Something a little different for this week's podcast…

It's been months since I've done a live stream and the timing felt right for this one. For those who want the raw, visual live stream, you can watch it here. 

Whichever medium you choose, I would love to hear your feedback. You can leave a comment here. If this message was helpful to you and you feel it may be helpful to others, I encourage you to share it.

Spiritual Foundations

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:1

Truthfully, this week's podcast could fall completely under the Spiritual Foundations heading, but even if you and I believe in differently, perhaps you will still receive the hope within the message.

Questions about the show? You can text me anytime at 509-245-2670

"Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is life."

As a business owner, nothing could be more true...According to the US Department of Labor and Statistics, the number one reason 95% of businesses close their doors is quite simply running out of money.

In this week's podcast, I'll give you seven ways to create steady cash flow.

Spiritual Foundations

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

Luke 14:28-30

 If a business leader wants to get new clients, or sees a possibility of financial “boom times”, there’s the temptation to promise more, offer more, deliver more,  overcommit,  over SPEND, etc. Then if things don’t go exactly as planned, paying the price becomes a bigger drain on resources, staff time and more. Maybe more than you can handle.

Many a business has gone under because of this very phenomena. Jesus’s wisdom works for every part of life, so the question is - The next time you have a big business decision to make, or even a small one… will you hope that you escape paying the price, or will you follow Jesus and count the cost?

Entrepreneurial Spotlight

This week, we're inviting you to cast the spotlight on an entrepreneur with an innovative idea or inspiring story (and yes...it can be you).

We see and hear daily reminders of businesses that have failed in this economy. All of us need to remember that millions of entrepreneurs around the globe are thriving in spite of the challenges brought by this pandemic.

Help us spread the good word! Send your Entrepreneurial Spotlight suggestion to support@rayedwards.com and we may feature them in a future episode.

Tip of the Week

My tip of the week is a very timely and powerful book by my friend, Michael Hyatt.

Michael is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and his latest book, Entrepreneurs Will Save the World, definitely deserves a spot in your library.

Not only is this a small investment ($17.99), but it comes with $164 in bonuses:

• Audio book version of Entrepreneurs Will Save the World ($24.99 value)
• The complete "Mindset Advantage" video series ($99 value)
• Employee to Entrepreneur Handbook: How to Have an Entrepreneurial Mindset in Your 9-5 ($29.99 value)
• 8 Traits Printables - Keep the 8 traits of the entrepreneurial mindset visible on your office wall or desktop ($9.99 value)

The book is officially shipping as of today (10/19/20) and you can order it here: https://entrepreneurswillsavetheworld.com/

7 Ways Copywriting Creates Consistent Cashflow

Copywriting is more than sales letters. These are 7 ways that your copy can keep the cash flowing:

1. Increase New Customer Count

2. Increase Dollars Per Transaction

3. Increase Frequency of Transaction

4. Increase Lifetime of Client

5. Increase Referrals

6. Increase Leverage (ability to innovate and scale)

7. Increase Resiliency

We covered some specific examples in the podcast, but if you really want to delve deeper into these, I suggest you pick up a free copy of my book, How To Write Copy That Sells, by clicking here.

Links From This Week's Episode

Michael Hyatt's new book can be found here: https://entrepreneurswillsavetheworld.com/

Ray's book, How to Write Copy That Sells is available for free by visiting https://rayedwards.com/FreeBook

How You Can Help

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

We are also on Stitcher and Google, so if you're Team Android, feel free to find us there.

Questions about the show? You can text me anytime at 509-245-2670

How do you get what you want? The simple, two-word answer: Expect it.

That is, of course, the boiled-down version...we'll get into the specifics in this week's episode.

Spiritual Foundations

“If you think about it, people wake up in the morning, they begin to think about their problems, those problems are circuits, memories in the brain. Each one of those memories are connected to people

and things at certain times and places and if the brain is a record of the past, the moment they start their day they’re already thinking in the past."

Dr. Joe Dispenza

How did you end up being who you are?

In my opinion, you, me and the rest of us are the sum of our habits. Dr. Joe Dispenza gave a great talk about this back in 2018 and you'll find the video linked below. It's a great reminder that our habits control us...so we'd better control them.

Tip of the Week

My tip of the week is an I-Phone app (sorry Android folks...if there is a good equivalent, leave us a comment) called Scan Plus.

Yep, I know...you have a scanning app or two already. This one is great because it not only converts your scan to a pdf, but also uses OCR to digitize the text and make it searchable.

Great for submitting official documents and general archiving, check out Scan Plus in the App Store.

How To Get What You Want

As I previously stated, to get what you want, expect it...now here comes the fine print: That may literally require changing who you are - changing the habits that dictate so much of what you do.

It may not always be easy, but it's my belief that any pattern can be changed if you know the 7 mastery steps:

Understand and Appreciate Their World
You must figure out the driving force behind your habits.

