Gatekeeping in Business: Breaking Down Barriers

As I was preparing to build my blog, a wave of self-doubt hit me. Not because I wasn’t capable, but because I understood that what you don’t know can hurt you. That moment of reflection made me realize that maybe it was time to expand my team—to find people who are knowledgeable in areas I’m not, team up with them, and build something together.

This is my personal belief: I don’t expect anything for free. Everyone has a price, and they should be paid for their time. However, when I reached out to multiple marketers, I found out that gaining access to their knowledge required an absurd amount of money—money to learn things that are already available for free on Google. There aren’t many true “secrets” that will instantly open the floodgates of success; the real challenge is identifying and overcoming blind spots.

Sure, there may be that one piece of information that can make a big difference in your business. But does that justify a $5,000 price tag just to receive it? I understand that nothing is free, but not everyone needs to be walked through every step of the way. Consultations should exist to evaluate what I need—whether I have the right products, store, blog, and following—and maybe that’s just a $500 one-time report highlighting the vendors I should reach out to and actionable strategies for growth.

The unfortunate truth is that many companies don’t thrive because of the products they sell, but rather by selling you the idea of how to do it. Their business model revolves around convincing you that they know how to sell merchandise, yet 90% of their revenue comes from coaching you on how to do it instead of actually doing it themselves.

At Beyond the Blur, we do things differently. We may sell merch, art, or services like customizable video intros, but whatever I know—I give it away for free. Knowledge should be shared. That’s what a community is about. That’s why it’s called a network—because we are all connected.

So, if you have business-related questions, email me. If I know the answer, it’s yours—for the low, low cost of zero dollars. Because that’s what the community truly needs.

And if you truly want to give me something of value, sign up for my newsletter—not because I want to bug you or sell you something, but because that email will connect us and allow us to collaborate in meaningful ways., but because that email will connect us. It will give me the chance to save your contact information for later reference. For example, if there’s someone who loves to draw but doesn’t know how to get their brand out there, I want the ability to email them and actually work with them, then promote them. See how that works? My brand wins because my merch gets an upgrade, and you win because not only do you have work, but you can also start building your portfolio and grow your audience with real exposure.. We should all win. Let’s stop the gatekeeping and start building each other up. That’s what real success looks like..