Why? Matthew 7:7-8: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." You need to be able to ask for what you want - clearly. Um, uh, so, like - these aren't effective uses of language. Vagueness is confusing. Both to the person you're communicating with and to yourself. Here's what changed the game for me: with AI, poor communication is no longer an excuse. It will clean up your ask. It will ask you questions to clarify your request. I literally put this post into Claude and asked it to phrase it for clarity and engagement. That's what you're reading right now even though it didn't really change too much. Sales that lead to income that lead to lifestyle options are on the other end of clear communication. If you can't clearly articulate what you're offering, what problem you solve, or what you want someone to do - you won't make sales. AI can help you get clear. But you have to start by trying to communicate something, even if it's messy at first. Ask. Seek. Knock. But do it clearly.

Taking a cold shower because you didn't pay your gas bill will wake you up real quick. As a solopreneur early on, it all came down to me taking the bull by the horns and doing what it takes to generate sales. I'd try to avoid the hard work of cold calling by doing some kind of marketing to bring in interested people. Postcards. Ads. Anything to avoid the grind. But when you're standing in that freezing water, you bite the bullet and do the unpleasant thing - making calls, going door to door, business to business. That worked. But it was completely unleveraged. Every sale required me showing up, grinding it out. I was the bottleneck. Here's what I almost forgot: over a dozen years ago I posted a YouTube video demonstrating how I installed a phone system. Someone in Oklahoma saw it and bought from me. I didn't call them. I didn't knock on their door. Content created the sale while I was doing something else. I have to remind myself: it works. I've seen it work. I just didn't keep doing it consistently. Now I need to create content with purpose. Something I'm actually selling. Right now that's @DougBoughton 's Content That Converts Workshop. Small affiliate deal, but it gets me going. Gives me something specific to promote while I practice this skill. Content creates leveraged leads. Cold calling works until you stop. Content keeps working.

Some are planned - like the football game this weekend. You can work around those by building them into your schedule. Others hit you out of nowhere. Family situations that get in your headspace and throw you off. Here's what I've noticed: it's easier to succumb to distractions when something is new, hard, and not sure what to do. Uncertainty makes every distraction feel like a reasonable excuse to step away. They are the path of least resistance. Reminds me of P90X. A workout for every day of the week, but gave one rest or recovery day you could skip. I would definitely find an excuse throughout the week to skip a workout. But, I would try and do it as late in the week as possible so I would have a little cushion. When the week was over though, I had to get six workouts in. There was one simple rule: never miss two in a row.. And the Framework kept me on track. The same thing applies to this content creation process. Stuff's gonna happen that I can't anticipate. And when I’m still figuring this out, every distraction feels like a valid reason to quit. But the commitment is the same: never miss two days in a row. Keep showing up. Keep posting. Keep testing. Even when I lack confidence and aren’t completely sure what I’m doing. That's where @Doug Boughton 's Content That Converts Workshop helps - it gives frameworks so I’m not starting from scratch every time. Makes it easier to keep the commitment even when the process still feels uncertain.

The $27 is insignificant in and of itself. But what it represents is everything. Breaking inertia. An object at rest tends to stay at rest until it's acted upon by an outside force. An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Someone read something I wrote, clicked a link, bought something. Content turned into money. That sale created momentum where there was none before. Full transparency: This was for Doug's $27 Content That Converts Workshop, and he's giving me 100% commission. I've bought his other stuff - coaching programs, digital courses, all solid. But I haven't bought this specific one yet. Going to though, and I'll work through it and share my real takeaways. Can't authentically promote something I haven't experienced myself. I'm no Bible scholar - had to ask Claude for a verse - but this one fits: "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." (Zechariah 4:10) They say the first sale is always the hardest one. Getting from zero to one. This brings a level of certainty to the whole process that wasn't there before. Now I know the system works. Time to keep the momentum going.

I'm so excited to have you here as part of a powerful community committed to leveraging AI and confidently building online income to secure the retirement you deserve! Let’s start strong by getting to know YOU: 1. Who are you? (Feel free to share your name, what drives you, and where you’re from!) 2. What’s your current online income goal or dream? 3. What’s one skill or resource you’re eager to master in this community to help get there? If it suits you, check out the One on One Challenge in the Classroom: https://www.skool.com/gen-x-renaissance/classroom/a549d5e6?md=d9d8499c200148079962df15712a7609 One on One is only available for a short time.