Could you be earning more influence, impact, & income?

If you’re a content creator (speaker, blogger, authors, podcaster, etc.) and you’re not certifying people to speak, coach, and train on your content, then you could be leaving massive amounts of influence, impact, and income on the table.

Over the past 5 years we’ve issued well over 100 certifications for our 3 teams: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, and Dream Job Coaches. The crazy thing is, we’ve never publicly promoted our teams. 

Instead, people who went through our coaching programs and experienced massive life change asked us to be certified. They wanted to create life-change in others through their own speaking, coaching, and training.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

 

One of the Best Decisions We Ever Made

I had reservations at first. The issues centered around ego, control, and fear. Family members even advised me against it. But then, I woke up and realized the massive benefits for the team members and our mission—Igniting Souls. Today looking back, it’s one of the best decisions we ever made.

In this episode, I share: How to Become a Thought Leader and Certify People on your own Content. I share the quick backstory below.

And for the first time ever, during the next 7 days we’re taking applications for new team members. If you’re interested in learning more, please watch this 2 minute video here. After you do, you can then check out whichever team you’re interested in applying for: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, Dream Job Coaches. Here’s just a few of our team members.

Should you Certify People Your Own Content?

I get it. As content creators, we’re often scared to “let go” of our message. It’s our baby after all.  Will people represent our message well? Will they take care of it?  Six years ago issues of ego, fear, and control kept me from ever considering it.

But then I woke up and I’m so glad I did. On the podcast and below I share more about the story and process. However, here’s 7 quick reasons to help make the decision easier.

C – Coaches: You don’t have enough hours in a day to help all the people that need it.

E – Empowerment: Your message won’t reach its potential if you protect it.

R – R.O.I. : Your team increases their impact and income AND yours.

T – Trainers: You can’t train all the people who need your content.

I – Influence: Your influence will grow as you grow your team.

F – Focus: You can only do a few things well and you have more content to create.

Y – Yawp: Your need barbaric YAWPERS that make the message even better.

How it All Happened

Almost 6 years ago Your Secret Name—my fourth book—released in September, 2010. In a matter of weeks we realized this book was special without much of our own doing. The book touched on an issue common to many adults and teens alike—identity. I blended my story overcoming self-injury with the reader’s journey of discovering who they were created to be.

My friend Gabe created an interactive website that combined free tools with support from our growing community. My friend Josh produced a beautiful book trailer, and we began getting emails from people of various backgrounds and struggles. They told us about their newfound freedom and how they discovered a connection with their Creator, their community, and their core.

Stories of victory over suicidal thoughts, depression, prostitution, workaholism, anorexia, and low self-esteem poured in. We continued sharing the message as best we could, but we’d clearly reached our capacity. Back then my day job brought its own set of challenges and commitments. And although I entertained thoughts of jumping into my dream job full-time, book sales alone didn’t come close to paying the bills.

Then it happened. I received an email from Desiree Arney, a stranger in New Jersey touched by the message. Long story short, after a couple chats David and I asked her to join our “team.”

The word team was a bit presumptuous. Although we wanted to change the world, we didn’t have a plan, a platform, or a paycheck. We figured passion was enough so we kept moving forward. A few months later we decided to have a conference and over one hundred people showed up. Toward the end of the conference we blocked off an open mic time for participants to share their thoughts about the day.

The stories of transformation people shared blew us away. Feeling momentum and divine favor, we created the Your Secret Name Team. Clearly we needed a way to multiply our impact and fund our efforts. I knew I couldn’t accept every gig, and although I felt a little guilty turning down some opportunities, my family and day job took precedence.

In no time we added a dozen members from all over the world, including Europe and New Zealand. Additional team members trickled in, and our impact and income increased slowly but steadily.

Benefits of Passive Impact

Even better than the passive income was the passive impact.

