Ray Edwards Show
Ray Edwards is a sought-after Copywriter, Author, Speaker, and Communications Strategist. His clients include Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Jeff Walker, Robert Allen, and more. On this show, Ray helps you start, run, and grow their Internet-based businesses. The show includes interviews with well-known experts like Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Dan Miller, Cliff Ravenscraft, Michael Stelzner, Amy Porterfield, Don Miller, and many others.

Conventional wisdom tells us that success takes time…sometimes a long time. Well, I think we’ve been lied to, and I can prove it.

In this episode I’m going to give you a set of tools that will put you on the pathway to a brand new you in seven short days, but as you’ll find out, I believe that success can happen in an instant.

Stay tuned…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I've been reading my friend Frank Viola's giant new book called There Must Be More, a Titan's Collectible. If it's still available, you should get it. But reading this book triggered a memory for me of something I learned from Frank about the two trees.

In the beginning there were two trees, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is the serpent's promise. He promised, “You will be like God, and you will decide for yourself what is good.” This is what Jesus referred to when He was talking about the “leaven” of the Pharisees.

Jesus is the Tree of Life (see John 15) this is the forgotten tree. This is the one we don't talk about. When we choose the forgotten tree, we take the life of God into ourselves.

The Pharisees, meanwhile, ate from the first tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and so do many or most modern churches. These are the people with the protest signs, with the signs about the groups that they hate, with the signs about how America is being punished for its sins, because they are only conscious of the knowledge of good and evil. Better that we eat from the Tree of Life, Jesus.

There's a term that's applied to Christians quite often. People say we are “People of the Book.” We are not. We are not a people of the Book. We are a people of the Person. And the Person is He whose birth we celebrate today, on the day this show is being released, Jesus Christ. He is the Tree of Life.

We must begin living under the forgotten tree (the Tree of Life) rather than eating the fruit of the forbidden one.

Merry Christmas!

Tip of the Week

My Tip of the Week is the HabitShare app. This is an amazing free habit-tracking app that I was turned on to by my friend Cliff Ravenscraft, and I was sold on it immediately.

This is a cool habit-tracking app because it allows you to share habits that you're trying to form with friends, so you get extra motivation and accountability.

It's very simple to use. You can set prompts to help you remember to do your new habits, you can create custom habits that fit your specific goals, and you can make them daily or weekly.

If privacy is a concern, you can control which of your habits your friends see and which ones they can't.

I love this app and I recommend you check it out. They've got it both for the Apple platform and for Android, so anybody can use it.

Feature Presentation: “7 Days To A Brand New You”

Any person can change their life and become successful in as little as 7 days by

walking through the 7 Doors of Decision and asking the 3 Crucial Questions.

  1. Decide WHAT you want
  2. Decide WHY you want it
  3. Decide if it’s WORTHY of you
  4. Decide WHEN you want it
  5. Decide with WHOM you want it
  6. Decide WHERE you want it
  7. Decide HOW you’re going to get it (with a big WHY you can overcome any HOW)

Questions to ask:

  1. What’s the cost?
  2. Is it worth it?
  3. Am I willing and able to pay the price

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Break the shackles of justification – Why it’s okay to want what you want just because you want it (13:30)
  • The Power of Why – Discovering the oft-overlooked fuel that allows you to accelerate toward your dreams (15:09)
  • Putting goodness on display – How reaching for your fullest potential is the surest way to reach your fullest satisfaction (18:29)
  • Someday isn’t on the calendar – Uncovering why a goal without a deadline is just another unfulfilled dream (20:19)
  • Success alone is not success – Unlocking the key to picking the right partner who will never leave you nor forsake you (21:10)
  • Location, location, location – Success includes the freedom of choosing where to succeed…you possess the power to move at will (24:23)
  • “Why” overcomes “how” – Identifying the reason you would choose to put yourself in the place where preparation and opportunity meet (26:59)
  • The Golden Key in your pocket – How asking the right questions will help you successfully navigate through the Doors of Decision (31:21)
  • Are you delusional or dedicated? – How taking the next logical step is the portal to the success pathway (33:18

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP316.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Content marketing is a hot industry buzzword right now, and everyone seems to have a theory about what works. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time for theory, so in this episode I’m going to show what we do in our own content marketing…because it works.

The key to successful content marketing is value, because we’re in a current environment where you've got to give value upfront. In fact, our topic in this episode is a term I’ve coined called Value First Content Marketing. Stay tuned, this is going to rock your world.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

In this episode of spiritual foundations, I want to get back to basics. One of the things I’ve learned as a copywriter is that the precise meaning of words is vitally important. Let me share a recent example of this…

My wise wife was having a conversation with a person with whom she's acquainted, and they got into the discussion about what it means to be under grace. My wife was explaining, “Well you know our sins are covered, so we don't have to worry about sin anymore. That problem is dealt with.”

This person rather inappropriately took affront to that and begin to argue. She countered, “Well, what about James 2:26, it says faith without works is dead. If you don't have works, then you're not saved.” My wife responded with, “Well, I didn't come prepared to have this debate, but I guess I would start with looking up the precise meaning of the word ‘death’ or ‘dead’ in that verse to see what it really means.” I was so proud of her.

I looked it up, and it means “inactive.” It reads, “Faith with no works that flow from the faith, is inactive,”…which is a whole different thing.

Just remember that Jesus is perfect theology. Knowing that, be very careful about what you’re willing to blindly accept as true.

Tip of the Week

Our tip of the week is a resource that we're giving you for free. Normally, we talk about other people's products or services or books, but this week we’re giving you a week's worth of what we use to do our own content marketing. You can then use this as a model to structure your own…I’m just asking that you don't take this content and pretend it's yours.

This will be a good way for you to look at the source material we use to create stuff and turn it into different pieces of content for your business. You can download this free resource at rayedwards.com/315. Now go forth and prosper!

Feature Presentation: “How to Build Your List by Giving Away Your Best Content for Free”

There's a lot of talk about content marketing, and there are a lot of content marketing experts and gurus that'll teach you content marketing, but what they do in most cases is neither content, nor is it marketing…it’s a thinly disguised sales pitch.

Any business that markets online can and should grow their e-mail list by using the Seven Pillars of Value First Content Marketing.

The Seven Pillars

  1. There are three forces that have converged to bring us to this point.
  2. To attract attention, you’ve got to fight the content wars.
  3. Content marketing works for everyone, and everyone should be doing it.
  4. Give valuable content as often as possible.
  5. You must be present on every significant channel.
  6. You must have an investment mindset.
  7. Practice the Strategy of Preeminence.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Nobody was born with a list – Why you should ignore theory and model your list-building after a strategy that actually works (19:55)
  • Words matter – Why it’s important for you and your bottom line to know what content marketing is, and more importantly, what it is not (22:25)
  • The proof is in the pudding – Meet David Robertson, who traveled 3,000 miles to give 30,000 reasons why this stuff really works (23:30)
  • The perfect storm of content marketing – Discover the three forces that have brought us to the point where we have to think differently about how we market, and how to use those forces to your advantage (25:01)
  • Open war is upon you – Why the key to victory in the content wars is to offer your unique value (27:35)
  • All means all – Why every business should use Value Based Content Marketing to stay ahead of the game, win market share, and to make more money (32:24)
  • How soon is now – Why you need to accept the uncomfortable truth that the more value first content you release, the faster you grow (33:14)
  • Your presence is required – Why your blog, live video, podcast, and print needs to be present on every significant channel (36:42)
  • Avoid the unsubscribe link – Why you must be willing to sacrifice short-term gain for long-term profit and value (40:30)
  • Inside the mind of Jay Abraham – Why you don't want to be simply the superior marketer…you want to be the superior provider (42:17)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

https://rayedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Ray-Edwards-Show-Transcript-315-2.pdf

Direct download: REP315.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard us extol the virtues of Revel 77, our favorite coffee shop. So, when its existence was in jeopardy we stepped out and bought it. But that begs the question, “Why the heck did we do that?”

In this episode we’ll attempt to answer that question, and show you why we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to walking out the prosperity principles that we teach.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Prosperity tends to mean different things to different people, but to simplify this I’ve boiled prosperity down to one acronym (you guys know how much I love these).

L.I.F.E. will help you determine whether you’re living a prosperous life. Check it out…

Love what you do, and do what you love.

Invite God’s presence into every part of your life.

Fight evil.

Empower good.

If you’ll do those things you’re living a prosperous life.

Tip of the Week

In 1879 Thomas Alva Edison created the first commercially practical incandescent light. I think we can all agree that was a revolutionary moment. Now Philips has created Hue lighting which lets you easily control your light and create the right ambiance for every situation.

When you experience a beautiful sunset, you realize that light can change your emotional state. Now imagine having total control over the light and color of your environment, bending it to your will so that it matches your mood…that’s some pretty heady stuff.

Combine that versatility with the ease of access that a company like Alexa gives you and, my friends, you are gazing straight into the eyes of progress.

Feature Presentation: “7 Reasons Why We Bought A Coffee Shop”

When we bought our favorite coffee shop we were inundated with questions about our reasons for doing so. We’re known primarily as internet marketers, so why would we dip our toes into the brick and mortar marketplace? In this episode we reveal our reasons, and show you why we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to walking out the prosperity principles that we teach. Here are our 7 reasons:

  1. Community
  2. Ministry
  3. Investment
  4. Proof and flexing our muscles
  5. Synergy with our existing business
  6. Because we wanted to
  7. More Income

Here are a few snippets from our conversation:

  • Sean’s Rant of the Week – Illuminating the hidden meaning of capitalism (16:45)
  • The story behind the story – What specialty coffee and power outlets had to do with the purchase of Revel 77 (21:20)
  • Assembling the wings on the way down – Why growth can be messy and good at the same time (24:18)
  • Creating the Third Place – How a safe shared space allows a community to find an anchor and flourish (28:15)
  • Becoming the feet of Jesus – How business can help people experience God’s Kingdom through abundance, peace, and joy (30:59)
  • The Shark Tank Factor – How to strategically invest in businesses to increase your income and wealth (35:06)
  • Put your money where your mouth is – What a coffee shop taught us about the validity of our marketing model and forever answer the question. “Will this work for my business?” (38:39)
  • Coffee is magical – How a delicious beverage helps us carry the atmosphere of Heaven to a thirsty world (41:19)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP314.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You can hardly open your email these days without seeing someone promising the super-secret key to insane business growth. I know that the title of this episode seems like over-the-top clickbait, but by the time we’re done you’ll see that it’s no exaggeration.

This kind of extraordinary growth is happening right now to my friend Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner. We're going to be talking with him this week and let him explain exactly how he has done this and how you can do the same for your business.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

This week’s spiritual foundations should be exciting for you because I'm about to reveal to you a secret superpower you probably did not know you had.

If you're a follower of Jesus, you are part of what's called the royal priesthood. It means that you are both a king and a priest under the kingly priesthood of Jesus Christ.

In the old covenant, kings and priests were two different groups of people. You could be a king or a priest, but you could not be both at the same time. Today, if we are in Christ, we are both kings and priests. A royal priesthood. That means we have double the supernatural speaking power because of our king-priesthood roles.  

How do I know this? Well, if you look in Ecclesiastes chapter eight verse four it says, “Where the word of a king is, there is power.” If you look at Deuteronomy, chapter 21 verse five it says of priests, “By their word, every controversy and every assault shall be settled.” As a believer, if you're in business, you have an edge over other business people. There you go, I said it.  

What you say about your business deals will come to pass. You have that power in your speech.

If you get falsely accused of something, if people give you bad reviews online or say bad things about you as they inevitably will, you need to know that by your very word, every controversy and every assault will be settled.

This doesn't just apply to your business, it also applies the rest of your life.

As a king-priest, you can bless your children by speaking words of destiny over them. You have the power to set in motion the supernatural forces that will give them what they need to win the battles of life and live out their destiny. 

Instead of agreeing with the devil when he says bad things about you, your life, your business, and your family, you should declare the opposite. You should say, along with me, “I live under supernatural protection. I prosper in all my relationships. God forgives all my iniquities and heals all my diseases.”  

You can say, straight from Scripture, “The Lord will make my way prosperous and give me good success.” You've got double the speaking power of any king or priest from the old covenant. Use your double speaking power and bring these blessings to fruition in your own life.

Speak what you want to see and go out there and be the royal priest that you are.

Tip of the Week

I'm going to confess right now that I have never understood cryptocurrency.

I hear people talking about Bitcoin and I just nod politely and listen, realizing I have no idea what they're talking about. That is until I had a conversation with my friend Joel Comm who is now the co-host of The Bad Crypto Podcast.

This is a great place to start getting answers to questions like:

  • What is cryptocurrency?
  • What is Bitcoin?
  • Does it have a place in your future?

I think after listening to a couple of episodes, the answer is, “Yes it does.” I think this is the future of currency, of investing.

It can be hard to understand, but these guys make it easy. My advice is to start at episode one and listen to each successive episode to get caught up.

Take a listen, you’ll thank me…I promise.

Feature Presentation: “Make Your Own YouTube Reality Show & Grow Your Business Like Crazy”

This week’s guest is my friend Michael Stelzner. He's the founder of Social Media Examiner, and the author of books like Launch and Writing White Papers. Michael is also the man behind Social Media Marketing World, the industry's largest conference. He's also the host of the Social Media Marketing Podcast, founder of the Social Media Marketing Society, host of the weekly Social Media Marketing Talk Show, and the central character in the YouTube reality show The Journey, an episodic documentary about his own company.

Here are a few snippets from our conversation:

  • Take a journey – Michael discusses how an episodic YouTube channel played a significant role in growing his business by 62% (6:13)
  • The Mother of Invention – Michael reveals the story behind “The Journey” and how he went from idea to execution in seven days (7:30)
  • Video killed the radio star – Michael answers the questions, “Why video?” and “Why now?” (9:12)
  • No one resonates with rosy – Why it’s a good idea to reveal your flaws to your audience, even if it makes you uncomfortable (11:13)
  • Authenticity is a contact sport – Michael talks about the dark side of being transparent and how, like a Jedi master, you can make it work for you (14:18)
  • Swim with the sharks without getting eaten – How to draw the line between content marketing and shameless promotion (15:16) 
  • Binge-watching as a business strategy – Michael shares about the power of creating compelling content, and doing it on your own terms (18:34)
  • Getting to know you – Why video creates a highly sought-after connection with you and your business, even if viewers have never met you in person (22:07)
  • The thousand-mile journey begins with the first step – Michael opens up about what it takes to begin your own Journey, whether you have a team or it’s just you against the world (25:45)
  • Follow someone through a minefield – Michael shows you the most common pitfalls of creating your own Journey, and how to avoid them (27:58)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP313.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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

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

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Is it possible to use peace as a weapon?

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

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

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

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

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

Tip of the Week

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

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

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

Feature Presentation: “The One With Amy Porterfield”

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

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

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

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

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

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP312.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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

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

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selah. (Think about it.)

Tip of the Week

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

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

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

Feature Presentation: “The One With Marie Forleo”

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

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

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

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

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP311.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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

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

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go to the ant and be wise.

Tip of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

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

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP310.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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

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


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

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

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

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

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

Tip of the Week

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

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

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

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

Feature Presentation: “The Entrepreneurial Manifesto”

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

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

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP309.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Remember the good old days of email marketing when you could just send email to someone and they would actually look forward to receiving it? While it’s true that email marketing was different in the past, I believe there is a case to be made that we are in The Golden Age of email marketing right now…and you can still be a part of it.

My guest this week is someone who knows a lot about how to get the most out of your email marketing. Nathan Barry is the founder of ConvertKit, and he is going to share some simple hacks that will help you become a vital part of the email renaissance.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

When I walk into my office each day, the first thing I see is a pink index card with three words written on it. Those three words are the principles that drive my business daily.

Those words are:

  • Presence
  • People
  • Profit

Presence has two meanings for me: number one, and the most important, is the presence of God. I want to be aware of God's presence every moment of the day. The second meaning of the word presence is being present with people. This is a big deal to me.

The second principle is people. The real foundation of my business is people just like you. No people…no business. But people mean much more to me than that. We all need deep relationships with others and relationships are reciprocal. We need each other. We need people in our lives.

The third principle is profit, because if you don't have a profit, you won't have a business for very long.

