The Internet presents a huge opportunity to share ideas and learn from the masters. Unfortunately, it has also given us a TON of snake oil salespeople. You know what I mean; Learn the 7 Secrets That Will Transform Your Business Overnight or Four Marketing Tricks That Will Increase Your Sales Ten Fold. Yes, those headlines are compelling and get clicked pretty often, but not by me.

Let me tell you, right here and now, there are NO simple secrets. There are principles and values; there is hard work and trial and error, but simple secrets – no. As you read this you may say to yourself, “Wait a minute, I heard of this or that idea that changed the world, after all, wasn’t Google or Coke just an idea?” That is correct, but it isn’t just the idea that counts; it is the implementation of that idea and that takes hard work, time and a plan.

The people that can really make an idea work are so rare that everyone takes notice and talks about their amazing accomplishments. The trap for you and me lies in the claims of self-proclaimed gurus looking to make a quick buck. They use these examples to get you believing that it was easy.

There is no secret with individuals that make it happen, only commitment. There is but one law that drives life and business; the law of sowing and reaping. You can only reap what you work so hard to build. Success in business takes a plan, an accountability partner when times get rough and a clear vision of the result you are here to achieve. From there, it is trial and error and lifelong commitment to learning. Yes, read the great books, study with masters when possible, but please avoid the temptation of something for nothing. Life just doesn’t work that way!