The Success Block
Why Your Expertise Isn’t Paying the Bills (And What to Do About It)
For experts, creators, and entrepreneurs who have something valuable to offer but can’t find anyone willing to pay for it
You Have Something Valuable to Offer
You know you can help people. You’ve got knowledge, skills, maybe even experience helping others get results.
So why can’t you find anyone willing to pay for it? And why does building a profitable business feel like pushing a boulder uphill?
The problem isn’t your expertise. It’s not your market. It’s something much more fixable—but also much more hidden.
The Three Types of Stuck Experts
There are three distinct patterns I see in people who have valuable expertise but struggle to monetize it:
The Idea Fountain
Sees possibilities everywhere but struggles with focus
The Perfectionist
Wants everything so unique and perfect that nothing gets finished
The Serial Entrepreneur
Has multiple projects but none are really connecting
Which one sounds most like you? (Be honest—you probably recognize yourself in at least one.)
Type #1: The Idea Fountain
You see possibility in EVERYTHING
You’re the person who gets excited about new projects constantly. You start ebooks, websites, courses, coaching programs, subscriptions, social media accounts…
- Your phone notes are full of “million dollar ideas”
- You have multiple unfinished projects on your computer
- People call you “creative” and “visionary”
- You get bored with projects once the initial excitement wears off
- You struggle to pick ONE thing and stick with it
Your Challenge: Your focus is scattered in so many directions that success becomes elusive. You’re building 10 things at 10% instead of 1 thing at 100%.
Type #2: The Perfectionist
Everything must be unique and original
You believe your offering has to be completely different from everything else out there. You spend months perfecting the small pieces but never complete the big picture.
- You research what everyone else is doing (to make sure you’re different)
- You get stuck on things like the perfect name, logo, or tagline
- You think “someone’s already doing this” when you see similar offerings
- You rewrite and redesign things over and over
- You launch rarely (or never) because it’s “not ready yet”
Your Challenge: Your need for uniqueness and perfection keeps you stuck in preparation mode. You’re perfecting pieces instead of completing projects.
Type #3: The Serial Entrepreneur
You’re a combination of Type 1 and 2
You have your fingers in multiple pies. You spend your time triaging various products and offers, but none of them are really connecting with customers.
- You have multiple revenue streams (but none are reliable)
- You’re constantly switching between projects
- You feel like you’re always “almost there” with something
- You make a little money from various things but not enough from any one thing
- You’re tired of managing so many moving pieces
Your Challenge: You’re spreading yourself too thin across too many “almost-successes.” You’re managing instead of building.
What All Three Types Share
Despite different approaches, all three types struggle with the same core issues:
- You have something valuable to offer that would genuinely help people
- You can’t find anyone willing to pay for it (or not enough people paying enough)
- You want to change your life by earning income doing something you love
- You feel like you’re “almost there” but can’t break through to consistent income
- You’re working hard but not seeing the financial results you want
Sound familiar? You’re not alone—and it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.
Here’s What’s Really Happening
You’re not failing because your expertise isn’t valuable.
You’re struggling because you’re solving the wrong problem.
The market doesn’t care about your process. They care about their problem.
The Problem Behind the Problem
All three types make the same fundamental mistake:
You’re starting with YOUR expertise instead of THEIR problem.
- Idea Fountains create solutions looking for problems
- Perfectionists create perfect solutions for problems no one has
- Serial Entrepreneurs create multiple solutions but none solve urgent problems
The fix: Start with their urgent problem, then build your solution around that. Not the other way around.
Why Smart People Get This Backwards
The Psychology: When you’re good at something, you naturally think about what you can teach. But customers don’t buy what you can teach—they buy solutions to problems that keep them up at night.
Common expert thinking:
- “I’m great at productivity—I’ll create a productivity course”
- “I know marketing—I’ll teach marketing strategies”
- “I’ve built successful businesses—I’ll coach entrepreneurs”
But customers think: “I’m drowning in my to-do list and my boss thinks I’m incompetent”
The Customer-First Framework
Instead of starting with your expertise, start with their urgency:
1. Find the Pain
What problem keeps your ideal customer awake at 3am?
