Have you been promising yourself that you would start a business of your  own “someday”? Or have you started a business already, and everything seems to be going against you?

In this episode:

• We discuss the virtues of “Christian Selfishness”.

• A foolproof method for not breaking your diet resolutions this year.

• And of course, those 5 pesky roadblocks to starting your own business.

• All this, plus our never-ending quest for Truth, Justice, and the American Way…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

On Christian Selfishness

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:12

We do things for God out of the profit motive. To be happy.

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” – John Piper

“The glory of god is Man fully alive”. – St Iraneus

Figure out what makes you truly happy and fully alive, and go after it in God’s name!

Tip of the Week

The #1 Way To Avoid Busting Your Diet In The New Year

This is guaranteed to work, 100% of the time, and I guarantee less than 10% of our listeners will do it.

Spend your eating on paper first. Make a list of everything you will eat in a month.

Throw everything else out. In the trash. Right now. Today. Don’t replace it.

Featured Segment

Everything you believe about why you can’t start a business is a lie. Your biggest hurdle to getting started is… your thinking. You have a thinking problem.

Anyone can start a business with a lot less stress and difficulty, by simply eliminating these 5 mental roadblocks in their thinking (I spell these out in the episode – listen to the podcast episode.)

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

This episode is another deep-dive Wednesday interview, this time with John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur On Fire.

In this episode:

• I catch John Lee by surprise, and then he opens up in a deeply heartfelt way.

• The amazing story of how John Lee struggled as a veteran returning home – and then triumphed like crazy.

• How to achieve your top goal in less than 100 days.

• How you can help build a school in Africa!

• All this, plus our never-ending quest for Truth, Justice, and the American Way…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

The Freedom Journal is a gorgeous, 300-page, leather-bound, gold embossed journal that will guide you in the accomplishment of your #1 S.M.A.R.T. goal:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Relevant

T – Time-bound

A unique, step-by-step process:

With daily tasks, nightly recaps, 10-day sprints and quarterly reviews, The Freedom Journal WILL hold you accountable to accomplishing your #1 goal in 100-days.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, only 8% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions actually stick with them. Why is it so hard to maintain the change? Why do most of us quit before we even  get started?

In this episode:

• I get personal, and give you a peek into the goals I failed to hit this year… why I think I failed… and what I plan to do aobut it in 2016.

• The amazing power of the “9 Environments” to guide (and even control) your destiny.

• How to consciously re-engineer your “9 Environments” to support the behavior patterns and emotional states that lead to success.

• And…is Ray Edwards really recommending you get rid of your books? Yep.

• All this, plus our never-ending quest for Truth, Justice, and the American Way…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
Romans 4:7–8

Some people think that if they were more “right” with God, then He would hear their prayers. For example, they sometimes believe that if they had not quarreled with their wives or had those bad thoughts about their boss earlier in the day, then God would answer their prayers. But I have good news: God is not like that.

Tip of the Week: Hire Your Own Personal Chef… Cheap!

What if you could eat healthy, real-food meals, prepared fresh for you by a gourmet chef… but for less than it costs to eat out at a cheap health-destroying restaurant? That's what we're experiencing with Pete's Paleo. Thank you Joe Polish for introducing me to Pete's!

Featured Segment: Why You Find It Hard To Maintain The Change

Anyone can increase their ability to maintain the change over time, by optimizing each of these 9 Environments.

1. Physical Environment
2. Mental Environment
3. Spiritual Environment
4. Emotional Environment
5. Social Environment
6. Financial Environment
7. Work Environment
8. Geographical Environment
9. Transportation Environment

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

NOTE: As of last week, we have changed podcast release day to Mondays for the main podcast. We're now experimenting with a second show each week. These shows will be long-form interviews, which I am dubbing “remarkable conversations”. Feedback sought and appreciated.

Businessman and Life Coach, Aaron T. Walker, has inspired many through his leadership, mentorship, and consistent pursuit of excellence. He enjoys helping others and believes experience is a great teacher. 35 years of entrepreneurship and marriage have given Aaron a wealth of experience.

For 19 years and counting, Aaron has been coached personally by his friend, financial guru Dave Ramsey.  My guess is he's learned a thing or two from Dave!

In this episode:

• How Aaron started his first business as a teenager with none of his own money.
• The difference between success and significance, and how to attain both.
• The chilling story of how Aaron contemplated shooting a man – and the life-changing insight he gained from that experience.
• The truth about building lots of wealth.
• The astonishing method for doubling your business in record time – without new equipment, without new marketing dollars, without new staff… even without selling of any kind!
• How Aaron gets world-class media opportunities and mentoring from powerful, famous people – it's so simple you can start doing this today, yourself.
• Why Aaron believes this is the best time in history to start a business, no matter how old or young you are.
• …and much more!

Click here now to listen to the episode.

• Aaron's Website, View From the Top
• Give Aaron a shout-out on Twitter.
• The free assessment documents Aaron mentioned are on this page (top right box in the sidebar).

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now (COMING SOON). Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

NOTE: As of last week, we have changed podcast release day to Mondays for the main podcast. I know, know… that seems to imply there is an “other than main” podcast. Is that true? Yep. Details coming soon.

Why do some people seem to succeed so easily, while others struggle merely to get by. Why is it some people seem to take a clear path to an exciting, vital destiny, while other lead lives of monotonous mediocrity?

In this episode:

• Did you ever feel like the door to your destiny is just locked? Like you can’t get through no matter how hard your try? Maybe the answer isn’t to try harder. Maybe the answer is to get the keys to the door!

• The supernatural secret to more energy, less stress, and amazing powers of stunning accomplishment.

• And…is Ray Edwards really recommending you get rid of your books? Yep.

• All this, plus our never-ending quest for Truth, Justice, and the American Way…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[a] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

You can get out of a state of fatigue, discouragement, and depression… you don’t have these things, you create them. Your thoughts, and especially your words, always empower some form of spiritual activity.

Want energy, joy, and enthusiasm? Don’t wait for these things to “happen to you”… you make them happen. They are within your spirit… all you have to do is release them.

Speak out and create the  energy, joy, and enthusiasm… whatever  you need… to accomplish what God has made you to accomplish!

Tip of the Week: Get Rid of Your Books

Am I, Ray Edwards, recommending you get rid of your books? Me, the champion of reading? Yes! Here's what I suggest you do: listen to the episode.

Featured Segment: 5 Crucial Keys That Unlock The Doors of Destiny

Did you ever feel like the door to your destiny is just locked? Like you can’t get through no matter how hard your try. Maybe the answer isn’t to try harder. Maybe the answer is to get the keys to the door. Your destiny is predetermined… by you. Design it.

Anyone can unlock the doors of destiny, by using these 5 Crucial keys.

Key 1: Purpose

• What is the meaning of your life?
• What does “Interview With The Vampire” have to do with your life purpose?
• You must know the larger story you are part of.
• For me, it is “to glorify god by living life fully alive, taking my deepest enjoyment from Him”.

Key 2: Mission

• How are you drawn to operate in the context of your purpose?
• Does your purpose change during the course of your life?
• How do you discover the role you play in the story?

Key 3: Vision

• What does it mean to have a “vision”?
• What we can learn about vision from Walt Disney.
• You must know what your future “scenes” in that story look like.

Key 4: Goals

• How will you know when you have arrived?
• Guys Without Goals: “I have never failed to hit a goal… because I’ve never set one.”
• For you to know when the mission is truly accomplished, you must define the specific objectives you want to meet.

Key 5: Take The Required Actions

Summary

Key 1 – Know your Purpose (What is the meaning of your life?)

Key 2- Know Your Mission (What is your current assignment that serves your Purpose?)

Key 3 – Clarify your Vision ( what does success LOOK like?)

Key 4 – Define Your Goals (what are the milestones along the way to mission accomplished?)

Key 5 – Take The Required Actions

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

NOTE: As we prepare to begin a new year, I am making a few changes to the way I create and deliver content to you. The first such change: the main podcast will now be published on each Monday. – Ray Edwards

If you market products or services of any type, your audience, your customer list, and your workplace is filled with them: Millenials. They are maligned, misrepresented, and misunderstood. Cutting through all this noise and disinformation about the rise of tomorrow's leaders can enhance your family, your relationships, and yes… your business.

In this episode:

• This week we turn the tables and I interview Sean – who is my c0host for this show, our company's Director of Strategic Development, and – surprise! – a Millenial.
• How to receive wisdom from your adult children.
• The surprising element of life that is vital to Baby Boomers, but very low on the priority scale for Millenials… and why understanding  this is your key to connecting with them.
• Who are Millenials, and how are they different from other generations?
• Are Millennials really suffering from entitlement and narcissism?
• What you must know if you want your marketing messages to hit home with Millenials… and the mistakes you must absolutely avoid.
• Why (and how) Millenials will change the world for the better.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

“A wise son makes a glad father.” – Proverbs 15:20

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” – Proverbs 13:20

Don't just teach your children, learn from them.

Featured Segment: Marketing to Millenials

Some fact about Millenials to set the context for our discussion:

• Millennials are the demographic cohort following Generation X.
• Most researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s
• Authors William Strauss and Neil Howe believe that each generation has common characteristics that give it a specific character, with four basic generational archetypes, repeating in a cycle. In their theory, summarized in their book The Fourth Turning, Millennials will become more like the “civic-minded” G.I. Generation.
• Jean Twenge, the author of the 2006 book Generation Me, attributes Millennials with the traits of confidence and tolerance, but also identifies a sense of entitlement and narcissism based on personality surveys that showed increasing narcissism among Millennials compared to preceding generations when they were teens and in their twenties.
• The University of Michigan's “Monitoring the Future” study of high school seniors (conducted continually since 1975) and the American Freshman survey, conducted by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute of new college students since 1966, showed an increase in the proportion of students who consider wealth a very important attribute, from 45% for Baby Boomers (surveyed between 1967 and 1985) to 70% for Gen Xers, and 75% for Millennials. But the percentage who said it was important to keep abreast of political affairs fell, from 50% for Baby Boomers to 39% for Gen Xers, and 35% for Millennials.
• The idea of “developing a meaningful philosophy of life” decreased the most across generations, from 73% for Boomers to 45% for Millennials. The willingness to be involved in an environmental cleanup program dropped from 33% for Baby Boomers to 21% for Millennials.
• In March 2014, the Pew Research Center issued a report about how “Millennials in adulthood” are “detached from institutions and networked with friends.” The report says Millennials are more upbeat than older adults about America's future, and 49% of Millennials say the country’s best years are ahead. Interestingly, they're the first generation in the modern era to have higher levels of student loan debt and unemployment.

Most this data was obtained from this article at Wikipedia.

Listen to the episode to hear Sean's startling take on Millenials, and how they will change the world.

Seans website is SeanEdwards.com.

Connect with Sean on his Facebook Page.

Sean's New Book – Highly Recommended Reading

American Resurrection: The Failure of the U.S. Constitution and the Rebirth of a Nation

The Constitution has failed, and most people don’t even realize it. Over the past century, both Republicans and Democrats have forgotten its purpose… and our nation’s great destiny.  No one party is to blame. We have just forgotten the reason why our nation exists. Hidden behind misunderstood and empty party slogans, our country is caught in a confused struggle to do what is right. We have cannibalized our principles and forgotten who we are.

This book is an attempt to reawaken the giant that changed the world. The ideas that the led to our nation’s founding still have the power to radically change history. We only need to remember them.

Liberal or conservative, this book will challenge you to see the world in a new and powerful way. Sacred cows in both parties will be put to the test. And hopefully, our nation can begin the journey back to greatness.

The United States still has a destiny to fulfill in the world, the only question is… will we do what is necessary to realize that future?

Find out how by reading American Resurrection: The Failure of the U.S. Constitution and The Rebirth of A Nation.

If you'd like to try two free chapters from the book first, just click here and enter your email address. Your free sample will be emailed to you.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Some people are waving a “stupid” flag, signaling the rest of us that they are… well… stupid.

Here's how to know if you are waving “stupid flags” – and what they cost you in terms of money, repect, relationships, and opportunities. We don't leave you hanging – we'll give you some hints on …. how to stop.

Spiritual Foundations

How to Change Your Life, Overnight, No Matter What

Tip Of the Week

The Best Camera Money Can Buy

Photographers mentioned:

• Austin Mann
• Dan Rubin
• 10 of the Best iPhone Photographers

And if you're up for the 30 day challenge, post your daily iPhone (or whatever phone/camera you carry) on Instagram. Follow me on Instagram – and I can't wait to see your photos!

Feature Segment: Are You Waving “Stupid Flags”?

You can know if you are waving “stupid flags” that cost you money, relationships, and opportunities…. and you can learn to stop waving those flags. Here are 3 questions to ask yourself before you speak:

1. Does what I’m saying or doing possibly sound like a complaint? STUPID FLAG! Complaining is stupid. But making a request
   is smart.
2. Does what I’m saying or doing come at a cost to someone else? STUPID FLAG! Words and actions are as painful or deadly as a fist or a knife. Make sure your humor doesn’t cost someone else. “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” Proverbs 26:18-19
3. Does what I’m saying possibly display my ignorance? STUPID FLAG! Especially if you're about to express a heated opinion, stop and ask yourself, “How do I know this is true?”

Remember that sometimes, even if you are certain you're right, speaking your opinion won't build anyone up, nor will it “impart grace to the hearer”. (Ephesians 4:29)

30 Day Challenge: “30 Days of No Stupid Flags” – all you need is a rubber band and commitment. Or, as Sean explained, a Sharpie and some nerves of steel.

Are you joining either of this month's Challenges? Why or why not?

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Maybe you've heard: giving thanks makes you feel happier and more fulfilled. There are at least 7 scientifically proven benefits to practicing the “attitude of gratitude”. And right now, as we enter the Thanksgiving Holiday season, the media is filled with heartwarming stories of all we should be thankful for.

Today, I'm going to suggest you be thankful for the bad stuff. The challenges. The tragedies. The pain.

In today's show, we'll discover:

• The shocking truth about suicide rates during the holidays.
• The 3 dangers of “counting your blessings”.
• The 7 scientifically proven benefits of  gratitude.
• The 5 unconventional times to practice thankfulness.
• How the attitude of gratitude makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• Why you can be thankful for the trials, and not just through them.
• Plus, I'll share a tip for how to get your podcast ranked higher in iTunes, quick and easy.

Spiritual Foundations

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
– James 1:2-8

All those things that seem to oppose our goals are actually the raw material for achieving them.
– Dan Sullivan

You can be thankful for trials, and truly count it all joy, not because God is teaching you a lesson, but because when approached with faith, trials always lead to victory. God doesn't cause everything, but He can use everything.

