Solopreneur Success Tip: The Rearview Mirror

Welcome everyone to another episode of Creative on Purpose Live. My name is Scott Perry, Chief Difference Maker at Creative on Purpose and your guide in the Close the Gap coaching program. So this is a special series of episodes where I am discussing and unpacking some of the principles and concepts that are being shared in my upcoming book, Close the Gap: Build a Fulfilling Part-Time Business That Funds and Fits Your Ideal Lifestyle. I'm billing it as the ultimate guide for solopreneurs, not the ultimate guide because it promises you some sort of outrageous earnings, but because you can only for yourself define what success means to you and what is your best path for getting from where you are to where you want to be as a solopreneur. And this guide is built on philosophical principles that will allow you to achieve your version of success in the least amount of time with the greatest amount of ease and with increasing clarity and velocity as you go through the concepts and principles in the book. Today, I'm going to discuss the idea of rearview mirror. This is an idea that's actually discussed later in the book,, in the third section, but it applies to other sections of the book. I'm sharing some thoughts on it today because it's kind of a bridge between what we talked about last Thursday when we were talking about, um, the act of becoming— how the act of becoming the kind of person, the kind of solopreneur that you want to be is an emergent property, and that you can achieve what you want to achieve as a solopreneur, not so much by always looking out the window at what other people are doing and trying to copy what they're doing, but instead looking back at what you've always been. What are the activities, whether they're around play or athletics, that really lit you up as a child? Because in those moments, where we felt the most sense of aliveness and flow as children lay the seeds, is my assertion, lay the seeds of the kind of solopreneur endeavor that you might want to, uh, investigate. Um, so first I'm just gonna set the table by sharing a little bit about the Close the Gap process as outlined in the book, but also as it is being practiced in real time by a small group of coaching clients in the Close the Gap program. We've got Jackie and Kato in the waiting room. They're going to come talk a little bit about their experience with both the concepts that we're discussing around the book and our community calls and inside the program. So the way the Close the Gap process works is we begin by clarifying your direction. Clarifying direction means we need to have clarity about where you're heading, what's your destination, what is that ideal vision of the lifestyle that you would like to be living, what does that look like, what does that feel like. So we need clarity of that. We also need clarity of starting point. Where are you starting? What are the assets and resources that you already possess that you can leverage to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be? Once we have a clear starting point and end point, we have established what's called a vector. We have established direction. And it's only if we have clarity about starting and end point that we can have that direction that allows us to increase velocity to close the gap with greater ease and velocity. So after we establish our vector, our direction, we need to craft our path. And the thing about crafting a path is it's much easier in some ways than people think because there's only usually 2 or 3 things that need to go right to get you from where you are as a solopreneur enterprise to where you want to be. Uh, in my experience, most solopreneurs are trying to act like humongous, uh, institutions, businesses, corporations, conglomerates, and they're trying to do everything all the time, all at once. You don't need to do all that. All you need to do is get a few things right enough to make your success in achieving the kind of business that gives you the kind of lifestyle that you want inevitable. And after we establish our direction, craft our path, then it's time to work on collapsing time. How can we raise the floor on the elements of the goal achievement system that we've established so that we can raise the floor on the least efficient components of that system to increase the velocity, collapse time to target. So that's the way the process works. The idea of the rearview mirror starts at the very beginning because we have to, in order to get clarity about where we want to end up and what, what kind of business we want to build and what maybe the elements of those businesses are going to be, we have to make sure that we're speaking to and defining and identifying what success looks like for us. What success looks like for me probably looks very different for you and probably looks very different from someone else. In the space right now, you see lots of people that are offering tool-oriented, tactical-oriented, or strategic-oriented programs, tools, tactics, whatever, that will help you achieve what they've achieved, which is fine if that's what you want. If you want to live someone else's ideal lifestyle, then have at it. But in my experience, You just, you just can't win a race that you don't want to be in, and you definitely can't win your game if you're playing someone else's. So we can look back at the things that we've enjoyed, that created flow, that lit us up as children, to help us clarify the kind of things that we want to be doing in our ideal solopreneur business that will also be integrated in and help us fulfill this idealized lifestyle that we see for ourselves. So that's the first part of the rearview mirror exercise, is your becoming lies in being more of what you've always been. And once you have done that, then, um, and you've established that direction, you've established your starting point, you know your personality, your preferences, um, you know the, the skills and talents that you already possess, the assets and resources you already possess that can help you achieve your goal. Then there's the crafting the path. But then the rearview mirror comes in again at the end when we're collapsing time. Because what we want to do, and what we do do in the Close the Gap program, is we work in 90-day sprints. And in the 90-day sprints, we are determining a 90-day goal. We know our 90-day start, where we're starting at the beginning of that 90 days. And we are week to week identifying the next most immediate constraint so that we can navigate through that constraint, which will reveal the next most immediate constraint. With every constraint that we're removing week after week after week, we are increasing flow and we are collapsing our time to target to that 90-day goal. And in those 90-day chunks, we are collapsing, making huge leaps in progress towards our overall ideal lifestyle. And so the rearview mirror works At this stage, when we have crafted our path, we are on the journey and heading in the right direction. What we can do is look at the previous 90 days of data, and it will reveal where the weakest link, the least efficient component of our 3-step system is, and we can raise the floor on that part of our system, which will automatically boost not just the efficiency of the system, which means we can achieve it with less, um, drain on our resources like time, attention, energy, and even money. But it can be done with, um, not, not only less effort and more ease, but also can be accomplished in less time. And again, biggest, uh, obstacle I see most solopreneurs facing is that they are trying to do way too many things, most of them unhelpful, unnecessary, and even working against their desire to live a lifestyle where they are working to live instead of living to work. Instead of working 10 hours a day, uh, 5 days, 7 days a week, I was able to employ this very same process myself to diminish the time spent in my business to 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, so 10 hours a week. And I not only did I maintain my monthly revenue, I was able to actually double that monthly revenue in a very short period of time. So that's the way the whole system works. That's the value of the rearview mirror exercise. We've got Cato and Jackie in the waiting room, and I'm gonna go ahead and bring them on so that we can just kind of jam on some of the things that we were just talking about. Hello, Cato and Jackie, if you're able to come on camera, it's more fun when we can see your bright smiling face. You guys hopped on just as I was kind of beginning my little refrain on the rearview mirror. And Jackie is actually experiencing the Close the Gap program, and Kato is a member of the community that is watching from the cheap seats and cheering those folks on, but also a great contributor to the conversations that we have Monday and Friday. Where we're kind of discussing and workshopping the ideas, uh, um, that I'm sharing from the book because I'm actually writing the book and sharing it with my community at Substack as I'm writing it. So, uh, I'd love to hear any immediate reflections that you both have, and if you have any questions about the rearview mirror concept, happy to discuss that as well. This dead air is going to go over so well when I release this as a podcast. I can't wait.

