SFR 121: Personal Vs Impersonal Knowledge

Why learning from my podcast is LESSER than learning from ME…

What's going on everyone? This is Steve Larsen and you're listening to Sales Funnel Radio.

I've spent the last four years learning from the most brilliant marketers today, and now I've left my nine to five to take the plunge and build my million dollar business. The real question is how will I do it without VC funding or debt completely from scratch? This podcast is here to give you the answer. Join me and follow along as I learn, apply, and share marketing strategies to grow my online business using only today's best internet sales funnels. My name is Steve Larsen and welcome to Sales Funnel Radio.

What's up guys? I got a really cool episode for you guys here today. It is a crazy week, which means it's a normal week. There's a lot going on though. I mean we are in the pre-funnel hacking live stage and there's a lot to prepare for and a lot to go through. This week I am automating pieces of my webinar still, there's a whole bunch of assets I got to get to my traffic driver who I will interview here shortly for you guys so you can learn from her because she's amazing.

All the flash drives I told you guys if you run up to me and say the magic word, which you have no idea what I'm talking about go back and listen to a few episodes ago, or actually I think it was last episode. Anyway, there's paying bills, I got to build an affiliate program, which I'm very pumped about for my program. I figured out a cool model where I can buy people an iMac, like those brand new ones that are $5,000...

Anyway, we've got a cool affiliate program we put together, which is very, very awesome. Maybe I should tell you how I did that as well. Then I'm actually building out this really cool members area. I've been building out a lot of live funnels lately. One of the reasons why is because I was the lead funnel of their click funnels guys. I built almost one funnel a day. Literally that's what the numbers were.

Almost one funnel a day was the average, which is crazy. The last few months of me being solo I have build one funnel, you know what I mean, there's only been one, I guess two, there's been two revenue funnels. There's been a few management funnels, but my entire focus is just on one single sales funnel, my webinar one. It's been a little bit weird to go back and think through oh my gosh, I almost have the itch. I got to build something oh my gosh. It's been weird, I've shaved my focus down to just having this one funnel, and really, really enjoyed it though.

I'm really, really excited though for this. There's a lot going on and I'm excited to get you guys in the loop. I got one really, really cool announcement and I want to tell you why I'm excited about it.

Gosh, I'm joining Inner Circle, Russell's Inner Circle, and some of you guys might be like, "Oh my gosh, Steven you vox him almost daily, why, why would you do that?" The reason why is because I'm coaching now. Does that make sense? I'm coaching now. When you have a coach and if they're not being coached also you're getting cut short. Does that make sense? I'm getting coached, which means I will continue to be a good coach. Does that make sense?

That's the reason why I'm so excited guys.
I've told this story before, but I remember I wanted so badly, so badly to join Russell's Inner Circle. This was like three years ago, yes about three years ago now, and click funnels had just barely been out for just a little bit here and Russell sends this email out, and he says, "Hey, just wanted you to know that there's only a few spots left in my coaching program," and I remember I stopped dead in my tracks. I was on campus, I was in college and I stopped dead in my tracks. I was in the basketball stadium and I was walking through, passing through, going through some class I had or to the gym or something like that, I can't remember.

Anyway, I remember I stopped right there and I replied to the email. I don't think he read it of course, that's fine, but I replied to the email and I was like, "Hey, crap, no, don't shut it down, I want to get in this. I don't have the cash for that kind of thing yet."

The first year of marriage together my wife and I we only made $18,000 our first year of marriage. That's is $18,000, and most of it I think was loans. We were poor, poor. Guys I've been there, which is why I get so passionate about this when I see someone. I'm like, "I know you're close, I see you. I see your scenario. You are so close to this, just do it." I went through and I replied to the email. I said, "No, stop, wait."

I was like some day I'm going to join that. I had no idea that four months later I was going to be working for him in the capacity that I was. I was already moving, I was already in motion. I already had a little funnel building agency. I was building funnels for other people, other businesses, and it went really, really well. I've told that before, but the reason why is because here's what happened.

This is one of the most powerful lessons I feel like I could ever teach somebody is this right here. Is that there is a huge difference between personal and impersonal knowledge. Impersonal knowledge and personal knowledge are very, very different. They come at different values, they come at different weights, they hit harder. It was like Stephen, what's the difference between personal and impersonal knowledge? Well here you go. I get hired. I go and I'm sitting next to the man and I'm freaking out. I think I was mute. I literally did not say anything for the first two months I worked there because I was like I'm literally an arms length away from this guy who's already changed my life and now it's going to keep changing because my proximity is literally two feet from him. I could put my arm back and scratch his back, literally right there.

