Category Archives: Career Development

Proven 6 Step Formula You Need for Successfully Monetizing Your Expertise [Hint: Identifying Your Best Skill to Sell for Money]

I have long taught: if you can’t make money without money, you won’t make money with money either. And if you’re going to back somebody, pick an entrepreneur who has proven that he can survive without adequate capital” – Dan Kennedy (Millionaire Entrepreneur/Author of “How to succeed in Business by breaking all the rules”)

The above quote is one that has guided me well since I first read it over a decade ago.

Among other things, it helped me to dig in and LEARN how to leverage my genius/talents to make money when I lacked it. And over time as I gained proficiency in doing it, my confidence grew, such that I explored newer and smarter ways to do it, to earn more, with less effort and in less time.

This is not the first time I’ll be writing on this subject. Some of my past write-ups on this theme are linked further down, in this piece.

In this article however, I offer ADDITIONAL experience based ideas about strategies anyone can use to make money when s/he has no job or capital – by monetizing his/her expertise.

Now, one critical step to increase your chances of succeeding has to do with choosing the right “expertise” to monetize.

It’s one thing to feel you’re good at doing something; it’s quite another thing to demonstrate the level of competence that makes people willing to pay YOU to do it, because they BELIEVE you’re good enough!

I realize not everyone is capable of self-tutoring in this regard, and so you may, not be able to do it for yourself, like I did for myself.

That’s why in this article, I enumerate, with examples a 6 step formula for narrowing down to specific competences you can successfully monetize

To paraphrase Napoleon Hill in his timeless classic – the book titled “Think and Grow Rich” a person who lacks material resources, connections and capital can only hope to make money by selling of “personal services”.

I like to use the Yoruba slang expression “Fejerun” – which translated literally means “that which runs on blood”. In other words, something that ONLY needs you to be alive to DO IT successfully.

What I describe in the rest of this article is consistent with the theme or past articles I’ve written on the subject of making money without money.

Now, if you’re based in my part of the world – Africa, it’s likely you will find that some of the best opportunities for monetizing one’s expertise are to be had online – but most may NOT be available to you…because of your geographical location.

A good example is the linked page below, which announces a monetization opportunity for users of Sound Cloud,

http://blog.symphonicdistribution.com/2017/02/make-money-soundcloud/

You will see from checking the above link, that the territories covered by that opportunity exclude Africa.

But I have learned over the years to defiantly go after my goals, starting where i am, with what I have – and the WEB as a whole offers LOTs of alternative opportunities to the person willing to think creatively and be persistent.

That’s why I sell digital content (audios and videos as well as PDFs/Excel apps) without using PayPal – and instead getting people to send me money via Western Union, Guaranty Trust Money Transfer (GTMT), and bank transfer (for persons in Nigeria).

There are 2 other ways I use to get paid that are VERY unconventional. My determination to get paid made me think them up. I recommend you do same.

So how do you get started “Identifying Your Best Skill to Sell for Money”?

Well, maybe you’re good at telling entertaining stories in form of comedy skits usable on radio/TV, and you think that’s likely to make you some good money with the right packaging and promotion (?)

It would not be a bad idea to simply go out and start with THAT…

However, to make more productive use of your time, effort and resources (including your “blood”), you might want to put a little more thought into making that final choice(s).

Indeed, if I were you, I would start by sitting down in a quiet place and THINKING back to ALL the times anyone has EVER paid me for skills/abilities/knowledge I possess.

1. Write EACH one of them down on a separate line, and put in front how much you got paid, when it happened, who the client was and how the money got into your hands.

2. Keep listing out every single instance that this happened for as far back as you can recall

3. Make comments about what you did that ATTRACTED and WON OVER the client to pay you

4, Check which are the top 5 earners among the skills/abilities/knowledge you got paid for

5, Ask yourself honestly, which ONE of them you most enjoyed doing, and that you would NOT mind doing endlessly even if you were not paid for it. Note the next 2 after that first one.

6. Does the creation of stuff like the comedy skit fall into ANY of the top 3 earners you most love doing? If YES, then I strongly recommend you adopt the use of the web to monetize it like I do.

I could go on, but I’m sure you understand well enough, now, what you need to do – and how.

Otherwise you may wish to signup as a member of my Web Marketing for CEOs club, so I can develop a web Marketing System (WMS) for you, which comes with FREE coaching on how to use the WMS to:

(1) cut down time, effort and money it costs you to promote what you sell

(2) generate sales leads of pre-qualified prospects/potential buyers.