It does. I'm still finding all the controls for me, so part of it was just like getting— coming into this room and needing Chrome and those kinds of things. But looking in the mirror, I mean, that's definitely something that the, the idea of the rearview mirror is one that I think is a strong beginning place, but also remembering that because it's a rearview mirror, not, not these other kinds of mirrors, that there is implicit in it that forward motion of, you know, there's a destination and that movement. So, and definitely coming into fall is one of those times to be looking at that. I was just writing out notes this morning about where, what this fall is going to look like. Fall's starting in a week or next week, in a few days. So what will that be? Mapping it out.

I really love that reflection, Cato, because it reminds me of something, and I'm spacing his name, but he's the ghostwriter for some books by a relatively famous coach whose name I'm also blanking on. But in the book 10x is Greater Than 2x, he talks about Um, or I'm sorry, he has a book called, um, The Gap. Benjamin Hardy, I think, is the name of the author. But he talks like we always are looking at the gap, like, oh, we have so much further to go. And if you are continuing to look out the windshield and continuing to, to kind of perseverate on the gap, it can be really draining and exhausting and a little bit depressing. But if you take a moment from time to time to look in the rearview mirror to see all the ground you've already covered, then you realize that you are actually making progress, that you've come a lot further than you, um, could have imagined, that maybe things in the rearview mirror are disappearing a little bit faster than they were at the beginning of the journey because you're clearer and more confident about where you're heading. So yeah, the whole, um, windshield rearview mirror piece of this is, is really powerful as well. I really appreciate that reflection.

