Understanding Critics
This facebook post I created received a tremendous reaction. It is an important topic, so I want to take a moment to help you get past it.
We unfortunately live with this belief because we observe it happening to us during the course of our lives. It comes in cycles, and never really disappears. Humans are humans.
We remember the many times we've been taken advantage of. Betrayed, back-stabbed, and let down.
We've felt the sting of ridicule and passive-aggressive negativity from supposed "friends" and family.
We've hoped for support from them, only to find sabotage actually occurred.
We can't fix those negative people. Don't even try.
Instead, we must understand why they act like they do. Once we understand where it comes from, we are able to process it and react accordingly.
Hurt people subconsciously choose to hurt other people. It becomes their natural reaction.
Think about it for a moment. Nobody who is genuinely happy and fulfilled in life, will spare a single second to bring someone else down. Happy people want to make others happy, period.
Those negative people and their fixed mindsets simply aren't aware. They see someone else climbing in success and improving, and they subconsciously believe there is somehow less success available for them. They don't realize that there is no shortage of success and happiness in this world.
These critics, naysayers, and haters operate within a scarcity mindset. Many of them walk around with false armor, pretending to be happier and more successful than they are.
All of them are just insecure, have self-doubt, and know that something is lacking in their lives. That makes them no different from the rest of us. The difference is that some of us choose to improve and support others, while others choose a life of complacency and comfort, and would rather bring others down, rather than climb higher for themselves.
When you start to take those steps to improve and begin to shine brighter and brighter... that light puts a spotlight on the things they know they are failing at. They don't like that feeling. They want to do things to dim your shine. For them, it is easier than trying to fix the things that bother them.
So the next time someone tries to take you down a notch, laugh at your ideas and dreams, ridicule you, gang up on you, humiliate you, or insult you... realize that it is just them, not you.
That is their subconscious lack of self-worth speaking for them, their low self-esteem. That is their insecurities and complacency speaking in their behalf. That is them projecting their flaws onto you.
When you are doing positive things in this world, you will inspire so many more people. They may not say much, as they tend to be less vocal than the critic.
Just remember that your silent supporters are a vast majority of those you interact with. Critics tend to be a small, overly-vocal minority. Critics also tend to hang out with other critics, because they feel too small as an individual on their own.
Critics don't have the courage to do what you are doing. Critics will never step into the same arena. They hang out in the cheap seats, with the rest of the spectators in life.
Keep going 🔥
Do Whatever It Takes
The year 2000. That was the year my son was born. It was the only good thing that happened that year.
When this photo was taken, I was still struggling. I was in a failed relationship with my son's mother. We were never married.
I was depressed, and sort of drifted through each day. I hated to wake up each morning, because reality would set in. I had bigger dreams, but they seemed impossible. My life was a dreadful routine, going through the motions.
I felt that my life was out of my own control. I was merely reacting to it, instead of planning it out.
I was working three jobs, trying to recover from being unemployed for six months. I had a low-paying salary job, I waited tables 7 nights a week, and I worked on cars on the weekend days.
I had creditors calling me daily, and could barely pay the credit card minimums. I had to have my debts consolidated and the rates minimized. This ruined my credit for years. I had to learn to live without credit.
In 2001, I decided that I was going to take control over my life. I would no longer tolerate mediocrity. I put aside the excuses.
I read books and taught myself to code HTML and build websites. How to shoot photography. How to write copy. How to do graphic design on Photoshop. I read books on business. I didn't have "free time", I studied daily.
In 2001, I started my first company, LS1Tech, for $350 in software costs. I was still working those three jobs, even two years after starting that business. Few knew this.
Many people only saw the results from that business. The millions it created. The scale that it grew to. They probably thought my life looked pretty easy. They probably assumed I always had success.
If you are going through hard times, you need to understand one thing. Outside of acts of God, your situation is your fault. Until you can accept the blame, you cannot resolve the problem. The life you live today, is a direct result of the decisions you made years ago.
The future life you desire to live, is based on the decisions and actions that you take today.🧡
Finding Real Influence
Before I started sharing my thoughts, people only knew my cars.😔
That wasn't real influence. It was one-dimensional. Shallow.
I didn't grow up with money. For decades of my life, I had low self-esteem and felt I had to always prove myself. I used to feel I wasn't worthy of having what I do, now. Perhaps I had gotten lucky?
