Dear Diary,
Tom here. Sheesh. It's been a while, eh? I guess it's time for an update...
It's been close to a year since I last posted an update on this blog.
How is that even possible?
Time flies, I guess…
So you might be wondering:
Questions. So many questions. Some are even good.
So here’s the deal.
Over the last few years, I’ve been deep in the trenches, creating and launching products and growing an online education business (among other things)...
My focus for the last couple of years has been to build a business that can live and grow on its own and without my name all over it. I designed this business intentionally so as to avoid creating a 'cult of personality' type business (that, while clearly profitable, always rubbed me the wrong way).
I'm several years into this "quest," which has taken increasingly more time and effort than I expected (but also did kind of expect, if you get me), and I'm pleased to say it's doing well, we've built an engaged subscriber list of approx 50,000 readers, and have served over 70,000 customers worldwide...
…yet in spite of this progress, I still have "promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep" and the journey is far from over...
And so I'm writing to share an update on where I've been, and where I'm planning to go moving forward (in business and life, as well as with this blog and the newsletter).
I think there may be a valuable lesson to share here, so let me start at the beginning...
When I started this blog in 2012, I didn’t really have a plan.
I just wanted a place to share my ideas on life, work, and things that I found interesting. A "dear diary" if you will (haha, get it?).
I published unapologetically for myself, NOT for others.
I didn’t expect anyone to read what I wrote.
But, they did.
And, eventually, my ‘dear diary’ became less for me and more for others.
Soon, my blog, podcast, and newsletter became a place for others to find useful training, tools, and resources to help them achieve their goals (and overcome the army of bad habits and destructive self-talk propaganda that keep so many of us dormant, stagnant, and stuck).
So I decided to keep doubling down in this direction; writing about things that I thought would help the greatest number of people, on the subjects I cared the most about.
(and yes, that was the full extent of my ‘marketing plan’)
Slowly but surely, I attracted new readers and subscribers. I did it all for free, spent thousands of hours on it, and made no money from it.
Of course, "free" is not sustainable, so I embarked on a new quest...
Quest #1. I wanted to replace my income from the military with my writing and publishing work.
I resigned my commission as a Captain in the Army in 2013 (making somewhere around $50 or $60k a year if I remember correctly) and replaced it with a $0/year income as an “entrepreneur.”
Basically, I jumped and then had to build the plane on the way down, so to speak…
My thinking was that if I could replace my previous income with the profit made by creating and selling digital products on my site, I could continue to do this "thing" that I was doing (and, ipso facto, avoid becoming a wage slave).
Fortunately, I reached that goal by the end of 2014, which gave me the runway I needed to keep going.
So I set my site on the next summit...
Quest #2. I wanted to hit that elusive 6-figure mark (annually).
According to a few random business and market reports I found online, only about 10% - 15% of small business owners earn more than $100k per year. Therefore, breaking that number would put me in the 90th percentile of entrepreneurs.
A good challenge.
I felt like if I could earn at least that amount on my own, through my own creative effort, I could consider myself a “legitimate tough guy” (see page 20 of The Art of Instigating -- hat tip Vin Diesel from “Knockaround Guys”).
Through a combination of my own writing and publishing, as well as consulting with brands to help them increase their traffic, subscribers, and sales (and earning a small percentage of the revenue I helped them generate), I crossed that threshold in 2015/2016.
This was a major milestone for me.
It provided the validation that my monkey brain needed that this “thing I was doing” could be sustainable and that I could keep doing it (despite my Dad's plea for me to get a 'real job')…
…yet, it was also a double-edged sword (as success often is). In this case, the other edge of that sword meant bigger, more ambitious dreams, desires, and pursuits.
Needless to say, I set off on a new journey...
Quest #3. I wanted to build a “proper” business
By “proper” I meant an enterprise with more people than just me and a VA, and likewise: something that provided a bigger impact and delivered bigger outcomes for a greater number of people than I could on my own.
Ideally, this "something" could one day run itself or be sold for a profit.
After a few fits and starts, including growing an agency to multiple 6-figures per year (before shutting it down...a story for another time), I finally got something off the ground that worked (and met all my above criteria).
A few years later, we reached the "important revenue goal" and now we have what some might call a proper business.
That's cool because, statistically, close to 90% of small businesses fail after 5 years...
(so again, hitting that 90th percentile, which I'm a big fan of)
What's also been a great experience is building a team and increasing our scale of impact.
Building a team is challenging. People depending on you so that they can put food on the table is even scarier. This is why it's so meaningful to me that we are able to give our team the ability to work for an amazing company on an important mission (no corporate BS, we're not funded by Blackrock so I don't have to force people how to "think right", and because I'm bootstrapped, I don't have to bend the knee to anyone -- we can focus entirely on serving our customers, clients, and team).
I'm proud to say everyone who has joined our team since the beginning has stayed with us -- and I'm hoping for another decade or more of continued success.
With that said:
And of course, the higher heights you reach, the greater the fall (if you fall)...which makes the 'fear of failure' that much greater.
So while it’s not all Bugatis and bling (more like diapers and a 401k), we now have a substantial asset/entity/enterprise that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of people around the world.
It also means...
And maybe most importantly of all:
It's proof that with the right mindset, dedication, and a pinch of audacity, it's possible to turn your creative or entrepreneurial dream into reality.
