Ray Edwards Show

We often hear success stories of people who go from "rags to riches". We usually hear about the struggles they had when they started. What is uncommon is to hear about the struggles they still endure, and how they are overcoming them in the present moment. I'm very excited about today's show, which is mostly a recording of a conversation between me and my friend Cliff Ravenscraft, also known as The Podcast AnswerMan. During this totally unscripted, off-the-cuff interview, you'll discover: How the TV show Lost helped Cliff become a leading voice in the world of podcasting. How investing in one specific training program changed the entire vector of Cliff's life, and career. Why success on the outside may not be an indicator of success on the inside (Cliff opens up and tells of his most recent struggle, and the incredible way he is gaining victory.) The story of a prayer that brought a miraculous answer in the most unexpected place, and literally transformed Cliff's life in the moment. How "selfies" can actually be selfless. Two books you absolutely must read if you want to change your physical health once and for all (and chances are you've never heard of either of them). Plus, a whole lot more wisdom from the man who helps so many take their lives "to the Next Level." Tip Of the Week Periscope. A competitor to the similar app Meerkat, Periscope turns your mobile phone into a TV broadcast studio – in your pocket. I've been playing with this ever since I was at Social Media Marketing World. I really think this is a revolutionary technology and we have only begun to see the ramifications it carries for the future. Jump in and play, the water is fine. Spiritual Foundations The Secret of How to Lack Nothing "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing." Psalm 23 I'm learning the deep lesson that if we believe God's Word is true, it literally means we lack nothing in this present moment. That is sometimes hard to accept, especially if we are sick, in pain, experiencing a broken relationship or home, have lost our job, or any of the myriad of hurtful challenges we deal with in day-to-day life. Yet God's word says that we "lack nothing". How can this be? God sees things from a different perspective than we do. He sees the whole picture. What may look like lack to us, he knows to be a temporary situation. God knows that He will ultimately tip the scales of justice in our favor, and that anything we feel we have lost will be restored to us. God is good, all the time, no matter what. Ground your faith in the bedrock of that confession. Know that God is your friend. Believe it or not, that is the message of the book of Job. How do we practice this idea that we lack nothing, especially when our circumstances tell us that we may lack everything? I believe the key is gratitude. You Can't Pay The Bills With Gratitude… Or Can You? When Jesus fed the 5,000 with only a little bread and a little fish, he prayed. But he did not ask for a miracle, groaning and pleading with his Father in Heaven. Scripture says he "gave thanks" and then had the disciples distribute the bread to the thousands of people present. I don't think it's an accident that we're told he "gave thanks". He expressed gratitude for what he had and he stepped into an aspect of the Kingdom that allowed miraculous provision to flow from a seemingly insufficient supply. That's how the Kingdom works. Your level of prosperity will equal exactly the level of your gratitude. So give thanks for what you do have, and give no attention to what you feel might be lacking in this moment. Because you, my friend, lack nothing. Feature Presentation: How Cliff Ravenscraft Transformed His Life I actually had a page full of questions I was going to ask Cliff during our interview. I did ask the first question, but from there, the interview took on a life of its own. And I'm so glad it did. You will enjoy and be blessed by Cliff's story, as I was. Have you ever experience a miraculous answer to prayer like Cliff did? I hope you'll share that story. May I Ask A Favor? Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

You're smart. You never believed the people who said "there's no money in Social Media". You thought the people who said Social was all about "pictures of what people had for lunch" or "videos about cats" were missing the point. Yes, those things are popular on Social Media… and it's also true that Social Media is a vital marketing medium that can bring big rewards, monetary and otherwise when done right. Just ask Taylor Swift, Oreo, the folks behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, or even President Barack Obama. Just knowing Social Media Marketing is important, however, is not enough. You must know how to do it right – or at least how to not do it wrong. Today's episode will address what I consider to be the 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you are most likely making right now… and how to fix them. Tip Of the Week I have not one, but three tips for you this week! Tip #1: Smart Podcast Player First, I'm very excited about the new podcast player we are using on our website. You know, that