I remember when I hired my first “business coach.”

I’d just given my notice to my corporate job - which meant my salary, benefits and employer matched 401-K contributions were ticking down towards zero.

But I was on cloud nine.

I’d just hired a posh advertising agency to run my ads the month before (blindly believing everything they told me on the sales call and that they “knew what they were doing”) and my optimism was at its peak.

So I jumped head first into yet another five-figure investment, fully believing that this “business coach” had the insight, knowledge, and skills to help me reach my first $30,000 month (my goal at the time).

A few short weeks later and the business coach who assured me they’d help me completely ghosted me in Slack. My ad account was hacked. And I lost multiple five-figures in the blink of an eye.

Most would have given up and seen it as a “sign” from the universe to go back to corporate. Me? I didn’t even know what a “sign” was in business (ah, yes, to be that naive again) - so I chugged on optimistic, completely certain that I’d still make that $30,000 month.

My ad spend now throttled (the social media platform deciding to restrict my spend to “build” trust with them), I had just $30 a day to spend to get me to that monthly revenue goal.

Fortunately, I wasn’t yet aware of the “you must spend $10,000 in ad spend to make $30,000” mindset that most “coaches” truly believed - and so I pushed forward, absolutely convinced my mere $30 a day in advertising spend would get me there.

I focused on obsessing over the copy and messaging, I studied others ad scripts that got my attention online to parse exactly how they structured their scripts, and then I did the same for my video sales letter script.

I wrote the ad that I “knew” was going to be successful, I crafted the “perfect” video sales letter script, I set up my entire funnel without a testimonial in sight - and then I packed my bags and flew to Europe for a two week holiday (yes, seriously).

I didn’t even question or wonder if my ad would do well, I liked it and that was that. And testimonials? We didn't use them in corporate, so I was absolutely certain I wouldn't need them in my own business.

My first booked call? Five weeks after the ad went live. My first signed client? In November, three months later.

And you’re probably waiting for the “I didn’t make $30,000 a month” punchline - but there isn’t one.

Because I DID reach my goal that following January, just five months later. With that one $30 a day ad, without posting consistently on social media, without doing anything - except believing that what I set in place, my ad and funnel, must and would convert.

And that was just the beginning.

So if you’re still in the trenches, still figuring it all out, perhaps experiencing a few “set backs” of your own, perhaps it’s not a “sign” to give up - perhaps it’s actually a sign to keep going.

Either way, I'm grateful you've made it all the way to the end of this story. And I hope it's inspired you to chase your dreams, even if it seems slow at the moment.