(if my attention-deficient, cave-man brain can start with nothing and bootstrap to success, I have to believe it's possible for just about anyone to do it)
Waaaaayyyyyy back in 2014, I wrote a blog post called “The Entrepreneur’s Journey." In this post, I wrote about how I envisioned the pursuit of anything creative or entrepreneurial.
I depicted this journey in a classic fantasy format (because -- paraphrasing C.S. Lewis -- sometimes fiction can be "more true" than non-fiction because no one can be deceived by it).
I was so into the idea of it, that I even ‘illustrated’ what that journey looked like in a PowerPoint slide (just Tom being Tom, investing an absurd amount of hours into the "important" things 🤣)…
Long story short -- in an unintentionally prophetic way, my story + illustration about “The Entrepreneurs Journey” ended up being accurate.
In particular:
Once you've conquered one summit, it's natural (dare I say: automatic) to set your sights on the next summit...
That desire for the ‘next great height’ I believe is in all of us -- certainly it's in the heart and blood of creators and entrepreneurs…
And that’s why I’m writing this today.
I'm fueled by the desire to push further and to ‘test my chops’ in this next phase of work, business, and life...
But I've changed...
My thinking has changed...
The world has changed...
And the things I'm "up against" now are bigger and badder than before...
Bottom line: this path I'm walking is very different than what came before (with a lot more riding on it than ever before).
So I say this with some trepidation around this next phase of life...this next quest, this latest pursuit, this new height in front of me...
Just because I haven't fallen doesn't mean I won't. This is the everpresent reality of business, writing, and life in general ("nothing gold can stay" and all that, since we're getting poetic in today's blog post)...And while I think somewhere in my heart I was hoping to someday be completely over that "fear" of failing...
...the reality is that even with experience, wisdom, and a "track record" of success -- it still feels like I'm at square one...
Which leads me to...
Quest #4. What's coming next...
Over the coming months, my hope is to reignite this blog and my newsletter with a renewed sense of purpose and what I hope is a wealth of lessons learned from my last decade "in the trenches"...
I want to share the good, the bad, and the ugly; what's working and what's not, based on real-world experience...
And I'm also interested in exploring new projects and ideas, like how to use an "A.I assistant" to create simpler and more profitable businesses (especially for solopreneurs and those looking to stay lean/agile), how to tell meaningful stories (that attract readers, customers, and clients), and more...
BUT! -- I only want to share what's useful and meaningful for YOU.
Since I'm over the need for an online 'dear diary' and this blog/podcast/newsletter has served its purpose for me...unless what I write is useful to you, I might as well shut it all down.
And that may be what I do.
But before I metaphorically "nuke the site from orbit," I want to hear from YOU!
What do YOU want me to write about?
What do YOU want me to share, teach, or explore?
Leave a comment below and tell me what would entertain or inspire you? What would make you come back to read my next blog post or newsletter?
For those who have been following me for a minute; what has kept you coming back all these months and years? Or what would be “Tom returning to form” for you?
All ideas are welcome.
Even the crazy ones.
(post anonymously if you have to, but DO make sure to leave at least one comment!)
P.S. Listen, I know it's 2023, and people don't really comment on blogs anymore. It's likely if this was a TikTok post with me pointing at floating text on the screen while I carefully gyrate my hips to the latest Nicki Minaj track, this would get more views (how couldn't it?)...
...But I believe there's still value in blogging, and there's still a place for long-form content in this world, at least for those of us who can read above a 6th-grade level.
I also believe in the value of being able to have a dialogue outside the policed echo chambers of today's mainstream platform...
Bottom line: I want to hear from you so leave a comment below! Right now!
If you've never commented on any of my blog posts before, make this your first.
And if you're a returning reader; an OG who's been commenting for years -- your feedback is especially important to me and I want to hear from you!
Your words and feedback fuel me, and I’d love some energy moving into the next phase of this journey.
Thanks, and as always: stay frosty.
Someone asked me the other day how as a small business owner (aka: I only eat what I kill) and father of 3, I'm able to stay calm in spite of the Corona-tine.
(Corona + Quarantine, get it?)
Whatever your thoughts are about the "Novel Coronavirus," the cultural/societal response has had a serious impact on small business owners, with thousands of brick-and-mortar stores being forced to close their doors (and thousands more pulling out massive loans to cover the shortfall, which they, unfortunately, might not be able to afford unless the debt is "forgiven" because even "low" usurious interest has a nasty habit of destroying what it touches…but that's a topic for another time).
So I think the real question is:
How can you and I stay calm, cool, and collected....or as Kipling wrote: "keep your head when all about you are losing theirs" during these turbulent times?
Here's what I believe:
An affordance is anything that helps you along your way; that moves you in the direction of your aim; that affords you an opportunity to make progress toward your goals.
These are affordances.
An obstacle, conversely, is anything that blocks your path. That gets in the way of your goals. That keeps you confused, frozen, or distracted.
Some affordances are obvious (the aforementioned shovel, water, and family)...
Some obstacles are obvious (anything that restricts access to, or removes, the aforementioned shovel, water, and family)...
No line at Chipotle = affordance.
Getting featured on a massive SiriusXM radio station and blowing the lid off a brand new product launch = a much bigger, much more significant affordance.
