This Blog is No Longer a Business―Here's Why:

For the last year, an opportunity has been brewing behind-the-scenes that led to a formal job offer a few months ago. I wasn’t looking for a job at the time but after much deliberation… I said yes.

Starting May 1st, 2017 I became the full-time Brand Director & Dean for Platform University, an established monthly membership site from Michael Hyatt.

This is exciting news, and it comes at the perfect time!

My wife and I just welcomed a new bundle of joy into our life, alongside our firstborn son Damien (still less than two years old).

Meet Lukas Robert Meese, born April 1st, 2017:

When Megan (Michael’s daughter & COO) approached me with the job offer, I had a lot of questions and was careful to take weeks to decide.

It can be tough for any entrepreneur to even consider walking away from something profitable after the sunk cost of blood, sweat, and tears that business requires.

Ultimately, my wife and I decided that from every angle we looked at this opportunity, it was a well-timed win.

In a past podcast episode, I’ve referenced my philosophy that all entrepreneurs are drawn to the allure of owning their own business by some combination of three primary motivators.

I’ve since changed my language a bit, but the thesis of each motivator remains the same:

• Influence – Many entrepreneurs are searching for a feeling of significance, legacy, or the sense that they are making a positive contribution to the lives of other people in the world.
• Independence – Many entrepreneurs are looking for a business that allows them to work when they want, where they want, on projects they enjoy―an overall sense of freedom.
• Income – Many entrepreneurs are motivated by the fact that compensation is tied to action―and the only limit on financial opportunity is your willingness to put in the work.

Of course, every entrepreneur is different.

Two or three of these primary motivators show up in every entrepreneur, but each person may have different priorities or understand each motivator in a slightly different way.

For me, my strongest motivator is independence―mostly because of how important my family is to me. Influence would be second, because I want to leave the world a better place than I found it―and that requires a measure of influence, whether in terms of depth or scale.

Income is actually my weakest motivator, because I only care about making money so much as it affects the other two (it takes money to eat, sleep indoors, and build an email list).

It was important for me to get crystal clarity on these motivators before I evaluated the offer from Michael Hyatt, because the job comes with one big stipulation:

I agreed to no longer sell my own products, or actively promote affiliate products via this blog―an established online platform.

That meant stepping away from Notable Themes, giving my co-founder full ownership and control (sidenote: this happened nearly a month ago, and the business is clearly in good hands).

That also meant permanently closing several online courses I’ve sold in the past (don’t worry, past customers will still have full access to courses they have already bought).

Before making such a sweeping decision, I consulted several trusted friends and advisers. I also compared what I knew about the job offer to what I knew about my current online business.

1. Independence – I’ll still work remotely from my own office (or home). I’ll set my own hours, and have freedom to take unlimited paid time-off as I wish. I’ll have the support of a team of more than twenty full-time employees to handle admin, customer support, and other tasks I’d rather not worry about―including making sure I get paid every month!
2. Influence – I’ll be leading Platform University to serve thousands of paying students, and tens of thousands of people who want to grow their influence online―but haven’t yet joined the membership site. There is no question that I will have a greater impact in this role over the next few years than I would have on my own in the next decade.
3. Income – I’ll be working with a business that rewards employee contribution, including a no-cap bonus plan tied directly to financial results. That’s a company-wide initiative to remove any ceiling on professional growth, and foster an entrepreneurial spirit.

Best of all, very little about what I will teach will actually change!

In fact, I’ll be able to spend even more of my time exploring the Always Be Teaching mindset and serving our students by finding new & improved ways to approach online education.

Platform University is dedicated to helping students build a successful online platform to build an audience and create impact in their lives, often starting with a blog. That’s not a far cry from teaching people how to build an online business from their blog, which has been my most recent blogging focus.

This new role increases my independence, influence, and income―while giving me the opportunity to help thousands of students do the same for themselves!

I’m excited to dive in and get started, but you might still be wondering ‘what happens next?’

1. I will continue to publish posts on this blog, though I’m honestly not sure how often;
2. My podcast will remain an archive, you can listen to (and learn from) at any time;
3. All my courses are now closed to new students, though past students can still login;
4. Notable Themes will continue to operate in my absence (and more than likely, thrive);
5. I won’t be taking on any consulting projects, and I’m ending those I already have.

Finally, I just want to say thank you for all your support over the last few years. There is no way I could have gotten where I am today without the support of an incredible group of people that definitely includes YOU.

If you have any questions about this transition, please let me know in the comments below. Otherwise, I look forward to sharing this journey with you and I hope you’ll join me at Platform University soon!