Ray Edwards Show

Content marketing is a hot industry buzzword right now, and everyone seems to have a theory about what works. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time for theory, so in this episode I’m going to show what we do in our own content marketing…because it works. The key to successful content marketing is value, because we’re in a current environment where you've got to give value upfront. In fact, our topic in this episode is a term I’ve coined called Value First Content Marketing. Stay tuned, this is going to rock your world. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations In this episode of spiritual foundations, I want to get back to basics. One of the things I’ve learned as a copywriter is that the precise meaning of words is vitally important. Let me share a recent example of this… My wise wife was having a conversation with a person with whom she's acquainted, and they got into the discussion about what it means to be under grace. My wife was explaining, “Well you know our sins are covered, so we don't have to worry about sin anymore. That problem is dealt with.” This person rather inappropriately took affront to that and begin to argue. She countered, “Well, what about James 2:26, it says faith without works is dead. If you don't have works, then you're not saved.” My wife responded with, “Well, I didn't come prepared to have this debate, but I guess I would start with looking up the precise meaning of the word ‘death’ or ‘dead’ in that verse to see what it really means.” I was so proud of her. I looked it up, and it means “inactive.” It reads, “Faith with no works that flow from the faith, is inactive,”…which is a whole different thing. Just remember that Jesus is perfect theology. Knowing that, be very careful about what you’re willing to blindly accept as true. Tip of the Week Our tip of the week is a resource that we're giving you for free. Normally, we talk about other people's products or services or books, but this week we’re giving you a week's worth of what we use to do our own content marketing. You can then use this as a model to structure your own…I’m just asking that you don't take this content and pretend it's yours. This will be a good way for you to look at the source material we use to create stuff and turn it into different pieces of content for your business. You can download this free resource at rayedwards.com/315. Now go forth and prosper! Feature Presentation: “How to Build Your List by Giving Away Your Best Content for Free” There's a lot of talk about content marketing, and there are a lot of content marketing experts and gurus that'll teach you content marketing, but what they do in most cases is neither content, nor is it marketing…it’s a thinly disguised sales pitch. Any business that markets online can and should grow their e-mail list by using the Seven Pillars of Value First Content Marketing. The Seven Pillars There are three forces that have converged to bring us to this point. To attract attention, you’ve got to fight the content wars. Content marketing works for everyone, and everyone should be doing it. Give valuable content as often as possible. You must be present on every significant channel. You must have an investment mindset. Practice the Strategy of Preeminence. Here are some snippets from our conversation: Nobody was born with a list – Why you should ignore theory and model your list-building after a strategy that actually works (19:55) Words matter – Why it’s important for you and your bottom line to know what content marketing is, and more importantly, what it is not (22:25) The proof is in the pudding – Meet David Robertson, who traveled 3,000 miles to give 30,000 reasons why this stuff really works (23:30) The perfect storm of content marketing – Discover the three forces that have brought us to the point where we have to think differently about how we market, and how to use those forces to your advantage (25:01) Open war is upon you – Why the key to victory in the content wars is to offer your unique value (27:35) All means all – Why every business should use Value Based Content Marketing to stay ahead of the game, win market share, and to make more money (32:24) How soon is now – Why you need to accept the uncomfortable truth that the more value first content you release, the faster you grow (33:14) Your presence is required – Why your blog, live video, podcast, and print needs to be present on every significant channel (36:42) Avoid the unsubscribe link – Why you must be willing to sacrifice short-term gain for long-term profit and value (40:30) Inside the mind of Jay Abraham – Why you don't want to be simply the superior marketer…you want to be the superior provider (42:17) Resources Mentioned In This Episode https://rayedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Weekly-Content-Marketing-Package.pdf Atlas Shrugged The Fountainhead How To Help 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 https://rayedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Ray-Edwards-Show-Transcript-315-2.pdf

