Failure to Launch

Recently, during a coaching conversation with a client of mine, she admitted she had failed to launch her brilliant idea.

She (like many people) was stuck in the steps of what the internet has taught us about launching. From Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula to Kelly Roach’s Live Launch Method, there’s this pressure to launch well and make big money on a new product or program out of the gate.

This is a false belief you need to let go of if you want to stay in the game long-term. If you have a product or service that can really help people, don’t let yourself believe the myth you have to make big money the first time you introduce a fresh new idea.

Dan Sullivan started his first strategic coach group program with 6 clients. They now have thousands of members in groups being led by tons of other coaches all over North America with people flying in quarterly from all over the world.

Give yourself permission to launch quietly.

Give yourself permission to bring a minimum viable offer to the table.

Give yourself permission to learn from the experience so you can iterate and grow over time.

The only people you see marketing launch success stories are those who have been in the game a long time. You’re seeing the tip of their iceberg—the success they have gained by sticking with their long-term vision and launching over and over again for years, if not a decade, for some of them.

Launching doesn’t have to be a million-dollar win the first time—or the 100th time. Stop letting other people’s multi-year journey dictate your first step.

I’m launching a new group coaching program this week. It’s part mastermind, part coaching with a lot of peer-based learning.

And this is how I plan to launch quietly …

I am going to write out my idea and email a bunch of past clients to tell them about it and see who is interested.

Once I know I have a small group of people who are interested, I may email my entire list and tell them about it, too.

I plan to host an info session where I will share the vision for this group program with anyone who is interested in learning more.

I may run a pop-up educational event where I model some of what I plan to teach so people can get a feel for what it would be like in a live environment with me.

And finally, I will likely add a sales page to my website with all the information and a way for folks to apply to see if it’s the right fit for them.

What I won’t do is stress myself out, pressure myself to hit a large unrealistic number the first time, or fail to launch.

I love my idea for this program, and I know it will change people’s lives. It will help them shortcut the path to success in their business. It will enrich them personally through the relationships they build, and they will grow as humans through the thoughtful dialogue we will have as a group.

Don’t let someone else’s version of launch success stop you from trying, and don’t let your ego force you to quit because your first launch isn’t as big as you hoped it might be.

Stay the course. You can do this, and you can do it quietly, too.