was an idiot to not have a full-time job while trying to make a go of it online but at the same time it forced me to have to learn how to survive which is how I learn best. When I’m thrown into something I always seem to find my way back up.
If you know this is where you’re suppose to be then everything will eventually fall into place and I honestly believe things will come together. You found Yaro and from there you’ve come to understand how this can work for you too and now you’re able to share this with the people who want to learn from you. That my friend is just fabulous.
So happy for you Tor and thanks again for including me here. It’s definitely an honor.
~Adrienne
Thanks for sharing, Adrienne.
It`s very reassuring to hear that coming from someone like you 🙂
Almost any highly successful person has had one or several mentors on their way to the top. That is also why most of them are willing to pay it forward to others, if they can relate to your situation. In addition, you of course being a polite and good individual with an extreme portion of passion and persistence. In other words, you being the younger version of them (and that they consider you worthy).
The same goes for us online entrepreneurs.
It`s our biggest struggles that create an invisible bond between us, which makes us realize that at the end of the day we are all in the same boat.
So, why not stick together and cooperate?
The journey will become so much more awesome 😉
I don`t think you were an idiot quitting your full-time job trying to figure out the online space. Of course, it`s not something that we should recommend to others.
In Norway we have a saying: “the need is teaching a naked woman to spin yarn”.
It probably sounds a bit more eloquently in Norwegian. However, it means that if the need is great enough, you will learn a new skill out of pure necessity.
Why?
Because your well-being and in some cases, your life, is depending on it.
The stronger your passion and your WHY are, the bigger is the chance of you succeeding reaching your goal.
Thanks again for commenting again, Adrienne, and for your kind words.
Tor
This is an incredibly helpful post, Tor.
I have so much to learn, from so many people!!
I’m very glad to have seen your link on the EJ Insider forum!
Thanks,
James E. Turner
Hi James,
Thanks for the great comment.
It means a lot.
I`m doing my best to share great value 🙂
I`m happy to see that it seems to be appreciated.
Knock yourself out studying these guys, James.
They are all the real deal 😉
Tor
Hi Tor,
I want to first thank you so much for including me with so many experts in the field. I’m truly honored and grateful.
Oh boy did I have those experiences you have shared too. I remember paying 4K for a one to one with a huge guru in the field. It was OK, but couple that with hotels, travel and it all came out to 6K. Alright, so I got the one to one and it did make a change in my business….as I took every darn action. The follow-up was promised, but I didn’t ever get it and that is what I was looking forward to. Huge lesson for me!
Another disappointment was a guru in social media. As I watched the videos that were supposed to be live, but I knew they were evergreen…lol…..I just shook my head and thought of my buddies that could have done a much better job.
On the other hand, I did hire a coach to get my first product out. He was amazing and made sure I was on point. Money well spent.
Another coach that looks over each of my landing pages and also gets into detail with my sales funnel. Awesome!!!
I do follow and learn from more people that are not at the “guru” stage flaunting fancy cars and big boob babes.
Thanks for this awesome article and I will visit those I don’t know here for sure. I also will spread this out on the social sites because people need to hear the truth!
Be Blessed,
-Donna
Hi Donna,
thanks a lot for stopping by.
I love that you share details from your own experience.
It`s kind of great to verify once and for all, that we entrepreneurs are a special kind of breed.
It feels kind of like back in the days in the Wild West.
We are out in the wilderness trying to survive and not being killed by any wild animals or bandits. It`s a trial. It`s hard and at times, and bit lonely.
However, occasionally we online entrepreneurs with our cowboy boots, revolvers and hats, get together at the campfire.
What do we do?
We tell stories about all the dangers that we have encountered and overcome. We inspire each other and support each other.
We get to know each other and become friends.
And what do we realize?
That it`s okay to be a lone ranger running your own business. Nonetheless, it`s really great to know that you have the support of the other lone rangers as well.
So, if any of us are in real danger, all they need to do is to call out, and other lone rangers will come to the rescue.
We will live and die in the wilderness, as lone rangers – as entrepreneurs.
It`s a good feeling knowing that it`s more fun and easier when we support each other and cooperate.
The chance of succeeding in the Wild West was always higher when sticking together…
…like we do in our businesses.
Just want to let you know, that if there are any lone rangers out there needing support.