Those are the priorities that I think about every day in the business as I walk in the door. If I stay focused on the presence of God while being present with people and recognizing their importance, the profit will take care of itself.

Tip of the Week

I ditched my iPad…kind of. I ditched my smaller 9.7” iPad in favor of the larger 12.9” one. From the outside I can understand why people might have a problem with that decision…I mean, does it really make that big a difference?

Yes, and here are five reasons why:

  1. It's the size of a full sheet of paper.
  2. It has a split screen.
  3. I can handwrite my notes and draw little illustrations, or do sketch-noting.
  4. I can easily annotate PDF’s.
  5. I can leave my laptop behind, because there are very few things I can do on my laptop that I can't do on my iPad Pro.

While the adage isn’t always true, in this case, bigger is actually better.

Feature Presentation: “The Death & Rebirth of Email Marketing”

My guest Nathan Barry likes to build audiences and companies. Right now he is focused on building ConvertKit, an email marketing company for professional bloggers. It’s both powerful and easy to use, plus amazing people like Tim Ferriss, Pat Flynn, Chris Guillebeau, as well as 12,000 other great bloggers swear by it.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The riches are in the niches – Why ConvertKit isn’t just a different email service provider, it’s a better one (18:10)
  • One of these things is not like the other – Why trying to be all things to all people is a recipe for business disaster (20:28)
  • Scratch your own itch – How Nathan Barry learned that solving his own problem was the fastest path to the cash (21:05)
  • What’s your startup story – Join Nathan in a no-holds-barred look behind the scenes of what start-up success really looks like (21:22)
  • “Shut it down, or double down” – The wise advice Nathan Barry received from a friend that completely turned his business around (23:10)
  • Mired in the Sea of Sameness – Why it takes more than a just passionate message to get your voice heard in the marketplace (27:34)
  • Stop celebrating complexity – The real reason why consistently providing value still reigns supreme in the marketplace of ideas (29:05)
  • The right tool for the right job – What ConvertKit learned about the mistake of trying to make everyone fit into the same box (30:45)
  • Here’s what to do first – Simple hacks that can take from no list at all, to having an engaged list that you can be proud of (32:51)
  • Dodging the fiery darts of email marketing failure – What tagging and segmentation are, and why they may be the secret weapon your marketing system has been searching for (36:07)
  • The Cowardly Lion approach to marketing – How to easily spot customers who are digitally raising their hands and ready to buy from you (38:06)
  • Focus on what you care about – What you can learn from ConvertKit’s commitment to user experience so you can dominate your segment of the online world (41:17)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP308.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

What you believe controls how much success you’re willing to allow yourself to experience. Is it possible that by tweaking what you believe you could start to achieve things you once thought impossible?

In this episode we're going to begin to examine and share some of our core beliefs, how they influence our business, our personal lives, our behavior, and how we arrived at these beliefs.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Our Spiritual Foundations segment this week is sure to ruffle a few feathers, but what else is new? In this episode I unveil a new way to think about one of the most quoted passages in the Bible…Matthew 22:15-22.

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.’

So they brought Him a denarius.

And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’

They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’

And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.”

So, was Jesus saying that taxes are cool and He was totally okay with the government? Or is it possible that His answer had a deeper meaning. The answers you seek are inside this week’s episode.

Tip of the Week

If you’re anything like me, you have dozens of apps on your phone that you never use. They seemed like a good idea at the time, but now they’ve been relegated to the Island of Forgotten Apps.

Fear not, I have an elegantly simple solution.

Delete all the apps on your phone and only add them back when you need them. I know, it sounds extreme, but think of it as a game. How few apps can you keep on your phone and still feel like a king or queen of the digital playground? I think you’ll be surprised at the answer.

Feature Presentation: “7 Beliefs That Create Success”

We stand for:

  1. Spiritual foundations
  2. Virtuous prosperity
  3. Rational, virtuous self-interest
  4. Reality-based thinking
  5. Non-evasiveness
  6. Productivity
  7. Legacy

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Stop living on a flat earth – Why your worldview is dangerously incomplete without a spiritual component (11:16)
  • Is your mental castle made from bricks or straw? – Why what you believe about reality may actually be making your life more difficult (12:24)
  • Be fruitful and multiply – How your built-in power to reason gives you the ability to create things that advance and sustain life (18:25)
  • The Dangerous Dichotomy – How Jesus’ command to love yourself is the key to helping as many people as possible (24:09)
  • You reap what you sow – Why thought without action dooms you to a life mired in the mud of false reality (28:58)
  • If I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist – Why evading reality never helps you in the long run and eventually winds up stealing all your joy (35:39)
  • You are The Genesis Device – How embracing your creative nature is the fastest way to become productive and turn work into worship (40:39)
  • The work you do today impacts tomorrow – Why you should build the world today that future generations can enjoy tomorrow…just like you wish previous generations had done for you (45:26)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP307.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

I just listened to an episode of Amy Porterfield‘s podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. That episode shook me up (hah hah, the first Parkinson's joke of the episode). After hearing Amy speak so powerfully, I felt an overwhelming sense that I needed to say a few things publicly.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

I'm sharing not because it's important to me (believe me, I'd rather not be talking about this) – but because it's important to you.

WARNING: This episode may not be suitable for those uncomfortable with the cold, hard truth.

Direct download: REP306.5.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:31pm PDT

Stories have a way of sticking with us. The world of marketing is changing around us, and those businesses that don’t invite their customers into a heroic story will soon find themselves forgotten.

If you’re tired of your marketing having the same affect as a monkey yelling into a bullhorn, then you’re listening to this podcast at exactly the right time. In this episode my guest Don Miller is going to introduce you to a roadmap that will clarify your message and draw customers to you like a magnet.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

If you’re like most people, you were raised with an understanding of The Golden Rule, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

Regardless of your belief system, you have to admit that this is a pretty solid idea. But does it apply to governments as well as individuals? In this episode Sean and I have an provocative discussion that is sure to raise the hackles of more than a few people.

Tip of the Week

We’ve discovered the greatest camera ever made. Pretty bold statement, right? If you’re a content creator who relies on outstanding video (YouTubers I’m looking at you) then this camera is going to change your world.

With this camera you can take stunningly sharp videos and crisp photos with one device. The mirrorless frame is lightweight for easy travel, and the 20.3-megapixel technology delivers on clarity. We go into a whole geeky discussion about this inside the episode, but suffice it to say that this camera is a photographic rock star!

Feature Presentation: “Building A Storybrand with Donald Miller”

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and every year helps more than 3,000 business leaders clarify their brand message. His audiences are challenged to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion. Don’s thoughts on story have deeply influenced leaders and teams for Pantene, Ford/Lincoln, Zaxby’s, Chick-fil-A, Steelcase, Intel, Prime Lending and thousands more. Combined, Don’s books have spent more than a year on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • If you confuse you lose – Why asking your customer to focus on more than one idea is killing your business (17:49)
  • Even a caveman can do it – Why the “Grunt Test” is important and how you can use it to test your marketing in five seconds or less (19:22)
  • Accidentally ignoring the important – How story plays such an important role in our businesses and why it’s so often ignored (22:05)
  • Using resistance as a compass – Why your insecurities and fears can be used as a guide to the life you desire most (24:09)
  • The Storyteller’s Formula – What movies can teach us about making marketing matter (26:15)
  • Clarify to amplify – How the human brain processes story and how you can use that revelation to multiply the results in your business (28:38)
  • Survive and thrive – What you need to know about the human brain, and how that knowledge can cause your message to stand out in the marketplace (30:37)
  • The making of a President – What the results of recent elections can teach us about the power of story when used correctly…and incorrectly (33:55)
  • It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it – How using the proper framework can transform your marketing from sad to successful (36:07)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP306.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You’ve heard and read me talking about this topic of prosperity for some time now. If you’re still reading, chances are you have at least cautiously accepted the idea that you, too, may prosper.

At this point you may even be thinking, “Ray, you’ve sold me on this prosperity idea. But how do I start? What’s next?” The rest of this podcast attempts to answer that question. Let’s get started.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

4 Principles for Living a Prosperous Life

  1. Find your ultimate joy and satisfaction in God.
  2. View your business as a means for glorifying Christ.
  3. Serve others as a demonstration of your love for them.
  4. Continually ask God to bless you.

Tip of the Week

Free training on powering up your platform!

Feature Presentation: “How To Live Long & Prosper”

Having established a foundation for prosperity, you now want to build on it by focusing on vision, mission, plans, strategies and goals that apply specifically to your business.

Create a Prosperity Pathway

There is power in a prosperity pathway. A prosperity pathway helps you:

  • Develop clarity about how to proceed
  • Focus on achievable outcomes
  • Stay on course

The steps in creating your prosperity pathway:

  1. Vision
  2. Mission
  3. Plans
  4. Strategy
  5. Goals

Perhaps you’ve heard the acronym SMART Goals. SMART stands for:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Realistic

T – Time-based

SMART goals are a good place to start.

The problem with conventional goal-setting in this fashion is that it’s:

  • All or nothing
  • Pie in the sky
  • Demoralizing
  • Demotivating

Without goals we have no idea how we’re doing, or where we’re heading.

So, here’s what I suggest and what I do: I set BAM! Goals. BAM is an acronym and stands for:

B – Baseline

A – Amazing

M – Miraculous

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP305.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Things can change so quickly in the online world it sometimes feels like a full-time job just trying to keep up. Which platforms are still relevant? What are the emerging trends I need to keep my eye on?

In this episode my guest Mark Mason will tackle these questions, clear out the cobwebs of confusion and shine a light on the path forward.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

In the church world today, when people are presented with an opportunity it’s common to hear them say, “I’m going to wait on the Lord till I get a sign from Him that this is the right thing to do.”

This drives me nuts because God has given us eyes, ears, and a glorious brain to think with…we should be able to evaluate opportunities using the tools He has given us. So, I found some Scripture to back up my viewpoint, which is what you do when you’re a Christian. Check this out:

Proverbs 10:5, “He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.”

Or how about Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

We serve a God who doesn’t have any problems making decisions. Let’s follow His lead and strike when the opportunity is hot.

Tip of the Week

The tip this week is one of the coolest apps I’ve seen in a long time. If you ever watched the TV show Fringe you’ll remember how they had those 3D titles that showed the name of the city floating on the screen. It looked really cool.

Now with Placer Cam you can create that same effect in your videos just using your phone. Getting perfectly tracked text in your videos has never been as fun, quick or easy. The best part is that there’s no expensive editing software required, do it all on your mobile device!

Feature Presentation: “An Interview with Mark Mason”

My guest this week is Mark Mason, the host of the brilliant podcast Late Night Internet Marketing. There you can expect to hear practical internet marketing advice you can apply to your own internet business, great interviews with successful and interesting marketers, and tidbits of helpful information delivered in an easy-to-understand format.

In this episode I get to pepper Mark with questions we all want answers to, like:

  1. Is affiliate marketing still a real thing normal people can do?
  2. Why would one approach an internet business as a side hustle, instead of burning the ships?
  3. Day Job Secrets: Should You Tell Your Boss About Your Side Gig?
  4. Do you think all this vlogging, snapping, Vining, and Instagramming is a sign of rampant narcissim?
  5. Why don’t you post a bunch of quote memes to show us how smart you are? How hard is it for the Average Joe to optimize a website?
  6. And finally, why a post about depression?

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Let there be value – Why leading by example has helped Mark Mason lead the way in helping people build profitable side businesses (8:58)
  • Get Ziggy with it – How to get what you want by helping people get what they want (11:01)
  • Jesus was a smart Dude – Why the Golden Rule has always been the key to longevity and prosperity in business (13:10)
  • Playing with fire can get you burned – The real reason that building a side hustle is the smartest way to transition out of a job (15:22)
  • Stay away from the eject button – Why it’s always better to run to something than run away from something (18:07)
  • Stop waiting for your “calling” – How to enjoy what you’re doing while you’re doing it so your calling can find you (20:34)
  • To tell or not to tell – The questions you need to answer before you decide to tell your boss about your side hustle (23:42)
  • Expect to be discovered – A parable about what to do if your side hustle is discovered (29:35)
  • The value of narcissism – How to spot the fine line between making it all about you and entertaining and enlightening your audience (31:40)
  • An alternate view of depression – How to overcome the things that drain our energy and move your business forward every day (37:29)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

It's the dark secret of many small business entrepreneurs – most are a couple of bad months away from total bankruptcy. I learned this lesson the hard way after generating hundreds of millions and having nothing to show for it. While I changed that over the last few years, I am still a work in progress. And many small business owners I know are still living check-to-check.

The book Profit First changes all that once and for all. Ask yourself. “What would it be like if I could immediately start taking profit from ny business – this month, and every month from now on? What if I could be permanently profitable?”


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Keeping your accounting straight and your business profitable is not just a good idea – it’s biblical.

“Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.” – Proverbs 27:23-24

Tip of the Week

Try this with me: one book, one month, deep.

Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz.

Feature Presentation: “Profit First, Broke Never”

TESTIMONIALS FOR PROFIT FIRST

Darnyelle Jervey: “It feels good to be building a business that serves me. Profit First is helping me to live out my mission in my own business.” Bottom Line: $296,763.20 in profit, 258 percent revenue growth, and more than a million dollars in sales.

Carrie Cunnington: “My business finances are organized and clean. I’m profitable (yeah!), disciplined, in control and motivated.” Bottom Line: Debt free and posting quarterly profits.

Christian Maxin: “I now need just 60 minutes a week to manage my financial planning.” Bottom line: Christian can see the financial health of his business at a glance: $250,000 in new profit and business growth of 20 percent.

Paul Finney: “Once you have cash, opportunities start to appear like never before.” Bottom Line: 500 percent growth in weekly sales; costs cut by 20 percent.

Helen and Rob Faulkner: “After 18 years of being in business, we finally feel we’re a success.” Bottom Line: Helen and Rob turned around their business and posted a first-ever profit distribution within four weeks of starting Profit First.

Notes and Quotes from Profit First:

Money problems occur when one of two things happen:

  1. Sales slow down. The problem here is obvious when you operate check-to-check and sales slow down: you won’t have enough to cover expenses.
  2. Sales speed up. This problem is not obvious, but it is insidious. As your income climbs, expenses quickly follow. Exchanging the newly leased car for a rust-bucket, laying off employees because we’re overstaffed, saying “No” to our partners—all of this is very hard to do because of the agreements and promises we made. We don’t want to admit we’ve been wrong in how we’ve been growing our business. So rather than reduce our costs in any meaningful way, we scramble to cover ridiculously high expenses. We steal from Peter to pay Paul, hoping for another big payout.

Most business owners try to grow their way out of their problems, hinging salvation on the next big sale, customer, or investor, but the result is simply a bigger monster. (And the bigger your company gets, the more anxiety you deal with. A $300,000 cash-eating monster is much easier to manage than a $3,000,000 one. I know; I have survived operating both.)

“Profit must be baked into your business. Every day, every transaction, every moment. Profit is not an event. Profit is a habit.”

THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLES OF PROFIT FIRST

Old “Profit Last” Formula: Sales – Expenses = Profit

New “Profit First” Formula: Sales – Profit = Expenses

Here’s how you apply the four principles:  

  1. Use Small Plates—When money comes into your main INCOME account, it simply acts as a serving tray for the other accounts. You then periodically disperse all the money from the INCOME account into different accounts in predetermined percentages. Each of these accounts has a different objective: one is for profit, one for owner compensation, another for taxes, and another for operating expenses. Collectively, these are the five foundational accounts (Income, Profit, Owner’s Comp, Tax, and Operating Expenses). Those five accounts are where you should get started, but advanced users will use additional accounts (outlined in Chapter 10).
  2. Serve Sequentially—Always, always allocate money based upon the percentages to the accounts first. Never, ever, ever pay bills first. The money moves from the INCOME account to your PROFIT account, OWNER’S COMP, TAX, and OPEX (OPERATING EXPENSES). Then you pay bills only with what is available in the OPEX account. No exceptions. And if there isn’t enough money left for expenses? This does not mean you need to pull from the other accounts. What it does mean is that your business is telling you that you can’t afford those expenses and need to get rid of them. Eliminating unnecessary expenses will bring more health to your business than you can ever imagine.
  3. Remove Temptation—Move your PROFIT account and other “tempting” accounts out of arm’s reach. Make it really hard and painful to get to that money, thereby removing the temptation to “borrow” (i.e., steal) from yourself. Use an accountability mechanism to prevent access, except for the right reason.
  4. Enforce a Rhythm—Do your allocations and payables twice a month (specifically, on the tenth and twenty-fifth). Don’t pay only when there is money piled up in the account. Get into a rhythm of allocating your income, and paying bills twice a month so that you can see how cash accumulates and where the money really goes. This is controlled, recurring and frequent cash-flow-management, not by-the-seat-of-your-pants cash-management.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

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Direct download: REP303.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

We all have fears and beliefs that hold us back, but what we don’t usually have is a proven process that can destroy, once and for all, the limits those fears and beliefs place on us.

