Ray Edwards Show

Today I am talking to Dr. Douglas Pew of Symphonic Copywriting. Dr. Pew is one of my copywriting students. His story of the transition from a university professor to a successful copywriter is genuinely inspiring. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Dr. Douglas Pew www.SymphonicCoypwriting.com  Hi, I'm Dr. Douglas Pew, the Symphonic Copywriter. I'm a former university professor of music turned Copywriter and Marketing Strategist. I help business owners like you compose compelling copy for your Product Launches, Sales Letters and Email Autoresponders. My experience composing powerfully emotional music for renowned opera houses, symphony orchestra and choirs taught me how to help you sing your customer's tune.  “Dr. Douglas Pew is a prodigy who has seamlessly channeled his musical gifts into orchestrating copy that is powerful, persuasive prose that will bring you profits. And what's more, it will be copy you can be proud of. My advice: hire him while you still can, because he's going to be booked solid before you know it.”  – Ray Edwards Are You Struggling With Your Copy? I Can Help You… Rescue your customers from discordant problems with harmonious solutions using the M.A.E.S.T.O. Copywriting Framework Craft stimulating sales letters with Beethoven's Secret Sales Strategy. Construct your full-scale Product Launch using Jeff Walker's Masterpiece Method for Turning Marketing into Musical Theater. Compose emails your customers can't wait to read and buy from with The Fab-Four's Sgt. Pepper Email Formula. What Is Symphonic Copywriting? Remember Senior Prom in High School? You're dressed to the nines and rented a limo to pick up your date. Your tuxedo and bow tie are strangling you half to death, but you catch a glimpse of your slick self in the rear-view mirror. “Dang… I'm lookin' good!”  And wow, your girl looks amazing in her sky-blue prom dress. Her eyes are sparkling like sapphires and she gives you ‘the look'! Mama mia!  As you escort your beautiful date (man… how did I get so lucky?) into the dance, the band starts to play… “ Aaahhh! THAT'S OUR SONG!” She says. Perfect timing! How did the band know?!  “May I have this dance?” You say with a little bow. All the excitement, all the emotion, all the fire of young love burns inside you both as you grab hands and head out to the dance floor. You were in the right place at the right time and the band played your tune. You HAD to dance! You were primed and ready. THAT'S Symphonic Copywriting! I can help you compose your marketing messages so they resonate with your customer's like a tuning fork on steroids. You'll be singing their tune!  Click the link below and let's get warmed up and ready to sing!  www.SymphonicCopywriting.com Resources www.symphoniccopywriting.com/book Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Yes, I’m quitting. I’m quitting all the things that make me stressed, unhappy — anything that makes me or others miserable. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Jesus talked about serving God and serving riches, but he did not condemn money. Read what he said in Matthew 6:24. Feature Presentation Here’s a list of some things I’m quitting: Worry Anxiety Doubt Depression Jealousy Anger Addiction Compulsion Manipulation Comparison Competition Deception Fear Violence Revenge Punishment The 3 most important things I am quitting: 1. Caring what other people think of me. 2. Expecting other people, places, or things to be responsible for my happiness. 3. Putting off my happiness until “someday when”. There is no someday. There is no when. There is only now. A few thoughts about quitting… I say “I am quitting” and not “I quit” because I recognize it’s a process, not an event. Do I still expect to experience these feelings or behaviors (“behavior” the doing part of feeling)? Yes, I will no doubt still experience them. But I am “quitting” my identification with these things. Let me explain what I mean by “identification”… I am not surprised when I feel anxiety, anger, or fear. However, I no longer identify with these things. I don’t say, “I am angry” – that is inaccurate. It is more accurate to say, “I feel the emotion of anger”. What is the difference? The world. When I realize that I am NOT my feelings, I become impervious to them. They cannot pierce my flesh, nor can they lacerate my heart. I may experience a moment of fear, but it cannot attach to me – it passes through me and I disregard it. Including the fear of death. It has been said that a man who knows how to live, has no place for death to enter. You might understandably ask if I don’t care what other people think, then why am I even writing this? Why am I pressing the “publish” button? For myself. I am my audience. I write what I want to read. Because doing so seems fun, and possibly helpful (mostly to me, but if you benefit, that’s cool too). So now you know THAT I’m quitting, and you know WHAT I’m quitting. How about you? Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Today I’m sharing 3 Things I Learned from Jeff Walker at LaunchCon. I just returned from a week in Orlando where we held our ESP Certified Copywriter Workshop. (Link: www.rayedwards.com/espcc) Shortly thereafter, we attended LaunchCon with Jeff Walker. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Today’s Spiritual Foundation is about having faith and trusting God.  How worried or stressed are you?   How often do you have to remind yourself to trust God about these things? Do you let go of your worries and release them all to Him? Are you actually letting them go? In Mathew 21:22, Jesus said, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” In Mark 11:24 He says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” So just let go, and let God Tip of The Week My tip of the week is the Canon 6D. It is an incredible camera. It has a full frame, super high resolution and gives you a much better picture.  It is a great camera, but it is too heavy if you are carrying it around for the entire day, so what do I suggest?  Even have a vlog, you don’t need a giant camera. You can still have excellent video and picture with a tiny camera like the Canon M50.  This is a great camera, and your arm and neck will thank you for carrying this around instead. Feature Presentation 3 Things I Learned from Jeff Walker: We might want to explore being kinder to ourselves. What you believe about your capability is true.  There is no time BUT the present. If you want to make a change, you have to do it now. If you are thinking about making a change, do it right now. In fact, do this exercise.  Write down 5 things that you want. How many of those things are things that you already have? Now, write down 5 things that you want that you already have. Remember what Jesus said? “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” To change: Stop wanting and do it now. Resources Cann 6D Mark II. https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/eos-dslr-and-mirrorless-cameras/dslr/eos-6d-mark-ii 24-70mm Lens https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/lenses/ef/standard-zoom/ef-24-70mm-f-2-8l-ii-usm Canon M50   https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/eos-dslr-and-mirrorless-cameras/mirrorless/eos-m50-ef-m-15-45mm-is-stm-kit www.rayedwards.com/rayday Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

This week I am talking to Lee Cockerell. He is the former executive vice president of operations for the Walt Disney World resort. As the Senior Operating Executive for 10 years, Lee led a team of 40,000 cast members. He was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping and entertainment village, the ESPN sports and recreation complex, in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world. That is just a portion of his list of accomplishments and the things Lee Cockerell has been able to do. Now Lee is helping other folks learn to create Disney magic. He’s doing public speaking, and he’s written four books. Some of the reasons Lee has been so successful is that he is so disciplined and very organized. Lee shares that by hiring better with more clarity, they train better, and have a better culture. He boils that down to “hire right, train them right, and treat them right” and the people will do a good job for you. He teaches others how to “hire slow and fire fast” so companies are more successful. Combined with his principles of time management, Lee imparts wisdom for organization and dealing with the world. For more from Lee, go to www.leecockerell.com or check out one of his books.   Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

What if I told you that one thing can change everything? In fact, the only thing that changes everything is one thing.  Find out how to make use of this one thing now.  Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Some people who are super religious about foul language, and through I think there is a better way to express yourself than using profanity, there are a few passages in the Bible that I feel are misrepresented using profanity.  Ephesians 4: 29 says  “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” The dictionary says that “corrupt” means having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly for personal or financial gain.  This sounds like it is talking about the morals of the person, not using foul language. Edification means it is something that would be improving you and building up of the soul. So this to me means that you are not to let anything that encourages people to be immoral or that demeans people, controls people, or steals their money. Tell them things that lifts them up and fills them. Say things that impart grace to people. Jesus said “They will know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another” This is something to think about. Tip Of The Week This is one of my new favorite apps, and it costs you nothing. Google Tasks integrates with G-mail, Google Drive and your Google Calendar so everything is in one place. It is sleek and easy to use. Feature Presentation “The One Thing That Changes Everything” Can one thing really revolutionize your life, double your income or simplify your life? Even though I had so many distractions that could have derailed my year, the one thing kept me on track and get to this place where I have had my best year yet.   