Breakthrough Advertising: Making the Principles Accessible

Our guest on the 324th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is Brian Kurtz. His 3rd appearance on the show is a good indicator that there’s no lack of what Brian is able to share with our audience. From gaining rights to one of the most notable books in advertising history to teaching copywriters how to be better marketers, this a conversation you won’t want to miss. Here’s what we cover: What Brian learned from having a near-fatal stroke at the same time as a book launch. Why he decided to launch a mastermind. Gaining rights to Breakthrough Advertising and selling over 10,000 copies. Is Brian a copywriter in secret? How he makes the principles inside Breakthrough Advertising doable. Can a book from the 60s still apply to today’s marketing arena? Creating upsells and bonuses for added value to customers. Is it a good idea to write a book? The reality of book launches. How to get better at relationship building. Why Brian hates the word “networking.” Giving more than you get – is it worth it? Press play or read the transcript below. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Join The Copywriter Accelerator The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Brian's website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM Kim's website Episode 22 Episode 219 Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  If you've been a copywriter for more than a few days, you've almost certainly been advised to read Eugene Schwartz's book, Breakthrough Advertising. It's listed on almost every list of the best copywriting books that I've ever seen, and it's true, this book is a must-read, but it's probably not the first book that you should read about copywriting, or marketing. It's a bit of a hard book to read, and the concepts are a little bit challenging. Our guest for this episode of The Copywriter Club podcast is Brian Kurtz, who along with Eugene Schwartz's wife, makes that book, Breakthrough Advertising, available to the world. He has recently created a companion volume called Breakthrough Advertising Mastery, that makes Schwartz's book even more accessible for anyone who has struggled with the concepts that he lays out in the book. So, we talked to Brian about that book, what he's been up to since we last spoke about a year and a half ago, and it's always great to connect with him. We think you're going to like this interview. But, before we get to our interview with Brian, I want to introduce my co-host this week. She's our friend and A-list copywriter, Kim Krause Schwalm. Welcome back to the show, Kim. Kim Krause Schwalm:  Oh, it's great to be here. Rob Marsh:  Yeah, I'm excited for this. You've been on the show a couple of times. We'll share those episodes at the end, so we make sure everybody can come back and listen to it. You've also spoken at TCC IRL a couple of times. Kim Krause Schwalm:  Three or four times. Yeah. Rob Marsh:  Yeah. You've been an awesome friend to The Copywriter Club, and just getting your ideas and feedback on the show. I'm really looking forward to it. Kim Krause Schwalm:  I am too. Thanks. It's weird to be in this role on the podcast, but I am excited. As soon as you said, "Brian Kurtz." He is somebody that I have so much respect for. I've known him for many years, and so yeah, I'm happy to be here, and hopefully I can add some value as well. Rob Marsh:  Yeah. Knowing how close you and Brian are, it was just a no-brainer to have you come and share some ideas. So, thank you for that. So, before we jump into the interview, let me just take a moment to remind you that this episode of The Copywriter Club podcast is sponsored by the Copywriter Accelerator. It's not a course, it's a five month long mentoring program, where we follow the Acceleration Formula,