This week I sit down with my friend Cliff Ravenscraft for an in-depth discussion on this very subject. We’re going to introduce you to tools and strategies that will unleash your potential and allow you to take the big leap from your Zone of Excellence to your Zone of Genius!


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Feature Presentation: “Breaking Through Your Upper Limits: A Conversation with Cliff Ravenscraft”

We all have a thermostat in our lives that regulates how we feel with the amount of financial success, relationship success, and also business success that we have in our lives. In a very real sense, that thermostat has put a ceiling on how much greatness you allow in your life.

Imagine for a moment that there was no ceiling…what would that make possible in your life?

That’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this episode. But first, as some of you may know, Sean and I recently bought a local artisan coffeehouse here in Spokane, and we thought you might enjoy a little insight as to why we did that. Enjoy!

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

Part One: The Coffeehouse Chronicles

  • Sad news & an idea – How to spot opportunity in the most common areas of your life (3:22)
  • Coffee and Community – Why a successful business is more than just a business (4:04)
  • The strategic growth plan – How your unique skill set as an online entrepreneur can create new growth opportunities in the brick and mortar world (5:10)
  • No more excuses – Why we believe coffee can open the door for all the brick and mortar businesses that are unsure online strategies will work for them (5:30)
  • “I just don’t want it to close” – Why it’s okay, and even encouraged, to get emotional about business (7:38)
  • King Solomon was right – Why it’s always a good idea to have multiple streams of income (8:37)
  • Keep your eye on the prize – How to make your money go to work for you (8:48)
  • A gathering place for friends – How to create a business model that turns customers into friends (9:06)

Part 2: Breaking Through Your Upper Limits

  • What’s the big deal? – How a cryptic message from Cliff changed my life (12:32)
  • Control your temperature – How your inner thermostat dictates how much success you’re allowed to have in your life (14:10)
  • Introverts and the post-vacation blues – How your mindset controls how much joy and excitement you are willing to allow in your life (18:51)
  • The $25,000 check – Why most people refuse to accept random acts of kindness and how to fix that forever (22:55)
  • The Upper Limit Injury – The never before released reason why your unconscious mind is fighting against your success, and what to do about it (25:31)
  • The new high-water mark: How to identify your underlying positive message so you can blow the roof off your potential (27:01)
  • Let’s get real – An intimate look at Ray’s experience with the Upper Limit Challenge, and the “miraculous” victory that came from that (27:33)
  • The unintentional criminal – Why continuing to do something you’re awful at is robbing someone of the blessing of using their gift (31:37)
  • Is this the best use of your time? – Why doing things others can do better is costing you money and draining your most valuable resource (35:04)
  • The Land of Milk and Honey – Why your business should be based on something you do that comes easy to you but is difficult for others (36:59)
  • The Zone of Genius – Why your unique gift is the key to enjoying all the love, financial abundance and creativity that’s rightfully yours (39:50)
  • Watching Television Professionally – What can you do for long stretches of time without getting bored or tired? (45:01)
  • Live long and prosper – What Spock can teach us about living with an abundance mindset (45:29)
  • Working hard or hardly working? – Discovering the work you do that doesn’t feel like work (52:23)
  • The Russian Doll Experiment – The magic of uncovering your unique ability by asking the right questions in the right order (53:03)
  • I’m looking at you – Everyone has a Zone of Genius and it’s your personal mission to discover and share it (55:04)
  • Feel the fear and do it anyway – How to defeat fear and use The Resistance as a compass (57:35)
  • Now hear this! – The important information about the first Ray Edwards Live Meet-Up at Revel 77 (58:57)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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Direct download: REP302.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

If you ask a room full of people with jobs why they go to work, what do you think their answer would be?  Probably something like, “To pay the bills… because I have to… because I have an addiction to living indoors with plumbing…”

If you ask entrepreneurs why they work, what will THEY say? Probably something like, “Because I love my business… I’m doing what I love… I’m on a mission…”

But pose the question differently and see what happens. Ask those same entrepreneurs privately, if they won the Powerball and a got a $25M windfall, what are the first 5 things they would do… and one of the top items on that list is ALWAYS “get rid of this business.”

In this episode, we’re going to get to the root of this problem and help you live a more authentic life starting right now.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Recently I’ve been re-reading the classic book Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. Dr. Maltz popularized the idea of self-image and its effect on performance. There's a difference between self-esteem and self-image. Your self-esteem is how you appraise your value, your self-image is simply the picture you have of yourself.

Who do you think you are?

There's an ancient proverb that says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” I believe what He was saying is, what you say reveals who you think you are.

Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” I believe what He was saying is, what you say reveals who you think you are.

If you consistently find yourself behaving in a way that you don’t want to behave… you must look closely at your “secret identity.” You’ll find that somewhere you hold conflicting views that cannot exist in the same person. You are at war with yourself, and you are at war with reality.

The masses lead lives of quiet contradictions. That is the pattern of the ordinary behavior of the world. It’s why the Apostle Paul wrote “Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind…”

We renew our minds by thinking different thoughts. How do you do this?

  1. Notice the feelings that alert you to internal conflicts.
  2. Trace your thought backwards and find the place where you find two conflicting ideas.
  3. Resolve the conflict.
  4. Establish a new thought that is not in conflict.
  5. Reinforce the “trigger” and the “thought pattern.”

In this episode, we do a deep dive on all of this…trust me when I say that you don’t want to miss this.

Tip of the Week

In keeping with the theme of today's episode, How to Reinvent Your Business, Your Income, and Your Life, Jeff Walker opens his store today for you to enroll in his Product Launch Formula (PLF).

We're big believers in PLF as an approach, and the tip of the week is about how you can get $20,000 in coaching and training from me and our company for free when you sign up for PLF through the link rayedwards.com/plf.

These bonuses are only available for a limited time…until Thursday, September 14, 2017. So, if you want the $20,000 worth of free goodies from us, go to rayedwards.com/plf.

While you’re there, be sure to watch all the videos because you would be surprised at how much you can learn from that content, and by observing the PLF launch process. Now go forth and prosper!

Feature Presentation: “How To Reinvent Your Business, Your Income and Your Life”

Let's pretend you won the New Life lottery…what would be the first things you would do? Most entrepreneurs, if they told the truth, would just get rid of their business.

Why? Because they feel trapped by their business and they go to work in their business for the same reason that people go to work at a job, to pay the bills.

So, if money were no longer a concern…

  1. How would you redesign your life?
  2. How would you redesign your income?
  3. How would you redesign your business?

Here are some ideas and some snippets from our conversation:

  • You are here – Answering this question honestly is the very first place to start when redesigning your life (30:05)
  • Check your B.S. at the door – How redefining your belief system is the fastest way to make a life U-Turn (32:54)
  • Opportunity comes dressed as work – How to give yourself permission to want what you want (34:50)
  • How to eliminate the belief that there is a moral connection between hours worked and income earned.(35:54)
  • The tug at your soul – You are a creative, productive person…and if you aren't creatively productive, your soul begins to die (38:05)
  • Be fruitful and multiply – Why creating value is a Divine calling and simply the smartest thing you could possibly do in business (40:10)
  • Reinvention simplified – How to do a wholesale redesign of your life with a minimum amount of disruption (43:38)
  • The seven-figure solution – Why a product launch is the fastest and most strategic way to reinvent your business (47:53)
  • The clock is ticking – Why setting a deadline for yourself puts you on the fast-track to success (49:24)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP301.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Where did you get your beliefs about money? Chances are they were not consciously chosen, and that they aren’t a well thought-out integrated “philosophy of money.”

The most commonly held misconceptions about money are actually dangerous deceptions… contradictory beliefs in a reality that punishes those who try to navigate life based on contradictory tactics. In this episode we’ll bust the 21 most common – and most dangerous – money myths…and we’ll expose the liberating truths that will set you free of your self-imposed limitations.

 


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

One of the things we love most about our listeners is that you’re a smart group of people. We’re honored that you listen to this show for guidance, but when presented with the truth you’re able to figure things out on your own.

In that spirit, this week we’re simply going to present you with a series of quotes from the Bible and let you come to your own conclusions. Let’s begin…

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

“The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” – Proverbs 10:22

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:30 -33

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:9

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. – Ephesians 3:20-21

Tip of the Week

Before I can serve my business, I have to serve you…my audience. I have to produce valuable content that you find interesting and valuable, and that’s exactly what I’m doing on my YouTube channel.

There's a ton of great content there and more to come. What would be awesome is if you subscribe to the channel. When you subscribe, you'll see a little bell icon. You want to click on that. That way you'll get a notification when I put out a new video. I welcome you to leave comments there and let me know what other stuff you'd like to hear about or see on that channel.

Psst…here’s a little secret, like the secret menu at In-n-Out Burger. We actually offer several tips in this episode, but you have to listen to hear the others. Aren’t we sneaky?

Feature Presentation: “21 Money Myths That Keep You Broke…and the 21 Liberating Truths That Will Set You Free”

  1. Myth: You can no longer start a business in today's economy.
  2. Myth: I don't have a product to sell.
  3. Myth: I don't have any experience in anything.
  4. Myth: Another breed of people are the only ones who can do big things.
  5. Myth: I must be shown how to do things by experts from institutions.
  6. Myth: Money isn't important.
  7. Myth: You can sell anything online.
  8. Myth: A businessman is in the low order of talent and importance in society.
  9. Myth: Selling is easy and not that important.
  10. Myth: People who just put up the money for an enterprise don't deserve much of a cut of the profit.
  11. Myth: Artistic or technical alent is rare and super expensive.
  12. Myth: Money must be made slowly.
  13. Myth: If you aren't born rich, you'll never be rich.
  14. Myth: I will be successful because I'm going to school. working for a big established organization, having talent, and working hard.
  15. Myth: People are basically bad, or people are basically good.
  16. Myth: Making a profit is sinful.
  17. Myth: Entrepreneurs are bad.
  18. Myth: I am not smart enough to do anything big because I didn't get good grades in school.
  19. Myth: Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.
  20. Myth: I must be certified by some recognized authority before I can do big things.
  21. Myth: To become rich another must become poor.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Same as it ever was – The truth about why it’s easier than ever to start a business today (19:44)
  • You need a Wesley – What Star Trek can teach you about building a business (22:08)
  • It’s right under your nose – The simplest way to create a product or service that people will happily pay you for (23:52)
  • Get out of your own way – Somewhere someone is looking to pay money for knowledge you take for granted (24:55)
  • All humans can generate wealth – Why your self-limiting beliefs are the only thing standing between you and a fortune (25:44)
  • Climb your own ladder – How to kick the “Education Crutch” to the curb and go with what you know (29:59)
  • Certificates of Appreciation: Why your messed up definition of money will keep you broke forever (31:42)
  • The brick and mortar conundrum – Why digital marketing is the most important arrow in your quiver (34:01)
  • The Matrix Principle – Why the people who designed the current system didn’t have your best interests in mind…and what to do about it (35:55)
  • The salesperson’s vacation – The real reason sales is the highest paid profession in the world and why you should take it seriously (38:51)
  • Risk and Reward – Why the first money in should be the first money out (39:57)
  • You aren’t charging enough – Why the craftsman is worth their weight in gold (40:44)
  • The Gospel of Speed – Why finding a high leverage tactic and putting 100% behind it is the fastest way to create wealth (41:27)
  • Spit out the silver spoon – How to overcome the fallacy of having to be born rich (42:03)
  • They lied to me – How Old World thinking sets you up for failure in the New Economy (45:05)
  • You hold the pen – Why only you get to decide what you write on the blank page of a new day (46:10)
  • Value for value – Why profit is the proof of a service well-performed (49:01)
  • Your vision may be blurry – How to have clarity when determining whether something is good or evil (50:19)
  • You’re good enough, smart enough, and people like you – The danger of allowing academic performance determine your true worth (51:07)
  • You get what you focus on – Why paying attention to the wrong thing can cost you millions (52:34)
  • Stop being so needy – How to stop relying on else’s approval to become successful (53:25)
  • Make infinite pies – The real reason why there is always enough for everyone (54:22)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

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Direct download: REP300.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Most people have heard of a mastermind, but they don’t truly understand the power masterminds produce or how to correctly participate in one.

Even fewer people know the five reasons you need a mastermind…that and more will be revealed in this week’s episode.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Peter Drucker is famous for asking these two questions: “What business are you in?”  and, “How's business?”

Business is good.

I’m not talking about having more customers or how fat your bottom line is…I mean business is morally good.

Business is not morally neutral…it is inherently good.

If you read through the Gospels, you'll notice that Jesus uses business and wealth as a method for teaching the principles of the Kingdom to His followers more than He uses any other subject.

In this episode we’re going to show you what it really means to be about your Father’s business.

Tip of the Week

Before I can serve my business, I have to serve you…my audience. I have to produce valuable content that you find interesting and valuable, and that’s exactly what I’m doing on my YouTube channel.

There's a ton of great content there and more to come. What would be awesome is if you subscribe to the channel. When you subscribe, you'll see a little bell icon. You want to click on that. That way you'll get a notification when I put out a new video. I welcome you to leave comments there and let me know what other stuff you'd like to hear about or see on that channel.

I want to give a shout out to my new friend, Nick Nimmin. I watched his stuff for quite some time and decided, “I want to engage this guy to help me grow our channel,” so I did. I brought him in to do a little coaching and consulting, and he's really been helpful. If you are interested in building a YouTube channel, definitely check out Nick's channel.

Feature Presentation: “5 Reasons You Need A Mastermind”

A little over a week ago, we hosted our affiliate mastermind meeting in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, at the Coeur d'Alene Resort. This was a meeting of our top affiliate partners from our launch of the Copywriting Academy earlier this year and it included:

  • Mike Kim: Branding Strategist Extraordinaire
  • John Nemo: LinkedIn Expert
  • Mark Timm: Leader of Ziglar Family
  • Ernie Svenson: Master of Paperless Productivity
  • Jeff Bullas: The World’s #1 Business Blogger

Why am I telling you about our affiliate mastermind? Because it really underlined for me the value of mastermind meetings.

Here are the Five Reasons You Need A Mastermind:

  1. Clarity
  2. Collaboration
  3. Critique
  4. Caution
  5. Confidence

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The brilliance of mutual benefit – What a mastermind actually is and how it harnesses the power of the third mind (15:40)
  • Speaking their language – The surprising ancient origins of the mastermind…you’ve never heard this before (16:35)
  • You’re inside the bottle – Why you need others to help you avoid pitfalls caused by your blind spots (18:51)
  • I can see clearly now – How you can ignite the fuel of ambition in your life and business (20:19)
  • Many hands make light work – How working together makes your yoke easy and your burden light (22:16)
  • Brutal compassion – Why vulnerability and the creation of a “safe space” lead to answers you would never find on your own (22:37)
  • Running east in search of a sunset – How a mastermind can save you from the peril of unrealistic optimism and keep your business from running off the tracks (24:55)
  • Your most important asset as an entrepreneur – Why you must protect your confidence at all costs (25:52)
  • Keep it real – Why authenticity is your biggest advantage in the marketplace (27:08)
  • The Impact Factor – Why sharpening your critical thinking skills can be the difference between running a business and making an impact (27:57)
  • Who are you hanging around with? – How to avoid the extreme danger of staying confined to your own universe and thinking you've got it figured out (28:51)
  • The power of generosity – Poor minds compete with one another, rich minds empower each other (30:38)
  • Birds of a feather – If you want to fly like an eagle don't hang out with turkeys (31:16)
  • Become an action figure – Why education without endeavor won’t get you very far (31:30)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

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Direct download: REP299.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

This is a special “Bonus Episode” of the show, which consists exclusively of my interview with author Frank Viola, discussing his new book, There Must Be More.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now. 