Create a Base and Get Leverage
The P.A.S.T.O.R. framework doesn't just apply to advertising copy...The same process that motivates a consumer to buy can motivate yourself to change.

Destroy Any Negative Patterns
Whatever the problem you're trying to correct in your life is, you'll need to find the associated negative patterns that contribute to it, and interrupt them.

This one can be tough. It may require a change of environment, or often...changing the people you associate with.

Define the Problem in Solvable Terms
Acknowledging a negative habit is a great start, but it's just the beginning. You must define the problem in such a way that you can formulate a plan to alter or eradicate it.

Create an Empowering Alternative
Okay, you've audited your habits and marked a few counterproductive ones for deletion...You've applied the P.A.S.T.O.R. framework to motivate change...You've intentionally disrupted your negative patterns and devised a solution...NOW WHAT? Now you do the work! You replace your old, detrimental habits with intentional, productive new ones.

Condition The New Alternative
No matter how good the plan, it likely will not come naturally (if it did...you wouldn't be doing this exercise). You repeat this until it becomes the new norm...the new habit.

Connect to a Higher Purpose

Regardless of whatever spiritual beliefs you hold (or don't hold), connecting to a purpose that is bigger than yourself will be hugely beneficial. Maybe that higher purpose is being a better Christian, or maybe it's serving your community, feeding the homeless or volunteering for an organization that helps clothe underprivileged children.

I suggest creating a new environment and peer group that will support your plans for change. Having people counting on you AND appreciating your efforts is an incredible motivator.

Links From This Week's Episode

All links referenced in this episode are available at https://rayedwards.com/487

Questions about the show? You can text me anytime at 509-245-2670

Ready to start your online business? On this week's episode we'll talk about the 3 things you need to get dialed in first. I'll also be introducing my brand new cohost.

Spiritual Foundations

“Sometimes we need a geography to usher our soul into spaciousness."

John Eldridge

John Eldridge is the author of a successful Christian book entitled Wild At Heart. The book speaks to the importance of getting out of the artificial world we've created and into the spaciousness of nature...camping, adventuring, journeying, etc.

I think many of us these days feel a bit cramped, especially with our current circumstances so I recommend you note only read the book, but also take the advice.

Tip of the Week

This week's tip is to read John Eldridge's latest book, Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad

In Get Your Life Back, New York Times bestselling author John Eldredge provides a practical, simple, and refreshing guide to taking your life back. By practicing a few wonder­fully simple practices—or what John calls “graces”—you can begin to recover your soul, disentangle from the tragedies of this broken world, and discover the restorative power of beauty.

Ask yourself:                

Are you happy most of the time?
Do you feel deeply loved?                                           
Are you excited about your future?
How often do you feel lighthearted?

After reading this book you will…

Learn how to insert the One Minute Pause into your day. Begin practicing “benevolent detachment” and truly let it all go.
Offer kindness toward yourself in the choices you make.
Drink in the simple beauty available to you every day.
Take realistic steps to unplug from technology overload.

These simple practices and others are ready for the taking. You don’t need to abandon your life to get it back. Begin restoring your life here and now. Your soul will thank you for it.

Starting an Online Business Today

Online businesses are just as diverse as their brick and mortar counterparts, but regardless of whatever the business idea is that you're contemplating, there are three things that you must get in order to succeed while avoiding stress and overwhelm.

Intention

Know what you want, why do you want it, and have a plan for getting it.

Focus

Identify the key essential activities that will get you there. Schedule those - and obsessively ignore everything else. Turning out the noise in this season particularly is very important.

Margin

Give yourself extra time for rest, recreation, reflection, and if possible to be in nature. This is key to avoiding stress, overwhelm and eventual burnout.

Links From This Week's Episode

6 Figure Small Group Intensive - This is an extremely exclusive event (only 8 people) for those who are serious about creating a 6 Figure Business in 6 Months or Less. If that sounds like you, click here to see if seating is available. This three day, travel-free event happens 11/5-11/7.

Entrepreneur Spotlight - I'm shining a light on Pat Flynn this week because of the consistent, valuable content he has been sharing on his Youtube channel during the pandemic.

Kris has been taking advantage of shelter-in-place time by practicing guitar and if you share that interest, he recommends you check out Active Melody's Youtube channel. This channel is a great example of Value First Marketing. Brian provides useful lessons every week for free with the option to expand on those with a premium membership.

John Eldredge's latest book, Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad.

Eric Pickersgill photography - This is the photographer whose name escaped me during the podcast. Eric has done some great photos depicting the loneliness we can experience even when we're surrounded by other people. He does this by removing the smartphones, tablets and various technology leaving his subjects staring with empty expressions at empty hands.

The "Water Bird Whistle" - Just for the sake of completeness and for those who were curious, here is the bird whistle (actually called a Warbler) Kris was referring to.

How You Can Help

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

We are also on Stitcher and Google, so if you're Team Android, feel free to find us there.

Questions about the show? You can text me anytime at 509-245-2670