Give me a shout and I will jump on my white stallion to come to rescue 😉
Tor
Hi Tor,
What a great analogy you have shared here. I love the way you write!
Yes, the way you described entrepreneurs like living in the Wild West does feel like that. But as we meet each other, we do sit around that camp fire and share our stories. “Beware of that forest…there are a pack of wolves out there” or “take this road, you won’t have to cross those raging waters”
Since I’ve been online, the best feeling I get is to get to know people all over the world. And sometimes making good friendships. When a client comes to me for something I am not an expert on, I tell them to get in touch with one of my trusted friends.
Yes…it is jaw dropping sometimes because people have the mindset that the entrepreneur wants all the business all of the time. However, we are all out here to give people good advice.
This is why we sit around that “camp fire” And I’m there with my pink cow-boy boots with silver tips ….yes that is true I do have a pair of those!
Thanks again!
-Donna
Hi Donna,
thanks a lot for your kind words and for stopping by the campfire again 🙂
I love it
Yes, and when we sit around the campfire, you will also hear stories like “watch out for the old gunslinger with one tooth. He is actually blind and he couldn`t hit fish in a barrel” or “the woman with the red hat and one eye told me that her guns were the best on the market…but they didn`t work, and now I have wolves bites in my bum…”
The best is often referral business among trusted friends. So, if you provide service A, me B and Adrienne C. Then we could refer customers to each other, depending on which service they really needed.
That would be a win-win for all of us. Let`s say that me and Adrienne were to give you a customer, Donna. Then you would love to reciprocate in the future.
That is the mindset of abundancy and cooperation.
I truly believe that the best way to grow your business is to cooperate with other entrepreneurs.
How do you else do you think the best internet markets earn an insane amount of cash with each product launch? They have the 19 other people, each with a 100 k list, doing affiliate promoting.
Who does that benefit?
Everyone. The product owner, the affiliates and the customers.
Cooperation is the future.
Tor
P.S. You really got pink cowboy boots with silver tip? How awesome is that? 😉 You should show them in your next video 😉
Hi Tor,
I have been doing business like this years back offline. And I took it over online. Referring a client to someone else that is a good fit is great. My friend wins, the client is happy to get their business going and the best is that client will always remember me. See..you me and Adrienne win! And that client will talk me up because I sent him/her to someone that helped.
We don’t work alone and we are not masters of everything.
We are in the people business. Pleasing them is what we do and with that mindset, abundance follows.
Yes..I do have pink suede cowboy boots with silver tips! They are awesome. But here is the BEST part. They are uber expensive and I got them at a yard sale. Yep…10 bucks! Lucky? no….I know how to bargain. he he he
And…I may have to make a real camp fire because there is so much snow on this old town that I’m loosing power here and there. May have to build an igloo and make a fire he he he but what can you expect from an old pioneer?
I’m loving this conversation!
-Donna
Hi Donna,
thanks a lot for sharing from your pool of experience.
I really appreciate it 🙂
I totally agree with what you are saying.
Abundance and cooperation are the keys for success.
Your boots were uber expensive and you got them for 10 bucks?
That is beyond awesome.
That was probably your visualization skills doing the work.
I assume that you had put your pink suede cowboy boots with silver tips on your vision board.
In addition, you probably had a picture of them marked with “10 bucks” posted on the mirror of your bathroom, on the refrigerator, on the dashboard of your car, on the roof in your bedroom, and last but not least, under your bed (don`t ask me why) 😉
So what can we say?
We`ll the law of attraction does work 😉
A real campfire? He he. How cold is it at your place?
Yeah, this conversation is awesome!
Tor
Thank you Tor!
I’m really honored and grateful to be mentioned alongside some of my favorite people.
And thank you so much for your transparency in sharing your journey. I have no doubt you will inspire and equip so many people in this world as you live out your Utopia 🙂
Best,
Thai.
Hi Thai,
great to see you here.
Thanks for stopping by to comment and for your kind words.
We all just have to keep on giving, helping people and create the best content we possible can at any given time. If we keep on doing it consistently, eventually people will notice that we are the good guys, who put our entire heart, body and soul into helping other people to change their lives 🙂
Tor
All of my favourites Tor. A great post and I am glad I am following the right people.
Julie
Hi Julie,
so nice of you to stop by to comment.