Tip Of the Week

How do you get your podcast ranked higher in iTunes? It comes down to 2 key factors, according to my buddy Cliff Ravenscraft:

1. Recent new subscribers in iTunes, using the Apple Podcast App.
2. Recent new downloads in iTunes, using the Apple Podcast App.

It is my opinion that high star ratings and favorable reviews somehow factor into the equation as well.

Feature Segment:
5 Unconventional Times To Practice Thankfulness (How The Attitude Of Gratitude Makes You Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise)

This is is season for bloggers and podcasters to roll out their “Thanksgiving posts”. And I do believe we all have a lot to be thankful for.

Of course, it's easy to be thankful when you live in a nice warm house, are privileged to indulge in gluttony, and watch multi-million dollar entertainment spectacles piped into your home virtually free of charge. Especially if you're healthy, and are in the top 10% of the world's wealthiest people.

Before you argue that last point, let me assure you that if you live in any modern country, especially in the USA or Canada, you almost certainly are. Check for yourself. I'll wait.

Just in case you didn't check, according to the Global Rich List website, if you make $14,000 per year in the USA, you're in the top 9.52% of the richest people in the world by income. So get grateful.

The Shocking Truth About Suicide Rates During The Holidays

Normally, this is where a blogger or podcaster would tell you about suicide rates surging up dramatically during the holidays. The convetinal wisdom is that we should exercise great discipline in being thankful during this time of year, because otherwise, we may, like so many, slip into depression.

The problem with this is that it's simply wrong.

Suicides do not go up during the holidays. They are, in fact, at their lowest rates of the year. But don't just take my word for it: The Health Central website says:

There is a well known reduction in the suicide rate on major public holidays (including non-religious). Many studies in different Western countries have found the drop is even more pronounced during the Christmas to New Year's stretch.  Read the whole article here.

The Wall Street Journal looked into this a few years ago, and their conlusion is that suicides dip in the winter, and peak in the spring. They back it up with solid reearch:

Studies from around the world suggest the key factor is climate, rather than the calendar. In the U.S. from 1999 to 2004, the six highest months in terms of suicides per day were March through August, not in that order, with a peak in July, according to my analysis of numbers provided by the CDC. (The seasonal variation isn’t extreme; the daily averages range from 76.3 suicides in December to 87.6 in July.) Other northern hemisphere countries such as Switzerland and Lithuania exhibit the same trend as the U.S. Suicide rates rise in England and Wales on hotter days, according to a study this year. In Singapore, near the equator, there was little seasonal effect. In the southern hemisphere, suicide rates peak in December. Climate’s role isn’t totally understood; some researchers have linked suicide’s seasonality to the amount of sunshine.

What do we conclude? One obvious possibility is that becuase people are practicing gratitude more intetionally during the holidays, they are less likely to kill themselves. So that's a big point in favor of “the attitude of gratitude”. However, don't skip this next part, because I want you to know…

The 3 Surprising Dangers Of “Counting Your Blessings”

1. Denial and gratitude are not the same thing. If you're swimming in the alligator tank, all the gratitude in the world is unlikely to keep you from being some lizard's dinner.
2. Giving thanks only for the “good stuff” can bottle up poisonous thinking and emotions. It suppresses, refuses to deal with, and thereby strengthens, the power of unresolved pain.
3. Your glib attiude and lack of empathy can hurt other people. You must be sensitive to what is happening with the people around you.

Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.
Proverbs 27:14

A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Proverbs 18:14

The 5 Unconventional Times To Practice Thankfulness

1. When you a depressed.
2. When you are lonely.
3. When you are ill.
4. When you lose someone you love.
5. When tragedy strikes.

How has “the attitude of gratitude” helped you deepen your faith… how has it make you healthier, wealthier, and wiser?

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

When it comes to productivity, there is no shortage of advice. The problem is it's often the same advice, repackaged with a bright new wrapper. Nothing new inside.

And there's no problem with that. Often, we need to hear the same advice presented differently, at different periods in our life, before it “clicks” and we finally “get” it. But sometimes, we need something truly different, something that rises above the normal, and begins to look more like a revolution than an evolution.

Today's “7 Shocking Productivity Hacks” may not seem new at first, but the extremes to which I will advise you to take these measures is, at least, something outlandishly more radical than what most would recommend. When you listen to today's show, you'll discover:

• How you can finally conquer your overflowing email inbox, once and for all, guaranteed. For free.
• The devastatingly effective method that ensures you never receive another unwanted phone call.
• A radical, but powerful method for getting rid of “dead weight” friends and acquaintances who are dragging you down… without making them feel judged, and without hurting their feelings.
• The almost magical technique to prevent writer's block, plus multiply your creativity, energy, and productivity by a factor of at least 7 … maybe 10.
• How to eliminate – totally and permanently – the #1 way other people waste your time.
• How to slash unwanted interruptions, meetings, and junk mail from your life, with one simple, bold “directive.”
• The single sentence (that you will come up with) that will erase any excuse you have for wasting a single minute of your time on someone else's priorties, for the rest of your life.
• How God can set you free from self-destructive habits,
• Plus, I'll share a resource that helps you improve your marketing.
• That's all comin' up on this week's show!

Spiritual Foundations

If you're breathing, you are tempted by various kinds of self-destrcutive behavior. It may be overeating, drinking, drugs, sex … or seemingly “lesser” sins like compulsive gaming TV watching, or even being “grumpy” all the time. God will set you free from these and any other self-destructive behavior, also known by the less popular term, “sin”. How do we know this?

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
-Romans 8:1

Don't get tripped up if your Bible says, “who do not walk accoirding to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Some translations, such as the New King James, include that line but it isn't in the oldest, most reliable Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. (NOTE: Sean thought it might be a good idea for me to point out that not everyone agrees that those are the most reliable manuscripts…. I explain more about this in the show.)

Now. Back to our topic – that verse. Notice the tense: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

So don't get all filled with guilt when you are tempted to sin. Just don't engage in the self-destructive behavior. Having the thought is not a sin. Acting on it is. As it was explained once to me: “You can stop birds from landing in the tree, but you can stop them from building a nest.”

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is inside you now, and that means you have the power of Christ to resist the temptation. And lest you fall into a “shame spiral”, just remember that even when you do give in, when you fail, you are still “the righteousness of God” in Christ. And there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

As you become more aware of how Jesus has cloaked you in His righeousness, and you see more of the Spirit living in you, you will not keep on sinning. You will not keep up the habits that destroy you. You have the power to “go and sin no more” – but only after you experience the reality of His Grace.

Tip Of the Week

Get your tickets early for Social Media Marketing World 2016. I'll be speaking there this time around, and right now you can save a lot of money on your ticket.

• April 17-19
• San Diego, California
• Networking party on the USS Midway aircraft carrier.
• You’ll choose from 100+ expert-led sessions and workshops in multiple social media marketing tracks (you get access to all).
• Mari Smith, Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan, Mark Schaefer,Michael Stelzner, Jay Baer, Brian Solis, Amy Porterfield, Michael Hyatt, Cliff Ravenscraft, John Lee Dumas, Joel Comm, Pat Flynn, Chris Ducker, Dan Miller… and so many more!
• Great information, inspiration, and motivation … in a no-pitch zone!

I want to “storm the gates” with our own little cohort. See you there?

Feature Segment: 7 Shocking Productivity Hacks

1. Delete your email account. (How you can finally conquer your overflowing email inbox, once and for all, guaranteed. For free.)
2. Change your phone number. (The devastatingly effective method that ensures you never receive another unwanted phone call.)
3. Move to a different city. (A radical, but powerful method for getting rid of “dead weight” friends and acquaintances who are dragging you down… without making them feel judged, and without hurting their feelings.)
4. Don't share your email address, phone number, and mailing address. (To anyone. How to bring unwanted interruptions, meetings, and junk mail from your life, with one simple, bold “directive.”)
5. Never return another phone call. (How to eliminate – totally and permanently – the #1 way other people waste your time.)
6. Stop consuming content. (The almost magical technique to prevent writer's block, plus mutliply your creativity, energy, and productivity by a factor of at least 7… maybe 10.)
7. Ask the “desert island” question. (The single sentence that you will come up with that will erase any excuse you have for wasting a single minute of your time on someone else's priorties, for the rest of your life.)

Do you have some ‘shocking produdctivity hacks' of your own?

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Would you like the closest thing to a “silver bullet” when it comes to marketing your business? Here it is: tell good stories.

But you must tell them in a very specific way, or this tactic can backfire. Fear not! This week I'm having a conversation with Donald Miller, who knows how to tell a great marketing story. Don shares some of his very best techniques with us in this interview. You'll learn…

• How Don discovered the power of story to sell products.
• The single most important character in your marketing story.
• How to use story in your marketing to sell more of … virtually anything at all.
• And much, much more.

The Storybrand Online Workshop

Click here to find out more about the “no-travel-required” online version of Don's Storybrand workshop.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Does you marketing make it past the trash can (or the delete key)? Probably not. Here's how to fix that.

• 5 Ways To Have Your Customers Want To Receive Your Marketing
• Why I Take Communion Every Day.
• Why we say stupid things… and how to stop!
• And much, much more.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Is your business built like a diving board – with only one support underneath? Or is it built like the Parthenon, which has stood for thousands of years because of its strength?

• The 7 Pillars of Competitve Advantage for Your Business
• Why we should always be thankful, no matter what comes our way.
• How to get your business out of the red and into the black – fast! (for less than $20)
• And much, much more.

Links From the Show

Jeff Walker's book, Launch!

How To Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now.  Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Today we interview Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast Answer Man. Cliff explains…

• How to know if podcasting is for you.
• Why most people don't succeed with podcasting, and how you can avoide their fate.
• The very good reasons why now is the perfect time to start a podcast.
• And much, much more.

Links From the Show

Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast Answer Man

Dan Miller

Michael Hyatt

Pursuing a Balanced Life

GSPN

Cliff's Podcasting A to Z Course (NOTE: get $500 off by entering the promo code “RAYSENTME” when purchase)

Cliff's free Podcasting Blueprint webinar this Friday, October 23, 2015.

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Today’s show is another “special edition”, where we will dive deep into the mechanics of how to build a remarkable business. In this episode, you'll get…

• The “secret system” for explosive business growth.
• The difference between your “talents and skills” and your anointing, and why you should care.
• A simple way to find out your anointing, if you don't know already.
• The 5 essential components that must be part of your strategic plan.
• 7 reasons why you must master this system now – today.
• What your real job is… and it's bigger than you think.

Links From the Show

Your free copywriting mini-course and templates.

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Yes, this is the second podcast this week – consider it a free bonus, included with your regular subscription. No extra charge.

I am a professional copywriter, and I teach copywriting to entrepreneurs who want to increase their sales and profits fast. This week, I'm answering the top 10 questions I am most frequently asked about the art and science of copywriting. During this show you'll also discover…

• If God just “showers us with His favor”, does that mean we don't need to do any work at all?
• How to get a free online “mini-course” in writing copy that sells.
• What Ray would do with a million “extra” dollars.

Links From the Show

Your free copywriting mini-course and templates.

The Apple website.

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

What if I told you the greatest persuasion secret known to humanity could be summed up in a single sentence? And that it is so dangerously powerful, we almost deleted this episode? It's true.

During this show you'll also discover…

• Why does God bless us? What do we have to do?
• The healthiest way of eating known to humans.
• Another success story interview, this time with Bob Burg, the author of The Go Giver.

Links From the Show

About the benefits of a ketogenic diet:

Keto Clarity

Ketogenic Cookbook

Blair Warren's (apparently defunct) website

The One-Sentence Persuasion Course

Bob Burg's website

The Go-Giver, Expanded Edition book

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

There are 5 bedrock truths that all great copywriters know. After hearing this episode, you will know them too. During this show you'll also discover…

How to build faith and always be receiving answers to prayer.

The best deal on a second monitor – ever.

An interview with New York Times best-selling author Michael Port.

Links From the Show

DuetDisplay app

Michael Port's website

Steal the Show book by Michael Port

Free Copywriting Training

Free Copywriting Training

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

I believe that for most businesses, the most valuable skill you can learn is writing copy. It can make the difference between profit or bankruptcy. During this show you'll also discover…

• The #1 barrier to hearing God's voice.
• An indispensable tool for evoking emotions in your writing.
• Success story from student and regency member Marshall Bone.

Links From the Show

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

Marshall Bone's website

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

In this show, I'll share the daily practice that leads to prosperity – and is guaranteed to spare you a life of poverty, fear, and depression.

We'll explore the  7 pillars of this practice – what they are, and how to practice them every day. During this show you'll also discover…

• A very inexpensive podcast gear setup (start a show for less than $100).
• Why you are hard-wired to seek happiness and joy..
• Another success story interview, this time with student and Regency member Kirk Bowman, on how to increase the value you bring to your customers… and how to get paid more for it.

Links From the Show

The Dangerous Duty of Delight, by John Piper.

Bossjock app.

ATR2100 microphone.

Auphonic app for better audio.

CLiff Ravenscraft's Podcasting A to Z Class, final session at this price.

Kirk Bowman's website, The Art of Value.

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

If you ever feel like you get one area of your life working well, only to find a fire breaking out in some other part of your life… if you feel you are “doing okay” but still don't feel that sense of happiness, or success, or fulfillment you're after… this episodes is just for you!

We'll explore the  4 Levels of Living That Bring Fulfillment and Success – what they are, and how to experience them every day. During this show you'll also discover…

• Soon… You could be INVINCIBLE!
• Where to find gifts that make people think you’re Tony Stark (or Bruce Wayne).
• A good reason to come to Spokane to shop or have coffee.
• Another success story interview with student and Regency member Brian Holmes, on how to break free from the unseen forces that hold you back from success and happiness.

The Creed of the Unbeatable Man

by Ray Edwards

NOTE: The following is 100% supported by Scripture. All Scripture references are linked to the Scriptural source of that idea or statement. I'm providing these as a resource, not as an invitation to debate. -Ray

When the world would beat me down, when the adversary comes against me, when the darkness seems overwhelming… when the mantle of mediocrity settles on my shoulders and seeks to weigh me down, when the grey and rainy skies won't relent… when the arrows pierce my armor, the bloodshed seems like a tide, and the odds seem overwhelmingly stacked against me [a] … in these times I will remember:

There is One who is unbeatable, his name is Jesus, and I am a co-heir to his legacy. [b]

Before the world was, he existed and in fact made the world for his purposes. [c]

I know that in this world I will have trouble, but I take courage, because he has overcome the world. [d]

He is never surprised, discouraged, alarmed, or afraid. [e]

He sits at the right hand of his Father, God Almighty, and as Jesus is in heaven, so am I in this world. [f]

In him I am free. [g]

His Spirit, the same Spirit that raised him from the dead… that healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, caused demons to flee, and set right everything that has ever gone wrong or ever will… that same Spirit lives in me. [h]

The Spirit of God leads me into all truth [i], sets me free [j], and reminds me that through Jesus I am 100% righteous and worthy to receive God's love.[k]

I am a saint and not a sinner [l], I am the light of the world, the city on a hill, the salt of the earth [m]… redeemed, restored, renewed, raised to life [n] … victorious, powerful, rich, healed, saved, delivered [o]... growing in wisdom and favor with men and with God [p]… an heir to the promises of Abraham and his descendants [q]… a son and a friend of God…[r]

Through the finished work of the cross, I am protected, favored, loved, and approved… weighed and found worthy. [s]

I am beyond the reach of sickness, death, judgment, and condemnation. [t]

I may have trouble, but trouble never has me. [u]

I am unpunishable, unashamed, and unafraid. [v]

I am unbeatable. [w]

And so are you. [x]

Links From the Show

Atticus Coffee & Gifts, Spokane, WA

Boo Radley's, Spokane, WA

The Grommet

The cool keyring Ray bought from The Grommet

Huckberry (check out their “opt-in” strategy – opt in, or you don't get to see anything.)