Buy a copy of Frank's book, There Must Be More, by clicking here.

How To Help

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

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Direct download: REP298b.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:08am PDT

Have you ever felt guilty about the amount of stuff you have? This is something Christian entrepreneurs deal with all the time. It goes something like this, “If you were a real Christian you would sell your stuff and give the money to the poor.”  This mindset has led to some really messed up thinking like affluenza…the “sickness” of having too much stuff.

This week I’m going to introduce my own term…Maximalism…and show you not only why this is a good thing, but why it may be the very thing that saves us from ourselves.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I recently took a trip to Hong Kong and suffered some awful jet lag in the process. I figured that because I only sleep a few hours a night as it is and because I was there to do God’s work I could just struggle through the time difference and be right as rain.

That got me thinking about this whole issue of, “What does God cause, what does He allow, and is there a difference?”

One of the verses in the Bible that gets brought up to point out that God does cause bad things to happen to people for His own glory, is the story of the blind man who was blind from birth. The disciples come to Jesus and they say, “Who sinned that this man is blind? Was it him or was it his parents?” That was their belief system in that culture. If you were born with a handicap, it was because of somebody’s sin. You get punished for someone else’s sin…man that is twisted!

In this episode I’ll share the answer Jesus gave and reveal to you the proper context so you’ll finally be able to understand what He was really saying.

This will set you free.

Tip of the Week

I just got a drone, the DJI Mavic Pro. Right away I discovered two things about owning a drone. First of all, when you set the thing on the ground and you turn the engines on, the props spin up, and you realize you’re about to send a lot of money hurtling into the sky. That’s a little scary. The second thing I discovered is there are a lot of places you're not allowed to fly your drone. Funny thing is they don’t mention that when you buy it.

The FAA, municipalities, state and federal parks, and even private property owners all have something to say about where you can fly your magical new device. It’s all very confusing…or at least it was.

Now there’s an app for that. It's called airmap.io and it incorporates all the available information and it marries it together with Google Maps. You pop up a map on your iOS or Android device and it shows you all the different airspaces, and who controls them.

By using this app all drone owners, or Droners as they’re called, can now safely and responsibly fly without fear.

Feature Presentation: “Is Affluenza A Thing? In Defense of Maximalism”

I was recently listening to a Cliff Ravencraft podcast episode entitled, “Do I really need all this stuff?” In this podcast he was discussing an email he received from a listener chiding him for buying all the expensive podcast equipment he uses when, in their opinion, he should have given that money to the poor.

Cliff made a very impassioned argument about how that was not true, and I think he is right. It makes me want to spend a little more time on this topic this week because Cliff touched on something that I think is really important to understand.

Conventional wisdom says that either you have affluenza, the disease of accumulating too much stuff, or you are a minimalist. This week I would like to present a third option, Maximalism.

Here are a few snippets from our conversation:

  • Words mean things – Sean’s latest Rant of the Week (20:32)
  • The living system – Why the correct definition of a concept matters so much and the high calling of trading value for value (23:19)
  • The wealth of selection – Why it doesn’t matter how much stuff you have, but instead it matters about making your stuff meaningful to you (23:43)
  • Think for yourself – You, yes you, get to decide how much is too much and how much is not enough (24:45)
  • You’re asking the wrong question – Why putting an arbitrary limit on how many items you can have is completely ridiculous and shows that you don't understand why you have things (26:07)
  • The intentional decision – How to determine whether you own things, or things own you (26:35)
  • You wasted your money on that – The truth about items you hardly use and how they amplify your creative process (27:29)
  • I just want that – How to turn any purchase into your own personal R&D experiment (29:39)
  • Wanting what you want – How to leave behind a world of justification and scarcity and enter a world of abundance and creativity where you're always free to want what you want (31:09)
  • You have permission to prosper – Discover the massive difference between want and need when it comes to being successful (32:51)
  • The mic drop moment – The shocking truth that Jesus did not make the ultimate sacrifice, and what really happened (36:14)
  • Business is good – Here’s what you’re really doing when you buy stuff (37:07)
  • The way to great wealth – How capitalism made it possible to become wealthy by serving your fellow man (39:55)
  • Know your own mind – Why Maximalism is the key to enjoying wealth while making a difference (41:32)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP298.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

This is our time. It’s time for the writers, the scribblers, the storytellers and teachers to take out those manuscripts, those Moleskins full of ideas, and those dreams of making a living as a writer and finally bring them to fruition.

If you’ve followed me for very long, you know that I believe that the end result of our creative efforts is to become wealthy…and in this episode I will begin laying down a path to prosperity specifically for writers, or for those whose primary calling involves utilizing the written word.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

There's this bizarre story in the Old Testament where the prophet Elijah pronounced a drought over the land because of the sin of Ahab and the nation of Israel. There was only one problem…Elijah had to live in the same land as Ahab, so he was going to suffer the same consequences.

What's my point in telling this story? Well, if you think about it, the provision that Elijah received from God was the only form of wealth that was available to him in that situation and in that time.

In this episode I’m going to introduce you to a simple question that could change your life, and put forth the controversial idea that God uses money to confirm direction in our lives.

Tip of the Week

Our tip of the week is yet another photo tip. One of the things that I have not felt like I had a good handle on was backing up my photos, because really the only backup I had was through iPhoto or iCloud.

Enter Google Photos.

Google Photos is a photo sharing and storage service developed by Google. It was announced in May 2015 and spun out from Google+, the company's social network. Google Photos gives users free, unlimited storage for photos up to 16 megapixels and videos up to 1080p resolution.

It works with your iPhone and it works with Android…you just get the app from the appropriate app store and give it permission to grab your photos. Easy peasy.

Feature Presentation: “How To Become Wealthy As An Unknown Writer”

I'm giving you the roadmap to becoming a high-income writer, instead struggling as a starving artist. I started this journey a couple of weeks ago by writing a blog post entitled, “How I Work as a Million Dollar Writer” and it has taken on a life of its own.

In this episode, I cover the 5 Fundamentals of building a million-dollar Copywriting Business (this one) and some thoughts on how you can ethically copy me.

If you are determined to be one of The 12 at our upcoming workshop, you can get all the details on the Copywriting As a Million Dollar Business Workshop when you click here.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP297.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

So here's the deal…you have a podcast and now you need listeners. By now you’ve discovered that it takes more than putting your show up on iTunes and expecting subscribers to just come out of the woodwork and become raving fans.

One of the easiest ways to get those listeners is to have Apple, Google, Overcast, Stitcher, and other giant media platforms send you listeners for free…listeners who want EXACTLY what you have to offer on your show.

This week my guest Daniel J. Lewis is going to show you exactly how to do that very thing.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Peace Is a Weapon

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear is slavery, the Un-Maker, the Adversary, and the Resistance. Fear wants us to live in bondage to the past (guilt and shame) and even the future (depression and anxiety) – but God wants us to live in the freedom of His love and power in the present.

Paul wrote, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'” (Romans 8:15)

To be the person God calls us to be, we must conquer fear. But what weapon can empower us to do that? This is a spiritual battle, and it can only be won with spiritual weapons.

Peace is the weapon that defeats fear.

Jesus told His followers, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The apostle Paul told the persecuted Christians in Rome, “The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” (Romans 16:20) The peace of God is our weapon against fear and Satan.

Before going to the cross, Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27).

Fear is a natural response to adversity. Peace is the supernatural response that God gives us by His grace.

Just as Jesus has authority over the wind and waves, He has authority over the storms in our lives. He has authority over our doubts, fears, and shame.

“…as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)

And Jesus is now “seated … in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:20-23)

Doubts, depression, anxiety, fear, and shame are the weapons of the Great Enemy.

Take hold of the peace God has already provided for you today.

Tip of the Week

I've been doing a lot of photography and post-photographic processing of late. And I just rediscovered something that's been around for a while…Adobe Lightroom for mobile.

It allows you to access, edit, organize, and share photos on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device.

Changes sync seamlessly, so updates are available from the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC desktop app, or from your Lightroom account on the web.

Note: Syncing to Lightroom CC on the desktop and the web requires a Lightroom CC trial or a paid Adobe Creative Cloud membership.

Feature Presentation: “How To Get Free Podcast Listeners From Apple and Other Media Giants: An interview with Daniel J. Lewis

As an award-winning podcaster, Daniel J. Lewis helps others share their passions and find success by improving their own podcasts.

He creates training resources (SEO for Podcasters) and podcasting tools (My Podcast Reviews) and he does one-on-one consulting and group training.

Daniel is a sought-after keynote speaker on podcasting and social media, and he hosts a network of award-nominated shows covering how to podcastclean comedy, and the #1 unofficial podcast for ABC's hit drama “Once Upon a Time.”

He also writes about technology, productivity, and entrepreneurship on his personal blog.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The most intimate medium – How podcasting literally allows you to get inside people’s heads (9:52)
  • How do you know that? – The not-so-secret way to create community with your podcast (10:57)
  • Sandpaper on the ears – If you want to have a successful podcast, never do these things (12:03)
  • The sound of silence – How to interview a podcast guest without irritating them (14:30)
  • The SEO puzzle – How to get the right content in front of the right people at the right time (15:49)
  • The strategy behind SEO – The hidden way to create high quality, consumable content that draws listeners like a magnet (19:01)
  • Search engines are creepy – Why your ranking in the search engines improves by being of greater service to your audience (20:32)
  • I wouldn’t do that if I were you – The lazy person’s guide to bad show notes (21:35)
  • Kissing cousins – Why treating your podcast like a blog can be the key to attracting new subscribers (22:50)
  • It’s all in the name – Why understanding copywriting can make your podcast stand out and lead the field (23:29)
  • Dude, where’s my audience? – How to leverage media giants to attract listeners for free (30:15)
  • Even LeBron James has a coach – Why “airchecks” are a valuable tool for podcasters, and where to go to get one (33:15)
  • Quantum leap podcasting – The fastest way to get your listeners the information they want most (37:30)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP296.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Live video is a big deal these days, and it seems like everyone is doing it. It’s great for business. If you do it right. But if you’re like many people, you’ve never dipped your toe into the video pool. Maybe it seems too complicated, or you feel like it’s just too late to get started now.

This week we clear out the clutter and introduce you to Luria Petrucci from LiveStreamingPros.com. Together, we’re going to fill you with hope, simplify the process, and set you on the right path to confidently making live video an integral part of your marketing.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Feature Presentation: “Why You Need To Do Live Video”

My guest this week is Luria Petrucci from LiveStreamingPros.com. She has helped some of the biggest names in the business like Michael Hyatt and John Lee Dumas create and refine their live video marketing.

In this interview, Luria offers practical tips and strategies to help you create more professional live streams, and integrate live video into your overall marketing strategy.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The power of connection: why live video is the single greatest lead generation tool and community builder on the planet (2:20)
  • Are you connect-worthy? The surprising role that vulnerability plays in your live video success (3:25)
  • “I’m good enough, I'm smart enough”: How to use Google to overcome any fear you have about doing live video (4:08)
  • Unleash your evil twin: the little-known secret to getting comfortable on video (7:16)
  • The Alice-in-Wonderland Dilemma: what do to if you feel like you’re too late to the live-video party (8:13)
  • Taming the Adrenaline Monster: use these simple steps to overcome the most common worries about doing live video (9:19)
  • What to do when you don’t know what to do: how to use The Four Levels of Live Streaming to get started the right way (9:51)
  • Put your best face forward: the newbie’s guide to making sure you’re using the right tools (10:28)
  • You are here: the simplest way to get started using live video (13:02)
  • Take the 5-Day Challenge: how get to a customized live video learning experience for FREE (13:52)
  • Practice, practice, practice: how to use the tools available to you to create a “Life Stream” (15:12)
  • Know your why: how to develop a plan to use live video as a means of creating value, establishing expertise, and inviting your audience into the process (15:56)
  • The ageless medium: why it doesn’t matter how old you are in the age of live video (18:05)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP295.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Does any of the following sound familiar? You set goals but never seem to hit them…you never seem satisfied…you experience up’s and down’s, but always seem to live your life somewhere in the messy middle…you have that “someday I’ll be happy” mentality. If that’s you, here’s what I know about you, you aren’t productive, rich, or happy.

You’re familiar with the adage about keeping the same pattern but expecting different results, right? Starting right now it can all be different for you. This week I’m going to explain why you’re having this problem, and I’m going to give you a roadmap to escape the messy middle.

 


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Here is a truth I was reminded of the other day, “You are the books you read, the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the people you spend time with, and the conversations in which you choose to engage.”

The Bible says something similar in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

This week we’ll show you how to develop new patterns of thought so that your life becomes “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Tip of the Week

In this episode I encourage you to “zero base” your life. What is that you ask?

Our all-knowing friends at Wikipedia describe zero-based budgeting, as an example. Zero-based budgeting is: “a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period.”

You start from zero, and every expense needs to justify itself. You can do this with your environment as well. Do the people you hang around with lift you up or drag you down? Does your office or home make you feel productive or drive you crazy?

In this episode you’ll get a glimpse behind the scenes as I zero-base my own life. WARNING: This gets a little weird…

Feature Presentation: “Why You'll Never Be Productive, Rich & Happy”

I’ve got seven reasons why you’ll never be productive, rich, or happy. But don’t worry! I’ve also got some suggestions about how to fix them forever if you choose to do so.

Here are the seven reasons you’re shackled to mediocrity…

  1. You’re just as productive, rich, and happy right now as you want to be.
  2. Most people are thermostats, pre-programmed and unaware of it.
  3. Most people suffer from scotoma (partial loss of vision).
  4. Most people have no one who will tell them the truth.
  5. Most people are unwilling to experience discomfort.
  6. Most people have conditioned themselves to “scratch the itch.”
  7. Productive, rich, and happy is a matter of being, not doing.

I promised I would have solutions for you…here they are:

  1. Admit that you’re just as productive, rich, and happy right now as you want to be.
  2. Recognize your thermostatic nature.
  3. Figure out what your scotoma are, and work to eliminate them.
  4. Find people who will tell you the truth.
  5. Embrace discomfort as an indication of growth and progress.
  6. Recondition yourself to only feel the itch being scratched by achievement, not merely by activity.
  7. Figure out who you must become to get where you want to go.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • You steer the ship – If you don’t like where you are, remember that you plotted the course to get there (11:40)
  • Pay attention to the pattern – Why the unexpected is so predictable (12:24)
  • Sean’s Rant of the Week – The biological reason you need to stop making excuses and do something with your life (12:54)
  • What you don’t know can hurt you – How your pre-programmed ideas are sabotaging your success (16:10)
  • Do you need glasses? – Your mental blind spot could lead to you getting blindsided (16:34)
  • You can’t handle the truth – Why being “kind” may be the meanest thing you can do to someone (18:04)
  • Comfort is overrated – How to get off the fast track to becoming broke, unhealthy, and stupid (19:06)
  • Thinking does not make it so – Why confusing activity with accomplishment is a one-way ticket to the poorhouse (19:56)
  • The Used Car Principle – It doesn’t matter what the outside looks like if what’s under the hood is broken (23:10)
  • You can’t have both – You can have your excuses, or you can have results (23:55)
  • Take ownership – How to start making the transition from renting your life to owning it (24:11)
  • Escape The Matrix – The more you deny your programming the tighter its grip becomes (25:08)
  • You have two ears for a reason – Why listening to truth-tellers can be a painful, but necessary process (26:48)
  • Resistance is a compass – Why discomfort is often the most accurate map you own (28:56)
  • Nothing succeeds like success – How to break the habit the failure by doing the one thing you don’t want to do (30:50)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

 

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP294.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

As entrepreneurs, we have one mandate…get as rich as possible. How did you react when you read that? Did it make you feel uncomfortable and even a little squeamish?

Money is not a “zero sum game” (meaning in order for me to win you have to lose) – it is quite the opposite. Money is infinite, a representation of the wealth created by entrepreneurs, tradesmen, and investors.

So if money is infinite, why don't you have more?

That's part of the fabric of my discussion with Perry Marshall on today's show. Perry is one of the most expensive and sought-after business consultants in the world. I think you'll enjoy the conversation.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

The Bible often uses the natural world to teach us lessons about how to live an abundant life. A perfect example of this is found in Proverbs 6: 6-11…

Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

As entrepreneurs, we’re like the ant. We have no boss to force us to do what’s necessary. Either we do it, or it doesn’t get done.