I remember one chilly Ohio afternoon playing with my three children on the living room floor. I think Isabel won out with her game choice—sleeping giant. Our stomachs were full from a scrumptious Sunday lunch and the wood in the fireplace crackled and popped. Snowflakes fell softly outside and my wife and I smiled at each other as we tried to keep up with three active kids.

Later that evening I checked our Secret Name Facebook group. Thrilled to read the posts, I learned how that weekend three separate team members had conducted Your Secret Name events in their own cities.

I smiled. While I enjoyed my loved ones in the comfort of my home, our passive impact business was igniting. Our team was communicating this message of hope to people who needed healing. It hasn’t stopped since.

 Want to Join our Team of World Changers?

What about you? Do you want a business or ministry in a box? Do you want to join a Team of World Changers and increase your influence, impact, and income?

For the first time ever, during the next 7 days we’re taking applications for new team members. If you’re interested in learning more, please watch this 2 minute video here. After you do, you can then check out whichever team you’re interested in applying for: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, Dream Job Coaches.

Here are just a few of our team members. I’d love to read your application and see if we’re a good fit. It’s time to Ignite Souls.

You’ve probably heard of passive income—right?

Passive Income is INCOME from a venture in which an individual does not directly participate.

(Listen here, on iTunes, or via streaming audio by clicking play on the pic below.) 

There are plenty of advantages to this type of income. In this structure customers and clients pay you repeatedly for work you only did once. This income is recurring because it’s not limited to your presence, your focus, or your schedule.

Obviously, passive income factors scalability. You can serve five orders just as simply as five thousand. Although your product or service initially takes time to create, you’ll repeatedly get paid for the original time, effort, and energy you invested.

Passive income works even when you don’t. It knows few limits because it’s not finite like you.

Passive income is cool, BUT HAVE YOU ALSO HEARD ABOUT PASSIVE IMPACT?

Passive Impact is IMPACT from a venture in which an individual does not directly participate.

I think passive impact trumps passive income. I share why on this episode, but I’ll tell a quick story that will fill in some blanks.

My fourth book (Your Secret Name) released in September, 2010. In a matter of weeks we realized this book was special without much of our own doing. The book touched on an issue common to many adults and teens alike—identity. I blended my story overcoming self-injury with the reader’s journey of discovering who they were created to be.

My friend Gabe created an interactive website that combined free tools with support from our growing community. My friend Josh produced a beautiful book trailer, and we began getting emails from people of various backgrounds and struggles.

They told us about their newfound freedom and how they discovered a connection with their Creator, their community, and their core.

Stories of victory over suicidal thoughts, depression, prostitution, workaholism, anorexia, and low self-esteem poured in. We continued sharing the message as best we could, but we’d clearly reached our capacity.

My day job brought its own set of challenges and commitments. And although I entertained thoughts of jumping into my dream job full-time, book sales alone didn’t come close to paying the bills.

Then it happened.

I received an email from Desiree Arney, a stranger in New Jersey touched by the message. Long story short, after a couple chats David and I asked her to join our “team.”

The word team was a bit presumptuous. Although we wanted to change the world, we didn’t have a plan, a platform, or a paycheck. We figured passion was enough so we kept moving forward. A few months later we decided to have a conference and over one hundred people showed up. Toward the end of the conference we blocked off an open mic time for participants to share their thoughts about the day.

The stories of transformation people shared blew us away. Feeling momentum and divine favor, we created the Your Secret Name Team. Clearly we needed a way to multiply our impact and fund our efforts. I knew I couldn’t accept every gig, and although I felt a little guilty turning down some opportunities, my family and day job took precedence.

We priced the Team at a modest $997 and in no time we added a dozen members from all over the world, including Europe and New Zealand. Additional team members trickled in, and our impact and income increased slowly but steadily.

Because of our desire to alleviate suffering and pain in impoverished areas, we gifted a few slots to nonprofits in Uganda and Honduras. (We felt their lack of resources shouldn’t prevent them from helping those in need.)

Even better than the passive income was the passive impact.