If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard us extol the virtues of Revel 77, our favorite coffee shop. So, when its existence was in jeopardy we stepped out and bought it. But that begs the question, “Why the heck did we do that?” In this episode we’ll attempt to answer that question, and show you why we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to walking out the prosperity principles that we teach. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Prosperity tends to mean different things to different people, but to simplify this I’ve boiled prosperity down to one acronym (you guys know how much I love these). L.I.F.E. will help you determine whether you’re living a prosperous life. Check it out… Love what you do, and do what you love. Invite God’s presence into every part of your life. Fight evil. Empower good. If you’ll do those things you’re living a prosperous life. Tip of the Week In 1879 Thomas Alva Edison created the first commercially practical incandescent light. I think we can all agree that was a revolutionary moment. Now Philips has created Hue lighting which lets you easily control your light and create the right ambiance for every situation. When you experience a beautiful sunset, you realize that light can change your emotional state. Now imagine having total control over the light and color of your environment, bending it to your will so that it matches your mood…that’s some pretty heady stuff. Combine that versatility with the ease of access that a company like Alexa gives you and, my friends, you are gazing straight into the eyes of progress. Feature Presentation: “7 Reasons Why We Bought A Coffee Shop” When we bought our favorite coffee shop we were inundated with questions about our reasons for doing so. We’re known primarily as internet marketers, so why would we dip our toes into the brick and mortar marketplace? In this episode we reveal our reasons, and show you why we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to walking out the prosperity principles that we teach. Here are our 7 reasons: Community Ministry Investment Proof and flexing our muscles Synergy with our existing business Because we wanted to More Income Here are a few snippets from our conversation: Sean’s Rant of the Week – Illuminating the hidden meaning of capitalism (16:45) The story behind the story – What specialty coffee and power outlets had to do with the purchase of Revel 77 (21:20) Assembling the wings on the way down – Why growth can be messy and good at the same time (24:18) Creating the Third Place – How a safe shared space allows a community to find an anchor and flourish (28:15) Becoming the feet of Jesus – How business can help people experience God’s Kingdom through abundance, peace, and joy (30:59) The Shark Tank Factor – How to strategically invest in businesses to increase your income and wealth (35:06) Put your money where your mouth is – What a coffee shop taught us about the validity of our marketing model and forever answer the question. “Will this work for my business?” (38:39) Coffee is magical – How a delicious beverage helps us carry the atmosphere of Heaven to a thirsty world (41:19) Resources Mentioned In This Episode Philips Hue Lighting Alexa Revel 77 How To Help 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.

You can hardly open your email these days without seeing someone promising the super-secret key to insane business growth. I know that the title of this episode seems like over-the-top clickbait, but by the time we’re done you’ll see that it’s no exaggeration. This kind of extraordinary growth is happening right now to my friend Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner. We're going to be talking with him this week and let him explain exactly how he has done this and how you can do the same for your business. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations This week’s spiritual foundations should be exciting for you because I'm about to reveal to you a secret superpower you probably did not know you had. If you're a follower of Jesus, you are part of what's called the royal priesthood. It means that you are both a king and a priest under the kingly priesthood of Jesus Christ. In the old covenant, kings and priests were two different groups of people. You could be a king or a priest, but you could not be both at the same time. Today, if we are in Christ, we are both kings and priests. A royal priesthood. That means we have double the supernatural speaking power because of our king-priesthood roles.   How do I know this? Well, if you look in Ecclesiastes chapter eight verse four it says, “Where the word of a king is, there is power.” If you look at Deuteronomy, chapter 21 verse five it says of priests, “By their word, every controversy and every assault shall be settled.” As a believer, if you're in business, you have an edge over other business people. There you go, I said it.   