Too many of us define our self-worth based on our possessions and accomplishments. Even though we know we do it, we conjure up some denial about doing so.
I knew I had a story inside me to share. I believed I wasn't good enough to share it, unfortunately. I knew I'd be criticized and judged when I eventually stepped into the spotlight. I was correct, those people appeared.
But, I have zero regrets.
I no longer allow my cars to define my self worth. I quit hanging around people who value material items more than integrity and character. Those other low self-esteemed who try to 1-up me, and bring me down.
If you want to build real influence and find your true audience and support base, you must start letting people know who YOU are. Not just about what you OWN.
This photo was my driveway in 2009. Ten years ago! I was great at taking photos, but too much of a coward to stand in front of the camera.
Life is much better, happier, and fulfilled nowadays. 🧡
Seeking New Opportunities
I really dislike the phrase used in the title of this article. I've used it, before.
"Seeking New Opportunities"
This phrase can be found on numerous LinkedIn profile descriptions, on any given day. Corporate roles come and go, as sure as the sunrise and sunset happen each day. Thousands of good people eventually lose their jobs. The reasons are many; Industry downturns, weak corporate leadership, mergers, or poor financial performance.
Many times, the catalyst that leaves you unemployed is something beyond your control. It was someone else's decision. You feel helpless, and cannot do anything about it.
Your response to this unfortunate event is typical. You've been here, before. Driven by desperation and anxiety, you review your resume and update it, in hopes of including some magic that will attract the eye of potential employers. You freshen up your LinkedIn account. You comb through your social media accounts, to be sure no red flags are present. You begin reaching out to people you haven't spoken to in years, feeling awkward about it, asking them for leads or possible jobs.
We hate experiencing this. Yet, so many of us keep placing ourselves into the same situation, time and time again. We keep allowing our livelihood to be controlled by other people. We are always one decision away from being jobless. We are brainwashed by society, and our peers, that this is our only option. We must "find a job" and go work for someone.
I grew up watching my dad getting laid-off a few times, during his oil industry career. I saw the pain and felt the stress levels increase within our household. I've been part of three oil downturns myself, in my 25-year career in oil. It seems that every 5-7 years, another wave of cuts comes around, and employees are forced into survival mode. It is such a terrible mindset to have to exist and operate within.
You need to start betting on yourself. You need to stop allowing your career to be someone else's decision. You've invested in yourself. You've gained experience and skills. The world needs those from you. Invest in yourself, and learn even more skills and knowledge. This is a never-ending process.
In 2001, I started my first LLC company. There were many years that my income from that side business, exceeded that of my corporate salary. In almost 20 years now, I've never had to worry about the downturns. I never had to worry about my bills being paid. I worked corporate roles because I enjoyed many aspects of it. But, I always had a parachute in the form of personal businesses.
You can do this. You need to believe in yourself. Quit focusing on building the dreams of others, and work towards your own. Life is way too short, to just pay bills and die.
Tony
I Used to Dream Too Small
Growing up in the lower middle-class causes people to have some beliefs that can actually limit them from reaching their true potential. I know, because I used to be like this.
When you are surrounded by those with an average mindset, you may adopt average goals. I grew up thinking that success meant getting a high school education, a house, a family, a car, and a "steady job".
I grew up in a 1,000 sq-ft home, in a small suburb of Houston. My parents were hard workers. We were never poor, but we never had luxuries either. Every dollar that came into that house was based on sweat equity. Like most, it was just trading hours for dollars. Marking your calendar for paydays, so that you wouldn't overspend your check.
I learned to value working hard. I also figured my life would be a repeat of how I grew up. That was the norm. You see, people rarely climb out of their financial demographic. The mindset sets in, and they become comfortable when they achieve what everyone around them achieves.
I was always curious about how successful people reached those levels. I'd heard all the excuses before, like "They were born with it."
Hearing stuff like that has a tendency to make some people give up. They lose hope, because they weren't born with it. The average mindset strikes again. You start getting advice from those who never tried, and just repeat the same excuses that their elders told them. When you are young, you have no reason to disbelieve those senior to you.
Here is the real truth. If you are currently setting your goals to be within the middle-class, you will be living a tougher life. The reason is just based on sheer numbers. This group consists of the most people, therefore you are competing against the most people. You are competing for the same jobs, same homes, same resources. Supply vs demand forces your value down, because there is an abundance of supply - the people.
