All of us want a business that hums along, routinely churning out profits as if on autopilot, but how the heck do you do that? This week I’ve enlisted the help of the undisputed market leader to teach you practical steps to amplify, accelerate, and automate your profits.

Amy Porterfield teaches business owners, educators, and entrepreneurs the action steps for building a highly engaged email list, creating online training courses, and using online marketing strategies to sell with ease. She is one of our favorite people and what she has to say will blow your mind.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Is it possible to use peace as a weapon?

I want to read for you a little passage of Scripture you’ve probably heard, even if you’ve never darkened the door of a church in your life.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4

Marketplace minister Os Hillman has a website called TGIF…Today God Is First. In one of his devotionals he says, “In battles of the workplace, your peace is actually a weapon. The workplace creates many opportunities to rob us of our peace.”

He goes on to list things like cash flow, relationships, conflicts with employees, deadlines, and other things that create stress and disturb our peace. He points out that when Jesus confronted the devil, Jesus didn’t react from his emotions or out of fear because He knew that the devil is a liar. Jesus just refused to be influenced by the lie. His peace overwhelmed the adversary, His authority shattered the lie, and the forces of darkness were sent scurrying away to the corner to hide.

Pretty cool insight. I really enjoy a lot of stuff that Os Hillman writes, so be sure to check out his site at TodayGodIsFirst.com.

Tip of the Week

Everything you touch ends up on your phone…I mean everything. So how do you keep your phone, and the other tech gadgets you use, clean and sanitary?

I discovered the answer to this conundrum on a recent trip to the Apple store. I noticed they use a product called WHOOSH! to keep all the high-end products free from fingerprints and Lord knows what else has been on the hands of hundreds of people who visit that store daily.

I figured if it’s good enough for Apple, it’s good enough for me. Pick up some WHOOSH! for your devices, because the alternative is just nasty.

Feature Presentation: “The One With Amy Porterfield”

Amy Porterfield is one of the most interesting women on the internet, maybe even on the planet. She started out her career working for Harley Davidson and ended up working with Tony Robbins.

Now through her best-selling marketing courses (List Builder’s Lab, Courses That Convert, Webinars That Convert), a thriving Facebook community, and top-ranked podcast, Amy inspires a grounded, tangible and self-affirming sense of, “Wow! I really can do this,” for over 250,000 online entrepreneurs.

She proves that by moving away from “step-by-step” and into “action-by-action,” even the newest online entrepreneurs can bypass feelings of self-doubt and being overwhelmed. Instead, they can generate exciting momentum as they move closer to building a life and business they love.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• The Entrepreneurial Incubator – Why surrounding yourself with the kind of people you want to be like is the secret sauce to successfully starting a business (8:29)
• Burn the Boats – Amy shares the fastest way to turn a side hustle into the life of your dreams (10:31)
• One dollar can change the world – Amy tells the story of how Ray started writing copy for Tony Robbins, and the unusual strategy he used to write a killer sales letter (13:46)
• Trading one boss for many bosses – What to do if you wind up hating the business you start, and how to successfully get back on track (15:29)
• Authenticity will always have an audience – Amy shares the secret to overcoming your client’s biggest fears and writing copy that converts like crazy (17:40)
• The Power of Belief – If you don’t possess this one thing you’re going to lose the trust of your audience forever (20:32)
• Connection isn’t a one-time thing – Amy teaches us the extreme value in creating a follow-up sequence that is just a continuation of your webinar or sales process (21:54)
• You like me, you really like me! – Amy reveals the clandestine way to get inside your customer’s mind and feel like you’re talking to them directly (23:38)
• Selling after the sale – Why making the sale is just the beginning of your copy journey with your customers (24:25)
• Should you outsource your voice? – Why you need to become a student of copywriting…even if you plan on hiring a copywriter (26:02)
• Everything is copy – Why understanding the art and science of copy can improve everything from social media posts to your personal relationships (28:53)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• Today God Is First
• WHOOSH!
• Listbuilder’s Lab
• Courses That Covert
• Webinars That Convert

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

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Just like you, Marie Forleo started her business with nothing more than a laptop and a dream. Now she commands a socially-conscious digital empire that touches millions of people, and makes millions of dollars.