I was like oh my gosh. I had clearly understood the extremely rare opportunity that that was to do that...

I was sitting there next to him and for the first little while I would just sit and I was building funnels like crazy obviously, building whatever you needed to and just cranking stuff out. The deadline for getting things done was always that it needed to be done a day before whatever the day currently was. We were just hauling balls, we're just getting stuff done, it was tons of fun. As time went on and I started telling him like, "Hey, I got this podcast that I've started called Sales Funnel Radio." He'd be like, "Oh cool." Then he'd start giving some advice. I was like oh cool, "I'll totally go do it that way." Then I'd be, "Hey, I built this funnel" just kind of in passing and talk to him and he'd be like, "Oh that's awesome. Make sure you do this, this, and this." I'm like, "All right, cool. Yes I already done the X, Y, and Z. I added these things in." He's like, "Whoa, that's pretty cool."

Then in passing or sitting next to him again and building stuff out. He'd be like, "Hey, how about one, two, and three?" I'm like, "Whoa, how about A, B, and C?" Was I learning that from a book? No, no I wasn't. It was extremely tailored knowledge to whatever scenario I was currently in. There's a huge difference between person and impersonal knowledge, it is a very common thing now for me when I go to an event for someone to walk up and be like ... So many people have said this to me now.

"Stephen I've listened to all of your podcasts, I feel like I know you. I've spent tons of hours just listening to the stuff you said, your stories." I'll be like, "Wow." I forget I've told literally every aspect of my life on this podcast.

I remember the same feeling. I saw Russell and I was like, "Man, I feel like I know you. I've consumed all of your stuff." The first time I ever met him, at that first Funnel Hacking Live that I ever went to. "I feel like I know you." You still don't though, you know what I mean. That's impersonal knowledge, and the difference is massive. Personal knowledge, in order for something to be qualified as personal knowledge I must get personal with you. Does that make sense?

Meaning one on one. Russell shared a lot of personal knowledge with me. I'm not saying private stuff. What I'm saying is he would get ... It's personal knowledge to me. Where he would sit down and he would say something or disclose something or something about his life and now we're in the personal knowledge zone.
When you get into that zone the knowledge is deeper, the knowledge sticks harder, and it is far, far, far faster.

My progression is far faster when you get into that zone. It's one of the major reasons why the guru on the mountain is such an important principle. If you don't know what I'm talking about the guru on the mountain is the principle that as someone becomes more of an expert in their field they must charge more for people to get closer to them.

Which is weird, it feels weird, especially for the expert. A lot of times that's a weird phase to start getting into, but the reason why is because it there ends up being so many questions and so many people asking questions, there has to be some kind of system to sort out who gets the guru's attention, who gets the experts attention.

It's very, very fascinating. Understanding what this whole personal knowledge and impersonal knowledge thing. Impersonal knowledge yes, while it is fantastic, yes it is the starting place. You get it from the books, you get it from the podcast, whoever you're listening to, you're consuming from, it's still impersonal. You are seeking personal knowledge because of the speed that it gives you, the progression that it gives you. I was already hauling, I was going so fast, barely sleeping for years before I met Russell personally.

I felt like I knew him beforehand, however I didn't, not personally. Then when I sit down and I start talking with him and he and I start sharing aspects about our life, in order for something to get personal I must share something, I must deliver and expose myself in some aspect of my life to the other individual. When that happens there is a bond that happens between whoever it is that you're doing that with. What's cool about that is that knowledge transfers very, very, very intimately where you can take it and run at a much faster pace.

Is this making sense? This is a very, very, very big deal. You should seek to get that kind of knowledge and that's the reason why you should pay to get closer to the guru on the mountain. It's the reason why I'm joining Russell's Inner Circle, it's the reason that I am coaching now also right, which I told you guys about that. I'm not pitching you, I'm telling you that this is the reason, one of the reasons why I'm doing it is because those people who join, which thank you, what's up guys? I'm very, very excited.

Those people who joined, those people that joined they're going to get from me personal knowledge. Because of that I know that I can help them be successful with it. It's like when somebody comes up and they're like, well what's the package you're going to get? What about this?

What about this? What about this? Where are you going to get this, this, this, this? They start checking the boxes, things like that. It's not a check the box thing.
One of the talents, one of the coolest talents you can ever develop is the ability to sit and listen to another individual and be actually listening. Don't be thinking about the next thing you're going to say. Sit and actually listening, and when they're done speaking be like, "You know what, I would do this."