little "play" button you click to hear audio on the web, such as listening to podcast episode? Up until now we were using a very primitive podcast player. But we just switched the Pat Flynn's Smart Podcast Player. Pat created the player for his own enormously popular podcast. Here's what he says about it: I created this custom player with my team because I wanted a better listening experience for my audience. They deserve the best. After sharing the player with my audience, I received hundreds of requests from other podcasters who wanted to use the player too, and so the Smart Podcast Player was born. You put an immense amount of time and care into creating your podcast; the player you use should reflect that. My team and I have put the same attention and care into building the Smart Podcast Player. I know that you (and your listeners) will love it. Some of the features and benefits: Works with any feed, from any host, anywhere. Looks amazing the design is clean and modern, and you can customize it to match your site perfectly. Lets your listeners explore, discover, and share. The Smart Podcast Player has an interactive library that allows your listeners to explore past episodes in your backlist without interrupting the episode that's playing. The player also empowers your listeners to search your backlist by tag, download their favorite episodes in MP3 format, and share episodes with their friends. Your library of episodes updates automatically anytime you publish a new episode to your feed. All metadata is available, episode description included. Your listeners can control the speed of the currently playing episode just like they enjoy doing when they use today's latest podcast mobile apps. It's also got rave reviews from podcasters like John Lee Dumas, Michael Hyatt, and Jaime Tardy of the Eventual Millionaire podcast. And this one is a big deal that I think doesn't get enough emphasis: there's a direct "Subscribe In iTunes" button on the player. The number of subscribers plays a big role in how your show ranks on iTunes. And now your podcast player can encourage those subscriptions, as in the picture you see below (you can actually click that picture and subscribe to this podcast… go ahead… I'll wait…) You can see the entire library of The Ray Edwards Show in the Smart Podcast Player, so you can see it in action, by clicking here. And once you've decided you can't live without the player, check it out at SmartPodcastPlayer.com Tip #2: Twitter Power 3.0 You may know Joel Comm as a New York Times Best-Selling author, and as a top social media influencer. I know him as the guy who convinced me to write and publish my first book, Writing Riches. Much of my success is tied to that book. It was published because of Joel's encouragement and advice. We have been good friends for many years now. I don't know Dave Taylor, but I have benefitted from his work at AskDaveTaylor.com many, many times (just as millions of others have). Joel and Dave just launched their co-authored book, Twitter Power 3.0, and I recommend you click here and buy your copy now. Twitter Power (the previous version) is already the world's top-selling book on the subject of Twitter. It was endorsed by Tony Robbins (who, by the way, has 2.58 million followers on Twitter). This newly updated super-guide, Twitter Power 3.0 will show smart businesses and entrepreneurs how to use Twitter to massively grow their reach. And this new, improved, cutting-edge book is endorsed by none other than Guy Kawasaki, who says, "This book will give you a big head start toward mastering Twitter from two people who already have." The book is also endorsed and praised by Robert Scoble, Mari Smith, Chris Brogan, Jay Baer, John Lee Dumas, Michael Stelzner, Kim Garst, and other top social media influencers. Look, you don't need anyone's expensive "Twitter Course" or "coaching" – you can dominate your market on Twitter simply following the advice in this book. Inside Twitter Power 3.0, you'll discover how to: Grow your number of followers PLUS increase your engagement on Twitter Make your content to go viral (you'll be shocked at what works and what doesn't!) Measure the Twitter metrics that matter most and fine-tune your strategy to maximize your results In celebration of the launch of Twitter Power 3.0, Joel and Dave are offering some generous bonuses when you order your copy of the book today. The bonuses you get include a brand new eBook called Social Poetry 2 (which features the top marketers/influencers online… even I make a brief appearance in the book). So, to get more followers and influence on Twitter, start by ordering your copy of Twitter Power 3.0. And, of course, claim all the free bonuses that come with your purchase. I don't make a single penny for recommending this book to you. The links in this post are not affiliate links. I just happen to think this is an excellent book, and I think you need to read it (if you want to be successful with Twitter). Tip #3: Social Media Marketing World 2015 Session Recordings Was traveling to San Diego for Social Media Marketing World 2015 just not an option for you this year? If so, you missed the