Now go forth and prosper!

Tip of the Week

Imagine me mentoring you each and every month. What would that make possible for you?

We would start with an intensive training about how to get your online marketing system set up and running, no matter what type of business you own. Then, each month, we would do a live video training session where you could ask me any question you like.

Each month I would sit down and write you a 12-page memo about what to do, and then I would deliver a proven marketing campaign you could copy and use in your business.

We’ll be opening the doors to this new, group coaching/mentoring/training program in the near future. If you would like more information, go immediately to rayedwards.com/reic to get on the VIP notification list.

Feature Presentation: “Optimizing for Picnics”

Perry Marshall is one of the world’s most expensive and sought-after business consultants. Clients seek him out for his ability to integrate engineering, sales, art, and psychology.

He has launched two movements in modern marketing. His Google Adwords books laid the foundation for the $100 billion Pay-Per-Click industry, and techniques he pioneered are still standard best practices.

Perry wrote the world’s best-selling book on web advertising, Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords. More recently, he’s turned “80/20” into a verb. His book 80/20 Sales and Marketing is mandatory reading in many growing companies, and his books are course material in several business schools.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The Universal Law of Cause and Effect – How to work less and make more (19:34)
  • The world is skewed – Why this is the best time ever to become a serial entrepreneur (20:47)
  • Everything is connected – Why 20th century thinking will strand you on the Island of Misfit Toys (23:59)
  • Optimized for picnics – What ants can teach us about business (27:53)
  • Upsetting the corporate apple cart – Why Dilbert thinking is so destructive, and what to do about it (29:15)
  • Arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic – How your business myopia is causing missed opportunities for massive growth (32:20)
  • Extreme Inequality – How 80/20 is running your life whether you know it or not (34:15)
  • The frictionless internet – The speed of your business is entirely dependent on the speed of your platform (36:41)
  • The rise of the business state – Why Instagram is more powerful than 100 countries in the world (37:59)
  • The center is the edge – How mastering principles the key to your leap forward (38:58)
  • Better than Bruce Lee – Why specific focus is the key to competing with the masters (40:11)
  • Look for the levers – The secret of turning a little input into a whole lot of output (41:44)
  • How to create an addict – Why Minecraft is fifty-two times more effective a creating addition than alcohol (44:05)
  • The Swiss Connection – Learn why Perry recommends deleting all your social media apps from your phone (45:47)
  • The Tsunami Effect – Why one person’s catastrophe is another person’s opportunity (49:40)
  • The six-year old marketer – What Perry’s daughter taught him about what we really sell (50:35)
  • Polishing turds – Why the standard eight hour work day is a joke (53:05)
  • The Star Principle – How to spot opportunity and how it can make you rich (1:01:19)
  • Islands of profit in a sea of red ink – How to determine which of your customers are costing you money (1:04:13)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

 

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

“The best way to help the poor is first not to be one of them, and second to become as rich as you possibly can.” – Ray Edwards

Direct download: REP293.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Hosting a live event is complex, expensive, risky, and stressful. Yet for some of us, live events seem like a necessity due to our business model.

Even if you have decided that hosting a live event, seminar, or workshop is just too big a pain…Even if you have decided you have no interest in pursuing live events as part of your business model… I urge you to reconsider. Why? Because if you pass this up, you could be passing one of the most rewarding, enjoyable, life changing, and profitable business activities available to you.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

We in the entrepreneurial and human potential field are fond of quoting Napoleon Hill and his mastermind alliance principle which states…

“The coordination of knowledge and effort between two or more people who work towards a definite purpose in a spirit of harmony…no two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

Sounds kinda spooky, right?

There is another book which states something similar, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

But wait, there’s more.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)

In this episode I’ll weave these concepts together and prove to you that there is power in the proximity created by people gathered in agreement.

Tip of the Week

Imagine me mentoring you each and every month. What would that make possible for you?

We would start with an intensive training about how to get your online marketing system set up and running, no matter what type of business you own. Then, each month, we would do a live video training session where you could ask me any question you like.

Each month I would sit down and write you a 12-page memo about what to do, and then I would deliver a proven marketing campaign you could copy and use in your business.

We’ll be opening the doors to this new, affordable group coaching/mentoring/training program in the near future. If you would like more information go immediately to rayedwards.com/reic to get on the VIP notification list.

Feature Presentation: “10 Reasons Why You Should Host Your Own Live Events

Despite the fact that live events can be complex, expensive, risky, and stressful…we still came up with ten reasons why you should host your own live events. Here they are:

  1. The Honored Prophet Phenomenon
  2. Credibility
  3. Community
  4. Culture
  5. Networking
  6. Authority
  7. Leverage
  8. Product
  9. Clarity
  10. Money

And, as always, here are some well thought out snippets from our conversation:

  • Putting more pep in your step – An invitation to enjoy our all-new intro music (11:25)
  • Can you hear me now? – What Jesus can teach you about going from tolerated twit to honored prophet (12:42)
  • Set yourself on fire – Why putting yourself on a platform will draw others to you (16:43)
  • Connected but still lonely – The magic power of developing a vibrant community (17:24)
  • The courage to commit – Discovering the real reason why authenticity will always have an audience (18:16)
  • It’s not just about yogurt – How to consciously create a culture (19:18)
  • Give your audience Champagne – Why getting our attendees sideways was one of the best decisions we ever made (21:55)
  • Connect and Conquer – The simple step to go from event idiot to treasured advisor (22:09)
  • The audacity of authority – Why sticking your neck above the crowd is risky, but worth it (25:38)
  • A lever to move the world – Why the right kind of pressure can be the most effective way to bring out the best in people (27:47)
  • From passion to profit – How to translate great content into multiple streams of income (30:03)
  • It’s a bright sunshiny day – How knowing your desired outcome can guide you from failure to freedom (32:11)
  • The Grand Design Game Plan – Ray’s super secret strategy that leads to live event success (35:43)
  • Oh behave! – Why the way you conduct yourself in the marketplace is your best source of branding (36:44)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP292.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Everybody knows that to succeed online you need to build your emails list. Email is still the most effective selling tool online. Videos, webinars, and “the socials” don’t work without email. But building an email list is hard.

Unless you know the secrets in today’s podcast episode. We’re going to share exactly how to build and email list fast.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

The first act of business is service to others. Profit is the result of service.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.  1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)

Tip of the Week

Focus at Will concentration app.

Focus@will is a new music service based on human neuroscience. It helps you focus, reduce distractions, maintain your productivity and retain information when working, studying, writing and reading. The scientifically tested technology behind focus@will has been shown to alter brain activity toward a state that is more conducive to productivity.

Feature Presentation: “How To Build an Email List Fast

How to Build an Email List Fast

  1. Identify your core idea
  2. Create your core content
  3. Publish
  4. Find a problem you can solve
  5. Offer a quick fix
  6. Continue publishing
  7. Go fish where the fish are

Snippets  (0:00)

  • The “Independence Day” Question. Why zombies are better than aliens. (2:13)
  • Why profit is the result of service.(4:54)
  • A powerful tool that helps you increase your focus and productivity. (5:23)
  • How you can have 1-million people on your email list, and why you shouldn’t do this. (9:03)
  • The perfect people you want on your email list, and how to make that happen. (10:28)
  • What lawn darts have to do with email lists (making our point). (11:23)
  • The one thing you must never stop doing if you want your email list to grow. (15:10)
  • How to get to 1,000 subscribers by doing nothing. (15:46)
  • Are you sitting on a gold mine? (20:07)
  • Facebook secrets for list building. (22:05)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP291.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

If you want to build an online business, or if you want to go online to promote your local, real-world business, you face the same challenge. There are a bajillion websites out there, so how do you stand out in a Sea of Sameness? It’s easy to wast time, money, and effort and get nothing in return.

There is one ingredient that can change all that. It’s not magic, but it is required.

CONTENT.

But how do you create enough good content to matter? This week we’re going to show you a simple way to create 10 pieces of content across 5 major platforms in about an hour.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I love this particular scripture from Deuteronomy 8:18, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

For those of you who get all freaked out when we talk about God getting involved in wealth creation…not only is He for it, He gave you the power to get it.

You need confidence and you need to be able to recognize your own power, but also to remember who granted that power to you.

Respect the creation, but worship only the Creator.

Tip of the Week

You know you’ve arrived as a content creator when people just start sending you stuff out of the blue.

Now let me clear, I’m not opposed to people sending me their products to try in the hopes that I’ll talk about it on my podcast. If it’s quality stuff and makes my life better, I don’t mind talking about it.

That’s exactly what happened recently when I was contacted by Aaron at Arkon Mounts. They have the largest assortment of professional-grade mounts, holders, tripods, and stands for tablets, phones, cameras, GPS, and live streaming.

We’ve put a link in the resources section for all the cool stuff I received. If you want to see me unboxing and assembling these items you can check out my recent vlog entitled Do The Hard Things.

I know you’re going to be blown away by the quality of these products.  They are all backed by a 2-year standard warranty.

Use our affiliate coupon code “RayEdwards” which saves you 20% at arkon.com.

Feature Presentation: “How To Create Content Fast

Creating a large amount of high-quality content in a short period of time is easier than you think. Here is my 9-point system for creating content fast:

  1. Have an idea.
  2. Make an outline and talk about your ideausing your smartphone
  3. Publish the video on Facebook and Youtube.
  4. Strip out the audio
  5. Publish the audio as a podcast
  6. Have the audio transcribed.
  7. Edit the transcript into a blog post.
  8. Edit the blog post into posts for Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +.
  9. Pull at least 3 tweest from the text

So in one hour you would have created:

  • One Youtube Video
  • One Podcast
  • One Transcript
  • One Blog Post
  • One Facebook Post
  • One LinkedIn article
  • One Google + post
  • Three Tweets

Thats 10 pieces of content, on 5 major platforms in sixty minutes…not to shabby.

To find out more about how to do this yourself, and to discover how to use this content to launch multiple streams of income join us inside this week’s episode.

In the meantime, here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The oak begins as an acorn – How to harness one great idea (9:16)
  • Begin with the end in mind – How to use your smartphone to make a point and make a difference (9:56)
  • The Charlie Chaplin Approach – Why silence is more than golden, it’s also very profitable (10:49)
  • There’s an app for that – How to change the world and watch your business grow (11:12)
  • Your digital soapbox – Putting the social in social media (11:48)
  • Rinse and Repeat – How duplication turns into multiplication (13:35)
  • The power of persistence – Discover the key to dominating the digital landscape (14:08)
  • The Lego Method – Why a modular approach is the cornerstone of strategic thinking (14:31)
  • Don’t outsource your voice – Here’s what you should do yourself, and how to find the right people to do everything else (16:03)
  • Sean’s Rant of the Week – The simple cure to keep your soul from dying (17:41)
  • It’s bigger than you – How a single idea can create a global impact (19:26)
  • Little is the new big – Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world (24:05)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP290.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Do you have a list of things that need to get done, but for some reason you never seem to get around to doing them? Sometimes it appears that everyone around you seems like a productivity genius…while you struggle to remember to feed the cat.

Fear not intrepid listener, you don’t have to keep staring at that same to-do list as it bullies you and taunts you with feelings of failure. In this episode we’re going to reveal the 5 Reasons You Don’t Get Things Done…and how to kick those reasons to the curb forever.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

This week’s Scripture seems appropriate to our topic. Check out what Jesus had to say in Matthew 25:29, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”

Ouch. That doesn’t sound like Gentle Jesus.

This Scripture comes from the Parable of the Talents. In this parable boldness is rewarded and timidity is reprimanded. In fact, Jesus actually calls the timid person a “wicked and evil servant.”

Double ouch.

Have you ever wondered why the most productive servant was richly rewarded while the timid servant had everything taken from him?

The answer lies within this episode.

Tip of the Week

Imagine that you have a bunch of charges on your debit card every month, and some of them are a total mystery to you.

Or worse, you haven’t looked at your statement in a while and you realize you’ve been paying a monthly charge for something you stopped using long ago.

If these scenarios sound familiar, I have a radical solution for you…just call in and get another debit card.

Why would I make such a suggestion? In this week’s episode I’ll tell you the story of what happened to me, and how you can learn from my mistake.

Feature Presentation: “5 Reasons You Don't Get Things Done…And How to Change

There are 5 main reasons you don’t get things done: 

  1. You don't know WHAT needs to be done.
  2. You don't know HOW to do what needs to be done.
  3. You don't know WHY it needs to be done.
  4. You don't have the time, energy, or resources you NEED to do what needs to be done.
  5. You don't have the COURAGE to do what needs to be done.

This week I’m going to give you the tools to change and start your journey to becoming a productivity master.

Here are some snippets from our conversation…

  • Sean’s Rant of the Week: Jesus talks about cold, hard cash (4:52)
  • Two strategic errors rolled into one – why what you believe makes all the difference (14:22)
  • Start with, Why? – the one question that lights the pathway forward (16:14)
  • Why are we doing this? – The Story of Bob and the Ultimate Consulting Question (16:44)
  • Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic – How to stop doing stuff that doesn’t matter (18:01)
  • The next logical step – Rediscovering The Lost Art of Thinking and Task Management (19:35)
  • The Missing Link – How what you don’t know really can hurt you (21:54)
  • Making Socrates proud – The 3 questions you must ask yourself before learning a new skill (23:27)
  • An excuse masquerading as a reason – The one thing you do all the time that needs to stop NOW (25:44)
  • The uncomfortable experiment – You’re not as busy as you think you are (27:15)
  • This may hurt a little – How to follow your own yellow brick road and go from coward to conqueror (31:33)

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP289.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Are you looking for a way to grow your tribe and build a business around your passion? Have you ever considered starting a podcast, but your concerns about the expense, the work, and the commitment it takes to start and maintain a successful podcast make you wonder if it’s worth it? Will this still work, or has podcasting had its day?

In this interview, we probe the mind of The Podcast Answer Man, Cliff Ravenscraft. He has helped launch some of the most successful podcasters – including Michael Hyatt, Dan Miller, John Lee Dumas, Amy Porterfield, Pat Flynn… and yes, Ray Edwards. Together we’ll uncover whether podcasting is the right move for you and your business.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Feature Presentation: “Build a Business Around a Podcast: An Interview with Cliff Ravenscraft

In this animated conversation, Cliff shares the story of how he came to be The Podcast Answer Man. We also get into why he believes almost anyone can start a podcast around something they love… and build a business from that foundation.

Cliff Ravenscraft is first and foremost a podcast producer who has produced more than 30 of his own podcast shows with over 3,600 of his very own podcast episodes devoted to Business, Technology, Entertainment, Family, and Faith.

In December 2006, Cliff launched PodcastAnswerMan.com where he has since helped tens of thousands of individuals and organizations successfully launch a podcast through: one-on-one coaching, his Podcasting A to Z online group coaching course, and his digital training tutorials.

If you were to look at the top 100 podcasts in the business category of iTunes, more than 50 of these shows were created by clients who worked with Cliff. The man knows what he is talking about.

 Here are some snippets from our conversation…

  • Why some people will spend dozens of hours listening to every word you say (and what that means to you). (2:57)
  • Why podcasting is an unparalleled method for exerting influence and building your business. (4:28)
  • How a pursuing you passion can be the foundation of a business – even if your passion is watching TV. (6:45)
  • To get a lift from the Big Boys, you have to be in the right place at the right time (8:58)
  • How to make the “podcast pivot”, and go from passion to profit (12:54)
  • Your podcast content can give your listeners the power to become the “King or Queen of the Water Cooler” (17:01)
  • How Kim’s Email opened Cliff’s mind, and helped him take his first step into a larger world. (18:28)
  • Bad Christian! How a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown. (20:57)
  • How spiritual manipulation led to a positive change for the Ravenscraft clan (25:56)
  • The day Cliff quit podcasting, and the deep dark hole he got sucked into as a result (27:51)
  • How to know when it’s time to take stand, and the freedom it can lead to. (29:39)
  • How a podcast becomes a business pay attention to what people are asking you for. (32:57)
  • Do what you love for a living is more than just a bumper sticker – here’s how to make it work. (35:55)
  • Why work is indeed happy wonderful fun time” – and why garbage collectors are not millionaires. (36:56)
  • A powerful thought experiment that can help you find your “calling” (38:26)
  • The Entrepreneurial Awakening, and how to experience it yourself. (40:45)
  • The very bad, horrible day that wore Cliff down. What his wife said that changed his life. (41:54)
  • The difficult conversation that wasn’t – the moment Cliff “came to life.” (43:20)
  • Here’s what selling really means – and how most people get it wrong (47:22)
  • Dont despise the day of small beginnings – what Cliff’s first year in business looked like (50:06)
  • Timing + Positioning + Hard Work = Luck – How to set-up your brand for success (51:50)
  • How to become the go-to authority for your listeners – it’s easier than you think! (54:09)
  • How demonstrating your value can put getting new customers on autopilot (56:46)
  • The quick self-test that will let you know if podcasting is right for you (58:31)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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Direct download: REP288.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

True or False:

  • You can’t be a real artist and make money.
  • Most other professions are more reliable and stable than any kind of art.
  • A lower percentage of artists make a stable, livable income than other
  • For art to be pure, the artist should not do it for the money.
  • The only way for an artist to “make it” they must “sell out.”

