I make a million dollars a year.
How did you feel reading that sentence?
What was your first thought? Did you have a question or a reaction?
This alone is probably enough to tell you about your fate as a business owner or blogger!
Why, you ask? Well, I have a bit of a story behind this post and I think you’re going enjoy it 😉
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links meaning that, should you purchase something using one of these links, I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Over the past month or so, my husband and I have spontaneously developed the following evening routine:
Once our little girl is down for the night, he’ll get himself a beer and a glass of carbonated for me. Then, he’ll turn on his Xbox One and I’ll grab my MacBook and work on the blog while he plays NHL 19.
We sit together and chat about our how our days went, our daughter, and our goals for the coming week, month, or year ahead. However, once I get into writing or brainstorming mode, hubs will put on a Sports podcast.
Sometimes, I find these really annoying. Other times, it’s interesting to learn what’s going on in the world of sports.
Last Wednesday (at the time of writing this post), Juraj put on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
I’m sure everyone is aware that the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl again, right? That’s essentially what was being discussed before Colin Cowherd shared a fantastic story.
You must have an opinion on the Patriots too, right? I don’t watch a lot of football or sports, unless Croatia is playing for the European or World Cup 😉 but I think their legacy is incredible.
Some of you are going to disagree with me on that and may even stop reading this post right now, haha! But please, stay with me here regardless of who your favourite (or least favourite) NFL team is.
Colin and his co-host got into a disagreement about the Patriots legacy; she doesn’t care for them and doesn’t want to see them crowned as champions again while Colin raved about what they have done with their team over the past decade.
To be that dominant in your field is remarkable. And he made light of this!
As the result of this disagreement, he shared a story about his youth.
Apparently Colin liked to frequented casinos in his twenties. He also mentioned that he’s always enjoyed talking to people.
One day, while at the casino, he witnessed a man playing and betting large amounts of money, and of course, wanted to talk to him.
He asked this man something along the lines of, “What piece of advice would you give a young man whose looking to be successful?”Â
And that piece of advice is the reason I was inspired to write this post!
The response?
“Tell someone you make a million dollars”.
And this will tell you everything you need to know about them. Why?
You’ll be able to separate the people who are going to be successful from the one’s who aren’t; if someone responds with, ‘no, you don’t’, they’ll never be successful. If they ask you ‘how?’, they are on the right track to a bright future.
Now, I just ran a Google Search on this guy, and Colin Cowherd makes around $6 million a year! And if financial freedom and a job that you love is your definition of success, I would have to agree and say that this guy is also pretty successful!
Business Tips for Success + What Great Entrepreneurs Have in Common
So, what does my story have to do with being successful in business?
Quite a lot, actually!
All successful people, whether they are bloggers, business owners, athletes, influencers, or sportscasters have one thing in common.
Their attitude!
Those who experience success are not looking at the grass on the other side. They’re observing their own lawns and trying to figure out how they can make them greener.
They’re busy researching seed and turf builder!
Then, they mow, weed, and water their grass to keep it growing and look pristine.
And maybe, just maybe, they asked their neighbour for advice 😉
How can you set yourself up for success in your business or blog?
If your first reaction to my opener wasn’t “how?”, we need to adjust our outlook a bit!
This is one of the most important business tips for success you’ll ever implement into your own plan.
So, repeat after me:
I am a bad ass business owner!
Did that feel good or what?
Now, in order for this to work, you need to actually believe it!
Repeat this mantra as often as you’d like to and as many times as it takes until you start living and breathing it.
Because with the right mindset, your dreams can become a reality – you simply have to break things down into miniature goals and form a plan of action.Â
Now, let’s talk about a few ways you can inspire yourself and embrace “make it happen” mindset!
10 Additional Business Tips for Success
The following ten things are a few of the ones I attribute to why I’ve had success as a blogger and Instagram content creator in a relatively short time frame.
1. Follow or subscribe to those you admire as well as your competition
In my time as a blogger, I’ve subscribed to a lot of email lists!
I like to keep up with the trends and see what’s working for other bloggers.
After all, if a fellow blogger is getting a million Pinterest Monthly viewers or page views a month, they’re doing something right!
I love to check out what everyone’s doing, from graphic design skills to actual content, and even writing styles… but I never compare myself to them!
This is a learning tool, not a competition.
And it’s truly amazing what you can learn from the most successful people in your niche as well as your competition.
