Every week at least five people ask me how they can amass a million LinkedIn followers. Others ask how they can write for a site like Inc. Others ask how they can become a best-selling author.

And that's a problem, because my LinkedIn following was partly due to circumstance, timing, and being asked to join the fledgling Influencer program. Writing for Inc. was mostly due to one editor who decided to take a chance on a cold email from an unknown writer. No one from the other nine business sites I pitched to even responded.