See a mind map based explanation of what I mean by a WMS at www.tayosolagbade.com/uploads/wms-mindmap-writers.pdf

Like I said, there are FREE self-help resources on the web that one can study to make this happen. Google is a good place to start.

I offer FREE articles on my blog as well. Just type “TayoSolagbade.com: web marketing system” – that’s ONE of several strings that should bring up some of my articles.

See the Google search results page at: https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=TayoSolagbade.com%3A+web+marketing+system&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Note that I also talk about monetizing your expertise by creating Digital Cash Flow Generating Assets *DCFGAs”.

That’s what I’ve done for years and I believe you can do the same with your creative content – if you are willing to do the hard work and persist till the sales come in.

Here are links to some:

1.How You Can Create Income Generating Assets Without Having a Job or ANY Money! (True Story)

http://excelheaven.tayosolagbade.com/?p=404

2, The Best Way to Make Money (True Story)

http://tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets/the-best-way-to-make-money-true-story/

The ideas I’ve shared above are what you can put to use without needing my direct involvement.

And that’s why I’ve offered them.

However, you can fill/submit this web form if you need to get my support if you need help.

[RECOMMENDED] Purchase my Farm Business Support Software & Information Products FOR LESS from these Affiliate Partners of my Best Practice Farm Biz Support Centre (FBSC)™

On the page linked below, I provide names and preliminary contact details of Affiliate Partners, from whom you CAN purchase ANY of my underlisted products at LOWER rates than their standard prices/fees.

Affiliate Partners

You will fill and submit a form linked on the page to contact the Affiliate Partner of your choice.

NB: The special discount concessions enjoyed by my partners  makes it possible for YOU to get more pocket friendly prices – from them – than you would get from me.

PPS: To learn how you can become an Affiliate Partner, fill the form linked on the Affiliate Partner page to request details

[RECOMMENDED] Must read article on how our lives will change dramatically in 20 years by CEO of Mercedes

Comment by Tayo K. Solagbade: I prepared this print-ready 2 page PDF version (click here to download it now) of the message previewed below (reportedly given by the CEO of Mercedes), for my kids, who I’ve been coaching along the same lines, based on my observations/experience based intuition. It is my considered opinion, that every parent needs to read it with his/her kids!

how-our-lives-will-change-dramatically-in-20-years

And truly WISE parents will enroll with their kids at Khan Academy (mentioned in the message)– it’s the future of LEARNING here today! See https://www.khanacademy.org/

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Must read article on how our lives will change dramatically in 20 years by CEO of Mercedes

​In a recent interview the MD of Daimler Benz (Mercedes Benz) said their competitors are no longer other car companies but Tesla (obvious), Google, Apple, Amazon

Software will disrupt most traditional industries in the next 5-10 years. Uber is just a software tool, they don’t own any cars, and are now the biggest taxi company in the world

Airbnb is now the biggest hotel company in the world, although they don’t own any properties.

Artificial Intelligence: Computers become exponentially better in understanding the world. This year, a computer beat the best Go player in the world,  10 years earlier than expected.

Click here to download the 2 page PDF I prepared in a ready to print format, for my kids.

Source: https://naukarinews4u.in/2017/05/14/must-read-article-on-how-our-lives-will-change-dramatically-in-20-years-by-ceo-of-mercedes/

[RECOMMENDED] New York Times: A New Kind of Tech Job Emphasizes Skills, Not a College Degree

The New York Times article linked at the bottom of this post reflects new ideas confirming the need for more emphasis on market relevant skills development, to make kids more “employable” when they leave school.

Most developed societies are increasingly accepting that TODAY, real world relevant SKILLS acquisition can help to eliminate youth unemployment – better than the “college-degree-acquisition-only” approach.

Sadly, in Nigeria/Africa, majority with ego investment in traditional education systems remain in denial!

Thankfully, a few thought leading experts – like University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)’s Prof. Olufemi Martins Adesope – have been demonstrating how tertiary education can be made more entrepreneurial/industry relevant, through practical vocational skills training events they periodically organize for their students.

