Recently I was working with a client on an advertising campaign. We had been running a particular ad in a variety of online media  (mainly solo mailings to email newsletters), and the ad was barely breaking even. We decided to test different subject lines.  Basically, we changed seven words.

Immediately upon our next mailing, our “Return on Ad Spend” or ROAS  Went from around 80% to a startling 150%. Seven words. There's a saying in the direct response marketing business: “tiny hinges swing big doors”. In this episode, I will introduce you to five such “tiny hinges” that can “swing big doors” in your business. Small changes you can make that might mean the difference between meteoric success or humiliating bankruptcy. Plus, here are some additional reasons to keep listening…

• A nearly miraculous way to get rid of all the physical junk mail that clogs your mailbox.
• Why you should give up on working hard enough to earn God's favor.
• And a new feature, how to turn this episode into action and profits…

Announcements:

• If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. A big thanks to todmon26 and bdentzy for giving us a review on iTunes this week. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.
• I know many of you are waiting for details about the affordable mastermind, and we are still ironing out how and if we're going to do that. Thanks for your patience.
• Finally, and this is definitely not for everyone, but if you're tired of not making any money with your online business and you'd like to finally just get things jumpstarted… I'm getting together with a small group of serious entrepreneurs here in Spokane in July. Were going to spend three days and just build your business from the ground up. Or rebuilt it if what you're doing is not working. It's not cheap, and the only way to get in is to pass through and ” interview”  with me personally. We have 12 seats, two of them are already spoken for, and I promise you every single one will be filled. I do not promise to ever do this again. If you think you would like to be part of this group, to finally stop “talking” a big game and asked a start PLAYING the big game, click here and fill out this application in full. If your application seems to merit further consideration, my assistant will set up a call between you and me.

Tip Of The Week 

Every day I go to my mailbox-my real world, physical mailbox, looking forward to getting something fun. A good sales piece, for me, is a treasure. Issues of my favorite newsletters, also a treasure. Books, cards from readers and listeners, the occasional gift. All great stuff in good fun. Then there is the “junk”. Now what many people consider junk I actually look forward to-a good sales letter, a magalog or bookalog,  or the weekly direct-mail piece from James Malinchack.  

Everyone's got their own definition of junk, but those things to me are treasures. Junk, to me is all the poorly executed direct mail that I get. The stuff that so bad that it's a total waste of ink and paper. Stuff that's completely irrelevant to me, my business, my family. How do you get those folks to stop sending you mail? Why, there is an app for that of course. It's called Paperkarma. It's free. Using this app, you simply take a picture of the offending junk mail, click a button, and the folks at Paperkarma make your junk mail go away.

I'll be darned if I know how they make any money doing this, but I'll keep using them as long as they manage to stay in business.  They are not 100% successful, by the way, and getting everybody to stop sending your junk mail. And if the mail happens to be addressed to “occupant” or to someone who used to live in your address, or if it's just a ZIP-Code-carpet-bomb mailing, this app is not going to help. But it's a great little tool, and can dramatically reduce the amount of stuff you have to recycle every week.

Spiritual Foundations

Do you find yourself working hard to get God to fulfill your prayers?

I know people who have an illness and who run from healing evangelist superstar to healing evangelist superstar, practice the Daniel fast, anoint themselves with oil, repeat special prayers, and do their best to be 100% sinless and perfect and holy in their behavior. In other words, they are always looking for the right “magic ritual”  or “good behavior” that will get God to heal them.

But God has already supplied all our needs, and promised us that we don't need to worry or work so hard. There's a beautiful story in the gospel of John that shows us why this does not work, and why in fact we should stop working so hard to get God to give us what he is already promised.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath.”

John 5:6-9

This man encountered the one who was greater than the Angels, and who did not need a special supernatural event to deliver his promise This man encountered Jesus. Notice a couple of things: Jesus didn't ask the man to do anything until after he was healed… And the healing took place on the Sabbath. The day of rest.

Rest easy in God's promises, and believe that he always keeps them. Our job is to simply rest on his assurances, and trust that he knows when, where, and how to give us his very best.

Whether the answer you're seeking has to do with your family finances, a relationship, and illness, or some mental torment that you currently are enduring, just rest. Jesus will take care of you. God's delays are not God's denials.

Feature Segment:  Tiny Hinges That Swing Big Doors

Here are five “tiny hinges that swing big doors”. Five small leverage points that can turn your business around, multiply your productivity, and skyrocket your profitability. As my friend Michael Hyatt likes to say, get all your numbers going “up and to the right.”