What you say about your business deals will come to pass. You have that power in your speech. If you get falsely accused of something, if people give you bad reviews online or say bad things about you as they inevitably will, you need to know that by your very word, every controversy and every assault will be settled. This doesn't just apply to your business, it also applies the rest of your life. As a king-priest, you can bless your children by speaking words of destiny over them. You have the power to set in motion the supernatural forces that will give them what they need to win the battles of life and live out their destiny.  Instead of agreeing with the devil when he says bad things about you, your life, your business, and your family, you should declare the opposite. You should say, along with me, “I live under supernatural protection. I prosper in all my relationships. God forgives all my iniquities and heals all my diseases.”   You can say, straight from Scripture, “The Lord will make my way prosperous and give me good success.” You've got double the speaking power of any king or priest from the old covenant. Use your double speaking power and bring these blessings to fruition in your own life. Speak what you want to see and go out there and be the royal priest that you are. Tip of the Week I'm going to confess right now that I have never understood cryptocurrency. I hear people talking about Bitcoin and I just nod politely and listen, realizing I have no idea what they're talking about. That is until I had a conversation with my friend Joel Comm who is now the co-host of The Bad Crypto Podcast. This is a great place to start getting answers to questions like: What is cryptocurrency? What is Bitcoin? Does it have a place in your future? I think after listening to a couple of episodes, the answer is, “Yes it does.” I think this is the future of currency, of investing. It can be hard to understand, but these guys make it easy. My advice is to start at episode one and listen to each successive episode to get caught up. Take a listen, you’ll thank me…I promise. Feature Presentation: “Make Your Own YouTube Reality Show & Grow Your Business Like Crazy” This week’s guest is my friend Michael Stelzner. He's the founder of Social Media Examiner, and the author of books like Launch and Writing White Papers. Michael is also the man behind Social Media Marketing World, the industry's largest conference. He's also the host of the Social Media Marketing Podcast, founder of the Social Media Marketing Society, host of the weekly Social Media Marketing Talk Show, and the central character in the YouTube reality show The Journey, an episodic documentary about his own company. Here are a few snippets from our conversation: Take a journey – Michael discusses how an episodic YouTube channel played a significant role in growing his business by 62% (6:13) The Mother of Invention – Michael reveals the story behind “The Journey” and how he went from idea to execution in seven days (7:30) Video killed the radio star – Michael answers the questions, “Why video?” and “Why now?” (9:12) No one resonates with rosy – Why it’s a good idea to reveal your flaws to your audience, even if it makes you uncomfortable (11:13) Authenticity is a contact sport – Michael talks about the dark side of being transparent and how, like a Jedi master, you can make it work for you (14:18) Swim with the sharks without getting eaten – How to draw the line between content marketing and shameless promotion (15:16)  Binge-watching as a business strategy – Michael shares about the power of creating compelling content, and doing it on your own terms (18:34) Getting to know you – Why video creates a highly sought-after connection with you and your business, even if viewers have never met you in person (22:07) The thousand-mile journey begins with the first step – Michael opens up about what it takes to begin your own Journey, whether you have a team or it’s just you against the world (25:45) Follow someone through a minefield – Michael shows you the most common pitfalls of creating your own Journey, and how to avoid them (27:58) Resources Mentioned In This Episode The Prosperity Academy The Bad Crypto Podcast Social Media Examiner Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged Social Media Marketing World Social Media Marketing Podcast Social Media Marketing Society Social Media Marketing Talk Show The Journey Zoom H4n Pro How To Help 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.