The store down the street "runs out" of toilet paper = obstacle.
Experiencing a reality where you're one handshake-from-a-stranger away from death = a much, MUCH bigger obstacle.
So logically, it makes sense that you would want more affordances (ideally the really good ones) and fewer obstacles in your life (especially the really bad ones).
If you're following my line of reasoning thus far, then it follows that the most significant affordance is that which affords you MORE affordances.
(meta, I know)
For example, the electricity that feeds your devices and machines might be considered a "greater affordance" if those things are then used in the pursuit of your goals (with your aim set squarely on your goal).
Or your BELIEF that you can (and will) achieve your goals, no matter what obstacles pop up. This deep-rooted belief itself can be an affordance that creates more affordances (one that opens invisible doors as you take consistent, daily action).
And it also follows that the greatest obstacle is that which creates more obstacles; like a Black Swan event that closes the door to your business (and cuts you off from your network)...or the belief that you're a product of circumstance, that you got the short end of the stick, and that there's nothing you can do about it (aka: victim mentality).
Here's where I'm going with this:
Not only are "things" and "beliefs" obstacles or affordances...
Knowing what's around the corner can save you time, money, and energy.
However, that's only if the information is correct, relevant, and pertinent.
If the information is incorrect, not relevant, or impertinent, "knowing" said information could actually COST YOU time, money, and energy.
(and if the information is malicious, well, then it could cost you everything, and the phrase "ignorance is bliss" becomes even more true)
In the physical world - the certifiable real world that's right in front of you (the one at your fingertips, that you can touch and manipulate) - most of us can figure out what is an affordance or an obstacle from a simple glance (and maybe a step or two around the object and a swivel of the head).
You see the traffic jam and you get it. Obstacle.
You see the strawberries growing and the clear water from the spring flowing and you get it. Affordance.
But when you're "online" looking at "the world" through the black mirror in your pocket, discerning between affordance and obstacle becomes a lot more complicated.
That's because information presented through a screen can be framed, molded, and manipulated to be given the appearance of value, when in fact, it's an illusion; just ask anyone who bought a ticket to The Fyre Festival, or cheered on Theranos, or thought Bernie Madoff was really onto something with his unorthodox accounting methods.
So don't treat it like it is.
Be discerning about what you let in. Shut off any inputs that distract you from your aim. Fearlessly exclude anything that does not help you toward your goals.
That includes the fearbate.
It's true, people will stop asking you out for drinks...but then all the bars are closed now anyway, aren't they?
Get to work, my friend, and continue to fight the good fight.
And, of course, stay frosty.
References: - James Gibson's "The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception." - John Carpenter's "Big Trouble in Little China" - "The Fear Economy"
Started, finished, and shipped from 7,000 feet elevation with my feet planted firmly on the ground | Writing time: 4.5 hrs | Soundtrack: silence (still trending)
Well, there's no escaping it; Coronavirus is here and people are scared.
And because of the decrees, both de facto and de jure, for "social distancing" (aka how I live my life), small business owners everywhere are getting pummeled.
(especially brick and mortar small businesses)
Unfortunately, a lot of these businesses are going to be wiped out.
Before anyone freaks out, this isn't fear mongering. It's a reality.
The businesses that are forced to close right now, some for upwards of 60+ days, still have expenses to pay.
They still have overhead. They still have rent…
If these small business have no consistent, predictable, online revenue stream - or they can't establish one ASAP - they're screwed.
But fear not.
I've been to war in real life and in business (metaphorically speaking).
And today, I'm going to show you a way through the uncertainty.
Below, you'll find 5 ways to generate predictable income online in the next 21 days. Consider this the Coronavirus 2020 edition; stuff that's working now and should work well for you.
If you have any questions, thoughts, or recommendations for what I can add to the list, leave a comment below!
Ready?
Strap on your helmet and let's get to it...
This is for my brick and mortar entrepreneurs who are getting kicked around by all this the worst:
Given that you have a business and you have a databaset of customers, the absolute fastest, simplest, and best way to serve your customers and clients, while generating a profit online, quickly, is through the right affiliate offer.
Affiliate marketing is basically performance-based or commission-based marketing; e.g. you get paid for every sale you refer / generate.
So the question is, if you have customers OFFLINE, how could they be served ONLINE?
For example, maybe you run a yoga studio. People come to your classes in person. You've recently had to shut your doors for an indefinite period of time.
You could, of course, try to stream and sell your "in person" classes online.
But then you might realize your customers don't want to pay full price for a virtual streaming service, so you'll probably have to cut the price…
Unfortunately, cutting the price of your new streaming or online offer WILL NOT HELP, because you can find a million and a half yoga practices streamed online, basically every day.
If you're a guru, you can maybe get away with selling on the premise of your name alone.
For just about everyone else, why fight an uphill battle?
A better solution:
Your customers win because if the platform is established, it's a better user experience than you trying to hack something ridiculous together right now.
You win, because you have to deliver absolutely ZERO, while you have the chance to make a profit, in perpetuity.
#winnerwinnerchickendinner
Here's a screenshot from one of my affiliates who earned more than $50,000 from sharing a simple, proven, high quality digital product, over a 1 week period of time:
Yup, it works.
You just gotta find the right fit. And then put it out there the right way.