If you answered TRUE to ANY of those statements, you need some de-programming.

In this week’s episode Jeff Goins will help set you straight.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

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

We all know what happens if your computer gets a corrupted hard drive. It’s been infected and is no longer capable of properly performing the task it was assigned.

The same is true for the words you speak. If they are infected with negative and hurtful attitudes they are no longer capable of performing the task they were given from God.

What is that task?

Your words were designed to edify, uplift, and encourage those around you…and yourself.

Selah.

Tip of the Week

Our tip of the week, not surprisingly, is connected to our guest Jeff Goins and his new book, “Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age.”

One of the things I love most about this book is that it debunks the myth of the starving artist.

As a side note, be sure to listen to the interview before you buy the book because he has a link that will hook you up with a couple hundred dollar’s-worth of free bonuses!

Feature Presentation: “Real Artists Don’t Starve: An Interview with Jeff Goins

In this episode, bestselling author and creativity expert Jeff Goins dismantles the myth that being creative is a hindrance to success by revealing how an artistic temperament is, in fact, a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

  • Starvation is a choice (5:06)
  • Be like Mike…Michelangelo that is (6:56)
  • The myth of the starving artist (10:18)
  • How to become a thriving artist (10:55)
  • The New Renaissance (12:04)
  • The legacy of Henri Murger (12:15)
  • Why Santa Claus is so powerful (14:08)
  • Stop feeding the beast (16:03)
  • The edge of acceptable (19:04)
  • Are you an artist? (19:38)
  • Mindset, Market, and Money (21:06)
  • What story are you telling yourself? (23:13)
  • The Two-Story Exercise (25:33)
  • Connect your art with an audience (26:30)
  • Believe it until you become it (27:25)
  • Eat your vegetables (29:12)
  • Debunking the idea of luck (30:33)
  • Ernest Hemingway’s version of luck (32:20)
  • Strategy vs Hustle (33:48)
  • Steal your way to success (35:23)
  • Standing on the shoulders of giants (40:20)
  • Practice in public (41:08)
  • Share something today (45:31)
  • George Lucas, Pixar, and profits (48:10)
  • Your responsibility as an artist (54:45)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP287.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Here's the problem: you want to build a business, an organization, a church, or a body of work. Something that has long-term significance and impact. Yet it often feels like you’re forced to focus on short-term gains.

In this episode, we’ll introduce you to a way of leadership that is simpler, more elegant, less stressful… and more effective.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

This week I want to talk about the promises made to Abraham and how they still belong to believers today.
God promised Abraham that he would be blessed to be a blessing. Some people argue that this just applies to “spiritual” blessings, but in this week’s episode I’ll propose to you that we are, in fact, “heirs of the world” – according to “the promise”.

Tip of the Week

I’ve discovered a new meditation app that is worth checking out, it’s called Headspace.

The cool thing about it is that it comes with little cartoon movies that demonstrate the principles of meditation and they are narrated by a guy with a fantastic British accent.

They offer a free 10-day trial, so it’s worth giving it a try.

Student Success Story

Our first student success story focuses on Jen Gordon. She is a talented landing page designer, marketer, and in her words…”a darn good listener.”

Jen used her creativity and her copy skills to create Hope Decks, a collection of 60 inspirational Bible verse postcards with custom artwork on every card.

If you’re looking for a meaningful gift of encouragement, you can’t go wrong with Hope Decks.

Feature Presentation: “Catch and Release Leadership: How to Start a Movement

Recently a friend of mine asked me about my goal of fostering a movement on one million Kingdom-minded millionaires…he then reminded me of the book The Master Plan of Evangelism. It’s a manual for growing any type of organization.

It’s a small, but powerful book, and the basis for today’s episode.

Here are some highlights from our discussion…

  • Sean’s Rant of the Week – Special Edition (7:58)
  • How to get your message everywhere (29:15)
  • The selection process (30:50)
  • The value of the inner circle (31:45)
  • Success from apparent failure (33:05)
  • The most successful movement in history (34:03)
  • Hang around time (34:48)
  • The Apprentice (35:09)
  • Transfer your skills (35:43)
  • Watch me (36:08)
  • Radical delegation (37:12)
  • Giving the right answer (38:01)
  • Caked in dust (38:40)
  • Putting it all together (39:45)
  • The stunning power of duplication (43:44)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

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

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP286.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Too often we go through life bouncing from one random event to the next, always reacting to our circumstances and allowing them to dictate our lives.

If you're ever going to take control of your destiny, you have to be able to learn to adjust to circumstances using your own personal grit, determination, and the ability to focus on significance instead of success. Today's guest, Aaron Walker, can help you do just that.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Proverbs 27:17 tells us that, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” But what does that look like in our day-to-day life?

It’s not just about getting another person’s opinion, it’s a process that sometimes generates heat and friction…it’s not always easy or pleasant, but it is always profitable.

Tip of the Week

I’ve been doing a lot of video lately, and I’ve discovered something really fun and promising for those who don’t want to spend a lot of time learning the intricacies of Adobe Premiere.

Adobe Spark makes it easy for everyone to transform their ideas into stunning visual stories. It allows you to create professional quality graphics, web pages, and animated videos for blogs and more…and the best part is no design experience is necessary.

Feature Presentation: “The View from the Top with Aaron Walker: Living a Life of Significance

Aaron Walker is a veteran entrepreneur who has started, bought, and sold twelve successful companies over the past 38 years. He has a strong desire for personal development and meets regularly with such luminaries as Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, and Ken Abraham.

Aaron enjoys a 37-year marriage to his beautiful wife, Robin, and today he invests the majority of his time helping others grow in success and significance as President and Founder of View from The Top, a premier life and business coaching company.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Swami Ray makes a prediction (9:45)
  • Transformed lives matter (10:35)
  • Blindsided by tragedy (12:40)
  • You can’t handle the truth! (13:30)
  • Prioritize your priorities (14:03)
  • Pessimist vs Realist (15:40)
  • Been there, done that (16:20)
  • Get off the mat (17:10)
  • Can’t couldn’t do it… (17:12)
  • The MasterMind Transformation (18:06)
  • The counsel of the multitudes (20:15)
  • Who are your 5 people? (21:18)
  • How to start from zero (21:54)
  • You aren’t owed anything (24:32)
  • The fast track to a changed life (26:57)
  • Take out the garbage (30:41)
  • Telling the truth in love (31:36)
  • Is it okay to be significant? (34:17)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP285.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You are the pioneer. The entrepreneur. The explorer. The risk-taker. But you find yourself married to, or in business with, a settler. A homesteader. A risk-avoider.

In this episode, our very special guest is going to blow your mind with her insights about how to harmonize these polar opposites, and prove that they are better together than apart.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Our verse this week is from Psalm 18:22…“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.”

That has certainly been the case with me as you’ll discover later in this episode.

Tip of the Week

Word of Warning: My tip this week won’t work for people who are paranoid about being tracked by their phone.

I have fallen in love with an app called Life Cycle.

This app automatically tracks your life and presents it to you in a way that lets you see what you’re doing with your time.

If you’re looking to make changes about the ways you spend your time, this may just be the app for you.

Feature Presentation: “Married To The Business: The Pioneer and the Settler”

In this episode I’m having a conversation with a very wise woman…my wife Lynn. She is the most authentic and honest person I know, and she has a totally contagious laugh.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The origin of the Pioneer and the Settler (4:35)
  • Not for women only (5:05)
  • Wagons Ho! (5:28)
  • The shooting gallery (6:01)
  • On a gravy train with biscuit wheels (6:26)
  • An unethical dilemma (7:44)
  • What a freak-out feels like (8:04)
  • Be the conductor of your own train (8:45)
  • Asking the awkward question (9:44)
  • Genesis and the kitchen table (11:18)
  • The recipe for a great husband and father (12:05)
  • Ray gets busted (13:03)
  • The dilemma of letting go (13:29)
  • Clash of the Titans (15:05)
  • The value of a Safe Space (15:28)
  • Doing the brave thing (16:18)
  • Same song…48th verse (17:09)
  • Know the other person’s heart (18:15)
  • How to stay married (19:17)
  • The foundation of faith (21:40)
  • What to say to your younger self (23:05)
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff (24:03)
  • Lynn’s message to the younger Ray (24:24)
  • The sexy snort (25:12)
  • Escaping the performance trap (25:45)
  • Proper care and feeding of Settlers (26:04)
  • Lynn drops a Truth Bomb (26:28)
  • The 3-Sentence Rule (27:48)
  • Mansplaining (29:50)
  • Essential meaningful purpose (30:22)
  • Stay in your lane (31:12)
  • Rapid fire bonus questions (33:36)
  • Has the journey been worth it? (35:13)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP284.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You hear so many people saying you should write a book. Your business may be struggling, and it’s tempting to buy into the idea that writing a book will give your business that boost you need.

The credibility and authority a book would give you are huge. Your book can get you interviews, speaking gigs, and sell more of your products, services and programs.

But is writing a book the move for you?

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

The Bible has some interesting advice for us…“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” James 3:1 (NKJV)

I think that’s another way of saying, “With great power comes great responsibility.” So if you choose to become a teacher, or an author, be prepared to take it seriously and grow some rhinoceros skin because people will take a poke at you.

Tip of the Week

I’ve noticed that most people grossly underestimate the time it takes to do things.

I use Nozbe to help me overcome that challenge. It has helped me become a productivity ninja. It helps me deal with my incoming tasks, prioritize them, manage them within projects and get them done quickly and effectively…and that is a beautiful thing.

Feature Presentation: Should I Write a Book?

5 Reasons to Write a Book

  1. A good book can build your reputation, authority, and credibility.
  2. A good book will be a legacy that lives on after you are gone.
  3. A book causes you to test, clarify, and strengthen your thinking.
  4. A book can get you interviews, speaking engagements, and sales.
  5. While you probably won’t make a fortune by publishing a book, you can make one explaining the book.

5 Reasons Not to Write a Book

  1. A bad book can ruin your reputation.
  2. A book never goes away – copies will always exist.
  3. You will never be happy with it.
  4. It’s hard to do.
  5. Authors rarely make any money from writing a book.

And…you guessed it…some snippets from our conversation:

  • They “wrote the book” on that (13:27)
  • Get out of my head! (14:27)
  • Anger is an energy (16:01)
  • The pathway to the stage (17:15)
  • The hub of your business (18:07)
  • Express yourself! (19:45)
  • The toothpaste is out of the tube (21:27)
  • You can run, but you can’t hide (22:10)
  • Satisfaction NOT guaranteed (22:34)
  • You get out what you put in (23:13)
  • If you write it, they may not buy it (24:31)
  • Tell me about your platform (26:38)
  • Do you have a plan? (27:09)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP283.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You have customers but they are cheap, complain a lot, and are a pain to deal with. If they aren’t controlled, corralled, and completely ejected they can eat your time, your cash flow, and your business alive.

This week we’re going to show you how to fix that problem and prevent it from ever happening again…so you only deal with cool people that you like.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Is there a scriptural foundation for only working with good clients who appreciate your work and pay you what you’re worth?

I’m so glad you asked. Check this out:

“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:18 (NKJV)

In this week’s episode Sean and I give you some additional insight on this verse that I think you’ll find valuable.

Tip of the Week

This week’s tip is the wonderful and magnificent service known as Amazon Subscribe & Save.

You can set up regularly scheduled deliveries and earn savings on everything from diapers to toothpaste to dog treats…literally thousands of everyday products from Amazon and Amazon Marketplace.

My ambition in life is to never run another errand again, and this service may just make that possible.

Feature Presentation: How Do I Attract Better Customers?

A 10-Step Plan That Works

I finally got relief from my dire situation when I fired the clients who were the big trouble-makers and got really clear about who I WANTED to work with. You can do this too, by simply following this 10-step plan:

  1. Set the Criteria for Being a “Good” Client. Define the qualities of your ideal customer. Be on the lookout for these unicorns.
  2. Set the Criteria for Being a “Bad” Client. Define the qualities that make you miserable or stressed with clients. Swear that you will never take another client, nor keep a client, who has ANY of these qualities,
  3. Purge the Scourge. Examine your existing client base and get rid of any stinkers.
  4. Preach the “Good Client Gospel.” Publish your “Do’s and Don’ts” clearly, frequently and boldly.
  5. Develop a “Bad Client Mythology.” Tell client horror stories and make them part of your Company Mythology – so your prospective clients know how you identify “bad apples” – and let them know what happens to bad apples.
  6. Develop a keen sense of discernment about people. Every time I have taken on a bad client, I always had a nagging feeling deep inside that I had ignored. Trust your sensors.
  7. Make them work for it. If they really want to work with you, make them prove it. Put some hurdles in place. Weed out the clients who ignore, break, or try to circumvent the rules of being accepted as your client.
  8. Be Expensive. While his alone can be a good filter, it is not 100% effective. There are some nasty, needy, broken, and/or crazy people who have lots of money.
  9. Listen to Your Team.
  10. Be completely unreasonable. While it will help you screen out the “problem children,” it will also cause the Good Clients to want you even more.

And…you guessed it…some snippets from our conversation:

  • For vegetarians only (9:10)
  • Sean “sparkly” rant (9:35)
  • The Force is strong with this one (12:15)
  • Ray & Sean tackle The Great Unicorn Debate (12:27)
  • Are you willing to take the oath? (13:23)
  • The Bad Client Story (14:03)
  • Make it known throughout the land (15:24)
  • Only gather ripe apples (16:21)
  • Trust your gut, not your wallet (17:13)
  • The Edwin Moses Strategy (18:37)
  • Be a Rolex, not a Timex (19:22)
  • Trust your team (20:42)
  • Take a look in the mirror (21:39)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP282.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

For many business owners, cash-flow can be a huge problem. Most businesses that fail do so because of this one problem…they run out of money.

Cash-flow is the lifeblood of a business, and in this episode we’re going to give you several ways to solve this problem before THEY come and take your stuff.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Here’s a little encouragement for the week ahead:

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

So ask yourself. “How rich is God?” Your needs will be supplied according to His riches, not yours. I would rather have His standard of measure…how about you?

Selah.

Tip of the Week

This week’s tip comes from our good friend Ernie “The Attorney” Svenson…and it may upset some people in the legal community.

If you’re looking for a premium DIY solution for the most common legal situations then you’ll love this app called ShakeLaw.

If you're a freelancer, for example, you can generate agreements straight out of this app. There are a bunch of options included with ShakeLaw and I think it’s worth checking out.

Feature Presentation: How Do I Solve a Cash-Flow Problem?

You can beef up cash-flow with these 7 short-term solutions:

  1. Reach out to past and present customers
  2. Ask for referrals
  3. Personal services
  4. Consulting/Coaching
  5. Affiliate Sales
  6. Get a temporary job
  7. Direct selling

And…as always…some snippets from our conversation:

  • Sean’s rant of the week (9:40)
  • Why this advice is unpopular (10:45)
  • Reach out and touch someone (11:34)
  • Rusty’s Wisdom (12:15)
  • Ask and ye shall receive (13:44)
  • Ray’s Way of mining for referral gold (14:20)
  • Skills to pay the bills (15:46)
  • What comes easily to you? (16:29)
  • Try selling OPS (17:42)
  • Embrace the Stop-Gap (19:25)
  • What do you really value? (21:45)
  • Sean’s rant of the week – Part 2 (22:13)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP281.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Are you getting the results you want from your sales and marketing efforts? Maybe you’ve heard you should use stories to sell, perhaps you’ve even tried it, but how do you consistently make it work?