Collection.

We had Penny also join us. And so Penny, Jackie, any thoughts about the rearview mirror in particular or any questions about this particular concept?

No, I'm just— I'm late because I had no idea how to join and I had to get on Chrome and I had to— and so And then it kept just giving me all kinds of messages I didn't understand. So yeah, in my screen, but I'm here. So at least—

well, here's, here's the additional complication. I actually accidentally scheduled the broadcast for 12 AM instead of 12 PM, uh, and so I was able to catch that last minute and change all that. So I appreciate that reflection, Penny, because what I need to do is, is make sure that people understand in the calendar invite that they need to be on a Chrome browser because StreamYard does not work, um, with Safari, or— right, well, it might— it also works on Firefox, but it does not work on Safari. And I know a lot of, um, me and the people that follow me are, are, um, Mac fans, so totally understood. How about you, Jackie?

It's backwards. I'm not— this is backwards compared to what I look like on Zoom.

You look— you look perfectly right side up and right ways around to me, Penny, always.

All right.

How about you, Jackie? Questions or reflections?

Well, yes, I love being on camera, but— and on stage, but I really appreciate some advance warning. So you're in trouble again, Scott Perry. I am, let's see, at the very beginning process of looking in the rearview mirror I'm— my goal is to really look at past successes and assets and to figure out how I can use those to move me forward.

That is a great share, Jackie, because it's something I didn't mention earlier that I really should have, and that is one of the defining characteristics of most entrepreneurs and solopreneurs that I work with, and as one myself, I know I'm prone to fall into this trap, is we are always chasing, we're always looking out the windshield for the new thing. Like, what else can I do? What's the new thing that I can try? Is there any neat, gimmicks, tricks, hacks, formulas, blueprints, roadmaps out there that I'm missing that I should be aware of and be trying. And it's a real problem, especially for the solopreneur, because a solopreneur by definition is an independent business owner, someone that's doing the research and development, the service and product design, the marketing, uh, the— they are the sales team, they are the fulfillment team, they are the customer service team. And if you, on top of all that, are just always looking for something new that you can add to your plate, you're profoundly diminishing not only the effectiveness of your system but diminishing the quality of your life. Because your business theoretically is supposed to be funding and fitting around the lifestyle that you wanna be living. Unless you're a full-blown alcoholic, or alcoholic, maybe an alcoholic too, but a workaholic, and, you know, just are one of those people that live to work. No judgment. If that's you, that's fine. But the rearview mirror exercise is really important, and this is something that you're going through in part because we're working together, and it's something that I, talk about quite a bit. Like, actually, instead of trying something new, maybe we just need to do more of things that have already worked in the past and improve those systems or those, those offers, those services, those products, those marketing and sales practices that have worked for us in the past. One of the stories that I often tell in the workshops that we do every month in the Creative on Purpose Catalyst Clip community of paid subscribers on Substack is, you know, I talk about my own experience in just trying all the things and doing all the things and spinning my wheels and getting absolutely nowhere. But when it was time for me to get real about building a business where I could make a very good living working very part-time hours so I could take care of my grandson Jasper. Um, I actually looked back at how my business began, and my business literally began with a Google Doc that listed out the features and benefits of my coaching offer and a PayPal link. And I sent it to people who had already expressed an interest in wanting to work with me. And had been telling me I should be a coach, even though I didn't wanna be a coach. But in my desperation to make a little bit of money, I created a coaching offer and then said, "Okay, you want me to be your coach? Here, I can be your coach. Here's the program, here's the PayPal link. If 10 of you will buy this program, I will execute this program." 11 people bought the program, my fate was sealed. But it literally, like, no website, no logo, no lead magnet, no email sequence, no YouTube channel, no podcast, no social media presence to speak of, uh, and I was in business right out of the gate. And what will often happen is instead of just— and this is what I was guilty of— instead of just continuing to refine and improve and iterate a system that was already proven to be working, I went and added a website, a logo, lead magnet, an email sequence, uh, created a whole bunch of new offers, got on all the social media platforms, created a YouTube channel, created a podcast. And turned my business into a very, very full-time, overtime job earning me very, very part-time pay. That's a, it's a great share. Anything come, coming to mind for you, Penny?