marketing event of the year. I had the privilege of leading one of the tracks at the event, and I soaked up a ton of great knowledge from the other sessions. Below is a picture of me with my personal Mastermind Group, the Green Room Mastermind. In the photo is Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft, Mike Stelzner, Mark Mason, and Leslie Samuel. This is the first time we have all been in the same physical space at one time! (L-R) Mark Mason, Mike Stelzner, Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft, Leslie Samuel I know, I know, you're feeling left out. What if you could catch ALL the conference sessions at your convenience without any travel expenses or the need to replicate yourself? The good news is now you can! All you need is the Virtual Ticket to Social Media Marketing World 2015! For a fraction of the cost of a regular ticket, you'll get full access to the recording of EVERY session. Yes, every keynote, all the panels and each great session–the ones people travel thousands of miles to see–will be at your fingertips. With your Virtual Ticket, you'll have access to 100+ online recordings of everything. You can watch playbacks from your computer, tablet or smartphone at your leisure. You'll also be able to interact with your peers via our private LinkedIn networking group. Click here to get your virtual ticket now. There's no risk, either – you can try the first two days once the recordings are posted and still cancel for a full refund if you decide it's not for you! Spiritual Foundations Satan Is No Longer Allowed To Accuse You Of Anything Recently a friend expressed worry that his troubles were because of Satan. My friend said to me, "I just know this problem is happening because Satan is the 'accuser of the brethren', making sure God is aware of my every sin." He was referring to a passage from Revelation 12:10: "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down." (NKJV) Many people believe that this is still going on, and that the "casting down" comes at the end of time. But that is not true. A careful reading of Revelation in the context of the rest of the New Testament shows that this "casting down" of the "accuser of the brothers" has already happened. "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." Romans 8:33 In book of Job, Satan is in God's presence and us griping about Job (see Job 1:6-12). Now here's the question I have about this scene: what the heck is Satan doing at God's throne? That's God's most holy place. How can Satan be allowed there? It's pretty simple: we gave him our pass to the throne room of heaven. Adam bowed to the will of Satan in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, and that means's Satan was able to take Adam's place and could come before God. Satan became "the accuser of the brothers" – he did nothing but bend God's ear with lies about us. Then something amazing happened. The "last Adam", Jesus Christ, gave his own blood and cleansed the things of Heaven (Hebrews 9:22-24). The work Jesus did, which he called "finished", redeemed the place where Satan stood before God. There's no place in heaven for Satan. He cannot come before God and accuse you or me. Those days are over. The next bit of good news is who is in God's presence today – and that would be JEsus. He is there on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). And so now who can condemn or accuse us? "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." Romans 8:34 Listen, as I read the book of Job I see it contains many theological knots. I can't untie half of them. I do know that much of it is bad theology, presented as just that. God himself says that Job's friends spoke wrongly about Him, invalidating much of the text as theology. Job wanted someone to plead on his behalf. (Job 9:33) We actually have what Job desired – we have Jesus as our representative, and he is interceding for us (1 Timothy 2:5). So… what does Satan do now? The only thing he can do: he comes to you and me, here on earth, and accuses us through our conscience. His only weapon is lies. His weapon is only effective if we believe the lies. He has no power. (Colossians 2:15) So if you find yourself thinking that God's will is for you to be sick, or hurting, or hungry… or that God is punishing you for your sins… don't buy into that garbage! Don't listen to Satan's lies. God justifies you, and nobody, not even the devil himself, has the power to come before God and accuse you. You, just like Jesus, have free and total access to God's throne of grace to "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need". (Hebrews 4:16) Revel in your righteousness, and know that all your sin-debt has been paid, you are free, and there's no one left to accuse you. Imagine yourself in the place of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Here accusers dragged her to Jesus, accusing her. He turned the accusers away and… When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." John 8:10-11 That's what he's saying to you and me today: "Neither do I condemn you." Feature Presentation: Are You Making These 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes? Social