Successfully telling stories is the key to selling your products and services like crazy…and having your customers thank you for it.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Regardless of where you are on your faith journey, one thing we can all agree on is that the teachings of Jesus have permeated the world’s population over the ages. How did He do that? Check this out…

“Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories.” Matthew 13:34 (CEV)

So it seems to me that storytelling might be a good way to spread your message.

Tip Of The Week

A couple of weeks ago we had a company meeting about the importance of securing our information. It may seem more labor intensive, but I feel strongly that you should consider activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in your life and business.

If you use:

  • iCloud
  • iTunes
  • Dropbox
  • Gmail
  • Google Drive

All these services and many others offer the option of Two-Factor Authentication. It may be a bit of a hassle, but it helps keep the bad guys at bay. Isn’t your security worth a little extra effort?

Feature Segment: “How Do I Sell Using Stories?”

You can sell using stories in the following 7 ways:

  1. To develop the KLT (Know, Like, Trust) Factor.
  2. To establish the “dopamine flow.”
  3. To instill values and beliefs in your customers.
  4. To train your customers in proper behavior.
  5. To provide examples of how your product changes people and organizations.
  6. To prove that your premise or your promise is true and reliable.
  7. To condition for the listen.

And…as always…some snippets from our conversation:

  • There’s no money in the middle (12:05)
  • Embrace the chocolatey goodness (12:50)
  • The Edwards Apple Nerd-Fest (13:44)
  • The Stephen King Surge (14:53)
  • Call forth your audience! (15:08)
  • Don’t act like that (15:52)
  • The Story of Jack (17:03)
  • Spandau Ballet had it right (19:04)
  • From story to six-figures (19:53)

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP280.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You have a message, a product, or a service and you want to spread the message far and wide. But despite your best efforts, you don’t seem to be getting any traction.

In this episode we’ll show you how to be like your heroes and make money while making an impact.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I believe there are principles behind scripture that can apply to more than one situation.

Now before the scripture police get all up in arms over that statement, I recommend you listen to this section of the show for greater clarity.

In Galatians Chapter 6 verse nine, the Apostle Paul teaches us to “not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

In the context of this episode, I believe the lesson here is that if you’re worried about building a bigger audience and too feel like its too difficult, be encouraged to not grow weary. You’re doing good and in due season you will reap if you don’t lose heart.

Selah.

Tip Of The Week

Michael Hyatt introduced me to this week’s tip, and I immediately knew that I needed one. What is it you ask?

It’s the Spine Book Tower.

It allows me to house about 70 books in a lot less space than a traditional book shelf, and its an almost magical way to display your written works of art.

Feature Segment: “How Do I Get A Bigger Audience?”

You can grow your audience simply by writing according to these 5 Steps

  1. Narrow Your Focus – the riches are in the niches
  2. Find Your Hook – are you my kind of weird?
  3. Create Your Manifesto – here we stand
  4. Recruit True Believers – can I get an amen? And an email address?
  5. Build Your Media Empire – the everywhere effect

And…you guessed it…some snippets from our conversation:

  • And now…the end of the story (10:55)
  • The worst place to draw a line (11:30)
  • The Secret of Getting a Bigger Audience (13:19)
  • The myth of self-discipline (14:45)
  • Aim small…miss small (15:39)
  • You talkin to me? (16:45)
  • Embrace your inner misfit (17:20)
  • Scratch that niche (18:35)
  • Nobody wants to hear that…do they? (19:40)
  • The Weirdness Magnet (20:32)
  • This should scare you (22:59)
  • Your most valuable asset (24:48)
  • Ray’s Rant of the Week (26:14)
  • Barbarians at the Gate (27:07)
  • The Secret of the 5-Steps (28:45)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP279.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Early in my copywriting business I was doing client work for 80-100 hours per week, I was killing myself. Two mentors intervened and got me out of that madness.

Almost every business success story I can name has a mentor – or several. Today we’ll talk about why you need a mentor and how to find one.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Running a business, especially as a spiritually-oriented person presents us with a lot of challenges, and most of those challenges are ones we never expected.

There will be days when you want to just quit and give up, but God will always be there to catch you and uphold you.

He even says so…”The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37: 23-24 NIV)

Selah.

Tip Of The Week

The big trend these days is traveling light, but this week I’m going to show my contrarian side.

I’ve tried to travel light, and for me it doesn’t work so well. If I travel with a small bag and just a few things, I always seem to wind up buying a bunch of stuff I need at my destination. It kind of defeats the purpose…and it can become expensive really fast.

So I’ve embraced the opposite approach to travel. I take a big hard-sided case where I place my delicate gadgets (in smaller hard cases), which yes, I have to check, but it beats the hassle of competing for overhead space with all my fellow passengers.

I comfortably board the aircraft and enjoy the journey…and isn’t that what life’s all about?

Feature Segment: “Why You Need A Mentor (And How To Find One)”

I believe there are five reasons you need a mentor, and here they are:

  1. You can’t read the label if you’re inside the bottle.
  2. Wisdom protects from pitfalls
  3. Wisdom helps yo recognize opportunities
  4. A true mentor will call you on your bone-headed moves or attitudes
  5. You need someone looking at your situation who is not emotionally invested in the outcome
    …Plus I’ll show you how to find the right mentor.

And…as always…some snippets from our conversation:

  • The superpower to see the unseen (8:58)
  • Ears to hear (9:31)
  • The “Acres of Diamonds” Syndrome(10:24)
  • That’s just stupid (10:43)
  • Can you hear me now? (11:33)
  • Mentorship has nothing to do with age (12:37)
  • Surgeons don’t work on their own family (12:46)
  • How to ask for help (13:58)
  • Be the best student (15:02)
  • Engineer your discovery (16:09)
  • Two heads are better than one (16:43)
  • Low-hanging fruit is delicious (16:52)
  • Embrace the unconventional (17:31)
  • Keep your eyes open (18:35)
  • Mentors don’t need to be alive (19:37)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP278.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

If you’ve listened to this show for any length of time, you know that our intro music is a catchy little ditty about changing the world and watching your business grow.

This week we’re going to introduce you to the five influences you exert as a business person, and how these influences empower you to change the world.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

This week it’s all about giving you an encouraging word (as it is most weeks).

“In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” – Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

As inspired business leaders, this is how we should begin our day.

The result is a more peaceful and productive day, regardless of the challenges we may face.

Tip Of The Week

This week’s tip comes straight from renowned coffee connoisseur Sean Edwards himself.

Enjoy a highbrow coffee experience and drink your coffee from a ceramic mug – not from paper cups. It tastes better and it’s better for you.

This is a real thing…your tastebuds will thank you.

Feature Segment: “How to Change the World  (And Watch Your Business Grow)”

As an entrepreneur, you exert 5 Influences that create world-change, and business growth. You exert Influence in these ares:

  1. Your Self
  2. Your Team
  3. Your Customers
  4. Your Community
  5. Your Competitors

And…you guessed it…some snippets from our conversation:

  • Drop the stone in the pond (10:08)
  • The Butterfly Effect (10:27)
  • Don’t skip this step (11:12)
  • Sean channels his inner Tony Robbins (12:32)
  • How to multiply your time and influence (14:12)
  • Set the bar and receive the love (16:09)
  • The key to virtual influence (17:27)
  • Get fanatical about this one thing (19:33)
  • Take the Ray Challenge (21:28)

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP277.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You know you need great copy to sell your stuff, and you’re thinking of hiring a copywriter, but how can you make sure you don’t get ripped off?

In this episode we’ll show you how to successfully navigate these waters and arrive safely on the shores of copywriting bliss.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Are facing challenges in your life right now? I have excellent news for you.

No matter what is happening in your life, God is completely on your side! That, my friends, is called the Divine Advantage.

In Romans 8:31 God says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

No matter what life throws at you, take courage because you’re on the winning side!

Tip Of The Week

If you use a Mac user and you’re a productivity geek I highly recommend you get the most out of your Apple technology by checking out the Mac Power Users Podcast with David Sparks and Katie Floyd.

In addition, David Sparks has his own blog called MacSparky.com where he has created free screencasts that show you how to get the most out of your productivity apps.

He also has a series of Field Guides you can purchase on a variety of subjects that will make you want to hug your Mac. Prepare to feel the Apple love.

Feature Segment: “10 Commandments of Hiring a Copywriter”

Maybe you’ve tried to hire a copywriter in the past, but you had a bad experience with The 7 Deadly Copywriter Sins:

  1. The copy was just plain bad (too hypey, too weak, or “info-only”)
  2. The copy sounded like everyone else (the Sea of Sameness, Mired in the Muck of Mediocrity)
  3. Your copywriter took the money and ran
  4. Your copywriter never communicated with you…ever.
  5. The copy was late.
  6. They never asked for your feedback, so the final product was miles off target.
  7. They Found You, Fooled You, and Forgot You

You’d like to hire a pro, but you can’t afford the fees of an “A-List Copywriter” (Ray’s current minimum is $250,000 up-front, plus a percentage of sales, for a “Private Client Launch Package”.) Yikes!

You’re frustrated because it seems like the biggest “X-Factor” in your product launch is the copy, and you are afraid neither you nor your team is good enough to get it right.

The 10 Commandments of Hiring a Copywriter

i. Scope: Thy copywriter shalt help you determine exactly what type of copy you’ll need, and how much copy you’ll need to bring you the results you seek.

ii. Voice: Thy copywriter shalt spend time with you and your material to learn your unique voice, and then infuse that voice into your copy. Your voice is what differentiates you from the crowd.

iii. Deadline: Thy copywriter shalt deliver your copy on time…every time. If he doth not, woe unto them, and they shalt be cast into outer darkness.

iv. Milestones: Thy copywriter shalt set up mile markers along the way during your project so that you can be consistently confident that your project is receiving the loving care it deserves.

v. Communication: Thy copywriter shalt check in with you throughout the process to get your input and make absolutely certain that you’re thrilled with the hand-crafted copy thou receiveth.

vi. Revisions: Thy copywriter shalt continue to work with you until thou art thrilled.

vii. Proofreading: Thy copywriter shalt have thy copy proofread, and ensure the text is error-fee.

viii. Review: Thy copywriter shalt put thy copy under the watchful eye of a mentor or other senior copywriter.

ix. Results: Thy copywriter shalt have a track record of results.

x. Followup: Thy copywriter shalt NOT just hand off your project and wish you luck. Thy copywriter shalt be there if things go sideways ready to swoop in and save the day!

And…you guessed it…here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Oops I did it again (8:03)
  • The Stepford Copywriter (8:40)
  • Visit your money in Mexico (9:28)
  • Can you hear me now? (9:44)
  • Don’t be tardy for the party (10:50)
  • Have we met? (11:46)
  • Avoid the One Night Stand (12:11)
  • Have map…will travel (13:31)
  • Hire a chameleon (13:55)
  • Better bring a flashlight (14:37)
  • Give your copy a hug (15:15)
  • Artisan copywriting (16:41)
  • The value of sweat equity (17:46)
  • That copy sure is pretty (18:58)
  • Four eyes are better than two (19:57)
  • Win…and win often (20:54)
  • Copywriting Superhero! (21:25)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP276.mp3
Category:Copywriting -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You asked…we answered.

In this episode we’re going to answer seven of the most common questions we get about copywriting.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19

Another story from our friend Andy Mason of HeavenInBusiness.com:

A business owner of a small insurance (brokerage) agency has been sharing with his employees about how good Father God is and how He likes to love, help, and bless people.

One of the staff, who has been professing to be an atheist for, comes to the boss and says, “Will you pray for a good quote on this account? We really need a miracle.”

The owner says, “You want me to contact Heaven and get a good quote rather than the insurance company?”

She says, “Yes.”

There was only one insurance company (underwriter) left who hadn't declined or offered unreasonable terms. This was their only hope.

Later that day they received an outstanding quote, better than they expected, from this insurance company.

The proposal was presented and they wrote the new business. This new account will represent almost 20% of the “atheist'” salesperson's annual target!

How about that…God even cares about atheists.

Tip Of The Week

For a limited time I’m making available my free copywriting course entitled “Ray's Short Course on Copywriting: Selling Without Sleazing” plus a free ebook about the $2 Billion Sales Letter You’ve Never Heard Of.

Inside this free course you’ll find the answers on how to sell without feeling sleazy, and I’ll walk you through the most successful sales letter ever written, and show to how to apply it to your product or service.

Feature Segment: “The 5 Readers You Either Benefit Or Betray”

Here are some of the most common questions we get about copywriting:

  1. What is copywriting?
  2. What is a sales letter?
  3. Why is copy so hypey/cheesy/pushy?
  4. Will this work for my business? My business is different.
  5. Does long copy actually work?
  6. Should I learn copy or just hire a writer?
  7. Isn’t copy manipulative? Isn’t that wrong?

And…you guessed it…some snippets from our conversation:

  • Do I need a lawyer for this? (9:40)
  • Sean’s rant of the week (10:20)
  • Words that move the world (12:55)
  • How not to gracefully exit a packed room (13:38)
  • The world before the internet (15:16)
  • The Bottle Cap Incident (16:08)
  • The Father of the Sales Page (17:10)
  • Hold the cheese (18:04)
  • The Dark Side of Jedi Mind Tricks (20:13)
  • Trickless Marketing (21:01)
  • You are, but you aren’t (21:28)
  • B2B or B2C…it’s ATS (24:58)
  • Are you boring? (25:24)
  • Do I really need to learn this? (28:14)
  • Aristotle was a great copywriter (30:58)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP275.mp3
Category:Copywriting -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

When you write, whether it’s copy, essays, or words of any nature, you’re making a much bigger impact than you think.

Almost without fail more people will read what you write than you
believe. In a very real sense you’re setting waves into motion.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I believe we often don't see God's miraculous intervention in our lives because we don't believe he'll do it…and we don't ask.

We believe God for little, vague things that don't put our faith to the test.

Pray that God will relieve our back pain? No problem.

Pray that God will heal a killer disease like cancer? Somehow we think that is harder for God.

Yet God says in His word, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Just know that whatever you're facing, God has what you need and He's ready, willing, and able to supply you with it.

In this episode I’ll share some astounding examples that prove once and for all that nothing is too hard for God.

Tip Of The Week

For a limited time I’m making available my free copywriting course entitled “Ray's Short Course on Copywriting: Selling Without Sleazing” plus a free ebook about the $2 Billion Sales Letter You’ve Never Heard Of.

Inside this free course you’ll find the answers on how to sell without feeling sleazy, and I’ll walk you through the most successful sales letter ever written, and show to how to apply it to your product or service.

Feature Segment: “The 5 Readers You Either Benefit Or Betray”

The 5 Readers You Either Benefit or Betray

When you write something, I think you should take it seriously. You have more readers who are affected in deeper ways than you realize.

Here are the readers you either benefit or betray with your words:

  1. You
  2. Team
  3. Family
  4. Tribe
  5. Competitors

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • Your first, and most important, reader (11:50)
  • Gymnastic Thinking (12:40)
  • The hobgoblin of little minds (13:50)
  • There is no “I” in T-E-A-M (15:12)
  • The philosophy of existence (15:50)
  • When in doubt, write it out (17:00)
  • Don’t send me an email about this (18:05)
  • The dirty bag of water (18:47)
  • The obscure reference rewards program (19:37)
  • Why things matter (20:25)
  • Be sure to leave this for your family (22:19)
  • The psychology of fandom (23:17)
  • How to think for yourself (23:57)
  • It doesn’t feel good, it feels necessary (25:02)
  • One of us is unnecessary (26:04)
  • Why you want the other side to win (26:32)
  • Sharing is caring (29:14)
  • Creating value out of thin air (30:14)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP274.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You know copywriting is used to sell stuff… but today we’re about to show you how it’s not just for sales pages any more.

As a matter of fact, when consciously employed, copywriting becomes the “quantifiable multiplier†for every part of your business and your life.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

What you say has power – huge power. You can wreck your life be repeating things that empower destructive forces in your life.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.†—Proverbs 18:21

Line up your words with the experiences you want to see.

