When I introduce myself and talk about my back story and route to success I usually say something along the lines of ‘I’m nothing special.’ Believe me, this is not some humble brag or not so subtle plan to be bombarded with positive affirmations!
What I mean by this is that I was not inducted into some clandestine society where they passed down the secret code to being successful as an entrepreneur.
In fact, secret societies aside, the reason I have built up a multi-seven-figure business over the last eight years or so is because I realised very early on that if I wanted to be a success I had to work out what I was good at, which in my case was being able to see how others could structure their businesses more effectively and strategically.
Once I’d got this straight, I wanted to find a way to sell one to many instead of one to one, thereby meaning I wasn’t going to be chained to my desk until stupid o’clock every night.
In my first year as a business coach I made around £220,000. Pretty good, right? That was over five times what I made a year in my normal job. But, I realised that I was working on average 80 hour weeks to make this amount of money.
Lisa Johnson (pictured), 46, went from being £35,000 in debt to earning £16 million over just six years
So I still wasn’t spending enough time with my twins who are now 12. I’d left a 9-5 job to work from 6am to 10pm instead. This was not the self-employed life I had imagined.
One year later I was making over £1m per year and working on average 30 hours a month.
This was because I came to realise I was teaching my 121 clients the same things each time.
I had developed steps, stages and strategies to simplify their route from time starved stress heads to productivity pros.
So I did the sensible thing, I wrote it down, I packaged it up and it now underpins my teachings in all my groups and programmes, but in particular my flagship product One To Many® .
So, I am pretty well placed to offer advice when I hear this next sentence. (Which I hear a lot by the way.)
‘I have loads of knowledge, but I don’t know what to do with it’
Ok, so the first step is to realise that you can use the knowledge that is in your head, no matter what it is.
Think back to a time when a mobile phone meant an extra long curly cable on the landline and doing your homework meant going to the library.
Lisa is a global business strategist who runs That Strategy Co, helping ambitious people to create passive and semi-passive income streams
Lisa is a global business strategist who runs That Strategy Co, helping ambitious people to create passive and semi-passive income streams
We’re talking BTI. (Before The Internet!) It was the introduction of the readily accessible world provided by the internet that set the ball rolling. People started to realise that they could learn from other people, so they then started to think.
‘Why couldn’t I do that? ‘That guy is getting thousands of clicks showing us how to replace the filter in the tumble dryer, why can’t I share my knowledge?’
Millions of people around the world realised that the people they were watching were really only a couple of steps away from them and their knowledge.
We all know different things. Think about what you know. Think about your current job, your previous job, your hobbies, your interests.
I’ve worked with hula hoopers, dog walkers, personal trainers, accountants, and everything in between!
The only thing they had in common was they knew stuff. And if you know stuff, you can sell that knowledge.
Lisa believes everyone has a unique skill which, if sold properly, could make them a lot of money
Now, before the world shrunk down to the small box in your hands or on your desk, sharing that knowledge would’ve been a major challenge. You’d have been back to a village hall once a week, or a newsletter, or an ad in the local paper.
But thanks to the internet anyone can share their knowledge and grown their business from the comfort of their own home.
So here are my top tips on how to earn money from the knowledge in your head:
1. Don’t make the mistake that so many do of thinking ‘I can’t do that, because it’s already been done before’
Have a think about how many barber shops and hairdressers there are in an average high street. They all offer the same service, but they all manage to make a living. This is because they bring their own branding, their own specialities, their own personalities. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that if something hasn’t been done before, it’s probably not a good idea!
2. Once you realise and appreciate what you know, the next question is how to sell it
There are loads of different methods – programmes, courses, memberships and workshops, so it’s worth familiarising yourself with the options to see what would work best for you.
Programmes are where you teach live online your knowledge for a specific period of time.
Courses are usually a more passive version of a programme often using videos or workbooks, memberships are simply online communities. It’s less learning, more about hanging out with like-minded people.
3. Take the time to grow your audience
If no one knows you exist, you won’t be selling anything, no matter how broad your knowledge is. Putting in the legwork at the start is absolutely imperative for turning your knowledge into a profitable and sustainable business.
I’ve said plenty of times that the only overnight success I’ve ever had is getting more than six hours’ sleep, and this applies 100% if you are serious about monetising your knowledge.
Lisa, who is a Sunday Times-bestselling author of Make Money Online, is also the mother of twins (pictured)
4. Don’t assume the knowledge has to come from your employment history
Very often it’s a pastime or a hobby that is the basis for a business that people will want to know about.
Think about what really lights your fire, because what is definitely true is that you are way more likely to succeed if you are doing something that you are passionate about.
5. When you’re starting out, don’t think everything you do has to be super professional every time
I’ve sold courses just filming 20 minute tutorials on my iPhone. When you feel inspired, just go for it. People will like you (and therefore trust you) a lot more if you are relatable.
Do not give yourself the excuse of needing a load of professional equipment and software to sell your knowledge. You don’t. Remember – progress over perfection.
Lisa Johnson is a global business strategist running That Strategy Co, helping ambitious people to create passive and semi-passive income streams