In this episode we’re going to talk with Marie and get some little-known insight into how she created such a remarkable business, a business that has allowed her to design the life she always wanted to live.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Recently I did a podcast on the truth about Parkinson's. I've received lots of responses, which has been a real blessing because I think it has helped a lot of people. I think there's an opportunity for us to use our circumstances, whether good or bad, to advance the gospel…the Good News.

In Philippians 1:12 the Apostle Paul says, “Now, I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

It would serve us well to remember that Paul was a businessman…he was a tent maker. As far as I can tell, this was not something that he did just because it was an easy way to make money. It required skill, and he did it because he didn't want to rely on the church for his income. He took it seriously. He had an overall ministry objective for his business, and that meant that sometimes he was thrown in prison, he was persecuted, he was beaten.

It’s easy to be a shining example of God’s grace when everything is rosy, but when things get tough most people want to give up and quit. When things get stormy and rough we go through periods where maybe we're tempted to say, “I don't even know why I’m doing this, it just seems pointless.”

First off, remember that God didn’t cause these things to happen to you. There is an enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy…but a loving Father that wants you to have an abundant life (John 10:10).

Your temporary negative circumstances can be used to advance the Kingdom, to bring more of the reality of God to the world around you, to transcend your circumstances and transform them into something that is in your favor and to your advantage. I think our friend Paul serves as a good example of that.

Selah. (Think about it.)

Tip of the Week

It's time for me to convince you to spend money on an app, and I’m playing no favorites this week. The app is called PORTRA and it’s available for both iOS users and Android people. There are a lot of apps out there that will put your photos through an art filter, but I've never seen anything that does as a good job as PORTRA. They really do look like paintings, it’s pretty amazing.

I also have a little secret tip for you. If you use a high-resolution photo to do this, you could take that resulting artwork and send it off to fractureme.com. These people will print your photos on glass, which just amplifies the cool factor.

You could use PORTRA to make a very unique photo into something that looks like a work of art, and then have it printed on glass and it would be a very groovy gift. Check it out, I think you're going to like it.

Feature Presentation: “The One With Marie Forleo”

Marie Forleo has an award-winning show called Marie TV, which when it first started up, I thought, “Oh, come on. Really?” And now she's like Oprah on the Internet. She's got a world-class online training program called B-School. She also has a book that's in 16 languages, and an audience in 195 countries.

Marie helps people dream big and then back it up with meaningful action to get results, and she's also an extraordinary copywriter. Up until very recently, she wrote every word of copy that you saw come out of her business, which I think is just amazing. So, let's get into it.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• Persuade with Purpose – Marie reveals the absolutely vital skill you must learn to authentically communicate with your audience (10:58)
• Achieving copy consciousness – The surprising way that your everyday world can become a copywriting classroom (12:55)
• Fail in public – Why allowing your tribe to watch your progression serves as both inspiration and education (14:34)
• Look spontaneous and brilliant – Marie talks about the importance of taking the time to really understand your audience and craft complete comprehensive answers to their questions (16:23)
• The fine line of web design – Marie discusses the value of intertwining copy and simple, clean design that causes your audience to become emotionally engaged with your brand (17:25)
• Sales doesn’t have to be slimy – Why modern marketing, which includes generosity, compassion, and value is the key to overcoming the fear of sales (21:11)
• The virus that’s killing your business – Why learning the art of writing copy is the single most powerful tool you have to grow a healthy, robust enterprise (24:22)
• Your voice matters – Should you write your own copy, or should you hire someone to do it for you? Marie tackles this question and provides a unique and wise perspective (26:46)
• The Steven Spielberg Test – Marie shares a way to check whether your copy is too ambiguous…is your copy so specific and clear that if Steven Spielberg read it he could make a scene from it that comes to life? (31:39)
• Get out of your head – Marie reminds us that when people buy they make emotional decisions, not logical ones, and that our copy not only needs to make sense, it needs to touch their heart (33:55)
• Manipulation vs Persuasion – Why the way you craft your offer makes the difference between adding value and taking advantage (35:02)
• Are you Luke Skywalker or Yoda? – There can only be one hero in a story. The key to writing copy that gets acted upon is to remember that your customer is the hero. They are Luke Skywalker, you are Yoda. (37:08)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• PORTRA (iOS)
• PORTRA (Android)
• com
• Marie Forleo’s B-School
• Marie TV
• The Copy Cure

