A friend of yours is beginning her business. She’s got a great plan and most days she’s totally focused. But like most people, especially us on the Internet, she sometimes gets overtaken by all of the messages around him that say “do this, do that, do what I say to be successful.”

You tell her it’s merely a case of keeping at what she’s good at, being focused, and expanding on her circle of influence, but she keeps getting off track — following trends and fads without knowing why. She seems to have this perception that everyone who talks about making money actually is and that she’s years behind.

She’s got a business coach, a life coach, and you as a friend. Yet about once a month she seems off track again, saying something like “I’ll never get where I’m going. I wish I could find a good mentor.”

How do you respond?

A friend, who is known for having great ideas, had another one. He started a blog on which he was selling his services. He put together a great deal. He would meet a need — a real one. He was going to teach folks who needed self-confidence how to present their services and close deals.

His offers are well written. His prices suit the market. He’s got the right content to draw the the right people. His design is in tune with the group he wants to serve.

But his traffic is lousy.

He comes to you for advice. You say that gaining traffic is the part that takes the longest time and the most work. You explain some ways that he might develop traffic over time through leaving comments, offering guest posts, and developing relationships.

He keeps pitching ideas on how to take his blog viral.

How do you respond?