The Mop Story…

I had to pay my own way for college. So, during my entire college career I worked three jobs.

I also had a very active social life in my fraternity, as I mentioned in a previous blog post. In addition, I was involved in several campus intramural sports activities, I carried a full load of courses and during my junior year I met the lady that would eventually become my wife. I was busy!

One of my jobs was a nighttime manager for a popular deli next to the University. This deli served hot and cold food as well as had a coffee bar and it had a medium sized dining area.

Now, when I say nighttime manager, it sounds all important, right? But, it’s really just a fancy way of saying everything fell on me to close the deli and make sure it was ready for the next day.

I was very excited to get this job.  It was important to me to make a good impression as the owner of this deli was a friend of my parents.

Before I was the nighttime manager, I started out as a server, busboy, part time cook, dishwasher, bathroom cleaner, coffee maker, sweeper, money counter, and everything else. Now that I think about it, it was pretty much the nighttime manager job without the pay!

I was so intent on making a good first impression that when we closed for the evening on my first day, I stacked all the chairs neatly on top of the tables and swept the floors so that I could mop the floor.

Now, I mentioned it was a medium sized dining area, so I realized this was going to take me some time. I got the mop and the mop bucket ready and I noticed the owner was watching me.

I knew this was my moment! I was going to show him just how committed I was to this job and I was going to be the best mopper he had ever seen. I was convinced he was going to love my mopping so much he was going to give me a raise on the first day and put my picture on the wall as employee of the month. Probably, because of my mopping skills, it would motivate him to do away with the employee of the month program entirely and just put my picture up permanently as the employee of the century!

I put the mop in the bucket squeezed it out and proceeded to mop like crazy… rather, mop like my life depended on it!

As I started to scrub and really put my weight into it I just knew it was going to make an impression on the owner as I actually started to sweat from my efforts. After he watched for about 10 to 15 minutes I was only about a quarter of the way through the task.  He came up to me and asked me to stop.

I knew this was the moment he was going to give me the highest praise he had ever given one of his employees. Instead, he gave me some of the best advice I had ever received. And no, it was not praise. He corrected me. The valuable advice he offered was that time was money and I was spending way too much time mopping the floor thus forcing him to pay me more to cover my rate.

He was a very nice man but he was a businessman. So, he rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the mop out of my hands and told me that he wanted me to mop the floor in a different way. He dipped the mop in the bucket and only squeezed it out only halfway.

Then he proceeded to put the mop on the floor and just guide the mop back and forth in a semicircular/back and forth motion without putting much effort into it.

While he was doing this, he was explaining to me that the weight of the water in the mop would force the dirt from the floor so that I could be cleaned in a more efficient manner.

After about 10 minutes he completed the entire floor and his work was much better than my sweat induced mopping.

He handed the mob back to me and he said these words, “ You need to let the mop work for you and not you work for the mop.”

It was an important lesson for me to learn that sometimes working smarter can outdo working harder. That’s not to say hard work is not important, but efficiency and creativity is also very important.

After that day I let the mop work for me and the floors were spotless. I can’t say that my mopping got me my promotion, but I can say that I looked at things a little bit different and begin to consider all options when doing a task.

So, what does this have to do with running an online business? Well, I’m glad you asked!

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m going to start becoming more active in exploring a variety of ways to have my online business generate income. My latest venture is to jump into TikTok. Now, I’ve had TikTok account for some time, but I really have not invested the time needed to learn how to produce short form video content properly.

I have mostly been “jibber jabbering” about my life and discussing various topics. It truly has been fun but it’s not generated a whole lot of views.

A few of my videos have had some interest, which has made me very happy. But I was not following any type of format or any proven way to increase viewership. More views would result in more people following me, which ultimately will help me make additional income on this platform. So many people are doing it, so why not me?

My last two videos are a very good example. 

As you can see in the side-by-side picture, one video I posted got 2997 views and generated a few followers. And the next day I created another video, and it got a whopping 88 views. That’s not a typo, it really got 88 views right after a video that got almost 3000 views. Generating a healthy TikTok algorithm will promote crucial awareness of my content.

To say that was discouraging is an understatement. I really wanted to try to understand what I was doing wrong, what I was doing right and how I could become more consistent on this platform.

I mentioned before that I’m taking a YFS (Your First Sales) Boot Camp course that is helping me understand how to operate this new platform. This boot camp teaches a viral video formula that if followed, it has the possibility to significantly increase the chances of success.

It is a four-step formula and one of the steps is optional (The Buildup). While these steps may seem simple, and they really are once you learn them, it is all about practice and application.

Then it hit me, I was working very hard at TikTok instead of letting TikTok work very hard for me. Just like that darn mop.

The formula is not rocket science! Before I didn’t follow a formula and I hoped it worked out. I suppose if you just post something without following a process it may work out or you may just get 88 views! I mentioned this formula before and it is as follows:

1. The Hook: The first step is to immediately capture your audience’s interest with something engaging or unexpected. Whether it’s a powerful opening statement, a surprising fact, or a visually striking moment, the goal is to stop viewers from scrolling past and make them curious to see more. Without this compelling hook, your audience will simply move on to something else.
2. The Buildup: Once you have their attention, it’s time to keep them engaged by building anticipation or creating an emotional connection. This is where storytelling, relatable moments, or suspenseful pacing come into play. You’re guiding the viewer deeper into the experience, maintaining their curiosity, and encouraging them to stay invested in what’s coming next.
3. The Delivery: This is the payoff—the moment when you deliver the main message, solution, or value of your content. It’s clear, impactful, and directly addresses the viewer’s needs or interests. This step solidifies why they stayed, ensuring your message resonates and leaves a lasting impression.
4. The Call to Action (CTA): The final step is to guide your audience toward the desired next action. Whether you want them to like, share, subscribe, click a link, or make a purchase, your CTA needs to be clear, direct, and motivating. This ensures the viewer knows exactly what to do next, maximizing the impact of your content and achieving your goal.

As I get really serious about creating short form content on this platform, I will be following this formula as I am completely confident it will help me become successful on TikTok. I’ll report back occasionally on how I’m doing and show my successes and my challenges so we can all learn together.

What about you? Do you follow formula in business that can help you become successful? Are you on a platform like TikTok and have seen success because you have intentionally made the decision to create content in a manner that will produce views and followers?

I have learned from my errors and hope that I will never forget to let the mop work for me rather than me work for the mop!

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

“Efficiency is doing better what is already being done. Effectiveness is deciding what to do better.” — Peter Drucker

And of course, a few VERY BAD Dad jokes:

Why did the mop get promoted? It really swept the competition!

What’s a mop’s favorite movie? Dirty Dancing!

Until next time, STAY FRESH, Friends!

 

 

 

 

**If you are curious about this process and wish to know more about an affiliate marketing business, please subscribe to my newsletter here to learn more.  And please continue following my blog.  My hope is not only to create the freedom I so long for but pass on what I have learned to others who have similar aspirations.