Brian Holmes's website for Strategic Living.

The Strategic Living Podcast

The Ties That Bind Online Course

Shin Ohtake's Max Workouts (key to Ray losing 50 pounds so far this year!)

John Lee Dumas's Entrepreneur on Fire Podcast

Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income Podcast

Cliff Ravenscraft's Podcast Answer Man Podcast

Heaven in Business Conference at Bethel Church in Redding, CA

Perry Marshall's website

Evolution 2.0 by Perry Marshall

Dan Sullivan

Seneca the Younger

Zig Ziglar

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

“What do I do if I don't have a product to sell?” This is a very common question we hear, and today we'll answer it. In fact, it's possible to go from idea to income in less than a week. During this episode you'll also discover:

• Who Let The Dogs Out (hint… it was you!)
• How to raise a computer from the dead
• The 10 day challenge we're inviting you to try, that can change your life!

Links From the Show

Michael Hyatt's podcast on negativity.

Caffeine app for Mac that keeps your computer awake.

Mike Kim's Website

Mike Kim's Pivot Course

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

There are 5 Murderous “Profit Poachers” that are on a merciless mission: to kill your business. The good news? Simply knowing about them can stop the cash-killers in their tracks. During this episode you'll discover:

• A simple app that increases the life of your Apple laptop battery.
• The lessons we can learn from Ananias and Sapphira… and why they had it right about money!
• “The 5 Profit Poachers That Murder Your Business” (And How to Stop Them In Their Tracks)
• The Paul B. Evans secret to preposterous productivity (without doing too much).
• How to get booked as a speaker, and make a better than decent living.
• Why you don't need a “speaker packet” or a “demo reel”… and might even be better off without one.
• How to get your work finished each day before 8am.
• How Paul creates content in minutes, not hours.
• The secrets of packing for a 7-day business trip -carrying everything in only a single backpack.
• How you can make an appearance on this show, and promote your business or website!

Links From the Show

The story of Ananias and Saphirra

“What's Up With That?” bit from SNL

The FruitJuice App

Paul B Evans Website, Facebook, and his Million Dollar Keynote Training (only useful if you want to actually make big money from your speaking career… have more impact when you speak… or simply banish “stage fright” forever!)

And finally, what the heck was Ray saying about “Li'l Sweet”? It's from a Diet Dr. Pepper ad (don't drink soda, it's bad for you… but the commercial is weirdly hilarious):

How to Get Promoted on the Show

Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 definitely mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

How to Get Featured on the Show

Send an email to support [@] rayedwards.com (take out the brackets and make it a real email address).. disguising our email address like this on the webpage helps us cut down on spam. Sorry for the hassle. Blame the spammers.

In your email, tell us a little about how you “made the leap” to entrepreneurialism, what (if any) influence I (Ray) have had on your business, and any other propaganda you think will help your case. We can't say yes to every application, but I promise we do read and consider every application.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

It can be hard to say “NO”.  Here are 3 powerful ways to say “NO” pleasantly.

• Find Out How To Say No Pleasantly.
• Did You Know God Forgives But He Also Forgets?

Can We Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Let's face it, we all make stupid mistakes. Learn to recover after making a “BIG MESS”.

• How To Recover From Stupid Mistakes.
• The Holy Spirit Wants To Guide You Into Victory

Can We Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Do you have a morning routine? Learn 7 ways you can Supercharge yours now.

• Learn 7 Ways To Supercharge Your Morning.
• Make It Your Goal To Seek God's Wisdom

  Can We Ask A Big Favor?

  Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

  We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

  If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

  Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

  Get The Transcript

  Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

   

Did you know that Discomfort Determines Destiny? Learn the 3 Ways now.

• How Discomfort Determines Destiny
• Be Patient With God's Promises and Do Not Lose Hope In Him

Can We Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript now. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Are you miserable a lot of the time? Chances are you in more in control of that feeling than you realize. Here's what to do about it.

• The Method To Stop Making Yourself Miserable
• Are You Stressing Out Over God Delivering His Promises

Can We Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

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Do you ever have that feeling of being totally overwhelmed? Well, in today's podcast, we go into a system for getting out of overwhelm that anyone can apply immediately.

• The 5 Steps To Getting Out Of Overwhelm.
• Do You Have Enough Faith

Can We Ask A Big Favor?

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173What is a lie exactly? I have written elsewhere that “Lies… are simply falsehoods perpetrated upon us for the purpose of robbing us of something.” Yet we lie to ourselves every day. Why would we do that? And of what are we robbing ourselves?

• The 5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself
• The 5 Liberating Truths That Will Set You Free
• The Most-Quoted Bible Verse in Hell

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

1. Ray's previous post about lies.
2. Francis Frangipane.
3. The Lord of the Rings.
4. The Bible.
5.  Archive of Podcast Episodes

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Today's episode is Part 2 of a two-part interview with best-selling author Frank Viola. I had great fun with this conversation, and if you are a writer (or want to be one), I think you'll learn a lot from it. I get to “grill” Frank about questions writers always want to know about other writers…

• Why do you write?
• How do  you write?
• Are you a “word count guy” or are you a “time at keyboard” guy?
• How do you get published?
• And we pick up where we left off… Frank was going off on a bit of a “rant”..

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

1. Frank Viola's website.
2. The “Christ Is All” podcast.
3. The definitive guide to Frank Viola's books.
4. Frank Viola's list of the Best 100 Christian Books.
5. The Buzz Seminar Course. (I get paid a commission if you buy this – just sayin'.)

Can I Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

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Today's episode is Part 1 of a two-part interview with best-selling author Frank Viola. Frank has long been one my favorite authors, and in this episode I get to “grill” him about questions writers always want to know about other writers…

• Why do you write?
• How do  you write?
• Are you a “word count guy” or are you a “time at keyboard” guy?
• How do you get published?
• And so much more…

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

1. Frank Viola's website.
2. The “Christ Is All” podcast.
3. The definitive guide to Frank Viola's books.
4. Frank Viola's list of the Best 100 Christian Books.
5. The Buzz Seminar Course. (I get paid a commission if you buy this – just sayin'.)

Can I Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

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It often feels as though we're faced with the choice to either win or lose. What if you could always win?

Regardless of the outcome, whether you are winning or losing is mostly a matter of your own choice. In this show, I'll give you “The 828 Tool” for always winning. Other reasons to listen:

• How to have more peace.
• How to use your computer power supply to become more productive.

Spiritual Foundations

Don't Let Your Heart Be Troubled

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

Tip Of the Week

How to use your computer power supply to become more productive.

Feature Presentation: How to Always Win

The challenge: more and more we feel as if we're losing.

1. Higher standards
2. Instant comparison
3. More scores to keep
4. More information
5. Always on
6. Never enough
7. Impossible false standards

It isn't about living the perfect life – it's about understanding the perfection of life.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
– Romans 8:28

If that's too “churchy” for you, this wisdom is recognized by great  thinkers in different ways.

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
– Napoleon Hill

“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.”
– Albert Schweitzer

“If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgement of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now.”
– Marcus Aurelius

So how can you see the good in adversity? How can you transform the obstacle from being in the way to being the way?

Use The 828 Tool. 

Click here to download the tool now, for free.

Use The 828 Tool and share your results.

Can I Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

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Writers love apps. We can waste countless hours testing and researching them. Before apps, it was pens, paper, and especially notebooks. The truth is, the tools we use are not nearly as important as the act of writing.

The only indispensable pen, notebook, or app is the one that you will use to do actual writing. In this show, I'll share my personal 7 indispensable writing apps. Other reasons to listen:

• How to know God's not angry with you.
• An app that changes your negative thinking into positive thinking.

Spiritual Foundations

God's Not Angry With You

One of my ancestors, Jonathan Edwards, is famous for a sermon called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This is a mischaracterization of God that pervades the church.

1. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
2. If you don't understand the Bible through the lens of covenant and context, you can't understand it at all.
3. God's unchanging attitude toward you is love and mercy.

Remember you are a saint in the arms of a happy God!

Tip Of the Week

WinStreak is an app that is the brainchild of Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach. According to Dan & the app's website:

We live in a world where there’s a lot of negative information. WinStreak is a simple tool for making sure that, at the end of every day, you feel positive about your accomplishments and excited for the next day.

At the end of each day, regardless of what happened, record what your biggest “wins” were. Then, plan what your biggest wins will be for tomorrow. This will keep you focused on your goals while recognizing and celebrating your achievements—or wins—along the way. It’s that easy.

Even if you experience setbacks, disappointments, or obstacles during the day, you know you’ll always have wins from today and have a plan to accomplish more wins tomorrow. Tracking your progress in terms of wins will undoubtedly maximize your productivity and kick-start your motivation.

The way you interpret your days is entirely up to you. Would you rather see your days as wins or as losses? It’s a phenomenal breakthrough to realize that you’re in control of the story of your life.

The premise it’s based on is simple: Life is a game, and we can set it up every day so we’re always winning. Our experience is that making this kind of thinking a habit actually leads to people being more effective, fun to be around, and enjoyable to work with.

The app is free, and you can get the full impact in less than five minutes per day.

Grab the app and get on a Winstreak!

Feature Presentation: 7 Indispensable Apps For Writers

1. Scrivener. Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents.
2. TextExpander. Type more with less effort! TextExpander saves your fingers and your keyboard, expanding custom keyboard shortcuts into frequently-used text and pictures.
3. Drafts. Drafts is a different kind of note taking app. In Drafts, text comes first – open the app and get a new, blank draft. Get your text down quickly, then act on it with powerful actions.
4. Evernote. For everything you do, Evernote is the workspace to get it done.
5. Byword. Simple and efficient text editing for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
6. Microsoft Word. Bloated, buggy, and necessary.
7. Pages. Pages for Mac is a powerful word processor that gives you everything you need to create documents that look beautiful.

What writing apps do you find indispensable?

Can I Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

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“So, what do you do every day? What's typical  day like in your life?”

I am asked this question, or something similar, often enough that I thought it might be worth answering in a podcast episode. This show is entitled, “A Day in the Life of Ray”. Other reasons to listen:

• How to see more good days than bad, from now on.
• A service that allows you to easily build beautiful process documentation for your business and your team.
• An encore presentation of the Masterclass, “How To Write A Sales Page That Rakes In $10 Million”.
• How to get promoted on this show to my audience.

Spiritual Foundations

No More Bad Days

Recently I've seen two friends go through a battle with cancer, and I saw first hand how we are in control of our response to what happens to us. Regardless of your circumstances, whether you have a good day or a bad day is really up to you

Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet that, “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (NASB)

There are 3 keys to stepping into a life with no more bad days.

Key #1: Set Up a Rule You Can Always Meet In Order to Have a Good Day.

Tony Robbins tells the story of two different gentlemen who attended one of his exclusive seminars in Fiji.

One gentleman was a billionaire, a high achiever. The other was successful in many ways, but not someone with extraordinary income.

Tony noticed that the billionaire seemed to be miserable, while the more average gentleman seemed to be extraordinarily happy. So Tony asked each man what was required in order for him to have a good day.

The billionaire gave a long list of requirements that had to be met, including the amount of time he exercised, his target heart rate, his perfect diet, achieving certain financial milestones in his business, certain processes that had to happen correctly without fail, and a long list of things that must happen in order for him to have a good day.

When Tony asked the gentleman who was a more moderate financial success about his rule for having a good day, the man replied with a big smile: “It's simple. Every day above ground is a good day.”

You get to set up the rule for what makes a good day. Why not make it one you can meet?

Key #2: Change the Way You Interpret What Happens to You.

The lens we used to look at the world tends to control what we see. There is the story that is told about to traveling salesmen, each of whom had a conversation with the same farmer at the corner of his field near the road. The first asked him, “Hey! What kind of people live around here?”

The farmer replied, “Well, what kind of people did you find in the last place you visited?”

The salesman grimaced and said, “A bunch of dishonest, ornery, inhospitable scoundrels.”

The farmer nodded, and said, “I expect you'll find the same sort of people around here.”

The next day, a different traveling salesman encountered that same farmer at the corner of his field. This new salesman had a big smile on his face and said, “Hello! What a beautiful day, and what a beautiful farm you have! I wonder if I might ask you, what sort of people will I find around here?”

Farmer grinned, and asked, “what sort of people did you find in the last place you visited?”

“A lot of generous, happy, open hearted and welcoming people. That place was a real joy to visit!”

The farmer smiled, and said, “I expect you'll find the same sort of people around here.”

What we expect informs our interpretation of what we experience. The environment inside our heads controls the environment outside our heads. What we think about tends to be what we experience.

Key #3: Have Biblical Hope.

The word “hope” means something different in the Bible than what we typically mean by the word hope in our culture.

In modern culture, “hope” is a wishy-washy, half in, half out milquetoast way of thinking. If we say we “hope” something will happen in a certain way, what we are really saying is, in effect, “I wish it would happen this way, but I know it probably won't.”

On the other hand, typical hope can be defined as “the positive expectation of good things.” That's why our life of faith is referred to as “hope that does not disappoint”. And there are plenty of reasons to believe this hope of the Bible is for real.

In the book of Romans, we are told that God makes “all things work for the good of those who love Him.”

Jesus exhorted us not to worry about things we need in everyday life, but to trust that our Father in heaven is a good father, and he knows how to take care of his children, and that he will always give us what is best for us.

Sometimes we may not be able to see how that is true, because we don't have his perspective. Just as a child might be upset when a parent roughly grabs them by the arms, yanks them off the ground, and throws them to the ground. The child may believe this was mean and cruel behavior, not realizing that their father just yanked them out of the way of an oncoming car, and saved their life.

