Two Weeks Notice - Book Summary

Unlock the secrets to successful entrepreneurship

Consider this: a significant portion of our lifetime, about one-third, is spent working. It's a jarring realization, especially if you find yourself devoting your energy towards realizing someone else's vision.

The predictable rhythm of a 9-to-5 job might provide a certain sense of comfort and stability, but have you ever entertained the idea of breaking away from that monotony and venturing into the exhilarating realm of entrepreneurship? Have you dreamt of having the creative, financial, and lifestyle autonomy that comes from being your own boss? The good news is, this isn't just a far-fetched fantasy — it's a tangible goal that's attainable with the right approach.

The author herself embarked on this entrepreneurial journey at the age of 31, breaking away from her cubicle life to develop digital courses aimed at assisting individuals in their online marketing endeavors. The end result? She emerged as a successful entrepreneur generating eight-figure income.

This riveting narrative is teeming with practical advice, useful tips, and invaluable tools that can equip you with everything you need to know about building and nurturing your own online business. The detailed startup plan encapsulated in these chapters paves the way for you to finally seize the success that you've always been worthy of.

Discover your purpose and prepare to take the leap

Does your current job make you feel content and fulfilled? If you've found your way here, chances are, it doesn't.

It's perfectly fine to acknowledge dissatisfaction with your present career. In fact, this recognition of discontentment could very well be the launching pad for your journey towards professional independence. Occasionally, you might encounter a pivotal moment that nudges you towards a fresh start. For the author, this moment materialized when her best friend confronted her for working even on her wedding day. That encounter made her realize she no longer wanted to burn the midnight oil for someone else's vision.

That was her 'why' — the reason she chose to steer her own ship. So, what's your 'why'?

Once you find your purpose, making the decision to transition will come naturally to you. The next challenge is to get the ball rolling.

An effective way to jump-start this transition is by setting a departure date from your existing job. The author marked this date on a sticky note and placed it on her bathroom mirror as a constant reminder. When choosing this date, ask yourself: what would be the most courageous date to pick?

However, don't mistake this for leaving on a whim, without a plan. Set your departure date in a manner that gives you ample time to create a launchpad for your entrepreneurial venture. This launchpad should comprise three basic steps:

First, articulate your primary idea — what kind of business do you envision starting?

Second, formulate a financial blueprint. You don't necessarily need a comprehensive business plan at this stage, but you should know the minimum earnings required to sustain yourself.

Third, create a piece of content that you can put up on the internet. A website isn't a necessity at this initial stage — starting with a social media post will do.

We'll delve deeper into each of these steps in the following sections. Once you've successfully navigated through these stages, it will be time to tender your resignation. Do some research to figure out the most graceful way to quit your job, because you want to commence your new journey on a positive note.

It's perfectly normal to be bombarded with a plethora of questions at this stage. Don't pressure yourself into having all the answers upfront. Your 'why' simply needs to outweigh your insecurities and doubts.

And if the fear of failure is causing you distress, remember that it's an integral part of the learning curve. When the author launched her first digital course, it didn't fare well at all. Today, her venture is a thriving business, generating eight figures annually.

So, why wait? Discover your 'why', chart out your departure strategy, and then make the leap! The world is eager to see what you have in store.

Fine-tune your entrepreneurial vision

Being an entrepreneur means having a product or a service to offer, but did you know it's entirely feasible to begin without a fully fleshed-out idea?

Yes, that's right — you don't need to come up with a ground-breaking innovation to launch a business. All you need is to find your 10-percent edge. But what exactly does that entail?

While working as a marketing expert for Tony Robbins, the author made the decision to embrace entrepreneurship. For a long while, however, she was unsure about the nature of her business. She spent countless hours researching online marketing strategies. It was during this process that she had a revelation — all this in-depth research meant she was now far more knowledgeable about the mechanics of setting up a successful online venture than most people. And that's when she decided to create digital courses to aid others in building their online businesses.

Discovering your 10-percent edge essentially means identifying a domain where you possess 10 percent more knowledge and skills than the average person. In the case of the author, her 10-percent edge was her proficiency in online marketing. Consider this: what is the one thing that people often seek your advice on? Perhaps it's parenting tips, or maybe it's dress designing or vegan cooking methods.

Everyone has a unique strength that others can learn from. Even if others are already doing what you excel at, there's still value in your distinctive perspective.

Here's a straightforward exercise to help you identify your unique edge. Over the course of the next three days, jot down all the business ideas that come to your mind, without judging whether they are good or bad, feasible or unrealistic. After the three days, review your list and pick the top three ideas. Spend about 20 minutes brainstorming on each idea. How can these ideas be transformed into a viable business?

Conduct some research on existing products or services related to your ideas that consumers are willing to pay for. In the online business realm, there are typically three revenue models that are worth considering.

First, there's the coaching and consulting model. This involves conducting one-on-one or group online sessions to share expertise in a specific area. For instance, one of the author's students offers online coaching for dog training.

Next, there's service-based work. This could involve delivering prepared meals to customers or offering gardening services.

And finally, there's the model the author uses — building digital courses. In this model, you develop online workshops to help people acquire particular skills, and you sell these workshops directly through your website.

Which of these models aligns best with your idea?

Remember, nothing is set in stone at this stage. It's very likely that your product or service will evolve over time, adapting to your customer's needs and feedback. So, it's time to find your customer base.

Identifying and engaging your target audience

Social media platforms can either prove to be a boon for your business or might end up testing your confidence. A while ago, the author found herself second-guessing her expertise due to negative comments she encountered on Instagram. She was disheartened when these commentators questioned her knowledge and even went as far as recommending alternative marketing experts.

