7 Online Legends. 7 Lessons. One Business You Can Run From Anywhere
The advice that shaped my journey to freedom, flexibility, and fulfilment
I didn’t learn business from a course (although I’ve bought many).
Or a coach (although I’ve had a few).
Or some perfectly curated step-by-step system (although I’ve spent hours trying to design one).
I learned by doing.
Usually the hard way.
I made every mistake going, wasted money on the wrong tools, built entire websites no one ever saw (seriously, not even my mum clicked), and spent far too long trying to make things perfect instead of just pressing publish.
But somewhere along the way, through books, webinars, forums, and social media, a few key people dropped into my world, and changed the trajectory of my journey completely.
These seven mentors didn’t just teach me how to build an online business. They helped me build a life. One I could run from a beach in Thailand or a café in Lisbon or a little eco-lodge in Fiji with half-decent Wi-Fi and a pot of peppermint tea.
Here’s what they taught me, and how it can help you too.
1. Start With Community, Not Clicks
Lesson from: Chris Farrell
Chris was my first real mentor in the online world. Back when you had to code landing pages and figure out FTP (don’t ask), Chris ran a program called Chris Mentor Me and a community forum that changed everything for me.
It was warm, welcoming, and full of people genuinely trying to help each other succeed — a bit like Substack feels now, but with more pixelated avatars.
I got my first 500 email subscribers thanks to Chris’s forum. I learned how to build pages, write with empathy, and treat people like humans, not numbers.
He taught me that if you want to grow something meaningful, start with people. Make them feel seen. Serve them well.
Community is the engine — not the by-product — of a freedom business.
2. You Don’t Need to Be Great at Sales — You Need to Believe in What You’re Selling
Lesson from: Jason Fladlien
Jason Fladlien, known as the $100 Million Webinar Man, is one of the best webinar salespeople on the planet. Not because he’s pushy or persuasive (although he is), but because he knows his audience inside out. He’s thought of every objection before you’ve even opened your mouth.
His webinars are masterclasses in sales. Clear, confident, and super fun to watch. But for most of us sales doesn’t come that easy.
So the biggest lesson I ever took from him was a bit of a relief;
“You can’t outsell a crap product.”
That one line shifted everything for me.
I realised I didn’t need to master high-pressure sales tactics. I just needed to create something I genuinely believed in — something that delivered real transformation.
These days, I don’t “sell” in the traditional sense. I focus on delivering value, solving real problems, and making it easy for people to say yes.
If your product’s solid and your heart’s in it, you don’t need to be a sales ninja. You just need to care, and learn how to explain your thing in a way that makes people feel empowered, not pressured.
It’ll change everything.
3. Your Offer Is Only as Good as Its Packaging
Lesson from: Marie Forleo
“It’s not what you sell. It’s how you package it.”
Marie said that and it stuck with me. Because it’s true.
You can have the most life-changing product in the world, but if it looks dodgy, confusing or dull… it won’t sell.
Marie’s B-School wasn’t cheap, but it felt premium before you even bought it. The messaging, the visuals, the vibe — it was cohesive, confident, magnetic.
She helped me understand that perception matters. So if you’re putting your offer out there, ask yourself: does it look like it belongs in the life of the person I want to help? Is it easy to say yes to?
You don’t need fancy branding — but you do need clarity and care.
4. Your Email List Is Your Most Valuable Asset
Lesson from: Amy Porterfield
Amy taught me to take my list seriously.
Not as a vanity metric or a backup plan — but as the core of the business.
Social media is borrowed land. Email is the little patch of digital soil you actually own.
Amy showed me how to nurture an audience without overwhelming them. How to write emails that feel like conversations, not campaigns. And most importantly, how to make people excited to hear from you.
If you’re building an online business, start your list now. Even if it’s just ten people, and one of them is your mum. Your future self will thank you.
5. Consistency Beats Talent Every Time
Lesson from: Justin Welsh
Justin isn’t flashy. He doesn’t dance on TikTok or chase the latest trends. But he shows up. Every single day.
That’s what makes him brilliant.
He taught me that trust isn’t built with big gestures. It’s built through steady, consistent action. Posting when it’s quiet. Publishing when no one’s clapping. Saying something useful, again and again, until people start to pay attention.
Justin reminds us that our audience isn’t built in a week. It’s built by pressing publish even when it’s boring, awkward, or slow.
Especially then.
If you’re starting out, pick your platform, commit to a rhythm, and just… keep going. Boring consistency is a superpower.
6. Design Your Life First. Then Build the Business to Match.
Lesson from: Tim Ferriss
The 4-Hour Workweek wasn’t just a book for me — it was a life changing doorway.
Tim Ferriss cracked open my assumptions about work, time, productivity, and what success even means. His ideas felt radical at the time. Now? They’re my blueprint.
He showed me that you don’t have to earn freedom. You can design it, right now. In small steps. With smart systems and bold choices.
I read his book, packed a suitcase, and got on a plane with my husband and four-year-old daughter. That decision changed the trajectory of my life.
Was it terrifying? Absolutely.
But it taught me that you don’t wait for freedom to arrive. You create it.
7. You Don’t Need One Purpose. You Need Permission to Explore.
Lesson from: James Altucher
Author, podcaster, and serial entrepreneur, James — in his book Choose Yourself — suggested we “live our lives in themes,” rather than looking for one singular fixed purpose.
That advice unlocked something huge for me.
I’d spent years trying to pin down my thing. What was my calling? My niche? My forever business?
But that question kept me stuck.
When I embraced the fact that I’d never really had just one singular passion, and that we change and evolve as the decades pass, it gave me the freedom to experiment — and, ironically, led me to the one thing I am passionate about: helping people build freedom-driven lives after 50.
James taught me that your life doesn’t have to fit in a box. It can be fluid, curious, and rich in variety. You don’t need one label. Just a direction that excites you.
Final Thought: If I Were Starting Over Today…
If I lost everything and had to start again from scratch, here’s what I’d do (or rather, what I am doing):
Build a community that connects, supports, and grows with me (Chris)
Create products I believe in — ones that almost sell themselves (Jason)
Package my offers so they feel clear, exciting, and easy to say yes to (Marie)
Own my audience and treat my email list like gold (Amy)
Show up consistently, even when no one’s watching (Justin)
Design life around what matters most — then build the business to support it (Tim)
Embrace evolving passions and follow the themes that light me up (James)
If you’re building a solopreneur business that funds your travels or fuels your next chapter, borrow these lessons. Use them. Make them yours.
You don’t need to get everything right or perfect. You just need to start.
Then stick with it long enough to see what’s possible.
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Several mentors of mine made your list Jo. Happy to meet you here. I'm an Aussie and also write for the over 50 crew.
Reading your post was like seeing my own reading list. Nice work