1. Headlines. This includes the headline for your sales letter, for your space ad, the subject line for your emails, the title of your blog post, or the first sentence of your radio spot.  The job of the headline is to get the reader interested so that they will pay attention to the rest of the ad, post, or spot. Many times you can change the headline and no other copy, yet see a dramatic increase in sales.
2. Media. Last year, a client I work with experienced a dramatic downturn in the response they were getting from their online media buys. We took the same messaging and started buying radio commercials. Radical increase in profits, and a whole lot less work. If you've been making a lot of money and newspaper in that goes south on you, just try moving your media budget or redistributing it to include different media. Simple.
3. Audience. Dan Kennedy famously said, “it's easier to get a new audience than to write a new speech.” If your response rates are flagging, maybe it's because this audience has heard you give the speech 100 times already. Just go find a new audience. In other words, by your ads in different magazines, or on different websites, or send email ads to different lists.
4. Preframing. what people see or know about you before they see your ad can make an astounding difference in the response you get to that at. So think carefully through this: what do people see immediately before they see your copy? Is it an email? A banner ad? Do they hear a mention on a tele-seminar? Carefully craft and control the frame in which you are presented, and you can dramatically affect the outcome.
5. Format. I'm continually amazed that this escapes so many. Not everyone likes to read sales letters. Some people will never sit down and watch a video. Others will only listen to your message if they can literally do so-as in sticking earbuds in their ears while they're on the treadmill. And other people are not interested in any of those things, they want to look you in the eye and see how you conduct yourself with other people, So the best way to reach them is either in person sales presentation or at a seminar or workshop. I just described the basic modalities in which people experience life: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. If you are not presenting your message in all the available formats, you could be missing out on the one format that could dramatically increase your results.

What To Do Now

As always, I want you to leave the podcast by taking some action. So here's how to turn this episode into real-world value:

• Get a copy of the free Paperkarma app, and banish the junk mail from your life.
• Give yourself a break, and stop thinking you can work hard enough to earn God's favor. Just receive it.
• And take the list of those five “tiny hinges”, and put them to work in your business today. Make a small change in your headlines, try different media, look for a new audience, reengineer the way you are framed before people see your ad copy, and present your case in as many different formats as possible… Audio, video, text on paper, in live seminars and workshops.
• Finally, if you experience any success as a result of something you've learned or heard on this show, I want to feature your success story and congratulate you. Leave me a voicemail at the link below, or post your story in the comments.

Question:   Have you ever had an experience where a tiny hinge swung a big door for you? Click here to leave your comments.

Recently, my life fell apart. At least that's how it felt emotionally. From the outside, everything looked great.  I was an in demand speaker, making lots of money, with a lot of projects in the works, and the field of possibility ahead of me. The truth was another matter. My calendar was overscheduled, my time was overcommitted, I had agreed to too many meetings and too many projects, and my health deteriorated dramatically.  Somehow, I had managed to get off track. Way off track.

Then I had an epiphany. It didn't instantly solve all my problems, but it did show me the solution to all my problems, and the path I needed to walk to get back on track. Interestingly, I believe this same solution can work for you when you get off track, and I'll share a simple set of steps you can file away from when you need them. Plus, here are some additional reasons to keep listening…

• One iPhone case to rule them all.
• Why happiness really is the truth.
• An update on the “affordable online mastermind”…

Announcements:

• If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. A big thanks to AmGram, Kevin Anthony Williams,  and Mark Henson for giving us a review on iTunes this week. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.
• We are definitely moving forward with the affordable mastermind I've been talking about starting. We are still mapping out the plan for what will be most helpful, but it will probably look something like this: provide some basic training materials on building an online business, and having a monthly Q&A call where you could talk with me. Would love your ideas, thoughts, and suggestions. Put them in the comments at the end of this post.

Tip Of The Week 

A friend of mine showed me his Speck iPhone Wallet Case, and I was immediately smitten. For a long time I've been using the Duluth Trading Company's Smallet, which is a near-razor-thin wallet that holds only a few cards. But in my search for evermore minimalistic living, it bothered me that I had to carry both a wallet and my iPhone in my pocket. Now, with the new Speck  case, I carry only one item. The challenges it only holds three cards-so right now I'm carrying is my phone, my drivers license, a business debit card, and my personal debit card (because at the Edwards household, we don't do credit cards).