There is always 1 thing that we want, and when we can identify it, everything else will change. You just need to decide it.   You need to decide to not make too many decisions.  Gary Keller’s book, “The One Thing”, tells you how to find that one thing you need to do to change your life or business. Read his book and decide what is the one thing and focus on it. Finding out what the one thing for you can be difficult. It is different for everyone and can take years of trial and error.  Here is what you do. Sit quietly and close your eyes and breathe deep and relax.  Take all the stress, guilt, pain you exhale out and leave it there. Just be in the moment where you are and ask “what is the one thing I am meant to be doing right now”.Pay attention to what you hear. The thing that comes into your head is the thing you should do.  It is going to be totally different than what you have been doing your whole life. You may need to change what you are doing now and start doing the thing that you feel most drawn to, even if it means changing your entire life. I know it is scary and can be so difficult because it involves other people, but you do need to do this. You will not be happy and have great success until you do. Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

What If I told you that you could get all the financial and list building benefits from doing a launch in just one hour? Well, you can. My guest, Pete Vargas, will tell you how. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations A lot of people think that if you run a business, in order to do good, you need to give your money away…but that is not what the Bible says. Proverbs 11:26- The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. Tip Of The Week This is one of my new favorite apps, and it costs you nothing. Google Tasks integrates with G-mail, Google Drive and your Google Calendar so everything is in one place. It is sleek and easy to use. Feature Presentation “The One Hour Launch” Stu Mclaren told me I needed to get my Permission to Prosper message out, and Pete Vargas was the one who could help me do. Pete was influenced by speakers on stage when he was young, and he wanted to be able to influence people for the good, too, and so he developed “The One Hour Launch”. This is the best way to get your message in front of more people and give them your message all at once, instead of waiting for them to spend a year finishing your course, or podcast, etc… You have a captivated audience for an entire 60 minutes, and they are far more impacted by what you are saying while you are on a stage. Your message is important and was put there for a reason, so get out there and share it. Even if you do not want to be a speaker that is on stage all the time, that is okay. You just need to do it a few times a year, and you will still be building your business and getting your message out. Pete will help you outline your signature talk and show you how to use online and offline stages. Check out more here: www.rayedwards.com/AYR Resources www.rayedwards.com/AYR Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Today on the show… Why Every Business Is a Writing Business. Even Apple has to use copy to make things sell- so do you, so do I. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations 2 Corinthians 5:16 New King James Version (NKJV) “16 Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” What is Paul saying? If anyone is in Christ, you are a new creation. This is a BIG deal. Everything was created by God and God has reconciled to us through Jesus the Messiah and God has given us the gift of the ministry of reconciliation. Tip Of The Week Kraig Adams digital minimalism Kraig Adams is a Digital storyteller on Youtube. Watch this video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXuZE_bXnus Feature Presentation “Why Every Business Is A Writing Business” 5 Reasons Why Every Business Is a Writing Business All business is founded on the principle of communicating that we have a solution to a problem that they think they have. There are more and less effective methods of communication. Writing is the doing part of thinking and thinking without writing is fantasizing. In an over-communicated world, your communication must be more precise, powerful and persuasive than ever before. Because of the noise, you must be able to communicate your value with simplicity, sincerity, and sizzle. Zig Zigler said the process of selling it simply the transference of enthusiasm. When you believe in something, you can sell it easier. Sponsor