What's more, according to the Bible we know that the things that we speak and think have spiritual power to change what actually happens to us. I would encourage you to think about things that are good and positive. You may not be able to control your feelings, but you can certainly take control of your thoughts.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

I don't have “zero bad days” just yet… But I have many more good days than bad ones, and that ratio is always improving. I believe it is because I use the 3 keys to unlock the door to more good days:

1. Set up an easy-to-meet rule for what makes a good day.
2. Change the way you interpret what happens to you.
3. Have biblical hope. A “positive expectation of good things.”

Tip Of the Week

SweetProcess is a service that allows you to easily build beautiful process documentation for your business and your team. 7 reasons I am back with them after a brief hiatus.

1. Frees up my time, I can stop spending time on repetitive tasks. Get them documented and out of my head, so someone else can do them. Now I'm free to focus on growing my business.
2. I can endure employee turnover without the setbacks. When an employee leaves, training their replacement is a breeze since all of their tasks have been documented and refined over time.
3. Easy for team refinement. The system makes it easy for my team to make processes more efficient over time as we hone each step in any given process.
4. Reduces errors and re-do’s. Procedures are easy to follow, illustrated with screenshots, videos and checkboxes to ensure no steps are missed.
5. Adds value to my business. A business built on a foundation of well-documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) has a higher value, which grows over time.
6. Forces me to evaluate processes. As I think through the steps, I am forced to ask, “Is this the best way to do this?” I have discovered and eliminated many inefficiencies as a result.
7. Better than Word, Google Docs, or other apps. SweetProcess is more elegant, custom-built for the task, easy to use and keep up to date, and “siloed” from other systems. And it's just more fun to use!

Feature Presentation: A Day in the Life of Ray

1. Rise at 4 AM
2. Make bed
3. Pray
4. Meditate
5. Brush teeth, shave
6. Take care of dogs
7. Drink 12 ounces of water
8. Take communion
9. Worship
10. Make declarations
11. Protein shake
12. Bulletproof coffee
13. Bible
14. Classical music
15. Read spiritual book
16. Read nonfiction book
17. Take morning meds at 6AM
18. Journal
19. Listen to a grace centered message
20. Lumosity
21. Check mint
22. Create content starting at 7AM – Noon
23. Lunch NOON – 1PM
24. Do admin work
25. Exercise for 60 minutes 3PM
26. Spend time with family 4:30 PM
27. In bed by 9pm

What's a day in your life like? What are some parts of your daily routine your consider non-negotiable?

Announcements

Some useful announcements…

• Great feedback on the format. We're definitely going to keep things tight, but we are moving to a 48 minute length, and here's why: we are making the show available for distribution on radio. It's free to you a a radio station, and we leave you space for your commercial breaks. If you want to run the show on your station, simply reach out to us  at support@rayedwards.com
• An encore presentation of the Masterclass, “How To Write A Sales Page That Rakes In $10 Million”. Next Monday at 4pm Pacific. Click here to register.
• How to get promoted on this show to my audience. We're having a testimonial contest: video, results based, with examples you can show. Make a video, and tell the following story:

Make a video, and tell the following story:

1. What problem you faced before you “met” me…
2. What would have happened if you hadn't solved that problem…
3. What you did that you learned from me…
4. And the specific results that happened…

Then post the video to YouTube, and send us a link to the video along with your conact information. Send it to support@rayedwards.com.

Can I Ask A Big Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

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Social media marketing is here, it's here to stay, and it's bigger than ever. But who can keep up with the trends, the new networks, and the shifting sands of strategy and tactics? How do you know what to spend your time on, and what's a waste? Who could possibly sort through this mass of possible opportunities or pitfalls?

You- that's who! All you really need is the 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. In today's episode, I'll tell you where to get it, why it's important, what to look for, and how you can use this valuable piece of marketing intelligence to catapult your social media marketing forward in the remaining half of the year! Other reasons to keep listening include:

• How to write a $10 Million sales page…
• Why you can have hope no matter how big your challenges…
• And your last chance to get a free training video on how to start, run, and grow a business that changes the world.

Spiritual Foundations

You Lose Nothing Because God Restores Everything

No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can be assured that God sees you, cares for you, and will provide for you… and beyond that, he will restore what the enemy has stolen, and set you up better than you were before!

In the Old Testament, God protected Hagar and her son Ishmael when she was cast out from Abraham's house. Hagar called Him “the God who sees me”.

While Job was severely tested, God did restore everything he lost and more.

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, unknown to them he rose to rule over all of Egypt. He was not bitter, but said, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good, so that I could save your lives and many others.”

And in Romans 8:28 the Apostle Paul tells us “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…”

So remember, no matter what may come your way, God is for you and not against you, he will restore you to better than you were before.

His grace is bigger than any setback, problem, or circumstance, even the ones that seem impossible.

He sees you.

He restores and heals.

What the enemy intends for your evil, God will repurpose for your good.

And He makes ALL THINGS work together for your good!

Tip Of the Week

Would you like to know how to write a $10 Million sales page?

I'm going to show you just that next Tuesday, June 2, 2015 in a special free Masterclass. This is a live training, so I'm sorry – if you're listening to this after June 2, 2015, this opportunity has already passed you by. That's why it's a good idea to listen to the podcast every week, and subscribe to my email newsletter!

We only have 1,000 seats available for this Masterclass, so register now at https://rayedwards.com/masterclass.

Feature Presentation: The State of Social Media Marketing

The 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report is out. The purpose of the report is to show how marketers are using social media to grow their businesses.

The report is authored by Michael Stelzner, the founder of Social Media Examiner.

It's their 7th annual report, 52 pages, and over 80 charts. It's all easy to understand and digest, and Mike takes the time to point out the “not-so-obvious” findings.

Over 3,700 marketers responded to the survey that produced this report, and I don't know of any other source from which you can get this kind of data.

Why This Report Is Of Value To You

I highly recommend you get the report for yourself and start digesting it. Most of your peers will probably ignore it… and of those who download it, most will not read it… and of those who do read it, only a small, single-digit percentage of them will actually take the time to understand it and reason through the implications. Place yourself in that small minority, and you give yourself an enormous success advantage you can start capitalizing on immediately.

I'll give you a top line taste of what can be gained from this report in moment, but let me echo some advice form the report itself. This information is for you regardless of your experience level with social media marketing.

If you're experienced with social media, compare yourself against other marketers, see which platforms they're looking at next and determine whether you're achieving the same benefits as your more experienced peers.

If you're a beginner (or really any level), take a look at the time commitment, benefits and platforms that your peers are using.

• The time commitment: The report examines the weekly hours marketers invest in their social media efforts. This analysis will be helpful for marketers just getting started or those seeking support staff.

• The benefits of social media marketing: This section of the study reveals all of the major advantages marketers are achieving with their social media efforts. It also looks at how weekly time invested and years of experience affect the results.

• Most-used social media platforms: Discover which platforms marketers are using and how their usage will change this year. The report also examines which platforms experienced marketers are using.

Other interesting, and more advanced topics in the report include…

• Social media networks people want to learn more about: In this section, you'll discover the social platforms that marketers are most interested in learning about.

• The report also examines the role of content in social media marketing, paid social media and how marketers respond when new networks emerge.

• Plus questions such as how business-to-business (B2B) companies differ from business-to-consumer (B2C) companies and whether the size of a business has any bearing on results.

• Perhaps most interesting of all, the report also highlights significant changes since last year's study.

I Know What You REALLY Want… Here Are The Top Nuggets From The Report

Okay, I know how it is. You're busy and you want me to read the report FOR you and give you a summary. And that's what I'm going to do. But it would be a huge mistake for you to leave it there. You see, there is a very deep and valuable advantage and opportunity for you in the report, but to make it work you're going to have to get the report and mine this particular pot of gold for yourself. I'll explain all that shortly, but for now, let me satisfy your curiosity with some of the primary findings…

• Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn hold the top spots for future plans: A significant 66% of marketers plan on increasing their use of these social networks.

• Marketers want to learn most about Facebook: While 93% of marketers are using Facebook, 68% want to learn more about it and 62% plan on increasing Facebook activities.

• Video becoming important: A significant 57% of marketers use video in their marketing; however, 72% want to learn more about video marketing and plan on increasing their use of video.

• Podcasting on growth trajectory: Only 10% of marketers are involved with podcasting, yet 26% plan on increasing their podcasting activities and 43% of marketers want to learn more about podcasting.

• Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers. When allowed to only select one platform, 52% of marketers selected Facebook, followed by LinkedIn at 21%.

• Most marketers aren't sure their Facebook marketing is effective: Only 45% of marketers think that their Facebook efforts are effective.

• Tactics and engagement are top areas marketers want to master: At least 91% of marketers want to know the most effective social tactics and the best ways to engage their audience with social media.

The Hidden Opportunity I Spoke Of Earlier

Perhaps the most opportunity-rich information in the report are the top 5 social media questions marketers want answered.

The top social media questions marketers want answered can be summarized in the following keywords: tactics, engagement, measurement, audience and tools—in that order.

But do not stop here. If you are a social media marketing provider or agency, if you are a consultant or coach, or i you train people in social media marketing, this is the vein of pure gold you're looking for. Here, in this section of the report, you will find the topics for your next consulting sessions, online courses, blog posts, and podcasts!

My advice: go beyond the obvious top line conclusions, spend some time reading an digesting, and think. Think about the following:

How can you take advantage of the trends for promoting your own business? How can you model the best behavior for you clients and students?

What connections can you draw that take data from different areas of this report and tie them together into new strategic and tactical approaches to marketing incorporating social media.

And then dig deeper: how can marry your specific knowledge of your target market with the trends and current needs of marketers revealed in this report, and use that mixture to create new rocket fuel for marketing programs? Thinking of this nature will give you an advantage your competitors will not even understand, let alone duplicate.

For those of you intrepid enough to actually heed my advice, you'll find more than 80 charts that visually convey some fascinating findings. For example, the report looks at which social networks are used by those who invest the most time in social media marketing, the benefits achieved by those who've been at this for years and how marketers respond to new social networks.

There's much more to be mined from this report. I've only scratched the surface.

What most will fail to realize is what a generous gift Mike Stelzner gives us with this report. In fact, I am honestly going to try and convince him to charge for this. An independent study, commissioned to retrieve the same level of response, exactness of data, and rigorous construction of the questions to yield unbiased, statistically reliable results would surely be a minimum six-figure investment.

You get all this for free. At least until I can talk Mike out of the crazy tree, and get him start charging something for this treasure chest… which is filled with treasure maps to other treasure chests!

Someday. But in the words of Aragorn, son of Arathorn, not this day. For now, it's still free, so go download your report now at:

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/report2015/

What is the most interesting and useful insight you got from the new report?

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.” I'll be taking this video down soon, so if you want to get access to it, do it now!

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Have you heard the phrase, “Information is power?” Well, it's not true. It's not even close to being true.

The idea that “information is power” is misleading, and causes many people to create roadblocks to their own success. And it's about more than just the distinction that “information applied is power” – even that variation has problems. I'll explain how to transform the lead of “information” into the gold of “transformation” in this episode.

Spiritual Foundations

You Have Everything You Need

Steve was a coaching client who had everything going for him. He was a web designer with extraordinary talent, a great reputation, and a constant stream of people who wanted to do business with him.

But Steve didn't feel successful. One day he told me, “Ray, everybody thinks I'm a success, but I feel like a total failure. I haven't hit any of my goals this year, I'm feeling discouraged, and I'm not even sure my heart is in my work any more.”

I asked him, “Steve, how can you say that? You're extremely talented and succesful.”

“That's just it, Ray. I don't even know if that's true. My work seems mediocre to me, when I compare it to (and here he named another well-know designer.)”

Suddenly, a light came on in my head.

“Steve, it sure seems like you're aware of a lot things you don't have… your goal weight, your goal income, your dream house, the talent that so-and-so has…”

“Exactly!”

“What about what you do have?” I said.

He snorted.

“Yeah, I know, Ray. I should count my blessings.”

I smiled.

“That's a good idea,” I said, “But not what I was going to say.”

He seemed curious, so I pressed on. I quoted this to him:

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.'”
~ Psalm 23:1 (NIV)

He skepticism returned.

“Yeah, but I don't have…” and he proceeded to make list of all the things he wanted, but didn't have.

I interrupted him gently,”So is the Scripture right, or are you right?”

He stopped talking. I had thrown him a curve ball. I knew what he was thinking: he believed Scripture, but his experience wasn't matching up to it.

I said, “God is saying that from His perspective, you don't lack a thing.”

Steve said nothing.

“So if you lack nothing, what do you have, Steve? The Scripture also contains the answer for that.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
~ 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

Steve said, “I know that's true. So why am I so miserable?”

“Because you keep declaring what you DON'T have! That's what your focus is on. And what we focus on tends to grow. As you focus on lack, you begin finding more and more of it in your life.”

“So what do I do to to change that?” he asked.

I told Steve this…

“Steve, God has given you everything you need to live the destiny you were created for. And He did create you to fulfill a great destiny! And the power to access that destiny is in God's Word.”

“A good place to start is by watching your self-talk. What are you saying to yourself all day long? If what you're saying is, ‘Look at all the things I don't have. Time, money, peace, love, security…' Then you will find that to be what you experience.”

“But Psalm 23:1 says you ‘lack nothing.'”

“What if you replaced all your victim thinking, and victim-oriented self-talk ,with the Word of God over your life? Paul wrote to Timothy that Scripture is provided so ‘that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.' So say to your self: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing! I am complete! I am equipped for every good work!'”

“In Romans 8:28 it says, ‘…we know that all things work together for good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.' So if it's not good yet, it's not done yet!”

I told Steve that every time one of these negative thoughts came to his mind, he should not speak it out loud, but should declare the truth of what God says about him. And that he should do so out loud, in a strong voice, as if he meant it.

We worked on his coaching plan for the next month, he promised to do as I suggested, and said he would report back on our next call (in 30 days.)

In less than 10 days, I got a call from Steve.

“Ray I'm so excited I couldn't wait to tell you what's happened! I began doing just was we agreed, and in just a few days things started changing. I started to have more confidence. I started waking up in the morning in a good mood. Two new clients signed on at the highest rates I have ever been paid. And I am much more happy now that I'm not constantly thinking about what I don't have!”

What worked for Steve can work for you, too. Stop telling yourself stories about what you don't have. Remember that your words have power to change reality. So speak the truth of the Scripture out loud. Put it into your words, but base it on God's Word.

He has promised us we lack nothing, we are equipped for every good work, we have everything we need, and He is working things out for our good.

So say to yourself…

“I am called to God's purpose for my life! He is making everything work out for my good. I am equipped with everything I need to overcome any obstacle! I am more than a conquerer. God is giving me the desires of my heart!”

I give you the same challenge I gave Steve: do this for 30 days, and report back to me here, and let me know what God has done in your life, as you focus on the truth that you lack nothing!

Tip Of the Week

Well, I have my voice back, and so the release of my brand new Copywriting Course,  rolls on this week. You can get access to all the free stuff we're giving away, just by going to RayEdwards.com/formula.

