I very often get some form of this question: "Is 58 too late to ____?" The number is arbitrary, and this line of questioning can go on and on... Am I too old? Am I too fat? Am I too thin? Am I too shy? Am I too...whatever. ​This week, I'm giving you my best answer to all of those questions. Key Insights Many people are asking if it's "too late" What is your purpose? Purpose drives persistence​Raving fans beat satisfied customers​ Build your personal brand based on who you really are ​Not being everybody's cup of tea is the whole point ​Personal branding gives you the power to leave a lasting impact on others​ Personal branding allows you to be a category of one ​Use the Social Media Amplification Effect​ Personal branding brings you continuous growth ​Great platform from which you can start a coaching or membership program   Video And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/649   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.

Many Christians are culturally programmed to feel guilty about wealth, but is poverty God's plan for us? No! Today I propose that God wants you to prosper in all things that are good, including business (and I have the verses to prove it). We are engaged in a spiritual battle ​Poverty is spiritual warfare Read I Thessalonian's chapter 4, beginning with verse 9 "Brotherly Love" is a core concept of our faith Relationships based on love and unity create an environment where poverty dissipates We can overcome the chains of poverty and help free others as well Live with integrity and win trust These principles apply whether you're a Christian or not Video And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/648 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.

Uh oh...January 1 has come and gone. Is it too late to make plans for a better New Year? Of course not. ​ ​Regardless of how far along Earth may be in its journey around the sun, you are free to implement these 7 P's that will make for a more prosperous future. ​Prepare - physically, mentally, emotionally for the things you know are coming up in your life and in your business. You know what needs to be prepared, just do it. ​Propose - The more offers you make, the more money you make ​Promote - Your customer never knows as much about your products as you do - Promote what you're selling more often ​Prove - Have your clients be your preponderance of proof ​Promise - Promise the results you KNOW you can deliver ​Produce - Produce the results you promise ​Preeminence - Be so good at what you do that you become a category of one Video and Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/647 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 giving you a simple, 5-step process to help make 2024 the best year your business has ever had. Of course, I said "simple"...not easy. The toughest pill for most business owners to swallow is this: You probably need to stop doing 20-50% of what you're doing right now. In other words, take a look at 2023 and figure out what things gave you the least ROI. What things took the most of your resources and returned anything less than "worth it". That's the prep work...Listen to get my 5-step plan. Key Insights ​Stop doing the things that don't produce a good return on your time and efforts ​Plan Your Year ​Plan your time off (commit!)   ​Plan for the things you can't control (holidays, etc.) ​Plan your content schedule ​Plan your promotional schedule ​Setup accountability and guidance for you as the leader (e.g. a coach or mentor) Links   The Copywriting Academy Live 2024 - As a listener of my podcast, you have earned a free invitation to experience my flagship training, live, with no investment other than your time and attention. The Copywriting Academy Live happens January 3-6, 2024. If that date has not yet passed, I strongly advise you check this out. Video and Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/646 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.

In this week's episode, I'm talking about a single, magic word that has the power to reduce your stress and give you more time to do the things that matter to you. What is this "Magic Word" ? "No" People seem to have no issue asking for our time, our attention, our money, etc. But for some reason, we often feel bad about saying no. It makes us feel like we're not doing our part, or being negative, or a bad person. "No" is just a response. It's neither good nor bad, but learning to use it can have a huge impact on your life. Key Insights ​Saying "no" doesn't mean you're a negative person with a negative attitude...it's just a response ​No need to make up excuses. This is a complete sentence: "No." ​Using the word "because" in your response can lead to less pushback ​Saying No to things you don't want to do gives you more time to say yes to the things you do want to do Video And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/645 Links ​The Copywriting Academy Live:  Kick off 2024 with radical change and massive progress. Join me for The Copywriting Academy Live virtual event, January 3-5. We'll get your copy finished and ready-for-launch, plus you'll master some incredible tools that will make you more productive than ever before. 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.