Marketing is more important now than ever. If you don't believe that, or don't understand why its true, hasten thyself over to Social Media Examiner and get the  Sixth Annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report. It is 50 pages, and over 80 charts worth of data from 2,800 organized into an important and comprehensive report. It will open your eyes to just how important Social Media Marketing is to you and your business. Based on that report, Mike Stelzner gave a fantastic keynote at Social Media Marketing World 2015, where he outlined the 8 major trends all marketers must know about in 2015. After spending two and a half days at the conference last week, attending sessions, taking notes like a madman, listening to the podcasts and reading several books by presenters at the conference, plus reading a pile of articles on Social Media Examiner, I decided to create this Social Media-focused show. So here are the 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you are most likely making… and how to fix them. Pronto. Social Media Marketing Mistake #1 Failure to have a Strategic Social Media Marketing System. "Strategic" means: the identification of long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them. "System" means: a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method. Thus, a Strategic Social Media Marketing System is: A set of principles and procedures of using Social Media with the overall aim of increasing the profitability of the enterprise. Do you have such a system? Is it written down? Does the document clearly define the intent of the system? Does it define, step-by-step, how to activities are to be conducted to achieve the Strategic Objective? Could anyone on your staff or team execute the instructions based solely on the written procedure? If not, you don't have a system. How To Fix Mistake #1: Develop a written document that spells out the principles and procedures of using Social Media with the overall aim of increasing the profitability of the enterprise. Social Media Marketing Mistake #2 Failure to have a consistent branding presence across Social Media Platforms. Your images, logos, and profile pages look different across all the different services, including your own blog. Your logo, colors, and design scheme are just a hodgepodge of what you used at the time you signed up for any given network. How To Fix Mistake #2: Get a professional logo design and headshot made, if you don't already have them. Know what your design color palette is and use it. Then, change your images, logos, and profile pages should look alike across all the different services, including your own blog. Your logo, colors, and design scheme should always match. And if you have a personal brand, use the same headshot on all the services… and make sure it looks like you! Social Media Marketing Mistake #3 Failure to understand the different Social Media services. The rules – both written and unwritten – differ from service to service. the proper way to be a valued member of each community is to understand its culture and behave accordingly. Proper behavior looks different on LinkedIn than on Google+ or Facebook, and Facebook profile etiquette is different from the etiquette for Facebook pages. And Twitter is different from all the rest. Unfortunately, many (most) marketers have never taken the time to really learn the culture of the networks they are part of. These same marketers then don't understand why their "social" marketing "doesn't work." Here's a clue: If everywhere you go, you smell body odor, you might be the one who needs a shower. How To Fix Mistake #3: Study the most popular users of each service. Watch their behavior and interaction. Read a guide on the networks you want to be part of. You can find definitive guides and up-to-the-minute tips at Social Media Examiner for free. One powerful and important insight: spend most of your time on Social Networks being social. Interact. Respond. And don't make the mistake of being self-promotional all the time. My rule of thumb is to try to be 90% sharing and helpful, and to use only 10% of my Social Media activity to directly promote. Now go out on the playground… and play nice! Social Media Marketing Mistake #4 Failure to have a presence on the most important Social Media sites. Many marketers sign up for ever Social Media network, don't dig deep into any of them, and so have a lackluster presence everywhere. Yuck. Don't  do this. It just makes you appear to be one of the mediocre masses. You shouldn't – and can't – have a presence on all Social Media networks. How To Fix Mistake #4: I know I will get arguments on this, but in my opinion, here are the networks you should focus on, in the order of priority, from most important to least (but I think they are all important). Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest Google+ As I said, I know some will want to argue with be about this list, but I think it's right on target. Feel free to differ with me in the comments… or on Social Media!   