All of us want a business that hums along, routinely churning out profits as if on autopilot, but how the heck do you do that? This week I’ve enlisted the help of the undisputed market leader to teach you practical steps to amplify, accelerate, and automate your profits. Amy Porterfield teaches business owners, educators, and entrepreneurs the action steps for building a highly engaged email list, creating online training courses, and using online marketing strategies to sell with ease. She is one of our favorite people and what she has to say will blow your mind. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Is it possible to use peace as a weapon? I want to read for you a little passage of Scripture you’ve probably heard, even if you’ve never darkened the door of a church in your life. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4 Marketplace minister Os Hillman has a website called TGIF…Today God Is First. In one of his devotionals he says, “In battles of the workplace, your peace is actually a weapon. The workplace creates many opportunities to rob us of our peace.” He goes on to list things like cash flow, relationships, conflicts with employees, deadlines, and other things that create stress and disturb our peace. He points out that when Jesus confronted the devil, Jesus didn’t react from his emotions or out of fear because He knew that the devil is a liar. Jesus just refused to be influenced by the lie. His peace overwhelmed the adversary, His authority shattered the lie, and the forces of darkness were sent scurrying away to the corner to hide. Pretty cool insight. I really enjoy a lot of stuff that Os Hillman writes, so be sure to check out his site at TodayGodIsFirst.com. Tip of the Week Everything you touch ends up on your phone…I mean everything. So how do you keep your phone, and the other tech gadgets you use, clean and sanitary? I discovered the answer to this conundrum on a recent trip to the Apple store. I noticed they use a product called WHOOSH! to keep all the high-end products free from fingerprints and Lord knows what else has been on the hands of hundreds of people who visit that store daily. I figured if it’s good enough for Apple, it’s good enough for me. Pick up some WHOOSH! for your devices, because the alternative is just nasty. Feature Presentation: “The One With Amy Porterfield” Amy Porterfield is one of the most interesting women on the internet, maybe even on the planet. She started out her career working for Harley Davidson and ended up working with Tony Robbins. Now through her best-selling marketing courses (List Builder’s Lab, Courses That Convert, Webinars That Convert), a thriving Facebook community, and top-ranked podcast, Amy inspires a grounded, tangible and self-affirming sense of, “Wow! I really can do this,” for over 250,000 online entrepreneurs. She proves that by moving away from “step-by-step” and into “action-by-action,” even the newest online entrepreneurs can bypass feelings of self-doubt and being overwhelmed. Instead, they can generate exciting momentum as they move closer to building a life and business they love. Here are some snippets from our conversation: The Entrepreneurial Incubator – Why surrounding yourself with the kind of people you want to be like is the secret sauce to successfully starting a business (8:29) Burn the Boats – Amy shares the fastest way to turn a side hustle into the life of your dreams (10:31) One dollar can change the world – Amy tells the story of how Ray started writing copy for Tony Robbins, and the unusual strategy he used to write a killer sales letter (13:46) Trading one boss for many bosses – What to do if you wind up hating the business you start, and how to successfully get back on track (15:29) Authenticity will always have an audience – Amy shares the secret to overcoming your client’s biggest fears and writing copy that converts like crazy (17:40) The Power of Belief – If you don’t possess this one thing you’re going to lose the trust of your audience forever (20:32) Connection isn’t a one-time thing – Amy teaches us the extreme value in creating a follow-up sequence that is just a continuation of your webinar or sales process (21:54) You like me, you really like me! – Amy reveals the clandestine way to get inside your customer’s mind and feel like you’re talking to them directly (23:38) Selling after the sale – Why making the sale is just the beginning of your copy journey with your customers (24:25) Should you outsource your voice? – Why you need to become a student of copywriting…even if you plan on hiring a copywriter (26:02) Everything is copy – Why understanding the art and science of copy can improve everything from social media posts to your personal relationships (28:53) Resources Mentioned In This Episode Today God Is First WHOOSH! Listbuilder’s Lab Courses That Covert Webinars That Convert How To Help 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.

Just like you, Marie Forleo started her business with nothing more than a laptop and a dream. Now she commands a socially-conscious digital empire that touches millions of people, and makes millions of dollars. In this episode we’re going to talk with Marie and get some little-known insight into how she created such a remarkable business, a business that has allowed her to design the life she always wanted to live. