I got this message from a lady named Joan last week. At first it took me by surprise... but I couldn't get it out of my mind. There is nothing to buy, no matter how hard you try. I just want to get this off my chest...

Hi Joan,

First of all, thank you for the email. Believe it or not, I've never fielded this question before, but I think a lot of people have had the same idea. This is obviously a good question!

I have many motivations for offering my business-building knowledge to folks like you. (And, "to make money" is on the list, but not near the top...) 

Let's run through a few:

--------------

* "Why don't you just pick up that business?"

The easy answer is: I do. 

I started as employee #11 at the company that went from $0 to $70M. I turned that relationship into a consulting client for whom I still do work.

I started as employee #22 at the company went from $1M to $120M. I turned that relationship into a consulting client as well - and I do a lot of work for them. They fly me around the country, and pay well, and treat me like a king. And I treat them well in return! 

----------------------

* I have an insatiable thirst for business knowledge.

Yes, I've helped many companies make a lot of money. Yes, I've started a lot of businesses myself. Yes, I have a lot of different ways to "make money".

But believe it or not, "money" isn't always the #1 motivator. I love to learn about business: starting it, running it, marketing it, and on-and-on. 

And the best way to learn is by teaching. (Try it sometime and you'll find it is a true statement.)

I'm darn proud of the Startup Victory lesson series, and I'm about to "go all in" with a re-launch of the program in a couple weeks. I'm so proud of the content, I think it was a valuable exercise even if I never made a penny on it... In other words, I've learned more from "teaching" the content than I realized when getting started.

And I enjoy it so much that I would probably do this even if I didn't make a dime at it...

----------------------

* I want to make money.

Although making money is not my #1 priority... I still want to make money! To deny it would be untrue and silly. A guy like me, who can put a lot of value in a lot of places, would be silly to exert as much effort as I do with Small Business Victory and not make any dinero with it... 

So, yeah - I hope you'll give me some money for the Startup Victory training today. But in return, I'll give you more real-world knowledge about starting a profitable business than you can get anywhere else (that I know of) - for any price. 

------------------------

* I do not deal with tax issues, and I do not give tax or legal advise.

When it comes to tax or legal issues, a CPA or lawyer will give you much better advice, due to a broader knowledge-base, more specialized training, and knowledge of your specific situation. Not to mention - it is quite illegal for me to practice law or give financial advise without certification. 

Here is the best advise I can give for this situation:

* Get a good CPA, and give him/her some money. You will probably save more money than it cost you. Every time I pay my bookkeeper and/or CPA, it makes me happy... 

* Get a nasty bulldog, pit-bull, cage-fighting sort of lawyer - and do your damdest to never give him/her a dime. (But if you MUST pay him - you'll be glad he's in your corner...) I feel like my lawyer would rip somebody's throat out - I'm just glad it's not mine! 

--------------------------

Look, I know it's hard to put trust and faith into somebody you've never met. In any case, it's a good policy to choose your sources of information wisely. If you have somebody you trust - who's info you can put faith in - then "go all in" and pay attention to him/her. 

Otherwise, you are wasting your time - and when it comes down to brass tacks, time is the most important thing you possess.

Do me a favor: go through your inbox and unsubscribe from the people who you can't trust, who you feel like are selling you all the time, who constantly brag about how much money they make, who don't keep their promises.

And that includes me - if you feel that way about me, the unsub button is at the bottom of every email I send.

My pledge to you is this: I'll always shoot straight. If you give me money, I'll provide more value than the dollars you give are worth. If you never give me a dime - and just read my emails, I'll still provide more value and less "sales pitch" than I could/should. 

Thanks for paying attention - and if you're so inclined - thanks for the trust.

Travis