Why I don’t aspire to be your guru

I write often about the importance of building our ideal audience. To create a community of people who are our true fans, who love our work and presence.

However, that doesn’t mean we should aspire to be their guru…

Here’s what I see as the difference between having a true-fan audience, and being a guru:

In some ancient traditions, a guru is a revered spiritual guide. Some gurus command near-total devotion of their students. I respect the freedom to practice religion however one wishes.

In building our authentic business, however, there’s a danger of aspiring to become a guru. I myself need to pay attention to these warning signs:

• To hate disagreements from students, and ignore or reject critical feedback.
• To expect our true fans to do as we say, and buy what we sell, no matter what it is.
• To disapprove of our students using different strategies than what we teach, even if it’s working well for them.
• We never (or almost never) share the work of our competitors or niche mates.
• We demand that our true fans pay attention primarily to our content.

Do you recognize the above signs from your teachers?

If I ever start displaying any of these symptoms, please let me know. Use my anonymous feedback form if you need to.