MBA2718 Why I Hate Online Business Gurus

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0:46Seriously, all of it. And we trust you to make smart decisions. After all, you listen to this show. See terms at discover.com slash credit card. I hate online business gurus. the bravado, the shouting, the extreme takes, the black and white answers to every single question that actually requires nuance. So today I'm going to share with you why I believe the guru world is broken and what actually helps you build a real business. Listen, I am a student of personal development. I am a student of good knowledge, of good information, but the world right now is very noisy and you got to know what to listen to.

1:26There's a lot of really bad advice out there. So I'm going to try my best with minimal shouting to share with you what advice you should listen to instead.

1:42Welcome back to the$100 MBA show. I'm your host Omar Zenhom where I deliver practical business lessons three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to help you start, grow, and scale your business. I got a quick favor to ask. If this show has helped you in any way, leave me a quick review. You could do so wherever you listen to podcasts. This helps me and my team reach even more people who need the same no-fluff practical business advice that you're getting from the show. It only takes a few seconds, but it makes a huge difference. Thanks for being a part of our journey to help others on their journey.

2:19First of all, the reason why gurus yell is because yelling gets clicks. Extreme takes really win online because it's what gets people's attention and attention sells ad dollars and that's how the algorithm works on social media. There's a great book that I read a long time ago called Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. And Neil Postman says that media is built to get attention and to create outrage. So the reason why people are having polarizing views and sharing these views, and even if they believe it or not, is because it gets people worked up. So it really doesn't have much to do with the truth.

2:58In fact, the vast majority of what you see on social media is not really valuable information. It gets attention and that's why advertisers love it. But if you want to actually learn something deeply, you're going to need more than a 30 second clip or a minute clip. You need to go deep in a book, for example, right? Or in a training or a course or in life or going through an experience which will teach you a lesson that works for you and your circumstance. Let's address the elephant in the room. You might be thinking, well, Omar, aren't you an online business guru? Well, fair enough, but the difference I believe is that I actually don't believe I know it all.

3:39I believe that I'm a teacher, and I like to share what I've learned along the way in my 20 years of business experience. I share with you what has worked for me in hopes that some of those stories, some of those lessons, some of those insights will help along your journey. I can't guarantee everything I teach you, if you implement it, it will work out. I try to teach the fundamentals based on what I've learned in my journey. And when I say I'm a teacher, I'm actually a teacher. I have a certification in education, right? I taught in the classroom for 10 years. That was my first career. Literally five days a week, five classes a day, I taught students.

4:14I wrote curriculum. I wrote lesson plans every day. I had to ensure comprehension was taking place. I am not shouting on YouTube with no training or any kind of teaching experience. I'm not trying to beat on my chest here, but I'm somebody online that actually knows how to teach, was trained to become a teacher. So one of my skills is being able to break down complex ideas into digestible chunks so that people can comprehend them, but also implement them. But it's actually not about what I do that's different. It's what I don't do. I don't frame everything as a must. I don't tell you that everything is life or death because it isn't.

4:52And I definitely don't say that everything you're doing is wrong. And business is not an extreme sport, okay? This is not MMA, all right? If I had to compare it to any sport, it would be long distance running. It's a marathon and you hear this all the time, but it's true. You got to be able to outlast your doubts as well as the competition. Your money, your timeline, your energy, your responsibilities in life. Those things matter, okay? You have to consider those things alongside what you're building in your business to figure out what's best for you and your journey. So anyone giving you absolute advice without knowing who you are is not really teaching.

5:31They're performing. And that's what a lot of social media is. It's a performance. People are putting on a persona. I know this for a fact because many of the people that you see on social media that are famous, that you know, I have met them personally and I know them and I had dinner with them and they're not like that in person. They are putting on an act so that they can appear to you as one thing so that they're convincing you that they know what's best for you. But anybody that had any success in business, in their career, will tell you firsthand that they know what would work for them. They know the steps that they took that actually helped their journey.

6:10But everybody's different and their circumstance is different and their strengths are different and their weaknesses are different and their baggage is different. And all the things that make you who you are is going to dictate what's best for you. So what's the point of even learning in the first place, reading any books, listening to any podcasts, watching any videos on YouTube? Well, there is a point. There is information out there. There is knowledge that you can grab that can help you no matter what your situation is. And I'm gonna get to that type of content in a moment. Adventure Global.

6:44We think about what can be done, not what's usually done. Through innovation, Venture Global is not only building some of the largest energy facilities in the world right here in the United States, but delivering American energy at a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time. So while others are busy talking, we're busy building. That's Venture Global. That's unstoppable energy. It's smart to always have a few financial goals. And a really smart one you can set? earning cash back on what you buy every day. And with Discover, you can. Get this, Discover automatically matches all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.

