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Why You Need to Share Your Online Journey with Those Around You

Last week I talked about digging into the details. I provided 4 reasons you should pay attention to the details when you create and consume content.

This week I want to talk about our online journeys. In particular, I want to talk about how we should be sharing our journey with others. (Listen to the audio podcast by clicking on the play button)

Your story matters.

There is a lot to do when you are building an online platform. The number of tasks on your to-do list seem to only get longer with the passing of each day.

How Do You Currently Handle It?

Are you constantly digging in and trying to accomplish everything on your to-do list in a vacuum? Are you working away in isolation, hiding away from the world until you have something to show?

You need to break out of those habits.

It is extremely important for you to involve others in your journey. This is one of the main reasons why Masterminds are so popular, and productive. There is significant value when you engage with others who have a similar interest or passion for doing the work they love.

I get it. It’s natural for you to be defensive with your secret sauce. You don’t want other people to know what you are baking. You want to go into the lab and then have the big reveal later.

Or, maybe you are slightly embarrassed to admit what you are doing. Maybe you are scared people will not understand. Maybe they will laugh at you.

Why a Change is Needed

I’m going to share with you 8 convincing reasons why you should start to share your online journey with those around you.

Let’s dig into it.

1. Inspires Others

Perhaps the biggest thing you can do by talking about your journey is to inspire others. Let people know what you are doing and maybe they will be sparked to do something they love.

Let your friends and co-workers know what you have going on. Tell them about your side project and explain what it is. You may be surprised at the level of interest and inspiration you may cause.

Also, don’t forget about your kids. Let them know what you are working on. Not only will you receive fresh and unfiltered feedback but you might be inspiring the next internet mogul.

2. Justifies Your Blood, Sweat, and Tears

You will work hard as an entrepreneur. There is no doubt about that. Much of that work will go unnoticed by those around you. Even those that are seen as the most successful in the industry are labeled as “lucky”. People don’t understand the amount of work they put in to get to where they are.

By talking about your journey, you are letting people know that you are grinding every day trying to achieve something you are passionate about.

You are working damn hard, you should recognize and acknowledge it from time to time.

3. Keeps You Accountable

Holding yourself accountable is huge. This is another reason why Masterminds are so popular. If there is no one to report to every week or every month, then there is less motivation to accomplish what is on your to-do list.

When you share information about your online journey with others they will expect to see progress the next time you talk. You can not possibly see them again without accomplishing more, right?

Also, talking with others also serves as an impromptu status check for yourself. Many times the amount of work you complete goes unrecognized. By speaking to people about it you might just surprise yourself on all that you have done.

4. Teaches others

Some people keep their heads down and just work day after day at their current job. They know what they know and are just going along with what they are supposed to be doing.

Talking to them about your journey might just break them free from the monotony of their day-to-day schedule. Use your platform to help others awaken their inner creative.

Let them know what you are experiencing in the hopes that they may be able to pick up a few skills and do something for themselves.

5. It is Interesting

People love stories and crave the opportunity to hear about new things. What you are building is most likely going to be new to them.

While blogging and internet business may be commonplace with the folks you interact with on a daily basis online, most people outside the online space have no clue what you are talking about.

You have the opportunity to expose someone to something new. Who doesn’t like to be around people that offer new topics and interests? Be that person.

Think about it. At parties, people get tired of the same old conversation. Find a way you can sum up your side hustle and drop it on people when you strike up a conversation. Get them to ask you to explain more.

For example, if someone asked me what I do for fun I could say, “I help busy parents build online.” That may pique their interest and lead to a series of follow up questions, starting with, “What the hell does that mean?”

Whether you know it or not, you are doing interesting work that many people just don’t understand. Embrace it!

6. Invites Feedback

People love to give opinions and offer their input. When you talk about your side business you will often get some feedback from others that may prove useful in the long run.

Not only can you receive official feedback from others, but you might even provide feedback unknowingly to yourself.

What does that mean?

When I was a coder, there were times when I had an issue with my code and could not solve my problem. When I would call a fellow developer over and I would start to talk about it, many times I would figure out what was wrong on my own. This happened simply by talking about it.

The pure exercise of verbalizing something can often serve as a springboard for a solution.

7. Markets Your Brand

Talking about your entrepreneurial journey also provides an additional unintentional benefit. It markets your brand.

Each time you talk to one person about your side hustle, they may turn around and talk to someone else. Who better to represent your brand than you? Plus, every little bit of PR helps.

Take the time to talk to people about your project and hopefully you will gain some new members of your community.

Even better, you may gain a new customer if they are looking for what you are providing.

8. Represents You Positively

When people learn that you are doing all of this cool stuff, they may gain a new appreciation for you. They will look at you in a different light.

No longer do they see you as someone that just goes home and sits on the couch all night. They now know that you are crazy enough to try to build a side business while being a parent and holding down a full time job.

You will also come to be known as someone that is up on new technology. People will see you as a modern man, a renaissance man.

You understand the latest trends and are hip enough to not only know about social media and related industries, but you are actually a direct participant.

In Summary

The next time you are in a group situation or find yourself around others, don’t be shy. Be proud of the work you are doing behind the scenes. Engage with others and start to reap some of the benefits I’ve laid out above.

Don’t be afraid that someone is going to steal your idea. Don’t think that you need to spend hours alone working on your side business for it to be successful. Find time to work with others and to talk about all of the wonderful work you are doing.