I’ve always had the dream of doing what I loved for a living.Who hasn’t?

So I tried and failed at dropshipping, e-commerce, digital art, photography, YouTube, agency work, and more.

I finally saw some success with freelance web design. Enough to quit my job and go all in.

1 year later, I realized that I built myself into a new 9 to 5.I quit my job because I loved building my own projects. 

I thought freelancing was the answer, but I was spending countless hours still doing work for other people. 

So I tried coaching (and made a decent amount of money) but was met with the same story. I became a creative because I wanted to focus on my PURPOSE.

I wanted to do my own thing, not someone else’s, so why did I keep falling into that trap?

This is when I made a crucial realization: I had to earn with my mind, not my time. This realization led me to social media. 

If I wanted full control over my time and income, I had to focus on building a digital product. Why a digital product?

Building a digital product is what allowed me to take my one-person business to $350K in revenue working four hours a day (because I don’t need to spend time delivering the product).

It gave me the cash flow to invest in my new company without VC or investors. 

Freelancers and coaches will scream, “That’s not possible!” because they still have the employee mindset. They don’t understand that once you have a digital product the amount of money you make is determined by how much traffic you send to the product. 

If I have a digital product that requires close-to-zero time from me, what’s stopping me from creating content all day to build an audience to fuel that product?I had a few more profound realizations as my journey went on:

1) Micro Education Businesses Are The Future Of Schooling

I’m convinced that the future of schooling will be done on the internet with creators as teachers…And each student can learn from those who align with their interests, worldview, and skill level until their needs inevitably change. Can you not see this happening already?

People are realizing that the only way to secure their future is to acquire valuable skills, knowledge, and interests that they can pass down to others online.

They aren’t worried about becoming an influencer. They are dedicated to becoming a value creator. 

Have you not already learned from creators teaching things like marketing, sales, psychology, self-improvement, fitness, graphic design, video editing, photography, AI, woodworking, car building, no-code tools… or any other possible interest imaginable?

Do you often think, “I know all of this stuff…

 I could do the same thing. “If so, what’s stopping you aside from your own limiting beliefs and conditioning?

2) Everyone Should Have A Digital Product That Makes $10K/month (Minimum)

How to start a billion-dollar company: Don’t. Start as one person. Pursue a goal in your life. Acquire the knowledge and skills to achieve that goal. 

Sell it to people who want to achieve that same goal. If you can’t do that, why do you think you’ll be able to build any other kind of business? 

Personal growth is about solving problems in your life. 

Entrepreneurship is about solving problems in others life.

When you do both, you unlock purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. “Okay, I’ve achieved a goal, how do I turn that into a product that earns a living?”

Most smart individuals can replace their income, pay their bills, or just have extra spending money.

Let’s say your goal is $54K/year (an average salary).That’s $4,500 per month. Or $150 per day. That means you have to sell:1 product a day at $150Or 3 products a day at $50Or 10 products a day at $15What can you sell at those price points? Almost anything in your head. For creators, it’s obvious that this should be the first step. To generate cash flow to replace their income and go all in on business. For established businesses, it’s a viable option to add a new revenue stream at 95%+ profit margins.

3) Turn Yourself Into The Business

If you’ve solved a problem in your life, you’re qualified to start a business. Not just any business, an education business with minimal startup costs. 

Once you have cash to invest in your dreams of owning a huge company, you can, or you can sail off into the sunset and enjoy the free time you have. How do you do it? 

First, understand why people buy a product. They want to see a transformation. 

They want to see a slight or drastic improvement in one area of their life.

They want to increase their market value through skill acquisition, productivity, and self-improvement. They want to make more money, free up time, and increase their quality of life. So, we start with the eternal markets. Health, wealth, relationships, and happiness. 

If you have experience in any of those domains, you’re good to go. That is how we position any product we sell. 

Now, follow these steps:

The problem and goal = the transformation for your marketing.

The steps to reach the goal is your system for getting results. Slap a compelling name on the system and it’s unique to you. 

Now, turn it into a course, coaching, cohort, workshop, template, checklist, system, tutorial, program, tracker, or anything else you’ve seen other brands or creators sell.

4) Build For Yourself, Sell To Yourself

Most businesses fail because they try to solve a problem they haven’t experienced.“But Dan, I still don’t know what to sell!”Look at almost any successful entrepreneur.What do they do?They solve a problem in their life and sell the solution.From bars of home-formulated soap that helps with eczema to a habit tracking Notion template or self-taught meditation practice.Some general rules of thumb to follow:

You are the most profitable niche. 

When you build a product that you would use…And sell it under your own name…To people that have a similar personality, interests, and goals…You eliminate most competition.