No, I’m Not a “Guru”

When people first get started with the whole make money online thing, they hit the internet to do as much research as possible. They search countless blogs trying to figure out the basics.

• How do you start a blog?
• How do you install WordPress?
• What’s the best way to monetize a blog?

These are all questions that most of us have Googled at some point in time. Somewhere along the line while you’re researching, you’ll come across a site created by someone that supposedly knows everything there is to know about making money online. They make $1,000+ on a bad day, and they’ve also helped others create their own passive income business.

And guess what, for the low price of $599, they’ll show you how you can get rich online too!

These nice, selfless, knowledgeable individuals are the “Gurus”. I’m not one of them.

My Problem With “Gurus”

My main gripe with these so called internet marketing gurus is that they typically make a majority (if not all) of their money from teaching other people how to make money online. They have not made any real money online outside of the Make Money Online niche. So typically, there advice will be to make money by showing other people how to make money online, and the chain reaction builds *cough*Empower Network*cough*.

They tend to seek out the most desperate people who will spend money on just about anything by promising them that they’ll be able to make $100/day if they order their coaching or product. So their customers end up spending their money to get information that’s readily available for free online. And the real kickers is that they typically don’t really teach them anything.

The Alternative

Instead of paying out the ass for coaching from a “Guru”, seek out a mentor that will help you for free. There are plenty of successful people that are willing to lend a helping hand to people that have drive, show initiative, and are willing to work hard. And they won’t charge you anything for it.

Heck, you can find tons of experienced internet marketers who have their own blogs and answer questions right in their comments section or on Twitter. There is so much free information available online, that most of your answers are right in front of you. And of course, you can also just experiment and try things out on your own (that’s how I’ve been learning). Learning from your own mistakes is great, and I highly recommend just getting out and taking action whenever possible.

Of course, you can also buy books to learn in a more organized fashion. I buy eBooks all the time and have actually learned a great deal from them. Just read reviews on a book and make sure that you’re getting a quality product that’s relevant to what you want to learn before you send your money off.

A lot of times, the information that a Guru gives you in their $400 coaching program can be found in their $10 eBook. So you can save some money and just buy the book, which will give you a resource you can go back to whenever you need it. Most Gurus don’t offer a lifetime package.

All Gurus Don’t Suck

There are definitely some very knowledgeable people out there that could be considered gurus. If you feel that you want to spend your money to pay them to coach you, then that’s your choice.

My advice to anyone seeking to learn from a guru is to make sure you do your research before giving them a single penny. Ask them what industries they have had success in, look for online reviews and references, and look at some of their past work. If you’re going to be paying this person a ton of money, you’d better be sure you know who you’re dealing with.

Why I’m Not A Guru

For one, I don’t sell any coaching or classes. Aside from my occasional cheap eBook (I’ve only had 2 here thus far), I don’t charge for anything on The College CEO. I don’t have private forums or anything like that. I tell you everything I know for free, and hope you all find some use from it.

Also, there are plenty of people out there who know a lot more than I do about different aspects of making money online. I’m still fairly young and I learn new things every day. I’m by no means better than anyone who reads this site or buys my eBooks. I’ve helped several people who have emailed me with questions, and I try my best to help my readers when I can. And I do it for free.

So no, I’m no guru and I never want to be considered one. I’ll leave all of that to others. I’m just a dude that makes money online and wants to help others do the same.

Side Note

I receive several emails from people who read my World Wide Brands review and want me to help find wholesalers. At the end of the thread, I state that I will help you find a source. While I’m more than happy to help people, I think some readers may have gotten the wrong impression.

I will not do keyword research and let you know what products you should be selling. I also will not produce a list of 100 wholesalers for you. I wish I could do this for you, but I simply do not have the time.

What I will do is help you find sellers within a SPECIFIC niche, and give you a few names if I find them. I like to help people, but only those who help themselves.