When you can set your goals higher, your mind will now compete for prizes at a higher level. Where there is much less competition. MUCH less. In our digital world, you won't need the large financial backing to compete in those arenas. Attention is like currency, nowadays. The money follows attention. It follows influence. It doesn't matter where you start from, the rules are universal.
When I was young, I used to think that earning six-figures was only a dream. It was so far away from my reality, my world. When I started my first side-jobs, I thought earning $50 was amazing. When I waited tables, I thought earning $100 after working all day long was awesome. When John and I started LS1Tech, we thought earning $500/month to pay for our hotrods would be cool. Yes, we set really low goals back then. That site earned over $30,000/month when we sold it, six years later. That was just a side-business for us. I eventually also earned multiple six-figures in my oil career.
This was all a result of a mindset shift. Surrounding myself with other driven people. Working with mentors. Working on self-improvement daily. Setting goals, and taking action. Stepping out of just settling for average.
This path isn't for everyone. Some will probably read this, and roll their eyes. They will continue to make excuses about why they haven't reached their own goals. They will blame others for their situation.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to you. Your grit. Your willingness to push aside self-limiting beliefs, trusting yourself, and doing the work. There is no easy way. There is no get-rich-quick. There is only work.
Today, I enjoy helping my clients start up their first businesses, and helping existing businesses level-up. It is what I was meant to do. If you want to work with me, please contact me.
I've accomplished much during my career so far, but I feel like I'm just getting started.
I have some BIG dreams, nowadays.
Book Marketing To Best-Seller
You could write the best book in the world. But, if nobody knows about it, then would it matter? I hope to inform you on how to be sure that your book gets discovered by thousands of readers.
I love books. On average, I finish one per week. These are mostly non-fiction. There is no better way to learn decades of knowledge from experts in any subject. Books make this simple, with such a condensed and inexpensive format. Want to learn something new? There are probably dozens, if not hundreds of books on that subject. Read a few, to gain several perspectives.
Because of my utmost respect for books, I’ve always admired other people who held the title of “Author”. While I’ve been published for writing magazine articles in the past, those come with the title of “Journalist” or “Writer”, rather than “Author”. It only takes a couple hours of dedication to write an article. It takes months to write a book, therefore earning more esteem with me.
How do you effectively market your book? So many authors make the mistake of going through the entire process of writing a book, getting it published, and then deciding to market it. They missed out on months of potential marketing, via social media. The book tours, book signings, speaking gigs, interviews and such come afterward… and those are still easier to get when your book is already a best-seller.
I began marketing my book before I typed the very first word.
In order to prepare myself to become the person that I needed to be, to effectively market this book on podcasts, radio, live interviews, TV, and speaking events… I started taking lessons in public speaking. I joined Toastmasters.org and attended weekly speaking training meetings for almost a year before my book launch. This gave me more confidence and presentation skill for doing live videos along the way. Joining Toastmasters has changed my life; I wish I had joined years sooner. If public speaking or doing live video is a weak point for you, then you give up a huge amount of marketing potential. You must step out of that comfort zone and become the person that you need to be. This training will also greatly improve my upcoming podcast show.
Prior to the start of writing my book, I posted a simple question on my Facebook timeline. “Hey everyone, I’m considering writing a book. What would you like to learn from me?” It got dozens and dozens of responses. Some responses were funny, some sarcastic, and some purposeful. All responses are excellent, and all responses to those responses are also excellent. This activity from others, the post likes and responses are what boost your viewership on social media. Facebook sees all the activity, so it assumes the post must be interesting, so the Facebook algorithm places your post on the feeds of hundreds of your other friends and followers.
Even though I was almost certain about the book topic I’d be writing, I still asked the open-ended question. This plants the seed of marketing within your social media circle, and they become curious about your new project. During that first post, I even got a few other ideas for potential future books!
Once I had announced that I was going to write a book on how to start a business, I frequently created other new posts asking questions to build more social media engagement. I asked what people would like to know about starting a business. That post got hundreds of responses, from so many people. Basically, I was indirectly asking them what the contents of my book would be, and made sure to capture the recurring responses. This helped me to make sure to include those hot topics within my book. You could almost say that the audience is who created my table of contents. I knew my book would be a winner, if I could just answer all their questions!
