What if I told you that you could quit your job, have a steady income, take all the time you wanted to travel, visit the kids and the grandkids BUT that it would take you 2 to 3 years to get there AND you’d have to work an extra 2 to 4 hours a day to get there…. Would you do it?
Perseverance
I have to be honest. Things were always pretty easy for me to accomplish. School, from primary to high school, I was pretty good at everything. From math to physics; you could say that I not only was pretty much an A student, (apart from woodwork – Breakfast Club anyone?), and always seemed to be skimming along because everything was, you know, easy.
Same thing when I joined the Army and went through Basic Training. I wasn’t the first in my class – but I certainly wasn’t the last. It also wasn’t hard because I had told myself that it would be over at one point and I focused on getting to that point. Being an Army Brat sure also helped! (Mind you, it sure didn’t help that my Training Sergeant knew who my dad was (Sgt Bedard), and wanted to remind me every day… but in a good way).
Now back to perseverance and what I was getting at. I just spent a little time listening to a YouTube video where a business owner talks about who he would hire. The straight A student like me or the one student that always had to work his butt off to even get a passing grade?
You’d be surprised to learn that he wouldn’t hire me! He’d hire the other student.
Why you ask? Well, that student, who had to always persevere to just even pass, he never quit. He knew he had to work harder, be stronger and never quit if he ever wanted to get his High School diploma.
That personality trait made him or her always think about the end result and not the process or the path to get there. He or she would do anything it took to get that diploma. If it required more studying; no problem. If it required that they’d get up one hour earlier so that they could review before a test; no problem.
Now that is definitely a great lesson to remember when you’re building your online business.
Perseverance With Your Online Business
Let’s be honest, most of us have no idea what we’re getting into when we start an online business. Let alone know what it takes to become successful. But, we persevere. We take courses that talk about email marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content marketing, payment processing, selling online and that doesn’t include the information about all the Social Media accounts like Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube, etc!
Throw in that most will work on their online business after their full day of work at their regular job – taking away family time – and you’ve got a recipe for disaster – not success!
Now don’t get me wrong, I truly believe that you can only find financial security by working for yourself and having a recurring revenue; like revenue from a subscription-based service or membership program.
I’d also say that within the perseverance you demonstrate in building your online business, there are several crucial aspects that will help you along the way:
- Your consistent efforts,
- Your ability to learn new things required for your online business to thrive,
- Your adaptability to overcome challenges – and believe me, there will be plenty of those!
- Maintaining a momentum – you know, for days or times when you just don’t feel like doing anything! (remember the days you called in sick at work – but weren’t “really” sick?)
Maintaining Perseverance
You’re probably telling yourself: “how nice of you Marc to scare me away instead of propping me up to start my online business!“. Well, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t fully open the book on the ugly side of being an online marketer or online business owner. That being said, there are specific strategies that can help us get to where we want to be (preferably all in one piece).
So here goes!
Seek Honest Feedback
A bit like I’m doing now. Anyone who’s trying to sell you the idea that it will all be roses is either overtly optimistic or plainly trying to sell you another shinny object. As I’ve mentioned since the start, my focus is to present the whole picture – not just the good parts – to anyone interested in building an online business.
The great part about getting some solid feedback, it’s that it really avoids you making some errors all the while getting better at everything required to succeed online. And don’t forget; those providing that feedback where once in your shoes. They worked to get that experience so that you can avoid certain pitfalls.
The feedback provided by Dean and his team at Internet Profits has proven to be invaluable. Even better, the Affiliate System Community has a trove of experiences by different people that will definitely be a big plus. Oh, did I forget to also mention: they welcome the questions – and even wonder why I’m not asking more questions as my business grows!
Stay Focused
Easier said than done right! Now, in my case, there’s only me and my wife. But if you have kids, well, there’s the soccer practices, the school events, you name it, you have to be there!
That’s why Dean is a big proponent of putting aside 1 to 2 hours a day to build your business. Turn that cell off; forget the calls and emails and focus on what you need to get done to bring your online business to the next level.
Embrace Learning
I have to be honest, this is the part that anyone who is working for themselves has to really get a grip of: you can’t stop learning.
For some, it will be a no-brainer and they’ll just continue on as if university had just continued. For others, who maybe are working in a job that they’ve held or worked at for several years – you know, the type where you know it inside out and could do the job sleeping? This can prove to be daunting.
Being able learn everything possible all the while bringing your online business forward is no small task, considering that most of the information can change rapidly. Take for example the changing algorithms for many of the Social Medias like YouTube and X (previously Twitter); throw in AI in that pack and you’ve got a plateful just right there!
The one thing to remember is that you can’t know it all. Even those who’ve been at this for many years will tell you: “learn one Social Media account and once you’ve totally grasped it, you can then go to a second one”.
Speaking of which, AI has been a game-changer for everyone; me included. It does give us the opportunity to either provide help – in my case, it helps me with blog content – or can help you better understand what the market requires and follow it. Think emails that need to be concise and to the point instead of a ramble-on of sentences, that type of thing.
