Article by Charlie Wright

Sorry for using bad language here…

But have you ever heard of something called a ‘sh*t’ sandwhich’?

Yes? No?
 
Don’t care?

Well, I’ll tell you what it is… and it’s NOT the latest budget lunch deal from Pret A Manger…

It’s where you present someone with a piece of good news… then you slide a bit of criticism or bad news underneath it… then you follow it with something positive again.

For instance, I was very pleased to get read the opening of the following email from a Biz Opp Jungle subscriber…

“Hi Charlie, Great newsletter – it often really cheers me up because you ‘tell it like it is’ and have a rant or whatever when necessary!”

Ahh… the warm glow of unsolicited praise….

And then she goes and says:

“I have a really strong complaint – and I do have to say that you yourself are not entirely guilt-free in this – about seminars and most of the BizOpp world: it’s far too ‘male’!”
Cripes.  

She continues.

“When you’re out there on your own, strapped for cash and trying to find ‘the one’ in terms of a business opportunity, you need all the help and support you can get. Seminars (and newsletters and webinars etc.) are – or should be – really great for this because you get to hear from all sorts of people who’ve been where you are and are now buzzing, having fun, and earning a decent living.

But as a woman this help and comradeship are really diluted because everything is male-oriented (or androcentric, if we’re being highbrow…).

It can be like wandering into a Boys’ Club by mistake. Anecdotes about cars, wives and girlfriends, assumptions that there’s someone looking after the house while you’re earning/attending seminars or whatever, glittering prizes dangled which are highly male-oriented (more cars and other boy toys, etc.) and BizOpp after BizOpp which is about or grows out of male interests and activities.”

You know what? I believe she’s right too.

I’ve never talked about cars… and I’ve been at pains to point out my eternal boredom with football… but I suppose I do give it the blokey blokey oi wactcha ‘avin’ a lager from time to time… and I do write the word “he” and “him” a heck of a lot more times than I write “she” or “her.”

I also agree that a lot of these seminars are often presented by men.

My reader says:  

“For a woman, it feels like starting on the wrong foot. Add to this the fact that as a woman you’re often in the minority in the seminar hall anyway – and often treated as ‘different’ – and it’s all very discouraging.”

One thing I will point out, however…

Watch out for the women behind the men

It may SEEM like it’s a big men’s club… but the truth is that most of the self-help and business opportunity publishing houses I’ve visited, worked with or talked to DO have women there – and quite often they’re the ones REALLY running things.

Maybe there’s a feeling that a woman coming upfront as the ‘guru’ isn’t as saleable a proposition as having a bloke up there giving it the big “I am”.  

I find that women do less of the aggressive motivational hype stuff and tend to get on with actually making money from home businesses.  

Usually they succeed in honest, ‘back to basics’ businesses where you create things of value, or sell low priced items for a higher price.

Here are three examples of self-made, highly successful female entrepreneurs with loyal followers and great little businesses… who DON’T spend their energies blowing their own trumpets.

Sharon Fussell – Famously, in her first year Sharon made £15K in her spare time selling second hand books on Amazon – pretty much through trial and error and a lot of patience. Now she helps others do the same. Review here

Amanda O’Brien – she’s an eBay Powerseller who makes £5,000 – £12,000 a month income from hot niche markets. Her Ultimate eBay Success System is very popular and highly regarded. Review here

So here are a few examples worth checking out.

And the positive slice of the sandwich?

My reader finished on a positive though…  

She thinks there’s a future in revolutionising the male dominated self help, biz opp and motivation titles.

I won’t give away her secret but don’t be surprised when you next see a seminar or self help book promoted without the word ”him” mentioned once!