Feature Presentation: Information Is Not Power

Power is the “potential ability to do work”. Information is not power. Action is not power. Right Action is power.

You can become more powerful (accomplish more with less effort) by remembering these three points:

1. The transmission of information does not equal the creation of understanding. If you need to get people to understand you, more is required than a mere “information dump”. This will only overwhelm, and actually diminishes understanding.
2. More time does not usually create better decisions. Waiting longer, to get more information, usually results in poorer decisions, not better ones. Get the required information – then make a rapid decision based on your first reaction.
3. The message you are preaching is not nearly as persuasive as the message you are living. You will replicate in others who you are, not what you say.

What do we do with this? How does this apply in life, and specifically in our “information marketing” businesses?

1. Give instructions, not explanations. Teach “how to”, not “what do”.
2. Gather the MRI (Minimum Require Information) to make a good decision. Guess at the MRI if you must. Sometimes you will be wrong. To make better decisions, make more decisions. Faster.
3. Demonstrate  and embody what you want to see in others. Don’t HAVE a message – BE a message.

Put these to work, and share your results below in the comment section,

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Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

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Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript.Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

The single most important thing you can do to boost your social media engagement is right better headlines. If you don't get the click, you certainly don't get engagement.

Old-fashioned headline templates are no longer enough. You need a smarter, stickier strategy. In today's episode I give you a sample from our brand-new copywriting course-I'll share five amazing tricks for perfect social media headlines.

Tip Of the Week

COPYWRITING COURSE NOTE: You may be wondering, “Hey Ray, where's that link to your copywriting course?” Well, this episode was recorded a few weeks ago… and this week I got a nasty case of laryngitis that really threw us off schedule. As soon as I get my voice back, we will open up the course. Sorry 'bout the delay!

Spiritual Foundations

No Other Gospel But This

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul continuously refers to the gospel as “the gospel of grace” or “the gospel of peace”.

In fact, he had to defend himself against those who accused him of preaching “too much grace”. These people wanted to put God's church back under the law, just to “keep things in balance”.

Paul was so persecuted about this that he had to offer a defense for his grace teaching in the book of Romans. Many accused him of promoting a gospel that would cause licentiousness… Or license to sin. To which Paul responded:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:1-2

Interestingly, the very Gospel that Paul preached, the “Gospel of Grace”, is the one seen by many in the church today as the aberration. Paul warned against this, both in his day and for our day:

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8 NKJV)

These days, many persecute those who preach the gospel of grace using the same verse. Ironically it was against the very same kind of “anti-grace” people that Paul originally wrote this verse.

My point: there is only one gospel, and that is the gospel of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The radical, scandalous, wipes the slate clean, your sins are forgiven once and for all, past present and future, liberating gospel of grace.

If you're not being persecuted for the same things which Paul is persecuted and criticized about, perhaps you're not preaching the same gospel Paul was preaching.

Feature Presentation: 5 Tricks For Perfect Social Media Headlines

1. Use Numbers
2. Keep It Short
3. Use the “Rubberneck Effect”
4. Shocking Juxtapositions
5. Promises, Promises

Will you put these headline tricks to work, and post a link to your most shared Social Media content?

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript.Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Want to know the secret to writing well? Write a lot. Want to know the secret to writing a lot? Write fast.

Not only does writing fast help you write better, it also allows you to make more money (if your income is dependent upon your writing). In this episode…

The O.D.E.S.S.A. Secret To Writing 10X Faster (And Better)

Tip Of the Week

Today we are releasing the first in a free video series called, “Magic Words That Make You Rich” (hat tip to  Ted Nicholas). You can watch the first video by clicking here, or in the image below. In it, I will share the secrets of writing captivating headlines… plus the master framework I use to write copy for my world-famous clients. You can start using it yourself, today.

Spiritual Foundations

No Ifs Ands Or Buts

Do you believe that God is all-powerful? Do you believe that Jesus Christ has saved you and made you his own? Do you believe his promises to heal you, to prosper you, to bless you? Do you?

I find that many believers seem to have a lot of “ifs, ands, or buts” when it comes to what they believe God can and will do for them.

• “Yes, I believe God can heal me, if he wants to.”
• “Yes, I believe God will restore my family, and it will take a lot of work on our part to make it happen.”
• “Yes, I believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today, but only for a few people and only in extraordinary circumstances.”

These beliefs sound reasonable. But they carry an inherent flaw, and that is they are not biblical. Let's explore..

1. God can, “if” he wants to. In the book of Exodus, God gave us one of his names: “I Am the Lord Who Heals You.” When asked if he was willing to heal, Jesus said, “I am willing.” When asked if he was able, the Lord said, “all things are possible for the one who believes.”
2. When it comes to God “and” something else to intervene in our lives, God's grace  (his unmerited favor) “is sufficient”. We don't need to add anything to it. Our part is simply to receive.
3. When it comes to God and “butts”, there are no “gotcha” clauses. Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow”. He said “come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden”… He said we will “lay our hands on the sick, and they will recover”… He said we “are the righteousness of God”… And that our faith “has been counted to us as righteousness”. We all have the same Holy Spirit, the same father God, the same elder brother, Jesus Christ.

God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him, and who are called according to his purposes. That's you, and that's me. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Feature Presentation: The O.D.E.S.S.A. Secret To Writing 10X Faster (And Better)

Want to write 10 times faster, and write better in the process? Use the following steps of the  O.D.E.S.S.A. method to speed up your writing, and improve its quality at the same time.

• Outline
• Dictate
• Edit
• Share
• Speak
• Apply

Will you try the O.D.E.S.S.A. method, and report back here with your results? Include a link to what you wrote!

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript.Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Have you ever written a blog post, one you thought was going to be brilliant, only to read it afterward and realize it falls flat? Have you ever gone back through your library of past posts, and occasionally wondered, “How did I write something this boring?

If so, don't despair. I think all of us who write experience this phenomenon. The good news is you can resurrect “dead” blog posts. In this episode, I will describe 5 quick ways you can jumpstart  a dead blog post.

Tip Of the Week

The Grommet. Grommets are products with purpose invented by people with stories. Find something thoughtful, inspiring, innovative, or useful.

NOTE: Next week, we start releasing free material as we get ready to open up our copywriting course! To get on the VIP Early Bird Notification list, so you don't miss anything, click here.

Spiritual Foundations

The Reckless, Dangerous, and Rebellious Prosperity Gospel

I'm always a little amused when I hear a criticism leveled and those of us who believe God intended man to prosper and be in good health, especially when it sounds like this: “Oh, so you believe in the prosperity gospel?”

The term itself is used with derision. Another form of this question is, “Don't tell me you're one of those ‘health and wealth gospel' believers?”

I always want to reply, “Would you prefer a sickness and poverty gospel? Do you think Jesus came not to give us life, and life more abundantly, but rather sickness, and death more quickly?”

Of course, I don't reply this way because I do understand that most people who say these things are speaking out of true conviction. They believe their criticism of the so-called “prosperity gospel” is valid, that the “prosperity gospel” distorts the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I do agree that the gospel of prosperity and health is reckless, dangerous, and even rebellious.

It represents the reckless love of God for us as humans and his children.

It is dangerous to the spirit of religion, the same spirit that led the Jewish leaders of Christ's day to nail him to a cross.

It is rebellious, in the same way the Romans felt this rabble-rouser Jesus was rebellious. The gospel of prosperity, of health, of wealth, and peace for all mankind is dangerous and rebellious … against the system of the world.

And that is exactly why we must embrace it. That is why the Apostle John wrote, “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ” (3 John 1:1)

One of the most damning criticisms of the prosperity gospel is: what are we to make of people who live in Third World countries, who have no real chance of prosperity? If God really wants everyone to prosper, how could he allow such conditions to exist? I suspect that His response would be, “How can you? I left you in charge.”

Ultimately, when the full Kingdom is consummated on the earth, every injustice will be set right, every person who is lost anything will be repaid seven times what they lost, and all of us will be made whole, well, and will lack nothing. That Kingdom reality is already here, but not in its fullness, and our current assignment is to bring more of that Kingdom reality to all those around us, and to every place we go.

It doesn't matter that it makes us uncomfortable, it is still our assignment.

Jesus modeled for us the behavior of a person in full relationship with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit. He healed every person who came to him for healing. He paid his bills-for the first part of his life by working at a trade and having a business, in the years of his ministry he paid his taxes by finding money in the mouth of a fish. If I suggested that you pay your taxes in a similar way, because you have faith in God, I would be branded as some sort of heretical “prosperity preacher”. So be it.

Here's what I know: Scripture says that we are to be in good health, and to prosper in all things, even as our soul prospers. I believe it all starts with “soul prosperity”; with our mind, will, and emotions being in perfect alignment with those of the Lord. This is only possible through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit. The more we can experience that reality, the more the reality of material wealth, and physical health, will be ours.

So don't be discouraged by criticisms about the “prosperity gospel”. And don't be discouraged by the fact that you don't see everything you want to see in this regard-yet. Know that God's promises are true, he never lies, he is never late, he never fails to deliver.

You are blessed immeasurably by the Creator of the universe. You are promised there will come a day when you will live in your perfected body the way it was intended to be originally, that you will suffer no illness, that you will not weep any longer, and there will be no lack of money, food, love, safety, or anything else you need. If that isn't true health and wealth, and I don't know what is.

Feature Presentation: 5 Ways To Jumpstart Your Dead Blog Posts

You've written a blog post, and it feels to you is though it has fallen flat. Or perhaps you're looking through your back catalog and found some old posts that really did fall flat. They got no engagement, very few if any comments, and you just feel overall it could've been better. Is there an easy and simple way to jumpstart these “dead” blog posts-shock them with the paddles, so to speak, and get their heart beating again? Absolutely! Here are 5 ways you can jumpstart a dead blog post…

1. Headlines. Exchange that old, plain-Jane, boring headline for one that invokes emotion, uses power words, is controversial, cutting, inflammatory, or creates great hope. Go crazy and brainstorm many different headlines for your old, dead blog post. Sometimes all a post needs to bring it back to life is for someone to actually read it.
2. The Lead.  Just like a good novel or movie, a blog post needs to start in the middle of the action. It needs to capture the imagination of the reader right away. If you've written a piece that just doesn't seem to have life in it, after you've readjusted the headline, consider rewriting the “lead” (the first few sentences or paragraphs) that set up the rest of the post. Instead of relating dry facts or a boring thesis statement, perhaps you could tell story, share a personal experience,  or ask some penetrating and thought-provoking questions. Simply ask yourself, “How can I make the beginning of this post more outrageous, more imaginative, more inspiring, or even into something that would evoke more skepticism?”
3. Subheads.  Often, long blog posts die a quick death because people simply cannot wade through the wall of text that confronts them. This is why we break up our writing online into shorter paragraphs; it makes it easier for people to scan, and it looks as though it will be easier to read. One of my favorite devices for keeping people reading a post is to use mini-headlines or “Subheads” to string the main part of the story together throughout the text.
4. Images.  I'm talking about pictures here. Actual pictures. If you can find a photo that perfectly illustrates the point you're trying to make, or one that is representative of the idea you're trying to convey, then by all means use it. Make sure you use a photo that you have the rights to use (either by the photo through a stock photo service, one you have otherwise obtained a clear license for, or a photo you took yourself). Do be careful not to use cliché photos: if you're writing about how to negotiate, for heaven's sake please don't show photo of two men in business suits shaking hands! You can be more creative than that. One great source of unusual but creative photos for this purpose is a stock photo website called Unsplash. Many thanks to my friend Mike Kim for pointing this resource out to me.
5. Enhanced Content.  Offer an enhanced version of the content in your blog post. This might mean creating an audio file to accompany it, making a short tutorial video to go along with the blog post, or creating a checklist, infographic, or cheat sheet that can be downloaded. This enhanced content should add to the value of the post by making it readily implementable. Amy Porterfield does a great job of this on her blog. Not only is this something that is fairly easy for you to do, it can definitely increase the size of your email list if you use the approach that Amy uses, asking for an email exchange for the download.

Using any one of these five jumpstart tactics should infuse your blog post with new life; using all of them is almost guaranteed to “resurrect the dead”. Your assignment: put one or more of these tactics to work and apply them on your blog. This is something you could do today and begin to see the results immediately. Will you?

Which of these 5 “jumpstart tactics” will you  put to work on your blog today? Post a link!

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Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

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Click here to get the transcript.Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

On March 27, my friend Michael Hyatt started a firestorm with a blog post entitled, How Much Business Is Your Profanity Costing You? 

One of the most heated debates I've witnessed online ensued. Many people offered the rationale that their profanity was either a way of bonding with their audience, or of using an NLP technique known as a “pattern interrupt” (allegedly getting immediate attention and thus making communication more effective). I think most of the discussion missed Michael's most important point.

I'm amazed that almost all of the hundreds of people who vented their opinion completely failed to see the most powerful business-based argument Michael put on the table. In today's show, I'll be Captain Obvious and show what you may have missed – plus I'll give you 5 reasons why your cussing isn't making you cool, it's costing you cash.

Tip Of the Week

Grammarly. Grammarly makes you a better writer by finding and correcting up to 10× more mistakes than your word processor.

Get VIP Early-Bird Access To The Copywriting Formula!

Our long-awaited Copywriting Course, The Copywriting Formula, will be released in a very short time – in fact, you'll have access to some great freebies from the course itself in just a couple of weeks. To get on the Early Bird Notification list, click here now.

Spiritual Foundations

Think (and Speak) On These Things

What does the Scripture say about cussing? Well, first let's dispel a myth: the commandment that says we should not “take the Lord's name in vain” is not about cussing! However, that doesn't mean the Bible has nothing to say on this subject.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Then there is this instruction from the Apostle Paul:

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4)

And this verse is particularly instructive:

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)

Feature Presentation: 5 Reasons Cussing Is Costing You Cash

On March 27, my friend Michael Hyatt started a firestorm with a blog post entitled, How Much Business Is Your Profanity Costing You? One of the most heated debates I've witnessed online ensued. Many people offered the rationale that their profanity was either a way of bonding with their audience, or of using an NLP technique known as a “pattern interrupt” (allegedly getting immediate attention and thus making communication more effective). I think most of the discussion missed Michael's most important point. In his post, Michael gave these 3 reasons to cut the cussing:

1. Profanity alienates people.
2. Profanity hurts your brand.
3. Profanity doesn't work.

But the most obvious potential loss, which most people who read the article missed, was this sentence: “I don’t always feel comfortable directing my audience to do the same. It’s just not worth offending them.” In other words, your profanity might prevent Michael from recommending you to his 525,057 readers.

Another friend, Joel Comm, wrote a splendid article on this subject some time ago, about professional speakers cursing from the stage. Joel said, “If you are disrespectful of your audience, the impact of your message is going to be diminished.”