(Need help on this? Book a lightning session with me right now and in less than an hour we can figure out the optimal affiliate offer for your list, and maybe even start to line up your promotion)
Most people do the above and stop there.
That's profitable enough, in most cases, if done correctly.
Here's a simple way to ramp things up:
Put together a *30 day challenge* (or for however long your doors are closed for - why not?!) and join along with the customers you referred.
A simple way to do this:
Have anyone who signs up with your link send you the confirmation receipt (confirm inside your affiliate program that the sale was attributed to you), and add them to a private group where you can throw in extra stuff, whether bonuses or perks, providing feedback or support, and much more.
Who knows, this group might take off in such a way that you could charge money for it (but then we'd be getting ahead of ourselves, that's Strategy #4 below).
I know that might sound like a lot to accomplish in 21 days, but hear me out.
Here's the deal:
Amazon is one of the biggest search engines in the world. It's also the #1 digital retailer in the world.
If you're not tapping into this audience, you're missing out.
Insurgent Publishing makes 100% of its income online. We still sell print books, we just have no brick and mortar book store (nor do we try to get our books into stores).
I built Insurgent Publishing to be antifragile, and it seems to be working.
Here's the secret to success on Amazon:
That's it.
The best part about a book; it can be a genuine, passive income generator for you and your business.
I still receive sales of some of my books on my website that I haven't promoted or shared in…literally, years.
That's the power of books, of writing, and of becoming a published author.
If writing and publishing sounds like a lot of work, it doesn't have to be.
Today, you can find fantastic transcription software that makes audio dictation a real possibility (for those who hate sitting down to write). I use Rev.
Design and formatting used to be a pain. It's not anymore.
Now you can get professional cover design and professional formatting of your book (both digital and for print) for next to nothing, thanks to the amazing 100 Covers and FormattedBooks.
100 Covers and Formatted Books helped me put this bestseller together.
Bottom line: creating a professional-looking book costs much less than it's ever cost, and it's much more lucrative than it's ever been.
If you are rearing to go, but don't know where to start, here's a completely free course on how to launch a book to bestseller (based on the strategies and techniques we used to launch bestsellers like: "The 7 Day Startup," "The Art of Work," and many others).
And of course, if you have any questions, book a 1 on 1 Lightning Session with me here and I can answer any and all your questions (like how to get a book produced for under $3k, or how to take advantage of Amazon SEO to create consistent sales every day, or how to turn one book into multiple streams of revenue, and much more).
A virtual summit is like an in person conference, but hosted online.
Even better than an in person conference, you have no barrier to entry (geographically, speaking - optimal in these times of social distancing), can grow your email list, and you can make a killing on the backend with proper upsells and downsells.
Virtual summits can be very profitable.
I've coached and/or strategized, organized, managed, and run more than a dozen 5 to 6-figure virtual summits.
The reason they work so well is because they require little overhead, they don't have to be complicated, and you can drive results relatively quickly by leveraging partnerships.
(side note: here's the best system in the world for finding, connecting, and leveraging influential people to market and promote your products for you, including virtual summits)
Virtual summits are one of the best ways to position yourself as an authority in your space, niche, or industry, while simultaneously growing your reach (and most importantly: email list), as well as being a great way to get started selling digital products online (because the product, in this case, basically builds itself).
I used a virtual summit to drum up new coaching and consulting clients.
I called it: $100k Launch School.
The premise of my virtual summit was that you can make a years worth of income in a single month with a good launch.
The reason I bring that up is that my virtual summit helped me not only grow my email list by over 5,000 subscribers (in less than 3 weeks time…something that took me 3 years to do the first time I did it), and make over $20k from ticket sales alone, it also allowed me to book myself solid with clients (virtual / exclusively online) for the last two years.
(hence why I haven't felt the need to run one since, but also why I'm such a big fan)
Crazy, but true.
Here's a short video to help you make up your mind if you SHOULD host a virtual summit
Lastly, if you are going to run one, remember: they aren't necessarily complicated, but there are a lot of moving pieces.
You can figure out the list of things you need to do very easily. Executing in a timeline manner to drive real results…well that takes a little bit more planning.
So if you're thinking, yeah, that's something I want to get into: here's an insanely comprehensive, step-by-step blog post on how to create, host, and launch a virtual summit from scratch.
And if you need more help, of course you can schedule a 1 on 1 call with me here.
A membership site is platform that has a private, members only area. A "premium membership site" then is one where someone has to pay to get access. Simple.
The key here is paying members.
You can get on something like FB, YouTube, or IG right now and start posting free content…but we want to monetize that content.
That's where the premium membership site comes in.
With a premium membership, you get paid to produce and upload content. Remember the yoga studio example I gave earlier? If you were to create your own, that might include daily yoga workout, maybe some weekly meditations or bonus posture clinics…maybe you bring in a guest instructor to interview that person, or include an online community element.
There are a thousand ways to create and run a membership site, hence why it's not my first recommendation…
…but because so many small businesses are built on a business model of selling time for money, typically in person, and often 1-to-1, or 1-to-many…well, a membership site can be a no brainer solution.
For more on running a membership site, listen to this in-depth interview with membership site expert Jen Lehner.
Clarity.fm is a website that connects experts with people with questions.
They have a very simple system that allows your clients to book calls with you. Your clients are charged by the minute.
That might sound strange, but it works out really well, in particular (for me at least) with initial consultation calls.