You give a piece of advice to another individual. That takes a certain kind of talent and you must have a certain amount of finesse and experience inside of your field in order to actually be able to pull that off. That's all I've done for the last year, over a year now as a Two Comma Club coach every Friday for hours. Then on stage, and then on the podcast, and all the other places, and that's the reason I do it is because I'm trying to develop that skill on purpose.

Finally when I feel like I got to a point where yes, I've done this enough times, I can have my own little coaching thing. I want to deliver personal knowledge. Have you ever noticed how interesting it is when someone actually gets inside of an inner circle program or they get close to a guru or whatever, they seem to accelerate like crazy. You know what's fascinating? At the core of it they're getting the same information that you are impersonally. What's the difference? It's personal knowledge. It's personal knowledge, that's the difference.

I hope that I'm hitting this on the head and that it's not weird or confusing. I hope that what I'm trying to say ... There's an X factor. I love the book Leadership and Self-Deception. This is another reason why impersonal knowledge either does or does not get transferred when you're with individuals. Have you ever hung around somebody and at the end of them, when they walk away you're like oh man, that conversation was a little bit fake?

You know what I mean? I had an experience very recently, it was actually last week. I was speaking to somebody and the person was just fake, very not themselves, and people can see that. They can see straight through it. If you're being true to yourself, if you're being true to your own ... You have to be true to yourself to actually transfer personal knowledge. You should seek to be able to get that intimate as far as being able to help another individual in the form of knowledge transfer. Not all knowledge is created equal, it's not, the faster knowledge.

Classic story, classic story right. One of Russell's Inner Circle people they didn't have the cash, well they had the cash but it was their last $25,000 and he went and he paid this $25,000 and kind of gave everything to get in there. He immediately was able to have very, very fast success because of the proximity to the other people that he's around, be able to take on that form on knowledge. What is it? You can either buy your way in or you can work your way in. What am I trying to say here? I'm trying to say that when you decide to actually go get coaching from somebody number one, make sure they know what they're freaking talking about.

Don't just go get it from someone who's just a little bit further down the path. For products I feel like that works really, really well, but you should seek to learn from the people who know what they're doing and have a crap ton of experience doing it, which is why I offer the funnel coaching.

Besides Russell I don't know another person who's built as many funnels as I have. That's not conceited, that's true. I just don't, you know what I mean? That's the reason why I'm like, "Hey, if you want to learn how to build some sweet funnels I got you." You know what I mean? At the core of it a funnel is an offer. We got to build offers. Funnels are just manifestations of the offer. That's all it is. Anyway, so what I want to do is that this great book, Leadership and Self-Deception. Really, really enjoyed this book. If you never read it it's absolutely fantastic. The first third of the book alone I feel like is the major core lesson.

Anyway, there's a realness that the guru must have to be able to transfer that kind of knowledge to another person. It starts with this whole notion of being able to be true to themselves, like I was just saying. What I want to do real quick is I wanted to read a few different passages here from this book.

This is a fantastic book. I actually really, really enjoy this book. I have marked it to death. My style for reading books guys, just so you know, is every time I read a book if there's a page where it's like man, that was really, really good I will fold the bottom corner of it so that I can pick the book back up later. I read this book I don't know how many years ago, but I've got all these corners folded down in the bottom of the book and that's when I can go look at the highlights again and be like oh yeah, that's what that was.

The scenario that this book is talking about, the first little bit. This is a scenario I've been in and I can't tell that I've actually made the right decision every time. Where the scenario of the story, the book is telling a story and the story is that there's a young couple and the couple they have a kid, and the kid in the middle of the night, everyone is sleeping in the middle of the night, the kid starts crying.

The dad kind of wakes up and acts like he doesn't hear it. Other dads what's up? How are you doing? I've done it too and he acts like he hasn't heard it. It's a brand new infant. I can't even feed the kid, I'll let her take care of it. I regret to say that I've done that before, we've all done things like that before.

If I was face to face with you right now and I just said that that would be personal knowledge, but because it is a one to many styled messaged, sales message that's good to get to a one to many sales message. One to many as far as knowledge transfer that's not personal knowledge. If I said that to you one on one and I went into a little more detail we would now be in the personal zone and anything I said about funnels, or helping you later on, or whatever, that actually will affect your actual life.

That's why you seek to get into the personal knowledge zone with your guru, with whoever the expert is that you're following. Pay them whatever they're asking. There was somebody who was trying to negotiate. Guys negotiating price, price is not real. There's no such thing as price.

