Identifying and Capitalizing on Your Superpower With Pat Flynn

A Crash-Test Dummy in the Internet Age

Best selling author, internet marketer, and blogger Pat Flynn joins the Bryan Kramer show this week for some Human to Human conversation. Pat Flynn got his start in the online space after being laid off by his architecture firm during the economic downturn of 2008. With only a few months left with a steady income, Pat began brainstorming new ways to generate revenue.

Having started a blog to document his studying process and tips for the LEED exam—an exam that tests knowledge of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating Systems—he decided to make an e-book on the information he had collected and sell it for $19.99. In the first month, he made close to $8,000, cementing his decision to move into the online space. Shortly thereafter, he started the Passive Income blog to document all that he had learned about generating his income.

Pat’s own unique superpower lends itself to the ability to break down complicated processes in ways that are digestible and actionable. Having capitalized on this in order to make himself the success he is today, he is an authoritative voice and a thought leader in the online marketing and blogging space. Pat’s brand new book Will It Fly? was just named a Wall Street Journal Best Seller.

Listen in as Pat Flynn shares his wisdom with The BK Show listeners on transparency, building community, and staying humble.

In This Episode

• What passive income means and how you can use it to your advantage
• The true meaning and value of transparency in the online space
• Why resistance is your most valuable asset
• How to create loyal communities
• Identifying your superpower and applying it
• How to communicate with your audience
• What it means to be a “crash test dummy” and why it can lead to success
• What the “curse of knowledge” is and how it applies to you

Quotes From This Episode

[Tweet “”I look at that resistance as a sign that something great is on the other end.” —@PatFlynn”]

“I call myself the crash test dummy. I put myself on the line first so I can understand what happens. I hit that brick wall and I always report back for everybody’s else’s betterment. I’m very much aware of this thing called the ‘curse of knowledge,’ which is when you know something, it’s almost impossible to know what it’s like not to know that thing anymore. So when you teach others, it’s hard to know what it’s like on the other end. For whatever reason, I’m able to see what it’s like from the other end.” —@PatFlynn

“One of the biggest challenges of building any community anywhere is building that trust. In the online space especially, trust is hard to come by. We’re all online. We can all hide behind our blogs and our podcasts. It’s only when you become vulnerable that you can build trust.” —@PatFlynn

“I share more than just the wins, I share the failures. But I also share more human things, like what I’m interested in. It’s not about B2B or B2C anymore, it’s P2P: person to person. Those human to human relationships.” —@PatFlynn

“I come out with an income report on my blog where I share how much money I make and where it all comes from. Well, it’s not about the numbers; it’s about the lessons that made those numbers happen. It’s about transparency: I want to be open with everybody.” —@PatFlynn

Resources

• Slack
• Pat Flynn Website
• Just in Time Learning Systems
• Sunrise Calendar App
• The One Thing, By Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
• Pat Flynn’s New Wall Street Journal Best-Seller Book, Will It Fly?
• Pencils of Promise