First and foremost, it helps me avoid tire-kickers. After all, if someone is serious about growing a 6 to 7-figure online business, they won't be turned off by a $5 / minute call. If you're not used to charging so much, start with something lower…but don't diminish your value!
Second, it's painless. You can hook up your own system with a hodgpodge of widgets, which I do have, and still use (mostly for blocks of consulting people can book via my Accelerator Coaching), but it's kinda nice to have a system that works well, and is simple.
So had to give it a shout out here.
Clarity.fm takes a few minutes to setup, and you can be sharing your page and book paid consulting calls in minutes flat.
This isn't quite like the other strategies I've shared, per se. More like a "feel free to overlay this on top of any of the above" type of strategy (or "create your own riff on it and go" type of thing).
Listen, right now, we're in a "crisis" (or at least "crisis-lite").
The fear you've probably felt is that it may get worse.
Everyone is aware of that.
You don't need to aggravate it, but you can be honest about where you're at, what you're doing, and why you're making your services PAY WHAT YOU WANT…
Because if you can make a compelling case for:
All of a sudden, pay what you want pricing starts to not just work, but make a lot of financial sense.
There's really too much to cover with this one, so best if I direct you to my completely FREE Pay What You Want ecourse:
And that wraps up 5 ways you can start making a predictable profit online in the next 21 days (with a bonus 6th strategy, because I couldn't help myself...you could implement PWYW pricing so easily right now, if you mean what you say and know what you're doing...so look into it!).
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions on things I missed but that are legit ways to make predictable income online, share below. Let's use this a space to share and support one another (you can even plug your own stuff, just don't be grabbler).
Stay frosty.
Tom "social distancing before it was cool" Morkes
p.s. if you liked this blog post, you'll love my book "The Art of Instigating" - the paperback costs less than a meal out that you can't have right now anyway. Click here to pick up your copy (and one for a friend) today!
Started, finished, and shipped on a mountain homestead, deep in the heart of the Rockies | Writing time: 12 hours | Soundtrack: silence (a trend!)
Whatever "social media" was intended to be, in the last few years it seems to have begun an inexorable decline into what it always had to become:
A 24/7, always-on, personalized fear machine.
All you have to do is look into the "black mirror" in your pocket, and you'll see what I mean.
How many scrolls, swipes, or taps does it take to find your first piece of bad news?
While writing this, I decided to run my own experiment.
I started by opening up a new browser (Firefox).
On the homepage, I'm greeted with Firefox's standard homepage settings: a search bar, as well as a list of articles they state are "Recommended by Pocket."
Pocket is a robot.
Here's what Pocket is recommending today:
Sorry Pocket, but after browsing your recommended reading list for the last minute, I think I'm going to need a cold shower, not a free fake farm so I can ignore my real farm.
And if you're thinking "but Tom, that's curated based on what you read. You're the culprit!"
…I opened the browser with a cleared cache, VPN'd, not connected to Pocket.
If I had been connected (signed in and synced up), and if I were playing the game they wanted me to play (engaging with their content; clicking, sharing, liking, whatever), the fear bait would only get more personalized.
But here's the thing:
Even if the fear gets more personalized, it doesn't get any more real.
I'm not saying the crazy rare disease didn't strike; or that the grandmother is just a narrative hook to generate more interest; or that some homes may, in fact, be doomed…
These things might be factual…
…but even if they are, they have no impact in or on your life beyond what you allow.
As in, you have to CONSENT to letting this information into your head, and you have to CONSENT to letting it affect your aim, your attitude, your work, or your life.
But if you don't give consent…if you ignore, delete, simply opt out…all of it vanishes, as if it never existed in the first place.
On the side mirrors of my car there's text that reads:
"Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."
The purpose is to help you avoid a deadly accident by reminding you that what you see…isn't exactly what you're seeing…and to adjust your behavior accordingly.
I think every device with a screen that can access the internet should have its own label:
"Objects on screen are not real and are intentionally designed to spike your cortisol levels."
Don't get caught in the fear trap. It's not real.
What's real is right in front of you; your friends, family, and loved ones, the people you serve, and the meaningful work you do, day in and day out.
Now that you know this, how will you show up?
Stay frosty,
Tom "thoughts" Morkes
p.s. this was originally going to be 3 reasons you should be excited for 2020, with reason #1 being that life is a lot better than it looks online…but I realize I gotta establish some foundational things before I move forward. My interest this year is in taking an ecological approach to marketing and sales, and I'll be using this newsletter to put out new ideas to better codify my thinking. Who knows, it might turn into my next book. Your feedback, questions, and insights are appreciated!! p.p.s. Recently, several people have asked me to help them launch products / set up affiliate marketing campaigns / create and implement referral programs for their brands, etc. Straight up - I don't do project bids. I also don't do 'initial consult' calls. If you want my help, you can book an Accelerator Coaching time block or Lightning Session right here.
Started, finished, and shipped from high up in the Rockies | Writing time: 5 hrs | Soundtrack: silence
In this blog post and corresponding video, you will learn how to grow your reach and increase your profit by selling books directly to your readers, fans, and followers via Facebook Messenger.
