Guest Post by Nathan Hangen from: nathanhangen.com
I had the great privilege of receiving a special guest post this week from Nathan Hangen.
I am really excited to see the awesome things Nathan is currently building in the digital world. The reason I really like what Nathan is doing is because he understands how to build empires online with real success, utilizing his several talents and providing real value to the marketplace.
Nathan is a great example of someone who is truly aligned with his talents and takes inspired action to see his big visions come to reality.
The idea of building an empire has always fascinated me, and resonates very much with where I am going at the moment with my own brand. In Nathan’s guest post below, he gives very clear and useful tips on how you can build your very own digital kingdom and start an empire.
Behind the Empire – Tips for Building Your Own Digital Kingdom
by: Nathan Hangen
Years ago, I realized that I was never going to be happy sticking to a single line of work. I liked too many things, and I get bored easily, so I’m always looking for new challenges and direction.
For example, I’m a musician, artist, entrepreneur, author, Soldier, and tech geek. I like it all, and I want it all. Life is too short to die in a single niche.
That’s why the empire concept appealed to me so much. I wanted to be able to build, based not on a single niche or identity, but on my desire to build multiple streams of income from multiple business models.
So I learned how to develop and market information products, such as Twitter Rockstar and Beyond Blogging. I learned how to develop a niche blog and bring it to profitability in a matter of 30 days. I learned how to build an email list, market affiliate products, and build a reputation as a business blogger.
But still, that wasn’t enough for me…I wanted more.
I’d always wanted to get a record deal, but I never gave myself a chance. I also wanted to write a novel, and being self-published didn’t do it for me. Lastly, I’m more interested in Silicon Valley than in meta-blogging, so I quit to once again build my empire from scratch.
It’s a Game
I liken a digital empire to the game of monopoly. I don’t want to own Baltic Avenue, I want to own the entire board with hotels loaded on top. Sure, you start with one location (business) and gradually build up, but the key to building any empire is to keep scaling.
Start with one product, then use that to fund the next, and keep going until you have a war chest big enough to buy the entire block. From there, you have a lot of flexibility…
You can sell and re-invest, or you can ride with what you have, earning a very comfortable living in the process.
The Power of an Empire
The power of an empire is not just in its property or in its wealth, but in the community. Think of it as playing Civilization or Sim City. In order to run an empire, you need to maintain good relationships with your neighbors, while keeping your own people happy. Although I’d never claim to own any person or community, I’ve found that in constantly creating value, I’m able to earn the trust of hundreds, if not thousands of people.
In building a network of partners and associates, I’ve been able to become part of something much bigger than myself. So in that sense, the digital empire is not just my own, but the part that my empire plays within an even larger one.
Of course, for a business loving capitalist like me, I’m always setting my sites higher, but the point is that the flexibility of the empire allows for that.
Currently, I develop iPhone apps, sell royalty free music, write books, and build powerful communities,none of which would be possible if I were relying on a single business or product.
Of course, having multiple streams of income is great, but only if you are able to maintain focus across multiple platforms. For some people, this isn’t possible, but for people like me it’s unnatural not to.
The greatest tip I can offer is this:
Find what you were meant to do, and work your way there. If you were born to build a single amazing business, then do that. If you were born to do a little bit of everything, then do that.
You have to go where the energy is, and though it might take some time to get there, there’s comfort in building something, no matter what it might be.
An empire, like Rome, is built one stone at a time.
Nathan Hangen is an entrepreneur, author, and empire builder. He’s currently releasing a course for creative entrepreneurs called Fear to Fuel. Click here to get a free sample.
