The 4 Toxic Stages of the Free Challenge Hustle
Written by: Leslie Klatt, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Online business coaches and gurus often talk about the required sacrifice of your life and sanity while building a 6 and 7 figure business, like it is the only option if you truly want to reach your income goals.
It is the start of a very toxic cycle.
Today, we’re going to uncover exactly why I believe the hustle, and the free challenge model of marketing your online business in particular, is toxic. I will break it down for you so that you can be aware of the actions that you are taking that are doing you a disservice and give you the steps to break free from it.
There are 4 clear stages in the hustle of free challenge launches that become deeper every time they are repeated.
The excitement of the build-up
The exhaustion of the execution
The evaluation and excuses
Rinse and Repeat
If you have been stuck in this cycle and have yet to see the return on investment and consistent income in your business, take solace in knowing that you are not alone.
Entrepreneurs around the world have been wearing a badge of honor, beeling like they are true hustle heroes when they are stuck in this cycle of toxicity.
Read on to learn more about each phase of the cycle and other ways of thinking about your business growth.
A closer look at the 4 stage cycle
If the hustle cycle, or free challenge marketing model, was reflected in a personal relationship, it would be considered abusive, and this is why you haven’t achieved the results you desire while pouring yourself into something that should be liberating, fulfilling, consistent and supportive for you in your lifestyle and business goals.
This should help you understand why these trending cycles of attempts at marketing a profitable business, more often than not, fail horribly and leave you feeling unworthy, unable, and completely lost.
1. The Excitement of the Build up
You have turned marketing into a popularity contest.
Every “like” feels like a vote to you, but when you don’t get the desired engagement on a post-it will trigger a feeling of anxiousness, questioning what you did wrong, trying to see what you can do to get that “love” back from the followers who engaged with your last post.
You keep going, posting, inviting, messaging, and desperately reaching out to people to sign up for your challenge.
As they do, you’re on a high! You start calculating how much revenue you’re going to get from this launch! Should you use an 8% or 10% conversion rate because all these people signed up look exactly like your ideal client! This is gonna be THE ONE! You can feel it in your bones!
2. The Exhaustion of Execution
This is it! You have your challenge set up, the weeks of never-ending prep and outreach have come to this point, and you are going to deliver gold!
You’re checking your scheduled posts, you’re going live, you’re available to answer questions and be the answer to your ideal client's prayers.
Are they showing up?
Should you be giving more?
Should you change the qualifying questions to apply to work with you? Should you have bigger prizes next time?
Are your ideal clients ghosting you halfway through the challenge? Did they take your free call offer and disappear?
Are you back to the drawing board before those five days are even over?
Then what happens with the new clients that you recruited? Did you reach your goal?
I have seen so many entrepreneurs follow this free challenge model that they end up so tired from the delivery of the challenge that they are exhausted and unable to follow through on the promises for their new, eager clients.
They don’t have the energy to show up 100% for their coaching calls. They miss emails, forget to deliver bonuses, and their clients end up not getting the results from the program, ask for refunds, are disgruntled, and the business, their brand does not move forward and uplevel.
3. The Evaluation and Excuses
After the challenge, when you’re exhausted and your clients aren’t getting the results, your motivation to deliver starts to dwindle, and you start thinking about your next, bigger, and brighter challenge that will get you more dedicated clients and income so that you can show up for them.
You’ll need a better title to attract more clients; you’ll get better prices. You offer your past clients free access to the next round of your program. You rebrand, get new photos were taken, new workbook, new emails, new landing page.
This is set up fabulously, and you’re going to get even better results than the last one.
It almost gives you a release of dopamine as you get things going for this next challenge. You have set it up to be everything you want it to be, and it is fabulous!
4. Rinse and Repeat
This “cycle” happens over and over with the hope that the next challenge will be more successful than the last, that you’ll get more clients, a bigger email list, more income, more interaction, more testimonials, more anything!
The length of time between each repetition of this challenge cycle can vary. Some try three-day challenges, or two days, more frequently or less. But the damage that it does to your vision, your self-confidence, and the complete lack of results and scalability is toxic for your life and business.
Gearing up, time and time again, clearing your doubts, reframing your experiences so that you are able to head into the next challenge in the right mindset can be tiring, and you may even start to think that your mindset work is working against you because all you know is the burnout and struggle, but you hope for a successful and scalable business.
Is there a better way?
There definitely is.
In my 16 years of marketing and project management, I have never launched a business and had two grand openings; there was never more than one kickoff meeting for a project. The trend of constantly launching and relaunching the same product over and over again is more of a manipulative tactic than a marketing strategy.
My One Launch Method, which is also the title of my book that was published in May 2021, covers the real principles of marketing that will get your business and offer set up to support your life and business goals.
The One Launch Method has you craft your high quality, high ticket, life-changing offer; a product, program, or service that will be your signature, claim to fame. You will position yourself in your ideal market as a leader, create raving fans and launch your program once, and be set up to scale immediately.
You will end the confusion for your audience by focusing on your signature offer with crystal clarity.
You will end the hustle and chaos in your life by having a rock-solid marketing framework in place that will carry your message and offer to your ideal clients time and time again.
You will end the uncertainty of income and scarcity of the hustle struggle and finally be able to support your lifestyle and family life with stability and abundance.
If you aren’t sure whether you’re experiencing the hustle and struggle cycle, or if you know you are and you are ready to make the change to financial and entrepreneurial freedom, book a call with Leslie Klatt by texting “I’m ready” to m.me/leslieklattlife, or visit her website to see how you can get the support and results you need.
Leslie Klatt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leslie Klatt is a leader in the online marketing and project management industries. She is the founder of the One Launch Method, which stems from her solid background in corporate business, where organizations play for longevity and sustainability, building brand credibility and a high profile as the "go-to" in their industry.