I sit down with Ciprian Soleriu, founder of manyreaders.com, to explore the utility of Facebook Messenger as a marketing and sales channel for authors and content creators. Ciprian and I break it down for you step by step, including:
We also discuss specific ways to organize your Facebook Messenger bot sequences and ways of structuring your Facebook Messenger bot messages via Manychat.
Is Facebook Messenger for you? Thinking about trying it out? Share your thoughts, questions, and comments below.
(If you're interested in seeing my complete Manychat Facebook Messenger bot sequence for new readers / visitors, leave a comment below. If I get enough interest I'll do a follow up video about how it's worked out for us.)
"The True Believer" is a book about mass movements that also happens to be a very useful blueprint for your marketing.
Written by Eric Hoffer and originally published in 1951, "The True Believer" makes a convincing case for the existence of "mass movements" - what they are, how they work, how they form, and their destructive capability, etc.
I can't speak to its applicability in a political capacity, but viewed through a behavioral psychology lens - e.g. why people do what they do - this book provides some useful insights into effective marketing. Specifically:
From this lens, "The True Believer" is a useful handbook for the modern marketer to better understand what motivates people to take action.
Below, I have extracted what I consider the most compelling marketing ideas from "The True Believer," and how you can apply these insights to your own marketing and sales efforts.
Obviously, my ideas are my own and not necessarily what the author intended. With that disclaimer out of the way, enjoy:
For even more insights into The True Believe and how it can improve your marketing, watch my video breakdown, where I analyze each marketing lesson in-depth:
And if you're more of a reader, here's a brief overview of the 7 marketing lessons from "The True Believer."
Obviously, the video goes way more in depth, but this should give you a good overview if you're in a hurry.
(sidenote: please leave a comment and share this article...I know, a strange interruption to the flow...but seriously, would love to hear from you, and sharing makes the world a better place. Thanks in advance!)
"There is in us a tendency to locate the shaping forces of our existence outside ourselves. Success and failure are unavoidably related in our minds with the state of things around us. Hence it is that people with a sense of fulfillment think it a good world and would like to conserve it as it is, while the frustrated favor radical change.”
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (p. 6). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
If you're marketing to people who are content, to people who like the world as it is and want to keep it the same, you're fighting a losing battle.
That's because a marketers role is not to change minds, but to influence the buying decision by creating and relieving tension (see Tip #4. "Demonstrate Irresistible Power" for more on this).
Your customers, and those who are about to buy from you, are frustrated.
They are seeking change and your promise of a solution is worth their investment.
They buy from you because you're helping them go from frustrated to content, and not the other way around.
But the only way this works is if you start from the right place:
Market to the frustrated, because they are the ones ready and willing to make a change (by buying your product, investing in your solution, etc).
"Our frustration is greater when we have much and want more than when we have nothing and want some. We are less dissatisfied when we lack many things than when we seem to lack but one thing."
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (pp. 29-30). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
"The Invisible Gorilla" is a study (and book by the same name) on visual perception.
You may have heard of this study because it did make the rounds on the internets at one point, but in summary:
A group of people were asked to watch this video and count how many times the basketball was passed between the passers in white shirts:
The majority of people undergoing this experiment counted the correct number of passes.
Only half saw the gorilla.
This is an experiment about "selective attention."
The gist of it is this: if you focus on something, you may miss information in the periphery.
But when you play it through, it becomes much more significant than this:
We humans can only see the things we're looking for. The rest is invisible to us.
There are a million problems we need solved.
A million jobs we need done, things to change or improve for the better.
But humans act hierarchically.
When you're dehydrated and dying of thirst, water is all you care about. Anything that is not water (or leading you to water) is either not seen or processed and quickly discarded. Water, therefore, is all you see.
But as we meet our basic hierarchy of needs (food, water, shelter)…then what?
What is the most pressing, most urgent problem your customer has right now?
There might be 100 problems...what takes priority number 1?
Focus on this.
While it may seem counter-intuitive, effective marketing requires amplifying the single, most aggravating pain of the customer, rather than trying to inflame all their various problems (because your customers literally can't see those problems until they've taken care of that which is most pressing).
"Where power is not joined with faith in the future, it is used mainly to ward off the new and preserve the status quo. On the other hand, extravagant hope, even when not backed by actual power, is likely to generate a most reckless daring…Those who would transform a nation or the world cannot do so by breeding and captaining discontent or by demonstrating the reasonableness and desirability of the intended changes or by coercing people into a new way of life. They must know how to kindle and fan an extravagant hope."
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (p. 9). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
Hope.
Certainty of a better future.
This is what gets people to move, to engage, and to make difficult changes.
Are you painting the picture of the better future, the BEST future, for your clients and customers?
Are you kindling and fanning a sense of extravagant hope for the future? Not only that your customers and clients CAN have what they want, but that they WILL have what they want?
Not just "maybe," but with certainty?
Here's the thing:
People will only believe you if you believe in yourself, if you're confident in the value you bring, and if you're certain of the results that will be achieved when someone invests in your solution.
So the first challenge is internal: do you believe in what you do?
Once you get to "yes" the next step is simple: tell the truth about what you do and why you do it.
No need to embellish or hyperbolize; just call it like you see it. Your passion and certainty will naturally seep into your message, which in turn will attract the right customers to you.
"For men to plunge headlong into an undertaking of vast change, they must be intensely discontented yet not destitute, and they must have the feeling that by the possession of some potent doctrine, infallible leader or some new technique they have access to a source of irresistible power."