There are a few other cards that I normally carry with me-health insurance card, Costco card, Barnes & Noble membership card, library card, etc. So I came up with the very clever idea of simply taking pictures of those cards with my iPhone and keeping them in a special photo album on the phone itself. I'll keep you posted on how this works out.

Spiritual Foundations

There's a very popular song  with the refrain “clap your hands if you know happiness is the truth.” It just so happens I do know that. As followers of Jesus, we are supposed to be happy. How do I know this?

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

Feature Segment:  How to Get Back On Track

From the outside, everything looked great.  I was an in demand speaker, making lots of money, with a lot of projects in the works, and the field of possibility ahead of me. The truth was another matter. My calendar was overscheduled, my time was overcommitted, I had agreed to too many meetings and too many projects, and my health deteriorated dramatically.  Somehow, I had managed to get off track. Way off track.

Then I had an epiphany. It didn't instantly solve all my problems, but it did show me the solution to all my problems, and the path I needed to walk to get back on track. Interestingly, I believe this same solution can work for you when you get off track, and I'll share a simple set of steps you can file away from when you need them.

Here's the epiphany: 99% of all the results I'm experiencing in my life are 100% appropriate. Let me elaborate…

• I weigh exactly what I'm supposed away… based on what I eat and how much I exercise.
• I get exactly the amount of sleep I should be getting… based on how much caffeine and sugar I consume, what time I eat my evening meal, and how I choose to stimulate or not stimulate my brain in the few hours before going to bed.
• My income, expenses, and profits for my business are precisely what they should be… based on what work I do, who I choose to work with, how I invest my time in building the business, and the choices I make about expenditures

The point I'm trying to make is this: our lives are closed systems. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end. What happens between the beginning and the end is largely up to us. I say that 99% of all of our results are 100% appropriate, in that 1% are things that are actually outside of our control: an unexpected genetic defect causes the disease or deformity, market forces we had no chance of influencing diminish the value of our investments, a tornado demolishes the house we live in, etc. but despite the impression that may be given by the disaster-fascinated media, these events are definitely the minority.

We don't get fat because the “big food industry” is out to get us. We get fat because we chose to have a big Mac and a chocolate shake for dinner last night, instead of a salad and a lean steak.

This epiphany came to me as a result of reading three books, in succession: Living Buddha Living Christ, by Thich Nhat Hanh,  The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, and Work the System by Sam Carpenter.

Sidebar for my Christian brothers and sisters…

…there were many things in Hanh's book I could simply not agree with, and he clearly does not understand fully what it means to be a follower of Christ. I am very clear that Jesus is the only way to heaven and life with the Father. That being said, I found some valuable and powerful truths contained in Han's  the book; but I don't want anyone to be confused about what I believe or what I perceive as the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

I will be publishing a full review of Sam Carpenter's book next week. But the primary distinction I got from that book was that all of life is a system; and each part of our lives is a subsystem, consisting of many other subsystems. Take for example your health: is a system contained within your body. Subsystems include the system of what you eat, the system of how you use and maintain the physical framework of your body, the system of what thoughts you permit to enter and remain in your mind, the system of how much rest and sleep you get, the system of the environment in which you keep your body most of the time, etc

The point of all this is simply that getting back on track is not about considering a broad sweeping wholesale change in your life. It is about adjusting the component subsystems where you got off track. For instance, when it comes to my speaking schedule, the processes of the system that make up my speaking business are roughly something like this:

1. I write and publish blog posts, podcasts, guest articles, etc.
2. Potential meeting planners, here the podcasts, get a word-of-mouth recommendation about having me speak at your event.
3. Meeting planners contact my office and we negotiate a fee and agreement.
4. I accept the speaking engagement, and get paid my retainer.
5. I show up on the appointed date, give a speech, get the balance of my payment.
6. I go home.

What had gone awry in the system of my speaking business over the past few months was that I performed step number 4 too many times and without enough discretion. I said “yes” to far too many people. This resulted in my calendar being overscheduled, and also bled over into the other subsystems of my life, affecting my sleep, and ultimately my physical health.

But it gets even more interesting.

Because of the squeeze on my schedule, I had to work overtime during the hours I was home to complete client projects, work on my own products and trainings, get my podcast completed, etc. this disrupted the system that I call “family time”. It also disrupted the system that I call “exercise”, and the system that I call “sleep”. In those three cases, I simply didn't get enough family time, exercise, or sleep. So, in its wisdom, my body did what it sometimes does to force me to pay attention to it: it got sick.