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Recently I did a podcast on the truth about Parkinson's. I've received lots of responses, which has been a real blessing because I think it has helped a lot of people. I think there's an opportunity for us to use our circumstances, whether good or bad, to advance the gospel…the Good News. In Philippians 1:12 the Apostle Paul says, “Now, I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” It would serve us well to remember that Paul was a businessman…he was a tent maker. As far as I can tell, this was not something that he did just because it was an easy way to make money. It required skill, and he did it because he didn't want to rely on the church for his income. He took it seriously. He had an overall ministry objective for his business, and that meant that sometimes he was thrown in prison, he was persecuted, he was beaten. It’s easy to be a shining example of God’s grace when everything is rosy, but when things get tough most people want to give up and quit. When things get stormy and rough we go through periods where maybe we're tempted to say, “I don't even know why I’m doing this, it just seems pointless.” First off, remember that God didn’t cause these things to happen to you. There is an enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy…but a loving Father that wants you to have an abundant life (John 10:10). Your temporary negative circumstances can be used to advance the Kingdom, to bring more of the reality of God to the world around you, to transcend your circumstances and transform them into something that is in your favor and to your advantage. I think our friend Paul serves as a good example of that. Selah. (Think about it.) Tip of the Week It's time for me to convince you to spend money on an app, and I’m playing no favorites this week. The app is called PORTRA and it’s available for both iOS users and Android people. There are a lot of apps out there that will put your photos through an art filter, but I've never seen anything that does as a good job as PORTRA. They really do look like paintings, it’s pretty amazing. I also have a little secret tip for you. If you use a high-resolution photo to do this, you could take that resulting artwork and send it off to fractureme.com. These people will print your photos on glass, which just amplifies the cool factor. You could use PORTRA to make a very unique photo into something that looks like a work of art, and then have it printed on glass and it would be a very groovy gift. Check it out, I think you're going to like it. Feature Presentation: “The One With Marie Forleo” Marie Forleo has an award-winning show called Marie TV, which when it first started up, I thought, “Oh, come on. Really?” And now she's like Oprah on the Internet. She's got a world-class online training program called B-School. She also has a book that's in 16 languages, and an audience in 195 countries. Marie helps people dream big and then back it up with meaningful action to get results, and she's also an extraordinary copywriter. Up until very recently, she wrote every word of copy that you saw come out of her business, which I think is just amazing. So, let's get into it. Here are some snippets from our conversation: Persuade with Purpose – Marie reveals the absolutely vital skill you must learn to authentically communicate with your audience (10:58) Achieving copy consciousness – The surprising way that your everyday world can become a copywriting classroom (12:55) Fail in public – Why allowing your tribe to watch your progression serves as both inspiration and education (14:34) Look spontaneous and brilliant – Marie talks about the importance of taking the time to really understand your audience and craft complete comprehensive answers to their questions (16:23) The fine line of web design – Marie discusses the value of intertwining copy and simple, clean design that causes your audience to become emotionally engaged with your brand (17:25) Sales doesn’t have to be slimy – Why modern marketing, which includes generosity, compassion, and value is the key to overcoming the fear of sales (21:11) The virus that’s killing your business – Why learning the art of writing copy is the single most powerful tool you have to grow a healthy, robust enterprise (24:22) Your voice matters – Should you write your own copy, or should you hire someone to do it for you? Marie tackles this question and provides a unique and wise perspective (26:46) The Steven Spielberg Test – Marie shares a way to check whether your copy is too ambiguous…is your copy so specific and clear that if Steven Spielberg read it he could make a scene from it that comes to life? (31:39) Get out of your head – Marie reminds us that when people buy they make emotional decisions, not logical ones, and that our copy not only needs to make sense, it needs to touch their heart (33:55) Manipulation vs Persuasion – Why the way you craft your offer makes the difference between adding value and taking advantage (35:02) Are you Luke Skywalker or Yoda? – There can only be one hero in a story. The key to writing copy that gets acted upon is to remember that your customer is the hero. They are Luke Skywalker, you are Yoda. (37:08) Resources Mentioned In This Episode PORTRA (iOS) PORTRA (Android) com Marie Forleo’s B-School Marie TV The Copy Cure How To Help 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.