I also created a private Facebook group for those interested in the subject of business ownership, and invited my friends to participate in discussions within the group. This group also became a supportive group for the book project, and a place where I could share more information and ask more specific questions from those with experience in the subject.
I had a few ideas for the book title. I created a poll to ask which of the titles their favorite was. We had a lot of fun with that one. Some of the titles were purposely absurd, to toss in some humor. This builds engagement; people love to have fun with stuff like this. Being serious all the time is boring!
After completing each of the 10 chapters, I would share a couple paragraphs on my public feed, and within the group. This was to show them two things. 1) That I was indeed progressing on this project, and 2) To provide some “insider access” value to help others. My group picked up quite a few invited guests from current members, because of the business-related stuff I was sharing. That group is over 2,000 people now. I’m proud to have these amazing people in the group (365 Driven Entrepreneurs).
I wanted to involve my group with the book project, to share their own valuable experiences. So, I decided to do an analysis on gathered data from current and aspiring business owners. I did this by creating an online fill-in form webpage, with 6 simple questions. I asked the group to answer the questions, and provide an email address. There were 120 people that participated in answering the questionnaire. They became my core group of book supporters, since they were now involved with the content inside it. I shared the compiled results with the larger group, and we had excellent discussions around each question. The results of this analysis became Chapter 2 of my book.
I hired a third-party book service company to handle the content editing, Kindle and paperback format editing, and cover design. When we received artwork from the multiple cover designers, we shared them and had another poll with 16 choices presented. This was a HUGE hit! People loved talking about all the various designs. We also created a few bogus and silly covers in there, to build the humor aspect. This was all intended to help build engagement, and to have some fun at the same time.
I frequently shared updates, such as a photo of the completed manuscript printed out. I shared updates on when the editors were completed. I announced the book cover design selection. I announced when the launch week would occur, so that people were prepared for it. I posted a video of me receiving the very first copy of the paperback from Amazon. I basically wrote this book in front of everyone.
As you can see, there was over six months of marketing value poured into this book, before it even became available to the public. It was an exercise in public involvement. Keeping people involved and updated with the project created interest within them. They felt, and they were, part of the process. This book was always bigger than me, it was meant for them. Books should always be intended for the purpose of benefitting the reader, not about talking about the author. Not until you are famous enough to write an autobiography, perhaps. Books are not about you! Books solve a problem for them.
So, how did all of this marketing effort pay off? The book launched on Amazon on May 29, 2018 and sold over 1,000 copies in the first few days. It only took 9 hours to achieve #1 Best-Seller in the Business Marketing category. This is an astounding result, considering that only 1% of all books ever hit #1 in any category. The odds were certainly against me, being a self-published, unknown author. During that book launch week, I was doing live videos on Facebook and Instagram, three times per day! I did a video at 7am, noon, and 7pm each day. I was sharing the progress of the book, talking about the book, and fielding questions about the book. Those live videos were incredible marketing, as live videos have the most engagement and reach due to the algorithms on social media. You simply use what works, and live videos are the best tool available. How bad do you want it?
Now that the book is published, the marketing is the easy part. I’m a guest on a few podcasts per week. I’ve been on live radio. I’m consistently inquiring about speaking events to event organizers. I’m networking with media people. I’m starting a podcast around the subject, to add more value to readers, and to build a brand. I’m doing book-signing events. Perhaps I’ll do a book tour? All off this stuff is expected, any time you publish a book. I can tell you, it is a lot easier to get those invites when your book is already a best-seller. I didn’t have to do all of this post-published marketing in hopes of reaching best-seller. That is a much harder battle to overcome, which is why so few achieve it. Focus your marketing impact on the book launch week, if you want the best long-term results.
The marketing power of social media is incredible, as long as you understand how it works. If you have a story to tell, give yourself the best chance at it being discovered. Obscurity is the enemy of any author.
For more information on my book, please visit SidehustleBook.net
-Tony
Unlearn Your Childhood Mindset
We are programmed to fail from reaching our potential, as kids.
We are taught to stand in line, fit in with others, be like everyone else, play things safe, follow the rules... if we want to be accepted by others. If we want to avoid criticism.
Dress like your friends. Like what your friends like. Think like your friends. Act like them. Participate in the same things.