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (p. 11). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
Seth Godin in "This is Marketing" says that marketers create and relieve tension.
They do this by contrasting what is with what could be. Once this tension is created, the only way to relieve it is by bridging the gap between the two points, which is exactly what your solution should do.
Here's how to create tension:
Step 1. Transcribe the potentially negative future into the present, with words and ideas that your readers, customers, and clients believe and understand.
Step 2. Tell the story of what COULD be, if a change were made…a specific change...an obvious change...a change that needs to be made now.
Step 3. Provide the painless path forward to bridge the gap, which should be by investing in your solution (aka: buy this and the best possible future is yours).
The most effective way to get from step 2 to step 3 is by demonstrating that you (and only you) possess the solution to their problems.
Or, as Hoffer puts it, that you have some "irresistible power" that only your customers can tap into.
To figure out your irresistible power, ask yourself:
"Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all unifying agents. It pulls and whirls the individual away from his own self, makes him oblivious of his weal and future, frees him of jealousies and self-seeking. He becomes an anonymous particle quivering with a craving to fuse and coalesce with his like into one flaming mass."
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (p. 91). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
Okay, so a little on the extreme side, but there is a lesson here:
Hate - extreme dislike or distaste - is a powerful motivator.
By establishing a common enemy, you can unite your customers, fans, and followers.
The quintessential marketing example of this is the Mac vs. PC ads of the early 2000's.
For reference, here's every single ad Apple ran in that series:
As you can see, identifying a common enemy doesn't require you to be angry or aggressive. It can be fun and lighthearted, while still allowing you to draw a line in the sand to unify your base (or tribe, or peeps, or gang, or whatever you want to call it).
And this is the primary benefit of creating a common enemy:
It helps people connect with others who are like them because they both "get it," which in turn builds community and brand loyalty.
And that is a very powerful, unifying force.
"Imitation is often a shortcut to a solution. We copy when we lack the inclination, the ability or the time to work out an independent solution. People in a hurry will imitate more readily than people at leisure. Hustling thus tends to produce uniformity. And in the deliberate fusing of individuals into a compact group, incessant action will play a considerable role."
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (p. 103). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
Couple thoughts on this one:
First, people imitate others because we're designed that way. While the author writes this with seeming disdain, there's nothing wrong with imitation itself. It is, in fact, how humans learn.
That's especially true if you're a coach, consultant, author, or educator - anyone packaging and selling information.
The most transformational programs often have some degree of modeling or imitation built in. That's because we learn by doing, and when you are doing something different from what you've done before, it helps to have a reference point (or even better: a guide who can show you the way).
Second thought:
If you're trying to grow a community or catalyze a group into action, get them to take small action, consistently.
These could be actions for them to take to implement your solution (e.g. post your homework to lesson 1 in the forum), or they could be actions to help spread the word to others (whether it's sharing an article, writing a review, referring a new potential customer or client, etc.).
Keeping your students, customers, clients, fans, or followers engaged with meaningful activity that moves them toward their goals is an effective way to build comradery and group cohesion.
"The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new; nor can it keep people persuaded once they have ceased to believe. It penetrates only into minds already open, and rather than instill opinion it articulates and justifies opinions already present in the minds of its recipients. The gifted propagandist brings to a boil ideas and passions already simmering in the minds of his hearers. He echoes their innermost feelings. Where opinion is not coerced, people can be made to believe only in what they already 'know.'"
Hoffer, Eric. The True Believer (Perennial Classics) (p. 105). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition
Propaganda reference aside, the truth is that the most persuasive marketing is that which supports and reinforces beliefs, not that which seeks to destroy and overwrite them.
The effective marketer focuses on the person who already knows he has a problem, because if he knows he has a problem, then he'll have a reason "why."
And you can use this "why" to amplify and relieve tension (see Tip #2. "Aggravate One Pain" above for more on this).
I call this marketing to people who get the joke.
When you market to people who get the joke, you don't have to waste time trying to make a case for why someone should listen to you.
They're already listening.
These are the people who will understand the pain you're describing, which builds trust (you're speaking their language).
And they're the people who are most likely to act because they understand their situation and they know it can be improved. This increases the likelihood of a purchase, because its much simpler to reinforce an existing belief and then lead into your offer, then it is to convince someone that what they believe is wrong (then, somehow, get them to buy your solution).
Finally, marketing to people who get the joke makes it much easier to write sales copy, to effectively showcase features and their benefits, and to introduce case studies and testimonials in a meaningful way.
And all of this taken together means more sales.
So those are my 7 marketing insights gleaned from "The True Believer."
Which marketing lesson was most surprising or useful to you? Share below!
If entrepreneurship is the process by which value is created where less (or none) existed before, then the entrepreneur is the person who initiates and leads this value-creation process.
Here's how it works:
When new value is created, the customer receives some portion of this value. It could be faster speeds. More storage. An improved or refined UI/UX. You get the point.
At the same time, the entrepreneur typically captures a small piece of this newly created value. This is called profit.
This profit allows the operation to support itself while it continues to grow (so it can continue to provide more value to more people).
What this boils down to is this:
Entrepreneurship is an extraction process.
For instance, the extraction of physical commodities like oil and natural gas, or the cultivation and extraction of food, water, and shelter. These things, once extracted, can then be distributed to people who need or want them.
