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Do your family/friends know what you do online? And are they supportive?

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This topic contains 23 replies, has 13 voices, and was last updated by  Malik Ahmad 6 years, 5 months ago.

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  • #1934

    Malik Ahmad
    Participant

    My wife, children, and friends only know that I am trying to start a business online. Their eyes tend to glaze over anytime I try to explain IM to them.

    Even though I hear the words, “I support you”. I can honestly say that it doesn’t feel that way sometimes. Even when I get a product launch right or sell a domain and I have a small financial victory; it still seems like my family and friends think I am wasting my time online.

    Is anyone else experiencing similar emotions/situations?

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  • #1936

    Bob Moore
    Participant

    The only person I have to answer to is my wife. She is, has been, and always will be, supportive of my endeavors.

    She knows it is something I am passionate about and would never question what I am doing. I think most of it is she knows that my successes will translate to her as well.

    I don’t really share what I do online with anyone else (friends or family) mostly because I don’t think it concerns them. My wife is the only one who needs to be in the loop.

    Because of that, I consider myself very lucky.

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  • #1943

    Julia Rotgers
    Participant

    My friends and family are supportive, for the most part. But many of them are also offline entrepreneurs.

    But I don’t explain it as an IM business, it’s just my business and like the business I do offline, online is simply another branch of my business (done primarily online).

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  • #1946

    I think my husband will begin to take my online business more seriously once I make some money. Right now, I’m still setting up. I’m closer to doing this online thing than I ever have been before, but I’m still getting it altogether. Once I start, though, I feel like I’ll be unstoppable thanks to Sean’s influence over the past year. I’m gearing up and I am finally ready! I can’t wait to show my husband what is possible.

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    • #2039

      Leslie Leftley
      Participant

      Claire,

      I think we are in the same boat. But I am sure that we could support each other, if you are up for that, and make use of the excellent skill sets available within this fine community.

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  • #1964

    Bruce Hoag
    Participant

    You’re in good company, Malik.

    The only people who will understand what you’re trying to do will be those who understand ecommerce.

    One way you could explain it would be to ask them, “Do you ever buy anything from Amazon or eBay or [choose an online store that people use where you live]?”

    “I’m doing the same thing, except that my products help people to . . .”

    Beyond that, most people won’t care. 😉

    Bruce Hoag PhD
    The Internet Marketing Psychologist
    The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy

  • #1977

    Tina Fletcher
    Participant

    Yes my family and friend know what I do online, they are supportive in such that they don’t bag it out of anything, but they don’t really understand what I am doing. They are not really interested just see it as tech stuff 🙂

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  • #1979

    Sean Mize
    Keymaster

    Malik

    my belief is that most friends and family just don’t understand.

    the ones who love you are supportive . . but they don’t understand . .

    and that’s one big reason I believe this component can be so helpful!

    Sean

    Do you want to learn how to start a coaching program that stabilizes your income and changes lives? If so, visit http://www.AnyoneCanCoach.com

    Sean

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  • #1995

    Scott Hogue
    Participant

    Laughing Out Loud

    I am laughing out loud over the thought that anyone in my life knows what I am doing, understands or supports me.

    My loving wife thinks the entire computer thing is a hobby.

    Years ago, when I bought a new computer and let her know what we would be spending on it and involving her in the decision, she said, “Well, you don’t drink or gamble or even do sports, it is a lot of money, but I guess you should be able to have a hobby.”

    I have to say I was offended.

    So, I made it a point to bring her up to speed.

    Here are the new handouts for your Pampered Chef business, I did them on the COMPUTER!

    Would you mail the sales tax, I just finished them on the COMPUTER!

    Here is a cd of the Church service you wanted to give away, I burned it on the COMPUTER!

    Did you put all of your checks down, because I am seeing some you didn’t stub come through as I balance our accounts on the COMPUTER!

    Here are the pictures you wanted for your mother, I printed them out on the COMPUTER!

    If you want me to take those videos off of your phone I will have to plug it into the COMPUTER!

    Here is a deposit into my account, it is from Amazon for the book I made on the COMPUTER!

    I got three new office clients this week, they saw my website I made on the COMPUTER!

    She got the point.

    It isn’t really a hobby.

    I don’t even play solitaire.

    Scott Hogue CChH
    Follow me in the "Use What You Learn Challenge" as I create a website using what I learn from Sean that is a Platform for my niche:
    http://www.threestepstowealth.com

    The thread on this group that explains it:
    http://preneurpal.com/forums/topic/own-the-game-and-win-it/#post-1747

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  • #2038

    Leslie Leftley
    Participant

    My wife supports me, financially, almost entirely, since my small online business (selling second hand physical book on Amazon) suffered a disastrous sharp decline over the last couple of years or so.

    I should have started something consequential online 3 or 4 yeas ago. When I still had a reasonable online income and also savings to plunder.

    No more income, no more savings…not anymore.

    So she supports me (and I don’t really deserve it) But due to many, many false starts in various IM ventures, she does not really believe I can make anything work online. Currently she just about tolerates the situation. And she looks at me, eyes glazing over when I mention what I am looking at the moment. So this time I have to make it work. Not just for my own peace of mind, but for my wife, who puts up with it all.

    Anyone else to whom I have mentioned my online business activities to, never really grasp the point. I know this because their responses tell me they are only half tuned in to my explanation. So I simply stopped saying anything, to anyone, except for something vague like “I sell stuff online”.