7:28Seriously, all of it. And we trust you to make smart decisions. After all, you listen to this show. See terms at discover.com slash credit card. First, one of the things I have to say is that a lot of the people that are shouting from the rooftops on social media, they're giving advice to people and they're forgetting what it feels like to be broke. They say they were broke once, but they don't actually remember and actually feel the feelings and think deeply about what they're saying to them, knowing that's the situation that they're in. They either don't know or they choose to forget what it's like not to be able to pay rent, what it's like to be exhausted at the end of a long day in your job, right?

8:14And you're going home, maybe it's taking you an hour to get home, you are spent, you are toast, and you have no energy, you have no motivation, and you don't have any time, really. You've got to make dinner, maybe have an hour to yourself, and you go to bed and repeat the cycle. They don't know or they don't remember what it's like to have kids screaming in the background. They don't know or they don't remember what it's like to actually feel the physical pressure of bills piling up, knowing you have a limited time to pay them, that you got to get something going, you got to figure this out, you need to cut something here or there so you can pay your bills.

8:51They forget what it's like to be in that dark place. And I try my best before I record every podcast to remember what it's like, because I know there's somebody that's listening that's in that situation. And I do not want them to feel like I don't relate to them. But also, I don't want to forget that when I'm giving my advice, that it has to be applicable in that situation. Many of these gurus are telling you, you got to produce 500 pieces of content on social media every single week, or you're falling behind. That is super ridiculous because knowing what I know, because I've met these people in person, they have teams of 30, 40, 50 people in their media team building out this content and pumping out these 500 pieces a week.

9:35Some of them are pumping out 100, 150 pieces a day. When you're starting out, you're only one person. So that's not feasible. You have to have another way to get to the next level. But the truth is, is that these people know what they're doing. They're selling the dream of success without any responsibility, right? They're not really understanding that this is a step-by-step process. Because me telling you that in order for you to have a million dollars in the bank, it's going to take maybe 10 years. It's going to take you some time. And each step of the way is going to be a little bit tough, but it's going to get easier.

10:12And here's step one, here's step two. All of that is not engaging content for social media, right? That is not something that gets clicks because it's reasonable. It's logical. It's not really sexy. It's actually quite boring. And the reason why I'm doing this episode is because I'm sick of this culture because this culture is dangerous. This culture that convinces people that they're one hack away from being success. They're one viral clip away from being a social influencer with millions of dollars. They're one morning routine away from changing their life. That's not a reality. The reality is that business is just like any other career.

10:48So say, for example, you want to be a successful doctor. What do you have to do to be a successful doctor? Well, you got to go to university for four years. Then you got to go to medical school for a few years. And after that, you got to do your residency for two years. Then you got to practice as a doctor and get some experience. So it takes about 10, 12, 15 years to be a practicing successful doctor that makes pretty good money. The same goes with entrepreneurship. You're going to have to put in the time and the experience and you got to allow yourself to learn and build the skills. That's just the reality.

11:19And that is just not what people talk about because they want you to believe it's easier than that. If you just keep on listening to them, you might just get lucky and just strike gold by just, you know, putting out a viral post and everything is going to be dandy. No, that's a lie. Do not believe that. Here's what people need. Okay. And I know this because I'm not only a teacher, but also I'm a learner. I love to learn when I'm growing is when I'm most happy when I'm becoming something new every day. That's what I'm feeling fulfilled. So this is what you need. You don't need hype. You need clarity.

11:53You need clear steps. You need something that you can actually do every single day, like tonight, when the kids are asleep, for example, and the house is quiet, so that you can move one step forward. You can just get 1 % better every day, half a percent every day. That's going to make a difference over the long term. And you will get there if you're patient enough, if you want it enough, and if you have the desire and the love for business. The reason why these gurus sound confident is because they know that certainty sells. Certainty gets clicks. When you're confident, you all have this bravado and you're just like telling the person this is how it is and this is black and white and this is the reality and you got to believe it.

12:36And if you don't, you're a loser. That is what gets clicks. But in the real world, in real business, real information, real knowledge, uncertainty is normal. Not knowing what to do and figuring it out is a part of the journey. Right. And if they tell you otherwise, they are lying. Anyone telling you they have the secret or the blueprint, the one strategy that's going to change everything, the one winning model, they're selling you a fantasy because there isn't one. And this is why if you look at the stories of successful entrepreneurs, you read any biography of any successful entrepreneur, you read an article about them or even watch a video about them or a podcast episode like we did about Richard Branson and Virgin, for example, you'll learn that everybody's journey is different and their blueprint is different and their strategy is different and what works for them may not work for you.

13:26So what do you listen to? What do you actually consume to improve your chances of success? The first thing I believe you should do is that you should consume the fundamentals. The fundamentals will never change in business. And to be honest with you, there's no such thing as business. Business is a set of skills. Mostly it's psychology, mostly it's philosophy, it's finance, it's sales, it's marketing. And marketing is really just like a buzzword. Really marketing is influence. It's being able to convince somebody of an idea. It's negotiation. Really, that's what it is. So these sciences and soft sciences are what make up a good entrepreneur.