This episode of the Ray Edwards Show is made possible in part by The All-New Ray Edwards Endorsed Service Provider & Certified Copywriter Program, where I help anyone who wants to make big money from their writing without getting a publisher or having a bestseller, and even if nobody knows who you are. Get my proven methods, systems, and even my endorsement – go to www.edwardscertified.com Resources www.hbo.com/documentaries/everything-is-copy  -Everything is Copy- Nora Ephron Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Mistakes come in many forms. Some are humorous like the furniture store that unwittingly offered, “Free: one night stand, when you purchase a bed!” Or the church marquee that read, “Don’t let worries kill you, let the church help.”  But other blunders, often the ones we commit ourselves, are anything but funny. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Perhaps you can identify with some of these: Missing an appointment with a client Sending someone the wrong product Showing up late for an important meeting Calling someone by the wrong name Sending out an email with typos in it Confidently stating something publicly, only to discover later you were wrong Drawing a complete blank when meeting someone who insists they know you Failing to make a payment on time to an affiliate or contractor Finding out that you’ve offended someone And sometimes much more serious blunders occur with significant consequences. For instance, in the Clinton—Lewinsky scandal in the 90s, then-President Bill Clinton committed a huge moral blunder in his sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky. If those weren’t bad enough, what really upset the public was his blatant lies and twisting of the truth under oath. The more he lied, the greater the scandal became. Consequently, he lost all respect, integrity, and trust with the American people, resulting in his impeachment. Spiritual Foundations Tony Robbins says that It's not a mistake if you learn from it. What does the Bible say about making mistakes? “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.” Proverbs 24: 16 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” –Philippians 3:14-16 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”- Isaiah 43: 18-19 Feature Presentation “How to Recover From Big Mistakes Gracefully” While this is an extreme example of a blunder, there’s a lesson there for all of us. Committing a blunder and responding poorly can have catastrophic consequences. Blunder Causes and Prevention Blunders occur for many reasons, but here are some of the common problems or oversights that lead to blunders: Cutting corners Rushing Inattention to detail Preoccupation with other things Stress Dishonesty Lack of a moral compass or failure to follow it Failure to put safeguards in place Failure to adhere to established safeguards Having too much on one’s plate Poor oversight or management of others Insufficient training Partnerships with those who don’t share your values Murphy’s Law As you read through that list of causes, notice that all are avoidable but the last one. But with diligence, honesty, integrity, attention to detail, demonstrating genuine care for others, having good systems and processes in place and following them we can usually avoid most blunders. Obviously, we want to do all we can to avoid mistakes and blunders from occurring in the first place. But whether we’ve taken the proper precautions or not, what do we do when a blunder occurs? 5 Steps for Recovering from a Blunder Gracefully Assess the damage. Determine the extent of the damage. How many people does it affect? How serious is the damage? What will be its impact on your business? How will it influence the way people see you? Seek the counsel of others on this matter, so you don’t underestimate the potential damage. Own up to it. Often, your immediate response to an exposed blunder is to defend yourself, make excuses, or blame someone else. These responses come naturally, especially if the blunder was unintentional. But none of those responses will help you recover. Instead, own the mistake. Take full responsibility for it, even if it was committed by someone else in your organization. Owning up to it demonstrates integrity and honesty. You may even earn a higher level of respect and trust by doing so. Admitting fault also helps you and your constituents move on from there. Make it right. This may be as simple as offering a sincere apology. But other times, you may need to offer a refund or something for free as an expression of goodwill. If in doubt, ask the person(s), “What can we do to make this right for you?” Look for the hidden gem. Quite often, if you make a mistake but seek to make amends graciously, you’ll find an unexpected blessing. Your gracious response to a blunder can demonstrate to others the depth of your commitment to them, the soundness of your integrity, or the extent of your care and concern. Look for that hidden jewel