The herd mentality. Safety in numbers. Moooo! 🐄🐄🐄
Take a look at yourself today, as an adult. You likely still hold on to these same learned behaviors, and have never given them any thought. It isn't your fault, it is all that you know!
Your uniqueness is what makes you remarkable. Critics offer no remarks, if you blend in with the masses. Being brave enough to stand apart, is the very definition of "outstanding". Owning your vulnerability is a sign of courage. We admire those who are willing to put themselves out there for a good cause, yet we hide in fear about doing it ourselves. Why?
There is no reward for being average. If you don't have any critics, it simply means you aren't doing anything worth noticing. You are merely blending in, avoiding risk and living with the fear of rejection. Just like the masses.
All the famous and influential people we recognize, simply decided to step out of the norm. To show their uniqueness.
You may not be living up to your potential. Be outstanding. 👊
Tony Whatley, Best-Selling Author of Sidehustle Millionaire - visit sidehustlebook.net
Reasons You Should Write A Book
Reasons You Should Write A Book 🤓
Building a Brand? Show Your Face!
Marketing & Personal Branding Tip - Show Your Face! 
I want to offer a helpful suggestion to those using social media to build their personal brand, or even a newer company brand.
Faces sell. Logos do not.
If you are using anything but your own smiling face for your profile pic, you are likely hurting yourself in terms of marketing potential. I'll explain.
The best marketers understand human psychology and behaviors. No, you don't need to be a psychologist to understand this, there are several books on influence and marketing that you can learn from. I'll offer the shortened version.
Humans seek connection with others. We are wired this way. The best ads always show another human. The best websites always have smiling faces shown. The power of testimonials is unquestionable. Faces build connection. Connection builds trust, and that leads to sales. People do business with those they like. It is really this simple.
When you use a logo, or worse - some cartoon or strange photo as your profile pic, you miss out on hitting your marketing potential. People are skeptics by nature, so now the initial reaction to your pic is "What are they hiding?" - the complete opposite that you want, as a brand builder. Until your brand logo is well-established and recognized by the masses, you are likely better served by using a picture of your company representative.
I used to have a logo on both my Facebook and Instagram business pages (365driven). Someone gave me this same advice a year ago, and my follower count literally doubled on both pages, in a single year. I didn't change my posting behavior, I just added a more "human" aspect to those accounts.
Now, let's see those smiling faces! 
$154 Million & Why It Bothers You
$154 Million & Why it Bothers You.😡
It's Monday morning, and people are preparing for another day at work. For just about everyone else in this world, that means going to a job that pays much, much less than the deal LeBron James just signed with the Lakers. $154MM over 4 years.
So, the Facebook feed is buzzing with this discussion, with the vast majority of people trying to tell us LeBron isn't worth it. That nobody is worth that.
Why does it eat people up to see other people earning so much more than they could even dream about? More than people will earn over an entire lifetime. They know how hard they have to work, just to have a tiny fraction of the dollar amount that just showed up for James.
It is the scarcity mindset that makes people think this way. The same thing that makes people think that if someone else gains more success, then somehow they lose some piece of potential success for themselves. They want to compare their own situation with these superstars, rather than understand that there is no relationship.
They want to talk about how some more important occupations are so severely underpaid, and how this isn't fair. LeBron could have chosen to become a fireman. A teacher. Life certainly isn't fair, but not everyone makes the best choices to arrive at some mega-salary that was within their own potential. LeBron simply did.
Here is the hard truth about this subject. The market determines your worth. These are business transactions, not favoritism or "being fair". The company, the LA Lakers in this case, has determined what they feel they will earn from having James on their team. They wanted the best player in the NBA, because they obviously feel he will bring them much, much more profit than what his paycheck costs them. It really is this simple. It is no different than what your current company values you at, and what the industry determines you are worth. Your current job, or the business you own, all have prices set on supply vs demand.
I'll never speak negatively on what someone has carved out for themselves, what they have earned. The market determines that. I applaud anyone that pursues their potential. There is plenty of success to go around, where I don't have to be concerned with the success of others. I want each of you to earn up to your potential, and I'll be happy to see you succeed.
So, you don't have to like LeBron James. You don't even have to respect him. But, you shouldn't hold onto that scarcity mindset. It will never serve you well, in life. Go get yours!