Learn 7 essential moves to thrive in the looming tough economy, including recognizing the season, checking business basics, gathering assets, offering premium services, being essential to clients, seeing opportunities in adversity, and guarding your mind from negativity. Get valuable tips on business survival and growth post-pandemic, focusing on metrics, assets, premium clients, and maintaining a positive mindset.

I want to talk to you about the incredible power of writing. The power of storytelling. And how it can help you connect with your divine purpose. Yes, even if the writing you do is marketing or sales copy. That’s the subject of this week’s podcast episode. In the podcast, I propose the idea that we writers are, in a sense, prophets. And as prophets, we are tasked with spreading a message of love, hope, and purpose to the world … through our work. I know it’s a little “out there” - but it’s short. Books that inspired me to become a writer (a storyteller) Writers create Worlds We should transport our readers, viewers, and listeners to somewhere good I literally copied people's work...but not to steal - to learn Regardless of the business you're in, you're telling a story Writing is not a job...it's a noble calling Whatever you're writing, do it as an act of devotion Your words have power Transcript and Video https://www.rayedwards.com/658 How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.

Let me preface this by acknowledging that most people (myself included) cannot instantly, and completely "disconnect" for two weeks. In my case, I had a full two years of notice, and it still wasn't easy. ​ ​Back in 2022, my wife and I decided to actually take the trip we'd been talking about taking for decades: A trip to the Netherlands. We purchased a non-refundable, non-transferable, two-week package for the two of us. I was committed. No turning back.  ​ ​Like any driven entrepreneur, I had concerns about how well my business would run without me. 14 days of being off-the-radar...How could I possibly plan for every scenario? How could I deal with all of the "what if's" that were consuming my thoughts? Short answer...I couldn't. I had to trust that my business, my team, and my normal life, would all be waiting for me when I returned. And, guess what...I'm back, everything is intact, and I am much improved. ​ ​I (and probably you, to some degree) have an addiction to staying connected. For the first week of our trip, I had to stifle my little bouts of anxiety until I could completely let go, and be fully present with my wife, her family, the amazing people I met, and my unusual surroundings. My memories of this adventure are clear – unclouded by "doom scrolling", work check-ins, and phone calls.  ​ This internet-free clarity allowed me to jot down a few observations that I thought were worthy of sharing. That's what I have for you on this week's episode. 5 Things I Learned After Being Unplugged For 14 Days ​Endless striving does not produce more freedom - It produces more bondage ​The best, intentional marketing campaign is simply to help people ​The best way to get a bigger vision of the world is to "get out in it" ​Recreation re-creates us ​Writers will save the world Transcript of this Episode rayedwards.com/657 Listen to get the complete breakdown of each of these observations. I'll be back next week with another fresh episode. How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.

This week's episode is Part 3 of my Writer's Rewind Series, and it's all about why your copy isn't performing the way you think it should. There's a reason it isn't converting, and most likely, it's one (or more) of the 5 reasons I'm about to give you. ​ Listen to learn what they are, and how to fix them. 5 Reasons Your Copy Is Failing Failure to understand the "P" in the P.A.S.T.O.R. Framework Not doing enough research Not dealing with competing solutions Your not getting the offer right Not enough editing, revising and rewriting your copy Transcript of This Episode: https://www.rayedwards.com/656 How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes 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 on this show. We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there. Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.

This is part 2 of the "Writer's Rewind" series. I'm devoting this month to covering some of the fundamentals of great copy, and in the case of this week's episode, why copy itself is so fundamentally important to the success of your business, regardless of what that business is. ​ ​This episode was originally released almost a decade ago (the day I celebrated my 50th birthday). I must admit, I was pleased that none of this content is "outdated". All the reasons I gave  to support my claim are no less true today than they were then.  Five Reasons Why Copywriting is the Most Important Skill For Any Business ​ It costs nothing, but returns can be huge ​It can generate instant cash infusions ​Copy builds stabilized income streams ​Write once, profit indefinitely ​Copy provides strategic positioning Links ​The Membership Experience - Part 2 of Stu McLaren's once-a-year training workshop is happening later today (4/8/24). If you're seeing this on that day, count yourself lucky and grab your free seat. This is must-see training for anyone who is interested in creating recurring revenue for their business. It's live at 3 p.m. Eastern, and I highly recommend watching the live stream if possible. Stu typically has  "bonus content" that doesn't make the replay, but if the replay is all you can get, take it! Get the transcript for this episode How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.