2. Meet Them There
Speak to that specific pain in their words
3. Bridge to Solution
Show how your expertise solves THAT problem
Remember: People don’t buy courses or coaching. They buy solutions to urgent problems.
Expert-First vs. Customer-First
Expert-First (Doesn’t Sell)
“Learn My 7-Step Productivity System for Maximum Efficiency and Work-Life Balance”
Customer-First (Sells)
“Stop Drowning in Your To-Do List: Get Everything Done by 5pm Without Staying Late”
Expert-First
“Advanced Marketing Strategies for Business Growth”
Customer-First
“Get Your First 10 Paying Customers in 30 Days (Without Feeling Salesy)”
Notice: Same expertise, different starting point. One focuses on what you teach, the other on what they get.
How Each Type Breaks Through
Idea Fountains: Pick One Urgent Problem
Stop chasing every possibility. Find the ONE problem that’s urgent enough that people will pay to solve it now. Build that first.
Perfectionists: Start with Market Validation
Before perfecting your solution, make sure the problem is real. Get someone to pay for your “imperfect” solution first.
Serial Entrepreneurs: Focus on Your Best One
Look at all your projects. Which one solves the most urgent problem? Double down on that and pause the rest.
The Pattern That Creates Breakthroughs
Regardless of your type, the pattern for breakthrough is the same:
- Find one specific person with one urgent problem
- Understand their pain in their exact words
- Create the simplest solution that solves that specific problem
- Get someone to pay for it before you perfect it
- Improve based on real feedback from real customers
The key: Start narrow and specific. You can always expand later. But you can’t expand what doesn’t exist.
Which Type Are You?
Be honest—which pattern describes you best?
The Idea Fountain
“I start lots of projects but struggle to focus on one”
The Perfectionist
“I want everything unique and perfect before I launch”
The Serial Entrepreneur
“I have multiple projects but none are really working”
Plot twist: You might be a combination. That’s normal. But identifying your primary pattern helps you know where to focus first.
What Changes When You Start Customer-First
Life After the Shift:
- Your offers make sense to potential customers immediately
- People respond with “YES! That’s exactly what I need!”
- You spend time building, not just brainstorming
- You get customers before you get perfect
- Your expertise finally pays the bills
No more wondering if anyone wants what you’re building. No more perfect solutions for problems no one has.
The Customer-First Formula
Their Problem → Your Solution → Their Payment
Stop starting with what you know. Start with what they need.
Your expertise is the vehicle, not the destination.
Remember: People don’t care about your process until they trust your solution to their problem.
Ready to Make the Shift?
You now understand why your expertise isn’t paying the bills. But knowing and implementing are two different things.
The challenge: It’s hard to see your own expertise from your customer’s perspective. You’re too close to your own knowledge to identify their urgent problems.
If you want help making the customer-first shift and finally turning your expertise into consistent income, I’ve created something specifically for people like you…
“Customer-First Breakthrough” Intensive
3-Day Program: From Expert-Focused to Customer-Obsessed
- Day 1: Problem Archaeology – Uncover the urgent problems your ideal customers are desperate to solve
- Day 2: Solution Bridge – Connect your expertise to their urgent needs in a way that makes them say “YES!”
- Day 3: Market Validation – Test your customer-first offer and get your first paying customer
Bonus: “Customer Language Decoder” + “Pain Point Research Templates” + Live Implementation Session
Perfect for Idea Fountains, Perfectionists, and Serial Entrepreneurs ready to focus their expertise where it actually matters.
Your Expertise Deserves to Pay You
Whether you join the intensive or not, remember this:
- Your expertise is valuable—when applied to urgent problems
- Start with their problem, not your solution
- One focused offer beats ten scattered attempts
- Perfect is the enemy of profitable
- Customers buy solutions, not expertise
Stop building solutions looking for problems.
Start with their urgent problem and build your solution around that. Your bank account will thank you.