Kevin Kelly's blog, The Technium, gets referenced a fair amount on the blogosphere and for good reason, he's quite insightful. Today,Seth Godin directed me to Kevin's latest, True Fans, about how a good solid living can be made with just about 1,000 people who really believe in your work. Now Kevin is writing about how artists make it, but what he says is rather familiar.
Most coaches thrive and prosper with perhaps an even smaller number of fans. I'd call them Ultra True Fans. This is because an Ultra True Fan will pay a coach hundreds of dollars per month to work one-on-one or in a small group. And it's not unusual for Ultra True Fans to return to the same coach again and again and to buy many of the coach's products, as well.
The "big mailing list" myth can be a real waste of time for a coach. Do outstanding work and cultivate great relationships with your all your fans, especially your Ultra True Fans, and worry about becoming a mega star only if it really lights you up.
Copyright, Julia Stewart, 2008