I remember one chilly Ohio afternoon playing with my three children on the living room floor. I think Isabel won out with her game choice—sleeping giant. Our stomachs were full from a scrumptious Sunday lunch and the wood in the fireplace crackled and popped. Snowflakes fell softly outside and my wife and I smiled at each other as we tried to keep up with three active kids.

Later that evening I checked our Secret Name Facebook group. Thrilled to read the posts, I learned how that weekend three separate team members had conducted Your Secret Name events in their own cities.

I smiled. While I enjoyed my loved ones in the comfort of my home, our passive impact business was igniting. Our team was communicating this message of hope to people who needed healing. It hasn’t stopped since.

In episode 60, I teach you how to create your first product (for ZERO start-up costs). In the process you’ll also create something else—passive income AND passive impact.

———————

QUESTION: What is one product you could create?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

I believe you have what it takes. You may just not have the tools…at least not yet. Click on the pic below to discover how to get busy living. See yourself through new eyes and begin creating the life you want.

 “This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of.  I can’t believe you have sold books on it.”

I had a radio interview on Wednesday. Evidently, a stranger listened in and felt the need to email me his thoughts. I guess in his mind, my content is stupid. In fact, according to his 2 sentence email, it’s the stupidest content he’s ever heard of.

• Imagine this email arrived in your inbox.
• Imagine this email referenced a book you wrote. 
• Imagine your book shared your story in a vulnerable and personal way. 

Reread those words and let them sink in S-L-O-W-L-Y.

 “This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of.  I can’t believe you have sold books on it.”

How would you respond to this criticism?

Your response reveals your current level of awareness

I’m not going to lie. When I first started speaking and writing ten years ago, comments like this would rip me open:

• They’d stick with me for days, weeks, and months.
• They’d make me write back lengthy replies and defend myself.
• They’d fire me up and cause me to take on martyr’s posture. 

But now, I just smile—sincerely. My perspective has since changed. I’ve learned if you put your message out there, then be prepared to get a few haters. And when you do, REJOICE. Here’s why:

• Your message connected.
• Your message was clear.
• Your message was critiqued.

Criticism isn’t your biggest problem, obscurity is. (Tweet This)

Remember, if haters spent the time to communicate their criticism, then your message connected with them. It also found its way above the  5,000 other messages that confronted them that day. Chalk this up as a win. Although you’re goal isn’t criticism, when you get noticed because your content legitimately caused a reaction, then celebrate.

You can rush to defend or clarify, but do you want to? Is that your calling? You can spend bundles of “sideways energy” and accomplish nothing more than being distracted from advancing your mission.

The 4-Step Formula I use:

1. READ = When I get comments from haters I READ them.
2. REFLECT = I then REFLECT. “Is there any truth to what they’re saying? Can I grow and get better?”
3. REALIGN = If helpful, I REALIGN and then keep advancing.
4. REJECT = But if their comments are untruths, I REJECT them and keep focused on the real goal in front of me—Igniting Souls.

Remember, not all comments come from True Friends. You also have Honest Critics and Unhealthy Trolls.

Compliments AND criticism both mean you connected

This week I also received a compliment:

Before starting Your Secret Name 5 Week Journey, I was full of excitement, passion, and courage contained in a jar… like one saves pennies for a rainy day. As I walk the path of my journey, I have been able to open that jar and start using those talents. The results are evident. I walk different, feel more confident and aware, my vocabulary has changed, some say that I have physically changed. Thank you Kary for sharing your talents and thank you to the Igniting Souls Tribe for supporting one another as we continue igniting our journey of transformation.

Although comments like this lift me up, I don’t let them distract me either. I celebrate them, but they’re not the goal. Compliments can sideline you just as much as criticism. If you have lovers and if you have haters, rejoice that your message is connecting.

With your message in mind, remember connection is what you’re after. Not compliments or criticism.

———————

QUESTION: How do you respond to haters?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

Click on the pic below to discover how to create a rock solid self-image. See yourself through new eyes and begin creating the life you want.