Um, not right now. I had so much, I thought I wasn't going to get in. I was about ready to walk away. Um, so my brain— I'm listening, but my brain isn't working very well. I just did send you a very first draft of the email I'm working on to send to people that are potentially my best chances now.

So, so that's— well, that's a great share. Because it gives me a chance to explain a little bit more about the whole process and, and how it works and, and when. And we'll be talking about this more this Saturday in the Clarity Hierarchy training workshop that, that is available for free to all members of the Substack. Um, the, the Close the Gap book and the Close the Gap program starts with philosophy and principles. What do you believe is the, is your ideal lifestyle? Only you can define what that ideal lifestyle is, and only you can, can identify the, the values and talents and place, you know, where you really, what you really, who you really are, what you're really good at, where you really belong. Is what we talk about. Philosophically, you have to understand, know yourself well enough to know those things. And then from a principal point of view, you just— there, in any enterprise, whether it's a product or a service or a cause of some sort, there's not that many things that need to happen in order for you to achieve some level of success in that, in achieving your business priorities, you know, building a part-time business that funds and fits around your ideal lifestyle. So we all have to begin at a philosophical and principle level for, and identify some things for ourselves because only we can really identify them. And only we can stress test them to make sure that they are the things that really define who we are and what we're really good at and where we really belong. But inside the Close the Gap coaching program, we're then able to, to, to pick out the, the strategies and the tactics and the tools that will help you, that, that will leverage your principles and help you achieve your goals with greater ease and velocity. And so Penny is referencing, um, a sort of a tactical email approach. Um, that's a variation on the 9-word email, but it's a way of helping identify, uh, identify the problems that our ideal clients have. And so, um, you know, just for those of you that's it, if you really want to make a lot of money selling things, sell tools, tactics, because that's what everybody's looking for. The pro— but the reason why they're always looking for them is because they never really work, because they don't really have a lot of clarity about what they're actually trying to accomplish. Because more money or time is not the solution to anyone's problem, because the effort and energy and attention that it takes to earn more money is, uh, is a large amount. Whereas if you are clear about what that money would buy you, like, what's the thing— like, if I had the money, what's the lifestyle I would be leading? Then you probably will find that you possess more than enough resources that if you just properly allocated them would help you get where you want to go without having to earn more money. It's way easier to take money you already have and allocate it to your priorities than to try to increase, um, the amount of money that you're earning. And we have a very specific exercise that you can go through that will actually scientifically prove that fact. So we've got Clay just hopping on. Hopefully, Clay, you've been able to hear what we've been talking about. We just kind of went around the room to talk about the reflections and questions we have on the rearview mirror. Do you have anything that you want to add to the conversation? No, just, just trying to Soak up the ideas here and apply them, I guess, as I can. But nothing to add right now. But thanks for asking. Of course. Of course. Great to have you here. Just, you know, for those in the room with me now, Jackie and Penny are actually in the Close the Gap program. And so they're having the benefit of these hot seat sessions that we do week to week to identify and navigate the most immediate constraint. And Clay and Kato, as members of the Catalyst Club community paid subscribers, have the option to learn over the shoulder by just sitting in on these sessions and, and learning from the coaching that other people are receiving. So if any of this sounds interesting to you, wherever you are watching this broadcast, there are links in the comments that will get you a free subscription. If you want to upgrade to paid, that gives you 3 weekly calls, access to 3 weekly calls with the community, a monthly call, training call, um, that includes a Q&A and implementation session and access to all the premium content, including a do-it-yourself syllabus that where you can actually go through all of the processes that you need to to close the gap. So for those of you that are interested, that's all in the comments. Um, we're coming up towards the end of 30 minutes here, so I'll just open it up for any final, um, questions or reflections from from the folks that I'm privileged to have in the room here with me.