An example is his workshop on Cassava Enterprise Development – watch video trailer below:

[Intro] How to Make Snacks (Doughnuts, Pies and Chin-Chin) From High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF)

Click here to watch it on Prof. Adesope’s website: www.omadesope.com

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Hopefully more parents and educators in Nigeria/Africa will pay attention and begin to provide the badly needed balanced mix of education for kIds!

Get latest updates about Prof. Adesope’s Making Extension Services Work™ projects online at www.omadesope,com

Read the full New York Times Article
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Title: A New Kind of Tech Job Emphasizes Skills, Not a College Degree By STEVE LOHR JUNE 28, 2017 | The New York Times

URL: http://nytimes.com/2017/06/28/technology/tech-jobs-skills-college-degree.html?referer

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[FREE PDF DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR WEEKEND] HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF UNRETRENCHABLE!

[FREE PDF DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR WEEKEND] HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF UNRETRENCHABLE!

I wrote this article in 2002, my startup year and used it as a marketing tool to promote the speaking service on Self-Development and Performance Improvement I offered at the time. 3 years later, I published it online as an article on my (now defunct) spontaneousdevelopment dot com domain. That same year, I included it as one of the 25 entries in my ebook titled Twenty-Five(25) Articles/True Stories On Self-Development And Entrepeneuring To Help You Succeed FASTER selling in my online store at www.lulu.com/spotlight/sdaproducts
 
Considering how hard it is to find a job these days, especially a good one, knowing how to KEEP whatever job one finds is something any person in paid employment will be interested in.This article offers experience based ideas that WORK – which is why it has been widely syndicated on the web.
 
Download it in PDF format using the link provided below.
 

how-to-make-yourself-unretr

We Badly Need An Unconventional More Real World Relevant Education System [Hint: The Key to Eliminating Youth Unemployment]

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Rob Siltanen

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In my best practice parenting articles at (www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets) over the past decade, I’ve advocated a total and radical overhaul of the conventional Education System the children, especially in my part of the world (in Nigeria/Africa) are exposed to.

Understandably, not many parents and educators are happy with the ideas I propose.

But that does not matter.

This is a change that can cause youth unemployment to be drastically reduced – and we all want THAT!

I know their “majority” disagreement does not matter because I’ve been down the road of believing “alone” in an unpolpular but viable idea before – and have been proved right many times!

Indeed, reactions in some quarters, to my contrarian Ideas as a Best Practice Parenting Advocate, remind me of how my now widely accepted idea of selling custom Excel-VB Solutions (see (www.excelheaven.biz) got me roundly mocked, ridiculed and criticised everywhere I offered them less than a decade ago!

And that’s why I rarely bother about those who disagree with me on ideas my experiences already convince me about.

The quote I began with – above – captures my sentiments perfectly in this regard.

Rob Siltanen’s quoted words resonate with me in terms of the success I enjoy today selling “ordinary” Excel files and my writing skills internationally, 100% via the web – despite being told “Who’s going to pay you to do that here? This is NOT America” when I started out over 10 years ago!

I chose to think and act different from what I saw others doing. Irefused to let the crowd force me to change. Today people relate with/buy from me as if what I do and how I do it is normal and common place.

But in reality, even now, I remain more the exception than the norm!

This is why I remain resolute in my conviction about the need to give my kids real world relevant education that empowers them to be financially independent much earlier in life.

I’ve evolved a model that contradicts conventional wisdom about educating young people.

It is based on eye opening and often painful experiences I’ve had in my adult life, AFTER undergolng conventional education in my society and excelling at it – only to discover it was far from adequate to prepare me for success in tje real world of my society!

The modified approach I advocate, puts Income Earning Vocational Skills Based Training at the foundation of every child’s exposure to formal education. My kids are being taken through this system already and the positive and lasting benefits are apparent despite inevitable teething problems.

I predict that a few years from now, parents and their kids WILL be asking me and miy kids for ideas about how to achieve the results we will be putting on record. Mark my words!

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[EXCEL-VB HEAVEN IDEAS PODCAST + Goodbye Message] Start Making Money Developing Your Own Range of Custom Excel-VB Software!

This short post uses brief transcript excerpts from an audio message emailed – this morning – to members of my Excel Visual Basic club signaling the commencement of a NEW YEAR of weekly tutorial broadcasts from NEXT WEEK (Sunday 2nd July 2017)

Hi,

My name is Tayo Solagbade, and this is a special message to members of my Excel Visual Basic Automation Club…

And for those who have not renewed or been able to renew their subscription to be members of the club, this is a kind of Thank You/Farewell
message, to appreciate you for taking the time and effort (and money) to join the club and learn.