Tip Of The Week

More books I’ve just finished and highly recommend:

Feature Segment: “Seven Weird Ways to Use Copy”

Copy is not just for sales pages. If you think the ability to craft transformational copy is limited only to sales letters and the like…you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Here are some examples we cover on this episode:

  1. About pages
  2. Blog posts
  3. Podcasts
  4. Speeches
  5. Converstations
  6. Subject lines
  7. Social Media

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

  • The Secret to Persuasive Copy (10:27)
  • Your favorite radio station (11:05)
  • The formula for successful blog posts (11:44)
  • How you say anything is how you say everything (12:52)
  • Why you should Zig when everyone zags (13:10)
  • How to write a speech in 5 minutes (14:35)
  • Sway, Steer, or Stir-up (15:06)
  • Grab ‘em by the eyeballs (15:38)
  • Copywriting Kumbaya (16:05)
  • Sean’s special bonus use for copywriting (17:34)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP273.mp3
Category:Copywriting -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

You may feel like the world is spinning out of control, but regardless of which side of the political spectrum you happen to be on, or who is President, I think we can all agree it’s better to not just survive…but thrive.

In today’s episode we will explain how to make your business President-Proof. The skill we will share is like a combination of “shields up†and “engage warp drive†for your business…and your life.

So set your phasers to stun, and let’s dive right in…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Your physical presence has power, case in point…Jesus’ spit healed a blind man. Remember also that Peter’s shadow healed the sick.

Your body bears fruit – and it’s not just your children.

Indeed, God said, “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body…â€, and also “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body…†— Deuteronomy 28:4

If this is true, shouldn’t we expect everything associated with our bodies to be of the highest quality? This would include things like your health, intelligence, and even your relationship with your spouse.

Jesus paid the price—His body was scourged and pierced for you…He got what we deserved, so we could receive what only HE deserves!

Tip Of The Week

Books I’ve just finished and highly recommend:

Feature Segment: “How to Make Your Business President-Proof”

How to Make Your Business President-Proof

Let me be clear, this episode is not any type of political statement, but I believe there is a skill you can learn that makes your business impervious to the whims of external circumstances. This Master Skill can make you the author of your own destiny.

What is powerful tool?

Copywriting.

But in this episode we’re going to take a different view of copy. You’ll see things like…

  • What copywriting isn’t (12:35)
  • Four ways to re-frame your business (12:53)
  • Do you know who you are? (13:23)
  • Embrace your inner Luke Skywalker (14:35)
  • Change your view, change your life (15:38)
  • Ray’s Law of Conservation of Supply and Demand (16:10)
  • Are you selling the right thing? (17:17)
  • It’s just a copy problem (17:35)
  • The benefits of mastering copywriting (18:31)
  • The best type of flood (18:42)
  • The difference between profit and cashflow (20:45)
  • Ride the meteor (21:05)
  • Not everyone likes rollercoasters (21:53)
  • How to write a swimming pool (22:35)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

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Direct download: REP272.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

How we define success is important, and the way most people define it is flawed at best.

I propose anyone can enjoy instant success, and still be engaged in growing, achieving, and serving, but more about that later…

Also coming up, how you can get MY new VIP Email Insiders Newsletter…FREE FOREVER!

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I’ve been struggling with REST lately.

  • Too many opportunities.
  • Too much to do.
  • Plus neurological complications.

God says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

This week I’ll show you how to use rest as a weapon.

Tip Of The Week

Enhance your daily productivity and effectiveness with your personal Apple Mail assistant.

  • Message Templates – NEW- A brilliant way to save time. MailButler allows you to customize the formatting and text of emails, which include information that you frequently share with different recipients.
  • Tasks – NEW – Mark your emails as to-do items to never forget about important tasks again.
  • Snooze – NEW – By snoozing an email you will temporarily make it disappear out of your Inbox.
  • Tracking – Let you know if the recipient has actually opened your email.
  • Scheduling – Write now – send later…MailButler allows you to schedule an email to be sent at a specific date and time. Thus, you can fulfill lots of tasks beforehand by writing several emails at once and letting MailButler secure their scheduled delivery later.
  • Essential Features – FREE – Cloud Upload, Undo Send, Attachment Reminder, Direct Inbox, Emojis and many more.

Feature Segment: “How to Achieve Instant Success”

How to Achieve Instant Success

How do you achieve Instant Success? Change the way you define success!

But should we change it? Is that just a word game?

How we define success is important, and the way most people define it is flawed at best.

I propose anyone can enjoy instant success, and still be engaged in growing, achieving, and serving…. when you invoke the Four Keys to Instant Success revealed in this episode.

If you define success as a destination… you’ll never get there. It’s like that sign in the cafe that always reads “Free Coffee Tomorrow”.

As the great Earl Nightingale says, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal”.

If you define success THAT way, you can celebrate the milestones, not just the destination…you can literally be successful right now.

Special Announcement

Announcing my new VIP Email Insiders Newsletter!

All the details are inside this week’s episode, but here are some highlights:

  • IT’S FREE FOREVER!
  • You get a sneak peek at my raw thinking as it happens
  • Before it’s published on the blog.
  • Before it shows up in a product.
  • Before it becomes R&D’d (“Ripped Off and Duplicated “- thanks Dan Kennedy and/or Bill Glazier for the terminology)

Sign up now at rayedwards.com/vip

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP271.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

If you want to build an effective online presence, gain influence with an audience, ask people to join your cause or buy into your ideas…it all starts with a blog.

In my opinion, there’s nobody better qualified to teach us than my guest on today’s podcast, Leslie Samuel.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Do you believe it’s wrong, or at least tacky, to want to get rich? I’m not even talking about getting rich quick…just wanting to get rich in general. Does that bother you at all? Do you feel a little pang of guilt or fear you might be viewed as being a little cheesy?

As Dave Ramsey says, “There’s a dignity to wealth creation through honorable business that is unlike anything else on Earth.

In this episode I’ll share the real Secret of Wealth Creation…and one of the most important questions you can ask yourself.

Tip Of The Week

I have people ask me all the time about how I started my podcast, and how they should go about starting one the right way. I always tell them, “Cliff Ravenscraft is your guy.” If you’re serious about starting a podcast, then you need to check out Cliff’s Podcasting A to Z course.

This week I have a short talk with my friend Cliff and we go through more details of why Podcasting A to Z is so transformational…but here are some facts that should wet your whistle in the meantime:

  • The course has been going strong since March 2011, with over 600 students getting Cliff as their personal coach for 4 weeks.
  • You’ll know exactly what equipment to get…and why.
  • Have technical questions about how to dial-in your gear? No worries, Cliff has you covered.
  • You’ll clearly define your message and the perfect target market
  • During those four weeks, the students of Podcasting A to Z get Cliff’s full attention…you are the priority.
  • And check this out…Over 600 students have gone through this course, not one single person has ever requested a refund.

If you want to start a podcast, or if you have a podcast and you want to improve it and make it an excellent podcast, this is the way to do it.

Feature Segment: “How To Become A Blogger”

Yes, blogs are still alive. I believe they are still the best way to build a platform, and a business online. I am very excited to introduce you to my friend, Leslie Samuel.

Leslie is a former university professor turned full-time blogger. He is also the host of the “Learning with Leslie” podcast where he teaches about blogging, online business, and entrepreneurship.

Here are some snippets from our conversation about how to become a blogger:

  • The biology of blogging (12:06)
  • Are you experienced? (14:35)
  • Teach what you know (15:24)
  • It all started when… (17:07)
  • Tiny hinges swing big doors (18:41)
  • Learning as you go (21:19)
  • The Philosophy of Free (22:57)
  • Look below the surface (25:35)
  • It’s harder than it looks (27:44)
  • I thought we talked about this… (29:39)
  • If they can do it, so can you (30:47)
  • The three biggest mistakes bloggers make (34:49)
  • Leaders are readers (36:31)
  • The struggle is real (38:29)
  • The Piano Man (39:28)
  • Words to the Wise (40:30)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP270.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is about what specific apps, websites, sources, courses, and other tools we use to make stuff.

In this episode we’ll get geeky with you and dive deep into that exact subject.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

How do you respond when someone asks, “How are you today?”

If you’re like most people you respond with something like:

  • “Fine”
  • “Okay”
  • “I’m hangin' in there”

This may come as news to you, but you get to decide how you process your day.

In this episode I give you some reasons why you should carefully consider the instructions you give your brain, because what you say is often what you experience.

Selah.

Tip Of The Week

If one of your goals this year is to take a trip…enroll in course…get in better shape…or anything else you’re likely to not do when it’s no longer convenient…today’s tip is for you!

Most of us struggle to achieve our goals, that’s because there’s a big difference between having a goal and achieving a goal—stickK works by helping people eliminate this gap by using a Commitment Contract.

A Commitment Contract is a binding agreement you sign with yourself to ensure that you follow through with your intentions—and it does this by utilizing the psychological power of loss aversion and accountability to drive behavior change.

By asking users to sign Commitment Contracts, stickK helps users define their goal, acknowledge what it’ll take to accomplish it, and leverage the power of putting money on the line to turn that goal into a reality.

Feature Segment: “The Apps & Tools We Use to Make Stuff “

The Tools and Apps We Use To Make Stuff

This episode is a little different since it’s more like a giant resource guide. Everything we use is listed below, and if you want more insight into why we use what we use then join Sean and I on an entertaining romp through the good, and the not so good, items in the Ray Edwards toolbox.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Quote Worth Note

Seth Godin tells this story in “What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn”…

“Stephen King, one of the most beloved, famous and bestselling authors ever, often goes to writer’s conferences. After he talks for a little bit he says, ‘Any questions?’

Inevitably, someone raises their hand—I’m paraphrasing here—and says, ‘Mr. King, you are one of the most beloved, famous, and bestselling authors ever. What kind of pencil do you use to write your books?’ It’s almost as if knowing what kind of pencil Stephen King uses will help them be more like Stephen King.”

It’s not the pencil.

It’s not the computer.

It’s not the app.

Or as they say in music… “It’s not the gear, it’s the ear.”

Direct download: REP269.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Most people wish they could end each and every day proud of what they've accomplished. Trouble is, most people simply don’t know HOW to make that happen.

Today, my guest on the podcast, John Lee Dumas, has an answer that will help you.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Feature Segment: “Focus Leads To Mastery”

An eye-opening interview with John Lee Dumas.

John Lee Dumas is best known as the founder and host of the award-winning podcast Entrepreneur On Fire where he interviews today’s most inspiring entrepreneurs 7-days a week!

The podcast was awarded Best Of iTunes because of his commitment to serve entrepreneurs…and with over 1500 episodes to date, he’s shared a LOT of great content from people like:

  • Tony Robbins
  • Seth Godin
  • Gary Vaynerchuk
  • Barbara Corcoran
  • and Tim Ferriss

JLD has his brand new project, The Mastery Journal, that launches today (January 23rd) and I sat down with him to get the skinny.

Here’s a partial list of some of the things we discussed, and where to find them:

  • The Big Reveal (2:34)
  • Real Money, Real Business (3:20)
  • Doing good while doing well (3:45)
  • The three essential skill sets (4:17)
  • The key to the Creator Code (5:38)
  • Escape O.P.A. (6:40)
  • How to be proud of what you produce (7:25)
  • Ewww, it’s all over me! (8:48)
  • I don’t think that word means what you think it means (9:28)
  • How do you eat a frog? (11:30)
  • Defeat the Weapons of Mass Distraction (14:20)
  • The life-changing qualities of a tomato (16:28)
  • Do more in One Day that you’ve done in a week (18:46)
  • How to crush Parkinson’s Law (19:08)
  • Magic Time (20:03)
  • Winning tomorrow today (21:15)
  • Education brings opportunity (22:38)
  • Here’s what to do next (26:29)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

 

Direct download: REP268.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Have you ever been in a position where you need money, and you need it quickly?

Most of us have gone through a season in our lives where we find ourselves in a cash-flow crunch, and we need money fast. To help you avoid making an unwise, knee-jerk decision like borrowing the money, we created this episode to give you some better options.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

This week’s episode is for skeptics and my Christian friends who might be “wavering” in their faith because they don’t think that believers should have any challenges in life. Once we accept Jesus, everything should be hunky-dory, right?

Jesus tells us that in life we will have difficulty, but true to His nature, He also gives us hope because He has overcome the world.

If you feel like you are struggling with your faith, in this episode I have some resources for you that will help sharpen your focus and help you find your footing again.

Tip Of The Week

Do you think you might be addicted to your iPhone? There’s an app for that…

Moment is an iOS app that automatically tracks how much you use your iPhone and iPad each day. If you’re using your phone too much, you can set daily limits on yourself and be notified when you go over. You can even force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.

Feature Segment: “How To Make Money Fast”

Let’s say you’re faced with a cashflow problem. There’s just too much month left at the end of the money. What do you do?

Here are some of the things you’ll learn about the Seven Ways to Get Money Fast:

  • The #1 thing you absolutely must NOT do (12:12)
  • The worst-kept secret to getting money quickly (12:40)
  • Stop listening to the lies (13:38)
  • The Viking way to wealth (14:23)
  • The skills to pay the bills (15:10)
  • The person with the most toys loses (16:50)
  • The “Mmm…nevermind” strategy (18:23)
  • Seek and ye just might find (20:40)
  • A hard, but sometimes necessary, question (21:27)
  • Stuff the fluff (23:20)
  • Stop digging (25:26)
  • Fight to be free (25:36)
  • Do the side hustle (25:58)
  • How to get paid what you’re worth (28:25)
  • The secret to a successful business (31:46)
  • Make that money work! (32:05)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP267.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Is it ethical, or even possible, to have a full-time job and also build a business on the side?

This is a big deal for a lot of people who want to pursue their own business without throwing their family into financial chaos by quitting their job. If you’ve wondered about how to honorably engage in a side hustle, then this episode is just for you.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Tip Of The Week

This week’s tip comes courtesy of Cliff Ravenscraft. Public speaking is hard, Ummo makes it easier. Whether you are practicing for a presentation or interested in improving your everyday communication, use Ummo to track your “Umm”s and “Uhh”s, pace, word power, clarity, and more.

Feature Segment: “The Ethical Side Hustle”

My guest this week is Mark Mason from the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast. I’m honored to call Mark my friend, and the more I get to know him, the more I respect him and the vital work he’s doing.

  • Here are some highlights from our interview:
  • Why Sean Edwards is like a human hand grenade (5:45)
  • The value of being a “Yuck Monkey” (6:30)
  • What exactly is Late Night Internet Marketing? (6:50)
  • The core belief of the side hustle (8:10)
  • Do you have to hate your job to have a side hustle? (9:10)
  • The best way to start a side hustle (11:05)
  • The epiphany that changed everything (15:15)
  • Running a side hustle requires some life hacks (17:25)
  • Stay away from the “fluff” (18:01)
  • The Free Content Formula (19:35)
  • How to succeed through the struggle (22:08)
  • Wisely navigating the waters between your day job and your side hustle (25:01)
  • Side hustling with a family (27:11)
  • Finding the time for your side hustle (28:52)
  • The Mother of all Jingles (30:29)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!
Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP266.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Selling is a problem for a lot of people because they associate it with being pushy and slimy.

What if selling could be a soul-enriching experience where everyone comes out on the winning side?

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Feature Segment: “How To Sell Well”

Our guest this week, StoryBrand CEO Nigel Green, reveals the secret of transforming selling from scary to soothing.

Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode:

  • Never let your studies get in the way of your education (6:12)
  • The Art of Selling Well (6:44)
  • How to create long-term customers (7:49)
  • Ignorance is sometimes bliss (8:24)
  • The difference between marketing and sales (9:01)
  • Why most people don’t succeed at selling (9:25)
  • The power of having a “Noble Selling Purpose” (9:43)
  • Wanting something For people, not From them (10:40)
  • How to properly reframe the most important sales question (10:58)
  • The biggest mistake salespeople make (11:41)
  • Why most sales training doesn’t work (12:34)
  • Here are the questions that really work (13:19)
  • The “Secret Weapon” in selling (14:38)
  • The steps to Selling Well (15:47)
  • What to listen for in a sales conversation (17:03)
  • How to make the needle move right now (19:51)
  • Nigel’s Core Philosophy (21:30)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Free Training: 5 Minute Marketing Makeover

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through 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 mention you on this show.

Get The Transcript

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

Direct download: REP265.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:00am PDT