The magic of the three-year milestone

This is a special week for me.  As of two days ago, Platform Launchers has officially reached the three-year mark.  It’s been a full three years since I launched this platform, created this podcast, and most importantly, started our Members’ Club.  It’s been a wonderful time, and I’m extremely grateful for what I’ve seen take place in the lives of our community.  In fact, just the other day, I received several extremely kind messages from some of our members.

Greg Gerber said…  “Happy Anniversary to Platform Launchers.  It is amazing how many people this group has helped in the three years since it was launched.  Thanks, John Stange for boldly going where nobody had gone before!  You changed lives, and in return, they changed hundreds more.”

Rich Avery said… “Congrats on the 3rd birthday/anniversary of Platform Launchers!  I can’t tell you what an inspiration you are to everyone in the group (and those in the larger audience), and a personal blessing to me.  Your prolific, consistent example of building your platforms, and the success you’ve garnered as a result, speak volumes.

Bee Andreen commented… “Yes!  Thank you, John and all the PL members for supporting and cheering us all on!  GAME CHANGER for my business to have such wonderful people in my life.

Phyllis Jenkins said… “We thank God for your calling and assignment to help us build, grow, and monetize our online businesses.  I’ve been so blessed by your teachings, challenges, and this fantastic community.  May God continue to expand your territory for His Glory!”

As you can imagine, I was blessed to read those kind words from some very good friends.  I find it so gratifying to know that what we’re doing together in Platform Launchers can be helpful to others who, right alongside us are seeking to build, grow, and monetize their own online platforms.

I have been convinced for quite a long time that almost anything of significance takes at least three years to fully get off the ground and reach a place of sustainable momentum.  I think that’s true in day-to-day life as well as in the world of online platform development, so reaching this special moment matters to me, and there are several lessons I’ve learned in the process that I’d like to take a moment to share in the hopes that you’ll also be inspired to set some long-term goals and stick with them long enough to see them come to fruition.

1.  Most people don’t make it to year three.  I wish they did, but the truth of the matter is that many people don’t even make it to month three when they’re building their online dream.  Sometimes they talk themselves out of continuing their work.  Sometimes they get discouraged if they don’t see results happen quickly.  Other times they may be surrounded by negative voices and attitudes that discourage them.  Making it to a third year isn’t as common as I wish it was.

2.  You won’t always feel like being consistent, but you won’t win if you aren’t.  I’m a busy person, and I know many people who listen to my podcasts and read my blog are busy as well.  Because of our many responsibilities, it can be easy to come up with excuses for not creating and releasing content on a weekly basis.  But the people I know who have succeeded in building an online presence don’t come up with excuses.  They don’t let their feelings govern their behavior.  In fact, it’s the other way around.  Their brain tells their hands what to do, and their hands get to work regardless of what their heart may be feeling.  You can’t succeed in this space if you aren’t consistent.

3.  If you’re meeting the right need in the right way, what you’re doing will work.  People are coming to you because you have the capacity, wisdom, and experience to help them solve problems and save time.  Pay attention to what they need from you, then attempt to meet that need in helpful ways.  If you listen to your audience, they will literally reveal to you which products and services you need to start offering.

4.  Be kind and generous toward the people who come into your life.  There are people your platform will eventually serve who are going to become good friends as well.  You don’t know who is going to come into your life when you first start building what you’re building online, but when you start meeting those people, I would encourage you to be as much of a blessing to them as you can possibly be.  When it’s within your power to encourage them, do so.  When it’s within your power to be generous toward them, don’t hold anything back.  This will help create a healthy and enjoyable culture within the group you’re leading.

5.  Be the kind of mentor you wish you had.  I’ve had multiple helpful mentors throughout the course of my life.  I’ve also had a few who let me down.  If you’re in a position to mentor others, make sure you’re the kind of mentor who stays focused on serving others instead of fixating on your own needs.  The mentors in my life who had the biggest impact on me were people who kept what I needed front and center in their minds.  The mentors who eventually let me down primarily saw this world from the perspective of their own desires.

6.  Don’t be afraid of earning an income from your efforts and expertise.  I frequently encourage people to make monetization a priority because if they monetize what they’re building online, they’ll eventually be able to devote more time to it.  When monetization is done correctly, it isn’t a greedy thing.  It’s a tool that can free up your time, help narrow your focus, and bless your family.  Many people are secretly fearful of earning a living from their online platforms.  I hope you won’t be.

7.  The library of content you create can become massively helpful.  Over the course of three years, you’ll be surprised by how vast that library can really become.  At this point, I have hundreds of hours of video and audio immediately accessible to members when they join the Platform Launchers Members’ Club.  It took years to create all that content, but now it’s available to be utilized and learned from the second a new member joins.  Save everything you’re creating because the content you make can become a knowledge bank that’s filled with information and inspiration geared toward making life easier for your members.

It has been a wonderful three years, and if God wills, I would love to keep doing what I’m doing for many additional years to come.  Thank you for being part of this journey with me.  I’m truly grateful for each of you, and I wish you MUCH SUCCESS as you keep pressing on toward the three-year milestone with your platform as well.  It’s well worth it.  Stay hopeful!  Stay consistent!  Eventually, you’ll be really glad you did!

© John Stange, 2024