There’s a shift happening in the world of copywriting. People are beginning to recognize the wisdom that can be gleaned from studying the fundamentals of copy directly from the masters themselves. In this episode, we’re going to help you walk that path by introducing you to the most ripped-off copywriter alive. John Carlton is one of the guys who got me started in the world of professional copyrighting. He's got a degree in psychology, understands how the human mind works and how people make buying decisions, and he uses his knowledge of behavioral psychology to sell stuff…which I think is a pretty smart idea. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations I’ve been doing some reading from John Maxwell’s Leadership Bible, and I discovered he has an interesting take on one of my favorite Scriptures… “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise. Which having no captain, overseer or ruler provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8 Maxwell came up with an acronym that explains what we can learn from the ant. Attitude of Initiative: Ants don't need a boss to tell them how to get started. I like that. Nature of Integrity: Ants work faithfully and need no outside accountability to keep them doing things the right way…because if they don’t they'll die. Thirst for Industry: Ants work hard and will replace their anthill when it gets ruined…they don't give up and go look for ant welfare. Source of Insight: Ants store provisions in the summer because they know there's a lean time coming. Go to the ant and be wise. Tip of the Week Our tip this week comes from the book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. This is a topic that a lot of people discuss, but not very many people have studied the psychology behind the idea of rest as this guy does. He says in the front of his book, “For most of us, overwork is the new normal and rest is an afterthought.” In our busy lives, rest is defined as the absence of work, something to do once we’ve finished everything else on our to-do list. Dismissing rest stifles our ability to think creatively and truly recharge. The author works in Silicon Valley and posits that rest is not the opposite of work if they are part of the same cycle. Instead, without one you can't really enjoy and benefit from the other. I'm reading this as part of Michael Hyatt’s monthly reading program LeaderBox. This program gets you reading two books a month, which is pretty awesome! You should sign up for it at LeaderBox.com. Feature Presentation: “John Carlton: The Most Ripped-Off Copywriter Alive” Some people call John Carlton the most ripped-off copywriter alive and that's because there was a period of time when everybody was ripping off his one-legged-golfer headline. He's the guy who wrote the headline: The Amazing Secrets of the One-Legged Golfer, and it was for a course on how to play better golf. The premise is so obvious, if a one-legged golfer shoots a good game of golf, he must be doing something right. Or she, could be a one-legged lady. Well, that became the most swiped headline in history for a long time. The list of well-known marketers who freely reference John Carlton as their primary mentor for writing sales messages is staggering. In fact, I went to a conference with the sole intention of spending $5,000 to buy his swipe files. So, let's get into my interview with John Carlton. Here are some snippets from our conversation: The grooming of a guru – The process that took John Carlton from introvert to a commanding stage presence (11:14) Share your best stuff – Why John Carlton made the decision to give the world a license to steal his stuff (12:34) My greatest joy – Why sharing and hands-on mentoring can become an accelerant for your business (13:50) Birds of a feather – Why copywriters are a rare tribe of scribes, and are the ones who will write history (14:42) The ultimate calling card – Why you should have a book, and the easiest way to get that done quickly (16:33) Is your marketing working? – Why direct-response copy matters and the reason mastering this art form is the fastest path to the cash (21:42) The Father of the Hot Seat – How a random idea in an elevator created a powerful way to solve even the most difficult business problems (27:15) Operation Money-Suck – How a crisis revealed what your number one job should be, and how focusing on this one task can save your business (34:25) Turning failure into success – John Carlton reveals his simple secret to writing highly effective sales copy (44:17) You are who you hang around – John explains the power of the mastermind and why tapping into brilliant minds makes everyone better (48:05) Unleashing the Power Within – What John Carlton learned from Tony Robbins that made him a better marketer (50:05) The Freelance Epiphany – How a stolen book launched John Carlton’s writing career, and what that experience taught him about becoming a successful freelance copywriter (55:20) The Simple Writing System explained – John Carlton takes you behind the curtain and shows you the simplest way to write anything from a paragraph to a 24-page sales letter (61:02) Stalking the desk – How to put yourself in the right frame of mind to do your best work and make your mark in the marketplace (66:06) Moving the sloth – How a controversial visualization technique can lead you to writing copy that causes your prospect to take out their wallet and give you money (69:04) The Two-List Solution – John Carlton shares his hard-won advice about what it takes to become a successful copywriter (77:47) Resources Mentioned In This Episode Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less LeaderBox The Maxwell Leadership Bible Simple Success Secrets No One Told You About The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Getting Your Shit Together John Carlton’s Official Blog Simple Writing System How To Help 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.