I was so pleased that Michael started this public discourse on what I feel is an important subject. I was inspired to add my own thoughts. Here are my “5 Reasons Cussing Is Costing You Cash”. None of them are “moralizing” – I covered that already in Spiritual Foundations – all are pragmatic.

1. Cussing costs you promotional opportunities from major influencers.
2. Cussing costs you personal recommendations from many more individuals. They may not be major influencers like Michael Hyatt, John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, or Joel Comm… but if each person influences a circle of 250 people, and you have thousands in your audience… what is that costing you?
3. Constant, dramatic cussing erodes trust with most people. It's a simple logical equation for most: if you're willing to say such vile things in your professional life, what are you like on a personal basis? When the spotlight is not on you? When you're not being watched?
4. Cussing distracts people from the value of what you bring to the world. Instead of considering the purchase of your book, seminar, or training materials. the discussion becomes one about why you use the F-word so much. Is that really the kind of “pattern interrupt” you want to perform?
5. Cussing will cause some people to actively oppose the purchase or use of your books, live events, and materials. You may never know how deep this particular iceberg goes under the surface of the water.

If you are still determined that your use of profanity is “strategic” or “therapeutic” or “effective” for your audience, I urge you to consider this question: if you stopped using profanity, would anyone complain?

Do you think profanity adds anything positive to your message?

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

We often hear success stories of people who go from “rags to riches”. We usually hear about the struggles they had when they started. What is uncommon is to hear about the struggles they still endure, and how they are overcoming them in the present moment.

I'm very excited about today's show, which is mostly a recording of a conversation between me and my friend Cliff Ravenscraft, also known as The Podcast AnswerMan. During this totally unscripted, off-the-cuff interview, you'll discover:

• How the TV show Lost helped Cliff become a leading voice in the world of podcasting.
• How investing in one specific training program changed the entire vector of Cliff's life, and career.
• Why success on the outside may not be an indicator of success on the inside (Cliff opens up and tells of his most recent struggle, and the incredible way he is gaining victory.)
• The story of a prayer that brought a miraculous answer in the most unexpected place, and literally transformed Cliff's life in the moment.
• How “selfies” can actually be selfless.
• Two books you absolutely must read if you want to change your physical health once and for all (and chances are you've never heard of either of them).
• Plus, a whole lot more wisdom from the man who helps so many take their lives “to the Next Level.”

Tip Of the Week

Periscope. A competitor to the similar app Meerkat, Periscope turns your mobile phone into a TV broadcast studio – in your pocket. I've been playing with this ever since I was at Social Media Marketing World. I really think this is a revolutionary technology and we have only begun to see the ramifications it carries for the future. Jump in and play, the water is fine.

Spiritual Foundations

The Secret of How to Lack Nothing

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23

I'm learning the deep lesson that if we believe God's Word is true, it literally means we lack nothing in this present moment. That is sometimes hard to accept, especially if we are sick, in pain, experiencing a broken relationship or home, have lost our job, or any of the myriad of hurtful challenges we deal with in day-to-day life.

Yet God's word says that we “lack nothing”. How can this be?

God sees things from a different perspective than we do. He sees the whole picture. What may look like lack to us, he knows to be a temporary situation. God knows that He will ultimately tip the scales of justice in our favor, and that anything we feel we have lost will be restored to us.

God is good, all the time, no matter what. Ground your faith in the bedrock of that confession. Know that God is your friend. Believe it or not, that is the message of the book of Job.

How do we practice this idea that we lack nothing, especially when our circumstances tell us that we may lack everything? I believe the key is gratitude.

You Can't Pay The Bills With Gratitude… Or Can You?

When Jesus fed the 5,000 with only a little bread and a little fish, he prayed. But he did not ask for a miracle, groaning and pleading with his Father in Heaven. Scripture says he “gave thanks” and then had the disciples distribute the bread to the thousands of people present.

I don't think it's an accident that we're told he “gave thanks”. He expressed gratitude for what he had and he stepped into an aspect of the Kingdom that allowed miraculous provision to flow from a seemingly insufficient supply.

That's how the Kingdom works.

Your level of prosperity will equal exactly the level of your gratitude. So give thanks for what you do have, and give no attention to what you feel might be lacking in this moment. Because you, my friend, lack nothing.

Feature Presentation: How Cliff Ravenscraft Transformed His Life

I actually had a page full of questions I was going to ask Cliff during our interview. I did ask the first question, but from there, the interview took on a life of its own. And I'm so glad it did. You will enjoy and be blessed by Cliff's story, as I was.

Have you ever experience a miraculous answer to prayer like Cliff did? I hope you'll share that story.

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

You're smart. You never believed the people who said “there's no money in Social Media”. You thought the people who said Social was all about “pictures of what people had for lunch” or “videos about cats” were missing the point. Yes, those things are popular on Social Media… and it's also true that Social Media is a vital marketing medium that can bring big rewards, monetary and otherwise when done right. Just ask Taylor Swift, Oreo, the folks behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, or even President Barack Obama.

Just knowing Social Media Marketing is important, however, is not enough. You must know how to do it right – or at least how to not do it wrong. Today's episode will address what I consider to be the 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you are most likely making right now… and how to fix them.

Tip Of the Week

I have not one, but three tips for you this week!

Tip #1: Smart Podcast Player

First, I'm very excited about the new podcast player we are using on our website. You know, that little “play” button you click to hear audio on the web, such as listening to podcast episode? Up until now we were using a very primitive podcast player. But we just switched the Pat Flynn's Smart Podcast Player. Pat created the player for his own enormously popular podcast. Here's what he says about it:

I created this custom player with my team because I wanted a better listening experience for my audience. They deserve the best. After sharing the player with my audience, I received hundreds of requests from other podcasters who wanted to use the player too, and so the Smart Podcast Player was born. You put an immense amount of time and care into creating your podcast; the player you use should reflect that. My team and I have put the same attention and care into building the Smart Podcast Player. I know that you (and your listeners) will love it.

Some of the features and benefits:

• Works with any feed, from any host, anywhere.
• Looks amazing the design is clean and modern, and you can customize it to match your site perfectly.
• Lets your listeners explore, discover, and share.
• The Smart Podcast Player has an interactive library that allows your listeners to explore past episodes in your backlist without interrupting the episode that’s playing.
• The player also empowers your listeners to search your backlist by tag, download their favorite episodes in MP3 format, and share episodes with their friends.
• Your library of episodes updates automatically anytime you publish a new episode to your feed. All metadata is available, episode description included.
• Your listeners can control the speed of the currently playing episode just like they enjoy doing when they use today’s latest podcast mobile apps.

It's also got rave reviews from podcasters like John Lee Dumas, Michael Hyatt, and Jaime Tardy of the Eventual Millionaire podcast.

And this one is a big deal that I think doesn't get enough emphasis: there's a direct “Subscribe In iTunes” button on the player. The number of subscribers plays a big role in how your show ranks on iTunes. And now your podcast player can encourage those subscriptions, as in the picture you see below (you can actually click that picture and subscribe to this podcast… go ahead… I'll wait…)

You can see the entire library of The Ray Edwards Show in the Smart Podcast Player, so you can see it in action, by clicking here.

And once you've decided you can't live without the player, check it out at SmartPodcastPlayer.com

Tip #2: Twitter Power 3.0

You may know Joel Comm as a New York Times Best-Selling author, and as a top social media influencer. I know him as the guy who convinced me to write and publish my first book, Writing Riches. Much of my success is tied to that book. It was published because of Joel's encouragement and advice. We have been good friends for many years now.

I don't know Dave Taylor, but I have benefitted from his work at AskDaveTaylor.com many, many times (just as millions of others have).

Joel and Dave just launched their co-authored book, Twitter Power 3.0, and I recommend you click here and buy your copy now.

Twitter Power (the previous version) is already the world’s top-selling book on the subject of Twitter. It was endorsed by Tony Robbins (who, by the way, has 2.58 million followers on Twitter).

This newly updated super-guide, Twitter Power 3.0 will show smart businesses and entrepreneurs how to use Twitter to massively grow their reach. And this new, improved, cutting-edge book is endorsed by none other than Guy Kawasaki, who says, “This book will give you a big head start toward mastering Twitter from two people who already have.”

The book is also endorsed and praised by Robert Scoble, Mari Smith, Chris Brogan, Jay Baer, John Lee Dumas, Michael Stelzner, Kim Garst, and other top social media influencers.

Look, you don't need anyone's expensive “Twitter Course” or “coaching” – you can dominate your market on Twitter simply following the advice in this book.

Inside Twitter Power 3.0, you'll discover how to:

• Grow your number of followers PLUS increase your engagement on Twitter
• Make your content to go viral (you’ll be shocked at what works and what doesn’t!)
• Measure the Twitter metrics that matter most and fine-tune your strategy to maximize your results

In celebration of the launch of Twitter Power 3.0, Joel and Dave are offering some generous bonuses when you order your copy of the book today. The bonuses you get include a brand new eBook called Social Poetry 2 (which features the top marketers/influencers online… even I make a brief appearance in the book).

So, to get more followers and influence on Twitter, start by ordering your copy of Twitter Power 3.0. And, of course, claim all the free bonuses that come with your purchase.

I don't make a single penny for recommending this book to you. The links in this post are not affiliate links. I just happen to think this is an excellent book, and I think you need to read it (if you want to be successful with Twitter).

Tip #3: Social Media Marketing World 2015 Session Recordings

Was traveling to San Diego for Social Media Marketing World 2015 just not an option for you this year? If so, you missed the marketing event of the year.

I had the privilege of leading one of the tracks at the event, and I soaked up a ton of great knowledge from the other sessions. Below is a picture of me with my personal Mastermind Group, the Green Room Mastermind. In the photo is Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft, Mike Stelzner, Mark Mason, and Leslie Samuel. This is the first time we have all been in the same physical space at one time!

(L-R) Mark Mason, Mike Stelzner, Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft, Leslie Samuel

I know, I know, you're feeling left out. What if you could catch ALL the conference sessions at your convenience without any travel expenses or the need to replicate yourself? The good news is now you can!

All you need is the Virtual Ticket to Social Media Marketing World 2015!

For a fraction of the cost of a regular ticket, you’ll get full access to the recording of EVERY session. Yes, every keynote, all the panels and each great session–the ones people travel thousands of miles to see–will be at your fingertips.

With your Virtual Ticket, you’ll have access to 100+ online recordings of everything. You can watch playbacks from your computer, tablet or smartphone at your leisure.

You’ll also be able to interact with your peers via our private LinkedIn networking group.

Click here to get your virtual ticket now.

There's no risk, either – you can try the first two days once the recordings are posted and still cancel for a full refund if you decide it's not for you!

Spiritual Foundations

Satan Is No Longer Allowed To Accuse You Of Anything

Recently a friend expressed worry that his troubles were because of Satan. My friend said to me, “I just know this problem is happening because Satan is the ‘accuser of the brethren', making sure God is aware of my every sin.” He was referring to a passage from Revelation 12:10:

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (NKJV)

Many people believe that this is still going on, and that the “casting down” comes at the end of time. But that is not true. A careful reading of Revelation in the context of the rest of the New Testament shows that this “casting down” of the “accuser of the brothers” has already happened.

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
Romans 8:33

In book of Job, Satan is in God's presence and us griping about Job (see Job 1:6-12). Now here's the question I have about this scene: what the heck is Satan doing at God's throne? That's God's most holy place. How can Satan be allowed there?

It's pretty simple: we gave him our pass to the throne room of heaven. Adam bowed to the will of Satan in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, and that means's Satan was able to take Adam's place and could come before God. Satan became “the accuser of the brothers” – he did nothing but bend God's ear with lies about us.

Then something amazing happened. The “last Adam”, Jesus Christ, gave his own blood and cleansed the things of Heaven (Hebrews 9:22-24). The work Jesus did, which he called “finished”, redeemed the place where Satan stood before God.

There's no place in heaven for Satan. He cannot come before God and accuse you or me. Those days are over. The next bit of good news is who is in God's presence today – and that would be JEsus. He is there on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). And so now who can condemn or accuse us?

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
Romans 8:34

Listen, as I read the book of Job I see it contains many theological knots. I can't untie half of them. I do know that much of it is bad theology, presented as just that. God himself says that Job's friends spoke wrongly about Him, invalidating much of the text as theology.

Job wanted someone to plead on his behalf. (Job 9:33)

We actually have what Job desired – we have Jesus as our representative, and he is interceding for us (1 Timothy 2:5).

So… what does Satan do now? The only thing he can do: he comes to you and me, here on earth, and accuses us through our conscience. His only weapon is lies. His weapon is only effective if we believe the lies. He has no power. (Colossians 2:15)

So if you find yourself thinking that God's will is for you to be sick, or hurting, or hungry… or that God is punishing you for your sins… don't buy into that garbage!

Don't listen to Satan's lies. God justifies you, and nobody, not even the devil himself, has the power to come before God and accuse you.

You, just like Jesus, have free and total access to God's throne of grace to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. (Hebrews 4:16)

Revel in your righteousness, and know that all your sin-debt has been paid, you are free, and there's no one left to accuse you.

Imagine yourself in the place of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Here accusers dragged her to Jesus, accusing her. He turned the accusers away and…

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 8:10-11

That's what he's saying to you and me today: “Neither do I condemn you.”

Feature Presentation: Are You Making These 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes?

Social Marketing is more important now than ever. If you don't believe that, or don't understand why its true, hasten thyself over to Social Media Examiner and get the  Sixth Annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report.

It is 50 pages, and over 80 charts worth of data from 2,800 organized into an important and comprehensive report. It will open your eyes to just how important Social Media Marketing is to you and your business. Based on that report, Mike Stelzner gave a fantastic keynote at Social Media Marketing World 2015, where he outlined the 8 major trends all marketers must know about in 2015.

After spending two and a half days at the conference last week, attending sessions, taking notes like a madman, listening to the podcasts and reading several books by presenters at the conference, plus reading a pile of articles on Social Media Examiner, I decided to create this Social Media-focused show. So here are the 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you are most likely making… and how to fix them. Pronto.

Social Media Marketing Mistake #1

Failure to have a Strategic Social Media Marketing System. “Strategic” means: the identification of long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them. “System” means: a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method. Thus, a Strategic Social Media Marketing System is: A set of principles and procedures of using Social Media with the overall aim of increasing the profitability of the enterprise.

Do you have such a system? Is it written down? Does the document clearly define the intent of the system? Does it define, step-by-step, how to activities are to be conducted to achieve the Strategic Objective? Could anyone on your staff or team execute the instructions based solely on the written procedure? If not, you don't have a system.

How To Fix Mistake #1: Develop a written document that spells out the principles and procedures of using Social Media with the overall aim of increasing the profitability of the enterprise.