  • #2051

    Bruce Hoag
    Participant

    Les, your comments and those of the others in this thread reveal something that’s very significant.

    All of you need to pay attention to this.

    We – that’s you and me – already know what to do. We just have to do it and do it consistently for as long as it takes.

    We have to stop talking about what we’re doing, and just do it.

    All of us know as much as we need to know.

    That’s evidenced by the fact that those who aren’t IM-ers haven’t a clue how it works.

    Have you ever tried to explain it to someone who really doesn’t know anything?

    You practically have to given them a history of the Internet. 😉

    Unless what you’re learning is deepening your understanding of your niche, you need to devote all of your efforts to making the process, which you already know how to do, work.

    That’s more products, more emails, more blog posts, etc.

    Bruce Hoag PhD
    The Internet Marketing Psychologist
    The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy

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    • #2071

      Melody Wilhelm
      Participant

      Actions, not words.
      Funny, that’s what I tell my ladies to watch with their men. 😉

    • #2079

      Scott Hogue
      Participant

      @ Melody

      My wife’s other boyfriends talked big, brought flowers.

      I came one Saturday with tools, surprised her and fixed her brakes.

      I got the job!

      best,

      Scott Hogue CChH
      Follow me in the "Use What You Learn Challenge" as I create a website using what I learn from Sean that is a Platform for my niche:
      http://www.threestepstowealth.com

      The thread on this group that explains it:
      http://preneurpal.com/forums/topic/own-the-game-and-win-it/#post-1747

      2 users thanked author for this post.
    • #3723

      Malik Ahmad
      Participant

      You got to show and prove.

      My wife had a lot of talkers in her life as well. Everything I told her I was going to do I made sure that it got done. She respected that I was not just another talker.

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    • #3641

      Susan Parnaby
      Participant

      My ex told me he was going to do things many times and never did them. Think the record was held by the wardrobes he said he would fix shortly before we were married and were still not fixed a year after I left them with him. When he said he was going to divorce me neither I nor my family believed him. Mum says he first mentioned the idea to her 20 years earlier hence her shock when he actually did. Looking back it was the kindest thing he ever did for me.

      So this is not too far off topic he had at least 3 separate attempts to set up and run his own offline business and every one of them failed. The last two combined drained our finances as he had no income for well over a year and unknown to me he was borrowing money hand over fist to pay the bills. As long as none of us here are quite that stupid we will be fine.

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  • #3647

    Sean Mize
    Keymaster

    Sometimes it’s not easy to work on something no one else understands . . one key reason I’ve focused on the Community side of this project so strongly . .

    Sean

    Do you want to learn how to start a coaching program that stabilizes your income and changes lives? If so, visit http://www.AnyoneCanCoach.com

    Sean

  • #3654

    Norma Allen
    Participant

    People do have a hard time supporting things they don’t understand. They do understand money, so the faster you can start being profitable the better!

    That’s why Sean’s theme of keeping things simple can really pay off – with, hopefully, a shorter time to profitability.

    Thanks, Sean, for providing a platform for us to be supported and to support each other.

    Norma Esler


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  • #3661

    Scott Hogue
    Participant

    I think it would help my wife if she saw a check instead of me just getting bank deposits.

    She usually gets paid by check. I have a bad one now made out to her I am trying to collect on.

    Checks or deposits, it spends the same, but doesn’t register mentally the same.

    Also, I think she thinks I spend a lot more than I do on overhead and when I tell her I got a deposit
    she thinks it will mostly go to overhead, but believe me, I am cheap!

    Moral support out to all of those in this business…

    Scott Hogue CChH
    Follow me in the "Use What You Learn Challenge" as I create a website using what I learn from Sean that is a Platform for my niche:
    http://www.threestepstowealth.com

    The thread on this group that explains it:
    http://preneurpal.com/forums/topic/own-the-game-and-win-it/#post-1747

    1 user thanked author for this post.
  • #3689

    Do they know?
    Sort of, to varying degrees.
    Do they understand?
    Not in the least.
    My parents are very much the “education and a day job are the keys to life” type people.
    So I’ve made a success of myself (by their standards) by choosing a career which I am still in.
    I explain IM to my kids (all grown now). They understand, I think, but they (as you accurately put it, Malik), glaze over when I start talking about it. Bruce – I think it goes back to something you said. I talked about it a LOT when they were younger and how it could do a lot for us. Then came setbacks. Now I find the less I talk, the more I am actually doing, and the closer I am getting to achieving success with it.
    My parents know less – just that I’m doing “something on the computer”. Which they are happy with, as long as I still have my day job.
    Hoping once I can show them proof I’ve successfully matched or exceeded my salary with what I do online, they will respect it more.

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  • #3718

    Bruce Hoag
    Participant

    You’re right, Jennifer, about less talk and more results.

    That seems to hold true in a lot of things.

    There are those who quietly get on with the task of doing the work and making progress, and the others who talk about their big plans, but for whom nothing ever materializes.

    Writers rarely talk about their writing, for example. It’s not that they’re not excited about their work. They are. Instead, it’s that if they articulate what they’re doing to someone, doing so can take some of the “magic” out of it that seems to happen when you put “pen to paper.”

    The place where we want the magic to happen is on the page. We can tell you about it later. 😉

    Bruce Hoag PhD
    The Internet Marketing Psychologist
    The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy

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