So, starting following, saving posts, and subscribing to those email lists. Download those freebies and categorize them in a folder designated for business inspiration.
Get inspired and inspire your readers or customers in return!
2. Invest in educational resources
I don’t know about you but I’ve never come across a successful blog or business owner who states “I learned everything by myself”.
Chances are they inherited their skills from the family trade, completed some sort of schooling, or invested in resources to learn more about becoming awesome at what it is they are doing now.
You are your greatest investment!
Whether it’s a Pinterest Strategy or course on Affiliate Marketing, educating yourself in your field is an invaluable decision.
Invest time, money, or both. Whatever your budget permits.
Read or watch digital lessons every single day.
Learn more about the things you are unfamiliar with or those that you could add to or use to improve your business plan!
3. Invest in your business
Businesses and blogs normally don’t just explode overnight!
These entrepreneurs work very hard to develop their business plans and accomplish their goals.
And just like we mentioned above, you need to invest time and/or money.
When I first started blogging, I read reading a post by another blogger on how and why she spent $13,000 on her blog that year.
And while at first, it sounded a bit excessive to me, she also shared that she earned $100,000 in her previous year!
When you note this important detail, it all becomes relative.
As nice as it would be to have a free blog that generates a $100,000 income a year with zero promotion, this is just not realistic expectation.
Successful bloggers and business owners invest in themselves and their businesses.
And if you are truly confident and committed to yourself and your ability to grow your vision, there’s no reason to doubt what you put in now.
If you are going to spend money on your business though, always remember to be responsible and stay within your budget!
Having a dream is a wonderful thing and paying for a boost in exposure can certainly help you grow faster.
However, it’s important to set limits and do what you can in the time you have available or with the funds you have allocated.
I’m sure you’ve seen an episode of Shark Tank or two, and if you’re like me, it might also pain you to see entrepreneurs who have gone in over their heads.
Be responsible.
4. Have a positive attitude
This is one of those things that can completely change your life.
I personally think of every day as a gift!
But sadly, too many people don’t realize what they have until its gone.
Whether its a person, your health, or an opportunity, waking up everyday and reflecting on the things you have rather than what you don’t is a powerful process!
You’ll wakeup feeling brighter and you’ll be more motivated to get things done.
Gratitude is a powerful and liberating quality and is one that successful business owners share amongst themselves.
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “change your attitude and change your life” before.
What an invigorating quote!
5. Create an inspirational workspace
I don’t know about you, but I feel my best in a neat and orderly workspace!
I love it when my desk is tidy, without any clutter nearby, and I’ve even hung up inspirational canvas prints.
My favourite one reads, “Work hard, stay humble”.
Designing a workspace that you can be proud of and that inspires you is a powerful tool for clearing your mind.
“Clear space, clear mind”
You’ll get more accomplished and your thoughts will feel more concrete.
Plus, instead of needing to search for tools or taking breaks to clean up your space, you’ll also be more productive!Â
At the end of my “work day”, I pack up MacBook, external hard drive, and charger in a laptop bag.
I then place all of my notebooks and agenda in a wire organizer so that everything is neat and tidy when I return to work the next day.
Thus, instead of thinking “where was I?”, I’m giving myself the gift of a fresh mind and set of eyes when I start the next day!
After all, nothing is more frustrating than when you can’t remember “what was I going to say or do here?”
Among business tips for success, setting yourself up to be motivated and inspired is definitely a top priority.
6. Ask “how” rather than “why not me”
This is an epidemic, especially in social media!
Plenty of people are jealous about the things that others have and don’t understand why they haven’t reached that kind of fame or “status”.
Sadly, a lot of the time, most of these things are also not even real!
Take fake followers, for instance.
I remember feeling disheartened when I first started on Instagram.
I wondered why and how some of the moms who created their accounts around the same time I did were getting thousands of likes and followers on their profiles while I was at a stand still!
Then, I shifted my attitude. “I need to work harder and put out higher quality content”, I thought. And so I did!
Later on, I also learned about purchasing followers, likes, etc. and began to recognize how many people were actually engaging in this practice.
By rewiring your brain to ask “How can I achieve my goals?” instead of comparing yourself to others or doubting your ability, you are giving yourself the power and opportunity to grow!
7. Create a vision board
Whether you create a designated Pinterest board, a collage on canva Canva or actually print images out to glue or place thumbtacks through on a poster board, design a visual representation of what you want your life to look like!
Include inspirational quotes and text that represents what you’d to achieve.
