Spilling the Secrets of “Make Money Online Gurus”

Continuing on the personal branding theme from yesterday’s email. As promised, I’m going to talk about monetization today.

This is partly a mindset issue in my opinion:

People get too caught up in providing free value for years in my opinion.

Part of the reason is old-school advice from guys like Mike Cernovich. Giving away free content for years before selling anything worked for him, but I don’t think it’s a good way to build a business.

But the other part of the reason is a lack of balls.

Yes, cajones.

You’re scared that people will disapprove of you selling stuff. So you keep giving away free content and enjoy the validation of views, Retweets and subscribers.

That ain’t a business.

If you’re doing this as a hobby, cool.

If you want to make money online though, you need to develop some big balls of steel and put your product out there for everyone to see.

I sell a course. (Buy it here.)

Yup, I’m the guy who makes money by teaching others how to make money.

Charlatan? Scammer?

I think not, but if you think selling a digital course makes me a scammer, then that’s your opinion (you’re an idiot, by the way).

“Those who can’t do, teach.”

“He makes more money selling courses than using the actual methods in the course.”

These are all snappy quotes. Don’t get hung up on snarky comments like these.

The truth is, if you’re any good at selling info products, you will probably make more money selling courses than by dropshipping, building niche sites or freelancing.

Wait, what?

Yes, those comments about gurus are 100% true.

Of course they make more money selling courses than running the actual side-hustles.

You think Tai Lopez is out there running social media marketing agencies for local businesses? Hell no.

The only guys who make more money from their hustles (eg. dropshipping) than their courses, are those who suck at selling courses.

Right not, that includes me.

I’m not a great info-marketer (yet). I’ve only been selling my course for a little over a month…How do you expect me to be good at this already?

I’m still making mistakes and learning every day. Once I become better at this, I’ll make WAY more from my courses and personal brand than I do from dropshipping and niche sites.

That’s simply the way it is.

And I’m going to be proud of it.

I’m going to be a proud information-marketer who makes 10x as much from courses as from the methods I teach.

Do you have a problem with that?

Do you care how much money I make by selling courses if I help you make your first $100 online?

Do you care if I make $100k / month, if I show you (and thousands of others) how to make $100/day?

Of course you don’t.

If me making money angers you, you should probably unsubscribe right now because I fully intend to become a lot better at information marketing over the next 6 months.

Right now, I’m a little nobody selling a course. I don’t intend on things to stay that way.

I hope you’re along for the ride.

If you are, I’ll see you in tomorrow’s email.

James Holt

P.S. Just keeping it 100% real with you: I’ve been struggling with this exact issue myself over the past month.

This email is as much directed at myself as it is for your benefit.

I never wanted to be the guy who sells make money online courses. But the demand is here and I’ve got the info people need to get to their goals.

I’ve logically realized my hesitation to sell courses is stupid. Emotionally, I’m still working on fully internalizing it.

Like I keep saying, I’m a 19-year-old kid with a laptop who happens to know how to make money online. That doesn’t mean I have life figured out: I’ve still got a lot to learn.