The implication at the beginning of this podcast was that I did in fact get back on track, that I can show you how to do the same. In the spirit of transparency, I am just now emerging from the rubble of this massive system disruption, but things are much much better, and I realize I have been here before. So I feel relatively confident in helping you in your own quest to get back on track. Here are the steps.

7 Steps For Getting Back on Track

1. First, you must acknowledge that you have gotten off track, and have that same moment of realization that I did that the blueprint you have for what life is supposed to be like does not match the snapshot of what  life actually is like currently.
2. Forget the big picture, look for the simple mechanical problems in the small subsystems of your life that have gone wrong.
3. Isolate and identify those malfunctioning systems and subsystems.
4. Discover the procedures that could've prevented or at least lessened the problem you are currently experiencing in this particular system or subsystem.
5. Write down the new system of procedures you will use to prevent this one small isolated problem
6. Make it easy for yourself to follow your new procedure: remember the metaphor of the elephant, the rider, and the path.
7. Go through this same process with each system or subsystem that is malfunctioning to any degree.

When you correct the small variances in the tiniest of subsystems, the next level of systems above becomes smoother and less chaotic, allowing you to move your corrections up one level. Eventually the “big picture” takes care of itself.

What I Personally Have Done

I identified a few primary systems that needed better working procedures to solve some of the problems that were cropping up. So I developed step-by-step procedures for:

• Evaluating speaking opportunities.
• Evaluating possible new projects.
• Working with junior copywriters.
• Evaluating possible new clients.
• Marketing my company's products and services.
• Selling my company's products and services (yes, this is different than the above).
• My physical health, diet, and exercise.
• Simplifying and beautifying my physical environment.

I began making adjustments and every one of these systems, and began to instantly see a decrease in chaos and disorder… And more evidence of righteousness peace and joy. I'm definitely back on track. And you can be too.

One final note. Sam Carpenter said something deeply profound in his book that is worth repeating. I don't have to like the steps needed to correct my malfunctioning systems-but I do have to take them if I want to see change.

The result is the reward.

Question:   Have you ever had the experience of getting off track, and if so how did you get back on the path? Click here to leave your comments.

I was recently on the phone with someone, and they were talking. Something they said sparked a reaction in me, and I began thinking about how is going to respond. As they continue to talk, I constructed an elegant argument in my head to counter what they had just told me. Then they spoke words that struck fear into my heart: “Do you think I should've done that?” I had no idea what they were talking about.

You might think the skills and I'm urging you to master is listening. That is an effect of mastering this skill, but not the skill itself. Mastering this mysterious skill will make you a better listener, more focused, less distracted, and a better thinker. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Plus, here are some additional reasons to keep listening…

• The best way to master your email challenge. If you feel overwhelmed by email, this one is for you.
• A fun and exciting way to sharpen your mind.
• What your life would look like if God wrote the script.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. A big thanks to Mark Noldy and Deanna Gillingham for giving us a review on iTunes this week. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.
• I've received a lot of questions about the affordable mastermind I've been thinking about starting. In the show, I explain more of what I was considering, now that is changed based on some responses I received. In a nutshell, it seems like what would be useful to folks is to provide some basic training materials and building an online business, and having a monthly Q&A call where you could talk with me. Interested? Would love your thoughts. Put them in the comments at the end of this post.

Tip Of The Week 

Tip #1: Crash Course is an educational YouTube channel started by Hank Green and John Green, also known as the VlogBrothers. Crash Course was one of the 100 initial channels of YouTube's $100 million original channel initiative. Having finished earlier courses on Biology, World History, Ecology, English Literature, Chemistry, and United States History, Hank and John Green now teach, respectively, Psychology and Literature. Crash Course launched a preview on December 2, 2011. As of April 6, 2014, the CrashCourse YouTube channel has earned over 1.5 million subscribers and over 90 million video views.

Tip #2: How and why you might declare email bankruptcy…

Spiritual Foundations

The Fifth Gospel, and God's will for your life. What would your life look like if God wrote your biography in advance? Well, He has already done so. Here's what that means:

1. You were alive before you were born.
2. You have the DNA of Christ.
3. You have a new kind of life, fueled by the nature of God.
4. You have received new superpowers.
5. You have a new mission in life.

Feature Segment:  Master This Skill To Change Your Life

The skill that will change your life is mindfulness. Awareness. Being right here, right now.

This is not as easy as it may sound at first. Our mind loves to play a hilarious trick on us, and causes us to live either in the past or in the future, impishly avoiding the present.