Whether it be “girl boss” or something as specific as “top raw vegan food blogger”,
really try and visualize what you’d like to achieve!
Material goods inspiring you? Include a hot pink G-Wagon on your vision board! A beach house in Monte Carlo, even!
But remember to focus on your business and action plan.
How will you achieve your girl boss status? And your future real life Barbie car?
Visualize your goals and make a game plan.
We’ll get more into that next!
8. Get organized
From tidying your home office space to organizing the files on your desktop.
Free your mind of clutter!
Do you have a drawer full of pens and other stationary that you aren’t sure even works? Declutter it!
Determine what you really need in your office work space and remove everything else that could be holding back your productivity potential.
Use calendars and agendas to start scheduling tasks you’d like to accomplish for the day, week, and month ahead.
You can also get inspired by checking out the FREE Blog Post Planner & Publishing Checklist + Instagram Content Planner Bundle to get started.
If your space permits, keep your bedroom and office space separate.
I am SO guilty of this!
When I was studying for a B-Sci in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, I constantly made the mistake of working in my bedroom.
I found it hard to focus during the day and difficult to fall asleep at night.
By separating your work and your resting places, you are programming your brain to get into gear when it enters that designated space – one of the best business tips for success I have ever implemented.
A restful sleep in the evening and a productive writing session during the afternoon both have an amazing way of centering my mind, an asset that is fundamental in growing my business!
9. Understand that the sky’s the limit but the best things take time
As much as we’ve all been guilty of thinking “I want it NOW”, being realistic with your expectations is the foundation of your path to success.
Plan and set goals, put your plan into action, and invest the effort every single day to start working towards your vision!
I feel that this point is especially relevant to my fellow mom and dad bloggers!
Ladies and gentlemen, it is SO important to remember that our situations are much more complex than others.
We are raising the next generation in addition to managing a household and/or working another full-time job!
This leaves very little room to grow your blog, business, or side hustle.
But you now what?
You can do this!
Some days are certainly more challenging than others (teething, am I right?!) but scheduling everything from non-negotiable obligations like school drop-off to your dinner plans will help you find the time to build your business.
It might take a couple of months to start seeing major progress but, if you develop a thorough plan of action now, and actually adhere to it, you’ll be able to meet your monthly goals easily.
Follow this recipe for success:
- Determine a goal
- Brainstorm five ways you are going to accomplish it
- Set a deadline
For example:
- Reach 1,000 Pinterest Followers
- Cross-Promote Pinterest Account on Other Social Platforms – i.e. on IG stories and vice versa with strategies like pinning from your Instagram account!
- Write Two New Blog Posts This Month – see 1,000 blog post ideas here!
- Create 2x Alternate Pins for the Above Posts
- Join and Promote Those Pins on Pinterest Group Boards
- Join and Promote Those Pins on Tailwind (use my special link to join my NEW Blog Squad and get your first month totally FREE!)
- Complete in One Month
10. Stay motivated and keep on track!
Working on your business daily is an absolute must.
Whether you just check and respond to emails or post to social media, you need to nurture your idea every single day!
Marketing plans and business strategies only work if they are instilled and simply put, your business will not grow itself.
If you are stuck for ideas to write about or what tasks to work on try a couple of the following:
- Pin content related to your business into an Inspiration board
- Pin ideas for productivity or organizational tips to see how your can reorganize yourself
- Search for and follow other successful entrepreneurs in your niche
- Update your social media profiles – bios, descriptions, photo, etc.
- Come up with a slogan for your blog or business
- Try describing your business in three words of less – What do you do? What do you stand for? How are you different?
- Set goals for the week, month, and year ahead
- Connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs on social media
How do you plan to make your first million? What gets you most inspired to grow your business? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
First time visiting? Thanks so much for stopping by! You might also enjoy the following:
Thanks Nikki for this timely post. I think that no matter where we are in our journey to success it is important to keep re-assessing and planning our next stage, this is definitely something I instill in my clients.
I also whole-heartedly agree with separating work and rest spaces. You are so right when you say our brain gets programmed for action depending on where we are. As part of my Psychology degree training we covered a whole section on situational learning and responses, so I can confirm that this idea is backed up by science.
Loved the post, I’ll be back for more inspiration.
Thank you for this excellent post! I had my pen and notebook ready and I feel inspired to take very doable steps. It’s so easy to drown in the overwhelm of information and must haves and must dos, don’t you think? This is a great help!