Your core beliefs control everything you do, from your attitudes to the actions you take each day. But how did you develop those beliefs? Did you thoughtfully choose them yourself, or were they handed to you over time from potentially unqualified sources? In this episode we continue to discuss the core beliefs we hold here at Ray Edwards International. If you listen closely you may discover the key to developing your own North Star that can be counted on to guide you safely home. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations If I took Jesus out of my business, would it make any difference? This is a little bit of a trick question, because what you are on Sunday you should be every day of the week. It’s not about living a balanced life, it’s about living an integrated life. If what you believe doesn’t make a difference in the way you live every part of your life, then perhaps it’s possible that you don’t really believe it. We take a deeper dive on this subject in this week’s episode, but take warning…it’s not for the faint of heart. Tip of the Week This week I’m going to share a tip that will eliminate the most ubiquitous challenge that video content creators face. No, it has nothing to do with the quality of your video…it’s the quality of your sound. The newest smartphones are great for shooting video, but the microphones that are built into them are lousy. Don’t be fooled, if your audio isn’t great, viewers won’t stick around. That means all your great content and world-changing ideas go right down the drain. Fear not, I have a simple, cost-effective solution for you. Introducing the TASCAM DR-10L, an ultra-compact, incredibly convenient digital recorder/lavalier microphone combo. You can shoot the video and record the audio separately on this device, it uses a microSD card. All you do then is take the sound from the microSD card and put it on top of the video in your video editing software. It sounds like a big deal, but it's not hard to do. In fact, Final Cut Pro makes it super easy because it basically does it for you. Free yourself from the horrors of awful audio, and become the world-class content creator you were born to be! Feature Presentation: “The Entrepreneurial Manifesto” If you’re an entrepreneur, or on your way to becoming one, this week I’m going to cover some important philosophical and positional tenets that you can use as a roadmap to guide your enterprise to true and lasting success. Let’s begin… The fire in which we burn – Why you must guard your time like the absolute treasure it is (13:02) Seek and ye shall find – How to live the life you really want to live and bless those of your choosing without needlessly sacrificing yourself on their behalf (14:14) Tripping the thought wire – The secret to being successful and thriving while also being accountable (15:32) Where did you get that idea? – The real reason why business, wealth, and possessions are inherently moral and good (20:55) Creating value and building wealth – Money and resources can only exchange hands two ways, either voluntarily by trading value for value, or by force. Which do you choose? (23:59) Creating value can save the world – How copywriting saved a pastor and his family from financial ruin (29:34) And the winner is… – Why the Free Market is the only market that actually works (32:09) Are you worthy? – The reason it’s important to be ready to give an answer for what you believe (34:45) Resources Mentioned in This Episode TASCAM DR-10L Final Cut Pro The Virtue of Selfishness Prosperity Academy How To Help 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.

Remember the good old days of email marketing when you could just send email to someone and they would actually look forward to receiving it? While it’s true that email marketing was different in the past, I believe there is a case to be made that we are in The Golden Age of email marketing right now…and you can still be a part of it. My guest this week is someone who knows a lot about how to get the most out of your email marketing. Nathan Barry is the founder of ConvertKit, and he is going to share some simple hacks that will help you become a vital part of the email renaissance. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations When I walk into my office each day, the first thing I see is a pink index card with three words written on it. Those three words are the principles that drive my business daily. Those words are: Presence People Profit Presence has two meanings for me: number one, and the most important, is the presence of God. I want to be aware of God's presence every moment of the day. The second meaning of the word presence is being present with people. This is a big deal to me. The second principle is people. The real foundation of my business is people just like you. No people…no business. But people mean much more to me than that. We all need deep relationships with others and relationships are reciprocal. We need each other. We need people in our lives. The third principle is profit, because if you don't have a profit, you won't have a business for very long. Those are the priorities that I think about every day in the business as I walk in the door. If I stay focused on the presence of God while being present with people and recognizing their importance, the profit will take care of itself. Tip of the Week I ditched my iPad…kind of. I ditched my smaller 9.7” iPad in favor of the larger 12.9” one. From the outside I can understand why people might have a problem with that decision…I mean, does it really make that big a difference? Yes, and here are five reasons why: It's the size of a full sheet of paper. It has a split screen. I can handwrite my notes and draw little illustrations, or do sketch-noting. I can easily annotate PDF’s. I can leave my laptop behind, because there are very few things I can do on my laptop that I