Social Media Marketing Mistake #5 Failure to use strong visual content in your Social Media Marketing. Most Social Media Marketers are focused on words. As a copywriter, I understand. But copywriting and writing in general isn't really about the medium – it's about the message. If you're focused only on the text, you're missing out on huge momentum and potential profit. More and more, people are consuming visual content. How To Fix Mistake #5: Get visual – especially video-visual! One of the hottest trends, according to the data from the Social Media Marketing Industry Report (and Mike Stelzner's keynote), is video. In particular, native video. Meaning video that is posted and hosted on the network distributing it. The networks seem to be giving preference to video that is uploaded via their own network interface. So use Facebook to upload your video to Facebook, instead of uploading it to YouTube and linking to it on Facebook. The same is true of other networks as well. And for goodness sakes, don't forget pictures and those "quote memes" that seem so popular. You can make your own using Canva or Wordswag. And finally, there are infographics. If you want to capture complex ideas in a simple way people love, use infographics. There are a lot of great tools to make them yourself, among them Canva, PikToChart,  and Visual.ly. Which of these 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes are you making, and what will you do this week to fix them? May I Ask A Favor? Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

Cash is the oxygen that lets your business breathe. And just like oxygen, when there is none available it's all you can think about because you need it to survive. Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical! Tip Of the Week I have a new friend, and I love him. His name is Edgar. Let me explain. Most of our social media updates go to waste. They're only seen by a fraction of our total audience, falling victim to things like time of day, mysterious algorithms and other factors that are beyond our control. Fewer and fewer people see our social media updates. To keep up, we're forced to publish more frequently, just to stay engaged with our audiences. This can make social media marketing a real burden, one that grows heavier each day… and one that offers diminishing returns. Edgar to the rescue! No longer do you publish your updates just once and then watch them sink beneath the waves of obscurity, missed by most and forgotten by all (even you) within hours of publication. Edgar catalogs your social updates into a library that grows over time. You curate the library, and Edgar republishes those updates on a schedule you set. He publishes only what you want, and only when you want it done. What happens once Edgar publishes all of the updates in a category (like "My Blog Posts," for instance)? He just pulls more updates from your library. You can handcraft each update and even write several fresh updates that point to the same resource, blog post or podcast episode. Your social media posts don't go to waste. Your "old" posts can become new again. And you have time to catch up on the latest episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. You can read a whole stack of 44 cool Social Media Marketing tips like this in this article at Social Media Examiner. Spiritual Foundations The Bible says that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. (Romans 5:20) But grace is about more than the forgiveness of sins. Check this out: "And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." Luke 2:40 Jesus did not sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) So why and how was God's grace was upon Jesus? There must be some way a human can abound in God's grace even when he has not sinned. The word "grace" is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 6:8, which says that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord". Noah's name means "rest". So the verse is literally saying that rest found grace. Grace was upon Jesus because He lived a life of rest, and trust in His Father. He said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself. He can do only what He sees His Father doing." (John 5:19) Grace comes upon us when we rest and trust God. But what if nothing happens? Honestly, if after you have given the matter to Jesus and nothing happens, what can you do? If Jesus Himself can't do anything about it, do you think you can? But here's the truth: once the problem is handed over to Jesus, He can and will do a perfect work of taking care of it for you! So live a life of rest. Have this attitude and tell the Lord, "I just rest in You Lord and I trust You." Feature Presentation: The Fastest Path to Cash Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical! Provide a service. Consult. Do a combination for more leverage. Where do you find these customers? Your employer or past employers. Your customers or past customers. People you know, or people they know. Question: Which path to fast cash could you take this week – and will you? How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