Social Media Marketing Mistake #2

Failure to have a consistent branding presence across Social Media Platforms. Your images, logos, and profile pages look different across all the different services, including your own blog. Your logo, colors, and design scheme are just a hodgepodge of what you used at the time you signed up for any given network.

How To Fix Mistake #2: Get a professional logo design and headshot made, if you don't already have them. Know what your design color palette is and use it. Then, change your images, logos, and profile pages should look alike across all the different services, including your own blog. Your logo, colors, and design scheme should always match. And if you have a personal brand, use the same headshot on all the services… and make sure it looks like you!

Social Media Marketing Mistake #3

Failure to understand the different Social Media services. The rules – both written and unwritten – differ from service to service. the proper way to be a valued member of each community is to understand its culture and behave accordingly. Proper behavior looks different on LinkedIn than on Google+ or Facebook, and Facebook profile etiquette is different from the etiquette for Facebook pages. And Twitter is different from all the rest. Unfortunately, many (most) marketers have never taken the time to really learn the culture of the networks they are part of. These same marketers then don't understand why their “social” marketing “doesn't work.” Here's a clue: If everywhere you go, you smell body odor, you might be the one who needs a shower.

How To Fix Mistake #3: Study the most popular users of each service. Watch their behavior and interaction. Read a guide on the networks you want to be part of. You can find definitive guides and up-to-the-minute tips at Social Media Examiner for free. One powerful and important insight: spend most of your time on Social Networks being social. Interact. Respond. And don't make the mistake of being self-promotional all the time. My rule of thumb is to try to be 90% sharing and helpful, and to use only 10% of my Social Media activity to directly promote. Now go out on the playground… and play nice!

Social Media Marketing Mistake #4

Failure to have a presence on the most important Social Media sites. Many marketers sign up for ever Social Media network, don't dig deep into any of them, and so have a lackluster presence everywhere. Yuck. Don't  do this. It just makes you appear to be one of the mediocre masses. You shouldn't – and can't – have a presence on all Social Media networks.

How To Fix Mistake #4: I know I will get arguments on this, but in my opinion, here are the networks you should focus on, in the order of priority, from most important to least (but I think they are all important).

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
4. Instagram
5. Pinterest
6. Google+

As I said, I know some will want to argue with be about this list, but I think it's right on target. Feel free to differ with me in the comments… or on Social Media!

Social Media Marketing Mistake #5

Failure to use strong visual content in your Social Media Marketing. Most Social Media Marketers are focused on words. As a copywriter, I understand. But copywriting and writing in general isn't really about the medium – it's about the message. If you're focused only on the text, you're missing out on huge momentum and potential profit. More and more, people are consuming visual content.

How To Fix Mistake #5: Get visual – especially video-visual! One of the hottest trends, according to the data from the Social Media Marketing Industry Report (and Mike Stelzner's keynote), is video. In particular, native video. Meaning video that is posted and hosted on the network distributing it. The networks seem to be giving preference to video that is uploaded via their own network interface. So use Facebook to upload your video to Facebook, instead of uploading it to YouTube and linking to it on Facebook. The same is true of other networks as well. And for goodness sakes, don't forget pictures and those “quote memes” that seem so popular. You can make your own using Canva or Wordswag. And finally, there are infographics. If you want to capture complex ideas in a simple way people love, use infographics. There are a lot of great tools to make them yourself, among them Canva, PikToChart,  and Visual.ly.

Which of these 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes are you making, and what will you do this week to fix them?

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Cash is the oxygen that lets your business breathe. And just like oxygen, when there is none available it's all you can think about because you need it to survive.

Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical!

Tip Of the Week

I have a new friend, and I love him. His name is Edgar. Let me explain.

Most of our social media updates go to waste. They’re only seen by a fraction of our total audience, falling victim to things like time of day, mysterious algorithms and other factors that are beyond our control.

Fewer and fewer people see our social media updates. To keep up, we’re forced to publish more frequently, just to stay engaged with our audiences. This can make social media marketing a real burden, one that grows heavier each day… and one that offers diminishing returns.

Edgar to the rescue! No longer do you publish your updates just once and then watch them sink beneath the waves of obscurity, missed by most and forgotten by all (even you) within hours of publication.

Edgar catalogs your social updates into a library that grows over time. You curate the library, and Edgar republishes those updates on a schedule you set. He publishes only what you want, and only when you want it done.

What happens once Edgar publishes all of the updates in a category (like “My Blog Posts,” for instance)? He just pulls more updates from your library.

You can handcraft each update and even write several fresh updates that point to the same resource, blog post or podcast episode.

Your social media posts don’t go to waste. Your “old” posts can become new again. And you have time to catch up on the latest episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.

You can read a whole stack of 44 cool Social Media Marketing tips like this in this article at Social Media Examiner.

Spiritual Foundations

The Bible says that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. (Romans 5:20)

But grace is about more than the forgiveness of sins. Check this out:

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40

Jesus did not sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) So why and how was God’s grace was upon Jesus? There must be some way a human can abound in God’s grace even when he has not sinned.

The word “grace” is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 6:8, which says that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Noah’s name means “rest”. So the verse is literally saying that rest found grace.

Grace was upon Jesus because He lived a life of rest, and trust in His Father. He said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself. He can do only what He sees His Father doing.” (John 5:19)

Grace comes upon us when we rest and trust God.

But what if nothing happens?

Honestly, if after you have given the matter to Jesus and nothing happens, what can you do? If Jesus Himself can’t do anything about it, do you think you can? But here's the truth: once the problem is handed over to Jesus, He can and will do a perfect work of taking care of it for you!

So live a life of rest. Have this attitude and tell the Lord, “I just rest in You Lord and I trust You.”

Feature Presentation: The Fastest Path to Cash

Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical!

1. Provide a service.
2. Consult.
3. Do a combination for more leverage.

Where do you find these customers?

1. Your employer or past employers.
2. Your customers or past customers.
3. People you know, or people they know.

Question: Which path to fast cash could you take this week – and will you?

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Many people struggle with getting their online business rolling because they never get around to creating their product. They think it has to be hard and take a long time. But I don't think either of those things are true.

In fact, today I'll share 3 easy ways you can create products fast!

Tip Of the Week

How to read an extra book each month – audiobooks! I use Audible.com to read an extra book a month – some months two books!

3 reasons why this is a good idea:

1. It makes use of what tony Robbins calls “N.E.T” time… meaning No Extra Time.
2. It keeps your mind engaged when it would otherwise be idle.
3. You read an extra 12 books this year!

Try it and see for yourself.

Spiritual Foundations

To receive from the Lord, all we need is to hold the correct beliefs. How do we do this?

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

So what is the “word of Christ”? Let's get an example:

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Mar 5:24-34

Worth noting:

1. This woman violated Jewish law (being in public while unclean, touching the Teacher, touching a man).
2. She had tried many times already to be healed.
3. She had merely “heard the reports about Jesus” and she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
4. What did she hear about him?
5. She drew something from Jesus that others around him did not draw!

Feature Presentation: 3 Easy Ways to Create Products Fast

Not every product you make can or should be your magnum opus. Here are 3 easy ways to create products fast.

1. Teach what you know. Use audio, video, or screen capture.
2. Report on what others know. Do audio or video interviews. Get transcripts. Make summaries and checklists.
3. Curate the best teaching of the top experts. Read, interview, organize, synthesize. Cite sources, give credit.

Sell using paypal or gumroad.

Question: What's and easy product you could create in the next 7 days?

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

It can be hard to find time to build your business, especially if you have a full-time job. “Moonlighting” to build your business can lead to burnout, problems with your current employer, or the failure of your spare-time startup.

I found I had to make five specific trade-offs to make it work. I believe anyone who is leaving a full-time job to pursue their own business can do the same, if you’re willing to make these same five trade-offs.

Tip Of the Week

The easiest way to develop a new habit is to make it as automatic as possible. I suggest making it the first thing you do when you wake up. That's how I have developed my gratitude and meditation practice over the last month.

Spiritual Foundations

Sometimes we feel as though God might be too busy to pay attention to us as an individual. After all, we are one out of billions.

We think that way because we are constricted by time and place.

God is not limited by these factors.

Even when Jesus was in His earthly body, and thus willingly limited in the same ways we are, Jesus always took time for individuals.

Think about it. Jesus was traveling when he took time out to minister to the demon-possessed man from a distant area, the country of the Gadarenes. On his way there, He had time to minister to his disciples and show them he could calm the stormy sea.

When He and the disciples returned to Galilee, a man named Jairus came to the Lord for help. His 12-year-old daughter was dying and he came to ask Jesus to come heal her. On His way there, Jesus was stopped by the woman who had been tormented by a bleeding condition for 12 years, and Jesus took time to stop and heal her.

While He stopped for the woman, Jairus's daughter died, and the report came that Jesus was too late. Jesus reasured Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” (Luke 8:49–50)

He took the time to walk the rest of the way to Jairus' house and raised the little girl from the dead.

Now, Jesus is not limited by time or space. He can be and is everywhere at once. And He always hears when we call.

Even when He is busy.

Even when it seems too late.

He will always come through for you!

Success Story: Matt McWilliams

This is an interview featuring a success story from Matt McWilliams.

Feature Presentation: Five Trade-Offs Help Build Your Business Faster

It can be hard to find time to build your business, especially if you have a full-time job. “Moonlighting” to build your business can lead to burnout, problems with your current employer, or the failure of your spare-time startup.

This is familiar territory for me – I built my marketing and copywriting business while working a full-time job in the demanding world of broadcast radio. In 2005, I was an executive with a regional broadcast company, traveling virtually every week, and responsible for the programming and marketing of dozens of radio stations all across the Northwest United States.

Even though I had a cushy radio job, I could see the handwriting on the wall for an industry faced with increasing competition, decreasing audience, and shrinking revenue. It was time to get out. I decided to start my own business.

In order to make the transition from full-time employee to full-time entrepreneur, I needed to build  my business income up before I left the corporate job – and I had to do it without stealing time form my “day job”.

I found I had to make five specific trade-offs to make it work. I believe anyone who is leaving a full-time job to pursue their own business can do the same, if you’re willing to make these same five trade-offs.

The Five Trade-Offs

1. Trade short-term pain for long-term gain. Let’s face it: you’re going to be working harder for a while. That meant, for me, getting up earlier in the morning and going to bed later at night. In the short term, the extra work was painful. But the freedom I gained from making this trade was well worth the pain.
2. Trade activities that are tension-relieving for those that are goal-achieving. In the old days, when I was just a “company man” workin’ the job, I often blew off steam by watching lots of TV, going to the movies, and spending weekends at the lake, hiking, or just hanging around the house. Those activities were tension-relieving, but I traded them for activities that were goal-achieving. This meant time previously spent on recreation was now devoted to writing copy,  creating products, and marketing my services.
3. Trade hours now for days later. I soon realized that I was trading extra hours in the present day for days of freedom in the future. This realization helped keep me motivated. I keep telling myself that having all my days in the future free to do as I please was worth giving up some of my hours in the short-term.
4. Trade luxuries for leverage. If you don’t have enough time to build  your business as quickly as you’d like, you may want to hire some help. Outsource some work, for instance. Building a business requires more than and investment of time; it also requires, to some degree, an investment of money. For instance, you might cut back on vacation spending, forgo the latest Apple gizmo, and give up other luxuries, so you can invest those extra dollars in order to outsource work for the business. You’re trading luxuries for the leverage you need to reach your goal.
5. Trade fringe time for full-time status. Most of us have “fringe time” that mostly goes to waste – or at least that is filled with activities that don’t have any lasting value. Think about your own “fringe time” and how you currently fill it. Are you willing to trade your fringe time now for full-time status in your own business in the future?

If you are willing to make these trade-offs, you can find the time to get your business off the ground even if you’re a “spare-time startup” – and you can leave the security of your job with income already rolling from the business.

Question: What are some things you need to “trade” to help make your start-up business successful?

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

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I have written quite a bit about productivity, and done more than a few podcasts on the subject of getting things done. Today, I am taking a departure from the normal recommendations about being productive-including my own.

On today's show, I will share five surprising productivity “hacks”- shortcuts that make you more productive. But shortcuts you may be shocked to hear coming from me.

Tip of the Week

This week's tip I actually picked up from my good friend Pat Flynn. Recently, I was listening to Pat's Smart Passive Income Podcast, and heard him talk about two apps that intrigued me. I've been using them now for a couple of weeks, and found them to be remarkably helpful.

• Calm. This app is a “meditation app”. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Do we need an app for meditating? I think the answer is yes. Having tried a number of such apps, this is the only one that consistently helps me guide my brain into a calmer, less fragmented, and more anxiety-free state. Calm supplies you with a series of “environments”, or soundscapes, that in and of themselves have a calming effect. Some of the choices include gentle rain, wind on a mountain meadow, the ocean, etc. But the app is more than a white noise generator. It also supplies a series of guided meditations that help still your mind and assist you in focusing on the here and now. This is an app that actually helps you with the practice of mindfulness. And for my Christian brothers and sisters who worry about what they may perceive to be “Eastern religious” practices, I can assure you that the guided meditations I have worked through so far have nothing to do with religion of any kind. These meditations are more about being present in this moment, and not getting caught up in thinking about things that are not happening right here, right now (the source of most of our anxiety and depression). I upgraded to the premium version, and considerate money well invested.

• SleepCycle. This app monitors the depth of your sleep by using the accelerometer in your iPhone. The theory is, the app detects how much you are moving in your bed at night. If you're moving a lot, you are either awake or in “light sleep”. If you are in deep, sound sleep, you won't be moving at all. Sleep cycle takes your target wake-up time, and watches you carefully to see when you are in light sleep, and only then will it give a soft gentle alarm to wake you. Waking when you are in light sleep leaves you feeling refreshed, alert, and energetic. This hass been very helpful to me, and using the app has increased my overall sleep time to an average of almost 6 1/2 hours.

Spiritual Foundations

What does it mean to repent? I submit it's not what you think.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
Romans 12:2

Feature Presentation: Five Surprising Productivity Hacks

And now we come to the five surprising productivity hacks. Today I present some counterintuitive, but highly effective, productivity hacks. You may be surprised to hear these coming from me, but I have been experimenting with different practices of late, and found that each of these recommendations have helped me be more productive in real terms: in other words, getting useful stuff done that I want to accomplish.

1. Read fiction.
2. Goof off.
3. Watch television.
4. Multitask.
5. Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.

What about you? What are your unconventional or surprising productivity hacks that go against the grain of the modern school of productivity? I'd love to see you share those below.

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

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Does this sound like you? You hear people talk about “finding their passion” and “discovering your calling”, but you don't seem to be able to find yours.  You want to do work that matters, and enjoy the process – but you don't know how. The secret, as suggested by Jeff Goins in his new book The Art of Work is to find the intersection between what you care about and the needs of the world. (And, by the way, you can get a free copy of The Art of Work for a limited time here.)