As far as getting close to somebody else when they're like, "Hey, why don't you come along," and why don't you come in and be like, "Hey, why don't you come along and do my coaching program?" "Hey, would you do it for this amount?" It's like, "No, you're missing the whole point." It's not about price, it's about value, it's completely different. Anyway, different side rant there.

In the story of this book, in this book itself ... I'm kind of all over the place right now but hopefully that's okay. Just follow along with me. In this book this young couple no one's gotten the kid yet. The other one is sitting there thinking, "Hey maybe they'll get it. Maybe they'll get the kid. Maybe they'll get the kid." When you do not act true to yourself what you do is commit self-betrayal. Here's self-betrayal, this is what self-betrayal is. It actually defines it in the book Leadership and Self-Deception, self-deception. The first thing you should do is self-betrayal, it's one of the first things that you learn in this book. When you see your ability to help another individual and the opportunity to do so, and you do not it is an act of self-betrayal. It literally says an act contrary to what I feel I should do for another. An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another.

What ends up happening when you commit acts of self-betrayal is this. He says, "When I betray myself I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal." That make sense? This is the theory of cognitive dissonance applied to self-betrayal. I'm getting way too deep on this episode. I hope that's okay, but let me wrap it all up here. I'm going to come full circle so that you guys understand what I'm trying to say here. When I betray myself I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal.

Then when I see the world in a self-justifying way my view of reality becomes distorted. Does that make sense? If you are learning from somebody who cannot get to the personal stage with you, who cannot share of themselves, you will not get to the personal knowledge zone, which is the knowledge speedway. It's like the knowledge fast track. It's one of the major reasons why Russell's fun to learn from.

How many stories does he tell about himself? How many stories do I tell about myself? When you are not willing to tell stories about yourself, whether it be slightly embarrassing or not, it doesn't matter. Are they true? Is the story true? I told you guys that story about me dancing around on stage for a little bit and I squatted down, I totally ripped my pants straight down my butt. I told you that. I told you that story for a reason. I am trying to practice being completely bare with the world. I'm trying to practice being completely open because when we speak face to face we will have gotten past all the pleasantries of society. How you doing? Good. How's your day? Awesome. What you been doing? This. Want to get past that crap. Let's get to the real stuff.

What is it you actually want to get to? When you get to the personal knowledge zone with an individual and you cannot do it with somebody who is in the act of self-betrayal, which means when they see that they are able to help you they must ... I'm very excited here guys because in two hours I go live with my new coaching students. In two hours I go live with them. I love doing this. I do this every Friday.

I've been doing it every Friday, 52 times. I went for four straight hours every single week for six months non-stop, no break with hundreds of students, diving deep with them into their business, getting personal, trying to transfer as much of the how-to knowledge as I can. That's the whole point of this episode I'm trying to make guys is that you must seek to get into the personal knowledge zone with the expert. Number two, that person and you cannot get to that if they are in the act of self-betrayal. You get to an act of self-betrayal by not helping somebody when you know you could.'

For that reason in two hours when I go live with these new students that I've just taken on, I must first of all I must get vulnerable. I'm going to teach a little while before I actually start talking to any of them and actually coaching them on their businesses. I must get vulnerable, and as I get to that vulnerable stage they will do the same with me, and when they get vulnerable and not try and posture themselves and act like they're farther than they are, or act like I'm farther than I am, and when we get vulnerable we get to this spot where we can help each other as we are, not as we want to be seen. When that happens we will get to that personal knowledge zone which is the information fast track. I am completely aware that I had this massive catalyst and giant caffeine boost to my progression by sitting next to Russell. I know that. I'm not naïve of it, I know it. I'm completely aware of it.
Someone once was like, "Well you had this completely massive advantage by sitting next to him." Yes, I worked my butt off to get there, I know that. I'm completely aware of it. I'm not going to act like that's not true, but it's because of my willingness to be vulnerable and his willingness to be vulnerable as well about where we are and our ability to actually help other people. The other individual will not allow themselves to be helped if they will not be vulnerable. Does that make sense?

This is like a deep episode guys. I just hope that you understand that. That's one of those frustrating aspects for me. It's like the weirdest sixth sense and sad thing, talent development to see when people are not in that.

There's a lot of times I've been on stage and I'll be standing there and I can tell the person's trying to posture. I understand there is an element to that. This is show business. There is an element, but you have got to not posture. I am begging you. When you get to Funnel Hacking Live that you be you, you do not posture, you do not act like you are farther than you are, but you are so charged, bright eyed and bushy tailed, just ready to take on the world. That attitude alone will get you father along than not knowing the next step. Does that make sense? I hope this is making sense. It's kind of a different kind of episode and I just wanted to get a little bit, I don't know if philosophical is the word for it, but it's just the pattern that I've noticed.