Many people struggle with getting their online business rolling because they never get around to creating their product. They think it has to be hard and take a long time. But I don't think either of those things are true. In fact, today I'll share 3 easy ways you can create products fast! Tip Of the Week How to read an extra book each month – audiobooks! I use Audible.com to read an extra book a month – some months two books! 3 reasons why this is a good idea: It makes use of what tony Robbins calls "N.E.T" time… meaning No Extra Time. It keeps your mind engaged when it would otherwise be idle. You read an extra 12 books this year! Try it and see for yourself. Spiritual Foundations To receive from the Lord, all we need is to hold the correct beliefs. How do we do this? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 So what is the "word of Christ"? Let's get an example: And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." Mar 5:24-34 Worth noting: This woman violated Jewish law (being in public while unclean, touching the Teacher, touching a man). She had tried many times already to be healed. She had merely "heard the reports about Jesus" and she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." What did she hear about him? She drew something from Jesus that others around him did not draw! Feature Presentation: 3 Easy Ways to Create Products Fast Not every product you make can or should be your magnum opus. Here are 3 easy ways to create products fast. Teach what you know. Use audio, video, or screen capture. Report on what others know. Do audio or video interviews. Get transcripts. Make summaries and checklists. Curate the best teaching of the top experts. Read, interview, organize, synthesize. Cite sources, give credit. Sell using paypal or gumroad. Question: What's and easy product you could create in the next 7 days? How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

It can be hard to find time to build your business, especially if you have a full-time job. "Moonlighting" to build your business can lead to burnout, problems with your current employer, or the failure of your spare-time startup. I found I had to make five specific trade-offs to make it work. I believe anyone who is leaving a full-time job to pursue their own business can do the same, if you're willing to make these same five trade-offs. Tip Of the Week The easiest way to develop a new habit is to make it as automatic as possible. I suggest making it the first thing you do when you wake up. That's how I have developed my gratitude and meditation practice over the last month. Spiritual Foundations Sometimes we feel as though God might be too busy to pay attention to us as an individual. After all, we are one out of billions. We think that way because we are constricted by time and place. God is not limited by these factors. Even when Jesus was in His earthly body, and thus willingly limited in the same ways we are, Jesus always took time for individuals. Think about it. Jesus was traveling when he took time out to minister to the demon-possessed man from a distant area, the country of the Gadarenes. On his way there, He had time to minister to his disciples and show them he could calm the stormy sea. When He and the disciples returned to Galilee, a man named Jairus came to the Lord for help. His 12-year-old daughter was dying and he came to ask Jesus to come heal her. On His way there, Jesus was stopped by the woman who had been tormented by a bleeding condition for 12 years, and Jesus took time to stop and heal her. While He stopped for the woman, Jairus's daughter died, and the report came that Jesus was too late. Jesus reasured Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." (Luke 8:49–50) He took the time to walk the rest of the way to Jairus' house and raised the little girl from the dead. Now, Jesus is not limited by time or space. He can be and is everywhere at once. And He always hears when we call. Even when He is busy. Even when it seems too late. He will always come through for you! Success Story: Matt McWilliams This is an interview featuring a success story from Matt McWilliams. Feature Presentation: Five Trade-Offs Help Build Your Business Faster It can be hard to find time to build your business, especially if you have a full-time job. "Moonlighting" to build your business can lead to burnout, problems with your current employer, or the failure of your spare-time startup. This is familiar territory for me – I built my marketing and copywriting business while working a full-time job in the demanding world of broadcast radio. In 2005, I was an executive with a regional broadcast company, traveling virtually every week, and responsible for the programming and marketing of dozens of radio stations all across the Northwest United States. Even though I had a cushy radio job, I could see the handwriting on the wall for an industry faced with increasing competition, decreasing audience, and shrinking revenue. It was time to get out. I decided to start my own business. In order to make the transition from full-time employee to full-time entrepreneur, I needed to build  my business income up before I left the corporate job – and I had to do it without stealing time form my "day job". I found I had to make five specific trade-offs