2019 was an interesting year for me.
Lots of ups and downs.
I started a new business (Copy Accelerator) that has grown from nothing to a million-dollar business in about 8 months.
Which is awesome.
On the flip side…I had to put my dog Dempsey down back in March (which was harder than I ever imagined).
I also went through numerous headaches with my new house including getting scammed out of $82,000 by my pool contractor…
So it’s been an interesting year.
But despite the ups and downs…
I had some big realizations this year.
Which is what I want to share with you today.
I’m gonna touch on everything I learned about business, marketing, relationships, money and life in 2019.
Let’s kick it off with a business one…
1. Narrow your focus – less projects, less offers, more focus on one or two things
The points in my life when I make the most money is when I’m focused on one thing.
When we scaled Patriot Power Greens to 700+ sales a day, it was our only focus.
It’s so easy to have 6 things going at once.
And to try and do everything.
My big focus this year is getting back to 1-2 things.
Say “no” to everything else.
And just focus on the 1-2 things that I can put all my effort into.
2. I saw the power of the 80/20 rule firsthand
Usually when people talk about the 80/20 rule my eyes just glaze over.
“Yeh yeh I’ve heard it before” I’ll say.
But since I started doing coaching, masterminds and events, I’ve seen just how powerful this is.
In fact, I’d take it even further than the 80/20…
And narrow it down to the 50/2 rule.
A small 2% of people are responsible for probably 50% of my income.
They join my coaching programs (usually with multiple people in the program).
They buy consulting from me.
It’s the same people over and over.
And when you see this in person, it has a real impact on you.
It’s made me rethink what I offer.
3. Just because it’s a good fit for someone else doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for you
This can really apply to anything.
But for me I saw this firsthand with investing.
I’m a pretty boring investor.
I stick my money in an index fund at Vanguard and don’t touch it.
That’s it.
So whenever I hear of other entrepreneurs doing all kinds of cool stuff with investing, I start to wonder if I’m missing out.
“Maybe I could be getting a better return” I think.
But when I eventually look into it, it dawns on me that even though I might get a 9% return versus a 7% return, I realize that to get the 9% return I have to do a bunch of stuff I don’t want to do.
So it’s not a good fit for me.
Might be a good fit for someone else…
But it’s not for me.
And that was the big lesson. Figure out what’s a good fit for what YOU want.
Just cause something works for someone else, doesn’t mean it’s a fit for you.
4. Make real friends that are NOT entrepreneurs
This is one I’m currently working on.
Ever since I moved to Austin, my main friends here are all entrepreneurs (or in someway involved in the internet marketing world).
Which is one of the main reasons I moved here.
However, there’s something to be said for having friendships with “normal” people.
The kind of people that aren’t always thinking about their business.
I was reminded of this when I went back to Columbus and hung with my buddies there.
They’re normal guys with normal jobs.
And it was refreshing to be around them.
So one of my goals is to start meeting new people who have nothing to do with business and marketing.
Just people I like to hang out with.
5. Take real breaks – life can’t be all about work
This is one I’m actively re-learning.
And to be honest, struggling with.
I fell back into my old workaholic ways and was spending 10 hours a day working recently.
I felt like I couldn’t take a break.
Everything was about work.
Which has always been a “wall” for me.
It’s a way for me to stay inside my little world and not have to put myself out there.
I use it as an excuse to avoid being social…
Or getting in a relationship…
I’m realizing this more and more.
So my goal is to be more intentional about when and what I’m working on.
And to take REAL breaks.
Breaks during the day…
And then REAL vacations (with no work) at least 3x this year.
When everything is work, work, work it usually results in burnout.
And I’m trying to avoid that.
6. Put equal effort into non-work things that matter to you
I had a realization in December that I want to shift away from short-term dating, and get into in a real relationship.
I was happy with the short-term stuff for a while…
But it doesn’t appeal to me as much anymore.
And I want to find someone who I truly care about to share my life with.
However as much as I say that…
I know I don’t put enough time/effort into making that happen.
It’s an afterthought.
I think “maybe it will just happen”.
And it might…
But, I could also be putting more effort into it.
The same way I put effort into business stuff that really matters to me.
At the end of the day, if I found someone I truly wanted to be with, that would make my life a lot more fulfilling than making an extra $100,000 would.
So my goal is to put more effort into this.
Just like I would with something that matters to me in business.
7. Boundaries, Boundaries, Boundaries
2019 was a big year for me in terms of putting myself first.
Cause that’s something Ive always struggled with.
I used to be your classic people-pleaser.
Always trying to make everyone happy.
And not looking out for myself.
I’ve gotten a lot better at setting boundaries with family members, clients, business associates, girlfriends etc…
And the difference is very noticeable.
I used to let people walk all over me.
And put their needs first.
Not anymore.
Now I come from a place of knowing what I’m willing to accept (and not accept) with people.
And I’m able to say it.
That was something I could never do before.
I’d just stuff it deep inside me and let it boil until I eventually blew up.
I had no clue how to voice what I wanted.
So that’s been a big change for me.
Knowing your worth, and knowing how to set boundaries is critical for EVERY relationship you have (both personal and business).
So there ya go…
The 7 biggest things I learned in 2019.
Hope a few of these hit home for you.
Here’s to an even better 2020.
Take care,
– Justin
P.S. – for everybody who emailed me, the event page for our February mastermind is still being finalized.
So if you’re eager to get one of the sit-in seats, I should have an announcement for ya tomorrow.
Keep your eyes peeled.
More to come…
If you want to hear more from Justin, he has a private email list for top marketers, copywriters and business owners. To apply to be on the email list simply click the button below that says “apply now”.
