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.

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

• ConvertKit
• GoodNotes
• 9 Inch iPad Pro
• Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur

How To Help

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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.

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

• The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

How To Help

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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.

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.

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

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
• The Greatest Camera Ever Made
• Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

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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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.

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

• Client First Training

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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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.

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

• Placer Cam
• Late Night Internet Marketing
• Zig Ziglar
• The Ethical Side Hustle

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.