to make it work. I believe anyone who is leaving a full-time job to pursue their own business can do the same, if you're willing to make these same five trade-offs. The Five Trade-Offs Trade short-term pain for long-term gain. Let's face it: you're going to be working harder for a while. That meant, for me, getting up earlier in the morning and going to bed later at night. In the short term, the extra work was painful. But the freedom I gained from making this trade was well worth the pain. Trade activities that are tension-relieving for those that are goal-achieving. In the old days, when I was just a "company man" workin' the job, I often blew off steam by watching lots of TV, going to the movies, and spending weekends at the lake, hiking, or just hanging around the house. Those activities were tension-relieving, but I traded them for activities that were goal-achieving. This meant time previously spent on recreation was now devoted to writing copy,  creating products, and marketing my services. Trade hours now for days later. I soon realized that I was trading extra hours in the present day for days of freedom in the future. This realization helped keep me motivated. I keep telling myself that having all my days in the future free to do as I please was worth giving up some of my hours in the short-term. Trade luxuries for leverage. If you don't have enough time to build  your business as quickly as you'd like, you may want to hire some help. Outsource some work, for instance. Building a business requires more than and investment of time; it also requires, to some degree, an investment of money. For instance, you might cut back on vacation spending, forgo the latest Apple gizmo, and give up other luxuries, so you can invest those extra dollars in order to outsource work for the business. You're trading luxuries for the leverage you need to reach your goal. Trade fringe time for full-time status. Most of us have "fringe time" that mostly goes to waste – or at least that is filled with activities that don't have any lasting value. Think about your own "fringe time" and how you currently fill it. Are you willing to trade your fringe time now for full-time status in your own business in the future? If you are willing to make these trade-offs, you can find the time to get your business off the ground even if you're a "spare-time startup" – and you can leave the security of your job with income already rolling from the business. Question: What are some things you need to "trade" to help make your start-up business successful? How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

I have written quite a bit about productivity, and done more than a few podcasts on the subject of getting things done. Today, I am taking a departure from the normal recommendations about being productive-including my own. On today's show, I will share five surprising productivity "hacks"- shortcuts that make you more productive. But shortcuts you may be shocked to hear coming from me. Tip of the Week This week's tip I actually picked up from my good friend Pat Flynn. Recently, I was listening to Pat's Smart Passive Income Podcast, and heard him talk about two apps that intrigued me. I've been using them now for a couple of weeks, and found them to be remarkably helpful. Calm. This app is a "meditation app". Yes, I know what you are thinking. Do we need an app for meditating? I think the answer is yes. Having tried a number of such apps, this is the only one that consistently helps me guide my brain into a calmer, less fragmented, and more anxiety-free state. Calm supplies you with a series of "environments", or soundscapes, that in and of themselves have a calming effect. Some of the choices include gentle rain, wind on a mountain meadow, the ocean, etc. But the app is more than a white noise generator. It also supplies a series of guided meditations that help still your mind and assist you in focusing on the here and now. This is an app that actually helps you with the practice of mindfulness. And for my Christian brothers and sisters who worry about what they may perceive to be "Eastern religious" practices, I can assure you that the guided meditations I have worked through so far have nothing to do with religion of any kind. These meditations are more about being present in this moment, and not getting caught up in thinking about things that are not happening right here, right now (the source of most of our anxiety and depression). I upgraded to the premium version, and considerate money well invested. SleepCycle. This app monitors the depth of your sleep by using the accelerometer in your iPhone. The theory is, the app detects how much you are moving in your bed at night. If you're moving a lot, you are either awake or in "light sleep". If you are in deep, sound sleep, you won't be moving at all. Sleep cycle takes your target wake-up time, and watches you carefully to see when you are in light sleep, and only then will it give a soft gentle alarm to wake you. Waking when you are in light sleep leaves you feeling refreshed, alert, and energetic. This hass been very helpful to me, and using the app has increased my overall sleep time to an average of almost 6 1/2 hours. Spiritual Foundations What does it mean to repent? I submit it's not what you think. