“We can’t do anything alone. Well, we can, but it’s usually crap.” ~Me
I want to show my appreciation for Nick Loper.
I recently “graduated” from my second nine-week session of the Side Hustle Nation Inner-Circle Mastermind. This group of hustlers was truly inspirational for me.
For folks who don’t know what a mastermind group is, here goes. A mastermind is a group of like-minded people who gather (we met once a week on Google Hangouts) to provide inspiration, feedback and accountability for each other. The Side Hustle Nation Mastermind is built around folks who have a desire to create tertiary income streams via various “side hustles.”
These “hustles” can be anything from finding and re-selling deals on Craigslist, to building a blog for residual advertising income.
Every week we meet and see how our hustles are doing. We get to see how other people are creating income streams and get valuable insight and advice from folks who really understand how stuff works.
At the end of this latest session, I looked up at my board and was disappointed. I had accomplished very little of what I had set out to do three months prior. There were items on my goals list that hadn’t changed at all since I wrote them down. We were reviewing our goals as a group and I was frankly dreading my turn.
There were folks in our mastermind that were just plain “killing” their hustles. An architect who had put himself in a position to quit his day job, or “main hustle”, and start of on a whole new path. An army major who created a podcast and built a 501.3(c) from scratch. Then there was Alex. He started recording a podcast EVERY DAY and built a listener base several HUNDRED thousand strong. These guys (and gals) were driven and organized and “successful”; and I wasn’t.
When my turn came around, I started off apologizing. Nick humored me for a minute or two before he put the breaks on. “Hold on,” he said, “Look at where you started. From where I’m sitting, you’ve done amazing.”
He went on to list the things that had happened this year on his watch. After joining the Side Hustle Nation in December 2014, things HAD happened:
- I started a consulting company that had grown to support my family’s financial needs.
- I created a podcast
- I wrote a book (and sold some copies)
- I created a video training series (and sold some copies)
- Together with another side-hustler I’d started an LLC for a content generation company.
That’s quite a bit, for a guy who works more than full time in his “main hustle”, Nick told me. And I had to agree. I needed to stop comparing myself with others and accept the path I am on.
At that moment I looked up and realized something. There wouldn’t be anything on my white-boards if it weren’t for Nick Loper and the Side Hustle Nation. As a matter of fact, there wouldn’t even be white-boards at all. I had Nick to thank (or blame) for nearly everything I was looking up at.
In January I had no idea how to self-publish, create a sales funnel, or host a podcast, or build and email list. Now I do. And I continue to learn new things every day..png)
I promised Nick, in front of everyone, that I would sit down and write him an appreciation letter. And then my life took the wheel again, and I never did.
Then today I got an email from Gumroad; someone had bought a copy of my book. The book that I never would have written without the inspiration, education and encouragement of the Nation.
So now I’m writing that letter.
Nick,
Thank you so much for just plain doing what you do. I appreciate your effort and energy.
Your podcast kindled a fire in me that I had to do something with. Your willingness to invite me into the Inner Circle was humbling. You didn’t have to do that, but you did.
I’m a Loper fanboy. I will continue to spread word of The Nation to folks who need it. I will also continue to give credit where it is due.
I will never forget in February when I was “looking for a win”, and you gave me the encouragement to keep my head up and continue put one foot in front of the other.
Your work is more powerful than you know.
Your Friend,
Andy
Aww this makes my day. Thanks Andy! Loved having you as part of the group and excited to see what’s next for your biz!
Nice job Andy! I think we all have the same struggles before something kicks in and then we never look back.
DJ