and capitalize on it. Put safeguards in place. If you’re unsure of how the blunder occurred, research it and discover what went wrong. Then, put systems and processes in place to prevent its recurrence. Mistakes and blunders happen to the best of us. To the extent possible, we want to avoid them. But when they do occur, seek to make them right and do so with all integrity. In this way, you can recover from a blunder gracefully and both you and your tribe will be glad you did. Sponsor This episode of the Ray Edwards Show is made possible in part by The All-New Ray Edwards Endorsed Service Provider & Certified Copywriter Program, where I help anyone who wants to make big money from their writing without getting a publisher or having a bestseller, and even if nobody knows who you are. Get my proven methods, systems, and even my endorsement – go to RayEdwards.com/ESPC   Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

I’ve been thinking about what I would recommend as the best business to start today. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 English Standard Version (ESV) Feature Presentation: “The Single Best Business to Start (If You Need Money Now)” While thinking about this idea of the “ideal business”, I ran across an article by John Forde at AWAI. I will link to the article in the show notes. (https://www.awai.com/2009/05/is-copywriting-the-worlds-best-business/) Forde argued in that article that he has a set of objective criteria for what makes “The Ideal Business” … and these reasons actually go back to an article written in the 1970's by financial guru Richard Russell. Russell was the writer and publisher of “The Dow Theory Letters”, starting in 1958. Russell died in 2015. But as of the date of his passing, the Dow Theory Letters was the longest-running service continuously written by one person in the business. So no, he wasn’t writing about copywriting as we know it. And yet – he was a master of the craft. Anyway, with credit to John Forde and Richard Russell, here are the essential qualities of “the ideal business” for anyone to start. 1. “Sells the World.” 2. Enjoys Inelastic Demand” 3. “Cannot Be Easily Copied” 4. “Has Low Labor and Overhead Costs” 5. “Takes in Cash Billings” 6. “Is Free of All Kinds of Regulation” 7. “Is Portable” 8. “Satisfies Intellectual Needs” 9. “Leaves You With Free Time” 10. “Is Not Limited By Personal Output” I have two more “reasons why” to add to the list… (these are my own additions.) 11. “Easily Profits Whether Markets Are Up or Down”. 12. “Is a Minimalist Business”. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Shout out at raydwards.com/357 or on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where I am “rayedwards” Sponsor This episode of the Ray Edwards Show is made possible in part by The All-New Ray Edwards Endorsed Service Provider & Certified Copywriter Program, where I help anyone who wants to make big money from their writing without getting a publisher or having a bestseller, and even if nobody knows who you are. Get my proven methods, systems, and even my endorsement – go to RayEdwards.com/ESPC Resources awai.com Is Copywriting the World’s Best Business? John Forde takes a look at Richard Russell’s list of criteria for what makes an “ideal business” and analyzes how it shakes out from a copywriting perspective. Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Today on the show… The lazy way to riches – okay, so the title is designed to provoke you. “If work feels bad, you’re doing it wrong.” Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Colossians 3:23-24 New International Version (NIV) 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Sponsor This episode of the Ray Edwards Show is made possible in part by The Prosperous Business Academy, where we take the ideas in this show and turn them into a practical application that can change every part of your life: Faith, Fitness, Family, Finance, Fun, Friends, and Fulfillment. Come join me in The Prosperous Business Academy – go to RayEdwards.com/join Feature Presentation: “The Lazy Way To Riches” 5 Reasons Why Doing Your LIfe’s WORK Might Feel Like You’re Being Lazy 1. Your life’s work is work you’re naturally drawn to. 2. Your life’s work comes easy for you, while it seems difficult to others 3. Your life’s work seems like play, not toil 4. Your life’s work is what you can’t stop thinking about when you're supposed to be “vacationing” 5. Your life’s work is what most satisfies you If you like the show, subscribe in Apple Podcasts or your favorite Podcast directory… leave us an honest rating & review… and share with your friends. Until next time, May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He make his face shine on you, and may you enjoy long life and prosperity. Peace to you and to your house. Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts 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 mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.