I really appreciate it 🙂
If you are following the guys on this list, you are definitely in good hands 😉
Tor
Hi Tor,
First off, thank you for the incredible compliment by including me in your article! I’m blessed and honored beyond mention.
I have learned that over the years a lot of people with good intentions have tried to help others but they simply didn’t have the experience, knowledge or the ability to teach and mentor. They just should not have been doing this.
Then, there is the other crowd who is just teaching a bunch of what I call “robot” how to’s. No two companies are alike and neither should their strategies be.
Great post Tor. Thanks again for including me!
~ Don Purdum
Hi Don,
thanks a lot for stopping by to comment.
It means a lot to me
Thanks for sharing your experience, Don.
It is funny, how we start to share stories when there is something that triggers our emotions.
By rounding up and commenting on blog posts that touches us, we openly share experiences and get to know each other better.
Emotional blog posts are like campfires, where all the lone rangers get together to tell stories and to support each other.
I refer to my reply to Donna Merrill 🙂
Thanks again, Don.
Tor
Hi Tor.
Very nice round up of experts. I enjoyed reading your article.
There are a lot of self-proclaimed experts out there that just want to make money. Honesty is something a lot of them lack. But there are still good guys (and girls) out there; just have to take a closer look.
Best of luck!
Great to see you here, Ángel.
Thanks for your good feedback.
Yes, there are still good guys out there 🙂 It`s just challenging when you`re new to know where to find them.
Hence, this post 😉
Thanks again.
Tor
Tor thanks so much for including me on this wonderful list!
Ryan
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Ryan.
I really appreciate it 🙂
My pleasure, mate. If you were on this list, then you have done something right 😉
Tor
Hi Tor,
Thank you so much for the kind words about me in this post. I really appreciate your commitment to following what I teach and I am so glad to see all the comments here too.
However I will not take any credit for “saving” you until you have a fully operational and profitable online business based on this blog. That’s when I will proudly show you off.
Let’s keep working towards your goals together.
I’ll see you in the EJ Insider.
Yaro
Hi Yaro,
thanks for stopping by to comment.
It`s means a lot 🙂
Sounds, like a deal, Yaro.
I will continue to follow the plan 🙂
Tor
Hey Tor,
Great post here. I’m familiar with a lot of these people and follow a llot of them already. So that’s a good list you put together here.
Yaro is awesome. I go on his site religiously and he always has some awesome content. I’d love to build a business like him actually, so I’ll need to put in a lot of work.
Like how you set up the whole post as well. Great job.
Hope you have a great day.
– Andrew
Hi Andrew,
thanks for your great comment 🙂 I really appreciate it.
All the people on this list are awesome, and Yaro is definitely The Bomb 😉
Thanks for your kind words.
Have a great day.
Tor
Hi Tor.
What an important life lesson that you shared with us. There are so many people offering advice that we really need to be careful to discern their competence.
I’ve followed many great people online, but they are several on your list who are new to me. I’ve bookmarked your post, and will return to check them out.
Thanks.
Nathan.
Thanks for stopping by and for your kinds words, Nathan.
I really appreciate it 🙂
Thanks for bookmarking the page, Nathan. These guys are safe 😉
Tor
Tor,
I am so glad that I checked this post out. I have been reading as many of people’s posts on Serious Blogger and so delighted with everyone’s posts. Your post has really spoken to me.
Yes Tor, I have spent way too much money on fake people who have no honesty, integrity or authenticity. I have wanted so badly to learn how to use the internet for my passion. I went to many who gave me the same experience that you described.
Thank you so much for the list of genuine people. I luckily already got on board with Jon.
I have been telling myself that these negative experiences are just that, experiences. Those experiences can feed being more successful. I have a mindset of I will succeed, and I am willing to do the work involved to succeed. I think that is what you are saying. Be true to yourself and stay the course.
What a wonderful perspective and thank you so much for the list. Susan
Thanks for stopping by and for your great comment, Susan.
It means a lot to me 🙂
I think that way too many people have been in the same situation as us, Susan.
It`s always good to finally be able to identify the right people to follow.
Jon is totally awesome 😉
Thanks for sharing.
Have a great weekend!
Tor
Nice list, Tor! 🙂 I follow some of those folks already, but you named a few others that I’ll need to check out…
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Lauren 🙂
Yeah, you should check the other experts too – they are the good guys 😉
Tor
Great list.
You have really research well , I am already following some of them .
