Joe Staiber Shares The Top 10 Lessons He’s Learned Scaling Staiber Consulting

Over the last few years, there has been a wave of young entrepreneurs flooding the online community. Although inspiring, the issue with this younger generation is that everyone needs instant gratification, which unfortunately results in a high percentage of these so-called “wantrepreneurs” putting up a front & pretending to be much more successful than they are. 

 The problem with this is so many people are following these individuals, looking up to them and then eventually following in their footsteps. This cannot happen, because this will fade out and the time will come where everyone except for those with real skills and value will fail. I still have so much to learn, I’m only 21 years old, but over the last 3 years I have built 2 successful e-commerce businesses and scaled my marketing agency Staiber Consulting, I’ve learned many lessons along the way.

Here are the top 10 lessons I have learned about everything from being happy to being successful as an entrepreneur, as well as how to avoid the 99% of people who you shouldn’t listen too.

1. Value First, Money Second

“If you chase the cat, the cat will run away. If you have what the cat wants, it will come to you.” This applies to business too; if you want to be successful online, and you want to network with high-level people, you must first bring value to that person or business. You will never make money if that’s your only goal, your goal should be 100% set on providing as much value to the end consumer, then and only then will you gain their trust, and then their money. Value can come in many ways, connections, advice, skills, and services, etc. But, without value, any powerful connection you make, or business you generate won’t be around for long. 

2. One DM Can Change Your Life

Some of my closest friends and most successful business relationships began with one simple message. Social media is one of the few tools ever to exist that directly connects people from all walks of life. You aren’t in a bubble in the middle of nowhere USA, you are one message away from anyone, anywhere. The good news for you is the people in the entrepreneurship community never know what opportunity could arise, so getting someone to open your message is not a rare occurrence. Reach out to the people you look up to, people you see doing big things, you never know what job opportunity or relationship could come out of it. 

3. If Somebodies Free Content Doesn’t Make You Money, Paying Them Won’t Either

Everywhere you look in the online community; someone is trying to sell you something educational. As someone who has over 6 figures in educational courses, there is one thing I’ve learned; fancy cars, nice clothes, and their Instagram profile mean absolutely nothing. Some of the most “perceived” successful people you come in contact with have the least valuable courses full of useless motivational speeches and free youtube knowledge obtainable anywhere. 

As someone who has generated over 7 figures in student results, I’m not here to say courses are invaluable or not worth the investment I would argue the exact opposite, the value you receive in some courses are more valuable than all you will learn at college. However, my advice to you is to do your research; with all the people pushing courses and programs, don’t judge a book by its cover and buy a program because someone looks successful. Buy someone’s course IF & ONLY if you have implemented their strategies or techniques and seen results off their free content available to the public. If their free content does not produce results, I guarantee you won’t see results if you pay them either.

4. Freelancing A Skill Is The Best Way To Start Making Money For Yourself in 2020

I have built multiple 6 figure Shopify stores, and I’ve sold courses & mentorship programs & generated over 7 figures in student sales. I even dumped it all off & started over with a marketing agency that I’ve successfully scaled over the last year. Looking back, knowing what I know now, I would have found businesses to pay me a monthly retainer for a skill such as social media management or running marketing campaigns on social media, etc. Not only is it extremely tangible to obtain 2-5 clients that pay you $1-2k monthly for your services, but you can also then take this money and reinvest it into finding more clients, learning more skills from highly credible mentors, etc. If I haven’t sold you yet, it costs nothing to start up, compared to eCommerce, stocks, crypto, and everything else for that matter.

5. Everything Is A Numbers Game 

Whether you’re looking for job opportunities, speaking engagements, clients, or anything for that matter, it’s essential to understand that you are not alone and that there are dozens, hundreds, or sometimes even thousands of other people/businesses looking to get the same outcome. But at the end of the day, those who have the most drive to succeed will. Cast out a big enough net, and you are bound to catch some fish, understanding this psychology is important, get to more people, faster, and you will win. So long as what your offering does its job.

6. Ask Questions

Everybody is a know it all. Nobody wants to admit they don’t know something or that they could learn more than they already know. Get over your ego; even the smartest person in the room can always learn something. Not only will you be glad you asked, but you will also gain respect for it. It shows you care, that you value them & their knowledge & now you will know what you previously did not. If you aren’t growing, you’re dying.  

7. Money Doesn’t Equal Happiness, Good Habits Do.

One lesson stands out more than any other. I thought more money would make me happier, make my life easier, but what I’ve come to learn is money equals responsibility and responsibility equals stress and problems. All of that leads to is more unhappiness. 

For awhile I wasn’t happy because I wasn’t taking care of my mental health or my physical health. Until I read the book “The Greatest Salesman To Ever Live” which goes over the habits one must possess to achieve becoming the greatest salesman, this book forever changed and simplified my life. I created new habits, which led to a daily routine that brought simplicity and comfort to my everyday life, resulting in something money can’t buy happiness, and this directly correlates to business performance as well.

8. Your Environment Dictates Your Mindset & Your Future.

I grew up misunderstood my entire life, always trying to fit in and be accepted by my peers. I had friends, but if I didn’t make the plans there were no plans, and the worst part was that I became somebody I wasn’t because my will to fit in was more significant than the will to be myself. I went down the wrong path, got into trouble, and always regretted it yet never corrected my ways because if I did, I lost my friends too. 

College was more of the same, until one day I looked around and realized that if something didn’t change, I’d soon look back and realize I haven’t progressed and instead wasted 6 years of my life. So, I cut everyone and anyone off who didn’t help me progress in life and dropped out to pursue my eCommerce business. I started attending events, and within eight months, I was the CEO of a 6 figure business. The lesson here is to get yourself out of your toxic environment, step outside your comfort zone, bet on yourself and see what happens.

9. Those Who Have The Most To Say, Know the Least.

It’s sad but true, all those people who always give their opinion, even when it’s not asked for; the ones who always have something to say, are just looking for attention and gratification, which we will talk about in just a second. With every breath they are looking to get noticed, they prey on the beginners and will do whatever they can to appear successful to the ones around them. Steer clear of people like this, real winners win in silence and don’t feel the need to tell the world about their wins, because they are successful and don’t seek approval or gratification from others; at the end of the day their business is booming, and their wallets are fat. Look for those sharing their losses and guiding others to avoid making the same mistakes they once did.

10.  Craving Gratification Will Be Your Downfall

Too many people on social media do things for the reactions of others; getting likes, followers, comments, and even striving for compliments from your peers is one of the most negative tendencies you can have. Craving gratification not only impacts you by creating a version of yourself that is real, but it also makes you susceptible to negative comments. If you care about getting approval from others and getting a pat on the back, well, then you’re going to be impacted by the negative feedback as well.

To be successful in this business means focusing on results, and learning from what does and doesn’t work. If you are continually looking for others approval or fearing negative feedback, it will cause your intuition to lead you down a path of inevitable failure, why? Because you’re catering yourself and your actions to please the 99%, when in reality you must do what the 99% wouldn’t ever even consider doing, trust your gut and don’t allow gratification or negative feedback have any control over what you say or do, that is how you win.