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

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There’s a shift happening in the world of copywriting. People are beginning to recognize the wisdom that can be gleaned from studying the fundamentals of copy directly from the masters themselves. In this episode, we’re going to help you walk that path by introducing you to the most ripped-off copywriter alive.

John Carlton is one of the guys who got me started in the world of professional copyrighting. He's got a degree in psychology, understands how the human mind works and how people make buying decisions, and he uses his knowledge of behavioral psychology to sell stuff…which I think is a pretty smart idea.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I’ve been doing some reading from John Maxwell’s Leadership Bible, and I discovered he has an interesting take on one of my favorite Scriptures…

“Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise. Which having no captain, overseer or ruler provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8

Maxwell came up with an acronym that explains what we can learn from the ant.

Attitude of Initiative: Ants don't need a boss to tell them how to get started. I like that.

Nature of Integrity: Ants work faithfully and need no outside accountability to keep them doing things the right way…because if they don’t they'll die.

Thirst for Industry: Ants work hard and will replace their anthill when it gets ruined…they don't give up and go look for ant welfare.

Source of Insight: Ants store provisions in the summer because they know there's a lean time coming.

Go to the ant and be wise.

Tip of the Week

Our tip this week comes from the book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. This is a topic that a lot of people discuss, but not very many people have studied the psychology behind the idea of rest as this guy does. He says in the front of his book, “For most of us, overwork is the new normal and rest is an afterthought.”

In our busy lives, rest is defined as the absence of work, something to do once we’ve finished everything else on our to-do list. Dismissing rest stifles our ability to think creatively and truly recharge. The author works in Silicon Valley and posits that rest is not the opposite of work if they are part of the same cycle. Instead, without one you can't really enjoy and benefit from the other.

I'm reading this as part of Michael Hyatt’s monthly reading program LeaderBox. This program gets you reading two books a month, which is pretty awesome! You should sign up for it at LeaderBox.com.

Feature Presentation: “John Carlton: The Most Ripped-Off Copywriter Alive”

Some people call John Carlton the most ripped-off copywriter alive and that's because there was a period of time when everybody was ripping off his one-legged-golfer headline. He's the guy who wrote the headline: The Amazing Secrets of the One-Legged Golfer, and it was for a course on how to play better golf. The premise is so obvious, if a one-legged golfer shoots a good game of golf, he must be doing something right. Or she, could be a one-legged lady. Well, that became the most swiped headline in history for a long time.

The list of well-known marketers who freely reference John Carlton as their primary mentor for writing sales messages is staggering. In fact, I went to a conference with the sole intention of spending $5,000 to buy his swipe files.