Some of them are new to me , I would love to know more about them.
Thank you for sharing such wonderful people on your blog.
Thanks for your kind words, Pritam.
I am glad to hear that you found my article useful.
Have an awesome day!
Tor
It’s a jungle out there when you’re just starting out in the online world, kinda sorta like I am. I spend a lot of time trying to weed out the scammers, then trying to find those experts to whom I feel a common bond. You make this process a lot easier & more time efficient by providing this list of tried & true experts. I’ll be checking them out. Thanks!
Thanks a lot for your kind words, Shelley.
Yes, having a map of the unknown terrain is definitely an advantage. No need to steer into some of those reefs, if you can avoid it, right? 😉
You can really save a LOT of TIME knowing which experts to follow.
The worst part is that too many people have given up on following their dream, because they were exposed to the wrong experts in the start.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Tor
Tor, thank you for the inclusion. I’m honored. Somewhere in my draft posts I have a post about following the “right” people. What a critical leadership step – following the right people, sorting through the advice to find what works for you. Wishing you continued success!
Thanks, Sneha.
Following the right people will definitely SAVE you a lot of time and FRUSTRATION.
It might in many cases be the difference between failing and succeeding.
Best,
Tor
Hey Tor.
You can count me in as one of the many who went through what you did with some extra bang for the buck sort of speak.
Won’t name names here but not only did they take my money and not lay it out step by step but we were inspired with an idea and were building it out on an Internet Marketers Hosting site we purchased and the 7 Million Dollar idea was stolen right out from under us.
One night as we were nearing completion on the site when it went down. 3 days later it came back up and all the material was gone. Shortly there after a big name in the industry came out with the exact materials we were developing. His website page was verbatim with a few more examples.
As circumstance would have it we went to his seminar and during the seminar he publically announced that he got his idea to do what he was doing based on a website he found. He claimed he found it in Google which was public domain. (Yeah right…these guys work together) That year he made 7 Million dollars. Ouch. We knew we were on to something but had no idea it would have been that big. [Lesson 1: Never build your idea on an internet marketers hosting account and keep it secret till ready to launch)
Anyhow it took me about $75,000 dollars to figure it out and we finally did have success….along with many failures as well.
It can be so disenchanting and disheartening to put your life’s work and passion into something and not see results. It’s like trying to learn how to walk. If you don’t have little successes we eventually give up. Or if the results are not what we believe they should be it can get really depressing when we don’t see the results that come so easy in the other areas of life we apply ourselves.
On a side note. Fortune had allowed me to developed a relationship with a major hosting provider to many of the big names and he came right out and told me that they profit off of people’s laziness and greed. They knew that many would not apply what they learned and that they learned to write in a way to motivate them that it was easy. Knowing full well that there was more to the puzzle. But they knew if they shared everything that people would not step in and give it a go. How sad and angry that made me.
That is one of the reasons I have launched my website. To provide sequential step by step training from people who care and who are in the trenches every day doing what it take to grow a business both online and offline.
So I feel for you Tor. Our bank accounts became lean, but our hearts grew wise and by the grace of GOD we are still here to help prevent others from our own misfortunes. Now hopefully and strategically they will find us before the sharks.
Thanks for bringing back the memories [ i guess 🙁 ]
No just kidding.
Thanks.
It’s nice to meet another person who cares and who endured the trial by fire.
And thank you for sharing the wise sage list of trusted Internetprenerus.
We’ll see you in the sand box…
Upward & Onward
Roger
Hey Roger,
a million thanks for your long and super awesome comment.
I really appreciate you sharing the story.
Sorry to hear about what happened, but I know that most successful entrepreneurs have met their share of adversity on the journey.
Michael Dell said: “Recognize that there will be failures, and acknowledge that there will be obstacles. But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, for there is very little learning in success.”
The only difference between very successful people and those who aren`t, is that very successful people have fallen 10 times more flat on their face, but they have risen every every single time.
Looking forward to chat with on Skype next week.
Have a super weekend!
Tor
Most of them are really unaware to me. Thanks for the great article.
Thanks for commenting, Sneha 🙂
Tor
Hey Tor,
Thank you for sharing the wonderful list
So far I just followed Jon Morrow, Pat Flynn & Sue Anne Dunlevie. Need to check out others
Thanks for commenting, Aravinth.
Yeah, they are all great 🙂
Best,
Tor