Today's podcast is a conversation with Jeff Goins, and we dig deeply into these matters, and we talk about how you can abandon the status quo and live a life that matters.

Interview: Jeff Goins on Finding Your Calling and The Art of Work

If you have struggled with finding the work that really gets you fired up, and that makes a difference in the world, you'll get a lot out of this conversation.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• Jeff Goins' blog
• Get a free copy of The Art of Work

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

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The time comes for all of us when we have to make big life transitions. In fact, it comes many times over the years… going off to college, getting married, starting a family, starting a business or new job. And there are other big transitions, too, the ones we don't enjoy so much.

These can include serious illness, broken marriages, the death of a loved one – and many more unpleasant challenges we'd rather not face. In today's episode, I share surprising conversation with Brian Holmes about how to navigate these times of transition – the good ones and the not-so-good ones, too.

Interview: Brian Holmes on How to Navigate Big Life Transitions

This is a powerful interview, especially if you are facing any big “sea changes” in your life.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• Brian Holmes website
• Ties That Bind

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

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I think we can all agree, if you get your writing published on Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, or Entrepreneur.com, that would probably be a good thing, yes? It turns out it may not be all that hard to do…

In today's episode, I interview the Amazing Kimanzi Constable, and that's just one of the many fascinating lessons you will learn.

Spiritual Foundations: How to Get God to Bless Your Work

Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24

Some people think they are facing a difficulty because God is punishing them for some sin – and that is ridiculous.

Interview: How to Get Featured on Big Sites Like Huffington Post

This is my interview with Kimanzi Constable. Listen. Learn. Repeat.

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

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Study entrepreneurs, and you'll find some great behaviors to emulate. Just as useful: study the things they don't do!

In today's episode, I'll share 10 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Don't Do.

Other Reasons To Keep Listening

• How to learn a language for free.
• No, God is not punishing you for some sin!
• How to get a great design for your website – a conversation with my designer.

That's all coming up in today's episode…

Tip of the Week:

DuoLingo is the way to learn a language for free. Snarky Nomad has a fabulous review.

Spiritual Foundations: God Is Not Punishing You For Some Sin!

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7

Some people think they are facing a difficulty because God is punishing them for some sin – and that is ridiculous.

Interview: How to Work With a Designer

In which I interview my designer, Jason Clement of Red Letter Design.

Feature Presentation: 10 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Don't Do

1. Think the world owes them anything.
2. Settle.
3. Fear risk.
4. Take no for an answer.
5. Blame their failure on others.
6. Give up.
7. One thing.
8. Look for obstacles.
9. Think “realistically”.
10. Expect their friends and family to understand.Notes.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• DuoLingo App
• Snarky Nomad
• Red Letter Design

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Donald Miller is one of the most influential Christian writers of our day. His books evoke strong reactions, and for many they strike a chord like no work before.

His new book, Scary Close, is available today, and in this interview we discuss how he came to write it, and why the message of this book is so important.

Get the book and other neat stuff at Donald Miller's website.

You can also buy it at Amazon.

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. People who have done so, and given us five-star reviews:

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: What part of the act do you need to drop?  Click here to leave your comments.

Now that you are marketing your products and services online, you have instant global reach. But there's one problem: your marketing now stands shoulder to shoulder with Coke, Ford, the NFL, Oprah, and every other major brand that's online. How do you compete?

In this session I'm sharing a conversation with Marshall Wayne, who is breaking new ground for Platform-Builders and Solo Pros… using something I like to think of as “Cinematic Marketing”. And the good news is, it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Other Reasons To Keep Listening

• You'll discover the new alarm clock app I'm using on my iPhone that improves my sleep and increase my energy level upon awakening.
• How you can be free of guilt and shame.
• I'll share how you can get your own show promoted on this podcast!

That's all coming up in today's episode…

Tip(s) of the Week:

I'm using the Rise Alarm Clock App for iPhone and loving it. 

Rise is a beautifully simple alarm app.

It's a work of art that wakes you up.

No annoying clutter. Reach out and move the interface; Set and sleep.

Not your typical alarm sounds. Wake up in the woods if you want, or pick a song from iTunes.

Dock it and stare at the beautiful, large clock for day or night with multiple backgrounds (portrait or landscape)

Create your own alarm labels for as many scheduled wake-up times as you need. *with IAP

From the lock screen: Shake it like a Polaroid picture to snooze or turn off the alarm.

Let SleepTunes help you fall (asleep) by making a sleepy playlist with a shut-off timer.

Click here to learn more and get Rise for your iPhone.

Spiritual Foundations: How We Can Be Free of Guilt and Shame

You probably already know this, but I believe that Grace is not a doctrine that is part of the Gospel – I believe it is the Gospel.

The Good News is way better than you think.

 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” Romans 5:17

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

Keep in mind that when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for all your sins, and at that moment all of them were in the future. And He wiped them all clean. That means all your sins – even the ones you haven't committed yet – are forgiven, and God isn't even aware of them!

God takes our sins – past, present, and future, and dumps them in the sea and puts up a sign that says ‘No Fishing Allowed'.”

Corrie Ten Boom

Feature Presentation: How To Create An Iconic Personal Brand, With Marshall Wayne

Marshall Wayne is a photographer and videographer who helps people created iconic personal brands.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• Marshall Wayne's website.
• The Icon Engineering System.
• The Agency Declassified.

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

How do you start a company with just an idea, a few volunteers, and no budget… and in less than 5 years have a web media property with 15 million readers? That's what Michael Stelzner did with Social Media Examiner, and in today's episode we'll share a conversation with Michael about how he did it. And how you could, too!

In this conversation, we'll discover together:

• Why the smartest promotional strategy might be not promoting.
• The best way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
• Michael's method for launching new projects and products.
• And his personal Social Media Marketing strategy.

Announcements:

On Friday, we'll release the first in a series of free video trainings on how to sell more of whatever you sell… without being a salesperson. I've got some powerful frameworks to share that will more of your emails opened, more of your content read and shared, and more of your products and services sold.

We're moving podcast publication day to Tuesdays.

Success Stories

I'm still looking to share your success stories and good news. So if you've got a business triumph, spiritual victory, a story of God's miraculous intervention in your life or your business… I want to hear about it. Click this link to record a voicemail about your success story or testimony.

Spiritual Foundations: What I Learned From My Wife About Joy

If you've lost your joy, there's an easy way to retrace your steps and find it again.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

The Kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Feature Presentation: A Conversation With Michael Stelzner, Founder of Social Media Examiner

In this conversation, we'll discover together:

• Why the smartest promotional strategy might be not promoting.
• The best way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
• Michael's method for launching new projects and products.
• And his personal Social Media Marketing strategy.

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. People who have done so, and given us five-star reviews:

• Travis Greenlee, who calls the show “The best marketing and leadership training on iTunes.”
• Shari Miller says she gets “Practical, awesome, useful ideas. This is one amazing podcast!”
• Adrienne Olson says: “Listened once, fan for life!”

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

What's your approach to social media marketing?

I listen to lots of podcasts. And while I have a few core podcasts I don't ever miss, I am constantly trying new shows out, looking for fresh voices I can put into my listening rotation.

In today's episode, I'll share my listening strategy: how I selected my “A” shows, which I never miss, how I select my “B” shows, which I selectively listen to, and how I decide what new shows to sample. And of course I will give you my list of 10 fresh new shows you should check out.

Other Reasons To Keep Listening

• A book you can read this afternoon that will boost the success you enjoy starting tonight.
• What to do about being disappointed with God.
• How you can get promoted on my show, and get exposure for your website.

That's all coming up in today's episode…

Announcements:

Next week, we'll release the first in a series of free video trainings on how to write powerful sales copy that sells your products and services… without feeling like a sleazy salesperson.

I've decided to open the “insider only” invitation to our upcoming event Permission to Prosper to podcast listeners and subscribers. After all, you're insiders too! Click here for the details, but do it quickly.

Success Stories

I'm looking to share your success stories and good news. So if you've got a business triumph, spiritual victory, a story of God's miraculous intervention in your life or your business… I want to hear about it. Click this link to record a voicemail about your success story or testimony.

Tip of the Week:

I just re-read The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

This book is a quick read, but it can radically shift your level of success immediately.

Even better, the tactics are not faddish, but are rather based on timeless principles.

While implementing what you read may not put money in your bank account tomorrow, I do believe you will feel more wealthy within 24 hours of reading it (if you put the principles into practice).

It's engaging, fun to read, and has a strong spiritual foundation (while not being tied to any one religion).

To say more would be to reduce the impact of the book – just get it and read it. Or re-read it. You won't be sorry.

Click here to buy this book from Amazon.

Spiritual Foundations: What to do about being disappointed with God.

Do you ever feel let down by God? How do you deal with that?

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!

Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.

For they drop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
I would hurry to find a shelter
from the raging wind and tempest.”

Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they go around it
on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.

For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.

But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.

We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God's house we walked in the throng.

Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.

He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.

God will give ear and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
and do not fear God.

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.

His speech was smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

But you, O God, will cast them down
into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55

Pour out your complaint to the Lord, but remember He will ultimately bring you the justice you seek.

Feature Presentation: 10 Fresh New Podcasts You Should Check Out

I'm a lifetime learner, and one of my favorite ways to learn is through podcasts. I am fairly systematic about my listening – I have 3 tiers, or “rotations”:

A – 10 podcasts I never miss.

B – 10 podcasts I listen to selectively.

C – 10-15 shows I am checking out, and sampling.

10 Podcasts I Never Miss

1. This Is Your Life, by Michael Hyatt and Michele Cushatt
2. Podcast Answerman, by Cliff Ravenscraft
3. Smart Passive Income, by Pat Flynn
4. 48 Days, by Dan Miller
5. The School of Greatness, by Lewis Howes
6. Mac Power Users, by David Sparks and Katie Floyd
7. Online Marketing Made Easy, by Amy Porterfield
8. Bethel Church Sermon of the Week, by Bethel Church in Redding, CA
9. The Portfolio Life, Jeff Goins
10. Social Media Marketing Podcast, Michael Stelzner

10 Fresh New Podcasts To Check Out (These Are Your Shows I'm Just Trying Out Or I Listen to Selectively)

1. The Charged Life, Brendon Burchard
2. The Tim Ferriss Show, Tim Ferriss
3. Fizzle, by Corbett Barr, Chase Reeves, and Caleb Wojcik
4. Social Media Examiner Show (different than #10 above, this is a daily 10-minute show)
5. The 1-Day Business Breakthrough, by Chris Ducker and Pat Flynn
6. Radiolab from WNYC
7. The Dave Ramsey Show
8. The Chalene Show, Chalene Johnson
9. This American Life, by Ira Glass
10. Ask Pat, by Pat Flynn

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. People who have done so, and given us five-star reviews:

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: What are the top podcasts you would recommend that others check out?

A young woman has quit smoking, been promoted at work, and run a marathon. An untested CEO takes over one of America's biggest companies and focuses on just one behavior pattern in the company, and very soon Alcoa is at the top of the Dow Jones. A marketer at Procter & Gamble notices a seemingly insignificant pattern while studying videos of how people make their beds. As a result, the company makes a small shift in advertising and Febreze goes from being one of the company's biggest flops to earning a billion dollars a year. What do all three cases have in common?

Reporter and best-selling author Charles Duhigg believes that in each case, the success came from a shift in the patterns that shape our very lives – our habits. Habits do form our destiny, but we can consciously choose our habits. That shift – a change in your key habits – can help you transform your relationships, your finances, your health, your business, and your life.

In today's episode, I'll suggest 10 life-changing habits to adopt now. And I'll give you the tools, tactics, and battle plan to help make those habits stick.

Other Reasons To Keep Listening

• You'll discover the best book I know of on the subject of habits, why they are so powerful, and how to change them.
• I'll attempt an answer to the question: “Is it right for Christians to choose to ‘upgrade' their peer group in order to be more successful, or is that a selfish, sinful pursuit?”
• You'll get a direct link to the best $10 training on Omnifocus you'll find anywhere.

That's all coming up in today's episode…

Announcements:

Next week, we'll release the first in a series of free video trainings on how to write powerful sales copy that sells your products and services… without feeling like a sleazy salesperson.

Our Regency Mastermind Round One Membership filled up almost instantly. News about Round Two is coming soon.

We're also working on a plan for a group mentoring plan for newbies… this will be a community that should be affordable for almost anyone. We will unveil our plans in the very near future.

I've decided to open the “insider only” invitation to our upcoming event Permission to Prosper to podcast listeners and subscribers. After all, you're insiders too! Click here for the details, but do it quickly.

Success Stories

I'm looking to share your success stories and good news. So if you've got a business triumph, spiritual victory, a story of God's miraculous intervention in your life or your business… I want to hear about it. Click this link to record a voicemail about your success story or testimony.

Tip(s) of the Week:

“In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed.”

So reads the copy on Duhigg's website. He goes on to describe his book this way:

“Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Procter & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation’s largest hospitals and see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death.”

“At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.”

Click here to buy this book from Amazon.

Omnifocus Video Field Guide

Are you an Omnifocus user and GTD practitioner? Then you're going to love David Sparks's new Omnifocus Video Field Guide.

David says: “The OmniFocus Video Field Guide is a screencast, not a book. A lot of people have asked me to write a book about OmniFocus but instead I made this 2.5 hour video that takes you, soup to nuts, through the Omni Group's supremely bad-ass task manager. The screencast can turn an OmniFocus novice into a task-managing ninja.”

Spiritual Foundations: Is it right for Christians to ‘upgrade' their peer group in order to be more successful?

When we talk about being “intentional about your peer group”, seeking out relationships with people more successful than you, and eliminating  or limiting the access to you that negative people have, are we being selfish or sinful?

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
Proverbs 13:20

Minister to everyone, but take care who you give access to your heart.

Feature Presentation: 10 Life-Changing Habits To Adopt Now

Habits are the tiny hinges that swing the big doors of your life – either opening or shutting them. Habits control the tiny, incremental behaviors that shape our lives.

“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.â€
– Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

It's the small things we do every day that have the big effect down the road.

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.â€
– Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect

10 Life-Changing Habits To Adopt Now

1. Rituals.
2. Gratitude.
3. Forgiveness.
4. Exercise.
5. Food.
6. Responsibility.
7. Journal.
8. Generosity.
9. Overdeliver.
10. Notes.

I use The Habit List app to track my daily habit practice.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• Click Here to get your “Hour of Power” poster.
• Permission to Prosper Conference Limited-Time Discount Registration
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
• Omnifocus Video Field Guide by MacSparky (David Sparks)

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Question: What habits will you adopt to uplevel your life?  Click here to leave your comments.