Well, one of my reflections is, as you were describing some of the other processes, it made me just think about, oh, you know, it's kind of like the difference between thinking about the rearview mirror, we're in this vehicle, where we're moving, where that momentum's going and how that moves versus the kind of books that are designed to be like, we're trying to get to this magic gingerbread house. And what it is, is you're laying a breadcrumb trail that you think is the trail, but in the end, birds are going to come along and eat up parts of those things. And then you're either lost in the woods or you're hoping to get to that gingerbread house, which ultimately is not fulfilling, right? Because it's made out of candy. But like, that idea, like, it just occurred to me that part of what they're selling sometimes is that gingerbread house kind of thing. They're finding the people leaving a breadcrumb trail. And anyway, I don't know if that's interesting or not, but I was finding myself reflecting on the difference between what you're planning to do, how you envision it, and the tools you have versus the wishful bread and gingerbread kind of thing.

Anyway, no, it's a great share, Cato. There are a lot of programs out there that are promising some sort of reward or outcome that they have achieved for themselves in the past. What I find, as someone that's bought probably just about every program available up to this point, what I have found is that What worked for someone else in the past probably won't work for you now because you are not them and it is no longer the path past. And one of the defining characteristics of, um, the Close the Gap program and the book is my goal is to help you identify and define what success means to you and to help you craft your path based on your preferences, personality, skills, talents, experiences, perspective, to get there and then help you close the gap or collapse time to target with greater ease and velocity by leaning into the things that are already working and iterate and improve your system to collapse time to target. So, and the other, just one more thing from something Kato shared in the past, there is a whole other riff on the idea of looking out the window compared to working looking just in the mirror, the mirror that's in your bathroom or in your living room or what have you. And that's a whole, a whole nother topic, but it speaks to one of the same dynamics as choosing to look out the windshield or the rearview mirror, is if you're looking out to see who has the answers or who's to blame, and not looking in the rearview mirror to see what's already working so you can do more of that, or looking in the mirror to see what the real source of your frustrations are, then that's another consideration and a riff-rant for another time, maybe even next time. Any final reflections from anyone else that's given me the benefit of your time and attention here today?

I guess the only thing that I'd like to add is that there has to be a balance between looking in the rearview mirror and looking out the windshield, because if you're looking in the rearview mirror too much, that means you're going backwards. So backwards a little bit, but you also have to look ahead. Yeah.

Well, I think the proclivity is to be looking out the windshield all the time. So The encouragement is to make sure you're checking that rearview mirror at the very least, for sure. But I appreciate that reflection, Jackie. Anything from Clay or Penny before we wrap things up? Looks like they're both good. All right, so my intention is to be doing these broadcasts about the principles and concepts and practices from the book Close the Gap: Build a Fulfilling Part-Time Business That Funds and Fits Your Lifestyle: The Ultimate Guide for Solopreneurs. I'm going to be doing these broadcasts every Thursday until the book is released on Thanksgiving Day, USA, 2024. You can find it on Amazon and preorder your copy now. It's a dollar and it's worth every penny, if not a thousand pennies more, or maybe even a million pennies more. And if you would like to be a participant in these conversations, uh, and the other conversations we're having every week and every month in the Creative on Purpose Catalyst Club community, check the, um, links in below in the comments below this video and sign up for the newsletter. And if it feels like you might be people like us who want to do things like this, just upgrade to a paid subscription. It's $9 a month or $90 a year, which is $7.50 a month. If you choose to go that route. We would love to have you join us on this adventure. And yeah, until next time, onward. Thanks, you all.

Thank you.