[NB: Next week, when I will send out Part 2 of the step-by-step video tutorial on “How I Built My Automated Cash Book/Bank Reconciliation Software” to the remaining members]

In this audio I also take time to give all members a historical background to how I literally single handedly created a lucrative niche market for sales of my custom Excel-VN driven software in NIgeria/Africa from 2004 when I won my first (accidental) client who paid me N100k.

I explain to members why/how even ONE year membership of this club has can be enough for you to begin developing your own range of unique custom Excel-VB software to solve real life problems for business users of your field of specialisation or expertise as accountant, quantity survery, consultant/educator etc.

Listen to the attached audio for the full message.

Happy Holidays!

Tayo

PS: Here’s a special Eid Murbarak celebration Offer…

Pay N7,500.0 (instead of the normal N13k per annum membership fee) on or before MNT today Monday 26th June 2017 to renew your membership for another 12 months.

Text YES to +234-803 302 1263 to claim this offer and request payment details.

[RECOMMENDED] Lagos Opens Website To Register Undergraduates For Internship Scheme

[RECOMMENDED] Lagos Opens Website To Register Undergraduates For Internship Scheme

I continue to shake my head at the irony of the situation in which supposed graduates from Nigerian institutions keep “NEEDING” brushing up and polishing to make them more “employable” AFTER they exit tertiary institutions they spent YEARS preparing in!

My argument remains that MANY of our kids are being made to pass through these institutions learning courses in fields they are VERY unlikely to easily find jobs in, or qualify for by way of employability.

It is my considered opinion that we NEED to get real and guide our kids to acquire real world relevant education based on their identified geniuses/talents.

That way, ALL this wasteful spending of money on pseudo-tertiary-education, that ends up needing the graduates to the “retrained”(!) to be able to ADD value to the real world, would not be necessary!!!

The news report previewed/linked below is heartwarming to the extent that it announces efforts by the Lagos State government to go beyond just giving jobs and training to graduates.

 

I say this especially because of the extra steps being taken  – as highlighted below – to develop a sustainable model that is built into the existing schooling system.

In a forthcoming article, I will publish transcript excerpts I’ve typed out from a video in which the Vocational Skills based education system of a European country with the highest Youth unemployment rate in the world, is compared with the College tuition based education system of a North American nation whose youth unemployment rates keep climbing.

The differences between results being obtained in both economies are stunning in their implications – and offer the rest of us valuable lessons on changes we need to make!

This is happening via what Lagos State Government calls the:

“Ready.Set.Work (RSW) scheme which is an entrepreneurship and employability initiative designed to equip final year students of tertiary institutions in the State with the right skills to add value to the society.”

Lagos is choosing to go a step further to (quote):

“…integrate the RSW into the education curriculum of the State, and also expand the modules as well as the benefiting institutions.”

Lagos Opens Website To Register Undergraduates For Internship Scheme

The Lagos State Government on Thursday announced the opening of its website to register intending applicants for the 2017 edition of Ready.Set.Work (RSW) scheme which is an entrepreneurship and employability initiative designed to equip final year students of tertiary institutions in the State with the right skills to add value to the society.

Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, who disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, said interested applicants would be able to access the website – www.readysetwork.com.ng from June 16, while the training would run from July 1 to September 16, 2017.

Continue reading…

REFUSE TO BE USED – Differentiate Between True Helpers and Carrot Danglers (CDs) [Featuring “Lessons in Discernment: Carrot Danglers” by Marina Michaels]

DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION [15th June 2024]: Click HERE

NB: This article was originally titled Don’t Let People Take Advantage of You: Differentiate Between True Helpers and Carrot Danglers (CDs) [Featuring “Lessons in Discernment: Carrot Danglers” by Marina Michaels

1. WATCH VIDEO:

Click https://youtu.be/n0Ezmmf9-2U to watch the video presentation version of this article.

It features excerpts from a video titled “What does ‘DANGLE A CARROT mean?” which I found on “English Lessons By Cloud” YouTube Channel.

