It was August of 1896, and they found it. Local miners in the Klondike region of Canada, tucked in the far Northwestern corner of Canada, near Alaska, struck gold. News broke, and men from the far reaches of Canada and America stampeded their way to the promise of prosperity, riches, and the trappings that came with the good life. Few prospectors became very wealthy, most left worse off than they came, and many died.
We know this as the Klondike Gold Rush, and memories of this time can be experienced in the town of Dawson City, Yukon. In fact, my hometown of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, next door to the Yukon, is also a gold rush town, but the prospecting and prosperity of Yellowknife far outlasted that of the Klondike Gold Rush. Yellowknife’s gold industry was so abundant that a local writer once wrote that Yellowknife is “a city where the gold is paved with streets.” I can even remember as a kid, prospecting for gold myself, in the lichen-laden rocks surrounding the Great Slave Lake, though, I never found much more than “fool’s gold.”
So, what do I share this story with you? When news breaks of a new trend, a profitable investment, a growing industry — a gold rush — masses of “prospectors” with a dream of the good life will inevitably stampede toward it.
And the eLearning industry, or teaching online courses, is like the “digital gold rush” but way bigger — the Klondike is said to have generated something like $1B in gold, and to put that in perspective, the eLearning industry surpassed $165B in 2015 alone! And boy, are prospectors stampeding their way in! Huge companies are established, and there are many people finding wealth, prosperity and freedom by finding their slice of the pie. And to be transparent, I’ve found myself smack in the middle of this industry, and I’ve both benefitted tremendously and failed just enough to learn from my mistakes moving forward. I’m even blessed with a few friends and colleagues who are among the success stories in the industry, and I get to learn from their journeys as well.
That said, with every successful online course creator there are dozens of failed prospectors leaving worse off than they came.
Why? What’s the deal? How can we launch a successful business using the tools, resources and options at our disposal today? Do we “stampede” and attempt to “strike gold” with online courses? Is it that easy?
I’d be a cruel liar if I told you that was the truth.
It’s not that easy, despite what many Facebook ads, “online gurus” and lifestyle entrepreneurs will tell you.
I don’t know how many “courses about how to make money selling courses” courses are out there now. I’ve lost count.
In the gold rush, some of the wealthiest people weren’t the ones prospecting for gold; in fact, it was the men who sold pickaxes and shovels to naïve prospectors who became very rich.
Here’s the hard truth: Some people get lucky. Some people find a quick win and get out. Some people take advantage of other’s naïvety.
For the rest of us, there are no shortcuts, hacks, or skipping the line. Creating success in your business is about service, and how well you serve others. Hard work, time, determination and learning from failure are vital ingredients to longevity and success in business.
We live in a culture where selflessness, consistency, integrity and genuine hard work no longer interest people. They are appealing words in theory, but putting them into practice doesn’t make for a good Insta-selfie. “Service” no longer interests people, unless it’s “self-service”.
I’m sure that 50% of the readers of this message have already dropped off long ago because I’ve offended them, or they’re no longer interested.
“Where’s the hack?”, “Where’s the quick win?”, “Who are YOU to tell ME what to do?”, “Where’s the SECRET?”
That’s fine by me. I know I’ll never be able to grab the attention and serve everyone anyway, nor do I wish to. But you’re still here, which tells me you’re of a different breed.
You’re an anomaly. I like that.
And if you’re willing to listen to what I have to share, I’ve written a few emails I’d like to send you this week. I believe they’ll be genuinely helpful on your journey to planning your business, understanding how to avoid failure, what it takes to launch an honest, and successful business from scratch — in any niche, any industry, no matter your experience.
In tomorrow’s email, I’d like to share with you something slightly controversial (yet respectful) that’s ruffled a few feathers with some of my audience & students.
Of course, if you’re not interested, you can always unsubscribe at the bottom of any email I send. ?
That said, if you’re still here, I’d actually love to hear from you. Comment below (or reply to my email) and introduce yourself! I’d like to get to know who you are. What’s your deal? Do you have a dream to start a business? What’s holding you back? I’ll do my absolute best to respond in a reasonable amount of time.
Much love & peace to you.
Sincerely,
Brad Hussey