It's almost that time of year... Time to declare big changes for 2024! And then abandon those declarations in a few short weeks.  I'm not trying to be negative, but the reality is: It's hard to make significant changes in ourselves. Only 3% of people stick to their big resolutions. But why? That's what we'll take a look at in this week's episode. Change is possible...and it can be much easier than you think. Key Insights   ​ Change happens when the pain of not changing is greater than the difficulty of making the change. ​The fear of not changing is often overshadowed by immediate gratification, making it difficult for people to prioritize long-term consequences over short-term pleasure. ​To change, you need to make the future pain of not changing more real than the current pleasure. ​People don't change unless they associate significant pain with not changing and take ownership of their ability to change. ​Some people can learn to love pain through conscious choice and association with pleasure. ​Choose activities that you enjoy to make change easier. ​Enjoy the process of pushing yourself to achieve your goals, not just the end result. 5 Steps For Real Change Decide what it is you want to do Get clear on why it's important to you Figure out how you're going to get to the outcome Associate massive pleasure to the process of getting there Associate massive pain to not doing the process Links The Copywriting Academy Live - Kick off 2024 with radical change and massive progress. Join me for The Copywriting Academy Live virtual event, January 3-5. We'll get your copy finished and ready-for-launch, plus you'll master some incredible tools that will make you more productive than ever before. Video And Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/644 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.

Learn how to effectively use the PASTOR framework for sales copywriting. Understand the key components needed for successful product or idea selling. Explore elements of the framework, highlighting transformation and possibilities. Maximize sales copy effectiveness by including a guarantee and creating urgency.

I have previously claimed that Writer's Block does not exist. That was true for me at least...until recently. What happened? How could my seemingly endless well of ideas and words suddenly run dry?  This week I'm sharing the cause, and the cure. Key Insights ​Expressing my gratitude for you in this season of thanks ​Suddenly self-conscious ​Age is NOT a handicap in this arena. There is value in your wisdom ​Accept who you are and embrace your imperfections ​Be a source of positivity online and in the world ​Your influence and impact will live longer than you​ Links How To Write Copy That Sells - Get your FREE copy of my bestselling book (just pay shipping) YouTube and Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/642 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.

Building your business and your brand requires a particular set of skills. I want to talk about those skills (one in particular), but also issue a reminder about your other brand...the one built by others. Your shadow brand. What is it, and how do you manage it? Key Insights ​ What's the best, must-have skill for creating cash flow and building wealth? ​AI has made it easier to build a business with less human help, but at a certain level you must start hiring people. ​The harder you work, the more money you make... Not True - That philosophy can destroy you ​To achieve true wealth, you must create assets that generate income ​You must learn to communicate strategically and influentially ​Use your writing to build your personal brand - Do not just hand this job over to AI...use AI as a helper, not an author ​How to take control of your Shadow Brand (make it intentional) ​Build a personal brand based on the Real You ​Embrace your Authentic Self - keep your quirks intact to build a personal brand that people connect with and recognize ​Copywriting is the number one skill when it comes to building your brand (Everything is copy) ​A.I. can help make you more productive, but you MUST understand the fundamental principles of good copy in order to use it correctly Links ​How To Write Copy That Sells - Get your free copy of my most popular, bestselling book (just pay shipping) Transcript and Video rayedwards.com/641 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.

"People Pleasing" is NOT the way to build a brand. You might build a BIG list that way, but you won't build a QUALITY one. Your list, your followers, your subscribers...They need to know the real you if you want to build a meaningful connection. (You know, the kind that brings in revenue for your business.) Your message must align with your brand. My guest this week is known as "the People Displeaser" (a.k.a. Nick Pollard), and he has done exactly that. Nick and I will discuss his journey, and how being authentic with his audience has helped him build a list of actively engaged, loyal followers.  Key Insights ​Nick Pollard's recent video on TikTok has over 1.8 million views (and climbing)...but why "that" one? ​Don't worry about the size of your email list, focus on the depth of your relationship with your subscribers. ​Maintaining a high list engagement with a 50% open rate, even without marketing to them, shows the importance of having a targeted and interested audience. ​Nick's engagement with his audience's list is HUGE. That's a result of building a strong connection with his audience which paves the way for successful marketing. ​The key to building engagement with your audience is being honest and authentic from the start. ​Nick had rapid list growth, going from 1,500 to over 11,000 subscribers, thanks to a little bit of luck, and a viral video. ​The content that performs the best is when the creator is being authentic. ​Nick believes that high engagement on social media comes from sharing only what truly matters and resonates with the audience, rather than bombarding them with irrelevant content. (Don't force it!) Video and Transcript https://www.rayedwards.com/640 Links NickPollard.com - How to Stop Being a People-Pleaser, Quit Lying to Yourself About How Miserable You Are, And Finally Build a Life of Freedom Where You Don’t Come In Last Place. ​CopyCrew.net - Unlimited Copywriting for online business. Fast, effective, and 100% Guaranteed. A copywriting subscription to grow your business. 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.