2. DOWNLOAD & READ THE PDF ARTICLE: Click HERE

This article was first published on 14th June 2017, as a blog post via www dot tayosolagbade dot com/sdnuggets (My SD Nuggets Multidisciplinary blog)

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Refuse-to-be-used

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Click https://youtu.be/n0Ezmmf9-2U to watch the video presentation version of this article.
I’ve met many “Carrot Danglers” (or CDs) – as friends, coworkers and especially as clients. They basically want to get something for nothing (or as little as possible) from YOU while pretending like they have something to give.
My advice: Avoid them. But do so tactfully.
The ideas I share in this article are based on personal experiences and observations as a DISCERNING adult in my interpersonal interactions over the YEARS.
[Note: I picked up the term “Carrot Danglers” (and its apt definition) from the article linked below, titled “Lessons in Discernment: Carrot Danglers” by Marina Michaels]

“A carrot dangler is someone who promises something—to help you out, to give you something, to introduce you to someone, or whatever—and never comes through. When you try to collect on the promise, there is always some reason why they can’t give it to you right then, though they tell you they will do it another time. But when “another time” comes along, that isn’t a good time either, and so it goes, until you give up on that carrot, and then they start to dangle another carrot. The underlying dynamic is that they are generally getting something they want from you, and they are making the appearance of offering something in exchange, but they never actually give anything in return.” – by Marina Michaels, http://www.thelighthouseonline.com/articles/carrots.html

carrot

When I suspect someone relating with me is a CD, I do NOT let on that I suspect what s/he is up to.

Instead I go out of my way to act the fool so that s/he feels safe to act out his/her true intentions each time we have to interact.

But that’s as far as I go – acting the fool. Sometimes, getting it right may require that I let him/her have his/her way – but only once, or at the worst, twice. Just so I can be sure that what I suspect is really what it happening.

Once that happens, in future interactions, I make sure to NOT give him/her what I see s/he wants, except s/he delivers what s/he puts forwards first.

For instance, let’s say s/he says s/he wants to buy my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager for a farm business s/he claims s/he plans to start “soon”, BUT URGENTLY wants me to set up a branded Facebook business marketing page for his/her Agro consulting outfit next week.

Usually, alarm bells go off in my head when I get requests couched in offers like this. If I sense it’s driven by a “Carrot Dangling” motive, I simply ignore the other thing s/he asks for (the Facebook page)  and focus on talking about the suspected carrot itself i.e. the Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager.

But I do it with tact – so s/he does not have reason to feel offended.

To illustrate, I could say:

“You know, now that you mention it, I could give you that Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager at 50% discount if you make a down payment of 5% of the discounted fee at the same time as that for THIS Facebook business marketing page you want done URGENTLY”

If s/he balks at THAT too-good-to-be-true counter offer, THAT would often be a  sign that s/he most likely NEVER intended to make that other purchase. Otherwise, a 5% down payment on a 50% discounted fee is a NO BRAINER for anyone. Especially when both parties are already connected via prior transactions. You can vary this to suit your unique circumstances and needs.

When you put the suspected CD on the spot in the above described manner, and s/he does not respond appropriately, chances are often good s/he was only dangling THAT carrot to get you to do the other thing (which is really what s/he needs) in the hope that your desire to have the carrot will make you give that thing s/he needs!

Nothing spells disrespect and manipulation more than THAT!

As a rule, I tactfully avoid people who do this in my personal and work life. They are the kind who can drain you dry.

I’ve been told that some CDs may not know they are doing it.

BUT I do NOT buy that argument or excuse!

Any conscious and emotionally intelligent adult MUST be sensitive to treating others right. That’s why we have BRAINS and EMOTIONS. We can think and we can feel. Our minds are unapologetic in telling us when we do wrong and when we do right. We only decide whether or not to listen – which is why some people act good and others do bad…like those who operate as CPs!

As far as I’m concerned, using and manipulating others for selfish gain is never justifiable! Anyone you love or respect should never have it done to them by YOU.

Anyone who makes the mistake of doing it to me, in a manner that leads me to conclude s/he is a CP, will get the “treatment” described above. Period!

Related Article

“Lessons in Discernment: Carrot Danglers” by Marina Michaels

[RECOMMENDED] Why Our Most Educated Generation is Struggling Financially – by Robert Kiyosaki

By many reports, the millennial generation is the most educated generation in US history—and by some stretch. Take a look at this graph from Pew Research.

Yet, they have a problem. Despite all this higher education, they have the highest levels of unemployment of any work demographic and they make 20 percent less than their parents did at the same stage of life.

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Continue reading…