can't do on my iPad Pro. While the adage isn’t always true, in this case, bigger is actually better. Feature Presentation: “The Death & Rebirth of Email Marketing” My guest Nathan Barry likes to build audiences and companies. Right now he is focused on building ConvertKit, an email marketing company for professional bloggers. It’s both powerful and easy to use, plus amazing people like Tim Ferriss, Pat Flynn, Chris Guillebeau, as well as 12,000 other great bloggers swear by it. Here are some snippets from our conversation: The riches are in the niches – Why ConvertKit isn’t just a different email service provider, it’s a better one (18:10) One of these things is not like the other – Why trying to be all things to all people is a recipe for business disaster (20:28) Scratch your own itch – How Nathan Barry learned that solving his own problem was the fastest path to the cash (21:05) What’s your startup story – Join Nathan in a no-holds-barred look behind the scenes of what start-up success really looks like (21:22) “Shut it down, or double down” – The wise advice Nathan Barry received from a friend that completely turned his business around (23:10) Mired in the Sea of Sameness – Why it takes more than a just passionate message to get your voice heard in the marketplace (27:34) Stop celebrating complexity – The real reason why consistently providing value still reigns supreme in the marketplace of ideas (29:05) The right tool for the right job – What ConvertKit learned about the mistake of trying to make everyone fit into the same box (30:45) Here’s what to do first – Simple hacks that can take from no list at all, to having an engaged list that you can be proud of (32:51) Dodging the fiery darts of email marketing failure – What tagging and segmentation are, and why they may be the secret weapon your marketing system has been searching for (36:07) The Cowardly Lion approach to marketing – How to easily spot customers who are digitally raising their hands and ready to buy from you (38:06) Focus on what you care about – What you can learn from ConvertKit’s commitment to user experience so you can dominate your segment of the online world (41:17) Resources Mentioned in This Episode ConvertKit GoodNotes 9 Inch iPad Pro Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur How To Help 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 you believe controls how much success you’re willing to allow yourself to experience. Is it possible that by tweaking what you believe you could start to achieve things you once thought impossible? In this episode we're going to begin to examine and share some of our core beliefs, how they influence our business, our personal lives, our behavior, and how we arrived at these beliefs. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Our Spiritual Foundations segment this week is sure to ruffle a few feathers, but what else is new? In this episode I unveil a new way to think about one of the most quoted passages in the Bible…Matthew 22:15-22. “Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.” So, was Jesus saying that taxes are cool and He was totally okay with the government? Or is it possible that His answer had a deeper meaning. The answers you seek are inside this week’s episode. Tip of the Week If you’re anything like me, you have dozens of apps on your phone that you never use. They seemed like a good idea at the time, but now they’ve been relegated to the Island of Forgotten Apps. Fear not, I have an elegantly simple solution. Delete all the apps on your phone and only add them back when you need them. I know, it sounds extreme, but think of it as a game. How few apps can you keep on your phone and still feel like a king or queen of the digital playground? I think you’ll be surprised at the answer. Feature Presentation: “7 Beliefs That Create Success” We stand for: Spiritual foundations Virtuous prosperity Rational, virtuous self-interest Reality-based thinking Non-evasiveness Productivity Legacy Here are some snippets from our conversation: Stop living on a flat earth – Why your worldview is dangerously incomplete without a spiritual component (11:16) Is your mental castle made from bricks or straw? – Why what you believe about reality may actually be making your life more difficult (12:24) Be fruitful and multiply – How your built-in power to reason gives you the ability to create things that advance and sustain life (18:25) The Dangerous Dichotomy – How Jesus’ command to love yourself is the key to helping as many people as possible (24:09) You reap what you sow – Why thought without action dooms you to a life mired in the mud of false reality (28:58) If I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist – Why evading reality never helps you in the long run and eventually winds up stealing all your joy (35:39) You are The Genesis Device – How embracing your creative nature is the fastest way to become productive and turn work into worship (40:39) The work you do today impacts tomorrow – Why you should build the world today that future generations can enjoy tomorrow…just like you wish previous generations had done for you (45:26) Resources Mentioned in This Episode The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living How To Help 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 just listened to an episode of Amy Porterfield‘s podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. That episode shook me up (hah hah, the first Parkinson's joke of the episode). After hearing Amy speak so powerfully, I felt an overwhelming sense that I needed to say a few things publicly. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. I'm sharing not because it's important to me (believe me, I'd rather not be talking about this) – but because it's important to you. WARNING: This episode may not be suitable for those uncomfortable with the cold, hard truth.