Success gurus have it all figured out, right? That is why it seems that only the success gurus seem to be driving in the nice cars and living in the expensive houses? My father used to say casinos weren’t built on the winnings of the gamblers who played there.

You say to yourself, “If I can see success guru do it, I can do it! I just have to feel my purpose!” And, give them about $15,000 for a few days of feel goodness. Let me say this, they are NOT wrong. Let’s face it, all the gurus out there showing off their houses, their partners, their planes and their money, it’s not real.

Make no mistake, they do provide value, but that’s only half the story. Remember, they aren’t teaching you anything you don’t already know, nor are they teaching anything new. These ideas they have, they’ve been around for 2,000 years or more. It’s how business is built.

Think of your children. When you give them a piece of advice, it usually falls on deaf ears. It seems like it does at my house, anyway. Then they come home one day with this BRILLIANT piece of advice their friend gave them, or a teacher, etc. It sounds familiar. Didn’t we just have this discussion and my idea was stupid, but this one isn’t?

Same thing with these guru getaway masterminds and retreats. They promise you huge returns on your investment of $10,000 or more. Again, they aren’t wrong. There’s value there. So, what is the secret? The secret isn’t in what those coaches are saying or the location you went to.

It’s what you DO that counts. Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow.

Above all you are taking action.

Success has been sold to us as if you work hard you too can be worth millions. You need to always be ‘on’. Just do more! After all, this country was built off the backs of immigrants who wouldn’t give up. They spent 20 hours a day starting businesses and grinding (or hustling in Millennial speak) to put food on the table and send the kids to college. They were quiet but proud of what this Land of Opportunity was able to do for them and since the 19th century people have been coming in droves to live the better life. Today we work hard and work often because that is what we are supposed to do. Don’t stop they say. The first million is right around the corner. Then the next, and so on.

Action Not Words

Many people think, business owners especially, that knowledge is power. That is a big misconception. Knowledge is not true power. True power lies in applied knowledge. Anyone can gain knowledge. Gaining knowledge for knowledge’s sake or to think you are smarter than your competition or your customers is useless. It does make you more informed and better able to have conversations around various topics, it does not give you any leverage to change your business outcomes.

Now you finally reach the breaking point. While you have worked hard and done well you are not happy. The promise you made to your family that once the company was running well you would have more time to be with them. But the business never seems to be working right. Employees always demand more of you and the place just seems like it can’t function without you being there. Stress gives way to anger and frustration, so you do what any rational person would do when you hit the wall: ask for help.

Remember, those gurus seem to have it figured out. You just need to get away. They have books and workshops. Maybe going to one of their retreats that promises transformation for a small sum of $50,000. You will come back a changed person. All that knowledge you get from them and their all-star cast of speakers will no doubt be the difference maker.

So, you go because, hey, you’re doing something.

What Makes You Different

This is where the application of your knowledge gives you the best and strongest leverage than anything else. This is where most business owners fall short – myself included at times. We all do.
Application of the knowledge you just acquired does not happen by osmosis.

It takes work. It requires you to look at your own personal and business toolbox and use the correct one to put that idea you just learned into action. Most ideas aren’t new, they are just presented in a different way.

Because how you use that knowledge is what sets you apart from everyone else who was at the same seminar or read the same book. How that knowledge can help you help your customers is unique to your circumstance and your business.

As a result, I see many business owners who are fried. They managed to create a decent living with a lot of hard work and a little luck and now, much like the dog who caught the car, they don’t know what to do. You see, success has been defined by savvy marketers and mainstream media as the acquisition of wealth. We bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Success isn’t what you know

Here’s the bottom line: What you DO matters. If you just spent the week or weekend acquiring knowledge and “buying success” yet you do not implement any of the ideas presented, that’s the problem. It really isn’t the guru, the coach, the location or the information. It’s YOU.

So, go to the Masterminds, join the groups, follow the gurus. Because it’s not what they tell you or how they made you feel – the quality of the information being provided is up to you to determine. It’s what you do with it.

We’ve all been there. Including me. I’ve bought into the hype. For me and my clients, I like to provide solutions for business owners. Therefore, I’m not going sugarcoat it for you either. I’m not going to hold your hand and tell you that you are amazing.

First, I will tell you that if you do your part and put into action what you’ve learned, you will see results. That I guarantee. Most importantly, I will tell you that while you must do the work alone, you won’t be alone on the journey.

I’m about action, and you should be too.

What action will you take today to put your knowledge into action and move your business forward?

So, Just DO it. Let’s take you to the next level. Tell me what you are going to DO TODAY and how I can help you achieve that.