Patience And Long-Term Vision
This is the part that should be said over and over and over again: if you don’t have the patience and a long-term vision for your online business, you’re better off quitting right now. It’s not a get-rich scheme and it will take time. It’s a marathon, not a race and you have to pace yourself to get there!
Many will quit because they’re looking for that “get rich quick” solution! Too many are selling that formula and believe me, I’ve tried that route and it doesn’t work.
This online thing? It takes time and patience and if you give yourself the next twelve months to work at it, learn and apply what you’re learning, you’ll succeed; that’s the road I’m on now and hope you’ll join me!
Like what you’re reading or have questions or would like to comment? Don’t be shy, write it up in the comments section for me to reply and more importantly, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for continuous insights and tips.
Together, let’s leverage the proven methods from Dean Holland’s Affiliate System to create a sustainable income stream.
To your success…to our success!
Hi Marc – This is a very good and realistic honest read about this business. Being the owner of an online business might be easy for some, but for most of us we have to work at it. I like how you drew me into your story of your success in school and in the military (thank you for your service, by the way). But some things are a little different, like running an online business. As you identify it takes time, perseverance, patience and yes, a little bit of luck as well. Thank you for being honest about what it takes to be successful and for also being honest that have mine take time. This is something that I believe a lot of people need to hear and understand. Like they say, “if it was easy, everybody would do it.” Have a great week come on my friend!
Hi Ernie,
Appreciate the comment and support; definitely, running an online business is definitely not the same as what I had previously experienced. I think the worst part of it is doing the work and then having to wait to see if it was “worth” it. Sometimes you need to change it and put aside the dread you feel in having to redo the work you spent your sweat and tears on the work. With time you get better and you’ll feel that dread less and less. Thanks for the reminder!
Marc, the way you framed perseverance—not as a buzzword, but as a daily decision—really resonated. It’s easy to underestimate how much mindset matters when the to-do list is never-ending and progress feels slow. I appreciated your honesty about the sacrifices and learning curve, especially that part about still needing to “show up” even when you don’t feel like it. That’s the part people don’t talk about enough. Thanks for keeping it real and reminding us that consistency beats hype every time.
Hi Alison, thank you for your comment and you’re right; we need to talk about the dark side of wanting to be an online marketer and, with time, we’ll get there!
Marc, I’ve been running my online business alongside a full-time job, and this post really sums up the mental shift it takes to keep going. The idea of putting in extra hours each day for a few years sounds tough, but that’s exactly what I’ve committed to because I know it leads to freedom. There have been moments I felt completely stuck, but like you said, it’s the perseverance, learning, and long-term thinking that keeps things moving. I’ve also learned to tune out distractions and block time just for business work, no matter how small. It’s encouraging to hear from someone who’s further along the path and still focused on steady, realistic progress. Atif
Hi Atif,
ahh that mental shift we need to make! So true and yes, the time we put in isn’t quantizable at this time but we all know that it will need to that freedom we’re looking for. Tuning out those distractions sure was a big thing for me to do and the freedom that comes with it is awesome! Thanks for your comment!
This hit so close to home! I totally nodded along at the bit where you said most of us have no idea what we’re getting into when we start an online business – YES. It’s like stepping into a whole new world where you’re suddenly wearing 15 hats and Googling terms you didn’t even know existed – There really is no secret sauce!
Thanks for sharing this – it’s the pep talk (and reality check) I needed today.
Hi Sarah, so well said and thank you for your comment.
We easily forget the many mountains we climb during our marketing trek!
A friendly reminder is definitely a great idea – anytime.
Marc, I love how you tied perseverance to building an online business, so inspiring! As a beginner myself, and juggling everything at home, learning SEO and content creation, can be tough and feels daunting at times. But your story of pushing through challenges resonates; I struggled setting up my website but kept going with tutorials and training and I got through it. Your focus on consistent effort and long-term vision keeps me motivated. Thanks!
Meredith
Hi Meredith, thank you for your comment. I have to say that yourself and many others in our community, are definitely a big reason why I kept going and, even after a few months of being unable to post, I was able to get back into it because of all the support you all provide. That is definitely worth it’s weight in gold!
Pushing on is definitely a big plus – and once you’ve got a few wins under your belt, there’s no stopping us! All the best!
Hi Marc, thanks for sharing your blog post this week. I almost didn’t post because of the flurry of activity surrounding getting my “Dear Boomers Community” set up! It is taking way longer than you or anyone would think. I couldn’t do it without Sophie’s help. My tech skills are getting better and dare I say more intuitive. But I will always need help. And our mentors are top notch!! Going through this without them would be nearly impossible. I can see why people give up.
That’s where perseverance comes in. Also consistency. Also the spirit of “can do” and optimism, in other words, mindset. Rolled into one? Equals success!!
Hi Kate, You are so absolutely correct: without mentors like Dean, Sophie & Glenn, I’d be so lost in the woods… you probably could never find me!!
All kidding aside, I’m happy that you’re getting the hang of it and getting that Community up & running. I really believe that everyone is better equipped to get everything rolling with the help of our community and mentors!
Great comment and thank you for taking the time to share it with us. All the best!