Impersonal knowledge is good. Impersonal knowledge is good. It kind of sets the foundation and ground works so that when you actually get to meeting face to face with whoever the expert is you're trying to follow, you can get to the vulnerable stage because there's a ground work already. It does speed up the progression a lot. Then when you actually get to face to face and you actually start talking ... Anyway, it's very, very fascinating when you allow yourselves ... This is the definition of allowing yourself to be coachable. Does that make sense? When you are not in the act of self-betrayal.

It's always funny, there was several masterminds that I've participated in. There's one or two masterminds I've been in though where I can tell some of the people in the room they really, really, really, really, really want everyone else to know that they're cool. It's like we get it, all right you're cool, I get it.

If you just check your freaking pride at the door and be like, "Look, here are where my weaknesses are." You enter this zone, especially when the guru is also in a personal knowledge scenario and everyone has said I'm going to come as I am, let's all come as we are, and we get to this certain spot, oh my gosh there's magic that happens in those rooms guys. I mean that's what I crave. I've been a part of that many, many times. That's the reason I'm joining Russell's Inner Circle for real.

I told him, I was like, "Dude, if you're cool with it man," I hope he's okay I'm sharing this. This is me getting personal. I said, "Dude, if you're cool with it don't give me any kudos, don't give me any handouts. I want to pay full price. I want to pay full price to join your Inner Circle." I'm already talking to him like crazy still, so why would you do that Stephen? I am honoring the system. I am not asking for a discount.

I am respecting the zone that he has always lived in, the personal zone, he is that way with all of us. If you watch really what an attractive character is, if you look at the book Expert Secrets and it says develop an attractive character, a charismatic leader, you must get good at this if that's his thing. You must get good at being vulnerable. Stop caring how people see you. They're already seeing you as you are.

If you're real with yourself about it, you stop the acts of self-betrayal and you get to these cool zones, it's like magic in those rooms. I absolutely love it and I crave it. It's very hard to get to those zones with people. The Army is the only place I've ever had the kind of brotherhood with another group that I've ever had ever. You know what I mean? The amount of trust and the reason why, one of the reasons why is because we get personal with each other. Meaning we get to the personal knowledge zone. You're sitting around, you've been through some crap for the past little bit, whatever it is.

Doesn't mean you have to be suiting around or whatever. You know what I mean? There was a time we ran out of food for a while. We're all just sitting there like I lost 15 pounds I did not have to lose. When you're crawling around with those people and it's physically very challenging and demanding, there's a bomb that happens, and a trust that happens when you're shooting live rounds over each other's heads with the trust that the other person's not going to hit you. You know what I mean?

It's a huge deal. That kind of brotherhood, the only other time, the only other time I have felt that close to a group of people is inside masterminds where everyone drops the crap, is real where they are, they get to the personal knowledge zone, they're not in acts of self-betrayal, everyone is giving without the intent to receive back, they're giving answers, they're giving their networks, they're giving their resources, they're giving their advice, they're giving their experiences, the lessons, the shortcuts. It's funny guys, the people who say the more in coaching programs are the ones who always make more, they always do. For whatever reason it's honoring the system, whatever that is.

Anyway, it's a long episode guys and I hope that it makes sense and I know I kind of ranted and kind of rambled just a little bit, but I hope that you get kind of the picture of what I'm trying to paint here. If you are willing to get to one of those zones you, first of all will actually become coachable. I'm so excited you guys. I'm starting to get really, really pumped for the group that I've got coming in in two hours here. I've tried to preface the group.

I'm going to dive deep with them in each one of their businesses, whether or not they have a funnel. If they have a funnel we'll critique it, if they don't we'll figure out the plan they need to go build. Then I'll give them a whole bunch of assets, whatever ones that are applicable to the scenario to help jump start them, but it's not going to work unless I come to them as I am and as long as they also show up as they are as well, and we're all just teachable, trainable, and honest with our scenarios.

Doesn't mean don't be confident. Doesn't mean you got to crawl into the room on your hands and knees and be like, "Oh Mr. Humble," that's not what I'm saying at all. Just in your attitude of being able to be teachable and coachable. All right guys, that's it. Sorry for the long episode there but I hope that made sense and I will see you guys at Funnel Hacking Live. Please arrive coachable. Talk to you later.

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