Being mindful makes you aware of God's presence, of what is happening right in front of you. This will make you a better listener, a better communicator, more skilled in your work, or successful, happier, at peace, and bring your greater depth of fulfillment.

So how do you become more mindful? How do you master this skill that I guarantee will change your life? As silly as this may sound, the easiest way to begin is to mentally, or even out loud, speak what you are noticing right now. It might sound like this:

“I am standing on my deck, drinking this cup of coffee. I am breathing in. There is a bird sitting on the wire that stretches across my backyard. It is a Robin. I breathe out. A soft wind is blowing across my skin.”

This takes practice. It is more difficult than you think, and it is also easier than you think. There is no trick to it, other than being aware of what is happening in this moment.

When you're having a conversation with someone, being mindful of what they are saying will bring you a shocking new awareness in your relationships. Nobody will say to you, “hey, you seem more mindful now.” But they will sense that you are actually listening to them, paying attention to them, valuing what they have to say. They will feel heard by you, and this is one of the most basic human needs.

“Right now, he is telling me about his work, and I sense by the expression on his face in the tone of his voice that he is anxious and worried about something there. Now he is explaining a conflict with his boss. This situation makes him both fearful and angry.”

You speak out loud: “That must make you anxious and angry at the same time.”

It's important that you understand this is not a technique meant to help you manipulate other people, or “push their buttons”. The most valuable possession you have is the present. All I'm suggesting is that you in fact value it, notice it, experience it.

The temptation you will have at this point is to write this off as either too flighty, or impractical, or blindingly obvious. If that's how you're feeling, I simply challenge you to occasionally be aware of the present moment as you go about your life. Notice what you've been missing.

What To Do Now

Question:  what have you noticed about the importance of being present and mindful? Click here to leave your comments.

It occurred to me recently I often run my business from a backpack. In my backpack I carry my Nikon, some lenses, my iPad, and my MacBook air. If I can find an Internet connection, that's about all I need to run my business from virtually anywhere.  In this episode, you get five essential keys to running a backpack business.

Plus, here are some additional reasons to keep listening…

• I will share a seldom used function on your iPhone that can change your life.
• Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

•  I'm considering the formation of an affordable, entry-level Mastermind Group. This would be a true mastermind group, led by me, with personal interaction available. Would you be interested? Let me know in the comments on this post.

Tip Of The Week 

The  mysterious function on your iPhone that hardly anyone ever uses, but can dramatically improve your life. It's called the “off” switch.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Spiritual Foundations

Usually, the reason we cannot hear God's voice is we are too busy listening to other voices.

Feature Segment:  How to Have a Backpack Business

1. Get a backpack (seriously.)
2. Avoid limiting structures (like offices.)
3. Become a hard-core simplitist.
4.  Get a little help (but not too much.)
5. Get out there and do something. Take your backpack.

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:  Do you have a backpack business, and if so, how do you do it? Click here to leave your comments.

Ever reach the end of a workday, and wonder where the hours went? Sometimes it seems there's just too much to do, and not enough time to do it all. In this episode, I'll share 5 “tricks” that will help you get more done in less time.

Plus, here are some additional reasons to keep listening…

• I will share an app that helps you make great-looking  portraits on your iPhone.
• Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• Thanks to all who have left a review of the Ray Edwards Show in iTunes. Including  Johnny Lee Phillips, Cynthia Charleen, and Kevin Anthony Williams.
•  I'm considering the formation of an affordable, entry-level Mastermind Group. This would be a true mastermind group, led by me, with personal interaction available. Would you be interested? Let me know in the comments on this post.

Tip Of The Week 

The Facetune app helps you create pictures showing people in their best light.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Spiritual Foundations

Why do followers of Jesus experience tough times? Keep these 3 things in mind:

1. We don't see what God sees.
2. We don't know what God knows.
3. Nothing surprises God!

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Psalm 37:23

“Either God is doing a work in you, or He is using you to do a work in someone else.” Joel Osteen

Feature Segment:  5 Tricks To Get More Done In Less Time

1. Refuse any input (email, Facebook, voicemail, phone calls, chat, etc.) until you complete your “One Thing” for the day.
2. Do your most important work next, still refusing inputs.
3. Work in focus blocks, punctuated by short bursts of physical activity.
4. Shorten your workweek and your workday with “hard stops.”
5. Do things faster.

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:     How do you  Get more done in less time? Click here to leave your comments.