Most people think of these sorts of activities when they contemplate entrepreneurship because these are obvious areas where entrepreneurs can make a positive impact.
However, if you stop here, you miss the full scope and power of the "entrepreneurial approach."
The extraction process also applies to non-tangibles, such as information. Because systems and processes are critical for growth, the success of any venture depends on the person who can extract and implement the best ideas.
Here's why this is important:
It means you don't have to be a founder or CEO to be an entrepreneur. Thinking otherwise is a short-sighted, and self-defeating worldview (which is as true for the employee as it is for the employer).
Everyone, from the newest higher to the 20 year veteran, can think and act like an entrepreneur for his company, team, or project. These are the type of people you might call linchpins.
Cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset, then, is a critical task for all organizations, big and small.
And that's exactly why GE invited me to their premiere leadership event of the year to help teach their most promising executives and managers how to cultivate entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset in their employees.
We did this by assembling a panel of proven entrepreneurs who have succeeded across a wide range of domains and industries. I then extracted their best insights on business, marketing, creativity, and leadership during a live panel interview.
The full training is below.
Megan Reamer is the co-founder and CEO of Jackson's Honest, a healthy foods company. Jackson's Honest makes potato chips, tortilla chips and grain free puffs all cooked in organic coconut oil.
Megan and her husband Scott started Jackson's Honest as a way to share their son Jackson's story and the delicious snack foods they made for him.
They've since had their products featured on the the shelves of Whole Foods all around the country and have impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.
Patrick Vlaskovits is an entrepreneur and 2 time New York Times bestselling author. His writing has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal, and he speaks at technology conferences worldwide.
Patrick is founder and CEO of Superpowered Inc, a TechStars funded startup that is the leading interactive audio development platform for desktop, mobile, IoT and embedded devices.
Bret Boyd is the CEO of Knoema, a software platform for data access and discovery. At Knoema, Bret and his team build tools to help public and private-sector organizations make better decisions with data.
Bret began his career as an infantry officer in the US Army. Bret has published numerous articles on technology, strategy, and change management and is the coauthor of "Catalyst: Leadership and Strategy in a Changing World."
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I'm building a new closet in our house:
It doesn't look like much, but it's coming together, believe me.
When I started, I didn't really know what tools I needed to get the job done; I just used what I had (the hands of a man, the heart of a lion).
It wasn't until I started putting the pieces of the puzzle together that I realized I needed something better than sand paper to remove entire lengths of board to get them to fit together.
So I searched online to see if someone else had my woes...after several searches, it turned out there are tools out there that can help with getting wood lined up correctly in seconds (instead of in hours, by hand).
So I bought this thing called a planer and it ended up being a win-win:
The company that makes the planer wins (they got the sale), and I win (this tool will help me do a job better, faster, etc.)
But here's the thing:
If you had asked me a week ago if I needed a planer, I would have said no. In fact, I'd have no idea what you were even talking about.
If you tried to make the case that I will need this thing at some point down the line, it wouldn't work. I would have ignored you until I came to the point where I recognized the need for myself.
Once I understood my own need (aka: I got the joke), then I could properly process what sort of offer was in front of me. No marketing attempt made before I got the joke would have worked.
So you want to get more sales? And you want more people buying from you?
Learn to market and sell only to people who get the joke.
I'll show you how to think about marketing so you get more customers buying now, instead of later, in this video:
(p.s. subscribe to my youtube channel here)
What we cover in this video:
Things I mention in the video:
What are you selling and to whom? What’s the joke that they get that others don’t?(i.e. the reason people buy from you, and not someone else)
Share below!
Did you know that half of all internet traffic is fake?
True story:
According to research conducted and compiled by HostingFacts, 51.8% of all internet traffic comes from bots.
In other words, every other person who visits your blog, lead magnet, or sales page is very likely a bot (and totally fake).
Have you ever wondered why you get such dismal results from activities like posting on social media?
Because fake people don't buy things.
So here's a better strategy:
Target REAL PEOPLE who have actually BOUGHT REAL THINGS before, and then get your offer (book, product, course, software, whatever) in front of them.
I'll show you how in this mind-melting new training video:
(p.s. subscribe to my youtube channel here)
What we cover in this video:
Things I mention in the video:
This is part 2 of my series on the long tail. Click here to watch part 1:
"The Long Tail: the secret to making a profit from digital products over the next decade"
What’s your topic / niche / subject? Where can you "slide in"?
Share below!
Roland Frasier is co-founder and principal of three current Inc. Magazine fastest growing companies. He has founded, scaled or sold 24 different 7 to 9 figure businesses ranging from consumer products to industrial machine manufacturing companies with adjusted sales ranging from $3 million to $337 million. He is currently growing DigitalMarketer, RivalBrands, and Plattr while advising over 150 other companies on digitally-centric customer acquisition, activation, referral, retention, and revenue strategies and plan implementation.
I brought Roland onto the show today to talk about strategy and thought process; specifically, how he thinks about business and the problem he's had to solve, at various levels of resolution. My big takeaway from this call is that each of us probably has all the information, facts, and "data" we need to make big things happen. We just have to get out there and get our hands dirty. Stop searching for the latest "hack" and instead implement (and really get after it when you do).
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