I am pleased to have interviewed Alan Lucas, a man whose journey began amidst the turmoil of Belfast during the Troubles. From a tender age, he grappled with profound questions about human nature and belief systems, wondering why differences in these could lead to violence.
His path took him from Northern Ireland to the snowy slopes of the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, where he honed his skills as a ski instructor. From there, he transitioned into the fast-paced world of marketing, spending twelve fruitful years at two of the world’s leading sportswear brands, Nike and Adidas.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Alan embarked on a series of entrepreneurial ventures, while simultaneously training in various disciplines of psychology, psychotherapy, and coaching. His experiences culminated in the creation of the impactful 7 Step – Sort Your Self Out System®, a testament to his commitment to personal growth and self-improvement.
Alan wears many hats – entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker – but at the core of all his endeavors is a passion for enriching lives. He’s driven by the desire to inspire others to lead more enjoyable and fulfilling lives. Join us as we delve into his fascinating journey and glean insights from his wealth of experience.
Mike: I originally discovered you when I typed in the domain name OJoe.com into my URL bar in my browser. It points to your site at YouDontNeedTherapy.com. Can I ask what your plan is or was for OJoe.com?
Alan: Thanks for discovering me! No specific plans for ojoe.com. I just liked the domain and as it’s not otherwise in use, I just direct any traffic to youdonneedtherapy.com
Mike: Your site at YouDontNeedTherapy.com is home to the book Realize Your Power: 7 Steps to Sort Your Self Out. Tell me more about the book.
Alan: The book presents a simple 7 step system anyone can follow to change their lives by changing themselves. The core principles of self-improvement are in essence very straightforward but it can perhaps seem like an overwhelming forest of information out there. I wanted to distill the basics into steps that are easy to understand. And when things are simple and understood people are more likely to take action and do them. The book is filled with exercises so the reader can do the changing rather than just read about it.
Mike: I’ve already mentioned two of your domain names, but you also have RealiseYourPower.com which also points back to YouDontNeedTherapy.com. Have you found it beneficial to own multiple names and point them to your main site. Do you have other names?
Alan: I own lots of domains I’ve just picked up along the way. I wouldn’t say they have been particularly useful in directing traffic as I haven’t much traffic generation going on with many of the other domains, but where I own and am not using a domain, I think I may as well point it somewhere! And you never know where it might lead. After all, that’s how you and I connected!
Mike: You also have products you sell on your site with the “Less Ego®” theme. Tell me about the term “less ego” and what it means, how it inspired these products.
Alan: The Less Ego brand is a real passion of mine. I didn’t start wanting to create a brand with this but rather it was all about promoting the message of living with less ego.
Less Ego is a note to ourselves, and a message to everyone. Ego is really just fear when we drill down to its core. A fear that in some way we aren’t enough and so we seek attention and approval from others to try and feel superior and better about ourselves. The world needs less ego, more heart.
I have had some production and supply issues but there will be a relaunch of the brand with a new have a range of caps available before Christmas.
Mike: It looks like you are preparing to launch an online course. I can only assume that you have had success marketing your books and products online, and the course is likely to follow. Can you tell us more about what’s to come?
Alan: I want to make it easier and cheaper for people to access the basic tools to make their lives better. There is a very ‘salesy’ culture around self-help and what should in my view be free universal wisdom has turned into a huge profit-driven industry. However, the principles are simple and timeless and so I want to share that, especially with young people without charging excessive amounts.
Mike: You are a speaker and trained in psychology and coaching. You’re also an online business owner. How has your background contributed to the success of your online business?
Alan: Business starts with mindset and so all the training in that area helps me stay focused and disciplined. I started my career in the marketing departments at Nike and Adidas and so learnt a lot about business, branding and marketing there which I am very grateful for. However, the greatest lessons are by doing and so I am constantly learning.
Mike: What would be your advice to a fellow entrepreneur looking to launch an online business. What tips would you give them for choosing a domain name?
Alan: Start! Do something and the doing will help you learn. A domain name is important but as long as it doesn’t look amateur or lame or overcomplicated, then it isn’t going to be the main factor determining your success or otherwise. Then key is to start with the customer you are targeting and work everything back from there. How are you meeting their needs and adding value beyond their expectations and what your competition is offering? If you can find a mentor who has been successful in your area of business, that can be invaluable and save you from making some mistakes. And honor yourself for doing this, for starting your business. So many people talk about their plans, but far fewer have the courage to actually start and keep going. You already win by what you will learn.