This week’s podcast is a refresher on the core basics of writing persuasive copy (and everything is copy — it’s not ONLY sales pages and emails).  If you can write effective sales copy, you can literally write your own paycheck. There really should be no such thing as a “broke copywriter”. And there should be no such thing as a business owner or entrepreneur who is NOT a copywriter. By definition, good copywriters can create money out of thin air. So this leads to a very important question: why does copy so often fail? Fear not, Grasshopper. I have the answer… There are universal psychological triggers that help you sell more effectively. Certainly, there are universal principles to writing persuasive sales copy. After all, as John E. Kennedy taught us, copywriting is mere “salesmanship in print”. You can hardly “swing a cat” these days without hitting a copywriter who has a “formula” for writing copy. Most of these formulas are actually quite good. BUT… The formula I'm going to share with you today is intentionally based on these universal principles (which many of the cocky young yellow belts in the copywriting dojo are not even aware of). Thus … back to you “PASTOR-ing” your customers. ​Most people associate the term “pastor” with the preacher at church. While this is certainly true in most cases, the original meaning of the word “pastor” was actually “to shepherd”. And what does the shepherd do? He or she cares for, feeds, and protects the flock. Now, before we go any further, I should address the habit that some marketers have of referring to their customers as their “herd”. It seems to paint an unflattering picture. That kind of imagery is not what I am invoking here. The actual role of a shepherd is a loving, caring, and protective one. In fact, Jesus, who called himself the “Good Shepherd”, actually laid down his life for his flock. ​I am certainly not suggesting any religious overtones for your copy: what I am suggesting is that you adopt the same loving, caring, and protective role as you write copy for your prospects and customers. ​ ​And, as you might've guessed, P.A.S.T.O.R. is also an acronym for pieces of your copy. Here is the explanation: ​​​"P" is for PROBLEM ​"A" is for AMPLIFY ​"S" is for STORY and SOLUTION ​"T" is for TRANSFORMATION and TESTIMONY ​"O" is for OFFER ​"R" is for RESPONSE I’ll promise you this: If you apply the mindset of being a shepherd to your readers, and you follow the sequence of the P.A.S.T.O.R formula, my prediction is you will experience more sales, more profits, and more happy customers… more often. Links Read This Or Die - Click to check out my new book, Read This Or Die, where I show you the sales letter I wrote to myself (that saved my life.)​ Complete Transcript - Visit the show notes page for a complete transcript of this episode How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.

Stu McLaren, expert in creating recurring revenue, discusses the importance of shifting to a membership-based business model. Key topics include the benefits of recurring revenue, the different types of memberships, and the power of stability through memberships in uncertain times.

On last week's episode, I boldly declared, "Writing gets you everything you want." This week, I'm giving you some proof of how that has been true in my life. ​You may already be thinking, "But Ray, you're a writer...of course writing has been important in your career." The thing is, the proof I'm offering today has nothing to do with writing jobs. I wasn't hired to be a writer, but my writing is what got me hired, kept me working, got me promotions, and many other opportunities I would not have gotten otherwise. Okay, enough of the preamble, let's get to the proof... Key Insights Where I came from (and why I didn't want to stay there) ​My early marketing lessons - promoting family businesses ​Writing increased my value in the radio business - it made me less expendable ​Clients loved me because I wrote ads that made them money ​My pitch for a six-figure job was written with the same sales-letter tactics I use today ​My writing made me a sought-after talent in my industry ​My long (50+ pages) pitch for a job with Citadel Broadcasting made me more than a half million dollars in personal income (not bad for a non-writing job) ​My writing has allowed me to meet, learn from, and even teach many of my mentors ​Subscribe to The Daily Ray for valuable tips, interesting observations, and occasional offers Video And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/652 Links Subscribe to The Daily Ray   How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.  

This week, I'm answering some of the most common questions I'm receiving from listeners, viewers, and readers. Since they keep coming up (some for many years), I feel that my answers will be helpful to more than just those who took the time to ask. ​ ​If I missed anything (or Heaven forbid, you disagree), feel free to leave a comment, or reach out to support@rayedwards.com. Key Insights ​What do I do in this economy? This question doesn't always end with "economy"...It could be any number of this's...this election year, this time of civil unrest, this whatever... Be aware of what's happening in the world around you, and make sure you're playing both the short-term and long-term game. Do the work you're being paid for today, and plant the seeds for the income you will reap in the future.  ​What if I don't like my business anymore? - Remember this: You should never make long-term, life-altering decisions based on a current "bad season" in your work. In other words, be sure you actually don't enjoy what you're doing, and you're not just reacting to some current, emotion-fueled unpleasantness. At the end of the day, you don't need anyone's permission to do something else (unless you have a spouse...then you probably want to bring them into the loop). ​How do I build my business the right way? - Life is not a flowchart. There is no step-by-step plan I can hand you for this. And yes, I teach people proven business plans, BUT, at the end of the day, the "right way" is "their way". That's why most of the time, I teach those plans in an interactive format (like my upcoming workshop) so I can answer the questions that help attendees translate what they learn into their plan. If you could only give me 1 piece of advice to guide me through building my own business, what would it be? - Writing is the way to get everything you want in life. I'm not exclusively talking about copywriting. Tune in for my complete breakdown of why that's my answer.   Video And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/651   How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.​

You create content to build an audience...not the other way around! ​This week, I'm proposing that you create your content for an audience of one, and my guest, Jody Maberry, is living proof that this strategy works. ​ ​There are only two ingredients to this recipe: ​ Do content that you're passionate about. Show Up. ​It's as simple as that. And, if you have any doubts about your abilities or my advice, perhaps Jody's story will boost your confidence in both. ​ Key Insights You don't need a big audience to launch ​Jody started his podcast for park rangers with an audience of zero Read Kevin Kelly's book: 1,000 True Fans (linked below) Jody built another podcast literally for 1 specific person Do consistent production about content you're passionate about Don't concern yourself with audience size - be consistent. Show up! Youtube And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/650 Links ​1,000 True Fans: An excellent book by Kevin Kelly JodyMaberry.com: Visit to learn more about today's guest, Jody Maberry In The Front Row: Jody's podcast that was literally created for 1 person (his son) ​Dry Creek Wrangler on YouTube: A great example of how passionate content beats fancy production (even if he's not your cup of tea, check out his number of subscribers) How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, 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 on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.