CBC Reba: How long till you can be successful online?

This continues my Cross Blog Conversation with Reba Collins of Internet Marekting Boomer.

Reba answered my questions here.

And she asks me in return ‘How long does it take to become successful online‘ and ‘What’s it going to take to get there?’

Reba, first I want to thank you for sharing Dr. Mani’s report.  It was excellent of course.

How long does it take to be successful online?

Good question.

I could say six years since it’s been six years for me and I feel pretty successful.  But my definition of successful has changed this year.  I make more money that I ever have in the past – but my dreams have gotten bigger and my expectations for my retirement have grown.

But more than that – time is so subjective.  I don’t think you can give a number of years as say ‘that’s how long it takes’ because every person’s experience is going to be unique.

When I first came on line in 2002 I met a lot of other moms in my shoes.  Completely lost and hungry for income opportunities.  We joined the same forums and email groups and all started our ventures, hoping for the best.

Some of those moms are still in pretty much the same place.  They’ve tried this and that and made a little cash here and there but never found the one thing that could last and provide them with a steady income.  And some of those moms are doing great – making more money than me by far.

You know ‘they’ say that it takes two years to get established in business – but I would again say that with the internet, time is wonky.   It’s less about length of time and more about one’s ability to leverage the internet and all of it’s possibilities.

What does it take to be successful?

It takes focus.  Choosing a great business, the right market and developing the savviest approach to it.   I’m as successful as I am because I focused in on my market and worked to provide them what they want and need.  And – I’ll grow into my new definition of success by continuing the same.

Reba, my next questions for you is: Do you ever look at someone who calls themselves successful and think ‘eh… they don’t seem all that successful to me’? What creates that disconnect between what someone thinks about themselves and what others see?  Let me rephrase that… what do you see that seems to make their self statements unbelievable?