However, a conversation with a close friend offered her a valuable perspective: "You ain't for everyone, boo." This statement holds profound relevance for budding entrepreneurs. It's crucial to remember that your work won't appeal to everyone — and that's perfectly alright. What matters is that it resonates with the right audience who believe in your value enough to invest in it.

Therefore, when you establish your business, the primary question to ask yourself isn't how to appeal to every possible customer. Instead, ponder over what kind of customer you wish to appeal to.

This can be achieved by developing an "ideal customer avatar." Initiate by brainstorming the various attributes of your perfect customer. These could include their profession, hobbies, content consumption habits, demographic traits, among others.

For instance, consider questions like these: What is the age group of your ideal customer? What are their aspirations and struggles? Who inspires them? How would they benefit from your product?

Once you've defined these characteristics, fashion a fictitious persona that embodies these traits. For the author, this persona is Dana — a 39-year-old mother of two, who aspires to establish her online business to spend more quality time with her kids.

Your ideal customer avatar essentially serves as your business's guiding light. It shapes your final product and every piece of content you generate. Let's assume your ideal customer is a 28-year-old entrepreneur seeking practical and quick nutritional guidance. Think about what kind of digital course would be most beneficial for them? What type of Instagram posts would they prefer to see? How should they be addressed in an email newsletter?

Understanding whom you're creating for can tremendously elevate the quality of your content. In the next segment, we'll delve deeper into the art of content creation.

Master the art of crafting compelling online content

In the contemporary world, whether a business is a brick-and-mortar store or a digital venture, an impressive online presence is absolutely imperative. But, what kind of online content should you focus on crafting?

The starting point, undeniably, is a website. Although an extravagant website isn't a prerequisite for launching your business — especially if you have a strong social media presence — having a basic site that presents necessary information is essential. This could include a home page, an about page, a contact page, and a content page. Remember to keep refining the design, photography, and content as your business flourishes. Stay focused on your website's core objective, whether it's to encourage sign-ups for an online course or promote your latest book.

The second crucial component of your online presence is the content you produce. Not short social media posts, but in-depth, informative content that could be in the form of videos, blog posts, or even online office hours. Initially, select one content platform — it could be YouTube, SubStack, Spotify, or another — and concentrate on it. Always keep your ideal customer avatar at the forefront — what type of content do they prefer?

Establish a regular schedule for posting your long-form content — once a week is typically effective. When the author started sharing her podcast weekly, her profits nearly tripled.

If the thought of providing free content seems daunting, don't fret. The more value your customers derive from your content, the more likely they are to invest in the complete package — be it hiring you for personalized coaching sessions or purchasing your online workshop.

Once you've created your principal content, developing content for social media should naturally follow suit. Create short clips from your long-form videos, convert your blog posts into graphics, or share snippets of your personal life. Again, opt for the social media platforms that resonate with your ideal customer.

It's best to maintain a consistent schedule for your social media posts similar to your other content. For convenience, consider using a scheduling software that can automatically post content.

It doesn't need to be more complicated than this. When your content is genuinely valuable, people will be inclined to invest in you.

The roadmap to financial sustainability

Let's address the all-important question: how will your business generate income?

We've touched upon various revenue models previously — from coaching and consultation to service work and online courses.

Once you've chosen your revenue model, the next two questions to tackle are: What should be your product's price point? And how will you deliver your product to your customers?

Follow these easy steps to define your product's price.

First, establish your revenue target. What's the monthly income you need to sustain? Let's say, initially, you aspire to earn $1,500 a month.

Next, calculate how many units of your product you can create weekly. For instance, suppose your business entails developing customized meal plans for busy working mothers. If you can manage to create one meal plan per day, that comes down to five meal plans a week.

Now comes the simple calculation. If you manage to secure, let's say, one customer, you need to price each meal plan at $75 to achieve your target income of $1,500 a month.

The next pivotal decision revolves around product delivery. In case you're offering service-based work, the process is generally straightforward. However, if your offering includes online consultation or a digital course, you might need to implement some tech setup. But don't let that intimidate you. Most setups are simpler than they appear. For instance, setting up a live webinar link via Zoom is incredibly simple. You can manage payments for the webinar on your website, and then share the link via email. This is just one approach. There are numerous other strategies for delivering your paid content, and with a bit of online research, you can find the one that suits you best.

That covers the essence of setting up your own business. Of course, every journey comes with its unique challenges. But the beauty lies in the fact that you have the power to define the solutions. Set boundaries and non-negotiables to guide your journey. Refuse to let clients dictate unrealistic expectations and unachievable deadlines. Refrain from setting overly ambitious goals for yourself — in terms of content, simplicity often triumphs. Finally, accept when you need assistance. If everything goes according to plan, a time might come when you'll need help managing your business.

But for now, it's your move to take that initial step. Becoming your own boss in today's world is easier than ever.

Wrapping it up

Charting a path to build an online venture and be your own boss has never been as accessible as it is today. The key is to harness your unique set of skills and knowledge to conceptualize an impactful initial business idea. This could range from providing online coaching on a specialized subject, curating a digital course, or offering a service that people can avail online. Once you've laid the foundational strategy, you're ready to transition from your regular 9-to-5 job.

There are a few pivotal steps that can set your business up for success. Firstly, you need to understand your ideal customer thoroughly. Following this, your goal should be to consistently create content that caters to this specific audience. Finally, it's essential to develop a product that can generate revenue and appeals to your established customer base. This product can span across a broad spectrum — it could be workshops about effective parenting, customized workout plans, or even coaching sessions addressing emotional eating — the possibilities are boundless. With the right strategies in place, your business is bound to offer you the creative, financial, and lifestyle independence that you've always aspired for.