14:10This information is what makes you better at what you do as a business owner. This is why One of my favorite authors of all time is Robert Greene. All his books are actually great business books, even though they're not explicitly business. 48 Laws of Power, Lessons in Here for Every Entrepreneur, Mastery. One of my favorite books talking about how do you become a master at something? The Laws of Human Nature. Guess who you're selling to? Other humans. You need to know what makes them tick and what makes them buy. This is the best sales and marketing book you can buy because it's not about selling products.

14:44it's about understanding who you're selling to and once you know that you can sell anything to anybody well not everything you it's got to be valuable and it's got to be something that people want but you get the point you understand who you're serving and this is what I try to do with my podcast and our program the 100 MBA is I try to teach the fundamentals I try to create things that are timeless that no matter if you're listening today in 2025 or in 2030 or 2050 for that matter. Hopefully it's still applicable. Another piece of advice I would give you is to ask better questions of yourself.

15:16Meaning when you're asking yourself questions, reframe the question so it's a better question. Let me give you an example. So let's say your question to yourself is, should I start a coaching business? I recommend you don't ask binary questions like yes or no. These questions are not really helpful. Should I start a coaching business requires a yes no answer. And that's why it's not a good question. A better question is, given my time, my skills, my resources, and life commitments, what business can I realistically build in the next 12 months? What business is open-ended? It makes you think bigger.

15:53It makes you understand, okay, given my time, my skills, my resources, what's going on in my life right now, how can I use these things to build a business? What type of business can I build? And you start listing, you start brainstorming. That's a better question to ask yourself. What or what type is a good keyword or keywords to put into your questions? Who is also a good question or good keyword to put into your questions. So for example, like who can help me build this business? Who has the insights that can help me understand what to do or what to look out for? The third thing I would recommend is when you're consuming content, try to ignore extremes.

16:30Look for mechanics, look for the instructions, just like you would put together a piece of furniture from Ikea. What are the steps? What's the timeline? What's the cost? Financial, mental? What's the time cost? What's the opportunity cost? What are the things I could do instead? What are the conditions where this works? A lot of businesses fail because they build a great product but in the wrong conditions, to the wrong market at the wrong time. So these are good questions to find the answer to. This is the kind of content you should be looking for. What are the steps for me to get to this destination?

17:07What's the timeline? What's the cost for me in my life? And what are the conditions where this actually is successful? Next, listen to teachers, not performers. It doesn't have to be me as a teacher. It could be any kind of teacher. But recognize that teachers are those who walk you through the steps, the how. And a guru just tells you, this is what you should do. And doesn't really show you how to do it. And I know that you have watched videos and reels that are incredibly frustrating, where they tell you what to do, but you're like, but how do I do that? How? And lastly, focus on your life, not their lifestyle.

17:41Your business has to fit you and your circumstances and the life you built and not impress the internet or impress the person that's giving you this advice. Okay. It's your life. You need to build it. So it fits your needs, your wants, and what makes you happy. At the end of the day, you're the one who's going to have to suffer the consequences of the choices you make. So make choices that make you happy and make you feel like, hey, I made the choices that actually matter to me, that fit with my values and the things that are important in my life. So if you're thinking about being a content creator, you don't need to be louder.

18:16You don't need to be more extreme. You don't need to become a mini guru to be successful. You do need, though, to be honest. You need to have a plan, a timeline, and the willingness to go through the real work to figure out what's best for you, your own style, your own voice, and how best to serve your audience. The work is what no one posts about. And this is what I'm trying to share with you. The work that you have to do to become successful is often behind closed doors. And I'm going to try to share more and more of that in the future, not only here in 2025, but in 2026 and beyond. I want to share a little bit more about what it actually takes to be successful in the day-to-day.

19:00If that sounds interesting to you and you want to see or hear that, then let me know in a comment or in a review on Spotify or Apple or on YouTube. And if this episode hit home and you feel like it would help another person you know, share it with them. Share it via Messenger, via email, WhatsApp, whatever it might be, or maybe just share it with them in person when you see them next. Before I go, I want to leave you with this. The internet is full of people pretending that business is a magic trick. But you and I, we build things. We think, we adapt, we grow. We don't need to shout to be effective.

19:37We don't need to be polarizing to be honest. And in my experience, if you want a business that lasts, ignore the noise and stay committed to the work, to who you have to become to be successful. If you found today's episode helpful and you want more practical business lessons to help you start, grow and scale your business, the best thing you could do is subscribe to this podcast. Hit subscribe or follow on your favorite podcast app, the one that you're using right now, whether it's Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. By hitting subscribe, you get our next episode automatically, and it's the best way to support the show.

20:16It's absolutely free, and it's a way for you to commit to growing your business. And now that you've subscribed, I'll check you in the next episode.

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