So, let's get into my interview with John Carlton.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• The grooming of a guru – The process that took John Carlton from introvert to a commanding stage presence (11:14)
• Share your best stuff – Why John Carlton made the decision to give the world a license to steal his stuff (12:34)
• My greatest joy – Why sharing and hands-on mentoring can become an accelerant for your business (13:50)
• Birds of a feather – Why copywriters are a rare tribe of scribes, and are the ones who will write history (14:42)
• The ultimate calling card – Why you should have a book, and the easiest way to get that done quickly (16:33)
• Is your marketing working? – Why direct-response copy matters and the reason mastering this art form is the fastest path to the cash (21:42)
• The Father of the Hot Seat – How a random idea in an elevator created a powerful way to solve even the most difficult business problems (27:15)
• Operation Money-Suck – How a crisis revealed what your number one job should be, and how focusing on this one task can save your business (34:25)
• Turning failure into success – John Carlton reveals his simple secret to writing highly effective sales copy (44:17)
• You are who you hang around – John explains the power of the mastermind and why tapping into brilliant minds makes everyone better (48:05)
• Unleashing the Power Within – What John Carlton learned from Tony Robbins that made him a better marketer (50:05)
• The Freelance Epiphany – How a stolen book launched John Carlton’s writing career, and what that experience taught him about becoming a successful freelance copywriter (55:20)
• The Simple Writing System explained – John Carlton takes you behind the curtain and shows you the simplest way to write anything from a paragraph to a 24-page sales letter (61:02)
• Stalking the desk – How to put yourself in the right frame of mind to do your best work and make your mark in the marketplace (66:06)
• Moving the sloth – How a controversial visualization technique can lead you to writing copy that causes your prospect to take out their wallet and give you money (69:04)
• The Two-List Solution – John Carlton shares his hard-won advice about what it takes to become a successful copywriter (77:47)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
• LeaderBox
• The Maxwell Leadership Bible
• Simple Success Secrets No One Told You About
• The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Getting Your Shit Together
• John Carlton’s Official Blog
• Simple Writing System

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Your core beliefs control everything you do, from your attitudes to the actions you take each day. But how did you develop those beliefs? Did you thoughtfully choose them yourself, or were they handed to you over time from potentially unqualified sources?

In this episode we continue to discuss the core beliefs we hold here at Ray Edwards International. If you listen closely you may discover the key to developing your own North Star that can be counted on to guide you safely home.

Spiritual Foundations

If I took Jesus out of my business, would it make any difference?

This is a little bit of a trick question, because what you are on Sunday you should be every day of the week. It’s not about living a balanced life, it’s about living an integrated life.

If what you believe doesn’t make a difference in the way you live every part of your life, then perhaps it’s possible that you don’t really believe it.

We take a deeper dive on this subject in this week’s episode, but take warning…it’s not for the faint of heart.

Tip of the Week

This week I’m going to share a tip that will eliminate the most ubiquitous challenge that video content creators face. No, it has nothing to do with the quality of your video…it’s the quality of your sound.

The newest smartphones are great for shooting video, but the microphones that are built into them are lousy. Don’t be fooled, if your audio isn’t great, viewers won’t stick around. That means all your great content and world-changing ideas go right down the drain.

Fear not, I have a simple, cost-effective solution for you. Introducing the TASCAM DR-10L, an ultra-compact, incredibly convenient digital recorder/lavalier microphone combo. You can shoot the video and record the audio separately on this device, it uses a microSD card. All you do then is take the sound from the microSD card and put it on top of the video in your video editing software. It sounds like a big deal, but it's not hard to do. In fact, Final Cut Pro makes it super easy because it basically does it for you.

Free yourself from the horrors of awful audio, and become the world-class content creator you were born to be!

Feature Presentation: “The Entrepreneurial Manifesto”

If you’re an entrepreneur, or on your way to becoming one, this week I’m going to cover some important philosophical and positional tenets that you can use as a roadmap to guide your enterprise to true and lasting success. Let’s begin…

• The fire in which we burn – Why you must guard your time like the absolute treasure it is (13:02)
• Seek and ye shall find – How to live the life you really want to live and bless those of your choosing without needlessly sacrificing yourself on their behalf (14:14)
• Tripping the thought wire – The secret to being successful and thriving while also being accountable (15:32)
• Where did you get that idea? – The real reason why business, wealth, and possessions are inherently moral and good (20:55)
• Creating value and building wealth – Money and resources can only exchange hands two ways, either voluntarily by trading value for value, or by force. Which do you choose? (23:59)
• Creating value can save the world – How copywriting saved a pastor and his family from financial ruin (29:34)
• And the winner is… – Why the Free Market is the only market that actually works (32:09)
• Are you worthy? – The reason it’s important to be ready to give an answer for what you believe (34:45)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• TASCAM DR-10L
• Final Cut Pro
• The Virtue of Selfishness
• Prosperity Academy

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.