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…" Romans 12:2 Feature Presentation: Five Surprising Productivity Hacks And now we come to the five surprising productivity hacks. Today I present some counterintuitive, but highly effective, productivity hacks. You may be surprised to hear these coming from me, but I have been experimenting with different practices of late, and found that each of these recommendations have helped me be more productive in real terms: in other words, getting useful stuff done that I want to accomplish. Read fiction. Goof off. Watch television. Multitask. Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel. What about you? What are your unconventional or surprising productivity hacks that go against the grain of the modern school of productivity? I'd love to see you share those below. How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

Does this sound like you? You hear people talk about "finding their passion" and "discovering your calling", but you don't seem to be able to find yours.  You want to do work that matters, and enjoy the process – but you don't know how. The secret, as suggested by Jeff Goins in his new book The Art of Work is to find the intersection between what you care about and the needs of the world. (And, by the way, you can get a free copy of The Art of Work for a limited time here.) Today's podcast is a conversation with Jeff Goins, and we dig deeply into these matters, and we talk about how you can abandon the status quo and live a life that matters. Interview: Jeff Goins on Finding Your Calling and The Art of Work If you have struggled with finding the work that really gets you fired up, and that makes a difference in the world, you'll get a lot out of this conversation. Resources Mentioned In The Show Jeff Goins' blog Get a free copy of The Art of Work How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

The time comes for all of us when we have to make big life transitions. In fact, it comes many times over the years… going off to college, getting married, starting a family, starting a business or new job. And there are other big transitions, too, the ones we don't enjoy so much. These can include serious illness, broken marriages, the death of a loved one – and many more unpleasant challenges we'd rather not face. In today's episode, I share surprising conversation with Brian Holmes about how to navigate these times of transition – the good ones and the not-so-good ones, too. Interview: Brian Holmes on How to Navigate Big Life Transitions This is a powerful interview, especially if you are facing any big "sea changes" in your life. Resources Mentioned In The Show Brian Holmes website Ties That Bind How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

I think we can all agree, if you get your writing published on Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, or Entrepreneur.com, that would probably be a good thing, yes? It turns out it may not be all that hard to do… In today's episode, I interview the Amazing Kimanzi Constable, and that's just one of the many fascinating lessons you will learn. Spiritual Foundations: How to Get God to Bless Your Work Commit your work to the Lord,     and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 Some people think they are facing a difficulty because God is punishing them for some sin – and that is ridiculous. Interview: How to Get Featured on Big Sites Like Huffington Post This is my interview with Kimanzi Constable. Listen. Learn. Repeat. How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

Study entrepreneurs, and you'll find some great behaviors to emulate. Just as useful: study the things they don't do! In today's episode, I'll share 10 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Don't Do. Other Reasons To Keep Listening How to learn a language for free. No, God is not punishing you for some sin! How to get a great design for your website – a conversation with my designer. That's all coming up in today's episode… Tip of the Week: DuoLingo is the way to learn a language for free. Snarky Nomad has a fabulous review. Spiritual Foundations: God Is Not Punishing You For Some Sin! In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7 Some people think they are facing a difficulty because God is punishing them for some sin – and that is ridiculous. Interview: How to Work With a Designer In which I interview my designer, Jason Clement of Red Letter Design. Feature Presentation: 10 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Don't Do Think the world owes them anything. Settle. Fear risk. Take no for an answer. Blame their failure on others. Give up. One thing. Look for obstacles. Think "realistically". Expect their friends and family to understand.Notes. Resources Mentioned In The Show DuoLingo App Snarky Nomad Red Letter Design How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: "3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow." Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.